Author Archives: hustleboss

PHOTOS: Shawn Porter Overcomes Danny Garcia Via Close Unanimous Decision to Capture WBC Welterweight Title

Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia delivered a great, tactical battle on Saturday night (Photo: Amanda Westcott – SHOWTIME)

By Chris Robinson

On Saturday night, Shawn Porter produced one of his most complete performances to date in defeating former world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia via close unanimous decision. Taking place inside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and aired by SHOWTIME, Porter was a little bit busier and more consistent throughout the 12-round showdown, winning by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 twice.

Porter (29-2-1, 17 KO’s) captures the WBC welterweight title with the victory while Garcia (34-2, 20 KO’s) suffers his second defeat in his past three bouts, despite putting up another very strong effort.
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PHOTOS: Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney Trains Inside of City Boxing Club Ahead of 9/28 ShoBox Return

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Devin Haney working out in Las Vegas inside of City Boxing Club (Photo: Mario Serrano – Devin Haney Promotions)

By Chris Robinson

This past Thursday afternoon, inside of City Boxing Club in Las Vegas, Nev., undefeated lightweight prospect Devin “The Dream” Haney hosted an open media workout in advance of his Sep. 28 bout vs. former title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos. The Haney vs. Burgos matchup is set to air on SHOWTIME’s ShoBox: The New Generation series from the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.

At 19 years old, Haney (19-0, 13 KO’s) continues to impress and he believes the Burgos fight is the perfect opportunity for him at the moment.
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FIGHT CULTURE: A Return To Bangkok, Thailand

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FLASHBACK: WBC super flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and welterweight prospect Nick Frese at Workpoint Studio in Thailand back in March (Photo: Hustle Boss)

By Chris Robinson

When I first visited Bangkok, Thailand earlier this year, I honestly knew it was a trip that was long overdue.

I had always heard great things about the fight culture in Thailand, and in 2015 my friend and former fighter Monyette Flowers really began putting the idea into my head about giving the country a visit. I finally made my first trip this past March and it was well worth it.
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Gennady Golovkin Ready For Canelo Alvarez Rematch: ‘He is Not a Champion’ [PHOTOS]

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Gennady Golovkin Looks Ready for his Sep. 15 Rematch vs. Canelo Alvarez (Photo: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos)

By Chris Robinson

Lineal middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin worked out for the press and thousands of fans on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, at the Banc of California Stadium. Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KO’s) will face former two-division world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (48-1-2, 34 KO’s) on Sep. 15 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. on HBO pay per view in one of the biggest fights of the year.

There has been a lot of back-and-forth banter between the two camps over the past few months. Golovkin and his trainer Abel Sanchez have had plenty of words for Canelo following his failed drug test back in February ahead of their scheduled rematch that was set for May, as the Mexican superstar tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Clenbuterol. Alvarez was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, saw the May rematch cancelled, and Golovkin instead went on to defeat Vanes Martirosyan instead, in Southern California.
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PHOTOS: Canelo Alvarez Works Out in Los Angeles, Claims Gennady Golovkin Rematch is ‘Personal’

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Canelo Alvarez during his media day in Los Angeles on Sunday (Photo: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos)

By Chris Robinson

On Sunday afternoon, Aug. 26, former two-division champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin held an open media workout in front of thousands at the Banc of California Stadium ahead of their highly-anticipated rematch on Sep. 15. Canelo (49-1-2, 34 KO’s) will face Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KO’s) from the T=Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an HBO pay per view telecast that has bad blood attached to it.

The two camps have been going back and forth with one another in the press for several months now and for Canelo, this isn’t just another prize fight.
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PHOTOS: Kendo Castaneda and Jesus Gutierrez Stage a Barnburner in Las Vegas

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Jesus “Chuy” Gutierrez and Kendo Castaneda Went to War on Friday Night (Photo: Manny “Mitts” Murillo)

By Chris Robinson

On Friday night, from the Red Rock Casino Resort, a local Vegas fan favorite, Jesus “Chuy” Gutierrez, locked horns with undefeated prospect Kendro Castaneda. The match itself was fast-paced and well worth watching, but once again, in the aftermath, I was left wondering about the scorecards.

Gutierrez teamed back up with trainer Danny Garcia for this contest, his first fight since suffering an 8th round TKO loss in April of last year to Mayweather Promotions’ prospect Ladarius “Memphis” Miller. Garcia has worked with Gutierrez for many years, dating back to the fighter’s pro debut in 2010, and I knew they would be ready for this contest.
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PHOTOS: Ladarius Miller Training for Dennis Galarza Clash on Bounce

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Ladarius Miller Returns to the Ring Friday night (Photo: Mayweather Promotions)

By Chris Robinson

On Friday, Aug. 3, once-beaten lightweight contender Ladarius “Memphis” Miller will return to the ring when he faces off with Dennis Galarza from the Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, in a Premier Boxing Champions telecast that will be aired on Bounce (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

“I’m putting the lightweight division on notice,” said Miller, as he worked out from the Mayweather Boxing Club. “I will be a name tossed in with the other great fighters in this division and I’m coming for that top spot. No one can stop me.”
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PHOTOS: Sergey Kovalev Visits Monmouth Park Ahead of HBO Clash vs. Eleider Alvarez

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Sergey Kovalev Ahead Of His Aug. 4 Fight vs. Sullivan Barrera (Photo: Bill Denver, EQUI-PHOTO, INV)

By Chris Robinson

WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev recently made an appearance at Monmouth Park on Sunday, July 29, as he took place in the betfair.com Haskell Invitational. Kovalev faces off with unbeaten contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Aug. 4 at the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel in Atlantic City in a bout that will air on HBO’s World Championship Boxing.

Kovalev visited the Monmouth Park Sports Book by William Hill and met with various jockeys and trainers before appearing in the winner’s circle. Monmouth Park will be offering wagering in regards to the final outcome of the Kovalev vs. Alvarez match, as well as the undercard matches, in their Sports Book. The evening’s co-main event will see WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba.
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PHOTOS: Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia Come Face to Face At Press Conference Ahead of Sep. 8 Bout

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Angel Garcia, Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, and Kenny Porter at Monday’s presser (Photo: Amanda Westcott – SHOWTIME)

By Chris Robinson

On Monday afternoon, inside of the Dream Hotel in Downtown Manhattan, former world champions Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter came face to face ahead of their big Sep. 8 showdown. The Porter vs. Garcia clash will take place from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and will be aired on SHOWTIME, with the vacant WBC welterweight title at stake.

After coming face to face at the presser, and exchanging a few words with one another, the two men appear ready to go, as they will be heading back to their respective training camps for the time being. For Garcia (34-1, 20’s), who is coming off of a ninth round knockout over Brandon Rios in February, he’s eager to get back in the ring and show who’s boss.
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PHOTOS: Mikey Garcia (135) vs. Robert Easter Jr. (134.5) Official Weigh-In From Los Angeles

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Robert Easter Jr. Faces Mikey Garcia on Saturday Night (Photo: Scott Hirano – SHOWTIME)

By Chris Robinson

On Friday afternoon, WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia came face to face with IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. at the weigh-in ahead of their unification showdown. Garcia (38-0, 30 KO’s) faces Easter (21-0, 14 KO’s) on Saturday night from the Staples Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions telecast that will air on SHOWTIME.

As the two men stared one another down, Easter seemed far more animated while Garcia was stone-faced.
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PHOTOS: Jaime Munguia Drops And Defeats Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith Over 12 Rounds

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Jaime Munguia Got The Better of Liam Smith on Saturday (Photo: Tom Hogan – Golden Boy Promotions)

By Chris Robinson

On Saturday night, July 21, WBO junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia (30-0, 25 KO’s) defeated a very game Liam “Beefy” Smith (26-2-1, 14 KO’s) over 12 fast-paced rounds that left many asking for more. The Munguia vs. Smith fight took place from The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., and was aired on HBO ‘s Boxing After Dark.

The match revealed a lot about Munguia, who captured the attention of the boxing world just months prior after stopping Sadam Ali in rousing fashion to become a champion. The Tijuana, Mex. native won by scores of 119-108, 119-110, and 116-111 when cards were read. Munguia wasn’t able to secure the knockout many were expecting, yet he was able to register a knockdown in the sixth round while also landing several big blows along the way.
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Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freier and Daniel Weichel Rematch Goes Down Saturday Night at Bellator 203 in Rome

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Patricio “Pitbull” Freier faces Daniel Weichel on Saturday night at Bellator 203 (Photo: Bellator – Lucas Noonan)

By Chris Robinson

Bellator 203: Pitbull vs Weichel 2 takes place this Saturday night, July 14, from Forco Italico in Rome, Italy and the main event is one not to miss. Featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (26-4) will be taking on Daniel Weichel (39-9) for a second time in a rematch that will surely settle some kind of score.

All one has to do is take a look back and their first fight to get a sense of how much drama was in the air as they squared off in St. Louis, Missouri in June of 2015. Weichel was filling in for an injured Georgi Karakhanyan and fought very well in the first round. I rewatched the fight earlier tonight and was impressed by how much skill was on display from each man.
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PHOTOS: Mikey Garcia Media Day Ahead of July 28 Unification vs. Robert Easter Jr.

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Mikey Garcia (Photo: Esther Lin – SHOWTIME)

By Chris Robinson

On Tuesday afternoon, WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia worked out for the media inside of the Fortune Gym in Los Angeles ahead of his July 28 bout vs. IBF champion Robert Easter Jr. Garcia (38-0, 30 KO’s) faces Easter (21-0, 14 KO’s) inside of the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions telecast that will air live on SHOWTIME.

Garcia lives in nearby Riverside and is happy to be fighting so close to home.
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Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez Part II: Will The Rematch Be Worth The Wait?

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Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin will meet again (Photo: HoganPhotos)

By Chris Robinson

By now, it’s been well documented to everyone the kind of ride Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin have put us through these past few months. From Canelo Alvarez initially failing a pre-fight drug test that ended up leading to the cancellation of their May rematch, to the back-and-forth war of words between the two camps, and eventually the promising news that we will be seeing the two men face off again in Sep., there has been a lot to take in.

But Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin part two is officially on its way, as the rematch is set for Sep. 15 inside of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., with HBO pay per view once again airing the contest. The two men fought to a controversial split-draw verdict after 12 rounds of action and people were speculating as to whether a rematch was going to actually take place.
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VIDEO: TMT’s Lanell Bellows Talks 7/21 Return in Memphis And Life at The Mayweather Boxing Club

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Lanell Bellows at BB Films Studio in Las Vegas (Photo: Hustle Boss)

By Chris Robinson

If you are a fighter, one of the most important things you can focus on is your activity in the ring. For Mayweather Promotions’ own Lanell Bellows, he is eager to get back in the ring next month, as he will be fighting July 21 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s a quick turnaround for Bellows (17-2-2, 10 KO’s), a super middleweight with a mean punch and a tireless work ethic; he fought this past May 12 inside of Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, settling for a technical draw with Naim Terbunja after a clash of heads caused a head cut that prematurely ended their matchup.

With another fight lined up, we were able to speak with Bellows about a lot of things going on in his life and career, including his ring return, how training at the Mayweather Boxing Club has been, how his children help inspire him, and much more.
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PHOTOS: Errol Spence Jr. Demolishes Carlos Ocampo In One Round in Frisco, TX

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Errol Spence Jr. was dominant again on Saturday night (Photo: Stacey Verbeek)

By Chris Robinson

On Saturday night, inside of the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Tex., undefeated IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. retained his title with a viscous and dominating 1st round knockout over mandatory challenger Carlos Ocampo. Spence (24-0, 21 KO’s) was heavily favored heading into the match for good reason vs. Ocampo (22-1, 13 KO’s), who he had little trouble dealing with.

Towards the end of the first round, Spence pinned Ocampo against the ropes and unloaded a series of punches, the last being a body shot that sent his overmatched foe to the ground for the count. And, just like that, Spence again delivered a star-turning performance.
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Jose Benavidez Knocks Out Frank Rojas In One Round; Terence Crawford Next?

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Jose Benavidez Returned With a Win on Saturday Night (Photo: Top Rank Boxing)

By Chris Robinson

Earlier tonight, inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., former world champion Jose Benavidez Jr. needed just one minute and 24 seconds to knock out previously undefeated Frank Rojas on the Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn undercard.

Benavidez landed a big right hand and followed it up with a short shot to the liver that had Rojas down and out before their scheduled 10-round match could get rolling. Referee Vic Drakulich wisely waved the contest off.
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Referee Robert Byrd to Officiate Terence Crawford’s Challenge of WBO Welterweight Champion Jeff Horn This Weekend

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Robert Byrd will referee the Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn Fight This Saturday (Photo: Premier Boxing Champions)

By Chris Robinson

It’s fight week in Las Vegas, as undefeated, two-division world champion Terence Crawford will be moving up in weight to challenge Jeff Horn for his WBO welterweight title. The Crawford vs. Horn match will take place from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be aired on the ESPN + App starting at 9:30 p.m./ET.

The third man in the ring for the Crawford vs. Horn duel will be longtime Vegas referee Robert Byrd. Byrd’s most recent fights that he has officiated have been James DeGale’s victory over Caleb Truax in their rematch at the Hard Rock on April 17, and a recent Mayweather Promotions’ show, where he worked the fights of LaDarius Miller and Maurice Lee in separate bouts.
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Abner Mares on Leo Santa Cruz Rematch: ‘I’m Locked in And Ready to Put On a Great Show For The Fans of Los Angeles’

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Abner Mares (Photo: Mares Enterprises/Eder Mercado)

By Chris Robinson

Four-time world champion Abner Mares is inching closer to his June 9 rematch with three-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz, who he meets inside of the Staples Center in a fight that will be aired by SHOWTIME. On Thursday afternoon, Mares could be found inside of Dodgers Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of Viva Los Dodgers.

Mares (31-2-1, 15 KO’s) appreciates being around the public so close to his fight date, which he insists he will be ready for. Santa Cruz defeated Mares via majority decision in August of 2015 in a fast-paced fight and the rematch is something Mares has always wanted.
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Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney Continues to Move Career Forward After TKO Over Mason Menard

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Devin Haney defeated Mason Menard on May 11 (Photo: Stephane Trapp – SHOWTIME)

By Chris Robinson

It was hard for me to not take serious notice when young Devin Haney made his professional debut in December of 2015. A top amateur fighting out of Las Vegas in 2010, I recall being introduced to Haney by Zab Judah inside of the then-H.I.T. Factory Gym. Judah, the former two-division world champion from Brooklyn, insisted that I interview Haney that summer day.

Haney was just 10 years old at the time, but you just got the sense that he was working with something special, even back then. Haney’s demeanor was very low key and he always seemed to be doing more talking inside of the ring than out. It was refreshing to see someone so young and talented yet still grounded.
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