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Triller Fight Club has announced a July 16 pay-per-view event headlining former unified heavyweight champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr., (34-2, 22 KOs) and unbeaten Tyrone Spong, (14-0, 13 KOs). The event will take place at the historic Plaza de Toros in Mexico City.

The 32-year-old Ruiz is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Chris Arreola on May 1, 2021, in Carson, CA.

Spong, 36, is a former world champion kickboxer who has been pursuing boxing since 2015. Eleven of his thirteen knockouts have come within the first two rounds.

Additional fights for event will be announced shortly.

Official Statement: Probellum takes the sanctions made by the US Treasury extremely seriously and the business and its employees will be fully compliant with them. We have retained counsel in the US to ensure that we fully comply with all rules, regulations and requirements related to this matter, including not working with any individual or company that has been placed under US sanctions.

This includes Daniel Kinahan and we can confirm that we will not have any business relationship or communication with him whatsoever.

Bob Arum’s comments implying that Top Rank has ceased a business relationship with Probellum are baseless. Top Rank is a competitor and since Probellum’s inception, Top Rank has never worked directly with us. Any suggestions that Daniel Kinahan is a shareholder or owner of Probellum are false and defamatory.

WBC/IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr is a -550 favorite to rip the WBA welterweight belt from the waist of WBA ruler Yordenis Ugas (+400) on Saturday night in Dallas.

Also in the most evenly matched fight on the card is WBA regular welterweight champion Radzhab Butaev faces mandatory challenger Eimantas Stanionis in a virtual pick’em fight. The winner will be in line to fight the Spence-Ugas winner although a clash for undisputed status against WBO champ Terence Crawford may come first.

In other action, lightweight contender Isaac Cruz is a 14:1 favorite over former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, lightweight contender Jose Valenzuela is a 9:1 favorite over Francisco “Bandido” Vargas, welterweight Cody Crowley is a 4:1 favorite over “The Riverside Rocky” Josesito Lopez, and Brandun Lee is a whopping 25:1 pick against Zachary Ochoa.

Butaev-Stanionis and Lee-Ochoa will air on Showtime. The rest of the bouts will be featured on a $74.99 pay-per-view telecast.

By Mauricio Sulaimán
Son of José Sulaimán / President of the WBC

We are living through a golden age of boxing, which will be remembered in 20 years.

Just like now, we don’t forget Mike Tyson, Julio César Chávez, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán and many more legendary boxers, as they gave us unforgettable moments with exciting matches.

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin returned with an impressive victory against a fierce Ryota Murata, who came out to give everything, and had the Kazakh in some trouble during the first five rounds. And he is shaping up for his third fight against today’s top boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, who will first have to fight a tough test on May 7th.

The women once again excelled, raising our sport with tremendous battles. The WBC flyweight champion, Marlen Esparza, won against another fierce fighter, Japanese Naoka Fujioka. A war in which the judges did not do justice, by scoring 100-90, without giving the Asian Sensation a single round. Continue reading “A Weekend to Remember”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Former Japanese feather champ Ryo Sagawa (12-2, 7 KOs), 126, scored an important victory when he exploded a vicious right hand to the face of ex-WBA 122-pound ruler Shun Kubo (15-3, 10 KOs), 125.75, and sink him for the count at 1:03 of the third round in a scheduled eight on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.

They had a complex chain in the background. Kubo captured the WBA super bantam belt from Venezuelan Nehomar Cermeno via TKO route in April 2017, but forfeited his throne to Daniel Roman on a ninth-round stoppage five months later. Roman retained his belt in Japan, unanimously beating Ryo Matsumoto on points in 2018. The world-rated Ryo, in his comeback go, suffered an upset TKO defeat at the hand of unheralded novice Ryo Sagawa in September 2018. The fast-rising Sagawa later won the national feather belt, but recently lost it to another prospect Hinata Maruta by a seventh-round TKO in February of the previous year. Continue reading “Sagawa finishes ex-WBA champ Kubo”

Top Rank has cut ties with MTK Global and Probellum over their alleged association with Daniel Kinahan, whom the U.S. government says heads an transnational crime syndicate. MTK Global is associated with many prominent boxers including WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Probellum, headed by Richard Schaefer, promotes Nonito Donaire and Regis Prograis, among others. ESPN+ is scheduled to air an MTK Fight Night event on Friday. As of now, it’s still on the schedule.

The ESPN+ Pay-Per-View price for the April 23 pay-per-view event headlined by the all-English heavyweight battle between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and WBC interim titleholder Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte will be $69.99. Calling the action will be Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Timothy Bradley (analyst), and Andre Ward (analyst). The desk team will feature analysis from Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna.

The fight will take place in front of a record 94,000 fans, the largest Wembley Stadium has ever hosted and the most fans to witness a boxing event in person since 1993. The Whyte showdown marks Fury’s first bout in London since February 2015.

By Ogi Georgiev

3-time light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, who returns against Tervel Pulev on May 14 Los Angeles, gives his version of the events around his fight with Canelo Alvarez.

“The fight against Canelo, I wasn’t like myself,” said Kovalev. “I was empty of energy because all of 2018 for me was a very intensive year.

“I got the title back from Eleider Alvarez in February 2018, and then the WBO ordered a mandatory defense against Anthony Yarde. This fight was scheduled on June 27 in Russia. I arrived in Russia one month before the fight and then the fight was rescheduled for August 24. This was like a really big kick. I was surprised because I had just three Kilos left [to lose], like around seven pounds, so the fight was rescheduled for August. Continue reading “Kovalev talks about Canelo fight”

James “Savage” Hagler (2-1, 1 KO), the grandson of the late Hall of Famer Marvelous Marvin Hagler, will fight on the May 7th Vertex boxing card at Moseley’s on the Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts. Hagler, who fought all of his previous fights in the state of Georgia, will be in a four round super middleweight bout against an opponent to be determined.

“We’re looking forward to having James fighting less than 20 miles from where his grandfather Marvin Hagler fought out of in Brockton,” promoter Dave Clark said.

The card is headlined by undefeated welterweight prospect James “The Slim Reaper” Perella (10-0, 7 KOs) matched against Edgar “The Tiger” Torres (8-3-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

Welterweights Conor ‘The Destroyer’ Benn (20-0, 13 KOs) and Chris van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs) have been exchanging barbs in the lead up to Saturday’s clash for the WBA Continental title at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia as usual).

Chris van Heerden: “I’m a much better boxer than Conor Benn. In my opinion Conor is an emotional, angry fighter. He relies on his power. He cannot box with me. He’s not a boxer. He’s a power puncher and I don’t rate him as a boxer. That’s why I’m saying he’s a very emotional, angry type of fighter in my opinion.”

Connor Benn: “He said he doesn’t rate my boxing ability. If you don’t respect me then I’ll make you respect me. Chris van Heerden needs to be ready for a whole lot of firepower. He needs to be ready for someone who fights like he’s got everything to lose.”

The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has scheduled the purse bid for the mandatory bout between super lightweight super champion Josh Taylor and his mandatory challenger Alberto Puello. The bidding will take place next Friday, April 22 online via the Zoom platform. On Monday, a communication was sent to the parties with all the conditions of the bidding, which will have a minimum amount of US $200,000. The split will be 55% for the champion Taylor and 45% for the challenger.

Newly crowned WBC interim super welterweight champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora inflicted such damage to the face of opponent Erickson “Hammer” Lubin on Saturday that rumors and conspiracy theories on social media have sprung up regarding Fundora’s gloves and conditioning.

Fundora’s father/trainer Freddy stated “It’s all not true. Erickson Lubin had a representative and The State of Nevada Commission Inspector were both in the room for Sebastian’s hand wrapping and to inspect the gloves. We didn’t even send anyone to Lubin’s room we trust their integrity and the Nevada Commission so much. As far as his work rate in that fight, that’s his dedication. Sebastian trained like he was possessed for this fight. He took it up a level with everything, power, speed and punch rate. That’s what champions do. The Nevada Athletic Commission takes blood and urine after a title fight, so very shortly, any talk of PED use will be proven false when Sebastian comes back all clean.” Continue reading “Fundora camp responds to cheating rumors”

Power punching WBA #15 super middleweight Luis Rodriguez (8-0, 8 KOs) is rapidly making a name for himself. He has racked up eight wins, all by knockout, since turning professional less than a year ago. He last fought this past March at the annual WBA KO for drugs event which was held at the famed Roberto Duran Arena in Panama City, Panama. It was his first ten round bout where he impressively stopped Colombian Emilio Julio Julio, a veteran of nearly 50 professional fights in round 4. Rodriguez is promoted by Henry Rivalta and managed by well-renowned boxing advisor Tony Gonalez. Both see a very bright future for Rodriguez.

“Luis Rodriguez has all the tools to break open the 168lb division. He’s 6’2, fast, slick, and has great power in both hands. He is already ranked 15 in the world by the WBA. He will make a ton of noise very shortly,” said Rivalta. Continue reading “Unbeaten Luis Rodriguez on the rise”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

2016 Rio De Janiro Olympian Jason Whatley (9-0,8 KOs) returns to action on Wednesday in a nationally televised main event against Fiji’s Savanca Naliva (14-3-1, 10 KOs) at the Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland. The bout will be a ten rounder with the IBF Pan Pacific cruiserweight title up for grabs. Televised on Foxtel cable television network and Kayo Sports.

Boxers Brendon Denes and Ivana Habazin, Habazin’s manager Charles Muniz, and promoter Edward Mendy have filed a lawsuit in United States District Court against Boxrec and the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), among others. The 102-page complaint charges that Boxrec, recognized as boxing’s official record keeper by the ABC, is suppressing the results of certain professional bouts in their database, thus damaging the boxers who rely on their professional records to maximize fight bookings and earnings. You can read the full lawsuit below.

Not only is WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas facing undefeated WBC and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. in his hometown, Ugas is being tasked with beating Spence on “Errol Spence Jr. Day.” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced the proclamation on Monday during a ceremony at trainer Derrick James’ World Class Boxing Gym.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get my own day from the great city of Dallas and to have everyone come out to support me,” said Spence. “On April 16, I’m going to put on a great show. This day truly means a lot to me. I can do many great things, but only a few people are chosen to have their own day in their city. It’s amazing and I really appreciate that.”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former IBF 140-pound champion Lovemore Ndou graduated with a Master of Politics and Policy degree at the Deakin University in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Ndou captured the IBF title in 2007 and became a lawyer in 2010. He has a successful legal practice (Lovemore Lawyers) in Rockdale, Sydney.

By Damon Gonzalez/LatinBox Sports

Jolene Mizzone, among the most experienced and well-respected matchmakers in professional boxing for a quarter of a century, announced the launch of Fighters First Management, offering a fresh approach to athlete representation for today’s generation of talent. Mizzone, who will lead Fighters First as President of Boxing Operations, honed her skills as Vice President/Matchmaker for Main Events, building great fighters and working with multiple world champions, including Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Sergey Kovalev, and Tomaz Adamek.

Mizzone is the first mainstream matchmaker and promoter to shift her career in boxing into athlete management. Known for her direct, ‘the truth hurts’ style, Mizzone has always been protective of athletic talent and will continue to fight for them using her unique combination of experience and insights.

“I want to educate fighters as much as possible on the business aspects of boxing,” said Mizzone. “I plan to work hand in hand with our fighters and their teams. As their manager, I’m also an educator. I can give them the tools they need to make smarter long-term decisions about their careers so they can flourish and live well after giving their all to the sport we love.” Continue reading “Mizzone to head boxing management company”

By Ron Jackson

Lwandile Ngxeke (aka Landi) from Sada, Eastern Cape won the vacant South African junior bantamweight title when he stopped Athenlosi Dumezweni in the tenth round at the Sun City Superbowl on Saturday night.

Going into the fight, the odds were stacked against the #3 rated Ngexeke (8-1, 3 KOs) who was up against the more experienced southpaw Dumezweni (13-4, 9 KOs) who had fought at a much higher level than Ngexeke, having won the South African, WBC silver and WBO Africa titles. Continue reading “Lwandile Ngxeke wins SA junior bantam title”

Showtime has released Episode 2 of its award-winning All Access series chronicling the buildup to Saturday’s Spence-Ugas three-belt world title unification.

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By Jeff Zimmerman

WBC female flyweight champ Marlen Esparza talks about her big win as she becomes the unified champ by capturing the WBA belt from Japan’s Naoka Fujioka and earned the inaugural Ring Magazine belt as well.

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Another terrific weekend of boxing action coming up including the welterweight unification between WBC/IBF champion Errol Spence and WBA champion Yordenis Ugas.

FRIDAY

ESPN+ has an MTK Fight Night telecast from York Hall in London featuring a British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis.

UFC Fightpass has a Broadway Boxing card from the Garden Theater in Detroit featuring unbeaten heavyweight knockout artist Mike Balogun against Serio Marin.

SATURDAY

DAZN delivers a card topped by unbeaten welterweight Conor “The Destroyer” Benn against Chris “The Heat” Van Heerden from the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

Showtime will air two pretty good undercard fights leading into the Spence-Ugas PPV at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Showtime “Special Edition” is headlined by WBA regular welterweight champion Radzhab Butaev against top contender Eimantas Stanionis, with unbeaten super lightweight Brandun Lee against Zachary Ochoa in the opener.

The $74.99 PPV telecast features the welterweight title unification between Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas, plus lightweight contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz against former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, unbeaten lightweight Jose Valenzuela against former world champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas, and unbeaten welterweight Cody Crowley against Josesito Lopez.

By Jeff Zimmerman

Trainer Bones Adams talks about Shane Mosley Jr.’s big win against Gabriel Rosado Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

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By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Hall of Fame broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan who called some of the biggest fights including the Rumble in the Jungle – Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman in Zaire in 1974, spoke to Fightnews.com® about returning to broadcasting. He recently worked with Paul Malignaggi calling the fights in Mexico.

On calling the fights in Mexico…

I am back in action and did a fight in Jalisco, Mexico recently working with Paul Malignaggi and we had a lot of fun where we got the highest ratings ever for the company I worked for. I am very excited about that and they have hired us back. Paulie was great. I have worked with him before. He was sensational. Paulie was so good I let him do the blow-by-blow. I didn’t want to be cutting in on him he was so good. We work great together. I love all the networks there. They have been so kind to me. Continue reading “Interview: Colonel Bob Sheridan”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Trainer Joe Goossen talks about his new pupil, “KingRy” Ryan Garcia, on his performance against Emmanuel Tagoe.

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