NEWARK, N.J. (April 24, 2025) —Rising middleweights Jahi Tucker and Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson have been throwing haymakers online.

Following an extended social media exchange that included conflicting tales of a recent sparring session, the keyboard back-and-forth will soon be settled in the ring.

The Brooklyn-born Tucker and Baltimore native Simpson will face off in a 10-round special attraction on Saturday, June 21, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tucker vs. Simpson joins a loaded bill headlined by Garden State middleweight star Vito Mielnicki Jr. against Kamil Gardzielik and a heavyweight co-feature between unbeaten Polish contenders Damian Knyba and Marcin Siwy.

Mielnicki-Gardzielik, Knyba-Siwy, Tucker-Simpson, and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Rising Star Promotions, tickets are ON SALE NOW via Ticketmaster.com.

“This man is telling everyone that he dropped me in sparring. That never happened. I beat him around the ring, and I’m going to do it again, for real this time, on June 21,” Tucker said. “Truck talked his way into this fight, and I’m going to beat him down for however long it lasts.”

“I’m glad that he finally took the fight,” Simpson said. “He spoke on me. I’ve been going through many things, but I’m focused now. A lot of fighters try to paint this tough narrative, but at the end of the day, we have to fight. This will be a great clash of styles, and I think we can steal the show.”

Tucker (14-1-1, 6 KOs), a Brooklyn-born phenom who moved to Long Island as a teenager, turned pro with Top Rank at the age of 17. Following a December 2023 draw against Argentine Olympian Francisco Daniel Veron, Tucker has won four consecutive bouts, including an eighth-round stoppage over Stockton-born veteran Quilisto Madera last November. He made his 2025 debut on April 5, dropping former British champion Troy Williamson twice en route to a 10-round unanimous decision win.

Simpson turned pro in 2018 following a decorated amateur career that included a slew of Youth National Championships gold medals, a Pan American Youth Championships silver medal, and six National Silver Gloves titles. Simpson jumped out to a 13-0 record before losing a majority decision to noted spoiler Vladimir Hernandez in August 2023. Following a contested split decision defeat to Raiko Santana last June, he returned to action in February at Prudential Center, turning aside Trevon Smith in the opening round.

NEWARK, N.J. (March 31, 2025) — New Jersey-born middleweight phenom Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. is returning to Brick City.

The Roseland product will face unbeaten Polish-born, Queens-based contender Kamil Gardzielik in the 10-round main event for the vacant WBO Global, USWBC, and USBA titles on Saturday, June 21, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

In the 10-round all-Polish heavyweight co-feature, Damian Knyba takes on fellow unbeaten Marcin Siwy.

Baltimore middleweight Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson (15-2, 8 KOs) looks to impress in an eight-rounder against William Townsel (8-2, 6 KOs).

Mielnicki-Gardzielik, Knyba-Siwy, Simpson-Townsel, and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Rising Star Promotions, tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 1, at 12 p.m. ET Ticketmaster.com.

“We are thrilled to bring Vito back to Prudential Center, a beautiful venue that has played such an instrumental role in his career,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “This is a loaded card full of talented fighters in competitive matchups, and I expect a passionate crowd on hand for a great night of fights.”

“We pride ourselves on giving the sport of boxing a consistent platform – from World Champions to local boxers across all levels of experience,” said Dylan Wanagiel, VP of Sports Properties & Special Events for Prudential Center. “This event will mark our venue’s fourth pro boxing showcase within 12 months, further cementing Newark as a marquee destination for the Sweet Science. We are honored to have talented boxers like Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Damian Knyba call Prudential Center their second home, and we look forward to another thrilling night of boxing on Saturday, June 21.”

Mielnicki (20-1-1, 12 KOs) turned pro on a Top Rank bill at Prudential Center in July 2019, drawing several thousand Garden State supporters to watch his devastating first-round stoppage of Tamarcus Smith. He’s fought at Prudential Center three times since, including main event knockouts over Nicholas DeLomba in 2021 and Salim Larbi in 2023. Mielnicki signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank in early 2024 and kept busy with three fights that year, extending his unbeaten streak to 13. Gardzielik (19-0, 4 KOs) will be fighting for the first time outside of Poland and looking to build off a 2024 campaign that saw him tally a pair of victories.

“I’m excited to come back to Prudential Center. My family, friends, and supporters from home will be there. Every time we fight at Prudential Center, it’s electric,” Mielnicki said. “I’ve knocked out all four of my opponents there, and I’m looking to make 5 for 5. I have Polish roots, and it will be a big night for the Polish community to support Damian and myself.”

Knyba (15-0, 9 KOs) is the latest Polish heavyweight hopeful, a proud lineage that includes Tomasz Adamek, who used to pack the Prudential Center earlier this century. He battled injuries throughout much of 2024, shaking off an 11-month layoff last November to stop Richard Lartey in three rounds. Knyba last fought in February at Prudential Center, knocking out former world title challenger Andrzej Wawrzyk in the main event. Siwy (25-0-1, 12 KOs) returns to the boxing ring for the first time since September 2022, but he has kept active as a mixed martial artist in Poland. His only boxing blemish is a draw to noted spoiler Kamil Sokolowski, and he now seeks to derail Knyba’s momentum.

Knyba said, “I am thrilled to fight again in my second home, the Prudential Center. My opponent has tremendous experience and an unbeaten record. I will be at my best on June 21 to take his ‘0’.”

The undercard will also showcase East Orange bantamweight Mannie Chance (1-0) in a four-rounder, Connecticut-born heavyweight Ali Feliz (5-0, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder, and Philadelphia’s Daiyaan Butt (20-2, 10 KOs) facing Jersey City’s Mike Lee (11-3, 7 KOs) in an eight-rounder at welterweight.

Heavyweight Norman Neely (15-1, 10 KOs), who hails from Paterson, New Jersey, comes back from a 15-month layoff to fight James Willis (6-1-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

Newark’s Muadh Abdus–Salaam makes his long-awaited professional debut in a four-round welterweight tilt against Roberto Cantos (1-3).

NEWARK — The full card is set for “Winter Warfare,” which takes place this Saturday, February 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The main event will pit unbeaten heavyweight prospect Damian Knyba (14-0, 8 KOs) against Andrzej Wawrzyk (34-4, 20 KOs) in a ten-round showdown of Polish heavyweight boxers. Knyba of Wudzyn, Poland is coming off a Knockout of the Year contender performance in November when he blasted out Richard Lartey Harrison in three rounds, while Wawrzyk of Warsaw, Poland is the most experienced opponent Knyba has faced, having battled current WBA heavyweight champion Kubrat Pulev, plus former contenders Danny Williams and Frans Botha.

In the co-main event, Fiodor Czerkaszyn (25-1, 15 KOs) will face Patrick Allotey (44-7, 34 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight fight. The 29-year-old Czerkaszyn of Warsaw, Poland is ranked in the top 15 by the IBF, WBC and WBO, and is looking for his fourth straight victory. Allotey, 34, of Accra, Ghana is a former world title challenger who has fought some of the best boxers in his weight class, including Jaime Munguia, Serhii Bohachuk and Kanat Islam. The rest of the main card, which will air live on TVP Sport in Poland, will include an eight-round women’s bantamweight bout between former two-division world champion Miyo Yoshida (17-5) against Beata Dudek (5-5, 4 KOs). Yoshida of Kagoshima, Japan but now residing in New York City, is a former IBF bantamweight and WBO junior bantamweight world champion, while Dudek of Miskolc, Hungary has fought the toughest opposition available from bantamweight to featherweight.

“Winter Warfare” is promoted by PrimeTime Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.prucenter.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The boxers will be available for interviews this week when they visit True Warriors Boxing Gym in Paterson, N.J. this Thursday for a media workout, beginning at 12 p.m., with a press conference to take place later that day, at 4 p.m., at Comfort Inn and Suites in Newark. True Warriors Boxing Gym is located at 85 5th Ave. in Paterson, while Comfort Inn is located at 98 Frelinghuysen Ave. in Newark. The weigh-in is also open to media and will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday at Comfort Inn.

The rest of the card is as follows:

Six rounds, super middleweights: Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson (14-2, 8 KOs) vs. Trevon Smith (2-5, 1 KO)

Six rounds, welterweights: Ghandi Romain (6-1-1, 4 KOs) vs. Benjamin Lamptey (17-14-4, 13 KOs)

Six rounds, cruiserweights: Emmanuel Etienne (8-1, 4 KOs) vs. Kevin Torian (3-3, 3 KOs)

Six rounds, cruiserweights: Michal Soczynski (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. Demetrius Banks (13-15-2, 6 KOs)

Four rounds, junior middleweights: Jean Pierre Valencia (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Dmitry Noskov (0-1)

Four rounds, heavyweights: Mateusz Bereznicki (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Twon Smith (5-13, 4 KOs)

Four rounds, light heavyweights: Arjan Iseni (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Nathan Trepagnier (2-5, 2 KOs)

Four rounds, welterweights: Peter Latorre (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Deshon Robinson (0-0)

Four rounds, welterweights: John Vallejo (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Rommell Toran (2-3-1, 2 KOs)

Four rounds, featherweights: Keith Colon (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Angelo Ramos (0-3)

To apply for a credential, please visit: https://www.prucenter.com/media-info. Please note, the portal will close at midnight tonight.

About Prudential Center:

Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) New York Sirens, and more than 210 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 5 worldwide by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit https://www.prucenter.com/ and follow the arena on Facebook, X and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a HBSE property.  

NEWARK, N.J. —  Polish heavyweight boxing makes its return to the Prudential Center for the first time in over a decade as Polish big men Damian Knyba and Andrzej Wawrzyk meet in a ten-round showdown on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The all-Polish heavyweight fight harkens back to when Tomasz Adamek, considered by many to be the greatest Polish-born fighter ever, packed Prudential Center a record nine times with thrilling slugfests. Now, Knyba (14-0, 8 knockouts) and Wawrzyk (34-4, 20 KOs) will look to write a new chapter at Prudential Center.

The event, which is titled Winter Warfare, will be promoted by PrimeTime Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.prucenter.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Knyba of Wudzyn, Poland is undefeated in his three-year professional career, including a Knockout of the Year contender in November of 2024 against Richard Lartey, which aired live on ESPN+. The 6’7″ big man will be competing for the first time in a ten-round fight as he looks to prove he is ready to become a contender for the heavyweight championship.

“I don’t feel any pressure fighting in a big arena in front of thousands of fans. However, I do feel more motivated. I love to fight in front of large audiences on big time shows and this will be no different. I hope a lot of people come because I am going to put on one hell of a show!,” said Knyba, who is promoted by Top Rank Inc.

First he must get through Wawrzyk, a 6’5” heavyweight with far more experience at the world level, having challenged for the WBA heavyweight title in 2013 against Alexander Povetkin. He also has scored knockout wins over former heavyweight contenders Frans Botha (TKO in 5), Danny Williams (TKO in 1) and Albert Sosnowski (TKO in 5). Wawrzyk has shown he is still a world class fighter at age 37, having gone the distance with current WBA heavyweight titleholder Kubrat Pulev just a year ago. 

The co-main event will feature another rising Polish fighter as Fiodor Czerkaszyn (25-1, 15 KOs) of Warsaw, Poland against an opponent to be named in an eight-round middleweight bout. The rest of the main card will feature former IBF bantamweight and WBO junior bantamweight world champion Miyo Yoshida (17-5) against Beata Dudek (5-5, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout. Yoshida, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, is fighting for the first time since losing her world title in a close bout last October.

Those three bouts will air live in Poland on TVP Sport.

“This event is the culmination of the past few years of hard work we have put in to resurrecting Polish boxing. We are on a mission to bring back the days of Tomasz Adamek and Andrzej Golota and it starts with Damian Knyba,” said promoter Eryk Rachwal of PrimeTime Promotions.

Said Knyba’s manager Lukasz Kownacki: “We still have a long way to go but we are following along the path that the great Polish heavyweights have paved for us. Damian Knyba will be making a statement to show that it is out with the old and in with the new,” said Knyba’s manager Lukasz Kownacki.

“Prudential Center continues to pride itself on providing tri-state area boxers a platform to showcase their skills on the biggest stage,” said Dylan Wanagiel, VP of Sports Properties & Special Events for Prudential Center. “We are thrilled to partner with PrimeTime Promotions in delivering the best the sweet science has to offer to Newark for ‘Winter Warfare’ on Saturday, February 1. Our venue has proudly hosted thousands of Polish boxing enthusiasts during the halcyon days of Tomasz Adamek and we know those fans will bring their energy back to Brick City in support of fellow countrymen Damian Knyba, Andrzej Wawrzyk, Fiodor Czerkaszyn, and the remainder of the packed undercard.”

The rest of the undercard will feature some o the best upcoming talent from around the New Jersey and New York area and beyond, including Ghandi Romain (6-1-1, 4 KOs), Jean Pierre Valencia (3-0, 2 KOs), Elise Soto (7-0, 7 KOs), Christopher Houston (1-0), Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson (14-2, 8 KOs), John Vallejo (5-0, 2 KOs), Michal Soczynski (8-0, 5 KOs), Mateusz Bereznicki (1-0, 1 KO) and more.

About Prudential Center:

Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) New York Sirens, and more than 210 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 5 worldwide by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit https://www.prucenter.com/ and follow the arena on Facebook, X and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a HBSE property.  

O’Shaquie Foster recaptured the WBC Super Featherweight title with a 12-round split decision over Robson Conceicao at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

The fight was a rematch of a fight from July that saw Conceicao win the title from Foster in a close and may controversial decision in Newark, New Jersey.

Much like the first battle, this was a closely contested fight, but the difference was the work done by Foster down the stretch that saw him win by scores of 115-113, while Conceicao took a card 115-113.

Foster landed 172 of 534 punches. Conceicao was 153 of 565.

Foster, 129.9 lbs of Orange, TX is 23-3. Conceicao, 129.7 lbs of Brazil is 19-3-1.

Foster said, “Man, he’s a hell of a fighter. His heart is unbelievable. Shoutout to him. He’s got a big heart.”

“I told y’all I was gonna step it up and bring it to him. That was my goal. I still ain’t satisfied with my performance, but I felt like I showed a lot of people my versatility.”

“I want the winner of Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez.”

Conceição said, “I’m happy because I know what I did in the ring. I did a good job, so there’s no reason to be sad. I know the victory wasn’t mine tonight, but I know that I did a good job.”

“If he wants the rematch, I’ll be ready. I gave him a rematch, so I think he should show the same respect to me by giving me the third fight.

Muratalla Stops Perez in 2

Raymond Muratalla remained undefeated by stopping Jesus Perez in round two of a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout

In round two, Muratalla dropped Perez with a right hand. Seconds later, Muratalla landed a perfect right to the jaw that put Perez down again. Muratalla then landed a two more rights and the fight was stopped at 1:24.

Muratalla, 136.6 lbs of Fontana, CA is 22-0 with 17 knockouts. Perez, 136.2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 25-6.

Muratalla said, “I’m coming for those champions. I’ve still got it. I don’t know what people are talking about. I’m here.”

“I’m asking for these title shots, and they haven’t given them to me. So, tonight I proved that I deserve it. I want any of the champions.”

“I’m ready for any of the guys with the belts. I’m just waiting for that call. You saw what I’m capable of doing. I’m waiting for that call to fight any of the champions.”

Bryce Mills stopped Mike Ohan Jr. after round five if a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

Mills beat Ohan down and the corner stopped the bout after round five.

Mills, 139 lbs of Syracuse, NY is 17-1 with five knockouts. Ohan, 140.7 lbs of Hollbrook, MA is 19-4.

Abraham Nova and Humberto Galindo battled to a 10-round split draw in a junior lightweight fight.

Scores were 97-93 for Galindo; 96-94 for Nova and 95-94.

Nova, 133.4 lbs of Albany, NY is 23-3-1. Galindo, 1313 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 14-3-3.

Jahi Tucker scored an eighth and final round stoppage of Quilisto Madera in a middleweight fight.

In round eight, Tucker was deducted for holding and hitting. Later in the round, Tucker landed a couple of hard rights that buckled Madera that forced a referee stoppage at 1:52.

Tucker, 161.8 lbs of Deer Park, NY is 13-1-1 with six knockouts. Madera, 161.3 lbs of Stockton, CA is 14-4.

Ali Feliz stopped Rashad Coulter in round two of their six-round heavyweight bout.

Feliz landed a counter right hand to the head the drove Coulter to the ropes. Feliz followed up with 10 unanswered blows and the fight was waved off at 1:34.

Feliz, 224.1 lbs of Danbury, CT is 4-0 with three knockouts. Coulter, 252.1 lbs of Dallas is 5-5.

Yan Santana remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Eduardo Baez in a 10-round featherweight bout.

In round four, Santana dropped Baez with a hard left hook. Sanatana continued to pound on a hurt Baez and the fight was stopped at 1:57.

Santana, 126.3 lbs of La Romana, DR is 13-0 with 12 knockouts. Baez, 125.7 lbs of Mexicali, MX is 23-7-2.

Damian Knyba stopped Richard Lartey in round three of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round three, Knyba landed a right hand that was followed by a left hook that dumped Lartey on the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 2:10.

Knyba, 259.1 lbs of Poland is 14-0 with eight knockouts. Lartey, 288 lbs of Accra, GHA is 16-7.

Rafael Espinosa wrestled the WBO Featherweight title with an action packed 12-round majority decision over Robeisy Ramirez at The Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

The taller Espinosa had a good start to the fight as he was able to get inside and land punches. Ramirez was able to get in some decent shots of his own. In round five, Ramirez landed a right hook that sent Espinosa to the deck. Espinosa got up but fell back down at the bell.

The two traded flurries of punches which thrilled the sold out crowd which favored the Cuban born Ramirez. In round 12, Espinosa’s pressure finally wilted Ramirez and dropped the now-former champion with a flurry that was capped by a left hook.

That seemed to be the difference as Espinosa won by scores of 115-111, 114-112 and 113-113.

Espinosa, 125.3 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is now 22-0. Ramirez, 125.6 lbs of Cuba is 13-2.

Espinoza said, “I didn’t think about anything in here. I just thought about winning. I even asked what round we were in. And I knew that I had to drop him in order to win. I just put my heart into it. I always do that. And thank God it happened.

“I think I’ve had a broken foot since the second round. But what kept me on my feet was my daughter, my parents, my wife and my family. I knew that all of Mexico was watching me. And I knew that I had to become a world champion.”

Ramirez said, “We did what we always do. We followed what Ismael Salas told us to do. We scored the knockdown and tried to end the fight, but it didn’t happen.

“I thought the fight was won. But he got his second wind. I tried to catch mine. But I’ve got to give him credit. He came after me. He got the knockdown. I didn’t think it would determine the result, but that’s what the judges decided.”

Zayas Stops Fortea in 5

Promising Xander Zayas stopped Jorge Fortea in round five of their 10-round junior middleweight bout.

In round one, Zayas dropped Fortea with a left to the body. In round five, it as another left to the body that put Fortea down for the 10-count at 1:37.

Zayas, 153.6 lbs of San Juan, PR is 18-0 with 12 knockouts. Fortea, 153,7 lbs of Souce, ESP is 24-4-1.

Zayas, “We knew that he likes to keep his elbows out. And it was just a matter of time after we got him in the first round. After that, he went into survival mode and brought his elbows down. But then we got him with another body shot.”

Good looking Bruce Carrington remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Jason Sanchez in a 10-round featherweight fight.

In round two, Carrington rocked Sanchez with a right. He followed him around the ring and dropped Sanchez with a hard right. Sanchez was not all the way back and then ate a left hook just before the bell and went to the canvas again and the fight was over at 2:59.

Carrington, 125.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 10-0 with six knockouts. Sanchez, 125.7 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 16-5.

Carrington said, “This was a statement to the rest of the featherweight division. I want all the smoke. It doesn’t’ matter who it is.”

Richard Torrez Jr. had to almost go the distance for the first time. The key word is almost as he stopped veteran Curtis Harper in the eighth and final round of their heavyweight bout.

Torrez battered Harper throughout the fight and finished him with a hard flurry of punches on the ropes before a referee stoppage at 2:03.

Torrez, 230.8 lbs of Tulure, CA is 8-0 with eight knockouts. Harper, 273.9 lbs of Clarksville, TN is 14-11.

Torrez said, “I knew I needed the rounds, and Curtis Harper was a tough, game opponent. This is an experience that will only help me as I progress.
 
“When I saw his mouthpiece fly out, I knew the knockout was coming. I’m happy I got the rounds in and a knockout.”

Jahi Tucker and Francisco Daniel Veron fought to a eight-round majority draw in a junior middleweight contest.

Tucker won a scorecard by a 77-75 tally, that was overruled by two 76-76 cards.

Tucker, 155.2 lbs of Deer Park, NY is 10-1-1. Veron, 155.1 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 13-0-1.

Rohan Polanco scored a sixth round stoppage over Keith Hunter in a eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round six, Polanco hurt Hunter and landed a huge flurry of punches and the fight was stopped at 2:06. Hunter was visibly upset and may have struck the referee.

Polanco, 142.9 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 11-0 with seven knockouts. Hunter, 139.3 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is now 15-2.

Tiger Johnson remained undefeated with an eight-round split decision over Jimmer Espinosa in a junior welterweight bout.

Johnson, 141.6 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 79-73 and 78-74, while Espinosa took a card 77-75.

Johnson is now 11-0. Espinosa, 141.2 lbs of Tuxtl, MEX is 15-2.

Damian Knyba remained undefeated with eight-round unanimous decision over Michael Coffie in a heavyweight bout.

Knyba, 264.1 lbs of Wodzyn, POL won by scores 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is 13-0. Coffie, 290.9 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 13-5.

NEW YORK–Teofimo Lopez became a two-division world champion with an emphatic 12-round unanimous decision over Josh Taylor to win the WBO Junior Welterweight title before a Madison Square Garden record crowd of 5,151.

The fight began with a fast pace with Taylor working the body. Lopez was able to land some “show me” right hands. Lopez started to foreshadow of things to come by landing quick and pinpoint right hands that was able to stop Taylor in his tracks. That assault came in rounds three through five, with round four being a big frame for “The Takeover” as he rocked Taylor. The two fighters took turns over the next four-rounds.

Lopez was terrific over the next three rounds as he dominant as hand speed proved to be too much. His right hand continuously found a home on the face of Taylor. In round 12, Lopez sealed the deal by hurting Taylor twice, with the latter being from a perfect right to the body that hurt Taylor.

Lopez, who was the undisputed lightweight champion, becomes a two-weight division champ by scores of 117-111 and 115-113 and is now 19-1. Taylor of Scotland is 19-1.

Xander Zayas remained undefeated by stopping Ronald Cruz in a eight-round junior middleweight bout.

Zayas dropped Cruz in the opening seconds with a powerful right hand. Zayas dominated the action and landed several hard flurry that had Cruz reeling on the ropes.

Zayas, 152.8 lbs of San Juan, PR won by scores of 80-71 on all cards and is now 16-0. Cruz, 152.4 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 18-3-1.

Said Zayas, “Thank you to all my Puerto Rican fans and to everyone that came out. This is a dream come true. I’m very happy to have fought during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. He was a tough guy. I was hitting him with everything. He didn’t want to go down. He was here to fight. He was motivated. He was tough. But we passed with flying colors. Unanimous decision. And we made the adjustments we needed to do.”

“He brought out the dog in me. I had to dig deep. I had to stay focused. I had to listen to my corner. And most importantly I had to have fun, which was the most important part. I had the crowd here cheering for me, so I was trying to stay as focused as possible.”

Robson Conceicao and Nicolas Polanco fought to a no-decision as a headbutt in round two deemed Polanco unable to continue.

Omar Rosario remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Jan Carlos Rivera in a junior welterweight bout.

Rosario, 139.2 lbs of Caguas, PR won by scores of 77-75 and is now 11-0. Rivera, 138.4 lbs of Vieques, PR is 8-2.

Damian Knyba won an eight-round unanimous decision over Hiamann Olguin in a heavyweight fight.

Knyba, 261.4 lbs of Wodzyn, POL won by scores of 79-73 on all cards and is now 12-0, Olguin, 256.8 lbs of El Dorado, MEX is 9-6-1.

Bruce Carrington battered Luis Porozo and stopped him in round eight of their eight-round featherweight bout.

Carrington hurt Porozo in round eight and the fight was stopped at 2:17.

Carrington, 126.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 7-0 with five knockouts. Porozo. 126.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 16-7.

Henry Lebron remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Carlos Rosario in a junior lightweight bout.

In round 10, Lebron dropped Ramos with a left hook.

LeBron, 129.2 lbs of Aguadilla, PR won by scores of 98-90 twice and 97-91 and is now 18-0. Rosario, 129.6 lbs Madrid, SPA is now 17-3.

(Jan. 4, 2023) — Undefeated heavyweight prospect Damian “Polish Hussar” Knyba, a 6-foot-7 behemoth with an 86-inch reach, has inked a multi-year promotional agreement with Top Rank.

The 26-year-old Knyba, who was born in Bydgoszcz, Poland, is scheduled to return in April on a to-be-determined card.

“Damian Knyba is a supremely talented heavyweight, and he is already a fan favorite among the passionate and knowledgeable Polish fans. I expect Damian to take a big leap forward in 2023,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.

“I’m looking to follow in the footsteps of Andrew Golota, Tomasz Adamek, and Adam Kownacki. With all due respect to those who paved the way, my dream is to surpass them and become the first Polish heavyweight world champion,” Knyba said. “I know there is a long road ahead of me, and I am ready for this journey. This is another milestone I’ve hit with my team, including my manager Lukasz Kownacki. With Top Rank behind me, the sky’s the limit.”

Knyba (10-0, 6 KOs) turned pro in June 2021 and went 4-0 with two knockouts before the calendar hit 2022. He made his United States debut in May 2022 with a six-round decision over Terrell Jamal Woods and followed that up with a first-round stoppage over Santander Silgado in Ranson, West Virginia. After a homecoming victory in Poland in October, Knyba received the call to fight on Top Rank’s Teofimo Lopez-Sandor Martin bill at Madison Square Garden in December. The Polish flags were out in full force as Knyba battered Puerto Rican veteran Emilio Salas en route to a second-round TKO. The Salas demolition earned Knyba a promotional contract and the distinction of becoming the first Polish heavyweight to be signed by Top Rank.

Former undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez took a 10-round split decision over Sandor Martin at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In round two, Martin was cut in the bridge of the nose from a headbutt. Later in the round, Martin was able to score a knockdown when Lopez charged in and Martin landed a little right hook to the side of the head. In round four, Martin began to bleed from the nostrils. Martin was awkward, but Lopez had a better workrate and landed more punches as the punch stat statistics read 97 of 391 for Lopez, while Marin was 77 of 244.

The scorecards read 97-92 and 96-93 for Lopez. Martin won a card 95-94.

Lopez is now 18-1. Martin is 40-3.

Jared Anderson Takes Out Forrest in 2

Jared Anderson remained perfect with a second round destruction of Jerry Forrest in their 10-round heavyweight bout.

After Forrest landed a couple of power punches in round one, Anderson unleashed a blitz of vicious power shots that landed on the head of Forrest. Forrest did not go down, but that meant he ate more destructive punches in the second frame and finally referee David Fields mercifully ended the fight at 1:34 of round two.

Anderson of Toledo, OH is 13-0 with 13 knockouts. Forrest is 26-6-2.

Zayas Decisions Salazar

Xander Zayas remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Alexis Salazar in a junior middleweight bout.

Zayas won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 15-0. Salazar is 25-5.

Davis Decisions Burgos

Hot-prospect Keyshawn Davis won a eight-round unanimous decision over former three-time world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a lightweight bout.

Davis won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 7-0. Burgos of Tijuana, MEX is 35-7-3.

Joe Ward won an eight-round unanimous decision over Frederick Julan in a light heavyweight bout.

Ward of Moate, IRE won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 and is now 8-1. Julan of Brooklyn, NY is 12-2.

Damian Knyba stopped Emilio Salas in round two of their six-round heavyweight bout.

The bout was stopped at 1:50 for Knyba who is now 10-0 with six knockouts. Salas is 10-4-1.

Tiger Johnson stopped Mike Ohan in round five of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Johnson hurt Ohan with a hard right hand and then unleashed 20 unanswered shots that forced referee Steve Willis to stop the bout at 1:29.

Damian Knyba stopped Emilio Salas in the second round two of their six-round heavyweight bout.

Knyba hurt Salas and he was out on his feet until the corner of Salas stopped the bout at 1:50.

Knyba, 245.8 lbs of Bydgoszcz, POL is 10-0 with six knockouts. Salas, 217 lbs of San Sebastian, PR is 7-4-1.

Tiger Johnson remained undefeated with a fifth round stoppage over Mike Ohan Jr. in a junior welterweight fight.

Johnson dominated the fight and in round five, Johnson backed up Ohan with a left hook and the unleashed 20 unanswered shots that forced referee Steve Willis to stop the bout at

Johnson, 141 lbs of Cleveland is 7-0 with five knockouts. Ohan Jr., 141.6 lbs of Holbrook, MA is 16-2.