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Three belts and light heavyweight supremacy will be at stake when WBC/IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) meets WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22 KOs) in a highly anticipated unification showdown on June 18 in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Beterbiev, boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout rate, hopes to pick up another strap against “Cinderella Man” Smith, a Long Island native who grew up about 70 miles from Madison Square Garden.

Artur Beterbiev: “I look forward to the challenge ahead of me. Joe Smith Jr. is a worthy champion, but I am coming to Madison Square Garden to add another world title to my collection. This fight will get me one step closer to becoming undisputed champion.”

Joe Smith Jr: “I am extremely excited and focused on this task I have ahead. Facing Beterbiev is huge. It is going to be a fight that fans remember forever, with two of the biggest punchers in boxing today facing off. This opportunity is a dream of mine to accomplish. Fighting with three titles on the line is one step closer to becoming undisputed.” Continue reading “Beterbiev-Smith confirmed for June 18”

By Ron Jackson

Prince Dlomo from Mzimhlophe in Soweto defends his South African junior welterweight title against Xolani Mcotheli of the Eastern Cape on Sunday afternoon in a return match at the Booysens Gym in Johannesburg. Mcotheli (19-6, 12 KOs) lost the title to the 32-year-old Dlomo (14-11-1, 5 KOs) in March last year.

Dlomo has since made a successful defense of the title on a split 12 round points decision against Siseko Makeni in September last year. He then travelled to Russia and lost to Yauheni Dayhaliaves (6-0) on a unanimous ten round point’s decision. Continue reading “Prince Dlomo to defend SA title”

Newly crowned WBA “regular” welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis claims Conor Benn is being protected from facing him and he has laughed off claims a fight between them would not sell many tickets. Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn called Stanionis a “really good fighter” but said he had “zero profile” and they would only sell 5,000 tickets for that contest at a venue in London.

Stanionis, Lithuania’s first ever professional world champion, has responded to those claims by saying: “I heard what Eddie Hearn said. They don’t want the fight and that’s why he said that nobody knows me. I just laughed when I heard it, but he is just protecting his guy, it’s his job. He is promoting a guy for the future, and he knows it would be a very tough fight with me.

“But I was just laughing because there is a big, big community of Lithuanians in England and many people would fly over from my home country for that fight too, so we would sell a lot more than 5,000 tickets. Continue reading “Stanionis targets Benn, Spence”

Puerto Rican world champion Jonathan “La Bomba” Gonzalez (25-3-1, 14 KOs) is set to make the first defense of his WBO junior light flyweight title against Filipino Olympian and former title challenger Mark Anthony “Baby Boy” Barriga (11-1, 2 KOs) in a 12-round main event on Friday, June 24.

The fight, which is presented in association with Tuto Zabala Jr.’s All Star Boxing, Inc., will take place at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida and headlines a night of action that will be streamed globally on ProBox TV.

Ticket and undercard information for the event will be announced shortly. Continue reading “Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez to defend June 24”

By Miguel Maravilla

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The WBO has stipped WBO bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero and elevated interim champion Paul Butler to full champion. Casimero will be rated #1. Here’s what went down:

l. The Committee unanimously recommended to the WBO Executive Committee to strip John Riel Casimero’s WBO world bantamweight championship title for failure to comply with the conditions set forth in its “resolution.”

2. The WBO Executive Committee unanimously voted in favor of adopting the WBO Championship Committee’s recommendation and therefore declared the WBO bantamweight championship title “vacant.”

3. WBO interim bantamweight champion Paul Butler is elevated from interim champion to “full champion status.”

4. The WBO World Championship Committee recommends to the WBO Ratings Committee that John Riel Casimero be rated at the number one (1) position in the WBO bantamweight ratings and subject to complying with the applicable rating criteria.

Evan “Yung Holy” Holyfield (9-0, 6 KOs) from Atlanta GA and son of five-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, is preparing for his May 14 fight at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. TrillerVerz 5 will be streamed live on Triller and Fite.tv.

Evan is training in Colorado Springs. It’s the first time in his career doing high-altitude training and has been there for over a month.

“It’s my first time training in Colorado Springs,” said Holyfield. “It’s fun being around the people that I am around – my trainers Mike Stafford and Bert Wells and fighters Adrian Broner and Rau’shee Warren.

“You’d think Broner would be a loud-mouth, but he’s kind of funny and a real hard worker.” Continue reading “Evan Holyfield poised for Triller debut”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Former world title contender Charles “The Future” Hatley (30-2-1, 21 KOs) returns to the ring on Saturday May 14 at the Bomb Factory in his hometown of Dallas against Jamshidbek Najmitdinov (18-2, 14 KOs). Hatley opens up about his career that included a big win against Anthony Mundine in Australia for the WBC Silver Belt and the devastating loss to junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo in his very next fight. Hatley also shared what signing with Don King did to his career plus thoughts on the potential “super fight” between Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and Terence “Bud” Crawford and much more in this Fightnews.com® exclusive interview.

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Light heavyweight Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez (43-0, 29 KOs) of Mazatlán, Mexico, and former WBA interim light heavyweight champion Dominic Boesel (32-2, 12 KOs) of Freyburg, Germany hosted a media conference call on Tuesday to talk about their May 14 clash at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA, which will stream live exclusively on DAZN. Their scheduled 12-round light heavyweight fight will pit the WBA #1 ranked, Boesel against the #2 WBA ranked Ramirez in a WBA light heavyweight final title eliminator.

Zurdo Ramirez: “I am looking for an early knockout…I have to knock out other fighters and put on a good show to get the big fights and get a chance at the champions. I have to knock out all these guys to show that I am ready for big challenges and big opportunities.”

Dominic Boesel: “I am tall. I have distance, and I am able to read my opponent. I can change my style when needed, and I feel that with my boxing skills, I can defeat Ramirez.”

More Quotes

“I do believe that I won the first fight. It might have been by a small margin, but I won it. This time, we’re going to try everything to make sure we don’t leave the fight in the hands of the judges.”

WBO junior middleweight champion Brian Castaño held a Los Angeles media workout on Tuesday as he prepares to face unified WBC, WBA, and IBF world champion Jermell Charlo in a rematch as they each seek undisputed status at 154-pounds once again on Saturday, May 14 live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

The Charlo vs. Castaño rematch will come nine months after they fought to a split draw.  Here is what Castaño, along with his father and trainer Carlos Castaño, had to say Tuesday from Knockouts Boxing Gym.  Continue reading “Brian Castano workout quotes”

By Boxing Bob Newman

Sad to report the loss of an unheralded boxing luminary. Bob Miller passed away last Friday, April 29 at the VA hospital in Syracuse, NY. Many who consider themselves boxing aficionados might find themselves scratching their heads, asking themselves, “Who’s Bob Miller?”

In boxing circles, especially in the North-East corner of North America, Bob Miller was “Mr. Boxing.”
Living in New York state’s capital region, just outside of Albany, Miller owned Uncle Sam’s Boxing Club and devoted his life to improving all aspects the sport. A father of six children, his two sons Shannon and Shawn Miller both donned the gloves in the pro ranks and shared a solid following in the Upstate, New York area. Shannon engaged in ESPN’s Fight of the Year against Vinnie Maddalone in 2005. Continue reading “Boxing Mourns the Loss of Bob Miller”

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol pose after their grand arrivals at the MGM Grand. The two will fight at the T-Moblie Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with the undefeated, rising lightweight star Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (5-0, 5 KOs) who continues his road to a world title against Jose Zaragoza on Thursday, May 12 at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, CA. Mercado discussed his start in boxing at 4 years old, the struggles his dad went through and overcame, a potential matchup with Keyshawn Davis to go to the 2020 Olympics that never materialized and sharing the ring with the legendary Nicaraguan “Chocolatito” and much more in this exclusive interview.

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By Mauricio Sulaimán, son of Jose Sulaimán
WBC President

Women’s boxing was banned and illegal in many countries, including Mexico, so some intrepid women, through their love of boxing, their passion and their unstoppable determination, dedicated many years of their lives to gain acceptance in a sport traditionally geared for men only.

It was unthinkable to see a lady in a ring swapping blows. Many heroic women got to work and paid the price to earn their stripes, they are legends who tried in their own countries to have women boxing succeed: In the USA, Laila Ali, Christy Martin, Mia St John; in Mexico, Laura Serrano, Ana Maria Torres, Mariana “Barbie” Juarez, and a few others were those warriors who suffered all kinds of discrimination and abuse in boxing gyms which were not equipped to receive women, without bathrooms, and forcing them to spar against men. Some got to other countries, who have their own icons on women’s boxing.

It took a lot of courage and a lot of administrative work to get the law changed. That’s what happened in Ireland, too, and Katie Taylor became a heroine who brought change. And so it happened in many countries and continues to happen.

We can proudly confirm that women’s boxing is a reality and the World Boxing Council has been the foundation to achieve what is today a solid platform, so very different from what it was just 20 years ago. Continue reading “The Power of Women”

“The Welsh Wizard” Joe Cordina (14-0, 8 KOs) will challenge Kenichi Ogawa (26-1-1, 18 KOs) for his IBF super featherweight world title at the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff on Saturday June 4, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Australia and New Zealand, as usual).

Cordina (14-0, 8 KOs) is a former British and Commonwealth champion at lightweight who dropped down in weight to super featherweight. Ogawa defeated Azinga Fuzile for the vacant IBF belt in a wide points decision last November, dropping Fuzile twice.

Two-time Olympian and 2020 gold medalist Bakhodir “Big Uzbek” Jalolov (10-0, 10 KOs) will face “Big” Jack Mulowayi (11-2-1, 7 KOs)  in an eight-round heavyweight bout on June 10 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. This marks the first time an Olympic heavyweight gold medalist has appeared on Showtime’s ShoBox series. The quadrupleheader will help kick off the International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in nearby Canastota, N.Y.

The co-feature matches Joel Diaz-trained heavyweight Elvis Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs) against Alante “Bam Bam” Green (10-0-1, 7 KOs). Also heavyweight Iegor Plevako (7-0, 4 KOs) takes on SugarHill Steward-trained Kolbeinn Kristinsson (12-0, 6 KOs), and in the telecast opener, lightweight Tyler “Short Fuse” Tomlin (13-0, 9 KOs) squares off against Chann Thonson (10-0, 7 KOs).

All four bouts are eight-rounders and seven of the eight fighters are undefeated.

Star Boxing launches its new “Borough Boxing” series on Saturday at St. John’s University’s Carnesecca Arena in Queens, New York. The main event will feature welterweight Danny “El Gallo” Gonzalez (20-3-1, 7 KOs) against Paulo Galdino (11-5, 8 KOs). In the co-feature, former two-time female champion Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea (29-2-1, 13 KOs) meets Calista “Cali” Silgado (19-13-3, 14 KOs). Both bouts are eight-rounders. No details on TV or streaming as of yet.

A 10-round heavyweight main event has been added to the May 26 Detroit Brawl event with WBC #11-rated heavyweight Otto Wallin (23-1, 14 KOs) of Sweden facing Detroit’s Rydell Booker (26-5-1, 13 KOs) in the Lincoln Ballroom of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

Wallin hails from Sundsvall, Sweden. The 31-year-old Wallin captured headlines in 2019 when he came extremely close to scoring a monumental stoppage upset over Tyson Fury, in a bout that left Fury with 47 stitches. Wallin now lives and trains in New York under the tutelage of popular former two-division champion Joey Gamache at Mendez Boxing in Manhattan. Continue reading “Otto Wallin returns May 26”

By Ron Jackson

Mandatory challenger John Bopape won the South African middleweight title when he knocked out defending champion Nkululeko Mhlongo in the eleventh round last Friday night at Dr Molemela Indoor Sports Centre in Mangaung, Bloemfontein.

The 40-year-old Mhlongo (23-10-1, 18 KOs) was never in the fight and badly punished throughout. His corner could have stopped the fight as early as round five with this gutsy fighter never giving up but being badly punished. Bopape (11-8, 10 KOs) dropped the champion with a big right hand to the side of his head early in round eleven. He managed to beat the count, but two big shots sent Mhlongo down and out. This must be the end for this warrior who also held the South African junior middleweight title at one time.

Cruiserweight Richard Riakporhe (14-0, 10 KOs) will take on Fabio Turchi (20-1, 14 KOs) in an IBF eliminator at the OVO Arena in London on Saturday, June 11, live and exclusive on Sky Sports.

Richard Riakporhe: “I’m ready to continue my assault on the cruiserweight division. The Midnight Train is on an unstoppable roll and Turchi is the next man tied to the tracks in front of me. He’s a good boxer and I’m expecting a tough fight but nothing I can’t handle. I’m coming out of this one with the win and stepping up into world title contention.”

Fabio Turchi: “I am very happy to have this opportunity. Since I was a kid I always dreamed of fighting at the international level and in an important venue like this. I’m dedicating my body and soul to get into the best shape and have a great match against Riakporhe who I think is an excellent boxer.”

Continue reading “Riakporhe-Turchi set for June 11”

Former WBA World super middleweight champion Giovanni De Carolis (30-10-1, 14 KOs) talks about his May 13 showdown with Daniele Scardina (20-0, 16 KOs) at Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy. The bout can be seen on DAZN.

Last week Scardina said that he feels confident to win because he had a great training camp, he even sparred with Gennady Golovkin.

Giovanni, what do you answer to Daniele Scardina?

“That I am in top shape and confident to win too. It’s normal that every fighter is confident to twin. I also had a great training camp. Besides training at my gym in Monterosi and at coach Italo Mattioli’s gym in Rome, I also trained in England. I went to Portsmouth at Michael Bellinghall’s gym where I sparred with two undefeated pros: welterweight Michael McKinson (22-0) and middleweight Aaron Sutton (13-0). Then I trained at Matchroom Gym in Essex. Both experiences were useful to me. Now I am back in the Lazio region. Next week I will go to Milan for the press conference.” Continue reading “De Carolis responds to Scardina”

Queensberry Promotions has officially postponed the May 21 clash between Demetrius Andrade and Zach Parker:

Queensberry Promotions have today been informed that Demetrius Andrade has sustained a shoulder injury which has forced him to withdraw from his scheduled interim WBO world super middleweight title tight with Zach Parker at Pride Park, Derby on May 21.

It is with great regret that the decision has been made to postpone the event until the extent of the injury is fully established. A further update will he released in the coming days with a revised fight date and information for ticket buyers.

Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev (34-4, 29 KOs), living in Long Beach, CA, will fight Tervel Pulev in his cruiserweight debut on Saturday, May 14 at The Forum in Inglewood, CA and will be streamed live on Triller and Fite.tv.

Sergey is being trained by Buddy McGirt and his strength and conditioning coach is Teddy Cruz. They are the duo that reinvented Arturo Gatti.

“Buddy was a real smart boxer and a real smart trainer and coach. Sometimes a good boxer can’t be a good coach and sometimes a coach wasn’t a good boxer. But Buddy has it both ways – good boxer and good coach. He does what he needs to do to get me prepared the best for the fight. Buddy gives me tactics and sound techniques and strategy. Together we are working towards getting another world title, this time in the cruiserweight division and become champion for the fourth time.” Continue reading “Kovalev gearing up for May 14 return”

Bantamweight Christian Carto (19-1, 13 KOs) thrilled the crowd at the 2300 Arena, as he stopped Ernesto Sebastian Franzolini (14-13-2, 1 KO) in front of a capacity crowd at the famed Philadelphia fight venue. Carto dropped Franzolini with a hard body shot. He finished Franzolini off with a hard combination and the bout was stopped at 2:31. The show was promoted by King’s Promotions.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

UK promoter Eddie Hearn has signed several Australian boxing stars including IBF #10 heavyweight Demsey McKean, WBO #1 super lightweight Liam Paro and IBF female bantamweight champion Ebanie Bridges, but the fight he wants to make happen is rugby legends Sonny Bill Williams versus Paul Gallen, which is predicted would break Australian pay per view records

“The fight is to make Sonny Bill against Paul Gallen, that’s the fight for Down Under,” Hearn said. “If that fight can’t get made, then maybe the Jake Paul fight is one we can have some fun with.”