Tag Archives: linares

Posted on 02/26/2020

By: Hans Themistode

It was the worst kept secret in boxing, but undefeated Lightweight contender Ryan Garcia will make a huge step up in class as he takes on former three division champion Jorge Linares. In terms of who broke the news, it was none other than Ryan Garcia himself. 

“Jorge Linares is my next fight on July 11 at the Staples Center,” said Ryan Garcia on social media in announcing his next fight. “Share it with your friends. Support me on my journey and quest to shock the world.”

Although Garcia is correct in terms of who his next opponent will be, the actual fight will more than likely fall on another date as the Staples is currently completely booked on July 11th.

As previously mentioned, Linares will represent the best opponent that Garcia has ever stepped inside of the ring with. The now 21 year old Garcia has been progressing through his career at a slow but consistent rate. Facing slightly better opposition each and every time he has stepped foot inside of the ring. 

Since joining trainer Eddy Reynoso, who is best known for his work with pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez, Garcia has looked like an entirely different fighter. The pair have strung together four straight knockout wins. Including the last two coming in the very first round. 

Garcia (21-0, 17 KOs) has been very good throughout his career, but the now 34 year old Jorge Linares has been great. 

It wasn’t that long ago that the former three division world champion went undefeated for six straight years. During that run, he defeated a long list of contenders including Kevin Mitchell and Luke Campbell while also defeating former champion Anthony Crolla. 

For all the skills that Linares has put on display throughout his career, he has always been viewed as a bit of an underachiever. Yet, his 2018 contest against Vasiliy Lomachenko, the man many believe is the best fighter in the world, put an end to that storyline. 

Linares gave Lomachenko what many believe was the toughest fight of his career. He may have come out on the losing end of it, but his stock soared. 

After a failed jump up to the Super Lightweight division, Linares has picked up two quality wins and now looks to add Garcia to his potential hall of fame resume. 

Many would consider this a difficult fight for both men. And since Linares is 34 and seemingly out of his prime, all signs point to Garcia pulling off the victory. Well, after the statement that Linares made just a few months ago, you might want to rethink that.

“This time how many round you can do?” Said Linares on his social media account a few months ago. “Because I remember that you could only do some round when we sparred. And can you win 3 world belts? You have to stop talking so much and fight.”

It seems as though Garcia has decided to take the advice of Linares to stop talking and simply fight.

Posted on 02/14/2020

“There will be blood,” the LA Times quotes 19-0 Ryan Garcia as saying in the leadup to Friday’s fight against the 25-2-2 Francisco Fonseca. Garcia is clearly a fighter on the rise, one Golden Boy Promotions hopes to showcase for maximum benefit. Just 21 years old, the youthful looking Garcia takes extremely well to media attention and is gunning to be one of the next big names in boxing. His match against Fonseca will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service and will go down at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. A huge Instagram star with 5 million followers, Garcia is a fighter who can potentially bring a lot of eyeballs to the sport.

Before being coronated as the next big thing, however, the Los Angeles native will have to get past the 25 year old Fonseca, of Managua, Nicaragua.  Although he doesn’t have Garcia’s high knockout ratio, Fonseca has only lost to two of the more notable names in the business – Gervonta Davis, and Tevin Farmer, respectively. Stopping Garcia dead in his tracks on the road to stardom would definitely do wonders for Fonseca’s own career, something the close to thirty fight veteran is clearly aware of.

The Garcia-Fonseca match will be for Garcia’s WBC silver world lightweight title.

Former world lightweight titlist Jorge Linares will also be featured on the card. The 46-5 Venezuelan will be facing the 19-4-4 Carlos Morales. At 34 years of age, Linares – who once dropped Vasyl Lomachneko in a match Lomachenko eventually won – clearly wants to show that he’s still a top player in the game. Should he win, a fight with Garcia might be in Linares’ future. Morales, on the other hand, is looking at the chance of a lifetime. Should he beat the well regarded Linares, the 30 year old known as “The Solution” might find himself on a career upswing after fighting Mercito Gesta to a draw last November.

Rising welterweight Alexis Rocha will appear on Friday’s card, as well. The 15-0 Irvine, California native will be facing 28-2 veteran Brad Solomon. At 36 years of age, Solomon has a  chance to turn some heads if he beats the 22 year old climber Rocha. The fact that Solomon’s last fight saw him losing to Vergil Ortiz by knockout would make an upset win on Friday even more impressive. With that in mind, it’s Rocha who is currently being guided through the ranks in the hopes of the southpaw eventually reaching the pinnacle of the game.

Rocha-Solomon is scheduled for 10 rounds. Garcia-Fonseca, and Linares-Morales are scheduled for 12. 

Posted on 01/19/2019

By: Sean Crose

New York native Amanda Serrano made an enormous splash at the Theater at Madison Square Garden Friday night as she won her 7th – that’s 7th – world title in stunning fashion, stopping Eva Voraberger within seconds of the first round of their title bout with a tremendous body shot. By besting Austria’s 24-5 Voraburger within 35 seconds, the 36-1-1 Serrano earned herself the WBO super flyweight title. A high profile bout with the undefeated Katie Taylor may be in Serrano’s future.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

Chris Algieri stepped into the ring next to face former sparring partner Daniel Gonzalez. Since New York’s Algieri was essentially fighting on his home turf, it was easy to consider the match not much more than a tuneup walking in. Gonzalez held his own, however. What’s more, the 23-3 Algieri looked like, at 34, he had aged a bit. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Algieri earned a unanimous decision win against the 17-1-1 Gonzalez. Surprisingly, some in the crowd booed at the decision.

Next up was Irish/Australian IBF junior featherweight champ, the 20-0 TJ Doheny. His opponent was the 16-3-1 Ryohei Takahashi of Japan. Takahashi took the fight on a few weeks notice, and looked outclassed by his stronger, sharper punching foe. In the third, Doheny sent his man to the mat. Takahashi got up, but Doheny continued to land powerfully and essentially dominated. Referee Michael Ortega stopped the fight in the twelfth while Takahashi was receiving punishment.

In the co-main, Jorge Linares, 45-4, fought Pablo Cesar Cano, 31-7-1, in a scheduled 12 round super lightweight affair. A Cano right hand took Linares down in the first. Linares got up – and then went down again later in the round. He went down once more, got up once more, and took more punishment. The referee wisely stopped the fight. It was a stunning upset and a brief, brilliant performance from an impressive ring veteran.

It was time for the main event. The 26-0 Demetrius Andrade stepped into the ring to defend his WBO middleweight title against the 19-2 Artur Akavov. Andrade looked like his athletic, sharp self in the first, dominating the tempo and landing effectively. The second round was a close affair, though Andrade seemed to have edged it. The third round was close, as well, with Akavov catching Andrade with a quick uppercut.

Andrade came around at the very end of the fourth, but it was proving to be a close fight, with Andrade’s skill and Akavov’s awkwardness playing well off one another. Andrade’s jab told the story in the fifth, as it was becoming clear that Akavov couldn’t land cleanly or often on his man. The sixth saw Akavov unable to get in range. By the seventh, things had become completely one sided, with Akavov simply looking outclassed and perhaps a bit wiped out. Andrade continued his pattern of hitting and not getting hit in the eighth.

Akavov actually had a few moments in the ninth where he looked to be starting to dominate. Andrade, however, was able to keep his range. Akavov did so little in the tenth, that one had to wonder if he’d actually make the final bell. The eleventh was more target practice for Andrade, who seemed to want to stop his helpless foe, but simply may not have had the power to at middleweight. However, with Andrade banging away at his man, the fight was stopped by the referee late in the twelfth. The fans and the DAZN broadcast team seemed unhappy and perplexed, but referee Arthur Mercante was clearly willing to err on the side of caution.

“You put GGG in front of me,” said Andrade after the win, “I’m gonna destroy him.”

Posted on 01/18/2019

By: Michael Kane

It’s Friday night fight night this week as WBO middleweight champion Demetrious ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade makes the first defence of his title when he takes on Artur Akavov (19-2, 8 KOs).

Andrade won the belt by beating Walter Kautondokwa for the vacant title after champion Billy Joe Saunders vacated due to facing a ban for an adverse drug test.

The 30 year old Andrade (26-0, 16 KOs) will be looking to put on a show at the Madison Square Garden Theater on a card that features several title bouts.

The 33 year old Russian, Akavov, beat Gonzalo Gaston Coria by unanimous decision in May 2018. He is a former WBO European champion and has faced former champ Billy Joe Saunders, falling to an unanimous decision defeat in 2016.

Andrade will be looking to put on a good performance to open up the chance of unifying the division against the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Rob Brant and Daniel Jacobs.

Irishman TJ Doheny (20-0, 14 KOs) defends his IBF super bantamweight title when he takes on Japan’s Ryohei Takahashi (16-3-1, 6 KOs).

This will be Doheny’s first defence having won the belt in August last year by unanimous decision against Takahashi’s compatriot, Ryosuke Iwasa.

Takahashi is on a 5 fight win streak which includes winning the IBF Pan Pacific super bantamweight title.

The third world title fight on the card will see Amanda Serrano (35-1-1, 26 KOs) bid to become world champion in a 7th weight class. Serrano will face Era Voraberger (24-5, 11 KOs) for the vacant WBO super flyweight title. The Austrian, Voraberger has also won a couple of titles at different weight classes.

Also on the card, and likely to be chief support to the main event is the ever popular Jorge Linares (45-4, 28 KOs) who is on the trail of another world title shot. Linares takes on Mexican Pablo Cesar Cano (31-7, 21 KOs). Both men will be fighting for Cano’s WBC International Silver title.

Another former world champion Chris Algieri (22-3, 8 KOs) faces Daniel Gonzalez (17-1, 7 KOs) on the card.

The event will be shown live on DAZN in the U.S and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Posted on 01/17/2019

By: Henry Deleon

On Friday January 18th there is going to be an exciting night of boxing at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden. Demetrius Andrade vs. Artur Akavov for Andrade’s WBO middleweight title will headline the show. Also on the card will be the sensational Jorge Linares as he will be taking on Pablo Cesar Cano in a 10 round Junior welterweight bout. Linares last fight at Madison square Garden was against Vasyl Lomachenko in where they both put on an outstanding performance.

During the final Andrade/Akavov Press Conference at the Dream Hotel in NYC Boxing insider had the honor of catching up with Jorge Linares head trainer Jorge Zerpa.

Boxing Insider- Jorge, how are you?

Jorge Zerpa – I’m doing well. Very excited to be here. it’s my second time here in NY. I find the city so impressive. This city with the sky scrapers is so beautiful, the people here we’ve encountered even are great, everything’s been great!

Boxing insider – How do you see Linares for this fight?

Jorge Zerpa – We’ve had 3 months focused on this training camp, we’ve had sparring with 3 guys who have similar styles to Cano. One guy with velocity, the other guy who would come at him so Linares could work on moving around and not getting caught, and the other guy was someone who was able to withstand Linares punches. We did a good job on planning out this training camp. We hope come January 18th Linares feels reborn and that the fans end up in awe when they see him perform. Then maybe they would understand that Linares was just having a bad night when he faced Lomachencko last year.

Boxing insider – What do you think will be the key factors for victory for Linares?

Jorge Zerpa – In this fight he has come out and do what he does. He needs to be the technician that he is and try to do what we did in the gym in preparation for this fight.

Boxing Insider – In your opinion what could have Linares done differently in the Lomachenko fight last year to have come out victorious?

Jorge Zerpa – The first thing should have been planning out a well thought out training camp. Taking that plan to the gym, to the track and to the mountains. Then half way to the fight do a sufficiency test, in my country we call it Pre-combat, in where il see if he’s ready to fight, what he’s missing and see if we need to step it up in training or bring it down some. Once he surpasses all that I know he would of been ready and have his hand raised at the end of the fight.

Boxing Insider – What would you say stands out most of Linares as a fighter?

Jorge Zerpa – His responsibility. His hunger. If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t know he was a 4-time world champion. That’s how hungry he is. And most importantly he listens, he listens to whatever I tell him to do he never complains. So that’s good. Right now, he’s at weight, we had no problem making weight. Today all were going to do is just move around a bit more so he can eat and that’s it. We made weight and now we’re just waiting for January 18th to put on a show.

Boxing Insider – Let’s talk about a fantasy match up. Out of all the boxers in history who would you have liked to see Linares go up against?

Jorge Zerpa – With the work we have done in this training camp, Linares can go up against anybody! But let me take advantage of this opportunity and challenge Lomachenko and his team. Give us a rematch, and I can assure you this time around Lomachenko the outcome will be different you hear me? The world has seen the Canelo/ GGG rematch and now my country Venezuela and the rest of the world wants to see the rematch of Jorge Linares and Vasyl Lomachenko. Let’s make it happen.

Jorge Zerpa is veteran of the sport. He has had numerous champions under him including the late Venezuelan World Champion Edwin Valero. Jorge Zerpa looks to help Jorge Linares make a statement come Friday night when he takes on Pablo Cesar Cano in what will be an exciting night of boxing! You can also catch the fights live on DAZN January 18th 2019.

Posted on 09/30/2018

By: Michael Kane

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

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

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Boxing Twitter Account

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on 09/28/2018

By: Michael Kane

Jorge Linares, the former three weight world champion is jack in the ring this weekend.

Linares will face Abner Cotto as he moves to the light welterweight division after suffering defeat in his last lightweight fight when he lost his WBA and The Ring Magazine Titles to Vasyl Lomanchenko by KO in the 8th round, back in May.

Photo Credit: Jorge Linares Twitter Account

Although Linares, 33, lost to the highly rated Lomanchenko, he had put in a good performance and managed to drop Lomanchenko for the first time in his career.

Linares moves up to a light welterweight division that is packed with young hungry contenders and will be looking to make a statement against Cotto.

Cotto (23-3), from Puerto Rico, is on a five fight winning streak. He defeated Samuel Santana in his last outing, winning by TKO in the 4th round, for the vacant WBC FECARBOX Super Lightweight Title.

Cotto is a member of the famous Cotto family that has produced a world champion (Miguel) and multiple amateur champions.

Cotto has struggled when he has faced a high level opponent which undoubtedly Linares is. His three losses have come against Javier Fortuna, suffering a 6th round KO, Francisco Vargas, losing a unanimous decision and Omar Figureroa Jr defeated by 1st round KO.

Cotto’s biggest win is probably against former world title challenger Jerry Belmomtes in 2014 when he won a split decision.

With a fair amount of the division tied up with the upcoming World Boxing Super Series, Linares might find the big fights limited. Jose Ramirez is one champion that is not taking part in the tournament and this could make a mouth watering fight in the coming months.

“I feel very excited for this opportunity that this sport offers me,” Cotto said in the press release for the fight.

“I’m immensely grateful to my team and my promoters for bringing my career back to the highest. This is a sport where I have fallen but with the support of my family, my people and the commitment of my team, I have returned with much more desire to achieve the goal I have always dreamed of since I was 10 years old, which is to challenge for a world title.

“My promoter has placed all its trust in me, and I will work tirelessly to achieve the goals set.”

Linares said, ” I am coming back hungrier, than ever to demonstrate that I am still one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world.

“I want those big fights and the world has not seen the best of me. With my new trainer and my team, we will demonstrate that I am more than capable in taking over this new super lightweight division, against a notable opponent in Abner Cotto. This September 29, fans will see a determined Jorge Linares!”

With a stacked division with a lot of young hungry boxers, time will tell if Linares has made the correct decision in moving to light welterweight however he should have too much in his locker for Cotto.

Posted on 09/26/2018

Compiled By: William Holmes

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

Photo Credit: Gene Blevins-Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Jorge Linares Los Angeles Media Workout Quotes

Former three-division world champion Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares (44-4, 27 KOs) hosted a media workout at Westside Boxing Club today ahead of his 12-round bout against Abner “Pin” Cotto (23-3, 12 KOs) in the main event of the Sept. 29 edition of Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. “Ruthless” Romero Duno (17-1, 14 KOs), who will fight in the co-main event, also attended.

Here is what fighters from the Sept. 29 card had to say at the workout:

JORGE LINARES, Former Three-Division World Champion:

“I’ve prepared very well for this fight. I’m training with Jorge Zerpa for this fight. He isn’t a new trainer. In fact, we were together 11 years ago when I fought for my first world title against Oscar “El Chololo” Larios in Las Vegas. We’re working on a lot of things, but mostly we’ve been reviewing and going back to an old school style of training. I’m not changing my style, just adding some things. I had been thinking about moving to 140 pound for some time. When the opportunity to fight Lomachenko came, I took the fight at 135 pounds even though it was already difficult to do so. If I were to get the opportunity to fight him again, I would drop to 135 pounds, but for now I’ll look for more opportunities at 140 pounds. A fight with Mikey Garcia or Jose Ramirez would be excellent, but I need to get stay focused on the opponent in front of me. I know Abner Cotto is tough. He knows how to fight on the inside and the outside. I know he will work hard to give a great fight this Saturday.”

ROMERO DUNO, Lightweight Contender:

“I’m happy to comeback and make my way to a title fight. I’ve been working very hard and I’m very prepared for the victory. I’m excited to come back to Fantasy Springs again to score a great victory.”

Briedis vs. Mikaelian, Glowacki vs. Vlasov Quarter-Finals in Chicago November 10th

Season I star Mairis Briedis vs. Noel Mikaelian and Krzysztof Glowacki vs. Maksim Vlasov are the two Quarter-Finals on an incredible doubleheader when the World Boxing Super Series comes to the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, USA.

“I am really looking forward to fighting in Chicago,” said Briedis (24-1, 18 KOs). The Latvian hero is undoubtedly one of the favourites to take home Season II’s Ali Trophy in the 200-lb division.

“I am happy to be back in the World Boxing Super Series, and I am looking forward to fighting in front of a U.S. crowd. I am sure there will also be a lot of Latvians in the arena to help create a fantastic atmosphere.”

Briedis’ opponent, Germany’s Noel Mikaelian (23-1, 10 KOs), is eager to perform on the biggest stage – only a split decision defeat, in an IBF eliminator against Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, prevented him of participating in Season I.

“There are only world class fighters in this tournament, but I believe my ring IQ will give me the edge to win it,” said Mikaelian.

The second main event in Chicago on November 10 is a potent match-up between Poland’s former world champion Krzysztof Glowacki and Russia’s Maksim Vlasov.

“The plan is simple: take it all, give nothing back,” said Glowacki (30-1, 19 KOs)

The exciting southpaw fought Season I winner Aleksandr Usyk in 2016 – relinquishing the WBO belt over 12 rounds, he won the belt in 2015 via knockout against Marco Huck.

“I have been waiting for a long time for my chance, and I am full of power and great energy. I am going to win this tournament and become world champion again!”

Vlasov (42-2, 25 KOs), a fighter with success at multiple weights, likewise enters the quarter-final with great confidence after winning 12 straight fights since moving up in weight in 2015.

Tickets will be available to buy via TicketMaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000 on Monday 1 October. Fans can be alerted by email when tickets go on sale by signing up for Ticket Alerts here.

Ahead of Season 2, US-based boxing fans are able to watch Season I’s Ali Trophy Super Middleweight Final, George Groves vs Callum Smith on Friday, 28 September, LIVE on the global sports streaming platform. To sign up for a one-month free trial, fans can visit DAZN.com or download the DAZN app to their preferred connected device.

Gamboa and JuanMa Marlins Park Tickets on Sale 10AM Tomorrow

In the “REDEMPTION IN MIAMI” main event, former four-time world champion in three weight divisions and Olympic Gold Medalist YURIORKIS “El Ciclon De Guantánamo” GAMBOA will battle two-time world title challenger MIGUEL “Barreterito” BELTRAN, JR. in a ten round lightweight bout. In the co-feature, former three-time world champion in two weight classes JUAN “JuanMa” LOPEZ will clash with CRISTIAN RUBEN “Piedrita” MINO, also in a ten-round lightweight bout. “Redemption in Miami” will take place Saturday, November 10 at Marlins Park on the West Plaza in Miami, Florida and will be available live on pay per view, distributed by Integrated Sports Media, beginning at 9 pm ET / 6pm PT at a retail price of $24.95

Tickets, priced at $400, $250, $200 $100, $75 and $60, go on sale Wednesday, September 26 at 10:00 am ET and be available at the Marlins Park ticket office and on line at www.marlins.com/boxing.

“Redemption in Miami” is promoted by New Champions Promotions in association with Marlins Park. Fight night doors will open at 6:00 pm and first bout will begin at 7:00 pm.

Gamboa (28-2, 17 KOs), from Guantanamo, Cuba now living in Miami, Fla., won Gold as a Cuban in the 2004 Olympic games and is a former featherweight world champion; former super featherweight world champion; former lightweight world champion and former unified world champion.

Miguel Beltran, Jr. (32-6, 21 KOs) hails from Los Mochis, Mexico, a boxing hotbed that has produced no less than five world champions. Miguel won twenty-six of his first twenty-seven fights and has fought for a world title twice.

Puerto Rico’s “JuanMa” Lopez (35-6, 32KOs) from Caguas Puerto Rico, was his country’s Olympic representative in 2004. He made his professional debut in 2005 and in his twenty-second bout won the WBO super bantamweight title, and made five successful defenses before moving up to featherweight and winning the WBO featherweight title

Cristian “Piedrita” Mino (19-2, 12 KOs) from Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina made his professional debut on December 19, 2014 and fought an incredible number of bouts, ten in his first calendar year, sinning all but one by knockout. He followed that up with nine more bouts in his second year – winning all by knockout.

The pay per view show will include four bouts in all.

Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Redemption in Miami” in the USA on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view via iN Demand, Vubiquity, DIRECTV and DISH; and live-streamed worldwide on the FITE.TV app and website www.fite.tv, each way for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.

Jean Pascal to face Gary Kopas

Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) has reached an agreement with MG Ring Productions last Friday to hold a fight between former WBC and The Ring light heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal (33- 5-1, 20 KOs) and Canadian cruiserweight champion Gary Kopas (10-11-2, 5 KOs). The 12-round cruiserweight (200 lbs) fight will be held November 9 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.

It will be a second consecutive cruiserweight fight for Pascal, the Laval, Quebec fighter, and this time he will try to get his hands on the CPBC Canadian cruiserweight belt.

APOLLO (PASCAL) vs ROCKY (KOPAS)

The Jean Pascal vs Gary Kopas fight is like a real-life remake of the original Rocky movie. In one corner there is a blue-collar road warrior, Kopas, who has fought in everybody’s hometown and not always given a fair shake, yet, he still pulled himself up to be the CPBC Canadian cruiserweight champion.

Now, he’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime to fight one of Canada’s best and most notable fighters of his generation, Pascal. In the other corner is the former undisputed lineal WBC and The Ring Magazine light heavyweight champion, Pascal, who has fought some of the all-time bests.

This fight gives a local blue collar worker a chance to prove his worth in a battle called: ‘‘The Match!’’

The President of MG Ring Productions, George Reynolds, and the President of Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), Yvon Michel, negotiated for a little more than a month to come to an agreement. GYM represented Jean Pascal and his advisor, Greg Leon, for this fight.

The clash, entitled “The Match of The Year”, will be featured on pay-per-view in Canada. A press conference will be held soon to reveal more details.

“Kopas has not lost in a few years and I will not take him lightly,” Pascal said. “I know he will come to surprise the world and try to ruin my career, but everyone who knows me knows that his career will end on November 9.”

‘‘My last fight was a bout in my hometown (Saskatoon) against a guy from Mexico,” Kopas noted. “Besides that, I’ve been staying in the gym, learning new skills and enjoying life. When I first heard I was fighting Jean, I was shocked… happy, but shocked. Getting the opportunity to make history and show the world the best me is an insane feeling.

“This is a huge fight for me. Pascal has done great things and I’m really looking forward to showing my best against a former world champion. This fight will change my life, but I want Pascal to understand that his life is going to change too, after his defeat. I hope he stands toe-to-toe with me like he did his last fight. He will not last long.

‘‘I want to thank all my family, friends, and fans for all the crazy support already and thank my management, MG Ring Productions, for this opportunity. It’s going to be a hard eight weeks of intense training, but knowing I have the support of such awesome people really helps.’’

“Jean Pascal is a man of challenges and when he realized the seriousness of Kopas and his organization, he decided as usual to take it,” Michel commented.

“At this point in my career,” Pascal added, “it’s very important for me to stay active. We had other plans that, unfortunately, fell at the last minute but, fortunately, the fight with Kopas came.”

In the co-Main Event, undefeated Cody “The Crippler” Crowley, who is the current CPBC International Jr. middleweight champion and current CPBC Canadian middleweight champion, will defend his titles. On the undercard, Quebecker Eric Barrak (8-4-0, 7 KOs) will fight for the North American CPBC heavyweight title, while Mario Perez (19-7-5, 11 KOs) of Toronto, will do the same for the CPBC International super featherweight (130 lbs) belt. Five championship fights will be presented on this spectacular boxing card. Others to be named.

Kazakh Firepower: Alimkhanuly and Ualikhanov to Make Top Rank Debuts on September 28th

A pair of former amateur stars from Kazakhstan, Janibek Alimkhanuly and Askhat Ualikhanov, will make their Top Rank debuts in separate bouts on Friday, Sept. 28 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Alimkhanuly will face Carlos Galvan in a super middleweight contest, while Ualikhanov will take on Angel Hernandez in a super lightweight showdown on the undercard of IBF super middleweight champion Jose Uzcátegui’s 10-round non-title bout against Ezequiel Maderna and Jerwin Ancajas’ IBF junior bantamweight title defense versus Alejandro Santiago (ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET).

Alimkhanuly-Galvan, Ualikhanov-Hernandez, and other undercard bouts will stream live at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Joven Sports and MP Promotions, tickets for this all-action card are on sale now. Priced at $105, $78.75, $52.50, and $26.25, including facility fees, tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Oracle Arena box office. The Oracle Arena box office is open Monday-Friday from 12-5 p.m.

Alimkhanuly and Ualikhanov are managed by Egis Klimas, the Boxing Writers Association of America’s two-time reigning Manager of the Year.

“Janibek and Askhat are sensational talents who will be contending for world titles sooner rather than later,” Klimas said. “I am happy that American fight fans will be able to see them fight on ESPN+.”

Alimkhanuly (2-0, 1 KO), a southpaw who is trained by former world champion Buddy McGirt, represented Kazakhstan at the 2016 Olympics and advanced to the quarterfinal round. He fought roughly 300 times as an amateur, winning gold medals at the 2013 AIBA World Championships and 2013 Asian Championships. He made his pro debut on Oct. 29, 2016 with a first-round TKO against Milton Nunez. Alimkhanuly last fought in September of last year with a six-round unanimous decision against Gilberto Pereira. He promises to be more active under the Top Rank banner, and if all goes well against Galvan, he will fight at least one more time in 2018. The plan is for Alimkhanuly to eventually challenge for a world title at middleweight.

Ualikhanov (3-1, 2 KOs) suffered the only blemish on his record in his pro debut. He was controversially disqualified in the third round against Daniel Bastien for landing a punch on the break. In his last bout, on July 14 in Hollywood, Calif., he won a four-round unanimous decision against Darel Harris.

Posted on 05/12/2018

By: William Holmes

Madison Square Garden in New York City was the host site for tonight’s collaborative effort between Top Rank Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions to put on a highly anticipated main event between Vasyl Lomachenko and Jorge Linares for the WBA Lightweight Title.

The opening bout of the night was between Carlos Adames (13-0) and Alejandro Barrera (29-4) in the welterweight division.

Adames is a high ceiling prospect for Top Rank and he made it known why early on. His straight right hand was finding it’s home often and he was in control. Barrera was able to sneek some punches in past the guard of Adames, but they didn’t appear to hurt him.

In the sixth round he switched to a southpaw stance and was still able to land shots at will. His power shots came from his right hand, but he was still fluid and smooth in his southpaw stance.

Photo Credit: Top Rank Twitter Account

Barrera was able to do some decent body work in the seventh round and was a little more effective. His counter uppercut found it’s home but Adames was landing the harder shots. Barrera continued to hang in the fight into the eighth round and showed a willingness to exchange, and he may have stolen the round when he landed some short shots on Adames when his back was against the ropes.

The ninth round featured fierce exchanges and started with Barrera walking Adames down, but Adames was able to turn the momentum back in his favor with sharp left hooks. A clash of heads occurred in the final moments of the ninth round that caused a cut by the right eye of Barrera.

Barrera needed a knockout in the final round to win, and he was the more active fighter and landed more shots in the final round, but that knockout never came.

Carlos Adames wins by decision with scores of 97-93, 96-94, and 98-92.

The main event of the night was between Jorge Linares (44-3) and Vasyl Lomachenko (10-1) for the WBA Lightweight Title.

Lomachenko, the favorite, entered the ring first while the champion, Linares, entered second.

Photo Credit: Top Rank Twitter Account

Linares looked like the significantly bigger man in the ring and was able to land his straight left hand from his southpaw stance early on in the first round. Linares though was accurate with his counter punches in the first and landed a good lead left hook at the end of the round.

Lomachenko looked to be a little looser in the second round and was landing more, and by the third round his foot movement was on point as he danced around Linares and landed multiple combinations. Lomachenko continued to stay on the attack in the fourth round. Linares was warned for rabbit punches in the fourth and Lomachenko responded by landing hard right uppercuts.

Lomachenko was able to bloody the nose of Linares in the fifth round. Linares was warned for a low blow in the fifth and sixth rounds and appeared to be fading fast. However, a clean straight right hand by Linares in the sixth round sent Lomachenko to the mat.

Linares pressed the action in the seventh round and Lomachenko was no longer on the offensive. Linares was able to land good shots to the body and head of Lomachenko.

Lomachenko looked like he was recovered by the eight round and was able to get a cut over the left eye of Linares. Lomachenko was focusing on that cut throughout the remainder of the eighth round as momentum swung back in his favor.

Linares and Lomachenko had several good exchanges in the ninth round and that round could have been scored either way, but it appeared Lomachenko was landing more shots than Linares but Linares was landing the harder shots.

Linares came right at Lomachenko in the beginning of the tenth round but Lomachenko was able to slow him down with an accurate jab. Lomachenko connected with a multi punch combination to the head and ended it with a liver shot that sent Linares crumbling in pain to the mat.

The referee counted to nine before waiving off the fight as he could tell that Linares was unable to continue.

Lomachenko wins by body shot knockout at 2:08 of the tenth round.

Posted on 05/11/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night two of boxing’s best pound for pound fighters, Jorge Linares and Vasyl Lomachenko will square off in a WBA Lightweight Title bout at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions will be working together and will televise this fight on ESPN.

The co-feature of the night will be a welterweight bout between Carlos Adames and Alejandro Barrera. Other prospects on the fight card include Michael Conlan, Teofimo Lopez, and Jamel Herring. Conlan may appear on the televised portion of the card due to his popularity, but that bout should be an easier victory for him.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing

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

Carlos Adames (13-0) vs. Alejandro Barrera (29-4); Welterweights

Carlos Adames is a prized prospect with heavy hands. He’s only twenty four years old and will be seven years younger than Barrera on fight night. He will also have a significant three inch reach advantage.

Adames has been very active. He fought three times in 2017 and four times in 2016. Barrera fought twice in 2017 and did not fight in 2016.

Adames has considerable power. He has stopped eleven of his opponents and only one of his past ten opponents was able to make it the full fight. Barrera has eighteen stoppage victories, but he has lost two of his past four fights.

Adames is a former Pan American Gold Medalist and competed in the world amateur championships. Barrera has no notable amateur career to speak of.

Adames has fought mainly in the Dominican Republic, his past nine fighters were there. He has defeated the likes of Carlos Molina, Jean Carlos Prada, and Ivan Alvarez. Barrera has defeated the likes of Eddie Gomez and Juan Macias Montiel. He has losses to Armando Robles, Rmases Agaton, Errol Spence Jr., and Keandre Gibson.

Barrera is talented enough to score an occasional upset, as evident in his win over Eddie Gomez. But Adames looks like he will be too talented for Barrera to handle.

Jorge Linares (44-3) vs. Vasyl Lomachenko (10-1); WBA Lightweight Title

Jorge Linares used to be a top boxer in Top Rank’s stable of fighters, but back to back losses to Sergio Thompson and Antonio DeMarco in late 2011 early 2012 forced Top Rank to let Linares loose and allowed for Golden Boy Promotions to pick him up.

He has since won thirteen fights in a row and his name has often come up in conversation as one of boxing’s best pound for pound fighters.
However, he’ll be facing a true legend in the sport with only eleven professional fights, Vasyl Lomachenko.

Lomachenko has eight stoppage victories and will be giving up about an inch in height and three and a half inches in reach to Linares. Lomachenko will be two years younger than Linares, but both boxers are still considered by most to be in their athletic primes.

Linares has twenty seven stoppage wins, but his past four fights were won by decision. Lomacheno fought three times in 2017 and twice in 2016 while Linares fought twice in 2017 and once in 2016.

Lomachenko’s lone loss was a controversial one to Orlando Salido, who came in overweight. He has defeated the likes of Guillermo Rigondeaux, Miguel Marriaga, Jason Sosa, Nicholas Walters, Roman Martinez, and Gary Russell Jr.

Linares has losses to Sergio Thompson, Antonio DeMarco, and Juan Carlos Salgado. He has defeated the likes of Oscar Larios, Mercito Gesta, Luke Campbell, Anthony Crolla, Kevin Mitchell, and Nihto Arakawa.

It is extremely rare to find someone with the amateur resume of Vasyl Lomachenko. He was a two time Olympic Gold Medalist. Linares was a national champion as an amateur in Venezuela.

Linares has excellent footwork and incredible accuracy, but Lomachenko also has excellent footwork and accuracy and in fact, probably has better footwork than Linares. Linares can hang with anyone in the first half of a fight, but he tends to fade late. Lomachenko has never shown signs of fading in a ring.

Lomachenko does have problems with fighters who are known for being rough on the inside and willing to fight a little dirty, like Orlando Salido. Linares is not that type of fighter. He’s known for his technique and finesse.

Linares will have a size advantage on Saturday night, and he’d be wise to use it. But Lomachenko’s movement and accuracy will should win him the fight, especially in the later rounds.

This writer thinks Linares will be able to keep it close early on, but will fade late and eventually succumb to a Lomachenko barrage.

Posted on 05/09/2018

Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jorge Linares took their talents to the streets of Manhattan on Wednesday, as they participated in an open workout on the corner of 33rd Street and 8th Avenue, just outside Madison Square Garden.

Lomachenko, a two-weight world champion, is looking to conquer a third weight class when he challenges WBA/Ring Magazine lightweight champion Jorge Linares on Saturday at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

Linares vs. Lomachenko headlines an evening of world-class action, as welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on savvy veteran Alejandro Barrera in the 10-round co-feature.

Appearing on the undercard will be Irish sensation Michael Conlan in an eight-round featherweight bout against once-beaten Ibon Larrinaga, 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer in a six-round lightweight contest against Baby Nansen, and Brooklyn native Teofimo Lopez against Vitor Freitas in an eight-round lightweight bout.

This is what the fighters had to say.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Jorge Linares

“I am hungry to win and to continue with my reign as world champion. This is a high-level fight and a very important one for my career because I am going to prove that Lomachenko is not an invincible fighter. We will see what he is really made of when he faces me this Saturday. I believe in myself and I know that I will come out with the victory. I am here to win. I did not come here to quit.”

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I want to put my name in the history of boxing, and this is one of the steps I have to take, to fight in different weight classes, different titles. That’s what will put my name in the history of boxing.”

“I don’t know what Linares will bring. After the fight, I can compare him with Rigondeaux.”

“I already proved where I am, and I plan on being at the top of the sport for a very long time. I do not plan on slowing down.”

“Linares is one of the best fighters in his weight class. I don’t think it’s going to be easy work.”

Carlos Adames

“This Saturday, the fans will all talk about ‘Caballo Bronco’. This will be the first step towards a world championship opportunity and also the first step on my way to becoming the new face of boxing in the Dominican Republic. I have the talent, the mentality and the dedication to represent my country with dignity. That’s why I’m going to give my best and leave everything in the ring to give the fans a good show”

Mikaela Mayer

“I love that Top Rank is putting me on big cards and exposing women’s boxing a bigger audience. There’s definitely an increased interest in women’s boxing, and I am proud to be part of that.”

“Do I want a knockout? Of course. I want the fans to see that women can be in exciting fights and score knockouts.”

“If Nansen wants to come at me, I’m going to be ready for it. I’m ready for anything.”

Michael Conlan

“Madison Square Garden is my home away from home, and I can’t wait to put on a great show for the New York fans. This is going to be a great night of boxing.”

Teofimo Lopez

“This is my third time fighting at Madison Square Garden, and we know what happened last time I fought here. I knocked out the guy {Ronald Rivas} with one shot. One left hook, and he was out.”

“I believe in my God-given talent. Shout out to New York City. I’m from Brooklyn, and I look forward to showing up and feeling the love from my hometown fans.”

“Big things are coming. I love big cards like this. The more people I see out there, the more pumped up I get. Look out for the knockout because it’s coming.

###

Linares vs. Lomachenko and Adames vs. Barrera will be televised live and exclusively at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+, available through the ESPN App, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Golden Boy Promotions, Teiken Promotions, and Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Linares vs. Lomachenko world championship card are ON SALE NOW. Priced at $506, $406, $306, $206, $106, and $56, including facility fees, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #LinaresLoma to join the conversation on social media.

Posted on 04/26/2018

By: Bryant Romero

Vasiliy ‘Hi Tech’ Lomachenko will be heading into unfamiliar territory as a professional prize fighter as he will head 5 pounds north to the lightweight division and challenge the most established champion at 135 pounds in Jorge Linares (44-3, 27 KOs) on May 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Lomachenko (10-1, 8 KOs) will be challenging Linares for his WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight titles in just his first fight in the division. Linares is on an unbeaten 12 fight winning streak and is eager to prove that not only is he the bigger stronger man, but has the skills to match the talented Ukrainian. Lomachenko doesn’t seem fazed whatsoever at the size his opponent will bring come fight night and is confident that size won’t be a factor at all in this intriguing lightweight bout.

“For me, it’s a big challenge because before this fight, I fought against guys who were the same size or a little bit smaller than me,” Lomachenko said.

“Now, I want to feel the way Rigondeaux felt when he fought me. He was smaller than I at that point. I am going to be smaller than my opponents now. I want to show people it’s not a big problem, that five pounds is not too big of a difference.

“I wanted to go up to the next weight category, 135 pounds, and fight only champions. Jorge Linares was available for this moment. That’s why I wanted a fight with him.

“I was asked if I wanted to fight Linares. It took me less than two seconds to accept the challenge,” Lomachenko told the boxing media.

It’s the most important and biggest fight of both fighters careers and Lomachenko recognizes the history in not only fighting in New York but to get the chance to headline the big room at Madison Square Garden where boxing legends have been made.

“It’s important for me because I made my name in the history of boxing. Moving forward, I only want to fight in big arenas. I love New York. I love Madison Square Garden. I feel very comfortable there. The boxing fans are very knowledgeable. It’s a very famous arena. Fighting there is a big honor for me,” he said.

Bob Arum of Top Rank who promotes Lomachenko expects a capacity crowd of over 16,000 in attendance for this fight, which shows that the drawing power of the talented Ukrainian is significantly rising.

As for the two combatants themselves, there has been no shortage of verbal jabs being thrown at each in the lead up to this bout. But Lomachenko hopes that after the fight that Linares will show up at the post fight press conference.

“I like it. Before the fight, all boxers talk trash, but after the fight, nobody comes to the press conference. After this fight, I want to see Jorge Linares at the press conference, and I want to hear what he has to say,” Lomachenko said.

Bryant Romero can be reached on Twitter @BoxingTruth88

Posted on 03/22/2018

In what Top Rank Promotions is calling “a battle of two of the world’s pound-for-pound best,” Vasyl Lomachenko (10-1) will move up to attempt to gain a title in his third weight division by facing WBA lightweight champ Jorge Linares (44-3). The bout, which will go down at New York’s Madison Square Garden, will be aired live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on May12th. The card will also be aired live via the ESPN app.

The official announcement of Lomachenko-Linares represents a cross promotional success story. “This demonstrates that promoters and networks, when they work together for the good of everyone, can accomplish so very much,” says promoter Bob Arum. Linares is part of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy stable. Lomachenko, on the other hand, is represented by Arum’s Top Rank Promotions.

“Jorge has established himself as the world’s best lightweight by taking on any and all comers over his storied career,” De La Hoya claims, “but a win on May 12 would put him on an entirely different level.” Lomachenko was an iconic Olympian who some feel is already the pound for pound best professional boxer in the world.

“We fully understand that Lomachenko is universally seen as the best fighter on the planet,” De La Hoya concedes, “but he’s never faced anyone with the size and skill of Jorge, and I am confident that he will retain his WBA and Ring Magazine world championships. As this fight makes clear, I’m 100 percent committed to giving fans the fights they want to see and will work with anyone to accomplish that goal.”

Linares himself appears quite confident heading into the matchup. “Not only will I demonstrate why I’m the best lightweight in the world,” he claims, “but also that I’m one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I have the speed, skill and power to win this battle. This May 12, Vasiliy Lomachenko will bow down to ‘King’ Jorge.”

Such a feat may be a tall order. Lomachenko now has a history for himself of making top level opponents quit on their stools, an unlikely feat which has earned him the nickname “No Mas-Chenko,” a nod to the famous 1980 Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran rematch, a bout which saw Duran inexplicably quit in the 8th round.

“We are very excited about the fight,” says Lomachenko. “It should be a great one. Fans from around the world have been waiting for Jorge and me to fight.” The 30 year old also claims he’s happy about the fight’s location. “I am looking forward to May 12 in New York to make my debut in the big arena at Madison Square Garden,” he claims.

Posted on 03/13/2018

By: Sean Crose

It wasn’t an easy fight to make, but Vasyl Lomachenko will be facing Jorge Linares for Linares’ WBA world lightweight title this coming spring. The 10-1 Lomachenko, considered by some to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world, is currently the WBO world super featherweight titlist. He’ll be moving up a division to battle the 44-3 Linares, who has held his own title since he bested Anthony Crolla in 2016. Should he win Linares’ belt, Lomachenko will have earned titles in three divisions in a career that spans only a dozen fights. The match will go down May 12th at Madison Square Garden in New York.

What makes this pairing unique, aside from the fact that it involves two strong talents, is that it brings together two powerhouse promotional entities in an era where political warfare rages throughout the sport of boxing. The fact that Linares is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions while Lomachenko is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions means that both men are in (sometimes) opposing camps. To further complicate matters, De La Hoya and Arum have a relationship that has its own history of ups and downs.

In short, this bout was never a guaranteed thing. And, in fact, it looked for a while as if the match might not be happening at all, as negotiations appeared to have hit rough seas. Things seem to have been finally worked out, though, when ESPN, which showcases Top Rank fights, agreed to push back it’s slated broadcast for the evening of May 12th so that Lomachenko-Linares wouldn’t compete with HBOs replay of the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin II broadcast later that same evening (Canelo-Golovkin II will be aired live on pay per view on May 5th and is – at least in part – a Golden Boy Promotion). Another possible factor in the deal being made was that Linares was reportedly offered a huge some of money (the exact amount was not available at the time this article was being penned) to face the feared Ukrainian Lomachenko.

With the pieces now being in place and the names now officially being signed on the contracts, the fight world can focus on what will surely be a fascinating bout. To say Lomachenko has been dominant in recent performances would be an understatement, as his past several opponents have literally quit on their stools. However, Linares is a skillful vet who hasn’t lost a bout since 2012. What’s more, he’s won his last 13 fights. To make things even more intriguing, there’s no guarantee the impressive Lomachenko will remain as forceful in the ring as he has been, since he’s now going to be moving up in weight yet again. The lightweight division is particularly hot right now, with names like Mikey Garcia (who fought and won last Saturday) and Robert Easter dotting the landscape. And news of Lomachenko-Linares stands to make matters all the more intriguing in the near future.

Posted on 01/28/2018

By: Sean Crose

HBOs Boxing After Dark returned Saturday night with a double header from LA’s Forum. Things started off with Jorge Linares (43-3) defending his WBA lightweight crown against (31-1-2) Mercito Gesta. The first round was tight, but Gesta closed the chapter landing some well aimed, sharp shots. The second was also close, but Gesta landed hard in spots with crisp punching. By early in the third, it looked as if Linares’ timing was a bit off. Still, it was in the third when Linares himself started landing effectively. There was nothing particularly telling about the fourth, though Linares didn’t appear particularly in his rhythm.

Photo Credit: HBO Boxing Twitter Account

Things picked up at the end of the fifth, though Linares had appeared to have developed an edge in the bout. The sixth was, like the rest of the bout up until that point, close. Yet Linares looked to be developing a workmanlike points lead. By the seventh, Linares was tossing off bursts of punches that were holding off Gesta. Gesta, however, was game and was having his moments. By the eighth, it was clear that the fight had entered a form of cruise control, with Linares in almost something of a holding pattern.

The ninth and tenth were essentially showcases for Linares’ greater strength. Gesta simply wasn’t strong enough to hurt the man, nor skilled enough to dazzle him. Linares’ was landing hard, no doubt, but he either didn’t have the power or desire to put a bow on things. The eleventh wasn’t all that different from the previous rounds. This had much to do with Linares’ consistency, which was effective, if not necessarily thrilling. Linares made sure Gesta wouldn’t shock the world in the 12th, assuring himself a unanimous decision win.

In the main event, Lucas Matthysse (38-4) faced off against the obscure, yet undefeated, Tewa Kiram (38-0) for the WBA welterweight title. The first round was a feeling out process, as Kiram was tossing a sharp jab as Matthysse tried to work his way inside. Kiram kept firing the jab in the second, as Matthysse kept moving forward. By the fourth, the fight took on the look of Dempsey-Tunney, with the well known veteran fighter searching for former glory while the taller, more defensive minded man, hit and moved effectively.

The crowd started to boo in the fifth, but it was hard to fault Kiram for engaging in such a smart fight. Kiram was making sure he was winning rounds while Matthysse wasn’t able – for whatever reason – to rise to the occasion. After the 6th, HBOs team indicated that Kiram had been sniffing from a jar that was taken from his corner and was then given to the California Athletic Commission in order for the authorities to ascertain what was inside. The commentary team spoke of the tedious nature of the bout in the 7th.

In the 8th, however, Matthysse finally found his mark and dropped Kiram to the mat. Kiram got up and fought gamely….only for Matthysse to send him down again – and out. Just like that, the fight was over.