The biggest shopping mall of Magdeburg played host for today´s public
workout ahead of Saturday´s big fight night at the GETEC-Arena. The main
event of the evening will see current WBO Super-Middleweight Champion Arthur
Abraham (36-3, 28 KOs) take on Robert Stieglitz (43-3, 24 KOs) in their
hotly anticipated rematch. The excitement of the fans was a close
resemblance to the fights of Sven Ottke, who celebrated some of his greatest
victories in the east of Germany. More than 1.000 people came to see the
boxers up close and were more than impressed with the skills they put on
display.

First to step into the ring inside the mall was former champion Robert
Stieglitz, who once more made his intention of getting revenge on Abraham
clear. However, the challenger was keen not to give too much away and only
went one round with his coach Dirk Dzemski while hitting the pads. “I am
ready and will bring the title back to Magdeburg,” said the 31-year-old
super-middleweight who lost the WBO Championship during the first bout
between the two Germans. Of course, Abraham will do everything he can to
destroy whatever plans Stieglitz has made. The 33-year-old demonstrated his
abilities during four stints of pad work with Ulli Wegner who made it clear
that he has an obvious favorite for the night. “My hope is that the best man
wins on March 23,” said the 70-year-old. “And that will be Arthur!”

Robert Helenius (18-0, 11 KOs) also gave the waiting fans a glimpse of what
to expect come Saturday night. The 29-year-old heavyweight will take on
Michael Sprott (37-19, 17 KOs) in the co-feature of the evening and is
looking forward to the big night. “It won’t be easy, but as long as the fans
are behind me I know that I will win.”

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.

MILWAUKEE (March 20, 2013) – To celebrate 110 years of freedom, Harley-Davidson Motor Company is riding again with the Ultimate Fighting Championship®.

The UFC and Harley-Davidson first teamed up five years ago to forge a unique partnership between these two heavyweight brands.

“It’s been an amazing ride with the UFC,” said Dino Bernacchi, Harley-Davidson Marketing Director. “In this – Harley-Davidson’s 110th Anniversary year – we’re upping the ante and putting one lucky fan in the center of the action as only Harley and the UFC can.”

In 2013, the centerpiece of the partnership will be the Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown event on Harley’s home turf, Milwaukee, during the iconic brand’s 110th Anniversary Celebration over Labor Day Weekend.

One grand prize winner will score a customized Street Bob motorcycle and receive a VIP trip to the Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown. Additionally, the winner will make an appearance in the Octagon® during the Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown event at UFC® 164 at the Bradley Center on August 31, as his or her custom designed 110th anniversary logo will be painted in the Octagon®.

“The UFC is excited to team with Harley-Davidson again and play such a pivotal role in Harley’s 110th Anniversary celebration during UFC® 164,” said Dana White, UFC President. “The UFC and its fighters are proud to be members of the Harley-Davidson family.”

Fans can enter for their chance to win by going www.harley-davidson.com/UFC. On the site, fans can create their own 110th Anniversary graphic and share why their image is worthy of the Octagon® and the VIP prize package.

About the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary

The Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary is a year-long, global celebration connecting millions of Harley-Davidson fans across the globe united by a common bond and shared passion for freedom, self-expression and epic adventure. Included in the official 110th Anniversary calendar are 12 different 110th Anniversary experiences that Harley-Davidson will bring to existing motorcycle events in global markets throughout September 2013. The events span 11 countries on six continents and will be capped by two main celebration events in Rome, Italy, in June 2013 and Milwaukee during Labor Day weekend.

Harley-Davidson fans are invited to learn more about the 110th Anniversary and join the celebration online where they can share videos, images and experiences on Facebook, Twitter with the hashtag #HD110, and at www.h-d.com/110.

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s website at www.harley-davidson.com.

About 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.

PHILADELPHIA (March 19, 2013) — Banner Promotions is proud to announce the signing of 2012 Olympic Bronze Medal winner Taras Shelestyuk to a promotional contract.

Shelestyuk of Sumy, Ukraine will compete as a Jr. Middleweight and won his bronze medal in London. He captured the 2011 world amateur championship in the 152 pound weight division.

He won the the Bronze medal in the 2010 European championship and is also a 3-time Ukrainian champion.

The 27 year-old stands 5’10” and had an impressive amateur record of 195-15.

“We are very excited to add Taras to our roster”, said Arthur Pelullo, CEO of Banner Promotions.

“We have big plans for Taras and we feel he will become a world champion”

Shelestyuk’s manager Vadim Kornilov says, ”We definitely have a future star. Banner Promotions is planning to move Taras very fast and get as many fights as we can get him.
Fans should keep an eye on him because he will be the next star”

Shelestyuk will make his professional debut on March 29th on the undercard of an ESPN’s Friday Night Fights event in Verona, New York

The March 22 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature Middleweight David “The Destroyer” Lopez (41-13, 25 KOs), who once fought for the Junior Middleweight title, and Don “Da Bomb” George (24-3-1, 21 KOs) in the 10-round main event. Friday’s show from the UIC Center in Chicago, will air live at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and will be available online through WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. The card is promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Watch Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore preview Friday’s main event

Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn), filling in for Joe Tessitore, will be ringside with Teddy Atlas describing the action for ESPN2 HD, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will provide the latest boxing news and highlights. Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in the studio.

Friday’s studio show will discuss last weekend’s title fight between Welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr. and Ruslan Provodnikov. Provodnikov, who has appeared numerous times on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, went the distance with Bradley narrowly losing a 12-round unanimous decision.

Main Event:
Chicago’s George, is looking to build momentum after scoring a first-round knockout win over James Cook in his last fight.

“Don’s a warrior,” George’s father and trainer, Peter George, said. “He’s really preparing hard for this fight and not cutting any corners. He’s training harder than I’ve ever seen him. We know we’ve got a tough guy in front of us and I think he’ll perform impressively on the 22nd. I think he’s going to do very well.”

Mexico’s Lopez is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Julio Garcia and enters Friday’s bout with big fight experience having fought Junior Middleweight titlist Austin Trout.

“Donovan George is a good fighter,” Lopez said. “I cannot take praise away from him. I know I’m going to be fighting the crowd that night as well as George, but George is also going to have a problem – he’s never faced anybody like me. The experience that I’m going to bring is going to make it a very difficult night for him. This fight is going to put me back on track toward my ultimate goal, which is to become world champion.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit former Welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron (33-5-1, 28 KOs) against Adrian “El Tigre” Granados (9-1-1, 5 KOs). Cintron will look to rebound from a fifth-round TKO loss to Junior Middleweight titlist Saul Alvarez while Granados will look to win his fourth fight in a row after a fifth-round TKO win over Antonio Canas.

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo. Also score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

A media conference was held yesterday (Tuesday, March 20) to discuss this Friday’s (March 22) night of ESPN-televised boxing, live from Chicago’s UIC Pavilion and presented by 8 Count Productions, Round 3 Productions and Warriors Boxing.

In the 10-round middleweight main event, Windy City favorite Donovan “Da Bomb” George (24-3-1, 21 KOs) will take on former world title challenger David “The Destroyer” Lopez (41-13, 23 KOs) of Nogales, Mexico. And in the other featured bout, former world champion Kermit “EL Asesino” Cintron (33-5-1, 28 KOs) will drop back down to welterweight to face Chicago slugger Adrian “EL Tigre” Granados (11-2-1, 7 KOs).

Also present at the conference were Puerto Rican prospect Roberto Acevedo (7-0, 4 KOs) and his opponent that night, Chicago’s undefeated Paul Littleton (6-0-1, 4 KOs). The pair will meet in a six-round middleweight bout.

The following are quotes from the conference:

Frank Muggs, Round 3 Productions

Thanks to everyone involved. We have a great card. We’re making Chicago the destination city for boxing. It just keeps getting better. First we had four thousand people at a show. Then we had 5000. Now we’re at almost 6000. Chicago is the best fight town in the world for boxing.

Dominic Pesoli, 8 Count Productions

We’ve got an action-packed card for Friday, the fans are really getting their money’s worth. Be ready for plenty of fireworks.

Leon Margules, Warriors Boxing

I’ve known Dominic for 15 years and it’s been a great run. He’s truly one of the great regional promoters in the country, soon to be national.

The fights we’ve been putting on just keep getting better and better and the crowds keep getting bigger and bigger.

Chicago is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and their ethnic fight fans definitely support their boxers. This is our first event without a Polish presence on it. We’re doing this one with Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Irish, etc.

These fights are so well matched.

In a four-rounder, we have Hairon Socarras, who is 6-0-1, 5 KOs, taking on Sergio Montes de Oca, who is 7-1-1, 2 KOs. So those two guys will fight to see who gets to step up and who stays at the club level.

Then we’ve got a young, talented guy in Paul Littleton from Chicago taking on a young, talented guy from Puerto Rico. They’re both undefeated, so it’s the proverbial ‘somone’s 0 must go!’

The co-main event is going to be terrific. Adrian Granados never takes a backward step and can’t be in a bad fight. Kermit Cintron is a former world champion who realized he doesn’t like to be the smaller man and can be the best he can possibly be at 147 lbs.

And then the main event. What a classic this fight will be.

Just look at all the upsets on David Lopez’s record. He’s won 17 of his last 18 fights. Don George has dropped down to middleweight because he’s tired of being the smaller guy in the ring too. Don George can’t be in a bad fight either.

I will be watching Friday night as a fan because of all the great matchups.

Luis DeCubas, Blue Wave Boxing

First of all, thank you to all my promotional partners and to Doug Loughrey from ESPN for making this possible.

We have a great main event put together. David Lopez is a rough guy. Donovan George is a rough guy. It’s going to be like an old-school fight like when Rocky Graziano fought Tony Zale.

I’m also very excited about Kermit Cintron dropping down in weight. He’s the world’s biggest welterweight and the biggest puncher at the weight. His opponent, Granados, was an Olympian, so that’s going to be a great fight.

Roberto Acevedo (7-0, 4 KOs)

Thanks to everyone. It’s going to be an exciting fight.

I am very motivated and thank you to Paul for making it happen.

I’m here in his backyard, putting my record on the line.

Paul Littleton (6-0-1, 4 KOs)

I’m very excited to be competing in my hometown against such a good opponent as Roberto.

Adrian Granados (11-2-1, 7 KOs)

Thank you Kermit for giving me this opportunity.

I know it’s going to be a great fight.

I grew up watching Kermit on TV.

I’m ready and so is he to put on a great show.

Kermit Cintron (33-5-1, 28 KOs)

Thank you everyone for this opportunity.

I’m going back to basics for this fight; back to my roots.

I feel it is the best for me. I had a great camp.

Adrian, I appreciate you taking this challenge and let the best man win!

I’m back to welterweight where I belong. I can do what I do best at this weight.

David Lopez (41-13, 23 KOs)

I’m very well prepared.

Donovan George has never fought anyone like me.

Donovan, thank you for the opportunity and may God bless you. Let the best man win!

Donovan George (24-3-1, 21 KOs)

It’s going to be a great night. Every fight is competitive.

I made a lot of sacrifices in preparing for this fight.

Mr. Lopez is very battle-tested, but he’s had his time. This is my time now.

I’m going to make a statement with this fight. Mr. Lopez has fought all the top guys so when I beat him it’ll be a message to the other middleweights in the world.

###

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 7pm CT with the first bout scheduled for 8:00pm 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.

Cuban 2004 Olympic gold medalist and former world heavyweight championship contender Odlanier Solis (18-1, 12 KOs) and former WBC Silver welterweight champion Selcuk Aydin (23-2, 17 KOs) held a press conference in Berlin, Germany, talking about their upcoming bouts at “Universal Hall” this Friday (March 22nd).

“It feels good to be back in Germany”, said Solis. “I started my pro career over here and still have lots of friends in Berlin. In my last fight in Germany I suffered a bad injury when challenging Vitali Klitschko. But now me knee is well again. I am ready to go and want to prove that I am the best heavyweight fighter in the world.” Asked when he thinks he would be ready for another shot at the world title, the Cuban defector just smiled and said: “Ask the Klitschkos. I’m ready when they are.” Solis will face unbeaten Norwegian tough guy Leif Larsen (17-0, 14 KOs).
In the co-feature Turkish knockout artist Selcuk Aydin takes on Italian veteran Giuseppe Lauri (53-11, 31 KOs). Just like Solis Aydin is returning to Germany where he gave his pro debut over six years ago. It is his first fight after losing two in a row in the United States to Robert Guerrero and Jesus Soto Karass. “It was a close fight against Guerrero which I could have won if it hadn’t been in his backyard. But that’s the business. Now he is fighting Floyd Mayweather and I am back in Berlin. I want to fight my way back to the top and I will prove on Friday that these two losses didn’t break me.”
Promoter Ahmet Oner is excited to present such an excellent card in Germany. “Solis and Aydin are world class fighters. They are in good match-ups as well. This is an excellent card for Eurosport. Not a lot of promoters can bring elite fighters like this to Europe. It’s a restart for both of them. They have to show that they belong to the top. I’m looking forward to a great show.”
The card got even better when former world heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (30-2-1, 19 KOs) was added at the press conference. The 34-year-old contender from Uzbekistan takes on US journeyman Mike Sheppard (20-14-1, 9 KOs).
The show will be broadcasted live on Eurosport starting at 9pm German time on Friday night.

Montreal, Wednesday March 20th 2013 – InterBox and Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) are proud to announce that the historic bout featuring Lucian Bute (31-1-0 24 KO) vs. Jean Pascal (27-2-1 16 KO) will take place on Saturday, May 25th at the Montreal Bell Centre.

Both boxers have been invited by the Bell Centre and the Montreal Canadiens to participate in the ceremonial puck drop yesterday just before the NHL game between the Canadiens and the visiting Buffalo Sabres.

Important ticket sale information for Bute vs. Pascal

Tickets for this much anticipated mega-fight will go on sale on Thursday, March 28th at 10 AM. Members of the Evenko Newsletter, of Club Cage, and Vidéotron employees will benefit from an exclusive pre-sale period from Tuesday, March 26th at 9 AM until Wednesday, March 27th at 10 PM.

Tickets will be on sale at the Bell Centre Ticket Office, by dialing 1-877-668-8269 or by visiting www.evenko.ca. Tickets will also be available at Club de boxe Champion by calling (514) 376-0980.

Press Conference open to the public

Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal will go face-to-face for the first time on Tuesday, March 26th at 12:30 PM at the Bell Centre during the Official Press Conference to inaugurate this historic bout. This event will be open to the general public. Boxing fans across the Province will be able to witness the beginning of what is sure to be a very interesting 2 month sprint before fight night.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Cruiserweight Denis Lebedev champion will defend against former champion Guillermo Jones on May 17th in Moscow.

“I tell the Russian fans who are ringside to be careful because there will be blood,” said Jones, who is predicting a knockout victory inside five rounds. “I am the tiger but I don’t speak Russian. No translator will be needed as my hands will speak for me.”

“My Russian co-promoters named the fight, ‘The One Will Stand,’ and it will be from Russia with love,” King said. “This is a gigantic promotion between Russia and Panama and I want to thank Andrey Ryabinsky for making this possible. The Panamanian people and their president, Ricardo Martinelli, will be watching with great interest.”

Said Lebedev, trained by fellow Russian and Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, the former undisputed junior welterweight champion, “I’m glad Don, Andrey and Vlad have named the fight ‘The One Will Stand’ as I plan on being the last man standing at the end of the fight.”

NEW YORK (March 19, 2013)—SHOWTIME Sports has scheduled more than 100 hours of diverse boxing and documentary programming across broadcast television, cable television, premium television, and digital portals in advance of the upcoming SHOWTIME PPV presentation of MAY DAY—the mega-event headlined by boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound titlist Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s welterweight world championship defense against Four-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The lineup features more than 20 hours of live, edited and exclusive content targeted for a general sports audience as well as the core boxing fans and includes two documentary films, a five-part documentary series, a 30-minute countdown show, two live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® events and live coverage from multiple fight week events, all before the first bell of MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero pay-per-view special.

SHOWTIME Sports has tapped renowned television executive Ross Greenburg, recipient of more than 50 Sports Emmy® Awards in his distinguished career, to serve as executive producer on two key pieces of programming. Working with SHOWTIME for the first time, Greenburg is uniquely qualified to guide the editorial on Mayweather, having executive produced multiple documentary series on the fighter since 2007.

“This is an aggressive and varied lineup of content, each element aimed at raising the anticipation for boxing’s marquee event of the year,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “The Mayweather appeal is unmistakable and warrants this type of unprecedented exposure. What viewers will find during this promotion, however, is that Robert Guerrero is one of the most compelling, interesting and talented fighters ever to step into the ring opposite Mayweather.

“I thank my colleagues at SHOWTIME and CBS for their support and enthusiasm since our agreement with Mayweather was announced. Our collective aim in the next seven weeks is to serve the insatiable appetite of the staunchest boxing fans as well as to expose a broad audience to the drama and the intensity that is sure to come on May 4th.”

The programming blitz begins on Wednesday, April 3 with the premiere of an exclusive documentary film titled “30 DAYS IN MAY” (10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME), a one-hour film which chronicles Mayweather’s 2012 stint in prison. Created exclusively from never-before-seen footage, “30 DAYS IN MAY” features the only interviews Mayweather conducted about what he has called “a life-changing experience.”

On Wednesday, April 10, SHOWTIME Sports will debut the latest chapter of its original documentary series ALL ACCESS (10 p.m. ET/PT, SHOWTIME). Greenburg will serve as an executive producer on ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs GUERRERO as the series takes viewers into the dramatic and unpredictable world of prize fighting. From gritty backstories to the sport’s biggest stage, ALL ACCESS has a unique approach that allows its subjects to guide the narrative on real life terms. New episodes will debut every Wednesday through May 1 on SHOWTIME, with encore presentations airing on CBS SPORTS NETWORK. ALL ACCESS Epilogue, which will spotlight the intensity of fight week, taking viewers inside the ropes on fight night and into the rarely seen, uncelebrated aftermath of world championship boxing, will premiere on SHOWTIME on Saturday, May 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

VIEW ALL ACCESS PROMO: http://s.sho.com/WBjY3s

CBS Television will broadcast a special one-hour documentary titled “MAYWEATHER” on Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Greenburg will executive produce “MAYWEATHER”, a film that reveals the life story of the charismatic character that is Floyd “Money” Mayweather. The program also examines the hard-working, humble approach taken by Four-Division World Champion Robert Guerrero, who has endured incredible challenges on the road to this May 4th mega fight.

LIVE PROGRAMMING

On the two Saturdays preceding the May 4 SHOWTIME PPV event, SHOWTIME will present two high profile world championship boxing events live on the premium network’s acclaimed SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING series.

On Saturday, April 20, from the 30,000+ seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez will return to SHOWTIME to headline against Austin Trout in a super welterweight world championship unification bout. In separate fights in 2012, both men set ratings records for boxing on SHOWTIME. Now, they collide in what is by far the most significant and challenging fight in both of their careers.

On Saturday, April 27, live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., undefeated rising star Danny Garcia of Philadelphia risks his unified super lightweight world championship against former Two-Division and Four-Time World Champion Zab Judah of Brooklyn.

VIEW COMBO EVENT TRAILER: http://s.sho.com/ZVF7nN

LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS

SHOWTIME will televise the official weigh-in live on Friday, May 3 and a pre-fight show on Saturday, May 4, immediately preceding the pay-per-view telecast. Each telecast will include live interviews, ALL ACCESS behind-the-scenes features from fight week and, on Saturday’s program, live undercard fights.

MAY DAY FIGHT WEEK LINEUP

A fight week blitz will begin on Monday, April 29, with daily programming on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME and CBS SPORTS NETWORK leading up to May 4. Included in the lineup will be ALL ACCESS marathons, classic Mayweather and Guerrero fights, as well as the aforementioned live programming from Las Vegas.

CLASSIC FIGHTS

Encore presentations of classic bouts featuring Mayweather and Guerrero will air on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME and CBS SPORTS NETWORK. Fights, airing in their entirety, are Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya, the most watched pay-per-view event in history; the controversial fight between Mayweather and Victor Ortiz; Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton; Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley and Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez.

Full fights from the Guerrero archive include the southpaw’s gutsy, breakthrough performances against Selcuk Aydin, Michael Katsidis, Gamaliel Diaz (rematch) as well as his first fight after learning of his wife’s diagnosis of Leukemia in 2007, a first-round knockout win over Martin Honorio.

DIGITAL

For the digital audience, SHOWTIME will present original long and short form content, both live and edited, in English and Spanish on Sports.SHO.com and SHO.com and will distribute this content to all partner and pay-per-view distributor websites.

– SHO STREAM: live streaming of the final press conference on Wednesday, May 1, and the official weigh in on Friday, May 3;

– STAREDOWN hosted by SHOWTIME Sports’ Brian Kenny featuring Mayweather and his uncle Roger Mayweather as well as Guerrero and his father Ruben;

– The aforementioned full length fights featuring Mayweather and Guerrero plus co-featured fighters Daniel Ponce De Leon and Abner Mares;

– Complete ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO Episode 1 following its television premiere on SHOWTIME and CBS SPORTS NETWORK;

– Online exclusive “ALL ACCESS: Web Extras” and ALL ACCESS outtakes;

– Highlight reels from the fighters on the card;

– Expert analysis of the key MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero match-ups.

SHOWTIME PPV® has produced and distributed a broad range of sports and entertainment programs in its history. Beginning in 1987 with The Grateful Dead New Year’s Eve Celebration Live, SHOWTIME PPV has aired over 75 events including many of the most watched boxing pay-per-view events in history featuring legends Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Julio Cesar Chavez and Manny Pacquiao.

# # #

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 “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.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @GHOSTBOXING, @DanielPonceDel1, @abnermares00, @MayweatherPromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #MayDay or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/GhostFans and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

ABOUT SHOWTIME NETWORKS INC.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

World Lightweight champion Adrien Broner was arrested on Monday in Miami for Battery.

Broner allegedly bit a security guard while trying to break up a fight. Broner was released on $1500 bail

“It was just a misunderstanding,” Broner told ESPN.com. “They thought it was this big fight, but it wasn’t. And I didn’t throw a punch. It’s OK. I’m OK.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 19, 2013) –Pound for pound great and vicious KO artist Cris Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will square off with rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsville, Queensland Australia in a featured featherweight (145 pounds) bout at the Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City after a rib injury sustained in training camp forced Cyborg’s original opponent Ediane “India” Gomes to withdraw fr! om the scheduled matchup, Invicta FC officials announced today.

Muxlow’s original Invicta FC 5 featherweight opponent, hard-punching Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) of Port Moody, BC Canada, will be matched with a new opponent to be announced soon.

Fighting out of Team Takedown Australia, the 35-year-old, 5-foot-5 Muxlow, a highly-skilled grappler, recently reeled off three consecutive victories before her win streak was snapped at the hands of top-ranked superstar Marloes Coenen at Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Dec. 31, 2012

Muxlow jumpstarted her professional career by defeating three consecutive opponents – all by way of submission – in one night of action in a featherweight tournament in New Zealand on June 2, 2007.

The 27-year-old Cyborg is universally recognized as the most devastating striker in the women’s field of MM! A fighters, pulverizing her way to 8 (T)KO victories since making her pro debut in 2005.

Cyborg took her career to new heights in a main event showdown with superstar rival Gina Carano on Aug. 15, 2009, quickly overwhelming and stopping Carano with a barrage of punches in the first round (4:59) of their meeting to become the first-ever Strikeforce women’s world champion in history. The long-awaited fight set a new viewership record for MMA on premium cable channel SHOWTIME.

Tickets for Invicta FC 5, priced from $25, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.

In the main event of the stacked 14-bout card, reigning Invicta FC Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will defend her crown against superstar Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. and, in the co-main event and first-ever Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) title fight, submission ace Va! nessa Porto (15-5) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

Flyweight superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio will also make her Invicta FC debut in another featured bout against submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.

In other action on the eight-bout main card, bantamweight (135 pounds) superstar Sarah Kaufman (15-2) of Victoria, BC Canada will make her long-awaited Invicta FC debut against dangerous striker and Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4 winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif.

Undefeated KO artist Lauren Taylor (5-0) of Anchorage, Alaska will battle hard-hitting Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at bantamweight.

Crowd-pleasing “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (4-2) of Brisbane, Australia will drop from flyweight to strawweight (115 pounds) and look to return to the win column against undefeated sensation and Invicta FC newcomer Jasminka Cive (5-0) of Graz, Austria.

The Invicta FC six-fight preliminary card will be highlighted by a bantamweight tilt between two undefeated prospects in powerhouse Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0) of Richmond, Ky. and Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif.

Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) of Seinajoki, Finland will square off with fellow undefeated rising star Juliana Carnerio Lima (5-0) of Belo Horizonte, Brazil at strawweight in what will mark both fighters’ Invicta FC debuts.

Alex Chambers (4-1) of St. Ives New South Wales, Australia will meet unbeaten Jodie Esquibel of Albuquerque, N.M. at ato! mweight.

Fresh off of her professional debut victory in the Invicta FC cage, top-flight prospect Rose Namajunas (1-0) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with fellow undefeated upstart Kathina Catron (2-0) of Tehlequa, Okla. at strawweight.

Following her explosive first round KO and professional debut victory over Katalina Malungahu at Invicta FC 4, recent Team Alpha Male enlistee Veronica Rothenhausler (1-0) of Sacramento, Calif. will return to the cage against Mollie Estes (1-1) of Kansas City in a featherweight battle.

Cassie Rodish (4-3) of Des Moines, Iowa will face Simona Soukupova (3-2) of London, England in an atomweight contest.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

About Ameristar Kansas City

Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues — The Horizon Buffe! t, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players’ lounge. Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema’s Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel. The property was awarded “Favorite Casino” for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram’s Magazine “Best of Business Awards;” in the 2003, 2005, 2007 – 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine’s “Best of Kansas City” readers’ poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine’s readers’ poll! . Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine’s “Best of Gaming” awards.

Visit Ameristar Casinos’ website at www.ameristar.com

(which shall not be deemed to be incorporated in or a part of this news release).

March 19, 2013 – After weeks of intense training in his hometown of Gilroy, Calif., Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s) has arrived in Las Vegas to continue training camp as he prepares to dethrone Eight-Time, Four-Division and current WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather (43-0, 26 KO’s). The championship showdown will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., live on SHOWTIME PPV® Saturday, May 4, 2013.

“Las Vegas is my home now and these next six weeks of training will be very grueling, but I’m well prepared to make the sufficient sacrifices that will be needed to dethrone Mayweather,” said Guerrero. “The first day of camp in Las Vegas is in the books and my body is filling out perfectly. I’m feeling extremely strong right now. I will have all my bases covered for this fight and I’m leaving no stone unturned. Believe me, Floyd is in trouble and there is nothing he can do to escape the punishment I’m going to give him. God has put me in this position for a reason and May 4th can’t come soon enough.”

“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.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.robertguerrero.com,

www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @GHOSTBOXING, @DanielPonceDel1, @abnermares00, @MayweatherPromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #MayDay or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/GhostFans and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 19, 2013) – Undefeated KO artist Lauren Taylor (5-0) of Anchorage, Alaska will replace an injured Amanda Nunes in a bantamweight (135 pounds) matchup with ha! rd-hitting Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Friday, April 5.

Nunes was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a sprained elbow sustained in training camp.

To date, the 29-year-old Taylor has been unstoppable in the cage, scoring TKOs on all five of her professional opponents, including a first round (4:10) stoppage of Jennifer Scott with an onslaught of elbow strikes in Taylor’s last start on March 1. Taylor has yet to be pushed past the second round of action.

Young, a 27-year-old, three-time veteran of Invicta FC competition, is a prolific striker who has earned six of her seven career victories by (T)KO. She is looking to rebound from a second round (2:19) TKO (punc! hes) defeat at the hands of Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6, 2012.

Tickets for Invicta FC 5, priced from $25, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.

In the main event of the stacked 14-bout card, reigning Invicta FC Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will defend her crown against superstar Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. and, in the co-main event and first-ever Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) title fight, submission ace Vanessa Porto (15-5) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

In a featured, main card bout pound-for-pound great and devastating featherweight (145 pounds) KO artist Cris Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will make her Invicta FC debut against streaking submission ace and Unified Women! ’s Professional MMA Rankings world No. 2 featherweight Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla. via Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Flyweight superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio will also make her Invicta FC debut in another featured bout against submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.

In other action on the eight-bout main card, bantamweight superstar Sarah Kaufman (15-2) of Victoria, BC Canada will make her long-awaited Invicta FC debut against dangerous striker and Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4 winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif.

In a featherweight contest, hard-punching Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) of Port Moody, BC Canada will meet rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsv! ille, Queensland Australia

Crowd-pleasing “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (4-2) of Brisbane, Australia will drop from flyweight to strawweight (115 pounds) and look to return to the win column against undefeated sensation and Invicta FC newcomer Jasminka Cive (5-0) of Graz, Austria.

The Invicta FC six-fight preliminary card will be highlighted by a bantamweight tilt between two undefeated prospects in powerhouse Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0) of Richmond, Ky. and Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif.

Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) of Seinajoki, Finland will square off with fellow undefeated rising star Juliana Carnerio Lima (5-0) of Belo Horizonte, Brazil at strawweight in what will mark both fighters’ Invicta FC debuts.

Alex Chambers (4-1) of St. Ives New South Wales, Australia will meet unbeaten Jodie ! Esquibel of Albuquerque, N.M. at atomweight.

Fresh off of her professional debut victory in the Invicta FC cage, top-flight prospect Rose Namajunas (1-0) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with fellow undefeated upstart Kathina Catron (2-0) of Tehlequa, Okla. at strawweight.

Following her explosive first round KO and professional debut victory over Katalina Malungahu at Invicta FC 4, recent Team Alpha Male enlistee Veronica Rothenhausler (1-0) of Sacramento, Calif. will return to the cage against Mollie Estes (1-1) of Kansas City.

Cassie Rodish (4-3) of Des Moines, Iowa will face Simona Soukupova (3-2) of London, England in an atomweight contest.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships ! (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

About Ameristar Kansas City

Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues -! – The Horizon Buffet, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players’ lounge. Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema’s Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel. The property was awarded “Favorite Casino” for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram’s Magazine “Best of Business Awards;” in the 2003, 2005, 2007 – 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine’s “Best of Kansas City” readers’ poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine’s ! readers’ poll. Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine’s “Best of Gaming” awards.

Visit Ameristar Casinos’ website at www.ameristar.com

(which shall not be deemed to be incorporated in or a part of this news release).

March 19, 2013 – It has been officially announced that undefeated Puerto Rican knockout specialist Jorge Maysonet Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) will take on 26 year old southpaw Gabriel Tolmajyan (13-2-1, 3KOs) in the televised co-feature of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on April 5th, featuring Marvin Quintero (25-4, 21 KOs) vs. Ammeth Diaz (31-11, 22 KOs) in an IBF lightweight title elimination bout scheduled for 12 rounds. The fight will take place at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.

The show will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on ESPN2, and will be available online through WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. The card will also air live on ESPN Deportes +, the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes, and will air tape delayed on ESPN Deportes Saturday, April 6, at 2 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Both fighters will enter the fight looking to make a statement in front of a national TV audience, but the spotlight shouldn’t bother Maysonet Jr. too much due in part to the time he spent on Puerto Rico’s National Team. Also, Maysonet Jr. comes from a boxing family and grew up watching his father/trainer Jorge Maysonet Sr., a former Olympian who possessed a perfect knockout rating as a professional with 22KO/TKOs in 22 bouts.

Maysonet Jr. is earning a reputation for being a savage puncher as well, winning 10 of his 11 pro victories by way of KO/TKO. It’s unique to see a father and son share such a distinct attribute, but Jr. is out to separate himself and make his own name in boxing.

“I’m my father’s son, yes, that’s true, but I’m my own man and I want to go even further than my father. I love him being in my corner because it’s reassuring, but he is honest with me and I’m able to work off of the blueprint he created. This April 5th fight will be a good opportunity for me to show some distinction and have a new generation of fans get familiar with me,” Maysonet Jr. said.

His father has trained him since he was a child and helped Jr. develop a style of his own. Although the power may be genetics, the skill is wisdom handed down from a lifetime served in the ring and Jorge Sr. is adamant his son’s talents beyond the power.

“He’s a dangerous puncher, but he’s more than that. Jorge Jr. has a very fan friendly style and we think it will come across very well on TV. My son can move, box, defend, and sharp shoot; he can fight on the inside and the outside. He’s anxious to prove himself,” Maysonet Sr. said.

Gary Shaw is also excited about Maysonet Jr. appearing on ESPN and having his fight broadcasted as the co-feature.

“This kid is going to reinstate hope for all the old school guys that think true power is lost; Jorge Jr. is a true powerhouse in the ring. Some guys pack a strong punch, but let Jorge touch you with one of his bombs and you’ll be seeing stars for weeks. I know that this performance is all it will take for the US fans to take notice because he is a fun fighter and ESPN will gladly have him back. Once again I want to thank Doug Loughrey of ESPN for giving us the opportunity,” Shaw said.

Maysonet Jr. is a member of “Team Puerto Rico”, a collaboration between Warriors Boxing, Gary Shaw Productions and Universal Promotions. Their goal is to gather Puerto Rico’s best boxing talent.

MIAMI (March 19, 2013) – Underrated spoiler Marcus “Hurelius” Upshaw (15-8-2, 7 KOs) has returned to Mexico, seeking revenge on Saturday night (Mar. 23) for his last fight south of the border, against two-time world title challenger Marcos Antonio “El Veneno” Rubio (56-6-1, 49 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Council Continental Americas middleweight title.

Upshaw is a true throw-back fighter, who will really fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. The 32-year-old Floridian has done just that throughout most of his seven-year professional career, earning a reputation as a dangerous opponent who has made a reputation for pulling-off major upsets.

“If I’m in the gym and in good shape,” Upshaw said, “I will fight anybody, anywhere, even on short notice. My problem was I’m a very late starter. I didn’t get going until the fourth, fifth or sixth rounds. It just took me a few rounds to get going. I like to adjust to my opponents’ style to decide what style I need to use. Since I’ve been with my head trainer, (two-time world champion) John David Jackson, I’ve decided to let it go early. He knows I’m a slow starter but, by the third round, I’m now firing.”

In 2001, Upshaw derailed 19-1 James McGirt’s ascent to the top with a controversial 10-round majority draw, in which many felt Upshaw should have had his hand raised. Two fights later, Upshaw upset 10-0 prospect Ashandi Gibbs (10-0) by way of a fourth-round technical knockout for the Florida State middleweight championship. Upshaw traveled to Quebec City in 2010 and won his signature fight to date, a stunning 10-round decision over 21-1-1 local hero Renan St. Juste, which catapulted Upshaw into the world ratings (IBF #6, WBO #9, WBC #11).

In his next fight, though, Upshaw was stopped in the fourth round by future world title challenger Osumanu Adama (18-2) for the USBA and IBO Inter-continental middleweight titles. The dream-breaker returned this past January in his last fight, as Upshaw registered am eighth-round technical knockout of local favorite Vladine Biosse (14-1-1).

“I know what they expect,” Upshaw spoke about fighting favored opponents in their backyards. “It’s not a surprise to me. I don’t get upset. They talk tough, right up until the time we step in the ring, but once I touch them, they know. I have had a few fights taken away from me.”

Upshaw acknowledges undefeated super middleweight contender Edwin Rodriguez and Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez as the best he’s ever fought. Last November, Upshaw lost a 10-round decision in Mexico to Sanchez (23-0) for the WBC Youth World middleweight championship.

“After the fifth round,” Upshaw noted, “I thought I had him. He’s a helluva fighter, like a southpaw Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. We went 10 hard rounds. I hurt him and should have beaten him. I haven’t been the same since that fight. Now, I’m out to destroy. I’m a changed fighter. This time I’m going there (Mexico) to get revenge. After my first experience fighting in Mexico, I’m going for a knockout this time. If we go 10 rounds everybody will know that we duked it out.”

Rubio lost world title fights to Chavez (DEC12) and Kelly Pavlik (RTD9). The rugged Mexican has defeated Carlos Manuel Baldomir, David Lemieux, Jose Luis Zertuche twice, Enrique Ornelas, Frankie Randall, Fitz Vanderpool and Saul Roman during the course of his 13-year prizefighting career.

“As you can see by his last fight, you can’t go by Marcus’ record,” explained his manager for the past four years, Si Stern. “Earlier in his career, his management team didn’t have a plan in terms of what weight class to fight him. He was fighting light heavyweights and super middleweights, thrown to the wolves as a fill-in fighter. It took us some time to get him on the right track but, today, Marcus is a very good middleweight. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to win this fight.”

The son of a career military man, retired U.S. Navy E6 Harry Upshaw, Jr., Marcus has rich athletic DNA in his system. His uncle, the late Gene Upshaw, was an NFL Hall of Fame offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders; younger sister, Antonette, played professional basketball in the WNBA and Europe; brother Harry III played basketball in Italy, and his 15-year-old cousin, Braden, is a blue-chip Maine running back/defensive end who’ll reportedly be playing college football in a few years for the University of Miami.

Tough shoes to fill, for sure, but an upset of Rubio could very well position him for the biggest fight of his life.

Although it may be the first big test of his professional boxing career, Puerto Rican prospect Roberto Acevedo (7-0, 4 KOs) says he’s treating it like just another fight when he takes on Chicago’s also undefeated Paul Littleton (6-0-1, 4 KOs) on Friday, March 22, 2013, at Chicago’s UIC Pavilion.

The pair will meet in a six-round super middleweight bout on the undercard of the ESPN Friday Night Fights televised night of boxing presented by 8 Count Productions, Round 3 Productions and Warriors Boxing and in support of the night’s 10-round middleweight main event between Windy City favorite Donovan “Da Bomb” George (24-3-1, 21 KOs) and former world title challenger David “The Destroyer” Lopez (41-13, 23 KOs) of Nogales, Mexico.

In the other featured bout, former world champion Kermit “EL Asesino” Cintron (33-5-1, 28 KOs) will drop back down to welterweight to face Chicago slugger Adrian “EL Tigre” Granados (11-2-1, 7 KOs).

How did training camp go?
My training camp has gone as always: great. I’m learning something new every day! I’m at a level where I’m like a sponge; taking in everything my trainers Chico Rivas and John David Jackson show me. I’m getting great sparring with great fighters like Sergey Kovalev and Marcus Upshaw.

You’re heading into the biggest test of your career, are you ready?
I don’t consider this fight to be the biggest test of my life, since I did my pro-debut against a guy that had a great amateur background and was part of the Junior Olympic also he competed at the AIBA Semi-Pro tournament. But I still train hard for Littleton since I know that he’s as hungry as I am.

What made you want to take this fight?
I was encouraged to take the fight to show everyone that my career is not a given or made-up record. I always want to fight with the best to prove to myself that I’m the best!

What do you know about Littleton?
I know he’s human and his nothing supernatural. He has the same things that I have. I let my manager and team do their work on studying him, I concentrate on my training and winning March 22. I also know that he want to create his own weight division by requesting to fight at a lower weight 164lbs… I know super middle weight is at 168.

How do you handle pressure?
There’s no pressure, I apply the pressure… I’m easy and calm. This is just one more fight; one more W to my record.

What would a victory mean to you?
When I win this fight, I will be a step more in my career. I will prove to everyone that there is a new face taking over in the super middleweight division and that face has a name: Roberto Acevedo!

###

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 7pm CT with the first bout scheduled for 8:00pm 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.

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 19, 2013) A media lunch for the Los Angeles boxing press was held on Saturday afternoon for WBA/IBO Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and contender Nobuhiro Ishida who will clash on Saturday, March 30 in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

The Golovkin/Ishida battle will be broadcast LIVE by Integrated Sports Media at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via IN Demand, DIRECT TV, DISH and Avail-TN/$24.95.

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin

“Thank you all for coming today, this will be a great fight and I’m looking forward to fighting in Monte Carlo, a beautiful part of the world. It’s very good for boxing that this is event is being held there.”

“It’s no problem for me to fight from 154 to 168.”

“I agree, my style means that I will never be in a boring fight.”

“Ishida is taller than me and that does present different challenges, I saw his fight with Pirog and I know how tough he is.”

Nobuhiro Ishida

“I have a lot of respect for Gennady and his power and consider him to be one of the best middleweights in the world.”

‘I am looking forward to fighting for a world title again.”

Daisuke Okabe, Co-Trainer of Ishida

“This could be Ishida’s last chance at a world title, he is like a samurai warrior and will do everything possible to win.

Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions

“We have a lot of respect for Ishida for agreeing to fight Gennady while others have avoided him at all costs.”

“Gennady wants to fight all over the world and it’s very important for him to put on exciting fights.”

“Ishida beat James Kirkland in a middleweight bout and his last fight was against Pirog, one of the top middleweights in the world. He’s very popular in Japan, Asia and Europe and we’ve had a lot of international interest.

“Our plan is to stay at 160 until a more attractive fight presents itself either at 154 or 168.”

“We’ve had very strong support in New York City from boxing fans and the Kazakh Consulate there and look forward to fighting there in the future.”

“While we are focused on making Gennady a household name in the United States, he would have no problem facing Sergio Martinez in Argentina.”

When asked about the Canelo Alvarez vs. Austin Trout winner, Loeffler stated,

“For the winner of Canelo vs. Trout, Gennady would have no problem fighting either at 154.”

“There is an excellent chemistry between Gennady and his trainer Abel Sanchez, it’s great to watch in the gym as well as in the ring. Gennady has been very accepting of Abel’s direction.”

Abel Sanchez, Golovkin’s Trainer

“We’re looking forward to a competitive fight on March 30th from both fighters.”

WHO: WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

Star-studded, 12-bout professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event that will air live on NBC Sports Network from Ovation Hall at

Revel in Atlantic City, N.J. on Saturday, March 23

WHAT: FREE, OPEN PUBLIC WEIGH-IN

WHEN: FRIDAY, MARCH 22

3 p.m. EST – Media check-in

4 p.m. – Fighters on scale

!

WHERE: The Social at Revel

STREAMING: Live on WSOF.com

PRINCIPALS: All 24 main and preliminary card fighters will weigh in

ANDREI ARLOVSKI—Former UFC heavyweight champion and main event competitor

&! nbsp;

ANTHONY JOHNSON—KO artist and heavyweight main event competitor

TYSON NAM —Surging bantamweight co-main event competitor

MARLON MORAES—Two-time national Muay Thai champion and co-main event star

PAULO FILHO —Former WEC middleweight champ and PRIDE FC superstar

DAVID BRANCH—Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt

JOSH BURKMAN — Welterweight star

AARON SIMPSON —Former NCAA Division I wrestling star and welterweight force

JZ CAVALCANTE – Ferocious, lightweight finisher

JUSTIN GAETHJE – Undefeated, fast-rising lightweight star

RAY SEFO—President, World Series of Fighting

&nbs! p;

PLUS— All preliminary card competitors, including N.J.’s Frank Buenafuente, Ozzy Dugulubgov, Rich Patishnock and Kris McCray; Pennsylvnia’s Bill Algeo and Waylon Lowe; and New York’s Chris Wade

SINGAPORE (March 19, 2013) — World No. 1 lightweight (70 kilograms/154 pounds) Giorgio Petrosyan (75-1, 35 KOs) of Italy will headline the GLORY 7 Milan kickboxing mega-event against fellow sensation Hafid El Boustati (67-7-3, 18 KOs) of The Netherlands on Saturday, April 20 at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy.

Tickets for GLORY 7 Milan, priced from 29 €, can be purchased online at http://www.oktagon.it/it/biglietti.

“Giorgio Petrosyan is one of the greatest fighters of his generation, so it is no accident that he is ranked No. 1 in the world,” said Andrew Whitaker, Glory Sports International CEO. “Milan is perhaps the world’s style capital, so we can expect an especially slick performance from Petrosyan as he headlines GLORY 7 in front of his hometown fans against an emerging and ferocious contender in El Boustati.”

El Boustati rides a seven-fight win-streak into this clash, which marks his GLORY debut. In 2012, he experienced a major breakthrough year that saw him defeat, amongst others, superstar Robin Van Roosmalen in a bout for the now-defunct league, It’s Showtime, which GLORY acquired last Oct. Ranked No. 2 in the GLORY World Federation rankings, Van Roosmalen was the heavy favorite to win the matchup, but was stopped two minutes into the second round d! ue to cuts sustained.

El Boustati, a strong technician with superior punching power, fights out of Mousid Gym in Amsterdam and counts fellow GLORY stars Mosab ‘Jaguar’ Amrani and Mourad Bouzidi amongst his training partners. The matchup with Petrosyan, known for a highly technical style, represents the biggest opportunity of El Boustati’s career.

“Honestly, I see a lot of weaknesses in Petrosyan’s style,” El Boustati says of his nearly unbeaten opponent. “He fights scared, he avoids the fight. Don’t get me wrong, he is a very good fighter and he doesn’t take damage but he is very defensive and that can be a problem for a fighter when he gets certain opponents.

“He is very technical? Well I am very technical too,” continued El Boustati, “and I also have power to knock someone out. I know that I need to finish him because, let’s be honest, is there any chance I am going to ! win on points in Italy against Petrosyan? No. So I am going in there to beat him up. I will make him have a real fight for a change.”

Additional bouts for GLORY 7 Milan will be announced soon. For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.

About GLORY:

GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world’s new premiere 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, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and 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 soon in 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.

This has been another great week at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas. I continued my work with Floyd’s assistant trainer Nate Jones and I also worked with Roger Mayweather.

CBS – Showtime who Floyd has just signed a six fight deal, started filming him for the build-up to his fight with Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero.
Some of these were private sessions where only The Money Team or sparring partners of Floyd could watch. I had the privilege of being able to stay and watch Floyd go through histraining regime.
It is always instructive and inspiring!
This week I had the pleasure of accompanying Floyd on his evening road running sessions. Being side by side with greatness is something that can only fuel you to achieve your goals.
Floyd invited me to the Alicia Keys concert at the Mandalay Bay hotel resort and casino with The Money Team on Friday. I had a great night out with them.
They have made me feel continuously welcome and very much at home.
Vegas is the place to be! Adrien Broner is due to fight world champion, Paul Malignaggi, in June and is considering basing himself in Las Vegas. Paulie has come a very long way since we first sparred in 2005.
I sparred with the talented Semajay Thomas again this week. It was his final week of sparring before his professional debut. He was a successful amateur being ranked US number one and world number five at the highest points of his amateur career.
He has already sparred two weight world champions Devon Alexander and Adrien Broner. As long as he stays focused and keeps working hard, I expect him to be a world champion. Remember where you heard it first.
I also traded punches with world rated Vernon Paris in sparring, which was decent work.
Next week I’m due to spar two weight world champion Cellestino Caballero. He is a great fighter and I’m looking forward to it.
There is NO let up here, and everything is competitive and hard edged. No quarter is ever asked for and absolutely no quarter is ever given without a fight.

NEW YORK, NY (March 19, 2013) — Live world championship boxing continues its EPIX run in April and May with two more exciting events featuring the kings of the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.

Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) light heavyweight champion NATHAN CLEVERLY defends his title against No. 1 contender ROBIN KRASNIQI on Saturday, April 20, at London’s Wembley Arena. The following month, World Heavyweight Champion WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO, making his fourth consecutive appearance on EPIX, defends his WBO/International Boxing Federation (IBF)/World Boxing Association (WBA)/International Boxing Organization (IBO)/The Ring world titles against undefeated Top-10 contender FRANCESCO PIANETA on Saturday, May 4, at the SAP-Arena in Mannheim, Germany. Both fights will be televised live to the U.S. exclusively on EPIX, the premium entertainment network. EPIX will stream the fights live on EpixHD.com and on the EPIX app on Xbox consoles and Roku players as part of a special free trial offer for boxing fans.

These four gladiators boast a combined record of 151-5-1 (92 KOs) — a winning percentage of 96% and a victory by knockout ratio of 61%.

“We’re excited to present another strong slate of compelling world championship battles,” said Travis Pomposello, Chief Creative Officer for EPIX Sports. “The Cleverly-Krasniqi and Klitschko-Pianeta title rumbles are competitive fights with marquee value that our viewers want to see and have come to expect from EPIX.”

Cleverly (25-0, 12 KOs), of Caerphilly, Wales, was British Commonwealth and European light heavyweight champion before he ascended the throne as world champion. After winning the WBO interim light heavyweight title in 2010, winning a close but unanimous decision over Nadjib Mohammedi, he was elevated to world champion a few months later where he has since successfully defended the WBO title four times since 2011 against opponents who had a combined record of 81-6-2 when he battled them. In Cleverly’s last fight, which took place at Staples Center in Los Angeles on November 11, he blasted out Shawn Hawk in the eighth round.

Krasniqi (39-2, 15 KOs), a native of Serbia who fights out of Munich, Germany, is riding a seven-year, 38-bout winning streak. Only once has Krasniqi ever fought outside Germany — in Prague, Czech Republic in 2010. He enters this fight having won his last four fights by knockout. Those victories also earned him the WBO European and WBO International light heavyweight crowns as well and his WBO mandatory challenger position.

Klitschko (59-3, 50 KOs), of Kiev, Ukraine, is a two-time world heavyweight champion. Klitschko began his first title reign in 2000 when he captured the WBO heavyweight title via a unanimous decision over defending champion Chris Byrd. Byrd suffered two knockdowns in that battle. Klitschko’s two-year title reign included five successful defenses – all by knockout – before losing the belt to Corrie Sanders in 2003. Klitschko returned to the world championship throne in 2006, this time as IBF champion, when he dethroned Chris Byrd in a title rematch. This victory was even more emphatic than the first one with Klitschko stopping Byrd in the seventh round. Since that fight, Klitschko has taken on and defeated all comers while unifying the title with victories over WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov, and WBA champion David Haye. He enters this fight riding a nine-year, 16-bout winning streak. Last year he successfully defended his titles three times — a fourth-round knockout of former two-time world champion Jean Marc Mormeck on March 3, and a sixth-round stoppage of mandatory challenger Tony Thompson on July 7. He finished the year with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Mariusz Wach on November 10. All three title defenses were televised live to the U.S. by EPIX.

Pianeta (28-0-1, 15 KOs), is a native of Italy who fights out of Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. An eight-year professional, Pianeta, 28, is an inspiring story having survived a bout of testicular cancer. After surgery in late 2009, the 6’5 southpaw returned to the ring one year later, knocking out Mike Middleton in the first round. His resume boasts a one-year reign as the European Union heavyweight champion, which included three successful title defenses, and victories over former heavyweight champion Oliver McCall and four-time heavyweight title challenger Frans Botha. In his last fight on November 16, Pianeta knocked out Nelson Dario Dominguez (14-1-1) in the first round. He is currently world-rated No. 8 by the WBO.

About EPIX

EPIX® is the newest premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic library titles, plus original films, comedy, music and sports events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched October 2009 as the first multiplatform premium network with online accessibility for subscribers through EpixHD.com, EPIX pioneered the development and proliferation of TV Everywhere for American consumers. EPIX was the first premium network to launch on Xbox 360®consoles, first on Android™ tablets and phones, first on Roku® players and soon to be the first to launch on PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system. EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads®, iPhones®, Kindle Fire tablets, Samsung® Smart TVs and Blu-ray™ players and more. Today EPIX remains the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up from new Hollywood hits to original programs on all platforms and provides more movies than any other premium network.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX Sports on Twitter @EPIXsports and on Facebook www.facebook.com/EPIXsports.

NEW YORK – Heavyweight import Tyson Fury, 20-0, 14 KOs, invades New York City on April 20th in the afternoon show at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Fury hopes to bring the “Luck of the Irish” with him when he takes on former two-time world champion Steve Cunningham, 25-5, 12 KOs, in a 12-round IBF heavyweight elimination fight. The winner of the bout, which will be broadcast live 4PM ET in the states on network television by NBC, earns the #2 spot in the IBF rankings, and stays on course for a shot at champion Wladimir Klitschko. The event will be Fury’s American debut.

Fury, who is of Irish heritage and was named after boxing great Mike Tyson, is no fighting leprechaun. In fact, at 6′ 9″, he is quite the opposite, and should prove to be a tall task for Cunningham to topple. The battle-tested “USS” Cunningham has been in the ring with top quality foes, all over the world. However, he’s never faced a hard-punching giant like Fury.

Cunningham moved up from the cruiserweight division last year, and has looked good as a heavyweight thus far, but this fight should determine whether or not he can handle one of the gloved giants that so dominate the heavyweight division these days.

Fury is a fighting machine with heavy hands and size advantages enough to make any Cunningham fan very nervous. Fury was the first to defeat Londoner Dereck Chisora, and added tough guy Vinnie Maddalone to his list of victims last year. In his most recent outing, Fury beat well-rounded former title challenger Kevin Johnson over 12 rounds to bring his winning streak to an even 20 straight.

Fury is on a roll but along with advantages in height and weight, he’ll need to bring his “A” game and a bit of that Irish fortune to the Garden if he wants to add USS Steve to his win column. Bookmakers in England have the odds even. The battle should be everything fans look for in a high-profile international heavyweight contest – especially if it’s anything like the press conference to announce the fight.

When the fighters came together for the first time last week, emotions flared on the dais, and Fury made it clear he would make a memorable American debut on April 20th. “I’m a man on a mission,” Fury said. “I mean business. Your heavyweight run is coming to an end. I’m going to retire you Steve.”

Cunningham mostly stayed in control, saying he doesn’t like it when fighters do their talking outside of the ring. “The guys who talk a lot? They’re chumps,” Cunningham said.

We’ll find out who is correct at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in about one month.

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.

Now most promoters cry wolf telling fans that they better buy their tickets early before the shows sells out, but for the Thursday, April 11th Fight Club OC show, promoter Roy Englebrecht really does means it!

With a big seven bout show set, and with seven of the 14 fighters coming from Orange County, these local fighters have purchased a ton of tickets up front, so that only approximately 100 tickets remain for the April 11th show.

Local Area Fighters Set For Battle
Fight Club OC – The Hangar April 11th

Tustin’s Paul Velarde (right) pictured above
And this is a show you won’t want to miss, as it will have something for everyone. The return of Tustin’s Paul Velarde in the featured bout, is a must see. Fullerton’s MMA star Curtis Millender who thrilled the February crowd with his skill and power in his pro debut win is back facing Dana Point’s tough Blake Belshe….Sunny Hills High grad and youth boxing trainer at La Habra Boxing Club Nadja Ropac will make her pro debut facing SF’s Laura Deanovic….Santa Ana’s Jesus Gutierrez will be going for his first win….Samoan-American and Golden Gloves champion Malanga D’Hue will be making his cruiserweight pro debut….and OC trainer Beto Ibarra, who debuted at the Battle In The Ballroom a few years back, will make his ring return.

Fullerton’s Curtis Millender (pictured above left) from Feb 28th Fight Club OC

Golden Gloves Champion
Malanga D’Hue (pictured above)
Makes his Pro Debut April 11th at Fight Club OC

Tickets are only $50 and can be purchased online at www.fightcluboc.com, and also check out the website for the entire April 11th Fight Card.

Remember the great Pre Fight Dinner Special at Newport Rib Company, where you get a three course meal for only $20.

Newport Rib Company is located at 2196 Harbor Blvd. Costa Mesa 92626

On Saturday, March 23rd, boxing will finally return to the beautiful Sunset Station for the first time in almost ten years. The platform is only fitting when one considers the years of experience both camps will bring to the ring this weekend.

In opposite corners, two legendary figures within the San Antonio boxing community will embark in a pugilistic chess match. Jose Angel Lopez, who has been dubbed the trainer of champions by many in the Alamo City, will go head to head with San Antonio Hall of Fame inductee Tony Ayala Sr. in the main event of the evening.

In Lopez’s corner, representing the iconic Angel’s Boxing Club will be slick boxer/puncher Rashad Ganaway. In Ayala’s corner, effective aggressor Justo Vallecillo will attempt to impose his will and further delay Ganaway’s ambitions of world championship glory.

The style match-up is a splendid one; the matador versus the relentless bull. The Lightweight combatants will come into the ring with two widely respected boxing figures, who boast a combined knowledge and experience in the sweet science that exceeds seventy years.

Both Lopez and Ayala have a reputation of demanding perfection from their entire stable of amateur and professional fighters. The San Antonio boxing faithful will have the opportunity to discover which trainer’s protégé will reign supreme and take the next step towards boxing super stardom.

The two lifelong trainers have previously taken hard working fighters to the championship level with Robert “El Pikin” Quiroga and John Michael Johnson respectively. Will Jose Angel Lopez and Tony Ayala Sr. be successful in eventually producing championship gold once again?

Be a part of history as the city of San Antonio celebrates the careers of two legendary fight trainers, Jose Angel Lopez and Tony Ayala Sr., during the Final Press Conference and Luncheon this Wednesday at 2PM, as we kick-off our official countdown to Saturday, March 23rd, “The Quest: Ganaway vs. Vallecillo”!!

The two devoted boxing proponents have been mentoring young men and women in the Alamo City for the past 4 decades, and their undying commitment to the local boxing community is unrivaled.

The luncheon will begin at 2:00PM, with the press conference ceremony starting approximately at 2:30PM. The event will commence at the appropriately named Legends Sports Bar, 1305 SW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78227, Ph: (210) 674-0627

Fighters competing on the talent enriched March 23rd bout sheet will be present for interviews and photo opportunities.

Tickets for “The Quest: Ganaway vs. Vallecillo” will be on sale at tomorrow’s press event and start as low as $20. Tickets are also available by calling 210-771-2732, 210-325-0140, or 210-589-7654!!

Legend versus Legend…Prospect versus Prospect…The Quest begins on March 23rd!

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization will be hosting a casting call for the next US edition of its long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter®, on Monday April 15, 2013, in Las Vegas. For the first time ever in the history of the series, Season 18 will feature male and female bantamweight (135lbs) fighters.

All TUF™ 18 candidates must be at least 21 years old, have the legal ability to live & work in the United States, and have a minimum of three professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights – holding a winning record (with verifiable records). Applications, which should be completed and brought to the tryouts, can be found online at http://www.ufc.com/TUF18. Tryout details are provided below:

Where:

Palace Station Hotel, 2411 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102

Tryouts will be held in the Grand Ballroom

When:

Monday April 15, 2013*

Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. PT

Fighters will be required to grapple & hit pads. Please bring appropriate gear.

*Applicants will be notified at the end of the tryouts if they have been selected to continue on in the casting process. If selected, applicants must be prepared to stay in Las Vegas until April 19.

The Ultimate Fighter, which debuted in 2005, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping and Matt Serra. Bantamweights were most recently featured on The Ultimate Fighter 14, where John Dodson emerged as season winner.

TUF 18 is expected to debut in the fall of 2013.

Tickets for season 17’s The Ultimate Fighter® Finale are on-sale now. To purchase tickets to the April 13th event at Mandalay Bay Events Center, or for more information, visit the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

Catch all new episodes of this season of The Ultimate Fighter at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

###

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

Tacoma, WA (March 18th, 2013) – After two years, fight fans all around the world will get their chance to once again witness Zahir “King” Raheem (31-3-0, 18 KO’s) back in the ring in pursuit of a world title. Raheem is scheduled to fight on Saturday, March 23rd at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA where northwest boxing fans will get the first look at the superstar when he takes on Toppenish’s Santos Pakau (28-7-2, 11 KO’s) in the Main Event of Battle at the Boat 91.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to fight for Halquist Productions and I look forward to a very successful journey, “said Raheem about his much anticipated comeback to boxing.

Boxing enthusiasts throughout the world remember a crucial day in 2005 when lightweight champion, Erik Morales, took on the rising Zahir Raheem. The fight was intended to be a warm up fight for Morales before his scheduled super fight rematch against Manny Pacquiao. Raheem didn’t have the same plan in mind. He stepped into the ring determined to let the world know he was ready for a title shot. He did just that. With the vacant WBC International lightweight title on the line, Raheem battled through 12 rounds with Morales and controlled the entire fight. The judges awarded Raheem with the unanimous decision. Ring Magazine named the fight “Upset of the Year” and Raheem was suddenly on his way to what appeared to be stardom.

No one would step up to fight the crafty boxer out of Philadelphia until seven months later when Raheem finally got a shot at the vacant WBO lightweight title against Acelino Freitas. Raheem knew that it was a must win in order to prove his win over Morales was no fluke. The fight went 12 rounds. One judge scored the fight 115-113 for Raheem. The other two judges disagreed, scoring closely for Freitas. Raheem would lose the fight via a heartbreaking split decision. After defeating Morales and barely losing to Freitas it was almost impossible for Raheem to find a quality opponent. An opponent he knew he deserved. Raheem was left to face easy wins again, ultimately taking away the challenge that feeds fighters. His last fight would come in August of 2010 where he KO’d Roberto Valenzuela in the 2nd round.

Now signed with Halquist Productions, Raheem has been given a new hope to his dream of becoming a world champion. The first step in the process will come in the main event of Battle at the Boat 91 this Saturday when he will step into the ring against Santos Pakau at the Emerald Queen Casino.

In the Semi-Main event of Battle at the Boat 91, Vancouver’s Virgil Green (5-1-0) is set to face Dave Petryk (3-3-1) out of British Columbia. Green is replacing the originally scheduled Marcelino Pineda who was injured while training last week. Green trains out of the Fisticuffs gym with head coach, Leonard Gabriel, and reigns as the current Northwest Jr. Welterweight Champion.

The action packed undercard is filled with local talent:

Julian Dutkel (debut) vs. Calvin Medley (debut)

Zachary Cooper (1-0-0) vs. Josh Solis (debut)

Antonio Neal (debut) vs. Juan Carlos Rodriguez (1-1-0)

Ricardo Moldonado (debut) vs. Dex Montenegro (1-1-1)

With the long term promotional contract signed with Halquist Productions, fans throughout the Northwest will get a chance to see Raheem work his way to another world title fight throughout 2013 at future Battle at the Boat events. The Battle at the Boat series continues to be the longest running boxing series at any Tribal casino throughout the United States. Halquist Productions has promoted fights that have been televised on every major sports network including ESPN, ESPN 2, HBO, and Showtime. For more information about Battle at the Boat 91 and all other Halquist Production events, please visit www.halqusitproductions.com