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By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has advised WBA, IBF champion Anthony Joshua to stay focused for his March 31 showdown in Cardiff Wales against WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. “Anthony Joshua is fighting this boy named Parker and Parker is a good fighter,” Holyfield told The Express. “He has fast hands and he hits just as hard as he (Joshua) does. You can’t look past opponents because you know what … styles make fights but the biggest thing is how much faith you have…if Joshua wins they (Joshua and Wilder) could both make about $250 million so why not make the money while the money is there? But at some point in time who knows if Joshua will be there?”

By Marco Bratusch

In a crowded super middleweight division, the vacant European 168-pound will be staged on June 2nd in Germany on a SES Boxing Promotions night since promoters of Stanislav Kashtanov (36-2, 21 KOs) and Robin Krasniqi (47-5, 17 KOs) have come to terms, skipping the today’s purse bid for this contest.

The purse bid for Swedish southpaw boxer Anthony Yigit (21-0-1, 7 KOs) versus EBU official challenger Franck Petitjean (20-4-3, 3 KOs) is set for next week, specifically March 12th at noon. The European 140-pound champion Yigit was scheduled to fight against unbeaten Russian Ivan Baranchyk on a rich Lou DiBella promoted bill in Deadwood, South Dakota, on Friday as a final IBF eliminator, but he fell ill few days ago according to his promoter Sauerland Events. Continue reading “European Boxing Updates”

Wisconsin-based featherweight Duarn “Storm” Vue (13-1-2, 4 KOs) will look to make the leap from promising prospect to serious world-ranked contender. Vue will take on former WBA world champion Nehomar Cermeño (26-7-1, 15 KOs) of Venezuela on April 28th. The main event bout is scheduled for 12 rounds with the WBA intercontinental featherweight title at stake. The site of the event will be the brand new Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Continue reading “Vue-Cermeño April 28 in Wisconsin”

Olympic hero Daniyar Yeleussinov has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing. Yeleussinov won Welterweight gold for Kazakhstan at the 2016 Rio games and was the standout fighter in the games – winning every round on his way to gold medal glory. He will make his professional debut at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 28 on the undercard of Daniel Jacobs’ middleweight showdown with Maciej Sulecki.
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GH3 Promotions has signed undefeated junior middleweight prospect Joey Alday (6-0, 6 KOs). Alday is trained by his father Joe Alday. His next fight is TBA.
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World of Boxing has signed top amateur prospects Shakhram Giyasov and Murodjon Akhmadaliev to exclusive promotional contracts. Both will be making their pro debuts Saturday at the ‘Real Deal Showcase Series II’ event at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. Both are trained by Joel Diaz in Indio, California. Giyasov was a silver medalist at the 2016 Olympics at welterweight, while Akhmadaliev took bronze as a bantamweight.

Following a back-stage flare-up this past Saturday night at Barclays Center, former middleweight world champion Daniel Jacobs was emphatic in his words to contender Jermall Charlo. Said Jacobs, “All my focus right now is on Maciej Sulecki and I know it’s going to be a tough fight. This is the third undefeated fighter I have faced in a row and after I’ve taken his 0, then if I don’t get the ‘GGG’ vs. Canelo winner, I’m happy to take Jermall Charlo’s 0 too…Charlo is fighting a guy that Sulecki has already knocked out. These guys talk the talk but as you saw on Saturday when things get real it’s another story. Charlo is already beaten and the bell hasn’t even rung yet.”

Little giants take center stage as the spring season continues for “Boxeo Telemundo Ford” this Friday. Former world title challenger Gilberto “El Yaqui” Parra (26-3, 21KO’s) takes on countryman and former world title challenger Saúl “Baby” Juárez (23-7-1, 12KO´s). The 10 round main event will take place this Friday at the Auditorio Blackberry in Mexico City. The Mexico compratiots will due battle for the vacant WBC light flyweight latino title. The show is presented by Tuto Zabala Jr.´s All Star Boxing Inc and Producciones Deportivas. Continue reading “Parra-Juarez clash Friday on Telemundo”

Lightweight standout William “Babyface” Silva masterfully outclassed ultra-tough Arkansas based Guatemalan Rogelio “El Loco” Casarez to become the NBA World and IBO Continental lightweight champion Saturday, March 3 at Banquet Masters in Clearwater, FL. Plant City, FL based Brazilian Silva dictated the pace, peppering Casarez with jabs, straight rights, uppercuts and body punches. Casarez, who made multiple attempts to turn the match into a slugfest, repeatedly found himself on the end of Silva’s crisp punches. Casarez bled heavily from a cut that literally soaked the ring canvas but displayed tremendous heart and a remarkable chin. All three judges scored the bout 100-90. Continue reading “Late Results from Clearwater, Fla”

Kell Brook says he’s put the world champions at super welterweight on notice after destroying WBC #5 Sergey Rabchenko inside two rounds to land the WBC Silver strap on his debut at 154lbs at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield on Saturday night.

“The desire is there and you could see in my performance that I’m back and I’m putting the guys at the top level on notice,” said Brook. “I’d fight anyone, I’ve got nothing to prove in that respect as I’ve boxed GGG, Errol Spence Jr and won my IBF title in America. I’d like another test at 154lbs to settle into the weight and get another great performance, and then any belt out there I want it. Continue reading “Brook: I’ve put super welter champs on notice”

“I respect all fighters,” says British former WBA super bantamweight champion Scott Quigg, who is challenging WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez on Saturday at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

“I respect Oscar as a fighter. I respect his trainer (Manny Robles). This is a voluntary defense. They didn’t have to pick me, so it shows that they want to fight the best. But, they definitely made a mistake picking me.” Continue reading “Quigg: They made a mistake picking me”

Unbeaten two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy (26-0, 13 KOs) and former title challenger Kiryl Relikh (21-2, 19 KOs) meet in a rematch for the vacant WBA 140-pound title on Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Showtime telecast will be headlined by three-division world champion Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) taking on unbeaten IBF 140lb world champion Sergey Lipinets (13-0, 10 KOs).

Barthelemy and Relikh fought in a title eliminator last May that ended in a very debatable decision for Barthelemy. “I have to be aggressive right from the start,” said Relikh. “I’m sure that I need a knockout to get the victory. He can try to run, but he won’t be able to hide from me.” Continue reading “Barthelemy and Relikh aim to settle the score”

“Oscar Valdez is a good young fighter, but I think Quigg is better,” says Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “This is a perfect stepping-stone for Scott to get a rematch with Carl Frampton and become world champion once again. Carl got lucky and broke Scott’s jaw in the first round. That won’t happen again. But right now, we’re not concerned with Frampton. We’re focusing on beating Oscar.”

Quigg will challenge unbeaten WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez on Saturday at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

“Scott is one of the best-conditioned fighters I have worked with, and it’s great working with fighters like him and Pacquiao. Oscar says he’ll knock Scott out. I hope he believes that because if he comes forward and tries to knock Scott out, then Scott is going to put him on his ass.”

By Brad Snyder-The Undercard
Photos: Bob Ryder

The Arnold Sports Festival has put on some great boxing cards in the past. This year’s will be hard to top, as Troy Speakman’s Promotions, Team Tory Promotions, and Winner Takes All Promotions produced one of the most exciting events at the 2018 Arnold Classic.

Unbeaten heavyweight Jermaine Franklin (16-0, 13 KOs) put on a finale that was like any fireworks display, much better at the end. At the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, he faced a stiff test in Ed Fountain (12-4, 5 KOs) with both trying to climb the heavyweight ranks. Continue reading “Franklin KO highlights 2018 Arnold Classic”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
Photos: Werner Kalin

Fightnews.com® contributor Grantlee Kieza and two-time WBC light heavyweight champion Paul Briggs were inducted into the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame at the Pullman hotel in Melbourne, Victoria on Saturday.

Former world champions in attendance were Johnny Famechon, Jeff Fenech, Lovemore Ndou, Sakio Bika, Sam Soliman, Barry Michael and Lester Ellis. Also inducted posthumously were Bobby Dunne, Fritz Holland, Arthur Cripps and George Dawson. Boxer of the Year was Jeff Horn. Future Hall of Famer Brock Jarvis. The Gus Mercurio award presented to Peter Maniatis.

Photos

By Bob Caico

Joey Giambra, born July 30, 1931, as William Joseph Giambra, passed away in Las Vegas on Saturday at the age of 86. Giambra was an a top-rated middleweight contender from April 1953-May 1963. Joey faced and defeated most of the top contenders of his era. He was a good boxer and good hitter who compiled a career record of 65-10-2 with 31 knockouts. He was never stopped. During his career, he defeated such men as Joey Giardello, Attilio “Rocky” Castellani, Florentino Fernandez, Bernard Docusen, Ralph “Tiger” Jones, Rory Calhoun, Gil Turner, Chico Vejar, Al Andrews, Danny Womber, Pat Lowry, Jimmy Welch, Johnny Sullivan, Jimmy Herring, Sal DiMartino, Italo Scortichini and Charley Early. He lost a decision to Denny Moyer for the vacant WBA title in his only world title shot late in his career.

A proud but disappointed Luis “King Kong” Ortiz, who was on the brink of a sensational seventh round stoppage of WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder before the bell rang, spoke to SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray following the fight.

“It was a great fight and I performed well,” Ortiz said. “I thought I was up on the scorecard going into the tenth round, but it’s heavyweight boxing and you never know what’s going to happen. I almost had him and I think I would’ve if there were a few more seconds in the round.”

Following his successful heavyweight title defense at Barclays Center, an emotional Deontay Wilder spoke to SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray about the most difficult fight of his career.

“A true champion always finds a way to come back and that’s what I did tonight,” said Wilder. “Luis Ortiz is definitely a crafty guy. He put up a great fight. We knew we had to wear him down. I showed everyone I can take a punch. He was hitting me with those furious punches but they didn’t have sting on them. He was throwing combos that knocked me off balance. I just had to get my range back and my fundamentals back. And I was able to do that. I showed I was a true champion tonight.”

By Ron Jackson

Boxing from behind his right jab, South Africa’s Kevin Lerena retained the IBO cruiserweight belt with a hard-earned unanimous 12 rounds points decision over Dmytro Kucher from the Ukraine, at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park on Saturday night. Judges Eddie Pappoe (Ghana), and Jerome Lades (France) both scored it 119-109 and judge Olena Pobyvailo (Belgium) had it 117-111.

Even though the scores were wide in favor of the southpaw Lerena (90.20 kg) this was not a true reflection of the fight as a badly marked up champion had to work hard for his victory. Continue reading “Lerena retains IBO cruiser belt”

By Ricardo Ibarra
Photos: Jonathan Reid/J.Reid Images

In front of a raucous hometown crowd, undefeated cruiserweight Mike “White Delight” Wilson (19-0, 8 KOs) annexed the vacant WBA-NABA 200 pound title on Saturday night at the Jackson County Expo in Central Point, Oregon, taking a ten round unanimous decision win over Mexico’s Mario Aguilar (18-4, 16 KOs).

Headlining the ninth edition of White Delight Promotions’ ‘Rogue Valley Rumble,’ Wilson used his longer reach and better movement to overcome Aguilar’s crafty defense, consistently out landing his opponent en route to a shutout victory on all three judges’ scorecards. Continue reading “Wilson beats Aguilar, wins NABA cruiser title”