Fightnews.com

By Bob Caico

Undefeated welterweight prospect Demontaze “Juicy” Duncan from Louisville, Kentucky, returns to the ring on Tuesday, September 27 in a main event matchup with savvy southpaw Tyrone Crawley Jr. of Philadelphia, PA. The power-punching Duncan (7-0, 7 KOs) and will face the toughest test of his young career when Crawley Jr. (7-1-1, 0 KOs) enters the ring.

Duncan is the former USA Boxing #1 ranked youth boxer at 152lbs and quickly transitioned into the professional ranks after turning pro in January of 2020. Crawley Jr. is the son of former ESPN champion and Philadelphia icon Tyrone “Butterfly” Crawley Sr. Continue reading “Duncan headlines Sept 27 in Louisville”

WBC/WBO junior lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson and challenger Robson Conceição faced off on Wednesday at the final press conference for Friday’s showdown at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. During the event, the City of Newark presented Stevenson with a proclamation declaring September 21, 2022, as Shakur Stevenson Day in the city.

Robson Conceição: “I’m very motivated. I’ve trained all my life for this moment. The world was able to see that I was better than Oscar Valdez. I should have won. So, he’s not really defending two titles because one should have been mine. I’m a champion without a crown, and I’m ready for Friday night…there will only be one champ, and that champ is me.”

Shakur Stevenson: “He’s a good fighter. But I think he lost against Valdez. If you left it in the judges’ hands, then you lost. I fought Valdez, and I beat the s*** out of him. I don’t have any excuses. He’s talking about having COVID or something before his last fight. All I hear are excuses. I’m ready to fight. Tell him to not have any excuses on Friday night. I’m ready to beat him up…I never leave it in the hands of the judges. I go in there and take everything that I want.”

The Floyd Mayweather-Mikuru Askakura pay-per-view press conference was held today in Tokyo, Japan for this Saturday night’s Super RIZIN, presented by Japanese MMA company RIZIN Fighting Federation. Mayweather-Askakura is scheduled for three rounds. This will mark the first boxing match for Askakura, who has a 16-3 MMA record. The event can be seen across North America live on cable and satellite PPV, as well as via PPV streaming. Price is $29.99.

Floyd Mayweather: “I’m happy to be back in Japan. Great place, great people. An unbelievable turnout. This is what I do; I entertain people. I have so much experience doing this. I’m sure I have more experience doing this than anybody up here.”

The Championships Committee of the World Boxing Association (WBA) ordered an eliminator fight for the light flyweight title between Daniel Matellon and Carlos Cañizales. The committee sent the official communication to both teams on Tuesday afternoon, granting them 30 days to negotiate. The period begins on September 20 and will last until October 20. If they do not reach an agreement within the time given or either party refuses to sign the agreement, the WBA may call for a purse bid with a 50% split for each of the fighters.

Matellon was the interim champion before the world title reduction plan was implemented last year and is now the #1 contender. Cañizales, meanwhile, is ranked #3 in the rankings and the two are the two highest-ranked contenders available to contest the fight.

A rematch between 45-year-old Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Conor McGregor, the second highest-grossing boxing pay-per-view in history, is in the works for next year.

“I want to go out there this weekend and have fun [versus MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura in a $29.99 pay-per-view on Saturday night]. Then I have another exhibition Dubai in November, and me and Conor McGregor in 2023,” Mayweather told the Daily Mail. “We don’t know if it’s going to be an exhibition or a real fight. But there’s been talks of both. I would prefer an exhibition.”

Floyd added, “I am not into fights where I am going to take any real punishment…so, guys like Conor McGregor and guys that don’t really hit hard, such as YouTubers or UFC guys, I don’t really mind colliding with those kinds of individuals but nothing where I am going to put myself in a position where I am going to harm myself or hurt myself.”

Undisputed female lightweight champion Katie Taylor (21-0, 6 KOs) will defend her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO world titles against Karen Elizabeth Carabajal (19-0, 2 KOs) at the OVO Arena Wembley in London on Saturday October 29, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Australia and New Zealand).

Also, European featherweight champion Jordan Gill (27-1-1, 8 KOs) puts his title on the line for the first time against Spain’s two-weight world champion Kiko Martinez (43-11-2, 30 KOs) in a fight that also doubles up as an eliminator for the IBF world title held by Josh Warrington.

Stevenson, Conceição is by far the biggest fight on Friday night, but there are alternatives.

ProBox TV returns from the Grand Oasis Arena in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, with a super bantamweight clash between Cristopher “Pollo” Lopez (15-0-1, 8 KOs) and Alejandro “Conejo” Gonzalez (11-4-2, 6 KOs). This will be the first ProBox TV show from Mexico.

Thompson Boxing, which streams all their events through their social media channels, presents a clash between unbeaten welterweights Richard Brewart Jr. (12-0, 4 KOs) and Joeshon James (6-0, 3 KOs) in the main event at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California.

WBC/WBO junior lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson kicked off fight week Tuesday afternoon at Newark, New Jersey’s Boylan Street Recreation Center, where he met several dozen local children and was greeted by Councilwoman LaMonica McIver and other politicians from Newark and the surrounding areas. Stevenson trained at Boylan as a youngster and always makes a point to return to his roots.

Earlier that day, his challenger Robson Conceição received a hero’s welcome at Mantena Global Care, a Newark-based nonprofit that serves the Latino community in the city. Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood is home to one of the nation’s largest Brazilian populations. Many local dignitaries, including East Ward Council Member Michael J. Silva, were on hand to support Conceição.

Stevenson (18-0, 9 KOs), a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, will defend his belts against Brazilian Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição (17-1, 8 KOs) on Friday evening at Prudential Center. ESPN will televise.

A couple of the PPV undercard bouts have just been announced for the Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva clash on October 29 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Lightweight prospect Ashton “H20” Sylve (7-0, 7 KOs) faces Braulio Rodriguez (20-4, 17 KOs) in an eight-rounder contested at 133 pounds.

Also, MMA fighter Chris Avila (1-1 as a boxer) faces pro-debuting Mikhail “Doctor Mike” Varshavski, a board-certified family physician and social media influencer with nearly 23 million followers. Their four-round cruiserweight bout is contracted at 185 pounds.

By Bob Ryder

Sad to report Detroit middleweight Isiah Jones was shot and killed in what is being reported by his trainer as a dispute with a family member that turned deadly. The incident occurred early Monday evening in Detroit.

After winning the 2016 National Golden Gloves, Jones got off to an excellent start as a professional reeling off all wins in his first eight fights culminating with a decision over fellow Motor City boxer Lanardo Tyner. The Tyner fight proved to be Jones’ last fight in his hometown, as he went on the road during the COVID pandemic losing seven of his last eight fights with his last bout in July of this year against Andrew Murphy bringing his final record to (9-7, 3 KOs).

By Mauricio Sulaiman
Son of Jose Sulaiman – WBC President

The intense rivalry between two great world boxing champions has come to an end. The Mexican Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and the Kazakh Gennady “GGG” Golovkin celebrated the trilogy that resulted in a victory for our great champion and Pride of Mexico.

Thirty-six rounds of dedication, courage, passion and glory. Three fights, one draw and two wins for Canelo. That white heat of competition ended when the bell rang, and the greatness of this sport remains whole and intact, by demonstrating humility merging into a heartfelt hug full of respect and recognition for each other. If everything in life was like boxing, it would be a different world that we live in. Continue reading “Viva Mexico, Canelones!”

WBO Statement: Re: Andrade/Parker – Please be advised that due to effects of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, the purse bid scheduled for today at the WBO offices has been postponed. The new date for the bid will be Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. (Noon) AST at WBO Offices in Puerto Rico.

Having been postponed by the British Boxing Board of Control due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week, the long-awaited Claressa ‘GWOAT’ Shields vs. Savannah ‘The Silent Assassin’ Marshall grudge clash for the undisputed female middleweight championship will now take place on October 15 at The O2 in London.

The co-feature between female super featherweight champions Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgarnder and the full undercard for the first-ever all-female card televised in Britain remains the same. The event will air on Sky Sports in the UK and ESPN+ in the US.

All tickets purchased for the original September date remain valid for the new October 15 date and ticket holders do not need to take any action or obtain new tickets to attend the event.

Italy’s leading boxing promoter, OPI Since 82 operated by the Cherchi family and Top Rank will collaborate on on an October 28 show at the at the 3,000-seat Atlantico, one of the most popular concert venues in Rome. In the main event, 2016 Italian Olympian and undefeated heavyweight KO artist Guido Vianello (9-0-1, 9 KOs) will fight Jay McFarlane (13-6, 5 KOs) in a scheduled eight-rounder. All of Vianello’s previous pro fights have taken place in the United States. The card will stream live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and exclusively on Mola TV in Italy. Continue reading “Guido Vianello to fight in Rome”

Oddsmakers are giving Robson Conceição almost no chance to dethrone WBC/WBO super featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson on Friday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Backers of Stevenson have to give anywhere from 20:1 to 30:1 at online sportsbooks.

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On Saturday, heavyweight Joe Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) is a 2:1 favorite over Joseph Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) in their clash for the WBO interim title at the AO Arena in Manchester, England. ESPN+ will stream.

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WBA #9 rated middleweight titleholder Connor “The Kid” Coyle and WBC #15 rated super middleweight Yamaguchi “The Problem” Falcao both scored eight round unanimous decision victories Saturday night at Alessi Fitness Center in Tampa, Florida.

Coyle (17-0, 7 KOs) outpointed Silverio Ortiz (37-32, 18 KOs) by scores of 80-72, 79-73, 79-73. Coyle’s NABA title wasn’t on the line. His next bout will be announced shortly.

Falcao (22-1-1, 9 KOa), a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, defeated Abel Nicolas Adriel (26-25-3, 5 KOs) with scores not available. Falcao returns to the ring October 29 against TBA.

The event was presented by Fire Fist Boxing Promotions.

No shortage of big name boxers in the ring this weekend. Shakur Stevenson, Joe Joyce, Joseph Parker, Amanda Serrano, and even Floyd Mayweather will see action.

FRIDAY
ESPN will air unified WBC/WBO super featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson (18-0, 9 KOs) defending his titles against Robson Conceição (17-1, 8 KOs) at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Both competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, with Conceição winning gold and Stevenson taking a silver in different weight divisions. Also, Tokyo 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (5-0, 4 KOs) is slated to return against Omar Tienda Bahena (25-5, 18 KOs) in an eight round lightweight clash.

SATURDAY
ESPN+ will stream WBO interim heavyweight title clash between top contenders Joe Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) and Joseph Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) from the AO Arena in Manchester, England. The stream also feature female champion Amanda Serrano (42-2-1, 30 KOs), who will attempt to unify her WBO and WBC featherweight titles against unbeaten IBF champion Sarah Mahfoud (11-0, 3 KOs).

DAZN will present lightweight Maxi Hughes (25-2-2, 5 KOs) defending his IBO belt against former IBF featherweight champion Kid Galahad (28-2, 17 KOs) at the Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, England. Also WBA female super welterweight champion Hannah Rankin (12-5, 3 KOs) defends against former 130lb champ Terri Harper (12-1-1, 6 KOs).

Hall of Famer Floyd “Money” Mayweather returns to the ring on a $29.99 PPV telecast against MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura in a three round boxing exhibition at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Rivalta Boxing (Henry Rivalta) presents “Friday Night Fights” this Friday at the Doubletree by the Hilton Hotel Miami Airport and Convention Center. The main event will feature popular local favorite unbeaten Harold “King” Calderon (26-0, 17 KOS) of Miami versus Ezekiel Fernandez (28-5-1, 3 KOs) of Argentina. The undercard will feature the “Liberty Squad,” a group of Cuban-born fighters with extensive amateur backgrounds. Continue reading “Rivalta Boxing returns to Miami Friday”

By Rick Scharmberg at Ringside
Photos: Courtney Gale Photography

Dante “The Comet” Cox (9-2, 6 KOs) won the ABF lightweight title with a destructive second round TKO over game but outgunned Raekwon Butler (5-3, 3 KOs) in the scheduled eight round main event on Saturday night at the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, DE.

In the co-feature, Jessica “The Cobra” Camara (10-3, 2 KOs) also had an early night, stopping Maria Vega (9-5, 4 KOs) 20 seconds into the opening round of a scheduled six round lightweight bout. A brutal left hook from Camara dropped Vega on her back, and the bout was stopped without a count.

The entertaining seven bout card was promoted by Dee Lee Promotions in association with Family Legacy Finest. This was the first fight card held in Delaware since 2018. Continue reading “Cox stops Butler in Delaware”

Photos: Emily Harney

Check out this GIANT Canelo vs. GGG photo gallery for some incredible shots.

Photos

By Miguel Maravilla

Gennadiy Golovkin: “This fight was more tactics…like chess. Today Canelo is better.”

[On if he will continue his career] “Absolutely. I have a great plan. I have a lot of opponents…remember I’ve got three belts. I’ll come back. I’m still champion.”

Canelo Alvarez: He’s a tough fighter. I need surgery on my left hand after this. It was really bad. But I’m a warrior. That’s why I’m here.

[On a rematch with Dimitri Bivol next] “Of course, everyone knows. We’ll see what happens in that fight (Bivol vs. Zurdo). But I need rest. I need to get strength in my hand and my body and then come back stronger than ever…and I will beat him!” Continue reading “Canelo, GGG Post fight Comments”

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

Undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) settled his trilogy with Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs) with a clear twelve round unanimous decision on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Early rounds were close with an edge for Canelo. Golovkin’s face marked up quickly. Canelo increasingly upped the aggression while the 40-year-old GGG couldn’t seem to pull the trigger on his power punches. A desperate Golovkin rallied a bit down the stretch, but it was too little, too late. Scores were surprisingly close at 116-112, 115-113, 115-113.

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

WBC super flyweight champion, San Antonio’s Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (17-0 11 KOs) successfully defended his title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Israel Gonzalez (28-5-1 11 KOs) of Mexico in the pay-per view co-feature at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The challenger Gonzalez wasted no time letting his hands go as Rodriguez countered with flush shots. Rodriguez pressed in round three and picked his shots patiently as he stood on top of Gonzalez. Unloading with big punches to begin the fourth, Rodriguez attacked but Gonzalez stood in the pocket exchanging, a low blow by Gonzalez prompted referee Kenny Bayless to issue a warning. Continue reading “Bam Rodriguez retains WBC superfly belt”