Castro's Kingdom

7/1 – Ring Magazine No. 1 Cruiserweight and WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk was announced as one of eight Cruiserweights in the World Boxing Super Series, the 16 man bracket-style elimination tournament that will take place in the Cruiserweight & Super Middleweight divisions. In all, five of the top 10 Ring Magazine rated Cruiserweights along with two of the other recognized World Champs will also participate, including Ring Magazine No. 2 & IBF Champ Murat Gassiev, Ring Magazine No. 4 & WBC Champ Mairis Briedis, Ring Magazine No. 7 Marco Huck, and Ring Magazine No. 10 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. The quarter-finals begin in September with the tournament finishing in May of 2018.

7/1 – Ring Magazine No. 7 Jr Welterweight Eduard Troyanovsky punished unrated Michele Di Rocco, stopping him at 2:18 of the fourth round at the Russia Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia. Troyanovsky was stunned early in round one, but ended up scoring a knockdown later in the round. Knockdowns ensued in the third and early in the fourth round, with Di Rocco rising each time. The fight was stopped shortly after the last knockdown, with Troyanovsky teeing off while Di Rocco was on the ropes. This was Troyanovsky’s first fight since his first career loss, a devastating first round KO to Julius Indongo last December when he lost his IBF Title.

7/1 – Ring Magazine No. 6 Jr Featherweight Diego De La Hoya won a 10 rd UD over unrated Alan Luques by the scores of 98-92 twice & 97-93 at Parque La Pedrera in Villa Mercedes, San Luis, Argentina, Luques’ homeland. There was no drama in this one as De La Hoya was in control throughout. This was his fourth straight bout to go the distance.

7/1 – Ring Magazine No. 7 Jr Middleweight Michel Soro lost a 12 rd SD to unrated, but undefeated Brian Carlos Castaño by the scores of 113-115 twice & 116-112 at the Casino d’Evian, Evian les Bains, Haute-Savoie, France. Castaño won the early rounds, but seemed to tire in the middle rounds and it appeared Soro would get the stoppage. Castaño battled back and re-took control in the later rounds to pull off the upset. Soro lost for the first time in his last 13 fights. Castaño is the new interim WBA champ, with the real champ being Erislandy Lara.

7/2 – Ring Magazine No. 4 Welterweight and WBO Champ Manny Pacquiao shockingly lost a disputed 12 round UD against unrated, but undefeated Jeff Horn by the scores of 117-111 and 115-113 twice at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Pacquiao was cut on both sides of his hair line from unintentional head butts. Horn was almost stopped after taking an all around beating in round nine, with referee in charge Mark Nelson said, “show me something,” in between rounds. Horn fought bravely down the stretch, arguably winning the last two rounds. The fight could easily have been scored four rounds apiece heading into the ninth. Pacquiao needed a total of 17 stitches to close his two cuts, while Horn needed seven for a cut over his right eye. The attendance was 51,052! Horn went the distance for the first time in four fights. Pacquiao had won five of six including back-to-back fights following his loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2015.

7/2 – On the undercard of Pacquiao/Horn, Ring Magazine No. 8 and IBF Jr Bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas successfully defended his title for the second time, stopping unrated and undeserving Teiru Kinoshita with a body shot at 1:53 of the seventh round. Kinoshita was cut over the left eyelid from a punch in the second round and never posed a threat. All three judges had identical 60-54 scorecards at the time of the knockout. Ancajas has now taken on back-to-back suspect opponents since winning the title. Kinoshita hadn’t even fought in the division since 2014 and entered off a win over a fighter making his pro debut. Ancajas has now won 14 straight, 13 by KO.

7/5 – Ring Magazine No. 8 Jr Bantamweight Luis Concepcion knocked out unrated Luis De la Rosa at 1:34 of the second round at Fantastic Casino de Albrook Mall, Panama City, Panama. Concepcion lost the WBA Jr Bantamweight title at the scale before losing a 12 round to Khalid Yafai last December. Concepcion had won 12 of 13 prior to the loss.

7/8 – The World Boxing Super Series announced the first round of matchups that will take place in the Cruiserweight & Super Middleweight divisions. The fights will take place in September and October.

7/9 – Ring Magazine No. 5 Cruiserweight and WBA Champion Denis Lebedev successfully defended his title for the first time with a 12 rd UD by the scores of 120-107 and 119-108 twice over unrated Mark Flanagan at DIVS in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Flanagan survived a ninth round knockdown from a body shot. Lebedev was elevated to full WBA Champion last May when he also won the IBF title. He entered off a 12 rd SD loss to current No. 2 rated Murat Gassiev last December, but only the IBF title was at stake. He’s now won five of six. Flanagan was fighting for the first time outside his native Australia and had his 11 fight win streak snapped.

7/15 – In a battle of top five Jr Lightweights, Ring Magazine No. 4 and WBC Champ Miguel Berchelt successfully defended his title for the first time with a 12 rd UD over No. 5 Takashi Miura by the scores of 120-109, 119-108, and 116-111 at the Forum in Inglewood, Ca. Berchelt scored a knockdown in the first round and both fighters had heated exchanges throughout with Berchelt getting the better results. Berchelt has now won 11 straight since his lone loss in 2014. Miura has lost two of his last four fights, with both losses coming in World Title bouts.

7/15 – On the undercard of Berchelt/Miura, Ring Magazine No. 3 Jr Lightweight and WBA champ Jezreel Corrales successfully made the third defense of his title with a 10 round TD against unrated, yet tough Robinson Castellanos by the scores of 96-92, 94-93, and 94-94. Corrales was dropped twice in the fourth round, yet neither knockdown appeared to seriously hurt the undefeated Panamanian, who scored a knockdown of his own in the seventh round. The fight was stopped after an accidental head clash caused a bad cut on Castellanos. There were numerous head clashes throughout with Castellanos being on the worse end, but Corrales was also bleeding from a cut caused by a punch in the third round. Corrales has now had back-to-back decision wins after stopping his six prior opponents. Castellanos lost for the second time in his last five fights.

7/15 – Also on the undercard of Berchelt/Miura, In a battle of top 10 Light Heavyweights, Ring Magazine No. 8 Sullivan Barrera won a 10 round UD over No. 5 Joe Smith by the scores of 97-92 twice and 96-93. Barrera tasted the canvas late in the first round from a left hook, but shook off the knockdown and was in control the rest of the way. It was revealed afterward that Smith fought through a broken jaw suffered in the second round. Smith had his 17 fight winning streak snapped. Barrera has now won three straight since his lone loss, a 12 round UD against current Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion and No. 1 Pound for Pound Andre Ward. His previous eight wins had all come by stoppage.

7/15 – Ring Magazine No. 9 Light Heavyweight Marcus Browne stopped unrated, but undefeated Sean Monoghan at :40 of the second round. Browne scored a knockdown in the first round and referee in charge Steve Willis halted the one-sided contest, saving Monoghan from a severe beating. Browne, a 2012 US Olympian, has now stopped four of his last five foes.

Courtesy of PA

7/15 – Unrated Chris Eubank Jr won a 12 round UD over Ring Magazine No. 7 Super Middleweight Arthur Abraham by the scores of 120-108 and 118-110 twice at the SSE Arena in London. Abraham made the 168 pound limit at yesterdays weigh-in after initially coming in two pounds heavy. The 37 year old German based Armenian looked every bit his age and fought mostly defensively. Eubank had been rated No. 6 in the Middleweight division by Ring Magazine when the fight was announced. With the win Eubank secured the final spot in the World Boxing Super Series. Abraham lost for just the second time in his last 12 fights. Eubank had his six straight KO streak snapped and was fighting a second straight time as a Super Middleweight. He’s now won seven straight overall since his lone loss in 2014.

7/15 – On the undercard of Abraham/Eubank, Ring Magazine No. 4 Featherweight and IBF Champ Lee Selby successfully defended his title for a third time with a 12 round UD over unrated Jonathan Victor Barros by the scores of 119-108 and 117-110 twice. Selby was never in trouble and scored a knockdown in the twelfth round from a left hook. He was cut over the right eye after a clash of heads in round five, but it didn’t affect the fight. Selby has won 21 straight since his lone loss, a four round decision in 2009. Originally this fight was to take place on Jan 27^th but the fight was cancelled the day prior because Barros failed to submit is medical records to the Nevada commission.

7/15 – Ring Magazine No. 2 Strawweight and WBA Champ Knockout CP Freshmart aka Thammanoon Niyomtrong successfully defended his title for the third time with a 12 round UD by the scores of 117-110 twice and 115-113 over unrated unrated Rey Loreto in Thailand. Niyomtrong has gone the distance in four of his last five fights.

7/17 – Former IBF Featherweight and IBF Jr Lightweight World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero announced his retirement. Guerrero was dropped five times and stopped for the 1^st time in his career on July 15^th against Omar Figueroa. Guerrero ends his career with a record of 33-6-1 with 18 KO’s. He lost five of his last seven bouts, all in the Welterweight division.

7/19 – Former undisputed Middleweight World Champion and 2000 Olympic Bronze medalist Jermain Taylor was arrested and charged on three counts including first degree terrorist threatening after allegedly biting and threatening to kill his girlfriend. He was already on probation at the time of the arrest. Taylor last fought in 2014 and has a record of 33-4-1, 20 KO’s.

7/20 – Former WBO Heavyweight World Champion Shannon Briggs was suspended for six months by the World Boxing Association after a positive doping test conducted on May 14^th. His suspension will end on November 13^th.

7/23 – In a battle of Top 10 Strawweights, Ring Magazine No. 8 Hiroto Kyoguchi won the IBF title with a 12 round UD over No. 4 Jose Argumedo by the scores of 116-111 twice and 115-112 at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Argumedo survived a ninth round knockdown as he was attempting to defend his title for a fourth time. Kyoguchi has now gone the distance in back-to-back fights after stopping his first six foes. He made his pro debut just 15 months ago. Argumedo had his six fight winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in his last 14 fights.

7/23 – On the undercard of Argumedo/Kyoguchi, Ring Magazine No. 3 and WBA Jr Flyweight champ Ryoichi Taguchi successfully defended his title for the sixth time, stopping unrated Robert Barrera at 24 seconds of the ninth round. Taguchi was in complete control from the outset as Barrera showed his heart by refusing to go down. Taguchi is unbeaten in 19 of his last 20 fights.

7/26 – Ring Magazine World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury speculated his retirement via an Instagram message. Fury hasn’t fought since winning the Ring Magazine, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. He stayed out of the ring in 2016 due to well publicized battles with depression, alcohol, and drug use. He was stripped of all the titles except the Ring Magazine belt after being unable to defend them last year. Fury has a record of 25-0, with 18 knockouts.

7/27 – Former WBC/WBO Jr Welterweight and WBO Welterweight World Champion Timothy Bradley has decided to retire. His last fight was a 12 round UD loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2016, therefore making him eligible for the IBHOF in 2021. He finished with a record of 33-2-1, 13 KO’s.

7/28 – Unrated Sho Kimura pulled off a shocking upset, stopping Ring Magazine No. 5 Flyweight and WBO Champ Zou Shiming at 2:28 of the 11^th rd at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, in Shanghai, China. An accidental head butt in the third round left Kimura bleeding badly above his right eye, but he wasn’t deterred and dropped Shiming in the 11^th. Shiming, making the first defense of his title, was able to get to his feet, but was in no shape to continue. Shiming was up on two of the three judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage, 97-93, 96-94 and 94-96. Shiming, a three-time World Amateur Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, had his three fight win streak snapped. It was his first fight since leaving Top Rank and trainer Freddie Roach. Since losing his pro debut, Kimura is now unbeaten over his last 17 fights, stopping eight of nine.

7/29 – Ring Magazine No. 1 Lightweight and WBC Champ Mikey Garcia moved up to Jr Welterweight and won a 12 round UD over unrated, but former four division titlist Adrien Broner by the scores of 117-111 and 116-112 twice at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY. Garcia was in complete control throughout with Broner offering little resistance. After taking two and half years away from the sport due to management issues, Garcia has now fought three times in the last 12 months. He went the distance for just the second time in his last 15 fights.

7/29 – On the Garcia/Broner undercard, Ring Magazine No. 5 Bantamweight Rau’shee Warren moved down to Jr Bantamweight and won a 12 round UD over Ring Mag No. 9 Jr Bantamweight McJoe Arroyo by the scores of 118-110 and 117-111 twice, becoming the mandatory challenger for IBF Champion & Ring Magazine No. 7 Jerwin Ancajas. Warren simply out-boxed Arroyo in a matchup between former Olympians and World Titlists. Warren won for just the second time in his last four fights, however both his losses have been in world title bouts. This was his first fight as a Jr Bantamweight. Arroyo has now lost back to back decisions.

7/30 – Two of the Ring Magazines current top 10 Jr Lightweights announced their retirement. No. 6 Takashi Uchiyama and No. 9 Takashi Miura, both from Japan, were also both former titleholders. Uchiyama held the WBA Jr Lightweight title for a Japanese record six years and three months, successfully defending the title 11 times. His only two losses were in his final two fights. The 37 year old retires with a record of 24-2-1, 20 KO’s. His last fight was in 2016, making him eligible for the IBHOF in 2021. Miura held the WBC Jr Lightweight title for just over two and half years, making four successful defenses. Three of his four losses were in World Title bouts. The 33 year old retires with a record of 31-4-2, 24 KO’s. His last fight was on July 15^th.

7/30 – Ring Magazine No. 8 Jr Lightweight Tevin Farmer was shot in his right hand during a family gathering after a dispute arose. The bullet went straight through without causing any major damage to the hand. He received stitches and is expected to make a full recovery. Farmer last fought on April 29^th. After winning just seven of his first twelve fights, he’s won 18 straight.