Tag Archives: promotions

Posted on 02/27/2020

By Robert Aaron Contreras

Keith Hunter (11-0, 7 KO) will now rematch Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (12-2-1, 6 KO) in the main event of this weekend’s ShoBox: The New Generation broadcast after an undisclosed injury forced Malik Hawkins off the card. The action takes place on Feb. 28 at Sam’s Town Hotel in Las Vegas.

News of the super lightweight shakeup broke on Monday. A matchup between Hawkins and Hunter would have paired up two of the most talented and tallest undefeated prospects in the division. After going 5-0 in 2019, Hawkins added his name to the growing list of excellent fighters out of Maryland. A group highlighted by beltholders past and present like Gervonta Davis and Jarrett Hurd.

Hunter, 27, also represents a strong cohort of boxers. Big ones too. He is the son of Mike “The Bounty” Hunter Sr., a former heavyweight contender and veteran of 35 fights, who passed along his skills to his sons. That includes Michael Hunter II, the 31-year-old heavyweight who recently battled Alexander Povetkin to a draw. Michael’s only loss remains a decision to the master-boxer Oleksandr Usyk.

Younger brother Keith last year also found himself fighting down to the wire. With none other than Rakhmanov, who he meets again on Friday.

Rakhmanov, 30, of Uzbekistan, lost the first meeting but closed out the year with a stoppage victory over an undistinguished veteran by the name of Andre Byrd, who had enough after four rounds. Rakhmanov has lost just one other time in his career, also on points, dropping a decision to Texan welterweight Marquis Taylor in 2018.

The rematch with Hunter will be Rakhmanov’s first 10-round contest. A former national champion, in addition to a first-place finish at the 2009 Asian Amateurs, he transplanted to Las Vegas upon earning a promotional contract with Floyd Mayweather’s TMT.

Hunter, born and bred in Las Vegas, met Rakhmanov in April 2019 at the exact same venue, Sam’s Town Hotel which has been a showcase for Mayweather’s stable. So it could be said Hunter was operating in enemy territory despite fighting in his hometown. Hunter would nonetheless edge out a split-decision verdict after eight rounds of tense activity.

A second-round knockdown from Hunter put the B-side up early, carrying him triumphantly over Rakhmanov’s late flurry.

Hunter, a six-foot technician, holds a considerable height advantage over the barreling Uzbek. So he was smart to continually prod out a massive orthodox jab through the first three minutes. It paid extreme dividends in the second stanza when Hunter followed it up with a right cross that buckled Rakhmanov’s knee, accounting for the only knockdown of the fight.

In the fourth round, Hunter could be seen working in an uppercut and feinting a number of bolo punches. Rakhmanov remained persistent, never giving up the center of the ring. He found some success in the opening frame with an overhand left. But was unable to score again with the wild shot until the sixth round. From there the flinging punches poured in.

Hunter had to survive big blows over the final three rounds. Rakhmanov transforming into a crouched devil. Ultimately it was not enough. One referee gave Rakhmanov a 76-75 score but was overuled by nods of 77-74 and 76-75 in the American’s favor.

Worth nothing was the terrific punches traded to close Round 7. The two men actually acknowledged their special rivalry and exchanged a friendly headbutt at the bell, as if to say they could do this violent dance again some day.

On Friday, just a year later, they get their chance to.

Hitchins, Newman Complete Tripleheader in separate bouts

Richardson Hitchins 10-0, 5 KO) is a celebrated farmhand of Mayweather Promotions and he fights in the co-main event of the night against Nick DeLomba (16-2, 5 KO) over a scheduled 10 rounds.

The 22-year-old Hitchins, is a two-time golden glove champion out of Brooklyn, who will be making his 2020 ring debut. A representative for Haiti at the 2016 Olympics, he extended his unbeaten ledger with four wins in 2019, including two stoppage victories.

Having already performed on some of the sport’s biggest stages, fighting multiple times at Barclays and once at the MGM Grand, Hitchins graduated to the 10-round distance in his last bout, also at Sam’s Town. There he decisioned another Vegas welterweight in Kevin Johnson.

DeLomba, 29, seems to have a decent record on paper. He is riding a five-fight win streak. But fighting exclusively out of Rhode Island, against limited talent, he is expected to be nothing but lunchmeat for Hitchins.

Kevin Newman II (11-1-1, 6 KO) is also under the TMT banner and he will be the first of the Showtime tripleheader to compete. Just a teenager when he began training under Jeff Mayweather, he was familiar with the Mayweather stable when he officially joined their ranks in 2014.

Newman, 28, experienced a short setback against California native Mark Anthony Hernandez in 2017, losing on points in a sixth-round undercard match. But following three consecutive victories, Newman exacted his revenge over Hernandez, defeating him last year by unanimous decision.

His opponent on Friday is Genc Pllana, a 26-year-old Kosovan super middleweight who is 2-1-1 over his last four, all against unheralded competition. 

Posted on 11/02/2019

By: Ken Hissner

On Friday night Mayweather Promotions put on a card at Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada. This card was broadcast on Showtime and featured Xavier Martinez scoring a sensational knockout over Jessie Cris Rosales.

Super Featherweight Xavier Martinez improved his record to 15-0 (11) when he scored the knockout over Filipino boxer Jessie Rosales, 22-4-1(10) when he scorched him at 0:21 of the first round.
Martinez stung Rosales about ten seconds from the start and immediately followed it with a left hook and right on the chin of Rosales and down he went. Referee Vic Drakulich immediately waved it off.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

In the co-feature Welterweight 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins, 10-0 (5), #144, of Brooklyn, NY, defeated Kevin “Thunder Storm” Johnson, 7-2 (4), #143 1/4, Las Vegas, NV, over 10 rounds.

In the first round Hitchins was much stronger outlanding Johnson. In the second round it was another close one with Hitchins countering well. In the third round after a minute of action Johnson landed a solid right to the chin of Hitchins. It was a close round with Johnson getting the edge.

In the fourth round the closeness of the rounds continued. Hitchins seemed the stronger of the two landing more than a jab at a time like Johnson. In the fifth round Johnson landed a looping right to the chin halfway through the first minute. Hitchins continued to outwork Johnson the rest of the way.

In the sixth round halfway through the round Hitchins landed several combinations while Johnson depended on his jab. In the seventh round Johnson kept his distance instead of getting closer inside. Halfway through the round Johnson finally got inside landing four consecutive body shots. Hitchins showed his power in his right whether countering or leading with it.

In the eighth round Johnson had his mouth opened yet made it close by the end of the round which could have gone either way. In the ninth round Johnson sencing he was behind became more aggressive. In a close round Johnson may have won it.

In the tenth and final round at the halfway mark Johnson landed several rights on the chin of Hitchins. Sensing he may need a knockout to win Johnson outlanded Hitchins.

Scores were 96-94, 97-93 twice.

In a rematch Super Middleweight Mark “Madman” Anthony Hernandez, 14-3-1 (3), #165, of Fresno, CA, lost to Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman II, 11-1-1 (6), #165, of Las Vegas, NV, getting his revenge over 8 rounds.

In the first two rounds Newman seemed to win with his hand speed and footwork.

In the third round Hernandez pinned Newman against the ropes but Newman returned as many body punches as Hernandez. Newman’s jab seemed to be the difference of the two. In the fourth round Hernandez fought better but Newman’s hand speed kept him ahead.

In the fifth round there was too much holding on both parts. Hernandez continued to be the aggressor for the most part. In the sixth round Newman rocked Hernandez in the first minute with a right uppercut to the chin. Newman finished strong possibly enough to win the round. The action slowed down in that round.

In the seventh round Newman seemed to get his “second wind” being more accurate. A Newman right uppercut to the chin of Hernandez rocked him. Newman had a right blocked in the final minute but followed with a left to the chin of Hernandez. In the eighth and final round in the first minute Hernandez landed a solid left hook to the chin of Newman. Seconds later Newman came back with a flurry of punches. Halfway through the round Newman landed a double left hook to the body and head. It looked like Newman got his revenge.

Scores were 80-72 and 79-73 twice.

Flyweight Ava Knight, 19-2-5 (5), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated Colombian Luna del Mar Torroba, 12-10-3 (2), of LaPampa, ARG, over 8 rounds.

Super Flyweight prospect Dylan Price, 10-0 (7), of Sicklerville, NJ, stopped Elias Joaquino, 12-5-2 (6), of Cebu, PH, at 1:48 of the 6th of an 8 rounder.

Lightweight Cris Reyes, 9-0 (8), of Renton, WA, stopped Recky “The Terror” Dulay, 11-7 (8), of Makati City, PH, at 1:55 of the 4th of an 8.

Lightweight Rolando “Rolly” Romero, 10-0 (9), #138, of Las Vegas, NV, knocked out Juan Carlos Cordones, 14-2 (9), #141 1/2, of La Romana, DR, at 2:14 of the first round in a 6 rounder.

In the first round a left hook from Romero dropped Cordones getting up quickly receiving an 8-count from Referee Robert Byrd. Half a minute later a right on the chin dropped Cordones a second time. He showed little effort to beat the count.

Super Featherweight Malik Warren, 2-0 (2), of Baltimore, MD, stopped Shauncy Perry, 0-1 (0), of Jonesboro, AR, at 1:09 of the second in a 4 rounder.

Posted on 09/21/2019

By: Robert Aaron Contreras

With splotches of bright crimson across his opponent’s face, Lionell Thompson (21-5, 11 KO) continued to touch up Scott Sigmon (34-14-1, 17 KO) with jabs and curling uppercuts until the end of the seventh round. The lacing was enough to convince Sigmon’s corner to throw in the towel, awarding Thompson the victory on Friday night from the Cannery Casino in Las Vegas.

Sigmon was an easy target from the beginning, tucked behind his stiff guard, constantly moving forward, even if ineffectively. Thompson prodded the crouching opponent: chipping away at the rolling white boulder of a man in front of him.

Photo Credit: Mayweather Promotions Twitter Account

Thompson was comfortable being crowded. He navigated the canvas, focused on putting jabs on the top of Sigmon’s head. He built up an early lead and never looked back.

At the end of a doubling jab, Sigmon attempted hurling back left hands after absorbing punishment, but Thompson by then would circle out of danger. The bull to Thompson’s matador, he began simply ramming into the winning boxer. It did not stop his face from opening up in the third round. Nor could it stop his nose from leaking later on.

Sigmon resorted to try talking Thompson out of his element in the sixth period. But he was simply met with more jabs. These by Thompson now being followed up with javelin right hands.

In the fateful seventh stanza, Thompson completely took away Sigmon’s only advantage: his forward moving momentum. Sigmon was simply being brushed in a zigzagging fashion from careening uppercuts, hooks, and other bludgeoning blows.

It was no surprise Sigmon’s corner did not throw him back out for another go.

The Mayweather-promoted card was not short on talent, but green as they are, Thompson was stuck at the top of the bill. At 34, and the winner of five of his last six, it would still take some of that matchmaking magic Floyd Mayweather was known for to push Thompson into the title picture. Beating a former sparring partner, who was decisioned by a 49-year-old Roy Jones Jr. would not cut it for most boxers.

Gabriel Duluc (15-3, 4 KO) def. Cameron Krael (16-15, 3 KO)

Gabriel Duluc, thanks to timely combinations, and lapses of inactivity from his opponent, shocked the house fighter Cameron Krael by way of a majority decision.

Krael, who has been represented by Mayweather Promotions since 2017, commanded the center of the ring for the entire 10 rounds. Though his punch output was not nearly as consistent.

Duluc’s winging punches were not pretty but they were enough to steal the opening round. And plenty more looping overhand rights kept Krael at bay over the next three rounds. By Round 3, the underdog’s punches grew sloppier—his arms dangling at his hips when not punching—but he maneuvered the canvas enough to avoid any significant damage.

Krael finally woke up in the fourth stanza. Pressuring his man to the ropes, he sent blinding straight right hands to the Duluc’s face.

The action was more tense in the fifth and sixth rounds: both men trading winging punches.

Krael still commanding the center of the ring in Round 7. But his punches had lost steam. And the three minutes consisted of instances of Robert Byrd prying the fighters off one another.

The two were merely fighting in spurts through the eighth period. The ninth frame provided Krael some hope when he brutalized Duluc’s midsection. The attack had him reeling for a moment but soon collected himself. Krael suddenly disregarding the body did not hurt.

And the rest of the way, included Round 10, Duluc fought well going backwards: short, quick, double jabs and successive chippy shots upstairs. Not exactly buzzing Krael, but a high enough output to to keep Krael’s gloves glues to his face and restrict returning fire.

Duluc has now won four straight while Krael creeps closer to a .500 record in his career.

Posted on 09/19/2019

By: Robert Aaron Contreras

Two years on, Floyd Mayweather’s name is still on the marquee following his retirement.

On Friday, Sept. 20, Mayweather Promotions is in Las Vegas, streaming live on Facebook, where a pair of light heavyweights front a nine-bout card featuring some of the promotional outfit’s most talented farmhands.

Headlining the show is veteran Lionell Thompson (20-5, 11 KO), as he meets Scott Sigmon (34-13-1, 17 KO) for a scheduled 10 rounds.

It is hard to tell what a win does for either man. Neither is world-ranked: Thompson is not a blip on the radar of any major sanctioning body and Sigmon has for years been used as a bottom feeder by the sport’s mega promoters.

Thompson, the A-side if you could call him as much, joined “The Money Team” in 2015. Prior to inking that deal, he found success in the New York amateur scene, winning a handful of Golden Gloves tournaments, before turning professional in 2009.

Surveying his resume, one name sticks out. At the end of 2012, he met one Sergey Kovalev, stepping in for Gabriel Campillo on short notice. Thompson was taken apart just as quickly, succumbing to the Russian’s attack in three rounds.

Thompson was floored in the second round: collapsing like controlled demolition from a right cross. Referee Gabe Rosato preceded to steal the show by letting the fight fall out of his control, allowing Kovalev following the knockdown to run across the ring and whop Thompson again, blatantly after the bell. Then Rosato gave Thompson another standing eight-count, despite the fighter’s cornermen already spilling into the ring—typically grounds for disqualification.

In short, it was a mess. Another two-punch combo from Kovalev ended the future Mayweather product’s night in the third period. Kovalev went on to unify the division and is today pegged to face boxing’s cash cow in Canelo Alvarez.

Thompson was not so successful. Still another three victories, and a competitive outing with the lethal-punching contender Radivoje Kalajdzic, caught “Big Brother” Floyd’s eye, earning Thompson a contract to joint TMT.

What followed was a mixed bag: a record of 5-2: competing across huge platforms like FOX Sports 1 (losing to Paul Parker), Bounce TV (defeating Earl Newman), and Showtime (losing to Edwin Rodriguez).

Thompson’s biggest criticism has been his penchant to disengage from conflict. Doing so when he felt the brunt of Kovalev’s fists. He even ran out the clock against the previously-undefeated Newman, in a fight Thompson was clearly winning.

Sigmon, a 32-year-old native of Virginia, was clearly behind on the cards in 2018 when he pressured Roy Jones Jr. to the ropes in what was the legend’s final fight ever.

Pushing 50, Jones decisioned Sigmon in the end—fully in control despite being on the ropes, rocking the younger man in the latter stages of the fight. Sigmon throughout pattered Jones’ body. The problem was Jones seemed to enjoy it, talking and gesturing to the crown, basking in the glory of his farewell fight, before returning fire at twice the speed of Sigmon’s punches—patented no-look shots included.

Sigmon dropped nearly every round. Just like he’s dropped every fight to anybody worth their weight in salt, losing to recognizable men like Matt Korobov, J’Leon Love, Caleb Truax, and Kelly Pavlik.

Cameron Krael (16-14-3, 4 KO) vs. Gabriel Duluc (14-3, 4 KO)

Mayweather may claim the contrary, but numbers do lie because his man “Suave” Krael is better than his poor record would suggest. The Hawaiian-born banger has been a TMT favorite since signing with the promotion in 2017.

A year later, his warmongering ways finally caught on after brawling with welterweight gatekeeper Ericl Bone in one of the most violent outings of 2018. Krael ultimately settled for a split-decision loss.

Most recently, Krael also dropped a decision to the undefeated Keith Hunter, consistently a step behind his more athletic opponent. The 25-year-old Vegas transplant has still won three of his last four and can boast to having battled Egidijus Kavaliauskas, who is on the cusp of challenging Terence Crawford.

In 2016, Krael matched up well with a high-output fighter like Kavaliauskas. The two went the entire distance, ending in a decision verdict for Kavaliauskas, but not before Krael buzzed the Lithuanian brawler in the penultimate round.

Duluc, a proud 29-year-old from Boston, carries with him this weekend a better looking record than Krael’s, but against mostly lesser fighters—save for a points loss in 2016 to upstart Sonny Fredrickson. In all, he is on a three-fight win streak.

Friday will be his second appearance of 2019 after returning to his home state of Massachusetts for an easy unanimous over an unheralded southpaw by the name of Antonio Chaves Fernandez.

Posted on 04/06/2019

By: Ken Hissner

Sam’s Hotel & Gambling Hall was the host site for Friday’s Mayweather Promotions card on ShoBox. The main event Featherweight Angelo “El Chinito” Leo of Las Vegas and Neil “The Beast” John Tabanao of the Cebu, Philippines.

In the Main Event Featherweight Angelo “El Chinito” Leo, 17-0 (8), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated Neil “The Firey Lion” John Tabanao, 17-5(11), of Cebu City, PH, over 10 action rounds.

In the first round after some feeling out at the halfway point both fighters opened up. Tabanao showed good hand speed while Leo more power in a good round for Leo. In the second round Leon countered a short jab landing a solid right to the chin. In the second round Leo kept up the pressure until Tabanao landed a right cross to the chin. It was a very competitive round but Leon seemed to pull it out.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

In the third round Tabanao landed a double jab but got countered by a Leo right to the chin. Leo was warned for a right border line low blow. In the fourth round Tabanao had Leo against the ropes but both were landing punches. Tabanao seemed to take the edge.

In the fifth round referee Jay Nady again warned Leo for landing a punch low. In the final minute with both swinging wildly a left hook from Leo landed on the chin. In the sixth round a clash of heads caused Leo to have swelling over the right eye. In the final minute of the round Tabanao seemed to get the best of it.

In the seventh round both boxers landed well. Leo landed a double left hook to to the chin. It was a good round for Leo. In the eighth round a Leo left hook knocked Tabanao’s head sideways. In the final fifteen seconds of the round Leo was landing half a dozen punches without return.

In the ninth round Leo seemed to have his way. In the final minute Leo had Tabanao against the ropes landing well with little return from Tabanao. In the tenth and final round both fighters fought well with Leo seemingly wrapping up a win. Both boxers showed good portsmanship throughout.

Scores were 100-89 and 100-90 twice. This writer had it 98-92.

In the co-feature Super Featherweight Xavier Martinez, 14-0 (10), of Sacramento, CA, stopped John “Mulawin” Vincent Moralde, 21-3 (11), of General Santos City, PH, at 1:11 of the third round.

In the first round Martinez landed the first non-jab with a right uppercut to the chin within 20 seconds of the round. Martinez kept coming forward looking for an early stoppage. Martinez landed a hard left hook to the chin driving Moralde half a dozen steps backwards into the ropes. Moralde seemed overwhelmed in the round. Martinez landed the last four punches of the round having Moralded pinned in a corner.

In the second Martinez picked up where he left off landing many punches before a return from Moralde. Martinez rocked Moralde with a right cross on the chin. Moralde had taken so many punches the fight could be stopped in between rounds.

Before the third round started referee Tony Weeks went to the Moralde corner and said he wasn’t going to allow him to take more punishment. Moralde had swelling around both eyes. A left on the chin from Martinez got there before Moralde’s left hook dropping Moralde. He got up in no condition but was allowed to take half a dozen more punches before referee weeks stopped it.

Super Featherweight Andres Cortes, 11-0 (6), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated Jamal Dyer, 9-2 (5), of Baltimore, MD, over 8 rounds.

The first two rounds were close with Dyer taking the first and Cortes the second. In the third round things picked up with more action with Dyer getting the better of it.

In the fourth round Cortes landed a counter right on the chin. Dyer considering how hurt he was at the end of the previous round has done well to hold his own and suddenly a right on the chin from Dyer dropped Cortes. Cortes got up very angry taking it to Dyer to a slugfest to the bell. In the fifth round both fighters landed right uppercuts at the same time to the chin. With a minute left in the round Cortes landed several right hands to the chin.

In round six Cortes landed a left to the body followed with a right to the head. Halfway through the round Cortes rocked Dyer with a right on the chin. In the seventh round Dyer backed Cortes up for the most part. Cortes had swelling under his right eye. It was a good round of action.

In the eighth and final round it was close but Cortes seemed to get the better of it.

Scores were 78-73, 79-73 and 78-74 while this writer had it 77-75 Cortes. Jay Nady was the referee.

Welterweight Sanjarbek Rakhmanov, 11-2-1 (5), of UZB, out of Las Vegas, lost a split decision to Keith “The Bounty” Hunter, 10-0 (7), of Las Vegas, NV, over 8 rounds.

Super Middleweight Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman II, 9-1-1 (5), of Las Vegas, knocked out Cesar “Principe” Lopez Ugarte, 8-4 (6), of Augascalientes, MEX, in the first round.

Lightweight Kingdamon “Don’t Blink” Antoine, 9-0 (7), of Akron, OH, scored a shutout over Raheem Abdullah, 3-2 (0), of Colorado Springs, CO, over 6 rounds.

Super Lightweight Maurice “Ambitious” Lee, 10-1-2 (5), of Woodland Hills, CA, defeated Andre Byrd, 7-6-2 (1), of Jacksonville, FL, over 6 rounds.

Posted on 04/03/2019

By: Ken Hissner

Sam’s Hotel and Gambling Hall will host a ShoBox event on Friday night. This card will feature eight bouts and will be promoted by Mayweather Promotions.

The main event will feature featherweight Angelo “El Chinito” Leo of Las Vegas, Nevada facing off against Neil “The Best” John Tabanao of Cebu, Philippines.

Photo Credit: Sam’s Town Las Vegas Twitter Account

This will be Leo’s first scheduled ten rounder after winning sixteen straight. Tabanao has won his last four bouts and will be making his US debut.

Leo, 16-0 (8), started his career at bantamweight and eventually moved up to featherweight. Tabanao, 17-4 (11), started out at super bantamweight and has even gone up to super lightweight two fights ago.

The co-feature will have Xavier Martinez, 13-0 (9), of Sacramento, CA, who has stopped his last five opponent’s. He will be taking on John “Mulawin” Vincent Moralde, 21-2 (11), of General Santos City, PH.

Last year he defeated Ismail “Sharp Shooter” Muwendo, 19-0. This bout is scheduled for 10 rounds. Another bout on the card will feature ten round welterweight showdown between Cameron “Suave” Krael, 15-13-3 (4), of Las Vegas, and Angel “Hit Man” Hernandez, 15-12-2 (9), of McAllen, TX.

There will also be three eight rounder’s on the card with Super Featherweight Andres Cortes, 10-0 (6), of Las Vegas, will be taking on Jamal Dyer, 9-1 (5), of Baltimore, MD. Welterweight Sanjarbek Rakhmanov, 11-1-1 (5), of UZB, out of Las Vegas, will be taking on Keith “The Bount” Hunter, 9-0 (7), of Las Vegas. Super Middleweight Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman II, 8-1-1 (4), of Las Vegas, will be taking on Cesar “Principe” Lopez Ugarte, 8-3 (6), of Augascalientes, MEX.

In a pair of six rounder’s Lightweight Kingdamon “Don’t Blink” Antoine, 8-0 (7), of Akron, OH, will be taking on Raheem Abdullah, 3-1 (0), of Colorado Springs, CO. With Super Lightweight Maurice “Ambitious” Lee, 9-1-2 (5), of Woodland Hills, CA, with a to be announced opponent.

Posted on 03/04/2019

By: Frank Bartolini

Saturday night fights at the opera house does not sound right. Especially when you are speaking about North Philly. That is exactly what happened when Hard Hitting Promotions displayed their wares at “The Met” on north Broad Street. Considered at one time to be in disrepair the former Metropolitan Opera House has been restored down to the final detail of its original luster. . Anyone of the estimated 3,700 fans who entered the venue for the first time were awestruck by the forty five million dollar refurbishing.

Partners Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz of Hard Hitting Promotions staged the event with house promoter Live Nation. Trying to deliver a quality slate Hard Hitting matched their charges Samuel Teah and Jeremy Cuevas in with tough opposition. Both of them lost eight round decisions by wide margins. Each of these forays were for Pennsylvania State Titles.

Photo Credit: Jano Cohen

The main Event saw Steve Ortiz,134.2, drop Jeremy Cueves, 134.1, twice on his way to earning a unanimous eight round. This all Philly encounter pitted two young men with similar undefeated records. Ortiz showed more poise out finessing his hometown adversary. On his way to accumulating Cuevas utilized a in your face steam engine piston firing style . Why for the biggest fight did Cuevas come out imitating Mean Gene the Dance Machine was baffling. This approach diminished Cuevas chances and Ortiz took full advantage of this by pick his spots and settling down and teeing off.

Cuevas is now 11-1 (8 ko’s). Ortiz stays undefeated at 10-0 (3 ko’s)

By picking up this win Ortiz career continues to prosper as his tock rises. Cuevas did suffer a small setback and after a win or two he will return to hot prospect status.

Squaring off for th Pennsylvania Super Lightweight Championship Samuel Teah,139.1, was nearly shutout by Tre’Sean Wiggins,140,.over eight heats. It looked like Teah may have underestimated Wiggins for he did not have a answer for anything thrown at him. Teah slides to 15-3 (7 Ko’s). Wiggins record stands at 11-4-2 (6 Ko’s) . Being a road warrior for most of his career Wiggins has been on the wrong side of a couple bad decisions and a couple of those losses and draws should be w’s.

As usual Baltimore based welterweight Malik Hawkins,144.9. looked good as usual battling Gledwin Ortiz of Bronx, NY. Hawkins won a eight round unanimous over Ortiz,146.3,. Always trying to obtain victory Ortiz pushed Hawkins the entire way. Due to Ortiz effort Hawkins was able to showcase his talented repertoire.

Hawkins remains undefeated at 14-0 (9 Ko’s) . Power punching Ortiz left the ring possessing a slate of 6-3 (5 Ko’s)

When speaking of hot prospects out of the City of Brotherly love and there is a lot of them, Branden Pizarro,138.8, name is one of the last to be mentioned. As a young bad ass out of North Philly Pizzaro may achieve more success than his contemporaries. Physically more mature than his was two years ago when he made his pro debut while still in High School Pizarro exploded on poor Zack Ramsey of Springfield Mass . Poor Ramsey,140.1, took a sound thrashing before succumbing at 1:50 of round one.

Charismatic, exciting with crunching power and fast hands Pizarro is a real “Kid Blast” lifting his record to 14-1 (7 Ko’s). Getting to spend a weekend in Philadelphia Ramsey goes home with some cash while he licks his wounds owning a 8-6 (4Ko’s) mark.

Organically growing Hard Hitting Promotions using their own hands Rivera and Ruiz are now reaping a bountiful harvest with a estimated gross gate of almost a quarter million dollars this evening. Not only have these two young men help maintain the Philly fight scene they have made it thrive. Hard Hitting brings boxing back to The Met on April 26.

Posted on 11/09/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions put on a card at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California televised live on ESPN2. Neeco “Rooster” Macias lost for the first time to 37 year-old veteran Jesus Karass in his career ending fight setting a record over three thousand punches thrown!

In the Main Event previously unbeaten Super Welterweight southpaw Neeco “Rooster” Macias, 17-1 (10), of Lancaster, CA, suffered his first loss to veteran Mexican Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass, 29-13-4 (18), out of N. Hollywood, CA, in the winners career ending fight over 10 rounds of non-stop action.

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions Twitter Page

In the first round Macias ran across the ring landing like a buzzsaw pinning Karass in his own corner. Karass gets in one to three of punches from Macias. The 37 year-old Karass in the final fight of his career can’t get off the ropes. Karass was returning as many punches as Macias. Both fighters were landing uppercuts galore.

In the second round Macias picked up where he left off pinning Karass against the ropes. The face and head of Karass was already red. An accidental head butt caused a cut over the right eye of Macias. Referee Thomas Taylor halted the action to take a look at the cut. A right hook from the southpaw Macias rocked the veteran Karass. Karass slides across the ropes trying to get away from Macias but couldn’t get away from the attack from Macias.

In the third round once again Macias has Karass against the ropes. Both are mostly landing wicked body shots. This one could have been held in a phone booth. Karass landed a good right hand to the chin of Macias who has no defense. The slugged it out right up to the bell. In the fourth round the “human buzzsaw” Macias had Karass against the ropes in the latter’s corner. Karass backs Macias up several steps until Macias backs Karass back into the corner. The trunks of Karass are covered with blood from the cuts from Macias. Both are throwing leather at a non-stop pace.

In the fifth round it body work from both continued with Karass sliding along the ropes into a neutral corner as hundreds of punches being thrown by both fighters. In the sixth round Macias finally went to the head with a left hook. Macias got warned for hitting Karass behind the back from referee Taylor. Karass was out landing the younger Macias. Karass walked back to his corner slowly looking exhausted.

In the seventh round head’s clashing and punches flying. Karass is out punching the 10 year younger Macias off the ropes. Well over a thousand punches landed with Macias closing in on the two-thousand mark. In the eighth round Karass tried to push Macias back with little success. The punches from Karass started getting wider being out landed two to one. Right up to the bell they were throwing punches.

In the ninth round Macias continues to start the round rushing over backing Karass against the ropes. It’s Karass landing more than Macias in this round. Fortunately for Karass the ropes are covered with leather or his back would be raw. Karass is out landing the younger Macias two to one.

In the tenth and final round of the career of Karass it was the only round Macias couldn’t rush across the ring since both fighters had to touch gloves. Within seconds Karass was backed against the ropes and still out landing the younger Macias. Karass continues to land the harder punches. It was non-stop punching from both fighters with blood coming from the cut over the right eye of Macias. It was a record setting amount of punches thrown and landed by both fighters. What a fight! Over three thousand punches thrown!

Scores were 95-95, 97-93 and 96-94 for Karass. This writer had it 95-95.

“I want to thank God being able to be in the ring with Karass,” said Macias.

Unbeaten NABF Featherweight Champion Manny “Chato” Robles lll, 17-0 (8), out of L.A., CA, won a split decision over Jose “El Torito” Gonzalez, 23-7 (13), out of Guadalajara, MEX, over 10 rounds.

In the first round Gonzalez came out firing punches off the jab while Robles was slipping and blocking punches with hand’s held high. In the final minute Robles goes on the offense backing up Gonzalez. A right from Robles on the chin buckled the knees of Gonzalez. In the second round Gonzalez countered with left hooks to the head of Robles who had his hands high. Robles got in a left hook to the chin of Gonzalez. Gonzalez switched to southpaw for a matter of seconds before returning to orthodox. It was a close round.

In the third round Gonzalez landed a solid combination to the chin of Robles. Both boxers went to the body of one another. Robles is wearing down Gonzalez. In the fourth round Gonzalez held his own but fell behind losing every round. Switching back and forth has not confused Robles who keeps looking for the knockout.

In the fifth round Robles missed a right and got countered by a left hook from Gonzalez to the chin. Robles landed a 3-punch combination to the body of Gonzalez. Robles missed a pair of right’s. Gonzalez backed Robles against the ropes landing a solid left hook to the nose drawing blood from Robles.

In the sixth round Gonzalez with hands to his side coming forward landed a left hook to the head of Robles. Referee Ray Corona allowed Gonzalez to hold a straight arm in the face until Gonzalez landed a right on the chin of Robles. Gonzalez countered with a right to the chin of Robles. Robles came back hurting Gonzales with a flurry of punches with a right doubling Gonzalez over. Robles landed punches right up until the bell.

In the seventh round Robles came out looking angry while it was Gonzalez landing left hooks while Robles went back to hands held high blocking punches best he could missing countering chopping right’s. Robles countered a Gonzalez left hook with a right cross to the chin. Gonzalez landed a solid right to the chin of Robles. It was the best round so far.

In the eighth round Gonzalez landed a pair of left hooks but got countered by a Robles right to the chin. Gonzales was pushed to the ropes then landed a right cross to the chin of Robles. Gonzalez had Robles turning southpaw on the defense. In the ninth round Gonzalez continues landed the left hook that doesn’t seem to have much power on it but is landing counting as points. Gonzalez had a right blocked but landed a double left hook to the body of Robles.
In the tenth and final round Gonzalez went on the attack until he ran into a right from Robles. Gonzalez knew he needed a knockout to pull the fight out landed a solid left to the chin of Robles. Robles continued to miss a chopping right to the head of Gonzalez. Robles finally got warned for holding down the head of Gonzalez. Robles won but didn’t impress.

Scores were 96-94 Robles, 96-94 Gonzalez and 97-93 for Robles as did this writer score it.

In addition, unbeaten Super Middleweight D’mitrus “Big Meech” Ballard, 19-0 (12), out of Temple Hills, MD, easily defeated Alan “Amenaza” Campa, 17-4 (11), out of Sonora, MEX, by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 over 8 rounds.

Posted on 11/07/2018

By: Ken Hissner

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

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

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions Twitter Account

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

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

Posted on 10/28/2018

By: William Holmes

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

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

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

Enter John Skipper.

Photo Credit: John Skipper Twitter Account (@JohnSkipperDAZN)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subscribe to DAZN NOW and get 30 days free.

Posted on 10/28/2018

By: Sean Crose

Mayweather Promotions broadcast a fight card free for their fans on their Facebook Page and featured some of their up and coming prospects, including Juan Heraldez and Angelo Leo.

Juan Heraldez improved his record to 15-0 on Saturday night, thanks to a destructive performance against the 11-4 Maynard Allison, known as “Mr. Marvelous,” at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas. The fight, which was the main event of a Mayweather Promotion’s card, pitted Mayweather protege Heraldez against North Carolina’s Allison. Herladez looked impressive throughout and forced the Referee Tony Weeks to step in and stop the bout at 1:05 of the third.

Photo Credit: Mayweather Promotions Facebook Page

Another Mayweather protege, the 14-0 Angelo Leo also impressed on the card, via an impressive first round knockout of Glenn Porras, 31-7, of the Philippines. Leo, a rising star in the super bantamweight division, ended things quickly, at just 1:37 of the very first round.

The 6-0 lightweight Rolando Romero of Vegas proved himself a sound member of team Mayweather earlier on in the evening when he bested Dieumerci Nzau in thunderous fashion. The bout didn’t get past the opening chapter, as Romero knocked his man unconscious in the first. Andres Cortes added to the night’s trend of early stoppages by finishing Omar Castillo within the distance. Cortes’ record now stands at 9-0, while Castillo’s resume stands at 5-1. Cortes, of Las Vegas, fights in the lightweight division under the Mayweather banner. Overall, it was an impressive evening for the Mayweather Promotions brand overall.

Sam’s Town in Vegas is known to host Mayweather Promotion’s cards, which serve to provide the Mayweather universe’s up and coming fighters the opportunity to show their mettle and to improve upon their resumes. The program at Sam’s Town is known as the “Sin City Showdown.” As is common, there was a charitable aspect to Saturday’s card. Non perishable food items were collected at the door for the Floyd Mayweather Jr Foundation’s “Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway.” on

Posted on 10/17/2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on 10/03/2018

By: Ken Hissner

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

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

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions Twitter Account

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

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

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

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

Posted on 09/23/2018

By: Sean Crose

Cameron Krael may have been viewed as a stepping stone opponent for for the 14-2 Jose Berrego, but the 14-13-3 super lightweight surprised quite a few people Saturday night at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas. After engaging in an exciting sea saw affair for ten straight rounds, the judges decided that the Las Vegas based Krael, by way of Hawaii, was worthy of the decision. And so the man who is considered a seasoned vet at the young age of 24, walked out of the ring on Saturday a surprise winner. Borrego’s camp was clearly unhappy, feeling their man had done enough to earn the victory.

Photo of Xavier Martinez-Credit: Mayweather Promotions Twitter Account

Krael, whose previous ring battle had been a split decision loss to the well known Erik Bone, credited his new trainer for helping his career reverse course. “My boxing,” Krael is quoted as saying afterward, “was on point tonight, that’s what I showed new to my game, thanks to my new coach Otis.” He taught me how to box, how to jab, and just stay in the outside pretty much.” Krael also said he was prepared for what his opponent had to offer. “I knew he was going to bring the pressure and I just tried to stay on the outside as much as possible.” After besting a man known as a legitimate up and comer, Krael was ready to move forward. “I’m ready for bigger things,” he claimed. “Whatever they got coming up for me, I’m ready.”

The card also saw Linell Bellows, 18-2-3, get bested by the 14-6 Christopher Booker, who walked away with the decision win. Bellows was coming off an impressive win over Lamar Harris last July. Ava Knight, the “Lady of Boxing,” fared better than Bellows, besting the 17-13-3 Nancy Franco by decision. Knight’s record now stands at 16-2-4.

Worthy of note – and of eyeballs – is the undefeated super featherweight Xavier Martinez, who notched up another victory, this one against the 22-9 Oscar Bravo. Martinez, who is only 20 years old, has already earned a record of 12-0 and is certainly worth keeping an eye on. Saturday’s card at Sam’s Town was the product of Mayweather Promotions, which oversees and guides the careers of many of the fighters who appeared in the ring, including the victorious Krael, the victor of the night’s main event. Sam’s Town is known to host Mayweather Promotions cards, as is a friendly venue to the sport of boxing.

Posted on 09/20/2018

By: Sean Crose

Mayweather Promotions will host a card at Sam’s Club in Vegas this Saturday night featuring the 13-13-3 Cameron Krael as he takes on the 14-1 Jose Berrego in a ten round super lightweight affair. Krael, who goes by the nickname of “Suave,” will be coming back after suffering a split decision loss to Erik Bone last May at Sam’s Town. Originally from Hawaii, Krael grew up rough before honing himself into an action fighter and a part of the famed Mayweather stable. Only 24 years of age, the man is considered one of the gutsier fighters one can find in Vegas. With only three knockouts to his name, he’s not known as a heavy hitter, but he’s earned the reputation of bringing intense determination to the ring.

As for Berrego, the rising Mexican fighter has a single loss on his resume, a decision defeat to undefeated Juan Heraldez last year. Since that time he’s fought and bested Carlos Velasquez by stoppage in Louisiana. This will be Borrego’s second fight this year (the Velasquez bout was in May). If he’s able to get past the gritty Krael, Berrego will be one step closer to major fights and one step further away from his lone defeat.

Also on the card this Saturday will be Ava Knight. Known as “The Lady of Boxing,” Knight boasts a 15-2-4 record. Her opponent this weekend will be the 17-13-2 Nancy Franco. King, who has held the WBC world female light flyweight title, hasn’t lost since 2013. Her opponent, Franco, who lost a battle for the WBA World Minimunweight Female Title to Anabel Ortiz last year, is hoping to break a three fight losing streak. The fight will be six rounds and will go down in the flyweight division.

Lionell Thompson and Linell Bellows will appear on Saturday’s card, as well. Thompson, 19-5, is looking to come back from a unanimous decision loss to Edwin Rodriguez that he suffered in February of this past year. His opponent will be the 28-23-1 Derrick Findley. Their bout is scheduled for ten rounds in the super middleweight division. As for the 18-2-2 Bellows, he’ll be facing the 13-6 Christopher Booker in a ten round super middleweight affair. It will be Bellows first fight since besting Lamar Harris by TKO last July in Memphis.

Fans looking to see Saturday’s fights live will also have a chance to do a good deed. As Mayweather Promotions states: “We will be collecting non-perishable food items at the fight, in support of the Floyd Mayweather Foundation’s Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway.”We