Saturday, May 4, an unforgettable day for boxing, kicked off with a Las Vegas press conference to officially announce the June 22 world championship showdown between two of the most colorful characters in the sport, WBA Welterweight World Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Two-Division World Champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.

Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME
To download more photos, click HERE.

Here is what the two had to say at the press conference:

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI, WBA Welterweight World Champion

“[To Broner] Now you’re fighting a real fighter. Real fighters punch back.

“He’s coming up to a real weight class against a real man. He’s going to get hit a lot too.

“[To Broner] Guys like you, they’re a dime a dozen.

“I am fortunate to get these kinds of opportunities and usually I’m able to upset the apple cart.

“Adrien is nothing more than a Floyd Mayweather wannabe. He doesn’t just fight like him. He talks like him. He breathes like him. He needs to get his own character.

“He doesn’t have his own personality. It’s a big insecurity.

“I didn’t get my titles handed to me. I had to earn them.

“What happens to Broner when it isn’t easy? He’s never been put in that situation before.

“I thought this was the easiest fight they offered me. They’re giving me this ex-junior lightweight. It was a no brainer.

“He has good speed and good timing, but his power is overrated. A lot of what he does is overrated.”

ADRIEN BRONER, Two-Division World Champion

“[On his June 22 fight] Everyone is saying ‘He’s going up in weight. Is he going to be strong enough and fast enough to take on a world class world champion?’ I know Paulie is going to come out to fight like he always does, but this will be his fourth loss to a world champion. He just keeps getting whooped by champions.

“I take him seriously, but he’s a clown. He’s going to come out with big feet, dyed hair and a crazy outfit, but I’m going to punch him until his nose is red enough to complete out the outfit.

“I moved up for the opportunity to be a 23-year-old three-time world champion in three different weight classes.

“I call him a one handed bandit. He’s never thrown a right hand ever.

“On June 22, he’s going to wish there’s another corner he can run to.

“It’s going to be a hell of a night.

“He’s telling me to be more creative. I don’t have to be more creative. I’m just going to mess him up.

“He isn’t getting on my nerves. This is boxing.

“All of the good fights at 140 were already matched up.

“He feels like I’m just a 135-pound fighter, but he’s not on my level.

“It is going to be the ‘AB Show.’

“He can really box. I’m not taking him lightly. No one just handed him that belt.

“It’s going to be a hell of an event. Paulie is going to bring his following. I’m going to bring mine. He’s from Brooklyn; it’s going to be a packed house.”

“You guys will be surprised when you see me fight at 147.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

“These two are not only two of the most exciting fighters in the sport, they are also two of the biggest talkers.

“This is champion against champion.

“Tickets are on sale and there has already been a tremendous demand at the box office. This is a way to take these [big] fights into this major market [New York City] and make them affordable for the people.”

# # #

Malignaggi vs. Broner, a 12-round fight for Malignaggi’s WBA Welterweight World Championship will take place Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, supported by Golden Boy Promotions’ sponsors Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). In the co-featured bout, Johnathon Banks will look to repeat his 2012 upset win over Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell as he defends his NABO and WBC International Heavyweight titles in a 12-round fight presented in association with K2 Promotions. Preliminary fights will air 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 on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

As a painter and artist in his spare time, Newark, New Jersey, boxer John “Apollo Kidd” Thompson IV (11-0, 4 KOs) has created many satisfying works of art.

But Thompson will be looking to put his finest work yet on canvas this Friday, May 10, when he takes on Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico’s also-undefeated Giovany Rodriguez (8-0, 5 KOs).

The two middleweights will clash over eight rounds in the co-feature of a ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader (on SHOWTIME at 11 PM ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma, presented by Camille Estephan, of Eye of the Tiger and Greg Cohen, of Greg Cohen Promotions, in association with Pitbull Promotions.

In the ShoBox-televised main event, Montreal, Quebec, Canada’s undefeated IBF #3-ranked Dierry “Dougy Style” Jean (24-0, 16 KOs) will take on Los Angeles’ IBF #7-rated southpaw Cleotis “Mookie” Pendarvis (17-3-2, 6 KOs) in a 12-round IBF eliminator for the mandatory #1 spot at 140 lbs.

Tickets are priced at: Reserved: $25.00, Premium: $40.00 and Platinum: $60.00 and are available at www.buffalorun.com or by calling The Buffalo Run Box Office (918) 542-7140. On fight night, doors open at 7 pm.

24-year-old Thompson is a true renaissance man, combining a day job at an airline, his love for travel, his art and a blossoming career as a professional boxer.

“Working at United Airlines allows me a discount on travel,” he said. “Last year, I went to Paris and Scotland. I also have my own business, called Divine Artist. I do portraits and landscapes, even abstract art. My motto is if you can think it, I can put it on canvas. But boxing is in my blood. My father started me in boxing when I was four. It comes very, very naturally for me. It’s so easy for me to feel people out and beat them.”

An old-school technician in the ring, Thompson styles himself after the pure boxers in the sport. “I’m a boxer. That’s the name of the game: to hit somebody and not get hit back. A lot of people get caught up in brawls. I like Floyd Mayweather because he’s a true boxer.”

Despite all his other pursuits, Thompson takes his boxing career very seriously. He trains twice a day at McGirt’s Training Facility in Nutley, NJ, under new trainer, former world champion James “Buddy” McGirt (his father and original trainer, John Thompson III, now serves as co-trainer).

“Buddy has been a great help as part of the team,” the younger Thompson said. “He’s a really cool guy who knows a lot about boxing. My father and I are still very close and Buddy has been able to add dimensions to what he and I were able to build.”

Thompson also says he’s very pleased with manager William Mielnicki and his promoters, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions and Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions. “William, Greg and Vito have been moving me very well and I am very thankful. I’m very pleased with where I am in my life and career. A lot of people have about four to five fights in two years. I’ve had 11 and won them all in less than two.”

Despite it being his first showcase for a national audience, Thompson says he’s expecting things to go his way. “He’s (Rodriguez) a southpaw, more of a boxer. He’s 8-0. I read he plans on winning, but we can’t both be victorious. I’m pretty sure I’ll win. I’m working on giving him a boxing lesson, but if the knockout comes, it comes. It’s not something you should plan on.”

Thompson is a well-rounded, intelligent man who will see how far his fistic talents take him, but no matter what, will continue to strive to be a role model and leader.

“After I become a champion, I want to start a business and be self-sufficient in my community of Newark. I go Downtown and see less-fortunate people. I want to start a program where I can help people provide for themselves. I want to help people get on their feet. It’s hard out here. I love my family and my coach. I’m very thankful for everything given to me. I have a lot of people to thank for that. I will always try to give back in my life.”

The exciting undercard will be announced shortly. All bouts subject to change.

NEW YORK (May 7, 2013) Popular undefeated jr. welterweight prospect Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin is recovering well from surgery on his right shoulder to repair his rotator cuff and labrum.

Known for his spectacular knockouts and sporting a record of
11-0-0 with nine knockouts, the young ‘Hebrew Hammer’ is a product of the huge resurgence of professional boxing on Long Island by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

“Our team at Star Boxing wishes Cletus a successful and speedy recovery” said DeGuardia. “Fans on Long Island have been very supportive of him and we’re proud that he’s developed through our very successful ‘ROCKIN FIGHTS’ series at The Paramount which rocks Huntington, New York. We expect Cletus to play a key role in the further resurgence on Long Island”

Seldin has fought six of his last seven bouts at The Paramount, each fight resulting in show stopping knockouts. The orthoscopic operation on the labrum and rotator cuff was performed by Dr. Answorth Allen on the right shoulder on April 22. Seldin is in physical therapy, and is scheduled to be back at the Paramount this September.

The ‘Hebrew Hammer’ will attend the next Star Boxing event, “ROCKIN FIGHTS 8” at The Paramount on Saturday, MAY 11 in support of his fellow local boxers. Fans will be able to take photos with him then.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary (promoting pro boxing continuously since 1992). The company has produced some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star Boxing continues to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star Boxing is proud that is has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

Molina

Sherman Oaks, CA (May 7, 2013) – Goossen Tutor Promotions presents what is sure to be an explosive night of world-class lightweight contenders, where the “Lightweight International” main event features USA’s fast-talking, hard-hitting slugger, John Molina, Jr. from Covina, CA against Russia’s undefeated and dangerous Andrey Klimov engaging in a battle scheduled for ten rounds on June 7th at the Little Creek Casino and Resort in Kamilche, Washington and televised live on ESPN “Friday Night Fights” series.

This night will mark the second ESPN-Goossen Tutor Promotions world-class boxing event taking place at the Skookum Creek Event Center at Little Creek. Their first event drew a sold-out and enthusiastic crowd. Doors open at 6 PM with the first bout starting at 6:30 PM and the live ESPN2 broadcast beginning 7 PM Pacific Time (10 PM Eastern).

Molina (25-2, 20 KOs) is looking to fight his way back to the top of the lightweight division taking on what many consider a fifty-fifty fight against the relatively unknown Klimov (15-0, 8 KOs). In the other high-profile bout on tap, super middleweight Farrah Ennis (20-1, 12 KOs) of Philadelphia, PA takes on former amateur sensation, Anthony Hanshaw (23-2-2, 14 KOs) of High Point, NC.

Just three months ago on ESPN, Molina stopped Dannie Williams (22-3) in Santa Fe, New Mexico and demonstrated in four rounds that he’s still among the strongest 135-pounders in the world in a performance that kept him among the elite lightweights. Last September, Molina was stopped in one round during his title challenge against then-world champion Antonio DeMarco in what he believed was a questionable stoppage. He insisted it was too quick and used his fight against the favored Williams to prove his point. It was an emphatic win and statement by Molina.

Now Molina, 30, seeks to prove that the very talented Klimov will not be able to beat him either.

Klimov, 30, was born and raised in the town of Klimovsk in Russia, but is no stranger to Southern California fight fans. His most impressive victory was two years ago when he knocked out the talented Ty Barnett at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA in three rounds. He’s also defeated a trio of hungry Mexican boxers in Southern California fight cards. But the question will be can the IBF Inter-Continental champion trade blows with Molina?

The winner will surely be in a position to demand a world title shot.

“Molina-Klimov is one of those fights that I believe won’t have a loser,” stated Promoter Dan Goossen. “Look at the Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado bouts as an example. The fans want exciting, competitive fights, and no matter who wins in that type of fight, both fighters come out on top and get other opportunities. This will be a fight for the fans.”

In the semi-main event 10-round Super Middleweight bout, Ennis will try again making his debut at Little Creek Casino after being denied last April when his opponent failed to make weight cancelling the bout. “I was ready for a great fight here in April,” the elated Ennis stated. “Now I can’t wait to show the fans and ESPN why I’m so excited about this opportunity.” Ennis, a former sparring partner of current world champions Sakio Bika and Gennady Golovkin, is dubbed ‘The Quiet Storm’ for his reserved demeanor, except when he steps into the ring where he looks to make some noise in the talent rich Super Middleweight division and becoming the next Philadelphia World Champion.

Anthony Hanshaw is primarily known for his stellar amateur career. Ring Magazine featured him early in his career as a rising star in boxing after going 11-0 in less than a year after turning professional. Hanshaw, who lost back-to-back fights to Roy Jones Jr. in 2007 and Andre Dirrell in 2008, endured personal problems and injuries costing him almost four years of his career. Anxious to get back to the rising star moniker given him a few years back, Hanshaw is focused now on the job at hand and believes he’s ready to take on the dangerous Ennis to do it. “The talent and solid amateur background has always been there, now it’s just a matter of putting it all together,” said Hanshaw.

Doug Loughrey, ESPN Director of Programming said, “We are pleased to return to Little Creek Casino for another ESPN FNF telecast. Michael Starr & his staff have a tremendous, intimate setting for boxing productions. The Little Creek Casino brings an enthusiastic and engaged boxing fan base and whether watching on ESPN2 or in attendance, fans will see a solid match between Molina & Klimov.

Tickets for the event are priced at $30 for bleachers, $40 for floor seats and $50 for the first two rows of the Skookum Creek Event Center and can be purchased by calling 800.667.7711 or online at www.little-creek.com.

Little Creek Casino Resort is home to the highly acclaimed Salish Cliffs Golf Club and also recently celebrated the opening of Seven Inlets Spa, Skookum Spirit Cigar and Wine Lodge and a state-of-the-art RV Park.

“We are delighted to have ESPN Friday Night Fights return to Little Creek Casino Resort so soon after our debut show,” said Little Creek CEO Michael Starr. “We know that with ESPN and promoter Goossen Tutor, the fans are guaranteed to see action-packed, competitive bouts on June 7th. The tremendous worldwide exposure we receive from ESPN is a benefit to Little Creek and the Squaxin Island Tribe and we look forward to another great evening of world-class boxing.”

Little Creek Casino is located in the great Pacific Northwest at the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula in Kamilche, Washington just minutes north of Olympia on Highway 101. For more information, visit www.little-creek.com

NEW YORK (May 7, 2013) – This past Saturday, undefeated boxing superstar and undisputed No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world Floyd “Money” Mayweather produced a magnificent performance en route to winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on SHOWTIME PPV® before nearly 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

This Saturday, May 11, SHOWTIME will air the fight, along with unbeaten Abner Mares’ exciting ninth-round technical knockout victory over defending WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon in the co-featured bout at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Making his first start in a year, a dominant Mayweather (44-0, 26 KO’s) showed no signs of ring rust while displaying the trademark speed and quickness, ring generalship, accuracy, intelligence and defensive mastery that he’s been known for since his pro debut 17 years ago.

“Money” received rave reviews. Here’s a sampling:
From Tim Dahlberg of Associated Press, “On the canvas where he does his best work, Mayweather painted a boxing masterpiece only he could produce.”

“…once he found his groove, the multi-division champion put on a bravura boxing clinic. By the end of the night, no one could have any doubts that the pugilist from Grand Rapids, Mich., is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet,” wrote Gordon Marino in the Wall Street Journal.

Said Greg Bishop of the New York Times, “When it ended, Mayweather hardly celebrated. He thumped his chest and hugged his father… He made it look easy, and it had been. He had landed a staggering 60 percent of his power punches.”

“The countdown to the end of Floyd Mayweather legendary career began with a brilliant performance in a victory over Robert Guerrero. Mayweather rolled his record to 44-0 and kept alive a dream to end his career with a perfect mark,” wrote Kevin Iole on Yahoo! Sports.

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, was promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event took place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and was produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®. Also featured was WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.

Montreal, Tuesday, May 7th 2013 – Lucian Bute suffered an injury to his left hand that has forced the postponement of his May 25th bout vs. Jean Pascal. Lucian will undergo surgery this week to remove bone fragments from his hand and recovery is anticipated to take a few weeks.

Motivated like never before, Lucian Bute was in the middle of the best training camp of his career. “I am very disappointed by this injury. I have never been in better shape. My preparation was ahead of schedule until late last week. The fans that paid high ticket prices to see me in action against Pascal deserve to see both boxers at their best. Unfortunately I would be far from my best in my present state. For my own good, I have to take the advice of my doctor and undergo this operation. I feel very sad for the fans” declared Lucian Bute.
“This situation is heartbreaking. Lucian`s preparation surpassed our objectives and now this injury will prevent him from offering his fans a great performance on May 25th. We are all very disappointed with this turn of events but the decision to go straight to surgery was the only one to be made as he could no longer use his left hand adequately in training. In the past, we made the error of not listening to the signs of distress coming from the body of an athlete. We do not want to make these same mistakes again » states head trainer Stephan Larouche.

InterBox president Jean Bedard fully supports his boxer during this difficult time. “This is very discouraging for the team. InterBox and Lucian Bute have been through a lot to offer this fight to the fans, but unfortunately injuries are a part of the sport. We made the decision to postpone the fight in the best interests of the fans and of our boxer, Lucian. We will do everything in our power so that Lucian rehabilitates from this injury as fast as possible so he can lace up the gloves against Jean Pascal”.
Refund for tickets purchased
InterBox and Evenko will communicate the procedure for refund of purchased tickets as soon as possible.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 7th, 2013) – Her opponent has changed, but the goal remains the same for Shelito Vincent as she prepares for the biggest fight of her career Friday, May 17th, 2013 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

Vincent (8-0), the undefeated female bantamweight prospect from New London, Conn., who now lives and trains in Providence, R.I., will face South Carolina’s Angel Gladney (8-7-1, 6 KOs) for the vacant Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) International in the eight-round main event next Friday. The show, titled “The New Era,” is presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports.

Vincent was originally supposed to face Christina Ruiz of Texas, but Ruiz pulled out of the fight, citing a hand injury, and now the hard-hitting Gladney will step the plate less than two months after beating Kelan Robey in Virginia.

“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 Hyannis’ Robert Brando-Hunt (0-3) 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.

NUTLEY, NJ (May 7, 2013)—This Friday night at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma undefeated Jr. Middleweight John “Apollo Kid” Thompson and undefeated Middleweight Antoine “Action” Douglas will be back in action in separate fights.

In the main event, undefeated Dierry Jean (24-0, 16 KO’s) will take on Cleotis Pendarvis in an IBF Jr. Welterweight Elimination bout.

Thompson and Douglas are promoted by Vito Mielnicki’s GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions.

Thompson (11-0, 4 KO’s) of Newark, NJ will take on fellow unbeaten Giovany Rodriguez of Puerto Rico in the eight round televised co-feature.

“All I know he is a southpaw and ranked number two in Puerto Rico”, said Thompson.

“I finally get to showcase my talent for television. This is a great opportunity”.

“I am very confident this win will boost my rankings and open up new doors”.

As for Douglas, he will take part in a scheduled six round bout against Coy Witt.

Douglas (6-0, 4 KO’s) of Washington, DC is one of the top Middleweight prospects in the United States.

“Camp has been great. I feel strong, fast and my weight is good”

Douglas doesn’t know much about Whitt but he feels that he will have a big performance on Friday.

“I have only seen one piece of footage on him and based on that, a knockout is the plan”

This will already be Douglas’ fifth fight of 2013.

“My team is doing their job and my only worry is boxing. After this win I will be back to fight on June 15th.

Thompson and Douglas are managed by William Mielnicki.

New York, NY (5/7/13) – Next Wednesday, May 15, DiBella Entertainment returns to BB King Blues Club in NYC for the latest edition of its Broadway Boxing series. Moving into the main event slot, in what was already a stacked card, will be WBA and WBC #8-rated middleweight contender “Irish” Andy Lee (29-2, 20KO’s) as he takes on Daryl Cunningham (28-4, 11KO’s) in a 10-round middleweight contest.

As already announced, the fast-rising undefeated middleweight Lamar Russ (12-0, 7KO’s), fellow undefeated middleweight prospect Delen Parsley (10-0, 3KO’s) and heavyweight contender Tor Hamer (19-2, 12KO’s) will appear on the card. All three bouts are scheduled for eight rounds.

The bout against Cunningham will be the former Olympian Lee’s second since his defeat to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in his first crack at the middleweight world championship last summer. In the fight versus Chavez, Lee got off to a great start and was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards before being stopped on his feet in the seventh frame.

After the defeat, Lee suffered another huge loss, when his longtime trainer and mentor Emanuel Steward suddenly passed away on October 25, 2012, after his short battle with diverticulitis and colon cancer. It was a hard few months for the 28-year-old Lee, but he has since regrouped, moving his camp to the U.K. to train under the watchful eye of Adam Booth. Lee got back into the winning column with a 10-round decision over Anthony Fitzgerald (13-3) on February 9,in Ireland, and now has his sites set on moving himself back into title contention, but he must first get by the durable Cunningham.

“I’m very much looking forward to this fight. Having lived in New York for two years, I know first hand what a great fight town it is. The New York fight fans are a very knowledgeable crowd and I intend on putting on a first class performance for them. I want to thank my promoter Lou DiBella for giving me this chance to showcase my skills as I look to rebuild myself into title contention”

A complete list of the card, including opponents for Russ, Parsley and Hamer will be announced tomorrow.

Tickets for the event are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55 for general admission. Tables are also available for purchase for this event with VIP Tables going for $1000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside Tables for $500 a table (5 seats at $100) and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577.

The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and sponsored by Manfredi Auto Group, Newlio.com, and Everlast. The event will be broadcast on SNY tape-delayed. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

TRENTON, NJ (May 6, 2013)—this past weekend, The 3rd Annual Elite Heat Boxing Tournament took place at Trenton High School.

This tournament featured some of the top young amateurs in the United States

The Elite Heat Boxing Team performed very well taking home a lot of titles and medals.

Jr. Golden Gloves National champ Malik Nelson and silver glove national champ jeremy Ardono of Allentown, PA met in the 12year old- 80 lbs from faced off With Nelson winning a 2-1 decision.

In a special bout, 2-time Jr. Golden Gloves National Champion Vito Mielnicki, 10 year old and 75 pound stepped up in weight and age to box Jeremy Ardono who was a silver glove national champion. Mielnick won a close 2-1 decision.

Zahir Salaam who is 9 years old and 70 lbs. from Elite Heat won a 3-0 decision over Alex Aviles from Asbury Park, NJ

Elite Heat’s Ziyaad Hassan who is 11 years old and 90 lbs won a 3-0 decision over Antonio Hall of Plainfield, NJ.

John Bauza who is 14 years old and 132 lbs from Elite Heat defeated Luis Rosa from New York.

Dewyke Flemming 9 years old from elite heat won a 3 – 0 decision over Denit Bradwood from Sole City boxing from Toledo, OH.

Rajohn Chance who is 13 years old and 85 lbs. and a Jr. National Golden Gloves Champion had an impressive stoppage over highly touted Josui Kirkpatrick of Norfolk, VA

The Elite Heat Boxing Team will be travelling this Thursday to Quebec, Canada to compete in the Adidas Cup.

SINGAPORE (May 7, 2013) – Twenty-seven year-old martial arts fighting superstar Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (69-6-1 43 KOs) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Suriname will compete in the one-night, single-elimination GLORY 9 New York tournament featuring a lineup of the world’s top light heavyweight (209 pounds/95 kilograms) kickboxers, at Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center in New York City on Saturday, June 22, Glory Sports International (GSI) announced today.

“We are excited to enter Tyrone into this historic, first GLORY championship series event in the U.S. that will determine who is physically and mentally the top athlete in kickboxing’s light heavyweight division,” said Glory Sports International CEO Andrew Whitaker.

“Tyrone’s recent performances in the ring have distinguished him as one of the best and most powerful martial arts fighters in the world who can showcase our great sport at its highest level,” continued Whitaker, “so we look forward to seeing him compete against the other superstars who have been enlisted for action in the tournament.”

In his last GLORY start on March 23, Spong, a member of the vaunted Blackzilians fight squad that boasts the likes of fellow martial arts fighting greats Rashad Evans, Alistair Overeem and Vitor Belfort, triggered a changing of the guard in the ring at ExCel Arena in London, England, decimating Remy “The Flying Gentleman” Bonjasky, a three-time champion of the old K-1 series and one of kickboxing’s greatest athletes of all time, with a vicious right hook in the second round (2:02) of their highly-anticipated main event showdown.

The explosive KO marked Spong’s fifth consecutive kickboxing victory. One fight prior, on June 30, 2012, Spong toppled another icon of the sport and future Hall of Famer, Peter Aerts, scoring a thunderous KO on Aerts in the third round (2:10) of their matchup in Brussels, Belgium.

Since turning professional as a middleweight in 2003 and winning 12 fights that year, Spong, a former protégé of retired heavyweight kickboxing legend Ernesto Hoost, has since climbed his way to the top in four different weight divisions. He has faced and defeated a host of top-ranked rivals in addition to Bonjasky and Aerts, including Kaoklai Kaennorsing, Ray Sefo and Melvin Manhoef.

Tickets for GLORY 9 New York, priced from $48 (plus handling fees), are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.

Also slated for battle in the star-studded, eight-man single-elimination tournament, are hard-hitting KO artist Brian Collette (19-1, 16 KOs) of Norfolk, Va.; developmental Road To GLORY USA light heavyweight tournament winner Dustin Jacoby (9-3, 7 KOs) of Arenzville, Illin.; four-time world champion Danyo Ilunga (51-4, 41 KOs) of Germany; Muay Thai sensation Filip Verlinden (40-9-1, 16 KOs) of Belgium; Aerts-protégé Mourad “The Silent Power” Bouzidi (75-20-2, 34 KOs) of Tunisia; world Muay Thai and Karate champion Steve McKinnon (42-5, 29 KOs) of Australia; and Michael Duut (38-3, 17 KOs) of The Netherlands.

The GLORY 9 New York light heavyweight tournament’s quarterfinal stage matchups will be announced soon.

In one of several Superfights also scheduled for the event, heavyweight superstar and former secret service agent Daniel “The Savage Samurai” Ghita (46-9, 35 KOs) of Romania will face Muay Thai champion Brice Guidon (28-8, 13 KOs) of France.

In other Superfight action, hard-hitting “Bazooka” Joseph Valtellini (8-1, 7 KOs) of Toronto, Ontario Canada will square off with fellow rising star Francois Ambang (9-2, 4 KOs) of Mechanicsville, Va. in a welterweight (170 pounds/77 kilograms) matchup.

Valtellini has earned six of his eight professional career victories in New York. Ambang emerged the winner of the development, eight-man, developmental Road To GLORY USA tournament, created to identify new talent and potential future champions for GLORY’s championship series, at New York City’s Capitale on March 22.

Phil Nurse protégé Brett Hlavacek (8-1, 3 KOs) of New York, N.Y., the runner-up in the developmental Road To GLORY USA tournament on March 22, will face three-time Muay Thai titlist Paul Marfort (10-5, 4 KOs) of Orlando, Fla. at welterweight.

Additional Superfights will be announced soon.

Doors at Hammerstein Ballroom will open at 5 p.m. EST and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.

About GLORY:

GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world’s premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe featuring one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments and 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes events with traditional, single bouts.

With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world’s largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world’s most widely distributed sporting organizations.

Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the US. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.

In 2013, GLORY launched the Road To GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in the United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.

Chicago, IL, Tuesday, May 7, 2013–Today Bobby Hitz announced that the next installment of “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” will feature four of Chicago’s most exciting boxers as WBA Latin American Heavyweight Champion “Fast” Fres Oqendo (35-7, 23 KOs), super middleweight Mike “Hollywood” Jimenez (10-0, 7 KOs), cruiserweight Dimar “Strongman” Ortuz (9-0, 6 KOs), lightweight Frankie “Time Bomb” Scalise (6-1, 6 KO’s) take to the ring at The Venue inside of Hammond, Indiana’s Horseshoe Casino on Saturday, June 8. Doors open at 7:00 PM and the actions begins at 7:30 PM. Tickets start at $40.00 and are available at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or The Venue box office.

“With Povetkin and the Klitschko brothers deciding to take other fights we wanted to get Fres in the ring and keep him busy until he gets his shot,” said Hitz. “He deserves a title bout but until that time comes we will continue working him against other fighters.”

Jimenez and Ortuz remain unbeaten, while Scalise is staging an impressive comeback. All are fan favorites.

“Chicago boxing fans are witnessing amazing undefeated streaks by Hollywood and Dimar. These two local fighters are quickly distinguishing themselves as ones to watch,” said Hitz. “Frankie’s electrifying comeback has been really special for all who are witnessing it. On June 8th all four of these local fighters will put on a great show.”

Hitz will announce the rest of the card on Monday, May 13.

Since its debut in 1991, Hitz Boxing has been the Midwest’s leading boxing promoter. Led by Bobby Hitz, who boasted a 21-4 record with 18 KO’s as a boxer, Hitz Boxing is the longest running boxing promoter in the Chicago area dating back to the bi-monthly boxing series the “Ramada Rumble,” held at the former Rosemont Ramada Inn. The organization currently promotes the wildly popular “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN and is the subject of “Hitz Boxing,” a reality show airing on YouTube which has amassed over 3 million views. Over the years the organization has produced matches that have included some of the top names in boxing such as James Toney, Antonio Tarver, Montell Griffin, Iran Barkley, Andrew Golota and “Fast” Fres Oquendo. For more information visit hitzboxing.com

The $500 million Horseshoe Casino, a Caesars Entertainment Corporation property, just 20 minutes from downtown Chicago is the premier entertainment and gambling destination in Chicagoland. Where legendary gaming lives on, Horseshoe boasts more than 350,000 square feet with over 3,000 slot machines, over 100 table games, one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest, and more. The Venue at Horseshoe Casino is proud to offer the ultimate concert and entertainment destination and premier experience in a flexible space that can hold up to 3,300 guests. Dining elegance is not overlooked and guests can choose from a variety of dining options including; Jack Binion’s Steak House which overlooks Lake Michigan and winner of the 2009, 2010, 2011 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the May 2012 OpenTable Diners’ Choice award, around-the-globe variety at the Village Square Buffet, and a taste of Chicago at Benny’s Pub and Eatery.

For more information, please visit: www.chicagohorseshoe.com.

Must be 21 years or older to gamble or attend events at The Venue. Know When To Stop Before You Start® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-9WITH-IT © 2012 Caesars License Company, LLC.

WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler will get the most competitive sparring of his career prior to his May 25 showdown with IBF Champion Carl Froch. The Viking Warrior will train with no less than three unbeaten youngsters in his Copenhagen gym this week: WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12 KOs), WBO #1 super middleweight contender George Groves (18-0, 14 KOs) and WBC Youth Light Heavyweight Champion Erik Skoglund (16-0, 9 KOs). Together, they have amassed a perfect record of 60 wins, zero losses and 35 KOs. Kessler´s KO record also stands at 35, along with 46 wins and just two defeats. “It´s great to have them in Copenhagen,” Kessler said. “This is the best preparation I could have asked for. To have three guys like that – a world champion, a youth world champion and a top-ranked contender – is probably as good as it gets in terms of sparring. They are young, hungry and unbeaten and they will push me to the limit. That´s exactly the kind of warm-up I need to beat Carl Froch again.”

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: “Mikkel is the kind of fighter who always wants to test himself against the very best, no matter whether it´s training or the actual fight. Cleverly, Groves and Skoglund – the fact that he wants to get it on with them in training really shows you what the Viking Warrior is all about. When push comes to shove on May 25, the fighter with the better preparation will prevail, and that´s just another reason why Mikkel will leave the ring victorious.”

New York, NY / Monaco / Johannesburg (May 7) – The bill for the “Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super Four” final, a partnership between South Africa’s Golden Gloves and the Monte-Carlo SBM Group, was announced in Monaco this morning.

The tournament takes place at the glittering Salle des Etoiles on the Monte Carlo beachfront on July 13.

Highly-rated Edwin Rodriguez (23-0, 15 KOs) of the US and Denis Grachev (13-1-1, 8 KOs) of Russia will meet in the “Super Four” final for a US $1-million purse, to be split 60/40.

Truly coming of age, the 28-year-old Rodriguez returns after a sensational 10-round unanimous decision over world ranked contender Ezequiel Maderna on March 30 in the opening round of the “Super Four” tournament.

With recent wins in the United States over other highly regarded contenders Donovan George, Will Rosinsky and Jason Escalera, Rodriguez, a native of the Dominican Republic, now living in Worcester, Massachusetts, is looking to use the battle against Grachev towards his first world title opportunity.

Although much less experienced as a professional, the 30-year-old Grachev looked very impressive in his 10-round decision win over former world champion Zsolt Erdei in the first round of the “Super Four” tournament.

Prior to the Erdei bout, Grachev had earned a wealth of world-class experience, challenging former world champion Lucian Bute on November 3, 2012. Despite losing a very close 12-round decision, the Russian born, San Diego, California native proved that he belonged against top competition.

Co-headlining this international event will be a world championship fight between WBA and IBO light-welterweight holder Khalid Allakhverdiev (18-0, 8 KOs) and former champion Suleymane M’Baye (40-4-1, 22 KOs).

Known as “The Hawk”, the Russian born Allakhverdiev won the WBA title in his most recent bout, an eight round technical decision over former world champion Joan Guzman on November 30, 2012 in Sunrise, Florida.

Dropping Guzman in the third round, Allakhverdiev was declared the winner on the scorecards after Guzman injured his knee in the eighth round. The 30-year-old also holds wins over former world champion Nate Campbell and former world title challenger Kaizer Mabuza.

Known as “The Sensation”, M’Baye returns to the ring following his second round knockout of Laszlo Haaz on March 21, 2013 in Budapest, Hungary.

Among the notable names on the former world champion’s ledger over his 15-year career are Vivian Harris, Andriy Kotelnik (twice), Gavin Rees, Herman Ngoudjo and Antonin Decarie.

On the undercard, highly-rated European middleweight champion Max Bursak (26-1-1, 12 KOs) will defend his crown against the UK’s Prince Arron (23-4-1, 5 KOs), while big punchers Ilunga “Junior” Makabu (13-1, 13 KOs) and undefeated Dmytro Kucher (21-0, 15 KOs) will fight for Kucher’s WBC International cruiserweight belt.

“The opportunity of staging this mammoth event in Monaco is a great honour, and my deepest thanks and appreciation go to Monte-Carlo SBM and its management team for their support and encouragement,” said Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves.

“The Super Four final speaks for itself, with both fighters in the mix for world title honours. It pits two fighters with very different styles, but similar ambitions.

“I’m also excited with the championship fight between Allakhverdiev and Mbaye: the veteran against the young lion. The rest of the card features tremendous talent and I’m looking forward to the second leg of this great event, particularly after the success of the first, in March.”

Information & Booking
Tickets available from 200 euros
Sales from May 13th, 2013

Monte-Carlo S.B.M.
Tel: (377) 98 06 36 36 (10 am – 7 pm, 7/7)
Email: ticketoffice@sbm.mc

Accreditation & Information:
Monte-Carlo SBM Press Department
Guillaume Jahan de Lestang
Tel: +377 98 06 64 12
Email: g.jahandelestang@sbm.mc

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com reports that Manny Pacquiao will be back in the ring on November 24th when he takes on former Lightweight champion Brandon Rios in Macau, China.

“People know what Rios brings to the table,” said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. “People want to see a real fight, and that is what you get with Rios. We’re building a business in Macau and China and these are the kinds of fights — real action fights — that they want to see.”

“I think it’s a good match. People who watch boxing have differing views of the sport,” Arum said. “Some like to see an artistic performance like Floyd Mayweather gave [against Robert Guerrero on Saturday night] and other people like to see two guys knocking the s— out of each other. Me, I love a match when the guys go after each other and throw bombs. That’s my preference. It doesn’t mean it’s the right preference, but this is one of those kinds of fights.”

“The two fights with Alvarado were both very close fights and either guy could have won either fight,” said Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz. “We looked at styles and Rios has the better style for Manny. He’ll come forward and throw a lot of punches. Whether it goes five rounds or 12 rounds, it is going to be entertaining for the fans, and that is what Manny wants. Rios was Manny’s choice after Marquez and [Timothy] Bradley turned it down.”

“Manny is definitely going to get his mojo back with this fight,” said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach told ESPN.com. “Brandon Rios likes to fight in the pocket and exchange, and Manny is very good in the pocket, too. I think it’ll be an exciting fight but that Manny is going to land in the pocket at some point and knock this guy out somewhere along the way. Rios likes to exchange and his style is not really difficult to figure out, so Manny’s gonna hit him.”

“After Marquez and Bradley turned down our offers, Rios was next in line and he took the fight,” Koncz said. “Manny is happy to get back in the ring, so he’s looking forward to this, but right now his major focus is on politics.

Said Arum, “Bradley and Marquez preferred to fight each other and they didn’t really want to go to Asia. The only one that benefits from the fight being outside the U.S. is Pacquiao because an American like Bradley still has to pay taxes in the U.S., and for Marquez [he] still has to pay taxes in Mexico, where the rate is about the same as in the U.S. For Pacquiao, it’s a big deal because the tax rates in the Philippines are much lower.”

“What’s gonna happen with this fight and event will be monumental from the standpoint of economics in boxing,” Arum said. “We have a whole program of how to market pay-per-view in China, and we’re gonna go on a barnstorming tour of China. In the United States, we market essentially only through cable and satellite systems, but in China, where they have about 1.4 billion people, it’s all on the Internet, on iPhones, iPads and computers. If this thing works like we expect that it will, the boxing business will never be the same.”

PHOENIX — May 6, 2013 — Iron Boy Promotions is excited to present Iron Boy 7, and continue its commitment to high quality boxing shows that showcase the best of Arizona’s boxing talent.

On May 17th, at Celebrity Theatre, attendees will once again witness the best that Arizona’s professional and amateur ranks have to offer. In the main event bout, Chris Lopez (6-1, 2KO), whose war with Rocco Espinoza on Iron Boy 6 was described by some media as “the best fight I’d ever seen live,” will take on Mexico’s Pablo Batres (4-5-1, 0KO) in a six-round contest. Lopez, who is steadily earning a reputation as a warrior inside the ring, will undoubtedly have the crowd on its feet once again.

In the co-main event, valley favorite Juan Garcia (17-3, 6KO) takes on New Mexico’s Jeremiah Torres (8-21, 1KO). Exciting Sacramento prospect Guy Robb will be fighting in a featured bout.

Also on the card, Francisco “Panchito” C. de Vaca will be making his much-anticipated professional debut. De Vaca has won several local and national tournaments, and boasts a large fan base in the valley. Dedicated to fighting breast cancer, de Vaca will be wearing his signature “Real Men Wear Pink” attire for fight night. He will also be donating his first professional first to a charity dedicated to fighting breast cancer, and Iron Boy Promotions will match his contribution. Valley prospects Carlos Castro, Alexis Santiago and Fernando Samaniego round out the professional bouts.

In amateur action, David Benavidez, younger brother of highly touted Top Rank prospect Jose Benavidez, Jr., as well as female fighters Sulem Urbina and Ariel Arismendez return to the ring to showcase the future of Arizona Boxing.

Said Robert Vargas, President of Iron Boy Promotions of the event, “Our core audience is growing, as boxing fans share with their friends and families how exciting and high quality our shows are. These Arizona fighters, who work day-in and day-out toward their goals, are each growing a following and we’re excited to be part of that.”

Tickets for the event may be purchased at www.iron-boy.com or at the Celebrity Theatre box office. Doors open at 5 p.m. on May 17th, and fights start at 6 p.m.

#######

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

Las Vegas May 5, 2013 Micah Miller’s knee heard ‘round the world solidified him as an immediate lightweight contender and put the perfect punctuation mark on an incredible night of fights at Rocktagon XXVI “Veni, Vidi, Vici.”

On Saturday night, Miller made his Rocktagon debut at The Agora in Cleveland, Ohio against Tyler Combs.

It wasn’t any secret that Combs faced an uphill battle heading into the main event bout. Miller, a former WEC fighter, came into the fight with a wealth of experience competing against the best fighters in the world.

His edge in experience showed early on in the fight in avoiding wild standup exchanges.

Combs is a dangerous brawler who tends to drop his hands and come forward in hopes of baiting opponents into unnecessary exchanges. He did everything he could to unravel Miller’s methodical approach and get him to open up.

Miller stuck to a solid game plan of utilizing his reach to pick Combs apart from afar and seek takedowns whenever the distance closed. On the ground, he easily transitioned to mount on several occasions and went to work with short strikes and submission attempts.

Combs proved why he is touted as “MMA’s Rocky” by fighting through some dire situations both on the feet and ground.

Unfortunately, it all came crumbling down when he ate a huge knee that sent him crashing to the canvas for the TKO stoppage 45-seconds into the third round.

After the fight, Miller admitted he was taking his time and waiting for the right opportunity to go for the finish:

“I wanted to disguise my power. In the third, I threw everything I could and caught him off guard…He was really tough.”

In the co-main event, Andrew Cseh really did look like an animal in submitting undefeated Greg Jackson student Jordan Espinosa.

Cseh refused to abandon his wrestling after a few early failed takedown attempts. His persistence eventually paid off as he finally secured a takedown and immediately transitioned to Espinosa’s back during a scramble.

From back, Cseh worked really hard to lock in a rear naked choke, but Espinosa’s defense was solid. Things eventually went his way when he went palm to palm with the choke and forced the tap at 3:39 of the first round.

It has been an impressive turnaround for Cseh, who has bounced back from a three-fight losing streak with three consecutive wins. After the fight, he credited Team Ascension for his success in ousting one of the best prospects in the country:

“Credit goes to my team, Team Ascension. Best BJJ on the planet.”

Micah Bender opened up the pro action with a quick first round submission victory over Darryl Madison.

It marked his first fight back after nearly a year hiatus. He certainly didn’t show any signs of cage rust on Saturday night as he secured an early takedown and began teeing off with strikes from top position. Madison had no choice but to give up his back to avoid further damage, which setup Bender’s rear naked choke submission at 1:49 of the first round.

In his post-fight interview, Bender said his game plan was based on putting Madison in a position he felt least comfortable:

“Put a lion in the ocean, and he’s just another piece of prey.”

In other bouts, James Pfeiffer wrestled his way to a unanimous decision over Daniel Coffman; Brandon Vasquez earned a unanimous but close decision over Steve Chapple; Uriah Karkow locked Matthew Zindren in a kimura for a verbal submission at 2:33 of the second round; Tobiaus Taylor knocked out Orundi Colvin at 2:03 of the second round; Nicholas Rodriguez transitioned from an armbar to a triangle choke for the tap at 2:12 of the second round in his bout with Billy Freedson and Tim Taumoepeau took a unanimous decision over John Macgregor.

Rocktagon XXVI featured live music by American Wi-Fi and a guest appearance by Anthony “The Recipe” Lapsley, who will be featured in Rocktagon XXVII’s main event. UFC star Cole Miller was also in attendance cornering his younger brother, Micah.

The Rocktagon MMA “Journey of Champions” Pro-Am National Tour will continue on June 8 at Rocktagon XXVII “Way of the Warrior” at the Crane Bay Event Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Founded in mid-2010, Rocktagon MMA has successfully completed 26 events on two coasts and is the only promotion able to offer four types of shows to meet the needs of various markets: all amateur, all professional, Pro-Am, and Rock-n-Rage. Rock-n-Rages are premium events combining the cage of mixed martial arts with the stage featuring live musical performances by well-known artists.

To find out more about Rocktagon MMA, go to www.RocktagonWorldwide.com or text MMA to 36000. Fans may also follow Rocktagon MMA on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

There is definitely no love lost. Britain´s Ola Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KOs) did
say he would hug and shake hands with his opponent Marco Huck (35-2-1, 25
KOs) after their WBO Title Fight on June 8 at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in
Berlin, Germany ? but the attending members of the press were not really
convinced after the pair´s previous war of words during Monday?s press
conference.

Before Afolabi started his attempt to calm things down, current WBO
Cruiserweight Champion Marco ?Captain? Huck and the Interims Titlist were
involved in a heated exchange of words. The first one to trade verbal blows
was the 28-year-old German. ?Afolabi is starting to get on my nerves. I beat
him in December 2009. After I fought Alexander Povetkin for the WBA
Heavyweight Crown, it was difficult for me to find the right motivation for
my rematch with Afolabi in May last year. However, I believe that I actually
won that bout, even though it was scored as a majority draw. That won?t
happen again. I will win in my own backyard. We won?t be playing cat and
mouse anymore. This will be a war ? I won?t be holding back.?

That was the cue for Afolabi to start his own rant. ?Huck shouldn?t be able
to call himself world champion anymore. In my opinion, he lost on three
previous occasions. He lost against Lebedev, he lost against me and also
against Arslan. He should only be able to call himself German Champion or
Champion of Berlin,? said the 33-year-old. The Brit stated that he is
planning to humiliate Huck in front of his own fans. ?I would be ready to
take him on this weekend.? Then Afolabi directed his next words directly
towards Huck. ?Everybody knows that I have always been a good technician,
but now my fitness level is also excellent. I will seriously hurt you come
June 8. You will need a wheelchair after the fight,? said the Los Angeles
based cruiserweight.

It is obvious that there is a lot of tension in the air, also partially due
to the duel between the two most popular and respected coaches of German
boxing. Once again Ulli Wegner (Huck´s coach) and Fritz Sdunek (works with
Afolabi) will stand in opposite corners.

Tickets for the big fight night at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin Germany
on June 8 are available at www.eventim.de and www.boxen.com.

NEW YORK: (May 6, 2013) Long Island fan favorite and perrienal contender Vinny Maddalone is in final preparations for his scheduled ten round heavyweight clash on SATURDAY, May 11 against undefeated prospect Richard Carmack of Kansas City, Missouri in the main event of “ROCKIN FIGHTS 8” at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.

Presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, advance tickets for “ROCKIN FIGHTS 8”, priced at $50, $100, $150 and $200 are now on sale through Ticketmaster, (www.Ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000) or through The Paramount Box Office, (631) 673-7300 in addition to the Star Boxing Office, (718) 823-2000 or on their website, www.StarBoxing.com.

“This is a terrific opportunity for me, while I haven’t fought at The Paramount yet, the Star Boxing events there are always sold out and it’s a great atmosphere to fight in” said Maddalone. “It’s only 25 minutes from my house and I’m expecting a great deal of support” said the Queens native.

Following an extensive workout days before the fight, Maddalone spoke about the Carmack showdown and the state of the heavyweight division.

“The heavyweight division has had a great deal of focus on it right night. There are numerous fighters making names for themselves, Tyson Fury, David Price and Tony Thompson among them. I look at Pianeta who is fighting Wladimir Klitschko and I think why can’t that be me.”

“I’ve seen some tapes of Carmack, he’s a big kid, but he also has pretty good hand speed and solid skills, he’s not going to stand right in front of me. It’s a big opportunity but I’m more than ready, I’ve trained nine weeks for this fight” continued Maddalone, who since 1999 has used the Theme From Rocky as his walk in music.

Said DeGuardia; “Vinny is always an exciting fighter to watch. With him fighting an undefeated heavyweight, and with this fight taking place at the Paramount, it should be even more exciting to watch. Be sure to join us for another great night at The Paramount in Huntington.”

“ROCKIN FIGHTS 8” is co-headlined by a sensational eight round light heavyweight bout between undefeated prospect Yathomas Riley and Buffalo based veteran Lionell Thompson.

Featured on the undercard are local prospects Alan Gotay and Anthony Karperis in separate bouts along with pro debuting Dave Meloni of Westbury, New York.

The Paramount is located at 370 New York Avenue, Huntington, New York, 11743. For directions and more information, please visit their website at www.paramountny.com

Doors on the evening of the event will open at 7PM with the first bell at 8PM.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT:

Opened September 30, 2011 this 1,555 capacity live entertainment venue located in downtown Huntington, Long Island, features concerts, boxing, comedy, community and other special events. Booked by Live Nation, the Paramount has hosted over 150 events in its first year of operation and quickly established itself as the premier music venue on Long Island. Some recent acts to take the stage include Pitbull, Taking Back Sunday, The Pixies, Elvis Costello, Warren Haynes, Willie Nelson, Brand New, Goo Goo Dolls, Primus, Marilyn Manson, Korn, The Wanted, The Script, Panic! At the Disco and many, more.

ABOUT THE FOX HOLLOW

Nestled upon 8 private acres of Long Island’s north shore is the Fox Hollow which features a state of the art event venue, fine dining restaurant and an all-suite luxury boutique hotel. Owned & operated by the Scotto Brothers, their Above & Beyond philosophy in providing each & every guest with superior services and amenities is paramount. Visit the Fox Hollow online at www.TheFoxHollow.com & www.TheInnAtFoxHollow.com

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (May 6, 2013) – The true “Queen of Boxing,” 14-time world champion Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm, may be hanging-up her gloves Saturday night but she’s only switching from a ring to a cage as she pursues her very promising mixed-martial-arts career.

Holm (32-2-3, 9 KOs) will defend her International Boxing Association (IBA) and World Boxing Federation (WBF) junior lightweight titles against former NABC World lightweight title-holder “Merciless” Mary McGee (20-1, 11 KOs) in the 10-round main event headlining the “Mayhem” card, presented by Fresquez Productions, at Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque.

Rather than announce her retirement from boxing right after Saturday’s fight, Holm went public several weeks ago, in order to let her boxing fans realize that this would be their last opportunity to watch her box. It certainly would have been easier and less stressful to wait, but the New Mexico sports icon has always appreciated her fans to the maximum. Plus, she’s still going to be fighting, only in a different combat sport.

“I am dealing with some pressure being in my final time in boxing,” she explained, “and knowing that I’ll be in MMA. So, I’m focusing on this last fight and feeling some pressure, but there’s always some pressure in a fight. I want to end things on a good night. I didn’t want to just cruise through my last fight in boxing. This isn’t bad pressure. I did want to let people know and there will be a lot of people there Saturday night who may not have been if I hadn’t made my announcement.”

Holm nearly retired two years ago but, at that time, she wasn’t quite ready to make the fulltime switch to MMA. Her plan was to first fight and defeat European starts, Ann Sophie Mathis and Cecelia Breakhus.

“This has been a long time coming,” Holm noted. “I talked with my coach (Mike Winkeljohn) about leaving boxing for MMA back in 2011. I told friends how much I really enjoyed MMA. In a perfect world, I would have but I still wanted to fight Ann Sophie and Cecelia. Then, I could focus 100-percent on MMA. I’ve always been excited about MMA. Plans changed, though, when I lost to Ann Sophie. I knew I had to have a rematch (Holm won by decision). I started enjoying MMA training even more but thought I’d be fighting Cecelia in April, and then would focus on MMA. That fight didn’t go through and when she chose to fight Mia (St. John), I jumped at an MMA fight in February. I really enjoyed it. The fight with Cecelia didn’t happen and here we are. I always told myself I’d stop boxing if my passion wasn’t there 100-percent. I found myself getting less motivated in the gym to box, more motivated by MMA.”

Holm met every challenge during her 11+ year boxing career, finally exhausting all of her options, in terms of fighting world-class opponents. She has an incredible 21-1-1 record in world title fights (212 of her career 275 rounds fought have been in world championships), and 14-1-1 against other world champions, defeating a virtual Who’s Who list of woman boxers from the 140 through 154-pound weight classes, including Mathis, Christy Martin, Mary Jo Sanders, St. John, Jane Couch, Duda Yankovich and Chevelle Hallback (twice).

Her promoter, Lenny Fresquez, negotiated with Braekhus’ promoter, Sauerland Boxing, for two years but the final straw for Holm was the announcement that Braekhus would instead be fighting 45-year-old St. John, which came one day after the World Boxing Council mandated a mandatory title fight between WBC champion Braekhus and No. 1 contender Holm.

Like most elite athletes, seeking a new challenge was paramount in her decision to leave boxing for MMA, in which she is undefeated in three fights with three knockouts. Now, her ultimate challenge is to develop into a world-class MMA fighter, one worthy of challenging UFC champion and MMA superstar, Ronda Rousey. “A new challenge was a big part of it,” Holly explained what thinking went into her decision. “She (Rousey) has opened doors for women in MMA. She’s the one to beat and she’s in my weight class, but I’m not ready to fight her tomorrow. I have MMA strengths but I need to build on my weaknesses. She’s world champion now and but that next girl may take her out (before Holm fights Rousey). I do think she’ll be champ for a long time….but you never know.

“I’m also going to turn 32 soon and, if I’m going to make it in MMA, I need to start now. I don’t know where I’ll be in a year, two years, or five years. I’m also married now and someday I want to start a family. Maybe not now but that was another consideration (to now go into MMA fulltime).”

Her fight with McGee had been signed prior to Holm making her decision to leave boxing. She will bring the same class and dignity into the ring against McGee that she has for her previous 37 professional fights.

“I had told my dad, ma, coach and friends what an honor it would be for me to be able to be in the ring with Mary McGee for my last fight,” Holm concluded. “She’s not only a great champion, but a good person, a tremendous person, both in and out of the ring. This fight was scheduled before my (retirement from boxing) decision and that was it. I’m glad to be sharing the ring with her. She’s accomplished a lot and stayed humble. I’m very happy.”

Also fighting on “Mayhem” is a group of New Mexico’s most promising prospects. Albuquerque lightweight Matthew Baca (2-1, 2 KO’s) takes on Armando Gonzales (2-2, 1 KO) in a six-round bout. On the undercard in four rounds matches are welterweight Rocky “El Torito” Romero (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. 11-fight veteran Michael Coca Gallegos, light middleweight Cris Leyva (1-0) vs. Manuel Eastman (1-3), lightweights making their professional debuts, Gabe Gabaldon vs. Brandon Salazar, and cruiserweights making their pro debuts, Manny Rocha vs. Floyd Olguin, Jr. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, ranging between $25.00 and $200.00, are on sale and available to purchase at the Route 66 box office, going online to www.rt66casino.com, or calling 505.884.7484.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. MT, first bout scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. MT.

Go on line to www.FresquezProductions.com or www.rt66casino.com for more information about “Mayhem.”

QUEENS, NY (May 4, 2013)—TONIGHT!!! at the Resorts World Casino in Queens, New Legend Boxing, Old World Boxing and W.O.N Promotions presents an eight bout that will be headlined by undefeated Bantamweight Juan Dominguez takes on Manuel de los Reyes Herrera in the ten round main event.

DOORS OPEN AT 5PM—1ST BOUT IS AT 6PM

After the eight bout card is complete, fans will be able to watch the Floyd Mayweather – Robert Guerrero fight on six large screens that will be erected throughout the fight venue.

The exciting eight round co-feature will pit undefeated Jr. Middleweight Frank Galarza (9-0-1, 5 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY battling Jason Thompson of New York.

Galarza has become one of the most popular prospects on the east coast. That was evident in his last outing where he had a loud cheering section when he stopped Guillermo Ibarra on March 9th at the Barclays Center as part of the Bernard Hopkins – Tavoris Cloud undercard.

“I am feeling pretty and ready”, said Galarza.

Despite sporting a record of 5-6-2 with four knockouts, Galarza knows that Thompson is no easy customer.

“Jason Thompson is tough. He seems to have power so I know I need to be cautious of that”

Galarza knows that his handlers and fan base will help him as he moves forward.

“I know I have support behind me. After I get past Thompson, I will keep moving forward and hopefully get on some more big cards. My promoters New Legend Boxing, Old World Boxing and Old World Boxing plus my manager A.J. Galante have a good plan and that’s to stay busy”

Galante who also manages former world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez sees a similar course for Galarza.

“This fight is a great fight for Frank. He is building a fan base”, said Galante

“Frank has been up here in Danbury, Connecticut sparring with Delvin and they share a trainer in former Heavyweight contender Fernely Feliz”

Galante expects a solid learning experience for Galarza.

“Thompson has been around and it’s good to get in with a tough veteran. Frank looks great and he is just scratching the surface. We expect a decisive win and move forward. Frank will be active and we have a good team assembled”

Besides the two co-features, six other big bouts will be on the card:

Joe Smith Jr. (11-1, 11 KO’s) of Long Island takes on Hamid Abdul-Mateen (3-3-2) of Brooklyn in an eight round Light Heavyweight bout.

In a six round Super Featherweight bout, Angel Cruz (5-1, 2 KO’s) of Brooklyn battles Ray Velez (2-3, 1 KO) of Troy, NY

Bryant Cruz (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Port Chester, NY fights Michael Doyle (1-1) of Prichar, AL in a four round Super Featherweight bout

Allan Phelan (1-2, 1 KO) of New York via Ireland will box Jimmy Small (0-3) of Cincinnati, OH in a four round Featherweight bout

In a four round Super Bantamweight bout, Ryan Ramaya (1-0, 1 KO) of Queens, NY takes on Jonathan Gonzalez (0-2) of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico

Rounding out the card will see Shawn Cameron (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn taking on Gustavo Medina (1-3) of Eloy, AZ in a four round Middleweight bout

*Following the show, fight fans will be treated to the Mayweather vs. Guerrero fight live on SHOWTIME, scheduled to be broadcast on six big screen televisions.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Floyd Mayweather will earn a minimum of $32 million for his fight tonight against Robert Guerrero in Las Vegas.

That was the number submitted on his contract that was filed with the Nevada commission.

“I think when you see a total like that it speaks for itself,” Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, whose company will pay Mayweather, told ESPN.com. “He has established clearly that level of $32 million as a guarantee and remember: He will make much more after everything is counted because he keeps 90 percent of the profit from the event. The $32 million is just the contract minimum. The bulk of everything else goes to him.”

“It speaks to his popularity. He generates that money,” Schaefer said. “Love him or hate him, they watch him. I’m very happy for him. He deserves it.”

“It’s just a great feeling to know that he is the highest-paid athlete in the world,” said Leonard Ellerbe, a Mayweather adviser and the CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “With Floyd being the highest-paid athlete in the sport, he can just continue to bring awareness to boxing and help make it a mainstream sport once again. That’s a lot of money. It’s truly a blessing.

“He was highest-paid athlete last year and guess where he’ll be again this year?

Errol Spence Jr. scored a first round stoppage over Brandon Hoskins in scheduled six round Super Welterweight bout.

Spence dropped Hoskins twice and the fight was waved off after the second knockdown which came from a body shot at 2:35

Spence, 150 lbs of Dallas, TX is 5-0 with four knockouts. Hoskins, 149 lbs of Hannibal.MO is 16-5-1.

Joseph Diaz scored a third round stoppage over Joseph Gotay in a scheduled four round Super Bantamweight bout.

Diaz dropped Gotay in round three from a hard left and the fight was stopped t 2:13.

Diaz, 123 lbs of South El Monte, CA is now 4-0 with 2 knockouts. Gotay, 121 1/2 lbs of Caimito, CA is now 3-2.

Juan Dominguez 122 vs Manuel Herrera 123
Joe Smith 176 vs Hamid Abdul-Mateen 174
Frank Galarza 154 vs. Jason Thompson 149
Angel Garcia 138 vs Ray Velez 138
Allan Phelan 128 vs Jimmy Small 130
Ryan Ramayya 123 vs Daniel Hernandez 124
Bryant Cruz 130 vs. Michael Doyle 128 1/2
Shawn Cameron 159 vs Gustavo Medina 160

Venue: Resorts World Casino
Promoters: New Legend Boxing, Old World Boxing and W.O.N Promotions
1st bout 7:30 pm est (Mayweather – Guerrero will be shown on 6 large screens following the fight)

In previewing this Saturday’s big fight in Las Vegas, please mention World Heavyweight Champion WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO (59-3, 51 KOs), of Ukraine, in his 2013 debut, will be making title defense No. 14 in his current seven-year reign as heavyweight kingpin, against undefeated Top-10 contender and cancer survivor Francesco Pianeta (28-0-1, 15 KOs), of Italy. “Dr. Steelhammer” will also be going for his landmark 60th professional victory.

The fight will take place this Saturday and will be televised live from SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany to the U.S. exclusively on EPIX, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT. It will also be streamed live on EpixHD.com at the same time, and will include a free two-week trial for fans.

Attached, please find photos from today’s weigh-in. Klitschko weighed 249 lbs and Pianeta weighed 240 lbs. Photo Credit: K2 Promotions and KMG

LAS VEGAS (May 3, 2013) – The six fighters who will compete on the pay-per-view undercard portion of “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” this Saturday, May 4 on SHOWTIME PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. participated in their final press conference on Thursday in front of a packed media center at MGM Grand.

Undefeated Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather (43-0, 26 KO’s), of Grand Rapids, Mich., defends his WBC Welterweight World Championship against Six-Time and Four-Division Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s), of Gilroy, Calif., in a 12-round bout that will also be for the vacant RING Magazine World Championship in the eagerly awaited main event.

On a stacked undercard preceding Mayweather vs. Guerrero on pay-per-view, Daniel “Ponce” De Leon (44-4, 35 KO’s), of Cuauhtemoc, Mex., risks his WBC World Featherweight World Championship against Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Mexico; Leo Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KO’s), of Los Angeles, opposes Alexander Munoz (36-4, 28 KOs), of Caracas, Ven., in a 10-round bout for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship; and J’Leon Love (15-0, 8 KOs), of Las Vegas, faces Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, in a 10-round fight for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

See below what the fighters and executives said Thursday:

PONCE DE LEON, WBC Featherweight Champion

“First of all I want to thank God, Frank Espinoza, my manager, Golden Boy, Mayweather Promotions, MGM, SHOWTIME, my team and everyone involved for making this fight possible.

“This is going to be a great fight. I’m very prepared. I’ve fought many times at MGM. Everyone wants to see a battle and that’s what I’m ready for. Don’t miss it.”

ABNER MARES

“I want to thank Golden Boy, Mayweather Promotions and SHOWTIME. My last five or six fights have been on SHOWTIME. People know me because of SHOWTIME. What can I tell you; this fight alone is a main event so, really, you have two main events on one card. It’s going to be a tremendous fight.

“I want to thank Ponce for this opportunity. You guys know me. I’m ready. I’ll fight anyone as long as we give fans a good fight, I’m with it.

“I’ve dedicated this fight to my dad, who suffered a stroke a month ago.

“I’ve trained hard and I’m ready. I actually added something to my training; I call it Mexican judo: ‘ju’ don’t know if I’m going to box and ‘ju’ don’t know if I’m going slug, but ‘ju’ know I’m going to win.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ

“First of all I want to give thanks to Golden Boy, Richard (Schaefer), Mayweather Promotions and especially Al Haymon, my manager. Ever since I signed with him, everything changed for me. He has helped me a lot and is always there for me.

“Thanks to him, I was able to get my mom her first house. I owe it all to him and I’m going to repay him by giving him my best. I’m going to show the world who Leo Santa Cruz is.

“I’m very excited to be on this undercard. I know Munoz is an extremely strong fighter who comes forward. I’ve trained hard and worked hard. It’s going to be a war and I’m going to try and finish him before the 10th round.”

ALEXANDER MUNOZ

“I’d like to thank all of you for being here. They’ve put together a very good fight. We know Santa Cruz is tough. I’m prepared for this and I want to make all the fans in Venezuela proud.

“I’m excited about this fight and this opportunity.”

J’LEON LOVE

“I want to thank everyone involved for this opportunity…Al Haymon, my fight team and Mayweather Promotions. This will be a good fight. We have much love for Team Rosado. There is no bad blood.

“Both of us have a lot to prove. He came up a little short in his last fight, but he’s a tough guy. A lot of people are also saying this is a big step up for me, but I’m a fighter and this is what I do.

“It’s going to be a very good fight. We’re going to both put it on the line, but I will be victorious.”

GABRIEL ROSADO

“I want to thank God, Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions for making this fight happen. I’m excited for this opportunity. I fell a little short in my shot at a world title, but I got a taste of the big stage.

“I don’t think he has the experience I have and I’m hungry and determined. I had a great camp and I’m prepared to leave it all in the ring.

“I expect to have a lot of Philadelphia fans on hand here. I can’t wait to open the show and give the fans a great fight.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“On behalf of Mayweather Promotions, we would like to thank you all for coming out. We have a great main event and a great undercard. Ponce De Leon-Mares is a main event in itself. We have what fans want to see…a strong lineup of fights.

“In the first fight on pay-per-view we have two guys who will put it all on the line. J’Leon Love told me he wanted this fight, that he wanted to fight Rosado and then asked if I could go out and make it. I said ‘sure.’ Personally, I think this is a tremendous fight to open the show.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“What’s better on Cinco de Mayo weekend than ‘MAY DAY?’ This is the week for boxing. Mayweather is back with a vengeance, facing a very difficult, tough, young, hungry Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. The main event is a highlight but the undercard is just as important.

“Match Mares against Ponce and you’ve got a real fight, a war. Mares is a smart guy, intelligent with great boxing skills and a big heart who goes forward with a passion. He’s fighting a guy, Ponce, the champion, who is known for his punching power and is ready for the fight of his life. Neither guy wants to hear this, but I can see a trilogy.

“We have a tremendous fight with Leo Santa Cruz, who when we think of him, we instantly think about action, excitement and fighting with passion against Munoz, who a lot of people don’t know, but who’s here to win. I’m really looking forward to this one. There’ll be guaranteed action and fireworks.

“In my eyes, the first fight on pay-per-view is another interesting match, one you don’t want to miss, between Love and Rosado. Both have an opportunity to seize. It’s there for both of them.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“When we, Richard, Oscar, Floyd, Al and Leonard, first started talking about this event, we immediately came to the conclusion that a world-class main event deserved a world-class undercard, and that’s what we put together. These aren’t filler fights. These aren’t no-name fighters. These are ‘name’ fighters in tough, meaningful fights. Top to bottom, this is the highest-quality undercard for any event I can remember.

“I’m extremely excited and extremely proud to be involved with these three fights. I’m especially proud because several of the fighters have been groomed and developed on SHOWTIME. J’Leon Love was featured twice on SHOWTIME EXTREME, Leo Santa Cruz actually hit the trifecta last year: he fought on SHOWTIME EXTREME, SHOWTIME and CBS and Abner Mares has fought on SHOWTIME his whole career and is a staple of the network.

“The weigh-in on Friday will be televised live on CBS Sports Network and SHOWTIME. Also, for the first time in recent history there will be a live post-fight show, thanks to CBS Sports Network, on Saturday night. We are pulling out all the stops with the newest technology. There will be 16 cameras, the most ever used in the history of network.

“As you can tell, I’m very excited. See you on Saturday.”
# # #
ABOUT “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO”:
“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

LAS VEGAS, May 3 – Just a day away from the Saturday, May 4 showdown between Eight-Time and Five Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Six-Time and Four-Division Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, FOX Deportes will wrap up fight week with back-to-back classic fights and an “ALL ACCESS” look into the biggest event of 2013.

On Friday, May 3, the Classics will showcase memorable wins by both Mayweather and Guerrero. Guerrero’s battle against all-action warrior Michael Katsidis which took place on April 9, 2011 will open the telecast and Mayweather’s thrilling knockout over then undefeated British superstar Ricky Hatton, which took place in December 8, 2007. The Classics telecast will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.

Finally, on fight day, Saturday, May 4, all four episodes of SHOWTIME’s critically acclaimed documentary series ALL ACCESS will be aired in succession beginning at7:00pm ET/4:00 p.m. PT, leading fight fans right into the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” live event which will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV.

# # #

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchaseby phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online atwww.ticketmaster.com.

For more information on Golden Boy Promotions, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com
or www.FOXDeportes.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing
or www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes visit us on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page or
www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (May 3, 2013) – World Series of Fighting announced today a new co-main event matchup between streaking, prolific welterweight (170 pounds) rising stars and fearsome submission aces Tyson “Man of” Steele (10-1) of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada and Steve Carl (19-3) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion’s highly-anticipated fight card at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Friday, June 14, live on NBC Sports Network, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

The announcement comes in the wake of the withdrawal of Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (1-0) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Suriname from his scheduled light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event matchup with Angel “The Dream” DeAnda (11-2) of Oakdale, Calif. due to Spong’s inability to return from the Netherlands to his Boca Raton-based MMA training camp Blackzilians in time to prepare adequately for his second-career MMA-rules bout.

Additionally, a lightweight (155 pounds) contest between grappling wizards Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm (21-2) of Spokane, Wash. and Jacob Volkmann (15-4) of White Bear Lake, Minn. has been added to the event’s preliminary card.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to replace the original co-main event with a matchup between two of MMA’s fastest rising stars who are both on course to become future champions,” said World Series of Fighting President and six-time world kickboxing champion Ray Sefo. “Losing Tyrone from this card is unfortunate, but our fighters need to prepare sufficiently to compete at this level, and we are certainly not going to take any shortcuts or try to rush a matchup if one or both fighters are not ready to compete. We will move forward and look forward to seeing Tyrone back in the World Series of Fighting cage very soon.”

A former oil industry laborer, the 26-year-old Steele, who is riding a four-fight win streak, found greater opportunity in the sport of MMA after discovering the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and hasn’t turned back since. On Nov. 3, he notched his greatest victory to date in his first start outside of Canada, a first round (4:52) TKO (knee and punches) of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gregor Gracie at the inaugural World Series of Fighting event in Las Vegas.

Thus far, 7 of Steele’s 10 professional career victories have come by way of submission and 2 of the other 3 have come by way of TKO.

The 28-year-old Carl is a U.S. Army veteran who, likewise, found his calling in life in the world’s fastest growing sport after taking up Army Combatives. Of his 19 professional career victories to date, 14 have come by way of submission.

Against Steele, Carl will put a five-fight winning streak on the line. He earned his latest victory at the World Series of Fighting event on Nov. 3, submitting Ramico Blackmon with a rear-naked choke in the first round (2:11) of their matchup.

The 34-year-old Beerbohm, a former meth addict who discovered MMA while watching television from a prison sofa, later became an inspiration, taking up MMA training the same day he was released from incarceration. After just two amateur fights in which he stopped both of his opponents, Beerbohm made his professional debut in 2007 and ran to 15 consecutive victories over the course of the next three years.

Beerbohm, whose nickname originated as a result of the colorful fight shorts that his mother sews for him, holds notable wins over the likes of former Muay Thai champion and KO artist Duane “Bang” Ludwig, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro and former PRIDE star Marcus Aurelio.

Volkmann is a 32-year-old, three-time NCAA Division I All-American and former Big 10 Conference wrestling champion for University of Minnesota. Since turning pro in 2007, he has earned 7 of his 15 career victories by way of submission.

Volkmann boasts wins over fellow stars Danny Castillo, Bobby Voelker, Ronys Torres and Antonio McKee.

Tickets for the World Series of Fighting event, priced from $29 (plus applicable service fees), are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

In the welterweight main event and long-awaited rematch, Jon Fitch (24-5) of Fort Wayne, Ind., will square off with fellow superstar Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman (25-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah.

The second meeting between the 35-year-old Fitch, a member of San Jose, Calif.-based Team AKA, and the 32-year-old Burkman, a winner of four consecutive fights, comes slightly more than seven years after Fitch submitted Burkman with a rear-naked choke in the second round (4:57) of their initial encounter that, coincidentally, also took place at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Also slated for battle on the four-bout TV card is heavyweight rising star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Rolles Gracie (8-1) of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, who will face off with Dave Huckaba (21-4) of Sacramento, Calif.

Undefeated prospect Justin Gaethje (8-0) of Denver, Colo. will collide with Brian Cobb (20-7) of Bakersfield, Calif., in a lightweight contest.

In preliminary card action, battle-tested submission specialist John Gunderson (34-14) of Houston, Tex. will be pitted against Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (16-4) of Bridgewater, Mass. in another lightweight tilt. All 16 of Lauzon’s professional career victories have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Fellow undefeated prospects Krasimir Mladenov (8-0) of Borica, Bulgaria and Kendrick Miree (5-0) of Atlanta, Ga., will square off at middleweight (185 pounds).

Additional preliminary card bouts will be announced soon.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open at 4:30 p.m. PT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, Nev., the fight capital of the world, World Series of Fighting 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 matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit www.MMAWSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About The Joint
The Joint is a 4,000-person capacity venue that serves as a sophisticated, intimate and unparalleled entertainment destination. The Joint features seven Luxury Suites, a VIP Studio Level, state-of-the-art sound system, superior video system and a production package tailor-made for artist comfort. It has received numerous accolades including “Best Concert Venue” in Las Vegas Review – Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” awards 2010 – 2012, “Best Music Venue” in 2012 Las Vegas Weekly Awards, “No. 1 Hottest Club in America” award by Billboard Magazine in 2011, “Best Live Music Venue in Las Vegas” by MetroWize.com in 2011, “Best New Major Concert Venue” at the 2010 Pollstar Awards, and “Best Live Music Venue” in AOL City’s Best 2010 awards. The Joint delivers unforgettable live music experiences with performances by both legendary and ground-breaking artists including Paul McCartney, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Arcade Fire, Avenged Sevenfold, Rise Against, Paramore, Muse, Drake and No Doubt. The venue created the successful concept of rock ‘n’ roll residencies with Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits, Mötley Crüe in Sin City, Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Democracy and Def Leppard VIVA Hysteria! as well as Tiësto In Concert, featuring the world’s No. 1 electronic DJ and producer Tiësto. For additional information, visit www.thejointlasvegas.comor call 702.693.5583 or 702.693.5000.

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.