Yordenis Ugas – Page 6 – Syndication Server

Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas, Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano II highlight Showtime/PBC schedule

Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas and Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano II highlight the Showtime/PBC spring and summer schedule.

Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions announced its spring and summer schedule today.

It features nine events spread over five months, including two title-unification main events and 21 undefeated fighters.

Here are the nine cards:

Tim Tszyu vs. Terrell Gausha
Date: March 26 / Minneapolis
Division: Junior middleweight
At stake: No major titles
Background: Tszyu, the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, will be making his U.S. debut against the 2012 U.S Olympian in a battle of junior middleweight contenders. Tszyu (20-0, 15 KOs) is on the cusp of becoming a star. Gausha (22-2-1, 11 KOs), who has fallen short in his biggest fights, is in a do-or-die situation.
Also fighting: Michel Rivera vs. Joseph Adorno, lightweights; Elvis Rodriguez vs. Juan Jose Velasco, junior welterweight (142 pounds).

Erickson Lubin vs. Sebastian Fundora
Date / location: April 9 / Las Vegas
Division: Junior middleweight
At stake: No major titles
Background: Lubin (24-1, 17 KOs) has surged back to prominence by winning six in a row since he was stopped by Jermell Charlo in 2017. Fundora (18-0-1, 12 KOs), a 6-foot-6 154-pounder who loves to fight inside, faces his biggest test in this fight. The winner should fight for a title next.
Also fighting: Tony Harrison vs. Sergio Garcia, junior middleweights; Kevin Salgado vs. Bryant Perrella, junior middleweights.

Errol Spence Jr. vs. Yordenis Ugas
Date / location: April 16 / Arlington, Texas
At stake: Spence’s IBF and WBC, and Ugas’ WBA titles
Background: This matchup with unify three of the four major 147-pound titles. Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) bounced back from his car accident to outpoint Danny Garcia in December 2020 only to then suffer a detached retina. He says he’s 100% now. Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) retired Manny Pacquiao by decision last August.
Also fighting: Radzhab Butaev vs. Eimantas Stanionis, welterweights; Brandun Lee vs. Zachary Ochoa, junior welterweights.

Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano II
Date / location: May 14 / Los Angeles
Division: Junior middleweight
At stake: Charlo’s IBF, WBA and WBC, and Castano’s WBO titles
Background: Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs) and Castano (17-0-2, 12 KOs) will be attending to unfinished business after fighting to a spirited draw this past July in San Antonio. Most observers see this as a 50-50 fight between arguably the two best 154-pounders, which is appropriate because it’s for the undisputed championship.
Also fighting: Jaron Ennis vs. Custio Clayton, welterweights.

David Benavidez vs. David Lemieux
Date / location: May 21 / Phoenix
Division: Super middleweight
At stake: No major titles
Background: Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs), a two-time titleholder, will be a significant favorite in this battle between two of the biggest punchers pound-for-pound in the sport. They have a combined 58 knockouts in 68 victories. Lemieux (43-4, 36 KOs) will be fighting to remain an elite fighter.
Also fighting: Yoelvis Gomez vs. Jorge Cota, junior middleweight.

Gervonta Davis vs. Rolando Romero
Date / location: May 28 / Brooklyn, New York
Division: Lightweight
At stake: No major titles
Background: Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) was supposed to have fought Romero (14-0, 12 KOs) last December but was pulled from the card amid sexual assault allegations, for which he ultimately wasn’t charged. Davis survived a scare in a close decision over Romero’s replacement Isaac Cruz. Romero KO’d Anthony Yigit in July.

Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Danny Roman
Date / location:
Division: Junior lightweight
At stake: Fulton’s WBC and WBO titles
Background: This is a matchup of two outstanding technicians. Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) eked out a majority decision over brawler Brandon Figueroa in November. Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs) bounced back from a disputed split-decision loss to titleholder Murodjon Akhmadalive by outpointing Juan Carlos Payano and Ricardo Espinoza Franco.
Also fighting: David Morrell vs. Kalvin Henderson, super middleweights.

Jermall Charlo vs. Maciej Sulecki
Date / location: June 18 / Houston
Division: Middleweight
At stake: Charlo’s WBC title
Background: Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) was in talks to face Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia but neither fight materialized, leaving him with Sulecki (30-2, 11 KOs). Charlo is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Juan Macias Montiel in June. Sulecki, a Pole, has won twice since he was shutout by Demetrius Andrade in 2019.

Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas
Date / location: July 9 / San Antonio
Division: Featherweight
At stake: Magsayo’s WBC title
Background: Magsayo (24-0, 16 KOs) won his belt by defeating long-reigning champion Gary Russell Jr. by a majority decision in January. Vargas (35-0, 22 KOs) is a former junior featherweight titleholder who will be fighting for his first 126-pound title.

Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas, Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano II highlight Showtime/PBC schedule

Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas and Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano II highlight the Showtime/PBC spring and summer schedule.

Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions announced its spring and summer schedule today.

It features nine events spread over five months, including two title-unification main events and 21 undefeated fighters.

Here are the nine cards:

Jamal James determined to take next step in career

Welterweight contender Jamal James is determined to take the next step in his career.

Welterweight contender Jamal James has recorded some important victories the past few years, including a decision over Thomas Dulorme that earned him a secondary WBA title in August of last year.

Now he wants to take the next step.

The Minneapolis fighter is scheduled to face Radzhab Butaev on Oct. 30 in Las Vegas (Showtime). He hopes to build on his momentum by turning in an impressive performance against his Russian opponent on national television.

“I’m looking to make a big statement in this fight,” James said. “This will be my first title defense and my first time fighting on Showtime and in Las Vegas. My whole mindset is to come out and show out, so that everyone knows I’m a major player in this division.

“I have to prove to everyone why I deserve the biggest fights.”

He might bet his wish sooner rather than later. The WBA has ordered its 147-pound champion, Yordenis Ugas, to defend against No. 1-ranked Eimantas Stanionis. The winners of the James-Butaev and Ugas-Stanionis fights would then face one another.

James (27-1, 12 KOs) in 2016 lost a decision to Ugas, who outpointed Manny Pacquiao in August. He has won seven consecutive fights since.

“I’d like the rematch with Ugas coming off his big win against Pacquiao,” James said. “He’s fought the top guys, and I’ve fought him before, but it was under less-than-ideal circumstances. I’d like to see what a fight between us would look like after both of us have had a full camp.

“I haven’t been able to get anyone like Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia or Shawn Porter yet, and those are the biggest fights in the division. I’d love to face one of those guys that are already considered the best at welterweight so that I can really prove myself.”

Of course, he must get past Butaev (13-0, 10 KOs) first. The Brooklyn-based fighter reportedly had 400 amateur fights, which gives him a solid technical foundation.

Butaev lost a unanimous decision to countryman Alexander Besputin in November 2019 but the result was later ruled a no-contest after Besputin tested positive for a banned substance.

James has known since Butaev stopped Terry Chatwood last December that he would probably face the Russian next.

“We’ve known that Butaev is the opponent for a while, so we’ve been training for a long time and I’ve been in great shape all camp,” James said. “We’re just working on our different tools and perfecting them for the fight ahead.

“We know that everyone is coming for us since I have the title now, so I’m just doing whatever I have to do so that I’m ready on October 30.”

Jamal James determined to take next step in career

Welterweight contender Jamal James is determined to take the next step in his career.

Welterweight contender Jamal James has recorded some important victories the past few years, including a decision over Thomas Dulorme that earned him a secondary WBA title in August of last year.

Now he wants to take the next step.

“I have to prove to everyone why I deserve the biggest fights.”

James (27-1, 12 KOs) in 2016 lost a decision to Ugas, who outpointed Manny Pacquiao in August. He has won seven consecutive fights since.

Of course, he must get past Butaev (13-0, 10 KOs) first. The Brooklyn-based fighter reportedly had 400 amateur fights, which gives him a solid technical foundation.

Butaev lost a unanimous decision to countryman Alexander Besputin in November 2019 but the result was later ruled a no-contest after Besputin tested positive for a banned substance.

James has known since Butaev stopped Terry Chatwood last December that he would probably face the Russian next.

“We know that everyone is coming for us since I have the title now, so I’m just doing whatever I have to do so that I’m ready on October 30.”

Good, bad, worse: Manny Pacquiao made right decision, Olympic scandal

Good, bad, worse: Manny Pacquiao made right decision, Olympic scandal.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Manny Pacquiao’s decision to retire early last week is both good and bad.

The announcement was good because it’s time for the 42-year-old to step away. He looked solid in his unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in August but he can no longer fight to the standards he established for himself. And he will not have taken a beating on his way out the door, which has been the fate of so many other great fighters.

The Filipino icon’s retirement is bad because we’ll never seen him fight again. I don’t know whether another fighter in my lifetime has provided fans with more thrills, including legends like Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and others of that ilk.

That’s how it works, though. Fighters are human. They get old and move on to the next chapter in their lives, which is politics in Pacquiao’s case.

I’m grateful that Pacquiao wasn’t forced to retire as the result of a horrible beating, the kind he delivered against Oscar De La Hoya in 2008. It doesn’t matter how good you were at your best. If you stick around too long, you get burned. I always think of Muhammad Ali and Leonard as the best examples but there are many others.

I wish all fighters could go out like Carl Froch, who knocked out rival George Groves in front of 80,000 wild fans at Wembley Stadium and never fought again. It was the ultimate mic-drop retirement.

However, Pacquiao did well. He earned a decision over then-unbeaten Keith Thurman to add one final world title to his massive collection in July 2019 and then gave a credible performance against Ugas, who won clearly but had to work hard to do so.

Thank goodness Pacquiao recognized that it made no sense to tempt fate any further. He made the right decision at the right time. Now let’s hope he doesn’t make the mistake of coming back one day.

***

BAD

Pacquiao arguably accomplished more than any other fighter of his generation. Victories over a long list of current or future Hall of Famers. Titles in eight divisions. Elite status for more than two decades. The list is long.

I have only one regret for him: He didn’t fight Floyd Mayweather when they were closer to their peaks.

I would never have picked Pacquiao to beat Mayweather, who was simply the better fighter. Anyone who has Pacquiao higher than Mayweather on all-time pound-for-pound lists is placing too much emphasis on volume of victories and not enough on what we know were their abilities.

Mayweather defeated Pacquiao handily in 2015, after about five years of frustrating dickering. However, the result doesn’t mean much to me. Mayweather was 38, Pacquiao 36. The event had the feel of a baseball old timer’s game even though the principals were still excellent fighters.

The fight should’ve happened around 2010, when Pacquiao was a tick quicker than he was in 2015 and threw more punches. I would’ve picked Mayweather to win because of his superior boxing skills but the younger version of Pacquiao might’ve had a chance.

Of course, the legacies of both fighters are strong as it is. They’re considered all-time greats.

However, a victory by Mayweather in 2010 would’ve carried more weight than his unanimous decision in 2015 does. And Pacquiao, with a win over Mayweather, could’ve legitimately claimed to be the best of the past generation.

The fact the fight didn’t happen earlier than it did is one of those what-ifs in boxing that I will bemoan as long as I live.

***

WORSE

News item: An investigation has determined that boxing bouts in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were fixed by “complicit and compliant” referees and judges.

That’s per The Associated Press, which reported that as many as 11 bouts might’ve been affected by the scandal. McLaren cited a specific case in which a Kazakhstani referee allegedly asked for around $250,000 to ensure a Mongolian boxer defeated his French counterpart. No bribe was paid.

McLaren couldn’t determine who orchestrated the match-fixing scheme but cited a “culture of fear, intimidation and obedience in the ranks of the referees and judges,” The AP reported. It wasn’t clear which bouts were affected. And there was no indication that results would be changed in light of the findings.

“Key personnel decided that the rules did not apply to them,” McLaren said.

McLaren was hired by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), which was in charge of boxing in 2016 Games but suspended before the Tokyo Olympics this past summer. The competition was conducted by a committee put together by gymnastics officials.

AIBA is now run by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, who told The AP that the system of officiating and scoring amateur fights has been overhauled.

I hope Kremlev proves to be a competent, clean caretaker and that the investigation puts some distance between the current version of amateur boxing and its unsavory past.

It might be too late as it applies to the Olympics, though: The IOC reportedly hasn’t decided or won’t say whether boxing will be a part of the 2024 Games in Paris.

Good, bad, worse: Manny Pacquiao made right decision, Olympic scandal

Good, bad, worse: Manny Pacquiao made right decision, Olympic scandal.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Manny Pacquiao’s decision to retire early last week is both good and bad.

That’s how it works, though. Fighters are human. They get old and move on to the next chapter in their lives, which is politics in Pacquiao’s case.

I wish all fighters could go out like Carl Froch, who knocked out rival George Groves in front of 80,000 wild fans at Wembley Stadium and never fought again. It was the ultimate mic-drop retirement.

***

BAD

I have only one regret for him: He didn’t fight Floyd Mayweather when they were closer to their peaks.

Of course, the legacies of both fighters are strong as it is. They’re considered all-time greats.

The fact the fight didn’t happen earlier than it did is one of those what-ifs in boxing that I will bemoan as long as I live.

***

WORSE

News item: An investigation has determined that boxing bouts in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were fixed by “complicit and compliant” referees and judges.

“Key personnel decided that the rules did not apply to them,” McLaren said.

AIBA is now run by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, who told The AP that the system of officiating and scoring amateur fights has been overhauled.

I hope Kremlev proves to be a competent, clean caretaker and that the investigation puts some distance between the current version of amateur boxing and its unsavory past.

It might be too late as it applies to the Olympics, though: The IOC reportedly hasn’t decided or won’t say whether boxing will be a part of the 2024 Games in Paris.

Manny Pacquiao says it’s time to walk away but …

Manny Pacquiao seems to be inching toward retirement.

Has Manny Pacquiao retired?

The 42-year-old Filipino icon seemed to indicate conclusively on the Tony Talks podcast that he has fought for the last time, saying, “My boxing career is already over. It’s done because I’ve been in boxing for a long time and my family says that it is enough.”

That would make sense given his age, a so-so performance in a unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas last month and the recent announcement that the senator has accepted his party’s nomination to run for president of the Philippines next year.

Everything seems to be pointing toward retirement.

However, MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons told Yahoo Sports that the eight-division titleholder hasn’t made a final decision on whether he’ll fight again.

“The Senator is a presidential candidate and has made no decision on boxing career yet,” Gibbons said. “He will in the next few weeks will make a final decision whether to have one more or retire.”

Also, Pacquiao, obviously disappointed with his performance against Ugas, had earlier expressed interest in a rematch.

Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) burst onto the international scene when he upset Lehlo Ledwaba by a sixth-round knockout to win a 122-pound title in his U.S. debut. Over the next two decades, he became an all-time great and arguably the most-beloved fighter of his era.

He might be remembered best for his series against the great Mexican trio of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez – against whom he finished 6-2-1 – but also defeated Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Tim Bradley and Keith Thurman (when he was 40).

His biggest fight was his 2015 meeting with Floyd Mayweather, who won a unanimous decision to underscore the prevailing wisdom that Mayweather was the best of the era.

Manny Pacquiao says it’s time to walk away but …

Manny Pacquiao seems to be inching toward retirement.

Has Manny Pacquiao retired?

Everything seems to be pointing toward retirement.

However, MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons told Yahoo Sports that the eight-division titleholder hasn’t made a final decision on whether he’ll fight again.

Also, Pacquiao, obviously disappointed with his performance against Ugas, had earlier expressed interest in a rematch.

His biggest fight was his 2015 meeting with Floyd Mayweather, who won a unanimous decision to underscore the prevailing wisdom that Mayweather was the best of the era.

Pound-for-pound: Manny Pacquiao falls off Boxing Junkie’s list

Pound-for-pound: Manny Pacquiao falls off Boxing Junkie’s list after his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas on Saturday.

Manny Pacquaio has fallen out of Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound rankings. And based on what we saw against Yordenis Ugas on Saturday, it seems unlikely that he’ll climb back onto the list.

Ugas, the crafty Miami-based Cuban, outboxed the Filipino legend to win a clear unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, 42, was coming off a stunning split-decision victory over Keith Thurman in July 2019, which was more than two years ago. He was competitive and fought with passion against Ugas but more than ever he looked his age.

Thus, Pacquiao, ranked No. 15 going into the fight, drops off the list. And he’s replaced by Ugas, who enters as an Honorable Mention. Ugas is currently on a 12-1 run against mostly good opposition, the only loss being a disputed decision against Shawn Porter.

As a result of the aforementioned moves, Gervonta Davis rises from Honorable Mention to No. 15.

Here is where the pound-for-pounders stand.

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
Canelo Alvarez – Scheduled to fight Caleb Plant to unify all four major 168-pound titles on Nov. 6.
Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to challenge heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua on Sept. 25 in London.
Teofimo Lopez – In talks to defend his undisputed lightweight championship against George Kambosos on Oct. 5.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – In talks to fight Richard Commey on Dec. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Tyson Fury – Scheduled to defend the WBC heavyweight title against Deontay Wilder on July 24 in Las Vegas.
Juan Francisco Estrada – In talks to defend his WBA and WBA junior bantamweight titles in what would be a third fight against Roman Gonzalez on Oct. 16.
Gennadiy Golovkin – In talks to fight Ryota Murata in a middleweight title-unification fight on Dec. 28 in Tokyo.
Mikey Garcia – Reportedly targeting a Sept. 18 return to the ring. No opponent has been announced.
Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
Josh Taylor – Tentatively scheduled to defend his undisputed junior welterweight championship against mandatory challenger Jack Catterall on Dec. 18 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Artur Beterbiev – The light heavyweight titleholder has been ordered to defend against Marcus Browne but talks are in the early stages.
Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Mairis Briedis (reportedly in talks to fight Michal Cieslak next month), Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled), Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (Sor Rungvisai is expected to meet Carlos Cuadras as part of a junior bantamweight tournament but nothing is official), Yordenis Ugas (no fight scheduled) and Oscar Valdez (scheduled to fight Robson Conceicao on Sept. 10).

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