Mikaela Mayer made it two-for-two as she once again won a 10-round unanimous decision over Sandy Ryan to defend the WBO Welterweight title at The Fountainbleau Hotel in Las Vegas.

In round eight, Mayer was cut over the left eyelid from a headbutt.

Mayer landed 178 of 516 punches. Ryan was 146 of 377.

Mayer, 146 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice to up her record to 21-2. Ryan, 145.5 lbs of Derby, England is 7-3-1.

Mayer said, “I sat on my shots more and committed to my hooks more. Those hooks were coming over the top. Sandy tends to stand straight up. She comes forward and puts the pressure on. So we worked on chopping her down with those hooks over the top.”

“I had been needing to move to welterweight for a long time. So, when I finally did, it just took a good, solid year and a half of hard work. This is where I’m comfortable, and this is where I should have been.”

“I beat Sandy Ryan twice. Now it’s time for me to move on and go for undisputed, which is against Lauren Price.

Norman Jr. Stops Cuevas in 3; Retains Welterweight Title

Brian Norman Jr. made the first defense of the WBO Welterweight title with a third round stoppage of Derrieck Cuevas.

In round three, Norman dropped Cuevas with a left hook to the head. Cuevas got to his feet, but the fight was stopped at 2:59.

Norman, 146.7 lbs of Atlanta is now 27-0 with 21 knockouts. Cuevas, 146.3 lbs of Catano, PR is 27-2-1.

Norman said, “I feel wonderful. I had a little ring rust to start off, but you saw that I shook that off real quick.”
 
“I was just getting back into it. I was out for 10 months. So, it was just about getting back into the field and being in front of everybody. As you saw, it wasn’t a struggle at all. Great opponent. Only has one defeat. And you saw what I did to him.”
 
“I want one of these {other} belts. I see them out here trying to make unification fights. Where’s my little piece at?”

Bruce Carrington took out Jose Enrique Vivas in round three of their 10-round featherweight bout.

In round two, Carrington dropped Vivas with an uppercut. In round three, Carrington continued to batter Vivas with right hands and the fight was stopped at 53 seconds.

Carrington, 125.3 lbs of Brooklyn is now 15-0 with nine knockouts. Vivas, 125.8 lbs of Mexico is 23-4.

Carrington said. “Every fight is not going to be a knockout, but I’m always performing and do what I have to do.”

“I just saw him opening up. He was doing exactly what I wanted him to do. That was part of the game plan. I wanted him to feel comfortable and open up. And then I was just going to get my shots on the inside and get him out of there.”

“Nick Ball? Yeah, I want that. Stephen Fulton? Yeah, I want that. Let’s get this work in. I want all of ya’ll.”

Emiliano Fernando Vargas remained undefeated and stopped Giovannie Gonzalez in round two of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round two, Vargas landed two hard rights that was followed by a left hook that dumped Gonzalez on his back. Gonzalez got to his feet but stumbled and the fight was stopped at 2:08

Vargas, 138.6 lbs of Las Vegas is now 13-0 with 11 knockouts, Gonzalez, 138.3 lbs of Lodi, CA is 20-8-2.

Tiger Johnson stopped Kendo Castaneda in round five of their eight-round welterweight fight.

In round five, Johnson dropped Castaneda with a right to the body. Later in the round it was another left that sent Castaneda down and the fight was stopped at 2:00.

Johnson, 146 lbs of Cleveland is 15-0 with seven knockouts. Castaneda, 146.8 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 21-9.

Dedrick Crocklem stopped Dionne Ruvalcaba in the opening round of their four round junior lightweight bout.

Crocklem swarmed Ruvalcaba with a series of right hooks and the bout was stopped at

Crocklem, 128.6 lbs of Tacoma, WA is 2-0 with two knockouts. Guzman, 128.8 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 2-2.

Emmanuel Chance made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Miguel Guzman in a bantamweight bout.

Chance, 119.4 lbs of East Orange, NJ won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is 1-0. Guzman, 118.7 lbs of San Bernadino, CA is 1-1.

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 21, 2025) — Junior welterweight sensation Emiliano Fernando Vargas and Olympic middleweight standout Troy Isley made important strides last year but now look to take bigger leaps as they initiate their 2025 campaigns on Saturday, March 29, at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.   Vargas will take on veteran Giovannie Gonzalez in an eight-rounder, while Isley squares off against Etoundi Michel William in a 10-round clash.    Vargas-Gonzalez and Isley-William join a loaded card headlined by the WBO welterweight world title rematch between reigning queen Mikaela Mayer and former champion Sandy Ryan.   In the co-feature, Brian Norman Jr. makes the first defense of his WBO welterweight world title against Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas. Mayer-Ryan II and Norman-Cuevas will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.   Unbeaten featherweight contender Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington will face Jose Enrique Vivas in a 10-round WBC final eliminator, the featured bout of the ESPN+-streamed undercard. Vargas-Gonzalez and Isley-William will also stream live and exclusively on ESPN+. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing, tickets are on sale via https://www.fontainebleaulasvegas.com/entertainment/top-rank-boxing/.   Vargas (12-0, 10 KOs), the 20-year-old son of former junior middleweight world champion Fernando “Feroz” Vargas, had a banner 2024. He outpointed Nelson Hampton in March before stopping Angel Varela in the sixth round in May. A month later, he tore through Jose Zaragoza with a series of left uppercuts to score a first-round stoppage and tallied a fifth-round TKO over Larry Fryers in September. Gonzalez (20-7-2, 15 KOs) is an eight-year pro who last fought in October, pushing unbeaten Jose Luis Vazquez the distance before dropping an eight-round decision.    Isley (14-0, 5 KOs) launched his pro career in February 2021, racking up 10 wins before linking up with 2023 Trainer of the Year Brian “BoMac” McIntyre. The 26-year-old piled up three wins in 2024. In March, he broke down Marcos Hernandez before stopping him in the seventh. Three months later, he settled unfinished business with Javier Martinez, beating his former amateur rival over 10 rounds. He returns after cruising past Tyler Howard in November. William (16-1, 12 KOs) is a 31-year-old native of Ivory Coast who suffered his first defeat against Jose Miguel Borrego in October.   In other ESPN+ undercard action:   Cleveland’s Tiger Johnson (14-0, 6 KOs) will return in an eight-round welterweight tilt against San Antonio-born spoiler Kendo Castaneda (21-8, 9 KOs). Last year, he vanquished Paulo Cesar Galdino via first-round TKO in February and registered eight-round decision victories over Tarik Zaina in June and Yomar Alamo in September. Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, was supposed to fight on Feb. 14 before his opponent withdrew due to weight issues.    Dedrick Crocklem (1-0, 1 KO), the latest fistic uber-talent from Tacoma, Washington, goes for pro win number two in a four-round junior lightweight tilt versus Dionne Ruvalcaba (2-1, 1 KO). Crocklem signed with Top Rank in December and made his pro debut last month in Tacoma with a hometown second-round TKO against Nesly Trezile.    More information about Fontainebleau Las Vegas, including accommodations, dining, and entertainment listings, can be found at fontainebleaulasvegas.com.   # # #   About Fontainebleau Las Vegas Fontainebleau Las Vegas is a 67-story, vertically integrated luxury resort that brings a legacy of timeless elegance and unparalleled service to the Strip. Certified by the Green Building Initiative with three Green Globes, the resort’s thoughtful design allows guests to move effortlessly among 3,644 luxury hotel rooms and suites, 550,000 square feet of customizable meeting and convention space, 150,000 square feet of gaming space, a collection of world-class restaurants and shops, exquisite pools, vibrant nightlife, and vitality-enhancing spa and wellness offerings. Located at 2777 S. Las Vegas Blvd., adjacent to the acclaimed Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall expansion, Fontainebleau Las Vegas is created by Fontainebleau Development in partnership with Koch Real Estate Investments.

(Dec. 11, 2024) — Dedrick Crocklem, a seven-time national amateur champion, has inked a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank.

The 20-year-old junior lightweight will turn pro on Friday, Jan. 10, in a four-rounder against Nesly Trezile at Emerald Queen Casino in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington.

Crocklem, who is managed by James Prince and co-promoted by Antonio Leonard, won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last December.

Crocklem said, “This opportunity means a lot. I always wanted to turn pro with Top Rank because of how they move their fighters and the exposure I’ll receive. I chased the Olympic dream and am ready to show I’ll be a top dog soon.”

“Dedrick Crocklem stood out among the Team USA amateurs, and we are excited to watch his professional journey unfold,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “He has a real aggressive, crowd-pleasing style. Tacoma has a rich boxing history, and I believe Dedrick will be his city’s next world champion.”

Crocklem won over 150 fights in the unpaid ranks, captured a pair of Youth National Championships (2020 and 2021), and a gold medal at the 2022 National Championships. He’s experienced on the international stage and earned a bronze medal at the 2022 Youth World Championships in La Nucía, Spain. After winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 139 pounds, he bested an impressive international field in April at the USA Boxing International Invitational in Pueblo, Colorado.

Crocklem moved to Tacoma as a child and started training at age 8 under the guidance of Jason Hamilton. He’ll turn pro with Hamilton as his chief second as he looks to continue Tacoma’s storied fistic tradition. This lineage includes 1972 Olympic gold medalist Sugar Ray Seales, 1976 Olympic gold medalist Leo Randolph, former junior welterweight world champion Johnny Bumphus, and two-time junior lightweight world champion Rocky Lockridge.

“Being around all the greats in Tacoma means a lot,” Crocklem said. “There’s something different out here, and it’s pushing me to be the best.”