By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside

In a rematch of their 2017 bout, Rene Alvarado (32-9, 21 KOs) out of Managua, Nicaragua squared off once again against Richard Gutierrez (25-3-1, 20 KOs), from Maracaibo, Venezuela, a fight Alvarado won by knockout. Gutierrez, though, was more than up for the challenge this time around as he wobbled Alvarado in round one and then dropped him twice in round three with a barrage of punches and again in round twelve to win a unanimous decision 113-112 on all three scorecards. The knockdown in the twelfth proved to be the difference between winning and losing for Gutierrez who takes home the WBA super featherweight title with the revenge victory against Alvarado. Continue reading “Gutierrez beats Alvarado, seizes WBA 130lb title”

By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside

IBF lightweight champ Felix Alvarado (36-2, 31 KOs) from Managua, Nicaragua retained his title with a show stopping performance against the tough, former IBF minimumweight champ DeeJay Kriel (16-2-1, 8 KOs) from Gauteng, South Africa with a 10th round TKO stoppage. Alvarado, the twin brother of Rene who is also showcased on the Golden Boy Card, dropped Kriel in the second and fourth rounds before connecting with multiple powerful right hands in the tenth with Kriel against the ropes in his own corner, that forced referee Mark Calo-oy to stop the back and forth slugfest. Continue reading “Alvarado stops Kriel, retains IBF 108lb title”

By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside

One of Golden Boy’s top young talents, middleweight Raul Curiel (9-0, 7 KOs) showed his full arsenal stopping the overmatched veteran southpaw Ramses Agaton (22-13-3, 12 KOs) in round two. Curiel dropped Agaton in the first round with a powerful left hook to the body after an onslaught of punches and although Agaton got to his feet, Curiel smelled blood in the water. In round two, Curiel continued to land to the head and body, before referee Rosario Solis waived it off after the towel came in the ring from Agaton’s corner and Curiel came out with the TKO victory. The time of the stoppage was 1:16 of round two of the scheduled eight. Curiel enjoyed a great amateur career as he won the World Series of Boxing in 2015. Curiel represented Mexico in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and is managed by Frank Espinoza.

In an exciting opening bout on DAZN at American Airlines Center in Dallas for the Texas showdown between Ryan “KingRy” Garcia and Luke Campbell, lightweight Sean “Sugar Rush” Garcia (6-0, 2 KOs) and younger brother of KingRy, faced Rene Marquez (5-6, 2 KOs) from Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The southpaw Garcia, trained by Eddy Reynoso and his father Henry, came out sharp from the opening bell landing right hooks and a straight left. In round two, both guys exchanged big blows in the center of ring. The shorter Marquez bullied his way in several times and had some success to the body against the slick Garcia who mostly stayed on the outside and used his speed. Both guys went for it all as the final bell range in round four. In the end, Garcia’s activity took him to victory as he remained undefeated with a majority decision 38-38, 39-37, 39-37. The card is being promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

By Joe Koizumi

In a greatly anticipated encounter of Japanese compatriots, WBO junior bantamweight champ Kazuto Ioka (26-2, 15 KOs), 115, very impressively kept his belt as he sent previously unbeaten Kosei Tanaka (15-1, 9 KOs), 115, to the deck twice with a well-timed left hook in the fifth and sixth and finally halted him at 1:35 of the eighth round on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. It was a beautiful demonstration of Ioka’s skills in averting Tanaka’s opening attacks and precisely counterpunching him with the picture-perfect left hooks. The ref was Michiaki Someya, Japan, who made a well-timed stoppage to save the battered and bloodied loser from further punishment.

Former WBC flyweight ruler Daigo Higa (17-1-1, 17 KOs), 118, wrested the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight belt by flattening defending titlist, compatriot Yuki Strong Kobayashi (16-9, 9 KOs), 117.5, at 0:45 of the fifth session in a scheduled twelve. Higa had swept all rounds prior to the trick happening with his vicious uppercut to the face.

(More to come)

By Joe Koizumi

Former all four-body world 105-pound champ, 37-year-old Japanese Katsunari Takayama (32-8-1-1NC, 12 KOs), 107.75, made a successful comeback after such a long hiatus as four years and four months when he pounded out a nearly shutout six-round decision (60-54, 59-55 twice) over WBC#11 light-flyweight compatriot Reiya Konishi (17-3, 7 KOs), 108, on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. Konishi, 27, a prefight favorite, suffered another defeat following his failure to win the IBF 108-pound belt from Nicaraguan Felix Alvarado last May. Takayama made best use of his trademark footwork to befuddle and bewilder the flat-footed puncher Konishi, steadily piling up points with his speed and skills. Konishi attempted to go forward and catch up with the fleet-footed veteran, but Takayama was obviously too sharp and swift for him. It’s like a Tom-and-Gerry game. Continue reading “Ex-champ Takayama returns after 4-year hiatus”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

On the day of our government’s announcement that no foreigners shall enter Japan for fear of a possible invasion of a new coronavirus variant until end-January, a sensational encounter of our rival compatriots was a highly anticipated attraction despite the JBC’s regulated attendance.  Unbeaten OPBF 130-pound champ Hironori Mishiro (10-0-1, 3 KOs), 135, eked out a hairline majority decision (96-94 twice, 95-95) over former WBO junior lightweight champ Masayuki Ito (26-3-1, 14 KOs), 134.75, on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Continue reading “Unbeaten Mishiro edges ex-WBO champ Ito”

In a non-title bout, WBA interim super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs) scored a brutal third round TKO over WBA #11 Mike Gavronski (26-4-1, 16 KOs) on Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. 50:1 favorite Morrell teed off on Gravonski immediately and dropped him at the end of round one. After more punishment in rounds two and three, referee Jack Reiss waved it off at 2:45 of round three. The bout was switched from a world title defense to a 170lb limit non-title ten-rounder at the last minute.

Hard-punching middleweight Juan Macias “Juanito” Montiel (22-4-2, 22 KOs) destroyed fan favorite James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (34-3, 30 KOs) in the first round. Kirkland started aggressively, but walked into a punch and was dropped. Montiel then floored the 36-year-old Kirkland two more times before the bout was waved off at 1:56. Impressive win for Montiel, who was a slight -130 favorite. He is the nephew of former world champion Fernando Montiel. Continue reading “Morrell batters Gavronski, Montiel KOs Kirkland”

WBO #7 and IBF #8 bantamweight Nikolai Potapov (22-2-1, 11 KOs) scored a one-sided eight round unanimous decision over Oleksandr Hryshchuk (16-3-1, 6 KOs) on Thursday night at the Soviet Wings Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia. Easy win for Potapov as Hryshchuk was in survival mode from the opening bell. No scores announced.

In the main event, middleweight Evgeny Terentyev (17-3, 8 KOs) outscored 43-year-old veteran Viktor Plotnikov (33-10, 15 KOs) over ten rounds for the WBA Asia title. Plotnikov, who came into the fight with a cut on the bridge of his nose which opened and bled profusely throughout, was down in round five but managed to go the distance. Continue reading “World-rated Potapov wins easily”

Unbeaten super lightweight Ruben Torres (14-0, 11 KOs) kept his “O” intact with an eight round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Rodriguez (23-14-1, 13 KOs) on Sunday at the Omega Products International Event Center in Corona, California. Scores were 79-73, 80-72, 80-72.

Super flyweight Saul Sanchez (15-1, 8 KOs) outscored Mario Hernandez (10-2-1, 3 KOs) over eight rounds by scores of 78-74, 78-74, 79-73

In a clash of unbeaten middleweights, Richard Brewart Jr. (8-0, 4 KOs) scored a second round KO over Louis Hernandez (8-1-1, 6 KOs). A right hand laid out Hernandez. Time was 1:48.