Author: admin436

Live Results

Viddal Riley (14-0, 7 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Mateusz Masternak (47-7, 31 KOs) to claim the European cruiserweight title. Riley controlled the fight with his jab, movement, and combination punching, keeping Masternak at range and winning the majority of rounds clearly. Masternak had isolated moments, including a late left hook, but was largely outworked as Riley secured a wide points victory. The scores were 118-110, 118-110, and 119-109.

Denzel Bentley (20-3-1, 17 KOs) stopped Endry Saavedra (16-2-1, 13 KOs) in the seventh round to win the interim WBO middleweight title. Bentley built control through steady pressure and punch output before closing the fight with a sustained attack that forced the referee to step in, a call some felt came quickly. Saavedra had moments early, but Bentley’s accuracy and pace wore him down as the rounds progressed.

Light welterweight Ashton Sylve (13-1, 10 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Tony Galaviz (15-5-2, 9 KOs) in his UK debut, with scores of 80-72, 80-72, and 78-74 across eight rounds.

Main Event

Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora
(Heavyweight, 12 rounds)

Co-Main Event

Viddal Riley vs Mateusz Masternak
(Cruiserweight, 12 rounds – European title)

Undercard

Denzel Bentley vs Endry Saavedra
(Middleweight, 12 rounds)

Matty Harris vs Franklin Ignatius
(Heavyweight, 8 rounds)

Amir Anderson vs Jordan Dujon
(Middleweight, 8 rounds)

Ashton Sylve vs Raul Antonio Galaviz
(Super lightweight, 8 rounds)

 

“I’m born and raised here. I’m undefeated. I can talk a lot better than most of the guys,” Cortes said to Boxingscene. “I love to put on a good show for the people.”

Cortes (24-0, 13 KOs), a Las Vegas native, faces Eridson Garcia (23-1, 14 KOs) at the Meta Apex, with Garcia entering as a slight betting favorite following his December win in Riyadh Season, where he scored a knockdown before taking a split decision.

The matchup puts Cortes in a prominent position despite a record built without wins over established top-level opposition. His 2024 bout against Abraham Nova was competitive, and some observers viewed it as a questionable decision.

While Cortes got the win, it wasn’t the kind of dominant performance that screams future champion. Facing Garcia, who is coming off a split-decision win in Saudi Arabia, feels like matchmaking designed to see which of these two is actually a contender and which is just a house fighter.

With many of the top stars moving up to 135 for bigger paydays, the junior lightweight division has struggled for identity. It makes it easier for someone like Cortes to maintain an undefeated record without actually crossing paths with a monster.

“It’s the biggest opportunity. It’s local for me,” Cortes said. “I definitely expect a lot of people to be watching.”

If Cortes struggles or wins another close, debatable decision, it confirms in the minds of fans that he’s not as good as his unbeaten record looks. For Garcia, this is his chance to prove that his win in Riyadh wasn’t a one-off.

 

“I think this fight comes down to how comfortable Zayas gets offensively,” Edwards said to Boxingscene. “If he settles down and tries to put hurt on Boots, I believe he gets stopped. If he moves constantly, I believe he can go the distance.”

Edwards is likely looking at Zayas’ recent performances against Abass Baraou and Jorge Garcia Perez and seeing a fighter who has already started leaning on a safety-first style when the going gets a bit tough. When he was under fire in those fights, he held or moved.

Those last two fights showed Zayas is willing to play it safe to get the win. Edwards is betting that against Boots, playing it safe only delays the inevitable.

Zayas is expected to rely on movement early, using his feet and lateral motion to manage distance against a fighter Edwards described as capable of landing shots opponents haven’t experienced before. The challenge, as Edwards sees it, is what happens when rounds pass and the pace becomes harder to maintain.

“He can either decide to keep moving and go the distance and get a moral victory like Hector Camacho,” Edwards said about Xander. “Or go out on his shield like Felix Trinidad.”

It sounds like Edwards thinks that style is exactly what leads to the “Camacho” outcome, a loss where Zayas survives but fails to actually win the fight.

When Edwards mentions Zayas moving and potshotting to go the distance for a “moral victory,” he is essentially saying that while the style might keep Zayas from getting knocked out, it won’t be enough to beat Ennis. In Edwards’ view, movement and clinching are survival tactics, not winning ones.

Moving and clinching is exhausting for a fighter. Edwards points out that as the rounds pass, that pace becomes harder to maintain. Eventually, the legs tire, the clinches get sloppy, and Ennis finds the opening.

Edwards is basically setting up a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario. If Zayas uses the clinch/move style you’ve seen recently, Edwards thinks he loses a decision. If he tries to stand his ground to actually win, Edwards thinks he gets stopped.

Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) took the verdict over 12 rounds at the O2 Arena, with scores of 115-111 and 115-113 in his favor, and 115-112 for Chisora. The fight was billed as a milestone night for both veterans, yet it played out as a scrappy, physical contest that never fully settled into control for either man.

Chisora (36-14, 23 KOs) did what he always does. He walked forward from the opening bell, crowded Wilder, and forced him to work at a pace he rarely prefers. Early rounds saw Chisora land to the body and push Wilder back, using his weight and pressure to disrupt any clean rhythm. Wilder had moments with the jab and right hand, but he also spent long stretches reacting rather than dictating.

The middle rounds turned messy. Wilder found more success when he kept space and timed Chisora coming in, landing the cleaner shots of the two, but the fight never became comfortable. There were knockdowns reported on both sides during the exchanges, and Wilder was docked a point in the eighth round for pushing during clinches, which added to the sense that the fight was slipping into chaos rather than control.

Chisora’s work rate and willingness to absorb punishment kept him in every round. He continued to press inside, landing hooks and short shots, and made Wilder earn every second of the fight. The London crowd responded to his effort, especially during the later rounds when fatigue set in, but the pressure did not.

Wilder’s best moments came when he stayed composed behind the jab. His right hand still carried threat, and in the closing rounds, he landed enough clean shots to separate himself in what had been a close fight. The final stretch was difficult to score, with both men trading and holding in a fight that leaned more on effort than precision.

The decision reflected that split view. Two judges sided with Wilder’s cleaner punching, while the third preferred Chisora’s pressure and volume. It was not a dominant win, and it did little to suggest Wilder is back at the level he once occupied.

Afterward, Wilder spoke about another run at a world title. The performance suggested he remains dangerous, but also showed the limitations that have appeared in recent fights. Chisora, meanwhile, left the ring to a strong reception after another night built on toughness and pressure, even in defeat.

If you’re a Wilder fan, but it’s becoming harder to ignore his missing right-hand power. He’d talked about having suffered a right shoulder injury before his last fight against Anthony Herndon and had undergone surgery for the problem. Jeff ‘Left Hook’ Lacy was never the same after that rotator cuff tear in that shoulder against Vitali Tszyu, and we might be seeing a similar extinction of a signature weapon with Wilder’s right hand.

Against a fighter like “Del Boy,” who is essentially a stationary target for long periods, the old Wilder would have found a home for the right hand within six rounds. Instead, he relied on a pawing jab and clinching. The fact that he won a split decision against a 42-year-old Chisora without ever really hurting him with the straight right says a lot.

Wilder actually admitted after the Zhilei Zhang loss that he had been fighting with a broken arm and two shoulder tears that he hadn’t fully realized were that severe. While he had surgery and claimed to be 100% for the “return” against Herndon, the biomechanics just don’t look the same.

Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs), 226½ lbs, was awarded the decision over Chisora (36-14, 23 KOs), with scores of 115-111 and 115-113 in his favor, while one judge had it 115-112 for Chisora. The fight featured knockdowns on both sides, a point deduction, and long stretches of clinching.

Chisora, 42, came forward from the opening round, forcing Wilder, 40, onto the back foot and tying him up in close. A late clinch in the first round nearly sent both men over the ropes before referee Marc Bates separated them. Wilder had a better second round but continued to struggle with the physical pressure.

In the third, Chisora briefly paused the action, complaining of an eye issue, before continuing. The fourth saw Chisora land an overhand right that Wilder protested, while the fifth included a warning for Wilder after pushing Chisora to the canvas.

Chisora continued to press in the sixth, landing overhand rights, but Wilder responded late with a right hand that opened a cut over Chisora’s left eye. The fight remained close through six rounds.

The seventh round ended with both fighters going down in a clinch, adding to the disjointed feel of the bout. In the eighth, Wilder was deducted a point for pushing after earlier warnings. Later in the round, he scored a knockdown with a right hand, sending Chisora to the canvas for an eight-count.

Fatigue showed in the ninth, with limited clean punches landing. Both had moments in the tenth, trading at close range. In the eleventh, Wilder knocked Chisora through the ropes for another count.

Chisora had a final surge in the twelfth, dropping Wilder with a left hook to the chin. He continued pressing forward, landing overhand rights as Wilder boxed off the back foot. Both men remained standing at the final bell.

The split decision reflected the fight’s uneven nature, with judges favoring Wilder’s cleaner punches over Chisora’s pressure and volume.

In the co-main event, Viddal Riley (14-0, 7 KOs) outpointed Mateusz Masternak (50-7, 33 KOs) over 12 rounds to claim the European cruiserweight title.

Riley controlled the fight with his jab from the opening rounds and hurt Masternak with right hands in the fifth and sixth. He continued to outland him through the middle rounds and even switched stances late while staying in control. Masternak had moments in the final round but needed a stoppage and could not find it.

Scores were 118-110 twice and 119-109.

In a middleweight bout, Denzel Bentley (22-3-1, 18 KOs) stopped Endry Saavedra (17-2-1, 14 KOs) at 1:38 of the seventh round to win the WBO interim title.

Saavedra had early success, but Bentley found his range and turned the fight. In the seventh, he landed a sustained series of punches that forced referee Darren Sarginson to stop the fight as Saavedra covered up on the ropes.

Elsewhere on the card:

Ashton Sylve (13-1, 10 KOs) outpointed Raul Galaviz Hernandez (15-5-2, 9 KOs) over eight rounds.

Matty Harris (10-1, 6 KOs) stopped Franklin Ignatius (9-2-1, 1 KO) at 0:20 of the second round after a right hand dropped him face-first.

Amir Anderson (7-0, 7 KOs) stopped Jordan Dujon (10-7) at 2:18 of the eighth round after sustained pressure forced the stoppage.

Jermaine Dhliwayo (9-0, 4 KOs) stopped Jake Morgan (7-3, 1 KO) in the seventh round following a knockdown.

Dan Toward (8-1, 6 KOs) stopped Da Veiga (7-1, 2 KOs) in the third round.

Tom Welland (10-1, 5 KOs) defeated Yahir Alexander Solorio Morales (6-23-5, 2 KOs) over four rounds, 40-36.