Joseph Parker (22-0, 18 KOs) outpointed Mexico’s Andy Ruiz Jr (29-1, 19 KOs) to win the vacant WBO heavyweight title at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.
Parker became New Zealand’s first ever heavyweight world champion.
One judge scored the fight 114-114, but he was overruled by the other two judges who scored the fight 115-113 for Parker.
Ruiz got the better of Parker early on, scoring with a lot of heavy blows in the first half of the bout, but the New Zealander was busier…
Lebedev halts Ramirez to unify world cruiserweight titles
WBA cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev (29-1, 22 KOs) stopped IBF champion Victor Emilio Ramirez (22-3-1, 17 KOs) in the second round of their unification clash on Saturday night at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow, Russia.
Russia’s Lebedev dropped the Argentine with a barrage of head shots in the second round. Then, after Ramirez got back up, Lebedev unloaded more hard shots on him until referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout at 1:57 of the round.
With the win, Lebedev retained his WBA…
‘Canelo’ Alvarez vacates WBC middleweight title – but still eyes Gennady Golovkin fight
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) has elected to relinquish his WBC middleweight title, but vowed to still finalize a mega-fight with Gennady Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs).
Following his 6th round knockout victory over Amir Khan earlier this month, the 25-year-old Mexican was mandated to fight Golovkin, the interim champion, with a likely date of September 17.
The two camps faced a deadline on Tuesday to make the mandatory fight or the WBC would schedule a May 24 purse bid, where promotional…
Guillermo Rigondeaux reinstated as WBA ‘super’ champion
Unbeaten super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux (16-0, 10 KOs) has been reinstated as the WBA’s ‘super’ champion.
The Cuban was originally stripped of the belt last November due to inactivity and Scott Quigg was promoted to WBA ‘super’ champion.
IBF champion Carl Frampton outpointed Quigg in a unification clash in February to capture the WBA title, but was subsequently stripped of the belt for failing to negotiate a first defence against Rigondeaux.
The WBA have now decided to reinstate…
Francisco Vargas fails drug test
WBC super featherweight champion Francisco Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs) has tested positive for the banned steroid clenbuterol.
Vargas is scheduled to defend his title against Mexican countryman Orlando Salido on June 4.
The fight remains on, according to a statement from promoters Golden Boy, which claims Vargas unwittingly ingested the banned substance during a training camp in Mexico.
“Francisco believes he tested positive due to ingesting contaminated meat in Mexico, where clenbuterol is…
Broner halts Theophane in nine
Four-division world champion Adrien Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) stopped Britain’s Ashley Theophane (39-7-1, 11 KOs) in the 9th round on Friday night at the D.C. Armory in Washington, DC.
The fight was scheduled to be Broner’s first defence of the WBA light welterweight title, but he was stripped of the belt after weighing in 0.4 pounds over the 140-pound limit at Thursday’s weigh-in.
Theophane, who weighed 140 pounds, was eligible to win the vacant belt but was never in the fight.
Broner dominated…
Lee Haskins to fight Ivan Morales on May 14
IBF bantamweight champion Lee Haskins (31-4, 14 KOs) will defend his title against Mexico’s Ivan Morales (29-1, 17 KOs) on May 14 at the Ice Arena in Cardiff, Wales.
Haskins, 32, stopped Japan’s Ryosuke Iwasa in six rounds to win the interim IBF title last June and was elevated to world champion when then titleholder Randy Caballero failed to make weight for their scheduled fight in November.
The Bristol boxer will now defend it for the first time when he fights Morales, younger brother of…
Stephen Smith to challenge IBF champion Jose Pedraza on April 16
British contender Stephen Smith (23-1, 13 KOs) will challenge IBF super featherweight champion Jose Pedraza (21-0, 12 KOs) on April 16 at Foxwoods Resort, Connecticut, USA.
The fight was originally set for March 26 in New York but the American promoters was unable to fulfil that date, so it was rescheduled.
The 30-year-old Smith earned the shot when stopping Devis Boschiero in the sixth round in a elimination fight in September.
The Liverpudlian has won his last 11 fights since the only defeat…
Sergey Kovalev-Jean Pascal rematch set for January 30
IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) will defend his titles in a rematch against former world champion Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) on January 30 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Russian stopped Pascal in the 8th round of an action-packed fight in March at the same venue.
If Kovalev gets past the Canadian for the second time as expected, he already has two bigger fights planned for 2016.
He will fight WBC champion Adonis Stevenson (27-1, 22 KOs) in June in…
Smith flattens Fielding in one
British super middleweight contender Callum Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) stopped countryman Rocky Fielding (21-1, 12 KOs) in the first round on Saturday night at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
In a clash of unbeaten local rivals, Smith floored Fielding three times in a 165-second demolition before the referee stopped the fight.
Smith dropped Fielding with a big right hand inside 30 seconds and, although Fielding got up and fought back, as he charged forward, he was nailed with a left hook to the head…