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Manny Pacquiao Beats Adrien Broner in Las Vegas Return

LAS VEGAS-After a slow start the Manny Pacquiao train picked up steam and might have jump started the flooded welterweight division while retaining the WBA world title on Saturday.
Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs) made his debut for Premier Boxing Champions with a decisive win over Adrien Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) before a crowd of 13,025 mostly partisan fans at the MGM Grand.
It was the Filipino superstar’s first fight in Las Vegas since November 2016 when he defeated Jessie Vargas. Once again he showed what separates him from other top welterweights.
Pacquiao had problems fighting Broner’s style at first. It’s the same counter-punching method used by Broner’s mentor Floyd Mayweather and it proved effective during the first half of the fight. But the Filipino southpaw slowly found the antidote.
Broner’s lead right cross proved effective and when he mixed in jabs it seemed to give Pacquiao pause until the fifth round. Then a one-two combination followed by a lightning three-punch combination seemed to put Pacquiao in the driver’s seat temporarily.
Pacquiao finally took charge in round seven when Broner connected with a solid left hook. Immediately Pacquiao retaliated with an overhand left cross that seemed to stagger Broner and that’s when the blows came raining down. Pacquiao unloaded a six-punch combination then followed with a 13-punch blitzkrieg that had Broner covering up. Every punch in the Filipino’s arsenal came into play. Broner survived.
Although Broner seemed hurt, he was able to transition into a survival mode and allowed Pacquiao to take full control of the fight. From the seventh round until the 11th round Pacquiao steamed ahead.
The Cincinnati fighter Broner mounted a short rally in the 11th round with a one-two combination followed by a left hook. Broner used that combination twice more in the round and capped it with a right cross. It was Broner’s best round since the sixth. But it wasn’t enough.
All three judges clearly saw Pacquiao the winner 117-111 and 116-112 twice. He retains the WBA world title and he now opens up the welterweight division for some potential blockbuster fights.
“I feel so happy because I did my best in the fight and in training,” said Pacquiao. “Thank God for this victory.”
Broner was astonished at the scores. Everybody out there knows I beat him,” said Broner. “I controlled the fight, he was missing. I hit him clean more times. I beat him.”
Now that Pacquiao has signed a promotional contract with PBC, a bevy of potential bouts await such as Errol Spence Jr., Mikey Garcia, Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman. And of course Floyd Mayweather is a desired foe and was sitting ringside during the fight.
Other Bouts
Marcus Browne wins
Blood poured in the second half of the fight and Marcus Browne (23-0, 16 KOs) took advantage with a consistent attack against Badou Jack (22-2-3, 13 KOs) that allowed him to take the interim light heavyweight titles by unanimous decision.
A violent clash of heads in the seventh round saw Jack emerge with a three-inch gash and from that point on, blood impeded any hopes of Jack mounting a serious rally. No knockdowns were scored and after 12 rounds all three judges favored Browne 119-108, 117-110, 116-111.
Nordine Oubaali
Frenchman Nordine Oubaali (15-0, 11 KOs) took the WBC bantamweight world title from Cincinnati’s Rau’Shee Warren by unanimous decision in a battle of southpaws.
Oubaali found continuous success with the right hook and often doubled it up to score repeatedly throughout the 12 round fight. Warren seemed unable to solve the puzzle and found success with the right jab at first, until Oubaali connected with a sizzling left counter early in the fight.
Warren tried repeatedly to walk down the French bantamweight but was often out-hit during the exchanges. In the seventh round the American southpaw stood his ground and fired furious volleys against Oubaali but was still out-hit by the Frenchman.
It was clear during the last three rounds of the fight that Warren needed a knockout or some knockdowns to turn the momentum, but was stymied through every attempt. Oubaali seemed to always get that last punch in.
All three judges saw it Oubaali’s way 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111 for Oubaali the new WBC bantamweight world titlist.
“It’s a big night, I’m very, very happy,” said Oubaali. “I made my dream come true.”
Warren was very cordial despite the loss.
“He wanted it more,” said Warren. “Congratulations to Oubaali.”
Hector Ruiz
Hector “Cuatito” Ruiz (38-4, 31 KOs) went to work immediately against last minute replacement Alberto Guevara (27-4, 12 KOs, flooring Guevara in the first round of their battle of Mexican featherweights. From there on it was the “flight of the bumblebee” for Guevara who used every trick he knew to survive. After 10 listless rounds Ruiz was deemed the winner by unanimous decision 100-89, and 99-90 twice.
The original opponent for Ruiz was supposed to be Jhack Tepora but he weighed five pounds heavier than the required 126-pound limit. Guevara took the fight on one-day notice.
Off-TV Undercard Results
The off-TV undercard was reduced to five fights when the match between Genisis Libranza and Carlos Buitrago was cancelled. The culprit was Buitrago who came in overweight.
George Kambosos, Manny Pacquiao’s chief sparring partner for PacMan’s last three fights, improved to 16-0 (9) with an 8-round decision over Rey Perez (24-11). The heavily tattooed Kambosos, from New South Wales, Australia, pays homage to his Greek heritage with images of Spartan warriors inked on his back. He pressed the action throughout en route to winning all eight rounds in what was a monotonous fight.
In an action-packed 8-round welterweight affair, Jonathan Steele (9-2-1) scored a split decision over Jayar Inson (17-2). The scores were 78-73, 77-74, 74-77. Inson, one of several Filipinos on the card, went down hard near the end of the first round but fought his way back into the fight. Steele is part of the burgeoning Dallas boxing scene.
Desmond Jarmon won a majority decision over Canton Miller in a 6-round match in the super featherweight class. The scores were 59-55, 58-56, and 57-57.
In a 4-round welterweight match, Destyne Butler cruised to a unanimous decision over David Payne. Butler won all four rounds on all three cards.
In a 4-round cruiserweight fight, Viddal Riley (2-0, 2 KOs), blew away Sacramento debutant Mitchell Spangler in 35 seconds. Riley, who hails from London, is trained by Jeff Mayweather.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
Arne K. Lang contributed to this report.
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Mercito Gesta Victorious Over Jojo Diaz at the Long Beach Pyramid

LONG BEACH, CA.-Those in the know knew Mercito Gesta and Jojo Diaz would be a fight to watch and they delivered.
Gesta emerged the winner in a super lightweight clash between southpaws that saw the judges favor his busier style over Diaz’s body attack and bigger shots and win by split decision on Saturday.
Despite losing the main event because the star was overweight, Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) used an outside method of tactic to edge past former world champion Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) in front of more than 5,000 fans at the Pyramid.
The speedy Gesta opened up the fight with combination punching up and down against the peek-a-boo style of Diaz. For the first two rounds the San Diego fighter overwhelmed Diaz though none of the blows were impactful.
In the third round Diaz finally began unloading his own combinations and displaying the fast hands that helped him win world titles in two divisions. Gesta seemed stunned by the blows, but his chin held up. The counter right hook was Diaz’s best weapon and snapped Gesta’s head back several times.
Gesta regained control in the fifth round after absorbing big blows from Diaz. He seemed to get angry that he was hurt and opened up with even more blows to send Diaz backpedaling.
Diaz targeted his attack to Gesta’s body and that seemed to slow down Gesta. But only for a round.
From the seventh until the 10th each fighter tried to impose their style with Gesta opening up with fast flurries and Diaz using right hooks to connect with solid shots. They continued their method of attack until the final bell. All that mattered was what the judges preferred.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Diaz the winner 97-93 but two others saw Gesta the winner 99-91, 98-92. It was a close and interesting fight.
“I was expecting nothing. I was the victor in this fight and we gave a good fight,” said Gesta. “It’s not an easy fight and Jojo gave his best.”
Diaz was surprised by the outcome but accepted the verdict.
Everything was going good. I thought I was landing good body shots,” said Diaz. “I was pretty comfortable.”
Other Bouts
Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (25-1-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Chicago’s Alex Martin (18-5, 6 KOs) with a counter right hand after dropping him earlier in the fourth round. The super lightweight fight was stopped at 1:14 of the round.
A battle between undefeated super welterweights saw Florida’s Eric Tudor (8-0, 6 KOs) emerge the winner by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain.
The taller Tudor showed polished skill and was not bothered by a large cut on his forehead caused by an accidental clash of heads. He used his jab and lead rights to defuse the attacks of the quick-fisted southpaw Cato-Cain. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 78-74 twice for Tudor.
San Diego’s Jorge Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) needed less than one round to figure out Nicaragua’s Bryan Perez (12-17-1, 11 KOs) and send him into dreamland with a three-punch combination. No need to count as referee Ray Corona waved the fight over. Perez shot a vicious right followed by another right and then a see-you-later left hook at 3.00 of the first round of the super featherweight match.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Jojo Diaz’s Slump Continues; Mercito Gesta Prevails on a Split Decision

At age 30, Jojo Diaz’s career is on the skids. The 2012 U.S. Olympian, a former world title holder at 126 and 130 pounds and an interim title holder at 135, Diaz suffered his third straight loss tonight, upset by Mercito Gesta who won a split decision at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA.. The scoring was strange with Gesta winning nine of the 10 rounds on one of the cards and only three rounds on another. The tie-breaker, as it were, was a 98-92 tally for Gesta and even that didn’t capture the flavor of what was a closely-contested fight.
Originally listed as a 12-rounder, the match was reduced to 10 and that, it turned out, did Diaz no favors. However, it’s hard to feel sorry for the former Olympian as he came in overweight once again, having lost his 130-pound title on the scales in February of 2021.
Diaz also has issues outside the ropes. Best elucidated by prominent boxing writer Jake Donovan, they include a cluster of legal problems stemming from an arrest for drunk driving on Feb. 27 in the LA suburb of Claremont.
With the defeat, Diaz’s ledger declined to 32-4-1. His prior losses came at the hands of Gary Russell Jr, Devin Haney, and William Zepeda, boxers who are collectively 83-2. Mercito Gesta, a 35-year-old San Diego-based Filipino, improved to 34-3-3.
Co-Feature
Chihuahua, Mexico super lightweight Oscar Duarte has now won nine straight inside the distance after stopping 33-year-old Chicago southpaw Alex Martin in the eighth frame. Duarte, the busier fighter, had Martin on the deck twice in round eight before the fight was waived off.
Duarte improved to 25-1-1 (20). Martin, who reportedly won six national titles as an amateur and was once looked upon as a promising prospect, declined to 18-5.
Other Bouts of Note
New Golden Boy signee Eric Tudor, a 21-year-old super welterweight from Fort Lauderdale, overcame a bad laceration over his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads in round four, to stay unbeaten, advancing to 8-0 (6) with a hard-fought unanimous 8-round decision over Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain. The judges had it 80-72 and 78-74 twice. It was the first pro loss for Cato-Cain (7-1-1) who had his first five fights in Tijuana.
In the DAZN opener, lanky Hawaian lightweight Dalis Kaleiopu went the distance for the first time in his young career, improving to 4-0 (3) with a unanimous decision over 36-year-old Colombian trial horse Jonathan Perez (40-35). The scores were 60-52 across the board. There were no knockdowns, but Perez, who gave up almost six inches in height, had a point deducted for a rabbit punch and another point for deducted for holding.
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‘Big Baby’ Wins the Battle of Behemoths; TKOs ‘Big Daddy’ in 6

Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne weighed in at a career-high 277 pounds for today’s battle in Dubai with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, but he was the lighter man by 56 pounds. It figured that one or both would gas out if the bout lasted more than a few stanzas.
It was a war of attrition with both men looking exhausted at times, and when the end came it was Miller, at age 34 the younger man by nine years, who had his hand raised.
Browne was the busier man, but Miller, whose physique invites comparison with a rhinoceros, hardly blinked as he was tattooed with an assortment of punches. He hurt ‘Bid Daddy’ in round four, but the Aussie held his own in the next frame, perhaps even forging ahead on the cards, but only postponing the inevitable.
In round six, a succession of right hands knocked Browne on the seat of his pants. He beat the count, but another barrage from Miller impelled the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:33. It was the 21st straight win for Miller (26-0-1, 22 KOs). Browne declined to 31-4 and, for his own sake, ought not fight again. All four of his losses have come inside the distance, some brutally.
The consensus of those that caught the livestream was that Floyd Mayweather Jr’s commentary was an annoying distraction that marred what was otherwise an entertaining show.
As for what’s next for “Big Baby” Miller, that’s hard to decipher as he has burned his bridges with the sport’s most powerful promoters. One possibility is Mahmoud Charr who, like Miller, has a big gap in his boxing timeline. Now 38 years old, Charr – who has a tenuous claim on a WBA world title (don’t we all?) — has reportedly taken up residence in Dubai.
Other Bouts of Note
In a 10-round cruiserweight affair, Suslan Asbarov, a 30-year-old Russian, advanced to 4-0 (1) with a hard-fought majority decision over Brandon Glanton. The judges had it 98-92, 97-93, and a more reasonable 95-95.
Asbarov was 12-9 in documented amateur fights and 1-0 in a sanctioned bare-knuckle fight, all in Moscow, entering this match. He bears watching, however, as Glanton (18-2) would be a tough out for almost anyone in his weight class. In his previous fight, at Plant City, Florida, Glanton lost a controversial decision to David Light, an undefeated Australian who challenges WBO world title-holder Lawrence Okolie at Manchester, England next week.
A 10-round super featherweight match between former world title challengers Jono Carroll and Miguel Marriaga preceded the semi-windup. Carroll, a 30-year-old Dublin southpaw, overcame a cut over his left eye suffered in the second round to win a wide unanimous decision in a fairly entertaining fight.
It was the sixth straight win for Carroll (24-2-1, 7 KOs) who elevated his game after serving as a sparring partner for Devin Haney. Marriaga, a 36-year-old Colombian, lost for the fourth time in his last five outings, declining to 30-7.
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