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Tickets for the rematch between WBC/WBA middleweight world champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) and Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) on September 15 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will go on sale Tuesday, July 3 at 10AM PT. Prices are $5,000, $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, $800, $700, $500 and $300. There will be a limit of 8 per person at the $5,000, $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, $800 and $700 price levels with a limit of two (2) per person at the $500 and $300 price levels.

But here’s the scoop. You can grab better seats by buying your tickets before the general public. Starting TODAY at 10AM PT, go to www.axs.com and use the secret presale code which you’ll never guess in a million years. The secret code is GGG. We’re told the promo code CANELO also works.

By Boxing Bob Newman

If there is one debate in boxing in which I don’t involve myself, it is arguing who would’ve won between fighters of different eras. The argument can’t ever be proven, at least not based on scientific statistics…and I’m a science guy. Prove me wrong with facts and you win the argument.

Well now, thanks to the efforts of Bob Canobbio and Lee Groves of Compubox, maybe that argument is one in which I could eventually engage. Muhammad Ali: By the Numbers takes a never before seen quantitatively analytical view at the career of “The Greatest.” It’s Modern Science meets the Golden Age of the Sweet Science. Continue reading “Muhammad Ali: By the Numbers”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

WBO #11 cruiserweight Jai Opetaia (16-0, 13 KOs) stopped Kurtis Pegoraro (11-4, 1 KO) in round two of a scheduled ten round IBF and WBO regional title bout at the Pullman hotel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on Friday. Referee Phil Austin called it off at 1:25 of round two when Pegoraro was dropped with a body shot. Opetaia, 22 Years, is a 2011 world amateur champion and a 2012 London Olympian.

Formerly WBA rated welterweight Cameron Hammond (17-1, 9 KOs) stopped Aphichat Koedchatturat (2-26-2, 0 KOs) in round two of a scheduled six. Referee Tony Kettlewell crowned Hammond at 1:50. Hammond is a London 2012 Olympic Representative. Continue reading “WBO #11 Opetaia victorious”

By John DiSanto at ringside
Photos: Darryl Cobb Jr.

In the main event, Los Angeles flyweight Carlos Maldonado, 11-2, 7 KOs, spoiled the homecoming of North Philly’s Miguel Cartagena, 15-5-1, 6 KOs, by winning a split decision in their eight round bout. After about four years on the road, Miguel returned to the area for this career reboot assignment, and although I had him up by a point after eight rounds, he faded in the final two sessions and let the victory slip away. The fight was very competitive. On my card, the fighters split the first four rounds before Cartagena won the fifth and sixth. However, Maldonado rallied in the final two rounds and punctuated his performance by scoring a knockdown in the eighth. However, Maldonado won the fight by consensus of the three official scorers. Each fighter claimed a 76-75 score, but the tie was broken by the third score of 77-74 for Maldonado. Continue reading “Maldonado surprises Cartagena in Philly”

Unbeaten Boston welterweight contender Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (20-0, 13 KOs) hammered out a ten round unanimous decision against rugged Panamanian Alberto “Metralleta” Mosquera (25-3-2, 16 KOs) on Friday night at the Oasis Arena in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Scores were 97-92, 98-91, 98-91. Ellis was deducted a point for a low blow in round nine.

Super bantamweight Francisco “Panchito” Horta (17-3-1, 10 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision over a very game David Reyes (17-5-1, 6 KOs). Good action fight. Reyes was deducted a point in round four for a headbutt. Scores were 79-72, 78-73, 80-72.

In an upset, unheralded featherweight Hiram Gallardo (7-2-1, 1 KO) scored a six round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten KO artist Eduardo Nunez (10-1, 10 KOs). Nunez was deducted a point for a low blow and Gallardo closed with a flurry, but Nunez also had a big advantage in power shots. Scores were 57-56, 57-56, 58-55 for Gallardo.

Photos: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Gilberto Ramirez 167 vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo 167.2
(WBO super middleweight title)

Alex Saucedo 139.6 vs. Lenny Zappavigna 139.4
Robson Conceicao 130 vs. Guavino Guaman 127.8
Mike Alvarado 142.2 vs. Martin Martinez 143.2
Trey Lippe Morrison 230.8 vs. Byron Polley 276.8
Mikaela Mayer 131.2 vs. Sheena Kaine 130.8
Christopher Zavala 127 vs. Tyler Pacheco 127.2
Aaron Morales 118.2 vs. David Martino 118.4

Venue: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: ESPN

Photos

Joe Smith Jr. 179 vs. Melvin Russell 177
Kali Reis 144 vs. Paty Ramirez 146.5
Anthony Laureano 138.25 vs. Juan De La Cruz Rodriguez 139.5
Wendy Toussaint 151.5 vs. Andy Gonzalez 150.75
Joe Farina 150 vs. Steve Moore 149
Larry Gleeson 146.25 vs. Anthony Woods 150
Cassius Chaney 246 vs. Elder Hernandez 250
William Foster 131.75 vs. Tyrome Jones 131

Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena, in Uncasville, Connecticut
Promoter: Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing

WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder sat down for an exclusive video interview with Brendan Schaub for the SHOWTIME Sports digital talk show Below The Belt where the American champion opens up about the contentious negotiation process for a unification fight with IBF, WBA and WBO Champion Anthony Joshua.

“It’s 50-50 straight across,” Wilder said during the interview that taped Thursday in Los Angeles. “I am not accepting no flat fee… I am done with that.”

Michael Conlan 127.5 vs. Adeilson Dos Santos 126.6
Jack Catterall 139.8 vs. Tyrone McKenna 139.6
Jono Carroll 129.2 vs. Declan Geraghty 129.5
Tyrone McCullagh 121.6 vs. Joe Ham 121.2
Johnny Coyle 141 vs. Lewis Benson 141.3

Venue: SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Promoter: Frank Warren
TV: ESPN+ (USA), BT Sport (UK)

Pedro Campa 142 vs. Domicio Rondon 142
Joshua Martinez 117 vs. Daniel Argueta 115
Sergio Sanchez 127 vs. Abel A. Garcia 126.3
Cesar Soriano 137 vs. Arturo Bustamante 136
Dwayne Beamon 115 vs. Joel Córdova 115

Venue: Gimnasio de Trabajadores del Sindicato del Metro, Mexico City
Promoter: Zanfer
TV: TV Azteca (Mexico), beIN Sports Español (USA)

Manny Pacquiao is gunning for one of four world titles at stake against WBA champion Lucas Matthysse in the “Fight of Champions” roadshow that promises to electrify the Kuala Lampur’s Axiata Arena on July 15 from start to finish. Playing the unlikely role as challenger in an inspired bid to win an unprecedented 11th world title, the only eight-weight division boxing champion Pacquiao (59-7-2, 36 KOs), is training to dethrone the dangerous Matthysse of Argentina (39-4, 36 KOs).

The World Boxing Association has recently ordered for Jhack Tepora of the Philippines (21-0, 16 KOs) to fight Edivaldo “Indio” Ortega of Mexico (26-1-1, 12 KOs), for the vacant “regular” WBA featherweight title. Continue reading “Pacquiao-Matthysse full card announced”

We reported this a while back, but today Comosa AG officially announced a date and venue for the spectacular World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final and unification bout between Aleksandr Usyk (14-0, 11 KOs) and Murat Gassiev (26-0, 19 KOs), one of the most anticipated boxing match-ups in years, has been confirmed for Saturday July 21 at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex in Moscow, Russia. The winner will be the first cruiserweight ever to unify the titles in the four-belt era.

Aleksandr Usyk: “I am once again traveling to the territory of the rival. I did it with success in the quarter- and semi-final and now I am going to Moscow to win!”

Murat Gassiev: “I was ready to fight Usyk anywhere in the world. I am sure Usyk and I will make a great fight. The winner takes it all!”

Plans to hold the final of the inaugural season in May had to be revised after Usyk declared that he had sustained an elbow injury during his training camp. The injury was checked by Comosa approved medical staff who agreed with the extent of the injury and recovery timeframe. This meant that the cruiserweight final date, and therefore venue, had to be moved.

The Illinois State Athletic Commission and the World Boxing Organization are conducting a training seminar for professional boxing officials on June 30, 2018 at the Garfield Park – Golden Dome, 100 N. Central Park Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60624 starting at 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Judges Training will be conducted by Glenn Feldman and Mike Fitzgerald. Referees Training will be conducted by Celestino Ruiz and Geno Rodriguez. Topics to be covered in this multidisciplinary and interactive format seminar include refereeing, judging, rules, professionalism and ethics. Space is limited, so to reserve a seat, please email your intent to attend and your contact information to Nancy Illg and Joel Campuzano of the Illinois State Athletic Commission: [email protected] and [email protected].

Promoter Eddie Hearn says the offer is still good for WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder to fight WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua…in April 2019. “The contract is still live, it’s still valid, it’s sitting on your manager’s desk,” Hearn told Wilder via Sky Sports. “Apparently you only had two minor comments that you couldn’t even send us, so send them now, or sign the contract and we will sign the contract before your ink is dry.”

Hearn continued, “So stop fooling the fans, and ask the fans and the media to put pressure on Deontay Wilder, because if you really want this fight, it’s still there, sign it. April 13th at Wembley Stadium, Deontay Wilder can give the fans what they want, so don’t worry about us, certainly don’t worry about Anthony Joshua, he will fight any man.”

Miguel Cartagena 112.6 vs. Carlos Maldonado 112.8
Anthony Prescott 151.6 vs. Isaiah Wise 155.1
Marcel Rivers 145.2 vs. Mike Crain 143.4
Victor Vasquez 136.6 vs. Vinnie Denierio 138.9
Nyrome Lynch 136.9 vs. Gerardo Martinez 137.5
Aldofo Serrano 131.1 vs. Christofer Burgos 134.6
Kieran Hooks 140.1 vs. Sharif Hones 140.7
Emmanuel Rodriguez 117.2 vs. Ndira Spearman 117.3

Venue: Parx Casino
Promoter: Joe Hand Promotions

Photos: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

The fighters sat on a podium atop the floor where the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder play, discussing Saturday’s ESPN-televised card at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The main event will see WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (37-0, 25 KOs) defending his title against Alexis Angulo (23-0, 20 KOs).

Gilberto Ramirez: “Angulo is going to be a tough opponent. I expect a tough fight from him. He seems like a great fighter. His record proves it. From what I know, he’s a big puncher, and I know that he will try to knock me out. I’m going to try and knock him out, too. He doesn’t have a loss on his record, but he will on Saturday.”

Alexis Angulo: “I don’t feel like he has any advantages. We both have two legs. We both have two arms. We both have two eyes. We are equals, and anything can happen when you get in the ring. It has been my dream to fight for a world title, and now the opportunity is here. Gilberto Ramirez is a great champion, but my time is now.” Continue reading “Zurdo-Angulo Final Press Conference”

Rashidi Ellis 147 vs. Alberto Mosquera 147
Francisco Horta 122 vs. David Reyes 122.8
Eduardo Nunez 127.6 vs. Hiram Gallardo 125.6
Carlos Licona 110.6 vs. Jose Ramirez 110.6
Eric Gamboa 118.8 vs. Jose Lopez 116.2
Luis Salamanca 139.4 vs. Jose Aguilar 139.2
Simon Madsen 158.2 vs. Pascual Mendoza TBA
Calex Castro 128.6 vs. Israel Castillo 127.8

Venue: Gran Oasis Arena, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Promoter: Golden Boy Promotions
TV: ESPN2

Super featherweight Andrew “El Chango” Cancio (18-4-2, 14 KOs) will return to the ring in a 10-round fight against contender Dardan Zenunaj (14-4, 11 KOs) in the main event of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN on Aug. 17 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the fights. Cancio, who recently re-signed with Golden Boy Promotions, is coming off a TKO victory against then-undefeated prospect Aida Sharibayev. He also has victories against former world title challengers Rocky Juarez and Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes and Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado. Zenunaj is a former NABO Super Featherweight champion.

Popular Japanese slugger Yoshihiro “Corazon de Acero” Kamegai (27-4-2, 24 KOs) will return in the 10-round co-main event in the 154-pound division. Opponent is TBA.

Tomorrow, undefeated super featherweight contender Jon Fernandez (15-0, 13 KOs), of Bilbao, Spain, clashes with battle-tested Nicaraguan veteran Henry Maldonado (20-6, 14 KOs), in a bout scheduled for eight rounds, at Pabellon Camilo Cano, in La Nucia, Spain. Currently riding a 13-bout knockout streak, the all-action Fernandez was brimming with confidence on the eve of the showdown.

“Maldonado has a lot of very good experience. He’s fought a number of great fighters, but we’ve had a terrific training camp and I’m ready for victory,” said the 22-year-old Fernandez.

Fernandez turned heads in the United States last year with two stunning knockouts televised on SHOWTIME and looks to return later this year. Continue reading “Fernandez returns tomorrow night”

After more than a decade of Co-Promoting 2008 US Olympian Demetrius Andrade together, Star Boxing & Banner Promotions have announced that they have officially released Demetrius Andrade from his long-term promotional agreement. Star Boxing and Banner Promotions signed Andrade out of the Olympics 10 years ago and have promoted him since. Under their guidance, Andrade became the first fighter from the 2008 US Olympic team to win a World Championship and ultimately became a two-time, undefeated world champion while being co-promoted by Star Boxing and Banner Promotions. Continue reading “Andrade released from promotional agreement”

Gold-star women’s bantamweight prospect Elena Savelyeva (4-0, 3 KOs) of Russia will return to the ring on Friday, July 13, in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, for an eight-round showdown against current #10 IBF and #11 WBC contender Nina Radovanovic (12-2, 3 KOs) of Serbia.

Formerly one of the most decorated female amateur boxers in the world, Savelyeva is being fast-tracked by her co-promoters, Salita Promotions and Russia-based Alexander Nevskiy Promotion Group. Radovanovic is a two-time world-title challenger, whose only two losses occurred in world-championship fights.

“Even though I only have four professional fights, I want to fight the best and show the boxing world my skills,” said Savelyeva, a former world, European (2X) and Russian (6X) amateur champion, who represented her homeland in the 2012 Summer Olympics and competed in the first-ever women’s Olympic boxing match in history. Continue reading “Savelyeva faces Radovanovic July 13”

Amir Khan will face Samuel Vargas at Arena Birmingham on September 8. Khan is back in action following his blistering return to the ring in April destroying Phil Lo Greco in just 39 seconds after nearly two years out of action.

The former unified super-lightweight ruler is setting his sights on welterweight world honors this year and steps up that pursuit in Birmingham when he meets Canadian based Colombian Vargas, the 29-year-old ranked number 10 in the WBA and having shared the ring with current IBF king Errol Spence and Khan’s old foe Danny Garcia.

“One of my aims this year was to be as active as possible so I’m very happy to get back in the ring again so soon against Samuel Vargas,” said Khan. Continue reading “Amir Khan opponent named: Samuel Vargas”

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has issued an open letter to his fans via social media.

Dear boxing fans

Well, I tried…

I tried to give you guys the biggest fight of your lives. The most exciting fight in world history. The first undisputed, undefeated, WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF unified heavyweight champion of the world since Lewis.

They tried too you know…

They asked for jungle deep numbers just to get out of the fight not knowing we were hustlers so we served ’em (The Money’s In Da Bag).

Just like a game of spades…what he do?

That Nicca Renig!! smdh

Just told a bold face lie, he’s not a stand-up guy.

Instead, he wanted to fight in his country.

“I respect that”

They offered me a “flat fee” crack head money, something that’s equivalent to a pack of peanuts + loaf bread & a jar of honey!! Continue reading “Wilder: They offered me flat-fee crackhead money”

The IBF super lightweight Championship will be contested between Anthony Yigit and his IBF Mandatory Ivan Baranchyk in one of the quarter-finals of the World Boxing Super Series after both fighters entered the tournament.

26-year-old Yigit (21-0-1, 7 KOs) from Sweden competed at the London 2012 Olympics losing by a single point to eventual silver medallist Denys Berinchyk. He is the EBU European Super-Lightweight Champion and IBF Mandatory and is now bringing his explosive and entertaining style to the World Boxing Super Series.

“It’s a great opportunity and I’m honored to have been chosen to fight among the best in the division,” said Yigit. Continue reading “WBSS adds Yigit-Baranchyk IBF clash”

IBF #2 heavyweight Kubrat Pulev is ready to face IBF #3 rated contender, Jarrell Miller from Brooklyn, NY. “I’m happy to welcome Jerrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller to Bulgaria. It will be an opportunity to showcase this exciting heavyweight matchup between us in front of grateful boxing fans,” Pulev announced via Twitter.

On June 25, 2017, Epic Sports & Entertainment won the IBF purse bid for the heavyweight elimination bout between Pulev and Miller with a whopping bid of $2,111,111. The next highest bidder, Sauerland Events, placed their offer at $1,000,010, less than 50% of Epic’s bid.

Epic had also won the previous IBF purse bid on May 24, 2018 for the Pulev vs. Dillian Whyte bout with a bid of over $1.5 million, but Whyte and his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, ended up pulling out and signing to fight Joseph Parker. Earlier in the year, on March 12, 2018, the IBF had ordered a heavyweight elimination bout between Pulev and Dominic Breazeale, but Breazeale too ultimately refused to fight Pulev. Continue reading “Pulev Ready for Big Baby”