JARON 'BOOTS' ENNIS DROPS XANDER ZAYAS THREE TIMES BEFORE SEVENTH-ROUND STOPPAGE

 

Before a sold-out crowd of more than 16,000 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Top Rank, Matchroom Boxing, and Boots Promotions presented a stacked DAZN Pay-Per-View card headlined by Jaron “Boots” Ennis challenging WBA and WBO champion Xander Zayas. Ennis dropped Zayas three times before the champion’s corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.

Zayas (23-1, 13 KOs), of Puerto Rico, was making the first defense of his unified titles against former IBF welterweight champion Ennis (36-0, 31 KOs), of Philadelphia.

On his birthday, Ennis opened in the southpaw stance and wasted little time making an impression. Just over a minute into the first round, he landed a left hand on the chin that sent Zayas to the canvas for an eight-count from referee Harvey Dock. Ennis switched back to orthodox in the second round and continued landing clean right hands while Zayas tried to recover.

The third round produced Zayas’ best moment of the fight when he connected with a hard right hand that briefly forced Ennis to hold. It was one of the few rounds where Zayas had genuine success. By the fourth, Ennis had settled back into his rhythm, repeatedly finding the target with straight rights while both fighters exchanged late in the round.

A right uppercut midway through the fifth produced another knockdown. Zayas beat the count again but was clearly taking punishment, and Ennis continued landing hard right hands before the bell.

Zayas showed plenty of courage in the sixth, remaining competitive despite trailing badly. In the seventh, Ennis landed a left hand followed by a barrage of unanswered punches that dropped Zayas for the third time. Although Zayas got back to his feet again, his corner wisely threw in the towel to prevent further punishment.

Vargas Stops Mills

In the co-feature, Emiliano “El General” Vargas (18-0, 15 KOs) stopped Bryce Mills (22-2, 9 KOs) in the fourth round to retain his regional titles.

The opening two rounds were competitive. Vargas switched to southpaw at times and landed the cleaner shots, while Mills had his best moment late in the second when a right hand briefly stunned Vargas.

Vargas broke the fight open in the third, scoring the first knockdown with a right hook. In the fourth, he dropped Mills again with a lead left before another barrage sent Mills down a third time, forcing referee Ricky Gonzalez to stop the contest.

Tucker Wins Close Decision

Jahi Tucker (17-1-1, 7 KOs) earned a majority decision over 2020 Olympian Euri Cedeno (14-1-1, 12 KOs) to claim the vacant IBF North American, WBC USA, and WBO NABO middleweight titles.

The fight was closely contested throughout. Tucker started quickly, Cedeno rallied, and the middle rounds featured steady back-and-forth action. Cedeno used his reach well in the seventh and eighth before Tucker closed strongly over the final two rounds despite suffering a bloody nose and swelling under his left eye.

The scores were 95-95, 97-93, and 98-92.

Whittaker Impresses In U.S. Debut

Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker (12-0-1, 9 KOs) needed less than two rounds to stop Richard “Popeye the Sailor Man” Rivera (27-3, 20 KOs).

Making his U.S. debut, Whittaker dominated from the opening bell before dropping Rivera with a chopping right near the end of the first round. Early in the second, a left hook sent Rivera down again. Although Rivera beat the count, referee Michael Griffin took one look at him and decided he had seen enough, waving off the contest.

Thompson Escapes With Split Decision

Dennis “HFUP” Thompson (11-0, 6 KOs) won an eight-round split decision over Edwin Rodriguez (12-12-3, 5 KOs).

Thompson boxed well early, but Rodriguez refused to cooperate with the script, turning the fight into a rugged battle and looking far better than his record suggested. The final round was close, and the judges returned scores of 79-73, 77-75 for Thompson, and 77-75 for Rodriguez.

Juanmita Ends It Early

Juanma “Juanmita” Lopez (6-0, 4 KOs), the son of former two-division world champion Juan Manuel Lopez, needed just one round to knock out Alberto Motos (6-3).

Lopez controlled the action before a straight left landed flush on Motos’ chin. Motos went down and failed to beat the count as referee Ricky Gonzalez completed the knockout.

Williams Outpoints Baxter

Quincey Williams (8-0, 6 KOs) defeated Jerome “Thoroughbred” Baxter (8-3, 3 KOs) over eight rounds.

Williams controlled most of the fight with his jab and movement, while Baxter earned respect by continuing to press forward despite falling behind on the scorecards. All three judges scored the contest 79-73 in Williams’ favor.

Note: The night’s final officiating crew included ring announcer David Diamante—not referee David Diamante, who somehow found his way into the original report.

- Ken Hissner

BOB ARUM NAMES THE ONLY HEAVYWEIGHT WHO COMES CLOSE TO EQUALLING GEORGE FOREMAN'S POWER

Legendary promoter Bob Arum has worked with a number of legendary heavyweights throughout his career, including the late, great George Foreman.

The 93-year-old’s first championship promotion was with Muhammad Ali back in 1966, when he defended his heavyweight title against George Chuvalo in Toronto, Canada.

Arum went on to establish Top Rank in 1973, where he has played an instrumental role in promoting over 500 world title bouts across five decades. As well as working alongside Ali, the 93-year-old has promoted fighters such as Foreman, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao to name just a few.

Arum promoted Foreman’s incredible 1994 victory over Michael Moorer, which saw ‘Big’ George become the oldest heavyweight champion in history when he captured the WBA and IBF titles with a tenth round stoppage over the previously unbeaten heavyweight star.

In an interview with Sean Zittel, Arum was asked how he believes the heavyweight icon would have fared against the stars of today, before saying former that former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is the only fighter who comes close to carrying the level of punching power that ‘Big’ George did.

“I think quite well, because I don’t know any heavyweight around who had the ring savvy that he had and the punching power that he possessed. Of heavyweight fighters with punching power, the one that came close was Wilder, but Wilder didn’t have the defensive skills that George had and couldn’t take a punch the way George did.”

Foreman picked up 76 victories throughout his tenure, with 68 of those coming via stoppage. Perhaps one of the most famous wins of his career came in January 1973 when he dropped Joe Frazier six times before knocking him out in the second round of their bout to become the world heavyweight champion for the first time.

Wilder has 43 knockouts from his 43 wins and believes himself to be the biggest puncher the sport has ever seen. After back-to-back losses in Saudi Arabia against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, the 39-year-old is making a low-key comeback this June before one last crack at the top level.

 - Toby Morgan

INOUE VS. KIM | UNDISPUTED SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

TEOFIMO LOPEZ WANTS ENNIS AT 147, CRAWFORD AT 154, AND MORE SUPPORT FROM TOP RANK AND ESPN

Teofimo Lopez Jr. is calling his shots and taking some too.

The WBO junior welterweight champion Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) recently rejected a Sept. 27 fight date at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York on ESPN. A matchup against recently elevated WBO welterweight titleholder Brian Norman Jr. was on the table.

But Lopez believes there are bigger fish to fry, and he is now focused on reeling in Terence Crawford, among others, following “Bud’s” close unanimous decision win against Israil Madrimov for the WBA junior middleweight title. 

“Now that we have Riyadh Season in the mix, why can't we make a Crawford and Teofimo fight happen? We're in the house now. Make it happen,” Lopez told BoxingScene. “More money doesn't cause more problems. More money causes more boxing.

“Absolutely I can [move up to 154 pounds]. And I will. Just send me the date. I am walking at 155 pounds right now. I can fight Crawford right now.

“I didn't expect for age to catch up with Crawford so quickly [against Madrimov]. I thought it would happen at 38 and not 36.

“Everyone had high expectations of Crawford – he even had high expectations against Madrimov. But this is boxing, and things happen like this. This is probably good learning for him. He couldn't figure out his moves and feints. Maybe he shouldn't have taken so long coming back [after the Errol Spence fight in 2023]. But to each his own. I wasn't Terence Crawford in that fight. I'm Teofimo and I look forward to facing him in the coming year.”

Lopez has previously hinted that he’d entertain a Crawford fight at a catchweight and that he’d destroy and end the Nebraskan’s career if they ever met. 

Crawford has clapped back by calling Lopez a chump, telling him: “Your little bitch ass better worry about them little guys that’s on yo ass down there in yo weight class.”

Lopez leaping up to 154 pounds would require him to bypass the 147-pound weight class. But Lopez is open to facing the welterweight division’s top dog, too, in IBF titleholder Jaron Ennis, in addition to Norman. 

“To be honest, whatever plans they have. I have nothing but respect for Boots,” said Lopez. “We've known each other a long time. We won the National Golden Gloves together in 2015. We were both 17 years old. If people want to see it, then we'll do it. I don't say no to any fight. As long as it’s eye-catching and eye candy to everyone who’s watching, that's what really matters.” 

Lopez said he passed on his September fight date because he wanted to fight in Southern California, and not because the date fell on a Friday, as some reports have suggested. 

“I didn't duck or dodge Brian Norman at all,” said Lopez. “Look, I love New York. I love Madison Square Garden. I fought nine times there throughout my career. It's a home for me. I fought in Las Vegas four times. I just want to try a different avenue, with all due respect, and fight in Los Angeles. I've never fought in LA and I want to. And I'll still fight Brian Norman this year. Crawford just fought. I am sure he wants to take some time to be with his family. I still want to stay active. I'm ready.

“I fought on a fucking Thursday [in February against Jamaine Ortiz] for crying out loud. It's just making the right decisions for me now. It's something that I didn't do when I was younger, and I am doing it now. That's really it. I don't duck anyone. You should know this by now. Don't listen to any of these false narratives. All I am doing is just dictating and taking care of my career. We put our lives in there, and I am at that point now where I have earned it.”

Lopez said earlier this year that he was looking for more activity in 2024, and so far he’s gotten it, beating Ortiz in February and Steve Claggett in June. Before that,  beat former undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor in June 2023 for the WBO belt he now holds. 

But despite the opportunities, Lopez still appears irritated with Top Rank. Earlier this year, Lopez claimed his career-long promoter gave him too many “take it or leave it” offers.

“I need a promoter and network that is going to push me,” said Lopez. “I'm not saying ESPN is not doing its part, however, it's not what it was before in the beginning, and that's what I don't approve of. I don't appreciate it. I'm the only star that they have left. With everything that I have done for Top Rank and ESPN, I believe that it's time. Just do what I ask. I have done so much for them for nearly eight years. I'm going to sit back and let God do the rest for me. I look forward to coming back again this year. We'll see when.

“I have conquered the [140-pound] division. There is no one at 140. Everyone lost. Nobody wanted to fight us. They went the wrong route, and everybody is out. What more can a guy do? I look forward to making more history. We'll go to 147 and be a three-division world champion at 27. That sounds great. And then from there, we'll go to 154. Or we'll just jump to 154, because we can do it.”

SHAKUR STEVENSON IS A FREE AGENT;

Shakur Stevenson didn't land much, but he did enough to defeat Edwin De Los Santos and win the WBC lightweight title back in November. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT captured Olympic silver at the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro and, eight months later, made his pro debut with Top Rank.

Bob Arum, Top Rank's founder and CEO, signed Stevenson as a 19-year-old, the only promoter the champion has ever worked with. Seven years later, their relationship is bound to change following Stevenson's successful WBC lightweight title defense vs. Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday.

Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) was dominant -- he was a -3,500 favorite, per ESPN BET -- but failed to deliver the thrilling victory he sought. There were boos down the stretch as Stevenson cruised to a unanimous decision victory against an overmatched opponent for the second consecutive fight. This time, the boos were from his hometown fans at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Stevenson, 27, said the jeers were aimed at Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) because "he ain't really try to make the fight." And while it's true that neither Harutyunyan nor Edwin De Los Santos -- Stevenson's last opponent in November -- truly pressed the action, the onus was on the supremely gifted Stevenson to find a way to finish his opponent.

Now, Stevenson will test free agency on the heels of an uneventful victory, not the statement-making performance he needed.

Stevenson turned down a five-fight extension with Top Rank, sources told ESPN, that would have guaranteed the boxer $3 million per bout.

He could sign with a rival promoter -- PBC, Matchroom, Golden Boy, etc. -- or remain a free agent and enjoy the flexibility that brings fighters such as Devin Haney or his mentor, Terence Crawford.

"I want to honestly start my own promotional company and just work with promoters and do a lot of short-term things so that way I'm not locked in and stuck to somebody," Stevenson told ESPN on June 30.

Stevenson lamented that he didn't score the KO, and while he blamed Harutyunyan, he also looked inward. The champion said he needed to improve his ability to cut off the ring.

Outside the ring, Stevenson will navigate uncharted waters. Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport, has publicly expressed interest in a deal with Stevenson. Surely, many other promoters will pursue Stevenson, too. He is, after all, an undefeated champion rated No. 8 by ESPN pound for pound.

Now, it appears Stevenson is ready for a change.

Going into Saturday's fight, Stevenson felt Top Rank didn't do enough to promote his fight with Harutyunyan because he turned down the extension.

Shakur Stevenson didn't land much, but he did enough to defeat Edwin De Los Santos and win the WBC lightweight title back in November. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT

"It just feels like they want me to promote the fight and do the things that do the job that they're supposed to be doing," Stevenson said. "... It just feels like I'm just not part of the promotion team no more. ... I just wish at the end of my contract that we got going on that it would've been better than this.

"I feel as though they promoted me well until the end of my contract, until my contract is about to be up. And that's when things kind of drifted and changed."

Still, Stevenson wasn't ready to close the door on a future reunion with Top Rank.

"Shakur Stevenson's contractual situation in no way impacted Top Rank's promotional efforts in regards to his fight with Artem Harutyunyan," Top Rank spokesperson Evan Korn told ESPN. "Shakur is a tremendously talented fighter, and the passionate crowd at Prudential Center was a testament to the efforts of both parties."

Whatever the case, Stevenson knew he needed a statement performance Saturday, especially on the heels of his lackluster win over De Los Santos.

Stevenson prevailed over De Los Santos via scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112 as boos rained down throughout that fight as well. Stevenson and De Los Santos both failed to land double-digit punches in any of the 12 rounds.

Instead of returning to the ring sooner to erase the memory of his poor performance, Stevenson waited eight months to fight Harutyunyan.

"I asked Top Rank, 'Can I come back sooner?' I got one more fight on my contract. And with everything with Top Rank, they didn't allow it," Stevenson said. "They made sure that I was pushed back until June, July. June was the initial date that they gave me. And then, somehow, it ended up going back to July. ... I asked, 'Can I come back in March?' I wanted to be right back, to be honest ... but they made me wait this long.

"I think that I'm the best fighter on the roster and I didn't accept the deal that they wanted, so I feel as though maybe they wanted to push me back as far as I can go."

Stevenson shouldn't have anyone else to blame shortly. As a promotional free agent, Stevenson will call the shots as he pursues the sort of marquee fight that has eluded him. ESPN's top two boxers at Stevenson's weight (135 pounds), Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko, are in negotiations to fight each other this fall.

Lomachenko is also promoted by Top Rank, and while Stevenson pressured for that matchup, it never materialized. Davis, one of boxing's top stars, is with PBC.

Stevenson said he would explore a jump to 140 pounds "for money fights" and mentioned Mexico's Isaac Cruz, a champion who is developing a large fan base. He's with PBC.

There's also Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez. Lopez, who Top Rank promotes, is a champion at 140 pounds. Garcia is suspended until April 2025 and said he can't make 140. Haney, too, could be finished at the weight.

The most appetizing, feasible option for Stevenson might be Mexico's William Zepeda, who delivered another scintillating performance Saturday night with a third-round KO of Giovanni Cabrera. Zepeda, a Golden Boy boxer, is on the cusp of a title shot.

"I haven't talked to Shakur," said Golden Boy Promotions founder and lead promoter Oscar De La Hoya on the DAZN broadcast before Zepeda's victory. "I love his style. I love that he's a very talented fighter. There's no question to that. ... I just feel like William Zepeda can take on anybody. ... William Zepeda-Shakur Stevenson is a fight people would love to watch. ... I would love to work with Shakur Stevenson."

Stevenson, meanwhile, has already won titles in three divisions. So what's missing? A mega fight, and he'll now be unencumbered by boxing promotional politics as he seeks one.

"I mean, I definitely don't want to close the door, but it seems like [Top Rank is] ready to close the door more than me," Stevenson said. "So truthfully speaking, if they saying f--- me, it's f--- them, too. So that's how I feel."

- Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider

TORREZ JR VS. MOORE | UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHTS

 

KUDOS BOB ARUM | TOP RANK

 

BOXING: MANNY PAQUIAO ANATAKA KURUDI ULINGONI ASEMA PROMOTER BOB ARUM

Promoter wa Manny Paquiao, Bob Arum, amesema Pac-Man anataka kutoka kwenye ustaafu na kurudi tena ulingoni...Siku ambazo atapigana ni kati ya october 29 au November 5...

Arum wa Top Rank amesema anajaribu kuona nafasi nzuri ambayo haiingiliani na masuala ya Pac-Man ya siasa na pia pambano liwe Las Vegas Marekani...

Ilikuwa azichape October 15 lakini kwakuwa Pac ni Senator inabidi apange Budget na kupiga kura kwahio pambano limesogezwa mbele...Bofya hapa upate habaro zaidi.