Fightnews.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.”

Unbeaten WBA #14 lightweight Chann Thonson (15-0, 12 KOs) scored a third round referee’s stoppage win over Nikolai Buzolin (9-6-1, 5 KOs) on Tuesday night at the Texas Troubadour in Nashville, Tennessee. In round three, Thonson battered Buzolin until Buzolin’s corner threw in the towel. Time was 1:35.

Unbeaten super welterweight (13-0, 10 KOs) won a six round unanimous decision over Eric Bossler (6-5, 5 KOs). Scores were 60-54, 59-55, 60-54.

By Jeff Zimmerman

Fightnews.com® caught up with rising, young star Freudis Rojas Jr. aka “Freddy” as he takes on the Freddie Roach trained Saul Bustos at Boeing Center at Tech Port on Fri, Sept 15 in San Antonio, TX. Rojas Jr. recapped the Spence-Crawford battle and discussed the confidence gained from sharing the ring with #1 pound-for-pound star Terence “Bud” Crawford and much more in this exclusive interview.

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After a 21-year Hiatus, a world title fight featuring a Nicaraguan finally returns to the land of volcanoes and lakes. WBO Jr Flyweight titlist Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez (27-3-1, 14 KOs) of Caguas, Puerto Rico is set to make his third defense against local ranked challenger WBO #10 Leyman “El Fenix” Benavides `(20-6-1, 3 KOs) on October 27 at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex in Managua, Nicaragua. The bout will stream live on ESPN+ (USA including Puerto Rico) and air on ESPN Knockout in all of Latin America. Continue reading “Bomba Gonzalez returns Oct 27”

The ESPN network announced on their website that they will air the WBC lightweight title fight between Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) and Frank Martin (18-0, 12 KOs). Parties reached a deal to clash for the vacant WBC belt shortly before a scheduled WBC purse bid. Possible dates are November 16 in Las Vegas or December 9 in New York City.

No blockbuster boxing telecasts as is usually the norm for the Saturday leading into Mexican Independence Weekend next week, however all is not lost for fight fans. In fact, we have good ring action every night this week.

TUESDAY
Fite TV + various cable and satellite carriers
Chann Thonson (14-0, 11 KOs) vs. Nikolai Buzolin (9-5-1, 5 KOs)
Super lightweights from the Texas Troubadour, Nashville, TN

WEDNESDAY
ProBox TV
Radivoje Kalajdzic (27-2, 19 KOs) vs. Mickey Ellison (14-4, 5 KOs)
Light heavyweights from Whitesands Events Center, Plant City, FL

THURSDAY
DAZN
Raul Curiel (12-0, 10 KOs) vs. Courtney Pennington (17-6-3, 7 KOs)
Welterweights from Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, CA

FRIDAY
ESPN+
Christian Mbilli (24-0, 20 KOs) vs. Demond Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs)
Super middleweight from the Casino Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, QC, Canada

SATURDAY
DAZN
Bader Samreen (8-0, 7 KOs) vs. Jose Paez Gonzales (16-2-2, 12 KOs)
Lightweights from Mubadala Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

By Mauricio Sulaimán
President of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán

It is time to put it in black and white and clarify something that for many years has been a matter of confusion, misinterpretation and mishandling of information, which has prompted so many to be commenting on all kinds of baseless things, creating ridiculous discussions, hurting our sport of boxing.

I am talking about the famous UFC. It is increasingly common to see that the UFC is compared with boxing. But as we say in Mexico: You cannot compare apples with pears.

First of all, I want to clarify that the UFC deserves full credit for the incredible growth it has achieved since its inception 30 years ago. They have managed to become a multi-million-dollar business.

Let’s explore the differences:

Boxing is a universal sport, the oldest of all. It has an amateur modality, being an Olympic sport in the original Games in Greece, and in the modern ones since 1904. A sport that is regulated by boxing commissions in each city, state and country, and the business side of the sport is handled solely by the promoters. Continue reading “Boxing and the UFC”

Chann Thonson 134.4 vs. Nikolai Buzolin 135
(WBA Continental Americas Lightweight Title)

Justin Biggs 154.4 vs. Eric Bossler 155
Erick Arellano 225.4 vs. Francois Russlell 250.6
Jaquan Carty 158.6 vs. Orlenis Licea 157.4
Kevin Torian 200 vs. Raquan Ashby 191.2
Ermes Orta 139.6 vs. Raymond Chacon 142.6

Venue: Troubadour Nashville
Promoter: Jimmy Adams Promotions
1st Bell: 8 PM ET (7 PM CT)

TV: Dish Network–Channel 218
Comcast/Xfinity –Channel 1495
Fios–Channel 662
Frontier–Channel 162
ATT U-Verse–Channel 459/1459
Spectrum–Channel 189
GCI–Channel 142
Cincinnati Bell–636
Buckeye Cable–Channels 161/572
Direct TV–Channel 242

Stream: FITE.TV and Countrybox247.com

Marc Abrams and Albert Haynesworth on the call

Boxing trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre was arrested at Manchester Airport when attempting to leave England after working the Chris Eubank Jr corner vs. Liam Smith on Saturday. TSA’s allegedly found a loaded gun in BoMac’s luggage. He has been charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate. As of now, BoMac will likely be held in custody at least until an October 9 hearing. It’s illegal in the UK for any member of the public to carry a gun and penalties are severe.

BoMac is primarily known as the head trainer for undisputed welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford.

Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez have been talking about a potential future showdown.

“I always said, I respect Terence Crawford,” Alvarez told TMZ. “He’s a very talented fighter but he just won one big fight. If you see his record, he just beat one good fighter in Errol Spence. Other than that, I don’t think he’s beaten other great fighters like Spence.”

Crawford responded on Twitter, “Here we go with the I haven’t fought nobody but Spence talk. Lol y’all so delusional it’s crazy.”

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First Canelo has to get past Jermell Charlo on September 30. “Jermell Charlo is a great fighter, he’s a talented fighter and he’s undisputed in his weight class,” Alvarez said. “It’s going to be a good fight so I’m happy to be in this kind of fight, in the big fights.”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Former IBF 130-pound champ Kenichi Ogawa (28-2-1-1NC, 19 KOs), 129.75, proved too powerful and aggressive for OPBF#15 ranked Filipino Marvin Esquierdo (17-3-1-1NC, 11 KOs), 129.5, winning a nearly shutout decision (99-91 twice, 98-92) over ten Tom-and-Jerry rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Ogawa acquired the vacant IBF belt by outhustling Azinga Fuzile at Madison Square Garden in 2011, but lost it to Joe Cordina with a single right shot in Cardiff, Wales in June of the previous year. In his second comebacking bout, Ogawa, a sturdy and muscular puncher, kept stalking the elusive dodger, whose object was just to survive rather than to be victorious. Kenichi sometimes almost caught the negative Filipino but he displayed tricky defensive skills to avert Ogawa’s lethal shots until the end. Continue reading “Ex-IBF 130lb champ Ogawa defeats Esquierdo”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Japanese welterweight champ Shoki Sakai (28-17-3, 15 KOs), 146.75, retained his national belt as he kept stalking less aggressive footworker WBO#15 Hiroya Nojima (11-2-1, 5 KOs), 145.5, all the way and won a nearly lopsided decision (all 98-92) over ten monotonous rounds on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. Sakai, who had stayed long under Nacho Beristain in Mexico, returned to his native place three years ago and then acquired the national title this April to his credit. In his initial defense Sakai patiently kept chasing the footworker and dominated almost all rounds with ease. Continue reading “Sakai beats Nojima, keeps Japanese 147lb belt”