WBO world title eliminator marks Top Rank’s return to the MGM Grand “Bubble”

LAS VEGAS (July 30, 2020) — Leave the judges at home because Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Joe “The Beast” Smith Jr. are coming for the knockout.

Alvarez and Smith will face off in a WBO light heavyweight world title eliminator in Top Rank’s return to the MGM Grand Conference Center Saturday, Aug. 22. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), Alvarez vs. Smith and a co-feature will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“I can’t wait to sit back and watch this fight, which features two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest punchers,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It’s a 50-50 fight and a great way to kick off our return to MGM Grand.”

Said Alvarez, “This fight is critical for both of our careers. I respect Joe Smith, who has proven to be an elite fighter. However, I have all the tools to beat him, and that’s what I intend to do. My goal is to become a two-time light heavyweight world champion.”

Said Smith, “This fight means everything to me. It’s my path to a world title fight, and I know this is my second chance to turn my dream into reality. Alvarez is a former world champion, and in my mind, I am treating this as a world title fight. To get there, I have to, and will, win this fight.”

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) is a former Colombian Olympian who has made Montreal his home since turning pro in 2009. He gained widespread recognition following victories over Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal, but his August 2018 knockout win over longtime champion Sergey Kovalev earned him the WBO light heavyweight world title and recognition as one of the world’s top fighters. Alvarez lost a decision to Kovalev in a rematch the following February, but after recovering from a foot injury, he returned stronger than ever. He headlined a Top Rank on ESPN main event January 18 and knocked out Michael Seals with a single right hand. The knockout, an instant viral video sensation, became an early frontrunner for Knockout of the Year.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs), from Long Island, rose to prominence in 2016 as the construction worker member of the Laborers Local 66 union who knocked out top contender Andrzej Fonfara and living legend Bernard Hopkins in back-to-back fights. He fell short in his only world title shot, a March 2019 decision defeat to WBA champion Dmitry Bivol. The Bivol fight was a minor hiccup, as he returned in January and neutralized Jesse Hart over 10 one-sided rounds in a Top Rank on ESPN main event in Atlantic City. Smith, who now owns and operates a residential tree service company on Long Island, hopes to punch his ticket to another title shot. A win over Alvarez will assure him of that opportunity.

Joe DeGuardia, Smith’s promoter, said, “I just love watching Joe Smith Jr. fight. He is a true throwback, a fan-favorite with tremendous punching power. It will be thrilling to see him against Alvarez, who is one of the top fighters in the game. Not only will boxing fans see two of the toughest light heavyweights battle it out in a fight that will ultimately determine the WBO world champion, but this has all the makings of the Fight of the Year.”

Use the hashtag #AlvarezSmith to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

The World Boxing Organization (WBO), chaired by Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcárcel, Esq. suspended the 2020 edition of its annual convention due to the current pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus.

The annual convention was scheduled to be held next October in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The decision was made by the Executive Committee and 78 member countries of the organization. The vote was unanimous. Valcárcel, Esq. indicated that the elections for all the positions of the Executive Committee and of the regional organisms were postponed until the 2021 Convention.

For his part, WBO’s legal adviser, Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. stressed that the organization’s priority is the health of all its members and the general public.

“In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the WBO’s greatest concern is the health and safety of our members, former and current champions, and the boxing community in general. Therefore, in consultation with our WBO Member Commissions around the world and the WBO Executive Committee, it was agreed that the best course of action was to postpone the annual convention for the following year (2021)”, said Olivieri.

“We hope to see and greet all of the WBO family in 2021.”

The tentative date for one of boxing’s biggest fights is on the move.

The lightweight unification title fight between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez Jr. might now take place on Oct. 3 in Las Vegas, Top Rank president Todd duBoef confirmed to ESPN’s Steve Kim on Wednesday night.

Recently, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum suggested Sept. 19 as a potential date for the fight, after a spring date was moved because of the coronavirus pandemic. DuBoef said “it’s still too early to determine everything” regarding the bout and that he is uncertain as to whether it will be closed to the public.

More on: https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/29432028/october-date-eyed-vasiliy-lomachenkoteofimo-lopez-jr-unification-bout

With numerous fights being cancelled due to non-fighters (trainers, managers, cutmen) being infected by COVID-19, the safety protocols in Las Vegas have been updated. Now upon a positive test for someone in a boxer’s camp, that person is immediately quarantined.

Top Rank will then consult with infectious disease experts and a risk level will be assessed for the non-infected team members. If deemed tolerable and acceptable, the fighter and remaining team are immediately isolated in their room and both must test negative daily until the fight.

Does it work? Under the original protocol, three of the six bouts taking place Thursday night would have been cancelled.

Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank

The California State Athletic Commission passed emergency regulations Friday with an eye to resuming combat events in the summer months.

The commission met via video conference Friday morning and its guidelines were sent to the California Office of Administrative Law.

“When that process is finished, we’ll start,” said Andy Foster, the CSAC’s executive director.

Among the key parts of these regulations, according to Foster, is that, “the fighters will be tested between two and three weeks before their event for the COVID-19 virus. If they’re clear, we’ll accept them on the bout card and we’ll approve the fights if they meet the other criteria.

“Then two days before they travel, they’ll fill out a questionnaire and when they get to the hotel, they’ll be isolated and tested again with their fight camps. Everybody involved in the promotion will be tested on that day,” continued Foster. “Anybody that the promoter deems ‘essential’ to their promotion — and we approve them to be there, and that could be media — anybody that is in that building that’s part of the promotion is going to need to be tested.”

Foster acknowledged that weighing heavily on the committee’s minds was Jacare Souza, who was scratched from the UFC 249 card in Jacksonville, Florida, on the weekend of May 9 for testing positive for the coronavirus.

“We learned from that event, and I want to be clear, that’s not to put down the UFC one bit, they had a great plan and everything,” he said. “We learned by watching that, just how contagious this virus could be. So we want to mitigate that risk.”

Everyone working corners will be forced to wear a mask and surgical gloves at ringside, but there will be no limit on how many people can be in the facility on fight night.

“I don’t plan on doing that,” said Foster, who explained, “because there’s a financial interest. I mean, every person that the promoter puts in there, they are responsible for testing, the promoters are paying for the testing and for the accommodations. So you’re talking about a lot of money for each person. So they’re going to have a vested interest to run with only ‘essential’ personnel.”

It’s not clear who will have the first show in California, but Eric Gomez, the president of Golden Boy Promotions, told ESPN, “Our plan, right now, we would like to go July 4th, and we’re working towards that. We’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that all the right guidelines and protocols are going to be followed, and that the commission is going to be satisfied with all our efforts.”

Gomez, whose company is looking to do a show at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, is looking at other possible states to stage cards, but for Los Angeles-based Golden Boy, California makes the most logistic sense.

“Production-wide, it’s easier, it helps us because we’re not hauling stuff all over the country and there’s a lot of production companies here in California,” Gomez said.

Smaller outfits like Thompson Boxing, which has been running club shows since 2001, say they are ready to resume operations with these new rules.

“The moment that they say ‘go’ — we’re ready,” Thompson vice president Alex Camponovo said. “We’re going to run shows without the public most likely at Omega Products [in Corona, California] indoors, with all the guidelines and procedures that we have to do.”

Foster pointed out that, “these particular regulations will go away when the state of emergency ends. So the commission can vote to make it go away, and it will end.”

Boxing has been at a standstill throughout the world since mid-March. Foster says he has received numerous calls during the past couple of months from those in the business wondering when they could start scheduling shows.

“We’ve got to do something for the industry, we’ve got to get it up and rolling,” Foster said. “But we’ve got to do it in a safe away. We’ve got to do that in a thoughtful way, and we did that today by passing a regulation package where at least it fits the ‘Phase 3’ resiliency road map, where sports can resume without live audiences.

“This is a way for that to happen.”

By Steve Kim/ ESPN.com

The liaison conference of the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) and the JPBA (Japan Professional Boxing Association, the union of 282 club owners) set up the necessary guidelines on Friday to prepare to resume boxing shows from July. All the shows scheduled through June had been completely canceled due to the still growing coronavirus outbreak here.

The Japanese government, on April 7, declared a state of emergency until May 6 at first and then extended it through May. But it was lifted last Thursday (May 14) as for 39 prefectures, while eight Metropolis/prefectures such as Tokyo, Osaka and six others should still stay under the coronavirus state of emergency that temporarily restrains our freedom to move around anywhere at any time for safety and sanitation. The closure of sports training facilities, including boxing gyms, still prevails nationwide for fear of any COVID-19 infection.

The JBC/JPBA conference announced as follows:

There are eight applications for promotions in July including a show behind closed doors by Ohashi Promotions on July 16, and others by Misako Promotions on July 22, by World Sports Promotions on July 22, and by East Japan Boxing Association on July 30. The conference, in accordance with the advice medical specialists against the virus infection, drew up the following guidelines to approve the promotions to take place:

1- To keep social distance between the spectators, which may allow only one-third of the capacity audience at boxing arenas like the Korakuen Hall.

2- To regulate the number of bouts up to eight per promotion.

3- To separate a promotion into a couple of cards such as the daytime and night shows at the same arena provided that the local promoter should wish to stage more than eight bouts.

4- To mandate cornermen, judges and JBC officials to wear masks (as for the referee, such protection as faceguard or mask may prevent the third man from making a quick decision or action, so he (the ref) will not be forced to wear the mask or faceguard at this moment).

5- To take care of the mouth guard since it may have a danger of contagious source, so the mouthpiece should be carefully treated for the sake of virus prevention in sparring sessions at the gyms.

Upon the JBC’s final approval of the said applications for boxing shows to take place in July, they will be put into practice. It is good we may be able to welcome boxing back soon even with stringent regulations and restrictions here in Japan.

By Joe Koizumi / fightnews.com
Korakuen Hall / Photo: Boxing Beat

☑️Upcoming WBO World Title Bouts:

💥November 30 – Undisputed WBO Welterweight Female Champion Cecilia Braekhus Vs. Victoria Noelia Bustos @ Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

💥November 30 – WBO Bantamweight World Champion Zolani Tete Vs. John Riel Casimero @ Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom.

<p> bet.co.za app is an online betting site with a lot of South African users. It is famous for many reasons, including the fact that it was the first online betting site in Africa. When you think about betting websites like bet365, they are usually associated with Europe and North America; not South Africa.</p>

WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev of Russia hosted a media workout at The Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California on Thursday, July 26, in preparation for his title defense against undefeated light heavyweight contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez of Colombia at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Saturday, August 4. The fight card will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:0 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, Manager of the Year Egis Klimas, and trainer Abror Tursunpulatov also attended and spoke with boxing media.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, WBO and IBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:

About his opponent, Eleider Alvarez: “It’s a big test for me. He is very motivated. He’s hungry for this fight and for a victory. He’s undefeated. It’s not an easy fight and I must be ready for what he will bring.”

“He’s dangerous. I cannot say whether I can knock him out or get a victory by points. It’s a good fight for the boxing fans. I never said that I don’t want to fight this guy because he’s very strong. I’m ready for everybody. As a champion, as a boxer, I’m ready for anybody.”

About the importance of this fight: “It’s not the biggest fight in my life, but it’s a big for me because it’s the next chapter in my boxing career. Next time, it will be a harder opponent. He’s undefeated, he’s motivated, he’s hungry. I should be ready for whatever he can bring.”

About his desire to unify the division: “I’m building right now in my mind, my head, my personal championship in my division. In this division, it’s tough. We don’t have the opportunity to make a Super Series (tournament) like Oleksandr Usyk. My congratulations to him and to his team. He’s motivated me.

“We don’t have a tournament series in this division. But in my head, I have a schedule of my tournament, my championship. I am driven to win this championship. I have a picture in my head, I see my goals and my championship win.”

“It’s already started unofficially, between us. Because everybody wants to make unification fights I hope. Everyone who is a champion in the light heavyweight division wants to get all the belts together. We want to see who is first between us.”

About his preparation to face Eleider Alvarez: “I should prove I deserve to be champion. He is a good test for me. I saw a couple rounds in a couple of fights. I don’t spend a long time on this. I see enough to get the style he has. But he will be fighting different because right now, he is getting in shape to fight me. I have a plan, what to do in my head. I have completed my strategy, I will be ready for everything he can bring and inside the ring, after the first or second round, I will make adaptations because I’ll understand what I need to do.”

About his preparation for all his opponents: “If you come inside the ring, you should be ready for everything. For any situation, for any of his tactics. If you have only one plan for the fight, you will be losing, Be ready for an inside fight, outside fight, long distance, short distance, counter attack, anything.”

About his fifth camp training in Oxnard: “Here, there are a lot of guys who can help me with sparring sessions, It’s close to the ocean with a fresh breeze. It’s just your coach, your training. For me it is difficult to make training camp with family living at home. You always need to go somewhere, or my son wants me to play with him. Here it’s training, nap, training, rest. I train on time, lay down on time, nap on time, and keep working.”

About working with trainer Abror Tursunpulatov: “we’ve been working together, we understand each other. He gives me the same boxing study since I was 11 years old. It’s very comfortable. We speak I the same language, it’s easy. I follow his exact instructions. Before this, I did it with all of my amateur experience to the pros. Before, it was enough. But I spent all that amateur baggage. Right now, I need the help of a coach, and Abror helps me.”

About what he’s thinking during a fight: “In the ring, usually I don’t hear anybody. I am focused on the fight and the plans from what we’re doing right now in the gym with my coach. They are already inside of me. Sometimes, if you’re in trouble, you can hear something. Sometimes you even hear advice from the public, the fans! Really. Maybe only three or four times in my experience, not here in America, but in Russia when I was an amateur. I understand myself, whether it was a good round or a bad round.”

About his future opponents: “I am fighting everybody who is ready to fight me, who is available at this point. I never had a choice; do I want this fight or this other guy to fight. Egis (Klimas) or Kathy (Duva) inform me, ‘your next opponent is Eleider Alvarez.’ OK. It’s new, I keep my head and prepare for this guy, because I should be better than him.”

“I don’t think about this, who is next. Because I’m thinking right now about Alvarez. I don’t want to spend time looking behind at this (watching his past fights). He’s busy making plans for me.”

About opponents unwilling to face him: “It means they are not real champions. They are businessmen. Remember in the past, fighters like Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield, Diego Corrales, I respect these guys. It’s sport. Guys, if you will fight like a real fighter, against everybody, everywhere, if you do your job, this is real boxing.”

About his desire to keep improving: “Some fights, I like myself. Some fights, I don’t like myself – I mean my fights. I didn’t like my last fight. I didn’t like my performance. Right now, I am trying to delete these mistakes and do better every fight. Every fight, something happens. I thought I knew a lot, but something always happens new. I get a new experience from each fight and each preparation.”

About who he would like to face next: “I don’t want speak about anybody except Alvarez. Right now, I have a fight with him and I respect this guy. I’m very happy God gave me this opportunity to get in with this guy to see who I am right now at this point. Who am I, me, myself. I don’t go back. I only look forward. Maybe the one step back and two steps forward. I already did the one step back (laughs), and now only step forward.”

About his life changing visit to the Greek monastery one year ago: “I should visit there every year, for recharging mentally. Every man and every woman should be alone with his Spirit, his God, for two or three days a year. I mean, you should be with God always. But I went there four nights. It recharged me. I cleaned up my mind and body. You follow the prayers. It is a saintly place. I already miss it. Maybe if I have the opportunity this year, I will go again.”

About what the sport means to him: “It’s not be my goal to be famous. I do this boxing not to be famous, not to be a star. I do this for myself. I love this, competing. I still live my life with interest. I travel a lot, I’m meeting people worldwide, I love it. I dreamed about this when I was young.”

Photo credit: Craig Bennett/Main Events

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Antonio Moran to be aired on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET

LAS VEGAS – Jose “Sniper” Pedraza is nearing a title shot. Pedraza will see action June 9 on the Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn world championship event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, will challenge Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBO Latino lightweight belt.

Tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), are on sale now and can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

Pedraza, a former super featherweight champion who made two successful title defenses, returned from a 14-month layoff on March 17 to score a shutout, eight-round decision over Jose Luis Rodriguez. Moran is riding a three-bout winning streak since a split decision defeat to Emanuel Lopez.

“I am excited because this will be my first fight in Las Vegas, which everyone knows is the fight capital of the world. I am determined to give a great performance,” Pedraza said. “I know Moran is a good fighter and coming to upset my plans, but I have worked very hard to make sure that does not happen. I expect to be victorious on June 9 and will continue to show I am a force at lightweight.”

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing, Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: @trboxing, @ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn to join the conversation on social media.

The ESPN App and ESPN+ are available on mobile and TV-connected devices and on ESPN.com. The new ESPN App with ESPN+ is available on devices and platforms including Amazon (Fire TV, Fire Stick, Fire Smart TVs, Fire tablets), Android (Android phones, Android TV), Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and supported in the Apple TV App), Chromecast and Roku.

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN. ESPN+ also offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Mondays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to boxing content, fans that subscribe to ESPN+ get thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks – for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year).[FB1]

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, in partnership with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

Info by Top Rank Press

Three Bantamweight World Champions, Ryan Burnett (WBA), Manny Rodriguez (IBF) and Zolani Tete (WBO), are the first confirmed fighters for the second season of the World Boxing Super Series.

“After a fantastic first season with Super Middleweight and Cruiserweight, we have decided that bigger is better. So we are going out with three divisions in our second season,” said Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer, Kalle Sauerland.

“We are delighted to have three champions agreed to go into the Bantamweight tournament.”

“Burnett, Rodriguez and Tete represent three continents, they represent what the World Boxing Super Series is all about and we cannot wait to see these amazing athletes compete for the Muhammad Ali Trophy.“

A sensational line-up is in the making for Season 2 of the World Boxing Super Series with three world champions entering the Bantamweight edition of the quest for the Muhammad Ali Trophy, The Greatest Prize in Boxing.

The ingredients for epic battles are in the mix: ’O’s will go, titles will be unified and titles lost as Ryan Burnett, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Zolani Tete join the revolutionary bracket-style elimination tournament.

Said 30-year-old WBO World Bantamweight Champion Zolani Tete (27-3, 21 KOs) from Eastern Cape, South Africa:

“I would like to thank the World Boxing Super Series for the opportunity, I am very humbled and honoured to enter the tournament. This is the opportunity I have been looking for; to show that I am the best in my division.”

Five fighters remain to be revealed to complete the Bantamweight cast. Further details on Season 2, featuring three weight classes, and the finals of Season 1, will be announced over the next weeks.

El excampeón mundial peleará el 9 de junio en el MGM Grand de Las Vegas.

In the 89-year history of THE RING’s Fighter of the Year award, no boxer has ever earned the honor with as few fights under his belt as Vasyl Lomachenko has. Then again, few have achieved as much as the Ukrainian amateur star did after only 11 pro bouts.

Lomachenko (10-1, 8 knockouts) was selected as THE RING’s Prospect of the Year in 2013 after only one fight – his Oct. 12 pro debut against Jose Ramirez. Eight months after that impressive fourth-round KO, the wizardly southpaw won his first world title, the vacant WBO featherweight belt, by taking Gary Russell Jr. to school over 12 rounds. (Lomachenko’s boxing clinic against the highly touted unbeaten U.S. Olympian was performed in his third pro bout, just three months after he received his own education in gritty pro tactics via 12-round split-decision loss to grizzled veteran Orlando Salido.)

Two years and three title defenses later, he won his second world title in a second weight class, the WBO 130-pound belt, with a fifth-round KO of Roman Martinez. His first defense – an embarrassingly one-sided mastery of Nicholas Walters that forced the unbeaten former featherweight titleholder to pull a “No Mas” after seven rounds – was so impressive that he instantly jumped into the top half of most pound-for-pound lists by the end of 2016.

So, what made Lomachenko’s 2017 so special? Why was he selected as THE RING’s Fighter of the Year over worthy candidates such as Terence Crawford, Anthony Joshua, Mikey Garcia and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai?

For starters, he fought more than the other standouts in 2017 – three times – continuing to outclass and bewilder opposition to between-rounds retirements, but he also made large strides toward transitioning from a boxing-world phenom to the kind of general sports standout recognized by casual fans and mainstream media.

Lomachenko (left) tags Jason Sosa. Photo courtesy of HBO

Lomachenko’s humiliating brand of dominance was expected against his first two opponents of 2017, Jason Sosa and Miguel Marriaga, both solid contenders that will give any other world-class featherweight or junior lightweight a grueling night. Lomachenko forced the battle-tested scrappers to remain on their stools after nine and seven rounds, respectively, and he didn’t mind showboating as he gradually picked them apart from every conceivable angle.

Although Lomachenko was favored to beat his third opponent of 2017, fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux, he wasn’t expected to have his way with the counter-punching master.

Rigondeaux, who carried a 17-0 pro record into their anticipated showdown at The Theater inside Madison Square Garden, was the older of the two savvy left-handers (37 to 29) and moving up from the 122-pound division, but the Cuban also brought with him a style that many believed was impossible to dominate or look good against.

Lomachenko did both en route to Rigondeaux’s inglorious retirement after six rounds.

Lomachenko downplayed the victory during his post-fight interviews, basically stating that he did what he was supposed to do, but there can be no downplaying of his boxing ability or his rising stature in the sports world.

Lomachenko appears to be on his way to becoming a bona-fide attraction. It was literally standing room only inside the 5,000-seat Theater (with no space for comps or auxiliary media and tickets rumored to be going for three times face value on the secondary market prior to the ESPN-televised card). Promoter Bob Arum says the two-division titleholder will fight at least three times next year, perhaps once in the “big room” of Madison Square Garden. Lomachenko is clearly done with small venues and fighting in front of limited TV audiences.

Lomachenko (right) took Guillermo Rigondeaux apart. Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Lomachenko-Rigondeaux was watched by 1.73 million on ESPN (twice the number of viewers that tuned into a UFC offering on FS1 that was broadcast during the same time slot). It was ESPN’s highest-rated show on December 9, exceeding viewers for the Heisman Trophy presentation and the MLS Cup.

Lomachenko’s future fights will be televised on Top Rank’s new network partner, ESPN, which contributed to his crossover appeal in 2017 and will undoubtedly enhance his popularity in the U.S. in coming years.

For now, he’s the toast of the boxing world, where hardcore fans use his name as an adjective or verb when expounding on their favorite sport via social media. A talented prospect like Josh Kelly might be described as having “Lomachenko-esque” moves. A fighter who is bewildered into submission might be said to have been “Lomachenko’d.”

Lomachenko’s reputation has been established enough in 2017 that boxing geeks now argue how he would fare in a mythical matchup with a prime Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 130 pounds.

However, Lomachenko isn’t interested in the future hall of famer, but rather one of the standouts of Mayweather Promotions, former IBF 130-pound beltholder Gervonta Davis. His “call out” to Davis, which was directed at Mayweather’s official Twitter account, attracted a lot of attention and eventually pulled Mikey Garcia into the social media conversation.

Lomachenko eventually Tweeted a poll of four potential opponents – Miguel Berchelt, Garcia, Davis and Jorge Linares – which has garnered more than 40,000 votes. Garcia and Davis received the most votes, but if he can get any two of the four in the ring in 2018 he’ll likely be a strong candidate for back-to-back Fighter of the Year honors.

RUNNERS UP:
Anthony Joshua
Terence Crawford
Mikey Garcia
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai

Following “Fighter of the Year” tradition, Vasyl Lomachenko will feature as cover star in the next issue of RING Magazine.

Vasyl Lomachenko named 2017 RING Magazine Fighter of the Year

Former WBO welterweight Super Champion Manny Pacquiao has made the rank of full Colonel in the Philippines Army.

Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) lost his WBO title in defeat to the Australian Jeff Horn in July 2017, and while the Philippines fighter is hoping for a rematch, he took to social media to announce he made the step up from Lieutenant Colonel.

11 years after joining the armed forces, he posed with members of the army on Wednesday to celebrate the occasion.

By Keith Idec Promoter

http://www.boxingscene.com/lomachenko-marriaga-on-85-crawford-indongo-on-819-espn–118044

Top Rank announced its next two main events late Thursday night in its new partnership with ESPN.

The basic-cable network will air a super featherweight title bout between champion Vasyl Lomachenko and Miguel Marriaga on August 5. Two weeks later, ESPN will broadcast a full 140-pound championship unification fight that’ll match Terence Crawford against Julius Indongo.

Ukraine’s Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs), who owns the WBO 130-pound championship, and Colombia’s Marriaga (25-2, 21 KOs) will square off at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs), the WBC/WBO super lightweight champion, will encounter Namibia’s Indongo (22-0, 11 KOs), the IBF/IBO/WBA 140-pound champion, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, about a one-hour drive from Crawford’s hometown of Omaha.

Lomachenko and Crawford are generally regarded as two of the top five boxers, pound-for-pound, in the sport.

While facing Indongo represents a shot a full unification for the highly skilled Crawford, Lomachenko’s opponent is coming off a loss. Mexico’s Oscar Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs), the WBO featherweight champion, defeated Marriaga by unanimous decision in their 12-round fight April 22 at StubHub Center in Carson, California.

“Pound for pound, no one can match the talent of Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN.com. “They drew the best ratings on premium cable this year [HBO], and now everyone will be able to see them when they defend their world titles in all-action fights in August, live on ESPN.

” Crawford and Lomachenko have become two of the most-watched fighters in bouts broadcast by HBO over the past couple years, but ESPN is available in millions more homes than HBO.

ESPN’s partnership with Bob Arum’s Top Rank will officially begin Saturday night, when the network will televise the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn welterweight title fight from Brisbane, Australia, Horn’s hometown.

Their scheduled 12-round fight for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title will take place Sunday afternoon in Brisbane, where a crowd of 60,000 is expected at Suncorp Stadium, but it will air Saturday night in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

170614 Avtandil Khurtsidze Resolution

WORLD BOXING ORGANIZATION

Luis Batista Salas, Esq.

Chairman WBO

RESOLUTION

On June 8th, the World Boxing Organization Championship Committee in accordance with Rule 19 of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests, sent a ‘show cause letter’ to WBO Interim Middleweight Champion Avtandil Khurtsidze through his Promoter, Lou Dibella, Dibella Entertainment, giving him five (5) days from the date of the notice of why the Committee should not recommend to the WBO Executive Committee that Mr. Khurtsidze’s title be vacated. No answer was received.

The Committee having examined all facts concerning the current status of the WBO Interim Middleweight Championship of Avtandil Khurtsidze, having requested that he show cause why his WBO Interim Middleweight Championship should not be vacated, and being fully advised in the Premises, hereby resolves and hereby recommends the following resolution to the WBO Executive Board:

The WBO Executive Board having received the Resolution of the WBO World Championship Committee hereby determines and resolves:

WHEREAS, Avtandil Khurtsidze won the WBO Interim Middleweight Championship on April 22, 2017, and;

WHEREAS, under the terms and conditions of the WBO Interim Middleweight Championship Avtandil Khurtsidze was ordered to fight for the WBO Middleweight Championship with WBO Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders in London, England on July 8, 2017, and;

WHEREAS, Avtandil Khurtsidze is unavailable to complete his responsibilities as WBO Interim Champion to contest the Championship and that sanctioned and scheduled contest was cancelled for reasons unrelated to Avtandil Khurtsidze’s WBO Participation.

Page 1 of 2 Resolution – Avtandil Khurtsidze

NOW THEREFORE, it is resolved that Avtandil Khurtsidze’s WBO Interim Middleweight Championship is hereby vacated.

Avtandil Khurtsidze is notified that this is a final determination of the WBO and under the WBO World Championship Rules that his sole appeal is an appeal to the WBO Complaints and Grievance Committee, which must be commenced by written complaint to the WBO within 10 days of this date, after which it will be final without further recourse.

Dated at San Juan, Puerto Rico this June 14, 2017

Respectfully submitted,

By: Luis Batista Salas, Esq.

Chairman

WBO Championship Committee

By Joe Koizumi

February 21, 2017
KUMAMOTO, JAPAN
WBO#1 minimum Moises Calleros (25-6-1, 14 KOs) from Mexico arrived yesterday (Monday) in Kumamoto City, Japan, where he will dispute the interim WBO 105-pound championship with local prospect Tatsuya Fukuhara (18-4-6, 7 KOs) on this coming Sunday.

In the begining, the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) won’t accept an Interim Title bout to take place here in Japan, but the legitimate WBO champ Katsunari Takayama had his notorious scar tissues operated last year and needs more time for recovery, so the Calleros-Fukuhara interim title bout received a special permission of the JBC.

The lefty fighter from Japan, Fukuhara acquired the vacant national 105-pound belt by defeating Hiroya Yamamoto in November 2015 and kept his belt three times by beating Takumi Sakae (W10), Genki Hanai (TKO7) and being held to a technical draw with veteran Shin Ono.

Calleros, with the same age as Fukuhara at 27, recently scored five victories in a row since his KO defeat at the hand of Samuel Gutierrez in 2014. The winner is supposed to have a long-anticipated shot at the full champ Takayama upon his recuperation, the WBO has put the time of a 180 days for the Interim Champion faces the WBO Minimumweight Champion Katsunari Takayama.
(2-21-2017)

    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

Este jueves 19 de enero 2017 el Orfelinato San José de Malambo, en El Carrizal, Arraiján, volvió a recibir una donación económica por parte de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), por medio de su presidente,  Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcárcel quien ademas fue acompañado por el Lic. Luis Batista Salas, Presidente Fundador de la OMB y Presidente del Comité de Campeonatos Mundiales, junto a Joe Hernández y Rubén De Jesús, cercanos colaboradores de la Organización y don Marco Hermoso representante de la OMB en Panamá quien escogió al Orfanato de Malambo para recibir la donación.

“Es un compromiso que tenemos y pasamos por varios países”, dijo el dirigente de la OMB, programa conocido como Kids Drug Free y que esta semana se llevo acabo importantes donaciones en los países hermanos de Costa Rica y Nicaragua. Mientras, Sor Lourdes, anfitriona hace muchos años de esta organización, agradecía a la entidad boxística, este hogar es casa para niños y jóvenes huérfanos y que algunos inclusive tienen que enfrentar enfermedades como el Sida, por lo que la ayuda siempre es importante para seguir con tan importante labor que conlleva gastos diarios.

Como parte importante del acto realizado ayer en la entrega de la donación, también se recordó a Luis Pérez, un miembro importante en la consolidación mundial de la OMB, quien perdió la batalla con el cáncer el pasado mes de diciembre y que siempre en vida apoyo el programa Kids Drug Free en Panamá.

La Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), con sede en San Juan, Puerto Rico, continúa impulsando su programa “Niños Libres de Drogas”, no sólo en la Isla del Encanto, sino a nivel internacional. Por esa razón, este martes, el puertorriqueño Francisco “Paco” Valcárcel, presidente de la OMB, se hizo presente al frente de una comitiva al Hogar de Niñas Cristo Obrero, ubicado en Diriomo, municipio de Granada, a unos 50 kilómetros de Managua, capital de Nicaragua.

Este centro es atendido por las Hermanas de Amistad Misionera en Cristo Obrero (AMICO), a cargo de la Hermana Ivelisse Guzmán de la Rosa, superiora de este centro de atención a niñas.

La Hermana Ivelisse recibió este importante donativo, en esta visita que estuvo encabezada por Valcárcel, junto al promotor Félix “Tutico” Zabala, quien dirige la emprea All Star Boxing en La Florida, el Representante de la OMB en Nicaragua, Erick Rivera, el Vice-Alcalde de Managua, Enrique Armas y el aventajado concertador internacional de boxeo Ricardo Rizzo, nicaragüense que vive en Miami, pero que es uno de los más aventajados en el tema de concertar combates en la actualidad.

Valcárcel comentó que se hizo un donativo económico, como parte de una ayuda constante que la OMB entrega a este Centro de Atención de Niñas, ya que están trabajando en la instalación de un ring para que las menores aprendan el boxeo, como una forma de defensa personal.

“Estamos ayudando de diversas formas al Centro Cristo Obrero, pero el plan inmediato en la construcción del gimnasio para que las niñas aprendan defensa personal y aumenten su auto estima”, comentó Valcárcel.

“La idea es llevar una o dos veces a la semana a una entrenadora para que de clases de boxeo a estas niñas. Estamos trabajando en eso, y en unas mejoras para el hogar”, reiteró el presidente de la OMB.

Este es el octavo año consecutivo que la OMB apoya a este Hogar de Niñas, como parte del programa “Niños Libres de Drogas”, que esta organización impulsa en muchos países latinoamericanos y del mundo. En Nicaragua, la OMB ha brindado aportes económicos y material deportivo para las escuelas de boxeo, además de donaciones a centros de atención de niños en riesgo.

El Hogar de Niñas Cristo Obrero en Diriomo es una institución sin fines de lucro, que alberga a más de 30 niñas, entre las edades de 7 a 18 años, que han sido víctimas de maltrato físico y emocional, abandono, negligencia, orfandad y situaciones de alto riesgo. Fue fundado el 16 de Marzo de 2003 por AMICO, para responder a las necesidades de la niñez. Actualmente, con limitaciones, es administrado y operado por las hermanas religiosas de AMICO.

Para información adicional y realizar donativos, contactar a la hermana Grethel Marchena al teléfono (506) 8112-3170 o escribirle a su e-mail gremarmar@yahoo.com

http://notifight.com/la-omb-continua-con-su-respaldo-hogar-infantil-en-nicaragua/

Date:  Saturday, January 28, 2017

WBO Female Welterweight Championship Title Bout

Location: The Spectrum, Oslo

Promoter: FIRST LADY PROMOTION AS/MORTEN ANDREASSEN

Supervisor: MARION PALATIN

Referee: MASSIMO BARROVECCHIO (WBC)

Judges:FABIAN GUGGENHEIM (WBC), PREDRAG ALEKSIC (WBC), ROBIN DOLPIERRE  (WBC)

Results:

TV:

Atlantic City.-El campeón mundial cubano Guillermo Rigondeaux venció abrumadoramente por unanimidad al ghanés Joseph Agbeko, el 7 de diciembre en Atlantic City, Nueva Jersey.

“El Chacal” Rigondeaux recibió votación de 120-108 de los tres jueces, lo que significa que el trío de oficiales lo vio imponerse en cada uno de los 12 asaltos.

Para el invicto Rigondeaux (13-0-0, 8 KOs) fue la cuarta defensa exitosa del cinturón de la Asociación Mundial (AMB) y la primera de la Organización Mundial (OMB), que obtuvo el 13 de abril al imponerse por unanimidad al filipino Nonito Donaire en Nueva York.

Y tal como ocurrió ante Donaire, ahora el oriundo de la oriental provincia de Santiago de Cuba, ofreció una disertación de las mejores cualidades de un boxeador: sentido de la distancia, rapidez de manos y piernas, anticipación en el desembarco de los golpes y una guardia casi inexpugnable para Agbeko.

En los dos primeros asaltos, Rigondeaux pegó varios jabs y ganchos de zurda al africano, quien se lanzaba hacia delante con ambos guantes protegiéndose el rostro, pero incapaz de impactar con solidez en la anatomía del caribeño.

Durante los siguientes asaltos, “Rigo”, como le llaman sus allegados, se mantuvo pegando con exactitud y desplazándose hacia los laterales o hacia atrás para evitar las arremetidas de Agbeko, superado en toda la línea.

Al final de cada round, Pedro Luis Díaz, el entrenador del cubano, lo conminaba a mantener los puños en alto y combinar con las dos manos, una táctica que el monarca cumplió al pie de la letra.

Después de concluida la reyerta y sobre la posibilidad de conceder la revancha a Donaire, Rigondeaux respondió: “Cuando quiera le vuelvo a dar otra paliza, pero que deje de llorar”.

Igualmente aceptó vérselas con el recién ingresado a las filas profesionales, el ruso Vasyl Lomachenko, de 25 años y doble monarca olímpico y también con par de coronas mundiales en las filas amateurs.

Para los amantes del buen boxeo, Rigondeaux hizo lo que exige la disciplina: pegar y evitar ser impactado. Sus virtudes personales son similares a las de Floyd Mayweather Jr. y Andre Ward, dos de los mejores libra por libra del mundo.

Pero otros arguyen que “no ofrece espectáculo”, algo que podría aplicarse al binomio antes mencionado, artífices también de “picar como abeja y volar como mariposa”, una definición que el estadounidense Mohammed Alí, uno de los mejores púgiles de la historia, daba a su forma de pelear.

King Kong” Agbeko (29-4-0, 22 KOs), quien actualmente reside en el Bronx de Nueva York, había derrotado por unanimidad al zurdo colombiano Luis “Surtigás” Meléndez, el 22 de marzo en Accra, Ghana, en la discusión del título vacante gallo de la Organización Internacional (OIB).

Antes había sufrido par de reveses ante el mexicano Abner Mares, ambos en 2011, cuando perdió la faja de las 118 libras de la FIB, conseguida ante el el nicaragüense Luis Alberto “El Demoledor” Pérez, en 2007, en Sacramento, California.

Agbeko perdió momentáneamente el cinturón ante Yohhny Pérez, en 2009, pero después lo reconquistó en pelea revancha el 31 de octubre de 2010.

www.zonadeboxeo.com
PHOTO: Ed Mulholland/HBO

http://www.zonadeboxeo.com/noticias/noticias-destacadas/16446-guillermo-el-chacal-rigondeaux-diserto-ante-king-kong-agbeko

Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade born February 26, 1988 in Providence, Rhode Island is a professional boxer from the United States. He won the 2007 world championships as an amateur, then made his professional debut on October 23, 2008. Demetrius represented the United States in the 2008 Olympics. He is trained by David Keefe and his father, Paul Andrade.
A Providence native of Cape Verdean descent, southpaw Andrade began boxing in 1994 at the age of 6. His nickname is “Boo Boo” and he currently competes in the Junior Middleweight division.
Andrade won the United States Amateur Boxing Championship in 2005, and repeated it in 2006 when he also won the National Golden Gloves. He again won the National Golden Gloves in 2007, but did not compete in the U.S. Amateurs that year due to injury.
Andrade initially struggled at the international level, losing to Eastern European opponents at the World Cup in 2005 and 2006. However, he won the silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, losing controversially in the gold medal match to Brazilian hometown favorite Pedro Lima by a narrow 7-6 margin.
He won Gold at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships, where he beat Kakhaber Zhvania, Dmitrijs Sostaks, 2005 silver medalist Magomed Nurutdinov, future champion Jack Culcay-Keth, Adem Kılıçcı in the semifinal round, and then Non Boonjumnong of Thailand in the finals, a match in which Andrade inflicted a standing eight count upon Boonjumnong and was leading by a score of 11-3 in the second round when Boonjumnong retired with an injury to his right arm.
At the Olympic trials he defeated hard-punching Keith Thurman 27:13
At the Olympics he beat Kakhaber Zhvania and the highly regarded Russian Andrey Balanov14:3 but was shocked by Korean veteran Kim Jung-Joo 9:11
Professional career
Following the disappointment of not gaining a medal at the Olympics Andrade then turned professional and had his first pro fight in October 2008, which he won at Northern Quest Casino, Airway Heights, Washington beating Patrick Cape by second round knockout. He went on to win a TKO over Eric Marriott before making his Friday Night Fights debut against Tom Joseph on March 6 with a 1st round TKO victory then only 2 weeks later a second round KO win against Arnulfo Javier Romero. On June 19, 2009 he won the unanimous decision against Tony Hirsch. And another KO against Chad Greenleaf in the second round. He is also a member of Team Fight to Walk, which supports America’s first clinical stem cell trial, along with other notable fighters such as Boyd Melson, Shawn Estrada, Steve Cunningham, Denis Douglin and Deandre Latimore

En conmemoración de la 26 Convención de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo la revista digital www.boxenvivo.com dedicó su revista digital #7 a la OMB, con el título: “La OMB llegó para quedarse”.

En el contenido se destacan “La OMB cumple 26 años siempre protagónico” , “Mexicanos, los reyes de la OMB”,El Gallito Estrada lo volvió hacer, se entona en China” y “La OMB a través, un organismo de credibilidad” entre otros.

Lo invitamos a disfrutar estos artículos en el siguiente link:

http://www.boxenvivo.com/impreso/7/index.html#/1/