Teofimo Lopez Decisions Steve Claggett; Retains Junior Welterweight Title

Teofimo Lopez made the second defense of the WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over game challenger Steve Claggett at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.

In round 11, Claggett began to bleed from his nose.

Lopez landed 315 of 946 punches. Claggett was 140 of 820.

Lopez, 139.4 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 120-108 twice and 119-109 and is now 21-1. Claggett, 139,5 lbs of Calgary, CAN is 36-8-2.

Lopez said, “I knew exactly what kind of fighter he was. I knew he would come forward and test my conditioning. And that’s what we had. We went twelve rounds.”

“The will has to be stronger than the skill. And that’s what we showed tonight. If I was tired, I know he was more tired because I worked very hard for this. We knew we had to break him down. The body shots were hurting him.”

“I’m very grateful. He’s a tough fighter. I don’t think anyone should overlook him. I knew that coming into this.”

Robeisy Ramirez Scores Spectacular 7th Round KO over Brandon Leon Benitez

Former world featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez scored a highlight-reel seventh round stoppage over Brandon Leon Benitez in a scheduled 10-round bout.

In round five, Benitez began to bleed from the nose.

In round seven, Ramirez started bleeding from the mouth. Later in the round, Ramirez uncorked a devastating right uppercut to the bottom of the chin plummeted Benitez to the canvas and he could not beat the count at 2:46.

Ramirez, 124.8 lbs of Cienfuego, CUB is now 14-2 with nine knockouts. Benitez, 127.1 lbs of Quereitaro, MEX is 21-3.

Ramirez will look to hopefully rematch Rafael Espinoza in his next bout.

Ramirez said, “It’s no secret that Ismael Salas is one of the best strategists in the world. And so the plan was to wear him down little by little. Then, after the last round, he tells me not to look for power shots but to move a bit and to return to my {amateur} roots. That’s what I did. I touched and touched, and I found the shot.”
 
“It’s not my first time landing a shot like that. It feels good to land a punch like that because it demonstrates that we worked hard in camp.”
 
“I want my title back. I want the rematch against Rafael Espinoza. If it’s not with him, then I can fight against any of the other champions.”

Nico Ali Walsh Gets Even and Decisions Sona Akale

Nico Ali Walsh got even with Sona Akale but scoring a knockdown and fighting through a shoulder injury to win a six-round unanimous decision in a middleweight fight.

At the end of round three, Ali Walsh landed a left to the side of the head that put Akale on the canvas.

In round four, Ali Walsh was bruised under his right eye. In round five, Akale was cut over his right eye. In round six, Ali Walsh dislocated his left shoulder but was able to finish the fight.

Ali Walsh landed 91 of 340 punches. Akale was 118 of 325.

Ali Walsh, 156.9 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 58-55 twice and 57-56 and is now 11-1. Akale, 156.3 lbs of Saint Paul, MN is now 9-2.

The win for Ali Walsh was a rematch of a bout that Akale won on August 26, 2023

Emiliano Fernando Vargas remained undefeated with a first round stoppage over Jose Zaragoza in a junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Vargas dropped Zaragoza with a perfect counter right. Vargas was all over Zaragoza and landed a big uppercut that rocked Zaragoza and the fight was stopped at 1:32.

Vargas, 139.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 11-0 with nine knockouts. Zaragoza, 139.1 lbs of Sedalia, MEX is 9-9-2.

Elvis Rodriguez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jino Rodrigo in an action and knockdown filled junior welterweight bout.

It was a wild opening frame as Rodrigo struck first by shockingly dropping Rodriguez with an overhand right to the head. Rodriguez was hurt badly and with Rodrigo landing hard shots on the ropes, Rodriguez turned the tables by landing a short right hook that put Rodriguez on the canvas. At the end of round three, Rodriguez scored a knockdown when he landed another quick right hook.

Rodriguez, 141.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92 and is now 16-1-1. Rodrigo, 141.2 lbs of Angomo, PHL is 12-4-2.

Lorenzo Medina remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Detrailious Webster in a heavyweight bout.

Medina, 235.6 lbs of Miami won by scores of 60-54, 60-53 and 59-55 and is now 11-0. Webster, 247.7 lbs Courtland, MS is now 7-4.

Rohan Polanco stopped Luis Hernandez in round two of their of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Polanco dominated the fight and landed a hard combination that punctuated by a perfect left uppercut that forced a toppage at 2:28.

Polanco, 142.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 13-0 with eight knockouts. Hernandez, 143 lbs of Chihuahua, MEX is 23-5.

Yan Santana went the distance for the first time, but he remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Brandon Valdes in a featherweight bout.

In round one, Santana dropped Valdes with a left hook to the chin.

Santana, 127 lbs of La Romana, DR won by scores of 98-91 twice and 96-93 and now 12-0. Valdes, 127 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 15-5

Euri Cedeno made short work of Dormedes Potes by scoring an opening minute knockout in an eight-roundmiddleweight bout.

Cedenro landed a left and right to the body that put Potes down for the count at 58 seconds.

Cendeno, 161.4 lbs of La Romana, DR is now 9-0-1 with eight knockouts. Potes, 161.7 lbs of Braanquilla, COL is 14-7-1.



Teofimo Lopez Defends WBO Junior Welterweight Title TOMORROW in Miami (Sat. ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+ at 10 PM ET

NEW YORK (June 281, 2024)–Split-T Management’s WBO Junior Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez defends his title against Steve Claggett on Saturday night at The James L. Knight Center in Miami.

Lopez of Brooklyn is a five-time, two-division and former undisputed lightweight world champion, will look to make his second defense of his 140-lb. crown.

Lopez, who now resides in Las Vegas via Brooklyn, is managed by Split-T Management, and has a record of 20-1 with 13 knockouts. The former undisputed lightweight champion is a five-time world champion as he won the IBF Lightweight title with an explosive second-round stoppage of Richard Commey on December 14, 2019 at Madison Square Garden. Lopez picked up three more belts when he won a unanimous decision over Vasiliy Lomanchenko on October 17, 2020.

The 26 year-old Lopez became a two-division world champion with a master class performance when he won a unanimous decision over WBO Junior Welterweight title over Josh Taylor on June 10th at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In his last bout, Lopez made the initial defense of his title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jamaine Ortiz on February 8th in Las Vegas.

Claggett of Calgary, Alberta, Canada will be making his first attempt at a world title.

The 35 year-old has been a professional for 16 years. Claggett earned the opportunity on the strength of a current nine-fight winning streak that has consisted of wins over Sebastian Aguirre (18-3), Tony Luis (29-5), Rafael Guzman Lugo (26-2-2), former world champion Alberto Machado (23-3), Carlos Sanchez (24-1), Miguel Madueno (30-1) and his last out when he blasted out Marcos Gonzalez Baraza (23-3) in two rounds on January 25th in Montreal.

Claggett also has wins over Harrison McBain (2-0-1), Abdou Sow (3-0), Ryan Wagner (4-1), Ricky Duenas (12-1), Stuart McLellan (12-1-3), Emanuel Robles (15-0-1), Yves Ulysse Jr, (14-0), Petros Ananyan (13-0-2) and David Theroux (16-3).

Lopez is promoted by Top Rank, weighed 139.4 lbs at Friday’s weigh-in. Claggett was 139.5

The Lopez – Claggett bout will be on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ beginning at 10 PM ET.

Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank

In a preliminary bout, undefeated featherweight, Yan Santana will make his United States debut when he takes on Brandon Valdes in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds.

Santana of La Romana, Dominican Republic is 11-0 with all wins coming via stoppage. The 24 year-old Santana of La Romana, Republic has stopped three undefeated opponents and is coming off a fourth round stoppage over Rodolfo Hernandez Montoya on April 6th in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Valdes of Rosemead, California is 15-4 with seven knockouts. The 25 year-old Valdes is coming off a loss to former world title challenger Ruben Villa on September 15, 2023 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Santana weighed 127 lbs. Valdes was also 127 lbs.

The bout will be streamed on ESPN+ at 5:45 PM ET.

Friday night in Atlanta, two more members of the Split-T Management team will be in action.

Photo By OTX Boxing

Friday in Atlanta, two members of the Split-T Management team will be in action as Tiara Brown will take on former world champion Gabriela Bouvier in a 10-round featherweight bout.

Brown of Lehigh Acres, Florida is managed by Brian Cohen and carries an impressive mark of 16-0 with 11 knockouts.

Brown, 36, has wins over Vanessa Bradford (5-1-2), Jennifer Martinez (2-0), and is coming off a first round stoppage over Angi Romero on February 17th in Colombia.

Bouvier of Uruguay is 19-12-1 with four knockouts. The 32 year-old Bouvier won the IBF Flyweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Florencio Roxana Centeros. She made one defense of the crown. Bouvier had three more world title opportunities. Bouvier has won four in a row with the latest being a 10-round unanimous decision over Augustina Marisa Delen Rojas on December 9, 2023 in Uruguay.

Brown weighed in at 126 lbs. Bouvier was 125.8.

Photo By OTX Boxing

Also in Atlanta, undefeated super middleweight Donte Layne takes on Montrel James in a four-round bout.

Layne, 21 years-old of Elmont, Long Island. New York is 2-0 with two knockouts. Both of Layne’s wins have been first round stoppages with the most recent being over DeShuan Mitchell (2-0) on March 29.

James of Saint Louis is a 12 fight veteran who is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Raymond Harrison (5-1-1) on August 11, 2023 in Saint Louis.

Layne was 167.2 lbs. James was 167.4 lbs.

The Brown and Layne fights are Live on DAZN at 8 PM ET



WBO Super Lightweight Champion  Teofimo Lopez Confirmed for Seventh Annual  Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 4, in Las Vegas

Las Vegas (April 16, 2024) – WBO Super Lightweight Champion Teofimo Lopez has confirmed that he will appear at the Seventh Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 4, 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will also coincide with the mega fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia, that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena.

Lopez will hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at his booth during the fan event held over the Cinco De Mayo weekend.

The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan event that coincides with some of the sports’ legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas, including Mayweather vs. Maidana II, Mayweather vs. Berto, Canelo vs. Chavez Jr., Canelo vs. GGG II, Canelo vs. Jacobs and Canelo vs. GGG III. 

Centered in boxing’s longtime home – Las Vegas – this year’s Expo is a must-do for fight fans coming in for this legendary weekend, with dozens of professional fighters, promoters, and companies involved in the boxing industry. The Expo is the largest and only Boxing Fan Expo held in the United States. http://boxfanexpo.com – @BoxFanExpo

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2024

Lopez will make his third appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. Lopez will also have merchandise to sell for fans to enjoy at his TakeOver Promotions booth. Boxing fans will also have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing star also known as the “The TakeOver”. 

Lopez joins, Lennox Lewis, Devin Haney Mia St. John, Edgar Berlanga, Franchón Crews-Dezurn, Roy Jones Jr., Erik Morales, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Juan Manuel Marquez, Michael Spinks, Claressa Shields and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more Boxing stars to be announced.

About Teofimo Lopez

Lopez is an American professional boxer and a two-division world champion. He represented as an amateur, his parent’s native country of Honduras at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Lopez is the former Undisputed Lightweight world champion. He held the IBF title from December 2019 to November 2021. Lopez defeated pound for pound great Vasyl Lomachenko on October 17, 2020 to become the WBA (Super), WBO, WBC Franchise and Ring magazine belt champion. This monumental victory over Lomachenko, alongside winning two lineal titles by the age of 25, propelled Lopez into a true boxing star, as well as being the youngest four-belt champion in boxing history. Lopez recently moved up in weight at the Super Lightweight division and defeated Pedro Campa on August 13th, 2022 in Las Vergas. On April 8, 2023, it was officially announced that Lopez would attempt to become a two-division world champion by challenging pound for pound great, undefeated WBO and The Ring Magazine Super Lightweight champion Josh Taylor. The anticipated showdown took place on June 10 at the Hulu Theater in New York City. Lopez dominated the fight and won by spectacular fashion, to become a two-division world champion. This incredible achievement, was followed by Lopez retaining his world championship title, versus top contender Jamaine Ortis on February 8, 2024 in Las Vegas

Past boxing stars that have participated include: Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, David Benavidez, Teofimo Lopez, Andre Ward, Ryan Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Devin Haney, Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence Jr, Fernando Vargas, Rolando Romero, Sergio Martinez, Tim Bradley, Jose Ramirez, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Abner Mares, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Floyd Mayweather sr., Claressa Shields, Vinny Paz, Mia St.John, Franchón Crews-Dezurn, Seniesa Estrada, Jorge Linares, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris, Riddick Bowe, Earnie Shavers, Michael & Leon Spinks, Brandon Rios, Anthony Dirrell, Danny Jacobs, and many more.

Exhibitors include boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who showcase their brand to fans and the boxing industry as a whole.

Throughout the next few weeks leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –

https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2024

To request information on exhibiting and sponsorship at the Expo:

For media credentials:

Contact us:

Telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram at: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo



Jamaine Ortiz: “I was in control – this was a one-sided fight for me”

LAS VEGAS, NV – Jamaine Ortiz (17-2-1, 8 KOs) was the “Showman” on Thursday night.  In his first world title fight against Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs), the Technician executed his fight plan to perfection: darting in and out with quick combinations, feinting and countering effectively, and using movement and speed to puzzle and frustrate one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.  The only thing Ortiz didn’t do was win a decision in the eyes of the judges.  

“It was a masterful performance,” said CES Boxing founder Jimmy Burchfield, Sr.  “He outboxed Lopez from the beginning.  Jamaine outshined the showman in his hometown and then he was robbed of the decision.  It’s shame when a fighter loses a decision like that after putting on such a boxing clinic.  As far as I’m concerned, we beat Teofimo Lopez and we’re ready to challenge the other champions in the division.”

Closely guarding his gameplan throughout fight week, ‘The Technician’ came out as a southpaw from the opening bell and never switched to orthodox.  Despite having fought southpaws the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Josh Taylor and Sandor Martin throughout his career, Lopez seemed unable to hit Ortiz cleanly and was equally ineffective at cutting off the ring. 

“I stuck to the gameplan,” said a dejected Ortiz moments after the decision.  “He couldn’t hit me.  I was making him miss all night.  I was keeping him at bay with the jab, I was countering with the check hook. He wasn’t landing any shots on me.” 

Team Ortiz devised a plan based on Lopez being ineffective in the role of aggressor.  The game plan paid dividends immediately, as Teofimo often found himself punching air and being made to pay with counter right hooks. 

“Like I said the whole week, he gets frustrated,” said Ortiz of his opponent’s temperament. “He can’t control himself. I know how to control myself and I knew he couldn’t. That was the game plan: get him frustrated and make him lose control.  He was throwing wild, I was making him miss, it was part of the game plan and it worked.”

That’s not to say that Ortiz fought off the back foot all night.  There were several instances throughout the contest when Lopez waved Ortiz in and Jamaine obliged, tagging up the Brooklyn native with rapid fire combinations. 

After 12 rounds, the only real damage that ‘The Technician’ suffered, other than the widely booed decision, was a cut on his left eye from a headbutt in round 7. 

“I believe I won the fight,” said Ortiz to a group of reporters afterwards. “I got him out of his gameplan.  He was frustrated and I was in control.  He was missing wildly, and I was countering him.  What can I say?  It’s politics as usual.”

Several high-profile boxers agreed, taking to social media in the early hours of Friday morning to voice their opinions.

“People gotta understand the game is called ‘BOXING’ and not ‘FIGHTING’,” wrote undisputed welterweight champion Terrence Crawford.  “Hit and not get hit.  But I guess y’all don’t know what that means, because when y’all see a fighter boxing the first thing y’all say is he’s running.”

“Beautiful boxing by Ortiz,” echoed former 2-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter.  “Doing exactly what he needs to do.  It’s like a video game.  If you can’t stop my play why the hell would I pick a different play?” 

Undefeated junior welterweight contender Arnold Barboza Jr. summed it up best: “Ortiz boxed well. Congratulations.  Hopefully they don’t rob you”. 

“I came up on the short end of the stick once again,” lamented Ortiz.  “Obviously we’ll go back to the drawing board, make some adjustments, and come back for another title shot.  The fans know what happened. The media knows, my team knows.  The whole world probably saw it my way, but the decision is already made. Boxrec and history will say that he won, but hopefully we get a rematch and I’ll make it more of a clear decision next time around.”

Jamaine Ortiz may not be coming home with the official win, but the fans, his peers and the world saw the Worcester native put on a boxing clinic as he showed up ‘The Showman’ in his own backyard. 

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.INFORMATIONCES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.
 


FOLLOW LOPEZ – ORTIZ LIVE!

Follow all the action as Teofimo Lopez defends the WBO Junior Welterweight world title against Jamaine Ortiz.  The action begins at 10:30 PM ET /7:30 PM with Keyshawn Davis fighting former world champion Jose Pedraza.

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12 ROUNDS–WBO JR. WLTERWEIGHT TITLE–TEOFIMO LOPEZ (19-1, 13 KOS) VS JAMAINE ORTIZ (17-1-1, 8 KOS)
ROUND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL
LOPEZ* 9 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 117
ORTIZ 10 9 9 10 10 9 9 9 10 9 9 9 112

ROUND 1 Good jab from Ortiz..

ROUND 2 Right from Lopez..Right

ROUND 3 Good right to body from Lopez..Good uppercut…Uppercut from Ortiz..Left..Right from Lopez..Good counter

ROUND 4 Good Right to body and sweeping left hook from Lopez…Digs to body and short right hand for Ortiz..Counter right hook

ROUND 5 

ROUND 6 Counter right from Lopez…Left from Ortiz..Counter right from Lopez..

ROUND 7 Blood from left eye of Ortiz (Accidental headutt)..Right from Lopez..Right uppercut…Blood coming from mouth of Ortiz

ROUND 8  Right hook from Ortiz..

ROUND 9 Combination from Ortiz

ROUND 10 Short uppercut on inside from Lopez..Hook..

ROUND 11 Double Right from Lopez..Straight left from Ortiz..

ROUND 12  Short Right from Lopez…Right..

117-111, 115-113 twice FOR LOPEZ

10 Rounds–Lightweights–Keyshawn Davis (9-0, 6 KOs) vs Jose Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs)
ROUND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL
Davis* 9 10 10 10 10 TKO 49
Pedraza 10 9 9 9 9 46

Round 1 Right from Pedraza…
Round 2 Good right from Davis…Left Hook..3 Punch combination..Right to the body..Right
Round 3 3 punch combination from Davis..Good combination..right hand and a left hook to the head…Double right to the body..Right and landing head shots.
Round 4  Doctor looking at right eye of Pedraza…
Round 5 Jab to the body from Davis…Right
Round 6 Good body shot from Davis..Right and is teeing off on Pedraza…Big right on the ROPES AND PEDRAZA IS BLOODY AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

ROUND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL

Round 1:

ROUND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL



Teofimo Lopez Decisions Ortiz; Retains Jr. Welterweight Title

It wasn’t pretty, but Teofimo Lopez won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jamaine Ortiz to retain his WBO Junior Welterweight title at the Michelob Ultra Arena inside Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The fight took it’s shape early as Ortiz wanted to circle the ring and not do much on offense. Lopez was following Ortiz around, but he was at least trying to make the fight. The fight was a frustrating watch, as the movement of Ortiz did not give Lopez any opportunities for sustained offense.

In round seven, Ortiz was cut above the left eye from an accidental headbutt In the same round, Lopez began to bleed from his mouth. The fight continued it’s defensive struggle theme as Lopez would land glancing blows, but it was more then what Ortiz was able amount.

Lopez landed 78 of 364 punches. Ortiz was 80 of 409.

Lopez, 139.6 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 117-111 and 115-113 twice to raise his record to 20-1. Ortiz, 139.6 lbs of Worcester, MA is 17-2-1.

Keyshawn Davis Stops Jose Pedraza in 6

Jose Pedraza remained undefeated bt stopping former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza in round six of their 10-round lightweight bout.

Davis was dominant from the second round on as he worked the body and that slowed the veteran Pedraza who was fighting at lightweight for the first time in four years.

In round six, Davis landed a body shot that set up a big right over the top that hurt Pedraza. Davis jumped on his prey and unloaded with some hard shots that forced Pedraza back on the ropes and the ref saved a bloody Pedraza as it was stopped at

Davis, 134.7 lbs of Norfolk, CA is 10-0 with seven knockouts. Pedraza, 134.5 lbs of Cidra, PR is 29-6-1.

Rene Tellez Giron won a eight-round unanimous decision over George Acosta in a lightweight bout.

In round five, Giron dropped Acosta with an overhand right. Giron was cut in the back of his head from a headbutt.

Giron landed 146 of 486 punches. Acosta was 125 of 422.

Giron, 132 lbs of Quertarro, MEX won by scores of 79-72, 78-73 and 76-75 and is now 19-3. Acosta, 131.3 lbs of Whittier, CA is 17-2.

Javier Martinez remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Raul Salomon in a middleweight bout.

Martinez, 161.6 lbs of Milwaukee, WI won by scores of 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 10-0-1. Salomon, 164.4 lbs of Long Beach, CA

Hot-Shot prospect Abdullah Mason scored a spectacular second round stoppage over Benjamin Gurment in round two of an eight round lightweight bout.

In round two, Mason landed three booming lefts that drove Gurment into the corner that was ruled a knockdown. The fighters met in the center in the ring and Mason landed a devastating left that put Gurment down on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:29.

Mason, 135.3 lbs is 12-0 with 10 knockouts. Gurment, 136.8 lbs of Fort Worth, TX is 8-1-3.

Charlie Sheehy remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Abdel Sauceda in lightweight bout.

Sheehy, 135.7 lbs of Brisbane, CA won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 9-0. Sauceda, 135.4 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 12-4.

Alan Garcia made short work of Tomas Ornelas by registering a 51 second knockout in a six-round lightweight bout.

Garcia dropped Ornelas in the opening seconds with a left hook. Garcia ended things with three punch combo that finished off by a left to the body and the fight was stopped at

Garcia, 136.6 lbs of Ulysses, KS is now 11-0 with nine knockouts. Ornelas, 134.6 lbs of Denver is now 7-4.

Lemir Isom-Riley stopped Antonio Zeoeda in round three of their six-round heavyweight bout.

In round three, Isom-Riley dropped Zepeda as Zepeda took a knee. Moments later, Isom-Riley scored a second knockdown after a flurry and the fight was stopped by the corner at 1:28.

Isom-Riley, 257 lbs of Harrisburg, PA is 4-2 with two knockdowns. Zepeda, 299.7 lbs of Las Vegas is 6-2.

Art Barrera Jr. stopped Michael Portales in the opening round of their four-round junior welterweight fight.

In round one, Barrera landed a huge left hook that put Portales on the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:41.

Barrera, 141 lbs of Linwoood, CA is 3-0 with three knockouts. Portales, 140 lbs of San Jose, CA is 3-3-1.



Jamaine Ortiz plans to outshine the Showman on ESPN Tonight

LAS VEGAS, NV – Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) is in the biggest fight of his career as he challenges Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) for his Ring and WBO Junior Welterweight titles from the Michelob Ultra Arena and live on ESPN tonight.

Over the past few months, the Worcester, MA native had been campaigning for a high-profile bout against the top names of the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions.  From Shakur Stevenson to Devin Haney, Ortiz looked to match his skills against the best fighters in the world.  It was an old rival, however, who finally accepted the challenge.

“To be honest, I don’t know how this fight came to be,” admitted Ortiz on The Final Bell podcast only 9 days from fight night.  “I saw Teofimo at the Benavidez vs. Andrade fight, and a few weeks later, I got the call.”

The fight has all the makings of a classic at a time when the sporting world’s attention is on Las Vegas. Only 3 days before Super Bowl LVIII and just down the strip from where the game will be played, 2 Latin-American fighters from the Northeast will face off for junior welterweight supremacy. 

“It’s a rivalry in the sense that we fought in the past,” says the 27-year-old, referencing their 2015 encounter when Lopez decisioned him to win the National Golden Gloves. “It was a very competitive fight, and we gotta get even on that”.

Both fighters subsequently turned pro at lightweight, with Lopez fighting under the Top Rank banner while Ortiz signed with CES Boxing. 

Lopez’s ascent to championship gold came quicker, with the Brooklyn native knocking out then IBF champion Richard Commey in 2019 and following that up with a decision win over Vasyl Lomachenko to add the WBA and WBO straps to his ledger. ‘The Takeover’ lost his lightweight belts in his next outing to Aussie upstart George Kambosos.  It was his last fight at lightweight, as the 26-year-old moved up to junior welterweight for 2 bouts before dominating Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor over 12 rounds at Madison Square Garden last year. 

Ortiz took a similar route.  ‘The Technician’ burst onto the national scene with a dominant victory over former WBO Super Featherweight champion Jamel Herring in 2022.  He followed up that impressive victory with a close decision loss to Lomachenko later that year. Despite the loss, Ortiz was given high praise from the media and Lomachenko, who recognized Jamaine as his toughest opponent to date.

Now co-promoted by Top Rank in addition to CES Boxing, Ortiz moved up to junior welterweight last year, outboxing Mexican veteran Antonio Moran over 10 rounds.  This set the stage for a showdown against Lopez, one of the biggest showmen of the sport.

“He’s a great fighter,” admits Ortiz of Teofimo.  “I think he’s the best at 140 right now. I feel like it’s a harder challenge [than Stevenson and Haney], but I can’t take anything away from the guys at the top. They’re world champions for a reason.  It takes a lot to get there, but I feel like once I beat Teofimo, I’ll be the top guy”.

The Technician sees a lot of similarities between himself and Lopez.  In fact, he believes that a key difference in the fight will be how Teofimo will react when faced with an opponent with similar qualities and strengths.

“There’s a lot more similarities,” says Ortiz, “but the key difference is gonna be who stays under control, and I feel like I’m always under control”.

Indeed, while Lopez can be as unpredictable outside of the ring as he is dynamic in the ring, the Worcester native of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent has a calm, cool demeanor that is more reminiscent of Miguel Cotto than of Feliz Trinidad.

However, that laid back nature does not mean that he is not as fast, tenacious, and technical as any fighter in the world, as Vasyl Lomachenko found out in their encounter.   

“I don’t think Teofimo really faced another fighter who’s explosive,” agrees Ortiz.  “A fighter who likes to jump off their feet to punch like he does.  He’s gonna have challenges with my speed and my movement.  I think it’s gonna be a surprise for him when what he’s used to doing to others is being done to him”.

When asked if he believes that Lopez is fully focused on him, Ortiz dispels any notion that ‘The Takeover’ is looking ahead to fights against Terrence Crawford or Shakur Stevenson.

“I’m preparing like he’s focused 100% on me,” says Ortiz. “I don’t care what he says on social media. I know my focus is on him, and my preparation is for the best version of him. My eyes are locked in on him like as if his eyes are locked in on me, even if that’s not the case.  That’s how I’m coming.”

If his words are any indication, Lopez is sure to encounter an inspired Ortiz who is fully determined to bring the world championship back to Worcester, where his city will celebrate their newest champion.

“All the hard work has been done, and now we’re just putting everything together,” says Ortiz.  “I’m excited to fight for my first world title and ready to put on a show. You’re gonna see fireworks.  My whole city is behind me and they’re gonna have a nice celebration for me when I come back as champion. You’re not going to want to miss this fight.”

“The Showman Returns: Teofimo vs. Ortiz” takes place at 8:30pm tonight from the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas and live on ESPN.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.


VIDEO: Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz | WEIGH-IN



 Weigh-In Results: Teofimo Lopez vs. Jamaine Ortiz

 •  Teofimo Lopez 139.6 lbs. vs. Jamaine Ortiz 139.6 lbs
(Lopez’s WBO/Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight World Titles – 12 Rounds)

   •  Keyshawn Davis 134.7 lbs vs. Jose Pedraza 134.5 lbs
(Lightweight — 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

•  George Acosta 131.3 lbs vs. Rene Tellez Giron 132 lbs
 (Lightweight —8 Rounds)

•  Javier Martinez 161.6 lbs vs. Raul Salomon 164.4 lbs
 (Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Abdullah Mason 135.3 lbs vs. Benjamin Gurment 136.8 lbs
 (Lightweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Charlie Sheehy 135.7 lbs vs. Abdel Sauceda 135.4 lbs
 (Lightweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Alan Garcia 136.6 lbs vs. Tomas Ornelas 134.6 lbs
 (Lightweight — 6 Rounds)

•   Antonio Zepeda 299.7 lbs vs. Lemir Isom-Riley 257 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 6 Rounds)

•   Art Barrera Jr. 141 lbs vs. Michael Portales 140 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 4 Rounds)



VIDEO: Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz | PRESS CONFERENCE



Press Conference Notes: Teofimo Lopez-Jamaine Ortiz Junior Welterweight World Title Battle Kicks Off Big Game Weekend

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Feb. 6, 2024) — The “Showman” is ready to kick off Big Game Weekend by settling unfinished business. 

Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight titles against Jamaine Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) on Thursday, Feb. 8, at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (9-0, 6 KOs) faces Puerto Rican former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs).

Lopez-Ortiz & Davis-Pedraza will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT

The ESPN+-streamed undercard (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT) will feature a gamut of up-and-coming talents:

Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (9-0-1, 3 KOs) will take on Raul Salomon (12-2, 10 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight clash.

Unbeaten lightweights Abdullah Mason (11-0, 9 KOs) and Charlie Sheehy (8-0, 5 KOs) will return in separate eight-round fights. Mason will square off against Benjamin Gurment (8-0-3, 5 KOs), while Sheehy faces Abdel Sauceda (12-3, 8 KOs).

Lightweight prospect Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia (10-0, 8 KOs) will risk his unbeaten record in a six-rounder versus Tomas Ornelas (7-3, 5 KOs).

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Takeover Promotions and CES Boxing, tickets are on sale now at AXS.com. 

At Tuesday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Teofimo Lopez

“I’m the big clown of the sport of boxing. I’ve got to make everyone laugh. I’ve got a big nose for a reason.”

“It’s great to be back. I’m glad to see the talents coming through. But this is only the beginning for me. I’m 26 years young. I’m not even in my prime yet.”

“We have a tremendous dance partner. He’s wanted this fight for awhile. And we’ll do our thing.”

“I’ve been to the top before at 135, beating the most decorated fighter at the time. Nobody wanted to face him. Now we’re back again. I beat the guy nobody wanted to fight again. So, I’ve looked it as I’ve gained it, lost it and I’ve gained it back again. I know what it takes to be great, which means to respect the ring and respect what it means to be a champion.”

Jamaine Ortiz

“There hasn’t been respect. It’s a fight. I’m coming here to take his head off. It is what it is.
There is a calm before the storm. you’ve got to know to keep control of your mind and body, especially before you go into battle.”

“I feel like I’m going to be the guy having the clown do whatever I want to do. It’s going to be that kind of show.”

“When I win Thursday night, it’s going to be a great night. I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life. It will be the day I became a world champion. It will be another step in my goal to getting other great fights and to continue building my legacy.”  

Keyshawn Davis

“Pedraza said that he has all the experience. And he did fight a lot of great fighters. But he hasn’t fought me before. I don’t care about all the experience he has because he hasn’t fought me yet. So he’s going to see everything I bring to the table.”

“He’s a great fighter. He’s been in a lot of great fights for the sport of boxing. And I believe he’s good for the sport of boxing. But I feel like he’s got the biggest challenge yet in front of him. A young, hungry, real fighter. When that bell starts, I won’t be here to play. It’s going to be an action-packed fight. I’m definitely coming out victorious, but the fans are going to be the winners that night.”Jose Pedraza

“At this point of my career, it doesn’t matter who is my opponent. Keyshawn Davis is an excellent boxer. He doesn’t have the experience that I do in professional boxing, but he had a great trajectory in amateur boxing. He is an excellent boxer. It doesn’t matter what the record is. You have to face those challenges. It doesn’t matter if he’s a prospect, a veteran or a contender. You have to accept it. Let’s fight.”

“I prepared very well for this fight. I’ve come to do my job. I don’t look the result. But don’t misinterpret me. I do expect a great victory. But I don’t expect a particular result. I simply go to do a good job for the fans, so that they can leave happy.”Javier Martinez

“I represent Milwaukee so much because there aren’t a lot of boxers who come out of there. There’s actually a lot of talent there. But a lot don’t make it out. They don’t get those opportunities. So, I represent for them.”

Abdullah Mason

“It’s amazing. Everybody in my family pushes each other to be better. Not just in boxing. But to be better brothers and family members.”

“I’m going to take advantage of this spotlight. And I’m going to get hungrier and hungrier. We’re on our way to the top.”

Charlie Sheehy

“I love fighting in Las Vegas. I always dreamed of fighting here as a kid, so to be here where great fighters have been is good. I want to come out an execute a great boxing game plan. I want to hit and not get hit. I’ve been working with my trainer, Javiel Centeno, so hopefully you will all see improvements in this fight.”

Alan Garcia

“I always stay in the gym. I like to continue learning. I stay disciplined and do anything to keep my body ready. Staying focused is never a problem for me. I know what I’m here to do.”

Thursday, February 8
 

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT)
 

Teofimo Lopez vs. Jamaine Ortiz, 12 rounds, Lopez’s WBO and Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight World Titles 

Keyshawn Davis vs. Jose Pedraza, 10 rounds, lightweight
 

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)
 

George Acosta vs. Rene Tellez Giron, 8 rounds, lightweight 

Javier Martinez vs. Raul Salomon, 8 rounds, middleweight 

Abdullah Mason vs. Benjamin Gurment, 8 rounds, lightweight

Charlie Sheehy vs. Abdel Sauceda, 8 rounds, lightweight 

Alan Garcia vs. Tomas Ornelas, 6 rounds, lightweight

Antonio Zepeda vs. Lemir Isom-Riley, 6 rounds, heavyweight 

Art Barrera Jr. vs. Michael Portales, 4 rounds, junior welterweight



VIDEO: Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz | OPEN WORKOUT



Media Workout: Teofimo Lopez and Jamaine Ortiz Prepare for Junior Welterweight World Title Showdown

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 5, 2024) — Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) and Jamaine Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) hosted their public workouts today ahead of their showdown for Lopez’s WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight world titles this Thursday, Feb. 8 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (9-0, 6 KOs) faces Puerto Rican former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs).
 
Lopez-Ortiz and Davis-Pedraza will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Undercard action, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, will include the following fights:

George Acosta vs. Rene Tellez Giron, 8 rounds, lightweight

Javier Martinez vs. Raul Salomon, 8 rounds, middleweight

Abdullah Mason vs. Benjamin Gurment, 8 rounds, lightweight

Charlie Sheehy vs. Abdel Sauceda, 8 rounds, lightweight

Alan Garcia vs. Tomas Ornelas, 6 rounds, lightweight

Antonio Zepeda vs. Lemir Isom-Riley, 6 rounds, heavyweight 

Art Barrera Jr. vs. Michael Portales, 4 rounds, junior welterweight

This is what the fighters had to say:

Teofimo Lopez

“It’s a super fight. It’s great to be back. I’m here to do it for everyone and the next generation. I’m excited. Everybody is here to see greatness.”

“Talk is cheap. He can say what he wants, but it’s a lot different when they feel these punches. I love guys like him who think they can take this. But I’m ‘The Takeover.’”

“I’m not one dimensional. I’m universal. I’ve got plans from A to Z. I’ve been training since last August. So, I’m ready.”

Jamaine Ortiz

“I’m feeling great. I’m ready to put on a show and have some fun. That’s all I’m here to do, to have some fun. I’m excited to be crowned world champion. My time is coming. This Thursday, I will be crowned the new champ at 140.”

“I’m bringing my heart. I’m bringing everything, my soul, my whole body. I’m willing to risk my life in the ring. He beat me before. I still have that in mind. So, I’m going to avenge that loss.”

Keyshawn Davis

“I feel excited. I feel good. I can’t wait for Thursday. I’m looking forward to an amazing performance. I’m trying to stop Pedraza. He’s only been stopped once, by another Davis. Now it’s going to happen with a Davis from a new generation. I feel like this is my breakout fight. It’s going to put me at the top level.“

“He has experience, but I’ve dealt with that before. It doesn’t make a difference. It’s just another fighter and another opponent coming to win. This is going to be a fight. I finally feel like I’m going to be in there with someone who can really fight. Whatever game plan he has, I feel like he’s going to test me. And I’m going to rise to the occasion.”

Jose Pedraza 

“It’s been a year since I fought, so I’m happy to be back. I can’t wait to fight Keyshawn Davis.”

“Keyshawn is an excellent boxer, but I have more  experience. He has a lot of experience, too, but as an amateur. He has a typical North American style, so I expect a good fight from him.”

“I feel stronger at lightweight. This is my division. When I moved up to junior welterweight, it wasn’t because I couldn’t make the weight. I had a goal of becoming a three-weight world champion.”

Alan Garcia

“I’m very excited to be on another great Top Rank card. I’m ready to show what a kid from Kansas can do. In every camp, I work on hurting my opponent, but I’m always prepared to go the distance.”

Charlie Sheehy

“I feel good to be fighting in my first eight-rounder. I’m meant for more rounds as I’ll be able to finally implement a game plan and break people down.”

Abdullah Mason

“I’ve been ready to fight eight rounds for a while now. I’m looking forward to longer fights and more durable opponents so I can work towards breaking them down.”

Javier Martinez

“I’ve watched a lot of film, and I’m prepared to do what I gotta do. I don’t like to predict. But with the way I’ve prepared, I’ll be looking to finish it soon.”



Teofimo Lopez: “There Will Definitely Be A Knockout!”

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 2, 2024) —The Showman is ready to deliver a spectacle.

Teofimo Lopez will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight world titles against Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday, Feb. 8 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis steps up against former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Takeover Promotions and CES Boxing, tickets are on sale now at AXS.com. 
 
Lopez-Ortiz and Davis-Pedraza will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) captured the IBF lightweight world title in December 2019 via second-round knockout victory against Richard Commey. In October 2020, he beat Vasiliy Lomachenko to securing the WBA, WBO, and WBC Franchise titles, but lost them to George Kambosos Jr. by a stunning split decision 13 months later. He moved up to junior welterweight with a seventh-round TKO against Pedro Campa in August 2022 and defeated Sandor Martin via split decision that December. In his last fight, Lopez shocked the boxing world by defeating former undisputed champ Josh Taylor to earn the WBO and Ring Magazine titles. 

Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) dropped a competitive 12-round decision to pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2022 before returning 11 months later to secure a 10-round decision over Antonio Moran in his junior welterweight debut.

Following a recent training session at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas, this is what Lopez had to say:

“Before all of this and before I fought Josh Taylor, I used to take a break. I used to not really train so much. I used to not always be in the gym. But after I got everything back and became a two-division world champion, I started staying in the gym. My trainer, who is my father, always wanted me to stay in the gym. So, I started doing that last August. Since then, I’ve gotten faster. I’ve gotten much stronger. My I.Q. is much sharper. And it’s because I haven’t stopped training since August of last year. And I’m not going to stop. After I beat Jamaine Ortiz, then I will keep staying in the gym.”
 
“The end result is that ‘The Showman’ is returning. There will definitely be a knockout. It’s not going the distance. I’m not going to leave it in the judges’ hands at all. So, everyone tune in, and get your popcorn ready.”
 
“It’s been a long journey. And I know what it takes. I don’t want to be known as a fighter who knows how to get to the top but doesn’t know how to keep it. So, I want everyone to tune in so they can see how much I truly love the sport of boxing.”
 



Jamaine Ortiz: “I’m Ready To Be World Champion!”

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 1, 2024) — Jamaine Ortiz is ready to settle unfinished business on the biggest stage of his career.

Ortiz will challenge WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez on Thursday, Feb. 8 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis steps up against former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Takeover Promotions and CES Boxing, tickets are on sale now at AXS.com. 

Lopez-Ortiz and Davis-Pedraza will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs), from Worcester, Massachusetts, enters his first world championship opportunity riding a wave of momentum. At lightweight, he defeated top contender Nahir Albright and former world champion Jamel Herring in consecutive fights before dropping a competitive 12-round decision to pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2022. Almost 11 months after the Lomachenko defeat, he secured a 10-round decision over Antonio Moran.

Following a recent training session at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas, this is what Ortiz had to say:

“I can do a lot of things in the ring that people haven’t seen yet. On February 8, people are going to see what I can do in there. When the opposition is better, I fight better, and I believe Teofimo Lopez is going to bring the best out of me. I’m going to show my skills and athleticism on fight night.”

“I think I’m more athletic and have more speed than Teofimo. I have a better jab and movement. I have a lot of advantages that will show when we fight.”

“I’m ready to be world champion. I didn’t want any more tune-up fights. I demanded the big fights, and this is a big fight. I’m here to build a legacy in the sport, and this is a legacy fight.”

“I feel great at 140 pounds. I don’t need to sacrifice as much as I did when I fought at lightweight. I’m going to feel a lot better in the ring, and that is going to show in my performance on February 8.”



Top Rank Presents Action-Packed Double Header: Lopez vs. Ortiz, Davis vs. Pedraza, Thurs., Feb. 8 at 10:30p

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by AutoZone: Lopez vs. Ortiz will be presented live this Thursday, February 8, at 10:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. PT, on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ from Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. This special Thursday night event precedes Super Bowl LVIII, which unfolds Sunday, February 11 at Allegiant Stadium. This marks the first time the championship will be hosted in Las Vegas and features a showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

In the main event, lineal junior welterweight champion, Teofimo Lopez, will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine titles against Jamaine Ortiz.

Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) moved up to junior welterweight in August 2022 with a seventh-round TKO against Pedro Campa and a split decision over Spanish southpaw Sandor Martin that December. In his latest display of exceptional skill, Lopez upset former undisputed champion Josh Taylor to capture the WBO and Ring Magazine titles last June. Competing in his first world title bout, Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs), a seven-year pro from Worcester, Massachusetts, is coming off a one-sided points verdict win over Antonio Moran last September. In 2022, Ortiz won two out of three including a victory over former world champion Jamel “Semper Fi’ Herring before giving former pound-for-pound king Vasilily Lomachenko all he could handle across 12 rounds in a close decision loss.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis faces Puerto Rican former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza.

Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, has graduated from prospect to contender and is inching closer to a world title opportunity. He had a standout 2023, including a devastating ninth-round TKO over former world title challenger Anthony Yigit.

Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs), captured the WBO lightweight world title in August 2018. After losing the title in a unification showdown against Lomachenko, he moved up to 140 pounds. Pedraza returns to the lightweight division in hopes of another world title run.

Undercard action exclusively on ESPN+ begins at 6:25 p.m. ET/ 3:25 p.m. PT and features a wide range of up-and-coming talent.

Calling the action will be ESPN’s Joe Tessitore, Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna. 

Ahead of the blockbuster Top Rank event on February 8, ESPN will air three new original programs:

Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz

Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits

Pressure: Keyshawn Davis

  • Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz: a 30-minute all-access preview that will take fight fans inside both training camps ahead of the Jr. Welterweight World Championship main event.  Two-division world titlist and current WBO junior welterweight king Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KO) defends his crown against Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KO).
  • Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits: a 30-minute retrospective hosted by Crystina Poncher including the biggest fights and moments so far in Teofimo’s young career. Fight fans will get to re-live the highlight-reel knockouts that set Lopez on a fast track to superstardom, including the night Lopez won his first world championship at Madison Square Garden against Richard Commey, the moment he became a pound-for-pound force and unified world champion over Vasiliy Lomachenko, and his most recent masterclass against former undisputed champion Josh Taylor.
  • Pressure: Keyshawn Davis: a 30-minute look back at the most recent outing for one of Top Rank’s brightest blue-chip prospects. The show features a fight-night peek behind the curtain at “The Businessman” from his October 14th featured bout in the Lone Star State on the Janibek-Gualtieri undercard. Davis returns to action against former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KO).

 Original Programming (All Times ET)

Date Program Network Time
Sat., Feb 3  Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz ESPN 2 8:00 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 8:30 a.m.
Sun., Feb 4  Pressure: Keyshawn Davis 12:30 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz ESPN2 1:00 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 1:30 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz 3:00 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 3:30 a.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis ESPNEWS 5:30 a.m.
Mon., Feb 5  Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz ESPN2 1:00 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 1:30 a.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis 2:00 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz 5:30 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz ESPNEWS 8:00 p.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 8:30 p.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis 10:00 p.m.
Tues., Feb 6  Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz ESPNEWS 12:00 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 12:30 a.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis 1:00 a.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis ESPN2 4:30 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 5:00 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz 5:30 a.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis ESPNEWS 8:00 p.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz 10:00 p.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 10:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb 7  Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits ESPNEWS 1:00 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz ESPN2 3:30 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz ESPNEWS 10:00 p.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 10:30 p.m.
Thurs., Feb 8  Pressure: Keyshawn Davis ESPNEWS 12:30 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz 1:00 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 1:30 a.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis 8:30 a.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 9:00 a.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz 9:30 a.m.
Pressure: Keyshawn Davis 7:00 p.m.
Teofimo Lopez: Greatest Hits 7:30 p.m.
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Lopez vs. Ortiz 8:00 p.m.

ESPN.com: Bradley’s Breakdown ahead of the fight.

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

Lopez vs. Ortiz (All Times ET)

Date Time Event Fights Title Platform
Tue. Feb 6 3 p.m. Main Event Press Conference — —  ESPN+
Wed. Feb 7 3 p.m. Weigh-in — —
Thu. Feb 8 10:30 p.m. Main Teofimo Lopez (C) vs. Jamaine Ortiz WBO Jr. Welterweight ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+ (simulcast) 
Co-Feature Keyshawn Davis vs. Jose Pedraza —
6:25 p.m. Feature George Acosta vs. Rene Tellez Giron   ESPN+
Undercard Javier Martinez vs. Raul Salomon
Undercard Abdullah Mason vs. Benjamin Gurment
Undercard Charlie Sheehy vs. Abdel Sauceda
Undercard Alan Garcia vs. Tomas Ornelas
Undercard Art Barrera Jr. vs. Michael Portales
Undercard Antonio Zepeda vs. Lemir Isom-Rile


February 8: Teofimo Lopez-Jamaine Ortiz & Keyshawn Davis-Jose Pedraza Doubleheader Kicks Off Big Game Weekend at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (Jan. 4, 2024) — The lineal junior welterweight king is ready for a super show.

Teofimo Lopez will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine titles against Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday, Feb. 8, at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Lopez-Ortiz headlines an action-packed televised doubleheader that kicks off Big Game Weekend.

In the 10-round lightweight co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis faces Puerto Rican former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza. 

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Takeover Promotions and CES Boxing, tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at AXS.com. 

Lopez-Ortiz and Davis-Pedraza will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

“Teofimo Lopez is among the best fighters in the world and always wants to fight the best available opponent. Jamaine Ortiz is a supreme talent who fits the bill,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I believe Keyshawn Davis is a future world champion, but you can never count out a skilled two-weight world champion like Jose Pedraza. What a fantastic doubleheader for the fans watching on ESPN and at Michelob ULTRA Arena.”

Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) captured the IBF lightweight world title by defeating Richard Commey via second-round knockout in December 2019. The following October, he bested pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko to win the WBA, WBO, and WBC Franchise titles. Thirteen months later, he lost the belts via shocking split decision to George Kambosos Jr. The 26-year-old then moved up to junior welterweight in August 2022 with a seventh-round TKO against Pedro Campa and a split decision over Spanish southpaw Sandor Martin that December. In his latest fistic tour de force, Lopez upset former undisputed champion Josh Taylor to capture the WBO and Ring Magazine titles.

Lopez said. “February 8 at Mandalay Bay, ‘The Takeover’ will entertain inside that squared circle as only I can! To the boxing fans around the world, I look to not only dominate and break down Jamaine Ortiz, but to do it in such a fashion that my division will be put on alert.“

“Jamaine is tough. I would know, because I faced him back in the amateur days in 2015 for the National Golden Gloves Championship. I’ll show the world that champions don’t flinch when faced with challenges. They rise and shine the brightest when the stakes are highest. This one is for all my people on the Takeover Express! Let’s show the world once again what real boxing looks like.”

Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs), a seven-year pro, secured the NABF lightweight title by outpointing Nahir Albright in February 2022. The Worcester, Massachusetts, native then notched a decision win against former world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring that May and rounded off the year with an exceptional showing against Lomachenko. Ortiz dropped the tightly contested battle to “Loma” by unanimous decision but responded with a one-sided points verdict over Antonio Moran in September.

Ortiz said, “This is the most important fight of my career. It’s my first world title bout. I believe this fight will bring out the very best in me, and I’m looking forward to coming home as the new champion!”

Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), from Norfolk, Virginia, has graduated from prospect to contender and is inching closer to a world title opportunity. After going 3-0 as a pro, he captured a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In November 2021, he signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank and has since tallied six victories. He had an active 2023 in which he stopped Anthony Yigit via ninth-round TKO in April and shut out Francesco Patera by 10-round decision in July. In October, he bested Philadelphia-born contender Nahir Albright by majority decision that was later ruled a no contest by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation due to a positive marijuana test.

“I have all the respect in the world for Jose Pedraza and what he’s accomplished in the pro game,” Davis said. “This is type of step up I need to get to the next level, and I know Pedraza will bring his A-game. It’s his last chance to get back to title contention, but I won’t let that happen. I will show out for the fans in Las Vegas and everyone watching on ESPN.”

Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, won the IBF junior lightweight world title against Andrey Klimov in June 2015 and made title defenses against Edner Cherry and Stephen Smith. He captured the WBO lightweight world title against Rey Beltran in August 2018. After losing the title in a unification showdown against Lomachenko, he moved up to 140 pounds, where he a faced the likes of Jose Zepeda, Jose Ramirez, Richard Commey, Lindolfo Delgado and Arnold Barboza Jr. Pedraza returns to the lightweight division in hopes of another world title run.

Pedraza said, “Keyshawn Davis is going to experience what it’s like to face a two-division world champion. He’s never faced a boxer of my caliber, nor has he faced anyone even close to the caliber of my toughest opponents. He wants to continue climbing up the ranks, but on February 8, he’ll be falling off the ladder.”

The ESPN+-streamed undercard features a gamut of up-and-coming talents.

19-year-old lightweight phenom, Emiliano Fernando Vargas (8-0, 7 KOs), son of former junior middleweight world champion Fernando Vargas, will see action in a six-round clash against Tomas Ornelas (7-3, 5 KOs). Vargas went 6-0 with five knockouts in his sophomore year as a pro and is coming off a second-round destruction of Brandon Mendoza in November at T-Mobile Arena.

Lightweight prodigy Abdullah Mason (11-0, 9 KOs) will fight Benjamin Gurment (8-0-3, 5 KOs) in his first scheduled eight-rounder. Mason will look to capitalize on his 5-0 2023 campaign, which included a second-round TKO versus Jose Cardenas in November. 

Unbeaten middleweight Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (9-0-1, 3 KOs) will take on Raul Salomon (12-2, 10 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Martinez dropped Isaiah Wise three times en route to a first-round knockout in November. 

Former Team USA amateur standout Charlie Sheehy (8-0, 5 KOs) will step up to the eight-round distance for the first time. Sheehy vanquished Jesus Vasquez Jr. by unanimous decision in November. 

Unbeaten lightweight prospect Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia (10-0, 8 KOs), the power-punching dynamo from Ulysses, Kansas, sees action in a six-rounder.

Former national amateur champion Art Barrera Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) returns to the ring in a four-round junior welterweight fight. 



PROGRAIS TELLS LOPEZ – “DON’T RETIRE, FIGHT ME” 

Regis Prograis has vowed to defend his WBC World Super-Lightweight title in style against Danielito Zorrillaat the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN – and then target unification bouts with his fellow champions, with Teofimo Lopez at the top of the list.
 TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.COM
Prograis (28-1 24 KOs) defends his strap for the first time after becoming a two-time World champion after stopping Jose Zepeda in California in November, and ‘Rougarou’ faces Zorrilla (17-1 13 KOs) in a long-awaited return to his New Orleans hometown.
 
Lopez joined Prograis as a title holder at 140lbs on Saturday in New York with a composed performance against Prograis’ old foe Josh Taylor, but the Brooklyn man has hinted at walking away from the sport following the victory at Madison Square Garden.
 
Prograis has insisted all his focus is on the dangerous Puerto Rican challenger on Saturday, but the 34 year old was full of praise for Lopez’s performance, and hopes that the pair can meet in a unification clash, one that was predicted by the maverick Teofimo Lopez Sr five years ago.
 
“I wanted Josh to win so I could fight him again, but now, I just have got to fight Teofimo,” said Prograis. “I know he’s saying he’s retired but I hope he is not. I think that would be a huge fight and we must do it.
 
“There was a video in 2018 with me, Teo and his Dad, and his Dad was saying ‘you and my son are going to fight one day, and you are going to be rich’. So, he called it a long time ago and its still true right to this day, more than ever now. 
 
“Teo fought on my undercard in New Orleans back in 2018, we just must get that fight. I am not taking my eyes of Zorrilla, but if I can get the win and hopefully Teo is not retired, we can get it on.
 
“I always thought that Teo is a great fighter. When he was sat 135, I thought he was the best of the lot. He’s explosive, he’s got power, he can box. So, I would never look past a fighter of his caliber, but I still believe I whoop him.
 
“I think he’s frustrated. I don’t think he’s going to retire. If he fought me, he’d probably get ten times what he got for the Taylor fight. There are too many big fights out there for him. He’s going through some things, he can fight for sure, but there’s some things going on for him outside the ring. If he only made $1million to fight the former undisputed champion, it makes no sense, but he won’t walk away – he likes money, his Dad likes money, so that’s how he was feeling right away, you can’t walk away after the biggest fight of his life.
 
“It’s between Teo and Subriel Matias as to who would be the harder fight, it’s not Rolly Romero. I don’t know if Teo could stand up to what I give him, even though he did with Josh, I feel I’m a bigger and sharped puncher than Josh though. Matias is tough, but he’s been hurt before and by a lesser guy than me. So, I don’t know if he could stand up to me either, but hopefully I can get to fight at least one of them.
 
“I’ve always wanted to fight Jack Catterall. I want the Lopez fight more as he’s just beaten Josh and he has the belt. But I’ve always wanted to face Jack, so we’ll see what happens. I need to get past Zorrilla on Saturday and after that, I’ll talk to Eddie, and we’ll see what is next.
 
“It was good for boxing, two fighters that needed that win, they were both coming off performances that meant they needed to win. I’m not going to lie, I doubted Teo, I thought he was going to lose, but Teo just went out and did his thing. I take my hat off to him and congratulate him on his win. I wouldn’t say Josh is washed up, I don’t know if he’s shot, he didn’t look good though and Teo had every answer for him. 
 
“Josh just couldn’t hit him often with big shots, and even when he did hit him with some left hands and uppercuts, it didn’t have any effect on Teo. Josh couldn’t touch Teo too much because he was being slick, and even when he did, nothing happened or worked for Josh. Around the fourth round I think I had it level, but after that Teo got into his groove and his rhythm and took over.
 
“I was surprised that Teo was able to rock Josh in the later rounds and honestly, he made Josh look ordinary, he really did. I don’t know if it was because of Teo or because of Josh, if he’s shot, I don’t know. He didn’t look like a former undisputed champion in there.”
 
Prograis defends his World title on a stacked night of action in New Orleans. 
 
Unbeaten pair Shakhram Giyasov (13-0 9 KOs) and Harold Calderon (27-0 18 KOs) meet in an eliminator for the WBA Welterweight crown and Ramla Ali (8-0 2 KOs) defends her IBF Intercontinental Super-Featherweight title against Julissa Guzman (12-2-2 6 KOs).
 
Criztec Bazaldua (1-0) kicks off the night on Before the Bell against Elroy Fruto (1-1) over four rounds at Lightweight, Aaron Aponte (7-0-1 2 KOs) meets Xavier Madrid (4-2 2 KOs) over eight at Super-Lightweight, there’s an all-Lousiana bout between New Orleans’ Jeremy Hill (18-3 11 KOs) takes on Baton Rouge’s Mark Davis (19-1 5 KOs) over eight at Lightweight, and Houston-based 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (2-0 1 KO), being advised by Prograis, fights for the third time in the paid ranks on the card against Indeya Smith (6-7-2 1 KO) over eight rounds at Super-Flyweight.


Teofimo Takes over Junior Welterweight

NEW YORK (JUNE 13, 2023) – NEW YORK–Teofimo Lopez became a two-division world champion with an emphatic 12-round unanimous decision over Josh Taylor to win the WBO Junior Welterweight title before a Madison Square Garden Theater record crowd of 5,151.

“Teofimo’s win further cements his status as the true phenom of this era. His skill set, and ring IQ are unchallenged. He’s simply amazing,” said David McWater, President of Split-T Management.

The fight began at a fast pace with Taylor working the body. Lopez was able to land some “show me” right hands. Lopez started to foreshadow things to come by landing quick and pinpoint right hands that were able to stop Taylor in his tracks. That assault came in rounds three through five, with round four being a big frame for “The Takeover” as he rocked Taylor. The two fighters took turns over the next four-rounds.

Lopez was terrific over the next three rounds as he was dominant as hand speed proved to be too much. His right hand continuously found a home on the face of Taylor. In round 12, Lopez sealed the deal by hurting Taylor twice, with the latter being from a perfect right to the body that hurt Taylor.

Lopez, who was the undisputed lightweight champion, becomes a two-weight division champ by scores of 117-111 and 115-113 and is now 19-1. Taylor of Scotland is 19-1.

Lopez Post Fight Quotes: “It’s been a long time coming. We just beat the Number 1 guy. The lineal world champion. The former undisputed world champion.”

“I think let my emotions get the best of me. I do not want to take your life. I want to you to go back to your family. I apologize as a man.

“Josh Taylor is a tough dude. I can see why he beat so many fighters. But you’ve got to counter the counterpuncher. You’ve got to outsmart the man and get in there. And I did that. I think I did enough. This is what it is all about. I questioned myself for a good reason. You guys don’t understand. I’ve always been my worst critic. And you guys got a little glimpse of it. But I’ve just got to ask you one thing, and one thing only. Do I still got it?”

“I’m so grateful. This was a bout fixing what we needed to. That’s why I don’t leave my coach. I trust in him a lot.”

My next battle is in court for my son. That’s my next battle. I’m not really focused on who I’m going to fight next.”

Omar Rosario remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Jan Carlos Rivera in a junior welterweight bout.

Rosario, 139.2 lbs of Caguas, PR won by scores of 77-75 and is now 11-0. Rivera, 138.4 lbs of Vieques, PR is 8-2.

Lopez and Rosario are promoted by Top Rank.



Speed Kills; Lopez Decisions Taylor to win Jr. Welterweight Title

NEW YORK–Teofimo Lopez became a two-division world champion with an emphatic 12-round unanimous decision over Josh Taylor to win the WBO Junior Welterweight title before a Madison Square Garden record crowd of 5,151.

The fight began with a fast pace with Taylor working the body. Lopez was able to land some “show me” right hands. Lopez started to foreshadow of things to come by landing quick and pinpoint right hands that was able to stop Taylor in his tracks. That assault came in rounds three through five, with round four being a big frame for “The Takeover” as he rocked Taylor. The two fighters took turns over the next four-rounds.

Lopez was terrific over the next three rounds as he dominant as hand speed proved to be too much. His right hand continuously found a home on the face of Taylor. In round 12, Lopez sealed the deal by hurting Taylor twice, with the latter being from a perfect right to the body that hurt Taylor.

Lopez, who was the undisputed lightweight champion, becomes a two-weight division champ by scores of 117-111 and 115-113 and is now 19-1. Taylor of Scotland is 19-1.

Xander Zayas remained undefeated by stopping Ronald Cruz in a eight-round junior middleweight bout.

Zayas dropped Cruz in the opening seconds with a powerful right hand. Zayas dominated the action and landed several hard flurry that had Cruz reeling on the ropes.

Zayas, 152.8 lbs of San Juan, PR won by scores of 80-71 on all cards and is now 16-0. Cruz, 152.4 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 18-3-1.

Said Zayas, “Thank you to all my Puerto Rican fans and to everyone that came out. This is a dream come true. I’m very happy to have fought during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. He was a tough guy. I was hitting him with everything. He didn’t want to go down. He was here to fight. He was motivated. He was tough. But we passed with flying colors. Unanimous decision. And we made the adjustments we needed to do.”

“He brought out the dog in me. I had to dig deep. I had to stay focused. I had to listen to my corner. And most importantly I had to have fun, which was the most important part. I had the crowd here cheering for me, so I was trying to stay as focused as possible.”

Robson Conceicao and Nicolas Polanco fought to a no-decision as a headbutt in round two deemed Polanco unable to continue.

Omar Rosario remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Jan Carlos Rivera in a junior welterweight bout.

Rosario, 139.2 lbs of Caguas, PR won by scores of 77-75 and is now 11-0. Rivera, 138.4 lbs of Vieques, PR is 8-2.

Damian Knyba won an eight-round unanimous decision over Hiamann Olguin in a heavyweight fight.

Knyba, 261.4 lbs of Wodzyn, POL won by scores of 79-73 on all cards and is now 12-0, Olguin, 256.8 lbs of El Dorado, MEX is 9-6-1.

Bruce Carrington battered Luis Porozo and stopped him in round eight of their eight-round featherweight bout.

Carrington hurt Porozo in round eight and the fight was stopped at 2:17.

Carrington, 126.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 7-0 with five knockouts. Porozo. 126.4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 16-7.

Henry Lebron remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Carlos Rosario in a junior lightweight bout.

In round 10, Lebron dropped Ramos with a left hook.

LeBron, 129.2 lbs of Aguadilla, PR won by scores of 98-90 twice and 97-91 and is now 18-0. Rosario, 129.6 lbs Madrid, SPA is now 17-3.



Teofimo Lopez has plenty to say, but is still searching for one answer

By Norm Frauenheim –

There’s not much Teofimo Lopez won’t say these days. He’s a shock jock in a concussive business, one that has seemingly heard it all.

The latest came at a news conference not long after Lopez said he wants “to kill” Josh Taylor Saturday night. In so many words, it’s been said before by Deontay Wilder and many more.

Often, it’s hyperbole, an unnecessary exaggeration in an already deadly game.

But, no, Lopez apparently wasn’t exaggerating. Then again, it wasn’t exactly clear what he meant either

“Aim for death for that’s where life begins,’’ he said Thursday before a contentious ESPN (7 p.m PT/10 p.m. ET) fight for Taylor’s junior-welterweight title in The Theater at New York’s Madison Garden.

Taylor (19-0, 13 KOS) laughed, then said “OK, no comment.’’

Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) went on, doing what he does best. He talked.

“I think it’s a good one,’’ he said as he gestured like a sidewalk preacher at Taylor and Top Rank host Mark Shunock. “You aim at death for that’s where life begins. Everybody is scared of death. I don’t know why. We all gonna die.

“But at least if I die, I’m dying for something that means something, that’s gonna last forever. That’s what greats are all about. Something that you don’t really know.

“I mean, this is what we all about. Remaking history, making history and giving the fans, giving the kids – the youth – a good thing to follow on. They need that. They need that motivation, that they know they can do it too

“The only way they can. There’s earth, there’s man and, in between that, you bring the realization within yourself. From the heavens.’’

On stage, there were awkward glances. In the audience, there were awkward laughs. What on earth? From the heavens, no answer to that one.

“Listen, at the end of it all, everybody can laugh, do whatever the f— they want,’’ Lopez said just as Shunock turned and tried to address Taylor. “But it’s just me and him, this fighter.’’

The baffling, uncomfortable moment just left further questions about Lopez. As a fighter, he has struggled ever since his upset at lightweight of then pound-for-pound leader Vasiliy Lomachenko on October 2020.

He suffered a first-round knockdown in November 2021 against Australian George Kambosos Jr., who went on to upset him by split decision in front Lopez’ hometown fans in New York. Lopez, who suffered from a respiratory condition, loudly complained about the decision. Kambosos called him delusional.

In December, he got knocked down by unknown Spaniard Sandor Martin before winning a debatable split decision, also in New York. After the fight, a hot mike caught him asking himself:

“Do I still got it?’’

It was a question rooted in self-doubt. A crisis in confidence, a fighter’s identity in peril.

Since then, he talks and talks as though he’s trying to convince himself as much as his skeptics. He has ripped ESPN commentators Timothy Bradley and Andre Ward.

Bradley, he says, doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. Bradley will get inducted into the Canastota Hall Sunday after working the Lopez-Taylor fight.

He talks about seemingly everything yet ignores that anguished question he asked himself seven months ago.

It’s an answer that Taylor might deliver definitively and painfully. The odds make Taylor a slight favorite despite questions surrounding his controversial decision over Jake Catterall in his last outing.

But the pundits are one-sided. In a poll conducted by The Ring, the pick-to-win was unanimous. And perhaps devastating.

Twenty for Taylor, 0 for Lopez, a lonely man in a desperate fight for a victory that would speak for itself.

Valdez-Navarrete set for AZ

As expected, Oscar Valdez-versus-Emanuel Navarrete is set for Desert Diamond Arena August 12, Top Rank announced this week.

“I’m excited to return to the ring, especially because it’s for a world title against ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete” said Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) a two-time champion from Nogales who went to school in nearby Tucson. “Being a world champion is something that I always dreamed of. I already did it two times, and this is yet another opportunity.

“So, I’m excited and prepared both mentally and physically for this new opportunity. And I like that it’s between two Mexicans, because it’s a win-win for Mexico. It’s a guaranteed war when there are two Mexicans in the ring.”

Navarrete won the World Boxing Organization’s vacant junior-lightweight title in a dramatic ninth-round TKO of Australian Liam Wilson, a late-stand-in for an injured Valdez, last December at Desert Diamond.

 “After so much time, this fight will finally take place,’’ Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) said. “Obviously, I am 100 percent motivated because Valdez is still a big threat, and a fight against him could possibly be the start of a new Mexico-versus- Mexico rivalry like the one between (Marco Antonio) Barrera and (Erik) Morales.”



Weigh-In Results: Josh Taylor vs. Teofimo Lopez

•  Josh Taylor 139.8 lbs. vs. Teofimo Lopez 140 lbs
(Taylor’s WBO and Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight World Titles — 12 Rounds)
Judges: Steve Gray, Joe Pasquale and Benoit Roussel 
Referee: Michael Griffin

   •   Xander Zayas 152.8 lbs vs. Ronald Cruz 152.4 lbs
(Zayas’ NABO & NABF Junior Middleweight Titles — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT)

•    Robson Conçeicão130.6 lbs  vs. Nicolas Polanco 130 lbs 
 (Junior Lightweight — 10 Rounds)

•  Omar Rosario 139.2 lbs  vs. Jan Carlos Rivera 138.4 lbs 
 (Junior Welterweight— 8 Rounds)

•  Damian Knyba 261.4 lbs vs. Helaman Olguin 256.8 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Bruce Carrington 126.8 lbs  vs. Luis Porozo 126.4 lbs
 (Featherweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Henry Lebron 129.2 lbs  vs. Carlos Ramos 129.6 lbs
 (Junior Lightweight — 10 Rounds)

* The Jamaine Ortiz-Humberto Galindo fight was canceled as Ortiz was unable to make the weight.



VIDEO: Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez | PRESS CONFERENCE



 Press Conference Notes: Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez Set for Junior Welterweight Battle in NYC

NEW YORK (June 8, 2023) – A heated rivalry comes to a head in New York City this Saturday night.

Undefeated junior welterweight king Josh Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine titles against former lightweight kingpin Teofimo Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. 
 
In the eight-round co-feature, Puerto Rican junior middleweight phenom Xander Zayas (15-0, 10 KOs) will take on Ronald “Diablo” Cruz (18-2-1, 12 KOs). 

Taylor-Lopez and Zayas-Cruz will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. 
 
The ESPN+-streamed undercard (5:15 p.m ET/2:15 p.m. PT) includes lightweight contender Jamaine Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) and rising junior lightweight Henry Lebron (17-0, 10 KOs) in 10-rounders, along with the returns of Polish heavyweight Damian Knyba (11-0, 7 KOs) and featherweight prospect Bruce Carrington (7-0, 4 KOs) in separate eight-round fights. 

Unbeaten junior welterweight prospect Omar Rosario (10-0, 3 KOs) steps up against Jan Carlos Rivera (8-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round Puerto Rico vs. Puerto Rico showdown.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Josh Taylor
 
“He means what he says, and I mean what I say. There is genuine dislike here. He’s been disrespectful. I’m going to make him pay for his words on Saturday. I can’t wait to get in there. You will see a Josh Taylor win, possibly by KO, and nice and early as well.”
 
“I know he’s a good fighter. The version that beat Lomachenko is a very good fighter. That’s the version I’m preparing for. It’s all about your preparation. I’ve prepared diligently and to the best of my ability. You’ll see the best of me on Saturday night.”
 
“This is dream come true. You always dream of coming stateside and fighting in venues like this. This is the ‘Mecca of Boxing’, Madison Square Garden. I can’t wait to get in there to make this dream become a reality, and this clown here is in my way.”

Teofimo Lopez
 
“What is ‘The Takeover’ if he doesn’t take over the guys that are the kingpins of the division? So, when it comes to Josh Taylor and the junior welterweights, he is the guy. That’s the guy that you have to beat to be the greatest. That’s what we aim for all the time.”
 
“I worked my a** off. Eleven weeks of camp. This is going to be the best version of me. Practice makes improvement. We’ve improved since my last fight. We’re ready to put on a show. I’m going to be a two-time lineal world champion.”
 
“I’m excited about this. This is like a dream come true. What more can you really shoot for? Nobody has really called out Josh Taylor. Who knows why? Maybe because he beat everyone already. But I’m here. I’m here to come in there and take everything that you’ve got.”

Xander Zayas
 
“This is the first time that I will fight during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. I’m excited for this one. It’s awesome to see all these different cultures come together and bring an excellent show to MSG and to New York. I’m ready to put on a show for all of my Puerto Rican fans Saturday night.”
 
“He is motivated. He’s been waiting for this opportunity his whole life. So, I expect him to come out and try to put on a show. When the fight got postponed, we contacted Top Rank and said that this is the opponent we wanted to fight. They allowed me to do that, and now here we are. I’m excited to showcase what we have been working on.”

Ronald Cruz
 
“I’m beyond excited. This is an opportunity I’ve been waiting for my whole life. I’ve been preparing really hard. I can’t wait. I’m excited to go out there and have fun. I’ve spent a lot of years getting to this point. I’ve been in the ring with great world champions like Mike Tyson, Sergey Lipinets and Janibek Alimkhanuly. It’s my time. I can’t wait to get in there.”

Jamaine Ortiz
 
“I’m very excited to make a statement here at Top Rank and be one of the top competitors here and chase a world title. I don’t really listen to media during fight week. I’m just focused on my opponent, my training and what I have to do on Saturday to come out victorious. After that, we can talk about my plans. Every opponent has his set of challenges. Humberto Galindo is a power hitter, so I have to stay sharp and focused.”

Robson Conçeicão
 
“I like to take things one step at a time in my career. I’m just going to focus on this fight. Nicolas Polanco is a great fighter. I’m super confident that I’m going to put on a great show this Saturday. After that, I want to fight Oscar Valdez again because I still to this day don’t understand how I lost that fight.”

Bruce Carrington
 
“It’s always special to be here because I get to perform in front of my family, my friends and my fans. This is home. It’s also the ‘Mecca of Boxing.’ It’s always a great opportunity to get to fight here.”

Henry Lebron
 
“This is the second time that I am on a card like this at a place where many great fighters have performed. I will give 100 percent on Saturday. We moved to Florida to train for this fight. It has been a super good training camp. We worked with Javiel Centeno. We worked hard, and you are going to see the result.”

Damian Knyba
 
“I’m extremely proud of my heritage and where I come from. The Polish people are waiting for the next Andrew Golota, and I hope that’s going to be me. Getting to a world title is a process for me. I didn’t have a long amateur career. We have a great plan. I think in about three or four years I’ll be reaching my prime, and I’ll be ready to attack.”

Omar Rosario
 
“This is my second time fighting here at MSG during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. I am ready to make a statement and demonstrate that I am the future of the 140-pound division. Fighting in New York is like fighting in Puerto Rico because a lot of Puerto Ricans are coming to MSG. Last year, I felt the energy, and I like it. I know that Saturday night will be the same.”
 

Saturday, June 10

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

Josh Taylor vs. Teofimo Lopez, 12 rounds, Taylor’s WBO and Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight World Titles 

Xander Zayas vs. Ronald Cruz, 8 rounds, Junior Middleweights

ESPN+ (5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT)

Jamaine Ortiz vs. Humberto Galindo, 10 rounds, Lightweight

Robson Conçeicão vs. Nicolas Polanco, 10 rounds, Junior Lightweight

Omar Rosario vs. Jan Carlos Rivera, 8 rounds, Junior Welterweight
 
Damian Knyba vs. Helaman Olguin, 8 rounds, Heavyweight

Bruce Carrington vs. Luis Porozo, 8 rounds, Featherweight 

Henry Lebron vs. Carlos Ramos, 10 rounds, Junior Lightweight 



Top Rank Presents WBO Junior Welterweight Title Showdown Josh Taylor vs. Teofimo Lopez

Top Rank on ESPN presented by AutoZone: Taylor vs. Lopez will be live this Saturday, June 10 at 10 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+. The event takes place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.

In one of the most heated title fights of the year, undefeated junior welterweight king Josh Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine world titles against former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs).  

It’s “The Tartan Tornado” vs. “The Takeover.”  Taylor, the first British fighter to become undisputed champion in the four-belt era, proudly represents his native Scotland and is on the shortlist of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. Lopez, a native son of Brooklyn, New York, headlines for his third time at “The Mecca of Boxing,” where he seeks to become a two-division world champion and regain his place among the pound-for-pound elite.  

Prior to the fight on June 10, ESPN will air Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez, a 30-minute all-access preview into the fight camps of both Taylor and Lopez. In addition to the air times below, the program will also be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App and on ESPN.com and ESPN+.

Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez

Date Network Time (ET)
Thu June 8 ESPN2 2:30 a.m.
ESPNEWS 9:00 a.m.
ESPN2 8:00 p.m.
ESPN Deportes* 9:30 p.m.
Sat June 10 ESPN2 12:30 a.m.
ESPN Deportes* 12:30 p.m.
ESPNEWS 5:00 p.m.
*Spanish-language

In the eight-round co-feature, Puerto Rico’s junior middleweight phenom Xander Zayas (15-0, 10 KOs) will have an extra source of motivation for his upcoming fight. The 20-year-old standout will fight Ronald “Diablo” Cruz (18-2-1, 12 KOs) for the second annual Miguel Cotto Award, which is presented by Top Rank and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. The Miguel Cotto Award celebrates the remarkable career of the legendary four-division world champion and upholds the tradition of hosting a major fight card during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend.

The undercard will stream exclusively on ESPN+.

Joe Tessitore will call the action with analyst Andre Ward, a Hall of Famer and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist.? Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna?will serve as reporters. Timothy Bradley, Jr. will be offsite being inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) Class of 2023.

ESPN.com

Timothy Bradley Jr: A letter to my younger self

Wednesday: Josh Taylor hoping to finally get his moment against Teofimo Lopez, by Mike Coppinger

Thursday: Bradley’s Breakdown: Will Teofimo Lopez be able to solve Josh Taylor?  by Timothy Bradley

Friday: At only 25, why this is a must-win fight for the career of Teofimo Lopez, by Mark Kriegel

ESPN+, ESPN App Boxing Content: Live and Upcoming, On Demand, Studio Shows, Archives

  • Max on BoxingMax Kellerman hosts a 30-minute series weighing in on key boxing news and providing insights on the sport’s top fighters and upcoming events
  • Who Do U Fight 4?Get to know the next generation of Top Rank stars and learn what drives them

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok

Date Time (ET) Event Bouts Title Platform
Thu., June 8 Noon Press Conference ___ ___  ESPN+
Fri., June 9 1:00 p.m. Weigh-In ___ ___
Sat., June 10 10:00 p.m. Main Josh Taylor (C) vs. Teofimo Lopez WBO Jr. Welterweight ESPN, ESPN Deportes
ESPN+ (simulcast)
Co-Feature Xander Zayas vs. Ronald Cruz     ESPN+
5:15 p.m. Feature Jamaine Ortiz vs. Humberto Galindo
Undercard Robson Conceicao vs. Nicolas Polanco
Undercard Omar Rosario vs. Jan Carlos Rivera
Undercard Damian Knyba vs. Helman Oguin
Undercard Henry Lebron vs. Carlos Ramos
Undercard Bruce Carrington vs. Luis Porozo

About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst. 

About ESPN+  

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).   



Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez Debuts Saturday, June 3, on ESPN2 at 11:00 a.m. ET

Ahead of the June 10 Junior Welterweight Championship live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, ESPN will air Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez, a 30-minute all-access preview into one of the most heated world title fights of the year.

Viewers will see both fighters sound off in a verbal war as the show goes inside the fight camps of undefeated WBO junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) and the former unified lightweight kingpin Teófimo Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs).

It’s “The Tartan Tornado” vs. “The Takeover.”  Taylor, the first British fighter to become undisputed champion in the four-belt era, proudly represents his native Scotland and is on the shortlist of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. Lopez, a native son of Brooklyn, New York, headlines for his third time at “The Mecca of Boxing,” where he seeks to become a two-division world champion and regain his place among the pound-for-pound elite.

In addition to the air times below, Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez will also be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App and on ESPN.com and ESPN+.

Trash Talk: Taylor vs. Lopez

Date Network Time (ET)
Sat June 3 ESPN2 11:00 a.m.
Sun June 4 ESPN Deportes* 12 a.m.
ESPN2 7:00 a.m.
Mon June 5 ESPN2 1:00 a.m.
ESPN Deportes* 1:00 p.m.
Tue June 6 ESPN Deportes* 9:30 p.m.
Wed June 7 ESPN2 4:30 a.m.
Thu June 8 ESPN2 2:30 a.m.
ESPNEWS 9:00 a.m.
ESPN2 8:00 p.m.
ESPN Deportes* 9:30 p.m.
Sat June 10 ESPN2 12:30 a.m.
ESPN Deportes* 12:30 p.m.
ESPNEWS 5:00 p.m.
*Spanish-language

ESPN+, ESPN App Boxing Content: Live and Upcoming, On Demand, Studio Shows, Archives

  • Max on Boxing Max Kellerman hosts a 30-minute series weighing in on key boxing news and providing insights on the sport’s top fighters and upcoming events
  • Who Do U Fight 4? Get to know the next generation of Top Rank stars and learn what drives them

Follow @ESPNRingside on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok

About ESPN 

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.? ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.? 

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).   



June 10: Xander Zayas to Fight for Second Annual Miguel Cotto Award in Co-Feature to Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez at The Theater at MSG

NEW YORK (May 23, 2023) —Junior middleweight phenom Xander Zayas (15-0, 10 KOs) will have an extra source of motivation for his upcoming fight.

The 20-year-old standout will fight Ronald “Diablo” Cruz (18-2-1, 12 KOs) on Saturday, June 10 for the second annual Miguel Cotto Award, which is presented by Top Rank and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. The Miguel Cotto Award celebrates the remarkable career of the legendary four-division world champion and upholds the tradition of hosting a major fight card during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. Cotto, who achieved notable wins against Muhammad Abdullaev, Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, Sergio Martinez and Daniel Geale during this festive weekend, will present the award at The Theater at Madison Square Garden following the June 10 bout.

Zayas-Cruz will be the co-feature to the junior welterweight showdown between WBO and Ring Magazine world champion Josh Taylor and former unified and lineal lightweight king Teofimo Lopez.

Taylor-Lopez and Zayas-Cruz will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. 

Cotto said, “For me, it’s a great honor and a great pleasure that Madison Square Garden and Top Rank have an award with my name to continue the tradition of fight cards during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. This award will motivate future generations to deliver their best in each fight.”

“Miguel Cotto has made an immeasurable mark on boxing at ‘The Mecca’ – Madison Square Garden,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, Marquee Events and Operations, Madison Square Garden Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to celebrate Cotto’s warrior legacy during the Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend with the presentation of the second annual award to the winner of the Xander Zayas v. Ronald Cruz fight on Saturday, June 10.”

Zayas said, “I’ve always said that in the world of boxing, Miguel Cotto is my favorite fighter. He is the reason I decided to become a fighter. It’s a total honor and a dream come true to have the opportunity to fight for an award that has his name. This confirms for me that we are on the right path, and it motivates me to keep working hard to continue accomplishing my dreams. I want to unite my Island and all of the Puerto Ricans in the United States in the same way that Miguel did. That is my biggest dream, and I will achieve it.”

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.



Lightweight Contender Jamaine Ortiz Signs Multi-Fight Co-Promotional Contract with Top Rank

NEW YORK (May 4, 2023) — Lightweight contender Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz is set to take his career to new heights ahead of an action-packed fight night in New York City.

Ortiz has signed a multi-fight co-promotional contract with Top Rank, who will work in conjunction with Jimmy Burchfield’s CES Boxing. Ortiz will return in a 10-round clash against an opponent to be named Saturday, June 10 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. His fight will top the ESPN+-streamed undercard of the junior welterweight showdown between WBO and Ring Magazine world champion Josh Taylor and former unified and lineal lightweight king Teofimo Lopez.

In the 10-round co-feature, Puerto Rican junior middleweight phenom Xander Zayas will take on Ronald “Diablo” Cruz.

Taylor-Lopez and Zayas-Cruz will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. 

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) is a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. A seven-year veteran, he experienced his most significant year as a pro in 2022. Ortiz secured the NABF lightweight title in February after outpointing Nahir Albright, then followed up with a 10-round unanimous decision victory against former world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring in May. In October, the 27-year-old used his size and strength to take an early lead against former lightweight champion Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko before losing the tightly contested battle via unanimous decision.

Ortiz said, “It feels great to join a stable that has created so many Hall of Fame champions. I’m looking forward to becoming their next one. It’s been a long journey fighting my way up to get the respect I deserve. With Top Rank working with CES, I’m now hoping for bigger and better fights.

“It feels good to be back in New York to get some redemption after the loss to Lomachenko. I gained many new fans that night, and a lot of people thought I won. People know I’m the real deal now. I’m motivated to improve and take over the lightweight division. I only took 10 days off after that fight and went straight to the gym. I’m coming to make a statement on June 10 that I’m not to be played with.”

Ortiz joins a previously-announced ESPN+-streamed undercard featuring two all-Puerto Rico battles.

Henry “Moncho” Lebron (17-0, 10 KOs) will lock horns against Christian Tapia (15-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight tilt. Lebron is coming off wide decision wins over Andy Vences and Luis Lebron, while Tapia looks to rebound from a competitive decision defeat to Cleveland standout Thomas Mattice.

Rising prospect Omar Rosario (10-0, 3 KOs) squares off against Jan Carlos Rivera (8-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight bout. Rivera has won four straight fights after suffering a decision loss inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

The loaded undercard also features a pair of rising stars in eight-rounders, both of whom fought on the Shakur Stevenson-Shuichiro Yoshino bill in April. 

Brooklyn featherweight prodigy Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (7-0, 4 KOs), who knocked out Brandon Chambers in the second round, will face an opponent to be named.

Polish heavyweight dynamo DamianKnyba (11-0, 7 KOs), who stopped Curtis Harper in the eighth round, will fight Helaman Olguin (9-5-1, 4 KOs). Olguin was last seen dropping a unanimous decision to former Tyson Fury foe Otto Wallin in January. 



June 10: Xander Zayas-Ronald Cruz Junior Middleweight Clash Added as Co-Feature to Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez Title Showdown at The Theater at Madison Square Garden LIVE on ESPN

NEW YORK (April 12, 2023) —Junior middleweight phenom Xander Zayas is set to shine on the eve of Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.

Zayas will return in a 10-round re-scheduled battle against Ronald “Diablo” Cruz Saturday, June 10 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Zayas-Cruz will serve as the co-feature to the junior welterweight showdown between WBO and Ring Magazine champion Josh Taylor and former unified and lineal lightweight king Teofimo Lopez.

Taylor-Lopez and Zayas-Cruz will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Zayas (15-0, 10 KOs), from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is on the fast track to super stardom. He signed with Top Rank at 16 and has maintained an unblemished record. He is coming off an impressive 2022 that included eight-round decision wins over Quincy LaVallais and Alexis Salazar, along with a fifth-round TKO against Elias Espadas. The 20-year-old was originally scheduled to face Cruz in the April 1 co-feature to the Robeisy Ramirez-Isaac Dogboe main event, but a training injury forced him to withdraw. Zayas is ready to settle unfinished business on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade atop an undercard that will feature several of his countrymen.

“I cannot wait to fight at Madison Square Garden in front of my people on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. This is a dream come true,” Zayas said. “Ronald Cruz is a tough, durable fighter, and I expect the best version of him on June 10.”

Cruz (18-2-1, 12, KOs) is a Los Angeles native who has never been stopped as a pro. After suffering his first loss in 2015, he went 16-0 before drawing against Kevin Ottley in 2021. In his last fight, the eight-year pro went 10 competitive rounds in a unanimous decision loss to Damian Sosa.

“I’m beyond excited to be fighting Xander Zayas,” Cruz said. “My whole life I’ve been waiting for this opportunity to test myself against top opposition on the biggest of stages. I look forward to starting a new rivalry, El Salvador against Puerto Rico. June 10, you will have two hungry lions battling it out. I can’t wait.”

The undercard, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+, features two all-Puerto Rico battles.

Henry “Moncho” Lebron (17-0, 10 KOs) takes on Christian Tapia (15-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight tilt. Lebron is coming off wide decision wins over Andy Vences and Luis Lebron, while Tapia looks to rebound from a competitive decision defeat to Cleveland standout Thomas Mattice.

Promising prospect Omar Rosario (10-0, 3 KOs) squares off against Jan Carlos Rivera (8-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight bout. Rivera has won four straight fights since a decision loss inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

The loaded undercard action also features pair of rising stars in eight-rounders, both of whom fought on the Shakur Stevenson-Shuichiro Yoshino bill in Newark, New Jersey. Brooklyn featherweight prodigy Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (7-0, 4 KOs), who knocked out Brandon Chambers in the second round, makes his third appearance at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Polish heavyweight dynamo Damian Knyba (11-0, 7 KOs), who stopped Curtis Harper in the eighth round, will fight an opponent to be named.



Tartan or Takeover? Josh Taylor-Teofimo Lopez Junior Welterweight Title Showdown Set for June 10 at
The Theater at Madison Square Garden
LIVE on ESPN

NEW YORK (April 8, 2023) —Tartan or Takeover?
 
Undefeated junior welterweight king Josh Taylor will defend his WBO and Ring Magazine titles against former lightweight kingpin Teofimo Lopez Saturday, June 10 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
 
Taylor-Lopez will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 12 at 12 p.m. ET and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
 
“This is a super fight on both sides of the pond, the junior welterweight king in Josh Taylor stepping up against the young, dynamic Teofimo Lopez,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I cannot wait for these two supreme talents to step into the Madison Square Garden ring. It’s going to be a special night.”
 
Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs), “The Tartan Tornado,” is the former undisputed junior welterweight champion, having collected all four major titles in a remarkable four-fight run that included wins over Ivan Baranchyk, Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez. He debuted in the paid ranks in 2015 and captured a Commonwealth title in his second year before defeating fellow unbeaten prospect Ohara Davies via seventh-round TKO. The 32-year-old then beat former world champions Miguel Vazquez and Viktor Postol before entering the World Boxing Super Series in 2018. Taylor stopped then-undefeated contender Ryan Martin via TKO before capturing his first world title with a decision victory over Baranchyk. His wins over Prograis and Ramirez left no doubt as to the world’s supreme 140-pound practitioner. Taylor returns more than one year after his last performance, a competitive split decision nod over Jack Catterall.
 
Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs) is the former unified and lineal lightweight champion of the world. In December 2019, he captured the IBF title with an explosive second-round knockout of Richard Commey. The following October, he bested pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko to win the WBA, WBO, and WBC Franchise titles. Thirteen months later, he lost the belts via shocking split decision to George Kambosos Jr. The 25-year-old then made his junior welterweight debut in August 2022 by stopping Pedro Campa in the seventh round. Last December, Lopez edged Spanish southpaw Sandor Martin by split decision. Before becoming world champion, he was the buzz of the boxing world with highlight-reel knockouts over Diego Magdaleno and Mason Menard. Lopez now has his sights set on another southpaw and hopes to become the sport’s latest two-division ruler.