Washington, D.C. (October 22, 2014) – All In Entertainment presents live Professional Boxing on Saturday, November 1, 2014 from the historic DAR Constitution Hall, featuring the very best talent from the Washington, D.C. region.

The Main Event features the long awaited return home of Washington, D.C.’s own undefeated WBC Youth Welterweight Champion, Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (23-0, 12 KOs), as he takes on veteran Michael Clark of Columbus, OH (44-11-1, 18 KOs). Clark has challenged for World Championships, faced world ranked contenders throughout his career and is believed to be the type of challenge needed for Hernandez-Harrison’s career heading towards superstardom.

Eager to return to the ring following an injury to his ankle, Hernandez-Harrison shared that, “This fight is big for me. I’ve been working even harder at camp because I want a strong come back. It will be great to fight in front of my fans here in D.C. They haven’t seen me fight at home in almost a year and a half so my Dad and I are excited for the huge turnout against a really tough opponent like Clark.”

Hernandez-Harrison’s father and trainer, Buddy Harrison, said “Dusty’s been going hard in the gym. We’ve been really demanding of him at training camp and he’s going against some top-notch sparring partners.” In preparation for the match up against Clark, the elder Harrison explained that “He’s tough, no question about it; but we’re ready and I know Dusty will be ready to put on a great show for his fans. We couldn’t be happier to be back in Washington, D.C.”

The semi-main event feature highlighted on the card is local prospect, Jarrett Hurd (12-0, 7 KOs), of Accokeek, MD. Hurd hopes to remain undefeated as he comes fresh off a 1st round TKO victory over Joshua Robertson. Hurd will face Terry Cade of Aiken, South Carolina. Also on the card will be Maryland’s own Mykal Fox facing Sean Lockhart, Marquel Johns who will face Jesus Gonzales and Emanuel Johnson who will fight against Patrick Chaffin. From D.C., heavyweight Dwayne McRae will battle Grover Young and Virginia prospect, Brandon Quarles, is set to take on Dennis Sharpe in his bout. Local rapper, Lightshow, is slated to make a special appearance at the event.

“Dusty is certainly excited to be fighting in Washington, D.C. after further developing his skills on a national level during the past 18 months,” said Jeff Fried of All In Entertainment. “We have always been about providing opportunities for our local athletes and this “Hometown Takeover” card is filled with top talent from the DMV, which is at its peak in developing World Champions. The fans will definitely be watching future World Champions on November 1 at Constitution Hall,” added Fried.

A main sponsor of the event and previous supporter of All In Entertainment is lifestyle and performance-wear company, Jordan Brand. Media powerhouse, RantSports, one of the largest growing sport blogging websites that covers breaking sports related news, is a highlight event sponsor and is set to enter professional boxing on November 1 with its coverage of the All In Entertainment promoted event.

Event tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster. Ticket prices are $150 Ringside, $75 Preferred Reserved, $50 Reserved and $25 General Admission. For additional information please visit www.ticketmaster.com or call All In Entertainment at (202) 331-3902. For more information on this event, visit www.allinentertainment.com.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Oct. 22, 2014) – After spending the majority of his young life training inside a gym or boxing in a ring, Peter “The Pride of Providence” Manfredo, Jr. is enjoying life outside the ring for the first time on a daily basis with his family, as he prepares for his upcoming induction into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF).

Members of the Class of 2014 will be inducted at the 10TH annual CBHOF Gala Induction Dinner on Saturday night, November 8 in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun.

The new CBHOF inductees also includes former two-time World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz, referee Michael Ortega, International Boxing Federation president Daryl Peoples, trainer Paul Cichon and the late boxing judge William Hutt.

Manfredo (40-7, 21 KOs) starred in the inaugural season of NBC’s reality television show, The Contender. The two-time world title challenger was born and raised in Providence and he now lives in Dayville, Connecticut. A beloved fan-friendly fighter, he was unbeaten in 11 professional fights held in Connecticut.

“I never imagined when I first turned pro that I’d be recognized like I am today,” Manfredo said. “I’m very excited, humbled and honored to be inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame.”

He learned to box when he was seven and compiled a 154-30 amateur boxing record, spanning a decade in which he dominated his weight class in New England and competed on the same level with elite opponents at national tournaments.

His most notable victims were Frankie Randall, Alfonso Gomez, Grady Brewer, Angel Hernandez, Matt Vanda, Daniel Edouard, Walid Smichet and David Banks.

Six of his career losses were to world champions – Joe Calzaghe, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Jeff Lacy, Sakio Bika and Sergio Mora (twice) – and the other to Gomez, a two-time world title challenger.

Manfredo initially retired in 2011 after his WBC middleweight title fight loss to Chavez, but he started a comeback one year later, winning all three additional fights before he hung up his gloves for good Nov. 23, 2013, punctuated by an eight-round technical knockout of Rich Gingras.

“I came out of retirement because I needed more money for my family,” Manfredo explained. “My wife wasn’t working at that time. It was like people had to do during The Great Depression.

“I knew it was time to finally retire after my last fight. Not many fighters know when to retire. Guys I was sparring with, 10 or 12 years earlier, it wouldn’t have taken me nearly as long to get to them. And in the Gingras fight, it took me eight rounds to get him out, but I would have gotten rid of him in one or two rounds in my prime. Financially-speaking, today my wife is working and she’s going to school to be a nurse. I fought for my family but they need me there now for things like my son’s football and basketball games and dance recitals for my (two) daughters.”

Today, the 33-year-old Manfredo is a construction worker. He left the ring for good with all of his faculties’ intact, great memories, and, more importantly, the rest of his life to enjoy his family, unlike during his boxing career when he was often 3000 miles away at training camp in California.

“I’m a laborer and that’s good for me because it’s physical,” Manfredo concluded. “I have a big smile every morning when I bite into my muffin, something I couldn’t eat when I was fighting because I had to watch my weight.”

There’s no turning back now for Peter Manfredo Jr.

Tickets for the CBHOF 10th annual Gala Induction Dinner, reasonably priced at $90.00, are on sale now by calling Kim Baker at Mohegan Sun (1.860.862.7377) or Sherman Cain at the Manchester Journal Inquirer (1.800.237.3606 X321). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET, cocktails at 6 p.m. ET, followed by dinner.

Go online to www.ctboxinghof.org for additional information about the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, its 10th annual Gala Inductee Dinner, or past CBHOF inductees. Like CBHOF on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CTBHOF.
ABOUT CBHOF: The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 to honor and celebrate the careers of outstanding individuals involved in the sport of boxing. Its inaugural Induction Ceremony & Dinner was held in 2005. Connecticut’s rich boxing history could never have flourished if it weren’t for the achievements of those enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

As a non-profit organization, the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame is deeply committed to keeping the fighting spirit of Connecticut thriving through various charitable contributions.

MONTEBELLO, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2014) – Crowd-pleasing Windy City fan favorite Andrzej “Chicago’s Polish Prince” Fonfara (25-3, 1 NC, 15 KOs), who’s been training in Big Bear, Calif., participated in an open media workout Tuesday in preparation for his “Homecoming” fight against Congo’s Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KOs) in the main event of a SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the co-feature of a tripleheader, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs) will make his third title defense when he meets interim WBO Bantamweight Champion Alejandro “Payasito” Hernandez (28-10-2, 15 KOs). Opening the telecast, former interim WBA World Featherweight Champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (25-0-1, 18 KOs) will face Abner “Pin” Cotto (18-2, 8 KOs) in a super featherweight 10-round bout.

Fonfara, who turns 27 on Nov. 4, worked out for 90 minutes Tuesday without an extended break. Fonfara will be returning to the ring after a valiant effort in a 12-round decision defeat to WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson on May 24 on SHOWTIME. After winning the final five rounds against Stevenson, Fonfara proved his worth against the world champion and did more to enhance his reputation than all 13 of his previous wins combined.

Here’s what the world-ranked Fonfara, and his trainer, Sam Colonna, said during Tuesday’s workout:

ANDRZEJ FONFARA, Light Heavyweight

Question: This is your third time holding training camp in Big Bear, what made you go to Big Bear the first time?

Answer: “Every good boxer prepares there. If I want to be the best I must train where the best fighters in the world train. Big Bear has great altitude, good weather for runs and a very good gym. It’s a great base for camp.

Do you feel the difference in the altitude when you’re up there?

“Yes, absolutely. I felt much different training for this camp than I did the first time I went up there. It was much harder running for the first camp. I would run two, three miles and I couldn’t breathe. But when I would come back to Chicago, I would feel much better and stronger.”

What’s it like for you to fight in Chicago?

“Chicago is a very special city for me because I moved there eight years ago. I started my professional career there. I had just one professional fight before I moved to Chicago. Sam [Colonna, Fonfara’s trainer] and I have been together since I came to Chicago.

“When I first started to fight in Chicago I had 30, 50 people at my fights. Now when I fight there I have a few thousand people. It’s not only Polish people who come to watch me fight, but all fight fans.

“Fans like to see me fight because I am entertaining and put my heart into the ring.”

Your opponent on Nov. 1 [Doudou Ngumbu] goes the distance in most of his fights, how are you preparing for him?

“He’s not a bad fighter. He’s very tough and wants to win each time he steps into the ring. He doesn’t come just to collect a check, he wants to beat me and get a chance on SHOWTIME to show what he is made of.

“It’s good for me, it’s more pressure. It makes me work harder, but I know that I’m ready for this fight.

“I’m not the underdog in this fight like I have been in the past. But this is boxing and you must go in the ring and think and box, you never know what is going to happen.

“If I want to think about a rematch with Adonis [Stevenson], I must beat guys like Ngumbu. There’s much at stake on Nov. 1”

Do you need to beat Ngumbu impressively?

“It doesn’t matter if I knock him out or win the fight on a decision. The important thing is that I get the victory. We have a plan and I must execute. If I follow my plan, I will knock him out in the second round.”

You had a big opportunity in your last fight against Adonis [Stevenson], when you look back at that fight what comes to your mind?

“I showed good heart, strength and my condition in that fight. Even when I was knocked down I wanted to stand back up and fight.

“I know that now I must punch more and keep better defense. Adonis is a different kind of fighter, he’s sneaky and a hard puncher.

“I know that if he doesn’t knock me down in the first round then maybe the fight goes a different way.

“That loss made me want to train longer and harder so that I can get a rematch with him.”

So you would like a rematch with Adonis [Stevenson]?

“Yes, that’s the plan. I need to win like two, three fights and then get the rematch. I know that I can beat him.

“I gave him the best fight of his professional career in our first fight.”

SAM COLONNA, Fonfara’s Trainer and former trainer of Andrew Golota, Tomasz Adamek, David Diaz and others

“I’ve been with Andrzej since after he had his first professional fight, when he came to Chicago from Poland. We’ve been together for eight, nine years. What I really like about him is his work ethic, he’s wonderful to work with and easy to train.

“When he first came, there were maybe eight Polish fighters that came over together, and I liked Andrzej the most. He was the least experienced of all the fighters; I called him the runt of the group. He was the smallest, youngest and only weighed 139 pounds when he first came over. What stood out to me was his work ethic and the fact that he constantly wanted to learn. The other guys thought they knew it all and now all those guys are out of the picture and he’s still going.

“The way he’s learning and progressing, you’re looking at the next future champion of the world.
“We’re fighting a very difficult guy [Ngumbu]. He’s not really crafty, he’s very awkward and the way he moves is very different. He’s a runner and won’t let you stand in front of him and let you hit him. We’re going to have to work really hard to get to him. It’s a fight that Andrzej can’t really look good unless he knocks him out early.

“We want to win of course, but it’s hard to be impressive with this guy. He has gone the distance with a lot of good fighters. I looked at his record and I can see that this guy comes to fight till the end. He’s gone 12 rounds a lot of times so I know it’s going to be a fight that we’re really going to work hard for.

“If we win this fight there will be a lot of opportunities for us. There are many good up-and-coming fighters at 175 pounds; it’s a very hot division.

“He had his chance [against Adonis Stevenson] and he let it slide by him. The experience he got in that fight, you can’t buy. He knows he had the guy hurt and he should’ve jumped on him and taken care of business; he let him off the ropes.”

WBA Interim Heavyweight champion Luis Ortiz tested positive for a banned substance following his September 11th 1st round stoppage over Lateef Kayode in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“The level of [nandrolone] was above the normal level,” NSAC executive director Bob Bennett told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

“He could be fined, and typically, in my five months on the job, first-time offenders for a positive test for a diuretic usually get a nine-month suspension and first-time offenders for anabolic steroids usually get 12 months, depending on mitigating circumstance,” Bennett said. “The punishment could increase, but it is not likely to decrease.”

“If NSAC confirms the failed test, there will be no other path,” the WBA’s Gilberto Mendoza Jr. told ESPN.com. “He is no longer Chagaev’s mandatory. I must add that Ortiz’s team will have the right to appeal under WBA rules.”

In the last few years the New York City boxing scene has gone through a renaissance of sorts. With the opening of Barclay Center and the return of world championship boxing to Brooklyn, New York has once again become a buzzing boxing town. From world championship fights to club shows there is a lot of boxing in the big city these days.

Former world title challenger, Dmitry Salita formed a promotional company in 2010 with the vision of putting on great fights & signing top notch talent.

Salita wanted the company to be a microcosm of what he beloved New York City was all about and that is diversity.

Besides fighters from the United States, Salita’s shows have featured fighters from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Poland and the former Soviet Block countries just to name a few.

Salita, who is a immigrant from Ukraine has used his connections to recruit fighters from all over what was the former Soviet Union. Because of the many countries represented on Salita’s cards, he has packed houses from the many New York City neighborhoods where those ethnic backgrounds are densely populated.

Another one of the staples of a Salita card is matching up fighters from the different boroughs of the city against each other. This creates tremendous excitement and electricity in the stands.

Salita has developed and featured local favorites such as undefeated American Heavyweight sensation Jarrell Miller, Junior Middleweight Steve Martinez.Lightweight Dimash Niyazov, Russian Cruserweight Alezey Zubov just to name a few.

Salitas “Brooklyn Brawl” series has produced some of the best local fights in recent times. Late in 2013, Niyazov and Raphael Luna fought a toe to toe war, which was hailed by many as one of the best fights in New York City in recent memory. Later in the year a fight for the WBC International belt saw two undefeated fighters Junior Wright and Steve Bujaj engage in a toe to toe war. A fight most boxing fans are calling a fight of the year candidate

Because of the high quality of the fights, one of the largest sports networks, MSG decided to air the fight on a tape delayed basis.

With the fight being televised, it provided a service to not only New York fight fans but the fighters themselves as they received extra exposure and it has proved for motivation that future events would be carried by the network.

With major fights being staged at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center, Star of David Promotions may in fact offer up the best in-ring action.

Las Vegas, NV – With the historic season of The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned in full swing, the 16 fighters vying for the opportunity to be the first UFC female 115-pound champion have shown the world they are both strong and beautiful, inside and out. Each has pushed herself to peak athleticism – prepared for any battle.

One opponent however, doesn’t care about strength, fitness or mental determination. Breast cancer will affect one in eight women in their lifetime and, despite the cast of The Ultimate Fighter being at the top of their physical prowess, they are still susceptible to the disease. Like preparing for a fight, knowledge and awareness of what you are up against can provide a critical advantage.

In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, the all-women cast of The Ultimate Fighter took time away from their training to better understand the disease and how methods for early detection can make all the difference in the fight.

The fighters spent an afternoon with Dr. Margaret Terhar MD, FACS, a breast surgeon at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada (http://www.cccnevada.com/). She discussed symptoms and signs, early detection methods, and preventative measures that all women should know and practice.

Learn along with the cast members as they hear from Dr. Terhar: http://youtu.be/4mwjB7Qt8R4

“It was an honor and I found it inspirational to interact with the highly motivated and well-informed young athletes participating in The Ultimate Fighter,” said Dr. Terhar. “As women achieve greater visibility in the world of sports and particularly the UFC, it is the perfect opportunity for them to help spread the word about good health habits.

“It is important for women at any age to conduct a regular breast self-exam and to be aware of any irregular lumps, textures or color that may be symptoms of breast cancer. Not only do these women literally fight to be at the top of their game, but they have an incredible platform to promote breast cancer awareness and help save lives.”

For The Ultimate Fighter coach and current UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, the conversation on breast cancer is personal.

“Breast cancer is definitely something to be aware of,” said Pettis. “A student of mine found out she had breast cancer. I saw the process and how much it affects individuals and their families. It’s important that these ladies be aware and alert that it could possibly happen to them.”

Cast member Emily Kagan valued the reminder that the disease can affect anyone: “The fact that I am susceptible and so are the other women in my life was eye-opening and educational. More so, in the sense of being reminded that this is a reality.”

The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned returns tonight at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. In episode five, an injury forces one of the fighters out of the competition, and opens the door for another to get a second chance in the tournament. The Team Melendez fighters question the severity of Heather Clark’s nagging knee injury. Additionally, the storied rivalry between No.6 seed Felice Herrig of Team Pettis and No.11 seed Heather Clark finally comes to a head, as they face off in the fifth preliminary fight.

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @UltimateFighter or on Facebook.com/TUF.

For further details on the fight against breast cancer, visit www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast.

###

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.

ORANGE, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2014) – Undefeated junior welterweight Giovani Santillan (14-0, 8 KOs), aims to continue his win streak when he meets the hard striking Luis Solis (14-4-4, 12 KOs) in the 8-round main event of Thompson Boxing Promotions “New Blood” event, this Friday, Oct. 24, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

The 22-year-old Santillan is making the first defense of his NABF Jr. Championship that he captured in a vacant title bout against Osenohan Vazquez in August.

Tickets for the five-bout “New Blood” card are priced at $40, $60 and $100 and are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com.

Santillan, a southpaw from San Diego, has been one of the most durable and consistent fighters under the Thompson Boxing brand. He fought six times in 2012, the year he turned professional, added five more wins in 2013, and will fight for the fourth time this year on Friday.

“Winning means everything to me,” Santillan said. “I know I’m young, but I realize that boxing careers are some of the shortest in professional sports. I approach each fight as if it’s my last. I’m always in the gym working to get better.”

Ask Santillan if there is any added motivation in training camp for this fight compared to others that do not have title implications, and he simply shrugs it off.

“I don’t want to sound insensitive and not appreciative for this opportunity because I am, but I train with the same focus and determination for every fight,” Santillan said. “I’m trying to make a name for myself, so every time I step in the ring, it’s a world title fight.”

“I can tell you all about Giovani’s exciting fighting style and how much he has improved over the last year, but that can be said about a lot of young, talented prospects,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker and general manager at Thompson Boxing. “What makes him special is his work ethic, desire, and attitude that is driving him to one day compete for a world title.”

Over his last six fights, Santillan notes a difference in his development, one that could only be obtained through experience. Out of those six fights, three went the distance, which allowed him to correct mistakes while they happened. Any trainer will tell you that in-fight adjustments is a required skill for any prospect looking to make the jump from contender to world champion.

“My ring intelligence is getting better and better with every fight,” said Santillan, who is trained by former boxer Danny Perez. “We see that as one of the final steps in my development. You’ll see a more savvy and controlled version of me on Friday night.”

Doors open at 6:30 p.m, and the first bell rings at 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.

“New Blood” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with KCAL 96.7 FM Rocks!, KOLA 99.9 FM, and LATV Networks.

For additional information please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @ThompsonBoxing and Instagram. To follow the conversation on social media, please use hash tags #ThompsonBoxing, #NewBlood.

Monaco, October 22 – High-riding middleweight Martin Murray of the UK says he plans to “do a job” on Domenico Spada on Saturday, using the opportunity to demonstrate that he is one of the best middleweight fighters in the world.
Murray was speaking at the media conference for the weekend’s “Title Tornado” tournament in Monte Carlo where the eight boxers came face to face for the first time on Wednesday evening in the famous 151-year-old casino.

It was a veritable United Nations with boxers representing the UK, South Africa, China, the US, Colombia and Italy in attendance.
Having gained momentum in the past year, Murray says he wants to make a major move in 2015 – “there are some big fights out there” – but must first deal with Spada.
The Italian himself pleaded only that Murray not be too defensive. “I hope he will fight . . . I want to give the fans a good show.”
Andrew Mikhail, advisor to Murray, made much of the fact that fans consider Murray an “uncrowned champion” after his two performances against then champions Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez.
“He’s had a lot of bad luck. Things have to change sometime. We couldn’t get good competitive fights, so thanks to Spada for stepping up. Martin is similar to Gennady Golovkin: he’s always looking to fight. No disrespect, but Spada isn’t in Martin’s league.”
Meanwhile, WBA and IBO minimumweight champion Hekkie Budler of South Africa predicted fans were in for a treat in his scheduled 12-rounder against former WBC champion Xiong Zhao Zhong.
“It’s an honour to fight a true champion. The two of us are going to have an amazing war. There will be bombs from round one.”
Manager-trainer Colin Nathan quipped that he found Zhong’s comments about not caring who he fought to be intriguing, especially as he claimed the Chinese ducked every chance for a unification fight in 2013.
Zhong, who looks appreciably smaller than Budler, said he had trained hard for 10 weeks and expected to prevail.
The temperature was turned up when Robert Diaz, manager of IBF bantamweight title challenger Randy Caballero, took issue with Dennis Hobson, the promoter of former champion Stuart Hall.
He predicted great things from the affable Californian. “I’m so confident the fans are going to see a superstar emerge; he will make fans of everyone.”
Caballero refused to take Hall’s bait: “I’m young and hungry. The stuff he said he’s gonna do to me . . . it’s not true. Don’t miss this, there’s gonna be fireworks. I’m gonna steal the show and let people know who I am.”
Hall was dismissive of Caballero’s claims. “He hasn’t fought anyone of my calibre. I’m getting back my title, and what a great place to win it, in Monte Carlo. I’m ready, bring it on.”
The fourth title fight features WBC Silver light-heavyweight champion Ryno Liebenberg of South Africa defending against Colombia’s Eleider Alvarez.
Nathan legitimately asked where in the world you get two unbeaten light-heavyweights putting it all on the line.
“I’ve seen a lot of footage and Alvarez is one of the best light-heavies in the world. We have a gameplan. We’ll be ready.”
Mark Ramsey, the trainer of Alvarez, said that he rated Liebenberg highly, but they had the benefit of an “amazing” training camp with former world champion Jean Pascal and stablemate Artur Beterbiev in Montreal.
Straight-shooting Liebenberg was unusually quiet-spoken.
“Normally I have a lot to say but there’s no point when my opponent doesn’t understand. Alvarez is a good fighter, but I’m a great fighter. All the guys he spars with I consider my future opponents.”
Promoter Rodney Berman was delighted with the media turnout, saying that his ambition of Monte Carlo becoming a mecca of boxing in Europe had come to fruition.
He also confirmed that HRH Prince Albert of Monaco had requested to attend Friday’s weigh-in.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Super Bantamweight champion Scott Quigg will defend his title against Hidenori Otake on November 22 in Liverpool, UK as part of the Nathan Cleverly – Tony Bellew rematch card.

“I can’t wait to defend my world title in Liverpool on Nov. 22 on a huge night for British boxing,” Quigg said. “Otake represents the toughest fight of my career and I’m working hard to put in a scintillating performance. He is highly ranked and highly respected with an exciting style. I’m on a big run of KO’s and I don’t intend on stopping.”

ATLANTIC CITY (Oct. 22, 2014) – One of the most anticipated fights of the year, the light heavyweight unification bout between Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, has the boxing world split with the fight just weeks away.

This will be one of the biggest obstacles of each man’s career as they look to unify titles and stake their claim as the best light heavyweight in the world.

Take a look at how top media members see the Nov. 8 unification bout going:

(Answers compiled by Jack Obermayer)

BOB VELIN (USA Today): “Kovalev might be the hardest puncher Hopkins has faced, and there is no doubt Hopkins is the smartest boxer Kovalev has faced. That should make for a fascinating matchup. Hopkins is older than old for a fighter, but is probably in better shape than the Russian destroyer, and has avoided damaging punishment. That said, I don’t think he will escape Kovalev’s ample power and Kovalev will not lose patience like so many of Hopkins’ most recent victims.”

Kovalev: KO 10

DAN RAFAEL (ESPN.com): “Hopkins has been in this exact position many times, and pulled an upset. I’ve learned my lesson. It’s a tough fight, but Hopkin’s ring intelligence, experience, and chin trump a Kovalev whose opponents have not been much to write home about.”

Hopkins: Decision

DAVE WEINBERG (Atlantic City Press): “Hopkins will frustrate and confuse Kovalev for the first few rounds, but Kovalev’s power will eventually be the difference.”

Kovalev: Late-round KO

GEORGE WILLIS (New York Post): “Hopkins has proved me wrong plenty of times. He hasn’t had too much trouble with punchers. He beat Trinidad and ruined Pavlik. He’ll have to prove me wrong again.”

Kovalev: KO 10

MITCH ABRAMSON (New York Daily News): “Hopkins is just too crafty, too smart and still possesses the necessary athleticism to beat a top fighter. Insane that a near 50 year old can win? No it’s not.”

Hopkins: Decision

RON BORGES (Boston Herald): “Hopkins will do what he does best. He’ll mystify Kovalev into a fog of inaction and find a way to outpoint him.”

Hopkins: Decision

KEITH IDEC (The Record, Woodland Park, NJ):
“Hopkins took this difficult fight because he sees flaws in the heavily hyped Kovalev that he knows he can exploit. Hopkins has never been stopped, either, and his vast experience advantage over Kovalev in 12-round fights will serve him well.”

Hopkins: Decision

BERNARD FERNANDEZ (veteran boxing writer): “Can’t believe I’m going to the well again. Hopkins has a history of success against big punchers who come forward, and try to take his head off. Will Kovalev be the guy who finally does hand it to him? No.”

Hopkins: Decision

DOUG FISCHER (RingTV.com): “I think Kovalev overcomes a shaky, somewhat careful start and begins making things uncomfortable for Hopkins when he hurts the living legend to the body in the middle rounds. Kovalev’s smart pressure and heavy but accurate combination punching takes over in the late rounds and puts Hopkins into survival mode.”

Kovalev: Decision

DANNY FLEXEN (British Boxing News): “Hopkins struggles with speed and work rate, far more so than strength, power and aggression. Kovalev is a dangerous predator but neither the fastest or busiest.”

Hopkins: Decision

JERRY GLICK (FightNews.com): “At 49 years old Bernard Hopkins has proven he is still great. The pick is that he will maintain his skills against the hard-hitting Kovalev and control the action to win.”

Hopkins: Decision

LEE GROVES (RingTV.com): “If Kovalev fights the man instead of the icon and avoids trying to box with him, his youth, his strength and aggression should be enough. Also, John David Jackson — who fought Hopkins and worked with him in many training camps will provide Kovalev unique insights into what makes Hopkins tick, as well as what ticks him off.”

Kovalev: Decision

GRAHAM HOUSTON (British Boxing Monthly): “I think Kovalev will out-work
Hopkins; don’t think he will try to blast out the old ring general.”

Kovalev: Decision

JAKE KAPLAN (Philadelphia Daily News): “The ageless Hopkins will defy the odds again — against an opponent young enough to be his son. Like many opponents before him, Kovalev will have trouble handling Hopkins’ mind games before and during the fight.”

Hopkins: Decision

STEVE KIM (UCNLive.com): “I have a gut feeling that Kovalev will be the one guy to not fall into the trap that Hopkins lays so well and will continue to bang away at the arms and shoulders of ‘The Alien’ to win.”

Kovalev: Decision

MICHAEL MARLEY (Boxing Examiner.com): “Bernard may be an old dog, but he is an old dog who doesn’t need to learn new tricks. His old bags, of tricks still work exceedingly well, thank you. Kovalev is a typical tough Russian, but he will be out-slicked and out-tricked by BHop.”

Hopkins: Decision

ROBERT MORALES (Los Angeles Daily News): “I rarely go against Hopkins because of his defense and trickery, but have to go with Kovalev in this one because he’ll be unfazed by the stuff that lulls others to sleep when they are in with Hopkins.”

Kovalev: Late-round KO

TONY PAIGE (WFAN 660 Radio): “Sounds crazy, but this is it for Hopkins. Kovalev’s too strong and too busy. Dare I say…”

Kovalev: KO 9

CLIFF ROLD (BoxingScene.com): “Eventually the sand runs out of the hourglass. Kovalev isn’t just a good puncher, he’s a smart boxer. Along with youth, that will be too much for the old man.”

Kovalev: KO 10

MICHAEL ROSENTHAL (The Ring): “I suspect Hopkins bit off more than he can chew in this case. Kovalev isn’t the boxer Hopkins is, but I believe his skills are better than some might realize, certainly good enough to give Hopkins trouble. That combined with the Russian’s unquestioned punching power will be too much for Hopkins to handle.”

Kovalev: KO 10

LEM SATTERFIELD (RingTV.com): “Hopkins will be completely relaxed in this fight. He once told me that Kovalev is the virtual mirror image of Pavlik. However, I don’t think that this will be as easy, but I do believe that he’ll find a way to be victorious.”

Hopkins: Decision

TIM STRUBY (ESPN The Magazine): “Once again, Hopkins will defy conventional thought. He’ll stay out of range, trash talk, hold and frustrate Kovalev. Hopkins will also pick precise spots to stick and move; it won’t be pretty.”

Hopkins: Decision

STEVE TOBEY (MaxBoxing.com): “Yes, Kovalev has youth and power, but Hopkins is smarter and still able to execute. He wouldn’t have taken this fight otherwise.”

Hopkins: Decision

FINAL TALLY – Bernard Hopkins: 12, Sergey Kovalev: 11

# # #

“Alien vs. Krusher: Hopkins vs. Kovalev” is a 12-round unification bout for the IBF, WBA and WBO Light Heavyweight World titles, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Corona Extra, AT&T, Hortitsia Vodka and Mexico, Live it To Believe It!. Ali vs. Abregu is a 10-round welterweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT.
Watch the complete episode of 24/7 Hopkins/Kovalev:

24/7 Hopkins vs Kovalev Full Episode (HBO Boxing)
24/7 Hopkins vs Kovalev Full Episode
(HBO Boxing)

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50, plus applicable fees and service charges, are on sale now and available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mainevents.com, www.hbo.com/boxing or http://www.boardwalkhall.com/.

Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/main_events, www.twitter.com/hboboxing, www.twitter.com/THEREALBHOP, www.twitter.com/krusherkovalev, www.twitter.com/realworldkidali, www.twitter.com/potroabregu, www.twitter.com/BoardwalkHall and follow the conversation using #alienvskrusher.

Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/maineventsboxing, www.facebook.com/hboboxing and https://www.facebook.com/BoardwalkHall.

LONDON (22 OCT) Avoided middleweight Nick Blackwell meets fellow dangerman Sergey Khomitsky this Saturday night (October 25) in Monte Carlo and knows full well victory will tee him up for a shot at the British middleweight title in the New Year.

The Trowbridge man has been guaranteed the winner of the November 29 grudge match between Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr and is eager to get his hands on the prestigious Lonsdale belt. But first he must overcome the considerable threat of Belarusian Khomitsky, who only recently shattered the unbeaten record of Frank Buglioni on these shores.

“When the fight came up, I took it straight away,” said Blackwell, who meets Khomitsky over eight rounds. “It’s the perfect fight for me.

“I watched Khomitsky against Buglioni and immediately it was a fight I wanted. He comes forward, he’s strong, he’s tough, but he’s not that quick. He has given world-class fighters like Martin Murray and Robert Stieglitz very hard nights, but I think I can look really good against him.

“I know he’ll try to push me on my back foot but I don’t really ever get put on my back foot. Even when I spar people like Carl Froch, who is bigger than me, I’m the one putting it on him.

“If Khomitsky manages to put me on my back foot, fair play to him. That shows how strong he is. But I don’t see it happening. I think he’ll be shocked by my speed and strength. I’m going to hit him harder than he expects.

“The plan is to go out there and take the first round as if it’s the last. I want to be on him straight away. I’m quite a slow starter, so I’ll be warming up and doing a bit of sparring in my changing room before the fight. That will get a nice sweat going and allow me to jump on Khomitsky from the off.

“I’m going in there to try and knock him out. I’m not going in there expecting to go the distance just because he’s a tough Belarusian. I’m looking to do a better job on him than anyone else has.”

Though the fight with Khomitsky takes place on foreign soil, Blackwell still expects a fair amount of support on the night. After all, he will be sharing the card with two other Brits, Stuart Hall and Martin Murray, who are also involved in vital fights at bantamweight and middleweight respectively.

“I was out in Monte Carlo when Martin boxed Max Bursak in his last fight,” said Blackwell. “It’s a different world. It’s a really nice place with lots of money flying about.

“I get on with Martin and his dad and brothers and they’ve assured me his fans will get behind me on the night, which is nice. I’ll feel like I’m fighting in St. Helens rather than Monte Carlo.

“The main thing for me, though, is that my fight will be on Channel 5. That means a lot of people at home will be able to watch me. The fact it’s in Monte Carlos is just a bonus. It’s not a bad place to make your Channel 5 debut, is it?”

*** Nick Blackwell meets Belarusian dangerman Sergey Khomitsky this coming Saturday (October 25) at the Salle des etoiles, Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Channel 5 ***

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Paul Smith will not be mandated an immediate rematch clause against WBO Super Middleweight champion Arthur Abraham.

The WBO has denied Smith’s petition for an immediate rematch following a review of the video of their controversial fight Sept. 27 at Sparkassen-Arena in Kiel, Germany.

Smith and Abraham put on a highly competitive fight, with Abraham coming away with a unanimous decision to retain his 168-pound title. But the scores from judges Fernando Laguna (119-109) of Spain, Waleska Roldan (117-110) of New York and Zoltan Enyedi (117-110) of Hungary were roundly criticized because many thought they were way too wide given the back-and-forth nature of the fight.

“First and foremost, I’d like to say that I have a lot of respect for Arthur Abraham,” Smith said. “He is a great champion, and we had a great fight. But I think the judges got it wrong. I’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity. I just wanted a fair crack at the whip and I don’t think I got that.”

“Of course I would fight Paul again,” Abraham said. “I’m sure it would be another exciting fight. However, the circumstances would need to be right. At the moment, the most interesting fight for me would be [Felix] Sturm or [Robert] Stieglitz.”

Mexico City, Mexico – The UFC® announced today that UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez suffered a right knee injury during training and was forced to withdraw from his championship fight against No.1 contender Fabricio Werdum in Mexico City on November 15.

As a result, No.4 heavyweight Mark Hunt (10-8-1 in professional MMA, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand), who is coming off a walk-off knockout against the iron-chinned Roy Nelson in Tokyo in September (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGunUlEd50A), will face Werdum (18-5-1, fighting out of Los Angeles via Porto Alegre, Brazil) in the five-round main event for the interim UFC heavyweight title.

“I’m so unbelievably disappointed that this happened,” Velasquez said. “To say I was looking forward to fighting in Mexico for the first time is an understatement. I wanted to fight on that card so bad. Looks like it wasn’t meant to be and it’s not going to happen. I’m going to get my [right] knee fixed and get back to training as soon as I can. I’m sorry to the fans in Mexico who were expecting this fight, and I hope to be able to come down and still be a part of this historic event.”

For Werdum, it was never about Cain, it was always about the title.

“I’m ready for whatever comes. I have been training in Mexico for nearly two months and accept the challenge that is presented to me. I’ll continue to prepare and will arrive ready to fight on behalf of all my Latin American fans,” said Werdum.

Mark Hunt, never one to shy away from a big opportunity, wasted no time accepting a dream opportunity to fight for UFC gold.

“I feel blessed to have this opportunity to fight for another world title. This is something that doesn’t happen often to people. First K1 and now UFC – how can I say no, even though it’s on short notice? I’m dropping everything and flying to Mexico tomorrow so I can best prepare myself for this fight. I have to get into shape and acclimatize to that environment, which is really important.

“There’s nothing to lose when you’re competing against the best at the top level,” Hunt added.

UFC 180: WERDUM vs. HUNT scheduled for November 15 at the Arena Mexico City, sold-out in only eight hours, and will welcome more than 20,000 fans. Along with the explosive main event, fans will also be treated to six other bouts featuring Latin American contenders.

For more information visit www.ufcnetwork.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

UFC ticket refund policy
Due to causes beyond our company’s control, there has been a change in the main event of UFC 180 and Cain Velasquez will no longer be participating. For customers who wish to request a refund the times to do so will be from October 28 to November 7, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT.

For purchases made with a credit card and/or debit card, please go to the Arena Ciudad de Mexico box office with the following documents:
* Card with which the purchase was made. Original and copy
* Official identification. Original and Copy
* Tickets.

For purchases made in CASH, OXXO, ELEKTRA, PALACIO DE HIERRO’s CARD through Superboletos, reimbursements will be made at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico box office only from October 28 to November 7, 2014, please submit:
* Tickets.
* Official identification. Original and Copy

Foreign clients
For customers who are requesting a foreign refund, you must send your scanned tickets to the following e-mail address: reembolsos@superboletos.com with the title “UFC refund”, submitting the following:
* Tickets
* Official identification. Copy
* Card with the purchase I make (if applicable, Copy)

Once the documents are sent, the actual tickets must be mailed to our offices in Monterrey and we will provide a reply to the e-mail in which we receive the documents. The dates for this are from October 28 to November 7, 2014.

If you purchased with cash you must also attach the card to which you want us to make the deposit, if the purchase was made through credit/debit card the refund should appear on your balance within 25 to 30 working days from when the paperwork is received. Service charge is not refundable.

###

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.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 21, 2014) – Boxing returns to San Francisco as OPP & MoBetta Entertainment Present “Back To Business , War On The Wharf” Saturday November 2, 2014, at the Longshoreman’s Hall. In the main event, hometown hero, Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield (18-2-1, 11 KOs) and Michael Balasi (10-5, 7 KOs) of Honolulu, HI, will battle in an 8-round welterweight bout. The fight will commence at a catch-weight of 145 lbs. Women’s heavyweights Martha Salazar (12-4, 3 KOs) of San Francisco and Tanzee Daniel (4-3-1, 1 KO) of New York will clash in the 10-round co-main event.

Mayfield is, who hails from the Fillmore district of San Francisco, is looking to rebound from a couple of close decision losses. A victory in his hometown will surely boost his confidence as he looks to get back into title contention.

“Man I’ve been working real hard in the gym and I’m just trying to get back in the win column,” said Karim Mayfield. “I had a couple of setbacks in my last two fights but I’ve had time to rethink the situation and now I feel I’m ready to go on another run. I know I have some fight left in me and I’m going to bring it on November 8th in front of my hometown fans. I want to thank my brother La Ron Mayfield and Osric Pratt for bringing this fight to San Francisco. Balasi is a tough guy but I’m on a mission to get back on top and I’m not going to let him derail me. He’s in trouble!”

Back in April of 2013, Salazar scored an impressive win against former undefeated Greek native Sonya Lamonakis (9-1-2, 1 KO). Salazar, who held the Women’s International Boxing Federation World heavyweight title, is looking to continue her success after the long layoff.

“First off I like to say I’m very happy to be fighting in my hometown,” said Salazar. “Women’s boxing is coming back and I want to finish off these last years of my career on a positive note. It’s been a while since I last fought but I’m ready to go as I had a great training camp. I’m hoping to bring an exciting fight to all my fans with the thoughts of being victorious.”

Live performance by platinum Bay Area artist Sage Gemini will perform during the intermission.

Undercard Bouts

6-Round Super-Welterweight bout
San Francisco’s Ricardo Pinell (9-1-1, 6 KOs) vs. Dallas Texas’ Rahman Yusobov (11-17, 9 KOs)

8-Round Super-Weltwerweight bout
Watsonville, California’s Jonathan Garcia (15-0, 11 KOs) vs. Hayward, California’s Levan Ghvamichava (12-1-1, 9 KOs)

4-Round Super-Featherweight bout
Daily City’s Adam Fiel (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Austin Texas’ Cesar Martinez (0-2)

4-Round Super-Welterweight bout
San Francisco’s Otis Seymore (Pro Debut) vs. Turlock, California’s Khrys Daniels (Pro Debut)

6-Round Featherweight bout
San Francisco’s Laura Deanovic (1-6) vs. Novato, California’s Marquita Lee (2-0)

The Long Shoreman’s Hall is located 400 North Point St. San Francisco, CA, 94133. Doors open at 5:30 P.M first fight at 6:00 P.M. Tickets priced $40 (Balcony) and $60 (Floor) are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.oppboxing.com or www.eventbrite.com. $75 Ringside Tickets SOLD OUT! $600 VIP tables are also available for purchase by calling (415) 725-2479. Tables seat 5 people and are served with 2 bottles of Earl Stevens Selections. For more information go to www.oppboxing.com.

QUEENS, NY (October 21st, 2014) – Port Chester’s undefeated Junior Lightweight prospect, Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz (12-0, 6KO’s), makes his return to the ring on Friday, November 21st, 2014 as the Main Event against an opponent TBA. The eight-round bout will take place at the Resorts World Casino New York City in Jamaica, New York. The show will be promoted by New Legend Boxing as part of their “International Fight Night” series.

After scoring a win against Jose Morales (7-5, 2 KOs) in August, Cruz is excited to be back in the ring at the Resorts World Casino New York City in Jamaica, New York.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to fight for the New York State Junior Lightweight title” said Cruz. “My promoters, New Legend Boxing and DiBella Entertainment along with my manager Kevin Crowley have done a great job helping to guide my career. I feel comfortable with them knowing that they are watching out for my best interests and moving me at a pace that will help me to learn as I advance through the ranks. The number one thing you look for in a promoter is someone you can trust and these guys have gone above and beyond what I could ask for. I train hard every day with my team and let my manager and promoters handle the business end. I know every time I step in the ring that I will be facing an opponent that will be tougher than the last. Every fight is a learning experience and I will continue to improve on my skills”.

“Cruz is looking better and better each and every time he steps in the ring,” said New Legend Boxing promoter Felipe Gomez. “He’s gaining the quality experience he will need to take his career to the next level and we are hoping to get him some TV exposure by early next year.

New Legend Boxing has tickets available, priced at General Admission $50, Reserved Seating $75, Ringside $125 and Ringside VIP $150 may be purchased by online at www.NewLegendBoxing.com or by calling (718) 487-4474.

Resorts World Casino New York City is located 110-00 Rockaway Blvd. Jamaica, N.Y. 11420. Doors open at 6:30 PM, first fight starts at 7:30 PM.

ORANGE, Calif. (Oct. 21, 2014) – Interim WBA Lightweight World Champion Darleys Perez (30-1, 19 KOs) defends his title against fellow Colombian Jaider Parra (23-1-1, 12 KOs) this Friday, Oct. 24, in the 12-round main event from the Coliseo Universidad Del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Perez, who is currently the WBA No. 1 ranked challenger to current world champion Richar Abril, understands the high importance attached to this interim title defense.

“This is simply another step I need to take to fulfill my goal of becoming an outright world champion,” said Perez, who captured the interim title against the previously undefeated Argenis Lopez in June. “I’ve been focused since day one of training camp and look forward to winning in front of my hometown fans. I know Parra will come out swinging, but I won’t let that affect my game plan.”

Perez is co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing Promotions.

“Darleys Perez is back on top of the lightweight division and I know he has what it takes to solidify himself as the best 135 pounder in the world,” said Gary Shaw, president of Gary Shaw Productions. “Parra is a tough opponent, but I think Perez is the more superior fighter who’s fought the better competition. A victory for Perez will do wonders for his career.”

“We know Darleys to be one of the brightest talents in the lightweight division, and on Saturday, he’s going to show the world he’s the guy to beat in that loaded division,” said Ken Thompson, founder and president of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He has all the tools and motivation to be great for a long time.”

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com and GaryShawProductions.com.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, find us on Google+ and follow us on and Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

Somerset, NJ (October 21, 2014)–This Friday night at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, Jorge Diaz (18-3, 10 KO’s) will be back at his natural Featherweight when he takes on Jose Haro (8-1, 6 KO’s) in the 8-round co-feature of a big card promoted by GH3 Promotions.

In the 8-round main event, undefeated Middleweight prospect Antoine Douglas (14-0-1, 9 KO’s) takes on Jose Medina (18-15-1, 7 KO’s)

Diaz, who was a heralded prospect got back on the winning mark when he scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Ramon Ellis on July 25 in Verona, New York.

The bout, which was contested at Lightweight saw Diaz use his speed and look very sharp against the naturally bigger Ellis.

The native of New Brunswick, New Jersey is not only back at a familiar weight but is back to the man who molded and sculpted then now 27 year-old.

“Everything is good. I have been with my amateur trainer, Steve Rivera. He knows me best and he has me back to being me,” said Diaz.

He is taking on a tough opponent in Haro. The native of Salt Lake City, Utah brings in a record of 8-1 with 6 knockouts.

“From my understanding he is a tough opponent. I know he has 6 knockouts. I am just going to go out there and give my best effort. I am more confident then I was before.”

That confidence is being back to a weight class to where Diaz feels that he can not only be a contender but a world champion.

“I am the a new Jorge Diaz. I am the real Jorge Diaz. I was in the Arturo Gatti camp before and I think I was trying to be too much like him. I feel now with the way I am feeling within three or four fights, I am a world champion. I know that best has yet to come.”

In an 8-round bout, Jonathan Maicelo (21-1, 12 KO’s) of North Bergen, NJ will take on Darnell Jiles Jr. (9-3-2, 3 KO’s) of Rochester, NY in a Lightweight fight.

Also on the card in 6-round bouts:

Undefeated Super Middleweight John Magda (7-0, 6 KO’s) of Ruthorford, NJ will take on Edgar Perez (6-11, 3 KO’s) of Chicago, IL

In four round bouts:

Lightweight Bienvenido Diaz (1-0, 1 KO) of Prospect Park, NJ take on an opponent to be named.

Glenn Dezurn (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD will fight Raymond Chacon (5-10) of Los Angeles.

Anthony Cintron (2-0, 1 KO) of Hawley, PA will fight pro debuting Rennard Oliver of Baton, Rouge, LA.

Heavyweight Leon Johnson of Newark, NJ will make his pro debut against Ray Santiago (1-4) of Albany, NY.

Caleb Hernandez of Paterson, NJ will make his pro debut against Anton Williamson (1-0) of Albany, NY.

Tickets for this outstanding evening of boxing can be purchased for $125 for Stage seating, $100 for Front Row, $75 for Ringside and $50 for General Admission by calling 862-223-9487.

The Ukrainian Cultural Center is located 135 Davidson Avenue in Somerset, New Jersey

NEW YORK, NY (Oct. 21, 2014) – Superstar Lyman “Cyborg” Good (16-3) of New York, N.Y. will go to war for his second-career Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship when he challenges reigning Cage Fury Fighting Championships (www.cffc.tv) welterweight (170 pounds) kingpin and undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jonavin “The Spider” Webb (7-0) of Marlton, N.J. in the main event of a world championship quadruple header and five-bout live pay-per-view telecast on Saturday, November 1 from the Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) 43 will be distributed at a price point of $19.95 in The United States by Go Fight Live (GFL), in association with Integrated Sports Media, for live viewing, beginning at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on November 1, both on cable via iN DEMAND, as well as online at www.gfl.tv.

“We are excited to partner with both GFL and Integrated Sports Media to bring the CFFC product to millions of homes on live pay-per-view television,” said CFFC President Rob Haydak. “This is, without a doubt, the finest and most complete lineup of top-level professional bouts we have assembled to date, so we are looking forward to crowning four new world champions in front of a live television audience on November 1.”

Webb, a 25-year-old protégé of Daniel Gracie, became the CFFC welterweight champion after scoring a thunderous, third round (4:52) TKO on Daniel Stittgen on August 9 to capture the vacant title.

The 29-year-old Good, the first Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight champion in history, left the promotion following a unanimous decision win over Dante Rivera on April 4, 2013. Good made his CFFC debut on June 21, scoring a devastating KO on Matt Secor with an onslaught of punches in the first round (4:21) of battle.

In the co-main event, two furious, aggressive-minded finishers in Ronald “Choirboy” Stallings (12-4) of Belcamp, M.D. and Tim “The South Jersey Strangler” Williams (9-1) of Millville, N.J. will face off for the vacant CFFC world middleweight (185 pounds) crown. To date, both fighters have claimed all of their professional victories by way of (T)KO or submission.

In other world championship action on the live televised main card, Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera (14-1) of Elmwood Park, N.J. will look to secure his 14th consecutive victory when he collides with fellow star Anthony “The Death Dealer” Durnell (11-3) of Pittsburgh, Penn. for the vacant CFFC bantamweight (135 pounds) crown. Durnell is aiming for his 4th straight win.

CFFC World Heavyweight Champion and heavy-handed KO artist Zu “The 8th Wonder of the World” Anyanwu (7-2) will put his strap on the line against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Plinio Cruz (6-5) and, in the first live, televised bout, rising stars Jonathan “The Devastaor” DelBrugge (5-1) of Ellicott City, M.D. and Jordan Stiner (8-1) of Hatfield, Penn. will lock horns in a lightweight (155 pounds) contest.

A live pre-show featuring six preliminary card bouts will begin at 6 p.m. EST/3 p.m. PST, and will be available exclusively online at www.gfl.tv.

About GFL:

GFL (www.gfl.tv) is a fast-growing media and sports entertainment company that utilizes a proprietary technology to deliver the most exciting LIVE combat sports events worldwide and an incredible viewing experience to a global audience. With a diverse mix of combat sports properties, GFL is the premier online destination for live boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and more. Since its inception in 2007, GFL has streamed more than 2,500 live events with over 10,000 hours of combat sports content. In addition to its web platform, GFL is available on Roku, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices, and broadcasts a weekly, two-hour, syndicated news program on CSN, TCN and SNY, as well as live pay-per-view events directly to iN DEMAND.

About Integrated Sports Media:

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 mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, 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. 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 iN DEMAND

iN DEMAND is the pioneer and leading distributor of exciting transactional, subscription and free on demand entertainment delivered through television’s most innovative technologies. Content is currently available on pay-per-view, video on demand and digital platforms; and includes movies from major studios and indies, professional sports packages, ring sports events and a range of other popular programming. Content is available in SD, HD and 3D. As a full-service provider to most of the top cable and telco operators in North America and the Caribbean, we are dedicated to delivering the most advanced and comprehensive portfolio of end-to-end digital video products and services, managed with the highest technical reliability and cost efficiency.

Los Angeles, CA (October 21, 2014) In addition to breaking all attendance records this Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, the acclaimed outdoor Southern California boxing venue, boxing fastest rising star, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN also scored big in the TV ratings. His HBO televised second round knockout of MARCO ANTONIO RUBIO earned a 1.3 rating, making it the second highest viewed premium cable-boxing event of 2014.

This marks a 33% increase for Golovkin from his extraordinary third round stoppage of Daniel Geale on July 26th at Madison Square Garden, also telecast on HBO.

“We’re very pleased with the TV ratings from this past Saturday night,” said TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. “Selling this many tickets in both NY and LA, combined with the TV ratings, it’s clear that Gennady is one of the top stars in the sport.”

Continued Loeffler, “This past Saturday night’s atmosphere at the StubHub Center truly captured the passion that Gennady’s fans have for him. In two years Gennady has become boxing’s biggest must-see attraction and we expect 2015 to catapult him to even greater heights. The best is yet to come for GGG.”

Scoring his 18th consecutive knockout, Golovkin raised his stellar record to 31-0-0 (28KO’s), increasing the highest KO percentage of any active world champion, while adding the WBC Interim Middleweight Title to his WBA and IBO Middleweight belts.

Monaco/Johannesburg, October 21 – Saturday’s “Title Tornado” tournament in Monte Carlo, promoted by Golden Gloves, will be broadcast in major territories across the world.

This was announced by promoter Rodney Berman upon his arrival in the principality on Tuesday.
In a major coup, a deal was agreed to have the Monte Carlo show broadcast on ESPN in the USA with the full telecast to be broadcast on ESPN3, which is available in 70 million+ homes.
Other confirmed countries and territories that will see a live or taped broadcast feed include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Middle East, Poland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, plus 54 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The demand has been significant,” said Berman. “Not only are there a number of excellent match-ups, but with boxers from East and West it makes for a very cosmopolitan event.”
He said that other broadcast territories would be announced in the next 48 hours.
Said Lowell Conn of Octapixx LIVE, the boxing rights distributor and sports marketing firm: “We are very pleased that the telecast is going to be widely seen and look forward to more positive news in this regard before the week is out.”
The boxers officially come face to face for the first time on Wednesday with the media conference at Casino de Monte-Carlo.
The “Title Tornado” card includes Martin Murray’s WBC Silver middleweight title defence against Domenico Spada of Italy, WBA/IBO strawweight champion Hekkie Budler’s title defence against Xiong Zhao Zhong of China, the IBF title fight between Randy Caballero of the US and Stuart Hall of the UK and the WBC Silver light-heavyweight fight between unbeaten prospects Ryno Liebenberg of South Africa and Eleider Alvarez of Colombia.

Andre Kut’s KEA Boxing Promotions team is set to bring another big night of action to the famous Schuetzen Parkon Saturday night in North Bergen, New Jersey with an action packed show featuring the return of Yusaf “Mack Attack” Mack (31-7-2, 17KOs) in a six round light heavyweight battle against the hard hitting Cory “Black Ice” Cummings (17-7,13KOs). In the co-feature of the card titled “Boxing at the Park III,” welterweight prospect Juan “The Beast” Rodriguez, Jr (11-1, 5KOs) looks to bounce back from his first loss as a professional, when he takes on undefeated Philadelphian Greg Jackson (3-1,1KO) in a six round clash.

It will be a day of reckoning of sorts for former world title challenger Yusaf Mack as he faces a pivotal point in his career when he faces dangerous veteran Cory “Black Ice Cummings next Saturday night at Schuetzen Park. Recently signed with KEA Boxing, the thirty-four year old Mack knows his time is now if he is going to make a run back at a world title. In his last two fights against contenders, Thomas Williams, Jr and Cedric Agnew, Mack showed flashes, but seemed to tire as the rounds progressed, which resulted in two hard fought unanimous decision losses.

“We see the potential in Mack and believe he can once again be right back fighting for a world title,” said Andre Kut. “KEA Boxing wants to give him the best opportunity to make his world title ambitions become a reality.”

Standing in his way on Saturday night is Corey ‘Black Ice” Cummings, who can provide explosive power as witnessed by thirteen knockouts in his seventeen victories. A victory over Mack would put him back in line for even bigger paydays if he pulls off the upset.

In the co-feature of the evening, formerly undefeated welterweight Juan “The Beast” Rodriguez, Jr. looks to bounce back from his first loss of his career against present USBA welterweight title holder Sammy “The who can Mexican,” Vasquez when he takes on undefeated Greg Jackson (3-0-1) in a six round contest that is sure to provide plenty of action.

KEA boxing has once again put together an interesting undercard featuring some of the most exciting fighters in the region in competitively matched fights.

Undefeated heavyweight Tyrell Wright (6-0, 4KOs) of Jersey City, New Jersey puts his perfect record on the line when he faces the more experienced New Yorker, John Bolden (6-9, 5KOs) in a six round contest.

Rounding out the six round contests will be a crossroads cruiserweight battle as Paterson, New Jersey’s Elvin “KoKo” Sanchez (6-3-1, 5KOs) swaps punches with Johnson City, Tennessee’s Brad Austin (10-13, 7KOs) .

In a special female attraction, Connie Viruet (1-0, 1KO) of Hoboken, New Jersey and Yonkers New York’s Bertha Aricil (1-0, 1KO) put their undefeated records and perfect knockout streaks on the line in what is sure to be an explosive four round junior middleweight war.

Someone’s “0” must go as undefeated welterweights duke it out when Queens, New York’s Alex Serna (1-0,1KO) takes on interstate rival Marlon Brown of Staten Island, New York

Rounding out the card, will be a four round lightweight contest as Andrew “Sweat Pea” Bentley (1-2) looks to get back to the five hundred mark when he battles it out with Cincinnati, Ohio’s Micah Branch (2-10-1).

Tickets for this exciting night of action are as follows:

Stage-$100

VIP Ringside-$100

Preferred seating-$75

Reserved seating-$50

General Admission-$40

Tickets can be purchased online at www.kea-boxing.com or by calling (973) 903-2907 or (973) 222-2273.

Doors open at 6:30PM.

First fight 7:30PM

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Oct. 21st, 2014) — One of the most highly-anticipated fight cards of 2014 has a little bit of something for every boxing fan, from a world title fight to the long-overdue return of an undefeated fan-favorite.

The title, “Winner Take All,” is fitting considering the winner of the Shelito Vincent-Jackie Trivilino in the 10-round main event Friday, Nov. 7th ,2014 at Twin River Casino will take home the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) female super bantamweight world title.

There’s more. Angel Camacho Jr., the undefeated super middleweight from Johnston, R.I., returns for the first time in more than three years in a tough test against hard-hitting veteran Tylon Burris of Hartford, Conn., a fight that could steal the thunder from the main event.

“What a fight card!” said CES president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “This is the best of both worlds. With Vincent and Trivlino, you have two of the best in women’s boxing, plus a tremendous comeback story with Angel Camacho Jr., and a rematch between two great young fighters we’ve all been dying to see.

“You’re also getting another glimpse of the rising stars of New England, the future of boxing, before we close the curtain on another successful fight season at the beautiful Twin River Casino. No real fight fan should miss this event.”

“Winner Take All” is an all-ages show. Tickets for the event are on sale now for $40, $100 and $126 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Twin River Box Office or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. Doors open at 6 and the first bout begins at 7 p.m. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

A fight more than a year in the making, Vincent-Trivilino promises to deliver non-stop action, similar to Vincent’s bout against the gritty Angel Gladney in May of 2013, a fight in which both sides traded blows for eight full rounds. Trivilino (9-8-3, 1 KO), of Plattsburgh, N.Y., is an offensive-minded who comes forward, doesn’t mind taking punishment in order to dish it out and will challenge anyone anywhere at any given time.

Through the years, Trivilino has faced some of the best in women’s boxing, including former World Boxing Council (WBC) female super bantamweight champ Alicia Ashley, former International Women’s Boxing Federation (IWBF) and Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) super featherweight world champion Ronica Jeffrey and Brooklyn’s Heather Hardy, currently ranked No. 7 in the WBC.

Vincent (12-0, 1 KO), herself a former WIBA title-holder now ranked No. 4 in the WBC, is aiming for her second world championship in what will be her toughest to date. Vincent defeated Gladney for the WIBA title more than a year ago by unanimous, winning at least seven of the eight rounds on all three scorecards.

“Winner Take All” also features the return of Camacho Jr., who last fought in 2011 when he ended a three-year layoff with a win over fellow Rhode Islander Keith Kozlin and only has one fight on his resume since 2008. Burris is no pushover. The rangy, 6-foot-1 veteran will be making his third appearance at Twin River, returning for the first time since May of 2013 when he fought six hard rounds with middleweight prospect Thomas Falowo. Burris’ biggest win is a knockout victory over the previously unbeaten Kevin Cobbs, which remains Cobbs’ only defeat in 10 pro fights.

As Burchfield noted, “Winner Take All” also features the future of New England boxing, including New Bedford, Mass., prospects Ray Oliveira Jr. and Scott Sullivan, Worcester, Mass., light middleweight Khiary Gray-Pitts (2-0, 1 KO) and undefeated welterweight Nick DeLomba of Cranston, R.I., all of whom will be featured in separate bouts, along with the Rhode Island debut of lightweight prospect Joey Tiberi Jr. of Newark, Del.

With family in Rhode Island, the Italian-American Tiberi Jr. (12-2, 6 KOs) figures to be a hit among the loyal fight fans at Twin River. He’ll face the dangerous Chazz McDowell (6-5-1, 1 KO) of Yonkers, N.Y., in a six-round bout. McDowell is a familiar face in the northeast after challenging Connecticut’s Chip Perez in an eight-round bout in 2012. The record of McDowell’s last five opponents is 50-2-2, including the unbeaten Amos Cowart, whom McDowell fought to a draw in August of 2013. Tiberi Jr.’s rise in the lightweight division is highlighted by a 10-fight win streak between 2011 and 2014.

After winning their pro debuts in September, Oliveira Jr. (1-0, 1 KO) and Sullivan (1-0, 1 KO), both protégés of former world-title challenger Ray Oliveira Sr., are back at it on November 7th. Sullivan faces unbeaten lightweight Oscar Bonilla (2-0-1) of New Haven, Conn., while Oliveira Jr. takes on 6-foot-3 super middleweight Mike Rodriguez (0-1), an accomplished amateur from Springfield, Mass., who also debuted at Twin River last year when he faced Rhode Island’s KJ Harrison-Lombardi.

“Winner Take All” also features the return of Warwick, R.I., super middleweight and Air Force veteran Zack Christy (1-0), who also debuted in September, in a four-round bout against Springfield’s Pedro Joquin (0-1). Born in Rhode Island, Christy now lives and trains in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Visit www.cesboxing.com for more information, follow CES Boxing on Twitter at @CESBOXING and Instagram at CESBOXING, or “like” CES Boxing on Facebook.

Former world champions will collide when Amir Khan takes on Devon Alexander on December 13 in Las Vegas that will headline a tripleheader on Showtime, according to Dan Rafael of espn.

“There are just little details that we are finishing but Khan and Alexander are going to fight,” said Golden Boy Promotions De La Hoya told ESPN.com on Monday.

“Amir Khan looked good against my boy Collazo, but I have a feeling he wants to make a statement against Alexander, and Alexander is coming off a good win in a good action fight with Soto Karass,” De La Hoya said. “What’s happening here is they realize they have to prove themselves if they want to get a really big fight, like against Mayweather.”

“It came right back around,” Alexander told ESPN.com. “It looks like it will happen, and I’m excited about it. Should be a big win for me. He tried to just wait to get the Mayweather fight and he didn’t get it, and now he has to fight me. So it is inevitable we get in the ring and see who’s best and who is catapulted to the next level.

“He’s a good fighter. He has some speed. I can hit and not get hit, and I’m faster. He stands there. He’s a good, solid fighter, but he don’t do anything special. He hits and jumps back. That’s how he lost; he got timed jumping in and got caught. People know me as a good counter puncher, and I’m fast so of course I will be able to catch him and catch him good, and my boxing will be there, too. So I think I have the ability to outshine him in this one.”

Alexander is also excited to have the first fight of his 10-year career in Las Vegas.

“Every time I was scheduled to fight in Vegas, it always fell through,” Alexander said. “This is my dream to fight in Vegas. That’s one of my goals, to fight in Vegas, and what better fight than to do it for the first time on a big stage.”

“It matters [that there’s no title], but I want to beat a good name and let people know I’m one of the best at welterweight and that I am still the future of the welterweight division and I am still here, and I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

De La Hoya also confirmed a previous ESPN.com report that one of the other bouts on the card would be junior middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade (21-0, 14 KOs), 26, of Providence, Rhode Island, defending his title for the second time when he faces Golden Boy fighter Jermell Charlo (24-0, 11 KOs), 24, of Houston.

The third bout is likely to pit interim welterweight titlist Keith Thurman (23-0, 21 KOs), 25, of Clearwater, Florida — one of boxing’s most exciting rising stars — against European welterweight champion Leonard Bundu (31-0, 11 KOs), 39, of Italy. Bundu, who recently signed with Haymon (who also handles Thurman), is unknown in the United States and has no wins of serious note on his record except for his last fight, a split decision against then-undefeated prospect Frankie Gavin of England in European title defense.

David Carmona scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Martin Casillas in a Super Flyweight bout at the Jose Cuervo Salon in Polanco, Mexico.

Carmona scored a knockdown in the first round from a short left hook.

Carmona, 115 lbs won by scores of 99-90, 98-91 and 97-92 and is now 18-2-3. Casillas, 115 lbs is now 14-4.

Gabriel Acosta scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Uriel Lopez in a Bantamweight bout.

Somerset, NJ (October 20, 2014)–This Friday night at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, undefeated Middleweight prospect Antoine Douglas (14-0-1, 9 KO’s) will take on tough veteran Jose Medina (18-15-1, 7 KO’s) of Tilton, NH in a eight round bout that will headline a big night of boxing promoted by GH3 Promotions.

Douglas of Burke, Virginia has been training hard for this bout as he is coming off the first blemish of his career when he was held to a majority draw against former world title challenger Michel Soro on July 25.

“Everything has been good. I have been training real hard for this fight,” said Douglas.

Douglas was seemingly cruising to a victory as he used a consistent punch output and was firmly in control of the bout until a right hand in the 8th round changed things and Douglas held on for the draw. The bout proved to be a big learning experience for the 22 year-old.

“I learned that I need to be fighting at 160 lbs,” in reference to the bout being contested at 157 lbs where Douglas weighed in at a just 155 1/2.

“I was doing well and just he got me with a good punch over my jab.”

In Medina he will be taking on an opponent who has wins over Issac Rodriguez (17-1) and Chris Fitzpatrick (14-0) and has a draw with former world champion Joachim Alcine (32-2).

“Medina is an experienced guy. He has had his fair share of fights and he definitely comes to fight.”

The fight with Soro headlined the 200th edition of Sho Box and with a win over Medina, Douglas will be back on the national television circuit.

“After this, I expect more television fight, more air time and I will continue to move forward.

Douglas was in camp with recent IBF Middleweight champion Sam Soliman. Being in camp with the former champ did a great service for Douglas.

“It was a great experience sparring with Soliman. He is a cool guy and great to work with. It doesn’t get better then to spar with a world champion.

“I am ready to fight as usual and I am ready to bring home another victory.”

GH3 Promotions has taken full responsibility for his last catch weight at 157 lbs,” said GH3 CEO Vito Mielnicki.

“Douglas being so dedicated to his craft, he came in at 155 and was not able to hydrate Back up after the weigh in. I think me wanting him to showcase his skills almost caused a bad decision on my part. He is one the most talented up coming stars in the game. He is a baby and he is growing every fight. GH3 Promotions is looking to get him 3 fights by January 15 and then make are move on the middleweight title. I know he can beat anyone in the game. He is that special.”, finished Mielnicki

In the eight round co-feature, Featherweight Jorge Diaz (18-3, 10 KO’s) will see action against Jose Haro (8-1, 6 KO’s) of Salt Lake City, New Jersey

Also on the card in 6-round bouts:

Undefeated Super Middleweight John Magda (7-0, 6 KO’s) of Ruthorford, NJ will take on Edgar Perez (6-11, 3 KO’s) of Chicago, IL

In an eight round bout, Jonathan Maicelo (21-1, 12 KO’s) of North Bergen, NJ will fight Darnell Jiles Jr. (9-3-2, 3 KO’s) of Rochester, NY

In four round bouts:

Lightweight Bienvenido Diaz (1-0, 1 KO) of Prospect Park, NJ take on an opponent to be named.

Glenn Dezurn (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD will fight Raymond Chacon (5-10) of Los Angeles.

Anthony Cintron (2-0, 1 KO) of Hawley, PA will fight pro debuting Rennard Oliver of Baton, Rouge, LA.

Heavyweight Leon Johnson of Newark, NJ will make his pro debut against Ray Santiago (1-4) of Albany, NY.

Caleb Hernandez of Paterson, NJ will make his pro debut against Anton Williamson (1-0) of Albany, NY.

Tickets for this outstanding evening of boxing can be purchased for $125 for Stage seating, $100 for Front Row, $75 for Ringside and $50 for General Admission by calling 862-223-9487.

The Ukrainian Cultural Center is located 135 Davidson Avenue in Somerset, New Jersey

Sherman Oaks, CA (October 20, 2014) World Class Professional Boxing will return to the legendary Sportsmen’s Lodge in honor of DAN GOOSSEN on Thursday, November 20th.

Presented by Goossen Promotions in association with the world famous Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City, California, advance tickets for “LIVE AT THE LODGE” priced at $104 (VIP), $53 (Ringside) and $33 (General Admission) are now on sale through the Goossen Promotions’ Office at (818) 817-8001.

Stated CRAIG GOOSSEN, son of Dan, “My Dad was the ultimate San Fernando Valley guy and the continuation of this series is the perfect way to honor his devotion to the sport and passion for the Valley. “LIVE AT THE LODGE” will be a key ingredient to his legacy.”

TOM BROWN, Dan’s brother in law and longtime matchmaker said, “Dan loved promoting high quality shows in his hometown. He’s been a staple in the Southern California boxing community going all the way back to the Reseda Country Club, where he first made his mark, up to major championship bouts at Staples Center.”

Headlining “LIVE AT THE LODGE” will be undefeated junior welterweight contender LYDELL “Hackman” RHODES of Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 27-year-old Rhodes, 22-0-0 (11KO’s), will be making the fourth start of his 2014 campaign most recently stopping John Nater on August 16th at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA.

Also featured in a ten round clash will be hard-hitting and world ranked welterweight WALE “Lucky Boy” OMOTOSO of Oxnard, California.

The Nigerian born Omotoso, 24-1-0 (20KO’s) bounced back from his first loss in 2013 to current world champion Jessie Vargas with an eighth round stoppage of Eduardo Flores on August 1, 2014 at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington on a card presented by Goossen Promotions.

Making his highly anticipated return to battle at “LIVE AT THE LODGE” will be 2008 U.S. Olympian SHAWN “Manes de Oro” ESTRADA of East Los Angeles.

Bringing a record of 15-0-0 (13KO’s), Estrada will be looking to kick-start his career in an eight round bout following a two-year layoff.

Also featured in an eight round tilt will be Haitian born middleweight prospect WILKY “Silky” CAMPFORT.

Having amassed a record of 18-1-0 (10KO’s) in his five years as a professional, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida native is coming off a third round stoppage of Milton Nunez also on the Goossen Promotions card on August 1.

Further information on all four bouts will be announced shortly.

Goossen promoted a number of boxing events at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in the late 90’s, returning to the venue in the summer of 2012 for sold-out events. His mission for the “LIVE AT THE LODGE” series mirrored his successful template when he and his family began in the Valley during the 80’s with monthly boxing cards at the famed Reseda Country Club with the motto, “Tomorrow’s Champions, Fighting Today.”

From the early 80’s to mid 90’s, Goossen promoted hundreds of shows at the Reseda Country Club in the early 80’s through the mid-90’s where A List celebrities including Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman, James Caan, Cheech Marin, Tony Danza, Michael Landon, Billy Dee Williams, David Hasselhoff, Michael J. Fox, Heather Locklear, the Los Angeles Raiders and Mr. T among many others who could be seen sitting at ringside taking in the action.

Many of those early cards at the Reseda Country Club featured future world champions in their initial bouts such as Michael Nunn, the Ruelas Brothers, Gabriel and Rafael, Wayne McCullough and Terry Norris in addition to numerous world-class fighters including Alex Ramos, Randy Shields and Tex Cobb.

The Sportsmen’s Lodge first opened its doors in the 1880’s and is a Southern California landmark that was once a popular gathering spot for the who’s who of old Hollywood including Clark Gable, Bette Davis, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Operating under various names in the first half of the 20th Century, the lodge was known for its trout-fishing lake where families came to catch and eat their own dinners, cooked courtesy of the lodge’s restaurant.

The Sportsmen’s Lodge is located at 12825 Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, California. For further details visit their website at www.SportsMensLodge.com

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Middleweights David Lemieux and Gabriel Rosado will headline a triple header on December 6 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn that will be televised on Showtime.

Oscar De La Hoya also outlined the plans for the rest of the card, which will include a middleweight bout between James De La Rosa and Hugo Centeno. A welterweight bout between hot prospect Frankie Gomez and Thomas Dulorme is also in the works.

“Lemieux is a very exciting fighter and a big puncher,” De La Hoya said. “We made a deal with him for this fight. He’s in an exciting weight class and the ultimate prize for anyone at 154 or 160 pounds is to face Canelo Alvarez, and David Lemieux fits into that picture perfectly. The guy comes at you like a Mack truck. We’re going to do some good things with him. He has a great record, amazing power and is a great looking kid.”

The 25-year-old Lemieux (32-2, 30 KOs), whose formal deal with Golden Boy is for only one bout, has fought all of his professional fights in Montreal except one, and that was in Quebec City. He has appeared on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” several times but he is coming to Brooklyn to make a statement in the U.S., said manager Camille Estephan.

“We want to fight guys like Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez, and I think David is ready for these guys, but on a financial level it doesn’t make sense for them to fight him right now,” Estephan said. “I’m not saying they are ducking David because his name recognition in the U.S. is not big enough yet. So HBO wanted David to fight in the United States and for their audience to see him. They wanted to see what he can do against a guy who is a proven fighter like Gabriel Rosado. I am super happy we got this fight.”

“Rosado and Lemieux is a good fight,” said De La Hoya, who promotes Rosado. “Lemieux is a tough son of a gun. He always comes forward and so does Rosado. Rosado gave Golovkin one of his better fights and he always comes to fight. Dec. 6 is going to determine who’s possibly the next opponent for Canelo, after Cinco de Mayo.”

LAS VEGAS, NV (October 20, 2014) — Former two-division world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY JR. returns to the ring where he will battle one-time interim welterweight world champion DIEGO “La Joya” CHAVES in a 12-round welterweight rumble, Saturday, December 13, inside The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (3708 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109). The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. EST/PST. The telecast will open with World Boxing Association (WBA) Interim Super Lightweight World Champion MAURICIO “El Maestro” HERRERA defending his title against undefeated contender JOSE BENAVIDEZ, JR.

These four gladiators boast a combined record of 96-7 (53 KOs) — a winning ratio of 93% with over half of those victories coming by way knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Tecate, tickets to the Bradley-Chaves/Herrera-Benavidez world championship event go on sale Friday, October 24 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. Priced at $40, $60, $100, $125 and $150, tickets will be available for purchase at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/ or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com/. Room/ticket packages will also be available.

“I’m excited to get back into the ring and showcase myself,” Bradley told ESPN.com. “Chaves is not that well known but the boxing fans know him. The boxing fans know that this guy can fight and that it won’t be a walk in the park for me. I think it’s going to be a great fight. I can’t wait.”

“I give Timothy Bradley all the credit in the world for coming back after his first loss to face me, especially after seeing how I hurt Brandon Rios in my last fight,” said Chaves. “We both have a lot to prove on December 13. If Bradley thought he had it rough against Ruslan Provodnikov, wait until he collides with me.”

“I’m so happy that this fight was made and I get to showcase my skills once again on a huge stage,” said Herrera. “I’m coming off of one of the most important wins of my career and I plan on using that momentum to defend my title and convincingly defeat Benavidez on December 13.”

I’m obviously excited and grateful for the opportunity to fight for the title. It’s something I’ve worked for since I was a kid,” said Benavidez. “I know I’ll be bringing the title back to Phoenix with me. I have heard Herrera is looking past me and talking about moving up in weight when he wins, and I’m sorry that I’ll be disrupting those plans on December 13th.”

“Tim Bradley’s return to the ring may be taking place at the end of the year but it’s the beginning of a new and exciting phase of the boxing career of one of the sport’s elite fighters, a man who has held a world title every year dating back to 2008,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “Diego Chaves came so close when he faced Brandon Rios in his last fight and I anticipate seeing that same intensity and aggressiveness when he faces Tim. This will be a war. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will once again be hosting boxing at the highest level on December 13 and the world will be able to watch it on HBO.”

“So much hangs in the balance for both of these fighters – Herrera’s WBA Super Lightweight World Title, Benavidez’ undefeated record and much more,” said Golden Boy Founder and President Oscar De La Hoya. “With Herrera’s straight-ahead style against Benavidez’ Olympic pedigree, we have all the makings of a fantastic fight for fans.”

“There is no better way to present boxing fans with a pre-holiday gift than to feature the return of Timothy Bradley Jr. headlining an attractive card on World Championship Boxing, Live on HBO,” said Peter Nelson, Vice President of Programming, HBO Sports. “Bradley squares off against Diego Chaves, whose in-your-face style of fighting will keep Tim on his toes the entire night. And we anticipate fireworks from the rest of the telecast action.”

Bradley (31-1, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a former two-division world champion who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year reign, returns to the ring after suffering his first professional loss, in his welterweight championship rematch against Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao last April. Before the Pacquiao rematch, Bradley posted three consecutive career-best victories. After moving up in weight and beating Pacquiao in 2012 to capture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, Bradley co-starred in the Fight of the Year on March16, 2013, winning a brutal 12-round decision over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight. In his most recent fight, on October 12, 2013, Bradley gave a virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing’s elite pound for pound fighters.

Chaves (23-2, 19 KOs), from Buenos Aires, is a power puncher who stalks his opponent with only one goal — THE KNOCKOUT! His victory by knockout ratio of 83% proves it is usually “mission accomplished” for him. Chaves made his Las Vegas debut on August 2 when he fought former world champion Brandon Rios at The Cosmopolitan. The fight was all blood and guts as both warriors tore into each other in a foul-filled bout that ended in the ninth round with Chaves being disqualified by referee Vic Drakulich. At the time of the stoppage, Chaves was ahead by one point on one scorecard and down one point on the other two cards. Chaves captured the WBA interim welterweight title in 2012, knocking out defending champion Ismael El Massoudi in the second round. Chaves’ one-year title reign included a successful title defense against José Miranda, where he scored another second-round stoppage. He lost the title to Keith Thurman July 23, 2013. Chaves began 2014 with a third-round TKO of Juan Godoy on February 15. He is currently world-rated No. 7 by the WBA and No. 10 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

Herrera (21-4, 7 KOs), from Riverside, Calif. and promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, will be making the first defense of his interim world title. He won the championship in his last fight, on July 12, dethroning Johan Perez via a majority decision in a fight that was as close as it was competitive. It was a victory made sweeter by the fact Herrera had lost his previous title shot, against undefeated unified super lightweight world champion Danny Garcia on March 15, via a controversial majority decision that many thought Herrera had won. Herrera’s professional resume includes impressive victories over former WBO Junior Welterweight World Champion Ruslan Provodnikov and former amateur standout Mike Dallas, who had a combined record of 34-1-1 when he faced them.

Benavidez (21-0, 15 KOs), from Phoenix, AZ, was a sensational amateur prospect, winning a Gold Medal at the 2009 National Golden Gloves Championships at the age of 16, the youngest fighter to ever win the National Golden Gloves Championships. He turned professional one year later, at age 17, where he became the youngest professional boxer to be licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He was granted an exception (the minimum age requirement was 18) because of his exceptional talent. After spending most of 2013 sidelined with a broken hand he has come back to win all three of his 2014 fights decisively, including a first-round TKO of Henry Auraad on July 26.

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.

Las Vegas – The UFC® announced that the groundbreaking season of The Ultimate Fighter®: A Champion Will Be Crowned will come to an explosive finish in the season finale on Friday, Dec. 12 at Palms Casino Resort. The two finalists will battle it out to become the inaugural UFC 115-pound champion in the five-round main event.

As the latest installment of the UFC’s signature reality series, The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned launched the UFC women’s strawweight division, and showcased 16 of the world’s best 115-pound female mixed martial artists as they fought to capture the first-ever strawweight crown. The winner of this season, to be decided on the finale show, will emerge as a trailblazer in women’s MMA and follow in the footsteps of current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

In addition to a world title fight, powerful striker (No.10) Jeremy Stephens (23-9, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Des Moines, Iowa) will take on 14th-ranked featherweight Charles Oliveira (18-4, 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) in the co-main event.

Coming off a 30-second win over Sam Stout at The Ultimate Fighter® finale in April, former STRIKEFORCE® veteran K.J. Noons (12-6, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) returns to face The Ultimate Fighter season 15 alumnus Daron Cruickshank (16-5, fighting out of Detroit, Mich.). Plus, fellow season 15 standout Joe Proctor (10-2, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.) looks for a third straight win when he meets the always dangerous Yancy Medeiros (10-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Honolulu, Hawaii) in a 155-pound scrap. Additional bouts to be announced, and will include a collection of women’s strawweight fights.

The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. This week, in episode five, an injury forces one of the fighters out of the competition, and opens the door for another to get a second chance in the tournament. The Team Melendez fighters question the severity of Heather Clark’s nagging knee injury. And the storied rivalry between No.6 seed Felice Herrig of Team Pettis and No.11 seed Heather Clark finally comes to a head, as they face off in the fifth preliminary fight.

The Ultimate Fighter® Finale will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Friday, December 12, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter® Finale go on sale Friday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $300, $175 and $85. Tickets will be available at the Pearl Concert Theater Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800)745-3000 or on the web at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Oct. 23 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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

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.