Next up for Top Rank Boxing, Two undefeated junior welterweight kings, one undisputed WBO title. The stakes don’t get any higher.

Unified WBO champion #JoseRamirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, will fight Scotland’s IBF/WBA champion #JoshTaylor for the undisputed world championship Saturday, May 22. The winner will become only the second undisputed junior welterweight champion of the four-belt era, joining pound-for-pound great Terence “Bud” Crawford.

Promoted by Top Rank, #RamirezTaylor will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (and simulcast on ESPN+) starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. live from Las Vegas’ newest world-class casino resort, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, owned by JC Hospitality, LLC.

It ended in a flash, and once again, Terence “Bud” Crawford let his fists do the talking. Crawford successfully defended his WBO welterweight world title with a fourth-round TKO Saturday evening over former welterweight world champion Kell Brook.

Brook (39-3, 27 KOs) was leading on two of three judges’ cards entering the fourth round, but it was Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) who unleashed the boom. A right jab forced Brook into the ropes for a knockdown. The end was near, as Crawford unleashed a combination that prompted referee Tony Weeks to stop the fight.

Crawford has now won eight straight fights by knockout dating back to July 2016.

“I already said who I want {next}. I want Pacquiao. I want to revisit that fight,” Crawford said. “That was a fight that should’ve happened right now. But being that the pandemic happened, and they weren’t going to allow fans in the Middle East, they had to put a hold to that. Everything was 95 percent done. We had the venue. The money was almost there. It wasn’t quite there. That was the only thing we were waiting on.

“Kell is a tremendous talent. He came and he tried to take my title. He was in shape. He made the weight. There were no excuses to be put on the table. He came off of three wins.”

Added Brook, “Never in my career, nobody has ever done that to me in sparring or anything.

“It was one of them… I got caught with a shot I didn’t see. I’m gutted because nobody could’ve gotten me in better condition. I was bang on the limit. Maybe I could’ve been a bit more relaxed and loose and let the shots go.”

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said, “Terence Crawford showed, once again, why he is the best welterweight in the world. It was a dominating performance over a very good fighter in Kell Brook. Terence ranks up there with all the great welterweights I’ve promoted.”

(Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)

The tentative date for one of boxing’s biggest fights is on the move.

The lightweight unification title fight between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez Jr. might now take place on Oct. 3 in Las Vegas, Top Rank president Todd duBoef confirmed to ESPN’s Steve Kim on Wednesday night.

Recently, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum suggested Sept. 19 as a potential date for the fight, after a spring date was moved because of the coronavirus pandemic. DuBoef said “it’s still too early to determine everything” regarding the bout and that he is uncertain as to whether it will be closed to the public.

More on: https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/29432028/october-date-eyed-vasiliy-lomachenkoteofimo-lopez-jr-unification-bout

Top Rank’s Bob Arum announced Tuesday that Vasiliy Lomachenko will face Teofimo Lopez on Sept. 19 in a lightweight title unification bout.

According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, Lomachenko and Lopez were originally scheduled to meet on May 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, but the fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lomachenko is the WBO and WBA Lightweight champion, while Lopez holds the IBF Lightweight title.

There is still plenty that needs to be worked out regarding the fight, including where it will occur and whether fans will be able to attend.

Arum said the following about the rationale behind scheduling it now: “In talking with Lomachenko and Lopez, neither of them want an interim fight. So we would plan to do that in September, with or without an audience.”

Per Baby, Arum hinted at Lomachenko vs. Lopez being a pay-per-view fight held in Las Vegas, although that isn’t yet set in stone.

More on https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2898418-vasiliy-lomachenko-vs-teofimo-lopez-title-fight-set-for-sept-19-per-bob-arum

Top Rank on ESPN: Joshua Greer Jr., Jose Pedraza and Emanuel Navarrete to Headline at MGM Grand and TV Azteca Studios

Greer-Mike Plania, Pedraza-Mikkel LesPierre and Navarrete-Uriel Lopez to top Week 2 cards LIVE on ESPN & ESPN Deportes

LAS VEGAS (June 9, 2020) — Don’t blink. Top Rank on ESPN’s summer schedule resumes with a trio of shows, commencing Tuesday, June 16, with the return of bantamweight contender Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. in a 10-rounder against 23-year-old Filipino upstart Mike Plania at the MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom in Las Vegas.

The action continues from MGM Grand Thursday, June 18, when former two-weight world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza will face former world title challenger Mikkel LesPierre in a 10-round super lightweight showdown.

Week 2 concludes Saturday, June 20, at TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City, when WBO junior featherweight world champion Navarrete will fight Uriel “Yuca” Lopez in a 10-round featherweight bout. Navarrete-Lopez will headline one of two June cards from TV Azteca Studios, which will be promoted by Top Rank in association with Zanfer Promotions.

All three Week 2 events will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (in Spanish), with start times to be announced shortly.

“It is exciting to see these great fighters back in action and in fights that promise to be action-packed,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Greer and Pedraza have tough opponents in front of them, but if they are victorious, we could see them in world title fights before the end of the year. Navarrete is the king of the 122-pounders, a throwback fighter who wants to stay as active as possible.”

June 16
MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom

Main Event
Joshua Greer Jr. (22-1-1, 12 KOs) vs. Mike Plania (23-1, 12 KOs)
10 rounds, Bantamweight

Greer, the Chicago product who taunts potential KO victims with custom-made pillows, is knocking on the doorstep of a world title shot. He has won 19 fights in a row and is currently the WBO No. 1 contender at bantamweight. Plania, meanwhile, has won eight straight bouts since a March 2018 decision loss to Juan Carlos Payano, a fight that propelled Payano to a world title shot against pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue.

“Whoever the opponent is, it doesn’t matter. I prepare the same,” Greer said. “Every fight is a world title fight for me. I’m ranked number one in the world, so I have to take advantage of this opportunity. ‘Mr. ESPN’ is back!”

Co-Feature
Antonio DeMarco (33-8-1, 24 KOs) vs. Giovani Santillan (25-0, 15 KOs)
10 rounds, Welterweight

Former lightweight world champion DeMarco, who is coming off a competitive decision loss to top contender Jamal James, represents a quantum leap in class for the 28-year-old Santillan. A native of San Diego who has stopped his last four opponents, Santillan hopes to become the first man to knock out DeMarco in nearly eight years. In his last bout, he overcame a nearly 19-month layoff to knock out Wilfrido Buelvas in two rounds.

Undercard

Nikoloz Sekhniashvili (5-0, 4 KOs), a 26-year-old who hails from the nation of Georgia, will make his 2020 debut against Detroit native Isiah Jones (8-1, 3 KOs) in a six-rounder at super middleweight. Sekhniashvili, trained by Javiel Centeno, is part of a deep stable of fighters that includes Puerto Rican phenom Xander Zayas and lightweight contender George Kambosos Jr.

Super featherweight prospect Edward Vazquez (7-0, 1 KO), from Fort Worth, Texas, will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.

Puerto Rican-born heavyweight Hector Perez (6-2, 3 KOs) will fight southpaw spoiler Juan Torres (5-2-1, 2 KOs), from Cypress, Texas, in a six-round bout. Torres has won two straight and has never been knocked out in a professional match.

June 18
MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom

Main Event
Jose Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs) vs. Mikkel LesPierre (22-1-1, 10 KOs)
10 rounds, Super Lightweight

Pedraza, who won world titles at junior lightweight and lightweight, is taking another run at the super lightweight division following last September’s decision loss to Jose “Chon” Zepeda. His opponent LesPierre challenged Maurice Hooker for a world title last year, dropping a unanimous decision. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brooklyn resident received deliveries and assisted doctors and nurses at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Manhattan.

“I am very excited to finally return to the ring after this long break. During quarantine, I made adjustments and trained hard from home, Pedraza said. “Despite everything that is happening in the world, my team and I have had a great training camp. I have done many runs up the mountains in Cidra, Puerto Rico. I am now focused on giving the fans a great show on June 18 against Mikkel LesPierre. We know he is a world-class fighter, but I am, too, and I am determined to return to the top once again.”

“I’m excited and blessed to be a part of the first round of televised sports as we navigate through this pandemic,” LesPierre said. “Jose Pedraza is a good fighter and a former world champion, but I feel that I have the tools to beat him. It will be a great fight and an opportunity for me to take my career to the next level. The Maurice Hooker fight was just a taste of what the elite level is all about. I’m determined to get back to title contention. This fight is the first step toward that goal. I’m ready to go.”

Co-Feature
Gabriel Flores Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) vs. Josec Ruiz (21-2-3, 14 KOs)
10 rounds, Lightweight

The 20-year-old Flores, fresh off a win on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury 2 undercard, returns in his first scheduled 10-rounder. Flores, the Stockton, California native who signed with Top Rank when he was 16 years old, packed more than 10,000 spectators into the Stockton Arena last May to establish himself as one of the sport’s top regional ticket-sellers. Ruiz is unbeaten in his last 16 bouts.

Undercard

David “The Lion of Zion” Kaminsky (6-0, 3 KOs) will face noted spoiler Clay Collard (6-2-3, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder at super middleweight. Collard, who also is a veteran MMA pro, has defeated unbeaten prospects in his last two fights.

In four-round bouts each, Puerto Rican super featherweight Frevian Gonzalez (2-0, 1 KO) will fight an opponent to be named, while super lightweight Victor Rodriguez (2-0, 1 KO) will face Justin Horsley (0-1).

June 20
TV Azteca Studios

Main Event
Emanuel Navarrete (31-1, 27 KOs) vs. Uriel Lopez (13-13-1, 6 KOs)
10 rounds, Featherweight

Boxing’s most active world champion, Navarrete defended his title five times (all by KO) in nine months, most recently knocking out Jeo Santisima on the Wilder-Fury 2 Pay-Per-View undercard. Navarrete is fighting as a featherweight for the first time in nearly three years in what will be his sixth bout in 13 months. Lopez has a 2016 knockout victory over longtime Japanese contender Ryo Matsumoto.

Undercard action will feature Carlos “Chinito” Ornelas (25-2, 14 KOs), who will take on Edwin “Pupo” Palomares (12-3-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-rounder at featherweight. Featherweight prospect Sergio Chirino Sanchez (14-1, 8 KOs) will look to extend his winning streak to six against Gustavo Alan Pina (8-2, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout.

Former interim world champion Silvia Torres (20-2-2, 7 KOs) will face 21-bout veteran Edith de Jesus Flores in an eight-rounder at light flyweight.

Mexico City-based flyweight prospect Ivan Armando Garcia (5-0, 3 KOs) will fight Roberto Palomares (5-4-1, 1 KO) in his first scheduled six-rounder.

Bob Arum revealed this week that Unified WBO Lightweight Champion Vasiliy Lomachenko will be traveling to the United States on June 15 for his September unification fight against IBF champion Teofimo López.

Arum will be staging the Lomachenko vs. Teofimo fight in front of a small crowd of 2,500 spaced out in a large arena in September. It isn’t ideal for such a massive fight like this to take place in front of a small crowd, but there’s not much else they can do.

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) and Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) were scheduled previously to meet at the end of May in New York, but the pandemic upset those plans.

Teofimo, 22, is looking huge right now and is said to be in the mid-150s. This week, Teofimo was lifting weights, and looking like a short junior middleweight. The weight cut or Teoimo is going to be difficult, as he’s going to need to lose approximately 20 pounds to make the 135-pound limit.

It’s doable for Teofimo because he’s young, and can probably get away with it. With that said, you can bet that Lomachenko will be attempting to drag Lopez into the later rounds to take advantage of his weight loss.

Lopez’s weight issues could work for Lomachenko, but maybe not. Younger fighters can cut enormous amounts of weight without it hurting them, which is why they have an advantage over the older guys. If Teofimo isn’t weight drained for this fight, Lomachenko could be in for a world of hurt.

A guy has never hit Lomachenko with the kind of size and power that Teofimo has. For Lomachenko to beat Teofimo, he’s going to need to take a lot of heavy blows.

“As far as fighters outside of the United States, there’s a limit to what we can do,” said Arum. “In other words, we don’t fly the planes. I don’t have any influence with this White House, thank God as to lifting travel bans, but where there’s a will there’s a way.

“And I know that Vasiliy Lomachenko, for example, will be coming to the United States sometime in June. I don’t know when the Brits can come. I don’t know when the Canadian’s can come. This is ready out of our hands now,” said Arum.

The Fighters Must Find A Way Into The U.S.

“So every fighter that wants to come over and wants to participate in these shows and continue their careers has got to find a way to do that on their own with their advisers,” said Arum. “We’ll facilitate anything we can. But our power is greatly limited,” said Arum.

As you can see, Top Rank isn’t going to be able to help all their fighters make into the United States with their help. So if they want to participate in Top Rank’s cards, they’ll need to find a way to enter the U.S with the help of their managers and advisers.

It would be interesting to know whether Arum helped the 32-year-old Lomachenko with his documentation to get him into the States. The famous fighters are too crucial for Top Rank to leave it up to them without giving them a hand if needed.

If Lomachenko can’t make it into the United States, then that’s a showstopper. It’s good that Lomachenko is coming to the States this week because that’ll give Arum and Top Rank enough time to explore other options if he’s blocked.

In hindsight, it was a mistake for Lomachenko to go back to Ukraine because he was in the U.S not long ago. He probably didn’t realize how much trouble it would be for him to return to the U.S because of the pandemic situation.

Teofimo Lopez Gives The Secret To Cutting Weight
“‘How much do I weigh right now?’ 156. Six pounds to go to where I want to be at,” said Teofimo this week in answering questions on social media. “And then just lose [water weight to get down to 135].

“‘How do you lose that much weight? Is it healthy for your body?’ You’ve got to drink a lot of water. I drink two gallons of water every day. When I’m in camp, I drink a little bit more than two gallons every day. Foodwise, I love to eat. Food is life, but it’s what you eat and the amount of food you eat and your meals and abundance,” said Teofimo Lopez.

“You don’t want to eat a big amount. Everything has to be fist-sized. Usually, I’ll eat five times a day, including two snacks. If you want me to get in detail and all that. Fish is good. Anything with low sodium. Make sure its low sodium. Don’t eat carbs unless you’re trying to build up weight-wise. If you’re trying to lean up with muscle, then you can try and build up with carbs. A lot of conditioning.

“Once I get into camp, that’s when I drop those next 15 pounds [with the help of his trainer],” said Teofimo. “Right now, I’m making their job easier, and they make it easier for me. None of that good food thing you guys like. You’ve got to throw that out the window if you want to lose weight. I’m trying to come back as soon as possible. Pain is a weakness in the mind, baby,” said Teofimo.

By Sean Jones / BoxingNews24.com

Super middleweight world champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez will make the fourth defence of his WBO belt against the hard-hitting Roamer Alexis Angulo, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Taking place at the home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on June 30th, 26-year-old Ramirez will face his third unbeaten challenger in a row as he defends his crown against the formidable Colombian Angulo.

Ramirez (37-0, 25 KOs), from Mazatlán, Mexico, became the first Mexican-born super middleweight champion when he shut out three-time world champion Arthur Abraham in 2016.

He has since gone on to beat Ukrainian Max Bursak, before a nip-and-tuck battle against No. 1 contender Jesse ‘Hollywood’ Hart, ultimately prevailing by unanimous decision.

In his last bout in February of this year Ramirez scored the first stoppage of his championship reign with a sixth-round TKO over Habib Ahmed.

His next challenge now comes against Angulo (23-0, 20 KOs), who has won his last five bouts by knockout, most recently winning the WBO Latino belt with a first-round knockout over Evert Bravo.

Now, as part of BoxNation’s exclusive output deal with promoters Top Rank, the pair will do battle next month live and exclusive in the UK and Ireland on ‘The Channel of Champions’ BoxNation.

“I want to prove that I’m the best fighter in the division. I’m willing to leave everything in the ring to defend my title,” Ramirez said. “I want to dedicate this fight to all the Mexicans and all the Latinos who reside in Oklahoma, I would like many of them to be present in the arena. That would motivate me even more. I’ll be waiting for you guys on June 30.”

Oklahoma City’s Alex ‘El Cholo’ Saucedo will also be on the bill as he looks to continue his march to a 140-pound title shot against Lenny Zappavigna in a 10-round special attraction.

Saucedo, ranked No. 3 by the WBO at 140 pounds, last fought in March against Abner Lopez, knocking him out in the seventh round with a left hook to the body.

Against Zappavigna, Saucedo will be fighting in his home city of Oklahoma City for the first time since 2014.

“We are looking forward to a great event in Oklahoma City. Zurdo Ramirez is always in great fights, and Angulo will give him a real battle,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, founder and CEO of Top Rank. “It’s also with great pride that we were able to put in Oklahoma City native Alex Saucedo against a world class fighter like Lenny Zappavigna.”

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “Gilberto Ramirez is one of the very best super-middleweights in the world and looks to be getting better and better each time we see him. Against Roamer Alexis Angulo he faces a real test against an undefeated and ferocious puncher who has everything to gain on June 30th. It’s going to be a great card, with Alex Saucedo also set to feature against Lenny Zappavigna, all live and exclusive on BoxNation.”

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com, via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) and TV Player for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.

http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2018/05/22/news/gilberto-ramirez-defends-wbo-belt-versus-alexis-angulo-live-on-boxnation

Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank

In the 89-year history of THE RING’s Fighter of the Year award, no boxer has ever earned the honor with as few fights under his belt as Vasyl Lomachenko has. Then again, few have achieved as much as the Ukrainian amateur star did after only 11 pro bouts.

Lomachenko (10-1, 8 knockouts) was selected as THE RING’s Prospect of the Year in 2013 after only one fight – his Oct. 12 pro debut against Jose Ramirez. Eight months after that impressive fourth-round KO, the wizardly southpaw won his first world title, the vacant WBO featherweight belt, by taking Gary Russell Jr. to school over 12 rounds. (Lomachenko’s boxing clinic against the highly touted unbeaten U.S. Olympian was performed in his third pro bout, just three months after he received his own education in gritty pro tactics via 12-round split-decision loss to grizzled veteran Orlando Salido.)

Two years and three title defenses later, he won his second world title in a second weight class, the WBO 130-pound belt, with a fifth-round KO of Roman Martinez. His first defense – an embarrassingly one-sided mastery of Nicholas Walters that forced the unbeaten former featherweight titleholder to pull a “No Mas” after seven rounds – was so impressive that he instantly jumped into the top half of most pound-for-pound lists by the end of 2016.

So, what made Lomachenko’s 2017 so special? Why was he selected as THE RING’s Fighter of the Year over worthy candidates such as Terence Crawford, Anthony Joshua, Mikey Garcia and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai?

For starters, he fought more than the other standouts in 2017 – three times – continuing to outclass and bewilder opposition to between-rounds retirements, but he also made large strides toward transitioning from a boxing-world phenom to the kind of general sports standout recognized by casual fans and mainstream media.

Lomachenko (left) tags Jason Sosa. Photo courtesy of HBO

Lomachenko’s humiliating brand of dominance was expected against his first two opponents of 2017, Jason Sosa and Miguel Marriaga, both solid contenders that will give any other world-class featherweight or junior lightweight a grueling night. Lomachenko forced the battle-tested scrappers to remain on their stools after nine and seven rounds, respectively, and he didn’t mind showboating as he gradually picked them apart from every conceivable angle.

Although Lomachenko was favored to beat his third opponent of 2017, fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux, he wasn’t expected to have his way with the counter-punching master.

Rigondeaux, who carried a 17-0 pro record into their anticipated showdown at The Theater inside Madison Square Garden, was the older of the two savvy left-handers (37 to 29) and moving up from the 122-pound division, but the Cuban also brought with him a style that many believed was impossible to dominate or look good against.

Lomachenko did both en route to Rigondeaux’s inglorious retirement after six rounds.

Lomachenko downplayed the victory during his post-fight interviews, basically stating that he did what he was supposed to do, but there can be no downplaying of his boxing ability or his rising stature in the sports world.

Lomachenko appears to be on his way to becoming a bona-fide attraction. It was literally standing room only inside the 5,000-seat Theater (with no space for comps or auxiliary media and tickets rumored to be going for three times face value on the secondary market prior to the ESPN-televised card). Promoter Bob Arum says the two-division titleholder will fight at least three times next year, perhaps once in the “big room” of Madison Square Garden. Lomachenko is clearly done with small venues and fighting in front of limited TV audiences.

Lomachenko (right) took Guillermo Rigondeaux apart. Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Lomachenko-Rigondeaux was watched by 1.73 million on ESPN (twice the number of viewers that tuned into a UFC offering on FS1 that was broadcast during the same time slot). It was ESPN’s highest-rated show on December 9, exceeding viewers for the Heisman Trophy presentation and the MLS Cup.

Lomachenko’s future fights will be televised on Top Rank’s new network partner, ESPN, which contributed to his crossover appeal in 2017 and will undoubtedly enhance his popularity in the U.S. in coming years.

For now, he’s the toast of the boxing world, where hardcore fans use his name as an adjective or verb when expounding on their favorite sport via social media. A talented prospect like Josh Kelly might be described as having “Lomachenko-esque” moves. A fighter who is bewildered into submission might be said to have been “Lomachenko’d.”

Lomachenko’s reputation has been established enough in 2017 that boxing geeks now argue how he would fare in a mythical matchup with a prime Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 130 pounds.

However, Lomachenko isn’t interested in the future hall of famer, but rather one of the standouts of Mayweather Promotions, former IBF 130-pound beltholder Gervonta Davis. His “call out” to Davis, which was directed at Mayweather’s official Twitter account, attracted a lot of attention and eventually pulled Mikey Garcia into the social media conversation.

Lomachenko eventually Tweeted a poll of four potential opponents – Miguel Berchelt, Garcia, Davis and Jorge Linares – which has garnered more than 40,000 votes. Garcia and Davis received the most votes, but if he can get any two of the four in the ring in 2018 he’ll likely be a strong candidate for back-to-back Fighter of the Year honors.

RUNNERS UP:
Anthony Joshua
Terence Crawford
Mikey Garcia
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai

Following “Fighter of the Year” tradition, Vasyl Lomachenko will feature as cover star in the next issue of RING Magazine.

 

Vasyl Lomachenko named 2017 RING Magazine Fighter of the Year

 

 

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Unbeaten WBO welterweight champion Jeff “The Hornet” Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs) retained his title with a hard fought eleventh round TKO over #10 rated Gary Corcoran (17-2, 7 KOs) on Wednesday night at the Brisbane Convention Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was a competitive fight early. Horn was cut over the left eye in round six. Corcoran was cut over the left eye in round eight. Horn took over down the stretch and referee Benjy Esteves waved it off at 1:35 the eleventh round due to the condition of Corcoran’s eye.

At the time of the stoppage, Horn was ahead 100-90, 99-91, 99-91. Next up for “The Hornet” is likely #1 rated Terence “Bud” Crawford in the Spring in Las Vegas.

Former WBO welterweight Super Champion Manny Pacquiao has made the rank of full Colonel in the Philippines Army.

Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) lost his WBO title in defeat to the Australian Jeff Horn in July 2017, and while the Philippines fighter is hoping for a rematch, he took to social media to announce he made the step up from Lieutenant Colonel.

11 years after joining the armed forces, he posed with members of the army on Wednesday to celebrate the occasion.

2012 Australian Olympian Jeff Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) is very eager to get in the ring with Manny Pacquiao for a second time.

Last week, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank confirmed to BoxingScene.com that his fighter had exercised an immediate rematch clause to meet Horn in the ring before the year is out.

Last month, Horn pulled off a major upset when he secured the WBO welterweight world title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao before a crowd of 51,000 fans at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

The decision was deemed controversial by a lot of observers, who felt Pacquiao had done enough to win. But nobody disagrees with the fact that Pacquiao’s performance was flat and his activity was lacking.

Horn wants to prove that his victory was no fluke.

“I’m happy for a rematch, especially after all the flak I received before the second scoring came out. Now it’s out, I still receive people saying I didn’t win. I’m willing to prove it again and beat him for the second time,” Horn said to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“I’m still proving a point. I’ve got to make sure I train just as hard. I never say I want a knockout but it’s always easier if the fight ends before the 12th round. I can improve a lot more from where I have been in the past. I think I did well in the last fight, I’ll do better the second time,” he said. “I’ve done it before, I know what I have to do to try hard and do it again. I know I can push through to more levels.”

The rematch, like the first, will take place in Horn’s backyard of Australia, likely on a date in November. Because of the winter weather, the rematch will have to take place indoors. The paper notes that the Queensland government has first and last rights but their entertainment centre only holds 13,000 fans. Melbourne has Etihad Stadium with a roof while Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena holds 21,000.

www.boxingscene.com/jeff-horn-t-wait-prove-point-by-beating-pacquiao-again–119266

By Miguel Rivera

WBO Junior Lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko mentioned that he was fully preparing to face Mexico’s Orlando ‘Siri’ Salido in a long awaited rematch on August 5, but then he was advised that Salido was out – and Colombian Miguel Marriaga was placed in the contest.

Vasyl was eager to avenge the only loss of his pro career to Salido, and an economic agreement had been reached but an injury to Salido’s hand prevented the deal from being finalized, and then Marriaga, who comes back from a solid fight against WBO 126-pound champion Oscar Valdez, was thrown in the mix.

“It really has not changed anything in my preparation, I was preparing for Salido but the opponent was changed. You have to be ready for the opponent they put in front of you and you have to give a good fight,” said Lomachenko to ESPN Deportes.

During the announcement of the card, Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KO’s) showed respect for Marriaga (25-2, 21 KO’s), who did the same, and promoter Bob Arum stressed that fights like this, and the one earlier this month with Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn.

“Boxing has been one of the major sports for many years, in the 1970s and 1980s, boxing was an essential sport not only in the United States but throughout the world. We’re working with ESPN to showcase these fighters and help boxing recover that top spot,”Arum said of the deal he had made with ESPN.

“We saw on July 1, Pacquiao-Horn’s ESPN broadcast had a tremendous audience, and Lomachenko and Marriaga, (Raymundo) Beltran and (Bryan) Vasquez will offer tremendous action to the public throughout the United States and the world, we are very proud to be part of this tremendous event.”

Finally, Marriaga expressed that he is not interested in the fact that Lomachenko is favorite. ”

It is normal that suddenly he is the favorite, he is the champion, but we are prepared, we come to fight, we’re coming to stage a war and God allows everything to go well,” he said.

www.boxingscene.com/lomachenko-i-preparing-salido-ready-marriaga–118729?print_friendly=1

By Steve Kim

While WBO super featherweight titlist, Vasyl Lomachenko, has an August 5th assignment against Miguel Marriaga at the Microsoft Theater at LA Live on ESPN, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank says it wont be the last time we see ‘Hi-Tech’ in 2017.

“He’s going to fight again this year and I think Lomachenko is the one guy that could really deal with fighting four times a year,” said the veteran promoter, who says that under their new partnership with ESPN that all of their boxers will be afforded the opportunity to fight more often than in the past.

Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KO’s) last fought more than twice in a calendar year in 2014.

Back on April 8th, Lomachenko out-classed Jason Sosa in nine rounds in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Arum plans to keep the two-time Olympic gold medalist as active as possible.

“It’ll be a minimum of three (fights) but I would hope to do four and I would hope to get a hold of some opponents that we could then promote and make big pay-per-view fights down the road for Lomachenko next year,” Arum said.

But this wont just apply to the gifted Ukrainian, Arum noted to BoxingScene.com – “We’re re-doing all our contracts to guarantee our fighters three fights a year – minimum. And use our best best efforts to give them four.”

There used to be a time when all boxers – even the ones at the championship level – performed much more often. So what happened?

“It was like the Garden of Eden, ‘when the premium cable (networks) floated more money than the over-the-air networks were paying and we all bit into the apple because it was juicy and good, we ended up poisoning ourselves,” Arum explained last week at a press conference for Lomachenko-Marriaga.

www.boxingscene.com/top-rank-keep-lomachenko-others-more-active–118650

Two weeks ago, Australian Jeff Horn pulled off a shock welterweight title victory over Manny Pacquiao – but there was a lot of controversy over the scorecards [115-113, 115-113, 117-111] and there were many who felt Pacquiao should have been the victor.

As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, the World Boxing Organization reviewed the fight with five independent judges and they declared Horn the clear winner.

The WBO — which does not have the power to reverse a decision unless fraud or law violations are proven — set up a panel of independent and anonymous judges who were asked to watch the bout without sound and determine who won each round.

The results were tabulated to show clearly the rounds each fighter won using an average scale based on 60, 80 and 100 percent, with three of the five officials needing to be in agreement.

A similar method has been used to review WBO title fights before.

“Upon the analysis, the findings stated that Pacquiao won the 3rd, the 8th and 9th by 100 percent; the 5th round was won by 80 percent; and the 11th round by 60 percent,” the WBO said in a statement.

“Horn won the 1st, 6th and 12th rounds by 100 percent; rounds 2, 4, and 7 by 80 percent; and then, the 10th round by 60 percent. From the results, it can be established that Pacquiao won five rounds while Horn won seven rounds. Based on this analysis, Jeff Horn was the winner of the bout.”

The loss sparked calls in the Philippines for the 38-year-old Pacquiao, a national icon after rising from poverty to be considered one of the greatest fighters of his generation, to retire and concentrate on politics.

Pacquiao briefly quit boxing last year to pursue his long-held political ambitions and was elected senator. But he quickly made a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in November, saying he still felt like a youngster.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said the result of the World Boxing Organization’s review “doesn’t settle anything.”

“First of all they didn’t [rule] that Jeff Horn clearly won the fight. They (WBO) had five judges scoring the fight: three had Horn winning narrowly, one had it at draw, one had Pacquiao winning,” Arum told News To Go in an interview.

“Well it doesn’t settle anything. It was a very close fight. It could have been scored either way. I had Manny winning the fight by one point, but you know when it gets that close, the fight can go either way.”

“Manny has to decide what he wants to do in the future and we’ll take it from there. I will see whether he really wants to do a rematch, whether he wants to continue boxing, or whether because of his senatorial duty, he is unable to continue.”

Photo Credit:  Getty Images

www.boxingscene.com/arum-reacts-wbo-backing-horn-shocker-over-pacquiao–118387?print_friendly=1

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Manny Pacquiao no sólo tuvo que disputar los 12 asaltos en una pelea en que era considerado el amplio favorito. El filipino terminó perdiendo el cetro welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo por un fallo unánime pero controversial.

No era precisamente lo que esperaba el entrenador de Pacquiao ni el púgil 11 veces monarca mundial, cuyo futuro ha quedado ahora en la incertidumbre.

Freddie Roach, el entrenador de Pacquiao, sugirió que su pupilo de años lograría un nocaut “rápido y dulce” en el combate del domingo, denominado “Batalla de Brisbane. En vez de ello, el local Jeff Horn se impuso por puntos en su primer pleito por un título mundial, ante el delirio de 51.052 espectadores.

El también senador filipino de 38 años llegó a esta ciudad australiana una semana antes de la pelea, en un vuelo fletado que transportaba a más de un centenar de seguidores. Se marcha sin el cinturón de la OMB.

Los tres jueces dieron la victoria a Horn. El estadounidense Waleska Roldan dio 117-111, su compatriota Chris Flores entregó una anotación de 115.113, al igual que el argentino Ramón Cerdán.

Varios críticos consideraron localista el fallo. Destacan las estadísticas según las cuales Pacquiao propinó dos veces más golpes de poder que su adversario.

“Es la decisión de los jueces y la respeto”, comentó Pacquiao, citado por ESPN. “Tenemos una cláusula de revancha, así que no hay problema”.

En ese sentido, el futuro próximo del filipino sería un nuevo enfrentamiento ante el australiano. Más allá de eso, el panorama no es tan claro.

Durante la semana, Roach había dicho que Pacquiao tendría dos alternativas después de enfrentar a Horn: Buscar un segundo combate frente a Floyd Mayweather o contemplar el retiro.

“Manny está en una situación en que debe ganar. Quiere una revancha con Mayweather”, comentó Roach. “Con Mayweather hay que lucir bien ante un rival, hay que impresionar”.

Difícilmente “Money” Mayweather está impresionado.

El entrenador de acondicionamiento físico de Pacquiao, Justin Fortune, no se guardó los comentarios negativos hacia los jueces.

“Manny perdió la pelea, pero Jeff Horn parece una calabaza”, dijo Fortune en referencia al rostro enrojecido, hinchado y ensangrentado de su compatriota australiano. “¿Qué hay entonces con esas anotaciones, con esas tarjetas? Estaban al revés”.

No obstante, Fortune aceptó que Pacquiao debió haber conjurado el riesgo de un fallo controversial.

“Cuando peleas en casa de otro, necesitas hacer más cosas. Es mejor noquearlo”, comentó. “Así es el boxeo. A veces te da y en otras te quita. Pero cuando vienes a casa de alguien debes tener mejores argumentos y nunca dejar esto en manos de los jueces”.

Horn comenzó fuerte y ganó al menos tres de los primeros cinco asaltos en las anotaciones. Pero Pacquiao, quien recibió dos veces atención por una cortada en la cabeza (en el sexto y séptimo round), pareció dominar las hostilidades desde el octavo.

Estuvo cerca de finiquitar el pleito en el noveno, cuando golpeó de forma inclemente a Horn, quien se tambaleó. Incluso el réferi Mark Nelson preguntó al local si podía seguir.

El exprofesor de escuela, de 29 años, respondió afirmativamente. Confiaba en que tenía la ventaja en las tarjetas.

“Desde luego me sentía algo aturdido, pero… tenía que continuar”, indicó. “No me doy por vencido. Los australianos no se rinden para empezar. Hemos demostrado que somos unos ganadores. Fue la verdadera Batalla de Brisbane, absolutamente increíble”.

El copromotor Bob Arum consideró que “fue una pelea apretada, que pudo ser para cualquiera”.

“Hubo un par de rounds apretados, pero no se puede discutir con el resultado”, manifestó. “Hice la anotación y vi que Jeff ganó muchos de los primeros rounds. Luego vi que Manny había repuntado a la mitad de la pelea. Jeff realmente ganó el duodécimo. Si le das a Manny el 11, tienes un empate, si le das a Jeff el 11, es 7-5”.

Roach no está tan seguro ahora de que sea el momento del retiro. Tampoco Horn considera que Pacquiao vaya a alejarse pronto de los cuadriláteros.

“Estoy seguro de que querrá volver. Fue una decisión cerrada, y estoy seguro de que él quiere regresar y demostrar algo”, dijo.

Arum confirmó que hay una cláusula de revancha. Sin embargo, aclaró que esperará antes de hablar con Pacquiao sobre el tema.

“No conozco la postura de Manny en el futuro. ¿Va a seguir en la política y a dejar el boxeo? No lo sé y él tampoco”, sentenció Arum. “Sería injusto preguntarle ahora”.

www.https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/fallo-pol-mico-deja-pacquiao-en-la-incertidumbre-165644949–spt.html

Michael Koncz, the long-time adviser to eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao, agrees with the opinion of Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum – who felt Pacquiao’s corner was overconfident and unprepared for last weekend’s world title defense against 2012 Australian Olympian Jeff Horn.

Pacquiao’s head trainer, Freddie Roach, and other members of the corner, admit they very surprised with the toughness and the durability of Horn. Prior to the contest, they were giving Horn zero chance of wining.

Horn upset the odds, winning a twelve round unanimous decision to capture Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title before a crowd of over 51,000 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. The three judges were in agreement, scoring the contest 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111 for Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs).

The veteran promoter believes the entire corner dropped the ball in what was a very winnable fight for the eight division world champion. And Arum says the entire corner should be on point here – including head trainer Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, conditioning coach Justin Fortune and cut man Miguel Diaz.

“What the hell is wrong with that corner? Why wasn’t Freddie Roach out in the ring between rounds yelling at the referee? It’s his job, and there’s confusion in the corner with the languages, with Buboy and Miguel Diaz yelling and screaming like a maniac,” said Arum to The Los Angeles Times.

“And Freddie has to stay close to Manny to give him some advice … to me, they were so overconfident going in — Justin Fortune tells the press that the only way Horn can win is if Manny trips going into the ring. I had seen the kid. I told everybody he was a big, tough kid who could take a punch. I didn’t think he’d beat Manny, but it wasn’t the same Manny.”

Koncz, also felt the corner was lacking.

“The corner didn’t have a strategy. They were all amazed Jeff Horn was such a tough, rugged fighter and they didn’t adapt to it. There’s a lot of blame to go around, but the bottom line is the kid had a lot of heart and came to win and did everything he could to get it, and the referee let him do more than he should have,” Koncz said.

“If we go back to Australia, I’ll be more involved with the promotion and the selection of the judges and referee. I relied heavily on the WBO. Everybody can be blamed for everything for this. If we do have a rematch, there’s got to be a lot of changes. We’re not sure he’s ever going to fight again. I told Manny before the fight that if things didn’t happen, we would sit down and make decisions on what we need to do.”

www.boxingscene.com/koncz-backs-arum-pacquiao-corner-strategy–118194?print_friendly=1

Tampa, FL: NABO welterweight Champion “Hurricane” Sammy Valentin and challenger Giovanni “Gallo de Oro” Santillan went face to face at press conference at the Children’s Cancer Center in anticipation of their clash of this Friday, July 7th at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa, Florida. Valentin, 22, a Bay Area Title hopeful of puertorrican heritage, is ranked #9 by the WBO and has a record of 12-0-9 KO’s. Santillan, 25, hails from San Diego, California of Mexican roots is a former NABF Champion and spots an unblemished record of 21-0-11 KO’s. This battle between undefeated prospects is schedule for 10 rounds with Valentin’s title at stake. 
 
Also on hand WBO President Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel who will supervise the bout, took the opportunity and made a $3,000.00 dollar donation on behalf of the organization to the Children’s Cancer Center for the second year in a row. This years donation was made in memory of former WBO ratings chairman Luis Perez who passed away last December 28 after battling with the disease.
 
In a special attraction local female sensation Noemi “La Rebelde” Bosques will face Sonia Osorio in another classic battle between Puerto Rico and Mexico schedule for 6 rounds in the super flyweight division.
 
5 more fights on the card. Doors open at 7PM, first fight 8:00 PM. The A La Carte Pavilion is located @ 4050 Dana Shore Drive, Tampa, FL. For Information and Tickets call 813-454-7800. Valentin Vs. Santillan is presented by Tuto Zabala’s Jr., All Star Boxing, Inc in association with Thompson Boxing and will be televised live at 11:35 PM by the Telemundo Network.

Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum felt Manny Pacquiao was overconfident when he entered the ring last Saturday night against Jeff Horn at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

Horn, a 2012 Australian Olympian, pulled off a shocking upset with a twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao to capture the WBO welterweight championship – before a crowd of over 50,000 fans at the venue.

The judges scored it 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111 – with all three backing Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs).

Pacquiao admitted afterwards that he didn’t realize how tough Horn was.

Arum was angered by some of the pre-fight comments that were being made by Pacquiao’s handlers – who were calling Horn a “tuneup” opponent and gave him zero chance of winning.  

Arum had warned them over and over that Horn was not a walkover opponent.

“As what happens when you go in overconfident and you know you have the morons in his corner saying that the only way Horn could win the fight is Manny trips his way to the ring. What kind of sh*t is that? I mean I saw the kid fight in New Zealand. I knew he was a competent fighter. I knew it would be a tough fight,” Arum said to News To Go.

Pacquiao intends to exercise a rematch clause. Arum is not going to force the issue on him.

“If Manny wants a rematch, I would do it. But I am not advocating a rematch. That’s up to Manny,” Arum said.

There were many observers who felt the outcome was controversial, with Pacquiao being robbed of a win.

Arum disagrees with the public outcry. He felt the contest was very close and far from a robbery.

“It was a close fight. It could have gone either way. A couple of close rounds, but you can’t argue with the result,” Arum said.

www.boxingscene.com/arum-pacquiao-overconfident-his-corner-said-stupid-things–118167?print_friendly=1

By Keith Idec Promoter

http://www.boxingscene.com/lomachenko-marriaga-on-85-crawford-indongo-on-819-espn–118044

Top Rank announced its next two main events late Thursday night in its new partnership with ESPN.

The basic-cable network will air a super featherweight title bout between champion Vasyl Lomachenko and Miguel Marriaga on August 5. Two weeks later, ESPN will broadcast a full 140-pound championship unification fight that’ll match Terence Crawford against Julius Indongo.

Ukraine’s Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs), who owns the WBO 130-pound championship, and Colombia’s Marriaga (25-2, 21 KOs) will square off at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs), the WBC/WBO super lightweight champion, will encounter Namibia’s Indongo (22-0, 11 KOs), the IBF/IBO/WBA 140-pound champion, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, about a one-hour drive from Crawford’s hometown of Omaha.

Lomachenko and Crawford are generally regarded as two of the top five boxers, pound-for-pound, in the sport.

While facing Indongo represents a shot a full unification for the highly skilled Crawford, Lomachenko’s opponent is coming off a loss. Mexico’s Oscar Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs), the WBO featherweight champion, defeated Marriaga by unanimous decision in their 12-round fight April 22 at StubHub Center in Carson, California.

“Pound for pound, no one can match the talent of Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN.com. “They drew the best ratings on premium cable this year [HBO], and now everyone will be able to see them when they defend their world titles in all-action fights in August, live on ESPN.

” Crawford and Lomachenko have become two of the most-watched fighters in bouts broadcast by HBO over the past couple years, but ESPN is available in millions more homes than HBO.

ESPN’s partnership with Bob Arum’s Top Rank will officially begin Saturday night, when the network will televise the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn welterweight title fight from Brisbane, Australia, Horn’s hometown.

Their scheduled 12-round fight for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title will take place Sunday afternoon in Brisbane, where a crowd of 60,000 is expected at Suncorp Stadium, but it will air Saturday night in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

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By Victor Salazar

New York – WBC/WBO world champion Terence Crawford (31-2, 22 KO’s) did what he normally does on Saturday night; take a formidable opponent and make him look like he doesn’t belong in the same ring. Felix Diaz (19-2, 9 KO’s) is an Olympic gold medalist and a very credible junior welterweight who many felt had defeated Lamont Peterson in a controversial decision loss.

But against Crawford, Diaz might have not won a single round. Crawford even fought Diaz south paw the whole fight. This was something his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, Inc. has expected ever since his first showing on HBO.

“Ever since his first fight on HBO, I thought he was going to be the best of the best,” Arum told reporters ringside after the fight this Saturday. “I thought tonight, he fought a really tough guy and he handled with him with ease. He just gets better and better.”

The plan is to make a fight with Julius Indongo (22-0, 9 KO’s) for all of the 140 pound-titles this summer and then likely go after a mega fight after.

“We want to unify with (Julius) Indongo and get all four belts, once we get all the belts this summer, he’s going to fight Pacquiao and we’re going to set it up with my new partner Warren Buffet,” joked Arum.

In the history of boxing there is somewhat of a changing of the guard or passing of the torch when a once famed superstar fights an up and coming fighter. In victory, the up and coming star makes his name off that fight.

Arum sees a fight between Manny Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KO’s) and Terence Crawford differently, not as a changing of the guard but a competitive fight that people will pay to see.

“No changing of the guard, it’s a fight that people want to see and pay for or a fight, they won’t pay for,” Arum explained about a potential fight between Pacquiao and Crawford.

“The changing of the guard is bullsh*t fake news like you guys say. It’s fake news. If people want to see the fight and it economically will do justice to both guys. I think it would be a terrific fight and I’d make the fight.”

www.boxingscene.com/arum-on-crawford-plans-indongo-fight-first-then-pacquiao–116892?print_friendly=1

NEW YORK (AP) — Terence Crawford patted Felix Diaz on the head and pounded uppercuts into his eye in his latest dominant victory.

His next fight could bring him all four 140-pound belts.

Or it could bring him Manny Pacquiao.

Crawford remained unbeaten when Diaz’s corner stopped the fight after the 10th round of the 140-pound fight and looks ready for whichever of his options comes later this year.

“I’ve been saying that for years now. It’s not up to me. But everybody wants to know who’s the next guy that Terence Crawford wants to fight,” Crawford said. “I’ll fight anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

Crawford had dominated after a couple close early rounds and Diaz’s left eye appeared swollen shut, making him helpless to spot Crawford’s lightning-fast combinations.

Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs) toyed with Diaz in the 10th, backing him into the corner and then, rather than throw any punches, patting him on the head. He then unloaded a couple hard shots toward the end of the round, prompting trainer Joel Diaz to tell referee Steve Willis his fighter could no longer continue.

Afterward, Crawford named longtime superstar Pacquiao and welterweight champion Keith Thurman as fighters he’d want if he moves up in weight. But he may stick around at 140 a little longer to grab the two belts he doesn’t own.

Crawford successfully defended his WBC and WBO titles. Promoter Bob Arum said the Omaha, Nebraska, fighter would return this summer and they could look to unify the titles against Julius Indongo, who holds the WBA and IBF 14-pound titles.

“Once he gets all four belts he’s going to fight Pacquiao with my new partner Warren Buffett,” Arum said.

Diaz (19-2, 9 KOs), lost for the first time at 140 pounds and was stopped for the first time.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2017/05/20/crawford-stays-unbeaten-with-10-round-rout-of-diaz/101954878/

Terence Crawford patted Felix Diaz on the head and pounded uppercuts into his eye in his latest dominant victory. His next fight could bring him all four 140-pound belts. Or it could bring him Manny Pacquiao. Photos by Mikey Williams.

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Crawford remained unbeaten when Diaz’s corner stopped the fight after the 10th round of the 140-pound fight and looks ready for whichever of his options comes later this year.

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“I’ve been saying that for years now. It’s not up to me. But everybody wants to know who’s the next guy that Terence Crawford wants to fight,” Crawford said. “I’ll fight anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

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Crawford had dominated after a couple of close early rounds and Diaz’s left eye appeared swollen shut, making him helpless to spot Crawford’s lightning-fast combinations.

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Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs) toyed with Diaz in the 10th, backing him into the corner and then, rather than throw any punches, patting him on the head. He then unloaded a couple hard shots toward the end of the round, prompting trainer Joel Diaz to tell referee Steve Willis his fighter could no longer continue.

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Afterward, Crawford named longtime superstar Pacquiao and welterweight champion Keith Thurman as fighters he’d want if he moves up in weight. But he may stick around at 140 a little longer to grab the two belts he doesn’t own.

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Crawford successfully defended his WBC and WBO titles. Promoter Bob Arum said the Omaha, Nebraska, fighter would return this summer and they could look to unify the titles against Julius Indongo, who holds the WBA, IBO and IBF 140-pound titles.

“Once he gets all four belts he’s going to fight Pacquiao with my new partner Warren Buffett,” Arum said.

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Diaz (19-2, 9 KOs), a 2008 Olympic gold medalist for the Dominican Republic, lost for the first time at 140 pounds and was stopped for the first time.

The shorter Diaz tried to get inside but was kept away by Crawford in the first round, though he landed a couple of hard shots when he closed the distance in the second — when he won the only round he was credited with on one judge’s card. The fighters stared at each other after the round ended, but Crawford seized control from there.

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“I knew he was frustrated,” Crawford said.

Boxing throughout from the southpaw stance, he rarely let Diaz get close again, using left uppercuts and combinations. He put his 4-inch reach and 3-inch height advantages to good use, and when being bigger wasn’t good enough, Crawford relied on being faster, spinning out of trouble any time Diaz lunged forward.

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“No excuses, I lost to the best guy at 140 pounds,” Diaz said through promoter Lou DiBella.

Crawford stuck out his tongue at Diaz after one exchange in the seventh, showing no fear. Diaz’s face was swollen by the ninth and ringside doctors checked his eye before the start of the 10th.

Joel Diaz gave Felix one last round but it was clear there was no point.

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3817toprank00t Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank –

By:  Miguel Maravilla –

Undefeated WBO world champions featherweight Óscar Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs), from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, Mazatlan, Mexico’s super middleweight Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs), and super bantamweight champ Jessie Magdaleno (24-0, 17 KOs) of Las Vegas held an L.A. press conference Tuesday morning at the Manhattan Beach, Marriott to officially announce their upcoming title defenses taking place Saturday April 22, at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California live on Pay Per View. Also present at the press conference was 2016 U.S Olympic Silver medalist Shakur Stevenson of New Jersey.

Opening up the press conference was Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.

“The fighters we will be showcasing on April 22nd are the brightest of Stars,” Arum said. 

Oscar Valdez and his team introduced by manager Frank Espinoza

“Headlining this event means a lot to me. We put in the time and working hard for this fight. Miguel Marriaga is a tough fighter. We will do whatever it is to come out on top. Whatever I have to do to win, I will do that night,” Valdez said.

“My boys will be ready on April 22nd. They said Oscar hasn’t fought a hard puncher but I don’t think they have faced a fighter like Oscar before,” Trainer Manny Robles said.

“April 22nd, Valdez defends his title against Marriaga. Oscar welcomes him and is up for the challenge. On April 22nd you don’t want to miss this fight,” Manger Frank Espinoza

Valdez will be making his second defense of his title against NABO champion and number one contender Miguel Marriaga (25-1, 21 KOs) of Columbia. Marriaga and his team were also present.

“We have been working and now the time has come. I am well prepared for this fight and will come in 100 percent for this fight,” Marriaga said.

“Valdez and Marriaga will be a fight to remember. Stub Hub Center has always had great fights and this will live up to that. We are looking forward to it,” Manager Ruben Zavala said.

Gilberto Ramirez will be making the first defense of his WBO super middleweight title against Maksim Bursak (33-4-1, 15 KOs), of Kiev, Ukraine.

“I am really happy to be back. I have been training really hard. This will be a good fight. Max Bursak is a good fighter and this will be a good fight,” Ramirez said speaking English

“We have a lot of confidence in Gilberto that this will be a good year. April 22nd, he will comeback to please the fans. This will be his year,” Manager Jesus Zappari said.

Jessie Magdaleno will defend his title against Brazil’s Adeilson Dos Santos (18-2, 14 KOs).

“It feels good to be back and defend my title. April 22nd you will see another great Magdaleno. We are here to give everyone what they want to see, a great night of boxing,” Magdaleno said.

“Jessie Magdaleno will defend his title for the first time in a matchup you want to see. He will step in the ring to showcase and you will witness Magdaleno defend for the first time,” Co-Manager Frank Espinoza Jr. said.

Shakur Stevenson will be making his pro debut on the April 22 card at Stub Hub as he was introduced by Arum and also spoke at the press conference

“Let me introduce you to a young man that will be a superstar the way Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya were,” Bob Arum said in introducing Stevenson to the local media.

“I am excited to be making my debut and I cant wait to entertain my fans,” Shakur Stevenson said.

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