Arne K. Lang

6 days ago | tss.ib.tv | Arne K. Lang

If you had been around the Las Vegas Convention Center last week and had run into a fellow who told you that boxing was dead, you would have thought that guy was a moron. More than 1400 boxers descended on that complex last week as did at least as many interested parties – parents, coaches, ring officials, etc. The occasion was the 2025 USA National Junior Olympics and Summer Festival, the largest event in amateur boxing.

1 week ago | tss.ib.tv | Arne K. Lang

Promoter Bob Arum (Top Rank) collaborated with promoters Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, and Vito Mielnicki Sr to present a card at the Prudential Center in Newark tonight that aired on ESPN+. The card, which had a club fight flavor from the anthem singers to the ring announcer to the ring card girls (no disrespect to the excellent work of James “Smitty” Smith), featured Mielnicki’s son in the main event.

1 week ago | tss.ib.tv | Arne K. Lang

Heading in to his match with defending WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr, Jin Sasaki rated his chance of winning at 80 percent. Norman was more confident, rating his odds at a million percent. In hindsight, Sasaki had no chance whatsoever against the 24-year-old Norman, boxing youngest male champion. Sasaki was on the deck twice in the opening round before Norman ended the contest 46 seconds into the fifth stanza, knocking Sasaki out cold with a frightful left hook.

2 weeks ago | tss.ib.tv | Arne K. Lang

When prowling boxing gyms in Las Vegas, this reporter often bumps into welterweight Blair Cobbs. He’s invariably upbeat. Indeed, when Blair the Flair enters a gym, announcing his arrival with his signature “Woo!” (an homage to Ric Flair), it energizes the entire room. Yesterday his demeanor was out of character. He didn’t really want to talk with someone from the media, but dutifully succumbed to an interview, choosing his words carefully as his body language registered disconsolation.

3 weeks ago | tss.ib.tv | Arne K. Lang

Cruiserweight Jai Opetaia and bantamweight Junto Nakatani are indisputably the best fighters in their weight class. Both were in action today (Sunday, June 8) and both performed as expected, dominating overmatched foes to set up more lucrative matches down the road. Australia’s Opetaia, the IBF world cruiserweight champion, advanced to 28-0 (22 KOs) with a fifth-round stoppage of Claudio Squeo. The match was staged in Broadbeach, Queensland.