Undefeated lightweight contender Ryan Garcia (22-0, 18 KOs) of Victorville, California, and former two-time world champion Javier Fortuna (37-3-1, 26 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic square off in the main event at Crypto.com Arena in Downtown LA on Saturday, July 16. Many boxing observers believes that Garcia will face the most difficult challenge in his career.
For Garcia and Fortuna, this 12-rounder is a rescheduling of a lightweight bout that was supposed to happen in 2021, but was postponed when Garcia withdrew to address his mental health. With the matchup just in a few days, some fighters have given their thoughts and predictions.
RYAN GARCIA VS JAVIER FORTUNA: Fight Date, Time, How To Watch It Mikaela Mayer The unified super featherweight world champion, having held the WBO female title since 2020 and the IBF female title since November 2021, Mikaela Mayer, share her thought about the bout. She predicts Garcia will stop Fortuna by his X factor.
“It’s Garcia’s speed. Fortuna just can’t match it and I think that’s where Garcia’s power comes in because he’s got those fast hands and that fast whipping hook. So, I really think he’s going to be able to just catch Fortuna with that. That’s how I see it ending, one left hook.” Mayer explained Garcia’s X factor.
“I see Garcia stopping Fortuna. The speed and the power that he has will be the difference. The power comes from that speed, the force and the speed. I just think that Fortuna isn’t the smartest when it comes to attacks and he leaves himself open. Eventually, he’s going to get caught with the left hook. I think Garcia wins by knockout, I don’t have a round, but Garcia has been coming out quickly in his last few fights. He puts the pressure on, even though he’s a taller, rangier boxer. I sort of see him doing that again and I think the stoppage will probably come in the first half of the fight.” Mayer continued.
Bernard Hopkins and Devin Haney The American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2016, Bernard Hopkins shared his thoughts on why it was important for the young fighter to get the victory.
“Ryan Garcia wins because he’s hungry and he wants to fight ‘Tank’ Davis. He can’t afford to have a win (go to Fortuna), it don’t look good. He has a lot of things on the table that he must look great at.”
Sided with Bernard Hopkins and even went so far as to state, Devin Haney feels Garcia will have an easy time with Fortuna.
“I think Javier Fortuna is past his prime and I feel like Ryan should go in there and do his thing. I think he should have an easy time with him, but Javier Fortuna is a litte scrappy, he’s a veteran, but I don’t think he has as much of a chin.”
Roy Jones Jr. and Eddie Hearn The Fighter of The Year in 1994 and 2003, and The Fighter of Decade for 1990s, Roy Jones Jr. reminded fans that they shouldn’t underestimate Fortuna. He feels that while Garcia is a little sharper, Fortuna has more experience in boxing that may help him in this fight.
Meanwhile, Promoter Eddie Hearn says he has doubts that Ryan Garcia will beat Javier Fortuna this Saturday night. Hearn believes that if this is the same Fortuna that he’s seen in the past, where Ryan will be in for a long night. In his last two fights against Emmanuel Tagoe and Luke Campbell, Ryan didn’t look so good. That might be why Hearn believes the former WBA super featherweight champion Fortuna can win.
“I haven’t seen a lot of Fortuna, but if he’s the same fighter he has been, I think it’s going to be a very tough night’s work for Ryan Garcia. I don’t think, and I’m only watching Ryan Garcia at the gym like a lot of fans are, I’m not so sure (he beats Fortuna).” said Hearn.
“I’m not so sure this fight plays out so easily as some people think it’s going to play out on Saturday, which is great news. So make sure you tune into DAZN to watch it because it’s going to be a great fight.”
“Yes, absolutely,” said Hearn when asked if he’ll be impressed if Ryan Garcia scores a big knockout against the 33-year-old Fortuna.
Other fighters such as Danny Garcia and Antonio Tarver gave their thoughts on the fight. Danny Garcia believes Ryan Garcia is fresher and hungrier and that will lead to victory, while Tarver recognized Fortuna’s history of getting into some wars. He believes Fortuna has the ability to highlight some bad spots or weak points in Garcia’s game to make it a difficult fight.
Will Garcia have a hard time facing Fortuna, or ‘KingRy’ end this match and moving his record to 23-0 with 19 knockouts?

Jake Paul was set for his upcoming bout on August 6 against Tommy Fury when it was announced that he would need to find a new opponent. It was not the first cancellation, but the twice, after the Long Island star being due to injury and the more recent time being due to travel issues. Jake Paul ended up for Fury’s replacement being Hashim Rahman Jr, the son of the legendary boxer of the same name. In the next three weeks, the pair will go head-to-head at Madison Square Garden, in the Big Apple under the spotlight. Rahman and the YouTube star were going back-and-forth in a recent press conference and surprisingly, it was Paul who was on the back foot for a lot of it. In fact, he was so on the back foot, after Rahman Jr. came across much more genuine providing details and calling out Jake Paul for running from him. “Don’t turn your back and run like we did when we sparred,” Rahman Jr responded. “I was there to work with you, to actually help you get confidence to go against a guy that was 5’ 5” with no fights. So what are you talking about? And I still was handicapped, boxing you with one hand. Go watch the tape. I didn’t even use my right hand… Why you running in a boxing ring? Do you know how to box? Have you learned that yet? Have you learned that you can’t run yet?” Rahman Jr. said. “He turned his back and ran from me, that’s what’s going on in their whole camp, that’s all they do. I’m here to end this facade he’s calling a career,” he said at one point. Jake Paul and Hashim Rahman Jr. at the press conference on Tuesday, July 12. Photo: Showtime Boxing. Jake kept insisting “we have the footage” so as to disprove what his foe was saying, with this prompting Rahman to ask for its release. Funnily enough, the man with over 20 million YouTube subscribers also said ‘I wish that I could release the footage’ so clearly one of them is bluffing. “Imma let the fans see on August 6,” was Paul’s rebuttal when pushed hard to put out this supposedly incriminating sparring footage. It would be pretty iconic if he walked out with videos of him dealing with Rahman in training and that would be very on-brand for the flashy boy from Cleveland, Ohio. It’s possible that Jake Paul might finally have bitten off more than he can chew this time. Paul’s resume to this point is without much bite. He is 5-0 as a boxer but is yet to beat anyone of note. His last two fights were against former MMA star Tyrone Woodley. The Baltimore-born Rahman’s current record is 12-1, with the solitary loss coming last time out at the hands of Jack McKenzie Morrison in Vegas. This bout against Rahman Jr. will easily be the biggest test of Jake Paul’s career. It remains to be seen whether Paul is doing all of this for fame and fortune, or if he wants to become a legitimate boxing contender. Check the related video below!

The World Boxing Association ordered the fight between the WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and former super middleweight titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. The bout was formally ordered by the WBA on Monday, July 11th afternoon, with the two sides given until August 10 to come to terms to avoid a purse bid hearing. “Bivol’s champion period is conditioned to a term of 24 months and his last mandatory fight was on March 3, 2018, his next one was to be after March 2020,” Carlos Chavez, chairman of the WBA Championship Committee detailed in a letter to both camps. “For that reason, he must face Ramirez. “In case they do not reach an agreement in the given time period or any of the parties refused to do so, the WBA will have the right to call the fight a purse bid.” Fans wanted to see Bivol battle IBF/WBC/WBO 175-lb champion Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed championship next, but that fight can’t happen now. It was because Beterbiev’s promoter Bob Arum is already planning on having him defend against #1 WBO Anthony Yarde in October in London. The news of the World Boxing Association’s decision to order Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) to defend against former WBO 168-lb champion Ramirez (44-0, 30 KOs) won’t make Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn happy. He had hoped to set up a fight between Bivol and #2 WBA Joshua Buatsi next for a battle in the UK. Unfortunately for Hearn, the WBA has chosen Ramirez, so he’ll have to wait until next year to get Buatisi a title shot against whoever holds the belt. Ramirez’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya was overjoyed at hearing about the WBA ordering the fight with Bivol, and he’s already asking fans whether they prefer to travel to Las Vegas or Los Angeles to watch the fight live. “Now that the @WBABoxing ordered Zurdo vs. Bivol, where would you travel to see it? Vegas or Los Angeles,” said Oscar Dela Hoya on Twitter. The tall 6’3″ Ramirez was a good fighter when he campaigned at 168, capturing the WBO super middleweight title in 2016 and successfully defending it five times until vacating it in 2019 when he moved up to 175. In going up to 175, Ramirez has slowed down and lost his little hand speed. At the same time, Ramirez’s power hasn’t improved, and he is just big & slow for the weight class. He was arguably a better fighter at 168. Ramirez had it easy earning his #1 spot at 175 since moving up to light heavyweight in 2019. In Zurdo Ramirez’s five fights in the division, he’s beaten these less than dangerous contenders, Dominic Boesel, Yunieski Gonzalez, Sullivan Barrera, Alfonso Lopez, and Tommy Karpency. Even though some boxing fans complained that Ramirez should have fought Craig Richards, Buatsi, or Callum Smith to earn the #1 spot with the WBA. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez used his tremendous size advantage to stop #2 WBA Dominic Boesel in the fourth round in a WBA light heavyweight title eliminator last May in Ontario, California. Bivol, meanwhile, is represented by Matchroom Boxing and career-long manager Vadim Kornilov. The leading candidate for 2022 Fighter of the Year is coming off the biggest win of his career and the best performance posted by any boxer thus far this year. The unbeaten long-reigning titlist turned away the challenge of four-division champ and then pound-for-pound king this past May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 31-year old Kyrgyzstan-born, Russian-based champ was viewed as a clear winner by most observers but had to sweat out absurdly close scorecards of 115-113 across the board to retain his title for the ninth defense of the title he has held since 2017. Bivol has previously mentioned Ramirez when discussing a possible fight. “Gilberto Ramirez is one of the top players in the light heavyweight division. We have talked about this fight for a long time. “The time has come to make this a reality. We’ve trained together and sparred as well. He is a professional gentleman and a very good boxer. “He is an ex-world champion who has proven to be one of the best. Fights like this excite fans. This is what boxing is all about, fights that either fighter has a 50-percent chance of being victorious.” That was eighteen months ago. Now is the time to make the fight a reality. Ramirez currently guards an unreal 44-0 record with 30 stoppages. “Zurdo” has powered through two divisions as a pro and is already a super-middleweight world champion. “I appreciate the WBA and believe they will follow the right process,” Ramirez said. “I’m confused about Bivol ducking me. I earned the WBA mandatory challenger position in the ring, not once but twice. “He’s been talking about fighting me for the last two years. It’s the time!” If Bivol comes through Ramirez, we will see who is becoming The Unbeaten King.

Derek Chisora accomplished his ambition to get revenge over Kubrat Pulev at the O2 Arena in London last Saturday night. The victory helped silence the doubters of the 38-year-old with the judges scoring the heavyweight contest 112-116, 116-112 and 116-114 to ‘Del Boy’ after he lost to the Bulgarian back in 2016. This also halted his run of three consecutive defeats with a split decision win over ‘The Cobra’.
For Chisora, the result and the performance that barely secured it will serve as vindication of his decision to fight on. Fans were wincing during this hellacious contest – though that word seems almost too ‘professional sports’ for a match this gladiatorial – and they will have likely had the same reaction when Chisora called for a clash with Deontay Wilder during his post-fight interview. Chisora said this week that the product he sells is “War”, but his feelings towards retirement suggest that the veteran has become a prisoner of it over time.
“I think I last won a fight three years ago,” Chisora said, exhausted but relieved. “It’s been… listen… It was hard. Pulev’s a great fighter. I’m happy today. At the same time, I’m sad. I don’t have many left in me, but what I have, I’m gonna give it all to you guys. I don’t want easy fights. I told Eddie (Hearn, promoter) the other day, if you can get me the ‘Bronze Bomber’ (Deontay Wilder), I’ll be happy.” Wilder may be an enticing prospect for Chisora. That fight is a frightening prospect for fans.
A 12-rounds Brutal Bout Taglines for boxing bouts are often contrived and usually superfluous, but for this rematch six years in the making, ‘Total Carnage’ proved fitting. If anything, those in attendance in London probably anticipated a few rounds of total carnage and then a sad, brutal ending to the night and potentially the career of either of these aging heavyweights. But Chisora, 38, and Pulev, 41, raged against the dying of the pugilistic light with stubborn jabs, weltering hooks, and ominous overhands as around 7,000 watched on.
Chisora employed animated head movement in the opening round, evading Pulev’s jabs and getting in close, where he would burrow spiteful hooks into the body of the Bulgarian. Pulev’s torso was soon a vibrant red, but the tourist established his jab more effectively over the following few rounds, preferring to fight at range while Chisora tried to close distance. As the fight crossed its halfway mark, Pulev was pushing back Chisora and seemingly starting to pull clear, putting together combinations with the crowd favorite stuck on the ropes.
It was in Round 7 that the tide began to turn, however, while simultaneously turning a crimson red. For Chisora had cut Pulev above the Bulgarian’s left eye, and the wound began to open up severely in the seventh frame, blood impairing Pulev’s vision and allowing Chisora to hammer him with the kind of overhand rights that had not quite connected up until that point.
Impressive and vital work from Pulev’s cutman prevented the blood from spilling down the Bulgarian’s face as it had in Round 7, and the 41-year-old reaped the benefits in the eighth round; Pulev increased his output and began to break down Chisora. The Briton rallied late in the round, however, and in the ninth round, he nearly spun Pulev around with a winging hook. Pulev tried to box his way out of a troubling moment, but again Chisora hurt him with a heavy shot.
In Round 10, Chisora opened up another cut – this one on the other side of Pulev’s face – and again his opponent’s vision was impaired as blood streamed down. The visitor again tried to stay disciplined in his approach, while Chisora favored haymakers and began to land them with increasing success. Pulev connected with a right hand after the bell at the end of the round, and Chisora responded in kind, with the referee seemingly content that the fouls had canceled one another out.
Round 11 arrived and Pulev remarkably seemed to be undeterred by the bleeding around his eyes. He slung straight shots at Chisora, the Briton beginning to fade and starting to rely on his heart as his lungs let him down. There was time for one last crucial rally from Chisora, though, “Del Boy” getting after Pulev straight away and propelling hooks into the midriff of the battered Bulgarian.
After 12 rounds that flowed from one to the next on a cocktail tide of blood and sweat, it was Chisora’s swollen hand that was raised by the referee. Pulev seemed accepting of the result. Chisora’s brave showing was, apparently, enough, as his young children watched on – seeing their father fight in person for the first time.

FightersTalkTV.com – Two veteran warriors will go head to head again, six years after their first meeting. Derek Chisora (29-2, 14 KOs) and Kubrat Pulev (32-12, 23 KOs) will renew hostilities in a heavyweight battle at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night. Pulev claimed a split decision victory over Chisora in Hamburg in May 2016 and secured the EBU heavyweight title en route to an eventual world title shot. “The Cobra” unleashed a jab fest and rode his weapon of choice to a split-decision victory. Although one judge inexplicably saw it for Chisora, it was pretty clear that Pulev should have comfortably won via a lopsided unanimous decision. Anyhow, with that bout being for the European heavyweight title, this re-up will be for pure guts and pride. And they are ready for their rematch. Pulev, 41, was fighting for world titles as recently as December 2020, as he fought Anthony Joshua for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. This was just the second defeat out of 29 fights in his career, with the first coming against Wladimir Klitschko back in 2014. Chisora, meanwhile, who turns 39 in December, has fought no fewer than 13 times since then, defying expectations over a potential retirement. He is coming off the back of three straight defeats, dropping a pair of decisions against New Zealander Joseph Parker having previously been bested by now-unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Derek Chisora and Kurbat Pulev will go head-to-head once again on Saturday night. This unexpected rematch is being billed as ‘Total Carnage’, with the duo having to be separated at their last pre-fight press conference after a heated final face-off turned into something of a wrestling bout. It was because Chisora ​​managed to provoke Pulev’s emotions, and it can be the keys to get his victory. Agression Immediately Chisora laid down the gauntlet during the fight’s press conference earlier in the week: “Let’s f***ing go for it.” If that’s not an invitation to a fire fight, nothing else will be. But if Chisora truly wants to get Pulev off his back foot and away from picking him apart with the jab, he’s got to bring the “War” to the Bulgarian. And the only way to do that is to sully up the fight immediately with raw aggression. That aggression may prove to make Chisora vulnerable at times, but if he truly wants to go for it as touted, he must unleash forward-moving force on Pulev without taking a step back. Get Inside of Pulev’s Reach Pulev vs Chisora in their first match, May 2016. Standing six-foot-two to Pulev’s six-foot-four, Chisora has to work to get inside of the Bulgarian’s six-inch reach advantage. Getting inside early will go long ways toward negating the same jab that Pulev employed and rode to victory over six years ago in their initial fight. Obviously, that’s going to be an easier said than done task for “War” Chisora, but the British boxer has to force cramped quarters by any means — even resorting to clinching early if need be. Uppercut In The Clinch It shouldn’t take too many rounds for Chisora to gauge his comfortability and difficulty in getting inside on Pulev. Well, once he’s locked in the clinched phonebooth with “The Cobra,” Chisora should look to unload a compact uppercut to damage the taller foe. Anthony Joshua found success with the weapon against Pulev in victory nearly two years ago. Chisora might find paydirt with the same shot. Adding to that thinking is Pulev being 41 and possibly a step slower. When Pulev is looking to jab his way out of the clinch to reassert space, it might be the perfect timing for Chisora to blast him with a counter uppercut right up the middle. We will see if Chisora ​​manages to maximize the keys he has to victory, considering he is not as young as six years ago. You can watch the boxing videos on our YouTube channel! >>>

FightersTalkTV.com – The former four-weight world champion, Mikey Garcia, has announced his retirement from the sport. Although it has not been officially, the announcement can be seen on his updated Instagram profile. Mikey Garcia’s Instagram account. Garcia, who was undefeated in his first 20 professional fights with 17 KOs, updated his Instagram account, with the description now reading “retired world champ” in the featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight divisions. Meanwhile, a source at Matchroom Boxing, who had promoted Garcia in what will now go down as his final fights, says the retirement announcement seems to be official. Mikey Garcia has booked a sensational record as a professional, standing at 40 wins with 30 of those coming by way of knockout, and only 2 losses by unanimous decision. Garcia of Oxnard, California went pro in July of 2006 and he went on to win world titles at featherweight, super featherweight, light and super lightweight. The American defeat some fine fighters, including – Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Juan Carlos Burgos, Elio Rojas, Dejan Zlaticanin, Adrien Broner, Robert Easter. Mikey Garcia’s last fight against Sandor Martin in October 2021 at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, CA. Mandatory Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom. He also challenged for welterweight glory but came up short in a points loss to Errol Spence Jr. Despite bouncing back from this defeat with a unanimous decision win over Jessie Vargas, Garcia was then beaten by Spanish contender Sandor Martin last October and many fans saw this result as the beginning of the end for Garcia. If this is the end of the road of the Garcia, he will be able to look back on a career that has seen plenty of world title success and has seen him share the ring with some of the sport’s biggest names. After making his announcement, Premier Boxing Champions wished Garcia well as he moved on with his life. “The entire PBC Family would like to wish four-division world champion and modern-day boxing great Mikey Garcia a happy retirement! “Congratulations on an amazing career,” they said. So do we, FightersTalkTV.com would like to wish Mikey Garcia well in his retirement. Watch Mikey Garcia related videos on our YouTube channel! >>>

FigtersTalkTV.com – Jonathan Gonzalez defends his WBO Junior Flyweight title after a unanimous decision victory over Mark Anthony Barriga on Saturday at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, USA. A strong second half surge by Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez was enough to spare Puerto Rico the feeling of being left without a single male boxer to hold a major title. All three judges saw the fight for Gonzalez after twelve rounds of action, the scorecards were 115-113, 117-111 and 117-111. The win improved the Puerto Rican’s record to 26-3-1 with 14 knockouts while Barriga dropped to 11-2 with 2 knockouts. Barriga would prove to be a tricky opponent as the 2012 Olympian from Panabo City, Philippines, walking Gonzalez into counter right hooks and left hands early on. Barriga didn’t have the power hurt Gonzalez, whose three previous losses were by knockouts to bigger punchers than Barriga. Jonathan Gonzalez made a successful first defense of his WBO junior flyweight title tonight, winning a decision over Mark Anthony Barriga in a tactical. Gonzalez began to establish his dominance in round ten, as Barriga loaded up wildly on his punches to try to put the fight away, but ended up missing more. Gonzalez used his size and boxing skill to back Barriga off with jabs, and pushed the pace as Barriga faded late. Barriga, 29, has now lost in his two world title attempts, having dropped a split decision to Carlos Licona in December of 2018 for the IBF strawweight title. It was a good fight between two very skilled, crafty fighters, but as the fight wore on and got a bit less tight, Gonzalez’s harder shots were able to account for more of a round, as Barriga was no longer making the strong argument that he was out-boxing Gonzalez, which is not an easy thing to do in the first place. Going forward, Gonzalez seems to have two key potential challengers. First has to be top-ranked WBO contender Mark Vicelles (17-0-1, 10 KO), a 26-year-old Filipino southpaw who just fought on June 17 in Mandaue City, so he’s lined up timing-wise for the bout. He’s never actually fought a serious contender, but that never stops sanctioning bodies from handing out rankings. We also could see Gonzalez’s next challenger, when the man he beat last year for the belt, Elwin Soto, faces former titleholder Hekkie Budler in Mexico. Soto is currently the WBO’s No. 2 ranked challenger, and Budler is unranked at the moment. Watch the fight highlight between Barriga vs Gonzalez down here!

FightersTalkTV.com – The war between Jake Paul and the Fury is not about him and Tommy anymore. For about a year, the American Youtuber and the Love Island star have started a conflict over social media. It led to a face-to-face confrontation after the younger Fury made his competitive debut on American soil, and defeated Anthony Taylor. Paul also fought that night, beating former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in the main event, and the two vectors were then meant to meet in the ring last December before Tommy sustained a rib injury in training which forced him to pull out of the fight at last minute. Now the pair will finally step inside the ring together at the beginning of August, after some confusion about whether or not the reality tv star was going to drop out again. It will probably be the most anticipated novice fight in the history of the sport, with the two boxers having competed in just 13 fights between them, spanning just 42 professional rounds. The war of words has continued to intensify and the older Fury brother has got involved. Retired heavyweight champion of the world Tyson, who has sent mixed messages about making a u-turn on his decision made after a win over Dillian Whyte back in April, has commented that “I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to bet 100,000 pounds” in favor of his brother. In response, the American Youtuber-turned-boxer turned on and issued a major challenge to the “King of the Gypsies.” “You made $40 million, let’s raise it. Let’s bet a million, two million, whatever you want to bet!” he said. Ever since, Paul and the Fury brothers have been trading blows on social media, and some of it has been getting rather personal. The War Heats Up After Paul’s approach, Tyson Fury had no choice but to accept the proposal with which he backs his brother. “This is a message to Jake Paul. I hear you want to make a bigger bet than $100,000. You want a bigger bet, you want a million dollars. Let’s do it. You want a million, you got it!” he emphasized. “I’m backing Tommy and I will put my money where my mouth is,” Fury said. The latest, Tyson Fury serenading hundreds of people in a chant of “Jake Paul is a p****”. The heavyweight champion uploaded a video of himself on stage at Sheffield City Hall, belting out the words: “Jake Paul is a p****, Jake Paul is a p****, la la la la, la la la la,” on Twitter, while also brutally tagging Paul in the post. But, it’s not Jake Paul if he can not hit back. The Logan Paul’s brother replied in sarcastic style by dubbing footage of himself pretending to be a composer over the video and branded Tyson Fury’s crude chant “Beethoven’s tenth symphony”. And now all eyes will be on Tyson’s brother, Tommy who has eight wins out of eight in his boxing career. Although Tommy has the full backing of his brother, Tyson did send a word of warning ahead of his fight against Paul. He said, “If Tommy Fury can’t win against Jake Paul he has no right in being a fighter.” “I think Tommy knocks him out and he has got to believe in himself and go over there and put on a show. He has to enjoy it as he’s getting paid a lot of money to fight a guy who hasn’t fought on an actual boxer.” The much anticipated fight between Fury and Paul will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on 6 August. So, could Tommy beat and make Paul to be the real p****? Read more: CONFIRMED!!! Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Finally Set Watch Jake Paul and The Furys Fight Highlights on our YouTube channel!

FightersTalkTV.com – After a long-running online feud, the bout between Tommy Fury and The YouTuber, Jake Paul, is finally set to meet on August 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The pair were originally due to clash last year before Fury, the brother of world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, pulled out through illness and injury. But now, after months of trash talk, the date and venue have been announced – with Paul sharing the headline spot with seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano in New York. Jake Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) said on his tweet: “Okay people he grew a set overnight. “It’s official, I’m taking this little Fury’s head off. “Amanda Serrano and I dual main-event at the Mecca of boxing. “Official press conference and ticket on-sale this Wednesday June 29th at 11AM. #PaulFury.” “I wasn’t sure I was going to say yes to another potential matchup against Tommy after he pulled out of our matchup last year,” said Paul. “But ultimately, knocking out a Fury was too appealing to pass up. I’ve proven I am dedicated to boxing in and out of the ring, from promoting fights, championing fighters and fighter pay, to knocking out my opponents. The Furys cannot say the same, they are selfish tossers. On Aug. 6, the world will see why I am on my way to being a world champion. I’m honored to fight under the same lights as some of the greatest professional boxers in history.” Paul will compete in his sixth professional boxing fight. The Love Island’s star, Tommy Fury (8-0, 4 KOs), has confirmed the Paul’s challenge and signed the contract on Thursday (June 23). He said in an Instagram video: “Just to let you all know, the fight on August 6 is going ahead. “The contract has been signed after weeks and weeks of waiting for Jake Paul to sign up to the drugs testing and potentially putting the fight at risk, he’s finally signed up to the drugs testing. “We’ve agreed a contract that we’re happy with, so the fight is going ahead and I’ll see you August 6.” “The Paul brothers’ boxing charade is about to come to an end once and for all,” Fury said. “I am a boxer. My opponent plays boxing. Jake Paul has been dressed up to look like a boxer against retirees from other sports. Fury (right) is the slight favorite going into the fight. “I will show the world that he does not belong in the ring. Thank you to my promoter Frank Warren, Most Valuable Promotions and Showtime for letting me permanently shut up Jake Paul. I look forward to headlining Madison Square Garden and knocking out this clown.” American Paul has a record of five wins as a professional, against fellow social media star AnEsonGib, ex-NBA basketballer Nate Robinson and mixed martial arts fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Meanwhile, Fury has eight professional victories in his career and found fame on the reality TV series Love Island. A Youtuber versus TV series star, it reminds us of the popular MTV show, A Celebrity Deathmatch. Do you agree with that? Watch more Paul and Fury videos on our Youtube channel!! >>>

FightersTalkTV.com – Rage On The Red Sea, will be billed as one of the biggest heavyweight rematches in the history of boxing. Unified heavyweight world champion, Oleksandr Usyk, will put his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles on the line against former champion Anthony Joshua in the coastal city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday, August 20. Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) stunned Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) and the boxing world by outpointing the Englishman to win the IBF, WBA and WBO titles last September in London. Joshua was outboxed over the twelve-round distance as he suffered the second defeat of his professional career, losing via unanimous decision with judges’ scorecards of 117–112, 116–112 and 115–113 all in Usyk’s favour. The result meant that Usyk became only the second boxer ever, after Evander Holyfield, to win unified world titles in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. Since the pair’s first meeting, former Undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) has gained further global attention after putting the rematch on hold to support his home nation on the front line during their ongoing conflict. “I have a goal, with the help of the Lord I will complete my mission!” Usyk said at the press conference. Oleksandr Usyk won by unanimous decision over Anthony Joshua in their first fight. “What a roller coaster journey, fighting for the Heavyweight Championship of the World for the 12th consecutive time,” said Joshua. “I won the belt, unified the division won another belt, lost the belts, became two-time Unified Heavyweight Champion and now have my date with history set to become three-time Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World. What an opportunity! “Fighting championship level back to back has had its pros and cons, but I decide every day to get stronger, to learn from my experiences and grow. A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter and I am the happiest and most motivated I have been. “Thank you to the organisers, to 258MGT, Matchroom Boxing and to all the boxing fans across the world, with a special shout out to the Ukrainian fans who have been through a really tough time.” Joshua Aims To Reverse His Loss “I just want to say god is good, all the time, even through tough times. I’d like to thank everyone for coming out today. Definitely the hunger is still there. As I always said from the get-go, stay hungry. Just keep the motivation high. Blips happen. Things happen in life but resilience, mental toughness and consistency will always prevail. We’re still on the road, we’re still on the road to Undisputed for sure. It’s just a little blip in the road but I’m focused on the target which is sitting over there (points to Usyk). Anthony Joshua plans to ‘explode’ at Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch. “The fight with Usyk, he bust my ass for some rounds. I have to take that defeat like a man as well. I hold myself accountable. I’m someone who can admit when I’m wrong and hold my head high when I’m right. The fight in September, he was right, and I was wrong. Simply, I have to reverse that role on August 20th. I don’t like to overcomplicate the situation because there’s simplicity in genius. Sometimes if you keep things simple you can achieve great things, so I’m just going to keep things simple, move forward and the date will soon come.” Robert Garcia, who was recently hired as the head coach to guide Joshua to victory in his second fight with Usyk, says he’s now focusing on adapting, making changes to AJ’s game so that there won’t be a repeat of what took place last September. “I thought he fought the wrong fight, and that’s the past. That happened already. Usyk was the better man, congratulations to him, but come August 20th, we’re going to do whatever it takes to win his titles back. “I know he can do it. He’s the bigger man, the stronger man, he’s got the reach advantage and we’re going to take advantage of all that. Come that day, we’re going to have a three-time heavyweight champion of the world,’ said Robert Garcia, predicting a victory for Joshua. Eddie Hearn, the Chairman of Matchroom Boxing, says at the press conference that this fight will be a chance for Joshua to reclaim his title back. “We are thrilled to get one of the biggest Heavyweight rematches in boxing history made and give Anthony Joshua the chance to reclaim what he lost in London last September. Everything is on the line for this Unified World Heavyweight Championship bout and it could not be a bigger contest. We know Oleksandr Usyk is a great fighter and we saw that last time out, but I know Anthony Joshua is more determined than ever. It was a huge success to host Anthony Joshua’s contest with Andy Ruiz Jr. in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2019 and we are looking forward to working with the country again to stage this historic event. So, no doubt all eyes of the world will be on the ring come Saturday August 20th. This is a story of redemption, and the countdown starts now.” Hearn said. Alexander Krassyuk, Usyk’s Promoter, said: “The rematch is on the way. The fight will be much bigger and more spectacular than the first. It is new history in the making. Being a part of this event is a huge honour. Our country is now fighting for its heritage. Our mission is to expand its legacy. With the help of the Lord we will achieve this.” Freddie Cunningham, Managing Director, 258MGT, said: “We are on the verge again of another huge moment in boxing history and the career of Anthony Joshua. Since turning professional Anthony has never shied away from anything, he has taken every challenge and actively looked for the biggest fights against the best in his division. This is his opportunity to become a Three Time Heavyweight Champion of the World and he will put everything into achieving this amazing feat. A big thank you to our team at 258 MGT, SCEE, Matchroom Boxing and everyone who has helped put this together.” There is still two months to prepare it, if you want to watch the fight, you have to wait until the ticket is announced. Don’t miss it!

FightersTalkTV.com – A good news for Billy Joe Saunders’s fans. The two-weight world champion has been training at the Ingle Gym ahead of a potential comeback fight in December. Since losing to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May last year, Saunders, who has held the WBO middleweight and super middleweight belts, was forced to retire in the eighth round after suffering three fractures to his right eye in a punishing career-first defeat. “He came back a couple of weeks back just to find his feet, get away from home,” Ingle said. “He’s aiming to fight in December. His nutritionist Greg Marriott is based in Sheffield, we have just got to sit down and work out a plan of where he goes from there. “That’s another conversation I need to have when I get back to Sheffield. It might work out, it might not.” Saunders was trained by Mark Tibbs for his last bout, which ended in the first loss of his 31-fight professional career after he suffered a broken eye socket. With Ingle away on a warm-weather training camp in Spain, he was trained by his assistant coach, Amer ‘Killa’ Khan. “We had a spar last week, he’s definitely still got the grit,” said Khan, who was a 13-0 professional. “He’s still fighting like his life depends on it. Everything is still there. The pair fought six rounds as part of Saunders’ efforts to get back in shape. “You have to kill him to beat him. You have to nail him to the ground. He can dig deep and take it to the well.” Khan added. Who will be the opponent is yet to be ascertained, but Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Boxing, says he’d like to set up a rematch between the former two-division world champion Saunders (30-1, 14 KOs) and WBA 168-lb mandatory challenger John Ryder (31-5, 17 KOs). Billy Joe Saunders when beat John Ryder in September 2013. Saunders, 32, beat Ryder by a razor-close 12-round unanimous decision in September 2013 at the Copper Box Arena in London, Billy Joe jumped out to an early lead and held on in the later rounds when Ryder came storming back. “Until he broke his eye socket against Canelo Alvarez, he was having a great fight,” said Hearn. “He’s controversial, he’s talented, and of course, the Billy Joe Saunders vs. Chris Eubank Jr fight down the road – I don’t believe you’ll see that this year anyway. But I’d like to see John Ryder fight Billy Joe Saunders. “They had a great fight a few years ago,” said Hearn. Billy Joe Saunders (right) took his professional record to 21-0 when defeated Chris Eubank Jr. on a split decision, November 2014. Saunders and Eubank Jr have shared an intense rivalry dating back to their 2012 fight where the former sealed a split decision win. Shalom, the promoter and CEO of BOXXER, believes Eubank Jr is still desperate to secure a rematch. But with his old rival still working towards a return, he believes the Brighton middleweight must now focus on winning a world title before pursuing a host of other huge fights. “Eubank now finds himself in a position in his career whereby he needs to prove himself as a world champion.” Shalom said. “If the opportunity is there to fight for a world title, he should be taking it, regardless of the name. I think once Chris has proved his world title credentials, it makes a potential fight with the likes of Conor Benn, Billy Joe or Golovkin later down the line so much bigger.” “I think Chris would love that fight (against Saunders).” Shalom added. Saunders is an excellent fighter, but what’s held him back is frequent injuries and long layoffs. If he is interested in fighting a rematch with Eubank Jr, he should consider taking a couple of tune-ups because that would be a grueling fight for him. Interesting to look forward to, who will Saunder choose to fight? Check the latest Saunder’s fight highlight on our Youtube channel! >>>

FightersTalkTV.com – The big fight between two greatest punchers, Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. at Hulu Theatre last weekend surprised many boxing fans and observers. The battle that was predicted as The Fight Of The Year turned out to be a short and quick fight. Beterbiev easily stops and destroys Smith Jr. in just two rounds. Moreover, Smith was knocked down three times before the referee, Harley Dock stopped the fight and declared it over. Joe Smith Jr. got his last knocked down from Artur Beterbiev in the second round. Getty Images – Getty With that easy victory, the Russian-born Canadian deserves to be called as the biggest puncher in boxing today. He is undoubtedly the most powerful puncher in light heavyweight division, so much so that he is the only who is a champion today having knocked out all his opponents (18). But Beterbiev is not the only one who has a deadly punch. These fighters who compete in a variety of weight classes, exemplify the brutality of the knockout and remain some of the most dominant forces in their latest fights. Deontay Wilder At heavyweight, Deontay Wilder is the most feared puncher in the division, although his crushing blows failed to knock out Tyson Fury in any of their three fights. Deontay Wilder in the fight against Tyson Fury. The Gypsy King absorbed the Bronze Bomber’s right hand like no one had ever done before, but Stiverne in his first fight with Wilder was a real test. In his 45 fights, Wilder knocked out 41 opponents. Canelo Alvarez Alvarez is one of the most dangerous punchers in boxing today. His power has allowed him to move up the ranks with some confidence. Have 57 wins with 39 KOs, and in recent time he has knocked out champions such as Kovalev, who in another era would have been on this list, Caleb Plant and Billy Joe Saunders. Alvarez becomes undisputed champion after knocked out Caleb Plant. Of course, the Mexican could not take down boxers like Golovkin or Bivol, no matter how hard he tried. The man from Guadalajara would have to be placed in the super middleweight division today, a division from which he is unlikely to move from. Gennady Golovkin Gennady Golovkin’s punching power (37 of 42 wins have been by KO) has been a benchmark for the past 15 years. At 40 years old, the Kazakh’s legs are no longer the same, but his punching power is still there. Gennady Golovkin knocked out Ryota Murata to unify titles. Triple G’ is coming off a KO win over Ryota Murata in middlewight division and at one point went on a streak of 23 consecutive KOs. Golovkin’s great achievement is that he has won a huge number of world title fights by KO. Vergil Ortiz One boxer who has become a KO expert is Vergil Ortiz. Powerful and very fast, he has a terrifying competitor in welterweight division, Terence Crawford, who has nine in a row (29 in 38 fights). Vergil Ortiz Jr. lands a punch to the face of Maurice Hooker as they fight for the vacant WBO international welterweight title. It’s not just that the American has won all 18 of his fights by knockout, but the decisive way in which he goes at his opponents and gets the job done. However, he has yet to prove those skills against opponents of a greater pedigree. Gervonta Daviz ‘Tank’ or ‘Mini Tyson’ is another of Gervonta Daviz has been given the gift of the KO. His hooks are devastating for a lightweight (impeccable punch against Leo Santa Cruz) and his 1.66m height is pure power. Gervonta Davis knocked out Yuriorkis Gamboa for WBA lightweight title. He relies a lot on his strategy of looking for the knockout, although he has found it in 25 of his 27 fights. Floyd Maywether’s protégé is getting more and more media attention every day thanks to his punching skills in the ring. Is there your favorite fighters? Watch more knockout highlight on our Youtube channel!

FightersTalkTV.com – The #1 WBO ranked Anthony Yarde was on a scouting run last Saturday to take notes on Beterbiev in his fight against WBO light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York. Yarde (22-2, 21 KOs) said he already knows how to give the unbeaten Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) problems with his superior hand speed and skills. He saw enough to discover the weaknesses of Beterbiev, and he’ll be ready to take advantage of them when they fight next October in London. As we know, Top Rank’s CEO, Bob Arum, who promotes light heavyweight champions Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith, says the winner will face mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde next. “Yarde will be next assuming Artur wins this big fight. And his chance will come in England in a huge fight for the UK. I also expect Yarde will get his chance if Smith wins here but that might complicate the choice of venue. [Team Smith] might want to bring it to the Garden. But however it goes this Saturday I will be working with Frank Warren to sort it out.” Arum told Daily Mail. Many boxing fans will be upset about this scheduled fight because they want to see Artur Beterbiev, the three-belt champion, take on WBA champion Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed championship next. Even though, the fight between Yarde and Beterbiev will be another clash of titans, where two light heavyweight fighters with the highest knockout ratio meet in the ring. Yarde Knows How To Trouble Beterbiev England’s Yarde was impressed by the way Beterbiev battered Joe Smith Jr. on his way to a second-round technical knockout. Yarde reminded reporters at ringside, though, that he, too, is a powerful puncher. “He’s a beast,” Yarde said. “He hits very hard. I’m a beast, too. That’s why I think it’s such an exciting matchup.“ Anthony Yarde’s last fight against Lyndon Arthur, April 2021. “It was very, very entertaining. From what I saw, it was very entertaining. It was a clash of the titans, and I knew there was going to be some sort of knockout tonight,” said Anthony Yarde to BT Sport Boxing about his thoughts on Artur Beterbiev’s victory over Joe Smith Jr. “What I’m expecting and what I’ve been told is Beterbiev is going to come to London. So, we’ll create a fantastic atmosphere in London, and that’s going to be entertainment. “We’ll see when he comes to London,” Yarde said when asked how he’ll defeat Beterbiev. “I feel like everyone is going to have their opinion, and I feel like from what I saw today, I know how to give him a lot of trouble.” “With boxing, it’s one punch, or it’s a punch that when it lands. What I can say for sure is I’m quicker than Beterbiev. From what I’m hearing, it’ll be in London,” Yarde said. Yarde’s apparent advantages over Beterbiev are hand speed, youth, combination punching, jab, and mobility. Yarde lacks experience, inside fighting ability, stamina, and chin. He gets tired quickly, and his chin isn’t as solid as it should be. “I just feel we’re different fighters,” Yarde said. “And I feel like Joe Smith Jr.’s best chance was to go out and done what he did. But again, he’s come up a bit short… I think I was younger then mentally and physically, and especially with experience. I feel like I’m a lot more experienced now and I’m a lot more prepared mentally. Even in training camps, making the weight, etcetera, I feel like I’m a lot better now.“ It will be interesting to see this upcoming fight. Let’s wait till it happens. Watch More Highlights on Our YouTube Channel! Daniel Dubois vs Trevor Bryan

FightersTalkTV.com – What a surprising fight! In a light heavyweight title unification on Saturday night in New York, Artur Beterbiev unexpectedly stops and destroys Joe Smith Jr. in just two rounds. Beterbiev dropped Smith three times to win by TKO to remain the IBF and WBC champion and added the WBO belt with the quick victory. In the opening round, Smith was the aggressor coming at Beterbiev, who landed a few rights that got around Smith’s guard. Beterbiev took back the control by connecting a series of overhand rights and made Smith touch the canvas in the last minute of the first round. But the referee, Harley Dock, ruled it was a slip rather than a knockdown. Beterbiev did not have long to wait for the first legitimate knockdown of the fight, once again after a clubbing overhand right, forcing Smith to take a standing count at the end of the first. However, it was the first knockdown in Smith’s career. Joe Smith Jr. got his last knocked down from Artur Beterbiev in the second round. Getty Images – Getty When the second round began, the question was only whether Smith would be able to cling on. Unfortunately, Smith made the mistake of going fire-for-fire with Beterbiev, and once again, Beterbiev struck Smith with the same exact punch, a looping right to the side of the head. In the middle of the second, Smith was down for the second time under a variety of shots, falling against the ropes. Finally, Beterbiev cranked up a right uppercut that made Smith go stumbling backward and stopped him when the second round had forty seconds left. Dock saw enough and waved it over. With this quick victory, Beterbiev improves his record to 18-0 and maintains his insane 100% KO rate, as all of his victories have been by stoppage. That impressive record includes his seven knockouts in world championship bouts. Meanwhile, Smith was reportedly taken to hospital immediately after the bout and did not speak to the media, fell to 28-4 after the fourth defeat of his career. “I need a little bit more time (to feel what this means),” Beterbiev said. “Right now, I don’t feel it. In a couple of days, I will understand.“ “I want to be a good boxer one day, maybe,” he added. “My coach tells me it’s not far to become a good boxer.” “Joe is a little bit open, and it’s easy to me to get to him,” he said. “We’re two fighters who both have a good punch, and we both tried to land first. This time, I was lucky, I got him first. That’s it.“ Beterbiev holds three of the four recognized world titles at 175 pounds, those are the WBC, IBF, and WBO. Beterbiev naturally expressed an interest in the biggest fight in the division, an undisputed championship bout with Dmitry Bivol, who is coming off a big upset win over Canelo Alvarez in May. The fight to be made would naturally be Beterbiev against WBA (super) titlist and Canelo Alvarez conqueror Dmitry Bivol to determine the first undisputed light heavyweight champion. There is also a bout with WBO mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde, who was in attendance. Beterbiev didn’t seem interested in Yarde and wants to make history with Bivol. “I have had two unification fights,” Beterbiev said. “Unification fights are more interesting. I prefer a unified fight. I want to be undisputed.“ Let’s wait to see who will be the next Beterbiev‘s opponent and stop his record. Here is the Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr. fight highlight. https://youtube.com/shorts/pgKha2Pfc1I?feature=share

FightersTalkTV.com – The New York State Athlete Commission officially applied the punishment to Edgar Berlanga following the fight at Madison Square Garden on June 11 which Berlanga won via unanimous decision. NYSAC levied a six-month suspension and $10,000 fine on the unbeaten Nuyorican super middleweight. The punishment stems from Berlanga’s actions, when the Brooklyn native attempted to bite the former title challenger, Roamer Alexis Angulo, in the seventh round of their main event at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, Berlanga’s promoter, told Fight Freaks Unite: “Obviously, it’s a bad intentional foul, biting your opponent, so I can’t quarrel with the action of the commission.” “He knows better and he’s got a lot of people counseling him that know better and, hopefully, he will learn a lesson.” “To make light of it and brag about it is what got him in trouble. He made it worse by making fun of it. When the time comes, we’ll sit down and talk with (his team) about what to do next.“ Meanwhile, Berlanga joked afterward, “I was about to do a Mike Tyson on him,” referencing when Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear back in 2007. But then apologized on Twitter the day after the fight, saying: “I want to apologize for my actions and what I said about the Mike Tyson bite.” “I was in the moment and got a little ahead of myself. It doesn’t take away from the embarrassment that I have caused upon myself, my team, Top Rank, and many others.“ “I reacted poorly and take full responsibility. Moving forward, I am going to be more mindful and encouraging in my behavior. Once again, I do apologize.“ NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 11: Edgar Berlanga celebrates after defeating Alexis Angulo during their NABO super middleweight Championship fight, at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images) The Top Rank-promoted super middleweight contender Berlanga won the fight by a 10-round unanimous decision over the 38-year-old Angulo by the scores 98-92, 99-91, and 99-91 in a contest that appeared to be much closer. Indeed, fans, many of them, saw Angulo as the winner, and they viewed the wide scores as a sick joke. With the suspension being six months, Berlanga will have a chance to return to the ring in December for his third fight in 2022. That’s not to say that he will, but the opportunity will be there.

FightersTalkTV.com – Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden, will be the witness of world boxing history where two of the light heavyweight division’s fiercest punchers put three world title belts at stake in one of the year’s most anticipated showdowns. The WBC/IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) – boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio – will take on Long Island’s WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. (28-8, 22 KOs) this Saturday evening (June 18, 2022). Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. looking forward to Light Heavyweight unification. (Photo by Mikey Williams) Beterbiev, who is ranked No. 2 by The Ring at 175–pounds, has built a reputation as one of the sport’s premier knockout artists, with 17 wins from 17 fights, all coming by way of stoppage. The fight marks the Russian-born Canadian’s sixth title defense since picking up the vacant IBF strap in 2017, and third since acquiring the WBC title in 2019. The physically imposing Russian moved quickly as a professional. He won the IBF light heavyweight title, stopping Enrico Koelling (KO 12) and defended against Callum Johnson (KO 4) and Radivoje Kalajdzic (KO5). His breakout win came against Oleksandr Gvozdyk (TKO 10) in a unification bout. The 37-year-old has since beaten Adam Deines (TKO 10) and Marcus Browne (KO 9). Smith, who is ranked No. 3 by The Ring, turned professional in 2009. However, it wasn’t until the Long Island native shocked Andrzej Fonfara (TKO 1) and became the first fighter to stop the legendary Bernard Hopkins (KO 8) that he gained acclaim. He hit a rough patch dropping decisions to Sullivan Barrera (UD 10) and WBA titleholder Dmitry Bivol (UD 12). The 32-year-old rebounded strongly notably beating former WBO titleholder Eleider Alvarez (TKO 9) and then claimed the vacant WBO title by edging past Maxim Vlasov (MD 12). He has since made one defense against late-sub Steve Geffard (KO 9), by landing a 16-punch combination in the ninth to send the late replacement to his knees and force his corner to wave the fight off. Many boxing fans and observers considered this to be an extraordinary battle and deserved to be the fight of the year. They will see and watch who is going to be the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. Will Beterbiev be able to maintain his perfect record and make it be 18 KOs, or will Smith Jr. collect the three world title belts? At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum had to say. Bob Arum “At my age, this fight brings me back so many decades to when Top Rank promoted the leading light heavyweights in the world like Bob Foster, Matthew Saad Muhammad, John Conteh, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and Marvin Johnson. The light heavyweight division has given people who follow boxing great thrills for as long as I’ve been promoting fights. Now we have this fight, which will go into the annals like all the great light heavyweight fights of the past and may even be the one that is the greatest.“ “Joe Smith is a tremendous fighter. He has a big heart. He has a lot of skills and a lot of punching power. And what can I say about Artur Beterbiev? He really epitomizes the ferocity that light heavyweights have been known for. Tremendous puncher. Big heart. A guy who refuses to lose. Nothing can be better than this. I predict that this fight will be considered the Fight of the Year for 2022.“ Artur Beterbiev “This is a very important fight for me. With regard to the place, it’s not different for me. I’m more focused on the fight. I’m more focused on my opponent, not on the place. I always ask my boxing coach and my conditioning coach about how I’m doing. I ask them if it’s less than I was doing two years ago. They tell me that I’m doing better than two years ago.“ “If we compare it to the last one, this camp went very well. This camp was better. I want to thank my team, my conditioning coach, my boxing coach, all my team and all my sparring partners who helped me. We had a good camp.“ “We are both ready for this fight. I think it’s going to be a good fight. We will see. I can’t predict the future. I’m just a boxer.“ Joe Smith Jr. “This is a huge opportunity. Beterbiev is a huge name in boxing. Everyone knows who he is at this point. He has two world titles, and I want those belts. I believe this fight is going to be great. You’ve got two big punchers, and I’m just excited to be in there with him. He’s a great name.“ “I’m fighting at the Garden. Home is not too far from here. All my fans are going to be here to support me or, if not, watch at home. I’m just glad to be here defending my WBO title and unifying two other belts.“ “I believe this guy is in his prime right now. I don’t think age has anything to do with it. I know he’s here at 100 percent and ready to go. I know I’m here fighting one of the best, so I trained at 110 percent. I made this camp a little longer. I made sure that I improved things that I wasn’t doing at my best. I stayed more consistent with my training, so I feel comfortable about this weekend.“ Make sure you are watching this big battle, which will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. This is going to be the earliest Christmas present of the year!!

After the win over Alexis Angulo last weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York, Super Middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) is facing a suspension and a fine from the New York State Athletic Commission for his attempted bite in the seventh round against his opponent. According to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, the suspension of the Top Rank promoted Berlanga could take place this Friday. Just how long the suspension will be is still unknown at this time. ” A member of the New York State Athletic Commission, who requested anonymity to speak on the matter because there isn’t yet an official decision, confirmed to ESPN that the incident is being reviewed. An official decision on the particulars of the discipline is expected by Friday,” said Mike Coppinger on ESPN. Win by Unanimous Decision Berlanga defeated the 38-year-old Angulo (27-3, 23 KOs), but it was a questionable 10-round unanimous decision win that many boxing fans felt that Angulo deserved the win and, if not a victory, a draw. It appeared that Berlanga was frustrated by Angulo taking the fight to him and out-slugging him virtually the entire bout. In the seventh round, Berlanga attempted to bite Angulo on the neck. It was not a good round for Berlanga, as he was getting worked out over by his b-side opponent. Lucky for him, the referee wasn’t penalized Berlanga for his act, on the contrary, judges Bernard Bruni (98-92), Ken Ezzo (99-91), and Don Trella (99-91) all had Berlanga comfortably ahead in this fight. Most viewers and ringside observers saw it as a more competitive affair than the scores suggested. “I want to apologize for my actions and what I said yesterday about Mike Tyson bite. I was in the moment and I got a little ahead of myself. It doesn’t take away from the embarrassment that I have caused upon myself, my team (Top Rank), and many others.” “I reacted poorly and take full responsibility. Moving forward, I am going to be more mindful and encouraging in my behavior. Once again, I do apologize.” Berlanga stated in a two-part tweet this past Sunday.

Berlanga improves to 20-0 on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade NEW YORK (June 11, 2022) — Super middleweight contender Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga didn’t get the knockout, but in front of the Puerto Rican faithful, he got the job done. Berlanga (20-0, 16 KOs) defeated two-time world title challenger Alexis Angulo (27-3, 23 KOs) by unanimous decision (99-91 2x and 98-92) over 10 rounds in front of 4,357 fans Saturday evening at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. It was Berlanga’s first headlining appearance on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, a tradition made popular by 2022 International Hall of Fame inductee Miguel Cotto. While Berlanga rose to fame following 16 first-round knockouts to start his career, he won this fight by boxing and using his jab to offset the plodding-yet-aggressive Angulo. An Angulo uppercut bloodied Berlanga’s nose in the fourth, and Berlanga appeared to attempt to bite Angulo in the seventh. Berlanga landed clean left hooks and right hands in the ninth and 10th rounds, but his Colombian foe ate all the shots and kept coming. “Mentally, I felt good. I felt happy the whole training camp. I moved the training camp to Puerto Rico, and I can’t be more grateful to be on my island training,” Berlanga said. “I did a full camp for this fight, and you see the difference tonight. “He was throwing elbows. I was about to do a Mike Tyson on him. He kept throwing his elbows, and I didn’t want to get cut.” Angulo said, “I think we both had a solid performance. He’s a young fighter, he’s a strong fighter, but nonetheless I think we both did well. I think I did better than him.” Junior Lightweight: Henry Lebron (16-0, 10 KOs) UD 8 Luis Lebron (18-4-1, 11 KOs), Scores: 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74. In the all-Lebron Bowl, Henry Lebron made it 16 in a row with a masterclass in boxing off the back foot. Luis Lebron pushed the pace in the bout’s final stages, but Henry Lebron early work proved too much for him to overcome. Henry Lebron had the advantage in power shots landed, 88-62. Junior Featherweight: Victor Santillan (12-0, 4 KOs) UD 8 Carlos Caraballo (15-2, 14 KOs), Scores: 78-74 2x and 77-75. In this all-southpaw affair, Santillan upset the Puerto Rican crowd favorite with a disciplined display of smart pressure. Santillan stunned Caraballo in the fourth and seventh rounds, doing enough in the eyes of the judges to pull away. Santillan had fought most of his career in the Dominican Republic, but in his second bout on American soil, he authored his signature win. Junior Welterweight: Dakota Linger (13-5-3, 9 KOs) TKO 2 Josue Vargas (20-3, 9 KOs), 2:06. West Virginia native Linger refused to read the script, shocking Vargas with a brutal display of power punching. Early in the second Linger landed an overhand right that dropped Vargas, although the referee did not rule it a knockdown. Sensing the end was near, Linger pressed forward and floored Vargas with an uppercut. Vargas rose gingerly, and following a barrage featuring dozens of winging blows, the bout was stopped. Lightweight: Armani Almestica (6-0, 6 KOs) TKO 6 Eliseo Villalobos (2-3, 1 KO), 1:47. Southpaw puncher Almestica kept his perfect knockout rate alive with a one-sided drubbing of Villalobos, a native of Simi Valley, California. In the sixth round, Almestica landed a straight left hand that forced Villalobos back a step. Due to the accumulation of punishment, referee Shadi Murdaugh stopped the contest. Featherweight: Orlando Gonzalez (18-1, 11 KOs) TKO 5 Pablo Cruz (22-5-1, 6 KOs), 1:00. Gonzalez was last seen losing his ‘0’ by unanimous decision last October to Cuban star Robeisy Ramirez, but the Puerto Rican southpaw returned with a vengeance. He battered Houston native Cruz, stunning his outmatched foe at the end of the second round. By the fifth, it was target practice, and the bout was halted following a series of right hooks to the head and body. Junior Welterweight: Omar Rosario (7-0, 2 KOs) UD 6 Julio Rosa (4-1, 1 KO), Scores: 59-55 and 60-54 2x. It was all Rosario in this battle of unbeatens, as the 140-pound upstart initiated the action. Rosa was never in danger of being stopped and even opened up a cut under Rosario’s right eye. In the sixth round, Rosario landed a series of left hooks to put a stamp on his domination. Lightweight: Frevian Gonzalez (5-1, 1 KO) UD 4 Refugio Montellano (2-1, 1 KO) Scores: 40-36 3x. Almost one year to the day since he suffered his first professional defeat, Gonzalez, from Cidra, Puerto Rico, rebounded in fine form in front of the partisan crowd. The 5’7 pressure fighter ripped body shots to Montellano’s midsection and swept all four rounds. Flyweight: Christina Cruz (3-0) UD 4 Maryguenn Vellinga (3-3-2, 2 KOs), Scores: 39-37 and 40-36 2x. Former U.S. amateur star Cruz used her jab to counter the aggressive Vellinga in the opening fight of the evening. It was a rematch of their November 2021 fight, which Cruz also won by unanimous decision.

‘Total Carnage’ as World Title challengers Chisora and Kubrat collide in the capital Derek Chisora and Kubrat Pulev will meet for a second time at The O2 in London on Saturday July 9, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Australia, New Zealand and France), over six years on from their 12-round battle for the European Heavyweight Title at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany. It was Bulgarian star Pulev (29-2, 14KO) who came out on top on that occasion, winning a tough split decision in May 2016 that saw him progress in their IBF World Title Eliminator and claim the vacant European crown for the second time in his career. British favourite Chisora (32-12, 23KO) has since faced some of the biggest names in the Heavyweight division, including WBC World Title challenger Dillian Whyte twice, WBA and IBF World Title challenger Carlos Takam, unified Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk and most recently two slugfests with former WBO Champion Joseph Parker. Two-time World Title challenger Pulev, who’s only losses came against modern legend Wladimir Klitscho in 2014 and former unified king Anthony Joshua in 2020, dominated Jerry Forrest to win a unanimous decision on the Sergey Kovalev vs. Tervel Pulev undercard at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California last month. “I’m delighted to get this fight over the line,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Initially we worked on some other opponents for Derek, but this fight came out of nowhere a few days ago and I absolutely love it! I think the strapline, ‘Total Carnage’, is absolutely perfect for this fight, in terms of the build-up and in terms of the fight itself. Expect the unexpected but expect a thriller at The O2 on July 9. Both men have been longstanding fixtures of the World Heavyweight division and it’s all or nothing at The O2 for both, as defeat could lead to the end of the road. Fans can expect a huge undercard and a brilliant main event for another brilliant event live on DAZN.” “This rematch between two of the Heavyweight division’s most exciting fighters is sure to be a sensational showdown that takes over The O2,” said Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN. “We look forward to broadcasting this event to fans around the world as part of a stacked and still growing slate of can’t-miss fight nights all summer long on DAZN.” Tickets for Chisora vs. Pulev are priced £40, £80, £100, £200 and £400 (VIP) Presale tickets will be available to purchase for O2 Priority Members from midday on Tuesday June 7 via The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) Matchroom Fight Pass members will be able to purchase tickets from midday on Wednesday June 8. Priority ticket info has been emailed directly to eligible members. General Sale tickets can be purchased via Stage Front (www.stagefronttickets.com) from midday on Thursday June 9. Follow FIGHTERSTALKTV YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR MORE FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

Berlanga-Alexis Angulo goes down SATURDAY (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT) at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ NEW YORK (June 9, 2022) — “The Chosen One” is back home. NABO super middleweight champion Edgar Berlanga takes center stage Saturday evening against two-time title challenge Alexis Angulo in the 10-round main event at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Berlanga, born in Brooklyn and whose family hails from Puerto Rico, takes the top spot on the eve of New York’s Puerto Rican Day Parade. A popular ticket-seller with fearsome knockout power, Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs) hopes a win over the crafty Colombian gets him closer to a world title shot. The winner of this fight will be the first recipient of Madison Square Garden’s Miguel Cotto Trophy. Puerto Rican icon Cotto, who is being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this weekend, headlined five MSG fight nights on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Four-division world champion Cotto, from Caguas, will be ringside Saturday night. In the eight-round co-feature of this all-Puerto Rican card, Henry Lebron (15-0, 10 KOs) and Luis Lebron (18-3-1, 11 KOs) will battle for the vacant WBO Latino junior lightweight belt. This fight was elevated to the co-feature after junior middleweight sensation Xander Zayas dropped out of his bout with a viral infection. Berlanga-Angulo and Lebron-Lebron will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ (7:10 p.m. ET) and includes junior featherweight contender Carlos Caraballo (15-1, 14 KOs), junior welterweight prospect Omar Rosario (6-0, 2 KOs), comebacking featherweight Orlando Gonzalez (17-1, 10 KOs), and junior welterweight Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas (20-2, 9 KOs). At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say. Edgar Berlanga “I’m excited. It’s Puerto Rican Day {Parade} Weekend. {The first one} since the pandemic, two years. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a kid. I feel like I spoke it into existence. My hard work paid off and now we’re here.” “To be honest, my team and Top Rank felt like he was the perfect opponent for Puerto Rican Day Weekend. He’s the type of fighter that comes forward. Hopefully, he does that this Saturday. He’s a tough, rugged fighter. He makes it look ugly, comes forward. He has power just like me. He’s powerful, so it’s going to be an amazing night. And I’m excited to perform on Puerto Rican Day Weekend.” On three straight fights without a KO “It’s part of the process. I’m young, 25 years old. What can I say? I have 16 first-round knockouts, so I didn’t really gain the experience I needed. Definitely, these last three fights, I got the experience I needed. That’s the most important thing to make yourself a real professional athlete. But not only that, at that top level, you need those rounds. You need that feeling of what it’s like to get in the eighth, 10th round, and we got that done. This Saturday, Puerto Rican Day Weekend, I’m looking for a huge victory. I’m ready to go all out.” “A lot of people don’t understand the last two years of not having a Puerto Rican Day Weekend and actually having a fight on that weekend… I’m just looking forward to performing, exploding like I always do and bringing back the old Edgar Berlanga.” Alexis Angulo “I’m very thankful for the opportunity, and I’m going to take full advantage of it. We’re going to put on a good presentation for everyone.” “I see my two losses as big lessons, and we’re going to see what kind of result we get in this fight.” “Part of the training camp we did in Colombia, part of the training camp we did in Miami. We have been trying different training techniques and things like that, so let’s see what kind of result we get in this fight.” Henry Lebron “I’m very happy with this opportunity. This is my first press conference. I’m happy that it’s just before the Puerto Rican Day Parade at Madison Square Garden, and I’m here to represent with a lot of pride.” “My last fight propelled me to do even better and to keep showing that I’m a complete fighter. It motivates me even more, and I’m going to show the same Henry Lebron for a very long time.” “I have been under the radar for a long time, but that motivates me even more. I’m thankful for this opportunity. I’m going to take full advantage of it. I’m going to put on a show.” Luis Lebron “I’m thankful to Top Rank and ESPN, and I’m here to represent my countrymen and put on a good show for the fans.” “I am going to take full advantage of this opportunity. I have faced a lot of undefeated fighters, and like I said, this is a blessing for me and I’m going to put on a show for the fans.” Saturday, June 11 ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT) Edgar Berlanga vs. Alexis Angulo, 10 rounds, Berlanga’s NABO Super Middleweight Title Henry Lebron vs. Luis Lebron, 8 rounds, Vacant WBO Latino Junior Lightweight Title ESPN+ (7:10 p.m. ET/4:10 p.m. PT) Carlos Caraballo vs. Victor Santillan, 8 rounds, junior featherweight Josue Vargas vs. Dakota Linger, 8 rounds, junior welterweight Armani Almestica vs. Eliseo Villalobos, 6 rounds, lightweight Orlando Gonzalez vs. Pablo Cruz, 8 rounds, featherweight Omar Rosario vs. Julio Rosa, 6 rounds, junior welterweight Frevian Gonzalez vs. Refugio Montellano, 4 rounds, junior lightweight Christina Cruz vs. Maryguenn Vellinga, 4 rounds, flyweight Event Name: Edgar Berlanga. vs. Alexis Angulo — Press Conference Date: Thursday, June 9, 2022