Featured Articles
Fight Results from Tulsa With One Eye Cocked on Fight Cards Elsewhere

Fight Results from Tulsa With One Eye Cocked on Fight Cards Elsewhere
The third time was not a charm for Andrew Moloney who was favored to pick up where he left off in his second meeting with Joshua Franco and return to Australia with the WBA world super flyweight belt cinched around his waist.
A little history: In the first meeting, Franco rallied to win a narrow but unanimous decision. Take away the knockdown that Franco scored in the 11th round and the contest would have ended in a draw.
In the rematch this past November, Moloney won the first two rounds decisively. It looked for all the world that he would avenge his lone defeat. But the fight was stopped by the ring doctor at the conclusion of round two because Francoâs right eye had swelled shut. Referee Russell Mora believed the injury was the result of an accidental head butt, and the Nevada Commission, after mulling things over for 26 minutes, backed him up even though replays were consistent with the impression that the damage was actually caused by a punch. Ergo, the bout was ruled a âno contestâ and the title stayed with Joshua Franco.
Franco-Moloney III afforded the Aussie the opportunity to ârectify the wrong,â but he wasnât up to the task. He just didnât hit hard enough to worry Franco who landed the cleaner punches and more of them. In round seven, Moloney scored an apparent flash knockdown. Referee Jack Reiss gave Franco the count and Moloney was back in the fight with a 10-8 round, but a replay showed that Franco went down without being hit and the knockdown was expunged.
The judges were in accord, all three giving the fight to Joshua Franco by a 116-112 tally. A San Antonio native who trains in Riverside, California at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, Franco advanced his record to 18-1-2, 1 NC. It was the 24th pro fight for Moloney who would be undefeated if he hadnât crossed paths with Franco.
Co-Feature
In the 10-round co-feature, LA-area junior welterweight Arnold Barboza Jr improved to 26-0 (10) with a lopsided decision over Mexico Cityâs Antonio Moran (26-5-1). Moran was a willing mixer despite fighting the last eight rounds with a broken nose, but Barboza seldom took a backward step and landed the harder punches. The judges had it 100-90 and 99-91 twice.
Nico Ali Walsh
The pro debut of middleweight Nico Ali Walsh went as expected. Wearing his grandfatherâs retro boxing trunks, Walsh bombed out sacrificial lamb Jordan Weeks in the opening round. A right hand over the top knocked Weeks to the canvas and Walsh revved up his attack. With nothing coming back, the referee wisely stepped in. The official time was 1:49.
Weeks entered the bout with a 4-1 record but this was his first fight outside South Carolina. Ali Walsh the boxer is a work in a progress, but the well-spoken, 21-year-old Las Vegas resident has the best backstory in the sport and oozes charisma.
Other Bouts
Andrew Moloneyâs twin brother Jason, a bantamweight, upheld the family name with a 10-round unanimous decision over Chicagoâs Joshua Greer Jr. Jason Moloney, in his first fight back since last October when he was stopped in the seventh round by the Japanese monster, Naoya Inoue, improved his ledger to 22-2. The scores were 96-94 and 98-92 twice. Greer slipped to 22-3-2.
Las Vegas lightweight Andres Cortes, whose nickname is Savage, stepped up in class and lived up to his nickname, starching former world title challenger Genesis Servania in the opening round. Cortes (15-0, 8 KOs) knocked Servania through the ropes with a left hook moments before the end of the round. After starting the count, referee Jack Reiss waived it off. A Filipino who has taken up residence in Japan, Servania (34-3) hadnât previously been stopped.
Dignity Sports Health Park, Carson, CA
John Riel Casimero, making the second defense of the WBO world bantamweight title he won with a third-round blast-out of favored Zolani Tete in Birmingham, England, turned away Guillermo Rigondeaux, winning a split decision (117-111, 116-112, 113-115).
Casimero, a Filipino who at age 34 was six years younger than Rigondeaux, was a consensus 5/2 favorite but on paper this was an even match-up between two fighters who won titles in multiple divisions and had a wealth of experience in world title fights
Unfortunately, an âevenâ fight on paper can be a dull fight and this fight was dull in the extreme as neither man showed any inclination to exchange, in particular Rigondeaux, the two-time Olympic gold medalist who delivered another one of his âsnoozers.â Casimero (31-4) had won six straight inside the distance coming in, but never hurt Rigondeaux who declined to 20-2.
The fans deserved better as the chief supporting bout between Gary Antonio Russell and Emmanuel Rodriguez likely established a new world record for the fastest âno contestâ in the history of the sport. The bout consumed all of 16 seconds. The queer ending was the result of an accidental head butt that left the Puerto Rican unable to continue.
In another bout of note, Brandun Lee, a 22-year-old knockout artist from the California desert community of La Quinta, forged yet another fast knockout, taking apart Argentinaâs Ezequiel Fernandez who was blown away in 100 seconds. Lee (23-0, 21 KOs) has now knocked out 13 opponents in the opening round. Interestingly, this was Leeâs first fight in his home state. He had previously fought in Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, Indiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Iowa, Texas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Connecticut, Washington DC, and Mexico. The shell-shocked Fernandez (28-5-1) hadn’t previously been stopped.
Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas
By all appearances, there was more action in the second round of the fight between Virgil Ortiz Jr and Egidijus Kavaliauskas than in all 12 rounds of the Casimero-Rigondeaux fight. Kavaliauskas hurt Ortiz with a right uppercut, but Ortiz came back to land some harsh punches of his own before the round was finished.
Ortiz, from the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, was fighting in his backyard. Heading in, he had won all 17 of his pro fights inside the distance and no opponent had lasted beyond the seventh round.
Kavaliauskas, a two-time Olympian for Lithuania, lasted beyond the seventh but just barely. Ortiz had him on the canvas four times in the eighth and five times overall before the bout was halted. It was a performance that stamped him a serious threat in a welterweight division that is very strong at the top, plus bringing him a fringe WBO title. Kavaliauskas, 33, falls to 21-2-1. His other loss came at the hands of Terence Crawford.
Check out more boxing news on video at the Boxing Channel
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Weekend Recap and More with the Accent of Heavyweights

There were a lot of heavyweights in action across the globe this past weekend including six former Olympians. The big fellows added luster to a docket that was deep but included only one world title fight.
The bout that attracted the most eyeballs was the 10-rounder in Manchester between Filip Hrgovic and Joe Joyce. Hrgovic took the match on three weeksâ notice when Dillian Whyte suffered a hand injury in training and was forced to pull out.
Dillian Whyte is rugged but Joe Joyceâs promoter Frank Warren did Joe no favors by rushing Filip Hrgovic into the breach. The Croatian was arguably more skilled than Whyte and had far fewer miles on his odometer. Joyce, who needed a win badly after losing three of his previous four, would find himself in an underdog role.
This was a rematch of sorts. They had fought 12 years ago in London when both were amateurs and Joyce won a split decision in a 5-round fight. Back then, Joyce was 27 years old and Hrgovic only 20. Advantage Joyce. Twelve years later, the age gap favored the Croatian.
In his first fight with California trainer Abel Sanchez in his corner, Hrgovic had more fuel in his tank as the match wended into the late rounds and earned a unanimous decision (98-92, 97-93, 96-95), advancing his record to 18-1 (14).
It wasnât long ago that Joe Joyce was in tall cotton. He was undefeated (15-0, 14 KOs) after stopping Joseph Parker and his resume included a stoppage of the supposedly indestructible Daniel Dubois. But since those days, things have gone haywire for the âJuggernaut.â His loss this past Saturday to Hrgovic was his fourth in his last five starts. He battled Derek Chisora on nearly even terms after getting blasted out twice by Zhilei Zhang but his match with Chisora gave further evidence that his punching resistance had deteriorated.
Joe Joyce will be 40 years old in September. He should heed the calls for him to retire. âOne thing about boxing, you get to a certain age and this stuff can catch up with you,â says Frank Warren. But in his post-fight press conference, Joyce indicated that he wasnât done yet. If history is any guide, he will be fed a soft touch or two and then be a steppingstone for one of the sportâs young guns.
The newest member of the young guns fraternity of heavyweights is Delicious Orie (yes, âDeliciousâ is his real name) who made his pro debut on the Joyce-Hrgovic undercard. Born in Moscow, the son of a Nigerian father and a Russian mother, Orie, 27, earned a college degree in economics before bringing home the gold medal as a super heavyweight at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He was bounced out of the Paris Olympics in the opening round, out-pointed by an Armenian that he had previously beaten.
Orie, who stands six-foot-six, has the physical dimensions of a modern-era heavyweight. His pro debut wasnât memorable, but he won all four rounds over the Bosnian slug he was pitted against.
Las Vegas
The fight in Las Vegas between former Olympians Richard Torrez Jr and Guido Vianello was a true crossroads fight for Torrez who had an opportunity to cement his status as the best of the current crop of U.S.-born heavyweights (a mantle he inherited by default after aging Deontay Wilder was knocked out by Zhilei Zhang following a lackluster performance against Joseph Parker and Jared Anderson turned in a listless performance against a mediocrity from Europe after getting bombed out by Martin Bakole).
Torrez, fighting in his first 10-rounder after winning all 12 of his previous fights inside the distance, out-worked Vianello to win a comfortable decision (97-92 and 98-91 twice).
Although styles make fights, itâs doubtful that Torrez will ever turn in a listless performance. Against Vianello, noted the prominent boxing writer Jake Donovan, he fought with a great sense of urgency. But his fan-friendly, come-forward style masks some obvious shortcomings. At six-foot two, heâs relatively short by todayâs standards and will be hard-pressed to defeat a top-shelf opponent who is both bigger and more fluid.
Astana, Kazakhstan
Torrezâs shortcomings were exposed in his two amateur fights with six-foot-seven southpaw Bakhodir Jalolov. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, the Big Uzbek was in action this past Saturday on the undercard of Janibek Alimkhanulyâs homecoming fight with an obscure French-Congolese boxer with the impossible name of Anauel Ngamissengue. (Alimkhanuly successfully defended his IBF and WBO middleweight tiles with a fifth-round stoppage).
Jalolov (15-0, 14 KOs) was extended the distance for the first time in his career by Ukrainian butterball Ihor Shevadzutski who was knocked out in the third round by Martin Bakole in 2023. Jalolov won a lopsided decision (100-89. 97-92, 97-93), but it did not reflect well on him that he had his opponent on the canvas in the third frame but wasnât able to capitalize.
At age 30, Jalolov is a pup by current heavyweight standards, but one wonders how he will perform against a solid pro after being fed nothing but softies throughout his pro career.
Hughie Fury
Hughie Fury, Tysonâs cousin, has been gradually working his way back into contention after missing all of 2022 and 2023 with injuries and health issues. Early in his career he went 12 in losing efforts with Joeph Parker, Kubrat Pulev, and Alexander Povetkin, but none of his last four bouts were slated for more than eight rounds.
His match this past Friday at Londonâs venerable York Hall with 39-year-old countryman Dan Garber was a 6-rounder. Fury reportedly entered the fight with a broken right hand, but didnât need more than his left to defeat Garber (9-4 heading in) who was dismissed in the fifth round with a body punch. In the process, Fury settled an old family score. Their uncles had fought in 1995. It proved to be the last pro fight for John Fury (Tysonâs dad) who was defeated by Danâs uncle Steve.
Negotiations are reportedly under way for a fight this summer in Galway, Ireland, between Hughie Fury and Dillian Whyte.
Looking Ahead
The next big heavyweight skirmish comes on May 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Efe Ajagba and Martin Bakole tangle underneath Canelo Alvarezâs middleweight title defense against William Scull.
Ajagba has won five straight since losing to Frank Sanchez, most recently winning a split decision over Guido Vianello. Bakole, whose signature win was a blast-out of Jared Anderson, was knocked out in two rounds by Joseph Parker at Riyadh in his last outing, but there were extenuating circumstances. A last-minute replacement for Daniel Dubois, Bakole did not have the benefit of a training camp and wasnât in fighting shape,
At last glance, the Scottish-Congolese campaigner Bakole was a 9/2 (minus-450) favorite, a price that seems destined to come down.
On June 7, Fabio Wardley (18-0-1, 17 KOs) steps up in class to oppose Jarrell Miller (26-1-2) at the soccer stadium in Wardleyâs hometown of Ipswich. In his last start in October of last year, Wardley scored a brutal first-round knockout of Frazer Clarke. This was a rematch. In their first meeting earlier that year, they fought a torrid 10-round draw, a match named the British Fight of the Tear by British boxing writers.
Miller last fought in August of last year in Los Angeles, opposing Andy Ruiz. Most in attendance thought that Miller nicked that fight, but the match was ruled a draw. For that contest, Miller was a svelte 305 œ pounds.
Wardley vs. Miller is being framed as a WBA eliminator. Wardley, fighting on his home turf, opened an 11/5 (minus-220) favorite.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Results and Recaps from Las Vegas where Richard Torrez Jr Mauled Guido Vianello

LAS VEGAS, NV â In an inelegant but wildly entertaining rumble, Richard Torrez Jr, bullied his way past Guido Vianello. The 10-round heavyweight contest, an appealing match-up between former Olympians, was the featured attraction on a Top Card at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.
Torrez, the pride of Tulare, California and a 5/2 favorite, promised to show more dimensions to his game, but was the same old frenetic bull-rusher. Torrez likes to dig inside and smother the punches of his opponent who is invariably taller. His chief asset is an engine that never quits.
The early rounds were marred by a lot of wrestling. Referee Tom Taylor, who had a difficult assignment, took a point away from Vianello for holding in round two, a controversial call although it proved to be a moot point.
Vianello, who was coming off an eighth-round stoppage of Russian-Canadian behemoth Arslanbek Makhmudov, wasnât able to build on that victory and declined to 13-3-1 (11). Torrez, competing in his first scheduled 10-rounder, won by scores of 97-92 and 98-91 twice, improving to 13-0 (11).
Co-Feature
In a tactical fight (translation: no fireworks) Lindolfo Delgado remained undefeated with a 10-round majority decision over Elvis Rodriguez. The scores were 95-95 and 96-94 twice.
Delgado, a 2016 Olympian for Mexico, won over the judges by keeping Rodriguez on his back foot for most of the fight. However, Rodriguez won the most lopsided round of the bout, the ninth, when he hurt the Mexican with a punch that sent him staggering into the ropes.
Delgado, a 3/2 favorite, improved to 23-0 (17). It was the second pro loss for Rodriguez (17-2-1), a 29-year-old Dominican who trains in Los Angeles under Freddie Roach.
Abdullah Mason
Cleveland southpaw Abdullah Mason celebrated his 21st birthday by winning his first scheduled 10-rounder. Mason (18-0, 16 KOs) scored three knockdowns before the fight was waived off after the sixth frame.
Masonâs opponent, Mexican southpaw Carlos Ornelas (28-5), fought a curious fight. He wasnât knocked down three times, not exactly; he merely thought it prudent to take a knee and after each occasion he did his best work, if only for a few brief moments.
Ornelas, a late sub for Giovanni Cabrera who had to pull out with an eye injury, was clearly buzzed after the third âknockdown.â The doctor examined him after the sixth round and when Ornelas left his corner with an unsteady gait, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough.
Other Bouts
Featherweight Albert âChop Chopâ Gonzalez, a protĂ©gĂ© of Robert Garcia, improved to 14-0 (7) with an 8-round unanimous decision over Australiaâs durable but limited Dana Coolwell. The judges had it 80-72, 78-74, and 77-75.
The granite-chinned Coolwell (13-4) was making his second start in a U.S. ring after taking Shu Shu Carrington the distance in an 8-rounder underneath the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson exhibition at the stadium of the Dallas Cowboys.
SoCal bantamweight Steven Navarro, the TSS 2024 Prospect of the Year, stepped up in class and scored a fourth-round stoppage of Mexicaliâs Juan Esteban Garcia who was winning the fourth round when Navarro (6-0, 5 KOs) reversed the momentum with a flourish, forcing the stoppage at the 2:46 mark.
Junior middleweight Art Barrera Jr (8-0, 6 KOs) polished off Daijon Gonzalez in the second round. Barrera decked Gonzalez with a hard left hook and when Gonzales got to his feet, he was immediately greeted with another devastating punch which forced the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:56 of round two. A 32-year-old campaigner from Davenport, Iowa, Gonzalez brought a 12-5 record but had scored only one win vs. an opponent with a winning record.
Jahi Tucker, a 22-year-old middleweight from Deer Park, Long Island, scores his best win to date, winning a lopsided decision over former British junior middleweight champion Troy Williamson. Â The scores were 99-89 across the board.
Tucker (14-1-1) scored two knockdowns. The first in the second round was called a slip but overruled on replay. The second, in round eight, was the result of a left hook. Williamson stayed on his feet but the ropes held him up and it was properly scored a knockdown. The Englishman, 34, fell to 20-4-1 in what was his U.S. debut.
In a junior lightweight bour slated for eight rounds, 21-year-old Las Vegas southpaw DJ Zamora, advanced to 16-0 (11 KOs) with a fourth-round stoppage of Tex-Mex campaigner Hugo Alberto Castaneda (15-2-1). The official time was 1:24 of round four.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Filip Hrgovic Defeats Joe Joyce in Manchester

In a battle to retain heavyweight contender status, Filip Hrgovic out-fought Joe âThe Juggernautâ Joyce to win by unanimous decision on Saturday on Queensberry Promotionsâ first card on DAZN.
It was a heavyweight brawl.
Croatiaâs Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs) was the more accurate puncher over Englandâs Joyce (16-4, 15 KOs) in their heavyweight title fight at Manchester, England. Both were coming off losses.
Hrgovic, 32, entered the boxing ring as a replacement for Joyceâs original foe Dillian Whyte. Though short on notice, he worked with Abel Sanchez who formerly trained Joyce. It proved to be a wise move.
From the opening round Hrgovic opened-up with a battering attack, especially with the one-two combination that rocked Joyce repeatedly in the first two rounds. The British fighter known for his rock-hard chin, withstood the challenge.
âHe is a beast,â said Hrgovic. âThis guy is like steel.â
For the first half of the 10-round heavyweight clash, Hrgovic was the aggressor and the much more accurate puncher. Joyce seemed unsteady on his legs but every round he seemed to gain more stability and confidence.
By midway, Joyce resorted to his juggernaut ways and began to stalk the Croatian fighter whom he defeated in the amateurs a dozen years ago.
Though Joyce had lost by knockout to Zhilei Zhang and was knocked down by Derek Chisora, he was able to remain upright throughout the match with Hrgovic despite some wicked shots.
Just when it seemed Joyce might take over the fight, Hrgovic opened-up with an eight-punch volley in the eighth round that had the British heavyweight reeling. The fight turned around.
Hrgovic seemed to get a second wind and began connecting with left hooks and pinpoint accurate combinations. Joyce tried to fight back but his accuracy was off. The Croatian fighter regained the momentum and never allowed Joyce back in the fight.
After 10 rounds all three judges scored for Hrgovic 97-93, 96-95, 98-92.
âI came to fight on short notice. Thanks to God he gave me strength,â said Hrgovic. âThanks to Joe for the opportunity.â
The Croatian fighter said he seeks a fight with IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois.
âThis guy beat Dubois and I beat him,â said Hrgovic who lost to Dubois a year ago but defeated Joyce who knocked out Dubois when they fought.
Other Bouts
Heavyweight David Adeleye (14-1, 13 KOs) knocked out Jeamie Tshikeva (8-2, 5 KOs) during a clinch and interference by the referee. It remained a knockout win for Adeleye at 55 seconds of the sixth round. Adeleye becomes the British heavyweight champion.
Super lightweight Jack Rafferty (26-0, 17 KOs) knocked out Cory OâRegan (14-1, 3 KOs) in a punch seemingly delivered during a clinch in the fifth round. The match was stopped at 2:26 of the sixth round.
British Olympian Delicious Orie (1-0) made his pro debut and won by decision over Milos Veletic (3-8) in a heavyweight contest.
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Bernard Fernandez Reflects on His Special Bond with George Foreman
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
A Paean to George Foreman (1949-2025), Architect of an Amazing Second Act
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: Callum Walsh Returns to Madison Square Garden
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Spared Prison by a Lenient Judge, Chordale Booker Pursues a World Boxing Title
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Sebastian Fundora TKOs Chordale Booker in Las Vegas
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Keith Thurman Returns with a Bang; KOs Brock Jarvis in Sydney
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden