Category Archives: ESPN Boxing

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Teofimo Lopez has star making performance in New York City

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Teofimo Lopez obliterates Mason Menard in 44 seconds with “Knockout of the Year” candidate in front of large viewing audience in ESPN

Photos by Mikey Williams / Top Rank

NEW YORK (December 10, 2018) -Top lightweight Teofimo Lopez scored an explosive 44-second knockout over Mason Menard this past Saturday night at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in a scheduled ten-round bout that was viewed by a massive audience on ESPN.


Lopez landed a crushing right hand that had Menard plummeting face-first on to the canvas, in what was the opening televised bout on the Vasilly Lomachenko – Jose Pedraza lightweight unification card.

Lopez is now the NABA, NABF and USBA Lightweight champion.
The knockout, was featured on ESPN SportsCenter, and all over social media, took place on an event which was the 2nd highest rated boxing card on cable television this year 

With the win, Lopez pushed his perfect mark to 11-0 with nine knockouts, and now he feels he is ready for anybody in the lightweight division.


“I knew he was a tough fighter. I knew he could fight,” Lopez said. “I wanted to test him, and I took a chance early in the fight. I know he trained hard, and he didn’t want it to go that way. But this is ‘The Takeover.’ ‘The Takeover’ has begun.

“In 2019, I will be a world champion. That’s a guarantee.”

“I put an exclamation point that I am no longer a prospect, and now it’s on to the contenders, and moving up the rankings.  In 2019 you will see me fight for a world title.”

Said Lopez manger, David McWater of Split T Management, “He’s just never stops surprising me. Just when you think he can’t do better than his last fight he does something even more amazing. It’s been a generation since boxing saw a young fighter like this”

Teofimo Lopez talks about his explosive KO over Mason Menard

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Heralded Prospect Brian Ceballo to make New York Homecoming on Saturday night at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden

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NEW YORK (December 7, 2018) -Undefeated welterweight prospect Brian Ceballo returns home for the 1st time as a professional when he takes on 38-fight veteran, Daniel Calzada this Saturday night at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.


The 24 year-old from New York City has a record of 5-0 with three knockouts.

The scheduled six-round part will be part of the undercard, which will be streamed live beginning at 6 p.m. eastern time on ESPN+.

Ceballo, who was a five-time New York Golden Gloves champion and took home a staggering 17 National titles, is promoted by 360 Promotions, has been kept very active as this will be his 6th fight in nine fights since turning professional in March.

“It’s great to be fighting at home, and especially being able to fight at Madison Square Garden as a professional boxer,” said Ceballo. “I would like to thank my close team for this opportunity including my coaches Colin Morgan & Khuong Chau, Split-T Management, 360 Promotions, and Top Rank! I look forward to Saturday so that the boxing world can see what Brian Ceballo is really about. Thank you to everyone coming to support.”

“The Garden has always been a special for Brian as he won won several New York Golden Gloves  championships there,” said David McWater of Split-T Management. “He is going to put on a show for his family and friends, and show the boxing world why he is looked at as one of the top prospects in the world.”  

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Isiah Seldon ready for undefeated middleweight Tyler Howard on November 16th in Oklahoma City

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Atlantic City, NJ (November 1, 2018) – Middleweight Isiah Seldon is getting ready for his biggest fight of his career when he takes on undefeated Tyler Howard in a bout scheduled for eight-round on November 16th at The Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

 

 

 

The bout, which is promoted by Top Rank, will be streamed live on ESPN+.

 

 

 

The main event will see WBO Junior Welterweight champion Maurice Hooker defending against Alex Saucedo.

 

 

 

Seldon (12-1-1, 4 KOs) has been training in Atlantic City under the watchful eye of Bill Johnson.

 

 

 

“I am looking forward to this great opportunity,” said Seldon.  “I have been longing for an opportunity to take on a fighter such as Howard as a win will take my career to the next level.”

 

 

 

Team Seldon, has been working diligently with longtime manager Jim Kurtz very excited about the opportunity that Seldon has in front of him.

 

 

 

“It doesn’t get any bigger than fighting on a Top Rank show with an explosive main event between Hooker and Saucedo. The staff at Top Rank has been top notch.  I am really excited for Isiah to get this opportunity to display his talents on a big stage.  Myself and co-manager Joe Thompson are convinced Isiah is ready to shine on November 16th and it can’t get here fast enough,” said Kurtz, who has managed Seldon from day one.

 

 

 

Kurtz also managed Seldon’s father, WBA Heavyweight champion, Bruce Seldon.

 

 

 

“Isiah has reunited with his original trainer Bill Johnson and they haven’t skipped a beat.  This is the first time Isiah has had a full fledged training camp.  We haven’t left any stone unturned in preparation for this fight.  Isiah’s conditioning is at a point that I have never seen with him before.  He is getting great sparring and his improvement working with Bill in preparation for this fight has been incredible.  He is ready to show the world a new and improved Isiah Seldon.  He has a large legacy to follow being the son of former WBA Heavyweight Champion Bruce Seldon but Isiah is determined to make his own mark on the sport of boxing.”

 

 

 

“He has always had power in both hands, scoring knockdown in almost every fight, but now he is learning to remain calm and finish guys instead of getting overly excited and letting them off the hook.  He is punching harder than ever before, putting his punches together and his boxing ability has reached a level where he can control the pace of the fight.  We have taken it slow with Isiah considering he didn’t have any amateur fights but we are now at the point where he is ready to make his mark on the Middleweight division.”

 

 

 

“We know Tyler Howard is a good undefeated fighter.  He had a good amateur career, comes from a family with a boxing background, and has a solid management team who have done a great job with him. On November 16th we expect a tough fight with some fireworks but we are confident Isiah will emerge victorious and this will lead us to bigger and better opportunities.”

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The FNU Combat Sports Show Launches as Fight Talk Unlimited on SPREAKER

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Fight News Unlimited’s weekly Combat Sports Show is now officially known as Fight Talk Unlimited, and we are now back to a live platform: Spreaker.

 

This week on our debut episode on Spreaker, we discuss a wild week in news, from Floyd Mayweather’s beef with 50-Cent, to Conor McGregor’s slap on the wrist for throwing a hand truck through a bus window, to a Philadelphia area school teacher moonlighting as an offensive German character in his pro-wrestling career. We then recap last week’s major fights, including a vicious KO by Anthony Smith over Shogun Rua at UFC Fight Night 135. We also preview UFC on FOX 30 and Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr., along with all the other combat sports action this weekend.

 

Listen live with the player below:

Listen to “Debut Episode: Tom, Tony and Rich Break in the New Platform” on Spreaker.

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2016 U.S. Olympian and undefeated Bantamweight, Antonio Vargas takes on Aaron Echeveste Lopez this Saturday in Kissimmee, Florida

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NEW YORK (JULY 26, 2018)–This Saturday, 2016 U.S. Olympian and undefeated bantamweight Antonio Vargas is in action this Saturday night when he takes on Aaron Echeveste Lopez (5-2, 3 KOs) in a six-round bout at The Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

 

 

 

The 21 year-old Vargas has a record of 6-0 with three knockouts, and is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Luis Fernando Saavedra on February 23rd in Kissimmee.

 

 

 

Vargas of Kissimmee by way of Houston, has a win over undefeated Jonathan Garza (6-0) on his resume.

 

 

 

The Vargas – Lopez fight will be streamed live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 PM ET.

 

 

 

“I trained hard for this fight, and I feel strong physically and mentally. This is one of the biggest fight cards that I have fought on.  I look to be on many more this year.  I’m excited for this fight and look to put on a great performance,” said Vargas.

 

 

 

“Coming out of the Olympics, I felt Antonio was one of the best talent’s coming out of the 2016 class.  He has tremendous power and speed that will dazzle the boxing world, and we look forward to seeing that on display on Saturday night,” said David McWater, CEO of Split-T Management.

 

 

 

Vargas is Promoted By Top Rank.

 

 

 

Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Teofimo Lopez shines with 6th round stoppage over William Silva in ESPN co-feature

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NEW YORK (JULY 16, 2018)–Teofimo Lopez shined in a major step up bout as he dominated William Silva by scoring a 6th round stoppage in their lightweight bout that was the co-feature on ESPN.

The bout took place on Saturday night at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans.

In round one, Lopez dumped Silva with a left hook.  Silva was bleeding from the nose,  In round five, Lopez landed several hard hooks to the bloodied Silva, and then dumped Silva to the canvas in the corner.

Lopez came out in round six by landing three left hooks and a right that dropped Silva and the bout was called at 15 seconds.

Silva who came in with a record of 25-1, and is only loss was to Felix Verdejo on HBO, had never been knocked down before the fighter known as “Gordo” dropped him three times.

Lopez is now 10-0 with 8 knockouts.  Silva is 25-2.

“I know everything is set up by the jab,” said Lopez.  “The jab is the most important punch.  I was playing with his mind.  I was setting him up by letting him get comfortable and then to land the big shot.  I hurt my hands, early in the fight but you prepare yourself for the worst possible. I just put everyone on notice that I’m coming for those world title at 135lbs!”

“I can’t remember ever seeing such a dynamic young performer as Teofimo Lopez. He’s going to be the best in the world,” said Split-T Management CEO David McWater.

Lopez is promoted by Top Rank

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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 Erick De Leon takes on Adrian Young this Saturday night in New Orleans

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New York, NY (July 12, 2018)–Undefeated super featherweight contender, Erick De Leon will fight Adrian Young in a 10-round bout this Saturday at The Lakefront Arena in New Orleans.

 

 

 

De Leon, 26 years-old of Detroit, Michigan is a three-time National Golden Gloves Champion, has a professional record of 17-0-1 with 9 knockouts, and will face a tough veteran in Young of Los Mochis, Mexico.  Young has a record of 25-4-2 with 19 knockouts.

 

 

 

“I worked so hard, and I am excited to hear the bell ring so I can put on a great show for all of my friends and fans in New Orleans,’ said De Leon.

 

 

 

The bout can be seen live on ESPN+ beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

 

 

 

DeLeon, is managed by Split-T Management and promoted by Top Rank.

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2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell battles Travis Scott This Saturday in New Orleans

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New York, NY (July 12, 2018)–This Saturday, undefeated and 2016 U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell (7-0, 5 KOs) takes on his toughest opponent to date when he takes on Travis Scott (19-3, 5 KOs) in a super welterweight bout scheduled for six-rounds at The Lakefront Arena in New Orleans.

 

 

Conwell, 20 years-old out of Cleveland will look to continue his winning ways against Scott, who will be facing his 3rd straight undefeated opponent.

 

 

 

“I have never been more excited to put on a show, and I am looking to gain new fans in New Orleans,” said Conwell.

 

 

 

The bout can been seen live on ESPN+ beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

 

 

 

Conwell is managed by Split-T Management and promoted by DiBella Entertainment & Holden Productions.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: DiBella Entertainment

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Silva confident ahead of Saturday bout with Lopez

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Silva.jpg

New Orleans, LA (July 12, 2018) – When lightweight William “Baby Face” Silva arrived in New Orleans yesterday afternoon, he stepped off the plane and raised both hands in the air.

 

 

 

Every time a plane lands in New Orleans, happy travelers throw their hands up in a pre-celebratory fashion of what’s to come during their time in the Big Easy. Silva’s pose however is one he expects to replicate Saturday evening after he defeats hot prospect Teofimo Lopez when the two face off at New Orleans’ Lakefront Arena.

 

 

 

Silva, 25-1 (14 KO’s), completed an intense training camp under head trainer Jose Rodriguez in Plant City, FL. Originally from Brazil and now fighting out of Florida, Silva is cool, calm and confident heading into his bout with the highly touted 9-0 Lopez, who many consider one of boxing’s future stars.

 

 

 

“Everything was perfect in camp and this is the kind of opportunity I need to show everybody the fighter I truly am. Lopez is a talented boxer but I’ve got a big edge in experience and know what it’s like to be in a big fight. I’m ready or Saturday night and will do whatever is necessary to have my hand raised at the end of the fight.”

 

 

 

Silva’s promoter, Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, immediately jumped at the opportunity for his fighter to challenge Lopez and anxiously awaits Saturday night.

 

 

 

“William needed a fight like this to get him to the level we know he’s capable of. Team Silva has respect for Teofimo Lopez and know he’s rated as one of the top young boxers but William is going to show the world that he’s among the best 135 pound fighters Saturday night.”

 

 

 

Promoted by Top Rank Inc. in association with DiBella Entertainment, Silva-Lopez fight is scheduled for 10 rounds and is for the WBC Continental Americas Lightweight title. It airs live ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 7 pm E.T. It precedes the WBC interim 140 pound championship matchup between champion Regis Prograis and Juan Jose Velasco.

 

 

 

Fans can follow Silva on Instagram @Willian_Baby_Face and for more information on Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, visit www.firefistboxing.net.

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Falcao dominates Gutierrez; eager to face the best

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Team Falcao after the victory PHOTO CREDIT: Damon Gonzalez (Latinbox Sports)

Plant City, FL (April 2, 2018) – Rising star and WBC #13 rated middleweight Yamaguchi Falcao scored a one-sided eight round decision over tough veteran Richar Gutierrez Saturday, March 31 at the Marina Bay SportsPlex in Quincy, MA.

 

 

 

 

 

Fighting in front of a national audience on ESPN2, the bout got off to a strange start when Gutierrez was incorrectly credited with a knockdown in the opening seconds after stepping on Falcao’s foot then landing a punch. The 2012 Olympic medalist immediately got back on his feet and made Gutierrez pay the price from bell to bell.

 

 

 

 

Falcao dominated the fight with hard jabs and crisp straight lefts, scoring a knockdown in the closing moments of the fifth. The game Gutierrez attempted to throw Falcao off by regularly clinching and using roughhouse tactics but was unsuccessful.

 

 

 

 

Scores were 79-73, 78-72 and 78-71.

 

 

 

 

Falcao is now 15-0 with 7 KO’s and Gutierrez falls to 30-18-2 (19 KO’s).

 

 

 

 

“Gutierrez was an experienced and sometimes dirty fighter,” said Falcao, who fights out of Plant City, FL and proudly represents his native Brazil. “I had a job to do and went out there and did it. I’d like to thank my team who did a great job of getting me ready for this fight and helped me bring the victory home.”

 

 

 

 

Falcao, who has been turned down by a number of notable middleweights, is eager as ever to get his shot at another top 160 pound fighter.

 

 

 

 

“I believe when I’m at my best I can compete with anybody in the division. I want the opportunity to fight for a world title and show everybody who I am.”

 

 

 

 

Details for Falcao’s next fight will be available shortly.