Featured Articles
Berchelt Wins by TKO in Tucson; Williams Upsets Hurd in Virginia

In January of 2017, Miguel Berchelt and Francisco Vargas engaged in a bloody war in Indio, Calif. When the smoked cleared, Berchelt, then largely unknown, had saddled Vargas with his first defeat while snatching away Vargas’s WBO 130-pound world title belt.
Tonight they renewed acquaintances in Tucson and the circumstances were very different. Berchelt (pictured on the right) was now the title-holder. He would be making his fifth title defense. And there was a huge swing in the odds from the first meeting with Berchelt chalked a prohibitive favorite for the rematch.
The rematch was another good action fight for as long as it lasted. Vargas, as was his custom, rarely took a backward step while eating a lot of leather. But after six rounds there was swelling around both of his eyes and his chief second Joel Diaz decided there was no reason to continue. At age 34, Vargas has absorbed far more ring damage than his record, now 25-2-2 (both losses to Berchelt) would suggest.
Berchelt improved to 36-1 (32 KOs) with his 15th straight win.
In the co-feature, Mexico City’s Emanuel Navarette repeated his win over Isaac Dogboe, but in a far more dominant fashion. When they met last December in Madison Square Garden, the unheralded Navarette upset Dogboe, winning a unanimous decision on scores of 115-113 and 116-112 twice. The previously undefeated Dogboe was making the first defense of his WBO super bantamweight world title.
Tonight the roles were reversed, but once again Navarette (27-1, 23 KOs) proved to be too big and too strong for Dogboe (20-2). Navarette had a 5-inch advantage in height and an 8-inch advantage in reach and Dogboe, who was game to the end, was never able to work effectively on the inside.
The end came in round 12 when Dogboe’s corner mercifully threw in the towel. Up to that point, the Accra, Ghana native had absorbed a terrific amount of punishment. In the sixth, the referee gave him something akin to a standing 8-count, ruling that the ropes had held him up. In round 12, shortly before the stoppage, Dogboe went to the mat again, a delayed reaction from a series of unanswered punches.
Other Bouts
In an upset, beanpole junior welterweight Mykal Fox won a 10-round unanimous decision Fazliddin Gaibnazarov, saddling the former Olympic gold medalist, now 7-1, with his first pro defeat. Gaibnazarov had a point deduced in round 7 for holding and another point in round 8 for hitting behind the head, without which the bout would have ended in a draw. It was sweet redemption of sorts for Fox who was coming off his first pro loss and fighting his second straight bout against an Uzbekistani opponent.
In an all-Columbia affair, three-time world title challenger Miguel Marriaga advanced to 28-3 (22 KOs) when late sub Ruben Cervera failed to answer the bell for the fourth round. Marriaga came in at 136 ¼, 10 pounds heavier than in his previous start against journeyman Jose Estrella. The 21-year-old Cervera, who lost for the second time in 11 starts, was on the deck three times, twice from body punches.
In a contest slated for six rounds, Mexican junior welterweight Miguel Angel Parra won his eighth straight and improved to 17-1-1 with a fast blowout of David Morales who did not answer the bell for round two. Morales entered the contest with a misleading 13-10 (13 KOs) ledger. He isn’t that good. With tonight’s defeat, he has lost seven of his last eight.
In a 4-round middleweight contest, local product Emmanuel Guajardo (5-0) won a majority decision over spunky but limited Jonathan Espino (2-4). At six-foot-one, Guajardo had a 6-inch height advantage.
Fairfax, Virginia
A raucous crowd was on hand at the Fairfax Arena on the campus of George Mason University to root on Jarrett “Swift” Hurd in his second defense of the 154-pound title he won in dramatic fashion from Erislandy Lara. But they left disappointed as Hurd, from nearby Accokeek, Maryland, was outpointed by Philadelphia’s Julian “J Rock” Williams.
Known as a strong closer, Hurd did his best work in the middle rounds after hitting the deck in round two, but he lacked a finishing kick and Williams won by scores of 116-111 and 115-112 twice.
Other Bouts of Note:
Fast rising San Antonio welterweight Mario Barrios improved to 24-0 (16 KOs) with a second round stoppage of Argentina’s Juan Jose Velasco (20-2). Tall for a welterweight at six-foot-one, Barrios caved in Velasco with a body punch. The 23-year-old Barrios has now won eight straight inside the distance. In his previous U.S. appearance, Velasco was badly mauled by Regis Prograis.
Philadelphia super bantamweight Stephen Fulton improved to 17-0 and copped the “world title” of a fringe organization with a lopsided 12-round decision over Paulus Ambunda, a 38-year-old Namibian. Fulton won all 12 rounds on all three cards.
The 10-round middleweight match between Matt Korobov (28-2-1) and Immanuwel Aleem (18-1-2) ended in a draw. Aleem, from Richmond, Virginia, had the home field advantage and was 11 years younger than Korobov, but he was fortunate to skirt defeat as most in the crowd thought that the 36-year-old Florida-based Russian had done enough in the early rounds to secure the win. One judge favored Korobov 97-93 but the others had it 95-95.
Alexandru Marin, a Maryland-based Romanian, stepped up in class and won a 10-round unanimous decision over Panamanian veteran Luis Concepcion (37-8). The scores were 97-93 and 96-94 twice as Marin won his 18th straight without a defeat. A former WBA 115-pound world champion, the 33-year-old Concepcion is on the wrong side of the hill. He’s lost four of his last six.
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel
To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
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
Featured Articles
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.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
‘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.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
A Shocker in the Philippines as Suganob Topples Vicelles
-
Featured Articles6 days ago
Canelo vs Ryder: A Stroll in the Park for the Red-Headed Mexican?
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Angel Beltran Wins Main Event at Ken Thompson Tribute Show
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
The Hauser Report: A Club Fight Promoter Faces a Choice
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Josh Taylor Assures Us His Fight With Teófimo López Will End in a Knockout
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
‘Big Baby’ Miller vs ‘Big Daddy’ Browne: A Morbidly Tantalizing Match
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Beverly Hills Bluster as ‘Tank’ Davis and ‘King Ry’ Garcia Cap Their Mini-Tour
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
A Cursed Paradigm: The Fights That Boxing Cannot Deliver