Could the third time be the charm for Jose Ramirez’s challenge bout?
A fight between the 27-year-old Mexican American unified WBC and WBO light welterweight titleholder and Viktor Postol, his WBC mandatory challenger, will take place the last week of August, according to Top Rank president Todd duBoef.
The bout will be broadcast live on an ESPN network.
There’s no exact date yet for the fight, according to duBoef, but Top Rank is working with the sports network to add the bout to its programming calendar.
“We’re being as flexible as possible with ESPN,” duBoef said. “They’re going to see how the NBA schedule comes out, the MLB schedule, all the other sports that are supposed to be back in August. They’re formulating their schedule.
“We’re basically telling [fighters], ‘Hey, you’ll be this week in August. You’ll be this week in August.’ Then we’re honing in on a date.”
Ramirez-Postol was originally scheduled for February 1 in China, and then May 9 in Fresno, California. Both times the fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ramirez last fought on July 27, 2019, when he stopped Maurice Hooker in six rounds to unify the WBC and WBO junior welterweight titles.
Postol, who once held the WBC 140-pound belt, last fought on April 27, 2019, scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over Mohamed Mimoune.
Eleider Alvarez will have to wait a little longer to return to the ring…
The light heavyweight bout between the 36-year-old Colombian professional boxer and Joe Smith Jr. has been rescheduled for the third week of August, according to Alvarez’s promoter Yvon Michel.
The fight had originally been scheduled for July 16 inside the “bubble” at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, but was postponed when Alvarez suffered an injury to his right shoulder.
“I sent a medical report on Alvarez’s situation early last week confirming that the inflammation is gone after treatment, the pain is minimum,” Michel said. “He’s going to start sparring next week, everything is under control. He’s fit and ready to fight by mid-August.
“So the message I got from Top Rank is that the fight will be rescheduled for some time between August 20 and August 22, depending on the schedule.”
According to Top Rank vice president of boxing operation Carl Moretti, the plan is to stage one fight a week inside the “bubble” in the month of August, but the exact dates of haven’t been chosen.
“It’s not ideal, it’s not what we wanted,” said Joe DeGuardia, who promotes Smith. “We think it’s unfortunate it got pushed back in the first place, however, we’re realists. I just want this fight to take place, and we’re going to do what we have to do to get Joe ready and have this fight.”
Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) is rated at No. 6 by ESPN and held the WBO light heavyweight title after knocking out Sergey Kovalev in 2018. Back on January 18 he scored a seventh-round knockout of Micheal Seals. Alvarez also has victories over Isaac Chilemba, Lucien Bute and Jean Pascal.
Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) is rated ninth in the division by ESPN. Back in 2016 he gained prominence as he scored stoppage wins over Andrezej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins. In his most recent fight on January 11, Smith defeated Jesse Hart in an upset by split decision.
The winner of this bout will then face the winner of the contest between Umar Salamov and Maksim Vlasov, as part of an elimination process to fill the WBO light heavyweight title, which is currently vacant.
The biggest fight of Teofimo Lopez Jr.’s career could be happening soon…
The lightweight unification title fight between the 22-year-old Honduran-American professional boxer, who has held the IBF lightweight title since 2019 and Vasiliy Lomachenko might now take place on October 3 in Las Vegas, Top Rank president Todd duBoef confirmed to ESPN.
DuBoef said “it’s still too early to determine everything” regarding the bout and that he is uncertain as to whether it will be closed to the public.
“I’m not sure that fight happens with fans,” duBoef told ESPN.
Top Rank, which promotes Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) and Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs), has held several cards inside an enclosed area at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. DuBoef said the fight could be a potential pay-per-view bout at the MGM.
Arum told Boxingscene.com he is hopeful to have perhaps 2,000 to 2,500 people in attendance. But those plans could be altered as the pandemic worsens around the United States.
Like many other states, Nevada is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases. According to the most recent numbers posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state has seen an increase of 5,889 cases over the past seven days, which is nearly a quarter of the state’s total cases since the pandemic started.
The October 3 date was originally reserved for the third bout between heavyweights Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, duBoef told ESPN. That was pushed to December 19, leaving a potential PPV slot available.
Lomachenko is ESPN’s top pound-for-pound fighter, while Lopez won the IBF’s lightweight belt in December, when he stopped Richard Commey in the second round for his first major professional championship.
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican boxer and former two-time world champion was in excellent form this week as he dominated Mikkel LesPierre, dropping his opponent twice in the 144-pound catchweight bout in the main event of a Top Rank card in Las Vegas.
The scorecards read 100-88, 99-89 and 99-89 in favor of Pedraza (27-3), who showed that he still has a chance to be a title contender.
“I had it all coming together for me,” Pedraza said. “In boxing you can’t have an off night. I was physically fit, I was mentally fit, spiritually fit. I put it all together this evening, I couldn’t afford not to. That’s the kind of performance you get from me when I’m 100 percent focused.”
There was some controversy in the fifth round as LesPierre sent Pedraza to the canvas with a straight left to the body. Later on in the round, Pedraza evened things up by scoring his own knockdown with a left hook-right hook combination.
But before the sixth round started, referee Kenny Bayless paused the action to check the replay in accordance with Nevada State Athletic Commission rules and decided that LesPierre had tangled his feet with Pedraza, and he overturned his original ruling.
But that moment was simply academic, because Pedraza was the dominant force throughout the fight. Boxing out of both the right-handed and southpaw stance, he darted in and out, throwing slashing punches that came from all directions. His upper-body movement made him an elusive target for LesPierre. To cap things off, Pedraza scored another knockdown in the 10th from a left hand and had LesPierre staggering. To LesPierre’s credit, he showed great heart and made it to the final bell.
LesPierre, who worked at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York throughout the coronavirus pandemic, fell to 22-2-1. The 35-year-old had his moments, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Pedraza’s speed and power. By the end of the night, he had a bloody nose and a cut near the corner of his right eye. LesPierre had challenged Maurice Hooker last year for the WBO’s 140-pound title.
Coming off his listless effort against Jose Zepeda last September, there were many questions about the future prospects of Pedraza. Prior to that defeat, the only boxers to beat him were Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
While his performance versus Zepeda left much to be desired, on this night he was quick, fast and decisive with his movements on both offense and defense. He’s now focused on another title bout in the 140-pound class, which has two unified champions in Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor.
The 22-year-old Honduran American boxer, one of the sport’s rising stars, is set to fight lightweight titlist Vasiliy Lomachenko, ESPN‘s top pound-for-pound fighter.
Lopez will fight Lomachenko in a unification bout on September 19, announced Top Rank chief Bob Arum.
Lomachenko, who holds the WBO and WBA lightweight belts, was initially scheduled to face Lopez, who holds the IBF belt, on May 30 at Madison Square Garden. But that fight was scrapped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) hasn’t been in the ring since October 2019, when he won a unanimous decision over Luke Campbell. It was only the second time since 2014 that he didn’t win via stoppage.
Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) earned one of the four major belts in the 130-pound division when he stopped Richard Commey in December 2019. The Brooklyn native, who was ESPN’s 2018 prospect of the year, fought four times last year as he ramped up toward a belt.
The undefeated titleholder had previously complained about the negotiations with Lomachenko, who went back to his home country of Ukraine during the pandemic.
“I try to make these fights happen for the fans, the fans are the ones that win at the end of the day. But honestly, we’re not going to wait on this guy,” Lopez said in March. “We gave him everything he needs and everything he wants, and now he’s complaining about New York, he wants it in Vegas, he wants it in Cali. It’s been annoying.”
Both fighters are represented by Top Rank. In May, Arum told ESPN both fighters were adamant about a showdown in 2020, even if the circumstances were atypical because of the pandemic.
“In talking with Lomachenko and Lopez, neither of them want an interim fight,” Arum said. “So we would plan to do that in September, with or without an audience.”
Arum previously suggested that the fight would be a pay-per-view bout that could still be an event in Las Vegas that adheres to current safety protocols. Since early June, Top Rank has hosted multiple cards per week in the city.
The 24-year-old Latino fighter, USA Boxing‘s top-rated boxer at 165 pounds, has signed a multiyear contract with Top Rank.
The Milwaukee native will make his professional debut on June 30 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Conference Center.
Martinez won the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials, but he was only selected as an alternate for the team. When that decision was made, Martinez decided to turn professional.
“I knew it would be hard for me to qualify for the Olympics, so when I found out they chose someone else, it made no sense for me to stay,” Martinez said. “I got this opportunity from Top Rank, so why not? I have a great promotional company and manager behind me.”
“I’ve just been beating everyone in the country the past three, four years, so the time was right to make my next move,” he added.
“With Javier’s amateur credentials, fan-friendly style and Top Rank’s amazing track record at developing amateurs into champions, this is a win-win for everyone,” said Tim VanNewhouse, Martinez’s manager. “I look forward to a big future for Javier, and I’m eager for everyone to see his pro debut on ESPN June 30.”
VanNewhouse scouted Martinez extensively before signing him to a management contract after the Olympic trials back in December.
“When you’re watching the amateurs, when you’re looking at the kids, you want to figure out who’s really trying to hurt somebody from the opening bell,” he said. “Javier’s looking to hurt you.”
Martinez, who is trained by Javier Capetillo, captured his first of five national titles at age 13 and won a USA Elite National Championship in 2018.
VanNewhouse says he will be competing as a middleweight as begins his professional journey.
“I do this for my family. I do it for my kid,” said Martinez, a father to a 7-year-old son. “I want to represent Milwaukee and my parents, who came to this country with nothing and built a life for my brothers and me.”
The 29-year-old Mexican boxer and former WBO featherweight champion will face veteran Jayson Velez on July 21 at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.
The bout will take place at 130 pounds, according to Frank Espinoza, Valdez’s manager.
“The fight is done, we’re excited about it, Oscar is very happy to be back doing what he loves,” Espinoza told ESPN.
Top Rank officials confirmed that the fight has been finalized, while the rest of the card is still being formulated.
A victory by Valdez could lead to a showdown with WBC junior lightweight champion Miguel Berchelt. Valdez is No. 1 in the WBC’s 130-pound rankings.
Valdez (27-0, 21 KOs) recently moved up to junior lightweight after making six defenses of his featherweight title between 2016 and 2019. Last November, he had a rocky debut at 130 pounds when he was knocked down early by late replacement Adam Lopez. He rallied to score a seventh-round TKO.
In Velez (29-6-1, 21 KOs), Valdez is facing a seasoned veteran who has been in the ring with a plethora of recognizable names including Ryan Garcia, Ronnie Rios, Joseph Diaz and Rene Alvarado.
In his most recent outing on February 8, Velez had a very strong showing against Jaime Arboleda but lost on a razor thin split decision in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
In the 36 professional outings, Velez has never been knocked out.
It’s a pivotal fight for Valdez, who is still looking to find his groove under trainer Eddy Reynoso, while fine-tuning his skills for the formidable Berchelt.
“That’s the fight we want next, that’s the one Oscar is aiming for,” Espinoza said. “We’re hoping that by the fall there can be crowds at fights, because we know how much fans are anticipating it.”
The third time could be the charm for Jose Ramirez…
The bout between the 27-year-old Mexican American boxer and WBC and IBF junior welterweight champion and mandatory challenger Viktor Postol, twice postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is now expected to take place this summer, according to Top Rank promoter.
The fight is expected to take place in the first or second week of August, according to Top Rank, but the date would be contingent on Postol getting into the United States from his native Ukraine, where he’s currently training.
Vadim Kornilov, Postol’s manager, said he’s been trying to expedite Postol’s journey to the U.S.
“We have a reserved ticket for him on Monday. We’ve just been a little bit delayed because of the protests,” Kornilov said, referring to the protests that have been taking place across the U.S. in the aftermath of George Floyd‘s death. “We wanted to see that quiet down before we bring him here to the States. It looks like he’s good to enter with no issues.”
Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) once held the WBC 140-pound title. He typically trains under Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, but all gyms in the city are currently closed.
“We definitely have to wait for restrictions to be taken off as far as the quarantine of the gym and Freddie returning, but in my opinion, that should happen pretty soon,” Kornilov said. “Until then, the plan is for Viktor to just start training at a private gym we can find locally and get back into shape, and then wait for the restrictions to be taken off.”
While Top Rank’s June and July schedule in the States will take place exclusively at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Ramirez’s manager, Rick Mirigian, who has helped market and promote Ramirez into one of the biggest regional draws in the sport in Fresno, California, is hoping to bring this fight to California’s Central Valley.
”I’m preparing options for Top Rank for California, a casino and an arena,” Mirigian said. “I’m going to prepare those options for them to consider.”
Mirigian has had numerous meetings with venues as well as discussions with Andy Foster, the executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission, in the hopes of staging cards with a limited number of spectators. The Save Mart Center in Fresno is Mirigian’s priority, but he declined to disclose what casino he’s also pursued.
“That is the goal — to have some sort of a California audience with the bare minimum. A small ‘studio’ show, which could be Ramirez’s family, some key sponsors, etc. Keep it small,” said Mirigian, who also reiterated that these events would still have social distancing regulations and mandatory masks in the venue.
Ramirez will be relieved just to get back into action and satisfy this fight against his mandatory challenger. If the fight takes place in August, Ramirez will have been out of the ring for more than a year.
His most recent bout came against Maurice Hooker on July 27, 2019. Since then, he has had his sights set on a fight against Josh Taylor, who has the other two major belts at junior welterweight.
The 22-year-old Puerto Rican hard-hitting super middleweight boxer will be featured on the undercard of featherweight world titlist Shakur Stevenson‘s first defense, on March 14 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, according to Top Rank.
Top Rank said Berlanga’s opponent for the scheduled eight-round bout will be finalized next week, but the fight will be one of the preliminary bouts that’ll be streamed live on ESPN+beginning at 7:00 pm ET, ahead of the main card on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. The main card includes the previously announced meeting between Stevenson and challenger Miguel Marriagaand former junior featherweight world titlist Jessie Magdalenosquaring off with Sakaria Lukasin a 10-round featherweight fight.
Berlanga (13-0, 13 KOs), who hails from New York, has won all of his fights by first-round knockout.
“Hopefully, I can get in some rounds on March 14,” said Berlanga, who turned pro in 2016. “I want to show everyone I’m more than a one-round fighter. This is my time to shine.”
Berlanga’s longest ring appearance came in his most recent fight, when he needed 2 minutes, 45 seconds to knock out Cesar Nunezon December 14 at Madison Square Gardenon the Terence Crawford–Egidijus Kavaliauskasundercard.
The 32-year-old Colombian professional boxer has signed a multi-fight co-promotional contract with Top Rank.
“Top Rank is in the heavyweight business, and we are pleased to be partnering with Yvon Michel to help Oscar get to the next level,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “He fits right in the heavyweight picture and has the skills and toughness to compete against anyone in the division.”
Rivas, who’ll continue to be co-promoted by Michel, doesn’t have his next fight set, but it’ll take place later this year on an ESPN platform.
“I am very proud and excited to join forces with Top Rank. I thank Top Rank for believing in me,” Rivas said. “I also want to thank my manager, Stephane Lepine, and my promoter, Yvon Michel, for their leadership and guidance from the beginning of my career.”
Rivas (26-1, 18 KOs), 32, was a 2008 Colombian Olympian but has boxed out of Montreal since turning pro in 2009. He notched his biggest win in January 2019 when he stopped former world title challenger Bryant Jenningsin the 12th round in Verona, New York.
In his next fight, for a vacant interim heavyweight world title, Rivas traveled to London and lost a competitive unanimous decision to Dillian Whyte, whom he knocked down in the ninth round. However, the fight was tainted in controversy because Whyte had been allowed to fight by British regulators despite having tested positive for a banned substance, which the Rivas team had not been informed of.
“I am still a bit bitter over the circumstances surrounding my last fight in London against Dillian Whyte, and I hope that one day we will fight a rematch on an even playing field,” Rivas said.
“As for Dillian, I know he will do all he can to avoid this, but nothing will ever stop me from becoming a world champion. I am ready to take on any challenge.”
Rivas joins a Top Rank heavyweight stable that also includes lineal champion Tyson Fury, Kubrat Pulev, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, Agit Kabayel, Carlos Takam and prospects Guido Vianello, Sonny Contoand Jared Anderson. As an amateur, Rivas scored victories against Pulev and former unified world titleholder Andy Ruiz Jr.
“Oscar Rivas is ready to send a strong message, as he has the style to beat any heavyweight on any given day,” said Michel.
