Rungvisai Halts Gil Bae in the First
By Derek Bonnett Early this morning at Workpoint Studio in Bang Phun, Thailand, little giant Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (Wisaksil Wangek) scored a first round KO over South Korea’s Young Gil Bae.
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Cristian Mijares Ends Strong Career
By Derek Bonnett Once again, an active pugilist proved the point that a fighter talking about retirement is already retired. Cristian "El Diamante" Mijares, a thrice super flyweight titlist, told fans back in March that he planned to end his career in 2018 and he said good-bye to his fans in Cancun as he was certain he would never compete in that same ring again. As fate would have it, Mijares should have said good-bye to everyone that night and spared himself a crushing defeat.
Kovalev And Bivol Dominate At MSG
By Derek Bonnett On an evening stacked with world class boxing in New York, Madison Square Garden housed a pair of light heavyweight bouts with serious divisional implications. Sergei Kovalev, the de facto number one in the aftermath of Andre Ward’s retirement, sought to remain winning and possibly regain some of his stature after his 2017 stoppage defeat against Igor Mikhalkin. Dmitry Bivol, a likely ascender to the number one position, met danger-man Sullivan Barrera. Both match-ups
Nietes KOs Reveco; Dalakian wins title at Flyweight
By Derek Bonnett On the Super Fly 2 undercard at Forum in Inglewood, California, Donnie Nietes stretched his win-streak into its fourteenth year with an impressive seventh round stoppage over former world champion Juan Carlos Reveco.
Super Fly 2 Delivers: Rungvisai Out-Points Estrada
By Derek Bonnett Forget the heavyweights. Forget the welterweights. HBO has sure-fire, fan-pleasing bouts galore to be made at 115-pounds if they use their money justly. It’s okay if they save some for the light heavyweight division, but super flyweight is hands down the best division in boxing and the most willing combatants at the top. The Forum in Inglewood, California housed an outstanding line-up of world championship boxing punctuated by Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai’
Higa Humbles Fuentes in One
Japan’s Daigo Higa retained his WBC flyweight title for the second time with a rib-bruising first round KO over former world champion Moises Fuentes.
Inoue and Shiro Retain Titles in Japan
By Derek Bonnett At Bunka Gym, Yokohama, Konagawa, Japan, the ceremonial end of the year boxing festivities got underway with a pair or world title bouts featuring Naoya Inoue at super flyweight and Ken Shiro at light flyweight. With fellow world champions Daigo Higa and Ryota Murata ringside, Japanese fans had a staunch reminder of what a great year was produced by the home fighters.
Molina Jr. Stops Redkach in FOTY Contender!
By Derek Bonnett John Molina Jr. does it again and again and again. Whenever conversations rise regarding the best natural punchers in the sport, the names Julian Jackson, Mike Tyson, and Randall Bailey are sure to surface. Well, it’s time John Molina Jr.’s name joined the topic.
James Halts Chaves in Three
By Derek Bonnett The comeback of exciting Argentine welterweight Diego Gabriel Chaves came to a screeching halt at the Pioneer Events Center in Lancaster, California on Fox Deportes.
Zlaticanin Stops Herrera in One
By Derek Bonnett Former light weight titlist Dejan Zlaticanin got himself back in the win column with a quick first round KO of veteran opponent Hevinson Herrera at BB King Blues Club & Grill in New York.
Roman Conquest Over Salido; Siri Retires
By Derek Bonnett Orlando Salido versus Miguel Roman pit two of the toughest hombres of Mexican birth against one another in a sure to be classic, 130-pound match-up with guaranteed Fight of the Year prospects.
Ali Spoils Cotto’s Garden Party
By Derek Bonnett Given as many times as I’ve called them wrong, I’ll never pass up the opportunity to gloat! As soon as I heard that Miguel Cotto had a planned retirement event and the opponent was a younger and faster Sadam Ali, I instantly recalled Erik Morales versus Zahir Raheem. Now, these two fights did not end up mirroring one another head to head, but, in the end, speed and youth overcame experience and grit in one of the most competitive and accurately scored bouts of 2017.
Ceja Edges Teran in War
By Derek Bonnett Julio Ceja looked for his second win of 2017 at Palenque de Deportes in Chetumal, Mexico. After destroying former bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno in three rounds back in May, Ceja, who briefly held a super bantamweight title, took on tough Venezuelan Breilor Teran for a minor belt. Teran was riding a five fight win-streak over nondescript opposition, but owned more than a dozen defeats on his dossier.
Menayothin Matches Marciano
By Derek Bonnett Thailand’s Wanheng Menayothin, world titlist at 105-pounds, won his ninth world championship bout early this morning in Nakhon Ratchasima. Menayothin, one of boxing’s busiest fighters, won over Japan’s Tatsuya Fukuhara in a twelve round bout, giving him his fifth decision victory in 2017. What was lost on most boxing fans was that the victory also pushed Menayothin even with Rocky Marciano’s unbeaten streak and one more victory from a tie with Floyd M
Williams Decisions Smith in Las Vegas
By Derek Bonnett Julian Williams and Ishe Smith met head on at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ten round clash, one of Smith’s most entertaining bouts in years, was contested in the junior middleweight division and presented the winner with a great likelihood for another world championship bout. Williams entered the ring just one victory removed from his fifth round stoppage at the hands of Jermall Charlo. Smith had won two in a row, but was absent from the ring for over a year.
Jacobs Educates Arias Over Twelve
By Derek Bonnett In the main event at Nassau Colisseum in Uniondale, New York, USA, former middleweight titlist Danny Jacobs met inexperienced contender Luis Arias in a twelve round bout. Arias, unbeaten and trainer by John David Jackson, came to New York and boasted KO prognostications over Jacobs, who reminded the up and comer that he owned more first round KOs than Arias had KOs in general. Jacobs stepped into the ring for the first time since his March defeat at Madison Square Garden
Big Baby Drives Wach to Defeat
By Derek Bonnett Brooklyn, New York’s rising heavyweight contender Jarrell Miller continued his development at Nassau Colisseum in Uniondale in a scheduled twelve round affair against former world heavyweight title challenger Mariusz Wach of Poland. Wach earned kudos for his "Adamantium" chin against Wladimir Klitschko back in 2012 and it again held up under the unyielding pressure placed upon him by Miller last night.
Murata Retires N’Dam After Seven
By Derek Bonnett Early Sunday, October 22, Ryota Murata received his second try at Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam in a twelve round middleweight bout. In one of 2017’s most controversial scoring jobs. N’Dam retained his title with a split decision over the Japanese Olympic gold medalist. However, the rematch would see a different head to head pairing in Tokyo and the title changed hands as it should have back in July.
Mijares Runs Streak to Nine
By Derek Bonnett Durango, Mexico’s Cristian Mijares kept busy lacing up the leather for his third decision victory of 2017.
Tso Endures Swelling to Decision Kono
By Derek Bonnett In super flyweight at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Rex Tso scored a career best victory earning a technical decision over former two-time world champion Kohei Kono.