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With the end of the six year, ten month reign of former WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. on Saturday night, the longest reigning world champion in boxing is now WBA minimumweight Thammanoon Niyimtrong (also known as Knockout CP Freshmart), who has held his title for five years, seven months.

Other longest-reigning champions (at one weight) are:

Jerwin Ancajas – five years, four months
Leo Santa Cruz – five years
Errol Spence – four years, eight months
Dmitry Bivol – four years, two months
Artur Beterbiev – four years, two months

The next Showtime Championship Boxing telecast will be on February 26 in Las Vegas when WBA super featherweight champion Roger Gutierrez (26-3-1, 20 KOs) defends against unbeaten former interim champion Chris Colbert (16-0, 6 KOs).

The co-feature will be super lightweight Gary Antuanne Russell (14-0, 14 KOs) against former world champion Viktor Postol (31-3, 12 KOs).

In the other world title affair, IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) defends against Fernando Martinez (13-0, 8 KOs).

“This is my dream come true,” said newly crowned WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo. “Ever since I was a kid, this was my dream. I’m so proud that I’m a champion now. Thank you so much to the Filipino fans for the support.”

Magsayo (24-0, 16 KOs) ended the reign of boxing’s longest male world champion Gary Russell Jr. (31-2, 18 KOs), largely benefiting from an injury to Russell’s right shoulder that became discernable in round four. “I knew that he was hurt,” said Magsayo. “I hit him with a good shot. That’s why he got hurt. That was a big advantage for me. He was only using one hand. This was my opportunity to follow through. My coach was telling me to use good combinations and follow through. He said ‘this is your chance to become a champion,’ and now I am a champion.” Continue reading “Magsayo: I’m the champion now”

“I believe I have a torn tendon in my right shoulder,” former WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. said in the ring after losing his world title to Mark Magsayo. “I haven’t competed in almost two years. This is what true champions do. I wanted to step into the ring and display my superiority regardless of the injury and whatnot. We did that and I gave him a boxing lesson. I gave him a boxing lesson the whole way through. I landed clean whenever I wanted to. I couldn’t use my right arm, but I was still able to throw effective shots and touch him at will.

“I felt like I still won the fight to be honest with you. I fought with one arm. He had his hands full with a fighter with one arm and the whole fight I gave him a boxing lesson!” Continue reading “Russell: I felt like I won the fight”

WBC mandatory challenger Mark Magsayo (24-0, 16 KOs) dethroned WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. (31-2, 18 KOs) by twelve round majority decision on Saturday night at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ. Magsayo had some early success. Southpaw Russell injured his right shoulder in round four and essentially fought one-handed the rest of the way, throwing virtually zero jabs. Magsayo outworked and outlanded Russell by a wide margin in power punches 259-140. Scores were 114-114, 115-113, 115-113. Entering the fight, Russell was boxing’s longest-reigning champion.

In a rematch, super lightweight Subriel Matias (18-1, 18 KOs) avenged his only loss by breaking down and stopping Petros Ananyan (16-3-2, 7 KOs) in the Russell-Magsayo co-feature on Saturday night at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ. It was a slugfest from the opening bell with Matias usually having the upper hand. Matias finally dropped Ananyan with a left hook at the end of round nine. Ananyan looked to be in bad shape and the bout was stopped by the ring doctor after the round. Ananyan previously won a ten round UD over Matias.

“I’m not just a hard-hitter but the way that I fight is like cutting down a tree,” said Matias. “Just keep hitting them. I think I can improve my power but let’s see what happens with time. I want to thank everybody who made this fight possible, but I’m going to take my time before deciding who I will fight next.” Continue reading “Matias avenges loss to Ananyan”

Courtesy of Jim Jenkins, Sacramento Bee

Sacramento’s DoubleTree Hotel, minus marquee boxers, again had no trouble filling a ballroom venue with fight-starved fans.

The substitute feature bout between middleweights saw Joeshon James (5-0) of Sacramento spoil the pro debut of Bryan Martinez of Paso Robles by four-round unanimous decision. Illness forced cancellation of the scheduled main between super-middleweights Anthony Hernandez of Yuba City and Kenneth Lopez of Ceres. Continue reading “Results from Sacramento”

In a Showtime exclusive feature, the Russell family opens up about their boxing goals and how they help push each other to greater heights. Plus, WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. discusses his fight tonight with Mark Magsayo.

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By Brad Snyder – The Undercard

Hugo Centeno Jr. 161.2 vs. Antonio Todd 158.2
Winfred Harris Jr. 166.8 vs. Esau Herrera 163.4
Joseph Hicks Jr. 168.4 vs. Montrel James 168.4
Gordie Russ II 153.4 vs. Leslie Michael Klekotta 156
Marlon Harrington 159.4 vs. Terry Roscoe 158.2
Quinton Randall 151.4 vs. Julian Smith 145.4
Joshua James Pagan 137.2 vs. Glenn Mitchell 136

Venue: Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, MI
Promoter: Salita Promotions
Tickets: $35 and $60 are still available

The World Boxing Council has received requests from the teams of Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte, to extend the period of free negotiations to finalize the fight. If there is no agreement, a purse bid will be held this coming Wednesday, January 26th.

Gary Russell Jr. 125.5 vs. Mark Magsayo 125.5
(WBC featherweight title)
Note: Russell made the 126-pound weight limit on his second attempt.

Subriel Matías 140.5 vs. Petros Ananyan 141
(Contracted weight limit: 141 lbs.)

Tugstsogt Nyambayar 128 vs. Sakaria Lukas 127.5
(Contracted weight limit: 128 lbs.)

Venue: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ
Promoter: TGB Promotion
TV: Showtime

U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson, featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of “The Greatest,” are among the rising stars who will fight January 29 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. The bill is topped by the 10-round WBC 130-pound title eliminator between Robson Conceição and Xavier Martinez, and a 10-round junior lightweight co-feature featuring Mexican grinder Rene Tellez Giron and Puerto Rican contender Luis Melendez.

Conceição-Martinez and Giron-Melendez will be televised live on ESPN. The above undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+. Continue reading “Conceição-Martinez undercard announced”

WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. is a 4:1 favorite to defeat unbeaten challenger Mark Magsayo in the SHOWTIME main event this Saturday at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ.

Lightweight Subriel Matias is 4:1 over Petros Ananyan in their twelve round rematch, and featherweight Tugstsogt “King Tug” Nyambayar is a whopping 25:1 against Sakaria Lukas in the ten-round TV opener.

Courtesy Jim Jenkins, Sacramento Bee

Cmaje Ramseur 133.5 vs. Sergio Ibarra 133.5
Mark Salgado 137 vs. Luciano Ramos 140
Jude Yniguez 129 vs. Malikai Johnson 130
Joeshon James 159 vs. Bryan Martinez 158
Anthony Hernandez 166 vs. Kenneth Lopez 167
Iris Contreras 132 vs. Neveah Martinez 133 (women)

Venue: DoubleTree Hotel.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1-21-2022
Promoter: Nasser Niavaroni.

Unbeaten prospect Evan Holyfield (8-0, 6 KOs), the son of legendary heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, will look to kick off what he hopes to be a big 2022 campaign when he takes on Chris Rollins (5-3-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round bout on the non-televised undercard on Saturday from Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

“My goals for 2022 are to remain undefeated and win Prospect of the Year,” said Holyfield. “I have to start by winning on January 22. I’ve been growing at a steady rate. Every time I fight I try to keep showing some type of evolution based on what I’ve been doing in the gym during training.” Continue reading “Evan Holyfield carving out own niche”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with convicted former drug trafficker “Freeway” Ricky Ross who was once in prison serving a life sentence when he discovered a loophole that set him free and has since become an author, motivational speaker and now running his new venture Team Freeway Boxing with long time boxing insider Rick Glaser. “Freeway” dives into his fascinating life starting in Los Angeles running a massive drug empire and now using those experiences to work with fighters that may have been discarded by others and looking for another chance and so much more in this exclusive interview.

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Brooklyn-born super middleweight sensation Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) will defend his NABO belt against crafty Steve Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) in the 10-round main event Saturday, March 19 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

In the junior middleweight co-feature, 19-year-old Xander Zayas (12-0, 9 KOs) will fight in his first scheduled eight-rounder against Quincy “Chico” LaVallais (12-2-1, 7 KOs).

The eight-round televised opener will see the return of lightweight U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (4-0, 3 KOs) against Esteban Sanchez (18-1, 8 KOs).

Berlanga-Rolls, Zayas-LaVallais and Davis-Sanchez will air live on ESPN. Continue reading “Berlanga, Zayas, Davis headline March 19 at MSG”

Former welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman has declared his intention to return to the top of the boxing world as he steps back into the ring on February 5 for the first time since 2019 against former junior welter champ Mario Barrios on PPV in Las Vegas.

“The sport of boxing demands greatness out of Keith Thurman. I demand greatness out of Keith Thurman. For all those who hold titles, get ready, as it’s not for long – I’m back baby! Time for me to dominate the welterweight division,” proclaimed Thurman during a training session at his home boxing gym, the St. Pete Boxing Club. “The sport of boxing, my legacy, is not over. The story is still being written. In 2022 we have a new chapter for Keith Thurman…with a belt, without the belt, I’m one of the greatest welterweights in the world today!”

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WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. and unbeaten challenger Mark Magsayo went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they meet in the SHOWTIME main event this Saturday at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ.

Gary Russell Jr: “If I go out there and I destroy Mark on Saturday, then the big fights that I want, those fighters won’t be in a rush to face me, not that they are now anyway. I’m always trying to give the same message when I enter the ring. I believe in intellect over athleticism, no matter the situation.”

Mark Magsayo: “I think I’m the fighter who wants to beat him more than anyone else has. I’m here to give him his second loss on Saturday night.”

More quotes

The current COVID-19 situation in Puerto Rico has forced the purse bid for WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade’s mandatory defense against Janibek Alimkhanuly to be rescheduled once again. It will now be held Friday, January 28th at 11:00 am at the WBO main offices in San Juan.

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with former 140lb WBA regular champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios as he prepares to face former welterweight champ Keith “One Time” Thurman in the main event on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View on Sat, Feb 5. Barrios discussed what he learned from his first loss against popular, multi-divisional champ Tank Davis and what a win against “One Time” would do for his career and much more in this exclusive interview.

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Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez (8-1, 4 KOs) will cross the pond to battle Irish veteran Eric Donovan (14-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight battle February 26 at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Ramirez-Donovan highlights the undercard of the junior welterweight showdown between undisputed world champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor and undefeated WBO #1 contender Jack “El Gato” Catterall. The entire Taylor-Catterall card will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+.

“Ever since that shocking loss in his professional debut, Robeisy Ramirez has shown why he was one of the top fighters from the 2016 Rio Olympics,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Robeisy fought all over the world during his amateur career, and we are thrilled that he will be able to showcase his skills for the Scottish fans.” Continue reading “Taylor-Catterall undercard announced”

The much-anticipated IBF heavyweight eliminator between Filip Hrgovic and Tony Yoka has run into a snag. Yoka and Martin Bakole were slated to fight last Saturday in Paris but that bout was postponed due to Covid restrictions. According to ESPN, Bakole protested to the IBF saying he still has a deal to face Yoka and therefore Yoka isn’t available to take the fight with Hrgovic. The IBF will now decide whether they will let the Yoka-Hrgovic eliminator take place or continue to move down the list to the next available contender for Hrgovic.

WBA heavyweight champion Trevor Bryan is planning a breakout performance against WBA #13 Jonathan Guidry on January 29 in Warren, Ohio. “We are going to show the world why I am the champion. I have a great opponent in front of me. I am going to do what champions do,” vowed Bryan on a Zoom call with reporters earlier this week.

“After this fight, everybody is going to be shouting my name. I am not worried about that. Boxing people know who Trevor Bryan is. I am here to stay. I am here to fight the best. I am the best. I am the champion…it’s cold in Ohio, but we are going to turn up the heat on January 29. Hopefully, I can get this man out there early. I do not get paid for overtime.” Continue reading “Trevor Bryan: I am here to fight the best”

The full card has been set for this Saturday’s Salita Promotions “Detroit Brawl” boxing card in the Lincoln Ballroom of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

As previously announced, the night’s 10-round middleweight main event will be WBC #9, WBO #15 ranked middleweight Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. against Antonio Todd (12-5, 7 KOs).

In the eight-round co-main event, undefeated super middleweight Winfred “Hotboy” Harris Jr. (20-1-1, 10 KOs) returns home for the first time in three years to take on Esau Herrera (19-13-1, 8 KOs). Continue reading ““Detroit Brawl” undercard set”