Tag Archives: rosado

Posted on 11/16/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday, November 17th Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing will put on a stacked card live from the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas on the DAZN streaming service.

The card was originally scheduled to take place in Atlantic City, but the addition of Olympic Bronze Medalist Nico Hernandez, already a big draw in Kansas, was a factor in the change of venues.

The card is stacked with talent, including fighters such as Anthony Sims, Gabriel Rosado, Luis Arias, Nico Hernandez, and Canelo’s older brother Ramon Alvarado.

The main event of the evening is a heavyweight bout between Jarell Miller and Bogdan Dinu, with future title implications on the line. The co-main event of the evening is between Claressa Shields and Hannah Rankin for Shield’s IBF and WBA titles as well as the vacant WBC Middleweight Title.

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

Claressa Shields (6-0) vs. Hannah Rankin (5-2); IBF/WBA/WBC Women’s Middleweight Titles

Claressa Shields is one of the biggest names in woman’s boxing, and she has her sight set on some possible big money matches against Christina Hammer, she first has to get past Scottish boxer Hannah Rankin.

Photo Credit: DAZN USA Twitter Account

Shields is easily one of the top pound for pound female boxers in the sport today. She’s a two time Olympic Gold Medalist and her only loss as an amateur was to Savannah Marshall. She’s never tasted defeat and has two stoppage wins on her record. She’s the same size as Rankin, both stand at about 5’8”. But she’s five years younger than Rankin as Shields is only 23 years old.

Rankin only has one stoppage win on her resume and she did not have the amateur success that Shields enjoyed. Rankin however, has never been stopped but did lost her last bout

Both boxers have been fairly active. Shields fought twice in 2018 and three times in 2017. Rankin fought three times in 2018 and four times in 2017.

Shields only has six professional fights but has never faced an opponent with a losing record. She has defeated the likes of Nikki Adler, Tori Nelson, Hanna Gabriels, and Szilvia Szabados. Rankin’s best win to date was against Sanna Turunen. She has lost to the likes of Joanna Ekedahl and Alicia Napoleon. Her wins include wins against opponents with records of 10-47-3 and 2-21-1.

Shields is an exciting fighter to watch, but Rankin is an opponent with little to no shot of winning. Shields should win easily on Saturday.

Jarrell Miller (22-0-1) vs. Bogdan Dinu (18-0); WBA “World” Heavyweight Title

Jarrell Miller is a very large heavyweight boxer who had a prior successful career as a kickboxer. He’s thirty years old, two years younger than his opponent, but will be giving up about one inch in height to Dinu. But Miller will undoubtedly be heavier than Dinu.

Photo Credit:DAZN USA Twitter Account

When he fought Gerald Washington he weighed in at 298 pounds.

Miller is known for his knockout power. He has stopped nineteen of his opponents, and only one of his past ten opponents made it to the final bell. However, Dinu also has considerable power. He has stopped fourteen of his opponents and is currently riding an eight fight win by stoppage streak.

Miller had some success in the United States as an amateur. He was a NY Golden Gloves Finalist. Dinu had some success on the European Amateur Circuit as a child, but neither boxer was highly successful on the international stage.

Miller has fought twice in 2018 and twice in 2017. Dinu has yet to fight in 2018 and had two fights in 2017 and two fights in 2016. Inactivity may be an issue for Dinu.

Dinu has fought exclusively in Romania and Canada and has not faced the level of competition that Miller has faced. His best wins to date were over Marino Goles and Kertson Manswell.

Miller has never tasted defeated and has beaten the likes of Tomasz Adamek, Johan Duhaupas, Mariusz Wach, Gerald Washington, and Fred Kassi.

This is a fight that Miller should win, but Dinu has the power to test Miller’s chin and the height to match Miller. A win for Miller could lead to a future showdown with fellow DAZN fighter, Anthony Joshua.

Posted on 11/16/2018

By: Sean Crose

“That’s his only stab at me,” Luis Arias says of this weekend’s opponent, Gabe Rosado, “to say that I ran like a bitch against Jacobs.” The Jacobs Arias is referring to is middleweight titlist Daniel Jacobs, one of the top fighters in one of boxing’s most dominant divisions. Arias dropped a unanimous decision to Jacobs, the man many felt was the first person to best the feared Gennady Golovkin. It was a defeat Rosado was happy to bring up after Arias mentioned Rosado’s number of losses in pre fight trash talk.

“But I didn’t get KO’d,” says Arias in his own defense. “He’s had two feet against plenty of guys and got KO’d, beaten up badly. I had a little scratch on my face after the Jacobs fight.” Still, the 18-1 Arias is looking for redemption. “I am putting pressure on myself ,” he says, “to erase the bad taste I left last time, that’s the task this weekend.” Rosado’s words have clearly hit their mark. “I need to prove that I am not a little bitch. It may have looked like I ran like one but I am not – I had to do that to survive and make the 12 rounds.”

“I am a true warrior and I love the wars,” says Arias. “I love to bang it out – I just wasn’t physically capable of doing that in the Jacobs fight.” Arias is particularly bothered by the fact that fans may have been upset by his performance against Jacobs. “I left a sour taste in the mouths of the fans in the Jacobs fight,” he says, “but I am a better and more mature fighter now, I’ve learned from it and I think that this is the fight that changes my career.”

Arias isn’t totally dismissive of Rosado, a hardened and respected 24-11 vet. “I’m a warrior,” says Arias, “he’s a warrior – it’s going to be bloody but the blood is not going to be mine.” Arias actually feels he would have performed better against Jacobs had he met Rosado earlier in his career. “He’s got a lot of miles on the clock but he’s durable. If I’d had this fight before the Jacobs fight then I would have been readier for that stage, but it didn’t work out that way. I get a fresh chance and a do-over now, and I’m going to do this right this time.”

Arias-Rosado will be part of a loaded card which will go down Saturday at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane Kansas. The card will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service.

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 10/18/2017

By: William Holmes

On Thursday night Golden Boy Promotions will present a card live at the Park Theater at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, Nevada on ESPN 2.

At least two bouts are currently scheduled to take place. The co-main event will feature KeAndre Gibson taking on Alejandro Barrera in the welterweight division. The main event will be a fight between Philadelphia’s Gabriel Rosado and New Jersey’s Glen Tapia in the middleweight division.

Photo From Glen Tapia’s Twitter Account

Both Rosado and Tapia have been in the ring with some high profile opponents, and a loss for either will likely signal the end of meaningful matchups for either boxer.

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the evening.

Alejandro Barrera (29-3) vs. KeAndre Gibson (17-1); Welterweights

KeAndre Gibson was once considered a high level prospect due to his amateur background and success. He won the Junior Golden Gloves National Championship in 2006 and was a bronze medalist in the 2006 Junior Olympics.

However, he lost by TKO to the undefeated Antonio Orozco in April of this year and some of Gibson’s hype has begun to fade.

Gibson will be facing Alejandro Barrera, and opponent that is four years older than him but will have a five and a half inch reach advantage and stands at the same height.

Barrera does not have the amateur experience of Gibson, but he does appear to have a slight edge in power. He has stopped seventeen of his opponents while Gibson has only stopped seven. Both men have suffered on stoppage loss in their career.

Gibson has been fairly active the past two years. He already fought twice in 2017 and twice in 2016. Barrera only fought once in 2017 and zero times in 2016.

Barrera has defeated the likes of Eddie Gomez, Juan Mantiel, and Armando Robles. His losses were to Errol Spence Jr., Ramses Agaton, and Armando Robles.

Gibson has defeated the likes of Dennis Dauti, Mahonry Montes, and Jorge Romero.

It should be noted that three of the past four fights of Barrera were split draws and very close on the scorecards. Gibson’s amateur experience and technical edge should make him the favorite, but he will have to be wary of the power of Barrera.

Glen Tapia (23-4) vs. Gabriel Rosado (23-11); Middleweights

The main event is between two guys known for their heart and willingness to leave it all in the ring, but are also known for coming up short when placed in big time fights.

Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia, will be giving up a half inch in height and about an inch and a half in reach to Gabriel Rosado. However, Tapia is four years younger than Rosado and has a considerable edge in amateur experience. Tapia has a claimed amateur record of 130-4 while Rosado is alleged to only having eleven fights as an amateur on his record.

Both boxers have similar power numbers. Tapia has stopped fifteen of his opponents while Rosado has stopped thirteen. Both boxers have also been known to be stopped by their opponents. Tapia has three stoppage losses to his resume while Rosado has four.

Tapia fought once in 2017 and once in 2016. He is currently riding a three fight losing streak. He has lost to the likes of Jason Quigley, David Lemieux, Michel Soro, and James Kirkland. Notable victories include Daniel Dawson, Donatas Bondorovas, Abraham Han, and Ayi Bruce.

Roasdo has fought once in 2017 and twice in 2016. He has defeated the likes of Antonio Gutierrez, Joshua Clottey, Charles Whittaker, Sechew Powell, Jesus Soto Karass, and Ayi Bruce. His losses were to Martin Murray, Willie Monroe Jr., David Lemieux, Jermell Charlo, Peter Quillin, and Gennady Golovkin.

Rosado has only gone 2-5 in his past seven fights, but most of those fights were against high level opponents.

Both boxers have had their share of tough losses, but Tapia has suffered more devastating losses than Rosado and has not been as active. Additionally, Rosado’s losses were against some of the best in the business, including Gennady Golovkin and Jermell Charlo, while Tapia has lost to lesser known boxers such as Jason Quigley and Michel Soro.

This should be an entertaining action packed bout. But it won’t be a bout to showcase the technical aspects of boxing. Rosado has an edge in the intangibles, but this is a fight that could go either way.

Posted on 08/15/2017

Rosado returns to finish what she started in the Bull City.

This time last year, “Raging Babe” Michelle Rosado touched down in Raleigh for the first time, determined to help a local boxing promoter make his mark in North Carolina. Rosado and her company, Raging Babe, did just that, and have now emerged as North Carolina’s newest boxing promoter. On October 19th, Raging Babe promotes its own event at the Durham Armory, aptly named The Return. The card will feature some of the best young talent from across North Carolina in competitive fights, matched by Hall of Fame Matchmaker and mentor to Rosado, Russell Peltz.

With a combined 50+ years of experience in the rough and tumble world of boxing, Rosado and Peltz brought a well-tested formula to Wilson in their first North Carolina endeavor in February. The sell-out event was followed up by the debut of Thursday Night Fights in Durham. Throwing a boxing event on a Thursday night was a hard sell for Rosado. “I had to really work on the promoter to get them to give Thursday Night Fights a shot. Durham is a fight town. I knew that if we threw a solid, quality card, with good fights, that fans would come out on a Thursday night, and they did.” When planning The Return, Rosado opted to bring back Thursday Night Fights, and return to the Durham Armory.

After two wildly successful events, followed by a dramatic falling out with the now defunct promotional company, Rosado was reluctant to return to the Tar Heel State. She realized, though, after so many months of putting her sweat and passion into boxing in North Carolina, she owed to herself and the gyms, fighters and fans she met there to return, and fulfill the commitments she made to them to deliver quality fights, while treating the fighters ethically and with respect.

“It took a while to get to know the personalities, the gyms, the fighters and their stories,” said Rosado. “For a long time, North Carolina was a place that managers and promoters brought their fighters to rack up wins. The fighters here deserve so much more than that, as do the fans. I made it a point to let everyone I met in North Carolina know that we were here to work on changing that.”

In planning The Return, Rosado has felt that she could fully put her passions and ideas to work for North Carolina boxing. “I’m excited for the opportunity to do it my way,” said Rosado, who has put on events in Phoenix, Tucson, Philadelphia and Danbury, Connecticut. “I’m happy to work with any fighter that wants to step up and fight. There are no easy touches on my cards. We want to pack the venue and give fans a night to remember. Russell is putting together a phenomenal fight card. The main and co-main events are going to have people so excited – I get goosebumps thinking about it. These guys are really stepping up to give the fans some of the best fights Durham has seen in a while. I wasn’t even sure we could put these fights together, and all of these fighters signed on the dotted line with no hesitation. They are daring to be great, and putting their undefeated records on the line, and I can’t wait to formally announce what we’ve been working on these last few weeks.”

Rosado is also planning to work with the fighters to help the community in and around Durham. “I want to bring positivity to Durham, and to North Carolina boxing. These guys are given a stage to showcase their talent, and we want to use that platform to give back to the community in any way we can.”

The complete fight card will be announced August 24th, and tickets for The Return go on sale that morning. Tickets can be purchased through the fighters or at ragingbabe.com.

Posted on 09/17/2016

HBO PPV Undercard Results: De La Hoya and Diaz Win Easily,
By: William Holmes

Golden Boy Promotions and HBO put on a four fight pay per view card tonight live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Diego De La Hoya (15-0) , the nephew of Oscar De La Hoya, opened up the card in the division against Luis Orlando Del Valle (22-2) in the super bantamweight division. This bout was for the WBC Youth Super Bantamweight Championship.

De La Hoya was seven years younger than Del Valle and was taking a big step up in competition. De La Hoya was looking for his straight right counter early in the first round but was able to find range with his jab. Del Valle was knocked stumbling backwards into the corner in the middle of the round from a three punch combination, and the few punches he landed didn’t phase De La Hoya.

The second and third rounds were similar in that Del Valle would start off strong and De La Hoya would finish the roung strong. Del Valle showed he was willing to exchange with De La Hoya and held his own during their exchanges, but by the end of the third round it was De La Hoya who was winning the exchanges more frequently.

De La Hoya was tagged early in the fourth round with a sharp right cross, but he fired back with digging body shots. De La Hoya remained the aggressor for the remainder of the fourth and looked like he hurt Del Valle several times. De La Hoya also had control during the fifth round and was able to pop shot Del Valle at a safe range.

Del Valle was hit hard with a straight right counter in the first minute of the sixth round, and he remained tentative for the remainder. By the seventh round Del Valle’s right eye was showing signs of swelling. De La Hoya punished Del Valle to the body and to the head and was physically imposing his will.

Neither boxer stepped on the gas pedal in the eighth and ninth rounds, but De La Hoya was in clear control and landed the higher number of punches.

Del Valle needed a knockout in the final round to win the bout, but that knockout never came.

Diego De La Hoya remained undefeated with decision victory with scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 99-91.

Joseph Diaz Jr. (21-0) and Andrew Cancio (17-3-2) was the next bout of the night in the featherweight division.

Joseph Diaz was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team and was four years younger than Cancio.

Diaz, a southpaw, stuck to the body in the opening two rounds and was looked very comfortable in the ring. He was able to avoid the punches of Cancio with solid upper body movement and kept his head an elusive target.

Cancio was able to get within striking range in the third round, but took a pounding from Diaz when he got in tight and got his nose busted in the process. Cancio was unable to handle the hand speed of Diaz.

Cancio was able to briefly trap Diaz in the corner in the opening minute of the fourth round and landed some solid body shots, but Diaz took control in the final two minutes and had the head of Cancio snapping backwards from several crisp punches.

Diaz really turned up the pressure in the fifth round and pounded Cancio throughout with combinations at will. Cancio looked outclassed and bewildered, and was simply out of his league.

Diaz’s dominance inside the ring wasn’t impressing the crowd as a wave broke out at the stadium in the sixth round, but at this point it was even clear to the regular fans in attendance that Cancio stood no shot.

Cancio corner was thinking about stopping the fight before the start of the seventh round but they sent him back into the ring. But this round was no different from the previous rounds and he was a punching bag for the talented Diaz.

Diaz’s offensive output dipped in the eighth round, but he still landed at a higher clip and the harder punches. Cancio’s corner repeatedly asked him if he wanted them to stop the fight, but Cancio refused and went back out for the ninth round. Hwoever, in the middle of the round Cancio’s corner wisely decided to stop the fight.

Joseph Diaz impressed with a TKO victory at 2:27 of the ninth round.

Gabriel Rosado (23-9) and Willie Monroe Jr. (20-2) met in the final bout of the televised undercard in the middleweight division.

Rosado looked like the taller fighter, but he was standing straight up while Monroe was boxing with his knees slightly bent. Monroe was able to stay out of Rosado’s range for most of the first round and boxed Rosado effectively by landing the higher number of punches, but none of them could be considered power shots.

Neither Monroe nor Rosado took many risks in the second or third round, but Monroe was landing more punches than Rosado and fought very defensively. The fans started to boo and whistle the lack of action in the third round.

The wave started again in the fourth round, and Monroe continued to safely outbox Rosado. Rosado complained to the referee in the fifth round from an apparent backhand landed by Monroe, but offered little offense after the complaint.

Monroe was sharp in the sixth round and landed several straight left crosses and quick counter jabs. Monroe was able to continue to stay out of the range of Rosado in the seventh round as Rosado was mainly landing at air when he threw punches, but he was pressing the pace and that could have factored in his favor in the eyes of the judges.

Rosado was able to land a few flurries at the end of the eighth round and may have stolen it. It was his most effective offensive output at this stage of the bout.

A cut opened up near the back of the head of Rosado in the ninth round and the referee briefly stopped it to get it attended to, but afterwards both boxers finally threw power shots and both landed heavy shots. Rosado may have scored a knockdown at the end of the round, but the referee ruled it a slip.

Rosado was pressing forward more in the tenth round, but he was not able to land any punches of note while Monroe side stepped him and pop shotted him from the outside.

Rosado needed at least a knockdown in the final two rounds in order to win the bout,but a headbutt in the eleventh round badly swelled and cut the left eye of Rosado and made it much more difficult. Rosado ended the fight better than he started, but it was too little too late.

The judges scored the bout 116-112, 118-110, 117-111 for Willie Monroe Jr.

Posted on 09/16/2016

HBO PPV World Championship Boxing Preview: Canelo vs. Smith, Monroe vs. Rosado
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas will be the host site for HBO’s next pay per view offering.

Golden Boy Promotions will pit their superstar, Canelo Alvarez, against British boxer and WBO Junior middleweight champion Liam “Beefy” Smith. Most fight fans were hoping that Canelo would face Gennady Golovkin instead of Liam Smith, and view this fight as mismatch for Canelo.

Two former opponents for Gennady Golovkin, Gabriel Rosado and Willie Monroe Jr., will be fighting in the co-main event of the night. Highly rated prospects Joseph Diaz and Diego De La Hoya will fight on the televised portion of the undercard in matchups that they should win.

Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

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

Gabriel Rosado (23-9) vs. Willie Monroe Jr. (20-2); Middleweights

The co-main event of the night will be between two boxers that were stopped by Gennady Golovkin, but remain top contenders in the middleweight division.

Monroe is twenty nine years old and Rosado is thirty, so both boxers are in the middle of their prime years. Rosado will be about an inch and half taller than Monroe, but he will be giving up about two and a half inches in reach.

Rosado has the clear edge in power. Rosado has stopped thirteen of his opponents while Monroe has only stopped six. Monroe has the edge in amateur experience as he won the New York Golden Gloves and reached the finals in the Golden Gloves in 2007. Monroe is also the son of Willie Monroe and the great nephew of Willie the Worm Monroe. Rosado does not have any notable accolades as an amateur to mention.

Monroe has been slightly more active than Rosado in recent years. Monroe fought once in 2016, twice in 2015, and three times in 2014. Rosado has fought once in 2016, once in 2015, and two times in 2014.

Rosado’s record can be deceiving. He does have nine losses on his record and has only gone 2-3 in his past five fights, but his losses have come against some of the biggest names in boxing. He has defeated the likes of Joshua Clottey, Antonio Guiterrez, Charles Whittaker, Sechew Powell, Jesus Soto Karass, Ayi Bruce, and saul Roman. His losses have come to Gennady Golovkin, Peter Quillin, Jermell Charlo, David Lemieux, Alfredo Angulo, Fernando Guerrero, and Derek Ennis.

Rosado is a warrior, but he has been stopped four times in his career. He was able to capture the middleweight crown in Big Knockout Boxing (BKB) outside of his normal career of boxing.

Monroe has defeated the likes John Thompson, Brian Vera, Brandon Adams, Vitaliy Kopylenko, Donatas Bondorovas, and won the Boxcino tournament in 2014. His losses were to Darnell Boone and Gennady Golovkin.

Rosado is a live dog in every fight he enters into, and this Saturday is no different. He would be a bigger underdog if Willie Monroe was known for his power, but he’s not and Rosado can box. This should be a very competitive fight, but this writer sees Monroe winning a decision victory.

Liam Smith (23-0-1) vs. Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1); WBO Junior Middleweight Title

Canelo Alvarez holds the WBC World Middleweight Title but will bumping down to the junior middleweight division to face Liam Smith for his WBO Junior Middleweight Title. An argument could be made that even though Canelo holds a legitimate middleweight title, he has never faced an actual true middleweight, and has only faced blown up junior middleweights and welterweights.

Liam Smith has already gone on the record to state that there will be no fight if Canelo cannot make the 154 pound weight limit. However, there is little reason to believe that Canelo won’t make weight.

Saturday will be Canelo’s 50th fight as a professional, and that’s an impressive feat for someone who is only twenty six years old. Smith is two years older than Canelo, and will have a slight height advantage.

Even though Canelo has nearly double the number of fights of Smith and is two years younger, Smith has been more active than Canelo in the past two years. Smith fought four times in 2015 and twice in 2014, while Canelo has averaged two fights a year since 2012. It should also be noted that Smith has never fought outside of the United Kingdom.

Neither boxer has an overly impressive amateur background. Smith was a two time winner of the ABA Championships as an amateur and Canelo won the Junior Mexican National Boxing Championships as a young teenager, but neither competed in the Olympics or won any medals at an amateur world championship.

Canelo’s only loss in his career was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. His list of defeated opponents is impressive, and he has defeated the likes of Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Shane Mosley, and Alfonso Gomez.

Smith has never been in the ring with someone of Canelo’s talent. Smith has defeated the likes of Pregrad Radosevic, Jimmy Kelly, John Thompson, and Zoltan Zera.

The one major positive that jumps out at you when looking at Smith’s resume is that he has stopped his past eight opponents. Canelo has stop three of his past five opponents. However, Smith only has thirteen knockouts on his record while Canelo has thirty three.

Again, this will be the first time that Smith has fought outside of the United Kingdom and this fight will be held in Texas which has a large population of Mexican boxing fans. The fans will be hostile towards Smith, which is something he is not used to, and Canelo is the type of high quality opponent that Smith has never seen before.

The stars are aligned for an easy Canelo victory.

Posted on 08/23/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Canelo, Smith, Bradley, Chisora, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of August 16th to August 23rd, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Golden Boy Promotions

Promo Video Released for Canelo vs. Smith

Canelo Alvarez and Liam Smith are set to face each other on HBO PPV on Saturday, September 17th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. A promo video has been released for this fight and can be viewed below:

Canelo vs. Smith Undercard Announced, to Include Rosado vs. Monroe

Most boxing fans wanted to see Canelo Alvarez box Gennady Golovkin in his next face, but instead have to wait for Canelo to fight Liam Smith before he steps into the ring with Golovkin. However, fight fans will get a chance to see two opponents that Golovkin was able to beat, handedly, in the co-main event of the upcoming HBO Pay Per View.

Golden Boy Promotions recently announced that Gabriel Rosado will step into the ring to face Willie Monroe Jr. on September 17th. Two other undercard bouts have also been announced, and they include Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Andrew Cancio and Diego De La Hoya vs. Luis Orlando del Valle.

Timothy Bradley Jr. Resigns with Top Rank Promotions

ESPN’s Dan Rafael has reported that Timothy Bradley Jr., a former two division champion, has resigned with Top Rank Promotions for a two year extension. Timothy Bradley has been in some big fights with Top Rank Promotions, including three fights with Manny Pacquiao and one fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.

Top Rank’s stable includes rising stars such as Terence Crawford and Jesse Vargas and Top Rank is even willing to do business with Al Haymon fighters. Plenty of options remain for Tim Bradley that does not include Manny Pacquiao.

Dereck Chisora Back in the Ring on September 10th

Dereck Chisora (25-6, 17 KOs) returns to the ring on September 10 with an eight-round contest against Drazan Janjanin (13-7, 12 KOs) at the Hovet in Stockholm.

The former British, Commonwealth and European Champion is the latest addition to a stacked card in the Swedish capital topped by the female grudge match between domestic rivals Mikaela Laurén and Klara Svensson.

Chisora missed out on a second reign as European Champion in May, losing via split decision to Pulev, but having regrouped, the British boxer and his team will attempt to launch another title assault, starting with a keep-busy contest against the big punching Bosnian Janjanin.

‘’This is the fight game,’’ said Chisora. ‘’If you lose, you have to rebuild and come back. I lost a close fight to Pulev, but I’m still in a good position. I want a rematch, but let’s see if they give it to me. Either way, there are a lot big fights out there for me, and I’m ready to fight anyone.’’
The 32 year-old says he is looking forward to fighting in Stockholm, having never visited the city before, and will be ringside supporting local fighter Anthony Yigit and watching the main event unfold as Laurén and Svensson battle it out for the interim WBC Female World Welterweight title.

‘’I’m excited to be fighting to Sweden,’’ he says. ‘’This will be my first time in Stockholm, but I’ve heard it’s a great place. That is one of the good things about working with a big promoter like Team Sauerland – you get to fight all over Europe, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to sign with them.

Sullivan Barrera Frustrated with Inactivity, Wants a Top Contender

Top light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera has been diligently working on his craft in the hot Florida summer under the guidance of trainer Derik Santos.

The former Cuban amateur standout has inexplicably been out of the ring since coming up short against Andre Ward on March 26th in the top pound-for-pound fighter’s backyard. The loss was Barrera’s first and after producing knockout victories in his prior six fights, he is surprised that he hasn’t been back in action.

“I don’t understand it. I’ve been putting on great fights. People have seen my knockouts on ESPN and on HBO Latino. I thought I would have fought again in the summer or at least had a fight lined up by now,” said Barrera.

With a number #4 ranking by the WBA, #8 by the IBF and #12 by the WBC, Barrera is a worthy rival for any upper level opponent.

“Over the past few months there have been talks to face Bernard Hopkins, Jean Pascal and Slava Shabranskyy but when it comes down to signing a contract, nothing ever happens. I am willing to fight any of these guys. I went to Ward’s backyard. I am not afraid of anything or anyone. Ward and Kovalev isn’t official. Maybe he can give me my rematch. One of these guys needs to step up so we can give the fans a war!” Barrera stated.

Barrera has been very active, fighting 9 times since December, 2013 and he doesn’t see why he doesn’t have a fight scheduled. His frustration stems from his inactivity. He is used to fighting often.

“I don’t have any problems with my manager or my promoter which is usually why a lot of guys aren’t fighting. Everyone knows I am willing to go to Canada to fight Pascal and I am ready to fight Hopkins anywhere! I heard he is looking to have a final fight and I have no problem sending a legend out with a loss! There were talks of both of these fights. One of these guys needs to sign a contract! Seanie Monaghan hasn’t fought in a while. Artur Beterbiev, Eleider Alvarrez – I would take their ‘0’s’ away too. Just give me a fight!”

Kenneth Sims Jr. Signs with GH3 Promotions

GH3 Promotions is proud to announce the signing of undefeated junior welterweight prospect, Kenneth Sims Jr. to promotional contract.

GH3 Promotions will co-promote Sims with Antonio Leonard Productions.

Sims of Chicago is perfect as a professional, as he sports a record of 7-0 with two knockouts.
Sims was a highly acclaimed amateur, who amassed over 200 fights who became a 2-time National PAL Champion, Sims Jr. was also the 2013 USA National Champion, a Silver Gloves Champion, a Junior Olympic Bronze Medalist, a 3-time Ringside World Champion and a 2012 Olympic Trials Semifinalist.

Sims turned professional on March 7, 2014 with a win over Corey Mudrew and has racked up six wins since, with the latest being a six -round unanimous decision over Tavorus Teague on March 11, 2016 in Tustin, California.

Sims will be back in action on September 15th as part of the televised undercard that will feature Thomas LaManna and Dusty Hernandez-Harrison from Philadelphia on the CBS Sports Network.
“This is another key signing for us,”said GH3 Promotions CEO, Vito Mielnicki. “Kenneth is another young and talented fighter who fits in with the blueprint we have set up for our athletes. Young, good amateur career and guys who are looking to fight often and are willing to step up. I am happy to be partnering with Antonio Leonard Productions and working with Kenneth’s manager James Prince and I will be looking to work with them more in the future with other fighters.”

“I am excited to be back boxing and getting back to work,” said Sims. “I am looking forward to being on television. This fight will get me the exposure and people who will know me.”

Like other GH3 Promotions fighters, look for Sims to be fighting regularly. That is a schedule that Sims will relish.

“I am looking forward to staying busy. I had only two fights last year and staying busy will help me make my way up the ladder to winning championships.”

At just 22 years-old, Sims has a good attitude and wants carve out an identity, not only in the boxing world, but be known in his hometown.

“I am trying to make a name for myself and do the best and do something for my city..

Sims is known for his boxing ability, who likes to work the body.

“It has been seven months since I fought and I am ready to put on a show. Philly is a great fight town and I am so excited to fight there.”

Said Sims father, Kenneth Sims Sr., “I am so happy to get back to doing what we love to do. We are happy GH3 Promotions picked us up, and those who didn’t will regret it. On September 15, business will be taken care of.”

Sims co-promoter Antonio Leonard has been by his side since he turned professional and had his eye on an emerging talent since his amateur days.

“I have always felt that Kenneth was a tremendous fighter. He has been in Colorado Springs helping with the U.S. Olympic team. The sparring sessions with him and (2016 Silver Medal winner) Shakur Stevenson were amazing.”

“He has the potential to be a great star. He is a grounded kid and with the help of Vito Mielnicki and GH3 Promotions, there is a good chance he could fight for a world title.”

Sims has been the main sparring partner at different times for the sport’s two biggest names and has performed well and gained incredible experience by working with Floyd Mayweather as he prepared for Andre Berto and with Manny Pacquiao as he was getting ready for Mayweather.

Dee Lee Promotions Presents “Heroes on the Sand” for a Tribute to Our Military

Presented by Vans for a special Tribute to our Military, Thursday, August 25th, 2016 on the beach at the 54th Annual Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championship, Virginia Beach, VA. Super middleweight Frank “THE FREIGHT TRAIN” Filippone (21-5-1/7 ko’s) of Virginia Beach, VA will headline this exciting card of knockout artists. Filippone, a Virginia Beach Police officer and former WBA-NABA Light Heavyweight Champion is set to take on, Timothy “The Boss” Hall (9-22-0/5 ko’s) of Athens, GA, in the 6 round Main Event on the Beautiful Beach in Virginia.

The Exciting Co-Main features another local favorite, Portsmouth, VA lightweight Dorin Spivey (46-7-0/33 ko’s). Spivey has fought 7 times for carious portions of the lightweight belts and has actually fought for, captured, defended and relinquished the WBA-NABA Lightweight Championship Crown 5 different times!! Spivey, is matched up against Larry Darnell Ventus (6-10-1/3 ko’s) of Detroit, MI.

Also featured on the Professional portion of this fight card is Jerry “SLUGGER” Forrest (13-2-0/12 ko’s) of Newport News, VA vs. Willis “The Prophet” Lockett (14-18-5/5 ko’s) Takoma Park, MD; First Class Petty Officer Carlos Moore (2-1-1/2 ko’s) of Virginia Beach, VA vs. William Lorenzo (3-19-1/1 ko’s) of Columbia, SC; and Defense Department Diver Roger Belch III (6-0-0/6 ko’s) vs Anthony Dave (0-12-1) of Canton, OH round out the professional end of this mixed Pro/Am fight card.

Posted on 08/14/2016

Get a Grip, Billy Joe Saunders
By: Brandon Bernica

​Billy Joe Saunders reminds me of Gollum from The Hobbit. Just as with Saunders’ belt, Gollum’s ring infatuates him with illusions of grandeur. Both are so committed to their prized possessions that their sanities hinge on protecting their gold at all times.

​Truthfully, Saunders rejecting big-name fights is indicative of this nature. In fact, it isn’t lofty to suggest that he masquerades as a false champion with delusional sensibilities.

​First, Gennady Golovkin offered him a lucrative deal to unify titles – even ceding home turf advantage to Saunders for the fight. That wasn’t enough money for Billy Joe. Soon after, Golden Boy presented him with contracts to fight Golovkin victims Curtis Stevens and Willie Monroe. Both were turned down for unknown reasons.

​At this point, you’d probably assert that nothing could top these levels of avoidance from a “champion”. Think again. After reviewing terms to fight middleweight journeyman Gabe Rosado on the Canelo vs. Smith undercard, Saunders passed on the bout because Rosado is not a strong enough name to add to his resumé. While shocking, Saunders’ decisions signal bad news for the outlook on the rest of his career.

​Saunders’ career can fall into one of two directions from this point. One outcome of his stingy micromanagement could be a refusal of any big names to fight with him. While Saunders appears content to guard his belt against heavily outmatched opponents, he’ll eventually need a star fighter to bring him money and public respect. As they say, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

​But what if an inverse scenario is true? What if big names prey on him, sensing the fear underlying his steady diet of match rejections? At some point, either public pressure or a sanctioning organization will force him into one of these fights, which could leave him exposed and stripped of marketability. By then, it will be too late to return to the negotiating table with the big boys with his career heading towards a sharp descent, leaving him little more than a cautionary tale.

​Sadly, Saunders’ unwillingness to fight only points to a common trend in today’s boxing world: fighters search for the highest reward while incurring the lowest risk. Floyd Mayweather made a career off of maximizing his earning potential without consistently challenging himself against the best. Mayweather utilized a bevy of excuses in rationalizing his behavior, and now other fighters are following suit. Note to the boxing world: you are not entitled. You made your name off of cutting your teeth and dedication; to give up this edge is a lead-in to disaster.

Saunders didn’t start out the tepid fighter he is now. His road to notoriety crossed through fellow up-and-comer Chris Eubank Jr and former world champion Andy Lee, winning both of his fights impressively en route to prominence. But the road to respect in boxing doesn’t end overnight. It endures night after night of painstaking work. Saunders will never win the adulation of boxing fans until he embraces this grind. Here’s hoping that that happens soon.
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