SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Jan. 30, 2026) — Welterweight contender Rohan Polanco fell ill late Thursday evening and was forced to withdraw from his bout against Christian Gomez.

The rest of the card tomorrow at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, headlined by the Xander Zayas-Abass Baraou junior middleweight title unification showdown, will proceed as scheduled.

The six-round junior bantamweight fight between Juanmita Lopez De Jesus and Conner Goade will take place immediately before the main event.

Zayas-Baraou and the full undercard will stream for free on the Top Rank Classics FAST channel in the U.S. with a new start time of 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Zayas vs. Baraou will begin at approximately 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

To watch on mobile or desktop, visit trboxing.co/TopRankClassics. To watch on your smart TV, check the availability of FAST channel apps and search for Top Rank Classics on The Roku Channel, Tubi, or Vizio. 

The full Zayas vs. Baraou card will be broadcast in Puerto Rico on WAPA Deportes, the only local channel dedicated entirely to sports programming, starting at 7:30 p.m. AST.

Doors will now open at 6:30 p.m. AST for fans attending the event.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Dec. 18, 2025) — Rohan “El Rayo” Polanco, the Dominican welterweight with championship aspirations in 2026, looks to kick off the new year with a statement-making performance.

Polanco will take on Mexican puncher Christian Gomez in a 10-round battle on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Polanco-Gomez will serve as the co-feature to the junior middleweight world title unification showdown between WBO champ Xander Zayas and WBA king Abass Baraou.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with ICON+, Move Concerts, and Noah Assad Presents, tickets are on sale and can be purchased via Ticketera.com.

Polanco (17-0, 10 KOs) represented his country at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and signed with Top Rank the following year. Initially campaigning as a junior welterweight, he stopped the likes of Keith Hunter and Cesar Francis before moving to 147 pounds. Ranked in the top 10 by the WBO and IBF, he is closing in on a world title shot following a 2025 run that has included victories over Fabian Maidana and Quinton Randall. 

Polanco said, “I’m not coming to play on January 31. I’m coming to send a strong message to the division. Fighting as the co-main event at Coliseo de Puerto Rico is a great opportunity that I intend to take advantage of. I represent Dominican boxing. I’m hungry, fearless, and determined to get closer to a world title opportunity.”

Gomez (23-6-1, 21 KOs), a 12-year pro with 30 fights, has earned nearly all of his victories by knockout. His biggest test came in May 2022, when he went the distance with Uzbek phenom Shakhram Giyasov. The 32-year-old veteran is coming off consecutive decision losses to Nicklaus Flaz and Alberto Palmetta.

The undercard will also include the junior middleweight debut of Giovani Santillan (34-1, 18 KOs), as well as the return of rising Dominican middleweight Euri Cedeño (13-0-1, 12 KOs), in separate 10-rounders. 

Santillan, a former No. 1 welterweight contender, faces Courtney Pennington. The San Diego native bounced back from his May 2024 loss to Brian Norman Jr. by defeating Fredrick Lawson and Angel Beltran. The Brooklyn-born Pennington (17-11-3, 7 KOs) is a 13-year pro who has given stern tests to the likes of American Olympian Charles Conwell and Canadian contender Custio Clayton.

Cedeño steps up to take on Ivory Coast native Etoundi Michel William (16-2, 12 KOs). The 26-year-old signed with Top Rank in May and has won his last six via the fast route. William broke onto the scene with a victory over eventual world title challenger Jorge Garcia in January 2023, remaining undefeated until an October 2024 loss to Mexico’s Jose Miguel Borrego. He last fought in June, dropping a 10-round decision to top American contender Troy Isley.

Additional undercard fights will be announced in due course.

NEW YORK– He turned pro at the age of 17. At 22, Puerto Rico’s chosen one became a champion.

Xander Zayas dominated Mexico’s Jorge Garcia by unanimous decision (116-112, 118-110, and 119-109) to win the WBO junior middleweight world title Saturday evening at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. 

Garcia (33-5, 26 KOs), fueled by his upset win over Charles Conwell in April, launched toward Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) with wildly thrown punches. Zayas evaded most shots, soon adjusting to a game plan of quick jabs to the body and occasional right hands.

Still, Garcia managed to drag Zayas into a fight, especially in the sixth as both went toe-to-toe with hooks in the center of the ring. But by the seventh and eighth, Zayas’ counterpunching began to wear down Garcia as he easily outboxed him in the championship rounds.

Zayas said, “Boxing 101. I had to box my way to victory. I knew that if I stood in front of him that I’d be fighting his fight. So, I did everything behind the jab. The jab was the key to victory, and we showed that today.

“This is a dream come true. This is beautiful. To see my Puerto Rican fans here, this is amazing. I could never dream of anything better than this.”

Carrington Decisions Heita To win Interim Featherweight Title

Bruce Carrington won the WBC Interim Featherweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Mateus Heita.

Carrington was quick with counters and landed several hard combinations that seemed to slightly rock Heita on several occasions.

Carrington, 125 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 119-108 twice and 120-108 and is now 16-0. Heita, 124.8 lbs of Namibia is 14-1.

CARRINGTON

“I wanted to show that I can go the full 12 rounds. I showed that championship level through those 12 rounds. I feel good. I feel in shape. I feel sharp and ready for that next level.”

I’m ready. I’ve been calling out all the champions. They already know. I see {Rafael} Espinoza in the crowd. I want to fight him. I want to fight Nick Ball. I want to fight Stephen Fulton.”

Emiliano Fernando Vargas Obliterates Espinoza in 1

Emiliano Fernando Vargas needed just one counter right hand to take out Alexander Espinoza in the opening round of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Vargas put a right hand on the chin of Espinoza and he folded down to the canvas. Espinoza tried to get up, but fell face first and the bout was over at 42 secpnds.

Vargas, 139.6 lbs of Las Vegas is 15-0 with 13 knockouts. Espinoza, 139.4 lbs of Ecuador is 20-4-1.

EMILIANO FERNANDO VARGAS

“I’m just a Mexican kid trying to make it to the top. 26 years ago, my father fought here, and history repeats itself. If I could be half as great as my father was, I’ll make it a long way.”

“Top 15 in the world, 15-0… I’m coming for all the belts!”

“Alexander Espinoza is the most experienced fighter I’ve ever fought. I was ready for 15 rounds tonight. It’s a blessing that I got to do it so quick. They don’t pay me for overtime, though. I had to get it done fast. Like I said, I’m ready for top, elite competition. My skills are going to show through.”

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Quinton Randall in a welterweight fight.

Polanco, 146.6 lbs of Samto Domingo, DR won by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 97-93 and is now17-0. Randall, 146.8 lbs of Houston is 15-3-1.

Juanmita Lopez De Jesus stopped Jorge Gonzalez in round two of their four-round junior bantamweight bout.

In round one, De Jesus dropped Sanchez with a perfect counter left. De Jesus dropped Sanchez again after he landed about five consecutive left hands that was finished off by a two hand flurry. In round two, De Jesus dropped Sanchez with a perfect counter left and the fight was stopped at 1:14.

De Jesus, 113.8 lbs of Caguas, PR is 3-0 with two knockouts. Sanchez, 114.8 lbs of Las Mairis, PR is 5-3.

Yan Santana remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Aaron Almeida in a featherweight bout.

Santana, 124.8 lbs of La Romana, DR won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 15-0. Almeida, 125.4 lbs of Nogales, MEX is 30-3.

Steven Navarro pounded out an eight-round unanimous decision over Christopher Rios in a junior bantamweight bout.

The fight was a slugfest with both fighters landing combinations.

n round two, Navarro began to bleed around his left ear, but he landed more and was more accurate and won by scores of 77-75 on all cards and id now 7-0. Rios, 114.4 lbs of Compton, CA is 11-3.

Julius Ballo made a sucsessful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Brandon Ayala in a lightweight bout.

Ballo, 132.6 lbs of San Diego won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 1-0. Ayala, 130.2 lbs of Harrisburg, NC is 2-1.

NEW YORK (June 12, 2025) — Fast-rising Dominican welterweight Rohan Polanco returns to action in a 10-rounder against crafty veteran Quinton Randall on Saturday, July 26, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Polanco will be joined on the undercard by his countryman, featherweight knockout artist Yan Santana, who will make his NYC debut in a 10-rounder versus Mexican former world title challenger Aaron Alameda.

Polanco-Randall and Santana-Alameda will be part of the ESPN+-streamed undercard before the ESPN-televised tripleheader (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) headlined by the vacant WBO junior middleweight world title fight between Xander Zayas and Jorge Garcia.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, tickets are ON SALE NOW via Ticketmaster.com. 

Polanco (16-0, 10 KOs) is currently ranked No. 7 by the WBO, a ranking he earned on the strength of May’s shutout decision over Fabian Maidana in Las Vegas. He represented his homeland at the Tokyo Olympics and is now poised to carry his nation’s flag in the paid ranks. Polanco trains with Hector Bermudez in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was 8-0 before signing with Top Rank in 2023. He went 3-0 in 2024 before kicking off his 2025 campaign in February with a second-round knockout of Puerto Rico’s Jean Carlos Torres. Randall (15-2-1, 3 KOs), from Houston, Texas, is 2-1 since a 2023 decision loss to Brian Norman Jr. on a Top Rank on ESPN bill.

Santana (14-0, 12 KOs), who is co-promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions, spent much of his early career fighting in Cotto’s homeland of Puerto Rico. The 25-year-old appeared on his first Top Rank card last June, grinding down Brandon Valdes en route to a unanimous decision. He last fought in April in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, winning all 10 rounds against Mexico’s Edwin Palomares. Alameda (30-2, 17 KOs) dropped a unanimous decision to Luis Nery in 2020 for the WBC junior featherweight world title. He has won five straight, four by stoppage, since a 2021 decision loss to Angelo Leo.

In other ESPN+ streamed undercard action:

• Unbeaten heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov (15-0, 14 KOs), a two-time Olympic heavyweight for Uzbekistan, will make his first stateside appearance in nearly two years when he battles Italy’s Gianmarco Cardillo (12-1-2, 2 KOs) in a scheduled 10-rounder. Jalolov dominated the super heavyweight bracket at the 2024 Paris Olympics and came back to the pro ranks in April with a decision over Ihor Shevadzutskyi.
   
• Emerging junior bantamweight Steven “Kid Dynamite” Navarro (6-0, 5 KOs), from Inglewood, California, will fight in his second scheduled eight-rounder against Cristopher Rios (11-2, 7 KOs). Navarro has been on the fast track to contention since turning pro last April with a sixth-round stoppage over Jose Lopez.

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS — It was supposed to be the Naoya Inoue show. In the end, it was.

But the script took an unlikely turn produced by an unlikely fighter, Ramon Cardenas, who for a few seconds looked as if he had pulled off his own Rocky moment.

Cardenas (26-2, 14 KOs), an unknown and unheralded San Antonio junior-featherweight, damn near stole the show Sunday night on ESPN.

He didn’t. In the end, Inoue prevailed, doing what he and everybody in a roaring crowd at T-Mobile Arena believed he would. He scored

an eighth-round TKO of Cardenas.

But he had to get up to do it. Cardenas had been portrayed as a bit player in Inoue’s first trip to America in four years. He was there, on the stage a little bit like a punching bag. He was supposed to be part of a planned showcase of Inoue’s dynamic skills.

But apparently Cardenas didn’t read the script. He had his own role to play, and he delivered his opening line in the second round.

He put Inoue down with a left hand. Inoue, who had also been down against Luis Nery, suddenly appeared vulnerable. He was dazed. The crowd was stunned. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum must have been squirming.

This was a moment not in the script.

It was also a moment that said something about Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs), still the junior-featherweight division’s undisputed champion. Actually, he said it himself.

“I like to brawl,’’ Inoue said.

Good thing he does. If he hadn’t, he might have lost his prominent place in the pound-for-pound debate.

The brawling proved to be Inoue’s survival instinct. He got up, walked slowly to his corner, and slowly, yet stubbornly, began to break down Cardenas.

“I knew after the second round, I could not get caught by his left hand again,’’ Inoue said. “I didn’t.’’

Instead, he began to measure distance and range. From the third through the fifth, he began to catch Cardenas, who continued with punching exchanges that echoed throughout T-Mobile.

Espinoza retains featherweight title with seventh-round stoppage

He’s a singer. And fighter.

The beat went on for Rafael Espinoza Saturday in the final fight before the Naoya-Ramon Cardenas main event at T-Mobile Arena.

Espinoza stayed unbeaten, hitting every tune and pounding an incoming Edward Vazquez like a drum for six plus rounds for a seventh-round stoppage in a solid defense of his World Boxing Council featherweight title.

The game Vazquez was simply too small for the rangy Espinoza, who entertained the crowd after his with quote and a couple Mexican ballads.

In the opening round, a bulldog-like Vazquez flashed his trademark aggressiveness dodging in, out, under and around Espinoza’s huge advantages in height and reach. 

As the round ended, Vasquez (17-3, 4 KOs), a Mexican-American from Fort Worth TX, brought the crowd to its feet when he backed up Espinoza (27-0 23 KOs), putting the defending champion on the ropes.

In the third, however, it looked as if Vasquez had lost some of the bounce in his feet, allowing Espinoza to to plant and put leverage into his height and reach. He began to catch Vazquez with repeated head-rocking blows.

It was more of the same in the fourth. 

And the fifth. 

Vazquez looked dazed as he walked wearily to his corner after the fifth. Retired Mexican great Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera, who has been working with Espinoza, smiled  from his ringside seat.

Within a couple of rounds, Barrera could cheer. At 1:47 of the seventh, it was over, Espinoza a TKO winner.

Rohan Polanco dominates, scores excision over Maidana

Too much power. Too many jabs. Too much strength.

Rohan Polanco had too much of everything, overwhelming Fabian Maidana on the Naoya Inoue-Ramon Cardenas card at Mobile Arena.

Polanco (16-0, 10 KOs), a ranked welterweight contender from The Dominican Republic, did all of the stalking in the early moments, repeatedly backing Maidana (24-4, 18 KOs) into the ropes with a jab that was as precise as it was long.

For the next couple of rounds, Maidana looked for a way around, under, that jab. But there was no path through Polanco’s stubborn defense. In the fourth, Madana stepped forward. 

But Polanco was there with a push instead of a punch. Maidana fell flat on his rear end. It was not a knockdown. But it was a sure sign that Polanco was just stronger. In the sixth, a weary Maidana began to slow down. 

Polanco noticed. He smiled, almost mocking Maidana. Then, he unloaded a succession of body blows. It was just a matter of time, Still, Maidana held on, surviving a 10th-round knockdown. A body blow put him on hands and knees. 

Seconds later, there was the inevitable defeat — 100-89 on all three scorecards, a one-sided loss to Polanco.

Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Keyshawn Davis stopped Denys Berinchyk in round four to win the WBO Lightweight title at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden.

In round three, Davis landed a left to the body that put Berinchyk on a knee for a knockdown. In round four, it was another left to the body to liver as Berinchyk tried to come in and throw punches that put Berinchyk on the deck for the 10-count at

Davis, 134.2 lbs of Norfolk, VA is now 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Berinchyk, 134.6 lbs of Kyiv, UKR is 19-1.

Davis said, “It was an amazing feeling. Right before I knocked him out, I was hearing the crowd saying, ‘Norfolk! Norfolk! Norfolk!’ I was like, ‘I’ve got to knock him out now! Boom!’”

“I never really had problems with awkward fighters. The only thing that was giving me trouble was how he kept jumping in and out. And he was a little faster than I expected. As the rounds went on, I got more comfortable in there, and in the fourth round, I did it to him.”

“My son was here. I had to show up for my son, Keyshawn Jr. He was in the crowd watching me. It means a lot to me now. When he looks back at this day, he’s going to be proud of his father.”

“I want anybody who has the balls to step in the ring and fight me. There are two 135-pound champions that I would love to fight. If they have the guts to step in the ring with ‘The Businessman,’ tell them to send me a contract, or I can send them one.”

Xander Zayas Stops Slawa Spomer in 9

Xander Zayas remained undefeated with a ninth round stoppage of Slawa Spomer in a battled of undefeated junior middleweights.

In round one, Spomer began to bleed from his nose.

In round nine, Zayas hurt Spomer with a left hook to the body. Spomer retreated to the ropes and Zayas pounced on Spomer with a flurry of punches until Zayas doubled over Spomer again with a another left to the body, and the fight was stopped at 2:01.

Zayas, 153.2 lbs of San Juan, PR is 21-0 with 13 knockouts. Spomer, 153.2 lbs of Heilbromn, GER is 20-1.

Zayas said, “I knew from the first round that he would wear down little by little. In the third or fourth, I hurt him, and he got me with a good shot. But I went to my corner, and they told me to keep fighting intelligently because we had 10 rounds to wear him down. And by the eighth and ninth, they told me, let’s step it up with the combinations, and we started to land with more power to get the finish.”

“On paper, he was my toughest opponent to date, and I stopped him. I have passed every test that has been put in front of me, and I feel I’m ready to fight for a world title right now. I want that next.”

Mielnicki and Coyle Battle To Majority Draw

Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Connor Coyle battled to a 10-round majority draw in a middleweight fight.

In round four, Mielnicki was bleeding from his mouth. In the same round, Coyle was cut around his left eye.

Mielnicki landed 146 of 546 punches. Coyle was 98 of 520.

Mielnicki, 159.4 lbs of Roseland, NJ took a card by a 96-94 tally while two judges had it even at 95-95. Mielnicki is now 20-1-1. Coyle, 158.3 lbs of Derry, NI is 21-0-1.

Juanmita Lopez DeJesus needed just 59 seconds to win his pro debut over Bryan Santiago in a four-round junior bantamweight bout.

DeJesus landed a left uppercut that put Santiago down and out.

Dejesus, 113.8 lbs of Caguas, PR is the son of former world champion Juan Manuel Lopez. Santiago, 113.6 lbs of Weslaco, TX is 1-2-1.

Abdullah Mason remained undefeated by dropping Manuel Jaimes four-times enroute to a fourth round stoppage in a eight-round lightweight bout.

In round Mason dropped Jaimes with a step-back left uppercut. Mason scored another knockdown in round three from another left hand.. In round four, Mason dropped Jaimes with a right hook that was followed by a left. Mason finished off Jaimes when he dumped him agaion the canvas with a straight left hand that was followed by two right hooks at 1:55.

Mason, 136.2 lbs of Cleveland is 17-0 with 15 knockouts. Jaimes, 137 lbs of Stockton, CA is 16-3-1.

“I said the same thing {about no longer being called a prospect}. We say the same thing. We want the belts, world championship,” Mason said. “I gotta keep doing what I’m doing and making these guys look the way I’ve been doing since I turned pro.”

Rohan Polanco stopped Jean Carlos Torres in round two of their 10-round welterweight fight.

In round one, Polanco dropped Torres with a leaping left hook to the temple In round two, it was a left hook that d put Torres down again. Seconds later, it was a big right hand that rocked Torres and one punch later the fight was stopped at 1:48.

Polanco, 146.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 15-0 with 10 knockouts. Torres, 147 lbs of Trujillo Alto, PR is 22-2.

Keon Davis stopped Ira Johnson in round two of their four-round welterweight fight.

In round two, Davis dropped Johnson with a left hook to the body. Then it was a flurry that was capped by a right over the top that put Johnson down for 10-count at 1:38.

Davis, 149.2 lbs of Norfolk, VA is 2-0 with one knockout. Johnson, 148.2l lbs of Kansas City is 3-3.

Jared Anderson won a 10-round unanimous decision over Marios Kollias in a heavyweight bout.

In round four, Kollias started to swell under his left eye.

ANerson, 256.8 lbs of Toledo won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 18-1. Kollias, 235.4 lbs of Pares, GRE is 12-4-1.

Juan Carlos Guerra Jr. scored an upset six-round split decision over Nico Ali Walsh in a middleweight fight.

Guerra, 1578.8 lbs of Chicago won by scores of 58-56 twice and 58-56 for Walsh. Guerra is now 6-1-1. Waksh, 15.2 lbs of Las Vegas is 11-2.

Mikaela Mayer won the WBO Welterweight title with a 10-round majority decision over Sandy Ryan at The Madison Square Garden Theater.

It was a high action, high contact fight. The two traded hard shots throughout the fight. Mayer had a solid first half of the fight, with Ryan landing some hard shots with both hands.

In round five, Mayer cut over over her left eyelid.

Ryan landed 185 of 567 punches. Mayer was 186 of 636.

Mayer won by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95.

Mayer, 146.8 lbs of Los Angeles is now 20-2. Ryan, 146.6 lbs of Derby, ENG 7-2-1.

The two fighters had bad blood throughout the build due to one Mayer’s trainers Emanuel “Flick” Savoy becoming the lead trainer of Ryan. The strangeness of the build up continued n fight night as somebody threw paint on Ryan as she left her hotel

Mayer said, “It was similar to how I thought it would go. I always said before that I respected Sandy as a boxer. She has a big pedigree, just like myself, but I knew I was gonna beat her to the punch. I knew I was faster. I knew I was sharper. And that’s exactly what I did.

“I picked it up halfway through the fight, like I always do. I always turn it on in that second half of the fight. And she just couldn’t handle my timing. So, I felt like I won the fight, and I’m just glad I got the right decision this time.

“I want to finish what I started and go undisputed. I came very close at junior lightweight. But my body outgrew that weight. I’m comfortable now. I feel like I’m stronger than ever. I’m still in my prime, as you can see. So I’m coming for the other champions.”

Ryan said, “I’m obviously disappointed, and I’m not taking nothing away from the decision. But before coming to the venue, I don’t know if you guys seen, but I had a hit and run {with paint outside the hotel}. And that was definitely set up. I’m not taking nothing away from the win, but it unsettled me.

“It threw me off a bit of my game plan because I just wanted to fight. And you saw at the start of the fight, I was handling her quite well on the jab. I was boxing her and then I started to pick it up. But then, I was obviously pushing it too hard.

“It’s nice to fight in America again. But I just don’t like the circumstances that happened to me before the fight. But I can’t take nothing away from that. It is what it is.”

Zayas Decisions Sosa

Xander Zayas remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Damian Sosa in a junior middleweight bout.

Zayas was 256 of 685 punches. Sosa was 74 of 524.

Zayas, 153.4 lbs of San Juan, PR won by scores of 100-90 on all scorecards and is 20-0. Sosa, 153.6 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 25-3.

Zayas said, “He pushed me and elevated me to the next level. Now, I feel like I’m ready. Before, I felt like I was ready. But now I think I let everybody know that I’m ready for the elite names.

“Man, they said he throws 84 punches per round. I didn’t see that today. I did my job. Now, I just have to be calm, relax, and see what my promoter wants. I want whoever is in the top five.”

Carrington Wins Majority Decision over Segawa

Bruce Carrington remained undefeated with a 10-round majority decision over Sulaiman Segawa in a featherweight bout.

In round seven, Carrington suffered a hematoma from a clash of heads.

Carrington landed 91 of 358 punches. Segawa was 108 of 416.

Carrington, 125.8 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 97093 twice and 95-95 and is now 13-0. Segawa, 123.8 lbs of Kempala, UGA is 17-5-1.

Carrington said, “I owe him a lot {for that education tonight}. This is just gonna get me to the next level. I just learned to deal with the off-tempo. I got a couple of things I gotta work on back in the gym. We gotta get back on our beat and have more dominant performances. But as long as we got the ‘W’ at the end of the day, we’re still good.”

Vito Mielnicki Jr. won a 10-round majority decision over Khalil El Harraz in a junior middleweight bout.

Mielnicki, 153.8 lbs of Roseland, NJ won by scores of 100-90, 98-92 and 95-95 and is now 20-1. El Harraz, 152.4 lbs of Rome, ITA 16-6-1.

Floyd Diaz remained undefeated with a eigt-round unanimous decision over Mario Hernandez in a bantamweight bout.

In round five, Diaz dropped Hernandez with a step-back right uppercut.

Diaz, 117.8 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 78-73 twice and 77-74 and is now 13-0. Hernandez, 117.2 lbs of Mexico is 12-5-1.

Elvis Rodriguez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kendo Castaneda in a junior welterweight bout.

In round five, Castaneda was cut around his left eye.

Rodriguez, 142.8 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 17-1-1. Castaneda, 142 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 21-7.

Tiger Johnson remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Yomar Alamo in a junior welterweight bout.

Johnson, 140.8 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 78-74 and 77-75 twice and is now 14-0. Alamo, 140.2 lbs of Agua Buernas, PR is 22-3-1.

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated as he became the first man to drop and stop Marcelino Lopez in round six of their 10-round welterweight bout.

At the end of round three, Polanco dropped Lopez with an uppercut. It was the first time that Lopez had been down in his 43-fight career. Lopez was cut in the bridge of the nose. In round four, Polanco landed an overhand right that forced Lopez to take a knee.

In round six, Polanco landed a combinbation that punctuated by a right hand that put Lopez down to a knee. Polanco ended things when he landed a hard combination that put Lopez down again and the fight was stopped at 2:08.

Polanco, 143.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 14-0 with nine knockouts. Lopez, 143 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 37-5-1.

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 19, 2024) — The Garden State’s rising junior middleweight is ready to make some magic in his MSG debut.

Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. will return against once-beaten Romanian Daniel Buciuc in a 10-round battle on Friday, Sept. 27, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Mielnicki-Buciuc joins a stacked ESPN+-streamed undercard headlined by the WBO welterweight title clash between reigning champ Sandy Ryan and former unified junior lightweight queen Mikaela Mayer.

In the 10-round junior middleweight co-feature, rising Puerto Rican contender Xander Zayas will take on Mexican contender Damian Sosa, and Brooklyn-born featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington will open the ESPN-televised tripleheader in a 10-rounder versus Sulaiman Segawa.

Ryan-Mayer, Zayas-Sosa, and Carrington-Segawa will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing, tickets go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 12 p.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com.

Mielnicki (19-1, 13 KOs), a four-time Junior National Golden Gloves champion, turned pro in July 2019 at just 17 years old, debuting on a Top Rank on ESPN card in Newark, New Jersey. That night, he registered a first-round knockout and went 5-0 before graduating high school in 2020. Despite a majority decision defeat to James Martin in his ninth fight, Mielnicki rebounded impressively, winning 10 consecutive bouts and claiming three regional titles. Now training in Houston with Ronnie Shields, Mielnicki began his 2024 campaign with a unanimous decision over Ronald Cruz in May before signing with Top Rank in June. In his last outing, he stopped Laszlo Toth in two rounds, with the fight officially ending via disqualification after Toth’s corner entered the ring following a knockdown. Buciuc (13-1, 5 KOs) has won a pair of bouts since losing to Ermal Hadribeaj by decision in a bid for the WBC International junior middleweight title.

The ESPN+-streamed undercard will also feature the return of U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson, who will step up in class to face Puerto Rico’s Yomar Alamo in an eight-round junior welterweight clash. 

Johnson (13-0, 6 KOs) has made two appearances at The Theater this year, stopping Paulo Galdino in one in February before besting Tarik Zaina by decision in June. Alamo (22-2-1, 13 KOs) dropped eventual world champion Liam Paro in the first round before losing a split decision in December 2021. After a TKO loss to top contender Richardson Hitchins in November 2022, Alamo came back this year with victories over Adriano Porfirio Ramirez in February and Jayson Velez in July.

Two of the Dominican Republic’s top junior welterweight contenders will also see action in separate 10-rounders. 

Rohan Polanco (13-0, 8 KOs), a Tokyo Olympian, will square off against Argentina’s Marcelino Lopez (37-4-1, 22 KOs). Polanco went 3-0 in 2023 after signing with Top Rank. He handed Zaina his first pro loss in March before a second-round stoppage of Luis Hernandez in June. Lopez enjoyed a five-fight knockout streak from 2017 to 2021, including a second-round stoppage against former interim junior welterweight champion Pablo Cesar Cano. He returned in 2023 with decision losses to Orestes Velazquez in March and Zaina in November.

Freddie Roach-trained puncher Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez (16-1-1,13 KOs) will lock horns with Mexican American veteran Kendo Castañeda (21-6, 9 KOs). Rodriguez is on an impressive five-fight winning streak, including a decision over Joseph Adorno and a seventh-round TKO of former world champion Viktor Postol. Castañeda has faced the likes of Jose Zepeda, Josue Vargas, and Raul Curiel in a pro career spanning nearly 12 years.

Bantamweight prospect Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz (12-0, 3 KOs) will take on Mario Hernandez (12-4-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Diaz tallied points verdicts over Edwin Rodriguez in March and Francisco Pedroza in June. 

Top heavyweight prospect Ali Feliz (3-0, 2 KOs), from Danbury, Connecticut, will fight Rashad Coulter (5-4, 3 KOs) in a six-rounder.

Teofimo Lopez made the second defense of the WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over game challenger Steve Claggett at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.

In round 11, Claggett began to bleed from his nose.

Lopez landed 315 of 946 punches. Claggett was 140 of 820.

Lopez, 139.4 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 120-108 twice and 119-109 and is now 21-1. Claggett, 139,5 lbs of Calgary, CAN is 36-8-2.

Lopez said, “I knew exactly what kind of fighter he was. I knew he would come forward and test my conditioning. And that’s what we had. We went twelve rounds.”

“The will has to be stronger than the skill. And that’s what we showed tonight. If I was tired, I know he was more tired because I worked very hard for this. We knew we had to break him down. The body shots were hurting him.”

“I’m very grateful. He’s a tough fighter. I don’t think anyone should overlook him. I knew that coming into this.”

Robeisy Ramirez Scores Spectacular 7th Round KO over Brandon Leon Benitez

Former world featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez scored a highlight-reel seventh round stoppage over Brandon Leon Benitez in a scheduled 10-round bout.

In round five, Benitez began to bleed from the nose.

In round seven, Ramirez started bleeding from the mouth. Later in the round, Ramirez uncorked a devastating right uppercut to the bottom of the chin plummeted Benitez to the canvas and he could not beat the count at 2:46.

Ramirez, 124.8 lbs of Cienfuego, CUB is now 14-2 with nine knockouts. Benitez, 127.1 lbs of Quereitaro, MEX is 21-3.

Ramirez will look to hopefully rematch Rafael Espinoza in his next bout.

Ramirez said, “It’s no secret that Ismael Salas is one of the best strategists in the world. And so the plan was to wear him down little by little. Then, after the last round, he tells me not to look for power shots but to move a bit and to return to my {amateur} roots. That’s what I did. I touched and touched, and I found the shot.”
 
“It’s not my first time landing a shot like that. It feels good to land a punch like that because it demonstrates that we worked hard in camp.”
 
“I want my title back. I want the rematch against Rafael Espinoza. If it’s not with him, then I can fight against any of the other champions.”

Nico Ali Walsh Gets Even and Decisions Sona Akale

Nico Ali Walsh got even with Sona Akale but scoring a knockdown and fighting through a shoulder injury to win a six-round unanimous decision in a middleweight fight.

At the end of round three, Ali Walsh landed a left to the side of the head that put Akale on the canvas.

In round four, Ali Walsh was bruised under his right eye. In round five, Akale was cut over his right eye. In round six, Ali Walsh dislocated his left shoulder but was able to finish the fight.

Ali Walsh landed 91 of 340 punches. Akale was 118 of 325.

Ali Walsh, 156.9 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 58-55 twice and 57-56 and is now 11-1. Akale, 156.3 lbs of Saint Paul, MN is now 9-2.

The win for Ali Walsh was a rematch of a bout that Akale won on August 26, 2023

Emiliano Fernando Vargas remained undefeated with a first round stoppage over Jose Zaragoza in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Vargas dropped Zaragoza with a perfect counter right. Vargas was all over Zaragoza and landed a big uppercut that rocked Zaragoza and the fight was stopped at 1:32.

Vargas, 139.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 11-0 with nine knockouts. Zaragoza, 139.1 lbs of Sedalia, MEX is 9-9-2.

Elvis Rodriguez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jino Rodrigo in an action and knockdown filled junior welterweight bout.

It was a wild opening frame as Rodrigo struck first by shockingly dropping Rodriguez with an overhand right to the head. Rodriguez was hurt badly and with Rodrigo landing hard shots on the ropes, Rodriguez turned the tables by landing a short right hook that put Rodriguez on the canvas. At the end of round three, Rodriguez scored a knockdown when he landed another quick right hook.

Rodriguez, 141.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92 and is now 16-1-1. Rodrigo, 141.2 lbs of Angomo, PHL is 12-4-2.

Lorenzo Medina remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Detrailious Webster in a heavyweight bout.

Medina, 235.6 lbs of Miami won by scores of 60-54, 60-53 and 59-55 and is now 11-0. Webster, 247.7 lbs Courtland, MS is now 7-4.

Rohan Polanco stopped Luis Hernandez in round two of their of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Polanco dominated the fight and landed a hard combination that punctuated by a perfect left uppercut that forced a toppage at 2:28.

Polanco, 142.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 13-0 with eight knockouts. Hernandez, 143 lbs of Chihuahua, MEX is 23-5.

Yan Santana went the distance for the first time, but he remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Brandon Valdes in a featherweight bout.

In round one, Santana dropped Valdes with a left hook to the chin.

Santana, 127 lbs of La Romana, DR won by scores of 98-91 twice and 96-93 and now 12-0. Valdes, 127 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 15-5

Euri Cedeno made short work of Dormedes Potes by scoring an opening minute knockout in an eight-roundmiddleweight bout.

Cedenro landed a left and right to the body that put Potes down for the count at 58 seconds.

Cendeno, 161.4 lbs of La Romana, DR is now 9-0-1 with eight knockouts. Potes, 161.7 lbs of Braanquilla, COL is 14-7-1.

Raymond Ford scored a dramatic 12th round stoppage over Otabek Kohlmatov to capture the WBA Featherweight title at The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

It was a terrific back and forth bout that saw each fighter score throughout the contest. Ford suffered a cut under his right eye. In round 12, behind on the scores, Ford landed a straight left that forced Kohlmatov across the ring. Kohlmatov was left wide open to eat under flushh left hand that forced referee Charlie Fitch to stop the bout at 2:53.

Ford, 125.9 lbs of Camden, NJ is 15-0-1 with eight knockouts. Kohlmatov, 125.8 lbs of Sirdaryo, UZB is 12-1.

Luis Alberto Lopez Stops Abe in 8; Defends IBF Featherweight Title

Luis Alberto Lopez made the third defense of the IBF Featherweight title with an eighth round stoppage over Reiya Abe.

Lopez dominated the action by coming forward and not letting Abe getting rhythm.

In round two, the right eye of Abe began to swell badly to the point where ringside doctors took a look at it.

In round eight, Lopez turned up the energy and landed a big punches in the middle of the ring which forced referee Mark Nelson to stop the bout at 39 seconds.

Lopez, 125.3 lbs of Mexicali, MEX is 30-2 with 17 knockouts. Abe, 125.8 lbs of Yamato, JAP is 25-4-1.

Brian Norman Jr. and Janelson Bocachica battled to a no-contest at the end of round three of their 10-round welterweight bout due to excessive bleeding from Bocachica.

In round one, Norman was cut over his right eye. Later in the round, Bocachica dropped Norman with a perfect right to the head. In round two, Bocachica was cut over his right eye and then a second cut in his hairline. The cuts were due to a headbutt and elbow and was too much for Bocachica and the fight was halted after round three.

Norman, 147.2 lbs of Atlanta is 25-0. Bocachica, 146.6 lbs of Detroit is 17-2-1.

Local favorite Bryce Mills won a six-round unanimous decision over Gerffred Ngaynt in a junior welterweight bout.

Mills, 138.7 lbs of Syracuse, NY won by scores of 60-54 twice and 58-56 and is now 15-1. Ngaynt, 138.7 lbs of Buffalo is 6-2.

Troy Isley remained undefeated with a thudding seventh round stoppage over Marcos Hernandez in an eight-round middleweight bout.

In round seven, Isley landed a big right hand that put Hernandez on the canvas. Hernandez got to his feet, but the fight was stopped at 1:30.

Isley, 159.3 lbs of Washington, DC is 12-0 with five knockouts. Hernandez, 160.6 lbs of Fresno, CA 16-7-2.

Floyd Diaz remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Edwin Diaz in a bantamweight fight.

Diaz, 118 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 11-0. Rodriguez, 117.8 lbs of Juana Diaz, PR is 12-8-2.

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Tarik Zaina in a junior welterweight bout.

In round seven, Polanco was credited with a knockdown after what looked like a push put Zaina on the canvas. In round eight, Polanco dropped Zaina with a uppercut.

Polanco, 142.7 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 79-71 twice and 78-72 and is now 12-0. Zaina, 142,4 lbs of Tangier, MOR is 13-1-1.

Nico Ali Walsh won a six-round unanimous decision over Charles Stanford in a middleweight bout.

Walsh, 156.9 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 10-1. Stanford, 155.1 lbs of Cincinnati is 7-6.

Brandon Moore remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Helaman Olguin in a heavyweight bout.

Moore, 242 lbs of Lakeland, FL won by sores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 14-0. Olguin, 281.7 lbs of Salt Lake City, UT is 9-7-1.

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.

LAS VEGAS – Seniesa Estrada retained the WBA/WBC Ninimumweight titles with a unanimous decision over Leonela Yudica at The Palms Casino Resort.

Estrada landed 161 of 549 punches. Yudica was 144 of 506.

Estrada, 104.4 lbs of East Los Angeles won by scores of 97-93 on all cards and is now 25-0. Yudica, 103.7 lbs of San Juan, ARG is now 19-2-3.

“I knew coming into this fight that she was a boxer who would move away from me and not come forward much. In my preparation, I knew I had to show something different in myself. In my last fight, I fought a good champion who came forward and was aggressive, and I easily outboxed her. In this fight, she’s a boxer and a mover, and I showed that I can fight any type of style because my style is very versatile,” said Estrada. 

Going into this fight, I knew she was a natural flyweight so she is a lot bigger than me physically. So I knew she was going to be able to hang in there. She’s fought very good champions before and always went the distance with them.

I definitely had to use my footwork. I have very good footwork. I had to use my feints and movements to make sure I was close enough to land punches and not get countered. I did get countered, of course. It’s a fight, so that’s going to happen. But I just continue to prove that I’m the best in the division. 

I want Yokasta Valle. I’m the best in this division. I want to prove it by beating her. She can just hand me those belts right now because when we fight it’s going to be bad for her. 

Andres Cortes Stops Xavier Martinez After 7

Andres Cortes beatdown Xavier Martinez after round seven of their 10-round junior lightweight bout.

Cortes, 130 lbs of Las Vegas is now 20-0 with 11 knockouts. Martinez, 129.7 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 18-2.

In a competitive eight round lightweight bout, Nahir Albright pounded out ab eight-round unanimous decision over Karlos Balderas.

Balderas, 134.1 lbs of Santa Maria, CA won by scores of 77-75 twice and 76-76 and is now 16-2. Balderas, 135.9 lbs of Santa Maria, CA is 14-2.

“I was feeling myself, and I started finding a groove. When that happens, the fight’s over.” said Cortes.

“It was a good stoppage. His eye was messed up. He was having trouble seeing with the eye because he kept blinking.”

“I want the winner of Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez. I want any champion at 130. If not, I’m going to move up 135 and get all of those champions there.”

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated with a fifth round stoppage over Cesar Francis in a scheduled eight-round super welterweight fight.

At the end of round four, Polanco landed a looping left to the head that was followed by a straight right that put Francis on the canvas.

Early in round five, Polanco dropped Francis again with a right hand and the fight was stopped at 1:05.

Polanco, 142.9 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR 10-0 with six knockouts. Francis, 141.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-2.

It was a war while it lasted, but Abraham Nova stopped former world champion Johnathan Romero in round three of their 10-round junior lightweight bout.

After a furious exchange in round two, Nova dropped Romero with a hard left hook. In round three, the two stood toe-to-toe, and Nova uncorked a hard right over the top that sent Romero down face first and he did not beat the the count at 2:47.

Nova, 130.8 lbs of Albany, NY is now 23-1 with 16 knockouts. Romero, 130.8 lbs of Cali, COL is 35-2.

Suburu Murata stopped Juan Centeno after round four of their six-round junior featherweight bout.

In round three, Murata dropped Centeno with a left hook to the body. Murata continued to dominate and Centeno did no come out for round five.

Murata, 121.5 lbs of Tokyo, JAP is 5-0 with five knockouts. Centeno, 123.3 lbs of Managua, NIC is 8-9-3.

Dante Benjamin Jr. and William Langston fought to a six-round majority draw in a light heavyweight bout.

Scores were 58-56 for Langston and 57-57 twice. Benjamín, 170.1 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 7-0-1. Langston, 171.9 lbs of Kenosha, WI is 8-3-1.

Charlie Sheehy stopped Kaylyn Alford in round three of their six-round lightweight bout.

In round three, Sheehy dropped Alford with a vicious left hook to the head. Alford got to his feet, but the referee waved the fight off at 31 seconds.

Sheehy, 134.5 lbs of Brisbane, CA is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Alford, 133.4 lbs of Lafyette, LA is 4-5-2.

LAS VEGAS (June 14, 2023) — Pound-for-pound dynamo Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada will defend her WBC and WBA minimumweight world titles against Argentina’s former world champion Leonela Yudica on Friday, July 28 at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

In the 10-round junior lightweight co-feature, unbeaten Las Vegas native Andres “Savage” Cortes will take on Sacramento-born contender Xavier Martinez.

The entire Estrada-Yudica card will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $50 go on sale Thursday, June 15 at 12 p.m. PT and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

“Seniesa Estrada is one of the very best fighters on the planet and is only getting better with every fight,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Yudica is an experienced championship-level fighter who will be undeterred fighting on the big stage. I expect a sensational fight on July 28, along with a co-feature between Cortes and Martinez that promises fireworks.”

Estrada (24-0, 9 KOs) is a 12-year pro who has competed at the world class level in three weight classes. In 2019, she beat U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza to capture the WBA interim flyweight world title. Two years later, she captured the WBA minimumweight and WBO light flyweight titles in fights against Anabel Ortiz and Tenkai Tsunami. Estrada then vacated those belts to pursue undisputed glory at minimumweight. She signed with Top Rank in 2022 and returned from a nearly 11-month layoff in November of that year to shut out Jazmin Gala Villarino. In March, she added the WBC belt to her collection with a shutout win over the previously unbeaten Tina Rupprecht.

“I am willing to fight any woman in or around my weight class, and I respect Yudica for accepting the challenge,” Estrada said. “My goal is to become the undisputed champion at minimumweight, but I can’t achieve that goal without defeating Yudica first. She is standing in my way, and I am coming to Las Vegas to make an emphatic statement.”

Yudica (19-1-3, 1 KO) debuted as a pro in April 2012 and captured the IBF flyweight world title with a split decision win against Gabriela Bouvier in December 2014. She held the title for nearly eight years, fighting to a draw in her first defense against Vanesa Lorena Taborda in 2015 before defending it seven times. The native of San Juan, Argentina, lost the belt in a tightly contested split decision loss to Arely Muciño in October 2022 and is coming off a 10-round decision victory over Tamara Elisabet Demarco in April. 

Yudica said, “I’m taking this amazing opportunity to show the world what Argentinian fighters are made of. I’m bringing the belts back home to San Juan with me.”

Cortes (19-0, 10 KOs) was a standout amateur, defeating Teofimo Lopez twice in the unpaid ranks. A seven-year pro, Cortes made his Top Rank debut in 2020 and has built a reputation for engaging in action-packed affairs. He shined on the Emanuel Navarrete-Liam Wilson undercard in February, shutting out Puerto Rican upstart Luis Melendez in his first scheduled 10-rounder. Martinez (18-1, 12 KOs) returns to action following an 11-month layoff, intent on proving he belongs in the junior lightweight title conversation. He rebounded from a one-sided loss to Robson Conceição with a stoppage win over Alejandro Guerrero last August.

Undercard action includes two competitive matchups featuring talents from four different Latin American countries.  

Puerto Rican-born junior lightweight contender Abraham “El Super” Nova (22-1, 15 KOs) will face Colombian former world champion Jonathan Romero (35-1, 19 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Nova, who fights out Albany, New York, holds wins over Avery Sparrow and William Encarnacion. In June 2022, he suffered his first defeat via fifth-round knockout against two-time Olympic gold medalist and current world champion Robeisy Ramirez. He bounced back in January with a 10-round decision win over Adam Lopez. Romero edged Alejandro Lopez by split decision in 2013 to capture the IBF junior featherweight world title. He is 12-0 since losing the title in his first defense to Kiko Martinez.

Dominican Olympian Rohan “El Rayo” Polanco (9-0, 5 KOs) steps up against Panamanian-born contender Cesar “Rainman” Francis (12-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. Polanco went 4-0 as a pro before losing in his opening Olympic bout in Tokyo in 2021. Polanco returned to the paid ranks in November 2021 and is coming off a six-round decision win against Ricardo Quiroz in April. Francis seeks to regain his momentum following a 10-round decision loss to Jesus Saracho in January. 

The ESPN+-streamed undercard also features an eight-round lightweight fight between 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas (14-1, 12 KOs) and Philadelphia standout Nahir Albright (15-2, 7 KOs).

Former Team USA amateur standout Charlie Sheehy (6-0, 4 KOs) will see action in a six-round lightweight tilt, while hard-hitting Japanese southpaw Subaru Murata (4-0, 4 KOs) returns in a six-round junior featherweight battle.

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Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Robeisy Ramirez can add the WBO Featherweight world title to hos trophy case as he won the title with a 12-rounds unanimous decision over former champion Isaac Dogboe at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ramirez landed 160 of 495 punches; Dogboe was 113 of 619.

Ramirez, 125.6 lbs of Cuba won by scores of 117-110, 118-109, 119-108 and is now 12-1. Dogboe, 124.2 lbs of Ghana is 24-3.

Ramirez said, “I’m living a new stage in my life. This is a new history that I’m writing, and I did everything I had to do. As an Olympian, I won two Olympic gold medals, and now I can call myself a champion.”

“All the respect to a warrior like Isaac Dogboe. He has my admiration, and all it took was me listening to this genius, Ismael Salas, because I did that, and he led me to victory.

“I believe things happened for a reason. If it wasn’t for that loss in my pro debut, I would have never ended up with Ismael Salas. Yordenis Ugas never would’ve told me, ‘You have to move to Vegas, you have to change your life,’ and I never would have gotten this team together to be where I am today.”

Dogboe said, “Let’s run it back. That’s all I have to say. He’s a great fighter.”

In round 12, Ramirez scored a knockdown when he landed a left hand while Dogboe was coming in and Dogboe hit the canvas.

Former world title challenger Joet Gonzalez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Enrique Vivas in a featherweight bout.

Gonzalez landed 271 of 646 punches; Vivas was 207 of 930.

Gonzalez, 126.2 lbs of Glendora, CA won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice and is now 26-3. Vivas, 126.2 ls of Texcoco, MEX is 22-3.

Jahi Tucker remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Nikloz Sekhnishvili in a junior middleweight bout.

In round four, Tucker was deducted a point for hitting on the break.

In round six, Sekhniashvili was cut on his face.

Tucker, 151.8 lbs of Deer Park, NY won by scores of 77-74 on all cards and is now 10-0. Sekhnishvili, 150.2 lbs of Gori, Georgia Republic is 8-2.

Jeremiah Milton remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Fabio Maldonado in a heavyweight bout.

In round four, Milton was cut over his right eye from a headbutt.

Milton, 255.8 lbs of Tulsa, OK won by scores of 80-70 twice and 78-72 and is now 9-0, Maldonado 215.8 lbs of Sai Paulo, BRA is 29-7.

Tiger Johnson remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Alfonso Olvera in a junior welterweight bout.

Johnson, 142.8 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 8-0. Olvera, 142.8 lbs of Tucson, AZ is 12-8-2.

Dante Benjamin Jr. remained undefeated with second round stoppage of Jasper McCargo III in a scheduled six-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Benjamin dropped McCargo with a hard right uppercut to the jaw. Early in round two, Benjamin sent McCargo to the canvas with a left hook. Benjamin dropped McCargo for a third time as he landed a body shot while being held. Benjamin ended things by sending McCargo down again from a right to the top of the head at 2:58.

Benjamin, 175 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 6-0 with four knockouts. McCargo, 174.4 lbs of Richmond, CA is 4-4-2.

Emiliano Fernando Vargas stopped Edgar Livalle in round two of their four-round lightweight fight.

In round two, Vargas landed a right to the body that put Livalle down and the fight was over at 1:21

Vargas, 133 lbs of Las Vegas is 4-0 with three knockouts. Livalle, 132.2 lbs of Des Moines, IA is 2-4-2.

Good looking 18 year-old prospect Abdullah Mason stopped Erick Garcia Benitez in the opening round of their six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Mason dropped Benitez with a counter right hand and the fight was over at 1:32.

Mason, 135.2 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 7-0 with six knockouts. Benitez, 135.4 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 4-2.

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Ricardo Quiroz in a junior welterweight fight.

Polanco, 142.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 7-0. Quiroz, 142.6 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 12-2.

TULSA, OK (Feb. 8, 2023) — Two of Top Rank’s brightest young talents—lightweight prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas and undefeated Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco—are set to return on Saturday, April 1, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Vargas, who is coming off a unanimous decision win against Francisco Duque last week, will face an opponent to be named in a four-round lightweight clash. Polanco, who was originally scheduled to fight in January, will make his Top Rank debut in a six-round junior welterweight fight against an opponent to be determined. The two join an already stacked card headlined by the interim WBO featherweight title bout between Robeisy Ramirez and Issac Dogboe and the eight-round co-feature between undefeated Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas and Ronald “Diablo” Cruz.

Ramirez-Dogboe, Zayas-Cruz, and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. Tickets starting at $49.50 are on sale now at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.

Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs) was a seven-time national amateur champion before turning pro in May 2022 with a first-round stoppage over Mark Salgado. In October, “El General” signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank and made his debut with the company with a highlight-reel knockout over Julio Martinez. Under the guidance of his father and trainer, Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas, the 18-year-old set his sights on becoming Prospect of the Year in 2023. 

Check out Vargas’ latest interview on our new podcast series, Top Rank: Unbox’d.

Polanco (8-0, 5 KOs) turned pro before the Tokyo Olympics, earning wins in Mexico and in the Dominican Republic. After losing by split decision to Uzbekistan’s Bobo-Usmon Baturov in his opening bout, Polanco continued his professional career with a third-round knockout win over Gabriel Fernando Punalef Calfin. “El Rayo” ended 2021 with a decision win over Jonathan Jose Eniz before going 2-0 in 2022. The 24-year-old was initially scheduled to return on the Efe Ajagba-Stephan Shaw undercard in January, but an injury sidelined his opponent.

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Vergil Ortiz Jr. came off almost a year layoff to keep his perfect knockout streak intact as he stopped Michael McKinson in round nine of their welterweight bout at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

In round one, Ortiz was cut around the left eye from an accidental headbutt

In round eight, Ortiz landed a hard left hook to the body that dropped McKinson  In the opening seconds of round nine, Ortiz landed a big left to the body.  McKinson was hurt and the corner waved the towel and the fight was stopped at 27 seconds.

Ortiz, 146.6 lbs of Grand Prairie, Texas is 19-0 with 19 knockouts.  McKinson, 146.8 lbs of Portsmouth, ENG is 22-1.

Marlen Esparza Decisions Guzman; Retains Flyweight Titles

Marlen Esparza defended WBA/WBC Flyweight titles with a 10-round unanimous decision over Eva Guzman.

In round six, Esparza was cut on the side of her left eye. Esparza was very pinpoint on her punches and won by scores of 98-92 twice and 99-91.

Esparza, 111.8 lbs of Houston, Texas is 13-1.  Guzman, 109 lbs of Marcay, VEN is 19-2.

Blair Cobbs Drops Hooker 3 times; Wins Decision

Blair Cobbs won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Maurice Hooker in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Cobbs dropped Hooker with a huge three-punch combination that was highlighted overhand right. In round two, Cobbs dumped Hooker again with hard straight left.  Late in the round, it was another straight left that put Hooker down again,

In round six, Cobbs was cut around the right eye from an accidental headbutt.

Cobbs, 146 lbs of Philadelphia, PA won by scores of 97-90 twice and 96-91 and is now 16-1-1.  Hooker who came in over the contracted weight, weighed in at 150 lbs and Dallas, Texas native is now 27-3-3.

“This wasn’t an easy fight, it was a tougher fight than my last one, and this victory for sure has put me in the top ten rankings,” said Blair Cobbs. “I fought a tougher, heavier fighter. He could box and had an extremely long reach, but today I showed that I can go into deep waters, box, and give fans a show. I want to thank god for this performance, there is nothing stronger and greater than god. Today, I showed that I have more to give to the sport of boxing, that even through adversity Blair ‘The Flair’ will come out on top.” 

Melikuziev stops Janjanin in 3

Hard punching Bektemir Melikuziev stopped Sladan Janjanin in round three of a scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout

In the first 30 seconds, Melikuziev landed a vicious left to the body that put Janjanin down in a lot of pain. In round two, Melikuziev landed some hard shots to the head that sent Janjanin down for a second time.  In round three, it was another vicious left to the body that sent Janjanin to the deck.  The fight was finally stopped when Melikuziev continued to land thudding punches and the fight ended at 2:18.

Melikuziev, 171 lbs of Indio, CA is 10-1 with eight knockouts.  Janjanin, 168 lbs of Boston, MA is 32-13.

“I didn’t know my opponent until recently so we trained to have a good camp and a preparation,” said Bektemir Melikuziev. “After I dropped him with the body shot I was hoping he would keep going, we didn’t come here to end it one punch. We want to make sure we get some rounds in to gain some experience. But he was an awkward fighter, very uncomfortable but I think my training really showed off today.” 

19 year-old Floyd Schofield remained undefeated by taking out Rodrigo Guerrero in round six of their eight-round lightweight bout.

In round three, Schofield landed a right hand that put Guerrero on the canvas for a knockdown. Schofield dropped Guerrero for a second time in round four, and the bout was stopped after round five. The official time was 10 seconds of round six.

Schofield, 133.8 lbs from Austin, TX is now 11-0 with nine knockouts. Guerrero, 134.6 lbs of Mexico City, MEX is 26-15-2.

Alex Martin brushed himself from a first round knockdown to win a 10-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Hank Lundy in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Lundy dropped Martin with an overhand left.

Martin, 140 lbs of Chicago, IL won by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice and is now 18-4. Lundy, 138.4 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is 31-11-1.

Carlos Nava remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Rodolfo Hernandez in a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

In round two, Nava dropped Ramirez with a big right hand. In round four, Nava delivered punishment and landed a flurry of punches and the bout was stopped at 36 seconds.

Nava, 138.8 lbs of Pasadena, TX is 9-0 with six knockouts. Hernandez, 135 lbs of Mexico City is 30-11-1.

Figo Ramirez won a four-round unanimous decision over Francisco Bonilla in a bantamweight contest.

In round two, Ramirez was deducted a point for a low blow.

Ramirez, 117.4 lbs of Dallas, TX won by scores of 39-36 on all cards and is now 2-0. Bonilla, 117 lbs of Chihuahua, MEX is now 6-14-3.

Rohan Polanco stopped Dedrick Bell in round two of their eight-round welterweight bout.

Polanco landed a devastating left to the Solar Plexus that sent Bell down for the count.

Polanco, 147 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 8-0 with five knockouts. Bell, 146.8 lbs of Memphis, TN is 31-33-1.

CORK, Ireland (June 1, 2021) – The Dominican Republic has produced 22 world boxing champions and two Olympic medalists. The latest prospect from the Caribbean island is Dominican Republic Olympic Team member Rohan Polanco, who has already turned pro but is also heading to Tokyo to compete in the Olympics.

The 22-year-old Polanco, ranked No. 5 in the world by AIBA, is on a special journey for a Dominican fighter. Neither of the two Dominican Olympic medalists, Felix Diaz (gold in 2008) and Pedro Nolasco (bronze in 1984), became world champion as professional boxers; none of the 22 Dominican world champions won a medal at the Olympics.

Polanco has officially qualified to compete in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. His main competition in the welterweight division includes Pat McCormack (UK), Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo (Cuba), and Bobo Usmon Buturov (Uzbekistan). McCormack will be competing in the Olympics for the second time, Sotolongo his third having captured gold and bronze medals, respectively, in 2012 and 2008.

In his fourth pro bout without a loss this past weekend in the Dominican, Rohan (4-0, 2 KOs) registered a third-round technical knockout of his Italian challenger, Arblin Kaba (12-1-1). He finished off Kaba with a barrage of punches that started with a sharp right-uppercut, indicating that he has adapted to the professional style of boxing despite competing as a world-class amateur at the same time.

“Rohan will relocate to Boston after the Olympic Games,” Polanco’s manager Gary Hyde reported. “He has prepared there for his first four fights with head trainer Hector Bermudez. He will compete at the 140-pound junior welterweight division. I’m very excited about this kid. He has a great attitude, and we believe he has the goods to win world titles. All four of Polanco’s pro fights have been scheduled 6-rounders. He’s been pushing for an 8-round bout, but now we will wait until after the Olympics to go eight.”

Bermudez has trained world champions TJ Doheny, Jonathan Guzman, Carlos Gongora, Vince Phillips, Ryad Merhy and Javier Fortuna.

Polanco represents the future and Hyde, who has managed four world champions, is confident his fighter will join the ranks of his other champions.

ABOUT NOWHERETOHYDE MANAGEMENT: Founded in 2007 by Gary Hyde in Cork, Ireland, NoWhere2Hyde Management offers full service for professional boxers around the world. Hyde has managed numerous world-class boxers during his career including world champions Guillermo Rigondeaux, Youri Kalenga, Nassam N’Dam and Simpiwe Vetyeaka. He presently manages world-rated European Super Featherweight Champion Samir Ziani (21-3-1, 7 KOs) and Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco (4-0, 2 KOs).

INFORMATION:
Facebook: /nowhere2hyde
Twitter: @nowhere2hyde
Instagram: @gary_nowhere2hyde, @rohankingbox