Fightnews.com

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

We had a very sad week, because three very dear people departed ahead us on the path of no return.

• Dr. Manuel Mondragón’s beloved wife, Martha, is resting in peace.
• Lennox Lewis’ Mum, Violet, has passed away.
• Gloria Mercante, wife of the legendary referee, Arthur Mercante, is also now resting in peace.

May God comfort these three unforgettable ladies in His Holy Glory.

Our annual Convention in Uzbekistan was a resounding success, and ongoing work is being done on the action plan to circulate to all WBC members from the 176 affiliated countries. Continue reading “A Great Work Plan for 2024”

WBO #1 junior middleweight Josh Kelly will now face Colombian KO artist Placido Ramirez (24-3, 17 KOs) when he returns home to fight at the Beacon of Light in Sunderland, England on December 16, live on DAZN. Kelly was due to face Roarke Knapp but an injury has forced the South African out of their 154lb showdown .

Also, the IBF world middleweight title eliminator between Denis Radovan and Andrei Mikhailovich has been postponed. A muscle injury to Radovan means he won’t be able to fight on the 16th. The bout was due to act as the co-main event with the winner landing a shot at IBF/WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly.

Undisputed female featherweight champion Amanda Serrano announced on social media that she has vacated her WBC title due to the WBC not allowing three-minute rounds or twelve-rounders in women’s boxing. Serrano wrote:

I love boxing. I have given my life to this sport. No phone, no boyfriend, no parties. Just boxing.

I am the only boxer, male or female, from Puerto Rico to become undisputed champion. I am the only female boxer to have won titles in 7 divisions. I am the first female boxer, along with Katie to headline Madison Sqaure Garden. I am the first female boxer to make 7 figures from a fight and the same from sponsors. Continue reading “Amanda Serrano vacates WBC title”

Photos: Scott Foster

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing is underway at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, for the seven male weight classes.

Photos

58-year-old Scot England may be the oldest welterweight to make his pro boxing debut when he fights 23-year-old Jashawn Hunter (0-6) on Tuesday night in Nashville. This will be a sanctioned pro bout and not an exhibition. *England was listed as 59 in a press release, but he’s actually 58.

Scot England 141 vs. Jashawn Hunter 142.8
Charles Dale 197.4 vs. Dionardo Minor 199.8
Marklin Bailry 139.8 vs. Keason Freeman 140.2
Aaron Cypress 186 vs. Charles Lynch 181.6
Erick Arellano 225.8 vs. Armando Reeves 205.8
Iman Lee 132 vs. Weusi Johnson 128
Aaron Lopez 139.2 vs. Ernest Walls 139.6

Venue: Texas Troubadour, Nashville, Tennessee
Promoter: Jimmy Adams Promotions
TV: Fite.tv (Marc Abrams and Albert Haynesworth on the call)
1st Bell 7PM CT (8 PM ET)

Unbeaten welterweights Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (12-0, 7 KOs) and Kenny “Lionheart” Larson (7-0-1, 5 KOs) collide in a ten-rounder for the vacant junior North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title on Saturday at the famed Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. The action will be streamed live on PPV via BXNGTV.com

Other fights on the Granite Chin Promotions card include local light heavyweight favorite Kendrick “Peppa” Ball, Jr. (21-1-3, 12 KOs) matched against Heber Rondon (20-5, 13 KOs) in an eight-rounder, and local junior middleweight Khiary “Too Sharp” Gray (17-6, 13 KOs) against Jimmy “The Quiet Storm” Williams (18-13-2, 6 KOs) in a sixth-round bout.

Former WBC featherweight champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo (24-2, 16, KOs) returns to the ring Saturday against
Isacc Avelar (17-6, 10 KOs) in an eight-rounder at Infinite Reality Studios in Long Beach, California, formerly known as Thunder Studios. Magsayo is now fighting at junior lightweight.

“Coach Marvin (Somodio) and I have been working on numerous parts of my game,” said Magsayo. “For instance, we are starting to pace ourselves better. I feel I’ll be stronger going into the later rounds with all the specialized conditioning we’ve been doing. Moving up to junior lightweight will make a big difference making weight, I’ll be a lot stronger in this division. It’s been a great training camp and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Having campaigned long in Mexico and returned to his native land three years ago, Shoki Sakai (29-13-3, 15 KOs), 146.5, barely kept his Japanese welterweight belt as he eked out a close but unanimous decision (95-94, 96-93 twice) over fast-moving southpaw Seeser Minagawa (4-2, 1 KO), 146.75, over ten hard-fought rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Minagawa, whose university amateur mark was 70-17, revealed his puzzling lefty style, and occasionally confused the still stiff defending champ. Sakai, however, decked him with a solid right in round three, which eventually carried him to a close victory. The fourth saw a bad head collision, which opened wide gashes on both contestants so that it became a bloody affair since then. Seeser utilized southpaw left uppercuts to have the champ lose his equilibrium in rounds seven and eight, but that wasn’t enough to overcome his early deficits on points. Continue reading “Sakai edges Minagawa, keeps Japan 147lb belt”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten JBC#4 light-fly prospect Kyosuke Takami (5-0, 4 KOs), 109, decked an important victory over WBC#15 ex-OPBF titlist Lito Dante (21-12-4, 12 KOs), 106.75, by a unanimous decision (79-73, 80-72 twice) over eight rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. They kept swapping punches all the way with Takami, 21, having an upper hand with his aggressiveness against the 33-year-old tricky Filipino veteran. Continue reading “Unbeaten Takami defeats WBC#15 Dante”

WBC #1 rated cruiserweight Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1, 19 KOs) scored a first round TKO over #8 Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola (43-10, 40 KOs) in a WBC eliminator on Saturday night at the Emera Centre Stadium in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. Rozicki rocked the 43-year-old Durodola and unleashed a barrage of punches that prompted a quick referee’s stoppage. Time was 1:47. Rozicki is now the official mandatory challenger to face newly crowned WBC cruiserweight world champion Noel Mikaelyan.

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya confirmed tonight that super middleweights Jaime Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) and John Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs) will collide January 27 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. DAZN will televise.

In a bout fought at a 143lb catch weight, fan favorite Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) outclassed and stopped Oscar “La Migraña” Duarte (26-2-1, 21 KOs) on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Duarte pressed the action, but Garcia’s speed and mobility won him the rounds. Garcia finally dropped Duarte in round eight and Duarte didn’t beat the count. Time was 2:51.

“I want to become a world champion. I want Rollies next,” said Garcia after his win. “Everyone kept asking me why Oscar Duarte – he was so tough! I thought I would get him out in the second or third, but he was like a rock. I felt like me and Derrick have a lot to build on after this fight.”

* * *

Unbeaten WBA #5 lightweight Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) exploded all over Ricardo “Explosivo” Torres (17-8-3, 12 KOs), dropping him four times in the first round. Time was 1:51. Another impressive performance by Schofield.

Middleweight Shane Mosley Jr. (21-4, 12 KOs) stopped Joshua Conley (17-6-1, 11 KOs) after six rounds. Mosley rocked Conley in round six and Conley couldn’t continue after the round.

Super middleweight KO artist Darius Fulghum (9-0, 9 KOs) battered Pachino “Chino” Hill (8-5-1, 6 KOs) until the bout was stopped at :56 of round two.

Photos: David Martin-Warr / Don King Productions

Results from Hall of Fame promoter Don King’s People’s Championship boxing card at Casino Miami Jai Alai, in Miami, Florida. The event featured five regional title fights.

• WBA Continental America’s middleweight titleholder Ian Green (18-2, 12 KOs) knocked out Vaughn Alexander (18-8-1, 11 KOs) in round eight. Green was mostly in command. Alexander rocked Green in round six, but let him off the hook. Green recovered and put Alexander down for the count in round eight with a liver shot. Time was 2:40.
• WBA NABA welterweight titleholder Tre’Sean Wiggins (16-5-3, 9 KOs) scored a first round TKO against Chris Howard (18-3-1, 8 KOs). Wiggins dropped Howard, then finished him with his follow-up barrage. Time was 2:57.
• Unbeaten lightweight Antonio Perez (9-0, 5 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over Haskell Rhodes (29-6-1, 14 KOs) to win the vacant WBA International title. Perez dropped Rhodes twice in round ten to cap a 100-88 3x sweep.
• Middleweight Alexander Castro (14-1, 11 KOs) outpointed Harry Cruz (14-4, 11 KOs) over ten rounds to claim the WBA NABA title. Scores were 99-91, 98-92, 98-92.
• Super lightweight DeVon Williams (4-0, 4 KOs) finished Kendall Ward (1-11, 1 KO) in the first round to claim the vacant WBC Youth Intercontinental title. Time was 1:04.

Photos

Underdog super featherweight Jordan Gill (28-2-1, 9 KOs) stopped two-time world title challenger Michael Conlan (27-3-1, 8 KOs) in round seven on Saturday night at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Gill dropped Conlan in round two and got a referee’s stoppage at 1:09 in round seven to end it. Two straight KO losses for Conlan.

Unbeaten welterweight Lewis Crocker (18-0, 10 KOs) hammered out a ten round unanimous decision over Tyrone McKenna (23-4-1, 6 KOs) in a local all-Belfast showdown. Scores were 100-90, 100-90, 98-92.

Unbeaten super welterweight Caoimhin Agyarko (14-0, 7 KOs) won a ten round split decision over former British champion Troy Williamson (20-2-1, 14 KOs). Scores were 96-94 Williamson, 98-92, 97-93 Agyarko.

Super lightweight Sean “The Public Nusience” McComb (18-1, 5 KOs) took a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over Sam Maxwell (17-3, 11 KOs). McComb scored knockdowns in rounds three, five, and nine. Scores were 100-87, 100-87, 99-88.

44-year-old former twp-division world champion Felix Sturm (44-6-3, 19 KOs) scored a ninth round TKO over Sukru Altay (15-4, 14 KOs) on Saturday night at the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Sturm, who won a close unanimous decision over Altay in February, left no doubt this time. He landed the sharper punches while breaking down the aggressive Altay. The bout was finally halted by the referee in round nine.

Unbeaten light heavyweight Hamza Salahudin (11-0, 10 KOs) was victorious when former world champion Cesar Rene Cuenca (48-5, 2 KOs) didn’t come out for round five. Five straight losses for Cuenca since running up a 48-0 record.

WBO super featherweight world champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs) has undergone surgery on his left hand. Navarrete, who retained his title two weeks ago with a draw against Robson Conceicao in Las Vegas, announced the surgery on social media.

Hello friends!

I want to share with you that today, Friday, I underwent a small surgery on my left hand, the result of an old injury that worsened in my second-to-last fight and in the last one no longer allowed me to perform at 100 percent. The pain was a lot.

I consulted with my team, and with my doctor, and we made the decision to attend to this immediately. I will keep you informed how the recovery is going, but I’m sure that in the first months of 2024 we’ll be ready for the new challenges that arise.

I AM A MEXICAN WARRIOR WHO WILL NEVER WITHDRAW FROM ANY CHALLENGE OR COMMITMENT, BUT OUT OF RESPECT FOR YOU AND MY CAREER I WILL NOT GIVE UP ANY ADVANTAGE AGAIN.

Blessings my people.
The “Vaquero” will return 100 percent.

WBA #10, WBO #11 welterweight Derrieck “Pretty Boy” Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) scored a sixth round TKO against Marlon “La Furia” Aguas (14-2, 9 KOs) on Friday night at the Coliseo de Combates in Panama City, Panama. Cuevas dropped Aguas at the end of round five and got a referee’s stoppage 44 seconds into round six.

In an upset, female flyweight Yanissa “Reckless” Castellon (4-1, 0 KOs) defeated current WBO Latino champion and #10-rated Eveling “La Colocha” Ortega (6-5, 2 KOs) in a six-round battle. Scores were 58-56, 58-56, 59-55.

WBC #10, WBO #13 junior flyweight Azael “Candelilla” Villar (20-2-4, 15 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over WBO #15 Ricardo “Ricky” Astuvilca (23-2, 5 KOs). Seemingly close fight with Villar winning 98-92, 98-92, 96-94.

WBA Gold super middleweight champion and #4 ranked Uwel Hernandez (16-1, 10 KOs) got an eight round mercy stoppage against outgunned Alexi Rivera (11-4, 8 KOs).

Photos: David Martin Warr / Don King Productions

Vaughn Alexander 160 vs. Ian Green 158.6
Chris Howard 146.6 vs. Tre’sean Wiggins 145.8
Haskell Rhodes 134.4 vs. Antonio Perez 134
Erick Ruiz 121.6 vs. Lawrence Newton 121.8
Harry K. Cruz 158.8 vs. Alex Castro 158.8
Kendall Ward 138.6 vs. De Von Williams 139
Yasser Zamora 159.2 vs. Dayan Depestre 164.8

Venue: Casino Miami Jai-Alai, Miami, Florida
Promoter: Don King Productions)
TV: YouTube (free)

More photos

By Joe Koizumi
Photo: Boxing Beat Magazine

Ohashi Promotions on Friday announced a quintuple of all-female title bouts on January 12. It features three world championship bouts and a couple of regional title goes at the Korakuen Hall. The headliner will be WBA, WBO unified minimumweight champ Yuko Kuroki (22-7-2, 9 KOs) against Rie Matsuda (6-1-1, 1 KO), both of Japan, over ten rounds. The semi-windup will be the second defense of last year’s female Boxer of the Year WBO super fly titlist Mizuki Hiruta (5-0, 1 KO) against Korean Ji-Hyun Park (26-3, 8 KOs) over ten. IBF atomweight ruler Mika Iwakawa (12-6-1, 4 KOs) will put her belt on the line against up-and-coming unbeaten Sumire Yamanaka (7-0, 3 KOs), the younger sister of former WBO 105-pound champ Ryuya Yamanaka, over ten. Continue reading “Five female title bouts announced in Japan”

Lightweight Gavin Gwynne (17-2-1, 5 KOs) got all he could handle from previously unbeaten 47-year-old Emiliano Marsili (42-1-1, 16 KOs), but still came away with the W on Friday night at the famed York Hall in London. Gwynne was crowned EBU European lightweight champion when Marsili was unable to continue after round eight due to a shoulder injury.

* * *

Heavyweight Nathan Gorman (19-3, 13 KOs) came into the ring at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in Bolton, England, at a career high 296 pounds. He left the ring with an eight round loss to the much fitter Bohdan Myronets (8-1, 4 KOs). The referee scored it 77-76.

Ryan Rozicki 197.4 vs. Olarewaju Durodola 197.4
John Blanco 168 vs. Bryan Galvez 164
Pedro Bernal 130.4 vs. Mario Vera 128.6
Brett Beaton 159.6 vs. Kenny Chery 160.8
Diana Tapia 154.2 vs. Jennifer Williams 144.4
Reda Benbaziz 135.4 vs. Ramiro Garcia Lopez 136.2

Venue: Emera Centre Stadium in Sydney, NS, Canada
Promoter: Daniel Otter (Three Lions Promotions)
TV: PPV

After a sudden shift to a catch weight, both Ryan Garcia and Oscar Duarte weighed in for their clash Saturday night in Houston. The bout was scheduled for 140lbs as of yesterday.

Ryan Garcia 142.8 vs. Oscar Duarte 143
Floyd Schofield 135 vs. Ricardo Lopez 134.2
Shane Mosley Jr. 159.4 vs. Joshua Conley 163.6
Darius Fulghum 167.6 vs. Pachino Hill 170

Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Promoter: Golden Boy
TV: DAZN

The World Boxing Association (WBA) Executive Committee has approved the creation of a new super cruiserweight division in a vote called by the president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza. This new division will be between 200 and 224 pounds, matching the bridgerweight division created by the WBC three years ago.

The WBA made several analyses during recent months before considering the request and in the end it was submitted to a vote, in which it was approved unanimously by the executive committee. The creation of this new division is designed to help fighters considered to be “small heavyweights,” who often give up 25 or more pounds. They will now have the option to move down to super cruiserweight and seek opportunities against more balanced weight opponents.

The WBA ranking committee has already begun working on the creation of the rankings for this weight and the first divisional match-ups will be announced soon.