Notebook: Heavyweight Torrez takes big step up against Vianello
High stakes in Delgado-Rodriguez; Wardley-Miller set for interim heavyweight belt; Inoue undercard set; Pro boxing returns to Cuba; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr., a hard-hitting southpaw, has been brought along slowly but surely by Top Rank for his first dozen pro fights since claiming the super heavyweight silver medal for the Untied States at the delayed 2020 Olympics and then signing with the company.
And now, having beaten experienced journeyman that prospects are supposed to face as they gain experience on the way up, such as Joey Dawejko and Curtis Harper, the Top Rank brain trust has determined that it is now time for Torrez to take a serious step up in opposition.
Torrez will do so when he meets 2016 Italian Olympian and fellow Top Rank fighter Guido Vianello in the 10-round main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET) at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
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The 6-foot-2 Torrez (12-0, 11 KOs), 25, of Tulare, California, is excited to take on a serious opponent in the 6-6 Vianello (13-2-1, 11 KOs), 30, who fights out of Las Vegas and has already faced quality opponents such as Efe Ajagba in a split decision loss last April followed by an eighth-round knockout of Arslanbek Makhmudov in his most recent fight in August.
“Guido brings a lot to the table. He’s a really tall guy. He knows how to use his length,” Torrez said at Thursday’s news conference. “I’m really excited to show my boxing abilities and to show that I’m supposed to be here.
“The most exciting part of this is that he is a worthy opponent. He has a name. We’re both working towards something. We’re not just trying to stay in the game. We’re trying to prove something in order to obtain something great. So, it’s amazing to me that we’re able to be in the ring together to fight for that greatness.”
A win would stamp Torrez as probably the top up-and-coming American heavyweight.
“A win would solidify that I’m supposed to be here and that the trajectory that Top Rank has me on is the right one,” Torrez said. “It solidifies that I’ve been working hard and that the work has not been in vain.”
Vianello performed well against Ajagba despite the razor-close loss and looked even better wiping out Makhmudov, which he hopes to carry over against Torrez.
“The fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov was just a warm-up for me,” Vianello said. “It was an easy fight. Now, my pro career is getting started.
“Richard is a very strong guy. He’s young like me. Actually, he’s younger. We are two young guys. He’s a southpaw. He has an Olympic medal, so big respect to him.”
Delgado-Rodriguez has stakes
In the co-feature, junior welterweights Lindolfo Delgado (22-0, 16 KOs), 30, a 2016 Mexican Olympian, and Elvis Rodriguez (17-1-1, 13 KOs), 29, a southpaw from the Dominican Republic, will meet in a 10-round WBC title eliminator.
“I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this,” said Delgado, who is trained by Robert Garcia. “I know this fight will give me an opportunity for a world title shot.
“Winning a fight of this magnitude would be great for me. It makes me so happy to be so close to a world title opportunity. I have been working and training hard for many years. So it will be nice for me, my family, and those that support me.”
Rodriguez, who is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, also has aspires to fight for a world title and knows a win will bring him a step closer.
“It’s a great opportunity and we are more than ready to take advantage of it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s taken us a lot of hard work to get here. And on Saturday night, we will do the work necessary to walk away with the victory. A win would be the most significant of my career and will put me one step away from a world title opportunity. It will put me one step away from achieving my dream of becoming a world champion.”
Wardley vs. Miller signed
Heavyweights Fabio Wardley and Jarrell Miller will fight in the main event of a Queensberry Promotions card on June 7 (DAZN) at Portman Stadium in Wardley’s hometown of Ipswich, England, sources told Fight Freaks Unite on Friday.
They will vie for the vacant WBA interim heavyweight title. On Friday, the WBA issued a resolution approving the bout for the belt.
Wardley and Miller are expected to be in Manchester, England, at Queensberry’s Joe Joyce-Filip Hrgovic fight to pose in the ring and a news conference is slated for Monday in Ipswich, the sources said.
WBA “regular” titlist Kubrat Pulev had been ordered to defend against Wardley. However, according to Friday’s resolution, a copy of which was obtained by Fight Freaks Unite, Queensberry petitioned for the interim title bout between Wardley and Miller, which was approved.
Pulev (32-3, 14 KOs), 43, of Bulgaria, meantime, must next face Michael Hunter (24-1-2, 17 KOs), 36, of Las Vegas, in a mandatory defense with the winner obligated to fight the Wardley-Miller winner no later than Dec. 31.
Wardley (18-0, 17 KOs), 30, of England, is coming off a devastating first-round knockout of Frazer Clarke in October in a rematch of their action-packed draw 13 months ago.
Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs), 36, of Brooklyn, New York, who is best known for multiple suspensions for failing doping tests for a variety of performance-enhancing drugs, fought to a draw with former unified titlist Andy Ruiz Jr. in his last fight on the Los Angeles Riyadh Season card in August.
DAZN’s U.K. deal
To mark the beginning of Queensberry Promotions and DAZN kicking off their new partnership with Saturday’s Joe Joyce-Filip Hrgovic card, if you live in the U.K. you can get a 30 percent discount on an annual DAZN subscription through April 7. Click here or the photo if interested.
Boxing Social appearance
I joined my pal Matt Lenihan from Boxing Social to discuss a bunch of stuff: next Saturday’s Jaron “Boots” Ennis-Eimantas Stanionis welterweight unification fight; Top Rank’s Bob Arum saying his company and PBC plan to do more fights with each other; Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo coming back in separate fights on the same card with plans to fight each other later in the year; thoughts on Saturday’s Joe Joyce-Filip Hrgovic heavyweight fight; and what we’d like to see Dmitry Bivol do next.
Inoue-Cardenas undercard
Welterweight up-and-comer Rohan Polanco and junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas highlight the ESPN+ portion of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN world title doubleheader (10 p.m. ET) of undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue’s defense against Ramon Cardenas and WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinoza’s defense against Edward Vazquez on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Top Rank announced.
“Rohan and Emiliano are emerging superstars and welcome additions,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “Before Inoue and Espinoza defend their titles, fight fans will have the opportunity to watch two future world champions in action.”
Polanco (15-0, 10 KOs), 26, a 2020 Dominican Republic Olympian, will fight Fabian Maidana (24-3, 18 KOs), 32, of Argentina, in a 10-rounder. Maidana, the younger brother of former welterweight and junior welterweight titlist Marcos Maidana, has won both of his fights by knockout since a decision loss to Mario Barrios in a WBC interim title bout on last May’s Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia undercard.
“This fight is a major challenge for me, but it’s also a great platform to showcase my skills in front of a massive audience,” Polanco said. “This is a great step forward for my career and will give me a chance to earn new fans while proudly raising the Dominican flag.”
Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs), 20, of Las Vegas, who is the son of former two-time junior middleweight titlist Fernando Vargas, will face an opponent to be determined in an eight-rounder.
“To fight at T-Mobile Arena on Cinco de Mayo weekend, alongside incredible champions like Naoya Inoue and Rafael Espinoza, is a great opportunity,” Vargas said. “I kicked off my 2025 campaign in style last week (with a second-round knockout win) and will continue that momentum with another standout performance.”
Also on the card in 10-rounders:
Featherweight Mikito Nakano (12-0, 11 KOs), 29, a Japanese southpaw, will take on Pedro Marquez (16-1, 10 KOs), 30, of Puerto Rico.
Former WBA interim junior featherweight titlist Ra’eese Aleem (21-1, 12 KOs), 34, of Las Vegas, will face an opponent to be named at featherweight.
Mielnicki headlines
Middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr., who is coming off a majority draw with unbeaten Conor Coyle on Feb. 14, will fight Kamil Gardzielik in a 10-rounder in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on June 21 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Top Rank announced.
“We are thrilled to bring Vito back to Prudential Center, a beautiful venue that has played such an instrumental role in his career,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said.
It amounts to a home fight for Mielnicki (20-1-1, 12 KOs), 22, who is a popular ticket seller from nearby Roseland, New Jersey, and will fight at the venue for the fifth time.
“I’m excited to come back to Prudential Center. My family, friends, and supporters from home will be there,” Mielnicki said. “Every time we fight at Prudential Center, it’s electric. I’ve knocked out all four of my opponents there, and I’m looking to make 5-for-5. I have Polish roots, and it will be a big night for the Polish community.”
Queens, New York-based Poland native Gardzielik (19-0, 4 KOs), 32, also figures to draw fans from the region’s large Polish community that has long supported its fighters.
Polish heavyweight Damian Knyba (15-0, 9 KOs), 29, will fight countryman Marcin Siwy (25-0-1, 12 KOs), 34, in the 10-round co-feature.
In an eight-rounder, Baltimore middleweight Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson (15-2, 9 KOs), 25, will face fellow southpaw William Townsel (8-2, 6 KOs), 30, of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Pro boxing in Cuba
Although Cuba has for decades been known for its powerhouse amateur boxing program and seen its fighters win numerous medals in the Olympics and other top amateur competitions, professional boxing was in Cuba for 60 years — from 1962 until 2022, when the ban was lifted.
Now there will finally be a pro card there when Agon Sports, in conjunction with the Cuban Boxing Federation, will put on “Cuban Fight Night” with a series of WBA regional title bouts involving Cubans who were decorated amateurs on April 11 at the Hotel Melia International in Varadero.
Heavyweight Julio Cesar La Cruz (3-0, 3 KOs), 35, who won the Olympic light heavyweight gold medal in 2016, heavyweight gold at the delayed 2020 Games, and was stunningly eliminated in his opening bout of the 2024 Paris Olympics, will headline. He will fight Dilan Prasovic(18-5, 15 KOs), 30, of Montenegro, in a 12-rounder.
In Prasovic’s most notable fight, he was stopped in the third round challenging then-WBC cruiserweight titlist Lawrence Okolie in 2021 on the Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua II undercard in London.
Other Cuban Olympians also on the card:
Light heavyweight Arlen Lopez (3-0, 2 KOs), 32, a three-time Olympian, who won middleweight gold in 2016, light heavyweight gold in 2020, and middleweight bronze in 2024, will face Martin Ezequiel Bulacio (14-8, 10 KOs), 35, of Argentina, in a 10-rounder.
Junior welterweight Erislandy Alvarez (3-0, 1 KO), 24, a 2024 gold medalist, will face Brainer Vasquez Soli (21-5-1, 13 KOs), 32, of the Dominican Republic, over 10.
Lightweight Lazaro Alvarez (6-0, 3 KOs), 34, a two-time bronze medalist — at bantamweight in 2012 and lightweight in 2016 — will face Miguel Queliz (6-6-1, 3 KOs), 23, of the Dominican Republic, in a 10-rounder.
RIP George Foreman
If you missed my in-depth obituary on heavyweight legend George Foreman give it a read.
Iconic two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman dies
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you hav…
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday on YouTube, please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked three Saturday main events: former junior middleweight titlist Tim Tszyu against Joey Spencer on PBC on Prime Video; heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. versus Guido Vianello on Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+; and heavyweight Joe Joyce against Filip Hrgovic on Queensberry’s DAZN card. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Quick hits
Weights from Manchester, England, for Queensberry’s card Saturday (DAZN, 2 p.m. ET): Joe Joyce 275.1, pounds, Filip Hrgovic 250.3; David Adeleye 239.8, Jeamie “TKV” Tshikeva 254.5 (for vacant British heavyweight title); Jack Rafferty 139.75, Cory O’Regan 139.1 (for Rafferty’s Commonwealth junior welterweight title); Delicious Orie 245.6, Milos Veletic 293.5; Khaleel Majid 139.75, Alex Murphy 139.8; Juergen Uldedaj 199.1, Gerardo Mellado 196.1; Royston Barney-Smith 132.6, Cesar Paredes 132.3; Mark Chamberlain 143.7, Miguel Angel Scaringi 143.7; Nelson Birchall 127.7, Rodrigo Matias Areco 129.4; Ramtin Musah 168.1, Robbie Chapman 170.3; Louis Szeto 117.3, Nabil Ahmed 117.2; Alfie Middlemiss 127.1, Alexander Morales 128.3.
Weights from Las Vegas for the Top Rank card on Saturday (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET): Richard Torrez Jr. 229.2 pounds, Guido Vianello 242.3; Lindolfo Delgado 139.9, Elvis Rodriguez 139.6; Abdullah Mason 135, Carlos Ornelas 133.8; Albert Gonzalez 124.8, Dana Coolwell 125.5; Steven Navarro 114.8, Juan Garcia 113.5; Art Barrera Jr. 152.7, Daijohn Gonzalez 152.9; Jahi Tucker 160.7, Troy Williamson 160.4; DJ Zamora 130.9, Hugo Castaneda 130.6; Sammy Contreras Jr. 138.6, Robert Jimenez 138.4.
Heavyweight Hughie Fury (30-3, 17 KOs), 30, the cousin of former champion Tyson Fury, and his team at GBM Sports are working on a fight between him and fellow former title challenger and British countryman Dillian Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs), 36, who Tyson knocked out in a 2022 title fight. If it is finalized it would take place in Galway, Ireland, in July, they said. Fury won a tune-up fight on Friday in London, where he scored a fifth-round knockout of countryman Dan Garber (9-5, 2 KOs), 39. Garber is the son of Steven Garber, who in 1995 knocked out John Fury, Hughie’s uncle and Tyson’s father, and ended his career.
Show and tell
When Marco Antonio Barrera moved up from junior featherweight to featherweight he went right into the biggest fight he could possibly have in the division when challenged undefeated knockout machine and fellow Hall of Famer Prince Naseem Hamed for his lineal featherweight title. This was a very big event and Barrera was a very big underdog when they met in an HBO PPV main event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I was the USA Today boxing writer at the time and was ringside to cover the fight and was impressed watching Barrera produce an absolute master class.
He was always a straight-ahead brawler but he dramatically changed his style to become a boxer-puncher with patience as he took apart the wild swinging Hamed to clearly win 116-111, 115-112, 115-112, having been penalized one point in the 12th round for slamming Hamed’s head into a turnbuckle. As the legendary HBO announcer Larry Merchant said of Hamed as Barrera toyed with him at one point in the bout: “His moment of truth has turned into an hour of torture!” Barrera had some very big wins during his legendary career, including taking two of the three fights in his epic trilogy with Erik Morales and Kennedy McKinney in their all-time classic, but the win over the Prince, to me, is his defining moment. The memorable fight took place on April 7, 2001 — 24 years ago on Monday. Here is a mint site poster in my collection.
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Photos: Torrez-Vianello and Delgado-Rodriguez: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Wardley: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing; La Cruz: Getty; Joyce-Hrgovic: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions
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a few years back the ABC threatened to take away the WBA's license in the U.S. and no longer recognize them because of hijinx like this WBA HW title bullshit. Miller hasn't won a fight in over 2 years, and if we have to entertain the concept of this stupid "regular" belt, then Wardley is the mandatory for Pulev and they should have to fight. Period. But the WBA does what it always does, and with no repercussions. Boxrec is the only legit boxing entity that has had the balls to take any action by no longer recognizing the WBA. It's a paper belt that makes shit up as it goes along, intent on lining its pockets without any regard to the sport. Would be great if you and other writers of prominence (as well as networks, streamers, promoters, etc...ha!) would say 'enough is enough' and ignore their bullshit.
Once the WBA is treated like the IBO (or better, the defunct WBF), the sport will be better for it.