Fightnews.com

By Joe Koizumi

WBO 115-pound champion Kazuto Ioka (26-2, 15 KOs), Japan, has announced to defend his belt against #2 Francisco Rodriguez (34-4, 24 KOs), Mexico, at the Ota-city Gymnasium, Tokyo, on September 1. It is very rare here for the sake of ticket-selling time that a world title bout is publicly announced only three weeks prior to the event. Ioka, 32, welcomes his first appearance since his stunning stoppage of #1 Kosei Tanaka on New Year’s Eve, while Rodriguez, former WBO, IBF 105-pound ruler, 29, also anticipates his crack at the belt with latest fifteen victories in a row.

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with the “Mean Machine” Egidijus Kavaliauskas at the final presser for his showdown against Golden Boy’s rising star Vergil Ortiz Jr. this Saturday, Aug. 14 at The Star in Frisco in Frisco, TX and shown live on DAZN.

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Last November, controversy reigned supreme. Andrew Moloney thought he’d done enough to snatch the WBA super flyweight world title from Joshua Franco. Moloney contended that numerous jabs caused swelling under Franco’s right eye, which forced the fight to be stopped after two rounds. Following a nearly 30-minute video review, the referee’s decision of a headbutt was upheld. Franco retained his title, the title he won from Moloney via decision nearly five months prior.

After all the trash talk and ensuing tension, Franco and Moloney are set to meet in a trilogy showdown Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Moloney hopes to right what he feels was an injustice, while Franco is out to prove their first fight was not an aberration.

At Thursday’s final press conference, this is what the combatants had to say. Continue reading “Franco-Maloney Final Press Conference”

Yamar “The Magic” Alamo 140 vs. Adrian “El Chinito” Yung 140 lbs
(WBO NABO Jr Welterweights)

Mekhrubon Sanginov 147 vs. Albert “Barreterito” Beltran 147
Otar Eransoyan 130 vs. Juan Carlos Peña 130
Jorge Romero 122 vs. Jesus “Sargento” Martínez 122
Anthony Olascuaga 110 vs. Saul “Baby” Juarez 110
Luis Cabrera 133 vs. Carlos “Jaguar” Jimenez 133
Otabek Kholmatov 128 vs. Marcello Williams 131

Venue: Osceola Heritage Park Events Center, Kissimmee, Florida
Promoter: All Star Boxing, Inc.
TV: Boexo Telemundo

Two-division world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and WBO Bantamweight World Champion John Riel Casimero went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they headline action live on SHOWTIME this Saturday, August 14 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Also featured at Thursday’s press conference were rising unbeaten contender Gary Antonio Russell and former champion Emmanuel Rodriguez, who meet for the WBA Interim Bantamweight Title in the co-main event, plus former champion Rau’shee Warren and Damien Vazquez, who square off to kick off the telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday: Continue reading “Rigo-Casimero Final Press Conference”

The World Boxing Association (WBA) has declared the Interim Welterweight Title vacant after the controversial decision of August 7 in Minnesota in the fight between Gabriel Maestre and Mykal Fox. In addition, the organization will respectfully request the Minnesota Commission to declare the bout a “No Contest”.

At the end of the Fox and Maestre fight, the WBA Officials Committee evaluated the fight. For that reason, and in pursuant to rule C26, the WBA ordered a direct rematch and granted the parties 60 days to make the fight. In case there is a Purse Bid, the split will 50% for each boxer. In addition, the WBA will not approve any fight o special permission to the contenders before the direct rematch takes place. Continue reading “WBA Interim Welterweight Title declared vacant”

Former world champions Robert Guerrero and Víctor Ortiz meet in the co-feature.

Unbeaten featherweight contender Mark Magsayo faces former world champion Julio Ceja in a WBC featherweight title eliminator.

Unbeaten featherweight Carlos Castro takes on former title challenger Óscar Escandón To Open Pay-Per-View.

Manny Pacquiao is a big favorite over Yordenis Ugas after Errol Spence had to back out of the fight.

Yordenis Ugas vs Manny Pacquiao
Yordenis Ugas +275 (11/4)
Manny Pacquiao -350 (2/7)

Odds courtesy of BetOnline.ag

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with former 2x world champ Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero as he prepares to face former welterweight titlist Victor “Vicious” Ortiz on Saturday, Aug. 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and live on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View in the new co-main event.

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Eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and WBA Welterweight World Champion Yordenis Ugás previewed their championship showdown during a virtual press conference on Wednesday before they meet in the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View main event Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ugás steps up to replace Errol Spence Jr. in the main event, as Spence recovers from an eye injury. Ugás had been preparing to make his first title defense in the co-main event and will now face the boxing legend Pacquiao in a career-defining fight, defending the same title that Pacquiao won when he defeated Keith Thurman in his last fight July 2019.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday: Continue reading “Pacquiao-Ugas Virtual Press Conference”

Unified Welterweight Champion Errol Spence, Jr. was forced to withdraw from his blockbuster FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View showdown with eight-division and former welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas due to a retinal tear in his left eye.

WBA Welterweight Champion Yordenis Ugas will step up to replace Spence and will defend his title against Pacquiao, who won that title when he defeated Keith Thurman in his last fight July 2019. Ugas was preparing to make his first title defense against Fabian Maidana in the co-feature of the Spence-Pacquiao card. Being elevated to the main event against boxing legend Pacquiao means Ugas will get a career-defining fight sooner rather than later.

Spence discovered that he had a torn retina during a pre-fight medical examination in Las Vegas.

WBO bantamweight world champion John Riel Casimero will look to score a career-best victory and successfully defend his 118-pound title for the second time when he faces two-division champion Guillermo Rigondeaux this Saturday live on SHOWTIME from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

“I know that I can make this an easy fight for myself,” said Casimero. “I want him to have some guts and be the exciting fighter he’s shown recently. It will be better for the fans and it will really prove who is the best. A win over Rigondeaux will solidify me as one of, if not the best, fighter in the bantamweight division. My goal is to take care of business on Saturday night, then go after the scared Nonito Donaire.”

Kid Galahad has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing. The Sheffield star (28-1, 17 KOs) turned in a superb performance on Saturday as he clinically stopped Liverpool’s Jazza Dickens in eleven rounds to claim the vacant IBF crown at the top of the bill on Fight Camp Week 2.

Trained by Dominic Ingle out of the famous Ingle Gym, Britain’s latest World Champion is targeting supremacy at 126lbs, and has already called for unification fights with the likes of WBC ruler Gary Russell Jr. and WBO Champion Emanuel Navarrete.

“We’ve been working closely with Kid for some years now but it’s great to make it official and sign a multi-fight deal at this exciting stage of his career,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “His performance on Saturday was faultless and stands him as one of the seven British world champions in boxing right now. I’m looking forward to the future and seeing him in some big unification fights.”

By David Finger

Small club shows at places like Club La Sierra in Hobbs, New Mexico are not the sort of venues where you end up seeing the boxing equivalent of a number one draft pick. If the sport of boxing had a Trevor Lawrence or a Joe Burrow, odds are they would be making their professional debut in Las Vegas on the undercard of a Canelo Alvarez or Manny Pacquiao fight, and not at a local boxing show like the one thrown by local promoter Isidro Castillo on Saturday night. Continue reading “Gonzalez blasts Luna in two”

By Joe Koizumi

The Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, came to an end yesterday (Sunday) with some 11,000 athletes participating from 205 countries.

We watched good losers as well as good winners therein. The Olympic Games provided us with entertainment, excitement and enjoyment. All games, however, were held with no audience in the empty arenas or stadiums.

The IOC and our Japanese government describe the Games as successful, but how can we say successful under such circumstances that we, despite being a host country, couldn’t even witness the games directly at the venues?

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic was developing worse day after day with more than 5,000 newly infected patients in Tokyo last Thursday. The Games, from July 23 through August 8, all took place amid a state of emergency in Tokyo with all the athletes actually confined in the “bubble.” We truly enjoyed the Olympic Games but must take care of ourselves to avoid the fifth wave of the pandemic with more people getting vaccinated.

“Manny isn’t training this hard to say goodbye. It’s to prove he’s still here!”

Eight-division world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has no use for a rearview mirror, at least when it comes to his illustrious boxing career, so says his Hall of Fame trainer of 20 years, world-famous Freddie Roach. Today Manny, 42, begins his final week of training camp, at Hollywood, California-based Wild Card Boxing Club, for his August 21 challenge of undefeated unified WBC/IBF welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. Continue reading “Roach: PAC-Spence not a goodbye fight”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBO light middleweight champion Brian Castano would welcome defending the world 154 pound title against WBO#1 light middleweight Tim Tszyu in Australia if he is offered $10 million.

“If they have the $10 million, I will go to Australia swimming from Argentina and beat him in his own backyard, then take a flight back,” Castano told the Daily Telegraph. Continue reading “Castano: I’d swim to Australia to fight Tszyu”

Former IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a female worker at Bucks Rack City strip club in North Toledo, Ohio. According to police, Easter allegedly punched the 28-year-old woman, who lost consciousness, suffered a split lip and a chipped tooth.

Men

Super Heavyweight
Gold: Bakhodir Jalolov (Uzbekistan)
Silver: Richard Torrez Jr. (USA)
Bronze: Kamshybek Kunkabayev (Kazakhstan), Frazer Clarke (GB)

Heavyweight
Gold: Julio La Cruz (Cuba)
Silver: Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (Russia)
Bronze: David Nyika (NZ), Abner Teixeira (Brazil)

Light Heavyweight
Gold: Arlen Lopez (Cuba)
Silver: Benjamin Whittaker (GB)
Bronze: Alphonso Dominguez (Azerbaijan), Imam Khataev (Russia)

Middleweight
Gold: Herbert Sousa (Brazil)
Silver: Oleksandr Khyzhniak (Ukraine)
Bronze: Eumir Marcial (Philippines), Gleb Bakshi (Russia)

Welterweight
Gold: Roniel Iglesias (Cuba)
Silver: Pat McCormack (GB)
Bronze: Andrej Zamkovoi (Russia), Aiden Walsh (Ireland)

Lightweight
Gold: Andy Cruz (Cuba)
Silver: Keyshawn Davis (USA)
Bronze: Harry Garside (Australia), Hovhannes Bachkov (Armenia)

Featherweight
Gold: Albert Batyrgaziev (Russia)
Silver: Duke Ragan (USA)
Bronze: Samuel Takyi (Ghana), Lazaro Alvarez (Cuba)

Flyweight
Gold: Galla Yafai (GB)
Silver: Carlo Paalam (Philippines)
Bronze: Ryomei Tanaka (Japan), Saken Bibossinov (Kazakhstan)

Women

Middleweight
Gold: Lauren Price (GB)
Silver: Li Qian (China)
Bronze: Nouchka Fontijn (Holland), Zenfira Magomedalieva (Russia)

Welterweight
Gold: Busenaz Surmeneli (Turkey)
Silver: Hong Gu (China)
Bronze: Oshae Jones (USA), Lovlina Borgohain (India)

Lightweight
Gold: Kellie Anne Harrington (Ireland)
Silver: Beatriz Ferreira (Brazil)
Bronze: Sudaporn Seesondee (Thailand), Mira Potkonen (Finland)

Featherweight
Gold: Sena Irie (Japan)
Silver: Nesthy Petecio (Philippines)
Bronze: Karris Artingstall (Australia), Irma Testa (Italy)

Flyweight
Gold: Stoyka Krasteva (Bulgaria)
Silver: Buse Cakiroglu (Turkey)
Bronze: Hsiao-Wen Huang (Taiwan), Tsukimi Namiki (Japan)

In the final bout of the Tokyo Olympics, USA super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr lost a unanimous decision to Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan on Sunday in the Kokugikan Arena. Torrez won round one on three of the five cards. In round two, Torrez was deducted a point, plus was given an eight-count. Torrez needed a KO in the last round, but couldn’t get it. Torrez wins the silver. Three of the five USA men’s boxers won silver medals.

USA lightweight Keyshawn Davis dropped a close split decision to Cuban Andy Cruz in the gold medal match on Sunday in the Kokugikan Arena on the last day of the Tokyo Olympics. The bout was all even going into the last round which all five judges gave to Cruz. Davis gets the silver medal. Cuba secured its fourth boxing gold medal.

In a clash for the vacant WBA welterweight title, unbeaten Gabriel “Captain” Maestre (4-0, 3 KOs) took a close twelve round unanimous decision over 6’4 late sub Mykal Fox (22-3, 5 KOs) on Saturday night at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Maestre was able to recover from an early knockdown in round two that Fox scored with a blistering counter left hand that Maestre never saw coming.

“When I was knocked down, I didn’t see the punch coming,” said Maestre. “He didn’t really hurt me though so it was no problem to get up and keep going.” Continue reading “Maestre wins WBA interim welterweight title”

Prospect Robin “Grave Digger” Ellis (4-0, 4 KOs) stopped local journeyman Jorge Ballestros (4-20-3, 3 KOs) in round 2 of their scheduled for 8 round featherweight bout. The bout took place at the Gym Boxeo San Antonio de Palmito, in Sucre, Colombia. Ellis was aggressive from the start versus the more experienced Ballestros. The “Grave Digger” displayed his hand speed connecting with a variety of punishing rapid combinations to the head and body. Ballestros was game but the three minute onslaught of these punches had taken its toll and he did not answer the bell for round 2.

It was the second knockout for Ellis in 7 days having stopped former world title challenger Luis Carillo (18-18-1, 16 KOs) last Saturday at the Yolimar Hostal and Camping in Tolu, Sucre, Colombia. Ellis of Jamaican descent is from New York but resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is trained by Jeff Mayweather and managed by Andy Kim.

In an all-British clash for the vacant IBF featherweight title, Kid Galahad (28-1, 17 KOs) punished Jazza Dickens (30-4, 11 KOs) until the bout was stopped at the end of round eleven on Saturday night at Matchroom HQ in Brentwood, Essex, England. It was a savage beatdown.

Heavyweight Fabio Wardley (12-0, 11 KOs) defended his English title with a first round KO against Nick Webb (17-3, 13 KOs). Webb got off to a good start, but Wardley turned the tables and battered Webb to the deck at 2:30 to end it.

Popular heavyweight Alen “The Savage” Babic (8-0, 8 KOs) won by fifth round TKO against granite-jawed Mark Bennett (7-2, 1 KO). Babic, who gave up 62 pounds, punished Bennett the entire fight. The bout was finally stopped after round five.

Heavyweight Johnny Fisher (3-0, 3 KOs) kayoed Danny Whitaker (4-4, 0 KOs) in round two. Three knockdowns. Time was 1:08.

Popular Australian female bantamweight Ebanie Bridges (6-1, 3 KOs) returned to the UK to stop Bec Connolly (3-10, 0 KOs) in three rounds. Bridges dropped Connolly in round three and the bout was stopped moments later. Time was 1:22.

Courtesy Jim Jenkins, Sacramento Bee

Even without marquee participants, Sacramento’s once-robust boxing persona still has a pulse. Little formal advertising was needed for fight-starved fans, after a pandemic, to overflow a 1,000-plus-seat hotel venue Friday night.

Local welterweight David Melgoza (6-1), however, couldn’t completely sate their appetite, losing the main event by majority decision to Elias Diaz (11-0) of San Diego. The judges’ scores in the eight-round, no-knockdown match between unbeatens were 76-76, 78-74 and a puzzling 80-72 favoring Diaz, stronger in the home stretch. Continue reading “Sacramento Boxing Rebounds”