Tag Archives: golden

Posted on 11/07/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions will be featuring three 10 round bouts all qualified to be main events at the Fantasy Springs Casino, in Indio, CA, over ESPN2 Thursday night. All three California boxers are looking to enter the world rankings with victories.

The main event features unbeaten Super Welterweight southpaw Neeco “Rooster” Macias, 17-0 (10), of Lancaster, CA, in his toughest test yet against upset minded veteran Mexican Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass, 28-13-4 (18), out of N. Hollywood, CA, in a 10 round bout.

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions Twitter Account

In the co-feature Super Bantamweight Emilio Sanchez, 16-1 (8), out of N. Hollywood, CA, takes on veteran Enrique “Duende” Bernache, 24-11 (12), out of Guadalajara, MEX, in a 10 round bout.

Unbeaten Featherweight Manny “Chato” Robles lll, 16-0 (8), out of L.A., CA, takes on tough Jose “El Torito” Gonzalez, 23-6 (13), out of Guadalajara, MEX, in a 10 round bout.
In addition, unbeaten Super Middleweight D’mitrus “Big Meech” Ballard, 18-0 (12), out of Temple Hills, MD, taking on Alan “Amenaza” Campa, 17-3 (11), out of Sonora, MEX, winner of 4 of his last 5 fights, in an 8 round bout.
There will be additional bouts featuring top prospects unbeaten Aaron McKenna of Ireland out of L.A., Jordan White, 5-1, out of D.C. and unbeaten Elnur Abduraimov, out of Uzbekistan.

Posted on 10/28/2018

By: William Holmes

When DAZN first announced their plans to enter the US market, their plan was met with skepticism. Their service was built around combat sports, which often featured a loyal fan base but is considered by many to be a niche sport.

DAZN was able to secure a deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to broadcast 32 events a year, with sixteen fight cards to take place in the United States and sixteen fight cards to take place in the United Kingdom.

DAZN also locked up deals with the World Boxing Super Series, Bellator, and Combate Americas to strengthen the quality and quantity of content on their service, but they were still missing a key piece to bolster their appeal to the American viewing public. In order to get that piece they had to rely on their biggest asset.

Enter John Skipper.

Photo Credit: John Skipper Twitter Account (@JohnSkipperDAZN)

John Skipper served as ESPN’s President for over six years and was instrumental in ESPN’s dominance in the sports market and established several important long term relationships. He resigned from ESPN in late 2017 in response to threats of blackmail and in order to address alleged substance abuse issues related to cocaine. But he re-emerged in May of this year he later re-emerged to serve as the Executive Chairman for the sports media company Perform Group, the group in control of the streaming subscription service DAZN.

When John Skipper worked for ESPN, one of the smaller deals that he was able to strike was with Golden Boy Promotions to air boxing on their network.

It was a smaller deal, but it allowed Skipper to establish a relationship with Golden Boy Promotions and gave him knowledge of the details of Golden Boy’s prior deal with ESPN.

This gave Skipper significant insight into the value of Canelo Alvarez. He had to leverage DAZN’s success in international markets, their financial backing, and his own experience in order to finalize a deal with Golden Boy Promotions while being able to insist on an exclusive deal.

A short meeting quickly tuned into an intense three day negotiating period that ended with a $365 Million dollar deal to stream Canelo’s next 11 fights as well as the rights to Golden Boy’s other fighters.

Canelo had interest from other outlets, including Showtime, Fox, and Turner sports; but it was Skipper who was able to close the deal.

DAZN’s deal with Golden Boy Promotions has tilted the balance of power in boxing in their favor.

Eddie Hearn immediately saw the great value that DAZN’s deal with Canelo brought.

He stated, “DAZN is embracing the era of streaming….delivering a great deal for fight fans, obviously with the Canelo deal. $84.99 for a fight is absolute madness. The Canelo move is a big move, where fight fans can now turn around at pay per view price points like $60, $80, and $100 and say no more.”

Eddie Hearn also recognizes what signing Canelo means for some of his fighters, like Demetrius Andrade and Billy Joe Saunders, and how DAZN is now the place for the middleweight division.

“They have to be with DAZN, some people thought that was arrogant, it’s just common sense. Our fighters fight on DAZN, and therefore you got to be on DAZN to fight, and really if you’re a middleweight you should be looking at our platform.”

Two of the biggest draws in boxing are arguably Canelo Alvarez and Anthony Joshua. They’re both signed to DAZN.

DAZN isn’t done making big splashes in the combat sports world.

Subscribe to DAZN NOW and get 30 days free.

Posted on 10/19/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions promoted a card at the Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino in Indio, California on ESPN2. It featured a NABF Middleweight Title bout between Jason Quigley and Freddy Hernandez.

In the Main Event of a NABF Middleweight title defense by Ireland’s Jason “El Animal” Quigley, 15-0 (11), of Woodland Hills, CA, defeated Freddy Hernandez, 34-10 (22), of Mexico City, MEX, over 10 rounds.

Photo Credit: Brandon Magpantay-Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

In the first round Quigley was throwing punches using the jab followed by left hooks and lead rights to the head of Hernandez, who was walking into punches. Quigley landed a left hook followed by a right cross to the chin of Hernandez. In the second round Quigley became even more aggressive against the 39 year-old Hernandez landing jabs followed by rights to the chin of Hernandez. Quigley landed a solid right to the mid-section of Hernandez that was heard throughout the arena. Quigley missed with a right but followed with a left hook to the body. While inside, Hernandez landed a double left hook to the body of Quigley.

In the third round Quigley returning to the ring after a year after breaking his right hand was having no problem landing it. A left hook in the previous round put a mouse under the left eye of Hernandez. Quigley missed a left hook but followed through with a right to the chin of Hernandez. Hernandez just couldn’t contend with the foot and hand speed of Quigley through the first three rounds. In the fourth round Quigley landed a combination to the head but got caught with a solid left hook to the chin from Hernandez. Quigley suffered a small cut outside the left eyebrow. In a clinch Hernandez landed half a dozen left’s to the head of Quigley.

In the fifth round heads clashed with Fernandez coming out of it with a nasty gash on his right eyebrow. The ring physician examined it. It seemed to spur Fernandez on as he had Quigley against the ropes slipping most of the punches by Hernandez. Fernandez countered with a solid right to the chin of Quigley. Both threw left hooks with Fernandez getting there first. In the sixth round Quigley was bleeding from the mouth. Fernandez has been very active since getting cut. Fernandez ended the round with a solid right to the chin of Quigley.

In the seventh round Fernandez landed the first punch a left hook to the body of Quigley. Fernandez had Quigley against the ropes landing body shots while the flood is flowing from his cut. Quigley came back with combinations of his own. Quigley landed a solid right to the head of Fernandez. Fernandez had Quigley against the ropes at the bell. Quigley seemed to be breathing heavy going to his corner while Fernandez seemed fresh. In the eighth round Quigley landed a good left hook to the body of Fernandez. Quigley countered Fernandez well as the latter walked in.

In the ninth round Quigley became more aggressive landing lead rights to the chin of Fernandez. Quigley landed a solid left hook to the chin of Fernandez. Fernandez landed a right to the chin with seconds to go in the round while it was Quigley who landed a hard right to the chin at the bell. In the tenth and final round Quigley landed a solid left hook to the head of Fernandez. Fernandez kept chasing Quigley getting countered. Fernandez landed a right cross in the final minute of the fight to the chin of Quigley. Quigley used his foot speed well in the final round.

Scores were Alejandro Rochin and Zac Young had it 98-92 while Edward Hernandez, Sr. had it 99-91 while this writer had it 97-93.

In the co-feature Welterweight Japan’s Shoki Sakai, 22-9-2 (12), of Mexico City, MEX, lost to Eddie Gomez, 22-3 (12), of the Bronx, NY, over 8 rounds.

In the opening round Gomez was the busier in a feeling out until a minute left in the round when Gomez landed several right uppercuts to the chin of Sakai. A double left hook from Gomez on the jaw of Sakai sent him back several steps. In the second round Gomez landed a lead right to the head of Sakai. Sakai came back stalking Gomez using his jab following him. Gomez countered with a right to the chin as Sakai was coming in. Gomez backed into the ropes ducking a right from Sakai that landed on the top rope.

In the third round Sakai continued to follow Gomez around the ring until Gomez would stop in the middle of the ring when they would exchange punches before clinching. Gomez landed a chopping right to the head of Sakai while inside. Gomez landed a combination to the chin of Sakai. Sakai has thrown few right hands through three rounds. In the fourth round Gomez countered to the body of Sakai while the latter never threw a punch. Sakai missed a left hook while Gomez countered with a left hook to the chin. Gomez continues to slip punches and lands a left hook to the face of Sakai drawing blood from his nose.

In the fifth round Gomez immediately landed a left hook to the chin of Sakai. Sakai missed with a double jab and a follow-up left hook. Gomez countered a Sakai jab with a right to the chin. Gomez landed a double jab followed by a right to the body of Sakai. Just prior to the bell both exchanged jabs. In the sixth round both boxers exchanged left hooks to the chin. Gomez landed a left hook to the chin while Sakai countered with a left hook to the chin. Gomez landed a double left hook to the head of Sakai. Gomez landed a right to the head of Sakai. Gomez was warned by referee Cantu for using his head inside. Sakai finally landed a solid left hook to the chin of Gomez.

In the seventh round Gomez landed a lead right followed by a left hook to the head of Sakai. Sakai landed a rare combination to the body of Gomez. Gomez continues to be a step ahead of Sakai who kept following him. Gomez slipped to the canvas while referee Cantu called it exactly that. In the eighth round Gomez landed a combination starting with the right to the head of Sakai. Sakai was warned for a head butt. Sakai showed a slight cut under the right eye. Sakai ducked into a left hook from Gomez. Gomez landed a roundhouse right and got cornered by a Sakai right to the head just prior to the bell.

The scores were 80-72 by all 3 judges and this writer.
“It was real hard (very emotional having lost his father days before). Daddy took a week off from work to come out here in camp. He would have been proud today. He might not be here physically but will always be with me. Love you Pop’s,” said Gomez.

Posted on 10/17/2018

At Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday afternoon, Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) and Golden Boy Promotions announced an 11-fight deal with global sports streaming leader DAZN. As part of the partnership, Golden Boy Promotions will put on up to 10 high-caliber fight nights per year that will stream live on DAZN beginning in early 2019. The new era will begin Saturday, Dec. 15 when Alvarez challenges Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 KOs) for his WBA Super Middleweight World Title. This groundbreaking deal is the richest athlete contract in sports history.

In a press conference, the fighters and key executives took the stage to discuss the record-breaking deal as well as the upcoming fight at Madison Square Garden – Alvarez’s first in the iconic venue.

John Skipper, DAZN Group Executive Chairman

“Today represents a major shift in OTT sports content. Until now, fans haven’t received the value from these platforms that they deserve. DAZN is here to completely change that.”

“Oscar de la Hoya, as a boxer and a promoter, has been the most important figure in the history of pay-per-view. Right now, Canelo Alvarez is the most important fighter in pay-per-view. His next 11 fights will be available exclusively and internationally on DAZN. During the course of this deal, five years and the next 11 Canelo fights, DAZN will return premiere boxing matches to fight fans for a reasonable, affordable subscription price, and we will build a robust subscription base off of the demonstrated existing demand for these fights.”

“Adding this exclusive arrangement with Golden Boy and its quality roster of fighters to our Matchroom UK and Matchroom US fights gives us a year-long schedule of premium events for boxing fans. We add our Bellator, Combate MMA fights, and our World Boxing Super Series dates to provide a superior and affordable annual offering for fight fans.”

“Today I am thrilled to be here as we announce the beginning of a new era in boxing and the U.S. harbinger of a global transformation to a fan-centered and fan-friendly presentation of sports in OTT subscription services.”

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions President

“As we all know, the sport is undergoing an enormous change. We at Golden Boy Promotions have taken a major step forward to adapt to this change by signing this historic partnership with the leader of sports streaming DAZN. This is a direct and unprecedented partnership between two major global companies in the sport, Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN.”

“As a Golden Boy fighter, Canelo became the undisputed pay-per-view king. But now Canelo is starting a new era in the sport by having his next 11 fights on this amazing platform. We are committed to making this sport as accessible and affordable as possible for all the fans. The most remarkable thing about this deal is that fans will not have to pay any extra to see the biggest name in boxing, Canelo Alvarez.”

Canelo Alvarez

“I’ve always said, when one door closes, another door opens. And we’re very happy with this new alliance that we’ve made with DAZN. Forget about the prices, the amount of money we’re making. The most important thing is that fans can enjoy this fight at a very low price. Thank you very much DAZN and Golden Boy, I’m very happy.”

On the fight: “For me it’s a challenge. It’s a new challenge to move up a division. We know the challenge we have in front of us and we’re going to train real hard to enter the history of Mexican boxing.”

Eddy Reynoso, Manager and Head Trainer to Canelo Alvarez

“We’re very happy about the news with Golden Boy and DAZN.”

“On December 15, we have another important challenge in the career of Canelo Alvarez. Rocky Fielding is a very tough and strong fighter who’s coming off a nice string of good victories. We know it’s a big challenge to be moving up to 168 pounds. And we know that we will fight a strong boxer who’s well-schooled. We want to make history and we want to let everyone know that Mexican boxing will always be number one. We will prepare as always 100%, and we hope to make Canelo Alvarez a three-division world champion.”

Chepo Reynoso, Manager and Trainer to Canelo Alvarez

“On December 15, we will see another great victory so that Mexico can be proud of him. We’ll see you on December 15 with a great victory in the arena of MSG.”

Rocky Fielding

“Everyone wrote me off, no one gave me a chance, and I went there, believing I could do it, and I got the win. I’ve worked so hard all my life to get to the world stage. And now I’m fighting the biggest name, the biggest star in boxing. It’s every fighter’s dream to fight at MSG. I’ve worked so hard all my life for it. I respect Canelo, I’ve watched him over the years. I’m going in there to win. I’m coming in as a world champion. I want to give everything. Expect a good fight and I’m coming to win.”

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director

“We joined up with DAZN, our biggest global boxing partners a few months ago, and when we give you our commitment, we give you our heart, we give you our blood, and we had a mission to make sure the DAZN platform would work and be a success. We launched the platform with Anthony Joshua, the first show being live on DAZN, and now through Golden Boy and DAZN, they bring Canelo Saul Alvarez. This is a gamechanger for the world of boxing and the way boxing fans digest content.”

“Things are about to change. The whole game is about to change.”

Jamie Moore, Trainer of Rocky Fielding

“I believe I’ve got the right sort of fighter in my hands in Rocky Fielding. He’s got massive self-belief, he’s got a lot of attributes that we believe will cause Canelo Alvarez problems.”

“I believe the 15th of December, we’re going to get the biggest win that the gym’s ever had.”

Posted on 10/17/2018

Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) – the undisputed king of pay-per-view boxing – will usher in a new era in the sport by signing an 11-fight deal with global sports streaming leader DAZN. The journey begins Saturday, Dec. 15 when Canelo makes his first appearance at the historic Madison Square Garden challenging Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 KOs) for his WBA Super Middleweight World Title. This groundbreaking deal with Canelo will be the richest athlete contract in sports history.

As part of the partnership, Golden Boy Promotions will put on up to 10 high-caliber fight nights per year that will stream live on DAZN beginning in early 2019.

The historic deal marks a major change in the boxing landscape, where its biggest stars traditionally fought on pay-per-view. Now, sports fans can view Canelo’s fights and the deep Golden Boy Promotions stable for a low monthly subscription cost. These fights will be available in all DAZN markets, including the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

“I’ve always liked a challenge, and this is yet another challenger in my career,” said Canelo Alvarez. “Being part of this historic deal will require me to prepare myself even more and offer fans even better performances. At the same time, I am humbled to be selected to lead this new vision for the sport of boxing, which will without a doubt be for the benefit of the fans.”

“This is easily one of the best days in the growing history of Golden Boy Promotions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO. “We are committed to making this sport as accessible as possible and at an affordable price for all the fans. My dream has been to make boxing a sport for all. DAZN has the perfect platform to make this dream come true, and with the biggest star in the sport at the helm of this journey, I have no doubts that we will succeed in unimaginable ways.”

“We are thrilled to be exclusive partners with Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya,” said John Skipper, DAZN Group Executive Chairman. “By bringing Canelo’s fights to DAZN, we will turn his pay-per-view success into a growth engine for subscribers – a truly transformational moment for our business and the entire industry.

Alvarez is coming off the biggest win of his career in September, a thrilling majority decision victory against Gennady “GGG” Golovkin to become the WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight champion. His 50-win career also boasts victories over Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara, Austin Trout, “Sugar” Shane Mosley, among many others. Now Alvarez will seek to join a small and illustrious list of three-division world champions from Mexico as he steps up to 168 pounds to challenge Fielding.

DAZN burst on to the scene just over two years ago, debuting in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan. Its early success across Europe and Asia was followed by launches in Canada (2017), Italy (2018) and the United States (2018), where DAZN announced blockbuster deals with Matchroom Boxing and Bellator MMA to deliver a stacked slate of fight sports content upon entry into the market.

The DAZN-Golden Boy deal includes a large production element, which places Oscar De La Hoya as Executive Producer of the 12 live fight nights annually. The live productions will be a collaboration between DAZN and Golden Boy Media and Entertainment, De La Hoya’s in-house production arm, and will push the boundaries of traditional boxing shows by incorporating new features with virtual graphics and social media interaction.

Oscar De La Hoya’s 7,000-hour library of fights spanning his career as a boxer and a promoter are included in the partnership and these classic bouts will be available on DAZN. Additionally, Golden Boy Media and Entertainment will produce volumes of shoulder programs for the DAZN platform, including live studio shows such as “Between the Ropes” and its award winning “Mano a Mano.” De La Hoya has had a vision for the sport of boxing, and part and parcel to that vision are new approaches to telling the stories of the fighters for a global audience through live, scripted and social media programming. The new partnership between DAZN and Golden Boy allow this vision to flourish and to create narratives that appeal across demographic categories worldwide.

About DAZN:
Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service’s sports on connected devices including Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and now the U.S. at just $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial – where it is set to become a must-have service for fight fans, with 100+ fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series, Combate Americas and the newly announced Golden Boy Promotions.

About Golden Boy Promotions:
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, EstrellaTV and the newly announced partnership with DAZN.

Posted on 10/17/2018

By: Jake Donovan

From the moment they announced their commitment to boxing earlier this year, the brass at DAZN insisted they were in it for the long haul.

So, too, is the entire Golden Boy Promotions family, including its biggest star Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

The reigning World middleweight champion has committed to a long-term deal with the sports streaming service, according to overnight reports from ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael and The Los Angeles Times’ Lance Pugmire. The reported $365 million deal is the richest in sports history, with Alvarez’ per fight guarantee surpassing that of Floyd Mayweather’s previous six-fight deal with Showtime.

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions Twitter Account

BoxingScene.com senior writer Keith Idec was the first to break the story of Alvarez heading to DAZN, with specific terms of the deal since revealed by Golden Boy Promotions through its press office.

News of the record-breaking contract comes ahead of a scheduled Wednesday press conference in New York City, originally intended to formally announce Alvarez’ forthcoming December 15 challenge of secondary super middleweight titlist Rocky Fielding.

“I’ve always liked a challenge, and this is yet another challenge in my career,” said Alvarez, in a statement that can point to both the incredible deal and his quest for a title in a third weight class.

Their bout—which will headline at Madison Square Garden, where Alvarez will fight for the first time in his career—had yet to disclose which network or platform would carry the event, which was supposed to be revealed on Wednesday. Golden Boy fielded offers from several outlets, including HBO which had presented Alvarez’ last seven bouts and 15 overall through its various networks and Pay-Per-View Arm.

HBO remained in the running to serve as the broadcast provider for Alvarez-Fielding, but removed its name from the fold after declining to match DAZN’s lucrative offer. The development means Alvarez appearing on a platform other than HBO, Showtime (where Alvarez appeared five times from 2012-14) or their respective PPV arms for the first time this decade.

Alvarez’ lucrative deal with HBO expired following his narrow points win over previously unbeaten and unified middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin in their rematch this past September. The event generated more than 1.1 million PPV buys, slightly down from the 1.3 million units sold for their controversial draw one year prior.

The two events managed to generate more than $180 million in PPV revenue, with Alvarez (50-1-2, 34KOs) alone clearing in the neighborhood of $50 million for the rematch between his guaranteed purse and PPV incentives.

Now armed with the richest sports contract ever, the 28-year old superstar from Guadalajara, Mexico will only have to worry about his name helping drive subscriptions to his new boxing home.

“We are thrilled to be exclusive partners with Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya,” said John Skipper, DAZN Group Executive Chairman who previously headed programming at ESPN. “By bringing Canelo’s fights to DAZN, we will turn his pay-per-view success into a growth engine for subscribers – a truly transformational moment for our business and the entire industry.”

DAZN entered the boxing fray earlier this year, cutting a deal with leading UK promoter Eddie Hearn for up to eight years worth $1 billion for the service to be available in the US market. The sports streaming app has already proven successful in several other markets throughout Europe and Asia, and its USA launch has so far been embraced by boxing fans.

The US-brand officially launched in September, with its first card available to North American viewers on September 22. The event aired live from London, starring unbeaten and unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua—easily the biggest star on that side of the pond—in his thrilling 7th round knockout of Alexander Povetkin.

It was a smart way to launch a new service, which had also armed itself with the entire schedule for season two of the World Boxing Super Series which spans three weight classes (bantamweight, super lightweight and cruiserweight). However, less inspiring was the name recognition that came with the first two shows from Hearn’s Matchroom USA company.

The October 6 show in Chicago provided plenty of thrills, far exceeding the notoriety that came with the night’s full lineup. Three separate title fights graced the undercard, but the event drew criticism for its choice in a headlining act between Jessie Vargas and Thomas Dulorme. The fight surpassed expectations, with post-fight buzz supplanting any pre-fight criticism that came with claims of the event failing to move the needle.

Still, another speed bump came ahead of this weekend’s scheduled show in Boston. The originally scheduled main event between unbeaten middleweights Billy Joe Saunders and Demetrius Andrade endured a major facelift when Saunders—who was due to defend his portion of the middleweight title—was scratched from the card after a failed pre-fight drug test resulted in his being denied a license by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission.

Andrade will now face unbeaten but unheralded Namibian contender Walter Kautondokwa, with the now vacant title at stake but carrying far less intrigue.

That dynamic dramatically changes now that the winner can now position himself for a very makeable fight with the division—and sport’s—biggest draw.

Alvarez’ arrival adds to an already increasing middleweight pot on the DAZN side of the street. His old home, HBO is still the network provider for the October 27 vacant title fight between Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Derevyachenko. Jacobs is promoted by Hearn and Derevyachenko by Lou DiBella, who has shown a willingness to work with all promoters, as evidenced by entering a co-promotional deal with Hearn for 130-pound titlist Tevin Farmer, who defends on this weekend’s card in Boston.

Any mixing of matching between Alvarez and the winners of the aforementioned middleweight bouts will at least now come without network roadblocks.

Meanwhile, Golden Boy Promotions—who cut its own deal with DAZN in lieu of a co-promotional pact with Hearn—also finds a new home for the rest of its stable.

“This is easily one of the best days in the growing history of Golden Boy Promotions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO. “We are committed to making this sport as accessible as possible and at an affordable price for all the fans.

“My dream has been to make boxing a sport for all. DAZN has the perfect platform to make this dream come true, and with the biggest star in the sport at the helm of this journey, I have no doubts that we will succeed in unimaginable ways.”

With HBO announcing its exit from the sport—due to come by year’s end—after 45 years in service, Golden Boy lost out on several fight dates. The company was also faced with the burden of its own four-wall deal with ESPN expiring at the end of 2018.

That is no longer a concern. According to ESPN.com, Golden Boy secured a pact with DAZN—separate from Alvarez’ deal—due to begin in the first quarter of 2019 and guaranteeing ten fight nights per year. This opens the door for several notable fighters either promoted or affiliated (through co-promotional deal with other companies) by Golden Boy, including current titlists Rey Vargas, Alberto Machado and Angel Acosta, former titlist Jorge Linares and rising contenders and prospects like Diego de la Hoya and Ryan Garcia.

Linares and Garcia recently appeared on Golden Boy’s current Facebook Live series, but would stand to benefit from a bigger budgeted promotion that would come with DAZN, who between Joshua and now Alvarez can boldly proclaim itself as the home for the two biggest stars in the sport today.

“Being part of this historic deal will require me to prepare myself even more and offer fans even better performances,” Alvarez insists, quite the claim since he’s already led a Hall-of Fame worthy career. “At the same time, I am humbled to be selected to lead this new vision for the sport of boxing, which will without a doubt be for the benefit of the fans.”

Posted on 10/05/2018

By: Ken Hissner

On Thursday night Golden Boy Promotions put on a card from The Hangar, in Costa Mesa, CA, on ESPN2. The main event featured NABF Bantamweight Champion Colombia’s Oscar “Jaguar” Negrete, 18-1-1 (7), living in Rosemead, CAL, and San Antonio’s Joshua “El Professor” Franco, 14-1-1 (7), over 10 rounds.

In the first round both fighters were mixing it up quite well. Both fighters were skilled going to body and head. Negrete seemed to have a slight edge. In the second round Negrete was getting away with low blows. In the final minute Franco drove Negrete into the ropes with a flurry of punches. Negrete came right back with a solid right to the head of Franco.

In the third round Franco landed four punches to head and body. Negrete came back with half a dozen punches of his own. Negrete was warned by the referee about coming in with his head. It was another good round by both. In the fourth round Franco came out firing punches while Negrete came right back. Negrete comes in with his head again but no warning from the referee. Good round for Franco.

In the fifth round the fists were flying once again with Franco landing three or four punches and Negrete coming right back with his three or four punches. To say they were throwing close to 100 punches a round is no exaggeration. It’s been a torrid pace with Negrete landing a solid right to the head of Franco just prior to the bell.

In the seventh round Negrete was landing half a dozen punches with Franco coming back with a combination. Negrete had a mouse under his right eye. Negrete walked into a right hand getting rocked by Franco. At the end of the round they were still punching. In the eighth round Franco was still holding his own with Negrete comes back after a Franco rally. Franco landed three punches to the head then ended with a left hook to the ribs of Negrete. Franco ended the round rocking Negrete with a right to the chin.

In the ninth round Franco drove Negrete into the ropes. Negrete came back driving Franco into the middle of the ring. The action on both parts of the fighters is still action packed. Both fighters have surpassed the 1,000 punch mark. In the tenth and final round Franco landed a hard right to the chin buckling the right knee of Negrete. The fans have been hollering the entire fight.

Scores were DeLuca 96-94 Franco, Sandoval 96-94 Negrete and Viarial 95-95 as did this writer.

“One more round right now,” said Negrete. “I didn’t think he was going to be this tough. But look at his face,” said Franco. They both laughed after their comments.

In the co-feature Welterweight Danielito “El Zorro” Zorrilla, 9-0 (8), of Rio Piedras, PR, stopped Dakota “The Lone Wolf” Linger, 10-1-2 (6), of Buckhannon, W.V., 2:59 of the second round of a scheduled 8.

In the first round Linger landed three rights to the head of Zorrila who moved several steps away. Zorrilla landed several left hooks to the head of Linger. There was “no feeling out” in this round with both mixing it up.

Seconds later Zorrila rocked Linger with a right uppercut to the chin. Then drove Linger into the ropes with ten punches and what looked like he broke the nose of Linger who was about to collapse when the referee gave him the 8 count and asked him to come forward as Linger wiped his nose with blood gushing and the referee wisely halted the fight.

In the third round Gonzalez was leaning on Delgado and hitting him in the ribs without warning from the referee. Gonzalez landed four unanswered punches from Delgado. Delgado came back with a flurry of half a dozen punches. In the fourth round Gonzalez landed a double left hook to the head of Delgado who grabbed him. Gonzalez then while tied up hit Delgado behind the head with warning from the one sided referee favoring Gonzalez. Gonzales landed three punches than a fourth a right had to the head of Delgado in the punches he threw. In the sixth and final round Delgado landed a double left hook to the body of Gonzalez. The referee warned Delgado for hitting behind the head while in a clinch. Gonzalez was coming off knee surgery last month.

Scores were 58-56 Delgado, 57-57 twice. This writer had it 58-56 Gonzalez.

“I respect the judges but I haven’t fought in about six months and thought I won,” said Delgado. “I will fight anyone and thought I won,” said Gonzalez.

Posted on 10/04/2018

By: Sean Crose

“I trained very hard for it,” Joshua Franco tells me. It’s a rainy Tuesday evening. In just over 48 hours, Franco will be stepping into the ring to face fellow bantamweight Oscar Negrede in a bout which will be the main attraction on an ESPN card. “I know,” he adds, “how it’s going to be.” That’s something all professional fighters want to be able to say – that they know how it’s going to be, even if there’s no way to prove it until they step inside the ring. It’s the kind of confidence that an carry an athlete through a career.

Photo Credit: Joshua Franco Twitter Account

Like Franco, Negrede has a single loss on his resume. Also like Franco, Negrede is looking to redeem himself in front of a live televised audience after a single successful comeback bout. In short, this is a big fight for both men. “I’m feeling good,” Franco, the 14-1 bantamweight says, adding that his camp has contained a “lot of sparing.” A pupil of famed cornerman Robert Garcia, Franco knows he’s in serious hands. “When I was first at Oxnard with Robert,” says Franco, “he says ‘you look like you could be a professor.’” Hence the nickname Franco has carried with him throughout his career to date – The Professor.

“He has a lot of knowledge,” Franco says of his trainer. Garcia’s gym in Oxnard, California is also a place where Franco feels comfortable training. “Everybody gets along,” he says. As for Negrede, the 18-1 fighter known as The Jaguar, Franco realizes he’s in with someone much like himself. Still, the native of San Antonio exudes self belief on this rainy Tuesday, while making it clear he’s no one trick pony. “I can box,” he says, “and I can move forward.” Should he emerge victorious on Thursday, the bantamweight division may be Franco’s oyster.

“I’m not looking past Oscar Negrede,” Franco says, adding he knows that “Robert has big plans,” should he walk out the ring the winner Thursday night. For his own part, though, Franco wants to stay on point. “That’s something we’ll talk about after the fight,” he says of the future. Enthralled with boxing from a young age, Franco shows a willingness to take the steps needed to get to the top. And Golden Boy Promotions is happy to guide him along the way. “They have confidence in me,” he says of his promotional team. “They’re moving me very well.”

Franco-Negrete will air at 10 PM eastern time Thursday night on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. It will be broadcast live from the Hangar at California’s OC Fair and Event Center.

Posted on 10/03/2018

By: Ken Hissner

On Thursday night Golden Boy Promotions will put on a card from The Hangar, in Costa Mesa, CA, on ESPN2. Colombia’s Oscar “Jaguar” Negrete, 18-1 (7), living in Rosemead, CAL, will do battle with San Antonio’s Joshua “El Professor” Franco, 14-1 (7), over 10 rounds in the Bantamweight Main Event.

Negrete will be looking for his second victory of 2018 after stepping up in weight in December when he suffered his only loss by losing to WBC champion Mexico’s Rey Vargas, who was 32-0 at the time. He lost over 12 rounds by decision. He will be dropping back to bantamweight. The last twelve opponents Negrete has fought all had winning records. He’s made the bantamweight limit of 118 in eight of his nineteen fights.

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions Twitter Account

Franco’s last eleven opponents had winning records and his only loss was out of the country in Puerto Rico losing to Argentina’s Lucas Emmanuel Fernandez Leone, 11-1-1, in March of 2018. He bounced back in June knocking out Mexico’s Isao Gonzalo “Kato” Carranza, 15-11, in five rounds. Prior to the one loss he defeated Carlos “Mighty” Maldonado, 11-1.

In the co-feature unbeaten Puerto Rico’s Welterweight Danielito “El Zorro” Zorrilla, 8-0 (7), of Rio Piedras, PR, faces unbeaten Dakota Linger, 10-0-2 (6), of Buckhannon, W.V., over 8 rounds.

Unbeaten Super Featherweight Jousce “Tito” Gonzalez, 8-0 (8), of Glendora, CA, looks to keep his knockout streak going taking on Ivan “Striker” Delgado, 12-1-1 (5), of L.A., CA, over 6 rounds.

Another unbeaten knockout artists is Super Bantamweight Carlos “Purin” Caraballo, 8-0 (8), of Ponce, PR, who meets Mexico’s Felipe “Panterita” Rivas, 17-21-4 (11), of El Paso, TX, over 6 rounds.

Posted on 09/30/2018

By: Michael Kane

Former three weight world champion, Jorge Linares, made his debut at super lightweight on Saturday 9/29 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.

It was also the first time we had seen Linares since his stoppage to Vasiliy Lomachenko in May.

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Boxing Twitter Account

Facing Linares was Abner Cotto, hoping to continue his five fight win streak.

Ultimately, there was no continuation for Cotto’s win streak as Linares made quick work of the night.

The first round was a feeling out round, with Linares just shading it.

The action stepped up a gear in round two. Both fighters started exchanging however Linares landed a big right hand that sent Cotto to the canvas. Cotto, although unsteady on his legs, made it to the bell.

The third round continued where the second left off. Linares sensing blood, he caught Cotto with a quick combination, which sent Cotto down for the second time. Cotto again made it up and again was unsteady on his legs.

Linares was now unleashing some big punches, Cotto made a mistake by looking to the referee suggesting a low blow, which Linares pounced on. Cotto was trying desperately to stay on his feet and tried to grab Linares, sending both fighters down.

Upon rising, Cotto could barely stand, thankfully the local Commisionners jumped up to the ring to have the fight stopped, saving Cotto from more damage.

Linares, the former featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight world champion, got off to the perfect start in his new division and with the prospect of some exciting fights on the horizon he will be hoping to add another title in a fourth weight class.

“I feel good, and I’m ready to fight the best at 140 pounds.” Said Linares via Golden Boy Promotions press release.

“I’ve been hearing Mikey Garcia’s name, and he’s been hearing my name. Maybe we can have that fight next year.

“I came in very well prepared to fight the best in the division. I would also drop back down to 135 pounds to fight Vasiliy Lomachenko, if we can make the rematch.

“At this point in my career, I want the big fights.”

“Thank you to Golden Boy for the opportunity.” Said Cotto.

“I came well prepared but he had a hard right hand we weren’t expecting. I’m going and I didn’t fight with just anyone. He’s a 3 division world champion. I will sit with my team and see what’s next.”

Posted on 09/13/2018

By: Sean Crose

“It makes me wonder,” the LA Times on Wednesday quoted Oscar De La Hoya as saying, “if HBO even wants to be in boxing.” The Hall of Fame fighter turned top promoter was expressing a sentiment shared by many over the past several years. Is HBO really interested in the boxing business anymore? The recent activity (or lack thereof) of the pay cable network might suggest the answer is no, that it’s merely easing itself out a way relationship with fight fans slowly, rather than making a clean break. Either that or limiting boxing to such a degree that the few fight broadcasts the network decides to show might no longer warrant a subscription fee from fans.

Yet, with boxing broadcasts suddenly popping up all over television and the internet, breaking up with HBO might not be that hard for those fans to do. Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions, for instance, has moved on to ESPN from HBO and has brought down some nice ratings for itself, thanks very much. If HBOs seeming disinterest in boxing is hurting Top Rank or its fighters, there’s little indication of it. In fact, Top Rank just signed a lucrative contract extension with ESPN not that long ago.

All of this, of course, leads to the question of whether nor not HBO’s star boxing attraction, Canelo Alvarez, will remain with the network after his highly anticipated rematch with Gennady Golovkin this weekend, or if HBO is even all that keen on keeping Canelo aboard. After Saturday, Canelo’s current contract with the network will have expired. Win, lose, or draw, there obviously will be plenty of companies and/or outlets ready, eager, and willing to play host to the Mexican superstar, should the relationship with HBO end. “It’s going to be very interesting for us and Canelo to see what HBO can do to keep him,” De La Hoya said.

Along with ESPN, Showtime, Fox and other outlets broadcasting live boxing, streaming services are marking their mark on the fight game in a big way. ESPN+, British Promoter Eddie Hearn’s DAZN, and even Facebook are now involved in the fight game. Still, De La Hoya feels a sense of loyalty to the network that helped make him a legitimate superstar back in his ring heyday. “I’ve always given HBO the first and last opportunity,” he said, making it clear that he plans to continue to do so after Canelo’s contract runs out on Saturday.

Still, De La Hoya let it be known that he’s not in the business of wasting time. “I do want to fight him in December,” he said of Canelo. Speaking of which, there’s another party who will most likely want to fight again in the near future after Saturday’s superbout.

Gennady Golovkin’s contract with HBO is up this weekend, as well.

Posted on 09/05/2018

By: Kirk Jackson

Rising star Ryan Garcia (16-0, 13 KO’s) improved his record last weekend earning a very tough ten-round majority decision victory against contender Carlos Morales (17-3-3, 6 KO’s) at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.

The fight headlined Golden Boy Promotions’ latest offering of Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch.

The success of the event regarding viewership exemplifies “King Ry’s” rising stock and popularity as a fighter, while displaying the potential and traits necessary to becoming a transcendent star.

As far as the actual fight, Garcia struggled albeit in a winning effort.

The hand speed was there, showcasing the ability to fight from the outside, while clinching when necessary on the inside and Garcia again showed he can go the long distance of 10 rounds.
When Garcia places his punches together, he looks exceptional and also displayed his ability to counter-punch effectively.

However there are glaring holes defensively and often times Garcia looks stiff; often squaring up with his chin high in air, leaving himself open, often leaving his left hand down and creating greater opportunities for his opponent.

Garcia has not displayed the ability to fight effectively on the inside as evidenced by his excessive holding. As the headliner, he is fortunate to not be penalized for that at this stage of his development.

As he progresses and faces tougher opposition across grander stages, some of these advantages as the headliner may dissipate along with some of the advantages he has against lower level opposition.

Observers may notice the quick, flashy hand speed, be dazzled by his charm and way with words, but hand speed can’t mask every weakness.

Speed can be negated by effective timing and as former young phenom and youngest heavyweight champion of all-time famously said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

The most important factor to becoming that star is the component of winning. The scorecards read as a majority decision, the overall experience served as a valuable lesson because Garcia added rounds against a tough, experienced opponent, but based on the past few appearances from Garcia, what is his ceiling?

Due to his growing popularity – maximizing the benefits of social media, overall star potential and penchant for headline grabbing quotables, Garcia’s will be psycho-analyzed from here on out.
And with this analysis and at times over-analysis comes additional pressure. Pressure can make or break a person; there’s an old saying mentioned by many an athlete, “Pressure busts pipes. But pressure can also make a diamond.”

Although Garcia wants the bigger names around his weight class – Gervonta Davis, Mikey Garcia and Devin Haney, Garcia like Haney, is still considered a rising prospect and rightfully so.
Just turning 20-years old last month, under the traditional sense, Garcia has ample time to develop.

But nothing about Garcia appears to follow the traditional trajectory of the development of a fighter. Garcia is still in the learning stage and his opponent selection will exemplify just as such.
The question is will his learning leash be lessened as he continues to build his profile. Detractors may grow in number and will want to see him tested.

As Garcia continues to build his buzz, more fighters will want to test him. All publicity, attention, whether it’s negative or positive is good publicity.

And speaking of drawing attention, two former fighters Garcia speaks highly of, emulates style/persona wise and wants to surpass from an overall career standpoint is that of his promoter Oscar De La Hoya and his promoter former in ring rival –turned promotional rival Floyd Mayweather.

While the aforementioned legends relied on their amateur accomplishments which included (Olympic medals), strong promotional push from Bob Arum and Top Rank Promotions, King Ry is more reliant on social media to emphasis his point and add to his profile.

March 22 Espn 10 rounds Main Event at fantasy springs casino Indio ca pic.twitter.com/O6eMcaaj4u

— Ryan Garcia (@Ryankingry) January 23, 2018

Times are different in this era and Garcia has huge footsteps to follow.

At age 21, De La Hoya and Mayweather became world champions. Mentioning Mike Tyson earlier, he was the heavyweight world champion at 20-years old.

By next year it’s possible Garcia can match the same feat of attaining a world title like the fighters he admires. He has the connections to make that dream a reality.

Based on the eye test however, Mayweather, De La Hoya and Tyson obviously look more polished at the respective marks in their careers.

Are the comparisons fair? Perhaps not, but when you talk big you’re going to be compared to the great ghosts of the past.

How does Garcia compare to his contemporaries? As talented as Garcia is, there is a fresh group of extraordinary young talent – some of which may cross paths with the man claiming to be king.
Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez, Money Powell IV, Joey Spencer, Karlos Balderas, Ruben Villas are all young talented fighters with potential to win world titles.

Regarding Garcia’s ceiling, it’s cliché but the sky is the limit. The talent is there and the technical aspects can be worked on.

The mental aspect is the most important thing and Garcia appears to take ownership for his performances. If he can take the positives from his criticisms and constructively apply adjustments in the gym, he’ll continue to excel.

Question is will the uncrowned king claim his crown?

Posted on 09/02/2018

By: William Holmes

Golden Boy Promotion seven fights on facebook live from the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California. This is a newer venture for Golden Boy as promotional outfits worldwide are increasingly turning to streaming to deliver their product.

Ryan Garcia was able to sell out the Fantasty Springs Resort and Casino for the second time.

Several undercard fights were shown, but the main event of the evening was between Ryan Garcia and Carlos Morales in the lightweight division and the co-main event of the night was between Marvin Cabrera and Neeco Macias.

Marvin Cabrera (8-0) and Neeco Macias (16-0) met in the junior middleweight division. Both boxers are undefeated, but Cabrera has been the more active fighter the past two years and had former world champion Daniel Ponce DeLeon in his corner.

Macias had a good contingent of fans in attendance, and he made it known immediately why. They both came out swinging in the opening round but Macias took the best shots of Cabrera well and continued to come forward, while smiling. Macias didn’t appear to have a whole lot of power and was taking some good left hands from Cabrera, but he threw over twice the number of punches than Cabrera. Macias threw 147 punches in the opening round while Cabrera threw 72, and it was a sign of things to come.

Macias stayed in tight during the second round and didn’t appear to land many hard punches, but he applied an incredible amount of pressure and appeared to overwhelm Cabrera. He continued that output into the third round when he threw 196 punches and appeared to be visibly wilting Cabrera.

Macias opened up the fourth round with a looping left hand went right back to work. He was swarming Cabrera and was really snapping the head of his opponent.

Cabrera’s back was stuck next to the ropes and corner often in the fourth and fifth rounds and wasn’t really able to throw much in response to the aggression of Macias. Whenever Cabrera backed away in an attempt to escape and breathe Macias would quickly close the distance and pound away at the body and head.

Cabrera looked exhausted in the sixth round and took a hard left hand in the opening seconds of the sixth. Cabrera was stuck in the corner often and was getting beat from corner to corner.

Cabrera’s corner wisely stopped the fight before the start of the seventh round. Macias wins by knockout at 3:00 of the sixth round.

The main event of the night was between Ryan Garcia (15-0) and Carlos Morales (17-2-3) in the lightweight division.

Garcia held the NABF and NABO Super Featherweight Championships while Morales held the NABA Super Featherweight Championship.

Garcia is one of Golden Boy Promotions’ high ceiling prospects and is only twenty years old. Garcia looked like the bigger fighter and was able to establish himself as the boxer with the quicker hands early on. Garcia was able to land some good left hooks in the first two rounds and had a good jab working.

Garcia did trip and fall backwards in the second round but Morales was warned by the referee for pushing his opponent.

Garcia was shifty in the third round and was able to land his counter right hands. One of his punches opened up a cut on the bridge of the nose of Morales.

Morales was able to land some right hands to the body of Garcia in the fourth round, but Garcia appeared to land the better shots and even had Morales shaking his head no after landing a combination.

Garcia’s timing was on point in the fifth and sixth rounds and was able to touch Morales whenever he got into range. Both boxers were warned by the referee for wrestling during these rounds.

Morales’ corner think he hurt Garcia in the seventh round and even wobbled the legs of Garcia after landing a jab. Morales pressed the pace afterwards, but Garcia recovered quickly and lasted the round.

Morales continued to attempt apply the pressure in the eighth and ninth rounds but with the exception of a few body shots wasn’t able to hurt Garcia again. Garcia however appeared to be tiring and looked at the clock continuously.

Morales probably needed a knockout in the final round to win, but Garcia had caught his second wind by then and threw enough punches in the final round to win it.

The judges scored it 98-92, 95-95, 98-92 for Ryan Garcia by majority decision.

Posted on 08/30/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Golden Boy Promotions will continue their partnership with Facebook Live to broadcast what appears to be seven fights live from Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California.

The undercard will feature fighters such as Sergey Lubkovich, George Rincon, Daniel Perales, Alex Rincon, Patrick Teixeira, and Nathaniel Gallimore.

The main event of the evening will be a lightweight fight between Ryan Garcia and Carlos Morales in the lightweight division. The co-main event of the night will be between Marvin Cabrera and NEeco Macias in the junior middleweight division.

Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the night.

Marvin Cabrera (8-0) vs. Neeco Macias (16-0); Junior Middleweights

This is a rare bout between two southpaw boxers, so expect some awkwardness at first and tangled up feet.

Cabrera is a young prospect who has been fairly active recently. He fought twice in 2018 and four times in 2017 and started competing as a professional in 2016. He has moderate power and has stopped six of his opponents.

His opponent, Neeco Macias, is two years older than him and has twice the number of professional fights. But he has not been as active as Cabrera in the past two years. He only fought once in 2018 and once in 2017. He has stopped seven of his opponents, including stopping three of his past four opponents. However, his three past opponents had losing records.

Cabrera has the better amateur career of the two. Macias has no notable amateur accomplishments and Cabrera has competed in the Pan American Games as an amateur with moderate success.

Cabrera will have about three inches in height on Macias, but both boxers will have about the same reach.

Cabrera has defeated the likes of Wilfrido Buelvas, Hector Velazquez, and Esau Herrera. Macias’ record is filled with guys with sub .500 records, but he does have notable wins over Rolando Garza and Limberth Ponce.

Macias has a good record, but he hasn’t faced any significant opposition and his lack of activity the last two years is telling. Macias appears to have the power to stop Cabrera, but Cabrera’s amateur background should lead him to a decision victory.

Ryan Garcia (15-0) vs. Carlos Morales (17-2-3); Lightweights

Ryan Garcia holds the NABF and NABO Super Featherweight Championship while Carlos Morales holds the NABA Super Featherweight Championship.

Garcia however, is the prospect with a much higher ceiling and has the promotional muscle of Golden Boy Promotions supporting him.

Garcia is only twenty years old, but has already fought fifteen times and fought twice in 2018 and six times in 2017.

Morales is twenty eight years old and didn’t fight at all in 2018, but fought three times in 2017. Morales isn’t known for his power, he has only stopped six of his opponents.

Garcia will have a sleight one inch height advantage on Morales. They both have a 70” reach and box orthodox.

Garcia has been stepping up his competition recently. He has beaten the likes of Jayson Velez, Fernando Parra, and Cesar Valenzuela.

Morales has beaten the likes of Dardan Zenunaj, Cesar Valenzuela, Charles Huerta ,and Luis Franco. He has losses to Alberto Macahdo and Allan Benitez.

Morales has two losses on his record, but has never been stopped. He’s a good opponent for Garcia in that he should give him some good rounds and good work, but Garcia should be a large favorite on Saturday.

Posted on 08/18/2018

By: Dylan Smith

Golden Boy Promotions put on a live event from the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. ESPN televised their card and it featured two entertaining bouts, including a bloody main event.

The following is a recap of their event.

Photo Credit: Tom Hogan-Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

The co-main Event of the evening.

A 10 round war! It was a brutal display of heavy shots and relentless pressure by both boxers. Japanese Yoshihiro Kamega stayed true to his form by constantly coming forward and not giving young Vendetti a moment to breath. Greg being the younger guy by 7 years, he held his composure and kept pushing back the Japanese Warrior.

From the first round Kamegai pushed Greg Vendetti backwards to the ropes were he let loose heavy hooks to the body and head.
The first time for The Villain to go past 8 rounds is a testament the Kamegai’s toughness. Yoshihiro gained Vendetti’s respect form the start of the fight as Greg kept a nice tight guard. Until the 7th round where he seemed to lower his guard and become more relaxed into the fight. Vendetti’s corner was pumping him up in between each round to keep him motivated which was a stronghold to aid his performance.

The Villain managed to swell up Kamegai’s left cheek from continued right hands beating him down. Although a lot of heavy shots were thrown and landed, neither man was put down in the fight and it lasted the whole 10 rounds.

In Kamegai’s last 5 fights he has landed 24.6 punches per round 39% of them being power punches. But allowing 26 punches 43.8% of them power punches to land from his opponent. This fight was a lot closer in terms of what landed however as Vendetti landed 37% of power punches and Kamegai landed 36% of his. The total punches thrown was 629 for Yoshihiro and 826 for the Villain Vendetti so he was the busier man. A lot of punches were thrown by each man, only 1% difference in what was actually landed, which is closer than the judges had it scored however.

Both judges had Greg Vendetti winning by a unanimous points decision, one by 98-92 and the other by 97-93. Vendetti did seem to land the better shots but it was a competitive fight as both fighters didn’t stop throwing the whole fight.

Greg ‘The Villain’ Vendetti is at the early stage of his career and will go on to advance to the next stage, performing very well tonight against a seasoned vet in Yoshihiro Kamegai. With it being an entertaining fight, as it was, both boxers can come again I’m sure.

The main even of the Evening

An action packed fight with an aggressive fighter being charged by a juggernaut. Andrew Cancio has been working his day job up until the last week of his fight. Having managed to put in the hours in the gym as well. The hungry fighter had a great opening and towards the end of the 1st round he seemed to hurt Dardan Zenunaj with a big right hand. Cancio threw double the amount of punches as Dardan and landed 48%. Round 1,2 and 3 Cancio continued to throw double the amount of Zenunaj.

El Chango looked strong and composed even in moments where Dardan put pressure on him. Andrew was landing clean crisp counter punches on the inside and outside. Zenunaj absorbing a lot of punches he was relentless in charging forward. Both men utilised the jab well, Andrew however seemed to find his range better and, in some rounds was landing double the amount of punches than Dardan.

The key in this fight was the uppercuts thrown by Cancio. He seemed to be able to land at will to the centre gap in the guard of Zenunaj. El Chango utilised good footwork, evading punches and fighting on the back foot. Zenunaj did land shots of his own however and kept on working throughout the fight.

With great conditioning and mind of a warrior Dardan kept pushing forward. He seemed to get stronger as the fight went on, even when hurt he shook his head to allude he wasn’t. He boxed well, cut off the ring and forced Andrew to work. His work rate wasn’t diminished through the rounds but seemed to improved. His pressure was consistent and although behind on points came out in the 8th with a bounce in his step. With only 2 rounds left he and his corner knew they needed to finish Cancio to win. Wanting to finish the fight he carried on showing his massive heart.

They went at it in the 9th with beautiful left hooks and straight rights from Cancio but Zenunaj kept coming forward. Andrew was spitting blood which covered the face of Dardan. In the 10th Zenunaj had a lot of success and man handled Andrew. As the crowd cheered ‘El Chango’ Andrew stayed in there, his nose bloodied he bit down on the gun shield and water out until the bell.

The two fighters embraced on the final bell and gave it their all. They had a lot of respect for each other and both put on a wonderful performance. The crowd gave them a standing ovation and although not a native of California, Zenunaj seemed to win over the home town crowd of the Monkey.

It lasted the duration of the 10 rounds and went to a points decision. All judges in favour of Andrew Cancio.

Punch stats were Cancio three 994 and landed 356 (36% pct landed) and for Zenunaj 1062 only 278 landed (26% pct landed).

Andrew Cancio has earnt a deserved win, his 19th victory. It makes you wonder What could he achieve if he dedicated his time solely on boxing?

Another great fight from 2 tough fighters who displayed pugilist skills and entertained the crowd who were on their feet.