LOVE VS. VALENZUELA LANDS ON CANELO-BIVOL UNDERCARD

Matchroom Boxing Press Release

Super-Lightweight battle to light up Las Vegas on May 7; Heavyweights Hrgovic and Zhang set to clash

Montana Love and Gabriel Valenzuela will clash in a mouthwatering Super-Lightweight battle on the undercard for Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 7, live on DAZN, excluding Latin America and Mexico. In the U.S. & Canada, the event will be offered exclusively on DAZN Pay-Per View (PPV). Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, March 23.

Love (17-0-1, 9 KOs) will fight under the Matchroom banner for the second time and on back-to-back Las Vegas fights, having dispatched Carlos Diaz inside three rounds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in December. The Cleveland man is ranked #12 with the IBF and will look to crash into the top ten in style on The Strip but will need to be on his A-game against Valenzuela (25-2-1, 15 KOs).

The Mexican crashed into top ten with a road-win over Robbie Davies Jr. in London last February and has recorded a pair of KO wins in his homeland since that night. The May 7 showdown is a huge opportunity for him to sparkle in the spotlight alongside his fellow countryman Canelo, in a fight in association with Clase Y Talento and Canelo Promotions.

“Nothing changes on May 7,” said Love. “He’s just another body in the way.”

“I’m so proud to be sharing a spot on the card with such a great Champion, Canelo Alvarez,” said Valenzuela. “We’re prepared for this and training very hard for this fight against Montana Love. He’s a tough opponent but we’re going to come very hard to get the victory. That night Mexico is coming with everything we have.”

Hrgovic (14-0, 12 KOs) sits #3 in the IBF rankings and the giant Croatian has been hunting a dance partner for a showdown to name the mandatory challenger for the title held by Oleksandr Usyk. The 29-year-old Olympic bronze medalist has cut a lethal swathe through the pro ranks to sit in a prime position for a deserved shot at the big prize, ending all but two of his fights inside the distance, and not going past the fifth round in his last seven outings.

A host of Heavyweights were offered the clash with the dangerous Croat, but not until it came to #13 ranked Zhang (23-0-1, 18 KOs) was a dance partner found, with the lofty Chinese star accepting the challenge. The 38-year-old has been circling for a major showdown, and ‘Big Bang’ gets his wish against Hrgovic in Sin City with the two KO artist promising to leave it all in the ring with the stakes so high.

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for more than year,” said Hrgović. “Finally, I have an opponent willing to face me for the chance to fight for the IBF World title. So many fighters turned down this challenge so credit to Zhang for being brave enough to accept.

“I know he’s a good opponent. He won silver at the Olympics so that means he’s a good boxer, but he is too slow on his feet, and I believe I have better the qualities. My speed, stamina and footwork will be too much for him. I will break him down and I will beat him.

“I’m now only one fight away from my dream of boxing for a World title and nothing is going to stop me. Canelo is the face of boxing and I’m excited to get this opportunity on such a big show. I'm ready to show the whole world that ‘El Animal’ is coming!”

“I am very happy that this fight is going to happen,” said Zhang. “I’ve been waiting on an opportunity – now it’s here and I’m not going to let it pass. When no-one else from the top 15 wanted to face Hrgovic, I told myself I had to do it for me and for the sport of boxing. This is the most important fight of my whole career. I’m all in. Don’t miss it!”

“Finally, we’ve found an opponent willing to accept the challenge,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland. “Having gone through the IBF rankings twice, Zhang has stepped up to face Filip Hrgović in an IBF World title final eliminator. We now have ‘El Animal’ versus ‘Big Bang’ for a shot at the biggest prize in boxing. This epic battle is going to light up T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where fans can witness the next Heavyweight Champion of the World in action.”

Love-Valenzuela and Hrgovic-Zhang lead the undercard for a blockbuster main event that sees pound-for-pound Mexican king Canelo looking to become a two-time World ruler at 175 lbs against long-reigning WBA champion Bivol on Cinco De Mayo weekend.

Tickets will go on sale starting at $105 (plus fees) on the following dates and times (all times PT) at AXS.com.

“These are two great fights for a massive night in Las Vegas,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Montana Love is ready for big fights now and in Gabriel Valenzuela, he’s got a huge test of his ambitions at the very top level – Gabriel will lay everything on the line and will have the Mexican fans roaring him on, so Montana will need to produce his best.

“I love the Heavyweight dust-up between Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang. It’s been a long-time coming for someone to step up to the plate and fight Filip, credit to Zhilei and his team for taking on the challenge. Both men carry huge power, and they know that victory takes them one step closer to sport’s ultimate prize – Heavyweight Champion of the World. There won’t be a backwards step taken when they rumble, it’s going to be fireworks on an already electric night.”

POUND-FOR-POUND SUPERSTAR CANELO ALVAREZ SIGNS MULTI FIGHT DEAL WITH MATCHROOM AND DAZN

Press Release

POUND-FOR-POUND SUPERSTAR CANELO ALVAREZ SIGNS MULTI FIGHT DEAL WITH MATCHROOM AND DAZN

May 7 Fight Confirmed Against Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol

Pound-for-pound superstar Canelo Alvarez (57-1-2, 30 KOs) has signed a new multi-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN. The first fight will see boxing’s biggest attraction step up in weight to take on Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) in a bid for the WBA Light-Heavyweight title on May 7. The second fight in the multi-fight deal is set for September.

The May 7 blockbuster will be available to subscribers around the world on DAZN, excluding Latin America and Mexico. In the U.S. & Canada, the event will be offered exclusively on DAZN Pay-Per View (PPV) - newly introduced for very select events to come - and priced at $59.99 for current subscribers and $79.99 for new subscribers (inclusive of a one month subscription to DAZN).

Canelo Alvarez claimed the IBF Super-Middleweight strap last time out against a tough Caleb Plant, becoming the first boxer ever to become undisputed champion at Super-Middleweight. Prior to that, the Mexican star picked up the WBA, WBC, WBO and The Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight titles against Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders respectively, all within a year to make history and cement his spot as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a memorable period that saw the 31 year old bag numerous fighter of the year awards including ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Ring Magazine.

Dmitry Bivol has been flawless in the paid ranks and now bags the blockbuster showdown he’s been craving in the form of boxing’s pound-for-pound king Canelo. Bivol picked up the WBA Light-Heavyweight title in 2016 and has defended it an impressive ten times already to become of the best active Light-Heavyweight fighters in the world.

"I am very happy with this fight against Dmitry Bivol,” said Canelo. “It is another great challenge for me and my career -- especially as I go up in weight and face an exceptional light heavyweight champion like Bivol.

"I am also very excited that we have this fight slated for Cinco De Mayo Weekend - May 7 - for all the fans to enjoy. We will be ready, like we always are." 

“I always only wanted to fight the best!” said Bivol. “I believe that the rest of my goals will begin materialize on May 7!”

“It is an absolutely honour to announce a multi fight promotional deal with the pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Canelo transcends boxing and is the biggest star in the sport and we look forward to promoting some historic nights in 2022 live on DAZN PPV. First up, Saul takes on yet another champion, this time in the shape of fearsome undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight king Dmitry Bivol. Fans can expect a thrilling all-action match up and we look forward the pair coming face to face at a press conference in San Diego next Wednesday.”

“Bivol vs Canelo, this is going to be a very competitive and interesting fight,” said Andrei Ryabinskiy of World of Boxing. “I am very glad that we were able to make this happen, for Dmitry this is a big chance!”

“This will be a great night of boxing where two of the best collide for the highest recognition in the sport!” said Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov. “The victor on May 7 will go on to become the biggest name in boxing for many more years to come!”

“We’re delighted to continue growing our long-term partnership with Canelo, beginning with a spectacular clash between the pound-for-pound king and a very tough and determined champ in Dmitry Bivol,” said Ed Breeze, DAZN EVP, Rights. “Both fighters were eager for this battle and we’re thrilled to make it happen around the world on DAZN as well as in the U.S. & Canada by way of the introduction of DAZN PPV. It’s a truly mega matchup and we look forward to broadcasting it to fight fans all over the globe.”

2022 – At A Glance

Aside from the May 7 event, DAZN’s schedule for U.S. subscribers in 2022 is strong as ever, including the below with dozens more still to come:

February 5: Carlos Cuadras vs. Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (Winner)

February 12: Daniel Jacobs vs. John Ryder (Winner)

February 19: Jaime Munguía (Winner) vs. D’Mitrius Ballard 

February 27: Lawrence Okolie vs. Michal Cieslak

March 5:  Chocolatito III vs. Julio Cesar Martinez

March 12: Leigh Wood vs. Michael Conlan 

March 19: Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Michael McKinson 

March 26: Kiko Martinez vs. Josh Warrington II 

April 9: Ryan Garcia vs. Emmanuel Tagoe

April 30: Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 

May 7: Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol (Live Exclusively on DAZN PPV)

The May 7 Canelo vs. Bivol mega matchup will be on DAZN PPV in the U.S., marking the first of very occasional events to come that will be sparingly offered to fight fans on top of a DAZN subscription. This event is priced at $59.99 for current subscribers on the app and $79.99 for new subscribers (inclusive of one month’s subscription to DAZN).

The DAZN subscription in the U.S. is currently priced at $19.99 a month or just $99.99 for an entire year (which equates to only $8.33 per month). At this unrivalled value, existing subscribers will continue to enjoy a stacked boxing schedule of at least 50 top-tier fight nights annually, discounted PPV events, and an ever-growing slate of DAZN Originals including many of the most fascinating stories and figures in boxing.

New subscribers to DAZN in the U.S. can continue to take advantage of the current annual subscription cost of $99.99 until May 2.  Those signing up for an annual subscription after May 2 will be charged the new annual price of $149.99 (which still just equates to only $12.50 per month). Existing subscribers will be grandfathered in at their current $99.99 annual subscription cost.

Media contacts:

Team Canelo – Jane Murcia – pr@caneloteam.com

DAZN – Fred Mellor – Fred.Mellor@dazn.com

DAZN – Sam Kelly – Samuel.Kelly@dazn.com

Matchroom – Anthony Leaver – anthony.leaver@matchroom.com

Dmitry Bivol Needs Victory to Stay Relevant in 175-Pound Landscape

By Luis A. Cortes III

When WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (16-0) (11 KO’s) takes the ring tonight in Chicago to defend his title for the fifth time against Dominican power puncher Lenin Castillo (20-2-1) (15 KO’s).  He does so fully aware that in order to stay relevant in the mind of boxing fans, not only does he need a victory, but an impressive showing would go a long way to further his future goal of being the undisputed king of his division.  Before that goal can be released though, the landscape of the ultra-talent rich light heavyweight division is about to change with two major blockbuster fights scheduled to take place in the next couple of weeks.
  
First is the unification fight on ESPN next Friday night from Philadelphia between WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdk and the IBF champion Artur Beterbiev.  That fight is being viewed as a possible fight of the year candidate without a single punch having been thrown.  It’s truly a fight fan's dream matchup that should deliver pure action.  After that is the November 2nd historical showdown between current middleweight king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.  With these two huge fights taking place within weeks of each other, it must be hard pressed for the other champion Bivol to have to wait his turn at taking a crack at the other elite fighters.  Notice that his title defense tonight wasn’t mentioned in terms of mega fights that could alter the landscape of the division.

It wasn’t long ago, back in 2017, when Bivol first captured the title on HBO.  He was clearly being nurtured by the network and his handlers to be a future box office attraction.  At the time, Bivol’s promoters (World of Boxing) had a partnership with U.S. based promoter Main Events that afforded him the ability to have his fights broadcasted on HBO.  Main Events handled all things Bivol in the United States, which included him being featured in the main event fight in November of last year in Atlantic City.  With HBO getting out of the business of distributing fights just a month later, Bivol and his handlers at World of Boxing decided to move on and join Matchroom Boxing USA.  Since that time, Bivol has been featured once on DAZN, a title defense against blue collar contender Joe Smith Jr. 

It’s a far cry from the type of profile that Bivol was expecting to have at this point.  And it also didn’t help when a potential unification and mega fight with fellow Russian Sergey Kovalev never came to fruition after Kovalev was surprisingly stopped by Elider Alvarez in August of last year.  It’s the type of situation that would make any champion in his physical prime frustrated not to get the type of major fights that could cement his own legacy in the sport.  This is not lost on Bivol, who so far has remained level headed about the entire situation.

“I want to make my mark in boxing history and to do this you have to fight the best,” stated Bivol.  “Of course, I want to fight against the other champions but sometimes you cannot do it because they are busy, but we have good fights and I am happy with that.  The fight next weekend is a great one and I would love to face the winner, we will know more about my future after that fight.”  

Patience is a virtue right now for Bivol.  However, it’s clear through his words that the sand in that hour glass may be running out.  It also is clear that he wants his handlers to put him in line to face the other elite fighters since he is planning on being in attendance both next week and in Vegas on November 2nd.  During all the pre-fight interviews and conversations leading up to his title defense tonight.  Not much time was spent discussing his opponent.  Sometimes this is looked at as a bad thing, that a fighter is suffering from a lack of focus with the task at hand.  So far in his career, Bivol has been a consummate professional and nothing suggests that he isn’t aware that for him to have these opportunities it starts with being impressive in victory tonight.  After all, if he does come out victorious as expected tonight, and doesn’t automatically get a unification fight with the winner of next weekends mega unification fight, he has a plethora of worthy challengers to fight.  The light heavyweight division is one of the deepest in the sport, if not the deepest.  With elite fighters not only as champions, but also on the contender level.  

A victory tonight for Bivol will put him in line to fight all the contenders and unified champions to try and indeed make his mark in the sport.  His style of boxer-puncher also meshes well with any of these other fighters on the elite level, which means pure excitement for fans.  Although a victory in his fight tonight won’t contribute to the rapidly changing landscape of the division.  Bivol indeed needs to be victorious, since the only way the landscape changes tonight is if he truly has looked past his opponent and winds up losing in a major upset.

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Hart & Conto Provide Philly Flavor in Sin City

By Luis A. Cortes III

Saturday night in Las Vegas is no doubt another chance for the glamour division of the sport to bask in the spotlight of the sporting world as Tyson Fury (27-0-1) (19 KO’s) defends his lineal championship against German Tom Schwarz (24-0) (16 KO’s).  After the shocking results at Madison Square Garden that saw Andy Ruiz win portions of the heavyweight crown by knocking out the unbeaten Anthony Joshua, Saturday is a great chance for Fury to solidify his claim as the “baddest” man on the planet (a moniker which comes with being the best heavyweight in the world). 

While Fury fights for the first time since his draw against the other champion thought of as one of the best, Deontay Wilder, and begins his partnership with promotional juggernaut Top Rank, the undercard features a co-main event that easily is worthy of its own main event status when Philadelphia native Jesse Hart (25-2) (21 KO’s) battles Sullivan Barrera (22-2) (14 KO’s) in a ten round light heavyweight contest.  Also, on the undercard is heavyweight and Top Rank prospect South Philadelphia’s future real life “Rocky” Sonny Conto (2-0) (2 KO’s).

Since his last fight, a second go around defeat at the hands of former WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez, Hart has continued to reinforce that it is only a matter of time before he is known as a world champion.  His quest for the super middleweight crown was well documented by this writer prior to his first clash with Ramirez in the fall of 2017.  After the close defeat, Hart regrouped with the knowledge that he was one point away from fulfilling his dream.  Three knockout victories and a year later saw Hart back in the ring with Ramirez.  It seemed entering the final rounds that Hart would clear the Ramirez hurdle, but he was hurt by an injured Ramirez and the result wound up being the same. 

With the two Ramirez fights being the only blemishes on his record, and Ramirez stating his desire to move up and join the talent loaded light heavyweight division, it was thought by many that Hart was poised to stick around the 168-pound super middleweight division and not only finally win the vacated championship by Ramirez, but in doing so would set himself up for big pay dates against some of the other talented champions and challengers in the division.

It was a bit of a shock when he told The Weigh-In directly that he was planning a move up to join the rest of the talent at 175-pounds in the light heavyweight division.  He stated that he was planning on fighting a big name in his debut and had targeted former world champion, Sergey Kovalev conqueror Eleider Alvarez.  “That division is so full of talent and now I’m going to add my name to the mix,” stated Hart.  Kudos to Hart for making the decision to not play it easy and defeat a lesser challenge to earn the championship he craves, and for chasing both greener pastures and tougher terrain at light heavyweight.

Enter Sullivan Barrera (22-2) (14 KO’s), himself a former title challenger, who like Hart only has two losses. These defeats came at the hands of future Hall of Famer Andre Ward and the current WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.  At 37 years old, Barrera has been less active than the 29-year-old Hart and struggled a bit during his last fight back in November against the durable Sean Monaghan.  Barrera seemed a bit off during the early portions of the fight, maybe it was due to disinterest because just eight months earlier he was stopped in twelve grueling rounds in his championship bid against Bivol.  Whatever it was, Barrera handled himself like the true professional and wound up battering Monaghan in route to the decision victory.

With Alvarez dropping out of the proposed fight with Hart, Barrera was the name that filled in and allowed Hart to remain as the co-feature on this big night in Vegas.  Hart is never shy to speak his mind and has traded barbs with Barrera over social media. Recently, he informed the media on his thoughts regarding this fight in career terms and Barrera.  “The 175-pound division is wide open and I’m finally ready to win that world title.  Sullivan Barrera is in my way, so I am going to smash him,” stated Hart.  Barrera is indeed a seasoned veteran, but at the age of 37, the idea that a fighter can get “old” overnight is always close by.  “After Saturday night we’re going to put him (Barrera) into retirement, you’re not going to hear from him again,” said Hart. 

Barrera puts all of that to the side and thinks its just Hart trying to avoid dealing with nerves he may be facing since he is moving up in weight. “Jesse Hart knows he’s never fought anyone like me, he is scared.  He is coming up from 168, but the punching power at 175 is not the same.  I am a different level than what he’s used to.  It’s going to be a long night for him,” remarked Barrera.

ESPN analysts, former world champions, and future Hall of Famers Timothy Bradley and Andre Ward also had interesting takes on this fight.  “I think it’s a good move for Jesse.  I thought that at 168 pounds he may have been zapping some of his strength to make the weight.  He is a big strong guy, so 175 may just be the better fit for him,” stated Bradley.  “This is going to be a good fight and is a good way to lead into the Fury fight.  Barrera is a seasoned fighter that is technically sound,” replied Ward.  Both agreed that the winner of the fight aligns himself for bigger fights and bigger purses against the rest of the division that is rich with talent.  With the champions (Kovalev, Bivol, Beterbiev, and Gvozdyk), seemingly on a collusion course to unify their titles.  If Hart can get by Barrera (who is ranked #7 in the division) he will stake his claim for a shot at one of those champions in the future.

Also, on this loaded undercard is the aforementioned heavyweight prospect Sonny Conto.  With just two fights as a professional, Conto is indeed at the prospect stage of his career.  He has the amateur pedigree that included being crowned a National Golden Gloves champion.  His stock was high enough that Top Rank signed him right away.  With both of his wins coming at home in Philadelphia in front of an adoring crowd (and Conto already has a nice size fan base at home to build off), it made sense for Top Rank to have him continue his nurturing process by taking part in a big fight week in Sin City featuring a current heavyweight champion. 

Conto was flown out to Vegas where he spent time training and sparring with Fury as well as Joseph Parker, the only man to beat Andy Ruiz.  As Conto progresses inside of the ring, it will be a bit of time before we see the 23-year-old in a meaningful fight.  Especially a fight that begins the test to see just how far he truly can go. 

Full of talent, Conto continues to progress that talent and build the foundation to handle big fight weeks and fight nights when his name will be the one in the lights.  “Sparring with a champion is great work for a young fighter.  You don’t want to be just a sparring partner though,” stated Ward.  Bradley also agreed with Ward, “Terrance Crawford spent time with me in camp before anyone knew his name.  I think for him it was just as good outside of the ring as it was in terms of the work that we gave each other.  He got to see how I handled myself as a champion and the way I dealt with my family.”  So just what does Conto think about his time sparring Fury, “It was awesome, a great experience, and priceless.”

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‘Tis the boxing season in the Northeast

Check out Luis Cortes' preview of upcoming boxing shows in the Northeast United States on UCNLive.com: 

‘Tis the boxing season in the Northeast

Eddie Hearn and Daniel Jacobs - Photo UCNLive.com

-Luis A. Cortes III

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Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez Recap - Saturday August 4th (Atlantic City, NJ)

World championship boxing promoted by Main Events returned to Atlantic City Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's Etess Arena. Sergey Kovalev and Eleider Alvarez squared off for Kovalev's World Boxing Organization (WBO) Light Heavyweight Title.

In the main event, Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) looked to defend his WBO World Light Heavyweight Title for the second time against Eleider "Storm" Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs). Unfortunately for Kovalev, Alvarez was not intimidated by the Russian champion. In the opening round, Kovalev felt out his opponent. In the second round, Kovalev landed a big left hand to the head of his opponent. Alvarez responded with a nice right hand to the head later in the round. Alvarez popped Kovalev's head back with hard jabs in the third round. In the fourth round, Alvarez was warned for a low blow. Kovalev's power was on display in the fourth round as he punished Alvarez with multi-punch combos. Alvarez demonstrated his toughness by staying on his feet under Kovalev's crushing blows and by surviving the round. In the seventh round to the crowd's delight, Alvarez knocked Kovalev down with a big right hand to the head. Kovalev rose from the canvas on shaky legs, and was knocked down again with another right hand to the head. The champion again pulled himself up from the canvas only to be sent crashing to the canvas with a right hook to the head. The referee called an end to the fight at the 45 second mark of the seventh round. Alvarez won his twelfth professional fight by knockout. Kovalev was taken to the hospital for further examination following his knockout loss. In the post-fight press conference, Alvarez stated he was willing to fight anyone in the light heavyweight division, but if necessary, had to honor a rematch clause in his contract with Kovalev first.

Dmitry Bivol (14-0, 11 KOs) successfully defended his World Boxing Association (WBA) Title against Isaac Chilemba (25-6-2, 10 KOs) in a twelve round bout. Chilemba, who is trained by boxing legend Roy Jones Jr., was hurt in the first round by straight right and left hands to the head and body. Chilemba was again beat up in the second round, as Bivol connected with left and right hooks early in the round. In the third round, Bivol was again the aggressor, as he punished Chilemba with right-left combos to the head. The action in the fourth through sixth rounds slowed down to the crowd's displeasure. Chilemba, realizing he was behind on the cards, was the far more active fighter in the seventh round. Bivol killed Chilemba's momentum in the ninth with a left hand to the head that snapped the Malawi native's head back. The action was limited in the championship rounds causing the crowd to boo as the final bell rang. Bivol won the contest by unanimous decision with two judge's scorecards reading 120-108, and a third judge's card reading 116-112.

Kazakhstan's Meiirim Nursultanov (8-0, 7 KOs) fought the Dominican Republic's Jonathan Batista (17-15, 10 KOs) in an eight round, middleweight contest. A left hook to Batista's body sent him to the canvas in the second round. Batista recovered from the knockdown, but refused to answer the bell for the third round. Nursultanov has won seven straight fights by knockout.

Philadelphia's Karl Dargan (18-1, 9 KOs) defeated Colombia's Jonathan Perez (37-23, 29 KOs) by unanimous decision in a six round, lightweight contest. In the first and second rounds, Dargan broke through the guard of Perez with straight left and right hands to the head. Perez decided to fight back in the fifth round, when he and Dargan exchanged big shots in the center of the ring. All three judges scored the bout 50-54 for Dargan.

Frank Galarza (20-2-2, 12 KOs) scored a second round knockout over Alex Duarte (13-6-1, 10 KOs) in junior middleweight bout that was scheduled for ten rounds. Brooklyn's Galarza dropped Duarte twice in the second round with hard right hands to the body. The referee stopped the fight at the 1:57 mark of the second round. Duarte needed help from his corner to get up from the canvas and exit the ring.

Bakhram Murtazaliev (13-0, 11 KOs) and Fernando Carcamo (23-9, 18 KOs) fought in a ten round bout for the International Boxing Association (IBA) Junior Middleweight Title. Carcamo's night ended early as he was kayoed by Murtazaliev at the 41 second mark of the first round. Carcamo, who was overwhelmed by Murtazaliev's offense in the opening seconds of the bout, was pinned up against the ropes and beaten up by his opponent. Murtazaliev landed shot after shot to Carcamo's head and body until his legs gave out and he collapsed to the canvas for the ten count.

Madiyar Ashkeyev (10-0, 6 KOs) defeated Eduardo Flores (24-30-4, 14 KOs) by technical knockout in the fourth round of a scheduled eight round contest. In the second round of the junior middleweight bout, Flores spit out his mouthpiece after getting crushed by a Ashkeyev multi-punch combo. In the third round, Flores lost his mouthpiece again, and a point. After what appeared to be a light exchange in the fourth round, Flores spit out his mouthpiece for the third and final time. The referee stopped the fight at the 50 second mark of the fourth round. Ashkeyev has now won three straight fights by TKO.

Super middleweights, Vaughn Alexander (12-1, 8 KOs) and Denis Douglin (20-6, 12 KOs) fought in a ten round bout. Douglin, a native of Marlboro, New Jersey, fought well through the first two rounds of action. Alexander, the brother of Devon, caught Douglin with a hard right to the body that caught his opponent's attention. In the later rounds of the contest, Alexander had trouble with Douglin, who fought well on the inside. In the ninth round, the two men exchanged big punches near the  center of the ring. Douglin controlled the round by landing a series of straight right hands to his opponent's head and body. Douglin fought like a man who needed a win, and he was rewarded for this with a unanimous decision victory. One judge scored the bout 100-90, with two others scoring the bout 99-91.

Enriko Gogokhia (8-0, 3 KOs) fought Ronald Montes (18-10, 16 KOs) in a six round, welterweight bout. Gogokhia won the fight by unanimous decision by a score of 62-54 on all three judges' scorecards.

The opening bout of the evening was a four round, junior middleweight showdown between Ismael Villareal (3-0) of the Bronx and Kieran Hooks (3-1-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia. Villareal defeated Hooks by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 39-37.

MW

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Fighter Stats provided by BoxStat.co

Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol retain titles. Is a collision course to unify the division next?

Check out our very own Luis Cortes' recent article, "Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol retain titles. Is a collision course to unify the division next?" Luis' recap of last night's Sergey Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin boxing card is available on the Undisputed Champion Network website.

Congrats on another great article, Luis!

-Luis A. Cortes III

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