Notebook: Olympic medalist Omari Jones 'onto next chapter' as pro
Jalolov returning to pros; Fanmio sues Ryan Garcia, Golden Boy; Espinoza title defense added to Inoue card; Ford-Mattice set; BetUS Boxing show; Shields suspension dropped; Quick hits; Show and tell
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The U.S. Olympic boxing team at last summer’s Paris Games was largely a disappointment but there was one shining light — Omari Jones.
Jones took home a welterweight bronze medal, the only piece of boxing hardware won by Team USA — men or women.
Jones eventually signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and will make his professional debut against Alessio Mastronunzio (14-5, 4 KOs), 30, of Italy, in a six-round junior middleweight bout on Saturday (DAZN, 6:30p.m. ET) at the Caribe Royale in Jones’ hometown of Orlando, Florida. His fight is on the undercard of the Austin “Ammo” Williams-Patrice Volny middleweight bout.
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Jones, 22, couldn’t be more excited to get rolling with his pro career, especially to do so at home.
“Bringing big-time boxing back to Orlando is definitely a dream come true,” Jones said this week. “I always envisioned myself having a homecoming here, seeing the crowd and all the fans here, and to be the star of the city.
“I feel like my younger self would definitely be proud of me and where I am now. Thinking back to the eight year old kid that always envisioned himself at the Olympics, told his parents that I have to get to the gym in order to fulfill my goals and dreams, it’s like, ‘Wow, man, you did it.’ But the job is definitely not done yet.
“The Olympics was a once in a lifetime dream achieved. Of course, I wanted the gold medal, but now it’s time to go onto the next chapter and achieve my professional boxing dreams.”
Jones is turning pro at 149 pounds and likely will campaign closer to the 154-pound junior middleweight limit. He envisions himself working his way up the scale down the road to as perhaps as high as super middleweight.
“I definitely see myself going up different weight classes as I get older like 160 and 168, but just one step at a time,” Jones said. “Get some titles here and there and maybe do something like Roy Jones.”
In describing his style, Omari Jones invoked legends but did not come off as cocky or arrogant about it.
“I’m a boxer-puncher, hit and don’t get hit,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m a mixture of a couple of fighters people enjoyed back in the day like Jones, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather. It’s a mixture and I feel like if fans loved those guys, they’ll definitely love me.”
He has further been inspired by having attended a Roy Jones camp, met Terence Crawford and received advice and encouragement from Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
And now it’s onto the pros with big dreams and goals.
“I would like to have a great resume of fighters to fight,” Jones said. “(I want) to make sure that I’m fine financially, of course, but also making sure my family is set. And I want to go on and become a world champion.”
Jalolov returns to pros
Heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov, the two-time Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist from Uzbekistan, will have his first bout back in the pros following last summer’s Paris Games.
Jalolov (14-0, 14 KOs), a 30-year-old southpaw, will fight a 10-rounder against an opponent to be named on April 5 (ESPN+) at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan. His bout will be on the Nomad Promotions card headlined by IBF/WBO middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) in a homecoming defense against France’s Anauel Ngamissengue (14-0, 9 KOs).
“It has been a long wait, and I look forward to my professional return in Astana,” Jalolov said. “The goal remains the same. I want to make a statement and continue climbing the rankings. This is an important step in my career, and I am training hard to give the fans a knockout.”
Jalolov, whose last pro bout before the Olympics was in November 2023, was scheduled to return on Feb. 6 in Montreal, but he was scratched due to an infection.
“Jalolov is a future heavyweight champion, and I expect him to give the fans a spectacular show,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who promotes Jalolov and Alimkhanuly but worked out a deal with Nomad Promotions’ Rustam Kuanshaliyev to have them on his show.
In another undercard bout, featherweight Otabek Kholmatov (12-1, 11 KOs), 26, a southpaw from Uzbekistan, will return from a serious knee injury and his first loss to fight Jason Canoy Manigos (30-12-2, 20 KOs), 34, of the Philippines.
The bout will be the first Kholmatov since battling Raymond Ford for the vacant WBA title last March. It was a dramatic fight of the year contender that Kholmatov was leading on two of the three scorecards before being stopped with seven seconds left in the bout. He suffered multiple tears in his left knee in the bout and had subsequent surgery.
Fanmio sues Garcia, GB
Fanmio announced on Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against Ryan Garcia and Golden Boy Promotions, alleging “fraudulent inducement, tortious interference, and other serious claims.”
Fanmio asserts that Garcia, who was unable to fight in official bouts in the United States during his suspension for performance-enhancing drug use in New York, had a deal to fight Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in a 153-pound New Year’s Eve exhibition in Tokyo.
However, two weeks before the event, Garcia withdrew due to a wrist injury. It was termed a “postponement” and that it “would be rescheduled for a date in early 2025.”
All along, Fanmio and Garcia faced a possible legal challenge from Garcia promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy, who said he had not yet signed off on the deal and that Garcia could not take part in any combat activity without Golden Boy agreeing to terms due to his exclusive promotional contract.
Fanmio said in its announcement of the lawsuit that “despite receiving payment and the promotion being well underway, Fanmio was deceived into organizing an event in which Ryan never intended to participate. In addition, Golden Boy Promotions actively worked to sabotage the event.”
The exhibition was not rescheduled and Garcia, whose suspension ends in April, is due to fight Rolando Romero for the vacant WBA “regular” welterweight title in the main event of Turki Alalshikh’s Ring magazine-branded card on May 2 in New York’s Times Square.
“Despite Ryan’s exclusivity to the (exhibition), he is set to fight on May 2nd in Times Square, disregarding his contractual obligations,” Fanmio said. “The justice system will take over, and Fanmio fully intends to recover damages. Doing bad business will never be tolerated.”
Espinoza defense set
Mexico’s Rafael Espinoza will make his third WBO featherweight title defense against Edward Vazquez on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Espinoza will face Vazquez in the co-feature of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card headlined by Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight title defense against Ramon Cardenas on May 4 — a Sunday — at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Top Rank announced, confirming a previous Fight Freaks Unite report.
“Rafael Espinoza is a towering featherweight with the power and skills to be a world champion for years to come, and we’re excited to showcase him on such a meaningful weekend for Mexican boxing,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “Edward Vazquez is a tough, determined challenger who knows this is his shot to change everything. Fans at T-Mobile Arena are in for a treat as Espinoza shares the spotlight with the incomparable Naoya Inoue on this historic Cinco de Mayo card.”
Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs), 30, came out obscurity to win the title by majority decision over Robeisy Ramirez in December 2023 in a dramatic fight of the year contender. Espinoza drilled Sergio Chirino in the fourth round in his first defense in June and then knocked out Ramirez in the sixth round of their rematch in December.
“I’m thrilled to return to the ring, especially in the city where I always dreamed of fighting, Las Vegas,” Espinoza said. “Fighting at T-Mobile Arena is also a dream come true, which adds even more excitement for me. Edward Vazquez is a tough fighter who wants to take what’s mine. But I’m prepared to show him that I’m here to stay as a champion. I cannot wait for May 4 to reaffirm that once again.”
Vazquez (17-2, 4 KOs), 29, of Fort Worth, Texas, has won two fights in a row since a heavily disputed majority decision loss challenging then-junior lightweight titleholder Joe Cordina in November 2023 in Monte Carlo.
“May 4 can’t get here soon enough,” Vazquez said. “Nothing has ever been handed to me. I earned this opportunity. Espinoza is a fantastic fighter and a deserving champion, but he has never stepped into the ring with someone like ‘Kid’ Vazquez.”
Ford to face Mattice
Former WBA featherweight titlist Raymond Ford will meet Thomas Mattice in the junior lightweight co-feature of the Jaron “Boots” Ennis-Eimantas Stanionis welterweight title unification fight on April 12 (DAZN) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Matchroom Boxing announced.
Ford lost his world title by split decision to Nick Ball last June in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and then moved up in weight.
Ford (16-1-1, 8 KOs), 25, a southpaw from Camden, New Jersey, outpointed Orlando Gonzalez on Ennis’ undercard in November and will face Mattice (22-4-1, 17 KOs), 34, of Cleveland, in his second bout since moving up in weight.
“I’m excited to fight in Atlantic City. It’s pretty much a home fight for me so I’m going to do what I do best and put on a show,” Ford said. “I know a lot of guys turned me down and it’s been hard to get someone to take the fight. Credit to Mattice for stepping up but there’s nobody at 130 pounds getting in my way. I’m coming for all the champions, and they can’t keep running forever.”
Mattice is coming off a sixth-round technical decision loss to Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez in September due to Hernandez being unable to continue after an accidental head butt cut him over his left eye.
“Anyone that knows me, knows I’ll scrap with whoever whenever,” Mattice said. “It’s really easy with me. I’m looking forward to an action-packed fight with my hands being raised at the end.”
Also added to the show:
Junior featherweight Arturo Cardenas (15-0-1, 8 KOs), 24, of Mexico, against Christian Carto (23-1, 16 KOs), 28, of Philadelphia, in a 10-rounder.
Welterweight Shakhram Giyasov (16-0, 9 KOs), 31, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist from Uzbekistan, who is Stanionis mandatory challenger but agreed to step aside to allow the unification bout, opens the main card against an opponent to be named in a 10-rounder.
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 two Saturday fights: Nick Ball’s WBA featherweight title defense against TJ Doheny in the Queensberry Promotions main event in Ball’s hometown of Liverpool, England, and middleweight Austin “Ammo” Williams against Patrice Volny in the Matchroom Boxing headliner in Orlando, Florida. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Michigan drops Shields suspension
The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission on Friday lifted the temporary suspension imposed on Claressa Shields, the consensus No. 1 women’s boxer, for testing positive for marijuana in the wake of a one-sided decision win over Danielle Perkins in their undisputed heavyweight title fight on Feb. 2 in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan.
“Officially unsuspended! But y’all a little quiet! Y’all was real loud about me ‘supposedly’ smoking marijuana and being suspended! No worries,” Shields posted to social media along with a photo of the Michigan ruling.”
Shields (16-0, 3 KOs), 29, a four-division champion, three-division undisputed champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, said she has never smoked marijuana.
“The department held a compliance conference with the respondent (Shields) on March 6, 2025,” the order said. “At the compliance conference, (Shields) provided evidence that her conduct no longer poses an imminent threat to the integrity of the sport, the public interest, or the welfare and safety of a contestant.”
Quick hits
Weights from Liverpool, England, for the Queensberry card on Saturday (DAZN, 2:30 p.m. ET): Nick Ball 125.9 pounds, TJ Doheny 126 (for Ball’s WBA featherweight title); Andrew Cain 117.8, Charlie Edwards 117.9 (for Cain’s British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles); Brad Strand 121.1, Ionut Baluta 121.9; Jack Turner 114.9, Ryan Farrag 114.8; Jadier Herrera 134.9, Jose Macias Enriquez 134.2; Jack Power 159, Jose Aguirre 159.1; William Birchall 127.9, Engel Gomez 129.8; Joe Bourne 278, Christian Uwaka 218; Stephen Clarke 161.2, Dmitri Protkunas 161.6; Lewis Lawton 156, Artjom Spatar 156.7; Leighton Birchall 124, Laszlo Bernath 121; Lucas Biswana 146.8, Ezequiel Gregores TBA.
Weights from Orlando, Florida, for the Matchroom Boxing card on Saturday (DAZN, 6:30 p.m. ET): Austin Williams 160 pounds, Patrice Volny 159.4; Edgar Berlanga 169.9, Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz 167.4 (Berlanga was 1.9 pounds overweight, financial deal made and fight goes on); Omari Jones 149.4, Alessio Mastronunzio 152.2; Jamaine Ortiz 140, Yomar Alamo 139.6; Pedro Valdez 152.2, Mauro Maximiliano Godoy 148.8; Carlos De Leon 128, Carl Rogers 128.6.
Welterweight Jalil Hackett went for a run after the press conference on Thursday and rolled his ankle, forcing him to withdraw from a fight on the Austin Williams-Patrice Volny main card, a Matchroom Boxing spokesperson said. Hackett was seeking to avenge an upset decision loss to Jose Roman in an immediate rematch. Highly touted prospect Hackett (9-1, 7 KOs), 21, of Washington, D.C., lost a 10-round split decision to Roman (14-1, 6 KOs), 31, of Puerto Rico, on Dec.7 on the Liam Paro-Richardson Hitchins card in Puerto Rico.
Discussions have begun for a WBC super middleweight title eliminator between Montreal-based Frenchman Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs), 29, who is ranked No. 1 by the WBC, and No. 2 Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs), 24, of Los Angeles. According to Top Rank, Mbilli’s co-promoter, co-promoter Camille Estephan is leading the negotiations with Pacheco promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. If they make a deal the fight is targeted for May 12 at Videotron Centre in Quebec City.
Queensberry made official that heavyweight Filip Hrgovic will replace injured Dillian Whyte against fellow 2016 Olympian Joe Joyce in atop the company’s first card of its new deal with DAZN on April 5 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Whyte suffered a hand injury and withdrew this week. Croatia’s Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs), 32, will fight for the first time since an eighth-round stoppage loss due to cuts against Daniel Dubois for the vacant IBF interim title in June. Former WBO interim titlist Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs), 39, of England, has lost three of four and got dropped in an upset decision loss to Derek Chisora in July. “Whyte pulled out so I called for a top heavyweight,” Joyce said. “Filip stepped up. We’ve fought before (as amateurs) and I’m ready to face him again on my way back to the top.” Joyce won a five-round split decision over Hrgovic in a 2013 World Series of Boxing bout in London.
Show and tell
Four years after Manny Pacquiao and fellow Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez battled to an epic draw in a showdown for featherweight supremacy in the first bout of their legendary four-fight series, they met in the long-awaited rematch with Pacquiao challenging Marquez for his WBC junior lightweight title on HBO PPV. It was worth the wait as they put on another outstanding fight of the year contender. Both suffered cuts in the hard-hitting battle and in the end the result was decided on Pacquiao knocking Marquez down with a hard left hand late in the third round. Pacquiao would go to win a disputed split decision.
Pacquiao got the nod 115-112 and 114-113 and Marquez won 115-112 on the third scorecard. Without the knockdown the fight would have ended in a split draw and Marquez would have retained the 130-pound title. I was ringside at Mandalay Bay — I was privileged to be ringside for all four of their fights — and had Marquez winning 114-113. The fight took place on March 15, 2008 — 17 years ago on Saturday. Here is an extraordinarily rare site poster (a duratran) that hung in a Mandalay Bay light box during fight week in my collection.
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Photos: Jones and Williams-Volny: Melina Pizano/Matchroom Boxing; Garcia: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; Ford: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing; Ball-Doheny: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions
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Ringside tonight in Orlando as I was for the Tszyu-Murtazaliev mix helping support the growing local boxing scene as I’ve done since the 70’s when Bruce Trampler was matchmaker for shows from the Orlando Sports Stadium.
SUPPORT LOCAL BOXING!!!