Fightnews.com

By Joe Koizumi

WBA light flyweight super champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (14-0, 9 KOs), 108, Japan, barely kept his belt as he withstood see-saw exchanges in the close range in earlier rounds, fortunately floored top ranked compatriot Tetsuya Hisada (34-10-2, 20 KOs), 107.75, midway in the ninth and pounded out a close but unanimous decision (115-112, 116-111, 117-110) over twelve hard-fought rounds on Tuesday in Osaka, Japan.

(More to come)

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn will return to the ring before Christmas after suffering a stoppage loss to WBA#6 middleweight Michael Zerafa in Bendigo on August 31. Horn’s family would like him to retire. “If Jo (wife) had her way there would be no more boxing,” Horn said, “But this is my decision.“My mum and all my family say they’d be extremely happy and proud if I gave it away. They keep saying I don’t need to do it.

“I’ve already set up my family so it’s not about the money. I know how I want to finish and it wasn’t the way the fight ended against Zerafa.” Continue reading “Jeff Horn to return to the ring in December”

Boxing returns to the Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort in Miami, Florida October 25, with M&R Promotions again promoting. This will be the fourth installment of the series following up the March 22nd, May 24h, and July 26th sold out events.

The main event will be unbeaten highly world-ranked bantamweight Melvin “Melo” Lopez (21-0, 12 KOs) of Nicaragua (now based in Miami) vs. veteran Jose Velasquez (26-6-2, 18 KOs) of Chile for the WBO international title. The William Ramirez (WRAM Boxing) managed Lopez is closing fast on a world title opportunity. Fighting for the fourth consecutive time at this venue Lopez will have the local fans’ support. Continue reading ““Melo” headlines at Miccosukee Oct 25″

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

IBF #13 super bantamweight Brock Jarvis (17-0, 15 KOs) is being tapped as the next big thing. Trained by former three-time world champion Jeff Fenech, Javis has outstanding marketing potential and soon could be making multi-million dollar paydays according to Australian financial guru Mark Bouris.

“This kid is 100% marketable,” Bouris told the Telegraph newspaper. “Brock is becoming a businessman who is a boxer. He is a good boy, a good-looking kid. He’s not marked up, he’s not walking around looking like he belongs to a motorcycle gang. He could be worth millions. If he gets a crack at the world title, and he’s not far off, he could attract $20 million, $30 million a year in sponsorship here and in the US. Continue reading “IBF#13 Brock Jarvis to get big promotional push”

By Phil Woolever

Popular Dusseldorf super-middleweight prospect Timo Rost (8-0-1, 3 KOs) survived quite a scare from underestimated Bartlomiej Grafka (22-36-3, 10 KOs) in earning a majority decision on Saturday night before a screaming sellout crowd. The eight round brawl went back and forth for the entire duration as each man landed big shots that put the usually reserved German audience into a frenzy. Most rounds were a toss up between Rost’s cleaner shots and Grafka’s mauling aggression.

Judge Daniela Otten reasonably scored it a draw at 76-76, while Maurizio Rinaudo saw it for Rost 77-75, which was also reasonable. Mustafa Erenay, who tabbed it 80-72 for the local hero, must have been watching a different fight. The event took place at Classic Remise, a unique boxing venue set up inside a large antique automobile showroom and restoration sales center.

Matchroom Boxing won the Purse bid to grant the promotional rights for the vacant WBA welterweight title fight between Alexander Besputin and Radzhab Butaev. The fight will take place on November 30 at the Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

The British promoter presented the highest offer with $505,555 and won the promotional rights. The purse bid rules stipulate equal distribution for the two Russian boxers. Besputin #1 and Butaev #2 rated contenders, are undefeated and will be fight for the black and gold belt to decide who will become world champion. Continue reading “Besputin-Butaev clash for WBA title Nov 30”

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and Luis “King Kong” Ortiz went face to face on Saturday at a press conference to officially announce their pay-per-view rematch on November 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Deontay Wilder: “That first fight was a test for me to show me where my skill level was in the heavyweight division. He was the bogeyman in the heavyweight division for a reason. To this day, they still don’t fight him for a reason.”

Luis Ortiz: “There was no reason for me not winning the first fight, it just is what it is. We knew that one of us was going to get knocked out. I have that same sentiment for the rematch. This fight is not going 12 rounds.”

Also squaring off were three-division champion and current WBA featherweight champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz and challenger Miguel “El Michoacan” Flores, who meet for the WBA super featherweight championship in the co-main event.

Leo Santa Cruz: “I work hard for every fight and it’s going to be the same for this fight. This opportunity came to fight for the 130-pound title and I’m excited to fight for it. I want to become a four-division world champion.”

Miguel Flores: “Being at 130 or 126 doesn’t make a difference to me when fighting Leo, it’s still the same guy. He started his career at 118 anyway and I’ve had it in my brain for so long about how I’m going to beat him.”

Hall of Fame promoter Don King may soon be returning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, for “Rumble in the Jungle 2.” King signed the Congo’s Ilunga Makabu (26-2, 24 KOs), who is the WBC’s #1 contender for the vacant cruiserweight championship. “I am thrilled at the opportunity to help Ilunga Makabu become a world champion,” said King. “He’s a very talented fighter, who is most deserving of a shot at the WBC belt and we will do everything to make his championship dream come true.

“I would love to bring Makabu’s title fight to his home country and promote five championship bouts, a boxing extravaganza featuring a WBA heavyweight championship bout and two cruiserweight championship bouts. Makabu fighting for the WBC world cruiserweight championship and a female championship bout, Nigeria’s own Helen Joseph, the Iron Lady and another championship bout to be named.”

WBA cruiserweight champion Beibut Shumenov would defend his title on the same show, with the WBA and WBC champions meeting each other for a unification down the road. Continue reading “WBC #1 Ilunga Makabu signs with Don King”

Former lightweight contender “Hammerin” Hank Lundy (29-8-1, 14 KOs), recently signed by Dee Lee Promotions, willj take on Robert “Red Hot” Frankel (37-22-1, 8 KOs) in the eight round main event on Saturday at the Hockessin PAL in Hockessin, Delaware.

The co-main is a scheduled eight-round WBC USNBC silver super middleweight title bout between Chris “Sandman” Thomas (13-0-1, 8 KOs) and Roy King (11-4-1, 6 KOs). IBF #1 rated light heavyweight Fanlong “Coldblood” Meng (15-0, 9 KOs) will risk his mandatory challenger status against Gilberto Rubio (9-8, 6 KOs).

By Gabriel F. Cordero

“The WBC strongly disagrees with supporting a professional boxer competing in the Olympic Games,” says WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman after the Mexican Boxing Federation (FMB) and the National Boxing Commission (Conabox) invited world champions to compete in the boxing qualifying process for the next Olympic Games.

“It’s something unacceptable that should not be accepted by fans and boxing experts in the world. Olympic amateur boxing is completely different. They are two different sports and it is very dangerous. We cannot accept this. If any professional boxer, including champions or former champions, decide to participate in the next Olympics, they will have a sanction of at least two years in the WBC.” Continue reading “WBC vows to ban pro boxers in the Olympics”

Tymex Boxing Promotion-Marcel Grabowski presents championship boxing. Local favorite and WBO world-ranked Robert Parzeczewski (23-1, 16 KOs) takes on dangerous Patrick Mendy (18-14-3, 1 KO) of the United Kingdom by way of Gambia. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds and the Republic of Poland international title. The event will take place at the Hala Sportowa, in ul. Zuzlowa 4, Czestochowa, Poland and aired Poland PolSat Sport. Continue reading “Parzeczewski-Mendy Friday in Poland”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten two-division world titlist, WBA light flyweight super champion Hiroto Kyoguchi (13-0, 9 KOs) will square off against #1 ranked compatriot Tetsuya Hisada (34-9-2, 20 KOs) tomorrow (Tuesday) in Osaka, Japan. We saw a weigh-in ceremony today at the Edion Arena Osaka, where Kyoguchi, 25, scaled in at the 108-pound class limit, while Hisada, a 34-year-old veteran campaigner, at 107.75, a quarter pound lighter than the limit.

Prior to the weigh-in, there was a press conference and they each eloquently showed great confidence to beat the opponent. Kyoguchi said, “Whatever strategy Hisada may prepare against me, I will beat him up without doubt.”

Hisada replied to his comment, “It’s me that will win this fight tomorrow. I’ll be the champion on his behalf by dethroning him without doubt.” We simply doubt which prediction will be right tomorrow. Continue reading “Kyoguchi, Hisada make weight”

Heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz considering it

Mexico is making a big push to get top professional boxers on its national team for the 2020 Olympic Games. Miguel Torruco Garza, head of the Mexican National Boxing Commission, has announced: “On the instructions of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, I personally sent a letter to all current Mexican boxing champions inviting them to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifiers to represent us patriotically.”

WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr was quick to respond. “It would be a great honor to represent Mexico in the Olympic Games,” tweeted Ruiz. “I have to look at the possible contractual commitments, but we will do everything possible to contribute in any way and put the name of Mexico on high once more. Great initiative!”

By Ron Jackson

Azinga Fuzile from Duncan Village in the Eastern Cape, who is considered South Africa’s greatest prospect, learned a harsh lesson and found out that you do not play boxing. He was stopped in the eighth round by Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov of Tajikstan in an IBF junior lightweight title eliminator at a packed to capacity Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday afternoon.

The time was 2 minutes 26 seconds.

In a battle of southpaws the 23-year-old Fuzile spent most of the early rounds smiling at his opponent and fighting from behind a dropped shoulder trying to imitate Floyd Mayweather Jr. Continue reading “Azinga Fuzile learns a harsh lesson”

Photos: Sumio Yamada

In most WBC title fights, “open scoring” is in effect where the official scores are announced after the fourth and eighth rounds. Most state boxing commissions in the U.S. do not implement open scoring. If it was in effect for Saturday’s fight, we would have known this:

Scores after round four:
38-38, 40-36 Porter, 39-37 Porter

Scores after round eight:
77-75 Spence, 78-74 Porter, 76-76

See GIANT Photo gallery and official scorecard

Unbeaten middleweight Carlos Monroe (17-0, 13 KOs) scored a ten round split decision over former world title challenger Javier Francisco Maciel (33-9, 23 KOs) on Saturday night at Buckhead Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Monroe successfully defended his WBA Fedalatin title by scores of 96-94, 98-92 on two cards, while Maciel was ahead 97-93 on the third card.

Proceeds from the event went to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.

After Errol Spence Jr. defeated Shawn Porter to unify the WBC and IBF welterweight titles on Saturday night, the name of WBO champion Terence Crawford came up. “The last time Crawford fought on pay-per-view, he did 100,000 buys,” said Spence. “I’m not worried about Crawford right now. They don’t promote him like they should be, so it is what it is. We’ll worry about Crawford when we get there. Like I said Crawford needs me more than I need him.”

The question PBC won't ask…who wins?

— fightnews.com (@fightnews) September 29, 2019

By Jeff Zimmerman

Shawn Porter: “The ManDown was coming for the ManDown. When I don’t win I can’t hang my head. I can’t make excuses. I felt comfortable the majority of the rounds and stayed poised.”

Kenny Porter: “We want all the rematches. It’s not over. There’s more great fights in Shawn. Congratulations Errol.”

Errol Spence Jr: It was a tough fight and I knew that coming in…I felt like I won. When I got the knockdown and I tried to get the knockout. He’s a true warrior and he came back swinging…I’m a naturally aggressive fighter and Shawn tries to make you uncomfortable.”

Stay tuned for the end of the press conference as both Spence and Porter started to exchange verbal jabs before the crowd got rowdy and it was stopped.

After Errol Spence Jr. defeated Shawn Porter to unify the WBC and IBF welterweight titles on Saturday night, PBC brought former champ Danny Garcia into the ring to begin the build-up for a likely Spence-Garcia fight.

“It was a top dog fight tonight,” said Garcia. “I want you next Errol. It was a tough rugged fight. Shawn Porter is a tough fighter. I’m here to say I want next.”

Super lightweight Batyr Akhmedov outlanded Mario Barrios 238 to 135 and dominated a large portion of their fight on Saturday night in Los Angeles. But two knockdowns played a significant role as Barrios came away with the vacant WBA super lightweight title.

Mario Barrios: “I knew this was going to be a war. He was getting dirty in there but the Mexican warrior in me was not going to let this opportunity pass me by. I dug deep and got the victory…I promised my city of San Antonio that I would bring this title back home and I did it.”

Batyr Akhmedov: “The judges see better than I can from the ring. I did everything I could. I thought I won the fight. They decided that he won the fight. When I watch the fight I’ll be able to tell you what it looked like. My job is to do everything to win. The judges are supposed to judge correctly. I tried to do everything I could. I was told that I wouldn’t be able to handle his experience, but he was on the ropes most of the fight. I beat him up and I thought I won the fight. Continue reading “Barrios: I dug deep / Akhmedov: I beat him up”

By Ron Jackson

In an outstanding performance and against the odds, South African lightweight champion Ayanda “Greyhound” Nkosi won the vacant World Boxing Federation lightweight belt when he stopped the vastly more experienced former WBA interim junior lightweight champion Emanuel “Polo” Lopez from Mexico in the seventh round at the Portuguese Hall on Saturday night.

Nkosi became South Africa’s 84th “world” champion since 1924 Olympic bantamweight gold medalist Willie Smith outpointed the highly rated Teddy Baldock over 15 rounds at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the British version of the world bantamweight title on October 6, 1927. Continue reading “Ayanda Nkosi becomes SA’s 84th world champion”

By Jeff Zimmerman

In the ring post-fight…

Errol Spence Jr: “He’s a rough, awkward fighter. He’s rough and rugged and be always come to fight. He was strong. I’m a bigger, stronger welterweight.”

With Danny Garcia next to him as likely next opponent: “The tables are turned. I told Al Haymon, you line them up and I’ll knock them down.”

Shawn Porter: Did y’all enjoy that?!? He’s a strong kid. We both knew it would be a dogfight…I hope everyone enjoyed this. This is what we came for and what everyone came for.

By Rocky Morales at ringside

IBF welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs) defeated WBC titlist “Showtime” Shawn Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs) by twelve round split decision firefight in a unification clash on Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

It was a back and forth battle through the first ten rounds with both landing punishing shots and as often to the body as to the head. Many rounds were so close they were difficult to score with Porter pressing the action and Spence seeming to throw more precise punches. A few of Spence’s punched strayed low and he was warned but not penalized.

Finally, in round eleven, the difference-maker was a counter left cross Spence perfectly landed that caused Porter to touch a glove to the canvas. Porter was visibly shaken but quickly rgained his feet and was not in danger of being stopped. It did seem to take all the wind out of Porter’s sails, however, and he didn’t show the same gusto following the knockdown. Continue reading “Spence edges Porter to unify WBC/IBF welter titles”

By Rocky Morales at ringside
Photos: Sumio Yamada

Super middleweight David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) regained the WBC 168-pound title with a bloody ninth round TKO over current champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (33-2-1, 24 KOs) on Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

After a tactical few opening rounds, Benavidez started to take control by the fifth round with his relentless stalking and power punching. Dirrell tried his best to return fire but Benavidez gleefully walked through Dirrell’s punches.

In the sixth round, a punch from Benavidez opened up a bad cut in the right eyelid of Dirrell. Blood would drip for the remainder of the fight and with Dirrell likely behind on the scorecards, he had no choice but to fight onward. Continue reading “David Benavidez regains WBC super middle title”

By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside
Photos: Sumio Yamada

In a clash of unbeaten 140-pounders, Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (25-0, 16 KOs) won a controversial twelve round unanimous decision over Batyr Akhmedov (7-1, 6 KOs) to claim the vacant WBA super lightweight title on Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The scores were 114-112, 115-111, 116-111 and the latter two seemed ridiculously wide. Even though Barrios scored knockdowns when Akhmedov’s glove touched the canvas in the fourth and the twelfth rounds, many at ringside expected Akhmedov’s hand to be raised at the end. Continue reading “Barrios beats Akhmedov for WBA super light belt”