Floyd Diaz: record, next fight and profile →
NEW YORK – Jahi Tucker overwhelmed D’Andre Smith to remain unbeaten Saturday night on the Artur Beterbiev-Joe Smith Jr. undercard. Tucker battered Smith for most of the final three rounds of their welterweight bout at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater. A New York State Athletic Commission physician eventually instructed referee Shawn Clark to stop the one-sided action at 2:27 of the fourth round.
Neither Artur Beterbiev nor Joe Smith Jr. uttered a word while they stared at each other on a stage Friday inside Madison Square Garden.
Southern California 140-pound standout Arnold Barboza Jr. wanted the main event spotlight. He’ll get his opportunity to shine when he takes on Puerto Rican contender Danielito “El Zorro” Zorrilla in a 10-round junior welterweight showdown Friday, July 15, at the Pechanga Summit at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.
Luis Alberto Lopez continues to make a strong case for a world title shot. The top-ranked IBF featherweight contender from Mexico breezed past Raul Chirino, dropping his outmatched adversary four times en route to a fourth-round (set for eight) knockout.
Southpaw heavyweight prospect Antonio "El Gigante" Mireles (1-0, 1 KO) scored a giant pro debut, knocking down Demonte Randle (2-2, 2 KOs) three times in the first round to score a KO win.
A scale malfunction made Emanuel Navarrete and Joet Gonzalez wait a few extra minutes to make weight Thursday afternoon in San Diego.
DeMichael Harris had to go a little deeper to preserve his perfect knockout to win ratio. The unbeaten prospect from Cleveland was extended beyond the second round for the first time as a pro, though able to handle Argentina’s Jonatan Hernan Godoy. Harris forced a stoppage at 3:00 of round three in their lightweight contest Saturday evening on ESPN+ from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Vasiliy Lomachenko is on a mission to reclaim his place among the sport’s very best. Step one for the two-time Olympic Gold medalist and former three-division titlist comes this Saturday, as Lomachenko (14-2, 10KOs) faces Japan’s Masayoshi Nakatani (19-1, 13KOs) in a scheduled 12-round lightweight contest. Both boxers made weight for their bout Saturday evening, which streams live on ESPN+ from Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
After a close call in his last fight, Giovani Santillan is set to add to his name to the ranks of the top welterweight contenders. Santillan will return from a yearlong layoff to fight seasoned pro Cecil McCalla in a crossroads battle scheduled for eight or 10 rounds this Saturday, June 26 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Eric Puente picked up his third consecutive win in the Las Vegas Bubble, outpointing Sergio Vega over four rounds. Scores were 40-36 on the scorecards of all three judges in favor of Puente in their ESPN+ streamed lightweight bout Saturday evening at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.