IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua proved way, way, way too strong, powerful and effective for challenger Eric Molina tonight in Manchester. AJ improved to 18-0(18) with a seemingly easy 3rd-round stoppage win over a negative/intimidated Molina. Joshua’s powerful right hand decked Molina and the follow-up barrage brought about the end.
Time was 2:02. Molina falls to 25-4(19).
In a great, great heavyweight slugfest that exceeded all the hype, Dillian Whyte closely out-pointed bitter rival Dereck Chisora via 12-round split decision tonight in Manchester. These two went AT IT from the first bell to the last and we have not seen heavyweight action like it in a long time.
Eventually, after too many switches of momentum to keep up with, younger man Whyte edged the thriller via scores of 115-113 and 115-114. The third judge had it 115-114 for Chisora.
Tonight in Manchester on the big Joshua-Molina bill, unbeaten Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz hammered out a relatively routine 7th-round stoppage win over a tough but not too ambitious David Allen. The 37-year-old southpaw finally got the stoppage right at the end of the 7th, as he teed off with both hands having hurt the 24-year-old Brit.
Time was 2 minutes and 59-seconds of the 7th and Ortiz is now 27-0(23). Allen falls to 9-2-1(6).
JOSEPH PARKER V ANDY RUIZ ROUND BY ROUND: Vector Arena, Auckland New Zealand, packed house. Duco well done, the premiere promotions company in this part of the world has the place buzzing with expectation that their man Joseph Parker (22-0) can create history in becoming the first New Zealand born Heavyweight Champion of the world. Duco have have nurtured Joseph Parker, encompassed him a professional management team and aligned him with world class trainer Kevin Barry.
Parkers opponent for the WBO belt Andy Ruiz (29-0), Ruiz at 27 years of age four years older than Parker.
Ghana’s Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe is the new WBO International super bantamweight champion after demolishing Julian Evaristo Aristule of Argentina at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday on the undercard of the Joseph Parker versus Andy Ruiz WBO world heavyweight championship.
The 22 year old Ghanaian whizz kid improved his undefeated career record to 16-0, 10 KOs after dominating the vastly experienced Aristule (now 32-7, 16 KOs) all fight long before finally knocking out the Argentine in round seven of the fight between number 8 and number 9 ranked contenders to the WBO world title held by Jesse Magdaleno of the United States.
An avalanche of news stories – with some suggesting that Tyson Fury’s heavyweight career had been derailed by anything from mental health issues, to PED usage, and recreational drugs – has fallen on the heavyweight landscape over the last couple of months.
The WBA and WBO recently stripped Tyson Fury of their titles, catching up with the IBF, who did the same in 2015 (unbelievably, just 7 weeks after Fury had won their title, the IBF crowned Charles Martin as their champion for beating Vyacheslav Glazkov). The WBC claim Deontay Wilder is the world champion. Joseph Parker is now in possession of the WBO belt.
The boxing world is both shocked and saddened today at the death of former super-bantamweight contender and world title challenger Alejandro Gonzalez Junior. The 23 year old was murdered not far from his home in Guadalajara, Mexico on Friday. Reports say Gonzalez and two other people were “executed” gangland style and were found in a truck.
Gonzalez, most well known for giving Irish star and two-weight world champ Carl Frampton a real scare in Frampton’s US debut last July, was 25-3-3(15) as a pro and it was his dream to emulate his father, who was WBC featherweight king in the 1990, and become a world champion. Many people from the boxing world have paid tribute to Gonzalez Jnr, including Frampton who called him “One of the nicest guys I’ve shared a ring with.”
Prime and ready for battle, unbeaten junior middleweight’s Jermall Charlo and Julian Williams Jr. clash for one of the top spots at the division. Charlo is more experienced as a pro and Julian with a tad more potential. The process of splitting hairs is needed when attempting to separate who will be victorious this Saturday night.
Turning the page is what 2016 was supposed to be about for the many fighters waiting in line to become the next Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Or at least make a name as the new kids on the block at several weight classes that include featherweight, welterweight, and junior middleweight. Saturday’s co-feature bout will mark the 5th, 154-pound match made on Showtime of the year.
Featherweights lay it all on the line as three-weight division champion Abner Mares challenges 126-pound titleholder Jesus Cuellar, broadcasted live from the Galen Center in southern California, on Showtime. Abner finds himself in a make-or-break situation for the first time of an impressive career. Cuellar gets a chance to put a stamp on the resume and raise his profile significantly ensuring even bigger fights at featherweight or junior lightweight in the near future.
We don’t know how serious he was being, but Terence Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre told Ringtv.com yesterday that his fighter would work hard enough to make 137 pounds so as to fight Vasyl Lomachenko – if the staggering sum of $10 million gets put on the table. McIntyre, with a laugh, said Crawford, the reigning WBC and WBO super-lightweight champ, would drop down three pounds to fight the current WBO super-featherweight king.
“If they put $10 million to make 137 we’re going to make 137,” the trainer said. “We’re going to make 137. But I know it’s not going to happen. Terence would beat the (****) out of Lomachenko. He too damn small.”