Darius Fulghum once again decided to win this time and hoped that he would look good in the next fight.

The undefeated 27-year-old super middleweight worked difficult for 10 rounds, earning a decision win over replacement Vaughn Alexander. Scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 99-91 went to Fulghum (12-0, 10 KOs) in his first DAZN main event on Thursday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.

Alexander came into the fight on very tiny notice to beat a diseased Ronald Ellis (18-4-2, 12 KOs), while Fulghum dealt with an awkward style and also fought his way through a hand injury he suffered in the opening rounds.

“It was a great experience going through the whole fight with Vaughn,” Fulghum noted. “Anyone who knows him knows he’s a really tough guy. I hurt my hand during the fight, so we worked with what we had and we are very elated that we managed to secure the victory.

“The best part of being a headliner was having my family and friends in the crowd chanting “DFG.”

Unfortunately, the worst part was the fight itself.

Alexander (18-12-1, 11 KO) has long since reached journeyman status, though he has always been ready to fight. In his favor, he arrived in good shape and ready to fight when needed to keep the show going. Fulghum had little trouble handling the 38-year-old St. Louis native in the first half of the contest.

The last five rounds were slightly more even as Alexander chose to throw punches. He had moderate success with an overhand right hand, while Fulghum was content boxing and nursing his injured hand and driving comfortably.

It was Fulghum’s second distance fight in his last three ring appearances, following a nine-fight knockout streak earlier in his career. He fought ten rounds with Alantez Fox (28-6-1, 13 KO) at the DAZN gala on January 27 in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a terrible match style, just like Thursday’s main event.

The co-feature didn’t do much to prepare the crowd either. Tristan Kalkreuth (14-1, 10 KOs) went the distance of 10 rounds in a 99-91 points victory over Anthony Hollaway (7-5-3, KOs) in a cruiserweight bout. The scores were 99-91 for Kalkreuth in his second fight under 2023 Trainer of the Year Brian “Bomac” McIntyre.

At least the preliminary undercard gave fans some action.

Cayden Griffiths (1-0, 1 KO) made a successful pro debut with a second-round stoppage of Juan Manuel Bautista of Mexicali (0-1, 0 KO). The fight was moved to the main event due to a void in the lineup. Middleweight prospect Eric Priest (13-0, 8 KO) was removed from the event when his opponent Janer Gonzalez (21-6-1, 17 KO) was unable to finish the fight.

Griffiths, from Arizona, seized the opportunity. He had to wait until his 18th birthday to turn pro, but he had a huge home crowd to celebrate. He delivered knockdowns in the first and second rounds, with the latter leading to a stoppage at 0:43 of the second.

Local junior middleweight Grant Flores (5-0, 4 KOs) scored a third-round knockout victory over Josias Gonzalez (2-3-1) of Whittier, Calif. A left hook to the body sent Gonzalez to the canvas, ending the fight at 2:34 of the third round. Flores was joined by stablemate and WBA 154-pound world champion Israil Madrimov; the two spar regularly together.

Undefeated lightweight contender Leonardo Sanchez (7-0, 4 KOs) scored a fourth-round knockout of Filipino Jenel Lausa (11-4-1, 7 KOs) from Manila, Philippines. Sanchez — a native of Cathedral City — knocked Lausa down twice in the third round and knocked Lausa down twice in the third round, ending the show at 1:08 of the fourth round.

Tijuana’s Brandon Sanchez (9-0, 8 KO) went the deepest in the preliminary fights but still managed to get out of the referee’s hands. The two-knockdown performance ended with Filipino MJ Bo (9-8-2, 5 KO) dropping the fight at 2:10 of the fifth round of their featherweight bout.

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By: Sean Crose

Teofimo Lopez has business to attend to on Saturday night when he faces Steve Claggett to defend his WBO junior welterweight title in Miami. Still, he was asked to comment on other issues, such as a possible main event clash between Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko. “I think Tank will be nervous before the fight,” Lopez said, courtesy of . “Loma will show his skills. Tank will try to take him down. Loma needs to hit a body shot. Tank will try to hurt him by headhunting with his favorite punch that he likes to employ, which is his left hand.”

Still, the hard-nosed Brooklyn fighter said Loma’s age and raw career could work against him. “I just feel like I’m going the distance that Tank wins,” Lopez said. “I love Loma, I mean, he was a tough fighter when I fought him, I’ll say that. But I just feel like he’s not the same as he used to be.”

Lopez was quick to point out, however, that Davis will have to be at his best if he faces Loma in the ring. “The amount of punches that Tank showed against Frank Martin — he was losing every round,” Lopez said. “He was just waiting for that one huge shot. If he keeps fighting like that, Loma will win because Loma won’t be waiting for that huge shot. … However, if they want this fight, it’s because they think Tank should beat him just because Loma is on his way out.”

Conclusion?

“I think Tank has the advantage,” Lopez said.

With that in mind, the fighter nicknamed “The Takeover” was eager to talk about his own fight against the invigorating Claggett on Saturday night. “I’m looking forward to making a real statement,” he said. “I have everything it takes to win as a true champion.” And while it’s true that a 20-1 fighter is expected to beat the 38-7-2 Claggett, Lopez had no intention of simply knocking out his opponent this weekend, describing Claggett as “my first orthodox fighter in a while “.

For Lopez, staying busy is key. Being the best means a lot to the 26-year-old. If he can beat Claggett this weekend as expected, the junior welterweight champion will be looking to fill his schedule. “The next fight should be in September, God willing,” he said. “Saturday night, we just do what we have to do. I can’t count my chickens before they hatch.

Feargal McCrory has warned Lamont Roach that home field advantage won’t matter much when they fight for the WBA super featherweight world title on Friday night.

Roach, 28, a native of Washington, D.C., is defending his title in the city of his birth at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.

Irishman McCrory expects a lot of support and, although he realizes Roach’s fans will be “smaller in number” than those supporting him, he said: “When we get on the pitch it will just be me, him and the referee.

“My last fight was at Madison Square Garden, where thousands of Irish people were supporting me, but I didn’t hear any cheering because I was focused, focused and had a job to do. It will be similar this time in DC. If Lamont takes this approach, there will be no added pressure. All I’m asking for is a fair fight – red corner versus blue corner and for the best fighter of the night to make the decision. All I’m asking for is a level playing field – and that’s all.

“I said it last year. No matter what I ever achieve in this sport in terms of accolades received, my greatest achievement is the support and encouragement I have received from Irish-Americans, Up-to-date York and Philadelphia and even beyond. I am very joyful and blessed that such a wonderful audience came. We will be outnumbered in his hometown, but there are very few fighters who could fly across the Atlantic and receive the support I will bring.”

McCrory, 31, a Up-to-date York resident – Roach lives in Upper Marlboro, Maryland – also insists that the timing of his biggest fight, incidentally in a ProBox TV promotion, is in his favor.

“I had a very good, difficult camp with difficult work that should give us the confidence that when I have to go down to the bottom of the well and dig deep, I will be able to do it,” he said. “I am sure that if I do that, I can completely tear down the altar here.

“Expect someone to give it their all. I come to fight, perform and bring excitement to DC. I feel like I’m forceful and I’ve proven that in every fight. I feel like this fight is coming at the right time for me – everything is going to work out well for me as a fighter, as a person and as a man.”

Official weights, ProBox TV Boxing Championships presented by NoXcuse Promotions

World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight championship – 12 rounds

Champion Lamont “The Reaper” Roach Jr. (24-1-1, 9 KOs) of Washington, DC – 130 lbs. Feargal “Fearless” McCrory (16-0, 8 KOs) of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland – 129.6 lbs.

Joint main event

Super middleweight – 10 rounds

Lester Martinez (17-0, 15 KOs) from Guatemala City, Guatemala – 167.2 lbs.

Carlos Gongora (22-2, 17 KOs) from Boston, MA – 168.8 pounds.

Lithe – 10 rounds

Alex Dilmaghani (20-2-1, 7 KOs) from Manchester, England – 132 pounds.

Rene Tellez Giron (19-3, 12 KOs) from Querétaro, Mexico – 136.2 pounds

WBA International Bantamweight Championship – 8 rounds

Rianna Rios (7-0, 1 KO) from Upper Marlboro, Maryland – 116.6 pounds

Mary Romero (10-5, 2 KOs) from Murcia, Spain – 117.2 lbs.

Welterweight – 4 rounds

Benjamin Johnson (professional debut) from Washington, DC – 147.4 lbs.

Michael Williams (2-2, 1 KO) from Las Vegas, Nevada – 147.6 lbs.

Super Flyweight – 4 rounds

Jordan Roach (professional debut) from Upper Marlboro, MD – 115 pounds

Luis Domingo Hernandez Cambero (15-13, 10 KOs) from Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic – 113.6 pounds

Junior lightweight – 8 rounds

Greg “Sharpshooter” Outlaw (14-2, 8 KOs) from Bowie, Maryland – 144 lbs.

Isidro Curiel (11-3-1, 6 KO) from Ciudad Madero, Mexico – 144.6 pounds

Lightweight – 4 rounds

Deric “Scooter” Davis (3-0, 3 KO) of Washington, DC – 135.4 pounds.

Matias Agustin-Arriagada (6-11, 3 KO) from Buenos Aires, Argentina – 132 pounds

Welterweight – 6 rounds

Travon Marshall (9-1, 8 KOs) from Landover, Maryland – 151.4 pounds

Luis Midyael Sanchez (9-5, 6 KOs) from San Juan, Puerto Rico – 156 lbs.

Lightweight – 4 rounds

Eric “El Toro” Hernandez (10-1, 5 KOs) of Ashburn, Virginia – 140.6 pounds

Jonathan Hernan Godoy (7-18, 1 KO) from Buenos Aires, Argentina – 142 lbs

Fights are subject to change.