All Star Boxing, Inc. “The New Generation,” Tuto Zabala Jr. and Deportes Telemundo are teaming up once again to present the popular series “Boxeo Telemundo”on Friday, March 19th, 2010 at the famous Auditorio La Condesa in Mexico City, Mexico. In the main event Oscar “Cebiche” Ibarra of Mexico City, Mexico will face Darwin “Finito” Zamora of Matagalpa, Nicaragua in a battle scheduled for 12 Rounds with the  vacant WBC Latin flyweight title at stake. Continued »

TeleFutura and Golden Boy Promotions announced today the return of “Solo Boxeo Tecate” on April 30. The 90-minute live telecast will feature Golden Boy Promotions fighters such as Pablo Cesar Cano, Omar Figueroa, Danny Garcia, Frankie Gomez, Charles Huerta, Lucas Matthysse, Carlos Molina, Luis Ramos, Ronny Rios, Carlos Velasquez and more. “Solo Boxeo Tecate’ has been a great launching pad for Hispanic fighters and is where many have begun their careers,” said Golden Boy chief Oscar de la Hoya. “We are very excited to once again have such a wonderful stage to showcase our top contenders and up-and-coming prospects.” The telecast will air live on Friday nights at 11:30PM ET/8:30PM PT with English subtitles via CC3.

Photo: Pavel "Eagle Eye" Terekhov

WBC #12 heavyweight Johnathon Banks (23-1, 16 KOs) will fight Travis Walker (34-3, 28 KOs) as the co-feature on the Klitschko-Chambers card. The fights will take place in the 51,000 seat ESPRIT arena in Dusseldorf, Germany. Tom Loeffler, managing director of K2 Promotions, officially announced the fight today at the fight week press conference. “We are excited to have Johnathon Banks fighting Travis Walker for the NABF heavyweight championship on this big show. This is a risky and tough fight for both fighters, but the winner will secure the NABF title and move a step closer to a world title shot.” Also, WBC #6 heavyweight Alexander Ustinov (19-0, 15 KOs) will face Ed Mahone (24-9-2, 23 KOs). Pavel “Eagle Eye” Terekhov has shot a giant photo gallery of the proceedings. Click here…

Andre Ward has reportedly pulled out of his April 24 SUPER SIX clash with Allan Green due to a knee injury. He will be out 4-6 weeks. The bout with Green, who replaced Jermain Taylor in the tournament, will be rescheduled.
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Golden Boy Promotions is planning a free St. Patrick’s Day boxing event on March 17 at Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE. The four-bout card will feature four professional debuts of prospects from the Southern California area, including junior middleweight Bobby Reyes of Valencia, L.A. super featherweight Jesus Rodrigues, Glendale featherweight Art Martirosyan and Los Angeles junior welterweight Oscar Andrade. Oscar de la Hoya will be in attendance to meet and greet fans.
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Former lightweight world champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini has unveiled “Southpaw Wine,” a Cabernet Sauvignon produced by the Luva Bella Winery and Juice Company. Besides being involved with wine, Mancini owns a cigar company as well as two movie production companies.
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Amateur jr welterweight star Frankie Gomez has signed with Golden Boy Promotions. Gomez, who was 120-8 as an amateur, will make his professional debut April 3 on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

By Alexey Sukachev

There will be no “Macho Time” in Kjellerup, Denmark – at least yet. Former world title challenger Allan Vester (28-6-1, 5 KOs) was forced to withdraw from his Mar. 26 bout versus legendary champion by a variety of versions in several weight classes Hector Camacho Sr. (79-5-3, 38 KOs) due to a back injury, he had suffered in sparring session with Isam Khalil. Continued »

By Alexey Sukachev and Akboxing.ru

On Saturday evening, Mar. 13, Sergey Stepkin of Union Boxing Management gladdened Podolsk boxing fans with a bout-filled but transient local tournament, which was held at “Podmoskovye” night club. There were nine contests, three of them being scheduled for eight rounds. However, the virtual headliner pitted bantamweight kayo artist Alexey Makhnenko (now 7-1, 6 KOs) and Uzbek journeyman Bakhyt Abdurahimov (3-5, 1 KO) in a heated rematch of their December clash. Continued »

ESTO

By Robert Coster

Lightweight Ramon “Nino de Oro” Ayala (15-1-1, 7 KOs) is one of the latest propects out of Mexico, that great hotbed of Latin talent. The 21-year-old is presently Erik Morales’ choiced sparring partner and will fighting on the same card as Morales on March 27th. Then, on April 24th the youngster will be facing his first major test, be battling for the WBC World Youth title against an opponent TBA. Continued »

Jan Sanders/Goossen Tutor Promotions

IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko faces off with challenger Eddie Chambers during a prefight press conference in advance of their showdown Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany. “I want to shock the world,” Chambers told the press. Klitschko, who has previously sparred with Chambers stated, “I’ve already tested him and I think the world title will remain in the Klitschko family.” The fight will take place at the 51,000-seat Esprit Arena and be televised in 110 countries worldwide. HBO, which has Klitschko under contract, sadly had no interest in televising the champion’s heavyweight title defense in the USA even though Chambers hails from Philadelphia. More photos…

WBO #2 rated cruiserweight Alexander Alekseev (19-1, 17 KOs) says he wants to take on WBO champion Marco Huck. A former amateur champion with a sensational knock out ratio of 85 percent, the Universum fighter was highly critical of Huck’s title defense last Saturday against Adam Richards in an interview with boxing.de. Continued »

Ringside by Jeff Zimmerman and David Finger
Photos by Chris Cozzone

In “The Event” at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 K’s) cruised to an easy 12-round unanimous decision over the strong-but-overly defensive Joshua Clottey (35-4, 21 KO’s). Pacquiao nearly scored a shutout, winning 120-108 and 119-109 twice.

By all account, “The Event” and the stadium experience exceeded the hype with the third largest crowd to witness an indoor sporting event with 50,994 in attendance . . . click here for more

Ringside Report by Scott Ploof
Photography by Emily Harney

Tony “TNT” Grano (17-1-1, 13 KOs) avenged the only blemish on his professional career, a knockout loss to Mark “Oak Tree” Brown (15-3, 7 KOs) back in September, 2008, on Friday night at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, CT by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Brown. Scores of the bout were 97-92 twice and 98-91. Grano was on the offensive throughout a majority of the fight. Brown conserved his energy for the later rounds of the bout, which hurt him on the scorecards. He connected with a right hook in the final round of the bout that put Grano on the canvas. Grano showed his durability by being able to come off of the canvas to finish off the fight and take home the unanimous decision victory. Mike “Machine Gun” Oliver (23-2, 8 KOs) landed a hard body shot that knocked out his opponent , former two time world title holder Kermin Guardia (37-12, 21 KOs) in the corner at 2:19 of round three. The seven bout fight card titled, “Brace for Impact” at the sold out Fox Theatre inside of Foxwoods was promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports. This is the first of two fight cards for CES in the month of March as on Friday March 19th, CES will return to the Twin River Events Center in Lincoln, RI. Click here for the ringside report and action-packed photogallery.

Robert Hughes

By Robert Hughes, at ringside

Team owner Jerry Jones hosted ‘The Event’ at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium Saturday for more than 45,000 boxing fans, and Jones made sure many beloved former players and coaches were there to enjoy the evening with him. Two former head coaches who won Super Bowls for Jones, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, sat ringside with their favorite boss, and close by was three-time world champion quarterback Troy Aikman and his favorite wide receiver Michael Irvin. And we can’t forget legendary defensive back Deion Sanders, who always attends Dallas-area fights. Click here for more photos…

Hot power-punching prospect Ismayl Sillakh (11-0, 10 KOs) steps up in class as he takes on veteran Daniel Judah (23-4-3, 10 KOs) April 3rd in a scheduled 10 or 12 round light heavyweight bout. Sillakh who recently was signed by Roy Jones Jr. Square Ring Promotions will battle Judah on the undercard of the Roy Jones Jr-Bernard Hopkins pay-per-view. Sillakh is from the Ukraine but currently training in Southern California under the guidance of Shadeed Saluki. Saluki guided former heavyweight world champion Lamon Brewster to his title winning upset win over Wladimir Klitschko.

Jan Sanders/Goossen Tutor

WBO #1 heavyweight “Fast Eddie” Chambers has arrived in Dusseldorf, Germany with his team before Saturday’s world championship challenge against WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. “I am on a mission to beat Wladimir Klitschko and bring those titles back home to the United States,” said Chambers. “This is serious business and I am going for it, but I also know that I want to take in this experience and enjoy the ride. I am not going to make any fancy predictions. I’m just going to win.”

Kurt Wolfheimer

By Kurt Wolfheimer at ringside

O’Shea Brothers Boxing continued to step up its talent with a night of boxing featuring some of the top local and regional fighters at the PAL Gym on Friday night in Yonkers. New York State title holder, “King David” Darrel Madison (15-1, 4 KOs) proved that he is someone to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division as he forced experienced veteran Robert Wiggins (20-8-1, 12 KOs) to retire after just two rounds of action in the scheduled eight round of the main event. In the co-feature of the evening, undefeated light heavyweight Ronson Frank moved to (14-0, 7 KOs) with a methodical eight round unanimous decision victory over defensive minded journey man Raynard Darden (11-22-1, 4 KOs) by scores of 80-71 x3. Continued »

Report by David Finger
Photos by Chris Cozzone

With a dominant performance in front of one of the largest live audiences in recent boxing history under his belt, there was little question that Manny Pacquiao would be in high spirits at the post fight press conference. But when it was announced that Pacquiao was going to be cutting it somewhat short since he had a concert to perform at next door at the Rangers Stadium, the natural question on everyone’s mind was if he ever felt even remotely threatened by African welterweight contender Joshua Clottey . . . Click here for more

Photo Wende

Marco “Captain” Huck (28-1, 21 KOs) defended his WBO Cruiserweight Title with a spectacular third-round TKO victory over Adam Richards (23-3, 15 KOs). The 25-year-old German champion started to land his trademark power punches in the second round before dropping his opponent in the third. Huck followed it up with another firework that sent his opponent down again, prompting the referee to call the one-sided contest off. “I am never pleased with my performance because I can always improve but I am happy that I defended my title in front of my fans in Berlin,” Huck said. “I really wanted to put on a good show to please everybody. I am happy with the result.” Continued »

Photo by Chris Cozzone

By Jeff Zimmerman and David Finger at ringside

WBO welterweight champion and pound-for-pound superstar Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) scored a one-sided twelve round unanimous decision against former IBF champion Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs) in front of 50,994 on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. From the opening bell, Pacman outworked Clottey in every round. Pacquiao outpunched Clottey at a 3:1 clip as the Ghanian spent long periods with his guard up and seemed to be more interested in surviving than winning. Clottey’s corner begged him to open up, to no avail. Scores were 120-108, 119-109, 119-109.

By Jeff Zimmerman and David Finger at ringside

In a bout for the vacant WBC lightweight title formerly held by Edwin Valero, reigning WBC 130lb champion Humberto Soto (51-7-2, 32 KOs) moved up five pounds, to win a twelve round unanimous decision over former champion David Diaz (35-3-1, 17 KOs). Soto dropped Diaz in round one and round twelve en route to a 115-111, 117-109, 117-109.
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In a welterweight clash, former “Contender” star Alfonso Gomez (22-4-2, 11 KOs) won by TKO over two-time former WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo (60-10-1, 52 KOs) when Castillo remained on his stool at the end of round five.
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Middleweight John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs) scored a workmanlike ten round split decision over Michael Medina (22-2-2, 17 KOs). Scores were 96-93, 96-93 for Duddy, 96-93 for Medina, who was deducted a point for a low blow at the end of round eight. Duddy is now in line for a showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

By Jeff Zimmerman and David Finger at ringside

In a suprisingly entertaining four round featherweight fight, Tucson, Arizona’s Isaac Hidalgo and Arthur Trevino fought to a four round draw. There were no knockdowns, and although judge Mike Mitchell had it a shutout for Hidalgo, he was overrule by judges Arturo Velasquez and Don Griffin who scored the fight 38-38. Hidalgo’s record now stands at 6-5-2, 1 KO. Local boy Trevino’s record now stands at 5-3-3, 2 KO’s.
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In a dominant performance, Santa Ana, California’s Rodrigo Garcia scored a second round TKO over Prarie View, Texas’ Calvin Pitts. Pitts looks strong in the opening round, catching Garcia with a solid left hand in the opening minute of the first round. But the pressure of Garcia wore down Pitts, who was felled three times in the second, prompting the TKO. Official time was 2:21 of the round. With the win Garcia improves to 6-0, 5 KO’s while Pitts slips to 5-12-1, 1 KO.
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Hot Top Rank super bantamweight prospect Roberto Marroquin (13-0, 10 KOs), a former 4-time US amateur champion, knocked out previously unbeaten Sammy Sanchez (4-1-1, 2 KOs) at 1:36 of the 2nd round. Sanchez was also down in the first from a Marroquin left hook.
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In an entertaining bout, up and coming featherweight prospect Salvador Sanchez (19-3-2, 9 KOs) scored an impressive sixth round knockout over Midland Texas’ Jamie Villa (8-8-2, 3 KOs). Villa was competitive early, but a solid body attack slowed down the Texan until he hit the canvas in the fifth. Two more knockdowns followed in the sixth. Villa failed to beat the count after the second knockdown. Official time was 1:09 of the sixth.
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Super bantamweight Eden Sonsona (21-5, 7 KOs) scored an eighth round KO over former world champion Mauricio Pastrana (35-13-2, 23 KOs). Sonsona dropped Pastrana earlier in the round before finishing him off at 1:33. Sonsona also scored a knockdown in the third round with a right, left combo that put Pastrana down seconds before the round ended.
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In an eight round featherweight bout, Filipino bomber Michael Farenas (27-2-3, 24 KOs) and tough San Antonio journeyman Joe Morales (20-13, 4 KOs) saw their fight end in a no contest when a clash of heads in the second round opened an ugly cut over the right eye of Morales. Time was 2:25 of the second. Farenas was in total control up to the time of the stoppage.

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

IBF #15 middleweight Sam “King” Soliman (38-11, 16 KOs) scored an eleventh round technical knockout over outclassed former Australian 147-pound champion Shannon McMahon (16-6-1, 6 KOs) on Saturday at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, Moonee Valley, Victoria, Australia. With the win Soliman claimed the WBF title. Continued »

By Alexey Sukachev

WBO cruiserweight champion Marco “Kapt’n” Huck (28-1, 21 KOs) scored an exciting third round TKO over Adam “Swamp Donkey” Richards (23-3, 15 KOs) on Saturday night at the Max Schmeling Halle in Berlin. Huck was in command from the beginning, but the aggressive Richards made a good fight out of it. Huck finally put Richards on the canvas in round three and referee Marc Nelson waved it off after Huck’s violent follow up assault. Time was 2:30.
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Earlier, IBF heavyweight mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin scored a five round beatdown of Javier Mora. Povetkin dropped Mora three times before the bout was halted.
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WBC/IBF #5, WBA #9 and WBO #10 cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (21-1, 11 KOs) outpointed Cesar David Krenz (18-4, 11 KOs) over twelve uneventful rounds. Scores 120-108 acroess the board.
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WBC #9/IBF #12 cruiserweight Alexander Frenkel (22-0, 17 KOs) took a unanimous decision over veteran Michael Simms (21-13-2, 13 KOs) by scores of 79-75, 79-73, 79-73.
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Unbeaten heavyweight Kubrat Pulev (7-0, 5 KOs) scored a second round stoppage of Danny Batchelder (25-8-1, 12 KOs). Click for full details of these fights and more…

By Mark Vaz at ringside

Former IBF lightweight champion Paul Spadafora (44-0-1, 18 KOs) scored an eith round TKO over Ivan Fiorletta (24-6-2, 7 KOs) on Friday night at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Now fighting at welterweight, the slick Spadafora was connecting at will when the bout was waved off by referee Frank Gentile at the :40 mark.
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In other action, comebacking heavyweight Willie Herring (12-6-3, 3 KOs) stopped recent Elijah McCall-conqueror Dieuly Aristilde (7-2, 1 KO) in round two.
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In another heavyweight bout, Jason Barnett (12-10, 6 KOs) shocked previously unbeaten Erik “The Viking” Leander (8-1, 6 KOs).

By Enrico ‘Erik’ Crociati

Rising Irish boxing star super bantamweight Paul Hyland (17-1, 5 KOs) added the European Union belt at 122 lbs to his national crown on Friday night in Quarto, Italy, with a convincing twelve round unanimous decision over Italian co-challenger David Chianella (16-6-2, 5 KOs). Hyland’s youth and superior boxing skills were evident, the Irish fighter dominated every single minute of the match as Chianella looked too much tender for this level of competition. The Three judges scored the bout 118-110, 117-111 and an incredible 116-112 for the new EBU-EU champ (Fightnews had it 118-110 for Hyland.) Elio Cotena promoted with Rai Sport Più televising.

Photo by Chris Cozzone

Photo: Top Rank in association with DiBella Entertainment officially announced the April 17 fight between World Middleweight Champ Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs) and WBC Super Welter Champ Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) today at the Gaylord Texas in Grapevine, Texas. The fight will take place Saturday, April 17, in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall and will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m.

Luis Nuño Briones

The work to find unity and reciprocity among the boxing sanctioning organizations has moved forward in Dallas as the WBC, IBF and WBO met to continue the flow of ideas on how to make boxing better. Presidents Jose Sulaiman, Marian Muhammad and Paco Valcarcel, along with key members of their organizations including Larry Hazzard, Luis Perez, Mauricio Sulaiman, John Duggan and Robert Lenhardt met and agreed on some very interesting topics that are taking form and could be of great value for the future of boxing. WBA president Gilberto Mendoza was scheduled to be present but sent a letter explaining his absence and confirmed the WBA’s position of unity and acceptance towards the meetings and agreements.

By Gabriel F. Cordero

Word is WBA/WBO lightweight super champion Juan Manuel Márquez could face Juan Diaz in a rematch on July 10 in Mexico City. It would be Marquez’ first fight in Mexico since November 1994 when he KO’d Jose Luis Montes at the Plaza Mexico. According to other sources, a July 10 fight in the United States is also a possibility with Chris John and Paul Malignaggi being opponents of interest.

Ringside by Andreas Hale
Photos by Ray Kasprowicz

Crown Boxing showcased some of boxing’s young talent on Friday night at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, on a card filled with young upstarts and hungry talent. In the main event, Alen Martinez scored a fifth round TKO over Brian Battease in their six round featherweight bout . . . Click here for more

Ringside by Jeff Zimmerman
Photos by Chris Cozzone

The night before perhaps the biggest fight ever in North Texas at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, another Filipino other than Manny Pacquiao was the star.

Headlining the Top Rank-promoted card televised on Fox Sports, Richie Mepranum (16-2-1, 3 KOs) scored a huge upset by beating previously undefeated Hernan “Tyson” Marquez (25-1, 18 KO’s) of Mexico . . . click here for more

Photos by Chris Cozzone

All the shots from yesterday’s weigh-in at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas: Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey weigh in. Plus: Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz; Alfonso Gomez vs. Jose Luis Castillo; John Duddy vs. Michael Medina . . . Click here for more

By Graham Houston

Superstar Manny Pacquiao tops the bill in the year’s biggest fight so far, meeting the durable Joshua Clottey in a welterweight title fight on Saturday that will be watched by a 40,000 crowd at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas and a worldwide TV viewing audience (HBO PPV in the U.S., Sky Box Office in Britain). Even though Pacquiao is a massive favourite, people want to see the fighter who is now regarded as a potential all-time great. The way Pacquiao has stormed through the weight divisions from flyweight right up to welterweight, and the thrilling, dominant displays of speed and power against big-name fighters Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto have established the Filipino as a phenomenon, the type of fighter who comes along once in a lifetime. Continued »

By Graham Houston

After tough, gruelling 12-rounders in his last two fights, Marco Huck gets what on paper should be a somewhat less arduous assignment when he defends his WBO cruiser title against Adam Richards, a Houston-based 29-year-old from Tennessee, in the main event in Berlin on Saturday. Huck had to dig deep in his fights with Victor Ramirez and Ola Afolabi. He was under pressure in these contests, and the bout with Afolabi was surprisingly close on the cards. Ramirez is a very strong, durable aggressor while Afolabi has underrated skills and power and is also a tricky, crafty sort of fighter — these always had the potential to be fights that would test Huck to the limit. Richards seems to me to be a straightforward type of fighter, not as physically powerful as Ramirez or as dangerous and artful as Afolabi. Huck has been able to get good results against this type of opponent. Continued »

By Francisco Salazar at ringside

Super Welterweight Anthony Hirsch (11-3-1, 5 KO’s) won a workmanlike six round unanimous decision over Mario Evangelista on Friday night at the American Legion Hall in Reseda, CA. Hirsch controlled the action, beating the hard-hitting Evangelista (3-6-1, 3 KO’s) to the punch. All three judges scored the bout 59-55, 59-55, and 60-54 in favor of Hirsch.

In the co-feature bout, Junior Welterweight Juan Alfonso Figueroa (6-7-1, 3 KO’s) won a six sloppy, foul-filled six round unanimous decision over previously-unbeaten Manuel Del Cid. Although Del Cid (3-1) scored a knockdown in the third round, he was deducted a point in the second and sixth rounds. All three judges scored the 57-53, 57-53, and 57-55 in favor of Figueroa. Click here for full report…

Photo by Chris Cozzone

By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside

In his USA debut, previously unbeaten WBC #5/WBA #6/WBO #9/IBF #12 flyweight Hernan ‘Tyson’ Marquez (25-1, 18 KOs) suffered his first defeat against WBA #10/WBO #11 Richie Mepranum (16-2-1, 3 KOs) on Friday night at the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine, Texas. Marquez was the aggressor as always, but it was the slicker Mepranum who landed the cleaner shots during the exchanges to win a clear ten round unanimous decision by scores of 99-91, 96-94, 98-92.
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In an IBF heavyweight eliminator, former WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter (34-3, 27 KOs) scored a second round TKO over Nagy Aguliera (15-3, 10 KOs). After Peter dropped Aguliera with a big right hand, The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ got the stoppage win with his follow up barrage. Time was 2:24.
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Unbeaten WBC #1/WBA #2/WBO #5 lightweight Anthony Peterson (30-0, 20 KOs) scored a third round KO over Juan Ramon Ramon Cruz (16-7-1, 12 KOs). Peter dropped Cruz in round two and twice in round three before the bout was terminated at the 1:11 mark.
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Unbeaten middleweight Omar Henry (8-0, 7 KOs) needed just 33 seconds to demolish previously unbeaten Francisco Reza (6-1, 5 KOs).

Photo: Emily Harney

Ringside by Scott Ploof

Tony “TNT” Grano (17-1-1, 13 KOs) avenged the only blemish of his professional career, his knockout loss to Mark “Oak Tree” Brown (15-3, 7 KOs) back in September, 2008, on Friday night at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, CT by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Brown. Scores of the bout were 97-92 twice and 98-91. Grano was on the offensive throughout a majority of the fight. Brown conserved his energy for the later rounds of the bout, which hurt him on the scorecards. He connected with a right hook in the final round of the bout that put Grano on the canvas. Grano showed his durability by being able to come off of the canvas to finish off the fight and take home the unanimous decision victory. Continued »

Former middleweight title challenger Giovanni “Chico Malo” Lorenzo (28-2, 20 KOs) returned on Friday night for the first time since dropping a split decision to Sebastian Sylvester in an IBF title clash last September. Lorenzo knocked out Wilmer Gonzalez (17-9-1, 11 KOs) in round two of a bout held at the Sosua Bay Grand Casino in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
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Also victorious were 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz (5-0, 3 KOs), who outpointed Orlando Membreno (11-13-1) over six, and super middleweight Julius Jackson (5-0, 5 KOs), who won when opponent Frank Mola (3-1, 1 KO) didn’t come out for round four. Jackson is the son of former world champion and ring great Julian Jackson.

Pepe Rodriguez

Former world champion Erik Morales sparred twelve rounds on Thursday as he prepares for his March 27 PPV collision with Jose Alfaro in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Under the watchful eye of his father and trainer José “Olivaritos” Morales, Erik has has completed two hard months of training at the Centro Ceremonial Otomí high in the Mexican mountains about 50 miles west of Mexico City. Morales will break camp on March 21 and travel to Monterrey for fight week. Continued »

Photo by Chris Cozzone

By Chris Cozzone at the scale

Manny Pacquiao 145.75 vs Joshua Clottey 147
(WBO welterweight championship)
David Diaz 134 vs Humberto Soto 134.2
(WBC lightweight championship)
Michael Medina 155.5 vs John Duddy 160
Alfonso Gomez 145 vs Jose Luis Castillo 144
Isaac Hidalgo 125 vs Arthur Trevino 125
Calvin Pitts 149 vs Rodrigo Garcia 149.7
Samuel Sanchez 122 vs Roberto Marroquin 122
Jamie Villa 127 vs Salvador Sanchez 127.7
Joe Moraels 126 vs Michael Farenas 127.2
Mauricio Pastrana 119.5 vs Eden Sonsona 119.7
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Venue: Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, Texas
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: PPV

By Alexey Sukachev

Former world cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli (31-4, 24 KOs) continued his comeback with the first-round stoppage of Hungarian import Zoltan Czekus (8-3-1, 4 KOs) on Friday night at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

British brightest welterweight prospect and national champion Kell Brook (21-0, 14 KOs) successfully moved from a casual contender to a world scene operator after a dominating stoppage of WBO #4 veteran Pole Krzysztof Benias (39-4, 16 KOs). Brook was sensational, throwing punches and bunches and giving the guest fighter no time and no space for a return fire. WBO #6 Brook forced Benias to stay inside his defensive shell through the five rounds to finally crack it with two punishing uppercuts for the stoppage at 2:46 of the sixth round. Brook is a new WBO I/C welterweight titlist. Continued »

Top Rank Boxing and Cowboys Stadium announced Friday the release of Party Pass tickets to this Saturday’s welterweight championship fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey. These general admission tickets offer an excellent view and will be priced at $35 each. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by visiting online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling toll free, 800-755-3000. Party pass tickets also give fans a chance to enjoy pre-fight festivities in the plazas outside Cowboys Stadium and access to six party decks located in the end zones of the stadium. Standing room viewing along the party deck rails is on a first come, first served basis. Large video screens with live broadcasts of the fight are on the plazas just outside the party decks. Party pass tickets do not provide fans with a seat but do allow fans to move about the party decks and open spaces in the main concourses.

Mark Vaz at the scale

Paul Spadafora 143 vs. Ivan Fiorletta 144 1/2
*Fiorletta initially weighed 146 3/4. Contract weight was 144 so the
Spadafora camp conceded the 1/2 pound overage.

Erik Leander 247 vs. Jason Barnett 218
Dieuly Aristilde 220 1/2 vs. Willie Herring 207 3/4
Sullivan Barrera 182 vs. Reggie Pena 184
Yoelvis Gamboa 137 vs. Milton Ramos 136
Abdulah Dobey 181 vs. Gevonte Davis 178
Rances Barthelemy 130 vs. Robert Guillen 128
Promoter: Michael Acri Boxing, DeCubas Presents, GD Big
Tickets: At the box office (954.828.5380)
Location: Fort Lauderdale War Memorial (800 NE 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale,
FL)

By Alexey Sukachev

WBO #4 and IBF #12 light middleweight contender Lukas Konecny (43-3, 21 KOs) retained his national middleweight title with a fourth round TKO over former Romanian lightweight champion Ionut Trandafir Ilie (13-3-1, 1 KO) on Friday night in Prague, Czech Republic. The Czech 154-pounder took a methodical approach, using his trademark pressure to frustrate and upset smaller Ilie. In round four, Konecny went after the Romanian and dropped him with a right hand to the body for the count. Continued »

By Alexey Sukachev

According to local sources, WBO #11 ranked Sherzod Husanov (14-0-1, 7 KOs) may be next-in-line to collide with Ukrainian WBO light middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk (36-0, 22 KOs). The proposed fight would take place on May 14 at Chumash Resort & Casino in Santa Ynez, California. Undefeated Dzinziruk, 33, who has recently signed a co-promotional deal with Gary Shaw Productions and Banner Promotions, last fought in November 2008, outpointing Columbian Joel Jair Julio. It was his fifth defense of the title he had won against formidable Daniel Santos in December 2005. Former Uzbek Olympian Husanov, 29, debuted in 2007. He is best known for a win and a draw against Russian Timur Nergadze last year.

WBA super lightweight champion Amir Khan said today at a London press conference that the style of challenger Paul Malignaggi is one he can beat. “I respect Paulie,” said Khan, who faces Malignaggi on May 15 in New York City. “He has had some great fights in the past and has a great record, beaten only by great fighters like Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto – but now there is another fighter coming out who is going to beat him.” As for an eventual all-British showdown with Ricky Hatton, Khan stated “I think he should retire,” said Khan. “…he has the respect of the British fans and boxers and I think he should hang his gloves up and relax now.”

Photo Wende

Marco Huck 198.4 vs Adam Richards 199.2
(WBO cruiserweight championship)
Alexander Povetkin 223.5 vs Javier Mora 257.4
Yoan Pablo Hernandez 198.1 vs Cesar David Crenz 199.9
Alexander Frenkel 194 vs Michael Simms 199.9
Kubrat Pulev 243.1 vs Danny Batchelder 221.5
Venue: Max Schmeling Halle, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
Promoter: Sauerland Events
Click here for more photos…

José Pérez/PR Best Boxing Promotions

Fightnews reported last week that unbeaten WBO light flyweight champion Iván “Iron Boy” Calderón (31-0, 6 KOs) of Puerto Rico and WBO interim light flyweight Johnriel Casimero (14-0, 8 KOs) of Cebu City, Philippines were soon to be headed for a showdown. Calderón’s promoter PR Best Boxing (Iván & Peter Rivera) and Casimero’s promoter Sampson Boxing LLC reached an agreement last week with the bout likely to take place at the end of May in Puerto Rico. Calderón wasted no time in getting himself back in the gym and spoke to Fightnews from his training camp in Puerto Rico. Continued »

Craig Gibson

By Craig Gibson

In his final week before heading to Las Vegas, Joan Guzman held an open workout in Manchester, England yesterday. Fans from all over the country traveled to get a glimpse of one of the fight games most talented stars and were not left disappointed. Guzman spent the first 30 minutes taking some local amateurs through their paces before working the pads with trainer Lee Beard and finishing off on the heavy bag. Speaking to Guzman after the session he stated, “I’m so pleased to be here in England, the fans have been very good to me and I hope one day I can fight over here.” When asked about his new training team of Lee Beard and Kerry Kayes, Guzman’s face lit up like an excited kid, “I really enjoy working with Lee and Kerry, they work me hard but that is good, I feel in great shape and can’t wait to show everyone the real Guzman on fight night.” Click here for more photos…

Heavyweight Mike Mollo (19-3-1, 12 KOs) returns to action in his hometown of Chicago for the first time in two and half years to battle veteran Billy Zumbrun (23-11-1, 13 KOs) in the main event at Chicago’s UIC Pavilion on March 26th. Training for most of the winter months in West Palm Beach, Florida, Mollo is thrilled to be fighting in Chicago again. “It’s been like a breath of fresh air. My new team, manager Ed Gersh and trainers, Pete Brodsky and Dave Lewter are great to have on my side. I’ve been training in West Palm Beach for the last five months and I’m in the best shape of my life, physically and mentally,” said Mollo. Continued »

Interview by Jeff Zimmerman

After the final press conference officially ended at Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday as the final build-up to The Event: Pacquiao vs. Clottey this weekend, and with the main attraction Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (50-3-2 38 KOs) long gone, there was still one guy hanging around the dais still chatting it up with whoever was interested: Alex Ariza, Manny’s strength and conditioning coach . . . . Click here for more

UFC® 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy, one of the most anticipated UFC® events ever, is officially sold out. Now, for everyone who wants to see Georges St-Pierre, Dan Hardy, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin live and in person, and watch this epic Ultimate Fighting Championship® event in New York, the UFC is taking over Radio City Music Hall and other sites in Manhattan to celebrate the UFC 111 mega-fight and deliver unprecedented access to the fighters getting ready to battle for world titles. Continued »