By Jeff Aranow: WBA World bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (16-0, 14 KOs) weighed in at … read more
By Jim Dower: World Boxing Association ‘regular’ bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue defends his title on … read more
Payano is ready for next season’s quest for Ali Trophy in the 118lb division
Former world champion Juan Carlos Payano is the latest addition to the sensational Season II bantamweight line-up.
By Jim Dower: #12 WBA Rau’shee Warren (14-1, 4 KOs) defeated WBA World bantamweight champion Juan Carlos Payano (17-1, 8 KOs) by a narrow 12 round majority decision on Saturday night to capture the WBA 118lb title on Premier Boxing Champions on NBC from the UIC Pavilion, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The final judges’ scores were 114-114, 115-113 and 115-113. Boxing News 24 scored it eight rounds to four for Payano.
(Photo credit: Nabeel Ahmad/Premier Boxing Champions) By Patrick McHugh: #2 WBC, #3 WBA, #4 WBO light heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara (28-3, 16 KOs) made weight on Friday in coming in at 174.5 pounds for his scheduled 12 round fight against prospect Joe Smith Jr. (21-1, 17 KOs) for their fight on Saturday night Premier Boxing Champions on NBC and NBCSN from the UIC Pavilion, in Chicago, Illinois.
Smith, 26, weighed in at 173lbs. This should be an interesting fight for while it lasts. Fonfara, 28, is seen as the far better fighter though, and this one figures to be a mismatch. Smith hasn’t been fighting quality opposition, and he was taken out in four rounds by a fighter named Eddie Caminero (6-3) in 2010. The Fonfara-Smith fight gives Fonfara a decent stay busy fight to keep him ready until he gets a title shot against one of the 175lb champions. It would be surprising if Smith is still aroun by the later rounds of the contest.
(Photo credit: Nabeel Ahmad/Premier Boxing Champions) CHICAGO (June 15, 2016) – Fight week kicked-off in Chicago on Wednesday for Premier Boxing Champions on NBC taking place this Saturday, June 18 at the UIC Pavilion headlined by light heavyweight bruiser Andrzej Fonfara battling hard-hitting New Yorker Joe Smith Jr.
Televised coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT and features a bantamweight world championship rematch between Juan Carlos Payano and Rau’shee Warren plus rising star Erickson Lubin battling Mexico’s Daniel Sandoval. At 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, PBC coverage switches to NBCSN and will feature a battle of unbeaten middleweights as Hugo Centeno Jr. takes on Poland’s Maciej Sulecki.