Featured Articles
Bohachuk Wins His 15th Straight by KO at Hollywood’s Avalon Theater

HOLLYWOOD, Ca.-Hollywood has long been called a dream factory for aspiring actors, directors and film makers and a long time ago it also produced prizefighters.
After a near 60-year absence, a new prizefighting factory has resurfaced and a few sterling prospects have emerged including a young firebrand from Ukraine named Serhii Bohachuk.
A boisterous crowd of more than 400 packed the Avalon Theater to see Bohachuk (15-0, 15 KOs) overwhelm Mexico’s rugged Fernando Marin (16-4-3, 12 KOs) by knockout on Sunday evening. It was a one-sided victory but showed the kid called “El Flaco” could be ready for another level.
It was Bohachuk’s 15th knockout in 15 fights.
Long ago, about a mile away from the Avalon Theater was a boxing arena called the Hollywood Legion Stadium that housed prizefights for more than 40 years. Many boxing stars performed in that venue in front of movie stars like Ann Miller, George Raft and Douglas Fairbanks.
360 Promotions has led the resurgence with a few sterling prospects exploding on the boxing scene like Bohachuk and Brian Ceballo a former New York Golden Glove winner who wowed his hometown crowd at Madison Square Garden this past June. Ceballo out-classed the dangerous Bakhtiyar Eyubov to cruise to victory at Madison Square Garden in a showcase welterweight fight. He was present on Sunday evening to watch one of his 360 Promotions teammates.
Now the California promotion company has Bohachuk itching to join Ceballo on the national stage.
Bohachuk, 24, doesn’t have that California glow from days spent on the beach. He’s quite the opposite and looks like he seldom comes out to catch rays from the sun. But when he opens up against opposition you could swear you see sparks flying and smoke emanating from the guys he punches.
Mexico’s Marin has a concrete chin and it was on display for the fans. Bohachuk battered the fighter from Aguascalientes with a murderous array of uppercuts, overhand rights and left hooks that would have felled a rhinoceros. It was at times frightening to watch especially this past week with two prizefighters from different parts of the world dying after sustaining blows in the boxing ring.
Final , at 1:25 of the third round, referee Rudy Barragan halted the bludgeoning. Though Marin never touched the canvas it was a severe beating delivered by Bohachuk. It was also proof that the exuberant Ukrainian super welterweight might be ready for contender status.
Other Bouts
Adrian Corona (6-0, 1 KO) gained his first win by knockout with a steady pummeling of Mexico’s taller Francisco Camacho (7-12-1). A left hook finished the job at 2:24 of the sixth and final round of their super featherweight bout. Corona gained the upper hand for good in the fourth round and the fight was nearly stopped in the fifth, but somehow Camacho survived. He did not survive the sixth when Corona cornered him and connected with a left hook that forced referee Zachary Young to halt the fight.
Cruiserweight Marco Deckmann (3-0) knocked out Keith Berry (2-3) with an overhand right at 1:37 of the second round. Deckmann had problems with Berry’s hard charging attack in the opening frame but settled into a groove and took over the fight behind his jab.
Mario Ramos (9-0) remained undefeated by winning a majority decision over Emmanuel Castro (26-1) in a lightweight battle between southpaws, but he was nearly stopped before the end of the sixth and final round. Castro connected multiple times in the last two rounds and had Ramos severely wobbled in the sixth round. Somehow Ramos stayed on his feet and that helped him gain the win by majority decision in a fight much closer than the scores tallied. One judge scored it 57-57 while the other two saw it 59-55 and 58-56 for Ramos.
Andre Marquez (1-1) defeated Lucnor Diserne (0-4-1) by decision after four rounds in a featherweight match.
Humberto Rubalcava (11-1) won by unanimous decision after six rounds in a lightweight clash with Luis Javier Valdes (5-3-1).
In a brutal battle, Riverside’s Donte Stubbs (3-0) pulled out a victory over Francisco Alfaro (0-3) by unanimous decision after four middleweight rounds. Alfaro attacked the body mercilessly throughout the four-round battle, but apparently the judges preferred the counter pot shots by Stubbs who lost his mouthpiece twice in the fight. All three judges scored it 39-37 for Stubbs.
The search for the next Mexican heavyweight champion saw Elvis Garcia manage a majority decision over Hugo Trujillo after six close rounds. Both showed quick hands but Garcia was the sharper puncher. Trujillo managed to stay in the fight by staying busy as Garcia paused often. One judge scored it 57-57 while two other judges scored it 59-55 and 58-56 for Garcia who trains with Joel Diaz in Indio.
A super bantamweight battle saw Alexander Enriquez (11-0-3) win by unanimous decision over Ricardo Cuellar (5-4) after six rounds.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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
Beverly Hills Bluster as ‘Tank’ Davis and ‘King Ry’ Garcia Cap Their Mini-Tour
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
‘Big Baby’ Miller vs ‘Big Daddy’ Browne: A Morbidly Tantalizing Match
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
A Cursed Paradigm: The Fights That Boxing Cannot Deliver