Miguel Vazquez 134.8 – Denis Shafikov 134.8
Zou Shiming 111.8 – Yokthong Kokietgym 110.6
Ryota Murata 161.4 – Carlos Nascimento 160.6
Egor Mekhontsev 177.2 – Atthaporn Jaritram 173.6

Yakubu Amidu 135 – Chris Rudd 135.5
Petr Petrov 134.5 – Fedor Papazov 135
Miguel Gonzalez 134 – Miguel Angel Mendoza 135
Samuel Neequaye 135 – Fernando Carcamo 135.5

Taras Shelestyuk 151 – Francisco Flores 153
Robert Hill 156 – James Walos 154
Cornelius Whitlock 144 – Luis Hernandez 141

Promoter: Banner Promotions
Venue: Edgewater Casino & Resort
1st bell: 9pm Eastern / 6 Pm Pacific
TV: ESPN 2

LAUGHLIN, NV (FEBRUARY 21, 2014)–The much anticipated Boxcino 2014 kicked off at the Edgewater Casino with a rousing beginning as Chris Rudd, Petr Petrov, Miguel Gonzalez and Fernando Carcamo all advanced to the semi-final round in the lightweight division on March 28th at the 4 Bears Casino in Newtown, North Dakota.

Chris Rudd opened the tournament with a “Drawbreaker” decision over Yakubu Amidu.

Both guys landed tremendous power shots with Amidu getting better in the second but Rudd came back the next round. In round four it became a war of attrition with Amidu landing with Rudd on the ropes. It was a nip and tuck fight down the stretch and when the scores were announced it was ruled a draw on the scorecards.

The fighters went to the overtime round it was the activity level that got Rudd the victory.

Officially it goes into the record books as a split decision for Rudd by scores of 67-66 twice and 68-65 for Amidu. Rudd, of Covington, Tennessee and he is now 13-1. Amidu of Los Angeles via Ghana is now 19-5-1

Rudd will meet Petr Petrov, who scored a 6-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Fedor Papazov.

It was a close competitive fight with both guys landing hard shots early in the bout. Petrov got the better in round’s five and six as he utilized counter punching ability to land with pinpoint accuracy. He did well despite having some swelling around the right eye.

Petrov of Madrid, Spain via Russia won by scores of 58-56 on all cards and is now 33-4-2. Papazov, of Los Angeles via Russia is now 14-1.

Miguel Gonzalez scored a 6-round split decision over Miguel Angel Mendoza.

Gonzalez boxed very well through the fight and landed some good shots. Mendoza pressed the fight and in round six he had Gonzalez on defensive as he pounded away on him ropes. The crowd tried to urge Mendoza on but it was not enough as Gonzalez took two cards by 58-56 tallies while Mendoza won a card at 58-56.

Gonzalez of Cleveland, Ohio is now 23-3. Mendoza is 21-3-2.

Gonzalez will meet Fernando Carcamo, who destroyed previously undefeated Samuel Neequaye in two rounds.

Carcamo dropped Neequaye in round one and then wobbled and buckled Neequaye for most of the 2nd frame and the fight was stopped as Neequaye was going down to the canvas at 1:58 of round two.

Carcamo is now 16-5 with 11 knockouts. Neequaye of Ghana is now 21-1.

2012 Olympic Bronze Medal winner Taras Shelestyuk battered Francisco Flores as he scored a knockdown en route to a 1st round stoppage in a scheduled 4 round Jr. Middleweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 1:45 for Shelestyuk, who improves to 7-0.

Cornelius Whitlock needed just 35 seconds to dispose of Luis Hernandez in a scheduled 4 round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Whitlock landed a perfect right hand that knocked Hernandez stiff and the bout was waved off.

Whitlock of Baltimore is now 3-0-2 with 2 knockouts. Hernandez, of San Bernadino, CA is now 2-7.

Despite being knocked down in the 2nd round, James Walos scored a 4-round unanimous decision over Robert Hill.

All three judges ruled 38-37 for Walos, who is now 2-0. Hill is 1-4.

The Boxcino 2014 middleweight tournament kicks off next Friday night at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana at 9pm eastern on ESPN, ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Feb. 21st, 2014) – Boxing’s ageless “Road Warrior” added another highlight-reel knockout to his resume Friday night at Twin River Casino.

Fighting for the first time in Rhode Island, no surprise given his penchant for spanning the globe throughout his career, former two-time world champion Glen Johnson (54-18-2, 37 KOs) stopped the game Jaime Velazquez (11-6-2) in the fourth round of their scheduled eight-round main event light heavyweight bout at “Home Sweet Home,” presented by Classic Entertainment & Sports. Providence’s Toka Kahn-Clary also won in impressive fashion by technical knockout in the scheduled six-round co-feature.

Velazquez, the Pawtucket, R.I., native making his first appearance in 15 years, gave Johnson three strong rounds before the “Road Warrior” poured it on the fourth. Johnson hurt Velazquez early with a body shot and began teeing off as the round wore on, at one point nearly sending Velazquez through the ropes. Velazquez did his best to stay on his feet before a huge overhand right by Johnson sent him teetering into the ropes and prompting Velazquez’s trainer, Roland Estrada, to throw in the towel at the 1 minute, 59 second mark.

Johnson, who rose to fame in 2003 and 2004 when he captured the world light heavyweight title and knocked out Roy Jones Jr., now has 37 wins by knockout.

Fighting in his hometown for the first time since 2012, Kahn-Clary (10-0, 7 KOs) gave his loyal fans of glimpse of what they’ve been missing, dominating the overmatched Carlos Fulgencio (19-13-1) of Miami in just under two rounds.

After spending most of the first round picking his spots, Kahn-Clary turned it on in the second round, sending Fulgencio to the canvas three times in a matter of seconds, forcing referee Ricky Gonzalez to stop the bout at the 1:10 mark. Fulgencio got up quickly from the first two knockdowns, but the third one, courtesy of a hard, right hook from Kahn-Clary, nearly sent Fulgencio through the ropes.

Looking to bounce back from just his second career loss in July, exciting middleweight Thomas Falowo (11-2) took out his frustration on Columbian veteran Jaison Palomeque (14-9-1), earning a bizarre win by disqualification at the 1:57 mark of the third round. Falowo unloaded on Palomeque early with his usual barrage of punches. Palomeque tried to stand toe-to-toe with Falowo and eventually paid the price as Falowo caught him with a short right cross that sent him tumbling to the canvas at the end of the second round.

Falowo had Palomeque hurt against the ropes midway through the third when Palomeque threw a quick kick in an apparent attempt to put some distance between he and Falowo. Referee Joey Lupino stepped in and immediately disqualified Palomeque, giving Falowo his first victory since May.

Making his Rhode Island debut, Louisiana cruiserweight Alvin Varmall Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) put on quite the show against his taller opponent, Andre Ward (1-2-4) of Washington, D.C., stopping Ward in the closing seconds of the third round. As time began to wind down, Varmall Jr. wobbled Ward with a hard, overhand right and then sent Ward crashing to the canvas with a double left hook combination, ending the fight with just one second remaining in the round.

In a regional battle between two tough middleweights, Providence’s KJ Harrison-Lombardi (5-0-1) remained unbeaten with a 40-36, 40-36, 39-37 win over the gritty Antonio Fernandes (4-15-2) of Brockton, Mass. With most of the action taking place in the center of the ring, Harrison-Lombardi was the aggressor throughout the fight, landing the cleaner, more efficient punches. As always, Fernandes hung in and fought his way off the ropes several times, but Harrison-Lombardi won decisively, his third win since October.

JERMALL CHARLO, Top Junior Middleweight Contender

“I’m super excited to bring the IBF title back to Houston. It’s been a long time coming for me and my twin brother Jermell. On March 8, I’m going to give it all I got.

“This is like a regular fight to me. I work hard for every fight. Carlos Molina, he is just the stepping-stone and I just have to get past this obstacle. Once my team gets past this, I feel like we’ll be at the top forever.

“This fight is big. It’s major. I’m 17 -0 right now. I haven’t even clinched 20 fights and I’m fighting for a world title. I feel like an elite fighter. I have an elite team behind me. So, it’s just a matter of time.”

[On working with trainer Ronnie Shields]
“It’s great. I feel like it can’t get any better. Having a team like this led by Ronnie Shields, it doesn’t get any better than this.

“This is like any other fight I’ve ever had. In 2013 none of my opponents had been knocked out. I knocked them out. I face top guys and it’s just another day in the office for me.

“My team gets me ready and it’s not about just me. My team got me prepared and ready with what I can do in the ring. Ronnie Shields has been with top-class athletes in the sport of boxing. I’m the next one.”

[On the work to get to this point in camp]
” We all have one big goal to accomplish. With my team behind me like they’ve been behind me, I couldn’t ask for anything better. Not only my team, but I have the whole city [of Houston] behind me. It’s just in a matter of time. Training with Brian Vera, training with my twin brother, those guys push me to be where I am. I know I have a lot to prove so, on March 8th I’m going to give you all I have and bring that IBF title back to this city.”

RONNIE SHIELDS, Charlo Trainer

[On what he is doing to prepare Jermall Charlo for his upcoming fight]

“We aren’t doing anything different then what we’ve already been doing. The thing about us is, we train hard every day. We don’t skip a beat on anything because on certain fights people might not think what we are doing is that important. Every fight is important. So you have to be ready for every fight. This is what we’ve always trained for.”

[On Jermall’s growth as a fighter]
“At the end of 2012 we were 10-0. So I called Al Haymon and I said ‘Look, you have to sign this kid.’ I said ‘this kid is going to be champion of the world for a very long time. He’s young and he’s strong. He’s got everything that it takes.’ So he said OK. I said we’ve just got to keep him busy. So, seven fights later, seven knockouts, now here it is and he’s fighting for a world title.”

# # #

“TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo,” a 12-round super welterweight fight taking place Saturday, March 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In world title fights on the undercard, Two-Division World Champion Leo Santa Cruz will defend his WBC Super Bantamweight World Title against former Three-Time World Champion Cristian Mijares exciting young star Omar Figueroa will risk his WBC Lightweight Title against Canelo’s brother Ricardo Alvarez and Carlos Molina will defend his IBF Junior Middleweight Championship against undefeated Jermall Charlo. Carlos Molina vs. Jermall Charlo is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing. This event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). “TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo” will be broadcast on over 400 select movie theaters across the country.

Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $600, $400, $200, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Movie theater tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Feb. 20th, 2014) – Listed below are weights for all of the participants in tomorrow night’s “Home Sweet Home” professional boxing card at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

ANDRE WARD
Washington, D.C.
1-1-4, 1 KO
198

ALVIN VARMALL JR.
LaPlace, La.
1-0, 1 KO
198

KJ HARRISON-LOMBARDI
Providence, R.I.
4-0-1
161

ANTONIO FERNANDES
Brockton, Mass.
4-14-2
157

JAISON PALOMEQUE
Cartagena, Columbia
14-8-1, 9 KOs
159

THOMAS FALOWO
Pawtucket, R.I.
10-2, 7 KOs
164

TOKA KAHN-CLARY
Providence, R.I.
9-0, 6 KOs
127

CARLOS FULGENCIO
Miami, Fla.
19-12-1, 12 KOs
128

GLEN JOHNSON
Miami, Fla. (Clarendon, Jamaica)
53-18-2, 36 KOs
180

JAIME VELAZQUEZ
Pawtucket, R.I.
11-5-2, 6 KOs
180

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Feb. 20, 2014) – Tempers flared during Thursday’s official weigh-in as main event fighters Angelo “La Cobra” Santana and Hammerin’ Hank Lundy and their camps had to be separated after stepping on the scales for tomorrow/Friday’s ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Santana, 134 pounds, and Lundy, 135 pounds, were posing for a photo with legendary promoter Don King and former heavyweight world champion Larry Holmes when a brief scuffle broke out between the fighters and their camps. King, Holmes and others were quick to separate the camps and restore order to the proceedings.

The heavy-handed Santana (14-1, 11 KOs), of Miami, Fla., and dangerous, world-ranked Lundy (23-3-1, 11 KOs), of Philadelphia, will square off in an important 10-round lightweight bout from the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio.

In the opening match of the ShoBox telecast, undefeated Amir “Young Master” Imam (12-0, 11 KOs), of Albany, N.Y., will face fellow unbeaten Jared “The Quiet Storm” Robinson (14-0, 6 KOs), of Charlotte, N.C., in a 10-round super lightweight match. Imam tipped the scales at 140 pounds and Robinson measured 139½ pounds during Thursday’s weigh-in.

Tickets to the event – priced at $35, $75, and $125 plus tax and fees – are on sale and can be purchased through the Wolstein Center box office and website www.wolsteincenter.com or by calling Charge-by-Phone 1-877-468-4946. Doors open at 7 p.m., and a full undercard will be presented prior to the televised matches.

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

SANTANA

“Everything is going according to plan for this fight. It’s been about six months of preparation. The errors I made in my last fight have been fixed. That won’t happen again. I have an opportunity in this fight to erase it all tomorrow night.

“He’s fought a lot of talented fighters but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the talent to fight him and beat him. He hasn’t fought me yet so his wins don’t mean anything.

“I’m prepared for the full 10 rounds. It’s always great to get the KO, and we’ll definitely look for it, but I also like to box. I’m not just a knockout puncher.

“It’s a great opportunity that SHOWTIME is giving me. I’ve prepared for everything so there will be no surprises. The only surprise will be for my opponent.”

LUNDY

“At the end of the day, we all know that I’ve faced the tougher fighters. We all know I have the better record. But it’s that man in me and not my record that you have to beat.

“When I fought Ajose (Olusegun) everybody said he would destroy me. When you doubt the hammer the hammer is always going to come up big.

“You have to respect the man for getting in there. But this man is not even in my class. You have to crawl before you walk and this guy is trying to walk before he crawls.

“I’m top 10 in the world. This guy doesn’t have anything on me.”

IMAM

“Fighting on national television makes me step it up a notch. You have to because everyone is watching.

“Yeah, I have a lot of knockouts on my record, but I’m just looking for a win. If the knockout comes, it comes.

“He hasn’t faced what I’ve faced, sparred what I’ve sparred. He simply doesn’t have the experience that I have. But it doesn’t matter who he’s faced because he hasn’t faced me.

“He’s going to learn from the master on Friday. The fans love me. I’m going to put on a show.

“It makes it sweeter if I get the KO. Everybody says I don’t go deep into fights and don’t get rounds, but it’s not my fault I’m better than them.”

ROBINSON

“We’re not even if you look at our records. If you go a little deeper, his record is not as impressive at face value.

“I’m going to use my speed and boxing skills to take his power away from him. His power won’t be a factor in this fight.

“I’ve faced the better opposition than him. And fighting on ShoBox gives me that extra motivation to overcome anything he throws at me.

“The sky is the limit for me. But I need a win first and I’ll take it from there.”

Philadelphia, PA (February 20, 2014)– Tomorrow night at the Edgewater Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, Boxcino 2014 kick offs with the opening round in the lightweight division. In addition to the four quarterfinal lightweight bouts, two members of the Banner Promotions stable will be in action.

2012 Olympic bronze medal winner Taras Shelestyuk will fight Francisco Flores in a jr. middleweight bout scheduled for four rounds. Also seeing action will be undefeated jr. welterweight Cornelius Whitlock battles Luis Hernandez in a 4-round bout.

Shelestyuk, of Sumi, Ukraine, has a record of 6-0 with 4 knockouts and will be making his first start of 2014 after a busy eight-month stretch in 2013 when he turned pro and racked up those six wins, including a decision over then undefeated Travis Hanshaw (7-0).

Shelestyuk fights out of the famed Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California, and is managed by Vadim Kornilov.

Flores of Mexico City is 2-3 with 1 knockout.

Whitlock, of Baltimore, Maryland, has a record of 2-0-2 with one knockout and is coming off a first-round stoppage over Josue Rivera on November 14 in Washington, D.C.

Hernandez of San Bernadino, California has a record of 2-6 with two knockouts.

“We are very excited to have this great night of boxing,” said Banner Promotions CEO Arthur Pelullo.

“Obviously this is going to be a great tournament but we are also looking forward to seeing the continued development of Taras and Cornelius.”

February 21st lightweight quarter final
FIGHT WEEK SCHEDULE:

HOTEL & EVENT LOCATION:
Edgewater Casino
2020 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada 89029 Phone: (702) 298-2453

Thursday, Feb. 20th
Weigh-in: 5:00 PM
Location: Edgewater Casino – Rio Vista Room (down stairs next to the Buffet)

Friday, Feb. 21st
Fight Night: E Center at the Edgewater Casino
Doors open – 4:30 PM
First fight (and first fight on ESPN) – 6:00 PM

Totowa, NJ – Main Events adds to their impressive stable of light heavyweights (which includes current WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, Anatoliy “The Gladiator” Dudchenko, Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba, Lionell “Lonnie B” Thompson and Ilshat “The Sheriff” Khusnulgatin) with the signing of undefeated Sullivan Barrera (10-0-0, 6 KOs).

Sullivan said, “I am very happy and very excited. I thank Main Events for the opportunity to let people know who Sullivan Barrera is.” He added, “I feel I am the best in the light heavyweight division, the problem I’ve faced is that I wasn’t given the opportunity to compete. Now that Main Events will give me the opportunity I will be able to show my talent.”

Barrera Signs Main Events Contract
Barrera made his pro debut August 21, 2009 with a first round TKO over Anthony Adorno in Miami, FL after a stunning amateur career where his record was 282-27. He beat Chad Dawson in November of 2000 via points, 21-11 at the World Amateur Tournament and Beibut Shumenov, in April of 2002 via KO in the first round at the Girado Cordova International Tournament. Additionally, Sullivan has four world amateur championships: Venezuela, Central America, Germany and Cuba.

When he knocks his opponent out, it is generally early on in the fight. Of his six pro knockouts, three have come in the first round and three have come in the second round. Sullivan’s six non-knockout wins have all come via unanimous decision.

Barrera is managed by Luis Molina and advised by Egis Klimas who coincidentally manages fellow Main Events’ light heavyweights Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Ilshat “The Sheriff” Khusnulgatin.

Molina said, “I think that this is a great opportunity for Sullivan. I know Main Events does right by their boxers. Sullivan is definitely going to have the best platform to make it big in boxing.”

He is trained by Milton Lacroix who said, “Sullivan was always a fighter but even as a veteran he continues to want to learn more, he wants to continue progressing towards his ultimate goal which is to be the best light heavyweight and champion of the world”

His advisor, Egis Klimas, said, “The light heavyweight division is getting to be one of the most interesting in boxing today with Champions like Bernard Hopkins, Beibut Shumenov, Adonis Stevenson and Sergey Kovalev. When we started with Sergey in 2009 division was almost dead.” He added, “We have a lot of young talents coming up into the division, young and aggressive fighters. Adding Sullivan Barrera to my list of fighters is great, he was not recognized for some time, just like Sergey Kovalev until we signed him with Main Events.”

Finally, Klimas said, “Sullivan had a very good amateur background, beating Chad Dawson and Beibut Shumenov, it is my pleasure to advise Sullivan and I believe Main Events will do a very good job, as they always do with their fighters. I am looking forward to bringing Sullivan Barrera into the ring soon.”

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “We are very excited to have Barrera on board with us here at Main Events. He has it in him to be an electrifying performer and the sky is the limit.”

Barrera also said, “I am aware that Main Events has signed many good boxers but I am the best and now I will be able to show the world.”

The undefeated Barrera was born in Cuba and now resides in Miami, FL

NEW YORK (Feb. 20, 2014)—SHOWTIME Sports will offer a robust block of programming across cable and digital platforms in advance of the SHOWTIME PPV presentation of “TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo,” a live four-fight pay-per-view event on Saturday, March 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

More than a week’s worth of live and taped programming will be available on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, CBS Sports Network, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, on mobile devices via SHOWTIME ANYTIME®, and the premium network’s website at SHO.com/Sports before March 8.

The blitz of programming begins with the premiere of ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Angulo on Friday, Feb. 28, on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT) and concludes with Canelo vs. Angulo: COUNTDOWN LIVE on Saturday, March 8, a 90-minute live preview on SHOWTIME featuring at least one live undercard fight (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT). The eight-day marathon includes live coverage of the Final Press Conference and Official Weigh-In, full fight replays and a SHOWTIME EXTREME ‘Roadblock’–four continuous hours of programming on Fight Day beginning at 10 a.m. ET/PT.

ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Angulo
The critically acclaimed original series returns as SHOWTIME Sports chronicles the preparation of the fighters for the first boxing blockbuster event of 2014. Episodes 1 and 2 take viewers behind the scenes in training camp and into the lives of Canelo and Angulo, the power-punching Mexican countrymen as their intensity builds towards their 12-round super welterweight showdown. The final episode of the series, titled Epilogue, provides viewers unprecedented access to Fight Week, the drama between the ropes during the main event matchup and into the fighter’s minds in the rarely seen aftermath of world-class prizefighting.
Ø Episode 1 premieres on Friday, Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Ø Episode 2 premieres on Wednesday, March 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Ø Epilogue premieres on Saturday, March 15 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME immediately following the live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING presentation of Danny Garcia vs. Mauricio Herrera.

CBS Sports Network will air encore presentations of Episodes 1 and 2 following respective SHOWTIME premieres, and all episodes of the series will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND, SHOWTIME ANYTIME and online at SHO.com/Sports.

In addition, all three episodes will be produced in Spanish and premiere on FOX Deportes. For more information regarding the schedule for FOX Deportes, please visit http://www.foxdeportes.com/tvschedule.

LIVE FIGHT WEEK COVERAGE
SHOWTIME Sports will offer live coverage of both the Final Press Conference and the Official Weigh-In from the MGM Grand. The events will be streamed live on SHO.com/Sports with the weigh-in televised live on CBS Sports Network.
Ø Final Press Conference: Thursday, March 6, live from the Hollywood Theatre at MGM Grand beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Ø Official Weigh-In: Friday, March 7, live from MGM Grand Garden Arena beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

FULL FIGHT REPLAYS
Beginning March 3, encore presentations of memorable bouts featuring Canelo Alvarez, Alfredo Angulo, Omar Figueroa and Leo Santa Cruz will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME, CBS Sports Network, SHO.com/Sports, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND and SHOWTIME ANYTIME. The bouts and their SHO Extreme replays are as follows:

Select SHO Extreme replays are as follows
Monday, March 3
Ø Canelo’s memorable win over Austin Trout in front of nearly 40,000 excitable fans at San Antonio’s Alamodome from April 2013 (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, SHO EXTREME);

Ø Angulo’s thrilling battle with Jorge Silva from LA Memorial Sports Arena, Dec. 2012 (11:30 p.m. ET/PT, SHO EXTREME).

Tuesday, March 4
Ø Canelo’s SHOWTIME debut versus upset-minded Josesito Lopez from Sept. 2012 (10 p.m. ET/PT, SHO EXTREME);

Ø Angulo’s courageous performance versus Erislandy Lara from June 2013 (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, SHO EXTREME);

Thursday, March 6
Ø Fight of the Year candidate between Omar Figueroa and Nihito Arakawa from July, 2013 (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, SHO EXTREME);

Ø Leo Santa Cruz vs. Alexander Munoz from SHOWTIME PPV in May, 2013 (11:30 p.m. ET/PT, SHO EXTREME);

Select CBS Sports Network replays are follows:
Monday, March 3
Ø Canelo vs. Lopez (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

Ø Angulo vs. Silva (7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

Ø Figueroa vs. Arakawa (8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

Ø Angulo vs. Lara (9 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

Tuesday, March 4
Ø Canelo vs. Trout (8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

Ø Santa Cruz vs. Munoz (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

SHOWTIME EXTREME “ROADBLOCK”
On Fight Day, March 8, SHOWTIME EXTREME will air four continuous hours of programming beginning at 10 a.m. ET/PT in support of the evening’s live pay per view event. The programming block will feature Episodes 1 and 2 of ALL ACCESS plus the aforementioned encores of Canelo vs. Trout and Angulo vs. Lara.

“CANELO vs. ANGULO: COUNTDOWN LIVE”
The 90-minute pre-pay per view show “Canelo vs. Angulo: COUNTDOWN LIVE” features live interviews, special features and a live, 10-round lightweight bout between two-time world champ Jorge Linares and Japanese brawler Nihito Arakawa. The SHOWTIME telecast begins at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT and runs until just prior to the start of the SHOWTIME PPV presentation of “TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo” at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. “COUNTDOWN LIVE” is hosted by Brian Kenny and features SHOWTIME sportscasters Al Bernstein, Paulie Malignaggi, Steve Farhood, Mauro Ranallo and Brian Custer.

# # #

ABOUT “TOE TO TOE: CANELO VS. ANGULO”:
“TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo,” a 12-round super welterweight fight taking place Saturday, March 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In world title fights on the undercard, two-division World Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (27-0-1, 15 KOs) will defend his WBC Super Bantamweight title against former three-time World Champion Cristian “El Diamante” Mijares (49-7-2, 24 KOs); exciting young star Omar “Panterita’’ Figueroa (24-0-1, 17 KOs) will risk his WBC Lightweight title against Canelo’s brother Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez (23-2-3, 14 KOs) and “King” Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) will defend his IBF Junior Middleweight Championship against undefeated Jermall Charlo (17-0, 13 KOs). Carlos Molina vs. Jermall Charlo is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing. This event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). “TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo” will be broadcast on over 400 select movie theaters across the country.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @elperro82, @leosantacruz2, @diamantemijares, @OmarFigueroaJr, @DinamitaAB, @JorgeLinares, @FutureOfBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #CaneloAngulo and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $600, $400, $200, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com. Movie theater tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

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

MACAU, CHINA (February 20, 2014) — The Year of the Horse will get off to a galloping start when world championship boxing makes its 2014 debut at The Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Arena. International Boxing Federation (IBF) world lightweight champion MIGUEL “Titere” VAZQUEZ, of Mexico, and two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalistZOU SHIMING headline “Ring of Gold,” Saturday, February 22. Vazquez will defend his title against undefeated top-rated contender DENIS “Ghengis Khan” SHAFIKOV, of Russia, and Shiming will risk his undefeated record in an eight-round flyweight bout against the young seasoned YOKTHONG KOKIETGYM of Thailand. Both fights will be televised onHBO2, beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, the “Ring of Gold” HBO2 telecast will feature Fran Charleshandling the blow-by-blow while former world champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and Hall of Famer Larry Merchantwill add expert analysis and commentary.

Remaining tickets for Ring of Gold can be purchased via Cotai Ticketing; prices start at HKD/MOP 80, with ferry and hotel packages also available.

Rounding out the troika of 2012 Olympic gold medalists will be RY?TA MURATA and EGOR MEKHONTSEV, from Japan and Russia, respectively, in separate bouts on the non-televised undercard. It is exceptional for so many Olympic gold medalists to be featured on the same boxing card. The “Ring of Gold” undercard will also feature former world champion and current No. 2-rated contender AKIFUMI “Sugar” SHIMODA of Japan, in a 12-round Word Boxing Organization (WBO) International featherweight title bout against fellow former world champion MARVIN SONSONA of the Philippines, and undefeated Hong Kong super flyweight sensation REX TSO in a 10-round rumble with MAKO MATSUYAMA of Japan, with the World Boxing Council (WBC) Asian super flyweight and the WBO Asia Pacific junior bantamweight titles at stake.

Vazquez (33-3, 13 KOs), of Guadalajara, México, captured the IBF lightweight title in 2010 when he won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jihoon Kim. Since winning the world title, Vazquez has successfully defended it five times during his four-year reign. Vazquez will be facing undefeated top-rated contender Shafikov (33-0-1. 17 KOs), from Chelyabinsk, Russia. A southpaw with an aggressive style, good skills and movement, the former European junior welterweight champion Shafikov has good punching power and is not afraid to use it.

Zou (3-0), from Guizhou, China, and trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, won his professional debut on April 6, 2013, via a dominant four-round unanimous decision over gritty Eleazar Valenzuela. He followed that up with six-round unanimous decision victories over Jesus Ortega and Juan Toscano on July 27 and November 24, respectively, last year, and all at CotaiArena. One of the most popular Olympic athletes in China, Zou was the world’s greatest light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the World Amateur Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2011, along with gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the 2004 games, making him his nation’s first Olympic medallist in boxing as well as its first boxing gold medallist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics. He will be graduating to an eight-round bout when he faces Kokietgym (14-3, 10 KOs), of Roi-Et, Thailand. The vastly more experienced Thai enters this fight having won six of his last seven bouts, with two of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Murata (2-0, 2 KOs), from Tokyo, a sensational prospect at 160 pounds, captured the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2012 Olympics held in London. It was the first gold medal won by a Japanese boxer since Takao Sakurai in 1964, and also is the first-ever boxing medal in a weight class other than bantamweight or flyweight. The six-foot Murata also became the 100th gold medalist in Japanese Olympic history. He made his pro debut last August, knocking out OPBF middleweight champion Akio Shibata (21-7-1) in the second round. Murata followed up that victory on December 6 with a fourth-round stoppage of David Peterson (13-1). He will be facing battle-tested slugger and one-time world title challenger Carlos Nascimento (28-3, 22 KOs), of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who enters this fight having won 12 of his previous 14 bouts, nine by way of knockout. Their fight is schedule for eight rounds at middleweight.

Mekhontsev (1-0, 1 KO), of Asbest, Russia, won his pro debut on December 4, knocking out Peter Cajigas in the third round. Trained by his father Leonid, Mekhontsev captured the Olympic light heavyweight gold medal at the 2012 summer games and as a heavyweight he won gold at the 2009 World Amateur Championships and the 2010 and 1008 European Amateur Championships. He’ll be battling fellow undefeated prospect Jaritram Atthaporn (3-0, 1 KO), of Bangkok, in a six-round light heavyweight bout.

Shimoda (28-3-2, 12 KOs), of Tokyo, captured the World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight title in 2011, dethroning defending champion Ryol Li Lee via a unanimous decision aided by three knockdowns. Shimoda’s title reign was short-lived, losing his first title defense, to Rico Ramos, six months later. He immediately moved up to featherweight and enters this fight riding a two-year unbeaten streak. Sonsona (17-1-1, 14 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, captured the WBO junior bantamweight title in 2009, winning a decisive unanimous decision over defending champion Jose “Carita” Lopez . Sonsona lost the title in his first defense on the scale coming in two pounds over the division limit, against Alejandro Hernandez, though the official decision was a draw. After losing to Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. in 2010 a battle for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title, Sonsona returned to the winner’s circle and enters this fight on a two-year winning streak with his last two victories coming by way of knockout.

Tso (8-0, 5 KOs), is the Pride of Hong Kong. This will mark his third time fighting at Cotai Arena where he has begun to develop a very big following. In his last bout, on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios event last November, Tso scored a first-round knockout of Susu Sithjadaeng Tso will be facing Mako Matsuyama (7-7-1, 3 KOs) of Tokyo, who enters this fight having won a unanimous decision victory over Masatoshi Nakamura last November. They will be facing each other in a 10-round bout for Tso’s WBC Asian super flyweight title and the vacant WBO Asia Pacific junior bantamweight title.

The undercard will also feature local favorite, “The Macao Kid” KUOK KUN NG (2-0), from Macao, China, who will be in a six-round super featherweight and a four-round super welterweight bout, respectively.

Tickets for the Ring of Gold multi-bout boxing extravaganza are on sale now at all Cotai Ticketing box offices*, and can be purchased in one of seven categories: HKD/MOP 4,680 (Gold), 1,680 (Silver), 1,280 (Bronze), 980 (A Reserve), 580 (B Reserve), 280 (C Reserve) and 80 (D Reserve). Packages with round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets between Hong Kong and Macao are available for HKD/MOP 4,768 (Gold), 1,768 (Silver), 1,368 (Bronze), 1,068 (A Reserve), 668 (B Reserve) and 368 (C Reserve). Hotel packages are also available. Tickets can be booked online atwww.CotaiTicketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK) / 4001 206 618 (China). Tickets are also available through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies), online at www.HKTicketing.com or by phone at +852 3128 8288; and through Macao Kong Seng Ticketing Network, online at www.macauticket.com, by phone at +853 2855 5555, or in person at selected retail outlets (for locations, visit www.macauticket.com/TicketWeb/
ServiceStations.aspx).

# # #

Entertainment at Sands China Ltd. Properties
Sands China Ltd. has as a clear vision to establish Macao as Asia’s top entertainment destination.

The 15,000-seat Cotai Arena is the only venue in Asia ranked in Pollstar’s Top 100 Worldwide Arena Venues based on ticket sales. It is the top entertainment destination in southern China, hosting the world’s and the region’s biggest names in music, sports and awards shows. Superstars frequently choose the venue as the starting point of their Asian tours.

The 1800-seat, multi-purpose Venetian Theatre is one of the most luxurious entertainment venues in greater China. Featuring ushers in black-tie, champagne service, gourmet food and beverage items and other unique, premium amenities, it offers an intimate, luxurious and exclusive venue experience. The Venetian Theatre is playing a key role in bringing the best in international and Chinese entertainment to Macao, with a luxury theatre experience like no other in the region.

The 650-seat Sands Theatre regularly features internationally-renowned singers, performers and artists of the highest calibre. From traditional Chinese-costumed dancers to modern performances, and from singing troupes to contemporary bands, everything from Western rock to Cantonese pop is covered.

With an unbeatable diversity, the entertainment offering of Sands China Ltd. is ushering in a new era of entertainment in Macao.

About The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel
Opened in 2007, The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel is Macao’s first integrated resort featuring stunning replicas of the famous canals and architectural icons of Venice, Italy. The Venetian Macao features 3,000 suites, 1.2 million square feet (111,000 square metres) of convention and meeting facilities as well as a 15,000-seat Cotai Arena designed for world-class sports events and electrifying entertainment. The Venetian Macao is also home to the unique, 1,800-seat luxury Venetian Theatre, hosting the best in international and Chinese entertainment; more than 30 renowned restaurants; TAIVEXMALO Day Hospital & Spa; the incredibly fun QUBE indoor playground and more than 330 retailers at Shoppes at Venetian. Outdoor recreation areas include swimming pools and cabanas and a mini-golf course.

For more information, please visit www.venetianmacao.com.

About Cotai Strip Resorts Macao – Macao’s Integrated Resort City
Sands China Ltd. is the leading developer, owner and operator of integrated resorts in Macao. The befittingly named Cotai Strip Resorts Macao, situated on reclaimed land between the islands of Coloane and Taipa, is the one destination that provides a stunning array of experiences at the heart of Cotai. Cotai Strip Resorts Macao has transformed a gaming-centric day-trip market into an integrated resort city and international hub for business and leisure travellers.

Pulsating with life, both night and day, Cotai Strip Resorts Macao features an expansive offering of affordable luxury available nowhere else in Macao, with approximately 9,000 hotel rooms and suites, international superstar live entertainment, duty-free shopping with 600 retailers offering an unparalleled array of name brands, 1.3 million square feet (120,000 square metres) of meeting and exhibition space for Asia’s leading conferences and exhibitions, gaming excitement, transportation offerings and well over 100 dining options, including international restaurants, bars and lounges. Cotai Strip Resorts Macao is a must-see destination providing every guest with an unforgettable experience and unparalleled excitement.

Comprised of The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel; The Plaza™ Macao, featuring the Four Seasons Hotel Macao; and Sands® Cotai Central, featuring the world’s largest Conrad, Sheraton, and Holiday Inn hotels, Cotai Strip Resorts Macao is where Asia’s ultimate destination is all within reach.

Cotai Strip Resorts Macao….Macao Starts Here. For more information, please visit http://en.cotaistrip.com/.

SAN DIEGO (February 20, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, Antonio Leonard Promotions and All In Entertainment is happy to officially announce the ESPN “Friday Night Fights” co-feature to the main event attraction featuring Rustam Nugaev (26-6-1, 16 KOs) vs. Marvin Quintero (25-4, 21 KOs), taking place at the Pala Casino Spa and Resort in Pala, California on March 7, 2014.

The evening’s co-main event will feature undefeated junior featherweight Roman Morales (17-0, 9 KOs) against Russian born fighter Khabir Suleymanov (16-3, 6 KOs), in a scheduled 10-round bout.

This will be Morales’ second scheduled 10-round affair, the first was back in October of last year against Roberto Castaneda. Morales went the distance in that contest, earning a unanimous decision in the process, so it stands to reason that there should be no issues with his stamina and you could make the argument that he will be more comfortable this time around, opening the door to a fight filled with fireworks.

“I learned a lot about myself last time out and I think it was more important to get the rounds in than it would’ve been to get overaggressive, maybe even reckless. I’m still growing both mentally and physically, but I know I’m getting everything out of each experience. This time out I’ll have a better understanding of what I’m capable of at different points in the fight, I may choose to push the gas at several points. My opponent won’t be comfortable in there, I won’t let him get settled. I can wait for him to make a mistake but I know I can help the issue better this time out,” Morales said.

Promoter Gary Shaw feels Morales has the ability to become a force in the Jr. Featherweight division. A good performance against Suleymanov will get Morales one step closer to a world title opportunity.

“Morales has a great chance to elevate his position in the Jr. Featherweight division,” said Gary Shaw. “I’m expecting a lot of action in this fight because I know both fighters are hungry to prove to the world that they are on the championship level. This is a tough fight for both guys and the winner will certainly move on to bigger and better things.

The rest of the undercard will showcase some of the brightest young up and coming stars in boxing.

Opening up the telecast will be Washington DC’s undefeated welterweight sensation, Dusty Harrision Hernandez (20-0, 11 KOs) as he battles Honolulu Hawaii’s Michael Balasi (10-3, 7 KOs) in an 8-round bout.

Whittier, California’s unbeaten lightweight star, Alejandro Luna (16-0, 12 KOs) will take on Mexico’s Sergio Riviera (18-14-2, 11 KOs) in a 6-round bout.

Chicago’s amateur standouts, Kenneth Sims Jr. and Eduardo Martinez will be making their pro debuts. Sims Jr. will face Arizona, CA’s Cory Muldrew (1-5) in a 4-round light welterweight bout, while Martinez goes up against Mexico’s Juan Urbina (0-1) in a4-round super bantamweight contest.

San Antonio’s super bantamweight phenom, Mario Barrios (2-0, 1 KO) will do battle against Kelly Lionell (0-2) in a 4-round bout.

Vista, California’s, Aaron Garcia (13-3-2, 4 KOs) will challenge Mexico’s Gerardo Zayas (20-22-2, 12 KOs) in a 6-round featherweight bout.

New York’s Mike Faragon (19-0, 9 KOs) will fight an opponent to be announced in a 6-round lightweight bout, as will Santa Barbara’s welterweight Francisco Santana (18-3-1, 8 KOs).

Bouts subject to change

Tickets for the Gary Shaw Productions event, priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, are on sale now and can be purchased at Pala Resort Casino Box office, at the Pala Privileges Center, or by calling 1-877-WIN-PALA. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.startickets.com or by calling 1-800-585-3737.

The Pala Casino Resort and Spa is located at 11154 Hwy 76, Pala, CA 92059. Doors open at 5:00 p.m, first fight starts at 5:30 p.m (PST). ESPN “Friday Night Fights” telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. PST.

Las Vegas, Nev. – MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) has teamed up with the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) to bring unparalleled VIP experiences and offers to members of M life, MGM Resorts’ loyalty rewards program. M life members will have unmatched access to UFC including parties, fighter meet-and-greets, discounted merchandise and more.

“Our relationship with MGM Resorts International brings M life members closer to the action than ever before,” said Michael Mossholder, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships for UFC. “We are delighted to partner with M life and give their members access to UFC’s action-packed fights and world-class athletes.”

Bill Hornbuckle, President and Chief Marketing Officer for MGM Resorts, said: “By developing a partnership with the immensely popular UFC, we are able to enhance the fan experience like no one else could through M life. Now every fight can be unforgettable with special access before, during and after the event. We are combining the best mixed martial arts talent in the world with our iconic venues on the Las Vegas Strip.”

Members of M life’s top three tiers – Gold, Platinum & NOIR – will have access to additional UFC benefits including:

· Pre-sale UFC ticket offerings (limited supply)

· 20 percent discount on UFCstore.com purchases

· One complimentary code to purchase the digital viewing of a UFC fight

· Access to contests and giveaways

· Access to live fighter video chats

For more information, visit ufc.com or mlife.com.

About M life

M life is MGM Resorts International’s premier rewards program. Members earn benefits for virtually every dollar spent at 15 MGM Resorts world-renowned destinations including Bellagio, ARIA, Vdara, MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur in Las Vegas; Beau Rivage and Gold Strike in Mississippi and MGM Grand Detroit. With just one card, M life members have access to experiential rewards, personalized offers and exclusive benefits such as special room rates, pre-sale entertainment and fight tickets, priority reservations, and invitations to members-only events. Preferred relationships, including UFC, Hyatt, Southwest Airlines, Royal Caribbean International, Avis Budget Group and Ameristar Casinos, Inc., provide members additional value, access and offers throughout the world on land, air and sea. For more information, visit mlife.com or connect on Facebook or Twitter.

About 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, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, 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. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents live professional kickboxing action this Saturday, February 22, at 2 p.m. ET as Enfusion Live emanates from Ookmeerhal in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The Enfusion 64 kg women’s championship will be up for grabs when England’s Vicky Church clashes with Morocco’s Rachida Bouhout.

In other featured matchups, Morocco’s Khalid Bourdif takes on Dutchman William Diender, Surinamese prospect Marcello Adriaansz faces Turkey’s Cengiz Ospamuk, Moroccan compatriots Ilias Bulaid and Reda Aoulad Ben Said go head to head, Morocco’s Yassin Ben Sallam battles Turkey’s Gurhan Degirmensi, plus Bosnian standout Nale Omeragic throws down with Morocco’s Hicham Achali.

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

London (20 February) Bob Ajisafe and Dean Francis are set to clash for the vacant British light heavyweight title at Rivermead, Reading, on March 15th, live on Channel 5.

The English light heavyweight champion, Ajisafe, meets the former British, Commonwealth and European champion, Francis, with both men completely focussed on claiming the coveted Lonsdale belt.

Francis boasts 34 wins with 26 knockouts in a 39 fight career to date, which has seen him claim the WBO Inter-Continental, British and European super middleweight titles, along with the English cruiserweight and Commonwealth light heavyweight championships.

The Basingstoke man fondly known as “Star” has experience on his side and is determined to prove he still has what it takes by winning his second British title.

But Ajisafe, known as “Lionheart” will have other ideas.

At 28-years-old he is an English champion having won the belt against the formerly undefeated Travis Dickinson in Sheffield, Ajisafe has also traded leather with world title contender Tony Bellew in a hard fought contest over 12 rounds.

Trained in Sheffield with the Ingles, the Leeds based Ajisafe will be looking to win his first British title and add another Lonsdale belt to the famous St Thomas Gym in Wincobank Sheffield.

Also scheduled to fight on the show is Leon Senior as he faces former Commonwealth middleweight title challenger Tony Hill over 10 rounds. Former British light welterweight champion and European title challenger Lenny Daws will also be in action, along with former Irish lightweight champion Peter McDonagh, Reading’s own Tamuka Mucha, Ricky O’Brien, Thomas Jarvis and Slough’s John Brennan.

Accreditation

For fight accreditation for March 15th please email: Leeb@hennessysports.com for an application form.

Applications need to be submitted on or before Friday 7th March 2014. You will be notified of your accreditation status by close of business (5.30pm) on Monday 10th March 2014 via Email.

Ticket Information

Unreserved tickets for March 15th are priced at £35, with ringside seating priced from £75 and are available to purchase from today by calling:

Sanigar Events box office: 0117 949 66 99.

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, Maximuscle, Liquid and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maximuscle.com
www.L1quid.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

San Diego, CA) – At the beginning of the year, California Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Bobby DePhilippis of Bobby D Presents would have found it hard to believe that he could have topped his last show of 2013 where local Aaron Garcia stopped the rugged Kevin Hoskins before the six round limit. Along with Garcia’s top-notch performance, DePhilippis featured a slew of local talent in front of a sold out crowd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in San Diego. By the looks of the line-up for the next installment of his “San Diego Fights” live professional boxing series, DePhilippis might have done just that. Set for Friday, February 28th, at the new home for local San Diego boxing, the aforementioned Crowne Plaza, Bobby D. Presents in association with Caribe Promotions have assembled a world-class six bout fight card that is sure to open up the 2014 season with a bang.

In the main event, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Yordenis Ugas (15-1, 7KOs) comes into town to defend his WBC interim Latino jr. welterweight title against San Diego’s own undefeated Emmanuel “Renegade” Robles (9-0-1, 3KOs) in a ten round championship bout. Ugas of Miami, Florida, by way Santiago, Cuba, is a slick boxer who Dan Rafael of ESPN.com named “a crowd pleaser” with his technical but high-pressure boxing style. The southpaw Robles, whose whole career has been campaigned in his hometown of San Diego under the Bobby D Presents banner, is coming off a very successful 2013 where he knocked out the tough Joshua Marks in four rounds in between two lopsided unanimous decision wins over veteran journeyman Adolfo Landeros. With a win against Ugas, Robles would be ranked in the top 15 with the WBC en route to a world title opportunity next year.

In the semi-main event, twenty-year old Tijuana sensation Kenia Enriquez (9-0, 5KOs) makes her U.S. debut in a flyweight six rounder against fellow unbeaten Noemi Bosques (4-0-2, 1KO). Both named as top prospects to watch in 2013 by the respected female website WBAN, the popular and charismatic Enriquez is currently ranked as the #9 112-pounder by the WBC while Bosques of Puerto Rican descent is a fan-favorite in her hometown of Tampa, Florida. The bout will mark the second of the year for each with Enriquez stopping Los Mochis’ 2013 fighter of the year Selene Lopez in the first round last month while Bosques went four tough rounds against Marisol Miranda just two weeks ago in Florida. They fought to a controversial draw which originally was announced as a split decision for Bosques. Many female boxing experts feel that the classic Mexico vs Puerto Rico match up has all the marking for an early fight of the year candidate.

In a special attraction ten-rounder, Cuban KO artist Yunier Dorticos (15-0, 15KOs) will face fellow hard hitter Hamilton Ventura (13-0-1, 11KOs) of Brazil for the cruiserweight WBA Fedelatin title over a scheduled ten rounds. Nobody believes the face-off will go the distance as no opponent has gone more than six rounds with Dorticos while Ventura, who lives in Los Angeles, has stopped all his opponents by the fourth round except for two. In this fight, somebody’s ‘0″ will definitely go.

WBC #9 ranked flyweight Kenia Enriquez (9-0, 5KOs) of Tijuana will make her U.S. debut in the first Bobby D Presents fight card of 2014. Photo Credit: BoxeoTijuana.com

Also featured on the card will be local favorites featherweight “Tiger” Smalls (2-0-1), super middleweight Uises Sierra (4-0-1, 3KOs) and from Los Angeles Joet Gonzalez (5-0, 1KO).

“San Diego Fights” is brought to you by the Mossy Automotive Group, Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, DGS General Construction and Everlast. The main event is presented by Car Czar. The Crowne Plaza Hotel is located at 2270 Hotel Circle North in San Diego. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first punch thrown at 7:30pm. Tickets and info available at SanDiegoFights.com or by calling (619) 420.8866.

London (20 February) Ashley Lane is hoping to make a big impact in Bristol when he fights on the James DeGale undercard at the City Academy, on March 1st.

The 25-year-old bantamweight now lives in the area and is hoping to establish himself as a crowd favourite.

“This is my first time boxing in Bristol since I have moved down here from the Midlands and I am looking to put on a great show,” Lane said.

“I have a come forward, fan-friendly style and I am hoping to build up a great fan base down here in the South West.”

Lane competes on the undercard to 2008 Beijing Olympic Gold Medallist, DeGale’s, WBC SIlver super middleweight title defence against undefeated Gevorg Katchikian.

DeGale meets the Netherlands based former IBO Youth champion, Katchikian, who boasts a perfect record of 20-0, ahead of his WBC sanctioned final eliminator against Mayweather promoted Badou Jack.

Also scheduled to fight on the March 1st show is Bristol’s own British bantamweight champion Lee Haskins and a whole host of talent, including local Bristol fighters Lee Nutland and Dan Sarkozi and Weston Super-Mare’s Liam Hunt in his professional debut.

Accreditation

For fight accreditation for March 1st please email: Leeb@hennessysports.com for an application form.

Applications need to be submitted on or before Friday 21st February 2014. You will be notified of your accreditation status by close of business (5.30pm) on Monday 24th February 2014 via Email.

Ticket Information

Tickets for March 1st are priced from £35 and are available to purchase from the following box office today:

Sanigar Events box office: 0117 949 66 99

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, Maximuscle, Liquid and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maximuscle.com
www.L1quid.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

Francois Botha (48-10-3, 29 KOs) may be 45 years old but there is no way of stopping the “White Buffalo” from roaming the prairie. On March 15th the multiple time world title challenger is coming to Arlamow, Poland, to take on Andrzej Wawrczyk (28-1, 14 KOs).

When Botha gave his pro debut in February 1990, Wawrczyk was only two years old. The former WBC Youth World Champion from Poland suffered his only loss last year when he challenged “regular” WBA champion Alexander Povetkin. Botha has been in the ring with some all-time greats such as Mike Tyson (1999 in Las Vegas), Lennox Lewis (2000 in London), Wladimir Klitschko (2002 in Stuttgart) and Evander Holyfield (2010 in Las Vegas).

“I am looking forward to coming to beautiful Poland”, said the “White Buffalo” after signing the bout agreement on Thursday. The show on March 15th will be co-promoted by Ulrich KnockOut Promotions in association with Babilon Promotion and broadcasted live on Polsat.

London (20 February) Lee Nutland is excited to make “dream” debut in front of his home supporters at the City Academy, Bristol, on March 1st.

The Avon cruiserweight is competing in his first fight as a professional, with 2008 Beijing Olympic Gold medallist James DeGale topping the bill.

“I’m really proud to be signed with Sanigar promotions and having my first pro fight on a huge fight card like this is something every boxer dreams of,” Lee said.

Nutland fights on the undercard to DeGale’s WBC Silver super middleweight title defence against undefeated former IBO Youth champion Gevorg Katchikian.

The man fondly known as ‘Chunky’, DeGale, meets the Netherlands based Katchikian, who boasts a perfect record of 20-0, ahead of his WBC sanctioned final eliminator against Mayweather promoted Badou Jack.

Also scheduled to fight on the March 1st show is Bristol’s own British bantamweight champion Lee Haskins and a whole host of talent, including Dan Sarkozi and Ashley Lane and Weston Super-Mare’s Liam Hunt in his professional debut.

Accreditation

For fight accreditation for March 1st please email: Leeb@hennessysports.com for an application form.

Applications need to be submitted on or before Friday 21st February 2014. You will be notified of your accreditation status by close of business (5.30pm) on Monday 24th February 2014 via Email.

Ticket Information

Tickets for March 1st are priced from £35 and are available to purchase from the following box office today:

Sanigar Events box office: 0117 949 66 99

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, Maximuscle, Liquid and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maximuscle.com
www.L1quid.com
www.hennessysports.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the much anticipated showdown between three-division world champion Miguel Cotto and currant Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is on for June 7th in Madison Square Garden.

The bout will be televised on HBO Pay Per View.

“It’s done. Ready to go,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef, Cotto’s promoter, told ESPN.com. “I think the energy and the passion associated with both these fighters and the passion that their countries have for them is going to make this an incredible event and an incredible fight, maybe unprecedented in my career, which is over 20 years.

“You’re talking about two icons in their countries, two guys who represent so much to their people, and now they are going to get in the ring and do it. You’re talking about two fighters who have electrified fans in the sport for many years, and now they will do it in the same ring together on the same night. It will be an incredible event.”

“I am very happy to be back in my second home, Madison Square Garden in New York, to once again make history in front of my fans,” Cotto said. “I will be ready and prepared to do whatever it takes to bring the WBC middleweight title of the world to my country of Puerto Rico.”

Said duBoef, “I’ve been with Miguel since 2000 and I have seen all of his accomplishments, and I believe this will be another landmark for him. He’s had a Hall of Fame career and will show it again with his ability to move from 140 pounds [where he started] to 160.”

“Cotto and Freddie are the ones who said that this is the fight they want,” duBoef said. “Freddie faced Martinez with [Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.]. He knows what they are facing.”

“It has been my dream to fight in the big room at Madison Square Garden, a place where many great fighters have showcased their talents.” Martinez said. “It is the biggest stage in the world and the world will be watching this fight.”

Said Lou DiBella, Martinez’s promoter, “Styles make fights, and both Sergio and Cotto will be looking for knockouts.”

“Sergio is a proud man, and he will use all of that stuff, all of the disrespect as motivation,” DiBella said. “He told me that when he knocks Cotto out, nobody is going to care what the fight was called.”

“There’s a lot of intrigue in the fight,” duBoef said. “There are a lot of what-ifs, what’s gonna happen? I think Miguel proved to all of us and, more importantly, he proved to himself that with Freddie Roach he is one of the top fighters in the world today and what he was lacking was his preparation. If it wasn’t for Freddie Roach, who changed his strategy and training, we may not have seen that Cotto against Delvin. I think we’ll see that same Miguel against Martinez.”