Fightnews.com

Undefeated welterweight knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs) will clash with WBO #3 ranked Michael “The Problem” McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) on March 19 in a 12-round fight for the WBO International title at University of Southern California’s Galen Center in downtown Los Angeles and will stream live, worldwide, exclusively on DAZN.

Ortiz is a 10:1 favorite, but McKinson promoter Eddie Hearn likes his man’s chances. “Michael has got the style to beat Vergil, who for me is already a top five welterweight in the world, a brilliant and powerful fighter. There’s only certain styles that can beat him, and Michael has a style to cause Vergil all sorts of problems.”

Ortiz promoter Oscar De La Hoya stated that Vergil is ready to fight against the elite in the division starting with McKinson.

Chris Eubank Jr. 160 vs. Liam Williams 159

Claressa Shields 159 vs. Ema Kozin 159.5
(WBC/WBA/IBF/WBF female middleweight titles)

Otto Wallin 253.5 vs. Kamil Sokolowski 234.5
Julius Indongo 146.5 vs. Chris Jenkins 149
Steve Robinson 242.5 vs. Shane Gill 252
Caroline Dubois 138.4 vs. Vaida Masiokaite 138
Harlem Eubank 141.5 vs. Viorel Simion 139.5
Samuel Antwi 146.5 vs. Conah Walker 146
Rhys Edwards 127 vs. Ruslan Berchuk 125

Note: The boxers did not face-off for the media and fans at this time, they will participate in the face-off at 5pm today at the City Hall, Cardiff, which is open for media and fans to capture the boxers’ as they go face-to-face for the final time.

Venue: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales
Promoter: BOXXER
TV: PPV ($29.99) in the US, Sky Sports in the UK

Jono Carroll will face Serif Gurdijeljac in the co-main event on the opening night of Probellum Evolution in Dubai next month. Probellum’s first shows of 2022 take place at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium over consecutive nights, on March 18 and 19. The first night will be headlined by French fighter Estelle Mossely’s IBO world lightweight title match against Argentina’s Yanina del Carmen Lescano, and Carroll’s opponent for the supporting bout has now been confirmed, with Carroll (21-2-1, 6 KOs) set to face Gurdijeljac (21-6, 8 KOs).

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine have prompted former heavyweight champions Viitali Klitscho and Wladimir Klitschko to speak out. Wladimir announced he has enlisted in Ukraine’s reserve army, while Vital, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, warned that there will be a “painful price” for any aggressions.

_

Super flyweights Carlos Cuadras and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez came face-to-face for the first time Thursday at a press conference in downtown Phoenix 48 hours before they meet for the vacant WBC world title at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN.

Carlos Cuadras: “This is what I desire the most in the world, to be a champion again. Whoever is in my way, it was meant to be Rungvisai but he got sick, so we have Jesse and I am ready. As the fight progresses, you’ll see my experience show. I’ve seen Jesse fight and I know he’s a great fighter, I will be careful but more than anything, I will give him his medicine.”

Jesse Rodriguez: “The size is not a problem. A lot of people are saying that I have to gain weight to go up to 115 pounds, but I walk around at 130 pounds so I have had to lose weight and I’m a big 108-pounder so at 115 pounds it’s just going to be another beautiful performance. This is my moment, I am born to perform and on Saturday night, a star will be born.”

Fighters competing on the Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios undercard previewed their respective matchups during a press conference Thursday before they enter the ring this Saturday at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Meeting face to face were rising unbeaten Jesús “Mono” Ramos and Vladimir Hernández, plus former two-division champion Luis Nery and unbeaten Carlos Castro, as they discussed their matchups taking place on the pay-per-view telecast.

The press conference also featured welterweight contender Abel Ramos and Luke Santamaría who enter the ring on FOX preceding pay-per-view action. Continue reading “Thurman-Barrios Undercard Presser”

This Saturday, Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields will defend her WBC/WBA/IBF female middleweight world titles against unbeaten challenger Ema Kozin live from Cardiff, Wales in a $29.99 pay-per-view event. Although getting top billing in U.S. advertising, Shields-Kozin is actually the co-main event for the middleweight clash between Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Williams.

Also on the telecast is former unified 140-pound champion Julius Indongo taking on Chris Jenkins in an eight-round welterweight bout, Caroline DuBois (the younger sister of WBA #1 heavyweight Daniel DuBois) makes her pro debut in a six-round lightweight encounter, and unbeaten heavyweight Steve Robinson faces Shane Gil in a four-rounder.

WBO #1, WBC #3, IBF #3 super welterweight Tim Tszyu, who so far has fought all of his pro bouts in Australia, is reportedly planning to invade the U.S. market. According to the Daily Telegraph, Tszyu (20-0, 15 KOs) will take on Terrell Gausha (22-1-1, 11 KOs) in the co-main event for the rematch between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano taking place March 19 at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the STAPLES Center) in Los Angeles. The bout is supposedly a world title eliminator although Gausha isn’t currently rated by any organization.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) has targeted WBO #1, WBC #3, IBF #7 Joe Joyce (13-0, 12 KOs) according to Parker’s manager David Higgins.

“He fought Chisora and dominated him so his brand equity in the world and United Kingdom is at an all-time high,” Higgins told Sky Sports. “We almost feel like it is a home crowd and he’s obviously been on a lot of big PPV shows in the UK, as well. The question is ‘who next?’ Joseph has signaled that he’d like to fight as soon as humanly possible. A possible opponent is Joe Joyce. Continue reading “Parker targets Joyce”

Former world champions Keith “One Time” Thurman and Mario “El Azteca” Barrios went face-to-face for the first time Wednesday, as they previewed their showdown that headlines a $74.99 FOX pay-per-view this Saturday from Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Both Thurman and Barrios will look to rebound from their first career defeats with statement victories on Saturday night to put them back on the path toward another world title. Each fighter expressed confidence that not only will they emerge victorious, but that they’ll do so in fan-friendly fashion.

Keith Thurman: “It’s exciting to be facing someone who wants to trade. He’s stepping up and facing me because he wants to make a name overnight. I respect that, but I’m here to stop him in his tracks.”

Mario Barrios: “The move to welterweight has been a long time coming. Me and my team have loved the results we’ve had in camp and I can’t wait for Saturday.”

The press conference also featured four-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz and Keenan “Bedo” Carbajal, who faced off ahead of their co-main event clash.

More quotes

Undisputed female lightweight champion Katie Taylor (20-0, 6 KOs) and women’s P4P best Amanda Serrano (42-1-1 30 KOs) came face-to-face at MSG today for the first time since their April 30 fight was announced, and had the following to say:

Katie Taylor: “I’ve had my eyes on Amanda Serrano and this is a fight I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time now…I think that this fight is the most exciting fight in the sport, not just female boxing. This really is the best fight in boxing right now.”

Amanda Serrano: “I don’t need to talk bad about any of my opponents. I do all of my talking inside the ring. 13 years I’ve been professional and every other day I have wanted to quit…never did I imagine making the money I have today. I mean, headlining MSG, like what?”

WBC #13 heavyweight Otto Wallin says he’s happy to be getting back in the ring this Saturday night at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. Wallin (22-1, 14 KOs) will take on Kamil Sokolowski (11-24-2, 4 KOs) on the untelevised undercard of the $29.99 PPV event featuring the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams 12-round middleweight showdown and female superstar Claressa Shields defending her WBC/WBA/IBF middleweight world titles against unbeaten top-rated challenger Ema Kozin.

“It feels good to be back in the ring,” admitted Wallin. “I haven’t been able to fight in almost a year, so I’m just excited to be fighting again. This will be a smaller fight for me to shake some ring rust and I’ll be able to step it up again very soon. My opponent doesn’t have the best record, but he’s a tough customer and nobody I can underestimate. I need to go out and handle my business to keep being considered one of the best heavyweights in the world.” Continue reading “Otto Wallin returns in off-TV bout”

The World Boxing Association (WBA) ordered a tentative bantamweight elimination fight between WBA #3 Melvin “Melo” Lopez (26-1, 17 KOs) of Team M&R Boxing Promotions (Laura Ching), and WBA #4 Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas (20-1, 10 KOs) who is signed to Boxlab Management. Both teams are now in negotiation. The winner will be the mandatory to fight WBA super champion Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs).

WBO female middleweight champion Savannah “The Silent Assassin” Marshall (11-0, 9 KOs) will return on March 12 against Euro champ Femke Hermans (12-3, 5 KOs), who took Marshall’s bitter rival Claressa Shields the distance in 2018. The bout takes place at a venue to be announced in Newcastle, England.

Marshall’s battle with the Belgian brawler takes place Saturday, March 12 in Newcastle (venue to be announced) and airs live and exclusively across the UK on Sky Sports. The full card, co-promoted by BOXXER and Wasserman Boxing, will be announced shortly.

Shields is defending her titles in Wales this coming weekend. Should she be successful – and should Marshall successfully defend her title in March – the stage could be set for a Shields-Marshall showdown.

WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte hasn’t yet commented on the record $41 million purse bid that will pay him over eight million dollars to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The WBC has now set a February 21 deadline for Whyte to sign for the fight.

Fury, meanwhile, is accusing Whyte of going into hiding in a social media video.

“This is a message for Dillian Whyte. Whytefeathers. Coward. Where are you Whitefeathers? You wanted your world title shot with Wilder for three years. You never got it. You was mandatory for me for three minutes and you got your fight, didn’t you coward? ‘Tyson Fury’s a coward, he don’t want to fight Dillian Whyte.’ But all of a sudden it’s on your toes and you’ve gone silent you little bitch. Come out of hiding Whytefeathers. Come and get it. You’re getting a good hiding. You wanted a bit of free money didn’t you dosser? But now you’re getting eight million, which is seven-and-a-half million too much for you, you old dosser. Come out and say something bum!”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Four-time Australian amateur champion Nikita Tszyu, who traveled the world competing in amateur tournaments, will join his older brother Tim Tszyu in the professional ranks in the super welterweight division, when he makes his debut against Aaron Stahl (2-0-1) at the Brisbane Convention Centre on March 2nd on a nationally Foxtel televised promotion.

“Some people used to describe my brother as a surgeon,” Nikita told reporters at a Brisbane press conference. “They described me as a butcher. We do the same job but in a different way – I’m a little bit more messy. When Tim and I were younger instead of playing Xbox video games we would put the gloves on and go up the back and come back bleeding.”

Former world champion and Boxing Hall of Famer Floyd “Money” Mayweather will partner with sunglass giant Pit Viper when The Money Team Racing (TMTR) makes its NASCAR Cup Series debut on February 20. Mayweather will have driver Kaz Grala behind the wheel of his new NASCAR NextGen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 the 64th annual Daytona 500, held at the iconic Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“I love fast cars and I love to compete. I know NASCAR will not be easy, but anything easy isn’t worth doing to me,” Mayweather said. “With that being said, this move into auto racing seems to be a perfect fit for the Mayweather brand.”

To commemorate Floyd’s 50-0 ring record, the race car will be adorned with the number 50. Fight fans can get in on the 50 theme by preordering the official TMT Racing Hoodie for $50.

The undisputed women’s super middleweight clash between WBC/WBO champ Franchón Crews-Dezurn (7-1, 2 KOs) and WBA/IBF champ Elin Cederroos (8-0, 4 KOs) will take place April 30 on the Taylor-Serrano undercard at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Crews-Dezurn and Cederroos were due to clash in both June and September, but this time it looks like it will happen.

“With our main event, Crews-Dezurn vs. Cederroos and the must-win crossroads clash between Jessie Vargas and Liam Smith, we’re building an unmissable night of action in New York on April 30,” said promoter Eddie Hearn.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former world championship promoter Glenn Wheatley has sadly passed away from complications caused by Covid-19 at the age of 74 years in Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday. Wheatley co-promoted the WBC, WBA, IBF super lightweight title bout between champion Kostya Tszyu and challenger Jesse James Leija at the Telstra Superdome in Melbourne in 2003 that had a live gate of 28,000 fans in attendance. Wheatley was a legend in the music industry firstly being a member of the band Master Apprentices when he played bass in the 1960s and later managing and promoting Johnny Farnham, Delta Goodrum, The Little River Band and James Reyne. Glenn is survived by wife Gaynor and children Tim, Samantha and Kara.

Super welterweights Jessie Vargas (29-3-2 11 KOs) and Liam Smith (30-3-1 17 KOs) collide in the co-feature of the April 30 Taylor-Serrano card at Madison Square Garden in New York City. streamed live worldwide on DAZN. Vargas returns to the ring for the first time since his narrow reversal at the hands of Mikey Garcia in February 2020, while Smith stopped local rival Anthony Fowler in eight rounds last October. Vargas and Smith were originally due to meet this weekend in Phoenix, but COVID ruled out Vargas.

Jesse Vargas: “Liam is talking a lot, the fire is burning inside me. You don’t trash talk me, I’m coming in a different person. This will be an action-packed fight. I’ll exploit all of his weaknesses and take him out – My goal is to knock him out and retire him!”

Liam Smith: “Jessie stopping me? I find that highly unlikely when only one person has done that and Jessie is no Canelo Alvarez. I fully intend on stopping him, being the first man to do it and adding my name to the names that have beaten him.”

By Przemek Garczarczyk

When you talk to (or fight) WBO cruiserweight champ Lawrence Okolie (17-0, 14 KOs), you have to be ready for anything. 🙂 For Okolie it’s not only about belts, it’s about always challenging the best fighters in the world. This is why on February 27 in London, he wanted to face not just someone, but the dangerous Michał Cieślak (21-1, 15 KOs) whose only defeat was on points against current WBC champion Ilunga Makabu.

_

A few charges on Monday. This Saturday is the first really busy Saturday of 2022 with cards on FOX and DAZN, plus $104.98 worth of PPVs. Here is the lineup:

PPV – 3PM ET/Noon PT ($29.99)
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Liam Williams (middleweight)
Claressa Shields vs. Ema Kozin (female middleweight)
Note: Twice delayed card finally happening

FOX – 7PM ET/4PM PT
Abel Ramos vs. Luke Santamaria (welterweight)
Note: Lead-in to the Thurman-Barrios PPV

DAZN – 8PM ET/5PM PT
Jesse Rodriguez vs. Carlos Cuadras (WBC superfly title)
Note: Rodriguez steps in as a late sub for Srisaket Sor Rungvisai

PPV – 9PM ET/6PM PT ($74.99)
Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios (welterweight)
Leo Santa Cruz vs. Keenan Carbajal (super featherweight)
Luis Nery vs. Carlos Castro (super bantamweight)
Note: Thurman returns for the first time since losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2019.

Unbeaten super flyweight Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (14-0 10 KOs) will fight for his first world title as he steps up to take on Carlos Cuadras (39-4-1 27 KOs) for the vacant WBC 115lb title at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night live worldwide on DAZN. Cuadras’ original foe Srisaket Sor Rungvisai was forced out of the rematch with Cuadras over the weekend through a non-COVID-related illness, taken ill in the fight hotel having arrived in Arizona last Wednesday.

Welterweight contender Abel Ramos (27-4-2, 21 KOs) will square off against Luke Santamaria (12-2-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout that headlines PBC action live on FOX this Saturday from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The FOX broadcast also features super lightweights Ryan “Cowboy” Karl (19-3, 12 KOs) and Omar “El Relámpago” Juarez (12-1, 5 KOs) battling in a ten-rounder.

The Ramos-Santamaria telecast is a lead-in for the FOX Sports pay-per-view event headlined by former unified welterweight world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman battling former super lightweight world champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios.

Abel Ramos was originally scheduled to take on Josesito Lopez as part of the PPV, but Lopez was injured in training camp and forced to withdraw. Ramos’ nephew Jesus Ramos against Vladimir Hernandez replaces the Abel Ramos vs. Josesito Lopez bout in the pay-per-view lineup. Continue reading “Ramos-Santamaria clash Saturday on FOX”

Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) has denied a claim by WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) that Zurdo had turned down an offer to fight him.

Bivol was quoted in a recent boxing news report, which was also picked up by other media outlets, as saying, “I know for a fact that my team did offer Team Ramirez to fight me December 11th in Russia, and the purse offered was about the same as what I was offered to fight him on a (Golden Boy Promotions) show. He rejected the offer.”

Zurdo claims that never happened. Continue reading “Zurdo denies Bivol claim”