By Norm Frauenheim

Netflix and Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium are sure signs that Canelo Alvarez-versus-Terence Crawford is transforming itself into an event, bigger than just boxing.

Netflix’s subscriber base, 301 million and counting, alongside the NFL brand attached to the Raiders’ home field is a powerful marketing combo, a chance perhaps to bring back some of that so-called cross-over crowd that continued to exit the boxing audience with ESPN’s final card last week.

With the Sept. 13 opening bell still six weeks away, anticipation for Crawford-Canelo has already been building for weeks. Unlike the sad spectacle of watching Jake Paul against aging Mike Tyson in Netflix’s last bit of boxing theater inside the Dallas Cowboys home in November, Crawford-Canelo is genuine.

At least, it can be.

That, of course, is the mandatory caveat, always there, attached to a sport as risky as it is resilient. Buyer beware. Nevertheless, Canelo and Crawford represent a rare opportunity to unify fans, hard core and casual.

It doesn’t happen often enough in any era, even a good one. But here we are, Crawford and Canelo, two of the best fighters from the same generation from different weight classes meeting in a fight that could determine the best of a passing era.

Some promoter somewhere will no doubt dust off the cliched label and call this one another fight to save boxing. It’s not, of course. Boxing has always been beyond saving, anyway. Still, this one has a chance to be a keeper

For Crawford, it’s a chance to prove he was as good a welterweight as any in any era, including the one defined by Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran.

For Canelo, it’s a chance to deliver the proof to what he’s been saying all along. History’s only undisputed super-middleweight champion has long argued he’s the best. Period. A definitive victory over Crawford would be the proof and perhaps the piece that would allow him to say he’s the best in Mexican history, better than even the iconic Julio Cesar Chavez.

The stakes, like the purses, are enormous, heightened by the fighters’ ages. Crawford is 37. Fifteen days after the fight, he’ll be 38. Canelo celebrated a birthday on July 18. He’s 35. Both are leaving their primes. This is a chance for each to recapture the best of what made them great.

By now, their respective advantages and disadvantages have been analyzed to the point of redundancy. On the scale, the bigger, heavy-legged Canelo has all the advantages. He also more to lose.

Crawford, who is moving up two weight classes after winning at junior-middle more than a year ago, is quicker with a quicksilver ability to switch from right to left and back. Yet, he’s at a bigger risk of getting knocked out, a danger and perhaps a final punctuation to a Hall of Fame reign that could leave some doubts about his pursuit of a genuine legacy.

All and more are the backdrop to expectations that might be difficult – perhaps impossible – to fulfill. But that’s why Netflix will be there in a 65,000-seat stadium. It’s not exactly winner-take-all, but it has that kind of feel to it. Appropriately, it’s also a fight that could go a couple of ways.

The best and worst examples in modern history:

·    Manny Pacquiao’s star-making stoppage of Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

·    Errol Spence Jr.’s unanimous decision over Mikey Garcia March 16, 2019 at the Cowboy’s A&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.

Both were fights between the best in different weight classes. In each, the lighter fighter was jumping two divisions — Pacquiao from lightweight to welterweight to face De La Hoya, who dropped down from 154 pounds to 147 and Garcia from lightweight to welter against Spence.

Pacquiao-De La Hoya was the keeper. It ended with De La Hoya, beaten and finished on the stool at the start of the ninth. De La Hoya, a six-division champion, retired and Pacquiao, an eight-division champion went on to stardom still evident. At 46-years-old, he still filled the MGM Grand with fans chanting Manny in a controversial majority draw with Mario Barrios last month.

Spence-Garcia was the dud. Garcia was known for his footwork and versatile skillset. But his brother, trainer Robert Garcia, warned him about moving up two weights against the then-emerging Spence, who seven months later was badly hurt in a scary auto accident. Garcia should have listened to his brother. Spence dominated in every conceivable way, winning on scorecards – 120-108, 120-107, 120-108 — that reflected a bout best forgotten.

Keeper or dud? The only sure thing about Canelo-Crawford is that it’ll be an event. Boxing could use one. Could use a keeper, too.

NOTES

It was evident that Oscar Valdez Jr. (323, 24 KOs) had decided to fight on when it was disclosed last month that he was leaving trainer Eddy Reynoso and re-joining Manny Robles, his first pro trainer.

His first step back into the ring after a punishing rematch loss to Emanuel Navarrete in Phoenix in December is planned for Sept. 6, according to Boxing Scene.

However, no opponent or site has been reported. The expectation is that Valdez, 34, will make his comeback in Mexico. The two-time Mexican Olympian lives in Hermosillo. He grew up in Nogales, a border town south of Tucson, where he has family. He also went to school in Tucson, where he has always been a good draw.

By Norm Frauenheim

Yesterday, today and tomorrow played out on a three-sided weekend last Saturday that summed up what boxing has been, is now and might soon become.

Manny Pacquiao brought the golden-oldie nostalgia. Oleksandr Usyk re-asserted himself as the best of this era and maybe a few others. And Jesse Rodriguez provided another preview at what could be next.

It’s hard to say just who made the biggest statement. Pacquiao’s enduring celebrity dominated the headlines and perhaps contributed to some of the frustration over the scorecards for his majority draw with Mario Barrios, who retained his welterweight title with a second successive draw. Maybe, there’s been some erosion in the 46-year-old Filipino’s skillset, but his likability is intact, as powerful as ever.

“Manny, Manny’’ chants filled the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena like a memorable lyric from an old pop song. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a welterweight champion again, but he’ll always be remembered more than the collection of forgettables among today’s belt-holders.

Pacquiao, who talked about a rematch with Barrios and already is mentioned as a possible challenger for Rolly Romero’s belt, reminds us of what we miss. There’s a huge risk there. He could get hurt. But he’ll fight on, and a Pied Piper-like crowd is sure to follow.

Pacquiao’s immense popularity is matched by what Usyk has in terms of respect for his discipline and smarts. He’s an undisputed heavyweight champion all over again with his stoppage of Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium.

It’s not exactly clear what undisputed means anymore. Acronyms get in the way with so-called mandatories and hollow threats to strip. Already, the World Boxing Organization is ordering Usyk to defend its piece of the heavyweight puzzle against Joseph Parker. 

Usyk hasn’t replied and doesn’t have to, of course. It’d be nice if these self-proclaimed ruling bodies quit issuing orders and just showed Usyk some mandatory respect. He’s a great champion, whose unbeaten record over 24 bouts is notable for what it doesn’t include. He’s never had a pro fight in his home country, war-torn Ukraine. Yet, he fights on, winning with an unerring instinct. To wit: He knows what he’s doing.

The stoppage of Dubois in a rematch has generated a lot of talk about how he would have done against the all-time greats in boxing’s fabled division. Even Muhammad Ali’s name has been dropped into the conversation. Who knows? It’s a fun argument, but it’s impossible to compare fighters from different generations.

I’m not even sure he’s the greatest Ukrainian heavyweight ever. Shouldn’t Wladimir Klitschko and brother Vitali Klitschko, now the major of Kyiv, be included in the conversation? I’m sure Usyk himself would mention them. Then again, Usyk knows something about respect for history, Ukrainian and boxing.

It’s not exactly clear what Usyk does next. Parker is an okay fight, but it doesn’t bring anybody to the edge of their seat or to a live-stream audience. At 38 – 39 in January, Usyk will be exiting his prime, a stage that Pacquiao left long ago.

In terms of prime time during last week’s triple-header, there was only Rodriguez, a poised and master tactician who continued to fulfill everything it means to be Super Fly by unifying the 115-pound belt with a 10^th-round stoppage of Phumelele Cafu in Frisco, Texas.

Rodriguez’ victory got less attention than Pacquiao and Usyk, but at one level it was the most significant bout of the three.

At 25, Rodriguez is 21 years younger than Pacquiao, 13 years younger than Usyk. Pacquiao and Usyk are moving on. So, too, is the way we watch boxing. ESPN is leaving ringside with its last Top Rank show Saturday featuring unbeaten Puerto Rican junior-middleweight Xander Zayas against Mexican Jorge Garcia in New York at The Theater in Madison Square Garden.

How we watch, who we watch is about to change.

Enter Bam, a nickname that Rodriguez manages to fulfill nearly every time he answers an opening bell. To be fair, it was hard to judge the Cafu victory. Cafu, a South African, was fighting in the United States for the first time after scoring a notable upset of Kosei Tanaka in Japan for a belt last October.

The circumstances dictated that Rodriguez do more than just win. He had to be brilliant. He was, delivering a methodical beatdown that led to a 10^th-round knockout at Ford Center on the Dallas Cowboys complex.

Short-term, it set up what had already been announced – Bam in a bid for a third Super Fly belt against Fernando Martinez Nov. 22 in Riyadh on a card that includes Phoenix-born David Benavidez in a light-heavyweight defense against Anthony Yarde.

Long-term, it puts Rodriguez a little bit closer to what has been a dream fight for a couple of years. On the pound-for-pound ratings, Rodriguez’ last victory put him within talking – if not striking – distance of Japanese star Naoya Inoue, the current junior-featherweight champion who is a consensus No. 2, second to Usyk.

Rodriguez, who jumped into the pound-for-pound debate with a stoppage last June of accomplished Juan Francisco Estrada in downtown Phoenix on the Suns home floor, is a consensus No. 5 in ratings released this week.

Bam’s victory over Cafu prompted his promoter, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, to put him at No. 2, ahead of Inoue, who is not among Hearn’s favorites. He’s ripped Inoue for a resume that – Hearn says – includes weak opposition. His criticism of Inoue might have helped land Inoue’s next opponent, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Sept. 14 in Nagoya, Japan.

It’s no coincidence that Hearn also represents Akhmadaliev. It’s also no coincidence that Hearn publicly ranks Bam ahead of Inoue. Some early negotiations – opening salvos — have already begun.

A lot still has to fall into place if in fact Bam-versus-Inoue has any chance at ever happening. Inoue is projected to fight Mexican Alan David Picasso, perhaps in December.

Then, there’s Junto Nakatani, a unified bantamweight champion living and training in southern California. Just a couple of months ago, Nakatani had been calling out Bam. But that talk ended, abruptly, after Nakatani stopped Ryosuke Nishida June 8 in Tokyo.

Nakatani-versus-Inoue has been at the top of the want-to-see list for Japanese fans. It’s also at the top of fights most wanted by Japanese promoter Akihiko Honda, known simply as Mr. Honda.

Multiple sources in Japanese media and boxing circles told The Boxing Hour that Mr. Honda told Nakatani to forget about a fight with Bam any time soon. The reasoning is as clear as it is solid. Mr. Honda doesn’t want to risk Nakatani-Inoue, a fight expected to generate record receipts in Japan. In part, that’s an acknowledgement of just how dangerous – how good – Bam is.

The path is still there, if Inoue beats Akhmadaliev, Picasso and then Nakatani. There are doubts he can, in part because of the way he was knocked down by little-known Ramon Cardenas in Las Vegas May 4.

Cardenas floored him in the second round. Inoue went on to win by TKO in the eighth. But there’s talk that Inoue would not have been able to get up if the knock-down punch had been delivered by Nakatani, who’s noted for his power.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez has to beat Martinez and then continue to win as he moves up the scale, first to 118 pounds and then 122.

A lot still has to happen. Last Saturday, a lot did.

NOTES

Thanks to emerging Mesa, AZ junior-welterweight Trini Ochoa (21-0, 9 KOs) for helping kids get ready for school while also helping the old-school boxing gym, Central, in downtown Phoenix (1755 West Van Buren Street) Saturday. Ochoa there (9 am to noon) to sign autographs, pose for pictures, pass out school supplies and help the famed gym raise funds for repairs to fix some vandalism on a mural, a west-facing wall covered with faces and memories from Arizona’s rich boxing history

By Alex Seccia

On June 6^th, 2025, Nahir “Woo” Albright (17-2 7Kos) made his grand return to boxing. Becoming a Co-Main Event feature on none other than Top Rank’s world championship card, presented on ESPN+. Nahir was scheduled to take on the former undefeated Kelvin Davis (15-1 8Kos).

         The fight was scheduled to be the Co-Main to the WBO World Lightweight championship match between Keyshawn Davis and Edwin De Los Santos. Before his layoff Nahir previously went head-to-head with Keyshawn in a 10-round contest for the WBC USA light, and WBO intercontinental title. The contest was later switched to a “No-Contest” after Keyshawn failed a drug test.

         Fast forward 2 years later, the Davis brothers set to headline a massive hometown fight card. But unfortunately for them, the formerly World ranked lightweight had his attention set on ruining their moment.

         After being out of the ring for two years, Nahir made the aggressive decision to move up in weight and accept a fight against an undefeated opponent knowing he would be a heavy underdog.

Throughout fight week Albright appeared to be battling two opponents as any time the fighters made any media appearances together, the Davis brothers made sure they were both heard. Both sides were engaged in verbal confirmation with his former opponent and new opponent. While the Davis brothers believed to have had Albright figured out, Keyshawn who previously fought him, on top of his two-year layoff. They felt Nahir had no chance.

“I showed that I’m his level”- Nahir Albright said referring to the level of Keyshawn Davis after being asked why he thinks he can win. “I’ve been in the gym, and I stayed in shape for this moment,” Nahir said when asked about how felt after being out of the ring for two years. The confidence that alluded to both fights is what made this fight a must watch.

That is, a must watch for anyone outside of Virginia, from the sound of the first bell Nahir showed zero indication of any ring rust. Having ring generalship as well as sharp and elusive counters in which later became a big problem for Kelvin Davis. The bout ended up going a complete 10/10 rounds where Albright won via Majority decision.

Following the conclusion of the bout, Nahir was met in his locker by Keyshawn Davis and his counterpart, where they slowly walked towards Nahir putting his hands on him, while clashing heads. While no fists or any heavy blows were exchanged, this was yet another unprofessional act on the former WBO World Champion, just one day after being stripped of his title for not making weight.

With the recent attack of Keyshawn, and his decision to also move up and weight. Nahir took to the media to call out Keyshawn for a part 2 clash. This time with reel beef behind it. “I want to fight him, and it can be anywhere. Matter of fact I want to fight him in Virginia”-Nahir Albright. When asked if Keyshawn should face him on his own turf. “I want to do it in front of his people”- was Nahir’s response when asked why he chose Virginia.

Both fighters look to make their move up to a new division, with Keyshawn recently being stripped of his title and now facing to climb back up to a championship slot, who else to square off in the ring, then a former opponent that beat your brother, in which you attacked. Both parties have now added incentive to really collide in what could be a stellar contest for boxing fans. A personal vendetta vs a young star’s determination to be the best, mixed with the shot at revenge. Creates a high steak, high tense heated match that will boil up to something massive in Norfolk, Virginia. Prompting boxing fans all over to get a ruthless clash of two young warriors. When asked when he would want the fight to happen. “I’m ready now,” Nahir answered.

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao stepped off a scale and looked up toward a corner high above the floor at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was a flag that celebrated his legacy. It was also a symbol of a story still unfolding. 

Another chapter awaits, this one as risky as any in the iconic career of a fighter now 46 and still fighting for more more.

The flag was there to mark Pacquiao’s 16th bout at the old arena. After it’s over Saturday night, nobody in the rich history of the historic address near the well-traveled intersection at Tropicana and The Strip will have fought there as often. 

Pacquiao will rank No. 1, one bout more than his old rival Floyd Mayweather and four more than Oscar De La Hoya, who ranks third on the list and perhaps first among the Pacquiao victories that turned him into an enduring Filipino legend. 

The question, of course, is whether the flag will wave goodbye or say hello to another chapter in Pacquiao’s pursuit of history. He’s written a lot of it.

He’s been a champion in eight different weight classes. After a political career that included a run for the Filipino presidency, the Sergeant, Senator and statesman is back in an attempt to become the second-oldest champion in boxing history. 

To pull it off, he’ll have to beat a fighter 16 years his junior (Prime Video on card starting at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT). Thirty year-old Mario Barrios has a belt — the World Boxing Council’swelterweight version — and a fresh face without any of the gray that’s evident in Pacquiao’s facial hair.

On the scale Friday at a ceremonial weigh-in in front of a roaring crowd, Barrios came in at 146.2 pounds looking every much as though he had done the work. His trainer Bob Santos bragged and gestured about a sculpted upper body that suggests no task was left undone. Pacquiao, who was at 146.8 pounds, looked solid, yet far from the Bruce Lee look-alike of a decade ago.

Those different looks — gray-streaked beard and young fresh face — stood in contrast, a stark reflection of all the risks Pacquiao faces. Yet, risk has always been a part of his story. It’s why he fights. Why we watch. 

He took a risk against a bigger and better-known name in De La Hoya in 2008. He blew him away, stole De La Hoya’s celebrity and created his own kind of global stardom. 

This time, however the risk is in the nature of time itself. How much of it has eroded the magnificent reflexes Pacquiao had in his prime? How will he attack Barrios’ superior reach and punches when Pacquiao steps inside. 

There’s a minefield full of questions, the simplest of which might be the one that confronts everybody in the middle-aged demographic. 

Who will get up Saturday morning? The Pacquiao we remember against De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and so many more? Or will he be just another 46-year-old guy struggling to walk through the aches and pains that come with the years. It’s impossible to say, which makes this fight impossible to pick.

Pacquiao hasn’t fought since his scorecard loss to late stand-in Yordenis Ugas four years ago. Ugas’ youth and slick footwork — combined with some youthful energy — allowed the Cuban to dart in, out and away in a slow, yet deliberate plan that Pacquiao failed to counter.

A key question is whether the middle-aged Pacquiao will have to try to take out Barrios early. Fatigue appeared to be a Barrios’ weakness in a draw with Abel Ramos last November. Ramos was able to catch and hurt him with successive body shots over the last four to five rounds. 

But Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) wasn’t fighting a 46-year-old man. Ramos, an aggressive welterweight from Casa Grande south of Phoenix, is 34.

Nevertheless, Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) is confident that four years away from the ring helped him conserve much of his skillset and energy.

The four years, he said, were a time of healing and re-evaluating what he wanted in life, post-politics.

“I missed boxing,’’ Pacquiao said. “The four years were good. It was good to rest.’’

But time doesn’t rest. It keeps moving forward, stubbornly and in the relentless way that defined the Pacquiao reign from flyweight to junior middleweight. 

Pacquiao stopped most everybody he faced. But not even he couldn’t stop that clock, his biggest opponent in one the biggest risks he’ll face in a many-sided life. 

Pacquiao has made a lifestyle out of doing what people think he can’t. That’s a reason not to pick against him versus Barrios or anybody else he might face if a victory Saturday launches him into another risky date against another young champion. Maybe, a rematch with Mayweather awaits him. Pacquiao is never out of options, promise and potential. 

Against Barrios, however, the question is whether he’s out of time.

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS — Tim Tszyu saw why boxing is called bloodsport. He saw a lot it. All his.

His craft — the inescapable nature of his sport — was defined by his blood in a gruesome fight that left him looking more like an accident victim than the warrior he has chosen to be about 16 months ago in a  split-decision loss to Sebastian Fundora.

Tszyu remembers what he saw. Or, perhaps what he couldn’t.

“I was distracted,’’ he said Thursday, nearly a year-and-a-half after he was cut at the end of the second round at the top of his forehead and at the center of his hairline at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena in March 30, 2024. “When I went back to my corner, I wasn’t thinking about my fight. I was thinking about the blood.’’

It never quit. 

Neither did he. 

Tszyu fought on, his vision obscured and his focus distracted. But that blood, including the DNA that motivated him to endure through the 12th round, continues to drive him now. He fights on, hoping only that the bleeding won’t resume. Still, he’s hell-bent on risking that and perhaps more in a rematch Saturday that he has pursued since Fundora turned his face into a crimson mask. For more than 10 rounds, he couldn’t see clearly. The clarity of what he seeks, however, has always been there.

“That answers the question of why my corner didn’t stop the fight,’’ Tszyu said of the first bout that ended with Fundora winning on two cards, 116-112 and 115-113. The third card favored Tszyu, 116-112.

Fundora left the ring with two junior-middleweight belts and newfound stardom. Tszyu was left with his first loss and all the stitches.

In the wake of the nasty defeat, there were doubts, many left by a third-round stoppage loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev, who knocked him down four times before his corner surrendered in a stunning stoppage in October, 2024 in Orlando. Suddenly, it looked as if blood and more had been lost on that shocking night against Fundora.

Tszyu went on to scored a fourth-round TKO of Joseph Spencer last April at home in Australia. It was a solid stoppage, but it didn’t exactly stop some of the questions about whether the promises in Tszyu’s career had been stopped, all in one bloody night.

Tszyu, the son of feared Kostya Tszyu, is back in Vegas to say that it hasn’t been.

“I will put together  a different performance,’’ said Tszyu, who will share the stage in a co-main event to a card featuring 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao’s comeback against welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena. “A more intelligent one.’’

Tszyu’s bloodied, yet narrow loss to Fundora was preceded by complications. Initially, the opponent was supposed to be Keith Thurman. But Thurman got hurt in training, forcing a late switch. 

Twelve days before opening bell, the skinny, yet NBA-tall Fundora got the gig and the improbable victory that has put him on the fringe of enduring stardom. In part, perhaps, he’s fighting Tszyu a second time to prove that his emergence is more about his skillset and poise than his 6-foot-6 height.

Fundora relinquished a belt, bypassing a mandatory defense against Xander Zayas for a rematch with Tszyu. Against Tszyu, there’s a chance for Fundora to validate his place in the boxing galaxy, even at the risk of more blood.

“Yeah, why not,’’ Fundora said Thursday in a tone that suggested it would not be his blood.

The only promise from both is that their bout will steal much of the anticipated thunder from Pacquiao and Barrios.

“May the best man win, but we just don’t know who the best man is yet,’’ Tszyu said in a matter-of-fact way that says he’s willing to bleed some more to answer that

JAMESTOWN, CALIFORNIA – Unbeaten featherweight prospect Noli Valenzuela dropped rugged Irving Xilohua in the first en route to a hard-fought eight-round unanimous decision in the grudge match main event of Toscano Boxing Promotions’ “Rising Stars” event at the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort on Thursday night. 

The story heading into fight night centered around some bad blood between the two main event camps, stemming from Valenzuela’s inability to make the contracted 126-pounds on Wednesday afternoon. After originally coming in one pound over, Valenzuela (13-0, 6 KOs) of Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico dropped less than one-half-pound and a deal was reached to secure their scheduled eight-round clash, but not before some heated trash talk. Once the introductions were out of the way, it was clear that neither fighter had grown any fonder of their opponent and referee Edward Collantes seemed to be on high alert from the outset. 

About one minute into round one, Valenzuela landed the first telling blow of the bout, a stiff jab that seemed to momentarily buckle the knees of Xilohua (9-2, 6 KOs) of Stockton, California. Rather than follow-up,  Valenzuela, 126.6, took the opportunity to imitate Xilohua, 125.4, and showboat for the crowd. 

Xilohua let his hands go with Valenzuela backed into the corner, but when the action moved to center ring, the Chapala native landed with a jab and straight left to score a knockdown. Valenzuela again taunted the downed Xilohua, standing over his prone opponent in a prolonged manner with referee Collantes trying to pull him back to his corner. Instead of following up on the knockdown, Valenzuela opted to showboat again before the pro-Xilohua crowd to close out the round. 

Other than an early flurry, Valenzuela let off the gas pedal in round two, which allowed Xilohua to regain his footing in the fight. Early in the third, Xilohua connected with a clean right in an exchange that excited the home crowd. Both fighters got their shots in during early exchanges and by midway through the round, Valenzuela’s showboating had ceased for the most part. 

Both combatants looked to mix in their body work to set up their head shots in the fourth. Xilohua maintained good ring position, but the southpaw Valenzuela was fairly adept at fighting while backing up. 

Xilohua had a solid fifth round, letting his hands go to the body especially. At one moment, Xilohua lost his footing momentarily, but rebounded to land a solid overhand right while Valenzuela moved in close to capitalize. 

After Valenzuela landed a combination with Xilohua covering up in the sixth, the Stockton native let his hands go and took over the remainder of the round. Not endearing himself to the pro-Xilohua crowd, Valenzuela, figuring he was up on the cards, was on his horse for much of the seventh and at the close of the eighth. 

All three judges; Brian Tsukamoto, Joel Farbstein and Michael Margado scored the bout 77-74 for the still undefeated Valenzuela. 

“It was complicated for several rounds, but I managed to get the win,” admitted the naturally larger Valenzuela after the bout. “I tried to use my left hand to the body the whole fight, but I didn’t think he would last this long.” 

In a battle of former sparring partners, Marco Antonio Delgado (8-6-1, 5 KOs) of Turlock, California scored an exciting six-round majority decision over Juan Zamorano (6-2, 6 KOs) of Turlock by way of Rosamorada, Nayarit, Mexico

Delgado, 175, and Zamorano, 172, went to war from the opening bell. The two-way action of the first round set the tone for the fight, as Delgado landed clean when in close, while the rangy Zamorano found success when at range on the outside. 

Delgado did well to work his way inside on the much taller Zamorano in the second round, while keeping a steady pace for a light heavyweight. There was more back-and-forth in the third, as Zamorano found more time at range, but Delgado still was busy when he worked his way on the inside. Before the fourth, the ringside doctor checked-in on some swelling under Delgado’s right eye, but it never became an issue in the bout. 

In the fourth, Delgado displayed some good footwork for a big man as he cut off the ring well and even tuned southpaw for a stretch. In the fifth, Delgado pressed the entire round and really let his hands go after the ten-second warning at the end of the round.

Zamorano started out round six at range, but once Delgado closed the distance he found a home for his uppercut and pressed his Mexican-born adversary against the ropes where he could unload his combinations on the inside. 

Judge Joel Farbstein found five rounds for Zamorano, scoring the bout 59-56, but was overruled by judge David Hartman (58-56) and judge Brian Tsukamoto (59-55), who both had it for Delgado. 

“I thank him for taking the fight,” said Delgado, who welcomes a potential rematch, after the bout. “I wouldn’t want to fight me.” 

19-year-old lightweight prospect Nick Saavedra (4-0, 2 KOs) of Modesto, California made short work of Juan Guillermo Montero (4-3-1, 3 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, scoring two knockdowns en route to a first-round stoppage. 

Saavedra, 133.4, was aggressive at the outset and landed in combination as Montero, 139, struggled to keep or cover up. Saavedra soon landed a short left hook that disconnected Montero momentarily and dropped the Tijuana native near a neutral corner. When Montero rose, Saavedra moved in quickly with a combination, punctuated by a left hook, to score a second knockdown. When action resumed, Saavedra forced Montero into his own corner and landed an unanswered combination that prompted referee David Hartman to leap in a call a halt to the bout at 2:57 of the first. 

In under one exciting round, Pedro Juarez (2-0, 1 KO) of Tracy, California scored three knockdowns en route to a stoppage victory over Harley Sampson (1-1, 1 KO) of Reno, Nevada. 

Juarez, 135, first dropped Sampson, 135, with a combination in the early going. Sampson rose on steady legs, but was caught a little squared-up and dropped again by a left hook. Despite the two knockdowns, Sampson looked fairly clear-headed before Juarez landed with a right and a clean-up left hook that laid the Reno resident flat on his back. Referee Edward Collantes had no choice but to wave off the bout at 2:31 of round one. 

Juarez entered the bout with a three-fight win streak dating back to his pro boxing debut last October and including two stoppage victories inside the MMA cage. The two-sport combat fighter was asked about his fighting future after the impressive kayo victory. 

“We’ll see what happens, but I will probably continue to box, but if an opportunity comes in MMA, we’ll jump on that too,” said Juarez after the bout. “Whatever comes, I am ready.” 

19-year-old Damian Flores (3-0-1, 2 KOs) of Ceres, California turned back a tough opponent while making his U.S. debut, scoring a four-round unanimous decision over Adrian Mendoza (0-1) of Carson City, Nevada. 

Each had their moments in the opening round as Flores, 115.2, flashed his boxing skills and footwork from the early going, while Mendoza, 112.6, employed a more straight ahead approach. Flores had a more difficult time keeping Mendoza at bay in the second round, as the Nevada resident was able to get in range for some winging shots.  

Flores, sporting a fresh haircut since yesterday’s weigh-in, found a home repeatedly for his uppercut in round three, before opening up a cut over Mendoza’s right eye after planting his feet and landing with a straight right hand late in the round. 

Despite the difficult round three, Mendoza came out determined for the final round. Flores controlled the round in stretches with his jab and combinations, but Mendoza kept coming and landed with an overhand right before the final bell. 

Judges Brian Tsukamoto, Joel Farbstein and David Hartman all scored the bout a shutout, 40-36, for Flores. 

In the walkout bout, Lai Thang (2-3) of Dallas, Texas spoiled the night for the vocal supporters of Benigno Gaona Diaz (1-2, 1 KO) of Galt, California by way of Pabellon de Arteaga, Aguascalientes, Mexico, scoring two late knockdowns en route to a four-round unanimous decision victory. 

Thang, 126, rocked Gaona Diaz, 123.6, with an overhand right and was a little quicker on the draw for much of the opening round. After the out-of-towner outworked Gaona Diaz for much of the second round, the Galt resident found some success early in the third before his momentum was stunted by a Thang counter that gave him reason to take a step back and two-way action closed out the round. 

Both fighters came out swinging at the start of round four, each attempting to secure their second career victory. The pro-Gaona Diaz crowd was into the fight as their man looked to be on the way to securing the round before disaster struck and Thang scored his first knockdown late in the stanza. Gaona Diaz beat the count, but was soon dropped again by a left hand just before the sound of the final bell. Referee David Hartman counted Gaona Diaz back to his corner to close out the fight, which would be scored a shutout by all three judges; Brian Tsukamoto, Joel Farbstein and Edward Collantes, 40-34.

Photos by Michelle Morgan

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

JAMESTOWN, CALIFORNIA – Unbeaten Noli Valenzuela fights outside of his native Mexico for the first time to meet streaking local prospect Irving Xilohua in the intriguing eight-round featherweight main event of the Toscano Boxing Promotions’ “Rising Stars” event from the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort on Thursday night. Fighters for the six-bout card weighed-in at the host venue on Wednesday afternoon. 

Valenzuela (12-0, 6 KOs) of Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico was last in the ring in April, scoring a fourth-round knockout of once-beaten Alan Zaid Rodriguez Montiel in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The win marked the third straight stoppage victory for the southpaw Valenzuela. 

Xilohua (9-1, 6 KOs) of Stockton, California has won four straight, including three stoppages, since his lone professional setback, a six-round majority decision defeat to tough journeyman Diuhl Olguin. In his last outing in May, Xilohua stopped Enrique Uvalle inside of two rounds at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium. Xilohua will be stepping up to the eight-round distance for the first time as a professional, while Valenzuela has been scheduled for eight or more on five previous occasions and went the distance in two of those instances. 

There was a bit of drama at the official weigh-in on Wednesday afternoon. Xilohua stepped on the scale first, with the bout contracted at 126-pounds, and made 125.4-pounds. Valenzuela, who was one of the last fighters to arrive for the official weigh-in, came in one pound over at 127-pounds. After a bit of shouting between camps, Valenzuela left to attempt to sweat off the last pound. On his last attempt, Valenzuela came in at 126.6-pounds and an agreement was reached to keep the main event intact. 

Juan Zamorano (6-1, 6 KOs) of Rosamorada, Nayarit, Mexico will end a nearly two-year layoff against the rugged Marco Antonio Delgado (7-6-1, 5 KOs) of Turlock, California in a six-round light heavyweight bout. Zamorano, looking to get back on track after suffering his lone pro defeat in his last bout, weighed-in at 172-pounds. Delgado, whose previous five opponents had a combined record of 44-4, weighed-in at the light heavyweight limit of 175. 

Lightweight prospect Nicholas Saavedra (3-0, 1 KO) of Modesto, California will move up to the six-round distance when he takes on Juan Guillermo Montero (4-2-1, 3 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on Thursday night. Saavedra, fresh off of a third-round stoppage of Richard Esquibel on May 24th, weighed-in at 133.4-pounds, while Montero weighed-in just under the junior welterweight limit at 139-pounds. 

After posting two consecutive MMA victories since his pro boxing debut last year, Pedro Juarez (1-0) of Tracy, California will return to the ring to take on Harley Sampson (1-0, 1 KO) of Reno, Nevada in a four-round lightweight bout. For the bout that Toscano Boxing Promotions’ Israel Guajardo predicted will be the fight of the night, Juarez and Sampson both made the lightweight limit of 135-pounds. 

Making his U.S. debut, 19-year-old Damian Flores (2-0-1, 2 KOs) of Ceres, California will meet debuting Adrian Mendoza of Carson City, Nevada in a four-round super flyweight bout. The 5’8” Flores scaled 115.2, while the 5’4” Mendoza came in at 112.6-pounds.  

In the opener, Benigno Gaona Diaz (1-1, 1 KO) of Galt, California by way of Pabellon de Arteaga, Aguascalientes, Mexico will look to bounce back from a decision defeat in January against Lai Thang (1-3) of Dallas, Texas in a four-round featherweight bout. Gaona Diaz came in at 123.6-pounds, while Thang weighed-in at the division limit of 126. 

The “Rising Stars” event will be available for live stream on the Toscano Boxing Promotions’ YouTube page.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Featherweights, 8 Rounds 

Valenzuela 126.6*

Xilohua 125.4

Light heavyweights, 6 Rounds

Zamorano 172

Delgado 175

Lightweights, 6 Rounds

Saavedra 133.4

Montero 139

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Juarez 135

Sampson 135

Super flyweights, 4 Rounds 

Flores 115.2

Mendoza 112.6 

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Gaona Diaz 123.6

Thang 126

*Valenzuela originally weighed-in 1 pound over the contracted limit of 126 on first attempt

Tickets for the event, promoted by Toscano Boxing Promotions, are available online at Ticketon.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

NEW YORK, NY – July 11, 2025 – Night of Champions’, the upcoming Ring Magazine IV fight card as part of Riyadh Season will feature four 12-round championship bouts, headlined by David “The Monster Bandera Roja” Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) defending his WBC Light Heavyweight Title against two-time challenger Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) and former Undisputed Lightweight Champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) stepping up against WBO Welterweight Champion Brian “The Assassin II” Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs). The fighters met face-to-face at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square in New York City today ahead of the  November 22 fight from the anb Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which will air live worldwide on DAZN. 

The Ring IV card will also see undefeated British and Commonwealth Lightweight Champion Sam Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs) and the undefeated Abdullah Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) meet for the vacant WBO Lightweight Title and The Ring and WBO Junior Bantamweight Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs) square off with IBF and WBA titleholder Fernando Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs) in a battle to determine who is undisputed at 115 pounds.

Hosted by DAZN analyst Chris Mannix, today’s press conference featured faceoffs of Benavidez and Yarde, Haney and Norman Jr., and Noakes and Mason. Martinez was in attendance as well.

This is what the fighters and their teams had to say:

David Benavidez

Are you okay with a shootout style fight?

“Yeah, I’m perfect with that.. It’s been a great year for me so far, and we’ve got another great fight on the table. Anthony Yarde, he’s a tremendous fighter. He has a lot of experience, this is his third time at a world title, so I know he’s gonna leave it all on the line on November 22nd. Like he said, I like to go to war too. I’m not gonna back down from him, he’s not gonna back down from me, so let’s have some fun on November 22nd, let’s give the people what they want to see.”

You’re starting to stack some pretty quality wins together, do you think you’re getting the opportunity to show the kind of fighter you are?

“Definitely, and that’s really what motivates me most at the end of the day. I want to set an example to everybody in the light-heavyweight division that even if they come for the best, there’s nothing they can do. You know this is my time. That’s why I want to fight the best of the best because I don’t want to just show the people, I want to show myself. I want to know that I’m the baddest man on the planet and that’s the route I’m taking.”

He’s fought guys like Sergey Kovalev, and Artur Beterbiev – do you believe you’re on an even higher level?

“Yeah, I believe in myself. I’d put myself against anybody at the end of the day. I feel like I’m the best in the world, and that’s why I’m here to show it. I wanna show that I’m the best in the world against the people that are really good and have a lot of experience. I get excited, any shot can change the fight, so like I said, he wants to go to war, we’re okay with that. Let’s go to war.”

Do you think this fight will go to a decision?

“I’m just gonna be focused. I’m gonna go in there, do what I’ve gotta do, execute my game plan and I think that’ll be enough. I see a lot of openings in him and like I said, it’s gonna be a fun fight. At the end of the day, once people think about The Ring IV, they’re gonna look at this as one of the events that’s gonna live in history for a long time. Me, Anthony Yarde, Devin Haney, Brian Norman, Abdullah Mason, Bam Rodriguez, man this card is stacked top to bottom. I’m honored to be a part of this card, and I know everybody is gonna be putting their best on the line on this day but I wanna steal the show, so I wanna have some fun this November 22nd.”

AnthonyYarde

What are you expecting going against David Benavidez

“Entertainment. I think he’s expecting the same. There’s a lot of respect there, but he knows what I bring to the table. I’ve seen him fight. When I respect somebody, you’re going to get the best version of me. I’m excited.”

What did you learn from your past fights against Beterbiev and Kovalev?

“I learned a lot but it doesn’t matter. I have a different fighter in front of me, a different style. He knows I can hit and he can hit, too, but in boxing, one punch can change a fight. It’s not like I’m going in there swinging, trying to land a lucky punch. I’m calculated. The boxing fans are in for an entertaining night.” 

What do you have to do to win this fight?

“We’re going to have to wait and see. I have to keep him off of me, push him back. In the UK, the Kray twins, if you’ve seen the movie ‘Legend,’ one of them says they want a f****** shootout. That’s what I want. I want a shootout and he wants one.”

Do you think you’re on a different level than Benavidez?

“I’m a realist. I’m not on his level yet, I have to go out there and prove myself, and I think he knows that. I’m not a joker and going out there looking for a payday. We’re chasing something… I want to look in the mirror and really see myself. When I look in the mirror, I know who I am and that’s the kind of person Benavidez is fighting. I’m looking forward to it.”

Devin Haney

Why was Brian Norman Jr. the right fight for you?

“I know it’s a shock for me to become a three-division champion. Brian Norman is just another guy. I’ve been at this level for a long time. Brian Norman, this is his big moment, this is his first time here and I’m here to show him that there are levels. I’m on a totally different level than him but I’m happy for this opportunity.”

Why do you believe that your on a different level than him? He’s obviously the champion at 147. What gives you that confidence? 

“I don’t know anybody that he fought. He’s never knocked out anybody at the top. I know he’s going to say ‘Oh you’re going to be the first one.’ Yeah, ok, sounds good. We’ve heard this before. But he’s never done this at the highest level. I’ve been at the highest level for 7-8 years now.”

What do you think this will look like on fight night?

“I think it’s going to be one-sided. I’m going to go in there and handicap him. I know he has power. We all know he has power, but against guys we’ve never seen before. We’ve never heard of these guys before. I will show him that power is good, muscles are good, he’s got a lot of muscles— but muscles don’t win fights at the high level. To the best of the best, it doesn’t matter how many muscles you got, or how much power you got. I will show him.”

You got a chance to fight above 140 in your last fight now you’re fighting at 147. What do think this extra weight has done for you?

“It doesn’t matter. I’m levels above this guy. It doesn’t matter what weight. We could’ve done it at 140, 145, 143, or 147; it doesn’t matter.”

Brian Norman Jr. 

With wins over the likes of Giovanni Santillan’s  and Jin Sasaki, what do you think you’ve shown people over the last 12-13 months?

“Obviously not enough. I still have some doubters out there. Besides that, everybody has given credit to how great the card was – it’s going to be a great event.”

Do you think people are still doubting you going into this fight?

“That’s what it is, people keep doubting me, they’ve been doubting me my whole life, that’s why I’ve got a big ol’ chip on my shoulder. And shoot, yesterday even amped it up even more so, y’all boys let me get too comfortable… Time is up, man. Time for y’all to get up out of my sport.”

Besides your power,  do you feel you have any other advantages over Haney?

“I mean that’s what everyone keeps looking at, they’re looking at the power, but the power don’t mean nothing if you can’t land it, so you have to have the IQ. You’ve got to learn how to put that thing together, so I’m gonna show you something different come this fight.”

Sam Noakes

How are you feeling about this matchup with Abdullah Mason?

“I think obviously we’ve been trying to get in this position for a little while. I think it’s not just crept up out of nowhere. We’ve been working for it since, obviously, the beginning and keep working up the WBA rankings, but if it’s not Keyshawn (Davis), it’s Abdullah Mason, and as Carl (Moretti) said, I’ve never been in there with anyone like him and he’s never been in there with someone like me”

How would you describe your style?

“Probably rough and ready, to be honest, but listen I do what I do. It doesn’t look pretty but it gets the job done.”

What have you seen from Abdullah Mason?
“He’s a real nice fella, to be honest with you. I saw him and his old man yesterday, but that’s how it should be. I’ve got no problem with Abdullah Mason. We’re just two boys trying to do the same thing.”

Abdullah Mason

How are you feeling about getting this world title opportunity?

“This is a huge card. This is a big step up in terms of the magnitude of the fight card that I’m fighting on. Four world championship fights so it’s something different for me but it’s going to be the same thing. I’m still inside a square circle with an opponent that I’m prepared for. So we’re going to be in there scrapping with eight-ounce gloves on and I’m prepared to come home with that title.”

Did you think this opportunity would present itself this quickly?

“Yeah, I did. I’ve seen it coming. Before the Sam Noakes fight was made, I was ranked number two in the WBO, so it would have come sooner or later, but I’m prepared for it. I started this year out as boxing’s top prospect in the sport, fighting eight-rounders, and now I’m contending for a world title. I’m prepared for it and I knew I’d be here. As long as I’m staying focused, we’re going to keep coming out the same way.” 

What gives you the confidence that you’re ready to potentially go 12 rounds for a world title?

“I know what I can do inside the ring and with the right preparation, you all will see the same thing time and time again. Ever since I turned pro, I’ve been putting on amazing performances with each step-up fight and I feel like this is going to be the same thing, no different.”

Fernando Martinez

Is it strange to be here when your opponent has another fight in a couple of weeks?

“It’s a weird feeling, absolutely, but it’s a great opportunity. I’m going to come prepared to do my job.”

What do you think you showed in your last two fights?

“I’ve fought two great champions and beat them. On November 22nd, I’m gonna show the world I’m a bigger champion. The main thing I got out of those fights was the experience, which I’ll show in November.”

Do you have a prediction on the fight between Bam Rodriguez vs. Phumelele Cafu?

“Rodriguez by knockout. We’ll see what happens.”

Rick Reeno, COO, Ring Magazine 

“This is a sensational card from top to bottom. The Mexican monster, David Benavidez, is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. But he’s got a tough assignment on his hands in Anthony Yarde. It’s not Tom and Jerry here. It’s Tom and Tom. I expect these guys to go right into it, bombs away, and I certainly don’t expect this fight to go the distance. It’s going to be a war.”

“Co-feature, Brian Norman is fast becoming one of the biggest knockout artists in the sport. Devin Haney, pound for pound one of the best boxers in the sport. It’s going to be a sensational matchup with Brian’s power against Devin’s speed. I think the styles will mesh very well.”

“We have Sam Noakes – Frank (Warren) believes he’s the next superstar in the sport. Then Top Rank believes Mason is the next superstar in the sport. Another fight I’m looking forward to.”

“You can’t forget about Bam Rodriguez against Fernando Martinez, one of the best fights to be made in lower weight classes. I really look forward to this card, one of the most stacked events in the last couple years.”

Frank Warren, Queensberry Promotions 

“On the 22nd of November, we’re in the world capital of boxing, which is Riyadh. They’ve taken over, and every show on there, every fight, has been great fights, fabulous shows and this main event is something special – just as Rick said, it’s going to be a war. As soon as that bell goes, styles make fights; it’s going to be in your face. They’re going to be frying bums. It’s going to be a shootout, and I am telling you, you will not be disappointed; it’s going to be a fantastic fight.”

“Anthony Yarde comes to fight, it’s his dream to win a world title. It’s his third shot at it, in his other two he was very unlucky to be beaten by Kovalev, He was winning that fight, and had he got his taxes right he would have won it and he gave Beterbiev his toughest fight to date at that time. But look, he comes to fight; he believes it’s his time, and David, who I have the utmost respect for who’s another great fighter. He’s done everything he’s been asked, but I’ll tell you he’s going to have his hands full on the 22nd. 

“Speaking of our guys, we’ve got another young guy in there, Sam Noakes with Abdullah Mason, as you said, someone’s 0 has got to go. Between them they’ve had 36 fights and 36 KOs so you know it’s going to be explosive and all action. I’ll tell you about Sam Noakes, he is non-stop. As soon as that first bell goes, he’s on you. He doesn’t stop throwing punches. You’re going to love him. I promise you’re going  to love him. We have respect for Abdullah, but this is going to be a fantastic fight.”

“The other two fights on there, Brian Norman and Devin Haney, what a great fight that’s going to turn out to be. We hope that Jesse (Rodriguez) comes through his fight against Cafu next week and he and Rodriguez again is a brilliant fight. Three belts on the line. Great super flyweight fight.”

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing

“We’ve seen it so many times and he’s done it again, His Excellency. We’re seeing these monster cards, and I’m here on behalf of Bam Rodriguez. He’s made his way onto the pound-for-pound list and one of the top talents in the sport. To see a fighter from those weight classes get the recognition on that list shows you his quality.”

“One thing you cannot deny is his [Haney] resume and achievements. They speak for themselves and he’ll fight anybody. It’s a great fight against Brian Norman, who’s coming off a big win.”

“David Benavidez, the monster – what a fighter. Yarde steps up straight away. He never ducks anyone. What a fight for the lightweight division as well. Abdullah Mason looks to be one of the top stars in the sport, but Sam Noakes is a tremendous fighter, very dangerous and heavy handed. That’s a life-changing opportunity in a division that’s opening up quickly.”

Carl Moretti, Top Rank Boxing

“We’ve got confidence and we’re gonna show that come Nov 22. We talked about this in the office. What our advantages are and should we take the fight. The only other advantage I see is that we’re not going up against Eddie Futch and George Benton on the other side, but that’s fine we’ll do what we have to.”

“From a matchmaking point of view, Abdullah probably hasn’t fought anyone like Sam Noakes, but then again, Sam Noakes hasn’t fought anyone like Abdullah Mason. You throw them out there, see who wins, and go from there.”

Sampson Lewkowicz, Sampson Boxing

“When promoters want to get together, and they want the best fight, you can make a deal in 48 hours. With Anthony Yarde, I really appreciate him taking this fight… Anthony Yarde took the fight in less than 48 hours.”

# # #

About Riyadh Season 

Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting activities, and other unique cultural events. Most recently, Riyadh Season 2024 reached a major milestone after the number of visitors for the year exceeded 20 million for the first time. 

Riyadh Season has hosted a number of memorable boxing showdowns including the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the 21st Century between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, two undisputed light heavyweight title clashes between Artur Beterbiev and Dimitry Bivol, Canelo Alvarez making his Riyadh Season debut to reclaim the undisputed super-middleweight championship crown against William Scull, Terence Crawford becoming a four-division champion by defeating Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles and Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois in front of a record crowd at London’s Wembley Stadium. 

On September 13, Riyadh Season will stage another blockbuster showdown, this time between pound-for-pound great Canelo Álvarez and undefeated superstar Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. 

ABOUT DAZN

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Two-sport combat fighter Pedro Juarez will pack away his open-finger gloves and lace up his boots as he returns to the boxing ring after two straight MMA victories to take on Harley Sampson in a four-round lightweight attraction as part of the “Rising Stars” event promoted by Toscano Boxing Promotions at the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort in Jamestown, California this Thursday night. 

Juarez (1-0) of Tracy, California is a veteran of six professional MMA bouts, but crossed over to the sweet science last October to claim victory in his pro boxing debut in an entertaining four-round decision over Alec Acuavera in nearby Modesto. 

“It felt good,” says Juarez, reflecting on his first pro boxing victory. “I had a good camp for that fight. It worked out in my favor and the hard work paid off. It felt good to get my pro debut out of the way. Now I know what to expect and I am more familiar with the ring and all that good stuff. I’m ready to rock for this fight coming up.”  

The fight with Acuavera was an all-action, toe-to-toe slugfest between two fighters with MMA backgrounds. Juarez did not give up any ground during the bout and Acuavera was a willing opponent in a fight that pleased the crowd for all four rounds. 

“That is my style,” declares Juarez. “I like to come forward, I like to fight. That is how I normally fight and Acuavera was a tough opponent too. He came to fight as well. It made for a great fight for the fans and I am happy with the outcome.” 

Juarez’s trainer Alfredo Perez was happy with the result and pleased with his fighter’s debut performance, but has worked to refine one aspect of Juarez’s game in the time since. 

“For the most part, everything went to plan,” says Perez. “Being that it was his first fight, and both fighters, as you could see, were throwing. Working with our team, he is learning to breathe better and pick when to punch, instead of just throw, throw, throw…throw with a meaning.” 

Heading into his debut with eight ounce gloves, Juarez had already signed to compete in mixed martial arts just under three weeks later. Despite going four hard rounds against Acuavera, Juarez was able to shift gears and immediately get ready for his MMA bout against Chris Fernandez as part of Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 25 in Wheatland, California. On that night in November, Juarez ended things early with a second-round kayo. 

“It was crazy,” exclaims Juarez. “That is just how it worked out. I had that MMA fight pretty locked in and then I got the boxing opportunity presented to me, so I took it. I rolled it over into my MMA fight. After my boxing fight, I went right into training for the MMA fight and things worked out for me on that night too. I have some good momentum right now and I plan to keep it going on July 17th.”  

One might think that it would be difficult to shift gears from the intricacies of the sweet science to mixing in kicks and ground attacks and all that comes with competing in mixed martial arts. For Juarez, a fight is a fight and he adapts no matter how short the time between bouts. 

“For me, I am always training anyways, so I am used to being in the environment of being in a fight,” explains Juarez. “Once you step into the ring or the cage, it is a fight. So that is how I look at it. For the MMA fight, I just got back to training and sharpening up my ground game and my cage work and I was ready to rock.”  

After picking up another MMA stoppage in May, Juarez shifted his focus to the July 17th date at the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort where he will be fighting Harley Sampson (1-0, 1 KO) of Reno, Nevada in a four-rounder. 

“I don’t really know too much about him,” admits Juarez. “I know he fought an MMA guy that was like 0-6, but I couldn’t really find any tape on him, so it’s kind of the unknown, but I am getting ready for whatever. As long as I am in shape and ready to fight, it doesn’t really matter.” 

With his trainer Perez recovering from a medical setback, Juarez has been getting ring work with his first boxing coach, Felipe Martinez. Training at Martinez’s gym, with Perez able to monitor from ringside, Juarez has the added benefit of the great sparring provided by the plethora of fighters that frequent Felipe’s Boxing Academy in Stockton. 

“Before this camp, I actually had an amputation done on my toe, because of sickness,” reveals Perez. “So I told Pedro to go see our coach Felipe and coach is going to work you. Coach Felipe has done a great job, helping Pedro get better and better. Almost everyday, Pedro is going over there and if not getting the great sparring, he’s getting work with Coach Felipe and I am able to watch it from the outside from a different vantage point. That is something new for us that we did not have at the first camp. But now, we are sparring a lot of better, high-end fighters and doing very well. We are very thankful for all of our sparring partners.” 

With his reconfigured team aiding in his training and the experience of his debut out of the way, Juarez is ready to put his hard work to use this coming Thursday in Jamestown. 

“Obviously, we watched the first fight, studied it and looked for things I could improve on,” says Juarez. “That is what we are working on for this camp, just being more sharp and defensively-minded. So I am just minding my P’s and Q’s, working on the basics and things like that. I have definitely been improving since my first fight, that is for sure.” 

Fight fans that make the trip to the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort this week can expect to see a refined Pedro Juarez, the boxer. Both he and his coach are confident heading into Thursday. 

“At the end of the day, we respect our opponents, whoever they are, but I think Pedro is going to do a whole lot better than in that first fight,” says Perez. “Conditioning-wise, right now he’s in great shape. He’s getting good rounds, sometimes against two or three people. I see how he’s managing his breathing better and of course right now it is very hot, but he’s still doing so well. Honestly, I think we are going to see a different Pedro this time and surely a stronger Pedro. He looks real strong and we are happy where we are right now.”

“Expect a good show as always,” says Juarez. “I plan to come in and go for the finish. It is a four-round fight, but I am ready to take this guy out. That is the plan.”

Tickets for the event, promoted by Toscano Boxing Promotions, are available online at Ticketon.com

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

By Norm Frauenheim

Manny Pacquiao has never faced a risk he’s feared. He came to Los Angeles, then an emerging little guy yet mostly unknown Filipino, to ask Freddie Roach to train him. He beat a much bigger Oscar De La Hoya amid concern that he would get seriously hurt. He’s scored dramatic knockouts and been knocked out, face down. He’s been a Sergeant and a Senator. A Filipino street kid, he ran for President.

From canvas to celebrity, there’s not much he hasn’t seen.

Or done.

Now, he’s poised to make a comeback against Mario Barrios next week at 46-years-old, an age that poses a risk as hard to measure as any. 

Already, he’s repeated a predictable line. Age is just a number, he says. No, it isn’t. Inevitably, It takes its toll, eroding quickness and endurance, destroying tendons and timing. But it’s also sneaky. Nobody ever really knows when or how it’ll arrive to do its damage.

Much of this confrontation with risk on July 19 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand rests in Pacquiao’s ability to beat time to the punch once more. 

George Foreman did it, winning the heavyweight title when he was 45 with a knockout of Michael Moorer in 1994. Bernard Hopkins was 49 when he won his last title, a light-heavyweight belt in 2014. Foreman and Hopkins are the modern examples of what can happen, both powerful reasons to think Pacquiao will, too.

But Pacquiao — remember, he’s done it all — is also the very example of why he won’t. He lost to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. That was four years ago. Pacquiao was 42, yet had trouble with Ugas’ Cuban elusiveness. Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision and announced his retirement a couple of days later.

I was one of the few to pick Ugas then. Ugas’ footwork and defensive skill just turned Pacquiao’s attempts to catch him into a haphazard exercise — hits-and-miss, mostly miss. It would be easy, too easy, to pick against an even older Pacquiao all over again. 

But the 30-year-old Barrios brings a different style to the ring. Against Abel Ramos last November, Barrios got tired in the later rounds. The slowing Barrios energized Ramos, who launched an aggressive body-to-head assault. In the end, the fight ended in a draw. 

Barrios kept his welterweight belt. Ramos, a tough and competent welterweight from Casa Grande south of Phoenix, deserved a rematch. Still does. But Barrios has shown no interest in a sequel.

Instead, he got Pacquiao and the paycheck that comes with it. Guess here, Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach have watched — and watched — the Barrios-Ramos video. 

It’s a roadmap for what Pacquiao hopes to accomplish in the later rounds against the favored Barrios. Barrios might prove to be the perfect dance partner for Pacquiao in this comeback. Call him the wise choice, and wisdom is also a part of getting old. Pacquiao and Roach have plenty of that.

There’s more: Complications in the circumstances leading up to Pacquiao’s comeback in 2021 could have compromised his chances. 

Errol Spence, the original opponent, withdrew eleven days before opening bell because of an eye injury. Enter Ugas. It was a sudden move that must have scrambled Pacquiao’s camp, forcing him to suddenly abandon much of he had planned throughout months of routine in training.

Routine, like wisdom, is also part of the aging process. It gives the aging fighter a chance to meld experience and muscle memory in preparation for the specifics he saw in Spence. The sudden switch to the comparatively unknown Ugas dropped that playbook into the spit bucket. Pacquiao fought Ugas as though he was searching, all in futility.

Against Barrios — by now a known quantity, Pacquiao figures to have an overall plan that will allow him to put his muscle memory back to work. 

Does that mean I’m picking Pacquiao? No. I just think he has a much better chance in this comeback than he had in the last one. It promises to be close, very close. In the end, the real factor is his age, a wild card risky because of the unknowns that will confront Pacquiao with unforeseen challenges, all critical to the fight’s outcome. 

Hatton plans comeback

Ricky Hatton is making a comeback? Of course, he is. Hatton, also 46, announced he’ll be back Dec. 2 in Dubai, is coming through a door left wide open by Pacquiao.

Hatton played a chapter in Pacquiao’s long legendary run. Pacquiao blasted out Hatton, sending him into a never-more orbit with a scary second-round knockout 16 years ago —May 9, 2009 — also at Vegas’ MGM Grand. Power makes its own statement and creates its own future. Pacquiao had plenty of it that night. In part, it’s what we remember about Pacquiao. In part, it’s why we’ll watch his comeback. Is the power still there?

But power is also double-edged. What it gives, it takes away. The lasting memory of Hatton is seeing the bottom of his shoes. That’s how high Pacquiao launched him with his knockout shot. Hatton fought one more time, three years later. 

But it was clear he was finished in 2012 and still should be in 2025. But he had a part in the Pacquiao show, which is about to resume for everybody who was there and still wants to be. For Hatton, hopefully there won’t be an encore.

This coming Saturday afternoon, the world famous Mayweather Boxing Club hosts a 20-bout amateur boxing event in honor of the late former world champion and legendary trainer Roger Mayweather. One of the fighters representing the gym on Saturday will be Orazio DiMauro, a second generation boxer and California transplant that was determined to find his way to Las Vegas after watching Roger on television. 

Even though he did not start competing until a later age than some second generation fighters, DiMauro has been around the sport his entire life, being the son of promoter and former professional fighter Phil DiMauro. 

“My dad always brought me to the gym, from the time I was little,” recalls DiMauro. “The first time I put on a pair of gloves I may have been about five. I was always a bit shy and I started doing it just to work out. I didn’t really start to like it until I was about thirteen, but even then I was still just doing it to stay in shape.”

By 2020, DiMauro had decided to take the sport seriously and pursue competing. DiMauro, living in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time, was determined to break in at the world renowned Mayweather Boxing Club, having followed the goings on at the gym through the documentary series “24/7.” After failed attempts to gain entry via e-mail, a gym member overheard Orazio and his father talking during a Las Vegas fight week and extended an invite to join him there at a specific date and time. 

“When we first went in, we saw Jeff [Mayweather] and he was very polite and welcoming,” remembers Orazio. “I wasn’t a national champion or anything, but he was still very welcoming, and Jeff did a few rounds with me on the mitts and from then on, if we came out to visit, Jeff said we could come out to the gym.  Our relationship and friendship grew and I made the decision to move out here and really do it.” 

DiMauro decided to make a big move in order to pursue boxing seriously by packing his bags and relocating to the nation’s boxing capital: Las Vegas, Nevada. Unfortunately, the world was still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which made moving and getting started up a bit more complicated. 

“I moved out here to Vegas sort of in the middle of COVID, in September 2020,” recalls DiMauro. “The airport was empty and everything. I moved out here for boxing and to train at the Mayweather Gym. It was rough for me because I didn’t have any money saved up or anything. My friend bought my plane ticket and another friend let me stay with him until I found a place. Since then, I’ve never really looked back.” 

Despite his limited experience, DiMauro found success early on, finishing as the runner-up in his first tournament in the summer of 2021. 

“I made it to the finals of the Silver States tournament in Primm, Nevada in 2021,” recalls DiMauro. “It was normally in California, but that year they moved it to the state line and in Primm. It was my first tournament and I made it to the finals and I got outpointed to finish in second place.” 

Early in his amateur run, DiMauro was working mainly with Jeff Mayweather, one of the three Mayweather brothers, along with Floyd Sr. and former world champion Roger, that parlayed a high level professional career into becoming a well-respected trainer. 

“One of the biggest things I picked up from Jeff is my defense and how to read fighters and set up combinations,” explains DiMauro. “Now when I rewatch fights, especially Floyd fights, I can see that he doesn’t just see the punches coming, he knows what the fighter is going to do before he even does it. If Floyd’s opponent landed something, he would just adjust right away. When I was working drills with Jeff, I would pick up on some of those thinking habits.” 

In more recent times, DiMauro has worked mainly with longtime Mayweather family associate and a respected trainer himself, Otis Templeton. 

“I’ve been with [Otis] for the past year-and-a-half, but he has been someone that always helped me from the time I first moved out here,” explains DiMauro. “If Jeff had something out of town with one of his other fighters, Otis always helped me. Even when Jeff wasn’t out of town, Otis was always someone that helped me with advice, sparring and training. Working with Otis, my power is a lot better. My footwork and balance are a lot better. My work ethic is a lot better. Otis really pushes us. I have definitely learned more about utilizing distance and my reach. That is a major thing, because I do have a reach advantage. My jab is a lot better. I’ve definitely learned a lot working with Otis this past year-and-a-half.” 

DiMauro takes all the knowledge gained within the walls of the Mayweather Boxing Club into the ring with him at the gym’s big event this coming Saturday. Titled the “You Don’t Know S#it About Boxing Showdown,” in honor of Roger Mayweather, who passed away in March 2020 and would often throw that line out in discussing the sport. 

“This event is going to be really big because anything with the Mayweather name is going to get a lot of attention,” explains DiMauro. “Roger Mayweather’s son, Lehkei Mayweather, trains now and he’s behind this event as well. There are going to be a lot of tough fighters from the gym and a lot of other tough fighters are coming from out of town to be a part of this card. It is going to be a great event and it is going to be exciting. It being in honor of Roger makes it really special and great as well.”

Aiming to defend his home turf, DiMauro is matched with Orlando Luque, a well regarded fighter from Phoenix, Arizona. 

“I try not to really look up opponents too much because videos might be old and fighters are improving just as I am,” says DiMauro. “I did see just a little to get an idea and he looks like a tough opponent that is going to come ready to go to war, but nothing that he brings will be anything that I haven’t seen before.”  

Representing the Mayweather Boxing Club at an event honoring Roger Mayweather on Saturday will bring some added pressure to the match against Luque, but DiMauro is confident from his past experiences that he will be up to the challenge. 

“There is a little extra pressure,” admits DiMauro. “I know my opponent is going to want to come and show out, being at the Mayweather Gym. When I made it to the finals of the tournament, that was the most pressure I’ve faced. There were three rings going and about 4,000 people there. There is always pressure with people coming from other gyms to spar, because everyone wants to show out whether it is to get noticed by Floyd or the coaches and staff at the gym. So yes, there is a little bit of extra pressure, but I just use that as motivation to work harder and be sure that I am more than ready.”  

DiMauro is excited to have the opportunity to display the skills he has learned since making the move to Las Vegas specifically to train at the Mayweather Boxing Club on a night honoring the memory of Roger Mayweather. 

“This event is not going to be a regular boxing show,” explains DiMauro. “It is going to be really special because it is in honor of Roger. What this gym is about is Roger’s teachings that he taught to Otis and Jeff picked up. There are still a few fighters here that trained with Roger before he wasn’t able to train anymore. This show is going to be very action-packed. I don’t see it being a regular amateur show by any means. I am really excited to be on this card and I am really looking forward to it.

I’ve gotten great work here at the gym. A lot of the guys I spar with have more experience than me and are better than me. Especially the pros in the gym, if they last in this gym and especially if they are signed under Floyd, you know they walk through people. So whatever my opponent brings to the table, it is not going to be anything I haven’t seen before. So I am just working as hard as I can until July 12th.” 

Tickets for Saturday’s event, promoted by Mayweather Promotions, will be available at the door. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Norm Frauenheim

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s arrest on charges of being in the United States illegally just days after a loss to Jake Paul in an exhibition devoid of punches, energy and drama leaves questions about why he was allowed to fight despite an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico for alleged involvement with organized crime. 

According to multiple reports, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services alerted enforcement agencies about Chavez last year, saying he “is an egregious public safety threat.’’ 

Yet, he had reportedly been in the U.S. since January 4, training and licensed by the California Athletic Commission to fight Paul, a popular social-media influencer who beat him by unanimous decision in a state-sanctioned cruiserweight fight last Saturday in Anaheim

ICE agents arrested him Wednesday, while he was riding a scooter in front of his residence in Studio City. Chavez, whose tourist visa reportedly expired in February 2024, is due to appear in court on Monday. U.S. authorities are seeking to deport him, also according to multiple reports.

As of Thursday, there was no public statement from Paul about the arrest of Chavez, who has been linked to the Sinaloa cartel by law enforcement. 

Both Chavez and Paul appeared at promotional events, including news conferences and the weigh-in before the pay-per-view bout streamed live by DAZN. Paul’s company, MVP, was among the promoters.

Chavez, 39, is the son of Mexico’s most enduring boxing legend, Julio Cesar Chavez, El Gran Campeaon Mexicano —The Great Mexican Champion. There are few gyms in Mexico and the U.S. that don’t include a framed photo or rendering of the senior Chavez hanging from one of the battered walls. 

Dad was a feared champion in multiple divisions. His son is a former middleweight champion. But Junior’s boxing history is problematic, despite the powerful name, still a drawing card.

Including the loss to Paul, he’s 3-4 over his last seven fights, including a wild sequence of events that included a loss to Danny Jacobs December 20, 2020 at the Suns home arena in downtown Phoenix. 

First, Chavez had to get an injunction on a ruling against him in Nevada, which had suspended him for not undergoing all of a mandated medical exam. The injunction allowed him to get licensed in Arizona. 

On the morning of the weigh-in, however, he missed weight, coming in 4.7 pounds heavier than the contracted 168. A compromise was reached. Jacobs, a super-middleweight, agreed to fight him at a catch weight, 173. 

The fight itself, however, sparked a near riot among the crowd of about 10,000 fans, who threw beer, cups, a chair or three and other debris into the ring when Chavez quit on the stool, losing a fifth-round TKO. 

Chavez Jr. could not continue, he said, because of a broken nose and a fractured hand. A couple of days later, Chavez posted a video of himself in a hospital bed with his father at his side. 

That video was followed by another one of him celebrating at a Christmas party. The reaction on social media was predictable. There was skepticism. And more anger.

Yet, Chavez fought six more times, including the loss to Paul in an exhibition the saw him backing away and throwing few punches throughout a dreary first eight rounds. 

A few days later, he’s facing what looks to be the biggest fight of his life.

Benavidez agrees to first title defense

In a bit of a surprise, Turki Alalshikh, Prince and promoter, announced Thursday that David Benavidez will defend his World Boxing Council light-heavyweight belt for the fist time against UK veteran Anthony Yarde, sometime in November in Riyadh.

It was thought that the unbeaten Benavidez, a Phoenix-born fighter, would face Callum Smith, instead. Smith said just a few days ago that he believed there had been progress in talks with Benavidez, who was awarded the WBC belt when Dmitrii Bivol relinquished it.

It’s believed that the Benavidez-Yarde winner could be in line for a shot at the unified 175-title pound, which is expected to be up for grabs in a projected third Bivol-Artur Beterbiev fight. 

Beterbiev won the fist one; Bivol won the rematch. Alalshikh says he wants to stage the third fight sometime later this year. But there’s not been much news about talks for Bivol-Beterbiev 3. If there’s a deal and it happens in November, Benavidez-Yarde could land on the card as the co-main.

Benavidez has been turning himself into a Las Vegas attraction. His last four fights have been in Vegas. A fight in Riyadh would be his first outside of the US since a string of eight fights in Mexico early in his career.

Follow all the action as Jake Paul takes on former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The action Begins at 8 PM ET with a four-fight undercard that featured unified Cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez defending against Yuniel Dorticos. Plus Floyd Svhofield steps up against former world champion Tevin Farmer

THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY…NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1: Good right from Paul..Right to top of head
Round 2 Right from Chavez…Good combination from Paul
Round 3 Left hook from Chavez
Round 4 Good right to body from Paul…Combo to the body..Body shot from Chavez…Jab from Paul..Big Right…Good right…Right to head from Chavez…Good Jab..good Jab from Paul
Round 5 Chavez lands a good hook and right hand…Right
Round 6 Body shot from Chavez…Check Hook from Paul…Good hook..Right from Chavez..Left…Right from Paul…
Round 7  Left to body from Chavez..Left hook..Uppercut from Pauk..Jab from Paul
Round 8 Good jab frm Chavez..Good right..Good right..Left hook to the body
Round 9 Good right from Chavez..Another..Good right…Good right…2 more rights..Uppercut..Left hook
Round 10 Shirt left from Paul…Giid jab from Chavez..Right…Good jab…Right from Chavez…Big Left

Round 1 Straight left to body by Ramirez…Short uppercut..

ROUND 2 Right from Dorticos..3 punch combination from Ramirez…Uppercut from Dorticos..Good right…Good body shot…Another

ROUND 3

ROUND 4 Right to head from Dorticos…Good left from Ramirez..Left from Dorticos…trading body shots…Right from Dorticos

ROUND 5 Good left from Dorticos and another…3 punch combo from Ramirez

ROUND 6 Good left from Ramirez…

Round 7 Combination from Ramirez…Hard left…Left lands

ROUND 8 Combination from Ramirez

RIUND 9 Good uppercut from Dorticos,,,Counter from Ramirez..Bidy work…Right and snapping left…Good combination…Good body shot…left

ROUND 10 DORTICOS DEDUCTED POINT FOR LOW BLOWS…Good left from Dorticos..Counter from Ramirez…Good uppercut from Dorticos..

ROUND 11 Nice left from Ramirez

ROUND 12 Good right from Dorticos…good lefty from Ramirez…Another..Good left and right

Round 1: Left to body from Rodriguez..
Round 2 Right from Curiel…Good counter left…uppercut…Counter right
Round 3 Good left from Rodriguez…Good hook..Good left…5 punch combo from Curiel
Round 4 HARD RIGHT TO THE BODY AND DOWN GOES RODRIGUEZ…RODRIGUEZ NOSE A MESS…COMBINATION AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 
Round 2 Good right from Rodriguez…Right
Round 3 Good left from Rodriguez..
Round 4 Good right from Griffin Buckles Rodriguez
Round 5 Good combination from Rodriguez..Good body work…Nice left on inside…
Round 6 2 Goof left hooks from Rodriguez…Good jab..Overhand left
Round 7 Good right from Griffin
Round 8 Good left from Rodriguez…RIGHT FROM GRIFFIN AND DOWN GOES RODRIGUEZ…Big left from Rodriguez…
Round 9 Rodriguez lands a right that buckles Griffin…
Round 10 Rodriguez LANDS A BIG LEFT HOOK AND HURTS AND DROPS GRIFFIN…GRIFFIN’S NOSE IS BLEEDING AND HE DOES NOT BEAT THE COUNT

Round 1 Right from Schofield…RIGHT AND DOWN GOES FARMER…HUGE COMBINATION PUNCTUATED BY A LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES FARMER…..SCHOFIELD JUMPS ON FARMER AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

By Norm Frauenheim

Deontay Wilder, another example of how heavyweight power frightens and fascinates, will attempt to ensure fans and mostly himself that his defining right is still there, scary as ever.

There’s a body of evidence, powerful in its own right, to doubt it. 

Doubt him. 

Wilder is 39 and coming off a couple of years when he looked a lot older. But his return to the ring, in Kansas Friday night against somebody named Tyrrell Herndon, is attracting attention.

Herndon doesn’t have a chance. At least, he shouldn’t. He’s a 37-year-old San Antonio heavyweight (24-5, 15 KOs), who is 3-0 since Top Rank prospect Richard Torrez Jr. knocked him out midway through the second round in October 2023.

Herndon, stopped in four of his five defeats, looks like the perfect springboard for Wilder’s promised resurrection in Wichita from a 1-4 record over his last five bouts, including a TKO loss to Zhilei Zhang 12 months ago and a unanimous decision to Joseph Parker in December 2023.

The promise is part of the promotion, which is calling the BLK Prime-streamed bout “Legacy Reloaded.” It’s a complicated legacy. Surprising, too. That’s why much of the media and perhaps fans are interested in Wilder’s risky comeback. 

There are stakes, of course. If Wilder does enough to at least show there’s still potential for him to regain a piece of who he was, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn is talking about a fight against faded Anthony Joshua. No telling what promoters would call Wilder-Joshua. “Past Prime Time?” Insert more punch lines here. But you get the idea.

By now, of course, it’s no secret there’s talk that Wilder is shot. 

Even old rival Tyson Fury has come around to saying Wilder should retire. Fury heard some of the same talk, all rooted in a furious trilogy that ended with Fury’s wild win by 11th-round stoppage of Wilder in October 2021. It was a fight as violent as any over the last couple of decades. Wilder was down three times; Fury twice.

In the aftermath, neither was the same. Fury fought five more times, getting a gift decision over MMA fighter Francis Ngannou and losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk in his last two. 

At first, Fury dismissed suggestions that the Wilder trilogy had taken something from him. Recently, however, he’s conceded that it did. Another big paycheck could always change Fury’s plans. He’s known to retire and un-retire at a dizzy pace and all at a price.

In recent comments, however, Fury has said that Wilder should retire for the same reason he’s still retired. They took their best from each other. Welcome inside the ring. That’s the price of admission.

Wilder, who never beat Fury, is perhaps trying to prove his old rival wrong. He insists he has gone to great lengths to re-discover the feared and fearless heavyweight he was on a run that saw him knock out his first 32 opponents.

It was extraordinary, especially for a fighter who never had been expected to do much. He wanted to play football at Alabama, the college powerhouse in Tuscaloosa, his hometown. He thought about basketball and enrolled in a junior college. But he was never a prospect on the field or on the court. Yet, he kept searching. Finally, he walked into a boxing gym. He was 20, ancient by boxing’s amateur stewards.

It was in the gym that he and trainers discovered he could throw a right hand with the kind of leverage only welterweight/middleweight Thomas Hearns had. It was deadly and dynamic. Few knew about it simply because of his age and modest entry to an old craft that has seen it all. 

Wilder, perhaps boxing’s most unlikely heavyweight champion in the modern era, went his own way, in large part because he knew no other way.

He stood alone, an unlikely American to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Then, he won bronze, the only medal won by an American in Beijing. Hence, he called himself The Bronze Bomber, after Joe Louis, who also grew up in Alabama. He entered the pros and suddenly began to unleash a right as lethal as any since Hearns. 

Still, nobody believed. There were questions about his footwork, his defense, his ring smarts. Throughout it all, he continued to beat everyone in front of him until Fury, who halted his historical run with an amazing draw in Los Angeles in December 2019. Fury, the skilled boxer, fought him to a standstill, but not because of that versatile, clever skill set. Fury took the punch. Got up. Endured. 

Only, Fury was able to break the myth and in the process fracture the way that Wilder saw himself. Without the power, there was no Wilder. The draw set up the rematches, both won by Fury who had in the process stripped Wilder of his identity. Over the subsequent years, Wilder says he labored — often in desperation — to repair and restore that identity. 

Now, he insists he has. 

He told Boxing Scene this week that he hired a sports psychologist to repair  broken confidence and perhaps mend an identity crisis. Wilder’s fragile psychology has always been part of his story. 

His emotions — like that right hand — have been there, ever present and a source of who he is. 

Those emotions were also there about a year-and-a-half ago, outside of the ropes and inside a television studio for a reality TV series, The Traitors. It’s a show about friendship and betrayal. Wilder had a role as “a Friend.” But then he decided another so-called friend had betrayed him. He called him “a Traitor’’ and had him banished from the show. Later, Wilder broke down in tears and left the show before the third episode.

It was an emotional scene that fans and media had seen from Wilder throughout his boxing career, especially during the intense rivalry with Fury. A suspicious and angry Wilder alleged that Fury’s gloves had been illegally manipulated in the second fight, won by Fury in a seventh-round TKO in February 2020.

Wilder’s emotions were edgy and evident, there for all to see. It was a Mike Tyson-like moment, also a heavyweight whose mix of remembered power and emotion continue to draw an audience.

Over the years, that mix has been as genuine as it has been volatile. It’s why people watch. They might watch again Friday, just to see if Wilder has rediscovered any of what looked to be lost in fury and taken by Fury.

Benavidez Jr. under suspension for positive cocaine test

Jose Benavidez Jr., is under suspension for testing positive for cocaine  after his stoppage Danny Rosenberger Feb. 1 on the Las Vegas undercard of brother David Benavidez victory over David Morrell.

Jose Benavidez, a former junior-welterweight champion, was also assessed a $3,750 fine. The Phoenix-born fighter, no reading in Seattle, will be under suspension through Oct. 31.

It’s not clear what the suspension will mean to the 33-year-old, who is best known for taking pound-for-pound contender Terence Crawford into the final round of a challenging welterweight date — October 2018 — in Omaha, Crawford’s hometown. Crawford stopped Benavidez in the twelfth.

Benavidez (28-3-1, )19 KOs) is 1-2-1 since then. His victory over Rosenberger was changed to no-contest. Benavidez, a 17-year-old national champion as a Phoenix amateur, will have to undergo a random testing process if he hopes to continue boxing.

The positive test had been rumored for weeks. The Nevada Commission ruled on it June 20.

SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA – World ranked junior middleweight contender Callum Walsh, bloodied and swollen from an accidental headbutt, scored a five-round technical decision over veteran Elias Espadas in the main event of the UFC Fight Pass-broadcasted card at the Chumash Casino Resort on Saturday night. 

Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs) of Ventura, California by way of Cork, Munster, Ireland flashed his speed and power against the smaller Espadas (23-7-1, 16 KOs) of Merida, Yucatán, Mexico from the early moments of the bout. Walsh’s punches moved Espadas when he connected cleanly. The fight took an unfortunate turn in round two, when Espadas, 153.8, caught Walsh, 154, coming in with his head and opened a bad cut over the Irishman’s right eye. The blood followed immediately and understandably slowed Walsh’s output the rest of the round. 

Walsh, the WBC #6/IBF #6 ranked contender, would be looked over by the ringside physician at the start of each round the rest of the way. The bleeding was never stemmed, but the fight continued into the third and Walsh’s edge in class carried the bout. 

After a fourth round in which maybe Walsh was protecting his eye a bit, while still outboxing Espadas, referee Rudy Barragan ended the bout on the advice of ringside physician Tony Hicks. All three judges scored the bout for Walsh, 50-46, with the one second fifth-round being scored even. 

“First of all I want to apologize to everyone that came out to see us fight,” Walsh told the crowd after the decision. “I am disappointed to win a fight like this. It’s unfortunate, but it was impacting my vision and ability to see.” 

Pearl Gonzalez brought up fellow Southern California junior middleweight Fernando Vargas Jr., who has been mentioned as a potential opponent for Walsh, who successfully defended his regional WBC Continental Americas title on Saturday night. 

 “Fernando Vargas,” Walsh responded, “if you want this belt, come and get it kid.”

In the co-feature, Umar Dzambekov (12-0, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Grozny, Chechnya, Russia banked some much needed rounds and boxed his way to an eight-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Roamer Alexis Angulo (28-4, 23 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by way of Patia, Cauca, Colombia. 

Dzambekov, 176, boxed well in rounds one and two, but Angulo, 174.6, found a home for some of his power shots in round three and seemed to have the southpaw out of his comfort zone at times. Both fighters had their moments in round five, as Dzambekov did well to box and move, while Angulo, who had trouble slipping at various moments, landed some clean power punches. 

Angulo packed up his offense a bit in round seven, which left an opening for Dzambekov to sit down on his power punches in the closing moments of the round. Dzambekov, who stopped his last two opponents inside of two rounds, proved he could maintain his output over the duration of an eight-rounder and still had plenty in the tank down the stretch of the fight. 

All three judges scored the bout for Dzambekov. Judge Chris Leben had it a shutout, 80-72. Judge Lou Moret gave Angulo one round for a card of 79-73, while judge Mike Bell had it the closest at 77-75. 

Junior welterweight prospect Cain Sandoval (16-0, 14 KOs) of Sacramento, California stopped short-notice replacement Yonathan Eniz (36-23-1, 17 KOs) of Dolores, Buenos Aires, Argentina inside of two rounds. 

Sandoval, 142.6, walked the smaller Eniz, 142.6, down from the early moments of the fight and did not appear to be too worried about what the Argentinian had to offer in return. Early in the second, Sandoval upped his pressure even more and forced Eniz into a neutral corner, dropping him with a flurry just as referee Rudy Barragan began to leap in and stop the action at 2:31 of round two.

Rising featherweight Roxy Verduzco (5-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles went the distance in her first scheduled eight-rounder, scoring a unanimous decision over veteran Celene Roman (6-5-1) of Chino, California by way of Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico.  

Verduzco, 125.8, outworked Roman, 124.4, over the first half of the fight while utilizing her movement to great effect, while Roman struggled to cut off the ring or match the southpaw’s output. In the latter third of the fight, Verduzco was more apt to fight at close range and sit on her punches in the center of the ring. Roman found a string of success in round eight and landed with some power punches in the final moments of the bout. 

In the end, all three judges scored the bout 79-73 for Verduzco. 

In a very competitive fight, Daniel Barrera (9-1-1, 4 KOs) of Eastvale, California scored a wide eight-round unanimous decision over a determined Basilio Franco (10-4, 8 KOs) of Norwalk, California by way of Yahualica De Gonzalez Gallo, Jalisco, Mexico. 

Franco, 113.6, outworked Barrera, 115, and controlled ring position for much of the first half of the bout. Barrera began to sit down on his body punches a little more in the fifth round and pressed the action as Franco’s output dipped. Barrera broke through with some power shots in round six, but Franco was still the busier fighter for much of the round. Barrera followed his success with power punches in the seventh, his best round of the fight. Franco was having a good round right, before Barrera unloaded a combination of power punches to close out the fight. 

Despite the competitive nature of the bout, the three official scorers gave Franco almost no credit, as judge Jack Reiss scored it a shutout, 80-72, while judges Chris Leben and Lou Moret had it only one round closer at 79-73. 

In an upset, Vernon Brown (14-2-1, 10 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois scored a come-from-behind seventh-round stoppage of highly-touted Gor Yeritsyan (20-2, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Yerevan, Armenia. 

Yeritsyan, 146.4, was in control for the majority of the bout, landing in combination, while Brown, 146.2, threw mostly one at a time, looking to land with his left. In a precursor to what was to come, the southpaw Brown landed clean with a winging left that caught Yeritsyan’s attention in the second round. For the next four rounds, Brown looked to repeat that success. 

The fight was fought on the inside for much of the contest. Yeritsyan was able to land in combination, especially upstairs, and took control of the fight in the middle rounds. Yeritsyan had such a strong round six that referee David Solivan had the ringside physician take a look at Brown to begin round seven. The Chicago native seemed to take exception to the suggestion that he was in any sort of trouble and began the round aggressively, before landing a leaping left hook that dropped Yeritsyan hard early in the round. Yeritsyan managed to rise to his feet and attempted to weather the storm, but eventually Brown landed an unanswered flurry in the blue corner that prompted Solivan to leap in and wave off the bout at 2:46 of the seventh. The knockout victory ended a layoff of over three years for Brown. 

In the opener, MMA veteran Jenelyn Olsim (0-0-1) of Ventura by way of Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines was held to a four-round majority draw by Jessica Radtke Maltez (1-2-2) of Waconia, Minnesota. Olsim, 125, was the harder puncher, but Radtke Maltez, 124, stood up to them and had her moments in round four. Neither fighter really pressed on the gas and let their hands go for any prolonged stretch. Judge Lou Moret scored the bout 39-37 for Olsim, but was overruled by judges Mike Bell and Jack Reiss, who both scored it even, 38-38. 

Photos by Lina Baker/360 Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA – Junior middleweight contender Callum Walsh looks to continue his ascent up the 154-pound rankings when he takes on veteran Elias Espadas on Saturday night in the ten-round main event of the UFC Fight Pass “Hollywood Fight Nights” event at the Chumash Casino Resort on Saturday night. Fighters for the seven-bout card weighed-in Friday morning before participating in the ceremonial weigh-in at the Sports Bar at Chumash at the host casino later in the afternoon. 

Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) of Ventura, California by way of Cork, Munster, Ireland will be making the fourth defense of the regional WBC Continental Americas light middleweight title he claimed in 2024 with a ninth-round knockout of Dauren Yeleussinov at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Walsh, the WBC #6/IBF #6 ranked contender, made his third appearance at the famed Garden last time out, scoring a devastating first-round knockout of Dean Sutherland this past March. Walsh weighed-in at the 154-pound junior middleweight limit. 

Espadas (23-6-1, 16 KOs) of Merida, Yucatán, Mexico earned this opportunity with a hard-fought majority draw with unbeaten Sadriddin Akhmedov on a UFC Fight Pass-broadcasted event in Commerce, California just two months back. Notably, well-regarded 154-pound contender Xander Zayas stopped Espadas in five in 2022. The thirteen-year pro figures to gauge where Walsh stands amongst the other junior middleweight prospects and contenders. Espadas weighed-in at 153.8-pounds on Friday. 

In the co-feature, undefeated Umar Dzambekov (11-0, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Grozny, Chechnya, Russia will take on former world title challenger Roamer Alexis Angulo (28-3, 23 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by way of Patia, Cauca, Colombia in an eight-round light heavyweight bout. 

Dzambekov, who scaled 176-pounds, will be taking a step-up in class after knocking out his last two opponents inside the first round. Of the seven previous opponents Dzambekov has fought in scheduled eight-rounders, only two were able to last the distance. Angulo, who weighed-in at 174.6-pounds, goes rounds and will figure to provide a stern test for the up-and-coming Dzambekov. Only an over-the-contracted-weight David Benavidez was able to stop Angulo in 2020. Angulo fought Gilberto Ramirez to a twelve-round decision defeat in his first attempt at a world title in 2018 and also went the distance against Edgar Berlanga in 2022. 

Cain Sandoval (15-0, 13 KOs) of Sacramento, California will take on short-notice replacement Yonathan Eniz (36-22-1, 17 KOs) of Dolores, Buenos Aires, Argentina in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. Sandoval, who was originally geared up to take on fellow unbeaten Jesus Madueno, weighed-in at 142.6-pounds on Friday. Eniz, who took the fight on just over a week’s notice, also came in at 142.6-pounds. 

Roxy Verduzco (4-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles will take a step-up against veteran Celene Roman (6-3-1) of Ontario, California by way of Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico in an eight-round featherweight bout. Verduzco, a multiple-time national amateur champion, appears to be on the fast-track towards contention as she moves up to the eight-round distance in just her fifth pro bout. Roman ended a nearly ten-year sabbatical with a four-round majority decision over Amanda DeRosa in February. Verduzco scaled 125.8-pounds, while Roman came in at 124.4-pounds. 

Opening up the UFC Fight Pass portion of the card, Daniel Barrera (8-1-1, 4 KOs) of Eastvale, California will meet Basilio Franco (10-3, 8 KOs) of Norwalk, California by way of Yahualica De Gonzalez Gallo, Jalisco, Mexico in an eight-round super flyweight bout. Barrera, who scaled 115, will be looking to rebound from his first career defeat to Christopher Rios in February. Franco, who scaled 113.6-pounds and will be making his United States debut, has won six straight entering the bout on Saturday. 

The YouTube-broadcast portion of the card will be capped by once-beaten prospect Gor Yeritsyan (20-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Yerevan, Armenia who takes on Vernon Brown (13-2-1, 9 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois in an eight-round welterweight bout. Yeritsyan, a Wild Card Boxing Club stablemate of Walsh and Sandoval, weighed-in at 146.4-pounds. Brown, returning from a three-plus year layoff, came in at 146.2-pounds. 

MMA veteran Jenelyn Olsim of Ventura by way of Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines will make her transition to the pro boxing game in the curtain raiser against Jessica Radtke Maltez (1-2-1) of Waconia, Minnesota in a four-round featherweight fight. Olsim, who has competed professionally in mixed martial arts since 2016, scaled 125-pounds, while Radtke Maltez, coming off of a six-round decision defeat to Roxy Verduzco in April, came in at 124-pounds. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBC Continental Americas Light Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds

Walsh 154

Espadas 153.8

Light heavyweights, 8 Rounds

Dzambekov 176

Angulo 174.6

Light welterweights, 8 Rounds

Sandoval 142.6

Eniz 142.6

Featherweights, 8 Rounds

Verduzco 125.8

Roman 124.4

Super flyweights, 8 Rounds

Barrera 115

Franco 113.6

Welterweights, 8 Rounds

Yeritsyan 146.4

Brown 146.2

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Olsim 125

Radtke Maltez 124

Tickets for the event, promoted by 360 Promotions, are available online at chumashcasino.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA – Unbeaten welterweight Alfredo Contreras made short work of normally durable Michael De La Cruz to cap a four-bout “Fight Club OC” event at the Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center.

Quinones (3-0-1, 1 KO) of Carlsbad, California wasted no time and got in close enough to land his power shots against the much taller De La Cruz (2-6-2) of Ventura, California. 

Quinones, 147, scored the first knockdown of De La Cruz, 147, with a left hook. De La Cruz looked to be regaining his footing before a Quinones short left dropped the Ventura native a second time. Before long, a body shot followed by an overhand right dropped De La Cruz for the third and final time. After the third knockdown, referee Ray Corona immediately waved it off at 1:54 of the first.

The impressive kayo victory ended a layoff of over a year for Quinones due to an issue with one of his eyes.

In her professional debut, Elena Mandujano (1-0) of San Bernardino, California scored a four-round unanimous decision over Amanda DeRosa (0-2) of Hesperia, California.  

Mandujano, 126.2, and DeRosa, 122.8, stood toe-to-toe and traded from the opening bell. Soon, Mandujano’s punch selection and head movement began to make a difference. DeRosa hung tough, especially having her moments early in the fourth, while her face showed the result of Mandujano’s punches. The San Bernardino native closed the fight strong in the final seconds of the bout and all three judges; Michael Bell, Chris Leben and Jack Reiss scored the shutout, 40-36. 

Former amateur standout Ryan Jones (1-0, 1 KO) of Lake Forest, California scored two knockdowns en route to a fourth-round stoppage of Maclovio Salas (0-3) of Mission Hills, California.  

Jones, 128.8, the more polished boxer, upped his aggression in the third, twice dropping Salas, 130, with combinations. The latter came from a left hook and grazing right that Salas recovered from just before the bell. 

Referee Ray Corona kept a close eye in the opening moments of round four before Jones uncorked an overhand right that prompted the stoppage at 21 seconds of the final act. 

Albert Ochoa (1-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California was slated to take on debuting Leon Miles Jr. of Los Angeles, California in a four-round welterweight rematch of an exhibition bout in 2023. Miles, who struggled before the weigh-in, but made weight on Wednesday, fell ill hours before the fight on Thursday and was ruled out by the California State Athletic Commission. 

MMA

In the opener, John Simon (8-6, 2 Submissions) of Portland, Oregon stopped Elj Portee (8-11-1, 7 KOs, 1 Submission) of Fallbrook, California in the second round. 

Simon, 174.6, the southpaw, took Portee  174.8, to the mat early in the first round and maintained a controlling position. The Pacific Northwest native took Portee to the mat again early in the second, eventually forcing the tapout via armbar submission at 3:13 of the second stanza. 

“Fight Club OC” hybrid fight series, promoted by SOCA Fights, returns to the Hangar on August 28th. 

Photos by Damian James

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Norm Frauenheim

Willy Borchert, an electrician from nine-to-five and a trainer all the time, was a builder. He built a gym. He built fighters. He built a legacy that is fundamental to a city’s enduring and evolving reputation as a fight town.

He’s gone. Borchert died this week, Monday morning, after several years of battling health issues. He was 80. No services are planned.

But the Borchert legacy is there — very much alive — throughout Phoenix, a city with deep boxing roots in neighborhoods across its sprawling landscape. Kids have been skipping rope on sidewalks in front of a downtown barber shop and sparred within corroding hoses for ropes in backyard rings for years. It’s not a game, and it never has been in Phoenix, where it’s craft and culture, a mom-and-pop tradition.

It’s still there, a gritty element in the PHX DNA, in large part because of the way Borchert and his surviving wife, Nettie, sustained it with parental care for more than two decades, throughout the 1980s and into the 90s. 

After working at his day job in the construction of Palo Verde nuclear power plant in Tonopah, Willy came home and proceeded to build an outdoor, ramshackle gym behind the Borchert home between Camelback and Indian School roads, just west of I-17.

Kids in the surrounding neighborhoods noticed. It was a refuge from the mean streets, a place to fight and a place to learn how. 

A teen-aged Louie Espinoza showed up and a few years later became the first Arizona-born fighter to win world title belts, the World Boxing Association’s 122-pound version in 1987 and the World Boxing Organization’s featherweight version in 1989.

At about the same time, in walked Johnny Vasquez, an aggressive and entertaining bantam and junior-featherweight contender who was an amateur rival to Arizona’s reigning name, Michael Carbajal, a 1988 Olympic silver medalist and the state’s only Hall of Famer. 

Carbajal had a street near his downtown home named after him last year. Vasquez called himself The Torch for the fires he set as a teen-aged arsonist. He kept the nickname as a fighter because Borchert taught him how to focus his energies for the fire that was so evident within the regulated ropes.

There was middle/super-middleweight Jesus Ernesto Gonzales, light-heavyweight Earl Butler Jr. and junior-featherweight Ray Martinez Jr., too. Borchert was a teacher, a father figure to rough kids willing to learn. Top Rank noticed, hiring Borchert to be Diego Corrales’ first pro trainer. 

Corrales, who died in a 2007 motorcycle accident, had a troubled past as a kid growing up in Sacramento. Enter Borchert. Corrales, a Hall of Famer, lived and trained at Willy’s Boxing Studio throughout 1996. He fought four of his first five pro bouts in Phoenix before going on to a Hall of Fame career that included the 2005 10th-round stoppage for the lightweight title of Jose Luis Castillo, a wildly dramatic fight which ranks among the best in boxing’s long history.

Borchert taught fundamentals.

In the ring.

And outside of it.

But it didn’t always work. Kids fight for a reason, often to just survive. Some don’t.  

In 1995, Borchert lost the kid he thought might one day be his best ever. He was Geronimo Deciga, who was eight years old when he walked into the gym with Espinoza, his boyhood hero. Deciga went on to win a national Police Athletic League title at flyweight in 1994. He was beginning to train for a jump up to 119 pounds for a bid as a leading contender for the U.S. team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. 

Within the first two weeks of 1995, however, the 16-year-old Deciga was dead, the victim of a drive-by shooting in the 3000 block of West Granada Avenue. In a story for The Arizona Republic, Borchert was heartbroken. 

“Geronimo died in the hospital on life support,’’ Borchert told me. “I put my hand on his leg. I kept thinking he’d wake up, get out of bed and start hitting the bag. I mean, he was always there, always working. But he just laid there, and I couldn’t take it. I thought I was stuck in a bad dream.

“…I don’t know if I can ever get over Geromino’s death. That’ll hurt me forever, I guess.’’

Four-and-half years later, Borchert sold the gym. He and Nettie moved on. But they were never forgotten. In any conversation with Espinoza, Vasquez, Gonzales, Butler and Martinez, Borchert’s name comes up. They’ve never forgotten what he did for them.

It’s been more than 25 years since Borchert left the gym. Left a young fighter’s corner. These days, Phoenix’s reputation as a great fight town has grown. In Phoenix fights featuring rising star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez of San Antonio, UK promoter Eddie Hearn always mentions how much he likes the Phoenix fan base and its appreciation for the smallest weight classes. 

Phoenix fans, Hearn says, are “educated.’’

They are in large part because of the years Willy and Nettie Borchert were mom-and-pop to tough kids. Willy taught them how to fight. Nettie cooked the meals. Willy’s Boxing Studio was home for many of them. 

Over the last year, the Phoenix market has been lost in a shuffle bought on by Saudi money. But the city’s DNA will survive, meaning PHX will continue to be a destination for promoters. It stays on the map because Borchert helped keep it there.

David Benavidez, the current World Boxing Council’s light-heavyweight champion and ranked among the second five in the latest pound-for-pound debate, continues to identify himself as a Phoenix fighter, even though he lives in Miami and had been training in the Seattle area. 

He wears the PHX logo on the waistband to his trunks. In the media, he’s consistently called a Phoenix fighter. That’s no coincidence. Benavidez grew up not far from Willy’s Boxing Studio, for decades a cornerstone to a city’s reputation for producing fighters who know how to fight.

Who love to fight.

Rest-In-Peace, Willy Borchert

Junior welterweight prospect Cain Sandoval had been preparing to meet fellow unbeaten Jesus Madueno this coming Saturday when the call came in last week that a new opponent was being sought. Madueno was out, citing unforeseen family circumstances, something that Sandoval himself is unfortunately no stranger to, but the show must go on. Luckily for Sandoval and his fans, the Sacramento native will still get to ply his trade this weekend, as he takes on veteran Yonathan Eniz as part of the UFC Fight Pass-broadcasted event from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. 

Sandoval (15-0, 13 KOs) of Sacramento, California was in the midst of winding down his second full camp with new trainer, Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, preparing to take on Madueno and his flashy record of 21-0, when the change had to be made. Although Madueno would have been taking a major step-up in competition by meeting Sandoval, the ability to take someone’s “O” is always a great motivator. 

“Honestly, there was a little letdown and a little anxiety,” admits Sandoval regarding the change in opposition. “I had been getting ready for that guy for so long. My job is to go out there and beat whomever they put in front of me. It is not my job to pick or choose my fights. It was a last minute replacement, but it is all good and I am going to go out there and get the job done.” 

Eniz (36-22-1, 17 KOs) of Dolores, Buenos Aires, Argentina is not only a much more experienced fighter than Madueno, but also a southpaw instead of an orthodox fighter. The last minute change did not rattle Sandoval however. 

“This camp, I didn’t just spar orthodox fighters, I sparred southpaws too,” explains Sandoval. “I didn’t discriminate. I didn’t do that this camp and I’ve never done that in my career as a matter of fact. So it is nothing to me that he is a southpaw and shorter [than my original opponent] too. It doesn’t matter to me.” 

Despite the crooked number in his loss column, Eniz has gone rounds with many unbeaten fighters on the rise and one of the few to stop him eventually became a world champion in Subriel Matias. While a win over the Argentinian might not look as showy at first glance in the record books, it would provide a gauge of where Sandoval stands amongst the other contenders and prospects that have met Eniz in the past. 

“I saw he fought Subriel Matias, who knocked him out,” says Sandoval, who admittedly does not do a deep dive to study his opponents. “But he’s been in there at that level with champions and world title challengers and I want to show that I am on that level with those guys and beat him in the same fashion.” 

In his last fight, the first with a full camp with Roach at Wild Card, Sandoval scored a fourth-round knockout of Mark Bernaldez at the Chumash Casino Resort. While everything went smooth on fight night, Sandoval had to work hard in camp to get on weight. Originally slated to fight last December, Sandoval had to withdraw from the event early in the promotion to take care of his ailing daughter. With the extended absence from the ring and time away from the gym, Sandoval understandably got heavy between fights. 

“After everything that happened with my daughter, I wasn’t training at all,” recalls Sandoval, whose daughter is progressing in her recovery from leukemia. “So for my last camp, it was hard to cut the weight. Due to my daughter, I was at the hospital with her for weeks at a time. I took time away from the gym and I got down into a dark place mentally. It took me a little while to get back from that. But for this camp, it was much better. I am back mentally and physically.” 

On Saturday, three of Freddie Roach’s star pupils will all be sharing the bill, as along with Sandoval, Gor Yeritsyan and main eventer Callum Walsh will also take to the ring. The trio all fight between 140 and 154-pounds, so to have all three training alongside one another and peaking simultaneously is a great benefit to each fighter. 

“This is my second camp with Freddie and my first camp with Callum,” explains Sandoval, who was able to stay close to weight between camps this time around. “It has been great sparring with him and working alongside him, fighting on the same event. “With Callum, Gor and I, I see us as like a Fantastic Four kind of. I have sparring every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with the top people here in L.A. People from all around the world come here to spar too. It has probably been my best camp so far.” 

With the best camp of his career winding down, Sandoval is confident that he will put on a show this coming Saturday in Santa Ynez. 

“Honestly, I do [see this potentially as a short night.] I feel like I am too powerful, too smart and too fast for this guy,” says Sandoval of the Eniz match-up. “I don’t know exactly what is coming, but my job is going out there to get that win and whatever happens, happens, but I am going to knock him out.” 

Photos by Lina Baker/360 Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA – Local product Alfredo Quinones ends a one-year layoff as he takes on tough gatekeeper Michael De La Cruz in the four-round welterweight main event of the “Fight Club OC” event emanating from the Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center on Thursday night. Fighters for the five-bout card, which will be streamed live by TrillerTV+, weighed-in Wednesday morning in the Costa Mesa building across from the venue. 

Quinones (2-0-1, 2 KOs) of Carlsbad, California was last in the ring in May 2024 when he was held to a majority draw. Subsequently, Quinones has been out of action after an eye exam turned up something that needed review. With a clear bill of health, Quinones was originally slated to fight Julian Baez on Thursday, before the taller and more experienced nine-fight veteran De La Cruz stepped-in to take his place. The durable De La Cruz (2-5-2) of Ventura, California recently took heralded prospect Lorenzo Powell the six-round distance and figures to be a good test for the returning Quinones. Both De La Cruz and Quinones weighed-in at the welterweight limit of 147-pounds. 

Quinones is ready to get back in the ring after more than a year away, including four months off of training all together. 

“I had a few problems with my eye,” explained Quinones. “My last fight got cancelled because I had a lattice degeneration, but I got a second opinion and it is all good.” 

Quinones will oppose an opponent roughly five inches taller in De La Cruz. The height difference is nothing new to the Carlsbad native however. 

“I have the same game plan and nothing really changed about that,” said Quinones. “I am walking around at 5’6,” so everyone is always taller than me. I am used to being the shorter fighter. It is going to be a great fight. The people that have to come to support me, I think they know what to expect, they get the same thing everytime.”  

San Bernardino, California’s Elena Mandujano will make her professional debut against Amanda DeRosa (0-1) of Hesperia, California in a four-round featherweight bout. Mandujano, who was originally scheduled to turn pro in her hometown this past February, struggled with her weight cut and an agreement was reached prior to hitting the scales between camps to keep the bout intact. Mandujano weighed-in at 126.2-pounds, while DeRosa scaled 122.8, just over the super bantamweight limit. 

Former amateur standout Ryan Jones of Lake Forest, California will take on Maclovio Salas (0-2) of Mission Hills, California in a four-round super featherweight bout. Jones, who competed at the 2024 USA Boxing National Championships last December, scaled 128.8-pounds. Salas, who last boxed in 2018, came in at the super featherweight limit of 130. 

Albert Ochoa (1-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California will see action against old adversary Leon Miles Jr. of Los Angeles, California, who will be making his professional debut, in a four-round welterweight bout to open the night. Ochoa and Miles, both heavily prevalent on social media, have shared a ring before, having fought an exhibition in December of 2023. Both Ochoa, who claimed victory in their first pairing, and Miles, known by the handle of “Suede the Plug” on social media, scaled 143.8-pounds. 

MMA

In a crossroads pairing of veteran fighters, Elj Portee (8-10-1, 7 KOs) of Fallbrook, California will take on John Simon Portland, Oregon (7-6, 4 KOs) of Portland, Oregon in a three-round middleweight fight. Portee, fighting for the second time this year, scaled 174.8-pounds, while Simon, who just fought on May 10th, made 174.6-pounds.

A scheduled bout between Christopher Cruz (2-1-1) of Los Angeles and Robert Duran (0-1) of Fullerton, California was scratched from the card. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Quinones 147

De La Cruz 147

Featherweights, 4 Rounds 

Mandujano 126.2

DeRosa 122.8

Super featherweights, 4 Rounds

Jones 128.8

Salas 130

Welterweights, 4 Rounds 

Ochoa 143.8

Miles Jr. 143.8

MMA

Middleweights, 3 Rounds

Portee 174.8

Simon 174.6

Tickets for the event, promoted by SOCA Fights, are available online at socafights.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

Four years into his journey as a boxer and nine years removed from the prom date that brought him into the public consciousness, Albert Ochoa is set to take to the ring for his second bout as a pro, and first in the United States, this coming Thursday night at the Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. Ochoa, having just celebrated his first Father’s Day as one himself, will take on Leon Miles Jr. in a four-round welterweight bout as part of SOCA Fights’ Fight Club OC event, which will be streamed internationally by TrillerTV+. 

Ochoa (1-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California made his pro debut in February, scoring a first-round stoppage over Miguel Angel Ortiz in San Francisco del Rincón, Guanajuato, Mexico. Ochoa had been slated to meet an American opponent before Ortiz, an unknown commodity, stepped in on short notice to keep his debut bout intact.  

“I had one day’s notice [on my new opponent] and I was terrified,” admits Ochoa candidly. “I was scared. The guy I fought had more fights and I didn’t have amateur experience, so I wanted to pull out too, but I had to believe in myself and the work that I put in. With a last minute opponent switch, a lot of fighters would pull out of a fight, because you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, but I went in there and knocked him out.”

Ochoa, who came to prominence after reality TV star Kendall Jenner agreed to be his junior prom date in 2016, decided to turn professional after a run on the influencer boxing exhibition circuit and without any traditional amateur experience. As one could expect, Ochoa has heard from naysayers along the way, which ultimately made the taste of his first pro victory all the more sweet. 

“I got goosebumps and was very emotional,” recalls Ochoa of hearing his name announced victoriously after the win. “So many people have doubted me and people doubt me in this sport still. Being from Sacramento, I have a big target on my back. I knew whether I won or lost, people were going to talk. In the end, I had to do what was best for me and I went in and got the job done. I was very happy and emotional, because this sport isn’t easy.” 

Ochoa’s debut came after a brief camp with new trainer Stan Martyniouk, a former international level amateur with nearly 18 years of professional experience, dating back to his own pro debut in 2007. Martyniouk was pleased with what he saw out of his new charge in that first fight together. 

“We went into the fight and I had to keep him calm a little bit, so as not to waste a lot of energy,” explains Martyniouk. “He had a little bit of the jitters, so we warmed up and he shook out a little bit. He went into the fight and executed the game plan very well. He got the victory and everything was good.” 

Adding to the swirl of emotions Ochoa experienced on the night of his debut, his girlfriend Maricela Cornejo, who fought Cecilia Braekhus to a close decision in an attempt at an interim title last year, was in the home stretch of her pregnancy, as their son Ocean arrived just over a month later. 

“When I knocked that guy out, I was extremely happy, because now I could enjoy the time with my baby boy,” recalls Ochoa. “So that’s all I was thinking about, was the after effects. I got this job done and now I can spend some time with them and relax with them and be there for Mari as well.” 

Ochoa has managed to juggle his newfound responsibility as a father and as a professional fighter while preparing for his upcoming bout against Miles this Thursday. 

“My baby now is three months and we dialed-in [for this upcoming fight] when he was three-weeks-old,” explains Ochoa. “So I’ve been in camp about nine to ten weeks. I’ve been 100 percent focused and motivated. It does suck to be away from him, being at the gym twice a day. We had a media workout in Sacramento and so many people came, but it does suck being away. I know it is going to pay off in the long run and beating this guy in L.A. is going to be great, but the after effect is what I am looking forward to and that is spending time with my son.” 

In addition to being away from his newborn son, Ochoa has been training mostly out of the Salas Boxing Academy in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, while Martyniouk remained in the Bay Area. Despite the distance, Martyniouk has continued to be a guiding voice and will be in the Ochoa corner on Thursday night. Thus far, Ochoa has impressed Stan “The Man” with his improvement. 

“It has been a bit different, because I have been talking to him about what I’ve seen mostly through videos,” explains Martyniouk. “We discuss what he’s been doing, what he needs to improve and work on. Ever since we started working together, either over the phone or when he comes and sees me, his timing has improved a lot. His power and his ring IQ, have all improved. He looks like a whole different fighter. We worked a lot on speed and while he’s been out there in Vegas, you can tell the difference in speed. He looks like a seasoned fighter now.”  

“It’s been a long camp, but I’ve jumped so many levels,” says Ochoa. “My sparring competition has been higher. My IQ is higher and I’ve been boxing amazingly. I am keeping up with these pros coming up as well. So this camp has been my best camp, it really has. From my strength to my IQ, to letting my hands go in combination, I feel I have taken a big leap from the last fight until now.” 

Ochoa will meet a familiar face on Thursday, taking on Miles, known on social media as “Suede The Plug.” Miles comes from the influencer boxing circuit as well, which is where he and Ochoa met before. Ochoa boxed his way to a decision win over Miles in an exhibition in December of 2023. 

“I am sure he has grown as both a person and a fighter and I am definitely not taking him lightly,” says Ochoa of Miles. “I am training my butt off and doing everything I need to do to come out victorious. He was my toughest challenge. That influencer fight was fun for sure, but now I am going into the pros and it is a different game. Miles wanted to run it back and for [promoter] Roy [Englebrecht] to give me the opportunity, being from Sacramento, it is a blessing to be on that card. [Miles] is from L.A. and he’s a good fighter. We went the distance the last time we fought, but I just have to focus on myself and no matter who they put in front of me, I need to get the job done and that means winning.”

With all the motivation that comes with becoming a father for the first time and pursuing a passion, Ochoa is excited to show that all of his hard work has paid off as he goes for his second pro win on Thursday night in Costa Mesa. 

“The event is about sold out already I believe,” says Ochoa. “I am excited and it is going to be fun. I expect fireworks. I am going to put on a great performance and in this fight, I am going to show why I became a boxer. I think it is going to be a good fight, a really fun one and I plan to show out.”  

The few remaining tickets for the event, promoted by SOCA Fights, are available online at socafights.com 

Photos courtesy Team Ochoa

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Norm Frauenheim

It’s on the calendar. It’s on the Netflix schedule. It’s on our mind and in our conversations. 

Canelo Álvarez-Terence Crawford is everywhere but on the map. Las Vegas is the destination. But an intriguing fight, moved around and shopped around for weeks, was still without an address Thursday.

By all accounts, the traveling show wants to land at Vegas’ newest showcase. Allegiant Arena and its 65,000 seats beckon for a Sept. 13 fight compelling because it matches two of the biggest names from different weight classes in a bout that’ll determine the best in a passing generation. Crawford or Canelo? It’s worth watching for lots of reasons. Guess here, lots of people will.

Canelo and Crawford “will finally compete against each other in the fight of the century,” Saudi Prince and primary promoter Turki Alalshikh said in a prepared statement

There have been more than a few of those over the last decade. But you get the idea. A fight sold as the best in a century can’t be staged in a modest setting. It belongs on a big stage. The biggest. In today’s Vegas, that’s Allegiant.

What seems to be simple enough, however, isn’t. Remember, this is boxing, where it’s always hard to connect the dots. 

Here’s why: For now, Allegiant is booked on Sept. 13 with a Nevada-Las Vegas’ home football game against Idaho State. It’s been booked for that date for months. Initially, Canelo-Crawford was going to Allegiant the night before, Friday Sept. 12. But Saturday was thought to be a better fit for the size and potential impact of Canelo-Crawford, an all-time welterweight great and new junior-middleweight against a generational great at super-middle.

After talk of Dallas, Los Angeles and other locales, Vegas became the destination, mostly because of Canelo, who is coming off a dull victory over William Scull in front of a dull crowd in Riyadh on a May weekend when Canelo has traditionally entertained his Mexican partisans on Cinco de Mayo. 

Reportedly, Canelo told Alalshikh that he wanted to go back to his home away from home, this time for another traditional date celebrating Mexican Independence. Canelo gets what he wants. So, Vegas, it is.

But Canelo’s clout within boxing circles might not be there in college football. UNLV is coming off an 11-win season. It is enjoying more momentum than it has in years. Put it this way: The Rebels, who have a renewed future and a new coach in ex-Florida head coach and ESPN commentator Dan Mullen, seem to be growing into their new home. 

They drew 139,747 fans over six games last season, a 28-percent increase from 2023. By SEC standards, that’s still small, but for UNLV it’s the kind of momentum the school might not want to interrupt with a schedule change. Reportedly, Alalshikh and promotional partner Dana White are trying to get UNLV to move off the date. 

According to a lot of media reports, White, the UFC chief, is promoting his first boxing show. In classic terms, perhaps that’s accurate. But White did promote Floyd Mayweather Jr. against then UFC star Conor McGregor in August 2017 at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. 

It was sanctioned as boxing. Mayweather’s predictable victory — a 10th-round stoppage — added a Rocky Marciano milestone to his official record, putting him at 50-and-0. White knows boxing. Knows mixed martial arts. Above all, he knows promoting.

But boxing and college football are from different cultures. Let’s just say that chaos and control might face each other at the bargaining table, if in fact UNLV is even thinking about moving out of Allegiant on Sept. 13 for a different date or alternate site against Idaho State. 

The game doesn’t figure to be a big draw early in a season full of lofty expectations for UNLV, ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press’ final 2024 poll. But college football is about routine for players/coaches and familiarity for a growing fan base.

Maybe, there will be enough Saudi money for UNLV to move off the date, perhaps to Sept. 12, the day initially planned for Canelo-Crawford. When UNLV announced its updated football schedule in May, one Allegiant game against Hawaii had been moved from a Saturday to Friday, Nov. 22 to Nov. 21.  According to UNLV’s current schedule, a kickoff time against Idaho State has yet to be scheduled, perhaps subject to television.

Amid today’s NIL — Name, Image, Likeness — revolution in college football, Saudi money might be able to secure the services of some prep quarterback seeking seven figures before he moves on to the NFL pay scale.

Then again, maybe not. 

UNLV could tell Canelo-Crawford to go somewhere else. Turns out, there is somewhere else. 

Canelo, Crawford and White could go back to T-Mobile, still available Sept. 13 and reliably familiar, yet somehow not quite as monumental as all of the promise attached to one fight.

By Norm Frauenheim

Vasiliy Lomachenko, complicated and gifted, announced on Thursday what many had expected months ago. He retired. 

Age was a factor. He’s 37. Injuries, including shoulder surgery and at last report a problematic back, were there, too. 

In the end, however, there was a growing sense that his retirement wasn’t just about the clock’s corrosive erosion of a singular skillset or even the inevitable battle with torn tendons and pain left by years of exchanging punches. 

Lomachenko landed more than he ever took. His Hall-of-Fame resume — amateur and professional — is evidence of that. But the ones the two-time Olympic gold-medalist and three-division pro champ took are the ones that leave their own permanent mark in the scars never seen on any won-loss record.

The guess here is that Lomachenko still had some big fights left in him. There was talk about Tank Davis. Fans wanted to see him against Shakur Stevenson. I would have liked to see him in a rematch against Teofimo Lopez, although it’s hard to know exactly who Lopez wants to fight anymore. Ask Devin Haney, who thought he had a reported deal this week to fight Lopez until he didn’t. I also would have liked to see Lomachenko in a rematch against Haney. 

On this scorecard, Lomachenko got handed a lousy decision in a loss to Haney for the lightweight title in May 2023. There was plenty of debate, even outrage about the 115-113, 116-112, 115-113 cards, all in favor of Haney. Some pundits acknowledged the controversy. But, they said, please don’t call it a robbery. Okay, but neither Haney nor many of his supporters called for a rematch, either.

In the fight’s immediate aftermath, there was video of Lomachenko crying in his dressing room. Then, as he walked onto the stage for the post fight-news conference, a hot mike caught his promoter Bob Arum telling him: “You won that fight easy.’’ That’s what I thought too. Then and now. After watching the fight a second and third time, this scorecard still has Lomachenko winning, 116-112.

In looking at the post-fight video, however, something else becomes even more evident, more relevant perhaps to what motivated Lomachenko to announce his retirement on social media Thursday. The fire had gone out. By the time he walked onto the stage for a post-fight newser, he was stoic. Arum was angry. He complained about a Las Vegas fight — Ukrainian-versus-American – that included three American judges. But Lomachenko remained stoic throughout the newser and the following weeks.

Only Lomachenko knows the real answer. And, perhaps, we’ll hear it some day. Still, there was a sadness about his retirement Thursday. He goes into the Hall of Fame, mostly because of his astonishing amateur record more than his pro career (18-3, 12 KOs). As an amateur, the Olympic gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Games and again in 2012 in London was 396-1. I don’t know who beat him. But whoever you are — where ever you are — please take a bow.

As a pro, however, Lomachenko walks away amid a lingering sense that his career was somehow unfulfilled. That’s not exactly fair. But it’s there, on social media and in the minds of many. It was the stoicism in the face of the controversial loss to Haney, however, that suggests a level of resignation in Lomachenko, who did go on to fight one more time in a dominant stoppage of George Kambosos at Perth in Western Australia.

There just wasn’t much he could do about it. There was also his complicated relationship with his country, Ukraine, then and still now in a brutal war with Russia.

After years of fighting along Ukraine’s eastern border, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion February 2022.  At the time, Lomachenko was attempting to move up the scale from featherweight and junior-lightweight to lightweight. He had fought for his country in the Olympic ring, but there were increasing complaints in social media that he wasn’t fighting for his country in a desperate war. He had appeared in a photo in fatigues as part of a territorial defense battalion for his hometown, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, a port city in southwestern Ukraine.

But fellow Ukrainians were skeptical, mocking the photo as a public-relations stunt. The criticism grew and — by all accounts — it’s still there. 

It’s a story, best told by journalist/author Sean Nam:

It’s a brilliantly reported story about country, war, religion, patriotism and a fighter with a skillset that has been compared to Muhammad Ali and Roy Jones Jr. I read the long piece, published a year ago, again after getting the news about Lomachenko’s retirement. It’s fair to now wonder if he decided to walk away from the ring because of the pressures he felt — and may still feel — at home. The ring must have felt like a very small — irrelevant — place after the Haney loss. 

Lomachenko cried, but maybe for something a lot bigger than another controversial decision in the boxing business. 

Late last year, Lomachenko’s manager Egis Klimas gave some credence to talk that Lomachenko’s passion for boxing had been extinguished. Klimas confirmed that there were questions about whether the motivation was still there.

In Thursday’s post, Lomachenko talked about his faith and about how he had grown over the last few years from a prideful young man. He thanked his father. He thanked his fans. But, still, there was a stoicism from a man created by conflict within the ring and perhaps changed by a bigger one at home.

DETROIT (May 30, 2025) – Salita Promotions will present an electrifying night of fights on Friday, June 6, at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY, as part of International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. This highly anticipated event, titled “Hall of Fame Fight Night,” will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN and is promoted in collaboration with ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT, the dynamic digital content platform led by boxing legend Andre Ward.

The event is headlined by USBA American heavyweight titlist Brandon Moore (17-1, 10 KOs), who will square off against the undefeated Stanley Wright (14-0, 11 KOs). Moore is entering the fight after a victory over previously undefeated Skylar Lacy, while Wright is coming off a major upset victory over previously undefeated heavyweight standout Jeremiah Milton. This clash pits two of the best rising American heavyweights, both eager to carve their names into boxing history.

Ahead of the momentous weekend for boxing and a talent-stacked event on June 6, Salita Promotions President Dmitriy Salita and competitors including Brandon Moore, Franchón Crews-Dezurn, and Joshua James Pagan joined ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT’s AK Reyes for a virtual press conference.

Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster.

Dmitriy Salita – President of Salita Promotions

“It’s an honor to promote this year’s International Boxing Hall of Fame event—a card that truly reflects the full spectrum of the sport, featuring champions, top contenders, rising prospects, and future Hall of Famers like Franchón Crews, a true pioneer in women’s boxing.”

“I grew up in this sport. Boxing isn’t just my profession it’s my passion. I approach every event and matchup with the enthusiasm of a fan and the passion of a boxer. Having been a fighter signed to some of the biggest promotions and now working as a promoter for over a decade, I’ve gained a unique perspective. I believe that experience, paired with a deep love for the game, gives me the tools to help elevate the sport in new and meaningful ways.”

“We’re in the midst of an exciting transition in boxing, and innovation is key. That’s why we’re trying new things—like partnering with ALL THE SMOKE—to bring fans closer to the stories, personalities, and journeys that define boxing. Our vision is to be inclusive, collaborative, and to grow the sport for the fans and give the best of opportunities to the fighters we promote.”

Brandon Moore – USBA American heavyweight titlist

“This is a humongous opportunity. I’ve been training for this since February. Not that I knew this was coming but I knew an opportunity of any kind would show up. I know this event is going to be big time and there will be lots of legends there, so I am planning on looking sharp and ready to go against Stanley Wright. He just had an upset win against Jeremiah Milton, so I am taking him extremely seriously. Wright is an undefeated fighter, so I need to give him his first L.”

“I’m a bigger sized heavyweight myself, and I’ve fought bigger heavyweights before. Wright will just be another guy in the totem pole. I just need to move my feet, hit him with that jab, and look good doing it. He’s coming to hit hard so I know what he’s coming to do. I just need to stay focused, keep my chin down, and keep hitting him with that jab.”

“June 6 I’m coming in extremely sharp. Of course I want the knockout, I want it badly. But it’s about being sharp and getting the win. I always want the knockout, but the main focus is staying smart. If I do that, the knockouts will come. They always come.”

Franchón Crews-Dezurn – WBC and WBA Unified Super Middleweight World Champion 

“I’m from the bottom so I’m not a stranger to hard work and working for what I want. An opportunity came to work with Salita Promotions, and it made sense. As you can see, women’s boxing is coming to the forefront and there are now a lot of women getting great opportunities. Myself as a pioneer, of course I wanted to get into that mix. Salita just signed two more middleweights so there are no shortage of fights for me here.”

“Boxing is my stage. My first love before boxing was music. The way the universe had it, boxing became my stage and platform. But it all works together. I’m a creator. I express myself through music, boxing, and fashion. When I made my professional debut against Claressa Shields, I walked out to my original music and my original outfit.”

“Boxing is life. I take it very seriously because I’m old school. I’m old enough to know, young enough to learn. I don’t play because you can lose your life in boxing. I’m pushing through a lot of things to make the most out of this opportunity.”

Joshua James Pagan – Undefeated lightweight prospect

“There are a lot of great fighters out there in or around my division. There are a few fighters that are on my radar, including Giovanni Marquez. He’s very talented, tough and durable. Floyd Schofield is another fighter I have on my radar. I want to fight them all.”

“It’s a blessing to be fighting on this card. I grew up watching Manny Pacquiao and Michael Nunn. There are a lot of big names being inducted into the hall of fame. I’m excited to show my skillset and hopefully be in their position one day and make it to the hall of fame.”

“Everyone should expect a great performance from me next Friday. I’ve been focused and had a great training camp in Puerto Rico. I’m ready to put it all to good use on June 6.”

“I’m focused on my fight right now against James Bernadin. I can’t overlook him. After this fight, I’ll talk to my team to see what’s next.”

By Norm Frauenheim

It wouldn’t exactly be a rematch. Let’s just call it a sequel, Slap 2.

It’s been all but inevitable ever since Caleb Plant slapped Jermall Charlo nearly three years ago in perhaps the biggest slap since Will Smith delivered an open-handed right to Chris Rock’s face at the 2022 Academy Awards.

Neither Smith nor Rock got an Oscar for that one. There was just an apology from Smith and a ready supply of punch lines for Rock’s stand-up rivals. They called it Slapgate, The Slappening and The Slap Heard Round The World. Social-media went slap-happy. Yet, there was no sequel.

But this is boxing where one good slap always sets the stage for another. That’s exactly what a card featuring Plant against Armando Resendiz in the main event and Charlo against Thomas LaManna Saturday in Las Vegas is all about. It’s supposed to be the sequel for later in the year. 

Plant confirmed as much Thursday at a final news conference and throughout the days before first bell at Mandalay Bay on a card streamed live by Amazon Prime.

“I’m going to fight two times this year,’’ said Plant, a former International Boxing Federation super-middleweight champion who will be fighting for the second time since his dramatic scorecard loss to Phoenix-born David Benavidez in 2023, also in Vegas.

When asked if Charlo was the planned opponent for the second fight, Plant said:

“Yes, as long as he takes care of business.’’

On a card with both Plant and Charlo heavily favored, Charlo is the key question. Nobody knows what to make of the former middleweight champion, who last fought an undersized Jose Benavidez Jr. — David’s older brother. Charlo won easily, but only after failing to make weight in November 2023. Charlo came in several pounds heavier than the limit. Sources told 15 Rounds/The Boxing Hour that Charlo paid Benavidez $75,000 for every pound he was over 160.

Charlo, one of boxing’s most prominent prospects a decade ago, has had issues outside of the ring, all of which have fans and pundits wondering about his readiness for an always-prepared Plant. Throughout much of Thursday’s live stream of the newser, both Plant and Charlo appeared to be respectful. There were a few glares. There might have been a couple of words. But not a single slap.

The slap that ignited the rivalry happened after the Terence Crawford-Errol Spence weigh-in July 28, 2023, the day before Crawford’s defining welterweight victory at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. Plant and Charlo ran into each other in a nearby parking lot. They began to exchange insults. Then, Charlo, Plant said, began pulling on Plant’s beard amid an escalating torrent of obscene insults. That’s when Plant countered, delivering the slap that has generated most of the questions this week.

Those questions are no surprise, at least not for Plant, who addressed them to reporters after the formal portions of the newser.

“I’ve been prepared,’’ said Plant, who returns to the ring more popular than ever after a solid stoppage of Phoenix super-middleweight Trevor McCumby last September on a card featuring Canelo Alvarez’ victory over Edgar Berlanga. “I knew this would happen. I’m on my mark, completely focused on my next opponent. But I also knew that everybody would be asking questions.’’

Charlo knew they were coming, too. Thursday, he mocked LeManna, who was quick to counter with some of his own pointed mockery. LaManna, Charlo said Thursday, was only there because he put him there. Charlo promised to knock him out if he made a mistake or got too close. Other than that, Charlo dismissed LaManna as only an opponent for the beginning of a comeback.

“I need to get some rounds in,’’ Charlo said. “It’s been a while, you know.’’

Charlo also confirmed Plant’s plans beyond Saturday.

“We got bigger things in the future,’’ he said.  

Yes, Plant said.

“We’ve definitely got unfinished business,’’ Plant said in a tone that suggests he’s anxious to slap a finisher onto this rivalry.

By Norm Frauenheim

Staying busy and staying relevant are a couple of fundamentals, both of which will be at the top of Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez agenda on a jammed July 19 when he re-acquaints himself with his Texas fans in a bid to further define himself as boxing’s only Super Fly in a 115-pound unification bout.

Rodriguez won’t exactly have the stage to himself. In a forever balkanized game further fractured by feast-or-famine scheduling, Rodriguez’ will be scrambling for attention on a day when heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will defend his undisputed title in a rematch against Daniel Dubious at London’s Wembley Stadium and 46-year-old legend Manny Pacquiao will attempt another comeback in his first bout in four years against welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Vegas. 

The mid-summer triple-header is happening amid uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of the much-hyped Terence Crawford-Canelo Alvarez spectacle,  which at last report is penciled in — keep your eraser at the ready — for September 13 instead of Sept. 12.

As of midday Friday, there was still no announcement of a new location, which originally had been the Raiders home field at Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. The silence is deafening. Also bewildering, unfair to fans and fighters. Then again, it’s also business as usual, which is to say it’s still a mess.

The good news is that none of it seems to bother the business-like Rodriguez, whose skillset includes just about everything other than distractions bought on by feuding promoters or social media’s trash-talk. 

Simply put: Bam does his job. He did it in a devastating response to non-stop taunts from Sunny Edwards, whom he put on the canvas in a defeated heap in a Phoenix suburb in December 2023. He did it again, this time in response to doubts about his youth and experience against accomplished Juan Francisco Estrada, whom he stopped with a tactical masterpiece last June, also in Phoenix. 

The victory over Estrada launched him into another category. It put him into the middle of the pound-for-pound debate, outside of the Naoya Inoue-Usyk-Crawford perch, yet still within striking distance. 

Staying there — as well as busy — is the task on July 19 when Rodriguez attempts to add the Word Boxing Organization’s 115-pound version of the title to his collection in Frisco TX, about 300 miles up I-35 from his home in San Antonio. 

Rodriguez is fighting somebody named Phumelela Cafu, a South African who will be fighting for the first time in the United States. 

Other than a stunning upset — a debatable split-decision over Kosei Tanaka last October in Japan for the WBO belt, the 30-year-old Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs) is unknown. That’s what makes him dangerous. That’s also why many will be watching Usyk-Dubois and Pacquiao-Barrios instead. But that’s also business, something Rodriguez (21-0,14 KOs) has also shown he understands.

Rodriguez is coming off a year when much of his momentum in the wake of his triumph over Estrada has stalled. It’s not his fault. But that, too, is business.

It started when Estrada decided not to enforce a rematch clause. He said he was moving up in weight. Truth is, it was more like moving away. Estrada simply didn’t want to fight Rodriguez again. 

It sent a message, first to Ramon Gonzalez, the best known name in the lightest divisions. Rodriguez’ management couldn’t talk Gonzalez into a fight.

Then, there’s Fernando Daniel Martinez, the World Boxing Association’s 115-pound champion. After Martinez took the WBA title from Kazuko Ioka with a unanimous decision in Japan a week after Bam stopped Estrada, there were reports that there were talks of a unification fight with the Argentine. 

Then, however, Estrada announced he didn’t want the rematch and Gonzalez declined to fight Rodriguez. Instead of Rodriguez, Martinez opted for a rematch with Ioka, which he won by another unanimous decision, again in Japan May 11.

There were other circumstances, still it’s beginning to look as if Rodriguez is a contender for Most Avoided, a title nobody wants. Ask Phoenix-born light heavyweight champion David Benavidez, who futilely chased Canelo Alvarez for years and now is hoping for a real shot at some validation of his World Boxing Council belt in a first defense against the Dmitrii Bivol-Artur Bivol 3 winner.

For Rodriguez, Martinez continues to loom as a possibility. But Benavidez, who was given the WBC belt when Bivol acceded to promotional demands and agreed to a third Beterbiev fight, looms as an example of what he and every other avoided fighter must do no matter what happens:

The job.

Rodriguez, who easily scored a stoppage of Pedro Guevara in support of a Jaron Ennis-featured card in Philadelphia in November, fights on, this time in search of a belt that might give him some leverage with promoters, networks and — above all — fans.

A year ago, there was talk of Rodriguez against Inoue, who is coming off a dramatic stoppage of another San Antonio fighter, Ramon Cardenas in Vegas May 4. Then, Bam-versus-The Monster was a Dream Fight. Still is, but the talk has subsided. 

Inoue, undisputed at junior-featherweight and facing a risky date against Murodjon Akhmadaliev Sept. 14 in Japan, is still talking about a move to featherweight, despite suffering an early knockdown against Cardenas at junior-feather. Inoue’s decision figures to be made by how he does against the dangerous Akhmadaliev.

Even then, however, an all-Japanese fight awaits, Inoue against bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani, who has been training in Los Angeles for a 118-pound unification bout against Ryosuke Nishida June 8 in Tokyo. 

The good news for Rodriguez is that Nakatani continues to say he wants to fight Bam. Nakatani trainer Rudy Hernandez set the stage for one by calling out Bam this week during a media workout at LA Gym.

“Junto beats Bam, 100 percent, within six to eight rounds,’’ Hernandez told The Ring. “We’ll knock him out. I am confident about it, but that’s my opinion. It’s not personal.

“It’s business.’’

Bam’s business, too.

PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA – Super featherweight prospect Gabriel Garcia scored the stoppage he predicted over Armando Frausto, but likely in a less satisfying fashion than he envisioned and rising featherweight Kyle Lacanlale delighted his throng of supporters in an action-packed decision over Rodolfo Molina to cap a ten-bout card at the Alameda County Fairgrounds on Saturday night.

Garcia (12-0, 7 KOs) of Antioch, California and Frausto (10-7-1, 5 KOs) of La Marque, Texas were just getting started when the action was abruptly halted with both combatants covered in blood. While Garcia, 129 ½, was covered in crimson, the blood was entirely the property of Frausto, 130, as a vertical gash had opened over his left eye in the midst of an exchange. 

Referee Gerard White conferred with California State Athletic Commission official Nichole Bowles and the ruling was that the cut was caused by a legal punch, declaring Garcia the winner at 1:26 of the opening round. 

A frustrated Frausto and his team disagreed with the ruling and Garcia seemed amenable to a rematch during their in-ring post-fight discussion. 

In the co-main event, Kyle Lacanlale (5-0, 2 KOs) of San Ramon, California scored a thrilling four-round decision over a game Rodolfo Molina (0-2) of Antioch, California. 

Lacanlale, 124 ¾, and Molina, 125, engaged in a toe-to-toe, offense-first battle at the opening bell. With his corner instructing him at times to settle down, Lacanlale opted to engage and meet Molina’s aggression with aggression of his own. Lacanlale’s edge in power was apparent, but Molina made him work. 

Referee Shannon Sands had the ringside physician take a look at Molina before the start of round three, which would end up being the toughest act for the Antioch native. With punches coming both ways, Lacanlale landed a crisp and short right hand that resulted in the first knockdown of the bout. Molina returned to his feet and kept up the pressure, but Lacanlale landed another combination that resulted in the second knockdown. With seconds left in the round, Lacanlale rocked Molina again with a left hook, but the bell sounded before any follow-up could potentially end the fight. 

Despite the rough round three, Molina resumed his offensive style and caught Lacanlale a few times down the stretch of the fight. In the end, the crowd favorite Lacanlale won every round on the cards of judges Susan Thomas Gitlin, Mike Rinaldi and Joel Farbstein, 40-34. Lacanlale will return to the ring on September 6th on the Upper Cut Promotions card at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. 

Former amateur star Kumar Prescod (3-0, 3 KOs) of Oakland, California scored a second-round stoppage of an awkward Rueben Johnson (1-8, 1 KO) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Prescod, 175, toyed with Johnson, 172, a bit in the first round before coming out aggressively to begin the second. Prescod pressed Johnson into a neutral corner and uncorked an unrelenting combination before referee Gerard White called a halt to the mismatch at 39 seconds of round two. 

In a crossroads bout between veterans, Willie Shaw (15-6, 10 KOs) of Vallejo, California scored a workmanlike six-round decision over Salvador Briceño (18-11-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville, California. Shaw, 139, was the busier fighter over the course of the bout. Briceño, 139.5, had fleeting moments, but never really got rolling. 

Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin had it a shutout, 60-54, judge Joel Farbstein scored it 59-55, and judge Mike Rinaldi had it 58-56. 

Without breaking a sweat, Sergio Gonzalez (2-0, 2 KOs) of Sacramento, California scored a quick referee’s stoppage of Tyre Travon Reed (0-1) of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gonzalez, 156, hurt Reed, 152, with the first sweeping hook he threw. Reed did not have the best defense and referee Gerard White decided to stop the contest to save the Las Vegas resident from further punishment. Official time was 1:21 of the first round. Gonzalez will return to the ring on September 6th on the Upper Cut Promotions card at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. 

Utilizing his decisive edge in height and reach, Alton Wiggins (2-1-1) of Modesto, California scored a four-round unanimous decision over an onrushing Michael Portales (3-4-1, 1 KO) of San Jose, California.   

After a feeling out first round, Portales, 154.5, stepped on the gas in the second, landing clean with a few head shots. With Wiggins’ edge in height, Portales had to sell out a bit and wing his way inside. Wiggins, 155, won over judges despite Portales’ best efforts to force the action.

All three judges, Susan Thomas Gitlin, Mike Rinaldi and Joel Farbstein, scored the bout for Wiggins, 39-37. 

Braulio Ceja Navarro (5-0, 2 KOs) of Concord, California remained unbeaten as he took a close decision on the cards over Emond Driver (1-3, 1 KO) of Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Ceja Navarro, 138, and Driver, 139.5, followed a heated weigh-in with a rough and tumble bout. Ceja Navarro’s class began to prove itself in the third round, before the Concord resident really upped his attack in the fourth. A clean right forced Driver back into his own corner, scoring an official knockdown. Ceja Navarro’s follow-up was stunted by warnings to both for rough stuff, which may have helped Driver clear his head. 

Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored the bout 38-37 for Driver, but was overruled by judge Mike Rinaldi, who had it 39-36, and judge Joel Farbstein, 38-37, both for Ceja Navarro. 

Isaiah Orozco (3-0, 2 KOs) of Gilroy, California managed a four-round split decision over Juan Molina (1-3, 1 KO) of Oakland in a crowd-pleasing action bout. 

Orozco controlled the first, boxing at a distance. An early round trip to the canvas by Molina was correctly ruled a slip by referee Shannon Sands.

Molina found some success turning southpaw late in the second round, while also forcing more of a close range fight. The third and fourth featured exciting, two-way action as each had their moments. Molina found a way to land clean with his left at short range and out of the southpaw stance. Orozco landed some eye-catching blows upstairs as well. 

Judge Mike Rinaldi scored the bout for Molina 49-37, but was overruled by judges Joel Farbstein and Susan Thomas Gitlin, who scored it 39-37, for Orozco. 

Nicholas Saavedra (2-0, 1 KO) of Modesto dropped Richard Esquibel (1-3, 1 KO) of Albuquerque, New Mexico once in the second en route to a third-round referee stoppage.

Saavedra, 126.5, held the clear power edge immediately, but really sat down on his body shots in round two, landing three in a row, punctuated by a left that dropped Esquibel, 126.5. Another left upstairs wobbled Esquibel just before the bell to end the round.

Saavedra varied his attack to start the third, but soon went back down to the bread basket. With Esquibel wincing from the body blows, Saavedra pressed the New Mexican to a neutral corner with a combination upstairs that forced the hand of referee Gerard White. Time of the stoppage was 2:02 of the third. Saavedra will return to the ring on July 17th on the Toscano Boxing Promotions card at the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort in Jamestown, California.

The Bay Area’s Tiare Womack (1-0, 1 KO) scored her first career professional KO before breaking her first professional sweat, halting Lauren Michaels (2-5) of Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania in under a minute.

Michaels, 128.5, made a tactical error in opting to trade at close range with the powerfully-built Womack, 131, at the outset. Mid-exchange, Womack caught Michaels with a straight right that dropped the Pennsylvania native. Michaels watched the count from her knees and rose in time. Moments later, Womack flurried Michaels into the blue corner, prompting referee Shannon Sands to end the bout at 52 seconds of the first. 

Saturday’s event was the first offering of Elite Underdog Promotions and Benjamin’s Boxing, who announced they will present their next event in December. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA – Super featherweight prospect Gabriel Garcia returns to the ring and makes his debut on the top of the bill as he takes on Armando Frausto to cap a ten-bout card at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California. The event, titled “The Next Generation of Fighters,” serves as the inaugural professional boxing offering by upstart Elite Underdog Promotions and Benjamin’s Boxing. Fighters weighed-in on Friday afternoon at Benjamin’s Boxing in nearby San Ramon. 

Garcia (11-0, 6 KOs) of Antioch, California will end a nine-month layoff against a well-built Frausto (10-6-1, 5 KOs) of La Marque, Texas in a six-round bout. Garcia, who weighed-in at 129.5 pounds on Friday, was last in action back in August when he scored a six-round unanimous decision over Giovanni Gutierrez. Frausto, who scaled 130, has a record that can deceive, as five of his six career defeats came against a quintet of prospects who entered their bouts with a combined record of 52-1-2. 

“I feel real excited,” says Garcia. “I’ve been training very hard and prepared myself mentally and physically. I am just ready to put on a show on Saturday night.” 

Garcia will end the longest non-COVID era layoff of his career on Saturday night and will do so as the main event for the first time as a pro, as he fights near home for the second time in a row.

“I went through a couple injuries over the last year, but we recovered well and just in time to get on to this card,” said Garcia, explaining his time away. “I am ready to show out and get back on the train track. Expect to see fireworks and a body bag.” 

In the co-main event, undefeated featherweight prospect Kyle Lacanlale (4-0, 2 KOs) of San Ramon fights in his home area code for the first time as a professional as he takes on tough Rodolfo Molina (0-1) of Antioch, California in a four-round bout. Lacanale, who trains out of Benjamin’s Boxing, was last in the ring in March, winning a shutout four-round decision over a rugged southpaw in Brandon Badillo. Lacanlale weighed-in at 124 ¾, while Molina made 125-pounds. 

Former amateur standout Kumar Prescod (2-0, 2 KOs) of Oakland, California will take on  Rueben Johnson (1-7, 1 KO) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a four-round light heavyweight bout. Prescod was last in the ring this past March, scoring a fourth-round stoppage of Ernesto Gutierrez. Prescod came in at the division limit of 175-pounds, while Johnson scaled 172. 

In a competitively-matched bout between two veterans, Willie Shaw (14-6, 10 KOs) of Oakland will take on Salvador Briceño (18-10-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville, California in a six-round light welterweight bout. Shaw, who scaled 139-pounds on Friday, has been a road warrior for much of his career, but gets to fight back close to home for the first time in over five years. Briceño, who scaled 139 ½-pounds, hopes to end a three-fight skid against tough competition.  

Former amateur standout Sergio Gonzalez (1-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California and his debuting opponent Tyre Travon Reed of Las Vegas, Nevada engaged in one of the more contentious face-offs on Friday. The two will meet in a four-round light middleweight bout on Saturday. Gonzalez, who made 156-pounds, was last in the ring in March, scoring a second-round stoppage of Miguel Soto-Garcia in Lincoln, California. Reed, who was doing most of the talking, scaled 152-pounds. 

In a bout that was originally scheduled to take place last August in Oakland, Michael Portales (3-3-1, 1 KO) of San Jose, California will take on Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) of Modesto, California in what has the makings of an evenly-matched light middleweight bout. Portales, who trains out of Benjamin’s Boxing, weighed-in at 154 ½, while Wiggins, looking to rebound from his first career defeat, scaled 155 even. 

Polished prospect Braulio Ceja Navarro (4-0, 2 KOs) of Concord, California will take on Emond Driver (1-2, 1 KO) of Indianapolis, Indiana in a four-round light welterweight bout. Before a face-off so heated it continued in the parking lot after the weigh-in had ended, Ceja Navarro scaled 138, while Driver made 139 ½-pounds.  

Trained by the famed Guerrero Family, Isaiah Jesse Orozco (2-0, 2 KOs) of Gilroy, California will take on Juan Molina (1-2, 1 KO) of Oakland in a four-round lightweight bout. Orozco, who turned professional with two bouts in Tijuana, Mexico, made 132 ½, as did a very determined-looking Molina. 

Nicholas Saavedra (2-0) of Modesto will face Richard Esquibel (1-2, 1 KO) of Albuquerque, New Mexico in a four-round featherweight bout. The nineteen-year-old Saavedra, who will make his 2025 debut, weighed-in at 126 ½-pounds on Friday. Esquibel, who had the misfortune of turning professional against Floyd Schofield, but got into the win column last time out, also scaled 126 ½-pounds. 

Well-regarded Bay Area amateur standout Tiare Womack, who fights out of Benjamin’s Boxing, will make her highly-anticipated pro debut against Lauren Michaels (2-4) of Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania in a four-round super featherweight bout. Womack made 131-pounds, while Michaels scaled 128 ½ -pounds. 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Super featherweights, 6 Rounds

Garcia 129 ½

Frausto 130

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Lacanlale 124 ¾

Molina 125

Light heavyweights, 4 Rounds

Prescod 175

Johnson 172

Light welterweights, 6 Rounds

Shaw 139

Briceño 139 ½ 

Light middleweights, 4 Rounds

Gonzalez 156

Reed 152

Light middleweights, 4 Rounds

Portales 154 ½ 

Wiggins 155

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Ceja Navarro 138

Driver 139 ½ 

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Orozco 132 ½ 

Molina 132 ½ 

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Saavedra 126 ½ 

Esquibel 126 ½ 

Super featherweights, 4 Rounds

Womack 131

Michaels 128 ½ 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Elite Underdog Promotions and Benjamin’s Boxing, are available online at Eventbrite.com

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA – Undefeated featherweight prospect Kyle Lacanlale aims to defend his home turf when he returns to the ring this coming Saturday night against Rodolfo Molina at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in nearby Pleasanton, California. The four-round bout will serve as co-main event on the “Next Generation of Fighters” card presented by upstart promoters Elite Underdog Promotions and Benjamin’s Boxing. 

Lacanlale (4-0, 2 KOs) of San Ramon has fought in the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California before, but Saturday’s contest will take place less than 10 miles from Dougherty Valley High, where the young prospect attended school. Fighting so close to his home base for the first time has Lacanlale, whose nickname “Masanting” means handsome in Kapampangan, a Filipino language, looking forward to Saturday night. 

“I am really excited,” explains Lacanlale. “I grew up going to the Fairgrounds for the Fair and all the events they have there. To be the co-main event on a show there in Pleasanton, California and have all my family and friends and the local community behind me, it is something that I’ve been looking forward to.” 

For some young fighters, the responsibility that would come with being in the co-main event so close to home would be an intrusion on their preparation. However, the determined Lacanlale remained focused in camp and is ready to put on a show for his local following on Saturday night. 

“It is not a distraction,” says Lacanlale of fighting at home. “I take it as motivation. I am excited when my family comes out to support me and they get loud and a lot of people come through for me. It is just added fuel to the fire for me when I get in the ring.”

If preparing for his fifth pro bout was not enough of a workload, Lacanlale is simultaneously wrapping up his junior year at California State University, East Bay, where he studies kinesiology. Finding the balance between academics and athletics is something not foreign to the young pro.

“When I am not in the gym, I am at home taking care of my schoolwork,” explains Lacanlale. “I really have to manage my time and set my schedule straight to get everything I need to get done in a day. I went to Dougherty Valley High, which is a very academic school. I grew up doing this. Academics is something that has always been important in my family. I take care of business in the classroom and in the gym. It just shows how bad you want it. If you want it, you can get it. I put my 110% into everything I do from being in the classroom to being in the gym.” 

Last time out, Lacanlale scored a shutout four-round decision over a scrappy Brandon Badillo at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California this past March. All three judges scored every round for Lacanlale, who drew a sizable crowd to the Sacramento suburb. 

“That was my first southpaw in the pros,” says Lacanlale of Badillo. “I thought I performed very well. I beat him convincingly. He didn’t manage to win a round against me. I was able to box him and control the entire fight. I turned it up a little too late, otherwise I probably could have got him out of there, but I think I showed my skills on that night.” 

Saturday’s event is co-promoted by Juan Sanchez of Elite Underdog Promotions and Ali Benjamin, proprietor of Benjamin’s Boxing, where Lacanlale has trained for years. With Benjamin a longtime fixture in his corner, taking the co-main event slot on this card has some added significance for the San Ramon native. 

“To have Coach Ali putting this event together, along with Elite Underdog Promotions, means a lot and it is an honor for me to be the co-main event,” explains Lacanlale. “I just want to display my skills and put on a good show for everyone at the Fairgrounds.” 

Lacanlale will meet rugged Rodolfo Molina (0-1) of Antioch, California on Saturday night. Molina fought valiantly, but came up short in his pro debut against the well-regarded Irving Xilohua in Sacramento and was willing to sign for a bout with Lacanlale when many others passed on the opportunity. 

“I know he fought Irving in his first professional fight and we know Irving is a solid fighter,” explains Lacanlale. “We’ve seen him throughout the years. From Molina, I expect a tough fighter and we are not overlooking him. I train hard for every fight I step into the ring for and I think that my skills will carry me to a win.”  

Lacanlale, who will be one of the featured fighters taking part in a media day at Benjamin’s Boxing on Thursday afternoon, is determined to make his homecoming fight of sorts a memorable one for all of those who attend on Saturday night. 

“You can expect an exciting fight,” says Lacanlale. “I’ve been training hard and I am feeling sharp. I am ready and determined and I cannot wait to put on a show on May 24th.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Elite Underdog Promotions and Benjamin’s Boxing, are available online at Eventbrite.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Norm Frauenheim

Few great careers are complete without a risky comeback or two and, sure enough, 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao is poised to made a second one six weeks after he’s inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

What has been rumored for weeks became official Thursday with an announcement from a Pacquiao spokesman that he’ll face welterweight champion Mario Barrios in his first bout in four years on July 19, probably in Las Vegas.

Why? 

Why-oh-why? 

The question is little bit like a comeback. It’s almost — thank you, Marvin Hagler — inevitable, even if a good answer rarely is.

Pacquiao, boxing’s only champion to win belts in eight different divisions, fought and lost a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in his first comeback August 21, 2021 in Vegas. Mostly, that loss is remembered for his emotional, compelling post-fight news conference. He spoke like a statesman.

The next day, he formally announced his retirement in video posted on Facebook.

“Goodbye boxing, thank you for changing my life,” he said then.

Hello boxing, he said Thursday.

Plans have been in the works for awhile. Thursday’s formal news was preceded by online books posting opening odds earlier this week. That’s always a pretty good bet that a rumored fight is a done deal. Pacquiao is picked to lose to the 29-year-old Barrios, a San Antonio welterweight who opened as a minus-500 favorite. 

I’m only hoping for odds that Pacquiao doesn’t get hurt. That’s the only bet I’d make.

In an interview with Sean Zittel after the fight was announced Thursday, trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards said it best. 

Said it for us all.

“I don’t want to see a legend get hurt,’’ Breadman said. 

Too often, however, it’s the risk that sells, and this one figures to sell very well on a busy July 19 that will include heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk-Daniel Usyk 2 at London’s Wembley Stadium and super-flyweight champ Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a title unification bid against Phumelela Cafu in Frisco, TX, a Dallas suburb. Reportedly, the Pacquiao-Barrios card will also include Sebastian Fundora-Tim Tszyu 2, a terrific rematch.

But much of the attention will be on Pacquiao, who is just the latest example of how celebrity is a lot more durable than a chin or foot speed. 

Against Ugas, Pacquiao, then 42, looked every bit his age. Perhaps, his power — always the last thing to go — was still there then. 

And now. 

In 2021, however, he was never able to land much of a telling blow against Ugas, a slick fighter and former Olympian educated in Cuba’s elusive style. Barrios, the World Boxing Council’s 147-pound champion, looked vulnerable against Abel Ramos in a surprising draw last November on a card that drew worldwide interest because it featured aging Mike Tyson against Jake Paul. Tyson couldn’t move his feet or his head any more, either. 

Ramos — an aggressive fighter from Casa Grande, south of Phoenix — wore down Barrios, taking him into the final rounds with stubborn pursuit and quick reflexes. Ramos, who deserves a rematch, is 33, 13 years younger than Pacquiao.

That brings us back to the beginning: 

Why?

Why-oh-why? 

Pacquiao, who will be formally inducted to the Hall in Canastota NY June 8,  is as good a story as any. He’s been a people’s champ. Perhaps, The People’s Champ in a boxing history endlessly compelling because of them. 

He was a forgotten kid who fought his way out and off a third-world country’s poorest streets and into the hearts of his fellow Filipinos. 

He transformed himself into a worldwide celebrity, popular enough to become a Filipino Senator and even a Presidential contender. Politics cost a lot of money. Pacquiao— generous to a fault, if that’s possible — has been known to give away much of what he made in the ring to the poorest Filipinos. He bought meals, homes and fishing fleets.

But even the people move on, and now there are signs that has happened to Pacquiao, too. He failed in his second run for a Senate seat. It was announced Wednesday in the Philippines that he did not get enough votes to finish among the top 12 candidates for the Senate’s available seats. 

Pacquiao, the Federal Party’s nominee, finished with 10,208,499 votes, leaving him in 18th place overall. Turns out, he went from 18th in Filipino politics to fifth in the WBC’s welterweight ratings. But that’s a different story for a different day.

The question here is about money. Does Pacquiao have to fight to pay his political bills? We’ll never really know. At heart, he’s still a fighter, still the name that captured hearts In the Philippines and everywhere else. 

Maybe, he’s back just because he wants to re-live the ring moments that made him so captivating. But he doesn’t have to. His legacy is safe, no matter what happens on July 19. Forever, he’s a genuine legend.

That’s why, as Breadman says, we don’t want him to get hurt. 

Emanuel Navarrete retained the WBO Junior Lightweight title with a controversial technical unanimous decision over Charly Suarez at The Pachanga Arena in San Diego, California.

In round one, Suarez started to bleed from the nose after Navarrete landed a straight right. In round four, Suarez was cut over the right eye from an accidental headbutt. In round six, Navarrete suffered a horrendous looking cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt. Replays showed that it was a clean left hand from Suarez that caused the cut.

The doctor checked the cut to begin the seventh frame. The doctor then stopped the fight as the eighth bell rang.

When they went to the scorecards, Navarrete won by scores of 78-75 and 77-75 twice.

Navarrete, 130 lbs of San Juan, Mexico needed six tries to make the championship weight limit is now 40-2-1. Suarez, 129.9 lbs of Sawata, PHL is 18-1.

Muratalla Decisions Abdullaev; Wins Interim Lightweight Belt

Raymod Muratalla won the IBF Interim Lightweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Zaur ABdullaev.

Muratalla landed 140 of 533 punches; Abdullawv was 87 of 352.

Abdullaev, 134.4 lbs of Fontana, CA won by scores of 119-109 twice and 118-110 and is now 23-0. Abdullaev, 134.6 lbs of Russia is 20-2.

The full champion is Vasiliy Lomachenlko. Lomachecko has not defended his title due to a back injury,

Andres Cortes remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Salvador Jimenez in a junior lightweight bout.

Cortes landed 120 of 501 punches. Jimenez was 63 0r 253.

Cortes, 131.7 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 23-0. Jimenez, 131.9 lbs of Spain is 14-2-1.

Giovani Santillan won a 10-round unanimous decision over Angel Beltran in a welterweight fight.

Santillan, 147.2 lbs of San Diego won by scores of 97-93 on all cards and is now 34-1. Beltran, 146.6 lbs of Mexicali. MEX is 18-3.

Perla Bazaldua won a four-round unanimous decision over Mona Ward in a junior bantamweight fight.

Bazaldua, 114.4 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 2-0. Ward, 114.1 lbs of Saint Louis is 0-2.

Alan Garcia won an eight-round unanimous decision over Cristian Medina in a lightweight contest.

Garcia, 136.7 lbs of Ulysses, KS won by scores of 79-73 on all cards and is now 16-1. Medina, 136.7 lbs of Unaipan, MEX is 8-3-1.

Sebastian Hernandez remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Azat Hovhannisyan in a junior featherweight bout.

In round nine, Hovhannisyan was docked a point for holding.

Hernandez, 122 lbs of Tijuana, MEX won by scores of 98-91 on all cards and is now 20-0. Hovhannisyan, 122.7 lbs of Terovan, ARM is 21-6.

By Norm Frauenheim

From weird to wow with a futile stop that was a waste of time, it was a weekend ride from gutter to great. 

For a forever fractured sport, there was reason for the usual abolitionists to say it’s dying, dead all over again. Then, there was a sudden resurrection of the stubborn resilience fundamental to a game always at its best when it’s getting up and off the deck.

Hate it or love it, it was all there in a postcard look at a journey that started in Times Square, not far from Madison Square Garden. Ryan Garcia lost and cried, Devin Haney was forgettable and Teofimo Lopez set himself up for a better day. Tank Davis, who is coming off a draw to Lamont Roach Jr, wasn’t there at all. 

They fought as though they would have been a lot more comfortable, if not more effective at the famed Garden, which — like author George Kimball’s original Four Kings (Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran) — emerged from it all with legacies very much intact. 

Then, there was Riyadh and super-middleweight Canelo Álvarez on the road to a September 12 date with former all-time welterweight great Terence Crawford at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. 

It was perceived to be a tune-up, Maybe, that’s all it was. If so, it should have happened behind closed doors instead of in front of a live-stream audience. There are more exciting sparring sessions in neighborhood gyms than what we saw in Riyadh. Maybe, Canelo was careful not to reveal anything in his decision over William Scull. Or, maybe, there’s just not much left, other than his restored undisputed title. 

Whatever it was, it left a question, a lingering one. Perhaps a damaging one, too. Throughout 12 rounds, there were persistent signs of a decline apparent for a couple of years. From a promotional standpoint, a quick knockout of Scull would have worked. It would have dispelled doubts about Canelo. 

But now they persist, all them fueling skepticism about whether Canelo and Crawford can ever fulfill escalating expectations.

The good news is, yes, they can. 

The proof was delivered on the weekend’s final stop, Las Vegas, where Naoya Inoue and Ramon Cardenas delivered a performance that had it all. 

There was a Rocky moment followed by that up-and-off-the-deck display of grit, which was then complemented by a poised, thorough execution of skill. 

Inoue’s eighth-round stoppage of the unlikely Cardenas in the Sunday curtain-closer to a Cinco de Mayo triple-header was a timely answer to all of the doom and gloom left by the Times Square and Riyadh exhibitions.

There’s no telling whether it’ll be Fight of the Year. A lot of factors go into that one. From this corner, however, it’s already the Most Significant Fight in this year and maybe a few others. 

Above all, it’ll keep some fans in their proverbial seats, at least for awhile. If Inoue-Cardenas had resembled the prior two nights in any way, another erosion in the fan base might have followed.

Inoue-Cardenas reminded us why we watch. Why we’ve been watching. 

It started with Cardenas, a likable San Antonio junior-featherweight who didn’t have any illusions about why he was there. He was the designated opponent for Inoue, heavily favored in what looked like a pound-for-pound campaign stop in his first American appearance in about four years.

But Cardenas promised Inoue a fight. He also said he wasn’t there just to collect a paycheck, which looked to be the only motivation in Times Square and Riyadh.

Cardenas’ proof was delivered by a short left hand that dropped Inoue hard in the second round. Japan’s rising son was dazed — in as much trouble as he been in his otherwise brilliant career. Luis Nery dropped him early, but not with the same concussive power. 

There have been a lot of questions about Inoue in the days since last Sunday. Above all, the knockdown is a reason for Inoue, now 32, to abandon his plans to move to featherweight, up the scale from 122 pounds to 126. He’s been knocked down twice in his last four bouts.

“As long as I can make weight at this division, I will stay in this division,’’ he said after breaking down and stopping Cardenas at 45 seconds of the eighth.

The Cardenas’ knockdown has also been interpreted as a developing vulnerability in Inoue. Maybe.

Maybe, he gets knocked down again by Murodjon Akhmadaliev in Japan on Sept. 14 in another opportunity to make a pound-for-pound statement just a couple days after Canelo-Crawford. 

Thus far, however, a solid case can be made that Inoue is at best at the very moment he appears to be at his most vulnerable. 

Throughout his brilliant 30-0 career, most of the attention has been on Inoue’s comprehensive skillset. Fair enough. But he’s proving to be special because of the way he addresses adversity. 

He fought back from a fractured eye socket, suffered in the second round, in a 2019 unanimous decision over Nonito Donaire. He got up from a first-round knockdown and scored a sixth-round stoppage of Nery in May 2024. Don’t be surprised if gets up, all over again against the left-handed MJ.

Boxing is all about adversity. It’s about getting up. In the here and now, nobody does it better than Inoue, a little guy with unerring instincts and knowhow, both more than enough to keep fans in the seats and him at No. 1 in the pound-for-pound debate. 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Later tonight, the pound-for-pound discussion will continue for superstar Naoya Inoue as he defends his unified super bantamweight title against heavy underdog Ramon Cardenas in the ESPN-televised main event from T-Mobile Arena. First bell for the six-bout undercard began at 3:15 PM local time. 

Junior welterweight prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas steamrolled past light-punching Juan Leon Alvarez (11-2-1, 2 KOs) of Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain by way of Guayaquil, Ecuador, scoring a second-round stoppage. 

Vargas, 138.7, was active in the first round, but really upped his intensity once he felt the best Leon Alvarez, 139.9, had to offer by late in the opener. Vargas came out determined in the second and eventually landed a right hand, followed by sweeping left that dropped the Ecuadorian for the first knockdown. Leon Alvarez beat the count, but Vargas did not let him off the hook. Vargas, one of three fighting sons of “El Feroz,” landed an overhand right in close, followed by a three-quarter left that cleaned up for the second knockdown and prompted an immediate stoppage from referee Robert Hoyle. 

Official time of the stoppage was 1:40 of the second round, With the win, Vargas claimed his first taste of hardware, the minor NABF Junior light welterweight title.

World ranked featherweight Mikito Nakano (13-0, 12 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Hiroshima, Japan was impressive in his United States debut, halting Pedro Marquez (16-2, 10 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico inside of four rounds as his countryman Naoya Inoue looked on from the dressing room. 

Nakano, 125.9, began to display his power edge early in round two. Nakano, the IBF #8/WBC #10/WBA #10/WBO #11 ranked featherweight, eventually punctuated a series of punches with a short left hand that resulted in a delayed reaction knockdown. The Japanese contender kept the pressure when action resumed and dropped Marquez, 126, moments later, landing in combination through the Puerto Rican native’s gloves. 

Nakano continued to punish his adversary, scoring a knockdown early in the third, splitting Marquez’s guard and snapping his head back on the way down. Marquez would see the bell to end the round after offering back just enough to keep referee Harvey Dock satisfied. 

It was only a matter of time however, as Nakano scored two more knockdowns in the fourth to force the stoppage. Nakano scored the first knockdown of the round, dropping Marquez with a clean right to the body. Nakano downed Marquez for a fifth and final time shortly thereafter, landing another right to the body. Marquez fired back with a left counter that missed, but the pain came a second later, forcing the Puerto Rican to a knee. Having seen enough, Dock immediately waved off the onslaught at 1:58 of fourth. 

Exciting junior middleweight prospect Art Barrera Jr. (9-0, 7 KOs) of Lynwood, California utilized his edge in power to score a sixth-round stoppage over soft-punching Juan Carlos Guerra Jr. (6-2-1, 2 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois. 

Barrera, 152.7, did not appear bothered by much of what Guerra, 153.7, had to offer and controlled the fight from the early going. Barrera began to open up and punished Guerra for much of round five, exploiting lapses in the Chicago native’s defense and landing in combination. Guerra managed to survive the round, but referee Thomas Taylor kept a keen eye at the start of round six. With Guerra taking unanswered punches early in the round, Taylor leaped in to stop the mismatch at the first opportunity. Official time was 1:15 of the sixth. 

Ra’eese Aleem (22-1, 12 KOs) of Las Vegas took what he must hope is the first step towards a world title opportunity as he boxed his way to a ten-round unanimous decision over a game Rudy Garcia (13-2-1, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles, California in the curtain raiser. 

Aleem, 125.6, and Garcia, 125.3, engaged in a chess match throughout much of the bout, both looking to pick their spots and time their punches without being overly aggressive on offense. Aleem, fighting for just the second time since coming up short in a world title eliminator nearly two years ago, began to break through Garcia’s guard with cleaner punches late in the fight. Garcia, ending a one-and-a-half-year layoff himself, never looked out of place against the world class Aleem. 

In the end, all three official scorers had the bout wide for Aleem. Judge David Sutherland had it 97-93, judge Steve Weisfeld 98-92 and judge Chris Migliore found just one round for Garcia, scoring the bout 99-91. 

Former amateur star Patrick O’Connor of Waldorf, Maryland warmed-up in preparation of making his professional debut against Marcus Smith (2-1, 2 KOs) of Carlisle, Ohio, which was slated to be a four-round cruiserweight swing bout. At some point in the night, it was decided that the fight would not take place due to time constraints.

Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS — Naoya Inoue stood on the scale like a politician on the bully pulpit Saturday in his first American appearance in about four years for a bout that looks a little bit like a campaign stop in his bid to gain pound-for-pound supremacy.

Pound-for-pound is nothing more than debate, after all. It’s about gaining supporters and knocking out lingering doubts.

Inoue is expected to do both against likable, yet little-known junior-featherweight challenger Ramon Cardenas, a massive underdog  who insists he’ll prove to be more than a mere prop Sunday in Inoue’s defense of his undisputed 122-pound title at T-Mobile Arena.

“More than anything, I want people to see something they haven’t been able to see yet in the U.S,” Inoue said through an interpreter before he safely made weight, coming in under the junior-featherweight-limit by a slim tenth-of-a-pound, 121.9, also a tenth-of-a-pound heavier than Cardenas.

Those are bold words. Terence Crawford, an all-time welterweight great and America’s best practitioner of the sweet-science craft, is surely planning to introduce a couple of counter arguments of his own in a planned move up to the scale against Mexican super-middleweight Canelo Alvarez later in the year. 

On Sunday, however, Inoue, Japan’s rising son, will have the bully pulpit all to himself in what will be the four-division champion’s 25th successive title defense. 

Inoue’s dominance of boxing’s lightest weight classes has been thorough and reliable, so much so that it’s become expected, if not somewhat forgettable. 

It’s not, of course. In part, Inoue can reawaken America’s impatient, quick-to-forget audience with a showcase exhibition of a skill set still sharp, comprehensive and dynamic as any.

“I’m very motivated to fight in front of an American crowd in a big arena like this, but because it’s during Cinco de Mayo weekend, it feels like I’m playing an away game,” Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) said a day before the ESPN-televised bout. “So, I don’t know what to expect.”

He can expect skepticism, much of it planted by rival promoter Eddie Hearn, whose noisy criticism of Inoue’s recent string of opponents probably factored into Inoue’s agreement to fight Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev, a feared Uzbek and a former bantamweight champion, next September in Tokyo. 

Against Cardenas, there’s a chance to get an updated look at Inoue and how he might withstand a risky challenge from a dangerous Akhmadaliev.

If there are flaws in Inoue, Cardenas hopes to be the first to expose them.

Opportunities like this don’t come around often, so I had to jump at it,” said Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs), a 29-year-old San Antonio fighter and Akhmadaliev’s stablemate. “I’ve been mentally preparing to fight Inoue for a long time. I knew I’d eventually get a big fight if I kept winning. And here we are — a shot at the undisputed champion of the world.

“This is Inoue’s first fight in America in four years, so I know he’s motivated to show out. I’m prepared for the very best version of Naoya Inoue.”