By Lucas “Lukie” Ketelle

In a shocker, super lightweight Jose Marrufo (13-8-2, 1 KO) of Phoenix, Arizona upset previously unbeaten local San Francisco-based prospect Willie Shaw (9-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round main event from the San Mateo Events Center in San Mateo, California.

The bout was close with a lot of swings rounds. Shaw landed the harder and cleaner shots, but Marrufo kept up a high punch output from start to finish which seemed to edge him the fight. In the second round, a punch or a head butt caused massive swelling that nearly shut Marrufo’s eye, and stopped the fight. B. St Boxing’s Fred Silva did a terrific job keeping Marrufo in the fight as Marrufo’s eye seemed to be basically shut.

Marrufo threw six to eight punch combinations in close while Shaw looked for two punches at a time with more force behind his shots. The judges scored the bout 76-76, 78-74 and 77-75 for Marrufo. Continue reading “Marrufo upsets previously unbeaten Shaw”

By Ricardo Ibarra
Photos by Mike Blair/Boxingprospects.net

Notching his fourth consecutive win inside the distance, undefeated Jr. lightweight prospect Giovanni Cabrera-Mioletti (16-0, 7 KOs) claimed a third round victory over the Philippines’ Recky Dulay (11-5, 8 KOs) on Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.

In the main event of Brian Halquist Productions’ 120th installment of the ‘Battle at the Boat’ series, Cabrera-Mioletti put on a dominant performance over three rounds before Dulay failed to come out for the fourth. Continue reading “Cabrera-Mioletti beats Dulay in three at the Boat”

In a WBC flyweight eliminator, Julio César “Rey” Martínez (14-1, 10 KOs) turned around a fight he was losing and knocked out previously unbeaten Andrew Selby (11-1, 6 KOs) with hook to the liver in the fifth round on Saturday night at the fairgrounds in Metepec, Mexico state.

Referee Hector Afu counted out Selby at :57. In the third round, an accidental clash of heads left Selby with a cut on the left eyebrow, prompting a point deduction from Martinez per WBC rules.

With the win, Martinez earned a shot at WBC Charlie Edwards, who earlier in the day retained his green belt against Angel Moreno in the UK.

By Brad Snyder-The Undercard
Photos by Bob Ryder

Vick Green and Pulse Boxing put on an entertaining five-bout card Friday night at St. Clements Hall, in Toledo, Ohio. The bouts featured all fighters with less than ten bouts recorded, except one. But that did not stop the action from proving strong.

The main event in the super lightweight division had Robert Mumford (3-0, 2 KOs) surviving a tough battle against opponent Tavaris Smith (0-1). Continue reading “Friday Night Fights in Toledo, Ohio”

By Miquel Maravilla at ringside
Photos: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

The heavyweights were in action as IBF #1 contender Kubrat Pulev (27-1, 14 KOs) of Bulgaria scored a dramatic seventh round KO over WBA #14 Bogdan Dinu (18-2, 14 KOs) of Romania on Saturday night in the ESPN main event at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California.

It was a slow start for the big guys but Pulev backed up Dinu with a one-two in the final seconds of the opening round. Working behind the jab in round two, Pulev pushed forward and controlled the round. Pulev began to throw and land the overhand right in round three as he continued to back up Dinu. The Romanian let his hands go in round four and he landed a solid right hand cutting Pulev badly over the left eye.

The blood flowed from Pulev’s left eye in the fifth as Dinu kept his distance boxing. It appeared that the cut was contained at the beginning of the sixth as Pulev came out more confident landing the right hand and backing Dinu but the cut was opened again late in the round. The Bulgarian came out firing in the seventh as he landed the one-two sending Dinu to the canvas. However, Pulev was deducted one point as he hit Dinu while down on a knee. After a delay, Dinu continued to fight and was battered down a second time from a Pulev right. Another Pulev right hand finished the job as Dinu was floored a third time and done. Referee Raul Caiz stopped the fight at 2:40 of the seventh round.

With the win, Pulev remains at the top of the IBF list to challenge WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Continue reading “IBF #1 heavyweight Pulev cut, KOs Dinu in seven”

By Przemek Garczarczyk

Two-time former cruiserweight world champion Krzysztof “Diabolo” Włodarczyk (57-4-1, 39 KOs) scored a workmanlike ten round unanimous decision over Alexandru Jur (18-3, 7 KOs) on Saturday night at the Olimpijczyków Sports & Entertainment Hall in Lomza, Poland. Scores were 96-94, 97-93 and 99-91.

In another bout, unbeaten super middleweight Fyodor Czerkaszyn (12-0, 7 KOs) won by second-round TKO over 40-year-old former world champion Kassim Ouma (29-13-1, 18 KOs). The bout was bizarrely stopped after the Ouma corner threw in the towel when NOTHING was going on. No punches exchanged, just two boxers looking at each other.

WBC flyweight champion Charlie Edwards (15-1, 6 KOs) outclassed challenger Angel Moreno (19-3-2, 6 KOs) over twelve rounds on Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena in London. Edwards scored a flash knockdown in round eight en route to a 120-107 win on all three cards.

As expected, unbeaten heavyweight Nathan Gorman (16-0, 11 KOs) scored an uneventful and one-sided ten round decision over late sub Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson (34-13-1, 18 KOs) on Saturday night at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, England. Gorman outworked the 39-year-old defensive specialist Johnson to win by a score of 100-90. The bout was scored by the referee, as is common practice in the U.K.

In a clash of unbeaten super lightweights, Sam Maxwell (11-0, 9 KOs) scored a Hail Mary tenth round KO over Sabri Sediri (10-1-1, 5 KOs). Sediri dropped Maxwell in both rounds one and two and rocked him several other times. Sediri began clowning in the final round and with seconds to go, Maxwell caught Sediri with a right hand and laid him out. Time was 2:46.

In a battle between light-punching unbeaten super welterweights, CJ Challenger (10-0, 2 KOs) outpointed Kyle Haywood (8-1-1, 1 KO) over ten. Score was 97-95.

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

WBA #3 super flyweight Andrew Moloney (19-0, 12 KOs) stopped WBA #2 Miguel Gonzalez (29-2, 6 KOs) in round eight in their WBA eliminator on Friday night in San Francisco de Mostaza, Chile. Moloney dropped Gonzalez with a left hook and the referee called it off at the 2:50 mark.

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

With the NCAA March Madness tournament beginning today, super lightweight Juan Antonio “El Mozo” Rodriguez (30-7, 26 KOs) of Puebla, Mexico pulled the upset in stopping WBO #2 rated Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (32-3-2, 17 KOs) of San Diego in the ninth round on Thursday night at the Avalon in Hollywood, California in the Golden Boy main event.

Gesta came out aggressive from the opening bell attacking Rodriguez landing some hard shots. Countering in round two, Gesta was caught by solid right in the second but Gesta adjusted and worked off the jab. Trading on the inside in the third, Gesta and Rodriguez exchanged big punches as neither took a step back. Continuing on the inside in round four, Gesta attacked the body and mixed it up with the jab as Rodriguez began to tire but was still going forward. Keeping his distance and popping the jab, Gesta was cut on both eyes as Rodriguez pressed as he landed a solid, later both traded away till the round ended. Continue reading “Upset: Rodriguez stops #2 Gesta in nine”

By Robert Coster

Coming from an 11 month layoff, 2008 Olympic Champion, Dominican jr welterweight Felix Diaz (20-3, 10 KOs) made short work of outclassed countryman Abrahan Peralta (19-6, 13 KOs) in just two rounds. A hook to the body sent Peralta to the canvas for the full count at 2:45 of the round. The bout took place Saturday night at The Coliseo Teo Cruz in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Promoter: Luis Casado.

Photos: Sumio Yamada

Eight fights, eight decisions on Top Rank’s St. Patrick’s Day special on Sunday in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In the main event, Olympic featherweight star Michael “Mick” Conlan (11-0, 7 KOs) defended his WBO Intercontinental strap with a workmanlike ten round unanimous decision over Ruben Garcia Hernandez (24-4-2, 10 KOs). Scores were 100-90 on all three cards.

Former WBA welterweight champion Luis Collazo (39-7, 20 KOs) scored a ten round split decision over Samuel Vargas (30-5-2, 14 KOs). Superbly conditioned 37-year-old Collazo suffered a cut over his right eye, but used his veteran skills to outscore Vargas by scores of 96-94, 98-92 on two cards. Vargas was up 96-94 on the third card. Continue reading “Conlan, Collazo, Mojica triumph at MSG”

Photos: Emily Harney

A raucous sold out crowd celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with Murphys Boxing’s 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Clash Saturday night at the House of Blues in Boston.

In the main event, Murphys Boxing’s own Mark DeLuca (23-1, 13 KOs) scored a unanimous 10 round decision over Connecticut’s Jimmy Williams (16-2-1, 5 KOs) making a successful defense of his NABA Super Welterweight Championship. Continue reading “Results from Boston”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten three-division champion, still 23-year-old Japanese enfant terrible Kosei Tanaka (13-0, 7 KOs), 112, successfully kept his WBO flyweight belt as he pounded out a unanimous decision over former WBA light-fly ruler, compatriot Ryoichi Taguchi (27-4-2, 12 KOs), also 112, on Saturday (March 16) over twelve hard-fought rounds in Gifu, Japan.

Rose Lacend (US) tallied 119-109, Hernando Steidel (Puerto Rico) and Takeo Harada (Japan) both saw it 117-111—all in the defending champ’s favor. Referee was Steve Willis (US) who handled the quick-moving contestants very well.

It was a sensational grudge fight highly anticipated by all fans here, because they, when both were world 108-pound titleholders, were once scheduled to exchange leather in a unification bout in New Year’s Eve in 2017. Continue reading “Tanaka-Taguchi Full Report”

By Ron Jackson

In possibly one of his best performances as a champion, South Africa’s Kevin Lerena beat Artur Mann from Germany on a fourth round technical knockout to retain his IBO cruiserweight belt for the fourth time in front of a capacity crowd at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park on Saturday night.

Both fighters came out sparring for openings in the first round with most of the punches blocked on the arms and gloves. Fighting in slow motion it was the same pattern in the second and third round, but Lerena (90.45Kg) finished strongly just before the bell to shade the round. Continue reading “Lerena retains IBO belt in four rounds”

Spence Jr. put on a one-sided massacre in Dallas as he predicted

By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside
Photos: Frank Micelotta/FOX Sports

In one of the most anticipated and intriguing fights in a long time, IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr (25-0, 21 KOs) and Mikey Garcia (39-1, 30 KOs) squared off at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night in front of 47,525 boisterous fans. It was also shown live on FOX on PBC Pay-Per-View, the first one for both fighters. If you entered the stadium Team Garcia or had your doubts about Spence Jr., you quickly realized why he is called The Truth.

Spence put on a textbook boxing clinic on the guy many believe is the most fundamentally sound fighter in the sport in Mikey Garcia. Spence Jr. also showed the nonbelievers leading up to the fight that it wasn’t going to be the size that stops the smaller Garcia, but his boxing skills and overall boxing IQ. There’s a reason why Leonard Ellerbe said this week that he gave Floyd Mayweather his best work in sparring and no one is smarter than Mayweather in the squared circle. Continue reading “Spence dominates, shuts out Garcia”

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

Former WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez (21-0, 18 KOs) stopped J’Leon Love (24-3-1, 13 KOs) in two rounds.

Benavidez got to work right away rocking Love with a left hook in the opening round and he continued to attack him. In round two, Benavidez backed Love up to the ropes and unloaded a vicious combination prompting referee Laurence Cole to step in to stop the fight at 1:14 of round two.

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside
Photos: Frank Micelotta/FOX Sports

Making his U.S. debut former bantamweight champion Luis Nery (29-0, 23 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico stopped former champion McJoe Arroyo (18-3, 8 KOs) of Puerto Rico after four one-sided rounds.

Nery attacked from the start as he landed combinations and attacked the body as Arroyo was fighting off his back foot. A left uppercut by the Nery dropped Arroyo in round two as he was up and continued fighting. A right hand followed by an overhand left sent Arroyo to the canvas a second time in round three. The Mexican southpaw continued to punch through Arroyo in round four knocking him down two times as the Puerto Rican visited the canvas four times. Arroyo’s corner did not let him out to fight and the bout was waved off 10 seconds into the fifth.

Photos

By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside

In his second fight after a 2-year hiatus, former heavyweight contender Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (38-5-1, 33 KOs) put on a show at AT&T Stadium in the first pay-per-view bout under the Spence-Garcia mega fight. Arreola came out firing against Jean Pierre Augustin (17-1-1, 12 KOs) in the first round, backing up the southpaw. Augustin countered the active Arreola landing counter straight left hands that bloodied the nose of Arreola. The 2nd round was much of the same as Arreola was on the attack as both guys were warned by referee Neal Young for roughhousing.

But in round 3 it was all Arreola as he buckled Augustin legs with a straight left hand to open the round. Augustin stood on his feet temporarily, but Arreola smelled blood and went in for the kill dropping Augustin who barely got to his feet. Arreola attacked Augustin and put him against the ropes and dropped a flurry of bombs that caused referee Neal Young to jump in and stop the fight. The time of stoppage was 2:30 of the 3rd round for the TKO victory for Arreola.

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

Former heavyweight world champion Charles Martin (26-2-1, 23 KOs) won by eighth round disqualification against Gregory Corbin (15-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The bout was terminated due to low blows from Corbin. Continue reading “Martin beats Corbin by DQ”

By Jeff Zimmerman and Miguel Maravilla at ringside

Super featherweight Jose Valenzuela (3-0, 1 KO) of Sinaloa, Mexico scored a fourth round stoppage over Christian Velez (1-2, 1 KO) of Puerto Rico in a final walkout bout. Valenzuela scored a knocked down in the opening round and continued to outwork Velez. Keeping his distance and boxing, Valenzuela finished off Velez in the fourth knocking him down a second time as the referee waived the bout 1:40.

Super lightweight Lindolfo Delgado (9-0, 9 KOs) used the first half of round one to find his range and once he did it was all over for the out gunned James Roach (5-2, 5 KOs) in a swing bout during the Spence-Garcia pay-per-view. Delgado landed at will on Roach to the head and body and put him on the canvas, however referee Mark Calo-oy ruled it a slip, although Roach was clearly hurt. Roach got to his feet and Delgado went back to work and unloaded everything but the kitchen sink as he landed big shots to the head and body of Roach. It was a left hook to the body that finally put Roach down and out for good. The official time was 2:59 of the 1st round by KO.

Dallas welterweight Amon Rashidi (6-0, 4 KOs) scored a sixth round stoppage over El Paso’s Gabriel Gutierrez (5-8, 3 KOs). Rashidi dropped Gutierrez in the third. The fourth round saw Rashidi land a hard short right hand that backed Gutierrez to the ropes. The Dallas prospect continued to outwork Gutierrez sending him to the canvas a second time in round five. However the referee had seen enough as Gutierrez was down a third time stopping the fight 24 seconds of the sixth.

San Antonio’s Jesse Rodriguez (9-0, 5 KOs) stopped Rauf Aghayev (26-7, 11 KOs) in three rounds in a scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout. Rodriguez was on the attack backing Aghayev. However in round three, Aghayev crouched in pain as Rodriguez landed a combination. Referee Laurence Cole stepped in to stop the fight at 2:50 as Aghayev appeared to sustain an injury.

Super welterweight Thomas Hill (8-2, 1 KOs) battled Limberth Ponce over six tough rounds. Hill used a lightning fast jab to keep the smaller Ponce at bay for most of the fight. Ponce looked to counter Hill and tried to land big bombs with both hands, landing occasionally. Ponce appeared to slow down the 2nd half of the fight as Hill wobbled him with a big right hand in the 6th round. In a tough fight to score, the judges ruled a split decision for the busier Hill. Scores read 60-54, 58-56 for Hill and 59-55 for Ponce.

Unbeaten bantamweight prospect Aaron Morales (6-0, 3 KOs) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma dominated Fernando Robles (2-1) of McAllen, Texas for six-rounds. A pair of uppercuts by Morales dropped Robles in the second round. Morales stayed on top of Robles backing him up and staggering him in the fifth. Staying busy Morales closed the strong in route to a decision. Scores were 60-53, 60-53, 59-54.

Dallas cruiserweight Adrian Taylor (9-1, 4 KOs) faced William Quintana (7-13, 3 KOs) in a four round scrap. Taylor came out strong landing big shots to the head and body of Quintana. Quintana, though, showed toughness and started to land some punches inside as the fight continued. In the end, Taylor was more active and earned the hard fought unanimous decision. The scores read 40-36, 39-37 twice.

Lightweight Luis Coria (11-2, 6 KOs) of Moreno Valley, California stopped Mexico’s Omar Garcia (6-8, 1 KO). Coria dropped Garcia in the opening round, Garcia was up and continued to fight but Coria’s attack overwhelmed Garcia as the referee stepped in to stop the fight at 53 seconds of round two.

Local super middleweight Burley Brooks (1-0, 1 KOs), making his pro debut, came out swinging from the opening bell to the head and body of Randy Mast (1-1) and dropped him with a solid left hand shot to the body. Mast beat the count, but a flurry by Brooks caused the referee to waive it off soon after. The time of stoppage was 1:16 by TKO of the first round. Brooks is a product of R&R Boxing Club and Roger Rodas in Dallas and is signed by Errol Spence’s ManDown Promotions. Brooks has been in camp with Spence for several fights as well as former junior middleweight champ Jermell Charlo.

In the opening bout from AT&T Stadium, super flyweight Robert Rodriguez (3-0) of San Antonio won a unanimous decision Fernando Ibarra (0-1) of Fairfield, California in a four-round fight. The southpaw Rodriguez dominated throughout the fight bloodying Ibarra in route to a unanimous decision. Judges scored the bout 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37.

Garay overcame the worst adversities

By Héctor Villarreal

The main event of the card presented by Promociones y Eventos del Istmo on Thursday night at Fantastic Casino Albrook, Panamá surpassed all expectations.

Unheralded light flyweight Johnny Garay (6-4-1, 6 KOs), inspired by a deceased baby a few weeks ago and the passing of his wife following a lung infection just 72 hours before, chose to go through with his long-awaited rematch against former WBC silver minimumweight titlist Carlos “Arañita” Ortega (14-5-3, 5 KOs) and fought a war in a bout which ended in a draw. Continue reading “Grieving Garay holds Ortega to a draw”

By Robert Coster

WBA #6 ligthweight Evens Pierre (30-1-1, 20 KOs) was held to a surprise draw yesterday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, by local boxer Marco Acevedo (11-4-1, 4 KOs). Pierre boxed elegantly but was somewhat too economical with his punches against Acevedo, a wild, brawling opponent, egged on by the partisan crowd – a fact that might have influenced the local judges. Comments Pierre after the fight: “I think I outboxed him but the crowd was cheering every punch that he threw and missed. This said, I was also the victim of ring rust and the lack of time to train due to the situation in Haiti.” Continue reading “Evens Pierre fights a draw”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Australian lightweight champion Jacob Ng (10-0, 8 KOs) captured the IBF Youth 135 pound title when he forced a six round stoppage over Glenn Enterina (14-5-1, 9 KOs) in a scheduled ten round bout at the Southport Sharks club, Southport, Queensland on Saturday. Ng dropped Enterina in round one but in round two the Filipino had the Australian on the canvas. Enterina was deducted a point in round three for continual infringements. The referee called the fight off in round six and crowned Ng.

A perfect storm struck last night at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. In the “Every Man for Himself” main event, hometown favorite Kendrick “Peppa” Ball, Jr. headlined his first show at home, in which his cousin, Owen Minor, made his pro debut, all topped by Ball capturing the vacant New England middleweight title.

Ball (12-1-2, 8 KOs) used his height and reach advantage, effectively jabbing and mixing in some powerful body shots, to win a unanimous six-round unanimous decision over Danny “Feel Good Hollywood” Rosenberger (4-7-4, 1 KO). Continue reading “Results from Worcester, Massachusetts”