Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) annihilated MMA superstar and WBC #10 rated Francis Ngannou (0-2) in two rounds on Friday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua dropped Ngannou in the first round with a right hand, then used the same punch to floor Ngannou twice in round two to end the fight. Time was 2:38. Ngannou was out cold.

Ngannou previously gave WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury all he could handle, but Joshua comprehensively destroyed him.

Former world champion Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs) dethroned WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) by twelve round majority decision. Zhang dropped Parker in round three and eight, but Parker ultimately outboxed and outworked an exhausted Zhang in a tactical fight. Scores were 113-113, 114-112, 115-111. After the fight, Parker revealed that Zhang has a rematch clause so it looks like they’ll be running this back.

WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas (36-1-1, 22 KOs) barely kept his title with a twelve round draw against #1 contender Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) The lanky Vargas towered over the 5’2 Ball and dominated the first six rounds. Ball rocked Vargas in round seven, then dropped him in round eight and again in round eleven. In the end, judges had it 114-112 Vargas, 116-110 Ball, 113-113.

In a clash for the vacant WBA super welterweight title formerly held by Jermell Charlo, WBA #1 Israil “The Dream” Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) scored a fifth round TKO over WBA #2 Magomed Kurbanov (25-1, 13 KOs) on Friday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Madrimov staggered Kurbanov in round five and got a quick referee’s stoppage with a vicious follow-up. Time was 2:20.

Unbeaten lightweight Mark Chamberlain (15-0, 11 KOs) put a four round beating on European champion Gavin Gwynne (17-3-1, 5 KOs). Gwynne’s corner finally threw in the towel. Time 2:46.

Unbeaten heavyweight Justis Huni (9-0, 4 KOs) had to work hard to win a ten round unanimous decision over Kevin Lerena (30-3, 14 KOs). Lerena almost pulled it out when he rocked Huni in round ten, but Huni made it to the final bell. Scores were 96-94, 96-94, 98-92.

Super welterweight Louis Greene (17-4, 11 KOs) demolished previously unbeaten Jack McGann (9-1-1, 6 KOs) in the first round. A right hand laid out McGann after 1:29 of action. One-hitter quitter.

Cruiserweight prospect Roman Fury (4-0, 1 KO), brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, won a 39-37 four round decision over Martin Svarc (2-1, 1 KO)

Unbeaten local super lightweight Ziyad Almaayouf (5-0, 1 KO) outpointed Christian Lopez Flores (14-36-2, 12 KOs) over six rounds. Scored 60-54.

Unbeaten heavyweight Andrii Novytskyi (10-0, 8 KOs) scored a third round KO against Juan Torres (11-5-1, 4 KOs)

WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen “Feroz” Goulamirian (27-0, 19 KOs) and former super middleweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs) hosted a press conference today to promote their 12-round cruiserweight clash for Goulamirian’s world title. The event is taking place on March 30  at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California and broadcast live on DAZN.

Arsen Goulamirian: “I am excited to fight for the first time in the U.S. and partner with Abel Sanchez once again. It’s a great opportunity because this division is not very popular in the United States, and we get to draw attention to it. I want to thank Golden Boy for the opportunity. It is going to be a great fight. I am not like Bivol, and I will stop him.”

Zurdo Ramirez: “First of all, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity. Thank you to Golden Boy and my team for getting me here. It is an honor to be able to be the main event at YouTube Theater, and make a statement and potentially become a legend. This is my motivation. Thank you to team Arsen for taking this fight and giving me opportunity to fight for a title.”

By Damien St.Pierre

Bayou Fighting Championship Boxing and Brawlin N’ Nawlins will host “BFC Boxing 2”, a night of professional boxing on Friday, March 15 at the Mel Ott Center in Gretna, Louisiana. The event is headlined by undefeated Mississippi heavyweight Travorus “Bear ”Barnes (4-0) matching up against Duke “The Nuke” Sensley of New Orleans who will make his professional boxing debut. The bout will be the main event of the night and is scheduled for 6 rounds. Continue reading “Boxing Back in New Orleans”

Former middleweight title challenger Steven ‘Bang Bang’ Butler (34-4-1, 28 KOs) destroyed Steve Rolls (22-4, 12 KOs) in the first round at the sold out Montreal Casino in the latest chapter of the Quebec-Ontario rivalry. A series of shots crumpled Rolls on the ropes and the bout was stopped. The bout lasted 65 seconds.

Unbeaten super middleweight Osleys ‘El Tornado’ Iglesias (10-0, 9 KOs) scored a first round knockout over Marcelo ‘El Terrible’ Coceres (32-7-1, 18 KOs). A left hook to the head finished Coceres.

In a clash for the vacant WBC female heavyweight title, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) scored a ten round split decision over Abril Vidal (10-2, 4 KOs). Scores were 97-93, 97-93 for Lepage-Joanisse and 96-94 for Vidal.

Unbeaten 2016 Olympian junior welterweight Arthur Biyarslanov (14-0, 12 KOs) knocked out Cristian Palma (33-14-2, 7 KOs) with a body shot in round three. Time was 3:00.

Other Results:
Luis Santana KO2 Emiliano Garcia (lightweight)
Mehmet Unal W8 Facundo Galovar (light heavyweight)
Jhon Orobio TKO2 Cristian Gonzalez (lightweight)
Wilkens Mathieu TKO2 Patrik Fiala (light heavyweight)

Azael “Candelilla” Villar 107 vs. Jairo “El Leñador” Noriega 107.2
(WBO Latino jr flyweight title)

Eveling “La Colocha” Ortega 107 vs. Yanissa “Reckless” Castrellon 107
Harvin Aguirre 146.2 vs. Josue Alvarado 145
Gerardo “Chocolate” Sanchez 104.6 vs. Edwin “Canito” Cano 104.2
Michael “Hitman” Carmona 104.6 vs. Tomas Villar 104
Jeffrey Gonzalez 221 vs. Harris Vargas 255.2
Richard Fernandez Jr 115 vs. Samuel Perez 112.6
Moises Mora 125 vs. Emmanuel Ordoñez 125
Miguel Estrada 109.8 vs. Bagner De Leon Lopez 108

Venue: Pharaoh’s Casino, Managua, Nicaragua
Promoter: All Star Boxing
TV: ESPN+

45-year-old ring legend Manny Pacquiao and Conor Benn were both on hand in Riydah, Saudi Arabia at today’s Knockout Chaos weigh-in. The teams of Pacman and Benn are close to finalizing a bout between the two in the Middle East Boxing Mecca (which is about 500 miles east of the religious Mecca).

Anthony Joshua 252.4 vs. Francis Ngannou 272.6

Zhilei Zhang 291.6 vs. Joseph Parker 247.6
(WBO interim heavyweight title)

Rey Vargas 125 vs. Nick Ball 126
(WBC featherweight title)

Israil Madrimov 153.6 vs. Magomed Kurbanov 153.6
(WBA super welterweight title)

Mark Chamberlain 134.6 vs. Gavin Gwynne 134.6
Jack McGann 153.4 vs. Louis Greene 153.2
Justis Huni 243.2 vs. Kevin Lerena 232.4
Roman Fury 224 vs. Martin Svarc 225.6
Ziyad Almaayouf 144.4 vs. Christian Lopez Flores 142
Andrii Novytskyi 239.4 vs. Juan Torres 255.6

Venue: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Promoter: Matchroom/Queensberry
TV: DAZN PPV

It was announced that YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) will face 57-year-old former heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) in a boxing match on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight will air on Netflix. It’s not determined whether the bout will be an official fight or an exhibition.

Paul is coming off two first round KOs against little-known pro boxers. Tyson last fought in 2005, and had a 2020 exhibition against Roy Jones Jr.

BetOnline (www.betonline.ag) has listed Paul as a 3:1 favorite.
Jake Paul -300 (1/3)
Mike Tyson +240 (12/5)

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® sat down with (3) veterans of combat sports, HOF referees Kenny Bayless and Robert Byrd plus top UFC / MMA ref Mark Smith, to discuss a new show they are putting together which will give a behind the scenes look of their sport from a referee’s point of view that will include a mix of highlights, education and interviews with celebrities and analysts. Here we discussed several topics including their background and mentors, cross-over fights and the challenges of being the 3rd man in the ring/cage and making the right call when the lights are brightest and much more with these three great combat sports referees.

Steven Butler 160 vs. Steve Rolls 159
Osleys Iglesias 168.9 vs. Marcelo Coceres 166.5
Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse 173.3 vs. Abril Argentina Vidal 170.7
Artur Biyarslanov 142 vs. Cristian Palma 141
Luis Santana 136.9 vs. Emiliano Martin Garcia 135.3
Mehmet Unal 177.7 vs. Facundo Nicolas Galovar 176.4
Jhon Orobio 134.3 vs. Cristian Rodrigo Gonzalez 133.9
Wilkens Mathieu 171.2 vs., Patrik Fiala 171.1

Venue: Cabaret du Casino de Montréal
Promoter: Eye of the Tiger
TV: ESPN+

Former WBO #1 welterweight contender Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-2, 15 KOs) will take on Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (30-4, 22 KOs) in the co-feature for the clash between WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen “Feroz” Goulamirian (27-0, 19 KOs) and Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs) on March 30 at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California, and broadcast live on DAZN.

“First and foremost, I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions, my fans, and my entire team for their constant support,” said Rocha, who is coming off an upset KO loss to Giovani Santillan in October. “My last fight did not go the way that I expected it to. I let a lot of people down, including myself. This next stage of my career is my revenge tour. This is when I become everything I know I was meant to be in this sport. The pain I feel from my last loss will be the pain every opponent feels moving forward.”

* * *

Also on the DAZN broadcast, Ricardo Sandoval (23-2, 16 KOs) and Luis “Zari” Hernandez (13-6-1, 8 KOs) will battle it out in a 10-round flyweight bout.

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and MMA star Francis Ngannou faced off at the final press conference for Friday night’s clash at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN PPV.

“Big Time Boxing USA”, the new series presented by Salita Promotions, will return for its second installment with a pair of matchups featuring top contenders in their respective divisions entering the ring on Thursday, March 28 streamed live on DAZN from Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit. The action is topped by 2016 Colombian Olympian Juan Carrillo (11-0, 8 KOs) putting his unbeaten record on the line against veteran Quinton Rankin (21-8-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight bout, plus IBF #2 super middleweight contender Vladimir Shishkin (15-0, 9 KOs) returns against Mike Guy (12-7-1, 5 KOs) in the 10-round co-main event.

Israil Madrimov and Magomed Kurbanov will contest the World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight world title on Friday at the Kingdom Arena in Ryad, Saudi Arabia. Madrimov is ranked WBA #1 at 154 pounds, while Kurbanov is #2 and they will fight for the vacant belt after Jermell Charlo was placed as champion in recess by the WBA Championships Committee. Madrimov has a record of 9-0-1, 6 KOs, while Kurbanov is 25-0, 13 KOs.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Hideyuki Ohashi of Ohashi Promotions today (Wednesday) has announced a gigantic quadruple world title event at the Tokyo Dome (the capacity of which is 55,000) in Tokyo, Japan, on May 6. The Dome will be used for a boxing event for the first time since the historical upset of Mike Tyson vs. James Buster Doughlas in 1990. The forthcoming title bouts are as follows:

Undisputed super bantamweight title bout
Naoya Inoue (Japan; 26-0, 23 KOs)
vs.
WBC mandatory challenger #1 Luis Nery (Mexico; 35-1, 27 KOs)

WBA bantamweight title bout
Takuma Inoue (Japan; 19-1, 5 KOs)
vs.
WBA mandatory challenger #1 Sho Ishida (Japan; 34-3, 17 KOs)

WBO bantamweight title bout
Jason Moloney (Australia; 27-2, 19 KOs)
vs.
#10 Yoshiki Takei (Japan; 8-0, 8 KOs)

WBA flyweight title bout
Seigo Yuri Akui (Japan; 19-2-1, 11 KOs)
vs.
#3 Taku Kuwahara (Japan; 13-1, 8 KOs)

“Monster” Naoya and Luis “Pantera” Nery were both in attendance at the press conference before a great many press people at Tokyo Dome Hotel. Continue reading “Inoue-Nery officially announced in Japan”

Two international boxing cards will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. this week on ESPN+.

The action begins Thursday at Casino de Montreal in Montreal, Canada, as two-time middleweight world title challenger Steven Butler (33-4-1, 27 KOs) takes on Steve Rolls (22-3, 12 KOs) in the 10-round main event.

The fireworks continue on Friday as world-rated light flyweight contenders Azael Villar (20-2-4, 15 KOs) and Jairo Noriega (13-0, 3 KOs) meet in the 12-round main event from Pharaoh’s Casino in Managua, Nicaragua.

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

I would like to begin by expressing my deepest condolences to William Haney, who has lost his mother, as well as to Devin Haney. Renee Jannah was his beloved grandmother and important part of his life. May she Rest in Peace and her memory be eternal.

The World Boxing Council has worked tirelessly for decades to find ways to make boxing safer for fighters, and a fortune has been invested in medical and scientific research and special studies to discover and understand what happens in the brain and body. What effects does this sporting activity have on boxers?

A large number of rules have been changed, and new ones have been implemented to minimize the risks involved when entering the ring. Even so, much still remains to be done, and this must be with the will and effort of all the members in the boxing industry. We are in this together – organizations, federations, local commissions, promoters, managers, trainers, advisors, and everyone involved one way or another in the activity of boxers, even media and fans. Continue reading “Decisions that have changed boxing”

Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is a -450 favorite against former UFC champ Francis Ngannou +320 for their clash on Friday night from the Kingdom Arena in Riydah, Saudi Arabia.

In other action, WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang is a -250 favorite against former WBO champ Joseph Parker (+200), unbeaten heavyweight Justis Huni is -450 against Kevin Lerena +320, and oddsmakers have WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas as a slight +150 underdog against unbeaten challenger Nick Ball (-175).

Super welterweight “King” Callum Walsh (9-0, 7 KOs) hosted a large gathering of media on Saturday afternoon at the world-famous Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California, ahead of his return to New York City’s Theater at Madison Square Garden against Dauren Yeleussinov, (11-3-1, 10 KOs) for a St. Patrick’s Day Weekend event on Friday, March 15, 2024, broadcast globally on UFC Fightpass.

Joining Walsh at Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA were his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and promoter Tom Loeffler, President of 360 Promotions. Following his workout, the 23-year-old Walsh stated, “I’m ready to put on a show for the fans on St Paddy’s weekend. I’ve put in a lot of work with Freddie and the team and I’m ready to shine at Madison Square Garden.”

World-ranked undefeated jr. flyweight contender Jairo “El Leñador” Noriega of Villareal, Spain arrived with his team today in Managua, Nicaragua for his upcoming elimination bout this Friday at the Pharaohs Casino. Noriega (13-0, 3 KOs), ranked #5 WBC #11 WBO and #7 WBA, faces Azael “Candelilla” Villar (20-2-4-15 KOs) of Panamá City, Panamá, ranked #8 WBC, #7 WBO and #8 WBA in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds. The show will be televised live starting at 9 PM EST on ESPN+ and ESPN Knockout. The delegation was greeted by Managua Vice Mayor and top boxing journalist Enrique Armas and All Star Boxing VP Felix Zabala III.

Vladyslav Sirenko 254 vs. Deon Hale (Will Weigh in tomorrow)
Erick Arellano 215.2 vs. Raphael Carolina 224.8
Ermes Orta 140.2 vs. Cody Jenkins 142
Khalil Smoot 237.6 vs. Francois Russell 247.8
Rydell Mayes Jr. 252.8 vs. Ritchie Cherry 237.2

Venue: Troubadour Nashville
Promoter: Jimmy Adams Promotions
TV: Fite TV (Marc Abrams and Albert Haynesworth on the call)
1st Bell 7PM CT (8 PM ET)