Dan Rafael
1,538 articles · USA Today
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Weekend scorecard – Champions retain and prospects shine
By Dan Rafael
A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world: Saturday at Inglewood, Calif. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai W12 Juan Francisco Estrada - Full recap Retains world junior bantamweight title…
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Donnie Nietes stops Juan Carlos Reveco; McWilliams Arroyo outpoints Carlos Cuadras in Superfly 2
By Dan Rafael
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Manny Pacquiao, of course, is one of the greatest fighters in boxing history and sits atop the list of the all-time best from the Philippines with 1960s junior lightweight…
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Jerwin Ancajas poised to make ‘lasting impression’ against Israel Gonzalez
By Dan Rafael
When the topic of the best boxers in the history of the Philippines comes up, there is Manny Pacquiao and everybody else is a distant second. Pacquiao rose from abject poverty to…
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Clash of styles to define historic fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux
By Dan Rafael
NEW YORK -- The Olympic boxing gold medal. It signifies the champion of a particular weight class in the most prestigious amateur tournament. In professional boxing, many former gold-medal winners have faced…
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Lomachenko-Rigondeaux donating gloves to honor first-ever bout between two-time Olympic gold medalists
By Dan Rafael
NEW YORK -- The historic nature of the fight between junior lightweight world titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux, two of boxing's pound-for-pound best, is not lost on the International Boxing Hall…
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Angel Acosta-Juan Alejo winner to get junior flyweight title vacated by Kosei Tanaka
By Dan Rafael
Japan's Kosei Tanaka relinquished his junior flyweight world title on Friday, but the belt won't be vacant for long. Tanaka (10-0, 6 KOs), who already has won world titles in two weight…
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Nothing but respect between Errol Spence Jr. and Lamont Peterson
By Dan Rafael
There was no trash talk or cursing, no pushing or shoving and no nonsense. Welterweight world titlist Errol Spence Jr. and former titleholder Lamont Peterson, friends for several years, have no interest…
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Milan Melindo, Ryoichi Taguchi set for junior flyweight unification fight on Dec. 31
By Dan Rafael
Junior flyweight title unification fights are rare, but one will take place when Milan Melindo and Ryoichi Taguchi, the top two 108-pound boxers in the world, meet Dec. 31 at the Ota-City…
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Jose Ramirez fighting for a cause and belt on Saturday ESPN card
By Dan Rafael
FRESNO, Calif. -- A life-size cutout of Jose Ramirez adorns the lobby of the fight hotel. He is featured on local television commercials. His fights are major events with copious television and…
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Terence Crawford moving up to fight in 147-pound welterweight division
By Dan Rafael
Terence Crawford, one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound, unified the four major world titles at junior welterweight in August and, with nothing else to prove at 140…
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With discussions ongoing, WBC orders Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez rematch
By Dan Rafael
Although the representatives of unified middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez have already begun discussions for a rematch, the WBC on Monday ordered one at its 55th annual convention in…
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Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight drives record betting month
By Dan Rafael
Nevada sportsbooks won $33.9 million in August, an all-time high for the month that was bolstered by the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight. Nevada Gaming Control officials estimate that $65 million was wagered…
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Scorecard: Linares edges Campbell, retains lightweight title
By Dan Rafael
A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world: Saturday at Inglewood, Calif. Jorge Linares W12 Luke Campbell Retains world lightweight title Scores: 115-112, 114-113 Linares, 115-113 Campbell.…
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Jesse Hart hopes to win super middleweight world title for his father
By Dan Rafael
Through the years, Philadelphia has produced numerous top boxers and played host to countless memorable fights, but the 1970s were something of a golden age -- especially for middleweights. One of the…
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Officials ready to discuss Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez rematch
By Dan Rafael
The representatives for unified middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez plan to begin discussions this week for a rematch, both camps told ESPN on Tuesday. After nearly two years of…
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Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez gave fans the fight they wanted
By Dan Rafael
LAS VEGAS -- In 1981, all-time greats Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns, two of the most accomplished, popular and exciting fighters of their time, battled for welterweight supremacy in a classic…
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Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin fight to draw; both call for rematch
By Dan Rafael
LAS VEGAS -- Everyone expected Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez to deliver an action-packed classic, and they did just that in a ferocious battle. What lacked, however, was any consistency from the…
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Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin ready to clash after making weight
By Dan Rafael
LAS VEGAS -- There was an electric atmosphere as Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez stepped on the scale to weigh in at the MGM Grand Garden on Friday afternoon. They were a…
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Jessie Magdaleno-Cesar Juarez bout to headline Top Rank/ESPN tripleheader
By Dan Rafael
Junior featherweight world titleholder Jessie Magdaleno's mandatory defense against Cesar Juarez will headline a Top Rank/ESPN tripleheader on Nov. 11 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The card, announced Thursday,…
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Gennady Golovkin finally gets the fight he wants
By Dan Rafael
LAS VEGAS -- On May 6, moments after Canelo Alvarez finished rolling over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a shutout decision that wasn't competitive for a moment, Gennady Golovkin's ring walk music…