CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS (March 11, 2013) – On Saturday, April 13 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas’ beloved “Baby Bull,” former World Champion Juan Diaz, returns to the ring for the first time since 2010 to face Pipino Cuevas Jr. in the main event televised on FOX Sports Networks, FOX Deportes and FUEL TV.

This exciting card is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:00 p.m. PT. The FOX Sports Networks telecast will air live at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. PT. FOX Deportes will air the fights on Sunday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. FUEL TV will rebroadcast the fight on June 9 at 12:00p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $161, $152, $102, $47, $22 and $17 are available for purchase by calling Leija & Battah Promotions at 210-979-3302 or via email at m@leijabattahpromo.com, at the American Bank Center Box Office, H-E-B Ticketmaster Outlets, online atwww.ticketmaster.comor charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

A popular figure in his native Texas and around the globe, Houston’s Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KO’s) made legions of fans not only for his all-action fighting style in the ring, but also for his class outside the ring, where he insisted on getting his college degree while still competing in the world’s toughest sport. A former Unified Lightweight World Champion who held the title belts for nearly four years, defeating Acelino Freitas, Jose Cotto and Julio Diaz along the way, Diaz also went to battle with Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Michael Katsidis. Diaz retired from the game in 2010 following his rematch with Marquez in order to focus on his education and entrepreneurial endeavors. Now ready to make another run at a world title, the 29-year-old can’t wait to hear the bell ring once again.

Pipino Cuevas Jr. (16-9, 14 KO’s) is the son of the longtime WBA Welterweight World Champion and while he hasn’t been able to add a world title to the family’s trophy case yet, the 33-year-old from Mexico City has definitely inherited his father’s power, as evidenced by his 88% knockout percentage. The winner of two of his last three, Cuevas will look to make Diaz regret his decision to return to the ring on April 13.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.AmericanBankCenter.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/www.twitter.com/LeijaBattahPRandwww.twitter.com/1Babybull and visit on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page. For more information on FOX Deportes visit www.FOXDeportes.com, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes on Facebook.

BROOKLYN, NY (March 11, 2013)—There is a new name to look out for in the Bantamweight division and his name is Elton Dharry

Dharry of Brooklyn, New York by way of Guyana just captured the WBU Americas title with a ten round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Rudolph Hodge on Februry 24th in his birthplace of Georgetown, Guyana

It was Dharry’s 10th consecutive victory and his record now reads 12-5-1 with six knockouts.

“I started boxing in New York but made my pro debut in Guyana”, said Dharry

“Early in my career I took fights on short notice against fighters that I should not have been fighting”, continued Dharry when speaking about losses early in his career which included losses to four undefeated fighters such as IBF Bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz.

The WBU Americas belt is the 2nd championship that Dharry has won as he previously captured the WBC Caribbean title with a 7th round stoppage over Dexter Marques on May 28, 2011 and defended it once with a 1st round stoppage over Selwynn Lett nine months later.

His 10 win streak coincides with Dharry hooking up with adviser Anthony Catanzaro

He has fought exactly half of his eighteen bouts in the United States and with his newly won title; Dharry expects to have his more significant fights on American soil.

“Hopefully winning those titles leads to bigger and better things. I want to step up the competition as I am ready for bigger fights and I am looking forward to making a big name for myself in the United States”

Dharry is trained by Don Saxby & Martin Gonzalez

Monday, March 11 – HBO Boxing will present “Road to Rios/Alvarado II,” an all-new special examining the upcoming junior welterweight rematch between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado. The two ring warriors engaged in an epic battle in October of 2012 that was one of the year’s top slugfests and most talked about encounters. The highly anticipated rematch will take place on Saturday, March 30 and be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark ®.

The “Road to Rios/Alvarado II” special, which will premiere on HBO on Saturday, March 16 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT or immediately following the live presentation of World Championship Boxing, will feature a look back at their thrilling October contest as well as all new content including a portrait of both men’s journey from hardscrabble neighborhoods to the highest level of the boxing world.

On October 13, 2012, Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (31-0-1, 23 KOs) stopped Mike Alvarado (33-1, 23 KOs) in the seventh round of the hotly contested fight. The two sluggers went toe-to-toe in a non-stop, action-packed bout. Having suffered his first professional loss on that warm night in southern California, Alvarado hopes to avenge the loss under the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Still undefeated, Rios is looking to pick up where he left off to show the boxing world that he is the man to beat at 140-pounds.

The 15-minute special will also be available on the HBO ON DEMAND® and HBO GO® platforms.

Additional HBO replay dates:

Saturday, March 16 at 12:15 a.m.

Sunday, March 17 at 12:30 p.m.

Monday, March 18 at 11:15 p.m.

Friday, March 22 at 8:45 p.m.

Sunday, March 24 at 8:15 a.m.

Monday, March 25 at 7:45 p.m.

Wednesday, March 27 at 12:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 28 at 7:45 p.m.

Friday, March 29 at 12:00 a.m.

Saturday, March 30 at 8:15 a.m.

Additional HBO2 replay dates:

Friday, March 22 at 9:00 a.m.

Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 27 at 9:15 p.m.

Sunday, March 31 at 10:45 a.m.

All times are ET/PT.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 11, 2013) – Tickets priced from $25, for the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Friday,! April 5, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.

In the main event of the stacked 14-bout card, reigning Invicta FC Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will defend her crown against superstar Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. and, in the co-main event and first-ever Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) title fight, submission ace Vanessa Porto (15-5) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

In a featured, main card bout pound-for-pound great and devastating featherweight (145 pounds) KO artist Cris Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will make her Invicta FC debut against streaking submission ace and Unified Women’s Professional MMA Rankings world No. 2 featherweight Ediane “India” Gomes! (10-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla. via Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Flyweight superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio will also make her Invicta FC debut in another featured bout against submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.

An injury has forced Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6) of Tulsa, Okla. to withdraw from her scheduled atomweight (105 pounds) preliminary card bout with Cassie Rodish (4-3) of Des Moines, Iowa. Rodish will face Simona Soukupova (3-2) of London, England.

In other action on the nine-bout main card, bantamweight (135 pounds) superstar Sarah Kaufman (15-2) of Victoria, BC Canada will make her long-awaited Invicta FC debut against dangerous striker and Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4 winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif.

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Hard-hitting KO artist Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (7-3) of Miami, Fla. via Salvador, Bahia Brazil will look to rebound from her Invicta FC 4 unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Sarah D’Alelio when she squares off with fellow power striker Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at bantamweight.

In a featherweight contest, hard-punching Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) of Port Moody, BC Canada will meet rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsville, Queensland Australia

Crowd-pleasing “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (4-2) of Brisbane, Australia will drop from flyweight to strawweight (115 pounds) and look to return to the win column against undefeated sensation and Invicta FC newcomer Jasminka Cive (5-0) of Graz, Austria.

The Invicta FC six-fig! ht preliminary card will be highlighted by a bantamweight tilt between two undefeated prospects in powerhouse Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0) of Richmond, Ky. and Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif.

Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) of Seinajoki, Finland will square off with fellow undefeated rising star Juliana Carnerio Lima (5-0) of Belo Horizonte, Brazil at strawweight in what will mark both fighters’ Invicta FC debuts.

Alex Chambers (4-1) of St. Ives New South Wales, Australia will meet unbeaten Jodie Esquibel of Albuquerque, N.M. at atomweight.

Fresh off of her professional debut victory in the Invicta FC cage, top-flight prospect Rose Namajunas (1-0) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with fellow undefeated upstart Kathina Catron (2-0) of Tehlequa, Okla. at strawweight.

Following her e! xplosive first round KO and professional debut victory over Katalina Malungahu at Invicta FC 4, recent Team Alpha Male enlistee Veronica Rothenhausler (1-0) of Sacramento, Calif. will return to the cage against Mollie Estes (1-1) of Kansas City.

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.

Ab! out 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.

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz wishes to congratulate his undefeated heavyweight powerhouse Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (17-0, 17 KOs) for his great victory over former Olympian Victor Bisbal (21-1, 15 KOs) at Resorts Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, last Friday.

Fighting in the ESPN-televised co-main event, the unbreakable strength of Abdusalamov gradually overcame a spirited effort by the determined Bisbal. The TKO came at 1:12 of round five when Bisbal rose from a knockdown in no shape to continue.

With the victory, Abdusalamov successfully defended his WBC-USNBC Heavyweight Championship for the second time.

“Mago is too strong for anyone to handle,” said Lewkowicz. “It is only a matter of time before he catches up to anyone we put in front of him. Victor Bisbal fought well for the first four rounds, but to keep Mago off of you, you have to burn too much energy and eventually you slow down and that’s when his power will end the fight.”

Abdusalamov will next defend his title against Argentina’s Sebastian Ceballos (33-7-2, 25 KOs) on April 27 at Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as part of the Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KOs) vs. Martin Murray (25-0-1, 11 KOs) WBC World Middleweight Championship undercard.

Manager and father figure, Boris Grinberg, says Team Abdusalamov is looking forward to the trip. “We want the world to see the next heavyweight champion, so we’re very thankful for the opportunity to go to South America for our next big victory.”

Promoted by Lou DiBella of DBE Entertainment, Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing and Sergio Martinez of Maravilla Box, the blockbuster night of boxing on April 27 will also include several important championship fights, including Salta, Argentina’s Luis Carlos Abregu (34-1, 28 KOs) vs. Montreal, Canada’s Antonin Decarie (27-1, 8 KOs) for the WBC World Silver Welterweight Championship; Argentina’s Claudia Lopez (22-6, 5 KOs) vs. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic’s Dahiana Santana (31-6, 14 Kos) for the IBF World Female Featherweight Title; Argentina’s Damian Marchiano (18-9-1, 7 KOs) vs. Spain’s Kiko Martinez (27-4, 19 KOs) for the WBA Latino Super Bantamweight Title; and Argentina’s Diego Pichardo (8-3, 3 KOs) vs. Spain’s Ivan Ruiz (8-1-1, 3 KOs) for the IBF Latino Jr. Bantamweight Title.

“Mago is taking all challengers,” continued Lewkowicz. “He was invited to come to Argentina and fight one of their heavyweight prospects, so that’s what he’ll do. He is fearless and willing to go anywhere and fight any time. That’s why he’ll be champion someday soon. He is exactly what the division needs: a power puncher willing to fight anyone.”

LAS VEGAS (March 11, 2013)…Boxing’s mega-star, undefeated, Eight-Time, Five-Division and current WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will return to the ring on Saturday, May 4 to defend his title against Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO” in a Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend blockbuster. The championship showdown will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Sharing the card, on what will be boxing’s biggest night of 2013, will be an explosive match-up featuring WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon making his first title defense against Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares.

“MAYDAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.

Tickets for “MAYDAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800, $600, $300 and $200, not including applicable service charges, go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,250, $800, $600 and $300 price levels and limit of two per person at the $200 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Mayweather, who recently announced a unique, groundbreaking revenue-sharing arrangement with Showtime Networks Inc. and its parent company, CBS Corporation, is excited to get back to business in his ring return against Guerrero.

“My new deal with Showtime and its parent CBS is very thrilling for me and a motivation to fight more often starting with my May 4 fight against Robert Guerrero,” said Mayweather. “I know Guerrero has been campaigning to fight me for quite a while now and I am happy to give him his opportunity. His name is mentioned among the other great champions in boxing today and that means he has proven himself in the ring. He will now have to prove himself against me, which is a whole other story. I’m excited for the challenge and fully expect a good, tough fight from him. However, I do expect the same outcome for him as all of the others who have challenged me before…42 have tried, 42 have failed. He will be number 43.”

Guerrero, coming off of a sensational win against Andre Berto on November 24, 2012, further entrenching himself as a formidable and tested world champion, has called out Mayweather for over two years. He will now have the opportunity to dethrone the undefeated pound for pound king when they meet May 4.

“First, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the opportunities he has blessed me and my family with, said Guerrero. “All of the trials and tribulations that have occurred in my life have made me a better person as well as a better fighter and the results are undeniable. Nothing has ever come easy to me and that mental fortitude has prepared me to defeat the one fighter everyone perceives to be the pound for pound king in Floyd Mayweather. When we lock eyes across the ring on fight night he’s going to feel the presence of a man preordained for greatness. The time is now to show the world why I’m destined to dethrone Floyd and when I come out victorious on May 4th, the whole world will know I’m a man who willed his way to victory by putting God first in his life.”

“Floyd is a superstar in boxing and his record-breaking deal with Showtime and its parent CBS reinforces his role in the sport as the face and driving force behind boxing today,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. “Robert Guerrero deserves this opportunity and I commend him for stepping up and feeling so confident against someone as talented as Floyd, but its Floyd’s night to return to the ring on this Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend and give fans another performance that makes him the champion he is today. Boxing and sports fans are in for the thrill of a lifetime on May 4 with such a great night of boxing talent and competition on display. There is so much to look forward to that evening.”

“I am extremely proud to help bring fight fans these match-ups with Mayweather vs. Guerrero and Ponce de Leon vs. Mares that feature amazing champions who perform at the highest level every time they step in the ring” said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. “The return of Floyd Mayweather is always exciting and Robert Guerrero, who has aggressively campaigned for this bout for over two years, will be in the fight of his life now that his dream has come true. Ponce de Leon vs. Mares is a highly competitive bout featuring two worthy champions that could stand on its own as a main event. This will be a great night of boxing on another tremendous Cinco de Mayo weekend and I expect the fans in the arena and the pay-per-view audience will enjoy and appreciate these championship mega-bouts in one night on what will be the biggest weekend for boxing this year.”

“Not only is Floyd Mayweather the undisputed number one draw in boxing, he is far and away the number one draw in all of pay-per-view,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “The fact that for his first fight under our new agreement, Floyd selected Robert Guerrero, a dangerous and talented fighter in the prime of his career, as his opponent, shows Floyd’s willingness to challenge himself and his strong commitment to staging the biggest and most exciting events in the sport. SHOWTIME PPV has a long history of staging many of the most significant pay-per-view events in history featuring boxing legends Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Julio Cesar Chavez. We are thrilled to add Floyd Mayweather to this amazing list.”

“Hosting Floyd Mayweather’s return to MGM Grand is a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo weekend,” said Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to the championship fight in May and know both Mayweather and Robert Guerrero are true champions who will certainly bring an electric atmosphere to the fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena and those watching on Showtime PPV.”

“I will get into the ring with a warrior’s mentality and in a very positive frame of mind to assure that we have a great fight and obviously for me to come out victorious,” said Daniel Ponce de Leon. “This fight is very important for my career and I have every intention of staying the WBC Featherweight World Champion for a long time because even though I’m 32 years old, I feel like I’m 20 years old.”

“First of all I’d like to thank Ponce de Leon for giving me the opportunity to fight for his world title,” said Mares, who will attempt to write another chapter for himself in the history books by winning a world title in a third weight division. “Because I don’t like to waste opportunities, I have every confidence that come May 4, I will be the new WBC Featherweight World Champion. My dream was to become a world champion and I did it, not once, but twice, and now I have the chance to become a world champion a third time in a third weight division. I can’t wait to get in the ring.”

Undefeated Floyd “Money” Mayweather, (43-0, 26 KO’s), an eight-time world champion in five divisions, remains boxing’s biggest attraction, wowing crowds and generating massive pay-per-view numbers each time he steps into the ring. During Mayweather’s already extraordinary career, he has amassed wins over world champions such as Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz and, most recently, then WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Miguel Cotto, marking the 43rd win of his storied career. Over the course of his participation in pay-per-view events Mayweather has generated 9.6 million buys and $543 million in revenue. He averages more than 1 million pay-per-view buys per event which is the highest pay-per-view buy average of any boxer in history. Mayweather has appeared in the four biggest non-heavyweight pay-per-view events in the sport’s history, bringing boxing excellence and a tremendous amount of excitement to his worldwide fan-base each time he fights.

The pride of Gilroy, California, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s) is a Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion who got the attention of the boxing world when he defeated former Two-Time World Champion Andre Berto in November 2012 in thrilling fashion. The exciting 12-round unanimous decision further gave Guerrero the confidence to step up and face Mayweather. Now the 29-year-old southpaw has the chance of a lifetime as he prepares to step into the ring with one of the sport’s all-time greatest fighters. With wins over former World Champions Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis and former world title challenger Vicente Escobedo, Guerrero is ready to shine on an international stage in his pay-per-view main event debut. Not only a star in the ring, he is also an inspiring young man out of the ring who notably gave up his junior lightweight crown in early 2010 to care for his then ill wife, Casey who has since fully recovered from her battle with leukemia.

A 2000 Olympian, Cuauhtemoc Chihuahua, Mexico’s Daniel Ponce de Leon (44-4, 35 KO’s) found even greater success as a professional, having won world titles in the junior featherweight and featherweight divisions while establishing himself as a popular knockout artist with fans around the globe. In 2005, he won the vacant WBO title at 122 pounds with a 12-round unanimous decision win over then unbeaten Sod Looknongyangtoy and then went on to defend his belt six times before losing it to Juan Manuel Lopez in 2008. Undeterred by the defeat, he went on to win seven straight before a controversial loss to current Lightweight World Champion Adrien Broner and a setback against Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2011. Since those bouts, the 32-year-old southpaw is 3-0, including a September 2012 win over countryman and then WBC Featherweight World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez making him a two-time world champion. He will defend his new title for the first time against Mares this May.

One of the newest members of boxing’s pound-for-pound best list, Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) has proven himself the hard way since turning pro in 2005 after representing Mexico in the 2004 Olympics. In 2010, the Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico native, who now fights out of Hawaiian Gardens, California, began making his mark on the international boxing scene with a draw against Yonnhy Perez in 2010 and a win over Vic Darchinyan in 2011, setting the stage for him to win his first world title in 2011 when he defeated Joseph Agbeko for the IBF Bantamweight World Championship. After defending his title against Agbeko in a rematch later that year, Mares moved up to 122 pounds in 2012 and beat Eric Morel for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight belt. In his most recent fight, the 27-year-old Mares made a major statement with his exciting win over WBA Bantamweight Super World Champion Anselmo Moreno last November. Now, he’s eager to show the boxing world how good he is once again on May 4 when he attempts to win his third world title in a third weight division.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather and George Foreman and Michael Moorer, as well as concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, U2, ‘N Sync, Sting, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game which features the Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche.

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

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @GHOSTBOXING, @DanielPonceDel1, @abnermares00, @MayweatherPromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #MayDay or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/GhostFans and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

NEW YORK (March 11, 2013) — Tickets are on sale for the 88th annual Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) awards dinner on Thursday night, April 11 at Capitale in New York City.

Tickets are priced at $200.00 per person, $150.00 for BWAA members. Tables of 10 are available to purchase for $2,000.00. A limited number of special VIP tickets are also available for $400.00 per person and $4,000.00 for a table of 10. VIP tickets include premium seat at dinner, photo opportunity with honorees, and a special VIP gift. Credit card (Mastercard, Visa and American Express), PayPal, check and money order payments must be received no later than March 31, 2013. Checks should be payable to the BWAA and mailed to Boxing Writers Association of America, PO Box 153, Rockaway Park, NY 11694.

‘The response to the upcoming banquet has been great,” BWAA President Jack Hirsch said. “By now people understand that the BWAA dinner serves as the Academy Awards of our sport. We have an exceptional list of honorees, but our list of presenters is awesome as well. That will be made public before the dinner. Everyone attending the dinner receives a gift bag which has a total value close to the price of the dinner ticket. From a social perspective, the annual BWAA dinner is by far our sports best social evening of the year. We always sell out in New York. I strongly advise anyone planning to attend to buy their tickets early.”

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2012 BWAA Award Winners

Nonito Donaire The Sugar Ray Robinson Award Fighter of the Year
Robert Garcia The Eddie Futch Award Trainer of the Year

Juan Manuel Marguez – Manny Pacquiao IV The Ali-Frazier Award Fight of the Year

Al Haymon The Cus D’Amato Award Manager of the Year

Kathy Duva & Bruce Trampler The Barney Nagler Award Long & Meritorious Service

Steve Farhood The Marvin Kohn Award Good Guy

Danny Jacobs The Bill Crawford Award Courage Overcoming Adversity

Peter Finney The A.J. Liebling Award Outstanding Boxing Writer

Dave Kindred The Nat Fleischer Award Excellence In Boxing Journalism

Max Kellerman The Sam Taub Award Excellence in Broadcast Journalism

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Bernie Award Winners for boxing writing will also be announced and presented. A silent auction will be held. Individuals and companies may send items to be auctioned to Andriolo Communications, 1215 76th St., Brooklyn, NY 11228. Those donating items for the Silent Auction will be listed in the event journal and may display their business cards or promotional material on the Silent Auction table.

Cocktails are available at 6:00 p.m. ET, followed at 7:30 p.m. ET by dinner and the awards ceremony.

Event journal advertisements are available, ranging from $400.00 for a ¼ page (B&W) to $3,000.00 for the outside back cover (color). The deadline is March 25, 2013. Contact Ricardo Salazar for ad details and specifics at 973.207.5236 or 973.481.0253 / omrboxing@aol.com.

For further information to online to www.bwaa.org, call or email Gina Andriolo, Event Coordinator at 917.312.6418/ginaandcom@aol.com or Jack Hirsch, BWAA President, at 516.790.7592/ajhirsch5@aol.com.

March 11, 2013 – Gary Shaw Productions is excited to present lightweight contender Marvin Quintero (25-4, 21KOs) as he steps into the ring with Ammeth Diaz (31-11, 22KOs) in an IBF lightweight title elimination bout scheduled for 12 rounds on Friday, April 5th in the main event of ESPN Friday Night Fights. The fight will take place at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.

The two lightweights have been on a collision course with each other and both have been in the ring with some of the division’s best. Now, they will get the chance to meet and further separate the gap from one another.

Quintero is excited about getting the chance to get back to where he was and he says he will not squander his good fortune.

“I’m very grateful to my promoter Gary Shaw for getting me this opportunity. I feel for Diaz because I know he is a good fighter, but he is in an impossible position. Standing between me and my destiny is not a smart career move, but he can use this fight as a lesson while I use it to get myself one step closer to my dream,” Quintero said.

Diaz knows how important this fight is and what a win could do for his career; he doesn’t plan on making it an easy night for Quintero.

“I’m going through hell in training camp and because of that I will put Quintero through hell on the night of the fight. This is everything to me and I won’t let anyone stop me, but if Quintero is going to try he better be prepared that night. He better be prepared to deal with a wild beast and I’m warning him now that this fight won’t come down to who is more talented, it will come down to who is prepared to suffer the most. I will out will him,” Diaz said.

Gary Shaw is excited about the prospects of this fight and what it will mean to the winner. Shaw is also confident that this matchup will give ESPN the quality show that fans have grown accustomed to seeing on the network this year.

“I want to thank Doug Loughrey of ESPN for giving us the opportunity to put on these exciting fights,” said Shaw. “ESPN has had some terrific matchups this year and this fight is a continuation of that trend. These two young hungry lions will help ESPN to maintain the quality shows they’ve been televising. This is a terrific fight, actually the entire card will be terrific and the main event alone is fantastic.”

“This is a really special matchup with some special circumstances. The winner between Marvin and Diaz will align himself very nicely in the division. I know these guys, this eliminator is like throwing a T-bone steak between two starving dogs and that is the kind of action they’ll produce,” Shaw concluded.

Sad to report that former Welterweight contender and USBA champion Tony Martin was gunned down on Friday while trying to collect rent for a property he owned in Philadelphia.

Martin had a record of 34-6-1 with 12 knockouts and had wins over the likes of Livingstone Bramble, Micky Ward and 2 wins over Kip Diggs and was a staple at the Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia where he made 11 appearances according to boxrec.com

Martin retired in 1997 after losing a 10 round unanimous decision to Julio Cesar Chavez.

Martin was 52.

LOWELL, Mass. (March 10, 2013) — Lowell boxers “Irish” Joey McCreedy and Mike Martin held an open workout yesterday at Forever Fitness in Chelmsford to promote Saturday night’s (March 16) “CFC Fight Night” professional boxing event, presented by Chicao Fight Nights Promotion, at Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.

McCreedy (13-6-2, 6 KOs) headlines the eight-fight card in the eight-round main event against Canadian-invader Michael “Flash” Walchuk (9-8, 2 KOs) for the vacant Universal Boxing Federation US-Northeast light heavyweight title. Martin makes his pro debut in a four-round bout versus Josh Crespo (0-2).

(L-R) Mike Martin & Dicky Eklund

(Photo by Frank Ruggiero)

Tickets (all reserved) are reasonably priced at $42.00, $77.00 (floor) and $102.00 (ringside) and may be purchased online at the www.TsongasCenter.com; by phone at 866.722.8780; or at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell Box Office. Go to www.cfcpromotion.com, www.TsongasCenter.com, www.irishjoemccreedy.com or on Facebook/CFC Promotions LLC for additional information.

All fighters and fights are subject to change. Doors open at 7 p.m. ET, first bout scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

-30-

CONTACTS:

Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482, bobtfcp@hotmail.com

Mike Soriano, Tsgonas Center at UMass Lowell, 978.934.5750, mike_soriano@uml.edu

ABOUT TSONGAS CENTER AT UMASS LOWELL: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell is a Global Spectrum (global-spectrum.com) managed facility. Global spectrum is the fastest growing firm in the public assembly facility management field with more than 100 facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The Philadelphia-based company is part of one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment companies, Comcast-Spectacor, which also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks, Ovation Foods Services, a food and beverage services provider, New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities, and Front Row marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company and Paciolan, the leading provider of venue establishment ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.

Alejandro Gonzales scored a fourth round stoppage over Alexander Acosta in a scheduled eight round Bantamweight bout.

Gonzalez scored two knockdown in round four and the bout was stopped at 2:02 of round four.

Gonzalez, 118 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 18-0-2 with 12 knockouts. Acosta, 119 1/2 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 1-8-2.

Matt Murphy 173 vs. Mustafa Khalil 170.2

Victor Oquendo 183 vs. Montsir Mohammad 180.4

Barat Jan 178.6 vs. Joseph Curcio 182.6

Nick Mauriello 153.2 vs. Sean Castagna 153.2

Gabriel Ruiz 124.8 vs. Damon Bonner 128.4

Ibrahim Yoldas 152.6 vs. Tim Dooling 151

Salvadore Lopez 180.2 vs. Robert Bodden 183

Katlyn Chookagain 124.8 vs. Marley D’Ettore 119.6

Nicholas Kracsun 175.2 vs. Nile Dillon 169

Adam Timberlake 240 vs. Maxim Calixte 263.4

Alejandro Domingues 172 vs. Christopher Vallaro 173.4

Fabian Rosario 147.2 vs. Danny Massa 147.2

EFC Welterweight Championship

Promoter: Darwish Brothers

Venue: Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City

TV: efcmma.com

Event Date: Saturday, March 9

Tickets for “The Darwish Brothers Presents EFC: Relentless” are priced at $45, $55, $65, $75, $100 and $125 Cageside and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

Doors open at 7 pm and the first bout is at 8 pm. All bouts subject to change.

Follow all the action LIVE from Ringside at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York as the Legendary Bernard Hopkins tries once again to make history when he takes on Tavoris Cloud for the IBF Light Heavyweight championship. The action begins at 9:30 pm est with a Welterweight bout featuring Keith Thurman and Jan Zaveck

REFRESH BROWSER FOR LATEST RESULTS

12 ROUNDS–IBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP–TAVORIS CLOUD (24-0, 19 KO’S) VS BERNARD HOPKINS (52-6-2, 32 KO’S)

Round 1 Holding and referee earl Brown talks to both guys…Cloud misses a left hook..10-10

Round 2 Hopkins lands a right..Cloud comes back..Cloud lands a hard left..Hopkins gets in a right..20-19 Hopkins….as a big fight in the crowd

Round 3 Cloud lands a right..Hopkins lands a right to the body..Body shot from Cloud..Right from Hopkins…Body shot from Cloud..29-29

Round 4 Hopkins lands a left to the body..Good counter right..Cloud lands a right…Cloud misses a left and Hopkins sticks his tongue out..Good right from Cloud..Good right from Hopkins..39-38 Hopkins

Round 5 Cloud coming out jabbing…Right to the side of the head…Good jab from Hopkins..Both land good rights..Hopkins lands a counter uppercut..Cloud lands a body shot..48-48

Round 6 Hopkins lands a combo..lead right..Cloud bleeding over the left eye..counter uppercut..The doctor is checking Cloud’s cut..Cut ruled a headbutt…Cloud goes after Hopkins..Hopkins lands a combo..58-57 Hopkins

Round 7 Hopkins gets in a body shot…Hard bdy shot from Cloud..Hopkins landing combos from the Corner..68-66 Hopkins

Round 8 Cloud gets a right..Good left hook..counter uppercut from Hopkins..Hard right from Cloud..77-76 Hopkins

Round 9 Counter right from Hopkins and sneeks away..combo…left hook from Cloud..Counter right from Hopkins..Overhand right..87-85 Hopkins

Round 10 Hopkins lands a jab followed by a right..quick inside right…Hopkins showing good defense..97-94 Hopkins

Round 11vHopkins lands a leaping left…Hard right up the middle..107-103

Round 12 Hopkins lands a right..good trading inside..Cloud bleeding from both eyes…117-112 Hopkins

116-112; 117-111; 116-112 FOR THE NEW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD BERNARD HOPKINS

12 ROUNDS–WELTERWEIGHTS–KEITH THURMAN (19-0, 18 KO’S) VS JAN ZAVECK (32-2, 18 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Thurman jabbing..Thurman lands a counter right..Thurman works the body..Good combination..10-9 Thurman

Round 2 Thurman lands 2 hard shots to start the round…Zaveck’s face starting to be marked up already…Hard body shot ..ripping combo..good body shot..20-18 Thurman

Round 3 Right / left from Thurman…Zaveck gets in a right on the ropes..Good left from Thurman…Zaveck continues to press but keeps getting hit…30-27 Thurman

Round 4 Right drives Zaveck into ropes that sets up 4 punch combo…Hard shot from Thurman…40-36

Round 5 Hard straight right from Thurman..Hard body shot...50-45 Thurman

Round 6 Zaveck gets in a left…overhand right..Right from Thurman…Jab..3 punch combination..60-54 Thurman

Round 7 Hard left from Thurman drives Zaveck back…70-63 Thurman

Round 8 Zaveck trying to press but ineffective…Zaveck gets in a right..79-73 Zaveck

Round 9 Fight getting sloppy with a alot of missed punches…Huge body shot from Thurman..89-82 Thurman

Round 10 Thurman beginning to pour it on,,Hard combinations…solid right...99-91 Thurman

Round 11 Leasping left hook 109-100 Thurman

Round 12 Good action down the stretch…119-110 Thurman

120-108 on all cards for KEITH THURMAN

BROOKLYN, NY–At age 48, Bernard Hopkins won the IBF Light Heavyweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Tavoris Cloud at Barclays Center

After a first round of absolutely nothing, the action picked up in round two started trading good shots with Cloud focusing on the body and Hopkins landing some solid combinations. Cloud focued more on the bidy early because his shots upstairs were wild and Hopkins was able to avoid them with ease. Hopkins started to control the action with his patented combinations and slick defense. In round six, a butt caused a cut over the left eye of Cloud that was later checked out by the ringside doctor.

The fight went on, and the few and far between times that Cloud tried to mount any offense it either wasn’t sustained or extremely ineffective. Hopkins continued to land some terrific combinations that drew ooohs and ahhs from the assembled crowd inside Barclay Center.

Hopkins was never threatened down the stretch and won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112 to raise his 1st ballot Hall of Fame mark to 53-6-2. Cloud is now 24-1.—–More to come

Welterweight prospect Keith Thurman scored a twelve round unanimous decision over former titlist Jan Zaveck.

Thurman came out boxing and landed a nice hook in round one. Thurman continued to land blistering power shots in the second frame. Thurman continue to mix up the power shots on the former champion and was dominant with the exception of a nice overhand right that Zaveck landed in round six.

The second half of the fight started as more of the same with Thurman controlling the rounds. Thurman had a big round ten as he rocked Zaveck several times with hard combinations. The two fought hard down the stretch but Thurman was never in any serious danger.

Thurman, 145 lbs of Clearwater, FL is won by scores of 1201-08 on all cards. Zaveck, 146.6 lbs of Slovenia is now 32-3.

Michael Perez and Lonnie Smith battled to a technical draw after a headbutt opened up a cut over Perez forehead and the bout had to be halted in the seventh round of a ten round Lightweight bout.

Perez dropped Smith with a perfect left uppercut in round two. Smith came back in the round to land solid left uppercut and and left hook. Perez was bleeding from the left eye while Smith was bleeding heavily from the mouth. In round four, Perez started bleeding from his forehead but then rocked Smith with an uppercut on the inside. Late in round six, a nasty cut formed on the right side of Perez’s head. That cut was ruled by a headbutt after originally being ruled by a punch. Scores were 67-65 Perez while two judges ruled 66-66

Perez, 136 lbs of Newark, NJ is 18-1-2. Smith, 135.6 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is now 14-4-3.

Eddie Gomez scored a sensational 1st round stoppage over Javier Gomez in a sheduled six round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Eddie drilled Javier with a nasty left hook that rocked Javier. Eddie finished the fight with another vicious left hook that sent Javier down. When he got to his feet referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the bout at 1:17

Eddie Gomez, 152 lbs of Bronx, NY is now 13-0 with 9 knockouts. Javiier Gomez, 153.4 lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 14-11

2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne made quick work of Josh Thorpe as he scored a first round stoppage in a sxheduled four round Light Heavyweight bout.

Browne battered Thorpe all over the ring for the first round until a huge uppercut sent Thorpe down. Browne then landed eight straight hard blows that forced referee Pete Santiago to stop the bout at 2:42 of round one.

Browne, 175.6 lbs of Staten Island, NY is now 3-0 with all wins coming early. Thorpe, 175.4 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 1-3.

Exciting Jr, Middleweight prospect Frank Galarza scored an explosive 2nd round stoppage over Guillermo Ibarra in round two of a scheduled six round bout.

Galarza rocked Ibarra with hard shots in round one. He dropped Ibarra in round two from a hard right hand. Galarza sealed the deal with a thunderous combination that was punctuated with a hard left hook and referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the bout at 2:19 of round two.

Galarza, 153.4 lbs of Brooklyn is now 9-0-1 with 5 knockouts. Ibarra, 153 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 7-2

Claude Staten Jr. made A successful pro debut with a four round unanimous decision over Mike Hill in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Staten dropped Hill in round one from a right hand and cruised home from there on out.

Staten, 122 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 40-35 on cards. Hill, 121 lbs of New Orleans is 0-2.

Stivens Bujaj hung on to score a four round unanimous decision over Zeferino Albino in a Cruiserweight bout.

Bujaj controlled the bout bu landing the harder blows over the first three-plus rounds until Albino drilled Bujaj with a hard left hook the set off a furious exchange in the corner.

Bujaj, 201 lbs of New York won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 9-0. Albino, 201 lbs of Philadelphia is 4-16-3

Argenis Mendez won the IBF Jr. Lightweight championship with a fourth round stoppage over Juan Carlos Salgado at the Hanger in Costa Mesa, California.

Mendez dropped Salgado hard in round one from a thudding right hand. In round four, it was a left hok that dropped Salgado and the fight was stopped by referee Wayne Hedgepath at the forty-five second mark of round four.

Mendez of the Dominican Republic is now 21-2 with 11 knockouts. Salgado of Mexico is 26-2-1.

Oscar Molina scored a second round stoppage over Willie Walton in a scheduled four round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Molina dropped Walton in round two from a beautiful counter right. Molina then landed five hard punches on the ropes and referee Tom Taylor stopped the bout 3\thirty-five seconds into round two.

Molina, 149 lbs is 2-0 with 1 knockout. Walton, 152 lbs is 4-7

BROOKLYN, NY (MARCH 9, 2013)—TONIGHT at the Barclays Center,undefeated Brooklyn native, Jr.Middleweight Frank “Notorious” Galarza will appear on the undercard of the
IBF Light Heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud who will be defending his title against legendary Bernard Hopkins.

Galarza of Brooklyn has a record of 8-0-1 with 4 knockouts and is one of the most popular fighters in the New York area due to his exciting style. In September 2012, Galarza was involved in a Fight of The Year when he and fellow undefeated Alantez Fox waged an eight round war that took place at the Resorts World Casino New York City. In his most recent bout, Galarza scored a six round unanimous decision over Roberto Lopez on December 8th in Queens, New York. Galarza will be facing Guillermo Ibarra 11-2 with 7 knockouts from Sinaloa, Mexico.

If Galarza reigns victorious he will be back in action on May 4th at the Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York. Galarza is promoted by New Legend Boxing Promotions, Old World Boxing Promotions and W.O.N Boxing Promotions.

Undefeated Super Bantamweight, Juan “Baby Tito” Dominguez was also scheduled to appear but his opponent Jonathan Alcantera was overweight at Friday’s weigh in. Dominguez will also appear on May 4th at the Resorts World Casino and like Galarza, he is also promoted by New Legend Boxing, Old World Boxing and W.O.N Promotions

Jhonny Garcia scored en eleventh round stoppage over Oscar Ibarra in a scheduled twelve round Super Flyweight bout in Ciudad, Mexico.

The time of the stoppage was twenty seconds into round eleven for Garcia, 115 lbs and is now 17-8-3 with nine knockouts. Ibarra, 115 lbs is now 27-9

Carlos Ruiz scored first round stoppage over Angel Navarette in a scheduled six round Lightweight bout.

Ruiz, 133 lbs is 7-0 with two knockouts. Navarette, 134 lbs is 7-13

Roberto Pucheta scored a six round unanimous decision over Jorge Reynoso in a Bantamweight bout.

Pucheta, 119 lbs is 6-4-1. Reynoso, 117 lbs is now 5-6

Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. (18-0, 9 KO’s), of Oxnard, Calif., remained undefeated with a one-sided 10-round decision victory over KeAndrae “Lightning” Leatherwood (17-3, 10 KO’s), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the main event Friday on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® from Fantasy Springs Casino Resort in Indio, Calif.

Centeno, an up-and-coming junior middleweight going 10-rounds for the first time, was triumphant by the scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91. There were no knockdowns.

The 6-foot-1½-inch Centeno, a former amateur standout, was happy with the victory, but unhappy with the way the fight played out.

“I really felt I could have done a lot more, but every time I connected with a good shot or started to get something going, he would hold on to me,” he said. “The way he was grabbing hold of me it seemed at times it was more wrestling than boxing. Every time I’d land a good punch, he’d hold, or try and take me down. The worst thing that happened to me was when he got me in a choke hold.

“It was frustrating. Every time I thought I had him, he’d hold, and I definitely felt I was hurting him. In the last round I really wanted to take him out, but he just kept holding me. Overall, I did the best I could under the circumstances.

“I know I have to continue to work in the gym because I want to take it to the next level. I want to continue to step it up a notch in opposition. That I went 10 rounds in this type of fight showed how well prepared I was. My team really had me in great condition and I thank them for that.”

Braulio Santos needed less than a minute to take out Kevin Hoskins in a scheduled eight round Featherweight bout.

Santos staggered Hoskins with a left and followed it up with a huge uppercut that sent Hoskins to the canvas. Hoskins got to his feet but staggered around and the fight was stopped at fifty-four seconds

Santos, 23, was surprised the match ended so abruptly. “I certainly didn’t expect it to end this fast,” he said. “I was doing my work.”

Hoskins had spent the last two days, Santos says, trying to intimidate him. “He tried to get in my face during the weigh-in, talking all kinds of stuff to me,’” said Santos, who was a member of the Puerto Rican National team for two years before turning pro in February 2011. “But I didn’t let it get to me. I didn’t care. It’s what happens in the ring that counts, not what you say or do before.

“There’s no extra pleasure beating him like I did. I was just doing my job. I am very, very happy, though, and ready to do it again. I just fought two weeks ago. With tonight’s fast fight, I’ll be ready to go in another two weeks.”

Santos, 127 1/2 lbs of Carolina, PE is now 10-0 with nine knockouts. Hoskins, 127 1/2 lbs of Los Angeles is now 7-2

IBF JR. LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT – 12 ROUNDS
ARGENIS MENDEZ – 129.2 LBS.
JUAN CARLOS SALGADO – 129.8 LBS.

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT – 8 ROUNDS

JAVIER MOLINA – 146 LBS.

JOSEPH ELEGELE – 148 LBS.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT – 10 ROUNDS

CORNELIUS ‘DA BEAST’ WHITE – 176 LBS.

OTIS GRIFFIN – 176.6 LBS.

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT – 4 ROUNDS

OSCAR MOLINA – 149 LBS.

WILLIE WALTON – 152 LBS.

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT – 6 ROUNDS

BRANDON BENNETT – 132 LBS.

MARIO HERMOSILLO – 136.8 LBS.

FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT – 4 ROUNDS

JUAN FUNEZ – 124.6 LBS.

JOSE GARCIA – 126 LBS.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT – 4 ROUNDS
IMMANUWEL ALEEM – 159.2 LBS.
LESHON DANTE SIMS – 160 LBS.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT – 4 ROUNDS
MOSHEA ALEEM – 152.6 LBS.
DANTE SPINKS – 152.4 LBS

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT – 4 ROUNDS
JUSTIN DELOACH – 147.4 LBS.
SAIL FERNANDEZ – 144.2 LBS.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT BOUT – 6/8 ROUNDS
MICKY ROMAN – 136.8 LBS.
MIGUEL MUNGIA – 140 LBS.

PHOTO CREDIT:
RAY FLORES – MAIN EVENT
SUMIO YAMADA- CO-MAIN EVENT

VIDEO FOOTAGE:
MITCH ALLEN

Orange, CA (March 8) – Tomorrow evening the IBF junior lightweight championship rematch between Mexico’s World Champion Juan Carlos Salgado (26-1-1, 16 KOs) and #1 world contender and mandatory challenger Argenis Mendez (20-2, 10 KOs) of the Dominican Republic is set to take place at the Orange County Hangar. The much anticipated match up will be preceded by an exciting 8-round welterweight war between 2008 U.S. Olympian who hails from Chihuahua, Mexico Javier “El intocable” Molina (12-1, 5 KOs) versus Florida’s heavy hitting Joseph Elegele (13-1, 10 KOs).

HBO Latino®, Home Box Office’s dedicated Spanish-language premium channel, will telecast the Salgado-Mendez bout, reaching today’s many multigenerational and bilingual Hispanic households in the U.S., appealing to the wildly popular boxing and sports fan base.

The two originally battled for the vacant IBF super featherweight title in a September 2011 bout in which Salgado persisted and survived through a rough twelfth round in which Mendez had him down, but not out, to claim his first IBF World Championship by unanimous decision.

Tickets for this event are priced at $100, $75, and $50 are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.fightcluboc.com and irma@goossentutor.com or by calling 818-817-8001.

Doors open at The Hangar at 4:00 p.m. The first non-televised bout starts at 4:30 p.m.

The event is being promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, LLC in association with Promociones del Pueblo.

NEW YORK (March 8, 2013) Coming off a sensational, nationally televised debut on JANUARY 25, hot junior welterweight prospect Emanuel “The Tranzforma” Taylor makes his second start of 2013 challenging former world title challenger and world ranked Dominican Victor Cayo in the main event of ESPN Friday Night Fights tonight from Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Fighting on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® and in front of a sold out Long Island boxing crowd at The Paramount in Huntington, New York, the 22-year-old Taylor introduced himself to the boxing industry with a dominant sixth round knockout of highly regarded Philadelphia prospect Raymond Serrano.

“We’re excited to bring Emanuel back to the ring only six weeks from his terrific performance on JANUARY 25” said Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing®.

“Emanuel is relatively young for the sport, but he showed terrific poise in his first televised bout. Some fighters don’t always respond well to the pressure of fighting on TV, but he handled himself like a real veteran.”

Sporting a record of 16-1-0 with 11 knockouts, Taylor’s bout against the much more experienced Cayo, 31-3-0 (22KO’s) will lead to an IBF Title Eliminator for the winner in the junior welterweight division.

“It’s a great opportunity for Emanuel and he’s very confident. Having worked with numerous world champions I’m familiar with how much work is involved for the fighter,” continued DeGuardia.

Speaking specifically about the start of 2013 for Star Boxing, DeGuardia continued, “We’re off to an excellent start with three televised events showcasing our brightest stars in front of huge crowds.”

“Demetrius Andrade had the shutout win on JANUARY 25 in the main event against Freddy Hernandez, Delvin Rodriguez stopped George Tahdooahnippah on ESPN Friday Night Fights in front of a massive crowd at the Mohegan Sun on FEBRUARY 15 and Chris Algieri put on a sensational performance defeating Jose Peralta on NBC Sports Network on FEBRUARY 23 in front of another sold out crowd, our sixth straight sellout at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.”

“It’s a busy time and out top guys are winning big televised fights, we hope to keep the streak going with Emanuel on Friday night.”

Taylor vs. Cayo will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights (10 PM Eastern on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, online through WatchESPN.com, and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.)

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2012. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

ATLANTIC CITY–Emanuel Taylor scored a terrific eight round stoppage over former world title challenger Victor Cayo in a scheduled ten round bout at Resorts Hotel and Casino

Taylor got things started in round one with a solid right while Cayo tried to work the body. Round two became a battle of the body attacks with Cayo getting the better. Late in the round Taylor landed a solid left hook and nice right on the ropes. Later in the round Taylor landed a blistering barrage of punches that sent Cayo stunned on the ropes just before the bell to signify the end of the frame. Taylor continued to batter Cayo in round three with a combination that featured hard left hooks. In round five, Cayo landed a hard left that sent Taylor to the canvas. Cayo continued to pressure and land hard shots on Taylor.

The tude turned once again in round six as Taylor rocked Cayo with a huge left hook. In round eight, Taylor landed a huge right hand that set off a hard combination that was punctuated by a hard right hand that sent Cayo down in the corner. Taylor then landed a big right that forced referee Benjy esteves to stop the bout at 1:11 of round eight.

Taylor, 142 lbs of Edgewood Arsenel, MD is now 17-1 with 12 knockouts. Cayo, 142 1/2 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is now 31-4.

Magomed Abdusalamov kept his perfect knockout streak by halting former Puerto Rican Olympian Victor Bisbal in round five of a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout

Bisbal came out strong as he hit Abusalamov with a series of right hands over the first two rounds.

A war broke out in round three as Abdusalamov landing some hard shots with Bisbal giving as good as he was receiving. The two continued to wage war in round four with the highlight being Abdusalamov rocking Bisbal with a hard straight left. Abdusakamov landed a huge ledt that rocked Bisbal again in round five and then dropped with a hard combination and referee Randy Neumann stopped the fight at 1:12 of round five.

Abdusalamov, 226 lbs of Russia is now 17-0 with all wins coming early. Bisbal, 245 lbs of Salina, PR is now 21-2.

Local favorite Thomas LaManna remained perfect by scoring two knockdowns en route to a six round unanimous decision over Joshua Snyder in a Middleweight bout.

Early in round one, LaManna dropped Snyder with a right hand. LaManna then got in a few shots while taking some short shots on the inside. The two traded big shots in an action filled round three. In round four, LaManna caught Snyder with a hard right that deposited the Maryland native on the canvas for a second time. Snyder began pushing the pace in round five as walked down a tired LaManna. Both guys gave a spirited final frame with LaManna getting the better of the action.

LaManna, 157 lbs of Millville, NJ won by scores of 58-54, 58-54 & 57-55 and is now 11-0. Snyder, 160 lbs of Berlin, MD is now 9-9-1.

Scott Burrell scored a six round unanimous decision over Edgardo Torres in a lightweight bout.

Burrell was sharp particularly with the overhand right which he stunned Torres numerous times. In round six, a short combination put Torres down. He recovered enough to eat a solid furry until reaching the final bell.

Burrell, 138 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 60-53, 60-53 & 60-54 and is now 7-1. Torres, 136 ls of Vineland, NJ is 2-2

Samuel Rogers scored six round unanimous decision over Ivan Zigler in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Scores were 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 for Rogers, 153 lbs of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and is now 13-0. Zigler, 154 1/2 lbs of Virginia Beach, VA is now 7-3-1.

Responding to rampant speculation over who will appear in their historic August 16 boxing event at the Chicago White Sox’ U.S. Cellular Field stadium, Chicago-based boxing promoter Dominic Pesoli and his partners, Frank Mugnolo of Round 3 Productions and Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing, say fans are going to have to wait.

“We don’t know who is on the show. We know it’ll be incredible and we’re working on several blockbuster match-ups, but it’s still very much in the air,” said Dominic Pesoli.

The event will be the first of its kind in 50 years, since Sonny Liston knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962. Margules says he’s aware of the importance of making it something unforgettable for fans.

“Boxing in Chicago is enjoying a renaissance and this event will be an announcement to the world that we’re back. That’s the approach we’re taking to constructing this show, making the best fights possible with the local and international flavor the Windy City shows have become known for.”

Mugnolo says he’s fielding several calls daily from reporters and fans, wondering who will be appearing on the epic show.

“You’re all going to have to wait. I don’t even know yet. As soon as we make decisions, we’ll announce them. All I can promise you is this is going to be an unforgettable show and we’re very proud to be putting it on in the city.”

LOS ANGELES, March 8 – The intriguing March 8 edition of
ShoBox: The New Generation at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. featuring the junior middleweight showdown between unbeaten Hugo Centeno Jr. (17-0, 9 KO’s) and KeAndrae Leatherwood (12-1-1, 8 KO’s) and the junior lightweight match pitting Puerto Rican power puncher Braulio Santos (9-0, 8 KO’s) against Los Angeles’ Kevin Hoskins (7-1, 5 KO’s) will be preceded by a full slate of undercard action that features rising stars including undefeated lightweight prospect Jamie Kavanagh, 2012 United States Olympian Dominic Breazeale and local heavyweight favorite Gerald Washington.

The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT with the first bell sounding at 5:15 p.m. PT. The ShoBox: The New Generation broadcast airs live on SHOWTIME® at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $25, $35 and $45, are available at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Dublin-born Jamie “The Nuisance” Kavanagh (12-0-1, 5 KO’s) has become a popular figure on the Southern California fight scene since relocating to the United States and he’s looking forward to his first appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Fresh off of an exciting victory over fellow prospect Ramon Valadez last November, the 22-year-old Irishman who now makes his home in Hollywood will meet the always tough Los Angeles product Sal Garcia (14-6-2, 7 KO’s) who is hoping to capture an upset victory.

The heavyweight bout between 2012 United States Olympian Dominic Breazeale (3-0, 3 KO’s) and Montgomery, Alabama’s Ronny Hale (2-5, 2 KO’s) is scheduled for four rounds, but Alhambra’s Breazeale has made short work of all his pro opponents thus far, so don’t blink.

Former USC defensive end Gerald Washington (6-0, 4 KO’s) has been impressive in his move from the gridiron to the ring, with half of his wins coming by way of first round knockout. On Friday, the 30-year-old will face the toughest test of his young career in the form of Jacksonville, Florida’s Curtis Harper (7-1, 6 KO’s), who has won seven straight, with four first round finishes of his own.

In a four round bantamweight bout, Indio’s own Jorge Porras (0-1) meets Riverside’s Fernando Fuentes (0-1) and in a four round featherweight fight, Los Angeles’ Manny Robles Jr. (3-0, 2 KO’s) looks to go 4-0 as a pro when he takes on San Bernardino’s Juan Sandoval (7-12-1, 4 KO’s).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.fantasyspringsresort.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/HugoBoss805 and www.twitter.com/fantasysprings and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/fantasysprings. For information on SHOWTIME, visit http://Sports.SHO.com, www.twitter.com/SHOsports and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Los Angeles, CA (March 7, 2013)—With just over a week to go, Ruslan Provodnikov is winding down the best training camp of his life, as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career when he takes on WBO Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley on March 16th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

The fight will be shown live on HBO Championship Boxing at 10:15 pm EST/PST

Under the watchful eyes of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Provodnikov, who is ranked number three in the world at Welterweight has trained very hard and is ready for not only his move up in weight, but to be crowned the new WBO world champion.

Below are quotes from Provodnikov and his team as training camp winds down at the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

Quotes from team Provodnikov:

Ruslan Provodnikov: “My training for this fight went better than I ever hoped! I feel like I’m a completely different fighter now and I have gained even more power in my punches after working with Gavin MacMillan, my new strength and conditioning coach. I think Timothy Bradley is in for something he doesn’t expect! I have fought many guys that tried to just box me, but usually that did not end well for them!”

Vadim Kornilov (Manager): ”After the contract for this fight was signed, our job was to make sure that Ruslan’s training camp was complete and he had everything he needed to prepare properly. I think our new strength and conditioning coach Gavin MacMillan and Freddie Roach’s knowledge of the opponent is going to change Bradley’s plan of “I’ll just box him” into a plan of “how do I stay on my feet.”

New strength coach Gavin MacMillan: “Ruslan’s conditioning has progressed from week to week and he is a true professional and he is ready for this fight.”

“Best camp we’ve ever had. Biggest fight we’ve ever had. We’re ready.”
– Freddie Roach

Promoter Hani Darwish of The Darwish Brothers is proud to announce that the voice calling the action live on www.efcmma.com this Saturday, March 9, will be a familiar one to MMA fans around the world.

Author, actor and journalist Mike Straka will be doing the broadcast play-by-play at “The Darwish Brothers Presents EFC: Relentless” in the Xanadu Theater at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.

In the night’s main event, Bloomfield, New Jersey’s undefeated Fabian “The Baby Face Killer” Rosario (6-0) will defend his EFC Welterweight Championship against Danny “Massacre” Massa (2-2) of Westchester Fight Club in New Rochelle, New York.

A heavily influential and pioneering figure in the evolution of MMA media, New Jersey-born Straka wrote the book, literally, on doing MMA interviews. He is currently the host of Fight Now TV’s “1on1 Show” and the former co-host of Spike TV’s “MMA Uncensored Live” as well as “Fighting Words with Mike Straka” on HDNet.

Straka’s first show covering solely MMA was called Fox Fight Game and was the first video news show covering MMA. Fighting Words holds the distinction of being the first sit-down format show to solely feature MMA fighters.

“I started covering MMA in 2001 at Fox News channel,” he explains. “I think it was UFC 33 or 34 and I was the sports anchor at Fox News Channel for the weekends at the time, so they said go down to Atlantic City and cover it. From that day on, I was completely hooked.”

Beyond his lengthy resume in journalism, it is Straka’s own background in the combat sports that gives him added credibility with fans and insight with fighters.

“I’m a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I studied under U.S. Olympic gold medalist Herb Perez and U.S. Olympic team coach Kevin Padilla. I was also a wrestler at Rutgers. MMA started becoming popular just after I graduated in 1992. If it had been big as I was in school, I’d probably be a fighter today. I had all the tools.”

Despite having been face-to-face with every superstar in the sport, Straka says the EFC assignment will be something new for him.

“I’m going to be doing the play-by-play and have either a fighter or trainer do the color commentary with me. I’m the Mike Goldberg of the show, so to speak. This is kind of new for me to do.”

Down to earth when speaking of his peers in the fight media, Straka says he has the most admiration for the ones who keep it real.

“I’ve always liked Max Kellerman. He knows the sport of boxing almost better than anybody. He brings honesty to the game. That what I love about Joe Rogan too. They speak the language of the sport but also explain it to a layperson without turning off hard-core fans. You want the hard-core fans happy and the new fans happy. As play-by-play guys go, Mauro Ranallo is the best. I think he is under-utilized. He should be the top dog. Nobody is better than Mauro Ranallo.”

Promoter Hani Darwish says he’s happy to be bringing such a respected voice aboard Team EFC.

“Mike is a well-respected media figure whose credibility is untouchable. We are very excited to have his voice running the broadcast team for this fantastic event. Mike says he’s enthusiastic to be part of it and we’re very happy to have him.”

When the dust has settled on EFC: Relentless, Straka says he’ll go back to doing what he does best.

“I will continue to try to innovate MMA media. I’ve done a good job in differentiating myself from the rest of the MMA media. I don’t really talk about your last fight or your next fight. I try to get in-depth with the fighter and find out who they are as a person. I do in-depth features and focus more on the human aspect of being a UFC fighter, more than what’s your game plan for your next fight? You can get that anywhere. If you can already read all those answers on mmajunkie.com, why watch Mike Straka’s show? I’m always trying to look for a different angle to cover the sport.”

Tickets for “The Darwish Brothers Presents EFC: Relentless” are priced at $45, $55, $65, $75, $100 and $125 Cageside and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

Doors open at 7 pm and the first bout is at 8 pm. All bouts subject to change.

WARNING: All EFC events sell out. Purchase your tickets now before it’s too late.

INDIO, Calif. (March 7, 2013) – The four boxers who will compete on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow, Friday, March 8, live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) made weight on their first attempts Thursday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Promising unbeaten junior middleweight Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. (17-0, 9 KO’s) of Oxnard, Calif., faces KeAndrae “Lightning” Leatherwood (17-2, 10 KO’s), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the main event at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Centeno tipped the scale at the division-limit of 154 pounds while Leatherwood weighed 153.4 pounds.

In an eight-round collision of junior lightweights in the ShoBox co-feature, Braulio “Unstoppable” Santos (9-0, 8 KO’s), of Carolina, P.R., risks his unbeaten record against Kevin “Hostile” Hoskins (7-1, 5 KO’s), of Los Angeles. Santos weighed 127.4 pounds and Hoskins 127.6 pounds.

The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona with Santos vs. Hoskins being presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT with the first bell at 5:15 p.m. PT. Tickets, priced at $25, $35 and $45, are available at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

What the fighters said Thursday at the weigh in:

HUGO CENTENO JR.

“This is such an awesome opportunity I’m getting on Friday and I’m ready to take advantage of it. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get here this fast. I definitely thought it would take me longer to headline my first fight card on a big television network like SHOWTIME.

“I’m not nervous at all; I know I’m well prepared because my training camp went great. I really want to thank all my sparring partners for the great work they gave me, including (WBO Middleweight World Champion) Peter Quillin.

“The last few weeks I split my time where I sparred. I worked three days a week in Oxnard and three days a week at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif.

“I know Leatherwood is a strong fighter and I’m definitely not underestimating him. Going in, my focus is on what I do best, my game plan and not on what he does or can do. I want to make him fight my fight.

“I’m definitely ready to seize the moment.”

KEANDRAE LEATHERWOOD

“I look at this fight as not only a great opportunity for me, but as my coming out party. This is the kind of fight I’ve been waiting for. A win opens all kinds of new doors for me.

“I want to thank my promoter, Boxing 360, for helping me get to this position, Golden Boy for giving me my chance of a lifetime and SHOWTIME for giving me the chance to display my skills on network television.

“I don’t know much about Centeno. He’s a mystery to me. It doesn’t matter who I’m up against, my mindset is to seek and destroy.”

BRAULIO SANTOS

“I’m very happy to be fighting on SHOWTIME and for the exposure this fight will give me. This is the biggest opportunity of my career. I plan to be at my best.

“I’ve only seen a couple of videos of my opponent. I know he has good power, but I have power, too. When the bell rings, I will just do my work.

“I’m one of many Puerto Rican prospects coming up who wants to become a world champion. Right now, there’s only one current world champion who was born in Puerto Rico and that’s (Ramon) Rocky Martinez. With all the talent out there, Puerto Rico should have more than one home-grown champion.

“I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. It’s because of them that I am on this card after fighting just two weeks ago. I love that I am fighting again so soon.”

KEVIN HOSKINS

“Obviously this is a great opportunity for me and I’m excited about fighting on SHOWTIME. I train hard all the time. I don’t know much about Santos, but I don’t need to know much. When I sign for a fight, I know it’s time to go to work.

“I’m looking forward to going to work on Friday.”