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Featherweight prospects Luis Rosa Jr. and Yuandale Evans worked out for the media today at the Thurgood Marshall Recreational Center in Cleveland, Ohio prior to their ShoBox: The New Generation 10-round main event matchup this Friday from The Masonic Temple Live Cleveland.

Here is what the fighters had to say:

Luis Rosa Jr: “He wasn’t really on my radar, he sort of came out of the woodwork. We’re looking for a world championship and this is a step closer…boxing fans can expect a powerful, fast, smart fighter. I’m the full package. I fight with both hands, we’ll see if he can take it.”

Yuandale Evans: “He’s a strong fighter that comes forward, a good body puncher. But he doesn’t have any boxing skills. He’s just a banger who keeps coming forward. Defensively, he leaves himself open with his aggressiveness. He was not on my radar. I’ve wanted to fight much tougher guys, higher-ranked guys. But once the fight was offered, I said yes. I want to fight Carl Frampton, Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell Jr., and a rematch with Javier Fortuna. I want to fight all the top guys because that’s where I belong.”

“My next fight without the belt was going to be discouraging,” said former WBA/IBF/WBO light heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev, who takes on Vyacheslav Shabranksyy on November 25 on HBO. in a bout upgraded to a WBO world title fight thanks to the retirement of Andre Ward.

“I’m really excited and ready to get my belts back,” Kovalev told reporters. “It would be really interesting and really exciting, and I would fight anybody. I was ready to fight Sullivan Barrera, but he didn’t approve the fight and we got Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. And, after this, Andre Ward vacated the title; it’s additional motivation. It’s like the most important (in) how my future boxing career is going to be. I’m really happy that this fight will be for the title and for the WBO, because this was the first title that I had already, But now this is like a new chapter in my boxing career. I am recharged. I am much stronger than last three fights and you will see November 25 in New York!”

Summary: Povetkin received a one year suspension ending December 6, 2017, after which he is on probation for one year. The previously imposed $250,000 fine was upheld, he must continue on a special testing protocol the WBC designed for him until December 6, 2018, he will eligible to be included in the WBC rankings starting in January, he must participate in a WBC doping prevention campaign.

Click here to see the full ruling

As previously reported by Fightnews.com®, unified women’s super middleweight world champion Claressa Shields will defend her 168-pound titles against undefeated IBF mandatory challenger Tori Nelson on Friday, Jan. 12 live on SHOWTIME.

A two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Shields (4-0, 2 KOs) will face her second consecutive undefeated opponent in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation live at 10 p.m. ET/PT from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. Continue reading “Shields-Nelson officially announced”

Swedish heavyweight rivals Otto Wallin (18-0, 12 KOs) and Adrian Granat (14-1, 13 KOs) could meet for the European Union title early next year. The 26-year-olds are ranked top two in the latest European Union ratings and are now in line to fight for the vacant title. Wallin, the current WBA Continental Champion from Sundsvall, has already accepted his position as number one challenger for the EU belt, and has implored Granat, from Malmo, who is number two in the rankings, to do the same.

If Granat accepts, it would set up a huge showdown between the domestic foes, and a chance for fans to see who is the number one heavyweight in Sweden.

“I’ve accepted my position to fight for the EU title, and now, it’s time for Granat to do the same,” said Wallin. “This would be a massive fight for Swedish boxing. I think we owe it to the fans to see who the best heavyweight in Sweden is. Continue reading “Wallin: Is Granat running scared?”

Hennessy Sports Statement: It has been a difficult two years but we will not stop until we have cleared Tyson Fury and Hughie Fury names.

The statement was issued in response to a BBC article in which Ukad, the UK Anti-Doping regulatory body, expressed fears that former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury could sue the organization for many millions for two years of lost earnings should Fury be cleared after an alleged positive test for a banned steroid. Fury claims the adverse result came from eating uncastrated wild boar and Ukad has unjustly damaged his career.

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker could be IBF, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s next opponent now that Eddie Hearn and David Higgins have had preliminary talks. Otherwise, Australia’s former WBA champion Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne will likely get the opportunity for a WBO challenge.

”There is interest from the Joshua camp which is why we’re talking to them now,” Parker told the Herald. “He’s my preferred option. Everyone wants to fight him but I honestly think in his last performance he didn’t look the best. I didn’t look the best in my last performance because of the style I had in front of me. I think his style matches mine perfectly and I honestly think I can knock him out. Continue reading “Parker-Joshua Camps In Talks…”

Evander Holyfield heads the 2018 class of the Alabama Boxing Hall of Fame. Holyfield, born in Atmore, will be inducted in the Pro Boxer category for his incredible career, which included unifying the cruiserweight belts and winning multiple titles as a heavyweight while engaging in some of history’s biggest fights against the likes of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe.

Joining Holyfield is Ozark’s Byron Mitchell. Mitchell is the inductee in the Amateur Boxer Category. He won a National Golden Gloves title and competed on an international level. Continue reading “Alabama Boxing Hall of Fame 2018 Class”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

IBF #3, WBC #6, WBO #12 light flyweight Randy Petalcorin (27-2-1, 20 KOs) will clash with Indonesian champion Oscar Raknafa (13-15, 5 KOs) on Friday at the Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Former WBA champion Patalcorin stated, “Friday night is big fight for me. I will not underestimate Raknafa who I know is tough and he defeated former WBA world champion Muhammad Rachman and also lasted the distance with current WBO champion Kosei Tanaka. It’s a tough fight but I trained hard. I am ready.” Continue reading “IBF #3 Petalcorin in action Friday”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn says people shouldn’t count him out when he defends the championship against the mandatory contender Terrance Crawford in 2018. “Everyone should learn not to underestimate me,” Horn told The Daily Telegraph.”That’s one of my biggest strengths. People underestimate me and then I win. Nobody is going to take this belt away from me cheaply!”

Horn also discussed his promotional arrangement with Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum.

“Bob Arum wants one of his fighters to hold onto that belt. He’s got a two-fight deal with me, so Terence Crawford would be my last one. It depends if we are going to renegotiate a contract or whether he wants Terence to win because he’s a Top Rank fighter,” Horn said. Continue reading “Horn: Don’t underestimate me!”

The most interesting fight this weekend could be the heavyweight clash between unbeaten Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (19-0-1, 17 KOs) and former world title challenger Mariusz Wach (33-2, 17 KOs) Saturday night on HBO. As usual, the outspoken “Big Baby” is talking up a storm. “Wach is just going to be another guy that I am going to crush,” says Miller. “Come November 11 everyone is going to know what I’m capable of doing. I am bringing a whole different kind of Big Baby, a whole different kind of animal, a whole different kind of look.

“I always beat people on Plan A – I don’t even have to go to Plan B but I am going to pull tricks out of the hat so I can show people what a real heavyweight looks like with the skills I have. Nobody moves like me in the heavyweight division. My ring IQ is definitely unbeatable and on November 11 you are going to see a different style of Big Baby and it’s going to be fun…I am the Big Baby, but I am going to give him the pacifier and put him in the crib!”

Undefeated WBC #10 rated featherweight Luis Rosa (23-0, 11 KOs) will face Yuandale Evans (19-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round matchup in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday from the Masonic Temple & Performing Arts Center in Cleveland.

In the co-feature, Radzhab Butaev (7-0, 6 KOs) will take on Janer Gonzalez (19-0-1, 15 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight matchup. Heavyweight Junior Fa (12-0, 7 KOs), who owns two amateur victories over current WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, will face Fred Latham (9-0-2, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout. And, in the opening bout, undefeated 2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell (5-0, 5 KOs) is in a six-round super welterweight matchup against Roque “Rocky” Zapata (4-1-3, 0 KOs).

Middleweight contender Daniel Jacobs is joined by nutritionist/training partner/sometimes sparring partner/former world champion Chris Algieri for a circuit training workout. Jacobs incorporates circuit training into his regular training schedule a few times a week, under the auspices of Davod “Scooter” Honic at CEA Sports in Port Washington, Long Island.

Jacobs faces Luis Arias on HBO Saturday night at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, NY.

Former unified featherweight champion Yuriorkis “El Ciclon de Guantanamo” Gamboa (27-2, 17 KOs) will step in to fight Jason “El Canito” Sosa (20-2-4, 15 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight fight at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in the televised opener to Kovalev vs. Shabrankskyy. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 25 and will be televised live on HBO. Gamboa is replacing Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos, who pulled out of this fight due to an injury.

“This should be a solid fight between two guys, the same size, who like to hurt people,” said Russell Peltz, Hall of Fame Promoter of Peltz Boxing Promotions.”It’s a better matchup, style-wise, than the one between Jason [Sosa] and Robinson Castellanos.”

By Mauricio Sulaiman
WBC President – Jose Sulaiman’s son

I am growing a mustache for the first time in my life. This is to join the Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the campaign “Movember.” We all need to take a step forward and make sure we all take prevention as a norm and have regular medicals. Cancer is our enemy but if detected early can be battled and defeated.

What a statement by our proud WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder. While a few choose to criticize and question Stiverne, I praise Wilder. Athletic, strong and fast. I have not seen a heavyweight throw the jab with such sharpness and precision since Larry Holmes.

Stiverne was timing the jab and was moving his head very well waiting for the right moment to counter, the came the Bomb, a right hand which connected right on the chin through Stiverne’s gloves and down he went. Wilder stood on top of him screaming “get up,” made me remember Muhammad Ali, but Wilder screamed with such fury and anxiety, it was no show, it was real…. Stiverne got up and was dropped again and again. First round Knockout, just like the good old times of Mike Tyson! Continue reading “The 12th Round: Movember”

By David Finger

Hobbs, New Mexico has already emerged as one of the State’s unexpected hotbeds of professional boxing since Isidro Castillo and his School of Hard Knocks Promotions hosted its first professional boxing show back in July of 2010. And on Saturday, November 4th School of Hard Knocks returned to its roots as Joey Alday, 164, demolished last minute sub Michael Sanchez, 166, in a mere 1:02 seconds of the opening round. The card was held at Club la Sierra, the same venue of Castillo’s first promotion. Continue reading “Undefeated Alday crushes late sub in Hobbs”

By Flattop

Two-time Gold Medalist and WBC/IBF super middleweight champion Claressa Shields (4-0, 2 KOs) returns to the ring on January 12th as the main event of the first ShoBox of the year at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. Shields will make a major step-up in competition as she faces UBF/WIBA super middleweight champion Tori “Sho Nuff” Nelson (17-0, 2 KOs). Nelson scored a second round TKO of Latashia Burton this past Saturday in a non-title affair. The next day Nelson tweeted “Alright Claressa Shields contract is signed now get your training in baby girl!!!” Shields countered: “don’t you worry your pretty head about that.” Continue reading “Shields returns January 12th to ShoBox”

By Matt Richardson

“It was a magical night tonight.”

Those were the words of WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder early Sunday morning in a back room of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Approximately one hour earlier Wilder (39-0, 38 KO’s) violently knocked out former title-holder Bermane Stiverne in just less than three minutes.

It was the type of definitive knockout that boxing fans love and it was the type of performance, Wilder said, that illustrates his position as one of the elite heavyweights in the world.

“I’m just ready to prove that I am the best,” Wilder said at the post-fight press conference. “That’s all I want. Of course Stiverne, for some, wasn’t the best. You know, some already predicted…I said I was going to knock him out and I did that. And now…over and over again I keep sending messages out to the heavyweight division that I am the man to beat. I am the most feared. I do hit the hardest. I am who I say I am. I don’t speak – I don’t say things just to say it because people have cameras in my face or people have…you know what I’m trying to say,” Wilder said as his voice trailed off. Continue reading “Wilder: I just want to prove that I am the best”

By Ricardo Ibarra

While the once languishing Oregon pro boxing scene has undergone a strong revival in recent years, it’s been over a decade since a professional event has taken place in the city of Portland, the most heavily populated area in the state. On December 9th, though, former IBF super featherweight champion Steve “2Pound” Forbes and his partner Christina Lunzman, both Portland natives, will step into the promotional ring looking to reignite the sport in The City of Roses, staging the first of what they hope will be an ongoing series of shows. Working under their newly formed promotional banner 2 Pounds Sports and Entertainment, their first event will take place at the Jackson Armory and feature a nine-bout pro-am line-up, featuring regional talent. Continue reading “Steve Forbes to promote his first show Dec 9”

By Brad Snyder/The Undercard
Photos by Bob Ryder

It was easy work for Albert Bell in his lightweight fight vs. Charles Mulindwa at the Night of Boxing Championship III. Bell wasted no time jumping weight classes on his opponent. Referee Jamie Howe was forced to wave off the fight as Mulindwa stumbled and was not throwing punches. The TKO in Round 1 at the 1:09 mark improves Bell to (9-0, 3 KO’s), as Mulindwa falls to (12-5-1, 5 KO’s).

Before the main event started at the Seagate Convention Center, Pulse Boxing and Bell invited victims of gun violence in the City of Toledo into the ring. “Gun violence is something I take very seriously and want to bring awareness to. My best friend was murdered. It’s something close to my heart,” Bell stated. Continue reading “Quick Work for Albert Bell in Toledo”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Former world cruiserweight challenger Mark Flanagan (22-5, 15 KOs) scored a brutal fourth round knockout over Pablo Matias Magrini (19-2-1,15 KOs) to capture the WBA Oceania title on Saturday at the Entertainment Centre, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Flanagan was the aggressor from round one against Argentina’s Magrini and dropped him in round four with a perfectly timed right uppercut and the referee crowned the Australian.

“I’m hoping that was enough for me to get back into the rankings to fight for the WBA world title and if that wasn’t enough, give me another guy,” Flanagan said. Continue reading “Flanagan brutally stops Magrini”

By Joe Koizumi
Photo by Boxing Beat

Former world challenger and ex-OPBF/WBO ASPAC featherweight champ, WBA #11 Hiroshige Osawa (32-4-4, 19 KOs), 126, engaged in his second comeback bout since his ambitious confrontation with Oscar Valdez with the vacant WBO belt at stake resulting in a seventh round TKO defeat in Las Vegas in November 2016, floored Indonesian titlist Erick Deztroyer (11-6-1, 2 KOs), 125.5, in the fourth and pounded out a shutout decision (all 80-71) over eight rounds on Sunday in Sanda, Japan.

Osawa, 32, swarmed over Erick from the outset with a flurry of punches and maintained the pressure on the defensive Indonesian, who occasionally fought back with less accurate combinations. Continue reading “Osawa defeats Indonesian champ Deztroyer”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Japanese heavyweight prospect, WBO#7/WBC#17 Kyotaro Fujimoto (18-1, 10 KOs), 222.75, impressively retained his OPBF and WBO ASPAC (Asia Pacific) belts when he made good use of fast footwork and hand speed, caught up with game Australian challenger OPBF#4 Randall Rayment (8-4, 3 KOs), 233.75, and sunk him for the count at 2:50 of the fifth round.

Rayment, having upset Herman Purcell (who lost to Kyotaro via TKO route with the vacant WBO ASPAC belt on the line) this July, was three inches taller and some ten pounds heavier than the fleet-footed champ. Continue reading “WBO #7 Fujimoto finishes Rayment to keep OPBF/WBO ASPAC heavyweight belts”

2004 U.S. Olympian heavyweight Devin Vargas (20-4, 5 KOs) returned to the ring Saturday with a first round destruction of veteran Galen Brown (44-39, 26 KOs) Saturday night at the Buckhead Fight Club in Atlanta, Georgia. Vargas, 6’3 225 pounds, dropped Brown with a vicious body shot in the first minute. After Brown arose to beat the 10 count, Vargas pounced on his opponent with several right hand/left hook combinations until the referee halted the onslaught against the ropes midway through the first stanza of the scheduled eight-rounder.

After his brutal first round knockout of Bermane Stiverne, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was asked by SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray about a possible fight with unified WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. “I’ve been waiting on that fight for a long time now,” said Wilder. “I declare war upon you. Do you accept my challenge? I’ve been waiting for a long time. I know I’m the champion. I know I’m the best. Are you up for the test?

“A king doesn’t chase the peasants. A king takes kings. I want Joshua. If he doesn’t give me the fight we have other plans. The world wants Joshua, the world wants Wilder, I want Joshua. Joshua come and see me baby. No more dodging, no more excuses. Make the date, don’t wait.”