Las Vegas, Nevada – The UFC® will bring a stacked card to Broomfield on Saturday, February 14 as two top 10 welterweights jockey for position in the talent-rich division. Fifth-ranked Matt Brown clashes with No. 9 Tarec Saffiedine in a Valentine’s Day special that is sure to bring the action.

Brown (21-12, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) has finished all but two of his 21 victories, securing 13 by way of knockout. The heavy-hitting 33-year-old has long been on the brink of title contention with wins over UFC standouts such as Mike Swick and Mike Pyle, and he hopes that an impressive performance over Saffiedine (15-4, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) will get him one step closer to that elusive shot at UFC gold.

Former STRIKEFORCE® champion and Belgium native Saffiedine has won five of his last six bouts. A black belt in Shihaishinkai, a form of karate that includes knockdowns and throws, he’s been honing his grappling techniques under the tutelage of former PRIDE® and STRIKEFORCE champion and U.S. Olympic Team wrestler, Dan Henderson in Southern California and he will prove to be a threat regardless of where the fight goes.

In addition, two of the best strikers in the welterweight division will collide in an early Fight of the Night candidate as Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (10-1, fighting out of Simpsonville, S.C.) meets Denver’s own Brandon Thatch (11-1, fighting out of Denver, Colo.). Thompson made the transition to MMA after posting a perfect kickboxing record of 57-0 that included more than 40 knockouts, a trait that he’s carried with him, as half of his MMA fights have also ended with a KO. Thatch will make his return to the Octagon® just 20 minutes from his hometown and will look to keep his 10-fight win streak dating back to 2009 intact in front of his hometown fans.

Also scheduled for the card:
· Riding a four-fight win streak with all finishes, No. 14 Max Holloway (11-3, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) will meet submission specialist Cole Miller (21-8, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a featherweight showdown.

· In a battle of top-10 flyweights, ninth-ranked Timothy Elliott (10-5-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) clashes with No. 10 Zach Makovsky (18-5, fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa.).

· Ninth-ranked Nik Lentz (27-6-2, 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) will look to use his superior wrestling when he takes on Brazilian grappler Thiago Tavares (23-5-1, fighting out of Florianopolis, Brazil) at featherweight.

· Flyweight submission ace Ray Borg (7-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meets dynamic finisher Chris Kelades (8-1, fighting out of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia Canada).

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: BROWN vs. SAFFIEDINE go on sale Friday, December 5 at 10 a.m. MT and are priced at $175, $125, $75 and $50. Tickets are available for purchase at www.altitudetickets.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call (866) 461-6556. Tickets are also available at the 1STBANK Center box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, December 4 starting at 10 a.m. MT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: BROWN vs. SAFFIEDINE will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, February 14, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS™ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (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.

CHESTER, PA (December 3, 2014)- This Friday night at Harrahs Philadelphia, undefeated Jarrett Hurd will now take on Emmanuel Sanchez in the 8-round Main Middleweight main event.

The show is promoted by King’s Promotions and XFE.

Sanchez is a late replacement for Eric Mitchell.

Sanchez if Laredo, Texas has a record 5-1 with 1 knockout.

The 27 year-old already has defeated one undefeated opponent when he defeated Cesar Martinez (3-0). In his last bout, he scored a 4-round unanimous decision over Egbert Reed on March 1.

Hurd of Accokeek, Maryland has a record of 13-0 with eight knockouts and will face his most experienced opponent.

The 24 year-old began his career in 2012 and has wins over undefeated Thomas Baldwin (2-0-2) & Frank Gedeon (4-0-2). He also has a win over Chris Chatman.

Hurd has stopped his two most recent opponents in the first round which includes his last bout when he took out Terry Cade on on November 1st in Washington, D.C.

In six round bouts:

Omar Douglas (12-0, 9 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE will take on Osnel Charles (10-11-1, 1 KO) of Atlantic City, NJ named in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

In four round bouts:

Milton Santiago Jr. (7-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA will battle Travis Thompson (7-11-3, 3 KO’s) in a Lightweight tussle.

Caleb Plant (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Ashland City, TN will fight Daryl Gardner (2-4, 2 KO’s) of Spokane, WA.

In a Featherweight bout, Stephen Fulton (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will square off with Benjamin Burgos (2-9-1) of Mount Pocono, PA.

Earl Newman (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will take part in a Cruiserweight bout against Jade Ealy (1-1, 1 KO) of Georgia.

Tickets are now on sale for $100 (VIP); $75 (Ringside) and $50 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the Harrahs Philadelphia Gift Shop; By calling King’s Promotions (610-587-5950) or www.Hboxing.eventbrite.com

Tacoma, Washington (December 3, 2014) Ben Fodor (4-0) is not your typical MMA fighter. For most mixed martial artists, days are spent training, cutting weight and preparing themselves for one night of combat. For Fodor, every night is a fight. Better known throughout the Pacific Northwest as Phoenix Jones, Fodor spends his evenings patrolling the streets of western Washington, aiming to prevent crime and keep watch over the city he calls home.

Fodor began fighting crime in the spring of 2011, after his young son was injured during a break-in attempt outside a local business. He has since been shot, stabbed and beaten while on patrol. He has been arrested multiple times and faced over 25 lawsuits from individuals he has locked up. In a little over three years, he has been directly responsible for over 200 arrests along with countless others at the hands of his “team”, the Rain City Superhero Movement.

Although the group has since disbanded, Jones and his allies proved themselves invaluable to the residents of the Puget Sound region. In addition to stopping crime, they helped stranded motorists, acted as eyewitnesses and even accompanied citizens to their cars at night.

On December 13th live from the Emerald Queen Casino, the northwest will see another side of Fodor entirely, an undefeated professional MMA fighter. Fodor will face Tyson Cunningham (3-0) of Enumclaw for the SFL America welterweight championship in the 5-round semi-main event. “He’s definitely the toughest guy I’ve fought.” says Fodor. After amassing a stellar 26-2 amateur record, Fodor turned pro in November of 2013 and has since run roughshod over the competition.

In what will be his third fight of the year, Fodor will be looking to add to his already impressive resume. “He’s not ready for me.” Fodor says of Cunningham. “I’ve been shot and stabbed; he hasn’t been through anything like I have. I respect his wrestling ability, but if he’s not able to take me down, it’s going to be the worst night of his life.”

Although a wrestler by trade, Tyson Cunningham has finished all of his professional opponents by knockout, and the dangerous Enumclaw native should prove a handful for the confident superhero. With the chance to be the first ever SFL America Welterweight champ on the line, both men will bring their A-game, making December 13th a night that fans won’t soon forget. Fodor has no doubt that he’s ready for whatever Cunningham throws his way: “In the cage there are rules. On the street there aren’t. I’ve seen it all.”

Headlining the 8 bout SFL America card presented by CageSport MMA will be two of the area’s fastest rising lightweights: Harrison Bevens (7-2) and Julian Erosa (12-2) squaring off for the vacant SFL America lightweight title. Tickets for SFL America 2 are on sale now at the Emerald Queen Casino Box Office as well as all Ticketmaster locations and start at only $35.

For more info about Super Fight League America 2, please visit: www.halquistproductions.com and www.superfightleague.com.

DAVID LEMIEUX, NABF Middleweight Champion

“We are very well aware of Rosado’s tendencies and his capabilities and we did everything we had to in the gym to prepare for this fight. Rosado’s got a lot on his plate.

“Nothing ever brought me down. I believe in destiny and I never quit and here I am with the best around me, you’ve just got to put in the time, the effort, the blood, the tears and the sweat. It’s all a dance and you’ve got know the right steps to get back in the ring. You’ve got be ready for it and willing to accept change.

“I’m very understanding of my power and once I start landing it’s going to be hell for Rosado and I know it.

“Myself and my entourage, I owe it to them and everybody around me to perform well. Even though you’re in the ring by yourself it’s not like you’re fighting alone. I fight for my kids and to put food on the table. I fight for my manger who has invested in me, who believes in me…I am confident in my abilities and I want prove I can do whatever I want.

“My career is about much more than winning a belt. I want to make the youth follow in my footsteps. I want to be a good example for the young guys coming up in boxing. I have a good story. I could have easily went out and given up and been a bum.

“I used to get into fights in the street and get into trouble with cops but I quickly learned discipline. I didn’t want to be kicked out of school which meant I’d be kicked out of the gym…You’ve got to understand you can teach the young people to follow in those footsteps. I have a bit of bigger plan for myself.”

GABRIEL ROSADO, Middleweight Contender

“I feel strong, I feel fast…My new trainer Jesse Reid has lots of experience He’s trained 25 world champions in his career so I think the experience he has will help.

“The fans keep me in the game. That’s what keeps me relevant. I want to get this win for the fans. I want to show them I do pay attention, I do read my Twitter and my Instagram. I can’t reply to all of them but I see it and I do appreciate it.

“I started boxing late, at 18-years-old but I was always a fan of the sport. I have posters all over my room and I when I decided to be a fighter I envisioned it.

“I believe in experience as a backbone. If I use my ring smarts and experience, I think this could end early.

“In this fight I think the fans are going to see a lot more skill. I’m going to use my ring intelligence…you’re going to see speed, power. It’s going to be great.”

HUGO CENTENO JR., Undefeated Middleweight Contender

“This my first time here in New York and I love it. It feels like home.

“HBO is working with Golden Boy again and it feels great to be given that opportunity on such a big stage. I’m exited about it.

“My dad used to box when he was younger and got into a motorcycle accident and he wasn’t able to continue his career and that’s what got me into watching fights, we would watch Tuesday night fights as a kid. I started when I was seven and the rest is history.

“My main strategy in the ring is boxing, but I can bang if I need to. I’m taller than most of my opponents but if it comes down to it and we have to slug it out, I can do that too.”

JAMES DE LA ROSA, Middleweight Contender

“My goal is to take his heart as a fighter, I feel it’s not my discretion to choose whether I can fight or not. I’m going to fight until I can’t see-, doesn’t matter if I get cuts or not. I’m here to put on a show.

“I never back out of a fight. I’ve heard he’s backed out of a couple different fights…I’ve fought a few undefeated fighters. It feels better to take someone’s ‘0’ and that’s what’s going to happen on Saturday.

“People were saying I was going to get knocked out my last fight against Alfredo Angulo and that I didn’t stand a chance and that just fuels me. It brings more fuel to the fire. I trained hard for what I wanted and it just pushes me to show people that I can.

“I feel good and I’m ready to conquer Barclays Center like I conquered the MGM, I’m really excited.”

HANK LUNDY, Junior Welterweight Contender

“I’m excited and I’m ready to go. Dulorme is a pretty basic fighter who I’m going to take care of.

“Dulorme uses a lot of fundamentals and basic things. But you need more than that to beat Hank Lundy.

“It’s going to be a big statement and we’re going to do it in a big way. Afterwards I want Danny Garcia, Philly vs. Philly we have to do it.

“I’m an old school guy and I’m going to show everybody that on Saturday.

“Hammerin’ Hank is coming to put on a show. If you’ve been a fan from day one you know I’m coming to bring the house down.”

EDDIE GOMEZ, Super Welterweight Contender

“I’m excited to return to Barclays. I started off the year January 30th, I fought Daquan Arnett on the co main event of Victor Ortiz and Luis Collazo and I’m ready to go and close out the year in Barclays.

“I learned a lot from my last fight. More of the work was on my boxing skills. Mentally, I wasn’t ready for my last fight but I still went in there and did what I had to do. I didn’t get the victory but for this one I’m 100 percent clear minded and ready to go in there.

“After this fight I’m excited to spend time with my baby, My newborn daughter. I just got a baby girl and my drive, it’s just there more. Before it was just for me but now I have do it for me and my daughter to make sure we’re good.

“I just want to go in there and show off my boxing skills and show what I’ve learned. I’m not really looking for the knockout…you never know until you get in there though, if it comes it comes but if I have to go the distance I’ll go the distance.”

ZACHARY OCHOA, Undefeated Super Lightweight Prospect

“Every time you fight in front of your home fans in your home arena it always gives you that extra push because you don’t want to let them down but it doesn’t matter anywhere I go, I could be fighting in a desert, I’m always going to push.

“My game plan is go out there, do what I do and fight the way ‘Zungry’ fights and dominate.

“Training camp has been going great. I can’t wait for the weigh in, I can’t wait to eat, I can’t wait to get in the ring and hit this guy. I’m not anxious, I’m just real chill and happy with the way everything is going.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, Golden Boy Partner and Future Hall of Famer

“This is going to be a great fight, I promise you it will not go the distance, one way or the other.

“It’s an old saying, but ‘styles make fights’. Both guys are going to let it go in there.

“The Barclays Center fans are in for something great. New Yorkers want them to put on a show and they will not disappoint.

” People want to see the fighters–they want to see Gabe. I’ve been watching and his Instagram has almost tripled each day. He’s a guy that puts his heart out there and comes to fight, and he will fight anybody.

“They may think Gabe is the opponent but then they realize, ‘wait a minute,’ they’re in a real fight. That there is loss and his gain. That’s why Gabe is being loved.”

# # #
Lemieux vs. Rosado is a 12 round NABF middleweight bout which is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye Of The Tiger Management and sponsored by Corona Extra, AT&T and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Dulorme vs. Lundy is a 10-round junior welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and CES Boxing. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET with the first bout at 6 p.m. ET. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

Tickets priced at $150, $80, $50, $25 and $15, plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

BELL GARDENS, Calif. (Dec. 3, 2014) – Former world champions Abner Mares and “Vicious” Victor Ortiz participated in a media workout on Tuesday at the Del Mares Gym in Bell Gardens, Calif., as they prepare for their respective upcoming fights on the undercard of “ROYAL BATTLE: Amir Khan vs. Devon Alexander” on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Mares (27-1-1, 14 KOs), a former three-division world champion making his first start since reuniting with trainer Clemente Medina, will be face off against Mexico’s Jose Ramirez (25-4, 15 KOs) in a 10-round battle in one of four fights on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.

Ortiz (29-5, 22 KOs), of Ventura, Calif. will battle Denver’s Manuel Perez (21-10-1, 4 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round match that will be featured on the SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME telecast.

Here’s what the boxers as well as trainers, Medina (Mares) and Joseph “Hoss” Janik (Ortiz’ Assistant Trainer to Joel Diaz), had to say Tuesday at the Los Angeles-area gym:

ABNER MARES, Former Three-Division World Champion
“Training camp has been going great, it’s pretty much done. We have our last sparring session on Friday, closing with another 10 rounds.

“I’m ready for this next opponent [Jose Ramirez], who I know little about, and that scares me. When you don’t know much about a fighter it reminds you that he can bring anything.

“I had been working with Virgil Hunter in Oakland, Calif., prior to coming back to Clemente [Medina, trainer]. I had to sit down with Virgil. I learned so much from him, he’s such a wise man. Everything that he says means something and I was fortunate enough to work with him. He taught me a lot and, if anything, you will see many things I learned from Virgil in my next fight on Dec. 13.

“It’s been a long camp for me, I thought I was originally going to fight on Nov. 22 but then they told me not until December. This environment here at my own gym is great for me. My family is here and I feel very comfortable with Clemente.

“At first, I was disappointed in myself [after losing to Jhonny Gonzalez], very discouraged. I really wanted the rematch and it was going to happen in February, but then I got injured. Now, I’m back.

“I really needed this time away. Things happen for a reason. I needed more time to spend with my kids and my family. If it wasn’t for the free time I wouldn’t have built my own gym.

“I think I grew mentally as a person with my time off. I just turned 29 this past Friday; I’m blessed, healthy and hungry. Hungry is the key word for me. I’m hungry to become a world champion again and to get back to where I was.

“It’s not that I want to become world champion again, I’m going to. I’m going to let my actions speak louder than my words. I’ve been in this situation before. No one knew about me when I entered the SHOWTIME Bantamweight Tournament and then I won that and no one expected it. I’ve won many fights that people didn’t expect me to win.

“I’ve fought all the best fighters you could think of in my weight class and I plan to do that in 2015. The featherweight division is packed with great talent, strong fighters and it motivates me to get in better shape and become the beast I once was.”

VICTOR ORTIZ, Former Welterweight World Champion
“I have been in training camp for the last 12 weeks now. There are some changes, but I have an open mind to whatever Coach Joel Diaz has to say. I am not fond of the place or the spot [Indio], but its training camp. I think in the next couple weeks we will see what I have been up to.

“I never left [the welterweight division]. It is still as deep and talented a weight class as it has ever been. You have great fighters, from the guys that I have been beaten by – [Josesito] Lopez, [Marcos] Maidana, [Floyd] Mayweather. They are hot themselves so I am just here once again to box.

“Do I have to box? Absolutely not. I have been told by a lot of people to hang it up, but I make my own decisions and, at the end of the day, I am going to keep boxing. It is what I love to do.

“One important thing that was brought up was that I don’t have to box ever again because of my movies. That’s true – I don’t have to box again. But that’s not where I stand. I want to be one of the greats, I want to be the pound for pound king and I know what it takes to get there. At this point in time I have put two films aside just to fight and I’ll be back in the ring Dec. 13 to show you what I’ve been working on.

“I’m going to be world champion again. I am also going to keep chasing an Oscar [Academy Award], just so I can really pick at the crowd and let them know what it’s like to be in my shoes and let them know what I have fun doing.

“I am not going to go out there looking for a knock out because that’s pretty dangerous. We saw the last fight [loss to Luis Collazo], it is what it is. I will go round by round and see how it goes.

“I am going to be the pound for pound world champion, there is no doubt in my mind. I will be one of the greats like Floyd [Mayweather] or a [Julio Cesar] Chavez one day, I just don’t know when.

“I never lost any confidence in myself. I took a little detour, I went off into a different world and was quite successful at it, but at this point in time I want my world back. And that’s boxing.”

CLEMENTE MEDINA, Mares’ Trainer
“I’ve been working with Mares for almost two months since he started with me again after leaving Virgil Hunter. Mares is a wonderful fighter, I don’t have to change anything. The reason he came back to me is because he knows my style, and my style is similar to Mares. He and I together are a very good team.

“I wasn’t surprised when he came back to me because before he left he told me that he wanted to try to learn something different. I wasn’t happy, but I understood. He needed to learn something different from someone else. I told him that if he wants to come back to train with me, the door is always open.

“Mares is an aggressive fighter, but he’s also very smart. I expect to see the old Mares on Dec. 13. I think that Mares was thinking too much in his fight with Virgil and I think that he will go back to being more aggressive and smart.

“Mares is much more confident now that he has come back to a real team. He’s back with his family, and you can tell that he’s much happier. He didn’t feel 100 percent when training in Oakland, but he is very comfortable here.”

JOSEPH “HOSS” JANIK, Ortiz’ Assistant Trainer
“I think the move to Indio was good, it was good location-wise and timing-wise. He needed a fresh start because of the stumbles we have had recently. Joel wanted to stay in Indio. Joel is a trainer who uses a lot of positive reinforcement, doesn’t dwell on the negatives. He has been bringing out a lot of stuff Victor has done well in the past, putting combinations together. I think we may see a little of the old Victor Ortiz. At this point in his career there isn’t much new stuff you can teach him, but you can look back at the past and see what he did well.

“I think as far as expectations go, one thing we can always expect with Victor is that it is going to be a good fight, an interesting fight, an entertaining fight. I don’t think he’s ever been in a bad fight.

“Victor is not big into researching opponents. He has looked a little into Manuel [Perez]. I believe they trained at the same gym when they were younger in Colorado.

“Talent-wise, physical ability-wise, he has everything that it takes. What I think doesn’t matter, what he thinks doesn’t matter. All that matters is what he does in the ring and if he performs up to his abilities and puts everything together on that given night. Then we’ll be in for a treat.

“He is fresh; his mind is strong and sharp. He has a lot of interests in life, and that keeps him from getting bored in training camp.

“I think for this fight, I have noticed a lot of focus. He is not coming directly off a movie like his last fight. He is solely focused on boxing. I expect to see him dedicated to his fight on Dec. 13.”

# # #

In a high-stakes matchup and perhaps the most important skirmish of their careers, British superstar and former unified super lightweight world champion Amir “King” Khan (29-3, 19 KOs) of Bolton, England will face former two-division world champion Alexander “The Great” (26-2, 14 KOs), of St. Louis, Mo., in the 12-round main event on “ROYAL BATTLE.’’

Two other 12-round bouts will round out a stacked SHOWTIME quadrupleheader: Interim WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (23-0, 21 KOs), of Clearwater, Fla., will defend against consensus top-five ranked contender and fellow unbeaten Leonard “The Lion” Bundu (31-0-2, 11 KOs), of Lazio, Italy, and Jermall Charlo (19-0, 15 KOs), of Houston, will take on Lenny Bottai (22-2, 9 KOs), of Livorno, Italy, in an IBF junior middleweight title eliminator.

In other matchups on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), undefeated up-and-coming Jermell Charlo (24-0, 11 KOs), of Houston, will meet Mario Lozano (27-5, 20 KOs), of Chihuahua, Mexico in a 10-round junior middleweight scrap and unbeaten welterweight Errol Spence Jr. (14-0, 11 KOs), of Desoto, Texas, will take on an opponent to be announced in an eight-round fight.

“ROYAL BATTLE: Khan vs. Alexander,” a 12-round welterweight bout for the WBC Silver Welterweight Title, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Khan Promotions and The Great Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra, AT&T and Mexico – Live It To Believe It! The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will air on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Keith Thurman defends his interim WBA Welterweight World Title against Leonard Bundu. Additionally, Abner Mares will face Jose Ramirez in a 10-round featherweight bout and opening the telecast, Jermall Charlo will meet Lenny Bottai in a 12-round IBF Junior Middleweight Title eliminator. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT).

Tickets for the event are on sale and are priced at $300, $200, $100, 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.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing,@SHOSports, @AmirKingKhan, @TheRealDevonA, @KeithfThurmanJr, @abnermares00, @FutureOfBoxing, @TwinCharlo, @ErrolSpenceJr @viciousortiz, @MGMGrand and @Swanson_Comm follow the conversation using #KhanAlexander, 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/.

Juergen Braehmer (44-2, 32 KOs) and Pawel Glazewski (23-2, 5 KOs) exchanged words at today’s final press conference, with both men confident of victory ahead of their WBA World Light Heavyweight Championship showdown on Saturday night (December 6) at the EWE Arena in Oldenburg, Germany.

‘’It’s every boxer’s dream to be in my position and hold a world championship belt,’’ said Braehmer. ‘’Glazewski is no different. He wants what I have, and I expect him to do everything he can to try and take it from me. However, I’m well prepared. I know what I need to do and on Saturday night I will retain my title.’’

Braehmer recently became a father for a second time, but rather than distract from the task at hand, the German champion revealed this will give him an added incentive on Saturday night. ‘’Becoming a father again has given me even more motivation. I’m fighting for my family, so there is no way I’m going to lose!’’

Braehmer’s confidence is shared by the Polish challenger, who is promising an upset in Oldenburg. ‘’I have nothing to lose and everything to gain,’’ said Glazewski. ‘’Braehmer should enjoy his final moments with the belt, as I’ve come here to win. I will be crowned world champion on Saturday.’’

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’It’s going to be an emotional night. This is the last show with our current German TV broadcaster ARD before we enter a new era with Sat One. I’m sure the main event will live up to the occasion. It’s an important fight for Juergen, come through this unscathed and we will be pushing for a big unification fight in 2015.’’

NEW YORK, NY (Dec. 3, 2014) – Former world champions Aaron “Hawk” Pryor, Carlos Palomino and Tony DeMarco will be special guests Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:00 p.m. ET), December 14 for the 28th annual RING 8 Holiday Event and Awards Ceremony at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York. International ring announcer David Diamante will serve as master of ceremonies.

Other boxing dignitaries expected to attend the Ring 8 celebration include former world champions Junior Jones, Vito Antuorfermo, Iran Barkley, Michael Bent, and Mark Breland.

“This is the annual highlight event of the year for Ring 8 members and guests,” Ring 8 president Bob Duffy said. “Ring 8 proudly continues to lend a helping hand to those in the boxing community who are less fortunate. Each year our Holiday Event and Awards Ceremony celebrates our great sport of boxing, insuring much-needed funding is raised so we may continue our mission for our needy brothers and sisters in boxing. We will never waver from their corners.”

Pryor (39-1, 35 KOs), fighting out of Cincinnati, fought professionally between 1976 and 1990. An International Boxing Hall of Famer, he was the junior welterweight world champion between 1980 and 1985, and is best remembers for his two knockout victories over fellow Hall of Famer Alexis Arguello.

Mexico-born Palomino (31-4-3, 19 KOs), who fought much of his career and lives in southern California, fought between 1972 and 1998. Also an IBHOF inductee, Palomino was the WBC welterweight champion for two years, 1976-1978.

DeMarco (58-12-1, 33 KOs) fought out of Boston as a pro between 1948 and 1962. He captured the world welterweight title in 1955, defeating Johnny Sexton by way of 14th round technical knockout. His second loss to the great Carmen Basilio was the consensus 1955 Fight of the Year and is still considered today by many as the greatest welterweight fight of all-time.

Ring 8’s previously announced 2014 award winners (see complete list below) include former World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri (Fighter of the Year), World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight titlist Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs (Comeback Fighter of the Year), and retired heavyweight “Baby” Joe Mesi (Uncrowned Champion).

Unbeaten junior middleweights “Notorious” Frank Galarza (15-0-2, 9 KOs), of Brooklyn, and Philadelphia’s Julian “JRock” Williams (17-0-1, 10 KOs), respectively, are the 2014 Contender of the Year and Prospect of the Year.

2014 RING 8 Award Winners

Fighter of the Year: Chris Algieri
Comeback Fighter of the Year: Daniel Jacobs
Uncrowned Champion: Joe Mesi
Contender of the Year: Frank Galarza
Members of the Year: John Rohe & Brian Dubecky
Trainer of the Year: Nirmil Lorick
Conditioner & Strength Coach of the Year: David “Scooter” Honig
Co-Promoters of the Year: Felipe Gomez, Kevin O’Sullivan & Wilson Naranjo
Official of the Year (Referee): Sparkle Lee
Official of the Year (Judge): Robin Taylor
Long & Meritorious Service: George Ward
Photographer of the Year: Stan Janousek
Prospect of the Year: Julian Williams

Tickets, priced at $125.00 per person, are available to purchase by contacting Bob Duffy by phone (516.313.2304), email DepComish@aol.com, or mail checks (payable to Ring 8) to him (164 Lindbergh Street, Massapequa Park, NY 11762). Donations of any denomination are welcome for those unable to attend the festivities.

Tickets include a complete brunch with cocktail hour upon entry, followed by seating at the awards ceremony, dinner and dessert, and top-shelf open bar throughout the afternoon. There will also be a silent auction of boxing memorabilia. This event is expected to sell-out and everybody is urged to purchase tickets as soon as possible in order to secure favorable seating.

Program ads are available for Full Page ($150.00), Half-Page ($80.00), and Quarter-Page ($50.00). The deadline for all ads is December 8 and must be emailed (DepComish@aol.com) or mailed to Duffy (516.313.2304) at the address listed above.

Go online to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about Ring 8 or its annual Holiday Events and Awards Ceremony.

Russo’s On The Bay is located at 162-45 Crossbay Blvd. in Howard Beach (718.843.5055).
ABOUT RING 8: Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association – hence, RING 8 – and today the organization’s motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.

RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $30.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership. Guests of Ring 8 members are welcome at a cost of only $7.00 per person.

CORK, Ireland (Dec. 3, 2014) – International boxing manager Gary Hyde has announced that his company, Nowhere2Hyde, has signed 18-year-old Bulgarian amateur star Blagoy “Golden Boy” Naydenov to a long-term contract.

Naydenov’s long-range goal is to become the first Bulgarian-born male world champion of a major boxing organization.

Last summer, Naydenov captured a gold medal at the prestigious Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, to go along with his championship winning performances at the Under-19 World Championships and Under-17 European Championships.

Naydanov was considered a top contender, if not the outright favorite, in the light heavyweight division at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, but he decided to turn professional and sign a managerial deal with Hyde. He is expected to make his pro debut in January, either in the United States or Germany.

“I am absolutely delighted to add one of the best amateurs in the world to our team,” Hyde said. “I reached out to Team Naydenov during the past two years to sign this ‘Wonder-Kid’ and I am obviously very excited that he has decided to turn pro under my guidance. At the tender age of 18, Blagoy will be a major force in the light heavyweight division in a couple of years.”

Hyde has quickly developed into a power-broker in worldwide boxing as manager of a growing list present, past and future world champions, including WBA Super & WBO super bantamweight champion and two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux (14-0, 9 KOs), WBA Interim cruiserweight champion Youri “El Toro” Kalenga (21-1, 14 KOs), former WBO middleweight champion and current IBF mandatory challenger Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (31-1, 18 KOs), former world junior middleweight title challenger Michel Soro (23-1-1, 13 KOs) and Georgian junior welterweight prospect Levan “The Wolf” Ghvamichava (13-1, 10 KOs).

Born in Sofia, Naydenov was a member of the Slavia Boxing Club, also the home-base for the last boxer to defeat the great Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Serafim Todorov, as well as Olympic champion Daniel Petrov. Todorovc defeated the 19-year-old Mayweather by way of a controversial decision in their semifinals match, 10-9, at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Petrov was a light flyweight who won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics and silver at the 1992 Olympics.

Naydenov is a highly technical boxer who enjoys fighting on the outside, but he’s equally adept at mixing it up inside, if needed. “The decision to turn pro wasn’t a very tough one,” Naydenov told Bulgaria Today. “The money isn’t enough in Olympic boxing. The initial plan is to fight 5 or 6 times a year

HBO Boxing presents a sizzling night of ring action when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: DAVID LEMIEUX VS. GABRIEL ROSADO, HUGO CENTENO JR. VS. JAMES DE LA ROSA AND THOMAS DULORME VS. HANK LUNDY is seen SATURDAY, DEC. 6 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Dec. 7 (9:30 a.m.) and 8 (12:45 a.m.)

HBO2 playdate: Dec. 9 (11:45 p.m.)

In the main event, engaging David Lemieux (32-2, 30 KOs) of Montreal brings his hard-hitting reputation to HBO for the first time. This 12-round, 160-pound middleweight fight has all the earmarks of a brawl, as he meets Philadelphia’s hard-nosed Gabriel Rosado (21-8, 13 KOs).

In the middle bout, the highly-regarded Hugo Centeno Jr. (21-0, 11 KOs), from the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, Cal., meets James De La Rosa (23-2, 13 KOs) of Harlingen, Tex., in a middleweight clash scheduled for ten rounds. De La Rosa is coming off the biggest victory of his career over Alfredo Angulo.

The opening bout is an intriguing 140-pound junior welterweight showdown featuring Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (21-1, 14 KOs) and Philadelphia’s Hank Lundy (25-3-1, 12 KOs). The scheduled ten-round fight is Dulorme’s fourth bout in New York.

The telecast marks HBO’s third trip to Barclays Center, which is quickly becoming a hot spot in the fight game.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Danny Cassius Connor and Michael Devine are hoping to settle their unfinished business in the Prizefighter Lightweights III at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Connor and Devine met at the east London home of boxing in September only for their ten-rounder to be halted prematurely when a clash of heads left Connor with a cut that he couldn’t continue to box with.

The pair will be glued to their TVs tomorrow morning when the draw for Saturday’s action is made by Adam Smith and Johnny Nelson at 10.30am on Sky Sports News – with both men seeing their brief first encounter differently.

“I hope to face him on Saturday,” said former finalist Connor. “I was winning the fight until I got a cut, you never know what is going to happen in a fight but I felt comfortable and I would love to face him again, if not in Prizefighter then down the line, but hopefully the draw will be kind and we can meet – it was only going one way the last time and I know it would be the same story again.

“I know what to expect, it is three-threes – people know the format inside out now, if you don’t know how to prepare for it then you are a bit thick to be honest! It’s a quick pace, you have to get in there and get the win, that’s all that matters.”

“We both want to settle the score so if it’s the quarters, semis or the final we meet in, it doesn’t bother me, as long as we get to fight,” said Devine. “Danny is a good lad, he markets himself well and sells a lot of tickets, I’ve got a good following anyway so I don’t need to rise to the stuff he has said – it shifts a few more tickets so fair play.

“It’s a massive opportunity for me, finally getting on the big stage and operating at a high level, I’m really buzzing.

“I’ve won the Southern Area title over ten rounds so I paced myself in those fights but when I was a four-round fighter I would come out of the blocks fast, I can mix it up and I can box so this suits me down to the ground. The hungry young guys are going to be the ones to watch, we are all trying to make a name for ourselves and we’re going to be going for it.

“I’ve won titles at Super Featherweight so I would love to get an English title shot in the New Year. I’m 25 now, I’ve done my apprenticeship and I’m heading for my prime years, it’s time to loosen the reins and go for the big titles and fights.”

Connor and Devine are part of a great line-up for the eight-man, one night tournament, with former Super Featherweight winner Gary Buckland looking to become the third man to win the trophy twice.

Former European champion Stephen Foster Jnr. is second favourite behind Buckland, while Fareham’s big-punching Floyd Moore will have his eyes on the £2,000 KO bonus, and novice talents Jono Carroll, Lee Martin and Craig Whyatt will all be hoping to land the trophy and leap into the ratings.

Martin J. Ward and Maxi Hughes meet in between the semi-finals and the final on Saturday night in an excellent British Super Featherweight match-up while there are outings before the start of Prizefighter for former British and Commonwealth Light Welterweight champion Ajose Olusegun fighting back in the UK for the first time since 2011, and talented young Lightweight Ohara Davies in his fourth pro fight.

A limited number of £40 tickets for Saturday night’s action are still available from www.matchroomboxing.com.

RED CORNER BLUE CORNER

8 ROUNDS – JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS
Heather Hardy vs. Elizabeth Anderson
Brooklyn, NY Salt Lake City, UT
11-0, 2 KO’s 3-5
122½ lbs. 121¼ lbs.
6 ROUNDS – JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Louis Cruz vs. Rogelio Casarez
Bronx, NY Batesville, AR
9-0, 4 KO’s 7-2, 3 KO’s
137¾ lbs. 137¾ lbs.

6 ROUNDS – MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Ivan Golub vs. Josh Williams
Brooklyn, NY Sheridan, AR
3-0, 2 KO’s 9-6, 5 KO’s
158¼ lbs. 158½ lbs.

6 ROUNDS – SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Paul Littleton vs. Lamarr Harris
Miami, FL St. Louis, MO
9-0-2, 5 KO’s 8-10-4, 4 KO’s
165¾ lbs. 159¾ lbs.

4 ROUNDS – JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Ivan Baranchyk vs. Alfonso Olvera
Brooklyn, NY Tucson, AZ
1-0, 1 KO 1-0, 1 KO
140¼ lbs. 140½ lbs.

4 ROUNDS – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Dauren Yeleussinov vs. Anthony Madden
Brooklyn, NY Biloxi, MS
Pro Debut 1-5-1, 1 KO
170¾ lbs. 167¾ lbs.

New York, NY (12/2/14) – On Wednesday, December 3, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) will return to NYC’s famed B.B. King Blues Club & Grill for a thrilling six-bout card headlined by the always-exciting Heather “The Heat” Hardy, known as the “First Lady of DBE” and often referred to as “a female Arturo Gatti”. The card will also feature three up-and-coming prospects and former amateur stars hailing from the former Eastern Bloc, in Ivan Golub, Ivan Baranchyk and Dauren Yeleussinov, all of whom are now living and training in Brooklyn, NY, and co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc.

Following her WBC International super bantamweight title victory on October 15 and the premiere of a documentary based on her boxing career, titled “HARDY”, that was executive produced by Lou DiBella, the popular Hardy, from Brooklyn, NY, will step into the ring for the fifth time this year when she squares off against Salt Lake City’s Elizabeth Anderson, 3-5, in an eight-round junior featherweight contest. In her last bout, Hardy, 11-0 (2 KOs), expertly outboxed her opponent over 10 frames, throwing in combination, counterpunching and showing adept footwork, in what was her most impressive performance to date.

DBE-promoted New York Golden Gloves champion Louis Cruz, 9-0 (4 KOs), will see action in a six-round junior welterweight contest. Following a second-place finish at the 2011 National Golden Gloves, the 23-year-old Cruz competed in the 2012 US Olympic Trials before turning pro later that same year. The Bronx-native has already picked up four victories this year and will be determined to stay on course. Facing off against Cruz will be Rogelio Casarez, 7-2 (3 KOs), of Batesville, AR.

The 25-year-old Ukrainian Ivan Golub amassed an astonishing record of 270-32 during his amateur career. He became a five-time Ukrainian National champion, won bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in 2006 and at the World Championships in 2009. He also participated in the World Series of Boxing, winning all five of his bouts. Turning pro this past June, Golub, now 3-0 (2 KOs), is anxious to keep up the career momentum and will compete in a six-round middleweight contest against Josh Williams, 9-6 (5 KOs), of Sheridan, AR.

Also on the undercard is a rematch between undefeated DiBella Entertainment-promoted middleweight prospect Paul Littleton, 9-0-2 (5 KOs), and Lamar Harris, 8-10-4 (4 KOs), in a six-round contest. The two engaged in a captivating battle that ended in a disputed draw, on September 13, in Saint Charles, MO, near Harris’ hometown of St. Louis. The 28-year-old Littleton is a crowd pleaser with an aggressive style, originally from Chicago and now living in Miami, FL. After winning the Chicago Golden Gloves three times while accruing an amateur record of 85-20, Littleton turned pro in December 2011. He has since beaten three undefeated prospects, including the 7-0 Roberto Acevedo. In June 2014, Littleton signed an exclusive promotional agreement with DiBella Entertainment and the rematch against Harris will be his third under the DBE banner.

Belarusian-native junior welterweight Ivan Baranchyk, 1-0 (1 KO), will return to the ring less than three weeks after his professional debut on November 13. Facing Christopher Haney at the Baltimore Arena, in Baltimore, MD, Baranchyk quickly dropped his foe with a straight right then sent him to the canvas for the second and final time with a left hook just 45 seconds into the bout. Looking for his second straight victory, Baranchyk will take on Alfonso Olvera, 1-0 (1 KO), of Tucson, AZ. As an amateur, Baranchyk won gold at the 2010 Class A Vilnuse tournament, 2011 and 2013 Match Event tournament, 2011 Kostukovichi International tournament, 2011 and 2012 Soligorsk Open International tournament, 2012 Class A Liventsev tournament, 2013 Active Military tournament, 2013 Republic of Belarus Open Cup, 2014 Vitebsk University tournament in Belarus, and was an amateur champion of Belarus from 2009-2014.

Very anxious to turn pro is Kazakhstan’s 28-year-old Dauren Yeleussinov. This hard-punching southpaw had an extensive amateur career that saw him compile a 397-23 record, with more than 100 knockouts. He is a four-time National champion for Kazakhstan and has won gold twice at the Universiade Championships as well as at the National Junior Championships. On Wednesday, he will challenge Biloxi, Mississippi’s Anthony Madden, 1-5-1 (1 KO).

The event on December 3 is sponsored by Manfredi Auto Group and Everlast. Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm.

PHOENIX — December 2, 2014 — In what is expected to be the most exciting card in Phoenix in 2014, Top Rank Boxing returns to the Valley of the Sun to join forces with Iron Boy Promotions in presenting Iron Boy 18 on Saturday, December 20th at Celebrity Theatre. The card, which is headlined by Mexicali’s Andy Ruiz (23-0, 17KO) vs. Phoenix resident Sergei Liakhovich (26-6, 16KO) in a ten-round bout, is stacked from top to bottom, with appearances from both standout prospects and local fan favorites.

Andy “Destroyer” Ruiz has gained attention as an exciting, heavy-handed heavyweight. He most recently faced Kenny Lemos (12-9-2, 8KO) in Fresno, who he knocked out inside of one round. Ruiz is excited to fight in front of his Phoenix fans, and to face the veteran Liakhovich. “I’m happy to be fighting over there because I have a lot of fans in Phoenix,” said Ruiz. “It’s a great opportunity to fight in there against Sergei Liahkovich, and it should be a great fight. Hopefully it hypes up all my Mexican fans in Arizona.”

NABF Junior Super Featherweight titleholder Oscar Valdez (13-0, 12KO) will also be featured in an eight-round bout. The two-time Mexican Olympian knocked out his opponent, the experienced Alberto Garza (26-9-1, 21KO) in the seventh round in his last outing on November 15th in San Antonio. Valdez hails from Nogales, and has a strong fan base in Phoenix and Tucson. “We have a great relationship with Valdez’s promoter, Top Rank Boxing, and his manager, Frank Espinoza,” said Iron Boy Promotions President Roberto Vargas. “The fans here love Oscar. We got great feedback when he was on our card here in July. We hope to keep bringing him back and giving Phoenix boxing fans great fights as he grows into a World Champion.”

Francisco De Vaca (8-0, 4KO) has begun to come into his own under the lights of the Celebrity Theatre. An amateur sensation with over 240 amateur fights, Vaca enters the ring for his ninth professional fight in Phoenix, where he’s built a loyal and consistent fan base. Vaca recently began training camp in Los Angeles with famed trainer Roberto Alcazar, who most notably trained Oscar De La Hoya during his storied career.

Top Rank prospect and Phoenix resident Trevor McCumby (17-0, 14KO) is slated to make his third Phoenix appearance in 2014. The hard-hitting light heavyweight prospect is managed by Cameron Dunkin.

David Benavidez (7-0, 7KO), younger brother of NABF Junior Welterweight title holder Jose Benavidez, Jr. (21-0, 15KO) will make his much-anticipated United States debut at Iron Boy 18. Benavidez has been hard at work to prepare to fight in front of his hometown fans, holding camp in Big Bear, California, where his brother prepares to fight Mauricio Herrera for the WBA Interim Light Welterweight Title on December 13th. Benavidez is trained by his father, Jose Benavidez, Sr.

Joey Ruelas (8-1-1, 3KO) makes his ring return at Iron Boy 18, after having been off with an injury since his last bout, which took place at Iron Boy 14 in July. Ruelas began training camp in November with former three-time World Champion Israel Vazquez at Magnifico Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. Rounding out the card, Alexis Zazueta (3-0, 3KO) and Jose Marruffo (4-2-2, 0KO) are featured in separate bouts.

The official weigh-in will be held at Crescent Crown in Mesa, Arizona on Friday, December 19th at 2p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a toy for the US Marines’ Toys for Tots program – everyone who brings a toy will be entered to win two Iron Boy all-access passes and a glove signed by all the Iron Boy 18 fighters.

Tickets for Iron Boy 18 are priced at $30, 50, 65 and 100 and are available at www.iron-boy.com or at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office.

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Iron Boy Promotions is a Phoenix-based boxing promotions company. Established in 2011, Iron Boy Promotions is committed to providing quality, high-powered boxing shows with talented fighters.

Boucherville, December 2, 2014
Main Events and InterBox are proud to announce that an agreement has been reached to present a fight between the reigning unified WBO, IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KOs) and former WBC and The Ring Light Heavyweight Champion, Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KOs). The fight is to take place in Montréal or Québec City on Saturday, March 14, 2015, but it is contingent on Pascal prevailing over Bolonti on December 6 and on the IBF granting Kovalev a special exception to postpone his mandatory title defense against Nadjib Mohammedi. This mega-bout will be televised live in the United States on HBO. Further details will be announced at a later date.

Pascal’s fight at the Bell Centre December 6 was already a very important one for his career, but this possibility brings it to a whole new level. Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, will be watching the fight with Jean Bédard, as she has accepted the invitation extended by the InterBox president to join him ringside at the gala.

“The negotiation with Main Events went quickly and smoothly, so I know we’ll be able to organize a high calibre fight and a great night of boxing. After a pretty mediocre 2014 so far, we’re preparing to offer Québec boxing fans one of the best fights we could make in the entire division,” said Jean Bédard.

Kathy Duva said, “Sergey has made it very clear since the moment we signed him that he only wants to fight the best fighters. I promised after his demolition of Bernard Hopkins that the next one would be for the money. I’m thrilled to work with Interbox to bring boxing fans the Krusher versus Jean Pascal, which delivers on both fronts! The truth is that these fights are easy to make when both fighters want to be in the big fights and the promoters and managers are willing to be reasonable and work together.”

Kovalev brings it all back home
After a grueling year that included being at a United States training camp when his wife gave birth to their first child, the WBO/IBF/WBA Super Light Heavyweight World Champion is currently in Russia enjoying some well-earned downtime. On November 8, Kovalev cruised to a shutout decision against Bernard Hopkins, adding the IBF World Light Heavyweight and WBA Super World Light Heavyweight belts to his own WBO Light Heavyweight Championship.

Pascal wants it more than ever
This InterBox agreement with Main Events has already visibly given the Laval native an extra shot of motivation – as if he needed it – as he moves into the last rounds of preparation for the upcoming bout with Roberto Bolonti. Pascal is certainly looking to a bright future. As former WBC and IBO Light Heavyweight World Champion, Jean Pascal plans to demonstrate his superiority in the division against a well prepared Bolonti up as he works his way to the summit of his sport. Note that he’ll be supported by Roy Jones and Russ Anber in his corner on December 6, after a mutual decision to have coach Marc Ramsay join David Lemieux in Brooklyn.

Tickets for the Pascal vs. Bolonti gala
Tickets for the December 6, 2014 boxing gala are still available at www.evenko.ca; by phone at 855-310-2525 or at the Club de Boxe Champion 514.376.0980

About InterBox
InterBox, founded in Québec in 1997, and acquired by Groupe Sportscene in 2004, is recognized throughout Québec and the world as a respected boxing organization. InterBox’s goal is to promote professional boxing locally and internationally via talented boxers supported by top-drawer trainers using cutting edge techniques. InterBox regularly promotes and presents elite events in cooperation with such significant corporate sponsors as Vidéotron, the Cage aux Sports restaurant chain, Coors Light and Mise-o-jeu.

About Main Events
Main Events was founded in 1978 by the late Dan Duva and is now run by his widow Kathy Duva. As one of the top promotional companies in the world Main Events has promoted boxing legends Evander Holyfield, Arturo Gatti, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker and many more. Currently Main Events promotes WBO, IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev who just defeated legendary light heavyweight Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins in one of the highest rated fights of the year last month in Atlantic City, NJ. Main Events is committed to promoting quality fights that boxing fans want to see.

Information:
438-394-2775 / ccouturier@cage.ca

FOLLOW US:
http://kovalboxer.com/en.html
Twitter: @krusherkovalev
Facebook: facebook.com/shopkrusher
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events
Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing

LOS ANGELES (December 2, 2014) – Southern California boxing fans will be in for a full night of boxing action at the Del Mar Fairgrounds – Bing Crosby Hall on Thursday, December 4, as FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes’ Golden Boy Live! delivers another stacked card headlined by local favorites and top prospects.

In the televised main event, Fairfield standout Alan Sanchez (14-3-1, 8 KOs) battles veteran contender Ed “The Lion” Parades (35-4-1, 23 KOs)in a 10-round welterweight standoff. The co-feature will see popular local star Manuel “Tino” Avila (16-0, 7 KOs) in a junior featherweight matchup against Jose Luis “Tapitas” Araiza (34-9-1, 25 KOs) in a 10-round brawl.

Just added to the card in the TV opener is Australian lightweight standout “Wild” Will Tomlinson (22-1-1, 12 KOs), who will face Miguel Zamudio (29-5-1, 17 KOs) in an eight-round contest.

Tickets priced at $75, $60, $45 and $29 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, the Del Mar Fair Grounds Box Office by calling (858) 792-4252 or online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.pacopresentsboxing.com.

Fighting out of Melbourne, Australia, 28-year-old “Wild” Will Tomlinson (22-1-1, 12 KOs) won several regional titles down under and was racing toward a world title shot before an upset loss to Jerry Belmontes in March. Tomlinson wasn’t deterred from his path though and in August he bounced back with a victory over Alberto Cupido that put him on the road to the top once more.

Sparks will fly in a middleweight swing bout scheduled for six rounds when Merida, Mexico’s Elias “Latin Kid” Espadas (6-1, 3 KOs) faces off against San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Carlos “Macho” Lopez (5-1-1, 3 KOs) in a clash of hungry prospects.

The San Diego boxing community will be well represented on December 4, led by light heavyweight Ulises Sierra (7-0-2, 5 KOs), a hard-hitting 25-year-old who will risk his unbeaten record in a four-round rematch against fellow San Diegan Loren Myers (9-19-1, 2 KOs). The two met in February, but the bout met an abbreviated end due to an injury suffered by Myers, but it is back on and both fighters are ready to showcase their skills in front of a hometown crowd.

Another showdown for San Diego bragging rights will see Bryan Nevarez (1-0) meet Mario Angeles (1-5-2) in a four-round welterweight bout.

National City’s Adrian Bargas (10-0-1, 7 KOs) has impressed thus far as a professional and on December 4 he will look to keep the positive momentum going in a six-round junior welterweight matchup against seasoned Mexican veteran Yair Aguilar (11-21-1, 4 KOs).

Also taking place in the junior welterweight division is a six-round showdown between Oceanside’s Jonathan Quiroz (5-2, 1 KO) and Oxnard’s Daniel Covielles (3-1, 1 KO). Kicking off the evening will be a four-round junior featherweight opener featuring San Diego’s own Jorge Ruiz (6-2, 2 KOs) against on Los Angeles’ Raymond Chacon (5-11).

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“Sanchez vs. Paredes” is a 10-round welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Don Chargin Productions, Paco Presents and in association with Jorge Marron and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. The Del Mar Fairgrounds – Bring Crosby Hall doors open at 5:30 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 6:00 p.m. PT. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1 and become a follower on @FOXSports.

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — The Palm Springs Walk of Stars will honor former two-division world champion professional boxer, humanitarian and Coachella Valley resident, TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY JR., with the 377th Golden Palm Star on The Palm Springs Walk of Stars during a star dedication ceremony This Saturday! December 6, at Noon PT, at 110 N. Palm Canyon Drive. The public and media are invited to attend the star dedication ceremony.

Bradley (31-1, 12 KOs), a former WBO welterweight champion and two-time WBO/WBC junior welterweight champion, is in training for his ring return, a 12-round welterweight battle against one-time interim welterweight world champion DIEGO “La Joya” CHAVES (23-2, 19 KOs), of Buenos Aires, which will take place on Saturday, December 13 inside The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Trained by former title contender Joel Díaz, Bradley holds notable victories over Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Márquez, Devon Alexander, Ruslan Provodnikov and Junior Witter. He is currently rated No. 5 on The Ring’s Pound for Pound list.

Born in Palm Springs, Calif., Bradley grew up in nearby Cathedral City, and went to Cathedral City High School. He helped start Cathedral City Junior All American Football and Cheer League for the youth where he was formerly the president as well as a coach. Prior to becoming a professional boxer, Bradley worked as a dishwasher and as a waiter. He married his high school friend, Monica Manzo in 2010. Bradley has spent countless hours volunteering as a youth mentor at the local Coachella Valley Boys & Girls Club and is an assistant coach for the All American Junior Pee-Wee Youth Football Association. The Coachella Valley congratulates Bradley for his accomplishments and his dedication to public service.

“We are very proud to honor Timothy Bradley Jr. with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars” said Bob Alexander, President of the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

The Palm Springs Walk of Stars, founded in 1992, has honored 376 individuals with a Golden Palm Star placed on the sidewalks of Palm Springs. Show business Honorees must have made an impact worldwide in the area of show business. All other star honorees must have contributed to the charm, worldwide prominence and name recognition of Greater Palm Springs.

More information available at www.palmspringswalkofstars.com.

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Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Golden Boy Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Bradley-Chaves/Herrera-Benavidez/Korobov-Lee world championship event are priced at $40, $60, $100, $125 and $150, and available for purchase at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/ or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com/. Room/ticket packages are also available.

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

For more information on The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, visit www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cosmopolitan_lv or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thecosmopolitan.

Warriors Boxing is proud to formalize the announcement of Dominic Pesoli as Vice President.

Pesoli, the former President of Chicago-based 8 Count Productions, and the Windy City’s top promoter, accepted the position after a long and healthy business relationship with Warriors, partnering up on some of the city’s biggest boxing shows in many decades.

“Dominic has been a trusted advisor and business collaborator of Luis DeCubas and I for many years and I’m thrilled to add him to Warriors’ expanding team.” said Leon Margules. “Together we revived Chicago boxing and have made the UIC Pavilion a Midwest hotspot for big-time boxing.”

“I have known Dominic for 20 years and he is a great boxing guy and I am happy he is working with us,” said Warriors partner Luis DeCubas.

Pesoli, who recently relocated to Los Angeles, says he’s looking forward to his future with Warriors.

“Warriors has so many big plans on the horizon. We have joined forces officially, but Leon and Luis have been my dear friends and closest business associates for many years. I am extremely happy to be onboard with the most upwardly mobile boxing promotions company in the country, run by my closest friends who are amongst the most integral people in boxing.”

With Warriors, Pesoli will continue to work on the long string of successful shows he started in Chicago in 1997, while branching out to assist Warriors with their ever-increasing international stable. The next Warriors show with Pesoli as sitting VP will be held on Friday, December 12, at the UIC Pavilion.

“Holiday Boxing Bash” will be headlined by undefeated former amateur star Rau’shee Warren (12-0, 3 KOs) going 10 rounds in the bantamweight division, as well as popular Chicago up-and-comer Jose F. Quezada (4-0, 3 KOs) in a lightweight six-rounder; Warsaw, Poland’s Patryk Szymanski (11-0, 6 KOs) in a junior middleweight eight-rounder; and Aurora, Illinois super lightweight Eddie Ramirez (6-0, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder.

Tickets for “Holiday Boxing Bash” start at $31 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or call: 1-800-745-3000, the Warriors Offices: 312-622-7668 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740, or visit the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM). They can also be purchased the night of the event.

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About Warriors Boxing

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

December 2, 2014 – Canton, MA – Global fitness leader Reebok today announced a groundbreaking partnership with UFC®, the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization. Under the long-term deal, Reebok will become the exclusive authentic global outfitter of UFC, creating for the first time ever UFC ‘Fight Week gear’ and a ‘Fight Night kit’ for all UFC athletes. Reebok will also be the exclusive apparel provider for the millions of UFC fans around the world.

In addition to benefiting UFC athletes and fans, the Reebok and UFC alliance also has a significant charitable component. Starting in 2015, a percentage of sales from Reebok/UFC product will directly benefit Fight for Peace, an international NGO that uses boxing and martial arts, combined with education and personal development, to realize the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence.

“This partnership is much more than a licensing agreement,” said Matt O’Toole, President, Reebok. “It is a true collaboration between two great brands, which will not only give UFC a new and exciting look, but it will harness the global reach of both brands to also benefit young people around the world, particularly those at risk of being involved in crime and violence.”

“Together with Reebok we are changing the landscape of MMA,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Working with another global brand with such a strong history in training and fitness will deliver long-term value for UFC athletes and their brands by elevating and further professionalizing the events and the sport. Every UFC athlete will benefit from high quality performance apparel specifically developed, tested and produced for MMA athletes. Never before has the sport had a global athletic footwear and apparel brand committed to investing so much in the research and development of products specifically for MMA.”

The Reebok/UFC apparel line, including the ‘Fight Week gear,’ ‘Fight Night kit,’ and UFC fan gear, will be developed in conjunction with UFC and its athletes, including current Reebok athletes UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks and UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis. In addition, UFC athletes will be helping Reebok to develop a new fight training-specific apparel collection.

“Not only is Mixed Martial Arts one of the fastest growing sports in the world, it is also one of the most challenging in terms of the dedication to training, overall fitness level and mental and physical toughness required. And nowhere is this on display more than in the UFC Octagon,” said O’Toole. “This partnership not only further cements Reebok as the leading fitness brand in the industry, it will also help us reach a wider audience and become the brand of choice for the more than 35 million consumers worldwide who use disciplines like boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts to live a fit lifestyle.”

Partnership to Benefit Fight for Peace
Last week, at Fight for Peace’s Academy in London, Reebok announced its long-term commitment to Fight for Peace, which was founded in 2000 by Luke Dowdney MBE, a former amateur boxer and British light-middleweight Universities champion, as well as the acquisition of LUTA Sportswear, an authentic boxing and MMA brand, also founded by Dowdney to help support Fight for Peace’s mission.

“Our partnership with Reebok is incredibly exciting for Fight for Peace and its future and Reebok entering into this long-term deal with the UFC will magnify the positive impact and reach of this partnership,” said Dowdney. “Reebok and Fight for Peace have a shared belief in the power of fitness – and specifically fight training – and the impact it can have on young people’s lives, particularly those who are impacted by crime and violence. Today’s announcement between Reebok and the UFC will help us continue to build international awareness for the Fight for Peace mission, allowing us to reach even more at risk young people globally.”

For further information and assets please visit the Reebok News Stream at news.reebok.com
For further information on UFC please visit www.ufc.com
For further information on Fight For Peace please visit www.fightforpeace.net

END

About Reebok
Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied fitness heritage. Reebok develops products, technologies and programming which enable movement and is committed to accompanying people on their journey to fulfill their potential. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s training, running, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage and represents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market. A subsidiary of the adidas Group, Reebok operates under the multiple divisions of the Reebok brand, Reebok-CCM Hockey and the Sports Licensed Division. Reebok is the exclusive outfitter of CrossFit and the Reebok CrossFit Games, the official title sponsor of the Reebok Spartan Race and exclusive apparel provider for Les Mills.

For more information, visit Reebok at www.reebok.com or, for the latest news at http://news.reebok.com/.

Or, discover Reebok at the following locations: http://facebook.com/reebok; http://twitter.com/reebok; and http://youtube.com/reebok

About UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the 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.

About Fight for Peace

Fight for Peace was founded in 2000 in Rio de Janeiro by Luke Dowdney MBE, a former amateur boxer, to offer alternatives to gun and gang violence to young people growing up in the city’s toughest favelas. Fight for Peace is now a comprehensive program combining boxing & martial arts with education, employability, personal development and youth leadership programs, as well as offering a range of youth support services. In November 2007 the Fight for Peace London Academy was established in the borough of Newham to help support disadvantaged young people through its holistic model. Fight for Peace directly benefits over 3,000 young people each year in its Rio and London Academies, and has now trained over 100 community based organizations in its methodology across 24 countries, supporting over 100,000 young people i

MONTREAL (Dec. 2, 2014) – A strong undercard featuring some of North America’s top prospects has been announced by the event promoter, Interbox, for this Saturday night’s pay-per-view card, headlined by former world light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KOs) against Roberto “The Beast” Bolonti (35-3, 24 KOs) in the 10-round main event, at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal.

The four-fight PPV card is available throughout North America.Integrated Sports Media will distribute it in the United States for live viewing at 8:00 p.m. ET – 5:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DirecTV, DISH, and Vubiquity for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. Plus viewers in the US can order on-line by going to www.GFL.tv. Saturday night’s event will be available on PPV in Canada on Indigo and Bell in French and English, as well as via Rogers, Shaw and Sask-Tel in English only.

In the 12-round co-feature, Montreal by way of Haiti super middleweight Schiller “Batman” Hyppolite (13-1, 9 KOs) takes on Hungarian invader Norberto “Noble” Nemesapati (15-1, 14 KOs) for the World Boxing Council (WBC) International super middleweight title.

Hyppolite, promoted by Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM), is ranked No. 15 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF). He’s riding an eight-fight win streak, highlighted by his most recent action, in which he won a unanimous 10-round decision over former Irish super middleweight champion JJ McDonough. Nemesapati is the WBC Youth Silver 168-pound champion.

Undefeated California super featherweight Joel Diaz, Jr. (17-0, 13 KOs), arguably one of the most exciting prospects in the U.S., faces Mexican veteran Pedro “Cowboy” Navarette (28-19-3, 17 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

Diaz, only 22, has already beaten some name fighters such as Tyler Asseltine, Emmanuel Lucero and previously unbeaten Guy Robb. Diaz is a banger who has stopped 13 of his 17 opponents as a professional. Navarrette has become a gatekeeper, of sorts, and is a former WBC FECOMBOX super featherweight and Interim WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation champion.

In the fourth PPV fight, Montreal junior middleweight sensation Steven “Bang Bang” Butler (8-0, 7 KOs) meets the toughest test of his young career to date, Lyes Chaibi (12-7-2, 2 KOs), of France, in a 6/8-round match.

A year ago at 18, Butler was the youngest member of the Canadian National Boxing Team. His promoter, EOTTM, has this Phenom on the fast track with this being his ninth pro fight since he turned pro this past March 28. Chaibi is a rugged, experienced fighter who hasn’t been stopped in 21 pro career fights.

Highlights of three other fights scheduled for the live card, showcasing local fighters, may air pending time considerations: Montreal welterweight Yves Ulysse, Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Poland’s Lukasz Janik (12-7-1, 2 KOs) and Montreal heavyweight Bogdan Dinu (11-0, 7 KOs) vs. France’s Mickael Vieira (14-1-1, 7 KOs) in a pair of 8-round fights; Sorel-Tracy super lightweight David Theroux (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Poland’s Maurycy Gojko (22-44-3, 8 KOs) in a 6/8-round swing bout.

Tickets are on sale and available to purchase by visiting www.evenko.ca, or calling 1.855.310.2525 and Club de boxe Champion (1.514.376.0980).

For additional information please visit www.IntegratedSportsnet.com, www.InterBox.ca or www.integratedsportsnet.com, and follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV @InterBoxCA and @JeanPascalChamp.
ABOUT INTEGRATED SPORTS MEDIA:
North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Carl Froch, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit
www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.

ABOUT INTERBOX:
InterBox was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1997 and acquired by Groupe Sportscene in 2004. InterBox is internationally recognized as one of the most respected boxing organizations in Quebec and throughout the World. InterBox’s main objective is to organize top quality events, both locally and internationally. InterBox’s success is due in large part to a growing pool of elite athletes and top quality trainers to support them and their ascension to the elite. InterBox promotes, produces and presents first quality events on a regular basis thanks to the very important corporate sponsors Videotron, the Cage-aux-Sports restaurant chain, Coors Light and Mise-O-Jeau.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (December 1, 2014) – The year 2014 has been good to Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (8-0, 4 KOs) both in and out of the ring. With three wins this year, and hopes for a fourth on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Barclays Center in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY, Ochoa has gained valuable experience and countless fans in the last 12 months.

The 22-year-old Ochoa, who grew up in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, is his parents’ middle child. After dropping out of high school, Ochoa was arrested at the age of 16 for getting into a fight. After seeing the disappointment on his mother’s face, Ochoa determined that it was time to reform his troubled ways.

“I was no stranger to trouble when I was younger,” said Ochoa. “I would get into fights all of the time, and eventually it got to the point where I realized that I had to make some serious changes.”

Although Ochoa has always been very close with his mother, it was his father who pushed him incessantly to reach his potential as a boxer. Ochoa turned professional the same day he received his high school diploma in 2010. By the beginning of 2011, he was preparing for his first professional bout. On September 10, 2011, Ochoa fought his first bout as a professional and recorded a technical knockout win over William Ware at the Aviator Sports Complex in his Brooklyn.

Now, three years after his professional debut, Ochoa has developed into one of the most promising prospects in the sweet science today. In January 2014, Ochoa signed on with Golden Boy Promotions, and feels the sky is the limit.

Since signing with Golden Boy Promotions earlier this year, Ochoa has worked diligently to keep his perfect professional record intact. On January 30, he defeated Jose Valderamma at Barclays Center by unanimous decision. Ochoa then recorded a technical knockout victory over Hector Marengo on April 19 in Washington, D.C., and on August 9 he tasted victory for the third time in 2014, again at Barclays Center, with a unanimous decision over Luis Cervantes.

Along the way, Ochoa has been no stranger to social media, taking to Twitter and Instagram to help grow his fanbase.

“When I first discovered Instagram I thought someone had created the app specifically for me,” said Ochoa. “I love the idea of a photo-based app and I just started posting anything and everything. Then I posted shirtless pictures of myself, and that really seemed to gain me followers. So I ran with it.”

Ochoa, who now has nearly 90,000 followers on Instagram, has said that one of the greatest advantages of his social media engagement has been his increased ability to reach fans all over the world. That access to fans, regardless of his geographic location, has helped his popularity skyrocket in 2014. The pugilist even got some work during New York Fashion Week 2014 after members of the fashion industry discovered him on Instagram.

Additionally, in recognition of Ochoa’s increasing popularity, fans of the Brooklyn boxer will be able to purchase discounted tickets to sit in a special section of Barclays Center called “Zachary’s Corner” on fight night. By visiting www.ticketmaster.com and entering promotional code “OCHOA” fans can purchase discounted tickets to sit in section with other avid Ochoa fans and can expect special giveaways and an appearance from Ochoa himself.

On December 6, in his fourth fight at Barclays Center, the hometown sensation will get a shot at a fourth victory in 2014 when he faces Carolina, Puerto Rico’s Jose Castro (4-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round bout. If Ochoa emerges from the ring victorious on December 6, 2014 will undoubtedly be a year the fighter will not soon forget.

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“Lemieux vs. Rosado” is a 12 round NABF middleweight bout which is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye Of The Tiger Management and sponsored by Corona Extra, AT&T and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Dulorme vs. Lundy is a 10-round junior welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and CES Boxing. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $150, $80, $50, $25 and $15, plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

For more information go to www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.eottm.com, www.hbo.com/boxing or www.barclayscenter.com Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/EOTMVD www.twitter.com/hboboxing, www.twitter.com/KingGabRosado, www.twitter.com/lemieuxboxing, www.twitter.com/HugoBoss805, www.twitter.com/KingJamesLDR, www.twitter.com/Swanson_comm or www.twitter.com/BarclaysCenter. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/EyeoftheTigerManagement, www.facebook.com/hboboxing and www.facebook.com/BarclaysCenter.

Deion Jumah (3-0, 1 KO) returns against Josef Krivka (6-8, 6 KOs) in a six-round light heavyweight contest on December 6 at the EWE Arena in Oldenburg, Germany.

‘’I’m really looking forward to getting back in the ring,’’ said Jumah. ‘’It’s been a long road, but now I’m ready to get back on track and back where I belong.’’

In Oldenburg, Jumah will be fighting at the light heavyweight limit for the first time, having made the move down from cruiserweight.

‘’It was the right decision for me,’’ said the 25 year-old southpaw. ‘’I have no problems making the weight. I was strong at cruiserweight, but at light heavy, I will be even stronger.’’

Since his last fight in October 2013, Jumah has kept busy, training under the guidance of renowned British coach Adam Booth.

‘’Adam has been great,’’ said the former two-time ABA Champion. ‘’I’ve improved so much just being around him and the other Boxing Booth fighter. There is so much I can learn from all of them. Now, it’s about putting these things into practice.

‘’I’m here for the long haul. I want to be the best. But at the moment, I’m only focusing on the present, and that’s Krivka on December 6. I want to get in there, look good, and show everyone that I’m back and I mean business!’’

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: ”It’s been a tough 12 months for Deion, with injury and illness keeping him out of the ring. He has showed great strength of character to stay fit and focused on his boxing. He is in good hands with Adam. We’re all looking forward to seeing him back in action on December 6 in Oldenburg.”

Floyd Moore says he’ll be flying out of the traps to KO his Prizefighter Lightweights III rivals on Saturday night at York Hall Bethnal Green, live on Sky Sports, before jetting off on holiday the next day.

Moore, from Fareham near Portsmouth, goes on holiday the morning after Saturday’s big night and with seven KOs from 10 wins, the 24 year old is planning to blast his way through the line-up to bag some extra cash for his trip.

“I am flying to Egypt at 10am on Sunday morning with my mate, so it will be great to be on that plane as Prizefighter champion,” said Moore. “I think I am the biggest puncher in the tournament – KO the first guy and you pick up £10,000. If I sense a stoppage, I won’t be holding back.”

Moore’s career hit its highest point live on Sky Sports a year ago when he crushed Ryan Taylor inside four rounds to land the vacant Southern Area title in style. Two defeats have followed that win though, with Adam Dingsdale edging him out on points in June in his first defence of the title before Dean Mills stopped him in the opening round of their clash in September.

“Saturday is the perfect platform to get my career back on track,” said Moore. “The last two defeats were just one of those things, I believe I can do the business at York Hall and get my career back on track. I can show the whole of Britain what I can do, it’s always an exciting night and it would be nice to show everyone what I am capable of.

“The fight with Adam was a real close one, people were expecting me to get blasted out of there and completely outclassed, but a lot of people had me winning the fight. The one with Dean, I trained so hard but just got caught on the temple, scrambled my senses and I couldn’t recover, but it’s all about how you respond to defeats.”

Moore also has first-hand experience of what one of the favourites can do having sparred with Gary Buckland, the Welshman aiming to become the third fighter to win the tournament a second time.

“I’ve done 20 or so rounds with Gary in the gym in the past, I’ve held my own too,” said Moore. “He’ll be the favourite and there are times that I’ve felt I’ve had the better of him in sparring, and he’s had the better of me. I am not looking too much into that though, sparring is so much different, but if we met I would be confident. He’s the best fighter and most dangerous guy of the eight, the rest? I believe I stack up well against them.

“I am normally a fast starter and back in my amateur days I was an exciting fighter to watch so I believe the format is brilliant for me.

“I don’t know what comes after winning Prizefighter for me but it has to be big things. The money means a lot to me, to all of us, but what can come with a win you are looking at British title shots and being in the top ten in the country. I do think I am going to win.”

Moore is just one of eight hungry fighters looking to land the trophy and £32,000 winner’s cheque in Matchroom Sport’s eight-man, one night tournament. Buckland won the Super Featherweight edition in November 2011 and will be one of the favourites along with Manchester’s former European champion Stephen Foster Jnr.

Danny Cassius Connor has reached the Prizefighter final before and is aiming to go one better this time and hopes to rematch Luton’s Michael Devine on the night as their clash earlier in the year was halted after two rounds by a cut to Connor. Novice talents Jono Carroll, Lee Martin and Craig Whyatt will all be hoping to land the trophy and leap into the ratings.

Martin J. Ward and Maxi Hughes meet in between the semi-finals and the final on Saturday night in an excellent British Super Featherweight match-up while there are outings before the start of Prizefighter for former British and Commonwealth Light Welterweight champion Ajose Olusegun fighting back in the UK for the first time since 2011, and talented young Lightweight Ohara Davies in his fourth pro fight.

A limited number of £40 tickets for Saturday night’s action are still available from www.matchroomboxing.com.

Greg Cohen and Adam Wilcock of Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) say their fighter, former world title challenger and WBA #8-ranked Jarrod “Left Jab” Fletcher (18-2, 10 KOs), is poised to spring an upset over former IBF/WBA middleweight champion Daniel “Real Deal” Geale (30-3, 16 KOs).

In a fight that had to happen eventually, the two Australian middleweights will finally square off in a 12-round battle for the WBA’s PABA Middleweight Title, the IBF Pan Pacific Middleweight Championship and the interim WBO Asia Pacific middleweight titles on Wednesday, December 3, at the Horden Pavilion in Moore Park, Sydney and live on Main Event pay-per-view. The Australian super fight is presented by Grange Old School Boxing.

“Jarrod wanted this fight for a long time,” said Cohen. “He’s convinced he has the stuff to beat Geale and a lot of the late money on the fight is saying there are many, like us, who believe him.”

Fletcher, 30, has already held the PABA Middleweight and Australian Middleweight Championships, but has spent much of his career in the shadow of Geale and his world championship belts.

“Jarrod has always felt he was a better fighter than Geale and now he finally has the chance to prove it,” said Wilcock, GCP’s Vice President of Global Operations and President of FightCard Promotions. “He’s trained harder than I’ve ever seen him in preparation. This will be the best version of Jarrod Fletcher ever seen. He’s very pumped up for this.”

Fletcher and Geale will also be competing for elevated positions in the WBA, IBF & WBO rankings and an eventual chance at vying for a world title.

“Our fighter will be in a terrific position for another try at a world championship after this fight,” continued Cohen. “There is tremendous significance, both on the Australian boxing scene and internationally and Jarrod is well aware of it. He’s ready to pull off the upset and finally become known as Australia’s best middleweight.”

###

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.

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 1) – Christmas will come early for fight fans in San Antonio, Texas, as Golden Boy Promotions and Leija-Battah Promotions are pleased to announce that 2012 United States Olympian Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr., unbeaten Mexican star Ivan “Nino Maravilla” Morales and Fort Worth’s Jose “Loco” Hernandez will headline a stacked card of Texan talent at Cowboys Dancehall on Monday, December 8.

“Christmas in the Ring” will arrive in San Antonio on December 8 when Golden Boy Promotions & Leija Battah Promotions present an explosive night of professional boxing. Gloves will fly as boxers take on opponents for the final time in 2014. This is going to be a cannot miss night. Even better it is FREE to Texas boxing fans and professional fighters with the donation of a toy and will benefit the Children’s Shelter of San Antonio and St. PJ’s Children’s Home to give to the abused and neglected children from “Santa Clause.” Bring a toy to the Leija Battah offices at 4310 West Ave. between 9am – 6pm Monday thru Friday and receive your free ticket. This event is sponsored by Mexico – Live It To Believe It!, O’Reilly Auto Parts Dewalt, Nike Boxing, Red M’Combs Toyota, Everlast, and Lowe’s.

Legendary Hall of Fame, Founder & President of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya, Texas Promoter Mike Battah and legendary former World Champion and Promoter Jesse James Leija want to give back to fans by giving them an early Christmas Present to show our appreciation for all of the support that has been given to us over the past three years.

In the main event, scheduled for 10 rounds in the junior featherweight division, rising star Diaz Jr. will face his most experienced foe to date in 69-fight veteran Jose Angel Beranza. The 22-year-old southpaw from South El Monte has had a spectacular 2014 thus far, winning all five of his bouts, three by knockout. 38-year-old Mexico City native Beranza (36-31-2, 28 KOs) has seen it all over the course of his career, and after facing a series of five opponents in his most recent bouts who had a combined 82-2-1 record, he’ll look to get back on track against Diaz.

The co-main event will see Fort Worth’s Hernandez (14-8-1, 6 KOs) attempt to return to the win column after a controversial split decision loss to Keandre Gibson in August when he takes on San Antonio’s Justo Vallecillo (6-17, 3 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight matchup. Unbeaten in four of his last seven, including an eighth-round technical knockout of 15-0 Tony Luis, the popular Hernandez always gives the fans an exciting performance and against the dangerous Vallecillo, he expects to deliver another bout to remember.

Currently ranked seventh in the world by the WBC, the 23-year-old Morales (26-0, 15 KOs) is excited to be back in San Antonio, where he defeated Raul Hidalgo back in April of 2013. Since then, the talented southpaw has won five straight matches, most recently stopping Cesar Canchila in six rounds in August. On December 8, he will meet up with Kyrgyzstan native Timur Shailezov (17-8-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round bantamweight bout.

That’s not all though, as eight more fights featuring some of Texas’ rising fighters will be contested at Cowboys Dancehall. First off, the unbeaten San Antonio stars Javier Rodriguez (11-0-1, 1 KO) and Joseph Rodriguez (7-0, 2 KOs) will be challenged in separate junior featherweight 6-round bouts against opponents to be determined. Junior welterweights Jairo Castaneda (6-0, 2 KOs) and Albert Espinoza (2-4) will face off in a 4-round fight. San Antonio’s Cresencio Ramos (1-0, 1 KO) will go up against Cooperas Cove’s Jaime Hernandez (1-2) in a 4-round junior lightweight battle. Newcomers, Christian Santbanez (0-2) will go up against Daniel Arriaga (0-1-1) and David Ruiz (0-2) will fight Erick Loera (2-1, 1 KO), in separate 4-round lightweight matches. Light heavyweight Adam Franklin is making his professional debut against San Marcos’ Kevin Conrad (0-2) in a 4-round bout, and opening up this exciting night, Brownsville’s Juan Tapia (2-0, 1 KO) and Robert Ledesma (0-3) from San Antonio will go against each other in a junior featherweight 4-round fight.

For more information go to www.goldenboypromotions.com, Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/LeijaBattahPR, or www.twitter.com/Swanson_comm. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/LeijaBattah.

Brooklyn, NY (December 1, 2014)–Dmitriy Salita is pleased and excited to announce a new addition to the Star of David Promotions roster.

Cruiserweight prospect Alexey Zubov, a Russian-born boxer with a tremendous amateur predigree, and 6-0 (4 Kos) mark as a professional, has been signed to Star of David, the promoter announced today.

The 28-year-old right-hander Zubov is 6-2 1/2, owns power in both hands, and will be moving to NYC to make his stand in the professional ranks. He debuted in April with a KO1 win, and Salita sees a bunch more of those type of victories coming in the near future.

“Alexey is one of the best prospects in boxing,” Salita said. “He has the skills, size and work ethic to be a cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. The invaluable experience he gained as an elite amateur will help him progress quickly in the pros. I am confident that Alexey’s aggressive style will make him very popular amongst boxing fans and in New York’s Russian community.”

Good news for fight fans, then; Zubov will fight on a Salita pro boxing card Jan. 22, at Webster Hall, in Manhattan.

Zubov’s manager, Leo Khorolinsky, who also handles lightweight ace Denis Shafikov, shared some insights and thoughts about the Russian prospect. “Zubov was a very good amateur, a national champion, and he’s done well his first few fights. I think he is very talented, and he’s been sparring with some of the best people out there. He should be able to do very well at cruiserweight, and then possibly move up to heavyweight. He just needs to adjust more to the pro style, be more selective with his punches. And true success is just a matter of time! I believe in him, and he’s an interesting prospect to watch. He has everything it takes to be a future star.”

Check the Star of David website for ticket information, so you can check out rising star Zubov in person.

Las Vegas, Nevada – To celebrate the holiday season, UFC FIGHT PASS, the UFC’s digital subscription service, presents an Advent calendar style countdown of the best 25 fights so far in 2014.

Dubbed “A Dana White Christmas” every day starting today (December 1) through December 25, UFC President Dana White will count down the most exciting fights of the year.

White said: “There have been so many amazing fights in 2014 and we’re going to be revealing the top 25 on UFC FIGHT PASS every day, starting with No.25 today and counting down to No.1 on December 25. Think of it as the Twenty Five Days of Christmas, UFC style.”

No.25 – the thrilling three round war between top five ranked women’s bantamweights Cat Zingano and Amanda Nunes from UFC 178 in September – is live now on UFCFIGHTPASS.com here: http://www.ufc.tv/video/number-25-cat-zingano-vs-amanda-nunes.

Every bout from January 1 to November 7 was eligible for selection. With over 400 fights to choose from, White admitted it was difficult getting the list down to just 25 fights. He added the selection of the best fight of the year was a particularly difficult choice.

“Any one of the top four or five could have been selected as the best fight so far in 2014,” he said.

UFC FIGHT PASS is available now at UFCFIGHTPASS.com on personal computers, iPad, iPhone, Chromecast, Android, Samsung, LG Smart TV and Roku. Subscriptions are $9.99 month to month, $8.99 per month for six months or $7.99 per month for a one-year subscription.

Visit UFCFIGHTPASS.com for more information.

Lisa Milner
Hi, everybody, thank you for calling in and kicking off your Thanksgiving week with us. We have a very special call today to discuss the card taking place at Barclays Center on December 6th, headlined by David Lemieux versus Gabriel Rosado. To tell us a little bit more about the fight and to introduce the fighters, I’m going to turn it over to Robert Diaz, matchmaker of Golden Boy Promotions.

Robert Diaz
Lisa, thank you very much. I want to thank everybody for taking their time, especially the fighters and their teams. Obviously, this is training time.

This is a very special event; we’re very excited to present to everyone the main event, David Lemieux versus Gabriel Rosado. It’s a 12-round fight for the NABF Middleweight Title, and when you talk excitement, you know what you’re going to get. Gabriel, there’s no secret. He’s a throwback fighter; Philly fighters, they come to fight. Every time he’s in the ring, regardless who he’s fighting, he’s here to fight. David Lemieux, from Montreal, Canada, is a very exciting fighter who’s going to bring it. So it’s a can’t miss; you want to see toe-to-toe action, you want to see a fight? Tune-in.

Our co-main event, Hugo Centeno Jr. versus James De La Rosa. James De La Rosa recently put on a great performance in beating Alfredo Angulo. And Hugo Centeno, a young star, 21-0, undefeated, is looking to make a name for himself.

Opening up the telecast will be Thomas Dulorme against Hank Lundy, and that’s a 10-round bout NABF and NABO Junior Welterweight Titles. Both are vacant and both kids are coming to fight. Opening up the telecast, Dulorme versus Lundy.

Saturday, December 6th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York; you don’t want to miss it. Live on HBO Boxing After Dark, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and the Dulorme versus Lundy is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions and CES Boxing.

I want to thank the sponsors, Corona Extra, AT&T, and Mexico: Live it to Believe It! Tickets are reasonably priced starting at $15 and can be purchased through Barclays Center and Ticketmaster. And, for a Black Friday event, we’re going to have a special offer with details coming soon; we’ll be releasing to the media and to all the fans, there will be a very special offer you want to look into following Thanksgiving for your Black Friday special (2 for 1 tickets on Black Friday only using the code BOGO).

I want to take this time to introduce to you, from Philadelphia, one of the most exciting fighters in boxing today; willing to fight anyone and everyone, “King” Gabriel Rosado, a fearless warrior who lives up to his claim of being willing to fight everyone. A knockout winner over the likes of Jesus Soto Karass, Sechew Powell and Charles Whittaker, and he’s been in the ring with top fighters, World Champions like Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin.

Gabe, would you like to say some words to the media and the fans?

Gabriel Rosado
Thanks, Robert. I’m having a great camp, I’m excited about this fight. This is the last week of sparring and I’m just ready to roll.

Q
Can you talk about the difficulty and maybe the hesitance in parting ways with a trainer you’ve worked with so long?

G. Rosado
Yes, Billy Briscoe, he was my trainer for about 10 years. But it just kind of got to the point where I just felt that it wasn’t anything personal, it’s just business and I thought that in order for me to take it to that next level, I had to make a move. And Jesse Reid is one of the best trainers in the world. He’s trained 25 World Champions and it’s funny how it just worked out.

I just went to the gym and I asked if he could wrap my hands up one time and he wrapped me up. And then I asked him if he could work with me in the corner when I was getting ready for a sparring session and he just started giving me advice and I started listening to his advice and it was actually working. We just clicked from there and I just feel that I’m a much better fighter right now and I’m learning a lot of new things.

Q
I can only imagine, that maybe it was hard in having that discussion with Billy, saying I’m going to try something else. Is it difficult, emotionally, having to do that?

G. Rosado
It was difficult, but the thing is that me and Billy, we’re like family and when I brought it to Billy’s attention, what he told me is he felt that if that’s what I feel that I need to do to progress, he was all in and he said it was fine. We parted ways on a good note; I spoke with him not so long ago, a couple-probably about last week. So, everything’s all good, man. He just wants me to be better and I just feel like I’m having a great camp right now.

Q
You usually train in Philadelphia for your fights, if I’m not mistaken; where are you training with Jesse?

G. Rosado
I train with Jesse-I moved to Los Angeles so Jesse’s gym is actually about a 10 minute ride up the block in Burbank. I just go up, I’m in the gym usually around 11 in the morning and that’s when we do our start and we do our workouts. I’m back and forth from Los Angeles to Philly. I have a place in Philly and I have a place in Los Angeles. When it’s training camp, my last training camp, when I fought Vera, I did it in Los Angeles. I’m doing my training camp now in Los Angeles.

Q
What is your perspective on the fact that, they look at Lemieux as a guy that has to get past the gate keeper, Gabe Rosado, that’s how they label you, to move onto the bigger and better things. But I know you still have aspirations yourself, so how important is it to, yes, be in good fights all the time, but you got to win at some point, don’t you?

G. Rosado
Yes. Okay, I feel that I’ve had controversial decisions. I think the fans spoke up loudly when I fought J’Leon Love, and they all felt that that was a fight that I won. And then with Peter Quillin, it was a fight where I honestly felt I was on the verge of getting a knockout; I felt like I had the momentum on my side. I had Quillin on his heels. And it’s a fight that the fans were seeing this and the commentators all had me up on that fight, when the fight got stopped; and it got stopped in the championship rounds.

So, I think, they’re losses, but they’re fights that people say ‘He was winning on the commentators’ score card,’ it was a fight that people felt that-it’s not like taking a loss where I just flat out lost. When I fought Charlo, I flat out lost to Charlo. It was a fight that I think a lot of that had to do with me thinking I could make 154-pounds again and I killed myself to make the weight.

But when we’re talking middleweight, the only guy that really beat me legit at the middleweight division was Gennady Golovkin. But when you look at the Love fight and you look at the Peter Quillin fight, those are the fights that the fans felt I was winning and so did I. So, the fans, they know better and you can’t fool the fans and I think that’s why I’m getting this fight and, honestly, I really don’t feel that Lemieux’s the favorite in this fight.

The media might think that, but I think the fans will get this fight and Lemieux has something to prove because this is his first fight in America; not too many people know Lemieux. People know what I bring to the table and I think with me having Jesse Reid in my corner now and having a new team and doing training camp in Los Angeles, I think you’re going to see a much better fighter in me and I just can’t wait to prove that on the 6th.

Q
Are you insulted by being the “B-side” or do you just feel like I have losses that are better than what they look like on paper and so let me just go in there and take care of this kid?

G. Rosado
Yes. I’m really not insulted by it because, like I said, at the end of the day, what matters to me most is what the fans think and the fans keep me relevant and they want to keep seeing me fight. And I just use it as motivation. I think Lemieux, he’s the one with the title, he’s the one with the strap so he should be the A-side. I think I have the bigger name and I fought the bigger opponents and things like that. But, we are fighting for a title and traditionally the guy with the belt is the one with the A-side.

Q
Robert, from a promoter’s standpoint, from a matchmaker’s standpoint, what does this represent for both fighters?

R. Diaz
Well, I know a lot of times we’re into that culture, it’s a crossroad fight. But look, when you have fighters like David Lemieux and you have fighters like Gabe Rosado, fighting, bringing it together, putting these guys in, I think, after the fight, the fans are going to be like “wow, what a fight.” That’s what keeps boxing alive. We’re too quick to write off a guy because oh, he lost a fight. So what? As long as it’s a great fight, they don’t lose. The fans win; boxing wins.

So, let’s enjoy it while it’s still there. Hey, let’s see; this is going to answer a lot of questions. Gabe is focused, he’s ready, he’s hungry. He knows what this represents. He told you, new trainer, new weight division. I expect fireworks and I’m very excited about this fight.

Q
When you step out of the ring and you’re frustrated, what turns your frustration into a desire to turn it to go back to the ring?

G. Rosado
Yes, it definitely helps when I went through some tough losses in my career, the fans definitely speak up and they definitely show me love on social media and it’s mostly love more than it is negativity. And they definitely motivate me. The fans definitely keep me relevant because they speak up and they speak their minds. So, I definitely appreciate that and it definitely makes me want to go to the gym and work harder.

This fight right here is a fight where I want to win and I definitely want to win it for the fans because it’s kind of like they’re just waiting for me to get my break already. They’re just waiting for me to just get that win and I think, right now, I’m training to my full potential. I’m training really hard. Regardless of the bad decisions, or whatever the case may be, I think a lot of it had to do with me needing to be a lot more disciplined and refocused and I think that’s what I’m doing now.

Q
Talk about what you hear, in some of the messages that you’ve heard from fans that make you believe that you still have it and that you should go back.

G. Rosado
A lot of people just say that I’m an inspiration to them, things like that; I get that a lot and I think it’s because they know my background. I never had a big manager, I never started off with a big promoter. I pretty much worked my whole career having a graveyard shift or just doing odd jobs and training for fights. So I’m kind of like the blue collar guy so, I think the fans kind of relate to me and they’re pulling for me because it’s like they can relate to me on that level. I stay humble; I don’t get big headed or anything like that. I stay humble; I always remember where I come from and I think that’s why the fans relate to me.

Q
You said you met Jesse Reid in the gym; when gym was that and then what are some things that stand out that you learned from working with him so far?

G. Rosado
With Reid, he just saw a lot of potential in me. He just has me doing things that I really wasn’t thinking about in the past. He has me sitting on my shots a lot better, using my rotation, using my smarts, and it’s just a lot that I think is definitely going to show on the 6th. My last fight with Vera, even though it wasn’t a traditional boxing match, I did that camp with Jesse Reid, and I was a lot faster in that fight, I was a lot stronger in that fight, and I think we’re just going to use that momentum from that fight coming into this fight.

Q
What gym was it that Jesse Reid was wrapping your hands? Where you met him?

G. Rosado
We train at his gym and Powerhouse. I walked into the gym and asked him to wrap me up, he wrapped me up. And then I asked him to help me work in the sparring session, and he did. And he just started giving me advice; I started listening. And I was pulling it off in the sparring session and it just kind of made me feel like this is the guy I need.

Q
Hey, Gabe, I was just wondering of what you think of David Lemieux, obviously, he’s a big puncher and he’s got a lot of knockouts, but what do you think of him as a fighter and what his record is in terms of the competition that he’s fought throughout his career?

G. Rosado
I’m not taking David Lemieux lightly. I think he comes in there and he tries to go for the kill; he tries to go for the knockout, throwing a lot of big shots. It’s nothing that I haven’t seen in the past, I think I’ve fought the best Middleweights out there right now. I think I just need to use my experience and my ring smarts in this fight and we have a strong game plan in what we’re going to do and I feel that my game plan is going to succeed.

Q
What do you think about the level of competition, mostly, that he’s faced?

G. Rosado
I really don’t know much of who he fought. I know the two names that I really know are Marco Antonio Rubio and Fernando Guerrero. I just thought that-he’s a young guy so I’m not going to take him lightly. If he’s in the gym, he’s working on getting better. Maybe he learned from those mistakes and maybe he’s working on being a better fighter so I’m preparing myself for the best Lemieux and I’m just being smart and I feel that if I stick to my game plan, I should win.

Q
Gabe, do you feel like this is a fight that you absolutely must win?

G. Rosado
I look at every fight like that. But I think this time around I’m a lot more mature, I’ve been through a lot of iffy experiences in boxing. So I know what I need to do; I know what mistakes not to do, what I did in the past. Regardless of the decisions, the bad calls, or whatever the case may be, I feel that I take some blame for those losses as well.

I felt that maybe I should have been a little more disciplined, a little more focused, and I think living in L.A. right now and having Jesse Reid as a coach is definitely making me a lot more mature as a fighter. It’s making me more disciplined and I kind of see the big picture.

I don’t want to look past David Lemieux, but the goal is to be a World Champion so I definitely feel that winning this fight puts me in that position where I can get a world title again and I can fight one of the champions out there.

Q
What were some of the mistakes that you felt that you made in the past, in terms of not being disciplined?

G. Rosado
They weren’t big things, it’s the little things that mean a lot. I think, maybe, I wasn’t resting well enough. Maybe the diet wasn’t as good as it should have been. It’s just those little things. Now, when I train, I go straight to the house and I rest. We have a rhythm going on; we get up at five in the morning, do our rope work and then we relax for a little bit and then we go to the boxing gym. There’s a routine. Every day is a routine; there’s a schedule. I’m resting better, I’m eating better. So I think once you fall into a rhythm of doing things right, you see much better improvement. I think that’s what I’m doing now; that’s making a difference.

Q
We talked a little bit about some of the close losses that you had in recent times, but you did have that win in the BKB event in the summer against Bryan Vera. It was a nice knockout.
Can you describe what that was like and, also, even though it didn’t count as an official boxing match, the fact that you won and looked good and knocked the guy out, if that had a big impact on you getting this kind of fight on HBO?

G. Rosado
Absolutely, absolutely. It definitely was a different experience, but at the end of the day when the bell rang, it felt like a fight. The only difference is there were no ropes, but everything was boxing, all boxing rules; everything. Getting that win definitely got me the momentum going for this fight. So I feel very confident going into this fight because I felt strong against Bryan Vera. I did something against Bryan Vera that Chavez couldn’t do. I did everything the same as a regular boxing match. I had a strong training camp and I think people saw my skills in that fight and they saw a different me. They saw me faster, they saw me sharper, they saw me sitting on my shots. People took notice that I looked real good and it was the first time that me and Jesse Reid went into a fight. I was taking Jesse Reid’s advice. And the round that I actually knocked Bryan Vera out was the round that Jesse Reid told me to go get him.

L. Milner
Alright, thanks. We are going to turn it over, but Gabe, do you have any closing comments?

G. Rosado
No. No, that’s it. I just got to head to the gym and get ready for sparring.

R. Diaz
Gabe, thank you so much, man. Thanks for taking the time and we’ll look forward to seeing you next week, man. Take care.

Next on the call, he’s definitely one of the most popular fighters in Canada and he’s looking, on December 6th, to come in and make a big splash into the US. Again, fighting 12 rounds for the NABF middleweight title is David Lemieux. He can be introduced by our co-promoter, Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. Camille?

Camille Estephan
Hello, everyone. Thank you, Robert. Nice talking to you folks today and very much looking forward to next week in New York. We’re calling this ‘David Lemieux version two.’ Very proudly saying that his camp has gone fantastically well; we’re exactly where we want to be and looking forward to grabbing this opportunity. What a wonderful opportunity it is. Gabe Rosado, we have a lot of respect for him, but we’re there to splash David Lemieux’s name all over the boxing world and we’re confident this is going to happen December 6th.

I’m going to turn it over to David. He will talk to you a little bit about his feelings about the fight, what his training’s been like, and then we’ll be opening up for questions.

David Lemieux
Hello, hello. Here is David. How’s it going?

Camp has been going great. I’m in the best shape right now I have ever been. I’ve trained very well against Fernando Guerrero, but nothing like I’ve been training now and I’ve reached some highpoints that I never thought I could reach and become so strong. My punches are coming off very, very well. And I’ve been doing some 10-rounds, 12-rounds sparring. We’re ready for anything. The shape is there, the endurance is there, and the power is more there than ever.

So, this is going to be an exciting fight for the fans and for everybody, and it’s going to be brutal. I’m very excited to be back in the ring. It’s the first time in the US as a pro so it’s going to be very interesting fighting at the Barclays Center on HBO for a main event. I’m very confident that I did everything I had to do. I’m not fighting for the fans; me, I’m fighting for my family. I want to feed my children. So I know that whatever I do is going to reward the fans and make sure that the fans are always satisfied because, as a pro, I’m there to do the best I can do. So let’s get down to business on December 6th.

Q
Hey, David, there are some people who might qualify someone like Gabriel Rosado who has been in some tough fights, but lost, say that he might be kind of slipping into the role of opponent. Is that a dangerous assumption to make against a guy like this?

D. Lemieux
Well, I don’t care what other people are saying about Gabriel Rosado. Whenever they give me a fighter, I don’t care about whatever is said outside. I take whatever they give me and then we start studying our subject. We’ve been studying Gabriel Rosado for a while now and we’ve been training to perfection to fight him and we’re not taking anything lightly. Gabriel Rosado’s a very good fighter. He’s very durable; he’s been in there with a lot of guys, a lot of tough guys.

I’m not really listening because any fighter can be dangerous and for sure he’s still young, he’s still fresh, he’s not beaten up. He’s going to come to fight and he has a lot of gas. He’s going to bring good stuff to the table, but once he meets me it’s going to be a head-on collision.

Q
Dave, how does Rosado stack up to, say, Marco Antonio Rubio at the time you fought him or even Joachim Alcine at the time you fought him, which were fights that you lost?

D. Lemieux
Well, there’s a very easy answer for that question. I’m nowhere near who I was when I fought Rubio or a controversial fight like Alcine, which I still to this day, don’t believe I really lost that fight, but still, there was a lot of changes that have been made. I believe, also, everything happens for a reason so I’m not taking away anything that’s happened in the past. I take it in a good way. Either it breaks you or makes you better. So it’s making me better now.

So I really put those fights in the past and if I had to do it again, I have zero concerns about fighting Rubio or Alcine. I was a different guy back then and now there’s a much more evolved man that is here now. David version 2.0.

Q
What are the circumstances that are different? Who’s training you now as opposed to who was training you then; management; what are the changes?

D. Lemieux
Actually, everything. Management, trainers, nutrition, nutritionist; everything from A to Zed. I have a new trainer since the Rubio fight with Marc Ramsay that has been going tremendously well. Also, we added a physical conditioning trainer, who is Jarek Kulesza, who has been doing a lot with me and it’s been going great-I’ve never had that in the past, personal, physical conditioning trainer and, I think, it has helped the rise of my career. It has brought me to a different level.

I am thankful to God that I’m with Camille Estephan, the best manager in the world, I believe. I always tell him, what is he doing in boxing, Camille. He’s too much of a good person to be in this sport. But, it’s a rough sport and you need a lot of rough people; he’s a rough man, but I’m very thankful that he’s on my side and we’re achieving a lot of great things.

I changed all my nutrition. I have a new nutritionist; I have a guy who does my meals before me-for every day I have two meals that are premade. So we’re counting all the calories and there’s no fat on me; it’s all muscle. Everything I eat, everything is all calculated. I’ve never had that in the past and we’re just putting more good on our side than ever before so if you like you said, everything from A to Zed has changed in my career to make me a World Champion in the future.

I’m wondering how long did it take you to-or do you feel like you’ve put those losses totally behind you or are there still people that you see that question what the heck happened?

D. Lemieux
I think all that has changed. I know that it has changed in my life, in my head. I know it’s changed, but the people are starting to know slowly and slowly it has changed, also, if they saw my last fight, especially against Fernando Guerrero, they saw I was in tremendous shape, I was in the best physical shape of my life, I was stronger, I was sharp. If you watch closely, you can see not just a puncher, but also a good boxer in there and so we’re mixing everything up and people, when they hear David Lemieux, they think he’s good for four rounds. He’s going to come in there and try to knock him out and then if he doesn’t, well, it’s no longer to his advantage.

Well, they’re going to have a surprise because I’m bringing a lot of tools to the table. And I’m not just going to be a puncher, I’m going to be a very good boxer and I’m going to be strong until the end, from the first to the twelfth; whatever needs to be done, it’s getting better and better with each fight. I think this fight is going to be the peak of my 25th year in life. It’s going to be extremely exciting and I’m very excited to give the fans what they want to see and give them a different perspective from what they’ve seen in the past, probably. Let them judge after this fight who David Lemieux is.

Q
David, do you think that there’s any Middleweight in the world that can stand up to your power?

D. Lemieux
I believe that there are a lot of great fighters out there and there’s a lot of guys who can, yes, for sure take punches and roll with it. Anything is possible. But I’m well-prepared I’m not worried about any Middleweight in the world, but for sure some guys will be tougher to put out and I’m looking forward to it, but anything is possible. I’m not saying it is impossible.

Q
I’m wondering, do you feel like there’s a little bit of, I don’t know about pressure, but a great desire on your behalf, to, not only beat Gabe Rosado, a known fighter that’s been in with everybody, but’s been on a little bit of a losing streak, to go in there and make a real statement to say, you know what, I want those bigger fights and I should be in those bigger fights sooner than later.

D. Lemieux
Absolutely. This is the whole meaning of my long trainings and hard work and preparations; this is where we’ve been waiting to be headed since the beginning of my career. Now we know how to do it compared to before where we were just guessing on okay, let’s get there, but there were some flaws in my base. So now everything has been changed and everything is there and I’m ready to mingle in with all these great Middleweights. There’s a lot of great fighters out there, like you named them. We have a lot of-I have a lot of options. There’s a lot of fun opportunities for the fans, especially to watch some great fights with us.

But, for sure, I’m looking right now for next week, December 6th, with Rosado because he’s a serious dude. He comes to fight and we’re taking him very seriously and I’m training extremely hard for it and my only concern right now is him and after that the doors are opened. First, I have to beat this guy and then we’ll walk in. But I’m extremely confident, I’m not worried. I never like to look too far in the future; it comes soon enough.

Q
Camille, can you talk about, in your mind, as the person that guides his career, where you want to go, if everything goes well for your side next Saturday?

C. Estephan
I echo the sentiments that David has. We really don’t want to look past-we take it a fight at a time. But, there’s no secret that the middleweight division is a very hot division right now. It’s a great division with Canelo, Cotto, Golovkin and the rest of them, Quillin, etc. And any one of those fights would be a good fight for the fans, would be a good fight for us, but Rosado is, maybe, underestimated because of his streak of losses in boxing, putting apart the BKB fight, but certainly not somebody to be overlooked right now. We got to take care of that business and we’re reaching for the stars, man.

I believe David’s capable of beating any one of these guys when he’s properly prepared.

Q
David could you talk about making your US debut and what it means to be fighting at Barclays Center and what kind of emotions you’re going to be having on that night?

D. Lemieux
Ever since I got the news that I’d be fighting, doing the main event on HBO in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, I’ve been extremely happy and extremely excited for this fight. So I’ve been training tremendously hard for it. I’ve had my hardest camp ever. I have never ever slept so much in camp after each training; coming home, being exhausted, being with my daughter. Sleeping at the same time as my daughter, I’m like wow, I’m really exhausted after these trainings. It’s funny because I always said to myself, I only need four, five hours sleep, but now it’s not the same thing anymore. So, we’ve been having a great camp and I’m extremely excited to be fighting at the Barclays Center.

It’s going to be exciting and it’s a great opportunity for me and also for my whole team, for my family, for all the fans, everybody that supports me, everybody out there, it’s going to be a great fight, December 6th. We’re very excited to be fighting there.

Q
Camille, could you talk about that a little bit, too? About what it would mean for David to get a win at Barclays Center and what it would mean for Eye of the Tiger?

C. Estephan
It means the world to us of course, David is one of the main guys on the team. He has the potential to be a great one for many, many years. He’s young, he’s hungry, he’s disciplined, and couldn’t be more proud of him in his work ethic; so, we’re prepared.

But the other thing that we should mention is that, you do the main event on HBO at the Barclays Center, but as well it will be featured at the Bell Centre in Montreal in another show that will have a few thousand people where Pascal is fighting on the InterBox card. So, David’s fight will be projected on the big screen. So the fans in Montreal are very, very excited about that.

He’s basically, I don’t know if it’s ever happened before, where a guy makes a main event in two shows, simultaneously, one in New York; one in Montreal. Very exciting opportunity, and we’re going to grab it.

L. Milner
Okay. David, Camille, if you guys could make some closing comments.

D. Lemieux
We said pretty much everything that there is to say. We’re extremely excited for December 6th and we’re looking forward to it and it’s going to be a great fight. A great opportunity. Thank you.

C. Estephan
Same here, guys. And don’t blink.

R. Diaz
Well, I want to thank everybody; the fighters, David, Gabriel, thank you so much for taking the time. Again, live on HBO, Boxing After Dark, December 6th from the Barclays Center. There are still tickets; very reasonable. You can get them through Barclays and Ticketmaster. And, again, look out for the Black Friday special. Thanks again, everyone. Don’t miss it. Lemieux versus Rosado.

Lemieux vs. Rosado is a 12 round NABF middleweight bout which is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye Of The Tiger Management and sponsored by Corona Extra, AT&T and Mexico – Live It To Believe It! Dulorme vs. Lundy is a 10-round junior welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and CES Boxing. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET with the first bout at 6 p.m. ET. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $150, $80, $50, $25 and $15, plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

CHESTER, PA (December 1, 2014)- This Friday night at Harrahs Philadelphia, undefeated Jarrett Hurd will take on Eric Mitchell in the 8-round Middleweight main event.

Hurd steps in for Harry Joe Yorgey.

The show is promoted by King’s Promotions & XFE.

Hurd of Accokeek, Maryland has a record of 13-0 with eight knockouts and will face his most experienced opponent.

The 24 year-old began his career in 2012 and has wins over undefeated Thomas Baldwin (2-0-2) & Frank Gedeon (4-0-2). He also has a win over Chris Chatman.

Hurd has stopped his two most recent opponents in the first round which includes his last bout when he took out Terry Cade on on November 1st in Washington, D.C.

Mitchell of Philadelphia has a record of 23-11-2 with 11 knockouts and has fought top competition.

He began his career in 1993 and went 22-4-1 with quality wins over Tyrone Flucker (6-1), Ernest Strohman (7-1 & 8-2), Keith Lee (11-1-2), Dwain Williams (10-1), Anthony Fields (11-0), Former world title challenger Ross Thompson (24-4-1), former world champion Alejandro Berrio (19-2), & Rob Dula (15-1).

He has also fought world champions Joachim Alcine & Dmitry Pirog.

An exciting undercard is being assembled that is littered with top undefeated prospects from throughout the country.

In six round bouts:

Omar Douglas (12-0, 9 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE will take on an opponent to be named in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

In four round bouts:

Milton Santiago Jr. (7-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA will battle Travis Thompson (7-11-3, 3 KO’s) in a Lightweight tussle.

Caleb Plant (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Ashland City, TN will fight an opponent to be named in a Middleweight bout

In a Featherweight bout, Stephen Fulton (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will square off with Benjamin Burgos (2-9-1) of Mount Pocono, PA.

Earl Newman (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will take part in a Cruiserweight bout against Darnell Hayes (0-1) of Lebanon, PA

Tickets are now on sale for $100 (VIP); $75 (Ringside) and $50 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the Harrahs Philadelphia Gift Shop; By calling King’s Promotions (610-587-5950) or www.Hboxing.eventbrite.com

David Price’s (18-2, 15 KOs) ring return has been delayed by a minor bicep injury. The British heavyweight suffered a slight tear in his left bicep during sparring and has been advised to pull out of his scheduled bout with Emilio Ezequiel Zarate (18-13-3, 9 KOs) on December 6 at the EWE Arena in Oldenburg, Germany.

‘’It’s frustrating as I felt that I was in the shape of my life going into this fight,’’ said Price, who was preparing for his twenty-first professional contest. ‘’I’ve been to see a specialist, who confirmed it was nothing serious, but advised me to avoid the fight on December 6.

‘’These things happen in boxing! It’s a minor injury and I’ll be fine in the next couple of weeks. However it’s not worth the risk of fighting before it’s completely healed. Next year is the big one for me, I will need to be completely fit and injury free. This is just minor setback, I’ll be back in the ring and back at my best in the next couple of months.’’

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’This is a minor injury, it’s unfortunate but not serious. I feel for Pricey as I know he was desperate to get back into the ring, but this has no effect on our plans for the future. 2015 is going to be a huge year for the big man!’’

Price’s withdrawal is the latest injury blow to the December 6 show in Oldenburg. Yoan Pablo Hernandez was forced to postpone his IBF World Cruiserweight title defence against Ola Afolabi due to an elbow injury sustained in training.

Fans can still look forward to an action-packed night of championship boxing. Juergen Braehmer defends his WBA World Light Heavyweight Champion against Pawel Glazewski, Jack Culcay meets Karim Merroudj for the European Light Middleweight title and rising German super middleweight star Tyron Zeuge takes on Stjepan Bozic for the IBF International crown. Tickets available via eventim.de.