Philadelphia (Feb. 27) — First day tickets sales for the April 18 showdown between former World Champions Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse and “The Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov proved to be a smashing success as all ringside seats have sold-out. The cant-miss “Fight of the Year” candidate between Matthysse and Providnikov is expected to sell-out quickly. Limited seats are still available at the $50, $35 and $25 price range.

Presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing the 12-round junior welterweight bout and expected to be the sure-fire ‘Fight of The Year’ contender will take place on Saturday, April 18 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark ® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for the April 18th HBO Boxing After Dark event at Turning Stone Resort are on sale now. Ticket prices are $75 for ringside seats (SOLD OUT) ,$50, $35, and $25 plus applicable fees and are available at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office by calling 315-361-7469 or online at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

Matthysse vs. Provodnikov is a 12-round junior welterweight bout presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing and is sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico, Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Host of the event, the Oneida Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for blockbuster boxing matches. The April 18th fight will mark Turning Stone Resort’s 15th nationally-televised boxing event in less than two years, cementing the resort as a mecca for knockout televised fights. Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have promoted televised fight cards at the resort within the last year. Located in Upstate New York, the four-season destination resort offers world-class entertainment and gaming, award-winning accommodations, an eclectic mix of restaurants, luxury spas and numerous nightlife options.

MONTREAL (Feb. 27, 2015) – Light heavyweight world champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (25-1, 21 KOs) returns to the ring Saturday, April 4 at Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City to defend his title against former super middleweight world champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (32-6-3, 21 KOs). The April 4 event marks the debut of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on CBS (3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT).

“I am excited to be the headliner for first PBC event on CBS,” Stevenson said. “I know Bika will stop at nothing, so the fight will be spectacular and extremely offensive-minded. I predict that Bika will lose by knockout for the first time in his career.”

“After all these years fighting at 168 pounds, it was becoming increasingly difficult to make weight and that was a major factor in my defeats,” Bika said. “I see no problem making the jump to light heavyweight to face Stevenson and I do not feel I’ll be at a disadvantage because the champion made this transition successfully himself less than two years ago against Chad Dawson. I promise you that I will be the new champion on April 4.”

Stevenson, 37, won the world light heavyweight title in June of 2013 in Montreal, via a sensational 76-second, first-round knockout just over the then-undisputed king of the division, Dawson. The impressive victory earned Stevenson “Knockout of the Year” and “Fighter of the Year” accolades. In his first defense the following Sept. 28, former world champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud was meant to be a major test for the new champion, but the powerful southpaw forced Cloud to retire at the end of the seventh round.

Two months later, “Superman” concluded the year with an unequivocal victory over his No. 1 mandatory contender, Tony “Bomber” Bellew of Great Britain, who was unable to complete the sixth round. In May 2015 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Polish challenger Andrzei Fonfara proved to be a tough challenger and fans were treated to a memorable bout as Stevenson knocked Fonfara down twice in the early rounds only to visit the canvas himself in the ninth round. Judges scored the fight 116-109, 115-110 and 115-110 for Stevenson in his SHOWTIME® debut. In his last outing, Dec. 19, 2014 on SHOWTIME from the Pepsi Coliseum, “Superman” made short work of Russian veteran Dmitry “The Hunter” Sukhotskiy, stopping him in the fifth.

Bika, fighting out of Australia by way of his native Cameroon, which he represented at the 2000 Olympics, has earned the reputation as a tough, rough brawling warrior who has fought the best. He has been in six world title fights (1-3-2), holding one of the 168-pound division crowns in 2013-14. He has fought many world champions, never been knocked out in 41 professional bouts and he was “The Contender, Season 3” reality television series champion in 2007.

“The Scorpion” demonstrated his world-class toughness and determination in fights with the world’s elite super middleweights at that time, challenging world champions Markus Beyer and Joe Calzaghe in 2006, Lucian Bute in 2007 and Andre Ward in 2010. Resilience and hard work finally paid off for Bika when he won the coveted 168-pound title, defeating Marco Antonio Periban by decision in 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. He successfully defended his title six months later by fighting to a 12-round draw with Anthony Dirrell on SHOWTIME in 2013. Bika eventually lost his belt in a rematch with Dirrell on SHOWTIME last August.

PBC on CBS, headlined by the light heavyweight world championship fight between Stevenson and Bika, is promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and presented by Videotron and in association with Mise-O-Jeu.

Tickets go on sale Saturday, Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. E, at the Pepsi Coliseum box office in Quebec, by calling (418) 691-7211 or (800) 900-7469, online at www.billetech.com, at GYM (514) 383-0666 and Champion Boxing Club (514) 376-0980. Ticket prices range from $25 to $250 on the floor.

Because the show is being held the day before Easter, GYM encourages the Quebec public to come as families and groups by offering two tickets (in the stands) for-the-price-of-1 special offer for two days only (Saturday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 1) for those purchasing tickets directly through www.billetech.com.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.groupeyvonmichel.ca, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @yvonmichelgym, @AdonisSuperman and @Sakio_Bika, follow the conversation using #StevensonBika, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents an exciting international heavyweight showdown this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, as U.K.-based WBO International heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (23-0, 17 KOs) risks his perfect professional record against dangerous Romanian-born German foe Christian Hammer (17-3, 10 KOs).

Scheduled to air live in Canada from 3 to 6 p.m. ET, Saturday’s Frank Warren and Hennessy Sports-promoted event emanates from 02 Arena in London, England.

Should Fury emerge victorious in Saturday’s main event, he will be next in line to challenge reigning world champion Wladimir Klitschko in a highly anticipated championship showdown.

The co-main event is also expected to produce fireworks as undefeated Russian Dmitry Chudinov (14-0, 9 KOs) defends his interim WBA middleweight crown against highly touted British banger Chris Eubank Jr. (18-1, 13 KOs).

Leading into Saturday’s live broadcast, Fight Network will present live coverage of the UFC’s “Welcome to the Show” press conference from Los Angeles, as 20 top UFC fighters will join UFC president Dana White to promote upcoming events. Fighters scheduled to appear include champions Jon Jones, Chris Weidman, Anthony Pettis, T.J. Dillashaw and Carla Esparza, plus top contenders Frankie Edgar, Urijah Faber, Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold. The live press conference kicks off at 2 p.m. ET.

Following Saturday’s live Fury vs. Hammer broadcast, Fight Network will present its UFC Pre-Show Live at 7 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis ahead of UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano on pay-per-view.

A UFC Post-Show Live will air on Fight Network immediately following the pay-per-view at approximately 1 a.m. ET, featuring highlights, recaps and the live post-fight press conference.

In addition to all the live pre and post-fight coverage, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now and UFC Ultimate Insider. All airings are listed at tv.fightnetwork.com.

Post-fight coverage continues on Monday’s edition of 5 Rounds on Fight Network, which debuts at 7 p.m. ET and features a comprehensive breakdown of Saturday’s event.

It all begins tonight, Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. ET with a broadcast of the UFC 184 Weigh-ins Live, as women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and unbeaten No. 1 contender Cat Zingano tip the scales before taking center stage on Saturday night.

Then, at 10:30 p.m. ET, Fight Network’s Golden Boy Live! boxing series returns to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., headlined by former world champion Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (28-4-1, 21 KOs) and the hard-punching Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu (18-1, 17 KOs), plus Diego De La Hoya (8-0, 6 KOs) battles Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) and imposing Chinese heavyweight sensation, Taishan (2-0, 2 KOs) faces Roy McCary (3-2, 3 KOs).

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

San Diego, CA – February 27, 2014- This Saturday afternoon, February 28, Carl Frampton (19-0, 13 KO’s) will make the 1st defense of the IBF Super Bantamweight title when he takes on mandatory challenger Chris Avalos (25-2, 19 KO’s) in a bout that can be seen live and exclusively in the United States on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment.

The show begins on AWE at 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PT

The card will originate from the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland and is promoted by Cyclone Promotions

Frampton will be fighting in front of his hometown fans knows that he needs a big effort over the tough Avalos in order to secure major fights in the suddenly hot 122-pound division.

“Everything is good. My weight is good. I have had great sparring, a great camp and I am ready to go. The atmosphere at the Odyssey Arena is always unbelievable and it will be even more on Saturday,” said Frampton.

The undefeated Frampton did not need theatrics by Avalos’ camp at Thursday’s press conference to get him mentally ready for Saturday’s showdown.

“I am always motivated and they did not have to do that to get me in the zone. I just shrugged it off and I am completely chill.”

Frampton has long been rumored to have an all United Kingdom showdown with Scott Quigg, but he knows that he has a huge task in front of him on Saturday.

“I actually think Avalos is better than Quigg. He is dangerous, a better puncher, a better chin and he hits harder. I know I have to win as there are big fights in my future.”

Frampton also agrees to the theory that once a fighter wins a title he becomes a better fighter.

“Since I won the title, I am walking taller. I have been running through sparring partners and I can see that I am a more complete fighter. If Chris doesn’t believe that, we will see what happens.”

“I want to be exciting and I want the knockout. I want to fight the big fights. I want to fight everyone at Super Bantamweight. I can see myself fighting Quigg this summer then I want to fight Rigondeaux. I see him as the man to beat at this weight class. Another guy is Leo Santa Cruz but I do not think he will fight anybody of note.”

Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, CenturyLink Prism TV channel 470 and 1470 and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates.

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson. In 2014, AWE televised the crowning of lightweight champion Terence Crawford with his win over Burns as well as the exciting rematches between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez as well as Tony Bellew defeating Nathan Cleverly.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is featured on over a hundred cable providers, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD and CenturyLink Prism TV channel 470 and 1470. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

LONDON (27 Feb) – Heavyweight star Tyson Fury will be out to impress when he takes on the unrelenting Christian Hammer.

The 26-year-old Manchester banger knows that everything is on the line when he faces the German based Romanian, with a shot at Wladimir Klitschko’s WBO belt next up if he comes through the fight unscathed, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

However, in the big-hitting Hammer, who has a record of 17 wins from his 20 fights, he faces a man who has vowed to tear up the script and steal the show at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.

“Tyson Fury will not go the distance against me, he will be getting knocked out clean and left to pick up the pieces after the fight. He cannot hurt me with his punches because I’m in the best shape of my career for this fight. He will not last against me,” said Hammer.

“He has been put down before, he can be hit and hurt. He has plenty of heart, but once I put him down he will stay down.

“I’ve taken this fight because I know I can get the Klitschko world title fight when I beat Fury. Klitschko is talking about fighting Fury, but he will be talking about my name once I knock out Fury,” Hammer said.

Yet, the British, European and WBO International champion Fury is spurred on by the fear of losing.

Fury, who has won all 23 professional fights, said, “once you get done over there is no point in carrying on, is there?

“Boxers bounce back after a defeat, but are they the same? Are they really that good?

“When you think you’re unbeatable like I do now and get splattered all over the ring, you are not the man you were. You’re a beaten shell of yourself.

“If you get flattened you’re not as good as you thought you were, but if you lose a disputed decision or something goes wrong and you get disqualified, there isn’t much you can do about that.

“I am not in that position to know whether I would walk away if I got knocked out, but I would think about it.

“It isn’t just me I have to think about. I have got a wife and kids. Do I really need to be taking punishment where I could end up in a wheelchair?

“All the money and titles wouldn’t mean anything because I am sat there drooling from the mouth.”

Chris Eubank Jr will also feature on this Saturday night’s card when he challenges interim WBA middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov.

The Brighton boxer is looking to bounce back in style following his split decision loss to rival Billy Joe Saunders last November, and is well aware that he splits opinion amongst fight fans.

“In this game you want to be loved, hated or both. You don’t want to be in the middle. Everything I have done, the way I fight, puts me at either end of the spectrum. I am a Marmite type fighter, you either love me or hate me,” said Eubank Jr.

“Even people who don’t like me are still going to come and pay to watch me fight and see me lose. Either way, they are still there watching, but I want to have a worldwide fan base and I believe I can do it,” he said.

BoxNation’s bumper weekend of action gets off to a cracking start tonight with the thrilling Golden Boy Promotions show set to feature 7ft heavyweight Taishan Dong.

The imposing 26-year-old hails from China and will be looking to continue his winning ways, in a fledgling career which has seen him win his first two contests by knockout, when he takes on American Roy McCrary.

The top of the bill at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, will see the ever-exciting Pablo Cesar Cano taking on the hard-hitting Dominican Juan Carlos Abreu, who has scored 17 knockouts from 18 wins, in a ten-round welterweight contest.

Fury v Hammer is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Saturday at 7pm. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Philadelphia, PA—Junior middleweight prospect Fred Jenkins, Jr., of Philadelphia, and undefeated Jeff Lentz, of Lanoka Harbor, NJ, square off in an intriguing six-round contest Friday evening, March 6, at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

The seven-fight card features a pair of eight-round contests: Jason Sosa (13-1-3, 9 KOs), of Camden, NJ, vs. Bergman Aguilar (12-1-1, 4 KOs), Esca zu, Costa Rica, junior lightweights; Joey Dawejko (13-3-2, 6KOs), Philadelphia, vs. Enobong Umohette
(9-2-0, 8KOs), Milwaukee,WI, heavyweights.
First bout is 7 p.m.
Jenkins (above left), 28, is coming off a six-round points win over James Robinson, of York, PA, last Dec. 13 at the 2300 Arena. Jenkins (9-1, 3 K0s) turned pro in 2011 at 170 pounds. In 2012, he was as heavy as 174.5 pounds but weighed 155.75 when he beat Robinson.
Before he began his professional training, the 5-foot-7 Jenkins was as heavy as 225.
Jenkins is managed and trained by his dad, Fred Jenkins, Sr., a former pro in the 1970s and a member of the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame. Jenkins, Sr., trains heavyweight Bryant Jennings and also managed and trained Charlie “Choo Choo” Brown, the first IBF world lightweight champ, as well as junior welterweight Rockin’ Rodney Moore.
Lentz, 26, is 4-0 with 1K0 as a pro boxer. He registered his biggest victory in his last fight on July 12 in West Deptford, NJ, when he scored a six-round upset decision over Tim Witherspoon, Jr., of Philadelphia. Witherspoon was 10-4-1 at fight time when Lentz earned scores of 59-55 from all three ringside judges. Lentz also defeated Vinny O’Brien, of East Hanover, NJ, in 2012.
In MMA, Lentz is the owner-operator at Jeff Lentz Mixed Martial Arts and Jiu Jitsu and also works as a personal trainer and fitness instructor. He also is schooled in Muay Thai.
A six-round lightweight contest matches popular Victor Vasquez, of Philadelphia, against Jose Guzman, of the Bronx, NY.
Vasquez (above right), 32, earned a six-round decision over fellow-Philadelphian Gerald Smith in his last fight Oct. 18 at the 2300 Arena. A pro since 2006, Vasquez has a record of 17-9-1 with 7K0s.
Guzman, 26, makes his first start in more than four years. He is 5-8-1 but has lost to world-class fighters such as former super bantamweight world-title challenger Teon Kennedy, of Philadelphia, and ex-WBO junior welterweight champ Chris Algieri, of New York.
Also returning after a three-year absence is unbeaten lefty Keenan Smith, of Philadelphia. He takes on hard-luck welterweight Malik Jackson, of Newark, NJ, over six rounds.
Smith, 24, last boxed in 2012, beating Chris Finley, of Detroit, MI, over four rounds in Atlantic City, NJ. Smith is 5-0, 1 K0.
Jackson, 32, who can’t seem to get a break from the ringside officials, is 1-5-4, including a six-round draw last fall with unbeaten David Gonzales, of Philadelphia, in Gonzales’ backyard.
Smith represents the ninth undefeated fighter Jackson will have boxed in less than two years.
Two four-round fights complete the 7 p.m. card: Jerome Conquest, Philadelphia, vs. Kevin Garcia, Phoenixville, PA, lightweights; Lamont McLaughlin, Philadelphia, vs. Alshamar Johnson, Vineland, NJ, super middleweights.

About March 6

The Sosa-Aguilar and Dawejko-Umohette fights headline a seven-bout card at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. Doors open at 6 pm; first fight is 7pm. The card will be streamed live on www.gfl.tv and on Comcast SportsNet (CSN) on a delayed basis. Tickets are $35, $50 and $75 and can be purchased by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.wanatix.com. The March 6 card is promoted by Joe Hand Promotions, Peltz Boxing and BAM Boxing.

Tomorrow, Feb. 28, marks one of the most highly anticipated MMA fights in UFC women’s history as MMA star Ronda Rousey defends her UFC bantamweight title against No. 1-ranked contender Cat Zingano at UFC 184 in Los Angeles. That event follows Invicta FC 11, an all-women’s fight promotion headlined by Cris “Cyborg” Santos.

Front Row caught up with Ryan Hockensmith, deputy editor, espnW and reporter Ramona Shelburne to discuss W’s in-depth coverage around the fights and the atmosphere in Los Angeles. Read full Q&A on ESPN Front Row.

More information on epnW’s week-long UFC 184 coverage:
espnW will look ahead to Saturday’s big UFC 184 bout between bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey and top contender Cat Zingano. Ramona Shelburne will be covering the fight in Los Angeles, and W will have week-long coverage. Allison Glock will have an in-depth profile of Zingano, accompanied with video. Also, Michael Huang will explain “Why this Might be the Biggest Weekend in Women’s MMA History.” Additional pieces and all associated content will be located at: espnW.com/RondaRousey.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 27) – Golden Boy Promotions returns to its Coachella Valley home at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on March 20 with another exciting Golden Boy Live! event. Headlining the night, former world title contender Alfonso Gomez (24-6-2, 12 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico takes on Japanese breakout star Yoshihiro Kamegai (25-2-1, 22 KOs) in an exciting 10-round super welterweight bout set to air live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.

In the evening’s co-main event Santa Ana, Calif. slugger Ronny Rios (23-1, 10 KOs) is scheduled for a 10-round featherweight bout against Mexicali’s Jesus “Kalaka” Navarro (23-9-1, 16 KOs) and former Irish national championship fighter Jamie “The Nuisance” Kavanagh (17-1-1, 8 KOs) will compete in an eight-round televised lightweight match against an opponent yet to be named. In the non-televised undercard, the undefeated Abraham Lopez (17-0, 12 KOs) of La Puente, Calif. will risk his perfect record in an eight-round featherweight contest against Mexico’s Juan Carlos “El Pez” Martinez (20-15-1, 7 KOs) and Albert “Baby Dynamite” Herrera (9-10-1, 5 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. will fight in a six-round welterweight brawl against a yet to be announced opponent.

Kamegai vs. Gomez is a 10-round super welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bell rings at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, priced at $25, $35, and $45, will go on sale today, Friday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Mexico-native and California transplant Alfonso Gomez rose to recognition in the U.S. while competing on the hit reality TV show “The Contender” on NBC in 2004. He ranked third of the show’s 16 fighters that were competing for a one million dollar cash prize. Gomez is an intense fighter who has taken on some of the toughest fighters in the sport, Shawn Porter, Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto and Jesus Soto Karass. Most recently, Gomez won via unanimous decision over Ed Paredes at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino, Las Vegas in July and hopes to add another win to his record when he meets Kamegai on March 20.

Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, Yoshihiro Kamegai began his professional career nearly 10 years ago and quickly became known as a fast and sly slugger, scoring knockout after knockout. He made his U.S. boxing debut in 2011, securing a victory over Hector Munoz at the MGM Grand and most recently scored a knockout victory over Oscar Godoy in December at the same venue. Kamegai, a relative newcomer in the U.S. boxing scene, first captured the American audience and critics’ attention when he fought two-division world titlist Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in a vicious brawl last June that garnered considerable ‘Fight of the Year’ interest. Kamegai will make his sixth U.S. appearance on March 20 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in his toughest match to date against former world title contender Alfonso Gomez.

Ronny Rios made his professional debut six years ago and has quickly racked up wins and a tough reputation along the way. A familiar face at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Rios has won all but his most recent surprising loss in a vicious battle against Robinson Castellanos at the venue. He makes his return March 20 with great determination and hope to show his fans and boxing critics that he is a mainstay in the sport.

Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico’s Jesus “Kalaka” Navarro is a seasoned fighter ready to take on Rios on March 20. A professional since 2006, the Mexican brawler has had a successful career in his native country and is now making his second appearance in the U.S. after facing contenders like Julio Barraza, Jesus Lopez, and Francisco C De Vaca. In his first fight of 2015, Navarro hopes to add another win to his record and get back on track to a title match.

Irish national champion Jamie “The Nuisance” Kavanagh has a natural talent and knack for the sport, having competed since age 11 only a year after he first set foot in the ring. After racking up medals in international competitions, Kavanagh made his way to the U.S. and made his professional debut at Madison Square Garden in May 2010, with an impressive win over William Ware after just two rounds. 2014 was a good year for Kavanagh as he secured quick wins against Andres Navarro and Michael Clark and hopes to continue the winning streak when he makes his third appearance at Fantasy Spring Resort Casino on March 20.

Featherweight rising star, Abraham Lopez, of La Puente, Calif., first laced up the gloves at age six, and hasn’t put them down since. Lopez, started off his professional career in 2008 with a first round technical knockout of Albert Soto and continues to thrill fight fans with his impressive style. Most recently the undefeated fighter faced Gabriel Tomlmajyan winning via unanimous decision on March 16. On March 20, Lopez will put his undefeated record on the line once again in hopes to one day get a shot at a world title.

Born and raised in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Juan Carlos “El Pez” Martinez is a seasoned fighter still looking for his shot at a title. Having fought over 36 fights in his career and most recently facing contenders like Edner Cherry, Alejandro Perez and Jose Pedraza, “El Pez” has proven to be a feared contender in the sport. Going the distance in most of his fights, Martinez has the experience and the stamina to give anyone a tough fight and on March 20, Martinez hopes to out-box La Puente’s Abraham Lopez.

Riverside, Calif. native Albert “Baby Dynamite” Herrera is a super welterweight prospect looking to add a win to his record when he returns to the ring on March 20 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. A professional since 2009, Herrera has fought some of the division’s toughest fighters including current world champion Demetrius Andrade and tough contenders Alan Sanchez, Javier Molina, Thomas Dulorme and Aaron Martinez.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @FOXSports, @FOXSports1, @FOXDeportes and, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing.

Feb. 27, 2015 – HBO Boxing presents “Road to Kovalev-Pascal,” a compelling special spotlighting the upcoming light heavyweight championship bout between undefeated knockout artist Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev defending his crown against Canada’s Jean Pascal. Their highly anticipated slugfest takes place Saturday, March 14 at the Bell Centre in Montreal and televised live on HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.

The “Road to Kovalev-Pascal” special will premiere tomorrow, Saturday, February 28 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on HBO. It will preview the hot 175-pound title showdown between these two ring warriors who are making their 2015 debuts in this high-stakes battle. Kovalev, one of the sport’s top attractions, enjoyed a brilliant 2014 campaign, earning ‘Fighter of the Year” honors from Bleacher Report, USA TODAY, New York Post, Sports Illustrated.com, The RING, SherDog.com and UCNLive.com.

The 15-minute special will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: March 3 (11:00 a.m.), 5 (10:00 p.m.), 8 (10:45 a.m.), 9 (3:45 a.m. & 11:45 a.m.), 11 (6:00 p.m. & 10:45 p.m.), 13 (1:15 a.m.) and 14 (10:00 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: March 1 (12:00 a.m.), 2 (3:30 p.m.), 4 (1:10 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.) 6 (11:10 a.m.), 7 (7:00 p.m.), 10 (1:00 a.m), 13 (10:45 p.m.) and 14 (7:45 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

ONTARIO, CALIF (Feb. 27, 2015) – Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (35-4, 31 KOs) returns to the ring on Friday, March 13 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

The action-packed card features a pair of exciting main events as Andre Berto goes up against Josesito Lopez and Shawn Porter battles Roberto Garcia on the debut of PBC on Spike TV. The televised bouts on Spike TV begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“I’m itching to get back in the ring and show that I’m still going after my dream of being heavyweight champion of the world,” said Arreola. “This is a wonderful platform for me to fight with Premier Boxing Champions and I couldn’t be more excited to fight in front of my fans here in California.”

Born in Escondido, Calif. but fighting out of Los Angeles, Arreola has long been one of the most feared punchers in the heavyweight division. He was a 2001 National Golden Gloves champion who turned pro in 2003 and slowly began his rise up the heavyweight rankings. In 2009, having already captured a number of regional belts, Arreola challenged Vitali Klitschko for the heavyweight world title at Staples Center in Los Angeles. He took the champ deep into the fight before retiring in the tenth round, but he did not let that deter him from continuing towards his championship goals.

After dropping a tough decision to Tomasz Adamek in 2010, Arreola pushed his way back into title contention with six-straight victories before he got a chance against Bermane Stiverne in 2013. In their first fight, Arreola lost a unanimous decision but earned himself another fight against Stiverne, this time for the heavyweight world championship. In an action-packed fight, Arreola was stopped in the sixth-round.

Now, Arreola looks to return to his winning ways in a familiar setting. This will be the 33-year-old’s fifth time fighting at Citizen’s Business Bank Arena and his tenth time fighting in Ontario, Calif. If his winning ways return, he could put himself back in the world title mix.

The fight card is promoted by Goossen Promotions, which has promoted all of Arreola’s professional fights.

Tickets for the live event are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AndreBerto, @JosesitoLopez, @ShowtimeShawnP, @AmenazaGarcia and @SpikeTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing and www.Facebook.com/Spike.

Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing and Oswaldo Kuchle of Promociones Del Pueblo proudly announce the renewal of former interim WBA World bantamweight and current WBC #2-rated super bantamweight contender, Hugo “Cuatito” Ruiz (35-2, 31 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico’s co-promotional contract.

28-year-old Ruiz, trained by his father, Heriberto Ruiz and twin brothers, Edel and Heriberto Jr (both former high-level fighters), was last seen demolishing Mexican veteran Carlos Medellin in one round last November.

“I am very happy that Hugo Ruiz has decided to stay loyal to us and I expect he will be world champion in his new division very soon,” said Sampson Lewkowicz. “He is a very exciting fighter with the power to make every fight exciting.”

Ruiz’ only loss in the last eight years was a very debatable split decision to Japan’s Koki Kameda in a WBA Unification fight in Osaka, Japan, in December 2012. Ruiz made four successful defenses of his interim championship before the Kameda controversy.

Impressively, Ruiz carries an 84% KO ratio, boxing at the international level.

“I will meet with my young partner, Mr. Oswaldo Kuchle, and together he and I will figure out the best course for this exciting puncher’s career. I am proud to be joining forces with Promociones Del Pueblo on this sensational fighter.”

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

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

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

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

27 February 2015 – Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced that the next three events in China will take place in Xian, Guangzhou and Shenyang. ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS will be held in these cities on 2 May, 30 May and 12 June respectively. The events are part of a ten-city tour across mainland China in partnership with IMC Live.

CEO OF ONE Championship, Victor Cui, stated, “ONE Championship continues its upward trajectory towards becoming the number one sports organization in the world with a series of groundbreaking events in China. ONE Championship continues to be a trailblazer by bringing world-class mixed martial arts action across mainland China while breaking both live and television viewership records. Fans all over the world can prepare to be thrilled with adrenaline pumping action featuring the best mixed martial artists from around the world.”

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE CHAMPIONSHIP™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Championship™ is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

About IMC Live Group China
IMC Live Group China ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? IMC Live Group China??2007???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Cranberries, Suede, Avril Lavigne ?Elton John ????

Boxing fans had to wait for a long time to finally see the rematch between US ring veteran Tony Thompson and former Cuban amateur standout Odlanier Solis. This Friday (Feb. 27th) Thompson and Solis will finally step into the ring in Antalya, Turkey. Both fighters not only arrived on the site but also went over the scale on Thursday afternoon. Thompson weighed in at 261 lbs. (118 kg) while Solis brought 272 lbs. (123 kg) to the scale.

On March 22nd 2014 “La Sombra” Solis was looking to get in line for another shot at the world heavyweight championship by beating the American gatekeeper. But the mission failed when Thompson, a two time world title challenger against Wladimir Klitschko, shocked Solis and got a well deserved split decision win. The “Tiger” proved to the world that he can still bite at the age of 42. One year later – and after numerous postponements – Solis and Thompson meet again in a long anticipated rematch. Of course, the Cuban wants to make up for the loss instead of being surprised by Thompson a second time.
“That loss still hurts”, says “La Sombra”. “I am very happy that I finally get the chance to get back at him.” But Thompson obviously knows how to beat the Cuban. “I will do exactly what I did last time – kick his a**”, states the American. Promoter Ahmet Oner is convinced that the winner of the bout will fight for the world championship soon. “Both guys are rated in the top 15 by the WBC. The winner will advance to a top spot while the loser might as well call it a career.”
Besides a very high rating the winner of the bout will be awarded with the WBC Continental Americas Championship. Deontay Wilder just showed that this belt can be the stepping stone to winning the world title. Wilder held the Continental title until October 2013 before beating Bermane Stiverne in January to become heavyweight champion of the world.

The televised undercard features two more fights for regional WBC titles. Promising Turkish prospect Avni Yildirim will try to win his first pro title when he takes on George Beroshvili from Georgia for the WBC Youth Intercontinental Championship. Yildirim has been an outstanding amateur representing Turkey at European and World Championships. But claiming his first pro title won’t be easy because his opponent Beroshvili has already fought for Youth world championships twice and went the distance with strong German Tyron Zeuge as well as Tim-Robin Lihaug from Norway.

In addition to that WBC Mediterranean Cruiserweight Champion will try to defend his title against Italian champion Maurizio Lovaglio. All three title bouts will be broadcasted live on www.360fights.com/event/solis-vs-thompson/ starting at 19:00h Central European time.

An amazing 2015 continued on February 20 for fast-rising Canadian lightweight contender Tony “Lightning” Luis (19-2, 7 KOs), as he and fiance Manon Latulippe welcomed the birth of their first child, a son named Miguel, on February 20.

Born at 6 lbs 14 oz, Luis says baby Miguel is healthy and beautiful.

“I named him after Miguel Cotto, always loved the name for a boy,” explained Luis. “When we told the family we were going with the name Miguel, my sister got emotional. I said ‘what’s wrong?’ She said ‘You didn’t know? The last couple years before mom passed, she said she wished she would have had another boy and named him Miguel. I thought for sure that’s why you picked it?’ I said ‘No. My favorite fighter is Miguel Cotto.’ So, it was like my mom had a hand in this.”

Baby Miguel is the latest in a hot string of victories this year for Luis, who also picked up the WBC Continental Americas lightweight title and ruined the undefeated record of IBF #15 rated Karl “Dynamite” Dargan (17-1, 9 KOs), in January, by way of an upset 10-round unanimous decision. A huge underdog, Luis surprised everyone but himself by dominating Dargan.

27-year-old Luis, from Cornwall, Ontario, says that so far fatherhood has been wonderful.

“I have no complaints. There are late nights and he’s crying and stuff, but I’m very lucky because I’ve been on midnights all week, so I’m gone all night and I’m with him during the day. Manon has been great about it. She lets me sleep to train twice a day and work all night. I’m very lucky and blessed to have a partner like her.”

###

About Greg Cohen Promotions

One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen made headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KOs); and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney (74-7-3, 45 KOs).

Current world-rated contenders in the GCP roster include Arash Usmanee, universally recognized as a top-10 super featherweight; former WBA International Middleweight Champion and world-rated middleweight contender Jarrod Fletcher; top-rated featherweight Joel Brunker; cruiserweight Lateef Kayode; Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis, and WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Rising Welterweight sensation Cecil McCalla.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

The official weigh-ins concluded this afternoon for Bellator’s highly anticipated “British Invasion” show which will serve as the first tentpole event of the year and takes place tomorrow, Feb. 27.. The night of fights airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9/8c from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, and features three of the UK’s top MMA fighters competing on American soil, as well as a super fight between “King Mo” Lawal and Cheick Kongo.

Champ Emanuel Newton (204.5 lbs.) vs. Liam McGeary (204 lbs.)
Cheick Kongo (239 lbs.) vs. “King Mo” Lawal (217 lbs.)
Paul Daley (171 lbs.) vs. Andre Santos (171 lbs.)
Linton Vassell (205 lbs.) vs. Rameau Sokoudjou (205 lbs.)
Brennan Ward (171 lbs.) vs. Curtis Millender (170 lbs.)
Matt Bessette (145 3/4 lbs.) vs. Josh Laberge (145 lbs.)
Raphael Butler (260 lbs.) vs. Josh Diekmann (238 1/4 lbs.)
Jason Butcher (186 lbs.) vs. Tamdan McCrory (185.5 lbs.)
Bobby Flynn (170.5 lbs.) vs. Neiman Gracie (171 lbs.)
Marvin Maldonado (136 lbs.) vs. Blair Tugman (136 lbs.)
Michael Mangan (155 1/4 lbs.) vs. Dean Hancock (155.5 lbs.)

Newton: “I am going to finish [Liam McGeary] tomorrow. Whether it be by choke, KO, TKO or submission, I am going to finish him.

“I am connected to my inner-being. All I ever request of myself is victory. I don’t request a nice car or a big house, all I request is victory and it will be given to me.”

Liam McGeary: “I am going to become the first Englishmen to win a major title in America tomorrow. I put the work in. I have sacrificed too much to come up short. I have a great team behind me.”

Chieck Kongo: “Two big guys are getting in that cage tomorrow, and at the end I will be the winner.

“I trained like crazy for this fight. I finished training camp without injury and I came to get what I deserve.

“If he gives me the opportunity to knock him out, I surely will do it. But if not, we will go the full rounds and I will claim victory.”

King Mo: “I am going to have my hand raised tomorrow. I am not sure how exactly it’s going to happen, but I will make sure of it.

“I train hard and smart. I have seen everything there is to see in this game. My camp was great.

“Whatever he gives me, I’m going to take.”

Daley: “Andres Santos is in a lot of trouble. He is going to get knocked spark out. He says he’s Brazilian and a lot of these guys are getting laid out on the floor; he’s going to be another one of them.”

Andres Santos: “I am very confident in my ability tomorrow. I know I will come out with the victory. I have prepared very long and hard for this fight and I will come out the victor.”

Vassell: “I’m going to finish him [Sokoudjou] either on the ground, pound or by submission. He only has a couple minutes in him and that’s when I will be looking for the knockout. If not, then I will take him down and save up for the TKO or submission.”

Sokoudjou: “I’m going to beat him to the ground, that’s the game plan. Whether it is on our feet or on the ground, I am going to beat him.
“I trained very hard during training camp, it was very tough. I am healthy and ready to go.”

Brennan Ward: “Im going to go out there and punch [Millender] him on his head. I’m Brennan Ward and I’m going to do when I do. When I’m on my game, no one can stop me.

“It means a lot to be fighting in front of my hometown friends and family. I’m going to put on a show.”

Millender: “I’m going to take him down and beat him at his own game. My striking is my biggest strength.

“He’s not going to expect me to be the wrestler that I am. He’s going to be in a lot of trouble.

“I am absolutely looking for the knockout, it doesn’t matter how I get it.”

Cheick Kongo vs. King Mo

Paul Daley vs. Andre Santos

Linton Vassell vs. Sokoudjou

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Champ Emanuel Newton (25-7) vs. Liam McGeary (9-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Cheick Kongo (22-9-2) vs. “King Mo” Lawal (14-4)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (35-13) vs. Andre Santos (37-9)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Linton Vassell (14-4) vs. Rameau Sokoudjou (16-12)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (9-3) vs. Curtis Millender (7-0)

Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Matt Bessette (13-6) vs. Josh Laberge (9-4)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Josh Diekmann (15-5) vs. Raphael Butler (8-1-1)
Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Tamdan McCrory (12-3) vs. Jason Butcher (8-1)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Neiman Gracie (2-0) vs. Bobby Flynn (4-2)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Marvin Maldonado (2-2) vs. Blair Tugman (6-5)

Dark Bout (approx. 11 p.m. ET)
Bellator Featherweight Dark Bout: Michael Mangan (2-0) vs. Dean Hancock (pro debut)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao will arrive in Los Angles on before his expected March 8 arrival for his May 2 mega showdown with Floyd Mayweather.

“Manny called me and said it’s been so crazy in the Philippines that he is going to come over here early and probably start at Wild Card on March 2,” Roach told ESPN.com on Thursday. “Having him early is really nice for me. We’ll have Justin Fortune doing strength work with him, and then we’ll begin the boxing part and start sparring.”

Roach will not be at the gym for the first several days after Pacquiao’s arrival because he is going to Macau on Friday. Roach will be with two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming (6-0, 1 KO) for his bid to win a flyweight world title from Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KOs) on March 7 at the Cotai Arena.

With Pacquiao coming to camp early, Roach initially told him he was going to stay in California and have assistant Marvin Somodio, who has been training Shiming in Shanghai, finish camp and run the corner.

However, Roach said that Pacquiao “insisted that I go help Shiming. Manny said, ‘I can train for a few days by myself and with the staff.'”

So Somodio will fly from China to Los Angeles to oversee the first few days of Pacquiao’s camp at Wild Card.

“Manny told me I should be with Zou because he knows how important this fight is for him,” Roach said. “The thing is, Manny is that type of guy. He cares about other people. He knows Shiming has a better chance to win if I’m there with him.”

“I’m very happy, and I’m very confident we will win the fight,” Roach said. “I have a good game plan for Manny, and I’ve altered the game plan some over the last five to six years since this fight has been something everyone wanted to see. I’ve made adjustments to it since both guys are a little older. I’m watching tape on their last two fights each.

“They’re not the same as they were five years ago, but it’s a winnable fight for us if we fight the right fight. This is the biggest fight of my life. There’s a lot of pressure, but I’m not going to be nervous. Pressure is good. I want to perform, and I want my fighter to do the best he can.

We just need to have the right strategy to beat this solid fighter,” Roach said. “Mayweather is a slick guy, and he is not the easiest guy in the world to fight. He’s undefeated for a reason. He’s very smart. The thing is we have to attack him a lot and have that ring generalship, and Manny has to work on cutting off the ring. Everything will come together. Manny and me have already been talking about the strategy. Once he gets here, he knows what I want from him.”

Roach said he already has two sparring partners lined up for Pacquiao in 21-year-old pros Kenneth Sims Jr. (5-0, 2 KOs), a junior welterweight and former amateur standout from Chicago, and Rashidi Ellis (13-0, 10 KOs), a welterweight out of Lynn, Massachusetts, both of whom he said have worked out at Wild Card and caught his eye.

“They arrive on March 8,” Roach said. “I’m very impressed with their talent. I know they’re young guys, but they’re good. They have that Mayweather look a little bit. I have four other guys in mind for later on in camp.

“There’s a lot riding on this fight. It’s a big one. It’s exciting. People are congratulating me that we got the fight. I said, ‘Don’t congratulate me now. Congratulate me when we win it.'”

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 26) – Golden Boy Promotions today announced an updated card for LA FIGHT CLUBjam-packed with exciting bouts for the premiere of the sold-out FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes serieson Friday, March 6 at The Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Headlining the night, undefeated super bantamweight prospect and 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (14-0, 9 KOs) is scheduled for 10-rounds against new opponent, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico’s Juan Luis “Perla Negra” Hernandez (17-4-1, 9 KOs) in the night’s main event. Fight fans can still catch all the action live on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes (10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT).

Juan Luis “Perla Negra” Hernandez will make his U.S. debut on March 6 at The Belasco Theater. A seasoned fighter, Hernandez is known for fighting throughout Mexico and has built a career going the distance in his bouts. Most recently he faced Perdro Palma in November and Genesus Servania in February going the full scheduled rounds in both matches. On March 6, Hernandez hopes to make an impression in his first U.S. match against Diaz Jr.

Los Angeles’ Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (8-0, 8 KOs) will be featured as the night’s co-main event against Julio Cesar Sarinana of Phoenix (3-2-1) in a six-round super featherweight bout. Plus, opponents for the non-televised undercard have been added. First, homegrown talent Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (10-0-1, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles will fight in a six-round super bantamweight bout against southpaw Ali Gonzalez (6-5, 1 KO) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Also, Cesar “The Great” Quiñonez (1-0, 1 KO), Fernando Varga’s promising prospect, will have his second professional bout against newcomer Oscar Rojas (0-1) of Salinas, Calif. in a four-round super lightweight bout. Finally, super bantamweight prospect Emilio Sanchez (6-0, 5 KOs) will face Puerto Rico’s Luis Cosme (8-5-1, 3 KOs) in the opening bout of the night.

In previously announced fights, Santiago “El Lobito” Guevara (8-0, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles is still scheduled to face Carlos Morales (6-1-3, KOs) in a six-round super featherweight televised opening bout. Irish standout Jason Quigley (3-0) will square off against Lanny Dardar (2-2-2, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout hoping to make airtime. Also, Jesus Delgado of Los Angeles (3-0-1, 1 KOs) will compete in a four-round fight against Rocco Espinoza (4-11) of Las Vegas in the non-televised portion of the night.

LA FIGHT CLUB: Diaz vs. Hernandez is a 10-round super bantamweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.

The LA FIGHT CLUB is a monthly boxingseries premiering March 6 and will take place on the first Thursday of each month on April 2, May 7 and June 4. It will showcase the brightest stars in the sport and present these exciting matchups in a nightclub atmosphere with an original setup. The boxing ring will be set on the main floor of the Belasco Theater with on-camera standing room for fans in front of the ring similar to a concert pit, as well as reserved balcony and floor seats. Los Angeles’ own DJ Ray of Big Boy’s Neighborhood will spin music during the fights and fans will be able to dance and mingle with the fighters when the venue converts into a night club, in a VIP experience not matched by any promoter in the industry.

Media interested in attending the premiere of LA FIGHT CLUB on March 6 must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications can be obtained by emailing credentials@goldenboypromotions.com. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @FoxSports, @FoxSports1, @FoxDeportes, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/ TheBelascoLA, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @belascola and follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 26, 2015) – John “The Gladiator” Molina Jr. and Abner Mares held an open workout for Los Angeles media Wednesday before they lace up their gloves for the inaugural Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC show taking place Saturday, March 7 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

These fights are part of the blockbuster card promoted by Goossen Promotions featuring Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero and Adrien Broner vs. John Molina, Jr. that will air live on NBC (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT). The Abner Mares vs. Arturo Santos Reyes bout will be televised live on the NBC show (8:30-11 p.m. ET) or on the NBCSN telecast (11 p.m. ET).

Tickets for the live event are priced at $400, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Check out what the fighters had to say about their upcoming bouts:

John Molina Jr., Super Lightweight Contender

“Being the underdog is how I got to this point. I took the scenic route to get here but I’m definitely excited to be on this big show on NBC. It’s going to be a great night of boxing on March 7.

“The (Humberto) Soto fight was a learning experience, but going in as the underdog is about going in and doing your job. I’ve had a lot of success as an underdog.

“I just took the positives from my last fight and tried to make the best of it and now I’m here today with the golden ticket in my hand.

“To see where I’m at today, after all I’ve gone through in my career, I’m in awe sometimes but we’re just barely getting started.

“I’m undefeated against quick guys like Adrien Broner and I love being the underdog. Adrien Broner is a great name for the sport of boxing, everyone loves to hate him, so it’s going to be a great night of boxing.

“Stylistically it’s two very different styles and that is what makes great fights. It’s like Apollo Creed and Rocky.

“There’s nothing in the past or before this, I’m only focused on being victorious on March 7.”

Abner Mares, Former Three-Division World Champion

“I have always felt the love from all my different coaches. There’s no perfect coach and no perfect fighter. Going back to Clemente Medina was just the most perfect fit. He knows me well and we’re on the same page. There is a lot of comfort.

“I didn’t lose anything from the Gonzalez fight, I gained. I learned a lot from that fight and now I’m more focused on becoming better and better.

“I have to go out there and make a statement. I’m going out there and branding myself on national television. I’m excited for people to see me out there and my mentality is to go in there and impress. I want to steal the show.

“I hope Leo Santa Cruz is next. I know it’s there. I just want to look sharp and go from there.”

For more information visit
www.premierboxingchampions.com,
www.nbcsports.com/boxing and www.goossenpromotions.com, follow on Twitter
@PremierBoxing, @KeithFThurmanJr, @GhostBoxing, @AdrienBroner, @JohnMolinaJr135, @abnermares, @NBCSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions
and www.Facebook.com/NBCSports.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (February 26, 2015) — Despite having only six professional fights under his belt, ZOU SHIMIING, the two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist and three-time world amateur champion is ready for his close-up. Just 23 months removed from his professional debut, Zou (6-0, 1 KO), of Guizhdou, China, the No. 1 world-rated contender and an icon in the People’s Republic of China, will challenge amateur rival and defending International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight world champion AMNAT RUENROENG (14-0, 5 KOs), of Si Racha, Thailand, in the main event of The Showdown at Sands: Zou Shiming vs. Amnat Ruenroeng, Saturday, March 7, at The Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Arena.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with Tecate, SECA, Kreerin Promotions, Sampson Boxing and Foreman Boys Promotions, the Zou Shiming – Amnat Ruenroeng World Flyweight Championship fight will be televised via same-day delay on HBO2®, beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT. The HBO2 telecast will open with a 10-round NABO junior middleweight title tilt between GLEN TAPIA (22-1, 14 KOs), of Passaic, NJ, and one-time world title challenger DANIEL DAWSON (40-4-1, 26 KOs), of Perth, Australia. Veteran boxing blow-by-blow man and WNBC-TV’s lead sports anchor Bruce Beck and award-winning broadcaster and analyst Rich Marotta will be calling the action from ringside.

At a recent Media Workout at Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., Zou discussed the upcoming fight:

“Expect me to be champion.

“This will be the biggest test for me.

“I am very calm, not nervous. I have been prepared for this moment for a long time. I am focused on myself — on executing Freddie’s gameplan. I felt a lot more pressure when I was in the Olympics. This time the pressure is on Ruenroeng.

“I feel very confident with the professional fighting style now. In my last fight, which went 12 rounds [12-round unanimous decision victory over Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym], I really felt like a professional fighter. That was a turning point for me — a landmark fight.

“The three Olympics, the World Amateur Championships and the past two years as a professional have prepared me for March 7. I don’t need any more fights to prepare me for challenging for a world title.

“Ruenroeng and I fought each other three times as amateurs. What I remember most is that he is good at gauging the distance between us to land his punches. He’s very lengthy with his reach. He was also very good at timing his punches.

“I am asked a lot which means more, winning Olympic gold or a world title. They are equally important to me. The March 7 fight is the next step for me. It is the biggest thing for me right now, but for me personally, not bigger than winning the gold medals.

“I really want to win the world title and bring it back to China. It would be the first time a Chinese fighter won Olympic gold and a world championship belt as a professional. No one has ever done that. I want to make my country proud and advance the sport of boxing throughout China. I am ready for my date with destiny.”

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The undercard will feature JOSE FELIX, Jr. (28-1-1, 23 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico, battling RAYMOND SERMONA, (17-4-5, 8 KOs), of Manila, in an eight-round lightweight bout which will be televised via same-day delay on UniMás, and Top-10 contenders IK YANG (17-0, 12 KOs), of Dalian, China and PATOMSUK PATHOMPOTHONG (30-2-1, 18 KOs), of Kalasin, Thailand, squaring off in a 12-round IBF junior welterweight title elimination bout.

Remaining tickets to The Showdown at Sands: Zou Shiming vs. Amnat Ruenroeng, priced from HKD/MOP 180 to 4,680, may be purchased online via Cotai Ticketing (www.cotaiticketing.com) or at the following Cotai Ticketing box offices, including The Venetian Macao (Cotai Arena and Main Lobby box offices), Four Seasons Hotel Macao (The Plaza™ Macao box office), Sands® Macao (Level 1 box office) or Sands® Cotai Central (Sheraton Main Lobby and Holiday Inn Main Lobby box offices.) To charge by phone call +853 2882 8818 (Macao) or +852 6333 6660 (Hong Kong). Hotel packages at The Venetian Macao, Conrad Macao-Cotai Central, Sheraton Macao Hotel-Cotai Central and Holiday Inn-Cotai Central are available through Cotai Ticketing only, starting at HDK/MOP 3,800 (plus 5% government tax and 10% service charge.) Packages include two tickets and one night’s room accommodation.

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

Bethlehem, PA (February 26, 2015)–On Friday night, April 10th, a special night of boxing will commence from the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA, as the Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight & Heavyweight semifinals will take place on the same evening.

The show is promoted by Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions and will be broadcasted live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Over the past two weeks, the quarterfinals took place in both divisions, and the match-ups on April 10 are as follows:

In the Jr. Middleweight division:
Brandon Adams (16-1, 11 KO’s) will fight Vito Gasparyan (15-3-5, 8 KO’s) while Stanyslav Skorokhod (9-0, 7 KO’s) battles John Thompson (15-1, 5 KO’s).

In the Heavyweight division:
Andrey Fedosov (26-3, 21 KO’s) will take on Lenroy Thomas (19-3, 9 KO’s) and Razvan Cojanu (13-1, 7 KO’s) squares off with Donovan Dennis (13-2, 10 KO’s).

All four Boxcino semifinal bouts are scheduled for eight rounds.

“We are very excited to be bringing the Boxcino semifinals to the Sands in Bethlehem,” said Banner Promotions President Arthur Pelullo.

“It should be a great night of boxing to determine who the finalists will be in the Jr. Middleweight and Heavyweight divisions.”

This event starts at 7pm. Ticket prices are $100, $75, $50. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000 and at the box office at the Sands Event Center.

Follow Banner Promotions on social media for all the latest Banner and #Boxcino2015 updates:
@BannerBoxing #TeamBanner ; @Boxcino2015 #Boxcino
Facebook.com/BannerPromotions; instagram.com/BannerBoxing

All fighters for tonight’s FIGHT NIGHT @ SPORTSMEN’S LODGE, presented by Mitsubishi Super Stores: South Coast Mitsubishi, Huntington Beach Mitsubishi, Cerritos Mitsubishi, and Victorville Mitsubishi, have made weight during the Official Weigh-In held yesterday at the Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center in Studio City, California.
Here are the Official Weights:

Ron Scolesdang 133.5 vs. Christopher Fajardo 134

Georgie Garcia 130.5 vs. Paul Amaro 129.5

Levon Sargsyan 125 vs. Ron Henderson 126.5

Marcos Bonilla 152 vs. Christian Bizaretty 155

Alfred Kashakyan 140 vs. David Hernandez 140

Jay Bogan 148.5 vs. Jared Carlston 147

Bekman Soylybaev 131 vs. Jose Gomez 132

Jemyma Betrian 124 vs. Chandra Engel 127

Matthew Spencer 185 vs. Justin Vasquez 176

Casey Green 169 vs. Mario Delgado 170.5

Richard Leroy 156 vs. Brandon Hastings 153.5

FIGHT NIGHT @ SPORTSMEN’S LODGE takes place TONIGHT, February 20, 2015 at Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center located at 4234 Coldwater Canyon Ave. (cross street Ventura Blvd.) in Studio City, California.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.valleyfightnight.com or by calling
(626) 388-8888.

Tickets start at $50 for General Admission. A limited number of VIP bottle service tables are also available.

Doors Open at 6:30pm; First Bout at 7:00pm. All bouts are subject to change.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents the latest installment of the acclaimed Golden Boy Live! boxing series this Friday, Feb. 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET, as Golden Boy Promotions invades Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Former world champion Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (28-4-1, 21 KOs) of Tlalnepantla, Mexico and the hard-punching Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu (18-1, 17 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will face off in an explosive welterweight 10-round showdown as the main event.

Fight Network’s broadcast will air live exclusively in Canada.

The Golden Boy Live! co-main event features Diego De La Hoya (8-0, 6 KOs) fighting against Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout. The imposing Chinese heavyweight sensation, Taishan (2-0, 2 KOs) makes his second appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino looking to continue his winning streak in his first bout in 2015 when he faces Roy McCary (3-2, 3 KOs) in the opening four-round televised bout. Also, newcomer Nick Arce (1-0, 1 KOs) will fight in his second professional match against Lyonell Kelly (1-4-1) of Los Angeles in a four-round lightweight swing bout hoping to make airtime.

Coming off a first round technical knockout win against Tijuana’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva on Feb. 7, former WBA Interim Super Lightweight Champion Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano is ready to continue his winning streak and give fans an explosive night of boxing when he faces Juan Carlos Abreu on Feb. 27. A stellar contender out of Tlalnepantla, Cano is one of Mexico’s best hopes for future world title honors. An experienced battler who has taken on tough fighters like Sugar Shane Mosley, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Johan “El Terrible” Perez, Cano is ready to go the distance in 2015 and become a world champion again.

A professional since 2011, Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu, of the Dominican Republic, has quickly risen up the boxing chain winning the IBF youth junior lightweight title early in his career. At just 27 years old, the hard punching fighter has gotten a reputation as a knockout artist winning all but one of his bouts via knockout. Most recently, Abreu fought and quickly won fights against Basilio Silva and Ruddy Acasio winning both bouts via knockout before the fourth round. This former champion is looking to move up the ranks to boxing’s elite when he faces former World Champion Pablo Cesar Cano on Feb. 27.

With boxing fans around the world waiting to see what he could do in the ring, 20-year-old Diego De La Hoya (8-0, 6 KOs) has yet to disappoint; impressing audiences from the time of his professional debut in 2013 with poise, power and exciting style. In 2014, the Mexicali native put together six wins, four by knockout and after defeating the likes of Miguel Tamayo and Ali Gonzalez, he’s looking forward to stepping up even more this year as he begins competing in eight-round bouts.

Manuel Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles is a tough fighter ready to prove to critics that he is mainstay in the sport. A professional since 2004 the hard hitting veteran was a former sparring partner to WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz, and also fought Santa Cruz in a title defense bout on the undercard of Mayweather vs. Maidana II. The last time Roman was seen at Fantasy Springs he went up against hometown favorite and current IBF bantamweight champion Randy Caballero and is looking to return to the venue to take on the rising star Diego De La Hoya.

Seven-foot-tall heavyweight Taishan, has garnered a lot of attention for being one of the most imposing fighters in his division. His two professional bouts thus far have proven that there’s substance behind the hype as he’s knocked out both Alex Rozman and Tommy Washington Jr., getting fight fans even more excited for the 26-year-old Beijing native’s first fight of 2015 on February 27.

Roy McCary (3-2, 3 KOs) of Houston is a rising heavyweight boxer who has gone up against the hard hitting Mario Herendia and Eric Newell. Looking to continue to build a reputation, the newcomer will face Taishan hoping for victory in February.

A member of the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, 18-year-old lightweight Nick Arce is a former amateur standout who entered the pro boxing world in style in November of 2014 with a fourth round knockout of Adalbert Valenzuela. Now he will attempt to make it two straight as he competes in one of the sport’s most competitive weight classes.

A gritty competitor who hopes that his first professional win over Francisco Javier in January was the sign of good things to come for his career, Lyonell Kelly will step through the ropes once more on February 27 to face the unbeaten Nick Arce. At 23, Kelly has a bright future ahead of him if he can upset Arce and string some wins together.

Cano vs. Abreu is a 10-round welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Fight Network’s live broadcast airs at 10:30 p.m. ET.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

PHOENIX — February 26, 2015 — The stage is set for Iron Boy Promotions’ 18th professional boxing event in the Valley of the Sun. Iron Boy 19 is this Saturday, live at the storied Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, and streaming online live and free at www.ironboyboxing.com. The stacked card features 10 fights, and is headlined by a ten round heavyweight contest between NABO Heavyweight Champion “Prince” Charles Martin (19-0, 17KO) and Raphael Zumbano Love (35-9-1, 28KO). Martin, who is ranked #5 in the world by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) will be staging his second title defense when he faces the Brazilian native.

In the co-main event, Phoenix’s own Victor “El Nino” Castro (13-0, 6KO) faces Mexico’s Ivan Zavala (6-8-2, 2KO). Castro recently completed training camp in Los Angeles at Israel Vazquez’s Magnifico Boxing Gym. This will be Castro’s third fight under the tutelage of the former World Champion. Vazquez recently began training Iron Boy Promotions fighters Joey “Boxer” Ruelas (8-1-1, 3KO) and Daniel Garcia (1-0, 0KO), who are both featured in separate bouts on Saturday’s card.

Francisco C. De Vaca (9-0, 4KO) makes his ring return Saturday. The 20 year-old fighter had boxing fans on their feet in his December outing at Celebrity Theatre, defeating tough-as-nails Jesus Navarro in a six round battle. He faces Tijuana’s Saul Hernandez (6-5, 4KO), who went 3-0 in 2014. Vaca also completed his training camp in Los Angeles, and will be joined in his corner by his long-time trainer Roberto Alcazar, who was the head trainer of Oscar De La Hoya.

Albuqerque’s Brian Mendoza (3-0, 2KO) will make his third appearance on an Iron Boy Promotions card. Mendoza is managed by mega-manager Cameron Dunkin, and trained by Fidel Maldonado, Sr. Also on the card, Arizona’s Jose Herrera will make his debut versus New Mexico’s Fernando Alvarez, who is also stepping into the ring as the first time as a professional.

Tickets for Iron Boy 19 are priced at $30, 50, 65 and 100 and are available at www.ironboyboxing.com, at any Clinica La Familia location, and at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office. Doors are at 4 p.m., and first bell is at 5 p.m. The #IronBoy19 live stream will begin at 8 p.m. MST at www.ironboyboxing.com, and is offered at no cost to viewers.

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Iron Boy Promotions is a Phoenix-based boxing promotions company. Established in 2011, Iron Boy Promotions is committed to providing quality, high-powered boxing shows with talented fighters.
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New York, NY (2/26/15) – On Saturday, March 14, DiBella Entertainment, Ring of Fire Promotions and FDNY Bravest Boxing will present an exciting night of boxing, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. The card, entitled “McMayhem in Midtown”, will feature both professional and amateur bouts, and is headlined by former world title challenger Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland (29-1, 13KO’s) taking on Manuel de los Reyes Herrera. The co-feature bout of the evening sees the long-awaited return of popular light heavyweight contender-turned-New York firefighter Will “Power” Rosinsky (17-2, 9KO’s)squaring off against Paul Gonsalves . The amateur portion of the card will mark the third meeting between the FDNY Bravest Boxing team and Garda Siochana Boxing team of the Irish National Police Force, who will be making the trip over from Ireland with the 2015 Transatlantic Championship at stake.

Tickets for “McMayhem in Midtown” are priced at $100, $65 and $35, and can be purchased by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 7:00 PM, with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 PM.

Nicknamed “The Punisher”, Hyland’s lone defeat as a professional came against undefeated Javier Fortuna for the interim WBA world featherweight title in 2012. Following the loss to Fortuna, Hyland was forced to sit on the sidelines for a year and a half as he waited for his contract with his previous promoter to expire. Once he became a free agent, Hyland quickly signed with DiBella Entertainment (DBE) late last year and has since strung together two impressive victories; a fourth-round TKO over Noel Echevarria and a dominant points win over Oszkar Fiko. Hyland is looking to have an even bigger and better 2015, as he continues to stay active and position himself for another world title opportunity. Hyland is scheduled to square off against Herrera (21-15-1, 15KO’s) in an eight-round featherweight matchup.

“Training has been going perfect so far and now that we have Herrera locked in, I am that more excited about the fight as we are one step closer to getting in that ring on fight night. I have been in New York City around St. Patty’s Day before, and the atmosphere throughout the entire city is just electric. I plan on starting the festivities early with a spectacular performance on the 14th for all my fellow Irishmen,” said Hyland.

Following a two-year layoff, the highly touted Rosinsky is eager to return to the venue that saw him win four Golden Gloves championships as an amateur. The popular Queens native’s losses as a pro have come in nationally televised contests to top-rated light heavyweight contender and former super middleweight world title challenger Edwin Rodriguez and former middleweight kingpin Kelly Pavlik. Rosinsky has been out of the ring since a 10-round unanimous decision win over Otis Griffin in December 2012, and is chomping at the bit to get his promising pro career back underway in front of what is anticipated to be a large contingent of fellow FDNY members on hand when he faces Gonsalves (7-5-1, 3KO’s) in an eight-round light heavyweight matchup.

Whispers of an intriguing third professional bout being added to the card have been circulating, with an announcement possibly being made later this week.

LONDON (26 Feb) – Heavyweight division world champion Wladimir Klitschko would be an “easy fight” according to brash-talking Tyson Fury.

The Manchester heavyweight takes on the tough Christian Hammer this weekend at the O2 Arena in London, live and exclusive on BoxNation, and has claimed that a matchup with Klitschko would be a straightforward affair.

26-year-old Fury is the mandatory challenger for Klitschko’s WBO belt, and is expected to face the Ukrainian legend in his next bout, should he prevail this Saturday night.

The heavyweight division has seen a resurgence of late following the crowning of a new champion in WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder, with the charismatic American keen to share the ring with Fury, who has his own thoughts on how he wants the coming year to turn out.

“To be honest I’m the man in the division to beat. Everyone wants to fight me because they know I generate interest. People are interested in me probably for the wrong reasons, or the right reasons, but they’re still interested – that’s why people want to fight,” said Fury.

“They want to come to the UK to fight me. [Deontay Wilder’s] the world champion but he’s the guy who first said he wants to fight Tyson Fury after winning the title. So I must be doing something right, I must be on the right track.

“I would like to fight Wladimir [Klitschko] first because number one he’s my mandatory, number two he’s the best in the division and number three because he is an easy fight. Then I’ll fight Wilder. I won’t be taking any interim fights I’ll unify straight away,” Fury said.

The Fury camp has been a joyful one of late following the recent release from prison of Tyson’s dad John Fury after five-years away.

The imposing heavyweight believes that the return of his father will be a major plus for him going forward.

“It’s definitely [a boost] to have my dad back, he’s been away for a long time, so having him back in the gym and seeing his face every day is very good – it’s happy days at Team Fury,” he said.

“He gets to the gym at 7 in the morning and doesn’t leave till 10 at night; he’s definitely putting his misspent time back into practice in the gym. It is nice having him around and seeing his face back in the gym and the smile on it when you’re doing good things in boxing.

“Anybody would be proud of what their sons achievements are – whatever they do. You don’t have to be so successful but as long as you’ve got somebody who tries their best in something that they’re doing then I think that any father should be proud of their son.

“You don’t have to be a world champion, you don’t have to be a millionaire but I believe every father should be proud of his own son,” Fury said.

Despite talk of a world title fight in the summer, former British and Commonwealth champion Fury is well aware that he cannot overlook 27-year-old Hammer, who has 17 wins from his 20 fights.

“At this level in boxing you’re fighting top five opponents and in Hammer the number three ranked WBO heavyweight in the world so nobody is going to be easy, they’re all hard fights,” said Fury.

“You can say I’m in touching distance of a world title but in hindsight I may as well be 5 million miles away because I’m not fighting Klitschko, I’m not in the ring with him and that fight’s not happening in my mind.

“Until I’m in the ring in the opposite corner it’s not on so it’s just another fight for me, another day in the office. I’m going to go in there and box, move around and win and get out of there,” he said.

Fury v Hammer is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Saturday at 7pm. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

San Diego, CA – February 26, 2014- This Saturday afternoon, February 28, Carl Frampton (19-0, 13 KO’s) will make the 1st defense of the IBF Super Bantamweight title when he takes on mandatory challenger Chris Avalos (25-2, 19 KO’s) in a bout that can be seen live and exclusively in the United States on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment.

The show begins on AWE at 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PT

The card will originate from the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland and is promoted by Cyclone Promotions

Avalos sounded like a champion on Wednesday when he was reached after his media workout in Belfast.

“Everything is good. I could fight tonight, tomorrow it doesn’t matter because I am ready to go,” said the native of Lancaster, California. “I have been thinking about the gameplan and what I am going to do.”

Avalos is not in the least intimidated by what will be for sure a raucous and partisan crowd that will be inside the arena on Saturday.

“The only thing that matters is me and the fighter in front of me. The rest doesn’t matter. In fact his fans will become my fans. I did not come all the way here to lose. I know he is undefeated but he has not fought anybody like me. I do not see anything special about him.”

For the better part of the last few years, Frampton has been eyeing a mega fight showdown with WBA Interim champion Scott Quigg and Avalos believes that Frampton is making a big mistake if he is not focused on the American.

“I am glad he is looking past me. I am coming to his hometown and he is underestimating me and that will make my victory on Saturday even more sweet. I will be the next IBF Super Bantamweight champion.”

“The Frampton vs Avalos world title fight is a classic matchup which will provide tremendous excitement for viewers. I look forward to Avalos bringing the title back with him,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum exclusively to AWE.

Boxing fans can enjoy this amazing card on AWE available on AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD, CenturyLink Prism TV channel 470 and 1470 and numerous regional cable providers across the nation. Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates.

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson. In 2014, AWE televised the crowning of lightweight champion Terence Crawford with his win over Burns as well as the exciting rematches between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez as well as Tony Bellew defeating Nathan Cleverly.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is featured on over a hundred cable providers, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD and CenturyLink Prism TV channel 470 and 1470. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

10 ROUNDS
Johnny Garcia v. Cletus Seldin
139.2 lb 139.4 lb
19-2-1 11KO’s 15-0 12KO’s

10 ROUNDS
Jeremy Bryan Raymond Serrano
145 lb 145 lb
17-5 9KO 20-2 9KO

8 ROUNDS
Osumanu Akaba Luis Franco
133.2 lb 132 lb
24-7 19KO 11-1-1 7KO’s

6 ROUNDS
Jemall Tyson Alan Gotay
136.2 lb 136. lb
3-11-3 1KO 8-1 5KO’s

4 ROUNDS
Rigoberto Miranda Johnny Hernandez
127.6 lb 125.8 lb
0-3-2 2-0 1Ko

6 ROUNDS
Ken Alvarez Danny Gonzalez
140.8 lb 140.4 lb
6-0-2 3KO’s 7-0-1 3KO’s

There are very few tickets remaining to this exciting doubleheader. Tickets can be purchased by calling Star Boxing, 718 823-2000, The Paramount Box Office, 631 673-7300, or Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000.

ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT:
Opened September 30, 2011 this 1,555-capacity live entertainment venue, located in downtown Huntington, Long Island, New York, features; concerts, comedy, boxing, community and other special events in a club/theater setting. With over 30,000 Facebook fans, The Paramount was recently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as the #24 highest attended club-venue worldwide (January-June 2013). A Ticketmaster venue, booked by Live Nation, TheParamount hosts nearly 200 events per year and in less than two years since its inception, has quickly established itself as the premier music venue onLong Island, NY. Some artists who have recently taken the Paramount stage include; Billy Joel, Pitbull, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, ZZ Top, Counting Crows, Primus, Matchbox 20, The Blues Brothers, Limp Bizkit, & many, many, more.

ABOUT THE FOX HOLLOW:
Nestled upon 8 private acres of Long Island’s north shore is the Fox Hollow, which features a state of the art event venue, fine dining restaurant and an all-suite luxury boutique hotel. Owned & operated by the Scotto Brothers, their Above & Beyond philosophy in providing each & every guest with superior services and amenities is paramount. Visit the Fox Hollow online at www.TheFoxHollow.com & www.TheInnAtFoxHollow.com

ABOUT CAMELOT LIMOUSINE:
Official Sponsor of the Paramount Boxing Series, Camelot Limos is a family owned and operated business located in Nassau County, with over 25 years of professional experience; serving satisfied clientele since 1984. The owners of Camelot Specialty Limos are very active in the business and play a major role in the company’s day-to-day operations. Camelot Specialty Limos, Inc. is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau. www.camelotlimo.com

ABOUT WBAB 102.3:
WBAB 102.3 is the home of Long Island’s Classic Rock anchored by their Long Island Rock ‘N’ Roll Morning Show with Roger and JP. For more information or to listen online, visit their website at
www.wbab.com and follow them on Facebook.com/1023wbab
and on Twitter @1023wbab.

Robert Downey Sr. is an actor and filmmaker, best known as the father of his Academy Award-nominated son and namesake, Robert Downey Jr. What is not as widely known is that the elder Downey is a former Golden Gloves boxer, and an insatiable reader of good sports stories and, especially, good stories about boxing.

So when Downey asked longtime New York Times sports columnist Ira Berkow if he had done enough boxing columns to publish the sort of retrospectives he had previously done on football, baseball and basketball, Berkow agreed that it might be a project worth undertaking. The result was Counter Punch: Ali, Tyson, the Brown Bomber and Other Stories of the Boxing Ring, published last year by Triumph Books.
The best of Berkow on boxing, as it turned out, rates alongside some of the best work done by other celebrated writers whose treatises on the sweet science earned them the A.J. Liebling Award for Outstanding Boxing Writing from the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Berkow, 74, is the 30th winner of the Liebling, which he will receive on April 24 at the BWAA’s 90th annual Awards Dinner in New York. He joins, among others, the distinguished likes of W.H. Heinz, Shirley Povich, Budd Schulberg, Jimmy Cannon, Robert Lipsyte, Allan Malamud, Bill Gallo, Dick Young, Edwin Pope, William Nack, John Lardner, F.X. Toole, Pete Hamill, George Plimpton, Peter Finney and Sandy Grady.
“They were the best of the best, the crème de la crème,” Berkow said. “I’m hugely honored. It took a lot of work, but also a lot of love for all of us who wrote or write about boxing.”
Berkow has lived and worked in New York for most of his adult life, but he was born and raised in another tough town, Chicago, where at the age of 7 he became enamored of such tough-as-nails fighters as Rocky Graziano and middleweight champion Tony Zale, one of the Windy City’s favorite fighting sons.
“Boxing is the best thing for a sports writer to write about because there’s always the aspect of life and death,” Berkow said. “There’s nothing more dramatic for any writer to write about, which is why so many of our greatest writers have written about boxing.”
“I covered lots of stuff, but I’ve always had as avid an interest in boxing as anything in sports, maybe because there are so many great characters to write about. I loved being around guys like Rocky Graziano and (trainer) Freddie Menna.”
The BWAA Awards Dinner, which will be emceed by Brooklyn Nets announcer David Diamonte, takes place the night before unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko defends his titles against Bryant Jennings in Madison Square Garden. The event – the location of which has yet to be announced – is open to the public. Ticket information and other details, such as the names of the winners of other awards, has been or soon will be released and can be found on the BWAA web site (www.bwaa.org).