Notebook: Charlo-Castano II lands in Carson, a 3rd bout added to Showtime broadcast

BWAA 2021 award winners announced; Roman preps for Fulton; Keyshawn Davis gets coveted TV slot; Alimkhanuly-Dignum to top ESPN card; Quick hits; Show and tell

Mar 30, 2022

A quick note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: If you have upgraded to a paid subscription, thank you! If you have not, please consider doing so to receive the most content. A paid subscription is also your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism.

The unification rematch for the undisputed junior middleweight championship between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano on May 14 has a home: Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions announced on Wednesday.

The main event and the IBF welterweight title eliminator between Jaron Ennis and Custio Clayton in the co-feature has been on the books for a few weeks but the site had not been specified other than being in the Los Angeles area.

Also announced was the opener of the tripleheader. It will be a 10-round junior featherweight bout between Kevin Gonzalez, 24, of Mexico, and Emanuel Rivera, 32, of Puerto Rico.

Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs), 31, of Houston, and Castano (17-0-2, 12 KOs), 32, of Argentina, battled to a draw on July 17, 2021 at the AT&T Center in one of the best fights of last year, so the undisputed champion was not crowned.

They were supposed to meet in the rematch on March 19 at Crypto Arena (the former Staples Center) in Los Angeles, but the fight was postponed because Castano suffered a minor biceps tear in training.

“I’m the unified champ and I’ve got business to finish,” Charlo said. “My total goal as a kid was to win all of the belts as a professional and I plan to make history yet again on May 14, in front of my West Coast fans and all across the world. If you know me, you know how I don’t take opportunities lightly.”

Most thought Castano did enough in the first fight to win but he got the draw. He said he will go for the knockout to make sure he wins this time.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to face Charlo again for all four titles,” Castano said. “This is champion versus champion, just like it should be. The first fight was a great war. The rematch will be no different, but this time I won’t leave it in the judges’ hands. This is my era, and I will prove it.”

Ennis (28-0, 26 KOs), 24, of Philadelphia and Clayton (19-0-1, 12 KOs), 34, of Montreal, will fight for the right to become a mandatory challenger for the winner of the three-belt welterweight unification fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas, who meet April 16 (Showtime PPV).

“I can’t wait for this fight,” Ennis said. “This one means a lot to me. This is another step towards becoming a world champion. My time is now. Camp is going great, and I can’t wait to shine and put on a spectacular performance come May 14. It’s time for me to continue making big statements.”

Said Clayton: “I love challenges and I know that I have a real one on May 14 against Jaron Ennis. That’s why I’m in this sport, to fight the best. When I prove myself against Ennis, nobody is going to be able to deny me a shot at the belts.”

Gonzalez (24-0-1, 13 KOs) will be making his American debut against Rivera (19-2, 12 KOs).

“I am very happy to be fighting on a card of this magnitude,” Gonzalez said. “To have my debut in the U.S. be on this stage, it is an opportunity that I have to take advantage of. No matter who my opponent is, I will always be ready and at my best. I am going to show everyone that I’m ready for the champions.”

River was also excited when he got the word he would box on the undercard of such major fight.

“I was training at the gym when my manager told me I was going to be in this card,” Rivera said. “We never say no to any opponent that wants to fight me. I hope Gonzalez is at 100 percent too, because I want us to put on a show for the fans and I want to continue on my way to fight for a world title. This is an opportunity I can’t let pass me by.”

BWAA award winners

The Boxing Writers Association of America announced the winners of its 2021 awards in seven categories on Wednesday and pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez and his team were big winners. They will be honored at a banquet later in the year.

Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year: Alvarez, who went 3-0 and became the undisputed super middleweight champion.

Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Fight of the Year: Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III. Their heavyweight championship fight went down as an all-time classic, which Fury won by 11th-round knockout in October.

Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year: Eddy Reynoso, who trains Alvarez, among others.

Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year: Reynoso, who manages Alvarez, among others.

John McCain & Bill Crawford award for courage in overcoming adversity: Brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, both former heavyweight champions, who have shown enormous courage and leadership as they remain in Kyiv, Ukraine (where Vitali is mayor) and fight for their country against the unprovoked Russian invasion.

Barney Nagler Long and Meritorious Service award: Hall of Fame ring announcer Michael Buffer.

Marvin Kohn Good Guy award: Ring announcer David Diamante.

Roman prepares for Fulton

Former unified junior featherweight titlist Daniel Roman is anxious to be a unified titleholder once again and has switched up his training methods in an effort to make that goal a reality.

Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs), 31, of Los Angeles, has in place a new strength and conditioning program ahead of his fight with WBC/WBO 122-pound titlist Stephen Fulton Jr. (20-0, 8 KOs), who he meets in the main event of a June 4 card on Showtime at The Armory in Minneapolis.

“This is the fight of a lifetime for me, a chance to become a two-time unified champion, and for that reason, I had to enlist a world-class strength and conditioning team to take me to the next level," Roman said. “We're doing things I have never done before like following my heart rate, doing high-intensity interval training, working on balance.

“Every day I go to the gym I am being pushed to better myself in uncomfortable places. The craziest part is every exercise works towards what I want to do in the ring, so it just adds to the training. I wish I had have done this sooner but am grateful for doing it now.”

Roman has won both of his fights since losing a disputed split decision and his unified WBA/IBF title to Murodjon Akhmadaliev in January 2020.

“I want to be a legend, a Hall of Famer, and to do that I have to win this fight,” Roman said. “I am pushing myself each day in the gym to be my very best. I used to just focus on boxing and running, now I have an equally difficult strength and conditioning workout that compliments my training. I am going to be at a different level since I have never prepared for a fight like this before.”

He’s looking forward to facing Futon, 27, of Philadelphia, who edged Brandon Figueroa by majority decision to unify belts in November.

“In Fulton's last fight, I saw that he didn't handle pressure very well, and in this fight, he needs to improve on that because I am going to bring everything Figueroa brought, and more,” Roman said. “I am working on everything I feel he could have an edge on me in this fight, starting with every aspect of my strength and conditioning. My goal is to surprise him with the newest version of myself on fight night.”

Keyshawn Davis in co-feature

Lightweight prospect and 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis will face Esteban Sanchez in an eight-round bout that will serve as the co-feature to the junior lightweight title unification fight between Oscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson on April 30 (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 10 p.m.), Top Rank announced on Wednesday.

Davis (4-0, 3 KOs), 23, of Norfolk, Virginia, was supposed face Sanchez (18-1, 8 KOs), 23, of Mexico, in the ESPN opener of Edgar Berlanga-Steve Rolls at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, on March 19 but the fight was postponed because Davis had a non-Covid-19 illness.

Top Rank said a few days later it would move to the fight to April 30 card but had not mentioned it would be the co-feature.

“Keyshawn Davis was the most sought-after free agent coming out of the Tokyo Olympics, and he is among the sport’s most gifted fighters,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “The main event features two of the world’s best fighters in Valdez and Stevenson, and I have little doubt that Keyshawn is on his way to becoming a pound-for-pound great.”

Davis, naturally, is expected to be in a prime slot on a major card

“Fighting in Las Vegas at MGM Grand on (NFL) Draft weekend — I was born for this stage,” Davis said. “I am going to put on another flawless performance and then watch from ringside as my brother, Shakur, puts on a show as well. The stars will be out, and they are going to see something special.”

Alimkhanuly-Dignum headlines ESPN card

Top Rank and MTK Global made a deal and avoided a WBO purse bid that was scheduled for Tuesday for the vacant WBO interim middleweight title bout between Janibek Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7 KOs), 28, a Kazakhstan native fighting out of Oxnard, California, and Danny Dignum (14-0-1, 8 KOs), 29, of England.

Top Rank will promote the bout and has scheduled it for May 21 at a site to be determined, Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told Fight Freaks Unite. The fight will headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card.

Alimkhanuly is a pressure fighter while Dignum, a southpaw, is more of a boxer.

“Could be a slugfest, could be a chess match,” Moretti said. “Both possess the same physical characteristics. Interesting fight either way with huge implications for the winner.”

Dignum got the opportunity for the fight when WBO middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade rejected fighting Alimkhanuly, his mandatory challenger, in favor of fighting his next bout for the WBO’s interim super middleweight title against Zach Parker.

Quick hits

The fight between former two-time super middleweight titlist David Benavidez and former middleweight titlist David Lemieux, which headlines a Showtime card on May 21 (10 p.m. ET), will take place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, just outside of Benavidez’s hometown of Phoenix, Premier Boxing Champions announced on Wednesday.

Panya Pradabsri (38-1, 23 KOs), 30, outpointed Thai countryman and former titlist Wanheng Menayothin (55-2, 19 KOs), 36, to retain the WBC strawweight title on Tuesday at city hall in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand. Pradabsri won the action fight 117-111 on all three scorecards to defeat the former titlist for a second time. He narrowly outpointed Menayothin in November 2020 to end his long title reign at 14 successful defenses.

Probellum announced it has signed 18-year-old British amateur standout Ali Tazeem, who has won 15 international gold medals and was 45-6 in the amateurs. He won his final amateur fight on Saturday before announcing his pro deal. “I’ve followed Ali Tazeem’s career for years now and I can assure everyone he’s got all the tools to make it to the very top of this sport,” said Sam Jones, who is Probellum’s head of talent relations. “He’s 18 years old so there is no need to rush him. We can build him nice and slowly, so we know exactly when he’s ready to make the step up. But let me tell you, I cannot wait to watch this journey unfold.”

Show and tell

For several years, Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado were synonymous with action-packed fights. So when Top Rank matched with them with each other on the undercard of the Nonito Donaire-Toshiaki Nishioka junior featherweight unification fight in 2012 it was no surprise that they stole the show with Rios getting a disputed seventh-round stoppage in a junior welterweight title eliminator in an absolute barnburner. They met in an immediate rematch (of their eventual trilogy) for the vacant WBO interim belt and this time they were rightfully in the HBO main event. Alvarado, who was the underdog, and Rios put on another tremendous and competitive fight.

It was a brutal one. In the second round, Alvarado nearly got dropped and was badly hurt by a left jab, of all things. But he rallied, and the fighters finished with a ferocious exchange that was one of the best rounds of the year. Top Rank’s Bob Arum was so enthused that he called it the best round in a fight he had promoted since the all-time epic first round of Marvelous Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns. Alvarado and Rios were both hurt at different times and Alvarado fought most of the fight with a bad cut over his left eye. But he boxed in spots when he had to and did just enough keep Rios off balance and eked out the close rounds to win 115-113, 115-113 and 114-113. The rematch, which I was ringside for at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (and I was ringside for all three of their fights), was on March 30, 2013 — nine years ago on Wednesday. I have all four different posters from the fight in my collection and here is one of them.

Charlo-Castano and Reynoso, Alvarez photos: Amanda Westcott/Showtime; Roman photo: Sean Michael Ham/TGB Promotions

You can now read Fight Freaks Unite in the new Substack app for iPhones.

Available for iOS and Android

With the app, you’ll have a dedicated inbox for my Substack and any others you subscribe to. New posts won’t get lost in your email filters or stuck in spam. Longer posts won’t be cut off by your email app. Overall it’s a big upgrade to the reading experience.

The Substack app is available for iOS. If you don’t have an Apple device, you can join the Android waitlist here.

To upgrade your subscription please go here: https://danrafael.substack.com/subscribe

Fight Freaks Unite