Filip Hrgovic Blasts Gregory Corbin In WBC International Title Bout!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

Heavyweight 2016 bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic of Croatia improves to (8-0,6 KO's) with a one minute stoppage of Gregory Corbin of Texas, who loses his second straight bout to fall to (15-2, 9 KO's).

Hrgovic capitalized on Corbin's mistake of overextending his jab and landing a perfectly placed right hand to the ear to send him down to the canvas. Corbin made it to his feet, but clearly looked dazed. The referee took a good look at Corbin and saw he wasn't able to continue. Corbin complained that the punch was behind the head, but it was a clean shot.

Devin Haney Destroys Antonio Moran In DAZN Debut!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

In the highly anticipated match-up between Devin Haney and Antonio Moran at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD Devin Haney defeated Antonio Moran by knockout on the Matchroom Boxing / Devin Haney Promotions card live on DAZN.


Haney mixed it up well in the opening round of this championship contest. He put together some good work upstairs and to the body of Moran. In the second round Haney landed a good left hook to catch the attention of Moran. Moran tried to mix it up with Haney, but was met with some good counter punches. Haney's speed started to look like the deciding factor as the rounds added up. Moran tried to find ways to get close, but Haney had no parts of it. in round five Moran fell to the canvas, but it seemed as if he tripped over his own feet while Haney landed a body shot so it was called a knockdown. At the halfway mark of this scheduled twelve-round bout Haney was in complete control. Haney's footwork and use of angles took away every offensive tactic Moran trried to come up with. The closing moment of the fight was when Haney landed a crushing overhand right that put Moran out before he hit the canvas. As soon as Moran dropped to the canvas it was no need for referee Kenny Chevalier to count. He waived the contest off at 2:32 of round seven.

Devin Haney remains undefeated with a record of (22-0, 14 KO's) as Antonio Moran falls to (24-4, 17 KO's).

Michael Hunter Dominates Fabio Maldonado To Defend His WBA International Heavyweight Title!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

Inside the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, Michael Hunter of Las Vegas, Nevada defeated Fabio Maldonado of Sao Paolo, Brazil by second round TKO to defend his WBA International heavyweight title. 

Hunter didn't need much time to over power Maldonado. Hunter opened up the bout using his jab to control Maldonado by landing it at will. In the second round Hunter landed some hard shots to get the first knockdown of Maldonado. After receiving the eight count he was able to continue, Hunter sent him down again for another eight count that he survived. Hunter added more pressure by landing some shots that Maldonado couldn't defend himself from. The referee saw Maldonado was in trouble so he stepped to stop the contest at 1:45 of the second-round.

Michael Hunter is now (17-1, 12 KO's) as Fabio Maldonado falls to (26-3, 25 KO's).

Jessica McCaskill Captures Unified Super Lightweight Championship World Title!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

On the Matchroom Boxing in association with Devin Haney Promotions card at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, Jessica McCaskill of Chicago, Illinois defeated Anahi Sanchez of Buenos Aires Argentina by unanimous decision. 

In this 10-round super lightweight championship contest both of these fighters put on a outstanding display to represent women's boxing. It was action packed from opening bell. In every round these ladies went blow for blow. They took chances on engaging in throwing shots that they knew would be countered by the other. That is the case for the entire bout. The ladies had a lot of inside action where at time both looked to be hurt. The changing point of the bout happened in round nine when McCaskill landed a couple of hard right hands to stagger Sanchez to close the round. In the final round McCaskill kept the pressure up to finish the fight strong. McCaskill's last serge at the end of the bout gave her the victory with scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 96-94 to become the Unified WBC and WBA Super Lightweight Champion of the world.

McCaskill record improve to (7-2, 3 KO's) while the former champion falls to (19-4, 11 KO's).

Undercard Results From Matchroom Boxing Card At The MGM National Harbor!

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

Two time Olympian Daniyar Yaleussinov of Berezino, Kazakhstan defeated Luis Normabuena of San Juan, California by six-round unanimous decision.

Yaleussinov established himself early in the opening round. He used his jab to back Normabuena and keep him off balance. Normabuena bounced back to make it turn into a much more competitive than Yaleussinov was expecting. The two exchanged blows through most of the bout, but in the fourth round Yaleussinov land a hard left hand to Normabuena against the ropes. Normabuena recovered well and continued to battle Yaleussinov into the closing round. All three judges scored the contest for Yaleussinov 59-55, and 60-54 twice. 

Yaleussinov remains undefeated at (7-0, 3 KO's) while Normabuena falls to (3-2-1).

*****************************************************************

In a scheduled four-round super middleweight bout Baltimore, MD's Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson dominated Rafael Garcia by first-round TKO.

What looked to be a tough match-up on paper for Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson, he proved it was easier that expected. The young undefeated rising star looked very confident as he wasted no time landing his jab. Simpson set up some good combinations off of his jab that hurt Garcia. It was Simpson's uppercut that did the damage and sent Garcia falling backwards. It wasn't just one, but it was five uppercuts in a row that staggered Garcia. Simpson kept coming forward to land more shots, but the referee stepped in to stop the contest at 1:19 of the first-round. 

Lorenzo Simpson improves to (4-0,3 KO's) while Rafael Garcia suffers his third defeat and is now (9-3, 6 KO's). 

*****************************************************************

In a six-round lightweight bout Luis Gerardo Perez of Puebla, Mexico defeated Mack Allison IV of Baltimore,MD by unanimous decision.

Allison and Perez went straight to work in this slug fest of a bout. It was nothing but hooks and uppercuts from both fighters. The exchange of punches took place primarily in the center of the ring. Allison looked to land the harder shots, but Perez stood in strong to land plenty of his own shots. Perez was a little too aggressive in the close of the rounds when he landed shots after the bell on three different occasions without a point being taken away.  It was a lot of the action from both fighters making the fight look very even, but Allison was landing more punches. All three judges saw it differently and scored it the same at 59-55 for Perez.

Perez improves his record to (6-2, 1 KO) while Allison falls to (9-3-1, 7 KO's).

Devin Haney Will Battles Antonio Moran Tonight To Remain Undefeated!

(Photo by Daniel Cork)

Top Lightweight prospect Devin Haney has his eyes on remaining undefeated going into his 22nd professional fight tonight as he takes on Antonio Moran (24-3) in defense of his WBC International title. The fight is the main event on the Matchroom Boxing USA card at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.  The card also features two heavyweight title bouts, Filip Hrgovic vs. Gregory Corbin (WBC International) and Michael Hunter vs. Fabio Maldonado (WBA International). 

The 20 year old Haney proved to be a boxing standout during his days as an amateur. He decided to begin his professional career by debuting when he was just 17 years old. Through his few years as a professional he has wrapped up 21 victories, 13 inside the distance. Haney really started to make his statement in the lightweight division last year with victories over veteran Mason Menard, Juan Carlos Burgos for the vacant IBF North American title and Xolisani Ndongeni for the vacant WBC International and WBO Inter-Continental titles. 

The 26 year old Moran is coming off a second-round TKO win over Victor Alejandro Zuniga on Dec. 7, 2018 in Auditorio Blackberry, Mexico City. Moran's most memorable bout was a hard fought contest with Jose Pedraza in June of last year where he lost by 12-round unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  Moran is looking to make a statement with a win over the up and coming superstar lightweight prospect Devin Haney to get back into world championship contingency. 

The main three bout featuring Devin Haney vs. Antonio Moran, Filip Hrgovic vs. Gregory Corbin and Michael Hunter vs. Fabio Maldonado will start at 9pm ET live on DAZN and Sky Sports in the UK. The remainder of the undercard starts at 6:15 pm ET. Closing out the undercard, and leading into the 9pm bouts will be Jessica McCaskill vs. Anahi Sanchez in a WBC and WBA super lightweight world title fight. Both of these ladies are putting their title on the line.

Undercard:

Mack Allison IV vs. Luis Eduardo Perez

Lorenzo Simpson vs. Rafael Garcia 

Danisar Yalussinov vs. Juan Norabuena 


How to live stream Devin Haney vs. Antonio Moran on DAZN: 

https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/devin-haney-vs-moran-live-stream-dazn/

Korobov Camp Change Of Heart, Not Accepting Majority Draw Decision In Immanuwel Aleem Bout!

Korobov Camp Wants Investigation Into May 11th Bout With Aleem!

Article by Gary "Digital" Williams,
Boxing Along The Beltway

There is some interesting fallout from the May 11th bout between Richmond, VA middleweight Immanuwel Aleem and Matt Korobov of St. Petersburg, FL that took place at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA and ended in a 10-round majority draw.

The Korobov camp recently filed a protest with the Virginia Department of Occupational Licensing and Regulations and this week, sent formal letters to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and the state's Attorney General, Mark Herring.  The letters, sent by Korobov attorney, Leon Margules, have items they claim is evidence of what they call "corruption" by the state's commission.

Margules alleges a conflict of interest because the two judges who ruled the bout a 95-95 draw -- Mark D'Attilio and Brian Costello -- are both members of Virginia's Boxing, Martial Arts, and Professional Wrestling Advisory Board.  Costello serves as chair of the board.  Margules says that the two appointed themselves to this contest and he criticizes the appointment of Michelle Myers, who Margules claims is a "relatively inexperienced referee" despite the fact that Myers has been a pro referee since 2009.  The letters question why the Aleem-Korobov bout was the only bout of the three televised encounters on this card that had non-neutral officials.

When the scores were originally announced, Korobov was declared the winner by majority decision.  However, 20 minutes later, media received a scorecard that had D'Atillio's round 10 score for Korobov changed from a 10 to a 9, resulting in the majority draw.  Margules's letter claims that many members of the boxing media, as well as fans, agreed that Korobov won the bout.  New Jersey State Athletic Commission Chair Larry Hazzard, Sr., was in attendance and served as an unofficial judge for the contest.  Hazzard scored the bout 97-92 for Korobov.

The letter also points out a situation in the fourth round when Korobov seemed to send Aleem down with a counter right hand only to have Myers rule a foul on Korobov.  The video, however, seemed to show that Myers was correct as Korobov's punch landed on the back of Aleem's head after Aleem missed Korobov with a punch.

Weights From The National Harbor In Oxon Hill, Maryland!

(Headline photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA)

Here are the weighs in running order ahead of Saturday night's cars at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.

(Weigh-In Photos by Daniel Cork)

First bell: 6:15pm

Lightweight contest

Mack Allison 133.6 lbs vs Luis Gerardo Perez 137 lbs

      

Super-Middleweight contest

    Lorenzo Simpson 165 lbs v Rafael Garcia 169.6 lbs
             

   Welterweight contest

Daniyar Yeleussinov 150.2 lbs v Miguel Zamudio 149.4 lbs

            

WBC and WBA World Super-Lightweight Championships

 Jessica McCaskill 138.8 lbs v Anahi Sanchez 138 lbs
             
*****************************************************************

Starting at 9 pm

      WBA International Heavyweight Championship

 Michael Hunter 215.6 lbs v Fabio Maldonado 241 lbs
              

   WBC International Heavyweight Championship 

       Filip Hrgovic 242 lbs v Gregory Corbin 269.4 lbs

  

MAIN EVENT     

     WBC International and WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Championships

    Devin Haney 134.8 lbs vs Antonio Moran 134 lbs

            

Gervonta Davis Returning To Baltimore For Next Title Defense!

On the Showtime Championship Boxing telecast it was announced that undefeated WBA super featherweight world champion Gervonta Davis will defend his title against mandatory challenger Ricardo Nuñez on Saturday, July 27 live on Showtime in Baltimore, MD.

It will be the first time the 24-year-old will fight in front of his hometown fans as a world champion.  In all of Davis's championship fights he has defeated his opponents by knockout.  His overall record consists of out 20 KO's in 21 fights. Davis most recent title defense is by way of a first-round knockout over former world champion Hugo Ruiz in February on Showtime in his first headlining attraction. 

The final details for the July 27 card as far as ticket and venue are expected to be released soon.

Devin Haney vs. Antonio Moran Final Press Conference Quotes!

(Photos courtesy of Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA)

Undefeated Lightweight sensation Devin Haney (21-0, 13 KO's) of Las Vegas will make his DAZN debut against the highly competitive Mexico’s Antonio Moran (24-3, 17 KO's) in the scheduled 12-round main event this Saturda, May 25 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill,  Maryland. The co-feature of the evening will feature Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic (7-0, 5 KO's) taking on Gregory Corbin (15-1, 9 KO's) of Dallas, Texas, in a 10-round heavyweight matchup. Kicking off the action at 9:00 p.m. ET on DAZN, Michael Hunter (16-1, 11 KO's) of Las Vegas looks to remain undefeated when he faces Brazil’s Fabio Maldonado (26-2, 25 KO's) in another 10-round heavyweight contest.

Three undercard bouts will air on DAZN beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, prior to the main card at 9:00 p.m. ET. 

In anticipation of Saturday’s fights, Matchroom Boxing USA’s Eddie Hearn and the main card fighters spoke to a packed room of media in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Devin Haney:

“I want to thank God, my dad, my team, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN. I had a wonderful training camp. I am feeling strong and ready. This is going to be my big breakout fight. I’m feeling it and I am excited to do it on DAZN. I am going to show the world who I am. Moran put up a great fight with Jose Pedraza but I’m not Pedraza. I’m different. I am going to prove it on Saturday and show you something that you have never seen before – especially from a 20-year-old.”

Antonio Moran:

“I am really excited for this weekend’s fight. I am very excited, we had a great training camp in Mexico. We trained 9,000 feet up in the mountains. I am thankful to Matchroom and DAZN. I am planning to put all that hard work on the line on Saturday.”

Filip Hrgovic:

“I am very glad to be part of this great event. I would like to thank my promoters and DAZN. I am excited for my American debut. It is an honor for me to fight here. For those who do not know, I come from Croatia, a small country in Europe. On Saturday night, I want to make my country proud.”

Michael Hunter:

“I would like to thank Matchroom, DAZN and all of the other people who have helped me in my career. I am excited to once again fight in the DMV and fight at MGM. I have a determination about me. I refuse to be moved and I am excited to show all the fans what I have to prove in the heavyweight division.”

Eddie Hearn:

On the Heavyweight division: “The heavyweight division is in a great place and is bigger than ever. You have the biggest and best heavyweight in the world Anthony Joshua making his U.S. debut next weekend on DAZN against Andy Ruiz, Jr. You have Deontay Wilder with another piece of the heavyweight championship and he just scored a brilliant knockout over Dominic Breazeale last weekend. There’s former champion Tyson Fury fighting again soon. It’s a great time for the heavyweight division. But this weekend we have Michael Hunter. He is a guy who refuses to say no – he takes fights on short notice, he fights anyone you put in front of him. He is a guy who is determined to get a title shot sooner rather than later and I think he is going to prove this weekend why he is deserving of that shot.”

On Devin Haney: “I am proud to stand here today as Devin Haney’s promoter. Not only do I think he is one of the best young fighters in the world, but he is also a great man and a good ambassador for the sport. He is inspiring a generation of kids coming up and he shows them what is right and how to conduct themselves. Well done to his father Bill for raising a great young man, he is a fighter I would never worry if he is training and working hard and staying on the straight and narrow. He is a great kid and the talent he possesses is different. He is 20-years-old, just 20! He is well beyond his years. Devin has a real tough fight this weekend in Antonio Moran and he needs to prove his abilities. Devin’s talent is incredible. He has skills to burn. He has all it takes to be the next biggest fighter in the United States.”

Tickets are priced at $40, $80, $150 and $250 (plus fees) and are on sale now at this link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15005688E0B851B0

CYNATION SPORTS And Greg Cohen Promotions Team Up To Bring Card To Maryland!

CYNATION SPORTS promoter Cory Sanders along with Greg Cohen Promotions presents "KING OF THE RING 2". The card will take place on June 1 at the Waldorf Culture Center in Waldorf, Maryland 7pm.

This is how the matchups look so far.
           
Filip Stankovic (4-1)  VS. Patrick Pierre (3-7)  Super Middleweight.   6RD

Oscar Moreno (7-0)  VS. Eric Manriquez (6-6-1) Feather Weight. 6RD

Gregory Clark (3-3-1) VS. Aaron Casper (5-2)  Super Middleweight  6RD

Nigel Fennell  (3-0)  VS Jamonee Jones (1-0) Welterweight. 4RD

Nathaniel Lee Davis (Debut) VS Alex Rivera (Debut) Leightweight. 4RD

Michaele Nogue (0-1) VS. Dasha Ragland (Debut) Super Lightweight. 4RD

Nathaniel Copeland (1-0)  VS TBA                      Heavyweight. 4RD

Tickets are available at: cynationsports.com

Dontre King And Dameron Kirby Compete In Delaware!

Beltway Boxers Drop Bouts In Delaware!
By Gary Digital Williams,
Boxing Along The Beltway

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

Two Beltway Boxers had rough outings at the PAL Center in Hockessin, DE on Saturday evening. Cambridge, MD super welterweight Dontre "Pound For Pound" King lost a four-round unanimous decision to Brandon Mullins of Newark, DE.

According to ringside photographer Daniel Cork,  the bout was a strange one. In the second round, Mullins drove King into the ropes and landed a couple of shots onto King's back.  King went down but referee Eddie Claudio did not rule a knockdown.  King lost a point in round three and Mullins would go on to win the bout by scores of 40-35 across the board.

King's record falls to 7-21-2, three KO's while Mullins remains undefeated at 5-0, two KO's.

Also, DC heavyweight Dameron Kirby lost by TKO at the end of the second round to debuting Taylor Krahl of Sunrise, FL  Cork reports that Kirby started strong but Krahl overpowered him in the second round, knocking him down three times before the bout was stopped at 3:00.  Kirby is now 0-4, with all four losses coming by TKO.

Devin Haney Quotes Ahead Of His Upcoming Bout With Antonio Moran!

Devin Haney:

“There's nothing to stop me from getting to number one, it's just time,” said Haney. “Timing is everything and my time is going to come. I am only 20 years old, the other Lightweights out there better catch me now because I am only going to get stronger and faster so the top guys need to fight me now.

“Boxing is something that I love so it doesn't feel like a job to me, but the job is not done, I want to be a multi-weight champion and I want to rule the sport as a pound-for-pound star. When I am the face of boxing down the line, who knows what will happen, but right now those big goals are keeping me motivated.

“Getting the fights I want has been a challenge, a lot of guys have turned me down, saying there's no point or not making enough money, so that's been a real challenge. It’s me versus me, when I am in the gym I am so far ahead of a lot of guys that it's me challenging myself, pushing myself, seeing how far I can go rather than seeing how far I can outrun another guy - how fast can I push myself?

“The landscape is very interesting right now. A World title is very important to me, over money and anything else, being World champion is the ultimate goal. To be a World ruler at 20 would be history, the youngest in the game. My ring IQ at my age is crazy, I'm able to adapt and adjust, I've been in there with so many great fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Shawn Porter, Amir Khan, and I'm able to adjust.

“When I first met Eddie and the Matchroom Boxing team it felt like the perfect fit. Me and my team spoke with Eddie about what we wanted and we were able to make it fit. Eddie recognizes me as a promoter, they are willing to work with me and build my brand and company at the same time.

“A lot of other promoters didn't recognize me as a promoter, they just wanted to give me money and buy me out. Matchroom Boxing see me as a top fighter that they want to get behind, I would be important elsewhere, but Eddie made it clear that they are going to push me and get behind me.” 

Tickets are still available and priced at $40, $80, $150 and $250 (plus fees) and are on sale now at this link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15005688E0B851B0

Gary Russell Jr. Dominates Kiko Martinez To Defend His WBC Featherweight Title!

In the co-featured bout leading up to the Wilder vs Breazeale main event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Captitol Heights, MD's Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 17 KO) dominated every round of the his WBC featherweight title defense bout against. His hand speed and skills were to much for Kiko Martinez (39-9-2, 28 KO). 

Russell landed multiple hard right hooks to the left eye of Martinez that had him cut and bloody. During the fifth round the referee paused the action to have the ringside physician look at the cut. That is when it was determined that the cut was too bad for Martinez to continue. Russell won by technical knockout in round five.

Here's what Russell Jr. had to say during his interview inside the ring:

“We knew that intellect over athleticism would win this fight, but before all is said and done, y’all need to read the back of my shirt,  “LEO NEXT, WHAT’S UP AL?”,  referring to WBA featherweight titleholder Leo Santa Cruz.

“We want Leo Santa Cruz. We want to make that fight happen,” Russell continued. “The fire’s all the way hot on this side of the field. You will get burnt. I would love for that fight to happen this year. If we can get that fight, that’s the fight we want.”

When asked about Gervonta Davis:

“I will immediately vacate my title and challenge (WBC super featherweight titleholder Miguel) Berchelt. Once I get that fight, I want the unification fight Davis, definitely.”

Devin Haney Set To Battle Antonio Moran At The MGM National Harbor In Oxon Hill, Maryland!

Undefeated top lightweight prospect Devin Haney (21-0, 13 KO) will make his DAZN debut. After signing a co-promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing their first card together will be Saturday, May 25 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Devin Haney will take on Mexico’s Antonio Moran (24-3, 17 KO).  This bout between Haney and Moran was initially an undercard fight. The previous main event was scheduled to be cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk  making his heavyweight debut against former world title challenger Carlos Takam, but Usyk suffered a bicep injury during training.

Devin Haney:

”I can’t wait to showcase my talent on DAZN and show my partners at Matchroom they made the right choice. I will prove I’m an elite fighter and I can rise to the competition. Making my DAZN main event debut in the DMV area is very special, I get the chance to fight in front of some great fight fans. I’m going to put on a great show. I have no doubt in my mind that I’m elevating the sport of boxing with Matchroom and DAZN by my side. We are changing the game. May 25th, the world will bear witness.”

”This has been a really good training camp. We started camp in the Bay Area training with Victor Conte and sparring Amir Khan. I was able to get some elite work with not only him but Mike Dallas as well. So, I started off strong in the beginning of camp, and when I moved camp back to Las Vegas, I was sharp. I just wrapped up my final sparring session before we leave for Maryland. I’ve put the work in, and my body feels great. I’m ready to go.”

”Moran is a very tall fighter who brings a lot experience to the ring. I know he’ll be at his very best. He’s had two months to prepare for me. I’m prepared as well for anything that he’s going to bring to on fight night. The fans watching are in for a treat.”

BILL HANEY, Father and Trainer:

”Me and Devin have always had a great relationship. We respect each other and understand where the other is coming from. We have a plan and we are on the same page. He’s had a great camp and fans can expect to see a fighter that’s ready for a World Title.

”Signing a co-promotional agreement with Matchroom Boxing has been a blessing. Eddie Hearn is someone I have a lot of respect for. All the sacrifices DHP made as a team paid off when we inked this deal. Now it’s time to show the world who the next superstar in boxing is. Together with Matchroom and DAZN no one will stop us.”

”This is not an easy fight stylistically because Moran is so tall, I believe he is listed at 6’0. That’s a little freaky for a lightweight. Needless to say this is the type of fight he needs. We want to show the world that Devin can make adjustments with any fighter out there. Antonio Moran has faced some very good fighters, but the world will see Devin is on a different level.