OMB Latino: Carta de Nombramiento – Jesuan Letizia

Top Rank, Inc., on behalf of Teofimo Lopez, Jr., formally requests “WBO Super Champion” status in the Jr. Welterweight Division.

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From: Carl Moretti <cmoretti@Date: August 21, 2023 at 8:56:57 PM ASTTo: Paco <pacoval@, golivieriesq@Cc: Jeremy Koegel <JKoegel@Subject: Teofimo Lopez

8/21/2023

 

Gentleman,

 

I hope this letter finds you well.

 

The purpose of my communication is to respectfully request that consideration be given for elevating current WBO jr. welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez to Super Champion status.

 

As you are aware Teofimo most recently defeated then WBO world champion Josh Taylor at MSG on June 10. His performance has received accolades throughout the boxing community as well as a nomination for “Performance of the Year”.

 

It should also be noted that Taylor is a former Undisputed Unified 140-pound world champion never losing any of his titles inside the ring when he fought Teofimo.

 

This convincing victory, as well the dominant one against former unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, clearly reflects the magnitude of Teofimo’ accomplishments and justifies our request to be named a Super Champion in the junior welterweight division.

 

He is now once again listed as a pound-for-pound fighter and clearly “Must See TV”, as evident by his ratings on ESPN and across all social platforms that generate immense interest when he fights and defends his WBO jr. welterweight championship.

 

Should there be anything else you may require or would like to discuss in further detail please feel free to reach out to me at any time.

 

As always, we appreciate your consideration and sincerely believe in the merits of our request.

 

Regards,

Carl Moretti

Top Rank

Vice President-Boxing Operations

Cell:

Email:

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Jake Paul’s non-profit foundation ‘Boxing Bullies’ partners with the WBO to help renovate gyms in US and Puerto Rico launching first amateur boxing event in the island.

The inaugural partnership with Boxing Bullies organization was a complete success in our first boxing amateur event held at the renowned Félix Pagán Pintor Boxing Gym located in the city of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The gym is supervised by WBO Two-Division (105, 108 lbs) World Champion Iván Calderon!

14 exciting fights, special diamond belt for Undisputed WBO Featherweight Champion Amanda Serrano, boxing equipment to the competidors and more were the order of the day in the crowded event.


Today, #WBO & volunteers from the Municipality of Salinas (Puerto Rico) donated beds, sheets, pillows, and other essentials to various households who lost everything as result of Hurricane Fiona. #Socialwork

#Photos #HelpingHand #HuracanFiona Donaciones de colchones, ropa de cama y suministros a los afectados por el huracán Fiona en el pueblo de Salinas, específicamente barrio El Coquí.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs) retains his WBO International Welterweight Title and gets closer to a world title shot after his knock out defeat of the Lithuanian Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas (22-2-1, 18 KOs). The scheduled 12-round fight was hosted at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, and was streamed live on DAZN. The event featured a night full of action as the Lithuanian went after Ortiz, Jr. early in the fight and caught him in the second round, where Ortiz, Jr. met the canvas but was ruled a slip by the judges. Ortiz, Jr. returned and both fighters openly exchanged blows during an exciting second round that brought the chanting crowd onto its feet.

The action continued in the third round, as Ortiz, Jr. knocked down Kavaliaskas and pursued him aggressively throughout the round. In the next rounds, the fighters gave each other some space, as Vergil began to use an effective jab on Kavaliaskas, catching him several times straight in the face. By the eighth round, Ortiz, Jr. effectively dominated Kavaliauskas, dropping the former Olympian four times to win the fight at the 2:59 mark of the eighth round.

Ortiz said, “I feel good. The fight started off slow in my opinion and I just had to adjust. After the second round, I had to adjust and try to find a way to wear him down. I started using my jab more and fought more intelligently. After the third round, I felt more confident because I knew that I could control the fight moving forward. But he is a tough guy, a very strong fighter, and I respect that he came to fight.”

“I came here to fight, I was sure I would stop him. I prepared myself so hard to be ready for this fight. I was 100% in shape, I was fast, I was strong. But you know, it is what it is, today he was stronger, he is a tremendous fighter. He has good power and good speed, good jab, good technique, he is a good fighter. I was thinking that I was going to end the fight in the second round, but he survived. He is a warrior,” said Kavaliauskas.

Photo by Stacey Msnyder / BoxingScene.com

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME

Undisputed WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship – 12 Rounds

Jermell Charlo – 153 lbs.

Brian Castaño – 153 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Hector Afu; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Nelson Vazquez (P.R.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

ABOUT CHARLO VS. CASTAÑO

Charlo vs. Castaño will see unified WBC, WBA and IBF World Champion Jermell Charlo and WBO World Champion Brian Castaño battle for undisputed status at super welterweight as all four 154-pound belts hang in the balance for the first time in history on Saturday, July 17 live on SHOWTIME from AT&T Center in San Antonio in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will also feature unbeaten Interim WBA Lightweight Champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero taking on lightweight contender Anthony Yigit in the co-main event, plus unbeaten middleweight Amilcar Vidal matching up against veteran contender Immanuwel Aleem in a 10-round bout that opens the telecast.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Lions Only Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through www.attcenter.com. Romero vs. Yigit is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Vieques, Puerto Rico – La Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), presidida por el Lcdo. Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcárcel y bajo su reconocido programa mundial ‘WBO Kids Drug Free’, visitó el miércoles en la tarde, la isla municipio de Vieques para finalizar el plan de establecer un gimnasio de boxeo de gran escala para el uso y disfrute de los viequenses.

El Centro de Usos Múltiples de Vieques, situado en el barrio Monte Santo, fue el lugar escogido para crear el gimnasio de boxeo que tendrá de nombre Carlos ‘Taso’ Zenٕón, el cual contará con variados equipos de boxeo apto para todas las edades, un cuadrilátero, guantes de diferentes tamaños, caretas protectoras, sacos, peras, equipo de pesas y equipo dirigido para los entrenadores, entre otros artículos deportivos para obtener el mejor rendimiento y enfoque posible.

“El boxeo no es solamente darse golpes. El boxeo es la disciplina que desarrolla la juventud, sacar a los muchachos de la calle, hacer ciudadanos de bien, Eso es el boxeo y a nombre de la OMB nuestro compromiso es adoptar el gimnasio y brindarle todo el equipo que necesite para que puedan tener un gimnasio bueno y que la juventud de Vieques se levante y se discipline de la mejor manera. Los jóvenes de hoy son el futuro del mañana. Esto es un compromiso que hicimos originalmente con Carlos Zenón y que lo vamos a cumplir y lo vamos a honrar”, dijo el licenciado Valcárcel.

El honorable alcalde de Vieques, José Corcino Acevedo, destacó que, ”El gimnasio estará en un lugar céntrico y está cerca de donde salen muchos muchachos del área y será muy útil para el bienestar de ellos”.

En la actividad estuvo presente el entrenador viequense Héctor Mulero, el director de Recreación y Deportes municipal, el señor Héctor L. Pérez Horta, el Secretario del Departamento de Recreación y Deportes, Ray Quiñones, y el presidente de la Federación de Boxeo Aficionado de Puerto Rico José Laureano, así como el licenciado Luis Batista Salas, presidente fundador de la OMB y el asesor legal del organismo, licenciado Gustavo Olivieri.

‘WBO Kids Drug Free’ es un programa internacional dirigido a niños y jóvenes con el fin de llevar un mensaje de prevención al consumo de drogas y motivarlos a continuar en los estudios, utilizando el deporte como una herramienta para mantenerse en buenos pasos, al igual que apoyar causas dirigidas a los más necesitados con el fin de aportar a que puedan obtener una mejor calidad de vida.

WEIGH-IN Result:
Emanuel Navarrete 126 lbs vs.Christopher Diaz 125.8 lbs
(Navarrete’s WBO Featherweight World Title — 12 Rounds)

Judges: Chris Flores, Alexander Levin, and Patricia Morse Jarman
Referee: Samuel Burgos

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)

Photos by M.Williams / Top Rank

13 de abril de 2021 (SAN JUAN) – Mientras se preparan fuera de su isla para el venidero clasificatorio preolímpico en Buenos Aires, la selección puertorriqueña de boxeo recibió nuevos uniformes para llegar luciendo de punta en blanco al importante torneo en la capital argentina.

La decena boricua recibió sendos uniformes en los colores patrios, con La Monoestrellada y el logotipo de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (WBO, por sus siglas en inglés) en abrigo y pantalón, respectivamente. El organismo con sede en San Juan fue quien le regaló las vestiduras al equipo nacional, parte de su continuo apoyo al boxeo aficionado en Puerto Rico.

“Estamos muy agradecidos a ‘Paco’ Valcárcel y a la OMB porque siempre nos han apoyado no solo con los uniformes sino con equipo y otros artículos necesarios,” indicó el martes José “Chicky” Laureano, presidente de la Federación de Boxeo de Puerto Rico.

La caborrojeña Christina Cruz (51kg), Ashleyann Lozada (57 kg), Kiria Tapia (60 kg), la toalteña Stephanie Piñeiro (64 kg), Nisa Rodríguez (75 kg) integran la rama femenina del equipo. Rodríguez ganó oro en los Juegos Centroamericanos y Del Caribe del 2018 en Barranquilla, Colombia. Tapia ganó oro en los Juegos Panamericanos del 2011 en Guadalajara, México.

La rama masculina está compuesta por Yankiel Rivera (52 kg), Jan Paul Rivera (57 kg), Armani Almestica (63 kg), Bryan Polaco (69 kg) y el mocano Josué Barreto (81 kg).

La decena boricua se encuentra acuartelada en las alturas de Bogotá, Colombia, entrenando bajo la dirección de Carlos Espada, Elvin González y Manuel Class.

El torneo preolímpico de Buenos Aires comienza el 9 de mayo.

Savannah Marshall called out Claressa Shields for a huge showdown after she produced yet another dominant display by stopping Maria Lindberg in round three to retain her WBO middleweight title.

The two women were competing on the undercard of Conor Benn’s clash with Samuel Vargas at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.

Marshall (10-0, 8 KOs) was in total control throughout the fight, dropping Lindberg (19-7-2, 10 KOs) in round two, before following that up with another knockdown in the following round that the Swede was unable to recover from, meaning that Marshall got the win after 1:11 of round three.

Marshall becomes the first fighter to stop Lindberg, and has now made her intentions clear that she wants a battle with Shields next.

She said: “Utmost respect to Maria. I’m really grateful that she stepped in. On Sunday it looked like I wasn’t even fighting, so credit to her. Maria had never been stopped, and I didn’t think it would go like that but I’m happy with how I performed.

“It’s all about flow. Everything Peter Fury teaches me is all about hitting correctly and getting the most power. I’m over the moon with the progress I’m making with Peter.

[caption id="attachment_36424" align="alignnone" width="300"] *** FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE ***
Savannah Marshall vs Maria Lindberg, WBO World Female Middleweight title Fight.
10 April 2021
Picture By Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing

“I punch too hard for Claressa Shields. She doesn’t want to know. She would much rather roll about it in the Octagon and call out Katie Taylor who is four weight classes lower. I won’t wait forever, I want to be out in the summer.

“The IBF title is vacant at my weight, and if not that then I will go back up to super-middleweight and win a world title there. If Shields then gets some guts then we can have a big showdown at the end of the year.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “We’re making good progress on a Shields fight. Her teams know how dangerous the fight is and they want a lot of money, but I’m prepared to pay them.

“There is no way Shields goes 10 rounds with Savannah Marshall. Savannah is the only girl to beat Shields in her entire life. She beat her in the amateurs and she will do in the professionals.

“Shields is one of the top three female pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but she is wide open and can’t stand up to Savannah’s power. Savannah is the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in women’s boxing. Marshall vs. Shields is superfight that can headline in the USA or England, and I will do everything to try and make it.”

Photos by Mark Robinson/Dave Thompson/Matchroom Boxing

Joe Smith Jr., the small business owner and former union construction worker from Long Island, just wants to fight. Smith, who operates Team Smith Tree Service with his father, hopes to chop down Maxim Vlasov and win the vacant WBO light heavyweight world title Saturday evening at Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma (ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN, 10 p.m. ET).

Smith and Vlasov were scheduled for a pre-fight press conference once before, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. Vlasov tested positive for COVID-19 that day, and their scheduled Feb. 13 fight was temporarily derailed. Vlasov recovered, went home to Russia, and then finished training camp in Las Vegas.

Smith got married, but he delayed his honeymoon to focus on the task at hand. Instead of the bright lights of Las Vegas, they will do battle in the Sooner State in front of a sold-out crowd.

Before fight night, this is what both fighters had to say.

Joe Smith Jr.

“I was 100 percent ready to go back in February, but it’s OK. I had time to enjoy my wedding day and now I’m just ready to go once again.”

“I know what I’m going up against. He is a busy and aggressive guy with a lot of experience, but I have prepared well and I’m going to give 100 percent of myself to come out victorious.”

“Becoming world champion and hearing the words, ‘and new!’ it’s going to be an amazing feeling. This is everything I have been working for since I was 15 years old.”

Maxim Vlasov

“I’m sure that you will see no ring rust at all this time. I’ve been preparing well. I’ve been sharpening my skills, and I’m ready to give it my all, 100 percent.”

“I feel the same as a younger boxer who is less experienced because this is a great chance for me. This is a great responsibility, a great risk. I am very excited and motivated for this fight.”

“I have taken preparation seriously, watched many of his fights, and learned some things. I don’t like to talk about his weakest or strongest points or divulge any strategies or plans related to the fight.”

SATURDAY, April 10, 2021

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Maxim Vlasov, 12 rounds, Vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title

Efe Ajagba vs. Brian Howard, 10 rounds, heavyweight

ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT

Jared Anderson vs. Jeremiah Karpency, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Albert Bell vs. Manuel Rey Rojas, 8 rounds, junior lightweight

Robson Conceicao vs. Jesus Antonio Ahumada, 8 rounds, junior lightweight

Trey Lippe Morrison vs. Jason Bergman, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Duke Ragan vs. Charles Clark, 6 rounds, featherweight

Sonny Conto vs. Waldo Cortes, 4 rounds, heavyweight

Jeremiah Milton vs. Jayvone Dafney, 4 rounds, heavyweight

Mexican great Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, boxing’s busiest world champion, is set to kick off his 2021 campaign by reviving a long-standing pugilistic rivalry. Navarrete will make his first defense of the WBO featherweight world title Saturday, April 24 against Puerto Rican contender Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla.

In the co-feature, super middleweight Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga, 16-0, with 16 first-round stoppages, will step up in class against Demond Nicholson in a bout scheduled for eight rounds (or much less).

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with All Star Boxing and Zanfer Promotions, Navarrete-Diaz and Berlanga-Nicholson will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with undercard bouts to stream live and exclusively on ESPN+. Ticket information will be announced shortly.

“The sensational Emanuel Navarrete wanted a formidable opponent for his first featherweight title defense, and Christopher Diaz fits the bill,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We are also thrilled to have Edgar Berlanga back on ESPN, as he is the most devastating young puncher I’ve seen in ages.”

Navarrete (33-1, 28 KOs) burst onto the world scene in December 2018, battering Isaac Dogboe over 12 rounds to win the WBO junior featherweight world title. He is 7-0 since then, including five title defenses, all by stoppage. Navarrete moved up to featherweight and picked up the vacant WBO world title last October with a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Ruben Villa. Diaz (26-2, 16 KOs) is not unbeaten, but he is battle-tested, having challenged Masayuki Ito for the WBO junior lightweight world title in July 2018. He lost to Ito by unanimous decision and has gone 3-1 since moving down to featherweight. Diaz rebounded from a 2019 points loss to Shakur Stevenson, besting former world title challenger Jason Sanchez over 10 rounds last June inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

“I am a fighter who likes to face the best, and my challenge now is to beat the tough ‘Pitufo’ Diaz,” Navarrete said. “I know he is a good fighter, and I am sure we will give a great show to the people of Florida and to those watching us fight on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. On April 24, I will show that I am the best featherweight in the world. I will not let him take my championship to Puerto Rico. That belt will stay with me in San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico.”

Diaz said, “I have once again been given an opportunity to become a world champion, but there is something very different this time around. I will not fail. I will bring that much-needed world title to Puerto Rico. This is my time to become a world champion. God knows how much I have sacrificed and how much I have evolved. I live today to make my family happy, and it is time to change their lives. On April 24, there is no doubt that I will become world champion, and I will see you all on April 25 when I return to my island as world champion.”

The WBO 122-pound title will be on the line in Showtime’s first “Championship Boxing” of 2021.

By Michael Woods /badlefthook.com

During Showtime’s final event of 2020 on Saturday night, the first Showtime Championship Boxing attraction for 2021 was announced, with Angelo Leo set to defend his WBO 122-pound title against Stephen Fulton Jr in the main event.

The event, which features six fighters with a combined record of 97-1, will be held Saturday, Jan. 23 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., days after the previously announced ShoBox event on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Leo (20-0, 9 KO) captured the then-vacant WBO trinket in August when the two unbeaten 26-year-olds were originally set to meet, but Fulton was a COVID scratch. New Mexico’s Leo instead took on Tramaine Williams and won a clear decision over 12 rounds.

Fulton (18-0, 8 KO) was confident he was going to beat Leo in August, and now has the opportunity to claim the belt he wanted months ago.

The only current male world champion from Puerto Rico, Wilfredo “Bimbito” Mendez (16-1, 6 KOs), from Trujillo Alto, will have his third title defense on Wednesday, December 16th in the Dominican Republic. The event will be promoted by Shuan Boxing Promotions.

Mendez will put his WBO Mini-Flyweight (105 lbs) world title on the line when he faces the dangerous Venezuelan Alexis Díaz (25-2, 17 KOs) at the Hotel Catalonia in Santo Domingo. The world championship bout will be broadcast live on Shuan Boxing’s YouTube channel.

“The two defeats of my opponent have been in good fights against world champions (José Argumedo and Thammanoon Niyomtrong)”, Méndez said. “He goes into the ring with a lot of desire to take the title for Venezuela and I understand that we both will give the Dominican and world boxing fans a great fight.”

For his third defense, “Bimbito” trained at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I was working in Las Vegas with trainers Yoel González and Carlos de León. The physical work was made by Ángel “Memo” Heredia and I’m more than grateful to Mayweather’s people for treating us like family. Training with great champions like Angelo Leo and Gervonta Davis has been a great learning experience. In the sparring sessions, the six-time Puerto Rican national champion Yankiel Rivera helped me a lot. I am motivated and on December 16, I will show that the island of Coquí has a lot of boxing left in the tank,” Mendez said.

Photo by V. Planas

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)

In anticipation of the Nov. 14 showdown between WBO Welterweight World Champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former welterweight world champion Kell Brook, ESPN will debut Relentless: Terence Crawford, an in-depth interview with Crawford leading up to his return to the ring. Conducted by Andre Ward, ESPN boxing analyst, former two-division world champion and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist, the special airs Sunday, Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

During the interview, Crawford discusses his desire to fight the other welterweight world champions, his win-at-all-costs mentality, and his legacy as a three-weight world champion and the fighter many experts regard as the pound-for-pound king.

Crawford said, “I always ask people, ‘What’s your why? Why do you do the things you do?’ Because I know mine. I’ve gotta feed my family. You’re not gonna take food off my family’s table. That’s my why. It’s my family.

“There’s nothing in this world that I can do or participate in that I don’t want to win in. If I’m gonna do it, I want to do it to win. People doubting you, everybody looking at you like you’re gonna be another nothing, so it just made me hungry.”

Relentless: Terence Crawford will be preceded by ESPN, Updating the Welterweight Division, an in-depth look at one of boxing’s most talent-rich divisions, airing at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Crawford-Brook headlines a packed card that will feature the WBA super flyweight world title rematch between champion Joshua Franco and the man he defeated to win the title, Andrew Moloney. Crawford-Brook and Franco-Moloney 2 and the return of junior welterweight knockout sensation Elvis Rodriguez will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET, with undercard action to stream live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Use the hashtags #CrawfordBrook and #FrancoMoloney2 to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

Mexican star Jaime Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) retained his WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Championship by defeating Tureano Johnson (21-3-1, 15 KOs) of Nassau, Bahamas at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and live on DAZN. The fight ended in abrupt fashion after an uppercut from Munguia caused a severe cut on Johnson’s lip, which earned him the knockout win at the send of the sixth round.

“I’m delighted to get the victory,” said Jaime Munguia. “He surprised us early in the fight. He has a style that makes one very uncomfortable. But my corner told me to adjust and find my distance. Then I found the right uppercut. I saw that he had gotten cut from it, and then it was just a matter of time. I am ready for all the best fighters of my division.”

Elwin “La Pulga” Soto (18-1, 12 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico retained his WBO Junior Flyweight World Title against Carlos Buitrago (32-6-1, 18 KOs) of Managua, Nicaragua via 12-round unanimous decision. Soto won with scores of 115-113, 117-111 and 119-109.

“I’m very happy to walk away with the victory,” said Elwin Soto. “I tried pressure as much as I good to score a win. These are the kind of tough fights you are in when a world title is at stake. His style was difficult for me, but I felt I did enough to win.”

For the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Super Middleweight Championship Bektemir Melkuziev (6-0, 5 KOs) defeated Alan Campa (17-5, 11 KOs) via 3rd-round KO.

Photos by Tom Hogan / Golden Boy Boxing

Luego de las espectaculares actuaciones del pasado viernes, de los campeones mundiales mexicanos, Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada y Julio César “Rey” Martínez, ahora toca el turno al monarca Minimosca WBO , Elwin “Pulga” Soto, de demostrar que él también, es uno de los mejores peleadores del mundo en las divisiones menores, que es un campeón mundial sólido, y que lo mejor, está por venir.

“Pulga” Soto (17-1-0, 12 ko’s) de la escuadra de Promociones de Fernando Beltrán expondrá por segunda vez su campeonato, enfrentándose al peligroso retador nicaragüense Carlos Buitrago (32-5-1, 18 ko’s) este viernes, en Indio California, en función de Golden Boy y Zanfer que será transmitida a nivel internacional por la plataforma DAZN, y retransmitida el sábado por Azteca 7, la Casa del Boxeo.

Soto, de 23 años de edad y originario de San Felipe, Baja California, dio la gran campanada al convertirse en campeón del mundo en junio de 2019, noqueando en el round 12 a Ángel Acosta, considerado un fenómeno y la próxima gran figura del boxeo boricua, que entonces llevaba un récord de 20-1-0, y todos sus triunfos por nocaut. En esa pelea, el “Pulga”, que nunca había peleado más de ocho rounds en una contienda, se llevó hasta el round 12 al “Aguacerito”, y lo noqueó en una contienda en la que iba abajo en las puntuaciones.

En su primera defensa venció por decisión unánime al hasta entonces invicto filipino, Edward Heno, y en su más reciente pelea, el 15 de febrero, liquidó en un round a Javier Rendón.

Sin embargo, le espera un rival de gran peligro como el “Chocorroncito” Buitrago, quien ya fue campeón mundial, y que aunque apenas tiene 28 años de edad, tiene una experiencia de 39 peleas (234 rounds), contra las 18 (81) de Soto.

Buitrago ha conquistado cuatro campeonatos internacionales (Juvenil Mínimo OMB, Fedecentro Mínimo AMB, Latino Mínimo OMB y NABA Mínimo), y de las cinco derrotas que aparece en su récord, sólo dos han sido por nocaut, disputando campeonatos mundiales y en casa de sus rivales. Ane Hiroto Kyoguchi en diciembre de 2017 en Japón (título mundial Mínimo FIB) y ante Ángel Acosta en junio de 2018 en Puerto Rico (título mundial Minimosca OMB).

El duelo entre “Pulga” Soto y “Chocorroncito” Buitrago será el principal de respaldo de la función que será encabezada por la pelea de campeonato Intercontinental Medio WBO , entre el tijuanense Jaime “Destructor” Munguía (35-0-0, 28 ko’s), ex monarca mundial Superwelter y el bahamés Tureano Johnson (21-2-1, 15 ko’s).

En la misma función de este viernes en Indio, California, otro mexicano estará involucrado en otra pelea de gran importancia para la proyección de su carrera. El sonorense Alan Campa (17-5-0, 11 ko’s) se enfrentará al uzbeko, y medallista de plata en los Juegos Olímpicos de Río 2016, el zurdo Bektemir Melikuziev (5-0-0, 4 ko’s) estando en juego el vacante campeonato Intercontinental Supermedio WBO.

(October 14, 2020) — Two-plus years of bad blood ignited Wednesday evening when Unified WBO lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez shared the stage for Wednesday’s press conference in advance of Saturday’s super fight (ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET).

Lomachenko and Lopez had not been in the same room since last Dec.14, the night Lopez knocked out Richard Commey to win his world title. Shortly after that sensational knockout, Lomachenko entered the ring and welcomed Lopez to his club.

The lightweight champions sat 12 feet apart on a stage inside the ring. The tension never boiled over, but it was palpable. This is what they had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I won’t know {how the layoff will impact me} until Saturday night. I have never been out of the ring for one full year like this. Ever. I don’t know how it will be.”

“I think it’s just a ring and judges and TV. That’s it. And, of course, four belts.”

“I’m thinking only about my future fight and the fight on Saturday. That’s it.”

“For me, I think it will be a chess match.”

Teofimo Lopez

“Hard work pays off. Eighteen years in, and it’s just the beginning, You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“The Takeover is not just a phrase we throw out there. This is the part where I’m leading the new generation. Winning this is a stamp and a mark to put on for the new era.”

“Get your popcorn ready and just enjoy the show. It’s ‘The Takeover.'”

“A true champion can adapt to everything. It goes for both of us. He fought in arenas sold out. I fought in arenas sold out. My job and my thing are having all of these belts wrapped around me.”

Photos by M. Williams / Top Rank

LAS VEGAS (October 9, 2020) — New weight class, same buzzsaw. Former junior featherweight world champion Emanuel Navarrete defeated Ruben Villa via unanimous decision (115-111 and 114-112 2X) to win the vacant WBO featherweight world title Friday evening from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center.

Navarrete (33-1, 28 KOs), who made five defenses of his WBO junior featherweight world title, is now a two-weight world champion.

Navarrete knocked down Villa in the first and fourth rounds to build a healthy lead on the scorecards. Villa (18-1, 5 KOs), a slick southpaw boxer, did not have the power to keep the all-pressure Navarrete honest. He did, however, find a rhythm in the fight’s closing stages and nearly did enough in the minds of the judges to salvage a draw.

Navarrete said, “I knew that Villa was a fighter that moved a lot, and I knew that he was going to move even more once he felt my power. I didn’t get the knockout, but I got the victory.

“I’m very happy with this championship. It’s a reflection of all the sacrifices and all the hard work I put in. I conquered my second weight class because of all that hard work.

“I have my sights set on all the world champions at 126. I would love to face {Josh} Warrington. I think that our styles will make for a great fight.”

Qazaq Style Thunder

Middleweight contender Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly brought the thunder. The 2016 Olympian improved to 9-0 with a devastating second-round knockout over Gonzalo Coria (16-4, 6 KOs), who had never been stopped as a professional. An overhand left from the southpaw knocked Coria down and nearly through the ropes. The full count was not needed, as Alimkhanuly upped his knockout streak to three.

Alimkhanuly said, “I want to fight a world champion soon, like Demetrius Andrade and Jermall Charlo. Canelo, of course. Top Rank promotes Ryota Murata at 160. I want to fight him as well. Whoever the top guys are 160, I want them next.”

Photos by M. Williams / Top Rank

Congrats to Juan Carlos Tapia, who is nominated for the third year in a row in the Broadcaster category for the International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Boxing Hall of Fame at Canastota, New York.

He began his television program “LO MEJOR DEL BOXEO”, specialized in boxing, which has been broadcast uninterruptedly for the past 45 years and obtained the Guinness World Record on December 8, 2016, as the oldest sports program on world television with the same presenter.

Currently next January, it will be 46 years on the air.

His program has been seen in different Latin American countries such as: Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, all of Central America, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, etc.

Mr. Tapia is the producer, director and main presenter of the program “LO MEJOR DEL BOXEO” and his greatest achievement is considered to have given his country to see all the important boxing events on open television live and by Satellite, avoiding pay-per-view or cable costs to most countries broadcasting boxing. Thanks to Mr. Tapia, Panamanians see the greatest boxing shows for free.

He has participated as a boxing connoisseur in several boxing documentaries such as:

1. The Fist of a Nation, winner of several international awards.
2. Special Program produced by ESPN worldwide, “No más”
3. Documentary made by the British company ADHOC FILMS, broadcast worldwide called “I am Durán”.

He has been a principal advisor to the following film events:

1. Hands of Stone
2. No más
3. I am Duran
4. Various boxing documentaries produced for Latin America