Fightnews.com

By Jeff Zimmerman

After a stellar career with a record of 45-3, 32 KOs, Manchester’s own Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of hall of fame weekend June 6-9 in Canastota, NY, along with former world champs Michael Moorer, Ivan Calderon and Diego Corrales, trainer Kenny Adams and boxing manager Jackie Kallen. Hatton talked about his career defining win against Kostya Tszyu for his first world title at home in Manchester as well as mega fights in Las Vegas against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and the love for his fans that followed him across the Atlantic. He also opened up about his personal struggles through his career especially after his loss to Mayweather. Hatton also weighed in on the Garcia-Haney PED controversy, thoughts on a Fury-Usyk rematch and a possible Fury-Joshua all British showdown. He also had high praise for Tim Tszyu, son of hall of famer Kostya Tszyu, who has a big fight this summer versus Vergil Ortiz Jr and gave his assessment of Jake Paul matchup versus the legend, “Iron Mike” Tyson.

Kevin Hayler Brown 139.8 vs. Idalberto Umara 139.2
(WBA Continental super lightweight title)

Gurgen Hovhannisyan 274 vs. Luis Pascal 293.8
Hendri Cedeno 140.2 vs. Matt Conway 138
Aaron Aponte 145.2 vs. Mario Aguirre 146
Chavez Barrientes 125.8 vs. Levale Wittington 127.6
Kaipo Gallegos 138.2 vs. Carlos Aguilera Martinez
Angel Ilarraza 154.4 vs. Orlenis Licea 156.2
Zeleck Ruiz 173.2 vs. Arthur Brown 175.2
Angel Barrientes 125 vs. Ernesto Sebastian Franzolini 125.2
Antraveous Ingram 153 vs. Luis Solis 154.4

Venue: Caribe Royale Resort, Orlando, Florida
Promoter: BoxLab Promotions
TV: DAZN

It’s official. Unified middleweight champion Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) will put his WBO and IBF world titles on the line against Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs) on July 13, at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, Raymond Muratalla (20-0, 16 KOs) will face former world champion Tevin Farmer (33-5-1, 8 KOs).

The card will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ and Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.

Continue reading “Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich confirmed for July 13”

Ahead of Don King’s “Fists of Fury” event taking place at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., on June 7, Adrien “The Problem” Broner (35-4-1, 24 KOs) participated in a media open workout in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Broner faces Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (16-1-1, 10 KOs) for the WBC “People’s Championship.”

“The way this boxing stuff goes, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Broner. “They’re just giving out world titles. They’re going to give one of these YouTubers a title. I tip my hat to Errol Spence and Terrance Crawford; they’re doing their thing. Like I said before, my main focus is to become a world champion. All my life, I just wanted to be a world champion, and every time I won one, I cried tears. I’m pretty sure I’ll do the same thing when I win one again.” Continue reading “Broner: I just want to be a world champion”

Here are the latest betting odds for the history-making 5 vs 5 tourney between promotional rivals Queensberry and Matchroom, a $69.99 PPV event taking place Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arebia.

Heavyweight “Big Bang” Zhilei Zhang is a -150 favorite against former heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder, who is +125

IBF #1 heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic is a -250 favorite against former WBA regular champion Daniel Dubois, +200.

WBA featherweight champion Ray Ford is a -160 favorite over Nick Ball, +130.

Middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz is a -225 favorite over Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, +175.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Craig ‘Spider’ Richards is a -150 favorite over Willy Hutchinson +125.

In addition, WBA light heavyweight champion Dimitry Bivol is a 25:1 favorite over late sub Malik Zinad.

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Below are some photos of todays Open Workouts in Riyadh, courtesy of Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing.

Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, has announced that the rematch between undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Tyson Fury is now scheduled for December 21 during Riyadh Season. “The world will watch another historical fight again…our commitment to boxing fans continues…we hope you enjoy it,” he said.

The Usyk-Fury rematch was originally planned for October, but will now take place four days before Christmas.

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

After the storm came calm, following the memorable and momentous battle between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Here is my analysis of the facts.

Fury, from England, faced Usyk, from Ukraine, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in what is already considered one of the great fights in history, compared to Ali-Frazier, Ali-Foreman or Tyson-Holyfield, among other legendary fights.

Both were fighting for the UNDISPUTED, but more so Fury for redemption and legacy while Usyk for his country and Ukrainian strength. Continue reading “Analysis After the Storm, Usyk Vs. Fury”

Following his 40-second demolition of Mark Heffron last week, WBC #1, WBA #2, IBF #3, WBO #3 super middleweight Christian Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) will next face three-time world title challenger Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko (15-5, 10 KOs) in the 10-round main event on August 17 at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

Christian Mbilli: “It’s an honor to fight Sergiy Derevyanchenko. I’ve been hearing about him since I was 16, in the amateur ranks, where he defeated several Frenchmen. In the pros, he has only fought big names, so this will definitely be my biggest fight to date. I can’t wait for it. It’s going to be a war.”

Sergiy Derevyanchenko: “If I win this fight, I expect to fight for a world title next, which has always been my ultimate goal. I expect August 17 to be a war and a Fight of the Year-type candidate, and I will be the winner.”

Two weeks ago, the IBF ordered undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez to defend against IBF #1 contender William Scull (22-0, 9 KOs), who has been the IBF mandatory since July 2022. Both parties were given until June 12th to reach an agreement, however according to Scull’s promoter Ingo Volckmann, the Canelo camp hasn’t responded and the IBF has granted the Scull camp an early purse bid on June 6.

“Canelo has to fight us now or he will give up the title,” said Volckmann. “Since the IBF has now officially announced the purse bid, Canelo cannot apply for a special permit, as Oleksandr Usyk has now done. The only thing they could do is agree on a ‘step aside’ fee with us in order to postpone the fight again. It’s all well and good that he’s Canelo, but he also has to play by the rules no matter how popular he is. We’ve waited long enough. There will definitely be an offer from us at the purse bid because we want the fight!”

The WBC Board of governors has voted to designate current WBC welterweight champion Terence Crawford as champion in recess. Crawford will next move up to super welterweight to fight for the WBA title against Israil Madrimov on August 3 in Los Angeles. The WBC has officially sanctioned Crawford-Madrimov as a final elimination bout for the mandatory position in the super welterweight division. Crawford will inform the WBC which division he wishes to compete in after the August fight.

Today is Media Day ahead of the history-making 5 vs 5 collision between promotional rivals Queensberry and Matchroom, a $69.99 PPV event taking place Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arebia.

Heavyweight: “Big Bang” Zhilei Zhang vs. “Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder
Heavyweight: IBF #1 contender Filip Hrgovic vs. Daniel Dubois
Featherweight: WBA world champion Ray Ford vs. Nick Ball
Middleweight: Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams
Light heavyweight: Willy Hutchinson vs. Craig ‘Spider’ Richards

In addition, WBA light heavyweight champion Dimitry Bivol will defend against Malik Zinad.

Here are a few shots from Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing:

Super lightweight contender Jack Catterall will seek a world title shot against WBO champion Teofimo Lopez after gaining revenge against Josh Taylor on Saturday night in a non-title grudge match.

“The world title has always been the dream for me,” said Catterall. “We didn’t get the undisputed and we didn’t get the world titles last time. But that’s fine because that chapter has been rewritten now. We’re in a great position and Eddie [Hearn] has a massive stable at 140 so I want that world title fight.

“I was mandatory for the WBO title for what felt like a lifetime. [Teofimo Lopez] beat Taylor before I did. We’ve both had a win over him and now I want to prove that I’m better than him. I believe I’ve got the style to beat Lopez and that’s the fight I want. Continue reading “Catterall targets Teofimo Lopez”

WBC #1, WBA #2, IBF #3, WBO #3 super middleweight Christian Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) destroyed Mark Heffron (30-4-1, 24 KOs) in the first round on Saturday night at the Centre Gervais Auto in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. Mbilli came out throwing body shots and folded up Heffron in just 40 seconds.

Rebounding from his first professional loss, IBF #12, WBC #14 heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov (19-1, 18 KOs) destroyed Miljan Rovcanin (27-4, 18 KOs) in round two. A clubbing Makhmudov right hand knocked Rovcanin halfway out of the ring for a knockdown in round one. Makhmudov then laid out Rovcanin with a crushing right hand in round two. Time was 2:32.

Unbeaten light heavyweight Mehmet Unal (10-0, 8 KOs) was impressive in stopping Rodolfo Gomez Jr (14-8-3, 10 KOs) in round four. Well received referee’s stoppage. Time was 2:17.

Promoter Eddie Hearn: “The Scottish fans won’t be happy. I thought the judge’s scorecards were too wide, but the decision was bang on. Jack Catterall won that fight. He closed the show beautifully. He dominated the first six rounds. I love Scotland, but justice was served tonight. That’s for sure. Two years ago this man should’ve been the undisputed champion…he should have the belts around his waist.”

Promoter Bob Arum: “Hey! I saw the fight like everybody else. Those scorecards were a disgrace. An absolute disgrace and I really feel sorry for Josh. I thought he won the fight, but those scorecards were ridiculous. And that’s a lesson. I will never ever allow an American fighter to come here with this British Board scoring the fight. Those scores were ridiculous.”

In a grudge rematch, Jack Catterall (29-1, 13 KOs) avenged his loss to former undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) taking a twelve round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. Taylor and Catterall fought 27 months ago in Glasgow, Scotland, with Taylor winning a controversial split decision. This time, it was another close fight with both fighters digging deep and having their moments. Scores were 117-111, 117-111, 116-113 for Catterall.

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Unbeaten cruiserweight Cheavon Clarke (9-0, 7 KOs) knocked out Ellis Zorro (17-2, 7 KOs) in the eighth round to win the vacant British title. A right hand laid out Zorro at 2:59. Zorro was kayoed in one round by current world champion Jai Opetaia in his previous fight.

Unbeaten welterweight Paddy Donovan (14-0, 11 KOs) stopped former top ten contender Lewis Ritson (23-4, 13 KOs) in round nine to retain the WBA Continental title. A barrage of punches prompted a referee’s stoppage at :32.

Lightweight Gary Cully (18-1, 10 KOs) outpointed former European champion Francesco Patera (29-5, 11 KOs) over ten rounds. Scores were 96-94, 96-94, 98-92.

By Robert Coster

In Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, former WBA interim light heavyweight champion Felix “Mangu” Valera stepped back into ring action against fellow countryman Andy Perez but in the cruiserweight division. Valera (23-5, 20 KOs) leveled Perez (20-15, 15 KOs) with a vicious, right-hand body blow in just two rounds.

“I feel really good at that weight,” declared Valera, “I’m ready to fight the best.” Continue reading “Ex-champ Valera KOs Perez”

Middleweight “Super Bad” Vlad Panin (19-1, 11 KOs) scored a second round KO over former two-division world champion Devon Alexander “The Great” (27-9-1, 14 KOs) on Friday night at the River Cree Resort Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In round two, Panin dropped Alexander with a short left hand. Alexander got up, argued that the punch was behind the head, then took a knee. At that point the fight was immediately halted. Time was 1:52. Five straight losses now for the 37-year-old Alexander, whose last W came in 2017.

Former WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence “The Sauce” Okolie (20-1, 15 KOs) destroyed and dethroned previously undefeated WBC bridgerweight champion Lukasz Rozanski (15-1, 14 KOs) in the first round on Friday night at the Podpromie Arena in Rzeszow, Poland. The 6’5 Okolie dropped the 38-year-old Rozanski three times in the first stanza to end it! Time was 2:55.

Christian Mbilli 166.7 vs. Mark Heffron 167.3
(WBA International/WBC Continental Americas super middleweight titles)

Arslanbek Makhmudov 263.8 vs. Miljan Rovcanin 236.2

Mehmet Unal 177.5 vs. Rodolfo Gomez Jr 175.8
Wilkens Mathieu 171 vs. Przemyslaw Gorgon 170.8
Christopher Guerrero 147.5 vs. Kenny Larson 148.6
Moreno Fendero 163.8 vs. Rolando Wenceslao Mansilla 163.4
Alexandre Gaumont 159.5 vs. Santiago Fernandez 159.6
Jhon Orobio 134.5 vs. Arturo Torres Gonzalez 134.6

Venue: Gervais Auto Center, Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada
Promoter: Eye of the Tiger
TV: ESPN+

WBC/WBO super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora will reportedly defend against Errol Spence Jr. in October. According to ESPN, the bout would take place in Spence’s hoemtown of Dallas, possibly at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. The event would be an Amazon Prime PPV.

Josh Taylor 139.6 vs. Jack Catterall 139.8
Cheavon Clarke 199.3 vs. Ellis Zorro 198.6
Paddy Donovan 145.4 vs. Lewis Ritson 146.8

Venue: First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
Promoter: Matchroom
TV: ESPN+ (US), DAZN (UK)

By Miguel Maravilla

Undefeated Mexican lightweight William “El Camarón” Zepeda (30-0, 26 KOs) of San Mateo Atenco, Mexico, and Chicago’s Giovanni Cabrera (22-1, 7 KOs) held a press conference Thursday afternoon at the Golden Boy headquarters to officially announce their fight on July 6, at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California live on DAZN. Continue reading “Zepeda-Cabrera Kickoff Press Conference”

WBO #12 heavyweight Jermaine “The 989 Assassin” Franklin Jr. (23-2, 15 KOs) scored a sixth round TKO over 2004 Olympian Devin Vargas (22-11, 9 KOs) on Thursday night at the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan. Franklin connected with big shots in every round, but the rugged 42-year-old Vargas was able to absorb it. Franklin dropped Vargas in round four and again at the end of round six. The bout was stopped during the break between rounds.

In a clash between unbeaten super lightweights, Joshua Pagan (10-0, 4 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision over Roger Hilley (13-1, 8 KOs) to claim the “Junior” NABF title. Scores were 78-74 3x.

Light heavyweight Ali Akhmedov (21-1, 16 KOs) scored. Second round KO against Encarnacion Diaz (18-4, 11 KOs).

WBC #1, WBA #2, IBF #3, WBO #3 super middleweight Christian “Solid” Mbilli (26-0, 22 KOs) and Mark “Kid Dynamite” Heffron (30-3-1, 24 KOs) faced off at the final press conference for their ESPN+ clash on Saturday night at the Gervais Auto Center in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada.

Christian Mbilli: “Heffron’s a bruiser, I’m a bruiser, so it’s likely to go fast on Saturday. Don’t blink!”