May 20th is an action packed night of boxing worldwide, champions and top contenders step in the ring from NY to Japan, pursuing their quest towards boxing supremacy. Yet not everyone, had an easy time making weight, one champion won’t even enter the ring as a “Title Challenger”. What will it all mean come fight night? It could mean nothing or it could mean everything.
Here are the official weights, reported from around the globe.
Terence Crawford Felix Diaz
Madison Square Garden LIVE on HBO, Terence Crawford defends his WBC and WBO Super Lightweight titles. against Felix Diaz.
Ray Beltran Jonathan Maicelo
In the co-feature, former world title challenger Ray Beltran defends his NABF and WBO NABO lightweight titles against Peru native Jonathan Maicelo.
On the scales official weights for all four men were reported as-
Terence Crawford 139.2 lbs Felix Diaz 139.4 lbs.
Ray Beltran-134.6 lbs Jonathan Maicelo 134.8 lbs.
Gervonta Davis Liam Walsh
In England on Showtime, Gervonta Davis looking to make the first defense, of his IBF World super featherweight title against undefeated challenger Liam Walsh, needed three attempts, before making the 130 lb limit.
On the scales official weights were reported as-
Gervonta Davis 130 lbs. Liam Walsh 130 lbs.
Gary Russell Jr Oscar Escandon
At the MGM National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Maryland also on Showtime, WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr defends his title against Oscar Escandon. In the co-feature, former world title challenger Andre Dirrell takes on Jose Uzcategu for the vacant “IBF Interim” Super Middleweight title.
Andre Dirrell Jose Uzcategui
On the scales official weights were reported as-
Gary Russell Jr., 125 1/2 lbs. Oscar Escandon 125 3/4 lbs.
Andre Dirrell 167 1/2 lbs. Jose Uzcategu 166 1/2 lbs.
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk Noel Gevor
In Poland, at the Hala Arena, undefeated Cruiserweight prospect Noel Gevor will face former world champion and veteran Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. The winner will be, IBF mandatory for champion Murat Gassiev
On the scales official weights were reported as-
Noel Gevor 198.8 lbs (90.2 kg) . Krzysztof Wlodarczyk 199 lbs (90.3 kg).
David Benavidez Rogelio Porky Medina
In Laredo, Texas, at the Laredo Energy Arena on Fox Sports 1, rising undefeated Super Middleweight prospect, David Benavidez faces veteran Rogelio “Porky” Medina in a WBC super middleweight elimination bout. That title was vacated, by Badou Jack after his draw against IBF champion James DeGale earlier this year.
On the scales official weights were reported as-
David Benavidez 167.8 lbs Rogelio “Porky” Medina 166.8 lbs.
Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam Ryota Murata
At the Ariake Colosseum, in Tokyo Japan, Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and Ryota Murata headline for the vacant “WBA regular middleweight title”.
On the scales official weights were reported as-
Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and Ryota Murata both weighed 159.5 lbs.
Ganigan Lopez Ken Shiro
The co-feature, a WBC light flyweight title bout between champion Ganigan Lopez and Ken Shiro also came in at identical weights.
On the scales official weights were reported as-
Ganigan Lopez and Ken Shiro both weighed 107.5 lbs.
Juan Hernandez Navarrete and Daigo Higa
The one champion, that lost his titles without stepping in the ring was Juan “Churritos” Hernandez, who had just won the vacant WBC flyweight title, slightly over two months ago when he stopped Nawaphon Kaikanha in three rounds.
On his first attempt, Hernandez missed the 112 pound limit, weighing 113 lbs even. He would try again forty minutes later and weigh 112.5 lbs. That would be his last attempt, before losing his title without further efforts.
On the scales official weights were reported as-
Juan “Churritos” Hernandez 112.5 lbs.
Daigo Higa 112 lbs.
The WBC flyweight title, is at stake for Higa only.
The weights are in, some had a harder time than others, all we can do now is hope for great performances from all.
Undefeated Titans Regis Prograis and Joel Diaz Jr. to Battle for NABF Title on June 9 at Turning Stone Resort Casino during Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend
Junior Welterweights Regis Prograis and Joel Diaz Jr. headline “ShoBox: The New Generation” title fight where only one will walk away with the NABF title and an unblemished record
Oneida Nation Homelands (May 8, 2017) – Turning Stone Resort Casino is again hosting another exciting night of nationally-televised boxing as Showtime’s series “ShoBox: The New Generation” returns to the Turning Stone Event Center on Friday, June 9. Undefeated junior welterweights Regis Prograis (19-0, 16 KOs) and Joel Diaz Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) will battle for Prograis’ NABF title in the 10-round main event where only one fighter will walk away with the title and his undefeated record intact. The clash of these undefeated titans takes place on the Friday night of International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Canastota, NY, only a few miles away from Turning Stone Resort Casino.
Trained by Bobby Benton out of Houston’s Main Street Gym, Regis Prograis (19-0, 16 KOs) is among ESPN’s “Prospects to Watch.” Three consecutive appearances on “ShoBox: The New Generation” included decisive victories over 11-0-1 Amos Cowart and 14-0-2 Abel Ramos, as well as a crushing first-round stoppage of the experienced Aaron Herrera. Prograis made his New York debut at the Barclays Center on June 26, 2016, stopping Luiz Florez in four rounds to capture the NABF belt. Ranked no. 4 by the WBC, Prograis was sidelined for several months due to an injury suffered at the gym, but returned on February 11 of this year to score a first-round knockout versus Wilfrido Buelvas in defense of his NABF belt.
Joel Diaz Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) turned pro in 2010 following an outstanding 85-10 amateur career. Diaz headlined ShoBox in May 2014, earning a 10-round unanimous decision over 14-1 Canadian prospect Tyler Asselstine. His successful 2014 campaign continued with a 3rd round knockout against 8-1 Kevin Aguilar and a 4th round knockout with one body shot over veteran Pedro Navarette that December. In 2016, Diaz scored three wins by stoppage versus former WBC Youth titlist Abraham Gomez, Brazilian champion Joaquim Carneiro and 15-1 Mario Beltre.
The June 9th ShoBox card at Turning Stone also includes a middleweight bout between Steve Rolls (15-0, 9 KOs) and Demond “D’Bestatit” Nicholson (17-1-1, 16 KOs). A pro since 2011, Rolls, from Toronto, earned the biggest victory of his career in his ShoBox debut on December 11, 2015, stopping 9-0-1 prospect and amateur standout Steed Woodall in four rounds. He has since earned two knockout victories in 2016. Rolls had a very successful amateur career, competing on both the 2009 and 2010 Canadian National boxing team, finishing with an 83-14 record overall.
Nicholson is a 24-year-old middleweight from Laurel, MD, with devastating power, scoring all but one of his wins by knockout, including 10 knockout wins during the first round. He has won seven fights with one draw since his only defeat in 2014. Nicholson has impressive wins over former world title challenger Milton Nunez and former IBF Inter-Continental champion Joshua Okine. He is coming off of a draw against 16-0 Immanuwel Aleem, who recently stopped Ievgen Khytrov in a wild back-and-forth brawl that aired on Showtime, though Nicholson appeared to control the action with his size and consistent jab. As an amateur, Nicholson accumulated a record of 110-15 before turning pro in July 2013.
Spain’s Jon Fernandez (12-0, 10 KOs) will open up the televised tripleheader in his second appearance on the ShoBox series, competing in an eight-round junior lightweight bout.
Smith vs. Barrera is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing® in association with Main Events.
The 27-year-old Smith of Long Island, New York said, “I’m thrilled to be back on HBO against another top light heavyweight, Sullivan Barrera, I’ve already started training and will be ‘more than ready’ on July 15. There’s a number of great fighters in our division and I’m looking forward to another victory on my way to a world title shot.”
“This is a great opportunity for me. I want to thank my entire team for making this happen. I respect Joe for taking this fight. He is a great fighter and I have a tough test on July 15. I will work hard to put on a great show for all the fans,” stated Barrera.
“This should be a spectacular fight,” said Joe DeGuardia, President and CEO of Star Boxing. “Over the past few months many have refused to fight Joe Smith Jr., so I give credit to Sullivan Barrera, who, like Joe, is a tough fighter willing to fight anyone. Joe’s captivating rise as a humble working-class ‘Common Man’ has resonated with sports fans all over the world and I look forward to being at the Forum on HBO as Joe and Sullivan battle for the future.”
Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, stated, “This is a really interesting fight. It is a can’t miss because Barrera and Smith are both finishers. We are all eager to see how this plays out and I give credit to both men for wanting a challenge.”
Smith bursted onto the international boxing scene last June, knocking out the highly favored, former world title challenger, Andrzej Fonfara in the first round of a nationally televised contest from the Pole’s hometown of Chicago.
Six months later Smith challenged future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins at the Fabulous Forum and live on HBO. Dominating the legend on December 17 through the first seven rounds, the construction laborer Smith drilled Hopkins to the canvas and out of the ring earning the knockout in the eighth round.
Barrera is riding a two bout knockout streak with victories over Paul Parker on April 15 and Vyacheslav Shabaranskyy on December 16, 2016. His only loss was to light heavyweight champion Andre Ward in March 2016.
Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Women’s NABF Middleweight Champion, Claressa “T-Rex” Shields had a very special visitor at her gym yesterday, none other than all-time Michigan great Thomas “Hitman” Hearns.Hearns, from Detroit, is the 1980 and 1984 The Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” and the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.
“I came out to see her because I want her to do well. I think it’s wonderful that a female fighter is the best from Michigan right now,” said Hearns. “The world is all about change and this is change for the better. I feel good about it. The champions from the past from Michigan are passing the torch to the next great fighter from here and that’s Claressa. The fans in Michigan should come out and help support her because she is the future.”
Shields said she was humbled to have such an all-time great supporting her.
“To have Tommy Hearns come out to my gym means a lot to me, I feel like I’m moving my career in the right direction and getting the right attention. I’m not just some girl putting on some gloves. It means a lot to be the latest big-name fighter to come from Michigan. I’m glad Tommy Hearns chose to come here and it does feel like a passing of the torch. He is very supportive and it feels great to be respected by such a great world champion.”
Shields says her training is going extremely well for her third professional and second championship fight.
“Carolina Duer is one of the best female fighters in boxing,” said Lewkowicz. “In the US, she will get the best training possible. It is only a matter of time before she becomes the star North America that she is back home. I am very happy to be working with her. This is the perfect time for her career, as female boxing has become very popular once again.”
TACOMA, Wash. – Few fighters have enjoyed more success at Battle at the Boat during the series’ 20 years than Mike Gavronski.
The Tacoma native will look to continue his winning ways at the nation’s longest running tribal casino boxing series when he faces Quinton Rankin in the main event of Battle at the Boat 111 at the Emerald Queen Casino on Saturday, June 3.
Gavronski will fight for the first time in the light heavyweight division. He brings an impressive record of 22-2-1 with 14 knockouts into the 10-round contest.
“Everything has been going great with Mike leading up to this fight,” said Gavronski’s trainer Sam Ditusa. “He’s down in San Antonio training right now. He went down there his last two fights and trains for five weeks. Each time turned out really well. It just basically gets him away from home and allows him to focus completely on boxing.”
It’s hard to argue with Ditusa’s assessment as Gavronski looked razor sharp in his last two bouts.Gavronski defeated Thomas Awimbono (25-4-1) in his last bout on Nov. 19, 2016, a win that came on the heels of his triumph over previously undefeated Australian champion Jake Carr on Sept. 10 2016.The victories improved Gavronski’s all-time record at the Emerald Queen Casino to 9-1.
“Those two fights were easily the best of Mike’s career,” promoter Brian Halquist said. “He looked like a completely different fighter against Carr and Awimbono. He was quicker and more accurate. He really put on a show and we expect the same type of performance from him on June 3 as he is right on the verge of being ranked among the top 20 in the world.”
Fighting out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Rankin is 12-3-2 with 9 KOs. He is 8-1-2 over his last 11 bouts with his only setback coming against undefeated Medzhid Bektemirov (18-0) on June 13, 2016. Rankin is coming off a draw against undefeated Todd Unthank May (10-0) on March 11.
“The opponent pool is really dwindling for Mike,” Ditusa said. “He’s going up a weight class. It’s just getting harder to find opponents for him. He’s fought some very tough fighters and I think Rankin falls right into that category.”
Battle at the Boat 111 Card
Saturday, June 3, 2017
10 Round Main Event – 173 pounds
Mike Gavronski (22-2-1, 14 KOs) vs. Quinton Rankin (12-3-2, 9 KOs)
5 Round Semi-Main Events
170 pounds: Tommy Turner (4-7-0, 3 KOs) vs. Issac Tadeo (8-0-0, 4 KOs)
147 pounds: Andres Reyes (6-2-1, KO) vs. Will Hughes (5-5-0, 3 KOs)
4 Round Undercard Bouts
177 pounds: Richard Vansiclen (3-0-0, 2 KOs) vs. Justin Milani (1-4-0)
140 pounds: Andre Keys (3-1-0, KO) vs. Ricardo Maldonado (7-6-1, 1 KO)
140 pounds: Niko McFarland (0-3-0) vs. Shae Green (debut)
Robert Helenius’ (24-1, 15 KOs) and Dereck Chisora’s (26-7, 18 KOs) WBC Silver World Heavyweight title fight, which was due to take place on May 27 at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, will be rescheduled for after the summer.
Helenius and Chisora were set to renew their rivalry following a controversial European title fight in December 2011. However, as promoter Nisse Sauerland explains, boxing fans will now have to wait a little longer before seeing the heavyweight rivals go toe-to-toe in a hotly anticipated rematch.
‘’It is with regret that we have been forced to reschedule this event, but due to a number of contributing factors, this has been a neccesary decision,’’ said Sauerland.
‘’I would like to apologise to all the fans who were looking forward to a great spectacle on May 27, but we will deliver an even bigger and better event after the summer.’’
Thursday night, Star boxing presented a full card streamed on the “Fight Night LIVE” Facebook page, from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. As action took place inside the ring, commentators Ray Flores and Michael Woods, interacted with Facebook viewers who shared their opinion of the event. This new series, can be pivotal for upcoming young fighters in terms of exposure and provides viewing opportunities, for fans across the globe who might normally, not have access to a live event, be it in person or on television.
The main event, was a junior middleweight contest between multi-time world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez and rising prospect Courtney Pennington.This was a critical bout for both men, Rodriguez hoping for an opportunity at one more high profile fight, entered on a ten month layoff and was 1-2-1 in his previous four. In order to get that opportunity, he needed to not just win but look sensational doing so. His opponent, Courtney Pennington entering on a two fight win streak, needed a convincing win to position himself for a bout against another top prospect and heighten his career to the next level.
It was obvious after the first two rounds, Rodriguez always the warrior, just didn’t have it in him. At 37yrs old, with forty two tough bouts behind him, Rodriguez battled both Pennington and time. He did start out pressing the action, yet was unable to cut the ring off and inflict any meaningful punishment. The younger fresher Pennington, incorporated double and triple jabs with movement, never in any danger or in need of adjusting his style, cruised to a comfortable unanimous decision by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93.
The co-feature and most closely contested bout of the evening, was a female Super Welterweight contest between former world title holder, Kali Reis and Ashleigh Curry. In an interview, prior to the bout Reis gave Curry very little respect and implied it was nothing more than a “Stay Busy” fight.
Either Reis was over confident, or she and her team had not done their homework on Curry. While Ashleigh Curry, cannot be described as a technical fighter, her movement, counter punching off the ropes and awkward angles troubled Reis for every minute of every round. The official scores read 57-57 from Judge Tom Carusone, 58-56 in favor of Reis from Steve Weisfeld and 59-55 in favor of Reis from Judge Peter Harry. My own unofficial score was 58-56 in favor of Ashley, I can see an argument for the 58-56 in favor of Reis handed in by Steve Weisfeld. A score of 59-55 from Peter Harry was pure “Home Cooking” as broadcaster Ray Flores stated.
Super Welterweight Jose Rivera, scored a highlight reel stoppage over the tall, lanky, Marcus Beckford. At the start, Beckford had some success, using his reach and jab but after some adjustments by Rivera, a counter punch over a lazy Beckford jab ended the affair in round four. Jose Rivera improved to 3-1 (3), Marcus Beckford drops to 3-7-3 (1).
Welterweight Daniel Gonzalez, won a hard fought six round decision over veteran Samuel Amoako. This was a solid learning experience for Gonzalez, despite Amoako losing ten straight prior, he has been a stern test for many top prospects. In his career, Amoako has only been stopped twice, once against then top ten ranked Gavin Rees, the other against hard hitting Miguel Roman. All three scorecards, read 60-54 in favor of Gonzalez who improved to 14-0-1(5), Samuel Amoako now stands at 21-15 (15).
Super Lightweight Anthony Laureano, scored a six round decision over Sidney Maccow after a back and forth battle. Early Maccow, controlled the pace, using his jab keeping Laureano at a distance. After making a slight adjustment, Laureano applied pressure used head movement and combination punching to gain a well deserved points decision. The official scores read 58-56 on all three scorecards. Anthony Laureano improved to 4-0 (2), Sidney Maccow now stands at 4-6 (3).
Cruiserweight Richard Rivera, scored a fourth round TKO over Marco Parente, using combinations and pressure to continuously keep Parente on the back-foot. Despite a game effort by Marco Parente, he was never able to adjust and needed saving by referee Danny Schiavone at 2:27 of the round. Richard Rivera improved to 2-0 (2), Marco Parente coming up short in his debut is 0-1.
In a lightweight contest, between two fighters making their professional debuts, Omar Bordoy defeated Jonathon Rojas by unanimous decision. There was not a dull moment of the contest, both fighters gave it their all, Bordoy and his pressure style, won over the judges who all scored it the same 40-36 in favor of Omar Bordoy.
It was a bout, as I stated earlier because of this exposure through live streaming and the efforts of both fighters, fans who watched, will want to see them in action again sooner than later.
According to Joe DeGuardia, head of Star Boxing, fans can look forward to more events like these coming soon.