Tuesday, January 30, 2018

The Fight Everyone Missed

Finally! The People’s Redhead has come back to The Weigh-In!

On January 20, 2018, UFC 220 aired on pay-per-view and featured Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou. This is a fight we will get into later. However, there was another fight that everyone should have watched on this same evening, but seemed to miss. Former UFC phenom, Rory MacDonald took on Douglas Lima with the Welterweight Championship on the line at Bellator 192.


Since joining Bellator, the expectations for MacDonald have been gold or bust. At 192, Rory claimed Welterweight gold, but it was anything less than routine. Douglas Lima gave MacDonald all he could handle during their championship bout. This fight really displayed how Bellator has bridged the gap between themselves and the UFC. There is no lower class fighter sitting around in Bellator, and anyone who says otherwise is just plain mistaken.


For fans that thought Rory looked lackluster, please realize what the fuck you are talking about. As Joe Rogan would say, "Douglas Lima is a legit savage." Matt Ward of The Weigh-In had to wear his adult diapers while watching this fight. Lima’s leg kicks are world class, and the knockout power in his hands is confirmed. It appeared as the fight went on, MacDonald may have once again suffered a broken nose.

("Adult diapers can be cool." -Anonymous)

On top of enduring what may have been a broken nose, Lima supplied a steady dose of leg kicks, which had a tremendous affect on MacDonald as the fight went on. In fact, in the third-round, Lima landed a leg kick that put McDonald down on the canvas. MacDonald’s leg looked like a wet pillow that was run over by a football team, wearing cleats. Fortunately, in round four, MacDonald was able to take the fight back down to the canvas, where he out pointed Lima.

(A wet pillow)

MacDonald said after the fight, "he’s the best guy I’ve ever fought.” This comment comes from a man who has faced Stephen Thompson, Tyron Woodley, and Robbie Lawler. MacDonald gave Lima well-deserved high praise. MacDonald once again showed his well-rounded skill by adapting his attack during the course of the fight. When standup did not go MacDonald’s way, he did not shy away from taking the match to the ground, where he outpointed Lima. MacDonald won by judges’ scores of 49-48, 49-45, 49-46.

For MacDonald, this is a goal accomplished. He is now exactly what he set out to become: champion. We will have to see who Bellator lines up for his first title defense. Make no mistake, with hardware around MacDonald’s waist, and the path it has taken him to get there, this writer does not see him relinquishing his championship status anytime soon.

(Rory MacDonald - MMAJunkie.com)

Special Thanks To:

Rory MacDonald for Making Canada Great Again

Canada for Poutine Fries

Canada for Real Hockey


-Dustin Johnson, The People's Red Head

GGG vs. Canelo Part II

The second installment of Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) vs. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) has been announced for May 5, 2018. The venue for the second part of this mega fight is yet to be determined, although it is highly likely that the fight will be hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The two middleweights last fought on September 16, 2017, when the two men fought to a twelve round split decision draw in front of a capacity crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The WBC, WBA, IBF, and IBO middleweight titles will be on the line.

Stay tuned to The Weigh-In for more information on the venue and undercard over the next few weeks!

(Supremacy... Part II)



Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Monday, January 29, 2018

With the City on a Buzz: 2018 Kicks off for Philadelphia Fight Fans

Check out our very own Luis Cortes' recent article, "With the City on a Buzz: 2018 Kicks off for Philadelphia Fight Fans" on the Undisputed Champion Network website!

Luis did a great job in capturing the excitement that is swirling around the city not only for the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl run, but also for the upcoming boxing schedule in the greater Philadelphia area.

Congrats on another great article, Luis!

(Philadelphia, PA)


"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey

One of the biggest shockers of yesterday's WWE Royal Rumble event was the appearance of UFC star, Ronda Rousey at the conclusion of the Women's Royal Rumble segment. Rousey entered the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia following Asuka's victory in this match decked out in "Rowdy" Roddy Piper inspired outfit. Rousey had little to say to the crowd and the gathering of Asuka, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair in the ring, but motioned to the large WrestleMania 34 sign that hung from the rafters of the arena. Rousey also shook the hand of on-screen commissioner of WWE RAW, Stephanie McMahon, before departing the arena.


Various media outlets have reported that Rousey is under contract with WWE, although the details of the contract are unknown at this time. Rousey has also not officially retired from the UFC, which leaves her future with the organization wide open. At this time, the only thing certain in Rousey's future is she will have a role in the upcoming WrestleMania 34 from New Orleans, Louisiana on April 8, 2018.



Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I - Friday, January 26, 2018 (Philadelphia, PA)

Numerous stars of boxing were out last night in Philadelphia for Evander Holyfield's The Real Deal Boxing show. Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Buster Drayton, Bert Cooper, Kevin Howard, Lionel Byarm, and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde were all in attendance to see the promotion's inaugural show at the SugarHouse Casino in South Philadelphia. The card featured seven professional bouts in weight classes ranging from lightweight to cruiserweight.

The opening bout of the evening featured welterweights, Janelson Bocachica (9-0-0, 6 KOs) and Victor Eddy Gaytan (2-4-0, 1 KO) in a six round bout. In the first round, Bocachica fought aggressively and pinned his opponent against the ropes with a barrage of punches. Mexico's Gaytan was knocked down in the second round by a Bocachica right hand to the head. The Mexican recovered from this knockdown to fight valiantly through the next two rounds. In the fifth round, it was evident that his opponent's punches were taking their toll physically on Gaytan, who had bad swelling under his right eye. The end came at the 13 second mark of the fifth round when Detroit's Bocachica connected with another hard right to the head that sent his opponent to the canvas. This was Bocachica's second straight win by knockout.

Middleweights, Edgar Berlanga (7-0-0, 7 KOs) and Jaime Barboza (19-14-0, 9 KOs) were scheduled to fight in a six round bout. The New York native, Berlanga, looking to preserve his knockout streak had other plans for the length of the fight as he went on the offensive from the opening bell. Early in the first round, Barboza was knocked down by a left upper cut to the head. He recovered from this knockdown only to be knocked out by a vicious multi-punch combo to the head and body at the 2:42 mark of the first round.

The third bout of the evening featured local prospect, Brandon Robinson (9-1-0, 7 KOs) and Juan Celin Zapata (5-12-2, 3 KOs) of the Bronx, New York. Robinson made quick work of his opponent by knocking him out with a right hand to the head at the 1:50 mark of the first round of the super middleweight bout that was scheduled for six rounds. Robinson has now won nine straight fights since losing his professional debut in 2016 to Trenton's Mike Hilton.

Kennedy Katende (3-0, 1 KO) and Lyubomyr Pinchuk (4-1, 3 KOs) fought in the first and only fight to go to the judges' scorecards last night. The cruiserweights fought in a six round bout in which Katende controlled a bulk of the action. Pinchuk, the lengthy Ukranian fighter, was knocked down in the first round by a Katende left hook to the head. Pinchuk recovered from the knockdown, and stayed on his feet for the remainder of the contest. Katende controlled the tempo of the fight by effectively working his opponent's body. Pinchuk landed a series of multi-punch combos on his opponent, but the shots lacked power. Two judges scored the bout 59-54, with the third judge scoring the contest 58-55 all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision Kennedy Katende.

Philadelphia's Poindexter Knight (2-0, 2 KOs) fought Sunbury, Pennsylvania's Jordan Morales (2-4, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout that was scheduled for four rounds. Knight came out as the aggressor after the opening bell rang, and bullied his opponent from the outset. Morales was knocked down by a Knight left hand to the head in the first round. Morales, clearly shaken from this knockdown, rose from the canvas only to be knocked out soon after by a two-punch combo of a left and right hand to the head that sent him crashing down to the canvas at the 2:19 mark of the first round.

The co-main event of the evening featured a welterweight contest between Jaron Ennis (18-0-0, 16 KOs) and Gustavo Garibay (13-10-2, 5 KOs). Philadelphia's Ennis appeared to hurt Garibay in the first round with a multi-punch combo, but the tough Mexican fighter managed to stay on his feet. Ennis dominated the second round, and closed out the round's action with a brutal multi-punch combo that was highlighted with big left and right hooks. Garibay answered the third round bell despite showing the damage on his face from the previous two rounds. Garibay took more damage in the third round, but the fighter managed to survive the round. Ennis continued to viciously beat Garibay throughout the fourth round. The referee stopped the bout after Ennis landed a hard right hook to Garibay's head. The action ended at the 2:14 mark of the fourth of six rounds, with Ennis winning by TKO.

The main event of the evening featured Philadelphia prospect, Steven Ortiz (8-0-, 3 KOs) and Washington D. C.'s Joshua Davis (11-3, 5 KO's). The two lightweights fought for the WBF North American Regional Junior Lightweight Title in a bout that was scheduled for eight rounds. Ortiz controlled the action through just under two rounds of boxing. In the second round, Ortiz sent Davis to the canvas three times. The first knockdown came after Ortiz connected with a left hook to Davis' head. The second knockdown came after Ortiz landed a brutal multi-punch combo to the head and body of his opponent. The third and final knockdown was the result of an Ortiz right hand to Davis' head. Referee Gary Rosato called an end to the bout at the 2:21 mark of the second round.




Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I - Bouts and Weights

Professional boxing returns to the SugarHouse Casino in South Philadelphia on January 26, 2018. Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I features a seven fight card headlined with an eight round main event between lightweights, Steven Ortiz (7-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia and Washington D.C.'s Joshua Davis (11-2, 5 KOs). Ortiz is coming off of a June 24th victory over Tyrome Jones (4-2-1, 1 KO). Davis suffered his second career defeat on October 19th at the hands of Ray Lampkin (11-0, 4 KOs). The card also features an eight round bout between welterweights, Jaron "Boots" Ennis (17-0, 15 KOs) and Gustavo Garibay (13-9-2, 5 KOs). Ennis, a tough fighter from Philadelphia, knocked out George Sosa (15-11-1, 15 KOs) in the second round of their December 1, 2017 bout.

Check out Luis Cortes' recent interview with Ennis!

Below are the bouts and weights for tomorrow night's card:

Steven Ortiz (7-0-0, 2 KOs) - 133.9 lbs. vs. Joshua Davis (11-2-0, 5 KO's) - 133.1 lbs. - eight rounds, lightweights

Jaron Ennis (17-0-0, 15 KOs) - 149.5 lbs. vs. Gustavo Garibay (13-9-2, 5 KOs) - 149.4 lbs. - six rounds, welterweights

Poindexter Knight (1-0-0, 1 KO) - 147.9 lbs. vs. Jordan Morales (2-3-0, 2 KOs) - 146.3 lbs. - four rounds, welterweights

Kennedy Katende (2-0-0, 1 KO) - 195.9 lbs. vs. Lyubomyr Pinchuk (4-0-0, 3 KOs) - 191.4 lbs. - six rounds, cruiserweights

Brandon Robinson (8-1-0, 6 KOs) - 168.1 lbs. vs. Juan Celin Zapata (5-11-2, 3 KOs) - 167.1 lbs. - six rounds, super middleweights

Edgar Berlanga (6-0-0, 6 KOs) - 163.5 lbs. vs. Jaime Barboza (19-13-0, 9 KOs) - 164.1 lbs. - six rounds, middleweights

Janelson Bocachica (8-0-0, 5 KOs) - 147.2 lbs. vs. Victor Eddy Gaytan (2-3-0, 1 KO) - 145.7 lbs. - six rounds, welterweights




Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Raymundo Beltran vs. Paulus Moses

On Friday, February 16th, lightweights, Raymundo Beltran (34-7-1, 21 KOs) and Paulus Moses (40-3, 25 KOs) will fight for the vacant WBO World Lightweight Title at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. Beltran, who resides in Phoenix, Arizona, is coming off of five straight victories, with his most recent coming by way of majority decision over Costa Rica's Bryan Vasquez (35-3, 19 KOs) on August 5, 2017.

The twelve round main event is part of an eight fight card that is promoted by Top Rank and televised on ESPN/ESPN Deportes. The card also features an exciting NABF Welterweight Title bout between Egidijus Kavaliauskas (18-0, 15 KOs) and David Avanesyan (23-2-1, 11 KOs). Kavaliauskas, a Lithuanian who now fights out of Oxnard, California, has won his last three fights by knockout. This will be the first defense of his NABF title since capturing it on September 22nd of last year with a victory over veteran, Mexican fighter, Mahonry Montes (34-7-1, 23 KOs). His opponent, David Avanesyan, is a former WBA World Welterweight Champion, who captured this title with a unanimous decision victory over Shane Mosley (49-10-1, 41 KOs) in 2016. Since then, Avanesyan suffered a unanimous decision loss to Lamont Peterson (35-4-1, 17 KOs) last February, and defeated Serge Ambomo (6-5, 2 KOs) in a tune up fight in December.

Former Olympian, and boxing prospect Shakur Stevenson (4-0, 2 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey will face Texas' Juan Tapia (8-1, 3 KOs) in an eight round, featherweight bout. This will be Stevenson's first eight round contest as a professional, his previous four victories were six round contests. Philadelphia heavyweight, Bryant Jennings (21-2, 12 KOs) will also return to the ring after a short layoff. The former contender last fought in December at Madison Square Garden, when he decisively defeated Don Haynesworth (13-2-1, 11 KOs) via TKO in the third of eight rounds. He will face Akhror Muralimov (16-3, 13 KOs) in an eight round match.

The card also features the following bouts:

Robson Conceicao (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Jayro Duran (11-4, 10 KOs) - eight rounds, junior lightweights

Alexander Besputin (8-0, 6 KOs) vs. TBA - eight rounds, welterweights

Sagadat Rakhmankul (Pro Debut) vs. Noel Esqueda (8-4-2, 6 KOs) - four rounds, junior middleweights

Ricardo Lucio Galvan (1-0, 1 KO) vs. TBA - four rounds, featherweights




Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The Return of "The Contender"

Beginning this fall, the premium cable channel Epix will air 12-episodes of "The Contender".

"The Contender" was a hit boxing series that aired for four seasons from 2005 to 2008, on NBC, ESPN, and Versus. The series, which was created by Mark Burnett, featured boxers fighting in an elimination-style tournament, and focused on the personal lives of these fighters.

Season winners included, Sergio Mora, Grady Brewer, Sakio Bika, and Troy Ross. Peter Manfredo Jr., Najai Turpin, Ishe Smith, Cornelius Bundrage, Steve Forbes, Jaidon Codrington, Sam Soliman, Brian Vera, and Ehinomen Ehikhamenor were other professional fighters who appeared on the show. Over the series' original four season run, familiar faces from the worlds of boxing and Hollywood served as presenters and hosts including, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sylvester Stallone, and Tony Danza.

 



Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Monday, January 22, 2018

Who will Errol Spence Jr. Face Next?

Errol Spence Jr. (23-0, 20 KOs) decisively defeated Lamont Peterson (35-4-1, 17 KOs) via TKO on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in BrooklynPeterson, a former two-division world champion, was hurt in the second round by a barrage of Spence body shots. In the fifth round, Peterson was sent to the canvas by Spence right and left hands. In the sixth round, Peterson's right eye showed the effects of Spence's powerful punches, as it was nearly swollen shut. Peterson was examined by the ringside physician just after the bell marking the beginning of the seventh round rang. At the conclusion of the seventh round, Peterson was being swept by Spence on the judges' scorecards. By this point, Peterson's trainer, Barry Hunter, had seen enough and asked for the fight to be stopped. This was Spence's first defense of his IBF World Welterweight Title, and tenth straight career victory by knockout.

Who will Errol Spence Jr. face next?

The talented 28-year-old welterweight sits on top of the IBF's 147 pound division rankings, and holds a major title in a weight class that is crowded with some of boxing's biggest names and talent. Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) holds the WBC and WBA titles in this weight class, while Jeff Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs) holds the WBO World Welterweight TitleKeith Thurman is coming off of a March 4th victory over former champion, Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs). Jeff Horn is scheduled to make his second title defense on April 14th against super lightweight boxing star, Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs).

Bad Left Hook recently reported that Spence wants to fight Thurman in 2018. However, it is likely that Thurman will schedule a tune up fight before agreeing to a showdown against the IBF champ. Before a bout can be scheduled between Spence and ThurmanSpence may have to defend his title against other highly ranked, IBF welterweights, such as Carlos Ocampo (22-0, 13 KOs) and Konstantin Ponomarev (32-0, 13 KOs).

Who do you think is Errol Spence Jr.'s next opponent? Make your voice heard by replying in the comments section!




Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Jaron "Boots" Ennis Interview

Luis Cortes recently interviewed Philadelphia welterweight boxer, Jaron "Boots" Ennis (17-0, 15 KOs). Ennis is preparing for his January 26, 2018 bout against Gustavo Garibay (13-9-2, 5 KOs). Ennis is coming off of a second round, knockout victory over George Sosa (15-11-1, 15 KOs) on December 1, 2017.

Check out their Bonus Round interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes:

Bonus Round - Jaron "Boots" Ennis Interview with Luis Cortes on SoundCloud

Bonus Round - Jaron "Boots" Ennis Interview with Luis Cortes on iTunes

This bout is part of Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Showcase Series I at the SugarHouse Casino in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 26, 2018. This eight fight card features an eight round main event between lightweights, Steven Ortiz (7-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia and Washington D.C.'s Joshua Davis (11-2, 5 KOs).

(Jaron "Boots" Ennis - Photo BoxRec.com)




Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson

This Saturday, January 20th, IBF World Welterweight Champion, Errol Spence Jr. (22-0, 19 KOs) will defend his title against Lamont Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs) in a 12 round bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This bout is part of an 11 bout Premier Boxing Champions' card that will air on Showtime. Spence is coming off of an 11th round knock out victory over Kell Brook (36-2, 25 KOs) in Brook's hometown of Sheffield, England last May. Peterson won his last two fights, since losing a controversial majority decision to Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs) on April 11, 2015. He bounced back from this loss with two victories over Felix Diaz (19-2, 9 KOs) on October 17, 2015 and David Avanesyan (23-2-1, 11 KOs) last February.

The card also features an exciting 12 round match between lightweight fighters Robert Easter Jr. (20-0, 14 KOs) and Javier Fortuna (33-1-1, 23 KOs). The two men will fight for Easter's IBF World Lightweight Title. Easter captured this title in 2016 with a split decision victory over Richard Commey (25-2, 22 KOs) in Reading, Pennsylvania. Since winning this title, he successfully defended the title twice in 2017, beating Luis Cruz (22-5-1, 16 KOs) and Denis Shafikov (38-4-1, 20 KOs) both by unanimous decision. Fortuna, the former WBA World Super Featherweight Champion, is looking for his fifth straight win since losing his title to Camden's Jason Sosa (20-3-4, 15 KOs) on June 24, 2016 in China. Fortuna's most recent victory was a ten round unanimous decision victory over Nicolas Polanco (17-1, 10 KOs) on September 14, 2017.

The card also features the following bouts:

Marcus Browne (20-0, 15 KOs) vs. Francy Ntetu (17-1, 4 KOs) - 10 rounds, light heavyweights

Adam Kownacki (16-0, 13 KOs) vs. Iago Kiladze (26-1, 18 KOs) - 10 rounds, heavyweights

Anthony Peterson (37-1, 24 KOs) vs. Luis Eduardo Florez (23-8, 19 KOs) - 10 rounds, junior welterweights

Ivan Golub (13-1, 11 KOs) vs. Fidel Monterossa Munoz (38-15-1, 30 KOs) - eight rounds, welterweights

Richardson Hitchins (3-0, 1 KOs) vs. Preston Wilson (4-2-1, 3 KOs) - six rounds, welterweights

Mathew Gonzalez (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Alexander Serna (1-1, 1 KO) - six rounds, middleweights

Desmond Jarmon (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Charles Clark (1-4-1, 1 KO) - four rounds, junior lightweights

Keyshawn Williams (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Denis Okoth (1-0, 1 KO) - four rounds, welterweights

Dylan Price (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Nestor Ramos (7-7-1, 3 KOs) - four rounds, bantamweights




Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Happy Birthday to Muhammad Ali!

January 17, 2018 would have been the 76th birthday of the Greatest of All Time

Happy Birthday Champ! 





Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Creed II Update

Romanian boxer, Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu, has been cast to play the son of Ivan Drago in the upcoming sequel to the latest installment of the Rocky franchise, Creed. It is important to note that there is currently no BoxRec.com page, or information available online regarding Munteanu's amateur or professional record. According to his Instagram page, the 27-year-old stands at six feet four inches, and weighs 245 pounds.

Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) was the Soviet foe and opponent of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in Rocky IV. Drago killed the elder Creed in a boxing match before being knocked out by Rocky in front of a Soviet Union crowd. Swedish action film star, Dolph Lundgren, is under contract to reprise his role in Creed II. The film will more than likely feature an epic showdown between Michael B. Jordan's character, Adonis "Donnie" Johnson Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, and Munteanu's character, Drago Jr.

Filming for Creed II is scheduled to begin this spring, and the film has a tentative release date of November 21, 2018.

(Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu)

(Rocky IV Poster)

(Rocky Balboa vs. Ivan Drago - Rocky IV)



Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Friday, January 12, 2018

Tonya "Bad Girl" Harding

Your friends at The Weigh-In don't just love combat sports... We are also casual women's figure skating fans! Our all-time favorite women's figure skater turned boxer is Tonya Harding.

Our very own Matt Ward came across this gem of an article today:


This article makes us wish that Tonya Harding would get back into the ring and stop asking for apologies...

Celebrity Boxing Tonya Harding vs Paula Jones on YouTube

Tonya Harding's BoxRec Page

Come on Tonya... That 3-3 record would look a lot better with a four in the win column. Plus our favorite Tonya is the "Bad Girl"... Not the sad Tonya who orders fruity mixed drinks and steak appetizers.


(Teenage Dustin Johnson Loved this Photo!)

Love, 
TWI Dudes

Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!