WBC super featherweight champion Francisco Vargas (23-0-2, 17 KOs) retained his belt with a majority draw against former two-weight world champion Orlando Salido (43-13-4, 30 KOs) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
The judges scores were 14-114, 114-114 and 115-113 for Vargas.
The bout will be a fight of the year candidate as the two Mexicans exchanged punches from the start. Salido rocked Vargas with a hard right hand in the third round but the champion fired back with a…
Smith scores second round KO to retain WBO belt
WBO light middleweight champion Liam Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs) halted overmatched challenger Predrag Radosevic (30-2, 11 KOs) in the second round on Saturday night at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
Smith landed hard shots to head and body in the opener and he backed his opponent into the corner in the second round before dropping Radosevic with a left hook to the body. The fight was stopped at 1:34 of the round as the Montenegrin failed to beat the count.
It was the Liverpool fighter’s eighth…
Barthelemy bests Bey to retain IBF belt
IBF lightweight champion Rances Barthelemy (25-0, 13 KOs) outpointed former champion Mickey Bey (22-2-1, 10 KOs) on Friday night in the Hard Rock Live Arena at the Seminole Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
The unbeaten Cuban dominated most of the rounds with his superior workrate and two of the judges awarded him the fight by scores of 117-110, 116-111, while the third somehow scored it 117-110 for Bey.
Barthelemy utilized his height and reach advantage to land his jab and combinations…
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies aged 74
Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74, a family spokesman has confirmed.
The three-time world heavyweight champion had suffered from Parkinson’s disease since 1984 – three years after he retired from the sport.
Ali had been hospitalized in the Phoenix area this week with a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease. He died on Friday.
A statement from spokesman Bob Gunnell said: “Muhammad Ali’s funeral will take place in his hometown of Louisville,…
Terry Flanagan to defend WBO title against Mzonke Fana on Fury-Klitschko card
WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan (30-0, 12, KOs) will be defending his title against South Africa’s Mzonke Fana (38-9, 16 KOs) on the Tyson Fury vs Wladimir Klitschko 2 card on July 9 at the Manchester Arena.
Flanagan, 26, won the vacant WBO belt last July when his opponent Jose Zepeda dislocated his shoulder and was forced to retire after the second round. He has since defended it twice, stopping American Diego Magdaleno in October and outpointing fellow Brit Derry Mathews last…
Bellew knocks out Makabu to win world title
Tony Bellew (28-2-1, 18 KOs) defeated Ilunga Makabu (19-2, 18 KOs) by a third round KO to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight title on Sunday night at Goodison Park in Liverpool.
Bellew played the role of a boxer who fought for the world title at the home of his beloved Everton FC in the latest Rocky film. But the British cruiserweight has now done it in real life when he got off the canvas in the first round to knock out Makabu and claim his first world title, having lost two attempts at the…
Burns defeats Di Rocco to win WBA belt
Ricky Burns (40-5-1, 14 KOs) became Scotland’s first ever three-weight world champion with a dominant 8th round stoppage win over Michele Di Rocco (40-2-1, 18 KOs) to win the vacant WBA light welterweight title on Saturday night at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
Burns, who previously won world titles at super featherweight and lightweight, boxed well behind his jab and landed hard shots throughout.
The Scot used good movement to avoid Di Rocco’s punches before a straight right hand…
Lucian Bute tests positive for banned substance after draw with Badou Jack
Former super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute (32-3-1, 25 KOs) tested positive for a banned substance following his draw against WBC champion Badou Jack on April 30.
The WBC announced on Thursday afternoon that it was notified by the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission that Bute had tested positive for a banned substance in his postfight anti-doping test.
Romanian-born Bute, who resides in Canada, tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine, also known as Enobosarm, which can be…
Lara decisions Martirosyan, Charlo twins make history
WBA light middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (22-2-2, 13 KOs) defeated American challenger Vanes Martirosyan (36-2-1, 21 KOs) by unanimous decision on Saturday night at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
The pair met in November 2012 in a fight that ended in a technical draw. The end came when Martirosyan suffered a bad cut over his left eye from an accidental head-butt in the 9th round. Many thought that Lara deserved to win. This time they went all 12 rounds and the Cuban won by scores of…
Haye hammers Gjergjaj inside two rounds
British heavyweight David Haye (28-2, 26 KOs) easily halted previously unbeaten Arnold Gjergjaj (29-1, 21 KOs) inside two rounds on Saturday night at The O2 Arena in London.
Haye, a former heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion, floored the visitor with a big right after only 34 seconds.
Kosovo-born Gjergjaj, who resides in Switzerland, was down again at the end of the round, but the punch came after the bell had sounded and it wasn’t counted as a knockdown.
However, Haye dropped…