LAS VEGAS (August 22, 2020) — Joe "The Beast" Smith Jr. once again lived up to his moniker. The Long Island native, nearly four years since he knocked Bernard Hopkins through the ropes, knocked out Eleider "Storm" Alvarez in the ninth round of a WBO light heavyweight world title eliminator.
The action continues Wednesday on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET, as MTK Global returns with a closed-door card from Production Park Studios in Wakefield, England. In the 10-round main event, Belfast’s Lewis “The Croc” Crocker will battle Louis Greene for the vacant WBO European welterweight title.
Australia’s most anticipated fistic showdown in years has an American streaming home.
Light heavyweights Joe Smith Jr. and Eleider "Storm" Alvarez took the MGM Grand "Bubble" stage for the main event press conference Thursday afternoon in advance of Saturday's WBO world title eliminator, which will stream live on ESPN+ (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET).
LAS VEGAS (August 19, 2020) — The Dominican Republic’s most feared southpaw slugger since David Ortiz, Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez, returns on the Jose Ramirez-Viktor Postol/Arnold Barboza Jr.-Tony Luis undercard Saturday, Aug. 29 for his third appearance inside the MGM Grand “Bubble." Rodriguez will fight Cody Wilson in a six-round welterweight bout as part of the exclusive undercard stream on ESPN+ (7:30 p.m. ET).
Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman got worked up on Monday when told that Terence Crawford told him to stop mentioning his name and crying wolf as if he’s interested in fighting him.
In taking a swipe at the overweight David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo asked his fans on social media if they want him to go after the vacant WBC super-middleweight title.Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) lost his 168lb title last Friday when he weighed in at 170 3/4 pounds in what was supposed to be his defense against Roamer Alexis Angulo.
(August 17, 2020) — Omar Rosario, a six-time Puerto Rican national amateur champion who won the 2020 Olympic Trials at 152 pounds, signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank.
Carl Frampton had a late replacement opponent in Darren Traynor and a lot to lose with a junior lightweight world title bout against Jamel Herring looming.
WBO junior lightweight world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring hopes the wait is finally over. Herring, a decorated U.S. Marine veteran from Coram, N.Y., will make his second world title defense Saturday, Sept. 5 against Puerto Rican challenger Jonathan Oquendo at the MGM Grand Conference Center.
Former two-weight world champion Carl “The Jackal” Frampton and the unbeaten Michael “Mick” Conlan
(August 10, 2020) — Carl "The Jackal" Frampton will fight Scottish veteran Darren "Trayn-Wreck" Traynor in a 10-round lightweight bout this Saturday, August 15. Frampton was supposed to face Vahram Vardanyan, but visa issues forced Vardanyan to pull out of the fight last week.
(August 10, 2020) — Duke Ragan, the amateur fighting pride of Cincinnati, has elected to punch for pay. Ragan signed a multi-year professional pact with Top Rank, which will co-promote the 22-year-old with Antonio Leonard Promotions.
