Team Combat League Tryouts Take Place in Las Vegas, starting this Thursday, Oct. 6
By Chris Robinson
Dewey Cooper has been a very busy trainer in recent weeks, whether working out of his personal gym on the east side of Las Vegas or meeting up with his fighters at other locations within the city.
Speaking recently from within the hybrid Split-T Boxing/One Kick’s Gym, Cooper informed us of a new professional fighter’s league that he will be playing a big part in.
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Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
On Thursday afternoon, former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder hosted the media at the UFC Apex Gym in Las Vegas ahead of his latest ring appearance, vs. Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius.
The Wilder vs. Helenius bout will be a heavyweight title eliminator, set to air on FOX Sports pay per view, from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Wilder is returning from his riveting bout with Tyson Fury late last year, the third in their memorable trilogy.
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Bubba Jenkins finished training camp last week in Las Vegas (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
This Saturday night, Aug. 20, PFL veteran Bubba Jenkins returns to the ring to face off with Tokyo’s Ryoji Kudo in a featherweight semifinal showdown. The Jenkins (18-5) vs. Kudo (11-3-1) showdown will air on ESPN and ESPN + as part of a 13-bout card from the Copper Box Arena in London.
We caught up with Jenkins and trainer Dewey Cooper out in Las Vegas, NV, as they put the finishing touches on camp inside of the newly renovated Split-T Boxing Gym.
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Teofimo Lopez stopped Pedro Campa on Saturday (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
This past Saturday night, in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,553 at Resorts World Las Vegas, former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez made a successful junior welterweight debut.
Lopez (17-1, 13 KO’s) stopped Mexico’s Pedro Campa (34-2-1, 23 KO’s) in the seventh round, despite a bit of a slow start. Lopez was returning from his only setback as a professional, when he lost his lightweight titles to George Kambosos Jr. over 12 fast-paced rounds this past November.
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Dewey Cooper working with Javid Basharat and Timmy Cuamba (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
We recently swung by Split-T Boxing in Las Vegas, NV, to catch up with former multi-sport champion and current day trainer Dewey “Black Kobra” Cooper.
During his fighting days, Cooper competed in Kickboxing, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and you can always count on Cooper training a bevy of talented athletes across different genres of sports.
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Lanardo Tyner and Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
When looking back at the career of Lanardo Tyner, you have to appreciate all of the fighters he fearlessly faced in the ring, and all the great work that he gave some top level prospects and champions along the way.
Tyner compiled a 35-16-2 record with 22 knockouts during his 15 years as a fighter, but that ledger doesn’t speak to just how resilient, durable, and gritty Tyner was. Tyner scored some notable victories, including entertaining stoppages over Charles Hatley and Antwone Smith. Tyner also gave good accounts in losing efforts vs. the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Mike Arnaoutis, and Lamont Peterson.
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Errol Spence Jr. (left) and Yordenis Ugas face off on Saturday night in Arlington, TX (Photo: Amanda Westcott – SHOWTIME)
By Chris Robinson
Later tonight, from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBA champion Yordenis Ugas will face off in a unification showdown set to be aired on SHOWTIME pay per view.
At Friday’s weigh-in, Spence (27-0, 21 KO’s) came in weighing 146.5 pounds while Ugas (27-4, 21 KO’s) hit the scales at 146.75 pounds. Both men appear to be in tremendous shape and this should figure to be a fast-paced, high-level action fight.
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Yordenis Ugas trains for Errol Spence Jr. (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas recently hosted a media workout in Las Vegas, NV ahead of his April 16 clash vs. IBF/WBC champion Errol Spence Jr. The two men will face off inside of the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, in a Premier Boxing Champions event set to be aired on SHOWTIME pay per view.
Ugas is preparing for the Spence clash inside of the Salas Boxing Academy in Las Vegas, NV, with trainer Ismael Salas. The pair have had a great run of success, which has included Ugas (27-4, 12 KO’s) going on a very formidable streak over the past five years that has seen him defeat a bevy of undefeated fighters, while also challenging some of the division’s biggest names.
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Keith Thurman defeated Mario Barrios earlier this month (Photo: Ryan Hafey – Premier Boxing Champions)
By Chris Robinson
No matter how you cut it, it’s always great having someone like Keith Thurman around the sport of boxing.
Thurman (30-1, 22 KO’s) is quite the enigma. I recall the Clearwater, FL native making some noise back in the Tampa area in the late 2000’s, and that buzz carried over as Thurman began piling up wins, fighting more and more outside of his home state, and marching up boxing’s ladder.
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Omar Juarez and Abram Martinez sparring in Las Vegas (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
Fast-paced sparring between Abram Martinez and Omar Juarez inside of the Salas Boxing Academy in Las Vegas, NV earlier this week.
Martinez (9-0-1, 7 KO’s) is scheduled for a January 28 return against Orestes Velazquez at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah, FL. Fans can remember his entertaining, back-and-forth fight with fellow undefeated Luis Arcon last year in Los Angeles.
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Gervonta Davis defeated Isaac Cruz on Sunday night (Photo: Esther Lin – SHOWTIME)
By Chris Robinson
On Sunday night, Dec. 5, WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis was faced with a stiff test in the form of once-beaten contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. Davis emerged victorious after 12 fast-paced rounds in front of a sold-out, star-studded crowd inside of the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Scorecards read 116-112 and two scores of 115-113, all for Davis. Cruz came out the gates and set a fast pace that Davis happily obliged. There were several moments of intense action, with much of the fight being a physical battle.
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Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa went to war on Saturday (Photo: Esther Lin – SHOWTIME)
By Chris Robinson
This past Saturday night, from Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, NV, Stephen Fulton narrowly defeated fellow champion Brandon Figueroa via hotly contested split decision. The fight air lived on SHOWTIME as the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions telecast.
Fulton (20-0, 8 KO’s) and Figueroa (22-1-1, 17 KO’s) put on a memorable display over 12 rounds, throwing over 1,700 punches according to CompuBox. Scores of 116-112 twice and 114-114 saw Fulton, from Philadelphia, capture the victory to add the WBC junior featherweight title next to the WBO title he won in his previous contest.
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Terence Crawford stopped Shawn Porter in the 10th round on Saturday night (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank/Getty)
By Chris Robinson
This past Saturday night, inside of the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV, we saw Terence Crawford perform under his biggest stage against his most accomplished opponent to date in Shawn Porter.
And Crawford definitely delivered, ultimately scoring a 10th round TKO victory, but nothing came easy on this night. With the win, Crawford (38-0, 29 KO’s) also scored a fifth successful defense of this WBO welterweight title, yet Porter (31-4-1, 17 KO’s) also has much to hold his head high about after another valiant effort vs. another elite fighter.
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Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant facing off on Friday at their weigh-in (Photo: Amanda Westcott – SHOWTIME)
By Chris Robinson
Later tonight, WBA/WBC/WBO super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and IBF champion Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant will meet inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in a historic unification showdown. SHOWTIME pay per view will televise the Premier Boxing Champions event.
Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KO’s) came in at 168 pounds, while Plant (21-0, 12 KO’s) came in weighing 167. Both men appear to be in tremendous physical shape and this figures to be a real tactical, intense affair.
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Tyson Fury in Las Vegas (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury returns to the ring this weekend in Las Vegas, where he will settle a long-running rivalry with former champion Deontay Wilder.
Fury (31-0-1, 21 KO’s) will meet Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KO’s) inside of the T-Mobile Arena in a joint ESPN/FOX pay per view venture that will surely shake up the division once again. The two men fought to a hotly-contested split-draw in December of 2018 in Los Angeles, as Wilder scored two knockdowns but appeared to be outboxed much of the fight. The rematch saw Fury score two knockdowns and register a commanding seventh-round TKO victory.
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Dewey Cooper training UFC star Kevin Lee inside of the Big Scary Gym in Henderson, NV (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
We have been hearing for some months now about the Big Scary Gym in Henderson, NV, largely due to former multi-sport fighter and current day trainer Dewey Cooper.
Cooper was as active as one can be during his fighting days, as he competed in boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts over the years. Some of Cooper’s fighting highlights included winning the WKC heavyweight and WKF cruiserweight titles, and becoming a fixture on the popular K-1 circuit.
Cooper’s transition into being a trainer has seemed to come quite naturally, and he has a lot of spirit and vigor that he brings when guiding his pupils in the gym.
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Manny Pacquio and Yordenis Ugas facing off in Las Vegas (Photo: Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions)
By Chris Robinson
Later tonight, inside of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas will headline a FOX pay per view event.
Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KO’s) was originally slated to face Errol Spence Jr., only to see the fight slip away after the Dallas native and reigning IBF/WBC welterweight champion suffered a torn retina eleven days before the August 21 target date. Ugas (26-4, 12 KO’s) is not your oridinary replacement, however, and holds wins over Omar Figueroa Jr., Abel Ramos, Jamal James, and Bryant Perrella, while also arguably winning his March 2019 battle with Shawn Porter (Ugas lost a split-decision).
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Keith Thurman speaking in Las Vegas (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
There isn’t much not to like with former world champion Keith Thurman.
Thurman, the former holder of the WBA and WBC welterweight titles, has yet to step back inside of the ring since suffering his first career loss in July of 2019 in Las Vegas. In that contest, Thurman faced off with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, and was dropped in the first round and fell behind early. Thurman rallied late, but lost on the cards after 12 spirited and competitive rounds.
Later tonight, Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KO’s) will face off with WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 KO’s) inside of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Thurman knows all too well what Ugas is up against and has a very unique perspective of what to expect when the bell rings for round one.
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Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Fight Week has hit Las Vegas (Photo: Hustle Boss)
By Chris Robinson
This weekend, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KO’s) faces off with WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 KO’s) in a FOX pay per view attraction.
Ugas, the decorated Cuban amateur who has been on a great run as a professional, accepted the fight on an eleven-day notice, filling in for an injured Errol Spence Jr., as the IBF/WBC champion from Dallas was the original dance partner for Manny. Spence suffered a torn retina in training and is taking the steps towards his recovery as he now watches momentarily from the sidelines.
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