TEMECULA, Calif (June 28, 2019) — The young champion took the old veteran to school. Richard "RC" Commey made the first defense of his IBF world lightweight title, knocking down former world champion Ray Beltran four times en route to an eighth-round knockout in front of 2,795 fans at Pechanga Resort Casino.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has already won titles in three weight divisions in his distinguished career, and he may be looking for another one. The current middleweight kingpin and holder of a super middleweight title has been rumored to be moving up to light heavyweight (175 pounds) to fight Sergey Kovalev. SI’s Chris Mannix took to social media to discuss the situation:

TEMECULA, Calif. (June 26, 2019) – The road to lightweight supremacy continues Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino when IBF world lightweight champion Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KOs) makes the first defense of his title against former lightweight world champion Ray Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KOs).

The winner of Commey-Beltran is expected to fight the winner of the July 19 IBF title eliminator featuring unbeaten sensation Teofimo Lopez and Japanese veteran Masayoshi Nakatani. The winner of this de facto tournament could conceivably face unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko for all four lightweight belts in early 2020.

NEWARK, N.J. (June 25, 2019) — Newark native Shakur Stevenson has graduated from co-headliner to center stage performer. Stevenson, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, will return home for the first time as a professional when he faces former world title challenger Franklin Manzanilla in a 10-round featherweight bout Saturday, July 13 at Prudential Center.

Leo Santa Cruz says he wants to setup a unification fight at 126 against Gary Russell Jr., and if he can’t get that fight, he plans on going after Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis at 130. Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 KOs) is focusing on facing the bigger names in unification fights or title shots. He wants to maximize the time that he has left in his career.

Errol Spence Jr. has mapped out his three-fight plan for unifying the welterweight division in facing Shawn Porter next followed by the winner of Keith Thurman vs. Manny Pacquiao and then finally Terence Crawford.

Errol Spence Jr. says he doesn’t mind if Terence Crawforddefends against Kell Brook in his next fight, but he thinks that Brook is passed his prime. Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum is said to be interested in making the Crawford-Brook fight next.

Hughie Fury will be facing former WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter in a 10 round fight on the undercard of Amir Khan vs. Neeraj Goyat next month on July 12 at the King Abdullah Sports City, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Khan-Goyat will be shown on Channel 5 in the UK.

Eddie Hearn is saying that #1 WBC heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte’s resolution with the World Boxing Council is being finalized today, and he says it’s a “major moment for his career,” in speaking to IFL TV.

Saul Canelo Alvarez has more deserving opponents than Gennady Golovkin to fight in his next match in September says Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez. It’s not about money for Canelo. Golovkin wants the trilogy fight outside of Las Vegas, but he’s not in position to dictate where the third fight will take place.

(June 24, 2019) — British featherweight champion Ryan Walsh will make the sixth defense of his title in a 12-round showdown against the unbeaten Lewis Paulin on the latest edition of #MTKFightNight Friday, June 28 at York Hall in London.

In the 10-round super lightweight co-feature, loquacious contender Ohara “Two Tanks” Davies will take on former lightweight world champion Miguel Vazquez.

LOS ANGELES: Not even pelting rains could stop WBA regular welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao from his efforts to be in tip-top shape for his coming fight with “super” belt-owner Keith Thurman.

The 40-year-old Filipino ring icon bucked sporadic rains that struck the city and cold weather that engulfed the mountainous Griffith Observatory Park on Friday as he looked nearing his peak for the sort of WBA 147-pound unification confrontation with his 30-year-old rival set July 20 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.