Victor Ortiz has been tabbed to take on WBC Super Welterweight champion Saul Alvarez provided he wins his June 23rd fight with Josesito Lopez.

“These are two young fighters in the prime of their careers fighting each other,” Said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said of the match.

Should Ortiz lose or be unavailable for the September 15 bout, Schaefer has an unknown Plan B.

“We have contingency plans in place, which we have worked out with Showtime, because you never know what will happen,” Schaefer said. “Of course, Josesito Lopez would be part of those contingency plans.”

Golden Boy Owner Oscar De la Hoya Said: “This fight June 23 does concern me because Josesito Lopez is no walk in the park. It’s a huge opportunity for him and it puts more pressure on Victor Ortiz to go out there and prove he deserves to be in the same ring with Canelo Alvarez. This June 23 fight is very important and people are expecting a very difficult and tough fight at the Staples Center.”

“Victor is the kind of guy who wants to fight everyone,” Schaefer said. “He mentioned to us that he wanted to fight Canelo. That was always something on his mind and when the opportunity presented itself he jumped on it and he knows he needs to win (on June 23). Josesito Lopez also knows what’s at stake.”

“Canelo Alvarez is one of the most entertaining and charismatic fighters in the sport and there’s nobody better to headline the card on Mexican Independence Day,” Said Showtime Sports CEO Steven Espinoza. “Canelo is one of the biggest superstars in Mexico and we have full confidence he will develop into one in the United States.”

“That is the kind of relationship we look forward to developing with Canelo,” Espinoza said.

“After this weekend, we wanted to put together a fight card where we can leave the judges at home,” Schaefer said. “‘Knockout Kings’ is the perfect title. Every fight we put on TV, even off TV, there should be no judges needed.”

“Sept. 15 (I hope) you can leave you’re scorecards at home. (I hope) you won’t need them,” said Schaefer, adding that the card would also be available in movie theaters around the country like most of his company’s major pay-per-view cards.

John Lennox 228 ½ – Rodricka Ray 224
Tommy Rainone 153 ½ – Fitzgerald Johnson 157
Lavarn Harvell 175 – Brian Donahue 175
Anthony Young 147 – Christian Steele 143

Promoter: Gabe Laconte’s First Round Promotions & Greg Cohen Promotions
Venue: Robert Treat Hotel
1st Bell: 7:30 pm est

NBC Sports Network’s second installment of Fight Night 36 premieres tomorrow night with a look at Heavyweight contender, Eddie Chambers as he prepares for his big fight against Tomasz Adamek on June 16th.

NBC’s Fight Night 36 follows Chambers as he leaves his home environment for the first time and trains at the legendary Kronk gym in Detroit. Cameras capture Chambers as he works, trains for the fight and even has a little fun. During a moment that only Fight Night 36 could capture, cameras travel with Chambers to a local hotdog stand in Detroit where he takes a break from his strict diet and forces himself to take one bite of a hotdog.

Fight Night 36 is a collaboration of NBC Sports and P3 Entertainment.

NBC Sports Network

“Fight Night 36: Eddie Chambers” Air Dates

TV-PG

Upcoming Air Times for “Fight Night 36: Eddie Chambers”

June 13, 9:00 PM
June 14, 9:30 AM
June 14, 7:30 PM
June 15, 9:00 AM
June 15, 11:00 PM
June 16, 6:00 PM
June 16, 8:30 PM
June 17, 11:00 PM

FIGHT INFO: The June 16th NBC Sports Network Fight Night card at Newark’s Prudential Center features Tomasz Adamek vs. Eddie Chambers. Co-featured on the card will be Bryant Jennings vs. Steve Collins, Garrett, Indiana, 25-1,18 KO’s. The NBCSN broadcast will begin at 9PM ET. The card is presented by Main Events in association with Peltz Boxing, Ziggy Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotions.

Tickets priced at $254 ringside, $104, $79, and $54 available through Ticketmaster: online at www.ticketmaster.com; Charge-by-phone: 1-800-745-3000; Ticketmaster Express 866-448-7849; and Ticketmaster ticket centers. Tickets are also available at Prudential Center’s Box Office and www.prucenter.com.

NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE (All Times ET)

Saturday, June 16, 9-11 pm – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

Friday, September 21, 9-11pm – Site TBA
Saturday, December 8, 9-11 pm – Site TBA

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

Tweet the link to NBC Sports Network Fight Night channel finder: bit.ly/175UuU
Twitter: #FightNight
Twitter: @main_events @NBCSN
Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing facebook.com/NBCSports

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY (June 12, 2012)—This Wednesday night at The Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, Heavyweight John Lennox will see action in a six round bout against Rodricka Ray while Welterweight Anthony “Juice” Young will take on Christian Steele in a four round bout.

The card, which is headlined by Richard Pierson taking Aaron Mitchell in an eight round bout from the WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight title, is promoted by Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions.

Lennox of Cartet, New Jersey is riding four fight winning streak and has pushed his record to 10-1 with five knockouts.

Ray of Jackson, Tennessee has a record of 3-5-1 with one knockout.

“John is in great condition for this fight”, said Lennox & Young’s manager Rich Masini

“John’s trainer Ray McCline has been telling me how sharp John is looking and we know that Ray is a durable guy as he has fought six undefeated guys and went the distance with Maurice Byarm so we expect a great performance on Wednesday night.”

“With a win here, we have an opportunity to compete in the WBC World Cup that is a four tiered tournament that will create a top contender for the world title but first we have to take care of business on Wednesday”

Young of Atlantic City has been perfect as he is 4-0 with two knockouts.

“Juice is a once in a lifetime, blue chip prospect and he is born to be a champion”, said Masini.

“Not often does a manager get to manage a kid with this kind of ability that “Juice” has”

Steele of Staunton, VA has a record of 2-3 with one knockout and is coming off a first round knockout in his last bout.

“We expect Steele to bring his best”, continued Masini

In his last bout, Young had to come off the canvas and gut out a hard fought decision over Jose Javier Calderon on April 27th in Atlantic City.

“Anthony showed tremendous heart in his last bout as he had the adversity of being knocked down and cut. He not only dropped Calderon in the next round but he came down the stretch and dominated the last couple rounds. Anybody can perform in prosperous times but a true champ performs in adverse conditions.”

“John and “Juice”had a great camp and I want to thank Ray McCline and Vince Jackson for the training”

“A lot of this wouldn’t be possible without the them or our sponsors, who have been vital in the development of these two kids”

“I have to thank the new promotional arm of Premiere Boxing and Entertainment as well as the following Hard Energy Drink with Greg Porsella; Craig’s Plumbing and Heating; JAM Maintenance with John, and the Main Street Barber Shops and Mike. All of these companies believe in John & “Juice””

Besides Pierson –Mitchell, Lennox-Ray and Young-Steele, the rest of the card is as follows:

Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell (10-05, KO’s) takes on Brian Donahue (2-2-1) in a six round Light Heavyweight bout.

In a six round Jr. Middleweight bout, Tommy Rainone (17-4,4 KO’s) of New York takes on Fitzgerald Johnson

Aaron Kinch (3-0-1, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ battles Khuzaymah Al Nubu (0-2) of Fostoria, OH in a Heavyweight bout scheduled for four rounds.

The fight can be seen all over the world on www.gfl.tv

The matchmaker is Renee Aiken.

Tickets for this outstanding night of boxing are $1500 for Tables; $100 (Front Row); $75 VIP
and $50 for General Admission and can be purchased at:

Boardwalk Saloon
206 Bloomfield Ave
Newark, NJ
973-483-8766

Elite Heat Gym
130 Mt. Pleasant Ave
Newark, NJ
862-772-2532

Final Round Boxing
156 Algonquin PKWY
Whippany, NJ
973-515-0704

Greg Cohen Promotions
(212) 851-6425

NEWARK (June 11, 2012)—First it was Gary Jones, then it was David Adotey Alottey and now it will surely be once-beaten Aaron “Homicide” Mitchell that will take on Richard Pierson this Wednesday night at the Robert Treat Hotel.

The show is promoted by Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions.

Mitchell, along with his twin brother Eric, are two of the toughest guys to come out of the boxing rich town of Philadelphia.

Mitchell has an impressive record of 27-1-1 with twenty one knockouts HAS NOT LOST IN NINETEEN YEARS and that defeat was to future world champion Keith Mullings.

Mitchell will be making his first start in four years when he took a twelve round unanimous decision from Delray Raines in 2008. Mitchell has wins over Anthony Joseph (5-1); Darryl Ruffin (3-0); Ron Johnson (8-0); Napoleon Pitt (10-2); Fidel Hernandez (14-1); Maurice Adams (15-2-1) and Miguel Julio (32-3-1).

Besides Pierson-Mitchell: the rest of the card is as follows:

Lavarn Baby Bowe Harvell (10-0, 5, KO’s) takes on Brian Donahue (2-2-1) in a six round Light Heavyweight bout.

In a six round Jr. Middleweight bout, Tommy Rainone (17-4,4 KO s) of New York takes on a Fitgerald Johnson.

John Lennox (10-1, 5 KO’s) takes on Rodricka Ray (3-5-1, 1 KO) of Jackson, TN in a six round Heavyweight bout.

Aaron Kinch (3-0-1, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ battles Khuzaymah Al Nubu (0-2) of Fostoria, OH in a Heavyweight bout scheduled for four rounds.

Anthony Young (4-0, 2 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ battles Christian Steele (2-3, 1 KO) of Staunton, VA in a four round Welterweight bout

The fight can be seen all over the world on www.gfl.tv

The matchmaker is Renee Aiken.

Tickets for this outstanding night of boxing are $1500 for Tables; $100 (Front Row); $75 VIP
and $50 for General Admission and can be purchased at:

Boardwalk Saloon
206 Bloomfield Ave
Newark, NJ
973-483-8766

Elite Heat Gym
130 Mt. Pleasant Ave
Newark, NJ
862-772-2532

Final Round Boxing
156 Algonquin PKWY
Whippany, NJ
973-515-0704

Greg Cohen Promotions
(212) 851-6425

NEWARK (June 11, 2012)—This Saturday night at the Prudential Center, undefeated Middleweight prospect John “ApolloKidd” Thompson will look to make it 9-0 when he takes on the toughest and most experience foe of his career in John Mackey

Thompson, twenty-three years old of Newark and Mackey will fight a six round bout at the Prudential Center as part of the undercard that will feature Tomasz Adamek and Eddie Chambers on NBC Sports Network.

Mackey of Montgomery, Alabama has a record of 13-6-3 with six knockouts has wins over the likes of Tim Leonard (3-0-1); Tony Cygan (12-1) Alexander Mancea (7-1) & Donald Orr (15-0) and has faced the likes of Anthony Greenidge (12-1); Cecil McCalla (6-0); Derek Ennis (17-2-1); James McGirt Jr. (21-2-1) and Tarvis Simms (26-1-1).

Mackey has draws with Jesse Nicklow (19-1-1) and his last bout on October 7th when he drew with Vladine Biosse (11-1) in Biosse’s home area of Providence.

Thompson is not worried about the experience that Mackey brings to the table.

“He is not much of a boxer, he is a brawler/puncher”, said Thompson

“I am going to work hard to prove that I am the better boxer.”

Thompson is looking forward to facing the veteran as it should be a coming out performance.

“This is a fight that should open doors. He is ranked twenty-two and I am at sixty-three”

It should be a great atmosphere on Saturday as usually tens of thousands pack the Prudential Center for an Adamek fight and Thompson is looking forward to putting on a show in his hometown.

“This is the biggest event I have been on and I consider the Prudential Center the MGM Grand of the East Coast. It is going to be a great experience and I will put on as great of a show as I can”

Thompson is promoted by Gabe Laconte’s First Round Promotions and is managed by Vito Mielnicki.

“My boxer is ready and focused on becoming a world champ in the near future and this is another step towards the top”, said Mielnicki

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Follow all the action LIVE as Manny Pacquiao defends the WBO Welterweight title against undefeated Jr. Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. The action begins at 7pm eastern / 4 pm in Palm Springs and 7 am in Manila with a five fight undercard that will feature two world title bouts including Mike Jones battling Randall Bailey for the IBF Welterweight title and Guillermo Rigondeaux defending the WBA Super Bantamweight crown against Teon Kennedy plus an appearance by Jorge Arce.

12 ROUNDS–WBO WELTERWEIGHT TITLE–MANNY PACQUAIO (54-3-2, 38 KO’S) VS. TIMOTHY BRADLEY (28-0, 12 KO’S)

Round 1 Bradley lands 2 body shots…Pacquiao lands a jab…Good left..another lefts..straight Left…10-9 Pacquiao

Round 2 Pacquiao lands a straight left..Bradley lands a body shot..Pacquiao lands a looping left…Bradley drives Pacquiao on the ropes…Left from Bradley….20-18 Pacquiao

Round 3 Pacquiaio lands a straight left on the chin…Body shot from Bradley..2 lefts on the ropes…Bradley gets in one but Pacquiao responds with a hard left….30-27 Pacquiao

Round 4 Bradley lands a left to the body..Right hook from Pacquiao as Bradley gets in a body shot…hard combination has Bradley off his kilter..Pacquiao lands a hard left and Bradley gets in a right at the bell…40-36 Pacquiao

Round 5 Pacquial lands a left…Hard counter left rocks Bradley…50-45 Pacquiao

Round 6Pacquiao lands 3 shots on the ropes..Good left uppercut..60-54 Pacquiao

Round 7 Great back and forth…Pacquiao lands a left…70-63 Pacquiao

Round 8 Pacquiao lands a right and a left…Bradley lands a right…Pacquiao a left..80-72 Pacquiao

Round 9 Pacquio landing straight left and and another..left over the top..90-81 Pacquiao

Round 10 Good left hook from Bradley..straight left from Pacquiao…100-91 Pacquiao

Round 11 Straight left from Pacquiao..Right hook and left..110-100 Pacquiao

Round 12 Pacquiao lands a left…120-109

115-113 Pacquiao; 115-113 Bradley; 115-113 in what maybe the worst decision in boxing history

10 ROUNDS–SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS–Jorge Arce (60-6-2, 46 KO’s) vs. Jesus Rojas (18-1-1, 13 KO’s)

Rounds 1 HARD LEFT AND DOWN GOES ROJAS…Rojas uppercut…Left hook…10-8 Arce

Round 2 Arce goes down from a low blow and headbutt and remains downs….FIGHT

12 ROUNDS–IBF WELTERWEIGHT TITLE–Mike Jones (26-0, 19 KO’s) vs. Randall Bailey (42-7, 36 KO’s)

Round 1 Not much,..10-10

Round 2 Just backing up.,.Bailey not throwing...20-20

Round 3 Bailey lands a body shot…Bailey lands a right…30-29 Bailey

Round 4 Right from Bailey..40-38 Bailey

Round 5 Jones lands a right…mouse under left eye of Bailey..49-48 Bailey

Round 6 ..Jones lands a right over the top…58-58

Round 7 Jones lands a combination…68-67 Jones

Round 8 Jones countering with jabs…78-76 Jones

Round 9 Good right buckles Bailey…88-85 Jones

Round 10 Jomes lands a combination….BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES JONES…96-95 Jones

Round 11 BAILEY LANDS HUGE UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES JONES AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

12 Rounds–WBA Super Bantamweight Title–Guillermo Rigondeaux (9-0, 7 KO’s) vs Teon Kennedy (17-1-2, 7 KO’s)

Round 1:..Hard shots from Rigodeaux AND DOWN GOES KENNEDY…10-8 Rigondeaux

Round 2 STRAIGHTLEFT AND DOWN GOES RIGONDEAUX…STARIGHT LEFT AND DOWN GOES KENNEDY..20-15 Rigondeaux

Round 3 Rigondeaux getting through with the left hand…30-24 Rigondeaux

Round 4 Rigondeaux lands a straight left (AND FEET GET TANGLED) BUT SCORED A KNOCKDOWN..40-32 Rigdoneaux

ROUND 5: Straight LEFT FROM RIGONDEAUX AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

8 Rounds–Super Featherweights–Ernie Sanchez (12-3, 5 KO’s) vs Wilton Hilario (12-2-1,9 KO’s)

Round 1 Sanchez lands hard body shots..Good left staggers Hilario…Big right from Hilario..10-9 Sanchez

Round 2 Sanchez lands hard body work..Hard right from Hilario…20-18 Sanchez

Round 3 Right from Hilario…29-28 Sanchez

Round 4 Sanchez pinning Hilario against the ropes…39-37 Sanchez

Round 5 Sanchez opening up in the corner…Hilario counters his way out…49-46 Sanchez

Round 6 Sanchez landing some shots that is forcing Hilario southpaw…59-55 Sanchez

Round 7 Sanchez landing combinations where Hilario is landing 1 at a time..Sanchez working the jab...69-64 Sanchez

Round 8 Hilario walks away and Sanchez jumps on him..79-73 Sanchez

78-74; 78-74 and 79-74 UNANIMOUS DECISION ERNIE SANCHEZ

8 Rounds–Welterweight–Mikeal Zewski (14-0, 10 KO’s) vs. John Ryan Grimaldo (8-1, 5 KO’s)

Round 1 Double jab from Zewski…Grimaldo working the body..10-9 Zewski

Round 2 Sharp jab from Zewski…20-18 Zewski

Round 3 Right by Zewski wobbles Grimaldo AND DOWN GOES GRIMALDO AND JOE CORTEZ COUNTS TO 10 AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

4 Rounds–Jr.Welterweights–Andrew Ruiz (1-0, 1 KO) vs Taylor Larson (0-2-1)

Round 1 Ruiz Jabbing..Mounder under right eye of Larson…Good straight right..Larson Jabbing..HARD LEFT AND DOWN GOES LARSON…Ruiz working the body… 10-8 Ruiz

Round 2 Ruiz lands a hard jab…Larson working hard…19-18 Ruiz

Round 3 Left from Ruiz…good left…hard left..Good Right..29-27 Ruiz

Round 4 Good action in middle of the ring..Hard right from Ruiz..Larson throwing combinations…uppercut from Ruiz…39-37 Ruiz

39-36; 40-35; 39-36 UNANIMOUS ANDREW RUIZ

Manny Pacquiao 147 -Timothy Bradley 146
(WBO Welterweight Championship)
Jorge Arce 123.5- Jesus Rojas 123.5
Mike Jones 146.5 – Randall Bailey 146
(IBF Welterweight championship)

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY (June 7, 2012)—On Wednesday night June 13th, Richard Pierson will now take on replacement David Adotey Allotey in the eight round main event for the WBC Fecerbox championship at The Robert Treat Hotel.

The show is promoted by Gabe Laconte’s First Round Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions.

Pierson of Paterson, New Jersey has a record of 11-2 with eight knockouts and is coming off an impressive fourth round stoppage over durable Charles Hayward on April 18th at The Robert Treat Hotel.

It was the first time that Hayward was stopped and for that matter even knocked down as a professional or amateur.

Pierson has quality victories over the likes of Anibal Acevedo, Curtis Jones, Ray Smith, Jimmy Campbell and Jamaal Davis.

Allotey of Accra, Ghana will be making his American debut and has a record of 14-2 with seven knockouts.

Allotey won his first nine bouts.. He won the Ghanaian Middleweight title with a sixth round stoppage over Eric Kwardy in 2010. Allotey’s second defeat was a fourth round stoppage over top ranked contender and undefeated George Grovess. Allotey and is coming off a fifth round stoppage over Abdul Jala on May 14, 2011.

In the six round co-feature, Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell will take on Philadelphia tough guy Brian Donahue.

Harvell of Atlantic City has a record of 10-0 with five knockouts.

Harvell has first round knockouts over undefeated Randy Campbell (3-0) and twenty-nine fight veteran Tommy Connelly. In his last bout, Harvell stole the show on the Bernard Hopkins – Chad Dawson undercard with he destroyed Anthony Piettantonio in round three of their bout.

The right hand that Harvell deposited Pietrantonio with was captured and featured in the New York Times. Pietrantonio would lie motionless for several minutes before walking out the ring under his own power.

Donahue has a record of 2-2-1. After a seven year Hiatus, Donahue has gone 1-1-1 and is coming off a four round draw with Teneal Goyco on May 4th.

In a six round Jr. Middleweight bout, Tommy Rainone (17-4,4 KO’s) of New York takes on a oppont to be announced.

John Lennox (10-1, 5 KO’s) of Carteret, NJ takes on Rodricka Ray (3-5-1, 1 KO) of Jackson, TN in a six round Heavyweight bout.

Welterweight Anthony “Juice” Young (4-0, 2 KO’s) puts his undefeated mark on the line against Christian Steele (2-3) in a bout scheduled for four rounds.

Aaron Kinch (3-0-1, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ battles Khuzaymah Al Nubu (0-2) of Fostoria, OH in a Heavyweight bout scheduled for four rounds.

Thomas Baldwin (2-0-2, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ takes on the upset minded Fitzgerald Johnson (2-6, 1 KO) of Asheboro, NC in a four round Jr. Middleweight bout.

The matchmaker is Renee Aiken.

Tickets for this outstanding night of boxing are $1500 for Tables; $100 (Front Row); $75 VIP
and $50 for General Admission and can be purchased at:

Boardwalk Saloon
206 Bloomfield Ave
Newark, NJ
973-483-8766

Elite Heat Gym
130 Mt. Pleasant Ave
Newark, NJ
862-772-2532

Final Round Boxing
156 Algonquin PKWY
Whippany, NJ
973-515-0704

Greg Cohen Promotions
(212) 851-6425

NEW YORK (June 7, 2012)—Building off its Emmy® Award-winning campaign in 2011, SHOWTIME Sports® will introduce a new documentary series titled ALL ACCESS in June.

The first installment, ALL ACCESS: Victor Ortiz, will premiere on Wednesday, June 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®, ahead of the former welterweight world champion’s headlining fight against Josesito Lopez on the June 23 edition of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and in place of the previously announced FIGHT CAMP 360° series on the event. Following the premiere, ALL ACCESS: Victor Ortiz will re-air multiple times on CBS Sports Network, SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME®, and will be available anytime on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®.

From the network that created the acclaimed FIGHT CAMP 360°, ALL ACCESS will provide viewers with intimate portraits of the most compelling personalities in sports. Although not limited to the fight game, initial series subjects will take viewers behind the curtain and inside the provocative and often edgy world of boxing and mixed martial arts with virtually unrestricted access as only SHOWTIME can.

“Captivating storylines abound in the world of sports, and ALL ACCESS will illuminate them in a unique and thorough manner,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “No longer reserved for blockbuster events, this series will give viewers a behind-the-scenes ‘all access’ look at individual personalities, places and storylines throughout sports like no other show on television.”

The 30-minute debut will chronicle the charismatic and hard-hitting welterweight boxer’s journey from his perspective.

“The tumultuous events of the last year of Victor’s career have been documented, but never before from an intimate, first-person perspective,” said Espinoza. “ALL ACCESS: Victor Ortiz will do just that as Victor continues his journey back toward the top of the 147-pound division. ALL ACCESS will reveal Victor Ortiz as a person, living in the real world with some of the same challenges that we all face in life, and some of the challenges reserved only for his profession.”

In 2011, Ortiz participated in two of the year’s most anticipated bouts: the 2011 Fight of the Year (USA Today, The Ring magazine) where he captured Andre Berto’s World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight world championship and a high-profile, controversial knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather on pay per view. Conversely in 2012, Ortiz participated in two of the year’s most discussed non-bouts: a Feb. 11 rematch against Berto that was postponed when Berto suffered a torn left biceps injury in training camp and the pair’s rescheduled June 23 matchup that was cancelled after Berto failed a pre-fight drug test.

The Saturday, June 23, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will be a live three-fight event (SHOWTIME, 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) featuring an all-action 12-round bout between super lightweights Humberto Soto and Lucas Matthysse as well as 10-round fight featuring hard-hitting American heavyweight Chris Arreola.

ALL ACCESS: Victor Ortiz Schedule

Wednesday, June 13 10 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME (PREMIERE)

Wednesday, June 13 Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network

Wednesday, June 13 3 a.m. ET/Midnight PT CBS Sports Network

Thursday, June 14 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Thursday, June 14 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network

Friday, June 15 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Friday, June 15 Midnight ET/PT SHOWTIME

Monday, June 18 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Tuesday, June 19 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Wednesday, June 20 Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network

Wednesday, June 20 3 a.m. ET/Midnight PT CBS Sports Network

Thursday, June 21 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network

Thursday, June 21 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Friday, June 22 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Friday, June 22 Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT CBS Sports Network

Saturday, June 23 1:30 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME

Saturday, June 23 6:30 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports programming including a complete schedule of upcoming programming, please go to http://Sports.SHO.com. For more information on CBS Sports Network and to access the CBSSN channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com. For more information on the June 23rd Ortiz vs. Lopez event, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.goossentutor.com, www.thompsonboxing.com or www.staplescenter.com.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

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

Jesse Hart talks to Marc about his pro debut on the Pacquiao – Bradley undercard

Undefeated Welterweight Mike Jones talks about his showdown with Randall Bailey on the Pacquiao – Bradley card

Teon Kennedy talks to 15rounds.com./gfl.tv Marc Abrams about his world title opportunity on June 9th against Guillermo Rigondeaux on the Pacquiao – Bradley PPV card

LAS VEGAS (JUNE 7, 2012)–#2 WBO; #4WBA #4WBC world rated cruiserweight BJ Flores 27-1 (18kos) watched intently as the fight this past Saturday took place between Lateef “Power” Kayode vs. Antonio Tarver. He was hoping with the Showtime exposure that one of the two boxers would emerge as a star.

The bout ended in a draw. Neither guy moved forward, yet both received valuable tv time on a BIG time boxing network. BJ Flores was smiling.

“The cruiserweight division is definitely starting to heat up”, Said Flores. Flores has been not only one of the most active cruiserweights in the world scoring 3 wins in the last 8 months, but has attracted very large gates in Springfield Missouri where he has a HUGE hometown following.

“Both guys fought well and Tarver started a little slow but came on down the stretch. He definitely Hurt Kayode and showed he can still punch. The decision being a draw was just. I was leaning towards Tarver but this fight was good for the division. Both guys fought well”

But one of the fighters is on the radar of Flores. Lateef Kayode.

Flores has desperately tried to secure a fight with the powerful Nigerian and now feels the timing is perfect.

“I want to make a formal challenge to Kayode. This is a fight between two top world rated Cruisersweights both trying to get into position for the world title. I need a fight like this to make a statement. A dangerous fight! A Big fight between two top #5 world rated guys on Showtime between us will be exciting and bring more notoriety to the cruiserweight division.”

“It’s no secret that I’ve wanted Kayode for a long time. After he beat Nick Iannuzzi , I contacted Gary Shaw Promotions immediately for a match between us. Well, they went in another direction and I fought Iannuzzi next to make a statement. They said the timing wasn’t right. I respect their decision. But now the Time couldn’t be more right! I have had 3 fights in 8 months and would love to face Kayode next. He has shown improvements and this fight can be big. We can do it in Springfield, Missouri and sell 5000 seats with this on Showtime or any network! But the truth of the matter is I will fight you anywhere. I just want it to be known that the money is there and we can easily make this happen”

“No cruiserweight can sell tickets in America like that so it makes perfect sense. Who else should Kayode fight with all the champions buys in upcoming defenses?? It’s a natural fight. Two top rated guys in America. We built up a VERY good fan base in Springfield and I want to bring a big fight back home. I am ready immediately!! Let’s get it done!!”

“This is the kind of fight I need. I respect Kayode and his manager Steve Feder. I respect Gary Shaw Productions. I know this will be a difficult fight and this will bring out the best in me. I need a challenge like this. GSP, my phone lines are open!”

During the June 1st NBC Sports Network Fight Night broadcast, Freddie Roach commented, “I think Bryant Jennings is the best prospect America has right now in the heavyweight division.”

Jennings keeps Chambers and Adamek apart at press conf for 6/16 NBC Sports Network “Fight Night” show

Photo credits: Mike Gladysz

Jennings shared his thoughts on this, “I totally went crazy after I heard that! He had told me personally, but when he announced it on national television I was blown away. Freddie knows boxing.” When asked if he agreed with Roach, Jennings said, “I work pretty hard and I do see myself as one of the best , if not the best.”

Bryant Jennings –

Photo credits: phillyboxinghistory.com

Fred Jenkins, Manager/Trainer for Jennings said, “Bryant has the potential to be the greatest heavyweight of all time. He is still learning and that makes all things possible.”

Jennings’ promoter, Russell Peltz, of Peltz Boxing, commented, “All you hear about is Tyson Fury, Seth Mitchell, David Price, and yet Bryant Jennings is the one they should be talking about.”

Bryant “By By”Jennings will face Steve “Freight Train” Collins on NBC Sports Network “Fight Night” June 16. The NBCSN broadcast will begin at 9PM ET.

FIGHT INFO: The June 16th NBC Sports Network Fight Night card at Newark’s Prudential Center features Tomasz Adamek vs. Eddie Chambers. Co-featured on the card will be Bryant Jennings vs. Steve Collins, Garrett, Indiana, 25-1,18 KO’s. The NBCSN broadcast will begin at 9PM ET. The card is presented by Main Events in association with Peltz Boxing, Ziggy Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotions.

Tickets priced at $254 ringside, $104, $79, and $54 available through Ticketmaster: online at www.ticketmaster.com; Charge-by-phone: 1-800-745-3000; Ticketmaster Express 866-448-7849; and Ticketmaster ticket centers. Tickets are also available at Prudential Center’s Box Office and www.prucenter.com.

NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE (All Times ET)

Saturday, June 16, 9-11 pm – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

Friday, September 21, 9-11pm – Site TBA
Saturday, December 8, 9-11 pm – Site TBA

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

Tweet the link to NBC Sports Network Fight Night channel finder: bit.ly/175UuU
Twitter: #FightNight
Twitter: @main_events @NBCSN
Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing facebook.com/NBCSports

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

– Saturday, June 9, 2012 12:00pm Noon ET featuring CMTC-A Muay Thai Team Canada Trials at the Century Casino in Calgary, Canada. The Canadian Muay Thai Council – Amateur will be hosting their Annual Team Canada Trials on Saturday, June 9th, 2012 in Calgary, Alberta. This event will feature 50 athletes from across Canada competing for amateur Muay Thai supremacy in 2 divisions. B Division athletes will be fighting to gain valuable experience and move their way up the Canadian rankings. A Division athletes will be competing for a spot on Team Canada and the right to represent Canada at the IFMA World Championships in Russia this fall. Help support Canadian Amateur Muay Thai and the sport of MuayThai as it pushes towards the Olympics!

– Saturday, June 9, 2012 8:00pm ET featuring Canadian Extreme Cage Rage 8 at the Monctons Lion Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. CECR is branching out of New Brunswick, Canada and looks to be a solid proving ground for MMA in Eastern Canada where the fighters are separated from the other Canadian hotbeds of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and as such have their own unique fighting circuit. This 11-bout amateur card is sure to heat up the night as these fighters go toe to toe. In the main event, Gary Brown (0-1) fights Storm Miller (0-1) in a welterweight scrap. This bout promises to be a full throttle throw down as Brown and Miller are both new to the sport and looking to build momentum in their budding careers. Brown is a well rounded fighter with knockout power and the same can be said for Miller. It will be a chess match in the cage as whoever can counter punch the best will probably have the distinct advantage. The striking could also just be a setup for a great ground battle as both Miller and Brown are submission specialists. In the co-main event, Jeff Brake (0-1) battles Justin Young (0-1) in a welterweight tilt. Brake and Young are both looking for their first win, so both fighters backs’ will be against the proverbial wall in this match. Brake ha knockout power in either hand and Young is more a tactician who likes to methodically dismantle his opponents. The contrast in styles makes for a fun fight and the winner will be right back in the thick of things with maybe a future title shot on the horizon..

– Saturday, June 9, 2012 9:00pm ET featuring Muay Thai Journey Fight-Series WMC Title at the Century Casino in Calgary, Canada. After the wildly successful Journey Fight Series V in support of Women’s Cancers and after awarding the 140lb professional tournament for the WMC North American title, the Journey continues with Journey Fight Series VI! This time around, 8 of the best 160lb professional fighters have been invited to participate in a tournament style competition, over 3 events to award the first 160lb WMC North American title! WMC is the most recognized and credible professional MuayThai sanctioning body in the world! Don’t miss out as this event will sell out early! In the main event, Nate Smandych battles Sheldon Gaines. Smandych is coming off a dominant unanimous decision in his last bout while Gaines is coming off a razor thin loss by decision to Scotty Leffler. Both men will be throwing heavy leather in this contest. The opening round matches will be selected through a random draw taking place after the fighter weigh-ins. The eight fighters now slated to compete in the tournament are Nate Chambers, Sean McKinnon, Marcus Fisher, Preston Baptiste, Shane Campbell, Troy Sheridan, Ken Tran and Daniel Kim.

Other events this week:

Pro-Wrestling: Impact Zone Wrestling (Weekly Free show): June 9, 8:00pm ET.

Racing: Speedway Motorcycle Races – Industry Racing, Every Wednesday Night: Starting June 6, 9:30pm ET.

Soccer: CONCACAF World Cup Soccer – Jamaica vs Guatemala: June 8, 9:00pm ET

CONCACAF World Cup Soccer – Costa Rica vs El Salvador: June 8, 10:00pm ET

GFL now offers full access to over 6,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 subscribe now at www.GFL.tv

***GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1300 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or https://www.facebook.com/GoFightLive.tv or twitter.com/GFL or youtube.com/Gofightlive or inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

NEW YORK (June 5, 2012)—TOMORROW NIGHT!! The 87th annual Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Awards Dinner will be streamed LIVE AND FOR FREE!! On www.gfl.tv

The awards dinner will take place from the Copacabana in New York City and some of the greatest boxers in the world will be honored.

Heading the program will be the awarding of the 2011 Fighter of the year to World Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward.

Ward had a stellar 2011 as he won the coveted World Boxing Classic with a terrific performance over Carl Froch in December.

Also in attendance will be WBC Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko who will be presented James A. Farley Honesty and Integrity Award. Klitschko and brother Wladimir are more than just world champions as they are true gentlemen and have done massive amounts of charity work all over the world.

Future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins will receive a special recognition for his breathtaking win over Jean Pascal last May to become the oldest man ever to win a world championship.

Hopkins’ good friend, Dewey Bozella receive the Bill Crawford Award for overcoming adversity.

Bozella spent twenty-five years in prison for a murder he did not commit only to make a successful pro debut at age fifty-two.

Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter will pick up the Eddie Futch trainer of the year.

Delvin Rodriguez & Pawel Wolak will be on hand to receive the Fight of the Year from their scintillating fight that was ruled a draw last July in New York.

All of those great figures plus many other big names in boxing will be there and all will appear on the webcast for exclusive interviews.

“This is defiantly the biggest night in the sport & Jack Hirsch and his organization put on a great event every year”, said gfl.tv Director of Boxing Acquisitions and host of the live webcast Marc Abrams

“To have all of these great fighters and personalities being honored and present and under one roof is great. This is the top of the sport and to have everyone from up and coming Superstars like Andre Ward to men who have done it in Bernard Hopkins and Vitali Klitschko is something the fans around the world will really enjoy. This truly is the Academy Awards of boxing”

GFL now offers full access to over 6,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 subscribe now at www.GFL.tv

***GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1300 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or twitter.com/GFL or youtube.com/Gofightlive or inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

Monday, June 4, 2012. Paul ‘The Punisher’ Williams, wishes to send his sincere thanks and appreciation to his fans worldwide for their prayers, cards and wishes he’s received since his motorcycle accident just over a week ago. “I feel the love and support from everyone and it’s overwhelming, I am very thankful to all of my fans and friends who have rallied around me in a time when I need them the most”. Williams asks that all future letters and cards please be sent to: 3060 Will Rogers Place, Atlanta 30316.

Philadelphia PA- Teon Kennedy (17-1-2, 7 KOs) of Philadelphia, who challenges WBA bantamweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux (9-0, 7 KOs), of Cuba, on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV as part of the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley championship card, has had to overcome two fairly recent family life-shattering incidents that would have broken less-resolute fighters.

Late in 2009, Kennedy knocked out Francisco Rodriguez, of Chicago, IL, in the 10th round of their scheduled 12-round contest for the vacant USBA super bantamweight title. Kennedy’s elation at winning was short-circuited when Rodriguez collapsed in his corner, was rushed to the hospital and died of a brain injury two days later.

No one prepares a fighter for when the most tragic possible ending occurs in a fight.

“When it first happened it was difficult, but as anyone in boxing knows that could happen,” said Kennedy, who was 13-0-1 and 23 years old at the time. “It could happen to me. Sometimes I do still think about it, but I try not to dwell on it.”

Kennedy did not fight for six months, but he had the encouragement of his team as well as that of the Rodriguez family to get back into the ring.

He came back with three good wins, including a scintillating performance, a 12-round unanimous decision over then-undefeated prospect Julio Diaz, of New Brunswick, NJ.

The second life-altering incident occurred in mid 2011.

Kennedy was charged with a felony stemming from a shooting in Philadelphia. Those charges were later dropped, but it played on Kennedy’s mind as he prepared for a fight last August that, had he won, could gave led to a match with undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba, in a world featherweight title fight.

He went through with the fight last August and lost his first bout as a pro, a 12-round decision to Alejandro Lopez, of Mexico, in a lackluster performance.

“The legal issues were definitely in my head,” Kennedy said. “It’s hard to be falsely accused of something I did not do. That was probably the main reason I didn’t feel like myself.”

He put his first setback and his legal charges behind him and he got back in the gym quickly. Boxing experts weren’t sure if he’d rebound, but he turned in a strong performance in his most recent fight, a draw against the once-beaten Chris Martin, of Chula Vista, CA, in January in Las Vegas. Many observers felt Kennedy, the aggressor for most of the fight, deserved the win.

Kennedy feels that he has come to grips with the arduous road he has had to travel the last several years.

“Everything bad is in the past now,” said Kennedy, who is looking to pull off the upset against the favored Rigondeaux. “I’m just focused on the fight. I’m still going to be aggressive.”

PHILADELPHIA (June 4, 2012)–The boxing community was saddened on Sunday when longtime Philadelphia personality Rob Murray, Sr. succumbed to cancer.

Murray was a well known fight figure for three-plus decades as he managed, trained, promoted and did almost everything around Philadelphia boxing.

Murray was the original manager of future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and also managed future world champion Steve Little. Murray trained Bennie Briscoe for a short period. Murray managed world title challengers Will Taylor and most recently guided the career of World Heavyweight title challenger “Fast” Eddie Chambers and his brother Steve Upsher Chambers.

For the better part of the past decade Murray was the Director of Boxing at The Legendary Blue Horizon. As many of you know, Rob or “Big Rob” was one of Philadelphia’s outstanding boxing personalities. He was known for his WURD Radio Shows- This Week in Boxing and This Week in Sports.

Rob was married to Denise Blocker Murray and the proud father of two sons, Robert, Jr. and Raheem.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWED:

Sister Clara Muhammad School
4700 Wyalusing Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
Wednesday, June 5, 2012 at 12:30 P.M.

On the heels of his rival Winky Wright retiring on Monday, former three division world champion Shane Mosley followed suit in announcing his retirement on Monday.

“Good morning everybody. Just want to thank you for showing me so much love,” Mosley tweeted. “Had a great career and loved every moment of it, win, lose or draw.”

“I’m going to leave it alone,” Mosley, 40, told ESPN.com of fighting. “I’m good. I’m going into the promotional world, I’m training my son [21-year-old amateur Shane Mosley Jr.]. It was a helluva career. I’m happy for all the great memories and all the great fighters that I fought. Now it’s time give back. I’m ready to train my son full-time now.”

“That’s life, that’s getting older,” he said. “When you get older, you see what happens. You think you can do things. You see stuff that you think you can do, that you want to do, but you just can’t do it anymore.”

“I have to credit a lot of those wins to [the late] Genaro Hernandez and Zack Padilla,” Mosley said. “They were both world champions fighters and they sparred with me every day and molded me into the fighter I was. So did my father [Jack, who also trained him for most of his career]. I owe a lot to him.

“Being recognized as pound-for-pound, especially when Roy Jones was there at that time, was an honor. To be considered in the same breath as Roy was great for me. Not many people can say they were the pound-for-pound best, but I’m one of those people.”

“I remember [then-HBO boxing chief] Lou DiBella wasn’t very happy with the Holiday fight,” Mosley said. “I was under the weather for that fight and he told me he didn’t like the fight. I told Lou if there’s anyone you feel can beat me at lightweight, put ’em in front of me because I don’t want to have the belt if I’m not the best.”

“I always wanted to knock guys out. It was a mindset that I had when I tuned pro — knock everybody out and it’s never going to a decision,” Mosley said.

“That 2000 fight with Oscar was huge for me,” Mosley said. “He gave me the opportunity when he didn’t have to and I thank him for that. Everything from there was gravy for me.”

“I have no regrets in my boxing career. Vernon was a great fighter and I was ready to fight anybody,” Mosley said. “I gave Vernon that big chance because I got that big chance against Oscar. Vernon Forrest needed the chance and I said, ‘Let me give him the opportunity.’ I did the same thing with Winky Wright, who was a lot bigger than me. But I said let’s do it. No regrets.

Mosley invoked his immediate rematch right against Forrest and while the second fight six months was more competitive, Forrest won another unanimous decision. Mosley then moved up to junior middleweight and, in his second fight in the division, challenged champion De La Hoya in a big-money rematch. Mosley won a controversial decision and two title belts, although it came to light later that he testified before a grand jury that he had used BALCO mastermind Victor Conte’s undetectable steroids “the clear” and “the cream” during his training.

Mosley has said all along that he was unaware that what he took was illegal and that it was given to him by former conditioning coach Darryl Hudson.

“I wasn’t aware that it was ‘the clear’ or ‘the cream’ or other such craziness,” Mosley said. “If I knew it was illegal I wouldn’t have taken it. I’ve always lived my life clean. That whole situation made me upset and still has me upset to this day.

“I’m still upset with the people I had around me that led me into that. I was always a clean boxer. Never tested positive for anything. For them not to protect me — Darryl Hudson — it sickened me. In 2003, he put a blemish on me. He led me to something that wasn’t good. It wasn’t like I asked for it. I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t need it.”

“Margarito was pretty big, especially with all the things going on in my life at the time,” Mosley said. “It was a big victory to be able to go out there and dominate and then knock him out.”

“My son is getting older. He’s 21 and after I fought ‘Canelo,’ I thought about that he was 21 and I thought I should spent more time training my son, getting the new generation ready,” said Mosley, who said he will also spend time trying to get his Sugar Shane Promotions off the ground.

“I hope they remember me as a great fighter, a great person and somebody that cares about boxing,” Mosley said. “I hope they remember that I loved to fight. It’s been fun.”

June 4, 2012 – Boxng360’s heavyweight Joey Dawejko (7-0, 3 KOs) and middleweight Keandre Leatherwood (9-1-1, 6 KOs) fought this weekend at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Dawejko stopped his opponent Edwin Ranquillo (2-2, 1 KO), by means of fourth round knockout, while Leatherwood went the distance with Frankie Filippone (9-2-1, 2 KOs) and got a draw.

“I felt really good going into this fight,” said Joey Dawejko. “I was feeling him out early in the fight and started to find my spots as the fight went on. Once I had him hurt I knew I was going to get him out of there. I want to stay busy and my promoter Boxing360 is looking to get me back in the ring very soon. My goal is to get to 10-0 by the end of 2012.”

Said Leatherwood, “I thought I did enough to win the fight, but Filippone was the hometown fighter and he definitely got some love from the judges. I’m completely healthy and will be back in the ring as soon as Mario Yagobi has a fight lined up. I will most likely go back down to 154 and compete at Jr. Middleweight.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former Jr.Middleweight champion Winky Wright has retired following his ten round unanimous decision defeat to undefeated Middleweight Peter Quillin lasts Saturday in Carson, California.

“I’m gonna call it a day. I’m gonna chill out and play golf and live life,” the 40-year-old Wright told ESPN.com.

“I figured I’m 40 and if I can’t be champion again, I don’t want to do it anymore,” Wright said. “I’m not here just fighting to be fighting. Boxing is supposed to be fun and if it ain’t fun anymore I don’t need to do it so I am done for good. I had fun. I fought a good fight [against Quillin], I didn’t get hurt, I was in shape. My timing was off but I take nothing away from Quillin. He fought a good fight. He was strong. So I’m going to go ahead and get out of the game.

“I accomplished a lot. I want to be true to my fans. I don’t want to be fighting just to be fighting. I don’t need that. I got money, but if I can’t be champion again, I’ll do something else. I’m retiring from the ring. The ring didn’t retire me. If I wanted just to fight I would have come back with an easier fight. I always wanted to challenge myself which is why I took a tough fight like I did.”

“Being in fights on the road helped me to know I could fight anywhere against anyone, no matter what,” he said. “That overseas thing worked out great for me. I got a lot of European fans. If I wanted to, I could still fight. A lot of people have wanted me to come back over there to fight.”

Wright became a regular on HBO and then moved up to middleweight. Felix “Tito” Trinidad, one of boxing’s biggest stars, had ended a retirement by beating Ricardo Mayorga in his comeback fight. For his second fight of the comeback, Trinidad surprisingly picked Wright to fight in what was a major HBO PPV event.

“Tito had destroyed Mayorga and nobody gave me a chance. They thought he’d knock me out and we just did what we did,” Wright said.

What Wright did was put on a clinic in a virtual shutout that sent Trinidad back into retirement for nearly three years before he fought one more time against Roy Jones Jr.

“That fight with Tito was a big fight. That was No. 2 to me because it got me a lot of fans,” Wright said. “Tito was a good guy and everything worked for me in that fight. We still respect each other. Tito became good friends with me after that fight.”

“He came to my dressing room before and after the Quillin fight,” Wright said. “I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at if Shane didn’t give me a shot. So I thank him a lot for that. Before that nobody would fight me, nobody with a name would fight me, so I owe a lot to Shane.”

“I’m glad people know me and respect my accomplishments. It was a great career,” he said. “I always tried to carry myself like a champion and respect people.”

“I got my man, Jim Wilkes, my friend and my attorney who I do some business with. We’ll make sure my money is right and I’ll enjoy my life. I think I had a great career. I love my fans, I love how they stayed behind me no matter if the boxing world wasn’t behind me. They were behind me.

“That motivated me to want to beat everybody and become undisputed champion. But there is life after boxing. So you’ll see me around. You’ll still me at ringside. You’ll see me in Las Vegas. I can relax and watch all the young kids come up and do what they need to do.”

Beibut Shumenov scored a lopsided unanimous decision over Enrique Ornelas to retain the WBA Light Heavyweight bout at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.

Shumenov was aggressive from the outset as he threw punches in volume and just about every round looked the same as Ornelas was clearly outclassed.

Shumenov won by scores of 120-108 on all cards and is now 13-1. Ornelas of Guanjato, MX is now 31-8.

Joseph Elegele scored an eight round majority decision over Lanard Lane in a fight featuring once-beaten Jr. Welterweights.

It was a good back and forth battle with each man having their moments. The difference on one card with the fifth round knockdown that Elegele scored.

Elegele, 143 lbs of Melbourne, FL won by scores of 77-74, 76-75 while once card read even at 76-76 and he is now 13-1. Lane, 142 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 13-2.

Daquann Arnett scored a second round knockdown en route to a four round unanimous decision over Yosmani Abreu in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Arnett, 153 lbs of Pine Hill, Orlando Florida won by scores of 40-35, 39-36 and 39-36. Abreu, 154 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is 2-3-1.

Andrew Cancio scored the biggest victory of his career by scoring a ten round unaninous decision over former multiple time world title challenger Rocky Juarez in a Jr. Lightweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Hotel and Resort in Indio, California.

The two traded knockdowns as Juarez scored a hard knockdown when he dropped Cancio with a thudding three punch combination in round two. Cancio evened up the knockdown count in round five when he sent the usually iron chinned Juarez with a combination in round five.

Cancio dominated the rest of the fight as he was more active and landed the more telling blows and cruised to the 98-89; 97-90; 97-90 decision.

Cancio, 128 lbs of Blyth, CA is now 14-1-2. Juarez, 129 lbs of Houston, TX is virtually done and is now 28-10-1.

Hugo Centeno scored a fourth round stoppage over Rahman Yusubov in round four of a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

The time was 2:29 when Centeno was rocking Yusubov on the ropes and the bout was stopped.

Centeno, 158 lbs of Oxnard, CA is now 14-0 with eight knockouts. Yusubov, 157 lbs of Dallas, TX is 8-8.

Jose Cayetano scored a fifth round stoppage over Arturo Badillo in a scheduled eight round Bantamweight bout in Tijuana, Mexico.

Cayetano dropped Badillo in the first round and then again in the fifth for which Badillo didn’t beat the ten count.

Cayetano is now 12-1 with five knockouts. Badillo is now 20-4.

Jose Zepeda scored a sixth round stoppage over Abner Lopez in the sixth and final round of their Welterweight bout.

Zepeda is now 10-o with eight knockouts. Lopez is 6-2.

Jesus Badillo remained perfect by winning a four round unanimous decision over Jorge Sillas.

Badillo is 7-0. Siillas is now 1-8.

Sergio Ortega won a four round split decision over Ezequiel Avilez in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Ortega is 5-0. Alvilez is now 3-1.