LINCOLN, R.I. (April 8th, 2013) — John “Doomsday” Howard knows he could get that phone call any day now, making each fight bigger than the last.

A return to the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) seems inevitable for the Boston native, but nothing’s guaranteed, not even with the UFC returning to his hometown in August for the launch of the Fox Corporation’s all-sports network, FOX Sports 1, which means his upcoming fight on Friday night is another “must-win” bout as he continues his climb to the top of the middleweight division.

On Friday, April 12th, Howard (18-7, 7 KOs) will step back into the cage to face the dangerous Jason Louck (16-10, 7 KOs) of Davenport, Iowa, on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Path To Destruction” mixed martial arts show at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.

Louck is similar to Howard in that he presses the action; he won’t try to run and hide, which is exactly what “Doomsday” wants once the bell rings Friday night.

“This fight is perfect,” said Howard, who has won four consecutive bouts since the UFC released him in 2011. “He comes forward, and I come forward. He won’t back down.

“I love fighters who are like pit bulls; it makes for a better fight. I hate chasing guys around the cage. I want contact. I want to fight. I don’t back up a lot. If you hit me, I’ll hit you harder. If you don’t drop me, I’ll keep going.”

Another win Friday could earn Howard a spot on the UFC’s next show in Boston, but no matter where he goes from here, he’ll be wearing his CES colors; Howard and Burchfield joined forces shortly after the UFC cut Howard following his fourth consecutive loss in 2011. Since then, Howard has won his last four bouts and become CES’ reigning middleweight champion after beating Todd Chattelle in April of 2012. Friday will mark 364 days since Howard captured the belt.

“I’m hoping to get that phone call in the summertime, but, like I’ve always said, I want CES in my corner,” Howard said. “I’ve never had a big promotional company take care of me the way they have. That’s what I’ve been looking for my entire career. If I have them in my corner, I know my career is on the right path.”

Howard has made it clear he’s been in no rush to get back to the UFC. He’s been more focused on sharpening his skills to make sure his second run lasts much longer than the first. Just weeks after celebrating his 30th birthday, the timing appears to be perfect for another shot at the big stage; over the past year and a half, Howard has become a more complete fighter, which could benefit him inside the cage if and when he gets he call.

“I went back to the basics,” Howard said. “I went back to my Jiu-Jitsu and my Muay Thai and my wrestling. I got too knockout-happy in the UFC. The pressure can get to you. Once you make your presence felt, you try to keep up with that. You can’t fight everyone the same way or knock everyone out.

“I’m a true MMA fighter now.”

While Howard is aiming for his fifth consecutive win, Louck is looking to start a streak of his own; the 29-year-old Iowa native hasn’t won since August of 2011 and has lost three of his last four. He’s also in search of his first knockout win in five years, which will be a tall task against Howard, who hasn’t been stopped since 2010.

“Training is intense and exhausting, but that’s what makes great fights,” Louck said. “I’m honored to fight a great stand-up fighter with such power and explosive ground-and-pound as John Howard. I’m looking forward to the war!”

Physically and mentally, Howard is as ready as he’s ever been, not just for Friday’s opponent, but for the possibility of what his future might have in store.

“I feel like I could run a marathon,” he said. “If I do get that phone call, I want to be in shape just in case, but I know I can’t look at that now. I have to get over the hump on Friday first and this guy [Louck] is no slouch.”

The main event of “Path To Destruction” is a rematch between the Pawtucket, R.I., native Chattelle (11-8, 8 KOs) and Dennis Olson (12-7, 1 KO) of Amherst, N.H. The undercard features nine bouts, including Rhode Island natives Shaun Marmas (4-4, 1 KO) of Coventry and Providence’s Thomas Evans (2-1), who will face one another in a three-round featherweight bout.

The show-stopper might be the highly-anticipated featherweight bout between Lucas Cruz (6-0, 2 KOs) and Rob Font (5-1, 1 KO), two Boston natives who will battle for bragging rights, along with regional supremacy in the 145-pound division.

Also on the undercard, TriForce’s Keenan Raymond will debut against Northborough, Mass., lightweight Jay Bakanowski (1-1); Kody Norby (3-0) of Woonsocket, R.I., will put his unbeaten record on the line against flyweight Jimmy Grant (3-1) of Carlstadt, N.J.; and welterweight Toby Oden (1-0) of Milford, Mass., will return against Jersey City veteran Emmanuel Walo (2-1).

Fan-favorite Dinis Paiva Jr. (3-3, 1 KO) of East Providence, R.I., will also be back in action searching for his third consecutive win against Cambridge, Mass., native Kin Moy (2-0); and Massachusetts natives Matt Doherty (1-0, 1 KO) of Salem and Whitman’s Johnny Campbell (5-4, 3 KOs) will square off in a bantamweight bout. Unbeaten lightweight Nate Andrews (3-0, 1 KO) will face Asa Zorn (0-1) of Salem, Conn.

Tickets for “Path To Destruction” are $36.00, $56.00, $101.00 and $126.00 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.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Path To Destruction.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance).

LAS VEGAS—Undefeated lightweight Angelo “La Cobra” Santana (14-0, 11 KOs), from Miami, Fla., will now face Bahodir Mamadjonov (12-1, 8 KOs), from Uzbekistan now fighting out of Houston, on Friday at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas after his originally scheduled opponent, Carlos Cardenas, bowed out late last week owing to a shoulder injury.

Undefeated super lightweight prospect Amir “Young Master” Imam (8-0, 7 KOs), from Albany, N.Y., will meet Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (16-2, 7 KOs), from Paterson, N.J., in the co-feature. The ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader will be televised live on SHOWTIME beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). It will take place in the Treasure Island Ballroom and is promoted by Don King Productions in association with Treasure Island.

Tickets to the event—all priced at $100 each, plus tax and fees—can be purchased at the Treasure Island box office or by calling (866) 712-9308 or (702) 894-7723. Doors open at 3 p.m. PT, and a full undercard will be presented prior to the televised matches.

Santana vs. Cardenas was to have been a 12-round contest for the World Boxing Association interim lightweight championship. Santana vs. Mamadjonov is scheduled for 10 rounds.

Santana, a 24-year-old southpaw, was a two-time national champion in Cuba before defecting to Miami to follow his dreams of winning a boxing title. He has now earned the WBA’s No. 3 ranking in the 135-pound division. Blessed with heavy hands, he has stopped his last seven opponents in five rounds or less.

In a sensational performance, Santana served notice that he was a force to be reckoned with by registering a third-round technical knockout out over world-class contender Justin Savi on June 23, 2012, at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla.

Santana was even more impressive his last fight on ShoBox, scoring a scintillating fifth-round knockout on Nov. 16 over previously undefeated Johnny Garcia—who gained attention in early 2012 by out-pointing Cuban prospect Yordenis Ugas. Santana dropped Garcia three times, one in the first and two in the fifth. He finished Garcia in an ESPN.com Knockout of the Year candidate with a picturesque right-left combination.

Not only will Santana have to adjust to Mamadjonov as a late replacement, he will also have to navigate his southpaw stance. The Uzbekistani native’s biggest fight came against undefeated Darley Perez—who is still undefeated and is ranked No. 3 by the International Boxing Federation. They met on Aug. 10 in California where Mamadjonov gave Perez all he could handle before losing by split-decision. Had Mamadjonov not suffered a knockdown in the eighth round, he may have won the fight.

The eight-round ShoBox co-feature showcases two very accomplished amateurs that are gaining notice as professionals. Imam, 22, will be facing his toughest opponent to date in the more experienced Bryan, 27.

The fast-handed power-punching Imam, who had advanced the 2011 U.S. Olympic trials before losing, has won all but one of his professional fights by knockout. Since winning a four-round decision in his debut on Nov. 5, 2011, Imam has won seven fights in a row by knockout, all inside two rounds.

Bryan was a two-time National Golden Gloves Champion and national under-19 champion who notched amateur wins over current unified 140-pound world champion Danny Garcia and Javier Molina in the amateurs. Bryan, a pro since November 2007, is coming off the biggest win of his career, an eight-round unanimous decision over former European champion Yuri Romanov on Jan. 4 in Miami.

In the top non-televised undercard bout, Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (21-0, 9 KOs), from St. Louis, and Marcus Oliveira (24-0-1, 19 KOs), from Lawrence, Kan., will collide in a battle of unbeatens in a WBA light heavyweight elimination bout. The two were to have met on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins vs. Tavoris Cloud on March 9 before Coyne suffered a cut during training that resulted in a postponement.

The winner of Coyne vs. Oliveira, scheduled for 12 rounds, will become the No. 1-ranked light heavyweight by the WBA and the mandatory challenger to its champion, Beibut Shumenov.

Coyne gained attention while campaigning as a cruiserweight when he was chosen to participate in the fourth season of The Contender. He made it to the semi-finals before suffering an accidental headbutt that forced him to leave the competition. In his final fight at cruiserweight, Coyne captured the World Boxing Council United States Championship with a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated David McNemar on June 25, 2011.

Coyne is 3-0 since moving down to the 175-pound limit in October 2011.

Oliveira has shown considerable power by winning 19 of his 25 matches by knockout, a 76% knockout ratio. He scored a pair of third-round knockouts in fights against his most notable opponents: former cruiserweight world champion Kelvin “Concrete” Davis in 2008 and Antwun Echols on Jan. 28, 2012.

About Treasure Island

Treasure Island on the Las Vegas Strip is a privately owned hotel and casino and stands alone as the only major Strip property to claim that unique market position. Boasting nearly 3,000 guest rooms, Treasure Island is a world-class destination for headline entertainment, the enchanting Sirens of TI nightly outdoor show and Mystère, the classic Cirque du Soleil performance that combines the powerful athleticism, high-energy acrobatics and inspiring imagery that have become the company’s hallmark. Upscale and casual dining choices, hip nightspots and indulgent spa and shopping experiences further complement the one-of-a-kind Treasure Island guest experience. For information visit www.treasureisland.com, https://www.facebook.com/TIvegas or follow the property on Twitter @TIVegas.

About Don King Productions

Don King Productions has promoted over 600 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more. DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted several of the largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including: Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.99 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995.

DKP has promoted or co-promoted 10 of the top 25 highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also second-highest live-gate gross for any event in the history of the world.), date: Nov. 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: Nov. 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995.

Joe “Superhero” Lile didn’t need a red cape or special powers to knockout Clint Anderson in spectacular fashion at Rocktagon XXV “Prepare for Battle.”

On Saturday night, hundreds of mixed martial arts fans filed into the Crane Bay Event Center in Indianapolis for a full night of professional and amateur action. It marked Rocktagon MMA’s first event in Indiana but, after a great night of fights, it certainly won’t be the last.

Lightweights Lile and Anderson served as the main attraction in a bout that didn’t even make it out of the first round.

Lile started right off the bat taking the center of the cage and forcing Anderson on his heels with strikes. Anderson, who seemed tentative to engage on the feet, was never able to find his rhythm. He finally made the costly mistake of throwing a kick with his hands down, which Lile immediately countered with a straight right hand.

On wobbly legs, Anderson tried to secure a takedown out of desperation, but Lile simply angled off and dropped him with a pair of vicious uppercuts. The referee stepped in at 2:17 of the first round to call a halt to the action.

After the fight, Lile admitted he had worked extensively on countering kicks in training camp. “We watched some of the video and knew he was going to step in with a bunch of kicks. My game plan was to step in and punch and counter the kicks, and I knew it was working.”

The night of first round finishes continued in the co-main event bout between welterweights Tony “Twotimes” Ledbetter and Keith “Stone” Cunagin.

In a bout consisting of takedowns and ground scrambles, Cunagin always found a way to end up in top position. He was eventually able to pass to side control and posture up for some elbows.

Ledbetter raised his arms in an attempt to shield himself from further punishment, which left him open to an arm triangle choke. Cunagin wasted no time in latching on the hold and waiting for Ledbetter’s body to go limp at 2:14 of the first round.

In his post-fight interview, Cunagin gave the credit to his corner for talking him through the fight. “He’s real lengthy and strong. He surprised me with his hip movement. That’s why I kind of kept my distance when he was on the ground. I kind of felt like I could outwrestle him. I felt a little stronger once I got him down. Once I hit that outside single, my corner kept saying ‘go in that direction, go in that direction.’ I got good corner men on my side, went in that direction and ended up getting the arm triangle.”

In the rest of the pro bout lineup, lightweight Austin “Cougar Bait” Tweedy held onto his perfect record with a first round TKO victory over Doug Stapleton. Tweedy hardly broke a sweat in securing an early takedown, transitioning to mount and raining down unanswered punches for the stoppage at 1:26.

Middleweight Muhammad “Hurricane” Abdullah had his hand raised after going the distance with Jared “War Angel” Bailey. There was a lot of energy expended by Bailey, who failed at many attempts to get the fight to the ground. Abdullah was brilliant in switching from the thai plum and single collar tie to load up on uppercuts and knees from the clinch. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in Abdullah’s favor and handed him the unanimous decision.

38-year-old Reggie “Contract Killer” Parks proved age is nothing but a number in his astonishing performance against Kyle “Cowboy” Nickle. Many may have mistakenly viewed Parks as a steppingstone for a rising star, but he repelled any such notion with a TKO win at 2:35 of the first round.

Before the pros took center stage, a solid night of novice action was capped off by the crowning of two new Rocktagon MMA advanced amateur champions. James “Bad Touch” Mogollon submitted Gary Widget with a guillotine choke at 1:10 of the first round to become the first ever Rocktagon MMA Lightweight Amateur Indiana Title and Robert Duke led the way for the big boys by securing an impressive TKO stoppage over Trey Ross at 2:47 of the first round to become the first Rocktagon MMA Indiana Light Heavyweight Amateur Champion.

In other bouts, Vanessa “Lil Monster” Demopoulos gutted out a tough split decision win over Caylea “The Banshee” Borges in women’s action; Derek Bratton handed Kyle Ettner his first loss with a hard split decision victory; Adam Hayden took a lopsided unanimous decision over Bryan Grimm; Brian Siddons survived a late triangle choke attempt to earn a unanimous decision over Tylor Warner and Wes Barber submitted Sinhue “The Dark Prince” Mockobee at 2:16 of the second round with an arm triangle choke.

Rocktagon XXV also featured live music by American Wi-Fi, opportunities for fans to try out the IndyWest Harley-Davidson Jumpstart Bike, and guest appearances by UFC veteran Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle and the former Heavyweight Champion of the World Lamon Brewster.

The Rocktagon MMA “Journey of Champions” Pro-Am National Tour will continue on May 4 with Rocktagon XXVI “Veni, Vedi, Vici” in Cleveland with additional stops in California, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin this summer.

Founded in mid-2010, Rocktagon MMA has successfully completed 25 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.RocktagonMMA.com or text MMA to 36000. Fans may also follow Rocktagon MMA on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

ATLANTIC CITY, April 8 – World championship boxing returns to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, May 18 with a SHOWTIME® CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader featuring IBF Junior Welterweight World Champion Lamont Peterson facing hard-hitting WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse in a 12-round welterweight bout and the rescheduled IBF Welterweight Title showdown between Two-Division World Champion Devon Alexander “The Great” and undefeated British star and number one rated IBF welterweight contender Kell “The Special One” Brook.

Peterson vs. Matthysse and Alexander vs. Brook are presented by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T and will air live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, go on sale on Wednesday, April 10 at noon ET and will be available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

After more than a year out of the ring, Lamont Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO’s) picked up where he left off in February, dazzling fans in his hometown of Washington, D.C. with an eighth-round technical knockout win over Kendall Holt. Coupled with his Fight of the Year win over the Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Amir Khan in December of 2011, it’s clear that Peterson has staked his claim as one of the premier 140-pound fighters in the world. All of this is even more impressive when one considers that Peterson spent part of his youth homeless on the mean streets of Washington, D.C. On May 18, the talented boxer-puncher will put that recognition on the line against one of the most feared fighters in the sport at a catch-weight of 141 pounds.

The junior welterweight who has struck the most fear into the hearts of his peers, Trelew, Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s) bounced back from two controversial split decision losses to Zab Judah and Devon Alexander, each in his opponent’s hometowns, to score five straight victories, with all of those wins coming by way of knockout. His losses to Alexander and Judah were so controversial, that many boxing insiders still consider Matthysse, who has recently been nicknamed “The Machine,” to be undefeated. In his last three bouts, the 30-year-old has torn through stiff competition, defeating former Three-Division World Champion Humberto Soto, then number one rated WBC super lightweight contender Olusegun Ajose and tough contender Mike Dallas Jr., setting the stage for the thunderous punching WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion with a 94% knockout ratio to stake his claim as a one of the top ten best pound for pound fighters in the world.

A technical wizard with speed and finesse in the ring, St. Louis’ Devon Alexander (24-1, 13 KO’s) is a master boxer who has already won world titles in two divisions despite being only 25 years old. Alexander is the former IBF and WBC world title holder at 140 pounds, with wins over Lucas Matthysse, Juan Urango and Junior Witter to his name. In 2012, “The Great” made his move to welterweight and by the time he was finished defeating former World Champions Marcos Maidana and Randall Bailey, he was crowned the IBF Welterweight World Champion. On May 18, he makes the first defense of his new crown after two postponements of his originally scheduled showdown with Brook.

England’s latest unbeaten sensation, the popular Kell Brook (29-0, 19 KO’s) has mowed past all opposition placed in front of him over the last eight years. After winning the British WBO intercontinental and IBF international welterweight titles, he’s ready for his close-up on the world stage. With 2012 wins over Matthew Hatton, Carson Jones and Hector Saldivia, the talented 26-year-old from Sheffield has proven he has the talent, style and determination to justify his number one rating.

For information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/kingpete26, www.twitter.com/DAlexandereal, www.twitter.com/SpecialKBrook, www.BoardwalkHall and www.twitter.com/SHOsports, follow the conversation using #PetersonMatthysse and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

New York – FOX Sports and Golden Boy Promotions, founded by 10-time World Champion Oscar De La Hoya, have reached a multi-media rights extension to televise exciting live boxing in the United States and internationally. The new multi-year agreement keeps Golden Boy Promotions’ bouts with FOX Sports for years to come, and helps establish a new Monday night boxing franchise on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), FOX Sports’ new, national multi-sport cable channel launching on Aug. 17. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“When we started Golden Boy, we made a promise to only do business with the best companies out there,” said De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “To be partnered with FOX on this sensational series is a great fit. We look forward to working with FOX Sports 1 for years to come in giving fans the best boxing matches available.”

“Led by the dynamic Oscar De La Hoya and its Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions has developed a great reputation over the last several years for putting together exciting cards with top-flight fighters,” said Patrick Crakes, Senior Vice President, Programming & Research, FOX Sports. “It’s great that we’ve been able to build upon and expand what has already been a fruitful relationship that benefits multiple networks in the FOX Sports family, domestically and internationally.”

Under the new agreement FOX Sports retains exclusive domestic rights to 48 live two-hour events (featuring two or three fights per event) annually with many of Golden Boy Promotions’ brightest stars expected to be featured. FS1 is scheduling 24 live events per year, with FOX Deportes, the nation’s leading Spanish-language sports network, airing all 48 events live, an increase from 36 in the previous deal. The 24 events on FS1 will all originate in the U.S., and most are expected to run on Monday nights once the network launches. FOX Deportes will simulcast the same 24 events as FS1 in Spanish, plus air 24 others that originate from Mexico. Once events air on FS1, each will be available for encore presentations on FOX Sports regional networks. Fox International Channels also holds exclusive rights to all 48 live fights in the Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe (excluding the U.K.) and Middle East territories. Finally, all events will be available via authenticated streaming through FOX Sports Go.

“We are thrilled to partner with FOX as the boxing provider for FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes,” added Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “For years, the best of boxing has been available primarily on premium cable and pay-per-view only, but our partnership with FOX Sports signifies a major step-up in exposure for the fighter, Golden Boy Promotions and the entire sport. We are confident that with our mix of world class fights and fighters combined with the reach and promotional capacities that FOX Sports provides, the sky is really the limit for us all.”

In addition to Golden Boy’s live events, all FOX Sports channels have access to 24 classic archived events from the promoter’s extensive library. Archive fights feature many of boxing biggest names, including De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley.

-FSMG-

About Golden Boy Promotions

Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar de la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2007, in its fifth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by selling over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in 2007, Golden Boy Promotions established the record for highest grossing pay-per-view homes in a single year with more than 4 million total. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, SHOWTIME, TeleFutura, FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes.

Golden Boy Promotions currently has over 50 fighters under contract, from future Hall of Famers Bernard Hopkins and Erik Morales to current world champions and superstars Devon Alexander, Canelo Alvarez, Adrien Broner, Danny Garcia, Robert Guerrero, Chris John, Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana, Abner Mares, Paulie Malignaggi, Lucas Matthysse, Victor Ortiz, Lamont Peterson, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Peter Quillin, Leo Santa Cruz and Humberto Soto. Also included on the company’s roster are top contenders Alfredo Angulo, Sharif Bogere, Pablo Cesar Cano, Danny Jacobs, Erislandy Lara, Jorge Linares, Seth Mitchell and Keith Thurman as well as highly regarded prospects Randy Caballero, Jermell Charlo, Omar Figueroa, Eddie Gomez, Frankie Gomez, Anthony Ogogo, Antonio Orozco, Gary Russell Jr. and Deontay Wilder.

About FOX Sports

FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FOX Sports 1; Fox’s 22 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FUEL TV; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FSMG also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com, FOXSportsNext.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants.

Atlantic City, NJ—Former super bantamweight world-title challenger Teon Kennedy, of Philadelphia, now fighting as a junior lightweight, makes his first start in one year when he takes on Carlos Vinan, of Newark, NJ, in a scheduled 10-round bout on Saturday evening, June 1, in the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City.

The Kennedy-Vinan contest tops a seven-fight card which will be streamed live on the internet by www.gofightlive.tv. First fight is 7.30 p.m.

Kennedy (right), 26, last boxed June 9 at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas when he was stopped in five rounds by Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux for the latter’s WBA super bantamweight world title.

“I’ve been struggling with my weight for
some time,” Kennedy said. “Getting down to 122 for the title fight was not easy. I’m going to feel much more comfortable at 130.”

A pro since 2007, Kennedy has a 17-2-2 record with seven knockouts.

Kennedy won the vacant USBA super bantamweight title in 2009 when he stopped Francisco Rodriguez, of Chicago, in 10 rounds at the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. He added the vacant NABA 122-pound belt the next year, knocking out Alex Becerra, of Mexico, also in 10 rounds, at Bally’s Atlantic City.

His biggest win came early in 2011 when he scored a pair of knockdowns en route to a 12-round decision over previously unbeaten Jorge Diaz, of New Brunswick, NJ, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Vinan, (left) 33, is originally from Ecuador but lives in Newark, NJ. His 10-9-5 record with two knockouts was compiled against some of the best featherweights, junior lightweights and lightweights in the country.

A pro since 2005, Vinan holds wins over a pair of Philadelphians, Eric Hunter and Victor Vasquez. He boxed a draw with former WBO super featherweight world-title challenger Eloy Perez, of Salinas, CA, and he upset then-undefeated Andrew Cancio, of Blythe, CA.

Vinan also has boxed world-class contenders Raymundo Beltran, of Mexico; Diego Magdaleno, of Las Vegas; John Molina, of Covino, CA; Mercito Gesta, of The Philippines.

Both men are 5-foot-6 and both come to fight.

Junior lightweight prospect Jason Sosa, of Camden, NJ, who has knocked out his last three opponents en route to an 8-1-3 record, will box in the scheduled eight-round semifinal.

Five preliminary fights complete the card.

ABOUT JUNE 1

The Kennedy-Vinan fight tops a seven-bout card at Bally’s Atlantic City. First fight is 7.30 pm. Tickets are priced at $50 and $75 and they are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000). Tickets also are on sale at www.peltzboxing.com and www.ticketmaster.com. www.gofightlive.tv will stream the card on the internet. The card is being promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Bally’s Atlantic City.

VENICE, CA (April 8, 2013) For the second time in three months middleweight world champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin has been named the World Boxing Association’s Fighter of the Month, following his impressive third round knockout of former world titleholder Nobuhiro Ishida on Saturday, MARCH 30 in Monaco.

The stoppage was the seventh defense of the WBA Middleweight Title by Golovkin and was broadcast live in over sixty countries from the Salle des Etoiles. Many VIP guests were in attendance at this exclusive event, including Marvin Hagler, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco.

Earlier this year, following his seventh round stoppage of Gabriel Rosado on JANUARY 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Golovkin was also named WBA Fighter of the Month for January.

“I’m honored to win this award again this year; it’s a nice birthday present for me. I’m very proud to defend the WBA title and look forward to many more title defenses in the future” said Golovkin.

Golovkin is a native of Kazakhstan, lives with his family in Stuttgart, Germany, and trains in Big Bear, California. He first won the WBA Middleweight Title on AUGUST 14, 2010 with a first round knockout of Milton Nunez in Panama City, Panama.

With a record of 26-0-0 with 23 knockouts, Golovkin’s 88% knockout ratio is highest amongst all active world champions.

Said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, “Gennady’s plan this year was to stay very active, he’s off to a great start with these first two defenses ending early, keeping his KO streak alive. Being recognized in January and March as fighter of the month is great, but our goal is for him to be the fighter of the year.”

Details of Golovkin’s highly anticipated return to the ring will be announced shortly. He will be in New York City this week, attending the BWAA awards on Thursday as well as the HBO televised Donaire vs. Rigondeaux fight on Saturday April 13.

New York, NY / Buenos Aires, Argentina (4/8/13) – Last week, tragedy struck the country of Argentina when torrential rains caused heavy flooding in La Plata, the low-lying capital and province of Buenos Aires.

Middleweight kingpin Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez was devastated upon hearing the news of the flooding that, as of last week, had claimed the lives of at least 50 people and left thousands without power. Martinez will be defending his WBC middleweight crown on April 27in his much-anticipated ‘Homecoming’ against England’s undefeated interim WBA middleweight champion Martin Murray (25-0-1, 11KO’s) at the country’s famed 50,000-seat Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield, in Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina. HBO will provide live coverage of the bout beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

“I want to send my deepest condolences and all of my sympathy to the people of Buenos Aires. What has happened there is terrible,” said Martinez.

In an attempt to lend a helping hand, Martinez, along with the organizers of the April 27 event, will be donating $100,000 to Caritas La Plata.

“Along with the organizers of my fight, we have decided to donate $100,000 to Caritas La Plata to help assist the families that were affected by this tragedy. Do not stand in front of your TV watching and regretting what has happened. Stand up and donate what you can.”

Below is the website with information to make a donation.

http://www.caritaslaplata.org.ar/

The Martinez-Murray world championship telecast, which begins at 8:30 p.m ET/PT, will be produced and distributed live by HBO. Follow HBO Boxing news at www.hbo.com and at www.facebook.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtag #MartinezMurray to join the conversation on Twitter. For constant updates on the fight, including videos, pictures and articles, visit www.dbe1.com, www.hbo.com or www.maravillavsmurray.com.

A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase through www.tuentrada.com

Atlanta (April 8) – Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather broke from his Las Vegas training camp over the weekend to attend the semifinals of the men’s college basketball tournament at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. While there, he also sat down with media members covering the tournament to discuss his upcoming WBC and Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship mega-fight against Six-Time and Four Division World Champion Robert Guerrero taking place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas which will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV®.

Below please find quotes on an array of topics in “Money” Mayweather’s own words.

On the NCAA Tournament and Enjoyment of Basketball

“I love basketball. I honestly feel if you are not sweating and it is not blood, sweat and tears, it is not a sport. No disrespect to anyone who’s involved and they think it is a sport, but to me it’s just an activity if you don’t have blood, sweat and tears, then I think it is just an activity.

“This year I really thought it was going to be Indiana. One of my teams is still in it too, but unfortunately for me, I did not have them advancing to the Finals. I will watch the game and am probably going to watch the first half before I decide to make a bet. I have watched both teams [Lousiville and Michigan] and see how they play.”

“No one had Wichita State and I guess that is why they are called the ‘Shockers.’ Obviously that program is doing something right.

“I was telling Charles Barclay before my interview, during the Big East tournament, when Syracuse took the lead over Louisville, they started to play comfortably and Louisville came back and won the game. Same thing happened Saturday against Wichita State, but I think if Michigan takes the lead on Louisville, it is going to be harder for them to come back. Both teams are stacked with talent.

“These guys just poured their hearts out for the love of the game. I just saw that situation at Rutgers where the coach was throwing balls and choking those players and those players didn’t go over the edge. They knew they couldn’t because they weren’t in the position to pull their family out of a rough situation so they were in a tough spot. In that case you have to take the bumps and bruises that comes with those situations. But I don’t think it was right what was going on and treating those young college kids playing basketball.”

On His May 4 Championship Fight Against Robert Guerrero

“I have been off for a year now, so I am looking forward to getting back in the ring. Less than a month away, so I am excited.

“Robert Guerrero is a tough fighter, a solid, busy fighter. He only has one loss, a champion in multiple weight classes. Let’s see what he can do in there. I am sure he is going to be able to make adjustments in that squared circle just like I can, so we will have to see what happens on May 4th. We will have to see how the fight plays out. I just want the fans to tune in. It‘s going to be an action-packed fight on May 4th. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get the victory. If I have to mix it up or box. I am going to bring it.

“He [Guerrero] did something right to get here. I am sure he is going to be on his ‘A’ game, but I am not really worried about what he can do. He needs to worry about what I can do because I have already proven what I can do in the ring.

“I am very appreciative of what boxing has done for me and I am glad to have given back so much to the sport too. I always wanted to be the best and I think I have proven that over the course of my career.

“I have been pushing myself in training camp. I think my body is going to look tremendous for this fight. I can’t say how my performance is going to be, but of course I am going to go out there and perform. I always am at my best.

“On May 4th I am going to go out there, be ready and hopefully he is ready too. This is the longest I have trained for any fight, so it should be a great night.

“I am going to dish it out against Robert Guerrero on this one. I am going to be the Mayweather that is active. I have young guys who are really pushing me in the gym for this fight. Sure I have bad days in the gym, but I don’t have bad fight nights, bad paydays.

“Everything is going in camp like it should go. My Dad and me have an understanding that we all work as a team so that is going well because I need my whole team. My uncle Roger is coming along as far as his health, but one thing is for sure, that is my family and I love them. We can’t choose our family and as my mother said in the documentary [30 DAYS IN MAY], they gave me a hand and I am just playing the hand they gave me.

“I really wouldn’t be here without my team. My career is not just about the money like some people want to believe. My career is about my legacy. It’s also about living, loving and laughing and enjoying life.

“I go through ups and downs. It’s a roller coaster ride. I just keep on going and do the best I can, but I am strong and am going to continue to survive. Continue to go strong not just for the sport of boxing, but to entertain the people too.

“I am happy to be with SHOWTIME and CBS. This is the beginning of our relationship and for the next 30 months I plan to give you action-packed fights.

“I flew to Atlanta for the Final Four, flew to Miami to check my property, I am heading back to Las Vegas to train, then have to make a stop in Los Angeles.

“Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion about me and my career. I honestly don’t really care what you say. I love my fans, but I don’t live for anybody except myself and my family. I am comfortable with myself. If people are out there saying ‘I don’t like Floyd Mayweather and he is only about the money,’ I am pretty sure I have some of their pay-per-view money too.”

On Heroes and Young Fighters

“I looked up to a lot of people coming up. I looked up to different people: my father, my uncle Roger, a lot of other fighters who have come before me too like Muhammad Ali and even Mike Tyson. I looked up to a lot of people. I always wanted to be the first to do something, so I was always listening and learning the best I could.

“The person you meet now is the same person you are going to meet down the road. I don’t care what car I am driving or jewelry I am wearing. I stay who I am regardless of what you think I might be or who you think I am.

“People always say, ‘If I had this much money, I would do this or I would do that.’ Well those people don’t actually have the money or are not in my position. As Stephen Espinoza just said, you don’t stay at the top for as long as I have just because. I obviously have been doing something right.

“My mindset has always been to be the best. I would rather be known as a smart fighter. If you go back and look at my interviews from when I was young, I always said the less you get hit, the longer you are going to be able to stay in the game. Going to toe-to-toe just because you can say you did it is not cool to me.

“Sure I have done it in some of my fights, like the Miguel Cotto fight, but there is also a limit. I couldn’t have done that in all of my 43 fights. There is a limit.

“I say to the young fighters that some things just aren’t cool. They think taking a lot of punishment and going toe-to-toe in every fight is cool? That’s not cool. Or to be able to say they got locked up. That’s not cool either. I know I have mad mistakes but I can wake up every morning and say I have been honest admitting that.

“Also for the young fighters they should make sure they have a good team around them. People that are going to keep it real with you and can help you make the right decision. There are limits to everything you do. Even though I might seem edgier at times, I have limits too. I am older now and I understand it better. Things can come to a young good fighter so fast they can get caught up in a bad situation. I am going to continue to mentor the young, up-and-coming fighters. I will try to be the best mentor I can for some of these young fighters.

“For young people I say, work hard and dedicate yourself to your life. Be respectful to your parents, go to school because education is important and never compromise to be the best that you can be.

“I want to be able to get around and be sharp when my career is over. I want to be like Rafael Garcia who is here with me today. He’s almost 90 years old, hanging with us, still jogging, driving, and wearing sunglasses. I want to be like that when I am older. I want to be able to hang out with my grandkids and be the patriarch of my family.”

On Training and Music

“If I was to identify with a rapper I would probably have to say Tupac. Just with everything that has happened in my career and what he rapped about and his own life struggles, I would have to say.

“As far as listening to music, I am older now and I am an R&B man. I got a lot of nice cars and when I am driving around in a nice Rolls Royce taking Ms. Jackson out to eat, I’m not trying to be bumpin’ some wild music. Even in the gym or when I run with cars following me with the music, I tell them to give me some old school music, all old school.”

# # #

“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 Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, 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 junior featherweight bout 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” priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800 and $600, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now 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 at ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York, are priced at $50, not including handling fees, are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and 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 atwww.ticketmaster.com.

The tension is rising. After having fought out a draw on November 2 of last
year, Roberto Santos (18-6-3, 10 KOs) and hometown favorite Marcos Nader
(16-0-1, 2 KOs) are going to meet again on April 13 in a rematch for the
Spaniard’s EU Middleweight Championship at the Multiversum Schwechat,
Austria. The arena near Vienna was already the venue of their first battle.
Now it is time to determine a winner.

“The first one was a pretty close fight,” Nader says. “I have watched it a
few times since then and still think that I had done enough to get the
decision.” Therefore, the prodigy of coach Otto Ramin is more than happy to
get another crack at the EU Title. “We will go in the fight on an even
playing field. We both know first-hand about the other’s style of fighting.
So it won’t be any easier than the first time out.”

Nader is also happy to have the second meeting again in his own backyard.
“The support of the crowd was tremendous. The people backed me up and I felt
it. I am sure that it won’t be any different on April 13. There maybe even
more fans to cheer me on this time. It’s going to be really exciting,” the
23-year-old anticipates.

Although, it is the fact of fighting away from home that brought Roberto
Santos good luck in his past bouts. The defending champion from Benidorm,
Spain believes that the local hero has always more pressure on him.
“Fighting abroad, you don’t have to deal with distractions such as ticket
requests from friends and relatives. You can fully concentrate on the fight
and that’s what matters.”

Santos (31) also promises a better performance in the rematch. “The judges
scoring our first fight a draw were spot on. But I didn’t show my best back
then. Nader also surprised me with his tactics. This won’t happen again and
I’m going to beat him on April 13!”

However, Nader also thinks to step it up a notch in comparison to the
premiere meeting of the two back in November. “This was possibly the
toughest and most intense preparation I have ever been through,” assures the
Austrian whose biggest motivation is to be the first EU Middleweight
Champion of his country. “I want to show that I’m the better fighter.
Therefore, the impact of my actions inside the ring must be decisive. I
don’t want to leave any doubts about who deserves the victory this time. I
want to bring that belt to Austria!”

Tickets for the big show at the Multiversum Schwechat, Austria can be
purchased at www.multiversum-schwechat.at.

NUTLEY, NJ (APRIL 8, 2013)—This past Thursday, The state of the art McGirt Training facility had its grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony.

The facility will be a gym and will also house the offices of GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions is already a hit In the community and political leaders joined members of the boxing community at the Grand Opening.

The main trainer will be former world champion James “Buddy” McGirt, who will train not only professionals but some of the best amateurs in the country.

The McGirt Training Facility is an extension of the Elite Heat Boxing Gym that is located in Newark.

Said Buddy McGirt, “This is great. I want to thank Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen for the opportunity for me to come home. There is a lot of great talent here and I not only look forward to working with the professionals but the many great youngsters that have a lot of potential to become professionals in the years to come”

“There was an overflow of talent and kids at the our Elite Heat Gym”, said Vito Mielnicki

“There is a lot of top notch professional and amateur talent in this area and it’s great to add Buddy with our Elite Heat trainers Wali Moses and Robert Griffin”

“We are trying to make this gym a farm system to GH3 and Greg Cohen Promotions. We are taking a grass roots approach to boxing where we can mold young men and woman and keep them off the streets but teach them discipline through boxing and to have a world champion like Buddy McGirt and has since gone on to become one of the top trainers in the sport gives us a lot of credibility and a guy commands the respect of any aspiring boxer”

Also in attendance was the honorable mayor Alphonse Petracco.

The Facility will also house the Ediroc Store which will sell state of the art boxing equipment.

Photos by Tom Casino

ISTANBUL, Turkey (April 6, 2013) – In a thrilling, highlight reel performance, Gokhan Saki (80-16, 56 KOs) of the Netherlands scored two knockdowns en route to a second round TKO of rival, top-ranked superstar Daniel Ghita (46-9, 35 KOs) of Romania in the main event the GLORY 6 Istanbul kickboxing mega-card at Ülker Sports Arena on Saturday, April 6, live on GloryWorldSeries.com.

The victory earned the 29-year-old Saki a meeting with reigning GLORY Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt.

Saki, who had defeated Ghita 28 months ago by way of unanimous decision, came out of the gates looking to close the distance between Ghita who, at 1.94 meters/6-foot-4, stands .11 meters/4 ½ inches taller than Saki.

Saki caught an attempted kick to the body and dumped Ghita, left arm first, to the canvas, putting Ghita in a noticeable amount of pain. Ghita shook off the effect of the throw well, though, scoring with a pair of strong round kicks before the first round came to a close.

In the second round, Ghita unloaded more round kicks to the body and leg of Saki before Saki unleashed a vicious flurry of punches and dropped Ghita with a looping right hook. Ghita made it to his feet, but Saki put his opponent down for a second time with a left hook.

Badly hurt, Ghita surprisingly beat the referee’s count. Saki closed in once again and dished out more punishment with his hands. The referee stepped in and stopped the contest, giving Saki the TKO victory.

In the heavyweight co-main event, Mourad Bouzidi of Tunisia got off to a quick start in the first round of his matchup with Fabiano Cyclone of Brazil, hurting Cyclone with Bouzidi’s left hook and body attacks.

In the outset of the second frame, Cyclone came out swinging, but was slowed down by Bouzidi’s counter-offensive. Bouzidi dropped Cyclone with a combination to the body and, after Cyclone made it to his feet and the fight resumed, Bouzidi again went on the attack with a leg kick, prompting Cyclone’s corner to throw in the towel.

Complete GLORY 6 Istanbul Results:

Featherweight (65 kg/143 lbs.): Dongsu Kim def. Naoki Yasuda via unanimous decision

Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Max Baumert def. Ismail Uzuner via KO (head kick) – Round 1

Catchweight (75 kg/165 lbs.): Joseph Valtellini def. Murat Direkci via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 3

Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Andy Ristie def. Alessandro Campagna via unanimous decision

Welterweight (77 kg/170 lbs.): Nieky Holzken def. Karim Ghajji via TKO (cut) – Round 4

Middleweight (85 kg/187 lbs.): Marc de Bonte def. L’houcine Ouzgni via KO (knee) – Round 1

Light Heavyweight (95 kg/209 lbs.): Filip Verlinden def. Lucian Danilencu unanimous decision

Heavyweight: Mourad Bouzidi def. Fabiano Cyclone via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 2

Heavyweight: Gökhan Saki def. Daniel Ghita via TKO (referee stoppage) – Round 2

About GLORY:

GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world’s new premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $2 million in prize money to the winners of 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.

Chinese Olympic hero Zou Shiming made a successful pro debut with a four round unanimous decision over Eleazar Valenzuela at the Venetian Hotel in Macau, China.

The two time Olympic gold medal winner had fun in the ring as he jumped in and out and landed some solid shits. He smiled for most of the bout as he won in an entertaining fashion which thrilled the more than 10,000 fans in attendance to view the historical contest. Shiming had his best flurry in round three where he landed a couple of combinations that moved the 18 year old Valenzuela back.

Shiming made a reported $300,000 for the debut fight and he won via shutout fashion by 40-36 scores on all cards.

Valenzuela is now 2-2-1.

Juan Francisco Estrada scored a twelve round split decision over Brian Viloria to wrestle the WBA and WBO Flyweight titles.

Viloria boxed great early as he mixed up his punches and countered beautifully and seemed like he was heading to another title defense. Despite taking some solid combinations, Estrada continued to stalk and pressure Viloria and that strategy took effect in the late rounds as his punches started to move and cut up Viloria. Estrada rocked Viloria in round eleven and had him in serious trouble on a couple of occasions in round twelve but despite that Viloria showed a champions heart by fighting to the final bell. Those flurries were the difference as he won by scores of 115-113 for Viloria, 116-111 Estrada and 117-111 for Estrada

Estrada, 112, lbs of Sinora, MX is now 23-2. Viloria, 111 1/4 lbs of Hawaii is now 32-4.

Roman Martinez retained the WBO Super Featherweight title with a twelve round split decision over Diego Magdaleno.

It was a good fight with some decent action. Magdaleno boxed well over the first three rounds as he moved with some slickness from his southpaw stance. In round four, Martinez landed a perfect right hand that sent Magdaleno to the canvas. That got Martinez into the fight as he started to be effective with the right hand and take control of the rounds. Magdaleno fought well and landed some good body shots but it was Martinez effective punches down the stretch that even opened a cut over the left eye of Magdaleno. The two battled hard in an exciting twelfth round but it was Martinez who had built up an advantage on two of the three judges scorecards.

Martinez, 130 lbs of Vega Baja, PR won by scores of 115-112 and 114-113 while Magdaleno took a card at 116-111.

Martinez is now 27-1-2. Magdaeleno, 130 lbs of Las Vegas is 23-1.

In a ten round war, Yasutaka Ishimoto scored a ten round majority decision upset over former WBO Super Featherweight champion Wilfredo Vasquez Jr.

The fight was a back and forth brawl with Vasquez getting cut and eventually knocked down from a straight hand in round eight. Vasquez gave as good as he received but the knockdown proved to be the difference as one card read even at 95-95 while Ishimoto took two cards by scores of 96-93 and 95-94.

Ishimoto, 121.8 lbs of Tokyo, JAP is now 22-6. Vasquez Jr. 122 lbs of Bayamon, PR is now 22-3-1.

Dodie Boy Penalosa scored a third round stoppage over Nimithra Sithsaithong in a scheduled six round Featherweight bout

Penalosa scored knockdowns in rounds one and two from sweeping left hands. Penalosa ended things in round three when after a furious exchange, Penalosa landed a perfect right to the body that sent Sithsaithong down for third and final time and the was stopped at 2:54 of round three.

Penalosa, 123.4 lbs of Cebu, Philippines is now 11-0 with 11 knockouts. Sithsaithong, 122,4 lbs of Bangkok, Thailand is now 4-5

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Chicago Promoter Bobby Hitz refuses to take “no” for an answer regarding Fres Oquendo’s WBA heavyweight title shot against the Russian WBA Heavyweight Champion Alexander Povetkin.

“Yesterday, we put out a press release telling the truth, and today they are calling, begging us to tell a lie. But I’m not afraid to tell the world what is really going on,” said Hitz. “We were offered a heavyweight title fight against Povetkin a couple of weeks ago and we accepted Povetkin’s lowball offer because we know that Fres can knockout Povetkin. And it is absolutely true that Povetkin’s handlers informed us that they were going in a different direction, because after studying Fres they realized that Fres was too fast, too slick and too big a risk for Povetkin. Povetkin’s handlers told us themselves that they want an ‘easy’ opponent which is why they are now considering the unknown Polish fighter Andrzej Wawrzyk who has fought nobody.”

“After we put out our release, I got a call from a major boxing website saying that they were concerned that Povetkin’s promoter, Sauerland, would take action against them so they would not run the story. But truth is an absolute defense, so they can say or deny all they want, but here in the U.S., we have freedom of the press and I intend to exercise my God-given right,” Hitz continued.

“Today, I got a call from one of my associates that Povetkin’s handlers had called, begging me to shut up, that no decision had been made yet,” said Hitz. “Well I am not shutting up because a decision was already made. We were offered the fight, we accepted the fight, we had Fres sign a bout agreement for the fight and now they are chickening out because they realize they made a mistake in choosing Fres and have admitted to us they want an ‘easy’ opponent.”

“I’m told that Roy Jones, Jr. is very popular and highly respected in Russia,” Hitz continued. “Well Roy Jones and I are the co-promoters of Oquendo, and we both guarantee that Povetkin vs. Oquendo will be a great fight. So we are calling upon all the boxing fans in Russia to rise up and stop this injustice and make Povetkin and his handlers live up to their word so they get a real fight, not a Polish joke.”

ABOUT HITZ BOXING: 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.

CHESTER, WV (April 6, 2013)—TONIGHT!!! Live on GFL.TV, undefeated Jr. Welterweight Paul Spadafora takes on Robert Frankel for the NABF Jr. Welterweight title.

Spadafora (47-0-1, 19 KO’s) is ranked #14 by the WBC, #9 by the WBA, #8 by the IBF and #19 by the WBO, is one fight away from a major fight and has long been considered one of the best pure boxers in the sport.

The native of Pittsburgh, PA seems to be past the issues that have plagued his career as this is his third fight in seven months with the latest being a ten round unanimous decision over Solomon Egberime on December 1st, 2012.

Frankel of Denver, CO has a record of 32-12-1 with 6 knockouts and has faced some of the best fighters in the Jr. Welterweight division.

He has faced the likes of Dmitry Salita, Lamont Peterson, Henry Bruseles, David Diaz, and John Molina and has victories over Martin O’Malley, Michael Stewart and Bobby Pacquiao.

Frankel has won two straight which includes a five round technical decision over Jermaine White on January 5th

The action begins at 7:30 pm eastern and has a price of $12.99 and can be purchased by clicking: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Roy_Jones_Jr_Presents_Spadafora_vs_Frankel/1911

There will be a full undercard that will feature four undefeated fighters in Middleweight Wilkins Santiago (7-0, 1 KO); Cruiserweight Travis Clark (2-0, 1 KO); Jr. Middleweight Joey Holt (2-0, 2 KO’s) and Heavyweight Ed Latimore (1-0, 1 KO) as well as an appearance by Jr. Welterweight Bill Hutchinson (5-1-2, 3 KO’s)

LOS ANGELES, April 5 – After scoring one of the biggest upsets of the year in January, Mexico City’s Irma “Torbellino” Garcia will look to repeat her victory over Janeth Perez at the El Chamizal Sport Center in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico on Saturday, April 6 in a highly anticipated rematch for Garcia’s WBA Bantamweight Championship to be featured on FOX Deportes in the United States and Televisa in Mexico.

The co-featured bout will be a 12-round fight between Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez and Carlos Valdez for Alvarez’s WBC Latino super lightweight title.

Garcia vs. Perez is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CST and the first fight begins at 6:00 p.m. CST. The Televisa broadcast begins at 10:30 p.m. CST, with the FOX Deportes broadcast airing at 10:00 p.m. EDT/7:00 p.m. PDT.

The winner of the reality show “Reto de Campeones” in 2011, Irma Garcia (6-0-1, 1 KO) took that experience to the ring with her in 2012, winning five straight, including a September win over Mexican star Laura Serrano. In January, the southpaw shocked the world by defeating then unbeaten Janeth Perez to capture the WBA title. On April 6, she’ll look to repeat history.

One of the top female fighters in the world today, Zapopan’s Janeth Perez (17-1-2, 4 KO’s) has impressed with her skills in the ring since turning pro in 2008, taking on all comers over the course of her career. In 2011, she became a world champion, defeating Yolis Marrugo Franco for the WBA title which she successfully defended three times. In January, she lost a close decision to Garcia, but this weekend she gets her shot at redemption.

Unbeaten in 10 of his 11 bouts, Guadalajara’s Ricardo Alvarez (19-2-3, 12 KO’s), who is the older brother of WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez, has been showing the best form of his five-year career as of late, moving him ever closer to a world title opportunity at 140 pounds. In his most recent victory, the 31-year-old Alvarez outpointed hot prospect Mauricio Pintor over 12 rounds to win the WBC Continental Americas title.

Standing in the way of that progress will be Cartagena, Colombia’s Carlos Valdez (12-5, 9 KO’s), a hard-hitting competitor with the power in both hands to end a fight and who is on a hot streak of his own, having won seven of his last eight.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,www.twitter.com/caneloteam, www.twitter.com/canelopromotion and visit on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page.

For more information on FOX Deportes visit www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes.

On the eve of his next concussive ring appearance, undefeated future heavyweight champion Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (17-0, 17 KOs) has been elevated to #4 in the latest WBC rankings.

Abdusalamov, the reigning WBC-USNBC Champion, is coming off an impressive stoppage over former Olympian Victor Bisbal on March 8 and heading into a showdown against Argentina’s Sebastian Ceballos (33-7-2, 25 KOs) on April 27 at Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as part of the Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KOs) vs. Martin Murray (25-0-1, 11 KOs) WBC World Middleweight Championship undercard.

The fight against Ceballos will be televised internationally, as Abdusalamov’s star continues to rise.

“Mago is a top contender now,” said his promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “He will only have to win a couple more fights and he will be in a perfect position to begin his championship reign, which will last a long time. I have said this since early in his career. He is too strong for anyone in the world to handle. Some of his opponents come out and use up all their energy in a few rounds and maybe they look like they’re doing ok. But the pressure of Magomed is incredible and before long they are waiting to get knocked out like everybody else. He is the future champion of the world.”

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Promoted by Lou DiBella of DBE Entertainment, Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing and Sergio Martinez of Maravilla Box, the blockbuster April 27 Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KOs) vs. Martin Murray (25-0-1, 11 KOs) WBC World Middleweight Championship event will also include several important championship fights, including Salta, Argentina’s Luis Carlos Abregu (34-1, 28 KOs) vs. Montreal, Canada’s Antonin Decarie (27-1, 8 KOs) for the WBC World Silver Welterweight Championship; Argentina’s Claudia Lopez (22-6, 5 KOs) vs. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic’s Dahiana Santana (31-6, 14 Kos) for the IBF World Female Featherweight Title; Argentina’s Damian Marchiano (18-9-1, 7 KOs) vs. Spain’s Kiko Martinez (27-4, 19 KOs) for the WBA Latino Super Bantamweight Title; Argentina’s Diego Pichardo (8-3, 3 KOs) vs. Spain’s Ivan Ruiz (8-1-1, 3 KOs) for the IBF Latino Jr. Bantamweight Title; and Israel “Cachito” Perez (24-2-1, 14 KOs) vs. Jorge Luis Rodriguez (14-7-1, 1 KO) in a six-round junior lightweight war.

GATINEAU, Quebec, Canada (April 5, 2013) — Heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury vowed to take “no prisoners” as he held an open media workout at Final Round Boxing Gym, Ottawa, Canada.

With less than three weeks to go until he faces 36-year-old, former two-time world cruiserweight champion, Steve “USS” Cunningham (25-2, 12 KOs), at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York, the 6’9” Irish heavyweight looked relaxed and assured as he opened his training camp to the media.

Boasting a perfect record of 20-0, with 14 knockouts, Tyson put on a display of shadow boxing and pad work, before making himself available to the press for questions.

“Camp has been going really well, I’ve had great sparring – everything has gone really well – no stone has been left unturned, so no excuses,” Tyson said.

“We’ve given ourselves plenty of time to prepare, we’ve been over here now for six weeks, so that’s more than enough time to acclimatise and get used to the time difference.

“This is a great opportunity for me to come to the US and showcase my boxing skills at a big venue such as Madison Square Garden.”

Fury and his team have based their training camp at Casino Lac-Leamy, Ottawa, Canada, ahead of the contest, where they have had access to state of the art training facilitIes and running trails.

“We’ve not done much different with preparation because for the last three fights we left no stone unturned – we’ve been working on different gameplans for a lighter fighter, such as Steve Cunningham, a speed guy, and we just hope it all goes to plan on the night,” Tyson said.

“The fight fans better be prepared for a good old fashioned fight, because I’m coming to town and I’m taking no prisoners.

“This is what you’ve all been waiting for; the heavyweight champion of Ireland coming to the East Coast.

“Steve Cunningham, you’re in big trouble, I hope you’ve been training really hard because I know I have and it’s fight time.”

The pair meet at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Saturday April 20, broadcast live on network television on NBC.

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Video link to Tyson Fury interview about his next fight (Steve Cunningham) by Way Productions:

APRIL 20TH FIGHT INFO:

April 20th at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York features a 12-round heavyweight battle between Tyson Fury and Steve Cunningham in the main event. Curtis Stevens will take on Derrick Findley in the 8-round middleweight co-feature. Six additional bouts are planned for the undercard. The Theater at Madison Square Garden doors open at 1:15 PM. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 4PM ET on NBC as a special 2 hour afternoon presentation of NBC Sports Fight Night. The card is presented by Hennessy Sports and Main Events.

Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $100, $250 and $500. Tickets are available at the Madison Square Garden box office, through Ticketmaster 866-858-0008 and at ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices include a $5 Facility Surcharge. Ticketmaster purchases are subject to a Ticketmaster Surcharge. Wheelchairs, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available 212-465-6035.

Follow Fury at @Tyson_Fury and Hennessey Sports @HennessySports.

For more information on NBC Sports, Lonsdale, Liquid and S3 Media, please visit:

www.nbcsports.msnbc.com

www.Lonsdale.com

www.s3media.co.uk

www.L1quid.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM

Toronto, Canada – UFC® interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao will look for his second straight title defense against No.4 ranked contender Eddie Wineland on Saturday, June 15 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® brings its first-ever event to Winnipeg, Manitoba with UFC® 161: BARAO vs. WINELAND at the MTS Centre.

Riding one of the longest unbeaten streaks in mixed martial arts history, Barao (32-1, 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) defeated Urijah Faber in Calgary in July 2012 to win the interim title. He defended the belt in February against Michael McDonald with an impressive arm triangle choke that earned him his first Submission of the Night honours. Barao has gone 31 straight fights without a loss (30 victories, 1 no-contest). He is on an exciting 20-fight win streak and is 5-0 since making his UFC debut in May 2011.

Wineland (20-8-1, fighting out of Chesterton, Indiana) is a former WEC bantamweight champion who comes into this title shot with two straight wins. Wineland defeated Scott Jorgensen in June 2012 in a Fight of the Night performance that marked the first time Jorgensen had ever been stopped via knockout. Wineland followed that up with a win over Brad Pickett in December.

In the night’s co-main event, light heavyweights Rogerio “Lil Nog” Nogueira and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, will have a rematch of their legendary 2005 PRIDE® fight. The fifth-ranked Nogueira (21-5, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has won his last two fights, both of which have been against former UFC® light heavyweight champions. He defeated Rashad Evans in February 2013 at UFC 156 and Tito Ortiz in December 2011 at UFC 140. Meanwhile, Rua (21-7, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) who is ranked sixth, is 1-1 in his last two fights, coming off a loss to Alexander Gustafsson in December 2012 and a win over Brandon Vera via TKO last August.

In another compelling light heavyweight bout, former PRIDE® welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson (29-9, fighting out of Temecula, California) will take on former UFC® light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (22-3-1, fighting out of Delray Beach, Florida). Ranked third and seventh respectively, Henderson and Evans will both be looking to rebound back into the win column. Henderson recently lost a split decision to Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 that snapped his four-fight win streak. Meanwhile, Evans will look to break two straight unanimous decision losses to Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 156 and Jon Jones at UFC 145.

Canada will also see its first women’s bantamweight bout as Port Colborne, Ontario’s Alexis Davis (11-5) will meet Rosi Sexton (13-2, fighting out of Manchester, England). Davis, who has a black belt in both Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has won five of her last six fights including victories over STRIKEFORCE® veteran Julie Kedzie and power-punching Amanda Nunes. The “Ally-Gator” earned Fight of the Night honours in her most recent win via rear naked choke over Shayna Baszler in January at Invicta FC4. Meanwhile, Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton boasts black belts in tae kwon do and TJF jiu-jitsu and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She is currently on a three-fight win streak in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship and was their 2005 132-pound champion.

In addition, UFC® 161: BARAO vs. WINELAND will feature two heavyweight bouts including Stipe Miocic (9-1, fighting out of Euclid, Ohio) against newly signed Soa Palelei (18-3, fighting out of Perth, Australia), and hard-hitters Pat Barry (8-5, fighting out of Alexandria, Minnesota) and Shawn Jordan (14-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico). Former STRIKEFORCE® middleweight champion Jake Shields (27-6-1, 1NC, fighting out of San Francisco, California) will also square off in a welterweight bout against Tyron Woodley (11-1, fighting out of St. Louis, Missouri) who is coming off a spectacular knockout in his UFC debut.

In addition to Davis, six other Canadians will step into the Octagon® at UFC® 161 including Winnipeg’s own Roland Delorme (8-1, 1NC) who faces Edwin Figueroa (9-2, fighting out of McKinney, Texas) in a bantamweight bout, Ryan Jimmo (17-2, fighting out of Edmonton, Alberta) will return against light heavyweight Igor Pokrajac (25-9, 1NC, fighting out of Zagreb, Croatia) and Toronto’s Sean Pierson (13-6) will battle welterweight TJ Waldburger (16-7, fighting out of Belton, Texas). Montreal’s Yves Jabouin (18-8) will also challenge bantamweight Dustin Pague (11-8, fighting out of Dulles, Virginia). Two other lightweight fights include Sam Stout (20-8-1, fighting out of London, Ontario) against Isaac Vallie-Flagg (14-3-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico), and Mitch Clarke (9-2, fighting out of Edmonton, Alberta) versus John Maguire (18-5, fighting out of Cambridge England).

The Ultimate Fighting Championship® will host a press conference on April 10 in Winnipeg with the main event stars, as tickets for UFC® 161: BARAO vs. WINELAND go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. CT at ticketmaster.ca. More details surrounding the 1 p.m. CT press conference are available below.

Additional bouts will be announced in the days to come at www.ufc.com.

Tickets for UFC® 161: BARAO vs. WINELAND go on sale Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $500, $350, $250, $150, $90 and $50. Tickets will be available at the MTS Centre box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at 1.855.985.5000 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event on Wednesday, April 10 at 10 a.m. CT via the website ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Thursday, April 11, starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC® 161: BARAO vs. WINELAND will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

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

UFC® 161: BARAO vs. WINELAND PRESS CONFERENCE – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

WHEN: Wednesday, April 10 – 1 p.m. CT (media check-in starts at 12 p.m.)

WHERE: The Met, 281 Donald Street, Winnipeg

WHO: Dana White, UFC® President

Tom Wright, UFC® Director of Operations: Canada, Australia and New Zealand Renan Barao, UFC® Interim Bantamweight Champion

Eddie Wineland, UFC® Bantamweight Contender

*This press conference will also be streamed live on UFC.com

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

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

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

Rustam Nugaev scored a sensational knockout over previously undefeated Jonathan Maicelo in a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.

Maicelo boxed well early as he used his speed to land some solid combinations and he worked the body the well. Around round three, Nugaev’s pressure seemed to take effect as he was able to come forward and start getting in some shots of his own. In the middle rounds, Nugaev started going to the body in an effort to slow Maicelo down.

That worked as Nugaev landed a perfectly timed right to the chin that sent Maicelo sprawling to the canvas and rolled over on his back. He tried to get to his feet but referee Jack Reiss called the fight off at 2:03 of round eight

Nugaev, who took almost a two year hiatus is now 23-6-1 with 13 knockouts. Maicelo of New Jersey via Peru is now 19-1.

Gabriel Tolmajyan scored a eight round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Jorge Maysonet Jr. in a Lightweight bout.

Tolmajyan used his awkward southpaw style to not let Maysonet get off any sustained offense while pot shotting from the outside. Tolmajyan was credited with a knockdown in round two when he landed a left hand at the same time as a headbutt landed on Maysonet and it was a ruled a knockdown.

Tolmajyan, 134 lbs of Glendale, CA won by scores of 80-71, 80-71 and 77-75 and is now 14-2-1. Maysonet, 135 lbs of Catano, PR is now 11-1.

Alejandro Luna remained perfect by scoring a four round unanimous decision over Mario Hermosillo in a Lightweight bout.

In round one, a headbutt caused a cut on the forehead of Hermosillo and a small abrasion around the right eye of Luna. Luna controlled the action and it was the right to the body / left hook combination that was his flurry of choice. He mixed in all of his shots as he held a five inch heaight advantage and was able ti kept Hermosillo at bay.

Luna, 136 lbs of Whittier, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 13-0. Hermosillo, 137 lbs of Mexico City, MX is now 11-10-3.

“I performed well-enough to get the win, but I know I can bring much more to the table. The kid (Maysonet Jr.) is talented and he was awkward to fight with his long body. I think I did a good job finding a way around his natural advantages, he gained some good experience in the ring and he’ll come back stronger. I’m ready for my next fight, I want to get right back in there and I felt good out there right now. Even though I have it in me to produce more than I showed tonight my confidence is where it should be and I just want to ride this momentum,” Tolmajyan said.

Gary Shaw was delighted to see the fireworks produced by the 2 combatants in the main event, but he wasn’t surprised and he knows that fans appreciate unfiltered action.

“It was a tough fight for Maicelo and we know that coming in; this fight was supposed to be a step up and we matched these guys based on the fact that we knew they’d create fireworks. It was a good fight and I’m sure that it was exciting for both the live and TV audience. Tonight the fans got two see some great fights,” Shaw said.

Zou Shiming 111 – Eleazar Valenzuela 111.6
Brian Viloria 111.2 – Juan Francisco Estrada 112
Roman Martinez 130 – Diego Magdaleno 130
Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. 122 – Yasutaka Ishimoto 121.8
Paul Fleming 129.4 – Ryeusei Yoshida 129.2

TODAY’S QUOTABLES

BRIAN VILORIA:

“Things came easy for me early in my career which is why I lost my titles. I’ve learned from those experiences. I know at this stage of my career I have to put my full capacity into my training. When your opponent brings his ‘A Game’ you’d better be ready. I have also developed an appreciation of my current reign as world champion that I did not have before. I enjoy being the best in my division.

“I don’t see this as an easy fight. Estrada has the ability to be a champion. He’s very good. My edge over him in this fight will be my experience and the patience that comes from it.

“I never thought I’d be the last of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team still fighting but now that I am I think it’s very cool. I’m representing my teammates – my Olympic homies.

“Zou is quick-handed and has great foot movement. He does not have that pop yet. Freddie [Roach] is teaching him to sit on is punches. He’s got a good chin. He can take a punch.”

JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

“I can go toe-to-toe with Viloria. It’s an easier style for me to fight against. My youth could be an advantage. I’ll be fresher. I’ll have to box more to avoid Viloria’s explosiveness. Juan Manuel Márquez’s victory over Manny Pacquiao has inspired me and all of México. It made me so happy.”

DIEGO MAGDALENO:

“Martinez only has an ‘A Plan.’ He looks to land that big right hand. He loads up and presses it. I will win and make this fight easy by outboxing him and outthinking him. I have scouted him in-person, attending his fights and watching loads of tape. My style has matured. Las Vegas needs someone like me to represent the city.”

ELEAZAR VALENZUELA:

“I never heard of Zou Shiming before taking this fight against him. I only had nine amateur fights. The biggest purse I’ve fought for so far is $400. I’m here to win. The crowd makes no difference to me. I’m not fighting the crowd. I’m fighting Zou. Will he be shocked when he is hit by a professional fighter for the first time? He’ll be shocked when he’s hit by this professional fighter.”

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Shiming, who trained with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., will make his pro debut against Eleazar Valenzuela (2-1-2, 1 KO), of Gusave, Sinaloa, México, in a four-round flyweight bout . One of the most popular Olympic athletes in the People’s Republic of China, Shiming is the world’s greatest amateur light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. In the 2005, 2007, and 2011 World Amateur Championships, Shiming also brought home gold medals, making him his nation’s first boxing gold medalist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics. He became his nation’s first Olympic medalist in boxing when he earned bronze in 2004. Known for his extraordinary speed and superb footwork, thanks to years of martial-arts training, many of Shiming’s opponents complain that they cannot keep up with him, much less see his punches coming. He has stated that his heroes are Muhammad Ali and Jackie Chan.

Martinez (26-1-2, 16 KOs), from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, captured his first world title in 2009, knocking out defending champion Nicky Cook out in the fourth round in front of Cook’s countrymen in Manchester, England. Martinez successfully defended the title twice — both by knockout — during his one-year reign before losing it via a 12-round decision to Ricky Burns. He regained the title last September, winning a gritty split decision over top-rated contender Miguel Beltran, Jr. Martinez retained his title on January 19, surviving a challenge from Juan Burgos, which was judged Draw.

Magdaleno (23-0, 9 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., enters this fight having won six of his last eight fights by way of knockout. He captured the vacant NABF super featherweight title in 2011 by knocking out Marcos Leonardo in the fifth round and successfully defended that title five times during his title reign, which lasted through 2012, against top contenders who had a combined record of 137-31-5 when he fought them, en route to his No. 1 contender position.

Viloria (32-3, 19 KOs), a native Filipino who hails from of Waipahu, HI, is a two-division, three time world champion. The former U.S. Olympian captured his first world title, the World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight crown, in 2005, knocking out defending champion Eric Ortiz in the first round. He held the title for nearly one year before losing it Omar Nino. He earned his second world title in 2009, knocking out International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior flyweight champion Ulises Solis in the 11th round. After losing that title to Carlos Tamara the following year Viloria moved up to the flyweight division. He captured the WBO world title in 2011, upending defending champion Julio Miranda via a unanimous decision. After two successful defenses of his crown — both by knockout — Viloria unified the flyweight titles last November 17, knocking out WBA champion Hernan Marquez in the 10th round. Viloria enters this fight riding a three-year winning streak.

Estrada (22-2, 17 KOs), of Hermosillo, México, returns to the ring for his second straight world title shot. A natural flyweight, Estrada dropped down to challenge undefeated WBA light flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez last November 17, losing a unanimous decision. Now back at his natural fighting shape, Estrada will be looking to bring the flyweight world championship belts back to México.

LOCAL MACAU INFORMATION

Presented by Top Rank and Sands China Ltd., remaining tickets to ZOU SHIMING “Fists of Gold” are on sale at all Sands China box offices*.

ZOU SHIMING “Fists of Gold” kicks off at 7 pm on April 6 at the CotaiArena. Tickets are on sale now at all Sands China box offices and can be booked online at www.CotaiTicketing.com, or by phone at +853 2882 8818 (Macao) / +852 6333 6660 (HK) / +86 4001 206 618 (mainland China). Tickets are also available at Tom Lee Outlets and through Hong Kong Ticketing (customer service fee applies) at www.HKTicketing.com, or by phone at +852 3128 8288. Tickets are available in six categories: HKD/MOP 2,680 (Silver), 1,080 (A Reserve), 780 (B Reserve), 480 (C Reserve), 280 (D Reserve) and 80 (E Reserve). Packages with round trip Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets between Hong Kong and Macao are also available for HKD/MOP 2,768 (Silver), 1,168 (A Reserve), 868 (B Reserve), 568 (C Reserve) and 368 (D Reserve). For more information about the event, visit www.CotaiTicketing.com.

Entertainment at Sands China Ltd. Properties

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

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

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

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

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

April 4, 2013 – Undefeated super-featherweight prospect Joel Diaz Jr. (12-0, 11 KOs) continued to impress the boxing world with another knockout victory on the Lou Savarese promoted show that took place at the Bayou Event Center in Houston, Texas. The latest fighter to suffer defeat to the hands of Diaz was Houston native, Victor Sanchez (4-6-1, 1 KO), who had previously never been stopped. Diaz was punishing Sanchez for the better part of the fight before the referee halted the bout in the 5th round. Diaz was awarded a TKO victory and improved on his unbeaten record.

“After being out of the ring for a few months I was really eager to let my hands go tonight,” said an energized Joel Diaz Jr. “Sanchez was a very tough fighter and I give him a lot of credit going five tough rounds with me. He showed a lot of heart, but I wasn’t going to be denied tonight. I’m ready to take my career to the next level. My promoter Boxing 360 has big plans for me in 2013 and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

Boxing 360 promoter Mario Yagobi believes Joel Diaz Jr. is one of the top prospects in all of boxing. Diaz who possessing a 90% knockout ratio, is well on his way to becoming the top prospect in the super-featherweight division.

“Right now Joel Diaz Jr. is the hottest prospect in the world of boxing.” said Yagobi. “Every time he fights the fans rave of his performance, style and punching power. He’s getting better with each fight because he’s dedicated to the sport. I’m working on getting right back in the ring next week if things go as planned. The sky is the limit for this kid and I’m excited about his future.”

Joel Diaz Jr is promoted by Boxing 360. For more information on Diaz please visit www.boxing360.com.

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (April 4, 2013) – Mexican superstar and WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez held a media workout on Thursday at the jam-packed Wild Card West in Santa Monica, Calif., in preparation for his world championship unification showdown against undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout taking place on Saturday, April 20, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). The 12-round Super Welterweight World Championship Unification from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas is for Canelo’s WBC title, Trout’s WBA title and the vacant Ring Magazine title.

The throng of media members at Wild Card West was just a warm-up for what Canelo can expect in San Antonio when he faces the toughest opponent of his career at the 30,000-plus seat Alamodome later this month. Joining Canelo on Thursday at Wild Card West was manager Chepo Reynoso, trainer Eddy Reynoso and President of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya.

The pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, the 22-year-old Canelo Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) is a superstar in Mexico and one of the biggest draws in boxing. He has successfully defended his title five times, most recently with victories in 2012 over “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Josesito Lopez.

Long considered one of boxing’s most underrated fighters, Las Cruces, New Mexico’s Austin “No Doubt” Trout (26-0, 14 KO’s), 27, is coming off of a career-best victory over Puerto Rican legend and future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden last December.

Here’s what the participants had to say on Thursday:

CANELO ALVAREZ

“The more intelligent fighter is going to win on April 20. We’ve mapped out a game plan and we’ll stick to it. I’ve looked back at some of my past fights and I’m critical of how I’ve performed. I’ve taken criticism, but all criticism is constructive and I’m taking it all in.

“Because he beat my brother and took his belt, this fight has more meaning. It’s personal, because he took something from us. After I win this fight, I’m going to get that belt and I’m going to give it to my brother.

“I’m really excited for the San Antonio fans, as well as all the Mexican fans who will be there supporting me. I’m hoping I can give them a great fight.

“The key for me is patience. I know he’ll be ready for me at all times. It’s going to be a complicated fight, but I’m prepared for it.

“I’m not concerned about talking about (Floyd) Mayweather or anyone else. I’m just focused on this fight. If he didn’t want to sign [to fight me], that’s on him. After this fight we will talk about Mayweather and whoever else.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA

“This is going to be a very physical fight. Austin Trout is legitimate. He is undefeated. He is strong. I think that whoever wins this fight is going to shoot up like a star and go to the next level. It’s a tough fight for both. I expect a really, really tough fight.

“What I see is the potential for whoever wins this fight to be a superstar. Not just a star or just a champion, but a superstar. Canelo is on the right path and April 20 is going to show us if he’s able to make that jump. Canelo’s destiny is in his own hands and it’s up to him to win the fight.

“This reminds me when I beat Ike Quartey. Although I did have all the admirers and the fans, I needed that one win to solidify me as a great champion. This is his one moment, but he has his work cut out for him. Austin Trout is the real deal. He’s no joke, but if you want to beat the best you have to fight the best. I’ve said that throughout my whole career.

“I think San Antonio is a great fight town. The fans there have been asking for a great fight. They haven’t had a big fight there since Chavez-Whitaker. I fought there, but they haven’t had a big, big world championship fight in some time.”

CHEPO REYNOSO

“All the training’s been done and we are down to our final weeks. We know that Trout is a smart fighter and that he got some invaluable experience against (Miguel) Cotto.

“We’re ready for a lefty fighter and focused our training sparring with two very seasoned lefties who provided us with a lot of different looks. They have a lot of similar characteristics to what we are going to see against Trout.”

EDDY REYNOSO

“Canelo is going to fight how he always fights. We aren’t going to change just because of our opponent. Of course we’ve studied all of Trout’s fights and we’ll be ready for whatever he brings, but we’re just going to come to fight like we always do.”

Canelo vs. Trout, a 12-round Super Welterweight World Championship Unification fight for Canelo’s WBC title, Trout’s WBA title and the vacant Ring Magazine title, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event will be a 10-round fight between undefeated prospects Omar Figueroa Jr. of Weslaco, Texas and Abner Cotto of Caguas, Puerto Rico for the vacant WBC Silver Lightweight Championship which is presented in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions. The fights will air live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with Canelo vs. Trout being presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $25 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are available for purchase at the Alamodome box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000.

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (April 4, 2013) – The first-quarter of 2013 closed with Acquinity Sports pitching a perfect game, as its fighters won all four fights they participated in, highlighted by International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight titlist Argenis “The Thunderstorm” Mendez (21-2, 11 KOs) becoming the second-year promotional company’s first world champion.

Mendez, a 2004 Dominican Republic Olympian now living in Miami, dropped defending champion Juan Carlos Salgado in the opening round of their March 9 title fight Costa Mesa, California on HBO Latino, finishing him off in the fourth. Mendez is No. 3 in The Ring Magazine ratings.

Acquinity sports had Juan Manual Lopez or Yuriorkis Gamboa in its sites as Mendez’ next opponent.

Last weekend on ESPN Friday Night Fights, Cuban light heavyweight Umberto “The Don” Savigne (11-1, 8 KOs) added the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino title to his growing display case, pounding previously undefeated Brazilian slugger Jackson Junior (14-0, 13 KOs) until the fight ended in the fourth due to the three-knockdown rule.

Savigne, rated No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), also dropped Jackson in the second round of their fight at Turning Stone Casino (Verona, NY). The hard-hitting 175-pounder from Cuba, who also lives in Miami, is rated No. 10 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Another dangerous Cuban, 2008 Olympic silver medalist Yudel Jhonson (13-1, 8 KOs), kicked-off 2013 for Acquinity Sports, rebounding from his only loss as a professional to register a win by eight-round decision over Dashon Johnson on January 12 in Sunrise, Florida. Jhonson is rated No. 15 by the WBA.

Undefeated Cuban bantamweight Alexei Collado (16-0, 15 KOs), who lives in Cork, Ireland, needed less than one round to stop veteran Juan Jose Beltran on Mar. 15 in Kissimmee, Florida.

“”Our success is a total team effort,” noted Henry Rivalta, Acquinity Sports vice president of boxing operations, “from our CEO, Gary Jonas, to our trainers, Herman Caidedo and Micky Ward, and all our fighters who put in the hard work, day in and day out. I am very happy to see what we’ve done this past quarter. I couldn’t be happier to work with such a good group of individuals.”

The Acquinity Sports beat figures to continue during the next few months as two-division world champion, WBA No. 5 Joan “Little Tyson” Guzman (33-1-1, 20 KOs), is scheduled to take on Vincente “El Loco” Mosquera (32-2-1, 17 KOs), on May 30 or 31, likely in the Dominican Republic, for the Interim WBA super lightweight title.

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

DANNY GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion

“He [Zab Judah] is just another guy in my way. They all say the same thing. They think they’re going to beat me…until we get into that ring.

“Everything is going solid. This is one of my most solid camps. I’m running and sparring and looking sharper every day. We’re running a perfect schedule.

“[On his rib injury that postponed the originally scheduled February 9 fight date] I got hurt sparring. Boxing is a contact sport. It’s my first injury ever as a professional. I feel like there shouldn’t be any questions. My team and I made the right decision.

“Zab is from Brooklyn, but I’m the hometown guy. I was in New York City a few weeks ago, and a lot of people told me they are rooting for me. I know the crowd is going to be for me that night. I’m the champ.

“I feel like I’m hungrier now than ever. Everyone wants what I have. I have to always be on my A game. If you think like a champion, act like a champion and walk like a champion, you are a champion.

“I’m not really concerned about anything [that Judah will do in the fight]. I know I’m going to be at 110 percent and in perfect shape.

“I’ve fought tons of southpaws in the amateurs and in the pros. It’s easier for me because I can land my hard left hand and hard left hook.

“Experience doesn’t mean anything when you get hit. It is about how you can take a punch. When you get hit and let your hands go, experience doesn’t matter.

“I have to keep showing the world that I’m the best 140-pound fighter

“I think it’s personal when you go into a fight and a man is trying to hurt you. It’s always personal.

“[On the support of Philadelphia fans] It means a lot because Philadelphia is a fighting city. The support of the Latino community means a lot. There has never been a Latino world champion that has come out of Philadelphia. I have Latino kids come up to me everyday and thank me and say they look up to me. I want to keep holding it down for my city.

“Every fight, my fan base is grows. That’s how it is supposed to be. I’m happy that my city’s following me.

“I’ve been going to this gym since I was 10 years old. Everyone here knows me. Kids I grew up with tell me to keep doing my thing. They pay attention and recognize the hard work.

“140 [pounds] is a great division. I have been at 140 since the amateurs. I think I have two or three more left at this weight.

“You are going to see the best Danny Garcia on April 27. I am predicting a fourth round knockout.

“I don’t really have anything to say to him [Judah]. I am going to do what I do best, and punch him in the mouth.”

ANGEL GARCIA, Garcia’s Father & Trainer

“Danny doesn’t care what people say, but he is the champ.

“The truth hurts. Zab Judah fought Vernon Paris a year ago. Paris gave him nine rounds. Zab had his day. This is a new era of fighting. This is the Danny Swift era. He is the champion of the world.

“When Danny is fighting, I am in the ring with him. His opponent is fighting two spirits, not just one.

“The fighters needed someone to step up to the plate and SHOWTIME stepping up is the best thing that they ever did.

“Viva SHOWTIME!

“I train him, he fights them and Al Haymon picks them. At 140 pounds, no one can beat the champ.

“When it comes to the injury, things happen. He is on his A Game now.

“People say Danny is a basic fighter, but come on…he is the champion of the world.

“Danny went to college…he got his degree [in the ring]. A few more years he will get his masters.

“People are always going to talk. I don’t care what they say. I know we’re happy. Danny has more haters than lovers, but those are the people that are going to come see him. As long as they pay the money to see him, I’m happy.”

# # #

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. In the co-featured attraction, WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin puts his title on the line against hard-hitting Fernando Guerrero in a 12-round fight. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling800-745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

Immediately following Garcia vs. Judah, Amir Khan vs. Julio Diaz, a 12-round 143-pound catch-weight bout, emanating from Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England, will air on tape delay on SHOWTIME BOXING: Special Edition. Highlights of 2012 British Olympic Bronze Medalist Anthony Ogogo’s professional debut will also be shown during the telecast.

Undefeated Polish welterweight prospect Patryk Szymanski (6-0, 2KO’s) looks to make a splash in his new home of North Bergen, New Jersey when he faces undefeated David Curiel (3-0-1, 1KO) in a six round special feature at Schuetzen Park on Saturday April 13th.

Boxing has always come natural for Szymanski who was basically born into the aptly named Sport of Kings. ”Since I can remember, boxing has always been a part of my life,” said Szymanski. “My father was a boxer and then a trainer. When I was too young to box, I would watch my father train other fighters. He would take me to boxing camps and events. I had my first amateur bout when I turned nine and have been boxing ever since.

The Konin native had a huge amateur career that spanned over a hundred fights. Many awards were bestowed upon the quickly growing Szymanski, winning several international competitions and eventually becoming a Polish national amateur champion.

Though popular in Poland, Szymanski’s calling as a professional brought him to America and he signed with Global Boxing Promotions. On June 30th of 2012, Patryk made his debut in grand style, scoring a first round knockout of Luis Ortiz in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Szymanski moved to North Bergen, New Jersey and began to train at the famed Global Boxing Gym under the auspices of his new trainers James Ali Bashir and Lenny Dejesus. Patryk added some of the American style and reeled off five more victories.

One of those victories was very special to Patryk Szymanski as he returned home to Poland and captured a six round unanimous decision victory over Laszlo Fazekas (12-5-1, 9KO’s). “It is always a great feeling to fight in front of your home crowd,” said Szymanski. “Having the support of the Polish people is always motivating. It is hard to fail when so many people are backing you up.”

Now at the tender age of nineteen and standing at 5’ 11” tall, Szymanski (6-0, 2KO’s) looks primed to make a dent in the welterweight division. Szymanski feels there are several things that set him apart of the other welterweights and he is ready to use his advantages to continue his rise up the welterweight ladder. “At 5’11” I am very tall for a welterweight,” stated Szymanski. “I don’t have another job so I can completely devote myself to boxing. All of my focus is on training. My whole life is boxing. The fact that I have a lot of amateur experience sets me apart from others in my division. Also my style is different. I have a mixture of a European as well as an American aspect in my fighting style and I feel it has really helped me to set myself apart from other prospects, but I am always learning to even get better.”

Szymanski looks to continue his winning ways on Saturday April 13th at Schuetzen Park on the blockbuster card promoted by Andre Kut’s KEA Boxing Promotions in association with Global Boxing Promotions. It will not be easy though, as standing in his way will be undefeated David “The Riot” Roman Curiel (3-0-1, 1KO.). “It will be a tough fight for both of us,” explained Szymanski. “I saw one his fights and I know he wants to keep his record clean. However on Saturday night April 13th that will all change and I will come out victorious.”

One thing is for sure, it will be a fight you won’t want to miss.

PROVIDENCE.(April 4, 2013) – Undefeated super featherweight prospect Toka “T Nice” Kahn-Clary (4-0, 3 KOs) returns to action April 13, fighting on the Nonito Donaire-Guillermo Rigondeaux undercard, at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Liberia-native Kahn-Clary, a 20-year-old who moved to Providence 14 years ago, is coming off (Feb. 23) another impressive win by second-round technical knockout of 18-fight veteran Pablo Cupul.

Kahn-Clary faces Gadiel Andaluz (4-4-1, 2 KOs) next Saturday in what is expected to be Toka’s last four-round bout before graduating to six.

“This fight is a real big opportunity for me,” Kahn-Clary said, “so I need to put on my best performance to prove I’m a good prospect, and that I will be one of the best fighters in the world someday. To fight on the same card as Donaire and Rigondeaux, being involved in only the second boxing show ever at Radio City Music Hall me, is an honor got me. I have to fight to the best of my ability.

“I stay in touch with guys I know from the amateurs and one, (Philadelphia super middleweight) Jesse Hart, is fighting on the same card. I’m competitive and even though we’re friends, I want to look better than him that night.”

Promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Kahn-Clary was a standout amateur who captured a gold medal at the 2010 U.S. National Golden Gloves Tournament. He fights out of the new Manfredo Boxing Sports Fitness gym in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

“Toka is fighting on a five-star show headlined on HBO by the Donaire-Rigondeaux fight,” Toka-Kahn’s head trainer Peter Manfredo, Sr. noted. “Everybody who’s anybody in boxing will be there, so it’s very important that Toka looks good. Top Rank has done a great job moving him, keeping him active, and finding the right opponents. Top Rank has two of the best matchmakers in boxing, Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodwin, and, someday, hopefully, they’ll be finding the best fighters in the world for Toka.

“Toka’s matured a lot and improved the last year, getting better at his trade as he goes along. Now, he’s going to body nice, sitting down on his punches, and he has a good body attack.”

Kahn-Clary has had four professional fights, excluding a no-contest when he suffered a cut due to an unintentional head-butt in four different states – Nevada, California, New Jersey and Rhode Island – and New York will be his fifth during the first 10 months of his young career.

“Keeping active is very important for a young fighter like me,” Kahn-Clary concluded. “Fighting in the ring and the gym are two different things. Even if you’re in the gym working hard every day like me, it’s not the same as fighting in the ring, and you can get rusty. I’m very happy that I’ve been so active.”

PHILADELPHIA – Steve “USS” Cunningham held an open media workout at the Rock Ministries Gym in Philadelphia. With a little more than two weeks remaining until the fight, Cunningham, 25-2, 12 KOs, appeared confident, conditioned, and ready to fight Irish import Tyson Fury, 20-0, 14 KOs, a 6′ 9″ rising star of the heavyweight division. Cunningham went through a light workout for the press before speaking about the upcoming nationally televised fight at The Theater at Madison Square Garden scheduled for Saturday afternoon, April 20th. The Fury – Cunningham battle will be the main event of the 4PM ET broadcast on NBC.

Steve Cunningham
Photo credits: phillyboxinghistory.com

“He wants to get under my skin with his antics, imitating Ali, doing all these tricks,” Cunningham said of Fury’s trash talking press conference performance from last month. “He wants me to just come in and punch him in the mouth, but I will stick to the game plan and not get out of control. It’s all about the game plan.”

Steve Cunningham
Photo Credits: phillyboxinghistory.com

We’re getting ready for the best Tyson Fury that the world has ever seen,” Cunningham continued. “He can say what he wants to say. It’s only going to make him look bad when he gets beaten by a supposed light heavyweight.”

Cunningham gets stretched while son Cruz looks on
Photo Credits: Wendy Benedict

“I’m going to utilize my strengths, and we’ve worked on my weaknesses,” Cunningham said. “So you’re going to see some different things. You’re going to see some things that are the same. I feel great. I feel strong. I feel energetic. I’m excited about this fight.”

Steve Cunningham
Photo Credits: Wendy Benedict

Cunningham’s trainer, Brother Naazim Richardson, said, “Steve Cunningham has been overlooked. He is an intelligent fighter and he’s getting smarter all the time. See that’s the thing, he’s getting smarter all the time if you look at all his fights. In boxing power has always won guys things, but you never see anybody maintain with just power. Never happens…the strongest muscle in your body is that brain and the guy that can use that can find a way to manipulate almost any other person in the ring.”

Also fighting on the April 20 card, Philly favorite, Karl “Dynamite” Dargan, 12-0, 6 KO’s, participated in the media workout as well. Dynamite is preparing for his 6 round lightweight contest against Sergi Ganjelashvili of Ft Lauderdale, FL, 4-5-1.

Dynamite Dargan and Brother Naazim Richardson
Photo Credits: phillyboxinghistory.com

Dynamite is ready to fight anyone, ” Everything is on point. I’m sure they have an opponent for me, but most of my fights they don’t tell me who the opponent is. For me it’s not really for the fighter to know who the opponent is. A lot of people say well why not, don’t you have to strategize, do this, do that? But that’s what your trainer is for. Your trainer has to find out who you’re fighting. Your trainer has to find your strategy to beat your opponent. That’s not the fighter’s job.”

Dynamite said, “The main thing for me right now is staying active. The more active I am the better. The better you guys see me. I don’t think you guys have even seen the best of me yet as a professional.”

APRIL 20TH FIGHT INFO

April 20th at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York features a 12-round heavyweight battle between Tyson Fury and Steve Cunningham in the main event. Curtis Stevens will take on Derrick Findley in the 8-round middleweight co-feature. Six additional bouts are planned for the undercard. Doors open at The Theater at Madison Square Garden doors open at 1:15PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 4PM ET on NBC as a special 2 hour afternoon presentation of NBC Fight Night. The card is presented by Hennessy Sports and Main Events.

The main event is an official IBF Heavyweight Voluntary Eliminator fight for the #2 position. The winner must meet #1 or the leading available contender to establish the mandatory challenger for Heavyweight King Wladimir Klitschko.

Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $100, $250 and $500. Tickets are available at the Madison Square Garden box office, through Ticketmaster 866-858-0008 and at ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices include a $5 Facility Surcharge. Ticketmaster purchases are subject to a Ticketmaster Surcharge. Wheelchairs, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available 212-465-6035.

Two action filled fights have been added to the June 8th card that will feature Marcos Maidana and Josesito Lopez card in Carson, California on Showtime according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

In a Jr. Middleweight bout, Erislandy Lara will take on Alfredo Angulo while Super Middleweights Marco Antonio Periban and Sakio Bika will slug it out.

“Angulo and Lara is an evenly matched fight,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “Lara is technically better, but Angulo is a much bigger puncher. If he can get Lara in trouble, it could go his way, and if Lara decides to box him, it could go Lara’s way. Can Alfredo Angulo catch him, and if he does, how is Lara going to react?”

“We’re really excited about the opportunity. Angulo is one of the top guys in the division,” Luis DeCubas Jr., Angulo’s manager, told ESPN.com. “This is going to be his fourth top-10 contender in six fights — Paul Williams, Carlos Molina, Vanes and now Angulo. That’s four very solid top-10 guys. It just goes to prove that Lara is always willing to fight the best guys in the division.

“Angulo is definitely a guy who can turn the fight around with one shot, which makes it interesting. But Lara will hold his ground, so Angulo better be ready because he has to realize that Lara can hurt him as well. It’s a real interesting matchup. The winner of this fight will be in a great, great position to fight the winner of Canelo Alvarez and [Austin] Trout [who meet to unify titles on April 20] or to have some other big fight at 154. We’re just excited that Angulo stepped up to the plate to fight Lara because not too many people are keen on fighting him.”

“Angulo wanted a big fight, this is a big fight,” Schaefer said. “It’s not an easy fight for Alfredo. If he comes out and presses the action and catches Lara, it can be a short night. Lara, at this point, needs to step up his game. He looked average in his last two fights. He has the opportunity to look great against Angulo.”

“Bika and Periban, I expect fireworks in that one, too,” Schaefer said.