Tag Archives: hurd

Posted on 10/12/2017

By: Sean Crose

Junior middleweight slickster Erislandy Lara will be defending his WBA super world title this weekend when he faces undefeated Terrell Gausha at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

The bout will headline a stacked card that will be aired live Saturday starting at 10 PM eastern standard time on the Showtime pay cable network. Lara, a 24-2-2 student of the Cuban school of boxing, is a challenge for any fighter. Indeed, some feel he bested Canelo Alvarez in a fight Alvarez squeezed a decision win out of back in 2014. Cleveland’s Gausha, on the other hand, holds a 20-0 record, but has never faced anyone of Lara’ s pedigree. With that in mind, Lara is getting on at 34 years of age and hasn’t fought since January, when he bested Yuri Foreman in a bout some thought shouldn’t even have been made.

Also that evening, the undefeated, 29-0 Jermell Charlo will be defending his WBC world title in the super welterweight division by facing hard hitting 18-0 Erickson Lubin. Charlo will be coming off a streak where none of his last three bouts have gone the distance. Indeed, the man has been looking impressive as of late. For his own part, however, Orlando’s Lubin has stopped three of his own last four opponents within the distance. Some see this as the top fight of the evening, even though it will be taking a back seat to the Lara-Gausha bout in the card’s lineup. Charlo, after all, is on a hot streak…and Lubin has made it clear he’s a man with something to prove.

Still yet another junior middleweight championship bout will be going down in front of Showtime cameras on Saturday, featuring veteran fighter Austin Trout and Jarrett Hurd for Hurd’s IBF world super welterweight title. Trout a 30-3 former division titlist, hasn’t fought in over a year but is looking at a chance to reclaim past glory. Hurd’s name may not be as illustrious as former Trout foes Canelo Alvarez ‘ and Miguel Cotto’s are, but the 20-0 Maryland native has a ten year age advantage and can boast of having knocked out his last six opponents. In fact, the last time a Hurd fight went the distance was back in 2014 when the fighter bested Emmanuel Sanchez on the cards. This isn’t a going to be a battle where bad behavior is to be found in the leadup, however, as both Trout and Hurd are known to be respectful and professional.

Posted on 09/05/2017

Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of August 28th to September 5th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Charlo, Hurd, and Lara to Defend Titles on October 14th in Brooklyn, New York

A trio of 154-pound world champions will defend their titles as part of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader headlined by Erislandy Lara defending against undefeated Terrell Gausha, in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions on Saturday, October 14 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

The card, promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, will feature four undefeated 154-pound boxers and will pave the way for an undisputed king of the 154-pound division.

Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (24-2-2, 14 KOs), generally recognized as the best boxer in the super welterweight division and its longest reigning champion, will defend his title against undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (20-0, 9 KOs).

In the co-main event, hard-hitting unbeaten champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (29-0, 14 KOs) takes on top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin (18-0, 13 KOs) while “Swift” Jarrett Hurd (20-0, 14 KOs) will make his first title defense against tough former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (30-3, 17 KOs).

“On October 14 at Barclays Center, three world champions will be defending their belts, on SHOWTIME, in a night of tremendous super welterweight action,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Long reigning Cuban Erislandy Lara takes on undefeated Olympian Terrell Gausha and newly crowned Jarrett Hurd faces respected former world champion Austin Trout. This card also features one of the best matchups that can be made between two undefeated fighters, champion Jermell Charlo and young sensation Erickson Lubin.”

“This is a blockbuster card for boxing fans,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The 154-pound division is full of talent and this card is loaded with the best champions and top-ranked contenders in the division. The guy who will be the eventual king of the division is fighting on this show and the fans will be treated to matches that will determine who that unified champion will be.’’

Tickets to the event will go on sale on tomorrow, August 31 at 10 a.m. ET and start at $50 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting Friday, September 1 at noon ET. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

“We are thrilled to continue our best year yet of BROOKLYN BOXING with our fifth major boxing event of 2017,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “We always aim to deliver fight fans an evening packed with top-notch matchups from start to finish, and this card certainly does that.”

Lara, a 34-year-old Cuban southpaw, owns victories over Trout, Alfredo Angulo and a slew of former champions and top contenders in addition to a controversial split decision loss to Canelo Alvarez on the way to cementing his credentials as the top boxer in the division. Lara will make the seventh defense of his world title as he continues to train with renowned trainer Ronnie Shields.

“I’m very excited to be making another title defense back on SHOWTIME headlining a great tripleheader,” said Lara. “This is an interesting fight versus an undefeated U.S. Olympian in Terrell Gausha. I know he will be ready because it’s his opportunity to beat the best fighter in the division and become a champion. But come fight night, he will quickly realize and know why I’m the consensus No. 1 super welterweight in the world. After this performance, I look forward to, one-by-one, adding a WBC and IBF title to my collection.”

The 29-year-old Gausha, of Cleveland, Ohio, earned a shot at the world title with solid victories in his last two matches. He won a hard-fought decision over Steven Martinez last August and followed it up with another impressive victory over Luis Hernandez on Feb. 10. Lara figures to be his toughest battle in his pro career that dates back to 2012.

“I’ve been talking about this since I was a three-year-old watching Muhammad Ali on television,” said Gausha. “I’m here now and blessed for this opportunity. Lara’s a tough fighter, champion and the best opponent I’ll fight on paper. He’s been in with the bigger names. But the better the opponent, the better I am, and I’m coming to dethrone him. He’s crafty, but the world hasn’t seen all that I can bring to the table. I’ll make adjustments on the fly and do things that I’ve never shown before. Seeing other Olympic team members win titles gives me motivation to earn the victory and the notoriety I’ve been looking for.”

Charlo of Houston, Texas will be making the second defense of his title, which he won by knockout victory over John Jackson on May 21, 2016. The 27-year-old Charlo successfully defended the title with a highlight reel knockout victory over fellow Texan Charles Hatley on April 22 at Barclays Center. He and his twin brother, Jermall, both held world titles at 154-pounds, before Jermall relinquished his title to move up to 160 pounds. Charlo now trains in Dallas with Derrick James, trainer of world champion Errol Spence Jr.

“Lubin is young and hungry and I know he always comes to fight, but there’s a reason why I’m where I am in the sport,” said Charlo. “I’ve been through the trenches and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon. This is what boxing always needs — two young, undefeated fighters willing to risk their ‘0’. But I think it’s a little early for Lubin to step in the ring with me, and I plan on keeping my title. October 14 I’ll show everyone why I’m a world champion.”

Lubin, 21, is nicknamed “The Hammer’’ because of his power in both hands and his ability to bring a quick conclusion to every match. Lubin of Orlando, Fla., has picked up 10 victories since the beginning of 2015 including seven knockouts on his way to contender status. Lubin most recently scored a sensational knockout of Jorge Cota in a title eliminator in March at Barclays Center.

“This is a fight for the fans,” said Lubin. “You have an undefeated champion against an undefeated Prospect of the Year. I’m very excited to be fighting for the belt and it’s truly been a dream of mine ever since I first got into boxing. Come fight night, Charlo will either give it to me or I’m going to rip the belt out of his hands. Many fans and reporters have said that he’s one of the best, and that will make it even sweeter. My mentality will be to seek and destroy, so everyone tune-in to SHOWTIME on October 14, you will witness boxing’s new superstar!”

Hurd, 26, will be making the first defense of the title that he won with a KO victory over Tony Harrison on Feb. 25. Fighting out of Accokeek, Maryland, Hurd soared up the rankings with stoppage victories over previously unbeaten fighters Frank Galarza and Oscar Molina at Barclays Center plus veteran Jo Jo Dan.

“I got a Trout to catch,’’ said Hurd. “His losses have all been to top champions Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara and Jermall Charlo. But I’m on a streak of six straight knockouts and Trout has never been stopped, so I’m looking for the stoppage to make a statement that the other fighters couldn’t make. This is definitely my toughest fight, and I didn’t have to take it since it’s a voluntary defense. But I wanted this fight to stop Austin Trout, proving to the fans and people in general I’m the real deal and a true champion.”

Trout, a 31-year-old southpaw from Las Cruces, New Mexico, has faced some of the top 154-pound boxers in the division. He defeated Miguel Cotto in New York to win a title in 2012 and has close losses to Canelo Alvarez and Lara on his resume. In his most recent attempt at winning the title, Trout gave Jermall Charlo perhaps the toughest test of his career after looking impressive in four straight victories leading up to the challenge.

‘What a blessing it is to have this opportunity at a world title shot,” said Trout. “I want to thank everyone who has been in my corner to help get me career defining fights. It’s refreshing to see young champions showing heart and testing their skill with the best in the game. With that said, salute to Hurd for allowing this fight to go through.”
Nonito Donaire Returns to the Ring on September 23rd to Face Ruben Hernandez
Exciting former world champion Nonito Donaire (37-4-0, 24 KOs) will return to the ring to take on Ruben Garcia Hernandez (22-2-1, 9 KOs) for the WBC Silver Featherweight Title in a bout that takes place alongside the World Boxing Super Series Quarterfinals on Saturday, September 23 from the Alamodome live in San Antonio and presented by Ringstar Sports.

Additional action will feature a 10-round showdown between once-beaten cruiserweights Keith Tapia (17-1, 11 KOs) and Lateef Kayode (21-1, 16 KOs) that will serve as the reserve match for the World Boxing Super Series Quarterfinal matchup of Cuban WBA World Champion Yunier ‘The KO Doctor’ Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs) versus Russian Dmitry ‘Russian Hammer’ Kudryashov (21-1, 21 KOs).

Donaire returns to the ring after a controversial loss last November to Jessie Magdaleno. Donaire recently teamed up with Ringstar Sports where he plans to reclaim his supremacy in the featherweight division. Garcia Hernandez is a tested Mexican fighter looking to make a name for himself in the U.S. at the Alamodome.

“I’m ready to return to the ring and show that I still have what it takes to be a world champion and face the best in this sport,” said Donaire. “I’m thankful to Ringstar Sports for helping me in this next chapter of my career and I know with them in my corner, I’ll be back to where I belong soon. I’m excited to give the great fight fans in San Antonio a great show, just like when I fought Wilfredo Vazquez at the Alamodome in 2012. After this fight, I’m coming for all of the featherweight champions and to prove I’m the best in the division.”

“I am grateful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to get in the ring,” said Garcia Hernandez. “I know that I am facing a great fighter and that has motivated me to train harder than ever before for this matchup. I’m planning on giving it my all and giving the fans a great fight. I hope Donaire comes to fight because I am coming to knock him ou on September 23rd.”

Tickets for the live event are priced at $250, $125, $100, $50, and $30, and are on sale now. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com HERE.

“The return of Nonito Donaire to the ring is a treat for boxing fans in San Antonio as he looks to return to his place as one of the top fighters in the sport,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports. “He will be in an all-action matchup against a tough Mexican fighter in Ruben Garcia Hernandez and I expect them to give the fans an exciting night. The entire card will be jam packed with rising prospects and contenders, plus a great cruiserweight showdown between Keith Tapia and Lateef Kayode that will be the reserve match for the World Boxing Super Series Quarterfinal that night.”

The Filipino fighter known as the “Filipino Flash” Donaire grew up in Northern California and now fights out of Las Vegas. His last fight was November 2016 when he battled Magdeleno for a junior featherweight world title in a bout that he lost by controversial decision. Hoping for a rematch that was never made, he partnered with Ringstar Sports looking to return to the top of the featherweight division. Prior to that, Donaire won belts in four different weight classes and was recognized as the 2012 Fighter of the Year by the BWAA, ESPN and Ring Magazine.

Fighting out of Mexico City, Mexico, Hernandez made his pro debut in 2010. Since that time he has battled his way through Mexico while fighting in the U.S. four times. Hernandez enters this bout on a seven fight winning streak and plans to make a name for himself in the United States on September 23rd when he takes on Donaire.

The 27-year-old Tapia returns to the ring after dropping a decision to unbeaten Andrew Tabiti that snapped a 17-fight win streak to begin his professional career. Originally from Puerto Rico but fighting out of the Bronx, Tapia has picked up victories over durable veterans Garrett Wilson and Anthony Caputo Smith and will look to cement his status as a cruiserweight contender on September 23rd.

A former title challenger at cruiserweight, Kayode last battled Denis Lebedev for his cruiserweight crown in a November 2015 bout in Russia. Fighting out of Hollywood, Calif., by way of Nigeria, Kayode has shared the ring with the likes of Antonio Tarver and Luis Ortiz while taking down Felix Cora Jr, Matt Godfrey and Nick Kisner on his way to an unbeaten mark after his first 21 pro fights.

Hennessy Sports and YouTube Partner to Announce Groundbreaking Partnership to Show Parker vs. Fury Exclusively Live

Hennessy Sports is delighted to announce a groundbreaking partnership with YouTube that will offer a new way of watching Boxing.

The blockbuster WBO World Heavyweight Championship title fight between Joseph Parker and Hughie Fury on Saturday 23rd September at the Manchester Arena will be shown exclusively live in the UK and Ireland on YouTube (www.youtube.com/parkerfury) on a pay-per-view basis with further countries to be announced shortly.

A portion of the undercard will also be streamed for free before the big fight, this is also available live on www.youtube.com/parkerfury. Watch this event anywhere online or on your smart TV, game console, PC, Mac, mobile, tablet and more for a special advance purchase offer price of only £9.99 in the UK and €11.99 in the Republic of Ireland until midnight on Sunday 17th September.*

www.youtube.com/parkerfury is the home of Hennessy Sports YouTube Channel which is called The Boxing Channel presented by Hennessy Sports.

This represents fantastic value for money to watch one of Britain and Ireland’s most exciting young talents challenging for the prestigious World Heavyweight title at half the price of regular Pay-Per-View events and viewers can watch live at a fan-friendly UK and Ireland prime-time.

With 1.5 billion viewers globally, Hennessy Sports believes that partnering with YouTube (which is the world’s biggest provider of online video content) could prove to be a pivotal change in the sport’s landscape.

Through the years boxing has been delivered to fans via the traditional route of TV and after receiving numerous offers from TV broadcasters for the event, promoter Mick Hennessy, CEO of Hennessy Sports, has made the bold and visionary move to partner with YouTube.

Hennessy believes this will take Parker v Fury to a global audience; bring in younger viewers and attract a new generation of fans to the sport with the wide range of devices that the fight can be viewed on.

Claudio Marrero To Put WBA Interim Featherweight Title On Line Against Jesus Rojas on September 15th

On Friday, Sept. 15, one day before the highly anticipated battle for middleweight supremacy between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, WBA Interim Featherweight Champion Claudio Marrero (22-1, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his title against Jesus Rojas (25-1-2, 18 KOs) in the 12-round main event of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas. The ESPN3 livestream of the undercard bouts begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, followed by the main event at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN Deportes and streaming live on ESPN3 and on ESPN2 at 1:15 a.m. ET/10:15 p.m. PT.

Marrero, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, captured the Interim WBA Featherweight Title with a devastating first-round knockout of Carlos Zambrano in April 2017. Though suffering his only defeat against Jesus Cuellar in 2013, Marrero has scored six victories since then, five of them by knockout.

Rojas will return after an impressive eighth-round technical knockout victory against the previously undefeated Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez. The native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, has taken on the likes of former world champion Jorge “El Travieso” Arce and Jorge “El Pilón” Lara of Mexico (who will take on Joseph “JoJo” Diaz in the co-main event of Canelo-Golovkin). Rojas will look to take yet another step towards the top of the 126-pound division with a victory over Marrero.

In the co-main event, Boston’s Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (18-0, 12 KOs) will make the second defense of his IBF North American title against Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu (19-3-1, 18 KOs). Ellis earned his crown with an impressive first-round knockout victory over Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez in December 2016. In his first defense, Ellis fought in a toe-to-toe battle against John Karl Sosa en route to a majority decision victory in April 2017. Ellis faces a tough challenge in Abreu, a veteran of the Dominican Republic with tough fights against Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano and Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto on his resume.

Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (10-0, 9 KOs) will open up the ESPN Deportes transmission in an eight-round fight for the Junior NABF Super Featherweight title against Miguel Carrizoza (10-2, 2 KOs) of Nogales, Mexico. Garcia, a young prospect of Victorville, Calif., is coming off a spectacular first-round knockout of Mario Antonio Macia and will look to earn his seventh knockout victory in a row on Sept. 15.

Horacio “Violento” Garcia (32-3-1, 22 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico will take on fellow countryman Diuhl Olguin (11-7-2, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight rematch. In their first encounter, Garcia lost via an upset unanimous decision in July of this year. In the night’s swing bout, Alexis “Laberinto” Salazar (11-3, 3 KOs) of Tlaquepagque, Mexico will take on Evan Torres (6-4, 5 KOs) of El Paso, Texas in a scheduled six-round middleweight fight. The bout will be a rematch of their May 2017 fight, which Salazar won via close split decision.

Opponents for former IBF champion Jose “El Tecuala” Argumendo (20-3-1, 11 KOs), who will participate in an eight-round minimumweight bout, and Philadelphia’s Damon “No Smilin'” Allen, Jr. (12-0-1, 5 KOs), who will return in an eight-round lightweight fight, will be announced shortly.

Marrero vs. Rojas is a 10-round featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with TGB Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD; Hennessy, Never Stop, Never Settle; and Interjet. The event will beheld at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas on Friday, Sept. 15. Doors open at 3:00 p.m. PT, and the first fight begins at 3:30 p.m. PT. The ESPN3 livestream of the undercard bouts begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. on ESPN Deportes and streaming live on ESPN3 and on ESPN2 at 1:15 a.m. ET / 10:15 p.m. PT.

FIGHTNIGHT Live Sets New Record with 200,000 Plus Facebook Views for Saturday Show

Before fight fans turned their attention to the desert with knockout PPV numbers last Saturday, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Facebook series landed a massive haymaker of its own. Linacre Media and CES Boxing partnered on a pre Mayweather-McGregor card that ran from 6-9:30 p.m. ET live from Foxwoods in Connecticut, with the tech-forward, fan-friendly Facebook broadcast platform drawing an audience of 201,935 fight fans, and counting.

“Fight fans were primed and ready for Saturday night’s mega-event from Las Vegas, and we were pleased to be able to entertain so many with great fights from Foxwoods for the hours leading up to Showtime PPV,” said Mark Fratto, Principal and Director of Business Development, Linacre Media. “Of course we had some fans thinking they’d get to see Mayweather-McGregor, but we were quick to point them in the proper direction for that content. The hundreds of thousands that stayed on our platform saw some great action, including a wild ending in the CES main event. As a matter of fact, we saw 50,000 more fight fans log-in on Sunday to review the closing moments, and as always with our interactive Facebook shows, offer their own opinions and interpretations. We’re pleased to be able to announce that seven or more shows are being added to the calendar from September through November, including one leading into GGG – Canelo.”

Over the first four months of programming, the numbers on the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series have showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of more than 85,000 fight fans tuning in per event. The August “Super Saturday” from Foxwoods (202,000), the July Roy Jones Jr. “Desert Showdown” from Phoenix (63,000), the May “Slugfest at the Sun” from Mohegan Sun (46,000) and the June “Rosemont Rumble” from Chicago (32,000) saw a total of more than 8,000 total hours of Facebook video consumed by 342,000-plus users across all devices.

In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen more than 33,000 collective live post engagements, including more than 3,000 “likes” or “loves,” more than 10,000 comments and 3,000-plus shares.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE broadcasts are viewed by 76 percent men, 24 percent women. The top demographic is comprised of males aged 25-34, which encompasses approximately 30 percent of the audience, on average.

The Aug. 26 Foxwoods “Super Saturday” show stands out individually with 201,935 views across 3,336 live hours of content, with 8,224 viewer interactions including 1,133 “likes” or “loves,” 1,570 comments and 1,392 shares.

“For more than 25 years, CES has delivered boxing excitement to fans all over the world. The tradition continued Saturday night at Foxwoods when we teamed with FIGHTNIGHT LIVE by using cutting edge technology allowing fight fans to view the fights live on Facebook. This historic, record-setting event was the result of a great production team and action-packed, competitive fights,” said CES President Jimmy Burchfield, Sr.

Facebook FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has been delivered to fans absolutely free since its May 2017 launch courtesy of corporate partners like Barbour One 9, Talent Management and Entertainment Production (www.barbourone9.com) and Northeastern

Posted on 07/21/2017

Gritty Brooklyn Fighter Frank Galarza seeks to reset Career by Signing with Main Events

by: Eric Lunger

Frank “Notorious” Galarza signed with Main Events promotions, it was announced yesterday. The Brooklyn native, 31, was on track as a super welterweight contender, posting an undefeated record (17-0-2, 11 KOs) until he ran into Jarrett “Swift” Hurd in November of 2015. Galarza was stopped in the sixth round by a brutal Hurd uppercut, a punch that has become something of a trademark for the Accokeek, Maryland fighter.

[Photo courtesy of Frank Galarza and Main Events]

In September of last year, Galarza’s career went sideways again as he dropped a ten round majority decision to crafty veteran Ishe Smith. Trying to start fast, Galarza walked into a trap in the second round and was unable to close the deficit, at least on two judges’ cards.

Now the “Brooklyn Rocky,” as Galarza is known, is seeking to reset his career by signing with Kathy Duva’s Main Events. “I am just one of those fighters who will never turn down anyone,” Galarza said via press release.“I will fight anyone. I wanted to work with Main Events because I have seen what they have done in the past. I like the way they move their fighters.”

The thirty-one year old boxer knows it is time to make the leap from contender to champion. Away from the ring, Galarza is a new father, as well as a man who believes in giving back to his community. In 2014 he founded Youth Fighting Forward, helping young people reach their goals through boxing, education, and job training. A serious person as well as serious contender, Galarza hopes to make his mark in an already loaded division, against the likes of Erislandy Lara, the Charlo Brothers, Jarrett Hurd, and Demetrius Andrade.

For more information on Youth Fighting Forward, visit frankgalarza.com/youthfightingforward.

Posted on 06/09/2017

Jarrett “Swift” Hurd’s First Title Defense is a Serious Challenge
By Eric Lunger

There is a perception in boxing today that too many fighters, when they finally reach that goal of grabbing their first belt, spend too much time resting on their laurels, maybe trying to maximize their earning power by dusting a few weak challengers. And who can blame them, really? Success in boxing requires years of sacrifice and rigorous training, so once a fighter reaches the top, there is no hurry to risk that coveted position.

So big respect to Jarrett “Swift” Hurd (20-0, 14 KOs), who has set his first title defense against Austin Trout (30-3, 17 KOs). Hurd, who proudly hails from Accokeek, Maryland, won the IBF super welterweight belt last February in a tactical and very professional stoppage of well-regarded veteran Tony Harrison (24-2, 20 KOs). Although it was Hurd’s first title fight, he approached the bout methodically and patiently, doing some serious bodywork with his left hook and waiting for an opening. Hurd was also surprisingly versatile in this bout, working behind the jab from range but also comfortable and effective on the inside. Hurd is classically trained, so to speak, and takes pride in being able to display all aspects of the craft.

Austin Trout, from Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a serious threat. He has a long professional resume — he fought Miguel Cotto, Erislandy Lara, and Canelo Alvarez back to back — and he brings a tricky, southpaw style into the ring. Trout has a full professional tool kit and enough experience to make adjustments during the fight. His last bout, against rising star Jermall Charlo, was a close unanimous decision loss (116-112, 115-113, 116-112). While making no excuses, Trout was bitterly disappointed with his loss to Charlo, and the Hurd fight might be his last chance to regain a top spot in the division.

As I see it, Hurd still has some defensive issues that Trout may be able to exploit, while Trout is vulnerable to a short right counter when he fights on his front foot. This bout may hinge on ring IQ and ring adjustment — which fighter will be able to solve his opponent first?

This will be an exciting card, also featuringMikey Garcia vs. Adrian Broner. Garcia, a multiple division champ, is moving up to 140 lbs. Having put his legal issues behind him, Garcia destroyed an overmatched Dejan Zlaticanin in a scary knockout in January, and he is looking to make up lost time. Technically proficient, Garcia sits down on his punches, generates real power, and has a mean streak when he steps between the ropes. No disrespect to Broner, who is a warrior in the ring whatever problems he may have away from boxing, but I think Garcia will clean out most of the division, setting up a potential super-fight showdown with Terence Crawford.

Showtime is broadcasting the fight on July 29th and it looks like the card will land at Barkley’s Center in Brooklyn, a fantastic venue for boxing.

Posted on 02/25/2017

PBC on Fox Results: Breazeale, Hurd, and Deontay Wilder Win by Stoppage
By: William Holmes

Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series was televised live from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

Two world title fights were televised tonight as Deontay Wilder defended his WBC World Heavyweight Title against challenger Gerald Washington, and Tony Harrison faced Jarrett Hurd for the vacant IBF Junior Middleweight Title.

This was the third straight fight that Wilder fought in Birmingham, Alabama.

The opening bout of the night was between Izuagbe Ugonoh (17-0) and Dominic Breazeale (17-1) in the heavyweight division.

Ugonoh was giving up several inches in height to Breazeale, but looked like he was in incredible shape.

Ugonoh circled Breazeale in the opening round and attacked the body with an occasional combination to the head. Breazeale seemed bothered by the speed of Ugonoh early on.

Ugonoh continued with the good body work in the third round and Breazeale was missing wildly with his punches. Breazeale had difficulty catching up to Ugonoh, and when he did he was hit with a low blow. Ugonoh ended the second round with a good two punch combination.

The third round was action packed and Breazeale turned the tide of the fight in his favor with a right hand that sent Ugonoh to the mat. Ugonoh was able to get back to his feet and survive an onslaught from Breazeale; before answering back with hard thudding right hands that had Breazeale wobbly on his feet. Both boxers were throwing and landing heavy blows as the third round came to an end.

Breazeale pressed the pace in the fourth round and was walking Ugonoh down early on. Ugonoh was able to hurt Breazeale with a right hand to the temple that sent Breazeale falling forward in a failed attempt to hold onto Ugonoh. Breazeale was wobbly when he got back to his feet but was able to survive the round.

Breazeale was recovered by the beginning of the third round and landed two heavy straight right hands to the temple of Ugonoh that forced him to take a knee. Ugonoh looked badly shaken when he got to his feet and was met with several more hard right hands to the temple that sent him crashing outside the ring.

The referee had seen enough and jumped in to stop the fight at 0:50 of the fifth round.

Breazeale showed incredible heart in a highly entertaining fight to get the TKO victory.

The next bout was between Tony Harrison (24-1) and Jarrett Hurd (19-0) for the IBF Junior Middleweight Title.

The opening round was a feeling out round with both boxers throwing their jab in an attempt to find their range. Harrison did look like he had the quicker hands and wider variety of punches.

Hurd was chasing Harrison in the second round and was eating a steady stream of jabs. Hurd kept up the pressure in the third round but Harrison landed several good counters and check left hooks.

Harrison continued to display the quicker hands in the fourth round while Hurd appeared to do little but walk into the jabs of Harrison. Hurd was able to land a good right uppercut in the fifth round but was still out landed by his opponent.

Harrison picked up the pace again in the sixth round and at one point hard Hurd hurt and backed into a corner; but Hurd turned the tide of the fight back in his favor in the seventh round when he had Harrison badly hurt with good body shots and chopping right hooks.

Hurd kept up the pressure in the eighth round and appeared to be physically hurting Harrison with every punch that he landed. Hurd finally scored a thudding knockdown in the ninth round when he connected with a clean straight right hand that sent him crashing backwards to the mat.

Harrison got back up at the count of nine, but spit out his mouthpiece as the referee was talking with him. The referee immediately waived off the fight, despite the protest of Tony Harrison.

Jarrett Hurd wins by TKO at 2:24 of the ninth round.

The main event was between Deontay Wilder (37-0) and Gerald Washington (18-01) for the WBC Heavyweight Title.

Washington established his jab in the opening round and was causing Wilder some problems early on. Wilder was not used to facing boxers as tall as Washington and he had difficulty finding his openings in the second round and at times was moving backwards.

Washington landed some heavy body shots in the third round and was able to avoid the power shots of Wilder and had a good round. Washington was able to land some combinations in the fourth round and it looked like he had Wilder confused.

Wilder opened up the fifth round with a long reaching jab and a looping left hook, before he cracked a straight right hand to the head of Washington that sent him falling backwards on his butt onto the mat.

Washington was able to get up at the count of eight, but Wilder unloaded several hard shots to the head of a cowering Washington before the referee waived the fight off.

Deontay Wilder retains his WBC Heavyweight Title with a TKO victory at 1:45 of the fifth round.

After the fight, Deontay Wilder acknowledged the presence of WBO Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker and stated he’s ready to fight him next and unify the titles.

Posted on 02/24/2017

PBC on Fox Preview: Tony Harrison vs. Jarrett Hurd, Deontay Wilder vs. Gerald Washington
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder will return to his home state at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama to defend his title against top rated and unbeaten heavyweight contender Gerald Washington live on the Fox network.

The co-main event of the night will be between Jarrett Hurd and Tony Harrison for the IBF Junior Middleweight Title. Fox Sports 1 will also feature some of the undercard bouts, which include a heavyweight fight between Dominic Breazeale and Izuagbe Ugonoh as well as rising prospect Caleb Plant.

The following is a preview of the two title fights set to be televised on Saturday night.

Tony Harrison (24-1) vs. Jarrett Hurd (19-0); IBF Junior Middleweight Title

The first world title fight to be televised will be a very competitive one and is a tough bout to pick.

Harrison and Hurd have very similar physical characteristics. Surprisingly, both boxers are 6’1” tall and both fighters have a reach of 76 ½”. Both boxers are also the same age and are in the midst of their athletic prime at twenty six years old.

Harrison, a Detroit, Michigan native, has a slight edge in amateur experience and success and comes from a boxing family. Both his Father Ali Salaam and Grandfather Henry Hank competed professionally with moderate to good success as a boxer. Harrison was also previously trained by the late, great, Emmanuel Steward.

Both boxers have also been very active in the past two years. Harrison fought two times in 2016 and four times in 2015. Hurd fought three times in 2015 and twice in 2016.

Hurd has never tasted defeat. He has defeated the likes of Ionut Dan Ion, Oscar Molina, Frank Galarza, and Jeff Lentz. He has won his past five fights by knockout.

Harrison has defeated the likes of Siarhei Rabchanka, Fernando Guerrero, Antwone Smith, Tyrone Brunson, Bronco McKart, and Grady Brewer. His lone loss was to Willie Nelson.

This is a tough bout to pick, but when Harrison fought someone at the level of Jarret Hurd he came up short. Hurd’s power is at least equal to that of Willie Nelson, and Harrison’s confidence may not be where it’s needed to defeat someone like Jarrett Hurd since his knockout loss.

This writer has to give Jarrett Hurd a slight edge over Tony Harrison.

Deontay Wilder (37-0) vs. Gerald Washington (18-0-1); WBC Heavyweight Title

Deontay Wilder was originally scheduled to fight Andrzej Wawrzyk, and received heavy criticism for his choice of opponents, but that bout was cancelled due to Wawrzyk failing a pre-fight drug test.

Gerald Washington was chosen as a replacement opponent despite the fact other well known heavyweights such as Louis Ortiz offered to fight Wilder as a replacement.

Wilder is three years younger than his opponent and will have a one inch height advantage and a one inch reach advantage. Wilder also has a much deeper amateur background. Wilder won the bronze medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics for the United States. Washington has no amateur accomplishments to speak of. However, Washington does have an athletic background as he played tight end and defense end for the University of Southern California and played on the practice squad for the Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills.

Washington started boxing late and made his pro debut at the age of thirty. He has stopped twelve of his opponents. Wilder has stopped thirty six of his opponents and the only man to last all twelve rounds with him was former world title holder Bermane Stiverne. Wilder has stopped four of his past five opponents while Washington has only stopped two of his past five opponents.

Both boxers have been fairly active recently. Washington fought twice in 2016 and in 2015. Wilder fought three times in 2015 and twice in 2016.

Wilder clearly has the better professional resume. He has beaten the likes of Chris Arreola, Artur Szpilka, Johan Suhaupas, Eric Molina, Bermane Stiverne, Malik Scott, and Siarhei Liakhovich. Washington has defeated the likes of Ray Austin and Eddie Chambers and had a controversial draw with Amir Mansour.

Washington is a tremendous athlete, but he is not on the level of World Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder. Wilder is fighting in front of his hometown fans and will likely put on another exciting stoppage victory for them to enjoy.

Posted on 02/16/2017

Getting Ready for Hurd vs. Harrison: An Interview with “Swift” Jarrett Hurd.
By Eric Lunger

Next Saturday night at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, “Swift” Jarrett Hurd (19-0, 13 KO’s) will face Tony Harrison (24-1, 20KO’s) in aSuper Welterweight IBF title eliminator bout. Scheduled as the co-main event on the Wilder vs. Washington PBC card on FOX, this is Hurd’s biggest test and his biggest opportunity. Hailing from Accokeek, Maryland, Hurd began boxing at age 15, turned pro at 19, and has his sights set on a world title this year. An exciting and dynamic fighter, Jarrett Hurd is also a serious student of the sport.

Yesterday, in an exclusive interview with boxinginsider.com, Jarrett and his long time trainer, Ernesto Rodriguez, looked back on Jarrett’s last three fights and looked forward to the Tony Harrison show down. Here’s what Jarrett and Ernesto had to say:

Boxinginsider.com: The Frank Galarza fight in November of 2015 was your first ten rounder – you caught Galarza with two really huge uppercuts. Did you all expect him to be vulnerable to that punch or was that a mid-fight adjustment?

Jarrett Hurd: Well, it’s really the way we threw the upper cut. Galarza was used to the basic jab and, right after, the right hand, and after that, the hook. We tried to switch it up, after the jab, or we may lead with the right hand, and bring the uppercut underneath. So, it was the way we switched up the combination. He maybe shoots his left hand up to block the first right, but I come up underneath with the uppercut, and it catches him off guard every time.

Boxing Insider: Your next big fight was Oscar Molina on the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter undercard in June of 2016. Would you characterize that as your breakout fight? How do you see that in your progression?

JH: I would say that Frank Galarza was my breakout fight, but the Oscar Molina fight was the icing on the cake, letting the people know I was the real deal. The Molina fight was [important for] not only the performance I put on, but it was on one of the biggest cards of 2016, Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter – I was on the big stage, under the big lights, opening up for those guys. And the performance I put on let everyone know I was ready for the big time.

Boxing Insider: Did you take any lessons away from the Molina fight, going ten rounds with a former Olympian and a guy who was 13-0 at the time?

JH: Yes, most definitely. We knew the first couple of rounds were going to be competitive because Molina was an Olympian. Going in into the fight, I wanted to work off the jab – that’s what my trainer taught me – we wanted to beat him from the outside. The fight would have been more technical that way. So, going into the fourth round, we wanted to make it a closer fight. Many guys think, because I am tall and rangy that I don’t have a good inside game, but now they know. I switched the game plan up into close quarters and showed him a whole different style.

From that fight I learned, basically, to adjust and switch a game plan between fights and during fights.

Boxing Insider: Did you think you were going to get a stoppage during the tenth round? What were your emotions like when the referee stopped the bout?

JH: You know, he survived the whole fight, so going into the tenth I didn’t really think I was going to stop him. I knew it was the last round and I wanted to pick it up. In the process of picking up [the pace] I got the stoppage. Not only did I fight a great fight throughout the ten rounds, I actually closed the show, so that was a plus for me.

Boxing Insider: I was in Philly for the Jo Jo Dan fight this past November; how would you evaluate your performance in that bout?

JH: Out of my three ten-round fights, I felt that Jo Jo Dan was not my best performance. It wasn’t because I didn’t have a big uppercut or a highlight knockdown, or anything like that, it was I think that I allowed myself to perform at his level. You know, because he didn’t have power and because I wasn’t afraid of his power, I kind of got lazy on my defense.

Boxing Insider: Were you prepared for the amount of in-fighting that he did? He wasn’t head-butting, but he did lead with his head and tried to push you around.

JH: Yeah, he was trying to use some veteran tactics. As I said, it was more that his power didn’t do much. I was not watching out for little things. I went to my corner, and they said: hey, you’re not moving your head. He didn’t have much power, but you don’t want to get hit with unnecessary punches. So that’s when I started boxing a little more.

Boxing Insider: That brings us to Tony Harrison, February 25th, the co-main event on FOX and Sky in England, so this is a big arena. But you’ve fought at Barclays in Brooklyn, Hard Rock in Vegas, the Prudential Center in Newark — what’s it like going on this kind of big stage, or are you just focused on your job?

JH: I’m just focused on the job, you know. Maybe the first two fights, Galarza and Molina, it was kind of exciting to get under the lights. But now it’s second nature. When it’s time to go out there and fight, I don’t let it affect me. I get nervous and butterflies, just because I want to go out and perform, not because of the crowd I’m in front of.

Boxing Insider: This next question is for Ernesto. How much do you game plan for a specific opponent, or do you say “here are Jarrett’s strengths, and he has to beat us?” Where is the balance there?

Ernesto Rodriguez: Well, the way I look at it, styles make fights. The style of a fighter will determine the adjustment for us, how easy or how difficult a fight will be and what adjustments we need to make. Like it was for Galarza, I saw a lot of mistakes that he made, like leaning in after throwing his right hand. We worked on that uppercut in the gym, specifically for that counterpunch. We knew that Molina was an Olympian, that he was aggressive and would come in, and that same uppercut he threw in the first round — we worked on that in the gym, you know, and it set the tone. For Jo Jo Dan, a southpaw, we worked on counterpunches. And now, for Tony Harrison, he’s a fighter that fights on his front foot, puts a lot of weight on his punches coming forward. In my opinion, he is tailor-made for counter punches from Jarrett, [we’ll] let him run into punches. A lot of people expect this to be a very difficult fight, but in my opinion, in won’t be.

Boxing Insider: It suits Jarrett’s style, in your view?

ER: Right. He is tailor-made for Jarrett to maneuver and be patient, and to set the tone and stop him.

Boxing Insider: Jarrett, as you said, you’re a big guy, 6’ 1’’ and rangy, what’s the process of making weight like for you?

Jarrett Hurd: Weight is never a problem. As a matter of fact, I’ve always come in under weight. I usually make the weight the day before the weigh-in, and we usually don’t work out the day of the weigh-in.

Boxing Insider: What is it like in that last hour before a bout, when you are back stage with your team? Are you guys getting focused, are you talking, are you loose? What is going through your mind and what’s happening back there?

JH: We are warming up and they [my team] are always in my ear, motivating me. They are telling me, you’ve put in all this work. The phrase we always use is: don’t leave no stones unturned. We feel like we’ve put in all the work we were supposed to in the camp, we did all the things that were necessary, so going out there, we have no doubts, no second guessing. We’ve done everything right. So they [my team] are just motivating me, but also making sure I’m relaxed and ready to go out there and fight.

Ernesto Rodriguez: We always pray before we go out.

Jarrett Hurd: Most definitely, we always say a prayer.

Boxing Insider: Obviously you don’t look past anyone in this business, but what are your goals for the year?

JH: Well, win the title! Every boxer’s dream and I know this year, its coming. When you turn professional, you know, you’ve seen your idols win world titles, and that’s something I want to do. To win world titles and to leave this sport with my health, those are the two things I want to do.

Posted on 11/15/2016

PBC Card in Philadelphia had its Ups and Downs
By Eric Lunger

I happened to attend the Danny Garcia vs. Samuel Vargas PBC event Saturday night in Philadelphia. The experience was a pleasure all around, except, unfortunately, for the main event. I’ll get to that in a moment, but first I’ll offer a few observations about watching live boxing in Philadelphia. First off, the Liacouras Center is a wonderful venue; parking, access, concessions, the arena staff – everything was top-notch. And the arena feels small and big at the same time: when seated close to the ring, the blazing lights make you feel like the ring dominates the whole building; but if you wander up to the upper decks, you can sit by yourself in the massive bank of seats looking down on the spectacle. I did so for Garcia’s ring walk, and watching his massive entourage snake its way to the ring between the crowd-control barriers was like watching an ill-intentioned dragon slither out of a burrow.

The crowd was an interesting mix of folks from almost all walks of life. I was surprised and pleased by the congenial and carnival-like atmosphere. Everyone was courteous, in a cheerful mood, and there was a sense of camaraderie in the building, like, “Hey, we’re all here for fight night!” Not the usual Philly sports crowd – I’ve been to a Flyers game where they booed the Zamboni driver. There were well-dressed folks; there were folks in jeans and sweatshirts. There were couples out for date night. It was also very much a home-town night, in so far as the promoters had a done a nice job matching local prospects against good, but not world class opponents. Omar Douglas, from Wilmington, DE, and Jarrett Hurd, from Maryland, were loudly supported by their traveling fans.

There are some interesting things about watching boxing live, as opposed to on TV. First thing I noticed was how tense the crowd was during the bouts. A boxing crowd goes from tense quiet to an explosion of sound in split-second. A good shot or big punch is immediately punctuated by a crowd reaction. But most of the time, the crowd is tensely observing the action, with occasional members yelling instructions to the fighters, which I doubt they hear. A corollary of the relative quiet is that the punches are audible. A “thudding” punch is not just a cliché – its real. Second thing I noticed was that I didn’t miss having TV commentators interpret the fight for me. I had to really focus on what was going on in the ring and I had to rely on my own interpretation of who won that round, or why so-and-so stopped using his jab, or where a certain fighter’s strength lay. It made for a much more immersive and active experience.

Watching boxing live also underscores how dangerous boxing really is, and why defensive boxing is such an art. The punches are fast, accurate, and hard. Javier Fortuna in the first round of the first televised undercard made one error, and Omar Douglas caught him with a brutal hook inside: Fortuna went down like he had been shot in the head. From then on, Fortuna fought from the outside, boxed, jabbed, moved, and never again got in range of that short hook. That bout developed, after the first round knock down, into a classic battle between a come-forward puncher (Douglas) and a dancing, southpaw boxer (Fortuna). Fortuna edged out Douglas on the cards and the crowd was not happy with the decision, though I think it was correct.

The second undercard was entertaining and compelling as well, but for other reasons. Jarrett Hurd is a talented and fundamentally trained boxer with a complete skill set. He is also a big super welterweight – keep you eye on him in the future. His opponent, a very tough and very professional Jo Jo Dan, took a lot of punishment, landed a number of his own shots, but didn’t have the power at this weight to do damage. Hurd was patient, methodical, and precise, landing increasing damaging blows through Dan’s defense. The referee called off the bout at the right time, as Dan took more damage without returning fire.

I wish I could say something positive about the main event, as I think the Garcia camp has taken enough abuse in the media, but Samuel Vargas (nothing against him personally) was a gross mismatch. The fact that he lasted seven rounds testifies to his toughness, if nothing else. Garcia blasted him at will. The partisan Garcia fans loved it, but it was lesser end to a better undercard. It was a shame because the Liacouras Center is a great venue to watch boxing, and the undercard deserved a better main event.

Posted on 11/13/2016

Danny “Swift” Garcia stops Samuel Vargas in Philly Saturday!
By: Ken Hissner

Premier Boxing Champions and Kings Promotions came to the beautiful Temple Universities Liacouras Center in North Philadelphia Saturday night over SPIKE TV.

WBC Welterweight champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, 33-0 (19), made a return to his city in Philadelphia with a non-title fight stopping game Colombian Samuel Vargas, 25-3-1 (13), now out of Canada in the seventh round. While Angel Garcia the father-trainer of Garcia will be in one corner and Philly’s Billy Briscoe will be in the corner of Vargas.

The arena was packed with Garcia fans at the Liacouras Center in North Philly. Keith Thurman the WBA champion got into the ring and they went face to face yelling what each is going to do in March when they meet to unify two titles.

In the Main Event WBC Welterweight Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, 33-0 (19), of Philly, stopped Colombian Samuel Vargas, 25-3-1 (13), of Canada in the seventh round having Vargas defensless.

In the first round Garcia landed an overhand right to the head of Vargas letting him know the power he has. In the second round an overhand right by Garcia dropped Vargas who did a backwards somersault. In the third round Garcia rocked Vargas on two occasions with overhand rights to the head. In the fourth round Garcia had his way but Vargas had one of his better rounds. In the fifth round Garcia went to the body of Vargas then the head. In the sixth round Garcia knew with Keith Thurman working with Spike TV he had to close the show. In the seventh round Garcia came out looking to end things as he had the head of Vargas bouncing back and forth before referee Gary Rosato stepped in to prevent anymore punishment to Vargas.

Jarrett “Swift” Hurd, 19-0 (13), Accokeek, MD, stopped Romanian southpaw Jo Jo Dan, 35-4 (18), Montreal, CAN, when his corner stopped it at 1:06 in the sixth round.

In the opening round Dan seemed to have an edge with little in return from Hurd who opened up having Dan out on his feet with speed a hand. In the second round Dan got back in the fight well staying inside with Hurd. In the third round a very low blow from Hurd dropped Dan. Referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. gave him a well deserved 5 minute rest. In the fourth round it was back and fourth with the shorter Dan. In the fifth round things continue to go back and forth. It seems until Hurd gets hit he doesn’t do much.

In the sixth round Hurd had Dan in serious trouble when Dan’s corner threw in the towel at 1:06 of the round.

Omar “Super O” Douglas, 17-1 (12), Wilmington, DE, lost in a foul filled bout to Dominican Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna, 31-1-1 (22), Braintree, MASS, over 10 rounds. Fans didn’t like it.

In a feeling out round it all of a sudden came alive with Fortuna rocking Douglas. It may have spurred him on because he came back and dropped Fortuna with a left hook to the head. In the second round it was close but Fortuna’s southpaw jab seemed to keep Douglas at bay. In the third round the hand speed of Fortuna is keeping Douglas from coming forward. In the fourth round with his hands low from the start Fortuna uses both his hand and foot speed to good use. When Douglas gets inside Fortuna ties him up. In the fifth round it was jab and grab on the part of Fortuna as he frustrates Douglas.

In the sixth round referee Clark warned Fortuna several times for infractions yet hasn’t taken a point from him. Douglas keeps chasing him to no avail. In the seventh round it continues to be more holding by Fortuna than punching but Douglas is having a hard time landing a solid punch. In the eighth round Douglas had a better round though Fortuna landed the best punch with a left to the chin. In the ninth round the referee Clark continues to allow Fortuna to jab and grab and refuses to take a point away. Fortuna has fought a smart fight but the fans showed their displeasure. In the tenth and final round it turned out to be the best exchange of the fight before Fortuna went back to his old tactics. Douglas keeps missing his left hook over the head of Fortuna.

Scores were Schreck 96-94, Lundy 96-93 and LaRosa 95-94. This writer had it 97-92.

Middleweight Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis, 11-1 (5), of Wilmington, DE, stopped Carlos Gabriel Ozan, 12-2 (4), of Mendoza, ARG, at 0:41 of the third round with an impressive showing.

In the first round Davis controlled the pace. He was landing good uppercuts inside to the body. A combination had Ozan holding on with Davis throwing him down. The referee Esteves ruled it a knockdown. In the second round Davis was slipping punches and landing very effective to both body and head of Ozan who was hurt on several occasions. He doesn’t seem to have enough power to hurt Davis. Davis started it off with a body shot to the midsection followed up with a left hook to the head and as Ozan was going down Davis landed another four punches putting Ozan to the canvas face first. He beat the count of referee Esteves but kept falling backwards into the ropes as referee Esteves wisely called a halt. “I have dedicated this fight to the rest of my career after my last showing. I spent seven months in camp that was good in every aspect“, said Davis.

Super lightweight Milton “El Santo” Santiago, 16-0 (3), of Philly, won a decision over Claudio Rosendo Tapia, 28-17-4 (13), of Mendoza, ARG, over 8 rounds.

In the first round Santiago was landing more punches using his left well to the body and head. Tapia holds his own inside. In the second round Tapia got more offensive backing Santiago up. It was a close round though Santiago seemed to pull it out. In the third round both boxers had their moments. At the end it looked like Tapia may have slipped unless a right by Santiago did it. In the fourth round it was more of the same with Santiago holding a solid lead through 4 rounds.

In the fifth round Santiago rocked Tapia with a combination to the head putting him into the ropes. In the sixth round Santiago rocked Tapia with two consecutive rights to the head. Near the end of the round Santiago went southpaw without landing anything. In the seventh round Santiago not being a puncher is landing with nice combinations. Tapia in the last part of the round was landing punch for punch with Santiago. In the eighth and final round Santiago is loading up landing rights to the head looking for one of his rare knockouts. The rest of the round ended with both giving it up.

All 3 judges and this writer had it 80-72. Clark was the referee.

Super featherweight Antonio Dubose, 8-2-1 (2), of Philly, lost a majority decision to Titus Williams, 7-0 (2), of Elmont, Long Island, NY, over 6 rounds. The fans were not happy with the decision.

Judges Portajk 57-57, Anthony Lundy 59-55 and LaRosa 58-56. This writer had it 57-57.

In the first round Williams showed a very fast jab as Dubose goes after him. On several inside exchanges Dubose came out on top but the quickness of Willams is obvious most effective. In the second round Dubose rocked William with a combination to the head. Near the end of the round Williams knocked Dubose back with a left hook but Dubose came right back landing a combination at the bell. In the third round Dubose was finding the mark rocking Williams with overhand rights to the head.

In the fourth round both fighters had their moments. As long as Dubose was going forward he was fine. When he hurt Williams he was being held. When Dubose set back he got out boxed by Williams. In the fifth round it was close but Dubose seemed to edge out the round. In the sixth and final round with the fight very close both need this round. Williams continues to use his speed while Dubose loads up for heavier punches. By the time the bell sounded Williams may have had the edge.

In a swing bout bantamweight Christian Carto, 5-0 (5), of Philly, stopped Leonardo Reyes, 4-11-1 (1), Tijuana, MEX, at 2:17 of the second round.

In the first round it was Carto pressing Reyes with a quick jab and a follow-up straight right to the head. In the second round a straight right from Carto to the head of Reyes floored him. Upon getting up Reyes was greeted with a barrage of punches from Carto before referee Esteves wisely called a halt.

Super featherweight Thomas “T.J.” Velasquez, 6-0 (4), of Philly, easily defeated Raul “El Ciclon De” Chirino, 8-4 (4), of Miami, FL, over 4 rounds.

In the first round it was all Velasquez going mostly to the head and some to the body of Chirino who spent the round on defense. In round two it was more of the same with less punches thrown by Velasquez with Chirino not doing much on the offense. In the third round Velasquez had Chirino hurt time and again. In the fourth and final round Velasquez is looking for the knockout

Lightweight Jeffrey Torres, 2-0 (1), of Philly easily defeated Joseph Serrano, 0-1 (0), of Philly, over 4 rounds.

Torres went right after Serrano landing many rights to the head of Serrano rocking him on several occasions. Just before the bell Torres dropped Serrano with a right to the head in Serrano’s corner. In the second round Torres continued chasing Serrano and almost hitting him at will. In the third round Serrano was able to land a couple of counters but Torres otherwise took the round. In the fourth and final round Serrano was having his best round countering but Torres would get the rights to the head in having Serrano out on his feet.

Scores were 40-36 twice and 40-34 with this writer having it 40-35. Referee was Clark. The question was did the first round knockdown get overruled? The press is so far back we are almost outside.

​

Posted on 10/25/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Hopkins, Mayweather, Smith, Hurd, Martinez, Lopez, Vasquez, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of October 18th to October 25th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

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

Bernard Hopkins and Joe Smith Jr. Press Conference Quotes

Former Two-Division World Champion and Future Hall of FamerBernard “The Executioner” Hopkins(55-7-2, 32 KOs) and Light Heavyweight Contender Joe Smith Jr. (22-1, 18 KOs) today hosted a Los Angeles press conference to discuss their 12-round battle set for December 17 at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and to be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Also, in attendance for this press conference was Los Angeles-based undefeated Vyacheslav “Lionheart Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (17-0, 14 KOs) as he takes on Cuban standout Sullivan Barrera (17-1, 12 KOs) for a 10-round bout for Shabranskyy’s WBC USNBC Light Heavyweight title on HBO Latino® Boxing on Friday, December 16 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Also rounding out the HBO Latino® Boxing card, was Former WBC Silver featherweight titlist Ronny Rios (26-1, 11 KOs) against Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (12-1-2, 6 KOs).

Below is what the fighters, their trainers, managers and promoter had to say at today’s press conference:
BERNARD HOPKINS, Former Two-Division World Champion and Future Hall of Famer:

“This is history, we have been here many times where history has been made. This is obviously different than everything I have ever done, because it is the Final 1. To be able to have the Final 1 in LA, where the city of stars are trying to be stars, however you cut it, it couldn’t have been better with the history placed in the DNA that the Forum has produced.

“It is fitting that the end of a twenty-nine year career, since 1988 is in a historic place at the Forum in Inglewood, CA. This is something that came as an opportunity to be here. I couldn’t tell you that it would be in this arena-it just happened, and here I am against an incredible opponent.

“I don’t want anyone to say Joe Smith Jr. gave me anything-give me an opportunity and give me a door and I’ll open it myself. I don’t’ have to convince anyone of anything. This is not emotional. What I am going to do is show you why I have been named three different names in boxing from “The Executioner” to “B-Hop” to “The Alien” they all exist in me.

“On December 17th you will see “The Executioner,” it will all come full circle. This press conference is just a warm up. Win, lose or draw, there is no excuse-Final 1.”

JOE SMITH JR., Light Heavyweight Contender:

“I’m so glad I was chosen to fight Bernard Hopkins in his final fight on December 17th at the Forum. I’m going to train very hard for this fight and take full advantage of it. I’m looking forward to putting on a great show for everyone.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Gets Role in Jamie Foxx Flick

TMZ Sports has reported that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has gotten a role in a new Jamie Foxx Movie. The movie is called “All-Star Weekend” and both Fox and Mayweather are already on set in Los Angeles.
Floyd Mayweather is playing himself, and the movie is supposed to be about two friends who form a rivalry over their favorite American basketball player.

Read more at http://www.tmz.com/2016/10/20/floyd-mayweather-and-jamie-foxx-movie-all-star-weekend/

Jonathan Oquendo Added to Lopez vs. Vasquez Card

Former world featherweight title challenger Jonathan Oquendo, undefeated junior welterweight prospect Yomar “The Magic” Alamo and 2012 Puerto Rico Olympian Jontay Ortiz have all been added to this Saturday night’s (Oct. 29) Juan Manuel “JuanMa” López and Wilfredo”Papito” Vázquez, Jr pay-per-view card in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Guerra En El Clemente: Vázquez Jr. v. López, presented by Black Tiger Promotions, will be distributed by Integrated Sports Media live, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, in the United States and Puerto Rico on both cable and satellite pay per view on iN Demand, DISH, DIRECTV and Vubiquity. The event will also be available to watch across Canada on Fight Network, as well as via Fite TV app for iOS and Android devices or watch on the www.Fite.TV website. Suggested retail price is $29.95.

The Vázquez, Jr. (24-6-1, 19 KOs) vs. López (34-5, 31 KOs) 12-round Special Attraction main event (contested at a 129-pound catch-weight) is presented in association with Matias Entertainment and sponsored by Best Alarms and Municipio de San Juan.

“We’re confident this will truly be a memorable night of boxing for fans in attendance,” said Carlos Maldonado, President of Black Tiger Promotions, “as well as for those watching on pay per view.”
Vázquez (24-6-1, 19 KOs) is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) FECABOX super bantamweight champion, while López (34-5, 31 KOs) is a past 3-time, 2-division world champion (WBO super featherweight & featherweight, Interim World Boxing Association featherweight

The 33-year-old Oquendo (26-5, 16 KOs) is coming off a 12-round decision loss to WBA world featherweight champion last December to Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar. Oquendo’s most notable victories during his 12 ½-year professional career include Jhonny Gonzalez (DEC10) Alexandro Montiel (TKO1).

Oquendo has lost, ironically, to both Vázquez TKO7) and López (TKO3). He hopes to parlay an impressive win in the 10-round co-feature against Mexican rival Gustavo “El Gustavo” Molina (23-13, 9 KOs) into a rematch with the Vázquez-López winner.

Rising star Alamo (11-0, 8 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) FECARBOX junior welterweight
champion, will be fighting in his first scheduled 10-round bout versus an opponent to be announced. Alamo’s last action was this past August, in which he stopped Edgardo Rivera to capture his regional title belt.

In the PPV opener, Ortiz (5-0, 3 KOs) faces fellow Puerto Rican Luis Hernandez in a 6-round match. Ortiz was bronze medalist in the 2011 Pan-American Games. He lost in the 2012 London Olympics to Russian David Ayrapetyan, 13-15, the eventual Olympic bronze medalist.

Sergio Martinez and Sampson Lewkowicz Sign to Co Promote Olympian Alberto Palmetta

Former world champion Sergio Martinez of Maravillabox Promotions and Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing proudly announcing they have reached a co-promotional deal with Argentinean 2016 Summer Olympian Alberto Palmetta.

26-year-old Palmetta, a junior middleweight, is one of the most heavily decorated amateurs in his country’s history. After starting boxing at age 14, Palmetta had 112 amateur fights and went on to win numerous national and international distinctions including the bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and participating in the most recent Olympics.

Born in Buenos Aires, Palmetta was also the captain of the Argentinean national team and was considered a top-10 prospect in the world at his weight. He has been recognized by his home country several times, including being designated and “Illustrious Sportsman by the municipality of San Isidro where he now lives and the 2015 Firpo Award as the best amateur boxer in Argentina.

Palmetta is schedule to make his professional debut on November 18, in Catamarca against an opponent to be confirmed.

“I feel my promoters will be looking to bring me to the United States to fight against the best in the world,” said Palmetta. “This is what I told them I want more than anything.”

Former champ Martinez says he’s happy the heavily sought-after Palmetta chose to go with him and Sampson Boxing.

“I am honored to be working with this talented boxer. The fact that he chose my company gives me tremendous pride and I will do everything I have to for him to become a champion.”
Lewkowicz, one of boxing’s great judges of talent dating back many years, says Palmetta will be an important part of his company’s plans in the coming years.

“This is a fighter with tremendous talent,” said Lewkowicz, who is credited with discovering a then-unknown Manny Pacquiao. “Alberto Palmetta is a name everyone in boxing will know in a few years, both in Argentina and around the world. The boxing fans in the United States are going to love the way he fights. I’m very exited to be part of this.”

Scorcese-Film Star to Compete on New Bedford Boxing Card

Boston Boxing Promotions announced Tuesday that undefeated heavyweight prospect JeanPierre Augustin (6-0-1, 2 KO’s) has been added to the fight card Saturday November 12th at New Bedford High School in New Bedford, Massachusetts against an opponent to be determined.

“I’m excited, but more eager to fight on this card November 12th”, said Augustin, “It’s been eight months since I’ve been in the ring and I want to end 2016 and start 2017 with more activity inside the ropes.”

Augustin, who now lives in nearby Providence after growing up in Lawrence, MA, will have a busy month of November. Not only will he be competing on November 12th, but the Martin Scorcese-produced film “Bleed For This” about the life of former five-time world champion Vinny Paz will come out on November 18th and Augustin is prominently featured in the movie playing the part of Gilbert Dele, the former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion, who was an adversary of Vinny Paz in one of his most famous fights in 1991.

“It was an opportunity that presented itself and I had to jump at the chance to be in a Hollywood movie,” said Augustin.

Although the movie hasn’t been released in theaters yet, Augustin’s reputation as an actor got around and he scored the role of former WBA heavyweight champion John Tate in the upcoming movie, “Heart, Baby”.
While he’s now experienced playing the role of two former world champions, he hopes to be a future world champion himself.

“I’m looking to fight guys with good records and up my knockout percentage from here on out”, Said Augustin, “November 12th is just the beginning and there is no looking back.”

Tickets for the November 12 All-Pro Boxing event at New Bedford High School are on sale now at www.BostonBoxingPromotions.com.

Get to Know Jarrett Hurd

In the last year, undefeated 154-pound contender “Swift” Jarrett Hurd has rocketed to the top of the stacked super welterweight division, putting himself squarely in the hunt for a world title. Saturday, November 12, Hurd continues his championship march as he takes on once-beaten Jorge Cota in Premier Boxing Champions on Spike action from Temple University’s Liacouras Center.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and is headlined by Philadelphia’s own undefeated world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, who takes on Colombia’s Samuel Vargas in a 10-round bout. Garcia is teaming up with Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, to arrange a regional food drive and raise money throughout the promotion.

Hurd enters this fight coming off of two impressive victories over previously unbeaten fighters. In November 2015 he dominated Frank Galarza and stalked him around the ring before ending his night in the sixth round. Hurd followed that up in June of this year, when he stopped Carlos Molina in the final round on CBS as the co-main event of the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter showdown. Hurd’s blinding right uppercut in the first round sent Molina to the canvas and the highlight earned him a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays.

Get to know more about the rising star as he talks about his introduction to the sport and some of his personal favorites:

(On his team): I have the best team in the world. Ernesto Rodriguez is my head trainer and we do our work in Temple Hills, Maryland. Ernesto is great because he trains me for the style that fits my skills best.

There is no ego in my team. We’re all working toward the same goal and everyone plays their role perfectly. With each fight we’re getting closer to reaching the ultimate goal – becoming a world champion.

(On his start in boxing): My father first put me in the ring to learn how to defend myself. I was 15-years-old and didn’t really know how to fight. I took to it quickly though and it was obviously one of the best things that ever happened to me.

(On his nickname): I got my nickname from the gym. I looked calm and collective in the gym and people noticed. They said I looked swift in there. Now it’s “Swift” and “Swift” on the same card and it’s going to be electric.

(On his boxing idols): I tried to emulate a lot of defensive fighters. Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather are my favorite fighters of all time. I liked James Toney because of his shoulder roll and the Philly shell style.

(Favorite sport/team): I watch football. I only the watch the Washington Redskins though. I’ve always been a huge fan.

(Favorite television show): Power on Starz

(Favorite movie): Deadpool

(Favorite junk food): Pizza

(Favorite health food): Kale

(Celebrity crush): Keri Hilson and Nia Long

(Perfect Vacation): Definitely a cruise to Puerto Rico. I’ve never been there but I want to experience it.

(On his homemade ” All Access ” videos): I just love to be out there and giving fans a chance to feel connected to me. My childhood friend, Christopher Walton, picked up a camera and just started recording me in the ring and outside of the ring one day. He started getting some better equipment so we decided to do these videos to help promote me. The fans are important to me and I want them to feel like they’re a part of my journey.

Warriors Boxing proudly announce the signing of undefeated Chicago-based super featherweight prospect
Josh Hernandez to a promotional contract.

A role model to the city’s youth, when not in training at Sam Colonna’s Gym on Chicago’s south side, the young Hernandez majors in Physical Education and Exercise Science as a junior at Chicago’s De Paul University while working as a personal trainer at Unanimous Boxing Gym.

“I’m excited. It’s a great opportunity for me,” said Hernandez. “All my pro fights so far have been with Warriors and I’m very comfortable working with Leon, Luis and Dominic and their team. That’s what matters most. Other than that, they can offer me some great opportunities. My first three fights were on big PBC cards, so that was exciting. Even my fourth fight was exciting at the UIC Pavilion.”

As an amateur, Hernandez (4-0, 4 KOs as a pro) had just over 50 fights and in 2014, won the Power Gloves and Chicago Golden Gloves, where he was named Best Male Boxer of the tournament.

He is managed and trained by his father, former middleweight contender and fan favorite “Macho” Miguel Hernandez. The 20-year-old has inherited his father’s exciting style, having KO’d all his opposition, thus far, in dramatic fashion.

“My father took me to the gym at five years old and I had my first fight when I was seven. We are very close. He’s my best friend. He is my manager and trainer since I started boxing. I’ve learned everything from him. When I was younger, he took me everywhere with him in his pro carer. When he sat down to talk business with Dominic, I was in the room. When he auditioned for ‘The Contender,’ I was there. At a young age, I was exposed to the business of boxing and what it takes to be a high-level fighter. I bring a lot of people out to watch me fight, but when I’m in the ring, all I hear is his voice. That’s how close we are. I can block everything out but him.”

Long-time Chicago boxing staple and top promoter Dominic Pesoli, now Vice President of Warriors, says he’s happy to be working with the second generation of Hernandez.

“Josh comes from a good, hard-working family,” said Pesoli. “Despite all his talent, he is an extremely humble young man focused on his goals. He has excellent power and great technical skills in the ring and he’s very smart. I couldn’t be happier to be part of this family affair in boxing. Looking forward to working with them.”

Warriors President, Leon Margules, says Hernandez has shown a great deal of promise so far.

“Luis DeCubas and I couldn’t ask for anything more from Josh so far,” he said. “He trains hard and stays dedicated. And in the ring, he’s been levelling his opponents. It’s always amazing to me to see such a nice young man turn so ferocious in the ring, but he does and the fans love it. Warriors is thrilled he is allowing us to handle his career.”

The elder Hernandez says he’s also optimistic for his son’s ring future.

“I fought for Dominic and we have a good relationship. He treated me fairly and he knows when it comes to my son that I’m going to be a little overprotective. He, Luis and Leon are good guys. Warriors is a good company that can take my son to the next level. I’m very happy about this deal.”

Posted on 06/25/2016

PBC on CBS Results: Thurman Scrapes by with Controversial Decision, Hurd S
By: William Holmes

Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series was broadcast on CBS live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Two fights were televised tonight and featured a WBA World Welterweight Championship between Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter as the main event of the night, and featured a co-main event between undefeated prospects Jarrett Hurd and Oscar Molina in the junior middleweight division.

Abner Mares was originally scheduled to fight in the co-main event of the evening, but had to pull out at the last minute due to an injury. The Hurd and Molina fight got bumped up to the co-main event as a result.

The undercard featured several highly touted prospects. Regis Prograis looked impressive in his fourth round stoppage of Luiz Florez and David Benavidez was dominant over Francy Ntetu, despite the fact fans disapproved of the stoppage.

Heather “The Heat” Hardy continued to grow her fan base with an exciting decision over Kirstie Simmons in the featherweight division.

The attendance for the fight was 12,718 and most of the seats were filled by the start of the first televised fight.

The first televised bout of the night was between Jarrett Hurd (17-0) and Oscar Molina (13-0-1) in the junior middleweight division.

Hurd’s size advantage was evident at the opening bell and he was able to use his size advantage to push Molina back with a steady jab in the opening round. He was able to stun Molina and knock him down with a good counter right uppercut, but Molina was able to beat the count, get back to his feet, and survive the round.

Hurd patiently picked Molina apart in the second and third rounds. Molina was able to land some decent shots on Hurd, but he lacked the power to hurt him.

Hurd picked up his activity in the fourth round and was able to deflect most of Molina’s shots. The fifth round featured some good exchanged and both boxers were able to land their shots, but Hurd was landing the harder shots. The action in a phone booth continued in the sixth round as both fighters seemed content with trading shots.

Both boxers dug in deep with their punches in the seventh round, but it was one of Molina’s best rounds of the night and his double left hook worked well for him, but Hurd was able to have a strong eighth round and re-establish control of the bout and had Molina hurt at the end of the round.

Molina needed a knockout by the final two rounds to win the fight, but Hurd dominated and had badly bruised the face of Molina. Hurd unleashed several combinations in the final round and had Molina hurt before the referee jumped in to save Molina from himself.

Jarrett Hurd impresses on national television and wins by TKO at 2:02 of the tenth round.

Afterward Hurd stated, “Molina is a great fighter. This is definitely a big win for my career. He was taking a lot of shots, but he knew how to survive.”

The main event of the night was for the WBA World Welterweight Championship and was between Keith Thurman (26-0) and Shawn Porter (26-1-1).

The crowd and energy was high for this bout and both boxers appeared to be jumpy in the opening round. Porter was reaching for his shots and at times overly aggressive in the first round, while Thurman was able to land some clean counter right crosses on Porter.

Porter had a strong second round and kept the fight in close and beat up Thurman by the ropes and was very effective with his body work. Both boxers threw bombs in the third round and neither established control in the first two minutes, but Thurman landed a bomb of a right hook near the end of the round that got the crowd on its feet.

Thurman had a very strong fourth round and had Porter on the defensive with his check left hook. They had a vicious exchange in the middle of the ring in the fourth, but Thurman was able to briefly buckle the knees of Porter during the exchange.

The fifth and sixth rounds were close and at times it looked like Porter was a bull and Thurman was the matador, but Porter was the aggressor in these rounds and was able to pound the body of Thurman whenever his back was against the ropes.

Porter had another strong round in the seventh round and was able to land hard right crosses and decent body shots. The eighth round was close and could have been scored either way, but Porter was able to land some thudding body shots while Porter was able to land hard check left hooks.

Porter had a very strong ninth round and was able to open up a cut near Thurman’s left eye and had him on wobbly legs by the ropes by the end of the round. The tenth round was action packed. Thurman was able to momentarily stumble the legs of Porter near the end of the round with a hard left hook, but Porter answered back with hard combinations of his own.

Thurman was able to land a huge left hook in the eleventh round that got the crowd on it’s feet, but he was fighting backwards most of the round and did not want to engage Porter in close range.

By the final round this bout could have been scored in either boxer’s favor, as for many rounds were close, but Porter appeared the land more punches in the last round while Thurman appeared to land the harder shots.

This fight screams for a rematch, but the judges scored it 115-113 on all three scorecards for Keith Thurman.

The crowd thought otherwise and booed, loudly, the judges decision.

Undercard Quick Results:

Heather Hardy (17-0) defeated Kirstie Simmons (8-2) by decision in the featherweight division with scores of 79-73, 78-74, and 78-74.

David Benavidez (15-0) defeated Francy Ntetu (16-1) by TKO in the light heavyweight division at 1:30 of the seventh round.

Jonathan Alonso (10-0) defeated Brian Jones (13-6) by decision in the junior welterweight division with scores of 60-54 on all three scorecards.

Regis Prograis (18-0) defeated Luis Florez (21-4) by TKO at 1:47 of the fourth round for the NABF Junior Welterweight TItle

Josue Vargas (5-0) defeated Ryan Picou (2-10-1) by decision in the junior welterweight division with scores of 40-36 on all three scorecards.

Nicklaus Flaz (3-0) wins by knockout at 1:13 of the first round over Mack Babb (1-7) in the junior middleweight division

Posted on 06/23/2016

PBC on CBS Preview: Thurman vs. Porter, Hurd vs. Molina
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions will put on one of their best cards on network television of the year as Keith Thurman defends his WBA Welterweight Title against Shawn Porter in the main event of the evening.

Abner Mares was originally scheduled to face Jesus Cuellar in the co-main event of the evening, but an injury to Abner Mares forced him to withdraw. Instead, fight fans will be get to see two prospects battle it out in the junior middleweight division when Jarret Hurd takes on Oscar Molina.

The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York has been a boxing hotspot since the Barclays Center inception and it will be the host site for Saturday’s fight card.

Jarrett Hurd (17-0) vs. Oscar Molina (13-0-1); Junior Middleweights

Jarrett “Swift” Hurd first burst into the national spotlight when he scored an upset stoppage victory over Frank Galarza, and win over Molina could lead to a big fight in the junior middleweight division.

His opponent, Oscar Molina, will be the third straight undefeated opponent he has faced in a row and is also known for his power. Hurd has stopped eleven of his opponents and four of his past five fights failed to go the distance. Molina has ten stoppage wins, and three of his past five fights failed to go the distance.

Hurd is twenty five years old and Molina is twenty six, but Hurd will have a four inch height advantage and a six and a half inch reach advantage. They both have been very active the past two years. Hurd fought three times in 2015 and four times in 2014 while Molina fought twice in 2014 and four times in 2015.

Hurd has the better professional record so far. He has beaten the likes of Jeff Lentz, Frank Galarza, and Eric Mitchell. He’s also never been knocked down during his professional career. Molina has not beaten many names of note, but has defeated the likes of Adrien Torres and drew with Domonique Dolton.

The only noteworthy advantage Molina has over Hurd is that he fought in the 2012 Olympics for Mexico. However, Hurd is in the middle of an impressive winning streak and his height, reach, and power will be too much for Molina to handle over the course of ten rounds.

Keith Thurman (26-0) vs. Shawn Porter (26-1-1); WBA Welterweight Title

The main event of the evening is the best fight the PBC can put on in the welterweight division.

Keith Thurman, the current WBA Welterweight Champion, is considered by many to be the best boxer in the welterweight division now that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have retired. However, Shawn Porter recently beat Adrien Broner, the man many people felt would replace Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Porter is twenty nine years old and two years older than Thurman. Thurman will have a slight half an inch height advantage on Porter and Porter will have a slight half an inch reach advantage on Thurman.
They both fought twice in 2015 and in 2014. Thurman has the heavier hands, as he has stopped twenty two of his opponents while Porter has only stopped sixteen. However, as the level of competition that Thurman faces continues to get better his knockouts seems to be happening less often. Two of the past three opponents that Thurman has faced went the distance.

Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter both experienced success as an amateur. Porter was a US National Golden Gloves Champion and Thurman was an Olympic Trials Runner Up.

They both have an impressive resume as a professional. Thurman has defeated the likes of Luiz Collazo, Robert Guerrero, Leonard Bundu, Jesus Soto Karass, Diego Chavez, and Jan Zaveck. Porter has defeated Adrien Broner, Paul Malignaggi, Devon Alexander, Phil Lo Greco, and Alfonso Gomez. Porter’s lone loss was to Kell Brook.

This should be an excellent fight and could go either way. Thurman has to be considered the favorite based on his undefeated record and power. Porter is a physical and in your face type of boxer, but he can get sloppy at times and Thurman is the type of boxer that will eat up your mistakes.