Pictured: Carlos Castro


During the period of Tuesday, June 23 through Thursday, July 9, five fighters ranked by the participating members of TTR as being among the best currently campaigning in their respective weight classes were in action. As previously reported on TTR's Main Page, four, Jason Moloney, Miguel Berchelt, Jose Zepeda, and Carlos Castro, were victorious while one, Andrew Moloney, suffered a defeat.


TTR RANKED FIGHTERS IN ACTION:

Tuesday, June 23-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

WBA World Super Flyweight Title-
Joshua Franco (The Ring #10, WBC #11, WBA #12- all at 115; IBF #7, WBA #12- at 118; 17-1-2, 8 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 12
Champion Andrew Moloney (TTR #6, The Ring #6, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #8; 21-1, 14 KOs)
- The 29-year-old Moloney, of Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia, was making his debut in the United States and his first defense of the WBA title.
- In the 11th round, Franco, 24, of San Antonio, Texas, landed a four-punch combination which resulted in the bout's only official knockdown.
- The knockdown proved to be the difference between Franco winning the title and Moloney retaining it by a majorirty decision draw.
- The challenger went on to win by the scores of 114-113, 115-112, and 114-113.
- Moloney is now 1-1 in bouts outside of his native Australia, having stopped Miguel Gonzalez in a WBA eliminator held in Chile in March of 2019.

Thursday, June 25-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Non-title Bantamweight Bout-
WBA Oceania champion Jason Moloney (WBO #2, WBA #3, WBC #4, IBF #4, TTR #6, The Ring #6, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #7; 21-1, 18 KOs)
TKO-7 3:00
WBA NABA super bantamweight champion Leonardo Baez (WBA #5, WBC #32- both at 122; 18-3, 9 KOs)
- The 24-year-old Baez, of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, was a substitute. Moloney, 29, of Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia, was originally scheduled to fight WBA International bantamweight champion Oscar Negrete (The Ring #9, WBA #12, WBC #13; 19-2-2, 7 KOs). Negrete was forced to withdraw because of an eye injury.
- Moloney weighed in at 117 3/4; Baez at 118 1/4.
- Although cut by his right eye in the round 3, Baez was competitive through the fifth round.
- Moloney increased the pressure in rounds 6 and 7, landing numerous power shots to both Baez' head and body. In round 7, Baez suffered a second cut, this one by his left eye. Battered and bleeding, Baez could not continue after the seventh round.
- Moloney is now 1-1 in bouts outside of his native Australia, having lost to then champion Emmanuel Rodriguez by split decision in an IBF world title bout held in Orlando, Florida on October 20, 2018.

Saturday, June 27-

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico-

Non-title Lightweight Bout-
WBC World super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt (TTR #1, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #1, The Ring #1- all at 130; 38-1, 34 KOs)
TKO-6 1:13
Eleazar Valenzuela (21-14-4, 1 NC, 16 KOs)
- Berchelt, 28, of Merida, Yucatan, weighed in at 135; Valenzuela, 25, at 135 1/2.
- Berchelt dropped Valenzuela in round one and battered the game journeyman from Guasave, Sinaloa until the bout was finally stopped in round six.
- The bout is listed by BoxRec as a "No Contest" with the notation "No commission present. Due to Covid 19 restrictions Mexico City's professional sport is still halted by the local government." It should be noted that the Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission (Comision de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.) is a member of FECOMBOX (Federacion de Comisiones De Box De La Republica Mexicana A. C.), a member commission of the WBC. The card was fought under the banner of the WBC.

Tuesday, July 7-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Welterweight Bout-
Jose Zepeda (WBC #3, WBO #4, The Ring #7, TTR #8, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #9- all at 140; 32-2, 2 NCs, 25 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Kendo Castaneda (17-2, 8 KOs)
- The 26-year-old Castaneda of San Antonio, Texas was a substitute. Zepeda, 31, of La Puente, California, was originally scheduled to fight Ivan Baranchyk (The Ring #3, IBF #4, TTR #5, WBC #6, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #7- all at 140; 20-1, 13 KOs). Baranchyk was forced to withdraw after suffering an injury while training.
- Both Zepeda and Castaneda weighed in at 143 3/4.
- The scores were 97-93, 98-92, and 98-92.

Thursday, July 9-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Non-title Featherweight Bout-
WBC Continental Americas super bantamweight champion Carlos Castro (WBC #3, IBF #7, WBO #8, [b[TTR[/b] #10, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #10- all at 122; 26-0, 11 KOs)
TKO-4 3:00
Cesar Juarez (WBC #34; 25-9, 19 KOs)
- The 26-year-old Castro of Phoenix, Arizona came into the bout with victories over Genesis Servania and Jesus Ruiz on his ledger while the former WBO World title challenger Juarez, 28, of Mexico City, best known for his loss in the 2015 Fight Of The Year candidate versus Nonito Donaire, owns wins over the late Franky Leal, Cesar Seda, Juan Carlos Sanchez, Jr., Albert Pagara, Richard Pumicpic, Eugene "Rambo" Lagos, and Jorge "El Bufalo" Sanchez.
- Castro weighed in at 123 3/4; Juarez at 124 1/2.
- Castro scored repeatedly with his jab and with solid body punches. He was leading 40-36 on all three of the judges' cards when Juarez' corner let the referee know Juarez had had enough.


TTR's latest rankings, those based on results through June 30, included five new contenders, all of whom recorded victories during the period of Tuesday, June 16 through Tuesday, June 30. The five are Mike Plania, Joshua Franco, who defeated Andrew Moloney (see above), Christopher Diaz, Abraham Nova, and Alex Saucedo.

Tuesday, June 16-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Non-title Super Bantamweight Bout-
IBF North American junior featherweight champion Mike Plania (WBA #10, IBF #12- both at 122; 24-1, 12 KOs)
Maj. Dec. 10
WBC Continental Americas and WBO NABO bantamweight champion Joshua Greer, Jr. (WBO #1, IBF #2, The Ring #7, WBC #7- all at 118; 22-2-1, 12 KOs)
- The bout was fought with a catchweight of 120 pounds in effect. Plania weighed in at 119 1/2; Greer at 120.
- Plania decked Greer in round one and in round six.
- The scores were 96-92, 97-91, and 94-94.
- I scored the bout for TTR's Main Page and also had Plania winning, 97-91.

Tuesday, June 23-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Featherweight Bout-
Christopher "Pitufo" Diaz (WBO #11, WBC #17; 26-2, 16 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Jason Sanchez (15-2, 8 KOs)
- Diaz won the bout between the two 25-year-old former world title challengers by the scores of 98-92, 97-93, and 98-92.

Thursday, June 25-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Non-title Lightweight Bout-
WBA NABA super featherweight champion Abraham "El Super" Nova (WBA #6, WBO #7, WBC #34- all at 130; 19-0, 14 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Avery Sparrow (10-2, 1 NC, 3 KOs)
- Sparrow, 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a late substitute. Nova, also 26, was originally slated to fight Toka Kahn Clary (WBC #33 at 130; 27-2, 18 KOs).
- Nova, who resides in Albany, New York, weighed in at 131 3/4; Sparrow at 131 1/2.
- The scores were 99-91, 97-93, and 96-94.
- Bobby Davis, scoring the bout for TTR's Boxing and Combat Sports Discussion section, also had Nova outpointing Sparrow by a wide margin, 99-91.

Tuesday, June 30-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Junior Welterweight Bout-
Alex Saucedo (WBC #23; 30-1, 19 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Sonny Fredrickson (21-3, 14 KOs)
- The scores were 99-91, 98-92, and 100-90.


In addition, since June 30, there were two bouts featuring fighters not currently ranked by TTR which may propel the winners back into TTR's rankings.

Tuesday, July 2-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Welterweight Bout-
Jose Pedraza (27-3, 13 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Mikkel LesPierre (22-2-1, 10 KOs)
- The bout was fought with a 144-pound catchweight in effect. Pedraza weighed in at 143 3/4; LesPierre at 143 1/2.
- The former two-divisional world champion knocked LesPierre down in rounds 5 and 10 and went on to unanimously outpoint the former WBO World title challenger by the scores of 100-88, 99-89, and 99-89.

Thursday, July 9-

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA-

Heavyweight Bout-
Carlos Takam (WBC #18; 39-5-1, 28 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Jerry Forrest (26-4, 20 KOs)
- The 39-year-old Takam was a late substitute. Forrest, 32, of Newport News, Virginia, was originally scheduled to fight Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs) who was removed from the card after testing positive for PEDs for the third time!
- Takam, who is from Cameroon and currently resides in Henderson, Nevada, won by the scores of 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94. He has now won four straight since his consecutive losses to Anthony Joshua and Dereck Chisora.