Month: February 2020

GARCIA AND VARGAS PRESS CONFERENCE
Welterweight showdown tops a blockbuster night of action in Frisco, TexasIn anticipation for the welterweight blockbuster event headlined by four-division World champion Mikey Garcia against two-division World champion Jessie Vargas, the fighters addressed the media in a press conference to discuss their preparation and predictions before entering the ring on Saturday night at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas – live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

The stacked Matchroom Boxing USA card will kick off with Joseph Parker battling Shawndell Winters in a Heavyweight bout, Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar will make his first defense of the WBC World Flyweight title against the undefeated Jay Harris, and in the chief support bout undefeated Kal Yafai will look to defend his WBA World Super Flyweight title against former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

Eddie Hearn

“Pleasure to be here ahead of a monstrous night of boxing. We have one of the best nights of boxing we have ever put on from top and bottom. So many great fights, championship fights, and an incredible main event in Garcia vs. Vargas.

“The heavyweight division is so good and it’s great to have Joseph Parker back. He’s ranked number two in the WBO, has a tough opponent in Shawndell Winters, and I look forward to a massive 2020 to regain a world title. We have one of my favorite fighters in Martinez – he’s an animal. I think he can be a Mexican legend in the sport. The co-main event we have Khalid and Gonzalez – talk about great fighters. Gonzalez is a legend in the sport of boxing. I can’t believe I’ll get to see him live in person. If Roman can win another title it would be historic.

“The main event is breathtaking. As we get closer I could see this being an absolute war, a Mexican war. These two are a credit to the sport, and this is such an incredible fight. This is going to be a fantastic night, and a great night of boxing.”

Mikey Garcia

“This is my first time working together with DAZN and it’s been great. This is a tremendous card, a stacked card with world championship fights. I’m here to do one thing and take over the show – there’s a lot more to Mikey Garcia. I’m going to display all my skills and be a contender in the welterweight division. We landed on Vargas because he’s a two-weight champion, solid career, big size, and has height. He’s everything that people have been telling me I shouldn’t be fighting, but I’m going to do everything I can to win this fight. I expect the best Jessie Vargas and that will allow to me display all my skills. I don’t want easy fights. This will be a great matchup because Jessie is a warrior. It will push me to get the best out of me.

“Jessie is a great person, but inside the ring we’re competitors. He’s coming to knock me out, and I’m trying to doing the same, but that will make it a memorable night. Tune-in to DAZN, it’s going to be fireworks all night long. We’re going to finish it off with bang, Jessie and myself. There’s a lot more to Mikey Garcia.”

Jessie Vargas

“We have a big night ahead of us against Garcia. I’m very much prepared. I trained very hard the last two months. It’s the best training camp I’ve had to date. I know what’s ahead of me and I know the opportunity in front of me. I trained my ass off for two months, following the game plan. I’ve never looked this good in the ring. I’m feeling good, I know Mikey is a good fighter. The moment the bell rings it’s fight time. I plan on giving a fantastic performance so you acknowledge that I’m the best in the division. This isn’t an easy fight but either way I’m coming to win. I’ve done my homework. Mikey is a good fighter and I’ve looked into some of his past fights.

“I’m happy to be part of this event. Come early to this fight, tune-in to DAZN for a great night of action-packed fights. We’re going to finish it off with a bang.”

Khalid Yafai

“I look up to Roman, so it’s going to be hard to fight him. I’m in the best shape, no stone unturned. I’ll give it everything I can. Looking forward to a massive fight on Saturday night. Don’t blink it will be a huge fight.”

Roman Gonzalez

“I’m in the best condition for this fight. I will take advantage of this opportunity. There’s not a small person in this fight, everyone is very good. I come with a blessing that I will win. Thank you and hope this sport of boxing will be a spectacle for everyone.”

Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar

“I’m very excited for Saturday, and going put up a fight. We’re going to win.”

Jay Harris

“I’m here to win and I’m going to pull off a massive upset on Saturday. It’s going be a hell of a fight. Tune-in on Saturday.”

Joseph Parker

“Great to be here in Texas. Last time I fought was June 2019, so very excited to fight this weekend. I worked hard in camp, a lot of running, sparring. I’m not taking this fight for granite. Looking forward to a great performance. On Saturday, I’m going to take care of business. Thank you to Winters for taking the fight and looking forward to the challenge.”

Shawndell Winters

“I’m not supposed to be here, but I’m glad to be here. I didn’t come to here to take pictures with Parker. It’s very nice for you all to meet me – that’s a joke! I’m coming to fight, I’m coming to win, this is my opportunity. Thank you to Parker for this opportunity. I’m confident and look forward to Saturday night.”

Photo credits: Matchroom Boxing 🥊

“I’m going to knock out Tyson Fury in devastating fashion onSaturday night,” – Wilder”I am knocking that bum out in two rounds.It’s going to be an early night,” – FuryWBC Heavyweight Champion Wilder & Lineal Champion Fury Set For Rematch This Saturday, February 22 Headlining Historic PPV Event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury made their grand arrivals Tuesday afternoon at MGM Grand, kicking off fight week events for the most anticipated heavyweight showdown in two decades. Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) rolled up in a red Ferrari, while Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) arrived shortly after in a Rolls-Royce SUV, both greeted by throngs of fans awaiting Saturday’s clash.They will renew their rivalry this Saturday, February 22, in a historic mega PPV event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Wilder has defended his world title successfully 10 consecutive times, while Fury is unbeaten in five bouts since returning from a nearly three-year layoff in June 2018. The grand arrivals also featured fighters competing in the PPV undercard squaring off, including former heavyweight champion Charles Martin and former title challenger Gerald Washington, whomeet in the co-main event, WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, a.k.a. “The Mexican Iron Man”, and Filipino contender Jeo Santisima, who battle in the PPV featured bout, and unbeaten super welterweights Sebastian Fundora and Daniel Lewis, who fight in the PPV opener at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. This is what the main event fighters had to say Tuesday:DEONTAY WILDER“The first fight was great, but the second time around we’re getting even more love. It’s been a blessed feeling and I’m so excited to show my greatness come Saturday night.” “I’m going to knock out Tyson Fury in devastating fashion on Saturday night. After I show the world what greatness lies inside of me, I will continue to go even further and do more amazing things in this sport.” “We all know that boxing is the hurt business and we both have bad intentions coming into this fight. I’m looking forward to our energies colliding and having an amazing fight.” TYSON FURY “Las Vegas is the home of champions, and ‘The Gypsy King’ is here to put on a show. I am knocking that bum out in two rounds. It’s going to be an early night.”

“I’ve done all I can, and I can’t wait for Saturday night to be here. The WBC belt is the only major title I’ve yet to win. Saturday night, it will be mine.”

Photos from Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions

“Las Vegas is the new home of ‘The Gypsy King.’ This is my time. Wilder got a gift last time. That won’t happen again. I’m coming for the knockout.”

Photo credits: Stephanie Trapp @tgb_promotions

@pbconfox #PlanbtFeigenbutz

Nashville, Tenn. – Fighting in front of a raucous hometown crowd for the first time in his professional career, undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant (20-0, 12 KOs) put on a show.

Plant dominated mandatory challenger Vincent Feigenbutz (31-3, 28 KOs) of Germany, scoring a 10th-round TKO Saturday night in the FOX PBC Fight Night main event and on FOX Deportes from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Abel Ramos Stuns Bryant Perrella in Co-main Event Welterweight Battle

In the co-main event, Abel Ramos scored a stunning last second TKO victory over Bryant Perrella in a scheduled 10-round welterweight match. Heading into the 10th and final round Ramos was told by his cornermen that he needed a knockout to win. Ramos (26-3-2, 20 KOs) delivered, badly hurting and dropping Perrella twice in the waning seconds of the frame, prompting referee Jack Reiss to wave the welterweight co-main event off with just one second remaining.

Perrella (17-3, 14 KOs) was up on all three cards at the time of the stoppage; 87-84 and two scores of 88-83.

The FOX PBC Fight Night opener featured a back-and-forth battle between lightweights Austin Dulay and Diego Magdaleno. Magdaleno produced one of the finest performances of his career, dropping Dulay on his way to a 10-round unanimous decision victory in a minor upset.

The 33-year-old Magdaleno (32-3, 13 KOs) was simply busier, particularly down the stretch in this battle of southpaws.

Las Vegas ‘Monster’ Fight: Naoya Inoue Aims to Unify Bantamweight World Titles Against Johnriel Casimero April 25 LIVE on ESPN+ at Mandalay Bay Events Center

Inoue-Casimero to headline tripleheader on ESPN+ beginning at 9 p.m. ET

ESPN2 to televise preliminary bouts starting at 7 p.m. ET

LAS VEGAS – A five-foot-five-inch, 118-pound Japanese monster is ready to take over the Las Vegas Strip. WBA/IBF bantamweight world champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue, the three-weight world champion climbing the mythical pound-for-pound rankings, will make his Las Vegas debut Saturday, April 25at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in a unification bout against WBO bantamweight world champion and fellow three-weight kingpin Johnriel Casimero.
 
Inoue is coming off a memorable decision in the 2019 Ring Magazine and ESPN.com Fight of the Year against future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire. This will be Inoue’s first bout under his long-term promotional agreement with Top Rank.
 
Inoue-Casimero and the 10-round bantamweight tilt featuring WBO No. 1 contender Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. and WBO No. 2 contender Jason Moloney will stream LIVE on ESPN+ beginning at 9 p.m. ET. In the final undercard bout on the ESPN+ stream, former super featherweight world champion Andrew Cancio will take on Tyler McCreary in a 10-rounder.
 
The preliminary bouts will air live on ESPN2 (7 p.m. ET) and will include the return of former world title challenger Alex “El Cholo” Saucedo in a 10-round super lightweight bout.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Ohashi Promotions, MP Promotions, TGB Promotions and SGG Sports Promotions, tickets priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25 (not including applicable fees) go on sale Friday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased online at www.axs.com or by phone at 888-929-7849.

Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs) had a dream start to 2019 when he knocked out Alberto Machado in February to win the WBA super featherweight world title. He stopped Machado in three rounds four months later, but he was dethroned in November via seventh-round knockout by Nicaraguan veteran Rene Alvarado. McCreary (16-1-1, 7 KOs), from Toledo, Ohio, is looking to bounce back from a unanimous decision defeat last November to former two-weight world champion Carl “The Jackal” Frampton.
 
“I’m very excited to start my next chapter with Top Rank on April 25against Tyler McCreary at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and on such an outstanding card,” Cancio said. “I know how formidable an opponent McCreary is, but I’ll be more than ready to be victorious and put on a great show for the fans when I return to battle.”
 
“It’s another big opportunity, something I couldn’t pass up,” McCreary said. “He’s a former world champion, but he’s no Carl Frampton. This is a steppingstone for bigger fights. I have to get past him to see the bigger names. I learned a lot from the Frampton fight, and that experience is the number one teacher for me.”
 

@emanuel_vaquero_navarrete

The hard hitting Mexican warrior Emanuel Navarrete (30-1, 26 KO’s) from Mexico City, MX. held a media workout as he gets set to go to war against Jeo Santisima (19-2, 16 KO’s) from Masbate City, PHL. for the WBO Super Bantamweight World Title.

@bronzebomber 🆚 @gypsyking101

WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (42-0-1, 42 KO’s) will once again defend his WBC title in round 13. The most anticipated rematch of our era against Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 KO’s) on Saturday February 22, 2020 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Presented by Premier Boxing Champions and Top Rank, Inc. #WilderFury2 @premierboxing @pbconfox

Photo credits: @toprank

Photos by Alex Menendez

Report: Damon Gonzalez/Latinbox Sports

Daytona Beach, Florida – Super Welterweight Evan ‘Yung Holy’ Holyfield (3-0, 3 KO’s) punches Travis Nero from Norman, Oklahoma ending his night dropping him three times ending the contest at a the official time 1:22 seconds of the opening stanza.

Bantamweight Anthony Ortiz (2-0, 2 KO’s) from Hartford, Connecticut destroys Akihiro Nakamura (1-1) from Duluth, Georgia at the official time :14 seconds of round one by KO victory.

Lightweight Nikolay Shvab (3-0, 2 KO’s) from Kostanay, Kazakhstan stops Tom Mills from Vero Beach, Florida at the 3:00 mark of round one by TKO victory.

Super Welterweight Ermal Hadribeaj (3-0-1, 1 KO) from Miami,Florida knocks off Donyeh Crosby (3-2, 2 KO’s) from Erie, PA. ending his night at the official time 2:12 seconds of round two by KO victory.

Super Featherweight Stevie Massey (11-1, 8 KO’s) from Charlotte,NC. out-boxed Marcus Coney from Huntington, West Virginia beating him by way of unanimous decision victory

during their boxing match last night at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona on February 8, 2020 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

NBA International Super Lightweight champion Branden Pizarro (L) (15-1-1, 8 KO’s) from Philadelphia, PA. punches Argentina’s Gonzalo Dallera beating him down ending the contest at the official time 1:01 seconds of round five by KO victory.

Jr. Featherweight Rebecca Cruz (R) (2-1, 2 KO’s) from Bonita Springs, Florida punches Elizabeth Tuani (1-1) from SeaTac, Washington

but falls short as Tuani out-boxes her to a unanimous decision victory.

Lightweight Anthony Savilla (1-0) from Charleston,WV. battled Gabriel Chacon (0-1) from San Diego, CA. pulling out the majority decision win as Savilla wins his pro debut during their boxing match last night at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona on February 8, 2020 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Presented by Christy Martin Promotions.

@christy_salters_martin

Jaime Arboleda Earns Split-Decision Victory Against Jayson Velez In WBA Super Featherweight Title Eliminator

Allentown, PA – In the telecast opener on Showtime Boxing, Jaime Arboleda survived a knockdown to win an excellent action fight by narrow split-decision over Jayson Veléz in a WBA Super Featherweight Title eliminator. The scores were 115-112 for Velez and 114-113 twice for Arboleda.

The 12-round, 130-pound offensive slugfest saw more than 1,800-plus punches thrown-including more than 500 landed-with Velez picking up the action in the championship rounds. In the 12th, Velez connected with just over a minute left to send Arboleda to the canvas for the lone knockdown of the bout.

The 25-year-old Arboleda (16-1, 13 KOs) from Curundu, Panama, was fighting in the U.S. for the third time in his career. He had never been past nine rounds until tonight and won his sixth consecutive bout.

Photo from Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

Daytona Beach, Florida – Super Welterweight Evan ‘Yung Holy’ Holyfield (3-0, 3 KO’s) punches Travis Nero from Norman, Oklahoma ending his night dropping him three times ending the contest at a the official time 1:22 seconds of the opening stanza during their boxing match last night at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona on February 8, 2020 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Presented by Christy Martin Promotions.

@christy_salters_martin

Photo by Alex Menendez

@evanderholyfield

@main_events

Report: Damon Gonzalez/Latinbox Sports