Lomachenko, Walters on upcoming collision

Two-division world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs) and unbeaten former world champion Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs) spoke to the press on Monday about their HBO clash this Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Vasyl Lomachenko: I think it is going to be very, very hard for me in the first four rounds, then after that I will be trying to terminate the bout.

Nicholas Walters: I don’t think this is a different Lomachenko from the guy that lost to Salido – he is the same Lomachenko. They say a leopard cannot change his spots right? Since he did lose to Salido, he can be as technical all he wants, but I am in the hurt business – this is a gladiator sport and I fight all of my fights like that, I fight like a gladiator. He can come in with his technical fight on Saturday and I am going to be up for it and put on a helluva show on Saturday night.

Lomachenko-Walters Q@A Transcript

BOB ARUM: This is my 2000th event and this fight is worthy of being my 2,000th event. Nicholas Walters is the hardest puncher in these divisions — they don’t call him the “Axe Man” for nothing and he always give 100%. And Vasyl Lomachenko is an unbelievable technician who has done really the impossible, winning world titles in two divisions in a record-few seven professional fights. So I look for a Fight of the Year candidate on Saturday night at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and everybody can watch it live on HBO in addition to the replay of the controversial fight from Saturday between Kovalev and Ward. And what I think is the Fight of the Year candidate Lomachenko vs. Walters. I’m a big fan of both guys. I think Walters is a tremendous fighter and I enjoy the way he fights.

LOMACHENKO: I would like to congratulate Bob Arum on his 2000th event and I am proud to be on his 2000th fight card. I wish him very good health and I hope he can make a 2,500th card so I can be on that also.

Why the interest in fighting Walters now when there were trepidations before?

LOMACHENKO: This is a very important bout for me because many boxing experts and many people in boxing rank Walters as the highest-rated fighter in our division. He is a very hard puncher and a very good boxer and for me it’s a very important thing to me to fight the best and it’s very important for me because everyone says he is a very good fighter.

How do you think this fight will go with Walters since he is a bigger boxer?

LOMACHENKO: I don’t know. I cannot answer that question. I can’t tell you exactly how it’s going to go or tell you what is going to happen in the ring. That will depend on how it begins in the ring. It is boxing and everything is going to happen very fast.

Where did you learn your creativity? Were there any boxers you watch while younger that you learned from?

LOMACHENKO: First of all, I would like you to know that everything that I have is what my father created in me and my father put everything together into me. Secondly I am a workaholic – I work hard. I do not cheat myself in training, I work very hard and somehow God has given me great balance that helps me put everything together.

There is a video on You Tube that compares Vasyl to The Matrix. Have you seen the video? What is your reaction? There are many people outside of boxing that have seen this video…

LOMACHENKO: This is exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to let different people know, people outside of boxing, to know me. I think the boxing game is one that people have forgotten about and they are not enjoying it as much. I want to bring back and show how interesting boxing can be. I am the motherboard.

Do you have a plan for the future? What do you see as the endgame?

LOMACHENKO: For sure I was thinking about that, and my contract is over in six or seven months and that’s when I am thinking about finishing my career (laughing at his joke).

BOB ARUM: I would like to say this; that Vasyl Lomachenko is technically the best fighter that I have seen since the early Muhammad Ali. There is nobody that I have seen, and there have been a lot of great technical fighters that I have seen – Alexis Arguello was one, Floyd Mayweather certainly, Manny Pacquiao – but there has been nobody with the skills that Vasyl Lomachenko has.

You have fought a lot of amateurs – when you fight a fighter like Walters who sometimes swings for the fences, what typically has happened in those type fights?

LOMACHENKO: If we are talking about the amateurs – the punchers never got anywhere in their careers. Usually three rounds was not enough time to get ready for the fight. The punchers are professional boxers not amateur boxers.

How do you see this fight playing out?

LOMACHENKO: I think it is going to be very, very hard for me in the first four rounds, then after that I will be trying to terminate the bout.

This is a big fight, but how do you see Lomachenko in the bigger fights in the larger arenas?

BOB ARUM: Lomachenko has a huge upside. This is the second world title in as many divisions in seven professional fights – that has never happened before, and he is going to win more world titles as he goes up in weight and there are going to be very interesting guys for him to fight. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that he and Manny [Pacquiao] could fight sometime next year. Lomachenko wants challenges and he is a tremendous talent. His upside is enormous and a lot of people are watching him — not just boxing fans — because he is an unbelievable talent. They see him on You Tube and on HBO and have said what an unbelievable talent he is.

Do you want to fight Manny Pacquiao?

LOMACHENKO: Yes, of course I would like to fight Pacquiao, but not in the next fight.

What makes this a can’t-miss fight?

BOB ARUM: They call Walters the Axe Man for a reason — he searches and destroys. He is a tremendous puncher and he is in with a technician who has enormous talent in boxing not only defensively but offensively, so this is a can’t-miss fight and I want the people to realize that not only do I believe that it will be a Fight of the Year candidate, I believe that if Vasyl Lomachenko is successful, he should be right up there for consideration for Fighter of the Year.

Do you feel like you may want to slow Lomachenko down a little bit?

BOB ARUM: From the first day I met him, when he sat down with me and we discussed his future, I was concerned because people were offering him large signing bonuses, he told me that he didn’t want a signing bonus; he wanted to earn his own money. All he wanted was challenges that I would present to him. That’s what I am going to do. He doesn’t want any gimmes – he wants every fight to be a challenge. So at 130-pounds, who is more of a challenge than Nicholas Walters? I am not going to slow him down. He knows his ability a lot more than I do. And you have to give his father credit – his father is probably the best trainer in boxing today and I say that without any question, because look what the father produced from the Ukrainian Olympic team in London. Oleksandr Usuyk who is now a cruiserweight champion, Alexandr Gvozdyk, a light heavyweight who you saw last week on the Ward-Kovalev pay-per-view, who is a future champion – they are all Ukrainians and they were all trained by Vasyl’s father. So he has a lot going for him.

How will you deal with the reach advantage that Walters has?

LOMACHENKO: Boxers always have an advantage over another, whether it is a longer reach or more weight or a taller guy. How I will use his reach advantage to my advantage, you will find out on Saturday.

What do you think when someone of Bob’s stature speaks so highly of you?

LOMACHENKO: It will give me another motivation because a lot of people may look at that or hear that and think that maybe it’s not true. When I hear that it gives me a lot of motivation to make me work harder in my training to prove that what Bob is saying. I don’t have the chance to make any mistakes. I have to prove that Bob is right.

——–  ———

Do you think the layoff will affect you?

WALTERS: The layoff? I am in the motivation business, so the layoff is definitely part of the boxing business. As a fighter I have always been in the gym working out and everything so the layoff wouldn’t even bother me and I wouldn’t take the fight if I thought I wasn’t going to be ready for the fight. I don’t even think for a minute that I only want to please Nicholas. I want to please the fans and my country, both Panama and Jamaica and all of my fans in Mexico and all over the world. I am not just taking the fight for Nicholas. I am taking the fight for everybody and come Saturday I am going to be ready for the fight – just like all of the other fights.

How do you feel about taking on this fighter that is a two-division world champion in only seven pro fights and that everyone is saying is so great?

WALTERS: The achievement is good for him. And Bob knows what he is talking about since he has been in the business for 50 years. Even Muhammad Ali lost fights. I don’t think this is a different Lomachenko from the guy that lost to Salido – he is the same Lomachenko. They say a leopard cannot change his spots right? Since he did lose to Salido, he can be as technical all he wants, but I am in the hurt business – this is a gladiator sport and I fight all of my fights like that, I fight like a gladiator. He can come in with his technical fight on Saturday and I am going to be up for it and put on a helluva show on Saturday night.

You don’t see much development in Lomachenko and feel he is ripe for the taking with your power punching?

WALTERS: Each fight is different and I am not going to tell you that I am going to fight Lomachenko the same way that Salido fought him. Of course, only a fool doesn’t learn from his mistakes, doesn’t learn from his mistakes in the ring. He has been training and working out so I know he is a more complete fighter than his first fight. I am not even worried, so to speak, but I know that he has learned and is a better fighter from that loss. But it is still a blemish on his record that he lost. With that in mind he has tasted defeat and I have never tasted defeat. We have stayed undefeated and we are going to keep it that way this Saturday.

What would this victory mean to you and your career?

WALTERS: I don’t know. This fight for me is just as important as my last fight. Each fight I have I fight hard and I fight tough. In each fight for me I defend my undefeated record. Each fight for me I am defending my pride. This victory would be a big victory because we know that this guy is no easy fight. We are not saying that Lomachenko is an easy opponent. We know he is a top fighter and a tough fighter. We are just saying that this Saturday and this victory is going to put the Axe Man to where I want to be and hopefully next year I start making over $1 million per fight. That’s what we are aiming at. So we win Saturday then move on to other opponents.

In Closing…

WALTERS: I don’t have a lot to say, just that the Axe Man is going to show that he is the real Krusher on Saturday night. Not some softee, but the real Axe Man the real Krusher will be in the ring on Saturday night.

BOB ARUM: I am absolutely thrilled that this fight between Lomachenko and Walters will be my 2000th boxing event and will definitely be a candidate for Fight of the Year with two great fighters. The HBO telecast will begin at 10:35 p.m. ET / 10:30 p.m. PT. The Kovalev-Ward replay will also be part of the HBO telecast. That fight’s scoring was very controversial so if you haven’t seen it this is your chance. Then watch the Fight of the Year, I believe, between Lomachenko and Walters. There were only 60 tickets left this morning at The Cosmopolitan and it will probably be sold out by the end of today so the best way to see the fight, if you don’t have a ticket, is on HBO.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/lomachenko-walters-talk-upcoming-collision-360558

By Francisco Salazar –

Manny Pacquiao was not going to stay retired after his April 9 win over Timothy Bradley. Not when there are potential fights against the likes of Terence Crawford or Floyd Mayweather.

How convenient was it for both to be sitting ringside amongst the 16,132 in attendance at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

What were both thinking as they exited the venue after Manny Pacquiao won a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas remains to be seen.

But they both know Pacquiao brings a lot of money and large continent of fans to fill any arena to the table.

Pacquiao improves to 59-6-2, 38 KOs, while Vargas falls to 27-2, 10 KOs.

If Saturday night was a showcase of sorts, Pacquiao did what he had to do and what was expected of him: dominate a fighter in Vargas throughout 12 rounds.

Lost in all this was Vargas, who would lose the WBO World welterweight title to Pacquiao. But he tried and made the popular Filipino fighter earn the victory.

Vargas was defending the title he won on March 5, when he stopped Sadam Ali in Washington, D.C. It was an impressive win for the Mexican-American, but it made him a likely target for Pacquiao and his handlers.

Would Vargas realistically land a fight against Pacquiao if he did not have a world title belt? Most like not, but Vargas was up to the challenge, even after a proposed fight with Kell Brook evaporated over the summer.

Vargas said all the right things in the build-up to the fight, but from the opening bell, looked overwhelmed by Pacquiao’s speed, albeit it was not what it once was.

Pacquiao used his speed to drop Vargas with about a minute left in round two, courtesy of a left hand to the head. Vargas was not visibly hurt, looking more embarrassed that the punch dropped him on his rear.

Pacquiao continued to be in control, but Vargas did his best work in the middle rounds, finding a home for straight right hands to the head. Some of those punches snapped Pacquiao’s head back, especially during rounds six, Vargas’ best round.

But, like the consummate pro that he is, Pacquiao was able to weather the storm, utilizing his speed and aggression to swing momentum back in his favor.

As if Pacquiao’s speed was not enough to deal with, Vargas had to deal with a cut over his right eye that was caused by a head-butt, although the Nevada State Athletic Commission ruled that a punch opened the cut.

Pacquiao walked Vargas down at times, controlling the action as the fight moved into the championship rounds. Vargas did all he could, but Pacquiao’s pedigree was too much on this night.

Two judges scored the bout 119-108, as did Boxingscene.com, while the third judge (Dave Moretti) scored the bout closer than many expected (114-113), all for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao had to have 12 stitches for a cut over his right eye and did not attend the post-fight press conference.

Now that Pacquiao holds a title (and another eight figure purse to boot), what is next?

Rumors amongst boxing insiders is that a possible rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather could be penciled in May. Many in boxing cringe at the idea of another fight that would produce 12 anti-climatic rounds at a steep price.

Then there is the possibility of Terence Crawford, a fighter who has mentioned he is staying put at 140 pounds until he unifies all the world titles.

Since Bob Arum is now doing business with Al Haymon, there are also possibilities of Pacquiao fighting other elite welterweights like Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. Both are scheduled to fight each other in March.

“I’ll let the fans pick who they want me to pick,” said Pacquiao after the fight. “I don’t pick anyone.”

When he was pressed, Pacquiao responded, “Anyone at 147 pounds.”

Is a potential fight with Crawford a possibility.

“Yes, I don’t have any problems going down to 140 pounds. It would be better for me.”

As for Vargas, the loss to Pacquiao does not hurt him. He is still a player at 147 pounds and would likely fight on HBO programming in 2017.

“We’ll come back strong for my next fight,” said Vargas afterwards. “We’re still young. Fighting a legend in Manny Pacquiao will elevate my game.”

www.boxingscene.com/manny-pacquiao-drops-busts-up-jessie-vargas-wbo-belt–110476?print_friendly=1

Written by Hector Sanchez / Photos by Stacey Verbeek –

Super Lightweight champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (21-0-2, 16 KO’s) from Dallas, Texas returned to Oakland and rocked Ty Barnett (23-5-1, 15 KO’s) with a stiff right hand in the opening moments of the first round to the thunderous applause and excitement of the boxing fans in attendance at the ROC NATION/HBO fight card at Oracle Arena this past Saturday night.

As the first round continued, Barnett was moving to his left with his back to the corner, and Mighty Mo tagged him with a stiff left hand jab that snapped his opponent’s head back. As they moved in the middle of the ring, the champion landed his signature straight right hand that buckled Barnett’s legs and he retreated to the ropes.

Mighty Mo then moved forward and landed two lightning left hooks that backed his opponent up and then he landed a powerful left hook that buckled Barnett who landed against the ropes and attempted to hold onto the champion to save himself from going down.

In the next second, Mighty Mo landed another huge left hook and a right hand that put Barnett down to the canvas that brought the audience to their feet around the Oracle Arena. Barnett took a knee as the referee made the count and then the fight continued.

As he danced around the ring waiting for the eight count to end, and sensing an early finish, Mighty Mo stayed composed as the fight continued. He quickly and cautiously went after Barnett and landed numerous left hooks and several overhand rights right in front of Bernard Hopkins who was a ringside commentator for HBO, along with Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman. After several more stiff jabs Mighty Mo landed a huge right hand that snapped Barnett’s head back against the ropes and the referee stepped in to stop the fight with the official KO at 2:17 of the first round.

I was told before the fight by Mighty Mo that it would not go past five rounds and another prediction rang true. Because of his long training camp, he came into this fight with exceeding confidence and continued his undefeated winning streak and the defense of his WBO/NABO Super Lightweight title for his return to Dallas, Texas.

At ringside, when I asked him, “How did you feel when you first touched him in the first round, he laughed and said “I knew it was over with, and he was in trouble.” He went on to say “I stayed relaxed and knew my knockout was coming and I am ready for anybody.”

www.boxingnews24.com/2016/08/maurice-hooker-blasts-barnett-first-round-knockout-co-main-event-andre-wardbrand-card/

 Canelo Alvarez podría enfrentar a Billy Joe Saunders en diciembre en México, de vencer a Liam Smith Christian Petersen/Getty Images –

MÉXICO — Aunque parezca difícil, existe una posibilidad de que el mexicano Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez pueda cerrar el 2016 con una pelea en territorio mexicano, lo cual apunta para el 10 de diciembre ante Billy Joe Saunders, si todo sale bien este 17 de septiembre ante el campeón súper welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo, Liam Smith.

Canelo estelarizará ante Smith el pago por evento de Golden Boy Promotions y HBO desde el AT&T Stadium de Arlington, Texas, y de ganar entonces verán la posibilidad de que pueda pelear en suelo azteca, donde con la ayuda de patrocinadores esperan lograr su vuelta por primera vez desde noviembre de 2011.

“Todo es posible, en México hay arenas y estadios muy bonitos, hay apoyo y patrocinios que nos hacen pensar que no es algo descabellado. No sabemos si pueda ser en este mismo 2016, todo depende del resultado de la pelea ante Smith, creo que una vez pasado eso será cosa de hablar con Óscar de la Hoya y ver si lo podemos arreglar”, aseguró Eddy Reynoso, entrenador de Alvarez.

La Ciudad de México con la Arena Ciudad de México, Nuevo León con el estadio BBVA Bancomer y Jalisco con el Estadio Chivas serían posibilidades para que pudiera pelear Canelo en suelo mexicano. El Estadio Azteca es otra opción pero parece que no se ha marinado aún esa posibilidad.

“Sinceramente no hemos hablado aún del Estadio Azteca, no se ha analizado, muchas cosas se han dicho de los récords que puede romper Saúl, la verdad es que nosotros no nos comparamos con nadie, queremos romper nuestros propios récords, nosotros nos preparamos concientemente para las peleas y la gente es la que nos ayuda a imponer marcas. No queremos perseguir a nadie en ese aspecto, hubo peleadores que hicieron cosas muy grandes, pero que a la edad de Saúl no habían logrado tantas cosas. Vamos a dejar que los resultados hablen”, compartió el entrenador jalisciense.

Una pelea en México ante Billy Joe Saunders o cualquier otro rival, pensando en el duelo entre Canelo y Gennady Golovkin como una posibilidad para el Estadio Azteca, serviría a Golden Boy Promotions y HBO para conocer el terreno y darse cuenta de las condiciones en que se podría dar el combate.

www.espndeportes.espn.com/boxeo/nota/_/id/2746360/team-canelo-no-descarta-pelear-en-mexico-en-diciembre

Date:   Saturday, September 17, 2016

WBO JR. MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   AT & T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, USA

Promoter:  Queensberry Promotions / Frank Warren

Supervisor:

Referee:

Judges:

Results:

TV:   HBO / BoxNation

By Steve Kim

Back in March of 2014, in what was just his second professional outing, former two-time Olympic gold medal winner Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 4KOs) was out-pointed over twelve rounds by then WBO featherweight titlist Orlando Salido (43-13-4, 30KOs).

It was a fight not only marred by numerous low blows that were landed by the Mexican, but Salido failed to make the 126-pound weight limit and lost his belt on the scales.

Three months later in his very next fight, Lomachenko captured the vacant WBO championship with a twelve round majority decision over Gary Russell Jr.

Salido on the other hand moved up in weight to capture the WBO title at super featherweight with a knockout of Orlando Cruz in October of 2013. He would go on to lose that title to Roman Martinez last April.

Lomachenko on June 11th impressively halted Martinez to win the WBO 130-pound title.

And if it were up to Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum, Lomachenko would be getting another crack at the wily Salido (who’s coming off a memorable slugfest against WBC featherweight champion Francisco Vargas – that was ruled a draw).

Salido himself is pushing for the fight and Lomachenko hungers to avenge the only defeat of his professional career.

”We’re looking to bring (Lomachenko) back in October and we’re looking at – among others – Orlando Salido as a big possibility,” said the veteran promoter, who mentioned that HBO has promised him another date from the Ukrainian stylist.

“Orlando wants to fight him, Orlando has a victory over him. That should be a terrific fight, say for StubHub (Center).”

www.boxingscene.com/arum-looks-make-lomachenko-salido-ii-possibly-stubhub–106862?print_friendly=1

By Keith Idec

His promoter suspects Sergey Kovalev is in for a more difficult fight Monday than the odds indicate.

Numerous Internet sports books list Isaac Chilemba as a 16-1 underdog against Russia’s Kovalev, but Kathy Duva envisions Kovalev having more trouble than that when they fight for Kovalev’s IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight titles at DIVS Sports Palace in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

South Africa’s Chilemba is a smart, sound boxer, hasn’t been knocked out during his 10½-year professional career and is well aware that this is an opportunity to completely change his life.

“If it weren’t for what I thought was a bad decision in Canada, Isaac would be fighting [Adonis] Stevenson for the [WBC] title,” said Duva, whose New Jersey-based Main Events promotes Kovalev and Chilemba.

“So he is a legitimate contender. He is someone who is gonna give Sergey a real fight, give him a real challenge, gonna give him the opportunity to have to work hard to beat a boxer, someone who is not just gonna stand in front of him. These are all things he’s gonna need to prepare for the [Andre] Ward fight.”

Duva referred to Chilemba’s majority decision defeat in his last fight to Montreal’s Eleider Alvarez. The Colombian-born Alvarez (19-0, 10 KOs) won that 12-round WBC championship elimination match on two scorecards (118-110, 115-113) and it was a draw on the third card (114-114) on November 28 in Quebec City, Canada.

If Kovalev (29-0-1, 26 KOs) beats Chilemba (24-3-2, 10 KOs) and Ward (29-0, 15 KOs), also heavily favored, overcomes Colombia’s Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) on August 6 in Oakland, California, Kovalev and Ward will fight November 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (HBO Pay-Per-View). Even with so much at stake, Kovalev didn’t want would amount to a tune-up fight Monday night, especially since he hasn’t really been challenged since his first technical knockout victory over Jean Pascal in March 2015.

“Sergey made it very clear from the start, ‘When I go fight in Russia, I don’t want to go there and have a fight with someone who isn’t highly rated and who is not viewed as a real opponent,’ ” Duva said. “And that was really how he looked at it. Because Isaac unfortunately didn’t get that opportunity with Stevenson, he was willing to go to Russia and he was willing to do this. To his credit, he jumped at it. So we were able to make a very good fight for Sergey, very easily. That’s what he wants. He didn’t want somebody who was just gonna fall down if he blew on him.”

HBO will televise the Kovalev-Chilemba bout via tape delay at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT on Monday night.

www.boxingscene.com/duva-chilemba-real-foe-kovalev-prepares-him-ward–106541?print_friendly=1

On Monday night, WBO, WBA and IBF light heavyweight world champion Sergey”The Krusher” Kovalev will return home to Russia to face challenger Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba in a 12-round championship bout. These two fighters will bring very different styles and when they clash on HBO (same day delay).

Below is the scouting report:

By Keith Idec

Based on their promotional and network affiliations, the Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol fight ideally would be televised live on HBO.

But based on what Crawford and Postol expected to be paid to fight each other July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, pay-per-view was the route promoter Bob Arum decided to take to ensure that their 140-pound championship unification fight was scheduled for this summer. Official pricing hasn’t been announced, but the HBO Pay-Per-View card featuring the Crawford-Postol fight is expected to cost $50 in SD and $60 in HD if purchased through most cable and satellite companies.

While slightly cheaper than most boxing pay-per-view shows these days, Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) has encountered backlash from fans who’ve told him they want to see the Omaha, Nebraska, native face Ukraine’s Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), yet don’t want to pay extra than their HBO subscription to watch it.

The unbeaten WBO super lightweight champion has tried his best to reason with those skeptical about Crawford-Postol being offered on pay-per-view.

“A lot of people say this fight shouldn’t be on pay-per-view because me and Postol are not known to the casual fans,” Crawford said. “But I say to the people that do know us, instead of trying to downgrade the fight, why not up it? This is the fight everybody said they wanted to see. This is the fight everybody said they wanted me to fight, want him to fight, so why not pay for it? You’ve got the two best in the division, one versus two. You’ve got the WBC champion [Postol] versus the WBO champion [Crawford]. You’ve got The Ring magazine title on the line. What more could you ask for in a fight?”

He had some success, but Crawford couldn’t convince some reluctant consumers.

“They don’t even understand boxing, really,” Crawford said. “So they wouldn’t understand the things that go on behind [the scenes in] boxing to get fights made. They’re just looking at the big picture. ‘Oh, I’ve got to pay $50 for this fight.’ That’s the main thing they’re thinking about. You don’t have to pay $100 to see people hold. And you watch certain fights, you know who’s going to win. You’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re gonna watch this dude beat such and such because we know he’s gonna win.’ It’s a blowout. You don’t have that in this fight.”

www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-states-his-case-fans-buying-postol-ppv–105752?print_friendly=1

By Chris Williams:   Top Rank will be sending their light welterweight champions Terence Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) and Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) into the ring next month in their first headlining fight on HBO pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Crawford will be defending his WBO title and Postol have his WBC belt on the line for the fight.

You can argue that neither of these fighters is even remotedly popular enough to be headlining a PPV event on HBO. However, there were not available dates on regular HBO for them to fight this year, so Top Rank promoter Bob Arum chose to put the fight on PPV.

Crawford, 28, is hoping to become the next superstar in the sport. The bad news is that Crawford probably won’t able to become a super star in the Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao sense if he’s stuck fighting at 140 against the guys he’s been facing in the last two years.

I think it’s going to be very hard for Crawford to become a superstar fighting the likes of Hank Lundy, Dierry Jean and Thomas Dulorme. I think Crawford can become the next Ruslan Provodnikov or Lamont Peterson type star, but not a superstar if he’s limited to fighting lesser fringe level opposition.

“This is just the beginning. It’s my first pay-per-view and I want to put on a great performance. I want to be the next superstar,” Crawford said to fightnews.com.

I wish I could agree with Crawford that the Postol fight was the beginning of him becoming the next superstar. I don’t see that being the reality for Crawford. For him to become the next star in boxing along the lines of Mayweather or even Gennady Golovkin, I think he would need to fight ALL of these fighters and beat them all:

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Adrien Broner
Danny Garcia
Keith Thurman
Amir Khan
Shawn Porter
Tim Bradley
Kell Brook
Gennady Golovkin
Jermall Charlo
Jermell Charlo
Erislandy Lara
David Lemieux
Billy Joe Saunders
Lamont Peterson
Liam Smith
Errol Spence

The basic problem Crawford has is he’s probably not going to ever fight any of those guys. I honestly cannot see Crawford ever fighting any of the above mentioned names from my list, and that’s too bad because if Crawford could sweep through that entire list, he would be a star, a huge star. It’s one those things where Crawford would need to beat 17 top fighters before his career finishes up before he can become a star. I do not see Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum being able to negotiate fights with the promoters for those fighters.

Golovkin probably would never agree to fight Crawford in the first place because it would be a stiaution where he would get no credit for beating up in a 140lb fighter that looks as thin as Crawford. But for the sake of argument if a fight did take place between Golovkin and Crawford, I think it would be a pure wipeout with Golovkin destroying Crawford. The same if Crawford got put in with the Charlo brothers. Crawford doesn’t have the blinding hand speed and defensive skills of someone like Mayweather to beat guys in divisions above his natural weight class at 140. So if you throw Crawford in with the Charlo brothers, Canelo or even someone like Lemieux, I think it would end badly for Crawford.

In getting back to my point about Crawford wanting to become the next superstar in the sport, I do not think he’s going to get the chance to make that happen in the present climate in the sport. If all the promoters were willing to work with one another, then maybe Crawford could become a superstar, but only if he beat all the guys on my list.

Do I really think a slender fighter like Crawford can beat the likes Thurman, Canelo, Golovkin, Errol Spence, the Charlo brothers, Lara and Lemiuex? No, I don’t think so. I think Crawford would be beaten by most if not all of them. I think Crawford is a very good fighter at light welterweight, but asking him to beat bigger fighters with a more solid build and superior punching power would be too much to ask. I think Crawford would get destroyed by all of them. We kind of got a hint at Crawford’s limitations in his fights against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Thomas Dulorme. Both fighters were working Crawford over pretty well and even had him hurt. The question you have to ask is how can Crawford become a superstar if he can’t even dominate the likes of Dulorme and Gamboa?

www.boxingnews24.com/2016/06/terence-crawford-vs-viktor-postol-battle-stardom/

By Karl Freitag
Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank –

WBO junior lightweight world champion Rocky Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) faced off with WBO featherweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko (5-1, 3 KOs) in advance of their HBO-televised world title showdown on Saturday night in The Theatre at Madison Square Garden, New York City. In the HBO co-feature, WBO #2 rated lightweight champ Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (21-0, 14 KOs) faces WBC #11 Juan Jose “Piquet” Martinez (25-2, 17 KOs) for the WBO Latino championship. Also, two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming (7-1, 2 KOs) meets Jozsef Ajtai (15-2, 10 KOs) for the WBO international flyweight chmpionship.

Rocky Martinez: “If you want to beat me, than you have to kill me, but to kill me you have to prepared to be killed in the ring too.”

Vasyl Lomachenko: “I’m ready to put up $300,000 of my purse as long as Rocky Martinez will put up $300,000 if I win.”

Felix Verdejo: “In Muhammad Ali’s honor, I will give a great fight.”

JJ Martinez: “We will take that title to Mexico.”

Bob Arum: “We will probably have a bigger audience in China than all of the HBO fights for the last three years combined. We expect an audience of perhaps as many as 50 million homes will be watching the Chinese star Zou Shiming.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/martinez-lomachenko-clash-heats-up-341340

  Zou Shiming practices with trainer Freddie Roach on Wednesday at the Mendez Boxing gym in Manhattan. Zou, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and current WBO flyweight champ, will make his US ring debut on June 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Niu Yue / China Daily –

By William Hennelly (China Daily USA) –

The mild-mannered Zou Shiming, who weighs 110 pounds or so, seems too friendly to be a boxer.

But when he is in the ring firing off a series of staccato jabs and crosses, it’s easy to see why he is a two-time Olympic gold medal-winner and world champion.

China’s most famous boxer was at the bustling Mendez Boxing gym in Manhattan on Wednesday for a workout open to the media. The affable Zou and his wife, Ran Yingying, a star with Zou on a reality TV show in China, spoke to China Daily after the lively training session.

The flyweight Zou will make his first US ring appearance as a pro on June 11 in none other than New York’s Madison Square Garden.

“I think it should be a dream for all boxers to set foot in a world-class arena like this during their career,” Zou said. “I feel extremely excited. But I’m controlling my excitement, so I hope it could burst out when the fight starts on Saturday.”

“I feel he is really awesome,” his proud wife said. “His preparation, his conditioning and his cooperation with coaches – everything is awesome. He has been training so hard recently, I believe everyone will be able to tell from the fight on Saturday.”

Zou, 35, the World Boxing Organization International flyweight champion, will face a man slightly more than half his age in 19-year-old Jozsef Ajtai of Hungary. The non-title 10-round bout will be featured on the undercard of the Roman Martinez-Vasyl Lomachenko fight and televised on HBO.

“I believe he will be full of momentum, like a tiger coming down the mountain,” Zou said of his opponent. “But I’m also very well prepared.”

The appearance is a poignant one for Zou, who was saddened by the passing of Muhammad Ali on June 3. After all, it was the Garden where “The Greatest” had perhaps his most ballyhooed heavyweight fight, the 1971 classic against Joe Frazier.

“I hope I can pay a tribute to him with a nice victory on Saturday. I planned to go visit my idol Muhammad Ali after winning a professional bout. But now, I can only pray he is at peace in heaven and free from illness and pain,” Zou posted on his Weibo account last week.

Ali died at age 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’ s – a disease that Zou’s trainer, Freddie Roach, 56, has been coping with since he was 27.

Known for his work with Manny Pacquiao, Roach, whose roster of fighters also includes Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, has no plans to let up. He was in the Mendez ring with Zou on Wednesday, deftly deflecting Zou’s rapid-fire punches with training mitts. (Zou also parried with Zhang Chuanliang, his veteran Olympic trainer.)

A decade or so ago, Roach said Ali and his daughter visited Roach’s gym in Los Angeles unannounced. They discussed boxing and their treatment to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

“We got to know him pretty well,” Roach told The Associated Press. “He played jokes, he did magic, he hit the heavy bag, and the best thing for me was when he started hitting the heavy bag, his tremors went away and he had no problems at all, and it was like when I get in the ring and get on the mitts with the fighters and so forth, all my symptoms kind of go away so our comfort zone was similar.”

Zou’s last bout was in Shanghai, where he defeated then-unbeaten Natan Santana Coutinho of Brazil in an eight-round technical knockout for the WBO title on Jan 30.

A son of Zunyi, in Southwest China’s Guizhou province, Zou has a pro record of 7-1, with two knockouts. The lone defeat was to Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng on March 7, 2015, by unanimous decision.

Zou’s January fight in Shanghai was billed as “The Return of the King”, the second event in the Chinese League of Fists organized by his promoter Top Rank and SECA. It marked Zou’s return to boxing after the loss to Ruenroeng and was watched by an estimated 36.5 million in China.

“No matter what the final outcome, I must show Chinese athletes’ fortitude, courage and confidence to everybody,” he said. “China’s sports are under rapid development, so even in a sport we are not that good at, like boxing, we should have a place of our own.”

www.usa.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2016-06/09/content_25662038.htm

Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing doubleheader telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Opening up the telecast from the DC Armory in Washington D.C. is a 12-round welterweight title matchup between Sadam Ali and Jessie Vargas. The main event of the evening, a 12-round heavyweight attraction, features Luis Ortiz taking on Tony Thompson in his back yard.

Luis Ortiz 242.6 vs. Tony Thompson 263.8

Sadam Ali 147 vs. Jessie Vargas 146.2
(WBO welterweight title)

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/hbo-weights-from-washington-d-c-327641

Welterweight contenders Sadam Ali and Jessie Vargas, both young, both experienced, and both highly confident, believe they have what it takes to claim a vacant world title when they fight on Saturday niHBOght (HBO, 10 ET/PT) at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

“I’m coming in with everything I’ve got, and I’m fully confident that I will come out victorious because of my preparation with my team,” said Vargas, a former junior welterweight titleholder.

Said Ali, “This is my chance. This is my shot. He had his. Well, he has another one. That’s good for him, but I’m ready. I’ve been working hard. I’m ready to show everybody why I deserve to be in this position. I’m the humble guy. I don’t like to talk. I do the talking in the ring. I’m ready to go out there get that WBO title and show everybody why I deserve to be where I am, and I will do that.”

To most, Ali-Vargas shapes up like a toss-up fight. Neither fighter seems to have any significant advantage over the other as they get ready to battle for the belt recently vacated by Timothy Bradley Jr., who elected to accept a third fight with Manny Pacquiao rather than a much-less lucrative fight with Ali, the mandatory challenger.

“It’s a 50/50 fight,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, which promotes Vargas. “Both guys are established and, obviously, Sadam Ali is trying to win his first title. To have both of these guys in the division creating some buzz and putting on great performances will make bigger fights for them.”

Ali (22-0, 13 KOs), 27, of Brooklyn, New York, and Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs), 26, of Las Vegas, will fight in the co-feature of the card headlined by a scheduled 12-round heavyweight bout between Miami-based Cuban defector Luis Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs), regarded as one of the division’s most dangerous punchers, and former two-time world title challenger Tony Thompson (40-6, 27 KOs), who is from Washington.

“I am going to bust up anyone who gets in my way on Saturday night. I am going to make a statement while winning this fight … We are not looking at this fight going to the scorecards.”   –Jessie Vargas

Vargas is usually a mild-mannered guy but he has something of a chip on his shoulder going into the fight. He is still steamed about how his last fight ended.

That was in June, when he challenged Bradley for the same 147-pound world title he will face Ali for. He nearly knocked Bradley out in the final seconds of the bout. However, Vargas felt like he was robbed of the chance to finish Bradley because referee Pat Russell mistook the clapper signaling 10-seconds left in the round as the final bell and stopped the fight with about seven seconds left. Vargas lost a clear unanimous decision but was understandably upset over the botched ending.

“I am still burned inside about what happened to me at the end of the Bradley fight,” Vargas said at Thursday’s final news conference. “I know I cannot change anything about that fight. But my manager Cameron Dunkin and Top Rank have given me a great new opportunity against Sadam Ali. It’s for the title belt that Bradley wore. I cannot wait to strap it on me in the ring Saturday night.

“I am going to bust up anyone who gets in my way on Saturday night. I am going to make a statement while winning this fight. I have a new team in my corner starting with my new chief trainer Dewey Cooper, who grew up with me. He has developed a technique which gives me more firepower. We are not looking at this fight going to the scorecards.”

Vargas won a secondary junior welterweight belt against Khabib Allakhverdiev by decision in 2014 and made two defenses, against then-unbeaten Anton Novikov and former lightweight titleholder Antonio DeMarco, before moving up in weight to challenge Bradley.

Unlike before those bouts, Vargas has been very aggressive toward Ali in his pre-fight talk.

“I’m planning on making Sadam Ali quit,” Vargas said. “That’s my goal and I plan to achieve it. I’m not going to stop pushing from beginning to end. I’ve conditioned myself. I’ve prepared myself to come in busy and not leave it up to the judges. Just win a clear, decisive fight.

“He’s not on my level and I’m here to show this on fight day. I’m here to prove that he’s not on my level. Of course, I’m saying it, but I’m going to prove it that night as well. It’s just two different breeds. He doesn’t have the experience I have. I’ve been in there with world-class fighters. I’ve beaten several undefeated records already, and I’m planning to do the same (Saturday).”

Vargas’ assessment of Ali’s career is bit off. Ali was a decorated amateur and 2008 U.S. Olympian and although his pro career has not moved a quickly as Vargas’, he had a coming out party two fights ago.

“Jessie Vargas is a great fighter, but I am a great fighter and if anybody wants to underestimate me, then that’s fine. I’m just ready to go out there and show why I shouldn’t be underestimated.”   –Sadam Ali

In November 2014, Ali knocked out highly regarded contender Luis Carlos Abregu in the ninth round of a major upset. It was a victory that catapulted Ali up the rankings and into the title picture. It was a win even Vargas was impressed by.

“I thought he fought well,” Vargas said. “He was a young fighter, and it was an opportunity. Abregu was a top fighter, but he had also been on a long layoff before then and he was an older fighter as well. Like I said before, he’s never experienced being in the ring with someone like me — young, hungry, strong, fast, in his prime. He did surprise me that he did stop Abregu. But credit to him for that.”

Then, in April 2015, Ali boxed in front of his hometown fans at Madison Square Garden in the co-feature of then-heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko’s defense against Bryant Jennings and put on an impressive performance in a lopsided decision against Francisco Santana. Then it took time to work out the title fight, especially with some uncertainty about whether Bradley would vacate or face Ali. All along, Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Ali, said he believed Ali was ready to fight for a world title.

“Sadam Ali is the perfect combination,” De La Hoya said. “I mean, he has the amateur pedigree, which is very, very necessary to become a world-class athlete, and that’s exactly what he is. He’s a professional fighter who has tremendous speed and amazing footwork and great power. He demonstrated that against Abregu, a fighter who was coming forward, a fighter who has tremendous power, and Sadam Ali took care of business.

“So, look, Sadam Ali is at the perfect moment in his life where this is his year and this is the perfect time to shine. A lot of people, like Sadam said, underestimate his abilities and especially his power.”

Ali believes in himself as well and when told that Vargas said he would make him quit, he blew it off.

“This may piss him off, but it makes me laugh,” Ali said. “He’s really confident. That’s good. That’s the way a fighter should be. But make me quit? That is not an option for me.”

Ali said he was a little annoyed by the long layoff, since he has not fought since April. He and Vargas could have met for the interim belt in December, but issues over the site delayed it.

“It was a little frustrating, a little hard to get the fight going and figure out everything,” Ali said. “But I’ve been in the gym. I’ve been ready. I never took off and stayed out because I didn’t have a fight. So I’ve been ready.

“For some people they might think I haven’t proved to be elite. But this is why I’m here. This is why I’m here — to prove that. Jessie Vargas is a great fighter, but I am a great fighter and if anybody wants to underestimate me, then that’s fine. I’m just ready to go out there and show why I shouldn’t be underestimated.”

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/14896470/sadam-ali-jessie-vargas-looking-first-title

(Photo Credit: Louis Tinsley – Tom Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions) By Allan Fox: Former WBA light welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs) will be trying to become a two division world champion this Saturday night in his fight against unbeaten #1 WBO Sadam Ali (22-0, 9 KOs) in a clash for the vacant WBO welterweight title on HBO Boxing After ark at the DC Armory in Washington, DC.

Vargas and Ali will be fighting for the WBO title that was vacated recently by Timothy Bradley. The Ali-Vargas fight is the co-feature bout on the Luis Ortiz vs. Tony Thompson card.

While the 27-year-old Ali is well deserving of a world title shot due to his unbeaten record and recent wins over Francisco Santana and Luis Carlos Abregu, you can’t say the same thing about Vargas.

Vargas, 26, was beaten by Bradley in his last fight in June of last year in a 12 round decision defeat. The World Boxing Organization is giving Vargas another shot at a title despite him having lost his last fight to Bradley while he was the WBO 147lb champion.

It’s not every day that a challenger gets back to back title shots at the WBO welterweight title without having to beat someone to earn a second shot. I guess the WBO is giving Vargas a break because of the controversial way his last fight against Bradley ended last June.

The referee stopped the fight with 10 seconds to go in the 12th round after he thought he had hurt the final bell. It wasn’t the final bell though. It was the 10 second clapper, and the premature stoppage robbed Vargas of a chance of finishing off a badly hurt Bradley, who Vargas had hurt with a right hand to the head moments before.

“We’ve had a great preparation. I am very happy to be fighting for the WBO World Title once again, and I look forward to becoming a world champion. I will do whatever I have to do to come out victorious,” Vargas said at the final press conference on Thursday.

“I am a stronger, faster and smarter fighter.” – @jessie_vargasJVon his fight against @realworldkidali on Saturday.

Vargas needs to throw more punches in this fight than he did against Bradley, because he wasn’t nearly as active as he should have been. Vargas just let Bradley dominate the action until the 12th round. It looked like Vargas wasn’t willing to let his hands go until he knew he was in the final round of the fight. By that point, he was hopelessly behind on the scorecards and needed a knockout to win. Vargas isn’t normally a big puncher, and that’s why it was a mistake on his part by not throwing a lot of punches in every round instead of just the 12th.

During the face off today, the 5’10” Vargas looked a lot taller than the 5’9” Ali. It looked like Vargas had more than an inch height advantage in the fight. However, Vargas being taller doesn’t mean he’s going to win the fight, because he was four inches taller than the 5’6” Braley, and he still got dominated for most of the fight.

“This is for a world title. This is what we all wait for. This is what we work for. This is my dream. Just know that you are going to see an exciting fight,” said Ali.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2016/03/206183/

By: Brian Mazique –

WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley Jr. (33-1-1, 13 KOs) was supposed to beat Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (33-3-1), but not many predicted he’d stop his rugged opponent.

On Saturday night in Las Vegas, that’s what Bradley did, scoring a ninth-round technical knockout over Rios in spectacular fashion. Per the HBO broadcast, Bradley outlanded Rios 254-81 in the fight.

Under the tutelage of new trainer Teddy Atlas, Bradley employed more movement than has customarily been part of his repertoire. The new wrinkles worked, as Bradley was smarter and at his best from a technical standpoint.

Rios appeared to win just one round before a left hook to the body in the ninth put him down on both knees. A right uppercut grazed Rios before he went down, but the body shot did the damage. Rios would get to his feet, but a moderate flurry to his body moments later brought on an end to the fight.

Body shots were a key part of Bradley’s attack all night, as he looked to have hurt Rios on several occasions with blows to the midsection. As good as Bradley looked all night, Rios looked like a shell of the fighter who once held a title at 140 pounds. Michael Woods of the Sweet Science had a good assessment of the bout:

Rios’ retirement seems to make sense despite his relatively young age. He has seen his best days in the ring, and there’s nothing left for him to do but take more punishment for lower paydays than he’s become accustomed to.

If he has the financial means, retirement is the smartest move he can make at this point in his career.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix heard the announcement, but he wasn’t buying it:  Brandon Rios says he will retire after the loss to Tim Bradley. Don’t count on it. Fighters like that, they often come back.

Only time will tell whether Rios’ retirement sticks. As for Bradley, there’s new life to his career. With Atlas in his corner, it seems as though Bradley will, at the least, have the best game plan in place for each of his fights.

The corner advice was poignant and entertaining. Check out this excerpt from Atlas’ pep talk before the seventh round, per HBO Boxing:  “The fire is coming. Are you ready for the fire?” – Teddy Atlas speaking to @timbradleyjr #BradleyRios

It was chilling stuff, and it reached Bradley. That’s something that former trainer Joel Diaz wasn’t always able to do. Bradley’s career has been littered with ill-advised slugging and careless defense late in fights. He had no such lapses in concentration against Rios.

Prior to this bout, most fans would have had no interest in seeing Bradley face Manny Pacquiao for a third time. Not everyone would be on board for a trilogy yet, but one more impressive performance would probably get people excited to see Desert Storm battle Pac-Man again.

If not Pacquiao, then perhaps a date with current WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford is in order. Either bout would be intriguing, as the boxing world should be eager to see what else the new and improved Bradley can accomplish.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2587172-timothy-bradley-jr-vs-brandon-rios-winner-recap-and-reaction

Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank –

WBO Welterweight Champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley Jr., former world champion Brandon Rios made their grand arrivals for their upcoming world title fight on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on HBO.

Also arriving was two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko, who is defending his WBO featherweight world title against Top-10 world-rated contender Romulo Koasicha of Mexico to open the HBO telecast.

Nov 4 , 2015, Las Vegas,Nevada . — WBO Welterweight Champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley Jr. makes his grand arrival for his upcoming title defense against former world champion Brandon Rios, Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on HBO.
— Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank 

Nov 4 , 2015, Las Vegas,Nevada . — Former world champion Brandon Rios makes his grand arrival for his upcoming title fight against WBO Welterweight Champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley Jr. , Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on HBO.
— Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank 

Nov 4 , 2015, Las Vegas,Nevada . — Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist VASYL LOMACHENKO makes his grand arrival for his upcoming world title defense. LOMACHENKO, defending his WBO featherweight world title against Top-10 world-rated contender ROMULO KOASICHA of Mexico, will open the HBO telecast featuring the Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley Jr. vs Brandon Rios WBO Welterweight world championship fight, Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
— Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/bradley-rios-lomachenko-grand-arrivals-312256#more-312256

Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank (no other credit allowed) 

Now it’s time to shine the spotlight on two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist and reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2 KOs), who defends his title on the same card. Lomachenko faces WBO #7 world-rated contender Romulo Koasicha (24-4,14 KOs), of Mexico, which will open the HBO telecast.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/lomachenko-workout-monday-in-oxnard-ca-312085

Credit Photo:  By Nati Harnik – Associated Press

Undefeated world champion broke down Dierry Jean on his way to a 10th-round stoppage. (Photo:  Getty)

Terence Crawford successfully made the first defense of his newly acquired WBO junior welterweight title by stopping Dierry Jean on Saturday in front of hometown crowd at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

The end of the bout came in the 10th frame after referee Tony Weeks called a halt to the contest at 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the round to save Jean from continued punishment. Jean (29-2, 20 KOs) had been down twice in the fight, once in the first round and again in the ninth.

“When I’m at home I feel revived, I feel the electricity,” Crawford told HBO’s Max Kellerman during his post-fight interview. “I just want to go in there and put on a good show.”

And that he did. Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs) commanded the action from the opening bell behind a southpaw stance and an active, pawing right jab that systematically broke down a game but ineffective Jean and left him open to solid right hooks and combinations. Jean landed sporadic straight rights from the distance, but spent the majority of the fight on the defense and trying to get passed the champs jab.

CompuBox numbers had Crawford landing 169 punches out of 533 thrown, Jean landed 51 out of 340 thrown.

Photo by:  Mickey Williams / Top Rank –

The fight opened with the boxers meeting in the middle of the ring and feeling each other out with long distance jabs, Crawford in an orthodox stance. Both vied for positioning and dominance for the first half of the round, but it was Jean who took the first step back. Crawford tried out the southpaw stance for size and found a good fit as he knocked Jean to canvas with a hard right.

Crawford came out in a southpaw stance for the second round and stayed that way for the rest of the fight. They pawed at each other with the their lead hands in the middle of the ring, before Jean finally took to the perimeter, slowly circling counter-clockwise and pressuring behind an active jab. This began to set the tenor for the rest of the encounter.

The following round continued with the established tendancy, Crawford pressing forward and landing right jabs and hooks and occasional combinations, with Jean on the back foot and lunging with his right hand periodically and getting caught in the corners or against the ropes.

The eighth round brought back memories of the recent Timothy Bradley vs. Jessie Vargas debacle, when ref Pat Russell prematurely stopped the fight after confusing the 10-second warning with the last bell of the fight. This time it happened to Tony Weeks, who may have saved Jean, who was being pummeled at the end of the round, from a kayo by stopping the action of the eighth round at the 10-second warning.

In the ninth round, a straight left from Crawford created an opening and champ capitalized on it by following up with a 1-2 that knocked down Jean for a second time in the fight.

Crawford came looking to close the show in the 10th round, backing Jean up against the ropes and landing with combinations to the head and body. Crawford was on the hunt and serving up the offense as the end of the round neared. He caught Jean with a 1-2-1 combination that put the challenger on the run, Crawford caught up and landed two hard lefts, and that was all the referee had to see to wave off the rest of the fight.

One of boxing’s recent young breakaway stars, undefeated champion and Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) ‘2014 Fighter of the Year’ Terence Crawford lifted the WBO 135 pound lightweight world title in March of last year by ousting Ricky Burns in the Brit’s native Scotland.

Having defended the lightweight title twice, by knocking out Cuban phenom Yuriorkis Gamboa and handily outpointing Raymundo Beltran, 28-year-old Crawford moved up in weight to the junior welterweight 140-pound division and stopped Thomas Dulorme in April to claim the vacant WBO title which he defended on Saturday.

With word on the street that Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is looking to pair up Crawford with another of his star fighters, none other than the might Manny Pacquiao, Max Kellerman asked Crawford for his thoughts on the possible match.

“I’m ready,” answered Crawford without hesitation. “Bob, make it happen.”

The crowd loved it.

Fighting out of Montreal, Canada, Dierry Jean, a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, entered the fight having outpointed a fading Jerry Belmontes in June and KO’d Dominican journeyman in March of this year.

Before Saturday’s loss, Jean’s sole professional defeat had come at the hands Lamont Peterson in January of 2014. The 33-year old, who entered the ring ranked No. 2 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 6 by the WBO, holds wins over Cleotis Pendarvis, Lanardo Tyner, and Ivan Cano.

http://heavy.com/sports/2015/10/terence-crawford-dierry-jean-live-updates-recap-result-highlights-winner/

By Bryan Mazique / Credit:  Photo by John Locher, AP –

WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KO) continues to crush opponents.

On Saturday night, Kovalev defended his titles by way of a third-round TKO win over an overmatched Nadjib Mohammedi (37-4). There was little resistance offered up by Mohammedi in this one.

He couldn’t match Kovalev’s speed, technical acumen and certainly not the Russian’s power. With every power punch the champion landed, it was clear he was just too strong for Mohammedi.

The challenger’s only defense seemed to be his awkwardness, but Kovalev wouldn’t allow that to keep him from the finish for long. He dropped Mohammedi for the first time in the second round with this right hand, per HBO Boxing.

Mohammedi would get to his feet, but he made the decision reluctantly. He spent the remainder of the round grabbing, holding and attempting to wrestle Kovalev down in an effort to survive the frame. He accomplished his short-term goal, but it was clear he wouldn’t be around for long.

In the third round, Kovalev put him away with this right-left combination. The tail end of the one-two might have broken a bone in Mohammedi’s face.

Referee Kenny Bayless called a halt to the bout as Mohammedi made more effort to address his injured cheek bone than he did to beat the count.

When the fight was over, speculation about Kovalev’s next opponent began.

Jean Pascal won a controversial decision over Yunieski Gonzalez in the undercard, and that win put him in line for another shot at Kovalev. The Russian already scored an eighth-round TKO win over Pascal in March.

The fight was an entertaining one, so there could be a small market for the rematch. On a larger scale, a fight with WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson or countrymen Artur Beterbiev would be most appealing. Making either fight will be problematic because Al Haymon promotes both fighters, and there’s a storied history of issues with HBO and Showtime fighters facing off against each other.

More realistic opponents for Kovalev would be middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin or super middleweight kingpin Andre Ward.

Golovkin would have to come up at least eight pounds for a superbout with Kovalev. Ward would be a more feasible opponent as the two men could meet somewhere between 168 and 175 pounds. HBO’s Max Kellerman asked Kovalev who he would like to face next with specific references to Golovkin and Ward, but Kovalev kept it general, per HBO Boxing.

Many in the boxing community such as Bleacher Report’s Kevin McRae and Bad Left Hook’s Scott Christ were intrigued by the possibility of a Ward vs. Kovalev scrap.

There’s no doubt that bout could be an entertaining one. Kovalev’s power is unlike anything Ward has ever faced. With Ward moving up, it would be interesting to see how he handles the additional weight and bigger punch.

As of now, we don’t have any official word on that bout. We’ll just have to appreciate Kovalev’s latest destructive exhibition.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2531453-sergey-kovalev-vs-nadjib-mohammedi-winner-recap-and-reaction

By Miguel Maravilla at the scale
Photos: David Spagnolo/Main Events –

Sergey Kovalev 174.5 vs. Nadjib Mohammedi 173
(WBA/IBF/WBO light heavyweight title)

Jean Pascal 178 vs. Yunieski Gonzalez 177
Sullivan Barrera 174.5 vs. Hakim Zoulikha 175
Cassius Chaney 238.5 vs. Edward Ramirez 233
Rodney Hernandez 239 vs. Brice Ritani-Coe 252.5
Joel Diaz 140.5 vs. Alejandro Rodriguez 140.5

Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Promoter: Main Events
TV: HBO

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/kovalev-mohammadi-make-weight-299163

Kovalev – Mohammedi Presser
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Credit:  Photos by David Spagnolo/Main Events –

The final press conference was held Thursday for the HBO-televised clash between WBO/WBA/IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) and mandatory challenger Nadjib “Irondjib” Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The co-feature will include a ten-round light heavyweight match-up between Jean Pascal (29-3-1, 17 KOs) and Yuniesky Gonzalez (16-0, 12 KOs).

Sergey Kovalev: “Thank you to WBO. This was my first belt and mean a lot to me. Thank you for this ring. Thank you for everybody that came here today. Thank you Kathy Duva my promoter, Egis Klimas my manager and Nadjib Mohammedi. I want to show this Saturday who I am. I would like to still be champion as long time as possible. I did not get all my goals in my career yet. My amateur career I didn’t give me a lot of opportunities. I was hurt in amateur career and I had to try not to closed doors. Some of my dreams in the boxing and my goals not finished. For my dreams, my goals this Saturday is the next step in my career…I cannot say who is the best. I try to be better with every day, fight and build my career as I would like.”

Nadjib Mohammedi: “I am very excited and happy. Thank you Sergey Kovalev, Main Events and HBO. I have hard work in my training camp for this fight. I am very happy. I promise Saturday a good fight. I am ready. Thank you very much.”

Kathy Duva/CEO of Main Events: “There has been a lot of discussion lately about where the best fighters fight. The place that has developed every major fighter in the last 30 years is HBO and that is why Sergey Kovalev is an HBO Fighter. This event is going to be promoted with a group of great promoters. Krusher Promotions, Sergey’s promotional company, will be our new partner going forward. Our sponsor is Myagkov Vodka. It is so nice to be back here at Mandalay Bay. We have had a long relationship with Mandalay Bay going back to Fernando Vargas. It is in my view my favorite place in Las Vegas to come. It is associated with the great people at MGM International and my good friend Richard Sturm.”

“Our first time in Nevada was in 1981 when Sugar Ray Leonard fought Thomas Hearns. This is my first time working with the current commission here in Nevada. We are forging a good relationship with them. I want to thank Cisco Aguilar and Bob Bennett.”

“The first time Sergey Kovalev fought in Las Vegas it was on an undercard. Those fighters work just as hard as everyone else. We have a great undercard for this Saturday’s event and it is always fun to watch the undercard fighters because you never know if one of them could be the next Sergey Kovalev. The opening bout on HBO World Championship Boxing telecast will feature Jean Pascal, the former light heavyweight champion of the world, against the undefeated Cuban Yuniesky Gonzalez. Pascal is truly a warrior in the best sense of the word. His promoter is InterBox and he also has his own promotional company, Jean Pascal Promotions.”

“We got to know Nadjib Mohammedi a year ago when he fought Anatoliy Dudchenko on one of our shows. He came in as the under dog and came away as the mandatory challenger. I thank God every day for the day I met Egis Klimas and he brought me Sergey Kovalev. He has a great team around him. Sergey Kovalev’s trainer is a former world champion. I have known John David Jackson for a long time and he is one of the best trainers in the world. Bernard Hopkins said to me that Sergey is getting better with every fight. He is powerfully fast and shockingly dominating. He is the kind of guy that people want to see. Hopkins warned Sergey not to get complacent. I think a mark of a great fighter is no matter what you do you are never satisfied and that is the best way to describe Sergey.”

Bob Bennett – Nevada Athletic Commission: “On behalf of the Nevada Athletic Commission, we are pleased and privileged to bring you this fight. We would like to thank Main Events, HBO, Richard Sturm and Mandalay Bay and last, but not least, we really want to thank the fighters because without them none of us would be here.”

Paco Valcarcel – WBO President: “Sergey Kovalev was a sensation. Sergey, we have something for you. He is a great human being. He is a great fighter, outstanding. You going to have a lot of excitement in this fight. We have a real diamond ring for him. This is something we give to our champions.”

Egis Klimas – Sergey Kovalev’s Manager: “Good afternoon. First I want to thank Don Turner who gave me my first steps in boxing. He is the man who introduced me to this sport. He noticed Sergey and told me I had to sign him. Coming back to Vegas brings back a lot of good memories because this is where Sergey won his first belt. He won the NABA Light Heavyweight Title. We were celebrating here and he grabbed his belt, put a shirt over it and brought it downstairs. He said he wanted to give it to me. He gave it to me and said it was our title together. I still have it at my house, he never took it back. I want to thank HBO and Nadjib Mohammedi for taking this fight, Mandalay Bay and media for coming for this good event. We are looking for one of the best fights in the light heavyweight division. When Sergey came to United States in 2009 the light heavyweight division was dead and nobody was talking about it. I strongly believe the division is burning today and that is because of Sergey. There is not a match in this division that happens without mentioning his name.”

John David Jackson – Sergey Kovalev’s Trainer: “I am not going to talk too much. I am going to let Sergey do the talking in the ring Saturday night. But I was a WBO champion during my career and where is my ring, Paco? (laughing)”

“I think Sergey Kovalev is in the top five fighters pound-for-pound and he can become #1.”

Vince Caruso: “Nadjib Mohammedi, a lot of people didn’t know who we were not too long ago. After Saturday he will be known everywhere. I can make two guarantees: He will weigh 175 pounds tomorrow on the scale and he will have the best game plan possible. That is because of Abel Sanchez, who I believe he is the best trainer in the business. When Nadjib’s trainer couldn’t make it into the country back in November, I had the chance to call Abel to step in. It is like putting sugar in the Duncan Hines…Nadjib Mohammedi is Saturday’s challenger but he will be Sunday’s champion.”

Jon Ali – Nadjib Mohammedi’s Co-Manager: “I am glad to be here with my brother, Nadjib Mohammedi. I am very proud of him. Back in France he came a long way to get here. Saturday night will change his life forever.”

Abel Sanchez – Nadjib Mohammedi’s Trainer: “Nadjib earned this right by moving up the ladder to become the #1 contender. I believe we are fighting the best light heavyweight in the world. We know we are fighting a very tough guy. I hope everyone enjoys the fight.”

Jean Pascal: “Hi everybody. There is no place like home. I have been fighting at home my whole career. I am glad to be in Vegas, it is my first time fighting here. Every fighter on my level wants to fight at least one time in Vegas. This is my chance to make a statement on Saturday night. I know am still among the best in the world and best in my division. I know Yuniesky Gonzalez is hungry and he wants to make a statement. I want to give you guys a great show on Saturday night.”

“My philosophy is the best must fight the best. I believe I am still among the best in the world. I am the best light heavyweight in the world but I had a bad night on March 14.”

Yuniesky Gonzalez: “Good afternoon. Thank you to Jean Pascal team, HBO and Joe DiGuardia and Kathy Duva of Main Events for this opportunity. Gracias. We are going to see high quality boxing from Yuniesky Gonzalez Saturday night.”

Pierre Duc – InterBox Promotions: “Good afternoon. InterBox has been one of the lead promoters in Canada for a long time but this is our first time in Vegas, so this is a great thrill for us. Thank you to HBO, Kathy Duva and Main Events for having us here. Following Jean Pascal’s fight with Sergey Kovalev one of Pascal’s requests was to step back into the ring as soon as possible. We are so happy to make this happen for him. You are going to see a very exciting fight on HBO. Jean Pascal is a former light heavyweight champion. Kathy Duva described him as a warrior. This is going to be a long and very difficult fight for both fighters.”

Marc Ramsay – Jean Pascal’s Trainer: “Thank you for being with us today. After the fight with Sergey Kovalev, Jean Pascal requested a fight right away on HBO with the best opponent available. With the style of both fighters we are going to have a great fight. We had a great training camp and it should be a great fight Saturday night.”

Joe DiGuardia – Star Boxing, Gonzalez’s Promoter: “Thank you. It is great to be back here at Mandalay Bay where I have also had some great fights and my best success stories. I want to thank Kathy Duva and Main Events from having us, Peter Nelson and HBO for giving this opportunity to Yuniesky Gonzalez. Jean Pascal is a great champion. Sergey Kovalev is one of the greatest of our time. Yuniesky Gonzalez is pleased to have this opportunity. Yuniesky Gonzalez is an exciting fighter. I guarantee you will see an exciting fight with Yuniesky Gonzalez and Jean Pascal. Yuniesky Gonzalez has been clawing his way to get this opportunity and he will take advantage of it.”

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/kovalev-vs-mohammedi-final-press-conference-298935

By Brian Campbell –

Despite being a heavy underdog, Nadjib Mohammedi is undaunted by the challenge ahead of him on Saturday.

Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) challenges unified light heavyweight titlist and knockout sensation Sergey Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas (HBO, 10 p.m. ET/PT).

The native of France, who enters his third fight under the tutelage of trainer Abel Sanchez, has steadily improved in recent years.

Mohammedi, 30, has won 13 straight fights since his last defeat in 2011 against Dmitry Sukhotsky. He upset Anatoliy Dudchenko by seventh-round TKO in June 2014 to become the mandatory challenger for the IBF title.

Speaking through a translator, Mohammedi recently talked with ESPN.com about his mindset entering the Kovalev fight.

It has been more than a year since you became the mandatory title challenger. Why was now the right time for you to challenge Kovalev?

I took my time because I needed to change my team. It was time for a change and now I have an American team with Abel Sanchez as my trainer. I needed to become more famous in America to make my name here. That’s why I waited.

In what ways has Sanchez helped you improve your fighting style? 

Abel Sanchez did not change my style but he upgraded it. With Abel Sanchez’s experiences, he brought to me a lot of things from his own style.

How would you describe your fighting style and the balance between being a boxer and puncher? 

I have made changes and am more powerful now. Also with the way I move in the ring, I am more of a target.

Sanchez has experience as Kovalev’s former trainer. How much of an advantage will that be for you in this fight? 

Abel Sanchez knows the style of Kovalev. He knows his talent and his mistakes. But for now, we can say that the style of Kovalev has changed a bit [since joining new trainer John David Jackson]. He has always been a straight boxer — jab, right, left, jab. But at the end, we never know.

Considering the platform available to you with this fight, what do you hope to teach American fans about who you are as a fighter?

I can bring to American boxing fans a new story and a new generation of light heavyweight champions. I can really show them that everything is possible if you work hard because I came from a hard and mighty long way. I want to show them that everything is possible, a little bit like “Rocky.” It’s not the same story, but I will be Rocky against [Ivan] Drago.

Kovalev is an extremely large betting favorite in this fight. What does that do to motivate you? 

It is normal that everybody thinks that Kovalev will beat me. He is No. 1 and a favorite. But it motivates me a lot because at the end I will show them that because Kovalev is No. 1, I want to beat him. I want to show to the boxing fans that, once again, anything is possible. You never know what can happen, even if it’s against the No. 1. You never know.

In his last fight in March, Kovalev was hurt at times before going on to score a stoppage against Jean Pascal in Montreal. What was your opinion of his performance in that fight?

I was at this fight and I saw the same thing that you saw: Kovalev was hurt, and I saw a lot of possibilities against his boxing style.

What it is about your childhood or upbringing that has prepared you to take on the kind of challenge that you’ll face against Kovalev? 

My life prepared me to fight because I have had to fight for a living and work hard since I was very young. My life prepared me to fight for everything. This is my shot and I’m ready.

Outside of the ring, what do you like best about being in America? 

First of all, I love the weather in California. I love the women in California and I love the American style of living. I feel free here. Because in some way in France, a lot of people look at you because of your origin or ethnicity. I don’t feel the same way here in America. No matter what my origin is, I am a champion of the people. I like the American style and I love California.

Kovalev is currently ranked among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Do you believe he is worthy of all the hype he has received? 

Kovalev deserves his place in the ring as No. 1 and light heavyweight champion. But at the end, he’s just a man.

Above all else, what needs to go right in order for you to pull the upset against Kovalev?

There are many factors. One of the most important factors for us to stay close in this fight and keep good distance. That will be the key.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/13307904/nadjib-mohammedi-undaunted-underdog-status

Ivan ‘Bam Bam‘ Najera, left, is pinned against the ropes by Felix Verdejo. Verdejo won the bout by unanimous decision. PHOTO: MIKEY WILLIAMS FOR TOP RANK BOXING

By Jim Chairusmi –

Miguel Cotto has been entrenched as the most popular Puerto Rican boxer for the past decade. But he might have some competition for that title. Felix Verdejo is quickly emerging as the sport’s next big star.

At the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, Verdejo (18-0, 13 knockouts) outslugged Ivan Najera (16-1, 8 knockouts) to earn a 10-round unanimous decision. The 22-year-old from San Juan dominated the bout, knocking down the previously undefeated Najera in the fifth and seventh round.

“With right hands to the head, left hooks right down the middle, right uppercuts, overhand rights on the chin, left uppercuts up the middle, the kid showed a powerful arsenal,” HBO analyst Roy Jones Jr. said on the television broadcast of the bout. “He showed every kind of punch you could think of.”

About an hour after the bout, Verdejo answered questions from reporters in Spanish, with an English translator at his side. He expressed satisfaction “with the work we did.”

Over the past decade, Cotto had been a headliner for a Top Rank boxing card at the Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade, including championship bouts in New York against Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey. But with Cotto now signed with Roc Nation Sports, Top Rank is hopeful that Verdejo can fill the void.

“With skill, personality and ring management, he brings a new dimension to the sport,” Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum said.

On Saturday, Verdejo connected with 194 of 487 punches (40%), compared with 101 of 333 (30%) for Najera. But it was the power shots where Verdejo made the most impact, connecting on 138 of 271 (51%) of his power punches, compared with 90 of 232 (39%) for Najera. Two judges scored the bout a 100-88 shutout for Verdejo, while another judge had it 99-89.

“Verdejo’s charisma is outstanding and his ability in the ring is outstanding,” said Top Rank president Todd DuBoef. “You’re probably going to see in the next 12 months that he’ll make a run for the title.”

Verdejo has also drawn comparisons to another legendary fighter from Puerto Rico: Felix “Tito” Trinidad. “Verdejo is very reminiscent of Trinidad,” DuBoef said. “You don’t yet know on the power, but Verdejo has some incredible assets. You want to see him take each step and make sure he is developed correctly.”

Besides sharing the same first name, Verdejo is flattered by the comparison to Trinidad, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014. “It’s an honor to be compared with a star like Tito, someone who gave so much happiness to my country,” he said.

The only thing that didn’t go Verdejo’s way this weekend: he aggravated a left-hand injury that he had initially suffered in December. Verdejo said his hand “was not 100 %” against Najera and that he would see a hand specialist in the coming days.

But before that, Verdejo brighten when he was asked after Saturday’s bout about being featured on a float in Sunday’s parade. “He understood that question,” his English translator said with a laugh as Verdejo nodded and flashed a smile.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/puerto-rico-has-a-new-shining-star-in-felix-verdejo-1434309280?tesla=y

                                          Félix Verdejo retuvo su cinturón latino de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) ante Iván Nájera.

Credito fotos:  (tonito.zayas@gfrmedia.com)

El boricua retuvo su cetro latino ligero de la OMB, aunque salió del encuentro con una lastimadura en su mano izquierda.

Por:  Carlos Gonzalez –

Nueva York. Félix “Diamante” Verdejo tuvo un dominante desempeño dentro del ring, pero no fue sin una consecuencia.

El campeón ligero Latino de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) superó por decisión unánime al mexicano Iván “Bam Bam” Nájera en el combate semiestelar de la función que tuvo como escenario el Teatro del Madison Square Garden en lo que fue su primera presentación por HBO. Se informó que Verdejo completó al combate a pesar de que se lastimó la mano izquierda, posiblemente, en el primer asalto.

No es la primera vez que el púgil sufre un percance en un pleito. A principios del 2015, canceló su participación en una cartelera para recibir tratamiento, precisamente, en la mano izquierda. Sin embargo, Verdejo estuvo recuperado para cuando subió al ring el pasado abril.

Aun así, Verdejo completó una brillante demostración dentro del ring. Después de un inicio algo lento, el puertorriqueño apretó la acción desde el segundo episodio. Nájera hizo lo posible por acortar la distancia para así llegar al cuerpo de Verdejo. En ocasiones tuvo éxito, pero se defensa quedó expuesta.

En el cuarto, Nájera conectó mientras agarró a Verdejo. El referí le llama la atención y eso encendió el fuego dentro de Verdejo, quien lo lastima cada vez que puede. Parecía que el combate terminaría por nocaut técnico, pero la campana salva a Nájera. En el quinto, Verdejo conectó un upper cut de derecha que llevó a Nájera a la lona. Fue el primero de dos caídas a favor de Verdejo. La otra fue en el séptimo producto de un gancho de izquierda.

Al concluir los 10 asaltos, Verdejo fue favorecido por los tres jueces con anotaciones de 100-88, 100-88 y 99-89 para una decisión unánime.

Todd duBoef, presidente de la empresa promotora Top Rank, sostuvo que Verdejo será atendido por un especialista la próxima semana para evaluación.

“Sabíamos que (Verdejo) tenía un asunto con la mano que esperamos resolver pronto. Entiendo que hizo una gran pelea. Necesitaba una prueba como la que representó Nájera. Tenemos que ver cómo reacciona cuando tiene que levantarse del banquillo después de ocho asaltos”, reaccionó DuBoef después del combate.

El campeón ligero Latino de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) superó por decisión unánime al mexicano Iván “Bam Bam” Nájera en el combate semiestelar de la función que tuvo como escenario el Teatro del Madison Square Garden en lo que fue su primera presentación por HBO.

http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/boxeo/nota/felixverdejoderrotosinapurosaivannajera-1088856/