Fightnews.com

By Bob Caico

Lightweight Anthony Bizzarro (2-0) of Erie, PA continued the Bizzarro name in town lore as the 21-year-old scored a unanimous decision victory on Tuesday night over Darius Doaks (0-3) of Chambersburg in four rounds. The card was presented by Bizzarro Boxing and MMA Promotions, at the Bayfront Convention Center. Scores were identical 40-36 for the nephew of the promoter Ernie Bizzarro. Continue reading “Late results from Erie, PA”

Shannon Briggs: ‘Rampage Jackson is scared to fight me and he’s leading a scared group of fighters on Saturday night. He talks tough like most of the MMA guys. Look at my team, they’re all top-notch boxers. Mike Seals is a true animal and he’s going to destroy Mike Perry on Saturday night. Perry, you just talked yourself into a hospital visit, these are the best strikers in the world. Frank Mir, I respect you but Kubrat Pulev is going to knock you out very badly on Saturday night. Rampage is leading them all into the fire on Saturday night.”

‘Rampage’ Jackson: “I don’t know any of these boxers, but I know all these MMA guys and they’re all stone-cold killers. The MMA fighters are the toughest fighters on the planet. Keep on underestimating us and we’ll beat you on Saturday night. Shannon is good at getting underneath my skin but these warriors on my side will shut up him up for good on Saturday night. Of course, I’ll fight this clown, anytime we can put it together with Triller for Triad Combat.” Continue reading “Pulev-Mir Final Press Conference”

WBA female featherweight world champion Erika Cruz (13-1, 3 KOs) and Melissa Esquivel (12-1-1, 4 KOs) hosted their final press conference today ahead of their 10-round battle for Cruz’s world title on Friday at the International Convention Center in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico and streamed live globally on DAZN.

Erika Cruz: “I earned this opportunity as a result of having won this title against Jelena Mrdjenovich. My life has changed by being here. Now I am a representative of this belt, and I came to defend it as the great featherweight champion that I am.”

Melissa Esquivel: “I feel happy. Very cheerful. We know what this fight against Erika represents. I come with the mentality and all the desire in the world to be able to deliver a good fight and, God willing, take the belt…I am ready for this and for even bigger things.”

George Kambosos Jr. believes yesterday’s fracas between Teofimo Lopez’s father and his father shows the champion’s team is full of ‘nervous energy’ ahead of their clash for Lopez’s IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC franchise Lightweight titles at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, live worldwide on DAZN.

Challenger and champion attended the media workout in New York yesterday, and as their paths crossed in the new Church Street Boxing Gym location near MSG, the teams clashed as the tensions rose between the camps.

“He’s got a lot of nervous energy and fear,” said Kambosos Jr. “His Dad got put in his place, he knows we don’t play around, we’re here ready to fight, ready for war, and he tucked his tail between his legs and that’s what’s going to happen on Saturday night. Continue reading “Kambosos: Lopez’ Dad got put in his place”

Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos face off after the final press conference for Saturday’s DAZN card at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

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

It would take me many columns to be able to describe what happened during this incredible and so memorable 59th annual Convention of the World Boxing Council in Mexico City, but despite the daunting odds due to Covid, it was possible to safely and magnificently fulfill the dream and exceed, by far, the expectations.

I am deeply grateful to those who stepped up and tirelessly worked flat out with all their heart and soul plus ingenuity, to make this unforgettable event possible viable and so very successful.  The staff of the central office selfless gave of themselves day and night with many sacrifices so that everything flowed efficiently and perfectly. A large number of volunteers constantly, concisely, and consistently at work at the Presidente Intercontinental Hotel, as well as at the Arroyo Restaurant, and friends who loyally supported the Convention are the ones who get the final and so deserved round of applause. Continue reading “The dream is over, here comes the reality”

Three time world title challenger Miguel “The Scorpion” Marriaga (30-4, 26 KOs) from Arjona Colombia is full speed ahead in training camp as he prepares for his Showtime PPV clash on December 5 against world ranked contender Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez (25-2-3, 12 KOs) in what will be the opening bout of the Tank-Cruz telecast.

WBO #13, WBC #13 Miguel Marriaga is gunning for one more crack at a world title in 2022, a feat that is very hard to accomplish in today’s era.

“We are happy to be back in the big stage” states Marriaga “I know this fight is due or die for me, you can expect me to give me 1000% for this bout as I still have my goal of becoming world champion.” Continue reading “Marriaga: Ramirez doesn’t impress me”

YouTuber Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and Tommy “TNT” Fury continued their war of words at a press event Wednesday in Morecambe, England. They fight on PPV December 18 in Tampa.

Jake Paul: “These people think they can come in and beat me because they have amateur careers or they’re professional this or they’re UFC that. They don’t understand what they’re getting in there with. It’s funny to see each and every one of them fail in front of the world and the same exact thing is going to happen to Tommy. To me, this is an easier fight than Tyron [Woodley]. This is a young kid who has never had a real fight and I’m going to knock him out. He doesn’t have a chin. He’s never even been hit hard by anybody.”

Tommy Fury: “You want to pay me millions of pounds to go over there and fight somebody that looks like him? 100 percent, sign me up. This is easy money because this is a bum who cannot fight. I’m going to show that on December 18. When he gets in that ring against me, he’s going to find his level. He’s going to be out of there in the first round because he cannot fight. He can’t dream about beating me.”

Tyson Fury: “This is entertainment. These two young fellas are going to go out there and put it all on the line. Somebody is going to get beaten. Someone’s ‘O’ has got to go and that’s how boxing works. Jake is over there in Puerto Rico training hard. Tommy is here in Morecambe training hard. On December 18, poor old Jake Paul is going to get severely knocked out and that’s it.”

Harvey Horn 113 vs. Fadhili Majiha 114
Matty Harris 255 vs. Mladen Manev 235
Saqib Khan 151 vs. Jack Ewbank 151
Hosea Stewart 345 vs. Mait Metsis 229
Chloe Watson 112 vs. Judit Hachbold 109
Martin Foru 168 vs. Pavol Garaj 167
Ryan Martin 155 vs. Angel Emilov 156
Louis Horn 136 vs. Jakub Laskowski 137

Venue: York Hall in London
Promoter: Wasserman Boxing
TV: Fite.tv ($6.99)

Lightweight champion Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez is a 10:1 favorite to defeat “Ferocious” George Kambosos and retain his WBA, IBF, WBO titles on DAZN from New York City.

In Showtime’s WBC/WBO super bantamweight unification in Las Vegas between “The Heartbreaker” Brandon Figueroa and Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton, Fulton is a -350 favorite.

Lightweight contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz has embraced the underdog role heading into his showdown against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis which headlines a Showtime PPV on Sunday, December 5 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“I have proven time and time again that my drive and desire to be champion is too big to be ignored,” said Cruz. “This fight won’t be the exception. I am going to pull off the upset and a brand new star will be born on December 5…defeating Gervonta Davis is the only thing on my mind. When I win, I know he’s going to want the rematch and I can promise that I will train twice as hard for that fight when it happens.”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

IBF#1 lightweight George “Ferocious” Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs) is confident he will dethrone IBF, WBA, WBO 135 pound champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) on Saturday at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City.

“It’s an opportunity to win these belts next weekend. It might never come again.” Kambosos told AAP. “And I believe I’m fully ready and prepared and I’m not concerned about everything else.

“I’ve got some really good friends that are quite high up in the business and then they are good friends with some politicians in Sydney and obviously NSW. They said, ‘Mate, you win this fight and we’re going to put a bronze statue of you in Sydney.’ That’s how big this victory will be…I’ve just got to do my business next weekend, which I will.”

Five-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis held a “Turkey Giveaway” on Tuesday, as the WBA Lightweight Champion, along with Mayweather Promotions, handed out 150 turkeys, plus gift cards and more to Las Vegas residents. The giveaway took place following Davis’ media workout in preparation for his world title defense against hard-hitting contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking place Sunday, December 5 live on SHOWTIME PPV from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

“This is going to be an exciting fight,” said Tank. “Cruz comes to fight each and every time. I’m just waiting to see what he brings to the table on December 5, and we’ll capitalize off of his mistakes. Cruz coming forward could make the fight a lot easier for me, but there are definitely challenges with that style too. He comes forward with his head a lot. I’m definitely going to be ready for that. Continue reading “Tank: Cruz better be prepared”

WBC super bantamweight world champion Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa and WBO 122-pound world champion Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton Jr. previewed their world title unification showdown during a virtual press conference Tuesday before they meet in the main event live on SHOWTIME from Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas.

“Once he gets hit with a big shot and feels my power, it’s going to totally change this fight.”
– Brandon Figueroa

“I already know that I’m the top guy at 122-pounds. It’s just a matter of days until everyone will see that.”
– Stephen Fulton

More Quotes…

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBO #11, IBF #12 heavyweight Demsey McKean (20-0, 13 KOs) stopped Don Haynesworth (16-8-1, 14 KOs) in six rounds in Manchester, New Hampshire last Friday and should be back in action in February and later in 2022 could challenging former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. McKean spoke to Fightnews.com®.

“I was happy to get six rounds and the stoppage,” said McKean. “I really didn’t have a training camp for that fight as I was in training with AJ and then Dillian Whyte for about a month and two weeks with my coach Tony Sims. I had a week with the trainer in Philadelphia over here. I had three weeks sparring in the USA. I have had different coaches pretty much since I left Australia. I was crook on fight week with the flu. My fight kit didn’t arrive for my fight. Pretty much everything that could go wrong went wrong. Continue reading “McKean targets Parker in 2022”

Teofimo Lopez works out for media at the Church Street Gym during the open training sessions for Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing card at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Lightweight ruler vows to punish challenger for disrespect

Teofimo Lopez has warned George Kambosos Jr. that ‘God will humble him’ for disrespecting his family when he defends his IBF, WBO, WBA, WBC Franchise lightweight titles on Saturday night at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, live worldwide on DAZN.

Lopez (16-0 12 KOs) finally puts his belts on the line against his IBF mandatory, ending a long-running saga between the champion and the unbeaten Australian, with previous attempts to stage the fight having fallen through. Continue reading “Lopez: God will humble Kambosos Jr. through me”

George Kambosos arrives in New York City for his fight against Teofimo Lopez. After five postponements, the two will headline the Matchroom Boxing card at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Heavyweight star Filip Hrgović (13-0 11 KOs) will defend his IBF International title against Scott Alexander (16-4-2, 8 KOs) on the December 4 Haney-Diaz undercard at the MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After this bout, Hrgović has an IBF final eliminator in the works for 2022,

Also on the card, undisputed female welterweight champion Jessica “CasKILLA” McCaskill (10-2, 3 KOs), who recently signed a long-term promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, will defend against Victoria Bustos (22-6, 0 KOs), and unbeaten welterweight Montana Love (16-0-1, 8 KOs) takes on Carlos Diaz (29-1, 14 KOs).

While this Thursday will be just a normal day in most countries, in the U.S., it’s a major holiday. Usually, people watch football or basketball, but this year there is a boxing option. Wasserman Boxing’s new boxing development series kicks off with a $6.99 PPV on Fite.tv featuring flyweight Harvey Horn (9-0, 2 KOs) against Fadhili Majiha (27-14-4, 13 KOs) at London’s iconic York Hall.

The event also includes the pro debuts of top heavyweight prospects Hosea Stewart and Matty Harris. Stewart, who was handpicked by Anthony Joshua as a sparring partner for his fight with Kubrat Pulev, will face Artur Kubiak, while the hotly-tipped Harris will meet Bulgaria’s Mladen Manev.

By Bob Caico

Salim Larbi 154 vs Evincii Dixon 155
Anthony Bizzaro 137 vs Darius Doaks 137
Gerffred Ngayot 137 vs. Jerrell Hodge 138
Jeremiah Yeager 156 vs Leonidas Fowlkes 154
Antonio Castillo, Jr 155 vs Eric Palmer 152
Montana Perez 137 vs David Boria 138

Venue: Bayfront Convention Center Erie,PA
Promoter: Bizzarro Boxing & MMA Promotions
TV: PPV. Combatsportsnow.com

Lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez was in New York City today doing some media work during fight week for his bout on Saturday against George Kambosos. The two will headline the Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN at the Hulu Theater in New York City.

After WBO #1 ranked middleweight Jaime Munguia rejected a world title fight against WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade, WBO #2 middleweight Zhanibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7 KOs) has petitioned the WBO to name him mandatory challenger. WBO President Paco Valcarcel said he would refer the matter to the WBO World Championship Committee to proceed accordingly. Alimkhanuly is a 2016 Olympian and holds wins over former world champions Rob Brand and Hassan N’Dam in his last two fights. As per WBO regulations, the deadline for Andrade’s mandatory is next month (December).

Undefeated WBO 122-pound world champion Stephen Fulton Jr. previewed his unification clash against WBC champion Brandon Figueroa this Saturday from Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas. “When I fought out in Nevada during the amateurs, I knew I would be back here fighting in Las Vegas one day as a pro. This has a totally different feel to it but I’m just focused on getting the job done and winning<" said Fulton. “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing right now. I’m here for a reason. I’m not going to let the bright lights get to me. I was made for this and I take that mindset into the ring. Continue reading “Fulton ready unify against Figueroa”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Hall of Fame trainer Johnny Lewis, who trained world champions Jeff Fenech, Kostya Tszyu, and Jeff Harding, spoke to Fightnews.com® to say he predicts IBF#1 lightweight George “Ferocious” Kambosos can get an upset victory over IBF, WBA, WBO lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez in Madison Square Garden next Saturday.

“Unlike a lot of others in boxing – I give George Kambosos a big chance to cause an upset against Teofimo Lopez,” said Lewis. “If Lopez has made a mistake of thinking they have an easy fight against Kambosos and the fight goes past the halfway mark – I can see George coming home. I think they have taken George lightly and they have done that at their own peril. There have been several fight dates that have been changed but George has shown he is mentally tough and remained very confident of victory over Lopez. He will be 100% right on November 27 in Madison Square Garden. George is extremely fit and he has been ready to defeat Lopez for a long time.”