Fightnews.com

In case you missed it, here’s the full episode of All Access: Gervonta Davis vs. Hector Garcia, which premiered last Friday night on Showtime.

_

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

World championship referee Mark Nelson talks to Fightnews.com® about working as the third man in the ring for 102 world title bouts in 19 countries around the globe.

Where were you born?

“I was born and raised in St Paul, Minnesota, but now I live in the suburb of Roseville.

When did you become a referee?

“In 1989 I started in the amateurs which I still do and in 1992 I was granted a professional referee’s license. Then in 1994, my first overseas bout was in Italy for an IBF Intercontinental title. In 1988 I started going to IBF conventions with my father (former world championship referee Denny Nelson). The first one I went to was at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. The instructor for the seminar was Larry Hazard. I was an amateur referee at that time. I was 23 years of age. What was good was that I was absorbing all the information from the big-time referees before I even got my professional license – which made the transition for me a lot easier. Continue reading “Q&A: Referee Mark Nelson”

After announcing their exclusive partnership with Imagen Television to bring back a weekly live boxing series to Mexico’s terrestrial airwaves, TM Boxing starts off the season with a fight card from Los Mochis, Mexico, on Saturday, January 14th. Kicking off the series will be former WBC Youth welterweight champion Isaac “La Bestia” Lucero (11-0, 7 KOs) who will look to keep his undefeated streak intact as he takes on Ricardo Bañuelos (18-7-1, 7 KOs) in the scheduled ten round super welterweight bout.

In other action, 2020 Tokyo Olympian Cosmin-Petre Girleanu of Romania will making his pro debut in a six round flyweight contest while former IBF super flyweight champion Juan Carlos “Zurdito” Sanchez Jr (24-6-1, 11 KOs) will be back in a featherweight six rounder.

The event will be presented in association with MarvNation and be broadcast live on the Imagen network in Mexico and on BXNGtv.com to the rest of the world.

WBA “regular” lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis donated fight night tickets to local youths at the Kennedy Recreation Center during Wednesday’s media workout that kicked off fight week activities for his world title defense against unbeaten 130lb world champion Héctor Luis García on Showtime PPV this Saturday from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Davis made the donation Wednesday alongside Delano Hunter, the Director of the Parks & Recreation Department and Danielle Hunter, the Roving Leader Manager for the department.

GERVONTA DAVIS

“This means a lot. I’ve actually fought in this gym before as an amateur. I’m happy to be home in front of a great crowd. I know that Hector Luis Garcia is going to come to fight and we’re going to give the fans what they want to see. Continue reading “Tank, HL Garcia Media Workout Quotes”

As ordered during the annual WBC Convention, updated with Nov-Dec 2022 decisions. Certain fights are under current negotiations and which may affect the orders voted by the board and each division is constantly monitored and updated.

Heavyweight. Champion Tyson Fury will have the option to fight a unification fight against Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship. The winner will be committed to fight the WBC mandatory. Andy Ruiz to fight Deontay Wilder in a final eliminator for the mandatory position.

Bridgerweight. Champion Oscar Rivas has suffered a detached retina and his future at this time is uncertain, the WBC will order a series of fights to fill the vacant title and set the mandatories for the new champion.

Cruiserweight. Champion Ilunga “Junior” Makabu has  a mandatory against Noel Mikaelyan. Thabiso Mchunu vs. Badou Jack in a final eliminator.

Lt. Heavyweight. Champion Artur Beterbiev fights the WBO mandatory defense against Britain’s Anthony Yarde on January and the winner must fight next the WBC mandatory Callum Smith.

Super middleweight. Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has undergone surgery and is having rehab on his left wrist. David Benavidez, who is interim champion, will fight Caleb Plant in March. The winner becomes the mandatory challenger.

Middleweight. Champion Jermall Charlo has been injured. Interim champion Carlos Adames, who was at the convention, asked to be made the mandatory challenger. Both champions will make a voluntary defense and the winners will fight each other for the undisputed WBC middleweight championships.

Super Welterweight. Champion Jermell Charlo suffered a broken hand and his WBO mandatory against Tim Tszyu has been postponed. Interim champ Sebastian Fundora will make a voluntary defense. Charles Conwell defeated Juan Carlos Abreu in a semi-final eliminator.

Welterweight. Champion Errol Spence. The Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford fight didn’t materialize, Spence will fight WBC mandatory vs. Keith Thurman.

Super Lightweight. Regis Prograis defeated Jose “Chon” Zepeda for the vacant title. Teofimo Lopez defeated Sandor Martin in a final eliminator fight. Prograis vs. mandatory challenger Jose Carlos Ramirez was ordered and Ramirez decided not to participate. Consequently, Prograis has been awarded a voluntary defense.

Lightweight. Champion Devin Haney will fight Vasyliy Lomachenko. WBC ordered a final elimination between Isaac Cruz and Shakur Stevenson.

Super Featherweight. Featherweight champion Rey Vargas, as super bantamweight champion, moves up to fight O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant crown. The winner then has a mandatory against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez. A final elimination was ordered between Robson Conceicao vs. Yakubov for the second mandatory.

Featherweight. Champion: Rey Vargas. After the Foster fight, Vargas must decide if he wants to stay at super feather or go back to feather. A final elimination was ordered between Isaac Dogboe vs. Mark Magsayo.

Super Bantamweight. Champion: Stephen Fulton. Final eliminator between Luis Nery and Azat Hovhannisyan was ordered. David Picasso vs Aleem was ordered as a final elimination.

Bantamweight. Champion Naoya Inoue defeated WBO champion Paul Butler to become an undisputed champion. If he then moves up in weight, Jason Moloney and Nonito Donaire will fight for the vacant title. If not, this match will produce the mandatory challenger. Nawaphon vs Gaballo was ordered for the second elimination.

Super Flyweight. Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada defeated Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. for the vacant title. Andrew Moloney vs. Pedro Guevara was ordered for the mandatory.

Flyweight. Champion Julio Cesar Martinez’ fight against McWilliams Arroyo has been postponed six times. Arroyo has been medically cleared and Martinez vs. Arroyo will take place with the winner fighting Angel Ayala.

Lt. Flyweight. Champion Kenshiro Teraji defended his WBC belt last week. Hekkie Budler is confirmed as mandatory.

Strawweight. Champ Panya Pradabsri awaits the Victor of Luis Castillo vs. Ayanda Ndulani. A final elimination between Ndulani vs Castillo was ordered

Former two-time world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (20-3-1, 13 KOs) will return to the ring for the first time in almost one year when he headlines the fight card at Hialeah Park on Friday, February 24. Rigondeaux, whose last bout was a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Vincent Astrolabio last February in Dubai, has been sidelined since suffering severe facial burns and eye injuries in a freak kitchen accident at his home in Miami nine months ago.

Now 42 years of age, the former WBO/WBA super bantamweight and WBA bantamweight king will attempt to tap the fountain of youth in his 25th professional fight as he looks to win for the first time since defeating Liborio Solis in February of 2020. Tickets are already on sale.

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Damian “Polish Hussar” Knyba (10-0, 6 KOs), standing 6’7 with an 86-inch reach, has inked a multi-year promotional agreement with Top Rank. The 26-year-old Knyba, who was born in Bydgoszcz, Poland, is scheduled to return in April on a to-be-determined card.

“Damian Knyba is a supremely talented heavyweight, and he is already a fan favorite among the passionate and knowledgable Polish fans. I expect Damian to take a big leap forward in 2023,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.

Peter Kahn and Fight Game Advisors have announced the signing of undefeated and world-ranked junior lightweight Henry ‘Moncho’ LeBron. The 25-year-old native of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, currently ranked #7 by the World Boxing Organization, has compiled a record of 17-0 with 10 knockouts. Lebron is promoted by Top Rank. Details of LeBron’s next fight will be announced shortly.

Sad to report the passing of famed boxing trainer Hector Roca at the age of 82. Roca trained thirteen world champions including Iran Barkley, Arturo Gatti, Regilio Tuur, Buddy McGirt and many more. He was associated with the famous Gleason Gym all his life. Roca also trained Hilary Swank for her Oscar-winning role in Million Dollar Baby.

A three-bout streaming presentation on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Showtime Boxing Facebook page will take place this Saturday from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. In the featured bout, super welterweight Vito Mielnicki Jr.(13-1, 8 KOs) battles Omar Rosales (9-1-1, 5 KOs) in an 8/10-round super welterweight clash. The action will also see rising undefeated super lightweight knockout artist Brandun Lee (26-0, 22 KOs) in an eight-rounder against Diego Luque (21-10-2, 10 KOs), and unbeaten  Travon Marshall (5-0, 4 KOs) against Shawn West (7-2-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round super welterweight matchup.

The live streaming fights will precede a Showtime PPV telecast headlined by Gervonta “Tank” Davis defending his WBA lightweight title against unbeaten world champion Héctor Luis García.

The non-televised undercard will include both Peterson brothers. Continue reading “Showtime to stream three fights on Saturday”

By Mauricio Sulaimán
Son of José Sulaimán & WBC President

2022 has ended, and it`s time to look forward and get to work to administer, implement and activate the so many plans that are in place after the very suffesful work done at the annual convention, after the traditional closing of the year, in which the resolutions flow with great optimism and enthusiasm towards achieving the goals and objectives that each person sets for themselves.

It is time to open new cycles with plans that motivate, hurdling inertia and so achieving continuity. Losing weight, drinking less, stop smoking, read more, developing and improving professionally, are the most common desires. What are your goals? Continue reading “A Promising 2023”

Rising featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (5-0, 3 KOs) will fight Juan Antonio Lopez (17-12-1, 7 KOs) in a six-round showdown on January 14 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Carrington-Lopez and the rest of the undercard will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+. The ESPN-televised heavyweight doubleheader headlined by a crossroads battle between Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba and Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw, and 2016 Italian Olympian Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello stepping up against Jonnie Rice in the co-feature.

Unbeaten WBA super featherweight champion Héctor Luis García (16-0, 10 KOs) shared insights into his training camp as he prepares to challenge WBA “regular” lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis on Saturday on PPV from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

On his matchup with Davis:

“Davis in my opinion is a top pound-for-pound fighter and one of the biggest punchers in boxing, so I know going into this fight that I’m an underdog. Not a lot of people are giving me a chance in this fight, but that’s what motivates me. I was in the same situation going into the Colbert fight, but this time I had a real training camp. I believe my style will give ‘Tank’ problems. I’m a southpaw with many tricks and I will be using all of them when I step in the ring on January 7.” Continue reading “HL Garcia poised to derail Tank”

Amanda Serrano (43-2-1, 30 KOs) will face Erika Cruz (15-1, 3 KOs) in a Puerto Rico vs. Mexican battle for the undisputed women’s featherweight championship and Alycia Baumgardner (13-1, 7 KOs) takes on Elhem Mekhaled (15-1, 3 KOs) for the undisputed world super-featherweight championship at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday February 4, exclusively live worldwide on DAZN.  Tickets start at $30 (plus fees) and go on presale tomorrow.

Undercard:
Richardson Hitchins vs. John Bauza (super lightweight)
Reshat Mati vs. Cletus Seldin (super lightweight)
Skye Nicolson vs. Tania Alvarez (female featherweight)
Ramla Ali vs. Avril Mathie (female super bantamweight)
Aaron Aponte vs. Joshua David Rivers
Harley Mederos vs. Julio Madera

WBA “regular” lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis is anywhere from a 10:1 to an 18:1 favorite to retain his title against WBA super featherweight king Hector Luis Garcia on Saturday night at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The bout headlines a pay-per-view telecast to kick off 2023.

In the co-feature, welterweight Jaron Ennis is as much as a 50:1 favorite to defeat little-known Karen Chukhadzhian for the IBF interim belt.

On paper, the most competitive bout on the telecast should be the welterweight clash between Rashidi Ellis and Roiman Villa. Odds are 4:1 that Ellis wins that one.

Former two-division world champion Demetrius Andrade is about 20:1 to defeat Demond Nicholson in the super middleweight opener.

Once again, despite his many accomplishments, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury was snubbed on the 2023 New Year Honors List which “recognizes the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK.” Fury’s archrival Anthony Joshua and a lengthy list of British boxers have previously made the list, with former contender Henry Cooper even being granted a knighthood, but so far there has been no love for the 34-year-old Gypsy King, who, in addition to being an unbeaten world champion, is a noted advocate for mental health.

Regarding the latest snub, Fury told The Telegraph, “I’d like something that no one else has had, especially a sportsperson. I’m a normal man but a limited edition, so I’d like something different. Maybe King Charles could make me the Emperor of the North of England.”

44-year-old ring legend Manny Pacquiao has inked a deal with Japanese MMA promoter Rizin. Pacman made the announcement over the weekend at a press conference in Tokyo. “I have agreed with Rizin to fight next year,” stated Pacquiao. “The date will soon be announced and also my opponent that Rizin will choose. I’m open and excited to fight a Japanese fighter. Thank you.”

Pacquiao is expected to fight a Japanese MMA fighter in an exhibition match, similar to his archrival Floyd Mayweather who has twice fought in exhibitions presented by Rizin.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

WBO 115-pound champion Kazuto Ioka (29-2-1, 15 KOs), 115, battled to a majority draw with WBA titleholder Joshua Franco (18-1-3-1NC, 8 KOs), 114.75, over a very technical see-saw affair in a super-fly twelve-round unification bout on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.  Franco was more aggressive all the way, while Ioka was more accurate in counterpunching the aggressor.  It means Ioka and Franco each kept his own belt as previously.

The official scores were as follows: Stanley Christodoulou (South Africa) 115-113 for Franco, Jose Roberto Torres (Puerto Rico) and Ferlin Marsh (New Zealand) both 114-114.  The female referee was Melva Santos from Puerto Rico, who was so well-done in handling the fast-moving and fast-punching champions.

Continue reading “Ioka-Franco, Full Report/Analysis”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Ex-AIBA youth champion in 2016 and former thirteen-time national amateur champ, unbeaten feather prospect Hayato Tsutsumi (2-0, no KO), 125.75, defeated former OPBF super bantam ruler Pete Apolinar (16-4, 10 KOs), 126, as he dropped the Filipino with furious combinations in round six en route to a nearly shutout decision (80-71 twice, 79-72) over eight fast rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan.  It was a semi-windup supporting the WBA/WBO super-fly unification bout between Ioka and Franco. Continue reading “Tsutsumi defeats ex-OPBF champ Apolinar”

By Brad Snyder

The last boxing matches in Michigan of 2022 were put on Friday night at the Soundboard inside Motor City Casino in Detroit by CLIP Productions and promoter Carlos Llinas. The Heavyweight main event had Vernon Webber make his walk to the ring dressed as the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. In green furry boxing trunks, like the Grinch, Webber took all the joy of Christmas away from his opponent, Gabriel Mota (1-3). Webber scored a 2:58 1st Round knockout after dominating the short fight. Webber improves to (6-0, 4 KOs).

The co-main event of the night had Weaver’s Boxing Gym owner, Munib Al Salmani return to the ring on short notice to face Devin Garrett (0-2). Although, Al Salmani said, after the fight, he felt rusty and would be more prepared next time to ring announcer, Kara Ro. Well, the results and the eye test showed he was more than ready and looked good. Normally a Lightweight, Al Salmani improved to (3-0, 3 KOs) with a 2nd Round TKO victory at the 1:11 mark in the Light Heavyweight bout. Continue reading “Night of Knockouts in Detroit”

By Joe Koizumi

WBO 115-pound champion Kazuto Ioka (29-2-1, 15 KOs), 115, Japan, battled to a majority draw (114-114 twice, 115-113 against him) with WBA titleholder Joshua Franco (18-1-3-1NC, 8 KOs), 114.75, US, over a very technical see-saw affair in a super-fly unification twelve-round bout on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Franco was more aggressive all the way, while Ioka was more accurate in counterpunching the aggressor. It means Ioka and Franco each kept his own belt as previously. The female referee was Melva Santos from Puerto Rico.

(More to come)

“I made an unnecessary call to law enforcement”

By TMZ.com

The woman who accused Gervonta Davis of assault is doing an about-face … now claiming the star boxer “did not harm me or our daughter,” saying the frantic 911 call she made was “unnecessary.”

Vanessa Posso, mom to Tank’s daughter, took to social media on Friday and seemingly did a complete 180, writing … “These past days have been hurtful and extremely exhausting for all parties involved. I pride myself on being extremely private; this situation was the last thing I wanted to be made public. The state of our relationship has been in a fragile space, and Gervonta and I were both at fault for the argument.” Continue reading “Tank accuser walks back claims”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Looks like WBO #1 junior middleweight Tim Tszyu could face WBO #3 ranked Tony Harrison for at least an interim version of the WBO title due to the postponement of Tszyu’s long-awaited clash with undisputed 154lb champ Jermell Charlo due to a hand injury suffered by Charlo.

The WBO has given Charlo until January 2 to submit a detailed medical explanation of his injury, findings, recovery prognosis, and his orthopedic specialist’s opinion as to when he will be physically and medically cleared to compete and return to active competition. The champ was warned that failure to comply will result in him “waiving all rights hereunder and with the Committee proceeding per WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

The weigh-in ceremony for tomorrow’s WBA/WBO world super flyweight unification bout between Kazuto Ioka (Japan) and Joshua Franco (US) took place on Friday in Tokyo, Japan. The results were as follows:

Ioka 115 lbs (the class limit)
Franco 114.75 (a quarter pound under the limit)

The officials are as follows:
Referee: Melva Santos (Puerto Rico)
Judges: Jose Roberto Torres (Puerto Rico), Ferlin Marsh (New Zealand) and Stanley Christodoulou (South Africa)
Supervisors: Jose Oliver Gomez (WBA from Panama) and Tsuyoshi Yasukochi (WBO, Japan).

Photos

By Brad Snyder/The Undercard

Vernon Webber 216 vs. Gabriel Mota 225
Dwane Taylor 140 vs. Steven Brabson 139
Darryl Cunningham 157 vs. Andre Byrd 155
Luis Quintero 146 vs. Izale Kimnle 144.4
Mohammed Awada 211 vs. Marcello Williams 231
Munib Al Salmani 165 vs. Devin Garrett 165
Gordie Russ 153 vs. Kevin Womack 154
Marcus Maulding 231 vs. Dennis Vance 278

Venue: Motor City Casino Soundboard
Promoter: Carlos Llnas
Doors open 6:30 with first bell at 7pm.
Tickets available at the Motor City Soundboard Ticket Office and Ticketmaster.