Super featherweight prospect George “El Yuyu” Acosta (15-1, 2 KOs) outpointed Cesar Villarraga (10-7-1, 5 KOs) over eight rounds in the main event on Friday night at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California. Scores were 80-72, 80-72, 78-74.

In the co-feature, super featherweight Rigoberto Hermosillo (12-4-1, 9 KOs) topped Ezequiel Caro (9-5, 4 KOs) over eight rounds by scores of 78-73, 78-73, 79-72.

Super welterweight Angel “Relampago” Ruiz (18-2-1, 13 KOs) knocked out 41-year-old former world champion Luis Collazo (39-9, 20 KOs) in the sixth round on Wednesday night at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Ruiz, 25, dropped Collazo twice in round three. A body shot put Collazo down for the count in round six. Time was :32.

Collazo, who took the fight on short notice, announced his retirement after the fight. “For boxing I’m done,” said the former WBA welterweight king. “This is the end for me now. Ruiz did what he had to do and came out with the victory. I give them credit and wish him nothing but the best. Now I will get to spend more time with my family and with the grandchildren.”

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In a battle between unbeaten welterweights, Vadim Musaev (6-0, 5 KOs) scored a first round TKO against Martin Alvarez (7-1, 6 KOs). A left hook dropped Alvarez and after he wobbled after regaining his feet, the bout was waved off by the referee. Time was 2:03. Musaev was the silver medal winner at the 2021 World Amateur Championships.

In a clash between unbeaten super bantamweights, Jose “Chapulin” Salas (12-0, 9 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over 2008 Olympian Prince “Octopus” Dzani (23-1, 19 KOs). Salas dropped Dzani in round nine en route to a 100-89 3x shutout.

…follows his father’s footsteps

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten prospect Keisuke Matsumoto (8-0, 7 KOs), 126, very impressively gained the vacant Japanese featherweight belt by scoring a nearly shutout decision (99-91 twice, 98-92) over IBF#8 Ryo Sagawa (12-3, 7 KOs), 126, over ten Tom-and-Jerry rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. Keisuke followed his father ex-national 126-pound ruler Koji’s footstep by winning the same belt. Koji (26-6-1, 15 KOs), his trainer, unfortunately, failed to win the world belt three times, losing to Young-Kyun Park in 1992, Yong-Soo Choi in 1997 and Freddie Norwood in 1998.

The shaven-skulled son, 23, controlled the fight with his superior speed and skills from the outset, making best use of his faster footwork. He made a beautiful display of hit-and-run tactics all night, though Keisuke, having finished all seven victims by knockouts, was expected to try to swarm over Sagawa and dispatch the 29-year-old ex-champ early. Instead, Matsumoto fully utilized faster jabs, counters and footwork to hit without getting hit. In Japan, it is called “oya-koko” (filial piety) that one fulfills his dad’s unsuccessful dream coming true. Keisuke may pursue oya-koko. Continue reading “Matsumoto wins Japanese 126lb belt”

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten ex-amateur star Yuga Ozaki (3-0, 3 KOs), 108, impressively acquired the WBC Youth light-flyweight belt as he decked Thailand’s former Muay-thai campaigner Worawut Salaptan (4-2, 4 KOs), 105.5, in the opening session and halted him with a furious combination that dropped him again and prompted the referee’s intervention at 2:12 of the second round on Sunday in Osaka, Japan.

Ozaki, a taller southpaw, kept battering the Thai lefty in the long range and punished him so effectively that Worawut couldn’t fight back well. Ozaki will make his first defense of the WBC Youth belt this summer.

Promoter: Taisei Promotions.

By Ricardo Ibarra
Photos by Mike Blair/Boxingprospects

Pacific Northwest prospect Luis Gallegos (6-0, 2 KOs) maintained his unblemished record on Saturday night at Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington, eking out a six-round split decision win over Gregory Cruz (5-2, 3 KOs). The eighteen-year-old local jr. lightweight, who currently trains out of the Benavidez Sports Gym in nearby Burien, was fighting in the US for only the second time, having fought most of his young career in Mexico. Continue reading “Gallegos edges Cruz in Auburn, WA”

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten southpaw Japanese prodigy IBF#4 Ginjiro Shigeoka (9-0-1NC, 7 KOs), 105, acquired the vacant IBF 105-pound belt as he came off the canvas in the first round, and dropped back IBF#3 Filipino Rene Mark Cuarto (21-4-2, 12 KOs), 105, four times in rounds six, seven and ninth (twice), scoring an impressive knockout at 2:55 of the ninth round in a scheduled twelve on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan. Ginjiro’s southpaw body shot was the haymaker.

(More to come)

Flyweight Victor “Chucky” Sandoval (36-3, 23 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico defeated compatriot and WBC #14 world ranked contender Gohan Rodriguez Garcia (12-2-1, 1 KO) by ten round majority decision on Saturday night. It was the first fight for Sandoval in nearly two years but he was able to find his rhythm early on. The bout had many heated exchanges with good two-way action. In the end, judges scored the fight 97-93 and 96-94 for Sandoval and 95-95 even. The event took place at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Mexico with Zanfer Promotions promoting the event.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

It’s a great shocker that all three outstanding Japanese warriors got badly beaten on Saturday in Inchon, Korea. It was the second event staged by newly established TB (Treasure Boxing) Promotions presided by ex-WBO champ Masayuki Ito at Paradise city plaza.

Previously unbeaten OPBF middleweight champ IBF#13 Kazuto Takesako (15-1-1, 14 KOs), 159.25, put on a competitive performance, but was finally knocked down by WBO#4/WBC#4 Meiirim Nursultanov (19-0, 10 KOs), 159.25, from Kazakhstan, to be promptly halted at 2:33 of the eighth round in a scheduled twelve.

Former IBF 122-pound champ Ryosuke Iwasa (28-5, 18 KOs), 126, dropped a nearly shutout decision (80-72, 79-73 twice) to upcoming Japhethlee Llamido (11-0, 4 KOs), 125, US, over eight. The unheralded Llamido was faster and more skillful than Iwasa, who eventually announced to hang up gloves for good as he had mentioned before his last fight. \\

Another shocker was that previously unbeaten ex-OPBF 130-pound champ WBO#12 Hironori Mishiro (12-1-1, 4 KOs), 134.75, Japan, lost by a unanimous technical decision (48-47, 50-46, 49-47) to Korean Min-Ho Jung (14-4-2, 3 KOs), 134.75, because of his bad bleeding at 1:28 of the fifth round in a scheduled eight. Continue reading “WBO#4 Nursultanov halts IBF#13 Takesako in Korea”

Unbeaten super lightweight Ernesto Mercado (10-0, 10 KOs) demolished former world title challenger Hammerin’ Hank Lundy (31-13-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday night at the LumColor Center in Ontario, California. Mercado, 21, dropped the 39-year-old Lundy in round one, then finished him moments later with a body shot. Time was 2:21. Mercado claimed the WBA NABA gold title.

Heavyweight Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs), a 10:1 underdog, stopped previously unbeaten WBO interim heavyweight champion Joe “The Juggernaut” Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs) in round six on Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena in London. Zhang landed some big shots in round one. Zhang rocked Joyce with straight lefts in round two. Joyce upped his workrate in round three, but still took some hard shots. Joyce continued his brisk pace while Zhang’s straight left did more damage to Joyce’s closing right eye. The ring doctor finally stopped the fight in round six due to Joyce’s closed right eye. Entering the round, Zhang was up 48-47 on two cards and Joyce was ahead 48-47 on the third card.

Zhilei Zhang: “Today is mine. I’m 39 years old, but I’m disciplined, I trained hard, next step I’m going for the title!”

Joe Joyce: “I’m disappointed with my performance. I couldn’t get out of the way of the left hand he kept hitting me with so respect to Zhilei Zhang, “Big Bang.” It was a good fight. I think I could have done better. I hadn’t fought a southpaw for so long – and credit to him because he’s a good fighter – I gave it my all. It’s just disappointing. I expected to win like I normally do.

“I’d like to apologize to all my fans and supporters..I’ll be back. My journey’s not over. This is just a hurdle I may have tripped over so I’ll be back.”

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Former women’s world champion Mikaela Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs) made her lightweight debut against late sub Lucy Wildheart (10-1, 4 KOs), taking a ten round unanimous decision. Scores were 98-92, 100-90, 98-91 as Mayer claimed the WBC interim 135lb title.

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Former WBO middleweight world title challenger Denzel Bentley (18-2-1, 15 KOs) needed just 45 seconds to demolish Kieran Smith (18-2, 7 KOs). Continue reading “UPSET: Zhang stops Joyce in six”

By Brad Snyder-The Undercard
Photos by Bob Ryder

Detroit Promoter Carlos Llinas worked his magic, again. Llinas continues to throw boxing and mma shows with the Soundboard at Motor City Casino as a partner. On Friday, another show in the series had undefeated Derick Miller (12-0, 7 KOs) in his toughest challenge yet. Facing off versus a quicker and, possibly, a more powerful Crusierweight in Isaiah Thompson (7-3-2, 6 KOs). Round 1 looked like Thompson could produce the first loss for Miller. Thompson looked for combos and had a stronger jab in Round 1. Thompson looked quick. In the 2nd Round, Miller landed his first good right versus the southpaw, Thompson. The round finished with a good exchange with Miller landing the more accurate shots. In Round 3, Miller showcased his uppercuts, easily winning the round. In the 4th, Miller controlled the round the entire time, except in the last 30 seconds. Thompson, finally, picked up his pace trying to steal the round. For the 5th, Thompson, sensing urgency, just started throwing haymakers that could not land. The last round Miller controlled the center and just boxed. Miller beat an impressive opponent by UD (59-55, 59-55, 58-56). Continue reading “Night of Knockouts XXVI”

WBO #11 jr flyweight Rene “El Chulo” Santiago (10-3, 5 KOs) scored a hard fought ninth round TKO against WBA #12, WBO #15 Carlos “Arañita” Ortega (15-6-3, 6 KOs) on Friday night at the Centro de Combates, Pandeportes in Panama City, Panama. Ortega’s corner finally asked the referee to stop the fight to save their fighter from further punishment. Time was 1:28. Santiago retained the WBO Latino title.

In a clash for the WBA Fedecentro super welterweight title, reigning beltholder Derrieck Cuevas (25-1-1, 17 KOs) knocked out Damian Rodriguez (13-2, 7 KOs) in the second round. A right/left combination finished Rodriguez. Time was :29.

By Evan Jacobs

Englebrecht Promotions & Events returned to the Hangar at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, CA for their second sell out Fight Club OC show of 2023. In a featured bout, cruiserweight Tervel Pulev (17-1, 13 KOs) from Bulgaria punished Brooklyn’s Joel Shojgreen (14-5, 13KOs) to get a three round stoppage. Continue reading “T Pulev punishes Shojgreen”

In a shocker, super welterweight Brian Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) knocked out previously undefeated WBC interim champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) in the seventh round on Saturday night at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Mendoza chopped down the 6’6 Fundora with a left hook/right hand/left hook to end it. Fundora was counted out at :39.

At the time of the sudden KO, 10:1 favorite Fundora was up on the cards 60-54, 60-54, 59-55.

Unbeaten former WBC super fly champion Jesse “BAM” Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KOs) claimed the vacant WBO flyweight crown with a twelve round unanimous decision over Cristian Gonzalez (15-2, 5 KOs) on Saturday night at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. BAM pressed the action while Gonzalez pecked away from the outside. Scores were 118-110, 117-111, 116-112.

Former two-division world champion Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) stopped Shuichiro Yoshino (16-1, 12 KOs) in round six of a WBC lightweight title eliminator at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Stevenson dominated the fight, dropping Yoshino in rounds two and four, and got a referee’s mercy stoppage in the sixth. Time was 1:35.

Undefeated heavyweight Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (14-0, 14 KOs) stopped previously unbeaten George Arias (18-1, 7 KOs) in three one-sided rounds. Anderson rocked Arias in round three and Arias’ corner wouldn’t let him come out for round four.

U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (8-0, 6 KOs) impressively stopped the very tough former world title challenger Anthony “Can You Dig It” Yigit (26-3-1, 10 KOs) in round nine. Davis dropped Yigit with a body shot at the end of round eight and got a referee’s stoppage in round nine. Time was :21.

More results…

Unheralded super bantamweight Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs) dethroned previously unbeaten unified WBA/IBF champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (11-1, 8 KOs) on Saturday night at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. Tapales won the early rounds and held on 115-113, 115-113 on two cards. The third judge had it 118-110 Akhmadaliev. Akhmadaliev was a 5:1 favorite.

42-year-old former heavyweight title challenger Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola returned in a non-televised bout on the Fundora-Mendoza undercard on Saturday night at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Arreola (39-7-1, 34 KOs) laid out Mathew McKinney (13-7-3, 9 KOs) with a right hand in round two. Time was 1:01.

Unbeaten WBO #2, WBC #4, IBF #6 heavyweight contender Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez (22-0, 15 KOs) made quick work of Daniel “The Mountain” Martz (20-11-1, 17 KOs). Sanchez dropped Martz three times in the first round to end it.

Undefeated super lightweight KO artist Brandun Lee (28-0, 23 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over Pedro “Roca” Campa (34-3-1, 23 KOs). Fierce toe-to-toe action all the way in an extraordinary slugfest. The bout was a lot more competitive than the judges’ scores of 99-91, 97-93, 98-92.

In a clash between undefeated featherweights, Luis “The Twist” Núñez (19-0, 13 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over Christian Olivo (20-1-1, 7 KOs). Seemingly close fight, but not on the judges cards. Scores were 98-92, 100-90, 97-93.

Undefeated two-time Olympian and WBA #6 welterweight Gabriel “Captain” Maestre (5-0-1, 4 KOs) was victorious when former welterweight and super lightweight champion Devon Alexander “The Great” (27-8-1, 14 KOs) didn’t come out for round four. Alexander was down in round two and never in the fight.

Super featherweights Adrian Corona (9-1-2, 2 KOs) and Jerry Perez (14-2-1, 11 KOs) battled to a spirited eight round draw.

WBA #3 featherweight Raymond “Savage” Ford (14-0-1, 7 KOs) took apart former world champion Jessie Magdaleno (29-2, 18 KOs) over twelve rounds. Magdaleno down in rounds four and eleven. Scores were 119-107, 119-107, 116-110.

Super featherweight Thomas “Gunna Man” Mattice (21-3-1, 15 KOs) pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. Behind on all three scorecards, a flurry of punches by Mattice prompted a controversial stoppage by referee Rafael Ramos in the tenth and final round against previously unbeaten IBF #15 Ramiro Cesena (16-1-1, 13 KOs). Time was 1:35.

Unbeaten WBA #1 rated super welterweight Israil Madrimov (9-0-1, 6 KOs) outscored Raphael Igbokwe (16-4, 7 KOs) over ten rounds. Scores were 100-90, 9-91, 99-91.

Other Results:
Marc Castro TKO7 Ricardo Lopez (lightweight)
Khalil Coe KO3 James Quiter (light heavyweight)
Jesus Martinez D4 Jose Lopez (super bantamweight)

By Joe Koizumi

WBC, WBA light-flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji (21-1, 13 KOs), 107.25, impressively kept his belts when he finally caught up with game and durable challenger Anthony Olascuaga (5-1, 3 KOs), 107, US, and chalked up a fine TKO victory at 0:58 of the ninth round in a scheduled twelve on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Olascuaga was a last-minute substitute for WBO titlist Jonathan Gonzalez who had suffered pneumonia to cancel the highly expected unification bout with Teraji. Olascuaga was a much better replacement as he showed his power (he is a legitimate flyweight) and fighting spirit. After their see-saw processing in the middle of the contest Teraji accelerated his attack and finally dropped the challenger with a flurry of punches in round nine, when good referee Mark Nelson wisely declared a well-timed halt.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

(More to come)

By Joe Koizumi

Monster Inoue’s younger brother, Takuma Inoue (18-1, 4 KOs), 118, acquired the vacant WBA bantamweight belt as he earned a unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 118-110) over Venezuelan Loborio Solis (35-7-1, 16 KOs), 117.5, over twelve close rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Despite the unanimous verdict it wasn’t an easy victory for Takuma, 27, who couldn’t show his usual speed and skills only to mix it up in the close quarter and repeated clinching with the 41-year-old veteran.

(More to come)

By Joe Koizumi

Former kick-boxing superstar Tenshin Nasukawa, 122, successful made an international style debut as he outscored JBC#2 Yuki Yonaha (12-5-1, 8 KOs), 121.75, by a nearly shutout decision (60-53 twice, 59-53) over six rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The second saw Tenshin, a fast-handed southpaw, connect with a right hook to the neck, flooring the more experienced ex-university boxer Yuki. Nasukawa, 24, sometimes had his foe at bay, but couldn’t finish the game and durable rival, 32, who refused to go down again. The talented Nasukawa, sharp and speedy, may become a better boxer with more experience, which we look forward to seeing in the future.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

By Joe Koizumi

Up-and-coming hard-puncher WBA#10 Jin Sasaki (15-1-1, 14 KOs), 146.5, successfully kept his WBO Asia Pacific welterweight belt as he put on a give-and-take performance and finally flattened WBO#8 Keita Obara (26-5-1, 23 KOs), 146.75, at 1:13 of the third round in a scheduled twelve on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. In an encounter of the KO artists Sasaki, from the outset, took the initiative to have the veteran Obara on the defensive. In round two it was Obara that connected with a solid right counter, dropping the aggressor to the deck. The third, however, witnessed Sasaki, fifteen years his junior at 21, explode a vicious left uppercut to the side of the belly, flooring Obara in agony. Obara barely beat the count, but absorbed a wicked right to the jaw to be flattened so badly that the ref didn’t bother to count at his second knockdown (to be registered as TKO by the JBC).

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

By Joe Koizumi

Southpaw speedster IBF#3 Reiya Abe (25-3-1, 10 KOs), 125.75, easily defeated former world champ IBF#7 Kiko Martinez (44-12-2, 31 KOs), 125.25, by winning a unanimous decision (119-109 twice,117-111) over twelve monotonous rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Abe, ex-Japanese champ, had the upper hand almost all the way against the slower and sluggish Spaniard, who looked to fail to bring his fighting spirit and zip from Spain. He was just a shell of the old Kiko, who previously halted our hero Hozumi Hasegawa here in 2014. Kiko kept stalking the Japanese footworker only to absorb his southpaw counters to have the nose bridge bleeding from the fifth on. Abe wasn’t as sharp as usual, but was an obvious winner since Kiko was least aggressive. The ref was Albert Earl Brown.

Promoter: Teiken Promotions.

Colombian Brandon Valdes captured the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedebol featherweight title and fan favorite super welterweight Neeco “Rooster” Macias had a TKO win in his comeback fight last night at the famed Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington. Continue reading “Valdes, Rooster Macias victorious”