MAIN EVENT: 10 ROUNDS

Zahir Raheem vs. Santos Pakau

Zahir Raheem def. Santos Pakau TKO2 2:20

SEMI-MAIN EVENT: 6 ROUNDS

Virgil Green vs. Dave Petryk

David Petryk def. Virgil Green MD (57-57)(59-55)(58-56)

UNDERCARD: 4 ROUND BOUTS

Antonio Neal vs. Robert Yager

Antonio Neal def. Robert Yager KO1 1:28

Julian Dutkel vs. Kelvin Medley

Kelvin Medley def. Julian Dutkel MD (38-38)(39-37)(39-37)

Ricardo Maldonado vs. Dex Montenegro

Ricardo Madlonado def. Dex Montenegro UD (40-36) (40-36) (40-36)

Zach Cooper vs. Josh Solis

Zach Cooper def. Josh Solis TKO3 1:40

Andre Direll, who was supposed to headline an ESPN Friday Night Fights card on April 12th has been forced to drop out of the show due to a personal problem according to Dan Rafael. Also, Mrvin Quintero who was to face Ameth Diaz in a Lightweight elimination bout a week earlier had to withdraw from his bout due to a broken nose.

Jonathan Gonzalez remained perfect by stopping Joseph Rios in round three of a scheduled ten round Super Flyweight bout in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Gonzalez was never threatened as he was dominant with the right hand which help open up the cut around the left eye of Rios and the bout was stopped at 1:01 of round two.

Gonzalez is now 12-0 with 11 knockouts. Rios is 13-8-2

Super Prospect Felix Verdejo scored a 2nd round stoppage over Martin Quezada in a scheduled four round Super Featherweight bout.

Verdejo dropped Quezada with a vicious left uppercut in round one and finished the fight with a hard left in round two that sent Quezada down an the fight was stopped at fifty-one seconds of round two.

Verdejo, 131 lbs of San Juan, PR is now 4-0 with 3 knockouts. Quezada, 126 lbs of San Antonio, TX is now 2-4

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Jr. Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson will defend against tough Lucas Matthysse on May 18th at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Showtime will televise

“Lamont called him out, so it shows you how confident he and (trainer/manager) Barry Hunter are,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “Lamont had no problem fighting Matthysse, and right there in the ring after his last fight, he called him out. Lamont Peterson and Lucas Matthysse will fight anyone. Matthysse wanted to fight (unified titleholder) Danny Garcia, but he is busy with the fight with Zab Judah (on April 27), so we asked him about fighting Peterson. Matthysse said, ‘Line him up.’

“For Peterson to have a victory against one of the most avoided guys in boxing, that would be big and definitely make a big statement. The same goes for Lucas Matthysse. He’s been waiting for an opportunity to show he is ready to take on and win against an opponent like Lamont Peterson.”

Previously set for the card is the rescheduled co-feature between welterweight titlist Devon Alexander (24-1, 13 KOs) of St. Louis and mandatory challenger Kell Brook (29-0, 19 KOs) of England. Alexander-Brook was originally supposed to take place Jan. 19 in Los Angeles, but when Brook injured his ankle in mid-December, the fight was postponed until Feb. 23. Then it was postponed again when Alexander suffered a right biceps injury.

“With Peterson and Matthysse and Alexander-Brook, this is championship boxing at the highest level,” Schaefer said. “You have two great matchups in two of the hottest weight classes, and if you asked 10 experts to pick the winners, you’d probably have half pick one guy and the other half pick the other guy.”

“Matthysse’s first choice was somewhere in Southern California,” Schaefer said. “As much as I can appreciate that, the fight belongs on the East Coast with Peterson being from Washington, D.C., so the site was a stumbling block. Mario really didn’t want to go again into an opponent’s hometown. It was like a psychological thing. Matthysse feels like he did enough to beat Devon and Zab and got the short end of the stick.

“I brought up Atlantic City, which is pretty close to Washington, D.C., and was able to convince Mario that this is neutral territory and I was able to convince Barry also to get out of Washington but go to a place not too far away so Lamont’s fans can come to the fight. Ultimately, they agreed (Thursday) night, and now I think you have one of the best fights you can make in the sport.”

Tonight at Sunset Station in San Antonio, Texas, Lightweight prospect Rashad Ganaway will take his next step towards title contention and mainstream legitimacy when he takes on tough fight veteran Justo Vallecillo in the main event of a six bout Triple A Promotions fight card.

Despite experiencing some professional setbacks in the form of management and promotional issues, the Little Rock, Arkansas native truly believes he is finally on the road to a world championship.

“Everything is finally going my way,” claims the talented 29 year old fighter. “I have the right people in my corner for the first time in my professional career. I am so hungry and focused right now, and I know that it’s only a matter of time before I receive an opportunity to fight for a major world title.”

Although Ganaway will be the betting favorite going into tonight’s contest, the slick boxer/puncher is not taking his upset minded opponent lightly.

“In boxing, anything can happen and every fight can be decided with one punch. I know Vallecillo will be confident going into the contest, so it’s going to be my job to discourage him early. He’s the type of fighter that will keep coming at you if you don’t earn his respect right away. I am taking this assignment as seriously as a championship fight.”

“Mistakes happen when you take your opponents for granted. This is a new beginning to my career and there is no room for any mistakes. I’ve prepared with trainer Joe Lopez for the toughest fight imaginable, so I will be ready for anything that comes up in the ring.”

Triple A

Promotions

presents

“The Quest: Ganaway vs. Vallecillo”, Live at Sunset Station in San Antonio, Texas

Rashad Ganaway vs Justo Vallecillo in the Lightweight 8rd Main Event

Javier Rodriguez vs TBA in the Featherweight 4rd Co-Main Event

Rafael Casias vs Omar Gonzalez – Super Flyweight 6rd Special Feature

Jessie Anguiano vs Robert Ledezma – Super Bantamweight 4rd Special Feature

John Arrevalo vs Roberto Lara – Welterweight 4rd Special Feature

Angelo Gutierrez vs. Cody East – Heavyweights 4rd Special Feature

Tickets start as low as $20 and doors open at 6:30 PM CST.

“The Quest” for the next world champion in the Alamo City begins on Saturday, March 23rd, at Sunset Station in San Antonio, Texas.

On Friday night Cuban Olympic gold medalist Odlanier Solis defended his IBF intercontinental championship by unanimous decision against previously unbeaten Norwegian Leif Larsen. “La Sombra” dominated the fight and looked good and sharp in the early rounds. He connected with a couple of hard shots but Larsen hung in there and fired back with a couple of decent blows as well.

“I have to say that he is one of the toughest guys I have been in the ring with”, said Solis. “I threw and landed a lot of hard punches. But he took them all and hit me with some of the hardest hands that ever hit me. He is a good fighter. For me it was important to get back in the ring and win the fight. I want to fight more regularly now.”
“I underestimated Larsen”, adds promoter Ahmet Oner. “He is a big and strong guy and I am sure that he can beat many elite fighters. This was a good and important test for Solis and I think he did a great job for the first couple of rounds. Later on he did enough to secure the victory even though Larsen connected with some big hands. Of course, we all know that he needs more fights to get back into his rhythm. We will keep him active and get him another fight in two or three months.”

Former WBC Silver welterweight champion Selcuk Aydin outworked Italian ring veteran Giuseppe Lauri to win the PABA light welterweight championship. Aydin won every round and scored a knockdown in the third but Lauri managed to survive without winning a single round. “The most important thing for me was to get back on the winning track”, said Aydin. “I know that I still have to improve to get back to my old class but in the end all that counts is the victory.”

In other notable action former WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev stopped US journeyman Mike Sheppard in one round.

Robert Stieglitz recaptured the WBO Super Middleweight title with a stoppage over Arthur Abraham after Abraham could not continue due to his left eye being closed as the fourth round was about to commence in Magdeburg, Germany.

Stieglitz hurt Abraham in round two and almost had him out. But what he did do was cause massive swelling around the left eye of Abraham. It was more of the same in round three as Steglitz continued to pound on Abraham. Abraham, knowing he was in trouble tried to throw hayemaker punches but it was no avail as the fight was stopped by referee Michael Ortega stopped the bout due to the swelling of Abraham’s eye.

This was a rematch of last August bout that saw Abraham win a unanimous decision.

Stieglitz is now 44-3 with 25 knockouts. Abraham is now 36-4.

Heavyweight contender Robert Helenius scored a ten round unanimous decision over Michael Sprott.

Helenus looked good at times and very pedestrian at other parts of the bout as he took the first two and some of the middle rounds but was tagged on numerous occasions by Sprott.

Scores were 98-93 on two cards and 97-93 for Helenius who is now 19-0. Sprott is now 37-20

George Groves remained perfect by stopping an overmatched Baker Barakat in round two of a scheduled eight round Super Middleweight bout.

Groves was dominant and dropped Barakat in round and finished the fight with a big combination and it was stopped.

Groves is now 18-0 with 14 knockouts. Barakat is now 37-14-4.

British boxing superstar Amir ‘King’ Khan’s first fight in the UK in two years will be screened LIVE and exclusive on The Channel of Champions BoxNation!

Khan, the former unified IBF & WBA Super World Light-Welterweight Champion, takes on former World Champion Julio ‘The Kidd’ Diaz on Saturday 27th April at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield.

The Bolton fighter, who’s heroic efforts as a 17-year-old at the 2004 Athens Olympics to win a Silver medal captured the world’s attention, has gone on to become one of the biggest names in world boxing with his exciting all-action performances, lighting speed, dazzling combinations and knockout power.

At just 26, Khan has faced and beaten some of the best in the business, including World Champions Marco Antonio Barrera, Paul Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana and Zab Judah.

He’s on the road back to regaining his world titles after his loss to Danny Garcia last July and has racked up a win against Carlos Molina last December, completely outclassing the unbeaten American and forcing him to quit on his stool at the end of the tenth round.

Diaz, 33, from Jiquilpan, Mexico, who now fights out California, USA, comes into the fight with the upper-hand in experience over a 14-year career and 48 fights. A former IBF World Champion at lightweight, Diaz aims to win a second divisional world title and impressive knockout wins against Henry Aurad and Hector Sanchez, plus a draw against unbeaten prospect Shawn Porter – which many thought he won – have put him back on track again.

Khan is excited to return to the UK with his last fight here in April 2011 – a sixth round technical decision over Belfast’s Paul McCloskey to retain his WBA World title – and is looking forward to making his debut on BoxNation.

“I’m very excited to be on BoxNation, a channel which has shown some of the biggest fights around. It’s proved to be a great platform for boxing and on April 27th I can’t wait to display my skills against Julio Diaz. I know Julio will be bringing it and is coming to fight but I’m determined to put on a show in what will be my first bout back in Britain in two years. I’m delighted we have managed to secure this deal and all I’m concentrating on is making sure that everyone who tunes in gets to see an exciting matchup. It will be a night not to be missed.” Said Khan.

Khan v Diaz will form one half of a gigantic double-header on BoxNation from two continents with Britain’s Martin Murray challenging WBC World Middleweight Champion, top three pound-for-pound best and Argentine hero Sergio Martinez LIVE and exclusive later that night from Buenos Aires.

Jim McMunn, General Manager of BoxNation said: “The Khan fight is a real coup for us. Khan is Britain’s most exciting fighter and one of the few who engages the general sports fan as well as the boxing enthusiast. His style and personality make him real box office and we are thrilled to have him. April 27 is a huge night on BoxNation with Amir topping the bill but also Martin Murray from Ricky Hatton’s stable fighting Sergio Martinez for the world title in Argentina. With Cleverly and Chisora the week before and Floyd Mayweather the following week it is an unbelievable schedule and BoxNation continues to deliver the best of boxing.”

“We are very excited to have Amir Khan fighting on BoxNation,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “As one of the U.K.’s top stars, it’s important for Amir to be showcased on the best television networks for his fans. We are excited to be working with BoxNation on not only the Khan vs. Diaz fight in April, but also again in May on the year’s biggest night of boxing featuring Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero.”

Khan’s debut on BoxNation cements the channels position as the undisputed best with the announcement last week that it has secured the LIVE and exclusive UK rights for the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter Floyd Mayweather Jnr’s WBC World Welterweight title defence against Robert Guerrero from the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, on Saturday 4th May.

MAIN EVENT: 10 ROUNDS

Zahir Raheem: 143

Santos Pakau: 143

Contract Weight – 144 Lbs.

SEMI-MAIN EVENT: 6 ROUNDS

Virgil Green: 143

Dave Petryk: 145

Contract Weight – 145 Lbs.

UNDERCARD: 4 ROUND BOUTS

Julian Dutkel: 144

Kelvim Medley: 142.5

Contract Weight – 144 Lbs.

Zach Cooper: 153.5

Josh Solis: 159

Contract Weight – 154 Lbs.

Antonio Neal: 147.5

Robert Yager: 146

Contract Weight – 148 Lbs.

Ricardo Maldonado: 142.5

Dex Montenegro: 143

Contract Weight – 143 Lbs.

Solis and Cooper have a monetary agreement in place for the weight at issue.

Former world champion Kermit Cintron was fortunate to get a ten round draw with unheralded Adrian Granados in a Welterweight bout.

Granados landed the better shots and was more active despite fighting through a cut around the eye since the fourth round. Granados had a strong round ten and it looked like that would be enough to earn the biggest victory of his career. But it wasnt to be as Granados won a card 96-96; Cintron 97-93 and one card even at 95-95

Granados, 146 lbs of Chicago is now 9-1-2. Cintron, 146 lbs of Reading, PA is now 33-5-2.

Hairon Socarras scored a four round unanimous decision over Sergio Montes De Oca in a Featherweight weight bout.

Socarras scored a knockdown in round one from a right hand to the body that was followed by a left to the head that made Montes De Oca’s glove hit the canvas. Socarras continued to dominate the fight as he landed some quick combinations.

Socarras won the bout via scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 7-0-1. De Oca, 126 lbs of Chicago is now 7-2-1.

LOS ANGELES, March 22 – It’s a back-to-back weekend of boxing classics on March 23 and 30 when some of the sport’s greats including Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, Abner Mares, Ricky Hatton and Victor Ortiz are featured on FOX Deportes Classics.

On Saturday, March 23, it’s a hard-hitting classic doubleheader, when the battle between Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares and former World Champion Vic Darchinyan from 2010 airs at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT, then the memorable 2004 showdown between future Hall of Famers Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins follows at 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT.

Then, on Saturday, March 30, two more action-packed fights will be featured starting with former World Champion Victor Ortiz’s 2010 battle against Hector Alatorre at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT followed by the memorable 2007 mega fight between then both undefeated fighters Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton at 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT.

2004 Mexican Olympian Abner Mares scored the biggest victory of his career on December 11, 2010 when he rose from the canvas to knock down Vic Darchinyan and go on to win a hard fought split decision victory that kicked off his run to two divisional world championships.

It was one of boxing’s biggest fights in years when Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins met for the Undisputed Middleweight World Championship on September 18, 2004, and after an evenly-matched battle, Hopkins scored a ninth round knockout victory over “The Golden Boy.”

Currently competing on ABC’s hit reality show “Dancing With The Stars,” former World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz wasn’t dancing against Hector Alatorre in their February 25, 2010 bout at Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE where he dropped and then stopped the rugged veteran in the 10th round, kicking off his run towards a world title.

Following up his mega-fight win over Oscar De La Hoya in May of 2007, current Eight Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather finished off that year on December 8 by stopping British superstar Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in the 10th round to retain his WBC Welterweight World Championship and improve to 38-0 as a pro.

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

New York, NY (3/22/13) – Tomorrow, all four participants for the much-anticipated Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4 Tournament depart their respective training camps and head to beautiful Monaco, in anticipation of the opening round of the tournament taking place on Saturday, March 30, at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille.

The event in Monaco is headlined by red-hot WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (25-0, 22KO’s) defending his title against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida (24-8-2, 9KO’s). The opening round of the Super 4 tournament matches Edwin Rodriguez (22-0, 15KO’s) against Argentinean Olympian Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna (19-0, 13KO’s) and former two-division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18KO’s) squaring off against Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8KO’s). The card will be distributed in the United States and Canada on PPV by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View.

Below are quotes from each fighter from their last day of training:

EDWIN RODRIGUEZ (L) W/ STABLEMATE BRYAN VERA

“This has been an amazing training camp,” said Rodriguez. “Ronnie Shields and the guys at Peak Performance in Houston have me in amazing shape. I am ready to get into the ring and show the world who I am and what I am made of. I want to thank Golden Gloves, my promoter DiBella Entertainment and my manager Larry Army Jr. for this opportunity. I encourage everyone to tune in on March 30 to see me at the top of my game in the biggest fight of my career.”

EZEQUIEL OSVALDO MADERNA

“I have had a great training camp and I am excited to finally be departing for Monaco for what is going to be the most important challenge of my life,” said Maderna. “We have wrapped up the final stages of training camp, and, come March 30, I will be ready for a war against Edwin Rodriguez.”

ZSOLT ERDEI TRAINING W/ FUTURE HALL-OF-FAME TRAINER FRITZ SDUNEK

“I am very happy that the Hungarian fans will have a chance to once again see me fight live and in person. It just multiplies my strength and will to win,” said the former two-division champion Zsolt Erdei, regarding the large number of Hungarian fans making the trip to Monaco.

Erdei continued, “I want to prove that the old man is not an old man. So far everything is going well. I have had no problem with my weight, the shape I am in is almost disturbingly good. The bumps are there, of course, over the many years of fighting, but I know that above anything else, my power is still there, and Grachev will find that out on March 30. I’m going to prove that I am still one of the top fighters in the world.”

DENIS GRACHEV

“This has been the hardest train camp that I have ever had. I have already made my plans to be back in Monaco in July,” stated a determined Grachev.

Excitement is building ahead of the international boxing spectacular, the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4, which takes place in the famous Mediterranean city next weekend.

The boxers begin arriving from all over the world early next week and will come face to face for the first time at a media conference at the Casino de Monte-Carlo on Tuesday evening. The press conference will include Gennady Golovkin, the WBA and IBO middleweight champion, challenger Nobuhiro Ishida, plus Super 4 contestants Edwin Rodriguez, Ezequiel Maderna, Denis Grachev and Zsolt Erdei. Sergei Rabchenko and Adriano Nicchi, contestants for the European junior middleweight title bout, will also appear, plus undercard fighters Junior Makabu and Jean Marc Monrose. All together, nine separate countries will be represented at the gigantic international final presser.

On Wednesday afternoon, March 27, the boxers will engage in public workouts, also at the casino, with fans encouraged to lend their support.

The weigh-in will take place at 6pm on the eve of the tournament, with the Casino de Monte-Carlo again offering a suitably classic backdrop to this historic event.

“I’m very excited, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” said promoter Rodney Berman, of Golden Gloves. “We have broadcasters from all over the world taking the fight and we’re expecting many fans from the boxers’ countries to attend. This event has really struck a chord.”

The “Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4” and Golovkin’s middleweight title defense will be distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and in Canada via Bell TV for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. In addition, the event will be available via online Pay-Per-View at:

http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Gennady_Golovkin_vs_Nobuhiro_Ishida/1896

The event is promoted by Rodney Berman’s Golden Gloves. The Golovkin-Ishida bout is promoted in association with K2 Promotions, while the Rodriguez-Maderna and Erdei-Grachev bouts are promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment.

Tickets can be purchased by contacting the SBM Reservations Department by phone at: +377 98 06 36 36 (10 am to 7 pm) or email: ticketoffice@sbm.mc.

George Groves will fight on Team Sauerland´s big show in Magdeburg, Germany
on Saturday. The unbeaten 24-year-old (17-0, 13 KOs) will take on Baker
Barakat (37-13-4, 25 KOs) in an eight-rounder. “We are delighted to have
added another highly-talented super-middleweight to the card,” promoter
Kalle Sauerland said. “He will impress the crowd with his exciting style,
which has given him many KO wins.”

In the main event of the evening, WBO Super-Middleweight Champion Arthur
Abraham faces Robert Stieglitz. Coached by Adam Booth, Groves is ranked
second by the IBF and WBO, making it a possibility that he might face either
Abraham or Stieglitz in the future.

Groves´ last fight in Germany dates back to November 2009 when he
outpointed Kanstantsin Makhankou in Nuremberg.

Tickets for the big fight night at the GETEC-Arena Magdeburg, Germany are
available at www.boxen.com, www.sesboxing.de and www.eventim.de.

New York, NY / Buenos Aires, Argentina (3/22/13) – On April 27th, Middleweight kingpin Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez will make his much anticipated ‘Homecoming’ in his native country of Argentina, when he looks to defend his WBC middleweight title against England’s undefeated interim WBA middleweight champion Martin Murray (25-0-1, 11KO’s).

In the live televised co-feature, Martinez’ fellow countryman, longtime welterweight contender Luis Carlos Abregu (34-1, 28KO’s) takes on fellow top-rated contender Antonin Decarie (27-1, 8KO’s) for the vacant WBC Silver welterweight world title.

Both bouts will take place at the country’s famed 50,000-seat Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina, with HBO World Championship Boxing providing live coverage starting at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Only one week after tickets went on sale, just a few hundred were left available for purchase at the entire 50,000-seat venue. With the bout being the first for Martinez in his native country since 2002, and first ever as world champion, the expectations for the turnout on fight night were high, but even the organizers of the event in Argentina were blown away by the fan response.

“I am very pleased with the way the event has been received by my fellow countrymen and I promise to give them a performance that will be talked about for years to come,” stated the Champion Martinez. “This is a dream come true for me and I hope it inspires the youth in Argentina and the world that with hard work and a clean lifestyle anything is possible.”

Martinez added, “I would also, from the bottom of my heart, like to thank HBO Sports president Ken Hershman, who I asked personally when I was out to lunch with him, Sampson (Lewkowicz), Lou (DiBella), and Nathan (Lewkowicz), in New York City, if HBO could facilitate a fight for me in Argentina after the Chavez fight. Ken Hershman promised they would work on it and now it has come to fruition.”

“This is a massive opportunity for me and it’s going to be a hard fight, but it doesn’t daunt me at all,” said the undefeated champion Murray. “I’m told there’s going to be about 50,000 people in the stadium so it’s going to be very hostile. I’m always in the zone when I enter the ring though, so it makes no difference what people are doing around me. I’ll just be focused on going in there and doing my job.

“Sergio Martinez is easily the best middleweight in the world so obviously I’ll need to raise my game to beat him, but myself, and my team, know that’s something we’re very capable of doing. Winning this will make me the number one middleweight in the world and set up some more huge opportunities. Being on HBO is an absolute honor. It is the biggest stage in the world. There’s stardom to be had, but I don’t box for that. I’m doing this to prove I’m the best middleweight in the world and for the future of my wife and kids.”

“We are thrilled to be involved with this gigantic and historic event,” said Martinez’ longtime promoter Lou DiBella. “Argentina’s favorite son, long-reigning middleweight champion Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez, returns to his native land to defend his crown against the undefeated English challenger Martin Murray. In the co-feature, you have fellow Argentinean Luis Carlos Abregu facing Canada’s Antonin Decarie, in a highly anticipated welterweight matchup, with the World WBC Silver Championship at stake. This will be the first time that this great stadium will play host to a world championship boxing event, adding to what promises to be a truly memorable night for the sport of boxing and for the great country of Argentina.”

“HBO Boxing is delighted to be able to present live Sergio Martinez’ middleweight title defense from his homeland,” said Kery Davis, Senior Vice President, Programming, HBO Sports. “This doubleheader from Buenos Aires will have a true international flavor and spirit. We know all four fighters will be bringing their A-game on fight night. Boxing fans are in for a real treat. The telecast from a high-energy, open-air stadium will be exciting.”

“This is a massive step up for Martin but I think he could be getting Martinez at the right time. He (Martinez) was rocked all over the place in his last fight against Chavez Jr. and he’s 38-years-old,” said former world champion and promoter of Murray, Ricky Hatton.

“Martin has really come into his own the past couple of years and, to be honest, I think if he can pull this off it will go down as one of the best wins by a British fighter in history. When I beat Kostya Tsyzu he was ranked number two pound-for-pound in the world and I think most people have Martinez at number three. The difference is though that Martin’s going away from home for this fight, so if he wins, I think it’ll be bigger than my fight with Tsyzu.”

“This event will be a celebration, not just for the country of Argentina, but for the viewers of the best network in boxing, HBO,” proclaimed Sampson Lewkowicz, the longtime advisor of Martinez.

“The hard work for this event has paid off and we are now focusing on providing the fans of Argentina and the viewers of HBO a fantastic show that will rival any other production that they have seen in the past,” stated Martinez’ business manager Miguel Ángel de Pablos.

Never in the history of the sport has the President of a country made the official announcement of a fight as is the case with Martinez’ upcoming bout. In addition to announcing the world championship bout, Argentina’s President, Cristina Kirchner, also revealed that the fight will be shown live on public TV Channel 7 in Argentina, allowing 40 million Argentineans to see their champion defend his title on free television.

The bout against Murray will be Martinez’ first since regaining his WBC belt from Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of the legend. On September 15, 2012, in a masterful performance in his first HBO PPV headliner, Martinez, globally recognized as one of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world, dismantled the powerful, undefeated Mexican winning a dominant 12-round unanimous decision before a record-setting, sell-out crowd at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Since defeating Kelly Pavlik for the championship in 2010, Martinez has made five title defenses, including four by devastating knockout, against top opponents with a combined record of 173-4-1.

The 30-year-old Murray, a former Commonwealth and British champion, is unbeaten in 26 professional bouts since turning pro in 2007. Unlike Martinez, who had a very limited amateur pedigree, Murray began boxing at just 11 years old and had a stellar amateur career that included winning the ABA (British senior) title in 2004.

In just his second year as a professional and with only 10 fights under his belt, Murray competed in the U.K.’s ever-popular ‘Prizefighter Middleweight Tournament’, knocking off two fellow undefeated prospects and ultimately winning the tournament in the process.

In 2009, he signed with Hatton Promotions, joining forces with one of Britain’s most popular boxers in its long-storied history, Ricky Hatton.

The bout will not be the first time that Murray has traveled into enemy territory. In 2011, he challenged longtime WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm in Sturm’s home country of Germany. In a give-and-take fight, Murray was dealt a 12-round split draw against Sturm, one that many boxing insiders questioned loudly.

Not to be deterred, Murray won both of his contests in 2012, including his most recent outing when he picked up the interim WBA middleweight title scoring a devastating sixth-round TKO over previously undefeated Jorge Navarro (12-0, 10KO’s) on November 24, 2012.

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

FRED STERNBURG: When Ernie Banks said “Let’s Play Two” he had to be thinking about the Brandon “Bam-Bam” Rios and Mike “Mile High” Alvarado Interim World Championship rematch coming up on March 30 at Mandalay Bay Live on HBO. Last year’s fight many thought was the Fight-of-the-Year and they are expecting the same.

BOB ARUM: Coming off the great fight we had last week with Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov we are looking at really one of the great highlights of the first quarter. The first fight between Brandon and Mike was excellent and we are looking for an equally good fight this time. Brandon and Mike know one thing – they know how to fight and they know how to bring it. It’s great for the fans and I’m looking forward to it on March 30.

BRANDON RIOS: Training camp is going great. I feel really great. I am very hyped up to meet another warrior in the ring as myself. We want to give the fans what they want — another fight. It’s going to be a great fight and I couldn’t be any more excited.

MIKE ALVARADO: Camp is going great. Everything is on schedule. I am here training at home [Denver] and like Brandon said, it’s going to be another great fight. It’s going to be a great show for everyone and I am just glad to have this opportunity to fight.

Do you think it is too soon for a rematch?

BRANDON RIOS: It’s never too soon to do it again. Like I said, we are warriors and if you are a warrior, you want to fight again and again and again. It is never too soon. The first fight was great. I feel great and I’m ready for another battle. I am just ready to do it again. I am ready for another battle. Why wait? It is never too soon.

MIKE ALVARADO: I agree with Brandon. I can’t wait for the chance to redeem myself from the first fight and it is a fight that everyone wants to see, so it’s fight on. And we’re ready to do it.

BOB ARUM: I don’t usually like to do immediate rematches but this first fight was really so great. There was a demand for it to get done and the people at HBO came up with a financial package that was very appealing. Both fighters are getting considerable more than they got the first time. It’s the exception that proves the rule.

Mike, did you think the first fight was going to turn into a war?

MIKE ALVARADO: I knew it was going to. Everyone kind of has a game plan when they go into a fight. I knew it was going to turn into that kind of fight and I had prepared for a war. And that’s the kind of fight it ended up being.

Do you plan to make it less of a war this time to get a better chance to win?

MIKE ALVARADO: You can always train differently to try to change things up but I think our styles and the way we approach the ring, it is automatically going to turn into that kind of fight. They are the styles we have. We are both warriors.. We just fight and whoever comes out on top, that’s just the way it’s going to go.

Do either of you see yourself when you look across the ring in a fight like this?

BRANDON RIOS: We have the same type of style. We both go fight each other. We try to get the job done the only way we know how. We can try to change it up in the gym, but once the bell rings and we get hit we go back to doing what we know how to do. That’s the warrior mentality that comes out of us. Mike Alvarado is Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios is Brandon Rios. We are going to give the fans what they want and we are going to give them a good show.

MIKE ALVARADO: Once we get in the ring – we can train any way we want – but once we get in that ring it’s on us to make adjustments and not get hit like we did, but you never know. There is only one way to find out and that’s when we get in the ring on the 30th, we’ll see what happens.

You were perceived as the lighter puncher when you moved up in weight…

BRANDON RIOS: I had to get out of the lightweight division. I couldn’t make the weight any more. I was a big 135 the whole time and eventually it caught up to me. I had thought moving up in weight would give me more power and benefit me more and that’s what happened. I felt strong.

Did you feel stronger than Mike?

BRANDON RIOS: I am strong no matter what. I come to fight. I come to bring it. I had power at 135 and I have power at 140. Now I don’t have to make those last five pounds and I don’t have to dehydrate myself. So I feel very strong and the power is going to be there even more this time.

Do you think the fight will go as long as the first?

BRANDON RIOS: I am pretty sure it will go the same way. I’m sure he feels the same way to. I am gunning for a knockout. That’s the way I feel right now.

MIKE ALVARADO: He is a warrior and he came and brought all he had. He’s strong. He knows what he has. I was in there with him before and I know what to expect this next time around. I have a game plan and I’ll come back with something a little different this time. We still have to get in with each other again and we know what we are bringing into the ring. And we are going to do it again.

Did Rios force you out of your game plan the first fight?

MIKE ALVARADO: I didn’t really have a game plan. I just fought like I usually do. That is the style I like to fight – it’s the only way I know how. I didn’t change anything up. I made a couple of adjustments in the ring but I wasn’t at the top of my game like I should have been.

Is there anything you have to do differently?

MIKE ALVARADO: I just have to be on my game. I am going to fight the same way. I will make adjustments to overcome situations. On fight night, in the ring, I will make those adjustments.

What do you think about fighting Bradley or Marquez?

BRANDON RIOS: First of all, Mike Alvarado is all that’s in my mind. I have to fight Mike Alvarado before I think of anything else.

Do you think Alvarado will fight the same of different?

BRANDON RIOS: Mike Alvarado is a fighter. He is going to come in the middle of the ring and fight toe-to-toe. I expect him to fight the same way as he did the first time.

What did you think about the Bradley-Provodnikov fight?

MIKE ALVARADO: I thought Bradley got a good opportunity to prove himself, show that heart. He was knocked out on his feet pretty much. I thought the referee was fair the more I saw it.

BRANDON RIOS: I was watching the fight at home. I was almost jumping on the TV watching that fight. It brought back memories. I was like ‘Damn, they are showing the warrior spirit.’ They were going at it. Like they said, Bradley came out with a different game plan and he proved that he’s a warrior and a fighter.

It must be nice watching a brawl like that from outside the ring?

BRANDON RIOS: Even today I watched our match. I wake up in the morning and when I get back from my run I watch our fight. After I go to the gym, I watch it. Before I go to bed, I watch it. I am a fan of our fight and I am a fan of that fight.

MIKE ALVARADO: I have watched our right a few times. I remember it like the back of my hand so I don’t have to go over it too much. It is going to be the same kind of fight with a few adjustments. We are just going to go out there and do it again.

Are you surprised at how much action there was in the first fight?

BRANDON RIOS: I was very amazed. It was like watching an Arturo Gatti – Micky Ward fight. I couldn’t believe we stood up to the big shots. We were both landing big shots going toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring. Like I said, I am a big fan mine, and his, so it was awesome.

While watching ”Road to Rios-Alvarado II” I noticed a couple of cuts on your cheek…

MIKE ALVARADO: No, it hasn’t hindered me. It was just a little accident. I was just at the wrong place and the wrong time and it was a little accident. It happened outside the ring and I am fine.

Why are you fighting Rios again? Is it personal?

MIKE ALVARADO: Why will I fight him again? It is a fight that the fans want. Having the rematch gives me an opportunity to redeem myself after the first fight. That was a good fight. I like fights like that. We are both warriors. We want fights like that.

Bob, do you see how this fight will co-mingle with the Bradley-Provodnikov fight and Pacquiao coming up in the fall?

BOB ARUM: Fans aren’t stupid. They want to see action. Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios are action fighters. Timothy Bradley showed that he is an action fighter. Juan Manuel Marquez is an action fighter. Many Pacquiao is an action fighter. Ruslan Provodnikov is an action fighter. They don’t play around. They don’t dance around. They fight. That’s what the public wants to see, so we’ll mix and match as we go along because they are the big fights that people want to see. That is the way the fighters can be rewarded monetarily.

Mike, can you talk about Rudy Hernandez and what he adds to your training camp?

MIKE ALVARADO: Rudy is a great trainer. He came into my camp and made a few adjustments and has gone over a few things from the first fight. We have been going over the game plan for this fight. Moving around a little bit. We will fight the same way, just a little bit of adjustments. Since bringing Rudy in, he has made some good adjustments.

BOB ARUM: Tickets are selling extremely well and we are very pleased with that. There are only approximately 1,500 tickets left. We are selling 60 or 70 a day so I am pretty sure we will have a sellout by fight time. There is one bit of advice I want to give both fighters – nobody smoke a joint – wait till after the fight is over.

MIKE ALVARADO: I am ready and hyped up for this fight. I have had a great training camp. The fight is right around the corner and I am ready to put on a good show and go to war again with Brandon. I am honored to be a part of the show.

MIKE ALVARADO: I am very excited and hyped up for this fight and can’t wait to get in the ring. Everyone around the world get to Mandalay Bay. It is going to be a better show than the first one. Mike Alvarado is trying to get his revenge so he is training harder so I am ready and very excited. It’s going to be one exciting fight again.

Rios-Alvarado II, a rematch of their 2012 Fight of the Year-nominated fight and one of the greatest fights of the 21st Century, will take place, Saturday, March 30, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim junior welterweight championship rumble will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

In their first fight, last October 13, a battle of undefeated gladiators, Rios and Alvarado fought toe-to-toe and non-stop for seven thrilling rounds that saw dramatic momentum shifts throughout the action-packed bout. Two of the judges had the fight scored even before referee Pat Russell stopped the fight at 1:57 of the seventh round, awarding the TKO victory to Rios. Media and fans alike compared Rios-Alvarado to the great matches of the past 50 years, including Ali-Frazier III, Corrales -Castillo I and Hagler-Hearns, based on action and entertainment value.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, remaining tickets to Rios-Alvarado II are priced at $250, $150, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person and are available for purchase at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.MandalayBay.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.

Fans who are interested in not only purchasing tickets to the fight but also booking a room at Mandalay Bay can earn a special offer, which includes a discounted room rate along with a $25 resort credit. This sweet room deal can be accessed by visiting https://resweb.passkey.com/go/erank13b.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing.

LOS ANGELES, March 21 – Boxing fans and sports enthusiasts have spoken to the tune of approximately 50,000 tickets purchased for the unprecedented three consecutive weekends of mega-events in April and May, all of which are promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

The three-week marathon of championship boxing excellence begins with the WBC and WBA Super Welterweight Unification bout between Canelo Alvarez and Austin Trout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday April 20 which is co-promoted with Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions, followed by the Unified Super Lightweight World Championship between Danny Garcia and Zab Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, April 27 and the grand finale, “MAY DAY: Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero” on Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada which is co-promoted by Mayweather Promotions. The April 20 and April 27 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events will be televised live on SHOWTIME® and the May 4 “MAY DAY: Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero” mega-event will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV®.

“The fans’ response to this amazing schedule of boxing events, which occur one right after the other, has been overwhelming,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Across the country from Brooklyn to San Antonio to Las Vegas, we have seen a rapid response from sports fans and boxing loyalists who have purchased tickets to support these terrific boxing events.”

Schaefer continued, “The public’s enthusiasm about this three week run, culminating with the return of Floyd Mayweather to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, reinforces our strong belief that if you provide and deliver competitive matches at the highest level, the public will respond enthusiastically and support this sport we love. In addition, fans across the country that cannot be there in person, can see all of these fights on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME PPV (May 4). We are thrilled to partner with SHOWTIME to continue to provide excellent programming throughout the calendar year to those who love and appreciate the sweet science of boxing.”

Ticket sales for Canelo vs. Trout have been so overwhelming that promoters Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions will soon extend the available seating by putting additional tickets on sale. San Antonio can expect more than 30,000 fans in the building come fight night, proving once again that Texas is a hot spot for boxing aficionados.

Coming off of witnessing the record-breaking performance by IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins on March 9 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn boxing fans are gearing up for another stacked fight card taking place Saturday, April 27 headlined by Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia facing Brooklyn’s own Four-Time and Two-Division World Champion Zab Judah.

The three-week lead up ends on Cinco de Mayo weekend with a nearly sold out event featuring the ring return of boxing mega-star Floyd Mayweather against Six-Time and Four Division World Champion Robert Guerrero. The event, which takes place on Saturday, May 4 at MGM Grand and will be produced and distributed live on SHOWTIME PPV, will undoubtedly sell out, once again showing Mayweather’s incredible drawing power at the box office.

About Canelo vs. Trout:

Canelo vs. Trout, a 12-round WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Championship Unification fight, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The fight will air live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT) and is presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions.

Remaining tickets priced at $100, $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.

About Garcia vs. Judah:

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored 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).

Remaining tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

About “May Day: Mayweather vs. Guerrero”:

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. 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. Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.

Remaining tickets for 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.

Television: ESPN Friday Night Fights
Promoters: Round 3 Productions, 8 Count Productions,
Warriors Boxing, Blue Wave Boxing
Venue: UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL

Donovan George, 163 vs. David Lopez, 162
Kermit Cintron, 146 vs. Adrian Granados, 146
Paul Littleton, 162 vs. Roberto Acevedo, 164
Sergio Montes de Oca, 124 vs. Hairon Socarras, 124
Jose Arambula, 136 vs. Jacob Akin, 139
Ricardo Chavez, 236 vs. Calbert Lewis, 230
Semajay Thomas, 153 vs. Justin Gauthier, 151

###

Presented by 8 Count Productions, Round 3 Productions, Warriors Boxing and Blue Wave Boxing, advance tickets to ESPN Friday Night Fights are priced at $150, $100, $50 and $30 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000), the 8 Count Productions Offices, 312-226-5800 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office, 312-413-5740.

Doors will open on the night of the event at 7 pm CT with the first bout scheduled for 8:00 pm CT.

The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine, at the corner of Harrison and Racine on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Super Lightweight champion Khabib Allekhverdiev injured his elbow and his March 30th title defense with Breidis Prescott has been postponed.

The bout was supposed to be the HBO televised co-feature to the highly anticipated rematch between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado.

“Khabib’s right elbow is a mess,” said Top Rank Vice-President Carl Moretti. “There are fragments and a lot of blood inside the elbow. He’s going to be on the shelf for several weeks. I don’t expect him to return until the summer. He was in Miami training and apparently was feeling pain for several days, if not a week. He went and had an MRI and an evaluation, and that’s what it showed. He tried to fight through it and stay in the fight but he just couldn’t pull it off.

“He couldn’t fight next week and will be out for a bit. He’ll need therapy and possibly a scope to clean it up. I think it’s been something there for awhile.”

Soon after the injury was disclosed promoters were trying to make a fight between Prescott and undefeated Terrance Crawford. Crawford is already ticketed to fight on the undercard.

“Crawford is already on the card and is in great shape,” Moretti said. “His fight was going to be shown on the international broadcast, and now he’ll get to fight a better opponent on HBO in the opening fight. There’s food and then there’s caviar. This was a no-brainer for us. (If it happens) it should be a great fight in the ring style-wise. You have Crawford, who is a young, undefeated fighter with a pleasing style, and Prescott, we already know the wars he provides. How could this not be an explosion of some sort?”

PHILADELPHIA, PA (March 21, 2013)—Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions is excited about the signing of undefeated Jr. Lightweight Evgenii Chuprakov to an exclusive promotional contract. Chuprakov will make his American debut on March 29th as part of an ESPN’s Friday Night Fights event at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, New York.

Chuprakov, 22 years old of Ekaterinburg, Russia has already amassed a perfect professional record of 4-0 with two of his wins coming by knockout.

Chuprakov had an exceptional amateur career in Russia as he went 120-30 and won the 1st League of Tough Fight Tournament of 2012. He was also considered a Master of Boxing.

Upon turning pro, Chuprakov has been training at the Wild Card Gym in Las Angeles and has been a fixture sparring partner for the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov and Amir Khan.

“I feel that sparring with Manny Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov, and Amir Khan has helped build my confidence in the beginning of my career. Working at the Wild Card gym has also grown my motivation and my love for the sport!” said Chuprakov.

Chuprakov is managed by Vadim Kornilov.

”When Freddie Roach saw Ruslan sparring with some of the guys at the Wild Card Gym last year when we first brought Evgenii to Los Angeles, he told me that I definitely have a prospect on my hands. He is a very slick boxer and can throw a lot of hard shots and be aggressive which is what the fans love!” said Kornilov.

Said Artie Pelullo, CEO of Banner Promotions, “Vadim came to me and told me about the great report that Freddie gave him on Evgenii. When I hear things like that it made me very interested and excited to add Evgenii to the Banner Promotions roster.”

PHILADELPHIA – They aren’t scheduled to fight until April 20th, but Tyson Fury and Steve Cunningham almost fought round one at last week’s explosive press conference in New York City.The episode was an ordinary fight announcement event until Irish import Tyson Fury revved up the rhetoric and began some serious trash-talking.

Fury pulled no punches and promised to not only KO the former two-time champion but to end his career as well.Fury’s tirade included calling Cunningham a weak-chinned small man, and went so far as requesting to sponsor the soles of Cunningham’s shoes.The outburst was something to see, but according to Cunningham was nothing more than hot air.

“He talks so much,” Cunningham said.”It brought me back to when I was a teen.Guys talked, talked, talked, because they didn’t want to fight.They talked so big and bad to try to make you scared of them.What they wanted was to talk you out of a fight.”

Cunningham is not the trash-talking type.Always the consummate gentleman, Cunningham remained calm, cool, and composed while Fury laid into him at the presser.He prefers to save it for the ring.

“It felt disrespectful,” Cunningham said.”Tyson did get under my skin a little, but I’m a veteran.I’m 36, and I’ve been doing this for 12 years.I once fought a guy named Marco Huck

who did the same thing.He talked all this big talk, disrespected me, and made a big old scene at the press conference.”

Cunningham scored a TKO over Huck to defend his cruiserweight title, and will look to teach Tyson Fury the same lesson.

“I’m well prepared for this,” Cunningham continued.”I know exactly what he’s doing.He’s expecting me to come in angry.But I know how to stick to the game plan, and the game plan is going to get me through.”

Steve will rely on his well-respected trainer Brother Naazim Richardson to design the perfect strategy to defeat the giant-sized Fury, and Cunningham is prepared to carry out that plan perfectly.

“He can do all this talking, but on fight night, he’s got to fight,” Cunningham said.”You can talk and get everybody excited, but you still have to get in the ring with me and fight.I’ll be prepared, and fans should be ready to see the best Steve Cunningham they’ve ever seen.I’m working hard and believe I will prevail.”

The Fury – Cunningham battle headlines an exciting afternoon of boxing at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on April 20th. The main event and the co-feature bout with Curtis “Showtime” Stevens vs. Derrick Findley will be broadcast beginning 4PM ET on NBC.

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 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.

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.

LAS VEGAS (March 21, 2013) – As millions of sports fans across the country lock in their NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship predictions by filling out their tournament brackets, Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero have done the same from their respective Las Vegas training camps. Mayweather and Guerrero joined the likes of Bill Cowher, Charlie Rose, Sharon Osbourne, Shemar Moore and other celebrities getting in on the fun.

Mayweather and Guerrero are preparing to face off for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, May 4 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but before they do, see how they stack up against one another with their NCAA tournament predictions at CBSSports.com.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER’S BRACKET: http://cbsexperts.mayhem.cbssports.com/brackets/printable-bracket/0/9f3ce17cfad07e8494cec8bf71925fd5?randkey=415208

ROBERT GUERRERO’S BRACKET: http://25.media.tumblr.com/cc823f76c9dde3b30afd7b000f3c3732/tumblr_mjzouzm3DQ1s2mllqo5_1280.jpg

To see all of the celebrity NCAA brackets visit CBSSports.com College Basketball Blog:http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/inside-college-basketball/21919241/ncaa-brackets-grammy-nominated-artist-wale-picks-wisconsin-to-win

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. 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. Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World 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.

London (March 21) Heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury turns pundit this Friday night in Montreal as part of Wealth TV’s coverage of Adonis Stevenson vs Darnell Boone.

Tyson will join hosts Corey Erdman and Marc Abrams as part of their coverage of the highly anticipated super middleweight rematch, which also includes his younger cousin Hughie Fury’s professional debut on the undercard.

IBF #1 super middleweight, Adonis Stevenson is looking to avenge his only professional loss against Darnell Boone this Friday at the Bell Centre, Montreal.

Stevenson fought through a left hand injury to force a 12 round TKO of Don George in his last contest and has been promised the winner of the IBF/WBA unifier between Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler on May 25th.

While 18-year-old heavyweight debutant, Hughie Fury, takes his first step into professional boxing, facing 34-year-old Canadian David Whittom.

Also on the card will be Eleider Alvarez (11-0, 7KO) and Nicholson Poulard (19-3, 9KO) fighting for the WBO NABO and NABA light heavyweight title.

Live coverage of the card starts at 7PM Eastern Time. The fight can also be seen on WealthTV.com (excluding Canada) by signing up for an account.

Meanwhile Tyson Fury prepares to fight Steve Cunningham in an IBF eliminator April 20 at The Theatre, Madison Square Garde

New York, NY (3/21/13) – As previously announced, DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series returns Thursday, April 4, at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. The stacked 11-bout card will feature a number of DBE’s top young prospects and contenders including former WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman (29-2, 8KO’s), Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle (16-1, 11KO’s), WBC #6-rated welterweight Ionut “Jo Jo” Dan Ion (30-2, 17KO’s) and Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (21-1, 4KO’s).

The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and sponsored by Manfredi Auto Group, Newlio.com and Everlast. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $45.

After a two-year hiatus from the ring, the popular Brooklynite Foreman signed a promotional contract with DBE earlier this year and quickly returned to action, winning a six-round shutout decision over Brendan Baue on the DBE-promoted card on January 23, at BB King Blues Club. In the second bout of his comeback, Foreman will square off against Gundrick King (18-9, 11KO’s) in a six-round junior middleweight matchup.

Looking to put himself back into the win column after suffering his first pro defeat-on HBO in a decision loss to multiple world champion Vic Darchinyan-will be Puerto Rico’s Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle (16-1, 11KO’s). The 26-year-old Del Valle, who is now training with Hall-of-Fame trainer Nacho Beristain, will see action against Andre Wilson (13-5, 11KO’s) in an eight-round featherweight contest.

Fighting for the second time under the DBE banner will be the former two-time world title challenger Ion. Former NABA light welterweight champion Ion, a native of Romania, now living and training in Montreal, Canada, will square off against Damian Frias (19-6-1, 10KO’s) in an eight-round welterweight showdown.

Making his fourth straight appearance at Roseland Ballroom will be Brooklyn’s own junior welterweight contender Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (21-1, 4KO’s). After dropping a decision in an absolute war to former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley on January 21, 2012, Bracero has reeled off three consecutive victories as he looks to reposition himself in line for another significant fight in the junior welterweight division. Bracero will see action in an eight-round bout against Pavel Miranda (19-9-1, 10KO’s).

Additional bouts on the card, featuring top DBE prospects, as well as opponents for Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s SMS Promotions-stabled fighters Luis Olivares (1-0, 1KO) and Donte Strayhorn, will be announced shortly.

The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and sponsored by Manfredi Auto Group, Newlio.com, and Everlast. The event will be broadcast live on FIGHT NOW TV and on broadband through GFL.TV. SNY will broadcast the event tape-delayed. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $45 and may also be purchased at Roseland Ballroom’s box office tomorrow evening. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Chicago middleweight Donovan “Da Bomb” George says there will be more than a win or a loss on the line when he steps in the ring against former world title challenger David “The Destroyer” Lopez this Friday, March 22.

According to George, he must win or his boxing career has been a waste.

George (24-3-1, 21 KOs) will drop down to middleweight to face Lopez (41-13, 23 KOs) of Nogales, Mexico, in the 10-round middleweight main event, at Chicago’s UIC Pavilion and televised live on ESPN Friday Night Fights.

Presented by 8 Count Productions, Round 3 Productions and Warriors Boxing the night’s co-main event will pit former world champion Kermit “EL Asesino” Cintron (33-5-1, 28 KOs) dropping back down to welterweight to face Chicago slugger Adrian “EL Tigre” Granados (11-2-1, 7 KOs).

“If I never win a title or get close, my whole career is a bust,” explained George. “I’ve done some local things and some national things but I’m not going to brag to my kids about being a former USBA Champ. I want to be world champion. I want to leave a legacy in this sport.”

With every fibre of his being, George says he wants to wear a championship belt, so he’s taken the unusual step of dropping down in weight midway through his career.

“If I look back at my career if don’t want to wish I had done things differently. I’m going to do everything I possibly can, so I can look at myself in the mirror. Right now, I’m not content with what I’ve done. I feel like the last six years, I’ve been in the wrong weight class. I step up and lose. I don’t know if it’s because I’m too small, but we’re going to find out. Normally as a fighter is getting older they go up in weight, but I’m making the suicidal move to go down. If I want to be world champ I have to make sacrifices.”

In addition to his drop in weight, George travelled to Detroit to train at the Kronk Gym with Sugar Hill and spar with such notables as former opponent Adonis Stevenson and former heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev.

“I worked on a lot of the technical side with Sugar. He put in a lot of time and effort with me and I really appreciate it. If I can catch anybody I’ll hurt them, but first I have to hit them. That meant re-learning Boxing 101 and going back to the basics with Sugar. My dad has been my trainer my whole career and he learned to train by reading books. He’s brilliant to have been so successful with no tutelage at all, but Sugar has been able to show me some new things, technically. I’m going to try and show all the improvements I’ve made on Friday. I’m going to obviously fight smart and pick my shots and land my right hand, my best punch. I’m working on not telegraphing it. I hope I can set it up and land it. If I do, it will be an early night.”

George also says it’s “so far so good” with his experiment at middleweight.

“I have sparred some middleweights, and found that I did extremely well. I’m way too strong. I had a couple knockouts in the gym. I’m really excited to see how I do at 160 lbs.”

Lopez will be George’s third southpaw in the past three fights, a fact he isn’t thrilled with, but says after 29 pro fights, he has to take any and all comers from every side.

“I’ve got some tapes on him. I know he’s only lost once in nine years. There’s reason for that. He can fight. He’s a tough, tall southpaw from Mexico and he’ll bring it. He’s at his best at 154. Coming up nine pounds to fight me will make a big difference. I’ll be a lot stronger than him. I’ll be about 185 lbs. by fight night. I really respect the guy. Anyone with almost 60 pro fights, you have to. And when I look at his career, he didn’t get his first title shot until 34 years old. I can relate. I’ve been a pro almost nine years and haven’t come close. He doesn’t give up either. I respect that.”

Every fight is now make or break for Donovan George. Sacrificing and suffering to get down to a smaller weight class with one dream in mind. He is a man on a mission.

“What I’m doing is very difficult, but I’m so passionate it about it. You invest your whole life into something. Some people have a career, but boxing for me is not a career; it’s my whole life. I have no backup plan. I don’t have this or that to fall back on. I want to make it. If I don’t, it’ll be hard to live with. I don’t care if I’m rich or famous. I just want a world title. That’s all I want. I’ll fight for free. I just want a title. I must win this fight. It’s really ‘do or die.’ If I lose to a 35-year-old guy, where am I going? I must win this fight.

Donovan George sends his thanks and well wishes to Mike “Hollywood” Hernandez and his Uncle, Mike Apa.

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Presented by 8 Count Productions, Round 3 Productions, Warriors Boxing and Blue Wave Boxing, advance tickets to ESPN Friday Night Fights are priced at $150, $100, $50 and $30 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000), the 8 Count Productions Offices, 312-226-5800 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office, 312-413-5740.

Doors will open on the night of the event at 7 pm CT with the first bout scheduled for 8:00 pm CT.

The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine, at the corner of Harrison and Racine on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago.

A full undercard featuring many of Chicago’s best prospects and fan favorites will be announced shortly for this event.

KIEV, Ukraine (March 21st, 2013) – Knocking out would-be adversaries on foreign soil is nothing new for “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy, but Thursday’s challenge could prove to be the toughest, and perhaps most unique, of his young career.

On Thursday, March 21st, 2013 (11:30 a.m. ET) Lundy (22-2-1, 11 KOs) will challenge unbeaten Russian light welterweight Viktor Postol (21-0, 10 KOs) in a 12-round bout for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International title at Club Sportlife in Kiev, yet another road trip for boxing’s most prolific road warrior.

The 5-foot-11 Postol, ranked No. 3 by the WBC, has only fought once on U.S. soil with the majority of his bouts being held in his native Ukraine, whereas Lundy – a former North American Boxing Federation (NABF) and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) title-holder in the lightweight division who is now ranked No. 9 by the WBC – has made a career out of stealing the show in various venues across the globe. Since 2009, the Philadelphia native has fought 10 fights at nine different venues, including stops in Quebec, where he dominated hometown favorite Omri Lowther on ESPN2, and Chicago, Ill., where he knocked out former world champion David Diaz on national television.

While Postol is still unbeaten, Lundy boasts a superior edge in the strength of his competition; his losses have come against former world-title challenger John Molina and current NABF lightweight champion Raymundo Beltran. The two had a combined record of 45-7 when they fought Lundy.

Lundy’s victories have been even more impressive; starting with his knockout win over Aldo Valtierra in 2009, Lundy has dusted off a variety of elite opponents, including Tyrese Hendrix (21-3-1), who was unbeaten at the time, former Venezuelan Olympian Patrick Lopez (21-5), current World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion Richard Abril (18-3-1) and power-puncher Dannie Williams (22-3), who entered his fight with Lundy ranked No. 2 in the NABF.

“Everyone knows ‘Hammerin” Hank will fight anyone, anywhere at anytime,” Lundy said. “I’ve proven myself time and time again on the road.”

Not only is he facing another tough road test, Lundy is also moving up in weight from 135 pounds to 140. Though he’s fought most of his bouts in the lightweight division, Lundy has stepped up to 140 in the past with tremendous success, most recently against Lowther in Lowther’s backyard on short notice. Thursday will be Postol’s toughest test to date and perhaps his most challenging fight since he dominated former world champion DeMarcus Corley in October.

Thursday’s winner will continue to climb the WBC rankings and perhaps earn a world-title shot in the light welterweight division against the winner of the Danny Garcia-Zab Judah bout in April in which Garcia will aim to defend his title for the third time against the resurgent Judah, who is back in the picture despite getting knocked out by Amir Khan two years ago in his most recent shot at a world title.

Thursday’s show is promoted by Roman Valesiuk’s Elite Boxing Promotion of Ukraine and will also feature a WBC International cruiserweight title bout between Dmytro Kucher (20-0, 15 KOs) and Julio Cesar Dos Santos (22-1, 20 KOs). Lundy is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc., of Providence, R.I. For more information, visit www.cesboxing.com.