Fightnews.com

By Miguel Maravilla

Newly re-crowned WBC super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo (33-1, 16 KOs) of Houston avenged his loss to Tony “Superbad” Harrison (28-3, 21 KOs) to regain the green bout by eleventh round TKO at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Charlo dropped Harrison three times in the bout.

“Tony had a plan and stuck to it. He fought a tough fight. I knew I had to step it up. Tony threw some solid shots. It was tough. I had a lot to prove,” Charlo said at the post-fight presser.

The scorecards at the time of the stoppage were 96-93, 96-93 for Charlo and 95-94 for Harrison. Continue reading “Jermell Charlo: I had a lot to prove”

Boxing returned to the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo, Miami, Florida, Saturday night with M&R Boxing Promotions/Laura Ching again promoting. The main even saw super bantamweight Mike “Magic” Plania (23-1, 12 KOs) of the Philippines pound out a ten round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Giovanni Gutierrez (9-1, 6 KOs) of Nicaragua. The official scores were all 100-89. Plania won the vacant International Boxing Federation North American title. Continue reading “Plania beats Gutierrez in Miami”

By David Robinett and Rocky Morales at ringside

In the final walkout bout of the evening and the fifteenth bout of the ultra marathon-length card, Jose Balderas (9-0, 3KO) stopped the hapless Nestor Ramos (7-11-1, 3KO) in a scheduled six round bantamweight bout. Technically, Balderas didn’t really stop Ramos but Ramos rather decided not to come out for the fourth round despite not taking any noticeable punishment. Ramos, not wanting to spoil his eight fight losing streak coming into the fight, put up little resistance and upped his losing streak to nine in a row and hopes to make it double digits next time out. Jose helps the Balderas brothers go 1-1 for the night after Karlos’ upset knockout loss earlier in the evening. Time of the stoppage was 3:00 of the third round. Continue reading “Charlo-Harrison walkout bouts”

44-year-old former two-division world champion Omar Narvaez (49-4-4, 25 KOs) lost a ten round split decision against journeyman Pablo Gomez (12-10-2, 1 KO) in a bantamweight fight on Saturday night at the Club Sportivo America in Rosario, Argentina. Scores were 96-94, 97-93 for Gomez, 96-94 for Narvaez. In his prime, Narvaez defended his flyweight and super flyweight world titles 29 times.

By Rocky Morales at ringside
Photos: Stephanie Trapp/TGB Promotions

In a rematch, Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) avenged his loss to WBC super welterweight champion Tony “Super Bad” Harrison (28-3, 21 KOs) on Saturday night at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Charlo knocked down Harrison in the second round with a left hook but Harrison not only survived the knockdown but made it a real battle for the rest of the fight. The end came when Charlo knocked down Harrison twice in round eleven and got the stoppage with his follow-up barrage.
i
Harrison, more often than not, controlled the center of the ring and was doing great work to the body while Charlo was headhunting.

The fight was all about ebbs and flows with each fighter trying to figure out how to beat gain an advantage. Some rounds were fought in a phone booth while other rounds were fought at a distance. Continue reading “Charlo TKOs Harrison, regains WBC 154lb title”

By Karl Freitag

Since his horrific single-car accident that took place on October 10, WBC and IBF welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. has been laying low. He broke his silence Saturday night on PBC’s Harrison-Charlo II telecast on FOX.

“I really was just sore,” Spence told FOX Sports’ Brian Kenny. “My whole body was just sore. It was, I guess, a miracle from God. He protected me during the accident because anyone else would probably have been killed. It was a blessing from God that I was able to make it safe and I’m able to return back to boxing next year…no restrictions. I’ve been cleared. They’ve done all kinds of scans on me. They think it’s a miracle.

“I don’t remember too much, but I can’t really talk about the case too much I’ve been advised by my lawyers. It’s still a pending case going on. I’ll definitely get through it. I’m fighting in May or June. I’ll be back real soon. Continue reading “Errol Spence: I’m fighting in May or June”

By David Robinett, Miguel Maravilla, Rocky Morales at ringside

Rising heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba (12-0, 10 KOs) overcame a third round knockdown and a courageous opponent in Iago Kiladze (26-5-1, 18 KOs) to remain undefeated, earning a fifth round stoppage in an exciting heavyweight battle that left the crowd buzzing for several minutes afterwards.

Early on it looked like a showcase fight for Ajagba, who represented his native Nigeria in the 2016 Summer Olympics before moving to Texas to work with distinguished trainer Ronnie Shields. Ajagba was moving like it was a sparring session, leisurely walking down Kiladze and hammering him with jabs and straight hands as Kiladze dutifully took his punishment. It was also apparent, though, that Kiladze had significantly faster hands than the lumbering Ajagba, who is a Joshua-esque physical specimen but slow and methodical. Continue reading “Undercard Results from Ontario, California”

By Rocky Morales at ringside

In a total war, 20-year-old René Téllez Giron (14-1, 8 KOs) pulled off a tremendous upset with a knockout victory over 2016 USA Olympian Karlos Balderas (9-1, 8 KOs). Balderas was in control for the first two rounds using his footwork, height and reach advantage to win the rounds from distance.

In the third round, however, the pitbull like Giron landed a perfect left hook to drop Balderas like a sack of potatoes. Balderas was hurt badly and undeniably saved by referee Ray Corona, who instructed Balderas to come forward only for Balderas to fall backward into the corner. The fight seemingly should have been stopped then and there but Corona gave Balderas more time and then the bell sounded to end the third round. Continue reading “Shocker: Giron KOs U.S. Olympian Balderas”

By David Robinett at ringside

In a surprise result between former interim world champions, 35-year-old Oscar Escandon (26-5, 17 KOs) turned back the clock and knocked out previously undefeated Filipino contender Jhack Tepora (23-1, 17 KOs) with a perfect left hook to the body at 1:30 of the opening stanza of a scheduled ten-round featherweight contest on Saturday night at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

Escandon, coming in on a three-fight losing streak, traded punches with Tepora early, then, while on the attack with Tepora along the ropes, ripped a textbook left hook to the body that dropped Tepora onto his knees after a delayed reaction. Tepora, in visible distress, could barely move, let alone beat the count, resulting in the first win for Escandon in nearly four years. Textbook example of “that’s why they fight the fights.”

Tepora entnred the fight rated IBF #3 (with the #1 and #2 spots vacant), WBC #9 and WBC #10.

Former world champion Juergen Braehmer (52-3, 38 KOs) scored a seventh round KO over Juergen Doberstein (25-4-1, 7 KOs) to win the vacant IBF inter-continental title on Saturday night at the Altona Cruise Terminal in Hamburg, Germany. The 41-year-old Braehmer, easily the top German-born fighter over the last decade, floored Doberstein with a jab followed by a straight left to end it. Time was 1:20.

By David Robinett at ringside

Deep on the undercard at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, former IBF interim super middleweight champion Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell (34-3-1, 25 KOs) made his annual foray into the ring, easily dispatching overmatched opponent Juan Ubaldo Cabrera (24-3, 16 KOs) via fifth round stoppage.

The 36-year-old Dirrell, who also captured a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, was back in the ring for the first time in 21 months, and looked sharp enough for the caliber of opponent he was facing, controlling the action from the opening bell and scoring a straight left knockdown in round three. Cabrera survived a steady beating for nearly two more rounds, before a three-punch combination to the head dropped him again in round five. After another hard shot moments later, Cabrera’s corner threw in the towel. Official time of the stoppage was 1:36 in a scheduled ten-round bout.

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Former IBF featherweight champion Billy “The Kid” Dib (46-6, 26 KOs) clearly outscored Vietnam’s Van Thao Tran (12-1, 8 KOs) over ten rounds at the Hurstville Entertainment Centre in Sydney, NSW, Australia on Saturday. Dib controlled the action in rounds one and two but in round three Tran outworked the former world champion. Dib regained control in round four and dominated the contest until the final bell. Scores 99-91, 99-91, 98-92.

“I took his soul out of his body,” Dib said to Fightnews.com®. “I boxed him in the early rounds and then started to break him down. I wouldn’t give him any space. I sat on his chest and just broke him down. Continue reading “Former champ Billy Dib victorious”

Photos: Sumio Yamada

Unbeaten WBO #6, IBF #12 heavyweight Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois (14-0, 13 KOs) scored a brutal second round KO over WBA #13 Kyotaro Fujimoto (21-2, 13 KOs) on Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena in London.

Dubois dropped Fujimoto in round two with a jab, then laid him out for several minutes with a huge right hand. Time was 2:10. The bout was contested for Dubois’ WBO international and the vacant WBC silver heavyweight belts.

WBO #7 middleweight Liam “The Machine” Williams (21-2-1, 16 KOs) scored a fifth round KO over 6’4 WBO #2 rated Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (26-1-1, 12 KOs) to win the vacant WBO intercontinental title. Continue reading “Dubois KOs Fujimoto, Williams chops down Fox”

WBC #8 cruiserweight Thabiso Mchunu (22-5, 13 KOs) scored a twelve round unanimous decision over 40-year-old former WBA and IBF champion Denis Lebedev (32-3, 23 KOs) in a bout for the vacant WBC silver title on Saturday night at the Ivan Yarygin Sports Palace in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Scores 120-107, 119-108 and 115-112. Lebedev, who ended a brief retirement to take this fight, announced he was retiring from boxing for good immediately after the fight.

WBC #7 cruiserweight Dmitry Kudryashov (24-3, 23 KOs) won by ten round split decision over journeyman Vaclav Pejsar (14-9, 12 KOs). Kudryashov dropped Pejsar in round four, but surprisingly struggled against his unheralded opponent. Scores were 95-94, 97-93 for Kudryashov, 97-93 for Pejsar. This is the first time the big-punching Kudryashov has ever gone the distance.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

A great many press people, television cameras and people concerned gathered to cover a press conference of the forthcoming world title tripleheader today (Saturday) in Tokyo, Japan. The respective comments were as follows:

Bob Arum (co-promoter of Ryota Murata): My presence here will be a good sign for his victory as all my previous visits in Japan resulted in his fine victories.

Robert Diaz (representative of Steven Butler under Golden Boy Promotions): Murata selected a very dangerous challenger in Butler, who will win his belt.

Ryota Murata: I had a successful and satisfactory training camp, and the fight result will prove show that without doubt.

Steven Butler: I also had a good training camp, and believe I will defeat Murata and bring the belt to Canada.

Moruti Mthalane: I have been undefeated for the last ten years, and I’ll be the one that is victorious.

Akira Yaegashi: I always like to fight with the spirit of a challenger. I’ll do so and will capture the belt from the champion.

Kenshiro Teraji: I’ll fight with my usual strategy of punching without getting hit, and will win by a knockout if my counterpunch catches him with good timing.

Randy Petalcorin: The champion is a good boxer, but I am happy to be able to fight for the world belt again. I’ll win.

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (who will make a comeback underneath after a fifteen-month hiatus): Having trained hard for four months, I will show my talent again to people here. Continue reading “Big Press Conference in Japan”