LONDON (5 Dec) – Boxing star Amir Khan believes the clash between Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah will come down to who can handle the pressure best when the Brooklyn natives battle for local bragging rights live on BoxNation.

The hometown heroes both descend from the famed borough in New York and will share the ring this Saturday night at the Barclays Center, which lies in the heart of the Brooklyn area.

After having fought, and beat, both men, Khan is well placed to assess the fight and believes that handling the unique pressure that this fight presents will be crucial for the two world class veterans.

“I think it could all come down to who handles the pressure and expectation the best,” said Khan, speaking exclusively to BoxNation. “Even though both guys are very experienced in the sport this is new to both of them. It’s rare to see, but they’re two top fighters from the same neck of the woods going at it in their own backyard. That alone gives the fight that extra edge; it adds that little bit of pressure because neither will want to lose,” he said.

“It could change, or have an impact, on their approach during the fight because if one of them gets tagged they’ll be desperate to try and get the other back because they won’t want to lose face in front of their home crowd and will always want to be on top,” he said.

“It’s a really exciting and intriguing matchup because it’s so hard to call. The atmosphere is going to be electric and both guys are going to leave it all in the ring,” said Khan.

The former unified light-welterweight world champion was quick to acknowledge the abilities of both fighters and thinks their recent outings could also play a part.

“Paulie tends to be a little underrated,” Khan said. “He’s a fantastic fighter that brings a lot to the table such as his speed and his boxing skills. I think he surprised a lot of fans in his fight with Adrien Broner because a lot felt he won that fight. That could certainly act as extra motivation for him going into this one,” he said.

“Paulie’s not the biggest puncher but he’s got many assets that mean he doesn’t really need to be. He can make you miss and counter you and because of his speed and quick thinking he’s able to do that. Over the distance he’s hard to beat because he picks up rounds that way,” Khan explained.

“One key advantage that Zab has though is he can bang a bit more and also carries speed with him. Add in his awkward southpaw style and you have a fighter that can cause anybody major problems – like his last fight with Danny Garcia showed,” Khan stated.

The 26-year-old will be ringside on the night and is expected to join both men by making his move up to the welterweight division in his next outing.

Khan, however, thinks this weekend’s showdown is going to be a close one, giving the edge ever so slightly to two-weight world champion Malignaggi.

“It will be a very close fight with some really high class boxing on display and I think it will go the distance. I’m leaning towards Paulie in the fight simply because I think he’s the fresher of both fighters and will be really keen to bounce back from the Broner defeat,” Khan said.

“But it’s a really hard fight to call because Zab is going to be equally motivated, he’s awkward and his southpaw style could cause problems. It’s great fights like this that fans want to see, where it’s hard to pick a winner – it’s a really interesting matchup,” he added.

The bill also features a stacked undercard with three world title fights taking place.

Devon Alexander faces undefeated Shawn Porter for his IBF welterweight title, Erislandy Lara goes up against Austin Trout for the WBA light-middleweight crown and Sakio Bika defends his WBC super-middleweight belt against the unbeaten and big-hitting Anthony Dirrell.

Malignaggi vs. Judah is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) this Sunday at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £10* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (ch 437), Virgin (ch 546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

The final press conference for “World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3” was held on Wednesday (December 4), night at Output Lounge Sports Bar in Chicago and all the combatants were respectful and confident ahead of their respective showdowns this Friday night at UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

WBC World Cruiserweight Champion Krzysztof “Diablo” Wlodarczyk and challenger Giacobbe Fragomeni, plus “Chicago’s Polish Prince” Andrzej Fonfara and his opponent, Colombian KO artist Samuel Miller were joined on the dais by promoters and undercard fighters in a well-attended final word from all involved.

“World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3” is being presented by promoters Andrew Wasilewski and Piotr Werner of Ulrich Knockout Promotions, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing and Dominic Pesoli of 8 Count Promotions.
Tickets for “World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3” are priced at VIP $201, VIP Ringside $151, Ringside $101, Box Mezzanine $76, Reserved Mezzanine $51, and General Admission $31 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000), the 8 Count Productions Offices: 312-226-5800 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740.

Leon Margules (Warriors Boxing)
This is going to be a great show for a number of reasons. First of all, we’ve got Poland’s only current world champion defending his title in a great fight. He and his challenger are here to lay it on the line. I’ve been working with Wlodarczyk for years and that’s what he always does in every fight.

Plus, we’ve got the world’s #1 light heavyweight Andrzej Fonfara in action.

Assuming Andrzej gets by Samuel Miller, I predict a big year next year for him. He will be world champion next year, doesn’t matter who he ends up fighting for it. And he will make his HBO debut. I see all great things for Fonfara.

Krzysztof “Diablo” Wlodarczyk
I’m here to show the world and the fans in Chicago how good I am. I’m here to prove I’m the best, like I did in Moscow in my last fight. Thanks everyone for coming. This is a great city and I’ll see you all on Friday night.

Giacobbe Fragomeni
I respect Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. He is a great champion. I am honored to fight in this great city and hope it will be an exciting fight for the fans.

Luis DeCubas (Warriors Boxing)
This is going to be a great night of fights. Both main events feature big punchers on both sides.

We’ve got Poland’s only world champ, plus Andrzej Fonfara, Poland’s next champ. He’s in against a strong guy in Samuel Miller, who has fought a number of tough opponents.

Our main goal right now is trying to get Bernard Hopkins to come here to fight Fonfara. That’s what we’re working on.

Christian Cherchi (OPI 2000)
The first fight was a great one and I’m hoping it’ll be just like that one on Friday. Very exciting for the fans especially.

I had a great camp and thanks to all who helped put the show here. “El Diablo” and Fonfara are both here on one show. Very exciting.

Andrzej Fonfara
I had a great training camp. I spent part of the time in Big Bear, California and part of the time here. I am ready for my fight with Miller. He is a good fighter and a strong puncher and a tough guy, but I’m going to win. I will be world champion one day.

Samuel Miller
I know what my job is. I am here to one thing and that is to take away Andrzej Fonfara’s #1 ranking and take his place. That’s the only thing I’m here to do.

Adrian Granados
As far as my fight against Carlos Winston Velasquez, he’s a durable guy and another tough test for me, but I am sure I will get the W on Friday night.

EVENT INFORMATION

On Friday, December 6, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, promoters Andrew Wasilewski and Piotr Werner of Ulrich Knockout Promotions, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing and Dominic Pesoli of 8 Count Promotions will once again bring world-class professional boxing back to the Windy City with their latest blockbuster event, this one entitled “World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3”.

In the night’s 12-round main event, WBC Cruiserweight Champion Krzysztof “Diablo” Wlodarczyk (48-2-1, 34 KOs) of Warsaw, Poland, will attempt to make the sixth defense of his title and complete an epic trilogy of fights with Milan, Italy’s former WBC Cruiserweight Champion Giacobbe “Gabibbo” Fragomeni (31-3-2, 12 KOs).

And in the very special featured bout, IBF #1 Light Heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara (25-2, 14 KOs) has agreed to a very dangerous test against La Habra, California, via Colombia KO artist Samuel Miller (26-7, 23 KOs).

Tickets for “World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3” are priced at VIP $201, VIP Ringside $151, Ringside $101, Box Mezzanine $76, Reserved Mezzanine $51, and General Admission $31 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000), the 8 Count Productions Offices: 312-226-5800 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740.

In support of the two main events will be an eight-round light welterweight match-up between Adrian “El Tigre” Granados (12-2-2, 8 KOs) of Cicero, Illinois via Mexico, and Carlos Winston “El Guerrero” Velasquez (21-17-1, 11 KOs) from Managua, Nicaragua;

An eight-round light middleweight bout between Jonathan “Mantequilla” Gonzalez (16-0-1, 13 KOs) of Puerto Rico and Jaison Palomeque (14-7-1, 9 KOs) Arpartado, Colombia;

A six-round middleweight battle involving Henry “The Western Warrior” Coyle (18-2, 12 KOs) of Chicago, via Geesala, Ireland and Skyler Thompson (12-9, 10 KOs) of Rockford, Illinois;

A six-round middleweight bout between Paul “The Punisher” Littleton (8-0-1, 4 KOs) of Chicago and Troy White (5-2 -1, 1 KO) of Saint Louis, Missouri;

A six-round cruiserweight bout pitting “Hurricane” Junior Wright (8-0, 7 KOs) of Evanston, Illinois against Harley Kilfian (10-13, 8 KOs) of Kenton, Ohio;

A five-round middleweight rematch between Trinidad Garcia (5-3-3) of Chicago and Ramiro Bueno Jr. (2-3-1 1 KO) of South Bend, Indiana;

And a four-round lightweight opener between Jose Romero (1-0) of Whiting, Indiana, and Fred Bowen (1-1-1) of Jackson, Tennessee.

ABOUT 8 COUNT PRODUCTIONS

8 Count Productions, Home Of The Best In Chicago Boxing, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland.

Fighters currently under the 8 Count Productions banner include; IBO Light Heavyweight World Champion Andrzej Fonfara, middleweight contender Donovan George, world-class junior welterweight prospect Adrian Granados, super middleweight prospect Paul Littleton, middleweight prospect Viktor Polyakov and welterweight prospect Jaime Herrera.

For more information on 8 Count Productions please visit their new website, www.8countproductions.com.

ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

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

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

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

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

New York, NY (12/4/13) – Before yet another sold-out Broadway Boxing card at NYC’s historic BB King Blues Club & Grill, DiBella Entertainment presented a thrilling 11-bout cad headline by New York fan-favorite junior middleweight Boyd Melson.

BOYD MELSON IMPRESSES AGAINST KING

In an impressive outing, Boyd Melson improved his record to 12-1-1 (3 KOs) with a dominant eight-round unanimous decision victory over the game Gundrick King18-11 (11 KOs). Round after round, Melson used adept footwork to avoid King’s advances and countered effectively with straight rights and pinpoint jabs. He also found a home for his left hook to the body which sapped his foe’s energy enough to keep him from mounting a sustained offense. After eight frames, each judge tallied 80-72, all for Melson.

ROSA HANDLES WILSON EASILY

Exciting undefeated super bantamweight prospect Luis Rosa improved to a perfect 15-0, 7KO’s, with an electrifying third-round TKO over Andre Wilson.

Rosa came out fast, stalking Wilson around the ring. Midway through the round, a short left hook dropped Wilson. Rosa followed up that knockdown with another in round two, this time with the right hand.

Dropped Wilson in the first with a hard left hook and again in the 2nd with right uppercut. In the third round another huge left hook dropped Wilson
2:24 of round number three.

YOUNAN SHINES AGAIN

In his second professional bout, 18-year-old blue-chip prospect Junior “Sugar Boy” Younan showed why many believe he will be the next superstar to come out of Brooklyn, New York as he dismantled Travis McClaren at just 22 seconds of the very first round.

With the two fighters trading, Younan landed a picture perfect left hook that dropped McClaren hard. McClaren was able to beat the count but was in absolutely no condition to continue.

It was the second first-round TKO for Younan in less than two months and a big 2014 is expected out of the super middleweight prospect.

CRUZ-AROCHO GO TO WAR IN FIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Behind the chants of ‘Pee-wee Pee-wee’ ringing throughout the room, Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz and Joshua Arocho fought in what was easily the fight of the night and one of the most exciting bouts during the entire 2013 Broadway Boxing series.

Cruz controlled round one but then got caught with a counter right hand and went down hard. Cruz beat the count though and the two went toe-to-toe for the remainder of the round.

In the second frame, Cruz opened a nasty cut over Arocho’s eye and the two began trading hard shots with Cruz getting the better of the exchanges.

Round-after-round, Cruz and Arocho went to war, with Cruz pressing the action and having the upper hand. To his credit though Arocho hung tough and wouldn’t go down, returning fire in the process.

The 6th and final round saw both fighters stand and trade hellacious shots from the beginning to the end, bringing the sold out crowd to a standing ovation for the entire three minutes.

In the end all three judges scored the bout 58-55 for Cruz who improved his perfect record to 8-0, 5KO’s. Hats off to Arocho, who put on a heck of a performance in defeat.

OTHER RESULTS

Travis Peterkin, now 10-0, 5KO’s, used a vicious body attack to break down Tylon Burris, 4-2, 2KO’s. He also demonstrated a consistent and stiff jab as he applied pressure throughout. After seeing their charge taking punishment for several rounds, the corner of Burris pulled their fighter out of the contest after the completion of round five, awarding the TKO victory to Peterkin.

In his ninth bout of 2013, fast-rising and highly regarded up-and-coming middleweight prospect Antoine Douglas passed his toughest test to date, scoring a third round TKO over previously undefeated Colby Courter (4-0, 4KO’s).

Douglas scored with heavy shots from both hands, mixing in a beautiful body attack and seemingly scoring at will against the tough-as-nails Courter. By the end of the second round, a huge swelling had developed on Courter’s eye. In the third round, a huge right-left combination by Douglas sent Courter down hard. Courter beat the but swelling above his left eye had ballooned even more, forcing the referee to call a halt to the contest at 1:12 of round number three.

With the victory, Douglas improved to a perfect 11-0, 7KO’s.

Hard-hitting, promising super middleweight prospect Jerry Odom kept his perfect record and first-round KO ratio intact, stopping Eric Moon at 2:47 in the first round of their scheduled four-round contest.

Odom dropped Moon with a straight right hand midway through the round and followed up the barrage dropping his opponent just moments later with a left. Moon was able to beat the count, but the end was near. Odom dropped Moon for the third and final time with another hard flurry and the referee rightfully called a halt to the contest.

With the win Odom’s record now stands at a perfect 6-0, 6KO’s.

Canada’s Francy Ntetu improved to a perfect 11-0 with a third DQ over Julio Garcia.

A short left hook dropped Garcia very early in round one but Garcia was able to beat the count. Not only was Garcia able to survive the following onslaught, he even came back to score with some big body shots of his own.

The fighters went to war in the second round, with each having their moments landing hellacious shots with both hands.

In the third, with Ntetu beginning to control the action, Garcia began scoring below the belt. After two points were deducted for low blows in the round, the referee rightfully disqualified him after the third consecutive foul. Official time of the disqualification was 2:34.

Queens junior welterweight Danny Gonzalez overwhelmed and broke down Harlem’s Kamal Muhammad forcing the ringside physician to call a halt to the contest at 2:40 of the third-round of their scheduled four-rounder. Gonzalez improved to 5-0, 3KO’s, with the stoppage.

In a good action junior lightweight bout, Joseliz Cepeda scored a majority four-round decision over Brooklyn’s Neuky Santelises.

There was good action throughout with Cepeda applying pressure against his taller opponent. Santelises seemed to briefly stun Cepeda in the second, but Cepeda returned the favor in the third, badly hurting Santelises and having him trouble for most of the round.

Cepeda didn’t let off the gas in the fourth as Santelises had trouble finding his legs. In the end, Cepeda was awarded the majority decision by scores of 40-36, 39-37, and 38-38. With the win, Cepeda improves to 6-2, while Santelises dropped to 5-2, 4KO’s.

Craig McEwan and Dashon Johnson fought to an ugly six-round decision with Johnson coming out on the winning end by scores of 58-55, 58-55, and 57-56. McEwan looked to use his distance against the much smaller Johnson, but Johnson was able to effectively get inside McEwan’s reach and score with looping shots with both hands.

Video streaming by Ustream

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the November 23rd bout between Manny Pacquiao – and Brandon Rios did about 500,000 buys on Pay Per View.

“The numbers are coming in like we expected,” sais Top Rank’s Bob Arum Arum. “There was a little delay because of Thanksgiving, but it will be somewhere in the area of 500,000 buys. We ran all our numbers on something a little less than 500,000 but figuring we’d do around 500,000, and that’s what we’re going to wind up doing. It means 490,000 or 510,000, something like that.”

“It’s very, very difficult when you’re not doing the fight in the United States,” Arum said. “But the deal we structured with (the Venetian Macao, the host casino) was to make up for that.

“The [pay-per-view] industry told us when you do an event that far away you can expect to do maybe 30 percent of what you would ordinarily do on the fight. We did a lot better. We performed better than that, so I think it was a big success. We had a huge audience on television in China.”

“We’ll have Manny fighting back in the United States with Zou Shiming on the undercard and do a pay-per-view in China, where it will be on Sunday morning,” Arum said.

As for Pacquiao’s opponent in April, Arum said there are three names under consideration: a fifth fight with Marquez, a rematch with welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley (who claimed a highly controversial split decision against Pacquiao in June 2012), and newly crowned junior welterweight titlist Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia.

“It’ll be one of those guys,” Arum said. “We’re gonna get it done sometime this month I hope. I want to start promoting it. What we’re hoping to do is get Manny over here in January to do press conferences for the fight and also to do rallies in places like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., for relief for the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines.”

LAS VEGAS (December 4, 2013) – “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) returns to the Sunshine State as “World Series of Fighting 8: Gaethje vs. Cavalcante,” hits the ring January 18, 2014 at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Tickets, which start at just $33, go on sale at Ticketmaster.com this Friday, December 6, at 10 a.m. (EST).

In the night’s headlining contest, undefeated contender Justin Gaethje (10-0) meets Brazilian veteran Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (18-7-1) for the right to be called “World Series of Fighting’s” inaugural lightweight champion.

The co-feature sees light-heavyweight sluggers Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-4) and Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-10-1) clash in a rescheduled matchup that seems sure to produce fireworks.

The night’s four-fight main card airs live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. (EST)/6 p.m. (PST).

“This has been an incredible year for ‘World Series of Fighting,’ and we’re excited to announce that our first event of 2014 will feature another championship fight,” said Ray Sefo, World Series of Fighting president. “Justin and ‘JZ’ looked well on their way to putting on a fantastic fight in their first meeting before an early cut ended the fight. Justin wants to prove he was deserving of that win, while ‘JZ’ hopes to erase the frustration of the loss. The victor will prove his point and also walk away with our first-ever lightweight title.”

The 25-year-old Gaethje is a member of Colorado’s Grudge Training Center and has already earned WSOF wins over Dan Lauzon, Brian Cobb and Cavalcante. Fighting professionally since 2011, Gaethje is undefeated in his first 10 career fights, and nine of those have ended via stoppage, including eight by knockout.

“It feels like all of the hard work is paying-off by getting to showcase my skills on the headliner of one of the most respected new promotions in the MMA world,” Gaethje shared. “That being said, I find it offensive that Gesias can find the courage to lock himself in a cage with me again. I’m pushing myself like never before, because come January 18th, I have one goal and that is to put Cavalcante to sleep.”

Meanwhile, Blackzilian fighter Cavalcante is 2-1 in the decagon, sandwiching wins over Tyson Girffin and T.J. O’Brien around the March 2013 loss to Gaethje. A veteran of the sport since 2004, Cavalcante has also competed for Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1. Early in his career, Cavalcante scored two tournament wins while competing for K-1 Hero’s, but the WSOF lightweight title would certainly mark the high point of the 30-year-old’s professional career.

“World Series of Fighting 8” marks the promotion’s first event of 2014. On Saturday, the company holds its final event of this year, traveling to Canada for the NBCSN-broadcast “World Series of Fighting 7: Karakhanyan vs. Palmer” event.

Tickets cost $33, $63, $103, $143 and $243, all seats are reserved and available to purchase at Ticketmaster outlets online at www.myhrl.com, ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. *Additional fees may apply.

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

About NBC Sports Network
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Hard Rock Live
Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility, further expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This 5,500-seat indoor arena has attracted more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 2005, and has regularly hosted South Florida’s greatest variety of musical acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin and George Lopez; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com or www.myhrl.com, facebook.com/MyHRL and twitter.com/hard_rock_live.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino invites you to PLAYHARD! Play, stay, dine, and shop at South Florida’s ultimate entertainment destination. Over 90 tables offer Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold ’em Bonus Poker, Casino War and Let it Ride on a nearly three-acre casino floor. Additionally, over 2,500 slots include the Native-American Casino linked Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. Separate high-limit rooms for table games and slots, in addition to a non-smoking room, are available for guests to enjoy. Loyal Player’s Club members also have access to the exclusive VIP Plum Lounge and VIP Chef’s Table show kitchen. The Poker Room at Seminole Hard Rock hosts various games and tournaments of Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ’em, 7-Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Located inside the casino is Hard Rock Cafe -Hollywood, part of Hard Rock’s 138 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants. The Green Lodging Certified by the State of Florida, AAA Four Diamond-rated resort showcases 500 luxurious guest rooms, 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, Rock Spa, award-winning restaurants, high-energy nightclubs, lounges and bars, boutique retail shops, the 350-seat Paradise Live theater and the 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. Located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. Take I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1 800-937-0010 or visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, facebook.com/seminolehardrockhollywood, twitter.com/SHRHollywood, instagram.com/semhardrockhollywood and youtube.com/semhardrockhollywood.

INDIO, CALIF. (Dec. 4) – The final Golden Boy Live! event of 2013 on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will be one to remember, as a trio of spectacular matchups have been added to the televised portion of the Friday, Dec. 13 card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Already featuring “Riverside Rocky” Josesito Lopez against “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis in the main event and Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas facing Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes as the co-main bout, boxing fans in the venue and watching live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will also see three more televised bouts, with unbeaten junior middleweight Jermall Charlo taking on Joseph De Los Santos, 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. meeting Mexico’s Carlos Rodriguez in a junior featherweight battle and Diaz’ Olympic teammate Errol Spence Jr. putting his perfect professional record on the line against Noe Bolanos in junior middleweight action. All three bouts are scheduled for eight rounds.

Also stepping into the ring for an exciting 10-round non-televised middleweight bout will be Coachella, Calif. favorite Angel Osuna and unbeaten Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. Plus, those in attendance will get an extra treat as popular heavyweight contender Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola, fresh off of his stunning first round knockout over Seth Mitchell in September at Fantasy Springs, will be on hand to sign autographs, take pictures and meet and greet fans.

Houston’s Jermall Charlo (16-0, 12 KO’s) cemented his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the junior middleweight division as he has gone 6-0 with six knockouts already in 2013, with finishes over notable foes such as Orlando Lora, Luis Hernandez and Antwone Smith. The 23-year-old aims to close out the year with another furious finish. A rugged veteran from the Dominican Republic, 36-year-old Joseph De Los Santos (16-12-3, 9 KO’s) may have a few defeats on his record, but he has only been stopped once, making him a tough test for Charlo. Plus, with wins in six of his last seven bouts, De Los Santos is proving himself to be a late bloomer primed to score the upset.

Twenty-one-year-old South El Monte native Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. (8-1, 5 KO’s) is on the fast track to big things in the 122-pound weight class and with six wins in 2013 alone, he’s keeping the kind of busy schedule that makes world champions. On Dec. 13, the 2012 U.S. Olympian hopes to score his fifth straight knockout when he takes on Los Mochis’ Carlos Rodriguez (18-12-4, 10 KO’s). Rodriguez will be quite the challenge for the young Diaz and after winning six of his last eight fights, the 30-year-old has the momentum he needs to come up big at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

A highly decorated amateur who made it to the quarterfinals of the 2012 London Games, Desoto, Texas’ Errol Spence Jr. (9-0, 7 KO’s) has picked up plenty of frequent flyer miles in 2013, fighting in Florida, Nevada, California and Texas while putting seven more wins on his record. A recent victor over unbeaten Emmanuel Lartey in October, the 23-year-old Spence is hungry for more W’s. Looking to put a “1” in Spence’s loss column is Obregon, Mexico’s veteran Noe Bolanos (25-8-1, 16 KO’s). The 27-year-old will be looking to make it two wins in a row on Dec. 13, following his eight-round win over Felipe Gonzalez in September.

Two of California’s top prospects collide in a highly anticipated showdown, as 25-year-old Angel Osuna (11-3-1, 7 KO’s) from Coachella takes on the young and undefeated 22-year-old Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. (19-0, 10 KO’s). Osuna bounced back from a rocky start to his pro career to win his last seven bouts, five by knockout. Centeno has yet to lose as a professional and he wants to end 2013 with an upset win to remember against the fan favorite Osuna.

Josesito Lopez, Joseph Diaz Jr., Julian Williams and Diego De La Hoya participated in a Los Angeles media workout yesterday. Below please find the quotes and a link to the photos from the event.

Josesito Lopez, Top Welterweight Contender
“I’ve been training hard and I always try to adjust to different styles. That’s why we bring in different sparring partners so the preparation is definitely there.

“Everything is going great in camp. The fight is only a few days away and I’m excited to be back. I really appreciate all the fans and I’m glad to be fighting in Southern California.

“There are big things coming in 2014, but first things first and that’s December 13 I’m expecting a tough fight and that’s what I’m focused on. I don’t take anyone lightly and train like I’m the underdog.”

Joseph Diaz Jr., Junior Featherweight Rising Star
[On his opponent]: “I know that Carlos Rodriguez is going to come and be aggressive to try to overwhelm me.

“He [Rodriguez] may be my toughest opponent to date, but I’m ready for him. I know that it will be a difficult fight because he’s an experienced fighter, but I’m ready to give the fans a great show.

“If the knockout comes, then it comes. The knockouts I’ve gotten, I got with shots they weren’t expecting. I just like to take my time and have patience when I am in the ring.”

Julian Ramirez, Undefeated Junior Featherweight Rising Star
“Me siento bien, estoy listo para el 13 de diciembre. Me he preparado por 3 meses, entrené e hice spar con Yeyo Thompson y Jesse Roman, 10 rounds de sparring tres veces por semana así que me siento fuerte para salir con todo y para ganar.”

Translation:
“I feel good. I’m ready for December 13. I’ve been preparing for three months and I trained and sparred with Yeyo Thompson and Jesse Roman. I’ve sparred 10-rounds of sparring three times per week so I feel strong and I’m ready to give my everything to get the win.”

Diego De La Hoya, Undefeated Junior Featherweight Rising Star
“Estoy contento por esta pelea, por poder pelear en casa con mi gente y acercarme un poco mas a mi gran sueño de ser campeón. Me he preparado bien, he trabajado duro en los entrenamientos con el mejor entrenador Joel De La Hoya y con algunos sparrings muy buenos. Estoy contento por tener un gran equipo.”

Translation:
“I’m excited about this fight, being able to fight close to home getting a little closer to my dream of being a champion.

“I’ve prepared well. I’ve worked hard during training with the best trainer Joel De La Hoya and with some really good sparring partners. I’m happy about having a great team.”

Three of the most popular fighters of the past decade, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad and Joe Calzaghe will highlight the 2014 Hall of Fame class that will be enshrined in Canastota, New York on June 8th.

“I am honored and appreciative to be chosen for the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2014 and I thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with me,” said De La Hoya, who has struggled with substance abuse issues during retirement but also founded Golden Boy Promotions, one of the leading promotional companies in the world.

“This is the dream of everyone who puts on a pair of gloves and steps between the ropes, and through the good and the bad, you always hope that when all is said and done, you put on good fights, entertained the fans and will be remembered for what you did in the ring. To know that I will be in the Hall of Fame with the greats of this sport is humbling, but it’s also put a smile on my face that isn’t coming off anytime soon.”

“This is tremendous news. I’ve spent many years in boxing, and I am very happy,” Trinidad said. “This is a great honor for me, my father [and trainer, Felix Trinidad Sr.], my family and my whole team. I’m extremely happy to be inducted with all the Puerto Rican boxers already in the Hall of Fame. This is the biggest triumph in my career.”

“I’m so excited. I’m very proud and humbled,” Calzaghe said. “I think it’s amazing to be inducted. This is a massive, massive honor, just fantastic. To receive this honor and be up there with all the legends is the ultimate honor for me. I’m so happy right now, and I can’t wait to come to Canastota.”

They will be enshrined June 8 during the 25th annual inductions ceremony at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. Also elected were British promoter Barry Hearn and referee Richard Steele in the nonparticipant category, journalist Graham Houston and photographer Neil Leifer in the observer category, George Chaney, Charles Ledoux and Mike O’Dowd in the old-timers category and Tom Allen in the pioneer category.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of the highly anticipated trilogy fight between World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3 featuring Krzysztof Wlodarczyk vs. Giacobbe Fragomeni in a trilogy fight for the WBC cruiserweight championship from UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL.

The live presentation will begin this Friday, December 6, at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Fight Network’s live broadcast of Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3 will be aired nationwide in Canada, as well as internationally as part of Fight Network’s expansion on ZON in Portugal, Telenet in Belgium, D-Smart in Turkey, ZAP in Angola and Mozambique, and OSN across the Middle East and North Africa.

Presented by promoters Andrew Wasilewski and Piotr Werner of Ulrich Knockout Promotions, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing and Dominic Pesoli of 8 Count Promotions, in the night’s 12-round main event, WBC cruiserweight champion Krzysztof “Diablo” Wlodarczyk (48-2-1, 34 KOs) of Warsaw, Poland, will attempt to make the sixth defense of his title and complete an epic trilogy of fights with Milan, Italy’s former WBC Cruiserweight Champion Giacobbe “Gabibbo” Fragomeni (31-3-2, 12 KOs).

And in the very special featured bout, IBF #1 Light Heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara (25-2, 14 KOs) has agreed to a very dangerous test against La Habra, California, via Colombia KO artist Samuel Miller (26-7, 23 KOs).

In support of the two main events will be an eight-round light welterweight match-up between Adrian “El Tigre” Granados (12-2-2, 8 KOs) of Cicero, Illinois via Mexico, and Carlos Winston “El Guerrero” Velasquez (21-17-1, 11 KOs) from Managua, Nicaragua.

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.

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise wraps its 2013 slate with the world-class tripleheader HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX VS. JOSEPH AGBEKO, JAMES KIRKLAND VS. GLEN TAPIA AND MATTHEW MACKLIN VS. LAMAR RUSS, presented SATURDAY, DEC. 7 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Andre Ward will be ringside for the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Dec. 8 (8:30 a.m.) and 9 (11:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Dec. 8 (5:00 p.m.) and 10 (11:30 p.m.)
In the main event, Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux (12-0, 8 KOs) puts his super bantamweight titles on the line against Joseph Agbeko (29-4, 22 KOs) of Accra, Ghana. After winning two Olympic Gold medals as an amateur, the Miami-based Rigondeaux, 33, has picked apart 122-pounders like no other in his brief pro career. Most recently, he tactically disposed of Nonito Donaire, one of the sport’s elite, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision in a high-profile unification fight. After a year’s layoff, Agbeko, 33, defeated Luis Melendez last March to win a bantamweight title. With notable victories over Luis Perez and Vic Darchinyan also on his resume, he will work to build on his bantamweight success, making his HBO debut in one of the most competitive weight classes.
The co-main event, a junior middleweight bout scheduled for ten rounds, features Glen Tapia (20-0, 12 KOs) of Passaic, NJ, risking his undefeated record against heavy-handed James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KOs) of Austin, Tex. Since July, Tapia, 23, has scored two knockout victories for his third and fourth wins of 2013. Returning to the ring after nearly two years, Kirkland, 29, expects to improve on the 87% victory by knockout rate that once exhilarated sweet science fanatics. His record includes wins over Alfredo Angulo, Carlos Molina, Joel Julio and Brian Vera.
The evening begins with middleweight contenders Matthew Macklin (29-5, 20 KOs) of Birmingham, England, and Lamar Russ (14-0, 7 KOs) of Wilmington, NC in a scheduled ten-round fight. After suffering a third-round knockout defeat to powerhouse Gennady Golovkin in June, Macklin, 31, hopes to return to the form that merited him a shot at a 154-pound title. Building his own convincing case for a title run, Russ, 26, has dominated opponents in 2013, winning by unanimous decision in each of his three fights.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Doug Getts.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of ONE Fighting Championship 13: Moment of Truth from Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, this Friday, December 6, at 6 a.m. ET.

In the main event, Philippines’ first MMA world champion Honorio Banario challenges Koji Oishi, the man who defeated him and took his belt, for the ONE FC featherweight championship.

In other featured bouts, David Aranda battles Kevin Belingon at featherweight, Vincent Latoel meets Eduard Folayang at lightweight, plus Koetsu Okazaki takes on Leandro Issa in a bantamweight showdown.

Meanwhile, UFC and Strikeforce veteran Caros Fodor looks to make it 2-0 under the ONE FC banner when he battles Vuyisile Colossa in lightweight action, while Dae Hwan Kim and Thanh Vu collide in a bantamweight bout and Eugene Toquero meets Geje Eustaquio in a flyweight tilt.

In undercard action also broadcast live on Fight Network, Paul Cheng and Alain Ngalani are on a heavyweight collision course, while flyweights Khim Dima and Ruel Catalan kick off the festivities.

The full fight card for ONE FC 13: Moment of Truth (6 a.m. ET) includes:

-Honorio Banario vs. Koji Oishi (featherweight championship)
-David Aranda vs. Kevin Belingon
-Vincent Latoel vs. Eduard Folayang
-Koetsu Okazaki vs. Leandro Issa
-Caros Fodor vs. Vuyisile Colossa
-Dae Hwan Kim vs. Thanh Vu
-Eugene Toquero vs. Geje Eustaquio
-Paul Cheng vs. Alain Ngalani
-Khim Dima vs. Ruel Catalan

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.

Exciting light welterweight contender Adrian “El Tigre” Granados has heard it all before.

“Fight smart. Stay out of the trenches. Don’t go to war if you don’t have to,” are all familiar bits of advice he’s been given many times. But a leopard can’t change its spots and, despite all his best-laid pre-fight plans to use his excellent boxing skills, when Granados gets in the ring, the proud Mexican American can’t seem to resist a good slugfest.
Granados (10-1-2, 6 KOs) of Cicero, Illinois, via Mexico, will face durable, seasoned veteran Carlos Winston “El Guerrero” Velasquez (21-17-1, 11 KOs) from Managua, Nicaragua, in one of the main supporting bouts of “World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3” on Friday, December 6, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.
In the night’s 12-round main event, WBC Cruiserweight Champion Krzysztof “Diablo” Wlodarczyk (48-2-1, 34 KOs) of Warsaw, Poland, will attempt to make the sixth defense of his title and complete an epic trilogy of fights with Milan, Italy’s former WBC Cruiserweight Champion Giacobbe “Gabibbo” Fragomeni (31-3-2, 12 KOs). And in the very special featured bout, IBF #1 Light Heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara (25-2, 14 KOs) has agreed to a very dangerous test against La Habra, California, via Colombia KO artist Samuel Miller (26-7, 23 KOs).
Tickets for “World Championship Boxing: Wlodarczyk vs. Fragomeni 3” are priced at VIP $201, VIP Ringside $151, Ringside $101, Box Mezzanine $76, Reserved Mezzanine $51, and General Admission $31 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000), the 8 Count Productions Offices: 312-226-5800 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740.
“I get drawn into fighting everybody else’s fight,” explained Granados of his tendency to go to war in every fight. “I need to go in there and do my job, my way. I know Carlos Winston Velasquez has a lot of experience and 40 fights. He’s very durable. I know I have to fight a smart fight and, most importantly, fight my fight.”
All of which sounds good. 24-year-old Granados is in with an eight-year pro in Valasquez, who has pulled off a number of upsets over fighters with good records in his career. Granados would be well served to stay out of danger and use his fast, educated hands to cruise to a safe decision… but that’s not Adrian Granados.
“I’m a Mexican American, so we have a smart chess match or a Mexican gun fight. Whatever he wants, I say let’s go for it!”
Always well-prepared, Granados split his training time working with trainer George Hernandez and in camp with WBA Welterweight Champion, Adrien Broner.
“I did my thing and he did his thing and it was a great camp for both of us,” continued Granados. “I wish him nothing but the best in his fight on December 14. He’s a great guy, good fighter, strong, fast. He’s smart. There’s a reason why he’s champion.”
Granados’ last fight was a war for the ages last August against then-undefeated Mark Salser on the historic ESPN Friday Night Fights broadcast from U.S. Cellular Field. Down hard in rounds two and five, Granados stormed back to drop and stop Salser in round six.
“I learned a lot in that fight, Salser came to win and he could crack. I’ve never been dropped like that. It was a great fight and a historic victory for me in a historic fight. I was very happy to get the win. I’ve never been one to get crazy after a fight, but I was very happy I got that victory.”
Not as pleased that night was ESPN’s legendary color man Teddy Atlas who was critical of Granados fan-friendly habit of making fights harder than perhaps they should be.
“Teddy is a legend himself. I’m reading his book right now. I know he called me an idiot, and I was being an idiot. He’s right. I need to be smarter in these fights, but I’m an exciting fighter. I know I am. I make good fights. What can I say?”

ABOUT 8 COUNT PRODUCTIONS

8 Count Productions, Home Of The Best In Chicago Boxing, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland.

Fighters currently under the 8 Count Productions banner include; IBO Light Heavyweight World Champion Andrzej Fonfara, middleweight contender Donovan George, world-class junior welterweight prospect Adrian Granados, super middleweight prospect Paul Littleton, middleweight prospect Viktor Polyakov and welterweight prospect Jaime Herrera.

For more information on 8 Count Productions please visit their new website, www.8countproductions.com.

ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

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

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

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

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

NEW YORK (Dec. 4, 2013) – Beibut Shumenov is a former amateur standout in Europe and represented Kazakhstan in the 2004 Olympic Games. The WBA Super Light Heavyweight World Champion, he became the fighter with the fewest professional fights to win a 175-pound world title when he captured the crown in his tenth start.

On Saturday, Dec. 14, Shumenov (13-1, 8 KO’s) will make his Golden Boy Promotions debut and his fifth title defense when he faces unbeaten Tamas Kovacs (23-0, 14 KO’s) of Slovakia, in the opening bout of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It is the second of back-to-back four-fight telecasts on SHOWTIME. This Saturday, Dec. 7, friends-turned-foes and former World Champions Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi fight for Brooklyn bragging rights when they meet in the featured match at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

In the eagerly awaited main event on Dec. 14, popular, colorful, undefeated rising superstar Adrien “The Problem” Broner faces the toughest test of his career when he risks his WBA Welterweight World Championship against hard-hitting Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. In addition to Shumenov-Kovacs, there are two more 12-rounders on the stacked card: Undefeated WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman defends against dangerous Jesus “El Renuente” Soto Karass and undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz defends against Cesar Seda.

Shumenov,a personable, humble 6-foot-2, 30-year-old who has lived in Las Vegas since 2007, grew up with his father, an accountant, mother, a school teacher, and younger brother in a one-unit home when Kazakhstan was a part of Russia. His parents were business-minded and hard-working, frequently putting in 10-to-12-hour days, and were often on the road.

Shumenov nearly died when he was less than a-year-old. While under the care of his aunts, he was fed spoiled milk. Two weeks later, when his father returned Beibut was blue-faced and had to be rushed to the hospital. They could not locate a vein and had to give him IV through the head. His parents were told he would die.

He survived, but was a sickly child for years. He was unable to play sports until he was nearly six when he started taking Taekwando, karate, wrestling, Muay Thai and kickboxing. He mostly kept involved in the family’s businesses. He and younger brother, Chingis, were to become attorneys. Beibut once worked as a clerk for a judge in Kazakhstan and Chingis once worked as a prosecutor and is the current Deputy Mayor of Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

After watching a Mike Tyson fight on television, Shumenov turned to boxing at the age of 13 and quickly established himself as a fighter with ability. In the amateurs, he went 180-20 pounds. There were enormous expectations for him to bring home the gold in the Olympics. He won his first fight, but broke his hand in the process and then lost his second bout.

“I broke my right hand in the fight that I won,” Shumenov said, “But I wasn’t able to punch with it and lost my second fight against the guy from Turkey. Before the Olympics, I fought the guy and won.”

The defeat demoralized Shumenov. “I quit boxing after the Olympics,” he said. “I couldn’t handle the loss. Everyone was so confident I’d win the gold medal. There was so much pressure. So after returning home in 2004 I quit to concentrate on the family businesses. Even though I suffered a broken hand, I felt I’d let so many people down, including my father, mother and country. But I always maintained my condition.”

In 2006, Shumenov returned to the ring with an eye on the 2008 Olympics, but after dominating his opposition he was urged by a former coach to turn pro, which he did at age 24 on Nov. 17, 2007.

Shumenov won his initial eight starts, suffered his lone defeat on a 12-round majority decision to defending WBA light heavyweight champion Gabriel Campillo, then reversed the result in a rematch on a controversial 12-round split decision in his tenth outing on Jan. 29, 2010.

Here’s more of what the physically strong, aggressive-minded Shumenov had to say about his life, career, Golden Boy and upcoming bout against Kovacs:

On signing with Golden Boy Promotions after basically promoting all his fights with the exception of his pro debut…

“I’m very excited and really appreciate what Golden Boy is doing for me. I finally get to show the world my boxing skills and that I am the best light heavyweight in the world. Really, to get this opportunity on a big card like this, on SHOWTIME, has brought a whole new level to my training.

“I’m so thankful for Golden Boy and SHOWTIME. Since signing with Golden Boy in late September, I’ve felt like a weight has been lifted. I always wanted to be on a major network when I was promoting myself (he and his brother formed KZ Event Productions), but everything was coming out of my pocket. It got frustrating and very stressful for me to try and do everything and the business outside the ring. It was taking away from what I needed to do inside the ring.

“Before, I was my own manager, trainer, fighter and promoter. I’m still my own trainer but I feel very confident. I don’t have to think about promoting, only the preparation for the fight. It is a great relief.”

On his goals…

“My main goal is to unify all the titles. I’ve always wanted to fight for world titles against other great champions. Sure, I’d fight Bernard Hopkins. I’d feel very honored.”

On what this fight means to him…

“This is by far my greatest opportunity. I’m going to try to win impressively. That’s how you get popular. That’s what the exposure of fighting on SHOWTIME can do. This is like starting over as far as opportunity goes on this kind of platform. I want to utilize my skills. I’m comfortable. I’ve trained hard and enjoyed my preparation. I feel everything’s going well. There’s no pressure. I’m very focused.”

On this being his fifth title defense yet first fight in 18 months and only fourth since July 2010…”The reason I’ve fought so little was because I only wanted big fights, and I was trying to do it on my own with no promoter. We tried a long time to make a unification with (Chad) Dawson and (Nathan) Cleverly when they were champions. I tried to reach out to their promoters. I thought I was close against Cleverly, but he disappeared on me. Dawson disappeared, too. I thought I had a unification with Juergen Braehmer when he was WBO champ but he also just disappeared.”

On what he knows about Kovacs…

“To be honest, I haven’t seen many of his highlights on tape but I know he’s an aggressive, come forward fighter that throws a lot of punches. I’m sure he’ll try and make it exciting. But I have the style and the knowledge to fight against anyone. I’m a power puncher-boxer. I have a lot of power but l like to show my skills. I feel confident against any style. I’m excited to get back in the ring and I’m really looking forward to this fight.”

On leaving the family business to return to boxing…

“Our family is very close. I’m sure I get my drive from my parents. Every business decision we make is a family decision. If my parents had their way, I wouldn’t fight. They would prefer I run our family business. They’re very proud of me, but I’m sure they’d rather me be involved in more business-related ventures than to be in this kind of sport. I only plan to fight a couple more years.”

“For me to get this far is an accomplishment. Kazakhstan was not an easy place to grow up. I broke my hand in the Olympics and a few other things on the streets.”

On coming to America…

“I chose to move to Las Vegas to live and train because it is the boxing capital of the world. When I first said I was coming by myself to the United States, my dad laughed. He thought I’d be here about a week and was just coming to party.

“The first English I learned came from watching movies. I watched all kinds of movies for about six months and then hired a tutor, who worked with me for two months. My favorite movie is ‘The Godfather.’ ”

ABOUT “BRONER VS. MAIDANA”:
“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Casamigos Tequila and Grudge Match. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com or online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

David Price and his team have decided to vacate both the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight titles in order to fully concentrate on his quest to become heavyweight world champion.

Price: ‘’I am extremely proud to have been British and Commonwealth champion. I have some fantastic memories of some great nights winning and defending both belts. Now the time is right for me to move in a different direction in order to rebuild my career and achieve my ultimate goal of becoming heavyweight world champion. As for the fight with Derek (Chisora), this is something that really interests me and I’d hope it has the potential to be made later next year.’’

LINCOLN, R.I. (Dec. 4th, 2013) —
Long before he made his professional debut in mixed martial arts, Andre Soukhamthath was already a polarizing figure on the local circuit.

At first, critics said he didn’t have the ground game necessary to succeed in such a competitive region. Now that he’s 6-1 with six consecutive wins on his resume — some of them against top-flight wrestlers or jiu-jitsu black belts — now the knock on Soukhamthath is he’s taking the “easy route” to the top.

What will it take for the Woonsocket, R.I., featherweight to silence the critics?

“I don’t care what they say,” said Soukhamthath, who is looking to close out the year with another win Friday, Dec. 6, 2013 on the undercard of Classic Entertainment & Sports’ 20th mixed martial arts show at Twin River Casino.

“I’m doing what I need to do and taking what comes my way. This is how I feed my family.”

With an opportunity to become the winningest fighter in CES MMA history with his seventh win, snapping a tie with fellow Rhode Islander Todd Chattelle, Soukhamthath (6-1, 3 KOs) will face veteran Corey Simmons (5-5, 1 KO) of Defiance, Ohio, in a three-round bout Friday night, a fight he agreed to on just three week’s notice.

“Breaking that record would mean a lot,” Soukhamthath said. “It’s not something I set out to do from the start, but considering some of the great fighters who’ve fought for CES through the years, yeah, it’d be a pretty cool accomplishment.

“This fight is a good test for me,” he continued. “[Simmons] is a scrapper. He’s always in good shape and he comes forward a lot. I’m not worried about his takedowns. All of these guys I fight want to take me down and just lay on me, and if they can’t do it they just end up running. I don’t think [Simmons] will do either. He’ll try to stand and bang with me. That’s what I need. That’s what I want.”

As Soukhamthath pointed out, most of his opponents have brought a similar approach to the cage on fight night, which is to try to bring Soukhamthath to the canvas and expose his alleged weakness on the ground. Few have succeeded, including Blair Tugman, a former collegiate wrestler who recently opened his own wrestling academy and referred to Soukhamthath as a “big fish in a small pond” prior to their fight in June. Soukhamthath stood his ground — literally — and snuffed out each of Tugman’s takedown attempts in a lopsided win.

“He couldn’t take me down once,” Soukhamthath said. “It shows what good footwork and natural ability can do.

“I think people just underestimate my ground skills and my jiu-jitsu, but I’ve been doing this for eight years, so they shouldn’t do that. I don’t really have to prove it to anyone. The only way to do that is through my fights. When people take me down, I get right back up. When black belts take my back, they can’t submit me. It’ll eventually get to the point where people say, ‘Hey, his ground game is a problem, too.'”

Never one to be satisfied with what he’s already accomplished at the professional level, Soukhamthath is always looking for a way to make himself a better fighter, which is why he and his family (girlfriend Jaime and son Benson) are relocating this weekend to Boca Raton, Fla., where Soukhamthath will begin training with the Blackzilians, a well-known combat sports team in Palm Beach County famous for helping guide the careers of several prominent fighters, including Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veterans Vitor Belfort, Alistair Overeem and Rashad Evans, and world champion bantamweight boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Soukhamthath linked up with one of the Blackzilians’ head trainers, Henri Hooft, through mutual friend and fellow fighter Sean Soriano, who sent Hooft video of Soukhamthath’s workout routine.

“They were pretty impressed and wanted to work with me,” Soukhamthath said. “They invited me down, saw me train, saw my work ethic, saw my toughness, and wanted me to come back.

“Not everyone gets this chance. It’s a huge opportunity. I want to get a different outlook on training. I’ve been training in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for a while now. Nothing against them, because they’ve carried me my whole career, but it’s hard for me to get guys my size in the gym. Working with the Blackzilians is is a big opportunity for me, and I’m going to run with it.”

Regardless of where he trains, Soukhamthath will continue to fight in the northeast under the guidance of CES MMA, so even though Friday won’t be the last time local fans see him in action, the Soukhamthath they see in 2014 might be a new-and-improved version — perhaps one who can finally silence the critics.

“I’ve heard it all,” Soukhamthath said. “When I began fighting, I took a lot of tough fights, but I didn’t take stupid fights. I’m not going to jump in there with a guy who’s 10-0, but when I was 2-1, 3-1, whatever, I took on guys with as many fights as I had. That’s how I built myself. I hear guys saying I’ve taken the ‘easy route,’ but I never hear anyone locally trying to take my spot.

“I’m just doing my thing … trying to keep the ball rolling. I’m not even paying attention to that. I know I work hard. CES has always taken care of me, and my fans still want to see me fight, so I’m just going to keep training hard down in Florida, and come back up here and keep on winning.”

Ticket for “CES MMA XX” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesmma.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or at Players Club at Twin River.

Headlining this historic event, Boston, Mass., native Rob Font (7-1, 2 KOs), the reigning CES MMA featherweight champion, will put his record on the line in the main event against Canadian challenger Matt DiMarcantonio (4-3), while Providence, R.I., veteran Luis Felix (9-7, 3 KOs) and Boston’s Lucas Cruz (6-1, 2 KOs) will battle for lightweight supremacy in the highly-anticipated co-feature.

Font is riding a six-fight win streak — three of those wins under the guidance of CES — with four of those fights coming against the top featherweights in the region, including Saul Almeida, Chris Foster and Cruz.

The Cruz-Felix bout — a CES title eliminator in the 155-pound division vacated by Mike Campbell — could steal the show, one of several fights worthy of main-event status on this stacked card. Felix typically saves his best for his most important fights, as evident by his wins over former Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veterans Marc Stevens and Joe Proctor, while Cruz, despite his recent loss to Font, owns impressive wins over John Ortolani and Pete Jeffrey at 155.

In another highly-anticipated between two of the region’s top fighters in the welterweight division, fifth-ranked Brett Oteri (11-5, 1 KO) of Dedham, Mass., will face Dennis Olson (13-7, 1 KO) of Amherst, N.H., formerly ranked No. 1 in the 185-pound weight class. Olson last fought at Twin River in April when he submitted Todd Chattelle in the opening round of their main-event rematch.

Not to be outdone, Providence light heavyweight Greg Rebello (15-5, 8 KOs) will end his short-lived retirement and return to the cage Friday following a loss in his last bout in June. Once considered the top fighter in his weight class in New England, Rebello won 11 consecutive fights between 2006 and 2010 before a tough loss to Dan Cramer at the Bellator Fighting Championships. After losing a split decision to Lewis Rumsey in June — his third loss in six fights — Rebello announced his retirement, but has decided to resume his career Friday in CES MMA’s 20th celebration show.

The undercard of “CES MMA XX” will also feature the return of fan-favorite Charles Rosa (5-0, 2 KOs), a rising star in the lightweight division who wrestled collegiately at Providence’s Johnson & Wales University before returning home to Boynton Beach, Fla., but still maintains a strong fan base in Rhode Island. Rosa made his CES debut in October with an impressive submission win over Steve McCabe and will now face the dangerous Ralph Johnson (6-8, 6 KOs) of Worcester, Mass., who is coming off an impressive, first-round knockout win over Jason Ward in November, making that six first-round knockout wins for the 6-foot-5 slugger in his career.

Looking to keep his perfect record intact, East Providence, R.I., lightweight Nate Andrews (5-0, 2 KOs) will step up face seasoned Miamisburg, Ohio, veteran Tyler Combs (13-11, 8 KOs), while another unbeaten prospect, Providence welterweight Eric Spicely (2-0) will return for his third and final fight of 2013 when he faces Connecticut native Tyler Rose (1-0) in a three-round bout. Providence featherweight Tom Evans (2-2, 1 KO) will look to snap a two-fight losing streak when he faces Ruso Khubejashvili (3-2) of Massachusetts and welterweight Keenan Raymond (1-0) of Providence will face Addison O’Neal. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

LONDON (Dec 4) – Light-middleweight hotshots Erislandy Lara and Austin Trout traded verbal jabs ahead of their crunch Brooklyn world title showdown, live on BoxNation.

The pair were speaking ahead of this weekend’s highly anticipated bill, taking place at the Barclays Center in New York, and headlined by Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah, with the Brooklyn natives set to tussle for bragging rights.

Nevertheless, the stacked undercard features no fewer than three world title fights, with IBF welterweight ace Devon Alexander defending his belt against undefeated Shawn Porter and Sakio Bika putting his WBC super-middleweight crown on the line against hard-hitting Anthony Dirrell.

Yet, it is the heated exchanges between Lara and Trout which has stoked the flames ahead of a potential blockbuster matchup between two of the light-middleweights leading names, with the 30-year-old Cuban, Lara, blasting his American foe.

“Austin Trout is an okay fighter. There’s nothing special about him. I feel that he’s on his way out. He had his time and I’m going to prove that,” said Lara. “As far as having a heart, you know, let’s see in the ring. I’ll show him in the ring who has a heart or not and we’ll decide then,” he said.

“My job is to first beat Austin Trout and then after that all the other doors are going to open up and I’ll take on all comers. Right now I’m just focused on this fight and I’m focused on busting up Austin Trout’s mouth,” Lara said.

Lara was also less complimentary when asked to compare Trout to former opponent Paul Williams, who handed him his lone defeat back in 2011.

“The big difference between Paul Williams and Austin Trout is that Paul Williams has balls,” mocked Lara. “He was a fighter that would attack you and he was aggressive and he would come at you and he knew how to box as well. With Austin Trout, he’s just a guy that runs; he’s a fighter that runs,” he said.

The former WBA light-middleweight world champion, Trout, will have a chance to win back his former belt when he goes in against Lara for the vacant title, though, he was equally disparaging when assessing his upcoming opponent.

“Somebody has got to get rid of this guy and I’m happy to be the one to do it. I feel like I’m the only one that can do it, so it’s really honourable to be able to get in there and get my belt back at the same time. He’s a different calibre of fighter and a different breed and I’m going to make him look like the amateur he is,” Trout stated.

“But you know me, I’ll take all comers and for him to say I don’t have any balls, he’s never watched me fight, which is fine. He can sleepwalk if he wants to.

“Have you ever seen me run in a fight as opposed to Erislandy Lara? That’s all he does in the ring, so I mean, he’s just talking. I’m not a runner; I box, but I don’t run. And I like to fight, which you can’t say about him. If you watch my fights you’ll see, I don’t run,” Trout responded.

Malignaggi vs. Judah & Lara vs. Trout can be seen live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546). Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £10* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (ch 437), Virgin (ch 546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

LONDON (4 Dec) – BoxNation viewers are in for some festive fistic fun this December as the ‘Channel of Champions’ brings a bumper year to an end with some explosive Christmas crackers.

The world’s only dedicated subscription boxing channel will warm the cold night air this month with blazing bouts featuring the very best fights from across the domestic and international scene.

The holiday season gets off to a tremendous start this weekend when Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah battle for Brooklyn bragging rights as the borough’s biggest stars headline a mouth-watering fight card.

Taking place at the Barclays Center in New York, the former world champions will be out to show who the superior craftsman is in front of their hometown supporters. Also featured on the bill will be three world championship bouts, including IBF welterweight king Devon Alexander who faces rising undefeated star Shawn Porter, Erislandy Lara defending his interim WBA light-middleweight title against Austin Trout in a must-watch grudge match, with Sakio Bika out to show he means business when he puts his WBC super-middleweight crown on the line against the undefeated puncher Anthony Dirrell.

There will also be fight action closer to home this Saturday night when Paul Butler looks to continue his march to the top when he takes on 27-year-old Mexican Ruben Montoya for the WBO intercontinental super-flyweight belt at Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Irishman Stephen Ormond challenges the all-action Derry Matthews in a potential blockbuster for the WBO European lightweight championship, with local Liverpool favourite Liam Smith making the first defence of his British light-middleweight title against the tough Mark Thompson.

Following on from this, one of Britain’s most highly-touted fighters of recent years, heavyweight David Price, will mark his return to the ring on December 14th in Germany on the undercard of Juergen Braehmer’s WBA light-heavyweight world title battle with Marcus Oliveira.

The top class card sees the big-hitting Price try and kick start his career following back-to-back defeats against Tony Thompson earlier this year.

That’s not all for the night, in the early hours BoxNation brings you Golden Boy Promotions’ stacked finale for the year headlined by future pound-for-pound ace Adrien Broner.

The flash, cocky and confident Broner has been tipped as the heir apparent to fill the void once Floyd Mayweather chooses to hang up his gloves. But his mettle will be severely tested when he goes in against the rugged and hard-hitting dynamo Marcos Maidana, with his WBA welterweight world title up for grabs.

BoxNation will also show the unscripted and entertaining ‘All Access’ documentary show featuring both Broner and Maidana (free-to-air on Sky TV) on Monday December 9th at 9pm.

Also fighting that night will be knockout artist Keith Thurman, who himself has been highly touted, when he faces the unflinching Jesus Soto Karass. Plus, fan favourite Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC super-bantamweight belt against Puerto Rican Cesar Seda, all coming live and exclusive from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

To cap a brilliant month, BoxNation will also bring Stuart Hall’s bid for the IBF bantamweight world title against Vusi Malinga live from Leeds on December 21st.

The 33-year-old Darlington resident has his first stab at a world crown after cleaning up on the domestic scene, and will be keen to end a fantastic year for British boxing on a high.

Undefeated Commonwealth welterweight champion, Frankie Gavin, is also in action that night against Joseph Lamptey as he looks to get another win under his belt before making his big splash next year.

BoxNation continuously delivers the very best bouts from both home and abroad and fight fans can subscribe and get all this festive action for just £10 per month (plus £10 registration fee). Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

All Access: Broner vs. Maidana episode 1 will be shown on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) on Monday December 9th at 9pm.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £10* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (ch 437), Virgin (ch 546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

PHILADELPHIA (DECEMBER 3, 2013)–This Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, undefeated Jr. Middleweight Julian Williams will be back in action when he takes on battle tested veteran Orlando Lora (29-4-2, 19 KO’s) in a ten round bout that will be part of a championship night of boxing that will be highlighted by the “Battle of Brooklyn” that will feature former two-division world champions Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi.

Before the SHOWTIME cameras roll, Williams and Lora will do battle.

Williams has had a terrific year as he is became known on the national scene by fighting on television four times and defeating a former world champion in the process.

“I had a good year in 2013. I fought on TV four times and I’m getting ready for my 5th fight this year, “Said Williams.

“I kind of had a coming out party this year scoring a few stoppages on TV and beating an ex world champion in Joachim Alcine but I want to make the jump from prospect to contender next year. I think I’m right there and I know for a fact I’m fighting fights that other prospects aren’t. Hopefully I will be 14-0 on Dec. 7th. And I can fight 6 times next year in 2014 and get up to 20-0.”

Williams had a big opportunity on September 12th when he took on fellow undefeated prospect, Hugo Centeno Jr.

Williams dominated the bout for the first three rounds. He won all three round on the judges score card when a clash of heads opened up what many thought was a small cut over the eye of Centeno. In fact, Williams was also cut and it was Williams who had the larger gash. It was Centeno, maybe sensing that Williams was the better man on that night, bowed out of the contest and the fight was declared a no-contest and both guys remained undefeated,

“My last fight was against Hugo Centeno. He was a 19-0 prospect out of California. I couldn’t believe so many people were picking him to beat me. I was 13-0 but I have been in rough. More importantly I was just better than him in every category. I was faster, stronger, threw more punches and I’m more athletic. It was on FOX and the fight was a big deal because it was the weekend of Mayweather vs Canelo. It’s on YouTube, I was beating him easy the first 3 rounds and I was just boxing. Our plan was to really turn it up after round 5. But we sort of scraped eyebrows in round 4, and we both suffered little cuts on the side of our faces. For some reason the referee Jay Nady took Hugo the fighter who was losing to go see the doctor. I suffered a cut also. There was no blood in his eyes or anything. The doctor started asking him could he see and he held his fingers up. He held up 2 fingers and Hugo started blinking all crazy and told the doctor he had up 3 fingers. I told Bernard Hopkins and Paulie Malignaggi who were commentating he was about to quit and in my opinion that’s what happened. So they waived the fight off and ruled it a no contest. I was up 30-27 on all three judges’ scorecards and if the 4th round would have been completed it would have went to the scorecards. But conveniently it wasn’t allowed to continue. I was upset when it first happened because I don’t feel a fighter should train to look for a way out. If things aren’t going your way, you keep pushing and try to turn them around. We torture our bodies in training. I felt like he disrespected me and the sport of boxing. In the very next fight Marco Periban fought Badou Jack and he had a terrible cut and they let it continue. Most of the people there walked up to me and told me I won even lots of the Mexican fans but that’s life. I’m over it and I’m moving on. If a rematch happens it happens but Hugo knows in his heart what he did and more importantly he knows what I bring to the table once we got in the ring.”

Now Williams turns his attention to Lora from the fighting area of Culiacan, Mexico.

This will be another good measuring stick because Lora has been in the ring with David Estrada, Malignaggi, Keith Thurman and fellow undefeated prospect Jermall Charlo.

”Lora is 29-4 with plenty of experience. He’s fought some top class fighters. I know I have to be on my A game. I also know my performance will get compared to other top fighters who fought him. You know I was troubled by some hand problems in 2012 so that’s why I wasn’t scoring as many stoppages as I did early in my career. My hands are much better now and I plan on punishing him to the head and body. I expect a tough fight but I also expect to win. I’m not one of those guys who say they don’t study other fighters and their opponents, because I do. You can always pick up on tendencies. I actually don’t believe it when a fighter says he never looks at his opponents. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. No one will catch me off guard.”

Williams takes pride on the due diligence the him and his team does in preparation for his fights.

“My coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards has a file on all of the prospects and champions at or around my weight. You never know when you will bump heads with one”

Now that Williams has been aligned with boxing power player Al Haymon, major opportunities could be in store for “J Rock” if his winning ways continue.

“I was with Gary Shaw at the beginning of my career. But in 2012 we decided to go our separate ways and things have really worked out for me since. I only fought twice in 2012 and it was frustrating but now things have fallen into place. I don’t have a big team. My coach always tells me when I start to make some money I will get to see a large percentage of it because I don’t have a huge team. Stephen Edwards is my coach and advisor. Al Haymon the most powerful man in boxing is my manager and I use the same cut man for every fight Mike Rodriguez. That’s it. My best friend and my dad accompany me to the fights for support.”

“I don’t have strength and conditioning coaches, a leg coach, a back muscle coach none of that. I train about 85% old school with 15% new age stuff. I do my road work early in the morning. I do my exercises for my different body parts on a consistent basis, I go to the gym and I do my floor work and my boxing. When it comes time to make weight I spend extra money and go to whole foods, and my coach makes it in to dog food. I get in dog mode that’s that.”

Fans can follow Julian Williams on:
Twitter@Jrockboxing ,
Facebook@ Julian Williams
and Instagram@Julwilliams22.

Tacoma, WA (December 3rd, 2013) – This Saturday, CageSport MMA returns to the Emerald Queen Casino for the promotions’ 28th installment. Headlining the action is Kirkland resident, Brent “Mankill” Knopp seeking to defend his middleweight for the first time when he takes on StrikeForce veteran and hometown favorite, Cory “The One” Devela in the night’s five round main event.

Tickets for CageSport XXVIII, set for Saturday, December 7th at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA are still available and can be purchased at the Emerald Queen Casino box office and online through Ticketmaster. Doors open at 6 PM with the first fight scheduled for 7 PM.

In what is the biggest fight of Brent Knopp’s (4-0) young professional career, a victory on Saturday night will give Knopp his first big boost into the national MMA spotlight. This weekend, Knopp will pursue improving his record to 5-0 to retain his title while leaving even less doubt that he is indeed the region’s top middleweight.

Devela (9-5) on the other hand is fighting to get back onto the big stage where he knows he belongs. Devela made his return to the cage in October at CageSport XXVII following a three year layoff after fighting three times for StrikeForce. In his return to the cage, Devela showed that he was simply rested rather than rusted as he dominated Byron Sutton and secured the first round TKO.

Being featured on the CageSport XXVIII card are female fighters Amy Cadwell (1-0) and Jessica Doerner (1-2) who will be fighting on the undercard portion of the show in a fight between two promising mixed martial artists looking to impress the local fight crowd. Women’s MMA has seen a huge increase in popularity over the past year due to the UFC showcasing the top women fighters in the world including superstar, Miesha Tate, who has fought for CageSport twice in the past.

Eight other fights, all scheduled for three rounds, are also scheduled on the undercard that feature some of the premier up and coming Northwest MMA fighters vying to make a name for themselves.

Dex Montenegro (Issaquah, WA) vs. Soloman Jones (Spokane, WA)
Steve Simpson (Tacoma, WA) vs. Nick Coughran (Tacoma, WA)
Chaz Gurule (Roseburg, OR) vs. Eduardo Torres (Yakima, WA)
Lee McCurry (Oregon) vs. Tyson Cunningham (Enumclaw, WA)
Trevor Sojot (Star Lake, WA) vs. Dylan Atkinson (Portland, OR)
Trent Tyler (McCleary, WA) vs. Taki Uluilakepa (Puyallup, WA)
JJ Lopez (Sedro-Woolley, WA) vs. Alex Eastman (Ellensburg, WA)
Rob Cann (Bremerton, WA) vs. TBD
# # #

About CageSport MMA
Halquist productions’ CageSport MMA continues to be the longest running and leading all professional MMA promotion in the Northwest. The promotion has drawn fighters from all over the region such as: Miesha Tate, Bryan Caraway, Sam Sicilia, and Michael Chiesa, who have all fought on former CageSport cards and have become UFC superstars. Now partnered with the United Fight Alliance (UFA), CageSport has been televised throughout November on ROOT SPORTS all over the United States.

Monte Carlo (December 3, 2013) Boxing’s fastest rising superstar, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will return to Monte Carlo, on Saturday, FEBRUARY 1 to defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) Middleweight Championship belts against former world title challenger Osumanu Adama in the main event of “Monte Carlo Night of Champions.”

“Monte Carlo Night of Champions” is presented by Africa’s promotional giant, Golden Gloves of South Africa. The Golvokin/Adama world title clash is presented in association with K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions. Detailed ticket information for the event at the beautiful Salle des Etoiles venue on the peninsula of Monte Carlo will be announced shortly. Monte Carlo is known as one of the premier cities in the world and one of the most beautiful tourist destinations.

A leading candidate for 2013’s “Fighter of the Year”, Golovkin, 28-0-0 (25KO’s) has become a must-see international attraction with an unprecedented rise in his ratings in the United States and millions tuning in around the globe for his extraordinary performances. He had four sensational knockouts this year and his knockout ratio is the highest among all active titleholders.

Adama is a native of the boxing rich country of Ghana and now lives and trains in Chicago, Illinois. The hard-hitting middleweight, 22-3-0 (16KO’s), has faced world-class opponents and has never been stopped. In March 2012, he travelled to Australia to challenge Daniel Geale for the IBF title, losing a very hard fought decision. Adama is rated #3 by the IBO and #14 by the WBA in the world ratings.

“I’m very happy to return to Monte Carlo and excited to face Adama. I know he’s a very tough opponent and I’m looking forward to putting on another great performance for the fans in Monte Carlo and those watching around the world,” said Golovkin.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for me to challenge boxing’s best,” said Adama. “I’ve already begun training and I will bring the titles with me back to Chicago on FEBRUARY 1.” Adama is promoted by CFC Promotions of Chicago.

“Gennady is committed to staying active and fighting the toughest opponents willing to get in the ring with him,” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions. “He’s anxious to make a quick return to the ring and looking forward to the challenge of defending his titles against Adama in Monte Carlo on FEBRUARY 1.”

“Gennady has distinguished himself as among the most popular and most watched boxers in the world, far surpassing many other world champions in TV ratings this year.”

In his last fight on NOVEMBER 2, Golovkin fought at “The Mecca of Boxing”, Madison Square Garden, where he dominated hard punching challenger Curtis Stevens over eight rounds earning his 15th knockout in a row and 9th straight title defense.

The fight was the third highest rated cable boxing telecast of 2013 and marked a 29% ratings jump from Golovkin’s overpowering third round stoppage of Matthew Macklin on JUNE 29.

“Gennady is one of the hottest sporting athletes in the world and we’re honored to promote his return to Monte Carlo,” said Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves of South Africa. “His debut here in March was attended by celebrities from all over Europe including Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco as well as boxing legend Marvin Hagler, who all watched from ringside.”

“With his spectacular power and amazing knockout ratio, Golovkin represents the very best of boxing,” enthused Berman. “I couldn’t think of a more exciting fighter to top the bill in Monte Carlo, particularly as he did so well last time. And credit to the challenger, who is one of the few fighters willing to step in against Golovkin.”

Golovkin has been on the fast track since signing with Tom Loeffler and K2. After making his debut on HBO in September of 2012, he has appeared four times on the largest television platform for the sport in the U.S. and has seen extraordinary audience growth worldwide.

From his first appearance on HBO versus Grzegorz Proska in upstate New York to his most recent outing against Stevens, HBO viewership has increased by 106 percent. The triumph against Stevens was seen live by 1,410,000 HBO viewers, peaking at 1,566,000 viewers.

In his last fight in Monte Carlo, Golovkin stopped former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida in the third round on MARCH 30 with a battering right hand, a knockout which is at the top of the “Knockout of the Year” polls by fans and media.

This world class event is exclusively distributed internationally by leading boxing rights distributor and sports marketing firm, Octapixx LIVE, and the company is presently in conversation with top broadcasters worldwide to ensure that the “Monte Carlo Night of Champions” can be seen by sports fans everywhere.

Situated on the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco is one of the most exclusive vacation destinations in the world and attracts millions of visitors each year. The Casino de Monte-Carlo, owned and operated by the Monte-Carlo SBM Group, is the premiere casino destination in Europe. It continues to attract gamblers among the wealthiest and most well known celebrities. For further information please visit their website at www.MonteCarloSBM.com

A country rich in sports history, Monaco is also home of the world famous Formula 1 Grand Prix motor race and many major international events such as the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Dec. 3rd, 2013) — As it prepares to celebrate its 20th show since the inception of mixed martial arts in Rhode Island, it’s no coincidence Classic Entertainment & Sports has put together an event fit for a king, or, in this case, the undisputed king of New England combat sports.

On Friday, Dec. 6th, 2013, Twin River Casino will host “CES MMA XX,” not only a celebration of the region’s No. 1 mixed martial arts promotion, but also a star-studded event guaranteed to close the 2013 Twin River Fight Series with a bang.

“This might just be our best show yet,” CES president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. said, “and it’s a perfect way to end what has been another spectacular year.”

Ticket for “CES MMA XX” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesmma.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or at Players Club at Twin River.

Headlining this historic event, Boston, Mass., native Rob Font (7-1, 2 KOs), the reigning CES MMA featherweight champion, will put his title on the line in the main event against Canadian challenger Matt DiMarcantonio (4-3), while Providence, R.I., veteran Luis Felix (9-7, 3 KOs) and Boston’s Lucas Cruz (6-1, 2 KOs) will battle for lightweight supremacy in the highly-anticipate co-feature.

Font is riding a six-fight win streak — three of those wins under the guidance of CES — with four of those fights coming against the top featherweights in the region, including Saul Almeida, Chris Foster and Cruz.

The Cruz-Felix bout — a CES title eliminator in the 155-pound division vacated by Mike Campbell — could steal the show, one of several fights worthy of main-event status on this stacked card. Felix typically saves his best for his most important fights, as evident by his wins over former Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veterans Marc Stevens and Joe Proctor, while Cruz, despite his recent loss to Font, owns impressive wins over John Ortolani and Pete Jeffrey at 155.

In another highly-anticipated between two of the region’s top fighters in the welterweight division, fifth-ranked Brett Oteri (11-5, 1 KO) of Dedham, Mass., will face Dennis Olson (13-7, 1 KO) of Amherst, N.H., formerly ranked No. 1 in the 185-pound weight class. Olson last fought at Twin River in April when he submitted Todd Chattelle in the opening round of their main-event rematch.

Also on the undercard, Woonsocket, R.I., featherweight Andre Soukhamthath (6-1, 3 KOs) will aim for his fourth win of the year and seventh consecutive overall, the latter which would make him the winningest fighter in CES MMA history, breaking a tie with the aforementioned Chattelle. Soukhamthath will face 5-foot-7 challenger Corey Simmons (4-5) of Defiance, Ohio.

Not to be outdone, Providence light heavyweight Greg Rebello (15-5, 8 KOs) will end his short-lived retirement and return to the cage Friday following a loss in his last bout in June. Once considered the top fighter in his weight class in New England, Rebello won 11 consecutive fights between 2006 and 2010 before a tough loss to Dan Cramer at the Bellator Fighting Championships. After losing a split decision to Lewis Rumsey in June — his third loss in six fights — Rebello announced his retirement, but has decided to resume his career Friday in CES MMA’s 20th celebration show.

The undercard of “CES MMA XX” will also feature the return of fan-favorite Charles Rosa (5-0, 2 KOs), a rising star in the lightweight division who wrestled collegiately at Providence’s Johnson & Wales University before returning home to Boynton Beach, Fla., but still maintains a strong fan base in Rhode Island. Rosa made his CES debut in October with an impressive submission win over Steve McCabe and will now face the dangerous Ralph Johnson (5-8, 5 KOs) of Worcester, Mass.

Looking to keep his perfect record intact, East Providence, R.I., lightweight Nate Andrews (5-0, 2 KOs) will step up face seasoned Miamisburg, Ohio, veteran Tyler Combs (13-11, 8 KOs), while another unbeaten prospect, Providence welterweight Eric Spicely (2-0), will return for his third and final fight of 2013 when he faces Connecticut native Tyler Rose (1-0) in a three-round bout. Providence featherweight Tom Evans (2-2, 1 KO) will look to snap a two-fight losing streak when he faces Ruso Khubejashvili (3-2) of Massachusetts and welterweight Keenan Raymond (1-0) of Providence will face Addison O’Neal. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

BOLTON (3 Dec) – Last Sunday night at the Hilton Hotel in Bradford, Amir Khan hosted a sell-out fundraising dinner for Islamic Relief’s Typhoon Haiyan Appeal, which caused huge devastation in the Philippines last month.

Over 500 people from all across the country attended the black tie event and a staggering £83,400 was raised to help victims of the disaster by the end of the night.

The fantastic total was raised through ticket sales and an impressive charity auction, which featured rare items including a signed Mohamed Ali boxing glove, Filipino boxer, Manny Pacquiao’s boxing shorts, one of Usain Bolt’s famous running shoes and a special meet and greet with Amir Khan at his own gym, Gloves Community Centre.

Amir explained: “When I heard about the devastation in the Philippines I wanted to do anything I could to help – so I got in touch with Rizwan Malik and Islamic Relief to organise this fundraiser.

“The evening was an astounding success and the amount raised has exceeded all our expectations and I can’t thank everyone enough for their generosity.

“I’d also like to thank Rizwan, who helped me organise the whole event in just two weeks – his support really was invaluable.”

Rizwan said: “I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved and now we hope the money raised will really help the Islamic Relief Foundation’s Philippines Appeal.

“It was great to see Amir so passionate about giving back and helping others – we couldn’t have asked for a better host for the evening.”

SAN DIEGO (DECEMBER 2, 2013)–THIS FRIDAY NIGHT!!!, AWE & www.awetv.com is pleased to announce the encore presentation of the most controversial bout of the year that saw Carl Froch retain his IBF/WBA Super Middleweight title with a 9th round stoppage over George Groves.

The fight will be replayed in its entirety on the special hour-long broadcast this Friday night at 11 pm ET/ 8 pm PT.

The fight that took place on November 23rd in Manchester, England saw Groves brutally knock down Froch in the 1st round and continue to dominate the fight until the 9th round when Froch had Groves slightly hurt when referee Howard Foster jumped in and dubiously stopped the fight.

At the time, the sold out crowd in Manchester plus the worldwide audience was shocked to see the great fight stopped so quick.

The boxing world has not stopped talking about the ending of the bout and now fans can judge for themselves debate if the stoppage was just or not.

“People are still talking about this bout almost two weeks later,”said AWE President Charles Herring.

“The match was a terrific fight before the all the controversy and we are excited to bringing the boxing fans the encore presentation of this highly controversial world title bout.”

About AWE

For 2012, AWE earned 2 of the 6 Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” candidates, beating out all other networks except HBO which earned three. AWE also showcased live all 2012 David Price fights. In 2013 AWE has featured the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over Price. Bouts with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew, who just fought each other for the Light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale and possibly the most controversial bout which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. Plus Dierry Jean was featured on AWE as he will be fighting for the Jr. Welterweight title.

The network is currently available nationally on Verizon FiOS TV channel 169 and 669 in HD, AT&T U-Verse TV channels 470 and 1470 in HD, along with over 100 cable systems across the country and worldwide. The new website for AWE iswww.AWEtv.com.

AWE is the premier lifestyle and entertainment network —the destination for exclusive and original programming, simultaneously transmitted in high definition and standard definition. AWE delivers informative shows to its viewers, providing invaluable insights on what every American dreams of – from travel secrets to fast cars, from outrageous homes to live boxing events, and much more. The network fills a television vacuum by delivering intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking entertainment and always-unbiased news from an insider’s perspective. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com