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Report/Photos: Boxing Bob Newman

Day 2 of the 53rd NABF annual convention in Orlando, Florida kicked off with a quick leadership award for Mike Mazzuli who had to depart back home and wouldn’t be on hand for the awards banquet Saturday night.

Judge David Sutherland was introduced to speak on his journey through the boxing world of officiating and his advice on navigating the sometimes choppy waters therein.

The keynote speaker on the morning was former world champ and current ESPN boxing analyst and Hall-of-Famer Timothy Bradley.

Bradley gave a very moving speech on officiating. Bradley asked, “If a fighter can be disciplined and held accountable for fouls, not making weight and other infractions, why can’t officials be held to same?” Bradley is in favor of real time scoring like in other sports. Baseball, hockey, basketball and other sports have real time scoring- everyone knows the scores as the competition is ongoing. Continue reading “NABF 53rd Annual Convention Day 2 Report”

Unbeaten lightweight Bader “The Master” Samreen (9-0, 8 KOs) scored an impressive fifth round TKO over Jose Paez (16-3-2, 12 KOs) on Saturday night at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Samreen dropped Paez in round four and got a referee’s stoppage in round five. Time was 1:37.

Unbeaten super flyweight Sultan Al Nuaimi (10-0, 6 KOs) recovered from a first round knockdown to defeat Jemsi Kibazange (18-6-3, 5 KOs) over ten rounds. Scores were 96-93.

Unbeaten cruiserweight Mohammed “The Destroyer” Bekdash (26-0, 23 KOs) blew away Musa Ntege (8-5, 6 KOs) in the first round. After three knockdowns, the fight was stopped at 1:38. Bekdash was lucky he didn’t get disqualified when he hit Ntege behind the head while Ntege was on the canvas after the first knockdown.

By Brad Snyder-The Undercard
Photos by Bob Ryder

Cruiserweight Derick Miller (13-0, 8 KOs) continues his winning streak at Motor City Casino Sound Board in Detroit on Friday night. Miller faced Fernando De Almeida (10-10, 10 KOs) scored three knockdowns in the 2nd Round to come out victorious by TKO at the 2:11 mark. Continue reading “Night of Knockouts XXVII”

Salita Promotions has announced that heavyweights Otto Wallin (25-1, 14 KOs) and Murat Gassiev (30-1, 23 KOs) will clash for the WBA intercontinental title on September 30th. The bout will take place at the Regnum Carla Resort in Antalya, Turkey.

Wallin, 32, has won five straight since suffering his only loss against Tyson Fury. Former cruiserweight champion Gassiev, 29, is 3-0 as a heavyweight. His only loss is to Oleksandr Usyk.

By Boxing Bob Newman

Newly crowned NABF super featherweight champion Jordan “Short Dog” White received his belt at the NABF convention in Orlando and took the time to reflect on his past, his current status and future in the fight game.

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Unbeaten WBC #1, WBA #3, IBF #4, WBO #6 super middleweight Christian Mbilli (25-0, 21 KOs) overpowered Demond Nicholson (26-6-1, 22 KOs) on Friday night at the Casino Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Mobile dropped Nicholson in both rounds one and two. Mbilli finally floored Nicholson for the count in round four. Time was 1:56. Mbilli successfully defended his WBC Continental and WBA International titles.

NABF champion and WBC #15 super lightweight Steve “The Dragon” Claggett (36-7-2, 25 KOs) dealt a one-sided ten round beatdown to Carlos Sanchez (24-2, 19 KOs). In a brawl, Claggett dropped Sanchez with a body shot in round four. Claggett floored Sanchez again with a head shot in round six. Another body shot knockdown in round seven. Scores were 98-89, 99-88, 99-88.

In a clash between unbeaten middleweights, local hero Alexandre Gaumont (9-0, 6 KOs) outscored Ulices Tovar Rivera (8-1, 5 KOs) over eight. Judges had it 79-73 3x.

Rigoberto Hermosillo 127.8 vs Alexis De Luna 127.9
Emiliano Moreno 143.9 vs Levy Garcia Benitez 144.5
Juan Sanchez 146.9 vs Roberto Patron 144.7
Kevin Salgado 146.2 vs Osvaldo Negrete 142.9
Nelson Oliva 161.9 vs Selim Martinez 161.6
Tayden Beltran 136 vs Francisco Duque 135.5
Sean Brewer 122.8 vs Deiniel Santiago Alegre 122.6

Venue: Infinite Reality Studios
Promoter:
TV: FOX Deportes

By Boxing Bob Newman

Boxing has lost another luminary this week as long-time judge and administrator Herb Santos, Sr. passed while on a trip to Portugal. During the NABF convention Friday morning, both NABF president Duane Ford and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman lauded Santos, Sr. for his integrity, professionalism and kindness.

Santos was a veteran of some 20 world title fights, with his most memorable being the 1985 Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas “Hitman” Hearns fight for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world.
Santos had been a member of the NABF, WBC Supervisor, Chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission from 1987-88. Continue reading “Herb Santos Passes”

Report/Photos: Boxing Bob Newman

The official business of the 53rd NABF annual convention in Orlando, Florida got underway in the Caribbean Hall this morning. Board member and emcee Joanna Aguilar introduced former NABF champion Oscar Cantu, now an ordained minister, to lead the opening prayer.

After the playing of the Canadian, Mexican and American national anthems, Aguilar introduced members of the NABF board. Continue reading “NABF 53rd Annual Convention Day 1 meetings”

By Brad Snyder/The Undercard

Derick Miller 191 vs. Fernando De Almeida 199
Sam Rizzo 131 vs. Akeem Jackson 130
Savannah Tini 148 vs. Leann O’Malley 149
David Rojas 108 vs. Kevin Cruz Jusino 103
Marlon Harrington 160 vs. Ramses Agaton 164
Davontae Kirk 151 vs. Larry Moore 152
Munib Salmani 152 vs. Keaton Gatzmer 147
Luis Quintero 145 vs. Kenny Williams 146
Hassain Bilal 165 vs. Sherman Williams TBA
Joseph Hicks 161 vs. Gilberto Dos Santos 167
Justin Lacey Pierce 144 vs. Jashawn Hunter 141

Carlos Llnas and Motor City Casino present their Night of Knockouts series tonight with first bell at 7pm. Limited tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com

By Boxing Bob Newman

Embattled WBC middleweight champ Jermall Charlo made a surprise appearance at the 53rd annual NABF convention in Orlando, Florida. Thursday evening. Charlo spoke about his absence from the ring, his plans to return, the changes he’s making in his life and who has been helping him, as well as his estrangement from his twin brother, Jermell.

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Punches in the Piazza, an amateur boxing showcase to honor the legacy of National Hall of Fame promoter and famed Filippi’s Pizza Grotto restauranteur, Bobby DePhilippis, is set to take place tonight at Piazza della Famiglia in San Diego’s Little Italy. Sanctioned by USA Boxing and presented by Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, Punches in the Piazza will consist of 12 three-round bouts. Continue reading “Late SD promoter remembered”

Unbeaten 2016 Olympian and current NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (13-0, 11 KOs) scores a tenth round stoppage over Courtney “BKNY” Pennington (17-7-3, 7 KOs) on Thursday night at the Fantasy Springs Resort/Casino in Indio, California. Curiel outworked Pennington and got a sudden referee’s stoppage with just seven seconds left in the fight.

In the co-main event, super bantamweight Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores (16-1, 12 KOs) overwhelmed Jerson Ortiz (17-8, 8 KOs) to successfully return after his first loss. Ortiz was down twice in round one and down again in round two. Time was :50.

Report/Photos: Boxing Bob Newman

The NABF kicked off it’s 53rd annual convention today at the vast Caribe Royale hotel and resort in Orlando, Florida.

After registration for delegates opened at 2:00 p.m. in the convention center, the executive board held a closed meeting in the Caribbean VI room.

President Duane Ford welcomed the board members and thanked WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, who is an NABF vice president, for all the support that the WBC has offered the NABF over the years. “I think of Mauricio as my son and we could not have the success that we have had in the NABF without the support of him and the WBC!”

President Ford reviewed the agenda for the next two days including guest speakers, the topics as well as ring officials, training and testing. He also reported that to date, there have been 54 NABF administered title fights, which include: NABF, NABF Jr. and WBC USA titles. Continue reading “NABF 53rd Annual Convention Kicks Off In Orlando”

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury and MMA champion Francis Ngannou met face-to-face today at the kickoff press conference for their ten round PPV clash on Saturday, October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight will take place under the official rules of professional boxing, with the three ringside judges using the 10-point must system.

Tyson Fury: “I’m absolutely honored to be fighting Francis. He’s going to be a very, very good fighting man. You can see that he’s massive. He’s in shape. He’s going to be a real challenge. It’s something different for me. I’m used to boxing boxers and boxing the head off of somebody. But fighting an MMA guy who comes in with a different style is going to be different.”

Francis Ngannou: “I have been dreaming of becoming a boxer since I was a kid. And today, I’m not just going to box; I’m going to box the guy at the peak of the mountain…nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen, but what I do know for sure is that I’m going to be out there hunting for that guy’s head to take it off. I can guarantee that.” Continue reading “Fury-Ngannou Kickoff Press Conference”

Christian Mbilli 167.1 vs. Demond Nicholson 167.7
(WBC CA/WBA intl super middleweight titles)

Steve Claggett 139.7 vs. Carlos Sanchez Valadez 139
(NABF super lightweight title)

Alexandre Gaumont 159.1 vs. Ulices Tovar Rivera 157.9
Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse 178.7 vs. Timea Nagy 178.2
Harley-David O’reilly 177.2 vs. Israel Nava Lopez 178.4
Mehmet Unal 177.8 vs. Hernan David Perez 175.4
John Orobio 134.1 vs. Luis Godinez Bautista 135.6
Luis Santana 138 vs. Sergio Palafox 145.6
Christopher Guerrero 148.4 vs. Veselin Markov 149.5
Moreno Fendero 164.6 vs. Uziel Bueno 162.8
Devin Tomko 175 vs. Juan Santiago Colchado 171.1

Venue: Casino Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Promoter: Eye of the Tiger
TV: ESPN+

Former IBO super middleweight world champion Carlos Gongora (21-2, 16 KOs) of Ecuador will look to get back on the championship path Tuesday September 12. He will go on the road and take on the local favorite power puncher Jhon Teheran (18-3, 15 KOs) of Colombia in the beach city of Santa Marta in Colombia. Gongora thrilled the viewing boxing fans in his last fight earlier this year versus unbeaten world ranked Christian Mbilli. It was action packed thriller with Mbilli winning the closely contested bout. Gongora’s Hall of Fame promoter Lou DiBella is confident with a win in Colombia that Gongora will be back on track to fight championship level competition in the super middleweight division.

“Carlos Gongora is a warrior who can compete at the highest level in the Super middleweight division. His fight with Mbilli was a fight of the year candidate. With a win in Colombia, he will again be ready for a significant opportunity against another championship level fighter,” said DiBella

WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster (20-2, 11 KOs) will defend his title against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez (34-1, 31 KOs) at the Benito Juárez Sports Center in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday October 28, live worldwide on DAZN, in association with Pepe Gomez and Cancun Boxing.

O’Shaquie Foster: “It’s that time again! King Shock is back in action. I’m excited for the opportunity to be back in the ring and defend my title. We’re once again going into uncharted territory, so I’m eager to prove once again that I’m the best in the world and that I’m here to stay! Come October 28, I will dominate!”

Rocky Hernandez: “I’ve dreamed about this moment my whole life. O’Shaquie is the best 130lbs champion. I beat him, and I show the world that I’m the best in the division.”

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Also on the card, heavyweight Justis Huni (7-0, 4 KOs) makes his Matchroom debut against Andrew Tabiti (20-1, 16 KOs). The pair were slated to meet in New Orleans in June, but an ankle injury in sparring for the Aussie amateur standout just weeks before the bout robbed forced the bout to be postponed.

WBA #15 light heavyweight and former world title challenger “Hot Rod” Radivoje Kalajdzic (28-2, 20 KOs) stopped Mickey Ellison (14-5, 5 KOs) in round eight on Wednesday night at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Kalajdzic broke down Ellison before dropping him twice in round eight to end it.

Former world title challenger Jonas “One Punch Zorro” Sultan (19-6, 11 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision over Frank Gonzalez (12-4 6 KOs) in a super bantamweight clash. Sultan dropped Gonzalez in rounds two and five, but was deducted two points for a hitting Gonzalez when he was on the canvas. No scores announced.

WBA #15 super featherweight William Foster III (16-0, 10 KOs) knocked out Misael Lopez (14-4, 5 KOs) in the ninth round. The bout was stopped after Foster battered Lopez to the canvas. Time was :58.

Unbeaten super featherweight Dominic Valle (7-0, 5 KOs) won a six round unanimous decision over Damian Alcala (7-3, 1 KO). Scores were 60-52, 60-52, 59-53. Alcala down twice.

Raul Curiel 147 vs. Courtney Pennington 146
(NABF welterweight title)

“Gucci” Manny Flores 120 vs. Jerson Ortiz 119.8
Grant Flores 151 vs. Jaleik Bogle 151
Daniel Luna 134 vs. Alexander Gutierrez 129.8
Jorge Chavez 123.8 vs. Marvin Solano 122.2
Leonardo Sanchez 129.8 vs. John Alimane 130

Venue: Fantasy Springs Resort/Casino, Indio, CA
Promoter: Golden Boy
TV: DAZN

Ronnie Shields, trainer of Jermall Charlo and former trainer of Jermell Charlo, offered insights and analysis of the September 30 PPV showdown between undisputed super middleweight world champion Canelo Álvarez and undisputed junior middleweight world champion Jermell Charlo during a virtual media roundtable on Wednesday.

“This is a big opportunity for Jermell and one that I know he’s not gonna take lightly,” said Shields. He’s gonna do everything in his power to come out victorious. That’s what he does. He wants to be the best, all the time.

“From his last two showings, Canelo has said he has injuries. Now he wants to prove that he hasn’t lost a step. He’s a competitor. He wants his people to stay behind him, so I think he actually comes into the fight in the best shape he’s been in in a long time. Continue reading “Ronnie Shields: I think Jermell Charlo wins”

IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) looks to kick off Mexican Independence Day weekend with an emphatic defense of his title against two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez (26-3, 15 KOs) on ESPN Friday, September 15 at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Following a recent training session, this is what Lopez had to say:

“I’m always working on being a little smarter and on knowing how to do everything in the ring because sometimes we are going to need it. I am always working on improving all aspects.”

“I’m going for the knockout. It’s a personal challenge that I have. Joet Gonzalez has faced great fighters like Shakur Stevenson, Emanuel Navarrete and Isaac Dogboe, and he has never been knocked out. Knocking out a tough fighter like him is a huge goal for me.” Continue reading “Venado Lopez: I’m going for the knockout”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with rising jr. middleweight sensation Jesus Ramos Jr as he prepares to face the battle tested Erickson Lubin as the co-main event on Canelo-Charlo on Sat, Sept 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ramos talked about facing Lubin, learning new training techniques from Team Crawford, the excitement of fighting on a Canelo card and much more in this exclusive interview.

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Matchroom has confirmed that heavyweight Joe Cusumano (22-4, 20 KOs) returned an adverse analytical finding as part of an anti-doping protocol mandated by the New York State Athletic Commission following his eighth round TKO win over Adam Kownacki on June 24.

In a statement, Matchroom said, “We understand a process is underway with the New York State Athletic Commission and Matchroom now defers to the applicable regulatory authorities on the next steps. Whilst we are disappointed by the news, this reaffirms Matchroom’s ultimate desire to regularly test active fighters and ensure we continue to promote a clean and fair sport for all athletes. Will we not be making any further comment.”