In front of a full house at the Thunder Studios in Long Beach California, Marvnation Promotions presented a seven bout fight card on Saturday Night. The original main event, featuring the pro debut of Marco Antonio Barrera Jr., was scratched the day before, so the card was reshuffled with two co-featured bouts.

Middleweight Andrew Buchanan moved his record to 3-0, 1 KO, by out-slugging Mexico’s Fredy Vargas Galarza (2-1, 1 KO) in a six round fight. Scores were 59-55 (twice) and 60-54 all for Buchanan.

In the co-featured fight, Yadira Bustillos (8-1, 0 KOs) out-slicked and out-boxed a very game and tough Katherine Lindenmuth (5-2, 2 KOs) in a fast-paced eight round female minimumweight bout. Continue reading “Results from Long Beach, California”

Featherweight prospect Laureano Sciuto (13-1, 8 KOs) of Argentina avoided the upset of Yohan Segura (12-2, 9 KOs) of Colombia by winning by majority decisión on Saturday night at the Club Social y Deportivo El Porvenir in Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Segura came out strong the first half of the fight banging at the body of Sciouto while landing several eye catching headshots. Segura slowed down the second half of the fight where Sciuto countered and piled up some points. The judges in the end had it 97-93, 96-94 for Sciuto and 95-95 even. The event was promoted by Marcos Maidana (Chino Promotions).

Report/Photos Scott Foster at ringside

Unbeaten WBO #4, IBF #7 super lightweight Richardson Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) outboxed WBC #6, WBO #11 Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-4, 28 KOs) over twelve one-sided rounds on Saturday night at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. 25-year-old Richardson Hitchins was taking a large step in class with Zepada, the victor of a brutal candidate for fight of the year in 2020. Hitchins outclassed Zepada from the onset with a technical, albeit defensive style, and each successive round was a carbon copy of the last. Scores were 119-109 and 120-108 2x.

Unbeaten super welterweight Conor “The Destroyer” Benn (22-0, 14 KOs), returning to the ring for the first time in 17 months, went ten rounds with Rodolfo “Sinaloita” Orozco (32-4-3, 24 KOs). Orozco stole some of the middle rounds before Benn finished in style, hurting Orozco badly in the ninth and again in the tenth. Scores read 96-94 and 99-91 2x, all for Benn.

In a unification battle for the WBA, WBC and WBO female welterweight titles, Sandy Ryan (6-1-1, 2 KOs) and Jessica McCaskill (12-3-1, 5 KOs) fought to a controversial ten round draw. The fight developed into a see-saw fight, with both fighters swapping the early rounds, but Ryan appeared to wrest control in the 5th, dominating the mid rounds behind her jab and good bodywork. McCaskill rallied in the ninth and tenth and may have secured her title belts during this final push, with the judges eventually declaring the bout a draw. Scores were 97-93 McCaskill, 96-94 for Ryan with the third judge providing the determinative score, 95-95. Continue reading “Hitchins dominates Zepeda”

WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) brutally knocked out “Juggernaut” Joe Joyce (15-2, 14 KOs) in round three on Saturday night at the OVA Arena in London. Zhang landed some hard shots in round two, then laid out Joyce with a flush right hand in round three. Joyce went down face first. Time was 3:07.

After the fight, Zhang asked the crowd, “Do you want to see me shut up Tyson Fury?”

Two-time light heavyweight world title challenger Anthony Yarde (24-3, 23 KOs) destroyed late sub Jorge Silva (22-9, 12 KOs) in round two. Heavy-handed Yarde pummeled Silva to the canvas and the bout was stopped.

Super middleweight Zach Parker (23-1, 17 KOs) was victorious when Khalid Graidia (10-13-4, 2 KOs) didn’t come out for round eight. Parker was rebounding from a loss to John Ryder 10 months ago.

Unbeaten super lightweight Pierce O’Leary (13-0, 7 KOs) hammered out a ten round unanimous decision over durable Kane Gardner (16-3, 7 KOs). Scores were 100-90, 99-92, 99-92.

Heavyweight Tom Schwarz (27-1, 19 KOs), whose only loss is to Tyson Fury, got all he could handle from rugged journeyman Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko (10-13-1, 7 KOs) on Saturday night at the GETEC Arena in Magdeburg, Germany. Hometown hero Schwarz got away with a 97-93, 97-93, 97-94 decision. After the bout, Schwarz declared “I am back!”

Former WBA super middleweight champion Tyron Zeuge (27-1-1, 15 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over Nasser Bukenya (6-4, 4 KOs). Bukenya down once. Scores were 79-72, 80-71, 80-71.

Unbeaten light heavyweight Ardian Krasniqi (6-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Deniz Altz (15-11, 4 KOs) with a body shot at 1:33 of the opening round. Krasniqi is the nephew of former heavyweight contender Luan Krasniqi.

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The card was scheduled to stream on DAZN, but was apparently pulled at the last moment in a reaction to a now settled 2020 domestic violence case where Schwarz broke his girlfriend’s jaw.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Former two-division champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (18-1, 12 KOs), 112, scored a lethal left uppercut to the chin and finished Filipino GAB#2 flyweight Jerven Mama (13-4-1, 7 KOs), 113, for the count at 3:09 of the third session in a scheduled ten on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

Having been beaten and dethroned by Kenshiro Teraji in a 108-pound unification bout last November, Hiroto appeared in a second comebacking bout and displayed a good form to impress the crowd. After mixing up toe-to-toe to win the first two sessions with ease, Kyoguchi swarmed over the Filipino Mama, overweight by a pound than the contract stipulation, and exploded a vicious uppercut that dropped Mama, who quickly stood up only to be counted out. Hiroto, 29, said, “I look forward to winning the third division belt.” Good luck. Continue reading “Former two-division champ Kyoguchi sinks Mama”

Keeps Japanese 115lb belt

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Do you remember ex-OPBF two-division champ Yuji Watanabe (25-5, 23 KOs), a very popular KO artist in 1990’s, who unfortunately failed to win world belts from Genaro Hernandez (TKO’d 6) and from Wilfredo Vazquez (KO’d 5) in 1992 and 1997 respectively.

His cousin WBC#22 Suzumi Takayama (7-0, 6 KOs), 114.75, a southpaw hard-puncher like his uncle, impressively turned the tables and kept his Japanese super-fly belt by scoring a fine TKO victory over former WBO AP ruler and JBC#1 Tsubasa Murachi (10-2-1, 3 KOs), 114.75, at 2:44 of the eighth round in a scheduled ten on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. Continue reading “WBC#22 Takayama halts Murachi”

By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Boxing Beat

Japanese southpaw veteran Yuki Nonaka (36-12-3, 10 KOs), 168, former OPBF and WBO AP middleweight champ, proved too fast and strong for WBO AP#14 light heavyweight Thoedsak Sinam (21-12, 17 KOs), 167, scoring a shutout decision (all 80-70) over eight one-sided rounds on Sunday in Sakai, Japan. Nonaka, a clever southpaw technician, outjabbed and outpunched the slower Thailander all the way, winning all rounds with ease. Nonaka, 45, proved he can still fight well.

Promoter: Mitsuki Promotions.

By Joe Koizumi

WBC, WBA light flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji (22-1, 14 KOs), 107.25, kept his belts as he patiently kept stalking game and busy South African veteran Hekkie Budler (36-5, 11 KOs), 107.75, and finally accelerated his attack and battered the challenger to the ropes to prompt the referee’s intervention at 2:19 of the ninth round on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese footworker averted Budler’s busy but less accurate combinations and fought back with better precision to have the South African gradually slowing down at the game progressed.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

(More to come)

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten Japanese southpaw Junto Nakatani made his first defense of the WBO 115-pound belt as he dropped Mexican Argi Cortes three times–twice in the fidth and once more in the ninth—to score a lopsided decision (119-106 twice, 118-107) over twelve hot frames on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. Cortes seemed greatly befuddled by Nakatani’s awkward southpaw style with superior height and reach to be unable to show his retaliation.

(More to come)

By Joe Koizumi

Sensational Japanese prodigy Tenshin Nasukawa (2-0), 123, decked his second pro bout by pounding out a shutout decision over Mexican bantamweight ruler Luis Guzman (10-3, 6 KOs), 122.25, over eight on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. Tenshin looked impressive as he floored the durable Guzman three times in rounds one, seven and eight.

(More to come)

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

Unbeaten WBA #2, WBC #5, IBF #6, WBO #7 lightweight William “El Camarón” Zepeda (29-0, 25 KOs) battered and stopped two-time world title challenger Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) on Saturday night headlining on Mexican Independence Day at the Commerce Casino & Hotel in Commerce, California. Zepeda attacked with non-stop punching and relentless pressure from the opening bell. Gesta was under fire until his corner stopped it midway through round six. Continue reading “Zepeda bludgeons Gesta”

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

What a way to celebrate Mexican Independence Day as Pacific Northwest featherweight, Victor Morales (19-0-1, 9 KOs) of Vancouver, Washington and Mexico City’s Edwin “Pupo” Palomares (18-5-2, 9 KOs) went to battle in the DAZN co-feature bout.

Ripping away with a combination to start, Morales connected as Palomares pressed. The Mexico City fighter came out aggressive in round two as Morales boxed, kept his distance connecting with one-two combinations as Palomares kept coming. In the third, Palomares closed some distance and kept Morales close, landing with straight rights and backing the Northwest fighter. Morales could not keep Palomares away in the fourth, despite connecting with solid punches up top, Palomares kept coming and worked as Morales retreated to close the round. Circling the ring in the fifth, Morales boxed ripped with combinations as Palomares kept coming and bringing the pressure.

The non-stop pressure from Palomares wasn’t making it easy for Morales as it continued in the sixth, Morales suffered a nasty cut on his left eye from a punch as Palomares was on the hunt. Before beginning the seventh, the ringside physician looked at Morales momentarily as the fight resumed. Palomares did not stop coming, targeting the cut as Morales kept his distance letting his hands go but the Mexican was relentless. Staying busy and keeping his distance, Morales avoided Palomares’s attack and fended off with the jab. With the final two rounds possibly determining the winner, it was Palomares that kept pressure as Morales let his hands go and stood busy in the ninth. Sensing the urgency to determine the winner, the final round it was Palomares applying the pressure as Morales kept the distance and boxed, the Mexico City fighter was making it a street fight doing anything he can to pull away, but Morales connected with big punches. What a finish it was as Palomares and Morales battled to the final bell.

In the end the judges scored the bout a shocking 100-90, 99-91, and a reasonable 96-94 as all three scorecards were in favor for Morales. Continue reading “Zepeda-Gesta Undercard Results”

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

In the opening bout from the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California, making his pro debut, lightweight Jordan Cervantes (1-0) of East Los Angeles put in work in going the distance four rounds and defeating El Paso, Texas’s Giovanny Meza (0-5). Cervantes was off to slow a slow and patient start as he sticked Meza with the jab in the opening round. On the attack in round two, Cervantes connected Meza with a straight right hand and continued to box. Coming out strong in the fourth and final round, Cervantes pressed Meza in route to the decision win. All three judges scored the bout 40-36.

Mexican Olympian super bantamweight Gael “El Terror” Cabrera (2-0, 1 KO) of Sonora, Mexico won a unanimous decision over Nicaragua’s Juan Centeno (8-10-3, 1 KO). Coming out aggressive and firing in round one, Cabrera relentlessly attacked Centeno with sharp punches. Keeping up the fast pace, Cabrera let his hands go in the second, scoring with combinations and outworking the Nicaraguan fighter, Centeno. The Olympian Cabrera was in control as he continued to work Centeno through three rounds. It was all Cabrera as he tallied up points in connecting with vicious shots inside and boxing effectively, outhustling Centeno in route to the decision victory. After completing four rounds, all three judges scored the bout 40-36.

West LA Westside Boxing’s super lightweight Alejandro “Pinpon” Reyes (10-0, 5 KO’s) of Mexicali, Mexico won a sixth round majority decision over Roberto Gomez (5-2, 5 KO’s) of Mexico City. On the offensive to begin, Reyes boxed and fired the jab in the opening round as he outworked Gomez (5-1, 5 KOs) in the early rounds. Keeping his distance and shooting away combinations in round three Reyes tallied up points as Gomez stalked and mixed it up. Fighting on the inside in round four, Reyes and Gomez didn’t take a step back as they exchanged. The fight continued in a phonebooth on the inside in the fifth with Reyes and Gomez staying busy as Reyes suffered a cut on the left eye. Fight was up for grabs heading into the sixth and final round as the cut on Reyes’s eye was stabilized, Gomez pressured and stood busy as Reyes with the cut boxed and kept his distance staying busy. In the end after six rounds,59-55, 58-56, and 57-57 as Reyes pulls the majority decision.

Super Featherweight prospect Daniel “Junebug” Garcia (7-0, 5 KO’s) of Denver, Colorado won a six round unanimous decision over Guadalajara, Mexico’s Erick “Aidahoe” Benitez (4-5, 1 KO) in headlining the You Tube stream. From the opening bell neither shied away from the offense as Garcia and Benitez traded away early on, with Garcia shooting the straight shots as Benitez ripped away. Pressing behind the jab in the fourth and stalking Garcia was on the hunt as Benitez stood in the pocket trading. Garcia was the aggressor late in the fight as he pressed and stood busy, but Benitez did not take a step back and stood his ground mixing it up. Stalking in the sixth and final round, Garcia timed Benitez with straight shots as Benitez stood busy finishing strong. After completing six rounds, all three judges scored the bout 60-54.

IBF featherweight world champion Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez (29-2, 16 KOs) retained his title by twelve round unanimous decision over two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez (26-4, 15 KOs) on Friday night at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Tough, gritty fight. Tough gritty fight with Venado prevailing 118-110, 117-111, 116-112.

WBO #4 lightweight Angel Fierro (22-1-2, 17 KOs) got all he could handle against Brayan Zamarripa (13-2, 4 KOs) on Friday night at the Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutierrez Moreno in Tijuana, Mexico. After a ten round slugfest, Fierro escaped with a split decision. Scores were 96-94, 96-95 Fierro, 96-94 Zamarripa. Fierro retained his NABO title.

Other Results:
Erika Cruz W10 Melissa Odessa Parker (female super bantamweight)
Christian Olivo W10 Kevin Barron Crespo (featherweight)
Skye Nicolson W10 Sabrina Maribel Perez (female featherweight)
Federico Pacheco KO3 Carlos Cardenas (heavyweight)

Heavyweight Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (27-6-2, 20 KOs) hammered out a workmanlike eight round unanimous decision over Robert Hall Jr. (14-2, 11 KOs) on Friday night at the John Marshall Hall in Richmond, Virginia. Scores were 79-73, 77-75, 79-73.

Cruiserweight Dusty Hernandez Harrison (35-0-1, 21 KOs) knocked out Ronald Montes (19-19-1, 17 KOs) with a body shot in round three. It was Dusty’s first fight in three-and-a-half years.

Super bantamweight Glenn Dezurn (17-3-1, 12 KOs), husband of undisputed female super middleweight champion Franchón Crews-Dezurn, stopped Ernesto Guerrero (34-39, 23 KOs) in round five. Guerrero down twice in round five.

In a rematch, heavyweight Joey “The Tank” Dawejko (26-10-4, 14 KOs) made it 2-0 against Colby Madison (11-6-2, 7 KOs) on Friday night at the Event Center at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia. Dawejko stalked the 40-year-old Madison the whole fight, landing heavy shots in every round. In round eight, Dawejko was credited with a knockdown when he blasted Madison into the ropes, he then dropped Madison again with moments left. Joey won a more competitive six round unanimous decision over Madison in May. This was a one-sided affair.

Super bantamweight Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas (23-1, 12 KOs) scored a second round KO over previously unbeaten Rafael Pedroza (15-1, 11 KOs) on Friday night at the Boeing Center at Tech Point in San Antonio, Texas. Cardenas dropped Pedroza twice in round two to end it.

In a clash between unbeaten featherweights, Mirco Cuello (13-0, 11 KOs) outscored Rudy Garcia (13-1-1, 2 KOs) over ten rounds. Score was 99-90 3x.

Wndefeated welterweight KO artist Freudis Rojas (12-0, 11 KOs) went the distance for the first time in taking an eight round unanimous decision over Saul Bustos (15-2-1, 8 KOs). Scores were 79-73, 79-73, 80-72.

Unbeaten junior middleweight Xander Zayas (17-0, 11 KOs) successfully defended his NABO and NABF belts against Roberto Valenzuela Jr. (21-5, 20 KOs) on Friday night in the Venado-Joet co-feature at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Zayas dropped Valenzuela twice in round one. By round four, Valenzuela’s face was a bloody mask and the bout was halted by the ring doctor at :42 in round five.

Lightweight prospect Emiliano Vargas (7-0, 6 KOs), son of former world champion Fernando “Feroz” Vargas, punished previously unbeaten Alejandro Guardado (5-1, 1 KO) until the bout was stopped in round three.

Welterweight Julio Luna (20-1-2, 11 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision over KO artist Omar Aguilar (25-2, 24 KOs). Scores were 79-73, 78-74, 77-75.

Local welterweight John Rincon (8-0, 2 KOs) outpointed Bryan Ismael Rodriguez Rivera (4-2-1, 2 KOs) over six uneventful rounds. Scores were 60-54, 60-54, 58-56.

Junior welterweight Jamaine Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) outscored Antonio Moran (29-6-1, 20 KOs) over eight in a good fight. In his first action since last year’s loss against Vasiliy Lomachenko, Ortiz prevailed 99-91, 98-92, 97-93

Former world title challenger Ruben Villa IV (21-1, 7 KOs) hammered out an eight round unanimous decision over Brandon Valdes (15-4, 7 KOs) in a featherweight clash. Scores were 78-74 3x.

U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (10-0, 5 KOs) edged Ricardo Quiroz (13-3, 7 KOs) by eight round majority decision. Scores were 76-76, 78-73, 79-73.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Southpaw Japanese Katsuya Yasuda (12-1, 7 KOs), 134.75, kept his WBO AP lightweight belt when he displayed improved counterpunching, battered Korean Min-Ho Jung (15-5-2, 4 KOs), 134.5, with counters and scored a nearly shutout decision (119-109 twice, 118-110) over twelve fast rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. Jung, in his previous bout, had upset then world-rated Japanese Hironori Mishiro in Korea this April, and ambitiously wished to wrest the regional belt from Yasuda, a less powerful speedster. But it was Yasuda that often countered him with vicious left uppercuts to the liver, effectively weakening the Korean down the stretch. Continue reading “Yasuda beats Jung, keeps WBO AP 135lb belt”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Do you know Naruto? Naruto is a very famous Japanese cartoon hero who is a marvelous Ninja (invisible master of martial arts). A Filipino boxer claims he is Naruto and asked for a ring announcement as Lito “Naruto” Dante. WBC#14 minimum Dante (21-11, 12 KOs and no KO defeats), 105, proved he’s Naruto, completely outmaneuvered previously unbeaten ex-kickboxer Takeshi Ishii (7-1, 6 KOs), 105, and was awarded a split but well-received decision victory (77-75 twice, 75-77) over eight tricky and puzzling rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.

Having once dethroned OPBF minimum champ Tsubasa Koura here in 2019, Dante came back to Japan and displayed his unorthodox but scrappy style to give a lesson to the powerful but less accurate prospect. We could understand why Lito persistently asked himself to be introduced as Naruto, a ghost-like versatile trickster in the popular comic strip here. We wish to see Naruto again. Continue reading “WBC #14 Lito Dante defeats unbeaten Ishii”

Former IBO super middleweight world champion Carlos Gongora (22-2, 17 KOs) of Ecuador stopped heavy handed local favorite Jhon Teheran (18-4, 15 KOs) on Tuesday morning at the Coliseo David Sanchez de Pescaito in Santa Marta, Colombia. Gongora imposed his will midway through round one and dropped Teheran with a combination to the head. Teheran beat the count and managed to survive the round. A wicked right hook to the body ended matters early in round two as Teheran crumbled to canvas where the referee immediately waved off the bout. Gongora is managed by Mike Criscio and promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Lou DiBella.

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten Japanese prospect, WBC youth light fly champ Yuga Ozaki (4-0-1, 4 KOs), a fast-punching southpaw, 108, decked a very important victory over WBA#4 Sitthisak Simsri (15-2, 15 KOs), 106.75, a hard-punching Thailander, when Ozaki dropped him twice in the first round and had him in great trouble to have the ref declare a halt at 1:53 of the second round in a scheduled ten on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. Ozaki looked so sharp and smooth that he connected fast combinations to the highly regarded Thailander, quickly decking him twice in round one. Simsri had a narrow escape, and he scored with a big left midway in round two. Ozaki, however, retaliated with a furious combination to have him helpless to the ropes to cause the referee’s intervention.

Promoter: Taisei Promotions.

By Joe Koizumi

40-year-young ex-world 105-pound champ Katsunari Takayama (34-9, 12 KOs), 107.5, scored a unanimous decision (78-74 twice, 77-75) over Filipino Jerome Baloro (7-4-1, 4 KOs), 107.5, over eight fast rounds on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. For the veteran Takayama, it was his second comeback go since he failed to win the WBO light fly belt from Elwin Soto in Arlington, TX in 2021 as he recently decisioned Filipino Joel Lino this June. Faster and busier, Katsunari piled up more points and defeated the durable Filipino, seventeen years his junior.

Promoter: Taisei and Ishida Promotions.