David Avanesyan out-pointed veteran fighter Shane Mosley, retained the welterweight title at the Gila River Arena, in Glendale, Arizona in his US debut.

David Avanesyan (22-1-1. 11KOs) had to give in the first two rounds in order to adjust his own offense towards a faster, agile but older Shane Mosley. Avanesyan struggled to close the gap as he wanted to fight from inside, while Mosley was effective sharp shooting from the outside.

In the third, Avanesyan was able to time the jabs of Mosley and counter it with hard rights over the top. With Avanesyan's obvious offense adjustment, Mosley fired a shot to the body, a technique he's known for at lightweight, but went too low. The referee gave Avanesyan time to recover the pain caused by the low blow.

In the succeeding rounds, Shane Mosley (49-10-1, 41 KOs) was still at it defensively, but he was unable to squeeze the trigger or adjust the lever to automatic, to fire enough shots to win rounds. Mosley, 44, is 17 years older than the Russian-born Avanesyan. Even with the new trainer, Roberto Duran, I think, Mosley no longer has it to tangle against young top-tier contenders. I think it's best for him to retire for good in boxing and assist the career of Mosley Jr. who still needs a lot of work to do.

The official scores were: 114-113, 117-110, and 117-110. Raul Caiz Sr. 114-113 score was odd compared to the other two judges.

With the win, Avanesyan earned a shot against the winner of Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter for the welterweight world title.

Meanwhile, in the undercard, Shane Mosley Jr. was able to pull a majority decision win over Roberto Yong. The younger Mosley stepped up in the final round sealing the win. It was a close fight. The last round seemed the defining round.

Mosley Jr. landed a solid overhand right that buckled Yong towards the ropes. He followed up with another right to the head. It looked like a knockdown, but what the referee did was separate the fighters. It was obvious that it was the ropes that prevented Yong from getting down.

It was a good ring experience of the younger Mosley who showed obvious flaws in his craft.

Top middleweight contender Gabriel Rosado to headline the International Broadcast and Ring TV Live stream against Mexican contender Antonio Gutierrez on the undercard of Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido

LOS ANGELES (May 25, 2016) - Golden Boy Promotions is taking it up a notch for the Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido fight night with the addition of fan favorite contender and prospect boxing stars for the June 4 undercard at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.. Headlining the Ring TV Live stream and the international broadcast, Creed film star and boxing top contender "King" Gabriel Rosado (22-9, 13 KOs) of Philadelphia, is set to take on Tijuana's Antonio "Tony" Gutierrez (20-1-1, 9 KOs) in a classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico 10-round middleweight showdown.

Also featured on the live stream, undefeated knockout artist Christian "Chimpa" Gonzalez (13-0, 12 KOs) of Buena Park, Calif. will face Jhon "Baki The Disaster" Gemino (12-6-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round fight for the WBC Youth Super Featherweight Title, and Los Angeles fan favorite Nick Arce (7-0, 6 KOs) will take on Francisco Dominguez (8-9, 2 KOs) of Cuidad Juarez, Mexico in a six-round super featherweight event. Opening up the live stream, East Los Angeles native Jonathan "Thunder" Navarro (5-0, 4 KOs) will take on McAllen, Texas's pride Marc Torres in a six-round super lightweight battle.

In the non-televised action, Santa Ana, Calif.'s Alexis Rocha (2-0, 2 KOs) will face Anthony Woods (0-4) from Americus, Georgia. Also, San Diego, Calif.'s Genaro "El Conde" Gamez (1-0, 1 KO) will make the second appearance of his professional career in a four-round lightweight bout against Juan Bryand (1-3,) of Laredo, Texas., while stable mate Oscar Duarte of Parral, Mexico will engage in an four round lightweight fight. Finally opening up the night, newly signed Golden Boy Promotions fighter Cesar Diaz of Palmdale, Calif. will make his professional debut in a four-round super bantamweight fight. Opponents will be announced shortly.

The main event of the night will feature Francisco "El Bandido" Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs), fresh from his Fight of the Year victory over Takashi Miura, defending his WBC Super Featherweight World Title for the first time against fellow Mexican warrior and former three-time world champion Orlando "Siri" Salido (43-13-3, 30 KOs, 1 NC) in a 12-round Fight of the Year candidate televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®.

Since making his film debut in last year's Creed,the latest installment of the internationally recognized Rocky franchise, "King" Gabe Rosado is fresh off of an exciting victory over Joshua "Grand Master" Clottey this past December 2015. Looking to keep the momentum going, Rosado will be looking for another exciting victory over the tough Antonio "Tony" Gutierrez of Tijuana, Mexico. Rosado has established himself as one of the most entertaining fighters to watch in the sport taking on some of the toughest and elite fighters in the middleweight division. Having held titles such as USA Pennsylvania State middleweight title and WBO Intercontinental light middleweight title, one thing is for certain-Rosado never disappoints in the ring.

Antonio Gutierrez is coming in to his middleweight match against Rosado high off of a victory against past double wins over Alejandro "Iron Man" Alonso. A true Tijuana fighter, Gutierrez's relentless spirit has shown with his nearly perfect record, including a knockout over Mexican knockout artist Gilberto "Gil" Flores Hernandez. With 20 wins under his belt, Gutierrez can't wait to get back into the ring and prove he has what it takes to move up to become a top contender in the middleweight division when he faces "King" Gabriel Rosado on June 4.

Boxing's next big thing, Buena Park's Christian "Chimpa" Gonzalez won his first seven bouts in Mexico by first-round knockout. Since then, he has defeated his past four opponents in the U.S. by way of knockout, including seasoned fighters David Rodela, Alejandro Ochoa, and Luis Ruiz Lizarraga Jr. Come Saturday, June 4, "Chimpa" will have his fans on edge as he fights for his first title against Recky "The Terror" Dulay for the WBC Youth World Super Featherweight Title.

Filipino featherweight all-star and GAB Super Bantamweight Title holder Jhon "Baki the Disaster" Gemino of Batangas, Phillipines is ready to add another bantamweight to his collection when he faces Christian Gonzalez for a fight over the WBC Youth Super Featherweight title. Having fought almost all of his fights in the Phillipines, Gemino has been training hard to make his boxing debut in America.

Having established quite the growing fan base among Southern California boxing enthusiasts, Nick Arce has impressed every step of the way with an impressive 85 percent career knockout rate. Fighting out of Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, Arce will be fighting for the second time this year and the second time at the StubHub Center in what is to be a fantastic show in front of his home town crowd.

Hailing from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Francisco "Panchito" Dominguez will be fighting for the first time in over a year. Having been a professional boxer for ten years, "Panchito" has so far taken on the likes of Alex "El Diablo" Becerra and the undefeated Roberto Marroquin showing that he isn't afraid to challenge anyone in the ring.

Jonathan "Thunder" Navarro representing East Los Angeles has lived up to his nickname thus far, as the 19-year-old has ended three of his four wins by knockout. Loyal to LA FIGHT CLUB and having fought all professional bouts at The Belasco Theater, this fan favorite is hungry to make a name for himself in the East L.A. boxing scene by fighting on the Vargas vs. Salido undercard at The StubHub Center. As the nephew of former boxing Olympian Jose Navarro, "Thunder" has boxing his in his blood and hopes to keep up the family tradition of big victories and sensational knockouts on June 4 when he faces Marc Torres.

Coming back from a killer knockout over opponent Mark Rojas this year, McAllen, Texas fighter Marc Torres can't wait to have an action-packed year of boxing as he fights for the first time in SoCal after a series of South Texas bouts. After becoming a professional boxer four years ago, the 22-year-old is sure to light up the super lightweight division when he faces rising knockout artist Jonathan "Thunder" Navarro.

The youngest fighter to ever take home the gold from the Junior Olympics in 2012, Alexis Rocha has been the talk of the boxing world as he continued on to become a six-time national champion during his amateur career. As the younger brother of current WBC Silver Featherweight Champion, Ronny Rios, this six-time national champion signed a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions at the start of this year and has so far ended both of his professional bouts by knockout.

Anthony Woods of Americus, Georgia has fought all over the United States from the Lifestyle Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio to the Grand Ballroom in Atlanta, Georgia. This welterweight fighter fears no one and has built up his experience in the ring by taking on the likes of undefeated, rising stars Nathan Howard and Leandre "Blue" White. Come June 4, Woods is ready to go to war against Alexis Rocha in the 4-round welterweight division.

After leaving behind a highly decorated amateur career, including being ranked as the number one lightweight in the United States, Genaro "El Conde" Gamez has quickly become of boxing's top prospects. A 2014 USA Boxing National Champion, San Diego's Gamez is currently coached by renowned former world champion Robert Garcia. Since breaking into his professional career with a catastrophic first round knockout over Archie Weah, Gamez is sure to do the same to his soon to be named opponent in a 4-round lightweight bout.

Laredo's boxing pride Juan Bryand will be giving The StubHub Center a big Texas welcome when he fights for the first time in Southern California in the lightweight division. Since turning professional two years ago, this 31 year-old fighter began his career with a bang with he won by unanimous decision against Daniel Sanchez.

Oscar Duarte of Parral, Mexico is eager to become a big name in the sport of boxing. In his U.S. debut, Duarte defeated Alejandro Salinas in August 2015, landing himself a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions. Currently co-managed by Latin star Gabriel Soto and Guillermo Roacha, Duarte was last seen at LA FIGHT CLUB this February defeating Archie Weah via unanimous decision. Duarte has shown that he has the power to outbox any opponent and will look to do so on Saturday, June 4 when he makes his debut at The StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Opening the Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido undercard and ready to take on anyone willing to step up in the ring, Cesar Diaz is set to make his exciting professional debut as a new member of the Golden Boy Promotions stable in a 4-round super bantamweight bout.

Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido is a 12-round battle for the WBC Super Featherweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD, Casa Mexico Tequila and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins live at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The RingTvLive.com live stream begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT

Tickets for Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges will are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Former light flyweight champion John Riel Casimero exacted revenge on tough rival defending titlist Amnat Ruenroeng on their 12-round flyweight rematch at the Diamond Court, in Beijing, China.

Casimero (22 3, 14 KOs) suffered a foul-filled first match last year. Casimero scored a knockdown in Round 4 with a devastating counter left hook landed on the head of Ruenroeng.

Ruenroeng (17 1, 5 KOs) was able to get up back and continued the action but another left hook to the body forced the titlist to his knees. Ruenroeng was not able to get back to onto his feet, and referee Tony Weeks stopped the contest.

The official time of the stoppage 2:10 of the fourth round. And the new.... flyweight titlist was declared!

Boxers tend to outgrow their weight divisions as they go on with their respective careers. It is just a matter of time.

This could be the case with Amnat Ruenroeng and John Riel Casimero. Both fighters came in above the flyweight limit when they hit the scales, Tuesday, for their title rematch on Wednesday at the Diamond Court, in Beijing, China.

Ruenroeng weighed 117.75 pounds, while Casimero registered 113.25 pounds on the scales.

Casimero might be able to shed the excess 1.25 pounds easily in two hours and still illegible for the title. But it would be next to impossible for Ruenroeng to shed 5.75 pounds in two hours.

It is still yet to determine if the fight will push through and on what terms. I will try to update this post with possible updates.

Casimero (21-3, 13 KOs) looking to exact revenge from his foul-filled defeat at the hands of Thailand's Ruenroeng. The Filipino road warrior lost a unanimous decision at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, in Bangkok, Thailand in June last year. He chose not to fight--not to risk his mandatory challenger status.

Undefeated Ruenroeng (17-0, 5 KOs) fought once and won over Myung Ho Lee in Thailand.

There were pretenders and over-hypes. Those were fighters that look good in the early going of their careers, because they're well-promoted.

I'm very excited to know that Albert Pagara (26-0, 18 KOs) demanded his handlers to get Cesar Juarez of Mexico in the opposite corner when he climbs back into the ring on 9th July 2016, at the San Mateo Event Center, in San Mateo, California.

Cesar Juarez

Cesar Juarez (17-5, 13 KOs) is a tough opponent who gave Nonito Donaire the fight of his life. Tasted the deck twice in Round 4, he came with all might in the final two rounds of their 12-round title match in December 2015 at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Donaire survived the most dangerous championship round of his career and won a hard-earned decision.

Pagara, 22, facing Juarez next is a real step up in competition. A corrosive acid test of his career.

I really started to feel worried about how Pagara was being matched earlier. I felt that two or three nights ago, he should have fought opponents of the same caliber as Juarez. At this point of his career, he should have stepped up already with regards to the quality of opponents.

Pagara is still young, but another young prospect Mark Magsayo gets past world title challenger Chris Avalos in his 14th pro fight. With 26 fights, Pagara is still not able to face a Chris Avalos caliber fighter.

Now is the time

Enough has been established. Pagara has power in both hands. He can slug it out or box around if he needed to. He has the patience of a veteran and sound offensive/defensive skills. But there were still questions that remain unanswered. How Pagara handles things if he's fighting with adversity? Can he absorb clean shots from a puncher? Can he maintain calmness and composure from the pressure and roughhousing tactics of an opponent?

Facing Juarez, Pagara will be forced to answer these questions outside his home turf. And then, we can find out what are his chances to the elites of the 122-pound division. As a boxing fan, I'm happy for Pagara. I'm excited about this fight!

Animosity, bad blood and controversy settled as Erislandy Lara clearly dominates Vanes Martirosyan during their junior middleweight rematch at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Saturday night on PBC on Showtime CBS.

Lara's (23-2-2, 13 KOs) accuracy and skillful ring movement carried the night as he won on three judges scorecards to settle a first fight controversial draw that haunted both fighters.

The champion's left hand find it's target throughout the course of the fight. While Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs) struggled to keep his rhythm to a very elusive opponent who keeps on changing direction.

Overall it was a close fight to call, but Lara's clean connection upstairs really made the difference, while Vanes over-committed to body punching. Prior to the fight Martirosyan talked about going into the body, which he did but with very limited effect as he's not your one-punch KO guy.

The unnecessary point deduction also added the frustration of the challenger. Martirosyan deducted a point on each scorecard for a second 'low blow' that landed along the belt line as seen on the replay.

The official scores were 116-111, 116-111, 115-112 all for Lara for the unanimous decision.

During the post-fight interview, Although Vanes complained about the point the deduction, but he was so cordial about the decision and congratulated Lara.

At the the locker room Vanes showed another class act once again. He approached Lara and the two hugged, showing utmost respect at each other after all was said and done.

Meanwhile the first two card header showed the Charlo brothers handled their respective opponents. Jermall Charlo had to go for 12 rounds for the first time in his career and managed a tough skillful fight against Austin Trout. It was a tactical fight wherein both fighters showed superior boxing skills and intensity but at the end it was Jermall who came out victorious. The scorecards were: 15-113, 116-112, and 116-112, which is fair enough.

Jermell Charlo on the other hand rallied from behind in order to stop John Jackson and took also another alphabet title at the 154-pound division.

We have a very colorful, deep and multi-talent 154-pound division. And of course, Canelo who might just come back to JMW following his decision of dumping the middleweight title that released intense pressure because of a deadline set for him to face the MW number one contender GGG.

David Haye made a spectacular performance tonight that sets up a fight in September with another knockout winner Shannon Briggs at the O2 Arena, in London.

Haye (28-2, 26 KOs) scored two knockdowns in the opening round and again in the second, followed by another one that ultimately stops the undefeated Swiss Arnold Gjergjaj.

In the first round, a solid right hand from Haye dropped Gjergjaj. And another Haye shot took down Gjergjaj (29-1, 21 KOs) again before the end of the round. The referee didn't counted it as a knockdown. Gjergjaj complained that he was hit at the back of the head. It looked also to me that the punches that knocked him down were thrown after the bell.

In the second, it's all David Haye. Every time Haye landed shots Gjergjaj legs looks ready to go. It's just a matter of time.  A solid jab put down Gjergjaj again on the floor. This time the challenger looked defeated, battered and ready for the picking.

A beast mode Haye bombarded Gjergjaj towards the ropes. Gjergjaj went down again but was able to get up. But the referee had seen enough and rightfully stopped the contest to save Gjergjaj from further beating.

Well, Haye should be impressive tonight because he's expected to win this one. Many in the UK media believed that this fight is a huge mismatch. And it was indeed a huge mismatch. I didn't see any punch thrown and landed by Gjergjaj.

During the interview, Haye said that "big fights" are possible in 2016. He mentioned Antony Joshua, but he also told that Shannon Briggs could be next in September. And he chanted "let's go champ! Let's go champ! Let's go champ!"

44-year old Shannon Briggs impresses at the undercard of David Haye vs Arnold Gjergjaj's heavyweight fight at the O2 Arena, in London, United Kingdom. Briggs still has what it takes to knock out opponent 10 years younger.

Briggs (60-6-1, 53 KOs) chanting "let's go champ! let's go champ!" and then he said "look at me people, I'm 44 years old, but I'm motivated!" during the Boxnation interview outside the ring right after he stops his opponent Emilio Zarate in the opening round.

Right after the bell, Briggs wasted no time went after his opponent, and landed heavy blows. Left to the head then to the body from Briggs sent Zarate to the canvas. And from the look at it there's no way Zarate will be able to continue as he was badly hurt. The referee stopped the fight in the very first round.

With the win, it seemed Briggs positioned to have a crack at David Haye. That of course if the "Haymaker" gets fast his opponent is in the main event.

Multi-division boxing titlist Manny Pacquiao has been proclaimed senator by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in the Philippines.

Pacquiao who is also an incumbent congressman of the lone district of Sarangani finished the senatorial race at 7th place. He will end his term as congressman on 30th June 2016 and will commence duties as senator on the same day.

Now that Pacquiao won a senate sit, Arum said in an interview that any possibility of Filipino champion coming out of retirement and fight again "is out of the window."

Pacquiao announced his retirement from the sport of boxing after winning a third fight with Timothy Bradley Jr. in April in Las Vegas.

Video source: GMA

Filipino boxing icon and congressman Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao likely to finish 7th spot in the Philippine senate polls

Pacquiao garnered 15,584,906 votes as of 6:45 PM, Friday, 13 May 2016 (Manila time) representing 96.04 percent of the election returns. These are unofficial results posted on the GMA website. With less than four percent remaining of the election returns to count, it is safe to say that Pacquiao is going to the Philippine senate.

Pacquiao entered at the ninth spot in the early start of the counting after the election closed at 5:00 PM on May 9. Now, he's currently at number seven and has over three million votes ahead of ranked number 13.

Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter said that "any Pacquiao fight is out the window," when asked by Fight Hub about a fight with Mexican star Saul Canelo Alvarez who just won via knockout last weekend against Amir Khan.

"Manny is not a fighter anymore, he's a senator from the Philippines. It's a big role for him," said Arum.

Philadelphia, PA—Middleweight standout DeCarlo Perez, in an effort to get back into position on the world boxing scene, has left his job at Atlantic City (NJ) Hospital to concentrate full-time on his June 3 main event contest against Dashon Johnson, of Escondido, CA, at the 2300 Arena.

It makes sense. Johnson is the 42-fight veteran who came within one second in the 10th and final round of stopping unbeaten Jesse Hart in the same ring March 18. Hart was knocked down with 17 seconds to go and barely beat the count.

Perez, 25, of Atlantic City, has worked for the last six years as a Pharmacy Tech at Atlantic Care Regional Medical Center, putting in 40-50 hour weeks while also training as a professional boxer.
After winning nine out of 10 fights--against solid opposition--to place him on the doorstep of the world ratings, Perez was stopped by unbeaten Rob Brant, of St. Pau, MN, in the fourth round of their Jan. 22 fight in Tucson, AZ, for the vacant NABA middleweight title.

“Right now, I have to devote full-time to my boxing career when I’m still young enough to do it,” said Perez. “The hospital job will always be available to me because I’ve been there for some time and I’ve made a lot of connections there. The people at my job understand where I’m coming from and they completely support my decision.”
Drained by making 160 for the fight with Brant, Perez has decided to put on a few pounds and grow into the super middleweight division. The fight with Johnson will be contested at 164 pounds.

Perez had a troubled childhood, going from one rescue mission to another before moving in with his grandparents when he was 6 years old. He grandfather used to work out with Robert Duran and that piqued Perez’ interest in boxing. When he was 10, Perez began going to the Pleasantville (NJ) Rec Center, where he met his current trainer, Wilberto Alejandro. They now train at the Bullpen Gym in Egg Harbor (NJ) Township.

“Moving in with my grandparents was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Perez said. My grandfather told me there will be ups and downs but if you keep at it you will be a champion.

“Next comes my relationship with Will—it’s like father and son. There isn’t any other person I would want to go into battle with than Will. He’s taught me and he’s groomed me and vice versa. We know what we both are capable of and we truly believe there is no enemy in front of us that can beat us. It’s taken time for me to see that he is right.”

Perez started at Atlantic City High School, then he switched to Egg Harbor HS where he graduated.
As an amateur, Perez says he was 85-15 but without any regional or national titles. He turned pro, he said, after losing what he thought was a bad decision in a Golden Gloves tournament.

A pro since 2010, Perez is 15-4-1, 5 K0s, and he is 3-0 at the 2300 Arena, where he outpointed Jesse Nicklow and scored knockouts over Tyrone Brunson and Tolan Tascoe.

Prior to the Brant fight, Perez had won nine out of 10, including an impressive win on ShoBox last summer against Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, of the Dominican Republic, who was 23-0 at fight time.

“I feel this fight against Dashon Johnson is going to be a great competitive fight,” Perez said. “Johnson has been in there with good fighters but I believe on June 3 he will be facing his toughest challenge. I know he will be ready and I will make sure I am above and beyond prepared.”

ABOUT JUNE 3

The Dashon Johnson-DeCarlo Perez fight headlines a seven-bout card at the 2300 Arena, located at 2300 South Swanson Street in South Philadelphia (between Ritner & Porter, Front and 2d Streets). The June 3 fight is being sponsored by Parx Casino and Coors Light. Doors open at 6 pm; first fight at 7pm. Tickets are $40, $50 and $75 and can be purchased by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.wanatix.com. The June 3 card is promoted by Peltz Boxing, Joe Hand Promotions and BAM Boxing.

Mexican star Saul Canelo Alvarez retained his lineal world middleweight championship, knocking out UK's Amir "King" Khan at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Nevada, Saturday night.

Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1 KO 43) admitted that Amir Khan (31-4-0 KO 19) is a fast fighter and things would be complicated in the beginning. But he's confident coming in that everything will come to his favor.

"He's a fast fighter, and I knew things would be complicated in the beginning, but I knew they would come to my favor as the fight went on," said Canelo.

Canelo having difficulty finding his range early on in the fight and was swinging wildly with his vaunted left hook. But in the end, his power carried the night and took over knocking out Amir cold in the sixth round with a hard right cross after faking a left hook to the body.

Canelo insisted that he have more qualities in the ring contrary to what people knew about him being a power puncher.

"People have known me only for my power. I have many more qualities in the ring, and I showed that. I think people saw more of me tonight. Someone that comes into box gives you more trouble and someone that comes right in is a little easier to fight," said Canelo.

After struggling to find his range in the first five rounds, Canelo Alvarez caught Amir Khan with a vicious right hand that knocked the UK challenger out cold.

In the first five rounds, Amir Khan (31-4-0 KO 19) really fought a very disciplined fight following religiously the perfect game plan. He was able to land fast combinations snapping back Canelo's head few times. He managed to maintain distance and fire combination from the outside while constantly moving and changing directions.

Canelo (47-1-1 KO 43) struggled to find his range in the first five rounds. He's picking his shots to the point that he's so economical. He's banking way too heavily on power shots that he's timid to unleash combinations. He's a little too wild with his vaunted left hook, missing a wildly few of them inside five rounds.

In the sixth, power pot-shooting paid off for Canelo. He faked a left hook, got Khan's attention, and came up with a vicious right hook while stepping in and landed right on the button that Khan never saw it coming. The moment that shot landed, I know Khan will never make it to the next round.

The official time of the stoppage:  2:37 in the sixth round.

Lineal middleweight champion of the world Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend the title against UK's Amir "King" Khan at the new T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas Nevada. The match can be seen live on HBO PPV and also available on internet PPV.

When I read the press release from Golden Boy Promotions about this fight in February, I'm shocked! I said what? The last time I checked Khan fought at welterweight against Chris Algieri almost a year ago. There were no reports whatsoever that he struggled the weight limit of 147 pounds at welterweight.

After Khan won a decision versus Algieri, he was chasing for a Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout. But Floyd has always been turning down Khan's challenge and instead fought Andre Berto in September.

Former MW champion Miguel Cotto took on Canelo in November, which Canelo won (partly controversial though) and took the lineal middleweight title. Still, no word came out about a Canelo-Khan fight.

In early 2016, Khan is gunning for a Manny Pacquiao fight. Pacquiao lost to Mayweather in May 2015 and was staged for one last fight before retiring. Pacquiao dumped Khan and instead chose a Bradley rematch. And then... boom! the news broke... Canelo vs Khan for the middleweight championship of the world!

Well, I'll make my prediction here short. We all knew that this fight of course is about speed vs power. It is clear from the beginning that Canelo has the advantage in size and power, while Khan has the advantage in speed.

Now the bottom line here is how these two men capitalize their advantage/s towards each other. A stronger and powerful Canelo is of course ineffective if he can not catch the faster, quicker Khan. So if Canelo can effectively cut the ring down and corner Khan and unleashes his power bombs... Bingo! End of the story.

But also if the quicker, faster Khan can utilize the entire ring the whole night and maintains a disciplined fight throwing fast combination, go out from harms way before Canelo retaliates then he'll win by decision.

So it's a matter of proper execution on those advantages. And the one who executes well will win.

Now, who do you think will execute well?

Now here comes the overall boxing skills and game plan. For me, both Khan and Canelo have sound boxing skills. What I think will play a major factor here is their tendencies inside the ring that will of course influence their execution.

Khan has the tendency to trade it when he's hurt. In his two knockout defeats, Khan bravely or shall I say stupidly traded with punches to Prescott and Garcia when he was hurt after a knockdown. Of course, the wisest thing to do there is to clinch as much as you can till the cobwebs are gone. I don't mind the referee deduct points as long as I can recover and fight another round than instantly KOed.

Well, I don't see Khan here not being hurt when hit cleanly by Canelo in this fight, and then he'll resort to his tendencies.

So I've got Canelo by knockout in round 8.

 

Mexican superstar Saul Canelo Alvarez will defend his lineal middleweight world title for the first time against challenger former 140 and 147 pound titlist Amir Khan at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada live on HBO PPV and Internet PPV.

Don't miss the action if you're not able to watch it live. Stay tuned here at TBD for our Live Blog and enjoy round-by-round action.

No need to refresh the page, updates will refresh automatically.

Lineal middleweight champion Saul Canelo Alvarez and former world titleholder Amir Khan tipped the scales outside the brand new T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas Nevada ahead of their 12-round championship Saturday night.

Both men hit the catch-weight mark at 155 pounds. Canelo looked ripped and cut as usual and ready to go. Khan on the other side looked fine at 155, not looking bloated or whatsoever moving up two weight classes above his last fight's weight.

A photograph of Khan taken during the photo ops for the fight promo became an internet meme, which showed him bulking up way too much. But during the weigh-in, Khan looked natural with the added weight he put on. However, it's expected that during fight night Canelo would re-hydrate more than can could and will be the bigger stronger guy.

Khan, on the other hand, will be banking heavily on his speed and overall boxing ability to negate Canelo's power.

Stay tuned. TBD will be running a live blog and brings you round-by-round action Saturday night.

 

A bizarre report surfacing during my usual Friday day off from work in this oil rich region, says that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is on the verge of agreeing a mega-fight with UFC superstar Connor McGregor. I said what? Oh really?

Currently retired, but hinting for an imminent comeback possibly this summer, Mayweather reportedly on the verge of agreeing on billion mega-fight with UFC superstar Connor McGregor according to Thesun.co.uk.

Look... the sport really got me surprise several times of unlikely announcement that no one really sees it coming. Last time, the boxing world were in total shock when Saul Canelo Alvarez vs Amir Khan was announced. Khan moved two weight classes to challenge Canelo Alvarez for the middleweight championship of the world this Saturday. What completely made it bizarre is that both men are not middleweight at all and agreed at a catch weight.

Well enough has been said about Canelo-Khan, and here we go again stunned with another report although there's no official confirmation that indeed these two super star in two separate combat sport fight.

But anyhow if we look at it, it is possible. We all know that Connor already called out Floyd for a boxing match. This after Floyd made a comment on McGregor regarding how they were perceived by fight fans with regards to their trash talking persona. The comment didn't set well on McGregor.

Aside from that, McGregor also has no clear place in the UFC now. His rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 200 was dropped for his refusal to attend press and promotional duties for the build up of the rematch.

No surprise, McGregor would grab the opportunity to fight Floyd Mayweather if it means multi-million dollar payday. But the thing is, if this is on the boxing ring... not in the octagon... he would be in for another L on his record.

LOS ANGELES (May 5, 2016) - Once again on the cutting edge of technology, media and sports, Golden Boy Promotions will bring its fans Canelo vs. Khan via Live via the Internet. The company will stream the May 7th mega-fight between WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan live at 9 PM EST and 6PM PT.

As the world's leading boxing, sports and entertainment company, Golden Boy Promotions specializes in creating the very best fights and developing the best fighters in the world and showcasing them through premium live sports content. For the past several months, Golden Boy has been providing fans access to its highly competitive and entertaining LA Fight Club series through its owned and operated GoldenBoyPromotions.com, RingTVLive.com, Roku Channel, Amazon Fire Channel and through partnerships with myriad platforms.

"Our cable, satellite and telco distribution partners remain the key means to reach boxing fans. However, as our viewership on GoldenBoyPromotions.com and RingTVlive.com has grown over the past several months, we have learned a great deal from our fans - and they have been clear that the time has come for us to make this mega fight available online as well," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. "We see Canelo vs. Khan as a first step in this evolving media landscape."

Golden Boy Promotions has selected LiveStream as its online streaming company for this fight. Livestream's mission is to connect people and live events offering event owners a complete set tools to make the very best in fan experiences. The event will be priced at $69.95. Additional premium content including behind-the-scenes short form video from each fighters' training camp, international press conferences as well as full episodes from the highly acclaimed Mano a Mano series will accompany this Pay-Per-View offering.

For those wishing to view the fight on cable, it will be featured Live on HBO Pay Per View starting at 9:00 PM EST.

LAS VEGAS (May 3, 2016) -WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and British top fighter and former two-time former world champion Amir "King" Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) will bring every ounce of their speed and power when they meet in the ring on May 7 at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

Below is what sports media reporters had to say about their picks for Canelo vs. Khan:

Gary Andrew Poole, The Guardian:

"Khan's greatest asset is his attacking speed, and to win he will need to put his speed to work quickly because his defensive tactics and chin are seriously suspect. I see Canelo winning. Three major factors point to a Canelo knockout victory: the Mexican superstar has more power (67 percent KO rate vs. 56 percent). Of late, Alvarez, 25, has fought more quality opponents: the last three Alvarez opponents were Erislandy Lara, James Kirkland, and Miguel Cotto; Khan's last three were Luis Collazo, Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri. And, finally, Canelo smartly set a 155-pound catch-weight because it will make his power punches more devastating. Khan, 29, is a very good lightweight who has tried to chase bigger purses in the welterweight division. Rising yet another eight pounds will be a bridge too far and Canelo-if he can withstand an early assault-will break him down and knock him out. If Canelo wins, the world hopes he will face Gennady Golovkin in the fall."

Dan Rafael, ESPN.com:

"Canelo is bigger, stronger and younger and while I think Khan will give it a great effort and be more competitive than some think he might be, Canelo will win by knockout in the middle rounds."

Brian Campbell, ESPN.com:

"Khan's speed and technical skill will keep him in the fight and present interesting tactical questions for Alvarez to answer. Ultimately, however, the combination of Canelo's power and Khan's suspect chin will lead to a knockout finish."


Bob Velin, USA Today:

"Canelo by knockout in round seven. Amir Khan is one on the quickest fighters in the world today, and we know what happened to Canelo Alvarez against a quick, slick fighter like Floyd Mayweather. However, Canelo has come a long way since then, has prepared and knows what to expect with Khan's quick hands. His power will be too much for Khan, fighting at 155 for the first time. Khan will stick and move and be able to avoid the big punch through six rounds, but his suspect chin will not stand up to Canelo's power once the lineal middleweight champ finally catches him."

Jeff Powell, Daily Mail:

"At the early time of asking, I say Khan by decision but it's a close call between speed and power, which some factors could affect in the coming days."

Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press:

"Canelo is on a roll now and eager to prove the Cinco de Mayo date is really his, not Mayweather's. He was impressive against Cotto and seems to have accepted the loss to Mayweather as normal growing pains for a young fighter. Khan is moving up in weight and in competition, and fast hands only take you so far. I like Canelo in a dominating performance, stopping Khan in the middle rounds in the first fight at T-Mobile Arena."

Gavin Glicksman, The Sun:

"Khan has craved a super-fight for years and is determined to write his name into the history books with what will go down as one of the biggest upsets in boxing if he wins. It's a massive ask, and there is the fear he will be stopped if Canelo lures him into a tear-up, but I believe his fast hands and footwork will see him take the champion the distance. As long as he follows Virgil Hunter's game plan to the letter and boxes smart, Khan claims the WBC world middleweight title on points."

Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times:

"Amir Khan has appeared to have effectively trained and analyzed properly the best way to defeat Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, but weight classes are created for a reason. So by the end of the ninth round, expect the naturally bigger middleweight champion from Mexico to have landed enough punches on former 140-pounder Khan to force the fight's stoppage."

Chris McKenna, Daily Star:

"I am obviously hoping that speed prevails and Amir Khan comes out on top on May 7 for Britain, but he is going to have to be very disciplined. This will be one of Khan's best performances, but I think it will be tough to get the decision in Las Vegas. The power of Canelo may be just too much, and I believe the Mexican will win by a close decision on the cards."

Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports:

"Canelo TKO9 Khan -- I certainly don't discount Khan's ability to win this fight, as he has a lot of talent and a very good trainer who no doubt will come up with an excellent game plan. But Canelo is not simply a slugger. He can box, too, and he's the far bigger, more powerful man. Khan has had issues in the past with his chin, and that's going to be a factor in this fight. He'll have to walk a tightrope and avoid being hit flush, which I'm not sure he can do. I expect Canelo to wear Khan down, slow him down and stop him in the latter part of the fight."

Robby Kalland, CBSSports.com:

"Canelo over Khan by unanimous decision. I think Canelo Alvarez will come out on top with a unanimous decision victory over Amir Khan on May 7. I expect the fight to be fairly even early, but Alvarez's power and skill will eventually wear down the speed of Khan leading to Canelo pulling away on the cards in the latter half of the bout. Alvarez showed against Miguel Cotto what he can do against a smaller fighter, walking through Cotto's power punches. I don't see Khan's power bothering Canelo either, which will allow him to walk down Khan and get in range to deliver power shots of his own."

Richard Damerell, Sky Sports:

"Amir Khan's hand speed and also speed of foot will cause problems for Saul Alvarez from the opening bell. Alvarez's advantage in power might even work against him, and he could be a touch too eager in his pursuit of a knockout. Khan must stay disciplined throughout, which has been a problem in the past, but I think he will overcome a few scares to claim a stunning upset win."

Bernardo Osuna, ESPN Deportes:

"I believeCanelo will take down Khan with a TKO in round nine."

Salvador Rodríguez, ESPNDEPORTES.com:

"I expect a Canelo knockout in the middle rounds. It should be a short fight but explosive. Khan's chances are minimum but he has speed and a high IQ. Canelo has the moment and the timing to punish and finish him by the sixth or seventh round. So I bet absolutely for Canelo's power on this mega-event."

Francisco Cuevas, NBC Deportes:

"I think Canelo will win by knockout in six rounds. I think that Canelo will dominate the fight. He has the power and has shown a lot of improvement in his defense, and Amir Khan has been knocked down before several times. I think that it will be challenging for Canelo in the first and second rounds and after that he will dominate."

Eduard Cauich, HOY Los Angeles:

"I think Canelo with catch Khan in rounds six through eight."

Jorge Ebro, Miami Herald:

"In my opinion, Canelo will be the winner of this fight. It is true than Khan is fast, but he is no match to Canelo's power. When Canelo starts to hurt him with his uppers, that will be the beginning of the end for the English warrior. Canelo will win in six rounds by knockout."

George Gigney, Boxing News Magazine:

"Canelo's power and size are huge factors in this fight, but I also think his timing will help him win. In recent fights we've seen Canelo display some very smart counter-punching, and he's able to offset his opponent's speed advantages by catching them at the right times. I think Khan will get off to a bright start, using angles and his blurring hand speed to keep Canelo quiet for a few rounds but eventually Alvarez will find his range and begin to open up. Canelo's work to the body is also likely to play a factor and will slow Khan down in the second half of the fight, bringing down the pace to one more comfortable for Canelo. I think Khan will frustrate Canelo at times and make this fight more difficult than expected, but my pick is for Canelo to win a comfortable decision on the cards."

Steve Carp, Las Vegas Review-Journal:

"Canelo TKO in round nine. This will be a classic case of a good big man being better than a good little man. I expect Khan to try and outbox Canelo and use his speed. But eventually, Canelo will find the range and though Khan has a better chin now than in the past, Canelo's power will eventually do him in and force a stoppage."

Dougie Fisher, RingTV:

"Canelo by TKO in 10 rounds. I think it's going to take Canelo some time to catch Khan. I think he will have trouble with khan's speed and mobility. I think in the early rounds he will be surprised by Khan's power. I think Khan will earn respect in the early rounds. I think cannel will gradually work his way in the middle rounds."

Ricardo López Juárez, La Opinión:

"Canelo by knockout by the seventh round. I think it's going to be a competitive fight but eventually Canelo's power will make a difference. There will be a size, weight and power difference."

Steve Kim, UCNLive.com:

"The fight is a sprint, not a marathon. Even though Khan has speed, Canelo is a very sound fighter. I predict the fight ends Saul Alvarez TKO round seven."

Miguel Maravilla, Fight News:

"I believe Canelo will win. He is a bigger fighter and a better puncher. He will stop Khan with a TKO between rounds eight and 10."

David Avila, The Sweet Science:

"Canelo by decision. I think it will be a technical fight. I think Khan will realize he can't exchange too freely with Canelo. I don't think Canelo will chase him too much but he will wear him down and he will win by close decision."

More and more signs were coming up of a possible Floyd Mayweather Jr's come back in the ring.

During the latest PBC fight card on FOX featuring one of Floyd's fighters, super middleweight titleholder Badou Jack, he hinted of a possible comeback.

"As of right now, some crazy numbers have been thrown my way -- upwards, of course, of nine figures. But I'm truly blessed beyond belief, and I really don't know what we're going to do. But right now, I'm really happy being on this side helping our fighters," Mayweather said.

He admitted that he's been talking to CBS and Showtime. "I've talked to CBS and SHO, sometimes you never know, Mayweather said. This is his first hint on coming back. Here's a clip of that interview, click here.

A couple of interviews earlier, Mayweather maintained that he's happy about being retired. He said that he's earning "6-figure" monthly from his investments.

It was also reported that Mayweather Productions filed for trademarks to "TMT 50" and "TBE 50" on April 21 according to ESPN.com's Darren Rovell. The US Patent and Trademark website confirms the filings.

So it looks like the preparations for his comeback is in place. Expect the official announcement coming soon. But the interesting question is who he will fight? Spence Jr.?... Garcia?... Pacquiao?... Golovkin?

Victor Ortiz never saw that uppercut coming!

Andre Berto evens the score stopping Victor Ortiz in the fourth round of their rematch on PBC on FOX main event at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Berto (31-4, 24 KO) lost a decision during their first fight in 2011.

In the second round, Berto received a crisp left straight that sent him down to the floor. It was a beautifully thrown sort of a jab that landed while he was not in the right footing to absorb the shot. He went down but not hurt, and he got back up on his feet. The knockdown became sort of wake up call for Berto. He then pressed the action in the next round which he won clearly.

In the fourth, a right uppercut from Berto knocked down Ortiz hard. Ortiz got back up, but a familiar Ortiz face after a knockdown showed up. Jack Reiss allowed the fight to continue. Berto rushed in to close the show and down Ortiz once more. This time, after asking a question to Ortiz, Reiss stopped the fight.

The official time of the stoppage: 1:14 in Round 4.

"It's one of those punches I didn't see coming. He caught me with an uppercut. I never saw it coming. He's not a guy who hits soft, you know? He's one heck of a champ for a reason," said Ortiz.