In a battle of former world champions, Jesus Ramirez won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jose Pedraza in a junior welterweight bout at The Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

It was a tactical fight with Ramirez looking to push forward, while Pedraza was getting in good work while working off the back foot and countering. In round, nine, the right eye of Pedraza began to swell.

Ramirez landed 133 of 554 punches; Pedraza was 110 of 586.

Ramirez, 139.8 lbs of Avenal, CA won by scores of 116-112 on all cards and is now 27-1. Pedraza140 lbs of Cidra, PR is 29-4.

Ramirez said, “Jose Pedraza is a smart, experienced fighter. He was going to find a way to survive and put up a fight. He was there boxing towards the end of the fight.  My hat’s off to him and his team. He was well-prepared. It was a great fight. I got to see where I am right now.

“I’m going to go back, work and stay focused and stay active. That’s one thing that’s affected me these last couple of years. I’ve trained so many times for a little bit of fights. My inactivity, my discouragement throughout training camps, it really took a big toll on me. I’m ready to stay active and stay motivated. There’s a lot of really great fighters coming up to 140. There’s a lot of really good fighters at 140 right now.”

Torrez Jr. stops Melson in 2

2021 U.S. Olympic Silver Medal winner, Richard Torrez Jr. made a successful pro debut as he stopped Allen Melson in round two of their six-round heavyweight bout

In round one, Torrez dropped Melson in the corner with a little combination. Melson’s nose began to bleed. Torrez began to bleed badly over his left eye from a clash of heads. In round two, Torrez dropped Melson with a straight left. the fight ended when Torrez dropped Melson with a left after a furious exchange, and the fight was stopped at 1:23.

Torrez, 228.2 lbs of Tulure, CA is 1-0 with one knockout. Melson, 201.8 lbs of Alabama is 6-4.

Torrez said, “After the cut, I knew I had to get back to basics, and that’s what I did. I made sure to avoid additional head clashes, and I got the job done in the second.
 
“Sure, the cut is frustrating, but I’m not going to let it ruin the celebration. What a night. It was everything I’d hoped it would be.
 
“I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted to make a good first impression, especially in front of my home fans. They brought the energy, and I fed off the energy they gave me. The Central Valley is home, and I am proud to represent my people.”

Gonzalez stops Santisima in 9

Joet Gonzalez stopped Jeo Santisima in round nine of a scheduled 10-round featherweight bout of former world title challengers.

In round eight, Samtisima started to swell under his right eye. In round nine, Gonzalez landed a couple of right hands and the fight was stopped at 2:05.

Gonzalez, 125.8 lbs of Glendora, CA is now 25-2 with 15 knockouts. Santisima, 125.2 lbs of the Philippines is 21-4.

Gabriel Flores Jr. gutted out a 10-round majority decision over Abraham Montoya in a junior lightweight bout.

Flores looked good early, but seemed to tire in the middle rounds and started eating flush punches. Flores was better in the final frame.

Flores landed 177 of 503 punches; Montoya was 174 of 597.

Flores, 131.6 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 96-94 twice and 95-95 and is now 21-1. Montoya, 131.8 lbs of Mexicali, MEX is 20-3-1.

Hector Tanajara and Miguel Contreras fought to an eight-round split draw in a lightweight bout.

Tanajara won a card 78-84, Contreras took a card 77-75 and a third card was even at 76-76.

Tanajara, 135 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 19-1-1. Contreras, 134.2 lbs of Bakersfield, CA is 11-1-1.

Karlos Balderas stopped Aelio Medquita in round two of a scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

Seconds into the bout, Balderas landed a big right hand that sent Mesquita down for a knockdown. Towards the end of the round, it was another right that sent Mesquita to the deck for a 2nd time. In round two, Balderas landed another right sent Mesquita down and the fight was over at 38 seconds.

Balderas, 134.2 lbs of Santa Maria, CA is 12-1 with 11 knockouts. Mesquita, 131.2 lbs of Guajua, BRA is 20-7-1.

Javier Martinez remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Donte Stubbs in a middleweight bout.

In round two, Stubbs began to bleed from his nose. In round three, Stubbs dropped Martinez with a straight right.

Martinez, 161.8 lbs of Milwaukee, WI won by scores of 59-56 and 58-55 twice and is now 6-0. Stubbs, 163 lbs of Riverside, CA is 6-4.

Charlie Sheehy remained undefeated with an opening round stoppage over previously undefeated Johnny Bernal in a scheduled four-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Sheehy rocked Bernal with a hard right and followed up with another hard right that sent Bernal into the ropes for a knockdown. Sheehy hurt Bernal again with a left hook. Sheehy then landed a vicious combination that forced a referee stoppage at 2:33.

Sheehy, 134.2 lbs of Brisbane, CA is 2-0 with two knockouts. Bernal, 135 lbs of Denver, CO is 2-1.

6’9″ Antonio Mireles remained perfect as he stopped previously undefeated Brandon Hughes in round two of their scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Mireles landed a perfect jab-straight left that sent Hughes down on his face. Moments later it was another straight left that put Hughes down just before the end of the round. In round two, Mireles landed a big left hand that hurt Hughes and the fight was stopped just as Hughes hit the canvas at 1:04.

Mireles, 259.4 lbs of Des Moines, IA is 3-0 with three knockouts. Hughes, 282.4 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 2-1

Gilberto Ramirez stopped Sullivan Barrera in round four of a scheduled 12-round light heavyweight bout at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.

In round three, Ramirez dropped Barrera with a straight left to the body. In round four, it was the same exact same shot that sent Barrera down again. Ramirez ended things a few seconds later when he landed another straight left to the body that made Barrera take a step back and go to his knees and the fight was stopped at 1:34.

Ramirez, 174.6 lbs of Mazaltan. MEX is 42-0 with 28 knockouts. Barrera, 174.6 lbs of Miami is 22-4.

Diaz Decisions Fortuna; Wins Interim Lightweight Title

Joseph Diaz won the WBC Interim Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Javier Fortuna.

It was a competitive fight with both guys throwing and landing at close range. Diaz was just a little quicker in those exchanges, and was able to get the better of most of the action.

In round three, Diaz was cut around the left eye due to an accidental headbutt. In round four, Diaz was deducted a point for hitting behind the head.

Diaz landed 203 of 521 punches; Fortuna was 193 of 761.

Diaz, 134.4 lbs of South El Monte, CA won by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 and is now 32-1-1. Fortuna, 134.6 lbs of Lo Romana, DR is 36-3-1.

Estrada decisions Tsunami; Wins Light Flyweight Belt

Seneisa Estrada added the WBA Light Flyweight world title to her WBO Minimumweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Tenkai Tsunami.

Estrada was the more active fighter who landed some crisp-combinations on the aggressive no former champion.

Estrada laded 131 of 464 punches; Tsunami was 97 of 378.

Estrada, 108 lbs of East Los Angeles, CA won by scores 99-91 and 98-92 twice and is now 21-0. Tsunami, 107.2 lbs of Japan is 28-14-1.

Zepeda stops Tanajara after 6

In a fight featuring undefeated lightweights, William Zepeda stopped Hector Tanajara Jr. after round six of a schedu;ed 10-round lightweight.

Zepeda stayed on the inside and landed combination after combination and Tanajara continued to take punishment. Tanajara tried to fight back, but did not have enough behind his punches to make much of an imprint, and the fight was stopped following round six.

Zepeda, 134.2 lbs of Mexico is 23-0 with 21 knockouts. Tanajra, 135 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 19-1.

Naoko Fujioka retained the WBA Flyweight title with a majority decision over Sulem Urbina.

Fujioka, 111.8 lbs of Tokyo, JAP won by scores of 99-91, 96-94 and 95-95 and is now 19-2-1. Urbina, 112 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 12-3.

Bryan Chevelier won a 10-round unanimous decision over James Wilkins in a featherweight bout.

In round five, Wilkins started to bleed from his mouth.

In round eight, Chevalier was deducted a point for pushing the head of Wilkins down.

Chevalier, 126 lbs of Puerto Rico won by scores of 97-92, 96-93 and 95-94 and is now 16-1-1. Wilkins, 125.8 lbs of Staten Island, NY is 9-2.

In a battle of former world title challengers, Lamont Roach Jr. took out Daniel Rosas in round two of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

In round two, Roach landed a hard flurry that was finished off with a hard right to the body and Rosas went to the deck and the fight was stopped at 2:14.

Rpach, 130 lbs of Washington, DC is now 21-1-1 with nine knockouts. Rosas, 128.2 lbs of Mexico City, MEX is 21-5-1.

Miguel Gaona made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Gilberto Aguilar in a lightweight fight.

Gaona, 135 lbs of Serano, CA won by scores of 39-37 on all cards and is now 1-0. Aguilar, 134 lbs of Mexico City, MEX is 0-3.

Azat Hovhsnnisyan won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Gonzalez in a super bantamweight match.

In round three, Hovhannisyan started to swell under his right eye.

In round eight, Hovahannisyan landed a huge barrage of punches that sent Gonzalez down.

Hovhannisyan, 122 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 100-89 and 99-90 twice and is now 20-3. Gonzalez, 121.6 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 23-7-1.

Mihai Nistor was dropped twice, but was able to come back and stop Colby Madison in round two of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight slugfest

In round one, Nistor sent Madison to a knee with a body shot. At the end of the round Madison dropped Nistor with a hard right hand. In round two, Madison dropped Nistor with a big counter right. Later in the round, Nistor landed a wild overhand right that dropped Madison and the fight was stopped upon Madison getting to his feet at

Nistor, 223 lbs of Bucharest, ROM is 3-0 with three knockouts. Madison, 229.6 lbs of Baltimore, MD is 9-3-2.

In a battle of undefeated super lightweights, Starling Castillo viciously stopped Miguel Contreras in round two of a scheduled eight-round bout.

Castillo landed a nasty straight left that knocked Contreras straight out and the fight was stopped at 46 seconds.

Castillo, 135.6 lbs of San Cristobal, DR is 15-0 with 12 knockouts. Contreras, 133.4 lbs of Bakersfield, CA is 11-1.

Gregory Morales remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over former super flyweight world champion Rodrigo Guerrero in a featherweight fight.

In round three, Morales began to bleed from the nose.

Morales, 124 lbs of San Antonio, TX won by scores of 59-55 on all cards and is now 13-0. Guerrero, 123.6 lbs of Mexico City is 26-12-2.

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 27, 2021): Golden Boy is proud to announce two spectacular additions to the Zurdo vs. Barrera undercard as Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (20-0, 8 KOs) challenges Tenkai Tsunami (28-12-1, 16 KOs) for the WBO Light Flyweight Championship and Hector Tanajara Jr. (19-0, 5 KOs) faces William “El Camaron” Zepeda (22-0, 20 KOs) in a lightweight clash.

The event will take place on Friday, July 9 at Banc of California Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live on DAZN.

“When it comes to undercards, nobody does it better than we do,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “For all of us at Golden Boy, it is very important for fans to get their money’s worth when attending our events or watching from the comforts of their home. That’s why we are committed to providing a full night of competitive action featuring the likes of Seniesa Estrada, Hector Tanajara Jr., William Zepeda and many more.”

Estrada is a 28-year-old world champion from East Los Angeles, California whose immediate goal is to capture gold in three divisions. In March, she faced Anabel “La Avispa” Ortiz to capture the WBA Minimumweight World Title. Now, she looks to capture a belt a 108 pounds to be one step closer to achieving her goal.

“I’m very excited to be fighting in Los Angeles again,” said Seniesa Estrada. “Fighting at home with my family, friends and fans there is the best feeling. LAFC is going to be a great venue for Golden Boy boxing. I can’t wait to win another world title in a second division.”

Tsunami, who will be defending her 108-pound title, is a two-division world champion who has a lot of experience fighting at a world championship level. Although making her United States debut, Tsunami feels she is not at a disadvantage because she has fought over a dozen times in foreign countries.

“I am excited to accept the challenge of young and fast-rising Estrada,” said Tenkai Tsunami. “I know Estrada is a good boxer. But I have superior experience and skills that I have gotten throughout my 16-year career and which I wish to use to be victorious. This is my first fight in the United States, but have fought in Mexico seven times, once in Chile and six times in Korea.”

As mentioned above, Hector Tanajara Jr. of San Antonio, Texas will face fellow Golden Boy contender William Zepeda of San Mateo Atenco, Mexico in a 10-round lightweight battle.

“These are the kinds of fights that will take my career to the next level,” said Hector Tanajara Jr. “A win against a tough, undefeated southpaw contender will show everyone that I am ready for a world title opportunity. I believe in my skills and my talent, and on July 9, I will put them on full display at Banc of California Stadium.”

“I’m ready to face the most difficult challenge of my career in Hector Tanajara Jr.,” said William Zepeda. “I have worked all my life to be able to fight on big stages such as the Zurdo vs. Barrera event. I know that Tanajara Jr. very elusive fighter, but I will do everything in my power to make him stand in the center of the ring and give a real show to all the fans.”

Diego De La Hoya (22-1, 10 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico will face Bryan Chevalier (15-1-1, 12 KOs) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico in a 10-round featherweight fight.

In a historic bout for women’s boxing, Naoka Fujioka (18-2-1, 8 KOs), Japan’s only five-division world champion, will defend her WBA Flyweight World Championship against Mexican standout Sulem Urbina (12-1, 2 KOs).

Former world title challenger Lamont Roach Jr. (20-1-1, 8 KOs) of Washington, D.C. will participate in a 10-round super featherweight battle.

Explosive Armenian contender Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (19-3, 16 KOs) will return in a 10-round super bantamweight fight.

Heavyweight standout Mihai Nistor (2-0, 2 KOs) of Bucharest, Romania will fight in an eight-round bout against Colby Madison (9-2-2, 6 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland.

Miguel Gaona of El Sereno, California will make his pro debut in a four-round lightweight battle.

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Zurdo vs. Barrera is a 12-round special attraction in the light heavyweight division presented by Golden Boy in association with Zurdo Promotions. Diaz Jr. vs. Fortuna is a 12-round battle for the vacant WBC Interim Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy in association with Sampson Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Friday, July 9 at Banc of California Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Zurdo vs. Barrera will go on sale Wednesday, June 2 and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges. In an effort to promote social distancing, tickets will initially be sold in pods/groupings of 2, 3, 4 and 6 people only, subject to change with local and state guidelines. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.bancofcaliforniastadium.com or www.ticketmaster.com. The Banc of California Stadium is located in historic Exposition Park, 3939 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90037.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #ZurdoBarrera

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/ZurdoBarrera into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.

RIVERSIDE, CALIF. (July 23, 2019): Vergil Ortiz Jr. (13-0, 13 KOs), Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr. (17-0, 5 KOs) and Joshua “The Professor” Franco (15-1-1, 7 KOs) discussed training camp under renowned trainer Robert Garcia ahead of their respective fights. All three fighters will return on the Ortiz vs. Orozco card, which takes place Saturday, Aug. 10 at The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Ortiz will headline in his hometown for the first time against Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (28-1, 17 KOs) of San Diego, Calif., while Franco will defend his NABF and WBA International Bantamweight Titles in a trilogy fight against Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (18-2-1, 7 KOs) of Tierralta, Colombia. Tanajara will put his WBC USNBC Lightweight Title on the line against Ezequiel Aviles (16-3-3, 6 KOs) of Ensenada, Mexico.

Below is what all three fighters had to say during a recent camp visit, along with some insight from renowned trainer Robert Garcia.

VERGIL ORTIZ JR., Welterweight Contender:

“I’m fighting for my hometown. I’m fighting for all the little kids that think they can’t make it because it’s a small town. Not many people make it out of Grand Prairie. I hope to set a good example for them. I felt all the love when I visited. I felt the atmosphere, and it was electric. We got a lot of people to show up to the press conference, so I know there’s going to be a lot of people who show to the fight.”

“I’m really excited to be fighting in the main event. I’ve only done that once before. For me being the main event is a test for me to show how many people want to see me and how excited they’re going to be to watch me fight. But I have a lot of people telling me they want to go and that they already bought tickets and even want some shirts.”

“Fighting alongside my childhood friends is really cool. I never thought that we would be on the same card fighting together. We’re all fighting for a title that night. I’m fighting for the WBA Gold [Welterweight Title], and Joshua [Franco] will defend his belts in the trilogy fight against Negrete. Tanajara is fighting for the belt he won in Tijuana. It’s great to see how far we’ve come.”

“Antonio Orozco believes that this fight will put him back on the map. He feels a win will make people believe in him again. Honestly, he only lost one time; I don’t see why they wouldn’t believe in him. This fight will definitely make his meter go up. People will start looking at him if he gets the win. That’s going to make him very dangerous. He’s hungry. But I’m coming up too. I want to be a world champion too. I have my dreams that I want to achieve. This fight is going to help me get there a lot faster than these other fights, so I’m very glad he took this fight. It’s a very good opportunity for both of us.”

“This is Orozco’s first fight in the welterweight division. He was having a hard time making weight at 140. We’re going to see how his power holds up and see what he can take because seven pounds is a big jump. Orozco’s body is going to be bigger. It’s a whole new story, and we’re going to find out on August 10.”

“On August 10, you can expect the same Vergil Ortiz you see in every other fight. I’m going to be at my absolute best. I’m not taking Antonio Orozco lightly at all. I’m not going to be looking for the knockout, but I’m not going to count it out either. I’m going to let it come by itself. That’s when you look the best.”

JOSHUA FRANCO, NABF & WBA International Bantamweight Champion:

“It’s very special fighting back in Texas, back in the Dallas area. With Vergil, Hector and everybody from Texas, it’s going to be a great show. I gained a lot of experience in my first two fights against Oscar Negrete. I won a lot of rounds against him, and he’s a top contender. I gained a lot of experience and a lot of confidence.”

“To me, Negrete did the same thing in the second fight. He put pressure, and he tried to throw a lot of punches. He tried to be more aggressive, but to me it was the same thing. I feel like that’s the only thing he knows how to do. Negrete didn’t really do anything to surprise me. What he did the first fight, he did the second fight.”

“For this third fight, you can expect the same fighter I always am. I’ll be smart, explosive, and I’ll be throwing a lot of combinations. I feel like I’m going to be stronger than the last two fights. The only thing that’s different is that it’s going to be in Texas. That’s going to give me more motivation. I’m always training hard like always. After this I want to go on to bigger things. I want to fight for a world title.”

HECTOR TANAJARA JR., WBC USNBC Lightweight Champion:

“It’s very special sharing this night with guys I grew up with. I know these guys since the amateurs. I saw when Joshua first walked into the gym, and I knew Vergil since we were young. I also knew the Rincon brothers [Alex and George]. We all came up together, so it feels good to be together on the same card to give fans an exciting night of boxing.”

“It doesn’t add pressure to see my stablemates getting knockouts. I’m already 17 fights deep. I just have to stick to my game plan and what my coaches tell me. That’s what works. My last fight was in Tijuana, and it was very special fighting in Mexico. I’ve always wanted to fight there, and I like the crowd. Mexican fans are always the best. They just want to see people go at it. I’m glad I was able to get a belt that night too, so it was very special for me.”

“It doesn’t bother me that I haven’t had a knockout since 2018. I know I have power. But trying to make 130 pounds was draining me a little bit. At 135 pounds, I feel much stronger. Even though I’ve been fighting better opposition, I’ve still been hurting them in there, and I feel that a lot of my knockouts are yet to come.”

“For this camp we’ve been working on all my little mistakes. I’m being busier with my jab. I’m working on putting smart pressure. I’m working on doing all the things needed to get the victory and to get try to get the guy out of there. On August 10, my fans can expect an exciting fight. I’m motivated more than ever because it’s in Texas, my hometown, and a lot of family and friends who usually can’t go are going to be there. I’m very excited, and I hope to put on a great show.”

ROBERT GARCIA, 2012 Trainer of the Year:

“It’s going to be a great event. It’s going to be awesome that we’re going to Vergil Ortiz’s hometown in Grand Prairie. I’m sure he’s very excited, along with his fans, his family, and his friends. We also have two kids from San Antonio that are going to bring a lot of friends and family.”

“We are going to be very busy, but I have a lot of help. With Vergil, his father Vergil Sr. and co-trainer Hector Beltran are always on top of Vergil and make sure he works hard. With Hector Tanajara, we have my son, Robert Garcia Jr. and Jose “Chepe” Contreras. With, Joshua Franco we have same thing. For both guys, their fathers are very involved. Hector Tanajara Sr. and Jessie Rodriguez [father of Franco] are involved and work the corner for their sons, so it won’t be as hard as it sounds that night.”

“This has been our fourth training camp with Vergil. It’s unbelievable to see him develop so fast. You hardly see that. You only see that with an Olympic Gold medalist like Oscar De La Hoya, who won his first world title in his 12th fight, or with Olympians like Fernando Vargas, who was 14-0 when he became a world champion. Vergil is one of those kids. He didn’t go to the Olympics, so he didn’t get the same recognition as the Olympians did, but he’s close to becoming a world champion.”

“Here in my gym, whoever you spar and whatever weight division you’re at, it’s going to be tough. You’re going to have to work hard to be able to compete. I have nothing but world class fighters. For example, Vergil is sparring fighters that are 160, 168. I don’t want to say dominating them because they’re also my fighters, but he’s able to compete with them and give them all they can handle, so that tells you what he is. He spars with Jose Ramirez, a world champion right now. He spars with Mikey Garcia, who is pound for pound one of the best fighters in the world, and he’s able to compete well against them.”

Ortiz vs. Orozco is a 12-round fight for the WBA Gold Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 10 at The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Ortiz vs. Orozco are on sale and are priced at $125, $75, $50, and $30, plus applicable taxes, fees, and service charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, AXS.com, by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at The Theatre at Grand Prairie Box Office (Monday -Saturday 11:00 am CT – 3:00 pm CT or 972-854-5076).

For more information,visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #OrtizOrozco.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/OrtizOrozco into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.