Fightnews.com

Everyone at Fightnews.com® wishes a full and speedy recovery to popular DAZN ring announcer David Diamante. The DAZN announcer suffered serious injuries earlier this week in a motorcycle accident in New York City. Diamante, who just worked the Parker-Chisora card in the UK over the weekend, reportedly suffered multiple fractures to his spine, broken ribs, and bad damage to his right knee.

Promoter Lou DiBella reported on social media that Diamante “sounds good, can move everything, and his prognosis, with time and work, is good. Ring announcer Michael Buffer tweeted that Diamante is very optimistic…’David’s a fighter and has met big challenges in his life-this will be another one!’

The fight starts now.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Rugby League football legends Paul Gallen (12-1-1, 7 KOs) and Sonny Bill Williams (8-0, 3 KOs) have each been offered AUD$4 million to fight twice in 2022 by promoter Eddie Hearn. According to Gallen says he’s in, but Sonny Bill has been dodging the deal.

“You would have read in today’s paper, we were offered $4 million each to fight twice next year and it’s not happening,” Gallen told Fox Sports.”Why? It’s unheard of money. That’s ridiculous.

“The ball is in [Williams’] court. I’ve said for years let’s do it but there’s going to come a time where I say no more and I bet you that’s when he says let’s do it. I’ve said that before and will say it again, that’s what he is doing.” Continue reading “Gallen-SBW pondering massive 2-fight offer”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

In a nationally Foxtel Main Event televised promotion Tokyo Olympic lightweight bronze medalist Harry Garside (1-0, 1 KO) made a successful professional debut when he stopped Sachin Mudaliar (9-2, 1 KO) on Wednesday at the Star City Casino in Sydney, NSW, Australia. Garside trapped his opponent on the ropes and connected with several punches that were unanswered at which point the referee crowned the Australian. Garside is trained by Hall of Famer Johnny Lewis.

Unbeaten super bantamweight Sam Goodman (10-0, 6 KOs) stopped former world title challenger Richie Mepranum (36-9-1, 11 KOs) when Mepranum suffered an injured elbow in round six which forced him to retire.

Football legend and Australian heavyweight contender Paul Gallen(12-1-1, 7 KOs) scored a three round stoppage over former rugby league player Darcy Lussick (1-1, 1 KO). Lussick connected with punches on Gallen in round one but the inexperienced heavyweight tired in round two and in round three the referee Les Fear crowned Gallen when Lussick was in trouble.

Sad to report the passing of longtime referee Tony Perez at the age of 86 years old. Perez was the third man in the ring for many high-profile fights including Ali/Frazier 2, Ali/Wepner, Ali/Quarry, Quarry/Neumann, Tiger/Benvenuti, Griffith/Antuofermo, Frazier/Ellis, Alexis Arguello/Cornelius Boza Edwards, Arguello/Ray Mancini, James Scott/Yaqui Lopez behind prison walls, Cooney/Norton, Hagler/Roldan, Julio Cesar Chavez/Rocky Lockridge, Ray Mercer/Bert Cooper, Mercer/Tommy Morrison, Hasim Rahman/Trevor Berbick, Roberto Duran/Hector Camacho, David Tua/John Ruiz, Marlon Starling/Mark Breland… Continue reading “Famed referee Tony Perez passes”

WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. will defend his world title against top contender and WBC mandatory challenger Mark Magsayo headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, January 22 from Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ.

The Showtime Championship Boxing tripleheader also features a 12-round rematch between super lightweight contenders Subriel Matías and Petros Ananyan in the co-main event, plus featherweights Tugstsogt Nyambayar and Vic Pasillas squaring-off in the 10-round telecast opener.

According to ESPN, DAZN will air super middleweight Daniel Jacobs vs. John Ryder on February 12 from London. It was also reported that top welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. will fight Michael McKinson, a 21-0 fighter with just two knockouts.

Undefeated super featherweight Andres Cortes (16-0, 9 KOs) is one of the more attractive promotional free agents on the market. He ended 2021 with two spectacular knockouts on national television and feels he’s ready to step up in competition.

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren is trying to get Tommy Fury locked in again as Jake Paul’s next opponent. Fury pulled out of his bout with Paul on two weeks’ notice citing a severe chest infection and a broken rib.

Ring legend Manny Pacquiao isn’t a shoo-in to become the next president of the Philippines. According to the latest polls, Pacman is currently running far behind Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the son of former president Ferdinand Marcos.

By Ron Jackson

South African boxing has once again suffered with a limited number of tournaments and some being canceled after fighters have withdrawn from matchups due to the Coranavirus pandemic. One must congratulate the promoters, officials, boxers, and others who helped to keep boxing alive under very difficult circumstances.

Review of the Year

At the end of the year only four South African fighters,  Ayanda Ndulani (IBO minimumweight), Gideon Buthelezi (IBO junior bantamweight), Ludumo Lamati (IBO junior featherweight) and Ayanda Nkosi (WBF lightweight) held world titles, but they were all from lesser organizations. Continue reading “South African boxing roundup for 2021”

Unbeaten Erick “Mini Pacman” Rosa (5-0, 1 KO) dethroned WBA minimumweight champion Victorio “Vic” Saludar (21-5, 11 KOs) by twelve round split decision on Tuesday night at Hotel Catalonia in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Saludar pressed the action, but it was southpaw Rosa who dropped Saludar in round three with a cracking straight left. Saludar continued to stalk. Rosa was credited with another knockdown in round nine, but Saludar floored Rosa in round ten and upped the pressure late. In the end, scores were 116-109, 113-112 Rosa, 113-112 Saludar.

More photos

Thurman: My time is now

The February 5 clash between former unified welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman and former super lightweight champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios will take place at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Both Thurman and Barrios will look to rebound from their first career defeats with statement victories. Thurman will be returning to the ring after a 30-month absence.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, go on sale tomorrow at 10AM. Continue reading “Thurman-Barrios lands at Mandalay Bay”

Recent title challenger and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição (16-1, 8 KOs) faces Xavier Martinez (17-0, 11 KOs) in a WBC junior lightweight world title eliminator on January 29 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Conceição-Martinez and a co-feature will air live on ESPN while undercard bouts will stream on ESPN+.

“This has all the makings of a special, action-packed main event,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Conceição nearly defeated the great Oscar Valdez for the title, while Martinez is a young kid hoping to make a name in the 130-pound division.”

Conceição is rated WBC #4, while Martinez, who recently signed a multi-fight pact with Top Rank, is WBC #14.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former world champion Andrew “The Monster” Moloney (22-2, 14 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over rugged Froilan Saludar (32-5-1, 22 KOs) in a junior bantamweight bout on Tuesday night at The Star Event Centre in Sydney, Australia. After a close first round, Moloney took over and punished Saludar the rest of the way. Scores were 99-91, 98-92, 98-91.

IBF #11 WBA #14, WBO #15 light heavyweight Faris Chevalier (12-1, 7 KOs) hammered out a ten round unanimous decision over former IBO world champion Renald Quinlan (13-8, 8 KOs). Scores were 98-92, 100-90, 99-92.

6’7 southpaw heavyweight Jackson Murray (3-0, 3 KOs) scored a fifth round TKO over David Tuliloa (2-4, 2 KOs). Mercy stoppage by the referee at 2:50.

After a lengthy glove snafu, junior lightweight Manuer Matet (4-1, 2 KOs) won an entertaining six round unanimous decision over Jye Lane Taylor (3-2, 1 KO). Scores were 60-55, 59-55, 59-55.

Other Results:
Aaron Cocco TKO3 Tim Simona (cruiserweight)
Daniel Harwood KO2 Caleb Sims (featherweight)

A purse bid for the WBO middleweight mandatory championship contest between Demetrius Andrade and Zhanibek Alimkhanuly will be held at noon on January 15 at WBO Headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The minimum purse bid will be $200,000 with a 75/25 purse split for Andrade. Andrade is promoted by Matchroom, Alimkhanuly is promoted by Top Rank.

The TV undercard is set for the February 5 FOX PPV featuring the return of former welterweight champion Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) against Mario Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) at a site to be named.

The co-feature is WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (37-2-1, 19 KOs) against Keenan Carbajal (23-2-1, 15 KOs). Also in action are welterweight Abel Ramos (27-4-2, 21 KOs) against Josesito Lopez (38-8, 21 KOs), and former bantam/super bantam champion Luis Nery (31-1, 24 KOs) against unbeaten Carlos Castro (27-0, 12 KOs).

The Thurman-Barrios telecast will be going head-to-head with a clash between former world champions Jose Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) and Jose Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs) at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California, on an ESPN platform to be named.

By Héctor Villarreal

Dominican Erick “Mini Pacman” Rosa (4-0, 1 KO) and WBA minimumweight champion Victorio “Vic” Saludar (21-4, 11 KOs) of the Philippines, both weighed in at 105 pounds for the world championship match on the main event of the international card promoted by Shuan Boxing for Tuesday night at Hotel Catalonia in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Erick Rosa 105 vs Victorio Saludar 105
Frency Fortunato 125.6 vs Alejandro Gonzalez 125.4
Angel Cruz 148.2 vs Luis Romero 148.2
Ernesbadi Begue 178.4 vs Felipe Romero 177
Felix Parada 228.6 vs Francisco Silvens 249
Adrian Morel 124 vs Otabek Kholmatov 126
Jose Manuel Aguirre 138 vs Milner Marcano 135
Yan Santana 133 vs Juan Nicasio 137
Drew Dwelly 162 vs Wilkin Vidal 167

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBA #8 middleweight Michael Zerafa (29-4, 18 KOs) stopped Siliveni Nawai (12-5-1, 8 KOs) on Monday at the Melbourne Pavillion, Flemington, Victoria, Australia. Zerafa dominated his opponent from round one and in round four the corner of the Fijian threw the towel into the ring. Zerafa is now scheduled to clash with IBF #15 rated middleweight Issac Hardman (12-0, 10 KOs) on a nationally televised Foxtel promotion April 6.

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

Do you feel the Christmas spirit? I sincerely hope so. It is a unique feeling, difficult to describe in words, it is inside our minds, our hearts, it smells and glows; at least that is what happens to me.

The combination of nostalgia, remembering that happy childhood that my parents gave us. Don José, along with my beloved mother, put emphasis and sacrifice to make the Christmas holiday special for my siblings and our kids afterward.

We always had an intimate dinner, gifts on the tree, and time spent with family. The story of Santa Claus was told by my dad, year after year, and he always helped us imagine the greatness of that fourth Wise Man who stayed on the road to help those in need. I close my eyes and remember how such a story made us dream and cherish the magic of Christmas. Continue reading “Christmas Week Emotions”

Today, the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) announced the honorees for the 2022 6th Annual Induction Ceremony; to be held Friday, October 7, through Sunday, October 9, 2022, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

The 2022 ACBHOF inductees include: Lennox Lewis, Julio César Chávez, James Toney, Frank Fletcher Dave Tiberi, Chuck Mussachio, Kathy Collins-Globuschutz, Kathy Duva, Pat Lynch, Kevin Rooney Sr., Lynne Carter, Randy Neumann, Dr. Domenic Coletta, Tom Casino, and posthumously: James Broad, Eddie Aliano, and Harold Lederman.

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champ Ryosuke Nishida (5-0, a KO), 117.75, kept his regional belt as he took the initiative all the way and scored a unanimous decision (119-109, 118-110, 116-112) over Tetsuro Ohashi (8-3, 2 KOs), 117.75, over twelve fast rounds on Sunday in Osaka, Japan. It was Nishida’s first defense since he dethroned ex-WBC flyweight titlist Daigo Higa this April, and he dominated a hot affair of lefthanders exchanging fast punches. It was Nishida that outjabbed the game challenger with his more accurate right hand and straight lefts to the midsection.

Promoter: Muto Promotions.

We have an abbreviated schedule this week due to the holidays. Probably a good thing after two of the busiest boxing Saturdays in memory over the last two weeks.

On Tuesday morning, ESPN+ offers up a card for early-risers. Tune in at 3AM ET/12AM PT to catch former world champion Andrew “The Monster” Moloney (21-2, 14 KOs) against Froilan Saludar (32-4-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-round junior bantamweight bout at The Star Event Centre in Sydney, Australia.

* * *

Every year, for many decades, the Belgian city of Izegem hosted a professional boxing card on Christmas Day. This year, however, the main Christmas Day boxing show takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The card will be televised live on FOX at 8PM ET/5PM PT with welterweight prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. (9-1, 6 KOs) facing Nicholas DeLomba (16-3, 5 KOs) in the ten round main event. The co-feature has middleweight Joey Spencer (12-0, 9 KOs) taking on Limberth Ponce (18-4, 11 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

By Robert Coster

WBA minimumweight champion Victorio “Vic” Saludar (21-4, 11 KOs) of the Philippines puts his title on the line in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Tuesday against WBA #1 contender and local idol Erick “Mini Pacman” Rosa (4-0, 1 KO).

Saludar arrived in the Dominican Republic last Wednesday and declared that he was up to the challenge posed by his young foe. “I’m going to beat Rosa in front of his fans. He only has 4 fights and hasn’t met the caliber of boxers that I have faced. ”

For his part, Rosa has already made history by winning 3 regional titles in just 4 fights. Continue reading “Saludar-Rosa for WBA title on Tuesday”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBA #8, IBF #11 and WBO #15 light heavyweight Faris Chevalier (12-1, 7 KOs) returns to action against former IBO world champion Renald Quinlan (13-8, 8 KOs) on Tuesday at Star City Casino Sydney, NSW, Australia over ten rounds with the WBA Oceana title up for grabs. “I defeated Blake Caparello in March and now I am rated with WBA, IBF, and WBO,” said Chevalier. “My manager Peter Maniatis and my team offered the bout with Renald Quinlan on one week notice which I accepted.” Continue reading “WBA #8 Chevalier in action Tuesday”

The WBA will allow welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas to go straight into a unification fight with WBC/IBF welter king Errol Spence. Ugas was previously mandated to face #1 rated Eimantas Stanionis in a WBA tournament to get to one champion. Stanionis will reportedly now face regular champion Radzhab Butaev with the winner to face the Ugas-Spence winner.

“Thanks to the WBA for doing the right thing,” stated Ugas on social media. “It is an award for my dedication, and for being a brave man in and out of the ring. I will be fighting one of the best p4p. I’m a warrior. First Cuban fighting three belts one night. Thanks all the fans who asked for this fight.”

“Son of the Legend” light heavyweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1, 34 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over David Zegarra (34-7, 21 KOs) on Saturday night at the Palenque de la Feria Ganadera in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Coming off his loss to UFC legend Anderson Silva, Junior landed the harder shots against the smaller Zegarra, who had been stopped in his last three. No scores were announced.

Unbeaten YouTube cruiserweight Jake Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) scored a spectacular sixth round KO over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley (0-2) in a rematch on Saturday night at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Mostly an ugly fight with a lot of clinching. Paul suffered a cut from a head clash in round three. Neither fighter landed a big shot the entire fight until Paul connected with a monster right hand that sent Woodley crashing to the canvas face first and out cold. Time was 2:12.

“This has to be the greatest moment of my life,” said Paul. “Look at what I just did. Look at the year I just had. Unprecedented. One of the most valuable boxers in this sport. Four fights. Four massive pay-per-views in 13 months. I’ve knocked out every single person that I’ve fought. Every single person that I’ve fought.” Continue reading “Paul knocks out Woodley in six”