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One of the WBA’s most solid champions is Thammanoon Niyomtrong (21-0, 7 KOs), better known as Knockout CP Freshmart, who is currently the minimumweight monarch and wants to maintain that supremacy in 2021. The 30-year-old Thai boxer had the opportunity to fight in 2020 before the pandemic pause arrived. Niyomtrong beat Japan’s Norihito Tanaka by unanimous decision when defending the pioneer organization’s super championship in Nakhon Sawan. Continue reading “Niyomtrong ready for action”

By Joe Koizumi

Only once-beaten younger brother of “The Monster” Naoya, Takuma Inoue (13-1, 3 KOs) will have a shot at the OPBF bantamweight belt against IBF#4 compatriot Keita Kurihara (15-5, 13 KOs) today (Thursday) in Tokyo, Japan. For WBC#7, WBO#6 Takuma, it will be the first appearance since he failed to win the WBC belt on a unanimous decision loss to Nordine Oubaali here in November 2019. Continue reading “Inoue’s brother to collide with IBF#4 Kurihara”

WBO junior featherweight champion Angelo Leo and unbeaten rising star Stephen “Cool Boy” Fulton Jr. previewed their upcoming world title showdown during a virtual press conference Wednesday as they prepare to battle live on Showtime on January 23 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

“This is going to be one of the best fights of the year and I can’t wait for you all to see it” – Leo

“January 23 is going to be fireworks…We both have something to prove and I’m ready to get it on” – Fulton

Continue reading “Leo-Fulton virtual press conference quotes”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum has been negotiating to have WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) defend against IBF mandatory contender George Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs) in Australia during May.

“We’ve been talking to the Aussies and we’re supposed to have a letter of intent from them by the end of this week,” said Arum to boxing writer Gareth Davies. “It would be in May sometime. We’re at the mercy of this coronavirus, but by May I think we’ll be okay. We’re looking at Melbourne. The plan is to do it in one of their big stadiums with 50,000 people. They’re doing events now at full capacity. The problem there is the quarantine for 14 days and they’ve prohibited foreigners from coming in at all to Australia until further notice.”

By Mauricio Sulaimán
Son of Jose Sulaiman – WBC President

The most important challenge for everyone in these difficult times is, without a doubt, survival.

Survival in every possible way. Obviously, maintaining our health and preventing the spread of COVID-19 that has impacted the world since the beginning of last year is paramount.

Also maintaining mental health, which is very important but complicated. It is not an easy task to do when we are filled with news of the seriousness of the situation day after day, hour after hour, when all the chats are flooded with negative and alarming messages and when all the talks revolve around the same thing. Continue reading “A big challenge ahead! First thing is to survive”

By Gabriel F. Cordero

The Professional Boxing Commission of Mexico City has decided to waive the fees for licensing boxers and trainers due to the economic situation in the country. The only expenses will be required laboratory tests. Likewise, the promoters will be supported to carry out professional boxing events in Mexico City.

The Comision de Box de la CDMX, chaired by Ciro Nucci, has focused on sanitary and healthy conditions for boxers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WBA heavyweight champion Manuel Charr (31-4, 17 KOs) is scheduled to face WBA interim heavyweight champion Trevor Bryan (20-0, 14 KOs) on January 29 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

However, Charr isn’t convinced that the bout will happen, writing on his Facebook page: “Do you think the fight will take place? Or is it a wrong play again from Don King? As I said, I am fully in training and I will be fit for the fight. From the street to the stars!”

There is speculation in the German media that the fight announcement is a ploy to get Charr stripped of the WBA belt, which Charr won in 2017 but has yet to defend. At this point, it’s not even certain that Charr can enter the U.S. due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Top Rank has announced on social media that former three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko is back in the gym. A brief quote attributed to Loma is as follows: “I have my back, I leave no room for doubt. 2021 I can’t wait to [fight].” Not sure if he means “payback” or “comeback,” but either way it’ll be good to see him in the ring again.

WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel “Alacran” Berchelt says beating Oscar Valdez, “will be a great springboard for my career!”

Berchelt was one of the special guests at the first “WBC Coffee Tuesday” of 2021. He stated that in defending his crown on February 20 against former Olympian Valdez, he’s preparing for a see-saw war between Mexicans at the MGM Bubble in Las Vegas.

For Miguel, this fight is crucial, as he wants to inspire new generations, as did Barrera vs. Morales, Zarate vs. Zamora, and Marquez vs. Vázquez, just to name a few. Continue reading “Berchelt ready for Valdez”

Carl Frampton will bid to become a three-weight world champion when he takes on the WBO world super featherweight champion Jamel Herring on February 27 in London, live on BT Sport in the UK.

The special occasion of ‘The Jackal’ bidding to make boxing history will be Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions’ first show of 2021, in association with MTK Global.

The Frampton-Herring showdown was originally scheduled for the middle of 2020 before being delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak, which led to both taking interim fights, with Herring overcoming Jonathan Oquendo following a disqualification in Las Vegas, while Frampton kept busy defeating Darren Traynor via a seventh round stoppage in London. Continue reading “Frampton-Herring set to collide on Feb 27”

Undefeated WBO junior featherweight champion Angelo Leo (20-0, 9 KOs) takes on unbeaten Stephen “Cool Boy” Fulton Jr. (18-0, 8 KOs) in the main event of the first Showtime Championship Boxing telecast of 2021 on January 23 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The telecast also features two WBA interim title fights.

Leo, who fights out of the Mayweather Promotions stable, was originally scheduled to face Fulton for the vacant WBO junior featherweight world title last August in the first Showtime boxing event following the pandemic shutdown of the sport, but Fulton was forced to withdraw following a positive COVID-19 test. Leo then defeated late-sub Tramaine Williams by unanimous decision for the belt. Continue reading “Leo-Fulton Showtime quotes”

Sad to report that legendary promoter Mike Acri has passed away at the age of 63. Acri had been ill health for some time. He is best known for promoting Roberto Duran, Hector Camacho and Paul Spadafora among others. Mike was an executive producer for the acclaimed Showtime documentary titled Macho: The Hector Camacho Story. Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, Mike Acri is a member of the PA Boxing Hall of Fame.