Celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman is in talks with Justin Bieber’s camp for Justin to possibly step in the ring in a showdown with internet star Antoine Dodson on April 25th in Los Angeles, Dodson is 1-0 in Celebrity Boxing and Dodson has signed contract now the wait is on Bieber to make this reality, Bieber has been training with Floyd Mayweather jr more info coming you could check Feldman’s events out at Wxent.com
Feldman pictured with VH1,mob wives star Natalie DiDonato also pictures is Antoine Dodson and Justin Bieber and Floyd Mayweather jr.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Golden Boy Promotions settled their lawsuit with former CEO Richard Schaefer.

As part of the settlement, Schaefer, whom Golden Boy claimed was still under an employment contract through March 2018, will be barred from promoting for an unspecified length of time, according to one of the sources. It is between one and two years, according to the source.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly due to the terms of the settlement.

Schaefer also owns about 8 percent of Golden Boy stock and it would be likely that he would have to give that up as part of any settlement.

In addition to settling with Schaefer, the sources also said that De La Hoya severed ties with most of the Haymon fighters that Golden Boy had been promoting on a fight-by-fight basis in return for what one of the sources said was “substantial financial compensation” from Haymon.

“Oscar is still looking forward to the fight next week,” one of the sources said. “Yes, Golden Boy is losing some top fighters as part of this, no doubt about it. That is hard, but this is a long-term plan. Oscar is happy and comfortable with the decision, and this is the next step. He could have continued to go on like this and continued to work with Haymon but that doesn’t benefit anyone if there is no long-term plan.

“With this decision, there is a very good feeling around the office. Golden Boy still has some horses and will just do what it has proven it can do, which is to develop the younger guys it promotes.”

The sources said Golden Boy will continue to promote a handful of fighters aligned with Haymon, who still have promotional contracts with the company, including Amir Khan, Leo Santa Cruz, Lucas Matthysse and Paulie Malignaggi.

“Oscar has deals with a number of Haymon’s fighters and those will continue,” one of the sources said. “The idea is they finish their contracts and then they go somewhere else.”

“It’s no way to do business. We were totally hamstrung,” one of the sources said. “Every time there was a fight Oscar wanted to make the question was would Haymon’s guy fight him? That’s how you end up with Rod Salka [as the opponent for Garcia in one of 2014’s most egregious mismatches] and the weak guys Leo Santa Cruz has fought. We couldn’t make the fights we wanted to. What’s the point of having fighters in the stable if they don’t fight anyone?

“Oscar has been clear as a bell with what he wants to do. He wants to make the best fights possible for the fans. He has said it time and again and he means it. Oscar came to the conclusion that he couldn’t make the fights he wanted to make by continuing to do business like this. There was so much drama surrounding everything. Everyone at Golden Boy had to operate in a box. Now everyone is free.”

Tacoma, WA (January 10, 2015) A special Friday night edition of Battle at the Boat started off the 2015 fight calendar with a bang. A packed house at the Emerald Queen Casino was treated to a fantastic night of fights, featuring the northwest’s best up and coming boxing talent.

In the main event of the evening, Tacoma’s own Mike “Imagine Me” Gavronski (16-1-1 10KO’s) took on Dashon Johnson (15-18-3 5KO’s) of Escondido, California. Despite taking the fight on only a week’s notice, Johnson gave Gavronski all he could handle, landing vicious right hands to the head and body in the early rounds. Gavronski was up for the challenge however, picking his opponent apart with crisp jabs and excellent footwork. Even with a 7th round point deduction for pushing, Gavronski proved too much for the more experienced Johnson, winning a Unanimous Decision victory in front of his hometown fans.

The semi-main event saw Vancouver, Washington native Virgil “The Black Mamba” Green (10-3 3KO’s) take on another Tacoma fighter and former Tacoma Golden Gloves Champ, Will Hughes (4-2 3KO’s). Green dominated from the opening bell, using his height and reach advantage to open a nasty cut over the right eye of Hughes. Green went on to win a lopsided Unanimous Decision, picking up the 10th win of his career in the process.

Also featured on the card was undefeated local sensation Jeremy McCleary (6-0) of Buckley, Washington. McCleary used his impressive hand speed to win a close Unanimous Decision over a tough opponent in Portland, Oregon’s Damen Wood (0-2). Another local star, Marquice Weston (4-0-1 2KO’s), fought California’s Lamont Williams (6-6-1 3KO’s) to a majority draw. McCleary and Weston are fighters on the rise, and two of the top names to watch in 2015.

This thrilling night of action was rounded out with two other incredible undercard fights. Those results are as follows:

Antonio Neal (3-1 3KO’s) def. Ron Pryce (0-1) via 1st round TKO
Andres Reyes (2-0) def. Benny Vinson (1-2 1KO) via Unanimous Decision

Battle at the Boat 99 is presented by Brian Halquist Productions. Next up in the series, Battle at the Boat 100, live from the Emerald Queen Casino on Saturday, March 28th 2015. Tickets for this very special evening, celebrating the northwest’s premier fight promotion’s 100th show; will be available through the Emerald Queen Casino Box Office, as well as all Ticketmaster locations. For more information, please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the Battle at the Boat Facebook page.

Main Event: 10 Rounds
Mike Gavronski def. Dashon Johnson (98-91)(98-91)(95-94)

In what proved to be an incredible night of fights, Tacoma’s own Mike “Imagine Me” Gavronski battled California’s Dashon “fly Boy” Johnson in a ten round main event. To cap off a special Friday night edition of Battle at the Boat. The action was fast paced with both fighters exchanging massive blows. Gavronski came out swinging to begin each round, while Johnson finished each of the ten rounds with flurries of his own. After a seventh round point deduction for pushing, Gavronski seemed defeated. But the hometown hero rallied back, winning a close unanimous decision victory in front of a packed house at the Emerald Queen Casino.

Semi Main Event: 6 Rounds
Virgil Green def. Will Hughes via UD (60-54)(59-55)(58-56)

Undercard: All 4 Rounds
Andres Reyes def. Benny Vinson via UD
Antonio Neal def. Ron Pryce via 1st Round TKO (knee injury)
Marquice Weston vs. Lamont Williams ends in a majority draw.
Jeremy McCleary def. Damen Wood via UD (38-37)(40-35)(40-35)

Darleys Perez won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Maicelo to retain the WBA Interim Lightweight title at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.

Perez scored a knockdown in round 11 and went on to win by scores of 120-107, 118-109 and 118-108.

Perez, 133 3/4 lbs of Colombia is now 32-1. Maicelo, 135 lbs of Peru is 21-2.

Francisco Santana scored an explosive 1st round stoppage over Kendal Mena in a scheduled 10-round Welterweight bout.

Santana dropped Mena with a hard left hook to the head. Moments later it was deja vu as another left hook drilled Mena in the head and he was knocked flat on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:43.

Santana, 145 3/4 lbs is now 22-3-1 with 11 knockouts. Mena, 147 lbs of the Dominican Republic is 20-1.

Jarrell Miller scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Aaron Kinch in a Heavyweight bout.

Miller, 281 3/4 lbs won by scores of 60-54 on all cards ans is now 11-0-1. Kinch, 253 lbs is 5-4-2.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 9) – Golden Boy Promotions has teamed up with Fernando Vargas to sign exciting new junior welterweight fighter Cesar “The Great” Quiñonez.

Quiñonez is the first fighter from former world champion Fernando “Feroz” Vargas’ boxing gym Feroz Fight Factory to turn professional, and is managed by the late singer Jenni Rivera’s manager Pete Salgado. Quiñonez is now set to make his professional debut on the undercard of the highly anticipated heavyweight battle between current WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne and mandatory challenger and knockout sensation Deontay “The Bronze Bomer” Wilder on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I’m excited to welcome the talented Cesar ‘The Great’ Quiñonez to Golden Boy Promotions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “The Golden Boy family continues to grow with the addition of up and coming talent with great potential like Cesar Quiñonez. I’m proud to have his debut on January 17 at the MGM Grand be under the Golden Boy Promotions banner.”

Fernando Vargas has had much success with Feroz Fight Factory transitioning into the professional boxing world with Quiñonez at the helm. The former world champion also has a history with Oscar De La Hoya, fighting the “Golden Boy” in 2002 for a title unification bout in the super welterweight division. Vargas also fought against Luis Ramon “Yory Boy” Campas, Raul “El Diamante” Marquez, Ronald “Winky” Wright and Ike “Bazooka” Quartey.

“I’m excited for my future as a trainer and I also look forward to working with Oscar and Golden Boy Promotions,” said Vargas. “I have a lot of great talent that I know will become world champions in the years to come!”

“It is truly a blessing to be signed by Golden Boy Promotions,” said Quiñonez. “I am very excited they’ve given me this opportunity to display my talents alongside my trainer Fernando Vargas. I’ve always looked up to Fernando growing up watching him fight, he is a great trainer. I’ve learned many things from him and we are ready to show the world what we can do.”

Quiñonez of Las Vegas has been making himself known in the boxing world since he first joined Feroz Fight Factory in 2013. With an amateur record of 74-4 and four national titles, Cesar has had the opportunity to work directly with Vargas and sparring with four-time female world champion Hollie Dunaway and former world champion Billy “The Kid” Dib. He hopes to make an explosive entrance in his professional debut at the MGM Grand Garden Arena next Saturday night.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.fernandovargas.com follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @cesarthagreat, @ferozfightfactory @_fernandovargas, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/elferozfernandovargas or follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya.

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“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are also available at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com.

Taureano Johnson scored stoppage 1 second into round six in his scheduled 10-round Middleweight bout with Alex Theran.

Johnson roughed up Theran over the first couple of rounds by crowding his opponent. In round three, Johnson unleashed a couple of hard over hand right hands. In round four, Johnson landed a right hand that sent Theran to his knees. Johnson came out strong in round five and blasted Theran twice with right hands in the first minute of the frame. Moments later, he landed another right that backed Theran into the ropes that set up a solid flurry of punches. Later in the round, Johnson landed a body shot that sent Theran down for a second time.

Just before round six, Theran was worked on in the corner and the fight was stopped after Theran claimed an ankle injury.

Johnson, 160 lbs of Miami, FL is now 17-1 with 12 knockouts. Theran, 158.2 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 17-2.

“I’m ready to fight Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, Jermain Taylor or any other champion out there,” said Tureano Johnson. These are the type of fights I would like to pursue. David Lemieux is also on my hit list. I’m here to take over the division. Everyone knows I should be undefeated so I’m going to leave no doubt about it every time I step in the ring. I can’t afford to be robbed again. With Gary Shaw putting me in a great position, I’m going to make the most of every opportunity. My goal in 2015 is to become a world champion.”

“Tureano Johnson is marching up the rankings and should be applauded for his fighting style.” said Gary Shaw. “He’s the type of fighter everyone wants to see. I’m going to push hard to get him back on TV, hopefully against a guy like Gennady Golovkin. Johnson is a force in the middleweight division and you will see him in some big fights coming up.”
Johnson landed 102 of 319 punches while Theran landed 57-160. All but one of Johnson;s connects were power shots.

Jerry Odom took a hard luck disqualification loss when it was ruled he hit Adam Hernandez twice after a knockdown at 30 seconds of round three in a 8-round battle of undefeated Super Middleweights.

Hernandez, 169.4 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is now 8-0-1. Odom, 168.2 lbs of Bowie, MD is now 12-1.

Kenneth Sims scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Christian Steele in a Welterweights.

Sims., 140.4 lbs of Chicago, IL won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 5-0. Steele, 140 lbs of Staunton, VA is now 4-12-2.

“I’m enjoying my journey as a professional,” said Kenneth Sims Jr. “I feel I’m getting better every time I step in the ring. There is always room for improvement and I’m going to continue working hard in the gym. Gary Shaw has said there will be many opportunities for me to take my career to the next level in 2015 and I want take full advantage of everything that comes my way. I’m hoping to make a quick return back to the ring.”

“Sims Jr. is progressing nicely as a professional prize fighter,” Gary Shaw said. “I think he’ll graduate to 8-round bouts after one more fight. He seems to be making the 140 lbs weight limit with ease so we’ll keep him at Jr. Welterweight. He’s got the height and reach attributes to give anyone in the division problems. I see him having a big 2015.”
Chris Van Heerden scored a tough split decision over Cecil McCalla in a 10-round Welterweight bout.

Both guys took turns being in the lead. Van Heerden was much more active early but suffered a cut over his right eye but held on for the 97-93, 96-94 win on two cards while McCalla took a card 99-91.

Van Heerden, 145.4 lbs of Gauteng, South Africa is now 22-1-1. McCalla, 149.6 lbs of Randallatown, MD is now 20-1.

Eduardo Martinez scored a 4-round unanimous decision over Rigoberto Miranda in a Featherweight but.

Miranda was bleeding from the left eye in round four.

Martinez, 125.4 lbs of Chicago, IL is now 5-0. Miranda, 125.6 lbs of Troy, NY is now 0-3-2.

Wellington Romero needed just 84 seconds to dispatch of Leo Kreischer in a scheduled 4-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Romero landed a big left hook that sent Kreischer down for several minutes.

Romero, 141.8 lbs of Newburgh, NY is now 5-0-1 with 3 knockouts. Kreischer, 140.8 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 3-7-1.

Dustin Fleischer made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Frank Jordan in a scheduled 4-round Welterweight bout.

The bout was stopped after a hard flurry for Fleischer, 142.4 lbs of Monmouth Beach, NJ. Jordan, 137.4 lbs of Elizabeth, NJ is now 0-3.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward became the first big name fighter to sign with new boxing promoter Roc Nation.

Details of how the split with Goossen Promotions came about after years of legal battling were not disclosed, but Tom Brown of Goossen Promotions clearly was not happy with the result.

“That chapter is closed. I’ve moved on,” Brown told ESPN.com.

“We have signed Andre Ward and it’s something we’re very excited about,” David Itskowitch, chief operating officer of Roc Nation Sports’ boxing division, told ESPN.com. “It’s just the beginning for us but it’s a game-changer. He’s one of the best fighters in the world. Everything is coming together for us. On the same day we are having our first event, at Madison Square Garden, we are announcing our first really huge signing.”

“I wholeheartedly believe in Roc Nation Sports and I just believe that they have the vision and the power and resources to carry their vision out,” Ward told ESPN.com.

“I followed his lead on the whole situation and at the right time we talked about it and he asked how did I feel about (making the move) and he went through the steps to get to this point,” Ward said. “I felt it was the best move for me at this stage of my career.”

“We’re going to sit down and talk about when he will specifically fight and the level of opponent he will fight,” Itskowitch said. “He’s been out of the ring for a while. We’ll come up with names and come up with a date but we’re excited to give him the opportunity to show he’s one of the best in the world.”

“I kept myself in shape and I’ve stayed motivated and hungry,” Ward said. “But there’s nothing concrete now. I want to get back in the groove and consistently fight and get back on track. I don’t see what the rush is to push me to a higher weight class. I am not far off my fighting weight and I am super middleweight champion of the world and I want to defend my title.”

“I’m just excited about moving forward. It’s been a grueling two years but I can see what’s ahead in the future,” Ward said. “No regrets. Unfortunately, these things happen in the sport but it truly made me stronger as an individual and as a fighter.

“I embraced the whole process through the good and the bad and now I am on the other side of it. It can either make you, so to speak, or break you and I think it made me a stronger person.”

Mike Gavronski 171
*Dashon Johnson

Will Hughes 140.5
Virgil Green 142

Jeremy McCleary 127.5
Damen Wood 127.5

Marquice Weston 179.5
Lamont Williams 178.5

Ron Pryce 154
Antonio Neal 157.5

Andres Reyes 134.5
Benny Vinson 134

*Dashon Johnson was unable to weigh in on time and will instead be weighed in on Friday morning.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (January 9, 2015) Star Boxing President Joe DeGuardia has announced that the thrilling rematch between undefeated Jr. Welterweight prospect Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin, 15-0 12KO’s and Bayan “The Mongolian Mongoose” Jargal, 17-6-3 10KO’s, will air on MSG Network this Sunday, January 11th at 9pm ET (replay dates listed below). The bout was contested for the vacant WBC International Silver Jr. Welterweight championship.

The fight took place at The Paramount, in Huntington, NY on December 20th and was a thrilling slugfest. The broadcast will also include rising Light Heavyweight Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr., 17-1 14KO’s, in his fight against battle tested veteran Maxell Taylor, 18-10-1 8KO’s.
Undefeated Heavyweight prospect Constantin Bejenaru, 8-0 2KO’s, is also going to be shown in the telecast in his bout with Jon Bolden in a Heavyweight match up.
This is the first time that MSG Network has televised an event from The Paramount. Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing has produced 16 sold out installments of the popular “Rockin Fights” series making The Paramount one of the premier fights venues in the world.
Former Heavyweight Title Challenger Gerry Cooney and Randy Gordon, former NYS Athletic Commissioner and Editor of Ring Magazine are doing commentary (color commentary and blow by blow respectively) for the broadcast. Additionally, post fight interviews were with Cara Castronuova (‘The Biggest Loser’).

WATCH on MSG NETWORK
Original Broadcast: Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 9 PM
Replays:
Monday, January 10, 2015 at 1 AM
Tuesday, January 12, 2015 at 8 AM
Tuesday, January 12, 2015 at 2 PM
Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 11 PM
Monday, January 26, 2015 at 12 PM

All photos courtesy Star Boxing (photographer Ed Diller)

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.

Warriors Boxing proudly announces the signing of undefeated Mobile, Alabama, light heavyweight Michael Seals (18-0, 14 KOs).

A latecomer, 32-year-old Seals started boxing at age 23, after a successful career as a linebacker for Alabama A&M University. But Seals has wasted no time catching up.

“Boxing was something I always wanted to do as kid, but coming from the south, especially Alabama, it’s all about football, so I played,” explained Seals. “I never really had a chance to box. Once I got done with football, I found a gym in Decatur, Alabama, and started there. I fell in love after the first time I sparred. I said ‘man, I should have been doing this my whole life.’ I was wasting my time with football. I could have been world champion three or four times over by now.”

Seals had just five amateur fights, but went on a world tour of sorts, sparring with many of the world’s top fighters.

“I’ve sparred with lots of world champs and top contenders. Most of the people I sparred with back then were pros, ranked contenders and champs and former champs. I’ve even been to camp with Wladimir Klitschko and held my own. He’s a super hero, but I didn’t embarrass myself. Sparring with these guys was like a fight every time out. I was traveling their homes and you know how that goes. They try to make an example of you. I had to fight for my life, basically.”

Seals is currently rated WBC #25 and says he looks to his new promoters to help him move further and further up the ladder.

“I’ve been knowing about Warriors since I started boxing. Since way back when Glen Johnson knocked out Roy Jones Junior. I’ve always had a healthy respect for their company. And I was always open to signing with them. My trainer, Sugar Burt, has had a long relationship with (Warriors Matchmaker and Coordinator) Chico Rivas since he was 12 years old. We had been talking about signing with Warriors for a long time. I just got out of my previous contract and now Warriors is back on the prowl, doing their thing again. So we revisited the situation and chose to go with Warriors. Hopefully by the end of the year I will at least be in the top 5 if not fighting for a world title. My ultimate goal is to win a super middleweight championship and then move back up and win a light heavyweight title and then win a cruiserweight belt.”

Warriors Boxing President, Leon Margules, says he’s happy to have Seals joining his stable.

“Michael didn’t have a huge amateur career, but he’s a natural talent and we’re very excited about his prospects for the future. He has the power and the ability to become a major force at 168, 175 and even cruiserweight.”

Seals says he prides himself on being a throwback type of fighter.

“My style is more of a James Tony/Bernard Hopkins. I use the shoulder roll and angles with subtle movements. I use the ring like you’re supposed to, without using a whole lot of energy. I’m real smooth. I like to roll punches and slip punches in the pocket and counter.”

LAS VEGAS (Jan 9, 2015) – As we near the epic return of world championship heavyweight action in the United States, WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) and unbeaten knockout specialist Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) are deep in training camp for their championship showdown on SHOWTIME®.

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are also available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Read below for what the fighters have to say about how training is going, what their place in heavyweight history is and what the fans can expect to see on Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas:

Q: Where have you been training? Who have you been training with? How has training been going?

Bermane Stiverne: I am in Vegas training at the Mayweather Gym. I have had many sparring partners, seven total and they have been alternating since it has been a very long camp. I began training camp in August because we didn’t even know when this fight was going to happen so we had to be ready for any time and we did better than ever. It has been a long, long training camp and I am in the best shape I have ever been in.

I plan to go in the ring between 238 and 242 pounds. We thought about going lower but I am a super heavyweight and that is the weight where I am best.

Deontay Wilder: Camp has been great. It’s been a long hard road but we’re here now. I had my whole team which was excellent — Jay Deas, Mark Breland, Russ Anber, Cuz Hill and my strength coach Peter Khoury, so it couldn’t have been any better.

Q: How do you feel about fighting on the big stage as the main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena?

BS: Fighting at the MGM Grand is a dream come true. I have been dreaming of becoming a champion my whole life. When I think of the MGM I think of all the history and I want to write a new chapter.

DW: I’m super excited about fighting on the big stage. The bigger the better! The more attention and people watching, the more I like it. We’ve been working towards this for a long time, and I am glad we have gotten to this level.

Q: If you could meet any heavyweight champ who would it be? Is there a heavyweight that you would say you emulate?

BS: Muhammad – he was the greatest, he called himself “The Greatest” before he even knew he was The Greatest. He worked hard every single day to fulfill it and that is what I do. No corners cut.

DW: I’ve never patterned myself after any other heavyweight, but if I could meet one from the past it would be Joe Louis. He’s part of my nickname. He was the ‘Brown Bomber’ and since I’m from Alabama like he was and I won the Bronze medal at the Olympics, I’m the ‘Bronze Bomber.’

Q: How do you feel about being in the biggest heavyweight title fight in the United States in a decade?

BS: The Heavyweight Champion is what it’s all about. It’s the King of the Jungle. It is the Champion of all the Champions. I am happy to bring it back. Boxing is alive and well.

DW: It’s time for the heavyweight division to be important again and I’m the guy to do it, so I can’t wait.

Q: Which heavyweights inspired you or did you admire on your climb to this point?

BS: Iron Mike Tyson and James Toney – I really admire the way they fought. I loved Iron Mike’s explosiveness and speed and his fast hands. Tyson could hurt you with any punch at any angle and that is my forte. When I hit somebody, I see it in their eyes and their legs and I feel their pain.

DW: My daughter is my inspiration. I always admired guys like Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes though.

Q: Is there any extra motivation fighting for the WBC title that has been held by so many of the greatest including Muhammad Ali?

BS: The WBC heavyweight belt has been held by many great champions. It’s the biggest prize out there.

DW: A lot of great champions have held the WBC title belt, so it’s the big one and I’m honored and excited to be fighting for it.

Q: How important is it for you to represent your home country in this fight? Do you feel any additional pressure because of it?

BS: I am blessed to have been born in Haiti and lived in Quebec, Canada and now Las Vegas and I like to think of myself as an inspiration to kids in Haiti that have suffered so much – just like me. I want them to know that if they work hard they can achieve their dreams.

DW: Like I said, I am honored and excited. A lot of greats have held the belt and I am ready to make history and be one of the greats. Representing the U.S. in a heavyweight fight, bringing it back home, it’s an honor.

Q: What do you think of your opponent, does anything he does concern you?

BS: I think Wilder is a clown. Wilder thinks this is the WWE. He acts like it’s the WWE. This is for real. It is going to hurt very bad.

DW: I have no thoughts about Bermane Stiverne. I’m just ready to fight and leave it all out in the ring.

Q: What should the fans expect on Jan. 17? Do you have a prediction?

BS: On Jan. 17 I will hurt Wilder and I will knock him out and it will be a lasting image in peoples’ minds for a very long time.

DW: Fans should expect a great night of boxing and everyone will see Jan. 17. -. Be there or tune in on TV if you can’t. You don’t want to miss it!

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SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER tonight, Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

New York, Jan. 9 – – On the heels of UFC® 182, one of the biggest UFC PPV events ever, iN DEMAND, the leading distributor of transactional entertainment to cable and telcos, and Zuffa LLC, the owner of UFC®, the world’s leading mixed martial arts sports organization, have announced a multi-year renewal of their agreement to deliver UFC Pay-Per-View (PPV) events to more than 50 million digital subscribers throughout the United States. The announcement was made today by Marshall Zelaznik, UFC Chief Content Officer, and Michael Berman, iN DEMAND’s EVP, Programming and General Counsel. This deal ensures that UFC’s biggest and most important events will continue to be available via PPV, and includes expanded rights such as the ability of iN DEMAND affiliates to offer EST (ownership via Electronic Sell-Through) and sales of the PPV events to commercial establishments. Plus, affiliates can offer the UFC’s digital streaming service UFC FIGHT PASS® to video subscribers on a fully authenticated basis.

This new agreement provides for the continuation of a long collaboration between the two companies, which has helped the UFC grow to be one of the most powerful entities in the PPV and sports marketplace.

iN DEMAND will deliver every UFC PPV event and purchasers will enjoy longer viewership windows via VOD and TV Everywhere convenience. All events are offered in both Standard and High Definition, as well as a separate Spanish language feed.*

According to iN DEMAND’s Berman, “We have been proud to be a part of UFC’s growth from their launch on PPV to their current status as the gold-standard for Mixed Martial Arts, worldwide. This new deal ensures that we will continue our long-term relationship by not only distributing their core PPV events, but we will also be an intrinsic part of their next generation of growth through subscription and digital ownership of the UFC’s compelling content.”

UFC’s Zelaznik said: “It is great to continue our rewarding and long-lasting relationship with iN DEMAND. The ability of UFC to deliver our best and most meaningful fights and events to so many fans in the years to come is great news for our sport, our brand and our partners. This partnership will allow us to continue to be the world’s leading PPV content provider.”

For upcoming schedules, go to: http://www.indemand.com/whats-on/events/

*HD not available in all systems.

About iN DEMAND

iN DEMAND L.L.C. is a world leader in providing exciting transactional entertainment delivered through television’s most innovative technologies. iN DEMAND creates, acquires and delivers programming through cable Pay-Per-View (PPV), Video On Demand (VOD) as well as on digital platforms. It also supplies marketing support, production services and content transport for the industry. PPV programming includes movies, boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts events and the digital out-of-market subscription professional sports packages for MLB, the NBA and the NHL. The company’s VOD products include first-run and library movies, plus subscription movie and entertainment services. Content is delivered in SD, HD and 3D. iN DEMAND’s owners are Comcast iN DEMAND Holdings, Inc., Cox Communications Holdings, Inc., and Time Warner Entertainment – Advance/Newhouse Partnership. Further information about the company can be found at iNDEMAND.com. Follow us on Twitter.

About UFC®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

Ivan Redkach scored a 6th round stoppage over Yakubu Amidu in round six of their schedule 10-round Lightweight bout at the Morango Resort in Cabazon, California.

Redkach scored two knockdowns in round six and the bout was stopped at 3:00.

Redkach, 137 lbs of Shostka, UKR is now 18-0 with 14 knockouts. Amidu, 137 of Accra, GHA is now 19-6-2.

Alantez Fox won a 8-round majority decision over Patrick Day in a battle of undefeated Jr. Middlewieghts.

Scores were 80-72, 78-74 and 76-76 for Fox, 155 lbs of Forrestville, MD and is now 14-0-1. Day, 154 lbs of Freeport, NY is now 9-1-1.

Ivgen Khytrov scored 3rd round stoppage over Maurice Louishomme in round three of a scheduled 8-round Middleweight bout.

Khytrov dropped Louishomme with an overhand right in the first round. Kyhtrob continued to batter Louishimme until a roght by Khytrov knocked the moutpiece of Louishomme out and the fight was stopped at 24 seconds of round three.

Khytrov of Ukraine is now 8-0 with 8 knockouts. Louishimme, 161 lbs of Colorado Springs, CO is now 8-1-1.

LAS VEGAS (January 9, 2014) – If not for a career-changing injury, World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title-holder Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1, 21 KOs) may have been a professional football player instead of becoming champion of the world in professional boxing.

The 6′ 2″, 248-pound Stiverne had a Michigan State football scholarship to play linebacker for the Spartans, but he blew-out his knee midway through his freshman year (1997) during a practice session. Stiverne remains an avid football player and he has picked Oregon to defeat Ohio State this Monday night in the College Football National Championship game.

“I like Oregon in the championship game,” Stiverne said from his Las Vegas home. “They’re consistent and have the best offense in the country. Plus, the way they beat Florida State was sweet.”

Stiverne, who knocked out Chris Arreola (35-4) this past May to claim the coveted WBC title belt vacated by retired Vitali Klitschko, makes his first title defense Saturday night, Jan. 17, against undefeated mandatory challenger Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), airing on Showtime Championship Boxing (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) live from MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

For further information visit www.eottm.com, or follow on Twitter @eotmvd and @BStiverne.

Gary Shaw Productions has been absorbed by Roc Nation Sports according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

Under the agreement, Gary Shaw Productions will be absorbed into Roc Nation Sports — including most of the contracts of the 20 or so fighters he promotes — and Shaw will run Roc Nation Sports’ boxing division along with chief operating officer David Itskowitch, who joined the company before it announced in August that it would begin promoting boxing.

“Gary Shaw joins David as the heads of Roc Nation boxing, and they’ll make a great team to help lead the company through this venture,” said Roc Nation Sports spokesman Ron Berkowitz.

Shaw told ESPN.com, “I have joined the company. I really do think that they can do for a fighter what nobody else can by strength of their entertainment and music talent and the athletes they represent. When someone says they’re with Roc Nation, it really means something. They’re at the top of the game, and being with Roc Nation will elevate the boxers.”

“This was an opportunity to leave a different type of legacy in boxing,” Shaw said. “Roc Nation and Jay Z to me are as big as it gets. They are a great company with a great brand, and if I can elevate boxing and the boxers like they do with their music acts and their athletes, that would be a legacy, and that’s what I am shooting for. I am shooting to build Roc Nation Sports into a boxing powerhouse. The fighters will be in great company of guys like [Roc Nation athletes] Robinson Cano, Kevin Durant and Dez Bryant.

“It was a very good deal for me and my fighters to join Roc Nation. It’s not life-changing for me in terms of the money but it was a good deal. But I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do at the right time for me and my fighters. I think it will bring them to a whole new level. We’ll be able to get endorsements for fighters and do things other companies just can’t do.”

LAS VEGAS (Jan. 8, 2015) — Reigning World Series of Fighting (www.WSOF.com) world bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Marlon Moraes (13-4-1) of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. via Nova Friburgo, Brazil will put his coveted Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) title on the line for the first time against undefeated rival Josh Hill (10-0) of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in the main event of a stacked, four-fight, live NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) telecast from the Edmonton Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Thursday, February 12.

Priced from $50, tickets for WSOF 18: Moraes vs. Hill go on sale at 12 p.m. EST on Tuesday, January 13 at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.
“This is an incredible matchup between two of the world’s top 135 pound fighters that we have been looking to put together for the last several months and, now that it is finally here, we will see who the superior fighter is on February 13,” said WSOF President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo.

In the featherweight (145 pounds) co-main event, a red-hot Chris “Gritz” Gruetzemacher (12-1) of Scottsdale, Ariz. will square off with hard-hitting puncher Antonio “Pato” Carvalho (15-6) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
World-class striker Shane “Shaolin” Campbell (10-2) of Edmonton will make his debut in the WSOF cage against brutal finisher Brandt Dewsbery (13-3-1) of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada in a welterweight (170 pounds) tilt, and unbeaten prospect Hakeem Dawodu (3-0) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada will battle Tristan Johnson (9-5) of Jordantown, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Hill

The 26-year-old Moraes, quickly becoming recognized as the top bantamweight fighter in the world, will enter the WSOF cage with eight consecutive victories under his belt, including a split decision over former world champion Miguel Torres, and devastating KO finishes of fellow stars Tyson Nam and Carson Beebe.

In his last effort, Moraes turned in another dominant performance – a second round (1:35) submission (rear-naked choke) of Cody Bollinger in a 140-pound catchweight contest at WSOF 13 on September 13, 2014. Moraes’ win streak dates back to December 2, 2011, when he earned a unanimous decision over Chris Manuel.

The versatile Moraes will attempt to become the first to solve the puzzle that is the 28-year-old Hill, unbeaten since he made his professional debut with a second round (1:42) TKO (punches) of Vito Attanasi on October 10, 2009.
After a 22-month hiatus, Hill, known for his superior wrestling base, made a thunderous return to action on June 7, 2014 at WSOF Canada 2, scoring a first-round (4:20) KO (punch) on Mike Adams.

Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Antonio Carvalho

The 28-year-old Gruetzemacher is riding a spectacular 11-fight win streak that began with his split decision win over Josh Gaskins on April 11, 2009. A power striker with considerable ground skills, Gruetzemacher has, to date, claimed 6 of his 12 career wins by (T)KO and 3 by way of submission.

On March 29, 2014, Gruetzemacher made his WSOF debut, earning a unanimous decision over renowned submission expert John Gunderson. The bout represented the first time in over four years that Gruetzemacher was taken the distance of a fight.

Carvalho will make his much-anticipated debut in the WSOF cage after an extended layoff from competition that began after the 35-year-old suffered a first round (3:06) TKO (punches) at the hands of Darren Elkins, as a result of what many believe was a controversial stoppage by the referee, on March 16, 2013. To date, 10 of Carvalho’s 15 career wins have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Prior to the defeat, Carvalho reeled off back-to-back victories in the UFC over Daniel Pineda and Rodrigo Damm on July 21, 2012 and November 17, 2012, respectively.

Shane Campbell vs. Brandt Dewsbery

Over the course of the last nine years, the 26-year-old Campbell has distinguished himself as a force in both the MMA world and the kickboxing ring while competing all over the world.

In 2013, Campbell did damage amongst the ranks of kickboxers in three of the world’s top promotions, including K-1, winning five consecutive bouts. In both of his MMA starts in 2014, Campbell dominated with his superior striking, scoring a second round (:43) TKO (punches) on Jerrid Burke on May 9 and a second round (:29) TKO (punches) on Marcus Edwards on October 3.

With a proven ability to finish opponents both on his feet and on the ground, the 24-year-old Dewsbery arguably represents Campbell’s toughest challenge in the cage, yet. The 6-year veteran of professional MMA has, thus far, earned 6 of his 13-career wins by way of (T)KO and another 6 wins by way of submission.
Dewsbery will enter the WSOF cage for the second time in his career, in the midst of a three fight win streak that he began on February 21, 2014 with a first round (4:31) submission (rear-naked choke) of Mark Drummond. Dewsbery continued making a statement through the remainder of the year, scoring a fifth round (4:34) KO (flying knee strike) on Chase Maxwell on May 23, and a stunning, 38-second TKO (punches) on Tyler O’Brien on October 18.

Hakeem Dawodu vs. Tristan Johnson

Dawodu made his professional debut at the inaugural WSOF event in Canada on Feb. 21, 2014, scoring a thunderous first round (1:07) KO (punch) on Behrang Yousefi. The protégé of Muay Thai guru Mike Miles has since extended his unbeaten streak with two more dramatic victories, finishing Jake MacDonald by second round (:18) KO (punches) at the second WSOF Canada event on June 7, stopping Mike Malott by way of first round (4:13) TKO (punches and elbow strikes) at WSOF 14 on Oct. 11.

The hard-punching Johnson finished 2014 on a strong note, KO’ing Keven Morin with a punch in the first round (3:59) of their June 7 matchup. The 31-year-old is an eight-year veteran of the professional fight game, who ran to five consecutive victories in his first five starts before suffering his first defeat three years later, in 2010.

A preliminary fight card for WSOF 18: Moraes vs. Hill will be announced soon.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT NBCSN

NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

CABAZON, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2015) – The six fighters who will compete on Friday’s ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) made weight on Thursday at Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, Calif.

In the main event of the DiBella Entertainment-promoted event, unbeaten lightweight Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach (17-0, 1 NC, 13 KOs), of Los Angeles by way of Ukraine, will meet Yakubu Amidu (19-5-2, 17 KOs), of Los Angeles by way of Ghana, in a 10-round fight.

In the co-feature, former amateur standouts Patrick Day (9-0-1, 5 KOs), of Freeport, N.Y., and Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (13-0-1, 4 KOs), of Forestville, Md., collide in an eight-round junior middleweight bout.

In the opening bout of the telecast, former amateur sensation Ievgen “Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov (7-0, 7 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y. by way of Ukraine, will take on Maurice “The Natural” Louishomme (8-0-1, 4 KOs), of Colorado Springs, Colo., in an eight-round middleweight bout.

ALL ACCESS: Stiverne vs. Wilder will premiere at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME immediately preceding the ShoBox telecast.

Weights: Redkach and Amidu tipped the scale at 137 pounds; Day weighed 154 pounds while
Fox measured 155 pounds; and Khytrov weighed in at 163 pounds and Louishomme measured 161 pounds.

Here’s what the fighters had to say prior to Thursday’s weigh-in:

IVAN REDKACH:
“This year I have a new team, I have a new manager and this year I’m going to fight for a world title. It would be my dream matchup to fight Jorge Linares for the title. I’m ready.

“I trained for about five months, training three times a day in Oxnard at Robert Garcia’s gym.

“With Robert Garcia we’ve been sparring with some of the top fighters. We sparred with Brandon Rios, Jessie Vargas, Ray Beltran, Mike Perez. Top fighters. It was a great experience.

“Robert has changed some of my techniques to get ready for this fight. He’s made 11 world champions out of his gym. That’s why he was the top trainer of the year. There’s a reason that he’s made so many champions so I think I’m in good hands.

“I’ve sparred with Amidu and I’ve seen him train. It’s good to have that under my belt going into this fight.”

YAKUBU AMIDU:
“Training camp has been going great. I’ve been working out for a few months because I was supposed to fight an opponent at an earlier date that had to pull out.

“My entire team has been working very hard, focusing on this fight.

“I have been training with Freddie [Roach] at WildCard gym, we are all a family at the gym. It has been very comfortable for me.

“I know that Redkach is a tall, strong puncher. I have a strategy for him. We will see what he comes with after the first few rounds.

“Redkach is a very good fighter. I have done my homework on him. If the knockout comes then I will take it, but if it doesn’t come then there’s nothing to worry about.”

PATRICK DAY:
“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow in the ring if this is the toughest guy that I’ve faced. On paper he is, but statistics don’t always prove it. We’ll find out. We’ll see how he reacts.

“His height won’t be a problem for me. Not at all. It will be a bit different than usual, but I’ve faced tall opponents in the past before and I know how to deal with it. It’s not new to me.

“He’ll try to clinch once he feels my speed, how fast I can strike. If I release a hard power shot he’ll definitely try to clinch to slow things down a little.

“I’m looking to make a statement.

“Camp was excellent. We had a superb camp. We trained for about two months straight. We brought in some tall sparring partners to prepare for his height and style. We were running in freezing weather in New York and my will kept me going. We’re ready.”

ALANTEZ FOX:
“Training camp has been great, I feel super strong. I’m ready for this fight and will be in great condition if the fight goes eight rounds. It was a six week camp and I feel 100 percent.

“I don’t know much about [Patrick] Day. I know he’s short, but everyone is short to me. I will use my distance to my advantage like I always do.

“I know that he has to come on the inside and press, and if he doesn’t then he will be playing to my game beautifully.

“I have to thank my team for giving me this wonderful opportunity to be fighting on SHOWTIME. This is what I have been waiting for my entire boxing career since I was eight years old.

“I hope this won’t be my last time on SHOWTIME. I hope to be fighting for a championship bout within the next year or two.”

IEVGEN KHYTROV:
“Training camp was great. We were sparring with Daniel Jacobs, Luis Collazo, Marcus Browne, the strongest guys in the division.

“We knew about this guy for about a week, but it doesn’t matter who I fight. I want to be champion of the world.

“I’ll do my best to knock him out. Fans want the knockout and I’ll try to give them a knockout. I can’t predict the future, but I’m going to do everything possible to get it done.

“I can’t predict the future, but I’m looking for a big year in 2015.”

MAURICE LOUISHOMME:

“I have been training the past 10 years for this fight. I have constantly stayed busy in the gym with the hopes of being able to get this opportunity.

“My biggest strength in this fight will be my jab. I really utilize my jab well. I am looking to set the entire fight up with the jab, and then look for openings with my right hand and uppercuts.

“This is an eight round fight. I am looking to box, move and avoid his big shots. If I can catch him and hurt him I am definitely going to jump on him for the knockout.

“I feel privileged and blessed to be here. I am thankful for SHOWTIME for giving me this opportunity. It’s a chance of a lifetime.”

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2015) – Undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles participated in a jam-packed open media workout Thursday at Who’s Next Boxing Academy as he continues to prepare for his title defense against Mexico’s Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KOs) on Saturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 12-round, 122-pound world title fight will serve as the co-feature of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader highlighted by the eagerly awaited heavy-duty showdown between WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), a Haitian native fighting out of Las Vegas, and unbeaten knockout specialist Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala.

In the opening bout of the Jan. 17 telecast, promising world-ranked and undefeated super lightweight Amir “Young Master” Imam (15-0, 13 KOs), of Albany N.Y. will face hard-hitting Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) of Albuquerque N.M., in a 10-round match.

Tickets for an event co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Santa Cruz worked out for 45 minutes on Thursday. He shadow-boxed, hit the mitts, did calisthenics, jumped rope and did stretching exercises as live Norteño music blared in the background.

Below is what the champion Santa Cruz, his father/trainer Jose Santa Cruz and his brother/co-trainer Antonio Santa Cruz said at the workout:

LEO SANTA CRUZ, WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion

“Right now I am focused on this fight. I want to get this fight over with and get the win. We trained really hard to get this fight. Ruiz is a great fighter, a tough fighter. I think he has fought for a world title already. I know he always comes prepared to win and give a great show.”

“Ruiz has fought good fighters and shown that he has talent and determination. I don’t take him lightly or any other fighter. Sometimes the fighters they say are lazier are the ones that give you a tougher fight and a loss.”

“I feel bad for all the people talking, but if they were in my shoes they would understand. I want the Rigondeaux fight, but the promoters have not come to an agreement. If it was up to me, I would fight him whenever. I am tired of people telling me that I am scared. I am looking for that fight as soon as possible, he is not invisible. I think I have a chance to beat him. I know he is a tough fighter, but that’s what we are here for, to fight the best.”

“We are going to keep pushing for a fight with Abner Mares or Rigondeaux, have the promoters make that fight as soon as possible, so all the fans can be happy.”

“I think if I can fight Mares, it will be a big pay-per-view event here at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.”

“Having my father as my trainer is the best for us. We do get into arguments, but they never last too long. Maybe one day we will get mad at each other, but then we talk as if nothing happened. I always try and concentrate and listen to him the best I can. He is the one I have always worked best with. There is more communication with him.”

“My family is small so we always went into the gym together; we live in the same house together. We have always been together. We go fishing together, bowling, everything.”

“I think because of my family support and my friends I have been able to stay calm and patient. I think of all the positive things and what I want to do to give a better fight.”

JOSE SANTA CRUZ, Father and Lead Trainer

“All of Leo’s fights are always different. He never does the same thing over again. When it comes to training, there are small details we change, but nothing major. We might do weightlifting this camp, and not do weightlifting last camp, just stuff like that.”

“Leo and I have an understanding that whoever we are fighting, we train for 100 percent all the time. The fact he is not fighting Mares or Rigondeaux, those are down the road and will happen. A fight with Rigondeaux does not excite me though because I know when he feels pressure or the heat, he is going to grab hold or run. I am not interested in fighting him. I would like to fight Mares or whoever else though, no problem. I do not like Rigondeaux’s style and neither does the public. The only ones who want that fight are the Rigondeaux camp and his fans.”

“Leo is a great kid; he respects me, looks up to me and listens to me. That is why I am here training him. This is what Leo wants. I know there are better trainers than me out there, but this is what Leo likes and what he wants and it has been working out.”

“I am not surprised my sons are fighters. I knew they would all be good great fighters. What I am surprised about is how the fans and the public have received the Santa Cruz family and especially the way they appreciate Leo.”

“Since day one, when Leo started training at 8-years-old, the people and I saw that Leo had what it took. He was already beating little kids in the gym. I knew he would be something special. I knew that more about Leo than any of this other brothers. Leo is known for his volume punching but he is a good technical fighter too.”

ANTONIO SANTA CRUZ, Brother and Co-Trainer

“There is no difference in Leo’s training for this fight. He always trains the same way. He trains very hard. We will teach him more combinations, but that is really it.”

“I have been an assistant trainer for almost three years. My father has been Leo’s main trainer since the beginning.”

“My father got my brothers and me into fighting. When he first came to the United States, he went to a boxing gym and from there, he started to like it. He used to say that as soon as he had a kid, ‘I am going to put him in boxing.’ I’m the oldest, so he put me into boxing first.”

“I am not surprised at Leo’s success, but very happy. We have a good working relationship; he is very good at listening to me and taking orders.”

# # #

SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER tomorrowFriday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

Today being his 35th birthday and having just weighed in at a rough-and-ready 146.8 lbs. for his showdown against Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (24-0, 13 KOs), you would think that Long Island, New York’s Tommy “The Razor” Rainone (22-5-1, 4 KOs) would want a victory over Harrison for his birthday gift.

Wrong. “I want to eat!!!” said a hungry Rainone, after stepping off the scale.

Rainone and Harrison (24-0, 13 KOs) will meet 10-round main-event showdown on music superstar Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports debut boxing card tomorrow (Friday, January 9), at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City and live on FOX Sports 1 (10PM ET/7PM PT).

“Eating like a normal person again after this long training camp,” is my gift to myself,” continued Rainone. “Beating Hernandez-Harrison tomorrow night? That’ll be my birthday cake!”

Also featured on the card at MSG is, Rainone’s GCP stable mate, Cecile McCalla, of Randallstown, Maryland, who will face South African southpaw Chris “The Heat” van Heerden (21-1-1, 11 KOs) for the IBF International Welterweight Championship.

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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; Freddie Roach-trained heavyweight Lateef Kayode; Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis, currently rated #12 in the WBA; Top 15 IBF and WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Rising Undefeated 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.

New York, NY–January 8, 2015—NBC, Donald J. Trump and Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced today performers and some of the celebrities who will judge the 63rd Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant, airing Sunday, January 25 (8-11 p.m. ET) on NBC. The Miss Universe contestants will be hosted in Doral, Florida and the pageant will air live from the FIU Arena. The pageant will also simulcast in Spanish on Telemundo.

The first group of judges to join the MISS UNIVERSE panel includes:

· Manny Pacquiao, Fighter of the Decade, eight-division world champion and Filipino Congressman
· Kristin Cavallari, TV host and shoe designer
· William Levy, TV and film actor who was previously named People En Espanol’s Sexiest Man Alive
· Lisa Vanderpump, Star of hit show “Vanderpump Rules” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”
· Louise Roe, Fashion journalist, author, host of “Plain Jane” on MTV International and the upcoming TLC fashion series, “Style By Jury”

Multi-talented, platinum-selling solo artist, Nick Jonas will take the MISS UNIVERSE stage during the evening gown competition. The versatile performer will sing a three-song medley from his self-titled album that includes the first smash single and radio hit, “Jealous,” in addition to “Chains” and “Teacher.”

Joining Jonas in the musical lineup and performing during the MISS UNIVERSE swimsuit competition is twenty-time Latin Billboard Award winner, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Prince Royce. Latin music’s most successful young breakout superstar Prince Royce is set to perform his new English-language single entitled “Stuck on a Feeling” as well as Spanish-language hit song “Darte un Beso.” Royce is releasing his first English-language album on RCA Records this year. Jonas and Royce are the first of the musical acts to be announced for the three-hour telecast. Fans should stay tuned for more exciting performers.

Behind-the-scenes commentator Jeannie Mai returns once again to take viewers backstage to engage with contestants and talent throughout the telecast. Mai is best known as host of Style network’s two-time Emmy Award-nominated makeover series “How Do I Look?” and one of the five dynamic hosts of the nationally syndicated daytime talk show “The Real.” As previously announced, “TODAY’s” Natalie Morales and MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts will host the pageant.

The 63rd Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant will feature 88 contestants from across the globe. They will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. Gabriela Isler, Miss Universe 2013 will crown her successor at the conclusion of the three-hour telecast. The MISS UNIVERSE beauty pageant is distributed to approximately 190 countries and territories.
ABOUT MISS UNIVERSE
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a Donald J. Trump and NBCUniversal joint venture which uses its global grassroots reach to empower women to be self-confident and strive to be their personal best. MUO believes that every woman should be “Confidently Beautiful.” The MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA®, and MISS TEEN USA® beauty pageants provide an international platform through dedicated partnerships with charities, sponsors, and brands around the world. During their reign, our winners are given the tools to personally and professionally enrich others by providing humanitarian efforts to affect positive change, all while developing their personal career goals. For more information, and to learn more about Miss Universe’s official cause to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS education and prevention around the world, please visit: www.missuniverse.com.

For more information, visit: www.missuniverse.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/MissUniverse; Twitter and Instagram: @MissUniverse #MissUniverse; YouTube: www.youtube.com/missuniverse

Philadelphia, PA (January 8, 2015)–With just a week away from an outstanding championship doubleheader on January 16, 2015 you will see two NABA/NABO title fights that will originate live from the Turning Stone Resort Casino and will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday night fights.

The show is promoted by Banner Promotions.

In one co-main event, NABA/NABO and Boxcino 2014 Lightweight champion Petr Petrov (35-4-2, 17 KO’s) will take on Hank Lundy (25-4-1, 12 KO’s)

The Petrov – Lundy fight is promoted by Banner Promotions and Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES) Boxing.

In the second co-main event, NABA/NABO and Boxcino 2014 Middleweight champion Willie Monroe Jr. (18-1, 6 KO’s) will battle Bryan Vera (23-8, 14 KO’s)

Below are quotes from both the Monroe and Vera camps.

Willie Monroe Jr.:
“Camp and sparring has been amazing and we are looking forward to the fight with Bryan Vera. We have a great deal of respect for Bryan and his style of fighting. He is a world class fighter and if Willie Monroe Jr. deserves to be at the top of the middleweight division, come January 16 we will defeat Bryan Vera.

Damien Walton, Manager for Monroe:
“I think Willie is very motivated and in great shape for this fight. I think he’s got his work cut out for him in Bryan Vera but whens its all done you will see why Willie is ranked #3 in the world by the WBA and should be ranked # 1.”

Bryan Vera:
“This is another opportunity to reinvent myself like I have done many times before. I’m coming prepared and focused to get the job done. All business here. Coming to work Be prepared to see me do what has to be done. Look forward to another exciting fight here on ESPN. ”

David Watson, Manager for Vera:
“We are winding down camp as the fight is approximately 7 days away. Our weight is on track and we are looking forward to a victory over Willie Monroe and the opportunity to win the belts.”

“This fight is a great opportunity for Bryan. This will be an exciting fight for the fans and a great start to the ESPN Friday night season.”

Host of the January 16th bouts, the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino continues to distinguish itself as a premier destination for professional sporting events, including nationally-televised boxing matches and PGA-level golf. The January 16th fight will mark Turning Stone’s 13th nationally televised boxing event in less than two years, helping establish 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 and Turning Stone has hosted televised boxing events on ESPN, Showtime, HBO, and NBC in the last two years. Located in Upstate New York, the four-season resort offers world-class entertainment and gaming, prestigious restaurants, luxury spa facilities, and award-winning accommodations.Tickets for the January 16th ESPN Friday Night Fights at Turning Stone are on sale now at the Turning Stone box office, in person or by calling 315.361.7469, or online at Ticketmaster. Tickets are $60 for ringside seats, $35, $25, and are subject to additional fees. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The live ESPN telecast starts at 9pm.

Philadelphia, PA (January 8, 2015)–Due to the on-going construction at Harrahs Philadelphia, The January 31 fight card has been moved to the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

The main event will see undefeated Prichard Colon (12-0, 10 KO’s) of Maitland, FL taking on Jonathan Batista (14-5, 7 KO’s) of the Dominican Republic in the 8-round Jr. Middleweight fight.

In 6 round bouts:

Raynell Williams (5-0, 3 KO’s) of Cleveland, OH will battle Ryan Picou (2-4) of Las Vegas in a Lightweight bout.

Grayson Blake (5-3, 2 KO’s) of State College, PA will fight Anthony Prescott (5-4-2, 2 KO’s) in a Welterweight bout.

Kyrone Davis (5-0, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE will take on Jonathan Garcia (4-11, 1 KO) of Aguada, PR in a Middleweight bout.

Stephen Fulton (3-0, 1 KO) will take on an opponent to be announced in a Jr. Featherweight bout.

Willie Jones (4-0, 2 KO’s) of Tampa, FL will fight Christian Steele (4-11-2, 1 KO) of Staunton, VA in a Welterweight fight.

Antonio Russell of Capitol Heights, MD will make his pro debut against an opponent to be announced in a Bantamweight bout.

In 4 round bouts:

Earl Newman (3-1, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will do battle with Yuwshua Zadok (2-2-1) of Atlanta, GA in a Cruiserweight fight.

Caleb Plant (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Ashland City, TN will square off with David Lopez (4-11-3, 1 KO) of Caldwell, ID in a Middleweight bout.

Jamatay Clark (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Cincinnati, OH will fight Dominique Foster (2-6-1) of Las Vegas, NV in a Welterweight fight.

Robert Irizarry (2-0-1) of Cherry Hill, NJ will take on Luis Acevedo (1-0-1) of Bethlehem, PA in a Super Bantamweight bout.

Tickets for this great night of boxing cost $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased by calling 610-587-5950 or www.hboxing.eventbrite.com

The 1st bout will start at 7 PM with the doors opening at 6 PM.

NEW YORK (Jan. 8, 2015) – In the most anticipated heavyweight fight in the United States in a decade, WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), a Haitian native fighting out of Las Vegas, will make his first defense against the confident, undefeated knockout specialist Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the explosive main event of a televised tripleheader on Saturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Below are some facts and stats on the WBC Heavyweight World Championship:

· When Stiverne knocked out Chris Arreola on May 10, 2014, he became the first Haitian-born prizefighter and 22nd boxer overall to capture the WBC Heavyweight World Championship.
· Wilder, if triumphant, would become the first undefeated American heavyweight to capture a world title since Riddick Bowe won the WBC, WBA and IBF titles in 1992.
· Wilder also would become the 13th U.S.-born boxer to win the WBC title and the first since August 2006.
· Hasim Rahman was the last American to hold the WBC belt. The last American to hold any version of the heavyweight title was Shannon Briggs, who captured the WBO title in November 2006 and lost in his first defense.
· At six-foot-seven, Wilder would join Vitali Klitschko as the tallest WBC Heavyweight World Champion; the tallest heavyweight world champion was seven-foot-tall Nikolai Valuev, a former two-time WBA belt-holder who is also the heaviest (323 pounds) world champion in history.
· The initial nine WBC heavyweight champions were from the United States, beginning with Sonny Liston, who in July 1963 became the first WBC champion. Following Liston were Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon and Pinklon Thomas.
· On Nov. 22, 1986, 20-year-old Mike Tyson of the U.S. became the youngest ever to capture the heavyweight title when he knocked out Trevor Berbick, who had defeated Thomas.
· Other WBC heavyweight champions from the U.S. include James “Buster” Douglas, Evander Holyfield, Bowe, Oliver McCall and Rahman.
· The only Jamaican-born boxer to become the WBC champion was Berbick, who also was the first heavyweight outside of the U.S. to capture the WBC crown.
· There have been two WBC heavyweight champions from England — Lennox Lewis, three different times and Frank Bruno.
· There was one fighter from Ukraine, Vitali Klitschko, who held the WBC belt on two occasions, one fighter from Russia, Oleg Maskaev and one from Nigeria Samuel Peter.
· Lewis is the only three-time WBC Heavyweight Champion. He made 14 successful defenses in his stints as champ.
· Ali, Foreman, Tyson, Klitschko and Rahman were two-time WBC heavyweight champs.
· Ali (two tenures) made a total of 19 successful title defenses.
· Holmes, with 16, had more successful title defenses than any one-reign champ; Klitschko had a total of 10, Ali had nine WBC world title defenses two separate times; Tyson, Lewis and Klitschko retained the title nine times once.
· Interestingly, the feared Liston had zero defenses of the WBC heavyweight title, the same number as Spinks, Norton, Witherspoon, Berbick, Douglas, Bowe, Bruno and Peter.
· Two boxers were stripped of the WBC title – Spinks (March 1978 for failing to defend against mandatory challenger Ken Norton and Bowe (December 1992 for not making a mandatory defense against Lewis).
· The WBC title was vacated twice (Holmes in December 1982) and Tyson (in September 1996).
· Two boxers retired as WBC Heavyweight Champions, Lewis in February 2004 and Klitschko twice, in November 2005 and December 2013.
· With the exception of Liston, all the U.S.-born WBC Heavyweight Champions were promoted at one time by Don King.
· Stiverne-Wilder will be 135th WBC Heavyweight World Title fight; 95 of them have taken place in the U.S., including 40 in Nevada (WBC heavyweight title fights have emanated from 20 different countries). Overall, this will be the 300th WBC title fight in Nevada.

# # #

SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are also available at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com.

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 8) – Golden Boy Promotions is pushing to make 2015 its best year yet, adding a host of local California talent as well as signing six of the international scene’s top stars to exclusive promotional contracts.

Now competing for the Golden Boy Promotions team are top Californian prospects Abraham Lopez, Roy Tapia, Christian Gonzalez, Emilio Sanchez, Jesus Ivan Delgado and Nick Arce.

“I’m excited to kick off 2015 with the addition of these talented fighters to the Golden Boy roster,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Each of these fighters have the talent, skill, determination and desire that it takes to make it to the top.”

In addition, exceptional international talent now fighting under the Golden Boy Promotions banner will be the exciting Japanese welterweight Yoshihiro Kamegai, Filipino star Mercito Gesta, Mexican knockout artist Gilberto Gonzalez, top Mexican prospect Antonio Gutierrez, Brazilian Olympian, Everton Lopes and Columbian medalist Oscar Negrete

Fighting out of Tokyo, Japan, 32-year-old Yoshihiro “Maestrito” Kamegai (25-2-1, 22 KOs) built a stellar reputation in Asia for years, winning regional titles at 140 and 147 pounds. But it was a fight he lost to Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in June of 2014 that made him a star on the international scene, as the two engaged in a Fight of the Year candidate. On Dec. 13, Kamegai stopped Oscar “El Tigre” Godoy in four rounds.

Born in Cebu, Philippines, 27-year-old San Diegan Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (28-1-1, 16 KOs) has lived up to his nickname “No Mercy” when it comes to opponents, as he’s won 28 of his 30 professional bouts. A former world title challenger looking to get another shot at the lightweight title, Gesta has won two bouts straight, most recently halting Luis “El Vampiro” Arceo in seven rounds.

27-year old knock out artists, Gilberto “Flaco” Gonzalez (23-3, 19 KOs) from Distrito Federal, Mexico, has been undefeated since 2013 and has defeated all seven of his opponents by knock out. His most recent fight, against Puerto Rico’s Jeffery Fontanez, in Cancun, Mexico was an all-out war. Gonzalez knocked down Fontanez once in the fourth round and twice in the fifth, resulting in a satisfying win for Gonzalez and stripping Fontanez of his undefeated status.

La Puente, Calif. native, Abraham Lopez (17-0, 12 KOs) has been on a hot streak since his professional debut in 2008. Undefeated, Lopez has won twelve of his bouts via knockout, and is looking to continue the momentum and get back in the ring in 2015.

A native of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, 20-year-old Antonio “La Joya” Gutierrez (17-0-1, 7 KOs) is in his fourth year as a professional, and after learning his trade on the tough Mexican scene, the promising middleweight made his United States debut in October of 2014, winning by majority decision against veteran Dashon “Fly Boy” Johnson. In his most recent bout on Dec. 13 13, Gutierrez defeated Erick “El Brujo” Mireles.

East Los Angeles’ Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (10-0-1, 5 KOs) has been in the gym since he was seven years old, following in the footsteps of his father, a former professional boxer. Tapia made his debut in 2011, and in his most recent bout on Nov. 13, the unbeaten 23-year-old featherweight scored the biggest win of his career over 50-fight veteran Luis “Titi” Maldonado.

A professional since 2013, Buena Park, Calif. knockout artist Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (8-0, 8 KOs) is a boxing legacy, his brother is the former WBC Featherweight World Champion Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez. He has destroyed all willing to face him thus far in his career, winning each bout by knockout. Gonzalez has shown that he is a power puncher to watch in 2015 and beyond.

Now making his home in Los Angeles, 27-year-old Colombia native Oscar “Jaguar” Negrete (7-0, 3 KOs) won bronze medals as an amateur for his country in the 2006 South American, Central American and Caribbean Games before turning professional in 2013. His success has not slowed down since then, with three of his bouts ending by way of knockout.

Los Angeles undefeated featherweight Emilio Sanchez (5-0, 4 KOs) can do it all in the ring, making him a natural to join the Golden Boy Promotions squad of future starts. A professional+ since 2013, Sanchez won his first three bouts via first-round knockout, and he has continued to impress with 2014 victories over Jonathan Ramos and Juan Alvarado.

Jesus Ivan Delgado (3-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, Calif. is a 24-year-old prospect on the fast track to big things at 135 pounds. A favorite at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, Calif., where he has already made three appearances, Delgado is coming off a shutout decision win over Rick Quevedo on November 13.

A two-time Olympian and a two time Pan American Games medalist for his home country of Brazil, Everton Lopes won 240 bouts as an amateur, earning gold at the 2011 World Amateur Championships and bronze in 2013. In 2015, the talented 26-year-old southpaw will make his professional debut, and he will have a nation behind him as he pursues a world title.

Fighting out of the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, 18-year-old featherweight Nick Arce (1-0, 1 KO) is a former amateur standout who entered the professional boxing world in style in Nov. 13, of 2014 with a fourth round knockout of Adalbert “Kiki” Valenzuela.

For more information go to www.goldenboypromotions.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram at @goldenboyboxing

Mashantucket, CT: Before Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Tony “The Lightning” Luis square off for the WBC Continental Americas Lightweight Championship, fans at Foxwoods Resort Casino will be treated to an action-packed card filled with local rivalries and local prospects. Currently this stacked undercard is packed with six young fighters from the New England area.

In the ESPN2 Friday Night Fights co-feature, Pawtucket, Rhode Island native Thomas “The Souljah” Falowo (12-3, 8 KOs) will take on undefeated middleweight sensation and Portland, Maine resident Russell “The Haitian Sensation” Lamour (11-0, 5 KOs) for eight rounds.

Thomas Falowo

Thomas Falowo made his professional debut in 2010 with a second round stoppage over Odias Dumezil. He recorded knockout victories in his first four professional bouts all within four rounds. His career began with a perfect 6-0 before being handed his first defeat in a close split decision against a then-undefeated Samuel Clarkson. In his most recent bout, on Showtime, Falowo suffered defeat at the hands of former amateur standout Ronald Gavril and two of Falowo’s three career losses came at the hands of undefeated fighters.

Falowo’s opponent, the 32-year old Russell Lamour, recorded over 100 wins as an amateur boxer, and was also a member of the Los Angeles Matadors semi-professional World Series of Boxing franchise in Los Angeles, California. Russell was the #1 ranked Middleweight in the North American conference. He made his professional debut in 2012 with a first round TKO John Downey. In his most recent bout, Lamour defeated Ahsandi Gibbs by unanimous decision inhis home state of Maine.

Russell Lamour

Also making an appearance at Foxwoods on Jan. 30 is undefeated New Haven resident Charles Foster (6-0, 3 KOs) who takes on Larry “Hitman” Pryor (9-9, 5 KOs) of Washington, DC. Since his professional debut in 2011, every one of Foster’s fights have been in his home state of Connecticut. In his last fight he made his Foxwoods’ debut with a stunning first round TKO over Robert Jackson on the undercard of the Mchunu-Wilson card on Sept. 20. Pryor’s 9-9 record can be deceiving. In fact, all nine of his career losses were to undefeated contenders, including Ismayl Sillakh and Sullivan Barrera.

In an all New England showdown heavyweights Antonio Assermelly (0-2) of Westerly, Rhode Island will face Cassius Chaney of New London, CT in his professional debut. Since his professional debut in 2013 Assermelly has yet to find that elusive first victory however both of his losses have come at the hands of undefeated opponents. Chaney is originally from Baltimore but moved to Connecticut where he earned a Sport Management degree and played basketball as a student at the University of New Haven.

Finally, unbeaten New Haven resident David Wilson (4-0) and Michael Rodriguez (0-2) will square off for four rounds of middleweight action. Wilson also appeared on the Mchunu-Wilson undercard on Sept. 20 with a four-round unanimous decision victory over Anthony Everett.

Local promoter Al Valenti, who assisted in putting together the undercard, said, “Falowo-Lamour will be a great match of two highly talented boxers, both of whom have reached national recognition as amateurs, and now seek that same recognition at the professional level.”

Main Events promoter Kathy Duva said, “Our matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, and Al Valenti put together a great undercard for January 30th. It’s all local guys in tough, exciting fights. I’d say that I expect to see a few upsets, but these all look like 50/50 fights to me!”

About January 30
Presented by Main Events in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, the Jan. 30 edition of Friday Night Fights on ESPN2 and will take place at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT. It features a ten-round lightweight battle between undefeated contender Karl “Dynamite” Dargan (17-0, 9 KOs) against Tony “The Lightning” Luis (18-2, 7 KOs) for the WBC Continental Americas Lightweight Championship in the main event. The co-feature is an eight-round middleweight bout between Thomas Falowo (12-3, 8 KOs) against Russell Lamour (11-0, 5 KOs). The remaining undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Tickets are $40, $60 and $75 and available now through Foxwoods.com and the Foxwoods box office. The doors will open at 5:00 PM ET and the Friday Night Fights telecast will begin at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN2.

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Nutley, NJ(January 8, 2015)–This Friday night, undefeated Super Middleweight Jerry “The Kings Son” Odom will take on fellow undefeated Andrew Hernandez (7-0-1, 1 KO) of Phoenix, Arizona as part of the Inaugural Roc Nation boxing card at the Madison Square Garden Theater.

The undefeated Odom is promoted by GH3 Promotions.

Odom of Bowie, Maryland and has a record of 12-0 with 11 knockouts and is coming off a thrilling 7th round stoppage over Villier Quinonez on July 25. Like Hernadez, Quinonez was undefeated.

Despite facing his second consecutive undefeated fighter, Odom is just going about his business on his way to stardom.

“It’s just another steppingstone fight. I don’t know much about him. My trainers know everything that I need to know,” said the 21 year-old Odom.

This will be the Madison Square Garden debut for Odom and he respects the history of the “Worlds Most Famous Arena”.

It is an opportunity to fight in this magnificent place that many other great fighters have fought in.”

Being that the fight is in New York in front of the sophisticated New York media and crowd, Odom is looking to put on a good performance.

“I thin it’s important to shine in the best way I can each fight. I always try to do my best.”

Odom is not looking past Hernandez but he knows he will be ready for a big fight to come his way.

“I really can’t give a prediction when those fights will come at my doorstep but I will be there to open the door. I just want to thank my team and the people who are around me that motivate me and keep me focused.”

Said GH3 Promotions CEO Vito Mielnicki, “We look forward to starting the year with a great performance from John. It is a great opportunity to compete on the first Roc Nation show in Madison Square Garden against an undefeated opponent. This will be the start of a tremendous year for John as he transforms for a top prospect to a legitimate contender at Super Middleweight.”

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Featherweight Glenn Dezurn Jr., undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr. Lightweight Wanzell Ellison, Featherweight Jorge Diaz, undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.