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39-year-old ring legend Manny Pacquiao is a 2:1 favorite to dethrone WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse on Saturday night at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pacman (59-7-2, 38 KOs) has parted ways with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and now is trained by longtime assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez. His company MP Promotions is promoting the card.

Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs) and his team already arrived in Malaysia last week to get acclimated to the time and humidity.

The Pacquiao-Matthysse bout will only be available in the United States by live stream on ESPN+.

However, ESPN will be televising boxing Saturday night. The network presents WBC interim super lightweight champion Regis Prograis (21-0, 18 KOs) versus Juan Jose Velasco (20-0, 12 KOs) before the Pacquiao-Matthysse stream.

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker will be looking for redemption against WBC #1 Dillian Whyte when they clash at the 02 Arena London on July 29.

“In our last couple of fights, our offense has become a bit dormant,” Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry told the Herald on Sunday. “It’s time to wake it up. We need to pick our moments against Dillian. We won’t need to chase him, we know he’s going to be there. It’s no secret this is a dangerous fight for Joseph but it’s also a very dangerous fight for Dillian Whyte. This is our redemption fight!”

Christina Hammer coming off her 12th world title defense, and becoming the first German fighter since Max Schmeling to successfully defend their world title in the USA, looks forward to fighting Claressa Shields in biggest women’s fight of all time.

Former IBF minimumweight world champion José “Tecuala” Argumedo (22-4-1, 13 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over Moisés “Taz” Calleros (28-9-1, 16 KOs) on Saturday night at the Parque San Rafael in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Scores were 99-90, 97-91 and 97-91 for Argumedo who is looking to land another title shot. He is rated IBF #11 at minimumweight and WBO #12 at junior flyweight.

Female featherweight Yareli Larios (13-1-1, 3 KOs) and Magaly Rodriguez (18-5-2, 9 KOs) battled to an eight round draw. Scores were 77-75 Larios, 78-74 Rodriguez and 76-76.

Female super fly Alondra Garcia (19-3-1, 1 KO) outscored Valeria Perez (10-4, 2 KOs) over eight rounds. Scores were 80-72, 80-72, 78-74.

Photos: Sumio Yamada

With the planned fight between WBC super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez and Danny O’Connor imploding 24 hours earlier, WBO #2, WBA #4, WBC #5 welterweight Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas and Juan Carlos Abreu stepped into the main event on Saturday night at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California. Two-time Olympian Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) was cut over both eyes and had all he could handle with Abreu (21-4-1, 19 KOs) as he retained his NABF title with an unsatisfying ten round unanimous decision. Scores were 97-93, 97-93, 96-94.

“Everything did not go as well as I expected. Abreu was very fast and very slick. In the beginning, I needed a couple of rounds to make adjustments,” Kavaliauskas said. “I’m ready for all of the big names. I give 200 percent in the gym and I will always give my best in the ring.”

Unbeaten super featherweight Andy Vences (21-0-1, 12 KOs) outscored Frank De Alba (22-4-2, 9 KOs) over ten rounds in a clash for the WBC Continental Americas title. Scores were 99-91, 99-91, 98-92. Continue reading “Kavaliauskas, Vences victorious”

Challenger Manny Pacquiao sparred for five rounds Saturday in General Santos City, Philippines, while WBA champion Lucas Matthysse doubled up the effort as the main combatants to “Fight of Champions” ground it out with seven more days before their monumental clash in Malaysia. Pacquaio, fighting for the first time after losing a controversial bout with Australian bruiser Jeff Horn last year, looked calm and happy with the way his preparations have transpired thus far. Continue reading “Pacquiao-Matthysse Notebook”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten Japan’s top welterweight contender Yuki Beppu (17-0-1, 17 KOs), 145.75, needed just 86 seconds of the first session to dispatch Thai super-light champ Phongsathon Sompol (8-4, 5 KOs), 145.75, in a scheduled eight on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

Phongsathon attempted an opening attack, but Beppu, a sturdy hard-puncher, responded to his rally and dug a vicious right to the belly, which had the Thailander down for the count. Beppu, gunning for a shot at the national welter belt against also hard-punching Ryota Yada, will participate in an eliminator for #1 against Yuki Nagano in his home turf Kurume on October 21. Beppu, 27, was once held to a split draw by formerly world rated ex-OPBF titlist Charles Bellamy in January of the previous year, which was a good lesson for the upcoming prospect who had been castigated for the quality of his previous opponents. Continue reading “JBC#1 147lb Beppu demolishes Thai champ in one”