Pictured: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez


During the two-day period of Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, one World champion and sixteen TTR ranked contenders were in action. The champion, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and thirteen of the contenders, Albert Ramirez, Ryuya Yamanaka, Goki Kobayashi, Joshua Buatsi, Hekkie Budler, Sikho Nqothole, Magomed Kurbanov, Evgeny Tishchenko, Julio Cesar Martinez, Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Rafael Pedroza, and Pablo Vicente, were victorious while three contenders, Michel Soro, John Ryder, and Steve Spark, suffered defeats.


Friday, May 5, 2023-

Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico-

Light Heavyweight Bout-
Albert Ramirez (TTR #15 at 200; 16-0, 15 KOs)
TKO-4
Ricardo Adrian Luna (25-10-2, 16 KOs)
- This was a non-title bout. Neither Ramirez' WBA Continental Americas light heavyweight title nor his WBO Global junior heavyweight title were on the line.
- Ramirez floored Luna in round 4. Luna was able to the beat the count, When action resumed, Luna's corner threw in the towel once Ramirez attacked.

Saturday, May 6, 2023-

Tokyo, Japan-

Junior Flyweight Bout-
Ryuya Yamanaka (TTR #20; 19-3, 6 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 12
Kosuke Ando (12-4, 5 KOs)
- The scores were 120-107, 117-110, and 118-109.
- Yamanaka won the vacant WBO Asia Pacific junior flyweight title.

Strawweight Bout-
Goki Kobayashi (TTR #20; 6-0, 4 KOs)
TKO-4 0:34
Roslan Eco (10-1, 7 KOs)
- Kobayashi retained the WBO Asia Pacific mini-flyweight title.

Birmingham, West Midlands, England-

Light Heavyweight Bout-
Joshua Buatsi (TTR #2, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #2, The Ring #7; 17-0, 13 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Pawel Stepien (18-1-1, 12 KOs)
- The scores were 100-90, 98-92, and 97-94.

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa-

Junior Flyweight Bout-
Hekkie Budler (The Ring #3, TTR #4, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #4; 35-4, 11 KOs)
TKO-1 0:43
Wichet Sengprakhon (AKA Santanong Tor Sirachai; 14-12-1, 7 KOs)
- Sengprakhon was a late substitute. Budler was originally scheduled to fight Enrique Magsalin (8-4-2, 1 KO).

Junior Bantamweight Bout-
Sikho Nqothole (TTR #16; 17-2, 11 KOs)
KO-1 2:59
Boonrueang "Petchnamchai" Phayom (10-3, 3 KOs)

Ekaterinburg, Russia-

Junior Middleweight Bout-
Magomed Kurbanov (TTR #4, The Ring #4, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #7; 25-0, 13 KOs)
Split Dec. 12
Michel Soro (TTR #14; 35-4-2, 24 KOs)
- The scores were 115-113 for Kurbanov, 115-113 for Soro, and 116-112 for Kurbanov.
- Note: The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board invoked their Charter's Robbery Clause and voted on whether or not this decision was egregious enough to be declared a robbery. 87% of those voting believed it was. As a result, Soro is now ranked #7 and Kurbanov #10 in the TBRB's junior middleweight rankings.

Cruiserweight Bout-
Evgeny Tishchenko (TTR #14; 12-1, 9 KOs)
Split Dec. 10
Yves Ngabu (21-2, 1 NC, 15 KOs)
- The scores were 98-92 for Tishchenko, 99-91 for Ngabu, and 96-94 for Tishchenko.

Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico-

Lineal, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and The Ring World Super Middleweight Titles-
Champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (The Ring #5 P4P, TTR #8 P4P, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #8 P4P; 59-2-2, 39 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 12
John Ryder (TTR #3, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #5, The Ring 5; 32-6, 18 KOs)
- This bout was also fought for Alvarez' WBA Super, WBC, IBF, and WBO World super middleweight titles.
- Alvarez floored Ryder in round 5 and went on to win by the scores of 120-107, 118-109, and 118-109.

Flyweight Bout-
Julio Cesar Martinez (The Ring #2, TTR #3, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #3; 20-2, 2 NCs, 15 KOs)
TKO-11 1:00
Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs)
- This bout was fought for Martinez' WBC World flyweight title.
- The first six rounds were competitive but, in round 7, Martinez took control. He dropped the Panamanian challenger and dominated until the bout was stopped 4 rounds later.

Junior Welterweight Bout-
Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela (TTR #14; 26-3-1, 16 KOs)
Split Dec. 10
Steve Spark (TTR #8, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #8; 16-3, 14 KOs)
- The bout was hard-fought and closely contested.
- Gollaz Valenzuela floored Spark in round 6.
- The scores were 96-93 and 95-94 for Gollaz Valenzuela and 95-94 for Spark.
- Gollaz Valenzuela took the WBA Inter-Continental super lightweight title from defending champion Spark.

Light Heavyweight Bout-
Oleksandr Gvozdyk (TTR #19; 19-1, 15 KOs)
TKO-6 1:56
Ricards Bolotniks (19-7-1, 8 KOs)

Bella Vista, Panama-

Junior Featherweight Bout-
Rafael Pedroza (TTR #20; 15-0, 11 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 10
Yerny Betancourt (22-2, 18 KOs)
- Pedroza won the vacant WBC FECARBOX super bantamweight title.

Junior Lightweight Bout-
Pablo Vicente (TTR #19; 22-1, 1 ND, 16 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 8
Grimardi Machuca (17-1, 14 KOs)
- This was a non-title bout. Vicente's WBA International super featherweight title was not on the line.