By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside

Unbeaten welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr scored a sixth round KO over Antonio Orozco to win the WBA gold belt and an accompanying world title challenge on Saturday night at The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Ortiz Jr (14-0, 14 KOs), out of Grand Prairie, TX, and fighting in his hometown for the first time as a pro, came out smoking from the opening bell as he landed a big body shot against former world title contender Antonio Orozco (28-2, 17 KOs) right from the jump. He soon followed up with a flurry of shots in the corner, before Orozco escaped initially. Ortiz got Orozco in trouble later in the round with power punches to the head and body, but Orozco showed his championship mettle by withstanding the initial onslaughts of Ortiz. In the 2nd round of the pro-Ortiz crowd, both guys landed to the body as Ortiz was going for the KO. Orozco went toe to toe with Ortiz who his trainer Robert Garcia called a future multi division world champion. Continue reading “Ortiz KOs Orozco in six for WBA gold title”

Former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr (51-3-1, 32 KOs) made quick work of Evert Bravo (25-11-1, 19 KOs) with an impressive first round KO on Saturday night at Estadio “Antonio R. Márquez” in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, Mexico. Chavez pinned Bravo in a corner and put him down and out with a hook to the liver. Time was 1:22. It was Junior’s first fight since facing Canelo Alvarez more than two years ago.

“Boxing is like that,” said Chavez afterward. “I wanted to give the fans more of a show, but that hook was well connected. I’m very happy. I prepared like never before. I want to return in September against “Perro” Angulo and then go for the super middleweight or light heavyweight title!”

Photos

By Kurt Wolfheimer at ringside
Photos: Darryl Cobb Jr.

Unheralded Adan Gonzales (5-2-2, 2 KOs) did the unthinkable in the four round featherweight co-feature on Saturday night at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, spoiling the professional debut of two-time Cuban Olympic Gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (0-1) by capturing a split decision victory.

Gonzalez dropped Ramirez in the opening seconds of the fight with a short counter. The knockdown seemed to give the Adan Gonzalez confidence and he opened up his offense with short little shots which seemed to keep the Cuban from letting his hands go. Rounds two and three were close, but Gonzalez wouldn’t back down his attack. Ramirez landed enough to make the rounds close. Ramirez caught Adan in the final seconds of the fight with a couple big lefts over the top as both traded, but just could not deter the busier Gonzalez. One judge saw the bout 38-37 for Robeisy Ramirez, but was overruled as the other to officials had it 38-37 and 40-35 for Adan Gonzalez, giving him the upset split decision victory.

Undefeated KO artist Edgar Berlanga (12-0, 12 KOs) kept his first round knockout streak intact, needing only two minutes and twenty four seconds to stop French middleweight Gregory “Nounou” Trenel (11-5-2, 3 KOs). Berlanga stunned Trenel with an eight punch combination early in the first round. Trenel tried to back out, but was sent to the canvas with an overhand left up top. Trenel was game and tried to survive as Berlanga rocked him with crushing shots. Referee Benjy Esteves Jr finally had seen enough and stepped in and called a halt to the contest at 2:24 of the opening round. Continue reading “2x Olympic gold medalist Ramirez loses pro debut”

By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside

In an unusual trilogy in boxing today, bantamweights Joshua Franco (15-1-2, 7 KOs) from San Antonio, TX and Oscar Negrete (18-2-2, 7 KOs) out of Columbia squared off for the 3rd time in as many fights on Saturday night in Grand Prairie, Texas. The first fight ended in a draw and Franco won a close rematch, a fight that Negrete feels he deserved to win. And like the first two fights, this one was a seesaw battle throughout, as these two know each other so well.

Negrete came out firing from the opening bell as he landed a big right hand and teed off on Franco with combinations to the head and body. Negrete continued in the 2nd round with a triple right hand down the middle and big uppercuts that had Franco railing and in trouble, but Franco hung tough and had his moments towards the latter part of the round. In rounds 3 through 6, Franco found his footing and had a great 4th round as he scored to both the head and the body. In the 7th round, Negrete landed a hard uppercut to the chin of Franco, but Franco found success to the body. In the 8th and 9th, Franco and Negrete took turns landing at will on the other. But in the 10th and last round, Franco landed a huge uppercut and clearly took the fight to Negrete. But in the end, in what was a “too close to call” battle once again, as Franco and Negrete settled for a draw as the scores read 96-94 for each and 95-95. With the draw and the second between these two combatants, Franco retains his NABF & WBA International bantamweight title. Continue reading “Franco and Negrete battle to second draw”

Former European lightweight champion Edis Tatli (32–3) scored a unanimous decision victory over Nicaraguan Berman “La Cobra” Sanchez (29-9–3) on Saturday 10th August in Savonlinna, Finland. It was an one-sided affair with Tatli controlling the action from start to finish. This was Tatli’s first fight since his KO loss against Teofimo Lopez in April. Tatli used his jab to keep Sanchez at bay, and when the opportunity presented itself, he threw quick combinations to Sanchez’s head. Sanchez tried to use his upper body movement to get in close, but found little success.

In the fifth round Tatli got in a left hook that staggered Sanchez, and in the beginning of seventh he connected with two stiff right crosses. In the eighth and final round Tatli was looking for a KO, but the experienced Sanchez managed to stay out of harms way. The scores were 80–73, 79–73 and 80–73 for Tatli. Continue reading “Former Euro champ Tatli beats Sanchez”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

WBC #8, WBO #10, WBA #11 light-heavyweight Blake Caparello (30-3-1, 13 KOs) stopped New Zealand’s Reece Papuni (13-3, 7 KOs) in round eight of a scheduled ten round WBA Oceana title bout on Friday at the Melbourne Pavillion, Flemington Victoria, Australia. Caparello was coming off a ten round decision over fellow Australian Regain Dessaix and will be remembered for dropping Sergey Kovalev in unsuccessful WBO challenge in 2014.

By Jason Marchetti at ringside
Photos: Emily Harney

In the main event of the evening, heavyweight Steve Vukosa (11-1, 4 KO’s) defeated Juiseppe Cusamano (18-3, 16 KO’s) at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island. The card was promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports.

Vukosa has been inactive over the years, a 10 year layoff, followed by a 4 year layoff, but was selected to fight in ESPN’s Heavyweight Boxino Tournament in 2015. He returned to boxing this year, with cruiserweight Chris Traietti (27-4) working his corner, to defeat the regional giant, Cusamano by unanimous decision. Continue reading “Heavyweight Vukosa drops and defeats Cusamano”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

OPBF super bantamweight champion Hiroaki Teshigawara (20-2-2, 13 KOs), 122, successfully kept his regional belt as he took the initiative, continued to whip former world challenger Shohei Omori (20-3, 15 KOs), 122, and finally halted him with a flurry of punches at 2:36 of the twelfth round on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

Hiroaki, handled by ex-WBA 154-pound champ Koichi Wajima, had him at bay in round six and was leading on points after the eighth: 79-73 twice and 78-3 on open scoring system. Omori showed his retaliation with southpaw lefts to the midsection in the tenth and eleventh, but Teshigahwara accelerated his last surge down the stretch to have the referee Nakamura call a well-received halt.

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Okuda, Takesako keep Japanese belts; Inoue regains WBO AP 154lb belt

By Joe Koizumi

JAPANESE 115LB TITLE BOUT

Japanese super flyweight champ and IBF#15 Takayuki Okuda impressively kept his national belt when he dispatched JBC#6 Dynamic Kenji with a vicious southpaw left at 1:49 of the sixth round on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. Okuda, making his third defense, looked sharp and strong in outpunching the game but less aggressive challenger. In the semi-windup, former Japanese welter ruler Ryota Yada disposed of Indonesian champ Robert Kopa Palue with a solid right at 2:22 of the fourth session in a scheduled eight.

Continue reading “Japan Update”

Former 140-pound world champion Julius “Blue Machine” Indongo got back on the winning track with a second round stoppage of Tay Jones as part of a ten bout card held at the Bobby Miller Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Indongo (23-2), who had lost his last two bouts (to Terrence Crawford and Regis Prograis), started slow having been out of action for 18 months. Jones (4-1) took advantage and landed several big shots in the first. Indongo rebounded in the second and staggered Jones with a hook. A follow-up flurry put Jones down. Jones rose but the fight was stopped at 1:12 of the second.

In other action, Cuban heavyweight Robert Alfonso improved to 19-0-1 with 9 KOs with a third round stoppage of Steve Lyons.

Other Results:

KeAndrae Leatherwood UD 6 Ryan Adams.
Arturo Aguilar Maj. Draw 4 Chris Polk
Jamal Woods TKO 2 Rodney Moore
Ronny Hale Split Dec 4 Brandon Spencer
Chown Sims UD4 KeEric Hinton
Ricky Graham SD6 Thomas Knox
Andre Harris TKO1 Jason Howard
Anthony Stewart TKO2 Jalyn Anthony

Promoter: Skyy Promotions

By Ricardo Ibarra
Photos by Mike Blair/Boxingprospects.net

Claiming his tenth consecutive victory, Tacoma welterweight Andre Keys (11-1, 5 KOs) earned a hard-fought decision win over two-time foe Antonio Neal (4-11-1, 3 KOs) on Saturday night at the Clackamas Armory in Clackamas, Oregon. Fighting in the main event of the 2Pound Sports & Entertainment promoted card, Keys used his quicker hand speed and more accurate punching to drop Neal once in the third en route to a six round unanimous decision win.

Keys established his superior hand speed from the start, stepping in with sharp lead rights and popping crisp one-twos in his opponent’s direction. For the first two rounds, Keys had the edge with the busier output, catching the oncoming Neal with accurate shots to the head and body. Continue reading “Keys defeats Neal in Oregon”

WRAM Boxing (William Ramirez) and Nica Boxing (Pablo Osunsa) continued their monthly “Noche Explosiva” boxing events on Saturday night at the Gimnasio Nicarao in Managua, Nicaragua. In the main event, super welterweight prospect Roberto Arriaza (18-1, 14 KOs) scored a second round knockout over Addir Sanchez (12-21-3, 6 KOs) of Panama. Arriaza set the pace in round one pursuing a retreating Sanchez. It was more of the same in round two until a crushing left hook landed putting Sanchez down and out for the count. Moments later Sanchez was on his feet and appeared to be OK. Continue reading “Arriaza stops Sanchez in Managua”