Vasiliy Lomachenko’s promoter Bob Arum says negotiations began delayed this year for a lightweight unification fight with WBA champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

Cross-platform collaboration

IBF 135-pound champion Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KO) and Tank (30-0, 28 KO) will face off in a pay-per-view bout that could involve a lot of shopping in this cross-platform fight. He tanks with PBC and competes on Prime Video, while Top Rank promotes Lomachenko and competes on ESPN.

“It’s being talked about. “Conversations are ongoing,” Bob Arum told Dan Rafael substandard page about the Gervonta Davis vs. Vasily Lomachenko fight.

Hopefully, for the sake of the fans, the fight will be made because Tank Davis needs to step out of his comfort zone to start fighting an A-level opponent. Fans are tired of seeing him beat mediocre fighters like Frank Martin. Tank should have beaten this level of opposition years ago, but he was content to play it secure and not take any risks.

Many teenage boxing fans consider this a sure victory for Tank, who easily knocked out the real Lomachenko, about whom they know little.

Many fans weren’t around to see Lomachenko dominate at 126 and 130 or see him win two Olympic gold medals. They just look at his age and assume he’s another Tank victim who was shot to the moon. These fans will be surprised if Tank loses this fight and is exposed.

Years of fighting ahead

The Davis-Lomachenko fight is a fight that has been talked about for many years, but only now has it happened. This works well for 29-year-old Tank Davis because he’s much younger than 36-year-old Lomachenko, but it doesn’t guarantee a win because his skills are lightweight years behind Loma.

Ukrainian talent Lomachenko has technical abilities that Tank Davis can only imagine. He would have to develop his skills if Tank wasn’t gifted with enormous punching power. He took the simple route, relying solely on power to win his fights, ignoring working on the more complicated things of learning various techniques.

Another American world boxing champion, Jordan “The Patriot” Panthen (9-0, 8 KO), continued his series of knockout victories, stopping Victor Toney (8-3-1, 6 KO) in the third round.

The event took place last Thursday evening in front of a record-breaking, sold-out crowd at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, and was broadcast live on TrillerTV. A low left hook to the head knocked down Toney, and although he beat the count, referee Ray Corona stopped the fight at 1:07 of the period.

The knockout victory was Panthen’s third knockout of 2024, and the dynamic junior middleweight has become a can’t-miss attraction.

Said Panthen: “I’m very elated to have won. Before the fight, we worked on cutting off the ring and using different striking angles in the gym.

“This was my third fight this year and I will be right back in the gym to prepare for the next one.”

Kicking off his 2024 campaign on February 15, Panthen showcased his vaunted power with a first-round knockout of Adam Diu Abdulhamid at the Costa Mesa Hangar. Returning to the same venue and fighting in front of a rapidly growing fan base, he displayed world-class skill by cutting down the ring and stopping Ravshan Hudaynazarov on April 4 in the second round with a powerful left hook to the body.

Tayden Beltran

Last Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the CBN Promotions “Fresh Blood” gala, Tayden Beltran (9-0, 4 KO) from Huntington Beach, California defeated Cesar Villarraga (10-10-1, 5 KO) Los Angeles, California in 8 -round lightweight main event. The event took place at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California and was shown live on FOX Deportes, Fubo Sports, Stadium TV, Gray Television and was available on tape delay on Estrella TV.

From the first bell, every round was fierce. Tayden had his moments in the early rounds, while Villarraga came closer to victory in the middle rounds. Villarraga hit a huge overhand right in round five that rocked Beltran, but he recovered quickly and finished the round sturdy. In the later rounds, Beltran took control and finished the fight by landing more powerful punches. The scorecards read 78-74 twice, and it was 77-75 for Beltran, giving him a unanimous decision.

“I won against a very crafty veteran who has a lot of experience,” Beltran said. “I still have a lot to learn, and it was a great experience. Fighting in my first main event was a blessing and I will be ready when my name is called for my next fight. I hope to have three more fights by the end of the year.”

In the 6-round super featherweight co-main event, Eric Mondragon (10-1-1, 4 KO) defeated Kevin Piedrahita (9-2, 8 KO) by majority decision. Mondragon defeated Piedrahita in the later rounds to secure the victory. Both fighters had their moments, but Mondragon landed the cleaner punches. The scorecards read 58-56 (Piedrahita), 60-54 (Mondragon) and 57-57.

“I never had any doubts that I would emerge victorious from this fight,” Mondragon said. I thought I won every round and I know I hurt him a few times. It was a very tough fight, but I did everything I had to do to win. I know that after a few wins I will be ready to fight for some title, hopefully at the end of the year.

ATTACKS UNDER THE CARD:

Super lightweight Juan Sanchez (8-0, 7 KO) defeated Jaylan Phillips (3-3-4, 2 KO) by KO in a fight scheduled for 6 rounds. Sanchez ended the fight in the fourth round at 1:39 with a series of punches.

Featherweight Hector Lopez (5-0, 4 KO) defeated Jeronil Borres (12-11-2, 6 KO) by KO in a 6-round fight. Lopez ended the fight in the third round at 1:54 with a right hook to the body.

Jared Hermosillo (1-0, 1 KO) in the featherweight division defeated Arturo Herrera (0-5) by KO in a scheduled 4-round fight. The knockout occurred at 2:19 of the third round.

Aristides Garcia (1-0) defeated Henry Rivera (2-7, 1 KO) in a 4-round super middleweight fight. Garcia was knocked down in the first round by a right hook. Rivera landed a right hand to the head in the fourth round. The scorecards read 38-36 for Garcia

BLOCKBUSTER at galas in Japan awaits the winner of Saturday’s WBC and Ring Magazine super flyweight fight between Juan Francisco Estrada and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

Estrada returns to the ring in December 2022 after an epic trilogy victory over Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez that will see his belts on the line in Phoenix, Arizona.

There will be another pound-for-pound star on the plate who shares the 34-year-old’s desire to dominate the other 115-pound champions.

In recent years, boxing’s lower leagues have been largely dominated by Mexican and Japanese fighters.

These fighters – or killers as they are perhaps more aptly called – have shone a spotlight on traditionally less popular weight classes in the sport with their undeniable talent.

Powerhouse boxer and future star Naoya Inoue, who is currently the undisputed super bantamweight champion, has gained more interest in fights like this weekend’s with his electric performances.

The 31-year-old poked fun at the misconception that those fighting in the lighter divisions are “hard-hitting”, pulverizing champions who are themselves among boxing’s most elite.

But Inoue isn’t the only one who should be praised for bringing a novel perspective to the sub-135-pound fights.

His marketability in Japan has indeed exponentially increased the earning potential of fighters at and around the same weight, but there is also something to be said about Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka, two sensational super flyweight beltholders who, along with Estrada and Rodriguez, are looking to take first place in the division.

Kazuto Ioka (Naoki Fukuda)

Ioka emerged victorious when the pair faced each other in 2020, stopping Tanaka with a vicious attack in the eighth round.

The 35-year-old has since extended his unbeaten streak even further, while his former opponent has bounced back impressively, winning the WBO belt in his last fight.

Ioka now looks to unify the titles by defeating IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez on July 7. Less than two weeks later, Tanaka will also defend his belt in Japan.

With Japan quickly becoming a hotbed of lower-league talent, there is no doubt that either Estrada or Bam will soon have a career-defining fight – potentially for the undisputed crown – in one of the most successful boxing territories in the world.

For Estrada, the motivation is clear. On the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel – in a recent behind-the-scenes episode of “Make the Days Count” – the Mexican announced that he intends to stay in the sport for another four years.

Having consolidated his legacy after three brilliant wars with Chocolatito, Estrada is set to not only seal his greatness, but also prove his longevity by ending a nearly 20-year career.

Rodriguez, despite being ten years younger than his next opponent, is in a similar hurry to win accolades.

First, the American hopes to reclaim his former WBC title by returning to the Footprint Center, where he gained brilliance after defeating super flyweight veteran Carlos Cuadras in 2022.

Just a few months later, in what many described as a coming-of-age performance, Bam defended his belt with an eighth-round victory over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, one of the most fearsome operators in the division, before leaving his post and moving up to flyweight in pursuit of bigger silverware. .

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 16: Jesse Rodriguez (R) of the United States throws a right at Clear Edwards of Great Britain during their fight for the IBF and WBO flyweight world titles at Desert Diamond Arena on December 16, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona . (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It was at the end of last year, during the unification with the British Clear Edwards, that Rodriguez showed that he could offer more than just spectacular footwork and piercing combinations. He stood in the pocket, held his legs and put on a punishing, malicious display, forcing a stoppage in the ninth round corner.

With Bam now expressing his desire to face Inoue in the future, there is no incentive to pump up any breaks in his progress.

Rather, in preparation for his next assignment, he was forced to raise his level again; joint sparring rounds with Chocolatito – a spectacle before which most boxers can only dream of being a fly on the wall.

So while Estrada and Bam – two consummate professionals – will obviously remain focused on the task at hand, it may be complex for them to distract themselves from the booming boxing market in Japan, where the lower leagues of the sport continue to flourish. .