A welterweight clash between gritty American Top Team fighter Marcelo “Grilo” Alfaya (15-6) and perennial top-ranked contender Jon Fitch (24-6-1) is the latest addition to the lineup for “World Series of Fighting 6: Burkman vs. Carl.”

The bout completes the four-fight NBCSN-broadcast main card of the Oct. 26 event, which takes place at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

The new pairing joins the night’s headlining matchup of Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman (26-9) vs. Steve Carl (20-3), who compete for the first-ever World Series of Fighting welterweight title, a bantamweight co-feature between Carson “Little Juggernaut” Beebe (14-2) and Marlon Moraes (11-4-1), as well as the bout that kicks off the evening’s broadcast, Justin Gaethje (9-0) vs. fellow lightweight Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (17-4).

The nationally televised event, which airs live on NBCSN, marks the promotion’s debut in the Sunshine State.

Tickets for the fight card, which start at just $29, are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000.

The live, two-hour NBCSN telecast of the World Series of Fighting 6 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. A full lineup of preliminary bouts will also stream live on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, and venue doors open at 5 p.m. ET.

“We’re very excited to announce the addition of Marcelo Alfaya vs. Jon Fitch to our Oct. 26 event in Florida,” World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. “Jon’s track record in the sport speaks for itself, and Marcelo is an 11-year MMA veteran who has been waiting for an opportunity like this. When you add this fight to the lineup we’ve already announced for the evening, this card has all the potential to be our best night of fights yet.”

A native of Porto Alegre, Brazil, Alfaya now makes his home in Florida, where he trains with the famed American Top Team. “Grilo,” which is Portuguese for “cricket,” is 6-1 in his past seven fights, including his most recent appearance, where he needed just 26 seconds to score a first-round knockout. A well-rounded veteran who has been fighting professionally since 2002, Alfaya owns four career knockout wins and six victories by submission. He now fights for the first time under the World Series of Fighting banner.

Meanwhile, Fitch has long been considered one of the absolute best 170-pound fighters in the sport of MMA. A 35-year-old member of California’s American Kickboxing Academy, Fitch made his World Series of Fighting debut in June and suffered a shocking submission loss to Burkman in a rematch of the pair’s original 2006 meeting, which Fitch won by tapout. Fitch looks to make a statement in his second fight for the promotion in hopes of booking a trilogy bout with Burkman, perhaps even with the World Series of Fighting welterweight title on the line.

About World Series of Fighting
World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBCSN
NBCSN part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About BankUnited Center at UM
The BankUnited Center, an 8,000 seat multipurpose entertainment facility located on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus, hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, sporting events and the University of Miami men’s and women’s basketball teams. For more information call 305-284-8686 or visitwww.BankUnitedCenter.com. The BankUnited Center is located at 1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146.

(San Diego, CA) – Not every boxer is a born fighter but in the case of super welterweight Brandon Adams, the description hits the nail on the head. Out of the rough and tough town of Watts, California, just outside of downtown Los Angeles, and as one of nine brothers and sisters, Adams needed to learn quickly to defend himself. Always athletic, it wasn’t until the age of seventeen when Adams grew enough courage to ask Alvin Jones, a neighbor that he knew was involved in the sport, to guide him in the right direction. After questioning his dedication and his focus on the journey they were about to embark, Jones decided to take him under his wing and teach Adams how to fight.

Adams worked with Jones for over a little over a year before he even slipped on a pair of gloves. Out of respect for the sport, Adams did not want to get ahead of himself and first looked to achieve the conditioning needed to compete. Once he was ready, Jones introduced him to trainer Dub Huntley. The septuagenarian Huntley’s career has spanned more than sixty years and has trained Laila Ali, Iran Barkley and Johnny Tapia as well as served as the inspiration for Morgan Freeman’s character Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris in the Oscar award winning film “Million Dollar Baby”. Trained at the famed Broadway Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, the married Adams fought in six amateur fights with a pedestrian record of 4-2 but made his pro debut quickly thereafter in San Diego in early 2011.

With a gritty come-forward style reminiscent of Marvin Hagler and Mike Tyson , the soon to be father proved that his style was much more fit for the paid ranks as he earned a unanimous decision over Erin Beach in his first pro fight. More comfortable as a professional because of the lack of head gear and smaller gloves, Adams began rattling off wins all throughout southern California and even Mexico. His biggest win to date has been against the much more experienced Yair Aguiar who at the time of their bout counted with nearly five times more fights than Adams. Aguiar at that time had faced the likes of Oscar Meza, Antonio DeMarco and Victor Ortiz among others. Adams stopped him in two.

Along with his pro fights, Adams has amassed experience by sparring the likes of Aaron Martinez, former Olympians Carlos and Javier Molina, up and coming prospect Hugo Centeno and former title challenger Freddie “Riel” Hernandez.

Dedicated, focused and charismatic, Adams is considered one of the most promising blue chip prospects Bobby D Presents has in its stable and is gearing up to make a run in 2013 for a regional or state title.

Adams (11-0, 7KOs) of Watts, CA, will be in his stiffest test to date when he faces the experienced Francisco “Panchito” Rios Gil (18-19, 12KOs) of Yavaros, Sonora, Mexico. The twenty-seven year old “Panchito” by far as faced the more competitive opposition in undefeated Troy Corbin, the tough Artemio Reyes and Mike Dallas Jr. Rios Gil is no stranger to the region fighting Pavel Miranda in Tijuana as well as Rafael Cobos. A pro since ’04, Rios Gil has also appeared in Las Vegas in a rematch with Miranda, Canada and in various rings around California.

Adams, 24, went pro in San Diego in early 2011 and since then has put together an impressive ledger of eleven fights, a third of the number for Rios Gil. Despite of the disparity in experience, Adams is to take a step up in competition since he has been on a tear, stopping his last four opponents before the limit. Adams’ last appearance in San Diego was late last year when he stopped Yair Aguiar in two rounds. Since then he has taken over Tijuana knocking out three in a row with the last one in July.

The Adams-Rios Gil bout is scheduled for six rounds in the super welterweight division.

Four more fights flesh out the card featuring local talent such as David Barragan, “Tiger” Smalls and Smokin’ Joe Perez.

The Four Points by Sheraton Hotel is located at 8110 Aero Drive, San Diego. Tickets are available at SanDiegoFights.com or by calling 619.420.8866. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first punch thrown at 7:30pm.

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (September 18, 2013) — Since the much-anticipated launching of Iron Mike Productions last month, Hall of Famer and living legend “Iron” Mike Tyson has had a string of major media appearances, granting interviews to Fox Sports Live, Extra, the Today Show, and Conan O’Brien, where he spoke about his upcoming show, “Being Mike Tyson,” as well as the current state of boxing. His recent return to the ring as a boxing promoter with Iron Mike Productions has also given him a lot to talk about, like the National Football League and which teams he believes are heading to the Super Bowl.

Most boxing fans also enjoy watching football because of the inherent action and physicality of the two sports. They may remember the stencil art done by artist Joe Lurato a few years back of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for a segment titled, “Quarterbacks of the Decade.” Lurato’s artwork has been featured on NFL broadcasts and Tyson has kept his eyes out for it because, in addition to being passionate about sports, Mike and his Iron Mike Productions business partner, Garry Jonas, are also passionate about art.

“Not only is this unique artwork beautiful,” Tyson said, “it is also inspirational for our fighters as they train in the Iron Mike gym. Our goal is to give all our fighters everything they need to be their very best, physically and mentally, and this serves as another example of Iron Mike Productions’ commitment to excellence on their behalf.”

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Tyson and Jonas, CEO of Iron Mike Productions, immediately thought of Lurato when they were building their state-of-the-art training facility in Deerfield Beach, Florida. They commissioned both Lurato and fellow New York stencil artist, Logan Hicks, to create amazing, larger-than life wall murals to inspire and provoke their fighters, capturing the range of emotions that happen inside the ring.

“The photo-realistic images have depth and move with the eye,” Jonas explained. “They follow the fighters throughout the space, inspiring them and reminding them of why they are here and what they are training for.”

Using layers of hand-cut paper, spray paint and stencils, both artists worked round-the-clock over one weekend to create an energized series of mixed-medium murals that echo the raw dynamism of the Iron Mike gym and capture the hope, struggle and desire that are at the heart of every fighter here.

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The artists deliberately incorporated elements of urban street art to make the murals both visceral and refined to directly reflect the raw, gritty talent each of the fighters started with as they work to refine their skills and transform themselves into champions.

Lurato’s work has also been featured on ESPN as part of the “Art of Basketball” project, created by Billi Kid and Public Works Department, an organization that promotes street and graffiti artists and their work. Licensed by the NBA, the organization features a growing collection of NBA-themed original street artwork that tours the country. Lurato’s contribution focused on the 2012 championship-winning Miami Heat.

To learn more about Joe Lurato and Logan Hicks, check out their work at joeiurato.com and loganhicks.com.

Iron Mike Productions, previously Acquinity Sports, is a boxing promotion company co-founded and led by CEO Garry Jonas. It is a partnership with Hall of Famer Mike Tyson committed to changing traditional boxing promotion by advocating for its fighters’ successes inside the ring and out, throughout their professional careers and into retirement.

For additional information go online at www.IronMikeProductions.com.

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (September 18, 2013) — The Lone Star State will play host to an exciting tripleheader featuring two world championship fights and a grudge rematch between former world champions that’s been building for over six years. Two-time World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight champion ROMAN “Rocky” MARTINEZ will defend his title against undefeated former WBO featherweight champion MIKEY GARCIA; 2012 Fighter of the Year NONITO “Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and former two-division world champion VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN will be looking to settle each other’s hash in a 10-round featherweight rumble and undefeated No. 1 and No. 2 contenders and one-time U.S. Olympians VANES “The Nightmare” MARTIROSYAN and DEMETRIUS “Boo Boo” ANDRADE will battle it out for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title This boxing extravaganza will take place Saturday, November 9, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. All three fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Foreman Boys Promotions, PR Best Boxing, Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Tecate, tickets to the Martinez vs. Garcia world championship event will go on sale This Friday! September 20, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, plus applicable charges, can be purchased at the American Bank Center Box Office (Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm), all Ticketmaster Outlets (HEB Stores), ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“This fight is a great opportunity to clear any doubts about my value as a world champion, “Martinez said to Primera Hora. “A win over Garcia will prove that I am a real champion and it will take me to the next level.”

“I’m fighting a defending champion. It won’t be easy but I think I have all the tools to beat Rocky,” said Garcia. “I want to be champion again and Rocky is in my way. I will become champion again.”

“This is a very important fight for me,” said Darchinyan. “It gives me the opportunity to face and defeat an opponent who beat me in the past. This win will be sweet revenge for me.”

“I am ready to go,” said Martirosyan. “The last fight postponement might be a blessing in disguise because it is just making me hungrier and hungrier every day. I just can’t wait to get into the ring and prove how badly I want this. I have been training very hard and have a great game plan with Freddie Roach. A lot of one-on-one with Freddie, combined with great sparring and training along with the likes of Miguel Cotto and George St. Pierre. That has been very inspirational and motivating. Andrade is a great fighter. I hope he is ready to go to war. We are on HBO and I plan on stealing the spotlight that night with a very exciting and entertaining win for the fans.”

“I am looking forward to this fight and have been waiting for this fight ever since I walked into the gym at age 7”, said Andrade. “I always wanted to be champion of the world and on November 9th I will be crowned champion. I wanted to win an Olympic gold medal and since they took that from me, I am going to take this world title. I was a 2008 Olympian and he made it in 2004. It’s great that the fans will get to see two Olympians battle on HBO. I know I will bring home the title.”

“We are proud to present to the fans of Corpus Christi a fistic feats involving some of the greatest boxers in the world,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “There are at least five fights on this card which could be the main event in any arena. This will be the most exciting night ever for boxing fans in Corpus Christi.”

“In all three fights, fans expect big statements to be made in the ring,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports. “The night presents a fistic hat-trick of exciting match-ups in which the momentum can shift at any time.”

Martinez (27-1-2, 16 KOs), of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, captured his first world title in 2009, knocking out defending champion Nicky Cook in the fourth round of a bout held in Cook’s backyard, Manchester, England. Rocky successfully defended the belt twice — both by knockout — during his 18-month reign before losing it to Ricky Burns in Scotland in a hotly-contested battle that saw the close decision go to Burns. He bagen his second and current world championship tenure last year, winning the vacant WBO junior lightweight crown with a majority decision over Miguel Beltran, Jr. a toe-to-toe brawl that had the crowd on its feet from the opening bell. He has successfully defended his title twice since regaining it, a Draw against Juan Carlos Burgos and a split decision over Diego Magdaleno, last January and April, respectively.

Garcia (32-0, 27 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., a 2010 graduate of California’s Ventura County Police and Sheriff’s Reserve Officer Academy, returns to the ring having won 15 of his past 17 bouts by knockout and has not gone the distance in over three years. He captured the WBO featherweight title in January, dethroning two-time featherweight champion Orlando Salido at Madison Square Garden via an eight-round technical win that had Garcia winning virtually every round against the seasoned veteran. He was forced to vacate the title in his first defense, for not being able to make the 126-pound weight limit. Though drained, he was still able to rise to the occasion and knock out former two-division world champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez in the fourth round last June. Garcia, 25, had a career-best year in 2012, knocking out one-time world title challenger Bernabe Concepcion and former world champion Mauricio Pastrana, in the seventh and second rounds, respectively. He ended his 2012 campaign by knocking out former World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Jonathan Barros in the eighth round last November. Garcia is trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed and trained by his brother, 2012 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion.

Donaire (31-2, 20 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in Las Vegas, Nev., has been a consensus top-10 pound-for-pound fighter for several years. His 12-year, 30-bout winning streak came to an end in his last fight, losing a decision to undefeated Cuban sensation and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rogondeaux in a title unification bout last April. Trained by 2012 Trainer of the Year and former world champion Robert Garcia, Donaire is himself the reigning Fighter of the Year. 2012 was a career year for Donaire, winning four world title fights — all televised live on HBO. Highlights included capturing the vacant WBO junior featherweight title in February, winning a gritty split-decision battle over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. He unified the title later that summer, via a dominant unanimous decision victory over defending IBF champion Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire followed that victory with another legacy-making knockout — a ninth-round stoppage of WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka in October, ending Nishioka’s eight-year, 16-bout winning streak. Donaire capped the year in December, blasting out Méxican icon Jorge Arce via a third-round knockout. Career highlights for Donaire also include knockout victories of defending IBF / International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, in the fifth round, the first loss of Darchinyan’s professional career, former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko, in the fourth round, and defending WBC / WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel in the second round, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak while also claiming his third world title in as many weight divisions. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year.

Darchinyan (39-5-1, 28 KOs), a native of Armenia whose home base has been Sydney, Australia, is one of the lower division’s most exciting fighters. A member of Armenia’s 2000 Olympic boxing team, he won his first world title in his 22nd professional bout, knocking out undefeated International IBF flyweight champion Irene Pacheco in the 11th round of their 2004 battle, ending Pacheco’s five-year reign. During his own three-year tenure as world champion, Darchinyan successfully defended his title six times – all by stoppage – against the division’s top contenders. After losing the title and his undefeated record to Donaire, in 2007, Darchinyan moved up in weight and claimed the IBF junior bantamweight crown, knocking out defending champion Dimitri Kirilov in the fifth round. He unified the 115 pound world titles in his next fight, knocking out WBC / WBA super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares in the ninth round. The first person to unify three of the titles in that weight division He successfully defended his titles three times during his two-year reign as unified super flyweight champion, including an 11th-round stoppage of Méxican icon Jorge Arce. Darchinyan vacated his titles in mid-2010 to campaign as a bantamweight, defeating former IBF bantamweight champion Yonnhy Perez, Evans Mbamba and Eric Barcelona, while losing competitive decisions to world champions Abner Mares, Joseph Agbeko and Shinsuke Yamanaka. Last September, Darchinyan made his debut as a super bantamweight, winning the NABF title by shellacking previously undefeated prospect Luis Del Valle. Darchinyan returns to the ring fresh from a fourth-round knocked out of Francisco Gallo in May. Darchinyan is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBO and the WBC, No. 4 by the WBA and No. 5 by the IBF.

Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21 KOs), a native of Armenia who fights out of Glendale, Calif., is one of the super welterweight division’s most promising contenders. A member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, Martirosyan’s amateur resume boasts victories over future world champions Timothy Bradley, Jr., Austin Trout and Andre Berto. Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Martirosyan captured his first title in 2009, knocking out defending NABA/NABO champion Willie Lee. He successfully defended the title in his next fight, in 2010, a 10-round unanimous decision victory over former IBF junior middleweight champion Kassim Ouma. He added the NABF title to his trophy case with another 10-round unanimous decision later that same year, at Yankee Stadium, this time over previously undefeated Joe Greene, and captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver super welterweight title in 2011, via a seventh-round TKO of Saul Roman. Currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO, Martirosyan returns to the ring fresh from knocking out Ryan Davis, his seventh knockout victim in his last 11 fights.

Andrade (19-0, 13 KO), of Providence, RI, has been a mainstay on television since making his professional debut following his stint on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Star Boxing, Andrade’s aggressive style has attracted and created fans on both coasts of the U.S. One doesn’t have to look any further than his recent record where Andrade has stopped five of his last seven opponents. In his last fight, Andrade pasted one-time world title challenger Freddy Hernandez for 10 rounds, winning every round on all three judges’ card en route to a unanimous decision victory. Andrade is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBO.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com and www.hbo.com/boxing, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/hboboxing, and facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing.

In a great traditional battle between Puerto Rico and Mexico, No. 1 Contender Orlando Cruz, in his first world title shot, will battle former two-time World Champion Orlando Salido for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Featherweight Championship. The two fighters are on the call today from their training camps. Orlando Cruz is in Buffalo, NY and Orlando Salido in Mexico. In three weeks they will face each other in the ring. Also on the call is All Star Boxing’s Tuto Zabala, Jr., who is Cruz’ promoter and Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank, the promoter of the card.

For Cruz (20-2-1, 10 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, boxing’s first openly gay fighter and a member of Puerto Rico’s 2000 Olympic team, this will be his first world title shot. Salido (39-12-2, 27 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, will be looking to complete a hat trick in regaining the title he previously held for nearly two years They will be fighting for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title on the pay-per-view undercard of the Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, Jr. vs. Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Márquez WBO welterweight championship fight on Saturday, October 12, at the Thomas & Mack Center, on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

TODD duBOEF: We are getting ready and the fighters are gearing up for an incredible show on October 12 in Las Vegas. We talk about the great rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico and this is going to be showcased on October 12 and between the two of them, Salido, a seasoned veteran who has been in with everyone in the featherweight division and Cruz, who has earned his title shot and is a profile in courage.

TUTO ZABALA: Thanks to Top Rank and to the WBO for giving us a shot. Orlando is preparing himself in Buffalo, NY with Juan Carlos De Leon and he’s going to have a media workout in Manhattan on Tuesday the 24th. When we signed Orlando Cruz he had lost two fights in a row with his former promoter and he was looking for help. We got him four fights on the Telemundo Network and the championship shot within two years. I am very proud of him and the job we have done for him and also embraced how he came out of the closet like he did last October. It has changed a lot and it is amazing the happiness that we have in our team. Finally he has the world title shot and everything is set for him. I now want to hand it over to the WBO Latino Champion from Puerto Rico, Orlando Cruz.

ORLANDO CRUZ: I am very happy. Thank you HBO for the opportunity and Top Rank and my promoter Tuto Zabala, my manger Juan De Leon. I am excited and I am ready for the fight.

ORLANDO SALIDO: It’s been great preparation and I am grateful for the opportunity that Top Rank has given me to win another world title. I know that Orlando Cruz is a very difficult fighter, he’s a great boxer, and I know that he has a lot of abilities. I have been getting real good sparring here because I know it is going to be a very difficult fight.

A lot of people thought you were done after your fight with Mikey and now you have another opportunity…

ORLANDO SALIDO: I know the fight with Mikey I wasn’t myself. It was a tough night. But that’s in the past and I know what I’m capable of doing. Right now I feel like I did before my fight with Juan Manuel Lopez and I think you’re going to see that same type of fight from me on October 12.

You’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity – how have you been preparing for it?

ORLANDO CRUZ: It’s been a while. I have been working hard and I never said “no” to any opponent. I worked really hard to get to this point and my team has been really good. Everybody is healthy and I am very happy to get this opportunity. I have a lot of respect for Orlando Salido. I am not going in there thinking that it’s an easy fight. I know how hard he has worked to get to where he is. I know how hard I worked to get where I am. I think we are both really hungry and we both want to do a really great job. I want to take the title back to Puerto Rico for all my fans.

Salido, how is your eye?

ORLANDO SALIDO: I have had injuries in the past but I have not had one injury in the training camp. So all I have to think about is this fight against Orlando Cruz and winning that fight.

How do you feel about Cruz’ style compared to [Mikey] Garcia?

ORLANDO SALIDO: They are totally different fighters. Orlando is a boxer and he tries to move around the ring. My job is to put pressure on him. I will try to cut him off and I will be throwing so many punches I will hit him somewhere. Then I will go to the body to cut him down and eventually I will make him fight my fight.

Does you think your experience will be the difference?

ORLANDO SALIDO: Without a doubt I have been in there with some great champions. I won some and I lost some and I did gain great experience fighting them. I just feel for this fight it will be whoever is better prepared. We are both hungry. We both want it. It’s just a question of who is going to be the best that night and I think I will be.

Jim Lampley, who has a gay brother, called you a hero to him…

ORLANDO CRUZ: I am happy with the situation and I have a lot of support from all around the world. It is great news for me to know about Jim Lampley and his brother. I just want to thank all of the people that have supported me. I have been working hard for this, it is something that I have been waiting a long time for. I want to win this fight for Puerto Rico and for my community. I want to dedicate my fight to the LGBT and all of Puerto Rico because they are going to have a new champion.

Are you ready for a fight with Salido’s experience?

ORLANDO CRUZ: I am ready for the challenge to face Orlando Salido on October 12 even with all of his experience. He faced great champions like Juan Manuel Marquez, Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez. I worked very hard for this and am grateful for all of the support that I have, from Tuto, the WBO and Top Rank. Carlos DeLeon, the four-time world champion has been working in the gym with me giving me a lot of experience. People don’t understand how much experience you get while training in the gym. You get experience from working hard and doing what the coach tells me. I have been following what the coach tells me and on October 12 I will become champion for Puerto Rico and for all of my people.

What is the challenge in Salido’s style?

ORLANDO CRUZ: The pressure he will bring. The way he comes that is the way I will fight with Salido. I am not going to run. When I need to fight I am going to fight. When I need to box I am going to box. I am going to be the smartest guy in the ring. I am not taking anything away from Salido but on October 12 we are going to make history.

What do you think about Emille Griffith?

ORLANDO CRUZ: I want to dedicate this fight to Emille Griffith and his family. This fight will be for his community (LGBT) and all the fans of Orlando Cruz.

Mexico vs Puerto Rico rivalry…

ORLANDO CRUZ: The rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico, this will be another fight that will bring a lot of excitement in the ring between me and Saldio and I am so happy that it happened because it makes it bigger when I beat a Mexican to bring the belt to Puerto Rico once again.

ORLANDO SALIDO: This is a great rivalry between the two countries and I know when I get in the ring I have to give my best. I always give my best because it’s important to take that victory home. Mexico vs Puerto Rico is always special and a victory over a Puerto Rican is always special for the people of Mexico.

ORLANDO CRUZ: I never refused to fight anybody. Any person Tuto Zabala put in front of me I signed the contract. If they said ‘fight King Kong’ I would fight the person no matter if it was going to be at 126 pounds or above. I don’t care who I fight inside the ring because this is what I love to do – box.

What about Mikey Garcia rematch?

ORLANDO SALDIO: I would love to get a rematch with Mikey Garcia either at 126 or 130. I know I wasn’t myself. I don’t know what happened that night but I wasn’t feeling comfortable in the ring. I would love to fight him again and I feel I would do much better and it would be a much better fight.

Is this going to be the year of Orlando Cruz?

ORLANDO CRUZ: I am sure this is going to be my year. The end of 2013 and going into 2014 will be my time.

How as your life changed since you made the announcement?

ORLANDO CRUZ: My life has changed completely. I am now a different person. I am happy with the support that all of the people have given me and I just want to continue to work hard doing the things that I need to do to make history.

Salido, has Orlando Cruz ever been on your radar for a fight?

ORLANDO SALIDO: It looked to me like he was probably going to be an opponent for me. He has always been there in the top ten. As he was moving up I knew the possibility existed so I was keeping an eye on him.

What have you been thinking about since the loss to Garcia?

ORLANDO SALIDO: After that fight I had a long time to reflect on what happened. I had to take a look at my career to see if this was still what I wanted to do. I still want to do this because I still have a lot left and I think I can still do a lot of things in boxing. But on October 12 I have to show everyone that I am back and what I am capable of doing then go from there. I am not thinking about the future, I just want to show everyone that I am back.

You were supposed to have a fight in June that got canceled – how was that transition to this fight?

ORLANDO CRUZ: All of the work I was doing for June 28 I continued to do. I just changed it up a little because of the type of fighter that Salido is. All I had to do was make some adjustments and I am ready for October 12.

If you win, along with Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon, you’d be the only country to boast three world champions from the 2000 Olympic class….

ORLANDO CRUZ: It is going to be great when I become a champion on October 12. It is going to be a great honor for me to be part of the three, to be with Cotto and Calderon, when I become champion to be part of history in Puerto Rico.

Since your announcement, has media demand taken away from your training?

ORLANDO CRUZ: It has not. I have concentrated on the October 12 fight. I understand the press wants to know about my personal life but I have a team I just want to say thank you to all the Puerto Rican people and all of my friends and to not worry, I am going to be ready for the fight. I understand that all of those questions will come and I will answer the best I can but it will not take me away from the focus that I have for Orlando Salido.

After the tough fight in January many people thought you might retire. Did that enter your mind?

ORLANDO SALIDO: As far as I am concerned the opportunity came at the perfect time. I know what I am capable of doing and I know this is one of my last opportunities to win a championship so I worked very hard for this fight. I am going to be ready to win the fight.

You were knocked down a few times in your last fight – is that a worry for you?

ORLANDO SALIDO: You know, everybody in boxing, if you get hit, there are some strong punchers out there. The question is, what are you going to do? I am going to get up and try my hardest. It happens in boxing. You just have to get ready. You prepare yourself by training for each fight – do the best you can in the ring so you can do the best you can in the ring.

What do you think about Mikey [Garcia] going up to 130 especially because it seemed as though you were catching up to him in the later rounds?

ORLANDO SALDIDO: I always thought he was a big guy for 126 and I think he will be even bigger and stronger at 130. I look at him like one of those guys that can go up and have no problem with it.

How do you feel about Salido beating fellow Puerto Rican fight, Juan Manuel Lopez, twice?

ORLANDO CRUZ: I have been working hard and am taking this fight more seriously than any other I have had. I know Salido is a strong fighter and I know every round he becomes stronger and stronger and I am preparing myself for that challenge on October 12.

Since your announcement in October, have the events you have been invited to taken away from your training?

ORLANDO CRUZ: I have been training hard and focusing on this fight for October 12 and nothing will take me away from that. Every day I work harder and harder. I want to thank the WBO President Paco Valcarcel and my promoter, Tuto Zabala, who work hard with me every day to keep me motivated so I will become champion on October 12.

Puerto Rico now only has one champion…

ORLANDO CRUZ: The Puerto Rican community has been supporting me and has respected my decision. Puerto Rico has one champion in Rocky Martinez and now they are going to have a second champion on October 12. Puerto Rico will soon have another champion in Danny Garcia.

There is another fighter on October 12, Lomanchenko who could be a next opponent for him…

ORLANDO CRUZ: The only one I am looking at right now is Mr. Salido. I am not looking at anyone else. When the time comes to look at my next fight, I will sit down with my promoter and my team to discuss. That will be great but my focus right now is on Salido.

What is your opinion on the landscape of Puerto Rico boxing. Mexicans have been successful as of late…

ORLANDO SALIDO: I think about what I have done against Puerto Rican fighters. I am 5-0 against them and looking to make it 6-0. I know how to fight them and my experience helps me to do that and I’ll be ready for anything that happens in the ring based on my experience on what I have done in the ring against them.

TODD du BOEF: It is great to hear this dialogue from these two great warriors as they get ready for the fight. Right now we are going to ramp up an incredible promotion with Timmy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. A release will be going out this afternoon announcing the rest of the undercard. We will have Seanie Monaghan against Anthony Caputo Smith for the WBC Continental Americas title and the Olympian Lomanchenko fighting in his pro debut in a ten-rounder against top-10 contender Jose Luis Ramirez out of Mexico. There is a lot of interest in all of the competitive fights on the show and the response has been terrific. The main event between Bradley and Marquez is one of those sit-around-a-bar or table and no one can pick a winner. We know how competitive it is and how closely matched it is. In the next few weeks we will have numerous promotional activities. Also, tomorrow I will be in Los Angeles for the Cotto media day, so if you are in LA, show up.

ORLANDO SALIDO: I think you are going to see another great fight between two guys that really want it and leave everything they have in the ring. I want to wish Orlando Cruz luck and you cant’ beat Puerto Rico vs. Mexico in the ring.

TUTO ZABALA: Thank you everyone for joining the call and we are looking for a great fight. We have the greatest promotional team in the world, Top Rank. Two of the best featherweights in the world. You have Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. You have a great main event. I am very proud of Orlando Cruz and Puerto Rico will have a new champion on October 12.

ORLANDO CRUZ: I want to thank all of the press for joining us today. I want to thank All Star Boxing, Top Rank and the WBO. I wish all the luck to Orlando Salido and Puerto Rico will have a new champion on October 12.

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Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, All Star Boxing, Wynn Las Vegas, Márquez Boxing, and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Bradley vs. Márquez welterweight championship event, priced at $800, $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, online at UNLVtickets.com, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas Concierge, or by calling 702-739-FANS (3267).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #BradleyMarquez to join the conversation on twitter.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (September 18, 2013)—On Wednesday night October 23rd, It will be an historic night of boxing at the Sydney Entertainment Center in Sydney, Australia when former three world champion Anthony Mundine (44-5, 26 KO’s) battles six-time world champion and future Hall of Famer “Sugar” Shane Mosley in a twelve round Jr. Middleweight bout for the WBA International championship.

The fight is promoted by Vlad Warton’s Millennium Events and Golden Boy Promotions.

Warton, who has promoted big fights all over the world, believes that this fight will be undoubtedly one of the biggest fights in the history of Australia.

That’s a big statement considering fights that fights such as the 1992 rematch between Jeff Fenech and Azumah Nelson as well as a fight that Warton promoted in 2003 between the great Kostya Tszyu and Jesse James Leija drew 40,000 spectators to the Telstra Dome in Melbourne

“This is a fight fan’s dream fight for Australia”, said Warton.

“Because of a legend like Shane Mosley, it will excite the fans of Australia. Because of what he has done in his career, Mosley will have as much support as Mundine on October 23rd. He has fought no one but the best and has beaten a lot of great fighters so to say Anthony has his work cut out for him is an understatement”

“Given the styles and Mosley’s championship experience, I would say he has an edge.”

The promoter points out there are similarities and the differences that will make this an interesting fight.

“While Mundine is slightly younger and taller, Mosley is stronger. You have Mundine coming down from Middleweight and Mosley is coming up from Welterweight. This fight considering the styles will provide huge excitement”

Not since Roy Jones Jr. fought Danny Green in 2009, has a fighter with the superstar pedigree of a Shane Mosley traveled to Australia for a big fight.

“This is a great opportunity to see someone as great as Shane Mosley on these shores. He maybe 42 years old, but he is coming off a great win over a future world champion in Pablo Cesar Cano so we know he still has a ton of gas left in his tank”

Neither fighter can afford a loss at this stage in their career as it will be an extremely tough road back for the loser, yet the winner will get the opportunity for one more high profile fight.

“The winner will get a high profile fight back in the United States while the loser will go back to zero. Anthony knows that this could be his last great opportunity. He is more mature and even though he is a three-time world champion, this could be a career defining fight.”

The fight will be televised via Pay Per View in Australia on Main Event and New Zealand on SKY Channel and tickets to the live event are $1000; $500; $200; $100 and $50

An American Television partner will be announced shortly.

SUNRISE, FLORIDA (Sept. 18) – Golden Boy Promotions returns to the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida on Monday, Oct.14, for the latest edition of Golden Boy Live! on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes featuring unbeaten junior middleweight Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo against New York City southpaw Jose Angel “Silver Boy” Rodriguez.

The event will also feature a special guest appearance by boxing superstar and former World Champion Roy Jones Jr.

“Rodriguez is a tough veteran who has definitely fought quality opposition,” said Charlo. “It’s my job to make him look like an amateur and get him out of there. That’s what I plan on doing on October 14.”

“This is a great opportunity and I thank Golden Boy Promotions and FOX Sports 1 for making this happen,” said Rodriguez. “Now it’s up to me to get the job done and I’m more confident than ever that my hand will be raised.”

“We are very much looking forward to bringing the Golden Boy Live! series to the BB&T Center,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “One of the best parts of consistently hosting this Monday night fight series, is the opportunity to showcase up and coming fighters in different cities so that fight fans across the country have the chance to see great fights live.”

Charlo vs. Rodriguez, a 10-round junior middleweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Sunrise Sports & Entertainment and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The BB&T Center doors open at 7:00 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 8:00 p.m. ET. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes bi-lingual simulcast will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Additional televised undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets priced at $196.25 (VIP Tables), $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are now available for purchase at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (800) 745-3000, online at http://www.ticketmaster.com and at the BB&T Center box office.

Houston’s Jermell Charlo (21-0, 10 KO’s) has stepped up big time in 2013, winning both the WBC Continental Americas and USBA Junior Middleweight Titles with his victories over Harry Joe Yorgey and Demetrius Hopkins, respectively. Now hoping to keep his unbeaten run intact when he battles the upset-minded Rodriguez, the 23-year-old “Iron Man” promises a performance to remember when he competes in front of the nation on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.

A versatile veteran who has won five of his last six bouts, 34-year-old Jose Angel Rodriguez (17-2-1, 2 KO’s) is coming off of back-to-back victories over Russell Jordan and Denis Douglin that have him in fine stead heading into the biggest fight of his career against Charlo on Oct. 14. And given his southpaw style and experience, “Silver Boy” can certainly make it a tough night for the hot prospect in Florida.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.thebbtcenter.com,
follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/twincharlo,
www.twitter.com/LeftyStyle79,www.twitter.com/thebbtcenter
and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1 and become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@FOXSports @FOXSports1, @FOXSportsPR and @FOXDeportes.

London (18th September) Hennessy Sports would like to wish both Chris Eubank Jr and Hughie Fury very happy birthdays today, as well as announce that both fighters will appear on the Tyson Fury vs David Haye undercard.

After their stoppage wins at the Magna Centre, Rotherham, on the undercard to Kid Galahad’s sensational British title knockout win over Jazza Dickens, the hot middleweight sensation and young heavyweight star will be back in action in just 10 days time.

Eubank Jr, who turned 24 today, took apart and stopped the tough Bulgarian Alexey Ribchev inside three rounds in Rotherham and will be looking for a repeat performance in Manchester.

The stoppage extended his perfect record to 11 wins with six knockouts, while Hughie, who turned 19 today, took on former British cruiserweight champion Shane McPhilbin to record his ninth straight win and sixth stoppage since his professional debut in March.

Watch both Eubank Jr and Hughie weigh-in at the official Fury vs. Haye weigh-in, Friday, September 27, inside the Phones 4 U Arena, Manchester – open to the general public.

There is a limited amount of free tickets released through the Phones 4 U Arena Box Office and also eventim.co.uk, which carry a booking fee of £2.50 per transaction up to four tickets and are on sale now.

The weigh-in itself will commence at 12.30pm (doors open at 11.30am) and every boxer scheduled to appear on the Fury vs. Haye fight card will tip the scales.

Of course, due to the expected high demand, fans are urged to snap up their tickets as soon as possible for this event.

New York, NY (Sept 18, 2013) – GLORY Sports International has acquired the rights to the significant majority of K-1 programming, one of the best-known kickboxing promotions in the history of the sport. This new acquisition brings the total number of kickboxing programming hours under GSI’s control to nearly 3,000.

GSI is a content producer itself, providing programming to over 170 territories. GSI recently secured a major television distribution deal in the United States with SPIKE TV (a unit of Viacom), with the first event set to premiere on Saturday, October 12, 2013; Glory 11 Chicago will be LIVE in prime time from Hoffman Estates’ Sears Centre at 9 pm Eastern Time.

Scott Rudmann, non-executive Director of GLORY, said, “We are delighted to have successfully acquired the Fuji TV portion of the K-1 catalog and to bring most of the historic K-1 footage into the GLORY library.”

Specifically, GLORY has acquired these rights from the bankruptcy of FEG, the former K-1 promoter in Japan. The rights package comprises the K-1 events that were broadcast by Fuji TV in Japan, and includes the K-1 Grand Prix Finals from locations all over the world dating from 1993 – 2006 and beyond.

The K-1 footage complements GLORY’s existing library, which includes the catalogs for It’s Showtime, Nikko, United Glory and GLORY-produced programming and live events. These historical bouts are now all under the GLORY brand umbrella.

Andrew Whitaker, Chief Executive, GLORY Sports International, added, “With the coming debut of GLORY programming on SPIKE TV and national US television exposure, fight fans will soon see why GLORY is the hottest new story in combat sports.”

About GLORY:
Founded in 2012, GLORY is owned and operated by GLORY Sports International (GSI), a professional martial arts organization and television content provider, and maintains offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Singapore, and Tokyo. GLORY programming is seen in over 170 territories. GLORY kickboxing rules are comprised of a mix of several combat disciplines including Karate, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and traditional Boxing. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @GLORY_WS, and visit us online at www.gloryworldseries.com.

EW YORK (Sept. 17, 2013) – SHOWTIME Sports will air Floyd Mayweather’s “masterful” (Associated Press) performance against Canelo Alvarez and Danny Garcia’s “scintillating” (Wall Street Journal) victory over Lucas Matthysse this Saturday on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) as a replay of the blockbuster Sept. 14 PPV event titled “THE ONE: Mayweather vs. Canelo.”

The television premiere of “THE ONE” will be preceded and immediately followed by the SHOWTIME Sports documentary film “LT: The Life & Times”, the first ever feature length film about the incredibly dramatic life of NFL Hall of Famer and legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor (premieres this Friday, Sept. 20 at 8p ET/PT on SHOWTIME).

The dramatic moments surrounding the historic event will be chronicled in ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo Epilogue premiering next Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The epilogue will spotlight the intensity of fight week, taking viewers inside the ropes on fight night and into the rarely seen, uncelebrated aftermath of world championship boxing.

Mayweather, the undisputed, pound-for-pound king, put on a clinic against Mexican sensation Canelo, handing the 23-year-old superstar his first loss in front of a largely pro-Canelo crowd at the sold out MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Canelo couldn’t solve the puzzle of the 36-year-old Floyd Mayweather, who showcased his signature speed and elusiveness en route to a questionable majority decision. For the night’s work, Mayweather collected a guaranteed $41.5 million and Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight Championships.

In the event’s co-feature, Garcia knocked down feared power-puncher Matthysse for the first time in his career and retained the unified super lightweight world title in an impressive performance against his favored opponent.

Matthysse entered the fight having knocked out five of his last six opponents but his power wasn’t apparent against Garcia, who executed a solid game plan in the unanimous decision victory.

About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Newport Beach, CA.: Southern California fight promoter Roy Englebrecht announced today the signing of the Southland’s first Korean-American boxer to a promotional agreement. 23 year old junior welterweight Daniel Kim, the 2012 Southern California Blue & Gold Champion and a 2013 graduate of UC Irvine, signed with Englebrecht in an office ceremony today.

“I am extremely excited that Daniel has decided to sign with us and join the three other pro fighters we have under contract,” said Englebrecht. “As it is our goal to sign only Southern California fighters, and with Daniel now joining 13-0 Alexander Flores, 2-0 Dwain Victorian, and our 3-0 MMA fighter Curtis Millender, with Daniel being from Cerritos, it was a natural fit. It also didn’t hurt that Daniel is a college graduate, has great roots in the Southern California Korean community, has matinee idol looks, a strong spiritual faith, and can fight. I am excited that he will make his professional debut before a ton of family and friends on the Thursday, October 3rd Fight Club OC show.”

Kim only stepped into a boxing gym in Orange County in 2010, and asked trainer Alan Kemp, “Can I learn to box here?” A former captain of his high school basketball team at Whitney High in Cerritos, Kemp quickly found out that Kim possessed considerable athletic talent, keen intelligence, and a very strong desire to become the best boxer he could. After more than two years in the amateur ranks, Kemp and Kim have decided that now is the time to turn pro, and will be facing Devonte Donaldson out of Long Beach.

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Daniel Kim is ready for battle Oct 3rd

“Turning pro is something I’m really excited about, but I haven’t accomplished anything yet, I measure myself by my success in the ring,” said Kim, “I feel very fortunate to be signing with Roy Englebrecht, as I have heard nothing but compliments from everyone about the way Roy’s fighters are taken care of and the quality of the shows he puts on. He has a great staff, and I’m truly fortunate to be launching my pro career with such a talented and dedicated team.”

“By becoming a Korean-American boxer, I’ve stepped outside the cultural norms and social expectations placed on many of my fellow Korean Americans,” continued Kim, “Growing up, I was left with a strong impression that pursuing a future as an athlete was impossible or a waste of time. Professionally boxing as a Korean American allows me to challenge these cultural and social sentiments while proudly representing Korean and other Asian Americans in a domain where we are vastly underrepresented and often taken lightly.”

Daniel Kim was born in Cerritos and is the eldest son of He Kyung and In Chong Kim. He was a Regents Scholarship winner at UC Irvine, one the most prestigious awards given by the University. He graduated in June with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior. He also has been part of the congregation at Calvary Mission Church in Buena Park for the past ten years. Kim is trained and managed by Alan Kemp, a former pro boxer, a member of the Buffalo Boxing Hall of Fame, and director of the Alan Kemp Boxing club at South Coast Martial Arts in Costa Mesa, CA.

Tickets for Daniel Kim’s pro debut on Thursday, October 3rd in Costa Mesa, can be purchased online at www.fightcluboc.com.

TOTOWA, NJ – Main Events announced today that they have signed light heavyweight boxer Lionell Thompson, 14-2, 9 KOs, to a promotional contract. Thompson, an exciting boxer-puncher from Buffalo, NY, was a five time New York State Golden Glove Champion before turning professional in 2009 with a first round KO of Zaid Malik at the Buffalo Convention Center.

The quick win was the start of 12-bout winning streak that included eight knockouts over a three year stretch that took him up and down the East Coast, as well as to Canada and the UK.

In 2012, Thompson lost two bouts, a controversial decision to Canadian Nicholson Poulard, then 17-3, 8 KOs, for the vacant NABA title, and Russian Sergey Kovalev, then 18-0-1, 17 KOs, who three fights later, won the WBO light heavyweight world title.

This year, Thompson bounced back from those setbacks with an explosive TKO of tough Chuck Mussachio in February, and a measured unanimous decision over then-undefeated Yathomas Riley, in his most recent start. Each victory highlighted a different side of Lionell’s impressive skill set.

Thompson said, “I thank Main Events for giving me the opportunity to prove myself once again and for helping me get closer to my dream of becoming a world champion. I’m honored to be a part of a legendary promotional company who has produced so many champions.”

“Lionell impressed us, last year, when he came to fight Sergey Kovalev on less than two weeks’ notice. He is the kind of fighter who will thrive with enough activity and the efforts of a strong team working for him behind the scenes,” said promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events. “Lionell has an exciting style and has proven to us that he will truly fight anyone. We expect fireworks from him in the future and look forward to working with him and his manager, Kevin Dever.”

The 28-year old Thompson, nicknamed “Lonnie B”, has the size, tools and experience to make a move in the talent-rich 175-pound division. Big fights against the top light-heavies are on the horizon if Thompson can keep winning. And now with Main Events firmly in his corner, Lionell Thompson should soon get an opportunity to crack the top-ten rankings.

On October 26, Arthur Abraham (37-4, 28 KOs) wants to show the world that he is ready for another crack at the WBO Super-Middleweight Championship. In Oldenburg, Germany, Robert Stieglitz´ mandatory challenger will step into the ring against an opponent to be announced shortly.

“Stieglitz stated in the press that he will have one more fight in 2013, which will be a voluntary defense on October 19,” said Abraham. “That means to me that I won’t be able to regain the world title before 2014. But I need to stay focused and ready. That is why I am fighting on October 26.” The 33-year-old knows: “This is going to be a good chance to up my game compared to my last fight against Shihepo in August. Although I am risking my mandatory status, this challenge will give me confidence ahead of a third meeting with Stieglitz.”

Hagen Doering, Team Sauerland’s Sports Director, said: “We cannot name the opponent just yet as we are in negotiations with three ranked contenders. All I can say is that it will definitely be a true test for Abraham.”

The venue is nothing new to the former champion as he had his first-ever world title defense at the EWE ARENA Oldenburg against Australian Shannan Taylor back in 2006. “I have good memories of this place and that’s why I like to fight there again,” added Abraham, hoping for another emphatic victory.

Tickets for the big fight night on October 26 in Oldenburg, Germany will be available shortly on www.boxen.com.

Undefeated Russian heavyweight crusher Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (18-0, 18 KOs) is hard at work in Florida with new trainer John David Jackson, preparing for his first premium-cable appearance, a showdown with also undefeated Cuban Mike Perez (19-0, 12 KOs) on Saturday, November 2, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City and televised Live on HBO®.

The hard-hitting pair, both southpaws, will meet for Abdusalamov’s WBC USNBC Heavyweight Championship on the televised portion of the undercard of middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s World Boxing Association and International Boxing Organization title defense against Curtis Stevens.

Sampson Lewkowicz, exclusive promoter of Abdusalamov, says the addition of trainer Jackson will give the 32-year-old Russian a new dimension to his game. “Who better to train a southpaw to become champion than one who has already done it?” he asked. “Magomed already had the best power in the heavyweight division and now with John David Jackson fine-tuning his defense, he will be unstoppable.”

A victory over 27-year-old Perez would be another significant notch on Abdusalamov’s belt. The big Cuban is a former Prizefighter UK champion who holds victories over respectable veterans such as Zack Page, Tye Fields and Travis Walker.

“Magomed is training to prove he is the real heavyweight on the horizon,” continued Lewkowicz. “Victories over other strong contenders like Perez are how he will do it. I’m very happy that HBO has chosen to spotlight Magomed. This exciting KO victory will allow him to establish himself as the most exciting puncher in the heavyweight division today.

Abdusalamov manager, Boris Grinberg, says his fighter will be the best version of himself he’s ever been on November 2.

“John David Jackson is the final piece of the puzzle to make the next heavyweight champion. The strongest offense in the division is now being taught defense by one of the slickest fighters in boxing history. We are very excited for the world to see the improved Magomed on HBO.”

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 17, 2013) – Former U.S. amateur standout Derrick Wilson (10-4-2, 3 KOs), coming off a sensational upset of previously unbeaten prospect Braulio Santos this past June, has the opportunity of his young professional career this Saturday night in Tulum, Mexico, challenging World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver featherweight champion Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (18-9, 11 KOs) in the 12-round main event.

Wilson, fighting out of Fort Myers (FL), was a 2004 National Silver Gloves champion, winning 50 of 57 amateur bouts with all of his losses coming in national competition.

The 24-year-old resurrected his boxing career by upsetting Santos (10-0), something he’s become quite adept at having shocked Charlie Huerta (11-0) in 2009, by way of a first-round knockout.

“I think this fight will be easier for me than my last,” Wilson said. “My last fight was hard, a real challenge, against an undefeated fighter. This guy (Castellanos) has already tasted losing before. I’m more talented than him, skill-wise, and he doesn’t have the power or speed to stay up with me. My skills will overpower him.”

Castellanos, rated No. 2 by the WBC, has won his last 10 fights in a row. He captured his WBC Silver title belt in 2011, stopping Alberto Garza (23-4-1) in the eighth round, and has successfully defended his title six times. His last fight was a win by 12-round split decision over Celestino Caballero (36-4) last April.

“I know if I win this fight,” Wilson remarked, “it’ll open a lot of doors for me. But I’m just thinking about this fight itself. I have too many other things going on in my life and can’t afford to think about what ifs. He (Castellanos) is just another person in the ring with me.”

Wilson’s manager, Si Stern, hopes Castellanos is looking past Wilson, ahead to a Mexican showdown with newly crowned WBC champion Jhonny Gonzalez.

“This is a great opportunity for Derrick,” Stern commented. “He got this shot because of his last fight. Derrick is a young, very good fighter who has turned his career around since getting back with his amateur coach, Larry Wills, who has gotten Derrick fully focused. He’s a completely different fighter now. We have to give credit to Golden Boy Promotions. Wilson isn’t signed with them, but Golden Boy liked what they saw in Derrick, and gave him this opportunity. If Derrick fights the way he did in his last fight, he’ll win Saturday night, positioning him to fight the top featherweights in the world.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undefeated WBO M iddleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin will defend his title against Gabriel Rosado on October 26th as part of the Bernard Hopkins – Karo Murat card in Atlantic City.

“We got it done,” said Quillin’s promoter Richard Schaefer. “I think the fight is in the perfect spot. Peter is from New York, Rosado is from Philadelphia. I try to put fights where they belong and this fight belongs in that location. I’m very happy for the fans from the East Coast that they can see another world title fight on this card.

“Rosado always comes to fight and he’s getting another world title opportunity. For Quillin, it’s another opportunity to showcase his talents against a good opponent.”

“I’m glad the fight is made, two Americans fighting each other on a channel where all the fights are being made, explosive fights, good fights,” Quillin said. “There’s so much activity on Showtime and I’m just glad to have my place. I wanted to get in three fights this year, but I’ll get in two and I feel good about setting up my 2014. As for Gabe, I got nothing bad to say about him. I got respect for all fighters, but my numbers speak for themself – 29-0 with 21 knockouts in nine years pro. Gabe and I are both fighters and we both have the will, but I’ll go in there and win every round.”

Rosado returned in May to face unbeaten prospect J’Leon Love on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Robert Guerrero undercard. Love, who got knocked down, was awarded a split decision win in a fight many thought Rosado won. However, after the fight the result was changed to a no contest because Love tested positive for a banned diuretic he used to help him make 160 pounds.

“I thought he won that fight,” Quillin said.

“I know people will view it as a measuring stick, but I’m not going to try to match (Golovkin) or outdo him,” Quillin said. “I’m gonna do me. I will stay true to myself. I will work hard to win, that’s my main focus. I’m glad to be in there with a guy with a good name.

“I’m gonna go in with the mentality to try to get him out of there. I’m not playing. I signed the contract, we agreed to fight. He will try to beat me, try to knock me out, so I don’t have any more respect. My job is to treat him as a stranger or like he stole something from me or he’s a little brother and I’m trying to teach him something.”

New York, NY (9/16/13) – Earlier tonight, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s SMS Promotions and Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment presented an exciting seven-bout card before a loud and vibrant crowd at the beautiful Resorts World Casino in Jamaica, Queens. Hot 97’s DJ Carmelo created a party-like atmosphere mixing it up from the DJ booth and the special Monday night of boxing also featured three separate live performances from three of 50’s G-Unit rap artists including Tony Yayo.

Headlining the card was SMS promoted undefeated junior lightweight contender Mark Davis taking on the always-dangerous Carlos Vinan.

From the outset, it was apparent that Davis was the much quicker of the two, as he fired off lightning-fast combinations that dazzled the crowd. In the second round, Davis even took time to acknowledge his promoter 50 Cent, who was sitting ringside, asking him what he wanted, before firing off another blistering combination that seemed to daze Vinan.

Round after round saw more of the same, as Davis was able to control the action from the outside, using beautiful footwork. To his credit though, Vinan hung tough and kept coming forward, taking a number of heavy shots in the process. In the end, Davis was just too fast and too accurate for Vinan, winning by scores of 99-91, 98-92, 97-93, improving his record to 18-0, 5KO’s.

PAGAN DOMINATES IN HIS RETURN

Making his DBE and SMS co-promotional debut was the five-time NY Golden Gloves champion Shemuel “The Chosen One” Pagan, who, like Galeano, recently signed an exclusive co-promotional agreement with the two promoters. Pagan got things started fast in his junior welterweight matchup, landing a huge overhand left from his southpaw stance, just moments into the first that sent his opponent Calvin Smith crashing to the canvas. Smith was able to survive the round, but it was evident he wasn’t in the same league as Pagan.

A big left hook to the body dropped Smith again midway through the third and he looked as though he would be counted out on his knees. Somehow, though, he was able to rise to his feet and once again make it out of the round.

Looking to close the show in impressive fashion, Pagan came out on fire in the fourth, throwing caution-to-the-wind, and throwing everything he had at Smith. Huge shots had Smith on unsteady legs for most of the round, but amazingly he was able to once again survive. In the end, Pagan was awarded the dominant four-round unanimous decision, winning by scores of 40-33, 40-33, 40-34, improving his record to 3-0, 1KO in the process.

In his professional debut, former #1-rated amateur and National Champion Christopher “Golden” Galeano was upset, losing a unanimous four-round decision to 1-0 David Rohn. Galeano, who like Pagan just recently signed a co-promotional agreement with DBE and SMS, was dropped almost immediately from a check right hook from the southpaw Rohn. It was a flash knockdown, as Galeano was up at the count of one and seemed to control the rest of the round.

Galeano came out much more determined in the second, scoring with hard combinations, mixing in a vicious body attack in the process. The third round saw more of the same from Galeano, as he seemed to be breaking down Rohn, who was breathing heavy after absorbing a number of hard shots to the body.

With Galeano in control a short right uppercut from Rohn dropped him again in the fourth frame. Once again, the knockdown was a flash knockdown, but nonetheless the judges scored the round 10-8 for Rohn.

In the end, all three judges scored the bout in Rohn’s favor, 38-36, 38-37, 38-37.

Rising middleweight contender Lamar Russ defeated Philadelphia’s extremely tough and even more awkward Latif Mundy. Mundy spent most early rounds dancing and clowning around as Russ easily outworked his shorter opponent.

The action picked up in the middle rounds as Mundy stopped moving as much and began exchanging. Russ showed good poise though, keeping his distance and scoring from the outside.

To his credit, Mundy hung tough, and had some success at times, but in the end, Russ was just the much busier of the two, winning by scores of 79-73, 79-73, 77-75. With the win, Russ improves to a perfect 14-0, 7KO’s, while Mundy drops to 10-8, 4KO’s.

DBE’s light heavyweight prospect Travis Peterkin improved to a perfect 9-0 pitching a six-round shutout over Michael Wilmer. Peterkin pressed the action throughout, walking Wilmer down round after round behind a heavy jab. By the third round, it was evident Wilmer was just looking to survive, as the southpaw Peterkin continued to stalk him around the ring, landing hard shots with both hands, particularly his straight left.

Fighting in front of a large contingent of fans, Far Rockaway’s pro-debuting Joseph Williams came out firing and never stopped. As soon as the bell sounded, Williams stormed out of his corner and began landing hellacious shots against his opponent Joseph Powers (1-1, 1KO). The NY Golden Gloves champion Williams never let Powers into the bout as he was all over him, dropping him three times before the referee called a halt to the contest at 1:23 of the very first round.

In the opening bout of the night, SMS’s pro-debuting Ryan Martin destroyed Darus Somieri (0-1) scoring a devastating second-round TKO. The amateur standout Martin was very impressive, displaying blistering speed and landing vicious combinations to both the body and head from the outset. In the second round, a huge overhand right sent Somieri down hard. Somieri was able to beat the bout, even displaying a smile upon the action resuming, but the end was near as Martin jumped all over his opponent, trapping him against the ropes and unleashing a barrage of unanswered blows. With Somieri taking heavy punishment the referee had no choice but to jump in and call a halt to the contest at 1:42 of round number two.

Brand-new IBF Light Middleweight Champion “King” Carlos Molina says when he heard the ring announcer say the words “and the NEW”, he could finally relax a bit.

“I knew I had reached one of the goals I set on the day I started boxing,” said the happy champion, now home in his beloved Chicago.

Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) won a split (116-112 and 117-111 over-ruling a card of 112-116) decision over now former champ Ishe Smith on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, on the undercard of the 12-round Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez fight.

But like every elite competitor, reaching one goal just means moving onto the next one.

“Now that I’m home, I want to start defending my belt right away, before the end of the year if possible.” Molina continued. I want (Saul) Canelo Alvarez or (Miguel) Cotto next. Beating either of those guys is the fastest way to Floyd Mayweather, so that’s who I want to fight.”

Truly an inspiration, the habitual underdog Molina says he is grateful to his whole team for believing in him during his difficult climb: his promoter, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing and Advisor, Luis DeCubas, as well as his training team, Trainer Victor Mateo, co-trainer Lou Askenette, cornerman Harrison “Hammer” Funmaker, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Freddy Cuevas, as well as all the local fighters who helped prepare him for the big fight at Oakley Fight Club in Chicago.

Having been the victim of boxing politics and been ripped off and robbed in several other high-profile fights, Molina also wants to thank a certain sanctioning body: “My sincere thanks to the IBF. If they hadn’t made me the mandatory, there’s no way I would have had this opportunity.”

Molina’s Promoter, Leon Margules, says Molina deserves every bit of the credit he has earned.

“First let me say congratulations to a fighter who works hard every day and didn’t let anything get him down for years. Carlos truly deserves this belt and I am every bit as happy for him as he is. What a great story his climb up the rankings has been.”

Advisor Luis DeCubas says Molina’s victory was one of his proudest moments in a long career in boxing.

“Saturday was one of the most satisfying victories I’ve been a part of in 30 years in the boxing business. I am so proud to be part of Team Molina and so happy for Carlos. I will always tell young fighters about Carlos’s dedication and how badly he wanted it, no matter what they tried to do to him. That’s how you become a champion. He’s a true inspiration.”

Margules says he and DeCubas are going back to work quickly, looking to make a big fight for Molina.

“Carlos is the only world champion in the 154-lb division right now who is not named Floyd Mayweather. If a Canelo or a Cotto want to leverage a world championship into another Floyd fight, they have to go through Carlos… only our guy has something for either one of them if they try it. Carlos will use them to get himself to the front of the line for Floyd.”

Molina says he wasn’t surprised by anything Smith brought to the table on Saturday.

“We had a game plan for him to out-work him and that’s what we did. My team is so strong. We knew exactly what we had to do. It wasn’t easy, but we did it. No fights are easy. But now, looking forward, we’ve also got a plan against Canelo or Cotto. Looking forward to using it on either of them next.”
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it’s credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

NEW YORK (September 16, 2013) – Ring 8 will pay tribute to the late, great Emile Griffith at tomorrow night’s (Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. ET) monthly meeting at historic Waterfront Crabhouse, in Long Island City, New York.

The six-time, three-division world champion Griffith (85-24-2, 23 KOs) was born in the Virgin Islands but lived most of his life in New York City. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and last year into the first class of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by Ring 8.

His tribute will include several speakers as well as viewing of some of Griffith’s best fights on a projector screen. Speakers will include his biographer, Ron Ross, Emile’s son, Louis, boxing historian Henry Hascup and Bobby Bartels, his former sparring partner and past president of Ring 8.

Griffith’s fights being shown are against Dick Tiger, Luis Rodriguez, Florentino Fernandez, Andy Heilman, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, as well as the second Nino Benvenutti fight.

“Emile was special to all of us at Ring 8 and were excited about paying tribute to this great man and fighter,” Ring 8 president Bob Duffy said. “He was a Ring 8 member for many years and we were all very fortunate to know him.”
ABOUT RING 8: Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association – hence, RING 8 – and today the organization’s motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.

RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $25.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, the third Tuesday of every month, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership.

16 September 2013 – Singapore: ONE Fighting Championship™, the largest mixed martial arts organization in Asia with a 90% market share, announced today the launch of the historic ONE ASIA AMATEUR MMA SERIES. The amateur MMA series is set to be the largest in Asia and will provide an unprecedented platform for mixed martial artists to develop their skills against other top amateurs.
The amateur MMA series will feature amateur events held across Asia. This series is part of ONE FC’s continued emphasis on growing the sport of MMA in Asia and will be held in partnership with ONE FC network partners to provide opportunities for the exclusive gym partners within the network, as well as create a developmental league for ONE FC to groom amateur fighters and monitor their progress.
The ONE ASIA AMATEUR MMA SERIES was initially conceived at the 2013 ONE ASIA MMA SUMMIT earlier this year, which brought together the industry’s biggest power players for a weekend of discussion and idea-sharing.
The series will also integrate opportunities with existing amateur MMA events held across Asia to further develop the MMA talent across the entire region to provide increased exposure to the events.
CEO of ONE Fighting Championship, Victor Cui, stated “This is the largest amateur MMA series in Asia that brings together every major gym, partner, and current amateur events as part of the ONE FC Network. This is game-changing for MMA in Asia as ONE FC continues to build on our 90% market share and by leading the amateur MMA development by holding amateur events in major cities across Asia and regularly at once a month. This is big. Very big and I’m excited to be building this Asia-wide amateur series because we have already received tremendous support from our sponsors, partners, and gyms on this initiative.”

ONE FC’s Vice President of Operations, Matt Hume, stated “This will be the biggest and most professionally run MMA amateur series in the world and I’m very proud to be driving this project. There are thousands of talented fighters in Asia and this now gives ONE FC the opportunity to work closely with them and support their development through competition.”

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
About ONE Fighting Championship™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Fighting Championship is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia.

ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (Sept. 14, 2013) – Floyd Mayweather truly is “THE ONE.”

The undisputed, pound-for-pound champion put on a clinic against Mexican sensation Canelo Alvarez, handing the 23-year-old superstar his first loss in the toughest test of his career Saturday on SHOWTIME PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Canelo (42-1-1, 30 KO’s) fought with everything he had, but couldn’t solve the puzzle of Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather showcased his signature speed and elusiveness in front of a largely pro-Canelo crowd of 16,746 fans en route to a majority decision (114-114, 116-112, 117-111).

For the night’s work, Mayweather collected a guaranteed $41.5 million and Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight Championships.

“It’s all about skills,” Mayweather said. “I came out tonight and showed my skills. But a true champion like Canelo can take a loss and bounce back.

“My dad had a brilliant game plan. I executed that game plan. I could have pressed it and got the late stoppage, but tonight experience played a major key. Tonight was just my night.”

After the fight, a seemingly frustrated Canelo admitted that Mayweather’s skills and style of fighting were too much to overcome.

“He’s very elusive, he’s a great fighter and that’s why I couldn’t catch him,” Canelo said. “I didn’t know how to get him. It’s as simple as that. He’s very elusive. He’s a great fighter.

“The frustration was getting in there. But simply he’s a great fighter. I didn’t want to lose. I didn’t want to leave here with a loss. But it happens and it hurts.”

After calling Mayweather’s dominating performance SHOWTIME PPV play-by-play announcer Al Bernstein had an insightful observation about young superstar, “Canelo may be the fighter of tomorrow, but he’s not quite yet the fighter of today.”

In the highly anticipated co-main event of the evening, Danny Garcia retained the unified super lightweight world title with an impressive performance against the favored Lucas Matthysse.Utilizing solid combinations and body shots, Garcia executed a solid game plan en route to a unanimous decision (115-111, 114-112, twice).

Matthysse (34-3, 32 KO’s) entered the fight having knocked out five of his last six opponents and a reputation as one of the most feared punchers on the planet. But the Argentinean knockout artist’s power wasn’t as apparent against the aggressive Garcia (27-0, 16 KO’s), who silenced his doubters and defended his WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Titles.

Seemingly down on points, Matthysse came out with a vengeance in the eleventh to kick off the championship rounds, knocking Garcia’s mouthpiece out with a powerful straight right. But, after a brief pause to recover the mouthpiece, Garcia bounced back and floored Matthysse for the first time in his career.

“I’m the champion of the world,” said the proud Philadelphia native. “The champion of the world isn’t scared of anyone. If you can make it out Philly you can make it out of anywhere.

“The only way to slow him down was to go down to the body and throw combinations upstairs. I just let my hands go.”

Garcia landed a straight jab to Garcia’s right eye in the seventh round that completely closed the eye within 45 seconds. Garcia continued, but did so with a comprised depth perception.

“I only had one eye for half of the fight but, it’s no excuse,” Matthysse said. “He fought a great fight. He’s a great champion and we knew he wasn’t intimidated by my punching.”

In the first of three world championship bouts on the telecast, Carlos Molina dethroned defending champion Ishe Smith, capturing the IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship with a split decision victory (112-116, 116-112, 111-117).

In the opening bout of the PPV telecast, Pablo Caesar Cano (27-3-1, 20 KO’s) scored a split-decision victory (97-93, 98-92 Cano, 96-94 Theophane) over Ashley Theophane (33-6-1, 10 KO’s).

The Mayweather-Canelo and Garcia-Matthysse bouts will air in the delayed broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. ET / PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Brian Kenny served as host of the SHOWTIME PPV telecast with Mauro Ranallo calling the action, Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi serving as expert analysts with Jim Gray and Heidi Androl reporting. The telecast was produced by David Dinkins, Jr., with Bob Dunphy directing.

ABOUT “THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO”:
“THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO,” a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship took place Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and was promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Valvoline, Mexico Tourism, Fred Loya Insurance and Nature Nutrition. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia and thunderous puncher WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse squared off in a fight presented in association with Swift Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. Also, Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina squared off in a 12-round battle for Smith’s IBF Junior Middleweight World Title which was promoted in association with Warriors Boxing. The opening bout on SHOWTIME PPV featured a 10-round welterweight showdown between Pablo Cesar Cano and Ashley Theophane. The mega-event was produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event was telecasted in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

New York, NY (9/15/13) – All of the fighters for tomorrow night’s SMS Promotions and DiBella Entertainment card at Resorts World Casino in Queens weighed-in earlier today. Below are the official weights for tomorrow night’s card.

10 ROUNDS – JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS
Mark Davis vs. Carlos Vinan
Cleveland, OH Newark, NJ
17-0, 5 KO’s 10-10-5, 2 KO’s
131 lbs. 130 lbs.

4 ROUNDS -SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Chris Galeano vs. David Rohn
Bronx, NY Villa Park, IL
Pro Debut 1-0
160 lbs. 163 lbs.

4 ROUNDS -JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Shemuel Pagan vs. Calvin Smith
Brooklyn, NY Prichard, AL
2-0, 1KO 2-4
137 lbs. 135 lbs.

8 ROUNDS – SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Lamar Russ vs. Latif Mundy
Fayetteville, NC Philadelphia, PA
13-0, 7 KO 10-7, 4 KO’s
162 lbs. 163.4 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Travis Peterkin vs. Michael Wilmer
Brooklyn, NY Huntington, WV
8-0, 4 KO’s 4-6, 3 KO’s
176 lbs. 175 lbs.

4 ROUNDS -LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Joseph Williams vs. Joe Powers
Far Rockaway, NY Groton, CT
Pro Debut 1-1
176 lbs. 178.4 lbs.

4 ROUNDS -JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Ryan Martin vs. Darus Somieri
Chattanooga, TN Roanoke, VA
Pro Debut 0-1
136 lbs. 136 lbs.

Both the Luis Del Valle and Heather Hardy bouts were scratched due to complications with their opponents

DBE

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $45. Tickets are available for purchase by calling Resorts World Casino NYC at (718) 215-2828 or by visiting: http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=9244. Tickets will also be available for purchase tomorrow night at the door.

Heavyweight Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (20-10) wanted to prove to his doubters that he can still take a punch. He took several of them from a bruising Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-10-1) but picked himself up off the canvas to score an impressive decision win on the main event of Saturday’s World Series of Fighting 5 fight card.

The headlining contest took place at New Jersey’s Revel Atlantic City and aired live on NBCSN. A replay of the show airs on the network Monday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET.

Arlovski, who stepped in on one month’s notice for an injured Anthony Johnson, was fighting for the first time since having his jaw shattered in a March outing. He wasn’t gun shy in his return, and Arlovski went toe-to-toe with Kyle throughout the 15-minute thriller.

Kyle, who also competes in the 205-pound division, looked incredible from start to finish, and he scored knockdowns in both the first and third rounds. But Arlovski rebounded well each time, and his volume of work in both the first and second frames – landing his own stiff punches and kicking the legs, as well – proved enough to erase his faults, and he was awarded an entertaining decision win, 29-28 on all three cards.

“It was a great fight,” Arlovski said after the win. “He’s a top fighter, and I really appreciate him for this fight.

“I guess I could have followed the gameplan more, but I did what I did. It was a good comeback from my fight March 23.”

In the night’s co-main event, David Branch (13-3) assured he’ll fight for the World Series of Fighting middleweight title with a one-sided decision win over Brazilian veteran Danillo Villefort (14-5) in the middleweight tourney semifinal bout.

While Villefort looked to strike, Branch repeatedly took the fight to the floor and controlled the position with a dominant top game that stifled his foe. While Villefort was strong in defense from his back, he was never able to offer any counter offense, and Branch was awarded all three rounds, claiming the clear decision win.

Branch will now meet an opponent yet to be determined for the inaugural World Series of Fighting 185-pound belt.

“It feels good,” Branch said after the win, his third for the promotion. “This is my destiny. I was the first fight for the WSOF, and I want to be the first middleweight champion.”

Heavyweight Derrick Mehmen earned the biggest win of his career, scoring a second-round knockout over submission ace Rolles Gracie.

Gracie surprised in the opening round, largely forgoing the ground game in favor of boxing with his opponent. The unexpected gameplan worked well early but backfired in the second frame, when Mehmen started to get comfortable in his striking game.

With Gracie retreating in a standup exchange, Mehmen blasted him with a clean right hand to the chin. Gracie was out on his feet, and his body slowly twirled before crashing to the canvas in a highlight likely to be seen for years to come. Mehmen was awarded the knockout win at the 2:40 mark of the second round.

In a bizarre moment rarely seen in combat sports, New Jersey State Athletic Control Board officials called off a middleweight tournament bout between Elvis “The King” Mutapcic (13-2) and Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (26-9) just moments before the two were scheduled to hit the cage.

According the commission, Mutapcic took a prescription pill that had not been cleared for use.

“There were some prescriptions that weren’t given to our doctors during the physicals and that weren’t approved by us, the commission,” a commission official said. “So since we don’t know what they are and what they do, we canceled the fight.

“We can’t take that chance to have that fight go off, so those things need to be looked at, and they need to be talked about. We just feel that we’re not going to have a fight in New Jersey when we don’t know what someone is taking.”

Mutapcic insisted he didn’t take any pills and that the inspector may have mistaken him for his manager, who is currently using medication for a heart condition.

“I really don’t know what happened, what [the inspector] saw,” Mutapcic said. “She might have been taking some medication, herself. I put in a good 10-week training camp. I worked my ass off. I know Taylor’s ready. I’m not sure if she mistaked me for my manager, who has a heart prescription. He was the one that had it. We’re all dressed the same – same T-shirt, same hat. I mean, there’s four of us, and she’s pointing me out, that I took it. I say I’ll take a blood test. I’ll give a hair sample if they need it. I’ve got nothing in my system. I’m completely clean.”

Nevertheless, the decision had already been made.

World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said both Mutapcic and Taylor would still receive their show money, and the company would look to reschedule the fight as soon as possible, with the winner meeting Branch for the promotion’s first 185-pound belt.

“It is sad to see this happen,” Sefo said. “I’ve been in martial arts for 25 years and have never seen anything like this. Elvis has been training for this fight for 10 weeks, but the commission has made its decision and we have to live with it.”

Competing for the first time under the World Series of Fighting banner, featherweight Georgi Karakhanyan (22-3-1) announced himself as an instant contender in the promotion with an impressive first-round finish of Waylon Lowe (14-5).

The fight, which kicked off the evening’s NBCSN-broadcast main card, saw Karakhanyan set the tone from the opening bell with powerful kicks to the legs and body. As Lowe looked for an opportunity to move inside agains the strikes, he made a costly mistake, leaving his neck exposed on a takedown attempt. Karakhanyan latched on to a guillotine choke and fell to his back, quickly squeezing and earning the tap at the 3:37 mark of the first frame.

“I would’ve like to have showcased my standup more, but if it goes to the ground, I’m always looking for a finish,” Karakhanyan said after the win. “If you step in this cage, I’m going to finish you. I’m a finisher.”

In the night’s featured preliminary bout, Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn (14-2-1) patiently worked through a first-round armbar that seemed sure to end his night to bounce back for a decision win over a previously undefeated Artur “The Arabian Nightmare” Rofi (6-1).

Rofi, who offered up a constant barrage of trash talk before and during the contest, looked as if he’d end the fight with the quick submission attempt, but Glenn patiently waited through the hold and kept his limb safe until the bell. Over the final 10 minutes, Rofi looked as if the intense attempt had sapped his energy, and Glenn peppered him with left hands on the feet.

Rofi moved forward until the final bell, but it was Glenn who was the busier, more accurate fighter, and he was awarded a unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28. Afterward, Glenn admitted he enjoyed silencing his outspoken foe.

“It’s the best,” Glenn said. “When someone talks smack to you like that, and they’re disrespectful, I just try to stay humble. I’m glad I won.”

New Jersey’s own Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera survived an incredible opening-round barrage from opponent Sidemar “Sideco” Honorio to battle back for an incredible unanimous-decision win.

A pinpoint counter hook sent Rivera crashing to the floor in the first, and Honorio rushed to mount and looked to finish the fight with punches. But a courageous Rivera somehow survived the assault and escaped the position.

Once back on his feet, Rivera turned up the volume and pressed the action as a stunned Honorio fought on in disbelief. The two entertained until the final bell, but Rivera’s workload swayed the judges, and he was awarded a unanimous-decision win with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

“It’s about pushing the pace,” Rivera said after the fight. “That’s what I do every fight, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing, non-stop.

“I don’t give up until I’m out or the referee is jumping in. I keep going to the fight. That’s what’s always going on in my head.”

With a 12-fight win streak, Rivera may very well soon see himself vying for a World Series of Fighting title.

In welterweight action, Rich Patishnock (6-1) became joined a small fraternity of fighters who have defeated multiple members of MMA’s First Family by scoring an impressive decision win over Gregor Gracie (7-4).

It was Gracie who took the fight to the floor early, but Patishnock crawled back to his feet and punished his opponent on the feet. Gracie stood firm in the pocket and traded blows, but it was the constant pressure of Patishnock that saw him through to a unanimous-decision win, with scores of 30-27, 29-28and 29-28.

Afterward, Patishnock admitted he wasn’t sure if he had executed well enough in his sprawl-and-brawl approach but was happy to get the result.

“That was my strategy,” Patishnock said. “I really didn’t think I did that well with my strategy, but that was my strategy, and I’m glad everybody thought I did it.”

Ozzy Dugulubgov (5-1) improved to 2-0 under the World Series of Fighting banner with an impressive submission win over Andrew “Ozzy” Osbourne (7-6).

The action started on the feet, with both fighters trading thunderous kicks at various levels. But in the second, Dugulubgov caught one of those kicks and dropped his foe with a straight left counter. From there, Dugulubgov pounced on his opponent and dropped back to attack the leg, securing an Achilles lock that earned a tap 72 seconds into the second round.

“Victory comes only from God,” Dugulubgov said after the win. “If you truly believe, your thoughts become your actions. I wanted to show my standup, try a little bit of new things here and there, but I knew if the fight went to the ground, I have much more opportunity there. When it went down, I saw [the submission] was there, and with confidence, I just went for it. Thank God it worked.”

In the night’s first contest, debuting middleweight Neiman Gracie (1-0) proved victorious in his first appearance as a professional, scoring a first-round submission win over Darren Costa (0-2).

It was Costa who scored with his hands early, but submission ace Gracie clinched up, brought the fight to the floor and rolled quickly into an armbar, forcing the tap at the 3:57 mark of the first round.

“I’m very happy to be here,” the 24-year-old Gracie said after the win. “This is a dream. Since I was a kid, I always wanted to fight, and finally I’m here.”

Follow all the action LIVE from the MGM Grand as Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez square off in the mega fight of the year. The action begins at 9pm est/ 6 pm pac with a three fight undercard that will featue two world title bouts. Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysee fight at Super Lightweight title bout while Ishe Smith defends against Carlos Molina. The first bout will see Ashley Theophane battling Pablo Cesar Cano

12 ROUNDS–IBF JR. MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE–ISHE SMITH (25-5, 11 KO’S) VS CARLOS MOLINA (21-5-2, 6 KO’S)

Round 1 Molina lands a jab…10-9 Molina

Round 2 good right from Molina…lands a right…Smith goes to the body…20-18 Molina

Round 3 Smith lands Molina lands a jab, body and head…30-27 Molina

Round 4 Molina jabs to the body and head…Smith lands a double jab…

Round 5

Round 6 Smith lands a right to the head…Molina lands a body shot…double jab from smith…counter jab from Molina..Smith lands a hook..2 left hooks from Smith,..Uppercut inside from Molina..59-55 Molina

Round 7 Smith lands a uppercu.t…68-65 Molina

Round 8

10 Rounds–Welterweights–Pablo Cesar Cano (26-3-1, 20 KO’s) vs Ashley Theophane (33-5-1, 10 KO’s)

Round 1 Cano goes to the body…Cano lands a good combination…right…10-9 Cano

Round 2 Cano lands a right and left hook..20-18 Cano