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Former 147-pound world champion Devon Alexander will battle rugged contender Walter Castillo in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes Tuesday, Nov. 21 from The Coliseum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The 10-round bout will headline a show promoted by Warriors Boxing and Fire Fist Boxing Promotions and features a 10-round co-main event between unbeaten welterweight prospect Miguel Cruz against once-beaten David Grayton. Two of the fighting Russell brothers, Antonio and Antuanne, brothers of featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr., will enter the ring in separate six-round matches.

Juergen Braehmer (48-3, 35 KOs) has respect for Rob Brant (22-0, 15 KOs), but is confident in advancing to the semi-finals after Friday’s Ali Trophy quarter-final clash in Schwerin, Germany. “I have never underestimated an opponent and I will not underestimate Brant either,” said 39-year-old Braehmer at Tuesday’s public workout in Schwerin.

All the seeded fighters in the World Boxing Super Series have won their quarter-finals. Fourth seed super middleweight Braehmer is aiming to do the same, but he takes his upcoming challenge very seriously. Continue reading “Braehmer: I am not underestimating Brant”

By David Finger

The 30th annual WBO Congress formally set sail Monday, October 23 on the cruise ship Norwegian Sky. The ship set sail from Miami and is set to stop in Havana, Cuba before sailing on to the Bahamas. The Congress had an informal reception after the ship left Miami where president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel briefly spoke to the members in attendance. Business is set to kick off on Tuesday morning at 8AM.

WBC #3 heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte says he’s going to make life hell for Robert Helenius when they clash for the WBC silver title at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday night. Whyte wants to secure a showdown with WBC king Deontay Wilder in 2018 and knows that an impressive win over Helenius will take him a giant step towards that goal.

“Wilder is a disgrace,” said Whyte. “I want to get into a position to fight for his belt because he is not going to do it voluntarily. They will say AJ is number one. He has multiple belts and he’s the only one who is fighting the names. Wilder is a chump, he’s not fought a mandatory in two years and Joseph Parker is defending his title on YouTube so that shows his level. That says it all. Continue reading “Whyte: Wilder is a disgrace”

By David Finger

The 30th annual WBO Congress kicked off on Sunday, October 22 in Miami, with the ever-popular golf tournament. The tournament started at 1 pm at the Delaire Country Club, in Delray Beach, Florida.

WBO undisputed jr. welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford took part in the event and even received some coaching from WBO President Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel. In the end, the winner of the tournament was Tomas Schmidt.

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European light heavyweight Karo Murat handed Dominic Bösel his first defeat via eleventh round TKO back in July. They will meet again on December 16 in an SES boxing event at the Stadthalle in Weißenfels, Germany. Here’s what they had to say at their kickoff press conference:

Karo Murat: “The first fight was a very good one. I said that I would win the title and I did. I also expected respect after the fight. But that didn’t happen. The fight didn’t go the full rounds so Dominic has no idea how it is to be against me for 12 rounds. He has false hope that he can win but it’s not possible to improve technically in a few months. For me it’s simple. I’m so happy to fight again. It’s just another stopover. I want more!”

Dominic Bösel: “It’s unusual to be the challenger, but it doesn’t bother me. The loss to Karo Murat was painful and he had his best fight in years. I paid him my respects for this, even though he claims otherwise. I wasn’t really fit in July, therefore after the third round made some technical and tactical errors. A lot went wrong in the run-up, I was repeatedly sick – a cold. But the rematch will be different.”

There was a lot of hostility in the air Monday when WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 KOs) and former IBF World Middleweight Champion David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs) hosted a press conference to discuss their upcoming showdown to be held on Dec. 16 at the Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. Saunders-Lemieux will be televised live on HBO.

Billy Joe Saunders: “David is going to eat some, and he’s going to beg me to finish him off…Lemieux shows a lot of heart when he comes to fight but the real truth is, I’m too slick and too good for him. I’m in boxing to win and defend my belt all over the world, Lemieux is my tester for the winner of Canelo and Golovkin. ”

David Lemieux: “I think that you are in for a surprise. I will be at my best and take the title from you. If the fight demands me chasing you, I will chase you. If the fight demands me to go toe-to-toe, I will. On December 16, I promise that I won’t leave the Place Bell without the belt. I’m extremely excited. Let’s get it on!”

Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez will be fighting for his first professional title on Saturday, December 2, when he takes on Hungarian invader Jozsef “Little Red” Ajtai in the eight-round main event for the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) Flyweight Championship, headlining “KO Night Boxing: Gold & Glory” at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas.

The 21-year-old Hernandez (3-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Wichita, will be fighting in an eight-rounder for the first time. His three pro fights to date were all scheduled for six rounds and each was held in Kansas, the last two in his second home, Hartman Arena. Continue reading “Nico Hernandez to fight for first belt”

By Ricardo Ibarra

Mike Gavronski (24-2-1, 15 KOs) will face Andrew Hernandez (19-7-1, 9 KOs) for the vacant WBA-NABA Super Middleweight championship in the main event of Battle at the Boat 113 on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.

Gavronski, who recently signed a multi-year promotional contract with Brian Halquist Productions, is currently ranked No. 5 by the WBA-NABA, No. 5 by the IBF-USBA, and No. 2 by the NABF. He brings a four-fight winning streak into the title bout, defeating veteran Brian Vera by TKO in his most recent appearance on Sept. 9. Continue reading “Gavronski-Hernandez tops Battle at the Boat 113”

After back to back weeks of action-packed main events, Boxeo Telemundo Ford returns this Friday from Blackberry Auditorio in Mexico City, Mexico. The main event features Civil War II as Mexican Prospect Antonio “Toño” Moran puts his WBO Latino Lightweight title at stake against Salvador “Buffon” Briseño who is the current national Fecombox Champion.

Moran currently ranked #11 in the WBO is coming off two impressive knockouts on the Telemundo platform as he annihilated Richard Zamora in 1 round and later reappeared in the summer season claiming the vacant WBO Latino Lightweight Title with a 6 round stoppage win over Guadalupe Rosales. Continue reading “Toño Moran Headlines Telemundo Friday”

By Marco Bratusch

Frenchman Ahmed El Mousaui (27-3-1, 6 KOs) is the new official challenger for his countryman Mohamed Mimoune’s European welterweight belt. As previously reported, the southpaw Mimoune (19-2, 2 KOs) brilliantly won the belt outboxing for a split decision victory Sam Eggington two weeks ago in Manchester, United Kingdom. The young local boxer appeared slightly out of tone, perhaps due to some weight difficulties as later stated by his team. However, Mimoune’s footwork and hands speed anticipated and took the taller Eggington out of balance all night to deservedly win the European belt. For El Mousaui, aged 27, facing Mimoune would be his second attempt to win the European belt, after his hard-fought loss to Ceferino Rodriguez last December in Spain.

Sauerland promoted junior welterweight Anthony Yigit (20-0-1, 7 KOs), the reigning European champion of the 140 lbs division who recently defended his belt outpointing young Spaniard Sandor Martin in Solna, Sweden, will now fight on December 2 in a voluntary defense against British Joe Hughes (15-2-1, 6 KOs), a 27-year-old opponent that last April scored a split draw decision against Tyron Nurse in Leicester, United Kingdom. Continue reading “EBU Updates”

The young career of heavyweight Hasim Rahman Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, took an unexpected turn last week as his scheduled opponent, Joseph Coats, decided not to fight and literally left the ring.

The four-round Rahman vs. Coats bout was supposed to happen at The Durham Armory in Downtown Durham, North Carolina, last Thursday. However, the debuting Coats, trained by reputable trainer Don Turner, initially refused to come out of the locker room. Forty minutes later, Coats finally agreed to get on with the fight only to get cold feet for a second time leaving Rahman waiting in the ring for nearly 10 minutes. Continue reading “Rahman Jr opponent flees ring before fight”

Former world champion Ishe Smith (29-8, 12 KOs) battles top 154-pound contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams (23-1-1, 15 KOs) in a 10-round super welterweight clash that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce live from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Saturday, November 18.

In the co-feature, Lionell Thompson (18-4, 11 KOs) clashes with unbeaten prospect Earl Newman (10-0-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight bout. Televised coverage begins with unbeaten 2012 Olympic silver medalist Tugstsogt Nyambayar (8-0, 8 KOs) and Xavier Martinez (9-0, 5 KOs) going head-to-head in a 10-round featherweight fight.

WBA super flyweight champion Kal Yafai says he will send out a statement to the 115lb division that he’s coming for all the belts when he defends his crown against unbeaten mandatory challenger Sho Ishida at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday. Yafai puts the strap on the line for the second time and against a second opponent from the land of the rising sun having been taken 12 rounds by the gritty Suguru Muranaka in May.

The unbeaten Birmingham star now travels to Wales to put the belt on the line against Ishida, the tall 25-year-old fighting outside his homeland for the first time. Yafai expects another tough contest but the 28-year-old says he’s ready to dazzle and prove he can head Stateside and dominate the weight-class. Continue reading “Yafai: I’ll send a message to super-fly rivals”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Boxing Beat

It is customary in Japan that a newly crowned world champion engages in a press conference with the media on the next day of his coronation. The new WBA middleweight titlist Ryota Murata replied to our press people’s questions, and reviewed his impressive victory last night. Murata appeared in a television program early in the morning since he became a national hero again as he once did so in the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

“I applied the pressure to N’Dam from the start of the fight and it worked well. My combinations coupled with body shots were certainly so effective that N’Dam seemed to have difficulty to breathe smoothly. So I was going to accelerate my attack to hurt him more, and he abruptly quit. I wish to have my name known in the world from now on since I’m still less known and less evaluated by the international boxing world.” Continue reading “WBA 160lb champ Murata headed to US next summer”

Heavyweight Robert Helenius says he’ll knock out Dillian Whyte and ruin his world title dreams when they clash for the WBC Silver title at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday. “I will definitely win by knockout,” said Helenius. “He will definitely fall. I know it will be a tough fight, but it will be a tough fight for Dillian more than it will be for me, and it will be a loss on his record, that’s it. I hope he stands and fights with me and doesn’t run, as his reputation suggests.

“I have absolutely no worries about ring rust because I am always, always in training. I feel I have ten years left in boxing, and during this time I will definitely become world heavyweight champion. I have no doubts. Continue reading “Helenius: I will definitely KO Whyte”

By Jeff Zimmerman
Photos: Tiffany Syfan

At 27, super middleweight Rob Brant (22-0, 15 KOs) is undefeated and training partners with two world champions, Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo, out of the R&R Boxing Club in Dallas, Texas, yet he still fights under the radar and is relatively unknown to most boxing fans.

However, that could all change when he treks across the globe in what could be his breakout fight when he takes on former two-time world champion Juergen Braehmer (48-3, 35 KOs) in the super middleweight quarterfinal as part of the World Boxing Super Series in Brahemer’s hometown of Schwerin, Germany no less on Friday. Continue reading “Brant aims for breakout win vs. Braehmer”

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Dean Lonergan, promoter of WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn, says Horn is open to giving WBA/WBC champion Keith Thurman the thrashing he deserves.

“If at any stage Thurman wants to come to Brisbane to try and unify the titles, he will get the same warm welcome and outcome that was served up to our good friend Mister Pacquiao,” said Lonergan. “The Hornet is the world’s strongest welterweight and is open to any and all challenges. Should Keith Thurman want to make the mistake of getting into a fight he won’t win and get the thrashing he deserves, he should man up and get his promoters to call me rather than talk tough from 9000 miles away.”

In the meantime, Horn will clash with WBO #10 Gary Corcoran on December 13 in Brisbane.

By Ricardo Ibarra

Just nine fights into his professional career, Spokane, Washington’s Patrick “The Natural” Ferguson (9-0, 9 KOs) will take his first crack at a minor title this Saturday at the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell, Montana, squaring off with experienced journeyman Damon Reed (49-19, 32 KOs) in a ten round battle for the vacant WBC United States (USNBC) cruiserweight title. Continue reading “Ferguson-Reed collide in Montana”

By Ricardo Ibarra

Tacoma, Washington’s Marquice “Tree” Weston (10-1-1, 6 KOs) will step back into the ring in search of his fourth consecutive win on Saturday night at the Green River Conference and Event Center in Auburn, Washington, facing off with Steven Lyons (3-1) in the six round main event of Pacific Northwest Professional Boxing Promotions’ stacked nine-bout card. Continue reading “Weston-Lyons clash Saturday in Auburn, WA”

By Robert Coster

Boxing returns to Haiti with a gala card offering 3 regional title bouts this coming Thursday. In the main event, local hero WBA #2 Evens “The Sun City Kid” Pierre (28-1, 18 KOs) will be defending his WBA lightweight Fedelatin title against Mexican Jesus Laguna (21-10-2, 18 KOs). The hard-punching Laguna is the case of a boxer who has turned his career around and is on a streak of 9 straight victories, all by knockout. Continue reading “3 titles at stake in Haiti on Thursday”

By Ron Jackson

Supreme Boxing Promotions presented an action-packed tournament before a capacity crowd at the Blairgowrie Recreation Centre in Randburg on Sunday afternoon, with Xolani Mgidi from Mpumalanga stopping the local favorite Hloni Maboko in the eighth round in a lightweight contest. Continue reading “Mgidi beats Maboko in an upset”

The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has announced that the super welterweight title held by Demetrius Andrade has been vacated. The reason why the undefeated Andrade gave is he wants to go up to the middleweight division immediately and he requested to be ranked in that category to be able to fight for another WBA championship in the future. Andrade has 25 wins in his professional career and knows no defeats, with 16 of his opponents having fallen by knockout. He had earned the title last March, when he defeated Jack Culcay by split decision. He vacated the title before making his first defense, which was expected for the end of the year. Erislandy Lara remains the WBA “super” champion in the division.

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

2012 Olympic gold medalist Ryota Murata (13-1, 10 KOs), 160, impressively captured the WBA middleweight belt as he kept stalking defending champ Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (36-3, 21 KOs), 158.75, France, positively threw punches to the elusive target and finally had him retire in the corner after the seventh session on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan. Murata had failed to win the belt, losing a controversial split verdict to N’Dam this May. In a highly anticipated grudge fight, Murata looked so much determined that he was very aggressive from the opening session.

Until the end of the seventh round, Raul Caiz Jr. (US), Robert Hoyle (US) and Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand) all had Murata leading on points: 69-64, 68-65 and 70-63 respectively. The third man was Kenny Bayless (US). Continue reading “Murata halts N’Dam to win WBA 160lb belt”

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Unbeaten KO artist Daigo Higa, 112, extended his unblemished mark to 14-0, 14 KOs and successfully retained his belt when he kept swarming over French challenger Thomas Masson (17-4-1, 5 KOs), 111.75, all the way, finally dropped the taller foe and had him retire because of his injured right optic at 1:10 of the seventh round on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan. It’s the non-stop punching Henry Armstrong stylist Higa’s initial defense since he captured the WBC belt via sixth-round TKO victory over Juan Hernandez this May.

Prior to the stoppage due to the ring physician’s advice midway in round seven just after a knockdown—Mike Ross (US), Alejandro Rochin (Mexico) both 60-54, and Jun-Bae Lim (Korea) 59-55, all for the 22-year-old young champ. Continue reading “WBC fly king Higa, 14-0, 14 KOs, stops Masson”