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Tureano Johnson Stops Ireland’s Jason Quigley at Fantasy Springs

INDIO, Calif.-Tureano Johnson bulled his way to victory over Ireland’s Jason Quigley to hand the middleweight his first loss and take the NABF middleweight title away by knockout on Thursday evening.
It was a battle of two middleweight contenders on the cusp of challenging for a world title soon.
Bahamian fighter Johnson (21-2-1, 15 KOs) showed a crowd at Fantasy Springs Casino accustomed to seeing Quigley (16-1, 12 KOs) win, but instead they saw him suffer his first defeat. It’s back to Ireland.
At one time Johnson was nearly selected to fight for a world title against Gennady “GGG” Golovkin or David Lemieux, but he was derailed first by Curtis Stevens and then Sergiy Derevyanchenko. He knew exactly what this fight meant to his career.
Quigley had trained for several years in Southern California, but more than a year ago he decided to return closer to home in the United Kingdom. But fighting at Fantasy Springs Casino is familiar territory for the Irish boxer. He had previously performed at the casino in Indio six previous times.
Number seven was not so lucky.
Quigley started off quickly by using a stiff jab and stiff rights while pivoting left or right against the rushes of Johnson. For the first two rounds he was on point and won the two rounds.
The third round saw Johnson amp up the pressure and switch to a southpaw stance. He pummeled Quigley who was stuck along the ropes. The next round was even worse for Quigley as Johnson connected with a body shot that seemed to drain Quigley of any color. His hands went down and Johnson worked with uppercuts and slick counters. The momentum had dramatically shifted to Johnson.
It was all Johnson from that point on as he dominated Quigley on the inside. The Irish fighter seemed drained of blood and could hardly fire a punch with any energy. It became clear that Quigley had no more strength to fend off the attacks of Johnson. Though he was battered the rest of the way he never succumbed to the tremendous uppercuts and right hands. At the end of the ninth round referee Eddie Hernandez consulted with the ringside physician and declared the fight over. Johnson was the winner by knockout.
“I come inside this ring with so much on my back. That struggle is behind me now. I come ready for this boy, he got heart. I threw the kitchen sink on him and he don’t quit,” said Johnson after the win. “I’m here to be a world champion. I want a Canelo, I want a Daniel Jacobs, I want them all.”
NABA Super Bantamweight Fight
A battle between Mexican and Argentine warriors saw Mexicali’s Leonardo Baez (16-2, 9 KOs) outslug the former Argentine Olympian Alberto Melian (5-1, 3 KOs) to take the NABA super bantamweight title by unanimous decision.
Baez started quickly with an aggressive pounding attack that didn’t allow Melian to gain traction. By the time the Argentine fighter figured out what to do it was far too late. After 10 rounds all three judges saw it 97-93 for Baez. Both fighters showed tremendous ability to absorb big blows.
The win gives Baez a foothold on a possible showdown against WBA world titlist Danny Roman.
Marlen
NABO female flyweight titlist Marlen Esparza showed Mexico’s Sonia Osorio she was the quicker fighter by simply beating her to the punch for the first six rounds. In the last two frames Osorio seemed to catch up with Esparza’s speed and began timing the incoming blows. Still, it wasn’t enough to take the regional title away as all three judges scored in favor of Esparza 79-73 twice and 78-74. There were no knockdowns in the fight that saw the former Olympian score repeatedly with right hands.
“I think I did alright,” said Esparza. “I didn’t like that she kept putting her head in my chest. The ref didn’t call it but at least he was letting us fight. I eventually found my timing and started catching her with the right hand”
It was Esparza’s second fight this year after spending a year off for marriage and giving birth.
Other Bouts
A flyweight fight saw two knockdowns with the first two blows fired by Rialto, Calif.’s Ricardo Sandoval (16-1, 11 KOs) who then was dropped himself by Oceanside, Calif.’s Marco Sustaita (12-2-1, 10 KOs) all in the first round.
In the second round Sustaita floored Sandoval again with a counter left hook that evened the fight on the score cards. But after that knockdown Sandoval took over by using jabs and movement. He won every subsequent round.
Sandoval boxed and moved and kept Sustaita off balance. And when it was advantageous Sandoval caught his opponent with right leads and uppercuts. It was a lead right that wobbled Sustaita in the fifth round and Sandoval jumped on the opportunity to close out the fight with six more solid blows. Referee Eddie Hernandez stopped the fight at 1:16 of the fifth round to give Sandoval the WBC Youth Intercontinental title by knockout.
Carlos Morales (19-4-3, 8 KOs) didn’t waste time in showing his boxing superiority over Philippine southpaw Rosekie Cristobal (15-5, 11 KOs) and winning by knockout in the lightweight clash. Morales took advantage of Cristobal’s wide lefts and rights and shot a counter right down the middle to knock down the Filipino in the second round. Cristobal got up but was hit with a three-punch combination and sent back down with a thud. Referee Rudy Barragan counted the Filipino fighter out giving Morales the win by knockout at 1:08 of the second round.
Paramount’s Charles Huerta (21-6, 12 KOs)) was cruising along when either a punch or head butt bloodied his nose and Recky Dulay (11-6, 8 KOs) took advantage in the last three rounds. But it was a little too late as Huerta had used a stiff jab and right uppercuts to mount a big lead. After eight rounds in a lightweight bout the judges scored it 78-74 twice and 77-75 for Huerta.
Coachella’s Anthony Reyes (7-0, 4 KOs) clashed heads with Washington’s Gilberto Duran (3-4, 3 KOs) but it didn’t slow him down from flooring the Yakima super bantamweight in the first round with a left hook. Duran survived the first knockdown but Reyes opened up with a furious attack including a three-punch combination that sunk Duran again for good. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. stopped the fight at 2:10 of the first round giving Reyes the win by knockout.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.
The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.
Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.
Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.
Co-Feature
In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.
The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.
A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.
Other Bouts
In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.
Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.
Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.
Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.
Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.
Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.
Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.
Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.
There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0
No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.
There were no knockdowns in this rematch.
The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.
It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.
Nothing changed in their second meeting.
Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.
The blows came in bunches.
In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.
Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.
Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.
During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.
But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.
“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.
Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.
“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.
Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.
“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.
Female Flyweight Battle
Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.
Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.
The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.
Neither fighter could take over the fight.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.
Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.
Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.
Puerto Rico vs Mexico
Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.
Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.
Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.
Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.
ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.
“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.
If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.
For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.
Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.
No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.
Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.
The fight breakdown
Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.
Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.
That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.
More drama.
During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.
New York City got its money’s worth.
Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.
Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?
“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”
Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.
That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?
Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.
Can she draw enough of that fire out again?
“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”
Co-Main in Las Vegas
The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.
Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.
Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.
Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.
Golden Boy in Cancun
A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.
In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.
Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.
Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.
Fights to Watch
Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).
Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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