The second day of the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) directorate meeting in Medellin began with a review of the organization’s projects for 2019 and 2020 and the announcement that its 100th anniversary will be celebrated with a convention in Russia in 2021.

With President Gilberto Jesús Mendoza’s presence, the members of the board of directors witnessed all the events that the organization held during the year, including the Future WBA Champions, an amateur boxing program that seeks to promote athletes around the world, as well as professional boxing shows in Barranquilla, Colombia, different KO to Drugs festivals and, of course, the Fuzhou Convention, among other projects. Continue reading “WBA directorate meeting concludes”

By Gabriel F. Cordero

Congratulations to the World Boxing Council which celebrates its 57th anniversary today. The WBC was founded on February 14, 1963. at 1:00 pm, in the Prado Alffer Hotel of Mexico City. Since then, there have been five WBC presidents. Under Jose Sulaiman, who headed the organization for 39 years, the WBC has been instrumental in introducing the crucial major developments of the modern boxing era, especially concerning health and safety aspects. His youngest son Mauricio Sulaiman, unanimously elected WBC president in 2014, continues the ongoing quest to better boxing.

Top Rank finally officially announced the March 28 fight between WBC/IBF light heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) against IBF #1 contender Meng Fanlong (16-0, 10 KOs) at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada. Beterbiev-Fanlong and a TBA co-feature will be televised on ESPN. The undercard will stream on ESPN+.

Artur Beterbiev: “I’m very much looking forward to defending my IBF and WBC titles against mandatory challenger Meng Fanlong on March 28 in beautiful Quebec City. I’m training hard, improving every day, and I intend to perform at my best in front of my Canadian supporters!”

Meng Fanlong: “I am truly honored to be fighting Artur Beterbiev for the light heavyweight championship. I have worked hard to earn the mandatory position, and I plan on being the first Chinese light heavyweight champion in history. This is just the beginning.”

Caleb Plant 166.8 vs. Vincent Feigenbutz 165.2
(IBF super middleweight title)

Bryant Perrella 146.8 vs. Abel Ramos 145.8
Austin Dulay 134.4 vs. Diego Magdaleno 134.4
Roney Hines 223.8 vs. Johnnie Langston 210
Tyler Tomlin 139.6 vs. Jose Zaragoza 139.8
Rau’shee Warren 117.6 vs. Gilberto Mendoza 114.8
Jose Miguel Borrego 145.2 vs. Joaquim Carneiro 145.2
Leon Lawson III 154.2 vs. Francisco Castro 156

Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Promoter: TGB Promotions
TV: FOX

No love lost on Valentine's Day between the champ and challenger. #PlantFeigenbutz pic.twitter.com/kH3mCX3K57

— FOX Sports: PBC (@PBConFOX) February 14, 2020

Elwin Soto 112.4 vs. Javier Rendón 112.5
José Israel Ramírez 119 vs. Agustín Pérez 121
Davis Potrero 147.7 vs. David Vega 146
Jesús Riegos 118 vs. David Martínez 119.5
Vanessa Lomelí 116 vs. Reyna Franco 115

Venue: Auditorio del Estado, Mexicali, Mexico
Promoter: Zanfer Promotions, Nájera Boxing Promotions
TV: Azteca 7 (Mexico)

WBO #1 super middleweight Rohan Murdock (24-1, 7 KOs) will face WBO #2 rated Zach Parker (18-0, 12 KOs) at Manchester Arena on March 7, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, with the winner eyeing a shot a reigning world champion Billy Joe Saunders.

The WBO has confirmed that Murdock-Parker will be for the WBO Intercontinental title, but is not an elimination bout and the winner will not become mandatory challenger.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Having been indefinitely suspended for his overweight scandal in April 2018, former WBC flyweight champ Daigo Higa (16-1, 16 KOs), 118.75, returned to ring warfare after a 22-month hiatus and decked a TKO victory over Filipino Jason Buenaobra (7-5-3, 3 KOs), 118.75, at 2:25 of the sixth round in a scheduled eight on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.  Still 24-year-old, Higa, a hard-punching pressure fighter, revealed his ring rust but finally caught up with the durable Filipino, dropping him twice prior to the ref’s intervention.  The short but muscular Okinawan moved up to the bantam category, but might need some bouts to hone his fists and regain his sharpness.

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By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten Japanese lightweight titlist Shuichiro Yoshino (12-0, 10 KOs), 135, barely retained his national belt, but had a very tough time coping with taller fast-moving counterpuncher Izuki Tomioka (7-3-1, 2 KOs), 135, and scored a come-from-behind stoppage at 1:55 of the eighth round in a scheduled ten on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

Surprisingly the prohibitive favorite Yoshino hit the deck with his careless absorption of Tomioka’s short right to the button in the opening session.  Though regaining his feet, the champ looked rubbery legged for a while and managed to have a narrow escape.

It became a see-saw battle since as Yoshino desperately fought back and kept stalking the foxy footworker to take some counters from the challenger.  Obviously taking the sixth and seventh, the challenger revealed his fatigue and then the champ swarmed over him to turn the tables.  His furious attack paid off with Tomioka finally sagging to be saved by the ref Nakamura.  Yoshino, formerly an excellent amateur star, experienced his toughest pro bout and it was a good lesson for him.

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By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten Japanese flyweight prospect Junto Nakatani (20-0, 15 KOs), 22, will face Filipino Giemel Magramo (24-1, 20 KOs) to claim the vacant WBO 112-pound throne at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, on April 4. It was publicly announced by M.T. Gym that Nakatani, a tall hard-hitting southpaw, belongs to—on Thursday. Last week Kosei Tanaka renounced his WBO belt to pave the way for Nakatani to fill the vacancy.

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By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten prospect Kento Hatanaka (11-0, 9 KOs), 112, defeated Filipino Roland Jay Biendima (15-6-1, 8 KOs), 111.75, by a unanimous decision (99-0 twice, 98-91) and kept his WBC youth flyweight belt on Tuesday in Nagoya, Japan.

Kento, the son of former WBC 122-pound champ Kiyoshi Hatanaka (also his manager/promoter), scored his second defense and extended his winning streak with his father as chief second.  Kento, 21, took the initiative all the way, but Roland occasionally displayed his persistent retaliation with a solid left hook at a time.  Hatanaka was an obvious victor, but it was true he had a tough time against the durable Filipino.

Promoter Oscar de la Hoya says Callum Smith is “an idiot” for turning down a fight with Canelo Alvarez. Oscar told ESPN that Smith “would have made three to four times the money he has ever made and he turned it down.” Golden Boy has locked down the May 2 date at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for Canelo’s next fight.
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The March 7 charity exhibition rematch between Mexican boxing legends Julio Cesar Chavez and Jorge “Travieso” Arce in Hermosillo, Mexico, will also include 3 WBC affiliated title fights with top prospects. WBC Youth super lightweight beltholder Omar “Pollo” Aquilar (16-0, 15 KOs) and WBC Youth Intercontinental super bantamweight beltholder David “Rey” Picaso (12-1, 5 KOs) will defend against opponents to be named, while featherweights Bryan “Latino” Acosta (13-0, 7 KOs) and Jesus “Jibarito” Ortega (17-4, 11 KOs) meet for the Fecarbox belt.
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Meanwhile, light heavyweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has announced on social media that he plans to release a music album with the 15 cumbia songs he likes the most.
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New promoter Reid Boxing presented its inaugural card Thursday night at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. In the main event, super welterweight Cameron Krael (17-15-3, 4 KOs) upset Ravshan Hudaynazarov (17-4, 13 KOs), taking an eight round split decision.

Thomas Mattice 133.5 vs. Isaac Cruz 134.75
Ra’eese Aleem 122.75 vs. Adam Lopez 123
Montana Love 139.75 vs. Jerrico Walton 140
Derrick Colemon Jr. 154.75 vs. Joseph Jackson 153.25

Venue: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Promoter: GH3 Promotions and King’s Promotions
TV: Showtime

The World Boxing Council Board of Governors unanimously voted in favor to approve the WBC Diamond belt to the winner between Mikey Garcia and Jessie Vargas on February 29 in Frisco, Texas. The Diamond belt has only been awarded to commemorate special fights. Some of the past winners of Diamond belts include Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins and Canelo Alvarez. Current WBC Diamond champions include Mairis Briedis and Callum Smith.

Undefeated IBF super middleweight champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant and mandatory challenger Vincent Feigenbutz squared off at the final press conference Thursday before they battle this Saturday on FOX at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Caleb Plant: “I can promise you that he has a tall order in front of him, and he’s going to have to focus on that. He’s facing a guy who’s willing to do whatever it takes to have his hand raised. This is the best I’ve ever felt heading into a title fight. This is the sharpest that I’ve ever boxed. Anyone who knows me, knows that I make weight easily. We’ve had the best sparring partners yet for this camp, and it’s going to make the fight easy on Saturday.

Vincent Feigenbutz: “I don’t care that we’re fighting in his backyard. I’d fight him anywhere, I’d fight him in a toilet. I’m coming to fight and he’s going to have to fight me every second in there…I don’t care about anything Plant says to me today, because in the ring, I’ll have the answer for everything.” Continue reading “Plant-Feigenbutz final press conference”

Ryan Garcia 134.8 vs. Fonseca 134.8
Jorge Linares 134.8 vs. Carlos Morales 135
Alexis Rocha 146.4 vs. Brad Solomon 147
Blair Cobbs 145.8 vs. Samuel Kotey 146.4
Alejandro Reyes 134.6 vs. Nelson Colon 133.8
Bektemir Melikuziev 167.4 vs. Oscar Cortes TBA
Evan Sanchez 146.8 vs. Daniel Evangelista 146.4
Tenochtitlan Nava 126.8 vs. Anthony Casillas 122.4

Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Promoter: Golden Boy
TV: DAZN

As previously reported, WBA/IBF bantamweight world champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) will make his Las Vegas debut on April 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in a unification bout against WBO bantamweight world champion Johnriel Casimero (29-4, 20 KOs). This will be Inoue’s first bout under his long-term promotional agreement with Top Rank.

Inoue-Casimero, a 10-round bantamweight tilt featuring WBO #1 Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. (22-1-1, 12 KOs) and WBO #2 Jason Moloney (20-1, 17 KOs), and a ten rounder between former super featherweight world champion Andrew Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs) and Tyler McCreary (16-1-1, 7 KOs) will stream LIVE on ESPN+

The preliminary bouts will air live on ESPN2 including the return of former world title challenger Alex “El Cholo” Saucedo in a 10-round super lightweight bout.