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By Miguel Rivera –

There have already been a few upsets in 2017, and super featherweight contender Jason Sosa is ready to create another one.

This coming Wednesday he will travel to Maryland for the most important challenge of his career, when he faces WBO world champion Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs) next Saturday night in an HBO televised main event.

“We are already finishing with the preparation, it was excellent, hard. The condition that I’m in has made me very happy and I’m ready for April 8,” Sosa told ESPN Deportes about the fight at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland  “I am very grateful to Vasyl Lomachenko and his team for giving me the fight, but he is not a perfect fighter and we will see that.”

Jason said that he did a lot of work on everything… the physical part, the technical part, the speed, the defense, counter-punching, and everything that is necessary to beat a heavily favored fighter.

“Lomachenko is a fighter that you have to respect, he has brought good things to boxing but I am mentally ready. I have not been the favorite before, but I know that beating Lomachenko is going to change my life and that’s what I want. I want to be the best boxer in the world. I know I can reach my goal,” Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KOs) said.

“I have a little bit of everything, I am a boxer, I am brave, but above everything I am intelligent. I do not take anything away from Orlando Salido who already beat [Lomachenko] and he is a good fighter, but I have more than Salido and also I’m younger. This April 8th, Lomachenko is going to get shocked.”

Sosa, who vacated the World Boxing Association ‘regular’ title in order to take this fight, has no regrets over making that decision and hopes to claim a new world title for Puerto Rico.

www.boxingscene.boxingscene.com/sosa-ive-got-more-salido-lomachenko-getting-shocked–115202?print_friendly=1

 

i In just his second pro fight, Vasyl Lomachenko, left, lost a split decision against Orlando Salido in 2014. Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports –

LAS VEGAS — On June 4, junior lightweight titlist Francisco Vargas and former titleholder Orlando Salido battled to a draw in an epic action fight that is easily the leading contender for fight-of-the-year honors.

It was exactly what most expected as Vargas was coming off a dramatic comeback knockout of Takashi Miura to win the 130-pound belt in November in the 2015 fight of the year, and Salido is almost always in an exciting fight.

In fact, the fight with Vargas was Salido’s fourth consecutive ridiculous action fight, all of which were fight-of-the-year contenders. There were also two sick fights last year against Rocky Martinez (a loss and a draw, both debatable results) and an 11th-round knockout of Terdsak Kokietgym in a knockdown-filled slugfest.

The fight before Kokietgym, Salido scored a split-decision win against Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs), the brilliant two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist fighting for a featherweight title in only his second pro fight. Salido got the better of him, although not by much, in their March 2014 fight.

Now it’s time for Salido (43-13-4, 30 KOs), a fan favorite from Mexico, to figure out his next move. At 35 and with a ton of wars on his resume, he wants (and deserves) the biggest possible fight for the most amount of money.

A rematch with Vargas was the obvious move. However, Vargas was badly busted up in the fight and his team is not interested in an immediate rematch, and who can blame them? He will heal up and then look for a fight that won’t be nearly as demanding, with the potential for a rematch against Salido in the second half of 2017.

That makes the obvious match for Salido a rematch with Lomachenko, who moved up in weight and knocked out Martinez to win a junior lightweight title in June. He would love nothing more than to exact revenge on Salido. It is a fight that is certainly makeable with no promotional or television network entanglements.

Salido promoter Zanfer Promotions wants to make it. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, Lomachenko’s promoter, has designs on putting it together this fall, perhaps at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, site of Vargas-Salido. HBO, which aired the first fight, should have interest as it is in the Lomachenko business.

“Lomachenko is the fight that Orlando wants as long as he’s paid,” Sean Gibbons, Salido’s manager, told ESPN.com last week in the Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol media center at the MGM Grand. “At StubHub, the people will be there for him. At this point it’s strictly business. He’ll be 36 in November. At this point you want to make him the best fight for the most money.

“If he can’t get Lomachenko and get paid like he feels he should he will go to Mexico and have a stay-busy fight waiting for Vargas. That’s the fight people want to see. He’s finally in position to get paid. He has fought four fights in the last three years that were either fight of the year or candidates for fight of the year. The guy does not make a bad fight.”

Salido has taken short money plenty of times, but Gibbons said he would not do so again for rematches with either Vargas or Lomachenko. But he also said their side would not be unreasonable.

“We’re not Nicholas Walters,” Gibbons said, referring to the former featherweight titlist who turned down career-high money twice to avoid Lomachenko. “We’re here to make the fight, not kill the fight. Tell Bob to get creative. He’s a Hall of Fame promoter. He knows how to come up with the funds.”

Gibbons said whatever direction Salido goes in it should be figured out in the next week or so.  Salido says he wants to fight Lomachenko again, especially with Vargas unavailable.

“You did not see the best Orlando Salido in the first fight [with Lomachenko]. I had issues with my weight and I want to put all doubts aside by beating Lomachenko again,” Salido told ESPN.com, referring to the fact that he missed weight and was stripped of his featherweight belt. “I am tired of hearing all the excuses why I beat him the first time.

“The media says it was his second fight. He chose to fight me too soon. Then they say it was the referee. Then they say it was the weight. Enough with all the excuses. Let’s do it again and I will show everyone how a real Mexican fights! I am not a Frankenstein boxer like Rocky Martinez. I have real skills and, at the end of the day, Lomachenko can make a million excuses for what happened the first time but he will see I have his number when we fight again. I have told my manager, Sean Gibbons, and my promoter Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions, go and get me the biggest and best fights that are out there.”

Salido also took a swipe at Vargas for the disinterest in an immediate rematch.

“I realize that Francisco Vargas does not have the heart of a real champion and give me the rematch I deserve so I turn to a fighter that wants to fight a real champion, Vasyl Lomachenko,” Salido said. “I have never ducked a challenge in my 20 years of boxing and I will not start now. This is how all the great ones have done it — Julio Caesar Chavez, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Israel Vasquez, Juan Manuel Marquez. Real Mexicans do not make excuses. They fight the fights the fans want to see.”

www.espn.com/blog/dan-rafael/post/_/id/16450/salido-wants-rematch-with-lomachenko

 

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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

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By Victor Salazar –

New York – For a boxer who is officially taking part in his 7th pro fight, there are a lot of story lines for Vasyl Lomachenko (5-1, 3KOs). On June 11th, he has the opportunity to become a two time two weight division world title should he defeat Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez.

The highly decorated amateur could foresee himself winning titles up to 147 lbs. That would almost certainly pave a way to Canastota and the Boxing Hall of Fame. Those are fights that Lomachenko isn’t particularly focused on but would welcome the praise if so.

“I’m going to be proud to make records in the history book as an athlete its very very important,” Lomachenko told BoxingScene.com. “I never thought about become a hall of fame fighter but If people choose me to be there, it would be an honor.”

True to the form of a fighter, Lomachenko still dawns on his first and only pro loss to Orlando Salido in 2014. In a fight where Salido failed to make weight and rehydrated to a welterweight, the contest saw the Mexican slugger fight his way to a foul-filled twelve round split decision victory.

Salido would then move up to 130-pounds, while Lomachenko pursued his goal of winning a world title at 126 – which he did one fight later with a majority decision win over Gary Russell Jr.

On June 4th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, Salido will challenge undefeated Francisco Vargas for the WBC super featherweight championship.

Lomachenko plans to sit ringside that night, with the hope that Salido comes through with a big title win. The two-time Olympic gold medal winner hopes to rematch Salido in a year-end unification.

“It gives me a lot of motivation, Lomachenko said. “I’m going to be cheering for Salido to make sure he wins so I can get my revenge.”

www.boxingscene.com/lomachenko-root-salido-beat-vargas-then-revenge–104489?print_friendly=1

WBO_logo

Purse Bid Minutes

WBO JR. LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
ROMAN “ROCKY” MARTINEZ vs. MIGUEL BERCHELT

Purse Bid was convened for January 12, 2016 on 12:00 Noon at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, USA

Purse Bid Attendees:

  1. Representing Zanfer Promotions, a member of their staff, Mr. Aldo Barba
  2. Representing All Star Boxing, Inc, Mr. Felix Zabala
  3. Also present, Mr. Sean Gibbons, Orlando Salido’s Manager; and,
  4. Mr. Peter Rivera, PR Best Boxing DBA The Brothers Entertainment’s Vice-President

Prior to commencing the Purse Bid, Mr. Peter Rivera made note that a Complaint had been sent regarding the designation of Miguel Berchelt as Mandatory Challenger for Roman “Rocky” Martinez in the 130 pound division because such designation did not meet the requirements of WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests. He also stated that Roman Martinez had a contract with the Showtime Network for a match facing Orlando Salido on March 12, 2016.

The intention was to stop the Purse Bid.

President Francisco Valcarcel presided the Purse Bid and stated for the record that the designation of Miguel Berchelt as the 130 lbs. Mandatory Challenger had been made during the WBO Convention on October 29, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Furthermore, he stated that Mr. Peter Rivera, representing Roman Martinez, as well as Mr. Sean Gibbons, representing Orlando Salido, had accepted the Mandatory Challenger designation and had pledged that the winner of the bout between Roman Martinez and Orlando Salido would face within 120 days of the bout the Mandatory Challenger, Miguel Berchelet.

That at the time, neither Mr. Rivera nor Mr. Gibbons, protested the appointment of Mr. Berchelet as Challenger.

That the Championship Committee voted and approved Mr. Peter Rivera’s request for a Martinez-Salido III bout and that the winner had to face the designated Mandatory Challenger, Miguel Berchelt, within 120 days.

President Valcarcel stated for the record that Mr. Peter Rivera did not have any commitment with the Showtime Network for a March 12, 2016 bout, nor had he had one for February 20, 2016.

Mr. Valcarcel added that both Sean Gibbons, Orlando Salido’s manager, as well as Promoter Fernando Beltran, had advised him that Peter Rivera had not offered them the necessary guarantees that Showtime Network had given PR Best Boxing DBA The Brothers Entertainment the March 12, 2016 date to hold the Martinez-Salido III bout. That Mr. Peter Rivera had not sent the P.R. Professional Boxing Commission any letter stating that they committed themselves to the WBO appointing the officials of the bout and that these could not be Puerto Rico officials.

For the reasons stated above, Attorney Francisco Valcarcel proceeded with the Purse Bid given that sufficient time had been allotted to finalize negotiations, without reaching the necessary conditions for the bout to take place.

Mr. Peter Rivera announced that he would not bid.

The Purse Bid proceeded in accordance with the conditions established therein by the WBO Championship Committee regarding the 10% deposit in a certified check or cash and that the balance amount had to be deposited by the Purse Bid winner no later than 15 days after the Purse Bid.

It was stated for the record that both parties gave proof that they were World Boxing Organization Bona Fide 2016 promoters.

All Star Boxing, Mr. Felix Zabala, handed Mr. Valcarcel his first envelope containing a certified check in the amount of $1,000 (One Thousand Dollars) to cover the Purse Bid Service Fee. Zanfer Promotions presented the first envelope that contained the cash amount of $1,000 (One Thousand Dollars) for the Purse Bid Service Fee.

All Star’s second envelope contained a certified check in the amount of $20,150 (Twenty Thousand One Hundred Fifty Dollars) corresponding to 10% of $201,500 (Two Hundred One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars) with their three proposed sites and dates.

Zanfer submitted a certified check in the amount of $25,100 (Twenty-Five Thousand One Hundred Dollars) corresponding 10% of the Purse Bid amount of $251,000 (Two Hundred Fifty-One Thousand Dollars) and proposed the following dates:

March 12th 2016 –Mexico
April 2nd 2016–Mexico
April 9th 2016–Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Taking into consideration both proposals, the Purse Bid was awarded to Zanfer Promotions, who must deposit within the 15 days from the date of the Purse Bid, the amount of $225,900.00 (Two Hundred Twenty-Five Nine Hundred Dollars) on behalf of World Boxing Organization to be deposited into the “Escrow” account.

Zanfer shall submit within 10 days the fighters contracts and the fighter have 10 days to sign the same and then, the contracts must be sent to the World Boxing Organization.

If the conditions herein exposed are not met, the second bidder, All Star, is entitled to be awarded the Purse Bid, having met within five (5) days the deposit of balance stated in the Purse Bid.

The Purse Bid ended at 12:32 P.M.

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Junior lightweights Roman “Rocky” Martinez and Orlando Salido have produced two fight of the year candidates in 2015. AP Photo/Steve Marcus –

Although the television outlet and venue have not been determined, junior lightweight titlist Rocky Martinez will fight Orlando Salido for the third time on Feb. 20, Salido manager Sean Gibbons told ESPN.com.

Puerto Rico’s Martinez and Mexico’s Salido waged two ultra-exciting fights in 2015 to add to the great boxing rivalry between their countries.

On April 11, in San Juan, Martinez, 32, knocked down Salido, 35, twice, with Salido also getting a point deducted for low blows in an otherwise highly competitive fight. In the end, Martinez won a unanimous decision in a fight of the year candidate and took Salido’s 130-pound world title.

They met in a rematch on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas on the Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto undercard and put on another tremendous show. This time Martinez (29-2-3, 17 KOs) retained the title by split draw in another furious battle that most thought Salido (42-13-3, 29 KOs) deserved to win.

A third fight was approved in October at the WBO’s annual convention and now the date is locked in.

“We just need to work out the site and TV is still in the works,” said Gibbons, although the likely TV outlet would seem to be either Showtime or a Premier Boxing Champions card.

While Martinez’s camp would like for the third fight to be in Puerto Rico, Gibbons said their side would prefer for the fight to be either in the United States or Mexico.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dan-rafael/post/_/id/14885/gibbons-martinez-salido-iii-on-feb-20

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Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer –

Junior lightweight titlist Roman “Rocky” Martinez and former titleholder Orlando Salido fought two exciting, close fights in 2015 to add another chapter to the great Puerto Rico-versus-Mexico boxing rivalry.

Now they are headed for a third fight in early 2016.

Both fighters and their handlers were at the WBO’s annual convention last week in Orlando, Florida, where the sanctioning body approved a third fight between them.

“There is no doubt in my mind that I won the second fight, but the judges didn’t see it that way,” Salido said. “So I think the only right thing to do is fight a third time to determine who really is the best of the two. It seems that we are made for each other, and the fights are getting better. The first one was good, the second was better and the third will be the best.”

On April on Martinez’s turf in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Martinez, 32, knocked Mexico’s Salido, 34, down twice, and Salido had a point deducted for low blows in an otherwise highly competitive fight. In the end, Martinez won a unanimous decision in a fight of the year candidate and took Salido’s 130-pound world title.

They met in a rematch on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas in the co-feature of the Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto welterweight world title fight and put on another tremendous show. This time Martinez (29-2-3, 17 KOs) retained the title by split draw in another hellacious battle that most thought Salido (42-13-3, 29 KOs) deserved to win.

“We feel that he should have gotten the win, but it did not happen that way in September,” said Sean Gibbons, who manages Salido. “I am happy that everyone is working on getting this third fight done, especially the champ and his team and that the WBO is good with it. I know we will get it done, and it’s going to be another great war.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/dan-rafael/post/_/id/14415/martinez-salido-headed-toward-trilogy-fight

Date:  Saturday – September 12, 2015

WBO JR. LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter:  Mayweather Promotions

Supervisor:  Francisco Valcarcel, Esq.

Referee:  Vic Drakulich

Judges:  Patricia Morse Jarman (113-115); Burt A. Clements (115-113); Glenn Feldman (114-114)

Results:   Roman “Rocky” Martinez retained the WBO Jr. Lightweight Championship title with a split draw against Orlando Salido.

TV:  Australia Main Events; USA Showtime

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Puerto Rico’s Roman “Rocky” Martinez and Mexico’s Orlando Salido are no strangers to action-packed fights, so when they squared off on April 11 in San Juan, it came as no surprise that they waged a fight of the year candidate.

It was a slugfest from the start. Martinez scored two knockdowns and Salido lost a point for a low blow in the 11th round of a terrific fight. In the end, Martinez held off a late push from Salido and was awarded a unanimous decision — 116-109, 115-110 and 114-111 — to claim a junior lightweight world title for the third time.

It was the kind of fight for which a rematch was a natural, and that is exactly what is happening. But instead of taking place in Puerto Rico again, or giving Salido a chance for revenge in Mexico, they will take center stage in the co-feature on the undercard of pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather’s welterweight title defense — and supposed career finale — against former two-time welterweight titlist Andre Berto on Saturday night (Showtime PPV, 8 ET) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“I am very happy we are fighting in a neutral territory for our rematch, not in Puerto Rico again,” said Salido, who won featherweight world titles three times before claiming a junior lightweight belt last September by knocking out Thailand’s Terdsak Kokietgym in the 11th round of an epic fight of the year candidate that featured seven knockdowns. “I was very prepared for the first fight but the referee wouldn’t let me fight my fight. It seemed the referee was talking to me the whole 12 rounds. I was trying to focus only on my opponent, but I couldn’t.”

Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs), 32, and Salido (42-13-2, 29 KOs), 34, both declared before the first fight that it would be memorable and they are at it again heading into the rematch.

“Everyone saw that the first fight against Salido was a true war. This time around, I’m planning to give my fans the same type of fight,” Martinez said. “I predict a nonstop action slugfest.

“I feel the rematch is a very exciting fight for television, the kind fans love. For me, it gives me a chance to leave no doubt in anybody’s mind that I am the champion.”

Said Salido, “Now I know his weaknesses. I am going to attack from the very first moment. I know what to do for the victory. I’m definitely going to regain this title for Mexico. I don’t feel it, I know it. I’m very excited about this fight. This is a very special month for Mexico and in particular because of that, I’m going to get this victory.

“There’s always a very special rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico and I feel it, which is why I so badly want to win this title for Mexico.”

i

For Salido’s part, he said he is not making any changes. He’ll come to fight hard, as always, and see what happens.

“I’m not going to do much different other than to gain the victory this time,” he said.

And if Salido gets the win to even the score there will, of course, surely be talk of a trilogy.

“If the fans want a third fight after I am victorious then so be it. Let’s make it happen,” Salido said. “But in my mind I’m coming out only thinking about this fight. That is my only focus at the moment. I want to come out and fight an intelligent fight. I know Roman is going to be at his best, but when he steps inside the ring I want to put on a spectacular performance for all the fans and everyone watching on pay-per-view.”

Said Martinez, “I know it’s going to be a great fight and that if the fans want a third fight then I’m willing to oblige, but it will have to be on my point because I’m going to be victorious yet again over Orlando Salido.”

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/13614740/martinez-salido-rematch-headlines-mayweather-berto-undercard

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Photos: Ivan Ojeda/PRBBP –

In the latest Mexico vs. Puerto Rico showdown, Ramon Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) won the WBO super featherweight championship for the third time with a twelve round unanimous decision over reigning titleholder Orlando “Siri” Salido (42-13-2, 29 KOs) on Saturday night at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was a war from the get-go. Salido was relentless the first two rounds, but got dropped by Martinez in round three and again in round five. The champion battled back hard, but was deducted a point for a low blow in round eleven. Salido closed strong, but it was too little too late. Scores were 114-111, 115-110, 116-109.

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http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/martinez-dethrones-salido-286091

 

Date:  Saturday – April 11, 2015

WBO JR. LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Promoter:    Puerto Rico Best Boxing / Ivan Rivera; Peter Rivera

Supervisor:  Genaro Rodriguez

Referee:   Jose H. Rivera

Judges:   Rocky Young (115-110);  Jose Roberto Torres (114-111); Levi Martinez (116-109)

Results:   Roman “Rocky” Martinez won the WBO Jr. Lightweight Title against Orlando “Siri” Salido by Unanimous Decision.  Salido down twice and lost one point for low blows.

TV:  USA Direct TV   Russia BoxingTV

WBO 130 pound World Champion Orlando Siri Salido arrives in San Juan Puerto Rico . He was with his manager Sean Gibbons , Trainer Santos Moreno , Cutman Jose Chapo Miranda . He was greeted by WBO president Paco Valcarcel , WBO Jose Izquierdo, and PR Best Promoter Peter Rivera. Orlando is defending his belt Apr 11 vs Rocky Martinez.  A formal announcement will be made Thursday in San Juan .

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By:  Lem Satterfield –

Three-time titlist Orlando Salido will defend his WBO junior lightweight title against two-time beltholder Rocky Martinez on April 11 at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, promoter Peter Rivera of PR Best informed RingTV.com on Thursday.

“Salido is the champion and we believe that it’s a great, great fight,” said Rivera. “We are planning to make an announcement next week. This is an excellent fight for the new arena in San Juan.”

Called “a very exciting fighter” by Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum,  Salido (42-12-2, 29 knockouts) is coming off September’s 11th-round stoppage of Terdsak Kokietgym, representing Salido’s junior lightweight debut.

Salido earned the WBO’s belt with the win over Kokietgym but has since been elevated to full titlist status given that Mikey Garcia vacated the belt to move up in weight, according to organization President Paco Valcarcel.

Click here for a video of Salido-Kokietgym

Kokietgym was floored in the first, fourth, seventh and 11th rounds before referee Eddie Claudio waved an end to the bout at the 16-second mark of the 11th.

Entering the bout with Kokietgym, Salido, 34, was coming off a split decision victory over Vasyl Lomachenko last March, having already lost his WBO featherweight title on the scales prior to the fight.

Since losing his WBO title following a unanimous decision to Ricky Burns in Sept. of 2010, Martinez (28-2-2, 17 KOs) is 4-1-1 with two knockouts and has been involved in three split decisions, one being a draw.

Martinez, 32, regained the vacant belt with a split decision over Miguel Beltran Jr. in Sept. 2012, battled to the draw with Juan Carlos Burgos in Jan. 2013 and successfully defended his strap once again with a split decision over previously undefeated Diego Magdaleno in April 2013.

Martinez lost that title in his next bout in Nov. 2013 via eighth round stoppage loss to Mikey Garcia. In his most recent fight in December, Martinez knocked out Herbert Quartey in the second round.

“Martinez deserves a chance to become a champion for the third time in the same weight class,” said Rivera. “Salido is very popular in Puerto Rico, so this will be a super fight for Puerto Rico on that date.”

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/380225-salido-to-defend-wbo-belt-vs-martinez-on-april-11

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By Felipe Leon –

Photos: Renzo Novara –

It was a wild-wild west affair last night at the Tijuana Municipal Auditorium as a total of twenty knockdowns, seven in the main event, were witnessed by a nearly sold out enthusiastic crowd. Two world titles were contested in an event presented by Zanfer Promotions and broadcast live by the Azteca channel in Mexico and BEIN Sports in the U.S. In the main event, former featherweight champ Orlando “Siri” Salido (42-12-2, 29KO) captured the interim WBO 130lb title with an eleventh round KO win over the tough as nails Terdsak Kokietgym (53-5-1, 33KO) in rough and tumble fight of the year candidate. Both men went down multiple times as they left it all in the ring in a fight that ignited the crowd and made Kokietgym a local hero for his display of grit and heart, two virtues Mexican fight fans love.

Salido lost his featherweight title in his last fight by coming in overweight in his fight against Vasyl Lomachenko last March. Salido gave Lomachenko a rude welcoming to the pro ranks as he beat him via a split decision. Salido quickly after announced his graduation to the 130-pound division with a direct shot at the interim title. The championship bout marked only the fourth time he traveled outside of Asia. The three times before he faced top-level opposition and came up short against Joan Guzman, Juan Manuel Marquez and Steven Luevano. His last loss was two years ago when he challenged Japanese Takahiro Ao for the WBC title.

The southpaw Kokietgym made his presence known early on with a right hook that dropped Salido in the first round but the Mexican out of Ciudad Obregon returned the favor a minute later with a hook to the body. Every punch thrown by both men was with bad intentions and as Salido looked to close the round he was hurt by a straight left flush to the face.

Salido began to score with uppercuts from either fist through the middle and coupling them with hooks in the second but near the of the round Kokietgym of Bangkok, Thiland, erased all the work by seating Salido on the canvas with another straight left. Not to be deterred, Salido continued with his constant pressure as Kokietgym, who seemed to hit a bit harder, countered with that straight that didn’t seem to miss. It looked that Salido had scored another knockdown in the fourth after landing a right hook but the referee Eddie Claudio called it a slip. Salido kept plugging along and before the end of the round he did score the knockdown near the end of the round.

Looking for the finish early in the fifth, Salido was put down by another straight left between the Mexican’s power punches. By this point it looked that Kokietgym was slowing down and Salido was warmed up as “Siri” pushed the fight with constant pressure. With Salido landing a number of punches and Kokietgym’s back against the ropes, referee Eddie Claudio jumped in and broke them up thinking the bell had rung. Salido’s corner began celebrating before Claudio was able to bring back order and ordered them to continue.

The tide changed in the last round and Kokietgym changed his strategy as he began to box from the outside instead of going head-on against Salido as he did in the first six rounds. It didn’t matter as Salido caught him against the ropes and landed a barrage of punches that dropped the Thai once again.

Kokietgym was now working on pure heart and determination while Salido landed head snapping uppercuts. A right hand snapped Kokietgym’s head back in the middle of the eight and in the ninth the Asian fought most of his round with his hounds down and moving around the perimeter of the ring.

The Thai had his second win in the tenth as he threw caution to the wind and brought the fight to Salido keeping the action up close and scoring good punches with Salido’s back on the ropes. Salido was able to counterpunch well but Kokietgym showed a granite chin until the next round when Salido scored a three-punch combo punctuated with a left uppercut that crumbled Kokietgym to the canvas. Referee Eddie Claudio didn’t administer a count and instead called for the ringside doctor. After some tense minutes, Kokietgym recuperated. Official time was :16 of the 11th round.

After the bout, most of the crowd made their way to the exits including the ambulance. Since a fight can’t commence with no medical personnel present, there was a forty-five delay for the walk-out bouts to get going.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/full-report-salido-kokietgym-261880

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Date:  Saturday, September 20, 2014

WBO INTERIM JR.  LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:  Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

Promoter:  Promociones Zanfer / Fernando Beltran

Supervisor:   Luis Perez

Referee:  Eddie Claudio

Judges:  Patricia Morse Harman, Robert Hoyle, John Madfis

Results:   Orlando “Siri” Salido obtained the WBO Interim Jr. Lightweight Title against Terdsak Kokietgym by TKO in round 11.

TV:  USA belN Sports en español

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El excampeón mundial mexicano Orlando “Siri” Salido es un peleador de probada experiencia, calidad y combatividad. Su estilo le ha alcanzado para ser campeón mundial y para brindar una de las más gratas sorpresas en los últimos años, cuando de manera espectacular noqueó a Juan Manuel López para conquistar el título mundial Pluma OMB.

El sábado 20, en Tijuana, el “Siri” querrá dar el tradicional grito de “Viva México” cuando busque su segundo título mundial en distintas divisiones, ahora el interino Superpluma OMB, en una espectacular velada boxística que presentará Zanfer de doble campeonato mundial, y que será transmitida por la “Casa del Boxeo”, Azteca 7.

Orlando Salido (41-12-2, 28 ko’s) se enfrentará al sólido peleador tailandés, Terdsak “Pit Bull” Kokietgym (53-4-1, 33 ko’s) en un disputado entre dos peleadores de experiencia y gran roce internacional.

El “Siri” ya fue campeón mundial y se ha enfrentado a lo mejor de su división, pero Kokietgym también tiene un fogueo impresionante. De las cuatro derrotas que aparecen en su record, sólo una ha sido por la vía rápida (ante Juan Manuel Márquez en agosto de 2006) y todas ante rivales que han sido monarcas del mundo (Joan Guzmán, Márquez, Steve Luévano y Takahiro Ao), además de que se presenta a esta contienda con una racha de siete victorias desde 2012, y tras haber ganado 23 de sus más recientes 24 peleas desde 2008.

© Copyright by NotiFight

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Reporte_7/Siri_Salido_por_otro_reto_de_t_tulo_mundial.php 

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Credit:  Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank-

Article by Dan Rafael –

Former featherweight world titleholder Orlando Salido and former title challenger Terdsak Kokietgym will square off for a vacant interim junior lightweight title on Sept. 20 in Salido’s hometown of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.

The WBO, which is sanctioning the title involved in the bout, normally does not give out interim belts the way other organizations do, but it made an exception in this case because Mikey Garcia, its 130-pound titleholder, is inactive and embroiled in a lawsuit with Top Rank, his promoter, and it looks like he will be idle for an extended period.

“The approval of interim championship bouts is an exception, not the norm,” WBO attorney Luis Batista-Salas wrote in the organization’s letter granting the sanction this week. “In this case we are ordering this fight due to the fact that current WBO junior lightweight titleholder Miguel Angel ‘Mikey’ Garcia is in an anticipated protracted legal battle with his promoter, seeking a declaration from the California State Court that he has no further obligation under the promotional rights agreement.

“Besides the contractual dispute, the champion has furthermore declared his intent to move up in weight. Thus, and in order to keep the junior lightweight division active, we approve the fight between Salido and Kokietgym, the two best available contenders.”

Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs), a two-division titleholder, has not fought since a lopsided unanimous decision win against Juan Carlos Burgos in a Jan. 25 title defense in New York, and it appears unlikely that he will fight again this year.

Salido lost his featherweight world title to Garcia by eighth-round technical decision in January 2013, also in New York, when an accidental head-butt broke Garcia’s nose and the fight was called off because Garcia, who had knocked Salido down four times, was deemed unable to continue.

After Garcia failed to make weight for his first defense against Juan Manuel Lopez, he was stripped of the belt. Salido then won the vacant title by knocking out Orlando Cruz in the seventh round in October.

Salido (41-12-2, 28 KOs), 33, was stripped of the title for failing to make weight for a March 1 defense against Vasyl Lomachenko. Salido won a decision, but the title remained vacant and he announced he would move up to junior lightweight, where he is again following behind Garcia.

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“Mikey gave us the opportunity to fight for the featherweight title again by not making weight and now he is giving us the opportunity to fight for the (interim) junior lightweight title,” Sean Gibbons, Salido’s manager, told ESPN.com on Friday. “We’re happy to fight for this title against the top-rated (WBO) contender.

“If we win, we’ll send Mikey a nice Christmas ham even though Salido is still upset that he quit on us in ninth round with a suspect broken nose when Salido was coming on like Grant in Richmond. We know this is a big opportunity, especially because he gets to fight at home.”

Kokietgym (53-4-1, 33 KOs), 33, of Thailand, is riding a seven-fight winning streak since suffering a unanimous decision loss to Japan’s Takahiro Ao in a junior lightweight title challenge in April 2012.

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Kokietgym’s four losses have all come when he has faced a top-level opponent. Besides the loss to Ao, he dropped a decision challenging Steven Luevano for a featherweight title in 2008, was knocked out in the seventh round by Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez in a 2006 interim featherweight title bout and lost by unanimous decision to Joan Guzman in a featherweight title eliminator in 2005.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/11360929/orlando-salido-terdsak-kokietgym-set-interim-130-title-bout

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Orlando Salido, el campeón mundial mexicano y el retador ucraniano , Vasyl Lomachenko ofrecieron un entrenamiento público este miércoles y más que su talento o aptitudes boxísticas, dejaron ver el hambre de triunfo que tienen y el deseo de vencer y convencer. Hay mucho en juego, aparte de un campeonato mundial. El “Siri” Salido (40-12-2, 28 ko’s) expondrá su campeonato mundial Pluma OMB, ante Lomachenko (1-0-0, 1 ko) este sábado, en el Alamodome de San Antonio, Texas, en lo que será el respaldo principal de la función que presentarán Zanfer y Top Rank, estelarizada por el duelo entre Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. y Brian Vera II, y que será transmitida en México por la señal de la “Casa del Boxeo”, Azteca 7. Aunque Salido es un peleador veterano en el boxeo profesional, de guardia derecha y suele avasallar a sus rivales con variedad de golpes, mientras Lomachenko lleva apenas una pelea, es zurdo y busca conectar mayoritariamente al rostro, ambos tienen similitudes. De entrada, son boxeadores que tiran muchos golpes. Con una mentalidad ganadora a toda prueba. Múltiples campeones del mundo (el “Siri” tres veces campeón mundial Pluma, el ucraniano dos veces campeón mundial amateur y ganador de dos medallas de oro olímpicas). Convencidos de que son superiores a su rival. Y lo más importante, con la obligación, ambos, de lograr una victoria convincente. Salido, porque no puede darse el lujo de perder ante un boxeador que apenas realiza su segunda pelea profesional, independientemente de su “pedigree” amateur. Lomachenko, para justificar esta oportunidad y demostrar que efectivamente, se trata de un peleador de época, histórico. De hecho, si gana, será el campeón mundial con menos peleas disputadas en la historia, y solo podría ser superado por alguien que debute ganando un campeonato mundial, situación poco factible. Hasta el momento, el record le pertenece al tailandés Saensak Muangsurin, quien se convirtió en campeón mundial (Superligero CMB), en apenas su tercera pelea en el boxeo profesional, el 7 de julio de 1975, cuando venció por nocaut técnico en ocho rounds al español “Perico” Fernández. Muangsurin había sido un sobresaliente peleador de muay thai. El “Siri”, además de su experiencia y del hecho de que Lomachenko no está acostumbrado a disputar peleas largas, tiene a su favor el hecho de que sus dos victorias más importantes, ambas ante Juan Manuel López, fueron ante un rival zurdo, de pegada y frontal, como Lomachenko. Con estos antecedentes, la contienda entre Salido y Lomachenko es intrigante, interesante y se espera muy disputada. El entrenamiento público dejo ver no nada más la gran preparación que han llevado a cabo y la motivación que traen, sino esa hambre de triunfo que hacen que las peleas sean memorables.

Crédito por fotos:  Zanfer Promotions & Chris Farina/Top Rank

http://boxeodenocautinforma.blogspot.com/2014/02/salido-y-lomachenko-mas-que-listos.html?spref=fb

 

 

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By Jake Donovan –

Ask any fighter in the game what’s in store for the future while they are training for a fight, and the answer most likely given is that they’re focused solely on their next opponent and not anything else.

Orlando Salido didn’t have that luxury heading into his vacant featherweight title fight with Orlando Cruz last October. The veteran cult favorite already knew his destiny; worse, it was literally in front of him, dangling like a carrot on a stick. An hour or so before he would step into the ring with Cruz, Salido couldn’t help but look up and observe his future opponent on screen while in the dressing room.

Vasyl Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and one of the most successful amateur boxers in the history of the game, appeared on the same Vegas card as Salido, with both fighting in separate supporting bouts to Tim Bradley’s pay-per-view headlining win over Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas. In his pro debut, Lomachenko starched veteran Jose Ramirez in four rounds, with talks immediately turning to his next fight – a title shot in just his second pro fight.

“I knew why we were both on the card,” Salido recalls of the night. “I saw him in his fight with Ramirez and knew he’d be my next opponent.”

Salido did his part, destroying Cruz in seven rounds to reclaim the featherweight belt he lost earlier in the year to Mikey Garcia. In both fights – which comprised of his entire 2013 campaign – Salido was forced to play the role of afterthought in the pre-fight build-up.

The discussion heading into last January’s showdown with Garcia weren’t focused on making his third title defense, but that he was being served up to a rising young star. Even entering as the prohibitive favorite in his showdown with Cruz last October, the main pre-fight story line was how a win by Cruz would make him the first openly gay boxer to win a major title.

That never came close to happening, as Salido remained focused on becoming a three-time featherweight titlist. The 33-year old Mexican warrior has long ago grown used to taking the back seat, and expected it to be the case the moment his fight with Lomachenko was made official.

“It’s just that much more motivation to me,” Salido (40-12-2-1NC, 28KO) insists. “I go into most big fights as the underdog and have to prove the so-called experts wrong. Whether it was Garcia, (Yuriorkis) Gamboa, JuanMa (Juan Manuel Lopez, whom Salido knocked out twice, both times in Puerto Rico), Cruz and now this guy (Lomachenko), I get talked about as the other fighter. That’s fine, I’m used to it and only work that much harder.”

As evidenced by his not-so-glossy ring record, he doesn’t always manage to win ‘em all. Now 18 years into the fight game – having turn pro at aged 15 – Salido truly came up the hard way before finally rising towards the top of the featherweight mountain late in his career. His loss to Gamboa in their featherweight unification bout in Sept. ’10 was his 11th career loss, but hardly the end of his career.

Salido has since won six of his last seven heading into his title defense versus Lomachenko, which takes place March 1 in San Antonio, airing live on HBO. Not only has Salido seen his opponent steal the majority of the headlines, but the fight also has to share news space with the show’s accompanying bout, a rematch between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Brian Vera.

At the very least, he heads into the fight with momentum. That same luxury was lacking prior to his bout with Cruz, as he was forced to sit for nine months on his worst loss in years.

“Mikey Garcia is a heck of a fighter, and I hope to one day get a rematch with him before he moves up in weight again,” Salido says of last conqueror, who has since won a title at 130 lb. “Going into that fight, I just felt like something was wrong that night. It happens to all fighters. I picked the wrong night and fighter to not be at my best, but I had to rebound and move on from it.”

Salido did just that, calming concerns that he was at the end of his career. Cruz was unproven at the championship level, but was the younger fighter and also at the hottest point of his career. Whether or not the extra attention that came with his “outing” himself a year prior impacted him any outside of the ring, he was in way over his head once the opening bell rang. Cruz never stopped trying, but his problem that night was that Salido never stopped charging forward.

Nine months after picking the wrong night to be at less than his best, Salido finally landed in the right place at the right time. Garcia was forced to vacate the belt last June, showing up over the 126 lb. limit for his intended title defense versus Juan Manuel Lopez, whom Salido knocked out to win the belt in 2012. Garcia would blast out the Boricua southpaw in four rounds, but not before conceding his title at the scales.

Five months later, the title was returned to its prior owner, though immediately followed by the suggestion that his role was to simply keep the belt warm for boxing’s next young featherweight star. Even with just one pro fight to his name, big plans are already in store for Lomachenko.

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, never one to pass on an opportunity to oversell any occasion, was talking about the path the Ukrainian wunderkind could travel even before his first pro fight. A win in October would lead to the title shot he receives in March. A win there could lead to a showdown with current undefeated 122 lb. king Guillermo Rigondeaux, with Arum’s vision that it would mark the first time in boxing history pairing two fighters who each won two Olympic Gold medals.

As for Salido’s future? For now, all roads lead to and end with March 1. Where he goes from there entirely depends on his performance.

“None of that bothers me,” Salido says of the one-fight-at-at-time approach taken with his career. “I’m boxing for the long haul and still have a lot to offer the sport. That’s all that matters to me. They can plan whatever they want for this kid. It won’t mean anything when I beat him on March 1.”

Though always confident of victory no matter whom the opponent, it’s not to say that a win is always automatically assumed.

“When (Lomachenko) fought Ramirez, that was the first time I ever really paid attention to him. I don’t really follow amateur boxing, but knew his name. I paid attention when he fought before me, knowing that he would be my next opponent. He has a great amateur pedigree. I’d be foolish to underestimate him just because he hasn’t been in the pros that long.

“This will be a very tough fight. I’m training for a very tough fight, which is why I’m confident I will win. A lot has been said about Lomachenko, and he says he’s ready for this fight. Now he’ll have to go in there and try to prove it.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/orlando-salido-finds-added-motivation-underdog-role–74647

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By Salvador Rodriguez –

WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido (40-12-2, 28KOs) has already started preparing for a March 1 defense against two-time Olympic gold medal winner Vasyl Lomachenko (1-0, 1KO) of Ukraine.

Lomachenko, one of the best amateur fighters of all-time, made his pro debut last month of the Marquez-Bradley undercard and easily dispatched experienced contender Jose Ramirez. On the same card, Salido knocked out Orlando Cruz to recapture the WBO crown.

Salido-Lomachenko will be the HBO televised co-feature to the rematch between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Bryan Vera.

“There is already an agreement, almost everything is ready. During the show in China, Bob Arum and Fernando Beltran and Sean Gibbons discussed [the fight] and reached an agreement. I think [Lomachenko] already realized that being a professional is not the same as being in the amateurs. The dressing [on the hand] is different and he hurt his hand [against Ramirez]. I’m very hungry, I need to win [so I can move up and] get a title at super featherweight. He fought with someone who was smaller than him. I am strong, I have the heart of a lion. Anything can be said, but on that day he will encounter a rock,” said Salido.

http://www.boxingscene.com/salido-going-impose-his-on-lomachenko–72172

 

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Photo by Scott Heavey, Gettyimages –

by Lem Satterfield –

WBO President Paco Valcarcel has declared unbeaten featherweight Gary Russell Jr. to be the organization’s mandatory challenger to Mexican Orlando Salido, giving Salido the next 180 days within which to defend against Russell after having won the vacant belt by seventh-round knockout over Orlando Cruz on Saturday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The ruling would not preclude a planned voluntary defense for Salido (40-12-2, 28 knockouts) against Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko for Jan. 25 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a possibility mentioned by Top Rank CEO Bob Arum after Lomachenko’s fourth-round stoppage of Mexican rival Jose Luis Ramirez (25-4, 15 KOs) on Saturday.

Like Salido-Cruz, Lomachenko-Ramirez happened on the undercard of Tim Bradley’s split-decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez. A 25-year-old amateur star, Lomachenko (1-0, 1 KO) was a winner of his second Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Games in London. [Editor’s note: Lomachenko took part in six World Series of Boxing semi-pro bouts that were scheduled for five rounds before officially turning pro.]

“If Salido wants to fight Lomachenko in January, then he could do it,” said Valcarcel. “Because we’re talking (about) Salido having (to) face Russell before April. In the interim, he can fight a voluntary. The mandatory would not be due until around April 12.”

A 25-year-old 2004 U.S. Olympian who is coming off a unanimous decision over Juan Ruiz in August,  Russell (23-0, 13 KOs) said he received the news of the WBO’s mandate last Wednesday.

“On Oct. 9, my team received written confirmation from the WBO that I am the mandatory challenger for their featherweight world title,” said Russell, in a prepared release. “I’m ready for my first world title fight and can not wait for the fight to get made.”

The prospect of making Salido-Russell or Russell-Lomachenko could be complicated since Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer are feuding and are aligned with rival networks, HBO and Showtime, respectively.

In addition, Russell has been promoted by Golden Boy through advisor Al Haymon, with whom Arum also has had an adversarial relationship.

Arum doesn’t believe there will be any trouble in making a fight with Russell.

“If those are the rules, then those are the rules. If the winner of Salido-Lomachenko has to fight Russell, then they’ll fight Russell. That’s no big deal,” said Arum. “If we can’t reach an agreement, then we’ll go to purse bid. That’s what it’s designed for. Golden Boy and ourselves have done a number of fights that way, after either we or they won on purse bid.”

Schaefer said the same.

“If it can’t get done, then it will have to go to purse bid,” said Schaefer. “I think that’s fantastic and I think that Gary is definitely up to the challenge.”

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/181355-russell-jr-may-be-next-if-salido-fights-lomachenko