Referee ruins fight, Rios beats Chaves on DQ; Vargas defeats Novikov

Brandon Rios (32-2-1, 23 Kos) should be on his knees tonight thanking referee Vick Drakulich for saving his career in needlessly disqualifying visiting fighter Diego Chaves (23-2, 19 KOs) in the 9th round at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Drakulich had been overactive in taking points off from the 3rd round when he took a point off from Chaves for clinching. I still can’t understand why Drakulich disqualified Chaves instead of Rios, who really was the one that was fouling repeatedly by head-butting during every clinch, hitting low and throwing rabbit punches.

From my perspective, it just looked like Chaves was robbed tonight. He came in as the B-side and he was beating the house fighter and getting fouled like mad. Instead of the referee addressing the fouling that Rios was doing, he disqualified the victim of the fouling in giving the hook to Chaves. I can’t remember ever seeing a visiting fighter get shafted as badly as Chaves did tonight.

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Kovalev Takes Out Caparello in Second Round at Revel

(Photo Credit: Rich Graessle/Main Events) In the much-anticipated WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship bout, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KO’s*) takes down undefeated Australian challenger Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-1-1, 6 KO’s) in the second round in the third defense of his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. Kovalev was under a microscope these last few days with the possibility of a unification bout with Bernard “Alien” Hopkins looming. Krusher did not let the pressure get to him, he focused only on the opponent in the ring with him tonight.

Kovalev and Caparello were feeling each other out in the first round. Caparello knocked Sergey off balance in the first and his glove touched the canvas, but Krusher got back up quickly. Blake went down in the second from a crushing body blow but beat the count. He taunted Kovalev to come back at him which Krusher did in relentless fashion. After two more knockdowns, referee Sparkle Lee called it off at 1:47 of round two.

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Andre Dirrell Shines In Return, Campillo Upsets Williams Jr

A packed house at The Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington was treated to a huge night … continue

Commonwealth champ Ekpo eyes Arthur Abraham-Paul Smith winner

Newly crowned Commonwealth and WBO Africa Super Middleweight champion, Isaac Ekpo is eyeing an immediate re-crack at the world title itself after revealing his desire to face the winner of the upcoming WBO Super Middleweight championship between champion, Arthur Abraham and Paul Smith.

Ekpo previously lost a decision in a bid for the same WBO title against Robert Stieglitz in Germany last year, the same opponent Arthur Abraham defeated in March to wrestle away the title.

Abraham subsequently successfully defended the belt against Nikola Sjekloca at the end of May and is now aiming at a second successful defence against 31 year old British Super Middleweight champion, Paul Smith at Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany on September 27.

Ekpo who only last month won both the Commonwealth and WBO Africa titles on the back of a convincing victory in Accra, says he is ready to finally achieve his boxing ambition of world championship glory and believes he can overcome the challenge any of Arthur Abraham or Paul Smith could present. And he wants a chance without delay to prove his case.

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Bundu shocks Gavin; Lucas Browne defeats Rudenko

Leonard Bundu 31-0-2 (11) beat Frankie Gavin 19-1 (12) by split decision. Two judges scored the fight 114-113 to Bundu, the other judge scored 115-112 for Gavin.

LUCAS “BIG DADDY” BROWNE came through his toughest test to date and remained on course for a world title shot with hard fought unanimous decision over Andriy Rudenko in Wolverhampton, England on Friday night (August 1).

Both men made their intentions clear from the start and landed with solid shots. Browne, bleeding close to both eyes from a number of head clashes, took control of things from the fifth round and never looked like losing the fight.

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Manny Pacquiao’s great ring career may be close to an end; Pac-Man says he may retire and run for senator in 2016

Superstar and all-time great Manny Pacquiao may not have too much time left in the boxing ring. Pac-Man, for a while now having been heavily and passionately involved in politics, has gone on record stating how he is thinking of quitting the squared circle and running for senator in 2016.

Speaking with DZMM, the 35-year-old icon and hero to millions had the following to say:

“There’s a big possibility that I will run for senator. UNA asked me to join its slate and I am grateful they picked me.”

Boxing fans do not want Pacquiao’s fantastically entertaining career to end, yet the political world wants Manny and it seems there could be just a few fights left for the southpaw dynamo who has already achieved so much as a fighter. The first thing many fans may think of with regards to how long Pacquiao has left in the ring is, will a clash with Floyd Mayweather – the only serious rival to Pac-Man’s dominance as this era’s finest pound-for-pound boxer – ever happen. Of course, so many of us gave up on that match-up ever taking place a long time ago. Still, how sad and disappointing would it be if the two megastars both exited the ring having never tested themselves against one another?

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Ghana’s Theophilus Tetteh to face Pagan of Scotland in Commonwealth title eliminator

World title chasing Ghanaian boxer, Theophilus Tetteh gets the chance to edge closer to his childhood dreams when he faces Rhys Pagan of Scotland in a final eliminator for the Commonwealth Light Middleweight title on September 21.

Tetteh, a former WBO interim Africa champion last fought when he defeated compatriot Ishmael Tetteh in Accra on December 20 last year to win the WBO Africa Junior Middleweight belt itself.

Now he gets the opportunity to announce himself to the world before a UK audience against the 21 year old Pagan at the Miners Welfare Club, Cleland, Scotland on a Prospect Boxing Promotions bill on the night of Ghana’s Founder’s Day.

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Kovalev “The Krusher” back on the Boardwalk & Rios vs Chaves potential FOTY

Rios claims that he has returned back to earth after his head was stuck in the clouds of success. Alex Ariza is gone from his camp, now he and his world renowned trainer Robert Garcia are going back to the basics. Strength and condition coach or not, Rios better have been on his best behavior to prepare for a hungry and dangerous fighter like Chaves.

Diego Chaves has a snappy jab and loves to throw chopping hooks to the body and head. He favors his left hand for lead hooks and has a decent overhand right to go with it.

The thought amongst fans and media who are picking Chaves are banking on his movement. I question Diego’s capability to outbox Rios only because he hasn’t shown that trait at a high level. He pressed the action for the most part in a loss to Keith Thurman, and in a close victory over Omar Weis. When he was pushed back in both of those fights, he looked very uncomfortable making him vulnerable to a hunter like Rios.

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Broner, Matthysse & Berto Featured Sept. 6 On SHOWTIME In Cincinnati

LOS ANGELES (July 31, 2014) –Former three-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner will return to his hometown arena following a two-year absence to headline a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® event on Saturday, Sept. 6 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Broner will face talented young prospect Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in a 12-round super lightweight bout. In the co-main event, scheduled for 10 rounds in the same weight class, Argentine powerhouse Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse will attempt to continue his road back to the top of the 140-pound division when he meets unbeaten Mexican slugger Roberto Ortiz.

In the opening bout of the live SHOWTIME telecast (9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT) former two-time world welterweight champion Andre Berto (28-3, 22 KO’s) will return to the ring after a one-year layoff and shoulder surgery against an opponent to be determined.

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Wladimir Klitschko and Kubrat Pulev sell out the O2 Arena in Hamburg, Germany

There are no more regular seats available for the IBF heavyweight title fight on Sep. 6 at the O2 World Hamburg. Kubrat Pulev said he tried to buy tickets for friends recently and he couldn’t, he contacted K2 promotions and found out he might find separate seats if he used a German IP address and checked regularly for availability. Those seats would be either lowest price that do not offer a good view or highest price (unreasonably expensive). Pulev himself was promised “one or two” free tickets, so he is not getting a lot of compliments from Klitschko and company.

The unbeaten Bulgarian knows he is a mandatory challenger per se, that is Wladimir Klitschko clearly does not want the fight and is only complying with an obligation. This is not a big money event for K2 while for Pulev this would be a career defining fight and his biggest payday. K2 promotions are handling the event and Kubrat Pulev is just a participant, and opponent that brings some intrigue and his 0 into the contest but not too much revenue.

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