CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT

CHARLOTTE, NC (January 12, 2011) – Heavyweight prospect Travis “GW Hope” Kauffman (21-1, 16 KOs) has been added to the “Redemption In America: The Journey Begins Now” Pay-Per-View Event, headlined by living legend Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) defending his World Boxing Federation heavyweight title against challenger Sherman “Tank” Williams (34-11-2, 19 KOs), January 22 live from America’s resort — The Greenbrier’s Colonial Hall — in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

The 25-year-old Kaufmann, fighting out of Reading, Pennsylvania, is the World Boxing Federation Inter-Continental Heavyweight Champion. The former National PAL Super Heavyweight Champion takes on 7’ 1” veteran Julius “Towering Inferno” Long (15-14, 13 KOs) in an 8-round bout. The full undercard is scheduled to be announced tomorrow.

“Redemption In American,” presented by ARK Promotions in association with The Greenbrier, will be distributed in North American by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay per view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network in the United States, as well as Viewer’s Choice and Shaw PPV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

“Redemption” will fuse world class boxing and entertainment; showcasing a production that includes high-energy music presented by Broadway performers, along with dancers and aerial artists. World-renowned saxophone player Clarence Clemons will also headline a live band between rounds and throughout the night.

Competitive, supporting fights will set the stage for the main event featuring Holyfield on his journey to become the first heavyweight champion to regain the coveted world title four different times.

Ticket/hotel packages can be purchased at www.greenbrier.com <http://www.greenbrier.com/> or by calling 1.800.453.4858. Deadline to book reservations is Jan. 21.



Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7 PM/ET, and first PPV fight at 9 PM/ET, 6 PM/PT.

For more information about the Holyfield-Williams PPV event go to www.greenbrier.com <http://www.greenbrier.com/> , www.NCMusicFactory.com <http://www.ncmusicfactory.com/> or www.integratedsportsnet.com <http://www.integratedsportsnet.com/> .

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that contracts are signed for a March 19 WBC Heavyweight title fight between champion Vitali Klitschko and mandatory challenger Odlanier Solis in Cologne, Germany.

“We got the signed contracts now and we have a go for March 19 in Cologne,” said Bernd Boente, Klitschko’s manager. “I think that Solis is a very, very tough opponent. His fantastic amateur record speaks for itself — three times world amateur champion and Olympic gold medalist. He is definitely one of Vitali’s toughest opponents. I think it’s a very interesting fight for the audience.”

Said Klitschko, “I am very happy the deal is done. I have heard and read different quotes from Solis saying that I tried to avoid him. This is nonsense. There’s a reason why I’m WBC champion and I am proud of holding the same title that Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis held. I will show inside the ring that I am the strongest heavyweight champion and I am 100 percent sure I will successfully defend my title. But I know Solis is a very tough opponent and I will not underestimate him.”

“This is not about money — it’s about respect,” Solis said shortly before the deal was finalized. “The Klitschkos seem to think that I am just another opponent like the last tomato cans they cherry-picked so Vitali could easily beat them up. But I am not only the mandatory challenger. I have been the best amateur fighter in the world and I will prove that I am the best professional fighter as well.

“I am not interested in a couple of extra dollars. The only thing I want is to strip the world championship belt from Vitali. Klitschko shouldn’t be afraid of losing money; he should only be afraid to lose his title. I will end his career.”

“Solis was a very good amateur and is a very good pro, and I expect he will be the best guy he can be,” said Shelly Finkel, Klitschko’s adviser. “We’ll see if it is good enough to offer a challenge to Vitali.”

NEW YORK (Jan. 7, 2011) – Fans wishing to purchase tickets for the blockbuster Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) mega-event featuring the return of legendary Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko and the kickoff of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., won’t have to wait long.

A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com

Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. ET at the IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

A three-stage, single-elimination tournament comprised of eight of the world’s top heavyweights will begin with two tremendous quarterfinal matches on Feb. 12.

In the main event, Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC) will take on Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The co-feature will pit former world champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-8) against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

The famed Fedor, 34, of Stary Oskol, Russia, will be making his first start since it was announced earlier this week that STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with SHOWTIME®, had signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend.

In his last fight, the 6-foot Fedor suffered a shocking upset loss to Fabricio Werdum on June 26, 2010. Until then, Fedor had manufactured an unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 consecutive victories, earning him recognition as the world’s all-time greatest pound-for-pound fighter.

Silva is a 6-foot-4, 31-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has won eight of his last night fights. All but two of his victories have come by knockout. Only five of his fights have gone past the first round.

Arlovski, of Minski, Belarus, is one of the most popular and recognizable fighters in the history of MMA. A hard-hitting, extremely athletic 6-feet-4, 31-year-old, he has fought and defeated some of the best since turning professional in April 1999.

A winner in four of his last five fights, the 6-foot-4, 30-year-old Kharitonov is the last man to defeat Overeem. On Sept. 17 2007, he scored a thunderous first-round KO of Overeem with a single punch in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Kharitonov is coming off a 1:25, first-round TKO (knee) destruction of Tatsuya Mizuno this past Dec. 31 in Japan.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About M-1 Global

Founded in 1998, M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged over 70 events worldwide including the M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events and its co-produced STRIKEFORCE events in the United States. Captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 events boast some of the sport’s top names including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Stephan Struve and rising stars Shamil Zavurov, Byron Byrd, Alexander Sarnavskiy and Vinny Magalhaes. 2011 marks a breakthrough year with two Selections tournaments across Eastern & Western Europe, North America and Asia and a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is the number one heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA Times and New York Times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to grow MMA in the 21st century.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the WBC has ordered a rematch between Light Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins following their controversial draw on December 18th in Montreal.

“The WBC board of governors has voted in favor of ordering the immediate rematch between WBC champion Jean Pascal and emeritus champion Bernard Hopkins for the WBC light heavyweight championship of the world,” WBC president Jose Sulaiman wrote to the camps. “The winner of this fight has the obligation to fight Chad Dawson immediately without any intervening contest.”

“This is a great thing for boxing and hopefully fans will get to see another great fight with Pascal and I,” Hopkins said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to starting off the New Year by making history as the oldest athlete to win a major championship in any sport.”

“I’m very happy the WBC did the right thing,” Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, Hopkins’ promoter, told ESPN.com. “I think Bernard clearly deserves the immediate rematch. I feel very strongly that Bernard Hopkins won the fight. Now we just need to get it on again. I am sure that Bernard will leave no doubt that he is the light heavyweight champion. I’m going to be talking to [Pascal promoter] Yvon Michel and, based on the conversations I’ve had with him in the last few days, he and Jean Pascal are interested in the fight.”

Their could be a monkey wrench that would stand in the way of the rematch as Pascal has a rematch clause to fight Chad Dawson whom Pascal defeated last August.

“We have signed an agreement to fight Chad Dawson if HBO or Showtime is willing to pay a license fee the same or higher than the last time. So I don’t know,” Michel said after the Pascal-Hopkins fight, when asked which rematch they would pursue.

“Ken Hershman told me the fight was the highest-rated boxing event on Showtime in over three years,” Schaefer said. “The fact that this fight generated tremendous ratings on Showtime means there is a spot for Bernard Hopkins on Showtime. They are excited about having Bernard Hopkins. Bernard showed against Pascal that you can’t count out the older guys.”

Hopkins campaigned for a rematch immediately after the fight, saying, “If this guy has a backbone and wants to walk around with any kind of dignity and self-worth, the only thing he can do is fight me again. If that was me I know that is the only way I could really live with myself.

“If I were him, I would want to redeem myself and my reputation immediately after what happened.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that after Jurgen Brahmer dropped out of his Satirday unification fight with Beibut Shumenov that former Middleweight champion William Joppy has stepped in on two days notice to face WBA Light Heavyweight champion Shumenov in Kazakhstan.

“Coming back to his hometown of Shymkent as a world champion was a major homecoming for him,” promoter Dan Goossen said of Shumenov, who is based in Las Vegas. “With Brähmer slipping out of town, we couldn’t allow the show not to go on for his homecoming. With the prime minister and so many other dignitaries attending, it would have been two devastating losses if the show didn’t go forward with Beibut defending his world championship.”

“As Joppy said to me, he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to fight for the title,” Goossen said. “He said he was in great shape coming in and believes Beibut will be on a downer with Brähmer’s escape from Kazakhstan.

“I trained too hard for Brähmer and will not disappoint my fans and many dignitaries, including the prime minister of Kazakhstan, attending this sold-out show,” Shumenov said. “I’m putting Brähmer in the rear-view mirror and intend to get right back on track defending my title against Joppy, who I applaud for accepting this fight, and focus on collecting the other world light heavyweight titles.”

“I am super disappointed,” Brähmer said. “I’m sorry for Beibut, but I also trained hard. I was in the [best] shape of my life, but I caught something. This sucks. I hope it’s nothing bad. The last two days were hell for me. I would wish this on nobody. I’m just glad to be back here again and want to be healthy as soon as possible.”

Said Universum chief Klaus-Peter Kohl: “Rather than fly to the fight in Kazakhstan, now I have to visit Jürgen in the hospital.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that talks have broken down for a proposed spring bout between recognized Heavyweight champion and WBA Heavyweight champion David Haye. Klitshcko will now defend his title against Derek Chisora, who Klitshcko was supposed to defend against until Klitschko pulled out with a rib injury.

“I am very happy that we have found a new date for the fight so quickly,” Klitschko said. “Chisora insulted me many times and that is why I still have unfinished business with him. He is a very good boxer but as a person he is a loser. Like I had [planned] in December, I will now teach him a lesson at the end of April.”

Still, Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente said he was confident the Klitschko-Haye fight will eventually be made.

“I’m pretty sure the fight will happen. I’m very positive about it,” he said. “We were close with all the details. It was really a question about the date and venue. We always have to bring RTL and Sky together as our main TV partners and then go from there. We hadn’t gotten into details about U.S. TV, but that would have been HBO or Showtime, and I would prefer Showtime.”

“We wanted to do the fight April 30 with Haye. We had two stadiums available in Germany, and coming to Germany was not a problem for Haye,” Boente said. “They only wanted neutral officials, judges, referee, all that. That is no problem. We agreed on all the points, but the major issue was Sky was not willing to do a second pay-per-view in April.”

Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan is slated to fight April 16 in England on Sky Box Office, even though he does not have a set opponent.

“We asked them to change the Khan date, maybe move it back to May, but they didn’t want to do that,” Boente said.

“We couldn’t find a date after April, not in May or June,” Boente said. “Either there was no date for RTL or Sky or a stadium [because of the heavy soccer schedule]. We couldn’t believe it, but that’s Sky’s decision. April 30 was the perfect date for RTL and for a stadium, but Sky never has done two pay-per-views in one month. Klitschko-Haye would be a way bigger pay-per-view event [than Khan].”

Boente said the earliest date for the fight they could come up with that matched the networks and venue availability was July 2.

Both sides were willing to fight on that date, Boente said. However, he said that the Haye and manager/trainer Adam Booth refused to allow Klitschko to take the April 30 interim fight with Chisora.

“They would not accept that, but Wladimir was not willing to wait another six months and have it be 10 months since his last fight against Sam Peter [in September],” Boente said.

“I think the fight will come, but too bad it’s not now because of the date and venue,” Boente said. “We could still do it if they would agree to July 2. We still have the door open for that, but Wladimir is going to have a fight in April. Haye can also do a fight in between, maybe the mandatory with Ruslan Chagaev. We are not opposed to that.”

“This news is a fantastic late Christmas present,” the 27-year-old Chisora said. “I always believed that I would fight Klitschko, and my faith has been repaid. I was a bit worried that he might try and fight an easier touch, but I think I’ve earned my opportunity. I was gutted when Wladimir pulled out of our fight just a couple of days beforehand. But now I’ve got another chance to take his titles away. He’s a great world champion, but his time at the top is well and truly up.

“My promoter, Frank Warren, has done a great job in getting me this opportunity because there was no guarantee Wladimir would fight me again after he got injured.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the IBF has ordered a rematch of the December 18th controversial fight between Jr. Flyweight champion Luis Lazarte and Ulises Solis.

Under the order, sent in a letter to both camps, neither fighter can take another fight until after the rematch — unless Lazarte wants to forfeit his 108-pound belt. The sides have until Feb. 3 to make a deal, or a purse bid will be ordered, with the fight due to take place by May 3.

Mexico’s Solis, a former titleholder, traveled to Lazarte’s hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to challenge for his old belt on Dec. 18 and seemed to clearly get the better of him during a fight in which Lazarte repeatedly fouled him.

The Solis camp protested to the IBF. After Daryl Peoples, the organization’s president, and Lindsey Tucker, the chairman of its championships committee, reviewed a DVD of the fight, an immediate rematch was ordered because of the repeated fouls.

Lazarte illegally hit Solis behind the head over and over during the fight. Referee Max Parker deducted a point from Lazarte in the fourth round and another one in the 10th round for the flagrant infractions, but he allowed many others to go unchecked.

Lazarte also blatantly hit Solis below the belt, for which he was warned, and attempted to bite his neck during a clinch in the third round, which Parker missed but is clearly seen on the video.

“I had confidence that the IBF would do justice in reviewing the video,” Solis said in a statement. “I am very happy with that resolution and the support of my promoters Zanfer and Top Rank and, hopefully, I can get my promoters to bring the fight to Mexico so Lazarte will not have any opportunities to commit his illegalities in the ring.”

One of top amateurs in all of the United States will enter the paid ranks next month, as San Ardo, California’s Roman Morales turns professional on February 4th. Morales signed a managerial contract with the biggest hype man in boxing, Repo Ric, and will make his debut at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.

Morales capped a stellar amateur career by claiming a gold medal at the prestigious Four Nations Tournament in Berck Sur Mer, France in November and will now begin his march towards gold as a pro. The Fresno, California-based Repo Ric has kept an eye on Morales for sometime and is excited to be guiding his promising career. “I’m very excited,” said Ric. “It’s time to turn pro. I’m a mechanic and all I need is the right tool. Without the right tool, I am not going to get anywhere in boxing. I know that he is the right tool, so we are going to take him to the next level.”

Morales, who was ranked near the top of the 123-pound weight class throughout his amateur career, will retain longtime amateur trainer Rodolpho Tapia. Their relationship goes much deeper than boxing, and Tapia looks forward to the journey ahead. “He has been boxing since he was twelve and he discovered boxing with me,” recalls Tapia. “I told him, ‘You started with me and if want to end your career with me, fine. I am your uncle, and have been like your father since you were eleven, twelve.’ For me, he is like my son. I am not worried about whether he decides to do something different. I just want for him the best.”

As is the case with any top amateur fighter, Morales and his team had to assess their prospects for making the U.S. Olympic team before deciding to turn professional. However, the process for making the 2012 team is different than in any preceding year, as the ongoing World Series of Boxing may impact how the team is chosen. “In his case, if Roman won the Trials and everything, he would have had the choice to go up in weight, or go down, because they want to give priority to the champion of the World Series of Boxing,” explains Tapia.

Now determined to make a go at the paid ranks, Tapia has begun making the tweaks in training necessary to adjust to the much different pro game. “The thing for us, we have been sparring and training with pros,” says Tapia. “So that will help us a lot when he goes pro. When he went to France, we were working very different, more on speed, speed and going for points. Now when we spar as pros it is a little bit different. We are not training for points.”

Morales will be aptly prepared when he meets his yet to be determined opponent on February 4th. In addition to getting in some work with the top amateurs in the country in Colorado Springs, Colorado before 2010 ended, Morales will be down in Van Nuys, California at Joe Goossen’s training camp this week. Morales is expected to spar Goossen-trained prospects Matt Villanueva and Kevin Hoskins.

Morales’ debut will take place on the undercard of a Showtime-televised event promoted by Gary Shaw Productions. Morales’ manager Repo Ric expects the promotional company to be impressed by his charge and aim to sign the former amateur star. In any event, Ric expects Morales to get six fights in 2011. “I am going to manage him to the best of my abilities,” said Repo. “He’s in Allstate, he’s in good hands.”

Tickets for the February 4th event, headlined by power-punching cruiserweight prospect Lateef Kayode, priced reasonably at $35, $45, $55, $70 and $85, are available online at ChumashCasino.com.

WBO light heavyweight champion Juergen Brähmer (36-2, 29 KOs) was forced to pull out of Saturday’s unification clash with WBA champion Beibut Shumenov (10-1, 5 KOs) in Shymkent, Kazakhstan due to an acute gastrointestinal illness. Universum´s Champion Brähmer and President of German Boxing Association BDB Thomas Pütz, another member of the five-person German delegation both fell ill.

“A few hours after arrival in Shymkent, both came down with severe diarrhea with nausea and severe vomiting which lasted all night,” explained Universum´s Medical Expert Dr. Michael Ehnert. “This caused severe headaches and abdominal pain. Jürgen was particularly so weakened that he couldn’t train and it’s not possible for him to be able to compete for a world title in a few days. Due to the unclear cause and ambiguous symptoms, it was decided to arrange for an immediate return to Germany this evening to head directly to the hospital after landing for treatment. So far, we have only a vague suspicion of the cause. Jürgen and Thomas Pütz were eating together on Sunday afternoon near the hotel and that evening they complained about the first symptoms, which really hit them on Monday.”

Promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl stated “This is a big catastrophe, we and above all Jürgen are crestfallen. This fight would have written German boxing history. Now we hope that Jürgen and Thomas become healthy as soon as possible.”

The team including head coach Michael Timm and cutman Volker Grill is scheduled to arrive back in Hamburg tomorrow at 9AM.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former world Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik is scheduled to leave an Alcohol treatment facility on Tuesday.

Pavlik was at the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, California according to his manager Cameron Dunkin.

“He’s real hungry and wants to come back,” Dunkin said.

“Mike (Pavlik’s father) told me Kelly sounds 150 percent better and that he’s got a great attitude,” Dunkin said. “I told Mike, ‘Let’s not worry about boxing right now. Let’s see how he feels when he gets out.’ But Kelly wants to box. Mike said all he does is talk about it constantly. He wants to mend his ways and accomplish so many other things in boxing. He’s very motivated to fight again. I said, ‘Let’s take it one step at a time.’ There’s no pressure on Kelly and no rush.”

Dunkin said that Top Rank’s Bob Arum is aware of the situation and that he told him that if Pavlik is up to it, he would give him a spot on the undercard of Pacquiao’s fight with Shane Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Bob says we have May 7 if Kelly wants it and that would be a great place for him to start again,” Dunkin said. “But we just don’t know. It’s out there for him if he wants it. It’s all up to Kelly now.

“I’d like to see the old Kelly back, but I’ll be happy just to see him back and not doing all that nonsense.”

“They let him work out and he’s been running and exercising and lifting,” Dunkin said. “He’s literally been training four to six hours a day because he has nothing else to do besides attend his meetings and stuff.”

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

WHO: Undefeated Main Event Fighter and Rising Star Tyron Woodley

U.S. Olympic Wrestler and Undefeated MMA Heavyweight Daniel Cormier

U.S. Olympic Judo Player/Unbeaten MMA Light Heavyweight Dr. Rhadi Ferguson

Former University Of Tennessee Star Linebacker Ovince Saint Preux

Women’s Middleweight Prospect Julia Budd

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 2 p.m. CT

WHERE: Nashville Mixed Martial Arts, 490 Allied Drive, Suite C, Nashville, Tenn., 37211,

Phone: 615-297-4430

WHAT: The fighters who will compete on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event Friday, Jan. 7, live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast)) from Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., will participate in an open workout in Nashville just two days before the eagerly awaited event.

The 28-year-old Woodley (7-0), a two-time All-American NCAA wrestler for the University of Missouri and St. Louis native, will take on fellow fast-rising star Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine (10-2), of Temecula, Calif., in the main event.

Cormier (6-0), a 31-year-old, two-time U.S. Olympic wrestling team member who placed fourth in the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, will face Devin Cole (18-8-1) of Medford, Ore. The ambitious Cormier competed successfully five times in 2010.

Ferguson (2-0), the only athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) World Championships and the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships, was a three-sport star at Howard University in the mid-90s competing in football, wrestling and track & field. While training for the Olympics, he furthered his schooling and received a doctorate in education in ’09 from Capella University. The 35-year-old will face undefeated Ion Cherdivara (1-0), of Montreal, Canada, on Friday.

Saint Preux (9-4), who’ll take on “Abongo” Humphrey (7-2), of Atlanta, played for the Vols from 2001-2004. After graduating with a degree in Sociology in ’04, he went on to compete in Tennessee’s first sanctioned MMA event on Feb. 20, 2009. On Friday, the 27-year-old will become the first fighter in history to compete in three consecutive STRIKEFORCE events. He has won six in a row.

The promising, 27-year-old Budd (1-0), a chiseled athletic specimen from British Columbia, Canada, will face Amanda “Lioness Of The Ring’’ Nunes (5-1), of Patterson, N.J., by way of Salvador, Brazil, in a women’s middleweight (145 pounds) match. Budd, a seasoned kickboxer, recorded her first pro MMA victory, a second round TKO over Shana Olsen in STRIKEFORCE Challengers competition last Oct. 22.

Tickets are on sale at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000 including Kroger and FYE, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Monday, January 10, 2011

Deliverance Evangelistic Church
2001 West Lehigh Avenue (site of the old Connie Mack Stadium)
Philadelphia, PA 19132
phone: 215-226-7600

Viewing 9-11am

Service begins at 11am.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Ronald Hearns will try to follow in he footsteps and capture a Middleweight championship when he takes on Felix Sturm on February 19th in Stuttgart, Germany.

“We’ve agreed in principle on the terms and we are exchanging the paperwork,” said Hearns’ promoter Lou DiBella of his deal with Arena Box promoter Ahmet Öner, who works with Sturm’s own promotional company on his fights. “We hope to have it signed by Saturday.”

“It’s a tremendous career opportunity for Ronald,” DiBella said. “It’s a shot at a title his father once held so proudly.”

“I think that Sturm is extremely talented. We all know that, but he’s been around for a long time,” DiBella said. “He’s not a huge puncher and Ronald can really punch, so it’s a great opportunity for him. It’s an opportunity he won’t get here [in the United States].

“If Ronald can go to Germany and do well, even if he loses, he can come back here bigger than when he left. He’ll go there and give it everything he has against one of the best middleweights in the world.”

Former Two-Time World Champion to Challenge
“Jacare” Souza For 185-Pound Title Saturday, Jan. 29,

Live on SHOWTIME® From HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

NEW YORK (Dec. 29, 2010) – One day after re-signing its world welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, to a new multi-fight deal, STRIKEFORCE announced Wednesday that exciting, hard-hitting former two-time world middleweight champion “Ruthless’’ Robbie Lawler had also signed a new, multi-year agreement with the San Jose, Calif.-based world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion.

One of the most lethal punchers in his weight class, Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) will challenge STRIKEFORCE middleweight belt-holder “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 1 NC) in one half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 29, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will defend his title against Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in the other.

Lawler, a 5-foot-11, 28-year-old southpaw fan favorite from Granite City, Ill., is coming off one of the most devastating MMA knockouts of 2010 – a brutal, single-punch, 50-second annihilation of Matt “The Law’’ Lindland last Dec. 4 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Fifteen of Lawler’s 18 career victories have come via knockout or TKO.

“STRIKEFORCE has treated me good and I am happy to re-sign with them,” Lawler said. “They have given me an opportunity to fight for the title and I’m looking forward to that and to fighting any and all of the top 185-pounders.’’

Since September 2006, Lawler has gone 7-2-1 with one No Contest. Three starts ago, the athletic, aggressive crowd-pleaser registered a dramatic, come-from-behind first-round (3:33) KO over highly regarded Melvin Manhoef on Jan. 30, 2010.

Lawler, who turned pro at 19, fought Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith during the first-ever primetime network telecast of MMA on May 31, 2008, on The CBS Television Network.

In other featured fights on the stacked Jan. 29 SHOWTIME televised card, football legend and MMA upstart, the incredible Herschel Walker (1-0) will return to the cage to face Scott Carson (4-1) in a heavyweight bout and undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0), will battle former South African national wrestling champion and MMA star Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

North Bergen, NJ (December 23, 2010) – Undefeated heavyweight prospect Mariusz “The Polish Giant” Wach (23-0, 11 KO) has signed a promotional agreement with North Bergen, NJ-based organization Global Boxing Promotions.

The 31-year-old Wach of North Bergen by way of Krakow, Poland will also be co-promoted by Prize Fight Promotions, with former three-time heavyweight champion Michael Moorer taking over as Wach’s trainer.

“I am very happy to have the support of Global Boxing and Prize Fight Promotions,” said Wach. “I left my family and homeland before Christmas to continue training because it is my dream to become the first world heavyweight champion from Poland. I make this sacrifice because I fight for my wife, my child and my country and I want to make them proud.

“Now with Michael Moorer in my corner, 2011 will be my year to realize my dreams.”

Wach, who cuts an imposing figure at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, won two gold medals at the Individual Polish Championships and a silver medal in the 2004 European Union Championships. Wach was also an alternate on the 2004 Polish Summer Olympics team that competed in Athens, Greece.

Said Global Boxing Promotions CEO Mariusz Kolodziej: “Wach is a hard-working, determined fighter and I am confident that he can become the heavyweight champion of the world. He wants it bad and I and the rest of the team are here to help him reach his goals.”

“Wach is a world class heavyweight fighter that has the potential to be a dominant champion,” said Brian Young, CEO of Prize Fight. “We will continue to build him the right way so when he does fight for the heavyweight championship of the world, he will be ready. I feel we have a great team around him and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Wach will leave next week to train at the Prize Fight Gym in Memphis, TN with Moorer, who defeated Evander Holyfield to win his first heavyweight title in 1994. Wach’s next fight will be announced shortly.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity to try and instill some good qualities and boxing skills into him,” said Moorer, who had a record of 52-4 (40 KO) as a professional. “Wach admitted to me that he never really had a trainer before, he was doing everything himself.

“To have someone to guide him and show him the rights and wrongs of the boxing game, to cultivate his punching power and improve his offense and defense will go far to making him a force in the heavyweight picture.

“If Mariusz is willing to work hard – and there is a lot of work in store for him – he can be the next heavyweight champion of the world.”

For more information on Global Boxing and Mariusz Wach, visit www.globalboxing.com. For more information on Prize Fight Promotions, visit www.prizefightpromoters.com .

NEW YORK (Dec. 22, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will make his second title defense when he faces Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in main event action and STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 1 NC) will put his belt on the line for the first time when he squares off with power-punching knockout artist “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) in the co-main event of a stacked Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

In other featured televised fights on SHOWTIME, football legend and MMA upstart, the incredible Herschel Walker (1-0) will return to the cage to face Scott Carson (4-1) in a heavyweight bout. The latest prospect from MMA’s first family, undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0), will battle former South African national wrestling champion and MMA star Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

Tickets go on sale Monday, Dec.27, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com, and Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000.

The 27-year-old Diaz, of Stockton, Calif. has been unstoppable of late, winning his last eight fights. In his last effort, the 6-foot-1 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and potent striker settled a three-year old score with arch-nemesis KJ Noons, out-striking Noons en route to a five-round unanimous decision at HP Pavilion last Oct. 9.

Five months prior to the victory over Noons, the no-nonsense Diaz, one of MMA’s most intriguing figures, ventured to Saitama, Japan, to face top-ranked rival Hayato “Mach” Sakurai in a DREAM promoted affair. To the surprise of many, the southpaw Diaz made quick work of Sakurai, submitting the Japanese fighter with an armbar at the 3:54 mark of the first round.

Like Diaz, Cyborg, the husband of STRIKEFORCE Women’s Middleweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg, possesses tremendous striking abilities, having KO’d 11 of his 18 victims. In his last outing, the 5-foot-10 Cyborg, who hails from Rondonopolis, Brazil, scored a first round TKO (punches) over highly-touted Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis at STRIKEFORCE: Live at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles last June 16.

Prior to defeating Zaromskis, Cyborg scored a first round-TKO on Daniel Zarate with a head kick and flurry of punches in Curitiba, Brazil on Dec. 12, 2009.

Souza, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, captured the vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight crown last Aug. 21 when he earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy at Toyota Center in Houston, Tex. A slick submission specialist who has tapped out 10 of his 13 victims, the 6-foot Souza surprisingly opted to stand and exchange punches and kicks with his opponent for five rounds rather than take the fight to the mat.

A resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Souza, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Dec. 7, earned a crack at the middleweight title by winning his first two STRIKEFORCE starts. In his STRIKEFORCE debut on Dec. 19, 2009, he submitted 1996 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt Lindland with an arm triangle choke at the 4:18 mark of the first round. Last May 15, Souza earned a unanimous decision over Joey Villasenor at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Souza’s only defeats came in his first career match in 2003 and to former STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi at the DREAM 6: Middleweight Grand-Prix Final in Saitama, Japan, in 2008. The showdown with Mousasi came shortly after Souza had claimed victory earlier on the same night over Zelg Galesic with an armbar submission in the first round of a quarterfinal round tournament bout.

Over the course of the 2008 DREAM tournament series, Souza also triumphed over Ian Murphy with a first-round (3:38) rear naked choke and over superstar Jason “Mayhem” Miller via unanimous decision.

The 28-year-old Lawler’s title shot will take place less than two months after the former Pat Miletich protégé decimated Lindland with a single punch just 50 seconds into their matchup at Scottrade Center on Dec. 4.

One of the hardest punchers in his weight class, the 5-foot-11 Lawler is a two-time 185-pound world champion who has earned 15 of his 18 career victories via knockout or TKO.

Last Jan. 30, Lawler produced a dramatic, come-from-behind, first-round (3:33) knockout over highly regarded, fellow striking machine Melvin Manhoef at Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

After turning pro at age 19 in April 2001, Lawler, who was born in San Diego, Calif., relocated at an early age with his family to Bettendorf, Iowa. He fought for years out of the Miletich Fighting Systems headquarters in nearby Davenport and eventually relocated to Granite City, Ill. His UFC bout with Aaron Riley on May 10, 2002, became the first MMA bout to air on network television (FOX Sports Network).

Lawler took on Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith during the first-ever, live primetime network telecast of MMA on May 31, 2008, on The CBS Television Network. After the bout was ruled a no contest due to an accidental thumb to Smith’s eye, Lawler dominated Smith in their live CBS primetime-televised rematch on July 26, 2009, scoring an impressive second-round TKO.

The matchup between Walker and Carson was originally scheduled for Dec. 4, but was postponed after Walker sustained a cut above his eye during a training session.

Healthy, eager and ready to go, the 48-year-old Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL Pro Bowl competitor, is undefeated at 1-0 in his latest athletic endeavor – MMA. A 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team that year, the 6-foot-1, 220 pound Walker of Atlanta already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo.

On Jan. 30, Walker made an impressive professional MMA debut, scoring a third round TKO (punches) over 26-year-old Greg Nagy at Sunrise, Fla.’s BankAtlantic Center. Walker has been training in San Jose, Calif. with Team AKA, one of the most prominent MMA fight camps in the world that is also the home of former STRIKEFORCE world champions Cung Le and Josh Thomson.

The 6-foot-2-inch Carson, a resident of Gardena, Calif., turned pro in September 1999 and won his initial four starts through June 2001. He is a WEC veteran who scored a first-round submission victory over Bryson Haubrick at the inaugural WEC event on June 30, 2001.

After being sidelined with a back injury and due to several scheduled fights falling out, Carson, a former longtime training partner of MMA legend Chuck Liddell, was finally able to fill his desire to get back in the cage last June 12 in Los Angeles. A member of Reign Training Center in Lake Forest, he got knocked out in the first round by undefeated Lorenz Martin (3-0 going in, 5-0 now).

The 29-year-old, 6-foot-4 Gracie, the winner of the coveted ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, holds a second degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie, Jr. He made history by submitting all eight of his opponents during the tournament, a feat that had never previously been achieved.

Not surprisingly, Gracie’s highly advanced submission skills have been his key to success in all three of his MMA starts. Last May 15, he made his STRIKEFORCE debut, submitting former UFC Heavyweight Champion and former NCAA National Wresting Champion Kevin “The Monster” Randleman with a rear naked choke in the second round (4:10) at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

A native of Brazil, Gracie resides in West London, England, where he owns and operates The Roger Gracie Academy.

One of the most feared and dangerous fighters in the light heavyweight division, Prangley has proven he is capable of defeating anyone on any given night. Since his pro debut in January 2001, the 6-foot Prangley has fought some of the world’s toughest opponents, including former STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight Champion “Babalu” Sobral, Jorge Santiago (his last loss) and Chael Sonnen. Prangley’s most significant victory may have come against Sonnen.

Prangley has competed in five STRIKEFORCE events, including Four Men Enter, One Man Survives, the first sanctioned MMA tournament in the state of California on November 16, 2007. During the second STRIKEFORCE event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2008, Prangley was victorious over Anthony “A Train” Ruiz by way of unanimous decision.

After winning a national wrestling championship in his native South Africa, Prangley left his homeland for The United States in search of the highest caliber wrestling training, and later established himself as a force in the sport of MMA. He is a member of Team AKA in San Jose.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com terms for the May 7th showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley have been reached.

“We came to a meeting of the minds,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com on Tuesday night after a final meeting with Mosley and his adviser, James Prince, at the Top Rank offices in Las Vegas. “[Top Rank matchmaker] Bruce Trample says it’s a very difficult fight. I believe it will be an exciting fight. Shane knows how to fight and how to deal with the speed. Manny is in for a hellacious fight. I really believe styles make fights.”

“I know that they think I’m an old man and that Manny is going to beat me. Let them think that,” said Mosley, a former lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight champion. “I still have power and speed. They thought I was done before I knocked out [Antonio] Margarito, too. So they can think whatever they want. I know what I can do.”

“I hurt Floyd in our fight, but he’s a great fighter and has great defense,” Mosley said. “What can I do about Mora? Do you really think that was a draw? Come on. I won that fight. He ran from me all night. But Pacquiao? Come on, man. I’m a bigger guy than him and he gets hit. And you saw how I hurt Floyd. Manny is going to come forward and I will hit him on the chin at some point. His defense is not like Floyd’s. Manny will come at me, and I will knock him out.”

“I thought Mosley was the best draw of the three and it would do the best business,” Arum said.

“They had to be insane, putting Shane in the ring with Mora,” Arum said of Golden Boy’s decision to match Mosley with a fighter with a tough style who usually makes fights with little entertainment value. “With Floyd, Shane had him in real bad trouble in the second round, so he’s capable of doing a really good fight with Manny and Manny knows that. He’s talking to [trainer] Freddie [Roach] about doing five weeks of training in the United States rather than four weeks here and four weeks in the Philippines.”

“He’s getting a little older, which is in our favor, but I expect Shane to be at his best because he’s wanted this fight for a long time. I will get Pacquiao well prepared for this one.”

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer was disappointed to hear that the deal for Pacquiao-Mosley had been made without even receiving a call from Mosley or Prince.

“Good luck. He’s obviously no longer part of Golden Boy. That’s all I’m going to say,” Schaefer said. “I wish him luck.”

Floyd Mayweather was arrested on Thursday night and charged with offenses related to an incident with a security guard last month.

According to TMZ.com, Mayweather arrested at a casino on the strip when a security guard recognized him and called the Las Vegas police.

Mayweather, who was all smiles in his latest mugshot, is still in custody.

A security guard patrolling Floyd’s gated community claims the boxer poked him in the face when confronted about a parking violation.

If convicted Mayweather faces a maximum of 6 months in jail

LAS VEGAS, NEV (December 17, 2010) – Las Vegas hosts its first world title fight of 2011 when World Bantamweight Champion FERNANDO “Cochulito” MONTIEL defends his title against two-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE, in the latest chapter of the storied México-Philippines rivalry, Saturday, February 19, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, the Montiel-Donaire world title tilt will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) The broadcast will open with undefeated NABO/NABA/WBC Continental Americas welterweight champion MIKE JONES defending his titles against Top-10 contender JESUS SOTO-KARASS in a rematch of their exciting battle which took place on November 13 under the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito pay-per-view extravaganza.

Looking for a great last-minute Christmas gift? Yule love this! Tickets to Montiel vs. Donaire, priced at $250, $125, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, go on-sale Next Thursday! December 23, at Noon PT. They can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, México, is only the fourth Méxican fighter to win world titles in three different weight divisions, joining Hall of Famer-elect Julio César Chávez and future Hall of Fame inductees Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. Undefeated since 2006, eight of Montiel’s last ten victories (eight were world title fights) have been by stoppage.

Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in the Bay Area of San Leandro, Calif., is a consensus top-10 pound for pound fighter. He enters this fight riding a nine-year, 24-bout winning streak, which includes an IBF/IBO flyweight title knockout victory of defending champion Vic Darchinyan, and a fourth-round blasting of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko in his last fight on December 4.Nine of Donaire’s last 10 victories have come by way of knockout.

Co-promoted by Peltz Boxing, Jones and Soto-Karass return for an immediate rematch of their November 13 brawl. After Jones decked Soto-Karass in the second round, Soto-Karass came back to almost pull out the victory in a fight most ringside fans and media thought could have gone either way. In fact, Jones’ second-round knockdown of Soto-Karass provided Jones the one-point margin for a razor-thin majority decision victory instead of a Draw. The judges’ scores were 95-94, 97-93 and 94-94.

Jones (23-0, 18 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA., has been attracting rabid fans to his fights in the friendly confines of Atlantic City and Philadelphia. He took on his biggest challenge on the biggest stage he has ever fought on when he tangled with Soto-Karass, successfully defending his titles and adding the vacant WBC Continental Americas welterweight title. Considered one of the hottest prospects in boxing, six of his last nine victories have come by knockout. Victories over Brazilian strongman Juliano Ramos, Henry Bruseles, ending his five-year winning streak, Hector Muñoz and Irving Garcia, have catapulted Jones to the top of the WBA welterweight ratings. He’s also rated No. 2 by the WBO, No. 3 by the IBF and No. 4 by the WBC.

Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs), of Los Mochis, México, boasts an impressive 13-2-2 (one No Contest) record, over his past 18 fights, dating back to 2005. The only other blemish was a sixth-round technical loss to Alfonso Gomez last year. Highlights of that period include knockout victories of former world champion Vince Phillips and undefeated contender Michael Rosales in WBC Continental Americas welterweight title fights in 2006 and contender David Estrada for the vacant NABF welterweight championship in 2008. He is currently world-rated No. 8 by the WBC.

Doors will open at 4:00 p.m. PT with the first bell at 4:30 p.m. PT. The HBO-televised fights will begin at 6:45 p.m. PT.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

SAN FRANCISCO – Three months ago, the Bay Area web series White Collar Brawler launched with nothing more than two out-of-shape white collar workers, a boxing trainer, and a website. Twenty episodes, two million video views, fifteen thousand social media fans, and two fiercely-trained fighters later, the series has cemented itself as a local and online sensation. And now for the final act: six minutes in the ring between two best friends for “The Final Showdown” on Friday, December 17th.

In the red corner will be Nate Houghteling, coached by Freddie Roach protégé and three-time world champion Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton. In the blue corner will be Kai Hasson, coached by USF boxing coach Angelo Merino.

“The Final Showdown” takes place in Berkeley, CA and features the final fight between the stars of the show, Nate Houghteling and Kai Hasson. Their headlining bout will be preceded by undercard matches highlighting some of the best boxing amateurs in the state, as well as live music and a performance by Turf Feinz, the sensational Oakland dance. The event is sanctioned by USA Boxing, sponsored by Tres Agaves Tequila and will be streamed live on the show’s web site.

Learn More About “The Final Showdown” Here: www.WhiteCollarBrawler.com/TheFinalShowdown/

White Collar Brawler has become one of the most popular and newsworthy web series in the genre, with over two million video views, one hundred thousand monthly visits to the show’s website, over fifteen thousand fans on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and repeated coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Comcast Sports Net, the San Francisco Examiner and many others.

“The popularity of White Collar Brawler has far exceeded our expectations,” said the show’s promoter and business manager Zach Blume. “We wanted to create a multidimensional experience where people could watch the episodes, interact with the show online through social media, and come out to events and trainings to experience the show in person. The unanticipated twist of two close friends having to fight each other in front of such a huge audience has added an extra layer of unpredictability and excitement. It all comes down to six minutes in the ring between two best friends on December 17th.”

White Collar Brawler is a documentary web series that follows two lifelong friends, Ivy League grads, and former white collar workers who ditch the cubicle and pursue their dream of becoming amateur boxers. The show reaches its climax when the two step in the ring for the first time – to fight each other. Episodes are released in real-time on Tuesdays and Fridays of every week at www.WhiteCollarBrawler.com