Berlanga Stops McCrory in 6

Edgar Berlanga scored an impressive sixth round stoppage over Padraig McCrory in a 12-round super middleweight bout of undefeated fighters at the Caribe Royale

In round six, a little cut developed over the right eye of Berlanga. Late in the round, Berlanga landed two crushing right’s with the second being flush on the chin that put McCrory down and badly hurt. As McCrory tried to get up, his corner threw in the towel at 2:44.

Berlanga, 167.8 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 22-0 with 17 knockouts. McCrory, 167.8 lbs of Belfast, NI is 18-1.

Andy Cruz Decisions Zamarripa

Ballyhooed prospect Andy Cruz won a 10-round unanimous decision over Brayan Zamarripa in a lightweight bout.

In round six, Zamarripa began to bleed around his left eye.

Cruz landed 240 of 611 punches. Zamarripa was 34 of 247.

Cruz, 135 lbs of Mantanzas, CUB won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 3-0. Zamarripa, 135 lbs of Ensenada, MEX is 14-3.

Giyasov Defeats Cano By Technical Decision

Shakhram Giyasov defeated Pablo Cesar Cano via technical unanimous decision when Cano was injured after the 11th round of their 12-rund welterweight fight.

In round three, Giyasov dropped Cano with a vicious left hook to the body.

At the end of round 11, Giyasov dropped Cano after the bell. It was ruled no-knockdown, but Cano hurt his leg and could not continue. The fight went to the scorecards.

Giyasov landed 109 of 466 punches. Cano was 82 of 431.

The scorecards read 109-99 on all cards for Giyasov, 146.8 lbs of Uzbekistan and is now 15-0. Cano, 146.2 lbs of Mexico is 35-9-1.

Antonio Vargas Stops Jonathan Rodriguez in a War

Antonio Vargas stopped Jonathan in eight seven-packed round in a 12-round bantamweight fight.

In round one, Rodriguez connected with an overhand right to the chin that put Vargas on the canvas. In round two, the right eye of Rodriguez began to swell. Later in the round, Vargas began to land some hard combinations and was able to even up the fight sending Rodriguez to a knee. The score was short lived as Vargas hit Rodriguez while he was down and was deducted two points. In round four, a left hook by Rodriguez buckled Vargas.

At the end of round eight, Vargas unloaded a huge left hook that was followed by a right hand that put Rodriguez on the deck. Rodriguez got to his feet, went to the corner and the fight was wisely stopped.

Vargas, 117.6 lbs of Kissimmee, FL is 18-1 with 10 knockouts. Rodriguez, 118 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is 17-2-1.

Yankiel Rivera Decisions Andy Dominguez

In a fantastic bout of undefeated flyweights, Yankiel Rivera held on to win a 10-round unanimous decision over Andy Dominguez.

Rivera cut up and shut the right eye of Dominguez, but in round nine Dominguez made a furious rally and hurt Rivera on at least two occasions. Rivera was hanging on and was reeling back. Rivera was able to get out of the round and go the distance and win by 99-91 on all catds.

Rivera, 111.8 lbs of Toa Alta, PR is now 5-0. Dominguez, 111.6 lbs of Las Vegas is 10-1.

Joseph Fernandez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Aaron Aponte in a super lightweight fight.

In round seven, Fernandez was cut along the right eyebrow from a headbutt.

Fernandez, 140.4 lbs of Saint Petersburg, FL won by scores of 78-74 twice and 77-75 and is now 18-5-3. Aponte, 141 lbs of Hialeah, FL is 8-2-1.




LIVE FIGHTS VIDEO: Before The Bell: Berlanga Vs McCrory Undercard (Aponte vs Fernandez)




Fernandez-Bates NABA title bout tops “Fire on the Bay” undercard April 29

Tampa, FL (March 8, 2023) – Junior welterweights Joseph Fernandez and Marqus Bates will have a career-changing opportunity when they meet in a ten round contest for the vacant NABA title Saturday, April 29 at the Hilton Carillon in St. Petersburg, FL.

The Fernandez-Bates bout takes part as part of Reyes Fire Fist Boxing’s “Fire at the Bay” card. Tickets are on sale at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fire-on-the-bay-tickets-556587025777 and the card will be broadcast on Reyesboxingtv.com.

Fighting out of St. Petersburg, Fernandez is 15-5-3 with 5 wins by knockout. The popular southpaw impressively defeated Zhimin Wang (11-3) last May via unanimous decision. In his most recent contest, he dropped a controversial decision to Kendo Castaneda. The tireless Fernandez does strength and conditioning around 5 AM, works a full time job installing hurricane doors and windows, then trains for his upcoming fight 2-3 hours in the evening.

A native of Taunton, MA, Bates heads to enemy territory for the biggest fight of his career. Bates, 11-5 (8 KO’s), won four of his last five bouts but is coming off a setback against Jonathan Montrel (14-1). The 36-year-old had a troubled past but completely turned his life around through boxing, working full time and being a positive role model in his community.

“This is a huge fight for Joseph and Marqus,” said Jody Caliguire of Reyes Fire Fist Boxing. “Both guys have some good wins but also suffered setbacks. They are extremely hard workers and make tremendous sacrifices when a fight is coming up. Whoever wins this fight not only earns the NABA title but positions themselves for a huge opportunity in the near future.”

The card is headlined by a ten round NABA middleweight title fight between champion Connor “The Kid” Coyle, 18-8 (8 KO’s) and an opponent to be determined.

Lightweight Willian “Babyface” Silva battles Argentina’s Diego “El Rina” Luque in an eight round affair. Fighting out of Florida by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Silva’s sights are set on landing a big fight later this year but he must first get past Luque. A 34 fight veteran, Luque’s faced Jack Catterall, Mikael Zewski, Ghislain Maduma and Mark Davis among others.

Harry “The Hitman” Gigliotti of Haverhill, MA meets veteran Ricardo “Tata” Ocampo of Argentina. Gigliotti, 9-4 (3 KO’s), scored an eight round unanimous decision over Brandon Sandoval in January. With 25 professional fights under his belt, Ocampo’s 12-13 with 7 knockouts.

In a battle of unbeaten light heavyweights, Mike Misa (3-0, 2 KO’s) of Clearwater, FL meets Massachusetts native Russ Kimber (1-0) in a four rounder.

Rodrigo Coria, Imran Haddabah, Gabriel Morales, Luke Iannuccilli, and Khiry Todd are scheduled to appear in separate undercard bouts.

Their opponents will be announced shortly.




 Last Chance Tournament: Moran-Dutchover and Castañeda-Fernandez Semifinal Bouts Set for Aug. 5 Live on ProBox TV in Plant City, Florida

PLANT CITY, Florida (July 11, 2022): The semifinal bouts for ProBox TV’s Last Chance Tournament are set for Friday, Aug. 5 at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

In this double main event, Mexico’s Antonio Moran (27-5-1, 19 KOs) will take on Texas native Michael Dutchover (16-2, 10 KOs), while San Antonio’s Kendo Castañeda (18-5, 9 KOs) will face off against Florida native Joseph Fernandez (15-4-3, 5 KOs). Both fights are scheduled for 10 rounds in the 140-pound division. 

The event will stream live globally on ProBox TV. Tickets for the event on sale now and start at $50, excluding applicable services charges. Tickets are available for purchase at EventBrite.com or by clicking here.

The Last Chance tournament kicked off in May on the undercard of Pascal-Meng and initiated with eight fighters in the 140-pound division. All boxers were chosen based on having had a top amateur trajectory before initiating a promising professional career that took a few difficult turns in recent bouts. The winner of the tournament will get a Last Chance at revitalizing his career.

In the quarter finals, Moran beat Jeffrey Torres via unanimous decision, while Dutchover defeated Clarence Booth by split decision. Dutchover will look to outbox Moran, while Moran has emphasized his desire and ability to make it a war.

On that same night in May, Castañeda scored a first-round knockout victory over Sonny Frederickson, while Fernandez upset Zhiming Wang via decision. Castañeda is confident that he can score another knockout win, while Fernandez feels he has what it takes to win the entire tournament. 

Additional undercard information will be announced shortly. 

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About ProBox TV

ProBox TV is the first and only global sports streaming and media company dedicated exclusively to the sport of professional boxing. Founded by former CEO of Iron Mike Productions Garry Jonas in partnership with the legendary Roy Jones Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Antonio Tarver, and Paulie Malignaggi, ProBox TV’s mission is to deliver real boxing fans an improved experience when watching and following the sport—all for the nominal monthly price of $1.99. Download the ProBox TV app or visit www.ProBoxTV.com to learn more. Follow us on InstagramTwitterFacebookYouTube, and Reddit




Fernandez captures ABF title; Haddabah Shines in Clearwater

Clearwater, FL (October 19, 2021) – Fire Fist Boxing Promotions returned to Banquet Maters in Clearwater Saturday, October 16 and treated fans to an entertaining 7 fight card.

Popular junior welterweight Joseph Fernandez of St. Petersburg, FL became the ABF champion with an impressive third round stoppage against veteran Jose Forero of Panama. Backed by a large cheering section, Fernandez got off to a strong start and landed many clean shots against the rugged Forero. In round three, the southpaw Fernandez connected with picturesque right hook to Forero’s head that sent him crashing to the canvas.

Forero bravely got up at the count of 8 but was in no condition to continue, forcing Referee Michael DeJesus to halt the contest at 2:10.

With the victory, Fernandez improves to 14-3-3 with 5 knockouts. Forero slips to 13-9-1 (11 KO’s).

Light heavyweight Imran “El Toro Arab” Haddabah of St. Petersburg destroyed Los Angeles, CA’s Victor Garcia Rivera in 1 minute and 51 seconds. The heavy-handed Haddabah scored three knockdowns and is now 3-0 with all of his victories coming by first round stoppage.

135 pound up and comer Iron Alvarez of Tampa, FL improved to 14-0 (11 KO’s) following a hard-fought decision over Miami, FL based Argentinian Jonatan Hernan Godoy, 5-11 (2 KO’s).

Alvarez had a significant height and reach advantage and peppered Godoy with jabs and straight rights from the opening bell. Alvarez’ repeated blows opened a cut over Godoy’s left eye and helped him score a hard knockdown but Godoy had no intentions of packing it in.

Bleeding and down on the scorecards, Godoy begun pressing the fight and successfully connected with a number of punches to Alvarez’ head.

After six entertaining rounds, scores were 58-55 and 59-54 twice.

Junior lightweight Daniel “G.D.F.E.” Bailey of Tampa improved to 8-0 with an impressive six round decision over Aguadilla, Puerto Rico’s Pedro Hernandez. An Army veteran and multi-time amateur champion, Bailey displayed solid skills and looks to be a prospect on the rise.

In a women’s flyweight contest, Maryguenn Vellinga Hinz scored a third round TKO over debuting Simona Sarpa of Tampa. Vellinga Hinz, of Park City, UT, is 3-1-2 with 2 wins by knockout.

Cruiserweight Adrian Pinheiro of Orlando, FL improved to 3-0 (3 KO’s) with a first round knocked out of Wilson, NC’s
Dequanti Johnson and Tampa middleweight Christopher Rodriguez moved to 2-0 (2 KO’s) by KO’ing Milwaukee, WI’s Jay Ellis in round one.

“I am thrilled we were able to give the fans an entertaining show,” said Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing. “There is a lot of up and coming talent in the Tampa-St Pete region and the fans have always been great in packing the house on fight night. We’re looking forward to our next show.”

Fire Fist Boxing Promotions returns to Banquet Masters on January, 28. More information will follow.

For more information, visit Firefistboxing.net or Facebook.com/Firefistboxing.




Hard working Fernandez ready for first main event

St. Petersburg, FL (October 14, 2021) – To say that St. Petersburg junior welterweight Joseph Fernandez has a good work ethic would be an understatement.

Each weekday, Fernandez’ morning begins at 4:15 AM when he wakes up to get ready for strength and conditioning training at 5. Following the class, Fernandez grabs something to eat, cleans up and heads to his fulltime job installing hurricane windows and doors. The labor-intensive position has him working 8 to 10 hours per day. After work, Fernandez has a short time to relax and recharge before a 2-3 hour workout at Fight Fitness Center in Pinellas Park, FL.

Needless to say, it’s a challenge for the St. Petersburg native.

“It requires a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Fernandez, who has an excellent 13-3-3 professional ledger with 4 wins by KO. I have to remain focused on what I’m doing at that moment and not think about what else I’ve got going on during the day.”

On Saturday, October 16, Fernandez headlines for the first time when he meets tough Panamanian Jose Forero in a ten round contest for the ABF Atlantic 140 pound championship.

A veteran of 22 fights, Forero’s shared the squared circle with champions and contenders including George Kambosos, Jezreel Corrales, Jaime Arboleda and Willian Silva.

“He’s a durable fighter who likes to come forward and he won’t go down easily,” Fernandez said of Forero. “I’ve watched him a few times and he’s been in there with some really good fighters but we’re prepared for everything he has to offer. I’m excited to be headlining a card for the first time and worked incredibly hard to get here. The plan is to put on a great show and emerge victorious!”

The card is promoted by Fire Fist Boxing Promotions in association with Pahlavan Promotions and takes places at Banquet Masters in Clearwater, FL.

13-0 lightweight Iron Alvarez of Tampa, FL will swap leather with Jonatan “El Guapo” Godoy of Argentina over six rounds in the lightweight division. Alvarez, has 10 wins by knockout and scored a 2nd round stoppage of Pablo Cupul last month.

Lightweight Daniel Bailey of Tampa puts his 7-0 record on the line against upset-minded Puerto Rico’s Pedro Hernandez in a six rounder. In his last bout, Hernandez beat 5-0 Daniel Perez and Bailey will be Hernandez’ sixth straight unbeaten foe.

In separate for round contests, light heavyweight Imran Haddabah of St. Petersburg meets Victor Rivera of Los Angeles, CA, flyweight Simona Sarpa of Tampa by way of Italy squares off against Park City, UT’s Maryguenn Vellinga Hinz, cruiserweight Adrian Pinheiro of Orlando, FL faces Wilson, NC’s Dequanti Johnson and Tampa middleweight Christopher Rodriguez challenges Milwaukee, WI native Jay Ellis.

Former Kazakh amateur champion Nikoay Shvab, a lightweight residing in Miami, FL, and Tampa bantamweight Luis Rivera are scheduled to appear in separate contests.

Tickets are on sale at bit.ly/boxing-tickets or by calling 727-525-3159. Doors open at 5:30 and the opening bell will sound at 6:30.

For more information on Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, visit Firefistboxing.net or Facebook.com/firefistboxing.