Middleweight contender Jason Quigley broke hand in win over Glen Tapia

Jason Quigley/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

 

Top 10-ranked middleweight Jason Quigley’s trek to a world-title shot has taken a detour.

Quigley (13-0, 10 KOs), of Ireland, this past Thursday won a 10-round unanimous decision over Glen Tapia at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio in the main event of a Golden Boy Promotions card. Golden Boy president Eric Gomez on Wednesday announced Quigley sustained a broken right hand and detached tendon early in the bout.

“Though the doctor was surprised that Jason could lift his hand, let alone win a 10-round prize-fight after breaking his hand and ‘shredding’ his tendon, this kind of heart, will and skill is what we have come to expect from Jason,” Gomez said in a statement. “He will have surgery this Friday to repair the hand and is expected to make a full recovery.”

No timeline for Quigley’s return was given.

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Jason Quigley defeats Glen Tapia to win regional belt, figures many more on way

Jason Quigley/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

 

Jason Quigley of Ireland won a regional middleweight title on Thursday when he took a unanimous decision over Glen Tapia in the main event at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. Quigley, ranked No. 10 by one governing body, believes it’s just the beginning of bigger things to come.

“I’m taking this little bambino (title belt) home with me, to my people in Donegal, Ireland and celebrate with my loved ones,” Quigley said. “Then when I come back, I’m going to celebrate with my team. Everyone here has been on my team since my performance on the Canelo-Lara undercard, and this is a steppingstone to many more belts that are coming my way.”

Quigley (13-0, 10 KOs) opened his pro career with a TKO of Howard Reece on July 12, 2014 on the undercard of the junior middleweight bout between Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara won by Alvarez via split-decision at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman make weight and they can’t wait to rumble

Keith Thurman (right) and Shawn Porter (left)

Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman delivers an uppercut to the jaw of Shawn Porter during their fight in June at Barclays Center, won by Thurman/Photo by Ed Mulholland, Getty Images

 

Danny Garcia and Keith “One Time” Thurman on Friday successfully made weight for their welterweight title-unification bout Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on CBS).

Thurman checked in at 146 1/4 quarters, Garcia was 146 1/2.

The fighters can’t wait to get at one another.

“This fight has been brewing for a long time,” said Thurman, of Clearwater, Fla. “Both of us wanted this fight. There’s a reason why this fight is happening. We’re young, we’re hungry and we’re not trying to wait around. It’s time for this to go down.”

Garcia, a former junior welterweight champion, believes he’s been underestimated for this fight and he aims to prove the doubters wrong.

“People say he’s the bigger man because he’s been at this weight longer than me,” said Garcia, of Philadelphia. “I’m taller than him, I’m wider than him and I have a bigger back than him. I feel like I’m the fresher welterweight.”

Thurman is 27-0 with 22 knockouts. Garcia is 33-0 with 19 knockouts.

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Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman ready for their special night in Brooklyn

Danny Garcia, left, throws a punch at Robert Guerrero during their WBC championship welterweight bout, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Danny Garcia, left, lands a left hook to the jaw of Robert Guerrero in their welterweight title fight in January 2016 at Staples Center. Garcia won a unanimous decision/AP photo by Mark J. Terrill

 

There have been many high-profile welterweight title fights over the years. From Sugar Ray Robinson-Kid Gavilan (rematch, July 1949) to Jose Napoles-Emile Griffith (October 1969) to Roberto Duran-Sugar Ray Leonard (June 1980) to Leonard-Tommy Hearns (September 1981) to Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez (September 1993), there have been some great ones.

Keith “One Time” Thurman and Danny Garcia on Saturday will square off in a welterweight title-unification bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on CBS). Although they will be hard-pressed to match the terrific action produced in the aforementioned bouts, both seem to realize the significance of this bout in one of boxing’s beloved weight classes.

“When you look at the facts and our records, it doesn’t get bigger than this,” said Thurman, of Clearwater, Fla. “There’s no comparison to my other fights. This is the biggest fight of my career.”

Thurman is 27-0 with 22 knockouts. Garcia, of Philadelphia, is 33-0 with 19 knockouts. It is a momentous fight for him, too.

“There’s always been some tough fights in the legacies of other great fighters,” Garcia said. “Each fight is a learning experience. Everything in my career has led me to this fight.

“People want to see the best fight the best. This is my chance to prove it to the world that I’m one of the best fighters in the world.”

That the bout is being held in Brooklyn makes it even sweeter, said the fighters, both of whom have fought multiple times at Barclays.

“Brooklyn has one of a kind fight fans,” Thurman said. “The history of this city and the history of boxing in this city is exceptional. The appreciation they have for fighters is one of a kind.”

Said Garcia: “The atmosphere at Barclays Center is amazing. I’ve always requested to fight here and I’m glad they accept me.”

This one is tough to pick. But Garcia has no doubt he’ll be the best man.

“I’m definitely a better fighter than Keith Thurman,” he said. “He’s never been in the ring with a guy like me. Saturday night, I’m going to prove it.”

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Report: Bob Arum says Manny Pacquiao-Amir Khan not yet a done deal

Manny Pacquiao/AP, Las Vegas Sun photo by Steve Marcus

 

Even though Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan both tweeted over the weekend that they will tangle with each other April 23, it is not official.

Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s longtime promoter, has to sign off on any Pacquiao fight and he has not done that as of yet, according to BoxingScene.com

“No,” was Arum’s response, when asked if the deal is done.

Arum said he will be meeting with Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, on Tuesday.

Keep in mind that Pacquiao had previously said he would next fight Jeff Horn of Australia.

 

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Gerald Washington will realize a dream by fighting Wilder for heavyweight title

Deontay Wilder, left, and Gerald Washington pose for the camera after Thursday’s news conference in Birmingham, Ala./Photo by Jennifer Hagler, Premier Boxing Champions

 

Gerald Washington boxed as a kid, but his size took him in a different direction – college football – where he played backup defensive end at USC. Washington couldn’t make it in the pro ranks, so he went back to the sweet science and turned pro at the tender age of 30.

Four years later, Washington (18-0-1, 12 KOs) finds himself in a spotlight he may not have envisioned he would ever experience – he’ll challenge Deontay Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) for his heavyweight championship on Saturday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala. (on Fox).

“This is a dream come true,” Washington, of Vallejo, said at Thursday’s final news conference. “I started boxing as a kid, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I’ve had a long road, but now I’m here fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world. This just means so much to me.”
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Tickets are on sale for Canelo Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas

Canelo Alvarez lands a right uppercut to the side of Liam Smith’s head during their junior middleweight title fight won by Alvarez via ninth-round knockout this past September in Arlington, Texas/Associated Press

 

Tickets for the May 6 super middleweight fight between Canelo Alvarez of Mexico and countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas are now on sale.

Prices for the Golden Boy Promotions card are $75, $125, $200, $300, $400, $600, $800, $1,000, $1,250 and $1,500. They can be purchased by calling 888-929-7849 or by going online to www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and Chavez (50-2-1, 32 KOs) will be fighting at a catch-weight of 164 1/2 pounds, 3 1/2 pounds under the super middleweight limit.

The bout will be available on HBO pay-per-view.

 

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Wait, former champion Adrien Broner is no longer going to talk trash?

Shawn Porter, left, knocks Adrien Broner off-balance during a welterweight fight on Saturday, June 20, 2015, in Las Vegas. Porter won by unanimous decision after a 12-round bout. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Adrien Broner, right, is knocked off-balance by Shawn Porter during their fight in June 2015 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Porter won a unanimous decision/Associated Press photo by David Becker

 

Adrien Broner has been a big-mouth during his career. But he swears those days are now behind him. No kidding. He said as much Thursday at the final news conference for his welterweight fight Saturday against Adrian Granados at Cintas Center in Cincinnati (on Showtime).

“I know everyone is used to me coming up here and being boastful,” said Broner, of Cincinnati. “That’s not me anymore. I have a lot of respect for Adrian Granados and he’s a great fighter.

“A businessman that can fight. That’s what I am nowadays. I’m not a (expletive)-talker anymore.”

That’s a heck of a turn-around, assuming Broner keeps to that credo. One thing’s for sure, he can fight. Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) has won titles in four weight classes, but Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) is confident he can hand Broner his third loss.

“People that think I’m an underdog, don’t know me,” said Granados, of Cicero, Ill. “They don’t know the tricks I have up my sleeve.”

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Adrien Broner, Adrian Granados make weight for their bout in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, OHIO - OCTOBER 03: Adrien Broner leaves the ring after beating Khabib Allakhverdiev at U.S. Bank Arena on October 4, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Adrien Broner/Photo by Dylan Buell, Getty Images

 

Former four-division world champion Adrien Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) and Adrian Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) on Friday successfully made weight for their welterweight bout Saturday at Cintas Center in Broner’s native Cincinnati (on Showtime).

Both fighters weighed in at 146 1/2 pounds, a half-pound under the limit.

Granados hails from Cicero, Ill.

Also on the card, Lamont Peterson (34-3-1, 17 KOs) of Washington D.C. will challenge David Avanesyan (21-1-1, 11 KOs) of Russia for his welterweight title. Peterson tipped the scales at 146 1/2 pounds with Avanesyan coming in at 147.

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Claressa Shields to take on Szilvia Szabados in historical bout in Detroit

 

 

Claressa Shields/Photo by Harry How, Getty Images

 

Claressa Shields, who won gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, will make history March 10 when she becomes the first female prize-fighter to headline a card that will be televised on a premium channel.

Shields will take on Szilvia Szabados of Hungary in the middleweight main event from MGM Grand in Detroit (on Showtime). Shields (1-0) is stoked.

“It is a dream come true to be the first woman to headline a boxing card on premium television,” said Shields, of Flint, Mich. “March 10 will be a historic night for boxing and all of the women who give so much to advance our sport.”

Szabados (15-8, 6 KOs) was equally thrilled.

“Fighters always say their next fight is the most important one of their career, but you get an opportunity like this and it really is,” she said. “This is an unbelievable dream. I am very happy to be receiving this opportunity.

“I know this fight is important for Claressa also, and I don’t really know what will happen in the ring. We both want to win. Claressa has more amateur experience, but I have more experience as a professional.”

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