On the first televised U.S. card of 2020, unbeaten WBO #13, IBF #15 welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis (25-0, 23 KOs) scored a fourth round TKO over Bakhtiyar Eyubov (14-2-1, 12 KOs) on Friday night at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ.

It looked like it would be an early night when Ennis dropped Eyubov twice in round one. Eyubov began doing some damage in round two, although Ennis still dominated. The bout was eventually stopped in round four on the order of Commissioner Larry Hazzard, even though the very tough Eyubov was still game and in no way ready to quit. Time was :34.

Undisputed women’s middleweight champion Claressa Shields (10-0, 2 KOs) scored a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Ivana Habazin (20-4, 7 KOs) in a bout for the vacant WBC and WBO 154-pound world titles.

Shields was stronger and faster, beating on Habazin like a drum. Shields scored her first career knockdown when Habazin took a knee in round six. Scores were 99-89, 100-90, 100-89. Shields has now won world titles in three divisions.

In a women’s super middleweight unification, IBF champion Erin Cederroos (8-0, 4 KOs) won a close ten round unanimous decision over WBA champion Alicia Napoleon-Espinosa (12-2, 7 KOs).

The much taller Cederroos dropped Napoleon-Espinosa with a left hook in round two and that was the margin of victory. Scores were 95-94 3x.

Heavyweight Apti Davtaev (19-0-1, 18 KOs) scored a third round TKO over Keith Barr (20-13-1, 8 KOs).

Better late than never. Cruiserweights Mairis Briedis (26-1, 19 KOs) and Yuniel Dorticos (24-1, 22 KOs) will finally clash in the World Boxing Super Series final on March 21 at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia. Briedis has both the semi-final and final taking place in his hometown. In addition to the WBSS Ali Trophy, Dorticos’ IBF title will be on the line. The final will be broadcast live on DAZN in the U.S.

Top Rank has announced the undercard for next Saturday’s light heavyweight main event between former world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Michael “Cannon Handz” Seals at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

In the ten round co-feature, lightweight Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (25-1, 16 KOs), in his first bout since linking up with new trainer Ismael Salas, will fight Manuel Rey Rojas (18-3, 5 KOs) a ten rounder.

ESPN will televise the featured bouts with ESPN+ streaming the rest of the card. Continue reading “Alvarez-Seals undercard announced”

Jaime Munguia 159.4 vs. Spike O’Sullivan 159.4

Franchon Crews Dezurn 168 vs. Alejandra Jimenez 164.6
(WBC female super middleweight title)

Hector Tanajara 134.6 vs. Juan Carlos Burgos 134.4
Joshua Franco 114.8 vs. Jose Burgos 114.2
Travell Mazion 153.4 vs. Fernando Castaneda 159.2
George Rincon 139.6 vs. Diego Perez 141.8
Hector Valdez 121.4 vs. Luis Rios 122
James Wilkins 129.4 vs. James Early 128.8
Angel Fierro 134.4 vs. Alex Martin 138.2

Venue: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Promoter: Golden Boy
TV: DAZN

Jesse Hart 175 vs. Joe Smith Jr 174.6
Steven Nelson 167.8 vs. Cem Kilic 167.6
Joseph Adorno 136.2 vs. Hector Garcia 135
Chris Thomas 170.6 vs. Samir Barbosa 168.2
Shinard Bunch 147.2 vs. Dennis Okoth 145.6
Sonny Conto 218 vs. Curtis Head 271.6
Jeremy Adorno 121.6 vs. Fernando Ibarra 121.4
Xander Zayas 147.2 vs. Corey Champion 146.8

Venue: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: ESPN, ESPN+

Sandwiched between two women’s world title bouts tonight on Showtime, the men’s welterweight ten-rounder between unbeaten WBO #13, IBF #15 Jaron “Boots” Ennis (24-0, 22 KOs) and Bakhtiyar Eyubov (14-1-1, 12 KOs) could steal the show.

“Most definitely I view this as a coming out party,” said Ennis at Friday’s weigh-in. “You’re going to see me real sharp. Speed and great defense, and we’re going to make easy work tomorrow night.”

Ennis has 14 straight KOs, while Eyubov has a loss and a draw in his last two. Ennis is currently as much as a 100:1 favorite, but Eyubov’s punching power could make it interesting.

By Ron Jackson

South Africa’s longest-reigning world champion Kevin Lerena goes into a must win fight against Germany’s Firat Arslan on February 22 at the EWS Arena in Goepingen, Germany, when he makes the sixth defense of his IBO cruiserweight belt, in order to challenge for the WBA cruiserweight belt against Ryad Merhy.

The 49-year-old Arslan (47-8-3, 32 KOs) who made his pro debut in January 1997 is rated at #16 by the IBO, #3 by the WBA and at #4 by the IBF according to the latest available ratings.

Despite his age, Arslan is on a 15 bout winning streak with 11 wins inside and could prove dangerous, as the old saying in boxing is that a fighter never loses his knockout power. Continue reading “Kevin Lerena could challenge for the WBA belt”

Henry Rivalta Boxing has signed amateur standout Marcel “Man Man” Barlatier. He had 132 amateur fights and was a 3x national champion. Barlatier grew up in Liberty City which is one of the toughest neighborhoods of Miami, Florida. Aside from his natural talent, he is also a six-foot tall featherweight giving him major physical advantages for his division. Continue reading “Rivalta Boxing inks “Man Man””

ESPN – Atlantic City
Jesse Hart vs. Joe Smith Jr
(light heavyweight)

DAZN – San Antonio, Texas
Jaime Munguia vs. Spike O’Sullivan
(middleweight)

An interesting Twitter exchange between former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and WBO president Paco Valcárcel after Valcárcel commented on a tweet by promoter Lou DiBella hyping his unbeaten heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov.

Claressa Shields 153.5 vs. Ivana Habazin 152.5
Jaron Ennis 145.75 vs. Bakhtiyar Eyubov 146.5
Alicia Napoleon Espinosa 164 vs. Elin Cederroos 166.5

Venue: Ocean Casino Resort, Atlantic City
Promoter: Salita Promotions
TV: Showtime

Claressa Shields: “It wasn’t difficult [to make weight]. In Flint I was 154.0. Now I’m 153.4. I could go down to 147 if I wanted to. I don’t fight off emotion. That’s why I’m a champion. There are plenty of girls who have done way worse things than what she’s doing trying to throw me off my square. I don’t really think what she’s doing, or her new coach, is supposed to bother me.”

Ivana Habazin: “I’m taking this fight more seriously than before and I gave everything into training, and I’m ready. She can talk saying she’s going to knock me out. Whatever. She doesn’t have that power and she will not knock me out. I have good defense and I know I have power so I’m going to knock her out.”

On the same day Top Rank announced it had sighed WBA/IBF super lightweight champion Josh Taylor to a promotional contract, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz announced he has signed Taylor’s IBF mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong of Thailand to a co-promotional pact, along with Jimmy Chaichotchuang of Kiat Kreerin Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) is coming off a fifth-round knockout over Akihiro Kondo this past February.

“We are very confident,” said Chaichotchuang. “We know we can beat [Taylor]. My fighter is a very, very hard puncher and he will beat Josh. And when he does he will go on to become the ‘Pacquiao of Thailand.’”

WBA/IBF junior welterweight world champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs), fresh off his tour de force win over Regis Prograis in the World Boxing Super Series final, has signed a multi-year promotional agreement with Top Rank. Taylor, from Edinburgh, Scotland, will make his Top Rank on ESPN debut in 2020 as he continues his quest to become the undisputed junior welterweight king.

“Josh Taylor is one of the world’s best fighters, and he is a fight fan’s fighter, a tough guy willing to fight anyone we put in front of him,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Whether it’s Jose Ramirez in a fight for the undisputed junior welterweight title or any of the welterweights out there, he’s ready for the biggest challenges. I want to thank Josh’s advisors at MTK Global, who have the same goal as us, which is to make him an international star.”

By Mauricio Sulaiman
WBC President, Son of Jose Sulaiman

Happy New Year to everyone! Already getting into 2020 and leaving aside the magic of celebrating the end of the year, where we all get poetic, prophetic and we get to be the best of oneself towards others, but now is the time to start engines and give it everything.

We closed the year with a lot, but better than that, quality of champions and world champions.

The first defense of the new fly king of the World Boxing Council (WBC), Julio César Martínez, who is led by Eddy Reynoso, has already been announced. Martinez will be the co-star of the fight between Mikey Garcia and Jessie Vargas in Frisco, Texas, USA. Continue reading “A Year Loaded With Boxing”

By John DiSanto – PhillyBoxingHistory.com

On Sunday (January 5, 2020) the sad news came that former Philly welterweight Dick Turner passed away after a few years of declining health. He was just shy of his 83rd birthday. Turner had an eventful boxing career that ended prematurely in 1963 due to an eye injury. After retirement from the ring, he stayed away from the sport for a period, disappointed that the pursuit of his dream had been cut short. However, he later returned to boxing to help guide his talented nephews, the fighting Fletcher brothers (Frank, Anthony and Troy). Turner then became a trainer and worked with numerous Philly kids with the same dream that he once had. Continue reading “Former Philly welterwight Dick Turner passes”