QUEENSBERRY today staged the final press conference ahead of Saturday’s (6th Nov) show at Utilita Arena, Birmingham that is headlined by Zach Parker’s WBO International Super-Middleweight championship defence against Marcus Morrison, live on BT Sport.

Woodville’s Parker (21-0, 15 KOs) will also be risking his status as number one contender for the WBO World title held by Canelo Alvarez when he faces Manchester’s Morrison (24-4, 16 KOs).

Here are a selection of quotes from the press conference.

FRANCIS WARREN: “It is going to be a great night in Birmingham. Zach against Marcus is the stand out fight. Marcus is a tough opponent who had a great fight with Chris Eubank. There is so much more at stake than Zach’s title. He is number one with the WBO and if he beats Marcus I’m sure he will stay up until the early hours of Sunday watching Canelo v Caleb Plant. The winner of that fight will have to fight their mandatory next year. That fight is for real if Zach comes through. The ultimate dream is for Zach to have a World title fight at Pride Park.”

ZACH PARKER: “Marcus is confident. It is a good fight and we’re both going to bring it. The best man will win and that is going to be me. I can’t thank Frank Warren, Neil Marsh and BCB enough for doing all this for me because we’re on the right track. This is about getting the win. We are not going out there looking for the stoppage. I’d rather have the rounds because I’ve stopped my last two opponents early. Marcus is a tough opponent and I am going to bring all I’ve got. Marcus is a big puncher, but I will box and move. I will land the big shots when I want to.”

NEIL MARSH (Parker’s manager): “Every fight is a banana skin so for Joe to think we’ve overlooked Marcus is wrong. We have a lot of respect for Joe and Marcus. It comes down to one thing. Boxing is about levels and Zach is a World class boxer. That is nothing against Marcus. I just believe Marcus is a British level fighter – a very confident one. He had a very good win in Italy and a good fight against Chris Eubank Jr . We have been sounding out Eubank because I think Zach stops him in four or five rounds. I believe Zach will stop Marcus. Now we are with Frank Warren and his team we have the right promoter campaigning for us.

MARCUS MORRISON: “It’s no secret that Zach is a fully fledged Super-Middleweight, but they came looking for me. I’m a Middleweight, but I have been in with Super-Middleweights, Light-Heavyweights and held my own. I do believe he has made a big mistake. He is comfortable in his number one spot and could’ve choose an easier opponent who doesn’t carry my punch power. I can end this fight in a split-second. This will be more technical than the Eubank fight. Zach is more technically gifted than him and will try to use that to his advantage. This fight will catch fire, big shots will be traded. It’s a battle of two punchers and if I land he’ll go.”

JOE GALLAGHER (Morrison’s manager and trainer): “When the fight was offered we snapped it up. When you go through Zach’s record since he beat Darryl Williams which was controversial he has been on a good run of stoppages. There is a lot of noise about Zach, but I am confident in Marcus. It’s a huge opportunity and there is no pressure on Marcus. They are talking about Zach fighting at Pride Park, but after this weekend I hope they have the number for the Etihad because I am sure Marcus would like Canelo at the home of Manchester City. It’s a live fight and no walk in the park. We’re hugely confident of an upset.”

On the same bill Stoke-on-Trent’s Nathan Heaney (13-0, 5 KOs) will meet Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sladan Janjanin (30-8, 23 KOs) for the vacant IBO Intercontinental Middleweight title over ten rounds.

Former British Middleweight champion Denzel Bentley 14-1-1, 12 KOs) faces Wednesbury’s Sam Evans (10-1-1, 3 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.

In eight round action is Southampton Lightweight hope Ryan Garner (10-0, 6 KOs) who boxes Portugal’s Pedro Manuel Gomes (9-1, 2 KOs).

Irish Welterweight prospect Dylan Moran (15-1, 6 KOs), exciting Liverpool Super-Bantamweight Andrew Cain (7-0, 6 KOs), Northampton Super-Lightweight Eithan James (6-0) and Dubliner Willo Hayden (1-0)  all box six rounders.

Telford pair, Super-Lightweight Macauley Owen (1-0, 1 KO) and Bantamweight debutant Raheem Muhammed are in four round action.

PHILADELPHIA (November 4, 2021)—South Philadelphia’s own favorite heavyweight Sonny Conto (7-0, 6KOs) will put his impressive undefeated streak on the line and make history when he enters the boxing ring at the new Live! Casino & Hotel in Philadelphia on Thursday, November 18 at 7 p.m. Conto will face Joel Caudle (8-5-2, 5KOs) of Raleigh, NC in a six-round heavyweight fight.

Tickets at $50, $75 and $125 on sale now and are available for purchase at https://philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com/, https://www.axs.com/ or by calling 215-364-9000. Must be 21 or older to attend.

“I love that I am fighting in my own back yard. This is a beautiful thing because all of my family and friends and home town supporters can attend,” said Conto.

Although Caudle, 31, has lost his last four fights, his opponents’ combined records were 42-0. Needless to say, he does not back down from a tough test, fighting guys like Joe Hanks (21-2), George Arias (15-0), and only being stopped by Cassius Chaney (15-0). It is clear that Caudle comes prepared to test the man in front of him.

In this instance, the 25 year old, Conto who has knocked out six of his previous seven opponents is ready for his next test.

Super lightweights Gerardo Martinez (5-1, 1 K0) of Coatesville, PA and Christopher Burgos (2-4-1) of Philadelphia, PA will battle six rounds, reigniting their rivalry from 2017. Martinez previously won a split decision over Burgos in a tough fought four-rounder.

Pro debut, light heavyweight Tunde Fatiregun of New Brunswick, NJ, will go toe-to-toe with pro debut Tariq Green of Philadelphia, PA in a four-round bout.

Highlighted on the card will be an all-Philadelphia welterweight six-round fight between Daiyaan Butt (8-1, 4K0s) and Seifullah Wise (4-7, 1K0).

There will feature a five round light heavyweight fight between Kendall Cannida (3-1, 1K0) of Philadelphia, PA against Khainell Wheeler (5-1, 5 K0s) of Bethlehem, PA.

Middleweight Bilal Quintyne of Marietta, GA who has a record of 1-0, 1K0 will face Maurice Burke of Philadelphia, PA , who is also 1-0 in a four-round bout.

Rounding out the card will be junior welterweight Jan Carlos Rivera (4-1, 4 K0s) against an opponent to be announced.

For press credentials, contact Bam McCloskey at Brittany@JoeHandPromotions.com.

ABOUT NOVEMBER 18
The main event and full November 18 fight card are to be announced. The card will consist of a minimum of seven fights with the first one beginning at 7:00 p.m. Doors to open at 6:30 p.m. The card is promoted by Joe Hand Promotions. Tickets are priced at $50, $75 and $125. Visit https://philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com/ or AXS.com for on sale dates.
Must be 21 or older to attend.

About Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
Voted Best Overall Gaming Resort in Pennsylvania by Casino Player Magazine, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia has transformed the South Philadelphia Stadium District into a nationally unrivaled one-stop destination to enjoy the fast-paced action of four major professional sports teams, memorable entertainment, premier dining, well-appointed hotel accommodations and world-class gaming. Conveniently located off I-95 and I-76, the facility features more than 200 luxury hotel rooms that are Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ with Forbes Travel Guide, a FanDuel® Sportsbook and Lounge, over 2,100 slots and electronic table games, and 150 live action table games, including a dedicated poker room. New dining and entertainment options include the Zagat-rated #1 steakhouse The Prime Rib®; Luk Fu, serving authentic Asian cuisine; Sports & Social Philly, a one-of-a-kind sports restaurant, gaming venue and social lounge; the 10th Street Market, a unique food hall featuring Guy Fieri’s Taco Joint and Guy’s Burger Joint; Philadelphia-favorites Lorenzo and Sons Pizza, Termini Bros. Bakery and Sang Kee Noodle Bar & Kitchen; Morty’s Deli and Luckie’s Liquor. A spirited nightlife scene at Center Bar and R Bar rounds out the Live! experience. The property offers more than 15,000-square-feet of customizable meeting and event space, as well as ample, secure parking. Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia was developed and remains owned and managed by Stadium Casino RE, LLC, an affiliate of The Cordish Companies,?the premier developer of Live!?dining, entertainment, gaming, hotel and sports-anchored destinations in the country. For reservations, call 1-833-472-5483 or visit?Philadelphia.LiveCasinoHotel.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – @livecasinophl

Danish Super Middleweight Oliver Zaren (5-0, 2 KOs) will face Iago Kizira (5-2, 3 KOs) on December 3 as part of a huge night of boxing promoted by Wasserman Boxing and Probellum in Ilsenburg, Germany.

The 21-year-old from Roskilde has got off to the perfect start to his professional career, recording five victories in as many contests, his latest a unanimous points win over Pavol Garaj on September 10 in Klagenfurt, Austria.

“I’m very excited to be fighting again” said Zaren. “With my team I’ve been working on becoming faster, sharper, more powerful – and I think every fight I’ll be better than the last time.To fight on such a card in Germany is prestigious for me, there are some big fights on there, now I’m going to focus on my fight and delivering the win the best way possible!”

Trained and managed by Danish boxing legend Mikkel Kessler, Zaren can draw on the expertise of the former five-time World Champion as he continues to progress through the paid ranks.

“Oliver learned a lot in his last fight, and since his last fight,” said ‘The Viking Warrior’ Kessler. “To be a champion you have to show heart, courage and the ability to learn. I am behind Oliver for his journey and I believe he will get better with every fight – starting with this one on December 3.”

Zaren is also backed by promoter Kalle Sauerland, who believes the young Dane can emulate his mentor’s success and become a future World Champion.

“Oliver Zaren is a fighter we have extremely high hopes for – he has the right attitude and a great team around him,” said Sauerland. “If he continues to work hard and dedicates himself to the sport, I believe he can follow in Mikkel’s footsteps and become Denmark’s next World Champion.”

Zaren is the latest addition to a stacked card in Ilsenburg, Germany on December 3 that also features an IBF European Middleweight Title fight between Denis Radovan and Brian Rose, Super Welterweight star Abass Baraou versus Albania’s Meriton Karaxha, and a domestic dustup between German Middleweight rivals Patrick Wojcicki and Alexander Pavlov.

This is the first in a series of high-profile events that will take place in Germany following a ground breaking new partnership between powerhouse promoter Wasserman Boxing, formerly Team Sauerland, and major global boxing and media company Probellum that is set to galvanise German boxing.

Tickets for the Wasserman Boxing and Probellum event on December 3 in Ilsenburg are available via www.eventim.de/artist/internationale-boxgala

(Wed. November 3, 2021) In front of a large crowd of fans and media at the Danbury Sports Dome in Danbury, Connecticut today, hometown hero, USA National Champion and #1 amateur super heavyweight Fernely Feliz Jr., announced he has signed a long-term promotional agreement with Bulldog Boxing Promotions and that his first professional fight is scheduled for Saturday, November 20, 2021, at the Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Joined by his father/trainer Fernely Feliz Sr., representatives from Bulldog Boxing and manager, Steven Heid, 24-year-old Feliz also enjoyed the support of several of Danbury’s most prominent citizens including the miracle man who calls Connecticut his adopted home, brand-new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira, whom his father trains, and Danbury Mayor-elect, Dean Esposito.

The younger Feliz says he gains inspiration from Teixeira’s unlikely journey to the UFC Championship and gives his father, a former heavyweight contender, all the credit for his successes.

Quotes from Today’s Conference

Fernely Feliz Jr.
Thank you everyone, this is amazing. My team did a hell of a job putting this together. I like to see all the youth out to support me. That’s my dream. I fight for the youth of my community, to lead by example. I never thought I’d be getting paid to go to the gym and box. You can do whatever you want to do in life. It’s an honor to have Glover here. Not just because he’s champion. His journey is so inspiring to everyone.

He gave me my first trunks when I was 7. Watching this man go up and down to finally to reach his goal… I saw how much he struggled. You can only be motivated by someone like him. I’m a strong believer that in order to be great, you have to be around greatness. We push each other. It’s a beautiful thing.

I promise you will love this journey. I wanted something like this because I want to take you on a fun ride. This will be beautiful. I appreciate all of this. Thank you to the mayor for coming by. My promoters thank you so much.

My father is a master of his craft and he’s a role model my whole life. He’s a master. It’s crazy. He knows the game inside and out and he’s the reason I’m here today. All due to my father.

Anyone here to support me today is now my family. We are going nowhere but up from here. You will see.

Glover Teixeira, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
I am so proud of Fernely and so proud to be part of this. I’ve known Fernely Jr., forever and we are going to work hard and stay focused. He has been helping my boxing so much and last Saturday you saw it. I’m 42 years old and training with an 18-year-old. His speed is crazy.

Gino Limeri, Bulldog Promotions
Proud to be part of this. Fernely Jr., has a great team behind him and a great manager.
We have one goal to make him champion and I promise Danbury we will be back to do some promotions here.

Greg Cohen, Bulldog Promotions
we are honored that the Feliz family has embraced us and made us part of their family.

I’ve been fortunate to work with a number of heavyweight world champions and countless contenders. Right now, the sport is experiencing a resurgence in the heavyweight division. I’m sure everybody saw the Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilders fight a few weeks ago. It was reminiscent of the glory days of heavyweight boxing. I don’t want to put too much pressure on this young man, but He reminds me of a young Cassius Clay. He’s amazingly talented. There’s maybe even a little Prince Naseem Hamed in him. I have not seen a heavyweight move like he does. He’s fast and he’s strong.

I’m happy to announce that Fernely’s professional debut against (New York’s) Stephen Kirnon (2-3-1, 1 KO) will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021, at the Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC., presented by Christy Martin Promotions. That will be the kickoff of what I believe will be an unbelievable career. I know everybody thinks of him as Danbury’s champion. It’s my job to make him world champion.

Steven Heid, Ringleader Boxing Management
Today is a huge day. This kid, I can’t say enough about. He’s a two-time national champion, a Ringside World Champion, a Sugar BERT National Champ. It’s an honor to be with him and his family. They are beautiful people. My goal is to make this kid a champion. He loves this community. For me, it’s an honor. Thank you very much. Big things are coming to Danbury!

Fernely Feliz Sr.
I’m so emotional. One thing I always say. Live your dream and don’t give up your dreams. Don’t listen to negative people or doubters. It’s going to be tough. You guys are going to be happy when you can go and support Fernely Jr.

I have helped a lot of champions be successful and I’m so happy to say this kid here will be very difficult for the heavyweight division. I’m not here to try and sell him. You will see yourselves. He’s a difficult guy to fight. In my prime, I couldn’t deal with him. He’s hard to hit. The type of fighter that will remind you of Cassius Clay so much. You think you have him and it’s impossible to touch him.

So happy to be part of this. I couldn’t be any prouder. It’s a dream come true. My eyes are going to get watery. This dream is going forward. You have no idea what’s coming. Danbury will be recognized by the world. We make killers here. This is a fighting town.

Danbury Mayor-elect Dean Esposito
What an honor for me to be here today for the city of Danbury and the champions we have here. Glover puts Danbury on the map. FF is the next champion coming out of Danbury. He’s an excellent young man with a bright future and the next champ from Danbury and I’m proud of him. Thank you so much for making me a part of this.

LAS VEGAS (November 3, 2021) – Mexican superstar and unified WBA/WBC/WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Álvarez and undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant previewed their historic showdown at the final press conference Wednesday before they meet in the SHOWTIME PPV main event this Saturday, November 6 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Canelo and Plant shared the stage for the first time Wednesday since their heated announcement press conference in September, where the two fighters exchanged shoves and glancing blows in Los Angeles. The winner of Saturday’s highly-anticipated showdown will make history as the first undisputed super middleweight champion during the four-belt era.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions and sponsored by Hennessy and Value.

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

CANELO ÁLVAREZ

“I want to thank everyone for their support and for making this fight possible. We have come a long way in our career to make this happen. Now we’re just days away from making history.

“It’s so different when you’re in the ring, so I don’t really take anything from our altercation at the first press conference.

“I’ve faced many good fighters with skills that are similar to Caleb. It’s a style that I’ve seen before and I know what to do with it. That just gives me confidence in my experience heading into this fight.

“I always train 100% my hardest and for the style of my opponent. I like that idea that Caleb is coming in believing he will win this fight. It’s going to make it more exciting for the fans.

“The goal is to be an all-time great. I’m so proud of the journey I’ve taken to achieve that. I’m not going to stop until I’ve tried my best to reach that goal.

“Only one thing is going through my mind, and that’s winning. Everything else is outside of my control. I only care about what’s going to happen inside of the ring Saturday night.

“The fact that I can make history this weekend along with Formula One driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez, is very motivating for me. My goal is to make this an unbelievable weekend for Mexico.

“My emotions are under control. I’m excited for the fight of course. I’m excited to become undisputed champion and to make history. That’s what I want. But I can remain calm, because this is what I do.

“Only five male fighters in the history of boxing have accomplished becoming undisputed champion. I want to be the sixth. That’s the only thing on my mind.

“You’re going to want to tune-in to this fight. This fight is going to be history. You’re going to be witnessing something that you’re going to remember for a long time.”

CALEB PLANT

“There’s not much time left and not much left to say. Leading up to this fight, Canelo said that the Mexicans don’t fck around. That’s good to know, because where I’m from, we don’t fck around either.

“Make sure you tune-in Saturday night. You’re going to see the first undisputed super middleweight champion ever in this sport. This is history and you’re looking at him. His name is Caleb Plant.

“It wasn’t my intention to get under Canelo’s skin at the first press conference. I think the media makes more of it than we do. We’ve both been in worse scuffles than that. When the bell rings, it’s completely different.

“I’m someone who likes to focus on what’s in front of me. Until recently, Canelo wasn’t in my weight division, so I didn’t think much about fighting him. Once he came in the division, I knew that it would be a huge mega fight and here we are.

“I have to get the job done by any means necessary. That’s what me and my team have done so far to get to this point. Whether it’s boxing or in life, I’ve gotten here by any means necessary. I had opportunities to bow out, and I haven’t. I just can’t wait for the bell to ring Saturday.

“The way I see this fight turning out is, Jimmy Lennon Jr. saying ‘the new undisputed and still undefeated’. Canelo’s had multiple close fights, but I believe the right people are in place to make the right decision Saturday night. All I can focus on is the game plan and the job that needs to be done.

“People are going to say what they’re going to say. But I get the final say and I can’t wait to prove everything in the ring. I can’t focus on what other people say about me. If I listened to the doubters, I wouldn’t even be here.

“I’ve been the underdog before. It’s a place I like to be. I like people rooting against me. It gives me extra motivation, but when you’re fighting for undisputed status, you don’t need much more motivation than that.

“Make sure you tune-in. This isn’t just the biggest fight of the year, but you’re tuning in to witness history when I get crowned the undisputed super middleweight champion.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Canelo’s Trainer and Manager

“This has been a great training camp. We’ve had a great career so far, and this is a cherry on top of everything we’ve done so far.

“We have fought so many different kinds of champions. There is not much left to say about Canelo’s career. On Saturday, everyone is going to witness the first ever Mexican undisputed world champion.

“We respect and admire Caleb Plant’s work ethic. But in the end, we’re better and we’re going to show it Saturday night. The goal is to be at the top.

“I don’t focus on the opponent. I focus on what my fighter will be able to do. We had an amazing camp and we’re going to be ready to roll on Saturday night.”

JUSTIN GAMBER, Plant’s Co-Trainer

“I want to thank all the members of our team that are with us day in and day out. We have the best team in boxing. Every member is great at what they do.

“Saying that we had the best training camp ever is cliché, but I’m about to say it again. Every camp we’ve had has been great for different reasons. This training camp had challenges, but it’s been the best one this team has had.

“Just know that no stone has been left unturned. All the work has been put in. We’ve gone above and beyond to prepare for this fight. You’ll never see a better version of Caleb than you will Saturday.

“We still have 12 rounds of boxing to put in. At the end of those 12 rounds, I have no doubt whose hand will be raised. It will be Caleb Plant, the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history.

“Any time you face the pound-for-pound best in boxing, you know you’re going to have your work cut out for you. We’ve had our work cut out before and overcame it. We’ve really prepared our whole career for this fight.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President of SHOWTIME Sports

“For SHOWTIME Sports, 2021 has been one of our most prolific years on record. By the end of this year, we will have produced and delivered a total of 42 live boxing and mixed martial arts events from January to December, making it the second biggest year of televising combat sports in our history. SHOWTIME has been, and continues to be, the standard bearer for the sport of boxing. There’s no other network that presents the sport with the quality, the experience, the clarity, the objectivity and the expertise that we do.

“With our partners – Canelo Promotions, PBC, TGB Promotions – we’re thrilled to be back here at the historic MGM Grand Garden Arena. This is the home of historic fights. Roberto Duran, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr. They’ve all fought here. This is a historic arena and the appropriate destination for a fight like this.

“Canelo, you know him by now, he is the consensus No. 1 fighter in the sport. Turned pro at age 15. He’s never been down as a pro. There’s a lot of discussion about where he ranks among the all-time greats of Mexican boxers. But that’s the wrong question. The right question is where he ranks among the all-time greats from anywhere in the world. He’s had 20 bouts versus world titlists. 11 of his last 12 fights have been against world champions. He is looking to be the first Mexican in the four-belt era to be an undisputed champ and if Canelo is successful, he will have done so in just 11 months after winning his first title.

“If Plant wins and becomes undisputed, he will have done so in two-plus years, and that speaks a lot for the quality of fights these two young men have been taking. You know Caleb Plant, he is also a champion, an IBF world champion. Undefeated. People ask, ‘What does Caleb Plant bring to this fight?’ The better question is, ‘What doesn’t he bring to this fight?’ He’s big, strong, athletic, an excellent boxer, with good movement, strong defense, an excellent jab, and a hunger and determination that has driven him to this point.

“So when you have someone as well-established as Canelo is – pound for pound No. 1, the biggest star in the sport – the temptation is to assume that Canelo is going to be as dominant as we’ve seen him be. That’s what we’re used to seeing. This is, without a doubt, Canelo’s toughest fight, his biggest challenge since the Gennadiy Golovkin fights. This is a fight with a lot of personal animosity. This is not just the undisputed world title at stake. This is for pride. This is for legacy. This is for history. Don’t miss it.”

#

ABOUT CANELO VS. PLANT
Canelo vs. Plant will see boxing’s consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Mexican superstar and unified WBA/WBC/WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Álvarez face undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant in a historic showdown on Saturday, November 6, live on SHOWTIME PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT featuring two-time super middleweight world champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell squaring off against exciting contender “Madman” Marcos Hernández in the 10-round co-main event. Unbeaten former super bantamweight world champion Rey Vargas returns to action against Mexico’s Leonardo Báez in a 10-round attraction on the pay-per-view, while lightweight contenders Elvis Rodríguez and Juan Pablo Romero will duel in a 10-round showdown to kick off the action.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter with the hashtag #CaneloPlant, and @Canelo, @SweetHandsPlant, @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @Canelo, @CalebPlant, @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Joshua Buatsi will face former World Title challenger Maxim Vlasov on the undercard of Joseph Parker’s huge rematch with Derek Chisora at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday December 18, live worldwide on DAZN (with the exception of New Zealand and Samoa).

Buatsi (15-0, 13 KOs) scored his tenth knockout in a row when he stopped Latvia’s Ricards Bolotniks in the eleventh round of their WBA Light-Heavyweight World Title Eliminator on the third and final week of Matchroom Fight Camp in August. 

That win followed on from his brutal fourth-round stoppage of undefeated Frenchman Daniel Blenda Dos Santos in May and the 28-year-old contender returns to the famous arena next month to take on his toughest challenge yet in the professional ranks. 

Russia’s Vlasov (45-4, 26 KOs) dropped a controversial twelve-round majority decision to the USA’s Joe Smith in a challenge for the vacant WBO Light-Heavyweight World Title earlier this year and the former Interim Cruiserweight World Title challenger is determined to bounce back by becoming the first man to defeat Buatsi.  

Also on the card, undefeated New Malden Super-Middleweight talent Lerrone Richards (15-0, 3 KOs) looks to build on his impressive EBU European Title win against Giovanni De Carolis in May when he takes on unbeaten IBO 168lbs World Champion Carlos Gongora (20-0, 15 KOs).

Gongora created history by becoming Ecuador’s first ever World Champion when he scored a spectacular twelfth-round knockout win over Kazakhstan’s Ali Akhmedov last December before stopping Christopher Pearson in his maiden defence of the title on the Andrade vs. Williams undercard. 

‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (20-2-1, 9 KOs) returns to the scene of his Fight of the Year contender with Felix Cash back in 2019 as he clashes with Germany’s Emre Cukur (17-1, 3 KOs) for the vacant EBU European Super-Middleweight crown following his win over Avni Yildirim in July. 

Manchester Super-Featherweight contender Zelfa Barrett (26-1, 16 KOs) hopes to make it three wins from three fights in 2021 as he meets Australia’s Bruno ‘The Terminator’ Tarimo (26-2-2, 5 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the IBF World Title. 

Derby Super-Lightweight prospect Sandy Ryan (2-0, 1 KO) is out to impress again after her vicious body shot knockout win over Aleksandra Vujovic last month in Italy, unbeaten Cruiserweight Jordan ‘Troublesome’ Thompson (11-0, 9 KOs) looks for another big KO in his home city, New Zealand Cruiserweight David Nyika (1-0, 1 KO) fights in the UK for the first time and Anthony Crolla-trained Lightweight Rhiannon Dixon (3-0) returns to action. 

Tickets are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 and £400 (VIP).

Matchroom Fight Pass members will be able to purchase tickets from 10am on Thursday November 4. Priority ticket info will be emailed directly to eligible members.

General Sale tickets can be purchased via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) from 10am on Friday November 5.

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 3, 2021)— WBO junior lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer wants to make more history. Mayer will take on longtime IBF world champion Maiva Hamadouche in a title unification tilt this Friday, Nov. 5 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. This will be the first time a female world title bout has headlined a Top Rank on ESPN card since the most recent incarnation of the series debuted in July 2017.

Mayer (15-0, 5 KOs), ranked No. 5 on ESPN.com’s pound-for-pound list, is making the second defense of the title she won in October 2020. Hamadouche (22-1, 18 KOs), from France, has defended her title six times and is unbeaten since a 2015 decision loss to Belgian star Delfine Persoon. 

Before Mayer enters the ring, Top Rank Knockout and Miss Nevada 2019 Tianna Tuamoheloa will perform the national anthem. Mayer will also have some rocking reinforcement accompanying her to the ring. Modern guitar legend Nita Strauss will perform Mayer’s walk-out song. Mayer and Strauss were teenage bandmates in Lia-Fail, a punk rock group that featured Mayer as its bassist.

At Wednesday’s press conference, there was little music but a lot of talking. This is what Mayer, Hamadouche, and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum had to say.

Bob Arum

“This is terrific for women’s boxing. It’s great that the best women in any weight class are facing each other.” 
 
“If we want to bring women’s boxing to the forefront of the sport, we all should advocate for three-minute rounds. If women’s boxing wants to get into a prominent position that it hasn’t, but it should, in my opinion, it should be changed to three-minute rounds. Why is there a difference in rounds between women’s and men’s boxing? 
 
“We have to look at other sports. The one that comes to mind immediately is the one where women’s participation is the same as men’s. In professional tennis, women play a game and it’s the same point-scoring as men. By keeping it at two-minute rounds, you are telling the world that women’s boxing is different. If we are worried about health issues, do three-minutes rounds and regulate the number of rounds that women can fight.” 

Mikaela Mayer

“My mindset is that I’m here to challenge myself to the best of my ability in this fight and for the rest of my career. She has been a champion for six years, but in all that time she didn’t even push for a world title unification bout. I had to go out there and be very vocal and push hard to make this fight happen.”
 
“This is the biggest fight of my career. This is my chance to show that I’m the best fighter in my division. Winning this fight and performing very well will put me as the top player in the division. One fight at a time, but since I became a world champion, we are looking at big fights only.”
 
“We know her style. She is right. She is aggressive, and I haven’t faced someone as aggressive in my professional career, but I have faced plenty of styles as an amateur. We are prepared for it. If she thinks she is going to bully me, that will not be the case.” 
 
“Talking from experience, that extra minute could change a fight. You could have more knockouts and more finishes.” 

Maiva Hamadouche

“This is an exciting opportunity for me. I have defended the title on multiple occasions and now this is a great opportunity to unify world titles.”
 
“I believe my experience will be the difference. I’m very aggressive and very physical. I will come at her like no other fighter has come at her before.” 
 
“I think that fighting at three-minute rounds will be very good for me. That’s exactly what I want.”

FRIDAY, November 5 2021

ESPN+, Approximately 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

Mikaela Mayer vs. Maiva Hamadouche, 10 rounds, WBO/IBF Junior Lightweight title unification bout

Luis Melendez vs. Thomas Mattice, 8 rounds, junior lightweight

ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Andres Cortes vs. Mark Bernaldez, 8 rounds, junior lightweight

Joseph Adorno vs. Damian Araujo, 8 rounds, lightweight

Abdullah Mason vs. Jaylan Phillips, 4 rounds, lightweight

Martez McGregor vs. Rowdy Legend Montgomery, 6 rounds, super middleweight

LOS ANGELES (November 3, 2021) – Unbeaten five-time world champion and boxing’s hottest attraction Gervonta “Tank” Davis will defend his WBA Lightweight Championship against hard-hitting Isaac “Pitbull’’ Cruz on Sunday, December 5 live on SHOWTIME PPV from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Cruz, ranked No. 2 in the IBF, steps in to replace Rolando Romero.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Davis’ third-straight pay-per-view headlining attraction will see him battle the hardnosed Cruz, who has rightly earned the nickname “Pitbull’’ during his professional career.

“This is going to be a tremendous fight on SHOWTIME PPV,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Isaac Cruz was ready for this big opportunity and I expect him to come ready to deliver the fight of his life. However, Gervonta Davis is a generational talent who’s only getting better. This fight is going to end in spectacular fashion on December 5.”

“Kudos to Isaac Cruz for stepping in as a replacement opponent in a high-pressure, pay per view fight against one of the brightest stars in boxing in Gervonta Davis,’’ said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Cruz presents a different, and some would argue a more difficult challenge to Tank Davis. Cruz won’t back down and he’ll bring the fight to Davis from the opening bell. We’ve all seen Gervonta’s blend of superb boxing skills and explosive power, and we know what he’s capable of. It will be the irresistible force versus the immovable object, which means fireworks at STAPLES Center and on SHOWTIME PPV on Sunday, December 5.’’

Davis (25-0, 24 KOs), star of the Mayweather Promotions stable, added another highlight filled performance in June, as he stopped previously unbeaten Mario Barrios to capture a 140-pound title and become a three-division world champion. The Baltimore-native captured his lightweight championship with a 12th-round knockout of former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in December 2019.

“I respect Isaac Cruz for stepping up and taking the fight, but everyone knows what I do,” said Davis. “I come in looking for the knockout and that’s exactly what I’m going to do in this fight. I’m back in Los Angeles where the stars shine and I’m going to light it up against Isaac Cruz at STAPLES Center on December 5.’’

The 23-year-old Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) will be looking to rough up Davis and make him work overtime if he wants to come away with the win. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the lightweight rankings in 2020, announcing his presence with an electrifying first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in September. Cruz followed that up in 2021 by winning a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Matías Romero in March, and most recently defeating former champion Francisco Vargas by decision in June. Since making his U.S. debut in December 2019, the 23-year-old has gone unbeaten in his next four ring appearances, appearing on SHOWTIME three times in addition to beating Magdaleno on the Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz SHOWTIME PPV undercard.

“First I want to thank Gervonta Davis and his team for this opportunity – an opportunity I won’t let get past me,’’ Cruz said. “God willing I’ll be world champion on December 5. This fight is a very big motivation for me as a professional and as a personal goal. I’m sure after December 5 everyone in boxing will know the name Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.’’

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on social media platforms #DavisCruz, on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @MayweatherPromotions, @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions/.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Nov. 3, 2021) – Two Mexican boxing legends will lace up the gloves for one final night when Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera returns to the ring for only the second time in more than a decade to square off against former two-time world champion Daniel Ponce de Leon on Saturday, Nov 20, 2021, live on pay per view from the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

Viewers have an opportunity to ring in the Thanksgiving holiday five days early as both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will televise the thrilling, six-round super welterweight exhibition as well as four additional main-card bouts live on pay per view for $9.99 at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET. For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99.

Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. MT/5:00 p.m. ET.

Those hoping to attend the unforgettable, 10-fight Tapia Promotions extravaganza in person can purchase tickets starting at $75 through innofthemountaingods.com and TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs) will make only his second exhibition appearance since the International Boxing Hall of Fame inducted the legendary fighter in 2017. The “Baby Faced Assassin” last fought fellow retired boxer Jesus Soto Karass in a six-round contest featuring two-minute rounds, 16-ounce gloves, and no judges on June 11, 2021, Pico Rivera, Calif.

Ranked by No. 43 among the greatest boxers of all time by ESPN, Barrera has captured world titles across three weight divisions and earned 43 consecutive victories at the onset of his illustrious pro career.

Never one to shy away from an opponent, the pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, has battled many of the sweet science’s finest, including fellow Hall of Famers Erik Morales (three times), Johnny Tapia, and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as future IBOFer Manny Pacquiao, Paulie Ayala, Naseem Hamed, and Amir Kahn.

De Leon (45-7, 35 KOs), of Chihuahua, Mexico, will make his dramatic return to the famed squared circle for the first time in more than seven years. Fighting out of West Covina, Calif., the 2000 Mexican Olympic team member opened his career with 24 consecutive victories, including 23 by knockout.

A former two-division world champion, De Leon claimed the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight title in October 2005 and made six successful defenses. Nearly seven years after earning his first world title, the southpaw slugger garnered a second with an eight-round technical decision over Jhonny Gonzalez in September 2012 to claim the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight crown.

In the first exciting pay-per-view co feature, undefeated Abel Mendoza (30-0, 23 KOs) of El Paso, Texas, hopes to keep his perfect record intact and ascend to the upper echelon of the 135-pound division when he takes on Mexican brawler Victor Zaleta (20-5-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round clash.

Rounding out the pay-per-view card will be a welterweight showdown of hard-hitting Albuquerque pugilists as undefeated Clinton Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) faces once-beaten Cristian Castillo (3-1, 3 KOs), as well as a 270-pound battle royale pitting two Streetbeefs standouts making their pro boxing debuts when Cody Beck takes on Jonathan Rice.

A fifth pay-per-view fight and the complete preliminary card for “La Ultima Batalla” (The Last Stand) will be announced soon.

“We are thrilled to partner with FITE and Golden Boy Promotions to bring this momentous night to boxing fans around the world,” said Teresa Tapia, president of Tapia Promotions. “It is an honor to present two legendary fighters showcasing their talents one last time.”

“FITE is pleased to offer this special PPV event to its users around the world,” said Michael Weber, COO of FITE. “The return of Marco Antonio Barrera and Daniel Ponce de Leon to the ring will be a battle you won’t want to miss.”

“Golden Boy Promotions is excited to work with Tapia Promotions and FITE for this historic night of boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “I am proud to say that I have worked with Barrera and Ponce De Leon, who are two of the sport’s great Mexican legends. I have always loved their boxing style and know that they will deliver a fight to remember. I can’t wait to see them return to the ring for their ‘Ultima Batalla’ Nov. 20.”

About BARRERA-DE LEON: La Ultima Batalla (The Last Stand)
Two legendary former world champions return to the boxing ring one final time for a special six-round welterweight exhibition, as Tapia Promotions presents Barrera vs. Ponce De Leon “La Ultima Batalla” – “The Last Stand” on Saturday, Nov 20, at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico. The thrilling five-fight main card will be available via pay-per-view for $9.99 through both FITE PPV and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online at 4:30 p.m. PT /5:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. ET. For the audiences watching in Mexico, both FITE and Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Paid Online will offer a Spanish-language broadcast of the event for $4.99. Kicking off the festivities two hours earlier, Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch Facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN and FITE will stream the five outstanding preliminary bouts for free at 2:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets starting at $75 are available through innofthemountaingods.com and TicketMaster.com by searching “La Ultima Batalla – The Last Stand.”

About TAPIA PROMOTIONS
Teresa Tapia formed Tapia Promotions to continue the legacy of her legendary late husband, six-time world champion/Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia by providing thrilling boxing events to fight fans everywhere. One of the first female boxing promoters in the United States, Teresa successfully managed Johnny Tapia’s career from 1995-2011, and accepted his 2017 induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBOF). Additionally, in 2004, Teresa became the first and only female boxing manager in sweet science history to receive a special recognition award from the IBOF. The multi-faceted promoter branched out in 2020 to produce the sports reality series “Stars and Champions,” which featured an intimate look at boxers’ lives both inside and outside of the ring.

About FITE
FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIN and Facebook. FITE: It’s ON.

About GOLDEN BOY
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike.

Coventry, UK (3 November 2021) Hard-hitting Reece Cartwright says even if Shakan Pitters can run as fast as sprint legend Usain Bolt, he will still stop him in his tracks and knock him out.

The Leeds banger takes on ‘Big Shak’ at the title packed show at the Coventry Skydome Arena on November 13, for the Vacant WBC International Light-Heavyweight title, live and free on Channel 5.

Pitters, the former British and Commonwealth champion, might have joked about being able to beat Bolt over 800m running backwards, but has seriously riled up his latest foe, by predicting he will take him out early.

Dangerman Cartwright has won 14 out of 23 fights by KO – with his last three fights ending in back-to-back KOs – and has only lost once so wants to show off his power and make the confident Birmingham man eat his words.

“I’ve seen some interviews with him saying he will just get in there and stop me quickly,” said the Yorkshireman.

“Well, my record speaks for itself and anyone who has been in the ring with me and said they were going to stop me, have been knocked out. All of them.

“Pitters can say what he likes, but it is a very different story when you’re getting punched in the face all night. I am going to be on his chest and in his face all night. He can’t hide behind that long jab all night. I will out-jab him, then smash him.

“And he’ll need to be able to run faster than Usain Bolt once he’s in the ring with me. He’ll realise that he will have nowhere to go. He’s not fast enough to escape.

“He’ll probably end up running backwards just to try and get away.”

Cartwright believed Pitters and the rest of British boxing are making a mistake and are overlooking his chances of becoming the WBC International Light-Heavyweight champion.

The 27-year-old has had one warm-up fight following almost three years out of the ring, in which he had to contend and conquer mental illness and indeed, fell out of love with boxing.

But back under the guidance of respected Manchester trainer Joe Pennington, the former English Middleweight champion is rejuvenated and in a good place again, and is delighted he is being billed as the underdog.

“The biggest factor on Saturday night might well be that he [Pitters] is just underestimating me,” he said.

“Maybe it’s because all my biggest fights have been at middleweight, and they think I am just going up to light-heavy for the money. I think he thinks I am just a fat middleweight, but he is wrong.

“He knows I can bang. I’ve got the power, the strength, the speed. All of it.

“I’ve been around the block when I was younger, so I’ve got my fighting style, but I’ve been back working with Joe and have been tweaking it.

“We’ve been working and changing things, adding things. I am just a completely different fighter. If worse comes to worse and I have to go to Plan B, then I go to Plan B, rush him and smash him up.”

Shakan Pitters v Reece Cartwright for the Vacant WBC International Light-Heavyweight Championship headlines the triple-title card that includes a fiery midlands derby between Coventry hot-shot River Wilson-Bent against Rowley Regis rival Tyler Denny for the Vacant English Middleweight Championship. Red hot Irish middleweight sensation Aaron ‘The Silencer’ McKenna will challenge for his first championship title. Aaron’s joins older brother Stevie ‘The Hitman’ McKenna who is lighting up the welterweight division with his dynamic and KO performances. The rest of the Hennessy All Stars team will be out in full force starting with welterweight ace Kaisee Benjamin, Birmingham super-middleweight Idris Virgo; Sevenoaks highly talented super-welterweight Michael Hennessy Jr.; undefeated County Donegal middleweight starlet Brett McGinty; unbeaten Brighton heavyweight destroyer Tommy Welch; Leamington Spa lightweight Danny Quartermaine and Chelmsley Wood lightweight Scott Melvin, both in separate four round contests.

Presented by Hennessy Sports in association with William Hill, Infinitum, Numan and Everlast, tickets are priced at £45, £55, £90 and £120 and are available from https://iceaccount.co.uk/wbc-championship-boxing-info

For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports

LAS VEGAS (November 2, 2021) – Mexican superstar and unified WBA/WBC/WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Álvarez and undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant made their grand arrivals in Las Vegas on Tuesday, before they meet in a historic showdown that headlines a SHOWTIME PPV this Saturday, November 6 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

With fight week officially underway, Canelo and Plant move closer to their long-awaited opportunity to stamp their names in the history books as the first undisputed 168-pound world champion of the four-belt era.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions and sponsored by Hennessy and Value

At Tuesday’s event at MGM Grand, each fighter declared their intention of making history and emerging victorious Saturday night.

“It means a lot to me to win this fight for my legacy,” said Canelo. “That’s why we are here. He’s a good fighter with a lot of skills, but that’s nothing new for me. Saturday night, I’m going to make history.”

“I’ve dedicated my life to this sport,” said Plant. “I’ve sacrificed a lot. We’re happy to be here, but we’re not just happy to be here. We are here to win those belts and become the first undisputed super middleweight champion of all time.”

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ABOUT CANELO VS. PLANT
Canelo vs. Plant will see boxing’s consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Mexican superstar and unified WBA/WBC/WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Álvarez face undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant in a historic showdown on Saturday, November 6, live on SHOWTIME PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT featuring two-time super middleweight world champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell squaring off against exciting contender “Madman” Marcos Hernández in the 10-round co-main event. Unbeaten former super bantamweight world champion Rey Vargas returns to action against Mexico’s Leonardo Báez in a 10-round attraction on the pay-per-view, while lightweight contenders Elvis Rodríguez and Juan Pablo Romero will duel in a 10-round showdown to kick off the action.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter with the hashtag #CaneloPlant, and @Canelo, @SweetHandsPlant, @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @Canelo, @CalebPlant, @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

CARSON, CALIF. (November 2, 2021) – WBC Bantamweight World Champion and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire will defend his title against undefeated Interim WBC Bantamweight Champion and fellow Filipino countryman Reymart Gaballo headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, December 11 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dignity Health Tennis Stadium in Carson, Calif.

Tickets for the live event go on sale today, Tuesday, November 2 at 12 p.m. PT and can be purchased at AXS.com.

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing and @PremierBoxing on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing and @PremierBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

WORCESTER, Mass. (November 2, 2021) – Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE) is bringing professional boxing back to Webster, Massachusetts, for the first time in 27 years on Saturday night, December 18, at Webster Town Hall.

RPE’s popular “New England Future VIII” will be headlined by a rematch of arguably the 2021 New England Fight of the Year to date between Puerto Rico-native Wilfredo “El Sucaro” Pagan (6-1-1, 3 KOs) and Carlos Marrera, III (2-6-2), who fought to a, thrilling 6-round split draw this past August 14th in Worcester (MA).

Three-time, 2-division World champion, RPE promoter Jose Antonio Rivera, fought in the last show in Webster back on November 18, 1994, when the then 11-0 Rivera stopped Gerry O’Campo in the fourth round at Municipal Auditorium. Rivera also fought at the Municipal Building in Webster on December 10, 1993, knocking out Julio Torres in round three. Fighting on that same card was his close friend, 3-0 Worcester heavyweight Bobby Harris, whose son Bobby “BH3” Harris, III will be fighting on the RPE Dec. 18th card.

“Being able to run a boxing event at the Webster Town Hall is very exciting for me,” Rivera said. “I remember fighting there in ’93 and ’94 and the place being packed. The fans are so close to you, it has a Blue Horizon feel to it with fans right above your head in the balcony section. In our ‘New England Future’ series, we like to showcase boxers from all over New England and we are happy to bring that to Webster, Massachusetts. The fans will not be disappointed with our line-up of boxers from Worcester, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Lowell, Southbridge and other cities and states throughout New England.”

Pagan, fighting out of Southbridge (MA), and Bridgeport’s Marrero, III (2-6-3) will be fighting again for the vacant New England Super Lightweight Championship in the 6-round main event.

The original Pagan-Marrero was an extremely entertaining, non-stop clash in which momentum swung round by round from one fighter to the other. One judge scored the fight 58-56 in favor or Pagan, another 55-59 for Marrero, and the last 57-57.

Danbury (CT) super lightweight Omar “The Beast” Bordoy (11-1, 3 KOs) takes on battle-tested “Ruthless” Agustine Mauras (7-12-3, 3 KOs) in the 6-round, co-featured event.

Harris (3-0-1), a two-time national amateur champion and World Games Silver medalist, faces an opponent to be determined in a 4-round super middleweight bout.

Worcester middleweight Eslih Owusu (6-0, 4 KOs), a native of Ghana, puts his undefeated record on the line in a 4-rounder versus Maycon Oiler Dasilva (0-3), fighting out of Concord (NH) by way of Brazil.

Also fighting on the under undercard in 4-round matches against TBAs are promising Boca Raton (FL) super welterweight prospect Josniel “TG” Castro (6-0, 4 KOs), Providence (RI) super featherweight lightweight Michael Valentine (6-1-1, 1 KO), and New Haven (CT) super lightweight Anuel Rosa (2-0, 2 KOs).

Additional bouts will soon be announced. Card is subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $75.00 (reserved seating) and $45.00 (general admission) and available for purchase or by contacting Jose Rivera (elgallojar@gmail.com/508.864.6954), AJ Rivera

(anthoneerivera@gmail.com/774.272.2269) or any of the fighters.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bout at 7 p.m. ET.

Event sponsors include Shamrock Sports, Lundgren Honda, Greatest Hits Cannabis Company, Lake Shore Legal LCC Attorneys at Law, Emmloan, 616 Reality LLC, Drafters Sports Café, and Asmar Jewelz.

INFORMATION:

Twitter: @RiveraPromoEnt, @JoseRiveraChamp, @KingRivera_

Lee Baxter Promotions has signed an exclusive Canadian output deal with FightZone TV, one of the world’s premiere streaming services for international boxing.
 
The promotional outlet has signed an long-term deal, which will see Lee Baxter Promotions stage shows across Canada, spotlighting some of the country’s top domestic talent and fighters in world title contention. Baxter will be the exclusive prover of Canadian content for the FightZone TV platform.
 
It is the first deal of its kind to bring Canadian boxing events to a global streaming platform.
 
“We are proud to partner with FightZone TV and finally be able to bring Canadian boxing to an accessible global platform,” said Lee Baxter. “The domestic scene in the UK and Europe has always been the gold standard for us in Canada. The way fans follow fighters from their beginnings, the value placed on domestic and Commonwealth titles, and the pipeline for success that creates. Having a broadcast outlet makes building that in Canada possible, and now fans across the world will see that we have the talent in this country to do it.”
 
The FightZone TV platform is available for $8.99 a month for Canadian subscribers, and will give fans access to FightZone TV’s weekly international bouts, as well as the eight Canadian events to be presented over the next year.
 
Lee Baxter Promotions has a strong base in Toronto, Ontario, but will also be expanding across the country, where markets have traditionally been underserved.
 
“There are massive boxing fanbases on both the east and west coast here in Canada, but unless you live there, you wouldn’t know it. We want to be able to showcase those markets, and give fighters from those underserved provinces opportunities to become stars on a global stage as well,” said Baxter.
 
The shows will primarily be staged on Sunday afternoons, to best accommodate both the Canadian and European audiences.
 
“For too long boxing has had an obsession with putting everything on a Saturday night, and you have a logjam of content fans have to choose from. Back in the day, big fights were on different days of the week, including Sunday afternoons, and we want to bring that back,” said Baxter.
 
FightZone TV broadcasts are staffed by veterans of the industry who have handled Sky Sports presentations for decades, meaning the shows will have a high quality feel in a local environment.
 
“For hardcore fight fans, FightZone TV is the best subscription you can buy, and we believe we’re bringing serious additional value to an already indispensable platform,” said Baxter.
 
Details for the first Lee Baxter Promotions broadcast on FightZone TV, slated for late 2021, will be released shortly.
 
To subscribe to FightZone, CLICK HERE

New York (November 2, 2021)–Split-T Management has signed 2021 National Golden Gloves champion Giovanni Marquez to a management deal.

Marquez, 20 years-old of Houston, Texas began boxing at the age of 12 as he is the son of former U.S. Olympian, world junior middleweight world champion and current broadcaster Raul Marquez.

“I started following Giovanni years ago and I always knew with his work ethic he would continue to improve, but I never imagined that he would develop so much, so quickly, as to be possibly the best amateur fighter in the USA in 2021. He was always relentless, well conditioned, and smart, and then he added power and greater balance! There are no ceilings for this young man, he can do anything he sets his mind to do,” said David McWater, CEO of Split-T Management.

“I feel great about signing with Split-T Management. David McWater and Split-T Management have been dominating the game. David has been a friend of my father’s for a long time, and has been giving me great advice. After that advice, I won the city, state and National Golden Glove tournaments. I am happy to be with a great manager and have my dad as my trainer. The sky’s the limit. Now I just have to stay focused and put in the work. “I feel like signing with David makes me have an all-star team with David and My dad. Having him as my trainer is an honor to continue the Marquez legacy. ” said Marquez.

“We are excited. We have a good relationship. He is a good talent scout, and he has always supported Giovanni and myself. David is one of the best managers out there, and I am thankful that he found interest in us as well. We feel that he will be making the right moves for Giovanni’s career. David was really impressed with Giovani when he was the National Golden Gloves, and he won the outstanding fighter of the tournament,” said Raul Marquez, who trains his son Giovanni.

Marquez had an amateur record of 75-12, which culminated in winning the National Golden Glove tournament this past August in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was named the Most Outstanding boxer in the tournament.

Marquez, who won the 152-pound National Golden Gloves, will begin his pro career around 145-pounds, with the goal to campaign as a junior welterweight.

“I feel my style is a better fit for professional boxing. I am a boxer-puncher, and I can adapt to anything in the ring. I can take my time to show my skills and show every aspect of my game. I believe that I will make my debut late this year or early next year. I want to stay active and develop my skills and be entertaining in each and every fight,” said Giovanni

“I have told Giovanni, me being his dad, gets a lot of attention. He has been getting attention. I tell him that he has to work hard and he can’t cut any corners. He works hard, and he is very disciplined. He is always working out and staying in shape. It is a long road and it’s a tough sport. We are going to try our best, I have learned so much from my career and my broadcasting. Add that to Dave’s connection, I feel that he will go far. We are ready for this step,” said Raul Marquez

Coventry, UK (2 November 2021) Birmingham star Shakan Pitters will be walked into the ring by none other than Grime sensation Jaykae, next Saturday.

Pitters headlines the Hennessy Sports multi-title show at the Coventry Skydome Arena on November 13, when he faces Leeds puncher Reece Cartwright, for the Vacant WBC International Light-Heavyweight title, live and free on Channel 5.

Also in title action will be Coventry sensation River Wilson-Bent’s when he challenges for the Vacant English Middleweight title against Rowley Regis rival Tyler Denny in a fiery Midlands derby and undefeated Irish Middleweight ace Aaron McKenna challenging for his first title.

‘Big Shak’ knows a win will smash him into the top 15 in the world and with the renowned Jaykae recently collaborating with Ed Sheeran, the long-time Birmingham friends are ready to put on another special show.

“We grew up in more or less the same area, Small Heath, so we’ve basically seen each other grow up,” said Pitters, the former British and Commonwealth champion.

“He’s doing his music, I’m doing my boxing and it’s obviously brought us even closer together. It was always going to happen, it was just getting the timing right. This is it.

“Jaykae is a massive star that represents Birmingham. Everyone knows who he is and just how good he is. The ring walk and my fight are going to be great for all the fans, not just those in the Skydome, but everyone watching it live on Channel 5.

“He will get them going and electrify the crowd, then it will be over to me to put on an electric performance. It will be explosive.

“Jaykae will drop a banger, then I will drop and bang out Reece Cartwright.”

Jaykae, whose real name is Janum Khan, has been blowing up the scene for a while now and has played at all the country’s leading festivals like Glastonbury, Reading and Creamfields, and has appeared on stage with Drake and supported Stormzy and Skepta.

He is about to team up again with Mick Skinner and The Streets, the ground-breaking hip-hop group from Birmingham and was one of the local stars that performed alongside the likes of AJ Tracey, Lady Leshurr and Aitch at the BBC 1Xtra show at the Arena Birmingham in 2019.

Pitters was in the crowd that night and not only hopes to have Jaykae walk him into the ring again once he has taken care of Cartwright next Saturday but would love to see more grime stars from the second city get involved.

“I hope this is the start of something,” he said.

“I like to support my city and behind the scenes I do a lot with the schools in Birmingham and a few charities as well, so I would love to work more with the brilliant music stars we’ve got.

“I’d love to do it again with Jaykae, maybe Mista, maybe M1llionz… There are so many. The best artists in Birmingham walking in with me would be brilliant.”

Pitters is never short of a few words in the build-up to his fights but has confirmed he will not be joining Jaykae on the mic.

They are “still discussing” which one of the star’s biggest songs will see him in, but the big punching light-heavyweight is happy to let his friend get the Skydome rocking.

“I’ve tried a bit of freestyle rapping when I’ve been on holiday with my mates, but I am not really about that,” he said.

“Jaykae always sends out a positive message for Birmingham so I will leave the words to him. I’ll just let my fists do the talking.”

Shakan Pitters v Reece Cartwright for the Vacant WBC International Light-Heavyweight Championship headlines the triple-title card that includes a fiery midlands derby between Coventry hot-shot River Wilson-Bent against Rowley Regis rival Tyler Denny for the Vacant English Middleweight Championship. Red hot Irish middleweight sensation Aaron ‘The Silencer’ McKenna will challenge for his first championship title. Aaron’s joins older brother Stevie ‘The Hitman’ McKenna who is lighting up the welterweight division with his dynamic and KO performances. The rest of the Hennessy All Stars team will be out in full force starting with welterweight ace Kaisee Benjamin, Birmingham super-middleweight Idris Virgo; Sevenoaks highly talented super-welterweight Michael Hennessy Jr.; undefeated County Donegal middleweight starlet Brett McGinty; unbeaten Brighton heavyweight destroyer Tommy Welch and two new additions to the card, Leamington Spa lightweight Danny Quarter and Chelmsley Wood lightweight Scott Melvin, both in separate four round contests.

Presented by Hennessy Sports in association with William Hill, Infinitum, Numan and Everlast, tickets are priced at £45, £55, £90 and £120 and are available from https://iceaccount.co.uk/wbc-championship-boxing-info

For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports

BOSTON (November 1, 2021) – Vertex Promotions has announced it will present “Fall Brawl,” headlined by undefeated super lightweight prospect Adrian “Tonka” Sosa (12-0, 9 KOs), Saturday night, November 20th at Moseley’s On The Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts.

“We’re excited to be promoting our fourth show we’ve promoted since our inaugural event this past September 25th,” Vertex promoter Dave Clark said. “We’ve found a home at Moseley’s On the Charles, which provides intimate setting just outside of Boston. Our goal remains to provide local boxers with opportunities to stay active and fight in front of their family and friends. We get better at promoting with each show.”

Sosa will fight Alfonso Olvera (12-6-3, 4 KOs), fighting out of Tucson (AZ) by way of Mexico, in the 8-round main event. Sosa, who hadn’t fought in 28 months, returned to the ring with a fury, albeit showing signs of rust. His hand were quick, as usual, and he was well poised as on the lat Vertex show, September 25th at the same venue. His veteran Mexican opponent, Danny “Venado” Flores (15-25-1, 8 KOs), continually but unsuccessfully tried to lure Sosa into traps. Sosa was the hunter, stalking a game Flores, who often stayed in the corners or on the ropes baiting Sosa to mix it up. Sosa “pitched a shutout,” winning eight rounds on all three judges’ scorecards.

In his last fight (Sept. 28, 2019), Olvera upset previously undefeated Amon Torres by way of an 8-round unanimous decision. Olvera also gained invaluable experience going the distance with current unified World super lightweight champion Josh Taylor and former IBF Super Lightweight World titlist Ivan Baranchyk.

In the co-featured event, undefeated welterweight prospect James “The Slim Reaper” Perella (8-0, 5 KOs), fighting out of Mansfield, Massachusetts, faces veteran Jacksonville (FL) fighter Andre Byrd (8-11-2, 1 KO) in the Perella’s first scheduled 8-rounder event. Perella is a 4-time USA New England Championships and 4-time New England Golden Gloves Champion. The popular fighter returns in the 6-round co-featured event.

Undefeated ABF American West and NBA Continental champion, 23-year-old Albany (NY) lightweight RayJay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (14-0, 11 KOs), returns to his second home at Moseley’s On The Charles again to fight Columbian lightweight Rudolfo “El Tsunam” Puentes (20=8-2, 16 KOs).

Promising super welterweight prospect Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan (8-0, 8 KOs) will put his perfect pro record on the line in a 6-round bout against an opponent to bet determined. Hogan, of Weymouth, MA, is the reigning New Hampshire super welterweight champion, as well as a 2019 New England Golden Gloves gold medalist.

In a pair of 6-round bouts, New Bedford (MA) middleweight Drew “Tomahawk” Dwelly (3-0-2, 3 KOs) meets Las Vegas’ Zachary Scott Juusda (1-1, 1 KO), while Springfield (MA) super lightweight super lightweight Eric “Gladiator” Goff (4-0, 3 KOs) is back against Carlos Galindo (0-9).

Unbeaten Providence middleweight Anthony Concepcion (8-0-1, 6 KOs), a member of World middleweight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, will be in action against TBA in a 6-rounder.

Malden (MA) super featherweight Alex Rivera (1-0, 1 KO) faces Francisco Muro (3-8) in a 4-round bout. Also scheduled to fight on the undercard, each in 4-round matches versus TBAs, is Dorchester (MA) featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. (1-0, 1 KO), a 2016 Rocky Marciano Tournament champion, vs. Auston Reed Ward (0-9); Galway, Ireland cruiserweight Tommy “The Kid” O’Toole (1-0, 1 KO), a 2019 Irish Elite Championship gold medalist; Boston welterweight James Murrin (1-0), and Kansas City (KS) super lightweight Marcus Davidson (1-0, 1 KO).

Cards are subject to change.

Tickets are on sale for $150.00 (ringside), $65.00 (general admission), $50.00 (standing room) and $2000.00 for a table of 10. Contact any of the competing fighters to purchase tickets, limited availability at the door.

Doors will open at 7 pm. ET with the first bout scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET .

Long Island, New York (November 1, 2021) Star Boxing, in association with DiBella Entertainment, announced last week the co-promotional signing of undefeated Italian IBO Super Featherweight World Champion MICHAEL “LONE WOLF” MAGNESI (Cave, Lazio, Italy, 19-0, 11KO’s). Magnesi will make his anticipated US debut on November 11, at The Paramount, in Huntington, Long Island, NY, headlining “Rockin’ Fights 40” against EUGENE LAGOS (Bukidnon, Philippines, 16-5-3, 11KO’s).

Tickets for “Rockin’ Fights 40”, sponsored by Fox Hollow, TECNE Next Gen Combat Training, FootDocStore.com, OPTYX New York, Winters Bros. and Nissan of Queens, are on sale now and can be purchased HERE. The Paramount is located at 370 New York Ave, Huntington, NY 11743. Doors will open on the night of the event at 7:00pm ET.

Featured on the undercard will be Bellport, Long Island’s 2013 New York Golden Gloves champion, undefeated super lightweight ALEX “EL TORO” VARGAS (11-0, 4KO’s), promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. Vargas will be making his eighth appearance at The Paramount. Vargas brings the action as a skillful boxer who is not afraid to mix it up when he needs to – much to the delight of his growing fan base. Vargas, who has been on a tear since making his pro debut in 2018, continues to impress every time out. Vargas is scheduled for a six-round super lightweight bout against an opponent to be named soon.

Also featured is decorated Irish amateur, light heavyweight “MIGHTY” JOE WARD (Westmeath, Ireland, 4-1, 2KO’s). Ward’s renowned amateur career speaks for itself, racking up the medals, winning gold at the European Championships in 2011, 2015 and 2017, silver at the World Championships in 2015 and 2017, and representing Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games. In his professional debut against Marco Delgado, Ward fell victim to a freak accident, dislocating his kneecap in the second round rendering him unable to continue. Since then, Ward has rallied four consecutive wins, including a revenge win in a rematch against Delgado on March 18, 2021. Ward will take on Brazilian LEANDRO “BUSCAPE” SILVA (Woburn, MA, 3-4, 2KO’s) over a six-round light heavyweight scrap. Ward is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and managed by Times Square Boxing Co.

A highly anticipated grudge match has captured a lot of local attention, as Bronx-native LOUIS “IL MARTELLO” MAIETTA (0-0-1) returns against his nemesis PEREZ AUGHTRY (Cheektowaga, NY 0-2-1) after their first meeting was scored a draw at “Rockin’ Fights 39” in September. This entertaining rematch will be over four rounds in the light heavyweight division.

Undefeated Italian Canadian AMANDA “BAMBOLA” GALLE (4-0) will square off against Haitian JAICA PAVILUS (Manhattan, NY, 1-3-1, 1KO) over a six-round super bantamweight contest. Galle, a three-time Canadian National champion and four-time Ringside National champion as an amateur, captured the Canadian Women’s Super Bantamweight title in January of 2020. Galle is co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Lee Baxter Promotions.

Brooklyn-based Lebanese super middleweight NADIM SALLOUM (5-1, 3KO’s) will make his second appearance at The Paramount, where he suffered his lone defeat in February of 2020. He has since rebounded with four straight wins, most recently scoring a fourth-round stoppage on October 8, 2021. Salloum will face an opponent to be named in a six-round bout.

Finally, Queens, NY, super middleweight ISAAH “ZAY” FLAHERTY (2-0, 1KO) and Brentwood, Long Island’s super lightweight PRINCE SLAUGHTER (1-0, 1KO) will be in respective four-round contests with opponents to be named soon.

“Rockin’ Fights 40” is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, in association with DiBella Entertainment, and is sponsored by Fox Hollow, TECNE Next Gen Combat Training, FootDocStore.com, OPTYX New York, Winters Bros. and Nissan of Queens.

Stay tuned on social media, @StarBoxing @JoeDeGuardia @LouDiBella @DiBellaEnt, and visit the Star Boxing and DiBella Entertainment websites at www.StarBoxing.com and www.DBE1.com for updates and more information on the fight card.

Social Media
DiBella Entertainment
Instagram: @DiBellaEnt
Twitter: @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt
Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

NEW YORK (Nov. 1, 2021) — Three-weight kingpin Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko, the Ukrainian virtuoso who saves his best for the New York City spotlight, hopes his next oversized challenge is not a bridge too far. Lomachenko returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Dec. 11 for a 12-round lightweight showdown against former world champion Richard “RC” Commey.

Lomachenko-Commey marks boxing’s return to the “Big Room” at Madison Square Garden for the first time in nearly two years, when Terence Crawford defended his welterweight title with a riveting knockout over Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas. In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated heavyweight sensation Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson will battle Oleksandr Teslenko.

Lomachenko-Commey and Anderson-Teslenko will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT following the 2021 Heisman Ceremony. Puerto Rican junior middleweight standout Xander Zayas and middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, will also see action on this special New York City fight night.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets starting at $56 go on sale, Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 12 p.m. ET and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or MSG.com.

“It is only fitting that the great Lomachenko headlines boxing’s highly anticipated return to Madison Square Garden. However, Richard Commey can never be counted out, as he’s a tough fighter who carries huge power in both hands,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Jared Anderson is a future heavyweight champion, but I expect Teslenko to be his toughest challenge to date. I also can’t wait to see what Xander and Nico do next, as they are two of the most charismatic and exciting young fighters in the sport.”

Lomachenko (15-2, 11 KOs) has authored many of his most memorable moments under the MSG lights. He’s fought three times at the adjoining Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, knocking out Roman Martinez in 2016 to become a two-weight world champion, forcing fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux to quit in 2017, and unifying lightweight world titles in December 2018 with a unanimous decision over Jose Pedraza. Lomachenko had a memorable bout against Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden in May 2018, becoming a three-weight world champion when he knocked out the Venezuelan star the 10^th round with a body shot. He bounced back from his 2020 undisputed lightweight title defeat to Teofimo Lopez with June’s ninth-round stoppage over Japanese stalwart Masayoshi Nakatani.

Lomachenko said, “It is always special when I fight at Madison Square Garden, where so many great moments in my career have taken place. Richard Commey is a former world champion, an opponent I will not underestimate. I expect the best version of Commey, and I will be prepared for whatever he brings on December 11.” 

As has become his lightweight custom, Lomachenko will enter the ring as the smaller man. Commey (30-3, 27 KOs) has a nearly two-inch height advantage and 5.5 inches in reach. The New York City resident held the IBF lightweight world title in 2019, but in December of that year, he was stopped in two rounds by Lopez at Madison Square Garden. Commey took nearly 14 months off, returning in February to knock out Jackson Marinez in six rounds. One of the division’s most dangerous punchers, his other two losses have come via split decision to Robert Easter Jr. and Denis Shafikov. The winner of this fight becomes a logical world title challenger in 2022.

Commey said, “I want to thank my team of Michael Amoo-Bediako, Lou DiBella, and Keith Connolly for getting me this opportunity. Ever since the Lopez fight, all I have thought about is becoming a two-time world champion. This fight against Lomachenko will get me one step closer to my goal. I also want to thank Bob Arum and Top Rank for the opportunity to again grace the stage at Madison Square Garden, one of boxing’s most iconic venues. I know that most people consider me the underdog, but I am aiming to prove them all wrong and make Ghana proud once again.”

Anderson (10-0, 10 KOs), from Toledo, Ohio, rose to prominence due to his highlight-reel knockouts and status as heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s most trusted sparring partner. He has scored three knockouts in 2021 and had his most high-profile assignment Oct. 9 on the Fury-Deontay Wilder III PPV undercard. Anderson opened the PPV telecast with a second-round blitzing over the previously undefeated Vladimir Tereshkin. Teslenko (17-1, 13 KOs), a 6’4, 220-pound prospect from Ukraine, built a 16-0 record before being knocked out in five rounds by Shawndell Winters in December 2019. He rebounded in fine form, knocking out Cesar David Crenz in three rounds in June 2021.

Anderson said, “I’ve made my mark in Las Vegas over the last two years and now it’s time to steal the show in my Madison Square Garden debut on December 11. The Mecca of Boxing holds so much history, and I can’t wait to add my name to list of legends who’ve fought there.”

Zayas (11-0, 8 KOs) can wrap up the 2021 Prospect of the Year award with an impressive showing at Madison Square Garden. The San Juan native is 5-0 in 2021, most recently knocking out Dan Karpency in four rounds on the Jamel Herring-Shakur Stevenson card Oct. 23 in Atlanta.

Ali Walsh (2-0, 2 KOs) turned pro Aug. 14 with a first-round knockout and makes his debut in the building where his grandfather fought some of his most legendary fights, including “The Fight of the Century” against Joe Frazier in 1971 and the 1974 Frazier rematch.  Ali Walsh shined alongside Zayas in Atlanta, notching a third-round stoppage over James Westley II.

In order to attend the event, all guests age 12 and older are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (this means having at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine prior to attending). MSG’s comprehensive COVID-19 guidelines, including those regarding children under 12, can be found at https://www.msg.com/madison-square-garden/faqs.

About Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) is a leader in live entertainment. The Company presents or hosts a broad array of events in its diverse collection of venues: New York’s Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre. MSG Entertainment is also building a new state-of-the-art venue in Las Vegas, MSG Sphere at The Venetian. In addition, the Company features the original production – the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – and through Boston Calling Events, produces the Boston Calling Music Festival. The Company’s two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG+, deliver a wide range of live sports content and other programming. Also under the MSG Entertainment umbrella is Tao Group Hospitality, with entertainment dining and nightlife brands including: Tao, Marquee, Lavo, Beauty & Essex, Cathédrale, Hakkasan and Omnia. More information is available at www.msgentertainment.com.  

QUINCY, Mass. (November 1, 2021) – Granite Chin Promotions most recent signee, New England welterweight champion Mike “Bad Boy” Ohan (13-1, 7 KOs), will close out 2021 headlining “Championship Road,” on Saturday night, November 13, streaming live Saturday evening, November 13, on bxngtv.com, from The Rim in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Ohan, fighting out of Holbrook (MA), will be in his first scheduled 10-round bout against Mexican challenger Israel “Filipino Tigre” Rojas (14-24, 5 KOs) in a super lightweight, non-title fight.

“Ten rounds means a lot to me,” Ohan said. “It’s something I’ve watched my entire life because all legends fought 10-rounders. This is special for me. I’m ready to go and I will outclass my opponent.”

Ohan captured the vacant New England title last November, when he won an 8-round unanimous decision over Ryan Dibartolomeo, followed by a successful title defense in his last fight in June, when challenger Tyrone Luckey retired after the five rounds.

The New England title is a stepping-stone and next year I feel like I can collect more title belts next year,” he added. “I signed with Chris (Traietti, president of Granite Chin Promotions) because I want to be in big fights. I can’t wait for this fight, I’m already in top shape. Two guys I recently defeated recently knocked out undefeated opponents, (Eric) Palmer (WSD6 vs. 8-0-1 Ruddicus Livsey) and Luckey (WKO1 and WKO6 vs. 7-0-1 Eduardo Aguilar).”

A former 2-time Southern New England Golden Gloves champion, the now 27-year-old Ohan is the son of a former prizefighter, middleweight Mike Ohan (14-6-2, 11 KOs – 1983-95), who sparred “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler. Ohan, Jr’s grandfather on his mother’s side also boxed.

“I always looked up to my father as a fighter,” Ohan., Jr. mentioned, “but he didn’t want me to box. I started late and didn’t go to the gym until I was 16 to help stay out of trouble. My father’s supportive and he goes to my fights. I fell in love with boxing right away and I feel even stronger about it today.”

Ohan’s birth name is Ohanian, but he is Irish. “It’s in my blood,” he explained. “It goes back to the old bare-knuckle days. My father is Irish on his mother’s side, Armenian on his father’s. My grandmother is Irish on both sides. So, I have a lot of Irish in me from my parents.”

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Undefeated Holyoke (MA) welterweight prospect Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (6-0, 5 KOs), of meets John Ferrara (0-1), of Tiverton (RI) in the 6-round, co-featured event.

Guyana-native heavyweight Nkosi Soloman (3-1, 2 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, has been added to the card in a 6-round fight against TBA.

Fighting on the undercard, each slated for 4 rounds, is Woburn (MA) middleweight Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Providence’s pro-debuting Alfred “Keenan” Raymond, Maine middleweight Llmar Kelly (0-1) vs. Providence’s Robert “Golden Boy” Nolette (0-1), Holyoke (MA) junior middleweight Carlos Castillo (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Swansea’s (MA) Anthony Andreozzi (0-1), Pittsfield (MA) super middleweight Steve Sumpter (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Juan Celin Zapata (6-19-2, 4 KOs), and Springfield (MA) middleweight Jamer Jones (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Woburn’s (MA) Aguilando Brandao (1-7).

Also, Lawrence (MA) lightweight “El Gallo” Kevin Rodriguez (2-1, 1 KO) vs. Daron Jenkins (0-5), Springfield light heavyweight Laurent Humes (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Woburn’s pro-debuting Thailisson Nunes, Providence (RI) welterweight Damon Towns (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. TBA, Pittsfield (MA) heavyweight Quinton Sumpter (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Woburn’s pro-debuting Wewerson Silveira Silva.

Card subject to change.

Tickets priced at $60.00 (ringside) and $40.00 (general admission, in addition to ringside tables of four for $260.00, are available to purchase at www.TicketRiver.com (Search: Championship Road).

Doors open at 5 pm. ET with the first bout at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Brighton, UK (1 November 2021) Fast-rising heavyweight ace Tommy Welch has not only been trading punches with a Fury but has also been picking up tips from a certain Roy Jones Jr ahead of his next fight.

The undefeated talent has been sparring with world-title contender Hughie Fury as he prepares for his latest appearance on the title-packed Hennessy Sports show on Saturday, 13th November, at the Coventry Skydome Arena, live and free on Channel 5.

Welch uses the Eubank Gym in Brighton and with Chris Eubank Jr bringing in Roy Jones Jr – the only fighter in boxing history to win a World Heavyweight title after starting his career as a super-welterweight – as his trainer, the unbeaten banger admits it has been an honour to have a living boxing legend offering advice.

“I’ve been next to him [Jones Jr] in the gym for the last four, five, six weeks with Chris Eubank,” he said.

“That has been really cool. I’ve been learning some great stuff from him. What a legend.

“Roy was coming in a good hour before Chris would come in and I’d be training. He would pull up his chair and you could just see his eyes were at work.

“I could feel his eyes watching me and thinking. He was pulling up on all sorts of things. If I was moving from the ring to the bags, he would follow me, pull up his chair next to the bag and watching my feet, then watch my hands.

“He has a great aura and a great energy around him. It is amazing to know Roy Jones Jr, but to have him giving me advice and telling me things, was genuinely a privilege.”

Welch is already under the guidance of his dad Scott, who was the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion and challenged for a world title back in the 1990s.

For this latest camp they were joined by another stella father-and-son team – Peter and Hughie Fury.

And while the two fathers watched on, the sons went at it for three days’ solid sparring and of course, neither took it lightly.

“It was fantastic. Hughie is a gentleman, his father Peter is a gentleman and they’re fighting men,” said Tommy.

“To be in camp with Hughie was great. And the spars were absolutely full-on. I won’t sit here and go on about stories from sparring, but it was genuinely a great experience.

“I respect the Fury’s, I really do. I like their work ethic and it was a great chance for me to feed off a world-title contender.

“Hughie is one of those fighters in the shadows. Him and his dad just keep their heads down and just get on with business. There’s no flashiness about them.

“I know cousin Tyson is the number one in the world, but even he was an almost hated fighter at the start but worked his socks off to turn everyone on to him.

“Hughie is a world contender, but he’s still on the up. He’s not like his cousin, who is sparing of course, but I guarantee, he has done all his hard work to get to the very top, so is now just perfecting it.

“Hughie still wants to learn, is working every day and wants to grind his socks off. I am doing the same. To be in camp with him was just great.”

Show update: Brixton Cruiserweight Isaac Chamberlain will not feature on this card and instead will headline a big Hennessy Sports show on Friday 10th December. Two popular Midlands fighters have been added to the card in separate fights: Leamington Spa lightweight Danny Quarter and Chelmsley Wood lightweight Scott Melvin.
Shakan Pitters v Reece Cartwright for the Vacant WBC International Light-Heavyweight Championship headlines the triple-title card that includes a fiery midlands derby between Coventry hot-shot River Wilson-Bent against Rowley Regis rival Tyler Denny for the Vacant English Middleweight Championship. Red hot Irish middleweight sensation Aaron ‘The Silencer’ McKenna will challenge for his first championship title. Aaron’s joins older brother Stevie ‘The Hitman’ McKenna who is lighting up the welterweight division with his dynamic and KO performances. The rest of the Hennessy All Stars team will be out in full force starting with welterweight ace Kaisee Benjamin, Birmingham super-middleweight Idris Virgo; Sevenoaks highly talented super-welterweight Michael Hennessy Jr.; undefeated County Donegal middleweight starlet Brett McGinty and unbeaten Brighton heavyweight destroyer Tommy Welch.

Presented by Hennessy Sports in association with William Hill, Infinitum, Numan and Everlast, tickets are priced at £45, £55, £90 and £120 and are available from https://iceaccount.co.uk/wbc-championship-boxing-info

For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports

During the early years of Atlantic City boxing, the fight game was bustling. An array of ring talent, from club fighters to champions, came to the shore to compete at thriving venues like the Northside’s Waltz Dream Arena and Convention Hall on the Boardwalk. Although ring action was plentiful, the biggest fights were still happening elsewhere. However, everything changed once gambling came to town. As casinos popped up along the Boardwalk, Atlantic City fights got bigger and bigger. By the late 1970s, boxing was on the rise, and within a few years, business was booming. Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson ushered in the city’s peak era in the late 1980s, a time when more than just fight fans turned their attention to Atlantic City for some of the biggest sporting events ever. A decade later, Arturo Gatti ushered in another rise in AC’s prominence with a series of thrilling appearances in the city. Although AC never again topped the impact of those days, boxing action at the shore remained vital for decades to come.

John DiSanto and Matthew H. Ward have co-authored a book that tells the story of Atlantic City boxing from 1865 to 2020. The image-driven book includes more than 200 photos, many of them previously unpublished and seen for the very first time. This book is now available for sale and can be ordered directly from the authors (ACBoxingBook.com) or your favorite bookseller including Amazon.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
John DiSanto is the founder of PhillyBoxingHistory.com and the Briscoe Awards and is the chairman of the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame. Matthew H. Ward is a historian and journalist who specializes in boxing, Jersey Shore, and Philadelphia history.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Boxing in Atlantic City, released on November 1, 2021, is a 128-page soft cover book that includes 230 photographs. The cover price is $23.99.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Arcadia Publishing and History Press is the nation’s leading publisher of books of local history and local interest. Arcadia has an extraordinary catalog of more than 15,000 local titles and publishes 500 new books each year.