Brunch Boxing News and Notes Roundup

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Brunch Boxing News and Notes Roundup, where we bring you all the developments from the world of boxing. Let’s dive into the latest happenings:

Gervonta Davis Holds Annual Back to School Drive in Baltimore

- Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28KOs) held his annual back to school drive last week in his hometown of Baltimore. Davis gave away book bags, school supplies, food, clothing and merchandise to support the kids in his community. Davis, who just returned from his work with USA Boxing in the Paris Olympics, remains an integral part of the Baltimore community.

David Benavidez Set for December Return, Reunites With Memo Heredia

- Sampson Lewkowicz confirmed to The Boxing Source that David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) is scheduled to return to the ring in December. The undefeated WBC interim light heavyweight champion is expected to begin training camp on September 16. He will reunite with strength and conditioning coach, Angel “Memo” Heredia for this camp.

Lewkowicz Insists on October for Fundora vs. Crawford Bout

- Lewkowicz is pushing hard for the WBO to keep an October deadline for a fight between unified junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) and WBA welterweight champion Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs). If Crawford is unable to keep the October deadline, Lewkowicz plans to apply for an exception that would enable Fundora to fight Errol Spence Jr. while keeping his WBO title.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Serhii Bohachuk: No Rematch Clause

- Vergil Ortiz Sr. revealed that the recent bout between his son, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs), and Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) did not include a rematch clause. According to Ortiz Sr., Bohachuk’s team requested additional money and specific contract stipulations in lieu of securing a rematch.

Tszyu and Murtazaliev Agree to IBF Title Fight

- Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) and Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) have reached an agreement to fight for Murtazaliev’s IBF junior middleweight title on October 19, avoiding a purse bid. As previously reported by Brunch Boxing, the fight is expected to headline the first “free” PBC on Prime card.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis to Face Chukhadzhian in Rematch

- KeepIt100Boxing reports that Jaron “Boots” Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) will defend his IBF welterweight title in a rematch against Karen Chukhadzhian (24-2, 13 KOs). Ennis won their first encounter and is looking to stay active while his promoter, Eddie Hearn attempts to secure a high profile bout for the champion.

Shakur Stevenson in Talks With Joe Cordina for WBC Lightweight Title Defense

- Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) is reportedly in negotiations to defend his WBC lightweight title against Joe Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs). While Stevenson has been ordered to face mandatory challenger William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs), he alleges that Zepeda is unwilling to take the fight. A purse bid is scheduled for August 20 if no agreement between Stevenson and Zepeda is reached.

“Chocolatito” Gonzalez Rejects Nonito Donaire Bout

- Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (52-4, 42 KOs) has flatly rejected the idea of a fight against Nonito Donaire (42-8, 28 KOs). Gonzalez has his sights set on a championship bout.

Brian Norman Jr. Elevated to Full WBO Champion

- Ring Magazine’s Jake Donovan reported that Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) has been elevated from interim champion to full WBO welterweight champion following Terence Crawford’s (41-0, 31 KOs) decision to vacate the title.

Puello and Martin Reach Agreement for WBC Junior Welterweight Title Bout

- Alberto Puello (23-0, 10 KOs) and Sandor Martin (42-3, 15 KOs) have come to terms for a bout for Puello’s WBC junior welterweight title. The agreement allows the two sides avoid a purse bid.

Ramirez and Dorticos Bout Headed for Purse Bid

- Negotiations between Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) and Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) have stalled, sending the bout for Ramirez’s WBA cruiserweight title to an August 27 purse bid. Both sides remain hopeful an agreement can be reached before then.

Scull and Shishkin Granted Extension for IBF Title Bout Agreement

- AGON Sports announced that William Scull (22-0, 9 KOs) and Vladimir Shishkin (16-0, 10 KOs) have been granted an extension to finalize their agreement for the vacant IBF super middleweight title bout. The deadline for the agreement is August 20.

Nick Ball to Defend WBA Featherweight Title Against Ronny Rios

- Nick Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) is set to make his first defense of his WBA featherweight title against Ronny Rios (34-4, 17 KOs) on October 5 in the UK.

Wardley and Clarke Set for British Heavyweight Title Rematch

- Fabio Wardley (17-0-1, 16 KOs) and Frazer Clarke (8-0-1, 6 KOs) have reached an agreement for a rematch of their British heavyweight title bout. Their first encounter, which ended in a draw, was one of the best fights of the year.

Rashidi Ellis Suspended Until October 23

- Rashidi Ellis (24-1, 15 KOs) remains suspended by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission until October 23, following his involvement in a brawl at a Team Combat League event. Ellis’s team has yet to comment on the suspension.

Roiman Villa to Return on September 14 PBC Card

- Roiman Villa (26-2, 24 KOs) is set to return to the ring against Ricardo Salas (19-2-2, 14 KOs) on the free portion of the September 14 PBC on Prime PPV card, which will be headlined by the unified super middleweight title bout between Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga.

Lester Martinez Expected to Fight Joeshon James Next

- Lester Martinez (18-0, 15 KOs) is expected to face Joeshon James (9-0-2, 5 KOs) in his next ProBoxTV bout. Martinez, who is coming off a unanimous decision victory over veteran Carlos Gongora, looks to continue his unbeaten streak and rise up the super middleweight rankings.

Zab Judah, Shawn Porter and Timothy Bradley Among Nevada Boxing HOF Inductees

- Zab Judah, “Showtime” Shawn Porter and Timothy Bradley were among those that were inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. Other inductees included Kostya Tszyu, Jorge Arce, Marvin Camel, Ann Wolfe, Michael Moorer, Rafael Marquez, Lamon Brewster, Donald Curry, Ishe Smith, Genaro Hernandez, Emile Griffith, “Stitch” Duran, Jesse Reid, Mitch Halpern, Layla McCarter, Mike Martino and Jay Nady.

Imane Khelif Files Criminal Complaint Against High-Profile Figures

- Algerian Olympic gold medalist, Imane Khelif has filed a criminal complaint against Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling, Logan Paul, and others for spreading disinformation about her gender during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

IBA Silent on Gender Testing Controversy

- The International Boxing Association (IBA) and its president, Umar Kremlev, have gone silent after being asked to provide evidence of the gender tests conducted on Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting. The IBA, through Kremlev, had previously claimed the tests showed the boxers were not women, sparking a transvestigation campaign against them.

Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. to Headline October 9 ProBoxTV Card

- Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. is set to return to the ring against Nicholas Walters, headlining the October 9 ProBoxTV card. This will be Diaz’s second fight since losing a lawsuit in which he was accused of sending sexually explicit photos to a minor. The alleged photos were of his penis.

Luis Alberto Lopez Suffers Brain Bleed in Title Loss

- Luis Alberto “Venado” Lopez (30-3, 17 KOs) suffered a “small brain bleed” during his August 10 knockout loss to Angelo Leo (25-1, 12 KOs) for Lopez’s IBF featherweight title. Lopez is currently recovering, and his team has not commented on his future in the sport.

Brunch Boxing Offers Condolences to Sulaiman Family

- Brunch Boxing extends our heartfelt condolences to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, who is mourning the loss of his mother, Martha, who passed away over the weekend.

Subscribe to the Brunch Boxing website, Twitter and Podcast for more updates and in-depth coverage of the world of boxing in and out of the ring.

Brunch Boxing Support Links:
🔗 https://linktr.ee/brunchboxing