Emanuel Navarrete and Jessie Magdaleno could fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title in October.
Emanuel Navarrete and Jessie Magdaleno could fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title in October.
Top Rank, which handles both fighters, won a purse bid to stage the fight and the sides have agreed to terms. The promotional company is targeting either Oct. 17 or 24 in the MGM Grand bubble in Las Vegas. It would be available on an ESPN platform.
The 126-pound title became vacant when Shakur Stevenson gave it up recently to move up to 130.
Navarrete (31-1, 27 KOs) won the WBO 122-pound title when he outpointed previously unbeaten Isaac Dogboe in December 2018 and then stopped Dogboe in the rematch five months later. He made five successful defenses before moving up to 126.
The Mexican stopped Uriel Lopez in his featherweight debut on June 20 at the MGM Grand.
Magdaleno (28-1, 18 KOs) also is a former junior featherweight titleholder. He lost his belt to Dogboe by 11th-round stoppage in April 2018.
The native of Las Vegas is coming off a disqualification victory over Yenifel Vicente on June 11 in the MGM Grand bubble.
Emanuel Navarrete and Jessie Magdaleno could fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title in October.
Emanuel Navarrete and Jessie Magdaleno could fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title in October.
Top Rank, which handles both fighters, won a purse bid to stage the fight and the sides have agreed to terms. The promotional company is targeting either Oct. 17 or 24 in the MGM Grand bubble in Las Vegas. It would be available on an ESPN platform.
The 126-pound title became vacant when Shakur Stevenson gave it up recently to move up to 130.
Navarrete (31-1, 27 KOs) won the WBO 122-pound title when he outpointed previously unbeaten Isaac Dogboe in December 2018 and then stopped Dogboe in the rematch five months later. He made five successful defenses before moving up to 126.
The Mexican stopped Uriel Lopez in his featherweight debut on June 20 at the MGM Grand.
Magdaleno (28-1, 18 KOs) also is a former junior featherweight titleholder. He lost his belt to Dogboe by 11th-round stoppage in April 2018.
The native of Las Vegas is coming off a disqualification victory over Yenifel Vicente on June 11 in the MGM Grand bubble.
Yenifel Vicente could face disciplinary action for repeated fouls against Jessie Magdaleno on Thursday in Las Vegas.
Yenifel Vicente had a golden opportunity against Jessie Magdaleno on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
The 33-year-old Dominican was at center stage, fighting in the main event on the second post-coronavirus lockdown card in the U.S. on national television. A victory over a big-name opponent like Magdaleno under those circumstances could’ve made him a player at 126 pounds.
What did he do with the opportunity? He punched it in huevos.
Vicente appeared to be thrown off his game the moment he went down in the first round, which signaled to the typically aggressive puncher that he could be hurt by a better fighter if he wasn’t careful.
And it opened the door to what appears to be his willingness to bend the rules, especially when things aren’t going well. A recent example: He lost two points for low blows in his one-sided loss to Tramaine Williams last July in Arlington, Texas.
Jessie Magdaleno lies flat on the canvas after Yenifel Vicente hit him low and then to the head after the referee tried to step between them. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
That might be why he lost control in Round 4 Thursday, first punching Magdaleno below the belt and then delivering a shot to the head as referee Robert Byrd tried to jump between them that sent Magdaleno crashing to the canvas.
As if that wasn’t enough, he went south of the border again later in the same round, did it again in Round 10 and then went there one last time before the final bell, prompting Byrd to DQ him.
The final tally was four point deductions, three for low blows and one for the late punch. That would be a hell of a night’s work if it were a street fight. It wasn’t.
I’m making no judgment whatsoever about Vicente’s character in general. He certainly isn’t the first boxer to play rough. We saw what we saw, though, a boxer who lost his ability to fight fairly – putting Magdaleno in undue danger – in spite of numerous warnings from Byrd.
“I’m sore as hell,” Magdaleno told ESPN on Friday. “I’m telling you, I feel like the lower half of my body has been through a marathon, and it was 10 rounds, and it just felt like a marathon run I’ve been through. And just the whole marathon I’m being hit in my nuts.
“That’s what it felt like.”
Vicente might pay a price beyond the disqualification.
Bob Bennett, the executive director, didn’t return a call from Boxing Junkie immediately but he told ESPN he might recommend punishment, which could be meted out only after a hearing.
“There were several shots below the belt,” Bennett said. “Subsequent, referee Byrd took points and as the executive director I am considering moving forward with a recommendation of a suspension or a letter of reprimand to Vicente.”
Magdaleno would support some sort of disciplinary action.
“I think he should be penalized,” Magdaleno said. “I think he should be penalized for what he did. It was just a foul move that he did. He just couldn’t catch my rhythm. He couldn’t catch my speed or my power so, to me, I think he should be penalized for that. It was uncalled for.”
He went on: “They should suspend him for a while. It’s just, I don’t wish nothing bad upon him but something should happen. They should do something to either suspend him for the rest of the year or take something from his pay.
“It sucks to be in that position. I wouldn’t want any fighter to go through that. It does suck, and it does bring a lot of wear and tear on you.”
I wonder also wonder about his long term future in the sport.
If I were a promoter or television executive, I would think twice before featuring Vicente again. He doesn’t have a big enough name to be missed, as harsh as that sounds. Bottom line: We might’ve seen the last of him on TV.
Jessie Magdaleno emerged victorious over Yenifel Vicente to remain in line for a title shot but left fans wanting more from him.
Let’s not be too hard on Jessie Magdaleno.
The former 122-pound champ did what he came to do Thursday in Las Vegas, win a fight to remain in title contention at 126. And he did it under difficult circumstances, as opponent Yenifel Vicente had little regard for the rules.
Three official low blows and a late punch that rendered Magdaleno temporarily incapacitated – which resulted in a 10th-round disqualification – is a lot to overcome.
And, in my opinion, Magdaleno would’ve deserved a wide decision victory had Vicente not been DQ’d for one last, inexplicable low blow in the final round. That’s how two judges saw it, too. Max DeLuca and Patricia Morse Jarman both scored it 87-79. I had it 88-78.
Dave Moretti somehow scored it 85-81 for Magdaleno, actually giving Vicente five of the nine rounds that were scored. Magdaleno won on his card only because of three point reductions and the winner’s two knockdowns.
I don’t agree with Moretti’s scoring but I understand it, which leads me to my main point here.
Magdaleno landed a total of 64 punches in the fight, according to CompuBox. Yes, you read that correctly. That would be an average of 6.4 per round over 10 rounds. And, as we know, he and Vicente (54 punches landed) fought only 9½.
That paltry output was largely the result of Magdaleno’s unwillingness to take chances, to kick it up a notch, to seize control of the fight as one would expect a star fighter to do. Instead, he waited to counter punch … and waited and waited. The result was boring fight (aside from all the fouls) and the opportunity for Vicente to be at least somewhat competitive.
Many fans undoubtedly were as disappointed with Magdaleno’s performance as they were disgusted by Vicente’s.
Again, Magdaleno got the job done. He even showed flashes of the kind of fighter he can be, landing quick, accurate punches here and there. His two knockdowns were good examples of that. He certainly did nothing that should deny him the opportunity to fight for a title in a second division, which has been his stated goal.
Magdaleno (28-1, 18 KOs) is the No. 1 challenger to Gary Russell Jr.’s featherweight title and No. 4 to Shakur Stevenson’s 126-pound belt. At some point soon he’ll probably get one of those fights.
However, the fighter who defeated future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire by a clear unanimous decision to win his 122-pound title certainly has even bigger objectives. He’d like to be a significant figure in the sport, like Donaire, not only one in a glut of beltholders.
He didn’t fight as if he had that in mind on Thursday. He played it safe, too safe. He waited, he countered, he sometimes clinched when Vicente got close to him, when he should’ve said to himself, “I’m better than this guy, much better, and I’m going to demonstrate that by kicking his fouling ass.”
Instead, Magdaleno was content to win. And that only goes so far.
Jessie Magdaleno defeated Yenifel Vicente by a 10th-round disqualification Tuesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Boring. Strange. Ugly. A disqualification. The second main event in boxing’s comeback was the sport at its worst.
Jessie Magdaleno, the former 122-pound titleholder, outclassed Yenifel “Foul-a-minute” Vicente for the entire featherweight fight in an empty MGM Grand ballroom Thursday night in Las Vegas but was too passive for those hoping for some action.
Vicente? He was nothing short of a villain. The fact he lost by disqualification at 1:38 of the 10th and final round couldn’t have been more appropriate.
Magdaleno (28-1, 18 KOs) put Vicente (36-5-2, 28 KOs) down with a right hook about two minutes into the fight, which signaled to the typically aggressive Dominican that he might want to be careful.
The result was yawner of fight in which both participants posed more than they punched, waiting for openings that didn’t come often enough to keep those watching at home awake. Magdaleno did enough to win rounds, at least on two cards, but he didn’t look like the star he hopes to be.
Meanwhile, Vicente, known for flouting rules, turned a mundane fight into a profoundly ugly one.
The worst came in Round 4. About halfway through the round, Vicente landed a hard right hand below the belt. Magdaleno, clearly in pain, winced, reached down to his crotch and turned to his side as referee Robert Byrd said “stop” and rushed to come between them.
However, just as Byrd was arriving, Vicente landed a right to side of Magdaleno’s head and put him down on his face. He didn’t move for several moments, which raised immediate concerns that the fight would end this way.
Finally, after Magdaleno took most of the allotted five minutes to recover, Bryd took two points from Vicente and the fight resumed, settling back into a mostly uneventful waiting game that produced almost no further drama until Vicente landed another low blow, for which he lost another point.
Vicente went down again from a short right hook in Round 5, the only interesting moment until the final round.
In Round 10, Vicente, obviously desperate, landed his third low blow seconds after the bell to open the stanza. He lost yet another point. And, finally, about a minute and a half before the end of the fight, Vicente strayed low one last time.
And that was it. Byrd, at his wits end, ended the debacle and awarded Magdaleno a DQ victory.
The final tally reveals that Vicente lost four points because of fouls, the result of the three knockdowns and the late punch. And he was on the wrong end of two 10-8 rounds because of the knockdowns.
Thus, Magdaleno led by nine points on two cards – only by four on the third, somehow – and was on his way to a one-sided decision victory.
“He knew what he was doing,” Magdaleno said of Vicente’s dirty tactics. “His way [was] to get me low. Tough guy. But I wasn’t going to let him get in my head. I kept my composure, got the win and move on to the next one.”
Magdaleno is the No. 1 challenger for Gary Russell Jr.’s featherweight title. It’s not clear when that fight might happen but it’s Magdaleno’s goal to get the quick-handed former Olympian into the ring.
“Gary Russell, I’m coming for you,” he said. “But like I’ve said before, I want any of the champions at 126 pounds. I want to be a two-division world champion. Simple as that.”
The rest of us never want to see Vicente fight again.
Adam Lopez (right) and Louie Coria opened the show with a war. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
In preliminaries, Adam Lopez defeated Louie Coria by a majority decision in a fast-paced, entertaining 10-round featherweight fight.
Coria opened the fight on fire, pounding Lopez on the inside in the first two rounds. Then, beginning in Round 3, Lopez, the better boxer, began to move and unleash his quick jab – followed by hard rights –with consistency to take control of the fight.
Coria (12-3, 7 KOs) continued to attack from Rounds 3 to 8 but could neither get past the jab nor get Lopez (14-2, 6 KOs) to stand in front of him long enough to land enough punches to win rounds.
Then, in Round 9, a seemingly weary Lopez stopped moving as he had been and the fight reverted to a brawl. That favored Coria, who did well in the final two rounds. However, in the end it wasn’t enough.
Afterward, Lopez, both eyes almost swollen shut, called it “my toughest fight.”
Afterward, Lopez, both eyes almost swollen shut, acknowledged that Coria gave him all he could handle.
“That was my toughest fight to date,” he said. “I used to say my fight with Jean Carlos Rivera was my toughest fight, but this one was definitely my toughest fight. He was relentless. I hurt my hand hitting him that many times with my jab.
“Listen, I want to fight anyone Top Rank puts in front of me. This was a great, close fight, and I have the utmost respect for Louie Coria.”
Lopez, the son of the late 1984 Olympic silver medalist Hector Lopez, earned respect in his last fight by putting talented 130-pounder Oscar Valdez down before being stopped in Round 7 even though he took the fight on one day’s notice.
Gabriel Muratalla (3-0, 3 KOs) stopped Fernando Robles (2-3, 0 KOs) 2:33 into a scheduled four-round bantamweight bout.
Muratalla, a pre-school teacher near Los Angeles by day and fighter by night, punctuated a flurry of punches with a hard right to the side of Robles head and hit the canvas, where he stayed. Referee Robert Bryd determined he couldn’t continue and waved off the fight.
Jessie Magdaleno will begin his climb back into title contention when he faces Yenifel Vicente on Top Rank’s second card this week.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on DAZN.com.
***
Former 122-pound champion Jessie Magdaleno will begin his climb into title contention at 126 when he faces Yenifel Vicente in the main event of Top Rank’s second card this week as the sport returns from the coronavirus shut down.
In the U.S., ESPN and ESPN Deportes will broadcast the five-fight card on Thursday, June 11 at the MGM Grand Conference Center Grand Ballroom in Las Vegas.
Magdaleno (27-1, 18 KOs) was originally slated to fight on March 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York before COVID-19 struck. He’s aiming to win his third fight in a row since dropping his title to Isaac Dogboe by an11th-round TKO in April 2018. Vicente (36-4-2, 28 KOs) has won 11 of his past 12 fights.
Jessie Magdaleno vs. Yenifel Vicente fight date and time
Date: Thursday, June 11
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
The five-fight card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET. Magdaleno and Vicente are expected to take their ring walks about 9:30 p.m., although the exact time depends on the length of the earlier fights.
Magdaleno vs. Vicente TV channel and live stream: How to watch the fight
In the U.S., the Magdaleno vs. Vicente card will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The start time is 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Where is the Magdaleno vs. Vicente fight?
Magdaleno vs. Vicente will take place at the MGM Grand Conference Center Grand Ballroom in Las Vegas. No fans will be in attendance because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Magdaleno vs. Vicente betting odds
According to FanDuel, Magdaleno is a favorite at -800, meaning you’d have to bet $800 to win $100. Vicente is a +500 underdog, meaning if you’d bet $100, you would net $500.
Jessie Magdaleno record and bio
Name: Jessie Magdaleno
Nationality: American
Born: Nov. 8, 1991
Height: 5-4 (162.6 cm)
Weight: 122 pounds (55.3 kg)
Reach: 66 inches (167.6 cm)
Total fights: 28
Record: 27-1 (18 KOs)
Yenifel Vicente record and bio
Name: Yenifel Vicente
Nationality: Dominican
Born: June 26, 1986
Height: 5-5 (165.1 cm)
Weight: 122 pounds (55.3 kg)
Reach: 66 inches (167.6 cm)
Total fights: 43
Record: 36-4-2 (28 KOs) (1 No Contest)
Magdaleno vs. Vicente fight card
Jessie Magdaleno vs. Yenifel Vicente, featherweight (10 rounds)
Adam Lopez vs. Louie Coria, featherweight (10 rounds)
Bryan Lua vs. Dan Murray, lightweight (6 rounds)
Gabriel Muratalla vs. Fernando Robles, bantamweight (4 rounds)
Eric Mondragon vs. Mike Sanchez, lightweight (4-6 rounds)
Jessie Magdaleno, the former 122-pound titleholder, will face Miami-based Dominican Yenifel Vicente in a 10-rounder Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Next up: Jessie Magdaleno.
Boxing is back, as we saw Tuesday night when Shakur Stevenson knocked out Felix Caraballo in the sixth round in an empty MGM Grand ballroom in Las Vegas. Now it’s on to the second in Top Rank’s series of small cards, which takes place Thursday night on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
Magdaleno, the former junior featherweight titleholder, will face Miami-based Dominican Yenifel Vicente in a 10-rounder at a catch weight of 128 pounds. Magdaleno weighed in at 127.9 Monday, Vicente at 126.5.
Magdaleno (27-1, 18 KOs) was an accomplished amateur whose boxer-puncher style translated well to the professional ranks. He demonstrated that when he defeated Nonito Donaire by a wide decision to win his belt in November 2016.
The Las Vegan successfully defended once, stopping Adeilson Dos Santos, but then ran into trouble against a 5-foot-4 Ghanaian in April 2018. Isaac Dogboe put Magdaleno down three times and scored an 11th-round knockout to win the title.
Magdaleno bounced back with two victories at featherweight, where he figures to seek a second world title.
Vicente (36-4-2, 28 KOs) is a natural 122-pounder who is a fringe contender at best, which means we might see a fight that is as one-sided as Stevenson-Caraballo.
Here are the other fights on the card, including weights:
Adam Lopez (125.8) vs. Louie Coria (124.7), 10 rounds, featherweights; Eric Mondragon (133) vs. Mike Sanchez (132.3), four rounds, lightweights; and Gabriel Muratallo (118.3) vs. Fernando Robles (118), four rounds, bantamweights.
Lopez, based out of Glendale, California, was competitive with Oscar Valdez before he was stopped in seven rounds this past November.
Top Rank has released its schedule for June, when boxing will resume after months of inactivity because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The lineup is set for June.
Top Rank has released its schedule for the coming month, when boxing will resume after months of inactivity because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Six events – without spectators — are planned for June, beginning on the 9th.
The cards, most of which set for Las Vegas, will be televised on ESPN.
All but one card will take place on Tuesdays and Thursday. The exceptional card, featuring Emanuel Navarrete, is set for Saturday, June 20, in Mexico City.
“This is a sensible way to push ahead,” Arum told ESPN. “Hopefully the fights will be good — I know they will be — but you’ve got to make sure all the procedures are safe and so forth. Hopefully what we’re doing will serve as a template for other promoters to put on shows.”
He went on: “Hopefully, we will have demonstrated to the authorities, based on these Nevada protocols, that they work.”
Featherweight titleholder Shakur Steveson will headline the first card in a non-title fight against Felix Caraballo.
Here is the complete June lineup of featured fights:
June 9 – Shakur Stevenson (13-0, 7 KOs) vs Felix Caraballo (13-1-2, 9 KOs); Mikaela Mayer (12-0, 5 KOs) vs Helen Joseph (17-4-2, 10 KOs).
June 11 – Jessie Magdaleno (27-1, 18 KOs) vs Yenifel Vicente (36-4-2, 28 KOs); Adam Lopez (13-2, 6 KOs) vs Luis Coria (12-2, 7 KOs).
June 16 – Joshua Greer Jr. (22-1-1, 12 KOs) vs Mike Plania (23-1, 12 KOs); Giovanni Santillan (25-0, 15 KOs) vs Antonio Demarco (33-8-1, 24 KOs).
June 18 – Jose Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs) vs Mikkel LesPierre (22-1-1, 10 KOs); Gabe Flores Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) vs Josec Ruiz (21-2-3, 14 KOs).
June 20 – Emanuel Navarete (31-1, 27 KOs) vs Uriel Lopez (13-13-1, 6 KOs).
June 23 – Andrew Moloney (21-0, 14 KOs) vs Joshua Franco (16-1-2, 8 KOs); Christopher Diaz (25-2, 16 KOs) and Jason Sanchez (15-1, 8 KOs).
The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday approved Top Rank cards scheduled for June 9 and June 11.
Boxing in Nevada is a go.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday approved Top Rank cards scheduled for June 9 and June 11, as well as UFC events on May 30 and June 6, according to reports. The shows will be staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas without spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Both boxing shows will air on ESPN.
“I’ve been working with the executives from Top Rank,” said Bob Bennett, the NSAC’s executive director. “I’ve reviewed their operations plan. They’re still in the process of completing it. It’s very comprehensive. We’re moving in the right direction.
“I’m pleased to see that we are all working in concert with a closed-system event, and I expect it to be very successful.”
Featherweight beltholder Shakur Stevenson (13-0, 7 KOs) will be the headliner on June 9, the first boxing card in the U.S. since mid-March. He reportedly will face Felix Caballaro (13-1-2, 9 KOs) of Puerto Rico in a 130-pound non-title fight, although the matchup hasn’t been finalized.
On June 11, according to BoxingScene.com, former junior bantamweight titleholder Jessie Magdaleno (27-1, 18 KOs) is expected to face Yenifel Vicente (36-4-2, 28 KOs) of the Dominican Republic at 128 pounds.
The NSAC will rule later on proposed boxing cards for June 16, June 18, June 23, June 25 and June 30.
The UFC events will take place at its Apex facility in Las Vegas. UFC staged the first post-lockdown combat sports event – UFC 249 – in the U.S. on May 9 in Florida.
“We’ve been working hand in glove with the UFC,” Bennett told Yahoo Sports. “I’m aware of their operations plan and everything has been moving ahead (in accordance) with their operation plan and our protocols.”
Former titleholders Jessie Magdaleno and Jose Pedraza are scheduled to fight on separate cards in June.
Former titleholder Jessie Magdaleno and Jose Pedraza reportedly will headline cards in June as boxing – without spectators – gears up for its return, according to BoxingScene.com.
Top Rank has plans in place to kick off a series of cards June 9, with featherweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson scheduled for the main event. Stevenson will face Rafael Rivera in a non-title fight. The card will take place at an MGM property in Las Vegas, most likely the MGM Grand, the website reported.
Magdaleno and Pedraza are slated to fight on June 11 and June 18, respectively.
Magdaleno, a former junior featherweight titleholder, will face Yenifel Vicente in a bout contracted at 128 pounds. Pedraza, who held titles at junior lightweight and lightweight, will face Mikkel LesPierre at 141 pounds.
All three cards will air on an ESPN platform.
Magdaleno has won two consecutive fights since he lost his title to Issac Dogboe in April 2018. Pedraza is coming off a decision loss to Jose Zepeda in September.
Top Rank also has cards scheduled for June 16 and June 25, according to the report.
