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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
THIS weekend’s action took place in various locations around the globe, producing fireworks, controversy, and plenty of talking points. There were cuts in California, exchanges in Japan, fury in Florida and tactical battles in Nottingham. Let’s see who got the better of it and who struggled for relevance. The Belfast favourite was perfectly balanced across the DAZN broadcast, even with two Irish fighters on the bill.
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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
FERNANDO Martinez travelled to Japan for the second time in a year to defeat 115-pound rival Kazuto Ioka by unanimous decision after 12 thrilling rounds. The judges handed in scores of 115-112, 114-113 and 117-110 in favour of the retaining WBA super-flyweight champion. Robert Hoyle’s total, awarding just two rounds to Ioka (accounting for a knockdown), was wide of the mark. The bout started out at a ferocious pace, similar to their first fight.
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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
EMANUEL Navarrete is still the WBO super-featherweight champion after defeating Charly Suarez by technical decision in California last night. A terrible, gushing cut above Navarrete’s left eye in round six caused a controversial end to the fight, two sessions later. Suarez, an active soldier in the Filipino army, landed a swiping left hand that appeared to cause the cut. The referee ruled it had come from a head clash, although replays did not show any such clash.
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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
RAYMOND Muratalla took a confident step up to the next level by dominating Zaur Abdullaev over 12 rounds in the Penchanga Arena, California. The three judges’ totals reflected Muratalla’s impressive display. Steve Weisfeld scored it 118-110, while Dennis O’Connell and David Sutherland went even wider at 119-109 apiece.
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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
ANTHONY Cacace recorded a thrilling knockout win over Leigh Wood in Nottingham. Hurting Wood, who fell into the ropes for a count, Cacace piled on the pressure, forcing Wood’s training team to throw in the towel at 2-15 of round nine. Enjoying the greater career momentum, sharper Cacace set about testing Wood’s ring absence. The Nottingham man had a slight blemish around the left eye as he looked to shake any remaining rust. Cacace’s right hand was helping increase the markings.
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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
EZRA Taylor won a deserved yet always difficult decision over Troy Jones in a gruelling light-heavyweight affair. The pair perfectly whipped up an atmosphere in the Nottingham Arena ahead of Anthony Cacace’s headliner with Leigh Wood. In this battle of undefeated fighters, Taylor picked up the facile WBA Continental ‘Gold’ title for a rankings boost in his fledgling career. He’ll fancy a crack at British 175-pound champion Lewis Edmondson next.
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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
LIAM Davies made a positive start to his new chapter at featherweight, outboxing and outfighting previously unbeaten Kurt Walker over 12 rounds. The new IBF Intercontinental featherweight champion prevailed by scores of 116-112 (Ammar Sakraoui), 117-111 (Bob Williams) and 115-113 (Mikael Hook). There was slight confusion over the appointed judges, as Luigi Boscarelli was initially announced as an official. Regardless of who was scoring it, the right man got the decision.
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4 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
OWEN Cooper bounced back from his first career loss to Ekow Essuman last July with a hard-fought 10-round points win over Chris Kongo. Referee Kevin Parker scored it 96-94 in Cooper’s favour after the 24-year-old took his taller opponent’s best shots early and took over the contest. Kongo’s jab was a key weapon as expected. Spearing out the left range-finder to keep Cooper guessing from a safe distance. Cooper’s feet quickened in the third as he found a home for his own body shots on the inside.
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6 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
BANTAMWEIGHT prospect Adam Maca has signed with Matchroom Boxing. The 17-year-old highly-touted amateur will make his professional debut on June 14 in Madison Square Garden on the undercard of Richardson Hitchins’ IBF super-lightweight title defence against George Kambosos. Now based in Brighton, Maca represented Albania, his country of birth, during an amateur stint that saw him sweep up Junior European titles while picking up five National Championships.
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6 days ago | 
boxingnewsonline.net | Steve Wellings
REWIND the clock to around this time in 2024. Then, suggest that Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero would be riding high off the back of a win over Ryan Garcia, discussing himself as a current face of boxing. The very idea would seem inconceivable. Almost a week after his shock outboxing of ‘King Ry’, as the fight favourite sat on the cusp of a money-spinning Devin Haney rematch, Romero was busy holding a media roundtable in Los Angeles discussing his newfound success.
