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PBC in Allentown: Russell Jr UD-12 Nyambayar; ‘Rigo’ Wins Yet Another Snoozer

PBC in Allentown: Russell Jr UD-12 Nyambayar; ‘Rigo’ Wins Yet Another Snoozer
There was one very big surprise, and one non-surprise Saturday night in the first boxing card ever staged in Allentown, Pennsylvania’s 5½-year-old PPL Center, most known to this point as a site for concerts and minor league hockey.
The big surprise was the number of very loud, flag-waving Mongolian fans who came out – who knew there were (a) so many who lived in the area, or (b) had enough money to afford the very long trip – in support of countryman Tugstsogt Nyambayar, who challenged WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. in the main event. Russell (31-1, 18 KOs), from Washington, D.C., shrugged off the unexpectedly high crowd support for the visitor from a far-off land (well, actually he now lives in Los Angeles) to score a wide unanimous decision over Nyambayar (11-1, 9 KOs), a silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics.
The non-surprise was that, despite some recent hints that defensive genius Guillermo Rigondeaux was willing to take an additional risk here and there to make his style more fan-friendly, he remains one leopard who is and likely forever shall be reluctant to change his spots. At least that was the conclusion that the live audience and Showtime commentators reached after the crafty Cuban southpaw captured a secondary bantamweight title via unanimous decision over Liborio Solis in the co-featured bout.
On an excitement scale, the needle moved most for the first of the three televised bouts, in which Jaime Arboleda (16-1, 13 KOs), from Miami by way of his native Panama, overcame a 12th-round knockdown to register a controversial and somewhat unpopular split decision over Jayson Velez (29-6-1, 14 KOs) in a WBA super featherweight title eliminator. Scores were 114-113 for Arboleda (twice) and 115-112 for Velez.
“Jayson Velez is a great fighter and has a great style,” Arboleda said after the last of the 1,629 punches, as tabulated by CompuBox, was thrown in a slugfest that featured very little defense. “I hurt him badly a few times, but I just got a bit ahead of myself and didn’t finish.”
A disappointed Velez, who connected on 225 of 692 (33%) to 269 of 937 (29%) for Arboleda, said “it was a close fight, but I think I won. It could have gone the other way. I knocked him down twice, but they didn’t count one of them (which was ruled a slip by referee Eric Dali).”
The 39-year-old Rigondeaux (20-1, 13 KOs) has been said to be trying to shed his defense-first reputation, a notion that was advanced by his two most recent ring appearances, both of which ended in stoppages. But he reverted to form after a rocky first round in which he was hurt several times by Solis (30-6-1, 14 KOs), a former WBA super flyweight champ who also is no spring chicken at 37. In what was far and away his best round, Solis landed 28 of 100 punches but then landed only 31 over the final 11 rounds, finishing 59 of 490.
Rigondeaux’s trainer, Ronnie Shields, has been trying to find a middle ground in which his guy continues to be a defensive genius, while flashing some of the power he always has had but dispenses in his own good time, and only when it suits his purpose.
Such a time came after the sixth round, five rounds after the first boos were heard (and, no, they weren’t all from the Mongolians) and two after shouts of “Boring! Boring!” One judge, Don Ackerman, who submitted a scorecard of 115-112 for Solis, apparently was giving the Panama-based Venezuelan rounds simply because he continued to come forward as an ineffectual aggressor.
“You cannot give rounds away,” Shields told Rigondeaux after the sixth round. “You got to engage a little bit more.”
That message apparently registered as Rigondeaux floored Solis with a three-punch combination, a left uppercut followed by two straight lefts. But he made no great effort to press his advantage, preferring to make Solis swat at air.
“He’s a timing guy,” Showtime analyst Paulie Malignaggi said of Rigondeaux. “He won’t come out of his comfort zone.”
Now that he has a world title at his “natural” fighting weight of 118 pounds, diluted though it may, Rigondeaux said he is ready to fight anyone and everyone in his new division. It remains to be seen how many of his hoped-for opponents would want to chase boxing’s Fred Astaire around the ring.
“I just saw the opportunity to strike,” he said of the knockdown.
And another tepid reaction from the paying customers?
“No, not at all,” Rigondeaux said when interviewer Jim Gray asked if he minded the catcalls from those who would have preferred more of his hits than Solis’ misses. “Look what the booing of the fans got me. I’m available to anyone who wants to get in the ring. Who do the fans want to see me fight? I’m available for any fighter. Now that I’m at my (natural) weight, let’s go hunting.”
Another hunter is Russell, who has been depicted as a reluctant warrior based on the fact he has fought only five times in five years. But despite long stretches of inactivity, he remains one of the longest-reigning champions, having won his title on a fourth-round stoppage of Jhonny Gonzalez on March 28, 2015. His conquest of Nyambayar marked his fifth successful defense.
A quick-handed southpaw – although the Showtime crew’s description of his hand speed as “blinding,” might be a bit excessive; it isn’t quite a match for a prime Meldrick Taylor or Roy Jones Jr. – Russell cites reluctance on the part of other champions and top contenders to share the ring with him as a continuing frustration.
“Ring generalship. Hand speed. Boxing IQ,” Russell said when asked what separated him from Nyambayar, who showed he was no slouch despite the wide margins of victory for the champion (118-110, 117-111, 116-112).
What Russell wants next is a rematch with the only man to have defeated him as a pro, Vasiliy Lomachenko, who is now the WBC and WBA lightweight champion. That would mean a jump up two weight classes for Russell, which he said he is ready, willing and able to do, although a unification showdown with WBC featherweight ruler Leo Santa Cruz might make a nice consolation prize.
The main-event victory for Gary Jr., the oldest of the three boxing Russells at 31, capped a big night for the family as younger brothers Gary Antonio Russell and Gary Antuanne Russell also won undercard bouts. Twenty-seven-year-old junior welterweight Gary Antonio Russell (17-0, 13 KOs) was awarded a sixth-round disqualification victory over Jesus Martinez (27-11, 13 KOs), who was deemed to have clinched too often and too long, while rising junior welterweight Gary Antuanne Russell (13-0, 13 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian, starched Jose Marrufo (12-10-2, 1 KO) in one round.
In other bouts:
*Allentown hometown hero Martino Jules (9-0, 2 KOs), a super featherweight, needed less than a round to put away Mexico’s Pablo Cupul (10-31, 5 KOs);
*Super welterweight Jamontay Clark (15-1-1, 7 KOs) scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Anthony Lenk (16-7, 7 KOs);
*Bantamweight Jonathan Rodriguez (8-0, 3 KOs) came away with a UD6 over Edson Eduardo Neri (3-5, 2 KOs);
*Welterweight Marlon Bolen (4-0, 3 KOs) stopped Larry Ventus (9-15-1, 4 KOs) in one round.
Photo credit: Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME
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Bombs Away in Las Vegas where Inoue and Espinoza Scored Smashing Triumphs

Japan’s Naoya “Monster” Inoue banged it out with Mexico’s Ramon Cardenas, survived an early knockdown and pounded out a stoppage win to retain the undisputed super bantamweight world championship on Sunday.
Japan and Mexico delivered for boxing fans again after American stars failed in back-to-back days.
“By watching tonight’s fight, everyone is well aware that I like to brawl,” Inoue said.
Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs), and Cardenas (26-2, 14 KOs) and his wicked left hook, showed the world and 8,474 fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas that prizefighting is about punching, not running.
After massive exposure for three days of fights that began in New York City, then moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and then to Nevada, it was the casino capital of the world that delivered what most boxing fans appreciate- pure unadulterated action fights.
Monster Inoue immediately went to work as soon as the opening bell rang with a consistent attack on Cardenas, who very few people knew anything about.
One thing promised by Cardenas’ trainer Joel Diaz was that his fighter “can crack.”
Cardenas proved his trainer’s words truthful when he caught Inoue after a short violent exchange with a short left hook and down went the Japanese champion on his back. The crowd was shocked to its toes.
“I was very surprised,” said Inoue about getting dropped. ““In the first round, I felt I had good distance. It got loose in the second round. From then on, I made sure to not take that punch again.”
Inoue had no trouble getting up, but he did have trouble avoiding some of Cardenas massive blows delivered with evil intentions. Though Inoue did not go down again, a look of total astonishment blanketed his face.
A real fight was happening.
Cardenas, who resembles actor Andy Garcia, was never overly aggressive but kept that left hook of his cocked and ready to launch whenever he saw the moment. There were many moments against the hyper-aggressive Inoue.
Both fighters pack power and both looked to find the right moment. But after Inoue was knocked down by the left hook counter, he discovered a way to eliminate that weapon from Cardenas. Still, the Texas-based fighter had a strong right too.
In the sixth round Inoue opened up with one of his lightning combinations responsible for 10 consecutive knockout wins. Cardenas backed against the ropes and Inoue blasted away with blow after blow. Then suddenly, Cardenas turned Inoue around and had him on the ropes as the Mexican fighter unloaded nasty combinations to the body and head. Fans roared their approval.
“I dreamed about fighting in front of thousands of people in Las Vegas,” said Cardenas. “So, I came to give everything.”
Inoue looked a little surprised and had a slight Mona Lisa grin across his face. In the seventh round, the Japanese four-division world champion seemed ready to attack again full force and launched into the round guns blazing. Cardenas tried to catch Inoue again with counter left hooks but Inoue’s combos rained like deadly hail. Four consecutive rights by Inoue blasted Cardenas almost through the ropes. The referee Tom Taylor ruled it a knockdown. Cardenas beat the count and survived the round.
In the eighth round Inoue looked eager to attack and at the bell launched across the ring and unloaded more blows on Cardenas. A barrage of 14 unanswered blows forced the referee to stop the fight at 45 seconds of round eight for a technical knockout win.
“I knew he was tough,” said Inoue. “Boxing is not that easy.”
Espinoza Wins
WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinosa (27-0, 23 KOs) uppercut his way to a knockout win over Edward Vazquez (17-3, 4 KOs) in the seventh round.
“I wanted to fight a game fighter to show what I am capable,” said Espinoza.
Espinosa used the leverage of his six-foot, one-inch height to slice uppercuts under the guard of Vazquez. And when the tall Mexican from Guadalajara targeted the body, it was then that the Texas fighter began to wilt. But he never surrendered.
Though he connected against Espinoza in every round, he was not able to slow down the taller fighter and that allowed the Mexican fighter to unleash a 10-punch barrage including four consecutive uppercuts. The referee stopped the fight at 1:47 of the seventh round.
It was Espinoza’s third title defense.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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Undercard Results and Recaps from the Inoue-Cardenas Show in Las Vegas

The curtain was drawn on a busy boxing weekend tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where the featured attraction was Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue appearing in his twenty-fifth world title fight.
The top two fights (Inoue vs. Roman Cardenas for the unified 122-pound crown and Rafael Espinoza vs. Edward Vazquez for the WBO world featherweight diadem) aired on the main ESPN platform with the preliminaries streaming on ESPN+.
The finale of the preliminaries was a 10-rounder between welterweights Rohan Polanco and Fabian Maidana. A 2020/21 Olympian for the Dominican Republic, Polanco was a solid favorite and showed why by pitching a shutout, punctuating his triumph by knocking Maidana to his knees late in the final round with a hard punch to the pit of the stomach.
Polanco improved to 16-0 (10). Argentina’s Maidana, the younger brother of former world title-holder Marcos Maidana, fell to 24-4 while maintaining his distinction of never being stopped.
Emiliano Vargas, a rising force in the 140-pound division with the potential to become a crossover star, advanced to 14-0 (12 KOs) with a second-round stoppage Juan Leon. Vargas, who turned 21 last month, is the son of former U.S. Olympian Fernando Vargas who had big money fights with the likes of Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. Emiliano knocked Leon down hard twice in round two – both the result of right-left combinations — before Robert Hoyle waived it off.
A 28-year-old Spaniard, Leon was 11-2-1 heading in.
In his U.S. debut, 29-year-old Japanese southpaw Mikito Nakano (13-0, 12 KOs) turned in an Inoue-like performance with a fourth-round stoppage of Puerto Rico’s Pedro Medina. Nakano, a featherweight, had Medina on the canvas five times before referee Harvey Dock waived it off at the 1:58 mark of round four. The shell-shocked Medina (16-2) came into the contest riding a 15-fight winning streak.
Lynwood, California junior middleweight Art Barrera Jr, a 19-year-old protégé of Robert Garcia, scored a sixth-round stoppage of Chicago’s Juan Carlos Guerra. There were no knockdowns, but the bout had turned sharply in Barrera’s favor when referee Thomas Taylor intervened. The official time was 1:15 of round six.
Barrera improved to 9-0 (7 KOs). The spunky but outclassed Guerra, who upset Nico Ali Walsh in his previous outing, declined to 6-2-1.
In the lid-lifter, a 10-round featherweight affair, Muskegon Michigan’s Ra’eese Aleem improved to 22-1 (12) with a unanimous decision over LA’s hard-trying Rudy Garcia (13-2-1). The judges had it 99-01, 98-92, and 97-93.
Aleem, 34, was making his second start since June of 2023 when he lost a split decision in Australia to Sam Goodman with a date with Naoya Inoue hanging in the balance.
Check back shortly for David Avila’s recaps of the two world title fights.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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Canelo Alvarez Upends Dancing Machine William Scull in Saudi Arabia

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who has acquired a new nickname – “The Face of Boxing” – is accustomed to fighting on Cinco De Mayo weekend, but this year was different. For the first time, Canelo was fighting outside the continent of North America and entering the ring at an awkward hour. His match with William Scull started at 6:30 on a Sunday morning in Riyadh.
In the opposite corner was 32-year-old William Scull, an undefeated (23-0) Cuban by way of Germany, whose performance was better suited to “Dancing With the Stars” than to a world title fight. Constantly bouncing from side to side but rarely letting his hands go, Scull frustrated Canelo who found it near-impossible to corner him, but one can’t win a fight solely on defense and the Mexican superstar was returned the rightful winner in a bout that was a fitting cap to a desultory two days of Saudi-promoted prizefighting. The scores were 115-113, 116-112, and 119-109. In winning, Canelo became a fully unified super middleweight champion twice over.
Terence Crawford was in attendance and HE Turki Alalshikh made it official: Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) and Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) will meet in the Fight of the Century (Alalshikh’s words) on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas at the home of the city’s NFL team, the Raiders. For whatever it’s worth, each of Canelo’s last seven fights has gone the full 12 rounds.
Semi-wind-up
In a match between the WBC world cruiserweight title-holder and the WBC world cruiserweight “champion in recess” (don’t ask), the former, Badou Jack, brought some clarity to the diadem by winning a narrow decision over Noel Mikaelian. One of the judges had it a draw (114-114), but the others gave the fight to “Jack the Ripper” by 115-113 scores.
A devout Muslim who is now a full-time resident of Saudi Arabia, the Sweden-born Jack, a three-division title-holder, had the crowd in his corner. Now 41 years old, he advanced his record to 29-3-3 (17). It was the first pro loss for Mikaelian (27-1), a Florida-based Armenian who was subbing for Ryan Rozicki.
The distracted CompuBox operator credited Mikaelian with throwing 300 more punches but there was no controversy.
Tijuana’s Jaime Munguia, a former junior middleweight title-holder, avenged his shocking loss to Bruno Sarace with a unanimous 12-round decision in their rematch. This was Munguia’s first fight with Eddy Reynoso in his corner. The scores were 117-111 and 116-112 twice.
Surace’s one-punch knockout of Munguia in mid-December in Tijuana was the runaway pick for the 2024 Upset of the Year. Heading in, Munguia was 44-1 with his lone defeat coming at the hands of Canelo Alvarez. Munguia had won every round against Surace before the roof fell in on him.
Surace won a few rounds tonight, but Munguia was the busier fighter and landed the cleaner shots. It was the first pro loss for Surace (26-1-2) and ended his 23-fight winning streak. The Frenchman hails for Marseilles.
Heavyweights
In a 10-round heavyweight match fought at a glacial pace, Martin Bakole (21-2-1) and Efe Ajagba (20-1-1) fought to a draw. One of the judges favored Ajagba 96-94 but he was outvoted by his cohorts who each had it 95-95.
Bakole, a 7/2 favorite, came in at 299 pounds, 15 more than he carried in his signature win over Jared Anderson, and looked sluggish. He was never able to effectively close off the ring against the elusive Ajagba who fought off his back foot and failed to build on his early lead.
The fight between the Scotch-Congolese campaigner Bakole and his Nigerian-American foe was informally contested for the heavyweight championship of Africa. That “title” remains vacant.
In a 6-rounder, heavy-handed Cuban light heavyweight Brayon Leon, a stablemate of Canelo Alvarez, was extended the distance for the first time while advancing his record to 7-0 at the expense of Mexico’s Aaron Roche (11-4-1). Leon knocked Roche to the canvas in the fourth round with a right-left combination, but the Mexican stayed the course while eating a lot of hard punches.
Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry Promotions
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