Ryan Songalia

New Jersey

Journalist. NJ native. Reporter at @Boxingscene. Bylines at ESPN, Rappler, Guardian, The Ring, Vice. @NewmarkJSchool alum. Father. @USABoxing bronze level coach

Articles

Richardson Hitchins: ‘New York boxing is in good hands with me’

1 day ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

NEW YORK — Richardson Hitchins may be returning home as a champion, but he never forgot where he came from. The man known as “Africa” around the local New York scene is from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to be exact, the cross section of Utica Ave & President St., between Rochester Ave. to be even more precise.
Norman Neely, now free and focused, has catching up to do at heavyweight

3 days ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

By the time Norman Neely steps into the ring on June 21, he will have been inactive for 15 months. The fight, an eight-round heavyweight bout against Virginia’s James Willis, will be broadcast live on ESPN+ from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, giving Neely a big audience to return to after being kept out of the ring by injuries since last March.
How Kolbeinn Kristinsson overcame the ref who was ‘helping’ his opponent

4 days ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

In four straight fights over the past year, Kolbeinn Kristinsson has seen the same outcome play out. The Icelandic heavyweight prospect has had all of his opponents retire on their stools, a pattern which makes “The Ice Bear” joke that he is the heavyweight “No-Mas-Chenko.”“It must suck to fight me, I guess,” the 37-year-old from Reykjavik jests after the previously unbeaten Mike Lehnis remained on his stool after the sixth round of their fight on Saturday night in Nuremberg, Germany.
How Kolbeinn Kristinsson overcame the referee who was ‘helping out’ his opponent

4 days ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

In four straight fights over the past year, Kolbeinn Kristinsson has seen the same outcome play out. The Icelandic heavyweight prospect has had all of his opponents retire on their stools, a pattern which makes “The Ice Bear” joke that he is the heavyweight “No-Mas-Chenko.”“It must suck to fight me, I guess,” the 37-year-old from Reykjavik jests after the previously unbeaten Mike Lehnis remained on his stool after the sixth round of their fight on Saturday night in Nuremberg, Germany.
Vito Mielnicki motivated by ‘unacceptable’ performance last fight

1 week ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

After a bitter result in his last fight, Vito Mielnicki Jnr is returning to his home state with a chip on his shoulder. Mielnicki, 20-1-1 (12 KOs), saw a 12-fight winning streak end in his last fight in February, when he had to settle for a majority draw against unbeaten middleweight Connor Coyle at Madison Square Garden. One judge scored the fight in his favor, 96-94, while the other two had it even at 95 apiece. “I didn’t fight my best.
'100%' Khalil Coe turns the tables on Manuel Gallegos

1 week ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

“The Big Steppa” came into the home country of the only pro to beat him and stepped all over him. Khalil Coe earned a satisfying measure of revenge on Friday, punishing Manuel Gallegos and forcing him to retire on his stool after the fifth round at Domo Alcalde in Guadalajara, Mexico. Coe, 10-1-1 (7 KOs), was able to regroup following his ninth round TKO loss to Gallegos, 21-3-1 (18 KOs), mostly using his jab to rearrange the face of his rival.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev stops Luis Castillo, lines up Naoya Inoue next

1 week ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

Murodjon Akhmadaliev cleared the final hurdle to his undisputed showdown with Naoya Inoue, stopping Luis Castillo in the eighth round at Domo Alcalde in Jalisco, Mexico. The WBA interim 122lbs titleholder dominated the overmatched and undersized Castillo, bloodying his face and dropping him twice before the towel was thrown in at the 2:05 mark. Akhmadaliev, 14-1 (11 KOs), of Chust, Uzbekistan stretched his winning streak to three.
Jermall Charlo promises KO win if Thomas LaManna makes mistake

1 week ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

Jermall Charlo may not have fought in over a year, but the former two-division champion wasn’t lacking any confidence at Thursday’s press conference. In the last public event before their weigh-in, the 35-year-old Charlo sent a warning to Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna. LaManna, 39-5-1 (18 KOs), of Millville, New Jersey knows he’s coming into Las Vegas as a significant underdog, but also understands what hangs in the balance.
Khalil Coe, Manuel Gallegos make weight for rematch in Mexico

1 week ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

Will Khalil Coe earn his redemption, or will Manuel Gallegos make it two-for-two against the once-celebrated prospect from New Jersey? The two fighters successfully overcame their last hurdle before their rematch, with both checking in at 173lbs on Thursday, ahead of their Friday clash at Domo Alcalde in Guadalajara, Mexico. Both fighters were heavier for their first fight, which Gallegos won by ninth-round stoppage in November. Gallegos came in at 174 for that fight, while Coe was 175 even.
Pedro Taduran wants unification bout with Oscar Collazo

1 week ago | boxingscene.com | Ryan Songalia

After defeating Ginjiro Shigeoka for a second time, IBF strawweight titleholder Pedro Taduran is targeting the biggest fight at 105lbs. Taduran, a 28-year-old Filipino slugger from Albay province, says the fight he wants to make next is a unification bout with WBA/WBO titleholder Oscar Collazo.