Sadam Ali, Johan Perez make weight for their fight in Tucson on Saturday

Las Vegan Jessie Vargas, right, celebrates after defeating Sadam Ali in the ninth round to win the World Boxing Organization welterweight championship Saturday in Washington, D.C. PHOTO BY TOM HOG ...

Sadam Ali, left, was stopped by Jessie Vargas in the ninth round of their title fight in March 2016 in Washington D.C./Photo by Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos

 

Sadam Ali of Brooklyn and Johan Perez of Venezuela on Friday successfully made weight for their welterweight bout Saturday at Casino Del Sol in Tucson (on ESPN2).

Ali weighed the 147-pound limit and Perez came in at 146.6 pounds.

Ali, who is ranked No. 8 by one governing body, is 24-1 with 14 knockouts. His only loss came to Jessie Vargas, who stopped Ali in the ninth round in a battle for a vacant world title in March 2016 in Washington D.C.

Perez is 22-3-2 with 15 knockouts.

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Jorge Linares to defend against Luke Campbell at Fabulous Forum

Jorge Linares, left, lands a body punch on Anthony Crolla during their bout in March in England. Linares defended his title via unanimous decision/Photo by Getty Images Europe

 

It’s been three years since lightweight world champion Jorge Linares graced the United States with his presence in the ring, but that will change Sept. 23 when Linares defends his title against No. 1 contender Luke Campbell at the Fabulous Forum (on HBO).

Linares, of Venezuela, can’t wait.

“I am excited to make my return to the United States and to headline an HBO show for the first time,” said Linares, who will turn 32 on Aug. 22. “I know Luke Campbell is a tough competitor with an incredible amateur and professional background, but I am confident I will emerge victorious on Sept. 23.”

Campbell, of England, won the gold medal at bantamweight in the 2012 London Games. The 29-year-old southpaw is 17-1 with 14 knockouts.

“I’ve worked my way from Olympic champion to the No. 1 spot in the WBA and WBC rankings, and I feel now is the time to take my chance,” Campbell said.

Linares has not fought in the U.S. since knocking out Ira Terry in the second round in August 2014 at StubHub Center. Campbell has never fought outside the United Kingdom.

 

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Tickets on sale for Miguel Berchelt-Takashi Miura at Fabulous Forum

Miguel Berchelt/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

 

Golden Boy Promotions on July 15 will play host to a card at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood that will have super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) of Mexico defending his title against Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs) of Japan in the main event (on HBO).

Berchelt took the title from Francisco Vargas in January, stopping Vargas in the 11th round at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio.

The semi-main event will feature Jezreel Corrales (21-1, 8 KOs) of Panama defending his super featherweight title against Robinson Castellanos (24-12, 14 KOs) of Mexico.

Also, Joe Smith Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) of Long Island, N.Y., will take on Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs) of Cuba in a 12-round light heavyweight bout. Smith in December ended the career of Bernard Hopkins when he knocked out Hopkins in the eighth round, sending him through the ropes and onto the concrete floor at the Fabulous Forum.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125 are on sale and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or the Forum box office at 310-330-7300. They can also be purchased online at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

 

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Miguel Cotto to fight in Southern California for just the second time

Canelo Alvarez delivers a blow to Miguel Cotto as he wins unanimously for the middleweight title.

Miguel Cotto, right, takes a left hook to the jaw from Canelo Alvarez in their November 2015 bout in Las Vegas/AP photo by John Locher

 

Miguel Cotto has not fought since November 2015. But when he returns Aug. 26 to take on Yoshihiro Kamegai of Japan, the two will be tangling for a vacant junior middleweight title at StubHub Center (on HBO).

That’s right. Cotto will have been out of the ring for 21 months, yet he gets a shot at another title upon his return. He’s stoked.

“I’m very excited to be back and showcase a high-level fight for the fans,” Cotto said in a news release distributed by Golden Boy Promotions. “Kamegai is a great, tough fighter. But I will be ready for him, and to capture the world title.”

Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs), of Puerto Rico, is right when he says Kamegai (27-3-2, 24 KOs) is a tough fighter. But Kamegai is anything but great. He comes forward, and offers no defense. But this should be a ring war, which is along the lines of many fights we’ve seen at StubHub.

“I fully understand who I am going to be in the ring against,” Kamegai said. “But Cotto’s record and history won’t matter once we are toe-to-toe.”

Cotto, who has won titles in four weight classes, will be fighting for just the second time in the Southland. He defeated Arturo Rodriguez via second-round knockout in July 2001 at Staples Center underneath the light heavyweight title fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Julio Gonzalez. It was just the sixth fight of Cotto’s career.

Cotto has not fought since losing a wide unanimous decision to Canelo Alvarez in a middleweight title fight Nov. 21 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

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Eric Gomez confirms Dodgers offer to host Golovkin-Alvarez on Sept. 16

May 6, 2017. Las Vegas NV. (C) Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya watches  (L-R)  Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez pose together for the first time with Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin (GGG ) at a after boxing press conference Saturday at T-Mobile arena. Golden Boy Promotions made the official announcement of the long awaited  fight  that will happen in September this year with location still unknown.Photo by Gene Blevins/LA DailyNews/SCNG

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Gennady Golovkin pose after their fight was announced for Sept. 16 at a site still to be determined/Photo by Gene Blevins

 

Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions, on Saturday confirmed a report that Magic Johnson and the Dodgers have made an offer to host the Sept. 16 middleweight title fight between champion Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan and Canelo Alvarez of Mexico at Dodger Stadium.
De La Hoya told the L.A. Times that he had a conversation with Johnson on Friday. Gomez said that talk came after he had three with Dodgers executive vice-president and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen.
“I had the initial talks with Lon and we set up a call with Magic and Oscar and Magic spoke with Oscar yesterday,” Gomez said Saturday afternoon. “They’re very interested.”

Gomez said he could not get into specifics about the proposal, “But it’s a very interesting offer. It’s something we’re going to explore. They’re very serious.”

Other strong contenders to host what figures to be a blockbuster event are AT&T Stadium near Dallas and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Abel Sanchez: Canelo will have GGG in front of him, not Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

No one likes him: Gennady Golovkin slams 'boring' Canelo Alvarez after Chavez Jr win

HBO broadcaster Max Kellerman (center) speaks to Gennady Golovkin (left) and Canelo Alvarez after the Sept. 16 fight between Golovkin and Alvarez was announced following Alvarez’s victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past Saturday. Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, stands between Kellerman and Golovkin/Photo by Getty Images

 

Trainer Abel Sanchez had just watched Canelo Alvarez of Mexico out-box and out-punch countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Sanchez then sat on a makeshift dais inside the ring to discuss the Sept. 16 bout between his fighter – middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin – and Alvarez, which was announced immediately after Alvarez defeated Chavez by three scores of 120-108.

Sanchez was impressed with Alvarez’s work, but he reminded a reporter that Alvarez will be in with a different kind of beast when he challenges Golovkin at a site still to be determined.

“I think Canelo displayed great boxing skills,” Sanchez said. “But he’s not going to have Chavez in front of him (in September), it’s going to be Gennady Golovkin.”

Golovkin, 35, is 37-0 with 33 knockouts. He was on a string of 22 consecutive knockouts that was snapped in March when Daniel Jacobs went all 12 rounds with Golovkin in a hotly contested bout won by Golovkin by scores of 114-113, 115-112 and 115-112.

Alvarez, a former junior middleweight and middleweight champion, is 49-1-1 with 34 knockouts. At 26, he is nine years Golovkin’s junior.

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‘Tino’ Avila confident he can hang with South El Monte’s Joseph Diaz Jr.

Manuel Avila_02.jpeg

Manuel ‘Tino’ Avila is seen here during a recent workout in preparation for Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz Jr./Photo by Julio C. Sanchez/Team Tino

 

Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. of South El Monte is ranked No. 2 in the world at featherweight by one major governing body. He is therefore on the cusp o f a world-title shot. In order to get it soon, he’s going to have to defeat Manuel “Tino” Avila on Saturday on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. super middleweight main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

Diaz is 23-0 with 13 knockouts. Avila, of Fairfield, is 22-0 with eight knockouts. Avila is ranked No. 10, which means Diaz could be facing his toughest opponent to date. Avila sure believes that.

“My team and I have been working extremely hard,” a confident Avila said during a recent workout. “I’ve got all the right people in my corner helping me get to the top.

“I’m sparring with some really good fighters, I’ve taken my conditioning to new levels. I’m amped for this fight.”

Avila had a message for Diaz.

“JoJo Diaz, you better be ready for me on May 6,” Avila said.

Diaz is 24, Avila is 25.

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Report: Gennady Golovkin won’t fight Saunders, will wait for Canelo Alvarez

Undefeated, Unified World Middleweight Champion Gennady, “GGG” Golovkin works outs for the media on April 20, 2016 at the Wild Card West gym in Santa Monica. GGG will defend his titles (WBA, IBF, IBO and WBC against Undefeated Mandatory Challenger Dominic Wade on Saturday, April 23 at the Fabulous Forum.  (Photo by Gene Blevins/Southern California News Group)

Gennady Golovkin/Photo by Gene Blevins

 

Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will not fight in June after all and will instead wait to see if he can get Canelo Alvarez in the ring in September, according to a report out of London by ESPN.com.

According to the report, Golovkin had been considering a fight with fellow champion Billy Joe Saunders for June 10 in Golovkin’s native Kazakhstan. But the combination of Golovkin getting banged up in his recent title defense against Daniel Jacobs and Saunders’ promoter Frank Warren wanting to move the fight up a week, Golovkin and his team – which includes K2 Promotions – has decided to pass up that fight and wait for Alvarez.

There is no guarantee Alvarez and his promoter – Oscar De La Hoya – will make the fight with Golovkin. Alvarez and De La Hoya both say they want to make it, but De La Hoya told reporters at a recent news conference that if Alvarez’s fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on May 6 at T-Mobile Arena ends up being terrific, he’d consider doing a rematch of that bout.

That would mean that if Alvarez were to win next month, and in a possible rematch with Chavez, Alvarez would not be getting into the ring with Golovkin until 2018.

The report suggested Golovkin would be interested in fighting  Chavez should he beat Alvarez.

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Canelo Alvarez will want to rip off Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s head more than others when they tangle in May

Floyd Mayweather Jr. throws a jab at Canelo

Canelo Alvarez, right, reacts to a punch thrown by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their September 2013 junior middleweight title fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas won by Mayweather/Associated Press photo

 

Sometimes a rather harsh question can result in a terrific response. Such was the case recently when Canelo Alvarez was asked during a conference call if, after 50 previous opponents, this is the first time he’d like to rip off his opponent’s head.

The question was, of course, in reference to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs), who will take on Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) on May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). It’s crystal clear that there is no love lost between these fellow Mexicans.

“No, he’s one more of the 50 of all my opponents that I’ve faced,” Alvarez said. “I’ve wanted to rip their head off; I wanted to beat them; I wanted to them knock them out. This is a little extra. There’s a little bit more motivation, of course, because of the rivalry.”

The two will tangle at a catch-weight of 164 1/2 pounds

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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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