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The comeback of 38-year-old former WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring was derailed on Wednesday night at the 36ers Arena in Adelaide, Australia. Herring (24-5, 12 KOs), a 4:1 favorite entering the bout, lost by split decision to Jackson Jon England (16-3, 8 KOs). After ten tactical rounds, England edged out a 96-94, 96-94 win on two cards, with Herring prevailing 97-93 on the third card.

Unbeaten featherweight Neslan Machado has been added to Don King’s “The Quest for the best” fight cards at the Casino Miami Jai-Alai, on Saturday, April 27. Machado has put together a perfect 20-0 record with nine KOs. He will be fighting a 10-round special attraction in an evening featuring three regional championship bouts, topped by WBA Continental Americas middleweight champion Ian Green (18-2, 12 KOs) against Roy Barringer (10-4, 6 KOs).

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with undefeated, rising star and knockout artist Kurt Scoby (13-0, 11 KOs) as he returns to the ring Friday, April 19th, against veteran Dakota Linger (13-6-3, 9 KOs) as the main event on DAZN. Scoby talked about his rough upbringing in Southern California and how he used boxing and football to stay out of trouble. Scoby shared his admiration for his promoter, hall of famer Lou DiBella, plus sparring Jaime Munguia and much more in this exclusive interview.

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By Mauricio Sulaimán
Son of José Sulaimán / WBC President

This past weekend, the first boxing card broadcast by Amazon and its Prime Video platform took place.

Spectacular boxing card unlike anything seen in a long time. My memories took me to that golden era when Don King created wondrous galas, with three, four, and even five world championship fights on the same card. Very similar last Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena, and the World Boxing Council was present with three memorable battles. A thrilling crescendo. Continue reading “Amazon’s Prime Video era in boxing has begun”

Junior welterweight standout Jimerr Espinosa (15-2, 14 KOs) looks to regain his career momentum when he takes on Angel Martinez (15-3-2, 14 KOs) this Saturday, April 6 in the 10-round main event at Sala Urbana in Naucalpan, Mexico. Espinosa-Martinez and undercard action will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.

Espinosa is a 26-year-old puncher who went 11-0 with 10 knockouts before a December 2021 defeat against Jonathan Escobedo Martinez. He rebounded with a four-fight knockout streak before a split decision loss to U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson in December. Martinez, boasting the same number of knockouts as Espinosa, returns following a unanimous decision loss to David Moreno Potrero last April.

Ryan Shaw 115.4 vs. Andre Donovan 115.4
Erick Arellano 212.6 vs. Raphael Carolina 223
Vladyslav Sirenko 256.6 vs. Deon Ronnie Hale 307.2
Chiara Dituri 129.4 vs. Cara McLaughlin 125.6
Lindsey Ellis 133.8 vs. Shaniqua Frazier 130
Dijibril Diakite 163.8 vs. Michael Lemelle 168

Venue: Troubadour Nashville
Promoter: Jimmy Adams Promotions
TV: USA Today Network, and USA Today Sports Network; Trillerr.TV (Marc Abrams and Albert Haynesworth on the Call)
1st Bell 7PM CT (8 PM ET)

Two-time world champion Oscar Valdez stopped Liam Wilson to earn the WBO interim 130lb title last Friday night in Phoenix. Current WBO junior lightweight champion Emmanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete is moving up to fight Denys Berinchyk for the vacant WBO lightweight title on May 18. If Navarrete wins and elects to stay at lightweight, Valdez is expected to be elevated to full champion status.

So what’s in store for Valdez next?

“Just a nice rest for now,” manager Frank Espinoza stated. “He deserves it. In due time we’ll sit with our team and discuss his future. Oscar is going to keep surprising the boxing public. He still has plenty of boxing legs. He’s an exciting fighter to watch because he’ll give you everything he has and that’s why he has such a great following.”

Photos: Sumio Yamada

Check out this GIANT Valdez-Wilson photo gallery for some incredible shots + the scorecard + action from the Estrada-Valle fight.

Photos

By Ron Jackson

Jan Kies, one of South Africa’s most exciting fighters in the 1970s and a former South African middleweight champion, passed away over the weekend. He was 76. Continue reading “Former SA middleweight champion dies at 76”

Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) will defend his WBC super flyweight title against Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday June 29, live worldwide on DAZN. Estrada, 33, steps back through the ropes to defend the title for the first time after beating old foe Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in December 2022. Bam, 24, returns after dismantling Sunny Edwards in a flyweight unification in December 2023.

Juan Francisco Estrada: “After my last victory against Chocolatito we took a good break and was able to spend quality time with my family and my kids and heal an injury I was dealing with. I will be more than ready since I know Rodriguez is a dangerous fighter, but in June it will be clear that there’s is plenty of ‘Gallo’ excitement to come.”

Jesse Rodriguez: “Fighting for my fourth world title against a legend like ‘Gallo’ is huge. This is a fight I’ve been wanting for a while and I’m ready to prove myself once again. On June 29, you guys will see another special performance. And the new!”

Sampson Lewkowicz, the sole promoter of brand-new unified WBC and WBO 154-pound world champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora, wishes to clarify his position on a potential Fundora rematch with now former champ and previously unbeaten Tim Tszyu.

“We were all so eager to make this fight that many of our agreements were made verbally. There wasn’t enough time,” explained Lewkowicz. “But I wish to make it clear that Team Fundora will honor the agreement. My word is always equal to a signed contract. Tim Tszyu, your rematch is ready when you are.”

Lewkowicz says the Fundora vs. Tszyu rematch will happen, with the only deciding factor being if Tszyu would like to do it immediately or if he prefers the fighters take an interim fight each beforehand.

“It all depends on Tim Tszyu,” said Lewkowicz. “If he doesn’t take the rematch, we will take the WBO mandatory or Spence, whatever the WBO says, but the first priority is the rematch with Tim Tszyu.”

The WBO Championships Committee has ordered the camps of newly crowned WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and two-division unified champion Terence Crawford to reach an agreement to fight within 20 days. If no deal is reached, a purse bid will be ordered.

The Committee sanctioned Tszyu-Fundora with the stipulation that the winner must fight Crawford within 180 days.

Unbeaten junior welterweight Richardson Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) says he’s on the road to superstardom and will ram that home with a dazzling performance when he takes on Gustavo Lemos (29-0, 19 KOs) in a final eliminator for the IBF title  at Bleaulive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Saturday, live worldwide on DAZN.

“I think I am a star already and superstar status comes with me promoting myself, making the best of my opportunities and getting to that superstar status,” said Hitchins. “My name is buzzing already as if I am a World champion, people put me in these fantasy fights like ‘I want to see Richardson Hitchins vs. Devin Haney, vs. Subriel Matias’ and this is just in a year that I’ve been with Matchroom. Once I’ve had a little bit of exposure to the boxing fans, my name is on the scene, so I feel like slowly but surely, people are seeing my talent and that will turn me into the superstar that I want to be once I get my hands on the World championships and big fights. Continue reading “Hitchins: I’m ready to become a superstar”

WBO #6, WBA #11, IBF #12, WBC #15 rated Fabio Wardley (17-0-1, 16 KOs) and 2020 Olympic superheavy bronze medalist Frazer “Big Fraze” Clarke (8-0-1, 6 KOs) battled to an epic draw on Easter Sunday at the O2 Arena in London. The early rounds featured good exchanges with both fighters taking punishment. Wardley hurt Clarke in round five and dropped him with a barrage of punches right at the bell. Clarke was deducted a point for a low blow in round seven. Nose damage to Wardley seemed to take its toll as the momentum shifted to Clarke. The bout was temporarily stopped in round for the ring doctor to check Wardley’s mess of a nose and closing right eye. Both fought hard down the stretch. In the end, scores were 114-113 Wardley, 115-112 Clarke and 113-113. Great fight!

Now fighting at heavyweight, all-action Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (12-1, 11 KOs) scored a brutal sixth round TKO over Steve Robinson (6-3, 4 KOs) in a fan-friendly fire fight on Easter Sunday at the O2 Arena in London. A fusillade of Babic punches prompted a stoppage by referee Sean McAvoy at :54. It was Babic’s first fight since a bridgerweight title defeat against Lukasz Rozanski 12 months ago.

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https://www.youtube.com/live/DF0Ftef6j9o?si=4HdeAZZzfED08Ttj&t=1423

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Welterweight Chris Kongo (15-2, 7 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Florian Marku (13-1-1, 8 KOs). Kongo took Marku to school, winning 96-94, 96-93, 98-92. Marku was deducted a point for hitting behind the head in round nine.

Olympic silver medalist and world class showboater Ben Whittaker (7-0, 5 KOs) dropped Leon Willings (7-2, 2 KOs) in round one, but was forced to go the full eight in a light heavyweight bout. Score was 78-73.

Other Results:
Callum Simpson KO4 Dulla Mbabe (super middleweight)
Viddal Riley W10 Mikael Lawal (cruiserweight)

Middleweight Ryan Young (16-5, 11 KOs) of Oakville, ON upset fellow Canadian and previously unbeaten Antonio Napolitano (8-1-1, 4 KOs) of St. Catharines ON by ten round majority decision. Young claimed the NCC Canadian middleweight title. The site of the event was the Hamilton Convention Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

“The crowd was electric with another sell out event,” said promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions (TLP). “Although a few fights didn’t go our way, they were matched perfectly giving the fans exactly what they deserve. We will be announcing our next show in the days to come.” Continue reading “Young upsets Napolitano in Hamilton”

By Joe Koizumi

Filipino sharpshooter Melvin Jerusalem (22-3, 12 KOs), 104.25, dethroned WBC minimumweight champ Yudai Shigeoka (8-1, 5 KOs), 105, as he floored the Japanese titleholder twice with very well-timed right counters in rounds two and six, winning a split decision (114-112 twice for him, 113-114 against him) over twelve hard-fought rounds on Sunday in Nagoya, Japan.

Jerusalem, 30, once displayed a trick here by scoring a one-punch second-round stoppage over WBO ruler Masataka Taniguchi in January of the previous year. It was a see-saw affair, but Melvin’s two knockdowns paid off in wresting the belt from the game but rough champ. The open scoring system read: all 38-37 for the challenger after the fourth, and 77-73 twice for Melvin and 75-75 after the eighth. Yudai, 26, desperately attempted to score with big shots in the last four sessions, but it was Melvin that saved his lead on points to seize the world belt again here.

Promoter: KWORLD3 (AKA Kameda) Promotions.

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten Japanese southpaw IBF 105-pound champion Ginjiro Shigeoka (11-0-1NC, 9 KOs), 105, impressively kept his belt as he quickly sank IBF#6 Filipino Jake Amparo (14-6-1, 3 KOs), 104.5, with a single left hook to the belly for the count at 1:15 of the second round on Sunday in Nagoya, Japan. Originally ArAr Andales was scheduled to challenge Ginjiro, but the Filipino collapsed probably due to his severe reduction of weight to be unable just six days before the title bout. It was fortunate that Jake Amparo, another Filipino, became an emergency substitute and arrived here in Japan several days before the show. Amparo, former WBO AP champ, had been reportedly training well, but Shigeoka’s well-timed left to the lever resulted in a effective haymaker.

Former WBO bantam champ Tomoki Kameda (41-4, 23 KOs), 126, halted Mexican Kevin Villanueva (22-5-3, 15 KOs), 126, at the end of the fifth round in a scheduled ten. Villanueva quit on the stool after his continual absorption of punishment from the outset.

WBC#29 bridgerweight Alexandru Jur (21-5, 8 KOs), 221.75, from Romania, floored previously unbeaten Japanese heavyweight champ WBC#23 Mitsuhiro Brandon Tajima (10-1, 8 KOs), 224, with a well-timed right uppercut in round two and pounded out a unanimous decision (all 79-72) over eight. Jur was too skillful and accurate for Tajima, who couldn’t catch up with the Romanian with a good left hand.

Japanese middleweight champ Riku Kunimoto (11-1, 5 KOs), 160, kept his national belt as he stopped Eiki Kani (8-4-3, 4 KOs), 159.75, at 1:53 of the sixth round in a scheduled ten.

Promoter: KWORLD3 Promotions.

6’6 Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) won a bloody twelve round split decision over previously undefeated WBO super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) to take Tszyu’s WBO title and claim the vacant WBC title on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tszyu repeatedly connected with hard right hands against the much taller Fundora early on. The bout changed when Tszyu suffered a bad gash on the top of his head when he inadvertently dipped into Fundora’s elbow at the end of round two. Fundora was also busted up, but Tszyu had the worst of it and his corner couldn’t stop the bleeding. Tyszu had blood dripping into his left eye for the rest of the fight. Fundora kept Tszyu at the end of his jab and pulled ahead. Scores were 116-112 Tszyu, 116-112, 115-113 Fundora.

Former super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) outboxed and frustrated previously unbeaten WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen “Feroz” Goulamirian (27-1, 19 KOs) over twelve rounds on Saturday night at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. Ramirez never let Goulamirian get untracked en route to a 118-110 3x.

Former WBO #1 welterweight contender Alexis “Lex” Rocha (24-2, 16 KOs) returned to stop Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (30-5, 22 KOs) with a TKO win. Rocha was credited with a knockdown in round six when he sent Lawson into the ropes. Rocha nearly got a referee’s stoppage in round seven and Lawson’s corner stopped it after the round.

Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) overpowered and dethroned WBA super lightweight champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero (15-2, 13 KOs) getting an eighth round referee’s stoppage on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Cruz had Romero on spaghetti legs in round one. Cruz continued to pressure Romero with a relentless attack. Rolly was deducted a point for excessive holding in round five. Cruz rocked Romero again in round seven and Rolly barely got out of the round. The bout was stopped in round eight when Cruz hurt Rolly again.

WBA middleweight champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (30-3-3, 17 KOs) made quick work of WBA #1 rated Michael Zerafa (31-5, 19 KOs) on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In round one, 40-year-old Lara connected with a straight left that dropped Zerafa, who barely beat the count but then collapsed into the ropes. Time was 2:59.

WBC flyweight champion Julio César “El Rey” Martínez (21-3, 15 KOs) kept his title by twelve round majority against previously unbeaten WBC #14 Angelino Cordova (18-1-1, 12 KOs on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Martinez dropped Cordova twice in round three with hard jabs. Cordova gave Martinez some problems in the ensuing rounds, but Martinez landed the more damaging punches. Cordova ran the final round and it cost him. Scores were 113-113, 114-112, 114-112.

In a clash for the vacant WBC interim super welterweight title, Serhii “El Flaco” Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) won a twelve round unanimous decision over Brian “La Bala” Mendoza (22-4, 16 KOs) on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Bocachuk pressed the action and progressively built up a lead against the iron-jawed Mendoza. Mendoza rallied late, but it was too little, too late. Scores were 118-110, 117-111, 117-111.

By Joe Koizumi

There happened many unexpected troubles and inconveniences in today’s world title doubleheader in Nagoya, Japan, but the final cards are as follows:

WBC minimumweight champion Yudai Shigeoka (8-0, 5 KOs), 105, will put his belt on the line against ex-WBO titleholder Melvin Jerusalem (21-3, 12 KOs), 104.5, over twelve.

IBF minimumweight titlist Ginjiro Shigeoka (10-0-1NC, 5 KOs), 105, will defend his title against a Filipino emergency substitute Jake Amparo (14-5-1, 3 KOs), 104.5, over twelve.

It will be presented by KWORLD3 (AKA Kameda) Promotions.