Janibek Alimkhanuly stopped Vincenzo Gualtieri in round six to retain his WBO and win the IBF Middleweight title at the Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas.

Alimkhanuly hurt Gualtieri in round five with a devastating left uppercut. In round six, it was another uppercut that hurt Gualtieri that made him stumble to the corner and the fight was stopped at 1:25.

Alimkhanuly, 159.3 lbs of Kazakhstan is 15-0 with 10 knockouts. Gualtieri, 159.5 lbs of Germany is 21-1-1.

Janibek said, “This is my style of fighting. This is Qazaq style, and this is what I will continue to do.
 
“We knew from the beginning that he wasn’t going to fight back. He was waiting because he thought I was going to get tired. But I didn’t get tired.
 
“We would like to add another two belts to this collection. We hope that our promoter Top Rank can organize that.”
 
Gualtieri said, “Congratulations to Janibek. He was better tonight. But I think it was a little bit early to end the fight. But he was better today.

Keyshawn Davis won a 10-round majority decision over Nahir Albright in a lightweight bout.

Davis landed 139 of 331 punches. Albright was 92 of 425.

Davis, 135 lbs of Norfolk, VA won by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95 and is now 10-0. Albright, 134.9 lbs of Sicklerville, NJ is 16-3.

Davis said, “I had it as a win for me. That’s all that matters. He was a tough fighter. And this fight today gave me some good experience. I was feeling good. I was just boxing. I was just having fun and doing what I want to do.
 
“I just want to show that I belong at the top of the 135-pound division. I’m working my way up there. If Jose Pedraza is willing to take a fight with me, then let’s do it.”

Richard Torrez Jr. remained perfect by stopping Tyrell Anthony Herndon in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Torrez dropped Herndon with a hard 1-2 combination. Torrez jumped all over Herndon and landed an assault and the fight was stopped when Herndon turned his back at 1:26.

Torrez, 233.1 lbs of Talure, CA is 7-0 with seven knockouts. Herndon, 234.8 lbs of San Antonio is 21-5.

Torrez said, “This is a process. Top Rank has the best matchmakers, and I fight whoever they put in front of me. If they say I’m ready to fight eight-rounders next, I’ll be ready.
 
“I’m not expecting knockouts. When I don’t expect them, that’s when they happen. It’s a Catch 22. If I expect the knockouts, then they don’t happen. I just want to show my boxing ability, and I got two rounds in this time. I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Guido Vianello won an eight-round unanimous decision over Curtis Harper in a heavyweight bout.

Vianello, 241.3 lbs of Rome, ITA won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 11-1-1. Harper, 275.5 lbs of Clarksville, TN is

Giovanni Marquez remained undefeated with a second-round stoppage over Donte Strayhorn in a scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout.

In round two, Marquez dropped Staryhorn with two right uppercuts. Seconds later, it was a vicious four punch combination that was punctuated by a left hook that put Strayhorn on the deck. Marquez ended things by landing seven unanswered punches that finished the fight at 2:47.

Marquez, 141.3 lbs of Houston, TX is 7-0 with five knockouts. Strayhorn, 140.2 lbs of Dallas, TX is 12-5-1.

Duke Ragan got off the deck to win a eight-round split-decision over Jose Perez in a featherweight bout.

In round five, Pere landed a big left hook that dropped Ragan. Ragan was cut on his right cheekbone. In round seven, Perez was cut over his right eye.

Ragan, 125.3 lbs of Cincinatti, OH was coming off a year layoff, and won by scores of 76-75 twice, while Perez took a card 76-75.

Ragan is now 10-0. Perez, 126.4 lbs of Oak Hill, CA is 11-2-2.

Kelvin Davis remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Narcisco Carmona in a junior welterweight. fight.

Davis, 142 lbs. of Norfolk, VA won by scores of 80-72, 79=73 and 77-75 and is now 10-0. Carmona, 142.6 lbs of Servilla, SPA is 11-2-1.

Alan Garcia remained with a six-round unanimous decision over Nelson Hampton in a junior welterweight fight.

Garcia, 137.8 lbs of Ulysses, KN won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 10-0. Hampton, 137.3 lbs of McAllen, TX is 10-8.

Oscar Bravo and Humberto Galindo fought to a eight-round majority draw in a junior lightweight fight.

In round three, Galindo was deducted a point for a low blow. In round four, Bravo was deducted a point for holding.

Scores were 76-74 for Galindo and 75-75 twice.

Bravo, 130.8 lbs of Sabtiago, CHL is 25-13-1. Gallindo, 131.7 lbs of Tijuan, MEX is 14-3-2.

Jakhungir Zokirov made a successful pro debut with a fourth-round stoppage over Guillermo Del Rio in the final scheduled round of their heavyweight bout.

In round one, Zokirov dropped Del Rio with a left hand.

In round four, Zokirov dropped Del Rio Again with another straight left and the fight was stopped at 39 seconds.

Zokirov, 263.5 lbs of Uzbekistan is 1-0 with one knockout. Del Rio, 217.1 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 4-5-1.

NEW YORK (October 14, 2023) -TONIGHT Undefeated junior welterweight Giovanni Marquez takes on veteran Donte Strayhorn at The Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas.

Marquez, who is managed by Split-T Management, will be fighting in Rosenberg, which is just about 45 minutes from his Houston home. The 22-year-old National Golden Gloves winner, Marquez has a record of 6-0 with four knockouts. Marquez turned professional with a win over undefeated Nelson Morales and is coming off a second-round stoppage over Nicky Vittone on August 11th in Atlanta.

Strayhorn of Las Vegas is 12-4-1 with four knockouts. The 32-year-old is coming off an eight-round draw with undefeated Benjamin Gurment (8-0-2) on July 1st in Mesquite, Texas.

The fight will be streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 5:55 ET.

Marquez weighed 141.3 lbs. Strayhorn was 140.2 lbs.

LAS VEGAS – Father Time came knocking Saturday night. He looked a lot like Yordenis Ugas.

Manny Pacquaio couldn’t stop him.

Pacquiao, still a timeless legend, finally ran into that inevitable moment. The clock said it’s time to move on, time to do something else. Maybe a campaign for the Filipino presidency will be his next fight. Maybe he can go on to be a 43-year-old President. Then, he would be a young man all over again. But at 42, he’s old and finished as a fighter.

There are no more opening bells left on his calendar. Just another birthday in December. Pacquiao would not say what he plans to do next. But he didn’t have to.

Ugas punches told him again and again throughout 12 rounds.  Nearly every round included signs that Pacquiao’s days as a fighter are over. Ugas scored a unanimous decision, 115-113 on one card and 116-112 on two.

Ugas’ power moved Pacquiao backwards and sideways. At times, he looked awkward in trying to stay away from the Cuban, who was a late stand-in for the younger, stronger Errol Spence Jr. Mostly, the Filipino Senator looked stationary, a target for Ugas, a welterweight who is a step or down the welterweight ladder from Spence and Terence Crawford.

“My legs were tired,’’ Pacquiao (62-8-2, 31 KOs) said after his first fight in 25 months. “I just couldn’t move.’’   

It didn’t take long to see that Pacquiao has only moved into middle age.

“Manny, Manny, Manny.” The chants were from a crowd that remembered a younger man. They started long before opening bell. They echoed through the jammed T-Mobile Arena, loud enough to be heard on the Vegas’ strip and maybe on the streets of Manila.

In the first round, Pacquaio predictably pursued early, backing up the bigger, broad-shouldered Ugas. There was some immediate uncertainty evident in Ugas body language. Pacquiao’s foot speed and punching angles have bewildered just about everyone he has faced for more than two decades. Initially, it looked as if Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) would be just another confused face. Pacquiao has seen a lot of them. Beaten most of them.

Near the end of those first three minutes, however, Ugas landed a big body shot. For a split second, it was almost like flipping as switch. Pacquiao froze. Those feet, ever fleet for so long, suddenly quit moving. Ugas a sent message, to both Pacquiao and himself. Pacquiao knew Ugas had the power to hurt him. Suddenly, Ugas was emboldened, knowing his size and strength were enough to offset Pacquiao’s diminished skillset.

For the rest of the bout, Pacquiao seemed to fight in desperate spurts. He’d rock Ugas, but never really hurt him. Ugas would respond, always countering with a big jab or an overhand right. Increasingly, the Cuban knew it was his fight. He’d smile at Pacquiao as if to say the fight and the 147-pound belt belonged to him.

“Most of all, I want to thank Manny Pacquiao,’’ Ugas said through a translator. “I want to thank him for what he has given me.’’

A gift from Father Time.

Guerrero scores dull decision over Victor Ortiz

It was a fight between ex-champions. Victor Ortiz-versus-Robert Guerrero might have worked Triller. But on a traditional boxing card featuring Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas, it just didn’t work.

There were boos throughout the 10 rounds.

There were cheers, but only in the end

Guerrero (37-6-1, 20 KOs) won, scoring a unanimous decision over Ortiz (32-7-3, 25 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena. In what looked to be a capacity crowd waiting for Pacquiao-Ugas, it was also unanimous, unanimously happy that it was finally over.

Mark Magsayo scores 10th-round KO

Call it a double down, two right hands that put Atizapan de Zaragosa onto the canvas and kept him there for a couple of scary moments in a devastating 10th-round knockout in a World Boxing Council featherweight eliminator Saturday on the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas card at T-Mobile.

Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs), a Filipino who had Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach in his corner, ended any chance of an upset on the cards. Zaragosa (32-5-1, 28 KOs), of Mexico, surprised Magsayo, knocking him down in the fifth. In the end, however, Magsayo’s power said it once. Said it again. Said it all.  

Carlos Castro delivers dramatic KO of Escandon

In the first round, he survived. In the middle rounds, he had to be stubborn. Then, he had to be resilient. Then, he was sensational.

Phoenix featherweight Carlos Castro (27-0, 12 KOs)did it all Saturday night in his first pay-per-view appearance on the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas undercard at T-Mobile Arena.. First, he endured a bug punch. Then, he recovered.

Then, he won by knockout with a whirlwind of punches that left former contender Oscar Escandon exhausted, dazed and beaten.

At 1:08 of the 10th, it was official: Castro  was the KO winner and a proven contender at 126 pounds. 

Escandon (26-6, 18 KOs) rocked Castro in the closing seconds of the opening round. Then, it looked as if Castro was in for a long night. But he regained his footing and his wits. Then in a wild seventh, he gained momentum and kept it with a long jab and slick skillset. Escandon looked confused. He lunged and missed with a punch that sent him crashing onto the canvas like a kid doing a belly flop.

In the final round, Castro pursued and delivered a whirlwind-like finish with a beautiful succession of punches for a defining victory, the biggest thus far in his emerging career. 

-Mexican featherweight Angel Contreras (11-4-2, 6 KOs) upset any chance that John Dato (14-1-1, 9 KOs) might warm up the ring for fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao in the final fight before the pay-per-view telecast for the Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas card. Contrerras beat Dato, handing him his first loss and flooring the Filipino in the third-round of an eight-round  unanimous decision.  

California lightweight Mikel Clements (1-0) leaped into his pro debut on a major card, lunging to land punches through four head-rocking rounds for a unanimous decision over Eliseo Villalobos (1-2) of Simi Valley, CA.

The Pacquiao-Ugas undercard resumed after a long break following the tripleheader beginning like a guy waking up from a nap. It was a yawner. Super-middleweights Burley Brooks (6-2-1, 5 KOs) of Dallas and Cameron Rivera (9-6-4 of Fife, WA fought to a dull draw. Neither could gain an edge or even momentum in the six-rounder. 

The Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas card started with a triple-header, an afternoon matinee, before the fans were allowed into T-Mobile Arena Saturday.

Behind closed doors and in front of empty seats, Mexican lightweight Jose Valenzuela (9-0, 6 KOs), drawing first blood in a one-sided assault for a fourth-round TKO of Donte Strayhorn (12-4, 4 KOs) of Cinicinnati.

In the second bout, power-forward-sized heavyweight prospect Steve Torres (5-0, 5 KOs) of Reading, PA, landed early and often, scoring a first-round TKO of Justin Rolfe (6-3-1, 4 KOs) of Fairfield, ME.

In the third bout, Detroit lightweight Frank Martin (14-0, 10 KOs) outscored, outpunched and overwhelmed Ryan Kielczweski (30-6, 11 KOs) enroute to a unanimous decision over the fighter from Quincy, MA.