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WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu called out WBC/WBA/IBF champion Jermell Charlo immediately after defeating Brian Mendoza on Sunday morning in Australia. His first words were “Charlo, where you at? Where you at buddy?” He added, “In his delusional head he’ll probably say he’s gonna beat me. Come and get it…he’s the best 154, but let’s prove to everyone who is really the king of the division.”

Tszyu is planning to fight next in Las Vegas in the spring. #1 on his hit list is Charlo, but he says there are other options if Charlo isn’t interested.

As far as the Mendoza fight, Tszyu said, “I thought he was out. Like I could hear his breathing he was like, no offense, but he was like moaning. He was doing all these weird noises in one of the rounds and I was like, man how is he still standing? I was landing all these uppercuts and, yeah, he’s got a heart. That’s for sure. You know, a lot of fighters would have quit. That’s facts.”

“This is my style of fighting. This is Qazaq style, and this is what I will continue to do,” stated Janibek Alimkhanuly after unifying the IBF/WBO middleweight titles on Saturday night. “We knew from the beginning that [Gualtieri] wasn’t going to fight back. He was waiting because he thought I was going to get tired. But I didn’t get tired.

“We would like to add another two belts to this collection. We hope that our promoter Top Rank can organize that.”

It won’t be easy to get those last two belts, however, since both are held by fighters promoted by rival promoter PBC. To become undisputed, Alimkhanuly would need to beat WBA champion Erislandy Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) and WBC champion Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs).

Recently elevated WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs), making his first world title defense, scored a twelve round unanimous decision over iron-jawed Brian Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) on Sunday at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. Close first half of the fight with both having their moments. Tszyu started to take over in round seven and he methodically broke down Mendoza the rest of the way. Scores were 116-111, 116-112, 117-111.

Former world champion Miguel “El Alacrán” Berchelt (39-3, 35 KOs) beat up former world champion challenger Diego “El Profeta” Ruiz (24-8-1, 12 KOs) in a lightweight clash on Saturday night at the Poliforum Zamna in Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico. After Berchelt dominated the first two rounds, Ruiz said he couldn’t continue due to a hand injury.

In an IBF flyweight eliminator, undefeated Angel Ayala (17-0, 7 KOs) scored a very controversial twelve round unanimous decision over former world champion Felix “El Gemelo” Alvarado (39-4, 34 KOs). Alvarado seemed to do more than enough to win, but the judges scored it for Ayala 114-113 3x. To add insult to injury, Alvarado was initially announced as the winner.

In a middleweight unification clash, WBO world champion Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) took the belt of IBF world champion Vincenzo “Il Capo” Gualtieri (21-1-1, 7 KOs) with a sixth round TKO on Saturday night at Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas. Alimkhanuly overpowered Gualtieri from the get-go. A counter left uppercut from Janibek in the fifth round hurt and dropped Gualtieri. After buckling Gualtieri multiple time in round six, the bout was waved off by referee David Fields. Time was 1:25.

Unbeaten featherweight Sam Goodman (16-0, 7 KOs) outscored former world title challenger Miguel Flores (25-5-1, 12 KOs) over twelve rounds in the Tszyu-Mendoza co-feature on Sunday at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. Goodman dropped Flores with a body shot in round eight. Flores also had two point deductions for low blows. Goodman was in command, but Flores was game the whole way. Scores were 118-107, 120-105, 120-105.

Heavyweight Toese Vousiutu (6-1, 6 KOs) scored a fourth round KO against 46-year-old Julius “The Towering Inferno” Long (18-27-1, 14 KOs). The 7’1 Long was down twice.

Other Results:
Jackson Jon England W10 Nathaniel May (super featherweight)
Wade Ryan W10 Sergei Vorobev (super welterweight)

U.S. Olympic silver medalist and lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis (10-0, 6 KOs) scored a ten round majority decision over Nahir Albright (16-3, 7 KOs) in the Alimkhanuly-Gualtieri co-feature on Saturday night at Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas. Scores were 95-95, 96-94, 97-93.

Unbeaten 2020 Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (7-0, 7 KOs) stopped Tyrrell Anthony Herndon (21-5, 14 KOs). All action Torrez dropped Herdon twice in round two and got a referee’s stoppage soon after. Time was 1:26. Continue reading “Olympian medalists Davis, Torrez victorious”

Unbeaten cruiserweight Tommy Fury (10-0, 4 KOs), younger brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, won a six round majority decision over YouTuber KSI (1-1, 0 KOs) on Saturday night in front of 20,000+ at the AO Arena in Manchester, England. KSI went down in round one after a rabbit punch by Fury. No point taken. Fury was deducted a point in round two after another rabbit punch. Tedious fight with constant clinching by KSI, but Fury couldn’t take advantage of it. Scores were 57-57, 57-56, 57-56.

In a cruiserweight fight, Logan Paul, older brother of Jake Paul, early defeated MMA fighter Dillon Danis, who couldn’t box at all. Danis was deducted a point in round six for a ju-jitsu move. The bout ended when more than a dozen black-clad security guards jumped into the ring after more illegal moves by Danis. End result was a disqualification win for Paul. Big build-up for the fight, but Danis didn’t deliver. This was a sanctioned pro match.

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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