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Avila Perspective, Chap. 143: A Look-Ahead at Friday’s Mammoth L.A. Fight Card

Avila Perspective, Chap. 143: A Look-Ahead at Friday’s Mammoth L.A. Fight Card
Two world title fights and the introduction of undefeated super middleweight Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez leads a massive Golden Boy Promotions boxing card on Friday in Los Angeles, the City of Angels.
Ramirez (41-0, 27 KOs) debuts for his new promotion company as a light heavyweight and immediately gets tested against veteran Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs) on Friday July 9, at Banc of California Stadium. DAZN will stream the latter part of the large fight card.
It’s a non-title fight for Ramirez who had held the WBO super middleweight title since 2016 with five title defenses. But weight had become an issue.
The Cuban fighter Sullivan has been a master at eliminating pretenders for the light heavyweight crown. Can Ramirez pass through Sullivan?
“I know Sullivan Barrera very well and he knows me. We know that each of us always comes well prepared and ready to put on a show. But at the end of the day, I’ll be the one to come out with my hands raised in victory,” said Ramirez.
Another fighter moving up in weight is Southern California’s Jojo Diaz (31-1-1, 15 KOs) stepping in against Puerto Rico’s Javier Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) in a lightweight clash.
Diaz held the IBF super featherweight title by virtue of a bloody engagement against Tevin Farmer right before the pandemic struck and left most of the world in limbo. He fought once to a draw against Shav Rakhimov but lost the title at the weight scale. He is moving up a weight division.
The dangerous Fortuna awaits Diaz and has an impressive resume that includes wins over very good technical fighters such as Costa Rica’s Bryan Vazquez and Uganda’s Sharif Bogere.
Diaz, a former US Olympian, has extensive experience against all fighting styles and is matched against a southpaw bomber like Fortuna who was scheduled to fight Ryan Garcia. But when that fighter took a leave of absence due to personal reasons, in stepped Diaz.
Its lefty versus lefty.
Japan’s Best vs USA
Two world title fights feature Japan’s best female fighters led by Tsunami Tenkai (28-12-1, 16 KOs) defending the WBO light flyweight title against Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (20-0, 8 KOs) who is moving up a weight division.
Tenkai has never fought in the USA but has extensive experience fighting all over the world. She is a fearless fighter.
“I never imagined I would fight in America. There were no fighters in this weight class. But Seniesa’s accomplishments allowed this fight to happen and I am excited to show off my skills here in America to all the fans,” said Tenkai who is making her fourth defense of the WBO world title she won in March 2018.
Estrada is entering her prime and has scared off the competition in the minimumweight category where she recently won her first world title this past March. When no one at 105 pounds was willing to face her, she moved up in weight to 108 and eagerly accepted a match against the talented Tenkai.
“Golden Boy told me all my fights would be for unification or for world titles and that’s what I want,” said Estrada who lives nearby in East L.A. “It feels amazing, its everything I ever dreamed of. I started boxing when I was eight.”
It’s a scary good match.
Tenkai’s best showing was a draw against Naoko Fujioka (18-2-1, 7 KOs) who is defending her WBA flyweight title against Arizona’s Sulem Urbina (12-1) in the companion title fight.
Fujioka has won five division world titles. Five. Only Amanda Serrano has more with eight. Of course, both Serrano and Fujioka are rated among the top female fighters pound-for-pound.
Fujioka started her boxing career very late, but her incredible athleticism has allowed her to strafe through international competition and win world titles from 105-pound minimumweights to 118-pound bantamweights. She now campaigns at 112-pound flyweight and is eager to perform in front of American audiences.
“I’ve been thinking of fighting in the U.S for a long time,” said Fujioka, 45. “In Japan female boxing is not popular. So, it is very important for me and my fans and Japan boxing.”
Urbina is equally eager to show her own skills and was unflinching when asked to fight for the world title against Fujioka. It’s a primary reason that Golden Boy Promotions signed the Phoenix fighter with extensive experience in international competition.
The petite fighter can match skills with anyone or attack with impunity when needed. Many expect a furious encounter between Fujioka and Urbina. It will be shown on Facebook.com
“I’m ready to fight against the best champion in the world and that’s Naoko Fujioka,” said Urbina, 31. “I was excited to get this fight.”
Tanajara vs Zepeda
Undefeated lightweights William Zepeda (22-0, 20 KOs) and Hector Tanajara (19-0, 5 KOs) meet in a 10-round match to see who gains entry into the world title fight scenario. It’s a classic puncher versus boxer fight.
Tanajara hails from San Antonio, Texas but trains in Riverside, California with Robert Garcia. That gym is filled with talent and it’s a perfect place to prepare for war as his last win over Juan Carlos Burgos proved.
Zepeda fights out of the Mexico City area and has serious firepower. He was last seen knocking out fellow Mexican Roberto Ramirez at the Wild Card last November. He can crack.
Several other good matches take place on the same card including contenders Lamont Roach, Azat Hovhannisyan, Bryan Chevalier and more. The doors open at noon with first bell at 12:15 p.m.
Fights to Watch
Friday Facebook 12 p.m. Naoko Fujioka (18-2-1) vs Sulem Urbina (12-1); Lamont Roach (20-1-1) vs Daniel Rosas (22-4-1); Azat Hovhannisyan (19-3) vs Jose Santos Gonzalez (23-8-1).
Friday DAZN 6 p.m. Gilberto Ramirez (41-0) vs Sullivan Barrera (22-3); Seniesa Estrada (20-0) vs Tsunami Tenkai (28-12-1); Jojo Diaz (31-1-1) vs Javier Fortuna (36-2-1).
Pictured (l-r): Seniesa Estrada, Jojo Diaz, Eduardo “Zurdo” Ramirez
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.
The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.
Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.
UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.
Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.
Is Walsh part of the plans?
It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?
Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.
Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.
Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.
Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.
Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.
Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.
Dana, Turk and TKO
The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.
White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.
Where does that leave Top Rank?
It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.
Is this good for boxing?
Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:
“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”
DAZN all day
Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.
Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.
Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.
Fights to Watch
Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).
Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).
Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).
Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).
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A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

“He wants to test himself and find out just how good he really is,” said International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz regarding super lightweight Bryce Mills. Peltz, who has dealt with a wide range of fighters throughout his lifetime in boxing, recognized the fire that burned inside Mills at a local show in Philadelphia in early 2022. At the time Mills had less than ten professional fights under his belt.
Mills hails from Liverpool in upstate New York and trains in nearby Syracuse. Currently 17-1 (6 KOs), he’s undefeated in his last 11 since losing a split decision to a Puerto Rican fighter from the Bronx who had fought much stiffer competition.
The fight in question that caught Peltz’s eye was arranged by the well-known and respected matchmaker Nick Tiberi who paired Mills in an intriguing fight against Daiyaan Butt, a tough and skilled fighter from the Philadelphia area. They fought at LIVE Casino in South Philadelphia on Feb. 24, 2022.
Although the crowd on hand that night favored Butt, Mills, although then only 20 years old, wasn’t intimidated and was the clear-cut winner at the end of their exciting, back-and-forth battle. This showed Peltz that Mills was serious about seeing just how far his ability could take him.
That’s why Peltz decided to join forces with Mills. Despite being semi-retired, Peltz is still active enough to help guide fighters through the ever-changing wild west landscape that is boxing. Since their union after Mill’s victory over Butt, Mills has been on a nine-fight winning streak heading into what Peltz believes is the toughest test of his career this Friday against Alex Martin 18-6 (6 KOs) of Chicago.
“I didn’t want him to take this fight, it’s a dangerous fight for him. Martin is a southpaw and is tricky, he’s a veteran and is experienced. His father (Mills’s father) called me and said that Bryce wanted the fight, to his credit,” says Peltz. One look at Martin’s resume and it confirms what Peltz stated. All six of Martin’s losses came against fighters with outstanding records including a former world title challenger. Martin also holds some quality wins over undefeated prospects that were at similar points in their careers to where Mills currently is in his development.
Bryce Mills looks like a fighter (he’s always in shape), acts like a fighter (testing his craft against all comers), walks the walk of a fighter, and fights with a fan-friendly pedal-to-the-metal style. That is a winning combination that could be the breath of fresh air the boxing world could surely use and on Friday night at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, live on DAZN, Mills is going to have the opportunity to put the boxing world on notice.
***
DAZN will televise the Mills-Martin fight along with a main event that features undefeated middleweight Euri Cedeno (10-0-1, 9 KO’s) against Ulices Rivera (11-1, 7 KO’s). Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (20-4-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Reading, PA super featherweight Julian Gonzalez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) appear in separate bouts on the undercard. Tickets for the Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion show are still available through Ticketmaster. Lobby doors open at 5:00 pm. First bell is at 7:00.
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High Drama in Japan as ‘Amazing Boy’ Kenshiro Teraji Overcomes Seigo Yuri Akui

Overshadowed by countrymen Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, Kenshiro Teraji embossed his Hall of Fame credentials in Tokyo tonight with a dramatic 12th-round stoppage of Seigo Yuri Akui. At stake were two pieces of the world flyweight title. A two-time world title-holder a division below (108), Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) was appearing in his 16th world title fight.
This Japan vs. Japan matchup will go down in Japanese boxing lore as one of the best title fights ever on Japanese soil. Through the 11 completed rounds, Akui was up 105-104 on two of the cards with Teraji up 106-103 on the third. However, judging by his appearance, Akui was more damaged. The stoppage by Japanese referee Katsuhiko Nakamura, which came at the 1:31 mark of the final round with Akui still standing, struck some as premature but the gallant Akui was well-beaten.
A second-generation prizefighter, Kenshiro Teraji, 33, came bearing the WBC 112-pound belt which he acquired this past October with an 11th round TKO of Nicaraguan veteran Cristofer Rosales. The 29-year-old Akui (21-3-1) was making the second defense of the WBA strap he won with a wide decision over previously undefeated Artem Dalakian.
Although Teraji keeps on rolling – this was his seventh straight win which began with a third-round blast-out of Masamichi Yabuki, avenging his lone defeat – things aren’t getting any easier for the so-called “Amazing Boy.” In his last three fights, which include a hard-earned majority decision over Carlos Canizales, he answered the bell for 35 rounds.
By and large, fighters in his weight class don’t age well. While Teraji is starting to slip, he has no intention of retiring any time soon. His goal, he says is to unify the title and eventually move up a notch to pursue a world title in a third weight class. The other pieces of the 112-pound title are currently the property of Mexico’s Angel Ayala who defends his IBF diadem against Yabuki later this month and LA’s Anthony Olascuaga who was in action on tonight’s undercard.
Other Bouts of Note
Olascuaga, a stablemate of Junto Nakatani, trained by 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year Rudy Hernandez, advanced to 9-1 (6) with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Hiroto Kyoguchi. The judges had it 118-110 and 117-111 (scores condemned as too wide) with the third judge having it 6-6 in rounds but scoring it 114-113 in acknowledgement of the knockdown credited to Olascuaga in round 11, the result of a short left that produced a delayed reaction.
Olascuaga was making the second defense of his WBO belt in his fifth straight trip to Japan. In his lone defeat, he was thrust against the formidable Teraji as a late sub, acquitting himself well in defeat (L TKO 9) despite having only five pro fights under his belt and having only 10 days to prepare. Kyoguchi (19-3) had previously held titles in the sport’s two smallest weight classes.
In a big upset, Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago, thought to be well past his prime at age 32, wrested the WBO light flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Shokichi Iwata who was making the first defense of the title he won with a third-round stoppage of Spain’s previously undefeated Jairo Noriega. Tokyo’s Iwata was a consensus 9/1 favorite.
Santiago, who advanced to 14-4 (9), won by scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. It was the second loss for Iwata who had knocked out 11 of his first 15 opponents.
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