Tag Archives: WBA

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FORTUNA RENEWS PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENT WITH SAMPSON BOXING

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Former WBA Featherweight and Super Featherweight Champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (31-1-1, 22 KOs) has renewed his long-term promotional agreement with promoter Sampson Lewkowicz and Sampson Boxing.
From La Romana, Dominican Republic, the 27-year-old Fortuna has won two straight since dropping his super featherweight belt in a shocker against Jason Sosa in June 2016. He came back with an impressive two-round blowout of fellow Dominican Marlyn Cabrera in September 2016 and then, in November took the undefeated record of Delaware’s Omar “Super O” Douglas by unanimous decision.
“Sampson Lewkowicz is and always will be my promoter,” said Fortuna. “He has done right by me and my career at every turn. I will be world champion again with Sampson in my corner.”
Lewkowicz, who says he’s working on a big fight for Fortuna, says Fortuna has become like family.

“Javier is a son to me. I am honored to be his promoter and look forward to continuing to work for him. He is a great champion with many great fights left. After he won his first title, he told me we would work together for his entire career and he has kept his word. I will do everything to make him a champion again.”
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JORGE LINARES DEFENDS WBA LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® FROM MANCHESTER ENGLAND

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Win Sets Up A Possible Unification Fight With WBC World Champion Mikey Garcia; Encore Presentation of Tonight’s Fight Airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME®

 

Photos Courtesy: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom Sport

https://cbs.box.com/s/2fx8r5fs49rxny6vx26aiva5jj7qoxzu

NEW YORK (March 25, 2017) – Jorge Linares defended his WBA Lightweight World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Crolla Saturday evening on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL from Manchester, England.  The win sets Linares up for a possible unification fight with WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia, a matchup that would be considered one of the best that can be made in any weight class.

Saturday’s main event from Manchester Arena aired live on SHOWTIME.  Live fight coverage was provided by Sky Sports with Adam Smith calling play-by-play and world champion Carl Froch serving as ringside analyst.  Garcia joined SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paul Malignaggi to provide commentary from a New York studio.

Linares and Crolla previously fought a fierce, closely contested battle last September, one that Linares won by just a few rounds.  On Saturday, Linares retained the belt by a wide margin—118-109 on all three scorecards—virtually outclassing Crolla from the outset.

“He seems to be getting better with age,” said Froch, sharing a growing sentiment among boxing pundits.

Linares (42-3, 27 KO’s) cruised through much of the fight with an impressive display of boxing skill and power.  A precisely timed uppercut floored Crolla in the seventh.  Moments later Linares nearly finished him with a flurry against the ropes.  Crolla, however, would not go quietly.  The Manchester native, perhaps spurned by his home crowd, bravely grew more aggressive in the second half of the fight.  But Linares was simply too sharp, too fast and too comfortable for Crolla to overcome.

Mikey Garcia is coming off a brilliant knockout of world champion Dejan Zlaticanin in January and is hungry for a unification bout.

“First off, I congratulate Jorge Linares for a great win,” said Garcia.  “His skill, flexibility, combinations and power were definitely impressive.  I hope we can make a fight as soon as possible.  He didn’t look cut or hurt so maybe we can fight this summer.”

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JORGE LINARES vs. ANTHONY CROLLA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS FOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE REMATCH THIS SATURDAY LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Airs Live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England

 

Click HERE For Photos; Credit Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom

 

 

Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla held a final press conference on Thursday in Manchester, England, for their rematch this Saturday for the WBA Lightweight World Championship, live on SHOWTIME (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) from Manchester Arena.

 

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in a close, back-and-forth battle last September in Manchester to capture the WBA crown.  The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares was pushed the 12-round distance in his nine career world title fights.

 

Crolla has had success in immediate rematches.  In 2015, he challenged Darley Perez for the WBA Lightweight Title and fought to a draw.  Four months later, he knocked out Perez in five rounds to win the 135-pound title.

 

WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia will join the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL announce team as a guest analyst alongside host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi.

 

Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs), who won the WBC belt in emphatic fashion this January on SHOWTIME, may be scouting his future opponent – the WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face Garcia.

 

Here’s what the fighters had to say at Thursday’s press conference:

 

JORGE LINARES:

“I know once again I have everyone against me in his backyard, but that’s why I trained hard.

 

“I’m not coming in here feeling like the champion.  I’m coming in here feeling like the challenger because I know I have to win very clear to go back home with a win.

 

“It’s going to be a different Crolla this time.  I have to perform like I know I can to defend my belts.

 

“I had a great camp.  I’m anxious.  I can’t wait to show you on Saturday night, put it all together and return home with my belts.”

 

ANTHONY CROLLA:

 

“I’ve always been better going in as the underdog.  I know on Saturday night I’m going to need to be the very best Anthony Crolla to beat Jorge Linares.  I really believe that if I show the improvements that I’ve made in the gym then I’ll get my belt back.

 

“I hope he comes in looking for the knockout.  If Jorge comes looking for the knockout he breaks away from what he’s best at.  And, if he does so, I believe it falls right into my hands.

 

“I’ve got to be cutting off the ring quicker this time.  I’ve got to respond in bunches a little bit more.  There are so many obstacles that are going to be put in front of me from Jorge Linares, but I believe I will have an answer for every one of them.

 

“It was one of the fights of the year last time.  I can certainly see us both being even better this time.

 

“There’s a lot of people out there who think there is no way I can beat Jorge Linares, but I believe on Saturday night I’ll prove an awful lot of people wrong.”

 

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JORGE LINARES vs. ANTHONY CROLLA MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS FOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE REMATCH THIS SATURDAY LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Airs Live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England

 

Watch The Full First Fight On SHO Sports YouTube Channel: http://s.sho.com/2m1x6TV

 

Click HERE For Photos; Credit Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom

 

WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and former champion Anthony Crolla participated in a public workout at National Football Museum in Manchester, England on Tuesday in preparation for their rematch this Saturday, live on SHOWTIME (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) from Manchester Arena.

 

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in an action-packed battle last September in Manchester to capture the WBA crown.  Crolla and Linares were neck-and-neck going into the sixth round until Linares rocked the hometown favorite with a series of shots that galvanized the Venezuelan toward a close 115-114, 115-113 and 117-111 unanimous decision.

 

The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares, who also holds the WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine lightweight belts, was pushed the 12-round distance in his career.

 

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face undefeated WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia, who will join host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi in New York for the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL presentation.

 

Below are fight week quotes from Linares and Crolla:

 

JORGE LINARES:

 

“Crolla could come better prepared than last time.  Maybe he will throw more punches, maybe he will box more, I don’t really know. The most important thing is I hope he has worked really hard and comes in great condition so there are no excuses and no doubts after the fight.

 

“I can fight even better this time.  Before the first fight I had a broken right hand and I hadn’t fought for a while. That’s always a factor, you know?   Inactivity.  I haven’t had any issues physically or mentally, so the preparation has been great.  We did 129 rounds of sparring and everything has gone well up to this point.

 

“I know he has been quiet in the build-up, I don’t mind if he hasn’t spoken much lately.  Let’s just hope it’s a clean fight like the first one.”

 

“The plans are in the future to get the biggest fights.  Obviously the priority right now is to stay focused on Saturday but then I’ll look towards the big fights like against Mikey Garcia.

 

“I really think coming to train with Ismael Salas made the difference.  It’s what helped me really establish myself as a professional fighter and to gain more experience.  We learn ‘old school’ as Salas always says.  It really has worked well for me in the two years I’ve been with him.”

 

“I feel really good because this time we had a lot more time to prepare.  We did some of the training camp in Japan and then eight weeks in Las Vegas.

 

“I’m happy to be back here in England again and have another opportunity.  I get treated very well, I feel comfortable fighting here.  The fans here have a lot of boxing knowledge and they know me well.  It’s nice, I feel at home.”

 

ANTHONY CROLLA:

 

“It will be another good fight, that’s for sure.  Our styles gel really well and I don’t see how it can’t be another good fight, but this time I see a different winner.  The key will be adapting.  I might need to adapt a number of times in the fight but it is something I have trained for.

 

“I learned a lot from that fight.  Linares has very good speed, very good ring craft and he used his big fight experience for when to take a rest, when to turn it on for the judges.

 

“This time I know I need to deal with the flashy combinations better, cut the ring off better and capitalize when he is open for shots.

 

“He has said he will come with another game plan but so will we.  Last time I gave it everything, left it all in the ring, but I came up short.  The right man won on the night and now I have a second chance at winning back the belt and beating a great fighter.

 

“I was disappointed I lost – you should never be happy with losing – but I was satisfied I gave everything on the night.  When I watched it again there were things in the fight where I thought, ‘why didn’t I do this, why didn’t I do that’, but that is what I did do in the heat of the battle.

 

“You see people online saying Linares is a level above and that he outclassed me – he obviously didn’t outclass me because two of the judges only had a point in it.  The right man won and now I need to show my improvements and make sure the result is different.

 

“Last time out in Manchester I lost a close fight but with the improvements I have been making in the gym I believe this time it will be a different result.

 

“The rematch was always top of my list.  Linares is top of the pile in the lightweight division and if there was a chance of having a rematch that was always more important to me than any other fight.  I want to fight the best and be involved in the big fights and that’s what this is.

 

“I want the chance to stake my claim as the best lightweight in the world by going out there and beating him.

 

“I wasn’t going to turn down a rematch to try and ease myself back into title contention.  I want these big fights; these big nights in Manchester are what I thrive on.

 

“I feel better than I have ever felt.  Camp has gone really well and there will certainly be no excuses.  I have had no distractions outside of camp and everything is good.  It is a matter now of showing in the ring tonight the improvements I have been showing in the gym.

 

“I have had no social life for the past few months and I will walk to the ring knowing that, knowing I have prepared in the best way I possibly can. There will be no ‘what if I had done this’, ‘what if I had done that’ – I have prepared the best I possibly can.”

 

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LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION MIKEY GARCIA TO BE GUEST ANALYST FOR JORGE LINARES-ANTHONY CROLLA LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE REMATCH SATURDAY, MARCH 25 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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Winner of Linares-Crolla II Becomes Mandatory Challenger For Garcia’s WBC 135-Pound Crown

 

SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Airs Live At 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME

 

Click on the Link Below to Watch a Mikey Garcia Feature Video Recapping his Last Fight

YOUTUBE: http://s.sho.com/2ml37GG

 

Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

 

NEW YORK (March 20, 2017) – WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia will join the SHOWTIME announce team as a guest analyst for the rematch between WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla on Saturday, March 25 live on SHOWTIME at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

 

Three-division world champion Garcia, (36-0, 30 KOs), will join host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi in New York for the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® presentation of Crolla vs. Linares II, which will air live from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

 

“I’m excited to participate as guest analyst for this rematch,” said Garcia. “These are two of the most competitive boxers in my division. Jorge Linares won the first fight, but Crolla can create a different outcome.

 

“Linares has good hand speed, timing, reflexes and has power in both hands. Crolla has a good right hand and has shown some solid body work in his recent fights. While Crolla is getting better with each fight, Linares is likely still the better boxer, and should edge him out in a close fight.”

 

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in a thrilling battle last fall in Manchester to capture the WBA crown. The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares, who also holds the WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine lightweight belts, was pushed the 12-round distance in his career.

 

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face the hard-hitting Garcia, who knocked out defending champion Dejan Zlaticanin on Jan. 28 on SHOWTIME in just his second fight back following a 30-month layoff.

 

Linares-Crolla II is the second lightweight world title bout on SHOWTIME in 2017 and an important fight toward potentially unifying the resurgent 135-pound division.

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Determined Super Flyweight Jose Alfredo ‘Torito’ Rodriguez Not Letting Shoulder Injury Derail his Goal of Winning Second World Championship

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Former interim WBA Light Flyweight Champion Jose Alfredo “Torito” Rodriguez says he’s disappointed that a dislocated shoulder ended his recent world title challenge, but promises to be back as soon as his rehab is complete.

On January 29 at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort in Macao, China, Rodriguez (32-5, 19 KOs) challenged IBF World Super Flyweight Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas of the Philippines. 27-year-old Rodriguez injured his right shoulder in round two, but fought on courageously for five more rounds before the referee stopped the fight, per doctor’s orders before round eight.
It was a disappointing result for Rodriguez, whose goal was to win his second world title for the people of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, where he lives.
“I worked so hard for this opportunity,” said a dissatisfied Rodriguez. “I had all the confidence and training I needed. But then his head collided with my shoulder accidentally in round two and I felt a pop. I knew at that moment my fight was over. After that I was fighting a skilled champion using only one arm.”
Rodriguez says he’s already hard at work on healing and re-strengthening the injured arm, with a goal of returning for another shot at a belt.
“I will not let this bad luck stop me from my goal to win another world championship. If anything, this only makes me want it more. I will be back to fight whoever I have to, to get back to a world title fight and this time, god willing, win.”
Rodriguez’s manager, José A. Acevedo of Free Agent Boxing Management, says he’s proud of his fighter, no matter the outcome of his last fight.

“Jose fought for 15 minutes against one of the division’s best fighters with a dislocated shoulder. The pain he must have fought through is unimaginable. I admire his dedication and courage. He is a true warrior. He will be back. Thank you to the IBF and the people of China and to the team of Jerwin Ancajas for the opportunity they gave us.”
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Caribe Promotions loses rights to Shumenov-Dorticos WBA cruiserweight title fight; TGB Promotions awarded rights

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LAS VEGAS (January 31, 2017) – The World Boxing Association (WBA) has notified WBA cruiserweight world champion Beibut Shumenov and WBA Interim cruiserweight title-holder Yunier Dorticos, as well as their representatives, that Caribe Promotions has lost its rights to promote the WBA mandated Shumenov vs. Dorticos title fight.
Dorticos’ promoter, Caribe Promotions, originally won the Shumenov vs. Dorticos title fight rights last November with a winning purse bid of $350,001, which required a fight date within 90 days.  Although rumored to be held in mid-February in either Miami or Las Vegas, Caribe’s ability and willingness to actually promote the fight came into question in January, 2017.  The WBA demanded that Caribe confirm its intentions and even granted Caribe additional time to respond, but Caribe failed to file confirmation of a fight date with the WBA. Because Caribe was unable to confirm its intentions, the WBA had little choice but to award rights to the second-highest purse bidder, Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions.
“I last fought May 21st and I have been in the gym since June because I was supposed to fight Lebedev in September,” said a terribly frustrated Shumenov. “But he backed out of the fight with me once again and I have been ready to fight since then.   I signed a bout agreement to fight Dorticos on February 11thin Miami, but Dorticos and his promoter disappeared after I signed. They’re full of it; all they do is talk.  I can’t wait to knock him out.  I am waiting on my manager to call me right now to tell me the new fight date with TGB.”
Caribe Promotions has been forced to also forfeit its $35,000 purse bid deposit with 10-percent off the top going to the WBA and remainder ($31,500) distributed to Shumenov and Dorticos, respectively, on a 75-25 percent basis due to its failure to promote the fight.
Shumenov (17-2, 11 KOs), fighting out of Las Vegas by way of Kazakhstan, fought last May 21, when he stopped 15-1-1 Junior Wright in the 10th round of their Las Vegas fight for the vacant WBA World cruiserweight title.  The WBA had ruled that the Shumenov-Wright winner would be the mandatory challenger for its “Super” champion, Lebedev, within 90 days, however, it later allowed unified cruiserweight titlist Lebedev (against Shumenov’s strong objections) to fight his International Boxing Federation (IBF) mandatory defense against challenger Murat Gassiev, effectively mandating an eliminator between Shumenov and Dorticos with that winner to fight the winner of Lebedev-Gassiev.  Only days prior to the Lebedev-Gassiev title fight, Lebedev was inexplicably allowed to fight Gassiev without defending his WBA title, as only his IBF belt was on the line.  Gassiev (24-0) defeated Lebedev (29-3) by way of a 12-round split decision in Moscow to become the IBF cruiserweight world champion and Lebedev remains the WBA Super cruiserweight world champion, at least for now.  The WBA is expected to rule on Shumenov’s objections to Lebedev’s fight against Gassiev, Lebedev’s status and whether Lebedev will remain champion having lost his last fight.
Dorticos has made false claims in the media that Shumenov, who had been waiting for the WBA to rule on his petitions to force Lebedev to fight him without further delay, had been avoiding him.  It is ironic now that Dorticos’ own promoter first sought to delay and has now defaulted on the long-awaited confrontation by failing to promote the Shumenov-Dorticos title fight within the WBA deadline.
A former WBA Super light heavyweight world champion, the 33-year-old Shumenov is the first two-division world champion from a Soviet-bloc country.
Fans may friend Beibut Shumenov on his Facebook Fan Page atwww.facebook.com/BeibutShumenov.
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Mexico’s Jose Alfredo Rodriguez Determined to Win Second World Championship on January 29 Against ‘Pretty Boy’ Ancajas

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Mexico‘s Jose Alfredo “Torito” Rodriguez is promising fireworks in his upcoming world title challenge.
On Sunday, January 29, 2017, at the Studio City Casino in Macao, China, Rodriguez (32-4, 19 KOs), of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, will attempt to win his second world championship by challenging Cavite City, Philippines’ IBF World Super Flyweight Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas (25-1-1, 16 KOs) over 12 rounds.
 
The former interim WBA Light Flyweight Champion Rodriguez says he’s determined to get back where he belongs in boxing.
 
“I took two years off of boxing and missed being a champion. I came back last year on a mission to win another title and that’s what I’m going to do,” said Rodriguez. “Nothing can stop me. When I am given the proper time to prepare, I am one of the world’s best. That is what I will show against Ancajas.”
 
The southpaw Ancajas won his title in September of last year with a unanimous decision over McJoe Arroyo. The fight against Rodriguez will be his first defense.
 
Rodriguez’s manager José A. Acevedo of Free Agent Boxing Management, says his fighter is getting top-level training for this showdown.
 
“Torito is working with his great trainer, Gil Gastelum, at Big Time Boxing in Port St. Lucie, Florida and Caicedo Sport Training Center in Miami,” said Acevedo. “And more importantly, he is sparring with some excellent fighters to get ready, including former world champ Juan Carlos Payano, WBA-NABA Bantamweight Champ Stephon Young and upcoming featherweight title challenger Claudio Marrero amongst others. This is the best I’ve ever seen him look. He is very determined to win this championship. Thanks to Manny Pacquiao and Sean Gibbons for this terrific opportunity.”
 
“Ancajas is a good fighter and I respect him, but there is nothing that can save his title from me,” continued Rodriguez. I thank him for this opportunity, it’s a dream come true, but he’s going home an ex-champ. I am going to be an unbeatable force that night.”
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Free Agent Boxing Management Congratulates Former World Champion Jose Alfredo Rodriguez for Title-Winning Victory

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Team Rodriguez Setting Sights on ‘Chocolatito’
 
José A. Acevedo of Free Agent Boxing Management wishes to congratulate his fighter, Jose Alfredo “Torito” Rodriguez, for winning both the UBF All-Americas and Latino Super Flyweight Championships in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, Virginia, on Saturday (December 10).
 
A former interim WBA Light Flyweight and WBC Youth World Light Flyweight Champion, Rodriguez, now ranked #15 by the IBF, scored an eight-round decision over Puerto Rico’s former WBA Fedecentro Super Flyweight Champion, Edwin “Puto” Rodriguez (8-3, 5 KOs), no relation.
 
The victory marked the first time Sinaloa, Mexico’s Rodriguez had ever competed in the United States.
 
Although the Puerto Rican was able to get inside a few times, Rodriguez used his jab to keep him outside and controlled the action for most of the fight.
 
“Torito got some good rounds in against Rodriguez,” said manager Acevedo. “This will help him brush off that ring rust. I am very happy with his performance. I knew this fight was going to go the distance, because ‘Puto’ is a good fighter. Torito is very strong though, with a bright future ahead of him.”
 
Acevedo says the win was the first step pin his plan to put Rodriguez in his dream fight.
 
“Next we will be looking to fight the best of the best to get Torito back on top. He wants to be champion again and he’ll fight anyone to get there. But the fight he really wants is (current WBC World Super Flyweight Champion Roman) Chocolatito (Gonzalez). That’s who we are gunning for.”
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Top Bantamweight Antonio Nieves Scorches Hungary’s Szilveszter Ajtai and Sets Sights on Showdown with WBA Champ Warren

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Last Saturday (November 26), Cleveland, Ohio-based bantamweight Antonio “Carita” Nieves stayed busy and kept himself in line for a cross-state showdown with Cincinnati-based WBA Bantamweight Champion Rau’shee Warren by stopping Hungary’s Szilveszter Ajtai with a single body shot.
Fighting at the Firebird Athletic Center in Bedford, Ohio, WBO #5-rated Nieves (17-0-2, 9 KOs) planted a single left hook to the Hungarian’s body at :46 seconds of round two to earn his 17th professional victory. Watch the video of the knockout HERE.
The impressive victory keeps alive Nieves’ dream of facing cross-state rival Warren in an all-Ohio bantamweight championship fight.
“The goal has always been to become a world champion,” said Nieves, post-fight. “I’d love to fight for the WBO championship and bring that belt back to the United States. The dream fight would be a unification fight with Rau’shee Warren. I would love an all American, all Ohio match up with a great fighter like Rau’shee. We fought once in the amateurs back in 2011 when I had about four hours’ notice. He won that fight by decision in Cincinnati. While we have always respected him, the next time we meet, there will be a different result and a different winner.”
Nieves’ promoter, Dmitry Salita of Salita Promotions, says he’s happy with his fighter’s performance.

“Antonio did what he’s supposed to do as one of the world’s best 118-lb fighters,” said Salita. “That body shot he landed was one that few fighters could withstand. He’s in perfect shape and ready for his world title shot, which we are working to secure for him in the near future. I’m not sure I want Rau’shee Warren’s people to watch the video though. They may  not give us the fight we really want.”