Erislandy Lara defeats Yuri Foreman, then calls out Golovkin and Canelo

01/15/201701/15/2017 Premier Boxing

Super welterweight world champion Erislandy Lara (24-2-2, 14 KOs) continued his reign as one of the top 154-pounders in the world and delivered a sensational knockout of former world champion Yuri Foreman (34-3, 10 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on Spike Friday night from Hialeah Park Racing and Casino in Miami

In front of a huge Cuban audience, Lara needed just a single left uppercut to drop and stop Foreman at 1:47 of round four. Foreman was also down in round three from a questionable knockdown that could have been ruled a slip.

Results: Lara stops Foreman – Photo Gallery

01/14/201701/13/2017 Jeff Sorby

WBA junior middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (24-2-2, 14 KOs) beat challenger Yuri Foreman (34-3, 10 KOs) by a 4th round TKO tonight at the Hialeah Park Racing and Casino in Miami, Florida. The fight ended with Lara flattening Foreman with a left to the head in the 4th. The fight was stopped at 1:47 of round 4.

Foreman was also knocked down in round 3. That was a beautiful right-leg trip that Lara did, which the referrer never saw. He still called it a knockdown despite no punch landing. Foreman clued the referee in that he blew the call afterwards, but it was too late. The knockdown still counted.

Results: Beterbiev destroys Prieto

12/24/201612/23/2016 Jeff Sorby

Unbeaten WBA NABA light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs) racked up his 11th consecutive knockout victory in beating Isidro Ranoni Prieto (26-2-3, 22 KOs) by 1st round technical knockout on Friday night Lac Leamy Casino in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

Smith, Jr. Upsets Hopkins in his Farewell Fight

12/18/2016 James Stillerman

Joe Smith, Jr., landed five left and right hooks in the eighth round and then connected on a devastating left hook that knocked Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins out of the ring and caused him to land hard on his head and twist his right ankle. Hopkins was unable to get back into the ring before the twenty second count expired, which gave Smith, Jr. the unexpected technical knockout victory with 53 seconds left in the round. This was the last bout of Hopkins’ outstanding Hall of Fame career that began 28 years ago in 1988.

This fight took place at the Forum in Inglewood, California. It was broadcasted on HBO Champion Boxing.

Joe Smith Jr. sends Bernard Hopkins into retirement

12/21/201612/18/2016 Golden Boy Promotions

Joe Smith, Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) retained his WBC International Light Heavyweight Title with a technical knockout victory after sending Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (55-8-2, 32 KOs) through the ropes in the eighth round. Hopkins was unable to get back into the ring after sustaining an injury to his ankle, and the fight was stopped at 53 seconds into round eight.

“It feels great, it’s the best feeling in the world to accomplish something I set out for and wanted to do,” said Joe Smith, Jr. “I had seen him every time I threw the right hand, he was throwing the left. I had seen him fall, and I kept hitting him until I saw him go out, and I landed that left hook until he went out. I knew he had time to go out, but I hit him with four or five clean shots and they were good shots on the button. I knew he was a true champion, and if he didn’t get injured he’d be back here. I came here to do my job, and this is my coming out party too. I had to finish him, it was either my career was going to end and his was going to end, but I needed mine to continue. I’m going to get back in the gym and train hard for my next opponent. I’m up for anything. I have lots of respect for Bernard. He is a true champion. Lots of people love Bernard and still will because he’s a true champion.”

Results: Joe Smith Jr. stops Bernard Hopkins

12/18/201612/18/2016 Jeff Sorby

Bernard Hopkins, (55-8-2, 32 KOs) saw his career end in a less than glorious way on Saturday night in getting knocked out of the ring in the 8th round in losing a TKO to knockout artist Joe Smith Jr. (23-1, 19 Kos) on HBO Championship Boxing from the Forum in Inglewood, California.

Results: Usyk stops Mchunu

12/18/201612/17/2016 Jeff Sorby

WBO cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (11-0, 10 KOs) used a combination of boxing and punching to stop contender Thabiso Mchunu, (17-3, 11 KOs) in round nine after knocking him down three times in their fight at the Forum in Inglewood, California. While the boxing fans at ringside wanted to see the 29-year-old Usyk slug, he focused instead on winning rounds and landing fast combinations to bewilder the 28-year-old Mchunu.

Results: Povetkin stops Duhaupas

12/17/201612/17/2016 Jeff Sorby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es7LcqlssEw

Russian heavyweight Alexander Povetkin (31-1, 23 KOs) showed tonight that he could beat an out of shape fighter who didn’t have a training camp in stopping #4 IBF, #4 WBC Johann Duhaupas (34-4, 21 KOs) in the 6th round after flattening him with a left hook at the Ekaterinburg Expo Center in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Results: Barrera stops Shabranskyy

12/17/201612/17/2016 Jeff Sorby

Light heavyweight contender Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (17-1, 14 KOs) was no match for Sullivan Barrera (18-1, 13 KOs) in getting knocked down three times and halted in the 7th round tonight at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. The 29-year-old Shabranskyy was flattened with a right hand in the 7th. The fight was stopped by the referee after that knockdown. The match was stopped at 2:05 of round five. Shabranskyy was also on the canvas in the 1st and the 5th. Barrera was knocked down in the 2nd.

Sullivan Barrera Pulls Upset Over Vyacheslav Shabranskyy

12/17/201612/17/2016 Golden Boy Promotions

Cuban stand out Sullivan Barrera (18-1, 13 KOs) pulled an upset over Vyacheslav “Lionheart Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (17-1, 14 KOs) in a slugfest for the WBC USNBC Light Heavyweight title at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. before a nearly sold-out crowd and televised on HBO Latino. The fight lasted until the seventh round, where Shabranskyy’s team waved the white towel at the 2:05 mark.

“Of course we would never expect this,” said Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. “We will decide next steps after we get over this.”