Tag Archives: jessie

Posted on 03/01/2020

By: Rich Lopez

A full house of 10,000 fans were on hand at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Matchroom Boxing presented a stacked card that streamed seven fights on DAZN. The main event and the two world title fights on the card were expected to be action packed fights on paper. It turned out to be just that. 

In the main event, Mikey Garcia (40-1, 30 KO’s) was successful this time around at his second fight as a welterweight. He won the vacant WBC Diamond Welterweight Title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas (29-3-2, 11 KO’s). The opening round was a good round for Vargas. He used the jab well throughout the round. He also landed good right hands and left hooks on Garcia. Round two was another good round for Vargas. He was landing good jabs and right hands. Garcia was moving forward but he was not letting his hands go. Things heated up in round three. Garcia came forward with hard jabs but Vargas landed hard jabs as well. Garcia was able to land a right hand to the head of Vargas but Vargas counter back with a left hook to the jaw of Garcia. There was good action from both fighters in round four. Vargas was still effective with the jab. In round five, Garcia finally picked up the pace and landed a right hand that hurt Vargas. Then Garcia landed a perfect right hand on the jaw of Vargas that dropped him. Vargas got up and Garcia went for the finish but Vargas survived the round. Garcia continued to stay busy in round six, while Vargas was still trying to recover. In round seven, Garcia had a good round backing up Vargas with his left jab and landing straight right hands. A hard right hand from Garcia hurt Vargas at the end of the round. The pace slowed down in round eight but it was still a good round for Garcia. Vargas looked more tired.

In round nine, Garcia slowed his pace as Vargas came forward. Garcia still out landedVargas in the round. Vargas showed toughness in round ten. He fought better and backed up Garcia. Garcia still landed the better combinations of the two fighters in the round. Vargas had a good comeback in round eleven. He did a better job of pushing back Garcia while Garcia was less active. In the final round, both fighters gave a strong finish and the round was close. At the end, the final scores were 114-113, 116-111 (twice) all for Garcia.

Vargas had a great start to the fight. Garcia who’s known as a slow-started picked up the pace and took over the fight. Vargas came back a little in the late rounds but it was not enough. It was a solid win for Garcia but he had a tough fight. Vargas was as tough as they come. What’s next for both fighters? For Garcia, he will stay in the welterweight division as he defeated a solid welterweight and the bigger fights are there for him. Like the broadcasters mentioned, a potential fight with Manny Pacquiaowould be more suitable for Garcia. For Vargas, expect him to see him in another big fight as he always puts a good outing. 

In the co-feature, former pound for pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KO’s) came back to regain his crown. He won the WBA World Super Flyweight Title by a ninth round TKO over Khalid Yafai (26-1, 15 KO’s). Both fighters got to a good start in the opening round. Yafai started to box well using his jab and landing quick combinations. Gonzalez started his body attack towards the end of the round. Round two was a good round for Gonzalez. Yafai stayed in theinside with Gonzalez and traded with him. Gonzalez worked well to the body and landed a good right hand on Yafai. Gonzalez also landed a left uppercut that bothered Yafai. In round three, Yafai stood his ground and traded with Gonzalez. He landed more punches in the round but Gonzalez was also landing good shots as well. Twice in the round, the mouthpiece came out of Yafai during exchanges. Gonzalez picked up the attack in round four. He landed good combinations to the head and body of Yafai. Gonzalez mixed his attack with hooks and uppercuts. Gonzalez kept his relentless attack in round five. Gonzalez ripped shots to the head and body of Yafai. Yafai was forced to hold at one point due to the accumulation of punches. Gonzalez kept his high work rate in round six. Yafai stood and traded with Gonzalez but he was wearing out. Gonzalez got cut on his right eye by a clash of heads in the round. In round seven, Gonzalez was backing up Yafai. Gonzalez continued his onslaught and Yafai looked very fatigued. Yafai then decided to trade with Gonzalez in the eighth round. However, Gonzalez outworked him with combinations. He landed a right hand that snapped Yafai’s head back. Then a barrage of punches dropped Yafai. Yafai managed to get up and finish the round. In round nine, Gonzalez landed a huge right hand on the chin of Yafaithat dropped him on his back. The referee started the count but then waived off the fight after Yafai could not continue. The stoppage occurred at 29 seconds of the ninth round. 

Yafai decided to take advantage of his size and trade shots with the smaller Gonzalez. Yafai had some success early on but fought Gonzalez’s fight. The question of whether Gonzalez was finished was answered quickly. Gonzalez showed why he is oneof the true greats in boxing and is now a world champion again. The super flyweight division is stacked. The most attractive fight for Gonzalez would be a rematch between him and Juan Francisco Estrada. Gonzalez defeated Estrada back in 2012. Now, Estrada is the Lineal champion of the division. The rematch would be a great fight. As for Yafai, he can take the loss as a learning lesson and bounce back from it. He showed a lot of heart and the willingness to go toe to toe with the dangerousGonzalez. 

In an entertaining fight, Julio César Martinez (16-1, 12 KO’s) retained his WBC World Flyweight Title by a twelve round unanimous decision over Jay Harris (17-1, 9 KO’s). In the opening round, Harris got off to a good start by establishing hisjab. Martinez close the gap landing combinations to the head of Harris. Harris had a good round two. He landed good righthands to the head of Martinez. Martinez closed the round with a quick right hook. There were good combinations from both fighters in round three. Harris landed quick straight punches to the head of Martinez while Martinez landed good body punches on Harris. Round four was a good action round. Harris continued with straight punches to the head of Martinez. Martinez fired back with hard body shots. The pace was relentless from both fighters in round five. Martinez got the better of the exchanges and continued his body attack. Harris had a good comeback in round six. He landed the better punches in the round while Martinez was still working the body of Harris. In round seven, Martinez started fast with a right hand that hurt Harris. Martinez then got inside and worked the body of Harris. Harris finished the round strong with good combinations to the head and body of Martinez. The pace slowed down a little bit in round eight. Harris displayed quick combinations to the head of Martinez. The action picked backed up in round nine. Martinez got off with quick combinations to the head and body. Harris stood his ground though and fought back. In the opening of round ten, Martinez caught Harris with a left hook and then a right hook to the body that put him down. Harris got up and did an excellent job fighting back in the round,even though he was hurt. Round eleven was a good round for Harris as he boxed and moved well. The final round was a slower pace for both fighters. The action picked up at the end. Both fighters closed the show at the end with both of them throwing a barrage of punches at each other. At the end, the final scores were 118-109, 116-111, and 115-112 all for Martinez. 

Once again Martinez did not disappoint. He provided another thrilling fight for the fans and showed why he is one of the most action packed fighters to watch. Martinez made the first successful defense of his title. Now, it will be time for Martinez to unify with the other belt holders of the division. As for Jay Harris, he looked great and he gave a good account of himself. He went toe to toe with Martinez taking the fight to distance. We will see Harris again soon. 

Former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (27-2, 21 KO’s) was successful in his return. He TKO Shawndell Terell Winters (13-3, 12 KO’s) in the fifth round. Parker started off fast in the opening round and threw hard jabs to back off Winters. Towards the end of the round, Parker landed a good left hook on Winters. In round two, Parker had another good round. He backed up Winters to the ropes with stiff jabs and straight right hands. Parker continued landing hard right hands on Winters in round three. A huge right hand from Parker dropped Winters towards the end of the round. Winters got up and survived the round. In round four, Parker pushed back Winters. However, Wintersfought well in the round. Parker suffered a cut on his right eye from a left hook from Winters. In round five, Winters started strong and came forward. Parker then landed a hard right hand that hurt Winters. Parker followed it up with a three punch combination. A right hand, left hook, and a right hand that dropped Winters again. Winters managed to get up but was out of it. The referee called the fight off at 2:40 of round five. 

Parker did what he was supposed to do and stopped his opponent. It was a good comeback fight for Parker. Look to see him next in a more significant fight next. 

Decorated amateur Israil Madrimov (5-0, 5 KO’s) continued his knockout streak. He scored a TKO in the sixth round over Charlie Navarro (29-10, 22 KO’s) in a super welterweight bout. In the opening round, Madrimov showed a little bit of everything. He boxed well moving side to side. He landed right hands to the head and straight punches to the body of Navarro. In round two, Madrimov landed a left hook that buzzed Navarro. In round three, Navarro was concentrating on landing a counter punch on Madrimov but was not able to do it. Madrimov did a good job landing straight body punches on Navarro. Madrimovlooked for the knockout in round four. He landed a right hand that hurt Navarro. Then he threw left hooks to the body and head of Navarro. Navarro looked like he was ready to go but he hung in tough. In round five, Navarro landed a good counter punch to the body of Madrimov but it was his only moment. Madrimovtook over the round and landing combinations. Madrimovcontinued his onslaught in round six. He went to the body of Navarro which paid off. He landed a left hook to the body that dropped Navarro. Navarro was tough and gamed as he got up. Madrimov went after him and landed a right hand to the head. Navarro fell down and the referee called the fight off. The stoppage came at 2:24 of round six.

In the super middleweight division, Diego Pacheco (9-0, 7 KO’s) stayed undefeated and dominated Oscar Riojas (21-13-1, 10 KO’s) to earn a six round unanimous decision. Riojas came out being the aggressor in the opening round while Pacheco was keeping his distance. Then Pacheco came forward and landed right hands to the head of Riojas. In round two, Pacheco continued to hit Riojas with hard right hands to the head. Riojas was reaching with his punches on the taller Pacheco but could not land anything significant. Pacheco continued to stay busy in round three. Riojas showed a good chin but was still having a hard time getting inside. Pacheco kept the pressure in round four and Riojas kept backing up. In round five, Riojas started the round coming forward and he threw a few hooks to the body but nothing landed. Pacheco landed a hard right hand that stunned Riojas. In the final round, Pacheco landed a huge right hand that wobbled Riojas. Pacheco went for the finish and landed combinations to the head of Riojas but he survived the round. The final scores were 60-54, all for Pacheco.

In the opening bout of the DAZN telecast, Alexis Espino (6-0, 4 KO’s) remained undefeated. He defeated Delvecchio Savage (3-6-1, 3 KO’s) by a six round unanimous decision in a super middleweight contest. The opening round was a feel out round. It was a close round where Savage landed a nice straight left hand on Espino and then Espino landed a good left hook on Savage. Espino opened up more in round two and he landed the more and effective punches in the round. Espino used his jab very well. Espino had a good round three. He landed good jabs and right hands on the head of Savage. Round four was a good action round. Espino landed good body punches in the round and also landed good uppercuts. Savage showed a good effort fighting back but Espino landed the better punches. In round five, Espino let his combinations go to the head and body of Savage. Savage was tired and bloodied but fought back in spots. In the final round, Espino threw all the power shots and went for the knockout. Savage showed toughness and fought back. Espino continued with hard body shots and uppercuts on Savage. The final scores were 60-54, 59-55 (twice), all for Espino.

Posted on 02/28/2020

By: Hans Themistode

It was his dream scenario. A chance to prove that he didn’t just belong amongst the best in the world, but that he deserved to be above them. 

For Mikey Garcia, he had everything waiting in front of him. The fame, recognition and money were just one win away. Attaining that win turned out to be a major problem as he ran into, Errol Spence Jr. 

The now unified Welterweight champ dominated Garcia from the moment the bell rang for their March 16th, contest in Arlington Texas at the AT&T Stadium. When that match was first announced, many believed that Garcia made an appointment with death. Not only was Spence a devastating puncher, but he was also two divisions above Garcia’s natural weight class. 

Still, none of that discouraged Garcia from taking on the challenge. Surprisingly, many gave Garcia a chance to pull off the upset. Consider it a testament to the greatness of Garcia. 

The storylines of this huge contest were set. If Spence was going to win, it was going to be by stoppage. If things were going to play in the favor of Garcia, then he simply needed to outbox the bigger man. Those opinions never came to fruition as instead, Garcia was out boxed, outclassed and lost every single round. And no, that isn’t hyperbole. Not one single judge scored a round in the favor of Garcia.

It was a bad night for Garcia to say the least, but that hasn’t changed his interest in capturing a world title in his fifth weight class. 

This coming Saturday night, the four division world champion will take on fellow multiple division world champion Jessie Vargas at The Ford Center at The Star, in Frisco Texas. The card is loaded from top to bottom with another championship fight in the co main event as IBF Super Flyweight champion Khalid Gonzalez takes on former pound-for-pound Star Roman Gonzalez. That bout, coupled with several former champions on the undercard has shaped this into one of the best cards of the year. 

The Texas based card might be a star studded lineup, but Garcia simply wants to remind everyone that it is his name that is headlining the show.

“This is my first time working together with DAZN and it’s been great,” said Garcia during their final press conference. “This is a tremendous card, a stacked card with world championship fights. I’m here to do one thing and take over the show – there’s a lot more to Mikey Garcia. I’m going to display all my skills and be a contender in the welterweight division. We landed on Vargas because he’s a two-weight champion, solid career, big size, and has height. He’s everything that people have been telling me I shouldn’t be fighting, but I’m going to do everything I can to win this fight. I expect the best Jessie Vargas and that will allow to me display all my skills. I don’t want easy fights. This will be a great matchup because Jessie is a warrior. It will push me to get the best out of me.”

For Garcia (39-1, 30 KOs), this could be his last chance to prove himself as a viable contender at the 147 pound division. With Garcia and Vargas possessing one of the more relaxed demeanors in the entire sport of boxing, it came as no surprise to hear both men compliment one another. 

Still, regardless of the compliments Garcia wants to prove to everyone that his audacious decision to stay in a weight class that could prove to be too big for him, is the correct decision.

“Jessie is a great person, but inside the ring we’re competitors. He’s coming to knock me out, and I’m trying to doing the same, but that will make it a memorable night. Tune-in to DAZN, it’s going to be fireworks all night long. We’re going to finish it off with bang, Jessie and myself. There’s a lot more to Mikey Garcia.”

Posted on 02/28/2020

By: Rich Lopez

After the big heavyweight showdown this past weekend between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, our focus will be in the welterweight division this Saturday. DAZN will be streaming a huge fight card at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The main event will be a clash of former world champions between Mikey Garcia and Jessie Vargas. The undercard will also feature two world title fights and a return of a top heavyweight contender.

The main event will be for the vacant WBC Diamond Welterweight Title. Former four weight division champion Mikey Garcia (39-1, 30 KO’s) of Moreno Valley, California, will square off with former two weight division champion Jessie “The Pride of Las Vegas” Vargas (29-2-2, 11 KO’s) of Las Vegas, Nevada. Garcia, who has won titles at 126, 130, 135 and 140, moved up to the welterweight division last year. In an effort to win a title in a fifth weight division, he fought one of the best welterweights in Errol Spence Jr. Garcia ended up losing a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision but in a gutsy effort. With almost a year off, Garcia is back and ready to make another attempt at a world title in the welterweight division. First, he needs to get by the tough Jessie Vargas. Vargas who has won titles at 140 and 147, is looking for a major title shot himself. Since losing his WBO World Welterweight title to Manny Pacquiao in 2016, he has gone 2-0-2 in his last four fights. Both fighters are looking for a big win this weekend. Garcia is the favorite to win the fight as he is the more superior boxer. Vargas on the other hand is the natural bigger fighter between the two. You would have to think that Vargas has more to lose in this fight than Garcia. If Vargas loses, this can set his career back and further away from a title shot. If Garcia loses, he will be reminded to move back down to 140 or 135 where he is at his best. Expect an entertaining fight between two boxer punchers that love to mix it up.

One of the most intriguing fights on the undercard will be the co-feature in the super flyweight division. Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (48-2, 40 KO’s) of Nicaragua, is back for another chance to become a world champion again. Gonzalez, who was a four weight division champion, was once heralded as the pound for pound king. In 2017, Gonzalez lost back to back fights against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai which set him back to the point that some critic’s think he is not the same fighter anymore. That can change on Saturday with a win but it won’t be easy. His challenger is WBA World Super Flyweight Champion Khalid Yafai (26-0, 15 KO’s) of the United Kingdom. Yafai, who was a decorated amateur, won the world title in 2016. He has made five successful title defenses and now will be looking for his sixth title defense. Yafai is a good boxer with speed and good foot work. However, he still needs a signature win and a win over Gonzalez would do it. This will be an interesting fight with a contrast in styles. Yafai will look to box and move while the aggressive Gonzalez will be coming forward. Will Yafai breakthrough as the new star in the division or does Gonzalez have another big win left in him?

The other world title fight on the undercard is in the flyweight division. WBC World Flyweight Champion Julio Cesar “El Rey” Martinez (15-1, 12 KO’s) of Mexico, will be making his second defense of the title. He will face off with Jay Harris (17-0, 9 KO’s) of the United Kingdom. Martinez, who lost his professional debut in 2015 by split decision has won fifteen fights straight since then. Last year, Martinez was on his way to stopping Charlie Edwards in a WBC title fight, but the fight was ruled a no contest. Martinez unintentionally hit Edwards while he was down. However, Martinez ended the year winning the vacant WBC title with a stoppage victory over former world champion Cristopher Rosales in the ninth round. Martinez is one of most exciting world champions today. He has a fan friendly style and he likes to mix his punches to the body and head. In addition, Martinez has a unique style of switching stances while he attacks. Harris is a fast fighter and likes to throw combinations. The undefeated Welshmen is a skilled boxer and is looking for the upset come Saturday night. Can Harris dethrone the hard punching Martinez or will Martinez add another stoppage victory to his resume? Based on styles, this should be an action packed fight.

Also on the undercard, former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (26-2, 20 KO’s) of New Zealand, makes his return. He will face off with Shawndell Terell Winters (13-2, 12 KO’s) of Harvey, Illinois. Parker was scheduled for a showdown with Dereck Chisora back in October of last year. However, an illness prevented Parker to move forward with the fight. Parker’s last fight was in June of last year when he stopped Alex Leapai in the tenth round. Parker is aiming for another title shot but needs to shake off some rust and is taking a warm up fight against Winters.

Also there will be other undefeated prospects being showcased on the card like Alexis Espino (5-0, 4 KO’s), Diego Pacheco (8-0, 7 KO’s) and Israil Madrimov (4-0, 4 KO’s).

The card is stacked and it should be a fun filled night of action.

Posted on 02/27/2020

By: Jeffrey Drake

On February 29, 2020, former four weight division world champion Mikey Garcia will be facing former two weight division world champion Jessie Vargas. This welterweight fight is at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas on DAZN and should have a great atmosphere. Mikey Garcia was widely regarded as a top five pound for pound fighter prior to his fight with current IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. A natural 135-pound fighter, Mikey called out Errol Spence Jr for a long period of time before the fight was made. The boxing public felt Mikey was too small and to take on arguably the welterweight king in your first fight at 147 pounds would be too much. March 16^th, 2019 was the date Mikey not only took his first loss, but the first time he was not competitive in a fight.

This Saturday, Mikey Garcia a 6 to 1 favorite, will be making his unofficial welterweight debut. Many odds stand in front of Mikey Garcia prior to even facing Jessie Vargas. The jump from basically 135 to 147 pounds is a big jump. We have watched many fighters make that transition with mixed results. The one famous name that comes to mind who made that weight jump is Adrien Broner. As talented as Broner is, the consensus is he was not the same fighter and took several losses after making the jump to welterweight. Will Mikey power transfer to welterweight? Will he have slower hand and foot speed? Will he be gun shy after taking a sustained beating from Errol Spence Jr? Will he be able to handle the pressure of performing knowing a possible big money fight with all-time great Manny Pacquiao could be next? These are all legitimate questions and we haven’t even talked about his very capable opponent Jessie Vargas.

Jessie Vargas has fought the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Adrien Broner, Timothy Bradley, Sadam Ali amongst other good opponents throughout his career. Jessie has been fighting at welterweight for over four years. Even though he has never been mentioned pound for pound like Mikey Garcia, he has accomplished a lot throughout his career. On Saturday, Jessie should be the bigger fighter, fighting at his natural weight class and with less overall pressure. Yet, Mikey Garcia is still the heavy favorite to win this fight. The boxing community, fans and odds makers are betting that Mikey Garcia will do what we expect every great fighter to do and that is to overcome all odds and win. Let’s find out if Mikey Garcia is still that special or if Jessie Vargas has been disrespected and will get the biggest victory of his career.

Posted on 10/07/2018

By: Sean Crose

DAZN took to America on Saturday, offering a packed card at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. First off on the live stream, Daniel Roman, 25-2-1, defended his WBA super bantamweight strap against
the 20-1-2 Gavin McDonnell. The first three of the scheduled twelve rounds saw Roman apparently edge his high energy opponent. As the fight creeped into the middle rounds, McDonnell looked like he might be starting to take over the tempo. Roman, however, was ultimately able to assert himself through his more accurate punching and stronger footwork.

In the sixth, Roman really started to impact his man. It looked like the end might actually be near. McDonnell, however, was a game and brave opponent. By the final portion of the bout, it was clear that Roman simply had a stronger skill set than McDonnell. In the tenth, it was over, with Roman landing hard and furiously. The California native walked out of the ring with his belt and a TKO victory in tow.

Next up, IBF light heavyweight champ, Artur Beterbiev, 12-0, defended his belt against the 17-0 Callum Johnson. Beterbiev dropped his man in the first, after Johnson seemed to come out of getting caught in the ropes. Johnson got up and survived the round. Then, shockingly, Beterbiev went down from a left in the second. Like Johnson, Beterbiev got up and survived the chapter. The third round saw both men throwing slow and heavy. So did the fourth. Beterviev was able to send his man down again at the end of that round, however. Johnson got up, but the referee smartly stopped the bout.

Next up was Jarrell Big Baby Miller. The colorful heavyweight, 21-0-1, stepped in to face Tomasz Adamek, 53-5. Miller did what he was widely expected to do – and that’s wipe his opponent out quickly. The fight lasted less than two rounds, all of it controlled by Miller, who was so much bigger and stronger it’s perfectly logical to call the match a wipe out. Likable, as always, Miller showed respect to the largely Polish crowd, and once more expressed his interest in facing Anthony Joshua for heavyweight supremacy.

It was time for the main event. The well known 28-2-1 Jessie Vargas entered the ring to face the 24-3 veteran Thomas Dulorme for the WBC silver welterweight title. The first round was close, though Dulorme seemed to have tagged his man in the final seconds. Durlorme, perhaps surprisingly, continued to look good in the second. In the third, Vargas actually seemed to a little hesitant to pull the trigger when it came to aggressive punching.

Both men started trading hard in the fourth – yet, again, Dulorme seemed to walk back to his corner the better man. The middle rounds proved to be a tight, entertaining affair, with both men landing crisply, though Vargas may have entered the eighth with the tempo working into his favor. Yet the eighth showed both men slowing down a bit. The ninth was tight. So was the tenth…until Vargas was able to drop his man. Dulorme got up and survived, but it was a huge moment for Vargas.

Things remained close again in the 11th. The 12th saw both exhausted fighters giving it their all…but it was Dulorme who made Vargas’ glove hit the canvas with a clean knockdown that told the tale. It was a VERY good fight.

The bout ended up being called a majority draw.

Posted on 10/04/2018

At TAO Chicago on Thursday afternoon, the boxing world saw a preview of what will prove to be a fully stacked Oct. 6 Matchroom Boxing USA fight night, as headliner Jessie Vargas will face off against Thomas Dulorme at the Wintrust Arena in one of four title fights on the card. In a press conference, Saturday night’s fighters gathered to discuss their preparation and predictions ahead of the big night – which will be the first live U.S. boxing event for DAZN, which will be broadcasting it exclusively.

Photo Credit DAZN Twitter Account

Jessie Vargas

“We are building something strong and I’m en route to becoming a world champion once again. The WBC gold belongs to Shawn Porter but I look forward to challenging him very soon, in the near future. Then again, I’m not looking past Thomas Dulorme. He’s a tough task and I have to make sure that I come out victorious and continue my path to success. He’s a tough fighter and I know I have to be on point, every minute and every second of the fight.”

Thomas Dulorme

“I’m ready for the fight. Everybody, put your eyes onto Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. It’s the best fight Saturday night.”

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director

“I’m very proud to be before you today for the first Matchroom Boxing USA event. Obviously we have a lot to thank DAZN for, the new home for boxing and for giving us the opportunity to build 16 fight cards across the U.S., and to build a great stable of fighters. I think by just looking up here you can see what we’re trying to do in terms of entertainment and value for money for the sport of boxing. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the Wintrust Arena or watching on DAZN, I promise you, you will not leave without a smile on your face!”

Joseph Markowski, DAZN SVP, North America

“This is a historic moment: the first ever Matchroom USA event, broadcast live on DAZN, following our launch a few weeks ago. Our U.S. boxing journey starts here in Chicago, with a stacked fight card and what’s sure to be a memorable night in one of America’s greatest sports towns.”
“If you signed up for DAZN before the Sept. 22 Joshua vs. Povetkin bout in the UK, you’ll get 14 boxing and MMA events before your free month wraps up. That’s tremendous value and entirely indicative of what’s to come. We came in to disrupt the status quo, and it’s been interesting – to say the least – to see how boxing evolves with various broadcasters stepping up or switching up their game. It’s an exciting new era.”

Jarrell Miller

“It’s been a long road. Every fight is more important than the next. I did not look past Adamek because of his age, or because he’s gotten his butt whooped a couple times in the ring. Did not look past that! I made sure I went to the gym, trained hard, to make sure I put on a good show for you guys. I’ve said before sometimes as a fighter, the wrong story comes across because we talk smack. I have nothing but respect for this guy…It’s nothing about disrespect, it’s about two fighters coming together and beating his behind.”

“You had too much food in here man, this is ridiculous! You have a bunch of guys in here who can’t eat no food, you got chicken lo mein, and sour chicken, and chicken duck, and everything chicken. This is messed up.”

Tomasz Adamek

“Thirteen years ago, I came to the United States in Chicago and got the title shots. I won, thank you god. Thirteen years later, I get proposed to fight again in Chicago…and I said “Absolutely!” I’m here, we had a good camp, and I’m ready for the show. It should be a good fight for everyone.”

On why he wanted 12 rounds instead of 10: “I’ll never go into ring not in shape because I’m a smart man. Twelve is twelve. When I win the show I want to give you something bigger. When I go into the ring I want to be best and show who is better.”

Artur Beterbiev

“I’m not a big talker, but hopefully in the ring on October 6th, I’ll show you everything.”

When asked by Eddie Hearn on if the fight will go long or short against Johnson: “Eddie, I’m interested myself, and that’s why I’m here.”

Callum Johnson

“I’m ready to come here and upset the odds. I’ve done everything in preparation to be able to do that and it’s something I’m really, really looking forward to Saturday night. It’s a dream come true for me – fighting for a world title in America – and I plan on taking that belt home and shocking the world.”

On why he stepped up to challenge Beterbiev: “It took me all of half a second to say yes. I’m not in the game to turn opportunities down like this. I know I’m fighting a real good fighter, he’s a feared man, but I fear no man. When it’s all said and done, we’re both human beings, we’re both going to be in that ring, we’re both looking for power and it’ll be what it’ll be.”

Daniel Roman

“Expect a great fight from me. It’ll be my third defense and I plan on taking the belt home, no disrespect to Gavin. I know he’s a great fighter. He fought for the world title before so he’s going to come at me with everything hungry, but we’ll be ready and we’ll be taking the belt back home.”

Gavin McDonnell

“As a fighter we always want to fight in America. It’s been a dream of mine to fight here in Chicago. It’s a lovely place and this is where my dreams are going be made.”

“It’s up to me to go out there Saturday night and achieve my dream, which is what I plan on doing. I plan on stepping on the world scene and making a big statement Saturday night. My journey is just going to start and Britain is going to get a new champion.”

Erica Farias

“I’m very excited to be here, the first time I’ve been in the United States. It’s a dream come true to represent!”

“I’ve always thought about when I would have the opportunity to fight in the States. Now, it’s here with this amazing card and amazing event, and it will happen Saturday night with these great champions and facing Jessica McCaskill.”

Jessica McCaskill

“I’m really excited about this fight. I love the atmosphere that all the boxers bring. It’s nothing about disrespect. We have high goals for female boxing, boxing in general, and there’s nothing but love up here but we do want to beat each other up. That’s just how it goes. So thank you for coming.”

“To all my friends and family in St. Louis, get DAZN if you want to see my fight! Get DAZN, it’s on-demand afterwards. You can rewind, watch it, rewind, watch it.”

On potentially becoming a world champion is Chicago: “It means everything to be part of history. I feel if you’re going to do something like this and put your body on the line, it should be for great things. It’s great to win and it’s great to have a belt, but it’s amazing to be part of history and that’s what I’ve been trying do my whole career. Because of the lack of female boxing there’s been a lot of opportunities to do that, so I’m excited for the opportunity and excited to fight!”

Tony Bellew, Interviewed Offstage by DAZN Hosts Ak & Barak

On his Nov. 10 unification fight against Usyk on Nov. 10: “This is a really, really hard fight, a defining fight in my career and his. He’s trying to make his name big in the UK, because the UK audience is huge and the US audience is now also open with DAZN. So, this is a mega fight. I’m a name, he’s a name, I talk, he listens, and we’re going to see how it’s going to go on November 10thand I can’t wait. I know I can beat him. I can beat any cruiserweight in the world. There’s only one cruiserweight that would have whooped me and he’s long gone and that’s Evander Holyfield.”

On rumors of his retirement after the Nov. 10 matchup and what that would take: “Boxing’s a hard game because even when you win, you lose a piece of yourself. I’m hoping to lose the fight in me on November 10th. I’m going to win, but I’m hoping that it’s so hard that I’ve had enough.”

On why he’s in Chicago other than his fight camp nearby: “I’m here to support my gym mate, Gavin McDonnell, in a world title fight against Daniel Roman. It’s a stacked card and a brilliant event. I’m looking forward to not just my gym mate winning a world championship, but there’s also many other fights on the bill…I’m looking forward to seeing it all.”

Posted on 10/04/2018

Ahead of Saturday night’s Matchroom Boxing USA fight, the fighters went through their paces in the ring at Wednesday’s public workout in Chicago’s Millennium Park, just north of where the action will go down at The Wintrust Arena on Oct. 6. Spectators gathered to see Jessie Vargas, Thomas Dulorme, Jarrell Miller, and the rest of the card up close ahead of the big event. Saturday’s fight represents the first live U.S. boxing event for DAZN, which will be broadcasting it exclusively.

Photo Credit: Jessie Vargas Twitter Account

Jessie Vargas

“October 6th is coming very soon. I’m looking forward to it and I have all the energy in the world to perform for my friends. With the WBC Silver there’s a lot on the line because winner gets a title shot for the gold, and there’s a lot at risk so I have to make sure I come prepared and defeat Thomas Dulorme.”

Thomas Dulorme

“This is the best training camp I’ve had. I’ve been training hard every day, two to three times a day. My strength guys are great and I’m ready for Saturday night. My opponent Jessie is a great fighter, but I’m faster and bigger than Jessie. I don’t know if it will be decision or knockout, but I’m 100% I’m going to win this fight.”

Jarrell Miller

“I’m going to knock him out!”

Tomasz Adamek

“I’m ready, we had a good camp. Sparring was everything you want and I’m excited for Saturday night. I want to do the best for my class, so I can sit in there with everybody. Many of my fans came to watch me! I’m ready for the fight and I want to show my class in the ring.”

Artur Beterbiev:

When asked about Saturday’s fight: “I feel good.”

Callum Johnson

“Looking forward to the fight on Saturday and being involved in the DAZN show here in the USA. I predict a knockout!”

Daniel Roman

“Don’t miss the fight this Saturday night, it will be a great fight. Expect a good fight for myself and we’re ready to take the belt back home.”

Gavin McDonnell

“The twelve-week training camp went well. Everything we have done is the best we can and the work is being put in. It’s going to show on Saturday night! I look forward to getting in there and beating him. I want to make a statement to the world and other champions because I’m here to stay. It wouldn’t surprise me if I get a stoppage late that’s how good I feel.”

Erica Farias

“In first place I’m very happy being here in the United States. It’s the first time I’m appearing in boxing here and it’s a great opportunity. I look forward to winning and having other opportunities.”

Jessica McCaskill

“I’m feeling really great. We had ten months to prepare for a big question mark, this is what fell into our lap, and I think we’re more than ready for it. Ten months of not fighting can drive you crazy, but this fight is going to be great, and I’m always going for the knockout!”

Posted on 05/21/2018

By: Ken Hissner

On April 28th of this year Ghana’s Isaac “Brave-Son” Dogboe, 18-0 (12), came into Philadelphia to face the co-promoters boxer Jesse Magdaleno, 25-0 (18), of Las Vegas, NV.

At the press conference several days before their bout at the Liacouras Center of Temple University Magdaleno had some harsh childish name calling about the facial appearance of Dogboe. He was one nasty opponent who wanted to bait Dogboe into his child like name calling. I knew for sure I would not be rooting for Magdaleno.

In the first round of their fight Magdaleno dropped Dogboe. By the end of the third round it didn’t look good for Dogboe. Suddenly in the fifth round Dogboe started a body attack that took out the gut’s and heart of Magdaleno dropping him. By the eleventh round Magdaleno hit the canvas two more times forcing referee Benjy Esteves, Jr., to wave the fight off at 1:38 of the eleventh round proclaiming Dogboe the World Boxing Organisation World Super Bantamweight Title. Dogboe was ahead on the three scorecards by 96-91, 95-93 and 97-91 at the time of the stoppage.

At a dinner the night before the press conference I was able to attend at an Upper Darby Afro-American eatery sponsored by co-promoter J Russell Peltz who was accompanied by “Raging Babe”. The meal was splendid. I got a picture with Dogboe and I felt I obtained a “new friend!” I brought him his record via www.boxrec.com along with three fellow former boxers from Ghana including Azuma “Professor” Nelson, WBC World Super Featherweight champion, Floyd Robertson, former British Commonwealth (Empire) champion and two-time world title challenger and Love Allotey, British Commonwealth (Empire) champion and world title challenger.

Dogboe turned professional on August 30, 2013 in a 6 round bout knocking out Csaba Toth, 10-18. It would be ten months before he had his second fight being in Belfast Harris defeating Andy Harris, 3-14-1, dropping Harris in the first round. In his next five fights over a six month period all in the USA Dogboe would stretch his winning streak to seven! In his next eight fights all in his home country of Ghana he increased his unbeaten winning streak to fifteen.

On November 06, 2015 Dogboe would win his first minor title the vacant West African Boxing Union Featherweight title stopping John Oblitey Commey, 9-18, in the third round of a scheduled 12. Two fights later he would add a second title stopping Michael Pappoe, 13-2, for the World Boxing Organisation Africa Featherweight Title winning every one of the twelve rounds.

On June 18, 2016 Dogboe would stop Edward Kakembo, 10-0, of Uganda, living in Silver Springs, MD, in the sixth round of his newest title in his first defense. In his next bout he would defeat Neil John Tabanao, 13-1, of Cebu, Philippines, winning the vacant World boxing Council Youth Silver Featherweight Title, the World Boxing Organisation Oriental title and a defense of his Africa title

Four months later Dogboe would drop down to Super Bantamweight and won the vacant World Boxing Organisation International Title with a seventh round stoppage of Julian Evaristo Aristule, 32-6, of Argentina, the South American champion at Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ.

In July 22, 2017, Dogboe would defend his WBO Int’l title stopping Javier Nicolas Chacon, 25-3-1 at the end of six rounds. Some eleven months later he would win the interim World Boxing Organisation’s World Super Bantamweight Title stopping Cesar Juarez, 20-5, of Mexico City, MEX, in the fifth round of a scheduled 12. Both fights were at the Bukom Boxing Arena, in Accra, Ghana. This fight set-up his meeting with Magdaleno almost four months later in Philadelphia. He is trained and promoted by his father Paul Dogboe of Rising Stars Africa. His manager is John Arthur.

Through his advisor Mike Altamura I was able to conduct a Q&A with the new world champion.

KEN HISSNER: Did Magdaleno get you to the point at the press conference you wanted to punish him even more in your bout with him?

ISAAC DOGBOE: Not really. He’s a nice guy and a true warrior. I just wanted him to come and fight. Not run. I thought he brought his best.

KEN HISSNER: In October of 2014 you came to the USA and won five fights over a six month space of time. How did this come about bringing you to the USA?

ISAAC DOGBOE: Well the legend James “Lights Out” Toney came to London and my dad met him and he asked my dad to show him where to get a cigar! So my dad drove him to central London Chinatown and got it for him. They became friends and my dad invited him to the gym to come check me spar and he fell in love with my style. Next minute I was in the USA with my dad to make history.

KEN HISSNER: How were you received when you returned to your home country of Ghana?

ISAAC DOGBOE: Well the people were amazing and were calling me the second coming of Azuma Nelson. I was loved by them but the boxing fraternity kinda shunned me because they were saying this little kid just came on the scene and he’s beating all our boxers.

KEN HISSNER: I see your No. 1 contender is Diego De La Hoya from Mexico. What are your future plans?

ISAAC DOGBOE: I was born ready so if he wants it and the world wants it, why not? If Top Rank arranges it I am game. I’d love to make a defense then immediately eye unification.

KEN HISSNER: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

ISAAC DOGBOE: Of course. God Bless them for all supporting me and I love them. Without the fans there is no Isaac Dogboe.

KEN HISSNER: I want to thank you my new friend and world champion for taking the time to answering these questions.
ISAAC DOGBOE: Ken, thank you too, and God Bless. You do a great job covering our sport.

Posted on 04/19/2018

By: Bryant Romero

Adrien “The Problem” Broner enters this Saturday arguably heading into the most important bout of his 10 year pro boxing career when he takes on Jessie Vargas (28-2, 10 KOs) at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. Broner (33-3, 24 KOs) will be putting it all on the line including a 300k side bet with a colorful rapper he’s been beefing with on social media during fight week. Another devastating loss could spell the end of Broner as a main event headliner. There is no doubt Broner has to be feeling some type of pressure heading into this fight, knowing that the future of his career hangs in the balance if he doesn’t defeat Jessie Vargas this Saturday. However, Broner has kept a relatively low profile during his preparations in training camp, which could mean he’s putting a lot of his focus on his upcoming fight.

Photo Credit: Jose Pineiro/SHOWTIME

““I’m very happy with this camp. It’s just what I needed. I’m catching up with sleep, eating well. The isolated training is really good. I love everything about this camp.

“Training in isolation is really good for me. I told everybody that they were not coming to Florida with me, that I will see them all after the fight and that if they really love me they will understand the situation and they will be cool with it.

“I actually did a camp with Coach Kevin before when Devon Alexander fought Timothy Bradley. And I’ve seen the way he is. We had our arguments and he cussed me out almost every day, but I was just missing the structure and that’s what I need,” Broner said.

After getting soundly defeated by Mikey Garcia last summer, Broner felt a major change was needed in the corner and he felt he needed a more authoritative voice. A voice that could keep him on his toes and keep him pushing a harder while in training camp, which is the major influence into why Broner decided to train with Coach Cunningham.

“I’ve known Coach Cunningham since my amateur days. We used to go up to St. Louis all the time and fight in his tournaments, on his shows. I have even fought for St. Louis in the Ringside Tournament. It was a great experience.

“I’ve known Coach Cunningham for a long time. He is the real deal He is not going to B.S. me. He’s going to keep me on my toes. I need that.

“There are coaches that change when their fighters get to certain levels. They still coach, but they don’t provide the structure the fighter needs. When I was fighting at 130, 135, Coach Mike [Stafford] will be at my door yelling ‘Get your butt up. We have to run. We have to train. Get up! Get up!’ But time went by and things changed.

“Coach Mike stopped being a coach and started being more of a friend. I needed him to keep being my coach. I need someone to keep me in line. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll always be like a father figure but when it comes to training and my career. I needed a change,” Broner said.

Broner has made the necessary adjustments in training camp that could help put on a better performance come fight night. Whether these changes could produce a great performance from Broner remains to be seen. The question is will Broner let his hands go? Against an experienced, confident and hungry fighter in Jessie Vargas who’s never shown a lack of discipline in his career.

The Vegas oddsmakers see Broner as a slight underdog in this fight, so expect a competitive battle this Saturday and perhaps a very controversial decision. Broner may never reach the heights where he was touted as being the next big boxing superstar, but a big win over Jessie Vargas will produce bigger opportunities in the future and help add to his accomplishments while remaining one of the sport’s most popular fighters.

Despite his multiple setbacks in the ring, Broner still feels he has plenty to give to boxing.

“I started my career young. I won titles in four weight classes. I’ve accomplished a lot and there’s still more to come. I got a lot of fighting left to do,” Broner said.

Posted on 04/19/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) will be putting on a stacked card on Showtime live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Three fights are planned to be televised with a main event featuring the always entertaining Adrien Broner and former World Title Challenger Jessie Vargas. Jermall Charlo will also be fighting on the card for the vacant WBC Interim Middleweight Title. Gervonta Davis will also be taking on Jesus Cuellar for the WBA Junior Lightweight Title.

Photo Credit: Jose Pineiro/SHOWTIME

The undercard will feature boxers such as former Olympian Rau’shee Warren, two sport star Heather Hardy, as well as Dylan Price.

The following is a preview of the three televised bouts.

Gervonta Davis (19-0) vs. Jesus Cuellar(28-2); WBA Regular Junior Lightweight Title

The opening bout of the night will be between Gervonta Davis, one of The Money Team’s best fighters in their stable, and Jesus Cuellar, a top contender in the featherweight division moving up to the junior lightweight division.

Davis is known for his knockout power, only of his opponents was able to make it to the final bell and he’s currently riding a ten fight win streak. However, Cuellar also has some power in his hands and has twenty one stoppage victories, though most of them came at a lighter weight.

Davis has been fairly active and fought three times in 2017 and twice in 2016. He is also eight years younger than Cuellar and will only be giving up a half an inch in reach and height. Cuellar has been very in active and did not fight in 2017 and only fought once in 2016.

Cuellar competed for Argentina at the Pan American Games several times as an amateur and Davis was able to win a National Golden Gloves Title.

Davis has defeated the likes of Francisco Fonseca, Liam Walsh, Jose Pedraza, and Cristobal Cruz. Cuellar has beaten the likes of Jonathan Oquendo, Vic Darchinyan, Ruben Tamayo, Juan Manuel Lopez, and Rico Ramos. His losses were to Oscar Escandon and Abner Mares.

This will be a good test for Davis, as Cuellar is a solid fighter with good technique who has been in the ring with several high level boxers. Both boxers are southpaws so it will be interesting to see if Davis can adjust to facing a southpaw. But Davis is simply too young and too powerful for Cuellar and he should be able to overwhelm Cuellar by the middle rounds.

Jermall Charlo (26-0) vs. Hugo Centeno (26-1); WBC Interim Middleweight Title

Jermall Charlo and Huge Centeno looks like it could be the most competitive bout of the night. Both boxers are twenty sveen years old and both only fought once in 2017 and twice in 2016.

Charlo is the bigger puncher of the two, as he has twenty stoppage victories, including four of his past five fights. Centeno only has fourteen stoppage victories. His lone loss was also by stoppage.

Charlo will be giving up two inches in reach and about an inch and a half in height to Centeno.

Both boxers had relatively successful amateur careers, but Centeno has a slight edge in terms of success. Charlo has a reported record of 65-6 as an amateur, while Centeno was very successful in the Junior Olympics, National PAL Tournament, and other National Tournaments in the United States.

Charlo has the better resume of the two. He has defeated Jorge Sebastian Heilan, Julian Williams, Austin Trout, Wilky Campfort, and Cornelius Bundrage. Centeno has defeated the likes of James De La Rosa and Immanuwel Aleem. His lone loss was to Maciej Sulecki.

The longer this fight goes the better the chances are of Centeno pulling off an upset. However, the Charlo brothers have been very impressive in the ring recently and should be considered to be the favorite.

Adrien Broner (33-3) vs. Jessie Vargas (28-2); Welterweight Division

The main event of the evening will be between the always controversial Adrien Broner and the very sound Jessie Vargas.

Both boxers are 28 years old, but Vargas will have a large four inch height advantage and a two inch reach advantage. They both also only fought three times in the past two years, Broner fought twice in 2017 and once in 2016, while Vargas fought once in 2017 and twice in 2016.

Broner has the clear edge in power of the two. He has twenty four stoppage wins to his credit while Vargas only has ten. They both had successful amateur careers. Broner was a National Silver Gloves Champion and had an amateur record of 300-19. Vargas was a two time Mexican National Champion and a two time US Junior National Champion and had an amateur record of 120-20.

Broner resume looks much better at the lighter weights in comparison to the heavier weight classes. His wins were over the likes of Adrian Granados, Ashley Theophane, Khabib Allakhverdiev, John Molina Jr., Carlos Molina, Paul Malignaggi, Antonio DeMarco, and Daniel Ponce De Leon. He has losses to Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, and Marcos Maidana.

Vargas has defeated the likes of Sadam Ali, Antonio DeMarco, Khabib Allakhverdiev, Wale Omotoso, and Josesito Lopez. His losses were to Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr.

Broner has been facing a lot of out of the ring issues recently and it may affect him on Saturday night. Vargas isn’t known for his power or an aggressive style that has been known to give Broner problems, but technically he’s sound and this writer has to give him a slight edge on Saturday night.

Posted on 12/16/2017

By: Ken Hissner

TGB Promotions over Premier Boxing Champions USA Fox Sports 1 Friday promoted four ten’s that any could be a main event at the Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, CA.

Photo Credit: Pete Young: Premier Boxing Champions

Returning after 13 months the two-time division world champion Jessie “Ruthless” Vargas, 28-2 (10), of Las Vegas, NV, shut out an unwilling Aaron “La Joya” Herrera, 33-8-1 (22), of Yucatan, MEX, over 10 lopsided rounds.

In the first round both boxers were feeling each other out with Vargas easily outworking Herrera who hardly threw any punches. At the end of the round Vargas landed a right to the head of Herrera. In the second round Vargas opened up with a double left hook to the head of the defense minded Herrera. Herrera spent the first several minutes looking like he was shadow boxing with hardly throwing anything at Vargas.

In the third round it was more of all Vargas. For some reason Herrera is doing more bob and weaving than throwing punches. In the fourth and fifth rounds Vargas continued to box and land left hooks to the head of the defensive minded Herrera. In the sixth round while inside Herrera finally went to the body of Vargas with several body shots. Vargas came right back working the jab and halfway through the round Vargas landed a left and right dropping Herrera. Referee Jack Reiss gave him a good look and allowed Herrera to continue. Vargas didn’t go in for the finish allowing Herrera to get through the round.

In the seventh round Vargas with new trainer the former Hall of Fame boxer Michael McCallum fought very relaxed not rushing himself. His jab continued to set up Herrera. Herrera landed several body punches but was countered by a Vargas left hook to the head. In the eighth round Vargas kept the one sided bout at the end of his jab while Herrera showed a lot of wasted energy with little punching.

In the ninth round Vargas followed his jab with a left hook to the head of Herrera. Herrera had fought the entire fight like a man with his hands tied. Vargas started with a right of a 3-punch combination to the head of Herrera. Herrera landed a rare left hook to the head of Vargas who countered him with a combination to the head. In the tenth and final round Vargas looked to end it opening up on Herrera. A double left hook from Vargas with the second one rocking Herrera moved him back several steps.

The three judges and this writer had it 100-89. “First of All I am happy returning on PBC. I plan to improve with my next fight and was disappointed not stopping Herrera who kept coming forward. I look forward to coming back in March God willing”, said Vargas. Being off for 13 months Vargas went back to college.

In the Co-Main Event Welterweight Diego “La Joya” Garbriel Chaves, 26-3-1 (22), of Bueno Aires, ARG, was stopped by Jamal “Shango” James, 22-1 (10), Minneapolis, MN, at 2:12 of the third round.

In the first round there was no feeling out with both fighters throwing bombs. The taller James used a good jab while backing up. Chaves was coming forward landing with both hands. In the second round Chaves landed a double left hook making James holding on. With a minute left in the round James finally landed a big right to the head of Chaves. Chaves comes back with left hooks to the body of James.

In the third round the shorter Chaves jumped into James landing a left hook to the chin. James was using a good jab backing Chaves up. James landed five rights to the head of Chaves ending it with a vicious left hook to the mid-section dropping Chaves for the count.

John “The Gladiator” Molina, Jr., 30-7-3 (24), of Covina, CA, came back from a knockdown to stop Ukranian southpaw Ivan Redkach, 23-2 (16), of L.A., CA, at 1:27 of the fourth round.

In the first round Molina moved forward but hardly threw a punch with the southpaw Redkach outworking him. It was halfway through the round before Molina threw a right but missed hitting the ropes. Redkach landed a good left to the chin shortly afterwards. At the end of the round Molina hit Redkach on the left shoulder and Redkach went down but referee Eddie Hernandez, Sr. called it a slip. In the second round Molina got more accurate but Redkach got the better of it. In less than a minute left in the round Redkach dropped Molina after a dozen punches with only one coming back from Molina with Redkach landing a left followed by a right to the chin.

In the third round Redkach landed a straight left to the chin of Molina making him hold on. Molina was throwing wide punches hitting air. Suddenly Molina feinted several rights and threw one on the chin of Redkach dropping him knocking his mouthpiece out. Referee Hernandez tried putting the mouthpiece back in but the corner wouldn’t come up so Hernandez put it in. It gave Redkach some time to re-coup. Molina jumped on him landed wild wide punches that Redkach didn’t seem to be able to duck. In the fourth round Molina came out firing hurting Redkach with one right hand after another to the head. Redkach tried fighting back but was overwhelmed by Molina right hands. A left drove Redkach into the referee and down he went. The referee waved it off.

It was a slugfest with Molina showing his age at 35 but Redkach couldn’t match him with his power.

Super welterweight Nigerian Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso, 27-3 (21), of Oxnard, CA, won a hard fought decision over Freddy “The Rail” Hernandez, 34-9 (22), of Mexico City, MEX, over 10 rounds.

In the first round both boxers were using their jabs while Omotoso was missing with right hands. Shortly afterwards he was landing a left hook to the chin of Hernandez. In the second round after several misses with his right Omotoso landed one on the chin of Hernandez. Hernandez was landing with the jab until an Omotoso left hook to the chin of Hernandez. Hernandez landed a solid left hook to the chin of Omotoso. Then Hernandez pinned Omotoso in the corner landing well until Omotoso knocked out Hernandez’s mouthpiece with a left hook to the chin. It was a very close round.

In the third round Hernandez landed a solid straight right to the chin of Omotoso. After a clash of heads referee Jack Reiss checked both boxers. Omotoso went after Hernandez landing several right hands to the head. In the fourth round Omotoso being the smaller of the two had been counter punching which wasn’t his normal aggressive style. When he did come forward he did much better. Hernandez had some swelling near the left eye at the end of the round.

In the fifth round Hernandez was still the aggressor using his jab at all times. Omotoso needed to pick up his offense in the round. With less than a minute to go Hernandez was landing well backing Omotoso into a corner with no return punching. Halfway through the round it was close with Hernandez possibly holding an edge. In the sixth round Omotoso came out firing and backing Hernandez up in the first half of the round. With about a minute left in the round both boxers landed right hands to each others head. Hernandez landed a good right cross to the head of Omotoso who landed the final punch of the round a left hook to the chin.

In the seventh round the action began to pick up with Hernandez landing long rights over a good jab. Omotoso was landing with left hooks and throwing more in the past two rounds. In the eighth round Hernandez was doubling up on his jab and landed a good left uppercut to the chin of Omotoso. A left followed by a right from Omotoso had Hernandez hurt falling back and holding on when Omotoso moved in. It was a big round for Omotoso in the second half. At the end of the round Hernandez seemed confused thinking it was an eight round bout not a ten.

In the ninth round both were mixing it up good with Omotoso having an edge. Near the end of the round Omotoso accidently clashed heads with Hernandez who came out of it with a cut on the outside of his left eye. In the tenth and final round Hernandez may have sensed he was behind throwing long rights to the head of Omotoso. The fight was mostly all head punches from both.

It was a somewhat sloppy fight with neither boxer looking to be a threat to any of the champions in the super welterweight division.

Judges scores were 100-90, 97-93 and 96-94 same as this writers.

Posted on 04/21/2017

Top Rank PPV Preview: Jessie Magdaleno vs. Adeilson Dos Santos, Gilberto Ramirez vs. Max Bursak, Oscar Valdez vs. Miguel Marriaga
By: William Holmes

Bob Arum’s “three amigos”; Oscar Valdez, Gilberto Ramirez, and Jessie Magdaleno will compete on Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson California on Pay Per View (PPV). This PPV will be produced and distributed by Top Rank Promotions without the assistance of HBO or Showtime.

These three Mexican boxers have been training together in Carson, California in preparation for this bout and are ready to defend their titles. Also appearing on the undercard will be US Olympian Shakur Stevenson and Ukranian Olympian Fazliddin Gaibnazarov.

The following is a preview of the three televised title bouts.

Jessie Magdaleno (24-0) vs. Adeilson Dos Santos (18-2); WBO Junior Featherweight Title

The first title bout of the night will be between Jessie Magdaleno and Brazilian boxer Adeilson Dos Santos.

Magdaleno has a deep amateur background and was the 2009 US National Champ as an amateur and a National Golden Gloves Champion. Dos Santos has no notable amateur background.

Dos Santos will have about a four inch height advantage and is the same age as Magdaleno. However, Magdaleno has seventeen stoppage wins on his resume while Dos Santos has fourteen stoppage wins, but was also stopped once.

Both boxers have been semi active in the past two years. Magdaleno fought two times in 2016 and three times in 2015 while Dos Santos fought three times in 2016 and twice in 2015. Magdaleno has never tasted defeated while Dos Santos has gone 4-2 in his past six fights.

Magdaleno has beaten the likes of Nonito Donaire, Rey Perez, Erik Ruiz, and Roberto Castaneda. Dos Santos has no big name wins, and his biggest wins to date have come against opponents such as Devis Perez and Marcos Martinez. Dos Santos has lost to Fabian Oscar Orozco and Kid Galahad.

Dos Santos’ resume is void of big name opponents and his two losses came against fighters that are not considered by most to be world class boxers. He went outside of Brazil to fight twice, and went 1-1 in those bouts.

Magdaleno really let the boxing world he’s the real deal with his impressive victory over Nonito Donaire and has the potential to land some more big name fights in the near future. Dos Santos is an opponent who had success in Brazil, but little success either as an amateur or a professional outside of Brazil.

This should be an easy bout for Magdaleno and it shouldn’t be a competitive fight.

Gilberto Ramirez (34-0) vs. Max Bursak (33-4-1); WBO Super Middleweight Title

Gilberto Ramirez is considered by many to be the next Mexican boxer. Ramirez, who turned pro at the age of eighteen, is the current WBO Super Middleweight Champion. His opponent, Max Bursak, has fought several high profile boxers and is a rugged veteran.
Ramirez will be seven years younger than his opponent and will have two and a half inch height advantage as well as a four inch reach advantage. He also has the power advantage as he has twenty four stoppage wins while Bursak only has fifteen stoppage wins.

Ramirez only fought once in 2016 due to an injury and fought three times in 2015. Bursak fought once in 2016 and three times in 2015. Bursak fights out of an orthodox stance while Ramirez fights as a southpaw.

Neither boxer has a notable amateur background, but Ramirez already has the better resume as a professional.

Ramirez has never tasted defeat and has beaten the likes of Arthur Abraham, Gevorg Khatchikian, Derek Edwards, Maksim Vlasov, Junior Talipeau, and Giovanni Lorenzo. Bursak has defeated the likes of Nick Blackwell and Brian Vera. His losses were to Zac Dunn, Martin Murray, Jarrod Fletcher, and Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam.

This is another bout on this pay per view that shouldn’t be very competitive. Ramirez should beat the elder Bursak easily.

The bigger question is who will Ramirez face next? Arthur Abraham has already indicated that he wants a rematch, and fellow Top Rank Boxer Jesse “Hard Work” Hart has also called out Ramirez.

Oscar Valdez (21-0) vs. Miguel Marriaga (25-1); WBO Featherweight Title

On paper, this appears to be the best and most competitive fight of the night.

Oscar Valdez is an extremely talented boxer with a high level ceiling. He has a deep amateur background and represented Mexico in the 2012 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 2009 World Amateur Championships. His opponent, Miguel Marriaga, has no notable amateur background.

Valdez is four years younger than Marriaga but will be giving up about two and a half inches in height and one inch in reach. Both boxers have considerable power in their hands. Marriaga has twenty one knockouts on his resume while Valdez has nineteen. Three of the past five opponents of Marriaga failed to make it to the distance while Valdez is currently riding a win streak of five wins by stoppage.

Both boxers have been fairly active the past two years. Valdez fought three times in 2016 and four times in 2015 while Marriaga fought three times in 2016 and three times in 2015.

Valdez has never been beaten and has defeated the likes of Hiroshige Osawa, Matias Carlos Adrian Rueda, Evgeny Gradovich, Chris Avalos, and Ruben Tamayo. Marriaga’s lone loss was by decision to Nicholas Walters, he has defeated the likes of Eduardo Montoya, Guy Robb, and Christopher Martin.

Oscar Valdez is a joy to watch and this Saturday should be no different. On paper it’s the most competitive fight of the night, but in the ring Valdez should blow out his opponent just like the other two Mexican boxers on the televised card are expected to do.

Posted on 11/09/2016

What we learned from Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas
By: Kirk Jackson

As expected, Manny Pacquiao 59-6-2 (38 KO’s) soundly defeated former WBO Welterweight Champion Jessie Vargas 27-2 (10 KO’s), capturing the WBO title for a third time.

The result was not a surprise. Pacquiao is still one of the best fighters in the world, proving this by defeating a top pound for pound fighter, Timothy Bradley 33-2-1 (13 KO’s) earlier this year. Although the results against Vargas were expected, we learned a few things in the process.

We learned the validity of Pacquiao’s star power is questionable.

The polarizing star that was Manny Pacquiao since simmered due to the sound defeat by the hands of retired rival, Floyd Mayweather 49-0 (26 KO’s).

Was Pacquiao’s popularity and commercial success is stemmed from his association with Mayweather’s name? Has his social stances and involvement in politics played a factor?

Whether the decline of popularity stems from the backlash of his derogatory comments about homosexuals, the myriad of excuses as a result of losing to Mayweather, or what some would consider lack luster performances against Mayweather and Bradley, it appears the star power is no longer there.

Pay-per-view numbers are down, attendance is down and the fans do not want to see these match-ups. Pacquiao-Bradley 3 was not on the wish list, nor was Pacquiao vs. Vargas.

Speaking of Pacquiao vs. Vargas, the event itself was lackluster; not too many casual fans even knew about the fight. HBO, the home network for Pacquiao dating back more than 10 years, wanted nothing to do with this fight and for good reason.

The bout was advertised as The Legend (Pacquiao) vs. The Champion (Vargas), speed (Pacquiao) vs. power (Vargas), the recently retired, future Hall of Famer returning one more time to take on the surging star, seeking to cement his placement and legacy among the boxing landscape.

We learned this was nothing more than another mismatch; a trend we’ve witnessed many times from Bob Arum when match-making for Pacquiao. Think Chris Algieri and Brandon Rios. Rios, Algieri, and Vargas are by no means bad fighters. They are clearly not on the same tier as Pacquiao.

With this recent match-up, clearly we have a case of false advertisement. Vargas and the term “power” do not necessarily belong in the same sentence; he boasted a whooping knockout rate of 35 percent entering his fight against Pacquiao.

Real power would be Pacquiao versus Keith Thurman 27-0 (22 KO’s), or Danny Garcia 32-0 (18 KO’s), or Shawn Porter 26-2-1 (16 KO’s) or even Errol Spence 21-0 (18 KO’s).

These matches mind you, are now an open possibility now that boxing lords Bob Arum and Al Haymon have seemingly established a temporary truce and they handle all of the fighters mentioned.

Against Vargas, Pacman held the advantages of speed, power, skill, experience; every variable imaginable. There was a longer layoff between fights for Vargas compared to Pacquiao, and Pacquiao is supposed to be the “retired” fighter.

The other potential match-ups for Pacquiao mentioned however, present a different story and a different series of problems compared to Vargas.

We learned The Senator from the Philippines is still a pretty good boxer and should not quit his day job.

No he is not the fighter he once was at age 28. But the hand speed is still there, the fluidity of feet, his movement is there, punching power is still present, along with his ability to overwhelm opponents with his experience and ring intelligence as opposed to relying on the punch output of his younger years.

Obviously as a fighter ages he physically declines to an extent, but he can make up for those minor deficiencies with his intelligence. Speaking of intelligence…

We learned Stephen A Smith should not do commentary for boxing events. Ever. As talented and intelligent as Mr. Smith is, boxing is not his strong suit.

He even had the audacity to argue back and forth with fellow play by play commentator, former world champion, Timothy Bradley.

Incorrectly addressing Guillermo Rigondeaux the “Ax Man,” a moniker reserved for Nicholas Walters, improper timing, inaccurate analysis of the fights generally speaking, Smith appeared out of place.
We learned Pacquiao never retired.

It’s difficult to imagine Pacquiao actually retired in April, only to return in November. That is about as believable as the mystical healing properties of the ocean healing Pacquiao’s shoulder injuries as he claimed last year.

There’s much to speculate about regarding why Pacquiao continues to fight. He is a senator and holding a seat in political office is a full-time job.

So why continue to fight? Especially when you’ve conquered the sport a few times over, winning multiple world titles across several weight classes.

What else is there to prove? Is Pacquiao seeking redemption? Or is he seeking redemption, along with an extravagant amount of money? Speaking of which…

We learned this was an audition for a rematch against Mayweather.

Why else was the “retired” Mayweather in attendance? Be hard pressed to believe he was there solely to support his former fighter Jessie Vargas.

It’s fair to suggest, Floyd “Money” Mayweather loves money and would capitalize on an opportunity to reel in a ton of it. Coincidentally, so does Pacquiao and Arum.

A rematch featuring Pacquiao and Mayweather would generate hundreds of millions. Much to the chagrin of another interested spectator in attendance of Pacquiao’s last fight, Terence Crawford 29-0 (20 KO’s), who would love a piece of the Pacquiao pie.

Crawford, the two division world champion, 2014 Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the year recipient, would love nothing more than to capitalize on an opportunity to fight Pacquiao.

Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre, wants the same and constantly expresses confidence his fighter will defeat Pacquiao if the two ever meet, which appears unlikely any time in the near future.

But as the days pass, manifest destiny becomes ever so clear.

Mayweather recently had a sparring session, came to watch Pacquiao fight, Pacquiao winked at Mayweather in route to comprehensively defeating his opponent who stood no real chance of winning; the stars are aligning ladies and gentlemen.

The shoulder injury and drama to follow their encounter in May of 2015, left the door open for a rematch. This is something all parties involved wanted. Because who can pass up all that money?

No matter how many the fans complain, people will pay to see Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. And it’s a decision that actually makes the most sense for Pacquiao.

The only thing he can lose is the match. Another potential loss against Mayweather will not negatively impact his legacy, while a win can only boost his legacy. A win against Mayweather trumps any significance a win from gathered against Spence, Thurman, Garcia or Porter.

We learned this is a serious discussion regarding the two. Money talks and more than likely, we can anticipate seeing Manny Pacquiao in the ring for the foreseeable future.

Posted on 11/06/2016

Top Rank PPV Round by Round Results: Manny Pacquiao Wins by Clear Decision Over Jessie Vargas
By: William Holmes

Manny Pacquiao (58-6-2) met Jessie Vargas (27-1) in the main event of tonight’s Pay Per View Card for the WBO World Welterweight Title.

Photo Credit

In a bit of a surprise, Floyd Mayweather Jr. attended the fight and took his seat before the start of the main event right behind the announce crew.

The Mexican National Anthem and United States National Anthem was performed by Bridget Gonzalez. The Filipino National Anthem was performed by the Word Choir.

The challenger, Manny Pacquiao entered the ring first to a loud chorus of cheers. Jessie Vargas entered second and was met with a mixture of cheers and boos.

Michael Buffer served as tonight’s announcer, Kenny Bayless was the referee, and the three judges were Glenn Feldman, Dave Moretti, and Glenn Trowbridge.

The following is a round by round recap of tonight’s main event.

Round 1:

Pacquiao and Vargas meet in the center of the ring and Vargas has a big height advantage on Pacquiao. Pacquiao showing good head movement early on. Vargas with a quick jab. Vargas lands another short jab followed by a right cross to the body. Vargas lands a check left hook. Vargas barely misses with a right cross. Pacquiao lands a short left cross. Pacquiao misses with a left cross and Vargas misses with his counter. Vargas misses with a right cross. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand that was partially blocked by Vargas. Pacquiao misses with a jab and Vargas ducks under it. Pacquiao rushes in and misses with a two punch combination.

10-9 Vargas

Round 2:

Pacquiao lands a short jab, Vargas misses with his. Pacquiao connects with his straight left hand. Vargas misses to the body and a two punch combination. Vargas misses with a jab to the body. Pacquiao lands a right jab. Pacquiao throws a left cross to the body. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand to the chin. Good jab by Vargas. Vargas misses to the head and lands a low blow. Pacquiao with a three punch counter combination. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand and puts Vargas on his butt. Pacquiao lands another straight left hand when Vargas gets back to his feet.

10-8 Pacquiao; 19-17 Pacquiao

Round 3:

Pacquiao showing good head movement again. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand and follows it with two jabs. Vargas lands a good right hand to the head of Pacquiao. Two straight left hands from Pacquiao followed by a two punch combination. Vargas sneaks a right hand past the guard of Pacquiao. Pacquiao lands a two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a good left hand on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a good right hook followed by a sharp jab. Pacquiao ducks under a hook by Vargas and then gets hit with another low blow. Vargas slips and touches the mat with his glove. Good right hand by Vargas.

10-9 Pacquiao; 29-26 Pacquiao

Round 4:

Pacquiao bangs two jabs off the gloves of Vargas. Vargas lands a quick jab. Vargas lands another jab. Pacquiao misses with a two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a good straight left hand. Pacquiao lands another two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a lead left hand. Pacquiao lands another straight left but takes a hard straight right hand from Vargas. Pacquiao is stalking Vargas and lands a lead straight left hand. Pacquiao misses with a two punch combination. Quick straight left hand by Pacquiao, Vargas responds with a straight right hand.

10-9 Vargas; 38-36 Pacquiao

Round 5:

Pacquiao with a short quick jab on Vargas. Pacquiao misses with a straight left. They exchange and land jabs. Pacquiao lands a hard lead left cross to the head of Vargas. Vargas’ right side of his face is starting to swell. Pacquiao lands a cross to the body. Vargas misses a sweeping right hook. Vargas’ jabs are pretty crisp. Pacquiao lands a short left and Vargas responds with a right cross. Pacquiao lands a left to the temple of Vargas. Vargas misses with a combination and Pacquiao lands a counter left. Close round.

10-9 Vargas; 47-46 Pacquiao

Round 6:

Vargas looks like he is getting more confident. Pacquiao lands a short jab. Good straight left hand by Pacquiao. Good straight right hand by Vargas on Pacquiao’s nose. Pacquiao throws a double jab but misses. Vargas lands two straight right hands in a row. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand. Vargas lands another good right hand. Pacquiao rushes in and connects with another straight left on the right eye of Vargas. Pacquiao lands a shot to the body and Vargas responds with a combination. Pacquiao with another straight left hand, but Vargas answers with a good jab. Good straight lead left by Pacquiao, Vargas lands a good straight right hand.

10-9 Vargas; 56-56

Round 7:

Vargas lands a jab and Pacquiao answers with a straight left hand. Pacquiao is stalking Vargas. Good right jab by Pacquiao. Pacquiao with a hard jab followed by another jab on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a left hook on Vargas. Good two punch combination by Pacquiao. Pacquiao lands another jab on Vargas. Vargas is warned to keep his punches up. Vargags is short with his jab. Left hook partially blocked by Pacquiao. Pacquiao misses with a straight right jab but connects with a follow up jab.

10-9 Pacquiao; 66-65 Pacquiao.

Round 8:

Pacquiao showing good head movement. Pacquiao lands a jab. Vargas and Pacquiao not throwing a whole lot in the first minute. Pacquiao lands a jab but Vargas ducks under a follow up left hook. Vargas lands a jab and right cross to the body. Pacquiao lands a short left cross. Pacquiao lands a counter straight left hand. Pacquiao lands a good right jab and Vargas responds with a straight right hand. Pacquiao lands a right hook on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a two punch combination on Vargas. Pacquiao lands another straight left. Vargas connects with a jab. Vargas is bleeding badly. Pacquiao lands a short left hand followed by a good jab. Good action round.

10-9 Pacquiao; 76-74 Pacquiao.

Round 9:

Pacquiao is still pressing the action. Pacquiao lands a straight lead left hand on Vargas. Clash of heads when Pacquiao moves forward. Pacquiao lands a reaching right jab. They both land right hands at the same time, but Pacquiao lands a good straight left hand afterwards. Another clash of heads by the boxers. Vargas lands two jabs. Pacquiao lands a good lead left hand. Pacquiao connects with a hard right jab. Pacquiao connects with a check right hook. Vargas connects with two straight right hands. Pacquiao connects with another lead left hand.

10-9 Pacquiao; 86-83 Pacquiao

Round 10:

The cut over Vargas’ eye was ruled from a punch. Vargas lands two shots to the body. Pacquiao lands a three punch combination followed by a short uppercut. Pacquiao with a left hook and a jab on Vargas. Pacquiao has a lot of energy still. Pacquiao with a good straight left on Vargas. Pacquiao lands two good right hands on Vargas and Vargas smiles after getting tagged. Good exchange with both boxers landing punches. Vargas barely misses with a right hand. Pacquiao lands a jab and Vargas answers with a hook. Pacquiao lands a lead straight left hand. Pacquiao with another lead stragith left hand.

10-9 Pacquiao; 96-92 Pacquiao

Round 11:

Vargas opens up the eleventh round with a lead left hand and follows it with a hard jab and a two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a good jab. Vargas lands a good right cross counter. Vargas connects with two jabs and a straight right hand. Pacquiao misses with two jabs. Pacquiao lands a left hand and Vargas connects with a good straight right hand. Pacquiao lands a short left hand on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a right hook and Vargas touches the mat, but the referee rules it a slip.

10-9 Pacquiao; 106-101 Pacquiao.

Round 12:

Vargas probably needs a knockout to win. Pacquiao’s fans are chanting loudly for him. Pacquiao with a good jab on Vargas. Pacquiao dodges a combo by Vargas and answers with a combination. Hard straight left by Pacquiao. Vargas lands a body shot, and Vargas makes him pay with a short left uppercut. Pacquiao with a three punch combination and turns Vargas. Vargas with a straight right to the body of Pacquiao. Pacquiao lands a good right hook on Vargas. Pacquiao is very accurate this round. Vargas lands a left but the referee rules it a slip again.

10-9 Pacquiao; 116-110 Pacquiao.

The official scores were 114-113, 118-109, 118-109 for Manny Pacquiao.

Posted on 11/05/2016

Top Rank PPV Undercard Results: Shiming and Valdez Victorious, Magdaleno Defeats Donaire
By: William Holmes

Top Rank Promotions televised three world title fights on their self-distributed pay per view live from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Three Asian boxers competed on the undercard, and two time Olympic Gold Medalist Zou Shiming (8-1) opened up tonight’s card in WBO World Flyweight Title fight against Prasitsak Phaprom (39-1-2).
This match was rematch from November 23, 2014 when Shiming defeated Phaprom. Phaprom has since won twelve fights in a row.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Shiming was active with his jab in the first round and looked like he was sitting on his punches more than earlier fights. Phaprom’s right eye was swollen by the end of the round.
Phaprom dominated the second round with quick combinations and connected with a short right hook to the chin that sent Phaprom down. Shiming’s timing was on pont in the third round and was picking Phaprom apart with jabs in the fourth round.

Shiming’s accurate pop shotting continued in the fifth and sixth rounds. Phaprom’s frustration was showing in the sixth round as he pointed to his chin to egg him on, and Shiming responded in kind by cracking Phaprom in the chin.
Shiming controlled the pace and distance in the seventh and eighth rounds and his punches were noticeably moving the head of Phaprom. Phaprom was rocked in the eighth round by Shiming and slipped to the mat after missing wildly.

Shiming displayed good footwork in the ninth round, but slipped twice to the mat. Phaprom looked close to going to the mat in the tenth round, but he was able to stay on his feet. Phaprom had a cut near his right eye at the end of the eleventh round and looked like he had no chance at wining the bout.

Phaprom needed a knockout in the last round, but never came close to knocking him down.

The final scores were 120-107, 120-107, and 119-108 for Zou Shiming.

The next bout of the night was between the Filipino Flash, Nonito Donaire (37-3) and Jessie Magdaleno (23-0) for the WBO World Junior Featherweight Title.

The first round was a feeling out a round and didn’t feature much action, but the fight picked up in the second round as Magdaleno and Donaire started to freely exchange, but Magdaleno was the more accurate puncher and was the first to throw his combinations.

Donaire’s came back strong in the third round and was the aggressor. Donaire’s check left hook was finding it’s target. Magdaleno suffered a cut in the fourth round but it was ruled from a head butt, and it was noticeably affecting the vision of Magdaleno.

Donaire looked good in the fifth round and was more aggressive and landed solid combinations, but Magdaleno switched to a southpaw stance in the sixth round and was effective with his lead right hooks.

Donaire focused more to the body in the seventh round and re-established control, but Magdaleno retook control of the fight in the eighth round with crisp counter right hands and lead straight left hands to the head of Donaire. Donaire’s left eye was starting to show signs of swelling.

Magdaleno had Donaire hurt badly in the ninth round after he cracked Donaire with a check right hook with his back to the ropes. He had Donaire fighting defensively in the final minute of the ninth round and looked like Donaire was close to getting stopped.

Donaire opened up the tenth round with a hard left hand that had Magdaleno hurt and backing up in the opening minute. Both boxers connected with hard check hooks, but Donaire’s right hand was finding it’s target.

The fight was too close to call for either boxer in the final round, but Donaire landed the best punch of the round with a hard straight right hand that got the crowd’s reaction and he may have busted Magdaleno’s nose in the final round.

The final scores were 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110 for Jessie Magdaleno.

Oscar Valdez (20-0) and Hiroshiga Osawa (30-3-4) for the final fight on the undercard for the WBO World Featherweight Title.

Both boxers fought out of an orthodox stance, and Osawa was a little wild early on. Valdez sat on his body punches on the opening round and established himself as the more powerful boxer early on.

Valdez was sharp with his jabs in the second round and had Osawa rocked with hard left hooks in the second round. Osawa looked like he was close to going down in the final minute of the round.

Valdez landed some bombs in the third round with both his left and right hands, but Osawa was taking the shots well.

Valdez landed a crisp left hook to Osawa’s chin in the fourth round and sent him to the mat suddenly. Valdez landed several hard right hands when Osawa got back to his feet, but Osawa somehow survived the round.
Valdez obliterated Osawa in the fifth and sixth rounds and barely got hit with any punches.

Valdez wobbled Osawa in the eighth round with a hard left hook and jumped on him with combinations by the corner. Osawa didn’t return any punches and the referee jumped in and stopped the fight.

Oscar Valdez wins by TKO at 1:50 of the seventh round.