The Sweet Science

Teofimo Lopez Set to Face Rolly Romero in August as PBC Joins DAZN Under the sunny heat of Southern California skies in Hollywood, the boxing press, fans and tourists converged on Thursday afternoon at the Avalon Theater on Vine Street. The reason? Teofimo Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) is set to challenge WBA welterweight titlist Rolly Romero  (17-2, 13 KOs) next month in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday Aug. 22.

Abdullah Mason Stops Albert Bell Late to Retain WBO Lightweight Title In a slow-burning fuse of a fight, Cleveland’s Abdullah Mason finally got going in the second half of the WBO lightweight title defense against Albert Bell to eventually erupt and win by technical knockout on the Fourth of July. “He’s a great opponent. He doesn’t like to make a lot of mistakes,” Mason, twenty-two, said.

Led by Abdullah Mason the mighty Mason brothers will be performing in their hometown Cleveland, Ohio. It’s been a dream of theirs. “Me and my brothers in the city of Cleveland, we are putting on for the city. We are making sure that everything we do is big,” said Abdullah Mason.

Dangerous Jaron “Boots’ Ennis needed a worthy foe and unified super welterweight champion Xander Zayas dared to be great and was knocked out despite a rousing fight on Saturday night. “He didn’t have to take this fight, he could have taken someone way easier,” Ennis said of Zayas. Those body punches. Undefeated Philadelphian Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs) seemed surprised when Puerto Rico’s Zayas (23-1, 13 KOs) survived a first-round knockdown at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Xander fights Jaron on Saturday. Whatever happened to the days when a Bob fought a Tom and what is a Xander and for that matter, what is a Jaron? Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 Kos) defends the WBO and WBA super welterweight titles against Jaron “Boots” Ennis (35-0, 31 Kos) on Saturday June 27, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. DAZN pay-per-view will stream the Matchroom Boxing and Top Rank show.

Forty-seven years ago this week, on June 22, 1979, Larry Holmes retained his World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship with a 12th-round technical knockout of Mike Weaver before 14,136 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Weaver was floored late in the previous round by a vicious right uppercut to the jaw. The determined Weaver, with the help of the ropes, gamely hauled himself to his feet at the count of eight as the bell sounded.

Puerto Rico’s little giant Oscar Collazo moved up in weight and knocked out late-replacement Neider Valdez quickly to prove he can handle bigger guys with a knockout win on Saturday. Collazo packs power. “I felt great. They gave me this fight to push me,” said Collazo. “Thank God we got the win.” The WBO minimumweight title was not at risk, but Collazo (15-0, 12 KOs) moved up two weight classes and quickly vanquished Mexico’s Valdez (15-4-3, 12 KOs) at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif.

In pursuit of the elite, Ashton Sylvie used his speed and footwork to out-maneuver former world champion Jojo Diaz and win by unanimous decision after 10 rounds in Long Beach on Friday. It was his third and most important win since losing by knockout. Sylvie (14-1, 10 KOs), a super lightweight, used his superior reflexes and a little too much clinching to deflect the pressure style of Diaz (34-10) at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, Calif.

Cayden Griffiths always wanted to be a boxer. While others sought careers as teachers, lawyers, nurses, police officers and mechanics, Griffiths always wanted to fight professionally. Here comes Griffiths (8-0, 7 Kos) moving up the welterweight ranks set to meet Alan Ayala (12-6, 8 Kos) on Saturday June 20, at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that includes WBO minimumweight titlist Oscar Collazo.

By the time Sunday morning arrives, the boxing world may have a new three-division champion, a clearer picture of women’s boxing’s rising stars, and perhaps an answer to the question nobody thought to ask five years ago: What happens when a Fury shares a ring with a former World’s Strongest Man? We have a varied weekend coming up in the fight game. Some fights carry championship implications. Others are fueled by ambition, curiosity, or simple spectacle.