It was anxious, but Anthony Joshua survived two first round knockdown to knockout Kristian Prenga in round two in a 12-round heavyweight bout at The Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabis.

20 seconds into the bout, Prenga landed a big right uppercut that put Joshua on his back. Joshua was wobbly and Prenga rocked Joshua with a big straight right. It was a left uppercut to the chin that made Joshua’s glove touch the canvas for a second knockdown. In round two, Joshua landed a hard combination to the head that was followed by a straight right to the chin that put Prenga sprawling back on the ropes and down for the count at 2:43.

Joshua, 251 lbs of London is 30-4 with 27 knockouts. Prenga, 261.4 lbs of Mirdite, ALB is 20-2.

Joshua most likely will take on Tyson Fury in a long awaited showdown in the Fall.

Sheeraz Defends Super Middleweight Title with Majority Decision over Zachenhuber

Hamzah Sheeraz barely defends the WBO Super Middleweight title with a majority decision over Simon Zachenhuber.

Sheeraz landed 112 of 460 punches. Zachenhuber was 98 of 516.

Sheeraz, 167.9 lbs of Ilford, ENG won of 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 and is now 24-0-1. Zachenhuber, 166. lbs Erding, GER is 29-2.

Kelly Decisions Agyarko; Retains 154 lb. Title

Josh Kelly skated by with a razor thin 12-round unanimous decision over Caoihumn Agyarko to retain the IBF Junior Middleweight title.

In round two, Agyarko started to swell around his right eye. In round six, Kelly was deducted for hitting behind thehead.

Kelly landed 97 of 437 punches. Agyarko landed 87 of 352.

Kelly, 153.4 lbs of Sunderland, ENG won by scores of 115-112 twice and 114-113 and is now 19-1-1. Agyarko, 165 lbs of Belfast, NI is 18-1.

Tsutsumi Stops Herrera in 2

Reito Tsutsumi stopped Alvino Herrera in round two of a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

Late in round one, Tsutsumi dropped Herrera with a hard combination to the head. Seconds later, with Herrera still dazed a left hand forced Herrera’s glove to hit the canvas. Early in round two, Tstutsumi dropped Herrera with a crushing right hook and the fight was stopped at 28 seconds.

Tsutsuni, 128.6 lbs of Tokyo is 5-0 with four knockouts, Herrera, 128.8 lbs of Cancun, MEX is 18-1-2.

Bank Decisions August

Jacob Bank won a eight-round unanimous decision over Pawel August in a super middleweight bout.

Bank landed 184 of 531 punches. August landed 76 of 319.

Bank, 168.8 lbs of Kodad, DEN won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 20-0 August, 169.4 lbs of Taucum, ENG is 18-1.

Dev Stops Diaz in 1

Nishant Dev stopped Cesar Diaz in the opening round of their eight-round super welterweight bout.

In round one, Dev dropped Diaz with a counter left to the head. It was another counter left that put Diaz on his back. Dev ended things when he landed a left to the side of the head that put Diaz down and the fight was over at 2:56.

Dev, 155 lbs of Haryana, IND is 7-0 with five knockouts. Diaz, 152.4 lbs of Lima, PER is 10-3.

Oleksandr Khyrzniak stopped previously undefeated Lenny Patrach in round two of a scheduled eight-round light heavyweight bout.

In round two, Khyzniak dropped Patrach with a left hook to the head. Khyzniak dropped Patrach again with a barrage of punches and the bout was stopped at 1:56.

Khryzniak, 173 lbs of Poltava, UKR is 2-0 with two knockouts. Patrach, 175.8 lbs of Beziers, FRA is 8-1-1.

Ziyad Almaayouf got off the deck but won a eight-round unanimous decision over Frank Mango in a super lightweight bout.

In round five, Mango caught Almaayouf with a counter left that put the hometown fighter down.

Almaayouf, 143.2 lbs of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia won by scores of 78-71 and 77-72 twice and is now 8-1-1. Mango, 141 lbs of Tanzania is 8-2.

Mikey Tallon stopped Orlando Pino in the opening round of their eight-round flyweight bout.

In round one, Tallon landed a crushing left hook to the body that put Pino down riving in pain for the 10-rcount at 1:31.

Tallon, 113 lbs of Liverpool is 15-0 with four knockouts. Pino, 112.8 lbs of Miranda, VEN is 17-4.

Mohammed Alakel stopped Lydon Chircop in round five of their six-round super featherweight bout.

In round four, Alakel dropped Chircop with a left to the body. In round five, Alakel dropped Chircpp in the opening seconds with a right to the head. A minute later another body shot put Chircop down again. Alakel finished off the fight when he landed another right to the body and the fight was stopped at 2:02.

Alakel, 130.6 lbs of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is now 9-0 with three knockouts. Chircop, 131.2 lbs of Gizira, MAL is 8-5.

Sultan Almohammed stopped Efren Besaiduch in round three of their four-round featherweight contest.

In round three, Almohammed dropped Besaiduch with a body shot. Almohammed finished the fight with a right and left to the head and the fight was stopped at 2:41.

Almohammed, 128 lbs of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is 5-0 with four knockouts. Besaiduch, 127.2 lbs of Viantos, SPA is 3-4-1.

Omar Hikal won a four-round unanimous decision over Brian Castellano in middleweight bout.

In round three, Hikal dropped Castellano with a right hand.

Hikal, 160.6 lbs of Cairo, EGY won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 2-0. Castellano, 160.8 lbs of Spain is now 2-2.

Mahmoud Mbubarak won a four-round unanimous decision over Bryan Zapata in a super lightweight bout

MbubarK, 138.2 lbs of Alexandria, EGY won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 and is now 2-0. Zapata, 138.6 lbs of Colombia is 5-10-1.

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury returned from his sixth “retirement” with a 12-roumd unanimous decision over Aslanbek Makhmudov in front of over 50,000 at Tottenham-Hotspur Stadium in London.

Fury, 267.9 lbs of London won by scores of 120-108 twice and 119-109 and is now 35-2-1. Makhmudov, 264.9 lbs of Montreal is 21-3.

After the fight Fury and Turki Al-Sheika called Anthony Joshua into the ring but Joshua declined.

Benn Decisions Prograis

Conor Benn won a 10-round unanimous decision over former two-time world champion Regis Prograis in a welterweight fight.

In round five, Benn was cut over his left eye.

In round six, Benn was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt.

Benn, 149.6 lbs of Ilford, ENG won by scores of 98-92 on all cards and is now 25-1. Prograis, 148.6 lbs of Houston is 30-4.

Riakporhe Stops Tshikeva in 5

Richard Riakporhe stopped Jeamie Tshkeva (TKE) in round five of their 10-round British Heavyweight title fight

In round two, Tshikeva was bleeding from his nose. In round five, Riakporhe landed a big right hand that put Shikeva down. Later in round five, Riakporhe landed a huge flurry that featured six wicked rights and two left hooks and the fight was stopped at 2:12.

Riakporhe, 234.12 lbs of Walworth, ENG is 20-1 with 16 knockouts. Tshikeva, 262.7 lbs of Tottenham, ENG is 9-3.

Huni Decisions Clarke By Majority Decision

Justis Huni won a 10-round majority decision over Frazer Clarke in a heavyweight bout.

Huni, 246.14 lbs of Brisbane, AUS won by scores of 96-94 twice and 95-95 and is now 13-1. Clarke, 259.12 lbs of Burton-On-Treat, UK is 9-3.

Breyon Gorham stopped Eduardo Costa in round five of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Gorham dropped Costa with a chopping right to the head.

In round five, Gorham hurt Costa with a right to the jaw and followed up with an uppercut that set off five lefts to the chin and the fight was stopped at 1:51.

Gorham, 141.14 lbs of Houston is 22-0 with 17 knockouts. Costa, 140.13 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 12-6.

Mikey Tallon stopped Leandro Blanc in the opening round of their eight-round super flyweight bout.

Tallon landed a perfect left to the body that put Blanc down and the fight was over at 2:53.

Tallon, 113.12 lbs of Liverpool, UK is 14-0 with three knockouts. Blanc, 113.7 lbs of Concordia, ARG us 8-5.

Pawel August won a six-round decision over Simon Zachunhuber in a super middleweight bout of undefeated fighters.

August, 170.7 lbs of Thunton, UK won by a 58-56 score and is 18-0. Zachunhuber, 169.6 lbs of Erding, GER is 28-1.

Felix Cash stopped Liam O’Hare in round two of a 10-round middleweight fight.

In round one, Cash dropped O’Hare with a counter right. Seconds later, a flurry that was finished off by a right put O’Hare down again. Early in round two, Cash landed a big right that put O’Hare made O’Hare crouch his legs and the fight was stopped at 22 seconds

Cash, 162.15 lbs is 17-1 with 11 knockouts. O’Hare, 162.2 lbs is 13-3.

Sultan Almohammed stopped Hector Lozano in round three of a four-round junior lightweight bout.

Almohammed landed an uppercut that was followed by a jab and four right hands that sandwiched around a left and the fight was stopped at 2:46.

Almohammed, 130.15 lbs of Riyadh, SA is 3-0 with two knockouts. Lozano, 131.2 lbs of El Fuerte, MEX is 3-8-2

Eliot Whale stopped Tom Hill in round four of their six-round welterweight bout.

Whale broke down Hill and the fight was stopped at 2:39.

Whale, 149.3 lbs of Sidcub, UK is 14-0 with nine knockouts. Hill, 147.4 lbs of Red Car, ENG is 12-5.

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS – There was no blood. There were no knockdowns. There was only Terence Crawford.

Crawford’s dance, as brilliant as it was defiant, continued Saturday, reaching a peak few others have achieved or even imagined with an upset of Canelo Alvarez in front of a crowd of 70,482 at Allegiant Stadium.

Crawford, booed when he entered the arena and booed for weeks after the fight was announced, did what he was always done in his historic path to undisputed title in three weight classes.

He did it with his feet, frustrating Canelo at almost every turn in winning a unanimous decision. It was 115-113 on two scorecards and 116-112 on the third. Two of the cards appeared to be closer than what the dominant Crawford did in moving across the ring, in and out of harm’s way and into history.

Canelo always seemed to be a step behind, a dance partner that couldn’t quite keep up with the master.

If there was a surprise, it was in Crawford’s footwork. He moved his feet with an agility not seen in almost a decade. For 12 rounds, the 37-year-old Crawford sustained the dance that earned him the undisputed super-middleweight title and a place among boxing’s all-time greats.

If he had been around in another time, the game would have Five Kings alongside the foursome of Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran.

In his hometown – Omaha, they simply call him Bud. On this night, however, boxing historians could have called him Sugar. He was that good, a former welterweight and junior-welter champion coming up two weight classes to take down Canelo, one of the most feared punchers in his day,

After it was all over, Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) went to one knee and looked toward Allegiant Stadium’s ceiling as though he was looking to the heavens.

Thanks, he said

The thank-you was preceded by a confident Crawford who opened the fight in the southpaw style. His right hand led the attack and hinted at imminent alterations. But he never switched up, never went from left-handed to right-handed. But the threat was always there, forcing Canelo to be wary.

Above all, Crawford’s two-handed, ambidextrous threat  threw some hesitancy, if not outright  confusion into Canelo’s tactical plans.

Crawford right hand landed first, followed by a glancing left in the opening round. The crowd roared. Canelo remained cautious.

But in the second round, the popular Mexican hinted, perhaps, at what he had planned. He moved forward, almost stalking and in an almost straight line that led him to his target: Crawford’s midsection.

The body punch landed, forcing Crawford to step to one side and then another. In the third, it began to look as if Crawford was poised to pick up the pace.

In the fourth, he did, landing a couple of quick hands, first a right than a left. Momentum in the fourth, however, suddenly shifted when Canelo landed a straight right hand. Crawford looked at at him and smiled as if to say: You can’t catch me.

Over the next eight rounds, Canelo never could.

Callum Walsh dominates in one-sided decision over Vargas Jr.

Callum Walsh had too much power and too much accuracy.

In the end, he had too much of everything in overwhelming Fernando Vargas, Jr, who has a legendary name but none of his father’s resilient skillset. 

On the scorecards, Vargas (17-1, 13 KOs) never had a chance. The judges nearly scored the 10-round junior-middleweight fight as a shutout for Walsh (16-0, 11 KOs), an agile Irishman who knows his way around the ring.

 It was 99-91 on two cards and 100-90 on the third in the final fight before the Terence Crawford-Canelo Alvarez main event at Allegiant Stadium.

Mbilli, Martinez fight to a bruising draw

It was punishing, a fight full of momentum swings and exhausting exchanges of punches that landed everywhere and from all angles. It was hard to pick a winner.

In the end, nobody could..

Christian Mbilli-Lester Martinez was a draw. The good news is that the super-middleweight fight set the stage for a sequel and perhaps a great new rivalry. The only winner was the gathering crowd for the main event, Canelo Alvarez-versus-Terence Crawford. The early undercards didn’t offer much in terms of drama. Allegiant Arena eats were empty. Knockouts were few. Cheers were muted.

Then, Mbilli and Martinez stepped through the ropes.

In the early rounds, it looked as if Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) might win easily. He appeared to have an edge in the number and power of inside punches. In the middle rounds, however, Martinez. (19-01, 16 KOs), showed a stubborn streak and and his own brand of body shots and uppercuts. The Guatemalan wasn’t going anywhere. In the eighth and again ninth, it looked as if the body assault had robbed Mbilli of his energy. He looked fatigued.

In the final moments of the tenth and final round, however, Mbilli recovered, scoring repeatedly and often enough to perhaps ensure a draw. One judge scored it for him, 96-94. One scored it for Martinez, 97-93. On the third, it was a draw, 95-95

Can’t wait for the rematchThe punishing fight ended with exchanges of punches and moment

Mohammed Alakel wins unanimous decision

Saudi junior-lightweight Mohammed Alakel (5-0, 1 KO) employed faster hands and feet, scoring quickly and repeatedly for a unanimous decision  overTravis Crawford (7-4) a hard working fighter from (7-4-1) from Corpus Christi, TX in the first fight on the Netflix part of a card featuring Terence Crawford-versus-Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium Saturday. 

Brandon Adams wins rematch, scores decision over Bohachuk

Brandon Adams wore a gray wig to news conferences and weigh-ins. He shed the costume in the ring and answered questions about his age with a variety of punches.

Body shots, hooks and uppercuts were repeated answers to Serhii Bohachuk, who called the 36-year-old Adams — a Los Angeles middleweight — an old fighter.

Age is just a number, or at least it was for 10 rounds of punishing shots from multiple angles from Adams in a rematch victory Saturday at Allegiant Stadium over Bohachuk (26-3, 24 KOs) , a Ukrainian known for his power. 

In the end, Adams made the 30-year Bohachuk look old.  Adams, who scored an eighth-round TKO of Bohachuk in 2021, landed shots almost at will, winning a unanimous decision in the final fight before the Netflix portion of the Canelo-Crawford card.

Jermaine Franklin wins dull decision

It was unanimous.

On the cards.

And in the seats.

Jermaine Franklin Jr. won the decision. He also shared some of the contempt hurled at Ivan Dychko from a few fans scattered across Allegiant Stadium’s 65,000 seats Saturday on the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford card in a heavyweight matinee Saturday.

Franklin (24-2), of Saginaw MI,  and Dychko (15-, 14 KOs), a two-time Olympic bronze medalist from Kazakhstan, clinched and clutched more than they punched through 10 forgettable rounds. By the fifth, the scattered crowd began to jeer. By the eighth, the boos began to echo through the empty arena.

By the end of the 10th, there were cheers.

Finally, it was over. 

Tsutsumi scores first-round stoppage

Reito Tsutsumi, a Japanese junior lightweight, didn’t need much time, mostly because Javier Martinez didn’t have much of anything at all.

Tsutsumi (3-0, 2 KOs) did it all within 2:18, walking down Martinez (7-3,4 KOs), hurting the Dallas fighter first with a succession of body shots and then finishing him with with straight punches that put Martinez on the canvas, a lonely figure in an empty building early on a card featuring Terence Crawford-versus-Canelo Alvarez fight.

Sultan Almohammed made a succsessful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Martin Caraballo in a lightweight bout.

In round one, Almohammed dropped Caraballo with a right to the jaw.

Almohammed, 132.5 lbs of Jeddah, SA won by scores of 40-36 on all cardsa and is now 1-0. Caraballo, 133 lbs of Hollywood, FL is 0-1-1….Marc Abrams

Raiko Santana scored a mild upset by stopping Steven Nelson in the opening round of their 10-round light heavyweight bout.

Santana landed a hard right hand that hurt Nelson and a follow-up flurry forced the stoppage at 2:38.

Sanatana Of El Paso, TX is 13-4 with with seven knockouts. Nelson of Omaha, NEB is 20-2…...Marc Abrams

Potential Mexican star, Marco Verde stopped Sona Akale in round our of their six-roumd middleweight bout.

In round one, Verde landed a right hook that put Akale on the canvas.

In round four, Verde continued the assault and referee Mark Nelson stopped the bout at 1:11.

Verde, 158 lbs of Mazaltan, MEX is 3-0 with two knockouts. Akale, 158 lbs of St. Paul, MN is 9-4….Marc Abrams