Angelo Leo won both the IBF featherweight title and a spot among the 2024 knockout ranks with a shocking one-punch knockout of Luis Alberto Lopez.

Leo (24-1, 11 KO), fighting out of his hometown of Albuquerque, laid out a clear and effective game plan: take the jab, punish Lopez’s (30-3, 17 KO) crazy swings, get inside with body shots, and tie up before Lopez will have time to respond. Still, Lopez kept it competitive throughout with his trademark clumsy jumps, and was especially successful with a backslash as Leo dipped inside. The rounds often came down to who would take the lead first, resulting in constant swings in momentum that left the fight up for grabs as the championship rounds approached.

Midway through the 10th, Lopez fired a jab and dropped his right hand in the process, allowing Leo to come back with an absolutely perfect left hook that immediately put out the lights of “Venado.” Lopez hit her head on the mat, 100% frozen, and barely managed to regain even a fraction of consciousness as the counter reached 10.

The 30-year-old Leo, who has lost almost two and a half years of his excellent form, is now officially a two-division champion. He came in with the right plan, continued to execute it despite Lopez’s best efforts, and ultimately knocked down one of the most strong featherweights in the game.

As for Lopez, his cavalier approach to defense finally caught up with him. Its power and unique style were not enough to save it, leaving its technical shortcomings in the foreground. He needs to rebuild a bit; he will never be a conventional boxer and he shouldn’t try to be one because it doesn’t play to his strengths, but now that he can no longer trust his beard, he absolutely needs to get his act together.

As a side note, I would like to draw attention to the needy performance of referee Ernie Sharif. Sharif was inconsistent in delivering a series of low blows and rabbit punches and lacked any authority, offering only stern warnings and the occasional punishment. He wasn’t prepared for this kind of brutal fight.

Lindolfo Delgado defeats Bryan Flores in an undefeated fight

2016 Olympian Lindolfo Delgado maintained his unblemished record with a hard-fought split decision win over Bryan Flores.

Delgado (21-0, 15 KO) started the fight quite slowly, but in the third period he caught the super-aggressive Flores (26-1-1, 15 KO), who crossed from the right side and knocked him to the ground. Instead of pressing his advantage, he opted to stay in cruise control, allowing Flores to take the reins with constant activity and eye-catching power shots.

Delgado woke up in the sixth set, showing off noticeably stronger punches, and in the seventh he had a lucky break when Flores, fresh from a warning for a low blow, was awarded a point when his left hand bounced off Delgado’s elbow and hit him in the groin.

The action was steady, if not particularly engaging, but soon picked up considerably. The pair spent the last few rounds trading at close range, with Flores relying on mighty clinch work and Delgado relying on powerful combinations. Flores seemed to run out of strength in the ninth throw, but he came out stronger and played a very close final round.

Despite this surge, Delgado’s overdue efforts were enough to earn him legitimate scores of 96-92 and 95-93. The third, 96-92 for Flores from Chris Tellez, was borderline undefendable.

Delgado doesn’t appear to be a threat to the division’s elite, but if he can get started faster and become more effective, he will have the tools to be at his best. As for Flores, I hope to see more of him on future top-tier cards.

Results

• Vergil Ortiz MD-12 Serhii Bohachuk (113-113, 114-112, 114-112) [highlights]
• Charles Conwell KO-2 Khiary Gray (2:32) [highlights]
• Kenneth Sims Jr. TKO-5 Jonathan Romero (3:00) [highlights]
• Gabriel Fundora UD-10 Daniela Asenjo (100-90, 100-90, 100-90) [highlights]
• Joel Irate TKO-1 Miguel Ortiz (2:15) [highlights]

Serhii Bohachuk and Vergil Ortiz Jr will meet tonight in a fight that promises fireworks, headlined by the DAZN gala, which starts at 8 p.m. ET.

Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KO) will defend his interim WBC 154-pound title, with the winner potentially in line to fight Terence Crawford or any other top fighter at that weight. Ortiz (21-0, 21 KO) was considered one of the most promising youthful boxing stars in recent years, but health problems outside the ring kept him from returning to the ring and tonight it looks like he will be fully back on track after three years or trouble.

The card also features Gabriela Fundora (13-0, 6 KO) defending her IBF flyweight title against Daniela Asenjo (16-3-3, 2 KO), as well as Charles Conwell returning to action, another potential future opponent for the winner of the evening’s main event .

Wil Esco will be broadcasting today’s live broadcast with highlights, results and more in the stream below:

Don King’s only champion, WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, will meet Ryan Rozicki at the Sept. 28 event at King’s usual haunt, Casino Miami Jai Alai.

Future viewers will be able to watch the show “on Pay Per View via Triller TV, DonKing.com and Itube247.com”

Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KO) has fought just four fights since an extremely questionable decision defeat to Mairis Briedis in the WBSS tournament in 2018. After two victories over restricted opponents, he outclassed faded prospect Youri Kayembre Kalenga and earned a shot at champion Ilunga Makabu, whom he then brutally knocked out in three last November.

A June date with Rozicki (20-1, 19 KO) fell through after Mikaelian suffered an injury, making it his first fight in almost 11 months.

Canadian Rozicki has won seven in a row since losing to Oscar Rivas in 2021, but on paper his streak is better than it actually is. His biggest victory, a split decision over challenger Yamil Alberto Peralta, was such an egregious blowout that the WBC outright refused to let Rozicki hang on the alphabet trinket. He was last seen handing an exceptionally overcooked Olanrewaju Durodola his eighth stoppage-time defeat in December.

Pay-per-view worthy? Not at all, but at least the truly talented Mikaelian was back in action.