Steve Spark Defeats Montana Love by Disqualification

Steve Spark got a victory via sixth round disqualification over Montana Love in 12-round super lightweight bout at The Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

In round two, Spark landed a hard right that put Love on the canvas. In round six, the two fighters clashed heads which opened up a cut around the left eye of Love. That seemed to have perturbed Love as he pushed Spark over the top rope that caused a disqualification.

Spark, 140 lbs of Toowoomba, AUS is 16-2. Love, 140 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 18-1-1.

Richardson Hitchins remained undefeated by stopping Yomar Alamo after round eight of their 10-round super lightweight bout.

Hitchins beat down Alamo until the fight was stopped in the corner following the eighth frame.

Hitchins, 140 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 15-0 with seven knockouts. Alamo, 138.5 lbs of Caguas, PR is 20-2-1.

Raymond Ford scored an eighth round stoppage over Sakaria Lukas in a scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.

Ford was credited with a knockdown in the opening minute of the fight when he landed a left and Lukas stumbled to the canvas.

In round seven, Lukas was deducted a point for hitting behind the head. In round eight, Ford landed a booming right hook to the chin that put Lukas down and out on his back and the fight was stopped at 2:20.

Ford, 126 lbs of Camden NJ is 13-0-1 with seven knockouts. Lukas, 128 lbs of Windhoek, NAM is 25-2-1,

Thomas Mattice won a 10-round unanimous decision over Christian Tapia in a super featherweight fight.

In round two, Mattice dropped Tapia with a straight right.

Mattice, 129.5 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 97-92 and 96-93 twice and is now 19-3-1. Tapia, 129.5 lbs of Coamo, PR is 15-1.

Beatriz Ferreira made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Taynna Cardoso in a super featherweight bout.

In round one, Ferreira scored a knockdown when she put Cardoso on the canvas with a right hand. In round three, it was another hard right hand that forced Cardoso to take a knee.

Ferreira, 130.5 lbs of Salvador, BRA won by scores of 40-34 on all cards and is now 1-0. Cardoso, 131 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 5-1.

Nikoloz Sekhniashvili stopped previously undefeated David Rodriguez after round three of their scheduled six-round super welterweight bout.

Early in round one, Sekhniashvili dropped Rodriguez with a straight left. The left eye of Rodriguez swelled badly throughout the fight and the bout was stopped after round three.

Sekhniashvili, 153.5 lbs of Gori, GEO is 8-1 with six knockouts. Rodriguez, 155 lbs of Akron, OH is 6-1.

Raynell Williams won a six-round unanimous decision over Ryizeemmion Ford in a super featherweight bout.

In round one, Williams sent Ford down with a left hand.

Williams, 130 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 60-53 on all cards and is now 14-1. Ford, 131 lbs of Alliance, OH is 8-3.

Khalil Coe won a six-round unanimous decision over Bradey Olmeida in a light heavyweight bout featuring undefeated fighters.

In round five, Coe dropped Olmedia with a right hand

Coe, 174 lbs of Jersey City, NJ won by scores of 60-53 on all cards and is now 4-0-1. Olmeida, 175 lbs of Mayaguez, PR is 5-1.




HITCHINS AND FORD STAR ON CLEVELAND SHOW 

Richardson Hitchins will fight for his first pro title when he takes on Yomar Alamo for the IBF North American Super-Lightweight title and is the co-main event as Montana Love headlines in his hometown for the first time as he takes on Steve Spark for the WBA Intercontinental Super-Lightweight title on Saturday November 12 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, live worldwide on DAZN.
 

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FROM THE ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE WEBSITE

 
Hitchins (14-0 6 KOs) inked a promotional pact with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom yesterday and wastes no time in his quest to crash into the top ten in the Super-Lightweight rankings and put the big names on notice as he fights for his first title in his 15th pro fight, entering the bout on the back of three impressive wins; dismissing Angel Rodriguez in May inside four rounds to add to convincing ten round victories over Malik Hawkins and former World champion Argenis Mendez
 
Opposing the 2016 Olympian is Puerto Rico’s Alamo (20-1-1 12 KOs), the 27 year old is no stranger to title action having recently held the WBO Latino crown to go with his time holding the WBO NABO, WBC Youth and WBC FECARBOX belts, and ‘The Magic’ will be out to spoil Hitchins’ bow under Hearn and bounce back from a slender split decision loss to another new Matchroom signing, Liam Paro, in his last fight in December.
 
“November 12, my time to shine,” said Hitchins. “Eddie promised me big fights, big opportunities, and most importantly, activity. This is the beginning of all that, the beginning of this new journey in my career and I couldn’t be more excited. 
 
“Alamo is a very tough opponent, and I know he’s coming to win, but he’s simply a roadblock towards achieving my championship goals. As I’ve said before, I believe I’m the best 140 pounder in the world, and he’s going to find that out as soon as the bell rings. I plan on stealing the show November 12. I promise you; you don’t want to miss it.”
 
“It’s a good fight,” said Alamo. “I’m looking to jump back in the rankings and get a better shot. It will be my first time fighting in Cleveland and I am happy to be fighting in a city where I have a lot of love and support. I’m training at my best to give 100 per cent and to win in style.”
 
Raymond Ford (12-0-1 6 KOs) continues to catch the eye in his rise in the Featherweight division and defends his WBA Continental Americas title in Cleveland against Sakaria Lukas. The New Jersey talent landed that title against the unbeaten Edward Vazquez in February via split decision and defended it with a shutout win over Richard Medina in June, taking another ‘0’ in the process. 
 
Lukas (25-1-1 17 KOs) is the latest man to try to claim the strap from Ford, and the Namibian has familiarized himself with fighting outside his homeland in his last four fights. The 38 year old had only boxed once outside Namibia in his first 23 fights – with that bout taking him to Zimbabwe – but his last four outings has seen fights in Texas and Atlantic City either side of a pair of bouts in Cancun, Mexico, and now he’ll look to hand a first defeat to the 23 year old ‘Savage’.
 
“I’m stepping up again, I don’t duck any challenge,” said Ford. “Lukas has only lost once in 27 fights. I’m fighting to impress my fans and I see myself hurting him and being the first person to stop him. 
 
“Then, I’m coming after any of the Champions out there because there’s no fun and games anymore, I want those belts.”
 
“This is my third fight in the USA and I’m not here to be robbed!” said Lukas. “This boy Ford won’t see the final bell; he will just see me standing over him” 
 
 
There’s more Puerto Rican action on the card and this time against a local favorite, as Christian Tapia takes on Cleveland’s Thomas Mattice for the WBA Continental Americas Super-Featherweight title.
 
Unbeaten Tapia (15-0 12 KOs) picked up the title in March with a wide points win over Luis Lebron in Philadelphia, and kept busy in the same city with an eight round win over Mario Lozano, and now faces local man Mattice (19-3-1 15 KOs), who enters the bout on the back of two wins inside the distance, with a first round KO in May in Cleveland Heights and an sixth round stoppage in Toledo. 
 
“The Super-Featherweight division just got a little more interesting now,” said Tapia. “Matchroom has given me a global platform and I intend to take full advantage of it. On November 12 in Cleveland, I’m going showcase my skills, showing the 130lb division, showing the people watching and most of all show my opponent why I am the best kept secret in boxing. El Hijo Del Pueblo (The Son of the People) will not only be victorious but all ‘contenders’ in MY division will be put on notice.”
 
“This is one of the opportunities I’ve been looking for,” said Mattice. Being in my hometown makes it even better. I will be ready and victorious on November 12.”




Magsayo Wins Featherweight Title with Decision over Russell Jr.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ-Mark Magsayo wrestled the WBC Featherweight title with a 12-round majority decision over long-reigning champion Gary Russell Jr. at The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa.

Magsayo started off well by going to the body in an effort to slow down Russell. Seconds into round four, Russell seemed to hurt his right shoulder. That seemed to affect him as he did not use his right hand much for the remainder of the fight. Magsayo continued applying pressure and landing with both hands. Russell was able to win some rounds by landing some sharp lead lefts.

Magsayo boxed with ease with Russell using his speed and the occasional quick left. He was outworked by the challenger who fought like the title was in his grasp.

Magsayo landed 150 of 543 punches; Russell was 69 of 323.

It was as Magsayo won by scores of 115-113 twice and 114-114.

Magsayo, 125.5 lbs of The Philippines is 24-0. Russell, 125.5 lbs of Capitol Heights, Maryland is 31-2.

“This is my dream come true,” said Magsayo. “Ever since I was a kid, this was my dream. I’m so proud that I’m a champion now. Thank you so much to the Filipino fans for the support.”

 “I believe I have a torn tendon in my right shoulder,” said Russell. “I haven’t competed in almost two years. This is what true champions do. I wanted to step into the ring and display my superiority regardless of the injury. “I hurt the shoulder about two weeks ago,” continued Russell. “But I went through with the fight because I’m a true champion and this is what warriors do. I’m going to fight regardless of what the situation is. I refuse to not compete and display my skillsets to my fans and the people that came out to show support and love. Please believe that I will be back. I still want these fights.”

“I knew that he was hurt in round four,” said Magsayo. “I took advantage of it because he was only using one hand. This was my opportunity to follow through. My coach was telling me to use good combinations and follow through. He said this is your chance to become a champion and now I am a champion.”

“I believed in my skillset and what I bring into the ring,” said Russell. “I felt like I still won the fight to be honest. Hell yeah I want a rematch. Would he want a rematch? That’s the question.” “It’s up to my promotional team,” said Magsayo when asked about a potential rematch. “But I’m willing to fight anybody. I’m the champion now!”

Matias Stops Ananyan in Rematch War

Subriel Matias stopped Petros Ananyan in a grueling war after round nine of a scheduled 12-round junior welterweight rematch

The two stood about four inches from each other throughout the fight. Ananyan was cut over his right eye as early as round two. That did not deter Ananyan as every time he ate big combination from Matias, he would fire back with hard combinations of his own, He fought back valiantly and got himself back in the fight.

In round seven, Matias was deducted a point for low blows. That seemed to light a new fire under Matias as he started landing more power shots, and in round nine, landed a huge left that spun Ananyan to the canvas. Ananyan took a lot of punches and the fight was stopped in the corner by the ringside doctor after the round.

Matias, 140.5 lbs of Fajrado, PR is now 18-1 with 18 knockouts. Ananyan, 141 lbs of Armenia is 16-3-2.

“This is the fight that I wanted,” said Matias, who was jubilant in victory following the fast-paced affair. “Ever since my defeat to him, I wanted to avenge the loss. When you’re sure about yourself and you know that you have the skills that you have, you take the rematch.”

“I’m not just a hard-hitter but the way that I fight is like cutting down a tree,” said Matias. “Just keep hitting them. I think I can improve my power but let’s see what happens with time. I want to thank everybody who made this fight possible, but I’m going to take my time before deciding who I will fight next.”

Nyambayar and Lukas Fight to a draw

-Former world title challenger Tugstsogt Nyambayar and late-replacement Sakaria Lukas fought to a 10-round draw in a junior lightweight bout.

Lukas seemed to have knocked Nyambayar in round eight, but referee Eddie Claudio ruled it a slip.

Nyambayar landed 125 of 417 punches; Lukas was 111 of 479.

Each fighter took a card 96-94 and a third card was even at 95-95.

Nyambayar, 128 lbs is now 12-2-1. Lukas, 127.5 lbs of Namibia is 25-1-1.

“What I saw in real time, he fell down not from the impact of the blow but from his body language, he just slipped. His feet went and he slipped,” said Claudio post fight to ringside reporter Jim Gray.

 “I thought I won the fight and I didn’t believe it was a knockdown,” said Nyambayar. “It was a hard fight, especially against an opponent on short notice. My goal is to fight for the world title again.” “Everyone saw it was a knockdown that should have given me a split-decision win,” said Lukas, who endured a 27-hour flight to the U.S. for the bout from his native Namibia. “I fought my heart out and I deserved the win. I took the fight on short notice, but I was ready to win. I believe I won the fight, but I can’t do anything about the decision. We had the fans behind us, they know what happened.”

IN-NON-TELEVISED ACTION

Abimael Ortiz pounded out an eight-round unanimous decision over Ryan Allen in a super bantamweight contest.

In round two, Ortiz dropped Allen with a left-right combination.

Ortiz, 123 lbs of Coyey, PR won by scores of 76-75 on all cards and is now 10-1-1. Allen, 122 lbs of Jackson, MI is 10-6-1.

Leshawn Rodriguez destroyed Sixto Suazo inside of a round in their scheduled six-round middleweight bout.

Rodriguez battered Suazo as he landed several flush shots that snapped the head of Suazo and the fight was stopped at 1:36.

Rodriguez, 156.1 lbs of Coram, NY is 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Suazo, 156.3 lbs of Atlanta, GA is 9-3-1.

Evan Holyfield remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Chris Rollins in a super welterweight fight.

Holyfield, 151,5 lbs of Atlanta, GA won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 9-0. Rollins, 151.5 lbs of Charlottsville, VA is 5-4-1.

In a battle of undefeated featherweights, Katsuma Akitsugi won a six-round unanimous decision over Rasheen Brown.

Akitsugi, 123.5 lbs of Japan won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 to raise his record to 8-0. Brown, 124 lbs of Philadelphia is 11-1.

Max Garland stopped Marik Black in the 2nd round of their four-round wheelwright bout.

Garland beat up Black until the fight was stopped at 1:44 of round two.

Garland of Washington, DC was making his pro debut. Black of Versailles, KY is 1-1-1.




Hard-Hitting Featherweight Contender Tugstsogt Nyambayar Faces Once-Beaten Contender Sakaria Lukas Live on SHOWTIME® This Saturday, January 22 in Premier Boxing Champions Event From Borgata in Atlantic City, N.J.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – January 18, 2022 – Hard-hitting featherweight contender Tugstsogt “King Tug” Nyambayar will now take on once-beaten contender Sakaria Lukas in the 10-round telecast opener live on SHOWTIME this Saturday, January 22 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. defending his title against top contender and WBC mandatory challenger Mark Magsayo. Super lightweight contenders Subriel Matías and Petros Ananyan meet for a rematch in the 12-round co-main event.

Vic Pasillas was originally scheduled to face Nyambayar, but was forced to withdraw after a positive COVID-19 test.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

Nyambayar (12-2, 9 KOs) won a silver medal representing his native Mongolia in the 2012 Olympics and now lives in Southern California, where he’s trained by John Pullman. The 29-year-old ascended the featherweight rankings after his extensive amateur career with victories over then unbeaten Harmonito Dela Torre and former interim champion Oscar Escandon. He earned his first world title shot by defeating former champion Claudio Marrero in January 2019, before dropping his championship bout against Russell on SHOWTIME. Nyambayar returns to the featherweight division after challenging top 130-pounder Chris Colbert in a July contest he lost by decision.

Lukas (25-1, 17 KOs) steps into the ring looking for his third straight win to put himself in position to vie for a world title. A native of Omuthitugwalwani, Namibia, his U.S. debut came in December 2020 as he dropped a 10-round decision against Mexican contender Isaac Avelar. Lukas, who has fought professionally since 2011, bounced back from the defeat by knocking out Mario Macias Orozco in February 2021 before earning a decision victory over Marco Antonio Chable in March 2021.

The non-televised undercard will include unbeaten super welterweight Evan Holyfield (8-0, 6 KOs), son of legendary heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, taking on Virginia’s Chris Rollins (5-3-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round fight, plus Philadelphia’s Rasheen Brown (11-0, 7 KOs) in a six-round featherweight duel against fellow unbeaten Katsuma Akitsugi (7-0, 1 KO).

Rounding out the lineup is Puerto Rico’s Abimael Ortiz (9-1-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout, unbeaten middleweight LeShawn Rodríquez (12-0, 9 KOs) battling Atlanta’s Sixto Suazo (9-2-1, 7 KOs) for eight-rounds of action and the pro debut of Washington, D.C. native Max Garland in a four-round welterweight contest.

#

ABOUT RUSSELL VS. MAGSAYO
Russell vs. Magsayo will see WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. defend his world title against top contender and WBC mandatory challenger Mark Magsayo headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, January 22 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a 12-round rematch between super lightweight contenders Subriel Matías and Petros Ananyan in the co-main event, plus hard-hitting featherweight Tugstsogt Nyambayar squaring-off against Sakaria Lukas in the 10-round telecast opener.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on #RussellMagsayo, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.




Spence Decisions Garcia to Retain Unified Welterweight Titles

14 Months after being involved in a gruesome automobile accident, Errol Spence Jr. retained the IBF/WBC Welterweight titles with a solid 12-round unanimous decision over former two-division champion Danny Garcia in front of 16,101 fans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Spence was very effective with his jab and pressure that would not let Garcia get off in the fight. Garcia was able to land some shots in between the pressure of Spence.

The right eye of Garcia began to sell in the 8th round. The activity of Spence was clear in the fight and won by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 twice.

Spence landed 187 of 707 punches; Garcia was 117 of 700. Spence out-Jabbed Garcia 84-14.

Spence, 146.5 lbs is 27-0. Garcia, 146.75 lbs of Philadelphia is 36-3.

ERROL SPENCE JR.“The moment is surreal. Coming back from the accident, I feel like I looked pretty good tonight. 

“All training camp I felt good. I told people I didn’t want a tuneup fight. I proved to everyone that I’m the best 147-pound fighter in the world. 
“Danny Garcia pushed me to the limit, especially in training camp. I’ve watched him fight since he was an amateur. I knew he was a great champion and I had to be 100% ready.”

“I’m the taller fighter and he had shorter arms, so the jab made sense to use. Everything was set up off the jab. We were prepared to out point him using that jab. I think Lennox Lewis would be proud of me using the jab the way I did.

“I had a great training camp where I was sparring and taking punches. I wasn’t surprised when I had to take a punch in the fight. I had already been taking punches and I’ve always had a great chin anyway.

“I give my performance a B. I think I had a little bit of ring rust. But I was in such great shape and took everything seriously in training so that I would not be discouraged by that. I worked my jab and used my angles because that was my best move.

“I’m just thinking about seeing my kids tomorrow and hanging out on my ranch. I’m going to eat some good food and we’ll see what the future holds. It’s been a long year and a half, so I’m going to wind down for a week or two, then get back on it.

“It was a lifelong dream of mine to be a household name in Dallas and I’ve done that. I’m thankful to have that support. I was smiling walking to the ring because it was a long road back. It took a lot of trials and tribulations to get to this point tonight, and it all paid off. I’m here for a reason.

“I proved that I’m back and here to stay. I’m the unified champion of the world for a reason.

“I felt some of his punches, but it wasn’t enough to discourage me from coming forward. He was strong and I give him his kudos. He came to fight and tried to take my titles, but I defended it well at home.

“I’m glad that my hard work and path to get back ended with my titles around my waist again in my hometown in front of my home fans.

“I think I hurt him a bit, but Danny Garcia is very gritty and he’s not going to cower down to anybody. I thought I got him a couple times to the body, but I knew he wasn’t going to back down. He’s a real fighter.”

DANNY GARCIA

“He was the better man tonight. No excuses. I fought a hard and tough fight. He had a good jab and that was the key to the fight. He was also a bit busier than me.

“I just have to rebuild and see what we do next. I fought hard and I’m proud. All my losses were hard fights that I fought till the end, so I’m proud of my effort.

“I knew what he was bringing to the table. I just had to believe in my hook more and throw it more. I can’t make any excuses. We can only get better from here. 

“His jab was rangy and threw my timing off a bit. That was the key to the fight. Everything else I feel like I adapted to. The jab was the only thing that was better than expected.

“I think Spence is physically stronger than Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. They’re all on pretty much the same level, but Spence is the strongest one. 

“I was trying to be more active. He did a good job taking away what I wanted to do. Everyone is looking for my left hook, so I thought my right hand could be the difference. I had some success going to the body with it. When two champions fight, one guy is going to be better on the night.”

Fundora Destroys Ahmed in 2

6’7″ Inch Sebastian Fundora took out Habib Ahmed in round two of their scheduled 12-round super welterweight bout.

Fundora obliterated Ahmed from the opening bell as he landed furious flurry of punches for both rounds before the fight was stopped at 1:30 of round two.

Fundora, 153.5 lbs of Cochella, CA is 16-0-1 with 11 knockouts. Ahmed, 152.5 lbs of Accra, GHA is 27-2.


SEBASTIAN FUNDORA

“We just fought in an eliminator, so I’m pretty sure I’m high up in the rankings now. We’ll go back and talk about what’s next with my team. I may take a week off and enjoy the holidays, then come back strong with whatever is next. I want to fight anyone. The 154-pound division is stacked, so I’ll be ready for anyone. 

“I had the time to admire my work in round one. I was happy to enjoy it while I had the chance after I landed that uppercut. 

“We were ready for anyone who we had to face tonight. A win like this doesn’t surprise me because we were so prepared. 

“I feel like I’m meant for this. I’ve worked so hard for this. Me and my father have worked on this dream since I was eight-years-old. By now, big stages like this feel normal to me. 

“I don’t think I’m peaking yet. I turn 23 this month. I feel like I have a lot of room to grow. I’m going to be in this sport for a long time and I’m going to be champion, but we’re not there yet. 

“We saw him buckle in the first round. I heard my dad yell from the corner that he was shaken. I knew he couldn’t take the power, so I decided to walk right through him.”

HABIB AHMED“I’m disappointed with how the fight went. I took the fight on short notice so I knew it would be difficult. But I was training hard and wanted to test myself. 

“He’s tall and he’s a good boxer. I didn’t start working fast enough and he started working immediately. That’s why he got me with the uppercut in round one. That messed up my rhythm. I was surprised he came out so fast. 
“I’m still young and have a future in this sport. I’m going to get back in the gym, correct my mistakes, and come back better.”

Lopez Stops Santana in 10th

Josesito Lopez stopped Francisco Santana in the 10th and final round of their welterweight bout.

Lopez dominated the bout from the get-go as in round one. Lopez landed a big right that was followed by a left to the body that put Santana on the deck.

In round nine, Lopez scored a 2nd knockdown as he landed some hard hooks on the ropes. Lopez continued to batter Santana for the balance of the round and the fight could have been stopped there. In the 10th, Lopez dropped Santana again. The fight went on, but only for a few seconds more as Lopez landed a barrage of punches that forced the stoppage at 1:22.

Lopez, 146.2 lbs of Riverside, CA is 38-8 with 21 knockouts. Santana, 147 lbs of Santa Barbra, CA is 25-9-1.

JOSESITO LOPEZ“Santana is one of the toughest fighters out there not holding a belt. I’m never in an easy fight but, I’m always going to give it everything I have.

“He knew that if he made a small mistake, he was going to pay. I made sure he paid and I dictated the pace with my jab while utilizing good footwork against a tough fighter.

“I was patient. He’s a tough crafty fighter who can take good punches. He’s a solid fighter with a strong punch.

“You can’t deny me anymore. If I’m not in with the best, I’m in with the toughest. I want one of the world champions or one of the top fighters. 

“It was a tough fight like I expected. I had to be smart in there, dictate the pace and pick my shots. We managed to do what we set out to do.

“The work I put in with Robert Garcia has showed in every fight. I get better each and every fight and come out with wins. Today I stopped one of the hardest guys in the sport to finish.  

“I feel like I’ve gotten stronger, smarter and faster. I’ve improved in every part of my game thanks to Robert Garcia. 

“I deserve to be fighting the best now. I’ve proved it. I’d fight the winner or loser of tonight’s main event. Not only am I as good as any of them, but I’m one of the most entertaining fighters in the division. 

“We worked out positioning. We were maybe a little too cautious at times. But we wanted to break him down little by little. I was happy to be able to finish the job.”

FRANCISCO SANTANA

“He got me with a flash knockdown in the first round. He throws big wide shots and he caught me on the top of my head and messed with my equilibrium for a second. I was able to get up and go back to work. 

“I thought I had something left, but after tonight I have to go back and talk with my family. I think that was my last fight. I was able to do a lot of great things in the sport. No fighter ever wants to hang them up, but I thank God that I was able to meet so many great people in the boxing world. I might be retired as a boxer, but I’m still going to be around this sport.”

Ramirez stops Flores in 5

Eduardo Ramirez stopped Miguel Flores in round fie of their scheduled 12-round featherweight bout.

In the beginning of round five, Ramirez landed a crushing left hook to the jaw that sent Flores crashing on his back. Flores got up with blood flowing out of his mouth, and the bout was stopped at 20 seconds.

Ramirez, 125.2 lbs of Los Mochis, MEX is 24-2-3 with 11 knockouts. Flores, 125.4 lbs of Dallas, TX is 24-4.

EDUARDO RAMIREZ

“I’m very happy about the win. I worked very hard and I’m thrilled to get the victory tonight.

“This was all the result of the hard work I put into the gym. The Montiel brothers trained me well and it all paid off tonight.

“This was a last minute opponent. I didn’t get to train specifically for him. But I’m getting better every day in the gym, that’s my main focus. I feel like I can beat anyone in this division.

“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. Whatever my team wants to do, we’ll talk about it. I just want to become a world champion. I’ll be ready anywhere at any time.

“I always felt in control of the fight. My intensity dropped a bit in the third round, but my corner kept telling me to put the pressure on and I’d get the knockout. That’s exactly what ended up happening.

“I like to do it all in the ring. I can move around and box. But I love to go in there and fight inside. I’m learning so much day after day from training in Tucson with the Montiel brothers.

MIGUEL FLORES

“I was having fun in there. I thought I was doing better on the inside than the outside with him. We were putting on a good fight. He just caught me with one of those looping shots. It happens, it’s part of boxing. I’m a fighter and I’ll be back.

“I thought I hurt him with a few body shots and was coming on in the fight. I was effective on the inside. I thought I could have taken over, but he’s a crafty guy. It felt like an even fight.”

EARLY RESULTS

Isaac Avelar won a 10-round unanimous decision over Sakaria Lukas in a featherweight bout.

Avelar landed 225 of 686 punches; Lukas was 100 of 562.

Avelar, 126.8 lbs of Mexico won by scores of 98-92 on all cards and is now 17-2. Lukas, 127.6 lbs of Namibia is 23-1.

Vito Mielnicki Jr. remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Steve Pulluaim in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Mielnicki dropped Pulluaim with a right to the top of the head. in round two, he dropped Pulluaim with a left to the body.

Mielnicki landed 121 of 309 punches; Pulluaim was 47 of 247.

Mielnicki, 146.8 lbs of Roseland, NJ scores of 60-52 on all cards, and is now 7-0. Pulluaim, 144.8 lbs of Riverside, MO is 5-3.

Marco Delgado won a six-round split decision over previously undefeated Burley Brooks in a super middleweight bout.

In round five, Brooks was deducted a point for a low blow. In round six, he was deducted another point for the same infraction.

Delgado landed 95 of 387 punches; Brooks was 85 of 366.

Delgado , 170/6 lbs of Anaheim, CA won by scores of 59-53 twice with Brooks taking a card 57-56.

Delgado is 7-1. Brooks, 170.4 lbs of Dallas, TX is 6-1.

Juan Tapia won a eight-round unanimous decision over Fernando Garcia in a super bantamweight bout.

In round six, Garcia had some blood on the bridge of the nose.

Tapia, 123 lbs of Brownsville, TX won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 and is now 10-3. Garcia, 122.4 lbs of Dallas. TX is 13-3.

Frank Martin stopped Tyrone Luckey in round five of their scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

Martin dropped Luckey twice in round two, once in round five and ended with a body shot at 2:31 of round five.

Martin, 138,6 lbs of Indianapolis, IN is 12-0 with nine knockouts. Luckey, 138.4 lbs of Long Beach, NJ is 12-13-4/