Multi-division former world champion Terri Harper (15-2-2, 6 KOs) dethroned WBO female lightweight champion Rhiannon Dixon (10-1, 1 KO) by ten round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield, England. Scores were 96-94,97-93, 97-93. Harper has held world titles at super featherweight, super welterweight and now lightweight.

Super bantamweight Peter McGrail (10-1, 6 KOs) knocked out former British and Commonwealth 122lb champion Brad Foster (15-4-2, 5 KOs) in round two with a body shot. The bout was for the WBA International title.

2020 Olympic flyweight gold medalist Galal Yafai moved to 8-0, 60 KOs with a third round stoppage of journeyman Sergio Orozco Oliva (9-9, 7 KOs). Yafai is now slated to face former world champion Sunny Edwards later this year.

The bout between undisputed female super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) and former world champion Delfine Persoon (49-3, 19 KOs) ended in a no-contest on Friday night at Lux Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. The bout was stopped in round four due to a cut suffered by Persoon that was caused by an accidental head clash. Since the bout didn’t go the full four rounds, the result was a no-decision. Baumgardner remains undisputed WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO champion.

In a grudge fight, former champion Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs) dethroned WBO female welterweight champion Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) by majority decision on Friday night inside The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City. Good two-way action all the way. Early on, the aggressive Mayer took the fight to Ryan, connecting with punches but also getting hit. Ryan came on down the stretch, but it was too little, too late. Scores were 95-95, 97-93, 96-94.

There has been bad blood between the camps in the lead-up to the fight. Earlier, on her way to the fight, someone threw red paint on Ryan. Mayer denied any involvement.

In other action, WBO #3, WBC #6, IBF #7 junior middleweight Xander Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs) scored a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over Damian Sosa (25-3, 12 KOs). Zayas in command all the way but Santiago toughed it out for the full distance. Scores were 100-90 3x.

Unbeaten WBA #1, WBC #2, WBO #2, IBF #8 featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (13-0, 8 KOs) got past Sulaiman Segawa (17-5-1, 6 KOs) in a slow-paced fight. Scores were 95-95, 97-93, 97-93. Continue reading “Mayer dethrones Ryan, Zayas wins”

Former WBC flyweight champion Charlie Edwards (20-1, 7 KOs) claimed the European bantamweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over reigning champion Thomas Essomba (13-9-1, 4 KOs) on Friday night at the famed York Hall in London. Scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 118-111.

By TMZ

Devin Haney’s clearly still not over how his superfight with Ryan Garcia went down earlier this year … as TMZ Sports has confirmed he’s now suing the star boxer over it all. The 25-year-old pugilist filed the lawsuit against his nemesis in New York on Friday … alleging Garcia committed battery and fraud in the leadup to — and during — their big April 20 tilt at Barclays Center.

You’ll recall, Garcia won the fight after knocking down Haney multiple times … but the outcome was later ruled a no-contest after officials said Garcia had Ostarine in his system.

Haney said if he had known Garcia had ingested the performance-enhancing drug prior to stepping into the ring … he wouldn’t have agreed to the fight. Therefore, he says he never consented to being on the wrong end of Garcia’s punches. Continue reading “Haney Sues Kingry for Battery & Fraud”

LeAnna Cruz 115 vs. Mailys Gangloff 114.8
(WBA Continental super flyweight title)

Matthew Gonzalez 141.6 vs. Patrick Okine 141.6
Daiyann Butt 141.5 vs. Travis Castellon 141.2
Francisco Rodriguez 135 vs. Travion Butts 134
Haven Brady Jr. 132.8 vs. Nicolas Polanco 132
Shera May Patricio 113.4 vs. Magnanamay Delgado Baez 112
Johanna Wonyou 122.8 vs. Josefina Vega 116
Brendan O’Callaghan 158.4 vs. Rahiem Cooke 159

Venue: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Promoter: KOhen Promotions (Kali Reis)
Stream: BXNGTV.com

Tsotne Rogava 252.6 vs. Alexander Flores 269.9
(WBC US heavyweight title)

Paolo Barredo 125.2 vs. Mychaquell Shields 124.9
Jesse Zuniga 145.7 vs. Oscar Trujillo Enriquez 146
Sonny Robledo 142.6 vs. Matt Gaver 144
Alejandro Alvarado 136.7 vs. Eduardo Mondragon Lopez 135.5
Michael Bracamontes 133.6 vs. Arsen Poghosyan 131.9
Hector Oros 115.4 vs. Alexander Robles 115.9
Enkhmandakh Kharkuu 113.9 vs. Richard Morales 116

Venue: Pacific Palms Resort, City of Industry, California.
Promoter: Toro Promotions

Undefeated and world-rated super lightweight “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (21-0-2, 10 KOs) will be featured in the co-main event on DiBella Entertainment’s “Heroes on the Hudson 2” on Wednesday, October 23, from The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Williams, who is managed by Hall of Famer Jackie Kallen, will defend his WBA Continental Americas gold title against Lavisas Williams (10-1-1, 3 KOs).

This latest edition of Broadway Boxing will be a special event honoring veterans of the United States Armed Forces in advance of Veterans Day. IBF female bantamweight champion Miyo Yoshida headlines the card, making the first defense of her belt in a rematch against Shurretta Metcalf.

Two-time middleweight world champion Gennadiy Golovkin has been appointed Chair of a new Olympic Commission by the World Boxing, the international federation established to try to ensure that boxing remains a part of the Olympic Movement.

Golovkin, 42, also the current President of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan and 2004 Olympic silver medalist, will work closely with World Boxing’s leadership to manage the organization’s relationship with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and oversee the pathway to ensuring that boxing is restored to the sport program for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Continue reading “Golovkin to head Olympic Commission”

Sandy Ryan 146.6 vs. Mikaela Mayer 146.8
(WBO female welterweight title)

Xander Zayas 153.4 vs. Damian Sosa 153.6
Bruce Carrington 125.8 vs. Sulaiman Segawa 123.8
Vito Mielnicki Jr. 153.8 vs. Khalil El Harraz 152.4
Floyd Diaz 117.8 vs. Mario Hernandez 117.2
Elvis Rodriguez 142.8 vs. Kendo Castañeda 142
Tiger Johnson 140.8 vs. Yomar Alamo 140.2
Rohan Polanco 143.4 vs. Marcelino Lopez 143

Venue: The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: ESPN

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Former WBC strawweight champion Ricardo “Finito” Lopez (professional 51-0-1, 38 KOs; amateur 40-0) from Mexico, 58, revisited the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday after he captured the belt from Hideyuki Ohashi, now 59, thirty-four years ago. Finito, from the ring, said to the audience, “This is the Hall where I won the belt. I never forget this place with my deep nostalgia. It is truly my great pleasure to come back here and to be celebrated by Mr. Ohashi, Naoya Inoue and Japanese people like this.” It was an emotional moment that the WBC special belts for their reunion were awarded to Finito Lopez and Ohashi as well. The Hall resounded with the applause of the audience. They remembered the good old days and their historical encounter in 1990. Continue reading “Finito Lopez “This is the Hall I won the belt””

Puerto Rican amateur standout Juanmita López De Jesús, a 2024 Olympian, has signed a long-term professional contract with Top Rank and will make his pro debut as a junior bantamweight in early 2025.

The 18-year-old Juanmita is the son of former two-division world champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, an explosive puncher who fought under the Top Rank banner in the 2000s and early 2010s.

“Juan Manuel Lopez is one of Puerto Rico’s great champions, and it brings me great pleasure to welcome Juanmita to the Top Rank family,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “Juanmita is an exceptional talent, someone we feel will excel in the ring and, like his father, bring many championships to the great fighting nation of Puerto Rico.”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

It was a night of all seven minimumweight bouts featuring three title bouts on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. In the first of the tripleheader, unbeaten southpaw prospect Takero Kitano (7-0-1, 3 KOs; amateur 7-0), 105, eked out a majority decision (77-75 twice, 76-76) over Japan’s youth minimum champ Rento Miyazawa (7-3-1, 2 KOs), 104.25, capturing the belt over eight fast-moving rounds. Moving to-and-fro, the shorter but faster Miyazawa, 21, occasionally connected with light combinations, while Kitano, 20, displayed a last surge to score a narrow margin that merited the belt. Continue reading “Kitano wins Japan’s youth 105lb belt from Miyazawa”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Former kickboxer Takeshi Ishii (9-1, 7 KOs), 105, impressively acquired the vacant OPBF minimumweight belt as he mixed it up with previously unbeaten game Filipino John Kevin Jimenez (8-1, 3 KOs), 103.5, all the way and finally outhustled him with his superior power and stamina down the stretch, winning a unanimous nod (116-112 twice, 115-113) over twelve crowd-pleasing rounds on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. Jimenez, 20, took the initiative with a solid body shot in the first, but Ishii, a sturdy puncher, 24, accelerated his attack in the close range, which continued in the second half to have Jimenez retreating with their difference of physical power. It was a good give-and-take affair that fully entertained the crowd.

Photos

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

It was remarkable that unbeaten Ryusei Matsumoto (4-0, 2 KOs; amateur 77-15), 105, seized the vacant Japanese minimumweight belt in his only fourth outing by chalking up a TKO victory over JBC#1 Matsuki Mori (12-4, 3 KOs), 105, at 0:59 into the seventh round in a scheduled ten on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. The more experienced Mori recklessly kept boring in from the outset with lefty Matsumoto moving around and occasionally connecting with left counters. After the fifth, the open scoring system indicated Matsumoto leading on points—49-46, 50-45 twice. The seventh saw Matumoto deck him with a countering right hook, and his follow-up had the ref call a halt on Mori whose right optic was badly swollen and bleeding.

Matsumoto, a hard-punching prospect, reached the record of those who won the national belt in the fourth pro bout: James Callaghan, Modest Yushin Napuni, Akinobu Hiranaka, Joichiro Tatsuyoshi and Naoya “Monster” Inoue. Continue reading “Matsumoto wins Japanese 105lb belt in 4th pro bout”

Hall of Fame boxing promoter Don King is working with the WBC and Three Lions Promotions to get a new date for the WBC cruiserweight title match between Noel Mikaelian and Ryan Rozicki.

King, 93, who has recently suffered some health setbacks, wants to let all his friends and boxing fans know that he is doing fine at his home in Palm Beach County.

“Tell everyone I am doing fine and I love Mike Tyson,” said King.

Former WBO champion Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) held a virtual press conference Tuesday before he challenges unbeaten IBF super welterweight world champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) in the main event on Prime Video action Saturday, October 19 from the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Here are the highlights…

“This is another big opportunity for me to come back to the U.S. in front of a big audience and fight for another world title. I can’t wait to grab the opportunity with both hands.

“I’m bringing the heat. Hopefully he doesn’t take a step back, because everyone knows my style. Hopefully there’s less blood from me this fight, but we’re definitely going to bring the fans a fight to remember. Continue reading “Tim Tszyu: I’m bringing the heat”

All Star Boxing is back on the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico, joining forces with Miguel Cotto Promotions and H2 Entertainment to air a live boxing show from Coliseo Marcelo Trujillo in Humacao. The event billed “WBO Night of Champions” will be held on Wednesday October 30th as part of the activities of the 37th WBO Annual Convention.

The evening’s event is headlined by Humacao’s favorite fighter, former WBO interim jr flyweight champion and #7 ranked Rene “El Chulo” Santiago (12-4, 9 KOs) will face world-ranked WBA #7, WBO #13 Azael “Candelilla” Villar (21-3-4, 15 KOs) of Panama City, Panama in a 10-round clash for the vacant WBO International belt.

The Co-Main event features another Puerto Rican contender, Juan Carlos “El Indio” Camacho (17-1, 8 KOs) defending his WBO/NABO flyweight belt against former title challenger Jayson “The Smasher” Mama (20-1 10 KOs) of General Santos City, Philippines in a 10 round clash.

By Mauricio Sulaimán
President of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán

The heavyweight division will always be the one that moves the world of boxing and sports fans in general.

The world heavyweight champion is considered the most fearsome and powerful man on the planet, ever since the beginning of the sport of fists.

John L. Sullivan was the last heavyweight champion when gloves were not used and fights were bare-knuckle, and he was also the first world heavyweight champion with gloves.

He was a legend, the first athlete in the history of the United States to become a celebrity, and the first to earn a million dollars. Continue reading “Heavyweight Division”

Former world champion Raymond ‘Savage’ Ford (15-1-1, 8 KOs) will return to action up at super featherweight when he takes on Orlando Gonzalez (23-2, 12 KOs) at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday November 9, live worldwide on DAZN. The undercard that also features light heavyweight Khalil ‘Big Steppa’ Coe (9-0-1, 7 KOs) taking on Manuel Gallegos (20-2-1, 17 KOs), Ernesto ‘Tito’ Mercado (16-0, 15 KOs) making his Matchroom debut, and middleweight Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-1, 11 KOs) vs. TBA.

All are in support of the world championship doubleheader featuring hometown hero Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis defending his IBF welterweight title against Karen Chukhadzhian and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez defending his WBC super flyweight title against Pedro Guevara.

By Joe Koizumi

After thirty-four years former rivals, Ricardo “Finito” Lopez and Hideyuki Ohashi will make a reunion today (Tuesday) in Tokyo, Japan. Tomorrow there will be a promotion featuring all minimumweight or strawweight competitions at the Korakuen Hall in the center of our capital Tokyo. On the eve we will see a special ceremony of their reunion since Lopez dethroned then WBC 105-pound titleholder Ohashi at the Hall on October 25, 1990. Finito went to score 21 defenses thereafter to his credit, while Ohashi established his gym and cultivated five world champs including Naoya “The Monster” Inoue. The MC and interpreter will be yours truly.

Promoter of this event: Hachioji Nakaya Promotions.

Photos: Sumio Yamada

Check out this GIANT photo gallery from Saturday’s spectacular fight between super middleweight contenders Jaime Munguia and Erik Bazinyan at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

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The undercard is set for the November 8 clash between 2020 Olympic silver medalist and world-ranked contender Keyshawn Davis (11-0, 7 KOs) and Gustavo Lemos at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Davis-Lemos will be a ten-rounder.

The co-feature sees WBO welterweight world champion Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) make his first title defense against Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs). Continue reading “Davis-Lemos undercard set”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

It was a customary Japan-China confrontation, and the Japanese team was victorious over Chinese team, but it is remarkable that Chinese boxers showed their rapid progresses and their good performance fully entertained the crowd at the Korakuen Hall on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.

Hard-punching super-light prospect Hiroki Horiike (3-0, 2 KOs; amateur mark 21-7, 5 stoppages), 139.75, proved more powerful and skillful than China’s Le-Quan Wang (8-2, 5 KOs), 139.25, winning a unanimous decision (78-73 twice, 77-74) over eight. The southpaw Chinese hit the deck midway in round six, but he displayed his admirable recovery and resilience to demonstrate his last surge. The victor Horiike became cautious and defensive in the last round when Wang turned very loose down the stretch. Continue reading “Japan defeats China 3-1”

By Boxing Bob Newman

WBC strawweight champion Melvin Jerusalem easily retained his title Sunday evening, with a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Luis Castillo, in front of a partisan crowd at Mandaluyong City College, Mandaluyong City, Philippines.

It looked as if it was going to be a short night when Jerusalem sent Castillo crashing to the canvas with a straight right in the very first round. Castillo beat the count with 15 seconds left and managed to survive the round.

It was easy going the rest of the way, although Jerusalem could not capitalize and finish his foe. He makes his first defense a successful one, moving to 23-3, 12 KOs. Castillo falls from the ranks of the undefeated, dropping to 21-1-1, 13 KOs.

This is Jerusalem’s second title reign at 105 lbs. Last year he briefly held the WBO crown, losing in his first defense to current champ Oscar Collazo.