LAS VEGAS (Feb. 14, 2013)—Boxer Ishe Smith wouldn’t be climbing into the ring and fighting for the IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship later this month if not for the help of fellow Las Vegas native and resident orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jedediah W. Jones.

“It was Dr. Jones’ care that nurtured me back to health,” said Smith, suffering the serious knuckle injury on his throwing hand during a boxing match in September 2012. “If it wasn’t for his treatment, I would never have had this opportunity. It was a blessing to be able to take this fight because my (knuckle) was in pretty bad shape.”

Smith (24-5, 11 KOs) is attempting to become the first Las Vegas-born fighter to win a world title when he faces current world champion Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage (32-4, 19 KOs) on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit, Mich., on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

It was just a few months ago that Smith’s career was in limbo because of a hand injury. “Sugar Shay” Smith was facing a mandatory six-month medical layoff by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the 34-year-old boxer knew surgery wasn’t an option because he could be out even longer. So Smith turned to fellow Las Vegas native Jones, an orthopedic surgeon in the Hand Surgery Specialists of Nevada, to create a treatment plan that didn’t involve going under the scalpel.

Dr. Jones examined the metacarpal/phalangeal joint on Smith’s middle finger, diagnosing it as a bruised knuckle and a damaged ligament. The injury didn’t require surgery, rather a detailed treatment program to heal it.

“You need to give the body a chance to heal itself,” said Dr. Jones, who consults on wrist, hand and elbow injuries to UNLV athletes. “I know he wanted to get back to fighting, just like an injured firefighter or police officer who wants to get back to work. (Ishe) understood it was going to take some time to fully heal.”

On the surface a bruised knuckle might seem like a minor injury but for boxers the injury is incredibly painful and potentially career threatening. And if not treated properly, it could be a chronic problem.

“It’s an excruciating pain,” Smith said of the injury. “In boxing, our hands are everything. If I can’t throw that punch without pain, I can’t fight.”

Dr. Jones put a splint on Smith’s finger and laid out a course of treatment. Smith could work on conditioning and shadow boxing but couldn’t land a punch with the injured hand for six weeks. After that period, Smith was allowed to hit a light bag. Although the fighter suffered a minor setback, the injury fully healed. Smith’s recovery took just four months, not the six months or longer some doctors had anticipated.

Smith, who appeared on the original season of the NBC reality show “Contender,” was grateful to once again be pain free. The boxer calls the orthopedist a “caring doctor who listens” and frequently takes to his Twitter account (@IsheSugarShay) to thank Dr. Jones (@DrJedediahJones).

More importantly, Smith has confidence in his hand—and ability—as he’s set for his world title fight.

Dr. Jones will be watching and rooting for the Las Vegas native, knowing the human body’s ability to heal itself and patience is sometimes the best medicine.

“I’m just one part of the team,” Dr. Jones said.

# # #

Photo captions:

Boxer Ishe Smith during a press conference to promote his upcoming fight with Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage. (Photo credit: Golden Boy Promotions/Hoganphotos)

Las Vegas orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jedediah Jones successfully treated Ishe Smith’s for a hand injury.

Note to editors: Dr. Jedediah Jones is available for interviews. He can be followed on Twitter @DrJedediahJones.

NEW YORK, NY (February 14, 2013) – North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super welterweight champion Willie “The Great” Nelson (19-1-1, 11 KOs) plans to make a major statement on March 1, against Michael “El Magnifico” Medina (26-3-2, 19 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature on ESPN Friday Night Fights, airing live from Foxwoods Resort Casino’s MGM Grand Theater, in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

The ESPN Friday Night Fights card, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions, will air live at 9 p.m. ET. The Nelson-Medina bout is promoted in association with Rumble Time Promotions.

The 12-round main event on ESPN Friday Night Fights features International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight Champion Billy “The Kid” Dib (35-1-0-1NC, 21 KOs), who is promoted by 50 Cent, and fighting in the United States for the first time in four-and-a-half years. The Australian boxer defends his title against undefeated Russian challenger Evgeny Gradovich (15-0, 8 KOs), rated No. 11 by the IBF.

Nelson (19-1-1, 11 KOs) is coming off consecutive victories by impressive 10-round decisions over a pair of previously unbeaten Olympians – two-time Cuban National champion Yudel Jhonson (12-1), on ShoBox, and World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth champion John “Dah Rock” Jackson (13-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant NABF super welterweight title.

Another impressive win for Nelson, who is the top-ranked American in the World Boxing Council (WBC) ratings at No. 5, should move him up the ladder and closer to a world title shot.

“This fight is very important for my career because I’ll be showcasing my talent on ESPN and so many people will see me fight,” Nelson said. “This fight is going to get me closer to the top of my division in the WBC. Personally, though, it’s just another fight that won’t affect me in the ring.

“Medina comes straight forward and throws a lot of punches, but he has poor defense, throws looping punches, and doesn’t move his head. He likes to throw a lot of body punches. I’ve fought a lot of guys like him in the amateurs and a few as a pro.”

WBC No. 17-ranked Medina will be giving away three-and-a-half inches in height, as well as a nine-inch reach advantage, to the 6’4″ Nelson, who has an 84″ reach. Medina, whose most notable win to date is a 10-round decision in 2011 over Grady Brewer, has been stopped only once, by Saul Roman, and his only other losses as a professional have been to the undefeated Vanes Martirosyan and John Duddy.

Nelson is co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Steve Smith’s Rumble Time Promotions.

The undercard, featuring some of New England’s most promising prospects, will soon be announced.

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $75 and $40, 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.

(Macao, February 14, 2013) – The Year of the Snake will also be known as the beginning of the era of Zou Shiming. The two-time Olympic gold medal winner and three-time World Amateur Champion will make his professional debut, headlining a brilliant boxing card, Saturday, April 6, at the CotaiArena™, The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel. Presented by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., tickets to ZOU SHIMING “Fists of Gold” are on sale now at all Sands China box offices*.

“Sands China is proud to host Zou’s professional debut, and we look forward to opportunities to bring many more Top Rank events to Macao in the future,” said Edward Tracy, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sands China Ltd. “This fantastic night of entertainment, Sands China’s latest world-class sporting event, is part of our multi-tiered entertainment strategy aimed at diversifying Macao’s tourism economy through the varied offerings of Cotai Strip™ Resorts. The company is glad to contribute to the city becoming one of Asia’s top entertainment hubs and a world centre of tourism and leisure.”

Sands China hosted the highly-successful greater China debut of Ultimate Fighting Championship® in November last year, and has held numerous sporting events with some of the world’s most well-known athletes – from basketball greats Kobe Bryant and Scottie Pippen to tennis legends Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, and golf sensations like Rory McElroy and Lee Westwood. ZOU SHIMING “Fists of Gold” has all the right ingredients to be another high-octane crowd pleaser.

“Zou is an incredible talent who is beloved in China,” said his Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “We at Top Rank will make every effort to make certain that he has a spectacular career as a professional boxer.”

Zou is currently training at The Venetian® and The Palazzo® in Las Vegas with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and Miguel Diaz. He will make his pro debut as a flyweight with Roach and Diaz working his corner.

Zou, 31, one of the most popular Olympic athletes in China, is the world’s greatest light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the World Amateur Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2011, along with gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the 2004 games, making him his nation’s first Olympic medallist in boxing as well as its first boxing gold medallist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics. He signed with legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank at a press conference in Beijing in January.

Known for his extraordinary speed and superb footwork, thanks to years of martial-arts training, many of Zou’s opponents complain that they cannot keep up with him, much less see his punches coming. He has said that his heroes are Muhammad Ali and Jackie Chan.

In addition to Zou’s professional debut, the event’s line-up includes an undercard highlighted by two world championship fights. WBA/WBO flyweight champion Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria will be defending his titles against Top-10 contender Juan Francisco Estrada. Viloria, a former U.S. Olympian from Hawaii, will enter the fight having won 13 of his last 14 bouts, seven by way of knockout, including his last three world title battles. Estrada, of Mexico, will be making his second title challenge. In his last fight, he lost a very close decision to WBA light flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez. Two-time WBO junior light champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez, of Puerto Rico, will also defend his title, going up against undefeated No. 1-world-rated contender Diego Magdaleno, of Las Vegas.

The undercard will also feature undefeated No. 1 junior middleweight contender and former U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan of California, in a 10-round bout against No. 6-world-rated contender Javier Maciel, of Argentina; former WBO junior featherweight champion and current No. 1 contender Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., of Puerto Rico, who will battle Yasutako Ishimoto, of Japan, in a 10-round junior featherweight bout; and undefeated WBO flyweight mandatory challenger Milan “El Metodico” Melindo, of the Philippines against a soon-to-be-named opponent.

ZOU SHIMING “Fists of Gold” kicks off at 7 pm on April 6 at the CotaiArena. Tickets are on sale now at all Sands China box offices and can be booked online at www.CotaiTicketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK) / +86 4001 206 618 (mainland China). Tickets are also available at Tom Lee Outlets and through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies) at www.HKTicketing.com, or by phone at +852 3128 8288. Tickets are available in six categories: HKD/MOP 2,680 (Silver), 1,080 (A Reserve), 780 (B Reserve), 480 (C Reserve), 280 (D Reserve) and 80 (E Reserve). Packages with round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets between Hong Kong and Macao are also available for HKD/MOP 2,768 (Silver), 1,168 (A Reserve), 868 (B Reserve), 568 (C Reserve) and 368 (D Reserve). For more information about the event, visit www.CotaiTicketing.com.

Photo caption: China’s golden boxer Zou Shiming has been training at The Venetian (above) and The Palazzo in Las Vegas with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and Miguel Diaz, in preparation for his professional boxing debut April 6 at The Venetian Macao’s CotaiArena. Tickets are on sale now at all Sands China box offices.

For high resolution photos, please access one of the following:

Sands China Ltd. online media library:

URL: http://medialibrary.sandschinaltd.com/

Username: Sands China Limited Media Center

Password: sclmedia

(case sensitive)

Folder: Events, Promotions & Announcements\ Zou Shiming

Venetian Macau Limited FTP server:

Ftp link: ftp://vmlftp.venetian.com.mo

User name: VEN-PRMedia

Password: PR-Media

(case sensitive)

Folder: Zou Shiming

###

Entertainment at Sands China Ltd. Properties

Sands China Ltd. has as a clear vision to establish Macao as Asia’s top entertainment destination.

The 15,000-seat CotaiArena™ is the only venue in Asia ranked in Pollstar’s Top 100 Worldwide Arena Venues based on ticket sales. It is the top entertainment destination in southern China, hosting the world’s and the region’s biggest names in music, sports and awards shows. Superstars frequently choose the venue as the starting point of their Asian tours.

The 1800-seat, multi-purpose Venetian Theatre is one of the most luxurious entertainment venues in greater China. Featuring ushers in black-tie, champagne service, gourmet food and beverage items and other unique, premium amenities, it offers an intimate, luxurious and exclusive venue experience. The Venetian Theatre is playing a key role in bringing the best in international and Chinese entertainment to Macao, with a luxury theatre experience like no other in the region.

The 650-seat Sands Macao Hotel theatre regularly features internationally-renowned singers, performers and artists of the highest calibre. From traditional Chinese-costumed dancers to modern performances, and from singing troupes to contemporary bands, everything from Western rock to Cantonese pop is covered.

With an unbeatable diversity, the entertainment offering of Sands China Ltd. is ushering in a new era of entertainment in Macao.

BARNSTABLE, Mass. (Feb. 14th, 2013) — The only thing worse than the two-year layoff for Jesse Barboza was the fact his last fight ended in a disappointing draw, leaving the former three-time New England Golden Gloves champion with a lot of free time to think about what had went wrong.

“I had two years to deal with it,” Barboza said. “It drove me nuts.”

Barboza (5-1-1, 3 KOs) finally got the sour taste of his mouth last November when he returned from his hiatus with a unanimous-decision win over Kevin Franklin in Providence, R.I.

Now Barboza’s comeback is about to come full circle as he prepares to fight at Twin River Casino on Friday, March 15th, 2013 under the guidance of his first – and only – promoter, Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports. This will be his first fight with CES since November of 2010, ending a hiatus Barboza hopes he can finally put in his rearview mirror.

“I love CES,” said Barboza, who’ll face Altoona, Pa., heavyweight Jeramiah Witherspoon (2-2-1, 1 KO) in a four-round bout on the undercard of “Unfinished Business” at Twin River.

“I love how they do things. When you go somewhere else and work with other people, it makes you appreciate having a team around you where you can say, ‘Hey, can you get this done for me?’ and it gets done with no questions asked.”

Three years ago, the Barnstable, Mass., native stepped out from under the shadow of his own amateur success and began his professional career with a thrilling, second-round knockout win in nearby Plymouth. With a hard-working promoter and a dedicated management team in his corner, Barboza had everything a young fighter could ask for – most importantly, stability.

Within nine months, the former Golden Gloves standout was 3-0 with three knockouts, but everything went sour when he lost for the first time in his career to to then-unbeaten heavyweight Winston Thorpe at Twin River. Communication between he and his manager broke down, and Barboza soon began switching trainers on a routine basis in search of the right fit.

“Sometimes you hit bumps in the road and people aren’t always ready for that,” Barboza said. “The lack of communication had as much to do with me as it did with them. I should’ve just told them I wasn’t comfortable with this fight, or that fight …

“Sometimes when you tell people you’re not ready for a certain fight they think you’re a coward,” he continued. “That’s not how it is. People were dogging [super middleweight world champion] Andre Ward for a long time wondering when he’d step up. Look at him now. You always want to fight tough guys, but, at the same time, you have to make the right decisions. The risk has to match the reward.”

Following the loss to Thorpe, Barboza returned to the ring four months later with an uninspiring, unanimous-decision win over Antonio Robertson, raising even more concerns within his inner circle. As he continued to struggle with finding the right opponent, Barboza’s layoff went from being just a few months to suddenly a year and a half to two full years before he finally stepped back into the ring.

The good news was that throughout his hiatus, Barboza worked with only one trainer, Jeff Gonsalves, the younger brother of Barboza’s first trainer, Dave Gonsalves Jr., so he knew it was only a matter of time before he returned.

“Sometimes that doubt might creep in, and it’s scary,” Barboza said, “but for me it was never really there.

“It would get tough being on that rollercoaster, but I knew I wasn’t ever going to stop. During that whole [layoff] I was training. I didn’t take any time off. Jeff and I have been on the same page the whole time. He’s a student of the game. He loves boxing. A lot of trainers have big names and a big following with hundreds of clients, and that’s great for them, but I had to get away from that. I had to find someone who was 100 percent focused on me. I know what I need in a trainer; I need a lot of attention to detail. A lot of guys have too much pride and don’t think they can learn anything else, but Jeff isn’t one of those guys. We still struggle, but you’re always going to have that. He takes my ideas, I take his, and it just kind of works out.”

Barboza’s win over Franklin in November didn’t end the way he had hoped it would – “I wanted a knockout,” he said, “but my timing was still a little off” – but having the opportunity to step back into the ring only four months later should help him regain the rhythm he once had earlier in his career.

As he prepares for his 27th birthday in June, Barboza knows that while there is still plenty of time left him for him to achieve his dream of becoming a world champion, this is the year that could make or break his career, and it’ll start March 15th under the guidance of the promoter who got it all started four years ago.

“I’ve already made up my mind that this is going to be the year I’m going to make my name,” Barboza said. “You have to set short-term goals first, but I want everyone to know there’s a new American heavyweight on the scene.

“My goals are still the same. If you’re in this for anything other than to be on top of the world, you should quit or retire. You’re not in this sport to finish in second place; you’re in it to be a champion. I’m here to prove I belong at the top of the heavyweight division. I want to prove it to myself, my community … my family. This is the year I break through. I’ll be a contender by the end of the year.”

The 10-round main event of “Unfinished Business” features the long-awaited rematch between Providence, R.I., super middleweights Joey Spina (26-3-2, 18 KOs) and Peter Manfredo Jr. (38-7, 20 KOs), who’ll face one another for the first time since 2006. Also on the undercard, Providence’s Alex Amparo (5-1, 3 KOs) will look to avenge his first career loss when he faces Woonsocket, R.I., veteran Joey Gardner (10-5-1, 1 KO) in a six-round super middleweight rematch. Gardner beat Amparo by unanimous decision in November.

“Unfinished Business” also features a six-round battle between light heavyweights Rich Gingras (12-3, 8 KOs) of Attleboro, Mass., and Dennis Okola (14-8, 4 KOs) of Nairobi, Kenya (now training out of Cheshire, Conn.), and a six-round interstate showdown between Boston middleweight Julio Garcia (6-3, 3 KOs) and Thomas Falowo (8-1, 6 KOs) of Pawtucket, R.I.

Looking to bounce back following his first career loss in November, light heavyweight Kevin Cobbs (6-1, 2 KOs) of Burlington, Vt., will face Paul Gonsalves (4-2, 3 KOs) of Harwich, Mass., in a four-round bout. Female bantamweight Noemi Bosques (1-0), a St. Petersburg, Fla., native who now trains in Providence, will face Queens native Vanessa Greco (1-2-1) in a four-round bout. All bouts are subject to change.

Tickets for “Unfinished Business” are $40.00, $60.00, $100.00 and $150.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.shop.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Unfinished Business.” Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance.)

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY (FEBRUARY 13, 2013)—Vito Meilnicki’s GH3 Promotions is proud to announce the signing of undefeated Welterweight Anthony “Juice”Young.

Young, 24 years old of Atlantic City, New Jersey has a record of 6-0 with two knockouts and will make his debut for GH3 Promotions on Friday night, March 15th at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany, New Jersey in a four round bout against an opponent to be named.

Said Vito Mielnicki, of GH3 Promotions, “We are very excited to add “Juice“ to our roster that already includes undefeated Jr. Middleweight John Thompson and undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas. Anthony is a very good young fighter and he fits the criteria of the type of fighters we are looking to promote as we feel he has terrific ability and great upside potential”

Young is very enthusiastic about the prospects of his being with GH3 Promotions.

“I haven’t had the privilege of having a promoter in my first six fights and this is a move in the right direction. Today is a good day in my career and look forward to working with everyone with GH3 Promotions”

Young is managed by Rich Masini and he sees this as a perfect situation for his fighter.

“The most important thing for us was to find the right promoter. I have had a great friendship with Vito for years and it could not be a better relationship between fighter, manager and Promoter. We feel with Anthony’s ability and this promoter, it will give Anthony the best ability to make some noise. We hope to get a fight before the end of the month but we will definitely be fighting March 15th. Anthony is a great kid and is very loyal to his team”

Young is coming off a four round majority decision over Richard Andrews on July 27, 2012

Chicago Middleweight Donatas “Donda” Bondorovas (16-3-1, 5 KOs) says he has had a perfect training camp in preparation for his rematch with Indiana’s “King” David Thomas (10-3-2, 8 KOs).

He’s going to need it.

The pair will meet for the second time in the main event of promoter Bobby Hitz’s “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” event, this Friday, February 15, at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana.

In their first sensational encounter, Bondorovas survived a cut, multiple injuries and got off the floor from a hard knockdown before storming back to win via a come-from-behind (and some would say early) stoppage in the second round.

Born in Kaunas City, Lithuania, Bondorovas came to the United States three years ago and settled in Chicago, where he is trained by well-known Windy City boxing figure Sam Colonna at the Sam Colonna Boxing Gym.

You had a tough fight with Thomas last time. What’s going to be different this time?

I had an unsuccessful first round because I quickly suffered a shoulder injury and a hand injury, and then got cut over my nose… and then I got knocked down! Wow. It was like everything was against me. But I am a warrior and way too competitive. I can’t quit. So I took all my fighting spirit and went into the second round like a raging bull and finished the guy with the other hand. That was drama!

When Bobby Hitz told me he wanted to fight on February 15, I was informed that Thomas wanted a rematch. I was surprised, because I won that fight by TKO. But later, I came to find out they want it because they think the fight was stopped too early.

The truth is that the job of a ring referee is to take responsibility of athletes’ health. This is a sport, not gladiator combat! My opponent was out on his feet. I saw his eyes were rolled back and maybe another blow could have been tragic. So, I think the referee acted adequately. You can risk your own life, but not somebody else’s!

When I heard this, I said ‘ok, they want a rematch? Alright let’s do it again and nothing will be different this time, except I hope I will not be injured.’

Tell me about your amateur career. How many fights did you have? Did you win many titles? What were they?

As an amateur, my record was about 190-30. I was a long-time member of the Lithuanian National Amateur Boxing Team and a five-time national amateur boxing champion. I was also the European Union Amateur Boxing Championships bronze medal winner, the World Military Boxing Championships bronze medal winner and the two-time Military Olympics bronze medal winner. I also won several international amateurs boxing tournaments.

Are you a full-time boxer or do you work a job? What do you do if you do?

I do some personal training and a sometimes drive a limo, because to live only from boxing at this level it is impossible. I don’t have any sponsors yet, so I have to do something else for a living and it is really hard.

Describe your style of fighting.

I have power and determination. I think in the ring and have excellent timing because of my many years of experience. Actually I think my style is universal. It depends what kind of style my opponent has and then I am able to choose the best strategy to fight him.

Are you married? Have children?

I am still single and not ready yet for a family, because it is not play. Family is a holy affair. It is a very responsible thing and you need to be prepared financially and morally, spiritually and take it very seriously. You have to feel it from inside when it is time!

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Several Chicagoland favorites are scheduled to appear in supporting bouts including Chicago’s red-hot undefeated Dimar “Strongman” Ortuz (7-0, 5 KOs), who will go six rounds in the cruiserweight division against Memphis southpaw Grover Young (7-8-1, 4 KOs).

Also returning for a six-rounder is wildly popular Chicago super middleweight prospect Mike “Hollywood” Jimenez (8-0, 5 KOs), who is fresh off his very impressive stoppage of former world title challenger Antwun Echols last November at the Horseshoe. Jimenez will fight local veteran Michael Walker (19-17-3, 12 KOs).

In other matches, Hammond, Indiana’s own heavyweight powerhouse David Martin III (6-0-1, 5 KOs) is coming back for a six-rounder against Chicago tough guy Felix Abner (3-2, 2 KOs); and 21-year-old Rockford, Illinois, lightweight Anthony Linenfelser (3-3, 3 KOs) will bring his brand of excitement to bear against explosive Chicago native Russell “Rocky” Fiore (6-2-1, 6 KOs) in a four-rounder.

Popular locals also featured in four-round fights will be junior welterweight Genaro Mendez (5-1-1, 3 KOs); pro super flyweight and former National Jr. Olympic Champion Johnny “WiteBoi” Determan (5-0, 4 KOs) from Nebraska, as well as the other heavily decorated Chicago-based amateur he is on a collision course with: 21-year-old super flyweight prospect Adan Ortiz (5-0, 4 KOs); welterweight “Irish” Jimmy Murphy (1-0, 1 KO) and the second fight of welterweight Nick Ramirez (0-0-1).

All opponents not specified will be announced shortly.

The high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make their boxing shows a Las Vegas-style night of boxing that Chicago-area fans don’t have to get on a plane to enjoy.
The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities — and is just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago.

Tickets are priced at $90 Ringside & $40 Orchestra and available at all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.

On fight night, doors open 6:30 pm and the action starts at 7:30.

All bouts are subject to change.

NEW YORK (February 13, 2013) This Thursday, FEBRUARY 14, at

5pm ET, the Mohegan Sun will host the Official Public Weigh-In for ESPN Friday Night Fights in The Cabaret Theatre.

ESPN Friday Night Fights will take place in the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, FEBRUARY 15 featuring a sensational main event between popular East Coast fan favorite and perennial contender Delvin Rodriguez and Native American Indian and undefeated contender George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah.

The Official Public Weigh-In is FREE to entrants. The Cabaret Theatre is located adjacent to the Mohegan Sun Arena and is easily accessible through the Riverview Garage.

Tickets for ESPN Friday Night Fights, priced at $75, $45 and $30 (plus a $5 facility fee), are available through Ticketmaster, www.Ticketmaster.com phone (800) 745-3000, the Mohegan Sun Box Office, the Star Boxing website, www.StarBoxing.com or by calling the Star Boxing Office at (718) 823-2000.

Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office on the night of the event. Doors will open at 6:30pm ET with the first bell set for 7:30pm ET.

The Mohegan Sun is located at 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT 06382. For more information please visit their website at www.mohegansun.com

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.

New York, NY(2/13/13) – Next Thursday, February 21, DiBella Entertainment will present the latest installment of its Broadway Boxing series. Headlining the card is WBA #10-rated junior welterweight Thomas Dulorme (16-1, 12KO’s).

Making his much-anticipated pro debut on the card-featuring a number of DBE’s most promising young stars-will be Ecuadorian heavyweight Olympian Ytalo Perea. The 19-year-old Perea is set to take on Buffalo’s Excell Holmes (2-1-1, 1KO) in a four-round heavyweight special attraction.

Perea, the 2011 Pan-Amercian Heavyweight Champion and 2012 Olympian, relocated to the US at the beginning of 2013 to pursue his dream of becoming a world champion. Perea has set up shop at the famed Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn and has been training with renowned boxing coach Tommy Gallagher. When introduced to Perea, Gallagher, who also trains DBE’s junior welterweight contender Gabriel Bracero, was absolutely blown away by the Ecuadorian’s skill, speed and power.

Gallagher, who has been around the boxing world for decades, has called Perea one of the best prospects that he has ever seen in this sport.

Promoter Lou DiBella is anxiously awaiting the moment Perea steps foot into the professional prize ring for the very first time, as he sees big things on the horizon for the young heavyweight.

“I have heard nothing but terrific things about Ytalo thus far and I am looking forward to seeing Ytalo in action next Thursday night,” said DiBella. “We anticipate a very bright future for Ytalo and are excited to be a part of what we expect to be a great career.”

“I am very excited for my debut,” began Perea. “I have always dreamed of becoming a profesional fighter who draws great crowds to come out and see me do what I love to do. This debut will be in honor of every single kid who comes from a ghetto or a slum anywhere in the world. I am very anxious and grateful for this opportunity, and cannot wait to finally hear that bell ring.”

The 10-bout card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and sponsored by Manfredi Auto Group, Newlio.com, and Everlast. The event will be broadcast live on broadband through GFL.TV. SNY will broadcast the event tape-delayed. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $45. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—A World Boxing Association light heavyweight elimination bout featuring two undefeated fighters, Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (21-0, 9 KOs), from St. Louis, and Marcus Oliveira (24-0-1, 19 KOs), from Lawrence, Kan., has been added to the March 9 card in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center headlined by future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KOs), from Philadelphia, taking on undefeated International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs), from Tallahassee, Fla.

The winner of Coyne vs. Oliveira, scheduled for 10 rounds, will become the No. 1-rated light heavyweight by the WBA and the mandatory challenger to its champion, Beibut Shumenov.

Coyne gained attention while campaigning as a cruiserweight when he was chosen to participate in the fourth season of the popular television series The Contender where he fought into the semi-finals before suffering an accidental headbutt that forced him to leave the competition. In his final fight at cruiserweight, Coyne captured the World Boxing Council United States Championship after winning a unanimous decision over previously undefeated David McNemar on June 25, 2011. Coyne has maintained his perfect record by notching three victories since moving down to the 175-pound limit.

Oliveira has shown considerable power by winning 19 of his 25 matches by knockout, achieving an 82% knockout ratio. Oliveira scored a pair of third-round knockouts in fights against his most notable opponents: former cruiserweight world champion Kelvin “Concrete” Davis in 2008 and Antwun Echols on Jan. 28, 2012.

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $80, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations, or by calling 800-745-3000.

Hopkins vs. Cloud, a 12-round fight for Cloud’s IBF light heavyweight title, will take place Saturday, March 9 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Don King Productions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Ford. The co-main event will be a 12-round fight between top-rated contender Keith Thurman and former world champion Jan Zaveck for Zaveck’s World Boxing Organization Intercontinental welterweight championship.

“I have been offered an opportunity to fight in Poland for far more money than I would get for fighting Kubrat Pulev. Meaning no disrespect to Pulev, he has never held a major title and never headlined a televised card. Any money generated by the promotion would, for the most part, be generated by my popularity. I owe it to my family to engage in the most financially rewarding bouts, and engaging in a bout with Kubrat Pulev at this time simply does not make financial sense. I have spoken with the President of the IBF, Daryl Peoples, and informed him that, for the above reasons, I have withdrawn from the IBF box-off. I also thanked the IBF for the support it has shown me and the sport of boxing over the past years.”

DETROIT, February 13 – With former World Champion Bronco McKart sidelined by a rib injury recently sustained in training, Gary, Indiana’s Derrick “Superman” Findley will step in to battle Detroit’s own J’Leon Love at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit on Saturday, February 23 in a 10-round middleweight bout which will be telecast live on SHOWTIME® at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event on SHOWTIME, Detroit’s Cornelius “K9” Bundrage will defend his IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship against Las Vegas’ Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith.

This exciting evening of world championship boxing is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions and is sponsored by Corona and MGM Grand Detroit. The SHOWTIME telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $200, $125, $100, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are on sale now and are available for purchase at the Masonic Temple box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

Detroit’s J’Leon Love (14-0, 8 KO’s) took his game to the next level in 2012, going five for five with two knockouts, two dominant decisions and a disqualification win. How will the 25-year-old former amateur star top that in 2013? Odds are that he will find a way with his ever-expanding skill set and exciting style, both of which will be on display on February 23 against Derrick Findley.

Derrick “Superman” Findley (20-8, 13 KO’s) is a tough out for anyone he faces. Currently sporting a two fight winning streak that includes a blistering second round knockout of Ronald Hearns that took place in Taylor, Michigan last October, the 28-year-old road warrior has no problem facing Love in his opponent’s backyard on February 23.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, and www.themasonic.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo, www.twitter.com/K9Boxing, www.twitter.com/IsheSugarShay, www.twitter.com/JLeonLove, www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #BundrageSmith or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

The February 15 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature undefeated Junior Middleweight George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah (31-0-1, 23 KOs) and former Junior Middleweight and Welterweight title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (26-6-3, 14 KOs) in the 10-round main event. Friday’s show from Uncasville, Conn., will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, and will be available online through WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. The card will also air live on ESPN Deportes+, the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes, and will air tape delayed on ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. The card is promoted by Star Boxing.

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside at Mohegan Sun Arena describing the action for ESPN2 HD. Studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will be on site presenting the latest boxing news and interview Kendall Holt (28-5, 16 KOs) to discuss Holt’s upcoming title fight with Junior Welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs). That fight will be televised February 22, at 9 p.m. on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Alex Pombo and Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will be ringside calling this week’s fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in the studio. Osuna will also present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:
Connecticut’s Rodriguez, who also doubles as a boxing analyst for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates, will look to rebound from a 12-round unanimous decision loss to Junior Middleweight titlist Austin Trout. Friday’s fight will mark Rodriguez’s 15th appearance on ESPN. His last fight on ESPN was a July 2011 draw with Pawel Wolak. That fight was named 2011 “Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).

Rodriguez said of Friday’s fight, “I know my opponent’s a guy who comes forward. He fought at Middleweight for most of his career, so we’ve been training with guys similar to his style. We always prepare hard, so I don’t think there will be any problem.”

Colorado’s Tahdooahnippah is looking to build momentum after a September third-round TKO win over Gundrick King. “I’ve seen Rodriguez fight a couple of times, on ESPN against Wolak, and against Trout,” he said. “I know he’s a warrior. He’s been in big fights. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity all my life. I’m bringing a lot of pride, motivation and drive.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit Lightweights Chris “Hurricane” Howard (14-2-1, 6 KOs) of Tennessee against Virginia’s “The Mongolian Mongoose” Bayan Jargal (17-3-3, 10 KOs). Jargal is coming off a first-round TKO win over former Featherweight titlist Erik Aiken, while Howard will look to rebound from a 10-round split decision loss to Marc Salser.

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.

VALLEY FORGE, PA (FEBRUARY 11, 2013)—On FRIDAY NIGHT, MARCH 15TH, Kings Boxing Promotions will stage a historic boxing event at the Valley Forge Casino Resort.

In the main event, undefeated Lightweight Naim “The Dream” Nelson will take on Georgi Kevlishvilli.

Nelson, 22 years old of Philadelphia has a record of 9-0 with 1 knockout.

Nelson turned pro on June 3rd, 2011 with a unanimous decision over Kywayne Hill. The win set off seven victories which included wins over Korey Sloane (1-0) and Esteban Rodriguez (5-1-1). Nelson then won the Pennsylvania Lightweight championship as he had to get off the deck and fight through a bad cut to score a unanimous decision over Victor Vasquez. In his last bout, Nelson scored eight round unanimous decision over Naim Nelson on December 28th as part of the Tomasz Adamek – Steve Cunningham II card in Bethlehem, Pa.

Kevlishvilli, 31 years old of Philadelphia via Gori, (Republic of) Georgia has a recod of 12-4 with 3 knockouts.

Kevlishvilli turned pro in 2004 and won his first eleven fights in Europe which included a win over undefeated Saichon Sotornpitak (10-0) before losing to Ayup Arsaev (8-0) for the WBC Baltic Featherweight title. Kevlishvilli then came to America and scored a split decision victory over Anthony Flores (9-2-1). He has continued to face top competition such as Ronny Rios (13-0); Casey Ramos (13-0) and in his most recent bout, Kevlishvilli dropped a split decision to Frankie Trader (8-1) on October 10, 2012.

In a eight round co-feature, Jr. Middleweight Harry Joe Yorgey (25-2-1, 12 KO’s) will face an opponent to be named.

In an six round co-feature, Angel Luis Ocasio (7-0-2, 2 KO’s) will take part in a six round Lightweight bout against an opponent to be named.

In a six round Cruiserweight rematch, Elvin Sanchez (5-2-1, 4 KO’s) of Paterson, NJ will take on Jeremy Stauffer (7-2-2, 6 KO’s) of Reading, Pa. Sanchez and Stauffer fought to a four round draw on November 10, 2012.

In a six round Super Featherweight bout, Jason Sosa (8-1-3, 4 KO’s) of Camden NJ will take on an opponent to be named.

In a four round Jr. Welterweight bout, son of the former Heavyweight champ, Tim Witherspoon Jr. (8-3-1, 2 KO’s) takes on Kywayne Hill (1-10, 1 KO) in a rematch of Philadelphian’s. Witherspoon scored a six round unanimous decision over Hill on January 28, 2011.

Travis Thompson (4-9-1, 3 KO’s) of Pottstown, PA will see action in a four round Lightweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Sulthan Staton of Philadelphia will make his pro debut in a four round Lightweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Tickets for this historic evening cost $125 (VIP); $75 (Ringside); $45 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the following locations:

Kings Promotions
440 Elm Street
Reading, PA 19601
610-587-5950

Valley Forge Casino Resort
1160 1st Ave.
King of Prussia, PA 19406
610-768-3288
www.vfboxing.eventbrite.com

Empire Surplus Home Center
2741 Bernville, RD
Leesport, PA 19533
610-926-0500

REVEL BEACH, N.J. (Feb. 13, 2013) –World Series of Fighting announced today that it will deliver a stacked, world-class Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card, headlined by a heavyweight showdown between superstars Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (19-9) of Minsk, Belarus and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-3) of Boca Raton, Fla., at Ovation Hall at Revel in Atlantic City, N.J. on Saturday, March 23, live on NBC Sports Network.

In the bantamweight (135 pounds) co-main event, red-hot 29-year-old star Tyson Nam (12-4) of Portland, Ore. will face off with two-time national Muay Thai champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Marlon Moraes (9-4) of Jupiter, Fla. via Nova Friburgo, Brazil.

Tickets, priced from $39, go on sale at 10 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 15, and will be available for purchase a! t all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000) and at Ticketmaster.com.

“We are excited to bring the World Series of Fighting brand of MMA to Atlantic City, where some of the greatest fights in history have taken place,” said World Series of Fighting President and six-time world kickboxing champion and two-time Hall of Famer, Ray Sefo. “Andrei Arlovski, Anthony Johnson and Marlon Moraes are all coming off superb performances on our inaugural fight card, and Tyson Nam has been on fire of late, so we felt that it was essential to showcase these stars at the top of our first card on the East Coast.”

Also slated for action on the five-bout TV card are welterweight (170 pounds) sensation Josh Burkman (24-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah, who will collide with former UFC star Aaron “A-Train” Simpson (12-4) of Phoenix, Ariz., and former PRIDE Fighting Championships superstar and W! EC champion Paulo Filho (23-4) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who will face off with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt David Branch (11-3) of Brooklyn, N.Y. in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout.

Explosive finisher J.Z. Cavalcante (16-6) of Deerfield Beach, Fla. via Brazil will take on unbeaten, emerging star Justin Gaethje (7-0) of Greeley, Colo. at lightweight (155 pounds).

Coming off his second consecutive victory, a unanimous decision over Mike “300” Hayes on Dec. 16, Arlovski, a 33-year-old, 6-foot-4, former UFC heavyweight champion, shined in the main event of the inaugural World Series of Fighting card on Nov. 3, crumbling fellow power puncher Devin Cole with a barrage of punches in the first round (2:37) of action.

Likewise, the 28-year-old, 6-foot-2 Johnson dominated D.J. “Da Protégé” Linderman in the first-ever World Series of Fighting co-main event, scoring a first roun! d (3:58) KO on Linderman with a punch. The victory was Johnson’s fourth straight.

Nam made waves on Aug. 25 when he pulled off a stunning upset on reigning Bellator Bantamweight Champion Eduardo Dantas, scoring a first round (1:36) KO (punch) on Dantas in a non-title bout in Brazil. Nam will put a four-fight win streak on the line in his World Series of Fighting debut.

The 24-year-old Moraes shocked the world on the first World Series of Fighting card, beating former WEC champion Miguel Torres to the punch repeatedly for the majority of three rounds before being awarded a split decision victory. The win was Moraes’ third straight.

A six-bout preliminary card will be topped by a featherweight (145 pounds) collision between streaking Duke Roufus protégé Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn (12-2) of Milwaukee, Wisc. and undefeated submission specialist Alexandre&rdq! uo;Pulga” Pimentel (12-0) of Rio de Janeiro.

Waylon Lowe (13-4) of Philadelphia, Pa. will square off with Cameron Dollar (11-4) of Colorado Springs, Colo. in a featherweight tilt.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and welterweight upstart Igor Gracie (5-3) of Rio de Janeiro will face an opponent to be announced as will welterweight Ozzy Dugulubgov (3-1) of Hackensack, N.J.

Battle-tested Danillo “Indio” Villefort (13-4) of Coconut Creek, Fla. will square off with a middleweight opponent to be announced.

Additional preliminary card bouts will be announced soon.

Doors at Ovation Hall at Revel will open at 5:30 p.m. EST and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The live NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event will begin at 9:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. PST.

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.MMAWSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT REVEL

Revel is smoke-free and features more than 1,800 rooms with sweeping ocean views. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, the resort houses a 130,000-square-foot casino with more than 2,000 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, electronic tables ! and a Poker Room. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, Revel curates a collection of daylife and nightlife experiences crafted to bring the outside in and the inside out. Indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, and a 32,000-square-foot spa provide guests with a relaxing resort, while an outstanding collection of 14 restaurant concepts from award-wining chefs and restaurateurs, live entertainment featuring marquee acts and international artists, nightclubs, a casino that feels like a theatre and a collection of boutiques in The Row tailor to each guest’s passions. Revel was most recently named one of the Best Hotels in the Northeast by Amtrak’s Arrive magazine and one of the Top 10 Best New Hotels in the U.S. by Gayot.com.

To start your Revel journey, visit www.revelresorts.com. To receive the latest updates on Revel, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and Instagram. Revel is located on the Bo! ardwalk at Revel Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

ABOUT NBC SPORTS NETWORK
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in nearly 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. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown, 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, NFL Turning Point, Caught Looking, NBC Sports Talk, and Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

Team Sauerland is delighted to announce the signing of Swedish amateur star Anthony Yigit. The welterweight will be making his professional debut at Arena Nord in Frederikshavn, Denmark on April 13 as part of Team Sauerland’s Nordic Fight Night. ”I am thrilled to have signed with Team Sauerland,’’ said Yigit. ‘’I cannot wait to make my professional debut on April 13.”

A successful amateur, Yigit travelled to London for the 2012 Olympics defeating Francisco Vargas Ramirez in the first round before losing by a single point to eventual Silver medallist Denys Berinchyk in what many boxing experts described as the best fight of the competition. ”For many athletes, just to qualify for the Olympics is a lifelong dream,” said Yigit. ”When I qualified I knew that I had to show everyone that I was there to compete. I was disappointed to have lost such a close fight but the response for the fight was fantastic and it felt great to have left my mark in this way.”

Now turning professional with Team Sauerland, Yigit explains his reasons for choosing to sign with the German promoters. ”Team Sauerland is well known for taking care of their boxers and I felt that I needed to sign with a promoter that could give me what I need to develop and to be in the best possible shape when I enter the ring. I met Nisse Sauerland and we seemed to have the same idea of what a boxer needs to develop so I am looking forward to work with him.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland shares the young Swede’s enthusiasm. ”Anthony is an extremely talented young boxer and will be a great addition to our Nordic Fight Night series,” said Sauerland. ”As an amateur he has proven himself at both domestic and international level and I am sure he will have no problems making the transition to professional boxing. There are exciting times ahead for Swedish boxing. Erik Skoglund just clinched his 15th win in as many pro fights. There are big things coming up for him. Erik has made the most of the opportunities and platform we have provided, and I´m sure Anthony can follow his path. Together they can lift Swedish boxing to new heights.”

Tickets for Nordic Fight Night at Arena Nord are available at www.arenanord.dk. In the main fights of the evening, Rudy Markussen (38-3, 25 KOs) will be facing Luke Blackledge (12-0-1, 4 KOs), while WBA, WBC and WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (21-0, 5 KOs) will take on American Mia St. John (47-12-2, 18 KOs).

Las Vegas, Nevada –The Ultimate Fighter® returned Tuesday night on FX with the fourth episode of the season – “Sign of Disrespect”. Californians Collin Hart and “King” Kevin Casey collided, with Hart emerging victorious to give Team Jones their first win of the season.

After two rounds Hart, 4-1, from Santa Rosa, claimed a unanimous decision over Hawthorne, California’s Casey, 5-2, a former STRIKEFORCE® fighter.

A full recap is available at ufc.com.

Results after episode four:

Team Sonnen– coached by UFC® light heavyweight Chael Sonnen (2-1)

Luke Barnatt (1-0, TKO win over Gilbert Smith in episode 2)

Uriah Hall (1-0, KOd Adam Cella in episode 3)?

Zak Cummings?

Tor Troeng?

Jimmy Quinlan?

Kevin Casey?(0-1, lost a UD to Collin Hart in episode 4)

Kelvin Gastelum??

Team Jones– coached by UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon Jones (1-2)?

Clint Hester?

Josh Samman?

Bubba McDaniel ?

Gilbert Smith (0-1, TKOd by Luke Barnatt in episode 2)?

Collin Hart?(1-0, defeated Kevin Casey by UD in episode 4)

Adam Cella (0-1, KOd by Uriah Hall in episode 3)?

Dylan Andrews

With the win, Team Jones regains control of the fight pick, matching-up Bubba McDaniel with the youngest man in TUF™ history, Kelvin Gastelum of Team Sonnen.

The series resumes next Tuesday, February 19, on FX at 9 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings for Central and Mountain Time). In that episode – “The Reflection of Perfection” – Actor Mickey Rourke visits Team Sonnen to share insights from his days as a boxer. Coach Jones wonders if a competitor is ready to fight. Then McDaniel and Gastelum meet for the fourth preliminary fight.

For more show information, and your chance to play the TUF Fantasy Tournament, visit ultimatefighter.com and follow us on Twitter @TUFonFX or on Facebook.com/TUF.

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 and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 30 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 2.4 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.

FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series Sons of Anarchy and Justified; the miniseries American Horror Story: Asylum; the upcoming drama series The Americans; the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, BrandX with Russell Brand, and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell; and the upcoming comedy Legit. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX’s other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with UFC and NCAA football.

Heavy-handed slugger Don “Da Bomb” George (24-3-1, 21 KOs) made his debut at middleweight a quick one on Friday, February 1, as he demolished Springfield, Missouri’s James Cook in less than a round at the UIC Pavilion in George’s hometown of Chicago.

The normally durable Cook had gone five rounds with world-class middleweight Andy Lee in his previous fight, but one body shot from George was enough to force him to call it a night.

“At 160 lbs., no one can take my power,” said an enthusiastic George, post-fight. “I was knocking them out at 168, so imagine what’s going to happen when I hit a smaller middleweight on the button. No one at this weight can take my power.”

“Don was a little small at super middleweight, but his power still allowed him to lay out bigger guys. But at middleweight, he’s going to be a force. Gennady Golovkin, Chavez Jr., Quillen, none of these guys could handle what Don George brings at this lower weight. He was the hardest punching and most durable guy in the world at 168. At 160, he’s a nuclear bomb that’s ready to explode,” said George’s co-promoter, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing (along with Domenic Pesoli of 8 Count Productions and Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment).

DiBella and Pesoli, agree.

“Donovan was one of the hardest punching and most exciting fighters in the 168-lb. division. Now, fighting at his proper weight of 160 lbs., Donovan will immediately become a serious force to be reckoned with,” said DiBella.

“Over the course of his career, Donovan has shown an uncommon will to win and with the move down to 160, we expect that he will be able to compete with any of the top middleweights in the world,” added Pesoli. “We expect to see a stronger Donovan at 160 which should greatly enhance his opportunities at the world-class level.”

February 12, 2013 – Puerto Rico’s undefeated lightweight sensation, Jorge “Machito” Maysonet, Jr. (10-0, 9 KO’s) returns to the ring February 23, 2013 at the Cosme Beitia Salamo Coliseum in Cataño, Puerto Rico.

Maysonet’s opponent is fellow Boricua Pedro Salcedo (3-5, 2 KOs), a fighter who has never been knocked out, and has fought undefeated fighters José Pedraza ( 11-0, 7 KO’s ) and Emmanuel Rodríguez ( 11-0, 7 KO’s ), among others.

“Salcedo is a good opponent, and I plan to be the first to knock him out,” said Maysonet. “Finally I’m fighting in front of my people of Cataño, that’s a step every boxer dreams about. The training has been very intense and I will prove on fight night that I am one of the top lightweight fighters in the world.”

Maysonet’s last fight was on October 26, 2012 in Puerto Rico, where he defeated one of the most evaded warriors in Puerto Rico, Ramesis Gil (8-4-5, 5 KO’s), who had a spectacular 2012 with victories over former undefeated fighters Carney Bowman (16-1, 7 KO’s) and Luis Joel González (9-1-1, 5 KO’s). Both fights were decision victories.

As an amateur standout, Maysonet Jr., amassed a record of 140 wins with only 10 defeats, winning various local tournaments like the José Barrientos and the José “Cheo” Aponte competitions. In professional boxing, all Maysonet’s knockouts have come in the very first round.

Maysonet Jr. is a member of “Team Puerto Rico”, a collaboration between Gary Shaw Productions, Universal Promotions, Di Bella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing. Their goal is to gather Puerto Rico’s best boxing talent.

Adrien Broner, WBC Lightweight World Champion

“What can I say? I’m 23 [years old]. I’m young and I’m getting it.

“I don’t underestimate him [Rees]. If we stood face-to-face, I probably couldn’t see him, but I respect him as a fighter.

“I respect every fighter because only a boxer knows what we go through once we get into that ring.

“Training camp was great. We don’t watch tape. I’ve never seen him [Rees] fight before.

“They took away my Twinkies during this camp. [Referring to Hostess going out of business.]

“He [Rees] is a former champion at light welterweight. He’s coming down in weight so he is used to getting hit by strong fighters.

“I am not about to miss the boulder on this man’s shoulders. He is going to be there all night or until I put him to sleep.

“We are going to be eating ice cream in no time.

“This is going to be a fun year for me. I’m not looking past this fight, but I’m ready to fight whoever. We’re going to take care of business Saturday night.

“To this day, right now, I could literally leave boxing and be like, ‘I did more than anybody in my family ever did.’ I could provide for my kids and my family, but I’m not going to settle for that. I’m trying to be the best boxer to ever lace up a pair of gloves. That’s my goal.

“I have my own legacy. Everybody has their own legacy. Who knows? Maybe I go all the way up to 154 and win a championship. I know I could do it.

“Put your glasses on because I am going to shine [Saturday night]. Hook, right, goodnight.”

Gavin Rees, Former World Champion

“I’m going to knock this [expletive] out Saturday night and I can’t wait.

“His attitude stinks man. He shows fighters no respect, but he hasn’t even earned the right to do that. What has he done? I’ve been in the States for five weeks now and American boxing fans don’t like him. They tell me they hope I beat him and shut him up. I think he acts like a fool for no reason and no one really likes that.

“Who has he fought? I’ve seen his fights and half of those guys just stood in front of him letting him dictate the pace of the fight. I’m not going to let him do that. This is the first fight that I have trained away from home because I’m going to show him I’m no walk in the park.

“I’ve never been stopped. I can take him out in the first round, but I am ready to go into deep water if I have to. Ether way, I have trained hard and will be ready to dictate the pace of the fight and not let him get away with a lot of what other fighters have let him do.

“I have to watch for his right uppercut which he throws from down low, but he’s not the best on his feet either. Work rate is going to be important.”

David Itskowitch, COO of Golden Boy Promotions

“Adrien Broner’s last fight in Atlantic City was a great success. We raised close to $50,000 for Hurricane Sandy relief.

“Adrien [Broner] is known for rapping himself into the ring and getting his hair brushed before his interviews, but he is also one of the hardest working fighters you will ever see. There are no days off for Adrien Broner.”

Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Boxing

“This is a huge opportunity for Gavin. Adrien is a great champion.

“Gavin accepted this fight in one and a half nano seconds before even seeing the purse.

“We’re extremely confident that we are going to have a massive upset on Saturday night.”

# # #

Broner vs. Rees, a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBC Lightweight World Championship will take place Saturday, February 16 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, R & R Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City and Corona and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

After the fallout of the Jonathon Banks – Seth Mitchell co-feature for this Saturday’s HBO World Championship boxing card featuring WBC Lightweight champion Adrien Broner battling Gavin Rees, HBO has decided iy will air the WBC Super Middleweight elimination bout between Sakio Bika and Nikola Sjekloca according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I think it’s terrific,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. “It is a fight which I was hoping get televised anyway and I didn’t have a spot, but the fight had to happen [because it’s an official eliminator] so we put it on the card and it wasn’t going to be televised. Bika is a come-forward guy who makes good fights and my matchmakers tell me that Sjekloca is an exciting come-forward guy as well, so it should be a terrific fight and I am happy HBO is picking it up.”

The winner of the fight is due to become a mandatory challenger for super middleweight champion Andre Ward, already an owner of a lopsided decision win against Bika, who has won two fights in a row since that defeat.

“Obviously, since HBO is deeply invested in the 168-pound weight class, I feel this is the right spot for this fight to air,” Schaefer added.

PLUS CHARLES WHITTAKER VS. DEMETRIUS HOPKINS,

VICENTE ESCOBEDO VS. EDNER CHERRY AND

2012 UNITED STATES OLYMPIANS RAU’SHEE WARREN AND

JAMEL HERRING SET FOR UNDERCARD

ATLANTIC CITY, February 13 – After a broken thumb forced Johnathon Banks to withdraw from his February 16 rematch with Seth Mitchell, Golden Boy Promotions has announced that a pivotal 12-round WBC super middleweight title eliminator between unbeaten number one rated contender Nikola Sjekloca and number two rated contender Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika will move into the HBO World Championship Boxing co-main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey before Adrien Broner defends his world title against Gavin Rees.

Plus, the stacked non-televised undercard will feature a USBA Junior Middleweight title fight between Charles Whittaker and Demetrius Hopkins, a junior lightweight bout pitting Vicente Escobedo against Edner Cherry and appearances by 2012 United States Olympians Rau’Shee Warren and Jamel Herring.

Budva, Montenegro’s Nikola Sjekloca (25-0, 7 KO’s) is a skilled boxer whose long hours in the gym and the ring are finally starting to pay off as he makes his way to the ring in Atlantic City for his first fight in the United States. A professional since 2006, the 34-year-old Sjekloca has been dominant while fighting in Europe, winning the WBC International and WBC Mediterranean titles along the way. His quest won’t be complete until he adds a world title to his resume and a win over Bika will put him one win away from that goal.

A punishing puncher whose aggressive style has stopped 21 foes in their tracks, 33-year-old Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (30-5-2, 21 KO’s) has been among the best in the world for years, with the only thing eluding him being a world championship belt. A 2000 Olympian for Cameroon who also won NBC’s hit boxing reality show “The Contender” in 2007, Bika’s list of vanquished opponents includes Sam Soliman, Jaidon Codrington and Peter Manfredo Jr. The winner of two straight and coming off of a 10th round technical knockout over Dyah Davis last June, Bika is fired up for his February 16 showdown with Sjekloca.

Back in a fighting rhythm after a layoff of over a year, Philadelphia’s Demetrius “The Gladiator” Hopkins (32-2-1, 12 KO’s) has looked sharp in his new weight class of 154 pounds, shutting out Doel Carrasquillo and stopping Joshua Snyder in his first two fights in the division. However, the truest test of his ability to challenge the elite at junior middleweight thus far will come on February 16 when he meets up with Miami’s Charles Whittaker (39-13-2, 23 KO’s). A hard-hitting late bloomer who has won 15 of his last 16 bouts, the 39-year-old Whittaker will push Hopkins hard for 12 rounds if necessary in defense of his USBA Junior Middleweight title, but the “Killa” would love to end matters sooner than that.

2004 United States Olympian Vicente Escobedo (26-4, 15 KO’s) will make his first start since a July 2012 title fight loss to Adrien Broner on Saturday night and the 31-year-old Woodland, California native can’t wait to score a win and get back on track for another shot at a world championship. Standing in his way will be Miami veteran Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry (30-6-2, 16 KO’s), a former world title challenger at 140 pounds whose return to his optimum weight class of junior lightweight has seen him go unbeaten in his last seven bouts.

Three-Time United States Olympian Rau’shee Warren (2-0) has left the amateur game behind as he searches for professional gold and he’s off to a good start thus far wins in both of his bouts. On February 16, the bantamweight prospect will join his fellow Cincinnati native Adrien Broner on one of the most highly-anticipated cards of the year in a four-round battle against Wharton, Texas’ Richard Hernandez (0-5).

Rockville Centre, New York’s Jamel Herring (1-0) proudly represented the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and after his professional debut win over Puerto Rico’s Jose Valderrama on December 8, the lightweight prospect will seek his second victory the weekend against Carlos Lopez (4-2) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a four-round.

In lightweight action, Toledo’s Robert Easter Jr. (2-0, 2 KO’s) will meet up with the aforementioned Valderrama (3-3, 3 KO’s) from Manati, Puerto Rico in a four-round fight and opening up the show will be Philadelphia’s Wahid Rahim (3-0, 1 KO) facing Allentown, Pennsylvania’s Ismael Serrano who will be making his professional debut.

Broner vs. Rees, a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBC Lightweight World Championship will take place Saturday, February 16 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, R & R Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City and Corona and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The co-main event will be a 12-round WBC super middleweight title eliminator between undefeated number one rated contender Nikola Sjekloca and number two rated contender Sakio Bika

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/AdrienBroner,www.twitter.com/ChenteEscobedo, www.twitter.com/RausheeWarren, www.twitter.com/RobertEaster_Jr, www.twitter.com/JamelHerring, www.twitter.com/BoardwalkHall and www.twitter.com/HBOboxing, follow the conversation using #BronerRees or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/HBOboxing.

According to Dan Rafael of esp.com IBF Bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz will relinquish his title and begin campaigning as a Super Bantamweight

We knew Leo was going to vacate,” said Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer, Santa Cruz’s promoter. “He felt there were no more challenges in that weight class and he felt it was time to move up for new challenges.

“We get together and discuss with our fighters where they are and where they want to be. That’s what we’ve done with Leo and his team — his father and (adviser) Al (Haymon). We felt, jointly, that it made sense for Leo to move up.”

“Leo had a very busy year and it was important for his body to rest after he was so active, so we said let’s target a ring return for sometime in May,” Schaefer said.

“For the first fight at the higher weight class, we want to pick a quality opponent and we see in the next two or so fights that Leo will be fighting for a world title again,” Schaefer said. “He didn’t move up to do tune-up fights.

“We will have to see what is available for him for a big fight, but we believe as a company that, in no particular order, Leo Santa Cruz, (Nonito) Donaire, Abner Mares, (Guillermo) Rigondeaux and Gary Russell Jr. are the best guys in these (junior featherweight and featherweight) weight classes, and we are not afraid to put Leo in with anyone.”

LONGMONT, CO (February 12, 2013) “WARRIORS CONQUEST II”, a sensational evening of combat sports will be held this Saturday night, FEBRUARY 16 at The Longmont Athletic Club in Longmont, Colorado.

Advance tickets for “WARRIORS CONQUEST II”, priced at $45, $35 and $25, may be purchased by calling 720-296-6176 or 303-772-4700. The Longmont Athletic Club is located at 10 Mountain View in Longmont, Colorado. Doors on the night of the event will open at 6pm MT with the first bell set for 7pm MT.

Headlining the professional boxing portion of the event is an eight round welterweight grudge match between hometown fan favorite, Raul Carrillo, 10-1-0 (6KO’s) and cross-state rival Cesar Holguin, 9-3-1 (3KO’s), of Grand Junction, Colorado.

Carrillo is returning to action following a sensational six round shut out decision win over Josh Torres on JUNE 30 in Longmont, Colorado.

Holguin charges into battle with Carrillo following a seven round majority draw with Corey Alarcon on OCTOBER 29 in Sheridan, Colorado.

In the co-main event of the professional boxing portion, popular Colorado native son John Grimaldo, 8-2-0 (5KO’s) will clash with Denver based road-warrior Juan Santiago, 13-9-1 (8KO’s) in a six round welterweight tilt.

Grimaldo makes his highly anticipated return following an eight-month break which was precluded by a foul filled loss to undefeated Canadian prospect Mikael Zewski on JUNE 9, 2012 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Also on the professional boxing side of the event, a special feature attraction five round cruiserweight clash will take place between San Diego’s Carlos Raul Ibarra, 8-3-1 (4KO’s) and Michael Glenn, 2-5-2 (1KO) of Hutchinson, Kansas.

In an additional five round junior welterweight battle, Marcos Herrera, 6-9-1 (2KO’s) of Arvada, Colorado will challenge Dora Ana, New Mexico’s Daniel Calzada, 6-6-2 (1KO).

Welterweight newcomers will see action on Saturday night as Las Vegas, Nevada’s Lynel Burton, 0-1-0, will clash with Rene Marquez, 1-0-0 (1KO), of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Rounding out the professional boxing portion, pro debuting featherweight David Escamilla of Denver, Colorado, will square Jose Pacheco, 0-2-0 of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Two exciting amateur kickboxing bouts will open the evening with 165 pounders as Noe Escobar clashes with Allen Davis. A women’s bout will also be part of the action as Mickey Leyba faces Desiree Gutierrez in the 125lb division.

The Official Public Weigh-In will take place at 5pm MT on Friday, FEBRUARY 15 at Deli Cioso Mexican Restaurant, 1217 Main Street in Longmont.

Tacoma, WA (February 12, 2013) – Halquist Productions and the Emerald Queen Casino are geared up for fight night as CageSport sets up for their 23rd show in Tacoma on Saturday, February 16th. Fans are anticipating a night of great fights to start the 2013 season after a huge 2012. Many local debuts are scheduled throughout the night along with two title fights featuring the Northwest’s most exciting fighters headlining the card.

“The excitement surrounding the show is incredible. CageSport was sold out a week in advance and we’re looking forward to CageSport XXIII being the best CageSport that fans have ever seen,” said promoter, Brian Halquist.

In the main event, recently crowned Drew Brokenshire (6-2), from Tacoma, WA, will take on Oregon native and MMA veteran, Enoch Wilson (16-8-2) in his first attempt to defend his CageSport Featherweight Title. Brokenshire defeated the previous champion, Julian Erosa (9-1), at CageSport XXII. Another large fan base is expected to show up to the Emerald Queen Casino on the 16th to support Brokenshire in what may be his toughest match yet.

The semi-main event will feature lots of power as Brent Knopp (3-0) and Darrio Mobley (2-2) will battle it out for the vacant CageSport Middleweight Title. This will be a rematch for Knopp and Mobley as they fought each other at CageSport XX. After losing the 1st round, Knopp roared back in the 2nd round and overwhelmed Mobley with monster punches causing the referee to stop the fight.

Knopp will also have lots of fan support throughout the showroom as he will bring the well-respected AMC Pankration crew and fan base down from Kirkland, WA.

Along with two premier title fights, CageSport will also feature nine fighters making their professional MMA debut including a much anticipated female bout between Sarah Lagerstrom and Thea Wolfe.

Other bouts include: Daniel Atnip (0-1) vs. Aaron Martin (deb), Steve Simpson (deb) vs. Alfonso Gonzales (deb), Chaz Jordan (deb) vs. Freddie Baumann (0-1), Eric Ramsey (deb) vs. Michael Ross (deb), Dex Montenegro (1-1) vs. Jorge Alba (0-1), and Montrez Tinson (deb) vs. Chris Roman (1-1). One additional bout will be announced shortly.

Halquist Productions has built a strong brand of combative sports in the Northwest’s by putting on the only all professional MMA promotion in the Northwest along with having the longest running boxing series (The Battle at the Boat) at any tribal casino throughout the United States. Numerous fights have fought on a CageSport card and have signed on to national promotions such as: UFC, Bellator, and StrikeForce. For more information on CageSport XXIII and all other Halquist Production events, please visit www.halquistproductions.com

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (February 12, 2013) — Top Rank® announced today that former Olympian and future boxing superstar JOSE RAMÍREZ inked a deal that will have him wearing Nike footwear and apparel.

Jose will wear branded Ramírez apparel, including robe, trunks, and training gear as well as the shirts the fighter’s cornermen will wear for his fights.

“Nike is a tier-one brand alignment for athletes and it speaks to Nike’s evaluation of Jose’s talents that he was signed to such a deal so early in his professional career,” said Lucia McKelvey, Top Rank’s executive vice president of new media and marketing. “Top Rank is proud to develop the world’s next generation of boxing stars, while making resources available, such as apparel deals, to accelerate their careers and marketing value.”

Ramírez (1-0, 1 KO), a highly-decorated Méxican-American amateur sensation, was considered the crown jewel of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. Hailing from Avenal, Calif., Ramírez, 20, who began boxing when he was 8, surpassed multi-division world champions Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley to become USA Boxing’s all-time lightweight record holder. The former No. 1-rated amateur lightweight in the U.S., Ramírez’s amateur resume boasts 145 victories and 11 National titles. His trophy case glistens with gold including: U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion (2012), National Champion (2010-2011), Junior Olympic National Champion (2010-2011) and USA Boxing National Champion (2011.) Campaigning as a junior welterweight, Ramírez made his professional debut on December 8 on the undercard of the 2012 Fight of the Year, Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez 4 in Las Vegas, knocking out Corey Seigwarth in the first round.

Ramírez is scheduled to return to the ring on February 23 and March 30, in Los Angeles and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, respectively.

WHAT: ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS

Presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing

WHEN: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013

WHO: Junior Middleweights (157)-Ten Rounds

Delvin Rodriguez, 26-6-3 (14KO’s), Danbury, CT vs.

George Tahdooahnippah, 31-0-1 (23KO’s), Lawton, OK

Junior Lightweights-Ten Rounds

Bayan Jargal, 17-3-3 (11KO’s), Arlington, VA vs.

Chris Howard, 14-2-1 (6KO’s), Crossville, TN

Female Welterweights-Eight Rounds

Aleksandra Lopes, 8-1-0 (1KO), Quincy, MA vs.

Addy Irrizarry, 8-6-0 (2KO’s), Hartford,

Junior Middleweights-Four Rounds

Enver Halili, 2-0-0 (1KO), New York City, NY vs.

Antonio Marrero, 0-0-0 (1NC), Hartford, CT

Super Middleweights-Four Rounds

Tylon Burris, 4-0-0 (3KO’s), Hartford, CT vs.

Marlon Farr, 2-1 Tampa, FL

Junior Lightweights-Four Rounds

Bryant Cruz, 1-0-0 (1KO), Yonkers, NY vs.

Pedro Andres, 0-2-0, Bridgeton, NJ

Heavyweights-Four Rounds

Constantin Bejenaru, 2-1-1 (2KO’s), Catskill, NY vs.

DJ Hughley, 1-7-0 (1KO), Augusta,

WHERE: MOHEGAN SUN

1 Mohegan Sun Blvd.

Uncasville, CT, 06382

888-226-7711

Doors 6:30pm, First Bell 7:30pm

T ELEVISION: ESPN2 FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
Live Telecast ESPN2 9:00pm ET

Tickets priced at $75, $45 and $30 (plus a $5 facility fee), are available through Ticketmaster, www.Ticketmaster.comphone (800) 745-3000, the Mohegan Sun Box Office, the Star Boxing website, www.StarBoxing.com or by calling the Star Boxing Office at (718) 823-2000.

MEDIA CONTACTS

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Bernie Bahrmasel

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TOTOWA, NJ (February 12, 2013) – Casual boxing fans might look at the heavyweight division today and think that to be a champion a boxer must be pushing seven feet tall. However hardcore enthusiasts understand that size isn’t the only quality that matters in boxing’s biggest division. In fact, many fight followers will tell you that the average-sized big men are the real killers among heavyweights.

There’s an old adage of the sport that states, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall”. Until recently, this saying certainly was the case. Throughout the history of boxing, some of the heavyweights with the biggest reputations were not in the same league, height-wise, as the current crop of boxing behemoths.

Ring kings like Joe Louis, Sonny Liston and Larry Holmes all barely broke the six-foot mark, while Mike Tyson, Rocky Marciano, and Joe Frazier were less than six feet tall. Evander Holyfield, always considered relatively small, ruled the heavyweight roost after moving up from the cruiserweight division. Holyfield not only gathered titles and monster paydays during the 1990s, he saved a slumping heavyweight division at a time when giants like George Foreman, Riddick Bowe and Buster Douglas roamed the earth.

Today is no different. Although the biggest-ever heavyweights in history are currently in charge of the weight class, the boxing world shouldn’t look for someone bigger to defeat them. The new savior of the division just has to be better.

Kathy Duva, Main Events CEO, recalls, “When Holyfield fought Douglas, all but one boxing writer from Evander’s home town picked Douglas to win the fight because he was so much bigger. As we all remember, Evander knocked the bigger man out in the third round to win the heavyweight title that night-a title which he defended successfully against many bigger men. As Evander said and went on to prove many times, ‘It’s not the size of the man that matters. It’s the size of his heart.'”

Next week one of the emerging young lions among heavyweights, Czar Glazkov, 14-0, 10 KOs, brings his exciting, hard-punching style to the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, NY on February 23rd. Czar takes on Malik Scott, 35-0, 12 KOs, in the 10-round main event of the latest edition of FIGHT NIGHT on NBC Sports Network. The telecast begins at 10:30PM ET.

At 6’ 3″, Czar is a “smaller” heavyweight, compared to the dominant Klitschko brothers who currently reside at the top of the heap. However, Glazkov brings a devastating punch and a crowd-pleasing style that could make him a true star of the sport.

Of course, he’ll first have to handle Scott, an undefeated Philadelphian, before moving up in the rankings, but Czar has the credentials to do it. He was an accomplished amateur who won numerous international titles before building his undefeated streak as a pro.

In his last outing, Czar halted the touted prospect Tor Hamer after just four rounds. The impressive win on national TV earned Glazkov a legion of new fans that began buzzing that he might be the one to inject new blood into the sagging heavyweight division. With a little more seasoning and a few choice opportunities, Czar very well may prove himself to be another “Giant Destroyer”, just like Holyfield.

# # #

ABOUT FEBRUARY 23 FIGHTS

The February 23rd card is promoted by Main Events, Star Boxing and Goossen Tutor.

Tickets priced at $200, $150, $125 $100 and $50 (standing room) can be purchased through Star Boxing 718-823-200, www.starboxing.com, Paramount Box office 631-673-7300, Ticketmaster 1-800-745-3000 or www.Ticketmaster.com .

Seven bouts are planned for the February 23 card to be held at The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington, NY.

SOCIAL MEDIA INFO

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BROOKLYN (February 12) – The co-main event to the Bernard Hopkins vs. Tavoris Cloud IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship on Saturday, March 9 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn is set as undefeated Florida knockout artist Keith “One Time” Thurman and former World Champion Jan “Mr. Sympathicus” Zaveck will do battle in a 12-round bout for Zaveck’s WBO Intercontinental Welterweight Championship, which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing.

“I’ve been patiently waiting for my time,” said Thurman. “That time is March 9 and I’m going to go through Zaveck and then get my title shot. This is my year, no question about it and I’m going to let the world know it.”

“I miss having a championship belt around my waist and this is the next step to getting it back,” said Zaveck, who held the IBF welterweight title for nearly two years from 2009 to 2011. “Thurman is a talented young fighter, but my experience will be my ticket to victory on March 9. Nobody can stop me on my way back to the world title.”

“Keith Thurman is the definition of an exciting fighter,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “He is on the fast track to a world championship, but first he has to get past a very tough customer in Jan Zaveck on March 9 which will be no easy task.”

With a 95 percent knockout ratio, Clearwater, Florida’s Keith “One Time” Thurman (19-0, 18 KO’s) has become a wildly popular fighter over the last few years. A former amateur star with over 100 wins to his name, Thurman turned pro in 2007 and he has been knocking opponents out ever since. The owner of nine first round knockouts, the 24-year-old dispatched all of his foes in 2012 including then-unbeaten Brandon Hoskins, respected contender Orlando Lora, and former World Champion Carlos Quintana. Now he looks forward to imposing his knockout will on Zaveck and setting himself up for a world title shot later in the year.

A native of Slovenia, now fighting out of Magdeburg, Germany, 36-year-old Jan Zaveck (32-2, 18 KO’s) has long been a top welterweight, winning several regional titles in Europe before stopping Isaac Hlatshwayo in three rounds in December of 2009 to win the IBF Welterweight World Championship. Zaveck successfully defended his crown three times before losing it to Andre Berto in September of 2011 in a pitched battle, but a March 2012 win over Bethuel Ushona, putting Zaveck right back in title contention. He will stop at nothing to secure a victory on March 9 to earn a shot at becoming a world champion once again.

Hopkins vs. Cloud, a 12-round fight for Cloud’s IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, March 9 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Don King Productions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Ford. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $85, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/THEREALBHOP, www.twitter.com/TavorisCloud, www.twitter.com/BarclaysCenter and www.twitter.com/HBOboxing, follow the conversation using #HopkinsCloud and #BrooklynBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/HBOboxing.

About Barclays Center

Barclays Center opened on September 28, 2012, and is a major sports and entertainment venue in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Developed by Brooklyn-based real estate developer Forest City Ratner Companies, and designed by the award-winning architectural firms AECOM (www.aecom.com/architecture) and SHoP Architects (www.shoparc.com), Barclays Center has one of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multi-purpose arena, with unparalleled sightlines and first-class amenities. Barclays Center offers 17,732 seats for basketball, 14,500 seats for hockey and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and has 101 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, four clubs, and 40/40 CLUB & Restaurant by American Express.

In addition to Barclays, the naming rights partner, Founding Partners for Barclays Center include American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; American Express; Calvin Klein; Cushman & Wakefield; EmblemHealth; Foxwoods Resort Casino; GEICO; MetroPCS; Stolichnaya; and Ticketmaster. Other sponsors include: adidas, Anheuser-Busch, The Coca-Cola Company, Haier America, High Point Solutions, JetBlue, LIU Brooklyn, New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, SONY, and Willis.

Located atop one of the largest transportation hubs in New York City, Barclays Center is accessible by 11 subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and 11 bus lines.

It won´t be a walk in the park. When Arthur Abraham (36-3, 28 KOs) defends his WBO Super-Middleweight Title at the GETEC-Arena in Magdeburg, Germany on March 23, he enters the Lion´s Den. The man aiming to take King Arthur´s belt away is Robert Stieglitz (43-3, 24 KOs), who will more or less have home advantage. Abraham dethroned Stieglitz on August 25 at the o2 World in Berlin. “That fight was in my own backyard”, said Abraham. Now the pair will meet again in Stieglitz´s backyard.

The first showdown took place at today´s press conference in Magdeburg. “I didn’t lose the belt, I just borrowed it. I had a bad day back in August,” said the former champion. Of course the 31-year-old wants to use this rematch to win back the WBO Title. Abraham on the other hand displayed a very relaxed attitude but did promise the fans a real battle. “I am twice as motivated now that Robert wants to win back the title. All I will say is that this fight will turn out to be a war.” His prediction: “I will keep the belt.”

Stieglitz´s coach Dirk Dzemski is hoping that his prodigy will be able to stick to his game plan come March 23. On the other hand Abraham´s trainer Ulli Wegner is looking forward to the big fight night in Magdeburg. This is the same place where he celebrated some great victories with Sven Ottke. “It is great to be back home. The only obligation we have is to keep the title.”

Kalle Sauerland is also expecting a thrilling encounter: “The rematch might be even better and more dramatic than the first fight – we might even get to witness a KO.”

Tickets for the big fight night at the GETEC-Arena in Magdeburg, Germany can be purchased at www.eventim.de as well as www.boxen.com and www.sesboxing.de.

The Media and General Public are invited to the official weigh-in for Hitz Boxing’s “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” event.

The official weigh-in will be held at 5 pm on the casino floor in The Sixth Street Sports Bar, inside the Hammond Horseshoe Casino (777 Casino Center Drive, Hammond, IN). All fighters involved, all promoters and organizers will be available for interviews and photos.

The next night, on Friday, February 15, “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” will be held at The Venue inside the Hammond Horseshoe Casino.

The main event will feature the rematch of an explosive war held last November at the very same venue, as Chicago (via Lithuania) middleweight Donatas Bondorovas (16-3-1, 5 KOs) will once again face Evansville, Indiana’s “King” David Thomas (10-3-2, 8 KOs) in an eight-round battle.

In their first encounter, Bondorovas had to get off the floor and survive several shaky moments before storming back to win via a come-from-behind (and some would say early) stoppage in round two. Plenty of doubt remains and both fighters are eager to do it again and prove their superiority once and for all.

Several Chicagoland favorites are scheduled to appear in supporting bouts including Chicago’s red-hot undefeated Dimar “Strongman” Ortuz (7-0, 5 KOs), who will go six rounds in the cruiserweight division. Ortuz is coming off back-to-back sensational victories at the Horseshoe over then-undefeated opponents Donta Woods and Terry Martin.

Also returning for a six-rounder is wildly popular Chicago super middleweight prospect Mike “Hollywood” Jimenez (8-0, 5 KOs), who is fresh off his very impressive stoppage of former world title challenger Antwun Echols last November at the Horseshoe. Jimenez will fight twice this month and is looking to have a breakout year in 2013.

In matches already finalized, Hammond, Indiana’s own heavyweight powerhouse David Martin III (6-0-1, 5 KOs) is coming back for a six-rounder against Chicago tough guy Felix Abner (3-2, 2 KOs); and 21-year-old Rockford, Illinois, lightweight Anthony Linenfelser (3-3, 3 KOs) will bring his brand of excitement to bear against explosive Chicago native Russell “Rocky” Fiore (6-2-1, 6 KOs) in a four-rounder.

Popular locals also featured in four-round fights will be junior welterweight Genaro Mendez (5-1-1, 3 KOs); pro super flyweight and former National Jr. Olympic Champion Johnny “WiteBoi” Determan (5-0, 4 KOs) from Nebraska, as well as the other heavily decorated Chicago-based amateur he is on a collision course with: 21-year-old super flyweight prospect Adan Ortiz (5-0, 4 KOs); welterweight “Irish” Jimmy Murphy (1-0, 1 KO) and the second fight of welterweight Nick Ramirez (0-0-1).

All opponents not specified will be announced shortly.

The high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make their boxing shows a Las Vegas-style night of boxing that Chicago-area fans don’t have to get on a plane to enjoy.
The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities — and is just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago.

Tickets are priced at $90 Ringside & $40 Orchestra and available at all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.

On fight night, doors open 6:30 pm and the action starts at 7:30.

All bouts are subject to change.