Naoya Inoue and Jason Maloney face off (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Naoya “Monster” Inoue, the three-weight world champion from Japan, will defend his IBF and WBA bantamweight world titles against Australia’s Jason Moloney. The fight will air on ESPN+, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
This will be Inoue’s first bout since his 2019 Fight of the Year victory last November against Nonito Donaire.
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Joe Smith Jr. scored a big victory over Eleider Alvarez this past weekend (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
Joe “The Beast” Smith Jr. once again delivered an emphatic victory this past weekend in knocking out former champion Eleider Alvarez in the ninth round on Saturday night.
Smith (26-3, 21 KO’s) and Alvarez (25-2 13 KO’s) were fighting in a WBO light heavyweight world title eliminator.
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Isaac Dogboe is back in the win column (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
Tuesday night was big for former WBO junior featherweight champion Isaac Dogboe.
Dogboe stopped Chris Avalos via eighth-round TKO inside of the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, NV, in a featherweight contest aired on ESPN. It was a workmanlike performance for the Accra, Ghana fighter, as he improves his record to 21-2 (15 KO’s) while Avalos falls to 27-8 (20 KO’s).
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Tyson Fury defeated Deontay Wilder in convincing fashion on Saturday night (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury defeated Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder by seventh-round stoppage on Saturday night in Las Vegas in a big shocker. Fury (30-0-1, 21 KO’s) handled Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KO’s) very convincingly over seven one-sided rounds in a historic FOX/ESPN joint pay per view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Fury and Wilder had fought to a draw in December of 2018, with Wilder registering two knockdowns, but the rematch was completely different. Fury set the tone of the fight early, took the fight to Wilder, and scored two knockdowns of his own before Wilder’s corner threw in the towel in the seventh.
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Jesse Hart will face Gilberto Ramirez in a rematch this Saturday night (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
This Friday night, inside of the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX, once-beaten supermiddleweight contender Jesse “Hollywood” Hart will look for revenge vs. the division’s WBO champion, Gilberto “Zuro” Ramirez.
In September of last year, Ramirez (38-0, 25 KO’s) dropped Hart in the first round and went on to win a unanimous decision despite the Philadelphia fighter storming back to make things competitive. Hart knows he is likely going to need a career-defining performance to turn the tables and that’s what he is banking on.
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Gilberto Ramirez Faces Jesse Hart on Saturday night in a rematch (Photo: Mikey Williams)
By Chris Robinson
This coming Friday night, Dec. 14, from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX, WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will face off with contender Jesse “Hollywood” Hart (25-1, 21 KO’s) on ESPN+. The fight is a rematch of their Sep. 2017 battle in which Ramirez won via unanimous decision.
Ramirez (38-0, 25 KOs) is looking for a fifth successful defense of his title and is promising a knockout vs. his rival.
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Terence Crawford (R) and Jose Benavidez Jr. went at it this past Saturday night (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
There was a lot to take in during my visit to Omaha, NE this past weekend. In the main event inside of the CHI Health Center, we witnessed one of the sport’s top fighters, WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, overcome a spirited effort from Jose Benavidez Jr. before stopping him in the 12th round on ESPN’s airwaves.
Crawford (34-0, 25 KO’s) had some tough moments during the first half of the fight against Benavidez (27-0, 18 KO’s), but he stay composed and changed the momentum of the fight following round six. Crawford began to counter Benavidez much easier, and a big uppercut from the 31-year old champion registered the fight’s only knockdown in the 12th. Crawford jumped on Benavidez moments later, hammering him accurate shots, and the fight was waived off.
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Jessie Magdaleno following his second-round TKO over Adeilos Dos Santos (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
I remember seeing Jessie Magdaleno when he was still just an amateur, and even back then it was easy to spot his potential as a future prizefighter.
Fast forward to Saturday, April 22, and Magdaleno continues to settle into his status as a reigning champion following a second-round TKO victory over challenger Adeilson Dos Santos in Carson, Calif. that saw him successfully defend his WBO junior featherweight title for the first time.
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Vasyl Lomachenko was too much former champion Jason Sosa on Saturday night (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
On Saturday night, WBO junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko successfully defended his WBO junior lightweight title with a 9th round TKO over former champion Jason Sosa.
Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KO’s), who defeated his third former champion in a row, was a little too much for Sosa (20-2-4, 15 KO’s), who never stopped trying despite being outmatched. Following the ninth round, Sosa’s corner wisely elected to halt the action in the face of Lomachenko’s dominance.
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Manny Pacquiao overcame a spirited effort from Jessie Vargas (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
As expected, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao defeated Jessie Vargas this past Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nev.
Inside of the Thomas & Mack Center, Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KO’s) was sharp, strong, and efficient throughout the fight, while Vargas, (27-2, 10 KO’s) lost no stock at all in defeat, showing true grit and determination in the face of his more experienced foe.
Pacquiao, 37, picks up the WBO welterweight title for a third time with the win and speculation about a rematch with Floyd Mayweather has begun. Check below for a closer look at the action.
Photos courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com
Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas face off on Saturday night in Las Vegas (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
On Wednesday afternoon, inside of the Margaux Ballroom at the Wynn Las Vegas, the final press conference was held for this weekend’s Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas pay per view event.
Vargas (27-1, 10 KO’s) will defend his WBO welterweight belt against Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KO’s) from the Thomas & Mack Center in a fight that he is considered a 7-1 underdog.
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Manny Pacquiao training in Los Angeles ahead of his Nov. 5 bout in Las Vegas vs. Jessie Vargas (Photo: Mikey Williams)
By Chris Robinson
We are a little over a week away from the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas showdown.
Set for Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev., Vargas (27-1, 10 KO’s) will defend his WBO welterweight title against Pacquiao (56-8-2, 38 KO’s), an eight-division titlist over his legendary career.
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Terence Crawford defeated Viktor Postol on Saturday night (Photo: Mikey Williams)
By Chris Robinson
On Saturday night, July 23, WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford (29-0, 20 KO’s) won a clear unanimous decision over former WBC champion Viktor Postol (28-1, 12 KO’s) to capture the aforementioned belt.
Crawford dropped Postol twice in the fifth and controlled the majority of the rounds. The Omaha native was poised with his attack and his movement threw Postol off of his game.
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Terence Crawford faces Viktor Postol on Saturday night in a junior welterweight unification (Photo: Mikey Williams – Top Rank)
By Chris Robinson
On Monday, July 18, WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford hosted the media inside of the Fortune Gym in Los Angeles, Calif.
Crawford (28-0, 20 KO’s) faces off with WBC champion Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KO’s) on Saturday night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev. in a unification matchup that will be televised by HBO.
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