Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored round stoppage over Luis Becerra in a scheduled eight round Jr. Lightweight bout.

Gonzalez, 135 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 9-0 with 8 eight knockouts. Becerra, 123 3/4 lbs Quetero, MX is 9-6-1.

Sergio Thompson scored a fourth round stoppage over Gustavo Sandoval in round four of a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout.

Thompson came out in round four and landed a heavy barrage of punches flush on a visibly tired Sandoval and the fight was stopped at 1:20 of round four.

Thompson, 135 lbs of Chetumai, MX is 26-2 with 24 knockouts. Sandoval, 133 1/2 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 12-4-1.

Follow all the action LIVE from ringside at Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City as Lamont Peterson and Lucas Matthysse battle in a potentially explosive fight of Jr. Welterweight belt holders. In the opening bout that will begin at 9:15 pm eastern / 6:15 pac, IBF Welterweight champion Devon Alexander will fight Lee Purdy in a non-title bout

12 Rounds–Jr. Welterweights—Lamont Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KOs) vs Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s)

Round 1 Counter left from Matthysse..Body head combo…10-9 Matthysse

Round 2 Matthysse missing on some shots..Combination from Matthysse..Straght right drives Peterson to ropes..HUGE LEFTLEFT AND DOWN GOES MATTHYSSE AND DOWN GOES PETERSON…20-17 Matthysse

Round 3 Uppercut from Peterson..Huge combo from Matthysse..HUGE LEFT AND DOWN GOES MATTHYSSE…BIG LEFT HOOK FIGHT OVER

12 Rounds–Welterweights–Devon Alexander (24-1, 13 KO’s) vs Lee Purdy (20-3-1, 13 KO’s)

Round 1 Alexander places a left to the body..hard right to the body..straight left/body combo..Purdy not throwing any punches…now he worksthe body..Purdy sneaks in a right..2 hard right hooks…Devon landing power shots..2 hard uppercuts at the end of the round 10-9 Alexander

Round 2 2 hard straight lefts..body…two hard right hooks to the end at the end of the round…20-18 Alexander

Round 3 Purdy fighting in the pocket but ALexander quicker and stronger..Purdy sneaks in a rght but not much affect,.30-27 Alexander

Round 4 ALexander outclassing as he lands some hard shots to the head…Left from Purdy...40-36

Round 5 Alexander lands a hook/uppercut combo..Purdy sneaks in a right…50-45 Alexander

Round 6 Alexander splits the guard with a uppercut..Right hook..Purdy’s nose is bleeding…60-54 Alexander

Round 7 Alexander pounding away….THE FIGHT IS STOPPED IN THE CORNER

ATLANTIC CITY–In a fight between two reigning beltholders, Lucas Matthysse made a bold statement by wrecking IBF Jr. Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson in round three of their twelve round fight at Boardwalk Hall

Matthysse dropped Peterson with a vicious left hook in round two. Peterson fought back and landed some shots but Matthysse’s power Made a huge impact as he dumped Peterson in span of seconds from two huge left hooks and referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight at 2:14.

Matthysse who was looking a potential September 7th bout with Danny Garcia now with this performance could vault to the head of the line to fight pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather.

Matthysse of Argentina is now 34-2 with 32 knockouts. Peterson of Washington, DC is now 31-2-1.

After the fight, Matthysse spoke through a translator, “The first round I was trying to find out what I was bringing to the fight. After the second round I started connecting with more force. I had two and a half months of preparation for this fight and that was the difference.”

Feeling confident, Matthysse boasted, “Now I know I am the best at 140 pounds because no one has ever dominated Peterson the way I did tonight.”

When asked by SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray if he would like to fight Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia, who was in attendance at Boardwalk Hall, Matthysse responded, “Golden Boy and Al Haymon will get me that fight. I’m ready for that fight. I want to fight him.”

Gray also spoke with Peterson right after the fight and asked how he felt following the three knockdowns. Peterson said, “I feel good. There is nothing physically wrong with me right now. Of course I am upset that I lost, but so far I feel good.”

On his performance, “I think I got a little lazy with the jab. I started relaxing a little bit…I guess he hit me with a good shot. He did a good job. I recovered from that first knockdown and I was okay for a while and then, eventually, he hit me again and he hurt me again. I still thought I could have fought through it but the ref did the right thing. I guess tonight he was (the better fighter). He won the fight fair and square tonight. He’s a good fighter.”

In round one, Alexander looked to be dominant as he landed some hard body shots to start the round and then some scraping lefts and uppercuts to close the stanza. Alexander continued to outclass the visitor while standing in the pocket and landing some great shots. Purdy was game and landed a few left hooks on the inside. The accumulation of blows began to show in round six as blood came down from the nostrils of Purdy.

Alexander continued using Purdy for target practice in round seven to the point that fight was stopped in the corner following that frame.

Alexander, 146.7 lbs of St. Louis is now 25-1 with 14 knockouts. Purdy, 147.8 lbs of Colchester, UK is now 20-4-1.

The fight was to be contested for Alexander’s IBF Welterweight title but Purdy weighed in one pound over the limit. He could only lose one-quarter of a pound and was fined ten percent of his reported $150,000 purse

Alexander admitted that he wasn’t able to fight to the best of his ability due to an injury. “I hurt my left hand in the first round actually. I hit him on top of the head. I hurt my hand, but I had to get that out of my mind. I had to fight to win. I wanted to impress tonight. My left hand was on point in camp. When I hurt my biceps, that strengthened my left hand so it would have been popping real hard, but I hurt it. I had to set it up softly. I wanted to use my hook and my upper cut but I couldn’t.”

He continued, “There are going to be a lot of critics saying Purdy wasn’t all that anyway, but he’s a good fighter. Over in the U.K. he beat some good guys and I think he was very suitable. He came to fight and he gave me a good fight. I got the win. I got the technical knockout.”

Haroon needed just fifty-seven seconds to dispatch of Vicente Medellin in a scheduled four round Bantamweight bout.

Khan dropped Medellin twice and the fight was stopped.

Khan, 116 1/2 lbs of Bolton, Englans is 2-0 with 1 knockout, Medellin, 115 lbs of Riverside, CA is 0-6.

In a battle of undefeated Welterweights, Shawn Porter had a relatively easy time with Phil Lo Greco as pounded out a unanimous decision.

In round one, Porter tried to back up Lo Greco with some solid body work. In round two, Porter landed a hard combination that backed up Lo Greco which led to two hard uppercuts on the ropes. Porter came out and in round four and landed some hard combinations. Later in the round, Porter ripped Lo Greco with a hard one-two combination. Porter then rocked Lo Greco with hard left hook in the fifth.

Porter continued to dominate and score a dubious knockdown with what looked like a left hook. In the tenth, Porter scored a more emphatic knockdown when he dropped Porter with a left hook. After that, Lo Greco did well to hold on to last the distance.

Porter, 150 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 100-88 on two cards and 99-89 and is now 21-1-1. Lo Greco, 150 lbs of Toronto is now 25-1.

Thomas Williams Jr. scored an eight round unanimous decision over veteran Otis Griffin in Light Heavyweight bout.

Williams boxed well over the first few rounds. He then opened up and hurt Griffin on the ropes in the fourth. Williams landed some of his best power shots in the seventh and eighth and had Griffin reeling several times but was not able to come close to the stoppage.

Williams, 175 lbs of Washington, won by scores of 8-72, 79-73 and 79-73 and is now 14-0. Griffin, 175 lbs of Sacramento is now 24-13-2.

2012 Olympic Bronze medal winner Anthony Ogogo pounded out a six round unanimous decision over Edgar Perez in a Middleweight bout

In round two, Ogogo started landing the power punches at range. Ogogo continued to use his range and mix up his punches over the next several rounds. Ogogo was never tested and boxed his way to the decision via scores at 60-54; 60-54 and 60-53 for Ogogo.

Ogogo, 159 lbs of East Anglia, UK is 2-0. Perez, 159 lbs of Arecibo, PR is now 5-5.

Cesar Seda banged out an eight round unanimous decision over Miguel Tamayo in a Bantamweight bout.

Seda, 117 1/2 lbs of Juana Diaz, PR won by scores of 80-70, 80-72 and 79-73 and is now 25-1. Tamayao, 117 1/2 lbs of Ciudad, MX is now 13-6-2.

Former world title challenger Anthony Peterson scored a stoppage over Dominic Salcido after round two of their scheduled ten round Lightweight bout

Peterson came out landing hard power punches in round one. In round two he scored with a vicious body shot that led to a hard barrage in the corner. Peterson continued to land with pummeling shots to the head. After the round, the fight was stopped after Salcido was deemed to have a broken nose.

Peterson, 136 1/2 lbs of Washington, D.C. is now 32-1 with 21 knockouts. Salcido, 136 1/2 lbs of Rialto, CA is now 18-5.

Three-time U.S Olympian Rau’She Warren scored a fourth round stoppage over Angel Carvajal in a scheduled four round Bantamweight bout.

Warren dropped Carvajal in round’s two and four and the bout was stopped at 2:05 of the final round.

Warren, 118 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is now 4-0 with 2 knockouts. Caravjal, 116 lbs of Chicago, IL is now 2-2.

It took two rounds and alot of vicious shots but Robert Easter Jr. scored a second round stoppage over Eduardo Guillen in a scheduled four round Light bout.

Easter landed a many hard lefts and rights that would have put most men down in the first round as Guillen was bouncing and flopping all over the ring from those shots. In round two, Easter landed a cruching left hook that looked like it almost spun Gullien’s head around before he dropped to the canvas. he was able to get up but that was not a good thing for him as another booming left hook sent him to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:30 of round two.

Easter, 133 1/2 lbs of Toledo, OH is now 4-0 with all wins coming early. Guillen, 132 lbs of Brownsville, TX is now 0-3.

2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel Herring opened the show with a one round beatdown over Victor Galindo in a scheduled four round Light weight bout.

Herring dropped Galindo with a hard riht to the body. Galidno continued only to absorb massive shots and finally went to his knee form another body shot. Galindo’s corner then stopped the fight at 2:01 of round one.

Herring, 134 lbs of Coram, NY is now 3-0 with 2 knockouts. Galindo, 134 1/2 lbs of San Juan, PR is 1-2

Faced with a near sellout for his Saturday, May 18, “The Darwish Brothers Presents: “Extreme Fighting Championships: MMA MANIA”” event in the Xanadu Theater at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, event co-promoter Hani Darwish has made available an additional 300 seats for purchase.

Headlined by “Monster” Mohammad vs. Christopher Vallaro for the EFC Light Heavyweight Championship, MMA MANIA was coming dangerously close to selling out a few days before the show.

Tickets for “Extreme Fighting Championships: MMA MANIA” are priced at $46, $67, $100 and $125 Cageside and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

“We had to do something,” explained Hani Darwish. “We have a lot of people who drive in from all over the area and they wouldn’t have been happy to find out they can’t get in. Fortunately, we were able to open up another section of the theater for purchase.”

The MMA event of the year thus far in Atlantic City, anticipation for MMA MANIA has caught fire in the area.

“We want as many people as possible to see this show. The action in the cage, the production will all be fantastic. It’s going to be the one show to see this year in New Jersey. We’re very proud to be able to put it on.”

Tickets for “Extreme Fighting Championships: MMA MANIA” are priced at $46, $67, $100 and $125 Cageside and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 17th, 2013) – In a night of epic finishes, Providence’s Shelito Vincent left Twin River Casino with her first championship belt wrapped around her waist.

Fighting for a title for the first time in her career, Vincent (9-0) responded with her most impressive performance to date Friday night, dominating tough challenger Angel Gladney (8-8-1) in an 80-71, 79-72, 79-72 unanimous-decision victory to capture the vacant Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) International super bantamweight title in the main event of “The New Era,” presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports.

“Non-Stop” Gladney lived up to her nickname, trading blows with Vincent throughout the night, but Vincent landed the cleaner shots with more authority, eventually dropping Gladney in the opening seconds of the seventh round with a hard left hook. Gladney, a Columbia, S.C., native, looed sharp early, especially at the end of the opening round when she landed a clean, four-punch combo that stunned Vincent, but Vincent’s relentless pressure was the difference as she eventually wore down her opponent in the later rounds.

In the co-feature, “Mr. Providence” Vladine Biosse (15-2-1) returned to Twin River for the first time in a year with a strong win over Philadelphia super middleweight Latif Mundy (10-6). Working with new trainer Paul Andrade for the first time, Biosse picked up the pace in the second and third rounds, continuously backing Mundy against the ropes. Biosse scored most of his points by landing the power punches, specifically his left hook mixed with a series of uppercuts.

The work with Andrade, including a brief trip to Oakland to train at world champion Andre Ward’s gym, paid off as Biosse rebounded from his loss to Marcus Upshaw in January with an effective, methodical win over the tough Mundy.

Two of the most highly-anticipated undercard bouts lived up to expectations as Rich Gingras (13-3) won a close split decision against Joe Gardner (11-6-1) and star middleweight Thomas Falowo (10-1) impressed with a convincing 59-54, 59-54, 60-53 win over the hard-hitting Tylon Burris (5-1).

Gardner, of Woonsocket, R.I., started strong in his six-round super middleweight showdown as Gingras, the Attleboro, Mass., native, came out wild from the opening round, but Gingras eventually his strength to overpower and, at times, wear out Gardner in the middle rounds. Gingras also mixed in his jab, which peppered Gardner, and began to apply more pressure by backing Gardner into the corner. The result was a 58-56, 56-58, 58-56 win for Gingras, which snapped Gardner’s three-fight win streak.

Facing an unbeaten foe from nearby Hartford, Conn., Falowo turned in what may have been his most impressive performance. The Pawtucket, R.I., native shook off a few strong body blows by Burris and eventually dominated the pace with his typical output, peppering Burris with jabs and landing solid combinations in the later rounds that eventually forced Burris to clinch. With Burris being deducted a point for hitting in the back of the head, Falowo dominated the scorecards, 59-54, 59-54, 60-53, for his fourth consecutive win.

In what might’ve been the most thrilling fight of the night aside from the main event, Cranston, R.I., welterweight Nick DeLomba (1-0) won his professional debut against Portland, Maine’s Jimmy Smith (0-1) in a 59-53, 60-52, 60-52 unanimous decision. The action was much more tense than the scores indicated. Smith pushed the pace early, but DeLomba began landing at will in the middle rounds and eventually battered Smith’s right eye to the point where it swelled late in the fight. Still, Smith battled as the two took turns landing flurries in the center of the ring and exchanged clean hooks in the closing seconds of the sixth and final round to end the bout triumphantly.

Also on the undercard, Cranston welterweight Jon Smith (2-0, 1 KO) earned the first knockout win of his career, stopping Hartford’s Oscar Diaz (0-1) at the 1:24 mark of the opening round. Smith backed Diaz into a corner with a hard left and a follow-up right and finished the fight with a flurry, forcing referee Joey Lupino to stop the fight. Harwich, Mass., super middleweight Paul Gonsalves (5-3) bounced back from a loss in March with a hard-fought win over Roxbury, Mass., veteran Maceo Crowder (2-1), who returned to the ring for the first time in three years. Gonsalves controlled the pace early and won unanimously, 39-37, on all three scorecards.

Hyannis, Mass., heavyweight Jesse Barboza (6-1-1, 3 KOs) stopped New York’s Phil Triantafillo (2-3) at the 1:19 mark of the opening round and welterweight Zack Ramsey (4-0) of Springfield, Mass., outlasted veteran Bryan Abraham (6-17-2) of Schenectady, N.Y., in the toughest fight of his young career to earn a 38-36, 38-36, 37-37 majority decision. Ramsey dropped Abraham with a hard right early in the third round and then rebounded from a flash knockdown in the fourth in which Abraham hit him with a looping right.

LOS ANGELES, May 17 – As the return of Sugar Shane Mosley approaches, FOX Deportes will celebrate the return of one of the future Hall of Famer on Saturday, May 18, with back-to-back Classics shows that will lead into Mosley’s comeback fight against Mexico’s Pablo Cesar Cano which will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes from The Grand Oasis in Cancun, Mexico.

At 7:00 pm ET, it’s a trip back to September of 2010, when Mosley squared off against Sergio Mora in a 12-round battle of former champions fighting their way back to the top. Then at 8:00 pm ET, it’s the Classics premiere of Mosley’s February 2006 win over “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas.

All of this action leads up to the live FOX Sports Networks (9:30 p.m. ET) and FOX Deportes (9:00 p.m. ET) telecasts from Cancun headlined by the welterweight battle between Mosley and Cano.

Fighting at 154 pounds, Three-Division World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley battled reality series “The Contender” winner and former Super Welterweight World Champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora on September 18, 2010 at STAPLES Center in 2010. After 12 rounds, a draw verdict was rendered in the bout.

Two of the most popular fighters of this era, Mosley and Vargas battled it out for Southern California bragging rights at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on February 25, 2006. In the end, it was Mosley who emerged victorious via a tenth round technical knockout in the exciting contest, but the two would meet once again five months later with Mosley emerging victorious again.

Mosley vs. Cano is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Pepe Gomez Promotor Deportivo and sponsored by Corona, Periodico QueQui, The Grand OasisCancun, Quintana Roo Tourism and Cancun Tourism. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. CT and the first fight begins at 6:30 p.m. CT. The FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes broadcast will air live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT respectively and the Televisa broadcast will air on Canal 5 beginning at 10:30 p.m. CT.

Tickets, priced at 200 pesos, 300 pesos, 500 pesos, 1000 pesos and 1500 pesos are available for purchase at Periodico Quequi by calling +52 (998) 193 2100, Hotel GranOasis, Farmacias Paris, sucursal Yaxchilan and Crucero, Presidencia Municipal de Benito Juarez.

For more information visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com, www.quequi.com.mx, www.FOXDeportes.com and www.televisadeportes.com, follow on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/PeriodicoQuequi,www.twitter.com/SugarShaneM, www.twitter.com/TD_Deportes andwww.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/periodicoquequi and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

The fighters for tomorrow night’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey stepped on the scales today at Caesars Atlantic City for the Official Weigh-in. Main event fighters Lamont Peterson and Lucas Matthysse made the catch-weight limit of 141 pounds with Peterson weighing in at 141 lbs. and Matthysse tipping the scale at 140 lbs. IBF Welterweight World Champion Devon Alexander made the welterweight limit of 147 lbs., but his opponent, Lee Purdy, was unable to make the weight after two attempts, coming in at 147.8 lbs. As a result Purdy will not be eligible to win the world championship title in tomorrow night’s fight.

The telecast will air live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately following ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO Epilogue. Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Attached is the entire bout sheet with the official weights, and the weigh-in photos.

ABOUT “PETERSON VS. MATTHYSSE”:

Peterson vs. Matthysse, a 12-round 141 pound catch-weight fight, will take place Saturday, May 18 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately following ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO Epilogue. In the co-main event, IBF Welterweight World Champion Devon Alexander defends his title against IBF number four rated welterweight contender Lee Purdy. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Wladimir Klitschko can come. That’s what must have gone through the mind of
Alexander Povetkin on Friday night after he finished off Andrzej Wawrzyk
inside three rounds. It was obvious that the Pole was over his head from the
get go and was sent to the canvas on three occasions before the 33-year-old
Russian was declared the winner and still WBA Heavyweight Champion of the
world.

The defending champion started of slowly at the Crocus City Hall in
Myakinino, close to the Russian capital of Moscow. In front of the eyes of
Vitali Klitschko (current WBC Champion), former WBA Champion Nikolai Valuev
as well as American movie star Steven Seagal the Russian mainly dominated
with his jab. But from round two onwards, Povetkin did not hold back
anymore. The orthodox fighter started to dominate Wawrzyk, who wasn’t able
to take advantage of his superior height and reach. After pushing him into
the corner, the champion caught the Pole with a powerful right hook straight
to the chin, which sent the previously undefeated heavyweight crashing to
the floor. Still feeling the pain the 1.95 meter challenger managed to get
back to his feet and was later saved by the bell.

However, the Olympic gold medalist continued the third round exactly where
he left off with. This time it was a left hook by Povetkin which found the
target and once again the 25-year-old Pole found himself on the floor. Just
a few seconds later he was caught by another shot. This time referee Russell
Mora stopped the punishment for Wawrzyk and it was all over.

Povetkin was understandably happy about his 26th victory out of as many
professional fights. “Everything went exactly as I wanted it to,” said the
man form Chekhov, Russia. “It took a little bit of time to get into the
fight but once I got started it was pretty much over.”

The defending champion already knows what his upcoming challenge will look
like. The next time Povetkin steps into the ring he will be looking straight
into the eyes of Wladimir Klitschko, the reigning IBF Titleholder as well as
WBA and WBO Super Champion of the world. Staging the mega fight will be
Russian based Hrunov Promotions who won the purse bid by putting more than
23 Million US-Dollars on the table.

Wawrzyk on the other hand had to taste defeat for the very first time in his
career after 27 previous victories.

CANCUN, MEXICO, May 17 – Saturday’s card featuring the return of Sugar Shane Mosley against Mexican star Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano at The Grand Oasis in Cancun, Mexico has added even more fistic firepower with the addition of a stellar co-main event pitting Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson against Gustavo Sandoval, as well as undercard bouts starring Golden Boy Promotions’ newest signing, Adan “Speedy” Mares, along with Roberto “Massa” Manzanarez, Miguel Angel Gonzalez and Ivan “Macanón” Cano.

Mosley vs. Cano and Thompson vs. Sandoval will be telecast live on FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes in the United States and on Televisa in Mexico on a delayed basis.

Plus, three fights originally scheduled for Saturday have been moved to Friday afternoon creating a special free admission event at The Grand Oasis featuring Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas, Jorge “Pantera” Silva and Enrique Ornelas.

Mosley vs. Cano is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and “Cancún Boxing” de Pepe Gómez and sponsored by Corona, Periodico QueQui, The Grand OasisCancun, Quintana Roo Tourism and Cancun Tourism. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CT and the first fight begins at 6:00 p.m. CT. The FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes broadcast will air live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT respectively and the Televisa broadcast will air on Canal 5 beginning at 10:30 p.m. CT.

Tickets, priced at 200 pesos, 300 pesos, 500 pesos, 1000 pesos and 1500 pesos are available for purchase at Periodico Quequi by calling +52 (998) 193 2100, Hotel Gran Oasis, Farmacias Paris, sucursal Yaxchilan and Crucero, Presidencia Municipal de Benito Juarez.

A native of Chetumal now making his home in Cancun, 29-year-old Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson (26-2, 24 KO’s) has been crushing the competition at 130 pounds for years and on May 18 he will attempt to stop Gustavo Sandoval. Currently sporting a 12-fight win streak that includes 10 straight knockouts, Thompson has dispatched Jorge Linares, Moises Castro and Juan Ramon Solis during the streak, establishing himself as perhaps the division’s most feared puncher.

Barranquilla, Colombia’s Gustavo “Huracan” Sandoval (13-4-1, 11 KO’s) is a talented up and comer ready to make his move on the world elite on Saturday. The winner of three of his last four fights, the 21-year-old power hitter is eager to go punch for punch with Thompson in his Yeyo’s hometown.

In a 10 round battle for the vacant WBC Youth Intercontinental Lightweight title, 18-year-old Los Mochis phenom Roberto Manzanarez (22-1, 18 KO’s) meets 21-year-old Oscar Arenas (24-5, 21 KO’s) of Coahuila in a fight many feel has the potential to steal the show from the headliners

Before his older brother Pablo Cesar Cano steps into the ring with Mosley in Saturday’s main event, Mexico City’s Ivan Cano (21-5, 14 KO’s) will meet Los Mochis’ Daniel Ruiz (27-6-1, 20 KO’s) in eight-round lightweight action.

The younger brother of Three-Division World Champion Abner Mares, Adan “Speedy” Mares (8-0, 3 KO’s) was a solid amateur prospect, compiling a 45-5 record, but his true calling was in the professional game and in February of 2012 he made his debut with a first round body shot knockout over Francisco Cervantes. Since then, he has lit up the Mexican fight scene, showing off speed, power and ring generalship while putting together his perfect pro slate. In his most recent bout on February 16, Mares won a shutout four-round decision over Antonio Chuc and on Saturday he faces Chetumal’s Alberto Cupido (7-8-2, 6 KO’s) in a six-round junior featherweight battle.

Also featured will be junior lightweight prospect Miguel Angel Gonzalez (8-0, 7 KO’s) of Los Mochis who squares off against Queretaro’s Luis Becerra (9-5-1, 8 KO’s) in a six-round junior lightweight bout

In fights now to be featured on Friday afternoon which presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Pepe Gomez Promotor Deportivo and sponsored by Corona, Periodico QueQui, The Grand OasisCancun, Quintana Roo Tourism and Cancun Tourism with doors opening at 3:30 p.m. CT and the first fight beginning at 4:00 p.m. CT.

Now fighting out of Los Angeles, 28-year-old Francisco Vargas (15-0-1, 12 KO’s) represented his native Mexico in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, going 1-1 in the prestigious competition. Turning pro in 2010, Vargas has built a strong reputation for his versatile skill set and ring savvy. Last year, he turned up the heat, fighting and winning six times with five of those wins coming by way of knockout. On January 26, Vargas kept his hot streak going with a second round knockout win over Ira Terry and, following the cancellation of his scheduled May 3 bout when his opponent passed out trying to make weight, he will be back in the ring this weekend to take on Chiapas’ Cristian Arrazola (7-7-1, 4 KO’s) in a lightweight contest scheduled for eight rounds.

Plus, Tijuana’s Jorge Silva (18-3-2, 14 KO’s) will take on Guasave’s Cesar Chavez (21-3, KO’s) in a 10-round welterweight fight, while veteran fan favorite Enrique Ornelas (33-8, 21 KO’s) of Guanajuato is back in action in an eight-round super middleweight clash against Chihuahua’s Isaac Mendez (16-9, 14 KO’s).

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.quequi.com.mx, www.FOXDeportes.com and www.televisadeportes.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/PeriodicoQuequi, www.twitter.com/SugarShaneM, www.twitter.com/canochampion, www.twitter.com/TD_Deportes and www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/periodicoquequi and www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 17, 2013)—TONIGHT at The Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California, undefeated Jr. Middleweight prospect Taras Shelestyuk will look to make it three for three when he takes on Mario Angeles in a scheduled four round bout.

The show is promoted by Thompson Boxing.

Shelestyuk, who is promoted by Banner Promotions, is 2-0 with both wins coming by knockout.

The Ukrainian, who captured the Bronze Medal in the 2012 Olympic Games, has been impressive in his first two outings.

“We have liked what we have seen so far in Taras”, said Arthur Pelullo, CEO of Banner Promotions.

“We are keeping him active and we know he will continue to improve. We see a big future in Taras. I also want to thank our partners Ken Thompson and Alex Camponovo for having Taras on their show tonight”.

Said Shelestyuk’s manager Vadim Kornilov, “Taras has had great preparation for this fight. He will show the same results as his first two outings”.

Shelestyuk is coming off a fourth round stoppage over Brandon Adams on May 2nd in Corona, California.

LUCAS MATTHYSSE, WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion

“[On arriving to the United States later than planned] I don’t think it’s going to have any affect on the fight because I’ve been training so hard. I’m done training, but I’m still going to move a little bit to keep the weight off. Basically everything is the same other than not coming to the United States on Monday.

“Peterson is a good fighter and a good boxer. He knows how to deal with things when he’s in danger.

“I think I can beat Peterson with my power. I know how to get in the best punches.

“[On why he thinks he’ll win Saturday night] It’s a combination of my will to win and my experience. I’ve fought some guys with pretty good names.

“When they told me that I was coming here to fight, I came here with a mentality to win. I didn’t come here thinking that it’s going to be a robbery. Yes, I’ve had those experiences, but I’m not going to get robbed this time.

“I learned early in my career that I have a good punch and have worked very hard to maintain that.

“Winning this fight will open a lot of doors for me and my career. This might be the most important fight of my career. I want big matchups and this is definitely one of them.”

LEE PURDY, Number Four Rated IBF Welterweight Contender

“I was surprised to get this shot in the first place. My manager told me that I was ranked number four so we realized it was coming soon, but we didn’t know it was going to be this soon.

“I trained as hard as I could when I found out [that I got the fight].

“[On taking this fight] It wasn’t about money or anything. I love to fight and that’s why I’m here.

“I watched quite a few of Alexander’s fights. He didn’t really impress me.

“I broke my arm when I started my amateur career [at age 11 or 12]. I started training again when I was 17 and then I turned pro when I was 18.

“I’ve got a style that people like to watch. I have power and that’s entertaining for people.

“I think I’ll have 20 or 30 people [family and friends] coming out to support me. I think I’ll have a few fans coming out to support me too. I don’t know how many exactly, but they’ll be here.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else but fighting. It’s what I love to do.”

ANTHONY OGOGO, 2012 British Olympic Bronze Medalist

“I’ve always loved sports. I came across boxing when I was 12-years-old and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the intensity and passion of it. I knew that whether I was going to be any good or not that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and it turned out pretty well.

“I walked into the boxing gym when I was 12. I sparred that very first day and I’ve never turned back.

“I had about 150-160 amateur fights and it culminated with me winning a Bronze Medal in the 2012 Olympic Games. My mom was very ill at the time; six weeks before the Olympics she suffered a really serious injury. She’s doing great now, but I initially pulled out of the Games. Then three weeks before, my mom and sisters pulled me aside and kind of guilt-tripped me into going, and I did. Somehow I managed to juggle it all.

“I thought I deserved to win the gold medal and I was good enough to win the gold, but with everything else going on, I’m quite proud of my achievements to go in there and still come out successful.

“[On the crowds at the Olympic Games in London] That was phenomenal. That was one of the reasons I wanted to turn professional because I’ve never had that. Ten thousand people [cheering] at the Excel Arena; it made hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and it still does. I didn’t want to go back and be an amateur and box in front of 100 people. I wanted to experience those big exciting nights all of the time.”

# # #

Peterson vs. Matthysse, a 12-round 141 pound catch-weight fight, will take place Saturday, May 18 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately following ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO Epilogue. In the co-main event, IBF Welterweight World Champion Devon Alexander defends his title against IBF number four rated welterweight contender Lee Purdy. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Misquoted? Misunderstood maybe? Brash? Brazen? Outspoken, brave, no doubt! What is for sure is that James DeGale is going to be boxing’s next big name.

With Fights out there versus Carl, George, Bika, Stephenson, Oosthuizen, Buté, Pascal, Abraham, Kessler…at least three of which will be made within the next 12 months, a new, more mature and knowledgeable ‘Chunky’ is raring to go.

Disappointments and let downs have seen fights with Kenny Anderson, Brian Magee and the exciting South African Bomber Oosthuizen fall by the wayside. A last minute offer by James to fight Pascal as a replacement for the injured Buté was politely declined, but was a perfect illustration of James’ intent.

James will be a keen observer of the upcoming Froch vs Kessler bout. A real Man versus Man affair. Ever the true Brit, James will be rooting for Carl to emerge victorious. Assuming that he does, it opens the doors to a real festival of fights with Andre Ward coming back into the picture!

Will he fight Carl? If he does, James and George can begin what, for one of them, will be ‘The Road to Perdition’. It may be that Carl will want to fight George who is his stable mate? If he does, James will set out after the WBC belt and then look to step up and fight Andre Ward.

This may surprise some who regard Ward as the complete fighter.

Fact is, he has a four-year head start on James as a pro. Both won Olympic Golds – look ‘em up. James’s was far harder and GB’s only boxing gold in Beijing, China. Ward has been relatively inactive as a a pro’ – just 24 fights in nine years. He has to come back from an injury-forced layoff, and has his head in two weight classes.

Both are instinctive and incisive fighters. We have seen what Ward can do. No one has yet seen anything like what James can do. They fight. James wins. You read it here. Now call Betfair and get on it!! 2014..Chunky will beat the man!

James is taking his Canadian debut versus Sebastien Demers tonight very seriously. Having been fit BUT inactive since last December, despite nearly a-thousand rounds of sparring, he is keen to shake off the rust, put on the little mitts and give boxing fans a sample of what’s to come.

James DeGale, Possibly “The Best Super middle weight in the World”.
FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS

The WBC Silver champion fights Sebastien Demers at Casino Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, tonight.

EOTTM (Eye of the Tiger Management) and Hennessy Sports are promoting the event.

The fight is being aired live to a huge TV audience on Fight Network in Canada and Wealth TV in the US. It is also available for millions to watch online at wealthtv.com via subscription.

Tickets are available at www.admission.com or at the Final Round Boxing Club at 613 371 1543. Prices range from $60, $85, $125, $250 and there are tables (10 seats) at $2000.

For more information on WealthTV please visit: www.wealthtv.com

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We’re coming to you LIVE and EXCLUSIVE from Crocus City Hall, Moscow, Russia, from 5.30pm tonight with not one but two World titles on the line! Unbeaten heavyweight Alexander Povetkin defends his WBA World Heavyweight Championship against the 27-0 Poland fighter Andrzej Wawrzyk. The bout is seen by many as a stepping stone for Povetkin to face the WBA’s “Super” World Champion Wladimir Klitschko, but he knows he faces a tough test against the unbeaten 25-year-old.

Co-headlining the show, Denis Lebedev (above) and Guillermo Jones finally get it on for the WBA World Cruiserweight title after previously planned clashes were disappointingly postponed.

John Rawling and Barry Jones will call the action on the night, while expert analysis will come from Steve Bunce and Steve Lillis in the studio. Join us from 5.30pm for another great night of world title action on the Channel of Champions, BoxNation!

Philadelphia, PA – May 16, 2013 – At Cage Fury Fighting Championships 24 this past Saturday night, though the main card featured two title fights, it was the undercard showdown between Brazen Boxing & MMA’s Paul Felder out of Philadelphia and the highly acclaimed AMA Fight Club’s top prospect, Corey Bleaken, that stole the show.

The back story between these two camps goes back to CFFC 20, when Paul Felder quickly and dominantly put away the brash Rick Nuno (also from AMA) in a mere three minutes and fifteen seconds. Internet chatter and excuses ensued as much of the AMA faithful believed Felder’s destruction of Nuno to be a fluke. Yet, having earned a record of 4-0 at that point, with four KO/TKOs to his credit, one wonders how any educated fight fan could doubt Felder’s abilities.

Enter Corey Bleaken. Bleaken is an accomplished amateur wrestler who, like Rick Nuno, boasted a strong amateur MMA record and a 1-0 professional record when each of them faced Felder. Also like Nuno, Bleaken had never beaten a fighter with a winning record at either the amateur or professional level. It seemed a bit ambitious for AMA to believe taking on a 4-0 Felder would be the time that trend would end. But believe it they did, as Bleaken stated in interviews leading up to the bout that he planned on “destroying” Felder and avenging the quick, yet substantial, beating given to his teammate. Beliefs aside, the night belonged to Felder.

On paper the Felder/Bleaken fight appeared to be a classic striker versus grappler contest, but someone forgot to tell that to Felder and Bleaken. Both showed the fighting public that they could learn and use each other’s dominant skill-set as they put together performances that were both skilled and well rounded.

Almost as impressive as Felder’s newfound wrestling ability was Bleaken’s aggressive and effective striking against one of the most polished young 155 pound strikers in the region. The fight was truly a great display of skill, aggression, and determination from both combatants. Most casual fans in the audience (at least in my section) believed rounds 1 and 3 were all Felder and that a close second round belonged to Bleaken. In the end all three judges (as did I) scored the fight for Felder. But take nothing away from Bleaken, as I believe he was easily the second best 155 pound fighter on the entire card.

A matchup between Bleaken and CFFC poster boy, Bobby Fabrizi, would certainly be interesting, as Fabrizi has yet to post a victory against any fighter with a professional win. His wins come against opponents with a combined record of 0-5, so Bleaken would be a substantial test to clean up a cluttered CFFC 155 pound division.

The obvious question: where does the impressive Felder go from here? A CFFC title maybe? Word from CFFC Champion Sean Santella is that Corey Bleaken pushes around the Miller brothers. If that’s true, then… how good is Paul Felder? My guess is that the talented young Felder will be amongst the UFC’s most talent rich division in the next year or two.

Christopher Vallaro (5-2) says he’s not treating his upcoming fight as anything special, but it’s not easy to rattle a tough Italian from Brooklyn who’s earned the nickname “The Neighborhood Legend”.

Vallaro is set to face Paterson, New Jersey’s “Monster” Mohammad for the EFC Light Heavyweight Championship in the main event of The Darwish Brothers Presents: “Extreme Fighting Championships: MMA MANIA” on Saturday, May 18, in the Xanadu Theater at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City

Tickets for “Extreme Fighting Championships: MMA MANIA” are priced at $46, $67, $100 and $125 Cageside and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

“A fight is a fight, that’s how I see it,” revealed Vallaro, “but this one is a little sweeter because after I win, I will get a pretty belt for doing it. The belt is more for spectators to understand that I’m the top fighter in this league at the weight though.”

The confident and intelligent Vallaro studied Health Science in college and is the general manager and a certified personal trainer/strength coach at a fitness facility. Between work and twice-daily training sessions at Ardon Sweet Science Gym in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, he even helps out his training partners.

“I help a lot of my teammates with their conditioning plans. Besides being well-rounded, my biggest strength as a fighter is my overall conditioning. I always outshine my opponent in conditioning and that’s usually the deciding factor in the fight. I’m a pressure fighter. I put pressure on my opponents and eventually they break.”

So what does he think of facing a “monster” this Saturday?

“I know he’s an MMA guy by trade,” said Vallaro of Mohammad. “That means he doesn’t have a speciality. From watching his fights, I’m not impressed with him, but every fighter gets better with every fight, so I can’t go in like a madman. I see the fight going down with me being victorious. There are a lot of ways I’ll be able to win. I just have to do what I normally do and fight how I normally fight. The first mental or physical mistake he makes, I’m capitalizing on it. And it’ll be a very tough time for him to get back on his feet.”

Event promoter Hani Darwish says Vallaro may be playing it cool a bit on the fight.

“This fight is a toss-up. Both these guys are hugely popular for a reason. This is a true New Jersey super fight. They’re both tough, tough guys who can fight hard. They’re both always in great fights. I’m expecting an all-action war in there and the winner will be who wants it more.”

Vallaro says he earned his nickname by taking on older men, feared by others, in the streets of Brooklyn until “neighborhood politics” voted him a local legend.

He found his way to the cage in the same way as so many others.

“When I was a kid, my cousin and I would rent martial arts movies. I was always a fan. Then I saw UFC 2 and realized they were the best fighters in the world. I love competition. I said to myself if this is the sport with the best fighters in the world, then I want to compete and prove myself.”

SHELITO VINCENT

8-0

Providence, R.I.

121 ½

ANGEL GLADNEY

8-7-1, 6 KOs

Columbia, S.C.

121 ½

VLADINE BIOSSE

14-2-1, 7 KOs

Providence, R.I.

169 ½

LATIF MUNDY

10-5, 4 KOs

Philadelphia, Pa.

169 ½

RICH GINGRAS

12-3, 8 KOs

Pawtucket, R.I.

167

JOE GARDNER

11-5-1, 1 KO

Woonsocket, R.I.

167 ½

THOMAS FALOWO

9-1, 7 KOs

Pawtucket, R.I.

165

TYLON BURRIS

5-0, 3 KOs

Hartford, Conn.

165

NICK DELOMBA

Pro debut

Cranston, R.I.

148

JIMMY SMITH

0-0-0

Portland, Maine

149 ½

PAUL GONSALVES

4-3, 3 KOs

Harwich, Mass.

171

MACEO CROWDER

2-0, 1 KO

Brockton, Mass.

2-0, 1 KO

JON SMITH

1-0

Cranston, R.I.

147 ½

OSCAR DIAZ

Pro debut

Hartford, Conn.

144

JESSE BARBOZA

5-1-1, 3 KOs

Hyannis, Mass.

232

PHILLIP TRIANTAFILLO

2-2, 1 KO

West New York, N.J.

230

BRYAN ABRAHAM

6-16-2, 6 KOs

Schenectady, N.Y.

146

ZACK RAMSEY

3-0, 3 KOs

Springfield, Mass.

146

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (May 16, 2013) – World-rated welterweight Eddie “The Lion” Paredes (32-3-1, 21 KOs) is prepared to go from being considered one of the most avoided welterweights to world champion.

Rated #2 in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and #3 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), Parades hopes to soon face one of the top-ranked welterweights – Robert Guerrero, Luis Carlos Abregu or even Amir Khan if he moves up in weight – in a career-defining fight to position him for his first world title shot.

Paredes, fighting out of Hollywood (FL), is riding a 10-fight win streak. He has won 11 of his last 12 fights with one draw, since suffering his last loss more than four years ago to Carlos Molina by 10-round decision. Paredes’ last fight was a solid victory by 10-round decision over veteran Hector Munoz last November in Sunrise, Florida.

“Floyd Mayweather, Jr. just made Guerrero by giving him the payday of his life,” the 28-year-old Paredes commented. “Floyd can do this for many fighters and he’s signed to fight five more times in the near future. I’d love to be one of the guys who gets a call to be his opponent. I’m willing to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. Mayweather has been an inspiration for me. He is the best fighter in the world and, of course, I would love to mix it up with the world’s best fighter.”

“Eddie is the only welterweight rated by all four of the major boxing organizations (also WBO #11 & IBF #14),” noted his promoter Henry Rivalta (Acquinity Sports), “yet he hasn’t been in a really big fight. I think he’s a victim of boxing politics today. He’s talented and a risky fight for anybody, no doubt, but I wonder if he’s so avoided because he’s not with the two major promotional companies in boxing. We’re ready to prove he deserves a world title shot by fighting any of the top 147-pounders who’ll get in the ring with him. If none of them will voluntarily fight Eddie, we’ll continue working hard to get him into a mandatory position. One way or the other, we’re determined to get Eddie the shot he deserves.”

During his nine-year professional career, Paredes has defeated world champion Vivian Harris (TKO10), world title challengers Oscar Leon (KO4) and Michael Lozada (KO3), Manuel Leyva (TKO7), and previously undefeated Joey Hernandez.

Go online to www.AquinitySports.com for additional information about Parades or any of his Acquinity Sports stable-mates. Follow Acquinity Sports on Twitter @AcquinitySports, or friend is at Facebook.com/AcquinitySports.

ABOUT ACQUINITY SPORTS: Founded in 2011 by CEO Gary Jonas and Henry Rivalta, Vice President of Boxing Operations, Acquinity Sports is a full-service promotional company based in southern Florida.

Acquinity Sports is committed to changing traditional boxing promotion as an advocate of its fighters, supporting them to succeed in and out of the ring throughout their professional careers and into retirement. Fully dedicated to providing a structured environment, Acquinity Sports develops each individual fighter to maximize their potential, ensuring maximum exposure to audiences across a diverse range of channels, as well as encouraging team spirit and sense of family so crucial for success in the highly-competitive sport and business of boxing.

Acquinity Sports continues to sign incredible talent in various weight divisions to provide fans the highest level of year-round entertainment in professional boxing. Seasons may change but Acquinity Sports’ commitment remains to bring the heat.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The secrets of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®’s elite athletes are finally revealed in UFC FIT™ – the UFC’s first ever in-home fitness and nutrition program. Developed with renowned strength and conditioning coach Mike Dolce, UFC FIT is a lifestyle program based on the same methods the world’s greatest athletes use to prepare for the OctagonTM.

A celebrated training coach and former mixed martial artist, Dolce has earned his reputation as the greatest conditioning and nutrition expert in the sport, helping top contenders including Johny Hendricks, Gray Maynard, Michael Bisping and Thiago Alves prepare for competition. Now, for the first time, Mike Dolce shares the knowledge and techniques that have turned athletes into champions in this in-home training program.
UFC president Dana White said: “What makes UFC FIT different from every other workout is Mike Dolce. The UFC doesn’t cut corners or do anything halfway, so when we decided to create UFC FIT, we knew we had to work with Mike. He’s someone we respect, someone we believe in and someone we know gets results. To compete in the UFC, you have to be proficient in five Olympic sports including boxing, wrestling, taekwondo and judo on top of having world class strength and cardio. And Mike Dolce take these guys level to another level – just imagine what he can do for you.”

Dolce said: “The methods you’ll see in UFC FIT are the same ones I’ve used with the top stars in the UFC, but I actually developed them for men and women of all ages. I used to weigh 280 lbs, I had elevated blood pressure, my cholesterol was high and I had sleep apnea. Using the principals I share in UFC FIT, I dropped 100 lbs and now am down to five percent body fat. UFC FIT is a fun, challenging program developed for everyone and every fitness level. We all deserve to be lean, to feel confident and to be healthy.”

UFC FIT includes:

• 12 dynamic workout DVDs
• Plus 3-Day Shred, a jumpstart to weight loss
• 12-week Workout Tracker
• 132-page Lifestyle & Nutrition Manual, complete with training tips, a grocery list, meal plans and healthy, delicious recipes
• And for when you are on the go, Xyience® Ulti-Bar™ and Ulti-Meal™ Replacement Protein Shake, created exclusively for UFC FIT

UFC FIT is available now at UFCFIT.com. Additional merchandise is also available including an official UFC FIT Octagon® Mat, water bottle and fitness apparel.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

About UFC FIT™
UFC FIT is the first in-home training and nutrition program from the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, the world leader in the sport of mixed martial arts, in partnership with New Evolution Ventures™ (NeV), developers of many of the world’s most successful fitness brands. UFC FIT continues the expansion of UFC and NeV’s partnership into the fitness and lifestyle category, which began in 2008 with the creation of UFC GYM®. By the end of 2013, UFC GYM will have over 100 locations including the recently acquired the LA Boxing® franchises which are currently being rebranded.

BETHLEHEM, PA – When NBC Sports Network Fight Night returns to the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA, Friday, June 14, it will feature a competitive triple header that promises more of the great action the series has become known for. The three hour telecast will begin at 8 PM ET. In addition, all three headliners will find themselves in “must win” fights, critical for their career advancement. The pressure will be great for them to collect a win and remain on track for the big fights that lie ahead for each of them.

Russian knockout artist Sergey Kovalev, 20-0-1, 18 KOs, has built tremendous momentum in the last year. His showy and brutal knockouts over Gabriel Campillo, Lionell Thompson and Darnell Boone, all in the past 12 months, have made him a feared man in the light heavyweight division. He’s won fans, polished his record, and climbed the ratings. A slip up now, would derail his momentum and force him backward.

Further, the fight on June 14, is a 12-round IBF Elimination Bout that could vault the winner into a title shot. Talk about “must win”. Kovalev must defeat Cornelius “Da Beast” White, 21-1, 16 KOs, of Houston, TX, on June 14th to keep moving forward. Another big KO would certainly help his cause, but White will be looking to play the spoiler and leapfrog over the better known light heavyweight.

Like Kovalev, Philadelphian Bryant Jennings, 16-0, 8 KOs, needs to win in Bethlehem. “By By” is coming off his breakthrough year when he went from unknown heavyweight prospect to bona fide contender. Jennings fought and won five times in 2012, but June 14th will be his first start of this year.

Currently Jennings is ranked #3 in the IBF, which means he is on the brink of a world championship opportunity. To stay on track for that, he cannot afford a loss. Jennings will face Andrey Fedosov, 24-2, 19 KOs, a Russian heavyweight now living and fighting out of Hollywood, CA, in a 10-round co-feature bout. He’s won three in a row and is aching to breakthrough, much like Jennings did last year. If he can topple the Philadelphian next month, he certainly will get the attention he desires.

Welterweight Ronald Cruz, 17-1, 12 KOs, will also have his back against the wall on June 14. However, Cruz must win for a very different reason than Kovalev and Jennings. Cruz, of Bethlehem, PA, returns to the ring for the first time since suffering his first professional loss. Last September, Cruz dropped a close split decision to Antwone Smith in the same Bethlehem ring.

To complicate things, Cruz’ return was delayed due to surgery to repair a hernia last winter. Now 100% healthy, Ronald will be raring to go on fight night. However, he may have his hands full on June 14th.

Facing Cruz will be the hard-hitting, Bronx-based Ray Narh, 25-2, 21 KOs, of Ghana. Narh is a battle-tested pro who brings more experience, a higher knockout percentage, and a height advantage into the bout. However as usual, hometown hero Cruz is expected to bring out his loyal Bethlehem fan base, who will support their man 100% and help to level the playing field in this pick ’em fight.

This jam-packed triple header will be the 4th edition of NBC Sports Network Fight Night in 2013 and will begin at 8PM ET. By the looks of the stakes in each bout, it might be the best so far.

ABOUT FRIDAY, JUNE 14

The Jennnings-Fedosov, Kovalev-White and Cruz-Narh fights top a seven-bout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Doors open at 6:15pm ET. Tickets priced at $50 and $75 and $130 (luxury suites) can be purchased through the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000). Tickets also are on sale at www.peltzboxing.com, www.SandsEventCenter.com, and www.Ticketmaster.com. In Bethlehem, tickets are available at Deja Brew, Inc., 101 West 4th Street (610-865-2739) and at Pronto Insurance Notary, 232 East 3rd Street (610-419-6790). NBC Sports Network will televise the Jennings-Fedosov, Kovalev-White and Cruz-Narh fights, beginning at 8 pm ET, Friday, June 14th. The card is promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions, Hitz Entertainment and Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 16th, 2013) — Tomorrow night, Shelito Vincent, the unbeaten bantamweight from New London, Conn., will have the opportunity to achieve something most boxers only dream about when she fights Angel Gladney for the vacant Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) International championship in front of her hometown fans at Twin River Casino.

As if often the case in evenly-matched title bouts, the outcome might hinge on who wants it more.

“There’s no way this girl is working harder than me,” said Vincent (8-0), who now lives and trains in Providence under the guidance of Peter Manfredo Sr. “Why wouldn’t I work hard for something I’ve wanted my whole life?”

Vincent’s shot at the title, which is the eight-round main event of “The New Era,” presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, comes just a year and a half after her professional debut in 2011, a rapid climb even by female boxing standards. It’s also the first women’s title bout to be held in Rhode Island since Jaime Clampitt faced Belinda Laracuente for the International Women’s Boxing Federation (IWBF) lightweight title at Twin River in 2008. Vincent’s opponent, Gladney (8-7-1, 6 KOs), is a tough veteran from Columbia, S.C., who has fought for a title before, namely in 2010 when she challenged Kaliesha West for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) female bantamweight title. That fight ended in a seventh-round knockout win for West. Will Gladney’s second shot at a title end differently?

“In 2010, it just wasn’t my time,” said the 25-year-old Gladney. “I was too young, but it was an experience for me. I learn as I go. I didn’t have much amateur experience, so fighting Kaliesha West was a real learning experience. Of all the girls she’s fought, she said I was the toughest, so I’ve kept my head up and kept going.”

The one edge Gladney has entering Friday’s showdown is she has six knockout wins on her resume, whereas Vincent has yet to record a knockout, but, as Vincent pointed out, “she has a lot of losses, too, and I don’t have any of those.”

“But I respect her a lot,” Vincent added. “I know it’s going to be a tough fight. If you want to be the best, you have to start fighting the best. I’m ready. There’s nothing I’ve wanted more than this. She better be ready for a fight.”

Gladney, who considers herself a counterpuncher with “a little bit of everything” in her arsenal, credits her trainer, Dominic Neal, and promoter, Andrew Stokes, for keeping her on track. Following back-to-back losses at the end of 2012, Gladney kicked off the new year with a win over Kelan Robey in April, her final test before she faces Vincent tomorrow night.

“I really wanted to get that win,” Gladney said. “I’m really excited about this opportunity. I just want to keep fighting and stay active. I love this sport.”

Vincent was originally supposed to face Christina Ruiz of Texas, but Ruiz pulled out of the fight, citing a hand injury. Gladney accepted the challenge on just two week’s notice. The stage has now been set for Friday night in what will be a major opportunity for both Vincent and Gladney.

“When I got into boxing, this is what I dreamt about,” Vincent said. “I’m going hard on Friday night.”

“Mr. Providence” Vladine Biosse (14-2-1, 7 KOs) will also return to the ring May 17th in the eight-round super middleweight co-feature against Philadelphia’s Latif Mundy (10-5, 4 KOs). Tickets for “The New Era” are $41.00, $76.00, and $126.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.shop.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.

The undercard features seven bouts, most of which are regional showdowns, starting with Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight Thomas Falowo (9-1, 7 KOs) stepping up to face undefeated power-puncher Tylon Burris (5-0, 3 KOs) of Hartford, Conn., in a six-round bout. Super middleweight Rich Gingras (12-3, 8 KOs) of Attleboro, Mass., a former contestant on The Contender reality television series, will battle the red-hot Joey Gardner (11-5-1, 1 KO) of Woonsocket, R.I., in a six-round bout.

The always-busy Falowo, who’s known for throwing a high volume of punches from start to finish, will have his hands full with Burris, who has raised eyebrows in New England following an impressive knockout win over previously-unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Kevin Cobbs in November. Falowo has won his last three bouts, all by knockout, since suffering his first loss in May of 2012.

The Gingras-Gardner showdown came to fruition after Providence’s Alex Amparo was forced to withdraw from his scheduled rematch with Gardner due to a rib injury. Gardner, who has won his last three fights, will instead face Gingras, a former cruiserweight now looking to make his mark in the super middleweight division.

Also on the undercard, Boston’s Maceo Crowder (2-0, 1 KO), the half-brother of former U.S. Olympian and Providence native Demetrius Andrade, will return from a three-year absence to face Harwich, Mass., veteran Paul Gonsalves (4-3, 3 KOs) in a four-round super middleweight bout; and welterweight Jon Smith (1-0) of Cranston, R.I., will battle newcomer Oscar Diaz of Hartford, Conn., in a four-round bout. In a six-round special attraction, former Cranston amateur standout Nick DeLomba will make his professional debut against Portland, Maine native Jimmy Smith (0-0-0); the latter is returning to the ring for the first time in more than a year after his debut was cut short due to an accidental head butt. Smith and DeLomba faced one another twice as amateurs with each fighter winning once.

Hyannis, Mass., heavyweight Jesse Barboza (5-1-1, 3 KOs) will take on West New York, N.J., challenger Phillip Triantafillo (2-2, 1 KO) in a four-round bout, and Springfield, Mass., welterweight Zack Ramsey (3-0, 3 KOs) will return to face Bryan Abraham (6-16-2, 6 KOs) of Schenectady, N.Y., in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

CES is proud to announce its May 17th event will be held in honor of those affected by the recent Boston Marathon bombings, along with all the first responders, fire fighters and law-enforcement officials who worked tirelessly in the aftermath of such a senseless tragedy. On May 17th, “This one’s for Boston!”

Also on May 17th, former New England Patriots fullback and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Pass will receive the CES Special Recognition Award, and an additional ceremony will be held in memory of the late Matthew Cariglio Sr., a dear friend of the Classic Entertainment & Sports family.

Three-time world title challenger and former reality television star Peter Manfredo Jr., “The Pride Of Providence,” will also be on hand beginning at 6 p.m. for a special meet-and-greet outside the arena. Manfredo Jr. will also provide televised color commentary alongside play-by-play host Patrick Sullivan.

Twin River Casino is an exciting gaming, dining and entertainment destination, located in Lincoln, R.I., just 45 minutes from Boston and 10 minutes from Providence. Twin River features more than 4,700 slot machines, many virtual gaming options with black jack and roulette tables and more. This unique gaming facility also hosts simulcasting of the best thoroughbred and greyhound racing from around the country, a 29,000-plus square foot Twin River Event Center with headline entertainment, the legendary Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club, free concerts at the Lighthouse Bar, Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse and Wicked Good Bar & Grill, as well as 13 other dining outlets.

NEW YORK (May 15, 2013) – All five of the fighters in attendance at Wednesday’s press conference at Lucille’s Bar & Grill (located inside B.B. King’s Blues Club) in New York City were confident and ready for fight night as they discussed their upcoming bouts taking place this Saturday, May 18 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J live on SHOWTIME® (9:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Lamont Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO’s), of Washington, D.C., faces power-punching WBC Interim Super Lightweight Champion Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s), of Trelew, Argentina, in a 12-round bout at a catch-weight of 141 pounds. In the co-featured attraction on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, Devon Alexander (24-1, 13 KO’s), of St. Louis, will defend his IBF Welterweight Championship against number four rated IBF welterweight contender Lee Purdy (20-3-1, 13 KO’s), of Colchester, England.

Fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME®, airing beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT, will include a scheduled 10-round bout between promising, world-ranked, unbeaten welterweights Shawn Porter (20-1, 14 KO’s), of Akron, Ohio, and Phil Lo Greco (25-0, 14 KO’s), of Toronto, Canada, and a six-round middleweight bout between highly regarded 2012 British Olympic Bronze Medalist Anthony Ogogo (1-0, 1 KO), of Lowestoft, England, who’ll be making his United States debut against Puerto Rico’s Edgar Perez (5-4, 3 KO’s). Haroon Khan (1-0), Amir Khan’s brother, of Bolton, England, will make his United States debut against Vicente Medellin of Riverside, CA in a four round bantamweight bout which, time permitting, will also air on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.

In non-televised undercard action, Anthony Peterson (31-1, 20 KO’s), Lamont’s younger brother and also from Washington, D.C., will face slick veteran Dominic Salcido (18-4, 9 KO’s) of Rialto, CA

See below for what the Peterson brothers, Alexander, Purdy, Ogogo, Golden Boy Promotions COO David Itskowitch and SHOWTIME Sports EVP and General Manager Stephen Espinoza said Wednesday.

LAMONT PETERSON, IBF Junior Welterweight World Champion

“I’m looking forward to a great fight this weekend.

“This is a great card. I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for signing me. This is our first fight and I think we’re going to do great things together.

“If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you need to. I’m hoping there’s a monitor for me in my locker room to watch the whole card. There are a lot of my friends fighting Saturday night and of course my brother.

“You’ve got Anthony Ogogo, Khan’s brother Harry, the Cincinnati boys and D.C.-native Thomas Williams. I’m excited to see everyone on the card and I encourage everyone to go get tickets.”

DEVON ALEXANDER, IBF Welterweight World Champion

“‘Finally’ is the key word here. My fight with Kell Brook was postponed three times. I was supposed to fight him many times, but now I’m fighting Lee Purdy who’s a very suitable opponent for me.

“I’m ready. It doesn’t matter what Lee Purdy is going to bring Saturday night. He’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m ready to fight. I’ve been ready to fight.

“This fight will lead to bigger and better things with SHOWTIME.”

LEE PURDY, Number Four Rated IBF Welterweight Contender

“I’m a big underdog in a lot of peoples’ eyes. I’m here to fight and put on a good show for the fans.

“Fans are paying their hard earned money for entertainment and they don’t want to see fighters holding for 12 rounds.

“This is a fight that I’ve wanted. I’m coming to bring the upset.”

ANTHONY PETERSON, Lightweight Contender

“I’m excited about my fight, but I’m more excited about my brother’s. He gets to eliminate this so called ‘Boogey Man.’ I know that’s what’s going to happen Saturday night.

“My brother is a solid guy all around, inside and outside of the ring, so that’s going to make a big difference on Saturday night.

“My brother is going to take out his [Matthysse’s] power, and it’s going to be a big problem.

“Matthysse only knows how to go one way, and that’s forward. He doesn’t know how to work the inside and Lamont does, so that’s going to be the difference in the fight.”

ANTHONY OGOGO, 2012 British Olympic Bronze Medalist

“I’m really thrilled. This is why I wanted to sign-up with Golden Boy Promotions, to fight in places like Boardwalk Hall.

“I’m an ambitious young man and I want to get to the top of world boxing. I know that’s a few years down the road, but right now I need to take these opportunities as they come, learn and keep getting better and better.

“I’m looking forward to the future.”

DAVID ITSKOWITCH, COO of Golden Boy Promotions

“This main event is probably one of the best fights that can be made in a very talent rich weigh class.

“Lucas Matthysse is probably one of the most feared fighters on the planet and I think that’s one of the reasons Lamont Peterson wanted to fight him.

“Devon Alexander is a great fighter. That’s all that needs to be said because it is the truth.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, EVP & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports

“During the past few weeks SHOWTIME has been showcasing the best fighters in the world in the 140, 147 and 154 pound weight divisions.

“We have been bringing fans not just competitive and exciting fights, but competitive and exciting fights from the biggest names and most skilled fighters in the sport. That is something that, right now, fans are only getting on SHOWTIME. This weekend is no exception.

“Lamont Peterson versus Lucas Matthysse promises to be one of the hardest hitting fights of the year.”

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Peterson vs. Matthysse, a 12-round 141 pound catch-weight fight, will take place Saturday, May 18 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately following ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO Epilogue. In the co-main event, IBF Welterweight World Champion Devon Alexander defends his title against IBF number four rated welterweight contender Lee Purdy. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

AN ANTONIO, May 15, 2013 – San Antonio, Texas will once again be the site of a major boxing event when SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® returns to the Lone Star State on Saturday, July 27 with “KNOCKOUT KINGS II,” a spectacular night of world-class fights at the AT&T Center featuring a tripleheader starring some of the sport’s brightest stars live on SHOWTIME.

In the 12-round main event, former Two-Time Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto is back in the ring to take on tough Mexican contender Jesus Soto Karass. Plus, unbeaten knockout artist Keith Thurman and fellow power-puncher Diego Gabriel Chaves battle for Chaves’ WBA Interim Welterweight World Championship and Weslaco, Texas’ undefeated rising star Omar Figueroa Jr. squares off against Tokyo’s Nihito Arakawa for the vacant WBC Interim Lightweight World Championship.

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, go on sale Friday, May 17 at 10:00 a.m. CT and will be available for purchase at the AT&T Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.ATTCenter.com, all Ticketmaster locations by calling (800) 745-3000 or through Leija & Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com.

The event marks the return of co-promoters Golden Boy Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions to San Antonio where they recently promoted the April 20 blockbuster fight between Canelo Alvarez and Austin Trout which had almost 40,000 fans in attendance.

“Texas is our new home away from home and it’s great to be returning so soon after the Alvarez-Trout mega event in April,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “That event proved that boxing is alive and well and on July 27, we’re going to have another stacked card that will pack the AT&T Center.”

“Leija-Battah Promotions is thrilled to be co-hosting another SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event in San Antonio in collaboration with Golden Boy Promotions,” said Mike Battah, President of Leija & Battah Promotions. “The people of San Antonio and Texas demonstrated their affinity for boxing on April 20 at the Canelo vs. Trout sell-out event and we look forward to hosting multiple mega-fights yearly.”

“We have always dedicated ourselves to providing the people of San Antonio and all of South Texas with a broad variety of first-class sports and entertainment events at the AT&T Center,” said Rick Pych, Spurs Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations. “San Antonio is a city that truly appreciates and supports boxing in a big way and this is a terrific opportunity for fight fans to witness three world-class bouts in an arena setting.”

A member of the 2004 Haitian Olympic team, Andre Berto (28-2, 22 KO’s) turned pro later that year and has never looked back. A throwback fighter willing to go into the trenches to put on exciting bouts for his fans, the 29-year-old from Winter Haven, Florida first struck professional gold in 2008 when he stopped Miguel Rodriguez in the seventh round to win the WBC Welterweight World Championship. Berto successfully defended the crown five times before losing it to Victor Ortiz in The Ring Magazine’s 2011 Fight of the Year. He bounced back five months later to defeat Jan Zaveck for the IBF Welterweight World Championship. In his most recent bout, Berto engaged in a fight of the year candidate against Roberto Guerrero, losing a hard fought 12-round decision last November.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve fought in Texas and I’m happy to be back fighting in front of the great fans here,” said Berto. “I’m hungrier than ever to get my title back and the first step is taking out Soto Karass on July 27.”

One of the fight game’s most rugged competitors, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico’s Jesus Soto Karass (27-8-3, 17 KO’s) always gives a supreme effort in the ring and, win or lose, his opponents never emerge from their fights with him unscathed. Fresh off of a January win over Selcuk Aydin, the 30-year-old Soto Karass hopes to add Berto’s name to a list of vanquished foes that includes Euri Gonzalez, Said El Harrak, Vince Phillips, David Estrada and Chris Smith.

“I respect what Andre Berto has done in his career and he’s a tough fighter, but a win over him would be the biggest of my career,” said Soto Karass. “If I want to get a world title shot, I have to go through him to get it.”

A crushing puncher with a 90% knockout rate, Clearwater, Florida’s Keith “One Time” Thurman (20-0, 18 KO’s) has raised his worldwide profile considerably since returning from a year-long injury induced layoff in 2012. Since then, Thurman has gone 5-0 with four knockouts, with wins over Brandon Hoskins, Orlando Lora and former World Champion Carlos Quintana. In his last fight in March, the 24-year-old scored a shutout win over former World Champion Jan Zaveck and on July 27, he challenges for his first world title.

“I’m looking forward to fighting for an interim title and doing it against someone like Chaves,” said Thurman. “I’m not going to have to chase him or get him to fight. We’re going to battle and I’m going to be the last man standing.”

The latest in the line of hard-hitting standouts from Argentina, Diego Gabriel “La Joya” Chaves (22-0, 18 KO’s) shares a similar fighting philosophy with his opponent, Thurman: to end matters as soon as possible. Currently sporting a five-fight knockout streak, the 27-year-old Chaves won the WBA Interim Welterweight World Championship in July of last year with a second round knockout of Ismael El Massoudi and defended it two months later with an identical result against Jose Miranda. Now he’s back to fight in the United States for the first time since 2010.

“I appreciate the opportunity to fight in the United States and against someone with a great reputation like Keith Thurman,” said Chaves. “We’re proud people and proud fighters in Argentina and I’m going to show this to the world on July 27th.”

Adding to the knockout theme on July 27 is Texas’ own titan, Weslaco native Omar “Panterita” Figueroa Jr. (21-0-1, 17 KO’s), who has ended four of his last five wins with first round knockouts. In April, the 23-year-old thrilled his home state fans with a first round knockout over then unbeaten top prospect Abner Cotto, winning the NABA and WBC Interim Silver Lightweight titles in the process. He will draw on the energy from a San Antonio crowd for his third consecutive fight when he fights for his first world title against Arakawa on July 27.

“For me there’s nothing like fighting at home in Texas and the fans of San Antonio have pushed me to new heights in my last two fights,” said Figueroa. “I’m looking forward to giving them another big knockout win.”

Fighting out of Tokyo, Japan, 31-year-old southpaw Nihito Arakawa (24-2-1, 16 KO’s) is a nine-year veteran guaranteed to give Figueroa some looks he has never seen in the ring before. A Japanese and OPBF lightweight champion, Arakawa has won 11 of his last 12 bouts, most recently dispatching Pakphum Tor Pornchai in two rounds on May 4. On July 27, he’ll enter hostile territory with the goal of pinning a “1” on Figueroa’s loss column.

“I’m looking forward to fighting in the United States for the first time against a tough opponent like Omar Figueroa,” said Arakawa. “I’m coming here to put on a great show and take the title back to Japan with me.”

“KNOCKOUT KINGS II,” featuring Two-Time Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto vs. tough Mexican contender Jesus Soto Karass in a 12-round welterweight main event, takes place Saturday, July 27 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the 12-round co-featured attractions, unbeaten knockout artist Keith Thurman and fellow power-puncher Diego Gabriel Chaves battle for Chaves’ WBA Interim Welterweight World Championship in a fight promoted in association with KO International and Weslaco, Texas’ undefeated rising star Omar Figueroa Jr. squares off against Tokyo’s Nihito Arakawa for the vacant WBC Interim Lightweight World Championship in a fight promoted in association with Teiken Promotions. The tripleheader will be broadcast live on SHOWTIME and will be available in Spanish via second audio programming (SAP).

For information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.ATTCenter.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/AndreBerto, www.twitter.com/OmarFigueroaJr, www.twitter.com/attcenter and www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #KnockoutKings2 and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing andwww.facebook.com/ATTCenter.

# # #

2012 Olympic Gold Medal winner Luke Campbell is set to make his pro debut on July 13 in Hull, England according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

That bout will be paired with the rematch that will see Welterweights Kell Brook and Carson Jones square off in a bout for which Jones will look to get even after Brook scored an exciting victory last year.

“This is going to be a special night for Hull and a massive night for British boxing,” said promoter Eddie Hearn said.

“The whole city will have a chance to witness the start of Luke’s professional journey whilst also watching a huge card.”

“Kell Brook returns after a frustrating period, re-matching Carson Jones following their epic battle last July,” Hearn said.

“We took the fight for 20 percent of what he got in the first fight because he wanted the fight so badly,” Bobby Dobbs, Jones’ manager, said. “He left for camp [Tuesday] and Kell Brook is in trouble if he doesn’t pull out.”