Tag Archives: WBA

Marlen Esparza to Fight Gabriela Fundora in Undisputed Flyweight Championship Bout

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Marlen Esparza has secured her next opponent…

The 34-year-old Mexican American boxer and flyweight women’s unified champion and fellow Latina boxing champion Gabriela Fundora will meet for the undisputed flyweight championship on January 6 in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.

Marlen EsparzaThe fight will be on the undercard of Vergil Ortiz Jr.‘s 154-pound debut against Fredrick Lawson, a show promoted by Golden Boy.

Esparza (14-1, 1 KO), of Houston, a bronze medalist for the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic Games and ESPN’s No. 1 ranked flyweight, won the WBC belt with a victory over Anabel Ortiz in December 2021. Esparza knocked down Ortiz twice en route to a unanimous decision win by scorecards of 100-88, 99-90 and 95-94.

Esparza added the WBA title four months later with a one-sided decision victory over Naoko Fujioka (100-90, 100-90 and 97-93), and after one successful defense against Eva Guzman in August 2022, Esparza unified the WBO belt in a tough fight against Gabriela Celeste Alaniz, whom she beat by majority decision (99-91, 97-93 and 95-95) this past July.

Fundora (12-0, 5 KOs), of Coachella, California, is the younger sister of former junior middleweight interim titlist Sebastian Fundora.

Gabriela Fundora, ranked No. 2 by ESPN in the division, has been very active in 2023, fighting three times, including a fifth-round TKO victory over Arely Mucino in October to win the IBF title.

Amanda Serrano Defeats Danila Ramos in Historic Unified Women’s Championship Fight

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Amanda Serrano is a unified women’s champion…

After throwing more than 1,100 punches in the first unified women’s championship fight contested at 12 three-minute rounds, the 35-year-old Puerto Rican boxer beat Danila Ramos by unanimous decision, earning three 120-108 scores to retain the IBF, WBO and WBA titles.

Amanda SerranoIt was a night Serrano had hoped would be a potential change for women’s boxing.

“What’s so funny is that when I was in there, I really couldn’t feel the difference,” Serrano said. “In the sixth round, I was like, is it really three minutes or did they go back to two minutes?

“I felt good. I was in really good shape. I trained really hard for this fight knowing I had to go out there and prove to everybody, prove people right or prove people wrong, that women can do whatever they put their minds to.”

Serrano and Ramos showed they could do that — same as any male fighters. At the end, Serrano and Ramos hugged near the center of the ring. There were no knockdowns, no dynamic finishes — just a strong 12-round fight for the WBA, WBO and IBF featherweight titles.

It was a fight Serrano wanted for a while and one Ramos took nearly immediately, understanding the ramifications of being one half of history.

“I knew this was the time,” Ramos said through an interpreter. “This was the time for me to come through, come by and to let the world meet me. I’ve have always been a woman who fought for equality and women’s rights.”

It was in the championship rounds, where Serrano and Ramos had not been before, where the fight had its most electrifying moments. Chants of “Amanda! Amanda! Amanda!” reverberated throughout the sellout crowd at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, where Puerto Rican flags sat on every seat and were waved liberally throughout the night.

Serrano shined in those rounds. Her best punch of the night might have been a straight right in the 10th, which landed flush on Ramos’ head. Serrano came close to getting a stoppage in that round, bringing the crowd to its feet for one of the few times all night.

It had been a vintage half-round from Serrano, what she had so often shown in the two-minute-round fights she’d been in for more than a decade. It continued throughout the 11th round as well, with the Serrano punching Ramos around the ring.

Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KO) landed 338 of 1,103 punches — averaging 92 punches a round, reminiscent of her typical style. Ramos (12-3, 1 KO) averaged 71 punches a round and landed 120 of 846 punches.

And at the end, Serrano made it clear she wants to fight only three-minute rounds going forward. Her team said that as well — insisting they would not take on potential challengers Skye Nicolson or Alycia Baumgardner if they wanted to fight at two minutes.

At this point in her career, Serrano said, three minutes is what she wants to do.

“She’s the ‘A side,'” Serrano’s promoter, Nakisa Bidarian said. “She’s the decision maker. You want to fight Amanda Serrano, you come to Amanda Serrano’s house.”

It started, too, like a typical men’s fight, with both Serrano and Ramos feeling each other out over the first few rounds. Serrano and her trainer, Jordan Maldonado, said that was part of the plan — see what worked and what didn’t.

“I had to,” Serrano said. “It was the first 12, 3-minute rounds. I want to make sure I just didn’t give it everything I had in the first couple rounds just in case.”

Certainly more than they would in a typical two-minute-round women’s fight. By the third, though, Serrano’s typical aggressive style started to pick up.

Amanda Serrano Set to Make History in First Women’s Bout with 12 Three-Minute Rounds

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Amanda Serrano is preparing for a historic bout…

When the 34-year-old Puerto Rican boxer, the undisputed featherweight champion, defends her WBA, IBF and WBO belts against Danila Ramos on October 27 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, the two will fight 12 three-minute rounds instead of the official 10 two-minute rounds for title fights in women’s boxing.

Amanda SerranoThis will be the first women’s unified championship fight ever fought under the same rules as the men.

Serrano will defend her titles against Ramos, the WBO mandatory challenger, in a fight approved by all three sanctioning bodies and the Florida Athletic Commission and put on by Most Valuable Promotions, run by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian.

“This fight is about more than some belts,” Serrano said in a statement. “We have faced a long and hard battle, united as women, to achieve the same pay, respect, and recognition in boxing.

“Together, on Friday, October 27, we will make history and prove to the world once again how incredible women’s boxing is and that we are just as tough, dynamic, and capable as any man in the ring, if not more so. This is a fight for women everywhere to be treated the same as their male counterparts.”

The number of rounds and the length of rounds for championship fights have been issues in women’s boxing for years — often brought up by many of the top fighters in the sport. When Serrano fought Katie Taylor for Taylor’s undisputed lightweight titles in 2022 — a fight that became the biggest event in women’s boxing history — Serrano lobbied for three-minute rounds but mentioned it publicly only after contracts had been signed. Serrano-Taylor was fought with 10 two-minute rounds.

 

There have been women’s title fights with three-minute rounds before — notably when Seniesa Estrada stopped Marlen Esparza in the ninth round for the WBA interim flyweight title in November 2019, but Estrada-Esparza was 10 rounds. Other high-level fighters, including pound-for-pound No. 1 and current undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields, have advocated for 12 rounds or three-minute rounds — or both — in the past.

 

In 2021, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN, “if I could get three-minute rounds, I would sign a number of women.” He believes it could add more excitement and opportunity. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe also told ESPN in 2021 that he believed the longer rounds would increase popularity in women’s boxing. Former Golden Boy matchmaker Robert Diaz also told ESPN in 2021 that he felt world title fights should be three-minute rounds.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán told ESPN in 2021 that he would not sanction three-minute round fights because he considers it a safety issue. He said his organization, which sanctions Serrano’s featherweight title, would not change its stance until “there is clear medical research clearance to do any changes.”

In MMA, men and women fight the same number of rounds and same number of minutes — three five-minute rounds for undercard fights and five five-minute rounds for championship fights and main events. This is a step toward giving equal fighting balance to women in boxing too.

Serrano (45-2-1, 30 KO) last fought in August, when she defeated Heather Hardy by unanimous decision in Dallas to defend her undisputed featherweight title. The seven-division world champion will be making the sixth defense of her WBO title and second defense of her WBA belt. Other than a split-decision loss to Taylor as a challenger to Taylor’s undisputed lightweight championship in 2022, Serrano has not lost a fight since 2012, and she has never been beaten as a featherweight, her natural fighting weight.

Ramos (12-2, 1 KO), 38, became the mandatory challenger in August when she defeated Brenda Karen Carabajal by split decision in Buenos Aires. She has won her past four fights — but three have come by split or majority decision. She has fought for interim titles three times — beating Carabajal and losing to Katharina Thanderz and Elhem Mekhaled. Ramos has never been stopped in her career.

In this fight, Ramos will be part of history.

The last known major women’s fights of 12 three-minute rounds came in 2007, when Layla McCarter defeated Donna Biggers on January 5 and Melissa Hernandez on February 14, both in Las Vegas. Neither one went the distance, as McCarter stopped Biggers in the second round and Hernandez in the eighth round. Now, on a bigger stage — the fight will be televised as a main event on DAZN — a 12-round three-minute fight will be happening again.

“Fighting Amanda Serrano for 12 three-minute rounds for a unified championship is set to break the barriers that we women have been looking to do for many years,” Ramos said in a statement. “We will go down in history and in the books.”

Seniesa Estrada Beats Leonela Yudica by Unanimous Decision to Retain WBA & WBC 105-Pound Titles

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Seniesa Estrada has successfully defended her titles…

The 31-year-old Mexican American professional boxer retained her WBA and WBC 105-pound titles with a unanimous decision victory over Leonela Yudica on Friday at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort.

Seniesa Estrada

All three judges scored the fight 97-93.

Estrada used her height and reach advantage to outbox Yudica, sometimes switching stances in a tough title defense. Estrada was able to dig hard shots to the body in a fight that featured a lot of exchanges and many rounds that were difficult to score.

“I knew coming into this fight that she was a boxer who would move away from me and not come forward much,” Estrada said. “In my preparation, I knew I had to show something different in myself.”

She added: “Going into this fight, I knew she was a natural flyweight, so she is a lot bigger than me physically. … I definitely had to use my footwork. … I had to use my feints and movements to make sure I was close enough to land punches and not get countered.”

Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) captured a second minimumweight belt in March in a title-unification victory over Tina Rupprecht. From East Los Angeles, Estrada has made three title defenses at 105 pounds. Estrada also won a 108-pound title in July 2021 with a victory over Tenkai Tsunami but returned to 105 pounds afterward. She is ESPN‘s No. 6 pound-for-pound boxer.

Yokasta Valle, who holds the WBO and IBF titles at 105 pounds, was welcomed into the ring after Estrada’s win Friday night. A fight with Estrada could take place next for the undisputed minimumweight championship.

“I want Yokasta Valle,” said Estrada, who is No. 1 in ESPN’s division rankings, with Valle No. 2. “I’m the best in this division. I want to prove it by beating her. She can just hand me those belts right now because when we fight it’s going to be bad for her.”

Yudica (19-2-3, 1 KO), a longtime champion at 112 pounds, fought at 105 pounds for the first time.

The 34-year-old Argentine lost to Arely Mucino in October via split decision but rebounded to defeat Tamara Demarco in April, also via split decision. It was just her second fight outside of Argentina.

“I do not agree at all with the scorecards,” Yudica said. “I am convinced that nobody has hit her like I have hit her. If not, she can take off her hat and show how her face has been left.

“I did a very good job. … I exchanged when I needed to. It was a good fight, and it didn’t deserve this result.”

Regis Prograis Defeats Danielito Zorrilla to Defend His WBC Junior Welterweight Title

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It wasn’t his best showing, but Regis Prograis has successfully defended his title…

The 34-year-old half-Hispanic American boxer successfully defended his WBC junior welterweight title by defeating Danielito Zorrilla by split decision on Saturday night at the Smoothie King Center.

Regis PrograisPrograis won on two cards 118-109 and 117-110 while one scorecard went Zorrilla’s way 114-113.

Prograis (29-1, 25 KO) was honest about his performance and felt he could have put on a better show for the local crowd.

“My performance was s—. I can admit to myself it wasn’t a good performance,” Prograis said. “The last two days, I felt the hometown jitters. The hometown fights, they are the worst. I felt it going into it yesterday into today. I got the job done. I kept the belt. I’m happy about that, but I’m definitely not happy about my performance.”

Zorrilla (17-2, 13 KO) took the fight on less than a month’s notice as he was a late replacement for undefeated Australian fighter Liam Paro, who pulled out of the bout with an injury.

Following the fight, Prograis sat with Matchroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn as the two spoke with reporters about what options could be next at 140 pounds. Bill Haney, Devin Haney‘s father, was in attendance on Saturday but Hearn said there are plenty of options for Prograis’ next fight.

Hearn mentioned Haney, Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis as all great fights that could be made for Prograis.

“For me, it’s up to Regis,” Hearn said. “I mean, I think the great thing about tonight is there’s going to be a lot of people queuing up to fight. I’ve not heard any of those big names mention Regis’ name before tonight, other than Devin. But now I think you’re going to see people actually target Regis Prograis that he might be beatable now.

“Which we know, there’s a completely different performance to come from Regis Prograis. I think that’s the one thing that I’m happy about and I believe Devin wants that fight.”

It was the first successful title defense of Prograis’ career. After winning the WBA title at 140 pounds from Kiryl Relikh in 2019, Prograis dropped the belt in a majority decision to Josh Taylor later that year. It remains the only loss of his career.

This time, Prograis defended his crown.

In the third round, Prograis dropped Zorrilla with a left hand and started to build on that momentum the rest of the fight. However, that quickly went away as the two danced and plotted on each other for the remainder of the fight.

“He came to survive,” Prograis said about Zorrilla. “He didn’t want to get knocked out. He came to survive. I was chasing him. I just had to chase him for 12 rounds.”

Prograis went to the mat three times but none were ruled knockdowns by referee Ray Corona. In the first round, Zorrilla stunned Prograis with a right knocking him off balance, and both men went to the ground as Prograis tried to clutch with Zorrilla falling into the champion. However, it was ruled as a push. In the 10th round, Prograis’ fall was called a slip and then he again touched the mat in the 12th on a push.

He admitted after the fight that he felt the first-round fall didn’t feel like a knockdown in the moment but looking back at the replay, it could have been.

This was the first major championship fight inside the Smoothie King Center since 2000 when undisputed light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. defeated Eric Harding at what was then called New Orleans Arena (Derrick Gainer also defeated Freddie Norwood for the WBA featherweight title on the same card).

It was the third card that Prograis has headlined in New Orleans. His previous two fights were at the Lakefront Arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans.

New Orleans rap duo Fresh X Reckless performed during Prograis’ walk as he put his own flair on the entrance with a 10-foot Rougarou — Prograis’ nickname and a werewolf-like monster from local folklore — following him.

However, because of those “hometown jitters” Prograis mentioned, there’s a good chance his next fight won’t be in the city.

“I don’t think next time,” Prograis said. “We’ll probably go on the road and then come back here down the line. But not next fight.”

Hearn said there are opportunities for Prograis that could be in Las Vegas or the Middle East for his next fight.

Seniesa Estrada’s Return to the Ring Moved Up By a Day

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Seniesa Estrada is headed to the ring sooner than originally anticipated…

The 30-year-old Mexican American WBA and WBC strawweight champion’s next fight is on the move again — this time a shorter journey than before.

Seniesa EstradaEstrada will now headline an ESPN+ card on July 28 at The Palms in Las Vegas, the night before the Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. megafight in the same city, ESPN reports.

The fight had been planned for July 29, but the announcement of Spence-Crawford meant it made sense to push it up if possible, especially with both bouts taking place in Las Vegas.

The opponent for Estrada (24-0, 9 KOs), who is ESPN’s No. 8 pound-for-pound fighter and the WBA and WBC strawweight champion, is still being finalized. It is the first headliner appearance for Estrada since she signed with Top Rank last year.

Estrada last fought in March, when she beat Tina Rupprecht by unanimous decision to unify the WBA and WBC belts. It’s the second time in three fights that Estrada will be fighting in Las Vegas at The Palms; her first Top Rank fight, a win over Jazmin Gala Villarino, was held at the site in November.

Rolly Romero to Fight Ismael Barroso for Vacant WBA Junior Welterweight Title

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Rolly Romero is still getting his shot at a title…

The 27-year-old half-Cuban American boxer will face off against Ismael Barroso for the WBA‘s vacant junior welterweight title on Saturday in Las Vegas, the organization has announced, after Alberto Puello was made champion in recess due to the adverse finding in his A-sample for the banned substance clomiphene.

Rolly RomeroPuello (21-0, 10 KOs) was set to defend his title vs. Romero on Saturday but was pulled out of the fight last month after the failed test.

The 28-year-old Dominican’s status as champion will be determined following a May 17 hearing with the Nevada commission, the WBA said. The organization will also wait to see if the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association returns a negative result for Puello’s B-sample.

It’s possible the winner of Saturday’s PBC on Showtime main event will have to face Puello next pending the WBA’s decision. Puello’s Dominican Republic-based promoter, Belgica Pena, told BoxingScene last month that Puello was taking the fertility drug clomiphene for its intended use, not as a performance-enhancing drug.

“Your wife is in the DR, right? So, what do you need to take fertility drugs for?” Romero posed during an interview with ESPN on Tuesday. “On top of that you pass one drug test, one with blood, and one with urine and two weeks later you fail a drug test and then you pass the other one?

“It don’t make sense why you’re taking fertility drugs if your wife’s not here. I don’t know about him — maybe that’s why his legs look a little weak sometimes — but I stop like a month before.

“How do I feel? Disgusted with anyone that does any of that s— in boxing. I think [PED testing] should be more regulated.”

Romero, from Las Vegas, is coming off a TKO loss to Gervonta Davis last May at 135 pounds. Romero (14-1, 12 KOs) will fight for a title in his 140-pound debut.

“I’m Rolly, I get special Rolly privileges,” Romero said. ” … Sorry that I’m getting a title shot … but also I’m by far one of the most entertaining boxers in the sport. You don’t wanna give me title shots, don’t watch my fights.”

Barroso (24-3-2, 22 KOs), a 40-year-old Venezuelan, is a 9-1 underdog.

Erislandy Lara to Defend Middleweight Title vs. Danny Garcia in August

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Erislandy Lara is preparing to defend his title…

The 40-year-old Cuban professional boxer will defend his middleweight title versus Danny Garcia on August 5, according to the WBA.

Erislandy LaraThe Showtime main event is expected to take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, sources said, at a 155-pound catchweight.

PBC has been planning a fight between Lara and Garcia for months, but Michael Zerafa stood in the way. The 31-year-old Australian was the mandatory challenger to Lara’s title, but he agreed to step aside after he was offered an undercard slot, Zerafa’s manager, Elvis Grant, told ESPN.

“PBC were more than fair in reasonably working this out with Team Zerafa,” Grant said.

Zerafa (30-4, 19 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 10 middleweight.

The WBA stipulated that the winner must face Zerafa by December or face being stripped.

Lara, 40, was elevated as champion after Gennadiy Golovkin relinquished his title. A former 154-pound champion, Lara’s impressive résumé includes a controversial decision loss to Paul Williams, a split decision defeat to Canelo Alvarez and a victory over Austin Trout.

The Cuban’s split decision defeat to Jarrett Hurd in a 154-pound title unification was ESPN‘s 2018 Fight of the Year. Lara’s draw with Brian Castano the following year was one of the best fights of 2019.

Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) has competed four times since the Castano bout, all of them against domestic-level competition. Three of those four wins came inside the distance.

Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is a former unified 140-pound champion and 147-pound titleholder. He rose to prominence with an upset fourth-round TKO victory over Amir Khan in 2012 and followed up with an impressive victory over Lucas Matthysse the following year.

His lengthy résumé includes wins over Erik Morales, Zab Judah and Lamont Peterson, along with tight decision defeats to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. The 35-year-old Philadelphian made his 154-pound debut in July with a majority decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr.

That was Garcia’s first fight since a December 2020 decision loss to Errol Spence Jr.

Seniesa Estrada to Return to Boxing Ring in July

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Seniesa Estrada is months away from her highly anticipated return…

The 30-year-old Mexican American WBA and WBC strawweight champion will make her return to the ring on July 22, according to ESPN.

Seniesa EstradaIt will be Estrada’s second fight of 2023.

The opponent and location for the fight have yet to be determined.

Estrada last fought in March, when she beat Tina Rupprecht by unanimous decision to become the unified champion at strawweight. It was Estrada’s second defense of her WBA title.

Undefeated Estrada (24-0, 9 KOs) is ESPN‘s No. 8 pound-for-pound fighter and top-rated strawweight. She has held titles at strawweight and junior flyweight in her career and the interim world title at flyweight.

She said after her win over Rupprecht that she would like to become undisputed at strawweight, where she currently holds two belts. Yokasta Valle is the IBF and WBO strawweight champion.

“I want to tell the other champion at 105 pounds that I’m whupping you next,” Estrada said in March. “You can get it next. I am the best in this division, and I know it. I want to prove it by being undisputed.”

Seniesa Estrada Defeats Tina Rupprecht to Become Unified Strawweight Champion

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Seniesa Estrada is a unified champion…

The 30-year-old Mexican American boxer defeated Tina Rupprecht by unanimous decision — 100-90 on all three cards – on Saturday night to become a unified champion at strawweight.

Seniesa EstradaIn addition to retaining her WBA championship, Estrada claimed Rupprecht’s WBC title.

It was a dominant performance from Estrada, ESPN‘s No. 8 pound-for-pound fighter. She rarely let Rupprecht get comfortable and other than a couple of strong punches landed on Estrada’s face in the first three rounds of the fight, it was a clinical performance from the East Los Angeles native.

Walking out in her traditional cape — pink, this time — and to Alicia Keys‘ “Girl on Fire,” Estrada’s usual high-paced output began from the start and continued throughout. She landed at least 20% of her punches in all but one round and over 30% of her power punches in seven of 10 rounds.

Estrada (24-0, 9 KO) focused a lot on the body — 57% of her landed punches were body punches — and her 67 body punches landed were more than the 63 punches Rupprecht landed throughout the entire fight.

She almost doubled up Rupprecht (12-1-1, 3 KO) in punches landed (118-63) despite throwing a somewhat similar number of total punches (473-414). Rupprecht landed 10 or more punches in a round just once — the seventh round, when it was clear Estrada was in control and headed toward unifying the WBA and WBC belts.

The way Estrada moved her hands — constant, and not just at Rupprecht, but in unconventional movement all over the place to keep the angle and levels of her punches unpredictable, was unique. It helped open up windows for her to land body shots and combinations on Rupprecht, who suffered the first loss of her career.

“By taking away her right hand,” Estrada said in the postfight in-ring interview, “I took away her only weapon.”

Estrada said she wanted to focus on the jab in the fight, in part because of Rupprecht’s height at 4-foot-10, and she threw 178 jabs, landing 16 of them. She said she combined that with her power to put herself in the position to dominate the fight.

After the fight, Estrada made clear what she’d like next — Yokasta Valle retained her IBF and WBO strawweight titles in a unanimous decision win over Jessica Basulto in Costa Rica on Saturday night as well. Rupprecht and Valle fought in 2018 — with Rupprecht winning a unanimous decision in her native Germany.

“I want to tell the other champion at 105 pounds that I’m whooping you next,” Estrada said in the ring after the fight. “You can get it next. I am the best in this division, and I know it. I want to prove it by being undisputed.”