Pacquiao vs. Khan Will Happen in UAE, Says Michael Koncz

 Photo by:  Dan Istitene/Getty Images) –

Koncz has also confirmed that a Pacquiao-Khan deal was reached, despite an earlier announcement by promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank that the Filipino’s next bout would be against Australia’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane.

The announcement of the date adds further intrigue. April 23 falls on a Sunday. For a fight to appeal to the mass pay-per-view television markets of the United States, a fight in the UAE would most likely have to take place at around 7am or 8am in the morning, and on a Sunday, which is a work day in the country.

According to Arum, a group in the Middle East has offered a huge sum of $38 million to bring Pacquiao-Khan to UAE – an offer which caused a potential deal against Horn to fall apart.

Khan has been out of the ring since May of 2016, when he moved up to a catch-weight of 155-pounds to challenge Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. He was knocked out in six rounds.

Pacquiao continues to be trained by Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach, who previously trained Khan for several years. Khan left Roach in 2012 and is now under the tutelage of Virgil Hunter.

www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-vs-khan-on-april-23-fighters-announce-deal-reached–113992

By Miguel Rivera

World Boxing Organization super middleweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez will make his first championship defense on April 22 in California, according to the information that Top Rank’s Bob Arum disclosed to Mexican promoter Jesus Zapari.

Based on the information given to Zapari, the opponent of ‘Zurdo’ will be Ukrainian contender Max Bursak, who has a record of 33-4-1 and 15 knockouts. In addition, the European is 32 years old and he’s lost fights to top opponents like Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, Zac Dunn and Martín Murray.

Zápari, who along with promoter Arum leads the career of Ramirez, was advised of the details on Monday and told that his boxer would fight in Los Angeles, California.

Zapari was under the impression that Ramirez would join the undercard of WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who is also fighting on that day – and the Filipino star’s return will happen in either Australia or the United Arab Emirates. But Ramirez will appear on a separate presentation in California.

“The date Arum gave us was April 22nd in California against the Ukrainian. At the beginning we thought there was a chance of having a role in Pacquiao’s undercard, but they have not decided on that, so what we have been told is that he’s goes to fight Bursak in California, which is good because we wanted to stage a fight in this area,” Zápari said to ESPN Deportes.

Ramirez became the first Mexican fighter to win a world super middleweight championship (168 pounds) last April, after he dethroned the dangerous German veteran Arthur Abraham in Las Vegas. However, he could not fight for the rest of 2016 due to an injury to the knuckle of his right hand.

The first defense was scheduled for July 23, but after the injury he withdrew from that opportunity. He was forced to undergo surgery, which left him on the shelf for the rest of the year.

www.boxingscene.com/gilberto-ramirez-vs-max-bursak-play-april-22–113584?print_friendly=1

    WORLD   BOXING ORGANIZATION

Luis Batista Salas, Esq.

Chairman

WBO Championship Committee 

January 24, 2017

Re:     WBO HEAVYWEIGHT PURSE BID

Joseph Parker vs. Hughie Fury

Gentlemen:

As per Section 11 through 14 of the WBO Regulations for World Championship Contest (www.wboboxing.com), please be advised that a purse bid will be held at 11:00 am AST on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at the:

WBO Headquarters

1056 Muñoz Rivera Avenue

Suite 711-714

San Juan, PR 00927

+1 (787) 765-4444

The minimum acceptable bid for the Heavyweight Title is $1,000,000.00 (One Million Dollars). The Purse division for Champion Parker will be 60% and for the Challenger 40%, as accorded during the 2016 WBO Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

President Francisco Valcarcel will be presiding.

Cc:      All Bona Fide Promoters

By Ryan Burton

WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez (34-0) and his team were very interested observers of the war waged Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack and IBF champion James DeGale battled to a twelve round majority draw in an exciting fight that saw both fighters retain their titles.

Based on what Ramirez’s co-trainer Héctor Zapari saw in he fight, he believes that his charge has what it takes to defeat either of them.

“Zurdo has all of the tools necessary to clearly defeat either of them or knock them out,” said Zapari.

“We are very confident that our promoter Bob Arum can make the biggest fights possible. Zurdo will come back to the ring better than every after his surgery. He is very motivated to get back in the ring.”

Ramírez last fought in April 2016 as part of the Pacquiao-Bradley III undercard, when he captured his title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Arthur Abraham. He was slated to return to the ring in July but aggravated an injury to a knuckle in his right hand during training camp which required surgery and has kept him sidelined.

He is now back training at full speed and is looking to return to the ring in March or April.

“The greatest champions fight other champions and unify titles. Zurdo is ready for all of the other three champions at 168 pounds.” Zapari told BoxingScene.com.

www.boxingscene.com/team-ramirez-zurdo-what-it-takes-ko-jack-degale–112700?print_friendly=1

Two-division world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs) and unbeaten former world champion Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs) spoke to the press on Monday about their HBO clash this Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Vasyl Lomachenko: I think it is going to be very, very hard for me in the first four rounds, then after that I will be trying to terminate the bout.

Nicholas Walters: I don’t think this is a different Lomachenko from the guy that lost to Salido – he is the same Lomachenko. They say a leopard cannot change his spots right? Since he did lose to Salido, he can be as technical all he wants, but I am in the hurt business – this is a gladiator sport and I fight all of my fights like that, I fight like a gladiator. He can come in with his technical fight on Saturday and I am going to be up for it and put on a helluva show on Saturday night.

Lomachenko-Walters Q@A Transcript

BOB ARUM: This is my 2000th event and this fight is worthy of being my 2,000th event. Nicholas Walters is the hardest puncher in these divisions — they don’t call him the “Axe Man” for nothing and he always give 100%. And Vasyl Lomachenko is an unbelievable technician who has done really the impossible, winning world titles in two divisions in a record-few seven professional fights. So I look for a Fight of the Year candidate on Saturday night at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and everybody can watch it live on HBO in addition to the replay of the controversial fight from Saturday between Kovalev and Ward. And what I think is the Fight of the Year candidate Lomachenko vs. Walters. I’m a big fan of both guys. I think Walters is a tremendous fighter and I enjoy the way he fights.

LOMACHENKO: I would like to congratulate Bob Arum on his 2000th event and I am proud to be on his 2000th fight card. I wish him very good health and I hope he can make a 2,500th card so I can be on that also.

Why the interest in fighting Walters now when there were trepidations before?

LOMACHENKO: This is a very important bout for me because many boxing experts and many people in boxing rank Walters as the highest-rated fighter in our division. He is a very hard puncher and a very good boxer and for me it’s a very important thing to me to fight the best and it’s very important for me because everyone says he is a very good fighter.

How do you think this fight will go with Walters since he is a bigger boxer?

LOMACHENKO: I don’t know. I cannot answer that question. I can’t tell you exactly how it’s going to go or tell you what is going to happen in the ring. That will depend on how it begins in the ring. It is boxing and everything is going to happen very fast.

Where did you learn your creativity? Were there any boxers you watch while younger that you learned from?

LOMACHENKO: First of all, I would like you to know that everything that I have is what my father created in me and my father put everything together into me. Secondly I am a workaholic – I work hard. I do not cheat myself in training, I work very hard and somehow God has given me great balance that helps me put everything together.

There is a video on You Tube that compares Vasyl to The Matrix. Have you seen the video? What is your reaction? There are many people outside of boxing that have seen this video…

LOMACHENKO: This is exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to let different people know, people outside of boxing, to know me. I think the boxing game is one that people have forgotten about and they are not enjoying it as much. I want to bring back and show how interesting boxing can be. I am the motherboard.

Do you have a plan for the future? What do you see as the endgame?

LOMACHENKO: For sure I was thinking about that, and my contract is over in six or seven months and that’s when I am thinking about finishing my career (laughing at his joke).

BOB ARUM: I would like to say this; that Vasyl Lomachenko is technically the best fighter that I have seen since the early Muhammad Ali. There is nobody that I have seen, and there have been a lot of great technical fighters that I have seen – Alexis Arguello was one, Floyd Mayweather certainly, Manny Pacquiao – but there has been nobody with the skills that Vasyl Lomachenko has.

You have fought a lot of amateurs – when you fight a fighter like Walters who sometimes swings for the fences, what typically has happened in those type fights?

LOMACHENKO: If we are talking about the amateurs – the punchers never got anywhere in their careers. Usually three rounds was not enough time to get ready for the fight. The punchers are professional boxers not amateur boxers.

How do you see this fight playing out?

LOMACHENKO: I think it is going to be very, very hard for me in the first four rounds, then after that I will be trying to terminate the bout.

This is a big fight, but how do you see Lomachenko in the bigger fights in the larger arenas?

BOB ARUM: Lomachenko has a huge upside. This is the second world title in as many divisions in seven professional fights – that has never happened before, and he is going to win more world titles as he goes up in weight and there are going to be very interesting guys for him to fight. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that he and Manny [Pacquiao] could fight sometime next year. Lomachenko wants challenges and he is a tremendous talent. His upside is enormous and a lot of people are watching him — not just boxing fans — because he is an unbelievable talent. They see him on You Tube and on HBO and have said what an unbelievable talent he is.

Do you want to fight Manny Pacquiao?

LOMACHENKO: Yes, of course I would like to fight Pacquiao, but not in the next fight.

What makes this a can’t-miss fight?

BOB ARUM: They call Walters the Axe Man for a reason — he searches and destroys. He is a tremendous puncher and he is in with a technician who has enormous talent in boxing not only defensively but offensively, so this is a can’t-miss fight and I want the people to realize that not only do I believe that it will be a Fight of the Year candidate, I believe that if Vasyl Lomachenko is successful, he should be right up there for consideration for Fighter of the Year.

Do you feel like you may want to slow Lomachenko down a little bit?

BOB ARUM: From the first day I met him, when he sat down with me and we discussed his future, I was concerned because people were offering him large signing bonuses, he told me that he didn’t want a signing bonus; he wanted to earn his own money. All he wanted was challenges that I would present to him. That’s what I am going to do. He doesn’t want any gimmes – he wants every fight to be a challenge. So at 130-pounds, who is more of a challenge than Nicholas Walters? I am not going to slow him down. He knows his ability a lot more than I do. And you have to give his father credit – his father is probably the best trainer in boxing today and I say that without any question, because look what the father produced from the Ukrainian Olympic team in London. Oleksandr Usuyk who is now a cruiserweight champion, Alexandr Gvozdyk, a light heavyweight who you saw last week on the Ward-Kovalev pay-per-view, who is a future champion – they are all Ukrainians and they were all trained by Vasyl’s father. So he has a lot going for him.

How will you deal with the reach advantage that Walters has?

LOMACHENKO: Boxers always have an advantage over another, whether it is a longer reach or more weight or a taller guy. How I will use his reach advantage to my advantage, you will find out on Saturday.

What do you think when someone of Bob’s stature speaks so highly of you?

LOMACHENKO: It will give me another motivation because a lot of people may look at that or hear that and think that maybe it’s not true. When I hear that it gives me a lot of motivation to make me work harder in my training to prove that what Bob is saying. I don’t have the chance to make any mistakes. I have to prove that Bob is right.

——–  ———

Do you think the layoff will affect you?

WALTERS: The layoff? I am in the motivation business, so the layoff is definitely part of the boxing business. As a fighter I have always been in the gym working out and everything so the layoff wouldn’t even bother me and I wouldn’t take the fight if I thought I wasn’t going to be ready for the fight. I don’t even think for a minute that I only want to please Nicholas. I want to please the fans and my country, both Panama and Jamaica and all of my fans in Mexico and all over the world. I am not just taking the fight for Nicholas. I am taking the fight for everybody and come Saturday I am going to be ready for the fight – just like all of the other fights.

How do you feel about taking on this fighter that is a two-division world champion in only seven pro fights and that everyone is saying is so great?

WALTERS: The achievement is good for him. And Bob knows what he is talking about since he has been in the business for 50 years. Even Muhammad Ali lost fights. I don’t think this is a different Lomachenko from the guy that lost to Salido – he is the same Lomachenko. They say a leopard cannot change his spots right? Since he did lose to Salido, he can be as technical all he wants, but I am in the hurt business – this is a gladiator sport and I fight all of my fights like that, I fight like a gladiator. He can come in with his technical fight on Saturday and I am going to be up for it and put on a helluva show on Saturday night.

You don’t see much development in Lomachenko and feel he is ripe for the taking with your power punching?

WALTERS: Each fight is different and I am not going to tell you that I am going to fight Lomachenko the same way that Salido fought him. Of course, only a fool doesn’t learn from his mistakes, doesn’t learn from his mistakes in the ring. He has been training and working out so I know he is a more complete fighter than his first fight. I am not even worried, so to speak, but I know that he has learned and is a better fighter from that loss. But it is still a blemish on his record that he lost. With that in mind he has tasted defeat and I have never tasted defeat. We have stayed undefeated and we are going to keep it that way this Saturday.

What would this victory mean to you and your career?

WALTERS: I don’t know. This fight for me is just as important as my last fight. Each fight I have I fight hard and I fight tough. In each fight for me I defend my undefeated record. Each fight for me I am defending my pride. This victory would be a big victory because we know that this guy is no easy fight. We are not saying that Lomachenko is an easy opponent. We know he is a top fighter and a tough fighter. We are just saying that this Saturday and this victory is going to put the Axe Man to where I want to be and hopefully next year I start making over $1 million per fight. That’s what we are aiming at. So we win Saturday then move on to other opponents.

In Closing…

WALTERS: I don’t have a lot to say, just that the Axe Man is going to show that he is the real Krusher on Saturday night. Not some softee, but the real Axe Man the real Krusher will be in the ring on Saturday night.

BOB ARUM: I am absolutely thrilled that this fight between Lomachenko and Walters will be my 2000th boxing event and will definitely be a candidate for Fight of the Year with two great fighters. The HBO telecast will begin at 10:35 p.m. ET / 10:30 p.m. PT. The Kovalev-Ward replay will also be part of the HBO telecast. That fight’s scoring was very controversial so if you haven’t seen it this is your chance. Then watch the Fight of the Year, I believe, between Lomachenko and Walters. There were only 60 tickets left this morning at The Cosmopolitan and it will probably be sold out by the end of today so the best way to see the fight, if you don’t have a ticket, is on HBO.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/lomachenko-walters-talk-upcoming-collision-360558

Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford and challenger John Molina faced off at their kickoff press converence on Thursday in Omaha for their December 10th fight at the CenturyLink Center Omaha.

Terence Crawford said “We’ve been watching [Molina] for a long time now. We knew he was a dangerous fighter. We’re looking to go to hell and back to get the victory. I know it’s gonna be a great fight.”

John Molina said “All the talking means nothing. Fighter’s fight.”

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said “John Molina is a helluva fighter. We know how dangerous he is. This fight without a doubt is the best fight in the division.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/terence-crawford-looking-go-hell-back-get-victory-359309

By Francisco Salazar –

Manny Pacquiao was not going to stay retired after his April 9 win over Timothy Bradley. Not when there are potential fights against the likes of Terence Crawford or Floyd Mayweather.

How convenient was it for both to be sitting ringside amongst the 16,132 in attendance at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

What were both thinking as they exited the venue after Manny Pacquiao won a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas remains to be seen.

But they both know Pacquiao brings a lot of money and large continent of fans to fill any arena to the table.

Pacquiao improves to 59-6-2, 38 KOs, while Vargas falls to 27-2, 10 KOs.

If Saturday night was a showcase of sorts, Pacquiao did what he had to do and what was expected of him: dominate a fighter in Vargas throughout 12 rounds.

Lost in all this was Vargas, who would lose the WBO World welterweight title to Pacquiao. But he tried and made the popular Filipino fighter earn the victory.

Vargas was defending the title he won on March 5, when he stopped Sadam Ali in Washington, D.C. It was an impressive win for the Mexican-American, but it made him a likely target for Pacquiao and his handlers.

Would Vargas realistically land a fight against Pacquiao if he did not have a world title belt? Most like not, but Vargas was up to the challenge, even after a proposed fight with Kell Brook evaporated over the summer.

Vargas said all the right things in the build-up to the fight, but from the opening bell, looked overwhelmed by Pacquiao’s speed, albeit it was not what it once was.

Pacquiao used his speed to drop Vargas with about a minute left in round two, courtesy of a left hand to the head. Vargas was not visibly hurt, looking more embarrassed that the punch dropped him on his rear.

Pacquiao continued to be in control, but Vargas did his best work in the middle rounds, finding a home for straight right hands to the head. Some of those punches snapped Pacquiao’s head back, especially during rounds six, Vargas’ best round.

But, like the consummate pro that he is, Pacquiao was able to weather the storm, utilizing his speed and aggression to swing momentum back in his favor.

As if Pacquiao’s speed was not enough to deal with, Vargas had to deal with a cut over his right eye that was caused by a head-butt, although the Nevada State Athletic Commission ruled that a punch opened the cut.

Pacquiao walked Vargas down at times, controlling the action as the fight moved into the championship rounds. Vargas did all he could, but Pacquiao’s pedigree was too much on this night.

Two judges scored the bout 119-108, as did Boxingscene.com, while the third judge (Dave Moretti) scored the bout closer than many expected (114-113), all for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao had to have 12 stitches for a cut over his right eye and did not attend the post-fight press conference.

Now that Pacquiao holds a title (and another eight figure purse to boot), what is next?

Rumors amongst boxing insiders is that a possible rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather could be penciled in May. Many in boxing cringe at the idea of another fight that would produce 12 anti-climatic rounds at a steep price.

Then there is the possibility of Terence Crawford, a fighter who has mentioned he is staying put at 140 pounds until he unifies all the world titles.

Since Bob Arum is now doing business with Al Haymon, there are also possibilities of Pacquiao fighting other elite welterweights like Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. Both are scheduled to fight each other in March.

“I’ll let the fans pick who they want me to pick,” said Pacquiao after the fight. “I don’t pick anyone.”

When he was pressed, Pacquiao responded, “Anyone at 147 pounds.”

Is a potential fight with Crawford a possibility.

“Yes, I don’t have any problems going down to 140 pounds. It would be better for me.”

As for Vargas, the loss to Pacquiao does not hurt him. He is still a player at 147 pounds and would likely fight on HBO programming in 2017.

“We’ll come back strong for my next fight,” said Vargas afterwards. “We’re still young. Fighting a legend in Manny Pacquiao will elevate my game.”

www.boxingscene.com/manny-pacquiao-drops-busts-up-jessie-vargas-wbo-belt–110476?print_friendly=1

A few days away from the biggest fight of his career, Jessie Vargas is supremely confident he will pull off an upset against former eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao and become boxing’s next big star.

“I’ve prepared for this moment for so long. It’s the only thing on my mind, every day when I wake up and when I go to sleep,” Vargas, 27, said by phone. “I have a great team behind me, and things could not be any better.”

Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs), the WBO welterweight champion, and Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs), the first-term Filipino senator who is coming out of a short retirement, are promoted by Top Rank, which, in addition to marketing the fight, is handling its own pay-per-view telecast (Saturday, 9p.m. ET) from Thomas & Mack Center in Vargas’ hometown of Las Vegas.

Despite the fact that Pacquiao, 37, is a 7-1 favorite, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum thinks Vargas, a decade younger than his opponent and several inches taller, has a great chance to defeat Pacquiao, who has not won by a knockout in seven years.

“The reason is that Manny has been consumed by all of this talk that he has to become a knockout guy again, he has to go all out to sustain his popularity,” Arum said, “so Manny will go after Jessie and be very, very careless. … If Manny is going to go in there with the intention of knocking out Jessie and being very aggressive, that gives Jessie the best opportunity to win the fight.

“He becomes not just a champion but a superstar. I will deny to him that I said that because I will have to negotiate his next fight,” Arum said, laughing. “He would be a superstar, there is no question about that, if he were to beat Manny Pacquiao.

“I don’t know who is going to win, but I’m confident it’ll be by knockout. Jessie has a hell of a shot to win.”

If that happens, Vargas says, a star will be born. “That’s what’s going to make me into a household name and Top Rank’s main guy in the stable,” he says.

Vargas’ confidence comes from his newfound power, which the fighter credits to the training methods of his new team, led by head trainer Dewey Cooper.

Until his last two fights, Vargas was considered a light-hitting boxer with a low knockout rate.

But in June 2015, after getting outboxed most of the way by Timothy Bradley, Vargas connected with a right hand late in the 12th round that seemingly had the former champion wobbly and out on his feet. Vargas went for the kill, but referee Pat Russell mistook the 10-second warning for the final bell and ended the fight eight to 10 seconds early. Thinking Russell had stopped the fight and he had won, Vargas celebrated. He thought he could’ve been the first to stop Bradley with the extra time but ended up losing a unanimous decision for his only career loss.

In April in Washington, D.C., Vargas fought undefeated former Olympian Sadam Ali for the vacant WBO belt. With Cooper in his corner for the first time, Vargas stopped Ali in the ninth round, and suddenly people began talking about Vargas’ power.

Yet few give him a chance against future Hall of Famer Pacquiao, who will try to win back the belt he once held. Many experts, including those in the media, think Vargas has little or no shot.

“People are underestimating my power, and possibly if Manny underestimates my power it’s going to backfire on him,” Vargas said. “Everybody got a taste of the new and improved Jessie Vargas early this year when I captured my second world title and will see an even better Jessie Vargas Nov. 5. Not even I have seen myself this strong and this fast. And it all has to do with my team.”

Pacquiao, who trained for the fight around his Senate sessions, is not taking Vargas lightly.

“Vargas is a world champion, and you can never underestimate a boxer who is a champion,” Pacquiao said. “He is good. I just have to make sure that I am 100% ready for the fight”.

www.boxingjunkie.usatoday.com/2016/11/02/welterweight-champ-jessie-vargas-confident-pset-manny-pacquiao/

August 1, 2016

Frank Warren, Queensberry Promotions

Bob Arum,  Top Rank, Inc.

Re: Negotiations for Mandatory WBO Lightweight Title Bout Between Terry Flanagan vs. Felix Verdejo

Gentlemen:

Please be advised the parties have 20 days to negotiate an agreement for the Mandatory WBO Lightweight Championship bout between Terry Flanagan and Felix Verdejo. If an accord is not reached within the time frame, a Purse Bid will be ordered.

The minimum acceptable bid for the Lightweight division is $150,000.00 (One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars).

Any one of the parties involved may call for a Purse Bid at any time during the negotiation process.

Yours truly,

Luis Batista Salas, Esq.

C/c: Francisco Valcarcel

By Karl Freitag
Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank –

Undefeated junior welterweight champions Terence “Bud” Crawford and “The Iceman” Viktor Postol faced off at the final news conference for their WBO/WBC world title unification fight on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum hosted the proceedings.

Viktor Postol: Hopefully this is going to be an exciting fight. I’ll do everything I can for that.

Terence Crawford: I had a great camp, nice sparring, nice everything, went well on weight, I’m just ready to go out there and display my talent. A lot people aren’t giving me enough credit to the point where everybody’s talking about Postol’s jab. Well we’re gonna see who’s got the better jab come Saturday. Everybody stay tuned. It’s gonna be a great fight.

Bob Arum: This fight I think is the best fight certainly that’s been offered to date [in 2016] to fight fans. It matches two terrific young fighters, each a champion, each with the same record, 28 wins and no defeats, each holding a belt from their respective organizations. It has everything that great fights have had for all the years I’ve been associated with boxing. I’ve been in boxing for over 50 years, and I’ve been associated with great, great fights. This fight, to me, is up there with any of the fights that I’ve promoted. I remember a number of years ago down in Florida at the Orange Bowl I promoted a great, great 140lb championship fight between Aaron Pryor and the late, great Alexis Arguello. And that was a fight for the ages. Look it up. Watch it. One of the great, great fights you’d ever want to see. And I really believe that this fight will be the equal of that unbelievable fight so many years ago, I guess it was in 1981. I really am looking forward to a tremendous fight here on Saturday.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/crawford-postol-press-conference-quick-quotes-347777

By Steve Kim

Back in March of 2014, in what was just his second professional outing, former two-time Olympic gold medal winner Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 4KOs) was out-pointed over twelve rounds by then WBO featherweight titlist Orlando Salido (43-13-4, 30KOs).

It was a fight not only marred by numerous low blows that were landed by the Mexican, but Salido failed to make the 126-pound weight limit and lost his belt on the scales.

Three months later in his very next fight, Lomachenko captured the vacant WBO championship with a twelve round majority decision over Gary Russell Jr.

Salido on the other hand moved up in weight to capture the WBO title at super featherweight with a knockout of Orlando Cruz in October of 2013. He would go on to lose that title to Roman Martinez last April.

Lomachenko on June 11th impressively halted Martinez to win the WBO 130-pound title.

And if it were up to Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum, Lomachenko would be getting another crack at the wily Salido (who’s coming off a memorable slugfest against WBC featherweight champion Francisco Vargas – that was ruled a draw).

Salido himself is pushing for the fight and Lomachenko hungers to avenge the only defeat of his professional career.

”We’re looking to bring (Lomachenko) back in October and we’re looking at – among others – Orlando Salido as a big possibility,” said the veteran promoter, who mentioned that HBO has promised him another date from the Ukrainian stylist.

“Orlando wants to fight him, Orlando has a victory over him. That should be a terrific fight, say for StubHub (Center).”

www.boxingscene.com/arum-looks-make-lomachenko-salido-ii-possibly-stubhub–106862?print_friendly=1

 Félix Verdejo sacude a Juan José Martínez con un derechazo al rostro durante si combate celebrado el 11 de junio de pasado en el Teatro del Madison Square Garden. (Archivo / GFR Media)

Aunque tiene dos peleas en agenda antes de pelear por el título, su promotor ya está en pláticas con el campeón inglés Terry Flanagan

Ricky Márquez no es de los que cruza el río antes de llegar al puente.

Pero parece que -en el caso de su pupilo Félix  Verdejo-, ya Márquez puede ver el puente en el horizonte.

El puente se llama Terry Flanagan.

“Ya estamos hablando con el promotor de Flanagan (Frank Warren) y está muy receptivo a nuestra propuesta”, dijo anoche a El Nuevo Día Bob Arum, fundador de Top Rank, la empresa que tiene a Verdejo bajo contrato promocional, agregando que no tienen fecha para el encuentro, preliminarmente proyectado para principios del 2017.

El británico Flanagan es campeón mundial de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) en las 135 libras y un púgil muy popular en su país natal, Reino Unido. Tiene marca de 30-0, con 12 nocauts. Su victoria de más relieve fue el 10 de octubre pasado en Manchester, Inglaterra. Esa noche noqueó aparatosamente al cotizado contendiente Diego Magdaleno, (28-2, 12 nocauts) en el segundo round.

El mexicoamericano llegó a la pelea con Flanagan cargando solo un revés profesional, vía cerrada decisión dividida ante el entonces campeón boricua Román “Rocky” Martínez.

Flanagan también noqueó en dos asaltos  al mexicoamericano José Zepeda, quien llegó a esa pelea con marca de 23-0 y 20 triunfos por nocauts.

Flanagan tiene señalada una defensa titular este sábado en Cardif, Gales, ante Mzonke Fana (38-9, 16 nocauts).

Por su parte, a Ricky Márquez, entrenador y manejador de Verdejo, le gusta la idea de  que la primera cita titular de Verdejo  sea con el campeón mundial  de Manchaster.

“En mi pensar, (Verdejo) está listo. El pollito está curtido, está ‘ready’ para las peleas grandes, las de título mundial. Y definitivamente en las 135 (libras”, sostuvo Márquez.

“Flanagan es un buen peleador, zurdo, de buenos recursos técnicos. Aunque no tiene record de pegador, a Diego Magdaleno lo noqueó feo temprano en la pelea. Pero para ese tipo de reto nos estamos preparando”.

Contra Juan Díaz la próxima

Antes de retar a Flanagan, el peleador de Las Gladiolas deberá vencer al rudo veterano tejano Juan Díaz (41-4, 20 nocauts), quien fue el campeón mundial unificado en las 135 libras de 2007 a 2008.    “Esa pelea será parte de la cartelera de Manny Pacquiao en octubre”, explicó Arum.

Por su parte, Márquez dijo que mucho depende de cómo luzca su pupilo ante  Díaz. Tras evaluar su desempeño ante Díaz, podrían optar por otra pelea preparatoria para Félix, antes de la oportunidad titular ante Flanagan.

Local o visitante

Márquez también expresó que están dispuestos a viajar a Inglaterra para retar a Flanagan.

“Todo es negociable. El campeón es él . A nosotros nos encantaría que fuera acá. Pero si esa es la única manera de ganar el campeonato vamos a donde sea”, aseveró el entrenador y manejador. “Yo estoy seguro de que mi gallo no extraña gallinero. Félix pelea bien aquí en Puerto Rico o donde sea”.

Sin embargo, Arum indicó que retar al campeón en su cancha no es la única opción.

“En las conversaciones que hemos tenido al respecto, Frank Warren ha lucido muy interesado en la pelea, y dispuesto a enfrentar a Verdejo en Estados Unidos”, sostuvo Arum.

Para la pelea con Díaz, la idea de Márquez es que  Verdejo (22-0, 15 nocauts) se acuartele de nuevo, tal y como lo hizo para su parada pelea, contra Juan José Martínez, a quien noqueó en 5 asaltos en su última salida, el 11 de junio en el Teatro del Madison Square Garden de Manhattan.

http://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/nota/conelojopuestoenelviejomundoverdejo-2220728/

Terence Crawford is set to make his HBO Pay-Per-View debut on July 23 when he faces Viktor Postol in an intriguing WBO/WBC junior welterweight unification fight. With Crawford’s emergence over the past several years, HBO has invested heavily in the Nebraskan, and the latest example of this is a new feature entitled “Terence Crawford: My Fight.”

With boxing being so heavily localized in major urban areas, Terence Crawford‘s rise out of Omaha, Nebraska, is frankly remarkable. Even more impressive, though, is Crawford’s commitment to his home city and state, which have hosted a slew of his fights and impressed the larger boxing community with their devotion to their most famous pugilist.

This summer, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who promotes Terence Crawford, decided to gamble. Arum, who desperately and correctly wanted to see Crawford in a major unification fight, will take the Pay-Per-View plunge because HBO’s standard operating budget could not accommodate the price tag for Crawford’s fight against WBC 140-pound champion Viktor Postol.

Arum is banking on the fact that at this juncture, boxing fans have seen enough impressive performances from Terence Crawford to justify Pay-Per-View, but more importantly, it allows the most intriguing fight at junior welterweight to take place.

But with Terence Crawford as a Pay-Per-View novice, and Viktor Postol as a relative unknown outside of hardcore boxing circles, HBO will have to utilize all of their marketing savvy to sell the fight. And given that Crawford has such an intriguing backstory, he’s an ideal place to start.

“Terence Crawford: My Fight” will premier on Saturday, July 9. Here are some details, which The Living Daylights received via press release from HBO Sports:

Three years ago, Terence Crawford was a largely unknown prospect. Born and raised in the hardscrabble section of Omaha, Neb., the emerging fighter was a last-minute replacement to face Breidis Prescott in a junior welterweight showdown. Since winning that match in impressive fashion, “Bud” Crawford has experienced nothing but success, capturing world titles in two weight classes and developing into a star performer.

On July 23, he risks his undefeated record (28-0, 20 KOs) against battle-tested Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), who is also unbeaten, in a junior welterweight unification title clash.

The special visits Crawford’s hometown, where the devoted family man is idolized by fans. Credit:  Photo by Getty Images

And here’s some information about the various playdates:

Other HBO playdates: July 10 (10:45 p.m.), 11 (1:00 a.m.), 15 (3:30 p.m.), 17 (1:00 p.m.), 19 (8:45 a.m., 3:30 p.m.), 21 (6:00 p.m., 12:35 a.m.) and 23 (5:15 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: July 12 (12:40 p.m., 8:00 p.m.), 15 (1:00 a.m.), 16 (1:25 p.m.), 20 (10:45 a.m.), 22 (5:15 p.m., 12:45 a.m.) and 23 (12:30 p.m.)

www.theliving.daylights.co/2016/07/04/terence-crawford-my-fight-trailer-and-episode-details/

Date:   Saturday, July 23, 2016

WBO SUP. MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   MGM Grand, Grand Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Promoter:    Top Rank, Inc. / Bob Arum

Supervisor:

Referee:

Judges:

Results:

TV: USA HBO PPV, Argentina TyC Sports

By Ryan Burton, Steve Kim

Two days ago, BoxingScene.com’s Steve Kim broke the news that a potential Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin mega-fight will not take place until September 2017. A lot can obviously happen in that amount of time so a date that far out is far from set in stone.

The hard hitting Triple G (35-0, 32KOs) has long clamored for big fights but has had difficulty securing a top level opponent.

One such fighter who has expressed interest in facing Golovkin is newly crowned WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (34-0, 24KOs).

The 24-year-old fighter from Mazatlán, Sinaloa made history by becoming the first Mexican to win a title in the 168 pound division in April when he routed former two-division champion Arthur Abraham on the Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley 3 undercard.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum revealed that he has had discussions with Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, and they have a tentative agreement in place to fight in the fall if both fighters keep winning and GGG fails to secure a fight against Canelo.

“Well the plan with Ramirez is he defends his title against the German (Dominik Birsch) on July 23rd on the Crawford-Postol card and then we will have him fight in the fall in another title defense and if all goes well – I’ve been talking to Tom Loeffler about Golovkin challenging Ramirez for the super middleweight title – and we have a deal in principle,” Arum told BoxingScene.com.

“Obviously Golovkin would rather fight Canelo but he’s coming to the realization that Canelo, despite the act that he put on after his last fight inviting Golovkin into the ring, has absolutely no intention to fight Golovkin and the true Mexican warrior – the guy who would not hesitate to go in the ring with Golovkin – with a good chance to beat Golovkin, is Zurdo Ramirez.”

And says the agreement is no joke.

“I’m not like these other guys, I don’t mess around. I’m too old, I don’t have enough time left,” said the 84-year old promoter, who recently celebrated his 50th year in the business.

www.boxingscene.com/arum-golovkin-vs-ramirez-we-deal-principle-2017–105996?print_friendly=1

 Photo credit:  Chris Farina / Top Rank –

Veteran promoter Bob Arum is now looking for Manny Pacquiao’s next foe ahead of his impending decision to continue fighting after he gets his job in the senate sorted out to give way for an eight-week training camp to culminate in October planned fight.

In an exclusive interview with Boxing Scene, Arum said he is awaiting Pacquiao’s decision and once he gets a positive feedback he will immediately fly to Manila to make arrangement for Pacquiao’s comeback fight in October this year.

Pacquiao has announced his retirement from boxing right after his trilogy fight against Timothy Bradley last April 9 but he did not discount the possibility of coming back for one or two more fights.

Pacquiao was sworn-in as Philippine senator late this week after winning in the May 9 national elections garnering over 16 million votes to rank seventh in the Top 12 winning candidates.

“Well we gotta see. If he will fight this year, then he will fight next year. We are thinking about him fighting in October if he wants to fight. Once I get the opponent that I am working on – we are working on opponents and once I get that, I will fly over to the Philippines and he will see if his schedule in the senate allows him to train for a fight and participate in a fight.” Arum said.

“I know he wants to continue fighting but the impediment is how labor intensive his work as a Filipino senator is and he is not going to really know that for another week or so. He was just sworn in as a senator yesterday,” he added.

While Arum did not mention Floyd Mayweather as possible opponent in a rematch, he was vocal about Pacquiao facing Vasyl Lomachenko in 2017.

The 28-year-old Olympic gold medalist from Ukraine knocked out Roman Martinez last June 11 to bag the WBO Junior Lightweight title. Lomachenko has only seven pro fights to his credit but his amateur record is very impressive with 396 wins and only one loss.

Lomachenko is the latest hot find of Top Rank who has the potential of becoming a pay-per-view attraction because of his active and aggressive fighting style. There are similarities in the way Lomachenko and Pacquiao behave in the ring. Both of them are southpaws and with awesome power in their left hand. They are likewise noted for their hand and foot speed.

Arum believes Pacquiao will soon announce his decision to continue fighting which is the reason why he is now making a shortlist of Pacquiao’s next possible opponents.

Arum’s Top Rank Promotions holds a promotional contract with Pacquiao until 2017.

www.digitaljournal.com/sports/bob-arum-eyeing-return-fight-for-manny-pacquiao-in-october/article/468410

By Keith Idec

Based on their promotional and network affiliations, the Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol fight ideally would be televised live on HBO.

But based on what Crawford and Postol expected to be paid to fight each other July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, pay-per-view was the route promoter Bob Arum decided to take to ensure that their 140-pound championship unification fight was scheduled for this summer. Official pricing hasn’t been announced, but the HBO Pay-Per-View card featuring the Crawford-Postol fight is expected to cost $50 in SD and $60 in HD if purchased through most cable and satellite companies.

While slightly cheaper than most boxing pay-per-view shows these days, Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) has encountered backlash from fans who’ve told him they want to see the Omaha, Nebraska, native face Ukraine’s Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), yet don’t want to pay extra than their HBO subscription to watch it.

The unbeaten WBO super lightweight champion has tried his best to reason with those skeptical about Crawford-Postol being offered on pay-per-view.

“A lot of people say this fight shouldn’t be on pay-per-view because me and Postol are not known to the casual fans,” Crawford said. “But I say to the people that do know us, instead of trying to downgrade the fight, why not up it? This is the fight everybody said they wanted to see. This is the fight everybody said they wanted me to fight, want him to fight, so why not pay for it? You’ve got the two best in the division, one versus two. You’ve got the WBC champion [Postol] versus the WBO champion [Crawford]. You’ve got The Ring magazine title on the line. What more could you ask for in a fight?”

He had some success, but Crawford couldn’t convince some reluctant consumers.

“They don’t even understand boxing, really,” Crawford said. “So they wouldn’t understand the things that go on behind [the scenes in] boxing to get fights made. They’re just looking at the big picture. ‘Oh, I’ve got to pay $50 for this fight.’ That’s the main thing they’re thinking about. You don’t have to pay $100 to see people hold. And you watch certain fights, you know who’s going to win. You’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re gonna watch this dude beat such and such because we know he’s gonna win.’ It’s a blowout. You don’t have that in this fight.”

www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-states-his-case-fans-buying-postol-ppv–105752?print_friendly=1

By Chris Williams:   Top Rank will be sending their light welterweight champions Terence Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) and Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) into the ring next month in their first headlining fight on HBO pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Crawford will be defending his WBO title and Postol have his WBC belt on the line for the fight.

You can argue that neither of these fighters is even remotedly popular enough to be headlining a PPV event on HBO. However, there were not available dates on regular HBO for them to fight this year, so Top Rank promoter Bob Arum chose to put the fight on PPV.

Crawford, 28, is hoping to become the next superstar in the sport. The bad news is that Crawford probably won’t able to become a super star in the Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao sense if he’s stuck fighting at 140 against the guys he’s been facing in the last two years.

I think it’s going to be very hard for Crawford to become a superstar fighting the likes of Hank Lundy, Dierry Jean and Thomas Dulorme. I think Crawford can become the next Ruslan Provodnikov or Lamont Peterson type star, but not a superstar if he’s limited to fighting lesser fringe level opposition.

“This is just the beginning. It’s my first pay-per-view and I want to put on a great performance. I want to be the next superstar,” Crawford said to fightnews.com.

I wish I could agree with Crawford that the Postol fight was the beginning of him becoming the next superstar. I don’t see that being the reality for Crawford. For him to become the next star in boxing along the lines of Mayweather or even Gennady Golovkin, I think he would need to fight ALL of these fighters and beat them all:

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Adrien Broner
Danny Garcia
Keith Thurman
Amir Khan
Shawn Porter
Tim Bradley
Kell Brook
Gennady Golovkin
Jermall Charlo
Jermell Charlo
Erislandy Lara
David Lemieux
Billy Joe Saunders
Lamont Peterson
Liam Smith
Errol Spence

The basic problem Crawford has is he’s probably not going to ever fight any of those guys. I honestly cannot see Crawford ever fighting any of the above mentioned names from my list, and that’s too bad because if Crawford could sweep through that entire list, he would be a star, a huge star. It’s one those things where Crawford would need to beat 17 top fighters before his career finishes up before he can become a star. I do not see Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum being able to negotiate fights with the promoters for those fighters.

Golovkin probably would never agree to fight Crawford in the first place because it would be a stiaution where he would get no credit for beating up in a 140lb fighter that looks as thin as Crawford. But for the sake of argument if a fight did take place between Golovkin and Crawford, I think it would be a pure wipeout with Golovkin destroying Crawford. The same if Crawford got put in with the Charlo brothers. Crawford doesn’t have the blinding hand speed and defensive skills of someone like Mayweather to beat guys in divisions above his natural weight class at 140. So if you throw Crawford in with the Charlo brothers, Canelo or even someone like Lemieux, I think it would end badly for Crawford.

In getting back to my point about Crawford wanting to become the next superstar in the sport, I do not think he’s going to get the chance to make that happen in the present climate in the sport. If all the promoters were willing to work with one another, then maybe Crawford could become a superstar, but only if he beat all the guys on my list.

Do I really think a slender fighter like Crawford can beat the likes Thurman, Canelo, Golovkin, Errol Spence, the Charlo brothers, Lara and Lemiuex? No, I don’t think so. I think Crawford would be beaten by most if not all of them. I think Crawford is a very good fighter at light welterweight, but asking him to beat bigger fighters with a more solid build and superior punching power would be too much to ask. I think Crawford would get destroyed by all of them. We kind of got a hint at Crawford’s limitations in his fights against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Thomas Dulorme. Both fighters were working Crawford over pretty well and even had him hurt. The question you have to ask is how can Crawford become a superstar if he can’t even dominate the likes of Dulorme and Gamboa?

www.boxingnews24.com/2016/06/terence-crawford-vs-viktor-postol-battle-stardom/

By Miguel Maravilla –

Undefeated WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto “El Zurdo” Ramirez (33-0, 24 KOs) of Mazatlan, Mexico is set to make the first defense of his title when he takes on Dominik Britsch (32-1-1, 11 KOs) of Germany on July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on HBO PPV. “I’m happy to be defending my title. I know nothing about my opponent, all I know is that I am training really hard for this fight,” Ramirez told Fightnews.com®.

After winning the title this past April, Ramirez went back to train in his hometown of Mazatlan, then resumed his camp in Southern California working with his longtime team of Jesus and Hector Zapari in preparation for the German challenger.

“I am training here in the area in Long Beach for this fight,” Ramirez said. “This preparation will be like every other. Training really hard to be ready for what my opponent has.”

Britsch, a relative unknown, has only fought twice in the U.S. Winning by TKO over Matt Berkshire in Detroit back in March of 2010 and by knockout over Delray Raines in 2011 in Carson, California. He’s coming off a unanimous decision over Slavisa Simeunovic this past February in Germany.

“It is a hard fight since I know nothing about my opponent. Sometimes those are the most dangerous opponents. You don’t know what to expect from them,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez defeated the hard-punching Arthur Abraham this past April to win the WBO super middleweight title co-headlining the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley card on what was billed as the “No Trump” Undercard.

“I was so happy to accomplish my life long dream. I beat a solid champion in Arthur Abraham,” Ramirez said. “When I returned home I was greeted by fans and media at the airport. I was very happy and excited, it was the first time I was welcomed at the airport.”

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is no fan of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has made disparaging remarks toward Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. Arum has promoted many Hispanic fighters over the years who have produced great fights. To show his support for the Latino community, Arum has featured Ramirez on two pay-per-view telecasts and is planning another card for the fall to further send his political message.

Ramirez gave us his thoughts on Trump’s comments and agenda. “We the Mexican people are always working hard and Donald Trump makes some comments that are insulting, but we have proven that we work hard in life to achieve our goals and make a living,” Ramirez said.

Should he get past Britsch as expected, Ramirez is taking aim at the other 168lb champions. “There are other champions in this division. Badou Jack, Felix Sturm, James De Gale, I would definitely want to unify a title with them. Hopefully they are willing to as well,” Ramirez said. A clash with WBA/IBF/WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin is also a possibility.

Ramirez vs. Britsch will be a scheduled 12 round championship bout for Ramirez’s WBO super middleweight title. It will be the co-feature bout to the Terrance Crawford vs. Viktor Postol jr welterweight unification bout.

“We are going to give it and leave it all in the ring to defend this title,” Ramirez vowed.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/gilberto-ramirez-gearing-up-for-first-title-defense-341168

By Karl Freitag
Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank –

WBO junior lightweight world champion Rocky Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) faced off with WBO featherweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko (5-1, 3 KOs) in advance of their HBO-televised world title showdown on Saturday night in The Theatre at Madison Square Garden, New York City. In the HBO co-feature, WBO #2 rated lightweight champ Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (21-0, 14 KOs) faces WBC #11 Juan Jose “Piquet” Martinez (25-2, 17 KOs) for the WBO Latino championship. Also, two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming (7-1, 2 KOs) meets Jozsef Ajtai (15-2, 10 KOs) for the WBO international flyweight chmpionship.

Rocky Martinez: “If you want to beat me, than you have to kill me, but to kill me you have to prepared to be killed in the ring too.”

Vasyl Lomachenko: “I’m ready to put up $300,000 of my purse as long as Rocky Martinez will put up $300,000 if I win.”

Felix Verdejo: “In Muhammad Ali’s honor, I will give a great fight.”

JJ Martinez: “We will take that title to Mexico.”

Bob Arum: “We will probably have a bigger audience in China than all of the HBO fights for the last three years combined. We expect an audience of perhaps as many as 50 million homes will be watching the Chinese star Zou Shiming.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/martinez-lomachenko-clash-heats-up-341340

The sensational crowd of over 23,000 who watched WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire successfully defend his title with a dominating 3rd round TKO over No. 4 ranked former Hungarian Olympian Zsolt Bedak and the huge 25.4 TV ratings on ABS-CBN Channel 2 has attracted the attention of Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who had to skip the fight because of a bad back but sent executive producer Brad Jacobs to represent him and saw how ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN combined to present a world class event.

The result is Top Rank wants to continue to relationship in staging Donaire’s next title defense also at the sprawling Cebu Sports Center or in Dubai where ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN have staged highly successful “Pinoy Pride” events in the past at the International Trade Center.

However, if the next title defense of the five division world champion is staged in Dubai it will be at one of the larger venues in the United Arab Emirates.

The two possible opponents are both handled by Top Rank – WBO No. 1 ranked super bantamweight, unbeaten Jessie Magdaleno or undefeated featherweight Oscar Valdez who has a fight lined up for him on July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena possibly against WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko which leaves Magdaleno as the possible challenger especially after he told Steve Kim of Boxing Scene “I would love a crack at Donaire next, “who’s record now stands at 22-0(16 KO’s).

Magdaleno said “I’ve been waiting for awhile and now that he (Nonito) has a WBO title, I want it even more.”

Magdaleno’s complemented Donaire as “a great fighter, I feel like he did what he did in boxing already and he put on a great show Friday night (when he beat Cesar Juarez to win the vacant title but I feel like his time is done and it’s time for the new generation to make their mark in the history books and in boxing and feel like that fighter who can do that.”

Magdaleno’s manager Frank Espinoza told BoxingScene.com that he and promoter Bob Arum had spoken about a possible title fight and they both liked the idea saying” I think Jessie is more than ready to step up at this point.”

Both Donaire and Magdaleno are promoted by Top Rank but Arum said that while he is more than willing to make the fight he has one condition that “We have to have a clear understanding and a program that (Jessie) is going to be able to make the 122 limit because his last three or four fights he’s been way over the limit and we can’t tolerate that.”

In his last fight on October 17th Magdaleno came in at 127.5 pounds stopping Filipino Vergel Nebron in one round and Arum insisted “I’m not going ahead with that fight unless I have complete assurances plus a plan, a nutritionist, that he’s going to make the fight.”

But the veteran promoter likes the idea of this match-up saying “I like the fight because it’s a fight that resonates in Las Vegas, both of the guys live in Vegas.” As for when Magdaleno fights again the 24-year old southpaw explained, “It’s in the works, right now.“

www.philboxing.com/news/story-118940.html

By Rick Reeno –

Super bantamweight contender Jessie Magdaleno (23-0, 17KOs), 24-years-old, is going to apply pressure to secure a mandatory shot at WBO world champion Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24KOs).

After a brief stint at featherweight, Donaire dropped back to 122-pounds and captured the vacant WBO title last December in Puerto Rico with a very hard-fought decision win over Cesar Juarez.

He returned to the ring on April 23rd and made his first defense with a third round stoppage of Zsolt Bedak.

Magdaleno picked up three wins in 2015 and fought back in February, when he stopped Rey Perez in seven rounds.

Magdaleno has a tentative return date of July 16th and hopes to face Donaire in the fall. Both Magdaleno and Donaire are promoted by Top Rank.

While Magdaleno is ranked at number one under the WBO, four of his last five fights have taken place above the super bantamweight limit. Magdaleno has not weighed at 122 since January of last year. He fought at featherweight for his last two contests.

There have been concerns about Magdaleno’s ability to make the super bantamweight limit.

The fighter’s manager, Frank Espinoza, is confident his boxer’s issues with weight are a thing of the past.

“He’s working really hard right now. He’s very motivated. There were some issues outside of the ring, but all of that has been resolved. He’s very hungry, he looks great and he wants that shot at Donaire. Weight is not an issue. If the fight gets made, he’s making 122 no problem,” Espinoza told BoxingScene.com.

“Jessie will fight in the summer, but then he wants that Donaire fight in the fall. He’s ready to make a statement. Both guys are with Top Rank and there shouldn’t be any issues with making this fight happen. I heard Bob Arum wants to make another ‘No-Trump’ pay-per-view in the fall, with the pay-per-view fights involving Mexicans and world titles. A Magdaleno vs. Donaire fight would be perfect for that show. Jessie is ready to fight him anywhere…in Las Vegas, in California, at a senate rally for Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines. Wherever Top Rank wants it to happen, Jessie is ready to fight him and beat him.”

www.boxingscene.com/magdaleno-apply-pressure-nonito-donaire-title-shot–104122?print_friendly=1

By Miguel Rivera –

World Boxing Organization super middleweight world champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (34-0, 24KOs) will defend his belt for the first time on the 23rd of July at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as part of the HBO Pay-Per-View undercard to Terence Crawford vs. Viktor Postol.

Ramirez captured the world title at the same venue on April 9th with a twelve round decision over longtime champion Arthur Abraham on the Pacquaio-Bradley undercard.

According to Ramirez’s co-promoter, Jesus Zapari – he really wants to get in the ring with WBA/IBO/IBF middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs).

Ramirez’s other promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, is fully on board to make that fight.

“We just need to see the opponent, but the date is July 23 in the co-feature of Crawford and Postol on HBO Pay-Per-View,” said Zapari to ESPN Deportes. “I think there’s enough time for a good preparation. I think 12 to 13 weeks is a good timeframe, and we’re expecting nothing other than Bob Arum telling us the opponent.”

Golovkin is the mandatory challenger to the WBC middleweight title held by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. If Canelo defeats Amir Khan on May 7th, and the refuses to fight Golovkin, then Ramirez is ready to step in there for a fight.

Golovkin says Ramirez needs to raise his profile with a few more fights. The upcoming July date will be Ramirez’s second fight on HBO PPV.

“If he wants it. We’re ready to go ahead. We are ready to fight him and right here is a true Mexican,” Ramirez said.

Zapari says Ramirez will raise himself to a new level by facing someone like Golovkin.

“We like that fight, it is what we want. I definitely do not see it as an easy fight for Golovkin. I think which it is one of those fights that would launch Ramirez to great heights,” Zapari said.

www.boxingscene.com/gilberto-ramirez-golovkin-right-here-true-mexican–103903?print_friendly=1

By Dan Ambrose: Undefeated #1 WBO Gilberto “Zurdo’ Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs) won a surprisingly easy 12 round unanimous decision victory over WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (44-5, 29 KOs) to become the first Mexican to win the 168lb world title in their fight on HBO Boxing PPV from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The final judges’ scores were an identical 120-108, 120-108 and 120-108.

I didn’t agree with those scores. I had Abraham winning three rounds in the fight. The judges didn’t give Abraham much credit. However, it was a very one-sided fight though, as the 6’2 ½” Ramirez was simply too tall for the shorter, older 5’9” Abraham.

Ramirez was constantly moving around the ring, peppering Abraham with jabs and hooks the entire three minutes of every round. When Abraham did land some solid shots, Ramirez was sure to fire back with counter shots.

In the 2nd round, Ramirez hurt Abraham with a left to the head that had him holding on. It was a good shot from Ramirez that caught the 36-year-old Ramirez when he was coming forward trying to land one of his own shots.

Ramirez nailed Abraham with a clubbing right hand to the head in the final seconds of the 4th round, and then gave him a hard shoulder when he attempted to come forward to retaliate with a punch of his own. It was a good move by Ramirez, but clearly a dirty move on his part. The referee didn’t do anything about it other than warn Ramirez.

In the 5th round, Ramirez hit Abraham with a hard low blow while he was coming forward. The action stopped for a bit while Abraham recovered. Before the round ended, Ramirez nailed Abraham with a rabbit shot to the back of the head. Ramirez was clearly getting dirty in this round, but Abraham kept his cool and didn’t start getting dirty with his own rough stuff.

Abraham landed two solid left hands to the head of Ramirez in the 6th round that drove him to the ropes. That was arguably Abraham’s best round of the fight, even though Ramirez still landed more punches.

From the 7th round on, Ramirez began to move much more around the ring, changing directions and throwing light hooks. The constant movement and incoming punches kept Abraham from being able to set his feet to throw his own power shots.

Ramirez dominated the last four rounds of the contest with his movement and high volume shots. Abraham looked defeated by that point in the fight, and he wasn’t trying hard to land anything the way he needed to.

Overall, it was a good effort from Ramirez. He boxed well, and kept out of the way of Abraham. It was kind of boring to watch, however. Compared to some of the more entertaining super middleweights in the division, Ramirez is decidedly boring due to all the movement that he uses. If his promoter Bob Arum wants to turn him into a star, he’s going to need to keep him a little more stationary because the constant movement is not interesting to watch. When you compare Ramirez’s performance to the other fighters on the card like Oscar Valdez and Jose Ramirez, he was very dull to watch.

Arum wants to lure IBF/IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin up to super middleweight so that he can fight Gilberto Ramirez. I don’t see that happening ever. Ramirez is a very, very big super middleweight who could clearly fight in the light heavyweight division if he wanted to.

www.boxingnews24.com/2016/04/gilberto-ramirez-defeats-arthur-abraham-wins-wbo-title/

El filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao y el estadounidense Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley se vieron las caras ayer en rueda de prensa de cara su tercera pelea que se celebrará este sábado en el MGM Grand Hotel de Las Vegas, Nevada, EE.UU.

El teatro David Copperfield del MGM Gran Hotel fue el escenario que albergó el acto público entre Pacquiao y Bradley, a falta de dos días para subir al tinglado. 

La conferencia fue dirigida por el promotor Bob Arum, quien se encargó de llamar al estrado a las figuras principales. 

Declaraciones de Timothy Bradley: 

“Agradezco a mi familia por el apoyo, en especial a mi esposa quien es mi pilar fundamental, sin ella esto no fuera posible. Mi mente esta puesta en el sábado, es ahora o nunca”. 

“Pacquiao es un boxeador único y le agradezco por esta revancha, vengo listo para dar una gran pelea y buscar la victoria a toda costa. El trabajo con Teddy Atlas lo verán esa noche, venimos diferentes en comparación a las peleas anteriores con Pacquiao”, agregó. 

Como dato curioso, el púgil estadounidense estuvo acompañado de su abuela en el teatro. 

Declaraciones de Pacquiao: 

“Quiero agradecerle a todos, principalmente a las personas que me apoyan en Filipinas y Estados Unidos. Este deporte me ha dado mucho, así que este sábado daré un gran espectáculo para mi gente. Luego de este combate quiero compartir con mi familia, atender mis cosas y mi trabajo, veremos que sucede después de esta pelea”. 

“Solo puedo decirles que daré lo mejor y quiero pedirles que apoyen el evento, porque vengo con la mismas ganas que cuando llegué a EE.UU. hace 15 años”, agregó. 

El dato curioso del filipino se da cuando anuncia que del dinero recaudado por las ventas de los boletos del evento y el que pague por ver (PPV), él dona un porcentaje a los más necesitados en su natal Filipinas. 

Título de la OMB: 

El título internacional wélter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), que disputarán Manny Pacquiao y Timothy Bradley fue presentado ayer en rueda de prensa por Francisco Valcárcel, presidente del organismo.

La corona tiene un gran valor y está compuesta por 91 piezas de diamantes y un ribete de 150 gramos de oro de 22 quilates.