According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, trainer Rudy Perez passed away of Stomach cancer in Mexico City.

Perez trained Marco Antonio Barrera, Israel Vazquez, Marcos Maidana, Pablo Cesar Cano, Hernan Marquez, Adrian Hernandez and Jorge Barrios.

“Rudy was one of those trainers who wasn’t as famous as many others, but he was a very patient trainer,” said Robert Diaz, the Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker, who previously spent years working with Barrera and got to know Perez well. “I would consider him like a second father. He was so kindhearted. He called my kids his grandchildren.

“As a trainer, he was the kind of trainer who went out to run with his fighters, he’d diet with his fighters. He would eat whatever Marco would eat. He wasn’t a trainer who would sit there and eat a steak or a hamburger while the fighter was dieting and eating a salad. He didn’t believe in too many rounds of sparring for his fighters because he wanted them fresh and not hurt going into the fight.”

“We had a great relationship. He was a great man, a great friend and he will be missed,” said Vazquez manager Frank Espinoza. “He was a great trainer and a great motivator. He was the type of guy you wanted in your guy’s corner. I’ll really miss this guy. He was a team player.”

“Team Maidana is deeply sorry to hear about the passing of Rudy Perez, a great trainer and person,” Maidana tweeted.

“I dedicate that win to him,” Maidana said. “Our prayers to Rudy’s family. We’ll always remember him. Rest his soul in peace.”

“That third fight with Marquez was a very, very close fight, and after the 11th round, Rudy literally slapped Israel in the chest in the corner,” Espinoza said. “At that particular time, it motivated Israel. It pissed him off, but that made Israel go forward in that 12th round with so much intensity. He got the [knockdown] against Marquez in that round, won the round and won the fight. I believe after the 11th round that without Rudy Perez’s instruction and what he did by slapping Israel, we wouldn’t have won the fight. I think it gave Israel that little something extra he needed to go out and win the round and the fight. It was a great victory.”

“He knew Israel needed that last round, and he slapped him hard on the chest and said something like, ‘Why don’t you just give Marquez the title?’ The bell rang, and Israel came out like it was the first round,” Diaz said. “I think what Rudy did really made the difference in the fight.”

Perez is survived by his wife, Consuelo, and their son. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday in Mexico City.

Kelly Swanson
Thank you. We are ready to rock and roll, and this call today will be very exciting. Saturday, June 22nd Paulie Malignaggi versus Adrien Broner at Barclay Center in Brooklyn. So I’m really looking forward to this fight and this whole entire show brought to you by Golden Boy Promotions.

We’re going to have both participants on the call today. We will start with Adrien Broner and then Paulie Malignaggi will join us after Adrien is done answering your questions. But before Adrien makes any comments I’m going to turn it over to Dave Itskowitch, Chief Operating Officer of Golden Boy Promotions for the introductions. Dave?

David Itskowitch
Thank you, Kelly. Thank you, everyone, for joining us today. As Kelly said, June 22nd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn we have an amazing show lined up; Paulie Malignaggi versus Adrien Broner, a 12-round fight for the WBA Welterweight World Championship. Also in the co-main event we have Johnathon Banks versus Seth Mitchell in the 12- round fight for the NABO and WBC International World Heavyweight Championships. And opening the Showtime broadcast will be Sakio Bika versus Marco Antonio Periban, which is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship.

We are going to be making an announcement about our undercard fights, which are also going to be exciting. A lot of New York talent on them and an announcement on that is going to be coming shortly.

The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and R&R Promotions who is our co-promoter with Adrien Broner and Banks versus Mitchell is presented in association with K2 Promotions. The event is sponsored by Corona and AT&T and will be live on Showtime Championship Boxing beginning at 9:00 Eastern and 6:00 Pacific so it will be live coast-to-coast. There will be preliminary fights airing on Showtime Extreme beginning at 7:00 pm ET/PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using second audio programming, and we have tickets still available. We urge everybody to get out there, get your tickets now. They’re going very quickly starting at just $25 going all the way to $250 for a ringside seat but that’s actually a very reasonable price for a ringside seat considering the show that you’re going to get.

Part of that show is a young man who is the current WBC Lightweight and a two division world champion. He is unbeaten, charismatic and incredibly talented at just 22 years old. He’s getting better and better with each fight. He won his first world championship at 130 pounds knocking out Vicente Martin Rodriguez in three rounds in November of 2011 to win the WBO title. He defended that title with a fourth round knockout victory over an undefeated Eloy Perez. Then faced Vicente Escobedo in July of 2012, and then he closed out 2012 by capturing the WBC Lightweight World title with an extremely impressive and thoroughly dominant performance in knocking out Antonio DeMarco who we then regarded as the top lightweight in the world.

Most recently he knocked out Gavin Reece in five rounds to defend his title for a second time back in February, and on June 22nd he’s going to make the jump from 135 to 140 pounds to challenge Malignaggi in his Showtime debut in an effort to become a three-time world champion in three weight classes. And if he gets it done he will join Roberto Duran, Roy Jones, Jr. and Robert Guerrero as the only fighters to win a world championship in their first fight after jumping over a weight class so pretty impressive company if he’s able to get it done.

He has a record of 25-0 with 22 KOs from Cincinnati, Ohio, Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner. Adrien?

Adrien Broner
I would like to say that it’s going to be a hell of a show. Basically, I’m just going to go in the ring and do what I do best, and that’s get the victory in each-anything I’ve got to do to get the victory. I’m really not worrying about jumping weight classes. You know I know that I’m going to do a lot of great things in a sport and I’m going to do them differently. So with that being said, you will see something explosive. You’ll probably see another knockout; nine times out of ten check on my record. He’s bringing pillows to a fight that I’m throwing bricks so you should see a lot of blood, a lot of bruising before the referee stops the fight.

Q
I know you said, Adrien, in your opening remarks you weren’t worried about the jump in weight, and I believe that you’re not worried about it. But I’d like you to describe sort of what you might have had to do different or how you feel at it or what you think might be different about the way you box at a new weight, two weight divisions? As Dave mentioned in the opening remarks, it is a little unusual for a fighter to go up two weight classes these days and right in to a world title fight. Could you talk about that a little bit?

Adrien
For me the weight is not a problem. I’m originally a welterweight anyway. I just had to lose weight so I really didn’t have to do anything different.

Q
So just the only thing different I guess is you’ll weigh ten pounds more roughly?

Adrien
Negative that’s my regular weight.

Q
No I mean but it’s hasn’t been your fighting weight for most of your career.

Adrien
Oh I mean I don’t walk around at 130 pounds. I don’t walk around at 135 pounds. I walk around at 147, 150 pounds so I’m at my regular weight.

Q
Okay. So then at 130 and at 135 obviously you have shown very good knockout power. Most of your opponents have been stopped. Paulie for one in his career has shown very good durability whether it was at 140 against a prime Cotto taking those heavy shots he took or as a welterweight he-Paulie, to his credit, has got a good chin I think. Do you think that you’re going to take that 30/35 power that you’ve shown all of us and it’s going to be with you when you get in the ring against Malignaggi?

Adrien
What a lot of people don’t understand is you can’t really do nothing for power; you’re either born with it or you aren’t. It’s like Pacquiáo when he was in smaller weights he was knocking guys out. When he went up in to the bigger weights he was still knocking guys out. It’s just something that God blessed me with. I’ve got power so it really don’t matter what weight class I’m in; I’m still going to have the same power as I had at any weight class I’m in.

Q
Okay. I want to ask you one other thing about it. Much is being made about this jump up two weight classes. There are not a lot of guys for you to fight at 135 that were willing or that had good names. You know 140 was pretty loaded but a lot of those top fighters were busy fighting the other guys. I know you’ve been asked about this but I don’t remember what you were saying about it. Do you think that whatever happens in the fight with Paulie that you would maybe move down to 140 at some point and try to mix it up with those guys or just wait for them to come to you in your new weight class because many of those guys probably will move up eventually anyway? How do you sort of look at that landscape?

Adrien
I’ll fight anybody who’s willing to fight Adrien Broner.

Q
Okay. I mean are you familiar-I know you’re familiar with the top guys at 140. I mean most of them are promoted by Golden Boy.

Adrien
I’m not worrying about any names. I’m not worrying about who did what in whose fight. I’m not worrying about hard someone expected to hit. I will fight anybody who is willing to fight Adrien Broner.

Q
What do you think of Paulie Malignaggi, honestly, as a fighter because you’ve given him plenty of stick in the buildup and at the press conference in Las Vegas? What do you think his strengths are in the ring?

Adrien
He’s a very good talker. I mean he’s got some great talent. I mean he’s a hell of a commentator. Other than that I really, I don’t know. He’s the world champion.

Q
Yeah. You know he can’t be a bad fighter to have got as far as he’s done and had the wins that he’s had so it is ….

Adrien
I mean you know if I was to look at the career and his-I would say he was born to be a commentator. He looks good. He’s got the looks. He can talk. I mean in boxing if it isn’t Adrien Broner or Floyd Mayweather then I don’t really see anybody. He wouldn’t be a world champion if he wasn’t somebody, but at the end of the day he’s fighting Adrien Broner and I will be the ruler of boxing in about a year or two.

Q
You say you’re going to become the ruler of boxing in a year or two; how will you have to beat to become the ruler?

Adrien
It’s not about who do I have to beat it’s how I do my job. It don’t matter who I beat as long as I keep winning in the fashion that I do it, as long as I keep putting on shows, as long as my ratings keep going up I will be the ruler of boxing.

Q
Adrien, Malignaggi is a crafty veteran; is there any particular area of his game that you have studied in preparation for this fight?

Adrien
I really don’t study tapes. I let my coach do that. I know that as long as I’m in shape there is nothing I wouldn’t be able to adjust to so I’m always ready. Whatever he brings to the table I’ll be ready, make my adjustments and I’ll do what I’ve got to do to get the victory. I wouldn’t call him a veteran but I know he’s a slipper fighter and if you’re really not on you’re a game with Paulie Malignaggi there’s a better chance that he can slip away and get a victory. So I’m going to be on my A game. I’m going to bring everything I have, and you’ll see what I do on June 22nd.

Q
Okay. And there have been talks circulating about a potential fight with Marcos Maidana should you get past Malignaggi. After seeing Maidana’s performance last week against Lopez does he deserve a shot at the ‘Can Man’?

Adrien
I didn’t see it, but I heard he did get a victory. I didn’t see it but Maidana is Maidana. Everybody knows Maidana bring to the table, but we’re worrying about Paulie Malignaggi right now. If the best fight for Adrien Broner after this fight is Maidana then Maidana will get it.

Q
But I wanted to kind of focus a bit on the trash talking, which has kind of gone off the scale in the kind of build up to this fight. Will the fight live up to the hype or is there a chance it could be remembered for the kind of back and forth that you’ve had with Malignaggi?

Adrien
Of course, I’m Adrien Broner. I always say something and do more than what I said.
Q
Who is in whose head? Who is getting to who most? Is anything he’s saying affecting you?

Adrien
No. No. No way. Nothing is personal. Nothing is personal. At the end of the day we still got to fight June 22nd. He could bring his siblings in the ring with him it’s not going to help him. What I have to say is you know he needs to like stop all the cussing and all the other stuff he’s doing because at the end of the day he really has a nine to five, and I really want him to keep his job on Showtime because after June 22nd like boxing is really not going to be his biggest job he has. Like the commentary job is going to be the biggest job for him after June 22nd so he’s a role model. Really he’s a good commentator and people like seeing him on Showtime talking so getting on the phone with me and talking crazy like that if Showtime heard that that do him no good.

Kelly
Okay. So now I want you to do a closing comment about the fight itself and how training camps are going, and then we’re going to turn it over to Paulie, and you can go back to the gym.

Adrien
Okay. Basically, I’m going to do me regardless. I’m going to come in dancing. I’m going to leave out dancing, and I’m going to be victorious. I will be 23-year-old three time champion in three weight classes. I will make history on June 22nd. I heard there’s only two guys that have already done it and I will be the third. It’s going to be a hell of a fight however long it lasts. And I’m going to get this money and my checks are bigger than his, and at the end of the day he better keep practicing his lines. And hopefully the referee don’t stop the fight before it get too bad and he miss out on some jobs because after the fight if the ref let it go on too long he probably will miss out on a fight, and then he will have to be at work with glasses on and I don’t know how good that be to his career.

Kelly
Okay. Bye. See you soon. Okay. Now, we’re going to turn this call over to Paulie.

David
He’s the current WBA Welterweight and two division world champion. He has the never say, “Die” attitude and style that epitomizes the fighting spirit of all fighters from Brooklyn and all Brooklynites. He first made his mark in the 140 pound weight class when he defeated Lovemore N’dou for the IBF crown. Early last year he won a 9th round technical knockout victory over Vyacheslav Senchenko that earned him the WBA Welterweight World Title in Senchenko’s native Ukrain; has defended the belt once thus far winning a decision over Pablo César Cano at Barclays Center last October at the arena’s inaugural boxing event.

He’s also well-known and well-praised for his work as a color commentator on Showtime Championship Boxing, and on June 22nd the 32-year-old will look to stop the rise of Adrien Broner just a few miles from his home in Brooklyn. He has a record of 32-4 with 7 KOs from Brooklyn, New York Paulie ‘Magic Man’ Malignaggi.

Q
Hey, you know when Adrien was doing his call and before you-when you jumped on to the call the say that Adrien seems to come across anyway is that he doesn’t really seem to take you too seriously. I kind of take it like when he’s doing his … sort of like with a little bit of a wink of the eye. You seem to take it a lot more serious, a lot more personal. Has he gotten under your skin a little bit? It seems like it.

Paulie
It doesn’t really matter if he got under my skin. I mean I’ve been fighting for 12 years. We can get under each other’s skin or not it doesn’t matter. When the bell rings I’m focused and I’m ready and I’ve already been there already. So if I was the guy who just started this shit then okay you could say, “Hey, he’s getting under his skin. It doesn’t really matter. It’s a irrelevant question. Yeah at times I’m pissed. At times it’s tongue and cheek. I guess it depends on the moment, but it doesn’t really matter. We’ve got a job to do on Saturday night and that’s what counts.

Q
Okay. So all those antics even if you do get annoyed and irritated by it you’re saying that when the bell rings it’s not going to take you out of your game.

Paulie
No. No talking has ever gotten me out of my game. The things that have gotten me out of my game in the past has definitely not been talking.

Q
Okay. And so when he says those things how much does it upset you or are you also giving a little schtick too?

Paulie
Some of it is schtick and some of it is yeah I’m irritated. I’m irritated for a couple of things. I’ll get in to it long after the fight, but some things are stick obviously. Some things are banter and going back and forth and some things are not so we’ll see how it goes.

Q
Okay. Now, listen you started your career when you won your first world title. I think you started at 135 but you really made your name at 140. Now you’ve been a welterweight now for a couple years and obviously have done very well. You have made the jump in weight that he’s about to make. Can you talk a little bit about what that was like for you and how you think as an observer that he will handle that change?

Paulie
It’s not really comparable comparison. I made that transition over the course of my entire career so I kind of go out of the weight class and I didn’t just jump weight classes. I had no choice but to move up in weight classes when I moved up. He made a choice to move up so it’s a question that you can’t really compare the two weight jumps.

Q
Then how do you think though that we can go in-like you said, you went up the two weight classes over a long period of time. He’s taken a jump up two weight classes in the span of just from one fight at 135 to the next fight at-or from 135 to 147 in his next fight. Can you give me your opinion about what you think that will be like for him? I know you’ve watched him fight before.

Paulie
Yeah. He’s a little guy. He’s a little guy and he’s going to see how overrated his power was. I think they were better off letting him fight a live guy, a lightweight or someone below that before him fighting live guy welterweight. He’s fighting this this bigger guy all in one jump so I don’t think that was the most intelligent move on his team part. It doesn’t really matter to me.

Q
So do you think that even though people don’t associate Paulie Malignaggi with big punching power- but you’ve stopped a couple guys at welterweight-do you think that because maybe like you say the smaller guy that you’ll maybe be able to surprise a lot of people not necessarily by winning but by stopping him in a victory?

Paulie
If you look at my opponents they all get their ass beat don’t they? I mean do they all not wind up looking like their face went through a window at the end of the fight, especially recently? I don’t see why Adrien Broner’s face is going to look different at the end of the fight. He will wind up looking like they put his face in a blender when I’m done with him. Whatever it is. It depends on him. It depends how bad he wants to win. I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to sit here and knock him out in one punch, but he’s going to feel a lot of punishment on next Saturday night. We’ll see how bad he really wants it. He talks like he wants it so bad. We’ll you’re going to go through a lot of pain in a situation where he’s not even going to win so in the end he may just tell himself it’s not worth it and he’ll just quit.

Q
You’ve had a handful of Showtime broadcasting assignments over the past several weeks, and when you go from site to site whether you’re training and then you go and do your broadcast. Has juggling both things the last few weeks done anything as a determent to your training regimen or have you been able to deal with both and stay on key for both jobs?

Paulie
No. Every show we went to Adrien was at the same show with the exception of the Maidana-Lopez show, but the show wasn’t really a hassle because it was minutes from my training anyway so it wasn’t really an issue.

Q
Hey, Paulie. First question is do you think that your legs are going to win this fight for you? I mean your movement is that one of the biggest assets that you’ll use to win?

Paulie
You’ve got to watch the fight and find out bro. There’s a lot of things you can’t really pinpoint one single way to beat him because it’s really up in the air. He’s fought such bums who … boxing ring let alone boxing for world titles that you can’t even really make a comparison to what is going to beat him or not because it really could be anything. There’s not really one thing that you can say will or won’t work. The guys he’s been fighting have nothing at all so just the fact that you bring something, anything to the table already gives you more of a chance than anybody else he’s fought.

Q
I hear you champ. I hear you. Now have you been training away from New York or have you been in New York?

Paulie
Yeah. Yeah I just got back to New York this past weekend. I was on the West Coast.

Q
And is this better focus?

Paulie
Yeah better focus, better sparing. It’s just where I was training. I actually had a place in L.A. for a couple of years. I just got rid of it but it’s where I prefer to have training camps.

Q
Okay. And lasts question, do you feel any at all any added pressure fighting in Brooklyn?

Paulie
No. No. It’s all good. It’s all good, man. It really doesn’t matter. The ring is square no matter where we fight so it’s all good for me.

Q
When you win this fight then will it give you more satisfaction than any other victory?

Paulie
Every fight has its own satisfaction. The fight at the moment is the one that’s always most satisfying until you get to the next one so yeah because this is the next one. And in the long line of fights that I’ve had in my career yeah obviously this is a very satisfying victory but I’ll tell you winning another one after this will become more satisfying. You always focus on the task at hand and knowing that’s the biggest satisfaction is to win the fight in front of you.

Steve
And do you think-you know a lot’s been said between you both in the buildup. Do you think you could get on with him sensibly after the fight?

Paulie
It doesn’t really matter. I don’t really care. I don’t box to make friends. I box to make money.

Q
And also you’re making a great career with Showtime. Does that have any influence now on when you might walk away from boxing and go with broadcasting full time?

Paulie
Soon. I don’t expect to fight much longer, but as long as the fights like this get my adrenaline flowing and get my juices going and get me excited to fight then I’m going to say I’m going to keep fighting. They’re the kind of fight that makes me appreciate being a fighter and being a boxer. As long as these fights are around then obviously I’m not going to walk away from it, but once it start becoming harder, you’ve got these kind of fights being harder, these kind of fights my body tells me something different then I’ll walk away. But I don’t expect to stay around much longer.

Q
Do you think 2013 could be your final year in boxing then?

Paulie
Maybe, maybe not. I take every year one year at a time. I don’t like to look too far ahead.

Q
Hi, before I ask Paulie a question I just want to make a comment about Dave Itskowitch who is leaving Golden Boy. Dave, you were the consummate professional the whole time and I hope you stay in boxing. It’s been a real pleasure dealing with you over the years.

David
Thank you. Thank you very much.

Q
Paulie, what do you expect the crowd reaction to be? You are the local fighter. Do you expect the crowd to be heavily behind you, split, or against you? What are you anticipating?

Paulie
I don’t know. I expect I’m going to see some support for me. I also know how there are a lot tickets scalper and they take all the floor seats so I have my share of floor seats, but I don’t know. I don’t know how those tickets go to and I don’t know who they’re being sold to. I mean it doesn’t matter, bro. We can fight in my living room or we can fight in his living room but it doesn’t matter. The ring is square and we’ve got to deal with it in there so that’s what I’m focused on.

Q
Do you think it’s a sign of disrespect that Broner is moving up two weight divisions to box you instead of stopping off at 140 to look at one of the champions there?

Paulie
No. It’s an ambitious move. I don’t look at it as disrespectful in that way. I think he’s just a fighter looking to make an ambitious move and trying to build a legacy so to speak so that part is not really what ticked me off.

Q
I’m curious, this is an interesting fight just in terms of you’re with Golden Boy, you’re also a Showtime commentator, kind of the future, and you’re a champion that’s still viable in my opinion. I was just curious did you have a choice in taking this fight just because there seems to be too many kind of conflicts of interest, moving parts?

Paulie
No. I mean it was a fight that was offered to me. I actually liked it when it was offered to me. I thought it was actually too good to be true, and so there were other fights I was given as options but I felt like this was the one that paid the most first of all, which obviously is always the main key.

Q
At this stage too a lot of fighters start to say that they need motivation. They look for little things to light a fire; he certainly lite a fire for you. How important has that been in your preparation? Having that kind of passion to feed off of is it a good or a bad thing?

Paulie
I think you always want to have big fights, the big moment in your career. It’s always something that you strive to achieve. You always strive to get to fights like this. That’s what we live for you know as fighters. When you’re a kid and you’re in the gym and you’re working so hard you dream of moments like this, the big crowd, the main event in the big arena, the big fight night. You dream of that moment so it’s a motivating factor to be a part of something like this, and that is really what drives me to train hard and still do this.

Q
Can you explain the testing situation? You said as of May 13th you have not been tested though you both had agreed to it. Has that changed?

Paulie
Yeah. Yeah. I’ve been tested a few times myself. I don’t keep track of Broner, but I’ve been quite a few times yeah since then.

Q
Also just last thing how important do you think is pace in this fight? He fights at a leisurely pace. I tend to think a mid-tempo, kind of mid-to-long range boxing match favors you if you can keep it that way. What do you think about pace in this fight? Do you have to tire him out? What is the thing that you have to do to him to beat him?

Paulie
I don’t know. We’re just training to get sharp. We’re not really training for him because the things that have worked against the ones he fought it’s hard to really say they’ll work against me or the things that he’s done against the ones that he fought. It’s hard to say he’ll try those same things because really when you fight a bum really anything will work. When you’re fighting a world class fighter you’re going to have to actually come with a game plan. It’s hard to say. That’s why we didn’t really prepare for him. We just prepared and prepared with some good sparring partners and just be the best we can be because the game plan he may have for me may be altogether different than what he’s been fighting, the one he’s been using and whatnot.

Like I said, when you fight the corner store dairy clerk every time you’re out there fighting if you don’t have a new game plan you’re not going to do it. So now he’s fighting somebody real so it wouldn’t surprise me if he comes with a new bag of tricks, I guess some new looks so that’s why I didn’t really train for anything I saw on video or anything like that. I stopped watching video regularly in camp for that reason.

Q
And that’s since you’ll be providing him the first professional resistance he’s ever faced?

Paulie
Yeah.

Q
There you go. Thank you very much, man. Good luck to you in the fight.

Q
You kind of talk a lot about how this fight kind of got the competitive juices going and really interested you. What specifically about this fight made this one stand out for you?

Paulie
It’s the main event. I’m the world champion in the city where my family moved to. I came here and my family came here. When I got in the country I didn’t speak English so it’s the city where my life changed kind of. Right now I get to be on the big stage in the same city as world champion in the main event in a big arena. It’s the kind of things that you say people dream about but really I could have never dreamt it before so these kind of fights are what stand out, not necessarily opponent. It could have been any opponent. I just wanted a big opponent and a name opponent that makes the fight this much bigger.

Q
Just when you’re fighting kind of a younger fighter, kind of proving yourself against someone who is supposedly younger and some people think are better, just how you’re just kind of proving yourself that you’re still this top-notch fighter.

Paulie
Yeah. There’s satisfaction in every big fight. The young versus the old match-ups they’re a part of boxing in general so it’s not the first time and it’s not going to be the last time this kind of fight happens. So you know that kind of thing is not really the big motivating factor, just one of many things that are involved in a fight that make it exciting.

Kelly
Okay. Paulie, if you could just make one quick comment and then we will let you go, and we will see you next week. Thanks for everything.

Paulie
I don’t have any final comment. All my comments have been said already. I’ll see you guys next week. Thank you.

Kelly
Thanks, Paulie. Okay. Thanks, everybody, for joining us. See you next week, fight week. Thanks. Bye.

END OF CALL

Malignaggi vs. Broner, a 12-round fight for Malignaggi’s WBA Welterweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and R & R Promotions, supported by Golden Boy Promotions’ sponsors Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. In the co-featured bouts, Johnathon Banks will look to repeat his 2012 upset win over Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell as he defends his NABO and WBC International Heavyweight titles in a 12-round fight presented in association with K2 Promotions and number one rated WBC super middleweight contender Sakio Bika faces number four rated WBC super middleweight contender Marco Antonio Periban in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Super Middle weight World Championship. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are on sale now at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 13, 2013) – Rival welterweight (170 pounds) superstars Jon Fitch (24-5) of Fort Wayne, Ind. and Josh Burkman (25-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah weighed in at 171 pounds and 170 pounds, respectively, one day before their much-anticipated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) rematch in the main event of the World Series of Fighting four-bout telecast, live on NBC Sports Network from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Friday, June 14.

Welterweight co-main event opponents Tyson “Man of” Steele (10-1) of Saskatoon, Canada and Steve Carl (19-3) of Belle Plaine, Iowa tipped the scales at 170 pounds and 169.5 pounds, respectively.

All 14 other fighters on the nine-bout card, with the exception of featherweight (145 pounds) preliminary card bout competitor Jeff Smith (10-1) of Harrisburg, Pa., made weight the first time around. Smith weighed in at 146.4 pounds, just .4 pounds over the limit, for his meeting with Jerrod Sanders (11-1) of Oklahoma City, Okla.

In other live NBC Sports Network televised World Series of Fighting action, grappling specialists Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm (21-2) of Spokane, Wash. and Jacob “Feelgood” Volkmann (15-4) of White Bear Lake, Minn. will square off at lightweight (155 pounds)

Undefeated prospect Justin Gaethje (8-0) of Denver, Colo. will collide with Brian “The Bandit” Cobb (20-7) of Bakersfield, Calif., in a lightweight contest and the first televised main card bout of the night.

In preliminary card action, battle-tested submission specialist John Gunderson (34-14) of Houston, Tex. will be pitted against Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (16-4) of Bridgewater, Mass. in another lightweight tilt. All 16 of Lauzon’s professional career victories have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Carson “Little Juggernaut” Beebe (13-2) of Schaumburg, Ill. will face undefeated submission ace Joe Murphy (6-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif. in a bantamweight (135 pounds) tilt.

Jeff Smith (10-1) of Harrisburg, Pa. will take on fellow, featherweight (145 pounds) streaking star Jerrod Sanders (11-1) of Oklahoma City, Okla.

Undefeated prospects Krasimir Mladenov (9-0) of Borica, Bulgaria and Kendrick Miree (5-0) of Atlanta, Ga., will square off at middleweight (185 pounds).

Brenson Hansen (4-1) of Las Vegas will battle Josh Montalvo (2-1) of San Benito, Texas in a featherweight matchup.

Tickets for the star-studded, nine-bout World Series of Fighting event, priced from $29 (plus applicable service fees), are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

The four-bout main card will air live on NBC Sports Network, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open at 4:30 p.m. PT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5:30 p.m.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, Nev., the fight capital of the world, 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 www.WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About The Joint
The Joint is a 4,000-person capacity venue that serves as a sophisticated, intimate and unparalleled entertainment destination. The Joint features seven Luxury Suites, a VIP Studio Level, state-of-the-art sound system, superior video system and a production package tailor-made for artist comfort. It has received numerous accolades including “Best Concert Venue” in Las Vegas Review – Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” awards 2010 – 2012, “Best Music Venue” in 2012 Las Vegas Weekly Awards, “No. 1 Hottest Club in America” award by Billboard Magazine in 2011, “Best Live Music Venue in Las Vegas” by MetroWize.com in 2011, “Best New Major Concert Venue” at the 2010 Pollstar Awards, and “Best Live Music Venue” in AOL City’s Best 2010 awards. The Joint delivers unforgettable live music experiences with performances by both legendary and ground-breaking artists including Paul McCartney, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Arcade Fire, Avenged Sevenfold, Rise Against, Paramore, Muse, Drake and No Doubt. The venue created the successful concept of rock ‘n’ roll residencies with Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits, Mötley Crüe in Sin City, Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Democracy and Def Leppard VIVA Hysteria! as well as Tiësto In Concert, featuring the world’s No. 1 electronic DJ and producer Tiësto. For additional information, visit www.thejointlasvegas.comor call 702.693.5583 or 702.693.5000.

ABOUT NBC SPORTS NETWORK

NBC Sports Network, 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.

BRYANT JENNINGS, 227.5 vs. ANDREY FEDOSOV, 224.5
10 Rounds – Heavyweight

SERGEY KOVALEV, 174.8 vs. CORNELIUS WHITE, 173.1
12 Rounds – IBF Light Heavyweight Eliminator

Kovalev – White
Photo Credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

RONALD CRUZ, 147.9 vs. RAYMOND NARH, 147.9
10 Rounds – Welterweight

Cruz – Narh
Photo Credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

ARIEL DURAN, 139.7 vs. HASAN YOUNG, 141.5
6 Rounds – Light Welterweight

Duran – Young
Photo Credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

JEROME RODRIGUEZ, 141.5 vs. TREYSEAN WIGGINS, 139.9
6 Rounds – Light Welterweight

Rodriguez – Wiggins
Photo Credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

BILL MARKS, 283.5 vs. RANDY EASTON, 238.5
4 Rounds – Heavyweight

Marks – Easton
Photo Credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

ANTHONY WATSON, 152.9 vs. ARTURO TRUJILO, 150.3
4 Rounds – Light Middleweight

Watson – Trujilo
Photo Credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

The Friday, June 14th NBC Sports Network Fight Night telecast will begin at 8PM ET.

To find the location of the NBC Sports Network on your local cable, satellite or IPTV provider, visit:
http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30092015/ns/sports/

LIVE FIGHTING ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night and World Series of Fightingon Friday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, respectively.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

Click here for the participating cable/satellite/telco companies offering NBC Sports Live Extra: http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2013/06/06/nbc-sports-live-extra-providers/

ABOUT FRIDAY, JUNE 14

The Jennnings-Fedosov, Kovalev-White and Cruz-Narh fights top a seven-bout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Doors open at 6:15pm ET. Tickets priced at $50 and $75 and $130 (luxury suites) can be purchased through the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000). Tickets also are on sale at www.peltzboxing.com, www.SandsEventCenter.com, and www.Ticketmaster.com. In Bethlehem, tickets are available at Deja Brew, Inc., 101 West 4th Street (610-865-2739) and at Pronto Insurance Notary, 232 East 3rd Street (610-419-6790). NBC Sports Network will televise the Jennings-Fedosov, Kovalev-White and Cruz-Narh fights, beginning at 8 pm ET, Friday, June 14th. The card is promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions, Hitz Entertainment and Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

Jundy Maraon 116.5 – Juan Carlos Payano 116.9
Yenifel Vicente 123 – Jorge Diaz 122
Antoine Douglas 159.5 – Ibaheim King 160.5
Lavarn Harvell 176.5 – Paul Vasquez 176.5
Anthony Gangemi 147.5 – Anthony Prescott 148
Ricky Edwards 135.5 – Larry Yanez 136.5
Tyrell Wright 205 – Moises Marshall 220
Samuel Teah 139 – Terrell James TBA
Shakur Jackson 147.5 – Michael Pickett 152.5

Tickets are priced at $35, $50, $75, and $100 Ringside (Rows 1-2). VIP Tables for 10 are also available that include dinner. To purchase, please call 888.612.4191.To purchase tickets, please call 888.612.4191. For more information, visit gcpboxing.com or www.gh3promotions.com.

On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:30. The Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain is located at 560 Northfield Avenue in West Orange, New Jersey.

ST. LOUIS (June 13, 2013) – World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 3-rated
Willie “The Great” Nelson (20-1-1, 12 KOs), just like everything else in his life, is cool with his HBO® debut fight on June 29, against Argentinian veteran
Luciano Leonel “El Principito” Cuello (32-2, 16 KOs), at MGM Grand Theater at
Foxwoods ® Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

The 10-round fight between Nelson and Cuello will be the HBO opener (9:45 p.m. ET/PT start) on a special triple-header, promoted by DiBella Entertainment and K2 Promotions, headlined by World Boxing Association (WBA) International Boxing Organization (IBO) middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (26-0, 23 KOs) defending against former world title challenger Matthew “Mack The Knife” Macklin (29-4, 20 KOs). IBO super middleweight title-holder Thomas “Tommy Gun” Oosthuizen (21-0-1, 13 KOs) faces Brandon “Flawless” Gonzales (17-0, 10 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature on HBO.

Nelson vs. Cuello is being promoted by Rumble Time Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, with whom Nelson recently resigned an exclusive three-year promotional contract.

“We very happy to extend our relationship with such a talented fighter as Willie Nelson,” Rumble Time Promotions president Steve Smith commented. “He is the type of fighter who can go to the top and he’s getting close to a world title shot. We’re confident in his ability and feel that an impressive win on HBO against Cuello, who we expect to be the toughest challenge of Willie’s career, will position him for a major fight.”

Nelson, who stands nearly 6′ 4″ and has an incredible 81″ reach and only 6-percent body fat, is an imposing physical specimen. The Cleveland native will make his second North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super welterweight title defense having originally captured the belt last September, winning a unanimous 10-round decision over former Olympian and World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth champion John “Dah Rock” Jackson (13-1, 12 KOs). Nelson successfully defended his crown this past March 1, also at MGM Grand at Foxwoods, in dramatic fashion on ESPN Friday Night Fights, knocking out former NABF titlist Michael Medina (26-3-2) in the opening round.

Nelson appreciates fighting on the big stage, HBO, for the first time but he’s taking it all in stride as he always does. “I understand how important it is for me to fight on HBO and I’m grateful for this opportunity,” Nelson said, “but I don’t really think about that because I still have to fight. Whether I’m fighting on a club show or HBO, I’m going in the ring to win, and win impressively.”

Cuello is relatively unknown, at least in the United States, but the Argentinian is from the same country that has produced contemporary stars such as Sergio Martinez, Lucas Matthysee and Marco Maidana. His only career losses as a professional have been to world champions Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (TKO6) and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (DEC10).

“He is a strong fighter who keeps coming forward, much like Medina,” Nelson spoke about his upcoming opponent. “He’ll be a measuring stick for me to see where I’m at in the 154-pound division, where he’s only lost to ‘Canelo’ and Chavez. I hope to win impressively, like I did in my last fight, to get close to a fight against the guy I really want, Alvarez.

“It feels good going back to Foxwoods, where people saw what I’m capable of doing in the ring. Coming right back there is good for me and the fans who were there or watching me fight on ESPN. I’m looking forward to it and hope they are, too.”

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $300, $200, $90 and $45. Tickets may be purchased online at foxwoods.com by calling the Foxwoods’ box office at 800-200-2882, or in person at the Foxwoods’ box office. Tickets may also be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet and online at Ticketmaster.com.

Go online to www.RumbleTimePromotions.com for more information about Nelson or any of his Rumble Time Promotions stable-mates.

At press conference was held today at Franklin Steakhouse in Nutley, New Jersey, to discuss tomorrow night’s (Friday, June 14) ESPN Friday Night Fights boxing event at the Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain in West Orange.

Presented by Greg Cohen Promotions and GH3 Promotions in association with Acquinity Sports and First Round Promotions, the exciting night of world-class boxing will feature, in the 12-round main event, undefeated Philippine knockout artist Jundy Maraon (15-0-1, 12 KOs) taking on undefeated NABA and WBA Fedelatin Bantamweight Champion, Dominican Juan Carlos Payano (13-0, 7 KOs).

And in the eight-round super-bantamweight co-feature, New Brunswick, New Jersey’s Jorge “King” Diaz (17-1, 10 KOs) will face Dominican bull Yenifel Vicente (24-1-2, 16 KOs) for the WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight Title.

The following are excerpts from the conference:

Greg Cohen (Greg Cohen Promotions)
The featured fight and co-feature could both be on HBO and Showtime and they should be wars.

Jundy Maraon (15-0-1, 12 KOs)
I want to thank my team. This is going to be a great fight.

Juan Carlos Payano (13-0, 7 KOs)
I know Jundy is powerful but I came to do my thing. My dream is to become champ and Maraon is in the way of my dream.

Nonito Donaire Sr. (Maraon Trainer)
It’s going to be a good fight. Hopefully Payano will engage with Maraon.

Henry Rivalta (Acquinity Sports, promoter of Payano)
Payano is dedicated like no other fighter I see. We respect Maraon very much, but I put my money on my guy. This will be one of the fights of the year.

Jorge “King” Diaz (17-1, 10 KOs)
I want to capitalize on this opportunity.

Yenifel Vicente (24-1-2, 16 KOs)
I come prepared for this fight. I have what it takes. I guarantee a war.

Antoine Douglas (7-0, 5 KOs)
Where I come from, we are bread fighters. This is a step for me. I will take pride in my victory.

Lavarn Harvell (12-0, 7 KOs)
I am ready for anything and my opponent better be ready too.

Gabe LaConte (Promoter of Lavarn Harvell)
The 1st time I saw Harvell fight, I knew he was a born fighter. He has heavy hands and fans should not get up for popcorn. I’ll never get a fighter as good as Harvell.

Tickets are priced at $35, $50, $75, and $100 Ringside (Rows 1-2). VIP Tables for 10 are also available that include dinner. To purchase, please call 888.612.4191.To purchase tickets, please call 888.612.4191. For more information, visit gcpboxing.com or www.gh3promotions.com.

On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:30. The Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain is located at 560 Northfield Avenue in West Orange, New Jersey.

Las Vegas, Nev. – The legendary Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) Octagon® is set to ride into Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center for the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary celebration, giving fans of the two all-American heavyweight brands an opportunity to witness one of the hardest-hitting live events of the year – UFC® 164 Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown.

The organization formally announced today that undisputed UFC® lightweight champion “Smooth” Benson Henderson will defend his title against dangerous Canadian No. 1 contender TJ Grant in the main event of UFC 164 on August 31.

“We’re celebrating the Harley Davidson 110th anniversary in Milwaukee with the lightweight title fight between champion Benson Henderson and TJ Grant, who’s won five straight fights,” UFC President Dana White said. “Plus, we have two former UFC heavyweight champions squaring off when Frank Mir takes on Josh Barnett. It’s going to be a big week in Milwaukee for Harley-Davidson and the UFC!”

Having bested Frankie Edgar (twice), Donald Cerrone (twice), Gilbert Melendez and Nate Diaz, Henderson (18-2) looks to extend his perfect record inside the Octagon and further cement his status as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best. After a successful run in the UFC welterweight division, Grant (21-5) made the move to lightweight in 2011 and has found his rhythm to the tune of five consecutive wins over top competition. After knocking out heavily favored Gray Maynard at UFC 160 in May, Grant has no problem assuming the underdog role yet again as he attempts to dethrone the lightweight king.

In addition to the Henderson-Grant showdown, Frank Mir (16-7, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) meets “The Warmaster” Josh Barnett (32-6, fighting out of Fullerton, Calif.) in a battle of former UFC heavyweight champions that fans have been dreaming of for nearly a decade.

Tickets for UFC®164 HARLEY-DAVIDSON HOMETOWN THROWDOWN: HENDERSON vs. GRANT, go on sale Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $400, $300, $200, $150, $90 and $60. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC®164: HENDERSON vs. GRANT will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change. Harley-Davidson 110th anniversary celebration ticket packages are available at www.h-d.com/110tickets.
About the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary Celebration
The Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary is a year-long, global celebration connecting millions of Harley-Davidson fans united by a common bond and shared passion for freedom, self-expression and epic adventure. Included in the official 110th Anniversary calendar are 12 different 110th Anniversary experiences that Harley-Davidson will bring to existing motorcycle events in global markets through September 2013. The events span 11 countries on six continents and are capped by two main celebration events in Rome, Italy, in June 2013 and Milwaukee during Labor Day weekend.

Harley-Davidson fans are invited to learn more about the 110th Anniversary and join the celebration online where they can share videos, images and experiences on Facebook, Twitter with the hashtag #HD110, and at www.h-d.com/110.

Plan Your Visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum
Timed ticketing reservations for the Harley-Davidson Museum are required during the 110th Anniversary Celebration and are available exclusively at www.H-DMuseum.com beginning April 29 for Museum members and May 6 for the general public.

There are many activities planned at the Museum including the AMD Invitational Custom Bike Show, H-D Museum Custom Bike Show, Museum Members-Only Lounge, new product displays, a JUMPSTART® Rider Experience featuring 2014 motorcycles, a limited number of small wedding ceremony packages, custom culture artisans, outdoor concessions and live music. All outdoor activities are free.

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson® motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s website at www.harley-davidson.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.6 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club™ affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

Kansas City, MO (USA): Rising mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion Global Warrior Challenge (GWC) is thrilled to announce its inaugural MMA event, “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. vs. U.K.,” which will take over the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday, June 29th. The twelve action-packed fights scheduled feature some of the best fighters from the United States and the United Kingdom who will battle each other in a country versus country format. The first in a series of country versus country events put on by GWC, the main event of this fight card will feature former UFC® Heavyweight Champion Ricco “Suave” Rodriguez, who will try to stop the young and powerful rising star Marcin Lazarz. In the co-main event, 12-year fight veteran Jimmy Ambriz will face off with the likes of UFC® vet Oli Thompson.

There are many other well-known MMA stars competing on this incredible fight card, including Kendall Grove, Drew Fickett, Ivan Salaverry, Jake Heun, L.C. Davis, and many more.

The official press conference and weigh-ins for this event will be held at the Pepper Mill & Co. Restaurant, located in Atchison, Kansas. VIP tickets will be available for those that wish to meet the fighters. This will be a community event for all ages, and open to the public, with tons of food and fun.

“THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” will take place on Saturday, June 29th, live at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Doors will open at 7 PM, and the first bout is scheduled for 7:30 PM. Tickets for this electrifying event are on sale right now through www.SprintCenter.com, charge-by-phone at (888) 929-7849, or in-person at the Sprint Center Box Office. Ticket prices are $37, $52, $62, $77, $92, and $102.

This highly-anticipated MMA showdown will be beamed on Pay Per View on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be in High Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” will be distributed live on Pay Per View beginning at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST by Multi Vision Media, Inc. The suggested retail price is $29.95. It will be available in over 80 million households via IN DEMAND, Avail-TVN, DIRECTV, and DISH Network. The Executive Producer of the event is Brian Ricco.

“This rivalry harkens back to the original ringed sport of bareknuckle fighting, and the legends created by its popularity,” commented Ricco. “The fact that the U.S. is facing the U.K. on the fortnight of Independence Day is both a tribute and a challenge to the U.S. We will not only capture these terrific athletes defending their country’s honor, but we will document the first of what will be an incredible television series for generations to enjoy. There is no greater rivalry in sports than the one created over 200 years ago.

“The ability to document this great rivalry is one of great challenge and anticipation,” continued Ricco. “We don’t expect anyone to take a step back. We will be prepared at the opening bell for any quick stoppage or knockout. The rivalry is that fierce.”

Robert Beené, President of GWC Fights, stated, “I am elated to be bringing such a quality MMA show to Kansas City. This inaugural event for GWC Fights has been a lifelong dream. These guys are warriors, and are going to put on one of the best, most competitive and incredible night of fights you have ever witnessed. I am so honored to be the promoter of what I am sure will be an evening of masterful MMA performances.”

Ricco “Suave” Rodriguez (50-19), who recently claimed his 50th MMA victory, brings a wealth of talent and experience to the cage with him. A former UFC® Heavyweight Champion, Rodriguez has battled many of MMA’s top combatants, including Andrei Arlovski, Jeff Monson, Randy Couture (who he beat for the UFC® belt), Tim Sylvia, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Ben Rothwell, Antonio Silva, and Glover Teixeira, amongst others. In addition, “Suave” is a world-renowned grappler, having won the ADCC world championships. Standing across the cage from Rodriguez will be rising Polish star Marcin Lazarz (5-1), who lives and trains in England. Before a recent setback, Lazarz had opened his career with five straight wins, including three stoppages. Now, the powerful Pole has a shot at cementing his place amongst the very best in MMA’s light heavyweight division.

Jimmy “The Titan” Ambriz (17-18) is a fighter’s fighter. Known for his large size and raw power, Ambriz has fought all over the world, competing in well-known organizations such as India’s Super Fight League, DREAM, King of the Cage, and the WEC®, amongst others. During his career, “The Titan” has held the KOTC Super-Heavyweight belt, and holds victories over Dan “The Bull” Bobish, Ruben “Warpath” Villareal, and Eric Prindle. In 36 career bouts, he’s only been to a decision once. In short, he brings excitement to the cage few can match. At “BRITISH INVASION,” Ambriz will face a tall task in fellow UFC® vet Oli Thompson (10-5). A strong finisher, Thompson has stopped his opponent in nine of his ten victories in the cage, and with the opportunity to claim a world-traveled and well-known fighter like Jimmy Ambriz as a victim he will surely lay it all on the line in pursuit of victory.

Also populating the fight card for this exciting event will be several other notable fights, including scraps between former UFC® fighters Drew Fickett (42-19) and Andre Winner (14-7), MMA pioneer Ivan Salaverry (13-9) and English star Jack Marshman (11-2), and former TUF winner Kendall Grove (17-12) and British star on the rise Valentio Petrescu (12-3).

Drew Fickett is one of the most experienced fighters amongst the lighter weights of MMA, with over sixty professional fights. He holds victories over well-known fighters such as Josh Koscheck, Kurt Pellegrino, Carlo Prater, Dennis Hallman, Josh Neer, and Kenny Florian.

A six-time veteran of the UFC®, Andre Winner compiled a 2-4 record in the Octagon®. Since being released from the promotion, the Brit has rebounded, winning two of his last three fights, and will look to continue his surge.

Another multi-time veteran of the UFC®, Ivan Salaverry made his debut in 1999. Over the last 14 years, the 42 year-old has faced the likes of Akihiro Gono, Andrei Semenov, Matt Lindland, Tony Fryklund, Joe Riggs, Nate Marquardt, Terry Martin, and Rousimar Palhares.

Veteran British fighter Jack “Hammer” Marshman is another scrapper from across the pond who is known for finishing foes. With 10 stoppages in his 11 victories, Marshman is a danger wherever the fight goes, and at 23 years old, he will look to show his opponent that youth conquers experience.

“Da Spyda” Kendall Grove grew up in Hawaii, and the 6’6” middleweight has carved out a name for himself for participating in exciting fights. He won the 3rd season of the UFC® reality show The Ultimate Fighter, and became a mainstay with the promotion. The 13-time UFC® vet defeated fighters such as Ed Herman, Alan Belcher, Evan Tanner, Jake Rosholt, and Goran Reljic while with the promotion, and is looking to climb his way back to the top of the fight world.

Valentino Petrescu is another ultra-tough English warrior who is looking to make a splash on the global MMA scene. He’s finished his opponents in nine of his 12 wins, and will look to add Kendall Grove to his list of victims.

Other well-known fighters competing at this event include recent TUF competitor Jake Heun (5-2), former UFC® fighter Curt Warburton (12-3), undefeated prospect Max “Power” Nunes (10-0), Bellator®/Strikeforce® vet Mike “300” Hayes, and former WEC® competitor L.C. Davis (19-5).

For all the latest excitement on “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” from Global Warrior Challenge, please head to http://www.gwcfights.com/.

JOHNATHON BANKS, NABO & WBC International Heavyweight Champion

“I’m very excited to get back in the ring against Seth on June 22. Boxing is my life and you can see by my smile how I feel.

“The thumb is fine. No problems at all with it for this camp.

“It’s been an easy transition back to boxing from my role as a trainer of Wladimir Klitschko.

“I expect a smarter and very well prepared Seth Mitchell for this rematch.

“[On his birthday falling on June 22] I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than in the ring on June 22.

“[On the fan turnout at his open workout at Ecorse High School in Detroit] I’m very active here in a mentoring role at the school and they’ve been very supportive of me. It’s great to see so many members of the community, family and friends turn out.”

SETH MITCHELL, Former NABO Heavyweight Champion

“I’m excited. It’s the first time I’m going up to Barclays Center. It’s a rematch. It’s a good fight for me. It’s pressure, but I’ve got to channel it and I’m not letting it overwhelm me. I’m excited to put the loss against Banks behind me and get this chapter of my life over with.

“I’m not even looking at it like revenge. I look at it as I took a hit and I learned from it. I came to the gym, I worked extremely hard to try to get my prep, to work on my things and to learn from my mistakes.

“I want to win, so if you want to call that revenge, then that’s revenge.

“I’m still going to bring some heat. I tell people I don’t see myself in a boring fight, I’m just going to be smarter and have a smarter approach.

“God blessed me with size, speed and power, so I just have to go out there and be more defensively responsible. That’s my motto.

“When I watch the first fight, I realize that I made so many mistakes, but they aren’t things I’m going to repeat.

“I’ve been fighting for only six and a half years. It’s not long, but I consider myself a quick learner.

“If Johnathon Banks would’ve out-boxed me for six or seven rounds or out-classed me, of course the fighter in me would’ve wanted a rematch, but I wouldn’t have taken the rematch right away. I believe that I’m a better fighter than him and I didn’t show everything that I’m capable of. That’s why I want a rematch.

“I went to my team and I said I wanted a rematch. I’ve got a smart group of people around me and if they’ve felt that I couldn’t beat him, they’d have talked among themselves and come out with a different game plan.

“I truly believe I’m better than Johnathon Banks and I will show it on the 22nd.”

###

Malignaggi vs. Broner, a 12-round fight for Malignaggi’s WBA Welterweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and R & R Promotions, supported by Golden Boy Promotions’ sponsors Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. In the co-featured bouts, Johnathon Banks will look to repeat his 2012 upset win over Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell as he defends his NABO and WBC International Heavyweight titles in a 12-round fight presented in association with K2 Promotions and number one rated WBC super middleweight contender Sakio Bika faces number four rated WBC super middleweight contender Marco Antonio Periban in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Super Middle weight World Championship. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are on sale now at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

New York, NY / Monaco / Johannesburg (June 13) – Denis Grachev may be the underdog, but he’s training with the will of a champion ahead of his July 13 fight with Edwin Rodriguez for the Million Dollar Super Four crown in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Grachev (13-1, 8 KOs) is holed up at Abel Sanchez’s High Altitude Training Facility in Big Bear, California, where the stable includes WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, who fights in the US later this month.

Grachev earned his place in the final against Rodriguez (23-0, 15 KOs) with a rugged 10-round split-decision defeat of undefeated two-time world champion Zsolt Erdei in Monaco in March.

The man who trades by the name “The Son of Drago” stated, it’s been very inspiring to be up in Big Bear, California with world champions like Gennady Golovkin and Zaurbek Baysangurov. Prior to the Erdei fight I was only here for ten days, however this time I’m up here for six weeks which will put me in the best form ever.”

“We are high in the mountains, eight of us fighters, just boxing and training. It is hard work, very intensive, with jogging in the morning and much training the rest of the day. I wasn’t in my best shape last time, but this will be different.”

Grachev says the fight with Erdei was the hardest of his career. “With his boxing style and experience, it was my most difficult fight. It was hard to find the key to beating him. I think it will be easier with Rodriguez. He is the favorite according to many boxing fans, but they are going to be disappointed. It will probably be his first loss.”

“I’ve had very good sparring, especially Gennady [whose last defense topped the Monte Carlo card]. We are studying Rodriguez’s style and sparring accordingly.”

‘It’s been very inspiring to be up in Big Bear with world champions like Golovkin and Baysangurov and watch how they train and prepare for their world title defenses.”

A former champion kickboxer and mixed martial artist who has fought all over the world, he especially enjoyed the Monte Carlo experience. “It’s a fantastic place and I learned good boxing lessons there. I found out some of my mistakes and I am now working on them. Winning Super Four would mean a lot; it would be a great honor being better than Erdei and Rodriguez.”

The Monte Carlo card includes champion Khabib Allakhverdiev (18-0, 8 KOs) versus Suleyman M’baye (40-4-1, 22 KOs) for the WBA and IBO light-welterweight championship, the WBC Silver cruiserweight fight between title holder Dmytro Kucher (21-0, 15 KOs) and Junior Makabu (13-1, 13 KOs) and a European middleweight title fight between Maksym Bursak (26-1-1, 2 KOs) and Prince Arron (23-4-1, 5 KOs).

MIAMI (June 13, 2013) – Cuban-born welterweight Damian “Devo” Frias (19-7-1, 10 KOs) will be back in his customary role as a potential spoiler Saturday night in Dallas as he takes on undefeated welterweight prospect Mikael Zewski (19-0, 15 KOs) in an eight-round bout at American Airlines Center. Zewski-Frias is on the Mikey Garcia-Juan Manuel Lopez undercard.

Frias already has one major upset on his resume having defeated 21-1-1 Henry Crawford (TKO9) in 2011. In his last three fights, after his upset of Crawford, Frias went the distance in losses to, in order, Ionut Dan Ion (30-2), Vitaliy Demyenanko (25-0) and Carlos Molina (19-5-2).

“After beating Crawford,” Frias said, “my career didn’t take off like I had expected. Maybe that will happen after this fight? My last three fights have been against top fighters. I wasn’t prepared for the Molina fight but the other two fights I thought I should have won. I felt I beat the Russian fighter in Seattle. I lost to Ion by two points. I dropped him but they called it a slip. I don’t have a promoter to protect me like these guys.”

Zewski, a Canadian, is promoted by Top Rank, which is also promoting the show. “I fight for me and that’s the way it’s been,” Frias added. “My manager, Si Stern, gets me fights, and I don’t care who it’s against or where. I just deal with it. I’m not intimidated by anybody and don’t mind fighting in front of my opponent’s fans.

“I don’t know too much about Zewski and don’t really care about him or what he brings into the ring. I’ve heard that he’s supposed to be a strong fighter. We’ll see. He’s in for a big surprise if he’s taking me lightly. I’m ready to go to war.”

“Damian is as tough as they come, no fear, and he’s a very dangerous opponent for any welterweight,” Stern commented. “He should really have a few more wins than he does but he’s fought a lot of good guys on the road. Nobody’s ever stopped Damian.”

Juergen Braehmer (40-2, 31 KOs) is stepping back into the ring in his home
city. The European Light Heavyweight Champion will make his second title
defense at the Sport- und Kongresshalle Schwerin, Germany on August 24. His
opponent on the night will be Stefano Abatangelo (17-2-1, 6 KOs) from Italy.

The 31-year-old challenger is travelling to Germany full of confidence. On
May 31, the man from Montanaro, close to the city of Turin, dethroned the
Italian Champion Emanuele Barletta via a seventh round TKO victory.

?Abatangelo is on a good winning streak. He did not lose once in his last
twelve outings. He will do everything he can to take the EBU Title back home
to Italy,? said Team Sauerland Director of Sports Hagen Doering.

Juergen Braehmer will definitely have to be careful, as he is not just
putting his European Title on the line. The German is also the mandatory
challenger to the current WBO Champion Nathan Cleverly, who he will be
facing towards the end of 2013. ?It was a good decision to move to Team
Sauerland. After signing with them I became the European Champion in
February, and then I defended my title against Tony Averlant back in April,?
remembers the 34-year-old. ?The second fight in Hamburg proved that I have
developed over the past few months and I think I haven?t reached my peak
yet, so there is still more to come. The fight against Abatangelo should
give me even more confidence ahead of the world championship fight.?

For Team Sauerland the fight in Schwerin is a real premiere, as it has never
before hosted an event in the north-eastern city of Germany. The same goes
for Braehmer´s coach Karsten Roewer. ?I am really looking forward to August
24. Although I am from Schwerin, I have never worked here during my
professional career.?

Tickets for the big fight night at the Sport- und Kongresshalle Schwerin,
Germany will be available shortly at www.eventim.de and www.boxen.com.

LOS ANGELES, June 12 – Two of Mexico’s top super lightweights will collide at the Tabasco Park Nave 1 in Villahermosa, Mexico on Saturday, June 15 when undefeated WBC Super Lightweight Silver Champion Roberto “Massa” Ortiz of Torreon faces Culiacan’s Jorge “Koki” Romero in a 12-round WBC Silver Championship bout that will be televised live on FOX Deportes in the United States and on Televisa in Mexico on a delayed basis.

A 10-round welterweight co-featured bout will see Tijuana’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva in action against Colombia’s Francisco “Volcan” Cordero.

Also featured in separate, non-televised fights will be former world title challenger Librado Andrade and highly touted prospect Fidel Maldonado Jr.

Ortiz vs. Romero is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Cancun Boxing and sponsored by Corona, Periodico QueQui and Villahermosa Centro Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CT and the first fight begins at 6:00 p.m. CT. The FOX Deportes broadcast will air live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. and the Televisa broadcast will air on Canal 5 beginning at 10:30 p.m. CT.

For tickets priced at $3,000.00, $2,000.00, $1,500.00, $800.00, $350.00 and $100.00 (all prices are in Mexican Pesos), visit Hotel Hyatt Paseo Tabasco y Raul Cortinez.

Undefeated in 29 professional bouts, Roberto “Massa” Ortiz (28-0-1, 22 KO’s) has been collecting titles at 140 pounds since 2010, earning the WBA Fedecaribe, WBA Fedecentro and WBC Silver belts. Now the number three rated WBC super lightweight contender, it’s clear that the 27-year-old’s shot at the biggest belt of them all is just around the corner. The only thing he has to do is keep winning, but he’ll be in tough on June 15 against countryman Romero.

Looking to bounce back from a February loss to Fidel Maldonado Jr., Jorge “Koki” Romero (24-5, 21 KO’s) has shown the ability to come back from adversity before and if his response to his 2011 defeat to Pablo Cesar Cano after which he stopped seven consecutive opponents is any indication, the 23-year-old from Culiacan is about to start knocking opponents out again in a fast and furious fashion.

Impressive thus far in a career that has seen him compile a record of 20-3-2 (16 KO’s) despite only being 21 years old, Tijuana’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva is a fearless competitor who has met world-class competition in his last three bouts against Yoshihiro Kamegai, Alfredo Angulo and Cesar Chavez. On June 15, Silva has the opportunity to crash the world rankings should he defeat Cordero.

Barranquilla, Colombia’s Francisco Cordero (28-2, 20 KO’s) is a knockout artist whose power makes fans stand up and opponents fall down. A professional since 2007, the 26-year-old has fought at weights ranging from featherweight to junior middleweight, but this week he’ll settle in at 147 pounds to take on Silva and hopefully add to a hot spell that has seen him win five of his last six fights with all of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Also in action will be former world title challenger Librado Andrade (30-5, 23 KO’s) of Guanajuato who will take on countryman Eduardo Ayala (17-35-4, 8 KO’s) of Sonora in an eight-round light heavyweight bout and Albuquerque, New Mexico prospect Fidel Maldonado Jr. (15-2, 12 KO’s) who faces Culiacan’s Abraham Alvarez (16-3-1, 7 KO’s) in an eight-round junior welterweight fight.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.quequi.com.mx, www.FOXDeportes.com and www.televisadeportes.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/PeriodicoQuequi, www.twitter.com/TD_Deportes and www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/periodicoquequi and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

Tomasz Adamek’s opponent for the August 3, NBC Sports Network Fight Night card has been confirmed. Adamek, 48-2, 29 KO’s, will take on Tony Grano, 20-3-1, 16 KO’s, in Grano’s own hometown in a 10-round heavyweight challenge. The number of Tomasz’s legion of loyal Polish boxing fans may well rival the popular Grano’s hometown crowd. One thing is certain, the house will be rocking at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

Main Events CEO, Kathy Duva said, “This match up is against two guys that are right in front of each other and can punch, either can go at any time. This promises to be an exciting brawl.”

Headlining the card is a 10-round middleweight contest featuring Brooklyn’s Curtis “Showtime” Stevens, 24-3, 17 KO’s against tough Saul Roman, 37-9, 31 KO’s of Tijuana, Mexico. In a 10-round cruiserweight battle “Fast” Eddie Chambers, 36-3, 18 KO’s, from Philadelphia meets up with South African, Thabiso Mchunu, 12-1, 9 KO’s.

Adamek is happy to be back in the ring, “After fighting four fights in 2012, I was able to take a rest. Now I feel I will be able to get back in the ring refreshed and remind all my long-time fans what the ‘Mountain Boy’ is really about.” He added, ” I understand Grano is a fighter who really comes to fight. I intend to do the same. I think all of our fans will be pleased on August 3rd.”

Grano said, ” I am very grateful for this opportunity. I’m excited to fight Adamek.” He also agreed with Adamek’s sentinment, ” Adamek comes to fight, as do I. This is going to be a great show for all of our fans.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jr. Featherweight Scott Quigg has jumped ship from Hatton Promotions to Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sports and will fight in Bolton, England on June 29th.

“I’m delighted to have signed a deal with Matchroom Sport, and it’s great to have a fight so soon,” Quigg said. “I’ve been in training for a long time and (it’s) a new start with a new promoter. I’m always in the gym, I love training. But a fighter always wants to be in the ring fighting. That’s where you learn and you also make your money to pay your bills. I’ve got the same hunger as always, and I just want to get active again and I think Matchroom Sport and (British network) Sky Sports is the place to get that. I can’t wait to get back in there. That’s where I’m at home and I’ve missed it.

“We’re getting the ball rolling in Bolton. I’ve had one fight in a year, so it’s about getting the momentum going and looking to make waves in the division again. No one sees how hard I train, no one sees the effort and dedication that I put in to get to the top. I came into boxing wanting to be a world champion. I don’t want to settle at British or European [level]. I’ve come in to be the best. You might need a bit of luck here and there, but I think I have the ability and I know I have the desire and dedication to make it happen.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Scott Quigg to the team,” Hearn said. “He is on the cusp of challenging for a world title, and with the backing of Matchroom Sport and Sky Sports, we believe he’ll get there and stay there for a long time.”

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (June 12, 2013) – Unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Julian Williams is the latest in the line of Philadelphia fighters to make an impact in the boxing world beyond the City of Brotherly Love. On Saturday, June 22 Williams will headline a star-studded undercard at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center against former World Champion Joachim Alcine in the featured eight-round fight on SHOWTIME EXTREME®. Also on the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast will be a six-round light heavyweight clash between 2012 United States Olympian Marcus Browne of Staten Island and Mexico’s Ricardo Campillo. Both bouts will lead up to the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader headlined by the world championship showdown between Brooklyn hero and WBA Welterweight World Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and current WBC Lightweight and Two-Time World Champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner, live on SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT

Also featured on the undercard will be Browne’s Olympic teammates Rau’Shee Warren and Jamel Herring, undefeated prospect Robert Easter Jr. and Brooklyn’s Juan Dominguez and Frank Galarza.

Julian Williams (12-0-1, 7 KO’s) has shown the talent and savvy of those with much more experience. In just 13 professional bouts, the 23-year-old has proven that he is on his way to joining the long line of Philadelphia fighters to win a world title. He will face by far his toughest challenge to date when he faces former World Champion Alcine on June 22.

Gonaive, Haiti native Alcine (33-4-1, 19 KO’s) is unlike any fighter Williams has seen in his professional his career. The former WBA Super Welterweight World Champion who now resides in the boxing hotbed of Montreal holds wins over Travis Simms, Carl Daniels and David Lemieux and is looking to bounce back from a gritty 12-round loss to Brian Rose in April.

Living just over the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island, New York, “Sir” Marcus Browne (4-0, 4 KO’s) will have a short commute to work on June 22. The 2012 United States Olympian has been making short work of his opponents, too, showing off his punching power by finishing all four of his foes by knockout. Obregon, Mexico’s Ricardo Campillo (7-6-1, 5 KO’s) will be aiming to end that streak and score the upset. Having faced four undefeated opponents in his last four bouts, he’s no stranger to taking on up-and-coming prospects.

Three-time United States Olympian Rau’Shee Warren (12-0, 2 KO’s) and 2012 United States Olympian Jamel Herring (3-0, 2 KO’s) have both compiled impressive pro records and will look to keep the momentum going in their Brooklyn debuts. Cincinnati’s Warren meets Pueblo, Colorado’s Ernest Marquez (9-12, 3 KO’s) in a four/six round bantamweight match which will be included on SHOWTIME EXTREME (time permitting) and Coram, New York’s Herring takes on Prichard, Alabama’s Calvin Smith (2-3) in a four-round lightweight fight.

Brooklyn will be well represented at Barclays Center on June 22 by undefeated junior featherweight Juan Dominguez (14-0, 10 KO’s) who squares off against St. Paul, Minnesota’s Bradley Patraw (9-5, 5 KO’s) in an eight-round bout. Brooklyn’s popular junior middleweight Frank Galarza (9-0-2, 5 KO’s) will also look to once again wow the hometown fans when he takes on Arecibo, Puerto Rico’s Edgar Perez (5-5, 3 KO’s) in a six-round junior middleweight fight.

A lightweight bout scheduled for six rounds completes the card, as Toledo, Ohio’s Robert Easter Jr. (4-0, 4 KO’s) searches for his fifth pro win against Merrillville, Indiana’s Antoine Knight (2-3, 1 KO).

Malignaggi vs. Broner, a 12-round fight for Malignaggi’s WBA Welterweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and R & R Promotions, supported by Golden Boy Promotions’ sponsors Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. In the co-featured bouts, Johnathon Banks will look to repeat his 2012 upset win over Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell as he defends his NABO and WBC International Heavyweight titles in a 12-round fight presented in association with K2 Promotions and number one rated WBC super middleweight contender Sakio Bika faces number four rated WBC super middleweight contender Marco Antonio Periban in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight World Championship. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (June 12, 2013)—This Friday night at the South Mountain Arena in West Orange, New Jersey, undefeated Light Heavyweight prospect Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell will put his perfect record on the line when he takes on battle tested Paul Vasquez in a bout scheduled for six rounds that will be one of the featured undercard bouts of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

The show is promoted by GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions with the Harvell – Vasquez bout being in association with Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions.

Harvell, 25 years old from Atlantic City, New Jersey has a record of 12-0 with seven knockouts and is getting back in the ring for the first time since last July 7th when he knocked out Mojeed Okedara in one round in Atlantic City.

“This training camp has gone well. My punches are strong and I have doing strength and condition”, said Harvell.

“I don’t know much about Vasquez but we prepare for anything”

Like many in New Jersey and the Jersey Shore area, Harvell was affected by Hurricane Sandy.

“The layoff was caused because my gym (The Atlantic City PAL) being damaged by Hurricane Sandy but everything is good now and we are ready to go.”

Said Harvell’s trainer Abdur Muhammad, “Lavarn is excited to get back in the ring. He has been looking excellent in camp and we do not know much about Vasquez but he is ready”

One man who has very high praise is longtime New Jersey fight promoter Gabe LaConte of First Round Promotions.

LaConte co-promotes Harvell and he sees a big future.

“I think Harvell is a born fighter”, said the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Famer.

“I have run across a lot of fighters such as Shannon Briggs, Charles Murray and Tracy Patterson and Lavarn is a natural born fighter. He doesn’t beat people, he annihilates them. He is one of those guys where you don’t get up and get your popcorn because you will probably miss an explosive knockout and we feel in the next eighteen months he will be fighting for a major title.”

Harvell is riding a four fight knockout streak.

Vasquez of Martinez, California has a record of 9-3-1 with 3 knockouts and has fought most of his career as a Cruiserweight.

In his last bout, he was on the wrong end of a close majority decision when he lost to former world title challenger Elvir Muriqi on March 15th in Whippany, New Jersey.

In the main event, it will be a battle for the WBA Interim Bantamweight championship as undefeated fighters Jundy Maroan takes on Juan Carlos Payano.

In the televised co-feature, Jorge Diaz squares off with Yenifel Vicente in an eight round Featherweight bout.

Tickets are priced at $35, $50, $75, and $100 Ringside (Rows 1-2). VIP Tables for 10 are also available that include dinner. To purchase, please call 888.612.4191.

On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:30. The Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain is located at 560 Northfield Avenue in West Orange, New Jersey.

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (June 12, 2013) — Tickets to the exciting and historic battle between undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight Champion TIMOTHY BRADLEY Jr. and four-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ go on sale Friday, June 21, at 3:00 p.m. ET / Noon PT. The Bradley vs. Márquez welterweight championship event will take place 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.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas, Márquez Boxing, and Tecate, tickets to Bradley vs. Márquez, will be priced at $800, $600, $400, $300, $200 , $100 and $50. They 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).

While both Bradley (30-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., and Márquez (55-6-1, 40 KOs), of México City, enter this World Welterweight Championship battle fresh from Fight of the Year caliber performances, Márquez will also be attempting to become the first Méxican fighter to win world titles in five different weight divisions.

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.

Lafayette, CA – UFC GYM® is pleased to announce the opening of its signature gym in Long Island, N.Y. The much-anticipated 24-hour full-service gym is located at 2020 Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park. UFC GYM invites new members and guests to stop by for complimentary club tours, free classes, one-on-one fitness assessments, retail and Arm Bar Café specials, food, prizes and more on Saturday, June 15th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Members joining during the Community Day will receive special membership offers.

The New Hyde Park’s 37,000 square foot location offers a TRAIN DIFFERENT® approach as an alternative to the traditional workout. The gym fuses together martial arts with cutting-edge equipment and conventional fitness.

“UFC GYM is the ultimate fitness destination! We can’t wait to show our TRAIN DIFFERENT® style to the residents of Long Island with our first 24-hour full-service facility on the East Coast,” said Senior Vice President of UFC GYM Adam Sedlack “With the opening of our Long Island site, UFC GYM will have 11 locations on the East Coast and is continuing to revolutionize the world of fitness and training. Our gyms are destinations for men, women and kids of all ages and fitness levels who want a welcoming place to work out, get results and stay motivated in a high energy atmosphere.”

Membership includes unlimited functional fitness and hardcore conditioning classes. Members can also train like world-class UFC athletes while maximizing results by participating in UFC GYMs signature mixed martial arts inspired Ultimate Classes including Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, hot hula, shock yoga, women’s self-defense, performance cycling, POUND – Rockout Workout™ and other technique-driven fitness classes. Kids can access a UFC KIDS GYM with a private training area offering youth fitness, athletic performance and mixed martial arts classes.

Expert coaches and certified personal trainers are available to help members of all fitness levels. Individual coaching is offered and team-oriented sessions including a proprietary Daily Ultimate Training™ (DUT™) program where members benefit from intense functional workouts. DUT™ combines every aspect of resistance training, body awareness drills and cardio respiratory endurance. Each class is different, competitive and aimed at improving overall athletic ability. Members can also TRAIN DIFFERENT® with a variety of tools including a 32-foot Octagon®, an indoor turf area, free weights, cardio machines and the latest in strength and conditioning equipment. Additional amenities include a UFC GYM store, an Arm Bar Café and video wall of twenty 40-inch TV screens, plus a member lounge with free Wi-Fi service.

UFC GYM continues to grow following its acquisition of LA Boxing® earlier this year and is expected to expand to more than 100 gyms in over 23 states in the U.S. by the end of the year. UFC GYM is franchising a new model of boutique clubs driven by group fitness and personal training. Franchisees have the unique opportunity to own and operate the new UFC GYM franchise model across the U.S. and the world. For franchise information, visit www.ufcgym.com/franchising.

June 15th is the final day for special opening rates. For more information visit www.ufcgym.com or call 516-784-4072.

About UFC GYM®: UFC GYM® is the first major brand extension of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the world leader in the sport of mixed martial arts. In alliance with New Evolution Ventures® (NeV), developers of many of the world’s most successful fitness brands, the UFC Gym brand gives UFC enthusiasts and fitness seekers of all ages the opportunity to practice the training techniques of famed UFC athletes. Offering a full-range of group fitness classes, private MMA training, personal and group dynamic training, plus MMA style youth programming, UFC GYM creates something for all ages and fitness levels. As the first to combine the world of mixed martial arts and fitness, UFC GYM has developed an atmosphere where members can see immediate results. UFC GYM is the ultimate fitness experience. The brand is not what you expect, and more than you can imagine, aiming to continue revolutionizing the fitness industry. For more information, please visit www.ufcgym.com.

About New Evolution Ventures® (NeV): Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures® (NeV) has a two-decade plus record of success in delivering superior returns on investment, specializing in the acquisition, development and operations management of both domestic and international fitness endeavors. Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is setting industry-wide standards one brand at a time. Operations have spanned over 20 countries worldwide and included hundreds of facilities. Our team’s industry experience has positioned NeV as a global leader in its field, expanding and reinventing the vision of fitness. For more information, visit www.nev.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 35 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world with events distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, moving to FOX Sports 1 in September 2013.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states, UFC FIT™, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360, the internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise in development with EA, best-selling DVDs, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and trading cards.

Los Angeles, CA (June 12) – “I want to thank all of my fans for their support in the wake of my eye injury this past weekend. I have undergone various medical examinations which I am glad to report revealed no broken bones. California State Athletic Commission physician Dr. Pearlman Hicks has informed me that I only suffered a contusion and my eye specialist thankfully sees no permanent injury to my eye.

I want to thank all of you for the love and support you have given me the past few days. I would also like to congratulate Erislandy Lara on a great fight. I’m sad that I disappointed all my fans by not giving them an “El Perro” victory as I truly believe I was on the verge of knocking Lara down for the third time and winning the fight. The sharp pain of his thumb in my eye caused me to turn my back out of reflex and I could not see out of my left eye. I accept the decision made by the referee to stop the fight and look forward to getting back in the ring in the future. I will be back to give you a better show in my next fight.”

-Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo

The June 14 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature undefeated Bantamweights Juan Carlos “Baby Pacquiao” Payano (13-0, 7 KOs) and Jundy Maraon (15-0-1, 12 KOs) in the 12-round main event for the vacant WBA Interim Title. Friday’s show from Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange, N.J., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN. Friday’s card is promoted by Greg Cohen Productions.

Watch Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore preview Friday’s main event

Commentators:
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2 HD, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will provide the latest boxing news and present video highlights from last weekend’s International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremony from Canastota, N.Y. Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodriguez will call this week’s fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) with Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo Gonzalez in the studio. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:
Miami’s Payano, a 2004 and 2008 Dominican Republic Olympian, is coming off a second-round TKO win over Jhon Molina.

Payano said through an interpreter, “My style is similar to Manny Pacquiao – that’s why I’m ‘Baby Pacquiao.’ But I feel like I’m a little more organized with my punches, have better technique and better fighting ability. I think Maraon is a great fighter. He’s very strong and technically very sound. But I feel that he’s a one-way fighter, always looking for the knockout. He hasn’t really fought my caliber, so the knockouts have come easy. I consider myself a great fighter, as well – it will be two good fighters facing each other on June 14th, and I’ll be prepared.”

California’s Maraon is looking to continue his winning ways after a third-round knockout win over Ernest Marquez in his last fight.

“He’s quick and fast. He’s strong – Jundy [Maraon] doesn’t hit like a bantam, he hits hard,” trainer Nonito Donaire Sr. said. “I watched video of Payano. He’s good, but he doesn’t have the punching power like Jundy. I think this is going to be a good fight. Payano is not just like ‘any opponent’ – he’s a good fighter, too.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit Junior Featherweights Yenifel “El Rayo” Vicente (24-1-2, 16 KOs) of Miami against New Jersey’s Jorge “King” Diaz (17-1, 10 KOs). Vicente scored a second-round TKO win over Aneudy Mesa in his last fight, while Diaz will look to build momentum following a six-round unanimous decision win over Victor Sanchez.

Upcoming Schedule:

Date
Time (ET)
Main Event
Location

Networks
Fri., Jun 21
10 p.m.
Rances Barthelemy (18-0, 11 KOs) vs. Fahsai Sakkreerin (39-3-1, 21 KOs)—12-rounds, Junior Lightweight
Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes WatchESPN
Fri., Jun 28
9 p.m.
Grzegorz Proska (29-2, 21 KOs) vs. Sergio Mora (23-3-2, 7 KOs)—10-rounds, Middleweight
Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes WatchESPN
*Schedule subject to change

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo. Also score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 11, 2013) – A leg injury has forced reigning Invicta Fighting Championships World Strawweight (115 pounds) Champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. to withdraw from her scheduled title defense against undefeated JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki (9-0) of Tokyo, Japan at the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13.

Replacing the injured Esparza against Hamasaki in the Invicta FC 6 co-main event will be undefeated sensation Claudia Gadelha (9-0) of Mossoro, Rio Grande Do Norte Brazil.

Gadelha’s original Invicta FC 6 opponent, undefeated, fast-rising star Joanne Calderwood (6-0) of Glasgow, Scotland has been matched with a new strawweight opponent, Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-6) of Raytown, Mo.

The 24-year-old Gadelha’s start will be her first under the Invicta FC banner. In her last start, she notched a unanimous decision win over Herica Tiburcio on May 11, 2013.

Hamasaki, a 31-year-old submission specialist, has been an unsolvable puzzle in action, thus far. After reeling off victories in her first seven stars in Japan, she made her debut in the U.S. at Invicta FC 2 last July 28, submitting Lacey Schuckman in the third round (4:45) of action with an armbar. Hamasaki recorded her latest conquest in on Dec. 15, a unanimous decision over Emi Fujino in a JEWELS-promoted contest in Japan.

The 32-year-old Schneider holds an overall 1-1 record in the Invicta FC cage. Five of her six-career professional victories have come by way of submission, including her start against Sally Krumdiack at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28, 2012, which Schneider won by way of armbar in the first round (3:01).

Tickets priced from $35, for the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.

In the main event of the stacked 13-bout card, ferocious KO artist and pound-for-pound sensation Cris Cyborg (11-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will face off with fellow superstar and submission ace Marloes Coenen (21-5) of The Netherlands in the first-ever Invicta FC world featherweight (145 pounds) championship bout.

The showdown between rivals Cyborg and Coenen marks a highly-anticipated rematch to their explosive, barnburner first fight in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan 30, 2010 in which Cyborg emerged victorious by way of TKO (punches) in the third and final scheduled round (3:40) of action.

In other action on the Invicta FC 6 main card, three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D’Alelio (7-3) of San Jose, Calif. will take on undefeated upstart Lauren Taylor (6-0) of Anchorage, Alaska at bantamweight (135 pounds).

After her second Invicta FC “Fight of the Night” performance, prolific striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will drop from bantamweight to flyweight and face off with Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil. Maia is coming off her second consecutive win, a unanimous decision over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel, at Invicta FC 5 on April 5.

Former Invicta FC world atomweight (105 pounds) champion Jessica Penne (10-2) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will look to rebound from her hard-fought defeat at the hands of Michelle Waterson in the main event of Invicta FC 5 when she squares off with battle-tested road warrior Nicdali “The Night Queen” Riveral-Calanoc (8-6) of Tulsa, Okla.

Submission ace Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will battle hard-punching Julia “The Jewel” Budd (5-2) in a featherweight (145 pounds) tilt.

Crowd-pleasing finisher “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2) of Brisbane, Queensland Australia will look to notch her second straight victory under the Invicta FC banner in a strawweight showdown with JEWELS star Mizuki Inoue (5-1) of Nagoya, Aichi Japan. Inoue has won all five her professional stars to date by way of submission inside of two rounds of action.

Hard-hitting Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif. will square off with Duda “Diamond” Yankovich (1-1) of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in a bantamweight bout.

A four-bout preliminary card will be highlighted by a strawweight collision between unbeaten upstarts Rose Namajunas (2-0) of St. Paul, Minn. and Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Namajunas captured the attention of the entire MMA fight world when she scored a stunning, 12-second submission on Kathina Catron at Invicta FC 5.

Ashley “Smashley” Cummins (3-1) of St. Louis, Miss. will face Emily Kagan (2-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. at strawweight.

Power striker Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler (1-0) of Sacramento, Calif. will collide with Mollie Estes (1-2) of Oceola, Miss. in a featherweight scrap.

Cassie Robb (0-1) of Casper, Wyo. will meet Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1) of Vienna, Wien Austria in the event’s opening strawweight bout.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

About Ameristar Kansas City

Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues — The Horizon Buffet, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players’ lounge. Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema’s Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel. The property was awarded “Favorite Casino” for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram’s Magazine “Best of Business Awards;” in the 2003, 2005, 2007 – 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine’s “Best of Kansas City” readers’ poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine’s readers’ poll. Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine’s “Best of Gaming” awards.

Visit Ameristar Casinos’ website at www.ameristar.com

(which shall not be deemed to be incorporated in or a part of this news release).

Kelly Swanson
Thanks, everybody, for joining in. I’m so excited about this particular show in general, Saturday, June 22nd at the Barclays Center featuring as its main event, Paulie Malignaggi against Adrien Broner, but I’m really excited about this fight we’re going to talk about on this call today.

Joining us with have Johnathon Banks, the NABO and WBC International Heavyweight Champ as well as Seth Mitchell. We are also joined by Dave Itskowitch and Tom Loeffler who’s the managing director of K2 Promotions, and everybody knows Dave, Chief Operating Officer of Golden Boy, and we will be hearing from both fighters who are on the line at the same time. So, without further ado, I’m going to turn it over to Dave to make the introductions. So, Dave, go ahead.

David Itskowitch
Thank you everyone for being with us this afternoon. June 22nd Barclays Center in Brooklyn, we’ve got a great show, our main event Paulie Malignaggi versus Adrien Broner in a 12-round fight for the WBA Welterweight World Championship. Of course, we have Johnathon Banks versus Seth Mitchell for in a 12-round fight for Banks’ NABO and WBC International Heavyweight Championship. This is actually going to be the first heavyweight fight in the history of Barclays Center by my calculations, so that’s a little added piece of history for the show, and then, opening the Showtime broadcast will be Sakio Bika versus Marco Antonio Periban in a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Middleweight World Championship.

The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Banks versus Mitchell is presented in association with K2 Promotions. We’re sponsored by Corona and AT&T. We’ll be live on Showtime Championship Boxing at 9:00 Eastern Time with preliminary fights airing on Showtime Extreme at 7:00 Eastern Time, and the event can be heard in Spanish using second audio programming.

Those of you who are in the New York area, no excuse not to be there. We have great seats still available, but they’re going fast and very reasonably priced starting at $25 and ringside $250, which is again, in this day and age, two world title fights and a great heavyweight fight, you really can’t go wrong. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the American Express Box Office at the Barclays Center.

Now to say a few words, I’d like to introduce a young man who’s a former standout Michigan State University linebacker who found his true calling in the boxing ring. In the first four years of his career, he tore through all of his opposition, beating Taurus Sykes, Timur Ibragimov and Chazz Witherspoon, all those by knockout. He’s extremely eager for the opportunity to avenge his only pro loss when he faces Banks and he’ll look to show the resilience of a champion when he attempts to even the score on June 22nd. He has a record of 25, 1 and 1 with 19 KOs. From Brandywine, Maryland, Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell. Seth?

Seth Mitchell
First and foremost, I want to thank my team for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank Al, Sharif Salim, Lorin Chvotkin, and everybody that’s involved on my team. Thanks Johnathon Banks for giving me this opportunity to avenge this loss.

I’m very excited about this fight. As Dave said, this is my first pro loss and it was a hard loss. It took me about a week to get over the loss, but I truly believe that everything happens for a reason.

Everybody that knows me, they know that I went back to the drawing board. I’m preparing diligently. I’m very focused for this fight. I know Johnathon Banks is preparing hard as well. It’s going to be a great fight.

Again, I don’t do a lot of talking. I just go back to the drawing board and work hard. I’m very confident in my abilities. I’m very confident in what I can do, and there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to come out victorious this time.

I’ve watched the fight numerous times. I saw a lot of mistakes that I made. I’m not taking anything away from Johnathon. He did what he was supposed to do that night, but I promise you it’s going to be a different outcome from June 22nd. I just want everybody to tune in because I will be ready.

I was ready to fight on February 16th and I was really disappointed when the fight got cancelled, but again, I go back to my belief that everything happens for a reason and that just allowed me to hone my skills to get better and to be more prepared for this fight. I’m definitely a better fighter. I’m not going to keep saying that. I just have to go out there and show you what I’ve learned from that fight, what Johnathon Banks has taught me from that fight, and you will see that on the 22nd. I’m very prepared for this fight and very focused and just excited that I’m back on this big stage and on Showtime.

It’s not too often you get, not only do you lose, but you get stopped in the second round and have the opportunity to come back and fight on a major network, and I’m very fortunate and very blessed for that, and I’m definitely going to take advantage of this opportunity. Again, I want everybody to tune in. I want to thank everybody that’s a part of this, and making this happen. I want to thank my family, my friends, everybody that’s praying for me. Continue to pray for me, and on the 22nd, I will be victorious. Thanks.

Itskowitch
Before I introduce Tom, I just wanted to mention one thing. These two fighters are, in case you didn’t notice in listening to Seth, are kind of a stark contrast from Paulie and Adrien in terms of the way that they conduct themselves, and I was around them when they first fought. I just couldn’t believe how they’re just such gentlemen and really, really two nice, good guys, respectful athletes, and that’s always a breath of fresh air.

So, now to introduce Johnathon Banks, I would like to turn it over to the managing director of K2 Promotions, Mr. Tom Loeffler.

Tom Loeffler
We’re really excited to be a part of this promotion. As was already mentioned, it’s a great main event, but you couldn’t get a better co-feature fight to complement that type of a main event, and you got two tremendous heavyweights in there before the first fight. Seth was clearly considered the best American heavyweight leading up to-there was a lot of talk of him fighting the Klitschkos down the road, and with everything that Johnathon went through at that point, training Vladimir with the death of Emanuel Steward, everything like that and then just being able to be victorious in that fight, I think he proved there’s a lot more to Johnathon Banks than people had known previously. So, we’re looking forward to his fight again just to prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke. Johnathon, I know has been training really hard for this fight as well.

So, with that, I want to introduce him. He’s in Detroit, Michigan right now, the WBC International and NABO Champion, Johnathon Banks.

Johnathon Banks
There’s not much to say. Seth said it all. I’m not a talker. He’s not a big talker. There’s not much to say.

I’m looking forward to the fight. I wish that I wouldn’t have broken my thumb preparing for February 16th because I was also looking forward to that fight, but things happen. This is out of your control. It was out of my control. That’s the first broken bone I ever had, never had nothing broken on me before, but I ended up breaking my thumb. So, the fight was postponed, but now we have a new day, June 22nd.

I am preparing just like I always have been. Looking forward to the fight. I just always believed that Seth Mitchell was one of the best heavyweights out there and I still think so. So, I would never underestimate a guy like that. I look forward to the fight.

I know it will be a big challenge, but challenges are all a part of life and I accept every challenge that ever comes my way. I’m not walking away from a challenge. I accept it. I accept it as it comes, and I really believe that the heavyweight division is going to be-it’s going to be filled up with excitement again because this heavyweight fight is going to be a good fight.

Loeffler
Thanks a lot, Jonathon. I guess we can now turn it over to media for questions.

Q
Seth, I know one of the things in watching your tape and in talking to you, I’m sure you looked at the things you got away from in the biggest fight of your career, and my question is how do you practice patience? How do you practice executing and also being loose at the same time without being robotic?

Mitchell
You have to-I’ve been working on just being relaxed and it not being anxious. Even though when I fought him the first time I didn’t feel anxious, I didn’t feel nervous, when I went back and watched the tape, I could see that I was tight and that I was tense. So, it’s just repetition, repetition in the ring, and repetition in sparring. I know sparring isn’t fighting, and I wouldn’t ever say that sparring is fighting, but it’s just the more repetitious you get and making a conscious effort of just trying to do the right thing and not being over anxious and just take your time, so that’s just what we’ve been working on.

Q
Obviously, instruction and executing your trainer’s instructions under fire, is that something you guys are doing? I don’t know if you just recreate the situation that got away from you in this fight, or how is that going, the communication thing?

Mitchell
The communication is going well, and I always consider myself a good listener. I don’t think I know it all. I just didn’t do what my trainer instructed me to do going into the fight. We knew a lot of things that Johnathon does, things that we couldn’t do and I went out there and did those things, not saying that I was being hardheaded or anything, but I don’t know, maybe it was experience, but I definitely showed that I’ve learned from it, and like I said before, I definitely feel that that loss made me a better fighter, and I just can’t wait to show it.

Q
So, I guess the same question-being a boxer and a trainer, can you imagine how difficult must it be for Seth to do what he’s doing, and as a fighter who’s going to be in the ring with him, is that something you’re going to try to exploit that maybe that potential that he might be questioning himself after the loss?

Banks
Well, I don’t believe and no interview anywhere have I ever heard Seth question himself. Seth Mitchell, he admitted that he could listen. I made a mistake. ‘I’ve done a couple things wrong and other Banks have capitalized on it.’ That’s all he ever said. He never really questioned himself, so therefore, I’m still seeing the strong confident heavyweight that I saw the first time. He’s just he’s coming back stronger, and he may be a little bit bigger because he’s eager to prove himself to the world again, and I just think that’s what’s going to make this fight a good fight, two fighters trying to prove theirselves to the world that they are number one or a good fighter or different things like that.

So, I just don’t believe that he has any doubt in himself or in his abilities. All his comments, all of his concerns has been just correcting the little mistakes that he made. That’s all his concerns has been. So, okay, I just don’t see him having no lack of confidence in his self. I think he’s fully confident in his ability and I just think he’s coming out stronger, bigger and ready to take the world by storm again.

Q
Last question for you-getting into the head of another fighter as a trainer, what must he be going through, and as a trainer, what is the key to getting a fighter to execute in the heat of battle?

Banks
Well, I don’t think Seth Mitchell has a problem executing in the heat of battle because he’s been in the heat of battle before so he hasn’t had too many problems executing in the heat of battle. No matter who you are as a fighter, you get away from certain things that work, no matter who you are, and if you have a chance to correct it, then that’s all the better. So, I don’t think he’s going to have a problem executing whatever he has, but as a fighter, my particular job is to stop him from executing what he wants to do and his job is to stop me from executing what I want to do. So, that’s the reason we coming together to for one to stop the other and the other to try to stop the one. So, that signals what it’s all about.

As far as the training part, it’s difficult for me because I’m not thinking as a trainer. I’m only thinking as a fighter. I took my training hat off when I left Germany. When I get back from here, I’ll pick that hat back up and put it back on, but right now, my thoughts are simply either as a fighter and I let my trainer think as himself.

Q
My last question to you is Tom mentioned earlier when he opened the call that you want to prove that your win over Seth wasn’t a fluke. Is that something that you feel has been out there because I know Seth has given you full credit for executing and I’m just kind of wondering where Tom might be getting that, where you might-have you heard anything like that that makes you …?

Banks
You see a lot of things from public. I’ve heard different things here, well, he just was a hyped-up individual. Well, none of that is really-that doesn’t matter to me because I know Johnathon Banks. I know that I was prepared and that I was just going out for a fight.

So, people may say that I was hyped up over the death of Steward, that this was a fluke, this … happen to happen, but the rest of it, it doesn’t bother me. I’ve heard it. It plays no effect on me. It doesn’t bother me because like I say, I know what it was and I know what it is, and the thing about it at the end of the day, there’s still going to be a fight.

So, I don’t believe in flukes. I don’t believe in it just so happen become this or that. I prepared for the fight and I became victorious and this is fight … begin. We both have to train for the fight and only one here can be victorious. So, as always, I always wish my opponent a healthy training camp and I wish myself a healthy training camp so we can get in there and perform in front of the world.

Q
My last question for both of you-who is the pressure most on in this fight? Is it on Seth because he lost, or is it on you because you won a fight that some people thought you were going to lose and now you have to prove it’s not a fluke? To both of you, who’s got the most pressure on them or who’s, in your perception, who’s under the most?

Mitchell
Me personally, I think the pressure’s on me. The pressure’s on me. It’s one thing to lose, but it’s another thing to lose back to back to the same fighter. So, I believe the pressure is on me, but I’ve said this from day one-I want to be in a situation where the stakes are high. That means you’re headed in the right direction. So, I think the pressure is on me. I accept it. I relish the challenge and the June 22nd, we’re going to get it in.

Banks
I think the pressure’s on me. I do. I think the pressure’s on me that they’re saying he came on TV, he did this and let’s see if he can do it again. I think the pressure’s on me, and just like he said, I accept the challenge too. I’ve never ran from pressure. I accept it. I embrace it. So, I really believe the pressure is on me and I’m happy to hear how-I have no doubt that Seth will accept the challenge. I accepted the challenge, and like I say, June 22nd, we going to get it in.

Q
I’ll start my first question for Seth. After the first fight, I know you had the right to ask John to give you the immediate rematch and I’m sure that you spent some time thinking about it and talking with your trainer and your team, but was there any discussion or thought either in their minds or in your minds about the prospect of possibly taking some interim fight first rather than going right back in with the guy that had stopped you?

Mitchell
Not at all. This is a true story. When I went back into the dressing room, I was devastated that I had lost. It was a tough loss for me, but my first question is to Al. I asked him two questions. I said how far did this set me back and when can we get the rematch. That was my first two questions to Al, and I just wanted to get back in there not because I didn’t think-I just wanted to get back in there because I’m a fighter and I lost.

When stakes are high, this is a very, very important fight for me, and I understand that and I don’t tend to bet with my heart. When I’m betting, I bet with my head, and I truly believe that I can beat Johnathon Banks. He beat me the first fight, but I truly believe that I’m a better fighter and I have to show better than what I showed and that was just my mindset.

I wanted to get in there and correct this wrong, and I know he’s going to come to fight, but I’m going to come to fight as well. Like I said, man, I am truly a better fighter. I keep saying that, but I don’t like to really talk a lot, man, I just got to go out there and show and that’s why I want everybody to just tune in on June 22nd and they’re going to be in for a shock. They’re going to be like wow, this cat really did go back, look at his tapes, see what he did wrong and this loss definitely made him a better fighter.

Q
Seth, when you asked Al those two questions in the dressing room, what were his answers about how far did this set you back and when can we get the rematch?

Mitchell
He said not long. Actually, he answered the question probably about two or three days later, and he said it probably was about a seven to eight month setback but we’ll get that rematch and you’ll just take care of business.

Q
I understand you as the athlete, the competitive spirit to desire and go make things right in your mind and get the revenge and all that, but that’s why boxers pay their advisors and their trainers and the people that work with them to try to take a step back and look for the betterment of the guy’s career in the long term. Did anybody on your team, Al, Sharif, whoever, talk to you about maybe taking an interim fight, trying to convince you otherwise even though you were going to be very adamant about wanting to do the immediate rematch? Did anybody on the team think that maybe it was best to take the interim fight?

Mitchell
There was no talk about an interim fight. The only time that came up is when Johnathon got hurt, and once Johnathon got hurt, honestly I didn’t want to wait seven months, another four months to fight him. I wanted to stay active and fight, but things happen for a reason. That didn’t happen, and June 22nd, it’s going to be Johnathon Banks.

Q
When you were getting ready for the second fight and you had the thumb injury, obviously that’s not the type of thing you can go into a fight and fight with, but can you talk about the circumstances of what happened with that and then what your feelings and thoughts were when that happened and you knew that there’s no way you can go in there and this was going to have to be postponed?

Banks
Well, actually I was going to fight with a broken thumb because I wanted to fight, and I don’t like to, me personally as a fighter, I don’t like preparing for a fight-preparing for a fight, you’re spending your money. Preparing for a fight and then you call the fight off, I don’t like doing that, and I was going to go through with the fight. Vladimir Klitschko called me and asked me not to go through with the fight. He said, dude, you broke your thumb, why would you take the risk going to a fight handicapped.

I wasn’t thinking with my mind. I’m thinking with my heart because I just wanted to fight. That’s just me. I’m saying regardless I want to fight.

So, I sat down, thought about it and it was bandaged up, I couldn’t use it. I was just going to use my left hand to finish up the training, but no matter what, I listened to what he said and that’s why I went on and called off the fight, but I mean, I didn’t want to do it because I mean, no fighter likes to be hear about this … a week or a week and a half, two weeks before the fight.

Q
So, you took a call from Vladimir Klitschko to convince you not to go into a fight on this caliber, this significance with a hand that you would obviously not be able to use very well?

Banks
Yes because that’s just-I just wanted to fight. Right. I’m a fighter. I just want to fight. So, I figured if I could walk, if I could talk, if I could throw it, I said let’s fight, but like I say, he talked to me,. That’s why once again, that’s why you surround yourself with people that are knowledgeable about the game so when you not thinking knowledgeable, they can bring you back to reality.

Q
So, now in retrospect, the way that it ended up going down, I have to imagine that you feel as though you made the right decision to postpone it?

Banks
Definitely, definitely. I definitely made the right decision because as I said once that night, once I sat and thought about it and I said you know what, he’s right, why will I go into fight handicap because I don’t like to say okay, Johnathon Banks, you lost the second fight, what happened, I said well, you know, I don’t know. I want to be 100%. If I lose, let me lose at 100%. I can live with that, losing at 100%, but I can’t live with being halfway ready and then I lose. I don’t want anything like that to happen.

Q
Also, if you do lose in that situation, then you’re in a position of do I just keep my mouth shut and I got the loss or do you say something and have guys like me say all you’re doing is making excuses?

Banks
Exactly. I would just keep my mouth shut. You would never know it unless somebody else came and told you or unless somebody came and whispered in your ear, you wouldn’t know because I wouldn’t have said anything.

Q
Do you think that just from a pain threshold and a physical aspect of making the fight that you could have actually gone and fought with a broken thumb?

Banks
I know I couldn’t. I couldn’t even ball my fist up. It was too swolen for me to ball my fist up, but I’m just talking to you about the will of a fighter that wanted to fight. That’s how I’m coming to you from. I wasn’t thinking as an individual saying do you know what, I shouldn’t fight because it could be long-term damage, it could be nerve. I wasn’t thinking like that.

Q
So, how is the thumb now? Are you perfectly back to normal? There’s no issues?

Banks
Everything is fine.

Q
Well, I’m glad to hear that. Tom, are you there, Tom Loeffler?

Loeffler
Yes, I’m still here.

Q
Are you the one that called up Vladimir and told him talk to Johnathon he’s acting crazy?

Loeffler
No, actually Johnathon had let him know ahead of time once he went to see the doctor and everything like that and I think he was just looking at letting Vladimir know. I naturally agreed with what Vladimir explained to him because in a fight like this, at this caliber and at so much at stake, it just doesn’t make sense to go into it. Every fighter is never really 100% after sparring and little nicks and bruises and things like that, but to have a broken thumb and to go into a fight like this just wouldn’t really have made sense, although it did take a little while to convince Johnathon of that, I know that.

Q
I know that in your last fight with Johnathon, you were on your way to a professional title shot against one of the title holders, and I know you were hurt against Chazz Witherspoon. You recovered in that fight. Was it more difficult to recover against Johnathon Banks because of his experience?

Mitchell
I guess you could say. He did the right thing. I guess Chazz Witherspoon when I got hurt and he had got close, he allowed me to grab him and gave me the time to recover whereas in that instance when I had got buzzed and tried to grab Johnathon, he stepped back and he kept his hands going and didn’t allow me to fully recover and that allowed me to get knocked down two more times and the ref stopped the fight. So, I guess that could be attributed to his experience, but it is what it is. It’s something that happened and I just had to learn from it and I believe I have.

Q
Do you think in your last fight that you were overconfident going into this since you dominated some of the other opponents?

Mitchell
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I was overconfident. I never underestimate any of my opponents. I train extremely hard, and I don’t go out there trying to take everybody head off, but when you look at my record, before this fight, I had knocked out I believe either 12 or 13 or 13 of my last 14 opponents and then when I went back and looked at the tape, even though I don’t in my mouth I don’t say that I’m trying to go out there and destroy my opponent, that’s what my actions showed, and it caught up with me that night.

Q
Yes. My last question for you is-obviously Johnathon being a trainer and also a fighter, he got to see different tactics that fighters use to the ability to beat another opponent. Do you think him obviously being a trainer and a fighter, that helped him to adapt to your styles since you have a little less experience than him?

Mitchell
I think just his experience in general definitely might have helped him out, but he’s a fighter as well. Like he said, when you get in that ring, a lot of times you take that training hat off and you become a fighter and he did what he was supposed to do. I have no excuses. I just got to get better, so better, and I definitely plan on doing that on the 22nd.

Q
Now, obviously since you beat Seth in your last fight, I know that you trained the Klitschkos, was that something that you were looking for before having a rematch with Seth?

Banks
What do you mean?

Q
No, were you actually looking to fight a Klitschko because there’s a couple of rumors that you might fight a Klitschko even though you trained them before?

Banks
No. I wasn’t looking to anything actually before the fight. I was looking for Mitchell. I wasn’t looking to fight-I wasn’t beefing with any other fighter, but him.

Q
Would you ever fight one of the Klitschkos though for the title?

Banks
Who knows? I don’t know. That’s a question that really can’t be answered because the question really is null and void if I can’t be successful on June 22nd.

Q
That’s true. Now, your training style, do you think that helped you in the fight against Seth Mitchell last time, having that training mentality and then like Seth just said, the training mentality kind of goes out the window and then the fighting mentality takes over?

Banks
Well, I wear two different hats. I wear a training hat and a fighter hat. When it’s time for me to prepare for my fight, the training hat goes off and the fighter hat comes on. So, the two don’t connect with one another.

When I’m a fighter, I’m a pure student of the game, and I’m listening to my trainer. When I’m a trainer, that’s when I’m a pure trainer, I’m a teacher of the game. So, it’s just two different situations. So, to answer the question, I don’t think-it didn’t hurt me, but I don’t necessarily say it just helped me out to be also to be a trainer in boxing.

Q
Obviously, having Emanuel Steward in your corner for a while, that obviously rubbed off on you. How did his training tactics help you as a fighter and also as a trainer?

Banks
Well, most of all, you got to understand that for literally for 15 years, I traveled with him. I’ve been around him and lived with him. I learnt a lot from this man. So, like I say, everything that I’ve accomplished in boxing that the majority-a lot of the things I accomplished in boxing I owe to him because he taught me so much, and he was a big influence.

Q
One question for both you guys, same question. Just talk about some of the challenges mentally and physically you have in such a long layoff. It’s been seven months since you’ve fought. What are the difficulties of waiting so long in between fights and how do you manage that?

Mitchell
Well, for me I just-once the fight got made-I was back in the gym. We fought November 17th, I believe. I was back in the gym the first week in December, not training like really hard but just getting back into the gym, and once the fight was scheduled, I went into my training camp, and then once the fight got postponed, I just stayed in the gym but then I wasn’t killing myself in the gym because you don’t want to over train or peak too soon, and that’s just how I handled it. I’m always in the gym. In six and a half years, I’ve never been out of the gym longer than three and a half weeks.

I always go to the gym. I just starting so late, I have to stay in the gym to continue to learn and I believe that’s why my learning curve has grown so rapidly, but it’s just staying in the gym, not overtraining, not sparring all the time because your body-mentally and physically, you can get worn out, at least I can, but just stay in the gym and stay sharp and try to learn from my trainer Andre Hunter. That’s just how I approached it, but I’m ready to go though.

Q
Johnathon, same question to you. Obviously, you had the injury to heal from, but just the long layoff and how do you expect that to affect you if at all?

Banks
I’ve had longer than this, so it doesn’t affect me at all. You talk about I’ve been in boxing for quite some time now. So, a long layoff, a short layoff, the preparation is the same. So, no, I don’t feel that it will affect me at all.

Q
This one’s for Seth and I want to ask a similar question to Johnathon. When title shots at heavyweight are often handed out to fighters after just a few solid wins, it’s fairly easy to get a world title shot at heavyweight sometimes compared to other weight classes, do you think victory over Johnathon will get you close to a world title shot, and do you think you’re ready for one?

Mitchell
I definitely think that a victory will get me closer, hopefully a title eliminator or somewhere in that caliber, and I definitely feel that I’m ready. I’ve grown a lot and this fight has definitely made me better, and on the 22nd, the world will see that I’m not calling the first fight a fluke at all. I’ve said from day one, Johnathon did what he had to do, he did what he was supposed to do, but he also made me a better fighter, and I definitely feel that I want the big fight, and after this fight, I have to go out here and take care of business, but after this fight, I definitely want the big fight, and I definitely think it’ll move me closer to a title shot not only because I just won my next fight but it says something to accept the challenge and fight the person that just not only beat you but stops you in the second round to not fight anybody else, go back, take care of that business and it just shows the character, shows the type of fighter and the type of person and man that I am.

Q
Before you lost to Johnathon, you were quite frankly, the highest-ranked prospect in America in heavyweight boxing and that loss set you back somewhat, but would you say that victory over Johnathon would just put you say back where you were anyway? It would basically just delete your loss on your record?

Mitchell
I believe it will, I believe it will, and that’s why I’ve trained very hard. I’m ready to fight now actually. I’m just maintaining now, but I’m excited about the fight and I definitely think that within this fight it might even put me higher than what I would have been if I hadn’t loss because like I said before, it says something about a man’s character, it says something about a fighter to not take any tune-up fights and just go back in there and win the fight. It shows something about the kind of fighter that you’re made of.

Q
This one’s to Johnathon. It’s a similar question. I hope it’s not too controversial for you. If you’re victorious over Seth for a second time, you would surely be in the line for a world title shot, but do you think you could ever step in the ring with Vladimir, and if you did get a world title shot, would you probably go after the Vitali instead?

Banks
That is a little difficult question to answer because I really I can’t adjust my vision to see past June 22nd. So, that’s what’s on my radar. That’s the biggest-I don’t know if you saw Seth Mitchell, but he’s a big guy. So, I’ve got a big old guy in front of me. So, that’s all I’m looking at.

So, it’s kind of difficult for me to try to look past that particular date and say, for instance, for the future, do I want to be the heavyweight champion of the world? Yes. Will I be? I definitely believe so, but like I say, all of that is really null and void if I can’t put on a good performance and be victorious on June 22nd.

Q
Well, talking about performances, going into your first fight with Seth, did you believe that you could possibly pull of the KO win because you had an early knock out? Was that your plan, and do you think a similar thing could happen in the rematch?

Banks
Well, going in the fight, I knew that I’m in the heavyweight division, and I know that one punch can turn the whole fight around. Did I plan to stop him in the second round? No. Did I think that was going to happen? No. I was prepared for 12 rounds.

Right now, I’m prepared to go 12 rounds. I’m not just jumping in looking for a rush and hurry to get a knock out. I’m prepared to go 12 rounds, and when the bell rings, we’ll see what happens. But no, I didn’t try to predict-I’ll be lying to say if I predicted the fight would end early or it would end by knockout. No, I had no clue that it would.

Q
Okay. I’ve got one final question for you. We often see a heavyweight especially in recent years, naming no names, but we all know who we’re talking about, we often see a lot of animosity between fighters especially at heavyweight. Would you say that there’s any animosity between the two of you or do you have nothing but respect for each other, and why would you say that your characters are like that and not so fiery like other fighters?

Banks
Me personally, I can’t speak for any other fighters, but what I will say is the situation that we’re-I don’t feel that you have to have animosity against an opponent to fight them. Also, you have to have animosity against an opponent to go up against them or defeat them.

This is a business that we’re in and me and Seth Mitchell both have a job to do. So, his job is to beat or knock out his opponent, and my job is to beat or knock out my opponent. We both have a job. What happens in this particular job is we’re facing each other. If he was facing someone else or someone else, I believe his job would be the same and my job would be the same.

Mitchell
I definitely I feel that to say I look at it like this-this is a business. My opponent’s going to prepare. I’m going to prepare. I want everybody to do what a lot of fighters out there, they hate all other fighters because they’re doing this and they’re doing that. The bottom line, when you get in the ring, you have to do what you’re supposed to do. If you take care of what you’re supposed to do, then everything will be all right, and I truly believe that if I hate on somebody else and don’t want them to succeed, God is not going to continue to bless me and that’s just how I look at it. That’s just my nature.

Q
Because of the way the first fight ended, do you feel that you need to not only win this fight but win in a really explosive way?

Mitchell
I need to win the fight. That’s my mindset. Obviously, I always want to go out there and I want to look impressive, and my style resonates with the fans and with the people, but at this point in time, these days in my career especially with this fight, the victory is most important. I’ve got to get the W.

Q
You were just talking about being professional and doing your job. What do you think about the way that Malignaggi and Broner are approaching their fight in the main event?

Mitchell
To each his own. I’m big fans of both of them. Adrien Broner and me have a personal relationship, but I know Paul Malignaggi but not on a personal relationship level, but both of them are hell of a fighters and I can’t speak on how they feel their fight. That’s just what they do. To each his own, but I know I’m looking forward to a good fight.

Q
Okay. For Johnathon, you stopped him early in the first fight, so you already have kind of a blueprint on how to do it. Are you going to be looking to just go out and land something big again? Is that the way to beat Seth Mitchell?

Banks
I think going out trying to land something big is the way you get some big. So, I didn’t plan that the first fight. I didn’t go out trying to land something big, and I’m not going to go out there this time trying to look smack-down big. I’m a boxer, that’s what I do, move around the box. So, if I see an opening, I’ll try to capitalize on it, but like you say, it’s going to be a couple battles, it’s going to be a tough fight, but am I looking to go out there, start winging punches and see what happens? No, that’s not what I’m going to do.

Q
Same question for you about Malignaggi and Broner. What do you think of the way they’re approaching the fight in terms of the way that you and Seth are approaching the fight?

Banks
Well, it’s almost the same thing that Mitchell said. To each his own. This is what they-these are these guys’ personalities, and I think no matter what, when you have two fighters, you must show their personalities. These guys’ fans, they’re talkers. It’s what they do. It’s their personalities. So, that’s what they’re doing.

Q
Okay. Just one last question for you-are you still sparring at all with Vladimir when you’re training him now or do you just leave that to the other people?

Banks
I leave it to other people. I haven’t seen Vladimir in a little while, so I leave it to the other guys. I leave it to the other guys to do so.

Swanson
That’s the end of our call. You guys, if you want to make one last quick comment and we’ll let you go back to the gym, I imagine. Why don’t we start with Seth?

Mitchell
I just want to just thanks everybody again for being on the call. It’s been a long time coming. I’m well prepared. I know Johnathon and I know you’re prepared, but just be ready for a good fight because I’m going to bring it. June 22nd is going to be a good fight and I definitely plan on being victorious.

Banks
Thank you, Kelly. I wish Seth Mitchell a good training camp, a good finishing of the camp, hopefully no injuries and I wish myself the same thing. Once again, I am really I’m excited. I look forward to Jun 22nd. It’s going to be a very good show.

Swanson
Awesome. Thanks you guys. Thanks, everybody, for joining us and we’ll see you on the 22nd and we’ll also have an update on the 22nd as far as tight league information, soon to be distributed to the media. Thank you so much. Bye.

END OF CALL

Malignaggi vs. Broner, a 12-round fight for Malignaggi’s WBA Welterweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and R & R Promotions, supported by Golden Boy Promotions’ sponsors Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). In the co-featured bouts, Johnathon Banks will look to repeat his 2012 upset win over Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell as he defends his NABO and WBC International Heavyweight titles in a 12-round fight presented in association with K2 Promotions and number one rated WBC super middleweight contender Sakio Bika faces number four rated WBC super middleweight contender Marco Antonio Periban in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Super Middle weight World Championship. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning on Saturday, April 27 at noon ET. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/paulmalignaggi, www.twitter.com/AdrienBroner, www.twitter.com/BanksBoxingEnt, www.twitter.com/sethmayhem24 www.twitter.com/barclayscenter and www.twitter.com/SHOSports, follow the conversation using #PaulieBroner or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOSports.

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (June 11, 2013) — Undefeated Dominican bantamweight Juan Carlos Payano (13-0, 7 KOs) and his coach, German Caicedo, report that the slick southpaw is on weight at 118 pounds for this weekend’s ESPN Friday Night Fights showdown against unbeaten Philippine invader Jundy “Pretty Boy” Maraon (15-0-1, 12 KOs).

“We got down to weight ahead of schedule,” Caicedo said. “Payano will work to stay on weight for Thursday’s official weigh in and be strong Friday night for his fight.”

Payano, ranked No. 5 in the World Boxing Association (WBA), faces Maraon in a 12-round main event and WBA title eliminator, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with Acquinity Sports, at South Mountain Arena in South Orange, New Jersey. The winner will be positioned for a world title shot against WBA bantamweight champion Koki Kamda.

In the co-feature, Caicedo-trained featherweight Yenifiel Vicente (24-1-2, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Diaz (17-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round match.

Scheduled to fight on the undercard in six-round bouts are Antoine Ibahiem vs. Douglas King and Vazquez Paul vs. Harvel Lvarn, as well as Anthony Young vs. TBA, Marshall Moses vs. Rickey Edwards, Anthony Prescott vs. Anthony Gangemi, and Shakur Jackson vs. Michael Pickett in four-round matches.

Payano and Vicente leave tomorrow for New Jersey along with their head coaches, Caicedo and “Irish” Micky Ward, and assistant Claudio Lamont.
Payano is the reigning NABA and WBA Fedelatin bantamweight, while Maraon is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific bantamweight champion.

Go online to www.AcquinitySports.com for additional information about Payano or any of his Acquinity Sports stable-mates. Follow Acquinity Sports on Twitter @AcquinitySports, or friend us at Facebook.com/AcquinitySports.

ABOUT ACQUINITY SPORTS: Founded in 2011 by CEO Gary Jonas and Henry Rivalta, Vice President of Boxing Operations, Acquinity Sports is a full-service promotional company based in south Florida.

Acquinity Sports is committed to changing traditional boxing promotion as an advocate of its fighters, supporting them to succeed in and out of the ring throughout their professional careers and into retirement. Fully dedicated to providing a structured environment, Acquinity Sports develops each individual fighter to maximize their potential, ensuring maximum exposure to audiences across a diverse range of channels, as well as encouraging team spirit and sense of family so crucial for success in the highly-competitive sport and business of boxing.

Acquinity Sports continues to sign incredible talent in various weight divisions to provide fans the highest level of year-round entertainment in professional boxing. Seasons may change but Acquinity Sports’ commitment remains to bring the heat.

LOS ANGELES – June 10, 2013 – Entertainment mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Lou DiBella have acquired the rights to TAPIA, the gripping documentary based on the life of five-time world champion boxer, Johnny Tapia. DiBella’s new production company, BK Blu Productions, and 50 Cent’s G-Unit Film and Television have joined to present the film, also produced by filmmaker Eddie Alcazar and Andrea Monier. The world premiere of the documentary will take place at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Saturday, June 15 at the Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE with an additional screening on Wednesday June 19.

TAPIA chronicles the personal and professional life of the boxer, beginning with his poor childhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The film explores the glory of his punishing ring prowess and five world titles in three weight classes, forever mired by personal demons: his mother’s brutal kidnapping and murder when he was 8 years old, and his drug addiction, mental illness and near death experiences. Using first person narration from Tapia himself, archival footage, and personal photos, director Eddie Alcazar paints an intimate picture of the fighter and the man.

TAPIA follows the champ’s winding road through victories, downfalls and redemption. Director Alcazar spent many hours with Tapia filming the biopic, just weeks before the fighter’s tragic death at age 45. Tapia’s last interviews now serve as the heartbeat of Alcazar’s revealing documentary. In it, the soft-spoken champ opens up about his ‘vida loca’ and the unending pain of his mother’s murder, which led to glory in the ring and struggle throughout his life.

Jackson, who has served as a producer and acted in a number of films including Righteous Kill, Twelve and Things Fall Apart states: “I was drawn to the intensity of this project. His story resonated with me because like Tapia, I too lost my mother to violence and grew up with limited means. It’s a heartfelt story and it was important for me to get involved with bringing this to a broader audience.”

“I’m thrilled to join 50 in acquiring this riveting documentary. This is not a boxing film, but a film about tragedy, triumph, demons and redemption,” said sports promoter and entertainment entrepreneur DiBella, who has produced films such as Viva Baseball!, Love Ranch and was associate producer of The Fighter. “Johnny gives us an honest assessment of his strengths and frailties; he reminds us of the power and resiliency of the human spirit.”

The unique style in which the film was structured and directed distinguishes it from most documentaries. Including the use of landscape cinematography covering the majestic Albuquerque terrain, shots of Tapia’s own son feverishly running across a field at dusk, and dramatic use of light and music during the interviews with Tapia.

“Every day Johnny and I spent together, he was so excited to be telling his story and helping others.” said Alcazar. “Just as quickly as he entered my life, a year later he was gone. He lived his life fast and with a sense of urgency, yet I always had a feeling that he would outlive us all. Filming the last interviews of his life was a special gift and I feel very fortunate to have 50 Cent and Lou DiBella share the same vision in bringing Johnny’s life to the bright screen.”

The film features Tapia in his own words and exclusive interviews with Mike Tyson, trainer Freddie Roach and Tapia’s wife Teresa.

TAPIA is set to world premiere as part of the Documentary Competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival on June 15 at Regal Cinema L.A. LIVE 12. The Festival, presented by the nonprofit arts organization Film Independent, takes place in downtown Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE. The June 15th screening is already sold-out. A second screening at the Festival will take place Wednesday, June 19 in Regal Cinema L.A. LIVE 14. Tickets are still available for the second screening. For more information visit www.lafilmfest.com and access documentary competition.

TAPIA, presented by G-Unit Film and Television and BK Blu Productions, is a Synthetic Creatures Production directed by Eddie Alcazar. The film is executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Lou DiBella, along with producers Andrea Monier and Eddie Alcazar, in association with Eric Drath’s Live Star Entertainment.

HARTFORD (June 12, 2013) — Famed rapper and new boxing promoter, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, held a press conference today in Hartford to announce that his company, SMS Promotions, will present the “50 Cent’s Birthday Bash” professional boxing event, July 5 live on ESPN Friday Night Fights, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

Headlining the stacked ESPN Friday Night Fights show, the first solo promotion by SMS Promotions, is an exciting 10-round clash between undefeated North American Boxing Organization (NABO) and North American Boxing Association (NABA) light heavyweight champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (12-0, 8 KOs) and former world super middleweight title challenger Allan “Ghost Dog” Green (32-4, 22 KOs).

The fast-rising, explosive Alvarez (12-0-0, 8 KOs), a 2008 Colombian Olympian who lives in Montreal, is on his way to positioning himself for a world title shot. Already ranked No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and No. 7 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), he is stepping up in class to face Green (32-4-0, 22 KOs), fighting out of Tulsa (OK), who fought in the Super Six tournament.

The 10-round ESPN co-feature showcases former International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight champion Billy “The Kid” Dib (35-2, 21 KOs) in a 10-round bout against Hartford favorite “Machine Gun” Mike Oliver (25-3, 8 KOs). A native of Australia, Dib is coming off a highly-competitive, fan-friendly fight on March 1, also shown on ESPN Friday Night Fights, in which he lost a 12-round split decision and his IBF belt to undefeated Russian Evgeny Gradovich (18-0).

Dib is the No. 4-rated featherweight in the world by the IBF, as well as ranked No. 7 by The Ring Magazine, and No. 15 by the WBO. Oliver is a former International Boxing Organization (IBO) and United States Boxing Association (USBA) super bantamweight champion.

Unbeaten lightweight prospect Mark “Too Sharp” Davis (16-0, 5 KOs) meets Danish Robert “Super” Osobe (14-5-4, 6 KOs), fighting out of Las Vegas, in an eight-round bound. The 26-year-old Davis, of Baton Rouge (LA), has been inactive since November 12, 2011, when he won a 10-round unanimous decision over Guillermo Sanchez. Davis was a highly-decorated amateur who captured gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 U.S. National Championships.

Undefeated Puerto Rican welterweight Javier “El Chino” Flores (9-0, 8 KOs), fighting out of Hartford, takes on Rogelio De la Torre (10-3, 6 KOs), of Houston, in a six-round bout.

Also fighting on the undercard in four rounds bouts are hot prospects such as Arizona light welterweight Luis Olivares (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. undefeated Puerto Rican Jonathan Perez (4-0, 2 KOs), and Cincinnati native Donte Strayhorn, a talented light welterweight now based out of Las Vegas vs. Hartford’s Oscar Diaz (0-1), as well as New Haven featherweight Nate Green (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Micah Branch (1-6-1), of Cincinnati, New Haven (CT) super bantamweight Jimmy Williams vs. TBA, plus pro-debuting light middleweights David Wilson, of New Haven, and Woburn’s (MA) Rodrigo Almeida.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Dib, Davis, Olivares, and Strayhorn are promoted by 50 Cent.

Tickets are priced at $150.00, $100.00, $60.00 and $35.00 (SOLD OUT) and available to purchase at Connecticut Convention Center (860-728-2625) or by calling Mike Criscio (203-627-7472). There is a 10-percent surcharge on all sold tickets. A $150.00 ticket entitles the bearer to free admission to 50 Cent’s post-fight party at the Connecticut Convention Center. Admission to the post fight party is $30.00 per person at the door for those without a fight ticket, or $20.00 for all tickets excluding $150.00.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET with the first fight scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET.

Press Conference Quotes

50 Cent: “I’m excited because this is the first show put together by SMS Promotions. It’s been a learning experience. We’ve been part of shows but never did the promotional job. I’m not far from home in Farmington. We’ve put together a real event with some of the best fighters in the world, good prospects and some local fighters. We’re creating a platform for fighters to progress and I want to be part of it. Overall, it’s a great opportunity to do things a little differently. I’ve associated myself with some big name fighters.

“The Hartford area has a long boxing history with Hall of Famer Willie Pep and other world champions and top contenders like Battling Battalino, Marlon Starling (in attendance), Kid Kaplan, Tyrone Booze and ‘Iceman’ John Scully.

“I’d like to thank ESPN for this opportunity, the Connecticut Convention Center and the Connecticut Boxing Commission for participating on a holiday weekend.”

Mike Oliver: “I want to thank 50 for having me on his card. I haven’t fought in over a year but I’m back. My last fight was against Juanma (Juan Manuel Lopez) but that was in Puerto Rico and this fight is in my hometown, Hartford. I know you don’t believe me 50 but I’m going to beat your guy. He better bring his A game. I’m back! This is going to be a good fight.”

Javier Flores: “I want to thank everybody for coming out and the company for giving me an opportunity to fight July 5. I want thank 50 Cent. It’s a pleasure working for him. I’ve been training hard for this fight because I believe it will open many doors for me. July 5th you will see the best of me.”

Jimmy Williams: “I want to thank 50 Cent for putting me on my second TV card for 50. I’m so excited I want to fight right now. My mom told me when I was eight that I was going to be a boxer. I wanted to play football but I’m living the dream. I can beat somebody without going to jail. I’ve looked up to 50 and I’m motivated. July 5th I’m coming to fight.”

Nate Green: “I want to thank my manager, Marilyn Rosa, and my trainer, Luis Rosa. It’s going to be a good day July 5th. Want to know why? I’m on it.”

Oscar Diaz: “I lost in Rhode Island but this won’t be the same. I’m a fighter. I want to thank 50. I love Hartford.”

David Wilson: “I want to thank 50 for putting me on this show. I’m training to win and that’s all I’ll accept.”