Teofimo Lopez Finalizing Deal to Defend WBO Junior Welterweight Title Against Steve Claggett

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Teofimo Lopez is readying for a hot box summer…

The 26-year-old Honduran American boxer, who has held multiple world championships in two weight classes, is finalizing a deal to fight Steve Claggett for Lopez’s WBO junior welterweight title on June 29 in Miami, per ESPN.

The 140-pound title fight will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) made the first defense of his title during Super Bowl Week in February when he defeated Jamaine Ortiz via unanimous decision. The fight was ugly, with boos raining down at the Las Vegas venue as Ortiz used his box-and-move style to frustrate Lopez, who had trouble cutting off the ring.

Lopez complained about Ortiz’s style and now will face a Canadian brawler, a fighter he’ll have no trouble finding in the ring. And Lopez will return to South Florida, where he grew up.

ESPN’s No. 2 junior welterweight, Lopez is the former undisputed lightweight champion. He defeated future Boxing Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2020 to unify 135-pound belts and crash the pound-for-pound list. But in his first defense, he lost to George Kambosos in November 2021 in ESPN‘s Upset of the Year.

Lopez subsequently moved up to 140 pounds and following two wins, he defeated Josh Taylor in June for the lineal junior welterweight championship.

Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KOs) is a 34-year-old from Calgary who will be fighting on the world-class level for the first time. He has won nine straight fights since a decision loss to fellow Canadian-level fighter Mathieu Germain in May 2021.

Claggett is currently scheduled to fight Mike Ohan Jr. in a 10-round bout April 11 in Montreal, but that matchup won’t take place now that he’s fighting Lopez, sources said.

The bout will be Claggett’s first title shot, where he’ll be installed as a major underdog.

Former featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez will compete in the co-feature, sources said. Ramirez lost his title via majority decision to Rafael Espinoza in December in ESPN’s 2023 Upset of the Year.

Emanuel Navarrete Finalizing Deal to Fight Denys Berinchyk for Vacant WBO Lightweight Title

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Emanuel Navarrete is thisclose to locking in his next opponent…

The 29-year-old Mexican professional boxer, a three-division world champion, and Denys Berinchyk are finalizing a deal for a May 18 fight in San Diego for the vacant WBO lightweight title, per ESPN KnockOut.

The 135-pound title tilt will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs) will pursue his fourth division title in his lightweight debut. The 29-year-old from Mexico has captured titles at 122, 126 and 130 pounds. He’s ESPN’s No. 1 boxer at 130.

The second defense of the WBO junior lightweight title Navarrete still holds was in November. Navarrete dropped Robson Conceicao twice but settled for a draw.

Now, Navarrete will fight for the title vacated by former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney. Oscar Valdez and Liam Wilson, two fighters Navarrete defeated in convincing fashion last year, will vie for the WBO interim junior lightweight title on March 29.

It’s likely the winner of Valdez-Wilson will be elevated to recognized champion if Navarrete wins as expected.

Berinchyk (18-0, 9 KOs) is a 35-year-old from Ukraine who will vie for his first world title. He’s coming off back-to-back wins over Yvan Mendy and Anthony Yigit, his best opposition. However, Berinchyk will still step up several levels against Navarrete.

Welterweight contender Giovani Santillan, a 32-year-old from San Diego, will fight in the ESPN co-feature, sources said. He’s coming off a career-best win, a sixth-round KO of Alexis Rocha in October.

Oscar Valdez Finalizing Plans to Battle Liam Wilson in Junior Lightweight Fight

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Valdez is hoping to rebound this March…

The 33-year-old Mexican professional boxer, a former world champion in two weight classes, is finalizing plans for a junior lightweight fight with Liam Wilson for March 29 in Glendale, Arizona, per ESPN sources.

Valdez and Wilson both lost to Emanuel Navarrete last year in 130-pound title slugfests.

Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) hasn’t competed since the wide-points loss in August. He’s a former titleholder at 126 and 130 pounds. He’s ranked No. 6 by ESPN at junior lightweight.

Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) scored two decision wins in his native Australia last year following the February defeat to Navarrete.

Wilson, 27, was a long-odds underdog but floored Navarrete in Round 4. Navarrete rebounded to stop Wilson in the ninth round.

Valdez’s defeat to Navarrete as well as Wilson’s loss both took place in Glendale as well. Valdez-Wilson will headline a Friday edition of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

Edwin De Los Santos Agrees to Fight Shakur Stevenson for Vacant WBC Lightweight Title

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Edwin De Los Santos is ready to Shakur things up…

The 23-year-old Dominican boxer and Shakur Stevenson have agreed to a deal for a November 16 fight in Las Vegas for the vacant WBC lightweight title.

The 135-pound title bout will headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card two days before Formula 1‘s debut race on the Las Vegas Strip.

Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) had been slated to fight undefeated contender Frank Martin after a deal was reached last week, but Martin decided not to proceed with the bout after the contract was sent over. De Los Santos was the next available contender in the WBC‘s lightweight rankings.

De Los Santos (16-1, 14 KOs) has impressed in his past two fights. He rose off the canvas to score a third-round knockout of Jose Valenzuela in September 2022 and followed that with a unanimous-decision win over Joseph Adorno in July. De Los Santos’ lone defeat was an eight-round split decision against William Foster in January 2022.

Less than two years after that setback, De Los Santos will meet Stevenson, ESPN’s No. 9 pound-for-pound boxer, for the title formerly held by undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.

The WBC named Haney “champion in recess” after he decided to move up to 140 pounds for a shot at the organization’s junior welterweight title. That fight for Regis Prograis‘ WBC title will take place December 9 in San Francisco.

“Most ducked fighter in the sport of boxing,” Stevenson posted on Instagram after Martin withdrew. “Edwin get ready, I’m tired of [you] saying my name.”

Stevenson, 26, is one of the fastest-rising stars in boxing. The Newark, New Jersey, native has won titles at 126 and 130 pounds and will look to do the same in a third weight class.

A southpaw who is perhaps the sport’s best defensive fighter, Stevenson scored a sixth-round stoppage of Shuichiro Yoshino in April in his lightweight debut.

Emanuel Navarrete to Reportedly Defend WBO Junior Lightweight Title Against Oscar Valdez

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Emanuel Navarrete has lined up his next opponent…

The 28-year-old Mexican professional boxer will defend his WBO junior lightweight title against Oscar Valdez on August 12 in Glendale, Arizona, according to ESPN.

The title fight between the Mexican action fighters will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

The bout was scheduled to take place on February 3 for the title vacated by Shakur Stevenson before Valdez withdrew because of a lingering rib injury.

Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) faced replacement opponent Liam Wilson in February and rallied from a fourth-round knockdown to score a ninth-round TKO victory in one of the best fights this year.

The win made Navarrete a three-division champion. He also captured titles at 122 and 126 pounds.

In Valdez, Navarrete will face his toughest test yet. The former two-division champion rebounded from his first career defeat (an April 2022 loss to Stevenson) with a unanimous-decision victory over Adam Lopez in a rematch last month.

Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) won titles at 126 pounds and 130 and is a two-time Olympian.

He’s regarded as one of the best action fighters in boxing.

Robeisy Ramirez to Fight Isaac Dogboe in April in Featherweight Bout

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

No April Fools’ joke… Robeisy Ramirez is heading back to the ring in April.

The 29-year-old Cuban professional boxer will face Isaac Dogboe in a featherweight bout with title implications on April 1 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to ESPN.

The Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ main event is expected to be contested for either the vacant WBO featherweight title or the interim belt.

Emanuel Navarrete, the WBO champion at 126 pounds, meets Liam Wilson on February 3 for the WBO’s vacant title at 130 pounds. Navarrete is expected to fight Oscar Valdez in a rescheduled 130-pound bout afterward but could always elect to return to 126.

Ramirez (11-1, 7 KOs) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba who broke out in 2022 with three victories, most notably a highlight-reel KO of Abraham Nova in June. He closed the campaign with a ninth-round TKO of Jose Matias Romero in October.

Dogboe (24-2, 15 KOs) is a former 122-pound champion who lost his title to Navarrete via decision in 2018. Navarrete scored a 12th-round TKO in the rematch the following year. Dogboe, 28, from Ghana, moved up to 126 pounds afterward and has won all four of his featherweight fights.

Those wins came over some recognizable names, including Adam Lopez, Christopher Diaz and most recently, Joet Gonzalez.

Dogboe is rated No. 10 by ESPN at featherweight. Ramirez and Dogboe are the top two available contenders in the WBO’s 126-pound ratings.

Edgar Berlanga Agrees to Two-Fight Plan with Top Rank Boxing

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Edgar Berlanga is ready to rumble… twice.

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican boxer has agreed to terms on a two-fight plan with Top Rank.

The first bout comes October 9 in Las Vegas against Marcelo Esteban Coceres, Berlanga said, in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing show on an ESPN platform that will lead into the Tyson Fury–Deontay Wilder III fight on pay-per-view.

Berlanga’s second fight is December 11, the co-feature to Vasiliy Lomachenko‘s return in New York at Madison Square Garden. An opponent has yet to be finalized for that bout. The power-punching super middleweight Berlanga is in the midst of a multiyear deal with Top Rank. Financial terms were finalized for both of his upcoming fights.

“I’m knocking these guys in October and December; we’re not going to the scorecards,” said Berlanga (17-0, 16 KOs). “I want to let the world know after these two fights that I’m the guy they need to worry about.”

Berlanga was extended the distance for the first time in his last bout, an April win over Demond Nicholson. It was the first time Berlanga heard the bell to signal the start of Round 2 in his pro career. He scored first-round knockouts in each of his first 16 fights.

Berlanga dropped Nicholson three times but settled for the unanimous-decision victory. The Brooklynite will now face another durable opponent in Coceres (30-2-1, 16 KOs). The 30-year-old Argentine is best known for an 11th-round KO loss to Billy Joe Saunders in a 2019 title fight. That was his only fight outside of Argentina.

In January, Coceres lost again, this time a split-decision defeat to Sebastian Horacio Papeschi in Argentina. He rebounded with a second-round stoppage win in June over Nelson Nicolas Rosalez.

The two-fight plan promises to give Berlanga his greatest exposure yet as he inches closer to title contention. Despite 17 pro fights, he remains inexperienced with just 24 rounds in the professional ranks.

If all goes according to plan, Berlanga will return in March to Puerto Rico (the country his family hails from) before headlining at Madison Square Garden in June on Puerto Rican Parade Day weekend.

Emanuel Navarrete Defeats Juan Miguel Elorde to Retain Junior Featherweight Belt

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Emanuel Navarrete is celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day with a W…

The 24-year-old Mexican professional boxer, the junior featherweight world titlist, retained his belt for the second time in a month after stopping Juan Miguel Elorde in the fourth round on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Fighting in the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+co-feature, Navarrete took the fight on short notice for the opportunity to fight on Mexican Independence Dayweekend, and he took care of Elorde in fine fashion.

Navarrete (29-1, 25 KOs), who retained his 122-pound world title for the third time — each defense since May — had a slow first round, then unloaded repeatedly on Elorde, scoring a knockdown in the third round and eventually forcing the stoppage.

“I’m happy because I think I put on a great performance,” Navarrete said through a translator. “Fortunately, my opponent is OK, and I came out here to put on a show. I hope the fans enjoyed it on my very first Las Vegas show on Mexican Independence Day weekend. ‘Vaquero‘ Navarrete is here to stay.”

Navarrete was fighting less than a month after his last defense. On August 17, Navarrete headlined a Top Rankcard in Los Angeles and retained his title by third-round knockout of Francisco De Vaca. In the ring after the fight, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, wanting to put a fight involving a Mexican world titleholder on Fury’s undercard on the Mexican holiday weekend, asked Navarrete if he wanted to come back a month later, and Navarrete gleefully accepted.

Elorde had a good first round, landing a series of sharp punches; but Navarrete came back strong in the second round, as he got his potent left hook going and never let up.

Navarrete stopped Elorde in his tracks with a clean right hand in the third round and continued to attack him. Moments later, Navarrete rocked Elorde with a thudding left hand to the face that might have broken Elorde’s nose. Navarrete was in total control by the end of the round when he drilled Elorde into the ropes with a left and a right that counted as a knockdown because the ropes held him up.

Referee Russell Moratook a long look at Elorde in the corner after the third round, but the fight was allowed to continue. However, Navarrete hurt his opponent early in the round with a tremendous right hand that buckled him, and Mora jumped in and waved it off at 26 seconds.

“The most important thing here was that it was a good performance for me,” Navarrete said. “I think the referee did the right thing. He’s going to go home to his family and everything is going to be OK. It was a good performance on my behalf, and he gave what he could. At the end of the day, I came away with the hard-fought victory.”

According to CompuBox, Navarrete landed 88 of 220 punches (40%), and Elorde landed just 28 of 101 (28%).Elorde (28-2, 15 KOs), 32, of the Philippines — who is the grandson of Filipino legend and International Boxing Hall of Famer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, the longtime 1960s junior lightweight world champion — also happily accepted the fight on three weeks’ notice. He

Jose Ramirez to Defend His Junior Welterweight Title Against Jose Zepeda

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Jose Ramirezis going on the defense…

The 26-year-old Mexican American boxer and Junior welterweight world titleholder will make his second defense against contender Jose Zepeda on February 10 at the Save Mart Center, the arena in Ramirez’s hometown of Fresno, California, where he has drawn sellout crowds.

Top Rankannounced the bout, which will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPNspecial Sunday edition (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 7:00 pm ET, with the entire undercard streaming on ESPN+beginning at 4 p.m. ET).

Ramirez is known for his copious amount of public service in his community and it will continue with this card. Top Rank announced that a portion of each ticket sold will benefit the Community Cancer Institutein Clovis, California. Ramirez also will auction off his fight-worn trunks, gloves, shirt and shoes, with all proceeds to benefit the Community Cancer Institute.

“I feel blessed to defend my title a second time at home against a great opponent and also support an issue that affects everyone and their families,” Ramirez said. “Let’s all band together to KO cancer and remember that every moment counts.”

Top Rank chairman Bob Arumhas regularly lauded Ramirez’s charitable efforts.

“Jose Ramirez is a great young champion and an even better person,” Arum said. “We are proud to be involved with an event that will raise a tremendous amount of exposure for cancer research. Zepeda is a really tough fighter who will give Jose an excellent fight. The fans in the Central Valley have supported Jose since day one, and I expect another fantastic crowd at the Save Mart Center.”

Ramirez (23-0, 16 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian, will be in his second fight with head trainer Robert Garcia. Ramirez won a vacant 140-pound world title by lopsided decision over Amir Imamin March in New York and then returned to the Save Mart Center in September and outpointed Antonio Orozcoin a one-sided, action-packed fight.

Zepeda (30-1, 25 KOs), 29, a southpaw from La Puente, California, will be getting his second opportunity to fight for a world title.

He is unbeaten in eight consecutive fights — 7-0 with a head-butt induced no contest — since he dislocated his left shoulder and was unable continue against then-lightweight world titlist Terry Flanagan in July 2015, which resulted in a second-round stoppage loss.

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity since my first world title shot against Terry Flanagan,” Zepeda said. “I’m going to train very hard, better than ever before. I’m very thankful to my team and Jose Ramirez for giving me this chance. I’m not going to waste it, and that’s why I’m training so hard.”

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