By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of May 13th to May 20th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Real Sports to Profile Michael and Bruce Buffer

On Real Sports, two of the most recognizable personalities in combat sports, Michael and Bruce Buffer will be profiled. The show debuts on May 20th at 10pm ET/PT on HBO. Michael is best known for his work in the boxing community and for his legendary catchphrase “Let’s get ready to rumble!” while brother Bruce is the “Veteran Voice of the Octagon” as the announcer for the UFC.
The show will also be available on HBO On Demand from May 21st to June 16th.

Robert Guerrero Returns to the Ring June 21st

Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero will make his return to the ring on June 21st to face Japan’s Yoshihiro Kamegai in a 12 round welterweight bout on Saturday, June 21st at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

In the co-feature unbeaten Garry Russell Jr. faced Ukranian star Vasyl Lomachenko for the vacant WBO World Featerweight title. In the opening televised bout former world champion Devon Alexander will face Jesus Soto Karass in a 10-round super welterweight bout.

“I’m excited to be making my ring return on June 21, especially for my fans in California,” said Guerrero, who last fought against Floyd Mayweather on May 4, 2013.
“Although I’ve been out for a while, make no mistake about it, I’m in great shape. I’m hungry and I’m looking forward to the challenge Kamegai presents. I am just happy to be fighting again while bringing excitement to the hottest division in boxing, the welterweight division. I have no doubt that I will be victorious in my return.”

Shannon Briggs Stops Matthew Greer

Former WBO World Heavyweight Champion (54-6-1) stopped journeyman Matthew Greer (16-13) in just 23 seconds of the first round on Saturday night at the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort, in Chester, West Virginia. Briggs connected with three straight right hands to the head that put Greer on the canvas to get the stoppage.
This is Briggs’ third straight victory since last month, but the quality of his competition has been subpar this far. Briggs has been calling out Wladimir Klitschko but hasn’t defeated anyone of note to deserve a title shot.

Hank Lundy Returns May 31st

“Hammering” Hank Lundy (24-3-1) will return to the ring on Saturday, May 31st against veteran Pipino Cuevas in the main event of Classic Entertainment & Sports pro-am boxing event at Mohegan Sun.

“The whole idea is to stay busy, and stay sharp,” said Lundy, who is only three months removed from a win over Angelo Santana in on Showtime’s ShoBox: The Next Generation. “That way when I get the call to fight for a world title, I’ll be ready to fight right then and there.”

Lundy is currently ranked No. 9 among lightweights in the WBC.

Dusty Hernandez-Harrison Improves to 22-0

On Saturday night, at the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort, undefeated welterweight prospect Dusty Hernandez-Harrison scored a dominating fourth-round stoppage victory over veteran Roberto Valenzuela of Sonora, Mexico.

“The plan tonight was to box and to dig to the body. We thought if I did that, the knockout would come.” Hernandez-Harrison said. “My Dad and I watched video on my opponent, came up with a game plan, and I executed it tonight.”

Hernandez-Harrison scored knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds before the refere was forced to stop the fight. He is currently ranked No. 15 by the WBO and No. 18 by the WBC.

Boxcino Finals set for This Friday

The finals of the popular Boxcino 2014 lightweight and middleweight tournaments will be held at the Turning Stone Resort Casino this Friday, May 23rd, 2014. The fights will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 9 PM ET.

The lightweight finals will be between Petr Petrov (34-4-2) and Fernando Carcamo (17-5). Petrov defeated Fedor Papazov and Chris Rudd to get to the finals, while Carcamo defeated Samuel Neequaye and Miguel Gonzalez to get to the finals.

The middleweight finals will be between Brandon Adams (14-0) and Willie Monroe Jr. (17-1). Adams defeated Daniel Edouard and Raymond Gatica to get to the finals, while Monroe defeated Donatas Bondorovas and Vitalii Kopylenko to get to the finals.

“This has been a great tournament and these four guys have a tremendous opportunity on May 23,” said Banner Promotions president Artie Pelullo. “I want to hank ESPN for getting behind Boxcino and I know they have been happy with the fights so far. These are two excellent match ups for the finals and we are excited to crown two champions.”

Crawford vs. Gamboa Tickets on Sale

On Saturday, June 28th a World Championship Title will be on the line for the first time in forty two years in Omaha, Nebraska. Undefeated world champion Terence Crawford (23-0) will take on Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (23-0) for Crawford’s WBO Lightweight Title at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha. This will also be the first time that Crawford has fought in his home state since 2011.

The fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:00 PM ET. Reserved ticket seats start at $27, with remaining tiers priced at $52 and $102. They are available at ticketmaster.com.

“This is what I always wanted to do, make my first world title defense in Omaha where I grew up,” said Crawford. “As soon as this fight was announced my phone and Facebook lit up. Everyone wants to be at this fight. This is extremely exciting, something I always dreamed about. Gamboa is fast and he hits with power. This is a serious fight. I fought and beat a lot of great fights as an amateur. I was at 132 pounds then and Gamboa, as an amateur, was 112. But now we are about to go at it. I plan to train in Colorado Springs. During fight week, I will be away from the main fight hotel. It’ll be me and just my team to be by ourselves in the final days leading to the biggest fight of my life. It’s been a long ride to get here but at last my dream has come true. This will be a great action-packed fight.”

Lou DiBella Gives Statement on Yuri Foreman Situation

“Yuri Foreman has been training hard for his fight on June 7th against Jorge Melendez. At this moment, there is a dispute within Yuri’s team that does not involve DiBella Entertainment. Yuri has worked very hard on his comeback to get to an opportunity like this. Lou DiBella and DBE have a great working and personal relationship with Yuri. We are awaiting a phone call and hope to see him fight on June 7th at MSG. This will be resolved very shortly.”

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