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By David Finger

The April WBO ratings recently came out and although there were no major unexpected changes, one thing was clear: Joseph Parker isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. After dropping his WBO belt to Anthony Joshua by way of 12-round decision boxing fans in New Zealand were undoubtedly happy to see their former champion only slip to #5 in the WBO ratings. Currently WBO #1 ranked Alex Povetkin looks set to fight Anthony Joshua in the coming month while WBO #2 ranked Dominic Breazeale has been named the mandatory for WBC champ Deontay Wilder. WBO #3 ranked Dillian Whyte expected to either fight Luis Ortiz in a WBC eliminator for Wilder’s second mandatory challenger or in the alternative Kubrat Pulev as a final eliminator for Anthony Joshua’s IBF belt on July 21. Although Team Parker undoubtedly is hoping to sit on the #1 ranking when the dust settles, they also have a serious rival in undefeated American Jarrell Miller, who sits on the #4 ranking in the WBO. Miller subsequently won a lopsided decision over French contender Johann Duhaupas on April 28, a fight that should move Big Baby’s stock up a few points with the Championship Committee come May. Continue reading “WBO ranks ex-champ Parker #5”

Photos: Emily Harney

Here are new photos from the big card last Saturday night in Brooklyn, New York, headlined by former middleweight world champion Daniel ‘The Miracle Man’ Jacobs, (33-2-0, 29 KOs) against Maciej Sulecki. See photos…

By Miguel Maravilla
Video: Przemek Garczarczyk

Undefeated world middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) and WBC #1 super welterweight contender Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) held the final press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Sheraton Gateway LAX in Los Angeles for their fight Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California live on HBO. With just three days to go before the fight, here is what the combatants and their camps had to say:

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin: “This is not an easy fight. We have a big fight. Vanes is a good fighter. I promise we will put on a good show.”

Vanes Martirosyan: “This is my destiny fight. This is everything I have dreamed of. Triple G and I will put on a good fight. I can’t wait for Saturday. Don King thanks for believing in me. We’ve done all the talking, now we will do the fighting,”

Continue reading “Golovkin-Martirosyan Final Press Conference”

By Przemek Garczarczyk

“Four times I thought a GGG fight on May 5 wouldn’t happen. Many sleepless nights. One time I just decided to go the movies, thinking that it’s over,” stated promoter Tom Loeffler.

GGG’s trainer Abel Sanchez added, “Last week we had a fight when a young man (Maciej Sulecki) gave Daniel Jacobs, the second or third best middleweight in the world, all he could handle. And Martirosyan, who was supposed to fight Sulecki, was the favorite in that bout. That tells me that we will have (a real fight) on Saturday.”

Both promoter and trainer spoke to Fightnews.com® about all the challenges of making the trials and tribulations of making the Cinco de Mayo showdown between WBC/WBA/IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-01, 33 KO) and Vanes Martirosyan (36-3, 21 KO) possible.

By Karl Freitag

WBC minimumweight champion Wanheng Menayothin (50-0, 18 KOs) told the Bangkok Post that he’s happy to have matched Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 record and isn’t thinking about winning 51 straight fights, but plans to keep training hard for the next one. Leroy Estrada was the WBC’s mandatory challenger, so Wanheng will have a voluntary defense when he goes for the record.

Wanheng’s trainer Suparb Boonrod told the Post in an understatement, “He is 32 but still very strong and fit. He is very disciplined and is a hard-working man, so winning his 51st consecutive match is possible.”

As you may recall, Julio Cesar Chavez got to 87-0 at one point. So even if Wanheng smashes Floyd’s record, for it to stick he must retire undefeated/untied. If he gets a blemish on his ledger, Floyd gets the record back.

By Héctor Villarreal

George Sarantopoulo’s Sparta Promotions hosted a final press conference at Giorgio’s Restaurant in Panama City to introduce the foreign boxers scheduled to fight on Friday night at Fantastic Casino Albrook Mall.

The Battle of the Nuñez boxing event headed by local Ricardo “El Matematico” Nuñez (29-6, 23 KOs) vs Cuban Leosdan Nuñez (6-0, 4 KOs) for the WBA Fedelatin bantamweight title, includes three regional championships, ten undefeated prospects, five World ranked fighters and, for the first time in Panama’s boxing history, five Mexicans on the same card. Continue reading “Five Mexicans to fight in Panama”

Welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. received a champions’ welcome in his hometown Wednesday at Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters at a press conference to discuss his homecoming defense Saturday, June 16 live on Showtime against unbeaten Carlos Ocampo at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Errol Spence Jr: ““My motto is ‘Man Down’ and I have to live up to it. I don’t go in looking for the knockout, but I let it happen naturally. I let it come to me and we’re definitely going to let it happen on fight night…I do believe I’m the best welterweight in boxing right now. I’ve been trying to prove it for a long time. I’m never looking past anyone, but I’d love to fight Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter and when he’s back, Keith Thurman. I’m ready to fight the best in the division and prove I reign supreme over all of them.”

Carlos Ocampo: “I have been the underdog before and I’m prepared to once again overcome that. I’m not worried about what anybody else thinks of me or this fight. My mind is only on winning and being prepared to do whatever I have to. He can talk about knocking me out all he wants but I’m here too and I’m ready to knock him out on June 16.”

By Matt Thompson at ringside

New England jr middleweight champion Greg “The Villain” Vendetti took care of business in a decisive manner in the headliner of the Murphys Boxing card in front of a sold-out crowd Saturday at the Plainridge Racetrack and Casino in Plainville, MA, as he scored a first round destruction of Brazilian veteran Alex Sandro Duarte. Continue reading “Vendetti annihilates Duarte in First Round”

The Sooner State will welcome a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN Saturday, June 30 at Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (37-0, 25 KOs) will make the fourth defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight title against hard-hitting Colombian Alexis Angulo (23-0, 20 KOs), while local contender Alex ‘El Cholo’ Saucedo (27-0, 17 KOs) continues his march to a 140-pound title shot against Lenny Zappavigna (37-3, 27 KOs) in a 10-round special attraction. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Gennady Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez has issued a warning about this Saturday’s clash between GGG and Vanes Martirosyan. “He (Vanes) will never be the same after this fight,” said Sanchez. “None of the fighters that Gennady has fought were ever the same. Jacobs looked terrible in his last fight. Why? Because he went twelve rounds with Golovkin…it’s not only Jacobs. If you go back to Lemieux, to Stevens, to Wade, to Willie Monroe, they are never the same. Murray also. They are never the same after they go rounds with Gennady. Jacobs was supposed to demolish Arias and he had a difficult time with him, which was his first fight after Gennady and now the fight with Sulecki he looked terrible. He gets hit with everything in the book and the reason being, in my opinion, is once you go twelve rounds with Golovkin you are never going to be the same.”

Photos: Sumio Yamada

Wanheng Menayothin 105 vs. Leroy Estrada 105
(WBC minimumweight title)

Venue: Nakhon Ratchasima
Promoter: Petpiya Fight
TV: Channel 7 (Thailand)

More photos

New Jersey Hall of Fame Inductee Donna Duva-Brooks, daughter of International Boxing Hall of Famer Lou Duva, returns to the fight scene as Lead Event Coordinator for New Jersey-based promotion company Rising Star Promotions run by WBO #13 welterweight Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (25-2-1 9 KOs).

Beginning in the late 1980s, Donna has been involved in all areas of boxing, from the club level to televised and world championship boxing promotions when Main Events started with Donna’s late brother Dan Duva. During Duva-Brooks time at Main Events, the company promoted such notable champions as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, Arturo Gatti, Vinny Pazienza and Mark Breland to name a few. Continue reading “Donna Duva-Brooks back in boxing”

Sad to report that lBO Secretary Maria Canizares passed away from a heart attack a few days ago. Maria served as assistant to International Boxing Organization President Ed Levine and took care of IBO details for many years. Services are this evening, May 1st at Caballero Rivero Hialeah 373 W. 9 Street Hialeah, FL (305-888-6792).

Bantamweight contender Emmanuel “Manny” Rodriguez and his team have landed safely and ready to face former world champion Paul “Baby Faced Assassin” Butler for the vacant IBF World Championship this Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. Rodriguez (17-0, 12 KOs), of Puerto Rico, and Butler (26-1, 14 KOs), 29, of England, will meet in a 12-round supporting bout to the all-British rematch between former World Heavyweight Champions Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KOs) and David Haye (28-3, 26 KOs). Continue reading “Rodriguez poised to claim vacant IBF belt”

By Miguel Maravilla

Undefeated undisputed middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), of Karaganda, Kazakhstan returns to the ring this Saturday night as he takes on Armenia’s Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) of Glendale, California at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

“I’m happy for my next fight. It’s a good fight, not an easy fight. This is boxing nobody knows, one punch can change the fight,” Gennady Golovkin told Fightnews.com®. “I wanted this fight. I believe in my style, power, I believe I will win.” Continue reading “Golovkin: My focus is Vanes”

By Miguel Maravilla

Glendale’s Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) by way of Armenia will have the biggest fight of his career when he takes on undefeated undisputed middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), of Karaganda, Kazakhstan this Saturday at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

Here’s what Vanes had to say about his shot at GGG.

“I’m happy to get this opportunity. I will make the most of it and leave it all in the ring. I will show my Armenian Power,” Martirosyan told Fightnews.com®. “You’re all thinking he’s fighting a giant but that’s what I want. I plan on going at him the way he comes at people. He will come at me and I will come at him!” Continue reading “Vanes: It will be intense”

Miguel Cotto Promotions hosted a press conference earlier today to announce World Boxing Organization Light Flyweight World Champion Tito Acosta (17-1, 17 KOs) will make his first title defense at home on June 16 against WBO #12 Nicaraguan challenger Carlos “Chocorroncito” Buitrago (30-3-1, 17 KOs) in the “La Batalla” 12-round main event, airing on pay-per-view, live from the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Center in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.

Integrated Sports Media will distribute the La Batalla: Acosta vs. Buitrago card in the United States on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view for a suggested retail price of $34.95.

An inspired Manny Pacquiao started training in hopes of winning an unprecedented 11th world title against WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina at the Wild Card gym in General Santos City, Philippines. After building enough stamina from his cardio workouts earlier in the week, Pacquiao reunited with long-time friends and trainers Buboy Fernandez and Raides “Nonoy” Neri and started slow, doing his regular gym drills and plotting pre-fight strategies.

The Pacquiao Vs Matthysse fight dubbed “Fight of Champions,” is two and a half months away and is set at the glitzy Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on July 14, US time. “I am excited to return to the ring once again and face a dangerous champion in a difficult and challenging fight,” said Pacquiao, the only eight-weight division champion in boxing. Continue reading “Pacquiao Opens Training Camp”

Undefeated welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. will defend his IBF world title in a Dallas homecoming Saturday, June 16 live on SHOWTIME at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco against unbeaten mandatory challenger Carlos Ocampo. It will be the first boxing event inside Ford Center and Spence’s first hometown fight as world champion. Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Man Down Promotions, go on sale Friday.

Errol Spence: “I believe that I’m the number one fighter in the welterweight division and I’ll step into the ring on June 16 with that feeling. I’m going to draw from the energy of my fans. I’ve studied some of Ocampo and I can tell he likes to box but he’s willing to get into a fight. I know how he feels going into someone else’s hometown for his first shot at the title. This is his big opportunity and it’s going to make this a great event.”

Carlos Ocampo: “I’m training very hard for my fight against Errol Spence Jr. This is the opportunity that I’ve worked my whole life to get and I’m coming to take Spence’s belt on June 16. I will give the fans a very exciting fight and show once again what Mexican fighters are made of.”