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It wasn’t long ago that Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez was considered by many to be the pound-for-pound best fighter in boxing. On Saturday, after a couple of hard years, Gonzalez (48-2, 40 KOs) seeks to get back to the top when he takes on Khalid Yafai (26-0, 15 KOs) for the World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight world title at the Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco, Texas. This will be the sixth defense for Yafai, who is a slight -135 favorite to retain his black and gold WBA belt.

Former two-time heavyweight champion of the world Shannon Briggs(60-6-1, 53 KOs) was a special guest of the Brooklyn Nets Monday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Briggs, who now resides in South Florida was born and raised in Brooklyn was in town visiting. He was joined courtside by local favorite heavyweight unbeaten contender Adam Kownacki. A highlight reel of Briggs’ best Knockouts were shown on the Jumbotron. Continue reading “Briggs honored at NBA game”

Top Rank has signed WBO #2 light heavyweight Umar Salamov (25-1, 19 KOs) to a multi-fight promotional agreement. From Grozny, Russia, the 25-year-old is trained and managed by Kevin Barry and is scheduled to return on an ESPN platform this summer. He trains with Barry at the Team Barry Gym in Henderson, Nevada, and has his sights set on the WBO world title, last held by Canelo Alvarez, who vacated the title shortly after dethroning Sergey Kovalev last November.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Newly crowned WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury should retire after defeating Deontay Wilder in seven rounds at the MGM Casino in Las Vegas according to his father John. “I just want my son to retire now,” John Fury told Good Morning Britain. “He’s done enough. It’s been an uphill battle for him. I think it’s in the back of his mind. He can’t do any more. He’s won every professional title. Enough is enough. There’s more to life now. He’s given it his all. He’s got no more to prove!”

5:1 underdog Jessie Vargas (29-2-2 11 KOs) says he is coming into the prime of his career as he prepares to face Mikey Garcia (39-1 30 KOs) for the WBC Diamond welterweight title at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on DAZN Saturday. Vargas has held world titles at 140 and 147 pounds, while Garcia has belts at 126, 130, 135 and 140 pounds.

“I definitely feel that I am in my prime now,” said Vargas. “I feel good, solid, very experienced. I’ve gained plenty of knowledge throughout the years, and I think that I am in the best time in my career because of all that experience. Experience is what really makes a fighter. Sometimes in a big fight, a lack of experience can affect you, but I am not in that position, I’m good and everything is good on my side. Continue reading “Jessie Vargas: It’s my time to shine”

Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has reportedly confirmed he will “definitely” exercise his rematch clause for a second rematch with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The Bronze Bomber also blamed the heavy 40+ pound outfit he wore during his lengthy ringwalk for taking away his legs during his loss to Fury.

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IBF #15-ranked Otto Wallin (20-1, 13 KOs), who chopped up Fury to the tune of 47 stitches last September, says he wants another shot at The Gypsy King. “I want a rematch and this time I will finish what I started,” proclaimed Wallin who lost by unanimous decision to Fury in that fight.
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Las Vegas sportsbooks cleaned up with Fury’s win. According to lvrj.com, MGM Resorts had one of its biggest boxing wins of the past decade, as did the Mirage whose sportsbook director Jeff Stoneback told the paper “We took two bets to win $100,000 on Wilder and lots of five-figure bets. The public was all in on Wilder.”

More trouble for former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. The Krusher was arrested on a DUI charge in Los Angeles early Monday morning according to TMZ. He was released a few hours later.

Kovalev is already facing a felony assault charge for allegedly punching a woman in the face in June 2018. He pleaded not guilty and that case is still pending.

Welterweight Jessie Vargas looks like he has some size on Mikey Garcia during Monday’s faceoff at the Star in Frisco, Texas. They collide Saturday.

There are already odds on Fury-Wilder 3 and Fury-Joshua fights.

Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3
Tyson Fury -220
Deontay Wilder +180

Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
Tyson Fury -150
Anthony Joshua +130

Tyson Fury to fight Anthony Joshua in 2020
Yes +200
No -260

Odds courtesy of BetOnline.ag.

Super bantamweight Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (18-3, 15 KOs) has extended his promotional agreement with Golden Boy ahead of his 12-round fight against Jose Sanmartin (30-5-1, 20 KOs) of Barranquilla, Colombia for the vacant WBA interim world championship. The fight will take place on the undercard of Ortiz Jr. vs. Vargas on Saturday, March 28 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, California and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

By Marco Bratusch

The second purse bid in a few week span concerning the super-middleweight division took place today at the EBU offices in Rome, Italy. Germany’s Agon Sports slightly outbid Italy’s BBT Promotion by few thousand Euros earning the right to stage the vacant European 168-lb title between old rivals and now European co-challengers Tyron Zeuge, aged 27, and Giovanni De Carolis, aged 35. Official offers were 96,233 Euros and 90,110 Euros respectively. The fight is expected to take place in May, with Zeuge no longer taking part of Agon Sports’ boxing event scheduled for March 21st in Wuppertall. Continue reading “EBU purse bid and update”

“We’d be clowns, we’d be idiots if we didn’t make this fight,” Eddie Hearn, promoter of WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, told Sky Sports about a potential all-British unification showdown between Joshua and WBC champion Tyson Fury.

“I promise you this fight will happen. If we have to fight (Kubrat) Pulev, we’ve got to beat Pulev, and if he has to fight Wilder, he’s got to beat Wilder again. Both of those things will happen. Fury will beat Wilder again and Joshua will knock Pulev clean out, despite Bob Arum telling us very differently…you will get this fight. We will do everything that it takes to make this fight.”

Last Friday at the Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russian heavyweight Apti Davtaev (20-0-1, 19 KOs) remained undefeated with a two-round demolition of formerly undefeated John Napari (21-1, 15 KOs) of Accra, Ghana. Davtaev dropped Napari twice with counter right hands, the second time for good in round two.

The 6’5 Davtaev has been steadily improving under the tutelage of SugarHill Steward at Kronk Gym in Detroit. Steward also trains WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Following the order from Regione Lombardia on February 23 that dictates the suspension of any demonstration, event and any gathering in public or private places – of any kind of nature, either religious, sports, cultural or others – until March 1st, the Milano Boxing Night featuring  super middleweights Daniele Scardina against Andrew Francillette that was scheduled for Friday (February 28) is unfortunately postponed to a future date that will be communicated as soon as possible. Tickets sold for the event on February 28th will be considered valid for the rescheduled date.

The biggest fight card of the week takes place on DAZN Saturday night from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, when Mikey Garcia (39-1, 30 KOs) takes on Jessie Vargas (29-2-2, 11 KOs) in a welterweight matchup. Garcia is returning after just about a one year layoff following his first career loss to Errol Spence.

The card also features former pound-for-pound king and four weight champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (48-2, 40 KOs) challenging WBA super flyweight champion Kal Yafai (26-0, 15 KOs), the first defense of WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez (15-1, 12 KOs) against unbeaten Euro beltholder Jay Harris (17-0, 9 KOs), and a WBA eliminator for the #2 position at super welterweight between Israil Madrimov (4-0, 4 KOs) and Charlie Navarro (29-9, 22 KOs).

A scheduled bout featuring former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev (26-1, 19 KOs) making his heavyweight debut was scrapped when Gassiev pulled out citing training camp issues.

By Miguel Maravilla
Photos: Sumio Yamada

No one expected Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury to beat up WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder the way he did before 15,816 in attendance and a PPV audience on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

According to CompuBox, Fury out threw Wilder 267 to 141 and out landed him 82 to 34, including big fifth and sixth rounds where he landed 16 and 14 power punches respectively. In round seven, Fury had Wilder cornered and unloaded with a series of power punches that prompted Wilder’s corner to stop the bout, which the referee officially did at 1:39 of the round.

Photo Gallery

By Miguel Maravilla

Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder did not attend the post-fight press conference as he went to the hospital following his fight with Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Wilder’s trainer Jay Deas and manager Shelly Finkel were present.

“Mark (Breland) threw in the towel. I don’t think he should have. Deontay is the kind of guy that doesn’t want to quit,” said Deas. “I haven’t talked to Mark about it but we will talk about it. Deontay is doing well. He had a small cut in his ear. It probably messed up his equilibrium. He’ll be back.”

With the defeat, Wilder has 30 days to exercise his rematch clause. “Deontay will be back and you will see these guys in a rematch,” Finkel promised. Stay tuned…

By Miguel Maravilla

Following his spectacular victory, newly crowned WBC heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) talked about his win over Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) at the post-fight press conference Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“A big shout out to everyone who believed in me. Bob Arum, we always had the dream to come to Las Vegas and win that belt,” Fury said. “I just had to overcome a lot to win this fight tonight.”

“Tyson Fury executed the game plan to perfection and he knocked out Wilder in the seventh. It was all laid out and that’s what he was going to do,” Fury’s promoter Bob Arum said in his opening statement. “This ranks up there with Muhammad Ali’s fights and George Foreman winning the title over Michael Moore. Now Top Rank has another heavyweight champion. I feel great. This is the second most memorable moment for me.” Continue reading “Tyson Fury: Tonight was my night”

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

In their much anticipated rematch, former champion Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) dominated and stopped WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) in brutal fashion on Saturday night inside the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Fury took the fight to Wilder in the first two rounds, then dropped him in round three. Wilder survived the round! Fury continued to punish Wilder in round four as Wilder bled from the ear and lip. Fury dropped Wilder again in round five with a body shot, but Fury was deducted a point at the end of the round. Fury battered Wilder again in the sixth round. Wilder’s corner finally threw in the towel in round seven. Tyson Fury wins the WBC heavyweight title.

Wilder has 30 days to trigger the rematch clause if he wants to make it a trilogy. No guarantee that he does after this beatdown. Continue reading “Fury crushes Wilder to win WBC heavyweight title”

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

Former heavyweight world champion Charles Martin (28-2-1, 24 KOs) scored a sixth round knockout over former world title challenger Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington (20-4-1, 13 KOs) in an IBF title eliminator on Saturday night inside the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Martin and Washington got off to a fast start as they exchanged to close round one. The southpaw Martin shot the straight left into Washington’s mid section in the third as Washington stalked. In round three both fighters kept their distance as Martin pressed and Washington stuck out the jab. The fourth round was slow paced with Washington and Martin measuring with their jabs but late in the round Martin rallied as he landed a flush straight left to close.

The straight left landed once again for Martin as he connected Washington multiple times with it in the fifth. A straight left found its mark for the last time as Martin sent Washington to the canvas. Washington got up but could not continue as he was dazed. Referee Tony Weeks waved it off at 1:57 of the sixth.