THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 23 JULY 2025: Usyk KOs Dubois; Barrios-Pacquiao Ends in Draw; Fundora Stops Tszyu; Rodriguez TKOs Cafu
By Eric Armit
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 23 Jul 2025
HIGHLIGHTS
-Oleksandr Usyk knocks out Daniel Dubois to add the IBF heavyweight belt to the IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO belts he already holds. There are wins for Lawrence Okolie, Daniel Lapin and Solomon Dacres
- Mario Barrios retains the WBC welterweight title with a majority draw against a returning Manny Pacquiao
-Sebastian Fundora beats Tim Tszyu on a seventh round retirement in a WBC super welterweight title defence
Isaac Cruz wins the WBC interim super light title with a points win over Omar Salcido. There are wins for Brandon Figueroa, Gary Allen Russell, David Picasso and Mark Magsayo
-Jesse Rodriguez stops Phumelela Cafu to retain the WBC super flyweight title and wins Cafu’s WBO title. There are wins for Diego Pacheco and Austn Williams.
MAJOR SHOWS:
JULY 19
LONDON, ENGLAND: OLEKSANDR USYK(24-0) W KO 5 DANIEL DUBOIS (22-3). HEAVY: LAWRENCE OKOLIE (22-1) W PTS 10 KEVIN LERENA (31-4). LIGHT HEAVY: DANIEL LAPIN (12-0) W PTS 10 LEWIS EDMONDSON (11-1). HEAVY: SOLOMON DACRES (10-1) W PTS 10 VLADYSLAV SIRENKO (22-0).
Usyk vs. Dubois
USYK destroys DUBOIS in five rounds to regain the IBF title to give him the complete set of sanctioning body belts again and make him undisputed champion.
ROUND 1
Both were cautious probing with jabs. Dubois was trying to force Usyk to the ropes but Usyk was constantly moving and changing direction. Both tried rights but missed. Usyk landed a left to the body and a right jab to the chin. Dubois was off target with a right. Dubois landed a couple of rights but Usyk banged back with two better lefts and connected with two more punches to take the round.
SCORE: 10-9 Usyk
ROUND 2
Dubois took the fight to Usyk jabbing and looking to land his right. Usyk went onto the front foot firing jabs and Dubois looked uncomfortable under the pressure. Usyk kept changing angles and firing jabs. Dubois connected with a hard right but Usyk responded with a left to the head and Dubois wobbled and retreated.
SCORE: 10-9 UsykUsyk 20-18
ROUND 3
Dubois started the round by connecting with a right to Usyk’s chest. He continued to stalk Usyk and a push sent Usyk stumbling before Dubois connected with a right to the head. Dubois pressed hard but Usyk caught him with a left hook and a straight left and they both landed lefts.
SCORE: 10-9 DuboisUsyk 29-28
ROUND 4
Dubois was coming forward trying to build on a good third but he was having trouble landing anything as Usyk slid away from the punches and stabbed home jabs . Dubois backed Usyk into a corner but Usyk ducked out. Dubois landed a right to the body similar to the one that caused Usyk to go down and was ruled low in their first fight but Usyk was scoring with right jabs and took the round.
SCORE: 10-9 UsykUsyk 39-37
ROUND 5
Usyk was on his toes circling Dubois probing with jabs looking for an opening. Dubois landed a right but Usyk came forward throwing two jabs and a left. He had DuBois backing off and scored with a left cross. DuBois came forward and was hit by two counters as he followed Usyk to the ropes. Once there Usyk, with his back to the ropes, landed a couple of punches then a left to the side of the head which sent Dubois back and down to his hands and knees. He was up at seven and when the action resumed Usyk landed a left that had Dubois tottering then bending in half and dropping to the canvas and he was counted out. Its difficult to see any of the current crop of heavyweights beating Usyk. There is some talk of a third fight with Fury but it is just talk as is the suggestion he fight unbeaten Moses Itauma as wins over Mariusz Wach, Demsey McKean and Mike Balogun are hardly title challenger credentials. A huge blow to Dubois after his win mover Anthony Joshua boosted his standing.
Okolie vs. Lerena
OKOLIE scores a wide unanimous decision over LERENA. The story of this fight was that Lerena never figured out how to deal with the 5” taller Okolie’s advantages in height and reach. From the first Okolie was using his longer reach and faster hands to score and was quick enough to move out of distance when Lerena lunged forward. Lerena was warned for holding in the second and he had difficulty launching attacks with Okolie’s left constantly in his face. Okolie was content to keep pushing out lefts to keep Lerena out and occasionally firing a burst of punches. Lerena had some success in the fourth as he was able to get past Okolie’s jab and land lefts to the body. The pattern did not change much. Okolie was stiff-arming Lerena sticking his left out to prevent Lerena coming forward quickly. He was mainly circling Lerena popping him with jabs then firing some 1-2’s and some single shots. Lerena was really just following Okolie around looking for a chance to jump inside but was then not working and they were both warned for holding. There were no sustained exchanges and Okolie was not looking to take any unnecessary risks. Lerena connected with a hard left hook in the sixth and Okolie finally let his hands go in the seventh taking the fight to Lerena and landing with long punches from both hands. The eighth saw the pattern of the fight revert to Okolie jabbing and throwing straight rights with Lerena unable to close the distance. Nothing changed over the ninth and tenth and there were no highlights as Okolie cruised to victory. Scores 100-90 twice and 99-91. Okolie was making the first defence of the WBC Silver title. He is No 1 with the WBC but it would be hard to sell him as a viable challenger to Usyk and his safety first approach does not endear him to the fans. Lerena was just too small and did not show much fire in this fight.
Lapin vs. Edmonson
LAPIN wins a very close majority decision over EDMONDSON in an untidy clinch filled fight. The 5” taller Lapin was looking to establish his jab early. Edmondson knew he would have to get past the jab to work inside but both were cautious in a slow first round with Edmondson having what little success there was. Lapin had his jab working in the second and edged another slow round with too many clinches. It was already clear that their respective styles would not mix well and the referee would be a busy man. The third saw Lapin depending heavily on his jab and then landing a good left hook counter as Edmondson came forward. Edmondson connected with a right and it was a close round. With so little clean work from either boxer it was a poor, hard to score bout. Edmondson landed some good rights in the fourth and stung Lapin with a left and Lapin got through with a jab before Edmondson landed a heavy right. Edmondson had had a good fourth but Lapin did what little clean work there was in the fifth and sixth. Edmondson had been lunging in to offset Lapin’s reach and was warned for charging in with his head down in both rounds. Lapin was warned for holding in the seventh, a round that saw more action with Edmondson forcing his way inside and landing to the body and both scored shots inside. Twice in the eighth Edmondson wrestled Lapin and almost threw him over the ropes and Lapin seemed to be claiming he had injured an arm from these wild antics of Edmondson. It was Edmondson who won the round as he forced Lapin to the ropes and unloaded body punches. Edmondson might have been slightly in front at this point but he looked to be tiring and Lapin piled on the punches over the ninth and tenth just doing enough to earn a very tight decision. Scores 96-94 twice for Lapin and 95-95. Lapin retains the IBF Inter-Continental and WBA Continental titles and wins the vacant WBO International title. Commonwealth champion Edmondson was trying to build on his win over Dan Azeez in October.
Dacres vs. Sirenko
DACRES exposes the flaws in an over-hyped SIRENKO and boxes his way to a convincing victory.
Sirenko had early success with jabs and hooks. Both were scoring with body punches with Sirenko landing more. In the second although Sirenko came out swinging it was Dacres boxing on the back foot who was more accurate. Sirenko was trying to just walk through Dacres punches and getting caught. The third and fourth saw Dacres outworking Sirenko and able to take advantage of Sirenko’s lack of defence as the Ukrainian just walked face first into Dacres counters. Sirenko tightened his defence in the fifth and landed some hooks inside. Dacres connected with a nice series of punches but Sirenko might have done enough to take the round and he had a good sixth working with his jab and overhand rights. Dacres took the seventh. He was again able to catch a wide-open Sirenko with counters and he put together some good combinations. A left hook knocked Dacres mouthguard flying in the eighth. The round was close but Dacres was again busier and more accurate and he kept jabbing and moving in the ninth and got through with some hurtful uppercuts. Sirenko needed a knockout but that was never going to happen. Dacres outboxed a slow and tired Sirenko and won on scores of 99-91, 99-92 and 98-92. In his last fight Dacres had been stopped in 80 seconds by David Adeleye so might have looked an easy touch for Sirenko. Instead Dacres has reestablished himself in convincing style. Sirenko had scored 19 wins by KO/TKO but had been very carefully matched and proved slow and easy to hit so his team have a lot of work to do.
LAS VEGAS, NV, USA: MARIO BARRIOS (29-2-2) DREW 12 MANNY PACQUIAO (62-8-3). SUPER WELTER: SEBASTIAN FUNDORA (23-1-1) W RTD 7 TIM TSZYU (25-3). SUPER LIGHT: ISAAC CRUZ (28-3-1) W PTS 10 OMAR SALCIDO (20-3). FEATHER: BRANDON FIGUEROA (26-2-1) W PTS 10 JOET GONZALEZ (27-5). SUPER FEATHER: GARY ALLEN RUSSELL (32-2) W TKO 10 HUGO CASTANEDA (15-3-1). SUPER BANTAM: DAVID PICASSO (32-0-1) W PTS 10 KYONOSUKE KAMEDA (15-5-2). LIGHT: MARK MAGSAYO (28-2) W PTS 10 JORGE MATA (21-3-2,1ND). MIDDLE: EUMIR MARCIAL (6-0) W TKO 3 BERNARD JOSEPH (11-3-1).
Barrios vs. Pacquiao
BARRIOS and PACQUIAO fight to a majority draw allowing Barrios to retain the WBC title and frustrating Pacquiao’s attempt to make yet more history.
ROUND 1
Pacquiao was quickly into his stride with plenty of movement and plenty of quick jabs and he was already letting fly with rights. Barrios was firing jabs but Pacquiao was blocking or dodging them. Both were then short with their jabs until Pacquiao scored with a couple of body punches putting Barrios on the back foot. Barrios was being outworked.
SCORE: 10-9 PacquiaoPacquiao 10-9
ROUND 2
Barrios was on the front foot firing jabs trying to take control. Barrios landed a right and Pacquiao landed a left. Barrios darted forward throwing jabs but slipped and fell to the canvas. Plenty of feinting from both looking for an opening. Barrios landed a right and a couple of jabs. Close round Barrios busier.
SCORE: 10-9 BarriosTIED 19-19
ROUND 3
Barrios again on the front foot but Pacquiao got through with a couple of hooks. Barrios was jabbing but short and Pacquiao landed a quick counter. Barrios landed low and Pacquiao signalled for him to keep his punches up. Barrios tried to get on the front foot but Pacquiao fired a little burst of punches to stop him. Pacquiao was taking the fight to Barrios forcing him back and landing right jabs. Pacquiao again complained about a low punch and then landed a series of quick punches. Barrios was not throwing enough punches.
SCORE: 10-9 PacquiaoPacquiao 29-28
ROUND 4
Strong start from Barrios. He was firing hard jabs and coming forward behind them with rights. Plenty of jabs from Barrios and he connected with a right. Barrios was forcing Pacquiao back with jabs and he landed a right. Good round for Barrios.
SCORE: 10-9 BarriosTIED 38-38
Official Scores: Judge Tim Cheatham 38-38, Judge Max DeLuca 39-37 Barrios, Judge Steve Weisfeld 39-37 Barrios
ROUND 5
Pacquiao landed a quick set of punches and was the one on the front foot. He drew a lead from Barrios and countered. Both really just probing with jabs looking for openings. Pacquiao again drew a lead from Barrios and darted in with quick punches and Barrios landed a heavier counter. Pacquiao ended the round with some short hooks.
SCORE: 10-9 PacquiaoPacquiao 48-47
ROUND 6
Good start from Pacquiao as he stepped inside and landed body punches. Barrios was just throwing one punch at a time jabbing with no follow up. Pacquiao tended to follows his jab with combinations. Pacquiao again protested when Barrios went low. Barrios was waiting too long to let his hands go and Pacquiao darted forward and landed a couple of hooks. Lively end as they traded punches.
SCORE: 10-9 PacquiaoPacquiao 58-56
ROUND 7
Barrios tried to get on the front foot but each time he threw a jab Pacquiao was diving inside to land some quick, light punches. They traded punches with Barrios landing the better shots. As Pacquiao came forward Barrios met him with a right counter but Pacquiao unleashed a burst of hooks before moving out. A close round but another one for Pacquiao.
SCORE: 10-9 PacquiaoPacquiao 68-65
ROUND 8
Pacquiao was moving and jabbing constantly changing direction before leaping in to score. Barrios was firing only jabs and not following with rights. When Pacquiao moved in he was throwing punches with both hands light but scoring and he could largely ignore any danger from Barrios’ right. Barrios did dig in two right hooks to the body but Pacquiao banged home body punches of his own. Pacquiao launched a two-fisted attack to close out the round.
SCORE: 10-9 PacquiaoPacquiao 78-74
Official Scores: Judge Tim Cheatham 76-75 Pacquiao, Judge Max DeLuca 76-76 , Judge Steve Weisfeld 77-75 Pacquiao
ROUND 9
Barrios made a lively start but whereas he landed a couple of stiff jabs Pacquiao by-passed Barrios jab and stepped inside and connected with a dozen short, sharp shots. Pacquiao fired a couple more bursts of punches with Barrios still just firing jabs and not enough of them.
SCORE: 10-9 PacquiaoPacquiao 88-83
ROUND 10
Barrios finally opened up at the start of the round firing jabs and rights and putting Pacquiao under pressure. Pacquiao had slowed and Barrios was jabbing with more authority forcing Pacquiao back and connecting with rights.
SCORE: 10-9 BarriosPacquiao 97-93
ROUND 11
A fired up Barrios was throwing punches from both hands fighting with an intensity that had been missing from his work. When Pacquiao did try to get inside he met him with two hooks and then drove Pacquiao back with jabs and rights. Now Pacquiao had no answer to the stronger jabs from Barrios
SCORE: 10-9 BarriosPacquiao 106-103
ROUND 12
Barrios was walking Pacquiao down in a way he had not done in the early rounds and he was connecting with jabs and straight rights with Pacquiao unable to dodge the jab and was short when he threw his hooks. When they stood and traded punches before the bell it was Barrios doing the scoring and it was his round.
SCORE: 10-9 BarriosPacquiao 115-113
Official Scores: Judge Tim Cheatham 114-114 tied, Judge Max DeLuca 115-113 Barrios, Judge Steve Weisfeld 114-114 tied.
A disputed decision with most seeing Pacquiao as the winner. Pacquiao was incredibly sharp despite his 46-years and his long lay-off. There were questions over his decision but he laid all of those doubts to rest with a great performance. Barrios had his tactics all wrong and gave Paquiao too much respect considering the physical and age advantages he had.
Fundora vs. Tszyu
FUNDORA successfully defends the WBC title as he again scores a win over TSZYU. Fundora made a great start and a first round stoppage looked a possibility. He floored Tszyu with a counter left and although Tszyu made it to his feet he was shaken by another shot just before the bell. Fundora was boxing behind his longer reach and again scored heavily in the second. He forced Tszyu to the ropes and landed some blistering shots but he was leaving himself open and Tszyu connected with a couple of lefts but was cut over his left eye as heads clashed. Tszyu tried to get into the fight and landed a couple of well-placed lefts but Fundora was also scoring with rights and straight southpaw lefts and Tszyu was having problems trying to get past Fundora’s jab. After the early part of the fourth saw Fundora firing lefts though Tszyu’s guard Tszyu found consistency piercing Fundora’s guard with lefts and bringing blood from Fundora’s nose to take the round. Fundora was back on top in the fifth as he kept scoring at distance with his jabs and straight lefts and outlanded Tszyu. The sixth was close as both had some success and some rights from Tszyu were enough to give him the edge. Fundora kept working his jab in the seventh using it to force Tszyu to the ropes. Tszyu fought his way off the ropes and they traded punches with both landing some decent punches. Fundora ended the round getting through with some booming shots. Tszyu went back to his corner and stood there for a few seconds before sitting down and his team indicted he was finished. It was a surprise but the cumulative effect of Fundora’s punches proved too much. Fundora had won the WBO and vacant WBC titles with a split decision over Tszyu in March last year and defended them with a stoppage of Chordale Booker in March. Tszyu had been knocked back by a heavy loss against Bakhram Murtazaliev in a challenge for IBF title in October but had returned with a win over Joseph Spencer
Cruz vs. Salcido
CRUZ wins a wide unanimous decision over SALCIDO to pick up the WBC Interim/temporary title. A typical Cruz start saw him rolling forward in the first firing punches forcing Salcido onto the retreat and Salcido was given an early warning for holding. Salcido landed a right but Cruz just walked through it and banged away to Salcido’s body. Over the second and third Cruiz was relentless and Salcido just could not take a forward step as Cruz was the one advancing bombarding Salcido with hooks and over hand rights. Salcido landed some good counters at the start of the fourth but he could not match Cruz for output and was close to being steamrollered. The fifth was a bit closer as Salcido tightened his defence and was doing a bit more holding but by the end of the round he was again under fire and forced back. Cruz rocked Salcido with a left in the sixth and continued to drive forward unleashing punches. Salcido was doing well to still be there and Cruz slowed a little in the seventh but though the tempo might have changed Cruz was still bossing the exchanges. Cruz handed out steady punishment to head and body in the eighth but somehow Salcido stayed upright but was given another warning for holding in the ninth. Cruz went all out for a stoppage in the tenth. A desperate Salcido was docked a point for holding and was knocked off balanced and touched the canvas with his gloves resulting as a count but he made it to the bell. Cruz won on scores of 99-89 twice and 100-88. Mexican Cruz lost a split decision against Jose Valenzuela for the WBA title in August last year and with new WBC champion Subriel Matias to defend against Dalton Smith the interim/temporary title is just that and a blind valley. Second loss in a row for Salcido who was outpointed by Andy Cruz in January. Salcido was to have fought on the undercard but stepped up at one days’ notice to face Cruz when Angel Fierro dropped out.
Figueroa vs. Gonzalez
FIGUEROA stages a strong finish to win the unanimous decision over GONZALEZ. Both fighters let their hands go from the start standing inside and trading hooks and uppercuts with neither wanting to take a step back. Gonzalez was just about getting the better of the exchanges over the first two rounds with some smart body movement to get himself leverage and blocking some of Figueroa’s punches. Figuero just kept banging to the body and with so much fierce in-fighting it was hard one to score but Figueroa looked to have clawed back a round. With so much close work it was no surprise that Gonzalez was cut over his right eye in the fourth but again he was getting the better of the exchanges as Figueroa failed to use his height and longer reach to make a more open fight. It was still phone booth stuff in the fifth and sixth with Gonzalez staying right there with Figueroa and Figueroa still using a focused body attack to slow Gonzalez. They were both going for quantity with neither looking to open the fight out to get leverage and the war continued over the seventh with Gonzalez looking to be in front. Figueroa had a good eighth and looked to have edged the ninth. He was rocked badly by a right uppercut but he shook it off and came banging back. Figueroa also scored well in the tenth. He landed some good shots that rocked Gonzalez and forced him back and in addition to the cut over his right eye Gonzalez was showing some swelling. Figueroa was now in charge and he was outworking Gonzalez and swept the eleventh and twelfth but it did not seem to be enough to overcome the early lead established by Gonzalez. Despite that the judges scored it 116-112 twice and 115-113 for Figueroa. He has lost twice in fights for the featherweight title against Stephen Fulton and this win could land him a third shot. Gonzalez was beaten on points by Luis Alberto Lopez in a fight for the IBF feather title in 2023. He was No 3 with the WBO but now has to bounce back from this defeat.
Russell vs. Castaneda
In his first fight for twenty months RUSSELL gets in some rounds before stopping CASTANEDA in the tenth. Castaneda was coming forward taking the fight to Russell who was comfortable on the back foot scoring with counters. Russell could have ended it in the second as he connected with a straight left followed by a right hook that floored Castaneda. He made it to his feet but was down again from a series of punches. Once again he climbed off the canvas but Russell did not go looking for the third knockdown. Russell let Castaneda take the lead in the third and fourth as Castaneda piled forward throwing punches. Russell met him with some impressive counters but Castaneda took them well. After dominating the fifth Russell floored Castaneda again in the sixth with a thunderous right hook that sent Castaneda back and down. Castaneda got up and fought back rocking Russell with a right in the seventh before Russell landed some brutal shots in the eighth. Russell continued to let Castaneda come forward in the ninth and was nailing him with counter lefts. Despite his aim of getting in some rounds with three knockdowns it would not look good for Russell to fail to finish the fight inside the distance. Russell avoided any embarrassment by connecting with a left to the body at the start of the tenth that ended the fight. First fight for Russell since losing his WBC title to Mark Magsayo in January 2022. Second loss by KO/TKO for Castaneda.
Picasso vs. Kameda
PICASSO comes from behind to take the majority verdict over KAMEDA after ten close and entertaining rounds. Kameda had a strong first round as he marched forward firing punches from both hands. Picasso landed a couple of useful left hooks but it was Kameda’s round. It was the same story in the second and third as Kameda outlanded Picasso despite Picasso landing some shots of his own. Picasso got into his stride in a close fourth. He was working well to the body as they continued to trade punches inside. The fifth was a big round for Picasso. He was on target with his jabs and hard left hooks. Kameda landed a good right but Picasso blasted him with hooks. Picasso carried the impetus into the sixth jabbing strongly and connecting with combinations. Kameda fought back hard but he showed signs of weakening in the seventh under the power and accuracy of Picasso’s punches. Picasso dominated the eighth jarring and jolting Kameda with uppercuts and left hooks with Kameda slowing. Kameda rebounded in the ninth as the pace now seemed to affect Picasso. The last was close with Kameda marching forward firing punches and Picasso banging home left hooks to the body. It could have been scored either way but Picasso just had the edge in accuracy. Scores 98-92 and 97-93 for Picasso and 95-95. Picasso a good winner but the 98-92 was very Harsh on Kameda. Picasso, 24, is No 1 with the WBC but is not by any means ready for Naoya Inoue. It is two Mexican opponents in a row this year for Kameda and two losses. The first was against Luis Nery in Mexico in February.
Magsayo vs. Mata
Former champ MAGSAYO showcases his skills as he decisions MATA. The first round was fairly even with Magsayo firing quick jabs and left hooks to the body and Mata circling Magsayo and mainly sticking to jabs. Mata went on the front foot in the second again jabbing strongly but being outworked by Magsayo who connected with left hooks to the body. These were close rounds with Magsayo’s hand speed giving him the edge but Mata looked dangerous with counters. Magsayo had a good fourth forcing Mata to a corner and pounding him with punches and landing a sharp right with Mata landing an occasional counter. Mata had success in the fifth landing some good uppercuts but Magsayo came on strong late in the round putting together some impressive combinations. It was the other way around in the sixth as Magsayo landed some rights and quick left hooks to back up Mata but Mata battled back late to make the round close. Magsayo continued to work well with his jab in the seventh and eighth. He was quicker with his hands banging home jabs and doubling up with his hooks to the body. Mata tried to get inside but Magsayo’s quick footwork took him out of range and Mata was showing a cut on the bridge of his nose. Magsayo opened the ninth with a bunch of hooks and uppercuts then backed off before cutting loose with another barrage. Mata found the target late with rights but Magsayo had already taken the round by then. There were some fierce exchanges in the tenth with Magsayo throwing bunches of hooks. He was going for volume and the punches were light but Mata just could not get off his own shots and Magsayo did a bit of showboating over the dying seconds. Magsayo won on scores of 100-90 twice and 98-92. Filipino Magsayo lost his WBC featherweight title to Rey Vargas in 2022 and lost to Brandon Figueroa for the WBC Interim/temporary belt in 2023. He picked up the vacant WBC Continental Americas super featherweight title here and is No 2 with the WBC so a title shot late this year or early next should come his way. Mata had won his last 5 fights but Magsayo handled him with ease.
Marcial vs. Joseph
MARCIAL provided another win for the Philippines as he stopped JOSEPH in the third round. Southpaw Marcial dropped Joseph in the first and another knockdown in the third brought the stoppage. Marcial won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics but failed to medal in Paris. His Olympic ambitions have seen him dip in and out of the professional ranks. Second loss by KO/TKO for American Joseph.
FRISCO, TX, USA: SUPER FLY: JESSE RODRIGUEZ (22-0) W TKO 10 PHUMELELA CAFU (11-1-3). SUPER MIDDLE: DIEGO PACHECO (24-0) W PTS 10 TREVOR MCCUMBY (28-2). MIDDLE: AUSTIN WILLIAMS (19-1) W TKO 9 IVAN VAZQUEZ (11-1-2). SUPER WELTER: OMARI JONES (3-0) W KO 3 ALFREDO BLANCO (24-15).
Rodriguez vs. Cafu
RODRIGUEZ proves too good for inexperienced South African CAFU and stops him in the tenth retaining the WBC title and winning the WBO title from Cafu .Rodriguez started at his usual high pace forcing Cafu onto the back foot with jabs firing hard shots from both hands with Cafu trying to counter. Rodriguez continued his high pressure tactics in the second and third controlling the action with his southpaw jabs. He was constantly on the move and finding the target with right hooks to the body. Cafu fought back hard and had some success but did not have the power to keep Rodriguez out and was struggling with the pace of Rodriguez’s attacks. Cafu fired back well in the fourth scoring with useful counters as Rodriguez piled forward but had to soak up some hard shots late in the round. Rodriguez continued to ramp up the pressure over the middle rounds. He continued to dominate with his jab and Cafu was spending more and more time pinned against the ropes. The seventh and eighth were tough rounds for Cafu. He was too busy fighting off Rodriguez to mount any form of attack and was fading fast. The ninth saw Rodriguez forcing Cafu from corner to corner landing hurtful body punches with Cafu having little left. Body punches had Cafu hurt in the tenth and he went down. It was ruled a slip but it was clear that the brave Cafu had nothing more to offer and Cafu’s corner sensibly waived the white towel. Rodriguez may now look to another unification fight against WBA champion Francisco Martinez but a fight with the returning Roman Gonzalez would be a draw. Cafu deserves credit for going to Japan and beating Kosei Tanaka to win the WBO belt and he can expect to be offered chances to rebuild.
Pacheco vs. McCumby
PACHECO outclasses MCCUMBY and retains the WBC USA and WBO International titles. Pacheco used his longer reach to do what scoring there was in a slow first round. The pattern did not change much in the second as McCumby was having problems getting past Pacheco’s left hand and was lunging in with his attacks generally coming up short. Late in the round when he lunged forward their heads collided and McCumby was cut between his eyes and it looked as though it might become a problem as blood was trickling towards his left eye. Pacheco was content to use his jab to control the fight at distance and McCumby was circling Pacheco but waiting too long to find a gap. There was no sustained action as Pacheco usually followed his jab with one long right not putting together any combinations and McCumby was circling and circling and not putting Pacheco under any pressure. By the half way mark the crowd was already booing the lack of any sustained action. Pacheco did finally apply some pressure in the ninth and McCumby was being hampered by the blood from his cut and had to pass a doctor’s inspection. He was examined again at the start of the last round and also during the last round but with only 20 seconds to go at the time of the second inspection the fight continued. Pacheco won on scores of 119-109 twice and 120-108 but in a fight as poor of this there were no winners.
Williams vs. Vazquez
WILLIAMS wears down and stops VAZQUEZ in the ninth round. Unlike the Pacheco vs. McCumby fight this one had plenty of action. The inexperienced Vazquez had only once been in a fight scheduled for more than six rounds and Williams plan was to attack Vazquez’s body looking to tire him. That worked well in the first and the second although Williams slipped low with a punch in the second that had Vazquez drop to his knees in agony. Williams made a problem for himself in the third as he again landed south of the border and was deducted a point. Williams took the fight to Vazquez in the fourth and clawed back the lost point with some hard work. Vazquez also used plenty of body punches and countered well and Williams was made to fight hard and he flirted with disqualification with another low punch in the seventh. Vazquez had competed well but began to come apart in the eighth and was dropped early in the ninth and the fight was
stopped. Williams was to have faced former IBO champion Etinosa Oliha in an IBF eliminator but Oliha was out due an eye problem and Vazquez , who was to fight in a preliminary on the show, stepped in. Williams lone defeat came in June 2024 when he lost on an eleventh round stoppage against Hamza Sheeraz but he had bounced back with a victory over Patrice Volny in March. Vazquez did more than expected of him but suffers his first loss by KO/TKO.
Jones vs. Blanco
Olympian JONES stops Argentinian BLANCO in the third. Jones put Blanco down in the second and ended the fight with a body punch in the third. The 22-year-old Olympic bronze and World Championship silver medal winner has won all three of his fights by KO/TKO. First inside the distance loss for Blanco.
JULY 18
ORLANDO, FL, USA: HEAVY: GURGEN HOVHANNISYAN (9-0) W TKO 3 CHRIS THOMAS (15-2-1). SUPER BANTAM: ANGEL BARRIENTES (14-1 )W TKO 10 JORGE ROMERO (23-2-1). HEAVY: DRAKE BANKS (10-0) W PTS 8 COLBY MADISON (11-8-3). SUPER WELTER: ALEX BRAY (10-0) W TKO 1 LESTHER ESPINO (9-7). HEAVY: ALEKSEI DRONOV (8-0) W TKO 4 JOEL CAUDLE (9-10-2).
Hovhannisyan vs. Thomas
HOVHANNISYAN stops THOMAS in three rounds to win the vacant WBA Continental belt. This was farcical with the 6’7” Hovhannisyan 8” taller and 38 lbs heavier. He was able to control the fight with those physical edges and had Thomas down in both the first and second rounds without either knockdown being very convincing. When Thomas took a knee after a series of punches in the third the referee stopped the fight. Eighth inside the distance victory for Hovhannisyan but he looks very slow. Thomas was 166 lbs when he turned pro but 246 lbs for this fight.
Barrientes vs. Romero
Hawaiian-born BARRIENTES scores a late stoppage of ROMERO. From the start Barrientes, 5’10” to the 5’4” of Cuban Romero, used his height and longer reach to box on the outside. Romero pressed but could not get close enough often enough over the first four rounds. He had some success over the middle rounds but was shaken by a right in the tenth and Barrientes poured on the punches until the referee stopped the fight. Barrientes, 23, gets his eleventh win in a row and his ninth inside the distance finish. Second defeat in a row for Romero.
Banks vs. Maddison
BANKS beats oldie MADISON on points. Madison, 42, was competitive early but, up against the 6’4”, seventeen years younger Banks, he faded from there and Banks took the unanimous decision on scores of 78-74 twice and 79-73.
Bray vs, Lesther
BRAY disposes of Nicaraguan LESTHER in quick time. A right dropped Lesther early and although he made it to his feet he was badly shaken and the fight was halted. The 6’3” 19-year-old Bray has won eight by KO/TKO. Fourth stoppage loss for Lesther.
Dronov vs. Caudle
After a slow start Russian DRONOV stops CAUDLE in four rounds. Dronov looked a bit robotic in the early rounds just using his 7” height edge and longer reach to pop the obese CAUDLE with jabs. As the rounds progressed Dronov loosened up constantly switching guards and hammering home hooks the unmissable target of Caudle’s body. By the fourth Caudle was just taking punishment and not fighting back and the fight was stopped. Sixth inside the distance win for the 23-year-old 6’5 ½” Russian. He was European Cadet and Youth champion and won gold medals at the World Youth and Olympic Youth championships and Russian Senior championships. The 5’10” Caudle had weighed 301 lbs in his last fight in August and looked about the same weight here.
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA: SUPER FLY NATALY DELGADO (18-7-2) W PS 10 MARIBEL RAMIREZ (15-12-4). WELTER: ALEXIS RIOS (12-3-2) W TKO 10 HARVIN AGUIRRE (15-1). SUPER FEATHER: BRAYAN DE GRACIA (30-4-1) W TKO 2 SAMUEL MORENO (10-6-1). SUPER FEATHER: ORLANDO MARTINEZ (8-0) W RTD 7 NEHOMAR CERMENO W (27-11-1).
Delgado vs. Ramirez
DELGADO becomes the third Panamanian female to win a version of a sanctioning body title (interim WBA) as she outpoints Mexican RAMIREZ. There was drama in the first rounds as Ramirez was cut in a clash of heads. Delgado made a fast start jabbing well but working mainly to the body concerned that if the cut worsened the fight might be stopped and end as a No Decision. Once the fourth round passed Delgado varied her work more easily finding the target with jabs and straight rights. There were plenty of clinches and in one late in the fight Delgado suffered a shoulder injury but boxed her way to a clear win on scores of 100-90 twice and 98-92. Delgado had lost in a fight for the IBF title in 2021 but is 8-0-1 in her last 9 fights. Ramirez is a former WBA champion.
Rios vs. Aguirre
RIOS scores an upset as he stops previously unbeaten AGUIRRE. Over the first few rounds Aguirre looked to building a good lead. He lost a point in the fifth for a low punch and by the sixth was beginning to fade. Rios just got strong and stronger. He floored Aguirre in the ninth and after another knockdown in the tenth the fight was stopped. Rios scores his seventh win in a row. Six of those wins were in prelim bouts and this was his first ten round fight. He collects the WBA Fedecentro and WBC Fecarbox belts. Big set-back for Panamanian-based Nicaraguan Aguirre.
De Gracia vs. Moreno
DE GRACIA much too good for fellow-Panamanian MORENO. De Gracia went straight after Moreno who managed to land some tasty counters but was driven back by jabs and straight rights. More punishment followed in the second and a body punch had Moreno dropping to a knee. He got up reluctantly and after a couple more punches from De Gracia the towel came flying in. De Gracia was 20-0-1 before back-to-back losses to Edward Vazquez and Bruce Carrington. He has 26 wins by KO/TKO. Moreno had lost 4 of his last 5 fights.
Martinez vs. Cermeno
Youth wins out as 26-year-old Panamanian MARTINEZ beats veteran CERMENO on a seventh round retirement to retain the national title. Sixth win by KO/TKO for Martinez. Venezuelan Cermeno, 46, a former holder of the WBA secondary super bantamweight title, is a long-time resident of Panama.
TEMECULA CA, USA: WELTER: LUIS LOPEZ (16-2-4) DREW 10 ADRIAN VARGAS (15-0-2). SUPER WELTER: EMEKA NWOKOLO (16-1) W PTS 10 JOSE SANCHEZ (14-6-1).
Lopez vs. Vargas
VARGAS remains unbeaten with a split draw against LOPEZ. There was plenty of action in this one with fierce exchanges in every round. Vargas was the harder puncher and scored well in the early trading but it was close all the way. Vargas was jumping from six rounds to ten but he paced the fight well. A strong finish from Lopez just seemed enough to give him the win but the judges scored it 99-91 Lopez, 96-94 for Vargas and 95-95. Lopez is becoming a bit of a draw specialist and is 3-0-3 in his last six fights. Vargas had scored six first round wins so going ten rounds will have been useful work. He was inactive for almost nine years before returning with a win last year.
Nwokolo vs. Sanchez
Nigerian-born NWOKOLO retains the WBA-NABA
title as he takes a unanimous decision over substitute SANCHEZ. Nwokolo’s strength and punching power won this one for him. Sanchez boxed well but just could not keep Nwokolo out and found himself forced to the ropes more and more over the closing rounds. Nwokolo looked to have Sanchez in trouble in the ninth but Sanchez survived. Scores 97-93 twice and 95-94 for Nwokolo. Eight wins in a row for Nwokolo and third loss in a row for Sanchez.
JULY 19
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: LIGHT: ALAN CHAVES (20-0) W KO 4 FREDDY FONSECA (32-8-1-1ND).LIGHT FLY: GABRIELA ALANIZ (17-2) W TKO 4 DAIANA ORTIZ (5-4-2).
Chaves vs. Fonseca
CHAVES breaks down and stops Nicaraguan FONSECA in four rounds in a clash of southpaws. The game plan was for Chaves to stick with a body attack to weaken Fonseca and then finish him. He had Fonseca badly hurt in the second and ended it in the fourth with a right that put Fonseca down and out. Now 11 inside the distance wins in his last 12 fights for Chaves who was defending the WBO Latino title for the third time. He is No 4 in the WBO ratings. Second loss by KO/TKO for Fonseca
Alaniz vs. Ortiz
ALANIZ wins the vacant WBC Latino title with a kayo of badly overmatched ORTIZ. Alaniz handed out plenty of punishment over the first three rounds and floored Ortiz with a right to the head in the fourth. Ortiz survived the round but was down again in the fifth from two rights and although Ortiz beat the count the fight was stopped. Alaniz beat Marlen Esparza in April 2024 to win the WBA, WBC and WBO flyweight titles but lost her titles to IBF champion Gabriela Fundora in a unification fight in November.
BARRIE, CANADA: SUPER LIGHT: PEDRO GOMES (13-3) W PTS 10 MARK SMITHER (14-2). SUPER WELTER: SUKHDEEP SINGH BHATTI (20-1) W PTS 8 OWEN O’NEILL (13-2).
Gomes vs. Smither
Import GOMES shocks the locals as he wins a wide unanimous decision over SMITHERS. The Angolan-born Portuguese southpaw overcame the longer reach of Smithers and won on scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 for his fourth victory in a row. After being 12-0 Smithers is now 2-2 in his last two bouts.
Singh Bhatti vs. O’Neill
SINGH BATTI rebounds from his first career loss as he outpoints Belfast’s O’NEILL. Singh Batti won every round on the judge’s cards which read 80-72 across the board. He was coming of a loss to Uisma Lima for the vacant IBO title in December. O’Neill was also coming off a loss having been stopped in just 19 seconds of the first round by Dylan Morgan Belfast in August last year.
HEIDELBERG, GERMANY: SUPER MIDDLE: SIMON ZACHENHUBER (28-0) W PTS 10 PAULINUS NDJOLONIMU (19-1). LIGHT: DEVRIM GOEKDUMAN (13-0) W PTS 10 JAMES CHEREJI (22-6). HEAVY: NELVIE TIAFACK (1-0) W TKO 2 JAKUB SOSINSKI (8-12-1).
Zachenhuber VS. Ndjolonimu
ZACHENHUBER gets a controversial points win over NDJOLONIMU. Ndjolonimu gave Zachenhuber a rough first round. The Nabian connected with some heavy body punches that had Zachenhuber in some distress. Unfortunately the referee decided Ndjolonimu had landed a low punch and promptly deducted a point without any previous warning. Ndjolonimu continued to score well over the first half of the fight and looked to have built a lead. Zachenhuber improved over the second half and benefitted from another point deduction against Ndjolonimu. It looked close but two of the judges scored it 99-92 and 97-91 and the third had it a much more realistic 94-94 and even that seemed generous to Zachenhuber. He is No 12 with the WBO and 37-year-old Ndjolonimu a ridiculous No 4.
Goekduman vs. Chereji
Local boxer GOEKDUMAN wins the vacant IBF European title with a unanimous decision over Romanian CHEREJI. This was another case of a local fighter having to come from behind to preserve his unbeaten record. He had to survive some strong pressure from Chereji in the early rounds but boxed well to recover and although the rounds were close he dropped Chereji in the tenth to widen the scores which came out as 97-92 twice and 96-93. The 25-year-old Goekduman represented Germany at the 2023 World Championships. Chereji had lost to England’s Danny Quartermaine for the IBF super feather title in June last year
Tiafack vs. Sosinski
Yet another heavyweight hope announced his appearance on the scene as TIAFACK stopped Pole SOSINSKI in the second round. Tiafack punished Sosinski in the first and sent the Pole down in the second with a series of hooks to the head. Sosinski got up but after completing the count the referee waived the fight over. Cameroon-born Tiafack won bronze medals at both the European Games and the Paris Olympics. Eleventh loss in a row for Sosinski.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA: CRUISER: ALEKSI EGOROV (13-3) W TKO 2 OBARO ERADAJAYE (20-1). HEAVY: ALEKSEI PAPIN (19-1,1ND) W PTS 10 MILJAN ROVCANIN (29-5). MIDDLE: ISMAT GULIYEV (17-1) W KO 3 ISSA MANYANZA (7-1).
Egorov vs. Eradajaye
EGOROV beats Nigerian ERADAJAYE in three rounds. Eradajaye had scored 19 inside the distance wins but was blown away by Egorov. He survived the first round but was floored three times in the second and the fight was stopped. Egorov lost on points against Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA title in 2022 and was coming off consecutive defeats against Brandon Glanton and Lenar Perez so a much need win and he takes the vacant WBA Continental title. Eradajaye had won 19 fights by KO/TKO but against low level opposition.
Papin vs. Rovcanin
PAPIN outpoints Serb ROVCANIN. Papin spent the whole fight following the retreating Rovcanin around the ring. He rarely managed to bring Rovcanin to trade punches. Rovcanin kept firing straight punches from both hands but even with his much longer reach they mostly short or they were blocked. Papin did what scoring there was. The lone moment of drama came in the sixth when he sent Rovcanin flying into the ropes with a left hook. The ropes held Rovcanin up and he was given a count and resumed his retreat to the final bell. Papin a good winner but, no scores available. Papin, 33, lost to Ilunga Makabu for the WBC Silver title in 2019 but this marked his move up to heavyweight. Rovcanin has lost inside the distance to Agit Kabayel, Jared Anderson and Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Guliyev vs. Manyanza
GULIYEV beats Tanzania MANYANZA in three rounds. Guliyev spent the first round chasing down Manyanza who was permanently on the back foot. Guliyev was able to walk through Manyanza’s week jab and finished the fight in the third. He moved inside and connected with a left hook to the ribs. Manyanza dropped to his knees and was counted out. Azeri Guliyev wins the WBA Asian belt. Manyanza, 39, was having his first fight outside Tanzania.
LAS PALMAS, CANARY ISLANDS: FLY: JOEL SANTOS (8-0-2) W PTS 10 ARAMIS TORRES (10-3-1
SANTOS wins the vacant European Silver title with a split decision over Spain’s TORRES. It was a very close fight and Torres fought hard all the way but the better boxing of Santos giving him the edge. He won on scores of 116-112 and 115-113 to 115-113 for Torres
SHEFFIELD: ENGLAND: FLY: NICOLA HOPEWELL (8-1) W PTR 10 MARIE CONNAN (7-4). SUPER LIGHT: BILLY PICKLES (18-1) W PTRS 10 HUGHIE WILSON (9-2).
Hopewell vs. Connan
HOPEWELL starts slow but then floors and outpoints champion CONNAN to win the IBO title. Connan boxed with skill over the first two rounds with Hopewell taking over from the third. She put Connan down in the sixth but then had to fight hard over four close rounds to take the split verdict. Scores 96-93 and 95-94 for Hopewell and 96-93 for Connan. Hopewell had won the Commonwealth title in October so this is her second major title. French fighter Connan was defending the IBO title for the first time
Pickles vs. Wilson
PICKLES gets his fifth win in a row with a split decision over WILSON . This was a fast-paced close fight all the way as the scores of 97-94 and 96-95 for Pickles and 96-95 for Wilson show. Wilson was going past six rounds for the first time and lasted the pace well.
About the Author
Born in Scotland, Eric Armit started working with Boxing News magazine in the UK in the late 1960’s initially doing records for their Boxing News Annual and compiling World, European and Commonwealth ratings for the magazine. He wrote his first feature article for Boxing News in 1973 and wrote a “World Scene” weekly column for the magazine from the late 1970’s until 2004. Armit wrote a monthly column for Boxing Digest in the USA and contributed pieces to magazines in Mexico, Italy, Australia, Spain, Argentina and other countries. Armit now writes a Weekly Report covering every major fight around the world and a bi-weekly Snips & Snipes column plus occasional general interest articles with these being taken up by boxing sites around the world. He was a member of the inaugural WBC Ratings Committee and a technical advisor to the EBU Ratings Committee and was consulted by John McCain’s research team when they were drafting the Ali Act. He is a Director and former Chairman of the Commonwealth Boxing Council. Armit has been nominated to the International Boxing Hall of Fame the past two years (2019 and 2020) to which he said, “Being on the list is an unbelievably huge honour.”
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