If no agreement is reached between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte by January 11, the WBC will hold a purse bid with Fury taking an 80-20 split. The Whyte camp was pushing for a 55/45 split. Promoter Bob Arum stated a 75/25 offer was on the table. If still available after the WBC’s ruling, this seems to be Whyte’s best bet.

By Héctor Villarreal

After a successful year 2021, former WBA bantamweight super champion, Panamanian Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno (40-6-1, 13 KOs) is preparing to headline another international boxing card promoted by his wife’s company, Laguna Premium Boxing.

“We got the ok from the president of the World Boxing Association, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza to announce it as a WBA Latin American KO to Drugs Festival to be held on Saturday, March 19 at the Emilo Royo flag football stadium, located just behind the legendary Roberto Duran Arena, with no less than 12 fights to be broadcast on ESPN, involving foreign fighters facing WBA world-rated Panamanian stars who performed well on our two 2021 events, such as former super champion Jezreel Corrales (25-4, 10 KOs) undefeated superbantam Rafael “El General” Pedroza (12-0, 11 KOs), hard puncher. Bryan “La Roca” De Gracia (27-2, 23 KOs) and KO artist Ricardo “El Cientifico” Núñez (23-3, 21 KOs) among others,” said promoter Rouss Laguna de Moreno. “We are sending invitations to the most famous personalities like Floyd Mayweather and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.”

Anselmo Moreno, who successfully won and defended the WBA Fedelatin featherweight belt on 2021, is currently world ranked as #2.

Top heavyweight Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and former world champion Charles Martin went face-to-face at the final press conference Thursday before they meet in an IBF heavyweight title eliminator headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View this Saturday, January 1 from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The press conference also featured rising heavyweight star Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez and Christian Hammer, who duel in the 10-round co-main event.

Rounding out the heavyweight extravaganza and facing off at Thursday’s event were heavyweight contenders Jonnie Rice and Michael Coffie, who meet in a 10-round rematch, former title challenger Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington and Turkish Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen, who battle in a 10-round fight, and unbeaten Viktor Faust and Iago Kiladze, who square off in the 10-round pay-per-view opener at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Hard Rock Live:

LUIS ORTIZ

“I’m very thankful for this great opportunity that my team has set me up with on Saturday night. It’s exciting to be able to give the fans a great show.

“When somebody says they’re going to knock me out, it just makes me laugh and smile. Everybody says that. But you’re facing a fighter who has been through it before, so you can try your best.

“I’m glad that he’s saying that he’s going to knock me out. He’s coming with bad intentions and so am I. Anyone can land the big shot, but it’s going to be me with my hand-raised Saturday night.

“I’m very proud to have made my pro debut here at Hard Rock and to have done it in style. I’m glad that he trained well for this fight, because he’s going to be facing a difficult fighter who knows how to adapt.

“First of all, my mind is 100% and that’s the most important thing. On Saturday night, everyone will see that physically, I’m also completely ready to become world champion.”

CHARLES MARTIN

“I’m so excited for this fight. This is a great opportunity and I’m thankful for this chance that I have. It’s great to be displayed as the headliner. PBC has faith in me and I’m going to go out and show why.

“What you see is what you get. I’ve been working hard in the gym day in and day out. It’s like second nature to me. I’m ready to let my hands speak. I’m going to be very skillful in there.

“This is going to be a great fight. You don’t really see two southpaws too often in the heavyweight division. You’re going to see some really good boxing in this fight.

“You’re going to get a knockout in this fight. We’re not going to go 12 rounds. I know I’m going to knock him out.

“I didn’t get a fair shake in my first run as champion. This is the revenge tour right now. Luis Ortiz is first on my list of these last four fights I want before I retire, which includes two against Anthony Joshua. I want to beat him down twice.

“Me and my trainer Manny Robles have been doing a lot of great work in the gym. People only see what happens in the ring, they don’t see what happens behind closed doors. I have business to take care of on Saturday and we’re ready.

“I’m remaining hopeful about getting another world title fight. I never overlook my opponent or look ahead to another fight though. Ortiz is the only opposition that I see at this moment.”

FRANK SANCHEZ

“After joining with my trainer Eddy Reynoso’s team, I’ve learned so much under his tutelage. It’s put me in position to give a great performance Saturday on pay-per-view.

“We trained hard and we trained to fight anyone who would be stepping in against me. I was ready for Negron, but I’m going to be ready for anyone standing there in front of me.

“Christian Hammer is a good fighter and I’m going to be ready for him. That’s what we train for. The opponent doesn’t matter if you’ve prepared to 100% of your ability.

“If I win on Saturday, I feel like I’m going to keep moving up and facing tougher competition. I believe I’m going to be ready for the world title fight next year.”

CHRISTIAN HAMMER

“I was with my team here in the U.S. already, supporting my teammates Viktor and Ali when I got the call about this fight. I was having a great training camp with them, so I was ready to take this fight.

“It’s my job to take these fights. I’m going to do my job and give everyone a good fight on Saturday. I know Sanchez is a good fighter, but I’ve faced a lot of good fighters. We’ll see what he’s made of.”

JONNIE RICE

“Of course, I feel pressure to repeat my performance from our first fight. A lot of people thought it was a fluke, so now I just have to do the same thing times two. I’m getting paid more this time, so I’m going to do it even quicker in this fight.

“Everyone knows how these things go. I was a big underdog in the first fight, so everyone thinks something must have gone wrong. Something had to be out of the ordinary. Let’s understand something though, it’s going to go down the same way Saturday night.

“I don’t feel like he underestimated me in the first fight. I know his attention had been on Gerald Washington. These things happen.

“I’m more confident now than ever. If he doesn’t bring me down a level, my head is going to keep getting bigger and bigger. He might have to do me a favor because right now I feel like I’m about to take over the whole world.”

MICHAEL COFFIE

“I didn’t touch Rice in the first fight, but I’m definitely going to touch him for sure on Saturday night. I definitely have a chip on my shoulder now.

“I have to prove myself. I didn’t get a chance to show what I can actually do in the first fight. I don’t even care about my record, I just want to show my skills. Everyone is going to see on Saturday.

“This time Rice is my original opponent from the beginning. We prepared specifically for him this time. I’m also a lot healthier for this camp. I’m 100% and I’m ready to go.

“This is not a real beef between us, but it’s intense and it’s part of the game. We’re going to play that game on Saturday and may the best man win. I know that it’s going to be me.”

GERALD WASHINGTON

“I feel great. It’s good to be back. I’ve been in the gym working hard with my team. I’ve learned a lot of great things and I’ve taken advantage of the time I’ve had.

“I’m looking forward to showing off my hard work and getting back into a top position in this division. My opponent is coming in hungry to prove himself, and that should make this a great fight for the fans.”

ALI EREN DEMIREZEN

“I’ve had three fights since the Efe Ajagba fight and I’ve gotten much better since then. My skills have improved and I’m very eager to get in the ring and display them.

“This is my second chance fighting in the U.S. and I want to show that I belong in this position. I have to get by this test against Gerald Washington. That’s the only thing that’s on my mind.”

VIKTOR FAUST

“I’m a very good fighter and I’m going to show everyone on Saturday. I’m planning on displaying my technique, skill and power in this fight against Kiladze.

“It’s exciting to be in this position. I love to compete and Saturday is a big opportunity for me. I know I have to give a great performance.”

IAGO KILADZE

“I work hard and train so much. I’ve had a very long training camp. I’m in great shape now and I will give everyone another great fight on Saturday night. I promise that.

“There are a lot of great fighters on this card and I’m excited to be here with them. I’m going to prove with how I fight on Saturday that this is exactly where I belong.”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with former heavyweight champ Charles Martin before his big showdown with Luis “King Kong” Oritz on Saturday, Jan 1 to kick off the New Year on FOX PBC PPV. Martin shared how he got started in boxing, eventually winning the title before losing to Anthony Joshua in his first defense. Martin discussed where he is now as a fighter working with Manny Robles and the hunger and discipline needed to become champ again in this exclusive interview.

_

Ahead of his IBO super middleweight title eliminator against István Szili on March 26 at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany, former five-time world champion Felix Sturm sat down to talk about his motivation to keep fighting, his opinion on superstar Saul “Canelo“ Alvarez and a possible fight between the two, the recent trend of YouTubers-turning boxers, and a look back on his own career. Continue reading “Interview: Felix Sturm”

Salita Promotions has announced Claressa Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) will be included in the 2022 installment of the Guinness World Records for becoming the first boxer in the four-belt era to hold all titles across two weight divisions simultaneously.

Shields is scheduled to face undefeated Ema Kozin (22-0-1, 11 KOs) in the co-main event of the Chris Eubank Jr. vs Liam Williams fight, scheduled for January 2022 at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, with the eventual goal to attempt to avenge her only amateur loss to now fellow professional Savannah Marshall from the UK later this year.

She recently revealed her “bucket list” for boxing online, which included YouTuber Jake Paul, and undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor as future victims.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

WBO junior bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka (27-2, 15) and challenger Ryoji Fukunaga (15-4, 14 KOs), both of Japan, participated in a weigh-in ceremony at the fight venue Ota-city General Gymnasium on Thursday afternoon in Tokyo, Japan. Ioka tipped the beam at the class limit of 52.1 kilogram, while Fukunaga 52.0 kilogram (the figures in pound will be announced at the title bout that will start at 6:30 PM tomorrow). Ioka had been once slated to face IBF ruler Jerwin Ancajas for unification on New Year’s Eve, but it was the Omicron variant that accounted for an abrupt cancellation that prevented Ancajas party from entering Japan. Continue reading “Ioka, Fukunaga make weight”

WBA featherweight super champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz takes on Keenan “Bedo” Carbajal on February 5 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The bout will be a non-title ten-rounder in the super featherweight division and will serve as the co-feature of the Thurman-Barrios PPV. Santa Cruz hasn’t fought in the featherweight division for three years but he has plans to return to the 126-pound ranks.

“I wanted to see how I felt in this training camp before making a decision about what weight I fight at in the future,” said Santa Cruz. “Now I’ve dropped the weight easily, so as long as everything goes well on February 5, I’ll be back at 126 in my next fight.”

Former unified welterweight world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman talked about his February 5 PPV clash against former super lightweight world champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios on February 5 from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Thurman. “I’m not injured anymore and I feel great. I’m excited to perform for the fans in Las Vegas once again. It’s not ideal to have a layoff like I had, but you just have to roll with things in life. I’ve spent a lot of time meditating and prioritizing different things. Now the date is set and I can’t wait to get back in action. I truly love this sport. Continue reading “Thurman: I’m coming for greatness”

WBA #8 middleweight Kanat Islam (28-0, 21 KOs) takes on Jimmy “Kilrain” Kelly (25-2, 10 KOs) in the main event on January 21 at the White Sands Event Center in Plant City, Florida. In the co-main event, welterweight Jose Miguel Borrego (19-3, 16 KOs) will be facing “Pistol” Pete Dobson (14-0, 9 KOs). Also in action is welterweight Mark Reyes Jr. (14-1, 12 KOs) against Erick Bone (25-6, 12 KOs). Boxing luminaries Paulie Malignaggi, Roy Jones Jr, and Antonio Tarver will be on hand. The event is presented by Probox Promotions.

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with the undefeated, rising lightweight star Frank “The Ghost” Martin (14-0, 10 KOs) who faces hard-hitting Romero Duno (24-2, 19 KOs) this Saturday, Jan 1 on the “free” Fox portion of the FOX Sports PBC ppv headlined by Luis Ortiz vs. Charles Martin. Martin discusses his start in boxing in Indianapolis and winning the 2016 National Golden Gloves, training under former trainer of the year Derrick James and working with pound-for-pound star Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr., who is also his promoter. Martin also shared his thoughts on what makes the lightweight division so tough with the likes of Tank, Haney, Kambosos, Teofimo and KingRy and much more in this exclusive interview.

_

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

This is the last column I will be writing in 2021, a year that will remain in the memory of humanity as one of the most challenging, which made us change and modify our way of living, one that has brought us hope to move forward and brought guidance and knowledge to adjust to everything related to our way of interacting with others, with our loved ones and with our own selves.

For me, it was a year full of satisfaction both on a professional and personal level, but there was an event that has touched me to the depths, and I want to share this experience with you because it is something that has affected my wife, me, and especially my youngest son.

It is a fact and a reality that derived from my work. I must travel constantly. I live with a different rhythm. I have no schedules and for the same reason, I am absent in my family routine. This is where my wife has done a wonderful job to handle everything related to our kids. Everything related to schools basically lays on her. This is how I grew up, too, with my mother at the forefront of the family routine while my father went out to conquer the world. Continue reading “A Complicated Process Inside a Family”

A $10 million purse demand by WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte is not sitting well with Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, who co-promotes WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. “We have offered him a deal with 25 percent and a guarantee and let him negotiate from that, but again he says he wants eight-figures, over ten million, which is out of the question. I don’t know what he is talking about,” Arum told IFL TV. “The WBC will be talking about 25 percent and 75 percent for the champion but he needs to come to the table with a normal type of negotiation.”

With Whyte currently tied up in an arbitration proceeding with the WBC, Arum stated that Andy Ruiz and Robert Helenius are “the two principal guys” he and Frank Warren are considering as Fury’s next challenger.

Inbox

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Mick Akkawy, the Australian trainer of WBA, IBF, WBO, WBC franchise lightweight champion George “Ferocious “Kambosos, has been presented with the WBC trainer’s belt for training Kambosos for his upset victory over Teofimo Lopez on November 27 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The belt is designed in the form of the traditional towel worn by boxing trainers.

“George gave the WBC belt to me when he arrived home from America,” said Akkawy. “I had come home on a earlier flight. I had worked with George for his IBF elimination bout with Lee Selby in Australia and in England. We then worked together for the Teofimo Lopez fight for several months when the fight was postponed several times. We had good sparring partners in Lenny Zappavigna and Terry Nicholas in Australia. Continue reading “Kambosos trainer Akkawy gets WBC belt”

With the new Omicron strain of covid spreading, European countries are starting to shut down again. It was announced that the January 15 match in Paris between heavyweight contenders Tony Yoka and Martin Bakole is being postponed due to restrictions the government is putting on crowd sizes. Only 2,000 would be admitted into the 16,000 seat arena. ESPN+ had planned to air the bout in the USA.

Unbeaten WBA #13 lightweight contender Frank Martin (14-0, 10 KOs) will square off against Romero Duno (24-2, 19 KOs) in a 10-round showdown live on FOX Saturday, January 1 kicking off the New Year from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The FOX broadcast begins at 5PM ET/2PM PT and will also see undefeated Cuban heavyweights go toe-to-toe as Geovany Bruzon (6-0, 5 KOs) battles 2016 Olympian Lenier Pero (5-0, 3 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature.

The two-hour FOX kickoff show precedes the all-heavyweight Pay-Per-View telecast featuring WBC #6, IBF #10, WBO #15 contender Luis “King Kong” Ortiz against former heavyweight champion and IBF #2 rated Charles Martin in the main event.

NEW OPPONENT FOR FRANK SANCHEZ

WBC #5, WBO #5 heavyweight contender Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez will now face Christian Hammer in the PPV co-main event. Hammer replaces Carlos Negron, who was forced to withdraw after a positive COVID test.

* * *

Bettors have jumped all over Jonnie Rice for his rematch with Michael Coffie. Rice opened as a +250 underdog. He is now a -150 favorite.

We have some boxing odds from Bet365 for the $39.99 all-heavyweight pay-per-view on New Year’s Day from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

In the main event, Luis Ortiz is a 5:1 favorite over Charles Martin, Frank Sanchez is 25:1 over Carlos Negron, Jonathan Rice opened as a +250 underdog, then was quickly bet down to +120 for his rematch with Michael Coffie (-164), and Viktor Faust is a 50:1 favorite over Iago Kiladze. The bout between Gerald Washington and Ali Eren Demirezen is off the board so far.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former WBC heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas (43-7-1, 34 KOs) talks to Peter Maniatis about defeating Tim Witherspoon for the WBC heavyweight crown, defending successfully against Mike Weaver, losing the world title to Trevor Berbick, being stopped by Mike Tyson, and what a great man Angelo Dundee was. Continue reading “Interview: Pinklon Thomas”

Local super featherweight favorite Matt “Sweet Child” Conway (20-2, 8 KOs) will fight for the vacant IBA title headlining Gionta Management’s “Winter Mayhem” card on January 15th at Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Cheswick, Pennsylvania. Conway takes on cross-state rival Avery Sparrow (10-3, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia in the 12-round main event.

In the co-feature, lightweight Ryizeemmion “The Humble Beast” Ford (6-1, 4 KOs) takes on Lonnie Jackson, Jr. (5-2-2, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder.

“We have a great, action-packed show lined up here to start the new year,” promoter Derek Gionta said. “Matt Conway versus Avery Sparrow is a TV-caliber fight. Each fight on the undercard is very intriguing as well. Expect fireworks!”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Australian boxing’s activity was stopped for several months because of Covid-19 during the year but the high point of 2021 came when George “Ferocious” Kambosos captured the IBF, WBA, WBO, and WBC franchise lightweight crown by outpointing Teofimo Lopez in Madison Square Garden on November 17. He will make his first defense of the championship in Australia, probably against WBC champion Devin Haney or former world champion Vasiliy Lomanchenko

Kambosos received global exposure on Fightnews.com® in 2016 first with several video interviews later. Fightnews.com congratulates George on a great victory. Continue reading “Aussie Roundup 2021”

Unfortunately, the GGG-Murata middleweight unification fight scheduled for this week got canceled due to Japan’s border closure to foreigners to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

However, there is still one more world title fight to come in 2021. On Friday (December 31), WBO super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka defends his title against Ryoji Fukunaga in Tokyo. Ioka is a four-division world champion. No U.S. TV as of now.

2022 starts with a bang. A $39.99 all-heavyweight pay-per-view on Saturday (January 1) offers up five fights from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The PPV line-up is:

Luis Ortiz vs. Charles Martin
Frank Sanchez vs. Carlos Negron
Jonathan Rice vs. Michael Coffie 2
Gerald Washington vs. Ali Eren Demirezen
Viktor Faust vs. Iago Kiladze

Prior to the PPV, FS1 will broadcast some of the undercard action (fighters are TBA).

By the way, the boxing PPV starts at 8PM ET/5PM PT, so it will go head-to-head with the end of the Rose Bowl (probably a blowout) and the meaningless Sugar Bowl. No conflict with either of the CFP national championship semifinal games.

By Ron Jackson

Kevin Lerena (26-1, 13 KOs) who made his mark in the cruiserweight class winning the South African title and the IBO belt, has now officially announced that will be fighting in the heavyweight division in the future.

He is scheduled to meet the 35-year-old Bogdan Dinu (20-3, 16 KOs) from Romania on February 26 next year at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park in what is really his second fight in the heavyweight class, having stopped Patrick Ferguson in five rounds in his last fight. Continue reading “Can Kevin Lerena make it at heavyweight?”

19-year-old welterweight prospect Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. (10-1, 7 KOs) scored a tenth round TKO over Nicholas “Nice Nick” DeLomba (16-4, 5 KOs) in the main event of a special FOX-televised Christmas Day boxing card at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Mielnicki launched a major assault in round three but DeLomba survived. After that, it was a methodical performance by Mielnicki until he rocked DeLomba in round ten and DeLomba’s corner pulled their man out. DeLomba complained to no avail. Time was 1:49.

Unbeaten WBA #6 super welterweight Yoelvis Gómez (5-0, 5 KOs) destroyed “Cassius” Clay Collard (9-6-3, 4 KOs) in the first round. Gomez dropped Collard in round one and got a referee’s stoppage after a vicious follow-up barrage. Time was 2:11. Collard created a buzz last year with three straight wins over unbeaten fighters, but he is now firmly entrenched at journeyman status after suffering his fourth straight loss.

Unbeaten middleweight Joey Spencer (13-0, 10 KOs) scored an explosive fifth round knockout against Limberth Ponce (18-5, 11 KOs). A left/right combination finished Ponce after four competitive rounds. Time was 1:24. Continue reading “Mielnicki, Gomez, Spencer stop foes”

Vito Mielnicki Jr 146.4 vs. Nicholas DeLomba 145.4
Joey Spencer 156.4 vs. Limberth Ponce 155.6
Rajon Chance 125 vs. Elon De Jesús 123.8
Yoelvis Gómez 157.4 vs. Clay Collard 158.8
Malik Nelson 127.6 vs. Prince Martin 126
Kenneth Sims, Jr. 145.8 vs. Keeshawn Williams 146.4
Travon Marshall 149.6 vs. Brian Jones 148.8
Michael Anderson 147 vs. Noe López 146.6
Vincent Gigante 144.8 vs. Robbie Rose 146.8
Dwyke Flemmings 153.2 vs. George Gethers 152.2
Elijah Flores 142.8 vs. Shannon Hawkins 143

Venue: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Promoter: TGB Promotions
TV: FOX, FS1

Forget football and basketball. There’s plenty of live boxing on Christmas Day.

Welterweight Kenneth Sims Jr. (16-2-1, 5 KOs) will take on undefeated prospect Keeshawn Williams (8-0-1, 2 KOs) in an eight-round showdown that tops an FS1 boxing telecast from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The FS1 show will begin at 6PM ET/3PM PT and also features unbeaten super welterweight prospect Travon Marshall (3-0, 2 KOs) in a four/six-round fight against Brian Jones (15-12, 9 KOs), plus a six-round welterweight duel between Michael Anderson (21-3-1, 15 KOs) and Noe Lopez (10-4-1, 4 KOs).

Following the FS1 telecast, FOX will air more live boxing from the same venue with welterweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. taking on Nicholas DeLomba in the 10-round main event. The broadcast will also see unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer battling Limberth Ponce for eight-rounds of middleweight action in the co-main event, plus featherweights Rajon Chance and Elon de Jesus duel in a six-round rematch, and unbeaten super welterweight prospect Yoelvis Gomez faces Clay Collard in a six-round attraction.