Anybody For a Fourth? Estrada wins narrow decision over Chocolatito

GLENDALE, Ariz. —  A Trilogy ended. But the rivalry continues.

Juan Francisco Estrada-Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez 3 was a bout that promised a definitive conclusion. But it didn’t happen. Once again, they proved to be more than rivals. They’re equals  

The third bout was much like the second. Estrada won a majority decision Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena. He won on two scorecards, 116-112 and 115-113. On the third card, it was a draw, 114-114. On the 15 Rounds card, it was also a draw. Anybody for a fourth?

“If he wants the fourth fight, I think we can do it,” Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) said after winning the World Boxing Council’s vacant 115-pound title.

It sounded as if Chocolatito (51-4, 41 KOs) didn’t know what to think.

When asked about a  third sequel he joked:

“As long as they pay well.”

For now, however, his future  remains uncertain. A 35-year-old fighter coming off a difficult loss is always confronted with one question: What’s next?

“I have to talk to my family,” Chocolatito said.

His legacy is already in place. Among history’s little guys, the skillful Nicaraguan was the first to be ranked No. 1 in the pound-for-pound debate. His spot in the Hall of Fame is already waiting. Even in the wake of Saturday’s defeat, he left the ring with only respect. There will be plenty of debate about the scorecards. But the bout was a critical success. It was a sustained battle between fighters as skillful as any in any weight class.

 Caution prevailed throughout most of the first two rounds. Estrada stayed out of range, capitalizing on his superior reach with an effective jab. All the while, Chocolatito maintained a careful, almost deliberate presence. His defense was primary. His gloves were up, protecting his face and head like a fortress. Yet behind that impenetrable mask, there were the calculating eyes of man on a scouting mission. He was searching — hunting — for opportunities to attack.

He began to find them in the third. Suddenly the pace changed. It accelerated. Chocolatito became the aggressor, tirelessly moving forward, shrinking the distance between him and his  old rival. Me-hi-co, Me-hi-co, the crowd roared. It was an Estrada crowd, mostly Mexican partisans there in full-throated support of a native son, a fisherman’s son who was born about 215 miles south of Glendale in the Mexican fishing village of Puerto Penasco.

Estrada came into the ring wearing a shirt that said Sonora, his home state in Mexico. But it’s also the name of the desert that stretches from Mexico to the urban sprawl that surrounds Phoenix. For one night at least, this Son of Sonora reigned over the desert and Chocolatito. 

They were moments when it looked as if Chocolatito would prevail. He backed Estrada onto the ropes, landing quick, precise shots. At times, Estrada looked off-balance. But he answered every assault with energy in his feet and power shots thrown from a distance. The crowd could see his punches. The judges could score them.

In the end, they were just enough to make a difference, one that would probably be there all over again in a fourth or fifth or sixth fight.

“All fights are difficult and all fights are different,” said Chocolatito, now 1-2 against Estrada over 36 rounds.

Maybe so. But in a third meeting, not a whole lot had changed between two fighters, equal in almost every way.

Julio Cesar Martinez retains WBC title

It was more of a chase than a fight.

Julio Cesar Martinez did all the chasing, pursuing a circling, backpedaling  Samuel Carmona. 

Round-and-round, they went, a not-so-merry-go-round that ended in boos and probably left Martinez (19-2, 14 KOs) a little dizzy, yet still in possession of the World Boxing Council’s 112-pound belt in the final bout before the Estrada-Chocolatito showdown Saturday night. 

Still, the result was a head-scratcher. Martinez won. But only by majority decision. Two judges had it about right, 117-111 and 116-112, both for Martinez. But on Kevin Scott’s card, it was 114-114. A draw. Dizzy. 

Carmona would have got a draw only if it had been a footrace. It wasn’t. It was a fight, and Martinez most of that. 

Carmona (8-1, 4 KOs), a former Spanish Olympian, never showed a willingness to engage in many punching exchanges, perhaps because of a hand injury. He rarely threw his right hand. The Spaniard had a tattoo of Sugar Ray Leonard’s face on the outside of his left calf. He had some of Leonard’s footwork. But none of his punches. 

Diego Pacheco blows out Luna

Diego Pacheco didn’t need much time.

He only needed power.

Pacheco (17-0, 14 KOs), of Los Angeles, had plenty of the latter, wiping out Adrian Luna within two rounds in a super-middleweight bout on the DAZN portion of the Estrada-Chocolatito card.

His long right hand is precise and punishing. It landed quickly and often enough to put Luna (24-9-2, 16 KOs) on the canvas three times. At 2:08 of the round, referee Tony Zaino ended it.

Rosales scores unanimous decision in a unanimous thriller

Forget all those assumptions about flyweights. There’s nothing diminutive about them.

The proof of that began to unfold in a terrific exhibition of little guys with gigantic hearts in the DAZN opener of a card featuring the Lords of the Flies, Juan Francisco Estrada versus Ramon “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, at Desert Diamond Arena.Saturday night.

Cristofer Rosales, a former flyweight champion from Nicaragua, and Joselito Velazquez, of Mexico, delivered some very big surprises in a give-and-take battle in DAZN’s initial bout on the live-stream schedule.

Rosales (35-6, 21 KOs) won it, scoring a unanimous decision. It was 97-93 on all three cards. It was also a unanimous crowd pleaser. Velazquez (15-1-1, 10 KOs) started fast moving forward and firing lightning fast hands at a backpedaling Rosales. After two rounds, it looked as if it would be a rout. 

It wasn’t. 

Rosales made sure of it, first coming off the ropes like a freight train with heavy handed blows that stopped Velazquez dead in his tracks  Rosales would repeat the sequence again in the eighth, all the while landing blows that turned Velazquez’ left eye into a swollen bruise.

In the end, the crowd roared, Velazquez applauded and Rosales celebrated.

The Flies created a buzz.

Austin Williams wins one-sided decision

Austin Williams threw lefts, rights, head-rocking blows and a few questionable ones He screamed. He mocked  He taunted. 

Translation: Williams (13-0, 9 KOs), of Houston, did whatever he wanted to. Almost. What he didn’t do, however, was bring an early end to a messy 10-round middleweight fight against Simon Madsen (13-1, 10 KOs), a Dane living and training in Cancun

There was no knockout. But it was a rout, a Williams’ victory on cards that were unanimous in his favor and stacked in every way against a Dane whose trunks said Viking. Williams cruised.  

Marc Castro wins lopsided decision

Marc Castro’s many dimensions include agile feet, a long jab and sneaky ability to switch from right to left, left to right. It all added up to a few too many dimensions for Mexican lightweight Maikol Lopez in a lopsided decision on Estrada-Chocolatito undercard.

Castro (9-0, 6 KOs), a former national amateur champion from Fresno, confused Lopez (16-4, 8 KOs) early and then began to exhaust him with hooks to the body and rocking rights to the head. By the seventh round, he took a knee. It looked as if he was finished. He wasn’t. He soldiered on through an eighth and final round. But it didn’t matter on the scorecards, unanimous for Castro.    

Los Angeles SuperFly Herrera dominates, scoring a third-round TKO

Anthony Herrera calls himself Super-Foo. Forget the Foo. But the Super was there with an overwhelming third-round stoppage Christian Sullivan, a super-flyweight from Casa Grande, Ariz., who had no counter for what Herrera threw at him.

Herrera (4-0-1), of Los Angeles, knocked down Sullivan with a short right early in the third. Suddenly stunned, Sullivan (8-1) dropped his hands. He was defenseless as Herrera stepped up his assault. At 1:44 of the third, his corner ended it.

First Bell: Brazilian Olympic medalist Beatriz Ferriera scores powerful TKO 

 It began early. Ended early, too.

Beatriz Ferriera, an Olympic silver medalist from Brazil, kicked the Juan Francisco Estrada-Roman Gonzalez show into gear with a powerful start Saturday, stopping Carisse Brown (7-3, 4 KOs) within two rounds at Desert Diamond Arena.

Ferriera (2-0, 1 KO) flashed power in both hands. She drove Brown into the ropes in the first, forcing a stand eight count. She dropped Brown to one knee early in the second. Seconds later, referee Joey Chavez had seen enough. He ended it at 1:20 of the round.  




Canelo scores unanimous decision over Golovkin

LAS VEGAS — Only the argument continues.

A third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena was supposed to settle it, once and for all. The third fight was way past its due date. Still, fans screamed for an answer. History begged for something definitive.

That didn’t happen.

Instead, it was more of the same. Twelve more rounds of no knockdowns. Twelve more rounds and three more scorecards. There have been 36 rounds in all. There was a controversial draw in the first one. There was a controversial majority decision won by Canelo in the second one.

In the third, not much changed. The scorecard margins were bigger. Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs) won again, this time by two points on two cards (Steve Weisfeld and David Sutherland) and by four on the third (Dave Moretti).

The decision was unanimous for the first time. Yet, the margins were still close enough to argue some more. But that argument figures to out-live the rivalry. Time is putting an end to it. Don’t expect a fourth fight. For the record, Canelo had the edge, winning two-thirds of the trilogy

If there was any momentum in the rivalry, Canelo had it. At 32, however, he had time on his side.

At 40, GGG did not. For him, retirement is near. He had his moments in the third fight, especially in the later rounds. He backed up Canelo with solid jabs in the ninth and again in the 10th. But even that was almost predictable.

Canelo, the aggressor in the opening rounds, started to show some fatigue midway through the bout. His feet quit moving. GGG knew that would happen. The crowd expected it. It had already seen Canelo tire, especially in his loss by decision to light-heavyweight Dmitry Bivol last May.

A subtle, yet significant, difference this time was that Canelo responded, fought back his fatigue, with a burst of energy and a couple of head-rocking combinations.

This time, he prevailed exactly at the same time he failed in May.

“The loss was good for me,’’ said Canelo, still the undisputed super-middleweight champion. “It made me humble. “I’m going to move forward. I’m going to get back at work on my legacy.’’

It was evident that the move forward will not include GGG (42-2-1, 37 KOs). After years of angry exchanges and insults, the two hugged after the scorecards were announced Saturday. It was as if they were saying goodbye.

“Thank you so much, I said to him,’’ said Canelo, who collected the lion’s share of a $65-million total purse.

When asked if there was finally peace between Golovkin and Canelo, GGG said: “Yes, 100-percent.’’

GGG, still the middleweight champion, also seemed ready to move on. There’s been talk of a retirement fight in Kazakhstan, his home country. There’s also a likely place in the Hall of Fame.

“I have a great plan,’’ GGG said. “I have a lot of appointments. Congrats today Canelo, congrats fans. Remember, I’m still champion at 160. I come back guys, I’m still champion. I want to shake hands with Canelo. If you don’t understand, you don’t understand anything.”

He shook hands. He also gained some hard-earned appreciation from a crowd that sounded hostile before the bout and throughout the early rounds

The chants started early. Ca-nel-o, Ca-nel-o. Me-he-co, Me-he-co. One sounded like the other. A man and his country, in sync in song and purpose.

Canelo started early, too, energized by a roaring crowd seemingly attached to him like the green, white and red on the Mexican flag

The opening bell sounded not long after some in the crowd booed the Kazakhstan anthem. Golovkin had to hear it. The echoes shook the building. But it was impossible to detect if they had any impact on GGG, a somewhat enigmatic edifice throughout his long career at the top of the middleweight division.

He made his ring walk through hostility, looking very much like prey headed to slaughter. But he endured Canelo’s early assaults and countered with some of his own late.

In the end, he survived and kept himself in an argument without an answer.

Or a clear-cut winner.

Jesse Rodriguez struggles, yet wins unanimous decision

Jesse Rodriguez promised super-stardom. The promise is still there. But for one night it went unfulfilled.

Nothing super about Rodriguez Saturday night.

He struggled throughout  a dull performance in a 115-pound title defense against Israel Gonzalez in the last fight before Canelo Alvarez-Gennediy Golovkin at T-Mobile Arena.

Put it this way: The super-fly champion was a super disappointment. Rodriguez survived, winning a unanimous decision over Israel Gonzalez by some questionable scores. It was 118-100 on one card. It was 117-110 on another. Only a 114-113 card appeared to be accurate.

Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs), a likable little guy from San Antonio and a leading contender Fighter of the Year, never had any of the stuff indicated by his nickname.There was no Bam. 

For a while, there was more bum than bam. 

Rodriguez was warned for one blow. He then was penalized one point for one that put Gonzalez on his hands and knees. In the eleventh, Rodriguez put Gonzalez (28-5-1, 11 KOs), of Mexico, down again. Video showed it was another low. But referee Kenny Bayless didn’t see it on a night when a couple of judges didn’t see much either.

Ali Akhmedov scores shutout decision over Rosado

Ali Akhmedov had it all.  There was precision. There was power. Put them together, and the result was a shutout.

Akhmedov (19-1, 14 KOs), Gennadiy Golovkin’s fellow Kazak, had all the points, too, winning every round in a one-sided decision over Gabe Rosado (26-16-1, 15 KOs) in the second fight on the DAZN pay-per-view card featuring Canelo-GGG 3. Rosado’s counter was only his toughness. It allowed the Philadelphia fighter to go the distance, 10 rounds. But there was nothing on his side of the judges’ cards.  

Austin Williams wins unanimous decision

Houston middleweight Austin Williams calls himself Ammo. He had just enough of it to score a unanimous decision over Kieron Conway to open the DAZ pay-per-view card featuring the third Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin fight Saturday night.

Williams (12-0, 10 KOs) scored a quick knockdown in the ninth round. It put him in control of an otherwise dull bout. Conway (10-3-1, 4 KOs), of the UK, didn’t have enough power to hurt Williams.He also lacked the kind of power he needed to keep Williams off of him.

Diego Pacheco scored fifth-round TKO

Call it the boom before the pay-per-view.

Los Angeles super-middleweight Diego Pacheco (16-0, 13 KOs) closed the non-televised portion of the Canelo-GGG3  show with the kind of finish that begged for an encore. 

Canelo promised a knockout. 

Pacheco delivered one.

He dropped Puerto Rican Enrigue Collazo (16-3-1, 11 KOs) onto the canvas in a knockdown that echoed throughout a mostly-empty T-Mobile Arena.  Seconds later at 2:29 of the fifth round, it was over, a fight stopped after it was evident that Collazo  had been left dazed and defenseless.. 

Lightweight Marc Castro scores scary KO

It was beautiful. Scary, too

Fresno lightweight Marc Castro (8-0, 6 KOs) delivered it — a right-uppercut — precisely and powerfully, knocking Kevin Montiel Mendoza (6-2-2, 3 KOs) flat on his back in dramatic a fifth-round KO in the third fight on the non-televised portion of the Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golvkin 3 card.

Mendoza remained motionless for several long moments as the ringside physician and his cornermen stood over him. Finally, he was helped to his feet and on to a stool, where he sat, also for several long moments. Then, Castro walked across the ring to make sure he was KO. That’s when Mendoza climbed to his feet and congratulated his powerful foe, a stoppage winner at 1:40 of the fifth.

Aaron Aponte and Fernando Molina battled to an eight-round split draw in a super lightweight contest.

In round two, Aponte dropped Molina with a left hook to the head. In round four, it was a combination that was finished off by a right to the head that put Molina on the deck.

Aponte is now 6-0-1. Molina is 8-0-1

Anthony Herrera won a five-round technical unanimous decision over Delvin Mckinney in a six-round super flyweight bout.

McKinney was cut and could not continue. Herrera won by scores of 50-45 on all cards.

Herrera is 3-0-1. McKinney is 4-4-1.




CASTRO, APONTE AND HERRERA COMPLETE CANELO-GGG III CARD

Marc CastroAaron Aponte and Anthony Herrera will all take the latest steps in their pro journeys on the biggest stage of all as they complete the undercard to the trilogy clash between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin. The event, presented by Matchroom, Canelo Promotions and GGG Promotions, will broadcast live on DAZN Pay-Per-View in the U.S. and Canada as well as around the world on DAZN (excluding Mexico, Latin America, and Kazakhstan). 

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Castro (7-0 5 KOs) appears on his fifth Canelo undercard since making his debut in December 2020, and the former amateur standout will meet Kevin Montiel Mendoza in his first bout over eight rounds. Castro steps through the ropes for the third time this year with a pair of points wins over six rounds already in the bag and will be tested by Mexican Mendoza (6-1-2 3 KOs) whose CV includes a split-draw with Otha Jones III.

Aponte (6-0 2 KOs) is also lacing them up for the third time in 2022, and ‘The Alien King’ is ready to mix it up against Canelo Promotions’ unbeaten prospect Fernando Molina. Aponte, who penned a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn in January, will look to add a seventh win in the paid ranks in his first eight round round clash with Molina (8-0 3 KOs), the 20 year old Mexican who also has a pair of wins over six this year.

Herrera (2-0-1 2 KOs) gets the chance to bounce back to winning ways on the biggest stage as he takes on Delvin McKinley. Herrera was held to a draw in his last outing in Mexico against the spirited Kennyn Valenzuela, and the Manny Robles trained talent is eager to get back on track in Sin City. McKinley (4-3-1 4 KOs) will have other ideas though, and the 26 year old comes into the bout having taken Olympic bronze medal man Nico Hernandez the distance earlier this month.

The trio of talent completes a stacked undercard on September 17, led by a co-main fight starring Super-Flyweight sensation Jesse Rodriguez defending his WBC World title against Israel Gonzalez.

Fireworks are promised as Ali Akhmedov and Gabriel Rosado will clash for the IBF North American Super-Middleweight title, Diego Pacheco fights for his first pro belt when he meets Enrique Collazo for the WBC USNBC Silver Super-Middleweight title and Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams taking on Kieron Conway for the vacant WBA International Middleweight title, all leading into the third installment of the classic modern rivalry between Canelo and Golovkin, with the Mexican king putting his undisputed Super-Middleweight crown on the line against Kazakhstan’s reigning WBA and IBF Middleweight ruler in the most anticipated match up of 2022.

“This is a great opportunity for three talented young men to strut their stuff on the biggest stage of all,” said Hearn. “Marc, Aaron and Anthony will be soaking up the packed build-up and buzzing fight week in Las Vegas before putting their skills on display as part of a brilliant card on September 17 that is full of great fighters and clashes that promise drama, before we hit a main event that the world will stand still for.”




HERRERA PENS PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM; Bantamweight talent inks pact with Hearn and returns in Mexico on June 10

Anthony Herrera has signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom and returns to action on June 10 in at the Arena Alcalde in Guadalajara, Mexico, live worldwide on DAZN, in the latest installment of Matchroom and DAZN’s fight series in Mexico, in association with Canelo Promotions and Clase Y Talento.
 

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Herrera has won his first two fights in the paid ranks, starting in New York with a second round stoppage win on the undercard of the Lightweight unification clash between Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos in November, and then made it two stoppage wins from two in San Diego in March as part of the supporting cast of the Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez vs. Julio Cesar Martinez battle.

The Los Angeles talent now faces Kennyn Valenzuela (5-2 4 KOs) in his first six rounder and the 21 year old is excited for his future under the guidance of Hearn, trainer/manager Manny Robles and the management company 258 MGT.

“Eddie is a great promoter,” said Herrera. “Matchroom was my first choice out of all the promoters. Eddie keeps his fighters very active; he puts on exciting shows all over the world. He promotes different types of fighters such as women and fighters in multiple weight categories. A very honest and fair promoter that offers huge opportunities on the biggest stages of boxing.

“My goals for 2022 would be to expand my following and fanbase, fight on the biggest cards of the year, dominate in every fight, and become prospect of the year for 2022

“I am excited to fight on huge cards and be showcased to different audiences in different countries. I have a fan-friendly style that can be enjoyed and look forward to new experiences fighting in venues and stadiums. 

“I am honored to work with Manny Robles and be co-managed by 258 MGT. Under their direction I am confident that I will be making the most optimal choices in my career.”

“On behalf of Manuel Robles (LBA Management) It is an honor and a privilege for me to be managing the career of Anthony Herrera, alongside 258 MGT and having Anthony’s career be promoted by who I consider one of the best Promoter’s in the world, Eddie Hearn,” said Robles.
 
“Anthony is such an exciting talent, and I am delighted he’s signed with us,” said Hearn. “Anthony has a great team around him with Manny, 258 MGT and Matchroom, he wants to stay busy, and we will be doing that, taking him around America, Mexico and beyond on a journey to the very top.”
 
“We are delighted to be working with Anthony alongside Manny,” said 258 MGT. “We have been monitoring him for some time now and he clearly has the pedigree and potential to be a future World Champion but also the charisma and personality to be a star outside of it. With the right guidance and progression, we think we have a real star of the future in Anthony, and we believe there is no better place for him to recognize all this potential than with Matchroom and DAZN.”
 
Herrera’s showing in Mexico is part of a stacked card in Mexico, headlined by a World title double-header as WBA Super and Ring Magazine World Light-Flyweight champion Hiroto Kyoguchi defending his straps against Esteban Bermudez and Mayerlin Rivas putting her WBA World Super-Bantamweight title on the line against Isis Vargas Perez
 
Jorge Castaneda and Eduardo Hernandez meet for the WBC International Super-Featherweight title in a huge fight for the division, Diego Pacheco (14-0 11 KOs) continues to be a must-watch talent and the 21 year old ticks off another major milestone as he stretches his legs over the ten round distance for the first time against Raul Ortega (10-2 7 KOs), Aaron Aponte fights for the sixth time in the paid ranks against Leo Leon Martinez (2-1 2 KOs) and there’s more fights to be added soon.




Chocolatito Gonzalez Decisions Martinez

Roman Gonzalez pounded his way to a 12-round unanimous decision over flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez in a super flyweight bout at The Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

Gonzalez dominated the fight as continuously backed up Martinez with straight forward power punching, Martinez was game throughout as he would sneak u a flurry, but it was Gonzalez who was so accurate with his combinations that defied his age of 34, which is considered old for the lighter weight classes. After round seven, the winner was inevitable as Gonzalez snapped the head and drove Martinez into the ropes almost constantly. Martinez fought until the end, but it was much too little, much too late as Gonzalez won by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112.

Gonzalez landed 374 of 1076 punches; Martinez was 182 of 713.

Gonzalez, 114.8 lbs of Managua, NIC is now 51-3. Martinez, who came in over the contracted weight, checked in at 116.4 lbs is now 18-2.

Lara stops Sanchez in Three Exciting Rounds

In a wild slugfest. Mauricio Lara stopped Emilio Sanchez in round three of their 10-round featherweight bout.

In round one, Lara dropped Sanchez with a hard right. In round three, Sanchez came roaring back as he landed barrages of power punches that tired Lara out. Lara came roaring back by landing vicious shots that continuously snapped the head of Sanchez back. Lara landed two more booming shots that knocked Sanchez to the ground just before the bell, and the fight was over at 2:59.

Lara, 126 lbs of Mexico City is now 24-2-1 with 17 knockouts. Sanchez, 126 lbs of Pacoima, CA is 19-2.

Fierro and Burgos Battle to a Draw

Angel Fierro and Juan Carlos Burgos battled to a 10-round draw in lightweight contest.

Fierro took a scorecard 96-94; while two other tallies were 95-95.

Fierro landed 144 of 579 punches. Burgos was 113 of 476.

Fierro, 134.6 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is now 19-1-2. Burgos, 134.2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 34-6-3.

Cissokoho Decisions Valenzuela

Souleymayne Cissokho remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Roberto Valenzuela Jr. in a super welterweight bout.

In round two, Valenzuela began to swell under his left eye. In round three, Valenzuela was cut on the nose. In round four, Valenzuela turned the tide and landed a hard combination to the body and sent Cissokho to the canvas. In the final minute of the round, Cissokho uncorked a huge right that put Valenzuela on his back. Valenzuela got to his feet and was bleeding all over his face.

Cissokho landed 132 of 479 punches; Valenzuela was 92 of 474.

Cissokho, 153.8 lbs of Saint-Denis, FRA won by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 twice to raise his record to 15-0. Valenzuela, 154 lbs of Sonora, MEX is 19-3,

Diego Pacheco remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Genc Pllana in a scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout.

In round one, Pacheco dropped Pllana with a right hand. In round two, a left hook/right hand combination put Pllana on the deck and the fight was stopped at 1:29.

Pacheco, 170 lbs of Los Angeles is 14-0 with 11 knockouts. Pllana, 171 lbs of Hagerstown, MD is 9-4-1.

Marc Castro hit the canvas, but remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Julio Madera in a lightweight fight.

In round two Castro hit the deck from a combination. Castro won the rest of the fight and won by scores of 58-55 on all cards.

Castro, 134.8 lbs of Fresno, CA is 6-0. Madera, 134.4 lbs of Mexico City is 3-2.

2021 Australian Olympian Skye Nicholson made a successful pro debut with a six-round unanimous decision over Jessica Juarez in a junior lightweight bout.

Nicholson, 129 lbs of Queensland, AUS won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 1-0. Juarez, 129 lbs of San Diego is 3-1.

Anthony Herrera stopped Jose Toribio in round four of a scheduled four-round bantamweight bout.

In round one, Toribio began to bleed over his right. In round four, Castro landed a hard combination that was culminated by a left hook that dropped Toribio and the fight was stopped at the 24 second mark.

Herrera, 118.4 lbs of Los Angeles is 2-0 with two knockouts. Toribio, 118.2 lbs of San Diego, CA is 7-5.




WATCH LIVE BOXING: Before The Bell: Chocolatitio vs Martinez Live Undercard (Nicolson, Castro, Pacheco, Herrera)




Kambosos Shocks Lopez; Wins Undisputed Lightweight Title

George Kambosos Jr. won the Undisputed Lightweight Title with a 12-round split decision over Teofimo Lopez at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden

Lopez came out extremally fast as he tried to stay true to his word and knock Kambosos out in the opening round. Late in the round, it was Kambosos who landed a huge right hand to the chin that sent Lopez to the deck. In round four, there was a cut over the left eye of Kambosos.

In round 10, Lopez sent Kambosos down with a hard combination. In round 11, Lopez was cut badly over the left eye.

Kambosos, 134.4 lbs of Sydney AUS won by scores of 115-111, 115-113 and Lopez won a card 114-113. Kambosos is now 20-0. Lopez, 135 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 16-1.

Ogawa Decisions Fuzile; Wins IBF 130 lb. Title

Kenichi Ogawa won the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision beatdown over Azinga Fuzile

In round five, Ogawa landed a huge right that dropped Fuzile to a knee.

In round nine, Fuzile started to bleed from his nose and was cut over the right eye. In round 12, Ogawa landed a hard right hand that sent Fuzile down again. Just before the fight ended, Ogawa put a capper on the fight by florring Fuzile again.

Ogawa, 129.4 lbs of Tokyo, JAP won by scores of 115-110 twice and 114-111, and is now 26-1-1-1. Fuzile, 129.6 lbs of East London, SA is 15-2.

Ford Stops Caraballo in 8

Raymond Ford remained undefeated with an 8th round stoppage over Felix Caraballo in a scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.

In round, eight, Ford landed a vicious eight-punch combination that forced a referee stoppage at 2:10.

Ford, 126 lbs of Camden, NJ is now 10-0-1 with six knockouts. Caraballo, 125.4 lbs of Mayaguez, PR is 13-4-2.

Zhang Stops Lewis in 2

Zheilei Zhang remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Craig Lewis in a heavyweight bout.

In round two, Zhang landed a big left that sent Lewis down. Seconds later, it was another straight left thatput Lewis down for a 2nd time, and the fight was stopped after the corner threw in the towel at 2:!0.

Zhang, 274 lbs of Zhoukou, CHN is 23-0-1 with 18 knockouts. Lewis, 273.4 lbs of Detroit is 14-5-1-1.

Ramla Ali remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Isela Vera in a super bantamweight fight.

Ali, 122 lbs of London, ENG, won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 4-0. Vera, 121 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 1-1.

Christina Cruz remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Maryguenn Vellinga in a flyweight bout.

Cruz, 111.6 lbs of New York won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 to raise her mark to 2-0. Velinga, 110.8 lbs of Park City, UT is 3-2-2.

In a battle of pro debuting bantamweights, Anthony Herrera stopped Jonathan Herrera in round two of a scheduled four-round bout.

The fight was stopped after a barrage of punches, and the fight was stopped at 2:32.

Anthony, 118 lbs of Los Angeles is 1-0 with one knockout. Jonathan, 115.4 lbs of Mexico City is 0-1.