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Undefeated IBF #1, WBA #8, WBO #13, WBC #15 heavyweight Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic (16-0, 13 KOs) scored a sudden twelfth round TKO over previously unbeaten IBF #13, WBO #14 Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KOs) to preserve his mandatory shot at unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night at The O2 Arena in London. Lots of rabbit punches were allowed in this fight. Hrgovic pressed the action and won the early rounds. McKean became more active midway. Hrgovic rocked McKean in round nine. A lot of holding by McKean for the rest of the way.

The bout looked like it was headed to a workmanlike decision for Hrgovic when he finally connected with a huge right hand that staggered McKean in the final round. McKean reeled around the ring and the bout was stopped. Time was 1:01.

In a clash between former heavyweight title challengers, Derek Chisora (34-12, 23 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over Gerald Washington (20-6-1, 13 KOs). 39-year-old Chisora, coming off a WBC title shot against Tyson Fury in December, pressed the action against 41-year-old Washington in a slow-paced fight. Scores were 98-93, 97-94, 96-94.

Unbeaten heavyweight Johnny “The Romford Bull” Fisher (10-0, 9 KOs) stopped Harry Armstrong (5-2-1, 0 KOs) in round seven to claim the vacant English Southern Area title. Fisher dropped Armstrong in the first ten seconds, then seemingly punched himself out a bit trying unsuccessfully to get the finish. Fisher finally broke through again in round seven, dropping Armstrong, and getting the stoppage with his follow up barrage as Armstrong’s corner threw in the towel. Time was 1:19.

Super lightweight Campbell Hatton (13-0, 5 KOs), son of ring legend Ricky Hatton, outpointed Tom Ansell (10-5, 2 KOs) over eight rounds by a score of 78-74.

Other Results:
George Liddard W6 Bas Oosterweghel (middleweight)
Brandon Scott W6 Louis Norman (featherweight)
Maiseyrose Courtney W6 Gemma Ruegg (female super flyweight)

By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten puzzling southpaw IBF #5 Ryosuke Nishida (8-0, 1 KO), 118, pounded out a unanimous decision (116-112, 117-111, 118-110) over IBF#6 Christian Medina (21-4, 14 KOs), 117.75, in an IBF bantamweight eliminator to decide the next mandatory challenger over twelve on Friday in Osaka, Japan. Nishida took the initiative with his superior skills over the hard-punching but less aggressive Mexican all the way. Medina, in rounds five and seven, connected with solid left hooks to the cheek of Nishida, who, however, controlled the fight with speed and skills.

Promoter: KWORLD3 Promotions.

Undefeated WBO #2, WBC #10 super featherweight “Prince” Albert Bell (24-0, 7 KOs) stopped Presco “Iceman” Carcosia (11-3-1, 9 KOs) after five one-sided rounds on Friday night at the OTE Arena in Atlanta. Bell was too quick and too slick for Carcosia. Bell dropped Carcosia in round five and Carcosia’s corner kept him on his stool after the round. With the win, Bell claimed the WBC OTX title.

Bell will now be heading to Las Vegas to see the clash between WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez as he is in line to fight the winner. Continue reading “WBC#2 Bell dings Carcosia, stays unbeaten”

Both Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius got into a bit of psychological warfare during today’s final face-off. Joshua seemed triggered by Helenius mean-mugging him and he tried to provoke Helenius. Tomorrow in the ring we might see who intimidated who.

Joshua: You good? Good yeah?
Helenius: Yeah.
Joshua: Yeah, looking at me like you’ve got a problem or something. You got a problem with me?
Helenius: No one has got a problem.
Joshua: Seriously, is everything alright though?
Helenius glares at him.
Joshua: You know all this shit here don’t matter, like. Either we’re gonna fight now or we’re gonna fight tomorrow, like. Either way we’re gonna fight.
Helenius: Yeah
Joshua: So all this shit…acting up here don’t really mean shit to me unless you want to fight me here now. You know what I’m trying to say? So stav calm and stay cool.
Helenius: I am cool.
Joshua: Good.

Emanuel Navarrete 130 vs. Oscar Valdez 129.8
(WBO junior lightweight title)

Lindolfo Delgado 140.7 vs. Jair Valtierra 139.4
Richard 235.4 Torrez Jr vs. Willie Jake Jr 249.6
Emiliano Vargas 134.8 vs. Jorge Luis Marquez Alvarado 133.7
Antonio Mireles 270.7 vs. Dajuan Calloway 391.7
Sergio Rodriguez 161 vs. Eduardo Ayala 160
Ricardo Ruvalcaba 141.6 vs. Adrian Orban 141.5

Note: Navarrete initially weighed 130.1, then stripped down to make weight.

Venue: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: ESPN, ESPN+

Manny Rodriguez 118 vs. Melo Lopez 117
(IBF bantamweight title)

Gary Antuanne Russell 138.4 vs. Kent Cruz 142.6
Travon Marshall 146.8 vs. Gabriel Maestre 146.6
Michael Angeletti 117.8 vs. Jonathan Lopez 118.2
Jose Benavidez Jr. 158.6 vs. Sladan Janjanin 160.6
Damien Vazquez 120 vs. Jeronil Borres 121.6

Notes: Rodriguez initially weighed in at 118.2, then he stripped down and made weight. Cruz weighed 2.6 pounds heavy and has an hour to lose the weight.

Venue: MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland
Promoter: TGB Promotions
TV: Showtime, YouTube/Facebook (undercard)

By Robert Coster

WBA regular minimumweight champion Erick “Mini Pacman” Rosa is returning to ring action after one year and eight months without lacing the gloves. On August 25 Rosa (5-0, 1 KO) will be defending his title against Venezuelan challenger Orlando Pino (14-1, 8 KOs) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A victory over Pino will open the door for Rosa to face WBA super champion Thamanon Niyomthing of Thailand. Rosa is part of a very select group of boxers who became a world champion with less than five pro fights.

Anthony Joshua 250 vs. Robert Helenius 249.4

Filip Hrgovic 243.1 vs. Demsey McKean 245.5

Derek Chisora 252.1 vs. Gerald Washington 237.9

Johnny Fisher 242.8 vs. Harry Armstrong 250.8

Campbell Hatton 141.8 vs. Tom Ansell 141.9
Geroge Liddard 162.3 vs. Bas Oosterweghel 164.7
Brandon Scott 131.9 vs. Louis Norman 133.9
Maiseyrose Courtney 114.4 vs. Gemma Ruegg 113.8

Venue: O2 Arena, London, England
Promoter: Matchroom
TV: DAZN

In a clash between unbeaten flyweights, Andy Dominguez (10-0, 6 KOs) scored a six round majority decision over Mohammed Aryeetey (7-1-1, 5 KOs) on Thursday night at Sony Hall in New York City. Close fight. Scores were 58-56, 58-56, 57-57.

In the co-feature, female super flyweight Christina Cruz (5-0, 0 KOs) swept past Nancy Franco (19-18-2, 5 KOs) over eight by scores of 80-72, 79-73, 79-93.

WBO junior lightweight champion Emanuel Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) and former champion Oscar Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) faced off for all-Mexican duel on Saturday night on ESPN from Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Emanuel Navarrete: “We all know that this fight is raising a lot of expectations. It would be totally fraudulent if Valdez and I didn’t give 100 percent in this fight. We all know that everyone expects a war in the ring. We have all that it takes to make for a great fight.”

Oscar Valdez: “This fight means the world to me…I want to win. I want to be a world champion again. I want to show the fans a good fight. So, I am ready.”

Former world champion Emmanuel “Manny” Rodriguez and top contender Melvin “Melo” Lopez went face to face at Thursday’s final press conference before they meet for the vacant IBF bantamweight world championship this Saturday on Showtime from The Theater at MGM National Harbor, Maryland.

Emmanuel Rodriguez: “I guarantee you I’m gonna come out with the win on Saturday, because I’m the toughest opponent he’s ever faced. I’m gonna prove I’m the best fighter in the division. This is gonna send a message to all the other champions that I’m here to stay…I feel like I can stop him between the fourth and seventh rounds.”

Melvin Lopez: “He can say whatever he wants, talk is cheap. Saturday night is where it’s all shown. He’s gonna have to back it up. I’m not gonna guarantee a knockout. I’m an animal that hunts for his prey. I’m gonna try to get him where I want and whatever happens, happens.”

Unbeaten IBF #1, WBA #8, WBO #13, WBC #15 heavyweight Filip Hrgovic (15-0, 12 KOs) and unbeaten IBF #13, WBO #14 Demsey McKean (22-0, 14 KOs) traded barbs before their twelve-rounder on Saturday’s Joshua-Helenius stream on DAZN from London:

Demsey McKean: “He waffles on about ‘who has he knocked out that I haven’t knocked out?’ Well, who has he decisively beaten? He only has Zhilei Zhang and that was a controversial decision, so we have similar CVs as each other. He’s a good fighter, I just think I have the tools to beat him and give him a hell of a night.”

Filip Hrgovic: We will see – anything is possible in boxing and life. But I don’t see how he can beat me. He’s had 22 fights before, but I don’t see anything special in his game and as I said before, it’s one thing to be confident, but another to be delusional. Continue reading “Hrgovic-McKean heats up”

In a WBA super featherweight eliminator, Otar “Pitbull” Eranosyan (14-0, 7 KOs) scored an eightth round TKO over former world champion Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez (27-5-1, 21 KOs) on Wednesday night at the Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Eranosyan rocked Gutierrez in round one, but Gutierrez responded by dropping Eranosyan in round two. Eranosyan upped the pressure after that. Gutierrez was deducted a point for holding in round eight. Eranosyan blasted Gutierrez to the canvas with a barrage of punches moments later. The bout was stopped after the round.

Super lightweight Petros Ananyan (18-3-2, 9 KOs) scored a seventh round knockout over Cristian Baez (19-3, 17 KOs). Baez was winning the fight until Ananyan rocked him. Baez went to the canvas and was counted out. Time was 1:41. Ananyan is the only man to defeat current IBF champion Subriel Matias.

Super lightweight Tristan Gallichan (1-0-1, 1 KO) and Ryan Schwartzberg (3-11-3, 2 KOs) battled to a four round draw. Scores were 38-38, 38-38, and 40-36.

Pre-sale tickets for undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez against undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo are available tomorrow, Thursday, August 10 from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: PBC. The bout takes place September 30 on PPV from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Canelo Alvarez: “I’m very happy that we got to make a fight of this magnitude between two undisputed champions. Jermell Charlo has also faced the best in his division, and I’m glad that the fans are going to enjoy a world class fight between us on September 30.”

Jermell Charlo: “I’m really excited to make history once again on September 30. This is the biggest fight in boxing and I’m coming to leave it all in the ring like I do every time. I manifested this fight into existence and earned it with everything I’ve done in this sport so far. Canelo is a great fighter, but he’s gonna see what Lions Only is all about. When the fight’s over, people are gonna have to recognize that I’m the best fighter in the sport.”

Lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla suffered a training injury and has been forced to withdraw from his ESPN-televised co-feature this Saturday against fellow unbeaten Diego Torres at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

The 10-round junior welterweight tilt between 2016 Olympian Lindolfo Delgado (17-0, 13, KOs) and Jair Valtierra (16-2, 8 KOs) is the new co-feature and will be televised directly before the WBO junior lightweight world title showdown between reigning champion Emanuel Navarrete and former two-weight world champion Oscar Valdez.

Navarrete-Valdez, Delgado-Valtierra, and the heavyweight showdown between Richard Torrez Jr. and Willie Jake Jr. will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and late sub Robert Helenius spoke about Saturday’s showdown in London and seen on DAZN.

Anthony Joshua: “The principles remain the same, worry about myself. Robert and I sparred years ago, we shared the ring, but I’ve sparred with so may styles, competed with so many styles, the objective remains the same – victory, and victory by any means. There’s no overtime in boxing so I have to be on my A-game and inflict pain to get the victory…it would be silly to underestimate him, or anyone. I have to take him deadly serious.”

Robert Helenius: “This fight offer came to me after my fight at the weekend. I was going on vacation with my family but not anymore, here we are. We had a good camp behind us, and we feel ready. I am ready to fight, otherwise I wouldn’t be here…I will give everything to win this fight.”

Today in London, heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius faced off for the first time in advance of their DAZN-streamed clash on Saturday night.

Following the postponement of the August 19 Artur Beterbiev against Callum Smith card, the duel between WBC #1, WBA #4, IBF #5 super middleweight Christian Mbilli (24-0, 20 KOs) and Demond Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs) will be moved to Eye of the Tiger’s September 8 card at the Casino du Lac-Leamy.

Headlining is NABF super lightweight champion, Steve Claggett (35-7-2, 25 KOs) defend his title against Carlos “El Tiburon” Sanchez Valadez (24-1, 19 KOs).

By Joe Koizumi
Photos: Naoki Fukuda

Why was it expected to be a competitive war? It’s because both are devastating hard-punchers prone to take punches. But it didn’t become competitive but one-sided. Japanese super light champ Homura Fujita (11-1, 9 KOs), 140, kept his belt by a quick demolition of JBC#1 Hayato Ono (12-5-2, 11 KOs), 139.75, at 2:48 of the third round in the main event of the national title twinbill on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan. The aggressive champ, from round one, caught up with the still nervous and stiff challenger, and almost stunned him with solid effective overhand rights. The second saw Fujita improve his precision in landing powerful shots upstairs and downstairs to obviously hurt Ono, who wobblingly returned to his corner. Fujita, a graduate from highly ranked Waseda university and now working in a renowned enterprise, swarmed over the damaged challenger, decking to the canvas with a furious combination. Though Ono resumed fighting, Fujita battered him from all angles so furiously that the ref stepped in and waved it off. Continue reading “Fujita halts Ono, keeps JBC 140lb belt”

IBF #3 world ranked bantamweight Melvin “Melo” Lopez (29-1, 19 KOs) of Nicaragua (now based in Miami) will get his long-awaited world title opportunity versus former world champion and IBF #2 world ranked Emmanuel Rodriguez of Puerto Rico. (The number one slot is vacant). The twelve round main event will take place this Saturday at the MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland. The card will be promoted by Tom Brown (TGB Promotions) and televised live on Showtime.

Lopez is riding an eight-bout win streak since his upset loss at the hands of now former world title challenger Jose Velasquez of Chile in 2019. It has been a long back getting to the world title fight but Lopez is confident is ready to become a world champion. Continue reading “Interview: Melvin “Melo” Lopez”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

After a long career full of ups and downs, newly crowned 38-year-old workman Yuichi Ideta (17-16-1, 9 KOs), 153.25, very barely kept his Japanese super welter belt as he eked out a hairline split decision (96-94 twice, 94-96 against him) over interim champ Rei Nakajima (6-2, 1 KO), 154, over ten see-saw rounds on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japan.

Ideta, a Yaqui Lopez stylist, annexed the national belt from Makoto Kawasaki in a grueling fight last December, but suffered a detached retina on the left optic and had to take an optical surgery with a necessary recovering interval.  During his inactivity the JBC approved an interim title bout with Nakajima eventually winning the secondary belt this April.  Now it’s a national unification bout.  Ideta, who had experienced a notoriously losing streak in eleven bouts, really had a tough time as Nakajima swept almost all rounds in the first half.  Ideta, however, kept battering the early starter with his persistent attack to see Nakajima fading down the stretch.  Overcoming his early deficits on points, Ideta finally earned a split verdict and managed to retain his belt in his first defense. Continue reading “Ideta barely defeats Nakajima”

Super featherweight contenders Otar Eranosyan (13-0, 6 KOs) and Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez (27-4-1, 21 KOs) both made weight for their WBA eliminator fight on Wednesday night at the Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Eranosyan weighed in at 129.4 lbs, while the former world champion Gutierrez stopped the needle at 129.8 lbs. ProBox TV will stream.

Two of Mexico’s most accomplished boxers, Oscar Valdez and Emanuel Navarrete, will square off in an all-Mexican super featherweight title fight on Saturday, August 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Valdez, is managed by veteran manager Frank Espinoza who has helmed the career of 10 world champions. “I would be surprised if this doesn’t turn out to be a fight of the year candidate,” says the knowledgeable L.A. based manager. “Their styles will combine into something very exciting. These are extremely competitive, talented and hungry fighters. Mark my words. This will be an unforgettable fight.”

Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) is the former WBC and WBO super featherweight champion. He lost his WBC title to Shakur Stevenson in April 2022, but bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Adam Lopez in May. Continue reading “Espinoza: Valdez-Navarrete will be a classic war”

Sad to announce that former heavyweight contender Roy Harris, from Cut and Shoot, Texas, passed away this morning at the age of 90. Harris was rated in the top 10 as a heavyweight from mid-1957 to mid-1960, and challenged Floyd Patterson for the world heavyweight title back in 1958. He also fought Sonny Liston, Henry Cooper, and many more. Harris finished with a record of 30-5 with 9 KOs. RIP.