Daxx Khan
Donaire: I can’t wait to show the crowd what we’ve been working on
Nonito Donaire World Boxing Super Series
Philippine-American Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire feels well prepared and looks forward to his World Boxing Super Series 118lb Semi-Final against South Africa’s WBO Champ Zolani Tete at the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA, USA on April 27.
“Lafayette, Louisiana is definitely going to be an experience,” said Donaire, a native of the Philippines who moved to the Bay Area in California at the age of 10 and today lives and trains in Las Vegas.
“There is so much culture all over the United States and I am I’m blessed to be in a tournament that allows me to visit a different state. I’ve heard the food is amazing and I can’t wait to try it out after the fight.”
36-year-old Donaire is perhaps the biggest name in the star-studded WBSS Season 2 line-up having held eight world titles by the main four boxing sanctioning bodies. Known as “The Filipino Flash” due to exceptionally hand speed and extraordinary punching power.
The former multiple-time world champion in four weight classes and current WBA Super Bantamweight Champion came down from 126lb to compete at 118lb for the first time in seven years to enter the WBSS.
In the quarter-final in Glasgow, Scotland Nov. 3rd last year against Northern Ireland’s Ryan Burnett, tournament No. 1 seed, Donaire felt he was in control and would have taken home the victory in the normal fashion if his opponent hadn’t been forced to retire after four rounds with a lower back injury.
How is the training going, can you give us some insight from your training camp?
“Training started about two weeks after the Burnett fight. We didn’t know when the fight would be scheduled but we knew the opponent so we stayed head on for Tete. I implemented new training methods that we haven’t tried before and have had a smooth training camp in Las Vegas.”
How would you describe your shape and preparations compared to your last fight?
“I believe the major difference is building upon what we had in the Burnett fight. I made sure to continue to stay disciplined with my diet and continue to be at the gym. As I said, it wasn’t completely 100% boxing throughout and we did implement training outside of the boxing gym and different drills as well. We made sure to have rest when needed so we could turn it up in these last couple weeks.”
How do you see the match-up with Tete?
“Tete is a formidable opponent. He is tall, he is fast, he is slick, but I am a fighter that can fight any kind of style. I can’t wait to the to show the crowd what we’ve been working on.”
Tickets starting at $25 for the WBSS Super-Lightweight and Bantamweight Semi-Finals on April 27 at the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA are available from TicketMaster here.
Fans in the U.S. and Canada can watch all the Ali Trophy semi-finals LIVE, exclusively on DAZN.
WBSS Season 2 Semi-Finals:
27 April – Cajundome, Lafayette, LA, USA
- Regis Prograis vs Kiryl Relikh
- Nonito Donaire vs Zolani Tete
- Josh Taylor vs Ivan Baranchyk
- Naoya Inoue vs Emmanuel Rodriguez
15 June – Arena Riga, Riga, Latvia
- Mairis Briedis vs Krzysztof Glowacki
- Yunier Dorticos vs Andrew Tabiti
Three of Salita Promotions’ World-Class Russians to Headline on April 18 in Grozny
On Thursday, April 18, at the Sportivnyy Kompleks “Kolizey” in Grozny City, Russian heavyweight crusher Apti Davtaev (16-0, 15 KOs) will headline a show entitled “Time of Legends,” in a 10-round showdown against Brazil’s Pedro Otas (32-4-1, 28 KOs).
The event, televised live on Russian public sports channel Match TV, will also feature WBA #7, IBF #6 and WBO #4 light heavyweight slugger Umar Salamov (23-1, 17 KOs) defending his WBO International Light Heavyweight Championship against Poland’s Norbert Dabrowski (22-7-2, 9 KOs), as well as fellow undefeated hometown hero Aslambek Idigov (15-0, 7 KOs) taking on Spain’s Ronny Landaeta (16-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBO Europe Super Middleweight Title.
All three promising contenders recently concluded a six-week training camp at Detroit’s world-famous Kronk Gym under SugarHill Steward and Rick Phillips.
In his last ring appearance, in February of this year, 29-year-old Davtaev needed under a round to stop Missouri veteran Richard Carmack.
“I had an incredibly productive training camp and look forward to putting my skills to use April 18,” said the formidable Davtaev. “My goal is to win and inch closer towards the heavyweight world title. I am the new face in the heavyweight division!”
24-year-old Salamov was last seen successfully defending his Eurasian Boxing Parliament Light Heavyweight and WBO International Light Heavyweight Championships in December of last year, via 10-round unanimous decision over Africa’s Emmanuel Anim.
“Training with Sugar has taken my boxing IQ to the next level,” said Salamov, “I look forward to putting in a dominant performance and making my claim for the light heavyweight world title this year!”
23-year-old Idigov was last seen stopping his countryman Konstantin Piternov after four rounds in December of last year.
“I am excited about fighting for a title against a skilled and highly respected Landaeta,” said Idigov. “I want to fight the best! I will prove that I am the best super middleweight in the world and a very important step is an impressive performance on April 18.”
“On April 18, three of the best contenders from Russia will look to take a significant step towards their goal of fighting for world titles in the near future,” said all three fighters’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita. “All unique, have shown improvement and world-class ability. I look forward to great fights and impressive wins.”
“BYB Brawl 1: Brawl for it All” Weights, Pictures and Press Conference Quotes
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“BYB Brawl 1: Brawl for it All” OFFICIAL WEIGHTS & PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES Join the BYB (Back Yard Brawls) Revolution….. Apr. 5 in Cheyenne, Wyoming LIVE ON WORLDWIDE PPV |
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(pictures by Brian Burns) CHEYENNE, Wyo. (April 4, 2019) — The official weigh in and final press conference was held today for tomorrow night’s (Friday, Apr. 5) BYB Extreme Series (BYB) professional bare-knuckle fighting pay-per-view event, “BYB Brawl 1: Brawl For It ALL,” live from the Cheyenne Ice & Event Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. BYB Extreme was initially inspired by the original Backyard Fights that were held in Miami, featured in the award-winning documentary “Dawg Fight”, which debuted and is still available to watch on Netflix. Dada 5000 was the subject and star of “Dawg Fight”. Production of “Dawg Fight 2”, produced once again by award-winning documentary filmmaker Billy Corben (Rakontur), concludes at “BYB Brawl 1: Brawl for it ALL”. “BYB Brawl 1: Brawl For It ALL”, presented by title sponsor Pure and Natural (www.getpureandnatural.com), is the first sanctioned-event promoted by BYB Extreme, bare-knuckle fighting’s most intense combat sports promoter. Nine professional bare-knuckle fights and two mixed-martial-arts fights will all held inside the “The Trigon”, the most confrontational cage in combat sports. Dada 5000 will be part of the BYB Extreme announcing team at cage-side, along with blow-by-blow announcer Din Thomas, and color commentators Chris Byrd, the former world heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic medalist, and Dada 5000’s brother, Dyrushio “Rusy” Harris. Tony Martinez will support the BYB announcing team in Spanish and veteran Bob Alexander is the BYB ring announcer. Official weights and pictures below: OFFICIAL WEIGHTS
 MAIN EVENT – HEAVYWEIGHTS – 5 X 3 BK
(L) Josh “Dempsey” Gormley, Miami, FL 235 LBS.
(R) Bobby “Zombie” Brents, Springfield, IL 264.2 LBS.
 CO-FEATURE – WELTERWEIGHTS – 5 X 3 BK
Jake “The Goon” Young, London, Ontario, Canada 175 LBS.
Matt “MFD” Delanoit, Omaha, NE 174.8 LBS,
 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS — 5 X 3
(L) Billy “The Kid” Martin, Casper, WY 194.4 LBS.
(R) Leo Pla, Parker, CO 193 LBS.
 HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5 MMA
(L) Jamelle “The Beast” Jones, Coeur d’Alene, ID 247.8 LBS.
(R) Matt “The Attack” Kovacs, Everett, WA 250.4 LBS.
FEMALE BANTAMWEIGHTS – 5 X 2 BK
Christine “Knuckles” Stanley, Lakebay, WA 145.8 LBS.
Latoya “Lionheart” Burton, Ashville, NC 142/2 LBS.
CRUISERWEIGHTS – 5 X 3 BK
Joey Angelo, Las Vegas, NV 204.2 LBS.
Joseph Guillen, Red Springs, WY 197.6 LBS.
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5 MMA
Lamar “The Abomination” Cannady-Foster, Detroit, MI 305.8 LBS.
Jermayne “Redman” Barnes, Fort Lauderdale, FL 284.4 LBS.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 5 X 3 BK
Alphonso “Chocolate” Frierson, Miami, FL 165.4 LBS.
Mike “Dragon Hulk” Trujillo, Miami, FL 180.4 LBS.
CRUISERWEIGHTS – 5 X 3 BK
Robert “Real Business” Brown, Jr., Atlanta, GA 192.2 LBS.
Lorenzo “The Juggernaut” Hunt, Jacksonville, FL 203.4 LBS.
WELTERWEIGHTS – 5 X 3 BK
Brian “Stpone Handz” Jackson, Cheboygan, MI 177.2 LBS.
John Michael “JoMi” Escoboza, Coconut Creek, FL by way of Dominican 169 LBS.
BANTAMWEIGHTS –5 X 3 BK
Albert “Speedy” Martinez, Valdosta, GA 143.8 LBS.
Robert “Billy Bad Ass” Fletcher, Park Rapids, MN 146 LBS.
(fights & fighters subject to change)
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES Dada 5000: “Who said it couldn’t be done? We’re hear now, fighters from all different states. The real winners are you people watching history being made. I started this vision and a lot of people thought I was crazy. It’s a great honor for me to take this from the back yard to this. We’re changing history because we have the solution. We’ve sent guys (from the backyard to the UFC and pro boxing. They’re examples of that can be done if you stay focused. “We will be the biggest platform for bare knuckles in the country. The UBC is our sanctioning body, nobody else (in bare knuckles) has that. We’re real and we’ve changed the bar and we’re taking it higher. The Trigon is the best cage to fight in. The triangle has always been the center of controversy. Tomorrow the world will see how effective it is. We are the real deal! I don’t think any of these fights are going the distance. Don’t blink or you may miss it.” Mike Vazquez, BYB President: “Although we are a young series, we have a deep tradition built on the foundation of the original Green House and Dada. Our vision is to provide fans with hard fought, competitive fights that are settled by the hand of the competitors, and not the judges. Our Trigon cage creates a tight fighting circle. Back up too much from the action and you will find your self in one of its tight corners. Our three-minute rounds on the boxing side will ensure that fighters can’t dance for an entire round, much less in The Trigon. It all comes together to promote confrontation and therefore resolution. Real fighters are comfortable with that, and we have some real fighters on this card. It’s our position that shorter bare-knuckles fights actually inflict less damage to fighter than prolonged fights with padded and weighted gloves that allow for more and harder punches over a greater period of time, creating more potential damage to he head and brain, versus bare knuckles where punch counts rarely exceed 100, and damage, if any, is more superficial. “That said, we are working hard on many fronts and promise to put on a great show for you tomorrow night. I hope you join us as we make history!” Bryan Pedersen, Chairperson of the Wyoming Boxing & MMA Commission: “I was excited to watch everybody warm up in The Trigon. It’s been one year and a few days since we regulated this sport. We’ve had bare-knuckles fighting in Wyoming for seven years. The fighters put in their time, blood and sweat. It was legal but not sanctioned and here we are. More people are watching bare-knuckles fighting. I view this as economic independence in Wyoming.” Josh Gormley: “I’m here to represent the Dempsey name in BYB. I’ve fought different styles: boxing, MMA and pro wrestling. I retired because of a shoulder injury I suffered in my last fight. I saw Dada and he told me he had a bare-knuckles show, I’m always in shape and train every day. I’m 45-years-old, but I’m not an easy victory. I’m here to win and I’m going to beat him (Brents).” Bobby Brents: “I appreciate BYB for this opportunity. I give Josh Dempsey a big thank you for taking the fight. I’m going to punch his AARP card early.” Jake Young: “Tomorrow night I plan to make a statement. I plan to knock him (Delanoit) out. I’m going to put on a show for you tomorrow night.” Matt Delanoit: “I’m happy to be here and grateful for this opportunity. This is incredible, the bare knuckles aspect. Take a good look at his (Young) face because it’s not going to look the same tomorrow.” Billy Martin: “Tomorrow is going to be a big fight. My opponent has worked hard like I have. The Trigon cage is pretty small, and you can’t run away. I don’t think this is going past the first round. You’ll see what a Wyoming guy can do to a Colorado guy.” Leo Pla: “Tomorrow night I’m going to put on a show for you guys. Come out and watch us put on a good show.” Jamelle Jones: “We’re well prepared. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I’m thankful for the opportunity.” Matt Kovacs: I’m fighting a tough opponent. We’re going to show everybody that a couple of Northwest guys can put on a good show. I’m looking forward it.” Alphonso Frierson: “I don’t have a prepared speech, but I’ll probably knock him out tomorrow night.” Mike Trujillo: “I’m fighting Chocolate (Frierson) for the third time. He’s not on my level. I’m at a higher level and you’ll see that tomorrow.” |
UFC FIGHT PASS O LIVE STREAM DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT’S BROADWAY BOXING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
NEW YORK, NY (April 4, 2019) – UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, today announced a collaboration with DiBella Entertainment and their acclaimed Broadway Boxing series. On Wednesday, April 10, at 8:00 ET / 5:00 PM PT, UFC FIGHT PASS will exclusively live stream the Broadway Boxing event from Times Square’s Sony Hall in New York City. Ukrainian welterweight contender Ivan “The Volk” Golub (15-1, 12 KOs) will headline the event defending his WBC USNBC title in a scheduled 10-round bout.
“April 10th’s card at Sony Hall is representative of what has made Broadway Boxing the longest running and most highly regarded grassroots boxing series in America,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “It features top welterweight contender Ivan Golub, who should be undefeated, as he continues to fight his way toward a world title, dynamic world champion Alicia ‘The Empress’ Napoleon, in a nontitle fight, and the ‘Big Uzbek’, Bakhodir Jalolov, who we believe is the scariest young heavyweight in the world and a future world champion. Former amateur stars Hurshidbek ‘Hershey’ Normatov, Joe Williams, Brian Ceballo and Khalid Twaiti round out the card in competitive bouts. DiBella Entertainment is thrilled that this Broadway Boxing will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass, the premier streaming service for MMA and combat sports. UFC Fight Pass’ commitment to offer first class boxing to its subscribers is great news for fight fans. We believe that this is the beginning of an exciting and creative collaboration.”
Making the first defense of his WBC USNBC welterweight strap, Ivan Golub, of Brooklyn, NY, will take on Manuel Alejandro “El Chino” Reyes (11-4-1, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA. Golub, who is co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., captured the USNBC belt last August via outstanding 10-round shutout decision against Lanardo Tyner. He has two impressive victories by knockout on SHOWTIME’s “ShoBox” series, and his lone loss came via controversial decision in Toledo, OH, against local fighter Jamontay Clark, in a bout most observers felt Golub deserved to win. Golub accumulated a 270-32 amateur record, while becoming a five-time Ukrainian National champion, and won bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in 2006 and at the World Championships in 2009. He also participated in the World Series of Boxing, winning all five of his bouts.
In a battle of heavyweight giants, fast-rising prospect Bakhodir “The Big Uzbek” Jalolov (5-0, 5 KOs), of Sariosiyo, Uzbekistan, who stands at 6’7″, will clash in a scheduled six-round tilt against the 6’10” Donnie Palmer (10-2-1, 9 KOs), of Dorchester, MA. Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., Jalolov was born in Sariosiyo, Uzbekistan, and is incredibly popular in his native country, with 173,000 social media followers on Instagram. He was a highly accomplished amateur compiling a record of 84-13. A four-time National champion from 2013 to 2016 and the #1 ranked amateur in the world before his pro debut, Jalolov represented his homeland at the 2016 Olympic Games and had the distinguished honor of being the country’s flagbearer at the Opening Ceremonies. As an amateur, Jalolov won gold medals at the Asian Amateur Boxing Championships in 2017, World Cup Tournament, Liventsev Memorial Tournament, Great Silk Way Tournament, and Duisenkul Shopokov Memorial Tournament in 2015, and at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries Tournament in 2014. During his amateur career, Jalolov also focused on his education, earning a Master’s Degree in Sports Science.
The card will also feature the highly anticipated return of WBA super middleweight women’s world champion Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon (10-1, 5 KOs), of Lindenhurst, NY, against Eva Bajic, of Senta, Serbia, in an eight-round nontitle bout. The charismatic Long Islander defeated Femke Hermans on March 3, 2018, to capture the WBA world title then made her first defense five months later. The Veteran Boxers Association named Napoleon as the 2018 “New York State Female Fighter of the Year” at their annual Holiday Awards Dinner. She is an outspoken advocate for gender equality and has been featured on national TV, including on FOX 5’s “Good Morning America” and the Pickler & Ben talk show. Napoleon competed as an amateur for nine years, winning 11 National titles, including two New York Golden Gloves championships and a National Golden Gloves title.
Undefeated super welterweight prospect Hurshidbek “Hershey” Normatov (7-0, 3 KOs), a native of Uzbekistan now fighting out of Brooklyn, NY, will face veteran Calvin Metcalf (9-1-1, 2 KOs), of Kansas City, MO, in a six-round bout. A pro since June 2016, the 26-year-old southpaw has already beaten two previously undefeated prospects in Nicklaus Flaz and Alexis Gaytan. As an amateur, Normatov accumulated a 190-40 record and won the European Amateur National Championships in 2014.
Welterweight prospect Brian Ceballo (7-0, 3 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY, promoted by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions, will face Ricardo Garcia (14-5-1, 9 KOs), of Reading, PA, in a six-round bout. The 25-year-old Ceballo was a stellar amateur, compiling a 206-13 record while becoming a five-time New York Golden Gloves champion. He turned pro last March and is coming off of a six-round unanimous decision victory in January against Randy Fuentes, at the Avalon, in Hollywood, CA.
In the junior featherweight division, Brooklyn fan favorite Khalid “Pure Gold” Twaiti (4-0, 2 KOs) will fight in a four-round bout against Jeno Tonte, of Kecskemet, Hungary. Fighting for the first time in 2019 at Sony Hall, Twaiti returns to action following a four-round unanimous decision against Carlos Noe Ramirez last September in his home borough. Twaiti turned pro in February 2017 after compiling a 74-15 amateur record.
Undefeated cruiserweight prospect Joe “Mack” Williams (12-0, 8 KOs), of Far Rockaway, Queens, NY, makes his long-awaited return to the ring against Jose Mario Flores (8-1-2, 4 KOs), of Woodbridge, VA, in a scheduled six-rounder. In February 2017, Williams appeared on SHOWTIME’s “ShoBox” series, handing 15-0-1 Lenin Castillo his first defeat via decision. Flores is coming off of a decision victory last November against 16-0 Armando Pina.
Junior Featherweight Arnold Khegai Stays Undefeated with Eighth-Round Stoppage of Mchanjo
WBA #13 featherweight, WBO #7 and IBF #8 junior featherweight Arnold “Arni” Khegai stayed sharp with an eight-round stoppage of Tanzania’s Haidari Mchanjo last Friday night at the Ice Palace in Vladimir, Russia.
The undefeated ethnic Korean, Ukrainian-born slugger (15-0-1, 10 KOs) was dominating throughout (scores 80-72 x 3) the scheduled 10-rounder, when Mchanjo wisely decided not to come out for round nine.
With the win, the 27-year-old Khegai continues his unrelenting steamroll toward the 122-lb world championship fight he demands.
“I am getting sharper with each fight, staying busy fighting against different styles against fighters from different part of the world is making me better, sharper and smarter with each outing. I now look forward to returning to the US for a fight against a top contender.”
Khegai’s promoter, Dmitriy Salita, says he’s happy with his Ukrainian tank and hints of big things around the corner.
“With each win, Arnold is inching closer to his goal of becoming world champion. I was impressed with his victory, which will lead to great opportunities in the near future.”
Promoter Greg Cohen Files Official Protest Over Bogdan Dinu’s KO Loss to Kubrat Pulev on Behalf of Team Dinu
Because of the serious nature of the illegal fouls inflicted on his fighter, Bogdan Dinu, in his knockout loss against Kubrat Pulev on March 23 at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, promoter Greg Cohen has filed a Petition for Change of Decision with the California State Athletic Commission.
Citing repeated rabbit punches, including one intentionally flagrant foul while Dinu was already down on his knees and defenseless, Cohen has filed a Petition for Change of Decision under rule 4 CCR – 368 of the Official California Code of Regulations, which states that the commission can change a fight’s verdict if a violation of the laws or rules and regulations governing boxing affected the result of any contest.
Should the verdict be overturned? Watch it HERE.
Romania’s WBA #14-rated Dinu (18-2, 14 KOs) and Bulgaria’s IBF #1- and WBC #9-rated Pulev (27-1, 14 KOs) were waging an even-on-the-cards (scores 57-57, 57-57 and 56-58) heavyweight battle when, in the seventh round, Pulev landed a punch behind the head to drop Dinu and then another when he was clearly down.
Pulev was penalized a point by referee Raul Caiz Jr. for the flagrant foul and Dinu was given five minutes to recover, but the damage had been done and when the action resumed, Dinu was knocked down twice more by illegal punches clearly landing on the back of his head and neck before the bout was halted at 2:40 and called a KO 7 victory for Pulev.
The California commission has agreed to hear out Cohen’s request, with a hearing penciled in for May 14.
WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER KERMAN “THE REVOLVER” LEJARRAGA FACES FORMER CHAMPION DAVID AVANESYAN IN BILBAO, SPAIN
Bilbao, Spain (March 29, 2019) Welterweight contender Kerman “The Revolver” Lejarraga (27-0, 22 KOs) returns to the ring tomorrow, March 30, battling former world champion David Avanesyan (23-3-1, 11 KOs), of Tabynskoe, Russia, in front of an expected massive crowd at the Bilbao Arena in Bilbao, Spain. The 12-round clash with Lejarraga defending his EBU European Welterweight Title is promoted by MGZ Promotions, who co-promotes Lejarraga with DiBella Entertainment.
A huge star in Spain, the 27-year-old Lejarraga is currently world ranked #2 by the WBC, #3 by the IBF, and #5 by the WBA and WBO. The heavy-handed star scored three knockouts in 2018. Most recently, he stopped longtime contender Frankie Gavin in the fourth round on November 17, 2018.
Lejarraga will be facing his toughest opponent in Avanesyan, with the Russian holding victories against “Sugar” Shane Mosley, for the interim WBA Welterweight World Title, and Kaizer Mabuza. Additionally, he has recently battled former world champion Lamont Peterson and top contender Egidijus Kavaliauskas in very close fights.
“This is the biggest fight of my career and I feel great,” said Lejarraga. “I’ve had a long, hard training camp and have left nothing to chance after more than 150 rounds of sparring. It has been the best training camp of my career.”
“Kerman looks faster and sharper than he ever has,” stated Inigo Herbosa, of MGZ Promotions. “He sparred with some top-15 world ranked boxers for this fight and did very well. He will make a statement knocking out Avanesyan inside of six rounds and all of the top fighters in the welterweight division will take notice. He is ready for the big names.”
“Avanesyan is another huge test for Kerman at what will be a sold-out arena in Spain, where Lejarraga is a massive star,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Following a win on Saturday night, I want to bring him to the United States for a step-up fight against a known opponent, and then position him for a world title shot in late 2019 or early 2020. I fully believe that he can beat many of the top names in the deep and talented welterweight division.”
Kendo Castaneda was “Tremendo” Defeats Eudy Bernardo by decision, Improves to 16-0
SAN ANTONIO (March 29, 2019) – Undefeated San Antonio super lightweight Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda out-classed and out-boxed Eudy “AK47” Bernardo cruised to a 10-round unanimous decision triumph in last night’s (Thursday, Mar. 28) main event on the RJJ Boxing on UFC Fight Pass® pro boxing event, at Cowboy Dance Hall in San Antonio, Texas.
Presented by Castaneda’s promoter, Roy Jones Jr (RJJ) Boxing Promotions, and San Antonio–based Leija Battah Promotions, last night’s show was a sell out filled with local favorite Castaneda’s loyal, passionate fans.
The 25-year-old Castaneda (16-0, 7 KOs), the reigning North American Boxing Association (NABA) champion, is ranked No. 14 in the world by the World Boxing Association (WBA). Last night, he easily notched his 16th pro win in a one-sided fight, evident by the judges’ scoring (99-91, 98-92, 97-93), against his usually dangerous Dominican opponent.
“I give my performance a solid 8,” Castaneda said after the right. “I out-boxed the guy and slapped him around all night. I really wanted the knockout, but Bernardo was mainly in a defensive mode all night. He did not live up to his ‘AK47’ nickname and let his hands go. I tip my hat to the guy, though. At the end of the day, he impressed me with his rugged toughness and engagement to survive the 10 rounds.
“I’m ready to do what I do and get back to work and continue the good fight. And I’m glad to go 10 rounds, so I have more rounds to study myself and sharpen up my craft. Big thanks to God and to my people of San Antonio, Texas.”
In the co-featured event, Austin, TX lightweight John Arellano (10-1, 9 KOs) needed to win the last two rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards to narrowly take a hard-fought, 8-round split decision (76-75, 76-75, 73-78) over previously unbeaten Xavier Wilson (10-1-1, 1 KO), of Baltimore. It marked the first win for Arellano in which he went the distance.
San Antonio lightweight Joseph “Mongoose” Rodriguez (15-0-1, 2 KOs) kept his unbeaten pro record intact with a 6-round split decision versus a game Darryl Hayes (6-13), of Houston. Rodriguez also needed to win the last two rounds on two judges’ scorecards to earn his win.
In the FIGHT PASS opener, San Antonio super bantamweight prospect Henry “World Star” Arredondo (3-0, 1 KO) knockout out his Mexican opponent, Jahaziel Vazquez (2-10, 1 KO), in the second round.
Fighting on the non-streamed part of the card, San Antonio super welterweight Raymond Guajardo (1-0, 1 KO) turned in an impressive pro-debut, knocking out fellow Texan Leonardo Mendez (0-1), also making his pro debut, in the second round.
Houston welterweight Jerrico “Hands of Stone” Walton improved to 12-0 (7 KOs), pitching a shutout for a 4-round unanimous decision (40-36 X 3), over Juan Rodriguez (8-14-1, 6 KOs), of Virginia.
MAIN EVENT – SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS
Kendo Castaneda (16-0, 7 KOs), San Antonio, TX
WDEC10 *(99-91, 98-92, 97-93)
Rudy Bernardo (24-4, 18 KOs), Elia Pina, Dominican Republic
CO-FEATURE – LIGHTWEIGHTS
John Arellano (10-1, 9 KOs), Austin, TX
WDEC8 (76-75, 76-75, 73-78)
Xavier Wilson (10-1-1, 1 KO), Baltimore, MD
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Joseph Rodriguez (15-0-1, 2 KOs), San Antonio, TX
WDEC6 (58-56, 58-56, 56-58)
Darryl Hayes (6-13, 1 KO), Houston, TX
SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS
Henry Arredondo (3-0, 1 KO), San Antonio, TX
WKO2 (1:17)
Jahaziel Vazquez (2-10, 1 KO), Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS
Raymond Guajardo (1-0, 1 KO), San Antonio, TX
WKO2 (0:58)
Leonardo Mendez (0-1), Petersburg, TX
WELTERWEIGHTS
Jerrico Walton (12-0, 7 KOs), Houston, TX
WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
Juan Rodriguez (8-14-1, 6 KOs), Haymarket, VA
ICB RELEASES FIRST IN SERIES OF CAGE BOXING PROMO VIDEOS
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