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By Miguel Maravilla and Rocky Morales at ringside

Welterweight Alexis “Lex” Rocha (19-1, 13 KOs) battered and stopped previously unbeaten Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs) in round nine on Saturday night at the USA Gelen Center in downtown Los Angeles. Rocha broke down Cobbs, dropping him in round eight and getting a referee’s stoppage in round nine.

Cobbs came out jabbing and circling as Rocha stalked and popped the jab to begin the fight. Rocha appeared to be on the receiving end of a clash as his right eye began to swell. In round two, Rocha connected with straight lefts followed by short rights as Cobbs popping the jab was on the receiving end of those snapping punches. The short right hand kept landing for Rocha and he continued to back Cobbs in the third, but Cobbs began to get some rhythm. The pressure continued from Rocha, and he kept landing as Cobbs circled.

Rocha staggered Cobbs in the fifth round with a left and stood on top of him attacking patiently, Cobbs managed to survive. In the sixth, Rocha attacked as Cobbs bounced around and was on the receiving end of Rocha’s punches. Continuing to stay on top of Cobbs in the seventh, Rocha pressured as Cobbs began letting his hands go connecting effectively. A right hand in the eighth by Rocha dropped Cobbs. Rocha remained poised stalking and closed the round cornering, Cobbs.

Rocha continued where he left off backing up Cobbs and finishing him in the ninth as the referee stepped in to stop the fight at 44 seconds. Continue reading “Whoooooo! Rocha TKOs Cobbs in 9”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Fightnews.com® spoke to former world champion Billy Dib in the hospital where he is being treated for three broken ribs suffered in his DQ win over Jacob Ng.

“I am in hospital. I dislodged my right rib cage and fractured three of my ribs,” said Dib. “They are hairline fractures. I felt like I was coming over the top of Jacob Ng in our fight. He was getting frustrated with the fact he couldn’t land his shots. He didn’t have any power. I was the one in charge up to when he fouled me. I will have to wait to see how this heals but I am in a lot of pain at the moment. Hopefully, when it heals I will be able to evaluate everything.”

EBU European welterweight champion David Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs) destroyed previously unbeaten Oskari Metz (15-1, 5 KOs) in the first round on Saturday night at Wembley Arena in London. Avanesyan, rated WBC #2, WBA #7, WBO #7, IBF #8, dropped Metz, then finished him off. Time was 2:00.

Almost two years in the making and over five years of bitter rivalry, Game of Thrones star Thor “The Mountain” Bjornsson scored a six round unanimous decision over Eddie Hall on Saturday night at the Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai, UAE. Hall smashed Thor into the ropes for a knockdown in round two. Hall was cut over both eyes going into round three. Thor dropped Hall at the end of round three. Thor, who had three previous fights, outboxed Hall after that and dropped him again in round six. Scores were 57-54 3x.

Billed as ‘The Heaviest Boxing Match in History,’ Bjornsson (335lbs) and Hall (313) didn’t come close to the 2007 bout between Eric “Butterbean” Esch (417.5) and Joe Siciliano (313.5).

They fought for six, three-minute rounds under professional boxing rules.

After the fight, the 33-year-old Bjornsson stated he’s enjoying the sport and is open to more fights, including a rematch with Hall.

Heavyweight David “White Rhino” Allen (20-5-2, 17 KOs) destroyed 38-year-old Milen Paunov (5-9, 4 KOs) in two rounds on Saturday night at the Hilton Hotel in Newcastle, England. Allen battered Paunov to the canvas at 1:33 of round two.

Allen admitted after the fight that he’s not yet ready for a fight with Alen Babic. He expects to return to the ring in two weeks.

Unbeaten IBF flyweight champion Sunny Edwards (18-0, 4 KOs) outpointed Muhammad Waseem (12-2, 8 KOs) over twelve rounds on Saturday night at the Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai, UAE. Scores were 115-111n, 116-110, 115-111. Waseem had two points deducted in rounds six and seven.

“There was a lot on the line tonight but I didn’t want to just run, run, run, I wanted to mix it up and I felt I won comfortably in the end,” said Edwards afterward.

In a WBC super lightweight eliminator, former world champion Regis Prograis (27-1, 23 KOs) stopped Tyrone McKenna (22-3-1, 6 KOs) in round six. Progress dropped McKenna in round two and punished him until the but was halted at 1:40 of the sixth.

“He’s a tough man, I knew he was going to be tough and when I knocked him down, I knew he was going to get up,” Prograis said. “But I stayed calm. He kept pushing forward and so I had to change my game plan and box more. I’ve been world champion before and I will be world champion again.”

Former world champion TJ Doheny (23-3, 17 KOs) scored a second round TKO over Cesar “Corazon” Juarez (27-11, 20 KOs). Quick stoppage.

Former world champion Billy Dib (48-6, 27 KOs) won by sixth round disqualification against previously unbeaten WBA #6 lightweight Jacob Ng (15-1, 11 KOs) on Saturday night at The Star Gold Coast in Broadbeach, Australia. With both fighters in a clinch, Ng body slammed Dib in round six. Dib stayed down and couldn’t continue, getting the win by DQ. Tough fight before that point.

By Joe Koizumi

Former champ Kenshiro Teraji (19-1, 11 KOs), 107.5, Japan, impressively regained the WBC light-flyweight belt as he exploded a smashing right to defending titlist Masamichi Yabuki (13-4, 12 KOs), 107.75, and finished him for the count at 1:11 of the third round on Saturday in Kyoto, Japan. Kenshiro took the initiative from the outset and kept stalking the stiff and nervous champ all the way. A well-timed right to the face was the haymaker that made Teraji avenge his previous TKO defeat and forfeiture of the belt last September.

(More to come)

Regis Prograis has warned Tyrone McKenna to be careful what you wish for after his Irish rival said he wants a ‘war in the trenches’ tonight. The super lightweights clash in a high stakes WBC title final eliminator at Probellum Evolution in Dubai.

There is no love lost between American star Prograis and McKenna and the pair clashed once again when they faced off to record Fighting Words. Continue reading “Fighting Words: Prograis vs McKenna”

Unbeaten WBA #6 super bantamweight Oleh “Ukrainian Pitbull” Dovhun (14-0, 5 KOs) scored a ten round split decision over Geram Eloyan (7-3, 6 KOs) on Friday night at the Huntington Hilton in Melville, New York. Dovhun was busier and prevailed 96-94, 97-93 on two cards. The harder-punching Eloyan was ahead 96-94 on the third card.

Super welterweight Tyrone “Pretty Boy” James (12-0, 9 KOs) scored a sudden fourth round TKO over Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (18-7-2, 6 KOs). James staggered Williams and the bout was quickly waved off. Time was 2:34.

Light heavyweight Kamron Humphrey (1-2-1, 1 KOs) scored his first win via second round TKO over Louis Maietta (1-1-1, 0 KOs). Time was 1:32.

Middleweight Isaah Flaherty (4-0, 1 KO) outpointed Angelo Thompson (0-2) over four rounds. Scores were 40-36, 39-37, 40-36.

Middleweight Wendy “Haitian Fire” Toussaint (13-1, 6 KOs) scored a first round KO over Travis Gambardella (7-2-2, 3 KOs). A barrage of Toussaint punches dropped Gambardella and the bout was waved off. Time was 1:48.

José Zepeda 140 vs. Francisco Verdugo 140
Carlos Sánchez 140.9 vs. Pedro Campa 140.9
Israel Rodríguez 121.9 vs. Jesús Riegos 121.3

Venue: Gimnasio “Josué Neri Santos,” Ciudad Juárez, Chih., Mx
Promotor: Zanfer, 2M Promotions
TV: Azteca 7 (Mexico)

Brandon Brewer 159.6 vs. Antonio Napolitano159.2
(WBC USNBC middleweight title)

Ryan Rozicki 202 vs. German Garcia Montes 206.8
Jake Daoust 167.8 vs. Mikhail Miller 167.2
Carolyn Redmond 153.1 vs. Christina Barry 152.9
John Michael Bianco 167.7 vs. Hector Hurtado 166.9

Venue: Hamilton Convention Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Promoter: Daniel Otter (Three Lions Promotions)

Alexis Rocha 146.8 vs. Blair Cobbs 145.6
Michael McKinson 146 vs. Alex Martin 147
Bektemir Melikuziev 171.6 vs. David Zegarra 172
Evan Sanchez 149.8 vs. Alejandro Munera 147.6

Venue: USC Galen Center, Los Angeles, California
Promoter: Golden Boy
TV: DAZN

Edgar Berlanga 167.4 vs. Steve Rolls 167.8
Xander Zayas 152.6 vs. Quincy LaVallais 152.6
John Bauza 140.2 vs. Tony Luis 140.8
Jahi Tucker 147.8 vs. Tracey McGruder 147.8
Henry Lebron 130.6 vs. Josec Ruiz 130.4
Bruce Carrington 129.8 vs. Yeuri Andujar 129.6
Armani Almestica 139.2 vs. Luis Valentin Portalatin 140.2
Kelvin Davis 143.6 vs. Phillip Carmouche 144.8

Venue: Madison Square Garden Theater, New York City
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: ESPN, ESPN+

Unbeaten Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov (10-0, 10 KOs) continued his reign of terror with a fifth round KO over Kamil Sokolowski (11-25-2, 4 KOs) on Friday night at the Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 6’7 Jalolov dropped Sokolowski scored a knockdown in round two with a cuffing shot that Sokolowski brushed off. At the beginning of round five, a Jalolov left hand dropped Sokolowski just seconds after the bell. After further punishment, Sokolowski fell to the canvas once more under a barrage of clubbing shots, prompting the referee to step in and bring a halt to the contest. Quick stoppage by the ref prompting complaints from Sokolowski. Time was 1:17.

“I’m ready to compete with the best in the heavyweight division and I am coming for all of the belts, and I know my time is coming,” Jalolov proclaimed after the fight.

WBC #1 super featherweight O’Shaquie Foster (19-2, 11 KOs) scored a twelve round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten WBC #2 Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov (18-1, 10 KOs) in a WBC eliminator. Foster dropped Yaqubov in round twelve to punctuate a 118-109, 117-110, 117-110. Foster retains his WBC silver belt.

Former world title challenger and currently WBA #2 rated super featherweight Jono Carroll (22-2-1, 7 KOs) got a fourth round stoppage against previously unbeaten Patrick Ayi Aryee (21-1-1, 13 KOs). A sustained barrage of unanswered punches prompted the referee to step in at 2:07 of the fourth.

Unbeaten female lightweight Estelle Yoka Mossely (10-0, 1 KO) made history as the first woman to headline a world title boxing card in the Middle East by defending her IBO title via ten round split decision against Yanina Lescano (10-2, 2 KOs). Scores were 97-93, 96-94 Mossley, 96-94 Lescano.

Unbeaten rising star Tim Tszyu held a media workout in Las Vegas Thursday as he nears his much anticipated U.S. debut against U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha taking place Saturday, March 26 live on Showtime from The Armory in Minneapolis.

“I’m coming to fight and I’m coming to win. I’m not here to ‘tip-tap’. If that means going for the knockout, I’ll go for it right away. I’m not here to out-jab someone and win on the scorecards. From the first second when the fight starts, my objective is to take him out. Every second of every round, I’m going to be in front of my opponent’s face. Continue reading “Tszyu: My objective is to take him out”

By Joe Koizumi

WBC light-flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki (13-3, 12 KOs), 29, and former titlist Kenshiro Teraji (18-1, 10 KOs), 30, both made weight at the official weigh-in ceremony on Friday in Kyoto, Japan, as follows:

Yabuki 48.8 kg (the 108-pound limit is 48.9 kg)
Teraji 48.7 kg

Their weight in pounds will be announced tomorrow upon the title bout to take place at Kyoto City Gymnasium.

The local promoter is Shinsei Promotions presided by Masato Yamashita.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former world featherweight champion Billy Dib spoke to Fightnews.com® about his showdown against WBO#5 lightweight Jacob Ng on Saturday and how a win will put him in a position to challenge undisputed IBF, WBA, WBO and WBC franchise champion George “Ferocious” Kambosos

“I had a fantastic camp, I did everything in my power to make sure I left no stone unturned,” said Dib. “Injury-free. I put in some great work with my trainer Billy Hussein. I had some fantastic sparring with Manuer Matet and other tall boxers including my brother Yousef (who holds an amateur victory over Conor Benn). I sparred one hundred and six rounds in total. I have lived clean and healthy for the last fourteen weeks which has made making weight so easy. I woke up this morning (Friday) and I am only 600 grams over the weight. Continue reading “Dib: I will stop Ng and challenge Kambosos”

Sunny Edwards 111.3 vs. Muhammad Waseem 111.7
(IBF flyweight title)

Regis Prograis 138.9 vs. Tyrone McKenna 139.5
(WBC super lightweight eliminator)

Peter McGrail 125 vs. Alexandru Ionita 123
TJ Doheny 126.1 vs. Cesar Juarez 125.9
Hovhannes Bachkov 142.4 vs. Cristian Coria 142.4
Jamie King 202.8 vs. Naveen Verma 198.4
Bander Samreen 135.8 vs. Denis Bartos 134.9
Khalid Ayub 175.4 vs. Annem Sivareddy 176.4
Faizan Anwar TBA vs. Khojiakbov Qodirokhunov TBA
Fahad Al Boushi 131.8 vs. Mohamed Kashinde 132

Venue: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
Promoter: Probellum
TV: fuboTV

Super middleweight Cem Kilic (16-1, 11 KOs) scored a second round KO over Tony Hernandez (6-13-2, 4 KOs) on Thursday night at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, California. Formerly world-rated Kilic dropped journeyman Hernandez at the end of round one and again in round two prompting a referee’s stoppage at 2:51. Kilic is trained by Brian Viloria.

In the main event, southpaw super welterweight Callum Walsh (2-0, 2 KOs) needed just 33 seconds to demolish Gael Ibarra (5-7, 4 KOs). A straight left finished Ibarra. Continue reading “Kilic punishes Hernandez”

Oleh Dovhun 121.2 vs. Geram Eloyan 120.8
Tyrone James 153.4 vs. Jimmy Williams 154
Wendy Toussaint 155 vs. Travis Gambardella 160.8
Louis Maietta 175.4 vs. Kamron Humphrey 175.4
Isaah Flaherty 159.4 vs. Angelo Thompson 154.2

Venue: Huntington Hilton in Melville, New York
Promoter: Star Boxing
TV: FITE+

By Héctor Villarreal

Norbelto “Meneito” Jiménez (30-9-6, 16 Kos) will be back in action in his native Dominican Republic on a card that will be promoted by Shuan Boxing Promotion, the leading boxing company throughout the Caribbean island. The 10-round fight will take place on April 8 at the Fencing Pavilion of the Olympic Center in Santo Domingo against Nicaraguan Keyvin Lara (31-4-1, 11 Kos), who has also fought for a world championship.

On his recent fights, the Dominican superfly has proven his worth as one of the best boxers of his division and a tough contender for any opponent in the world. After fighting to a draw with unbeaten Nigerian Aliu Bamidele Lasisi, in Dubai, Jimenez won a unanimous decisión at home over his countryman Marvin Solano. Then he went back to Dubai to face legendary Filipino Donnie Nietes in a fight which was ruled a draw despite many experts considered “Meneito” the rightful winner. Continue reading “Norbelto “Meneito” Jimenez heads Shuan Boxing mega event”

Olympian and super welterweight contender Terrell Gausha says he’ll be spoiling the stateside debut of unbeaten Tim Tszyu when they square off on March 26 live on Showtime from The Armory in Minneapolis. Training in Los Angeles with Manny Robles and Prenice Brewer, Gausha has been sparring with the likes of Brian Castaño and Vergil Ortiz, and he plans to be ready for anything the aggressive Tszyu brings.

“I expect Tim to try to bring pressure and come forward,” said Gausha. “He’s a one-trick pony. What you see is what you get. He doesn’t do too many things spectacularly, but what he does do well, he does it very well, and that’s bring the pressure. We have something ready for that and we’re going to do our thing no matter what he tries to do.” Continue reading “Gausha: Tszyu a one-trick pony”

Welterweights Alexis Rocha and Blair Cobbs faced off at the final press conference for Saturday night’s clash at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center and will be streamed worldwide on DAZN.

Alexis Rocha: “The fight was presented to him last November and we didn’t fight. It wasn’t my fault. Kerobyan was your only notable win. You’re acting like a clown here and there. Let’s remember Blair. Just like there’s clowns in the circus, there’s also lions and tigers there too. Remember this face. You’re one fight from the commentary booth. You’ll be announcing my fights after this.”

Blair Cobbs: “There was no fight offered to me last November. Am I the kind of person to turn down fights? Does Blair the Flair look like he gives a shit? I don’t think so. I actually wanted that fight in November but we couldn’t make it happen. Finally we made it happen. I did not hesitate to sign this contract. Then we waited for Alexis to sign…when I put these young fighters in the fire with me they seem to not look the same. He’s only been tested one time against Brad Solomon and he almost lost. What happened when Solomon fought me with more than two months of training. We got the job done in the fifth round.”

Unbeaten super middleweight Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) faced off with Steve Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) at the final press conference for their clash on Saturday night at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Edgar Berlanga: “I don’t like to predict nothing. He’s a tough veteran. He went in there with the best. And for me, I’m just looking forward to putting on a show. I’m ready to blow the roof off this place. I’m just ready to explode. It’ll be fireworks like always.”

Steve Rolls: “I have goals. I want to put a world title around my waist, so we both have pressure on us. He’s not the only one with pressure. This is a fight that we both need.”

Xander Zayas (12-0, 9 KOs) takes the co-feature stage in an eight-round junior middleweight bout against Quincy LaVallais (12-2-1, 7 KOs). In the eight-round ESPN-televised opener, junior welterweight John “El Terrible” Bauza (16-0, 7 KOs) steps up in class against Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis (29-4, 10 KOs).

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