Fightnews.com

By Héctor Villarreal

Venezuelan welterweight Ivan Matute (24-1, 19 KOs) recovered from 2 knockdowns in the first round and a point deduction for low blows in the third to stop Mexican Javier Mercado (25-12-2, 22 KOs) and conquer the WBA Fedelatin championship in the main bout of the season-ending boxing event in La Sociedad Española, Panama City, Panama. Referee Hadilton Jimenez declared the KO at 2:16 in round number 4.

Also in the welterweight division, Panamanian Alberto “Metralleta” Mosquera (25-3-2, 16 KOs) scored a unanimous 8 rounds decision over his countryman Aristides “El Fusil” Quintero (20-11-1, 17 KOs). All 3 judges scored 77-73.

Undefeated female superbantam Laura Ledezma (11-0, 4 KOs) outpointed Colombian Neisy Torres (13-7, 9 KOs) on an 80-72 shootout in all 3 scoring cards.

By Robert Coster

The last big show of the year in Santo Domingo was marred by the absence of two Venezuelan boxers who were turned back to their country. Still, a good crowd flocked to the elegant Los Prados Social Club for a card promoted by Manguita Promotions.

The main event had hot jr welterweight prospect WBA #9, WBC #15 Alberto Puello (14-0, 8 KOs) facing veteran Francisco Contreras (30-8, 24 KOs) and Puello passed the test with flying colors. Alberto’s youth, speed, and skills were too much for the older boxer who spent the night trying to land a haymaker to turn the fight around. “Contreras wanted a brawl but I’m too smart a boxer to fall for this,” said Puello. “I outboxed him and just kept piling up the points.” The three judges voted 100-90, a clean shutout for Puello.

WBA #2, WBC #9 jr bantamweight contender Norberto “Meneito” Jimenez won by TKO in two rounds over late sub Rayci Rosa (7-10, 2 KOs). Continue reading “Puello outpoints Contreras, Jimenez scores TKO”

Former WBO flyweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming is being treated at a hospital in Shanghai after reportedly losing sight in his left eye. According to the South China Morning Post, Shiming appears to have suffered a suspected detached retina on flight from Beijing where he attended the Laureus China Top Ten Sports Awards. The 36-year-old has had a long series of problems with that optic and it’s too early to know if this will be a career-ending injury. Shiming had been lobbying to get a rematch with world champion Sho Kimura, who dethroned him in July.

IBF #8 heavyweight Alexander Dimitrenko (40-3-1, 26 KOs) was held to a ten round draw by late sub Miljan Rovcanin (18-0-1, 13 KOs) on Friday night at the Edel-Optics.de Arena in Hamburg, Germany. Rovcanin stepped in for Adnan Redzovic and gave the 6’8 Dimitrenko headaches all night with his aggressive (dirty) tactics. Scores were 96-90 for Dimitrenko, 94-92 for Rovcanin and 93-93. Both fighters were deducted points.

Unbeaten super welterweight Sebastian Formella (17-0, 8 KOs) handed Karlo Tabaghua (18-11, 13 KOs) his eighth straight loss. Scores were 79-73, 79-73, 80-72 after eight rounds.

Unbeaten super lightweight Fatih Keles (10-0-1, 5 KOs) once again had all he could handle with journeyman Renald Garrido (19-18-2, 3 KOs). Keles won a majority nod by scores of 96-94, 97-93 and 95-95. They previously fought to a draw.

Heavyweight Adrian Granat (15-1, 14 KOs) knocked out Irakli Gvenetadze (9-4, 8 KOs) in the fourth round on Friday night at the Edel-Optics.de Arena in Hamburg, Germany. It was Granat’s much anticipated comeback after his loss against Alexander Dimitrenko in March. Granat controlled the fight with his jab from the outset although Gvenetadze managed to land a few punches. In round four, Granat landed his right uppercut and down went Gvenetadze and the fight was over (ref wisely stopped the fight). Continue reading “Granat wins comeback fight, Wallin next”

Sergey Kovalev continues his rise back to the top of the light heavyweight division when he returns to the Mecca of Boxing on Saturday, March 3rd to defend the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title versus southpaw Igor Mikhalkin, originally of Irkutsk, Russia, now fighting out of Hamburg, Germany. A skilled boxer, Mikhalkin puts his ten-bout winning streak on the line as he steps up to challenge one of the most fearsome punchers in professional boxing at New York City’s Theater at Madison Square Garden.

In the co-main event, newly minted WBA World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia makes his second defense of the title against Cuba’s streaking Sullivan Barrera, the mandatory challenger. Viewed as a “toss-up” bout by boxing insiders, Bivol-Barrera matches a young, explosive champion against an experienced veteran hungry for his first world title fight. Presented by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, the doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Ticket information will be announced shortly.

Filipino fireball Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas will make his U.S. debut, Saturday, February 3, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. A protégé of Filipino icon Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, and promoted by Top Rank, MP Promotions and Joven Sports, Ancajas (26-1-1, 18 KOs), of Cavite City, Cavite, Philippines, will be making the fourth defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world title against Top-10 contender Israel Gonzalez (20-1, 8 KOs), of Cabo San Lucas, México. The Ancajas-Gonzalez world championship fight will be the co-main event to the Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez-Habib “Wild Hurricane” Ahmed World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight world title rumble. Both fights will be televised live on ESPN. Continue reading “Ancajas-Gonzalez official announcement”

Evander Holyfield’s The Real Deal Boxing has announced a World Boxing Council Welterweight Tournament over three events in 2018 at a site to be determined. The inaugural three-round, eight-man, single-elimination international tournament, dubbed the ‘Jose Sulaiman World Invitational,” is open to all world-class boxers who may qualify for a ranking in the top 40 by the WBC in the welterweight division.

The application for fighters may be downloaded here. The deadline to apply will be January 12, 2018 and only completed applications will be accepted.

The tournament will be a bracket-style tournament with the seeding for first-round matchups determined by the WBC ratings committee and an interactive polling of the fans. Continue reading “Holyfield, WBC planning 8-man welter tourney”

Undefeated 135-pound world champion Robert Easter will defend his IBF title against former world champion Javier Fortuna in the co-main event of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson live on SHOWTIME January 20 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

On the live-streamed undercard, unbeaten light heavyweight Marcus Browne will take on once-beaten Francy Ntetu in a 10-round fight and undefeated heavyweight Adam Kownacki will face once-beaten Iago Kiladze of Kiev, Ukraine in a 10-round bout.

By TMZSports.com

Manny Pacquaio’s team is publicly shutting down any talks of a Conor McGregor boxing match — with Pacman’s trainer Freddie Roach telling TMZ Sports it just ain’t happening. Freddie told us he’s personally spoken to Bob Arum (Manny’s promoter) — who’d have to sign off on the match along with Dana White — and Bob shot down the rumors. “I talked to Arum and Arum says it’s not true,” Roach said outside Craig’s in L.A.

Freddie did tell us the one guy he’d like to see Pacquiao scrap with (Jeff Horn) … and also DESTROYED Manny’s old rival, Floyd Mayweather, for even considering a UFC fight. “He’s gonna get his ass kicked … he’s a f**kin’ old man.”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Unbeaten IBF #3 jr featherweight TJ Doheny (18-0, 13 KOs) won a twelve round split decision over IBF #7 Mike Tawatchai (44-11-1 27 KOs) in an IBF 122lb eliminator on Wednesday at Suanlum Night Bazaar, Bangkok, Thailand. Tawatchai boxed aggressively from opening bell but suffered a cut eye in round four. The action see-sawed until the final bell and scores at the conclusion were Ignatius Madisalis (117-111) and Yongsak Na Songkhla (116-112) scoring for Doheny and Gil Co scoring 115-113 for Tawatchai. Continue reading “Doheny defeats Tawatchai in IBF eliminator”

Alexander Dimitrenko 257 vs. Miljan Rovcanin 244.75
Adrian Granat 247 vs. Irakli Gvenetadze TBA
Nuri Seferi 220.5 vs. Gogita Gorgiladze TBA
Sebastian Formella 152.5 vs. Karlo Tabaghua 152.25
Fatih Keles 140 vs. Renald Garrido 140

Venue: Edel-Optics.de Arena, Hamburg, Germany
Promoter: EC Boxpromotion

By Robert Coster

Alberto Puello 142 vs. Francisco Contreras 141
Norberto Jiménez 115 vs. Reiyci Rosa 117
Mitchel Rivera 132.8 vs. Manuel Boti 134.8
Yomar Medina 134 vs. Luis Chala 132

Venue: Los Prados Social Club, Santo Domingo
Promoter: Manguita Promotion (14 bouts on the card)

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBC #1, IBF #3, WBA #7 heavyweight Dillian Whyte says he’ll be matched against WBC #11 Lucas ”Big Daddy” Browne at the 02 Arena in London on March 24. Whyte tweeted, “Finally, I get to smash up the tattooed p***s @lucasBrowne on 24th March at the O2 @EddieHearn I really am looking forward to it #WhyteBrown”

Browne responded “Be careful what you ask for dillianwhyte because I’m going to proper hurt you and enjoy it…send me a contract to sign.”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBA, IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker are likely to clash on March 24, March 31 or April 7 in London or Wales but the bout could land in another European City. “We’re getting there,” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports. “As AJ says, he wants the belts, he wants to be the undisputed king of the division. That’s the aim, and to do that he has to win two belts…

“We want that unification fight, we’re close to a deal with Parker. It’s not done yet, but we hope over the Christmas period the turkey will get put to one side and we’ll work to get that done. Hopefully, we’ll be in position to announce that early in 2018.”

Looks like featherweight Carl Frampton (24-1, 14 KOs) will face Nonito Donaire (38-4, 24 KOs) on April 7 in a clash of former world champions. “The Filipino Flash” will be fighting in hostile territory, traveling to Frampton’s hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The bout was teased by Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren this week during a UK press conference. An official announcement will come when the deal is finalized.

Same opponent, different scenery. Super welterweight prospect Danny ‘El Chapulín’ Valdivia is on a mission to avenge the one and only loss of his career when he battles Vladimir Hernandez in a grudge rematch that will take place on Thursday, January 11, at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino. Valdivia (14-1, 10 KO’s), from Tulare, California, was stunned and suffered the first loss of his career when he faced Hernandez (9-2, 6 KO’s), from Denver, Colorado, back in June in the main event on a card at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. Continue reading “Valdivia-Hernandez rematch Jan 11”

Two-division former world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia returns to the ring to take on former world champion Brandon “Bam Bam’’ Rios in a welterweight showdown on Saturday, February 17 live on SHOWTIME at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions. In the co-feature, boxing’s youngest world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez will defend his WBC Super Middleweight World Championship for the first time against Ronald Gavril in a rematch of their September 2017 bout in which Benavidez won the vacant title by split decision.

Danny Garcia: “I was the reigning champion for six years, so I needed the rest. I’m ready to kick off the year in style and take over the welterweight division.”

Brandon Rios: “I’m excited to prove my critics wrong again. I’m bring a ‘Bam Bam’ Rios slugfest to my fans. Danny is a great fighter, but I will beat him just like I have beat others in the past.”

Former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs (60-6-1, 53 KOs) today announced his plans for 2018 including his return to the ring and the launch of a new business venture. “I’m really happy to be getting back into training and I want to fight in 2018,” said the 46-year-old Briggs. “This past year was a tough year for me. It’s been a long road, with many twists and turns, but I battled through it and feel good about the future. The Champ is back and ready to go!” Continue reading “Briggs, 46, aiming to resume career in 2018”