Connect with us

fight news

Boxing News: Lomachenko edges Ortiz » July 3, 2023 – Fight News

Published

on





Unbeaten lightweight Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) nearly spoiled the long-awaited ring return of former three-division world champion Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) on Saturday night before a crowd of 4,586 inside the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Ortiz gave 25:1 favorite Loma all kinds of early problems with his speed and mobility. The former champ quickly had noticable bruising under his right eye. After six rounds, Ortiz was up by two points on one card and the other two were even. However, after that two of the judges had Lomachenko sweeping the final six rounds and all three had Loma pulling away to win 115-113, 116-112, 117-111.
“I’m happy. I’m happy to come back in the ring and make this a great show. Thank you to my fans for the support,” commented Lomachenko afterward. “You know what motivated me? Four belts! …look, I’m ready. I’m ready for any option.”
Undisputedlightweight champion Devin Haney was in attendance. “I think it wasn’t the best performance,” said Haney, “but I know if me and Loma were to fight, we’d see a better version on the night. Congratulations, and hopefully we can get it on.”
Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum stated, “The fight to make in the lightweight division is Haney versus Lomachenko, and we will do everything we can to make the undisputed championship showdown that all fight fans want to see. They are the world’s premier lightweights, and it would be a fantastic battle.”
In the co-feature, WBO #3 featherweight Robeisy Ramirez (11-1, 7 KOs), a two-tome Olympic gold medalist), stopped late sub Jose Matias Romero (26-3, 9 KOs) in round nine. Ramirez dropped Romero in round one, then cruised for seven workmanlike rounds before wobbling Romero and getting a referee’s stoppage in round nine. Time was 2:20. Ramirez may now face #1 Isaac Dogboe for the WBO belt when current champion Emanuel Navarrete moves up to 130.
Unbeaten 2020 Olympian super heavyweight silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs) scored a third round KO against Ahmed Hefny (13-3, 5 KOs). Torrez dropped Hefny in both rounds one and two, then got the stoppage after another knockdown in round three. Time was 2:32.
Unbeaten 2020 Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (8-0, 1 KO) took an eight round unanimous decision against Luis Lebron (18-5-1, 11 KOs) in a jr welterweight bout. Regan survived getting buzzed in round seven to win by scores of 77-75, 78-74, 79-73.
Unbeaten middleweight Nico Ali Walsh (7-0, 5 KOs), grandson of all-time great Muhammad Ali, had to work harder than expected to take a six round unanimous decision over unheralded Billy Wagner (5-3, 1 KO). Scores were 58-56, 58-56, 59-55.
Unbeaten 2020 Olympian jr welterweight Tiger Johnson (6-0, 4 KOs) went six against Esteban Garcia (15-2, 7 KOs). Scores were 60-54 3x for Tiger.
Unbeaten 2020 Olympian middleweight Troy Isley (8-0, 4 KOs) defeated Quincy Lavallais (14-4-1, 9 KOs) over eight rounds by scores of 79-73, 80-72, 80-72.
Unbeaten lightweight blue-chipper Abdullah Mason (5-0, 4 KOs) stopped previously unbeaten Angel Barrera (4-1, 0 KOs). Mason dropped Barrera twice in round three and got a referee’s stoppage at :21 of round four.
Unbeaten jr lightweight Haven Brady Jr (8-0, 4 KOs) outscored Eric Mondragon (7-1-1, 4 KOs) over eight round by scores of 78-74, 79-73, 79-73.
Don’t think I’ve EVER seen a referee who was THAT strict when it came to clinches. Hefny tried to hold a few times when he was in trouble, and Mercante gave an immediate warning, then another, the a deduction. Just couldn’t wait to penalize the guy. I thought tying up in that situation was part of the game and that Hefny was doing the right thing. Kinda prefer the ref to just fade into the background once the fight starts. Mercante made himself the star of the damn show.
Agree. Mercante is a fool. He always thinks too much of himself during the matches.
Lima has only had 19 fights this being number 19 and he over the hill already? He’s not over the hill, he’s just fighting better fighters. Teo exposed his weaknesses. Lima is still the same guy, it’s just that he is facing better fighters.
Loma was past it when he turned pro. I followed a lot of his amateur career and his best stuff was there. Period.
Lomachenko started his career late because of his close to 400 fights as an amateur. All those training sessions and sparring throughout your career will take a toll on you no matter how talented. He’s 34 years old, which under natural circumstances, is the beginning of the end for most fighters. Plus he has not fought in well over a year and is going at it in at a higher weight.
Wow you know your boxing lol ! Loma is one of the best amateur/pro boxer ever and you are a fool to make such a statement.
He’s almost 35 and fighting guys bigger than him. The fact he has only 19 fights is irrelevant. He had basically 2 amateur careers. Age has gotten to him since he can’t go 12 rounds anymore. He rests and covers for a few rounds then comes on. A lot of guys he can get away with that. Not Haney
I totally agree with you about Loma’s size. He was an assassin at 130 and he surely could still make that weight. I thought Ortiz looked like a JR Welterweight . It’s amazing the difference that extra 5 pounds makes.
I think if Loma fought in his more size appropriate Division, then you’d see he’s not nearly as aged as some on here think. And, he always was a fighter who started slow and came on strong.
So every fight so far has ended exactly the way it was set up to do so. Its not only pro wrestling that the results of a match is determined BEFORE its happened.
The Ragan / Lebron fight was a joke. The scores were a joke. The officiating was a joke. Every time Ragan got popped, he spit his mouthpiece. That was the refs due to give him a minute to recover. Lebron needed to knock him out 3 times to get a draw. Shameful.
Lol!!! Hence the user name. Well done.
Loma no longer a top 10 P4P fighter. Gets hit way too much. Don’t think he can beat any of the better fighters at 135. Just my opinion.
Was thinking the same. Don’t think he has it in him anymore to get by Haney, which is probably next for him. Age is catching up with him…
Man Loma looked small.
@Dee Yes he did, especially next to Haney post fight. I thought Loma just squeaked by Ortiz…..the 115-113 card sounded about right to me. Haney’s probably peaking right about now, and Loma’s not getting any younger. Haney 8-4 or 9-3 wouldn’t surprise me.
If Loma looked to be his old self, Haney would have moved up to 140 before this thread even opened. If Haney does not extend his contract with Arum and I have no idea what’s going on with that situation, we might get Stevenson vs Haney, which will end with the same result: Haney moving up to 140. I say this because we get screwed out big fights with boxers avoiding big fights and promoters who try to keep the belts in-house.
Absolutely looked very small. Idk if he could take Tank’s power. He really got hit a lot tonight. I would pick Tank over him now for sure. I also see Haney using his size and length to win. His best option is probably a big money fight against Ryan Garcia. That to me is a more winnable fight for Loma but I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost.
He is too small for 135.
Forget about his P4P ranking but I agree he will struggle with e.g. Haney and probably lose.
Yes he is. How about the clear fact that Ortiz is good, and despite being great, Loma is human.
Loma ain’t over the hill yet, but he’s over the top of it, so it’s only downhill from there. This boy he fought tonight was OK, but not a puncher. Looked a lot bigger than Loma, but not as big as Haney looked. Haney will KO Loma, I believe. Loma’s just too small for these bigger framed guys. He won this fight rather easily though, I thought.
Loma was done at top level several years ago and tonight just proved that he’s not close to what he once was. Haney would have not only had a smaller Lomachenko in his prime, he’ll now have a small and shot version.
Shot?
@Ajay He had a ton of mileage on him coming into tonight, and just went through another tough 12 rounder. He had 397 amateur fights, and he’ll be 35 by his next fight. He’s certainly past his best, and is very small at 135. Haney will be getting a very shop worn version of Loma.
Thank you for explaining it to him. I don’t have the patience for low IQ people anymore. I’m spent
Shot implies a lot more than past his prime and old. Silly boy.
He’s not as far gone as Sugar Ray Leonard was against Terry Norris, but he’s slipped noticeably IMO
Lomachenko might as well step up and take the L from Haney. I KNOW that fight won’t happen now. People will say he was old but keep in mind Loma dodged a 20 year old Haney.
Dodged? Where are you getting that from? Let’s see if the fight happens. I believe it will.
Yes he dodged Haney, Haney was his mandatory and he petitioned to the WBC to be super champion which allowed him to not have to fight his mandatory.
Nope, no fighters have petitioned the WBC to come up with another belt. Stop making things up and spreading misinformation.
That’s not the point. Haney was Lomachenko’s mandatory and he dodged Haney. Why didn’t the fight occur if it wasn’t a dodge move?
To Chris the natural!!!! WOW) WBC PREZ ADMITS CANELO & LOMA REQUESTED FRANCHISE AND THEY’RE NO LONGER CHAMPIONS….. type that in on YouTube and you’ll here the WBC president Mauricio Sauliman explains they asked to be franchise Which allows them to not have to fight their mandatory
Devin Haney was his mandatory 3 years ago. Lomachenko wanted no parts of Haney. He dodged him. Do your research then talk to me.
So fighters that have not earned a title shot are dodged if not given one? I thought it was more along the lines of moving up in ranks and then earning the right to fight for the title.
How did he not earn a title fight if he was his mandatory? Doesn’t that mean he beat everyone necessary to be Loma mandatory?
The people mentioning Haney being dodged was a proposed fight 3 years ago. What had Haney accomplished 3 years ago besides daddy lobbying for him big time in the background? Nothing. The fight was pointless back then. In retrospect, sure, but retrospect is a mofo.
Its always “pointless” when your man is doing the dodging. It means the governing bodies have decided Haney is up next for a title shot. Lomachenko has never stepped aside from a mandatory and suddenly he decided to side step. Its not like he was moving up in weight. Post fight he was making excuses about Haney’s size when he was MUCH LARGER against Rigo and Axe-Man. Your man Lomachenko isn’t what you thought he was. He’s dodger until he steps up and faces Haney like he should have 3 years ago.
No, he did not. Haney tried to make that fight when Lomachenko already had the Luke Campbell fight lined up. But you’re going to have your racist narrative.
Stop playing the RACE CARD and making excuses. You’re literally the one who brought up “race.” Ok, what happened after the Luke Campbell fight that Lomachenko didn’t follow up with Haney? I’m sick of you people bringing up race whenever something doesn’t go your way. Lomachenko is a dodger. You can tell by his post fight interview he wanted nothing to do with Haney. He makes an excuses about “heavyweight” but had no problem fighting a much smaller Guillermo Rigondeaux. He dodged Haney 3 years ago because he knew he couldn’t win and he still knows he can’t win. What excuses are there now that Haney beat Kam and Loma won this fight? When was the last time you seen a champ chasing down opponents? Haney wants the fight CLEARLY.
Actually Loma is on video prior to the rigo fight saying he that he himself was too big for rigo and that rigo was not a challenge. Loma has done nothing except take on the biggest challenges since he turned pro including moving up in weight for harder challenges. You remind of the floyd haters!!
Talent is talent. Don’t hate appreciate. Loma is an all time great.
Loma now will not beat any of the top Lightweights nor would he had beat them a couple of years ago, just ask Orlando Salido and Teo Lopez.
Lopez has a legitimate victory but salido? Are you still banging that same racist drum you were many years ago? I guess you still haven’t gotten over the beating Loma gave your homeboy Gary Russell Jr, huh?
Bwaahaaahaaa!
Not sure what your talking about, Chris, but apparently you don’t know what racism is, nor do you know boxing. Using your logic and others that share a similar mindset to you, Russell was too small for Loma.
This fight was telling.
Always felt questionable about Loma in this weight class. His weight gain came far too quickly. The suit is too big. Also with the weight gain he has lost a lot of his speed and mobility.
If Loma is going to challenge the top in this weight class, he needs to be matched harder and have the absolute best quality of his sparring.
Loma is not ready for Haney, Tanks nor Garcia.
In addition, age, motivation and what is happening in his country may mean that he will never be.
this Russian hate is stupid. Nazis suck. He fucked up. His career is over.
kurtis B gaskin: Yep how dare the ‘Nazis’ live and defend themselves in their own country against the invading Russians.
You are an idiot.
I have Russian roots. I was 11 years old when I finally got another citizenship.
No I don’t hate Russia, nor the Russian culture, nor the Russian brave people but I strongly question the Russian leadership.
And why don’t you address the Nazi problems within parts of the Russian forces?
I think the invasion of Ukraine is wrong, not only wrong but illegal, I think the killing and all the rapes are wrong, as well as the constant threats to use nuclear weapons, as well as the use of military weapons which are illegal, I also think the constant threats to countries bordering Russia is wrong, as is the fact that Russian state television openly talks about invading other countries, or parts of other countries’ territory.
The fact that I criticize it and think that it is obvious that Ukraine has its right to defend itself does not make me a Russian hater.
On the contrary, I love a lot of Russia but am more than happy to criticize its villainous leadership, just as I criticized the leadership during the communist era without being called a Russian hater.
In conclusion, to be extra clear, I have also criticized the US’s illegal invasion of, for example, Iraq, and I am happy to point out how American foreign policy has destabilized the world.
This fact does not give the Russian leadership the right to behave as they are now doing in Ukraine.
Your post starts off with good enough intentions, but then you go off on this MSNBC style misinformation campaign rant like some scorned tik tok girl. Get a life kid.
For the record, I have never watched MSNBC, nor FOX, even though I know what these two channels stand for and represent in the US.
Dude you talk about “race” and make stereotypical comments toward other posters when you can’t win a logical argument. You’re a total hypocrite. You’re a racist giving someone a morality speech. The irony…
I assume that your comment was not for me, but if it was, please specify and I will try to answer
Loma is on the back 9 and should retire. Do something else with his life. He can no longer be taken seriously as a legitimate lightweight. His days are over. We all now know Loma is washed up, and Lopez is not all that and a bag of chips.
lifetime boxing fan…old guy…I agree. hate to but it is obvious.
Loma didn’t perform in his usual fashion this time after being absent for awhile, but will be back in excellent form when he takes on Haney.
loma is back for how long who knows he beat down ortiz a bigger stronger young prospect he is just getting ready for haney which will be a good fight ortiz should fight navarrete loma still has speed footwork motivation to beat haney in a close fight
Age has catch up with Loma and he’s too small for the division… I don’t wanna see him lose against guy’s he would’ve beat in his prime.. Take the fight against Haney for the paycheck and hang them up for good Loma..
I don’t think there’s that big of a paycheck for fighting Haney and at this late stage of his career, it’s not a winnable fight. I would like to see the Ukrainian retire now, but he won’t as he is stubborn.
Well since Loma has already achieved what no other fighter before has ever done,i’d say that is an AMAZING task in itself.now consider not even Robinson,Hagler,Leonard,Holyfield,Tyson etc has done what Loma has.Ask yourself who in the history of the game besides Loma has since his 1st pro fight fought and defeated champions and more champions? Now since the answer is ONLY LOMA,we now have to ask ourselves can Loma be a success in a division that is at least 3 divisions higher than when he started out? Haney,and other lightweights will most certainly be bigger, probably stronger than Loma,the real question is this, can Loma bring his incredible timing and boxing I.Q into this division of bigger,probably stronger younger guys? One thing is for sure, Loma will fight anyone, and he wants Haney for certain. Time will tell us what will be, and Loma will no matter what happens, go down as one of all time greats, a man who NEVER back away from fighting anyone.
Loma looked better than all these fake ass champs holding his belts. Haney is coming to run away. If he stays in the pocket loma slaps him up.
Lomo is slipping into Russian blah blah. The ukrain Nazis are shit. IF Lomo keeps this crap up he is finished. He looked like a regular fighter. Meh…he is done.
Always appreciate Lomachenko, and glad he was able to pull out this win against a tough opponent. He hasn’t been active because of what’s happening in Ukraine, but he’s the kind of humble, gifted, tough, smart fighter I appreciate.
Loma def won the fight, 115-113 but 117-111, please don’t let him/her judge a fight ever again, Ortiz def won 4 rounds
Loma is a natural featherweight. These guys are 2 big for him at 135. Look at the size difference when Haney was in the ring. He needs to drop down in weight. He cannot beat Haney or Stevens at 135. He can only go so far on technique and experience. He is also getting a little long in the tooth.
JUST WATCHED THE LOMO FIGHT REPLAY GREAT FIGHT BUT THE ADDS BETWEEN ROUNDS HAD THREE WORTHLESS RINOS BAD MOUTHING THE REPUBLICANS / NO POLITICS PLEASE
I have to imagine Haney will be a little more inclined to fight Loma now. I’d like to see that fight happen. I think it would be competitive and it would be a good measuring stick to tell where Haney and Loma are really at as well.
I think it was a masterful performance all things considered.
I agree with Chalf. Loma is just too small, not big enough frame to put on enough weight to compete with Haney and other top lightweights. His power is just not there to compete with these bigger guys, imo. I think he needs to drop back down in weight. Less money, but winnable fights.

Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

source



fight news

Boxing News: Charlo wins in comeback fight » December 4, 2023 – Fight News

Published

on





In a grudge match, undefeated WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) scored a ten round unanimous decision over José Benavídez Jr. (28-3-1, 19 KOs) in a non-title WBC special event on Saturday night’s Benavidez-Andrade card at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Returning after nearly 2 1/2 years, Charlo was stronger than the aggressive Benavidez and won most of the rounds. Benavidez was wobbled in the tenth. Scores were 98-92, 99-91, 100-90.
Give props. He fought well. He knows how to fight.
Charlo did a good job moving, countering, and even leading in many rounds of the fight. Yes, he did well. However, I question if he can even stop Canelo who is much stronger than Benavidez Jr. Charlo will need to beat Canelo on points should they fight. I dont see a KO for Charlo against Canelo.
lol Canelo has never been knocked down let alone knocked out. Charbum absolutely has no chance of even hurting him. Charbum will be the one getting laid out if they fight.
Please nobody wants to see Charlo vs Canelo. The only fight for Canelo is Benavidez.
Benavidez vs Bivol is what we really want to see
Charlo very dominant, Jose put a valiant effort, but lacks fundamental
He should be ashamed he could not ko Benavides
Boxing should not let this fights go on
In the weigh in looks like over weight boxer is not a problem
But this like putting one live on risk
Charlo was too strong for Benavides
Can’t say I’d be too proud beating a guy two weight classes below me. And he couldn’t stop him? The commentators kept saying solid performance by Charlo and i get it .. he was out 40 months. But still, this was a super middle weight fighting a blown up welterweight. I guess that’s what Benavidez gets for all the pre fight talk. I pick Plant and Morrell over Charlo.
Not to bad after almost three years without fighting but nowhere close to challenge any one of the big names at Super Middle. Plant, Mibilli, Morrel and Benavidez would smoke him.
This fight did not settle in my gut correctly because Charlo missed weight. Under such weight related circumstances, Benavidez hung in there with a solid chin. Charlo’s punches were creative, and his jabs were mean.
Agree E man …Charlo had some good moments….but clearly that finisher that beast we are use to seeing .,.not there… hopefully it is rust…but …Charlo struggling with something else…can clearly see it…I hope that Charlo is “ok” outside the ring…
Yep, how good would charlo have been if he had of sweated off the extra 3-4 pounds and actually made weight ? Possibly a more even playing field for the smaller Benevidez Jr……
Hopefully charlo fights plant next
Not bad for charlo.good fight to get the rust out! Benavidez was talk,talk bullishht and no pop in his punches! Great sportsmanship on charlo at the post fight interview. Bobo gettn’ KO by benavidez next fight! Its a total mismatch, bobo too weak for the hard punching destroyer in benavidez! Bobo’s promoters don’t realize the danger they put him for picking this fight. Benavidez by brutal KO of the year on the 8th or a “no-mas” call out!
Dominated a welter weight (blown up). He got rounds in and maintained composure surprisingly.
I’m at the fight and there are no ring girls! WTF!!!
Benavidez about to stop Boo-boo. One more round
Done.
It was expected! A bobo blow out! Benavidez is in onother level, and not the bums bobo is used to fight and strugled with when he was champion! The most “avoided” title just was too big for bobo!
I don’t think it was right that Charlo be allowed to come in so heavy in violation of the contractual catch weight limit of 163. He likely was close to 170 when he stepped into the ring, more than 7-8 lbs heavier than Benavidez. He enjoyed a height advantage too. Totally unfair. Credit to Jose for putting up a valiant effort. Charlo couldn’t knock him out either. I personally am not very impressed with Charlo. He wants the big money that fighting Canelo or David Benavidez would bring, but it’s obvious that he would be no match for either. His more immediate goal should be to fight Plant, so he can save face and exact revenge for Plant slapping him. This is the reason that Plant slapped him too, to force him to choose Plant as an opponent with the title on the line.
Jose Benavides was out boxed. He did show he has a decent chin. Charlo didn’t have enough punching power to stop Benavides. Charlo will not beat Alvarez.
Just wanted to note….Charlo …I am praying for you….you are a man before a fighter…In your corner in “life”….hang in there champ…
Charlo is done at top level. I think Plant beats him at 168 and benavidez would knock him out as quick as he did Andrade. If he has to fight Adames at the middleweight limit, then he loses that too.
Way to go Charlo!
ok, lets just hope that we dont now have
canelo-charlo. if so, another hard pass for me
Surprised he couldn’t KO him. Jose Jr, a career Welterweight comes in at a catch weight of 163. Meanwhile Charlo, a natural Middleweight comes in 3.4# over at 166.4. So you had an overweight out of shape Welterweight fighting a Super Middleweight.

Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

source



Continue Reading

fight news

What time is the Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight tonight … – DAZN

Published

on




Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is back in the ring tonight for another exhibition fight as he prepares to face John Gotti III in Florida.
Mayweather has not had a professional fight since he ended his career on 50-0 following his huge event with Conor McGregor in 2017.
His most recent exhibition show was up against Aaron Chalmers in February 2023, in London.
Gotti last fought Albert Tulley at Rockin Fights 43 at the beginning of October last year, securing a decision victory in MMA, where he has a 5-1-0 record.
Here's all you need to know ahead of Mayweather vs. Gotti.
The event is set to get underway at 2 a.m. BST / 9 p.m. ET with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 4 a.m. BST / 11 p.m. ET. These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights. 
The Zeus Network will be showing the event globally on PPV.
The fight will take place at FLA Live Arena, Florida, in the United States.

source



Continue Reading

fight news

Top 12 best light flyweights in boxing: Rankings for 108lb weight … – Sporting News

Published

on





Fans of the smaller weight divisions were treated to what was arguably the Upset of the Year when Adrian Curiel scored a brutal and sensational second-round knockout over the previously unbeaten Sivenathi Nontshinga at the weekend.
Curiel (24-4-1, 5 KOs) picked up the IBF light flyweight title and announced himself among the division elite. The sky’s the limit for the Mexican star who will now be in the sights of unified titleholder Kenshiro Teraji, who hopes to become boxing’s first-ever undisputed champion at this weight.
What’s changed at light flyweight following the colossal upset?
The Sporting News recently gathered opinions from members of its combat team to produce a top 12 list at light flyweight:
MORE: Kenshiro Teraji and the road to undisputed
This Filipino-based fighter is still to mix with distinguished opposition, but he’s unbeaten over the past five years and his career is heading in the right direction.
Magramo has prevailed in a trio of WBO domestic title fights over the past three years and he’s due another step up in class. Once he takes that step, we’ll be in a better position to predict his ceiling in this division.
Next Fight: TBA
Blink and you might miss this hard-hitting 23-year-old from the Philippines.
Five of Fajardo’s 10 knockout wins have come in the first round and he’s only seen the sixth round four times in his career. He lost his third professional fight, and a couple of draws suggest that his technical craft can’t match his concussive hitting power. However, Fajardo is an authentic knockout artist and an exciting addition to the division.
Next Fight: TBA
MORE: SN’s Top-12 list of pound-for-pound boxers

Another Filipino fighter, Suganob quickly brushed aside the learning curve fights and has been holding his own at the top level.
Despite losing his unbeaten record to talented IBF champ Sivenathi Nontshinga, the 26-year-old Suganob has shown promise. He earned his world title shot by winning back-to-back fights over unbeaten opponents in Andika D’Golden Boy and Mark Vicelles.
He recently bounced back from the Nontshinga setback by outpointing Ronald Chacon.
Next Fight: TBA
It’s almost a tradition for Japanese fighters to hold lofty spots in the lower weight classes and the 2023 light flyweight division is no exception.
Iwata’s lone defeat came at the hands of reigning WBO champion Jonathan Gonzalez. The 27-year-old pressure-puncher performed well in that fight and ultimately succumbed to the champion’s class and experience. Undeterred, Iwata has bounced back with a pair of stoppage wins and he’ll be looking for big fights.
Next Fight: TBA
Prior to suffering his first loss to Carlos Canizales, the only blemishes on Matellon’s record were a pair of back-to-back draws in 2016 and 2017.
The Cuban boxer-puncher was competitive in spots against Canizales but he was deducted two points for headbutts and lost a technical decision when the fight was stopped. Losing this WBA eliminator blunted the 35-year-old’s momentum and he doesn’t have time on his side for a slow and deliberate rebuild.
Next Fight: TBA

Venezuela’s Canizales is a former WBA regular champion and he’s still in the world title picture right now.
A 2021 stoppage loss to Esteban Bermudez in a fight Canizales was winning cut deep. However, the 30-year-old has bounced back with four straight wins, including a stoppage triumph over Ganigan Lopez and a technician decision over Daniel Matellon.
Next fight: TBA
MORE: SN’s Top-5 pound-for-pound boxers from Japan
The former WBO champ has posted solid results down the years, although he badly needs a standout win to prove his world-level status.
Soto surrendered his WBO title to Jonathan Gonzalez in 2021 and was then outpointed by ring-wise veteran Hekkie Budler in a close fight. In need of a warm-up bout, the Mexican star faced countryman Brian Mosinos last time out and was considered beyond lucky to receive a split decision victory.
Next Fight: TBA

While Yabuki became something of a Cinderella story thanks to his stunning 2021 upset triumph over Kenshiro Teraji, the Japanese puncher can definitely fight.
Teraji blasted him out in their rematch, but Yabuki has bounced back with stoppage wins over Thanongsak Simsri and Ronald Chacon. With a 93-percent knockout ratio, the ex-champ is a threat to any light flyweight he shares the ring with. If he can keep winning, then another world title shot is sure to come his way.
Next Fight: TBA
MORE: SN’s Top-12 list of heavyweight boxers
The old warhorse of the division has no quit in him and yet another career resurgence following his recent loss to Teraji would not come as a shock.
Budler has been a professional for 16 years and has held world titles at both minimumweight and light flyweight. The amiable South African star has mixed with the best and owns wins over Ryoichi Taguchi and Elwin Soto.
While he’s 35 years old, his fighting spirit is undeniable and the former champ’s name recognition could secure him another big fight before he retires.
Next Fight: TBA
Nontshinga appeared to be the dark horse in this division until prohibitive underdog Adrian Curiel knocked him out with a single right-hand shot and relieved him of the IBF title.
The 24-year-old Nontshinga won the championship by outpointing Hector Flores in a classic encounter. He defended the title by posting a decision win over the underrated Regie Suganob before coming unstuck against Curiel.
Was this first defeat an aberration or has Nontshinga been found out?
Next Fight: TBA

Curiel didn’t have much going for him heading into his first world title bout against the talented Sivenathi Nontshinga. There were no distinguished names on his record, and his knockout ratio (only 16 percent of his wins had come via stoppage) was hardly intimidating.
Bang!
After posting a solid first round against the IBF champion, Curiel closed out in the second with a single right hand to the jaw. It was an incredible finish and a surefire contender for both Knockout of the Year and Upset of the Year.
What did we miss? Well, Curiel is Mexican. 
Next fight: TBA
This Puerto Rican southpaw has proven to be a gutsy and talented competitor since turning professional in 2011. Gonzalez’s form was patchy during the embryonic stages of his career, but he stayed focused and his form gradually improved.
Following a seventh-round stoppage loss at the hands of Kosei Tanaka at flyweight, the 32-year-old Gonzalez dropped down to light flyweight. That proved to be a very wise decision, as “Bomba” claimed the WBO title at the expense of Elwin Soto before making two successful defences.
Next Fight: TBA

The cream of the crop at light flyweight, there’s Teraji and then there’s the rest.
While he might not have the crushing power of countryman Naoya Inoue, the 31-year-old Teraji can still crack with both hands and he has a wonderful skill set. The one blemish on his record – a stoppage loss to Masamichi Yabuki in 2021 – was down to a Covid-related hangover and avenged via a shuddering third-round knockout.
Teraji has already defeated the likes of Ganigan Lopez (twice), Milan Melindo, Hiroto Kyoguchi, and Budler. However, with the undisputed championship in his sights, the goal is to knock off rival champions Gonzalez and Nontshinga as quickly as possible.
Next Fight: TBA
Tom Gray is a deputy editor covering Combat Sports at The Sporting News.

source



Continue Reading

Trending