Tag Archives: results

Posted on 12/03/2017

By: William Holmes

A champion in four divisions and a lock for the boxing hall of fame, the legendary Miguel Cotto fought the last fight of his career in the building that helped make him famous, Madison Square Garden.

Surprisingly, despite campaigning in the middleweight division, Miguel Cotto weighted in at 151.6lbs while Sadam Ali, who has fought in the welterweight division and is bumping up a weight class to face Cotto, weighed in at 153lbs. Many, including this writer, expected Cotto to weigh in at a heavier weight than Ali

Photo Credit: HBO Boxing Twitter

The opening bout of the night was between Rey Vargas (30-0) and Oscar Negrete (17-0) for the WBC Junior Featherweight Title.

Vargas, the taller fighter, was able to use his height to his advantage in the opening round and landed a high volume of punches to the body and head of Negrete. He was able to get a full extension on his shots in the second round and had Negrete taking some hard shots.

Vargas connected with three straight uppercuts followed by a right hook in the opening seconds of the third round. At one point in the third Negrete stepped on the foot of Vargas and knocked him over, but the referee correctly ruled it a push. Vargas’ sharp shots continued into the fourth round and fifth rounds but Negrete, to his credit, never stopped coming forward.

Negrete snuck in a few good shots of his own, especially when he was in tight, but Vargas’ combinations were numerous.

Negrete took some heavy body shots by Vargas in the sixth round, but did land his best punch of the night, a left hook, in the ninth round.

The eighth round was also tight as Negrete surprisingly landed some combinations, and Vargas had a cuts over both of his eyes. The referee checked it in the eighth and before the ninth rounds but let Vargas continue.

Negrete was out matched and out gunned, but continued to press the pace in the final rounds but took a barrage of punches in the process.

Vargas’ cut over his left eye looked pretty bad, but he was never in danger of being hurt.

The judges scored it 119-109, 119-109, and 120-108 for Rey Vargas.

Miguel Cotto (41-5) and Sadam Ali (25-1) met in the main event of the night for the WBO Junior Middleweight Title.
Cotto walked out to no walk out music so that he could hear the crowd.

The crowd loudly chanted for Cotto in the opening round, but Ali established he had the superior hand speed early on and connected with some surprising punches. Cotto was able to land his patented left hook to the body, but Ali looked like he was landing at a higher connect rate.

Cotto was badly hurt in the second round from a right cross by Ali. Cotto’s legs were wobbly, but Ali did not press the action to try and finish the fight. Ali slipped in the second round, but he definitely had Cotto hurt.

Ali’s length gave Cotto trouble in the third round but Cotto was pressing the action. Cotto was hurt once again in the fourth round by Ali, but was able to recover and come forward behind his jab.

Cotto’s attack to the body appeared to be effective in the fifth and sixth rounds, especially when he had Ali backed into a corner. Ali’s right eye began to swell in the seventh round but he was landing good shots to the head of Cotto.

Cotto had Ali backed into the ropes several times in the eighth and did his best work there, but Ali retook control in the ninth round as Cotto looked like he was tiring.

Ali landed a vicious left hook on Cotto in the tenth round that had Cotto on wobbly legs again and his mouth wide open. Cotto was on full retreat in the tenth and appeared to be close to going down.

Ali came out aggressively in the eleventh round and looked like he was going for the knockout. His corner had previously urged him to be more aggressive. Cotto survived and circled away from the attacking Ali.

Cotto came out aggressive in the final round but looked tired and slow. Ali was the fresher fighter and closed out the fight well.

The final scores were 115-113, 116-112, 115-113 for Sadam Ali.

In the post fight interview Cotto confirmed it was his last fight, and revealed he hurt his left bicep in the seventh round.

Cotto stated, “Feeling good. Feeling good with the performance. Something happened to my left bicep, seventh round. I don’t want to make excuses, Sadam won the fight. It is my last fight. I am good, and I want to be happy in my home with my family.

“Thank you for all the fans, I am proud to call MSG my second home. I had the opportunity to provide the best for my family because of the sport.”

I worked hard for it.” Said Sadam Ali. “I took advantage of this fight, and I made sure to make it count. I want to Thank God, and also thank team Cotto, They could have taken an easier fight if they wanted too. ”

“I had him hurt here or there in the first couple of rounds. I knew I had to do something, or he would have dug in. By the 11th, I thought the fight was close. Whatever GBP has next, I’ll take it. Good things happen to good people. I have been training since I was 8 years old, and I am glad I got this win at MSG, in my hometown.”

Posted on 12/02/2017

By: Ken Hissner

At a sold out (in 3 days) SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia Friday night Hard Hitting Promotions with Manny Rivera and Will Ruiz (matchmaker) put on as good a show as I have seen in Philly in many a year featuring Philly heavyweight Joey “the Tank” Dawejko, in the main event with some of the best talent in Philly in years on the undercard of an event full of excitement by the promotion and great matchmaking.

Heavyweight Joey “The Tank” Dawejko, 19-4 (11), of Philly, used a knockdown to defeat Kelvin Nunez, 15-1 (14), of Carolina, PR, for the vacant WBC FECARBOX Title, over 8 hard fought rounds.
In the first round Dawejko is throwing every punch including jabs with bad intentions keeping Nunez on the defense.

A counter right from Dawejko off a Nunez miss rocked the latter. It was all Dawejko in this round. In the second round both fighters were exchanging with Nunez becoming more active but not enough to win the round. In the third round Dawejko landed a solid right uppercut to the chin of Nunez. Dawejko landed the better of the punches in a round of action.

In the fourth round the bout became very tactful on the part of both fighters.
Nunez finally seemed to get an edge in this round. In the fifth round Nunez came out firing until Dawejko landed a right hand to slow him down. Nunez turned southpaw and back to orthodox. It was a very close action round on the part of both fighters. In the sixth round Nunez was going to the body while Dawejko was countering with left hooks to the head. In the seventh round Nunez turned to the referee Shawn Clark complaining of who knows what and he got hit with a left hook from Dawejko that almost drove him through the ropes. In this writers opinion it was the difference in the end.

Dawejko had a big round landing some eight solid punches to the head of Nunez just prior to the bell. In the eighth and final round Nunez fought back possibly figuring he needed a knockout to win as he kept coming to Dawejko with too little too late. “I hurt my back in the first round,” said Dawejko. Nunez kept leaning on him doubling him over throughout the contest. Referee Clark warned him several times.

Judge John Poturaj had it 77-74 as did Dave Braswell while judge Frescia had it 76-75 while this writer had it 77-74.
Unbeaten Philly bantamweight Christian Carto, 13-0 (11), of South Philly, won a lopsided spirited decision over Luis Fernando Saavedra, 7-4 (3), of San Luis Potosi, MEX, over 8 rounds.

In the first round of feeling each other out Saavedra landed the first punch a straight left to the chin of Carto. Carto stalked Savvedra falling short with most jabs as Saavedra had his hands held high.

Saavedra switched back to orthodox from southpaw. Carto opened up with a flurry of punches just prior to the bell to the head of Saavedra. In the second round a solid left hook from Carto to the chin dropped Saavedra for an eight count from referee Eric Dali before getting up.

In the third round Carto landed a 3-punch combination to the head of Saavedra. Saavedra keeps switching from southpaw to orthodox. Carto went to the body of Saavedra who is countering sparingly.

Carto does better when Saavedra is orthodox. At the bell both fighters were throwing leather. In the fourth round Carto stalked and outworked Saavedra hurting him with follow-up right hands off of his jab.

In the fifth round Carto opened the round with a lead right to the chin of Saavedra now fighting southpaw. Carto was now on the move countering Saavedra well with combinations to the head. In the sixth round Carto landed a flurry of punches that had the crowd responding. Saavedra was stalking but walking into punches from Carto. It was Carto outworking Saavedra though the latter was coming forward.

In the seventh round Carto landed a hard right and left to the head of Saavedra who was up against the ropes. At the bell it was Carto landing punches with Saavedra doing more feinting than punching. In the eighth and final round it was all Carto with Saavedra more interested it seemed in going the distance than winning the fight.

Judge had it 80-71 as did this writer.

The Referee was Eric Dali.

Lightweight 18 year-old prospect Branden “The Gift” Pizarro, 8-1 (4), of Philly, was upset in a close decision by Christian Rivera, 7-0 (5), of Bayamon, PR, over 6 rounds of action.

In the first round Pizarro was the aggressor. Pizarro opened the round with a right and left to the head of Rivera. Pizarro drove Rivera into the ropes with a flurry of punches. A hard left hook landed by Pizarro rocked Rivera on the chin. A 3-punch combination from Pizarro to the head of Rivera got his attention.
Rivera’s face was red from the punches he received. In the second round Rivera landed a combination that was countered by a flurry of punches from Pizarro. A left to the chin from Rivera dropped Pizarro who seemed more embarrassed than hurt. Rivera tried to follow-up but was countered by Pizarro. Pizarro ended the round with a lead right to the chin of Rivera.

In the third round Pizarro hurt Rivera to the head with a right hand driving him into a neutral corner. Another right from Pizarro drove Rivera across the ring.

Pizarro had Rivera hurt in the corner but was countered by a left that momentarily dropped him to a knee. He was up as referee Clark counted and went after Rivera when the round ended. In the fourth round Pizarro was on the offense as Rivera countered with chopping left hands. Pizarro landed a pair of rights to the chin of Rivera that kept him on the move. Rivera landed a solid combination to the head of Pizarro getting his attention. It was a close round but Pizarro rebounded nice.

In the fifth round a lead left from Pizarro on the chin got Rivera’s attention. Rivera’s face is well marked while Pizarro’s is unmarked. Pizarro was once again on the attack while Rivera countered with less offense. In the sixth and final round Rivera opened up with a solid lead left to the chin of Pizarro.

Pizarro rocked Rivera with a left hook to the head. Pizarro knocked out the mouthpiece of Rivera causing referee Clark to halt the action. Pizarro was on the attack when this happened. It was one great fight full of action.

Judge John Portaju had it 58-54, Dave Braswell 58-55 and Adam Frescia 57-56 while this writer had it 56-56 with 4 rounds to Pizarro and 2 the knockdown rounds to Rivera.

Salvation Of Sorrows Inc. a non-profit organization at intermission with Abby (President) and Chris Anderson giving gifts to three youngsters including free training at the Hard Hitting Gym.

Celebrity boxers and trainers being introduced were Ray “Tito” Serrano, “Hammerin” Hank Lundy, former WBA champion Jason “El Canito” Sosa and title challenger on December 9th the American Idol Tevin “Successful” Farmer along with trainers Raul “Chino” Rivas and Rashiem Jefferson. Also in attendance was Philadelphia Eagle Malcolm Jenkins.

Lightweight Liberian “Tsuanami” Sammy Teah, 12-1-1 (5), of Philly, defeated “Mr. Marvelous” Maynard Allison, 9-3 (6), from NC, now living in Philly, in a spirited six rounds.

In the first round Teah was the aggressor using a good jab. The first punch landed by Allison a right to the head of Teah was countered by a right by Teah that had Allison holding on. Both landed right hands to the chin at the same time with Allison getting the worst of it. A left hook from Teah to the chin hurt Allison as the bell sounded. In the second round Teah lines up Allison with jabs to the mid-section with right hands following.

The fighters got into a heated exchange of punches with Teah getting the better of it. Teah landed a double right to the head while Allison came back with a right rocking Teah. Teah came back driving Allison into a neutral corner and on his bike.
In the third round controls with his jab keeping Allison at bay. Allison landed a good right uppercut to chin of Teah. The round ended with a Allison right to the chin of Teah. In the fourth round both fighters landed left hooks to the chin at the same time. Teah continued to stalk Allison when another exchange from both fighters had the sold out crowd yelling. The last two rounds were close but Teah seemed to pull them out.

In the fifth round Teah landed half a dozen punches hurting Allison who pushed Teah back against the ropes only to have Teah rock him with several uppercuts and a chopping right hand hurting Allison. It turned into a war. The fighters ended up slugging it out in the corner of Allison. In the sixth and final round there was a clash of heads making referee Dali halt the action. Allison pushed Teah to the canvas receiving a warning from referee Dali. Teah chased Allison around the ring trying for the knockout. Allison was warned for the second time for pushing off. Teach landed a good combination to the head of a retreating Allison as the fight drew to a close. The fans showed their appreciation.

All three Judge’s Vargas, Freisca and Braswell had it 60-54 as did this writer.
Heavyweight from Philly Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock, 10-0 (6), made his hometown debut a successful one stopping Carlos Cotto, 8-2 (5), of Carolina, PR, at 2:59 of the first round.

In the first round Rock used a good jab. Cotto missed with a right uppercut and Rock countered with a hard right to the head rocking Cotto. Rock landed a good combination to the head of Cotto making him blink with both eyes showing redness.

Rock missed with a right and countered with a left to the side of Cotto’s head dropping him to a knee. He struggled to get up at nine but was in no condition to continue as referee Shawn Clark wisely waved it off. The ring physician examined Cotto who was holding his right ear from the left hook that dropped him. “I saw he was scared so I went in for the finish,” said Rock.

In the opening bout Lightweight southpaw Jeremy Cuevas, 6-0 (5), of Philly, halted Jose Miguel “The Hammer” Castro, 5-10 (3), of Carolina, PR, at 2:05 of the fifth in a scheduled six round bout.

In the first round southpaw Cuevas used a good jab countering Castro. Cuevas hammered Cuevas into the ropes with half a dozen punches before Castro spun off the ropes. Referee Dali warned Castro to watch using his head which has reddened the nose of Cuevas. In the second round Cuevas landed a lead straight left to the head of Castro. Cuevas followed up with a right uppercut and left to the head. Both fighters exchanged punched to the head at once. In the middle of the ring Cuevas landed half a dozen unanswered punches.

Just prior to the bell Castro landed a right to the head of Cuevas who jumped all over him landing over half a dozen punches before the bell sounded.

In the third round Cuevas landed half a dozen unanswered punches in the middle of the ring. Castro continues to be the aggressor but has been on the defense when Cuevas opens up. Both fighters have red abrasions on their faces. In the fourth round both fighters get into an exchange of punches. Castro landed a hard right to the head of Cuevas bringing noise from the crowd. Castro turned away and Cuevas went after him rocking him with a pair of left hands to the head. A lead left from Cuevas to the chin of Castro rocked him at the bell.

In the fifth round Cuevas drove Castro into the ropes with a vicious variety of punches having him out on his feet when the corner of Castro threw the towel in causing referee Dali to wave it off.

“My corner said I was breaking him down by going to the body and I could see he was starting to cover up so as I was pounding on him the referee called it off,” said Cuevas.

Posted on 12/01/2017

By: Eric Lunger

The MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, was the venue for Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN this evening, and featured undefeated prospect Lamont Roach, Jr. (15-0, 6 KOs) in a ten-round super featherweight bout against Filipino Rey Perez (21-8, 6 KOs). Roach, 22, the hometown Maryland fighter with an extensive amateur background, brought a technical and polished style into the ring. Perez, a determined and veteran orthodox fighter, was making his debut in the United States.

Undefeated Super Featherweight prospect Lamont Roach, Jr. (Right) lands a right hand en route to a unanimous decision victory over Rey Perez (Left) on November 30, 2017 in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Round one was a professional feeling-out round with Roach landing the more effective jabs. In the second, Perez erupted with a body attack in the latter half of the round. While Roach caught a lot of the punches on his arms, Perez let Roach know he came to compete. In the third, the poised and patient Roach landed several good combinations, bringing the crowd to life. The fourth saw Roach’s hand speed and accuracy start to dictate the direction of the fight, and forcing Perez to keep his hands at home. In the middle rounds, Roach’s skill level began to really show, allowing him to catch Perez with consistent power shots. Game and none daunted, Perez continued to come forward but the punches were taking their toll.

The seventh round erupted with some fierce exchanges in the last thirty seconds, but the Filipino took the majority of the damage. In the late rounds, despite the pressure of fighting in front of his home fans, Roach remained poised and professional, fighting behind his jab and show a full kit of offensive tools. It was an impressive, elite level performance by Roach against a tough and gritty Perez. The judges scored it unanimously nine rounds to one for Roach.

In the co-main event, Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez (19-1, 14 KOs) took on Avery Sparrow (8-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia in a ten-rounder at the super featherweight limit. Lopez, 23, is five-foot-nine, tall and rangy with good knockout power. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, Lopez is aggressive and prone to taking risks in the ring. Sparrow, also 23, was the less experienced fighter, and taking on Lopez presented a significant challenge.

Sparrow started fast, throwing a jab on differing planes and seeking to land a wide right around Lopez’s high guard. Lopez, for his part, remained patient and content to take the measure of his opponent. The Puerto Rican fighter was more active in the second, but Sparrow’s activity and awkward style forced Lopez to keep his hands home. Sparrow’s offense came to life in the fourth round, landing two straight rights and a good left hook. Lopez was still unable to time Sparrow or combat his dipping head movement.

Round six was Sparrow’s best, with his confidence and ring showmanship growing with each successful combination. His movement, his jab, his aggression, his shoulder roll defense – all were too much for Lopez, who could not find the necessary adjustments in the ring. Despite the deficit in experience, it was Sparrow who put on a clinic, and Lopez who looked confused and tentative. After a full ten rounds, the judges saw it 96-94, 96-94, 97-93 unanimously for the Philadelphia fighter, Avery Sparrow.

The undercard featured Manuel Avila (22-1, 8 KOs) taking on Diuhl Olguin (11-8-3, 9 KOs) of Mexico in an eight-round featherweight bout. Avila, fighting out of Vallejo, CA, was looking to bounce back after his first defeat last May at the hands of undefeated Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz.

Avila fought a controlled and patient bout, while Olguin gave him plenty of challenges to figure out, mounting a decent body attack with the left hook and occasionally switching to the southpaw stance. Avila piled up rounds but certainly never dominated his opponent, even cruising a bit in the seventh. The fight went to the cards after eight: Avila took the unanimous decision 77-75, 78-74, 78-74.

Posted on 11/26/2017

By: Ken Hissner

At the Madison Square Garden Theater, in New York City, Saturday night Main Events, Krusher Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and HBO promoted the vacant WBO light heavyweight title fight.

In the main event former WBA, WBO & IBF light heavyweight champion Russian Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, 31-2-1 (27), of Los Angeles, CA, stopped Ukranian Vyacheslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy, 19-2 (16), of Los Angeles, CA, regaining the vacant WBO light heavyweight title, at 2:36 of round two of a scheduled 12.

In the opening round both boxers exchanged jabs with Shabranskyy showing a harder one. A right hand from Kovalev on the left ear and down went Shabranskyy. Another right hand from Kovalev to the left ear of Shabransky and down he went again. In the second round a hard right from Kovalev to the side of Shabranskyy’s and down he went. Kovalev went right after Shabranskyy and was hurting him again with the right hand to the head forcing referee Harvey Dock to end the fight. Seems Kovalev’s new trainer made a big difference with Kovalev seemingly back to his old form.

Light heavyweight Cuban Sullivan Barrera, 21-1 (14), won easily over awkward Felix “Mangu” Valera, 15-2 (13), of Dominican Republic, over 10 rounds.

In the first round Barrera landed a good right to the chin of Valera. Halfway thru the round Valera turned southpaw momentarily. Switching back to orthodox Valera landed a left hook dropping Barrera. A questionable call by referee Mike Ortega ruled a knockdown against Valera by a glancing left hook by Barrera. In the second round Valera was warned for a low blow. Valera started show boating and got caught with a right hand from Barrera. Barrera suffered a cut over his left eye under the eye brow.

In the third round another low blow by Valera cost him a point. Barrera comes fighting back landing hard shots to the head of Valera. Valera again switches to southpaw and show boating. Barrera had a big round. In the fourth round Barrera landed a hard overhand right to the head of Valera. Hands to his side Valera from the southpaw stance landed a solid left to the head of Barrera who keeps coming forward with blood flowing from his cut from a right hook. Barrera ended the round landing a right to the head of Valera.

In the fifth round Barrera kept coming forward landing more punches though the awkward Valera landing the harder punches though moving around with hands to his side. In the sixth round another low blow by Valera cost him a point. Halfway thru the round Valera decided to stand his ground giving the most action of the fight with Barrera throwing back. Barrera landed a double left hook to the head of Valera just prior to the bell.

In the seventh round Barrera landed well with his right to the head along with an uppercut to the head. They traded hard body shots. Barrera continued landing hard rights to the head of Valero. In the eighth round another low blow cost Valero a point. Barrera landed a solid right uppercut to the chin of Valero.

In the ninth round Barrera landed a low blow and lost a point. Again Valero started show boating. Valero dancing around the ring not throwing punches though well behind in the fight. In the tenth and final round Valero opened up with a solid left hook to the head of Barrera knowing he needs a knockout to win. Valero continues to dance around the ring not throwing punches again. Barrera lands final punch of the fight to the head of a strange Valero.

Judge Akerman had it 98-88, Feldman 97-90 and Schreck 97-89 with this writer 98-89. Referee was Mike Ortega. This should earn Barrera a title shot.

Former WBA super featherweight champion Jason “El Canito” Sosa, 20-3-4 (15), of Camden, NJ, lost a disputed majority decision to former IBF & WBA featherweight champion Cuban Yuriokis “El Ciclon de Guantanamo” Gamboa, 28-2 (17), of Miami, FL, over 10 rounds.

In the first round Sosa was the aggressor. Gamboa showed good hand speed in out working Sosa with counter combinations. A clash of heads showed a small red mark over the right eye of Gamboa. In the second round Sosa was warned for a low blow by referee Ron Lipton. Gamboa landed a double left hook to the mid-section of Sosa. Late in the round Sosa landed a left hook to the head of Gamboa where the head butt landed earlier opening a cut over the right eye of Gamboa. Sosa ended the round with a solid overhand right to the head of Gamboa.

In the third round Gamboa was warned twice for pushing off Sosa by referee Lipton. Sosa is throwing the right which is going over the head of Gamboa. Gamboa landed a left hook to the head of Sosa being the best punch of the round. In the fourth round Gamboa landed a good left hook to the body of Sosa. Gamboa warned for holding. Gamboa is landing 3-punch combinations on Sosa. Sosa keeps chasing Gamboa.

In the fifth round Gamboa landed a hard right hand to the chin of Sosa. Gamboa warned about holding for second time. Sosa lands a lead right to the mid-section of Gamboa. Both fighters exchanged right hands to the head. Sosa ended the round with a right uppercut to the chin of Gamboa. In the sixth round Gamboa continues to throw and grab Sosa. Halfway thru the round Sosa landed a good left hook to the head of Gamboa. Gamboa’s left eye started showing swelling.

In the seventh round Sosa landed a pair of left hooks dropping Gamboa with a delay knockdown when his glove hit the canvas per referee Lipton. Gamboa finally warned again for holding for the third time. Sosa landed a hard right to the head of Gamboa that was followed up by another seconds later. In the eighth round a Sosa right hand rocked Gamboa on the chin. Sosa followed up with a right to the body of Gamboa who may be tiring.

In the ninth round another warning to Gamboa for holding. Sosa landed a solid left hook to the head of Gamboa. Sosa ended the round with a good body shot. In the tenth and final round Sosa landed several good jabs to the chin of Gamboa. Referee Lipton finally takes a point from Gamboa for holding once again. Gamboa never stopped holding the rest of the round as Sosa did his best to punch him off of him.

Judge Taylor 94-94, McKaie 95-93 and Tella 96-92 with this writer 95-93 for Sosa. Gamboa took the fight on 3 weeks notice. This fight promoted by Golden Boy and Peltz Boxing.

Posted on 11/12/2017

By: William Holmes

Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sports put on their first HBO card featuring their newest signee, middleweight Daniel Jacobs, at the NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

Three bouts were televised tonight. The opening bout was between Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin and Roberto Ortiz in the junior welterweight division, the second bout was between Jerell Miller and Mariusz Wach in the heavyweight division, and the main event was between Daniel Jacobs and Luis Arias in the middleweight division.

Photo Credit: HBO Boxing Twitter

The first bout of the night was between Cletus Seldin (25-0) and Roberto Ortiz (35-1-2) in the junior welterweight division.

Cletus Seldin wasted no time and took the pressure right to Roberto Ortiz and knocked him down with a big overhand right in the first twenty seconds of the opening round. Ortiz was able to get back up and had to withstand an aggressive assault by Seldin. Seldin as able to land two good uppercuts that forced Ortiz to take a knee, who complained about getting hit behind the head.

Seldin continued his pressure into the second round and opened up a bad cut over the left eye of Ortiz from a hard right hook. The ringside doctor took a look at the eye of Ortiz but allowed the fight to continue.

By the third round blood was pouring out of the cut above Ortiz’s eye, and Seldin was loading up with his right hands and was looking for a stoppage. An elbow to the nose by Seldin forced Ortiz to take a knee, but his cut above his eye was bleeding badly.

The ringside doctor took another look at the cut over Ortiz’s eye and told the referee the fight should be stopped.

Cletus Seldin wins by TKO at 2:43 of the third round.

The next bout of the night was between Jarrell Miller (19-0) and Mariusz Wach (33-2) in the heavyweight division.

Wach was active with his jab in the first round and was able to use his height advantage to keep Miller at bay. Miller was able to land a few jabs of his own, but Wach was more accurate with it in the opening round.

Miller was landing more punches in the second round, including some good short right uppercuts. Miller’s hand speed controlled in the third and fourth rounds and he was showing a good variety of punches and combination.

Wach was able to have some success with his straight right hand in the opening four rounds, but stopped throwing it midway through the fifth after lading a good straight right hand.

Wach complained to his corner that he hurt his right hand before the start of the sixth and basically stopped throwing it during that round. Miller was greatly outlanding Wach by this point and even had Wach momentarily stunned in the middle of the seventh round.

Wach’s corner could have stopped the fight before the start of the eighth round, but they allowed Wach to continue fighting while only using one hand. Wach’s right hand hurt so bad that he showed visible signs of pain even when he blocked a punch by Miller.

Wach came out for the start of the ninth round but he was still not using his right hand. The referee jumped up to the ring canvas and told the referee to stop the fight.

Miller wins by TKO at 1:02 of the ninth round.

Daniel Jacobs (32-2) and Luis Arias (18-0) met in the middleweight division in the main event of the night.

Jacobs was the taller fighter and had the obvious power advantage going into this fight. His power was evident in the opening round when he landed a hard right cross that forced Arias to try to tackle Jacobs to keep from taking more punishment. Jacobs landed a good lead left hook at the end of the first.

Arias was warned to keep his punches up in the second round but he continued to focus to the body. Jacobs ended the second round with a good combination.

Jacobs walked Arias down in the third and fourth round and was able to land some good right uppercuts. Arias had a good right hand in the fifth round, but that was his only effective offense displayed in the first half of the fight.

Jacobs looked extremely confident in the seventh and eighth round as his accuracy gradually increased. Arias was fighting while moving backwards in the ninth round and Jacobs did not look worried about Arias’ power at all.

Arias needed a knockout or at least a flurry of knockdowns in the championship rounds in order to win the fight, but that never came. Jacobs just continued to apply pressure and land hard shots to the body and head and was able to score a knockdown in the eleventh round, even though it was a clipping hook that landed behind the head.

The judges scored it 118-109, 120-107, and 119-108 for Daniel Jacobs.

Posted on 11/11/2017

By: Ken Hissner

At the Masonic Temple & Performing Arts Center in Cleveland, OH, Friday night on Show Box The New Generation and promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

In the Main Event Featherweight Luis “KO King” Rosa, 23-1 (11), of PR/New Haven, Conn. Lost a split decision to Southpaw Yuandale “Money Shot” Evans, 20-1 (14), of East Cleveland, OH, for the WBC Continental Americas title.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing

In the first round both fighters came out firing. Evans landed a good right uppercut knocking the head of Rosa back. Rosa came right back with several right’s to the head of Evans. At the minute mark left in the round Evans landed a solid double right hook to the head of Rosa. With half a minute left in the round Rosa landed a solid combination but Evans fired back with a combination of his own. It was an action packed round. In the second round Evans landed a solid straight left to the head of Rosa. Evans used a good jab while Rosa was swinging wildly in return. A good left hand by Evans got Rosa’s attention moving him back several steps. In the last 30 seconds of the round Rosa worked Evans into a corner landing a flurry of punches.

In the third round Evans landed four unanswered punches before Rosa fought back. At the halfway mark Rosa worked the body of vans well following up with a pair of rights to the head. With less than a minute left in the round Evans landed a three punch combination to the head of Rosa. In the fourth round Evans opened up with a flurry of punches. Rosa drove Evans into the ropes with a flurry of body punches. Evans used an effective jab throughout the round while Rosa went head hunting in an action round. Both were landing punches at the bell.

In the fifth round Evans came out firing his jab following with a left to the head of Rosa. Rosa drove Evans into a corner with a flurry of punches. Evans countered well as Rosa kept pushing him back with his head low coming forward with body work. In the sixth round Evans landed a very effective jab and was able to work around Rosa who worked the body when they were inside. At the halfway mark out of a southpaw stance Rosa landed a solid lead left to the head of Evans. Evans backing up countered well to the head of Rosa who was swinging wildly while coming forward.

In the seventh round Rosa kept moving around the ring with Evans on the offense. It seemed Rosa was taking the round off. In the eighth round Evans drove Rosa into the ropes with a flurry of punches. Rosa landed a solid right hand from a southpaw stance rocking Evans at the one minute mark. It was all Sosa up until a minute left in the round rocking Evans again with combinations to the head. With half a minute left in the round Evans turned the table rocking Sosa with combinations. Both were letting it all hang out at the bell.

In the ninth round with Rosa coming forward with body shots Evans countered with right hooks to the head. The fighters got sloppy with warnings from referee Shawn Clark to both fighters using dirty tactics. In the tenth and final round Evans once again started fast with Rosa coming forward with his head throwing punches. At a minute into the round Evans landed a solid left hand to the head of Rosa. The fight got wild with punches from both until Rosa pushed Evans to the canvas. Evans got up firing back while Rosa came forward throwing wild punches with both hands. Both fighters were throwing leather at the bell of a very exciting bout.

Scores were slow coming with scores of 96-94 for Evans, 96-94 for Rosa and 97-93 for Evans. This writer had it 96-94 for Evans.

In the co-feature welterweight Russian Radzhab “The Python” Butaev, 8-0 (6), of Los Angelos, CA, defeated Janer “Jafet” Gonzalez, 19-1-1 (15), of Barranquilla, COL, over 8 rounds.

In the first round Butaev was the aggressor. Just over a minute into the round Butaev rocked Gonzalez with a right to the head. Gonzalez held his hands up high while Butaev on contrast had his left to his side firing the right hand. In the second round both fighters mixed it up in the middle of the ring. Gonzalez became the stalker while Butaev countered well with his right. Not a lot of punches landing in the round.

In the third round just over a minute Gonzalez landed a solid right to the head of Butaev who countered back with a right of his own. Gonzalez may have did just enough to win the round. In the fourth round after a minute Butaev landed a solid left hook to the head of Gonzalez. Halfway through the round Gonzalez landed a good right to the head of Butaev who countered with a solid left hook to the head. There was too much posing on the part of both fighters.

In the fifth round Gonzalez landed a good left hook to the chin of Butaev. After a minute into the round Gonzalez rocked Butaev with a left hook to the head. Gonzalez opened up more in the round. In the sixth round after a minute Gonzalez landed a solid left to the head of Butaev. Gonzalez continued to stalk Butaev dropping his hands for the first time trying to get Butaev to open up.

In the seventh round Butaev became a little more active looking to land that one punch knockout. He outworked Gonzalez enough to win the round. In the eighth and final round Gonzalez landed a solid right to the head of Butaev after thirty seconds into the round. Butaev worked his jab more landing three without return. With less than a minute left in the round Butaev landed a good combination to the head of Gonzalez. George Nichols was the referee.

Scores were 80-72, 79-73 and 77-75. This writer had it 77-75.

2016 Olympian super welterweight Charles “Bad News” Conwell, 6-0 (5), of Cleveland, OH, won a lopsided fight over a game Roque Zapata, 4-2-3 (0), of Cold Pepper, WV, over 6 rounds.

In the first round Conwell used his jab while Zapata was busier for the first half of the round. Halfway through the round Conwell starts opening up with his jab and straight rights to head of Zapata. Conwell landed a good left uppercut to the chin of Zapata. With half a minute to go Zapata landed a good straight right to the chin of Conwell. In the second round after 30 seconds Conwell rocked Zapata with a right to the chin. In the second halfof the round Conwell landed a solid right uppercut to the chin of Zapata. Conwell was looking for a knockout with every right hand. With less than a minute left in the round Conwell landed a solid right knocking out the mouthpiece of Zapata.

In the third round a solid right hand uppercut from Conwell on the chin of Zapata dropped him. Referee George Nichols got to the count of 9 before Zapata got up. With just over a minute left in the round a double left hook to the body and head by Conwell dropped Zapata again for a 9 count by referee Nichols. A game Zapata got up with a bloody nose and fought back well. In round four at the halfway point Conwell landed a solid right hand body shot hurting Zapata. Every right hand Conwell throws has bad intentions with one causing a cut over the left eye of Zapata.

In round five both fighters are mixing it up with Conwell getting the better of the two. A solid left hook to the ribcage by Conwell dropped Zapata. Conwell landed a good double left to the body and head of Zapata. Zapata has little power though fighting back landing his first combination to the head of Conwell. In the sixth and final round there is no quit in Zapata as Conwell is throwing bombs with his right hand. Conwell was warned for a pair of low blows. Conwell then went right after Zapata trying for the knockout. A game Zapata survived six lopsided rounds. Conwell’s manager Dave McWater got right in the ring as the fight landed congratulating his young warrior.

Scores were 60-51 twice and 60-53. This writer had it 60-51.

Heavyweight Junior Fa, 13-0 (8), of Auckland, NZ, dealt Freddy “Too Slick” Latham Jr., 9-1-2 (5), of Pittsburgh, PA, his first loss stopping him at the 1:07 mark of the first round in a scheduled 8.

In the first round a taller Fa used a solid jab followed by a straight right keeping Latham backing up. Fa opened up just after one minute landing over a dozen punches to the head and body of Latham who was defenseless in a neutral corner causing referee Clifford Pinkney to wisely step in to stop the onslaught.

Posted on 11/04/2017

By: Ken Hissner

WBA World light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, 13-0 (11), of Russia, successfully defended his WBA title stopping IBF No. 6 & WBO No. 10 Trent Broadhurst, 20-2 (12), of Australia, at 2:55 of the first round at the Casino de Monte Salle, Medicin, Monte Carlo. HBO After Dark and Sky Television covered the event.

Photo Credit: HBO Boxing Twitter Account

No. 1 contender Sullivan Barrera will be mandatory challenger for Bivol within 90 days.

In the first round Bivol is the aggressor and Broadhurst countering mostly with his jab and an occasional right. Bivol used his shoulder knocking Broadhurst down but the referee called it a knockdown.

Broadhurst countered with a left hook to the chin of Bivol who fired a right hand in return. Broadhurst missed a pair of right hands while Bivol led with a right to the chin and down went Broadhurst just prior to the bell. Only mark was a little blood from the nose of Broadhurst. The referee immediately waived it off.

Posted on 11/03/2017

by.B.A. Cass

Live from the Casino del Sol in Tucson, Arizona, Golden Boy Promotions presented a handful of fights that were aired on ESPN2 and ESPN3.

Photo Credit: Tom Hogan-Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

In the fourth round of the first televised fight, Cesar Diaz (5-0) forced Pedro Melo (17-18-2) to his knees with a body shot. Melo, however, complained of a shot to the back of the head and the referee did not give him a count. It was at this point that the excuses began for Melo. In the fifth round, he was knocked down again and before he got up started rotating his shoulder. The referee gave him his count. Melo got up and started walking around, still making a theatrical show of his injured shoulder. He had found his “out.” The referee asked if he wanted to continue. Melo shook his head. And so Diaz won by an uneventful TKO.

Up next Rafael Gramajo (9-1-1) fought German Meraz (58-45-2), who was a last-minute replacement for Sergio Najera. A veteran of over a hundred fights, Meraz made this fight fun to watch. He wasn’t there just to collect a paycheck. He was there to win and to entertain the crowd while doing it. The more experienced Meraz may not have dominated, but he did control the fight. Jerky, and a bit hyperactive, Meraz even slipped once, but that did not stop the crowd from rooting for him. The fight was ruled a draw, by majority decision, but one judge had Gramajo winning. Who knows what that judge was thinking.

The Hector Tanajara vs. Jesus Serrano fight was mostly uneventfully, except for an exciting fifth round exchange. Tanajara won, but not as decisively as the judges thought. Serrano was a last-minute replacement and gave Tanajara more trouble than he expected. Tanajara initially prepared to face Oscar Eduardo Quezada, and perhaps he was a bit unprepared to deal with a southpaw.

The co-main event was Ryan Garcia (11-0) vs. Cesar Valenzuela (14-5-1). Garcia’s power was on full display in the first round when he knocked Valenzuela down with a sharp left hook to the head. Garcia calls himself a boxing historian and his short shorts are certainly something from another era. Garcia knocked Valenzuela down two more times before the referee stopped the fight. Garcia has the potential to become a star. He’s veritable force of nature, a kid with enviable speed and power.

The main event was Jesus Soto Karass (28-12-4) vs. Juan Carlos Abreu (19-3-1). The 35-year-old Soto Karass started out slow, spending much of the first-round walking into Abreu’s hardest shots. Abreu ended the 1st round with a shot to the head that landed after the bell. In the 3rd round, there was a great exchange between both men, and Soto Karass landed a solid left hand to the head. Over the next two rounds, the flat-footed Soto Karass kept coming forward as Abreu kept skipping around. The younger Abreu looked fresh and more alive. Soto Karass slowed in the fifth. His punch count was down from previous fights. But he began to open up with his hands by the end of the sixth. Soto Karass kept up the pace into the seventh, but he continued to take punishment. Then, in the seventh round, Abreu knocked him down. Soto Karass staggered to his feet. The referee should have called off the fight then, but he let it continue. Moments later, he jumped in and called the fight off when Abreu caught Soto Karass on the ropes.

Follow B.A. Cass on Twitter @WiththePunch

Posted on 10/28/2017

By: Ken Hissner

IBF & WBA champion “A.J.” Anthony Joshua, of the UK retained his titles with a stoppage of Carlos Takam, at the Principality Stadium before an indoor record crowd of 78,000 fans, in Cardiff, Wales, Saturday, over Showtime.

Photo Credit: Sky Sports

2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, IBF & WBA heavyweight champion “A.J.” Anthony Joshua, 20-0 (20), of the UK, made his fourth defense halting No. 3 IBF contender, Carlos Takam, 35-4-1 (27), of Cameroon living in France, at 1:35 of the tenth round.

In the opening round Joshua stalked Takam using his jab as Takam kept moving his body to avoid being a stationery target. In the second round Takam led with his head banging into the nose of Joshua causing blood. Joshua went right after Takam in anger. With a minute left in the round Joshua landed his first combination to the head of Takam. All of Takam’s punches fell short or were blocked by Joshua. In the third round Joshua landed a lead right to the head of Takam. Halfway through the round Takam landed a stiff jab to the chin of Joshua. With a minute left in the round Takam landed a left hook to the head of Joshua. Joshua landed a short right uppercut to the chin of Takam with seconds to go in the round.

In the fourth round Joshua landed a lead right to the head of Takam. Takam came back with an overhand right to the chin of Joshua. With just over a minute left in the round a right uppercut caused a cut over the right eye of Takam as he was ducking. Takam landed a left hook to the chin of Joshua but was countered by a Joshua left hook that caused Takam’s left glove to touch the canvas. Referee Phill Edwards gave him an 8-count. In the fifth round Joshua opened up with a volume of punches. The referee asked the ring physician to take a look at the cut of Takam. The end of a 3-punch combination by Takam having the first two blocked laned an overhand right by Takam landed on the head of Joshua with a minute left in the round. With half a minute left in the round Takam rushed in landing several punches to the head of Joshua. In the sixth round at the halfway point Takam got inside landing a combination to the body of Joshua. With a minute left in the round Joshua landed a right-left combination to the head of Takam. Joshua landed a four punch combination just prior to the bell.

In the seventh round Joshua landed his jab well but just under the halfway mark Takam landed several right hands to the chin of Joshua. With under a minute left in the round Takam landed a 3-punch combination to the head and body of Joshua. Joshua landed a lead right followed by a right uppercut to the head of Takam just prior to the bell. In the eighth round Joshua controlled with his jab and an occassional right cross. Takam countered a Joshua right to the chin with his own right to the chin. Prior to the start of the ninth round the ring physician held up the start checking the cut of Takam’s. At the halfway mark Joshua landed a combination to the head of Takam. With a minute left in the round Takam started landing several combinations of his own. With half a minute left in the round Joshua took a back step for the first time in the fight.

In the tenth round Joshua and Takam were mixing it up with Joshua landing four punches when the referee stepped in and stopped the fight against the wishes of Takam.

“I want the next fight for a belt and Wilder here in the UK would be welcome. I can’t judge the officials with the stoppage,” said Joshua. His promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed a Joshua-Wilder fight must be made. It was not an impressive win for Joshua who seemed content to take the fight into his predicted tenth round.

In a week WBC champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, 38-0 (37), defends his title against the man he won it from back in January of 2015 Haitian Bermane Stiverne, 25-2-1 (21), living in Las Vegas and the No. 1 contender for Wilder’s title. It will be two years since the only fight Stiverne had since losing the title a win over Derric Rossy on November 14th of 2015. New Zealand’s Joe Parker, 24-0 (18) holds the WBO title and lives in Las Vegas.

Jamaican heavyweight Dilian Whyte, 22-1-1 (16), of the UK, defeated Swede Robert Helenius, 25-2 (16), of Finland, for vacant WBC Silver title.

Khalid Yofai, 23-0 (14), of the UK, retained his title defeating Sho Ishida, 24-1 (13), of Japan, for WBA World Super Flyweight title.

Anahi Esther Sanchez, 1732 (9), of Argentina, lost to Olympian Kate Taylor, 7-0 (4), of Ireland, for the vacant WBA World Female lightweight title.

Posted on 10/27/2017

By: Ste Rowen

Juergen Braehmer made sure he continued the winning trend for seeded fighters in the World Boxing Super Series, as he dominated American prospect, Rob Brant to a twelve round unanimous decision and hardly looked troubled in doing so.

It was a tentative first round to begin with as Brant tried to force the German back with wayward right hands. The ‘dark horse’ of the competition however was being caught by an accurate Braehmer jab. As the rounds continued Braehmer upped his punch output and began to dominate.

Not only was he landing but he was making ‘Bravo’ miss time and time again with some wonderful head movement, evading Brant’s best shots and then attacking with his own powerful left hand.

More rounds passed by and Brant was looking all out of ideas. Braehmer kept to his skillset, landing accurately with the 1-2 and continuing to expose the American’s lack of a plan B. There was very little difference in round two through to round twelve other than the expression on Rob Brant’s face and as the last bell rang it was clear for all to see that the former Light Heavyweight Champion, Juergen Braehmer was going through to the semi-finals. The scorecards came back as, 119-109, 118-110, 116-112, all for Braehmer.

Speaking in the ring post-fight, now 49-3-0 Braehmer, through a translator said, ‘It was the first time I was training by myself. I felt really fit tonight, sometimes I was a little bit stiff and I wanted too much to knock him out but I showed what I can still do at 39 years of age.’

On the prospect of facing Callum Smith, ‘I was in training camp with his opponent Erik Skoglund and I know exactly what I can do in the ring. Now I have even more confidence. I’m back and I can prove what I can do.’

Callum Smith also joined Braehmer in the ring post-fight saying, ‘He was good, he did a good job … He was the bigger man, he used his size and showed there’s still a little bit left in the tank at 39.’

On where their future bout will be held Smith said, ‘I’d love to fight in Liverpool, I like fighting in Liverpool but I believe I’m the better man and wherever the fight is I still believe I’ll prevail and come out with the win.’
The WBSS Super Middleweight semi-finals are as follows;

George Groves v Chris Eubank Jr
Juergen Braehmer v Callum Smith

Posted on 10/22/2017

By: Sean Crose

HBO’s Boxing After Dark kicked off on Saturday night by running a replay of the Ryan Burnett-Zhanat Zhakiyanov 12 round bantamweight title unifier, which went down earlier in the day at the SSE Arena in Burnett’s home territory of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first three rounds were, as HBO’s Harold Lederman claimed, hard to judge. The fighting was in close, fairly fast paced and very physical. The fourth round was also hard to call, though one got the feeling that, if Zhakiyanov, 27-1, employed his jab a bit more, he would more effectively rise to the occasion.

Burnett, 17-0, seemed to edge the fourth and fifth. The Ricky Hatton trained Zhakiyanov was performing well, but Burnett looked to have the edge – his footwork a bit more proficient, his punches a bit sharper overall. Rounds 6 through 9 remained close, but Burnett continued to appear to have the advantage – albeit a slight advantage. In the final three rounds, it was obvious that Burnett’s use of distance was a key part of the fight. Zhakiyanov could land and have his moments, but he couldn’t have enough of them. Sure enough, the Irishman’s slightly superior skill set led him to a unanimous decision win and Shakiyanov’s WBA strap to add to his own IBF title belt.

The broadcast then went live to the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York, where Rhode Islander Demitrius Andrade, 24-0, faced off against Maryland’s Alantez Fox, 23-0-1 in a 12 round middleweight affair. Alantez had a significant height advantage, but Andrade was coming to impress in his middleweight debut. And, sure enough, Andrade rocked his man immediately after the opening bell. Andrade impressively went to the body as Fox hung on the ropes. Although Fox survived the round, it was a very impressive opening for Andrade. It may have been the opportunity of a lifetime for Alantez, but through the second and third, it was clear that Andrade’s power and ring generalship was, up until that moment, overwhelming.

Andrade continued to dominate the first half of the fight. “He doesn’t want it any more,” his corner said after the 6th – and it may well have been true. In the 7th, Andrade actually went down. It might well have been a slip, but the ref declared it was a knock down. Andrade got right back up and continued to dominate the rest of the round, along with the following three. By the championship rounds, Fox continued to perform, or underperform, as he had throughout the fight. It was an easy unanimous decision win for Andrade, whose power may be an issue if he continues to stay at middleweight.

It was time for the main event. Panama’s 22-1 Jezreel Corrales faced San Juan, Puerto Rico’s 18-0 Alberto Machado in a 12-round super featherweight affair. Corrales was, until Friday’s weigh in, the WBA World Super Featherweight champion. Rather than losing the belt in the ring, he lost it on the scales. Heavy or not, though, Corrales started well, hitting fast and strong throughout the first two rounds. Machado was able to catch his man in the third, but Corrales kept bulling forward. Corrales kept up the pace in the fourth, and, in the fifth, dropped his man outright. Machado got up, be he was clearly being overwhelmed.

“This is simply not up to the standard of the main event on HBO,” Max Kellerman said with refreshing honesty in the 6th. Almost on cue, Machado rocked his man immediately after. He then rocked his man again seconds later. The fight was changing course – and getting quite exciting. Corrales came back and nailed his man in the seventh. Machado, however, suddenly dropped Corrales in the eight. Even more surprising, perhaps, the ref stopped the fight after a rattled Corrales got back to his feet. With a brilliant knockout victory, Machado takes hold of the WBA Super Featherweight title.

Posted on 10/20/2017

By: Ken Hissner

In a main event at the Park Theater in Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, NV, Golden Boy Promotions over ESPN2 brought in a good main event with both boxers needing a win and Philly’s Gabe “King” Rosado came away with it over Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia.

Photo Credit: Derrick Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

In the main event Middleweight Gabe “King” Rosado, 24-11 (13), of Philadelphia, stopped Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia, 23-5 (15), of Passaic, NJ, at 1:15 of the sixth round. ​

In the first round Tapia landed a pair of 3-punch combinations. Rosado coming forward drove Tapia into a corner. Rosado landed a solid left hook to the top of the head of Tapia just prior to the bell hurting Tapia. In the second round Rosado landed a straight right to the chin.

Tapia came back with his own right rocking Rosado making him hold on. Tapia had a bloody nose from a Rosado right hand. In the third round Rosado countered well as Tapia was forcing the action. Tapia came back with a 3-punch combination to the body of Rosado.

In the fourth round Tapia came out throwing bombs. Rosado caught Tapia lunging with a left hook to the head.

Rosado missed with a left hook but followed with a right to the head of Tapia. Rosado chasing down Tapia scored with a right to the chin. Tapia had a lump on the left side of his forehead. In the fifth round Rosado flurried having Tapia on the ropes. Rosado kept throwing lead rights to the head of Tapia. Tapia countered with a left hook to the head of Rosado. In the sixth round a left hook followed by a right to the head hurt Tapia. Rosado then landed a left hook to the chin dropping Tapia. He beat the count but his legs seemed gone. Rosado jumped on Tapia landing unanswered punches until referee Robert Byrd wisely stopped it.

“I felt it was a good performance coming off a pair of controversial losses. I went back home to Philly to my original trainer Bill Briscoe and came back hungry,” said Rosado.

In his third fight in the US Welterweight Alejandro Barrera, 29-4 (18), of Monterrey, MEX, lost by majority decision in a bloody battle to Keandre “The Truth” Gibson, 18-1-1 (7), of St. Louis, MO, over 10 rounds.

In the first round it was a battle of jabs with the quicker Gibson gaining an edge. In the second round Gibson drew blood from the nose of Barrera. Barrera lands several combinations but Gibson boxing well. In the third round Barrera landed a pair of overhand rights to the head of Gibson. Barrera worked the body and head backing up Gibson. In the final minute of the round Barrera landed almost a dozen punches without return from Gibson.

In the fourth round a lead right from Gibson to the chin of Barrera stunned him. Gibson rocked Barrera with a left hook to the head as the nose of Barrera is flowing with blood. Gibson cut over the left eye. In the fifth round Gibson landed a hard lead right to the chin of Barrera. A counter right by Gibson caught Barrera on the way in on the chin. In the sixth round Barrera scored with several right uppercuts to chin of Gibson. Gibson came back and landed a pair of his own right uppercuts. Barrera received a cut over his left eye.

In the seventh round Barrera received another cut over his right eye. Barrera got caught with a hard counter right to the chin from Gibson. There was fierce punching in the round from both sides.

Barrera’s face was a mask of blood. In the eighth round Barrera landed a solid right to the head over a jab from Gibson. Gibson came back with a 3-punch combination. There was a good exchange from both boxers just prior to the bell.

In the ninth round Barrera worked the body of Gibson until he got caught with a counter left hook from Gibson. Barrera at the end of the round is a bloody mess but keep coming forward.

In the tenth and final round it was a war with both going for a knockout. Referee Jay Nady didn’t have much work to do in this round.

Judge Trowbridge scored it 95-95, Clemens 97-93 and Baylis 98-92. This writer had it 97-93.

Posted on 10/15/2017

By: Ste Rowen

In the third Super Middleweight Quarter Final of the World Boxing Super Series, George Groves stepped up his claim to be the number one, Super Middleweight in Britain and the world as ‘The Saint’ landed a perfect body shot to stop Jamie Cox in the fourth round.

Cox, 24-0-0 heading into the bout, was looking to make a statement from the start, rushing into the bigger man from the first bell and forcing the WBA Champ onto the backfoot. Groves remained composed though as he blocked and deflected Cox’s best efforts through round two.

It became a scrappy affair at the end of round two and through round three as the smaller man, Jamie Cox, looked to rough up Groves. But again, his efforts went wanting, as Groves remained superior. Cox unloaded at an impressive pace but Groves ate up the punches and remained the more clinical of the two fighters.

Going into the fourth, it was more of the same with Cox looking to establish some kind of superiority until, as Cox continued to unload, he left himself open to the body and Groves, now 27-2-0, sent a crunching right hand that folded Jamie Cox in half and ended the bout.

Speaking at the post fight press conference Groves said, ‘I fought I boxed really, really well. I knew Jamie had tremendous heart, lots of balls. He walked through big shots that I was landing, so he was always dangerous. He certainly deserves to be at this level. We had fun and games in the buildup. I put him down a little bit but I knew that he was better than what I was saying but I think I boxed tremendous tonight, there’s always room for improvement. If anyone was down with whether I was a flash in the pan world title win, I think they know now that I mean business.’

On the upcoming semifinal and facing Eubank Jr, the WBA Champion said, ‘This Eubank Jr fight, I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while. I’m very excited about it. Eubank’s improved over the years but he hasn’t boxed anyone on my level. I know if I box like I did tonight, he doesn’t stand a chance. The fight fans out there now are excited about what’s coming. I’m excited.’

The Groves v Eubank semifinal is set for early 2018.

Posted on 10/15/2017

By: Sean Crose

The Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York, hosted three major super welterweight bouts on Saturday, in a card which was aired live by the Showtime pay cable network. First up was a twelve rounder between 30-3 former titlist Austin Trout and 20-0 IBF Super Welterweight Champion Jarrett Hurd. Neither man was dominant in the first, but Trout and his clean punching had an edge. Trout moved well, employed angles and hit with effectiveness in the second. The third was close, but a more aggressive Hurd may have taken it by a hair.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/Showtime

By the fourth round, Trout was hitting hard and with precision. Hurd landed hard in fifth, however. Trout punched clean and often again in the 6th, yet by the end of the round, Hurd caused his man to stumble. Hurd continued to do damage in the early part of the 7th, but Trout was able to make up some ground.

Hurd’s strength looked to be coming through in the 8th, but Trout remained effective with his shots. Trout was clearly starting to gas, however. Entering the championship rounds, it was Hurd who looked fresher. Trout controlled the tenth until the very end, when Hurd almost finished him. The ring doctor halted the proceedings in between rounds

Next up was Jermell Charlo, 29-0 and Erickson Lubin, 18-0, for the WBC world super welterweight title. The first part of the first was slow. The second part was slow, too – until Charlo, the champion, took his man out with a single shot. “They threw a chair at my brother.”Charlo said after the bout, referring to an unseen incident. No one seemed to be seriously hurt. Not even Lubin.

It was time for the final event of the evening. Cuban-American Erislandy Lara, 24-2-2, defended his WBA super world super welterweight title against former US Olympian Terrell Gausha, 20-0. Lara, the southpaw, was able to control the first. The second was more of the same. Ditto for the third. The crowd started booing at the inaction in the fourth – only to have Lara suddenly drop his man with a right. Guasha got up, but was unable to effectively engage. Laura continued to dominate in patient fashion.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh were virtual repeats of each other. Lara dominated. Gausha was unable to make headway. The crowd booed again and began to empty the Barclay’s Center. In the eighth, Lara began to hurt his man. Gausha, though, was able to make it to the final bell. “There’s no change of gears,” Showtime’s Paulie Malignaggi claimed correctly. The fight stayed at the same pace throughout. Lara was rewarded with a unanimous decision win.

Posted on 10/14/2017

By: William Holmes

The Stub Hub Center in Carson, California hosted tonight’s Premier Boxing Champions telecast live on the Fox Network.

Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares, two of the best featherweights in the sport, previously met in a closely contested bout that saw Santa Cruz emerge the victor.

Photo Credit: Erick Ramirez/Ringstar Sports

Both were angling for a possible rematch provided they were able to win tonight.

The first fight of the night was between Antonio DeMarco (32-6-1) and Eddie Ramirez (17-0) in the super lightweight division.
DeMarco, a southpaw, was a big step up in competition for Ramirez. Ramirez landed some good body shots early in the first round but DeMarco landed a right uppercut/left hook combination that hurt Ramirez zand had him back pedaling.

DeMarco stalked Ramirez around the ring and landed several hard blows on Ramirez by the corner. A right hook left uppercut combination by DeMarco on a badly hurt Ramirez by the ropes forced the referee to end the fight.

Antonio DeMarco wins by TKO at 1:56 of the first round.

Abner Mares (30-2-1) and Andres Gutierrez (25-1-1) met next for the WBA “Regular” Featherweight Title.

Mares started the fight off fast and landed several good combinations in the first round on a plodding Gutierrez. Gutierrez continued to come forward in the second round, but Mares was able to open up a cut by his left eye and aim at it for most of the round.

Mares’ continued to pummel Gutierrez in the third and fourth rounds, but Gutierrez displayed a granite chin and never appeared to be hurt. Mares was blinking a lot after some of Gutierrez’s jabs landed in the fifth round, but he was back to showing his dominance in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Gutierrez’s left eye was gushing blood in the eighth round and by the start of the ninth round Mares had already thrown 659 punches.
Gutierrez showed some signs of life at the end of the ninth round, but Mares stepped on the gas pedal n the tenth and had blood gushing from the eye of Gutierrez and even his left ear which forced the referee to stop the fight.

The referee ruled earlier that the cut was due to a clash of heads, so they went to the cards. Abner Mares wins by decision with scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 99-91.

The main event was between Leo Santa Cruz (33-1-1) and Chris Avalos (27-5) for the WBA “Super” Featherweight Title.

Santa Cruz connected early in the first round with a good overhand right and Avalos responded with some steam-less punches to the body of Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz was throwing and landing the better punches in the second round and mixed up his attacks to the body in the third. He stayed true to his pressure style of fighting.

The fourth round was violent, as Santa Cruz had Avalos badly hurt with his high volume punches in the middle of the ring but somehow still managed to throw back. He looked like he was about to go down, but never did.

Avalos was able to counter a little better in the fifth round, but Santa Cruz’s pressure firmly established control in the sixth. Santa Cruz showed no signs of slowing down in the seventh as he began to focus on the body of Avalos.

The end came in the eighth round was Santa Cruz was again tagging the iron chinned Avalos from corner to corner, before the referee jumped in to stop it.

Avalos bitterly complained to the referee, but he was getting soundly beaten.

Leo Santa Cruz wins by TKO at 1:34 of the eighth round.