BETHLEHEM, Pa. – November 20, 2023 — Undefeated super featherweight Julian Gonzalez will appear in his first headlining bout as he takes on Juan Antonio Lopez in an eight-round bout at The Wind Creek Event Center on Friday, December 8th in Bethlehem, PA.

The loaded card is promoted by King’s Promotions.

Gonzalez, 22 of Reading, PA is 11-0-1 with nine knockouts. Gonzalez has established himself as a top-130 lb. prospect with wins over undefeated fighters Rosalindo Morales (9-0) and Johnnie Spell (8-0) with the latter coming on August 4th at The Wind Creek Event Center.

Lopez of Fort Worth, Texas, has a record of 17-15-1 with seven knockouts. The 29-year-old Lopez has wins over undefeated fighters Erick Lainez (1-0), Isaac Torres (5-0-1), Jerren Cochran (11-0-1) and Fernando Garcia (12-1). Lopez has faced 12 undefeated opponents. Lopez is coming off a loss to Richard Medina on May 20th in San Antonio.

A loaded undercard that will feature world champions, top contenders and top prospects has been assembled.

In a 10-round super middleweight fight, former two-time world title challenger, Jesse Hart (29-3, 23 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Jeyson Minda (14-7-1, 8 KOs) in a super middleweight bout.

In eight-round bouts:

Former unified world champion, Jarrett Hurd (24-3, 16 KOs) of Accokek, Maryland will take on Tyi Edmonds (14-5, 9 KOs) from Meridian, Mississippi

Travon Marshall (8-1, 7 KOs) of Landover, Maryland will take on Roudley Lolo (6-1-2, 3 KOs) of Camp Hill, PA in a junior middleweight bout.

Paige Suchit (5-0 4 KOs) of Edmonton, Canada will fight Yusniel Abrahante (5-1, 1 KO) of Louisville, KY in a super flyweight contest.

Ernie Cuevas (7-0, 5 KOs) of Maudin, SC will take on Roberto Puchetta (11-24-3, 6 KOs) of Jalisco, Mexico in a bantamweight fight.

In six-round bouts:

James Bernadin (10-2-1, 6 KOs) of Lancaster, PA collides Osvaldo Morales (5-3, 2 KOs) of Harrisburg, PA in a lightweight clash.

Thanjhae Teasley (8-0, 4 KOs) of Allentown, PA fights Xavier Madrid (5-2, 3 KOs) of Albuquerque, NM in a welterweight fight.

Shamara Woods (3-0) of Allentown, PA squares off with Micaele Nogue (2-4) of Egg Harbor, NJ in a super lightweight battle.

In Four-round Fights:

Francis Oran (4-1,2 KOs) of Bethlehem, PA will take on Justin Maggi (0-0-1) of Frederick, Maryland in a cruiserweight bout.

Elijah Akana will make his pro debut against RJ Hayes (0-2) of Oneontha, NY in a heavyweight bout.

Gustavo Morales (2-0, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA fights Antonio Allen (1-15-2) of Philadelphia in a welterweight fight.

Tickets are priced at $50, $100 and $150 and can be purchased at CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Efe Ajagba won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Stephan Shaw at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Ajagba landed 111 of 430 punches. Shaw was 78 of 341.

Ajagba, 235 1/4 lbs of Ugledi, NIG won by scores of 96-94 on all cards and is now 17-1. Shaw, 239/5 lbs of St. Louis, MO is 18-1.

“I went back to the corner and they told me to let my hands go, keep throwing punches, my jab. I controlled the fight, so that’s how I won the fight,” Ajagba said. “He tried to land the big shots. I watched him to see what he was going to do. He kept throwing the jab, using the jab more.”

Rice Stops Vianello Due To Cut

Jonnie Rice stopped previously undefeated Guido Vianello in round seven due to a cut over the left eye.

In round six, Vianello was cut on the left eyelid. The cut was worse as the fight moved to the seventh round and the fight was stopped.

Originally referee Benjy Esteves ruled it a headbutt, but replays clearly showed it was a right that caused the cut. After checking with the TV monitors, the fight was ruled a stoppage win for Ri

Rice, 274 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas, is 16-6-1 with 11 knockouts. Vianello, 239 lbs of Rome, Italy is 10-1-1.

“I did it again… another undefeated fighter,” Rice said. “I’m not here to call anyone out right now. I’m going to enjoy this victory and then see what’s next.”

Abraham Nova won a action-filled 10-round unanimous decision over Adam Lopez in a junior lightweight fight.

In round five, Nova dropped Lopez with a right that was followed by a left to the jaw that landed during an exchange.

At the beginning of round six, Nova landed a hard right hand that hurt Lopez. Lopez was grabbing onto Nova but fell to the canvas fo a knockdown.

In round 10, both guys brawled and landed some hard punches. Both were able to stay on their feet in the crowd pleasing affair.

Nova landed 111 of 462 punches; Lopez was 112 of 415.

Nova, 129 lbs of Albany, NY won by scores of 98-90 twice and 97-91 and is now 22-1. Lopez, 129 lbs of Glendale, CA is 16-4.

Haven Brady Jr. remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Ruben Cervera in a lightweight bout.

In round one, Brady was cut in his mouth.

Brady landed 108 of 397 punches. Cervera was 56 of 323.

Brady, 132 3/4 lbs of Albany, GA won by scores of 80-72, 79-3 and 78-4 and is now 9-0. Cervera, 130 1/4 lbs of Santa Maria, CA is 13-4.

Bryce Mills won a six-round unanimous decision over Margarito Hernandez in a welterweight contest.

In round one, Hernandez started bleeding from his left eye.

In round four, he was bleeding under his left eye.

Mills, 143 lbs of Syracuse, NY won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 11-1. Hernandez, 144 1/4 lbs of Yakima, WA is 3-4-1.

Brian Norman Jr. remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Rodrigo Coria in a welterweight bout.

In round eight, Norman dropped Coria with a left hook.

Norman, 149 lbs of Atlanta, GA won by scores of 79-2 and 77-74 twice and is now 23-0. Coria, 148 1/4 lbs of Cordoba, ARG is now 10-5.

Bruce Carrington remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Antonio Lopez in a featherweight bout.

Carrington, 128 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 6-0. Lopez, 127.5 lbs of Fort Worth, TX is 17-13-1.

Dante Benjamin Jr. stopped Emmanuel Austin in the opining round of their six-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Benjamin landed a left-right and left to the head that put Austin down. Benjamin finished off Austin as he landed a big flurry of power punches that was highlighted by a booming right hand, and referee Mark Nelson stopped the bout at 2:50

Benjamin, 174 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 5-0 with tree knockouts. Austin, 175 lbs of Panama City, FL is 6-1.

VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 3, 2023) — Rising featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington, the latest fistic prodigy from Brownsville, Brooklyn, hopes to open his 2023 campaign with a flourish.
 
Carrington will fight Juan Antonio Lopez in a six-round showdown Saturday, Jan. 14, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Carrington-Lopez and the rest of the undercard will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+. The ESPN-televised heavyweight doubleheader (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) is headlined by a crossroads battle between Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba and Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw, and 2016 Italian Olympian Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello stepping up against Jonnie Rice in the co-feature.

Carrington (5-0, 3 KOs), the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials champion, flourished in his first full year as a pro. He went 4-0 with a pair of knockouts, including highlight-reel finishes over Steven Brown and Yeuri Andujar. Carrington was scheduled to fight December 10 at Madison Square Garden, but his opponent had a medical issue that scrapped the bout. He makes his 2023 debut against Lopez (17-12-1, 7 KOs), an 11-year pro from Dallas, Texas, who has tested many of the sport’s top featherweight and junior lightweight prospects.
 
Carrington said, “I had an exciting 2022, but it’s time to step on the gas even more in 2023 and take over the featherweight division. I can’t wait to put my hands on somebody because I couldn’t fight on December 10. This is going to be a huge year, and it starts on January 14.”
 
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets priced from $49 to $89 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

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About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the January 14th event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Forbes Four-Star Award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for major boxing events that are broadcast around the world. Boxing legends including Oscar De Lay Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Mike Tyson, Laila Ali and many others, have all taken part in boxing events at Turning Stone over the years.
 
Turning Stone is the Official Resort Casino of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend, an international event celebrating boxing legends and current superstars in the sport. Throughout the year, Turning Stone and the Boxing Hall of Fame attract thousands of boxing fans, Hall of Famers and sports media to the region for a series of boxing events at Turning Stone that culminate with the International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend, annually the biggest and most star-studded weekend in all of boxing. This year’s International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend will take place from June 8 – 11.
 
Turning Stone features world-class amenities including The Lounge with Caesars Sports, a state-of-the-art sports book in partnership with Caesars Entertainment, five hotels, more than 20 signature dining options, two spas, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, multiple entertainment venues, five golf courses, and several bars and lounges offering live entertainment every weekend.

Canelo Alvarez won a emphatic 12-round unanimous decision over Callum Smith to win the WBA/WBC Super Middleweight title at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Alvarez was dominant from the start as he landed some quick hard shots using a diverse offensive attack. At different times in the contest, Alvarez landed hard jabs; rights; left hook and a tremendous uppercuts.

By the middle rounds, it was evident that it would be a dominant victory for Alavrez as despite having a seven-inch height disadvantage, Smith would not and could not hold Alavarez with anything. Alavrez could just walk right in and land thudding combinations and dividing his punches to the head and body.

Alvarez hurt Smith several times with those hard, and the Englishman did well to hear the final bell, but he was bruised and cut over his right eye, and never competitive in the fight which saw Alavrez win on two cards 119-109 and a third was more generous for Smith to the tune of 117-111.

Alvarez landed 214 of 494 punches; Smith was 99 of 539.

Alvarez of Guadalajara, MEX is now 54-1-2. Smith of Liverpool, ENG is 27-1.

Castro Stops Valdes in 3

Marc Castro made a successful pro debut with a 3rd round stoppage over Luis Javier Valdes in a scheduled four-round junior lightweight fight.

In round two, Castro dropped Valdes with a right uppercut. In round three, it was a body shot that followed by a right to the head and Valdes did not beat the count at 1:59

Castro, 130.1 lbs of Fresno, CA is 1-0 with one knockout. Valdes, 128.8 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 7-6-1.

Sanchez stops Fernandez in 7

Frank Sanchez remained undefeated with a crushing 7th round stoppage over Julian Fernandez in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

In round seven, Sanchez landed a booming right that badly hurt Fernandez. A follow up right dropped Fernandez onto the apron and the fight was stopped at 1:35.

Sanchez, 229 lbs of Miami is 17-0 with 13 knockouts. Fernandez, 209.2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 14-3.

Ford Stops Lopez in 7

Raymond Ford stopped Juan Antonio Lopez in round seven of their scheduled eight-round featherweight fight.

In round one, Ford sent Lopez to the deck with a right hook.

In round seven, Ford landed a perfect right hook to the chin that sent Lopez to a knee. Lopez took the 10-count and the fight was stopped at 1:14

Ford, 128.6 lbs of Camden, NJ is 8-0 with four knockouts. Lopez, 129.2 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 15-8.

Williams stops Jones in 1st

Austin Williams remained undefeated by stopping Isiah Jones in round one of their scheduled six-round middleweight bout.

Williams clipped Jones with hard left that hurt him. Williams jumped all over Jones and landed a hard barrage of punches that forced the stoppage at 1:29.

Williams is now 7-0 with six knockouts. Jones of Detroit is 9-4.

Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter thrilled the crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles in a unification bout that saw Spence walk away with both the IBF/WBC Welterweight titles via thrilling split decision in a terrific action contest.

The fight did not lack action as Porter pushed the fight, but that left him open for some great body work from Spence. Porter was able to get inside and throw and occasionally land some hard overhand rights that would land flush on the side of the head of Spence. Spence’s work was made up mostly of solid counters and good work along the ropes.

The two took turns being the boss and taking rounds. The fight seemed to be sealed in round 11 when Spence landed a short left hand that sent Porter to a knee. The two pleased the crowd one more time as the fought at a furious pace for the last three minutes of the bout.

Spence, 147 of Dallas, TX took two cards 116-111 while Porter won on a card by a 115-112 tally.

Spence is 26-0. Porter, 147 lbs of Akron, OH is 30-3-1.

“It feels good to win,” said Spence. “This is a lifetime dream. It shows hard work pays off. Thanks Shawn Porter, my whole team and all my Texas people for coming out.”

“Shawn Porter is a rough and awkward fighter,” said Spence. “I didn’t get off what I wanted to. He’s a true champion. He made it tough.”

“He’s a strong kid,” said Porter. “We both came in to do the job. I think I had a little more than what he expected, but he handled it. Congratulations to him and his team. We’re proud of what we did.”

“I think that knockdown was the difference,” said Porter. “I couldn’t come back to the corner with my head down after that.”

“All my punches have bad intentions,” said Spence. “By boxing Mikey Garcia, I wanted to show people I could do it with that style. Porter was throwing a lot. I wanted to show I was the bigger and stronger welterweight.”

It looks like Spence will now defend against Danny Garcia.

“It was a top dog fight tonight,” said Garcia. “I want you next Errol. It was a tough rugged fight. Shawn Porter is a tough fighter. I’m here to say I want next.” “My how the tables have turned,” said Spence. “I’ve told my team, you line them up, I’ll knock them down.”

David Benavidez regained the WBC Super Middleweight title with a 9th round stoppage over Anthony Dirrell.

In round six, Dirrell was cut over the right eyelid from a straight right hand from Benavidez.

The opened up the floodgates for Benavidez as he started to slowly breakdown and eventually batter Dirrell in the 9th frame until the bout was stopped at 1:39.

Benavidez, 167.6 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 22-0 with 19 knockouts. Dirrell, 167.6 of Flint, MI is 33-2-1.

“Everything just fell in place perfectly,” said Benavidez. “From the suspension to all the big fights I’ve been in. All of that helped me out in this fight. I did not make a mistake or open myself up more than I needed to. I worked behind my jab and got the stoppage. Things are going to get better and get tougher and I’m ready for the challenge.”

“He hit me with a clean shot,” said Dirrell. “That’s my first time ever being cut by a punch. It opened up. There was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t see the whole fight after that. My corner did a good job on it, but I really couldn’t see.”

“There are so many emotions coming at me at once,” said Benavidez. “We put so much hard work into this training camp. We left home and were away from everything. But I had the dream to become the youngest two-time super middleweight world champion and I made my dreams come true.”

“I would have kept going in there,” said Dirrell. “I’m not quitting against anybody. Everyone saw I didn’t go down. My legs were still strong, but I couldn’t do anything about it.  “We’re going back to the drawing board. I’m still fighting. We won’t end on a loss. You can put anybody in there with me.”

Mario Barrios captured the WBA Super Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Batyr Akhmedov.

Mario Barrios captured the WBA Super Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Batyr Akhmedov.

In round four, Barrios dropped Akhmedov with a double left that was followed by a right. Akhmedov made a hard charge over the next several rounds, and wound up outlanding Barrios by over 100 punches.

Barrios sealed the fight with a hard right hand in round 12 that sent Akhmedov to the canvas.

Barrios, 140 lbs of San Antonio, TX won by scores of 116-111, 115-111 and 114-112 to go to 25-0. Akhmedov of Uzbekistan is 7-1.

“I knew this was going to be a war,” said Barrios. “He was getting dirty in there but the Mexican warrior in me was not going to let this opportunity pass me by. I dug deep and got the victory.” 

“The plan was to gradually grow the activity,” said Akhmedov. “I knew that I had to win by a wide margin. After the first knockdown, I knew that I had to add activity more quickly than I had planned. So I started being more aggressive. I did everything I could to try to stop him.”

“I promised my city of San Antonio that I would bring this title back home and I did it,” said Barrios. “The judges see better than I can from the ring,” said Akhmedov. “I did everything I could. I thought I won the fight. They decided that he won the fight. When I watch the fight I’ll be able to tell you what it looked like. My job is to do everything to win. The judges are supposed to judge correctly. “I tried to do everything I could. I was told that I wouldn’t be able to handle his experience, but he was on the ropes most of the fight. I beat him up and I thought I won the fight.”

Josesito Lopez stopped John Molina Jr. in round eight of a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout,

In round one, Lopez dropped Molina twice. 1st with a right and then seconds later with a body shot. Lopez won most of the rounds, but Molina was dangerous at times as he landed hard rights from time to time.

In round seven, Lopez landed a double left that was followed by a right that sent Molina down for a 3rd time. In the eighth, Lopez landed a couple more hard shots, and the bout was stopped.

Lopez, 146.6 lbs of Riverside, CA is now 37-8 with 20 knockouts. Molina, 146.2 lbs of Covina, CA 30-9.

“We both carry power in our hands so it wasn’t a surprise someone went down,” said Lopez. “It easily could have happened to me with the power he has. I was able to catch him early, find openings and get the finish.”

“You can never take the fight out of a fighter,” said Molina. “I have a never say die attitude and I have my whole career. It was a tough fight, but the better man won tonight.”

 “I knew he wasn’t going to quit,” said Lopez. “He’s a warrior. I had to keep on the pressure. I was thinking that hopefully the ref and the team made the right call to finish it at the right time.”

“I wanted to keep going at the end,” said Molina. “I thought I was still coherent and could still move well. But you can’t go against what the referees say.”

“There’s a lot more ‘Riverside Rocky’ left,” said Lopez. “Robert Garcia has turned my career around. I’m a race car and like NASCAR, I’ve got a whole team behind me. I’m a top 10-level fighter. I’m going to give any fighter and any world champion a run for their money. I want memorable fights and I want the best.”

Former world champion Robert Guerrero won a lackluster 10-round unanimous decision over Jerry Thomas in a welterweight bout.

Guerrero146.8 lbs of Gilroy, CA is now 36-6-1. Thomas, 146.6 lbs of St. Marys, KS is 14-2-1.

“I want to get back into those bigger fights,” said Guerrero. “I moved around and stayed smart in there tonight. The goal was to stick to the game plan and I did until the end of the fight, but then I got right back on it. You just have to keep working out the kinks and that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

Joey Spencer remained undefeated by stopping Travis Gamberdella in round three of their welterweight bout.

In round one, Spencer was dominant, and dropped Gambderlla twice. In round two, Spencer came out like gangbusters and dropped Gamberdella with a big left to the body.

In round three, Spencer landed a huge combination, and the bout was stopped at 53 seconds.

Spencer, 155.8 lbs of Linden, MI is now 9-0 with seven knockouts. Gamberdella, 155 lbs of Revere, MA is 5-1-2.

“The body shots weren’t really the plan going in,” said Spencer. “I started off with head shots and he was taking those well. I put one downstairs and I instantly saw it affect him badly. I knew it was a wrap. I was going to keep going to the body.”

“I thought the referee was going to stop it in the second round,” said Spencer. “When he let him go I took a deep breath and made sure not to punch myself out. I stuck to my jab and let the rest take care of itself.”

“I’m so happy with the improvements that I was able to show tonight on the big stage,” said Spencer. “I’m really excited for what’s to come.”

Fabian Maidana dismantled Ramses Agaton with a 1st round stoppage in a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout.

Maidana floored Agaton in the opening seconds with a hard right hand. Maidana sent Agaton down again the opening frame with a body shot. Maidana finished the deal with another body shot that put Agaton down, and the fight was stopped at

Maidana, 146 lbs of Margarita, ARG is 17-1 with 13 knockouts. Agaton, 147 lbs of Mexico is 21-11-3

Leon Lawson III stopped Alan Zavala in round three of a scheduled eight-round super welterweigt bout.

Lawson dropped Zavala hard with a right hand in the corner, and Zavala stayed on the seat of his pants for the 10-count at 2:27.

Lawson, 157.4 lbs of Flint, MI is 12-0 with five knockouts. Zavala, 157 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 15-7.

Alfonso Olvera scored an upset by winning a eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Amon Rashidi in a welterweight bout.

Olvera, 147 lbs of Nogales, MX won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74, and is now 14-6-3. Rashidi, 146.3 lbs of Dallas, TX is 7-1.

In a battle of Dallas based featherweights, Juan Antonio Lopez decisioned Fernando Garcia.

Lopez is 15-7. Garcia is 12-2.