The Palace at Auburn Hills, located in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, was demolished by a series of controlled explosions on Saturday. Many top names in boxing performed at the venue, which opened in 1988 with George Foreman facing Bobby Hitz. The biggest boxing event ever held there featured Mike Tyson against Andrew Golota on October 20, 2000. Ring legend Tommy Hearns fought his last fight there on February 4, 2006. Other stars who fought there included Bronco McKart, Milton McCrory, Mark Breland, Michael Moorer, Oba Carr, Johnathon Banks, Gerald McClellan, James Toney, Jimmy Paul, Chris Byrd, The Dirrell brothers, Tony Tubbs, Tim Witherspoon, Rico Hoye, Leeonzer Barber, Christy Martin, Mary Jo Sanders, and many more. The last boxing card held at The Palace was in 2012 and the building hadn’t been used at all since 2017.

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1,000 spectators were allowed to attend a boxing show on Saturday night at the 11,000-seat Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. Organizers issued a warning that “entry to this event is at your own risk.”

In the main event, cruiserweights DeShon Webster (12-3-3, 6 KOs) and Samuel Clarkson (22-6-1, 15 KOs) battled to a ten round majority draw. Clarkson was the aggressor and landed the better punches, but the judges scored it 95-95, 95-95, and 96-94 for an unidentified fighter. The fringe World Boxing League (WBL) cruiserweight title remained vacant.

Unbeaten super featherweight Jeremy Hill (12-0, 7 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over Xavier Wilson (11-2-1, 1 KO). Hill scored two knockdowns en route to a 77-74, 78-73, 77-76 verdict.

Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete has officially relinquished his WBO super bantamweight world championship. Navarrete said making the 122 pound limit is too much. He is asking to be classified at #1 in the 126 pound division and immediately fight for the world title.

WBO featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson says he’ll be going up to 130 pounds. Michael Conlan is currently rated WBO #1 featherweight.

A pro boxing card took place on Saturday night at a drive-in theater in Düsseldorf, Germany. Fans watched the fights from their vehicles with the action also being seen on two big screens.

In the main event, super welterweight Ahmed El Mousaoui (33-3-1, 8 KOs) scored a second round TKO over Sergej Wotschel (14-5-1, 7 KOs). A barrage of punches prompted a referee’s stoppage. Time was 1:54.

Also, unbeaten light heavyweight James Kraft (18-0-1, 9 KOs) escaped with a six round split decision over Karel Horejsek (17-13-3, 14 KOs). Scores were 58-56, 58-56 Kraft, 58-57 Horejsek.

ESPN has announced that the twice-postponed bout between WBC/WBO super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez and Viktor Postal will take place at the end of August.
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The network also announced that the WBO light heavyweight eliminator between Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. is rescheduled for the third week of August. They were to clash July 16 on ESPN, but Alvarez suffered a shoulder injury.
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Former WBC super flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will meet former WBO champion Amnat Ruenroeng on August 1 at Workpoint Stadium in Thailand. The bout will be a WBC final eliminator.
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Another WBC eliminator is slated for August 29 with Luis Nery facing Aaron Alameda. The site is TBA.
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A U.S. Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court ruling in a lawsuit brought by former world champion Austin Trout against the WBO. The court ruled that the WBO cannot choose the arbitrators who will decide whether Trout is owed a world title shot. The case involves a 2015 dispute.

Dr Joe Dispenza
Sugar Ray Leonard
Mauricio Sulaiman

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The Florida Boxing Hall of Fame has announced that the Class of 2020 will go on this year after all. President Butch Flansburg said today that a new hotel, the Marriott in St. Petersburg/Clearwater, will be the location and it will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 6, 7, and 8, 2020. Continue reading “FBHOF Class of 2020 Inductions rescheduled”

WBO president Paco Valcarcel has announced that the organization is may now organize a four-fighter lightweight elimination tournament.

Valcarcel wrote on social media: “After Ryan Garcia’s decision on pursuing the Campbell bout, WBO is considering ordering later this year, two lightweight elimination bouts to determine a mandatory challenger at 135 lbs, as ordered at 175 lbs to determine a champion.”

WBO European super welterweight beltholder Hamzah Sheeraz (11-0, 7 KOs) was victorious when the corner of challenger Paul Kean (12-2,1 KO) pulled their man out after six rounds of punishment.

Heavyweight David Adeleye (2-0, 2 KOs) stopped Matt Gordon (2-3-1, 0 KOs) in the second round.

In an off-TV fight on Thursday night in Las Vegas, welterweights Corey Champion (2-3, 2 KOs) and Peter Cortez (2-2, 1 KO) both landed right hands at the same moment and down they went. Cortez seemed to get the better of the exchange, but it was Champion who roared back and got a first round KO.

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“My father passed away a week ago,” said Takam, “so I came into the fight with a heavy heart. It may not have been a spectacular knockout, but most importantly, we got the win. We took this fight on short notice, but the opportunity on ESPN was too big to pass up. We knew we could beat him regardless. I want anyone in the top five, or a title shot if that materializes.”

Castro said afterward, “I admire Cesar Juarez as a Mexican warrior and for everything he’s given the sport. I told him it was an honor to share the ring with him. I want any title opportunity or interim title shot. Whatever comes my way, I am ready. I am highly ranked and prepared for the next step.” Continue reading “Takam, Castro victorious in Las Vegas”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBO #6 heavyweight Junior Fa (19-0, 10 KOs) has rejected an offer to challenge former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (27-2, 21 KOs) according to Parker’s promoter David Higgins.

“They have turned it down. It’s a joke, it’s embarrassing for Junior,” Higgins told Stuff. “You can’t call out Joseph Parker for two years and then turn down half a million dollars when there are no other fights on offer. That’s why they don’t want it in the media. Continue reading “Higgins: Fa rejects offer to fight Parker”

Miguel “Escorpion” Marriaga’s quest for a fourth world title shot continues inside the MGM Grand “Bubble” Thursday, July 16, in a scheduled 10-round featherweight main event against Filipino veteran Mark John Yap.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo, closing in on a world title shot of his own, will fight the unbeaten Will Madera.

Marriaga-Yap, Verdejo-Madera, and undercard bouts will be televised live on ESPN. Continue reading “Marriaga, Verdejo opponents named”

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame has postponed their annual banquet and induction ceremony until October of 2021. The exact date has not yet been set, but the PABHOF expects to confirm a new date by the end of the year. A combined class of inductees (2020 & 2021) will be honored together at the 2021 event.