NEW YORK, NY (March 22, 2024) Before she became a three-time, two-division world champion, Japan’s Miyo Yoshida made her U.S. debut on April 27, 2023, at Sony Hall in New York City, as part of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series. Boxing fans who missed the event live will be able to catch the action that took place that night premiering this Sunday, March 24, at 6:00pm ET, on SNY. The stacked card, which was promoted in association with Boxing Insider Promotions, was headlined by a thrilling junior middleweight battle between Brian Ceballo and Luis Alberto Veron.

“This Sunday night, Broadway Boxing will premiere an exciting episode from its vault that was first broadcast on DAZN, featuring three stars from the DiBella Entertainment stable,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Before capturing her bantamweight crown, Miyo Yoshida made her U.S. debut, with her daughter watching from ringside, as she took on a very game Indeya Smith. Tsendbaatar Erdenebat, known to some as the Mongolian Mole following his intense sparring sessions with Ryan Garcia, employed his wide arsenal against Edy Valencia Mercado. Rising star David Lopez picked up his first win under the DBE banner. His next fight will be April 19 back on DAZN as part of the Overtime series.”

Now the IBF women’s bantamweight world champion, Yoshida, on this night, squared off against the tough Indeya Smith, of Dallas, TX, in an eight-round super flyweight contest. Born in Kagoshima, Japan, Yoshida now resides in New York, NY. She won her first world title in June 2019, seizing the WBO super flyweight belt from Casey Croft via unanimous decision. Miyo made one successful defense, then lost the title by technical decision (stoppage due to gash over her eye). She regained that belt in a rematch six months later. After losing the title on a split decision in 2022, Yoshida decided to leave Japan with her young daughter and build upon her career in the United States.

The co-main event featured the unbeaten Mongolian power puncher Tsendbaatar Erdenebat taking on Mexican veteran Edy Valencia Mercado in an eight-round contest. Erdenebat grew up on the countryside steppes of the Mongolian grassland, living a nomadic lifestyle with his family, herding horses and livestock, which helped him to develop his lauded strength. As an amateur, Erdenebat was a two-time Olympian, competing in the 2016 Rio Games and 2020 Tokyo Games. Accumulating an impressive 147-41 record, Erdenebat won 11 Mongolian National titles, as well as gold medals at the AIBA Asian Championships twice, the 2018 Asian Games, and a bronze medal at the 2019 AIBA World Championships.

Touted junior welterweight prospect “Dynamite” David Lopez made his DBE debut on the undercard against Dominican Nelson Morales. Lopez, from Oakland, CA, now based out of Las Vegas, turned professional at 17 years old while still enrolled in high school. Coming from a family of fighters, Lopez, a southpaw who is of Black and Filipino heritage, is trained by his father and former pro boxer, Kris Lopez. Amassing an overall amateur record of 34-4, Lopez won the Desert Showdown World Amateur Boxing Championships, Puerto Rican National Championships, and a bronze medal at the Junior Olympics.

Since its inception in November 2003, Broadway Boxing has featured many boxing luminaries and world champions, including Vitali Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin, George Kambosos Jr., Jamel Herring, Jose Pedraza, Amanda Serrano, Miyo Yoshida, Andre Berto, Heather Hardy, Paulie Malignaggi, Peter Quillin, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Joshua Clottey, DeMarcus Corley and Randall Bailey, among others.

Boxing fans wishing to enjoy this premiere of Broadway Boxing can do so by tuning in to SNY on Sunday at 6:00pm ET. SNY can be found on the following platforms (list not all-inclusive – see your local TV guide): DirecTV (639), Time Warner Cable (26), Verizon FiOS: (577, 77), Cablevision (718, 60), Comcast (843, 73). 

DiBella Entertainment

Instagram: @DiBellaEnt

X (Twitter): @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt

Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

LAS VEGAS – March 22, 2024 – Unbeaten rising star Tim Tszyu and all-action super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora went face to face for the first time on Thursday, at a media workout before they meet for Tszyu’s WBO and the vacant WBC 154-pound world titles headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View event available on Prime Video Saturday, March 30 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The media workout also featured WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero, who takes on Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in the co-main event, plus WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara  and No. 1 rated mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa, who meet in a 12-round pay-per-view attraction.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are available now through AXS.com. The main event is promoted in association with No Limit Boxing.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Split T Boxing Club in Las Vegas:

TIM TSZYU

“I had sparring for the new opponent come in on Monday and I was grateful for the great work they gave me. This fight is all about awkwardness when you have someone that tall. But nothing phases me. It is what it is and the show goes on.

“This is a unification now, so I’m very grateful for that. It’s a legacy-defining type of fight. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing and one day they’ll say that the Tszyu family is the best to ever step into this boxing world.

“I’ve met Fundora before and I respect him and how he fights. I just have to find the right shots. Every great boxer finds the way to win and we’ll find those keys on March 30.

“I talked to Brian Mendoza and he talked about how Fundora is awkward with his style and that he uses his height to his advantage in different ways.

“My message to the fans is definitely don’t blink during this one.”

SEBASTIAN FUNDORA

“I’m just going to keep focusing on what I need to do. My original opponent Serhii Bohachuk has a lot of similarities to Tim Tszyu, so it’s no difference for me. If I stick to my plan, I’ll be successful.

“I was in control of the Mendoza fight, so I don’t want to change too much because of the result, and it doesn’t really matter to me what he did against Tszyu. I’m just going to keep focusing on my game.

“I’ve been training hard all camp. We only had a little bit to fix after our last fight, but my dad and my sister keep my mind straight. My sister Gabriela just became world champion, and now it’s my turn to go do the same.

“A win puts me back at number one in the division. That’s where I want to be. I have my eyes on all of the big names. This is the first stone in the Fundora legacy.

“Having the right preparation is very important of course. But I don’t think it’s really an advantage that I was preparing for someone similar to Tszyu already. It’s about what happens when you step into the ring. Of course I believe I’m going to win this fight, but not because of an advantage like that.

“I want to win this fight, become unified champion and keep going from there. We want to keep moving up.”

ROLANDO ROMERO

“I think I’m a different Rolly in every fight, I learn a lot every camp I’m in. Ismael Salas is a tremendous trainer who trained me before I went pro, so I feel like I’m back at home.

“Cruz takes punches because he has to, it’s because he has no other option in his game. This fight is gonna be an explosion and a Mexican slugfest. I’m gonna beat him at his own game.

“My strength and conditioning coach has had me do a lot of explosive work, and honestly I hate every single second of working with him, but it’s what I need. I already hit hard, and now it’s gonna be more of an explosion on fight night.

“Everyone is excited to see this fight. It doesn’t require too much talking because you’re gonna see it all in the ring on March 30.

ERISLANDY LARA

“I’ve had a great training camp for this fight. There are always new things you can learn when you put the time in at the gym. We’ve been really focused on our opponent and doing anything we can to win this fight. I feel spectacular and you’ll see it on March 30.

“I don’t pay attention to the rest of the middleweight division, I focus solely on me. It’s all about March 30 on pay-per-view. Tune in and let’s make history.

“I’ve stayed focused on everything that’s in my control and I’ve used my training camp to make sure there won’t be any rust when that bell rings.

“I don’t need to send a message to Michael Zerafa, he knows he has to be ready on March 30. We’ll be ready for him.”

MICHAEL ZERAFA

“I’m super excited to be here. I was a boy when I fought in the U.S. the first time and now I’m a man. You’re gonna see a different Michael Zerafa. I’m a lot better fighter and I’m ready to shock the world and make a statement.

“I’m better mentally, physically and really in every way. I’m more experienced and just a better fighter. I was 21 when I fought Peter Quillin, I fell short, but I do believe that now it’s my time.

“I have a lot of respect for Lara, but I truly believe this fight is not going the distance. Everyone I’ve fought has said I have ridiculous power and I will show it on March 30.

“Lara has been in there with the best. It’s just another day for him. But this is my life and I truly believe this is my time. I’m ready to make a statement. This is more than a fight for me. My sister Michelle is battling cancer right now and her dream is to watch me win a world title. I’m thankful to have this opportunity to prove that whether you’re fighting for your life or fighting for a title, you can make it happen.”

#         #         #

ABOUT TSZYU VS. FUNDORA & ROLLY VS. PITBULL

The stacked inaugural four-fight PBC Pay-Per-View available on Prime Video will see rising star and reigning world champion Tim Tszyu taking on all-action contender Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora for Tszyu’s WBO title and the vacant WBC 154-pound world title in the main event, plus 140-pound world champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz meeting in the co-main event on Saturday, March 30 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The pay-per-view will also see Cuban star and reigning WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defend his belt against No. 1 rated mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa, plus WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio César Martínez defends his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova the pay-per-view opener at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

The card marks the debut event for PBC Pay-Per-View available through Prime Video since the parties announced a landmark, multiyear rights agreement in December. In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com.

For more information visit www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #TszyuFundora and #RollyPitbull, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions

Marc Castro told Matchroom’s ‘Flash Knockdown’ podcast that he has a spring in his step in training today after being told he will fight for his first title when he takes on Abraham Montoya for the WBC Continental Americas Super-Featherweight title at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Saturday April 6, shown live worldwide on DAZN.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE OF MATCHROOM’S ‘FLASH KNOCKDOWN’ PODCAST

Castro (11-0 8 KOs) recorded another stoppage win in his first ten round clash in November in Los Angeles, only needing seven of the scheduled ten to get Gonzalo Fuenalida out of there. The Fresno talent and former amateur stud has impressed in the paid ranks since making his pro debut in December 2020 in San Antonio but acknowledged on the podcast that taking on Montoya (22-5-1 14 KOs) represents a significant step-up – but feels that’s how it should be if you want to win belts.

“It’s amazing to be fighting for my first title and the green and gold is my favorite belt,” said Castro. “The WBC is a great program, I won their amateur title back in the day, so I am really excited. I know I have to go out and earn it and it’s not going to be easy, but nothing in this world is easy or given to me. This is a big step for big things ahead.

“My team, Matchroom and my manager Keith Connolly all feel like I am ready for this. We’re moving as a unit and that’s the most important thing to me. Once you know that it’s officially for the title, it’s different. I don’t want to say it’s extra motivation because I treat this like a job, I am here to do my job. Sometimes you don’t want to go to work but at the end of the day you get it done and that’s how I look at it. 

“It’s most definitely my toughest test. I know he has been in there with some great boxers at Super-Featherweight, he has a win over Lopez the current champion, so he has a great resume and he’s never been stopped. I am always thinking about the best-case scenario which is the KO and that’s what we train for, but at the end of the day we’re training for the ten rounds, and I know that he’s coming to fight.

“I feel most comfortable at Super-Featherweight. Trying to figure out the weights was a bit of an issue, but now we’ve got that sorted we’ll be rocking and rolling. I can be at peak condition at 130lbs, fast and strong, with a lot of agility. 

“I’ve been training since the last fight. I’ve just been keeping ready for whenever Matchroom could get me out and that’s April 6 so you will see the improvements in me.

“Las Vegas is so special, I always get my fans spending their hard-earned money to come and watch me fight, that means the world to me, seeing them coming together for every fight. My support is growing tremendously, it makes me really happy.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself from training, in the ring, out of the ring and my public image, all of that. The main thing I’ve learned is treating every day like a regular day, trying to make the most of every day and keep everything the same so once fight night comes, it’s just another day at the office, and that includes keeping my circle small.”

Castro takes on Montoya on a stacked card in Las Vegas which is topped by a double-header featuring two more of Matchroom’s hottest young fighters as Richardson Hitchins takes on Gustavo Lemos in a final eliminator for the IBF World Jr. Welterweight title and Diego Pacheco faces Shawn McCalman for the WBO International and USWBC Super-Middleweight titles.

Briton’s Olympic gold medal star Galal Yafai goes back-to-back in the US as he makes the fifth defense of his WBC International Flyweight title against Agustin Mauro Gauto, while World title action on the card could see Skye Nicolson become a World champion at the first attempt as she tackles former World ruler Sarah Mahfoud for the vacant WBC World Featherweight title.

Harley Mederos kicks off the action on April 6 over six rounds at Super-Featherweight against Pedro Vicente, the same distance that former Team USA talent Steven Navarro will make his pro debut at Super-Flyweight against Jose Lopez.

Castro appears in the the latest episode of ‘Flash Knockdown’ recorded before a huge night of action in Sheffield tomorrow night, live on DAZN. Sandy Ryan speaks ahead of the defense of her WBO World Welterweight title against Terri Harper, Heavyweight Dave Allen gives some inside scoop into Jack Catterall’s training camp, while Shabaz Masoud talks training during Ramadan and takes on the ‘Coach Trip’ quiz.

Philadelphia, PA (March 22, 2024) — Another massive night of professional boxing is in store when RDR Promotions returns to the Harrahs Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Chester, Pennsylvania on Saturday night, March 30th.

In the eight-round main event, junior welterweight Greg Outlaw Jr, (13-2, 7 KOs) of Bowie, MD takes on tough veteran Rondale Hubbert (16-28-3, 10 KOs) of Duluth, Minnesota.

Outlaw has quality wins over Kashon Hutchinson (2-0), Mack Allison IV (8-1-1), Edgar Torres (8-1-1), Johnathan Montrel (12-0) and his last fight when he scored an opening round knockout over Sebastian Gabriel Chaves on November 10, 2023 in Philadelphia.

Hubbert is a 12 year-pro and has wins over Winston Anderson (4-0), RJ Lasse (12-1), Tony Lee (11-2-1) and his last bout when he took out Marklin Bailey in three rounds on February 16th in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

In the six-round co-feature, highly regarded super flyweight LeAnna Cruz (7-0) of Allentown, PA fights Beata Dudek (3-1, 3 KOs) of Miskolc, Hungary.

Cruz won the NABF Super Flyweight title with a eight-round unanimous decision over Tania Walters on November 10th in Philadelphia,

Dudek is coming off her first blemish as she dropped a six-round decision to Brittany Sims on March 1st in El Paso, Texas.

Also in a six-round bout, undefeated cruiserweight Stanley Johnson (3-0, 2 KOs) of Houston, Texas will take on an opponent to be named.

In four-round bouts:

Rashan Adams (5-1, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia fights Ryan Picou (3-15-1 of Las Vegas in a super featherweight contest.

Trinidad Vargas (4-0, 1 KO) of Grand Prairie, Texas fights Robin Ellis (6-2, 5 KOs) of New York in a super flyweight contest.

Nasheed H. Harris (1-0, 1 KO) of Washington, DC takes on Twon Smith (3-8, 2 KOs) of Oklahoma City in a light heavyweight bout.

Deric Davis (2-0,2 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland will square off with Emond Driver (1-2, 1 KO) of Indianapolis in a lightweight contest.

Hakeem Harmon (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia fights Christopher Puryear (2-1) of Jacksonville, Florida in a lightweight fight.

Steve Cunningham Jr, (2-0, 2 KOs) of Pittsburgh takes on Jeremiah Kendrick (1-3, 1 KO) of Philadelphia in a middleweight bout.

Juan Davila (4-0, 2 KOs) of Franklinville, NJ takes on an opponent to be named in a lightweight fight.

Lamar Smith of Philadelphia makes his pro debut against Anthony Young (0-7) of Philadelphia in a super lightweight bout.

Tyshwan Denson (2-0, 1 KO) of Akron, Ohio takes on an opponent to be named in a super featherweight fight.

Deutrell Perry of Hatfield, PA will make his pro debut against an opponent to be named in a lightweight fight.

Tickets are $65, $75, $100 and $130 and can be purchased at rdrboxing@yahoo.com

LONDON, UK (March 22, 2024) – The full fight card is now confirmed for BOXXER’s bumper ‘Bad Blood’ bill on Sunday, March 31st at The O2 in London, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke top a stacked card in the capital as they look to settle their differences in one of British boxing’s most hotly anticipated match ups.

The unbeaten fighters have been on a collision course as both men aim to establish themselves as Britain’s number one heavyweight.

Their simmering rivalry has reached boiling point following a cancelled purse bid last year.

Clarke was ordered as mandatory challenger for Wardley’s British Title in April but was later withdrawn from purse bids. The fallout sparked a series of tense exchanges between the warring heavyweights and has added serious spite to their Easter Sunday showdown.

The ‘Bad Blood’ runs deep in an undercard filled with unmissable fights.

Welterweight rivals Florian Marku and Chris Kongo, who had to be pulled apart following an explosive press conference altercation last year, finally get the chance to settle their long-standing feud. 

Viddal Riley and Mikael Lawal will clash in a special bet365 Wildcard contest for the English Cruiserweight Title, while Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic and Steve Robinson collide in what promises to be a fan-friendly heavyweight fire fight.

With opponents set for Ben Whittaker and Callum Simpson the full supporting cast is now in place for a dramatic night of boxing at The O2.

Whittaker (6-0, 5 KOs) has become a viral sensation with clips of his flamboyant showboating during his stoppage win over Khalid Graidia on February 3rd generating millions of views and global interest on social media.

Tipped for superstardom, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medallist will look to capitalise on his new-found attention by delivering another show stealing performance when he takes on Leon Willings (7-1, 2 KOs).

Rising super middleweight star Simpson (13-0, 9 KOs) will look to extend his unbeaten streak as he builds towards a British Title challenge.

Before the 27-year-old from Barnsley has his crack at the Lonsdale belt, he must first get past the experienced Tanzanian Dulla Mbabe (34-13-1, 29 KOs).

Over 10,000 tickets have already been sold for the stacked Easter Sunday ‘Bad Blood’ show with an additional allocation of tickets, priced from £35, now released due to demand and available for purchase via BOXXER.com.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group, Fastline Steel Services, CarFinance 247 and VOW Nutrition.

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – The streets have always been part of Michael Carbajal’s identity.

He’s endured them. Survived them. Fought because of them. They’ve left their mark, scars still there like deep cracks in an old sidewalk outside of his Ninth Street Gym, which was a church about a century ago.

It’s still a bully pulpit, but punches do all the preaching these days. You can hear the choir in the rhythm of a speed bag.

Step out of the gym and down the street, Fillmore, and you’re at Carbajal’s childhood home.

I’ve walked that street with him often and asked what keeps him there. He looks at me, eyes flashing like sparks off flint, as if to say I don’t understand.

For years, I didn’t.

Today, I do.

That was delivered definitively this week at a Phoenix City Council meeting just a few miles of roadwork from Ninth Street and Fillmore. Carbajal was on the agenda, Item No. 65. From liquor licenses to zoning issues, the session began with the usual process. Think about your last visit to the Motor Vehicle Division. Take a number, please.

But, suddenly, it went from protocol to poignant with Item No. 65, a resolution to rename one of those streets after Carbajal.

Ordinarily, council meetings in any city don’t attract a crowd. But this one did. From Carbajal friends and neighbors to those who had a role in his ring career, dozens were there.

I was there, too, and I was lucky enough to speak in his behalf. I was asked to.

Ordinarily, that’s not the job of a journalist, sports or otherwise. I had covered Carbajal’s career during my years at The Arizona Republic.

I was there in Seoul when he got robbed of a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics.

I was there in Las Vegas when he got up twice and knocked out Chiquita Gonzalez in a dramatic 1993 Fight of the Year, a fight as memorable as any in the history of boxing’s smallest weight classes.

I was there in Mexico City in 1994 in front of at least 30,000 Gonzalez fans, then unhappy at California’s Proposition 187, controversial immigration legislation.

Carbajal was Mexican only in name and heritage on that night, which ended in Gonzalez wining a debatable decision in a second rematch.

For those Mexican fans, he was a convenient American target for their anger at the California proposal. They drank, threw debris and waited for Carbajal to enter the hostile arena as if he were the bull that the place had been built for.

About an hour before opening bell, I saw Carbajal, seated with his hands taped and ready to take that long walk through a gathering storm.

He was a lonely figure at the end of a long dark tunnel that was his dressing room.

All the while, restless partisans stomped their feet in unison.

The noise had an angry beat, one that echoed a fundamental cliche: You can’t play boxing. I looked at Carbajal and wondered what I would feel at that moment.

One word: Terror.

I think I would have headed for the parking lot, jumped into a taxi, gone to the airport and boarded a flight in a panicked escape to Cabo San Lucas.

But I also knew then that I admired Carbajal. It’s hard to be objective about courage, and I saw plenty of it on that night in a 108-pound kid off the streets of Phoenix.

Over the years, I was often accused of crossing the line. I was told I had gotten too close. I can’t deny that. But I won’t apologize for it, either.

Boxing, itself, is different than any other sport in traditional journalism, now a dying craft. Trust is hard to come by from fighters who grew up mistrusting cops, teachers and a gringo reporter from a big daily that had not paid much attention to their neighborhoods.

In more than a decade as the Suns beat reporter, I had worked hard to keep my distance. But those traditional lines weren’t there in trying to cover Carbajal, a tough Mexican-American from a dangerous neighborhood just a few blocks from The Republic’s newsroom.

Through it all, there was controversy, an inherent part of almost any ring career. After all, prizefighting is controversial, almost by definition.

There were arrests, police investigations, shootings, gang allegations and ominous rumors. It was part of the Carbajal story and part of the reason I would ask him: Why, Michael, why do you stay here?

He has for the same reason he took that long ring walk on that night in Mexico City three decades ago. His adherence to a dangerous craft is as unshakable as his ties to those streets in a dangerous neighborhood.

Turns out, his friends, neighbors and a few retired cops understood that better than a gringo reporter.

They spoke to the city council before and after I did at Wednesday’s meeting Retired cops, who had worked Carbajal’s neighborhood, confirmed there was trouble, but they said, it didn’t come from Michael.

By the time it was my turn to take the podium, I realized that legacy — a word so overused to be almost meaningless – is still relevant in Carbajal, now 56 and 25 years removed from his last fight in 1999.

Younger neighbors, who weren’t even born when he was fighting, know him and identify with him because he’s still there. Their challenges were his challenges.

For Phoenix, he continues to be a living piece of tangible history. In my two minutes before the City Council, I talked about how the Phoenix area has become an emerging market for promoters from all over the world.

Eddie Hearn, of London’s Matchroom Promotions, has been staging cards in Phoenix and Glendale for the last couple of years. Hearn is putting together a Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez-Juan Francisco Estrada SuperFly showdown, projected for June 29 at Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena.

“There are a lot of educated fans here,’’ Hearn said repeatedly when he was in Phoenix, representing John Ryder in January for Ryder’s stoppage loss to Jamie Munguia.

There are, because of Carbajal. At recent cards, I’ve often been approached by young fans who tell me that their dads used to read me all the time when I was writing about Carbajal for The Republic.

Those sons are Hearn’s educated fans, the demographic that has turned the Phoenix market into a go-to place for promoters and networks.

They also represent Carbajal’s ongoing legacy, an avenue to what the emerging market has become.

There are no avenues in Carbajal’s neighborhood. But there will be a street, from Ninth to Tenth, named after him. The Council voted to attach Michael Carbajal Way onto the street signs. It was a unanimous decision, 9-0.

It’s appropriate. The streets that created him will soon be named after him.

ATLANTIC CITY, March 21, 2024. —  South Jersey’s own Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna will fight for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Gold Middleweight World Title against Venezuelan Johan “Chelo Manotas” Gonzalez in the main event in a twelve-round bout on Saturday, June 8 at Bally’s Atlantic City.

This World Championship Boxing Event is being promoted by Main Events in association with LaManna’s Rising Star Promotions. Ticket info will be released soon.

“I am definitely excited to fight in another world title fight I was down and out after the first try but now I’m back in the mix fighting for the WBA Gold against a very experienced opponent from Venezuela,” said LaManna. “Gonzalez rated at 154 and despite coming up to 160, he’s explosive and powerful and has a master trainer in Ismael Salas and this would be my first win against him. I made my pro debut at Bally’s and now I’m going to be fighting for a world title there and being able to accomplish both that would be amazing. Atlantic City is my backyard, so it is going to be fire that night, and on that night and I don’t think there will be anyone that can beat me.

“Working with Main Events is a real honor,” continued LaManna. “We’ve been talking about a fight like this for months, almost a year. Thankfully Main Events can see my mission and they can see my drive between fighting and promoting and I’m glad they got behind mean they are taking a chance with me and I’m looking forward to continuing with them in the future.”

“I admire Thomas for the way he has taken charge of his career and become a successful promoter in his own right,” said Kathy Duva. “Now that he has an opportunity to challenge for the world title, Main Events is happy to step in and help so LaManna can focus exclusively on preparing for the biggest fight of his career. Main Events has a long history promoting boxing in Atlantic City. And a great deal of those fights were promoted in association with Bally’s. We are looking forward to a great promotion.”

LaManna quote:

“The dream for any boxer is to become a champion, so I am very happy for this opportunity,” said Johan. “LaManna has a lot experience and very well-known boxer in the business and that means I need to work harder to get the win. This is boxing and nothing is easy in this sport.  Atlantic City is like his home, a knockout could come, but for sure we will have a great camp, training to get the W, by decision or by KO. Atlantic City is place with good boxing history, now is time to write my own.”

“Bally’s Atlantic City is thrilled for the return of boxing. We look forward to hosting this thrilling event and providing memorable experiences for boxing enthusiasts and our guests,” said Michael Monty, General Manager at Bally’s Atlantic City.

Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (37-5, 16 KOs) born and raised in Millville, NJ, just down the road from Atlantic City, is on a seven fight win streak that propelled him onto the world stage. He is undefeated in Atlantic City, 21 wins, no losses and one draw overall and seven wins with no losses at Bally’s.  He made his professional debut in 2011 and has an impressive collection of belts, including the New Jersey State Welterweight Title, World Boxing Council (WBC) FECARBOX title, WBA Fedecentro title, WBA Fedecaribe title and the WBA Fedalatin title. He has won two titles in AC and made two successful defenses. His string of seven wins began after his 2021 world title fight defeat to Erislandy Lara.

Johan Gonzalez (34-2, 33 KOs) is a Venezuelan fighting out of Las Vegas, NV and has knocked out all but three of his thirty-six opponents. The thirty-two-year-old made his pro debut in June of 2017 and fought ten times in the first 5 months and one day of his career. He the had ten more bouts in 2018. He became Venezuelan Welterweight Champion and IBA Intercontinental Champion in 2018. In 2021, Johan won the WBA Fedalatin welterweight title in March and eight months later the WBA Fedalatin super welterweight title. In 2022 he collected the NABA Super Welterweight title with a knockout win in Panama City. His first thirty-three of his career fights took place in either Venezuela or Panama – and those three were in his last four fights.

ABOUT MAIN EVENTS

Main Events has been promoting fights in Atlantic City since 1982. Their first was a WBC light heavyweight title fight between Dwight Muhammad Qawi and Eddie Davis. Their first event at Bally’s AC was in April of ‘95 with Gatti in the co-feature of an IBF Super Featherweight World Title fight between Eddie Hopson and Moises Pedroza. Since then they have promoted bouts with many notable world champions, including Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, Arturo “Thunder” Gatti, Mark Breland, Meldrick Taylor, Sergei Kovalev and Dmitri Bivol. Amongst the most notable fights promoted by Main Events in Atlantic City include, “The Battle of the Ages,” Holyfield-Foreman for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was the first TVKO (HBO PPV) event; Bivol-Smith which was the last HBO fight to take place in Atlantic City, Kovalev-Hopkins—the last World Championship fight at Boardwalk Hall; Gatti-Ward II & III and Gatti-Mayweather.

ABOUT BALLY’S CORPORATION

Bally’s Corporation is a global casino-entertainment company with a growing omni-channel presence of Online Sports Betting and iGaming offerings. It currently owns and manages 16 casinos across 10 states, a golf course in New York, a horse racetrack in Colorado, and has access to OSB licenses in 18 states. It also owns Bally’s Interactive International, formerly Gamesys Group, a leading, global, online gaming operator, Bally Bet, a first-in-class sports betting platform, and Bally Casino, a growing iCasino platform. With 10,500 employees, the Company’s casino operations include approximately 15,000 slot machines, 600 table games and 5,300 hotel rooms. Upon completing the construction of a permanent casino facility in Chicago, IL, and a land-based casino near the Nittany Mall in State College, PA, Bally’s will own and/or manage 17 casinos across 11 states. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BALY”.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a pivotal rematch featuring No. 5 ranked flyweight contender Matheus Nicolau taking on No. 6 Manel Kape. In addition, hard-hitting light heavyweights No. 11 Ryan Spann and rising contender Bogdan Guskov square off in a high stakes showdown. 

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: NICOLAU vs. KAPE 2 takes place Saturday, April 27 in Las Vegas and will be available on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) and ESPN. The prelims will air on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, followed by the main card airing on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. 

UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.

Nicolau (19-4-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a strong standup game, Nicolau has earned victories over Matt Schnell, David Dvorak, and Tim Elliott. The veteran contender now aims to secure a second win against Kape and make his case for a title shot later this year.

Kape (19-6, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand by way of Porto, Portugal) returns to action looking to avenge his 2021 loss to Nicolau. The Angolan-born fighter has made waves in the 125-pound division by delivering dominant performances against Felipe dos Santos, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and Ode’ Osbourne. Kape now looks to finish Nicolau in emphatic fashion and cement his spot in the Top 5.

Veteran Spann (19-7, fighting out of Beaumont, Texas by way of Memphis, Tenn.) sets out to remind the world why he’s among the best at 205 pounds. A dominant force for the past six years, Spann has delivered highlight finishes against Dominick Reyes, Ion Cutelaba, and Misha Cirkunov. He now hopes for another first-round finish to derail Guskov’s momentum.

Guskov (15-3 fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan) looks to put the division on notice by taking out a top-ranked opponent. Making just his second Octagon appearance, Guskov wowed fight fans with his first-round knockout against The Ultimate Fighter season 30 finalist Zac Pauga. Uzbekistan’s own now sets forth to secure the biggest win of his career by getting his hand raised against Spann.

Additional bouts on the card include: 

• No. 11 ranked flyweight Ariane Lipski (17-8, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) and No. 12 Karine Silva (17-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) go toe-to-toe in a thrilling matchup
• WelterweightsTim Means (33-15-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) and Uroš Medi? (9-2, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska by way of Novi Sad, Serbia) square off
• Joel Álvarez (20-3, fighting out of Asturias, Spain) looks to secure back-to-back wins as he takes on Dana White’s Contender Series signee Mateusz R?becki (19-1, fighting out of Szczecin, Poland) at lightweight
• Bantamweight veteran Rani Yahya (28-11-1 1 NC, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil)collides with Dana White’s Contender Series alumnusVictor Henry (23-6, fighting out of Southgate, Calif.)
• Dana White’s Contender Series heavyweight contract winners Don’Tale Mayes (10-6 1 NC, fighting out of Louisville, Ken.) and Caio Machado (8-2-1, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada) look to steal the show
• Gabriel Benitez (23-12, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico)takes on Maheshate (9-3, fighting out of Sichuan, China)at lightweight
• Marnic Mann (6-2, fighting out of Bozeman, Mont.) locks horns with Brazil’s Ketlen Souza (13-4, fighting out of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) at strawweight
• Ivana Petrovic (6-1, fighting out of Tønsberg, Norway) faces Liang Na (17-1, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) in a flyweight tilt
• Gabe Green (11-5, fighting out of San Pedro, Calif.) welcomes Dana White’s Contender Series signee James Llontop (14-2, fighting out of Lima, Peru) to the UFC 155-pound division
• Dana White’s Contender Series heavyweight contract winners Austen Lane (12-4 1NC, fighting out of Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jhonata Diniz (6-0, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) are set to deliver fireworks
• The Ultimate Fighter season 31 finalist Austin Hubbard (16-6, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) clashes with Michal Figlak (8-1, fighting out of Worcester, England by way of Poznan, Poland) in an electric lightweight matchup

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click?here?to apply for the event. 

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 259 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 975 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+ 

https://espnpressroom.com/us/espnplus/

About ESPN 

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.?ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst. 

Las Vegas (March 21, 2024) – Current WBC world champion, WBA interim champion and first female undisputed super middleweight world champion Franchón Crews-Dezurn has confirmed that she will appear at the Seventh Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 4, 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will also coincide with the mega fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia, that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena.

Franchón will hold a Meet & Greet with her fans at her booth during the fan event held over the Cinco De Mayo weekend. 

The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan event that coincides with some of the sports’ legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas, including Mayweather vs. Maidana II, Mayweather vs. Berto, Canelo vs. Chavez Jr., Canelo vs. GGG II, Canelo vs. Jacobs and Canelo vs. GGG III. 

Centered in boxing’s longtime home – Las Vegas – this year’s Expo is a must-do for fight fans coming in for this legendary weekend, with dozens of professional fighters, promoters, and companies involved in the boxing industry. The Expo is the largest and only Boxing Fan Expo held in the United States. http://boxfanexpo.com – @BoxFanExpo

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2024

Franchón will make her third appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. Franchón will also have merchandise to sell for fans to enjoy. Boxing fans will also have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing star also known as the “The Heavy Hitting Diva”. Follow Franchón Crews-Dezurn @thehhdiva

Franchón joins Roy Jones Jr., Erik Morales, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Juan Manuel Marquez, Michael Spinks, Claressa Shields and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more Boxing stars to be announced.

About Franchón Crews-Dezurn 

Historic sports figure Franchón Crews-Dezurn, is a former contestant on American Idol, 12-year member of Team USA, 15X National Champion, 5X Pan Am Gold medalist, 2X Olympic alternate and 2X world medalist. Franchón is the first US woman to qualify for the Pan American Games and one of three US women to compete in the event.

The Heavy Hitting Diva is a current world champion and the first female undisputed super middleweight champion, winning the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine championship belts. Outside the ring, Franchón is a fashion designer that has designed clothing and boxing apparel that was featured on HBO, Showtime, DAZN and ESPN, dressing pro contender Glenn Dezurn Jr, fellow world champions Claressa Shields, Marlen Esparza and Issac Dogboe. This year, Franchón debuted “Secret Place Fashion Experience” in New York during NYFW 2024 to rave reviews. Franchón has achieved all of these great accomplishments while having her debut single “Secret Place” charting in the Top 10 on dance charts in the United Kingdom (UK). Renaissance Woman Franchón is a professional singer, songwriter, public speaker, designer and college graduate. Truly an extraordinary woman in the world of sports and entertainment. She advocates for better health, women’s empowerment, equality pay in sport and entrepreneurship.

?About Box Fan Expo

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to meet the stars of boxing that represent the past, present and future of the sport. With hosted autograph signings, meet-and-greets with current and former boxing world champions, limited edition merchandise for sale, giveaways and more, this is the ultimate event for fans of the sport.

Past boxing stars that have participated include: Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, David Benavidez, Teofimo Lopez, Andre Ward, Ryan Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Devin Haney, Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence Jr, Fernando Vargas, Rolando Romero, Sergio Martinez, Tim Bradley, Jose Ramirez, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Abner Mares, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Floyd Mayweather sr., Claressa Shields, Vinny Paz, Mia St.John, Franchón Crews-Dezurn, Seniesa Estrada, Jorge Linares, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris, Riddick Bowe, Earnie Shavers, Michael & Leon Spinks, Brandon Rios, Anthony Dirrell, Danny Jacobs, and many more.

Exhibitors include boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who showcase their brand to fans and the boxing industry as a whole.

Throughout the next few weeks leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –

To request information on exhibiting and sponsorship at the Expo:

For media credentials:

Contact us:

Telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram at: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

BRITISH LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION Sam Noakes will defend his four title belts at York Hall on Saturday April 20, live on TNT Sports.

Tickets for the show on Saturday, 20 April are on sale now available from ticketmaster.co.uk.

To apply for Media Accreditation, please fill out this form. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 12 April and confirmation emails will be sent out that evening.

In co-headline action, the undefeated super lightweight Henry Turner (12-0, 4 KOs) will make a fourth defence of his WBC International Silver title against fellow unbeaten challenger Bradley Townsend (16-0, 2).

Liverpool firebrand Andrew Cain (10-1, 9), the former WBC International Silver champion at super bantamweight, makes his return from a serious hand injury in eight round action at bantamweight.

Last time out in February, Noakes (13-0, 13), from Maidstone,  added the British and WBO International titles to the WBC International Silver and Commonwealth honours already in his name with a brutal four-round destruction of the previously unbeaten Lewis Sylvester.

The knockout sequence of High Wycombe man Turner, 23, was halted back in November when he went up against the former Southern Area and English champion Billy Allington, although he prevailed comfortably on the scorecards. He now takes on an undefeated opponent in Witney’s Townsend, 28, for the first time in his professional career.

Cain, 27, had his reign of terror at bantamweight ended by Ionut Baluta a year ago in Telford. The KO-artist put the Romanian down twice in the first round only to suffer a fractured hand in the process and was ultimately subject to a highly-disputed loss on points. Extensive surgery to his hand followed that has kept him out of the ring for a prolonged period of time.

Also featuring on the card, explosive cruiserweight Aloys Jr (6-1, 6) will have his first fight over the eight-round distance and big-punching super welterweight Ben Fail (5-0, 4) will also fight over six, along with Crayford super welter Jack Olephant (1-0).

In four round action is Upminster lightweight Billy Adams (2-0), plus the professional debuts of outstanding amateur stars Joe Cooper from Sandy and Eoghan Lavin from Ballyhaunis in Ireland.

“This is another card where our elite young band of highly talented fighters get the chance to shine,” said promoter Frank Warren. “These shows are quite literally the making of our young stars and we always make sure these development cards are topped by significant title action, this time featuring Sam Noakes and Henry Turner.

“Sam continues to blaze his way through the lightweight division and he will get to make a first defence of the British title he was so happy to win late last year, while Henry is back in another defence of his WBC belt against an excellent challenger in Bradley Townsend, who gets his big chance.

“I cannot wait to see Andrew Cain back in the ring at bantamweight. I firmly believe he would be a major champion by now if it were not for the severe hand injury he sustained that affected him so much in Telford last year.

“Aloys Jr and Ben Fail will continue to thrill, I’m sure, while I am excited to launch the professional careers of elite amateur stars Joe Cooper and Eoghan Lavin, who I am delighted have chosen Queensberry to guide their careers.”

Tickets for the show on Saturday, 20 April are on sale now available from ticketmaster.co.uk.

LOS ANGELES (March 21, 2024) – Toronto’s undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Champion Kareem “Supreme” Hackett (12-0, 6 KOs) will make his first title defense March 30^th against Rowdy Legend Montgomery (10-5-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-pound match on a Golden Boy Promotions card headlined by the WBA Cruiserweight World title fight between defending champion Arsen Goulimarian and Hackett’s stablemate, former world super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.

All the action will be streamed live on DAZN from YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.

WBA No. 13 world-rated Hackett captured his crown last September 20^th in Plant City, Florida, when he dominated 4-1 favorite and previously undefeated Clay Waterman (11-0, 8 KOs) en route to a 10-round unanimous decision, in which he won all 10 rounds on two of the judges’’ scorecards and nine on the other judge’s.

“I would have liked to fight sooner but that’s the way this business goes,” Hackett said. “It’s harder to get fights after winning my title than it was. A lot of good has happened since my last fight. I understand. I have a title and I’m world ranked. I have a clearer path towards a world title shot. I appreciate any opportunity to get in the ring.

?“I’m getting more respect since I displayed my skills on ProBox.TV. (Announcers) Juan Manual Marguez, Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri gave me a lot of props and that’s been very validating.”  

Hackett has gained invaluable experience sparring world champions such as “Zurdo” Ramirez, Dmitry Bivol, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Sergio Mora, Mathew Macklin and David Benavidez.

Hackett has already established firsts by a Toronto boxer in terms of fighting on a Golden Boy Promotions card and becoming WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight title holder.

“I’m a trailblazer for Toronto boxing,” promotional free agent Hackett explained with great pride. “I want to bring the first world title home, for sure, and one day the undisputed and unified titles, too, Toronto is a big city with a lot of natural talent, but I don’t know why boxing hasn’t thrived there.”

Hackett is trained by fast-rising Julian Chua at Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood (CA) and managed by 3 Point Management (3 PM).

“(Dmitry) Bivol is at the head of the light heavyweight division, and I know he’s a strong guy,” Hackett noted. “We’ve changed some things since my last fight with the end in mind. We’ve tripled down, strength-wise, for when we run into him. That’s the main change. I feel that I’m the most agile fighter in our division and I’m working on getting stronger to match my skills and ring IQ.”

In 2024, Hackett wants to add hardware and fight a top-10 ranked opponent but, at least for now, he’s happy to be in his fight with Montgomery in his second home, Los Angeles.

“I love that this fight is in LA,” Hackett concluded. “I’m comfortable in Los Angeles. I feel at home here and fighting in other places in California. I’m also excited to be fighting on a card headlined by one of my closest friends in boxing (Zurdo).”

INFORMATION:

Website: www.KareemHackett.com

Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok: @kareemwins

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Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“All we ever want as fight fans is a competitive fight card and we’ve got that on Saturday. Five fights on the TV card live on DAZN, every one of them arguably a 50-50 match-up. We’ve got a brilliant World championship fight between two of Britain’s biggest stars in female boxing as Sandy Ryan defending her WBO World title against Terri Harper who is looking to become a three-time, three-weight World champion. We have some great domestic clashes and a stunning main event between one of what I believe the future stars of not just British boxing but the world in Dalton Smith against one of the most dangerous fighters at 140lbs in Jose Zepeda. This is a huge step-up for Dalton Smith, live and exclusive worldwide on DAZN as they establish themselves as the global home of boxing.”

Alfie Sharman, VP DAZN:

“It’s great to be surrounded by these outstanding fighters and a great undercard. There’s lots of chat around Dalton and deservedly so, he’s a great prospect destined for the world stage for sure, but Saturday presents one of his toughest fights to date. Jose Zepeda is a World-level fighter and I wish the best of luck to both men. As Eddie said, DAZN are in an amazing run at the moment, Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia, Canelo vs. Jaime Munguia, Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk and Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall, plus so many other great fights every week. We’re so busy and we’re proud to be delivering this unmatched scheduled to our customers and sports fans all around the world. I’ve said many times recently, but I’ll say it again because it’s true, it’s a wonderful time to be a boxing fan and it’s great for us at DAZN to be at the heart of it.”

Dalton Smith:

“We haven’t looked at Jose as a sliding fighter, he’s only lost at World level, none of those losses have been on the way down. That’s why we took this fight and we’ve prepared for the best of Jose; he’s only interested in the biggest fights so his career is on the line in this fight and it’s a Step-up for me and the opportunity to propel my career onto the World level. 

“It’s a jump in class but you’ve seen the level that I’ve progressed through, I’ve been ready for that level for probably two fights now, so this is the perfect time for me now to propel myself and chase those bigger things. I’m confident, I’ve had one of the best camps of my career, so the fans are in for a treat in this fight.

“He’s a massive puncher, but so am I. It’s going to be one hell of a fight. I believe I’ve got the better boxing brain but, in any fight, you go into, you’ve got to be switched on, you cannot switch off as that’s how you lose in boxing, switching off for a second. So, I am switched on for 12 rounds, looking for the biggest performance so far in my career and I can’t wait to show you all.

“The WBC is one of my favourite belts and one I’ve always looked towards, it’s a big opportunity for me to move my career along and we’re pushing closer to a World title, so I can’t wait.”

Jose Zepeda:

“I am in great shape. I’ve been here before when I fought for the World championship in 2017 against Terry Flanagan. That was a bad experience, but I was happy when they told me about this fight, and thank you to Dalton’s team for the opportunity, I’m glad to take it and all I’m looking for in this fight is the fourth opportunity for a World title. Dalton is a young fighter stepping up because he wants to see if he’s at the top level, and I guess we’re going to have to see on Saturday. There’s no need to talk a lot, everyone that knows my career knows I give it my all inside the ring, so I will do the same on Saturday and I’m happy to be here and enjoying every moment.

“Everyone finds out when they step up a level. I remember when I fought Jose Ramirez, it was the first time that I boxed at the top level and in the first round, as soon as I threw the jab, I knew that I was in there on another level. I think he’s going to find out soon and I give him and his team props for jumping this high and if he believes it, well, we’re going to see on Saturday. 

“At this point in my career, I am only looking for big fights; a World title or another big fight, and if I lose this fight, I won’t get that. So, I have said that if I lose this fight, you might not see me in boxing anymore, but what I haven’t said with all honesty, this is the best camp in my entire career at 34 years old because I want to win and I want that fourth World title opportunity. There’s no need for a lot of talking, I’ve seen one of his fights, the styles are going to clash and it’s going to be an exciting fight.”

Sandy Ryan:

“I’m ready. The sacrifices, the new team, going across the pond so far away from home. Harper said yesterday that this might be the best time to catch me because I might be unsettled, if she thinks that she’s very wrong and that just shows the different mindsets that I can do this and I don’t believe that she could, she needs Stefy to hold her hand throughout the training camp. So, I got a little insight there, but I do respect her as a fighter, she does know that, but she is trying to take what’s mine and I can’t let that happen. I’ve big fights ahead if we win on Saturday, big paydays, so I can’t let her take food off my table.

“I believe I can stop her, and I believe deep down she knows that as well. If she wants to sit on the back foot, I’ll take it to her. I do what I need to do to win the fight. She’s a great fighter and I respect her, but respectfully, there will be no respect in the ring. I will dog walk her if I must to get this win, so whatever it takes believe me I have no doubt in my mind that I am going to be victorious on Saturday. 

“The sparring is kind of irrelevant, but fighters know that when you’re sparring, you do have an insight. It is different on fight night, but you do know, and deep down she knows. I don’t know about the deep waters, Harper, I don’t know when she says she’s going to take me to deep waters, explain that, come on. I was a bit shocked, but we’ll see.”

Terri Harper:

“A massive thank you to Sandy, she’s come off the controversial draw with Jessica McCaskill and she’s given me this opportunity. The carrot has been dangled in front of me and I’ve done everything I can in this camp to be in the best shape physically and mentally to go out there on Saturday night and do what I need to do to come it victorious and be a three-weight champion. 

“Even when I used to make 9st 4oz, when I got down to 10st 7oz in training, I was always having my best performances in sparring and on the pads. This camp, I’ve been able to hold at 10st 7oz just feel comfortable and really enjoy my training and not be food-focused, just focus on the one job that I am here to do. 

“I feel like in this camp I’ve had a lightbulb moment where something has just clicked. I know everyone says it, but I really have been having the best spars of my career. As an athlete I always get myself in the best physical shape possible but one thing I’ve always neglected from the beginning of my career is the mental side of things. I keep joking that I’ve read four books and it’s completely changed my life, just how I view my boxing career and my personal life. I feel like I am a much more positive person to be around, and I’ve got a lot more self-belief and I’m quietly confident that I am going to get the job done on Saturday night and I’m very confident that it will be a career-best performance. 

“I remember when Stefy told me we had some sparring with Sandy I thought ‘oh my god’. Obviously, I used to look up at Sandy as this superhuman, but I can remember the first time I got in the ring with her, I think that’s when it really clicked that I am a great fighter, and I can hold my own against the top-level fighters. I came away from those spars with so much confidence, that was a couple of years back now, I’ve been in the gym, improving constantly and I’m just excited to get back in there at this new weight and take this opportunity that’s in front of me and get a good win for everyone that’s coming to support me.

“She’s taken the deep waters comment a lot deeper than what it is. I am her toughest opponent to date and I’m going to make her answer a lot of questions in that ring, that’s all. The fact it’s triggered her so much, that little comment, that screams as insecure. The fact you’ve gone onto socials to get that reassurance at all times, you just need to focus on your training and yourself, and just chill out because it’s not that deep.”

Ishmael Davis:

“I respect Troy. He’s my boy. But for 12 rounds we’re going to go to war, and I just feel that I am a better boxer and it’s going to be a sick fight. You need to put a KO bonus up because there’s going to be one, I tell you. From the sparring, like he said, it’s been nothing but fireworks, people would pay to watch them, but it’s a long time since we sparred and I haven’t left the gym, so I am looking to put on a good show and prove my worth. 

“Boxing is not just about engine; you need a brain as well and that’s what I’ll be using on Saturday. I’ve got the engine anyway, that’s standard, every boxer should be fit and I’m always in the gym, so if we need to go into deep waters, I’ll be ready to go into deep waters for 12 rounds.

“There’s only one winner and that’s me.”

Troy Williamson:

“Fireworks. I respect Ishmael, I respect his team, we’re very similar people I think outside the ring, we’re family men and we train hard and dedicate our lives to the sport. On Saturday night we put friendship aside and get down to business. 

“I’ve lost twice in 23 fights to two elite fighters in Josh Kelly and Caoimhin Agyarko. Due to no fault of my own I’ve picked up injuries which is unfortunate but we’re in a professional sport where that happens. Last time out I was boxing well, momentum was going my way, it felt like he was very uncomfortable in there but my shoulder subluxed in round five. I’ve never publicly mentioned it because I don’t think I need to, but that fight should have been won, so I take a lot of confidence from that because I felt great, felt fit and strong but was unlucky on the night. We’re here again and I’ll feel fit and strong again, and I’ll be on the road again to becoming a two-time British champion.

“I’ve proven that I can go to the deep waters, he hasn’t yet. Going off the sparring, I know he’s a warrior like me. Everyone is in for a treat, it’s going to be a great fight, I know how tough he is, how slick he is, but I believe the best of me beats the best of him and I’ll show that on Saturday night.”

Campbell Hatton:

“We’ve had the learning fights; it’s fight 15 now and I think it’s the perfect time. It’s a fight I’m more than ready for, I’ve prepared well, it’s my first title fight and any fighter in this position would say that you get that little more out of yourself. It’s been a grueling few weeks and on Saturday night it’s all going to be worth it.

“I think it’ll bring their bets out of me; I’m expecting a good fight, we’ve got a good clash of styles where I think we are both going to come to have it. I think it could be the fight of the night, and I’m expecting a tough fight, I’ve prepared for a tough fight, but I think it will bring out the best version of Campbell Hatton.

“This is what we want and what we expect. He’s coming in as the champion, I wouldn’t expect anything lees and I hope he comes into the ring with the same energy.”

James Flint:

“I’ve known about this fight for a long time. Campbell says he knows he’s in for a hard fight and I’m glad you do mate, because I am going to give you the hardest night of your life, from start to finish, I’ll be there. I’m ready for it.

“I’m not going to throw him under the bus, criticism in boxing is hard enough, but on Saturday night I will prove the critics right. People are forgetting that I’m the champion and I’m here through hard work, dedication, and determination. He may have had the silver spoon because of who his Dad is, but I haven’t, I’ve been force fed with a shovel and I’m here to prove what I can do.

“I’m not going to sell over 400 tickets to come and roll over. I’m here to fight and I am here to stay – and still.”

Nico Leivars:

“I’m looking forward to it. With it being an eliminator for the English title there’s a carrot being dangled, but I can’t overlook Saturday night. I’ve got a job to do with a good opponent in front of me, but we’ve prepared well in the gym and we’re ready for anything.

“I’m more than ready for the ten rounds. We’ve been doing the rounds in the gym, sparring 12 rounds on some days, so we’re ready for ten if it needs to come to that.”

Piotr Mirga:

“I’ve set myself the goal to win the English title this year and the first step is on Saturday and I can’t wait.  I’m ready for Saturday and I’m just going to get the job done.”

Leli Buttigieg:

“I’m ready for fight number three, I’m staying active, smashing it in the gym, sparring well, so the fights to keep me progressing is what I need.

“I’m on a row – 2-0, it was good to get the four rounds in last time, we’re stepping up to six rounds and you’ll see an even better version of me, and we’ll break this guy down on Saturday.”

Connan Murray:

“It’s amazing to get this opportunity. You rang up and said that you were looking for a good-looking, bald-headed lad to fight on the show but you couldn’t find anyone so here I am!

“Everyone has been training really hard and smashing it in the gym, so we’re looking forward to getting three wins for the Stefy Bull gym.”

Liam Cameron:

“I’ve done about 200 tickets on two weeks’ notice, so I am just buzzing to be here to be honest. I’ve been training hard so let’s get the KO.

“I want the British title at Super-Middleweight. I’ll fight anyone. I’ll just keep chipping away and see where it takes me.”

PHILADELPHIA, PA (March 21, 2024) On Thursday, April 18, DiBella Entertainment’s acclaimed Broadway Boxing will make its debut in Philadelphia, PA, at the 2300 Arena. The 121st edition of the longest-running grassroots boxing series will be headlined by heavyweight contender “Gentleman” George Arias squaring off against the undefeated Skylar Lacy.

Tickets for Broadway Boxing are on sale now and can be purchased via www.2300arena.com (click HERE) or by calling (267) 273-0945. Tickets are priced at $150.00 for VIP Ringside, $125.00 Premium Ringside, $100 Ringside, $60 for General Admission seating and $45 for Standing Room Only. The 2300 Arena is located at 2300 S Swanson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 PM ET, with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.

“I’ve wanted to bring Broadway Boxing to Philadelphia for a long time and I’m thrilled to debut the series at the 2300 Arena, where I know we will have a raucous, passionate crowd,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The heavyweight division remains in flux and is ripe with opportunities to break through. This card will feature two exciting and meaningful heavyweight clashes with contender George Arias making his ring return against an undefeated Skylar Lacy and rising undefeated prospect Roney Hines taking on his toughest assignment in the crafty and experienced Robert Hall Jr. Also, several popular Philadelphia prospects will populate the card, including the hard-hitting, superbly talented Tahmir Smalls as well as Erron Peterson and Romuel Cruz, both undefeated and under the guidance of boxing sage Breadman Edwards. Kestna Davis, a fighter advised by Lennox Lewis, and unbeaten female featherweight contender Tiara Brown will also compete.”

Dominican George Arias (18-1, 7 KOs), a New York Golden Gloves champion based out of The Bronx, NY, will face his ninth undefeated adversary when he meets Skylar Lacy (8-0-1, 6 KOs), of Indianapolis, IN, in the eight-round main event. Arias is coming off of a spirited battle against top-rated Jared Anderson last year. The six-foot-tall Arias will be giving up a significant height advantage to Lacy at six-foot-seven, though, he has shown he is very capable of dismantling a much taller foe. In December 2021, Arias upset the previously undefeated six-foot-six Cassius Chaney on points, outboxing him with fast hands and deft footwork. Lacy is coming off of a second-round stoppage victory against Hector Coronado on March 16 in Mexico.

“I am excited to get back in the ring. I’ve always believed that, as a fighter, one should be able to take risk and dare to be great. My last performance against Jared Anderson was exactly what I needed to understand that more is required of me,” said Arias. “I have been working tirelessly in the gym to perfect my flaws and my style. I am very thankful to my promoter, Lou DiBella, for believing in me and allowing me to develop. I can’t wait to begin a new chapter as a more mature and disciplined fighter on his way to becoming the first Dominican heavyweight champion of the world.”

The card will also feature a high-powered heavyweight clash between Cleveland’s Roney Hines and Johnson City, TN, native Robert Hall Jr., scheduled for eight rounds. The fight is a step-up for Hines (13-0-1, 8 KOs), who trains with veteran trainer Eric Brown in Los Angeles and is co-managed by Robert Diaz and Sheer Sports. He is coming off of a unanimous decision win against Jonathan Gruber last November. The 28-year-old Hines had an extensive amateur career that included over 90 fights and a win at the National Golden Gloves, before making his professional debut in July 2018. Hall Jr. (14-2, 11 KOs), a former WBC USNBC titlist, last entered the ring in September, when he faced contender Jerry Forrest, losing a unanimous decision over eight rounds.

“I’m going to show out,” said Hines of the contest. “I’m not worried about who’s in front of me. They have to deal with me. I was born to fight. You get up and brush your teeth, I get up and box. I just want to be the best.”

Undefeated 24-year-old Philadelphia welterweight Tahmir Smalls (11-0, 8 KOs) will take on Ezequiel Victor Fernandez (29-7-1, 3 KO’s), of San Juan, Argentina, in an eight-round bout. Smalls is a familiar face at the 2300 Arena, having previously fought there five times. With his father, Lawrence Smalls, as his trainer and a former amateur boxer himself, Tahmir has been around the sweet science all of his life and began competing at the age of eight. After winning the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves tournament, Smalls turned pro in September 2019. He trains out of Philly’s Next Champ boxing gym, also known as Bozy’s Dungeon, where Derrick “Bozy” Ennis trains his son, IBF welterweight world champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

Two unbeaten prospects trained by Stephen “Breadman” Edwards out of James Shuler Memorial Gym in West Philadelphia will appear on the undercard in separate bouts. Six-foot-tall middleweight southpaw Erron “JYD” Peterson (5-0-1, 4 KOs) was an All-City linebacker in high school before turning his full attention to boxing at the age of 21. Following a brief-but-successful amateur campaign, Peterson, managed by his father Salah, turned pro in July 2022. Junior featherweight Romuel “Cuco” Cruz (10-0-1, 4 KOs), promoted by Hard Hitting Promotions, was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, but moved to Philadelphia, PA, as a toddler. He began boxing as a teenager and has been under Edwards’ tutelage since his pro debut in December 2017.

Jamaican super welterweight southpaw Kestna “Hardball” Davis (5-0), based out of Vauxhall, NJ, will box in a four-round bout. He is advised by former undisputed heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Davis moved to the U.S. in 2018. Davis has been mentored by the former world champion since they met in July 2016 through the Lennox Lewis League of Champions Foundation.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Kestna in the ring. He’s been training hard after a while out, so it will be good to see how the work is paying off,” said Lewis.

Featherweight contender Tiara Brown (16-0, 11 KOs), of Lehigh Acres, FL, will compete in a six-round contest. Before moving back to Florida, where she was raised, to fully focus on her boxing career, Brown had been a police officer in Washington D.C., for nearly six years. She was once honored as the Police Officer of the Year by the Metropolitan Police Department of D.C. Brown will be fighting in the U.S. for the first time since 2019. She is coming off of a first-round stoppage victory against Angi Romero on February 17 in Colombia.

Additional information on the event will be announced shortly.

DiBella Entertainment

Instagram: @DiBellaEnt

Twitter: @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt

Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

RZESZOW, POLAND (March 21, 2024) – Lawrence Okolie will challenge Lukasz Rozanski for the WBC World Bridgerweight Championship on Friday, May 24th at the Podpromie Arena in Rzeszow, Poland, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.

The former British, Commonwealth, European and WBO World Cruiserweight king makes his long awaited return to the ring as he bids to become a two-weight world ruler by taking on the undefeated Rozanski in the champion’s backyard.

Rozanski, who boasts a frightening knockout ratio with fourteen of his fifteen victories coming inside the distance, will be bringing big-time boxing back to Rzeszow having claimed the WBC Bridgerweight belt with a ferocious first-round stoppage win over the previously unbeaten Alen Babic in front of his home fans in April last year.

Okolie, the 31-year-old from Hackney, who represented Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympics, first captured world honours in March 2021 with a knockout win over Rozanski’s countryman Krzysztof Glowacki.

‘The Sauce’ moves up in weight for his first professional bout above the 200lbs limit following a majority decision loss against former stablemate Chris Billam-Smith in an epic world title showdown in May 2023 at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth.

Lawrence Okolie said: “I’m excited to go to Poland and test myself yet again on away ground. Rozanski is a good champion, with an explosive style, but I’m coming to do some serious damage. He has never seen power like mine.”

Lukasz Rozanski said: “I’m defending my World Title in my own backyard, in my city, fighting against a former World Champion. It’s a fantastic fight, for moments like these, I’ve trained hard all my life.”

The WBC Bridgerweight World Title fight between Lukasz Rozanski and Lawrence Okolie will be the second event co-promoted by BOXXER and Knockout Promotions following a successful collaboration in April 2023.

BOXXER CEO and Founder Ben Shalom said: “We’re excited to be returning to Poland and working once again with our friends at Knockout Promotions for what promises to be another spectacular night of boxing. I was ringside to watch Rozanki beat Babic inside a round to claim the WBC Bridgerweight World Title so I know Lawrence will need to be at his best to bring the belt back to the UK. I believe at this heavier weight we will see the best and most destructive version of Lawrence Okolie.”

Andrew Wasilewski for Knockout Promotions said:  “I’m delighted that Knockout Promotions will be organizing another gala in cooperation with our English colleagues from BOXXER. We had hoped that last year’s gala would be the beginning of further collaboration, and it is happening. We are thrilled and can’t wait.”

This event is presented in association with official partner Integritas Property Group.

ALL THE WEIGHTS and photos from the weigh-in ahead of Chris Bourke vs Ashley Lane on Friday night at York Hall, Bethnal Green, live on TNT Sports:

The vacant British and Commonwealth Bantamweight Championships, 12×3 Minute Rounds
Chris Bourke – 117lbs 4oz
Ashley Lane – 117lbs 14oz

The WBC International Light-Heavyweight Championship, 10×3 Minute Rounds
Willy Hutchinson – 174lbs 10oz
Martin Houben – 173lbs 5oz

8×3 Minute Heavyweight Contest
Moses Itauma – 241lbs 30z
Dan Garber – 262lbs 10oz

8×3 Minute International Super-Featherweight Contest
Royston Barney-Smith – 132lbs 12oz
Jose Manuel Perez – 131lbs 5oz

6×3 Minute International Welterweight Contest
Sean Noakes – 151lbs 13oz
Marian Wesolowski – 149lbs 10oz

6×3 Minute International Super-Welterweight Contest
Sonny Liston-Ali – 152lbs 6oz
Petar Aleksandrov – 153lbs 15oz

6×3 Minute International Super-Lightweight Contest
Luke McCormack – 144lbs 12oz
Robin Zamora -145lbs

4×3 Minute International Cruiserweight Contest
Iman Zamatkesh – 202lbs 14oz
Pawel Stykkowski – 201lbs 7oz

CHATTANOOGA, TN (March 21, 2024) – Undefeated welterweight Avious “Tha Underdog” Griffin, hailing from the vibrant city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is gearing up for the most significant bout of his career as he steps into the ring under the expert guidance of Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, Ring Magazine’s 2023 Trainer of the Year.

The event, promoted by OTX (Overtime Boxing), whose motto is “About That ACTION,” will be broadcast live internationally on DAZN. The 8-round bout is scheduled for April 19, 2024, at the prestigious OTE Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. OTX promises an evening filled with great matchups and nonstop action.

Griffin, with an unblemished record of (13-0, 12 KOs), is about to face his first undefeated fighter to date in his televised debut. His adversary is the unbeaten slugger from Colombia, Jose Vargas Quintana (9-0, 7 KOs), who poses a daunting challenge that Griffin must overcome in the ring. This by far is the most dangerous opponent Griffin will be facing.

Fresh off his arrival in Omaha, Nebraska, where he’s putting the finishing touches on his training camp alongside the legendary “BoMac”, Griffin shares his thoughts on what promises to be his most thrilling bout yet as a professional boxer.

“Making my debut on DAZN is a fighter’s dream come true, but for me it’s just another fight. I been fighting my whole life, now more people get to witness it” said Griffin, who goes by the nickname “Tha Underdog” after dealing with immense adversity having been falsely incarcerated. “It’s an honor to showcase my talent to the world, especially on an international platform with my new coach “Bo Mac” by my side. I can’t wait to give fans an unforgettable performance. I’m grateful for the opportunity Overtime and DAZN are giving me.”

“Avious is a special fighter, he has it all…skill, boxing IQ, speed, athleticism, charisma, and devastating power. I have no doubt he will rise to the occasion,” manager Brandon Stump, President of CTB Athletics, stated on Griffin’s upcoming fight. “This fight against Quintana is the step up in competition you can surely expect to see moving forward and with BoMac in his corner, I believe we’re on the cusp of witnessing something truly special for many years to come.”

It’s finally time to secure your tickets to see Olympic Gold Medallist Lauren Price MBE challenge Jessica McCaskill for the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine World Welterweight Titles on Saturday, May 11th at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff.

Over 50% of all tickets were sold in pre-sale yesterday proving this is certainly an eagerly anticipated fight night and homecoming for Wales’s own Lauren Price.

Tickets are available via the link below from 10am today (Thurs 21st March) and you can join the queue now to be amongst the first in line.
CLICK HERE TO SECURE TICKETS
Ticket prices: £200 / £125 / £80 / £60 / £40

McCaskill vs Price will top an action-packed fight card in Cardiff with undercard fights to be announced very soon.

We’re expecting tickets for this event to be in high demand so we recommend you register and buy your tickets as soon as they become available.

NEW YORK (March 20, 2024) — PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, returns to the ring when it live streams to boxing fans, in the U.S. and Canada, an action-packed  four-bout card, featuring the 12-round junior middleweight world title tilt between undefeated WBO junior middleweight world champion Tim Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs), a native of Sydney, Australia, and No. 3 world-rated contender Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs), from Coachella, California, Saturday, March 30, beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.  The co-main event will have WBA super lightweight world champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero (15-1, 13 KOs), from Las Vegas, making his first title defense, against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (25-2-1, 17 KOs), from Mexico City. The Tszyu – Fundora / Rolly – Pitbull championship event will emanate live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Priced at $69.99, it can be ordered by clicking here PPV.COM | Tszyu vs. Fundora.   

The PPV.COM Tszyu – Fundora world championship event live stream will once again feature Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley, who will be paired with award-winning journalist Lance Pugmire, co-hosting an exclusive viewer chat in real time.  Jim and Lance will be joined in the chat by “Inside Boxing Live” podcast hosts Dan Canobbio and Chris Algieri.  Jim, Lance, Dan, and Chris will also be providing exclusive fight week commentary and reports from Las Vegas for PPV.COM‘s website and social platforms.

Canobbioand Algieri will be bringing their popular Inside Boxing Livepodcast to PPV.COM, where they will produce two fresh episodes weekly, provide onsite coverage during major pay-per-view fight weeks, host their own weekly live chat every Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, and join fight night live viewer chats.  For the latest episodes of Inside Boxing Live presented by PPV.COM, click hereInside Boxing Live – YouTube.

“Obviously the near-last minute switch from Keith Thurman to Sebastian Fundora renders some of the style specifics of Tim Tszyu’s preparation null or inappropriate,” said Lampley.  “Fundora is physically different, stylistically different, generationally different and competitively different than Keith Thurman.  So now it’s a new fight for Tszyu with a week and a half to adjust.  He’s still a heavy favorite, and he’ll have to accept that he gets less credit for the win in what may well be a tougher fight.  But that’s boxing.  Some memorable upsets have emerged from circumstances like this, but they are memorable because they are so rare.  There’s no logical reason yet to see this as less than perfunctory for Tim Tszyu.”       

PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, will offer Tszyu vs. Fundora in the U.S. and Canada.  iNDEMAND, the parent company of PPV.COM, will also be carrying the event through its network of cable and telco operators in the U.S. and Canada via providers including: Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Optimum, Fios, Rogers, Bell, SaskTel, and Telus, among others.

JIM LAMPLEY

Jim is a recipient of the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcasting Journalism and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in its 2015 class.  He served as anchor and commentator for “HBO World Championship Boxing” for 30 years and has covered numerous Olympic Games during his long and distinguished career in sports broadcasting.      

LANCE PUGMIRE

Lance is a recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism, the BWAA’s highest honor.  He brings over 30 years of experience covering the sweet science for the Los Angeles Times, The Athletic, and USA Today.  He currently serves as senior U.S. writer for BoxingScene.com.

About iNDEMAND and PPV.COM

iNDEMAND is an innovative partnership among three of the leading cable companies in the U.S.– Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, and Cox Communications. iNDEMAND is a company of trusted content aggregators and licensing experts, with unparalleled technical expertise and long-standing relationships with MVPDs, major sports leagues, Hollywood studios, and other entertainment and sports companies across North America. iNDEMAND delivers great content to more than 60 million cable homes and has distribution deals with more than 90 companies.  In December 2021, iNDEMAND launched PPV.COM, an innovative streaming PPV service and the first of its kind to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports.  With the addition of PPV.COM, which does not require a subscription, to its existing cable PPV infrastructure, iNDEMAND has consolidated all forms of PPV distribution under one roof, making the company the only provider of turn-key PPV solutions for both industry partners and consumers.  For more information, go to indemand.com.

Terri Harper believes winning a World Title in a third weight category would cement her name amongst the elite fighters in women’s boxing.

The 27-year-old from Denaby Main returns to the arena where she won her first World Title back in 2020 to take on Derby’s reigning WBO Welterweight World Champion Sandy Ryan in a huge battle of Britain tis Saturday – live worldwide on DAZN.

‘Belter’, who currently holds the WBA Super-Welterweight World Title, is aiming to return to winning ways in front of her home crowd after a frustrating draw with modern great Cecilia Braekhus on the massive Leigh Wood vs. Josh Warrington card last October.

“I’ve got a chance to become a three-weight World Champion and what better place to do that than in front of my home crowd?” said Harper. “They were there when I became World Champion against Eva Wahlstrom and hopefully they’ll be there when I become a three weight World Champion against Sandy Ryan.

“This is the fight that I’ve wanted for years. It’s a big domestic fight and I’m just keeping that in the back of my head. I’m an experienced championship fighter now and I can only use it to my advantage. Win this fight and it opens up many doors and really sets me up there with the elite.

“This is a must-win fight for us both. I feel like it’s come at the point in both of our careers where it’ll open up those doors and lead to meg fights. So, we’re both hungry and we really both want the win. For me now, I do want the big fights. I feel like they’re going to fetch out the best performances in me.”

Ryan steps into the ring for the very first time with her new training team this Saturday after parting ways with her long term trainer Clifton Mitchell at the back end of 2023 following her controversial draw with Jessica McCaskill, and Harper (14-1-2, 6 KOs) says now is the perfect time to face the former Team GB standout.

“If I were to choose a time to fight Sandy it would be now,” said Harper. “Obviously she’s had the split with Clifton and she’s gone over to Vegas and got a new team around her. I feel like this is the first fight with that team so I know how I’d feel if I was getting in the ring with a new team and not Andrew (Bullcroft). Like I said, I feel this is the perfect time and opportunity to fight Sandy.

“Sandy moving over to Vegas obviously shows dedication to the sport. I feel like she’s coming away from all of the distractions over here and going out there and focusing on her training. It’s a commitment. I take my hat off to her to be going out there and really putting everything on the line for this fight.

“I feel like Sandy is obviously well-schooled, she’s come from the Team GB background and stuff like that. She’s got good stoppages with body shots and stuff so I’ve just got to be aware of that on the night and really just focus on myself and what I can bring to the fight.

“I just know how the spars went. If the fight goes that way it’s going to be an exciting fight for the fans. I know I’m going to take Sandy into deep waters, I’m going to make her ask a lot of questions. If the best version of myself turns up on the night then I beat Sandy comfortably and I see my hand being raised; And The New.”

Ryan vs. Harper is part of a huge night of action in Sheffield, the Steel City’s fast-rising Super-Lightweight contender Dalton Smith (15-0, 11 KOs) steps up against the USA’s three-time World Title challenger Jose Zepeda ( 37-4, 28 KOs) for the WBC Silver Title, it’s Leeds against Darlington as Ishmael Davis (12-0, 6 KOs) and TroyWilliamson (20-2-1, 14 KOs) meet in a Final Eliminator for the British Super-Welterweight Title,  Hyde’s Campbell Hatton (14-0, 5 KOs) goes for his first title when he meets Doncaster’s James Flint (13-1-2, 3 KOs) for the Central Area Super-Lightweight Title, Mansfield’s Nico Leivars (5-0-1) takes on Southend’s Piotr Mirga (7-2) in a Final Eliminator for the English Bantamweight Title, Sheffield Light-Heavyweight Liam Cameron (22-5, 9 KOs) returns after his first-round win over Harry Matthews last month, Newham Super-Welterweight prospect Leli Buttigieg (2-0, 1 KO) fights for the second time this year and Cusworth Middleweight Connan Murray (6-0, 1 KO) kicks off the Before The Bell action. 

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (March 20, 2024) — Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado is ready to enter the junior welterweight title picture.

Delgado will return in a 10-rounder against compatriot Carlos “El Tiburon” Sanchez on Friday, March 29 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Delgado-Sanchez will be featured on the undercard of the 12-round junior lightweight main event between former two-weight world champion Oscar Valdez and one-time world title challenger Liam Wilson.

In the co-feature, WBC/WBA/Ring Magazine champion Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada and WBO/IBF ruler Yokasta Valle will collide in a highly anticipated showdown for the undisputed minimumweight crown.

Valdez-Wilson & Estrada-Valle headline a stacked card streaming live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with No Limit Boxing, tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.

Delgado (19-0, 14 KOs) transitioned from prospect to contender in August 2022 with an upset decision win over then-unbeaten knockout artist Omar Aguilar. Delgado continued his momentum in 2023, with points victories over Clarence Booth in February and Jair Valtierra in August. He then blasted out Luis Hernandez in four rounds in November. The Booth and Valtierra fights took place at Desert Diamond Arena, where Delgado aims to shine once more. Sanchez (25-2, 19 KOs) is a former amateur standout from Mexico whose only setbacks have been to Pedro Campa and Steve Claggett. Sanchez, who used to train and spar with Delgado, heads into this assignment coming off a decision over Carlos Diaz in December.

Following a recent training session at Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, this is what Delgado had to say:

“Carlos Sanchez is a very good fighter. I’ve known him since we were kids because he would fight in the national Olympics as well. He’s a strong fighter. I remember a lot about him because we used to train together. And we used to spar together. The sparring was really good. It was always competitive. You never knew who would come out on top in our sparring. So, I think it’s going to be a really good fight.” 

“I’ve been working on myself. Like in every fight, I always try to improve myself. I don’t focus too much on my opponents. I try to improve anything I feel that needs work. So I’m working on moving in the ring better, moving my waist, and connecting punches with more power and with more accuracy.”

“Fans can expect a really good fight like always. You’re going to see a Lindolfo Delgado who is very prepared and concentrated. We’re working very hard. And I want to look better in every fight, so if I looked good in my last fight, I’m going to look even better in this one!”

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by AutoZone: Valdez vs. Wilson/Estrada vs. Valle will be presented live Friday, March 29, at approximately 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT exclusively on ESPN+. The event takes place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

In the 12-round junior lightweight main event, Mexican warrior Oscar Valdez will face Australian former world title challenger Liam Wilson.

Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs), the fighting pride of Nogales, represented Mexico at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. As a pro, he won world titles in two weight classes. After a competitive fight against Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição in 2021, Valdez suffered his first pro loss in a unification battle against Shakur Stevenson in 2022. He bounced back with a decision victory in a rematch against Adam Lopez in May 2023 before suffering a points loss against Emanuel Navarrete last August.

Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) is a five-year pro who made his U.S. debut versus Navarrete for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title last February. Wilson dropped Navarrete and almost scored the upset in the fourth round before being stopped in the ninth. He rebounded with triumphs over Carlos Alanis last August and Jackson Jon England in December.

In the co-feature, WBC/WBA/Ring Magazine champion Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada and WBO/IBF ruler Yokasta Valle will collide in a highly anticipated showdown to crown the first-ever undisputed minimumweight champion.

Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) is a 13-year pro and two-weight world champion. She signed with Top Rank in 2022 and shut out Jazmin Gala Villarino in November of that year. In 2023, she picked up the WBC strap against the previously unbeaten Tina Rupprecht in March and retained her unified titles with a points verdict over Leonela Yudica in July.

Valle (30-2, 9 KOs) seized the vacant IBF atomweight world title by overcoming Ana Victoria Polo in 2016. After an unsuccessful bid for the WBO light flyweight title against Naoko Fujioka in 2017 and an interim title loss to Rupprecht in 2018, she snatched the IBF minimumweight world title from Joana Pastrana in 2019. Valle added the WBO title to her collection with a win over Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen in 2022 and has since defended her unified crown four times, including a decision over Anabel Ortiz in November.

Undercard action begins at 6:10 p.m. ET/ 3:10 p.m. PT.

Calling the action will be Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna.

Original Program: Talk That Talk” Seniesa vs. Valle

Ahead of the blockbuster Top Rank event on March 29, ESPN will air the original program: Talk That Talk: Seniesa vs. Valle. Hosted by Crystina Poncher, the 30-minute all-access preview debuts ahead of one of the most heated world title bouts of the year. Fight fans will hear both athletes sound off in a verbal war ahead of the Undisputed Minimumweight Championship between undefeated WBA/WBC/Ring Magazine champion Seniesa Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) and unified IBF/WBO queen Yokasta Valle (30-2, 9 KOs). A two-division world champion proudly representing East Los Angeles, Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada is aiming to deliver the undisputed world title to her Mexican-American fans while Valle, the three-division world titlist from Costa Rica, is seeking to extend her winning streak to 18.

Talk That Talk: Seniesa vs. Valle (All Times ET)

Date
Network
Time
Sat., Mar 23
ESPN2
6:30 a.m.
Sun., Mar 24
ESPN2
6:00 a.m.
Mon., Mar 25

ESPN2
1:30 a.m.
Thu., Mar 28

ESPNEWS
12:00 a.m.
3:00 a.m.
Fri., Mar 29

ESPN2
2:00 a.m.
ESPNEWS
9:30 a.m.
*Also available for On-Demand Replay in the ESPN App

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

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Valdez vs. Wilson(All Times ET)

Date
Time
Event
Fights
Title
Platform
Wed. Mar 27
4:00 p.m.

Main Card Press Conference

ESPN+

Thu. Mar 28
4:00 p.m.

Weigh-in

Fri. Mar 29
11:00 p.m.
(estimated time)

Main

Oscar Valdez vs. Liam Wilson

Co-Feature
Seniesa Estrada (C) vs. Yokasta Valle (C) (Undisputed) WBA/WBC, IBF/WBO Minimumweight
6:10 p.m.
Feature
Raymond Muratalla vs. Xolisani Ndongeni

Undercard
Lindolfo Delgado vs. Carlos Sanchez
Undercard
Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Don Haynesworth
Undercard
Sergio Rodriguez vs. Sanny Duversonne
Undercard
Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Nelson Hampton
Undercard
Alan Garcia vs. Gonzalo Fuenzalida
Undercard
Art Barrera Jr. vs. Keven Soto
Undercard
Ricardo Ruvalcaba vs. Avner Hernandez Molina

Sampson Boxing proudly announces the signing of streaking welterweight prospect Nicklaus “La Bestia” Flaz to a promotional contract.

Since suffering his second career defeat, a shock first-round knockout in October 2020, Flaz (12-2, 8 KOs), from Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, has gone on a tear, scoring three impressive upset victories; knocking out an established durable veteran and taking the undefeated 0 records from two promising up-and-comers along the way.

The 28-year-old Flaz started his remarkable winning streak by scoring a majority eight-round decision over then 13-0 Brian Ceballo in October 2022. Next came another eight-round majority decision over then 10-0 Jahi Tucker in July 2023.

But Flaz really got the boxing world talking last Wednesday (March 13) by becoming the first to knock out capable veteran Luke Santamaria in the co-main event of a globally streamed ProBoxTV event in Plant City, Florida.

Santamaria had previously beaten the likes of then 22-1 Mykal Fox, former world champion Devon Alexander and held the WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Championship with a victory over former world-title challenger Abel Ramos in February 2022.

Looking like a reborn version of himself, Flaz used his power and speed to drop Santamaria three times before getting the sixth-round stoppage.

Flaz, who started boxing at age 16 and won 88 of his 95 amateur fights including two consecutive national titles, says he’s finally got everything he needs in place to become a serious player in the stacked 147-lb division.

“I feel great,” said Flaz of signing with Lewkowicz. “He was the promoter I wanted from the start of my career. He can take me to the next level and keep me as active as I need to be to be at my best.”

Flaz adds that since losing by KO (to Janelson Bocachica), he has rededicated himself to training with head trainer David Oyola and assistant trainer/manager Belvin García in his native Puerto Rico and made tremendous gains in every aspect of his game. The hard work was on full display against Santamaria, as Flaz dictated every aspect of the fight against a tough and well-respected veteran.

“I don’t feel like boxing is a job,” said the confident Flaz. “It’s my passion and I love it. I’m ready to start climbing the rankings and get to the world championship and I have the team in place to do it.

“Losing may have helped him,” said Lewkowicz of his latest signee Flaz. “He was over-confident, and it cost him. Now he doesn’t take anyone lightly and puts in the work it takes to become a champion. I am very happy to be part of his team and will be working hard to help him realize his boxing dreams.”

#

About Sampson Boxing

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America. Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN, VS., FOX, Fox Sports and several international networks. For more information, visit sampsonboxing.com.

NEW BEDFORD, MA – Wilson “Ill Will” Mascarenhas (9-1, 3 KOs) returns to the ring this Saturday against wily veteran Braulio “El Chavo” Rodriguez (20-9, 17 KOs) in a 6-round welterweight contest.

The bout is the co-feature of a stacked ‘CES Boxing Homecoming’ card taking place at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino on March 23. Priced at $60, $80, $155, and $180, tickets are quickly selling out, so make sure to visit CES Fights to purchase yours.  Fans who can’t make it to Bally’s can catch the action live and for free on Swerve Combat TV.

“I’m always looking forward to putting on a show,” says the New Bedford native of his tough assignment.  “I stay ready all year round, so it doesn’t matter who they put in front of me, I’m going to go in there and show my skills, ability, heart, and talent.”

In front of Mascarenhas on Saturday is an experienced foe who has shared the ring with the likes of 2-time world title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz, jr. welterweight star Ryan Garcia, and lightweight prospect Ashton Sylve.  Rodriguez is as savvy as they come, and he knows every trick in the book. 

“Rodriguez is a tricky opponent, but I’m ready for anything he brings,” says Wilson confidently.  “This is the best I ever felt mentally going into a camp, and physically I like to stay ready so that I don’t have to get ready. I’ve been locked in for several weeks now, so I’m looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans on Saturday night.”

When speaking with Mascarenhas, one gets the impression that the 29-year-old doesn’t take anything for granted in life.  After recovering from a brutal assault that took place in his hometown after one of his most impressive wins, Wilson has a deep understanding of how lucky he is to not just be able to box, but to simply live a normal life.

“I didn’t expect to be where I am today,” admits Mascarenhas, who was stabbed 4 times that night across his head, neck, back and shoulder.  “But here I am, and I’m excited, grateful, and blessed to be here.  I’m going to make the most of this.”

For Mascarenhas, living life to the fullest involves balancing fatherhood with a full-time job as a behavioralist at a school and his daily boxing training, conditioning, and physical therapy.  It’s a rigorous schedule, but one that Wilson feels grateful to be able to do on a daily basis.

“We’re working to get there,” laughs Mascarenhas when asked whether he plans to eventually make boxing his full-time job.  “Right now, boxing is not my full-time job but the way I do it, it’s as if it is because I put my all into it no matter what.  I work in the community, and I tell the kids all the time that sometimes in order to get where you need to be, you have to grind somewhere else.  They believe me because they see me do it.” 

While Mascarenhas gets a lot of satisfaction from working with the youth, the Portuguese native dreams of being able to dedicate himself fully to the Sweet Science.  Those dreams almost came tumbling down 2 years ago, but after 3 wins with 1 knockout since the attack and subsequent recovery, Wilson’s confidence in his abilities has grown.

“I’m getting better with every fight,” agrees Mascarenhas.  “With each outing, I’m feeling my injury less and less.  My right hand is coming out faster and I’m feeling much more comfortable.”

Wilson’s improvement has impressed CES Boxing so much that earlier in the month, they didn’t hesitate to renew their promotional pact with the welterweight prospect. 

“I want to give a big shout out to CES Boxing and Jimmy Burchfield for giving me the opportunity again,” says Mascarenhas, who would like to fight 2 more times in 2024 if successful on Saturday.  “As you know, boxing is a business and after sustaining injuries like that and having my character assassinated with speculation that my attack may have been gang related, I have to thank CES and Jimmy Burchfield for giving me another opportunity.   Now we we’re locked in, and I feel like we’re going to have great fights coming up and that’s the goal: stay busy, keep fighting, and keep climbing up the welterweight ranks.”

Wilson’s resurrection continues this Saturday night at Bally’s Twin River Casino against Braulio Rodriguez, but as the fighter points out, win, lose or draw, he plans to pursue his dreams and leave it all in the ring.

“When it’s all said and done, I don’t want to have any excuses,” says Mascarenhas.  “I don’t ever want to fail and say ‘oh, it’s because of this or that.’  That incident happened, it’s over and we’re moving forward.  This is where we are, and we’re going to stay in this path working hard and I’m going to keep blowing my opponents out of the water.”

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

SAN DIEGO (March 19, 2024) — Emanuel “El Vaquero” Navarrete hopes to join an elite circle of his Mexican countrymen, but he’ll have to venture into a new weight class against one of its top contenders.
 
Navarrete will take on Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk for the vacant WBO lightweight world championship on Saturday, May 18 at Pechanga Arena San Diego. The fighting pride of San Juan Zitlaltepec will attempt to join Mexican-born warriors Erik Morales, Jorge Arce, Juan Manuel Marquez, Leo Santa Cruz, and Canelo Alvarez in becoming a four-weight world champion.
 
In the welterweight co-feature, San Diego’s Giovani Santillan, the WBO No. 1 contender, returns in front of the hometown fans against an opponent to be named.
 
Navarrete-Berinchyk and Santillan’s return will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, ticket information will be announced shortly.
 
“The San Diego boxing fans are passionate, and we are thrilled to be bringing Emanuel Navarrete back to Pechanga Arena as he bids to become a four-weight world champion,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “We are also excited to showcase San Diego’s hometown hero, Giovani Santillan, a wonderful young man who I believe will be a welterweight world champion before long.”
 
Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs) captured his first world title by upsetting Isaac Dogboe for the WBO junior featherweight crown in December 2018. After five defenses, he moved up to featherweight, where he handed Ruben Villa his first pro defeat to become a two-weight champion. The 29-year-old defended his belt three times before climbing up to junior lightweight to stop Liam Wilson in the ninth round to secure the WBO strap. Navarrete made two defenses in this third weight class, decisioning former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez in an all-Mexican showdown in August and dropping Brazilian Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição twice en route to a majority draw in November.
 
Navarrete said, “Capturing a world title is a unique challenge, but the possibility of doing it four weight classes is a goal that fills me with motivation and gratitude. It will be an honor to join that select group of Mexican warriors who have made their mark in boxing history. And to be able to do it in front of fans in San Diego and from Tijuana will be an unforgettable experience. Feeling their support and energy in the ring will propel me to do my best and secure this victory for Mexico.”
 
Berinchyk (18-0, 9 KOs), a 2012 Olympic silver medalist on the same team as Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, began his professional career in 2015. Berinchyk overcame stiff tests on his ascent up the lightweight ladder. In 2021, he vanquished Jose Sanchez via third-round TKO in March and decisioned Isa Chaniev across 12 rounds in December. After a one-year break, he defeated Yvan Mendy to win European honors. He followed up the Mendy win last August with a convincing decision over former world title challenger Anthony Yigit in Poland. The 35-year-old will have his first world title opportunity as he makes his U.S. debut.
 
Santillan (32-0, 17 KOs), who turned pro in May 2012, has steadily ascended the welterweight rankings. In 2022, he stopped Jeovanis Barraza in the seventh round before making his second Pechanga Arena appearance by giving Julio Luna his first pro loss on the undercard of Navarrete’s featherweight title defense against Eduardo Baez. He returned in July 2023 to best Erick Bone via 10-round decision. In his last outing, he stunned the boxing world with a one-sided, six-round demolition of number one contender Alexis Rocha at Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Santillan is on the precipice of becoming the second San Diego-born world champion, following Paul Vaden, who captured the IBF junior middleweight world title in 1995.
 
“After my last win, I’m excited to keep the ball rolling. I showed everyone what I could do and earned the WBO No. 1 ranking. I am looking forward to continuing with those types of performances and showing why I deserve a title shot,” Santillan said. “I want to gain more fans in San Diego, grow the fan base in my hometown, and pave the way for other fighters from my city. There hasn’t been a San Diego-born champion in a long time, and I want to be the next one.”

Las Vegas (March 19, 2024) – Four-division world champion and Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr., has confirmed that he will appear at the Seventh Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 4, 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Expo will also coincide with the mega fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia, that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena.

Jones will hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at his booth during the fan event held over the Cinco De Mayo weekend. 

The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan event that coincides with some of the sports’ legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas, including Mayweather vs. Maidana II, Mayweather vs. Berto, Canelo vs. Chavez Jr., Canelo vs. GGG II, Canelo vs. Jacobs and Canelo vs. GGG III. 

Centered in boxing’s longtime home – Las Vegas – this year’s Expo is a must-do for fight fans coming in for this legendary weekend, with dozens of professional fighters, promoters, and companies involved in the boxing industry. The Expo is the largest and only Boxing Fan Expo held in the United States. http://boxfanexpo.com – @BoxFanExpo

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –https://bit.ly/BOXFANEXPO2024

Jones will make his fourth appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. Jones will also have merchandise to sell for fans to enjoy. Boxing Fans will have an opportunity to also take pictures with this Boxing living legend, considered by many as one of the greatest Pound for Pound and best Boxer of all time.

Jones joins Erik Morales, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Juan Manuel Marquez, Michael Spinks, Claressa Shields and Marco Antonio Barrera as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with more Boxing stars to be announced.

About Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr. is an American professional boxer who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of fame in Canastota on June 12th, 2022. Jones captured numerous championships in the Middleweight, Super middleweight, Light heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions. He is the only boxer in history to start his career as a junior middleweight, and go on to win a heavyweight title. He is also noted for holding the WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO, NABF, WBF, and IBA light heavyweight championships; a record seven belts at the same time. Jones left his mark in boxing history when he won the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a Heavyweight title in 106 years. As of February 2018, Jones holds the record for the most wins in unified light heavyweight title bouts in boxing history, at twelve. The Ring magazine named Jones the Fighter of the Year in 1994, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame named him the Fighter of the Year for 2003. He is also a three-time winner of the Best Boxer ESPY Award (1996, 2000, and 2003). Jones was named “Fighter of the Decade” for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America. 

?About Box Fan Expo

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to meet the stars of boxing that represent the past, present and future of the sport. With hosted autograph signings, meet-and-greets with current and former boxing world champions, limited edition merchandise for sale, giveaways and more, this is the ultimate event for fans of the sport.

Past boxing stars that have participated include: Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, David Benavidez, Teofimo Lopez, Andre Ward, Ryan Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Devin Haney, Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence Jr, Fernando Vargas, Rolando Romero, Sergio Martinez, Tim Bradley, Jose Ramirez, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Abner Mares, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Floyd Mayweather sr., Claressa Shields, Vinny Paz, Mia St.John, Franchón Crews-Dezurn, Seniesa Estrada, Jorge Linares, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris, Riddick Bowe, Earnie Shavers, Michael & Leon Spinks, Brandon Rios, Anthony Dirrell, Danny Jacobs, and many more.

Exhibitors include boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who showcase their brand to fans and the boxing industry as a whole.

Throughout the next few weeks leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –

To request information on exhibiting and sponsorship at the Expo:

For media credentials:

Contact us:

Telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram at: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (March 19, 2024) — Tickets are on sale for the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) 8th Annual Awards & Induction Weekend to be held Friday September 27th, Saturday September 28th, and Sunday September 29th, 2024 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Boardwalk Resorts – Flagship Hotel. 

The ACBHOF induction weekend commences at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Friday September 27th with the “Opening Bell” VIP Cocktail Reception where you can engage in an meet & greets with legendary figures: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, $60.00 admission fee online and at the door, and Saturday September 28th, Fight Fan Experience will offer boxing enthusiasts an immersive interactive experience showcasing stunning artwork, exhibits, and boxing memorabilia and so much more: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, free admission

The Highlight of the weekend is Saturday evening September 28th, red-carpet formal Induction Ceremony which takes place in an award show atmosphere. Join us as we honor all who helped make Atlantic City a worldwide boxing Mecca. Attendees will enjoy the opportunity to mix and mingle with boxing royalty and special VIP guests.  

On behalf of Hard Rock Atlantic City, we are proud to welcome back Atlantic City’s Boxing Hall of Fame. This exciting event offers boxing enthusiasts a wonderful experience to interact and meet some of the most influential and legendary names in boxing history. Hosting unique events such as the ACBHOF continues to provide us with the most diverse entertainment line-up in Atlantic City,” stated Mike Woodside, VP of Entertainment & Marketing, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

 Tickets can be purchased by visiting: Ticketmaster | ticket prices are: $125.00 & $60.00

Please visit our website for event tickets, room reservations and full event schedule and itinerary by visiting us at: www.acbhof.com  

“We eagerly anticipate the induction of these distinguished individuals chosen for the “2024” Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame. We look forward with great enthusiasm to celebrating and paying tribute to this exceptional group, whose contributions have played a significant role in establishing Atlantic City as a globally recognized boxing Mecca.” – Ray McCline, President, Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame 

“Thank you esteemed colleagues for selecting me for a prestigious position such as an inductee in the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame! This is a great honor and I salute you all. Moreover, Atlantic City has been great to me throughout my career and I have fond memories of the many fights fought there while pursuing my Championship journey. I look forward to seeing you all in September 2024.” – James Buster Douglas

“Atlantic City holds many great memories from my boxing career, where I experienced triumph and defeat. The iconic Boardwalk Hall marked the start of my recognition on the world boxing stage, establishing me as one of the best globally. I’m humbled and forever grateful for being inducted into Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame rich boxing history. Thank you for this extraordinary recognition.” – Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez 

“I cherish the memories from my time in Atlantic City, where numerous significant moments unfolded in my life. I’m so proud to be honored by A. C. Boxing Hall of Fame, particularly at this juncture in my life when it might seem that the efforts I invested to achieve championship status are overlooked by many. I’m humbled by this recognition” – Paul Williams 

2024 INDUCTION CLASS:

  FIGHTERS: James Buster Douglas, Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams, Gerry Cooney, Mark Breland, Sharmba Mitchell, Tyrone Mitchell Frazier, Mario Maldonado and Eva Jones-Young CONTRIBUTORS: James “Buddy” Mcgirt, Bruce Blair, Sampson Lewkowicz, Eric Bottjer, Randy Gordon, Guy Gargan POSTHUMOUSLY: Howard Davis Jr., Jay Larkin, Eddie Cotton PIONEERS: Eric Seelig, George Godfrey, Joey Giardello 

A special thanks to our partners, sponsors and supporters: Mayor Marty Small Sr., City of Atlantic City, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Flagship Hotel-Club Boardwalk Resorts, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, Irish Pub -Atlantic City, Sampson Boxing, Sparbar Ltd, Bare Knuckle Fighting Champions, Tennessee Ave Tobacco Company, Fight Night Apparel, Icons of Boxing Memorabilia, Adams Boxing, WBC, IBF, CM 3D Crystal’s, Chris Guzman Gloves and Patrick Killian Arts.

For more information, visit the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame’s website at: www.acbhof.com

PROVIDENCE, RI – CES Boxing is proud to announce an exclusive multi-fight pro boxing promotional agreement with former 2-time Muay Thai world champion Kinjo “The One” Espada. The 22-year-old will make his professional boxing debut at ‘CES Boxing Homecoming’ on Saturday, March 23 at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino against undefeated welterweight prospect Jeff Gonzalez (4-0, 2 KOs). 

‘CES Boxing Homecoming’ is a stacked 8-bout card featuring many of the top fighters in New England.  The card takes place at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino on Saturday, March 23.  Tickets are available at CESFights.com, priced at $60, $80, $155, and $180.  Fans who can’t make it to Bally’s can catch the action live and for free on Swerve Combat TV.

“Kinjo Espada is a tremendous talent,” said CES Boxing founder Jimmy Burchfield, Sr.  “I am honored to welcome him to our team.  He is already a world champion in Muay Thai and I will ensure that he surpasses those accomplishments in boxing.  He has a great team around him, and his family embodies the values of humility, discipline, and dedication that I look for in fighters.”

Born in San Diego to a Puerto Rican and Italian father and a Vietnamese and Filipino mother, the multi-ethnic pugilist has also lived in Las Vegas and Everett, MA before settling in Pawtucket, Rhode Island earlier this year.  That makes for a broad fanbase as his career takes off.

“Oh yeah,” agrees John Espada, Sr.  “Our fans travel.  For this fight, we’ll have people coming in from California, Vegas, Massachusetts, the Carolinas, and Florida.”      

However, rather than coming up the amateur boxing circuit, Kinjo and his brother John Jr. are well known for their Muay Thai, where Kinjo amassed a 56-6 amateur record.  In the process, he became an 8-time national champion and a 2-time world champion.  This earned Espada an invitation to join the United States Muay Thai team, where he served as the captain and qualified for the US Olympic team when Muay Thai was considered on a provisional basis.  As luck would have it, the COVID pandemic struck and put a halt to those plans, altering Espada’s fate in favor of the Sweet Science.

“Boxing has always been in my family,” explains Espada.  “I’m a third-generation boxer.  My grandfather fought and my father fought.  We did do Muay Thai first, but my heart will always be in boxing.” 

John Espada Sr., who raised his 3 kids as a single father for 12 years before remarrying 5 years ago, believed that Muay Thai would provide his sons with the discipline and humility that is sometimes missing in boxing.

“The reason why I started them in Muay Thai instead of boxing, is that I don’t like what boxing has become,” says John Sr.  “By design, I didn’t want my sons in the limelight like some of these other boxers who are always on YouTube and getting into trouble for what they say or do.  I used Muay Thai as a vessel for them to gain their notoriety because I knew that it would teach them true discipline and it would translate well into boxing.”

The transition to boxing is going to be a steep one for Kinjo.  With his father and co-trainer Brian Johnson, the fighter and his team decided that he was ready for the pro ranks after only one amateur contest.  Rather than debuting against a boxer with a losing record to test the waters, Kinjo is jumping into the deep end by facing an undefeated prospect in Jeff Gonzalez.

“I only had one amateur fight,” laughs Kinjo.  “But I sparred a lot of professional boxers when I was in Muay Thai. I did pretty well, so I’m confident.  I know that my opponent is 4-0 and finished his last 2 opponents.  I think beating him in my debut is going to make a statement.” 

A win against an undefeated prospect in his pro debut would make quite a statement, and CES Boxing plans to keep him very active if he does.

“Definitely,” agrees Burchfield Sr.  “If he wins on Saturday, the sky’s the limit.  He’ll fight at Bally’s again on May 11 and then at Mohegan Sun Arena on June 15th.”

The journey begins for “The One” this Saturday at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

LOS ANGELES – March 19, 2024 – Undisputed Super Middleweight World Champion and pound-for-pound great Canelo Álvarez and unbeaten all-action star and former world champion Jaime Munguía went face-to-face for the first time Tuesday at a press conference in Los Angeles before Canelo Promotions presents their clash of Mexican superstars taking place Saturday, May 4 headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Canelo vs. Munguía is the first four-belt undisputed title fight between Mexican combatants and harkens back to the great Mexico vs. Mexico matchups of the past. Both Canelo and Munguía expressed respect for their fellow countryman during Tuesday’s press conference, and promised to honor their shared heritage with an action-packed main event on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to purchase the PPV via DAZN.com. On top of those options, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets, and PPV.com.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now at AXS.com. The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions, TGB Promotions, in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Boxing Promotions.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Tuesday:

CANELO ALVAREZ

“This fight is a great source of pride for me, because it’s all about Mexico. I’m proud to have my country featured this way in front of the whole world. The fans are going to be the biggest winners on May 4 and we invite everyone to what’s gonna be a big party for Mexico.

“Defending my undisputed title is very important for me. This is all about making history. I want my legacy to be that I made history again and again. That’s what motivates me to keep defending my belts and giving great fights to the fans.

“Jaime Munguia is a respectful person and a great fighter who’s earned this fight again and again. Everyone will see how great this fight is for Mexico on May 4.

“Munguia is a disciplined fighter who hits hard. He’s a power puncher and I like a challenge. I want to face fighters who are hungry like I am. He’s a fighter who can give the fans the show they deserve.

“I’m really proud of how amazing fight week is going to be. The fans will be showing their pride everywhere. I can’t wait to show the world what kind of party Mexicans can throw inside and outside of the ring.”

JAIME MUNGUIA

“I’m very thankful to Canelo and everyone who made this fight happen and brought us to this special day. We’ve been working really, really hard for this fight because it’s going to be such a big fight for Mexico.

“Canelo has always been a source of pride and motivation for me. I used to say when I was coming up in the sport that I want to be like him, and now we get a chance to face him and hopefully be where he is soon.

“Not only is Freddie Roach a great trainer, but he’s a great person and he’s a motivator. He’s always motivating us to keep going forward and keep training hard.

“We’re ready for this stage. We’re ready for everything and we’re going to have a great fight that night. We’re very confident.

“This is just the beginning of the best part of my career. I’ve done a lot in my career so far, but I believe I’m just reaching my peak now.

“The respect between us is mutual. We want to be a source of pride not just for Mexicans in Mexico, but those all around the world who are expecting a great fight. It’s going to be a great Mexican party and I promise a great fight that fans are going to love.

“Both our fights with John Ryder are two completely different fights. We just took advantage of the opportunity we saw. We know every fight is different so we won’t take too much from Canelo’s fight against Ryder.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Canelo’s Manager & Trainer

“I’m very appreciative of everything that’s been done to make this fight happen and bring us here. Any time that two Mexican fighters face each other, you know it’s going to be an all-out war. Even more so in this fight, because it’s the first time two Mexican fighters will go at it for all four belts.

“We’re going to prove to the world that Mexican boxing is the best in the world. We’re going to work really hard to be sharp on May 4 and we invite everyone to witness a great fight. The fans are going to be the real winners.”

FREDDIE ROACH, Munguia’s Trainer

“It doesn’t get any bigger than this. This is two of the best fighters in the world and I’m in charge of getting one of them ready. Jaime has a tremendous work ethic and we’re going to be prepared to do anything we can to take the titles.”

TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions

“This really is a very special event taking place Cinco de Mayo weekend. This all-Mexican showdown will be one of the most anticipated Cinco de Mayo fights in years.

“PBC had a fantastic 2023. It was a legendary year with massive pay-per-view events. We at TGB Promotions and PBC look forward to putting on more industry-leading events and continuing with another historic year showcasing the biggest stars and the best world class boxing shows.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

“With two Mexican fighters at this elite level, we’re in for a special treat…What makes me most proud is that the world will truly be watching. We can’t wait to see everyone there on May 4.”

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