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Tim Tszyu 153 vs. Brian Mendoza 154
(WBO jr middleweight title)

Sam Goodman 124.7 vs. Miguel Flores 124.8
Nathaniel May 129.8 vs. Jackson England 129.7
Shanell Dargan 121.1 vs. Amber Amelia 120.7
Julius Long 291.5 vs. Toese Vousiutu 247.3
Hassan Hamdan 141.9 vs. Danvers Cuschieri 142.3
Sergei Vorobev 153.7 vs. Wade Ryan 153.8

Venue: Gold Coast Convention Ctr, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia
Promoter: No Limit Boxing Promotions
TV: Showtime

The City of Santa Ana honored WBO#1 rated welterweight Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) with a mural created by local artist Jose Ortiz ahead of his fight against undefeated Giovani “Gallo de Oro” Santillan (31-0, 16 KOs) on Saturday, October 21. The special unveiling, which was open to fans and friends, took place at Manny V. Padilla’s Main Cave located at 210 N Broadway in Santa Ana, California.

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with MMA legend and UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock as he re-launches his Valor Bare Knuckle promotion on Fri, Oct. 27 at the UNF Arena in Jacksonville, FL, with his innovative, new Bout Circle concept. Shamrock explains this and shares amazing stories on his trilogies with Royce Gracie and Tito Ortiz in the UFC as well as his wrestling days where he squared off against The Rock. He also dives into the Jake and Logan Paul phenomenon and cross-over fights plus much more in this exclusive interview.

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Heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov (17-0, 16 KOs) has a new foe for October 28 on the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou PPV undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Makhmudov’s original opponent Agron Smakici has had to withdraw from the fight for undisclosed reasons. The “Lion” will instead face 37-year-old former cruiserweight title challenger Junior Anthony Wright (20-4-1, 17 KOs).

Janibek Alimkhanuly 159.3 vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri 159.5
(WBO/IBF middleweight unification)

Keyshawn Davis 135 vs. Nahir Albright 134.9
Richard Torrez Jr. 233.1 vs. Tyrrell Herndon 234.8
Guido Vianello 241.3 vs. Curtis Harper 275.5
Giovanni Marquez 141.3 vs. Donte Strayhorn 140.2
Duke Ragan 125.3 vs. Jose Perez 126.4
Kelvin Davis 142 vs. Narciso Carmona 142.6
Alan Garcia 137.8 vs. Nelson Hampton 137.3
Humberto Galindo 131.7 vs. Oscar Bravo 130.8
Jakhongir Zokirov 263.5 vs. Guillermo Del Rio 217.1

Venue: Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: ESPN, ESPN+

Jaqueem Hutcherson 121.6 vs. Brandon Chambers 120.4
(UBO and UBF Intercontinental super bantamweight titles)

Immanuel Aleem 182.2 vs. Antonio Hernandez 173.2
Ahmad Muhammad Jones 142.2 vs. Dionte Burts 143
Eric Hernandez 136.8 vs. Markus Bowes 136.4
Ezri Turner 165.4 vs. Joshua Dip 165.6
Joseph Veezey 143.6 vs. Steven Babsen 137.6
Marquel Johns 129.6 vs. Antonio Duntonvs.El 129.8
Ervin Fuller III 121.6 vs. Vit Y 120.6
Jeffrey Yu 129.3 vs. Darius Somieari 136
Micah Terrill 175.8 vs. Dahvs.Quan Erdington 183.4
Renaldo Gaines 136.6 vs. Darel Harris 137.2
Josiah Giles 146.6 vs. DeAndre Mesner 147.4
Tabish Faqiri 139.8 vs. Antwion McCollough 141
Vitalii Gubkin 166.6 vs. Derrick Vann 172.4

Venue: The Hall at Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland
Promoter: Jeter Promotions (Tony and Christien Jeter)
1st Bell: 6:30 PM ET (Doors open at 6 PM)

Tommy Fury 182.6 vs. KSI 181.3

Logan Paul 194.4 vs. Dillon Danis 195

Venue: AO Arena, Manchester, England
Promoter: Misfits Boxing
TV: PPV ($54.99 DAZN), ($64.99 ESPN+)

Undefeated WBO junior middleweight world champion Tim Tszyu and top contender Brian Mendoza shared the stage during the final press conference before they share the ring headlining action live on Showtime on Saturday (Sunday in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.

Tim Tszyu: “I’m zoned in. There’s no love at all whatsoever (between me and Mendoza). And that’s what happens with each one of my opponents when I face them. Every little thing frustrates me about them. And I just have one thing on my mind and that’s victory by any means…I’m 23-0 for a reason. No one’s figured out the puzzle. For him he’s on the rise, he’s on a roll. But 23 – numbers don’t lie. I’m not looking for just one world title. I’m looking for all four. This is because of one man’s bitchiness. But I want all four. I’m in the present moment right now. I’m not thinking about that other bloke. Don’t blink.”

Brian Mendoza: “I’ve made my own real-life Rocky story. I didn’t mean to start it that way when I started my career but you have ups and downs in life and this is what it is. I clawed my way back from obscurity and now at this point I’m chasing greatness and I want this belt. It will change my life, my family’s life and everybody around me so that’s what I’ll be fighting for in the ring…I don’t care (how he feels about me). He still has to see me in the ring. It is what it is. Love me or hate me I’m here to win and to get the job done.”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

In a sensational encounter of former world champs, Filipino three-division champ John Riel Casimero (33-4-1, 22 KOs), 122, and Japanese ex-IBF junior feather ruler Yukinori Oguni (21-2-3, 8 KOs), 122, battled to a technical draw due to Oguni’s nasty cut over the forehead at 0:27 into the fourth round in a scheduled ten on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

From the outset it became a see-saw affair with Casimero going forward with a powerful shot at a time and Oguni responding to his opening attack with one-two combinations. Oguni, who once wrested the IBF 122-pound belt from Yonatan Guzman in 2016, showed his sharpness with long jabs and left-right combos to hurt the pre-fight favorite. But Casimero’s roundhouse shot caught Oguni to have him almost lose his balance just before the bell to end the second. The third saw Oguni connect well with solid one-two combinations followed by body shots to the bewildered Casimero. An accidental butt happened just after the fourth began and had Oguni badly bleeding from the head, with which the referee Fukuchi had to halt the give-and-take affair with the ringside physician’s advice. Prior to the stoppage: all 29-28, two judges to Casimero and one to Oguni.

We wish to see their undecided business. Continue reading “Ex-champs Casimero, Oguni fight to technical draw”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

It was truly a shocker in terms of an upset result as well as too quick a demolition. WBC#3, IBF#4 ranked OPBF bantamweight champ Keita Kurihara (17-8-1, 15 KOs), 117.75, stunned the crowd at Ariake Arena (established for the previous Tokyo Olympic Games) as he fell three times at the hand of Filipino veteran Froilan Saludar (34-7-1, 23 KOs), 117.5, at just 60 seconds of the first round and yielded his regional belt in a scheduled twelve on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Saludar’s opening overhand right effectively had the champ rubbery legged and had him sprawling to the canvas on three occasions. Gunning for a shot at the WBA bantam belt against compatriot Takuma Inoue, Kurihara might be too nervous and stiff in the opening session, and badly hit the deck time and again.

Photos

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

WBO#8, WBC#13, IBF#11 Takeshi Inoue (20-2-2, 12 KOs), 154, sent Thai challenger Thiranan Matsali (27-3, 7 KOs), 152.5, to the deck on four occasions to halt him at 2:02 of the sixth round to retain his WBO Asia Pacific junior middleweight belt on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Having lost only to such formidable rivals as Jaime Munguia and Tim Tszyu both on points, the granite-chinned Inoue caught up with the physically inferior Thailander and displayed his power in annihilating the less powerful and negative challenger.

Photos

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

WBO #8 bantam Saul Sanchez (20-2, 12 KOs), 118, US, maintained the pressure against Filipino southpaw counterpuncher RV Deniega (9-1, 6 KOs), 117.25, winning a unanimous verdict (79-73 twice, 78-74) over eight monotonous frames on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Deniega was a disappointment as he might forget to carry his fighting spirit from the Philippines, and continually kept fighting with his back to the ropes. The busy-punching Sanchez took the initiative and steadily piled up points in almost every round.

Photos

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

WBO#13 junior flyweight, Filipino hard-puncher Vince Paras (20-2-1, 15 KOs), 111.75, narrowly eked out a split decision (78-74, 77-75, but 75-77 against him) over ex-world challenger Kai Ishizawa (11-3, 10 KOs), 112, in eight close rounds on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Both were hard-punchers with high KO percentage, but they each kept throwing punches to the air and it eventually became a close affair with their less precision.

Photos

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten feather prospect, speedy southpaw OPBF#12 Kenji Fujita (5-0, 3 KOs), 125.75, whose amateur mark was 153-21, quicky dropped formerly world rated OPBF#8 Filipino Jeo Santisima (22-7, 19 KOs), 126, in the opening session and pounded out a unanimous decision (79-72 twice, 78-73) over eight lopsided rounds on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Fujita, who entered Teiken Gym after his long amateur career, will zoom up soon.

Photos

Report/Photos by David Finger

The final day of the 36th Annual WBO Congress continued Thursday morning (October 12th) at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace Resort and Convention Center in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with a cordial introduction of a special guest in IBF president Daryl Peoples. Although the relationship between sanctioning bodies can often be a contentious one, there is little question that both the IBF and WBO are the exception to the rule as both organizations clearly have a very healthy working relationship with each other.

“As Paco said, that man is my brother,” Peoples told the executive committee, “the WBO is our sister organization. Many of you here, most of our membership we share, so that makes it easy to work with the WBO. If there is anything I can do to support this organization, you got it.”

WBO President Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel shared the sentiment and offered to assist the IBF with their upcoming convention next year in Puerto Rico.

From there came the most notable part of the Convention, the WBO ratings committee meeting. And although it is common to see fireworks and shakeups at these meetings, this year’s meeting saw several top contenders in a holding pattern as they waited for the results of several big fights later this year. Continue reading “36th Annual WBO Congress Final Day Report”

The World Boxing Association (WBA) ruled that the ruling of the bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois, held last August 26, will stand after having thoroughly studied the appeal made by Queensberry Promotions. The bout that took place in Wrocław, Poland, ended with victory for WBA heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who also defended his WBO, IBF and IBO belts in that bout.

On September 4, the company representing Dubois emailed the WBA indicating that Queensberry desired to have the outcome of the bout reversed due to the referee’s action for a punch they considered low in the fifth round. Continue reading “WBA upholds Usyk-Dubois decision”

By Miguel Maravilla

Phoenix’s undefeated two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Monstruo” Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) and undefeated two-division champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) from Providence, Rhode Island, talked about their clash for Benavidez’ WBC interim super middleweight title on November 25 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas live on Showtime Pay-Per-View.

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Undefeated two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Monstruo, formerly ” Benavidez and unbeaten two-division champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade squared off at a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday as they previewed their showdown for Benavidez’s WBC interim super middleweight title headlining a Showtime PPV on Saturday, November 25 from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

David Benavidez: “I’m not worried about Canelo Alvarez. I’m worried about Demetrius Andrade. I definitely believe the winner of this fight is the best super middleweight in the world…I’m taking this challenge because I want to shut everybody’s mouth up. When great fighters get put in front of me, the best comes out of me and I become a great fighter myself…I looked into his soul on those two faceoffs. I saw that he was scared but I know that he’s probably going to say the same thing about me.”

Demetrius Andrade: “This is the Super Bowl of the 168-pound division. This is the biggest fight that can be made. The two most avoided fighters. Yes, I haven’t fought the best because the best doesn’t want to fight me. He can have that same claim. But the time is now. This is the fight…I’m looking to conquer the whole super middleweight division. This would be my third weight class. That’s what gives me the right to say I’m the best. This is bigger than Canelo. This is way bigger than that. We can’t just sit back and wait for him. David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade is the biggest fight.”

By David Finger

It is a popular urban myth that if you stumbled upon a group of kids paying a pickup game of baseball in an empty field somewhere in the Dominican Republic, that there would most likely be a major league scout for the Yankees or Rangers sitting on a trash can in the corner to see if he could find himself a future All-Star. Well, for one night in October, the urban myth became a reality, only this time for the sport of boxing. Shaun Boxing Promotions hosted an action packed card with free admission for the attendees of the 36th Annual Congress at the Barcelo Bavaro Convention Center in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. With eight fights in total, and six being for WBO regional belts, it was the perfect opportunity for sixteen young fighters to make a statement in front of some of the most important boxing “scouts” on the planet. From major promoters, to nearly every WBO official, and even undisputed world champion Terrance Crawford, there was no question that this was going to be a great opportunity for all of the young fighters on the card.

And perhaps no young star shined quite as bright as 17-year old prospect Kaipo Gallegos of Las Vegas. Gallegos, an amateur standout, elected to turn pro young and take the Vasyl Lomachenko route, jumping right into the deep end of the pool. In only his second professional fight he fought seventeen fight veteran Misael Vasquez and then followed it up with a bout with Maryl Cabrera, who came into that fight with a 27-7 record. Continue reading “Four fighters win WBO regional belts”

WBO middleweight champion Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs) will square off against unbeaten IBF world champion Vincenzo Gualtieri (21-0-1, 7 KOs) in a title unification showdown this Saturday at Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas. ESPN will air the fight.

Janibek Alimkhanuly: “I expect it to be a very good fight on Saturday night. I will once again show what ‘Qazaq Style’ is…I changed my trainer for this fight. We got all the knowledge that we could from Buddy McGirt. And now we have a new trainer in Brian Viloria. We are doing new workouts and learning new things. We’re also adding things to my style. On Saturday night, you’ll see a new side of me.”

Vincenzo Gualtieri: “I expect to be the winner on Saturday…this fight means everything to me. It’s why I worked so hard in camp. A lot of people underestimate me, but I’m here to prove that I will be successful.”

By David Finger

With only two weeks since his last fight, it may be a little early to be asking “who is next” in regards to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but at the 36th Annual WBO Congress in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic boxing fans and insiders got a strong indication as to who the front runner might be.

Former WBO junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) who has not fought for a world title since vacating his 154-pond title in 2019, but who has nonetheless remained a viable contender in both the middleweight and later the super-middleweight division over the last four years, appears to have emerged as the betting favorite to win out on the upcoming Canelo sweepstakes. Continue reading “Canelo vs. Munguia inches closer to reality”

Nearly 1,200 fans converged at the West Warwick Civic Center in Warwick, Rhode Island, for the launch of “The CallOut” reality television series.

The main event was the rematch between Hector “Macho” Camacho, Jr. (59-7-1, 33 KOs), and “Furious” Freddy Curiel (19-8-2, 8 KOs). Camacho had defeated Curiel by way of a 10-round unanimous decision 24 years ago at Trump Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This time, however, Curiel was out to even the score, and he achieved that by securing a six-round split decision victory. This outcome has now set the stage for a possible trilogy. Continue reading “Curiel defeats Camacho, Jr. in rematch”

A super bantamweight clash between former world champions John Riel Casimero (33-4-1, 22 KOs) and Yukinori Oguni (21-2-3, 8 KOs) ended in a technical draw when a head clash early in round four left Oguni unable to continue on Thursday night at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

In other action, former Tim Tszyu opponent Takeshi Inoue (20-2-2, 12 KOs) stopped Thiranan Matsali (27-3, 7 KOs) in round six of a junior middleweight fight…bantamweight Froilan Saludar (34-7-1, 24 KOs) needed just sixty seconds to demolish Keita Kurihara (17-8-1, 15 KOs) in the first round to claim the OPBF belt…flyweight Vince Paras (20-2-1, 15 KOs) took an eight round split decision against Kai Ishizawa (11-3, 10 KOs) in a clash of former minimumweight world title challengers, SoCal bantamweight Saul “The Beast” Sanchez (20-2, 12 KOs) outpointed previously unbeaten RV Deniega. (9-1, 6 KOs) over eight rounds.

Report/Photos by  David Finger

Day two of the 36th Annual WBO Congress kicked off Tuesday morning (October 10th) at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace Resort and Convention Center in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with a continuation of the regional vice president’s reports starting with WBO Asia-Pacific and WBO Oriental Vice President Leon Panoncillo’s regional report. Panoncillo is possibly the busiest regional head of any sanctioning organization, also heading the WBO International, WBO China, and WBO Africa in addition to the WBO Asia-Pacific and WBO Oriental. Continue reading “36th Annual WBO Congress Day Two”

Unbeaten WBA #2, WBC #3, IBF #3 super middleweight Erik Bazinyan (31-0, 22 KOs) stopped Canelo’s chief sparring partner Ronald Ellis (18-4-2, 12 KOs) to retain his NABF and NABA titles on Wednesday night at the Casino de Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Bazinyan dropped Ellis with two right hands in round six. A wobbly Ellis beat the count, but the bout was halted by the referee. Time was 1:44.

In a female super welterweight rematch, Femke Hermans (17-4, 7 KOs) defeated Mary Spencer (7-2, 5 KOs) again to claim the vacant IBF title. Hermans outworked Spencer to win by majority decision 95-95, 96-94, 97-93.

Other Results:
Christopher Guerrero KO4 Jose “Piston” Lopez (welterweight)
Leila Beaudoin W8 Estrella Valverde (female super featherweight)
Mehmet Unal TKO1 Luca Spadaccini (light heavyweight)
Imam Khataev TKO3 David Benitez (light heavyweight)
Jhon Orobio TKO4 Jesus Solis Reyes (lightweight)
Wilkens Mathieu TKO3 Cesar Lopez Romo (super middleweight)