Jr. Middleweight contender Gabriel Rosado talks about his big win over Jesus Soto Karass plus promoter Russell Peltz talks about the future of Rosado and Heavyweight Bryant Jennings

Undefeated Heavyweight Bryant Jennings talks about his big win over Maurice Byarm

PHILADELPHIA–Bryant Jennings scored an impressive ten round unanimous decision over Maurice Byarm in a battle of Philadelphia based Heavyweights at the Asylum Arena.

Jennings outworked Byarm for most of the fight. Jennings came out moving around the exterior of the round with Byarm just following Jennings around the ring. that gave Jennings an opportunity to use his reach and land several blistering combinations on Byarm. That same scenario played out for much of the first half of the fight.

Byarm got going in round five as he started to let his hands go and begin to land combinations as he focused on some body work before coming upstairs.

Neither man had gone more than six rounds in any fight and both seemed to have just brief periods of fatigue but did a nice job of getting second and third winds.

Jennings came on at the end of alot of the rounds and finished strong which enabled him to get the verdict in most of the rounds. Jennings came out blistering in round eight as he landed a huge right hand that Byarm not only shook off but came back with a nice combination of his own.

Both guys fought well down the stretch, but Jennings had a solid lead and came away with the victory.

Both fighters should be commended for taking the bout on less than a week’s notice after the sudden pullout of Eddie Chambers who was supposed to fight Sergei Liakhovich.

Jennings, 220 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 97-93; 96-94 and 96-94 to remain perfect at 12-0. Byarm, 244 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 13-1-1.

Gabriel Rosado scored a fifth round stoppage over veteran Jesus Soto Karass in round five of a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Rosado was dominant throughout as he landed some solid shots with both hands. Rosado featured solid straight rights and uppercuts on the crouching Soto Karass. The domination really started in the third round as as a right hand opened up a nasty cut over the left eye of Soto Karass. the momentum continued in round four with Rosado landing big combinations that was followed by a big uppercuts. the cut worsened towards the end of the round. In round five, Rosado landed a huge combination that sent a visibly beaten Soto Karass back to the corner where Rosado landed six hard shits that forced referee Steve Smoger to stop the bout at 2:06 of round five.

Rosado, 153 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 19-5 with eleven knockouts. Soto Karass, 154 lbs of Los Angeles is now 24-7-3.

In a battle of undefeated Light Heavyweights, Sullivan Barrera scored a six round unanimous decision over Damar Singleton.

Barrera was much more active in this uninspiring fight as there was a lot of holding and clinching but it was Barrera’s lead right hands that were getting through before much of the clutching would commence.

Barrera, 174 1/2 lbs of Miami via Cuba won by scores of 60-54; 60-54 and 59-55 and is now 9-0. Singleton, 176 1/2 lbs of Toeldo, OH is now 7-1.

In the opening bout of the evening, Naim Nelson kept his undefeated mark in tact with a four round unanimous decision over Pedro Andres.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Nelson, 137 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia and is now 4-0. Andres, 136 lbs of Bridgeton, NJ was making his pro debut.

Jose Peralta ALejo scored a six round unanimous decision over Lenwood Dozier in a Welterweight bout.

Alejo, 145 lbs of Jersey City, NJ won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 7-1. Dozier, 146 lbs of Glen Burnie, MD is 7-4-1.

Ray Robinson boxed well and scored a eight round unanimous decision over grizzled veteran Doel Carrasquillo in a Welterweight bout.

Robinson, 148 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia won by tallies of 79-73; 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 13-2. Carrasquillo is now 16-19-1.

This show was the first event of the new NBC Sports Network boxing series and was promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing with the main event co-promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions

Javier Molina is back on track with his winning ways

Matt Villanueva and Mike Ruiz battle it out on Showtimes “ShowBox.”

Joel Diaz Jr. and Guy Robb have the fight of the night on Showtime.

Rico Ramos suffers a lost to Guillermo Rigondeaux on Showtime. Ramos offered no excuses but vows to get right back in the gym

New York, NY – (1/6/2012) – At the press conference last week in New York City to announce DiBella Entertainment’s HBO Championship Boxing St. Patrick’s Day card at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Andy Lee, who was slated to fight in the televised co-feature bout of the evening, stated, “I want to thank Lou (DiBella – Lee’s promoter) for letting me showcase myself on this show. There is nothing more I can wish for then to have this opportunity to fight at MSG on St Patrick’s Day.”

After seeking an opponent for the past two months and not being able to come up with anything suitable, Team Lee has announced that they will be coming off the card, and now it is rumored he could be the next opponent for WBA Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm.

“It is with great regret that I have to withdraw from the March 17, St Patrick’s Day Promotion at MSG Theater,” stated Lee. “Unfortunately due to the unavailability of a suitable world ranked opponent Team Lee have collectively decided it is in my best career interest to pass on a fight on this occasion. I would like to thank my promoter, Lou DiBella and HBO for planning to have me on the card and for their efforts to secure a suitable opponent for me from the limited boxers available.”

While it would have been a special treat for the and Irish community to see Lee showcase his skills on the 17th, Lee feels that his time for a world title opportunity is now, and while he wanted to be part of what is expected to be a spectacular event at The Garden when Sergio Martinez defends his Middleweight Championship Crown against Ireland’s top-rated middleweight contender Matthew Macklin, he now has his sights set on pursuing the fight with Sturm. Sturm has a tentative date schedule in Germany for April 13th.

New York, NY – (1/6/2012) – At the press conference last week in New York City to announce DiBella Entertainment’s HBO Championship Boxing St. Patrick’s Day card at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Andy Lee, who was slated to fight in the televised co-feature bout of the evening, stated, “I want to thank Lou (DiBella – Lee’s promoter) for letting me showcase myself on this show. There is nothing more I can wish for then to have this opportunity to fight at MSG on St Patrick’s Day.”

After seeking an opponent for the past two months and not being able to come up with anything suitable, Team Lee has announced that they will be coming off the card, and now it is rumored he could be the next opponent for WBA Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm.

“It is with great regret that I have to withdraw from the March 17, St Patrick’s Day Promotion at MSG Theater,” stated Lee. “Unfortunately due to the unavailability of a suitable world ranked opponent Team Lee have collectively decided it is in my best career interest to pass on a fight on this occasion. I would like to thank my promoter, Lou DiBella and HBO for planning to have me on the card and for their efforts to secure a suitable opponent for me from the limited boxers available.”

While it would have been a special treat for the and Irish community to see Lee showcase his skills on the 17th, Lee feels that his time for a world title opportunity is now, and while he wanted to be part of what is expected to be a spectacular event at The Garden when Sergio Martinez defends his Middleweight Championship Crown against Ireland’s top-rated middleweight contender Matthew Macklin, he now has his sights set on pursuing the fight with Sturm. Sturm has a tentative date schedule in Germany for April 13th.

Fighters discussed included Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin; former title challenger Martin Murray; and George, who would have met Lee at a catch weight of 164 pounds.

“Due to the unavailability of a suitable world-ranked opponent, Team Lee have collectively decided it is in my best career interest to pass on a fight on this occasion,” Lee said. “I would like to thank my promoter, Lou DiBella, and HBO for planning to have me on the card and for their efforts to secure a suitable opponent for me from the limited boxers available.”

DiBella told ESPN.com that another reason Lee (27-1, 19 KOs) is off the show is because there is a possibility he could challenge 160-pound titlist Felix Sturm (36-2-2, 15 KOs) in Germany on April 13, although Sturm may wind up facing mandatory challenger and interim titlist Gennady Golovkin.

“Andy wanted a bigger fight,” DiBella said. “He didn’t want to put all his high rankings in the organizations at risk for a fight that wasn’t a big fight and, simultaneously, the possibility of Sturm also arose. He wants to pursue a bigger fight instead of a low-budget risk fight.”

Matt Villanueva Talks Fighting Mike Ruiz Jr. on Showtime

Mike Ruiz Talks Fighting Matt Villenueva on Showtime

Guy Rob Talks Fighting Joel Diaz Jr. on Showtime

Joel Diaz Jr Talks Fighting Guy Rob on Showtime

Guillermo Rigondeaux talks about fighting Ramos on Showtime

Rico Ramos talks about fighting Rigondeaux on Showtime

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Floyd Mayweather placed a phone call to Manny Pacquiao in an effort to make a mega fight between the two superstars for May 5th.

“They spoke,” Leonard Ellerbe, one of Mayweather’s advisers, told ESPN.com on Thursday.

Mayweather provided details of his conversation with Pacquiao in an email to ESPN anchor Stan Verrett.

“I called him and asked him about us fighting May 5 and giving the World what they want to see,” Mayweather’s email read. “I also let him know we both can make a lot of money. He ask about a 50/50 split and I told him no that can’t happen, but what can happen is you can make more money fighting me then you have made in your career. I also let him know I’m in control on my side but he needs to get on the same page with his promoter so we can make this fight happen.”

The message continued: “I told him to tell his promoter that he only wants to fight Mayweather and that this fight will be the biggest fight in history. His manger came to my boxing gym a few months ago and we spoke about getting the defamation of character lawsuit dropped against me and about both fighters taking the random blood and urine test. I spoke to his manager again last night about the same thing. The call last night lasted 15 or 20 minutes. I mainly spoke to his manager he got on and off the phone real quick.”

Ellerbe said he was unsure how Mayweather obtained Pacquiao’s direct line but added, “I’m sure that’s not hard to get or find out because there have been members of Manny Pacquiao’s camp who have reached out to me and other members of our team in the past. It wouldn’t be that hard.”

On Thursday in Las Vegas, where Mayweather donated $100,000 to the Southern Nevada affiliate of the Susan G. Komen breast cancer charity as part of his promise to the judge, he spoke about his desire to face Pacquiao with a handful of media on hand.

“There is no fight I want more than the Manny Pacquiao fight,” Mayweather told the gathered media. “I guess he said he agreed to fight. The only thing that is stopping this fight right now, that I truly believe is stopping the fight, is Bob Arum.”

Final Press Conference for NBC Sports Network 1st show that will Feature Maurice Byarm battling Bryant Jennings and Gabriel Rosado taking on Jesus Soto Karass

Undefeated Heavyweight, Bryant “By By” Jennings talks about his showdown with fellow undefeated Maurice Byarm

Jr. Middleweight contender, Gabriel Rosado talks about his showdown with Jesus Soto Karass

Undefeated Heavyweight Maurice Byarm discusses his showdown eith fellow undefeated Bryant Jennings on NBC Sports Network

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
Venue: Hilton Garden Inn – Staten Island, New York

Promoter: Greg Cohen Promotions
Date: Thursday, January 19, 2012

Mikey Faragon 137 vs. Andres Ledesma 136

Diana Prazak 128 vs. Lucia Larcinese 131

Nicky Demarco 132 vs. Cesar Gonzalez 131

Tommy Rainone 155 vs. Josh Williams 154

Anthony Young 146.25 vs. Clifford McPherson 147

Streamed LIVE on www.gfl.tv for $9.99 beginning at 7:30 pm eastern.

To order the entire fight card, click: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Greg_Cohen_Promotions_Presents_Championship_Boxing/1316

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– Friday, January 20, 2012 9:00pm ET featuring School of Hard Knocks 19 Calgary at the Century Casino, Calgary, Canada. In the main event, Paapa Inkumusah (4-3) from Gracie Barra in Calgary, AB takes on Advin Omic (8-4) from Arashi-do in Red Deer, AB in a welterweight tilt. 3 of Inkumusah’s victories have come via submission, which is no surprise as Gracie Barra is one of the most well-known and respected grappling schools in the world. Expect Inkumusah to look for a choke or armlock early if the fight gets to the mat. Omic is on a two-fight win streak and has a variety of submissions wins to his credit too. It will be interesting to see if Omic wants to play the grappling game with Inkumusah or he tries to keep his distance and work the standup game. Either way, fans are in for a great main event. In co-main event, Keto Allen (6-3) from Canuckles MMA in Calgary, AB matches up against Ryan Machan (14-7) from Arashi-do in Red Deer, AB in a 180 lb contest. Allen looks to get back on track with this bout as the tough Calgary scrapper suffered a loss in his last bout. Allen is a fan favorite in Canada for his explosive and aggressive style and he will be ready to put things in to high gear in this bout and see if he can push the pace and break down Machan. For Machan, who is a perennial MFC vet, this bout is very important for him to get back to center stage in Canadian MMA. He is matched up against a very game opponent who needs a win here just as badly, so expect the fireworks to start early and this bout be a candidate for “fight of the night”.

– Friday, January 20, 2012 10:00pm ET featuring Epic Fighting 10 at the Sheraton Hotel, San Diego, California. In the main event, Francisco Castro (5-5) battles Marvin Madariaga (3-0) from Blackhouse Gym in a featherweight scrap. Castro is coming off of a tough loss in the California State Finals back in December and before that bout was on a 4-fight winning streak. Castro is a cage general and controls the pace of the action very well, as he grinds out his opponents for unanimous decisions. He will look to do the same against the upstart Madariaga. For Madariaga, training out of the same gym as UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, is a big advantage over most other training camps. The undefeated prospect looks to keep his MMA record perfect with a victory against Castro. Madariaga has finished 2 of his fights inside of one round, so expect him to try and implement a style early on that will get Castro on his heels. The co-main event is a rematch between Carlos Caliso Jr. (5-2) from Spiritwolf MMA fights Oscar Gonzalez (4-2) from Victory MMA in a lightweight matchup. In their previous fight, Caliso Jr. picked up the unanimous decision victory. Caliso Jr. is on a 2-fight win streak including picking up a tough victory last June with Epic Fighting. Caliso Jr. is a well-rounded fighter who would prefer to stand and throw down, but is also a competent grappler. For Gonzalez, a veteran of Epic Fighting as well, he will look to extract some revenge on Caliso Jr. and give him a taste of his own medicine. Gonzalez is coming off of a submission victory in his last fight and looks to put all the pieces of the MMA puzzle together, when he steps into the cage with Caliso Jr.

– Saturday, January 21, 2012 7:00pm ET featuring CSC 32 Battleware Fighting Championship at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Richmond, Virginia. Virginia’s #1 hybrid promotion featuring MMA and Muay Thai is back as Combat Sports Challenge (CSC) partners with Battleware Technologies to present CSC 32 Battleware Fighting Championships on January 21 at the Crown Plaza – Richmond West in Richmond, Virginia. The event will be a mixed event featuring pro/am fights in MMA and Muay Thai, including 4 WKA Title bouts and airing live on the GFL Combat Sports Network. In the main event, on the MMA side, Ring of Combat veteran Dwayne Shelton (9-9-1) of Team Combat in Virginia fights Joe Maiani (2-2) of Team Genocide in Ohio. Shelton is comfortable in the standup and grappling games alike, so look for him to mix up his attacks against Maiani in the beginning and try to use his cage experience to pick apart his opponent. Maiani is coming off a first round submission victory and looks to start 2012 off with another quick victory. Maiani is a fast starter, so look for him to try and bring the action to Shelton from the get go. This could be a contrasting of styles, but for MMA fans it should be an exciting and interesting matchup to see which fighter can impose their will. In one of the top Muay Thai battles, Ani Hilditch battles Robin Reese. Hilditch and Reese will be battling for a WKA Championship so expect these two women to come out throwing punches and kicks with bad intentions. Hilditch has been a veteran to the Muay Thai scene for some time now and looks to finally cement her legacy with a championship belt. To do so, she will have to overcome Reese, who has quickly shown that she is ready to fight for a championship. Muay Thai can be a brutal contest of bone cracking strikes. Both Hilditch and Reese promise to do everything in their power to devastate and debilitate one another in this championship bout.

Other non MMA events this week: Boxing: Greg Cohen Promotions featuring Mikey Faragon vs, John Trigg Jan 19, 2012 7:30pm. Pro-Wrestling: Future Stars of Wrestling: No Rish No Reward 2 Jan 20, 2012 10:00pm ET , Impact Zone Wrestling(free view): Jan 21, 2012 8:00pm ET.

GFL now offers full access to over 6,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 subscribe now at www.GFL.tv

***GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1100 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or twitter.com/GFL or youtube.com/user/Gofightlive or inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (January 18, 2012) – Former world heavyweight champion Sergei “The White Wolf” Liakhovich is not fighting this Saturday because his scheduled opponent, “Fast” Eddie Chambers, failed in a timely fashion to notify Team Liakhovich that he was pulling out of their fight due to broken ribs, which resulted in the cancellation of their fight as well as insufficient time to find a suitable replacement for Chambers..

Liakhovich (25-4, 16 KOs) and Chambers (36-2, 18 KOs) were scheduled to headline Saturday’s NBC Sport Network’s “Fight Night” debut show live from Philadelphia’s Asylum Arena.

“Eddie Chambers is trying to save face in the press but I want to set the story straight by telling everyone what really happened,” Liakhovich said. “Chambers’ medical report about his broken ribs is dated, January 6, 2012. He knew about his broken ribs back then but he didn’t let us know until January 13, seven days before our fight. Instead of shooting his mouth off to the press for a week about how easily he was going to beat me, when he already knew he was not going to fight me, he and his team should have acted professionally and immediately informed my team of his injury. If we had two week’s notice, I have no doubt that finding a suitable replacement and making training adjustments wouldn’t have been a problem, but it was a serious problem trying to do so with only seven days to go before the fight.

“I think boxers like Chambers should be punished by every promoter and networks should know how he operates. He plays the good guy to the press, but Chambers is a fake. He didn’t have the simple decency to tell another athlete about him pulling out of the fight as soon as he knew. It was his obligation to inform everyone immediately.I wasted six weeks of training, as well as the expenses for training camp, and now I’m not fighting because of his actions. NBC Sport Network, Main Events and everyone involved had to scramble to put together a main event at the last minute, all the results of Chamber’s action. He is all talk and no action. So, for now, Chambers is history.”

Liakhovich, a 1996 Bellarusian Olympian, captured the World Boxing Association (“WBO”) heavyweight title in 2006 by way of a unanimous 12-round decision over Lamon Brewster.

Already in top shape for his now cancelled fight against Chambers, Sergei is now targeting world heavyweight contender Chris Arreola. “Arreola is waiting for another big payday to fight one of the Klitschkos,” Liakhovich commented. “He’s been fighting journeyman after journeyman. How about a real fight with me? I challenge Arreola to take a fight with me. This is a fight boxing fans would love to watch.”

LOS ANGELES (January 17, 2012) – Due to the fact that there was only to be partial representation of fight officials who were involved with the December 10, 2011 Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson bout at tomorrow’s scheduled appeal hearing of the fight’s outcome before the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Golden Boy Promotions and Team Khan have decided to withdraw their appeal and focus their full attention on Amir’s next fight.

Golden Boy Promotions and Team Khan are pleased to have been vindicated by the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) recent decision to mandate an immediate rematch and still hope that Mr. Peterson will honor earlier statements in which he asserted that he would be happy to agree to a rematch. In that vein, Golden Boy Promotions and Team Khan would agree to a 50/50 split of worldwide revenues derived from a rematch (including those derived from the United Kingdom) should Mr. Peterson agree to participate and hope that this will be both financially and professionally satisfying to Mr. Peterson and his team.

SAN JUAN, P.R. (January 17, 2012) – World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO and former WBO featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL “Juanma” LOPEZ will finally square off for their World Featherweight Championship rematch, Saturday, March 10. Their battle will be televised live from Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, P.R. on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) If the rematch is anything like their first rumble, more than palm trees will be swaying when these two warriors start throwing. The SHOWTIME telecast will open with undefeated No. 1 featherweight contender MIKEY GARCIA risking record and rating as well as his impending world title shot in a 10-round featherweight battle.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing Promotion, Zanfer Promotions and the city of San Juan, tickets to Lopez-Salido II go on sale Today! Tuesday, January 17. Priced at $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased at www.tcpr.com or by phone charge by calling Ticket Center at (787) 792-5000.

“The stakes are high for the heated rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “There is no predictability in this rematch as the first fight showed…. Anything can happen!”

“SHOWTIME has made a name for itself by televising the most competitive fights in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “This match-up is not only competitive, but explosive as well. Add the intensity of the Puerto Rican fan base at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum and you have a recipe for a sports spectacle. Boxing fans have been asking for this rematch since last April, and we’re happy to give them what they want.”

“I shocked the world last year with my win, but when I do it again no one will be surprised,” said Salido. “I know I belong among the elite in the world at featherweight and look forward to been a world champion for a long time”

“I am very happy to finally get the opportunity to regain my world title and to show everyone that I am still the best featherweight in the world and that what happened last April was just a bad night,” said Lopez. “I will make my Puerto Rican fans proud on March 10.”

Salido (37-11-2, 25 KOs), from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, is a two-time featherweight champion. A professional fighter for 15 years, Salido captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight crown in 2010, dethroning defending champion Cristobal Cruz winning an exciting split decision and avenging his previous split decision world title loss to Cruz in 2008. After losing the title to undefeated superstar Yuriorkis Gamboa via a 12-round decision, also in 2010, Salido has been on a mission to seek and destroy, winning all three of his 2011 fights by knockout, including the WBO featherweight title from Lopez, and a title defense against Kenichi Yamaguchi.

Lopez (31-1, 28 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, returns to the ring for this rematch fresh from winning the the WBO Latino featherweight belt, via a second round knockout of Michael Oliver, Jr., in October. The pride of Puerto Rico has won 18 of his previous 20 fights by knockout, with the he only blemish, his eighth-round TKO loss to Salido last April. Lopez earned his first world title by knocking out defending WBO junior featherweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon in the first round of their June 2008 fight. After five successful title defenses – four by knockout – he vacated the title and successfully challenged WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano, stopping him in the seventh round, on January 28, at Madison Square Garden. He successfully defended his featherweight crown with an exciting second-round TKO of the Manny Pacquiao-managed contender Bernabe Concepcion and an eighth-round TKO of two division world champion Rafael Márquez.

Garcia (27-0, 23 KOs), from Oxnard, Calif., makes his Puerto Rico debut having won 11 of his past 12 bouts by knockout. Considered to be one of boxing’s top young prospects, Garcia, 24, returns to the ring fresh from a career-best year in 2011, knocking out previously undefeated contender Matt Remillard in the 10th round last March to capture his NABF and NABO title belts, as well as Rafael Guzman and Juan Carlos Martinez, both in the fourth round, in title defenses. Trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed by his brother Robert Garcia, the former IBF junior lightweight champion, Garcia is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBA, No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the WBO.

Former IBF Cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham discusses his February 4th rematch with Yoan Pablo Hernandez with 15rounds.com/gfl.tv Marc Abrams

Heavyweight contender discusses his disappointing injury that forced him to pull out with his bout against Sergei Liakhovich

World Light Heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins receives a life size Wax statue for his Birthday plus a “B Hop” Interview

BRONX, NY (January 17, 2012) – Philadelphia junior middleweight Derek “Pooh” Ennis plans to use unbeaten 2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade as a springboard February 10 in their main event fight for the vacant North American Boxing Organization (“NABO”) title.

Andrade-Ennis headlines the Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing show on ESPN Friday Night Fights at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The 10-round bout has future world title belt implications for the winner.

Andrade (15-0, 10 KOs), fighting out of nearby Providence, in addition to being an

Olympians also was the 2007 World Amateur Championships gold-medal winner, the first American to do so since 1999. Fighting Feb. 10 on ESPN for the ninth time in his three-year professional career, the 23-year-old Andrade has been so dominating he has won 55 of the 59 rounds fought on the judges’ scorecards

Andrade is rapidly climbing the ratings ladder, currently ranked in the top 15 of all four major governing bodies: No. 9 by the World Boxing Organization (“WBO”), No. 13 by the International Boxing Federation (“IBF”) and World Boxing Council (“WBC”) and No. 15 by the World Boxing Association (“WBA”). He is co-promoted by Star Boxing and Banner Promotions.

The confident 5′ 8″ Ennis (23-3-1, 13 KOs), a former USBA title-holder who is rated No. 9 by the IBF, believes a victory against Andrade will put him right back into the junior middleweight picture. “I’m just looking at this as another fight,” Ennis said. “But, as soon as I beat him, I’m right back on top. I really don’t know too much about him other than he’s tall (6′ 1”) and a southpaw.

“Coming from Philly, I have a good name or persona, so everybody knows I’m coming to fight. People are going to see a lot of speed and pressure put on by me in a world-class fight.”

Ennis’ most significant victory to date was against another relatively tall Olympian, 6′ 1″ world title challenger Ermosele Albert (22-3-1), of Nigeria, by way of a12-round decisions in 2009 for the vacant USBA championship.

“This fight is a great opportunity for us,” Ennis’ co-manager Moe Gonzalez (E & M Management) noted. “We know he’s in tough against this kid, but Derek is tough, too. They better not think they have a cakewalk, Derek is coming to fight. He doesn’t have problems with southpaws or taller guys. Derek really gets up for fights like this and he’ll be ready.”

Tickets are $75.00, $40.00 and $30.00 (plus $5.00 facility fee for all tickets) and are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets are also available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office, subject to availability, or by calling Star Boxing at 1.718.823.2000 and online via www.StarBoxing.com.

The Feb. 10 co-feature and undercard bouts are being finalized and will soon be announced.

For more information go online to www.starboxing.com or www.mohegansun.com.

CONTACTS:

Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482, bobtfcp@hotmail.com

Star Boxing, 718.823.2000, PR@starboxing.com

Justin Leslie, Mohegan Sun, 860.862.4106, jleslie@mohegansun.com

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com

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DOVER, Del. — Dover Downs Hotel & Casino announces the next Friday Night Fights series event will take place on Feb. 24 in the Rollins Center arena with Edgar Santana v. Manuel Perez headlining. Tickets go on sale today at noon at $40 – $200 and may be purchased by calling VIP Services at 800-711-5882 or visiting doverdowns.com/entertainment.

Local fan favorite and member of the Tiberi boxing dynasty, “Mighty” Mike Tiberi of Smyrna, Del., will fight for his first title, the WBF Intercontinental Super Middleweight Championship, in the night’s co-feature event. Tiberi said he is more focused now that he is going for a title. “I’m really excited that it’s finally come my way. I feel like I’ve paid my dues with a record of 18 and 1, and it’s my turn.”

“This is what you always dream, what you always work for,” said Mike Tiberi. “Actually, the best part is that my first title shot will be at home. It’s always good to have the crowd on your side.”

“This is a great opportunity for a young, local kid to show his talent and prove that he should be in there with some of the top guys in the world,” said Nick Tiberi, matchmaker.

The night’s main event features Edgar Santana of Bronx, N.Y., defending his NABA Junior Welterweight Championship Title with a record of 26(17)-3 against Manuel Perez, 16(4)-7, of Denver, Col.

“For Santana this is going to be a tough fight with a veteran who’s been in the there and had a draw with the champion of the world,” said Nick Tiberi. “This is a good spot to see where Santana is in the world; it pretty much will stand on how he performs here. It should really be a tremendous fight.”

“This next fight is an important one,” said Santana. “I’m grateful to be fighting at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino again for the fans. Unfortunately, my last fight was canceled because my opponent got injured late in the game. So now I’m hungry to get back in there and put on a great show for everyone.”

The under card features NABF Female Super Featherweight Title holder, “Queen” Ronica Jeffery (8-0), of Bronx, N.Y., and light heavyweight “The Bull” Anthony “Caputo” Smith of Kennett Square, Pa., whose record stands at 12(10)-0 after defeating Douglas “Al Capone” Otieno on Dec. 2. Smith received the Fight of the Night trophy for his efforts in a tough battle with Otieno on that night.

Completing the under card are light welterweight “Rockin” Ryan Belasco, 16-5-3, of Wilmington, Del., lightweight Omar “Super O” Douglas, 3(2)-0 of Wilmington, Del., cruiserweight Lamont “Problem Solver” Singletary, 3(2)-0, of Dover, Del., and John “Church Boy” Bowman of Dover, Del., whose debut last December ended in a draw.

The first bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Will call from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Visit doverdowns.com/entertainment for updates. Event, times and card are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

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Tickets for “Championship Boxing at the Hilton Garden Inn” are available online at www.gcpboxing.com and www.NicotrasBallroom.com or by calling 888.612.4191. They are priced at General Admission $50, Ringside $150 and VIP Ringside $250, which includes pre-fight open bar and hot buffet.

The card has been finalized for the January 19 “Championship Boxing at the Hilton Garden Inn” at Nicotra’s Ballroom in the Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island, New York, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions and broadcast live on Internet broadcast pioneers www.gofightlive.com.

Featured in the main event will be undefeated future lightweight champion Michael “Baby Faced Beast” Faragon (16-0, 7 KOs) of Guilderland, New York, in a six-round showcase against Colombian veteran Andres “Andy Boy” Ledesma (16-19-1, 11 KOs).

Faragon has steadily improved while moving up the ranks and will be looking to make quick work of Ledesma, who has fought well against a number of up-and-coming prospects.

In the co-main event, Washington DC’s Gary “Fast Hands” Jones (22-2, 8 KOs) will have the third fight of his comeback against California’s Ishwar Amador (11-9, 7 KOs) in a six-round super middleweight battle. Jones had been out of action for nearly eight years before returning in April 2011.

On the undercard, well-known Staten Island boxing figure Nicky “Lil Nicky” DeMarco (3-2, 2 KOs) will take on Mexico’s Cesar Gonzalez (4-4-1, 1 KO) in a lightweight four-rounder; Bloomfield, New Jersey’s outstanding US Army veteran and former amateur champion Noel Godson will make his much-anticipated pro debut against Toledo, Ohio’s Zachary Swallen (0-3) in a light heavyweight four-rounder; undefeated Atlantic City welterweight Anthony Young (2-0, 1 KO) will take on Cleveland’s Clifford McPherson (2-6-1, 1 KO) in a four-round battle; popular New Yorker Tommy “The Razor” Rainone (16-4, 4 KOs) will face Sheridan, Arkansas’ Josh Williams (5-3, 4 KOs) over four junior-middleweight rounds; and undefeated Brooklyn power puncher Travis “Notorious” Peterkin (3-0, 3 KOs) will look to bring his first-round knockout streak to four when he faces Ralph Johnson (0-2) of Massachusetts in a light heavyweight four-rounder.

Adding international flavor in a very special attraction will be women’s 130-lb world champion and future boxing star Diana Prazak (9-1, 7 KOs) of Melbourne, Australia, putting her amazing skills on display in a non-title bout against tough Canadian Lucia Larcinese (4-8).

This event will also be re-broadcast nationally on MSG network in the New York area and on FOX Sports Net affiliates nationwide.

Tickets for “Championship Boxing at the Hilton Garden Inn” are available online at www.gcpboxing.com and www.NicotrasBallroom.com or by calling 888.612.4191. They are priced at General Admission $50, Ringside $150 and VIP Ringside $250, which includes pre-fight open bar and hot buffet.

Doors open at 6:30 pm for VIP Ringside ticket holders and at 7:00 pm for the general public. Action starts at 7:30 pm.

The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 1100 South Avenue in Staten Island.