Jaron Ennis remained undefeated with an emphatic 6th round stoppage over Sergey Lipinets in a welterweight bout at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Round three, Ennis dropped Lipinets with an uppercut. In round six, Ennis rocked Lipinets with a right hook that was followed by a hard left that put Lipinets flat on his back and the fight was stopped at 2:11

Ennis, 146.4 lbs of Philadelphia is 27-0 with 25 knockouts. Lipinets, 146.8 lbs of Russia is 16-2.

Jaron Ennis

“Most definitely I think I graduated tonight. It’s on the up and up now. It’s onto bigger and better fights now.

“That’s what we work on in the gym, a lot of power shots, just having fun and doing my thing.

“I’m comfortable on both sides (righty or lefty). It’s natural for me and I don’t know when I switch. Everything is all natural. That’s about it.

“I saw that he wasn’t really as good on the inside as me and that’s why I started getting a little closer and I started touching and looking for my big shot, and I found it.

Do you think it will be hard to get a fight now?  

“No, I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe one of those guys will give me a fight and will want to fight me. We’ll see.

Where can you improve?

“Just staying more relaxed, and I did that tonight. I’m going to keep working on being calm and composed. Jabbing more and get out of the way.”

“I’ll always be hard on myself when I look back at my performance. My goal is to keep getting better, sharper, faster and stronger so I can become world champion.

“As long as I keep fighting top guys, I’m happy. I feel like I will be world champion by the end of this year or beginning of next year. Patience is the key though.

“I saw I was breaking him down, so I started walking toward him and getting closer. He wasn’t fighting as well on the inside as I was. Eventually, I caught him with a big hook, then the uppercut and that was it.

“I don’t think it was my hardest fight. I was in there having fun and doing what I wanted. I don’t take anything away from Lipinets, because he’s a great fighter, but I was just doing me, being relaxed and putting on a show.

“Hopefully the other top welterweight fighters want to take me on. I want to elevate my career and go down in history as a Hall of Famer.

“Lipinets has been in there with the best before, so I wasn’t surprised he held up for a while. I knew he’d be durable. That’s why I didn’t jump on the gas right away. I just took my time and broke him down.

“I might have to become a mandatory to get the title fight. Until then, I’m going to keep working to fight the best fighters available to me.

“I saw he was getting frustrated and I was breaking him down mentally and physically. I’m not like those others guys he fought, I can do it all. I can fight inside and out.

“I knew the knockout was coming. I just kept listening to my corner and my dad kept telling me to take my time. I knew eventually it would come and it did.

“I definitely feel like I’m getting stronger fight by fight. I was getting stronger as the fight went on round by round. I would have had that power in the 12th round if we had gotten there.”

Stanionis decisions Dulorme

Eimantas Stanionis won a 12-round unanimous decision over Thomas Dulorme in a welterweight bout.

Stanionis landed 232 of 613 punches; Dulorme was 193 of 765.

Stanonis, 147 lbs of Lithuania won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 and is now 13-0. Dulorme, 146.4 lbs is 26-51.

Eimantas Stanionis

“I said before my fight I wanted to test myself against the top welterweights in the division. In my country [Lithuania] this is the first time they are showing my fight on television live so everybody is very excited and everybody is watching. It was big, big pressure. I’m very grateful for this opportunity.

“I want to test every time I step into the ring what kind of level I can achieve, you know. With what kind of fighters that I can compete.

“I think I am top 10 [in my division]. It’s my opinion. I need experience. I think I can hang with top guys. I’ve been sparring with world champions and I did very well so I’m confident I can beat anybody in the welterweight division. Of course, I need experience. I’ve only got like 15 pro fights.”

“It’s been a dream since I was a kid watching SHOWTIME to be on this stage. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. I’ve had a long hard journey to get here, but it’s been worth it.

“Dulorme was a little bit awkward. It was hard to throw my right hand because he was catching me on the body. I couldn’t hit as hard as I wanted to because of hand injuries. I felt my hands hurt a few times when I was hitting him, but it should be okay.

“He was quicker and more explosive than I thought he’d be. On video he does not look as explosive. He was a smart fighter and he used a lot of good movement. You can’t take anything away from him. He’s a warrior.

“Everything was on point in training camp. Me and Marvin Somodio make a great team, we click very well and I think we have even more to look forward to in the future.

“Dulorme always threw back at me, even if I hurt him. I knew that if I was wild, he could have caught me with a good shot. I have more confidence in myself now because I know I can go 12 rounds with a good fighter. I know how the pressure will hit me now. Anything can happen in this sport, so I made sure I was prepared coming into this fight.”

Ancajas defends IBF Junior Bantamweight Title with decision over Rodriguez

Jerwin Ancajas defended his IBF Junior Bantamweight title for the 9th time with a hard fought 12-round unanious decision over Jonathan Rodriguez.

In round eight, Ancajas landed a hard flurry in the corner that was followed up by a left that put Rodriguez on the canvas. The two stood in the pocket and landed hard power shots throughout the contest, with Ancajas seemingly landing the harder shots with Rodriguez landing flashy and flush combinations.

Ancajas landed 232 of 758 punches; Rodriguez was 273 of 826.

Ancajas, 1148 lbs of the Philippines won by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 to raise his record to 33-1-2. Rodriguez, 115 lbs of Mexico is 21-2.

Jerwin Ancajas

“We made a lot of sacrifices for this defense. This fight was very hard for me. I was happy to get the knock down because Rodriguez is tough, but I have strong boxing. This was my toughest world title defense. For me, I will wait for the plan of my coaches and promoter and hope to get a chance for a unification fight.”

“I’m very happy to get the win. I waited a long time for the opportunity to get back in the ring and it’s exciting to win in my first fight on this stage fighting on SHOWTIME. It’s a big win for my whole team.

“This was my toughest fight so far. It was the hardest of any of my nine defenses and it’s exciting that it was on a big card. I trained hard for this opportunity and it feels great to get the win.

“I thought he was going to be stopped because I saw him look at his corner and it didn’t look like he wanted to go on. But he got up and fought and I respect him for doing that.

“This was a good experience for me and I thank for Jonathan for bringing the fight. He’s also going to get better from the experience tonight.

“I want to fight all of the other champions in this division. Estrada, Chocolatito and all of the big names. I proved again that I’m a real champion and I deserve to be on the level with the rest of the champions.”

Jonathan Rodriguez

“I don’t think it was a just decision. I thought maybe a split decision, and I would accept it a little more. But we knew coming in that the judges were against us in this fight.

“I did have to recuperate (after the eighth-round knockdown). He hit me with a good shot, and I got knocked down.

“No, no, no. I was definitely motivated to keep fighting. I wasn’t going to quit. But I knew I had to keep fighting in this heroic fight. Now, people know I’m a great rival here and anybody who wants to fight me, I will be ready to fight them. And they saw today what I can do in the ring.”

Follow all the action as Joe Smith Jr. takes on Maxim Vlasov for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight title.  The action kicks off at 10 PM ET with a Heavyweight fight featuring Efe Ajagba and Brian Howard.

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Round 1: Right from Vlasov…Another right

Round 2 Good right from Smith..Smith cut over his right eye…Right from Vlasov..3 body shots from Smith

Round 3 Left to body from Smith…Right from Valsov..Combination

Round 4 Right from Vlasov..Left hook from Smith

Round 5 Right from Smith…Right from Vlasov..Good right

Round 6 Good body shot from Vlasov..Body shot from Smith…Right from Vlasov…Blood from Mouth of Vlasov…Right from Smith..

Round 7 Hard right hurts Vlasov..2 rights to the body..another body shot..Hard right..Left from Vlasov

Round 8 Hard combination from Smith..Right to body by Vlasov

Round 9 Series of headshots from Vlasov

Round 10 Right from Vlasov..Lead right..Right from Smith

Round 11 Good body shot from Smith…Short right from Vlasov..Body shot from Smith

Round 12 Right from Smith..Combination from Vlasov

114-114; 115-113 115-112 FOR SMITH

Round 1  Big right from Ajgaba
Round 2 Jab and right from Ajagba
Round 3 HOWARD LANDS A HUGE RIGHT…DOWN GOES HOWARD…FIGHT OVER

Joe Smith Jr. pounded out a hard fought 12-round majority decision over Maxim Vlasov to win the WBO Light Heavyweight title at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma

In round one, Smith was cut over his right eye from a punch of Valsov. The two fought hard, taking turns winning rounds. Everytime one of the fighters would gain advantage, the adversary would come back and seize control of the action. Smith landed several hard shots and seemed to have Vlasov in trouble. Vlasov was crafty throughout.

Smith landed 226 of 888 punches; Vlasov was 214 of 863.

Both guys were marked up facially, but in the end, it was Smith who by scores of 115-113, 115-112 and 114-114.

Smith, 174 lbs of Long Island, NY is 27-3. Vlasov, 175 lbs of Russia is 45-4.

Smith said, “It’s a great feeling. It was definitely a close, tough fight. I give it to Vlasov. Great fighter. He really put on a great show tonight and toughed it out. I believe that round where I hurt him there… I believe he had his head down, and I should’ve got the knockout. I think I would’ve got the stoppage in {the 11th} round, but he pulled it off and made it out on his feet. I believe I got the victory tonight because they saw I landed the harder shots. He landed a lot of punches. It was a great fight.

“I want the other belts. I want the big fights out there. Now I gotta get back in the gym and keep working on my technique and stuff. I believe I’m going to start unifying belts.”

Vlasov disagrees with Smith’s assessment of the fight and believes the world title should be going home to Russia.

“This was a very hard-fought, competitive fight,” Vlasov said. “I thought I was winning rounds and was well ahead. Against the aggressive style of Joe Smith, I came forward the entire fight. I felt confident I was winning and was securing rounds in the bank with the judges. I never felt that I was behind at any stage of the fight. This was my opportunity to show the world I was a world champion, and I did that, and Joe Smith knows I did that.” 

Ajagba Destroys Howard in 3

Efe Ajagba viciously stopped Brian Howard in round three of their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

In round three, Ajagba landed a huge right hand that twisted Howard completely around as he fell hard the canvas with his legs wrapped up underneath him.

Ajagba, 236 lbs of Nigeria is 15-0 with 12 knockouts. Howard, 218 lbs of Lake Wells, FL is 15-5.

Ajagba said, “I felt good. I tried to pick the punches, use the jab. This guy is very slick sometimes. I tried to do the job. He was shaky, so when I went back to the corner after the first round, my coach told me to take my time, start with the body, leave the head.
 
“I trained for this fight, took my time, started with my boxing foundation, and came back strong. This camp was the best one for me, the best camp ever in my boxing career.
 
 “It’s my time to shine, so I’m coming for the heavyweights.”

Jared Anderson remained perfect by stopping Jeremiah Karpency in round two of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Anderson landed a perfect right to the body that sent Karpency down to the canvas. In round two, it was another right to the body that sent Karpency to a knee for the 10-count at 34 seconds.

Anderson, 253.8 ls of Toledo, OH is 9-0 with nine knockouts. Karpency, 226.6 lbs of Adah, PA is 16-3-1.

Anderson said,  “I knew he was going to find a spot to fall. I respect him for getting in there and showing up today. It’s a man’s sport. I’m just grateful to be here, thankful for the opportunity.

“I {saw} the shot. His hands kept going up. I kept throwing my jab, looking for openings, feinting, moving around the ring, and it just came. It was a good shot, and he didn’t want to get back up.

“Everybody who says they’re the biggest and the baddest, come see ‘Big ‘Baby’ then.

“I want to thank Toledo, my city. A lot of them came out to Oklahoma, and I wanted to put on a show for them. I can’t wait for what is next.

Albert Bell remained undefeated by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Manuel Rey Rojas in a junior lightweight bout.

In round two, Rojas was cut on the outside of his right eye. In round two, a headbutt opened up a cut on the left side of his head.

Bell landed 114 of 392 punches; Rojas was 94 of 383.

Bell, 132.2 lbs of Toledo, OH won by scores of 78-74 on all cards and is now 18-0. Rojas, 132 lbs of Dallas, TX is 20-5.

Robson Conceicao stopped Jesus Antonio Ahumada in round seven of a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout.

In round five, Ahumada started to bleed and have a lot of swelling on his face. In round seven, Conceicao landed a hard left that put Ahumada down. Ahumada got to his feet, but the fight was stopped at 1:20.

Conceicao, 128.4 lbs of Bahia, BRA is now 16-0 with eight knockouts. Ahumada, 129 lbs of Mexico is 17-4.

Trey Lippe Morrison stopped Jason Bergman in round three of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout, when Bergman could not continue due to a leg injury.

Bergman seemed to have scored a knockdown in round one when he landed a left hand that put Morrison on the deck, but it was ruled no-knockdown.

In round three, Bergman seemed to have twisted his ankle and fell to the canvas, and the bout was stopped at 1:27.

Morrison, 225.8 lbs of Tulsa is now 17-0 with 17 knockouts. Bergamn, 256 lbs of Adah, PA is now 27-20-2.

Duke Ragan won a six-round unanimous decision over Charles Clark in a featherweight bout.

Ragan, 125.8 lbs of Cincinnati, OH won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 4-0. Clark, 126.6 lbs of Dallas, TX is 3-7-1.

Jeremiah Milton stopped Jayvone Dafney in the 1st round of their four-round heavyweight bout.

Milton landed a booming right that made Dafney prone on the top rope and the fight was stopped at 1:19.

Milton, 231.8 lbs of Tulsa, OK is 3-0 with three knockouts. Dafney, 226 lbs of McComb, MS is 2-3.

Sonny Conto Knocked out Waldo Cortes in the opening round of their scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.

Conto landed a booming right hand that sent Cortes plummeting to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 1:41.

Conto, 230.4 lbs of Philadelphia is 7-0 with six knockouts. Cortes, 262 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 6-4.

Conor Benn Scored an impressive 1st round stoppage over Samuel Vargas in the opening round of heir scheduled 12-round welterweight bout at the Copper Box Arena in London England.

Vargas landed a hard right that was followed by a uppercut that hurt Vargas. Benn jumped all over Vargas and landed vicious flurry and the fight was stopped at 1:20.

Benn, 146.6 lbs of Essex, ENG is 18-0 with 12 knockouts. Vargas, 146.6 lbs of Bogota, COL is 31-7.

“I train hard for it,” said Benn. “Again, you’re talking levels. It shows the level I’m at. Errol Spence, Danny Garcia, Vergil Ortiz, Amir Khan – nobody banged him out like that. First round, first round! He came and he was game. He took my belt off me in the week and I had a little stare down with him.

“He was telling me he was ready to fight, and he was talking a good game. He said I had no power. It’s irrelevant because a lot of people can talk. My shots were landing flush. You could tell they were hurting him. When I first hit him it landed swiftly and I thought, ‘right, this is going to be a much quicker night than I thought’.

“I’ve been working on my power with my strength and conditioning coach Dan Lawrence. We’ve been working with Tony, endless hours. First to arrive last to leave. He’s always pushing me. I told you lot I’d knock him out in the first round. I was cool, calm and collected. I work so hard. 

“Give me Amir Khan. I know he’s too busy on reality TV. If he wants it, he can have it. I can deal with pressure. I can cope with it. I can live with it, no problem. I’m ready for the top dogs – Shawn Porter, Adrien Broner? Forget the word prospect, I ain’t a prospect no more.”

Marshall stops Lindberg in 3; Retains Middleweight Title

Savannah Marshall remained undefeated and retained her WBO Middleweight title with a 3rd round stoppage over late-replacement Maria Lindberg

In round two, Marshall dropped Lindberg with a right hand. In round three, it was a left hook that put Lindberg on the deck, and she was counted out at 1:11.

Marshall, 159.9 lbs of Hartlepool, ENG is 10-0 with eight knockouts. Lindberg, 154 lbs of Malmo, SWE is 19-7-2.

“To be honest, I really didn’t think it would pan out like that,” said Marshall. “Maria is one tough woman. She keeps herself in shape all year round. She’d never been stopped in 27-fights. I thought I was in for a bit of a tough night’s work.

“Once I started finding my range with the jab then the backhand just found its way home and I don’t think she could handle the power. She just said there she’s never been dropped in 23 years! I’m quite proud of that.

“On Sunday, I didn’t even think I was going to fight, and then they brought Maria in. It kind of rocked the boat a bit. A quick change of tactics and we got the job done. She’s been in with some good girls, Christina Hammer, she’s boxed for numerous World Titles. She wanted mine, but she’s not getting it. I’m truly grateful to Maria for stepping up. Big thanks to her.

“I’ve heard whispers we’re going back to Newcastle in July, hopefully with crowds. I’d love to box for the IBF Title which is vacant. I feel good at this weight, I’m a big Middleweight. Me against Shields is the only fight at the bigger weights. It has to happen really. There’s nowhere else for her to go. She needs me just as much as I need her.”

Courtenay Decisions Bridges in war; Wins Bantamweight Title

Shannon Courtenay won the WBA Bantamweight with a unanimous decision over Ebanie Bridges in a toe-to-toe slugfest

In round two, both Bridges and Courtenay were cut from a headbutt. Bridges on her forehead, and Courtenay around her right ear. In round five, the left eye of Bridges started to swell.

Bridges continued to push the pace and even hurt Courtenay in round seven. Courtenay had a strong final few rounds, and won y scores of 98-92 twice and 97-94.

Courtenay, 117.1 lbs of Watford, ENG is 7-1. Bridges, 117 lbs of New South Wales, AUS is 5-1.

“Amazing. I don’t want to cry. Amazing,” said Courtenay. “I feel like my jab won me the fight to be honest. My conditioning, my attrition, all of the hard work. My two coaches Charlie and H kill me on a daily basis. They kill me in the gym. I hate them for it, but it bloody paid off. My nice jab, my fitness and my conditioning won me that fight.

“I have to give credit to her because that was a bloody good fight. She was tougher than I thought she’d be. I knew if I stuck to my boxing I’d win. I had to keep listening to Charlie – he kept saying, ‘box, box, box’. When I was getting into a war it was stupid of me. The jab won me the fight.

“There was respect before I got in the ring because anybody that gets in the ring deserves respect. I now have more respect for her. When it was a shootout that was my own stupidity. I’ve come a long way. I’ve said it all week. Tonight is proof that anyone can turn their life around.

“I’m a different person to who I was back then. I’m a World Champion baby! I’m wearing this belt everywhere. This is such a proud moment for me. This is such a good example to young girls that you can turn your life around. I can’t put it into words.”

Farooq Decisions Espinoza

Kash Farooq win a 10-round unanimous decision over Alexander Espinoza in a bantamweight bout.

It was an action packed fight that saw both fighters scrap from in close. In round seven, Farooq was cut around his right eye, The blood was caused by a head clash.

Farooq, 117 lbs of Glasgow, SCO won by scores of 97-93, 97-94 and 97-95 and is now 15-1. Espinoza, 117.8 lbs of Managua, NIC is 20-3-2.

“I’m over the moon with the performance,” Farooq told Sky Sports. “I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I came as an underdog, he was the champion. He took some really heavy shots and he kept coming and coming. 

“When you’re a champion you don’t want to give your belt up. He just wanted to win. That’s why he came here. I wasn’t going to be denied. It’s a lot of hard work in the gym. Practice, practice and practice. It’s second nature because I’ve been working on this for such a long time. I can see the punches coming.”

Campbell Takes Out Frohlich in 2

Nick Campbell made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Petr Frohlich in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

Campbell dropped Frohlich in the 2nd frame with a right. He finished off the fight with a flurry that forced a referee stoppage at 41 seconds.

Campbell, 248.8 lbs of Glasgow, SCO is 1-0 with one knockout. Frohlich, 226.6 lbs of Most, CZE is 2-31-1.

“I like to try and stay humble, I expected to get rid of that guy to be honest with you,” said Campbell. “I know he’s not been knocked out many times in his losses and he’s tough. He took some shots there. I’m pleased with how it went. I put him down once and then the referee jumped in and stopped it.

“In my opinion it was the dream debut. Making my debut on a stage like that after everything that happened in the past year is something that I’d have never of dreamed of. I’m just buzzing to be here and to be talking to you. I’m happy with my performance. I went in there and I had a high work rate. I was just trying to display the things we’d been working on in the gym.

“I can’t thank my team enough for all of the hard work they’ve put into me. They’re the best team around in my opinion. All of the people that have been singing my praises, that was for you, so thank you. I’m a bit older than most people that make their debut, but I feel young. Every fight that I have is a step further than people thought I could go. I’m just here to prove people wrong and work hard.”

NEW YORK, NY (April 10, 2021) – Undefeated heavyweight prospect Mike Balogun (16-0, 12 KOs) returns to the ring tonight at The Rustica, in Vero Beach, FL. The “Rumble at Rustica” event, promoted by Christy Martin Promotions, will be streamed live via LDLTV’s YouTube page, starting at 7:00pm ET.

Balogun, a southpaw from Upper Marlboro, MD, will be facing the crafty and experienced Keith Barr in an eight-round contest. Before the pandemic, the heavy-handed Balogun was coming off of four knockouts in his last five victories. Showing athleticism throughout his youth, Balogun excelled in football before turning to boxing. As a college football standout, Balogun started for the Oklahoma Sooners and then played in the NFL for three years.

NEW YORK (April 9, 2021)-Tomorrow night at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, undefeated heavyweight prospect Sonny Conto returns to the ring when he takes on Waldo Cortes in a scheduled four-round bout.

Conto is managed by Split-T Management and is promoted by Top Rank.

The fight will be streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 PM ET.

Conto of Philadelphia, has a record of 6-0 with five knockouts, and is making his 1st ring appearance since stopping Curtis Head in one round on January 11, 2020 in Atlantic City.

Cortes, of Arizona is 6-3 with three knockouts, who himself is coming off a 1st round stoppage of Daviante Jones on October 29th. He also holds a win over then-undefeated Kingsley Ibeh.

At Friday’s weigh-in Conto weighed in at 230.4 lbs. Cortes was 262.

Photo By Mikey Williams (Top Rank via Getty Images)

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom are delighted to announce the signing of WBO World Light-Flyweight champion Elwin Soto.

Soto (18-1 12 KOs) ripped the WBO strap from Angel Acosta in dramatic fashion with a final round KO win in California in June 2019 and has since defended the title twice with distance triumphs over Edward Heno in October 2019 and Carlos Butrago last October.

The 24 year old will be back in action soon with his first fight under Hearn to be announced shortly, and the young Mexican talent cannot wait to be back in the ring and wants to chase his fellow champions.

“I want to thank Eddie Hearn from Matchroom and Zanfer for this great opportunity,” said Soto. “I’m very excited to announce my next defense and then going on to unify the division.”

“I am delighted to welcome another Mexican World champion to the roster in Elwin Soto,” said Hearn. “His World title win over Acosta was a dramatic fairytale moment, and this young man is really growing into being a World champion.

“We know that the smaller weight classes always guarantee exciting fights, and I can’t wait to see Elwin continue his journey to the biggest fights at Light-Flyweight and above, starting very soon.”

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)

    •    Joe Smith Jr. 174.8. lbs vs. Maxim Vlasov 175 lbs 
(vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges: David Sutherland, Pat Russell, Gerald Ritter
Referee: Gary Ritter

•          Efe Ajagba 239.6 lbs vs. Brian Howard 218 lbs 
(Heavyweight— 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT)

•   Jared Anderson 251.8 lbs vs. Jeremiah Karpency 226.6 lbs 
(Heavyweight — 8/6 Rounds)

•         Albert Bell 132.2 lbs vs. Manuel Rey Rojas 132 
(Junior Lightweight  — 8 Rounds)

   •   Robson Conceição 128.4 lbs vs. Jesus Antonio Ahumada 129
 (Junior Lightweight  — 8 Rounds)

•       Trey Lippe Morrison 225.8 lbs vs. Jason Bergman 256
 (Heavyweight  — 8 Rounds)
•      Duke Ragan 125.8 lbs vs. Charles Clark 126.6
 (Featherweight  — 6 Rounds)

•        Jeremiah Milton 231.8 lbs vs. Jayvone Dafney 222.6
 (Heavyweight — 4 Rounds)

•        Sonny Conto 230.4 lbs vs. Waldo Cortes 262
 (Heavyweight — 4 Rounds)

NEW YORK (April 9, 2021)-Tomorrow at the Copper Box Arena in London, undefeated Ebanie Bridges takes on Shannon Courtenay for the WBA Bantamweight title.

Bridges of New South Wales, Australia is managed by Split-T Management under Brian Cohen.

Bridges has a record of 5-0 with two knockouts, just competed four-weeks ago as she won an eight-round unanimous decision over Carol Earl in Australia. Within hours of her victory over Earl, Ebanie hopped on a plane, and trained for the championship opportunity in Philadelphia.

Bridges, 34, has been at odds with Courtenay for the past several weeks. Tomorrow night they will do battle over 10-rounds to become world champion. The fight will take place under the Conor Benn – Samuel Vargas main event, and will be streamed LIVE on DAZN (2 PM ET / 11 AM PT)

At Friday’s weigh-in, Bridges weighed in at 117 lbs. Courtenay, who comes in with a record of 6-1 with three knockouts, checked in at 117.875 pounds

EBANIE BRIDGES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

“This same way I’ve got noticed is the same way I’m getting this fight noticed. I feel like women’s boxing needs more eyes on the sport, we need to do whatever we can. I truly believe that the reason this fight has got so much talk about it is because of me, because of the different approach. I think that’s what’s helping getting eyes on the sport, getting talk on the sport and building it.

“What does matter is what happens in the ring, that’s all that matters. If we can get as many people as possible to watch the fight, then Shannon and I can show to more diverse number of viewers that women can fight. That’s my goal, get the views and once the people are watching Shannon and I are going to put on a show.

“I’ve been fighting and into martial arts since I was five, I haven’t been a boxing fan for just five or six years, I was boxing fan well before I started in the sport. For me, the boxing part is very important to me, but I feel like we need to get more views on women’s boxing and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get that.

“I think me winning this World Title will show people you don’t have to be like everybody else to achieve these goals. That’s what I’m going for.

“I’m savage, I want to go in there and f**k this shit up. I’m not here to play around, I’m here to get the job done. I don’t play around in boxing, when I fight, I’m there to hurt you. I might look the way I look, but I can’t wait to get in the ring and show people how I fight. The more people I can get to tune in to watch the Bomber, I couldn’t have asked for a better platform, I’m going to do whatever I can.

“We both have the power to knock people out, so a knockout or stoppage is very possible. It’ll come down to our conditioning and heart to see if it goes the ten rounds. If it does go the ten rounds, it’ll be a very exciting ten rounds.

“I truly believe if I win this fight on Saturday night, I’ll become a superstar. If Shannon wins it she’s still Shannon, she still has to beat Rachel Ball. She’s a World Champion but I just think it’s different. I’m very excited to be that person and to be a new face and character in women’s boxing.”

FACE OFF: Shannon Courtenay vs Ebanie Bridges (Full & Uncut)

LOS ANGELES (April 9, 2021) – Undefeated cruiserweight contenders Efetobor Apochi and Deon Nicholson will meet in a 12-round WBA title eliminator headlining a special one-hour FOX PBC Fight Night Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 17 from the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Center in Los Angeles.

The FOX PBC Fight Night Prelims telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and will serve as the lead-in to FOX PBC Fight Night live on FOX and headlined by former WBC Super Welterweight Champion Tony Harrison against Bryant Perrella in the main event.

Super bantamweight teenage twins Chávez “The Beast” Barrientes and Ángel “AK-47” Barrientes will serve as swing bouts in separate fights.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions.

A native of Nigeria who now trains with renowned coach Ronnie Shields in Texas, Apochi (10-0, 10 KOs) has knocked out all of his opponents since turning pro in 2016. The 32-year-old added three stoppages to his tally in 2019, including an impressive knockout over tough prospect Earl Newman in May of that year. Apochi most recently delivered a third-round stoppage over Joe Jones in November 2020 on FS1.

The 30-year-old Nicholson (14-0, 13 KOs) earned a career-best victory over Earl Newman in February 2020, earning a 10-round unanimous decision. Fighting out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Nicholson scored knockout victories in his first 12 pro fights, and most recently knocked out Juan Reyna in December 2020.

Chávez Barrientes (5-0, 4 KOs) is one half of a brother duo with a brilliant future in boxing. The 18-year-old Barrientes was born in Honolulu, Hawaii but now lives and trains in Las Vegas. He is coming off a knockout victory over Paul Carroll in his most recent fight last December.

The younger twin by 13 minutes, Ángel Barrientes (4-1, 3 KOs) had an impressive amateur career, winning 14 national tournaments and three international. The 18-year-old turned pro in November 2019, winning his first three fights before dropping a December 2020 contest to Travon Lawson.

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Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Savannah Marshall believes her late stand-in opponent Maria Lindberg will prove to be a tougher assignment than her original opponent Femke Hermans when they meet for the WBO Middleweight World Title tomorrow night, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs) stopped Hannah Rankin in seven rounds to win the vacant WBO crown last October, the former amateur World Champion was a class above her Scottish rival from the opening bell and managed to go one better than her old foe Claressa Shields by ending the fight inside the distance.

The Hartlepool fighter was due to face Belgium’s Hermans in her maiden defence until the European Champion was forced to pull out of their contest just days ago due to two positive Coronavirus tests in her camp. 

Sweden’s Lindberg, a former four-time World Title challenger, has shared the ring with the likes of Christina Hammer, Ema Kozin and Marie Eve Dicaire, and Marshall says she is prepared for a hard night’s work in her first fight of 2021.

“If anything, this is a tougher fight than the original fight we had,” said Marhsall. “Maria is very experienced, tough and been in with some of the best in the world – Christina Hammer twice. I’m expecting a tough fight come Saturday.

“I’ve had a twelve-week camp, so I’ve prepared for everything. Whatever Maria brings I’m more than confident I’ve got the answer for. I found out about Femke Hermans being off on Saturday and I thought there was no way they’d get me a replacement opponent at such short notice. 

 “Luckily Matchroom pulled it out of the bag and got me an opponent. She’s had three times as many fights as me so I’m sure she knows all of the little tricks of the trade. She’ll probably never get a chance like this again so really it’s the last roll of the dice for her. She’s definitely going to come all guns blazing.”

Marshall vs. Lindberg is part of a big night of action, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (17-0, 11 KOs) defends his WBA Continental Title against Samuel Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) in the main event, Watford’s Shannon Courtenay (6-1, 3 KOs) faces Australia’s Ebanie Bridges  (5-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title, Glasgow Bantamweight Kash Farooq (14-1, 6 KOs) challenges Alexander Espinoza (20-2-2) for the WBC International Silver Title, Glasgow Heavyweight Nick Campbell makes his professional debut and Takeley prospect John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October.

Welterweight Bout – 12 Rounds

Jaron Ennis – 146 ½ lbs.

Sergey Lipinets – 146 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Arthur Mercante; Judges: Glenn Feldman (Conn.), Don Trella (Conn.), Fernando Villarreal (Calif.)

WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

Eimantas Stanionis – 147 lbs.

Thomas Dulorme – 146 ½ lbs.

Referee: Harvey Dock; Judges: Tom Carusone (Conn.), Frank Lombardi (Conn.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

IBF Junior Bantamweight World Title Bout – 12 Rounds

Jerwin Ancajas – 114 ¾ lbs.

Jonathan Rodriguez – 115 lbs.

Referee: David Fields; Judges: Tom Paolillo (N.Y.), Tom Schreck (N.Y.), Don Trella (Conn.)

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosts the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo handles blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Hall of Famers round out the telecast team: ringside reporter Jim Gray, boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer, and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The executive producer is four-time Emmy® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The telecast will be produced by Raymond Smaltz and directed by Chuck McKean. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna serve as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Ennis vs. Lipinets is promoted in association with D&D Boxing.

SHOWTIME is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up here.

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

CARSON, CALIF. (April 9, 2021) – Hard-hitting Mexican contender Jorge “El Demonio” Cota vowed to be the first person to beat rising contender Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora when they meet in FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View action on Saturday, May 1 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

“My style makes a very difficult fight for anyone,” said Cota. “He’s definitely a unique boxer and a good prospect. The only way to beat him will be to use my experience. I will destroy his confidence and take advantage of his youth and inexperience.”

Cota has a tall task literally in Fundora, who stands an astounding six-feet six-inches tall. Cota was originally supposed to face Fundora last December, and has now had another extended period of time to prepare for the undefeated foe.

“I’ve never spent more time preparing for one opponent,” said Cota. “I know him very well. I have followed his career from the beginning. Having this extra time gave me more opportunity to study and get ready to surprise him. I’ve fought fighters who are tall and use their height. They weren’t quite as tall as Fundora, but I’m confident that with the sparring I’ve had I’ll be 100% ready.”

The 33-year-old Cota has faced current unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo and former unified champion Jeison Rosario, in addition to most recently stopping Thomas LaManna in January 2020. For this fight, Cota has been training in the altitude in Tucson, Arizona to help give him an edge.

“Me and my whole team are here in Tucson for training and we love it,” said Cota. “I’ve worked very hard every day in the high altitude. The improvement that the altitude has had on my stamina is going to show and be the difference against Fundora.”

On May 1, the Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico native will enter the ring on a card headlined by a battle between Mexican-American heavyweight stars as former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. battles all-action Chris Arreola. In addition, the entire pay-per-view undercard is filled with Mexican and Mexican-American fighters going toe-to-toe, adding to the motivation to put on a memorable show.

“It’s an honor to be on the undercard of such a great all-Mexican event,” said Cota. “Every fight is going to be a war, because this card is full of proud Mexican warriors.”

For Cota, he believes his preparation and will to win will combine for him to deliver not just a great performance, but steal the show on a night full of exciting style matchups.

“I want to be sure that my head, heart and body will be in perfect condition to provide the fight of the night on May 1,” said Cota. “I’m going to be mentally and physically ready for anything this test throws my way.”

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ABOUT FOX SPORTS PBC PPV: RUIZ VS. ARREOLA
Ruiz vs. Arreola will see former unified heavyweight world champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz, Jr. battle all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare’’ Arreola in the main event of an all-Mexican boxing extravaganza on Saturday, May 1 headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features former world champion Omar “Panterita” Figueroa, Jr. clashing with Abel Ramos in the 12-round welterweight co-main event. Sensational super welterweight contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno’’ Fundora takes on hard-hitting Jorge “El Demonio’’ Cota in a 12-round battle and rising welterweight star Jesús Ramos duels U.S. Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina for 10-rounds of welterweight action in the pay-per-view opener.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

The FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View is priced at $49.99.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

EL PASO, TEXAS (April 9, 2021) – Heavyweight monster Arslanbek “Lion” Makhmudov (11-0, 11 KOs) will make his highly anticipated United States debut as he defends his NABF title against Nagy “Dominican Dynamite” Aguilera(21-10, 14 KOs) in the 10-round co-main event of Munguia vs. Ballard. The bout will be presented in association with Eye of the Tiger Management.

The event will take place on Friday, April 23 at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding
Mexico, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. MDT/9:00 p.m. ET.

The event will be held under strict COVID-19 fan safety protocols and with a reduced event capacity below 40%. For detailed COVID-19 event safety fan protocols, click here or visit http://www.utepspecialevents.com.

“Arslanbek Makhmudov is perhaps the most dangerous fighter in the heavyweight division,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “We are very proud to be working with our partners at Eye of The Tiger Management as we enter a new phase in Makhmudov’s career, one which will see him become a world champion and dominate the biggest names of this weight class.”

Standing at six feet five and a half inches tall, Makhmudov is a Russian monster who weighs as much as 260 pounds when stepping into the ring. Before turning professional in 2017, he was an international amateur standout, where he competed in various tournaments, including the World Series of Boxing. As a professional, the 31-year-old contender has ended all of his fights by knockout, including a first-round win against former world champion Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter to win the NABF Heavyweight Title. Makhmudov, who now calls Montreal, Quebec, Canada his home, has no doubts about what he wants do with his professional career.

“The ‘Lion’ is coming to destroy everyone in the heavyweight division,” said Arslanbek Makhmudov.

“We are excited to show America the biggest threat to the heavyweight division,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. “Arslanbek is a consummate professional. He is dedicated and skilled—the total package.”

Aguilera is a 34-year-old boxer who made his professional debut in August 2007. The native of Newburgh, New Jersey has faced the likes of Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver, Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola and Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale. Aguilera is coming off a unanimous decision win against Terrel Jamal Woods in November 2020.

”Training camp is going great,” said Nagy Aguilera. “The time off really helped me heal. People don’t know I had a lot of injuries in my career but no excuses. I always showed up to fight. I am coming to win. I’m not coming to lay down.”

Additionally, Ibeth “La Roca” Zamora (32-6, 12 KOs) of San Cristobal Huichochitlan, Toluca, Mexico will defend her WBC flyweight world championship against Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (9-1, 1 KO) of Houston, Texas in a 10-round fight.

“I am so excited for this world title defense against Marlen Esparza,” said Ibeth Zamora. “It will be my first fight in the United States, so this is a great chance to show everybody what I am capable of by fighting on a massive stage on a Golden Boy event live on DAZN. I´m proud to bring my title and defend it against a fighter with Esparza’s experience. I am fully confident that my skills will help me come out on top, and I will prove to everybody why I am the WBC reigning flyweight champion and the best in the division.”

“I’m excited,” said Marlen Esparza. “I want to offer my thanks and appreciation to the WBC and Golden Boy for the opportunity to fight the world title. It’s been a dream and vision of mine to fight representing the WBC. I want people to see another great fight. I’m proud to be on the stage again with a great fighter, and I know there are a limited amount of major women’s fights, so I’m honored to have this opportunity. I am training hard and I am bringing my best. I can’t wait for the opening bell!”

Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (14-0-1, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada will put his undefeated record on the line in the opening bout of the DAZN stream against James Bacon (26-4, 17 KOs) of Cebu City, Philippines in a 10-round welterweight clash.

Additional undercard fights will be streamed live via Facebook Watch, including a highly competitive 10-round welterweight showdown between Ferdinand Kerobyan (14-0-1, 9 KOs) of North Hollywood, Calif. and Brad Solomon(29-3, 9 KOs) of Douglasville, Georgia.

Irish prospect Aaron “Silencer” McKenna (11-0, 7 KOs) will fight in an eight-round middleweight clash against Carlos Ortiz (12-5, 12 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico.

Evan Sanchez (8-0, 6 KOs) of Parlier, California will return in a six-round bout in the 147-pound division.

Chris “Milly” Ousley (12-0, 9 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois will participate in a six-round junior middleweight battle against Sanny Duversonne (11-3-2, 8 KOs) of Avon Park, Florida.

Yahu Blackwell (3-1, 2 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland will initiate the night of action in a six-round heavyweight bout.

Opponents for Sanchez and Blackwell will be announced shortly.

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Munguia vs. Ballard is a 12-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate “The Official Beer of Boxing” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The fight will take place on Friday, April 23 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. MDT/9:00 p.m. ET. Additional undercard bouts will be streamed live on Facebook Watch via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page beginning at 1:30 p.m. PT/2:30 p.m. MDT/4:30 p.m. ET

Tickets for Munguia vs. Ballard are on sale now and are priced at $200, $100, $60 and $35 not including applicable service charges. In an effort to promote social distancing, tickets will be sold in pods/groupings of 2, 3, 4 and 6 people only. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 915-747-5234. Tickets will also be available for purchase at http://www.utepspecialevents.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Fans who have already purchased tickets for Saturday, April 24 and would like to still attend Munguia vs. Ballard, your tickets and seating location are still valid for the new date and no further action is required. Ticket buyers who purchased tickets for April 24 through Ticketmaster or the UTEP Box Office and would like a refund, you can go back to your original point of purchase and request a full refund. Refund requests will be honored up until Wednesday, April 14.

Fans who purchased tickets on StubHub, or any other secondary ticket provider, should contact the provider’s customer service staff regarding the impacted date change. The UTEP box office, nor Ticketmaster, are not able to facilitate any credits, exchanges or refunds for tickets not purchased directly through them.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaBallard.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/MunguiaBallard into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.

18:20 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

4 x 3 mins International Light-Heavyweight contest
JOHN HEDGES 12st 9lbs 2oz v STANKO JERMELIC 12st 6lbs 6oz
(Takeley, England)                      (Split, Croatia)
 
followed by

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS & DAZN

6 x 3 mins International Heavyweight contest
NICK CAMPBELL 17st 10lbs 13oz v PETR FROHLICH 16st 2lbs 10oz
(Glasgow, Scotland)                           (Most, Czech Republic)

followed by

10 x 3 mins WBC International Silver Bantamweight Title
ALEXANDER ESPINOZA 8st 5lbs 8oz v KASH FAROOQ 8st 5lbs 0oz
(Managua, Nicaragua)                             (Glasgow, Scotland)

followed by

10 x 2 mins vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title 
SHANNON COURTENAY 8st 5lbs 14oz v EBANIE BRIDGES 8st 5lbs 0oz
(Watford, England)                                     (New South Wales, Australia)

followed by

10 x 2 mins WBO Middleweight World Title
SAVANNAH MARSHALL 11st 5lbs 10oz v MARIA LINDBERG 11st 0lbs 2oz
(Hartlepool, England)                                  (Malmo, Sweden)

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA Continental Welterweight Title
CONOR BENN 10st 6lbs 12oz v SAMUEL VARGAS 10st 6lbs 10oz
(Essex, England)                         (Bogota, Colombia)

TALENTED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT Eithan James has been carrying out his research with a view to placing himself in the title mix at Area level.

The 20-year-old five-times National champion and Commonwealth Youth gold medallist moved himself to 5-0 as a pro last weekend with a convincing points victory over Clayton Bricknell at the Copper Box Arena.

The Northampton resident, who goes by the nickname of ‘Jammy’ was pleased with his night’s work in what was his first six-rounder.

“It was good and I enjoyed it,” reflected James, who was also a two-times Tri-Nations and Haringey Box Cup winner as an amateur. “It was a step up, although I had a change of opponent at the last minute that threw me off a bit. I thought I boxed well and it was a good first six rounds.

“I think it is going good for me and I think in the first four fights it was good to get that journeyman experience under my belt – tough lads who would give me the rounds and get me used to being around the environment. Now I have stepped up to lads with a winning record and that is what I want to keep doing now.

“I have been looking at Area titles and at a few lads from around my way. There are a couple who hold titles who I know I could have a good shot at before the end of the year, maybe next. I probably need to have a couple more six and eight rounders and then look at the beginning of next year.”

James brought about a change of circumstances ahead of his fourth fight when he departed Bromley’s iBox Gym in favour of working closer to home. He was not unsettled or unhappy with his progression, it was purely geography and petrol money that saw to it that change became inevitable.

“I’ve moved back up to Northampton and had to leave the iBox. It was just the travelling and work was getting too much, so I spoke to Alan Smith and Eddie Lam and they said they could tell I was struggling.

“I was having to miss sessions every now and again just because of traffic and not finishing work early enough. So I have moved back near home and I am enjoying it. It was difficult to make the switch because they gave me a good start and everything was going how I wanted it to. I didn’t really want to move away from where everything was working.

“I had to make a choice because it was costing me a lot of money just to travel down there and, at the moment, I can’t move away from work so it was a bit of a struggle.”

James opted to return to his amateur roots and reunite with former amateur trainer James Conway.

“I have been with James since I was 13 so he knows how everything works with me and he is doing a good job with Kieron (his 16-1-1 super welterweight son) and it is going well.

“We travel a lot for sparring and my last spar before my fight was at Adam Booth’s gym, where I sparred the welterweight Ryan Martin. We travel to Birmingham a lot as well.”

The next staging post in the pro journey of James is to finish a fight before the final bell. It was noticeable against Bricknell that the usually style-conscious youngster started to plant his feet and was prepared to trade a few shots.

“Yeah I wanted to see what I could do, empty my tank and see where I was at. At the end of six I felt I could have done another two rounds and I wanted to test my fitness. I’m not too bothered about the stoppages as long as I keep getting the wins and look good doing it. That is all I’m fussed about.”

PHILADELPHIA (APRIL 8, 2021)–This past Saturday night, popular heavyweight Joey Dawejko knocked out Joe Jones in the opening round of their scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

The bout headlined a card promoted by RDR Promotions.

Dawejko was dominant in dropping Jones twice, with the final punch coming from a big left hook, and the fight was halted at 2:50.

Dawejko of Philadelphia improved his record to 21-8-4 with 12 knockouts. Jones falls to 11-4.

In the co-feature, surging lightweight Nahir Albright notched his third consecutive stoppage victory by stopping Dante Cox in round three of their scheduled six-round bout.

Albright dropped Cox twice in round two, and finished him off at 2:13 of the third frame.

Albright of Sicklerville, NJ is now 11-1 with five knockouts. Cox of Glen Burnie, MD is 6-2.

Former National Golden Gloves champion Mike Hilton shrugged off a knockdown to win a six-round unanimous decision over Twon Smith in a cruiserweight fight.

Smith put Hilton down for a flash knockdown in round three from a left. That was sandwiched around Hilton outboxing Smith, and Hilton took all three cards by 58-55 scores.

Hilton of Trenton, NJ is 11-0. Smith falls to 3-5.

Afunwa King scored a mild upset by taking a six-round majority decision over previously undefeated Benny Sinakin in a light heavyweight bout.

King took two cards by 58-56 tallies, while a third card read even at 57-57.

King is now 3-1. Sinakin of Philadelphia is 6-1.

Matthew Gonzalez of Brooklyn, New York remained undefeated by taking out Luis Eduardo Florez in round five of a scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 2:13 for Gonzalez, who is now 12-0 with eight knockouts. Florez is now 25-19.

Rasheen Brown stopped late-replacement Christopher Nelson in round three of their four-round featherweight fight.

Brown dominated with body shots, and the fight was stopped at 1:50 of round three. A West Philadelphia native, Brown is 7-0 with four knockouts. Nelson is 3-18.

Tahmir Smalls remained undefeated by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Andres Abarca in a welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-34 twice and 39-35 for Smalls, who is now 3-0. Abarca,is 2-4.

Jahdon Ervin made a successful pro debut by taking a four-round unanimous decision over Kareem Gladney in a middleweight fight.

Ervin of St. Clair, PA is 1-0. Gladney is 0-4.

A limited number of seats were available due to Covid restrictions, and were filled to that limited capacity. The fights were streamed worldwide on BXNGTV.com

RDR PROMOTIONS WILL BE BACK AT 2300 ARENA ON SATURDAY, MAY 8TH.

NEW YORK – April 8, 2021 – Undefeated rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis and former world champion Sergey Lipinets previewed their 12-round welterweight showdown during fighter media availability Thursday before they square off in the main event live on SHOWTIME this Saturday, April 10 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Also discussing their respective clashes were unbeaten Eimantas Stanionis and hard-hitting Thomas Dulorme, who meet in a 12-round WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-feature, and IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas and Mexico’s Jonathan Rodriguez, who will kick off the tripleheader with a title fight at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Ennis vs. Lipinets is promoted in association with D&D Boxing.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

JARON ENNIS

“After I do my thing on Saturday night and I do it with a big statement, it’s only up from there. On to bigger and better things. The elite fighters and the top three guys and then maybe a world title by the end of the year. This fight is just going to elevate my ranking, my superstardom and it will be the start of me being a pay-per-view star.

“I’m not worried about what Lipinets is talking about. At the end of the day, he still has to get in the ring with me on Saturday night. And we’re going to see. They don’t know what I’m going to bring. I’m an all-around fighter. You don’t know how I’m going to fight. I can fight several different ways. He just needs to know he’s gotta be ready.

“Training camp went great. It was the same old but just taking everything to the next level. I added a new workout into my training camp which was the underwater treadmill. It’s good for your legs and your lungs. It’s crazy. I do it three times a week and it makes me feel phenomenal.

“Everybody knows my style. I’m in and out like a robbery. The main goal is to be smart, go in there and win in dominating fashion. If the knockout comes, it comes. But the goal is to look good, put on a beautiful performance and get the knockout at the end of the night.

“Being from Philadelphia, a city with so many great champions, at the end of the day you just have to put on for Philly and continue the legacy that those guys started. My goal is to continue their legacy and have more world champions from Philadelphia. I feel like we’re going to have more world champions from Philadelphia around this time next year.

“These are the types of fights I’ve been waiting for. This is the guy that’s going to take me to the next level because he has a good name and he was a former world champion at 140 pounds. After this, without looking past Sergey Lipinets, I feel like I’m ready for a top five or top three guy and then a world title at the end of the year. If any of the top guys need a dance partner, they can just call.

“I’ve been trying to get these types of guys in the ring for about two-and-a-half years. I’ve been trying to get former world champions and top ten guys. It just didn’t happen. I finally got my chance and you guys are going to see a whole different animal. A whole different beast. It’s time for me to do my thing. I’m real excited.

“His style is tailor-made for me. Him coming forward is picture-perfect for me. He’s going to be running into shots all night long. It’s going to be a long night for him.”

SERGEY LIPINETS

“Everything was perfect in training camp. It was not an easy camp at all. It was probably the hardest I’ve ever had. I made it through and I feel 100% ready to go.

“I think the opposition that I’ve faced is definitely better than what Ennis has faced. I went 12 rounds with Mikey Garcia and I faced a two-time champion in Lamont Peterson. Those guys have pushed me to the edge before. Ennis has more pro fights than I do, he just hasn’t been pushed in the same way in his fights.

“We’re not basing our training on him weakening over the second half of the fight. We prepared for someone ready to go 12 hard rounds. We’re going to stay consistent, come forward and throw punches. We’re going to push ourselves and try to push Jaron as well.

“The main thing I learned from my last fight is to not depend on the judges. I know that we’re both coming to knock each other out. That’s what makes for an attractive fight. We’re hunting for opportunities to hurt him.

“I don’t worry about any outside noise or what people say about this fight. It doesn’t matter to me if I’m the underdog. I’m coming in there to do my job and put on the best performance possible.

“Ennis is young and up-and-coming fighter. All we want is a shot at the title and everything that comes with it. A win in this fight will give us all of that. I want to get my crack at the big dogs in the division.

“From what I’ve seen, Ennis can fight inside or box on the outside. He’s the whole package. Whatever he brings into the ring, I’ll be ready for it. We have multiple game plans and multiple ways that we can get this victory.

“If you follow my career, you know that I never turn down a fight. Ennis is still just another fighter. A lot of people have his skills. I love fighting boxers who are a challenge, and he presents a big challenge. That’s what excites me.

“We’re both looking to control the action, but we’ll see what happens when the bell rings. I’m focused on what I have to do to put myself in position to execute my punches. I’m looking to capitalize on any mistakes or openings he gives me.

“Custio Clayton is a very good fighter, I don’t see a lot of people lined up to face him. After a couple rounds of action though, he was trying to fight an evasive fight. It was a very competitive fight and I still feel like I won.”

EIMANTAS STANIONIS

“We are entertainers, so I definitely want the knockout. That’s part of my job. I have to do my best to give the fans something to remember. I always put 100% of my heart into a fight and that makes me happy no matter what the result is.

“Both Ennis and I have step up fights on Saturday like everyone is saying. We both have our toughest challenges yet and I think we’re both on the same track now as the next champions in the division.

“Everything was good in training. I’ve been training nonstop. I haven’t taken a break since my last fight, so I’m always in shape. You never know when the call is going to come for your next fight.

“There is some pressure to be the first world champion from Lithuania. Everybody is going wild for this fight because they’re going to show it over there. It’s amazing and it’s very exciting for me.

“I think on Saturday I’m going to answer a lot of questions about me. I believe that I can beat any of the welterweight champions. Everyone will see my level and what I’m capable of. I know I have to step up every fight and prove it again and again.

“For me, it doesn’t matter who I fight next. I’ll never say no to a fight. It can be two against one and I’ll be up for it. I’m just that kind of person. I want to give it my best no matter what.

“I’m very thankful to have this opportunity on a stage like this. It’s a new era coming up of young hungry fighters in the welterweight division. I think my will to win and get knockouts will separate me. I also think my style is fan-friendly and that will help me stand out.

“I would accept a fight against a champion next, but I know that experience is important. I want experience against good opposition like Dulorme. I know that will get me ready and show my team that I’ll be ready for the champions when that time comes.”

THOMAS DULORME

“Fights don’t always go the way we expect them to, so I’m prepared for anything that happens in the ring. I have enough experience that I’m prepared for any way that Stanionis plans to fight.

“I learned a lot against Jamal James. He was a tall and awkward fighter. I think it was a good experience for me. Stanionis is a very different fighter, so we’re focused on what we need to do against a fighter with his skills.

“This is a good fight for the fans and for me and my career. I’m ready to show everyone that I’m still a serious contender in the welterweight division.

“Training camp was great. I worked in the gym for the last 10 weeks every day. Right now I’m feeling perfect and ready for Saturday night.

“I have to win this fight. I know that with a win I’m going to get the bigger opportunities that I’m looking for. My experience is going to be a big factor. I’m planning to test him and see how he holds up in the later rounds.

“Stanionis is a fighter who comes forward and throws punches. He stands in the middle, unlike Jamal James who was more evasive. That style is going to make it easier for me to put on the kind of fight that I want.”

JERWIN ANCAJAS

“This fight is very important to me. I want to defend my title again badly. Every fight is very important and that’s how I prepare. That’s why I still have my title and why I must keep it.

“It hasn’t been frustrating being out of the ring for 16 months because we are always training and always in the gym. We always believed that a big fight was going to come. I stayed focused and stayed ready. From March until October in the pandemic, I was able to train and stay focused. In October, I arrived to the U.S. and I’ve never stopped training. I feel very prepared to meet the challenge on Saturday night.

“Every fight I always want to perform my best and put on a good fight because I want people to know my name. Everybody always talks about Estrada, Chocolatito and Rungvisai so that’s why I’m excited to have this opportunity to showcase my skills and challenge those guys.

“I promise that on Saturday night I’m going to put on a great fight. I’m ready for what Jonathan Rodriguez will bring. It’s Mexico vs. Philippines, which is a great rivalry with great history. I’m prepared. I watched Jonathan and I know that he’s hungry and coming for the title. It will be a really good action fight.

“I want people to remember me for being a champion and giving my all every time I get in the ring. After this fight, I want to face some of the top guys in my division. I always come to the fight and give the fans my best and that’s how I want people to remember me.

“I’m very comfortable right now at 115 pounds. I’m looking to win on Saturday night and I want to fight whoever is left after the four-man tournament between Rungvisai, Chocolatito, Estrada and Cuadras. I’m always calling the name of any titleholder in my division, so I would fight Ioka too. I want a signature fight because I’m tired of people criticizing me for not fighting anybody. After this, that’s what I’m targeting and then once I get that fight I plan to move to 118 pounds sometime next year.

“If I had to choose one name, I would want to fight Chocolatito because I always watched him on TV and he’s my idol. Now, if I have the opportunity to fight Chocolatito I really want that fight.

“It doesn’t bother me that everybody is always talking about Chocolatito and Estrada and those guys. It’s a compliment. I know that one day it will come and I will get the opportunity to fight those guys. A lot of people will be watching on Saturday night so I want to make a great statement so that my name can still be in the mix with all of those guys.”

JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ

“I had a great training camp over the last two months. I’ve been looking forward to this fight for the last two years and I can’t wait to get into the ring Saturday night.

“Ancajas is a great champion, but he’s never faced someone like me. I’m going to put the pressure on him from the very beginning Saturday night and show him that he has a great Mexican fighter standing in his way.

“I’m very excited for this fight. My daughter was just born five days ago and that gives me extra motivation to put on a great show and make my name known in the United States.

“We have been preparing the whole time since my last fight and I really couldn’t feel any better heading into Saturday. I’ve been studying Ancajas for two years now, so I feel like I know everything about him.

“The Mexico vs. Philippines rivalry is a great one and I definitely remember watching the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez fights. I’m excited to carry the Mexican flag after I win on Saturday.

“This is a stacked division with a lot of great fighters. Ancajas is a world champion, but I don’t compare him to the other champions in the division. I’m just focused on what I have to do Saturday.”

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ABOUT ENNIS VS. LIPINETS
Ennis vs. Lipinets will see rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis face former world champion Sergey Lipinets in a 12-round showdown headlining action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, April 10 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, a pair of hard-hitting welterweights square off as Eimantas Stanionis takes on former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme in a 12-round WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator. The telecast opener features IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas defending his title against Jonathan Rodríguez in a 12-round bout.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Ennis vs. Lipinets is promoted in association with D&D Boxing.

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

Rugby player turned Heavyweight boxing debutant Nick Campbell says he has been inspired by darts World Champion Gerwyn Price and former British Super-Lightweight Champion Curtis Woodhouse as he prepares to take on Petr Frohlich over six rounds this Saturday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

The Jersey-based Scot, who has won regional and national Heavyweight Titles in his homeland since switching sports in 2017, played eight years of professional rugby with Glasgow Warriors and Jersey Reds but now has his sights set on becoming his country’s first ever British Champion. 

‘The Glasgow Warrior’, 31, will look to follow in the footsteps of former professional Welsh rugby hooker Price, who started competing on the PDC tour in 2014, and former Sheffield United and Birmingham City midfielder Woodhouse, who made his professional debut in 2006, as he aims to make a name for himself in a new sport. 

“Gerwyn Price was on loan at Glasgow for six months from the Newport Gwent Dragons when I was there, and he’s now the darts World Champion!” said Campbell. “He’s an example of a guy that completely transitioned sports. I know it’s not boxing but it just goes to show you that it can be done. 

“Curtis Woodhouse is another one, football to boxing. He became a British Champion. Nobody can ever take that away from him. They’re probably the biggest two and the first that come to my mind. Sonny Bill as well over in New Zealand is having another dabble at the boxing. 

“There is so much that applies between sports – discipline, getting up early in the morning, doing your recovery, doing rehab, doing the things that aren’t fun, the things that people don’t see. There are so many things I can take from rugby and apply it to boxing.

“I’m 6’7” and 18 stone – if I didn’t use those physical attributes, I’d be crazy. I want to get behind my jab, take the centre of the ring, I am very well-conditioned and take pride in how fit I am. No disrespect to some of the Heavyweights but some of them can’t condition themselves. I like to think, if I get the opportunity, I can put people out of there. I want knockouts, to get people excited.

“There has never been a British Heavyweight Champion from Scotland. If you are turning professional that’s what you have to aspire to. People laughed at Curtis Woodhouse but he became a British Champion. Why should it be different for me?

“To challenge for a British Title would be an amazing achievement. The last Scotsman to do it was Gary Cornish who was beaten by Sam Sexton. I understand the level of these fighters – Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce competed for it last. I’m under no illusions. I’m prepared to sacrifice, dig down, work a lot to get there.”

Campbell vs. Frohlich is part of a big night of action, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (17-0, 11 KOs) defends his WBA Continental Title against Samuel Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) in the main event, Watford’s Shannon Courtenay (6-1, 3 KOs) faces Australia’s Ebanie Bridges  (5-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title, Hartlepool’s Savannah Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs) defends her WBO Middleweight World Title against Sweden’s Maria Lindberg (19-6-2, 10 KOs), Glasgow Bantamweight Kash Farooq (14-1, 6 KOs) challenges Alexander Espinoza (20-2-2) for the WBC International Silver Title and Takeley prospect John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October.

Eddie Hearn:

“We’re here back in London after a whirlwind global tour that continues. Two weeks ago we were in sunny Gibraltar for an incredible event with Dillian Whyte against Alexander Povetkin. Last weekend in Uzbekistan for a thrilling night with over 10,000 people in attendance for the homecoming heroes.

“Back in London now for a huge card live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN around the world. Conor Benn returns against the fantastic Samuel Vargas in what should be a thrilling fight. Two women’s World Title fights on the card as well, Savannah Marshall against Maria Lindberg and of course Shannon Courtenay against Ebanie Bridges for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title.

“Next week we have the WBO Middleweight World Championship in Miami between Demetrius Andrade and Liam Williams. Then we’re in Barcelona, two Brits going for the European Championships and then the huge card on May 1^st of course – Chisora vs. Parker and Katie Taylor vs. Tasha Jonas, Chris Eubank Jr against Marcus Morrison, Dmitry Bivol against Craig Richards, Scott Fitzgerald and Campbell Hatton on the card.

“Then there’s the small matter of 70,000 people at the fantastic Dallas Cowboys Stadium for Canelo against Billy Joe Saunders. Then we’re back in the UK for a May 15^th show that will be announced next week. Just a little few things coming up for you.”

Conor Benn – Essex, England – 17-0, 11 KOs – defending his WBA Continental Welterweight Title against Samuel Vargas:

“This is definitely one for the fans. I’m chomping at the bit; this is a fight I’ve been calling for a long time now and this is another fight where I can show my levels and experience.

“You can judge me on my last performance, or the performance before that, but I’m always evolving and learning from previous fights and the mistakes I’ve made. This is the sort of fight where I really do show what I’m capable of.

“We don’t know the ceiling to my career, we don’t know where the limit is because I came into the game raw and naive. I’m learning and I plan on displaying all of that come Saturday night.

“If you watch Vargas’ fights he comes in and he brings it but so do I. Of course, he’s tested at a higher level and got more experience than me, but everyone I fight moving forward is going to have experience on me, I’ll always go into the fight the less experienced fighter because of my lack of amateur background, because I’m only 24.

“People will question that, it’s my job to prove them wrong, it’s my job to get in there and do a number on him Saturday night. It’s going to be my hardest nights work, I know what he brings, he’s a tough South American who loves to fight and fights with his heart on his sleeve. You’ve got to give him credit where it’s deserved.

“I keep getting asked now about other fights, I made the mistake once in my career looking past opponents and look what happened – I hit the deck twice and it turned out to be my hardest nights work in my career. I’m fully focused on Vargas; I know what he brings and he’s in there to win and show me how it’s done.

“I’ve been training hard for this fight; I’ve been working hard and visualising this fight and I’m ready to go. Whatever he brings, I’ll match it – it’s going to be a shootout at some stage of this fight.

“Every time we’ve said it’s a test I’ve passed with flying colours. With Koivula people were writing me off again, saying he’s too experienced, and then what happened. I stepped up again against Sebastian Formella and what happened. I rise to the occasion and I will rise to the occasion, I will make sure I match it.

“Tony’s trained me harder than ever for this camp. He’s really pushed me; I don’t often say I need a break, but I needed a few this camp. When you’re talking about sacrifices try four years, not being with family – that’s really hard.

“My little son now, we only had a few days off when he was born to spend time with him, so your mind and emotions are still on the fight. Even when I’m holding him, I’m thinking about the fight. Twitching in my sleep about the fight. It’s going to be nice after this to sit down and emotionally relax with my new family.” 

Samuel Vargas – Bogota, Colombia – 31-6-2, 14 KOs – challenging Conor Benn for his WBA Continental Welterweight Title:

“I’m blessed, I’m happy and had a good training camp. I feel like everything has fallen into place for me to have a great show Saturday night. I’ve put my heart and soul into this training camp, working with Bones Adams. I’ve lots of rounds in the gym and I’m really excited to be here. The moment is here, it’s time.

“I don’t really compare, I was 24 once, I was young once upon a time and when I look at myself then and now, I just laugh. I just think I bring too much into the ring for him.

“It’s kind of sad we don’t have fans in the venue, I was looking forward to having a lot of fans there because it would’ve beee a great energy, you need that. The fans in London have a lot of love and support which I’m thankful for.

“This is a fan friendly fight, he fights, I fight my ass off. I fight for my family, for everything I have, for the desire to win and become better at life and boxing, there’s so many motives I have to fight for.

“I never make no excuses, even in my loses, I always work my ass off in training camp. This fight in particular, I haven’t seen my family or Lee in two months. Everybody keeps telling me how focused and driven I am because it’s all I’ve done, there’s nothing else to do but box, study, know my enemy and do my job.” 

Savannah Marshall – Hartlepool, England – 9-0, 7 KOs – defending her WBO Middleweight World Title against Maria Lindberg:

“If anything, this is a tougher fight than the original fight we had. Maria is very experienced, tough and been in with some of the best in the world – Christian Hammer twice. I’m expecting a tough fight come Saturday.

“I’ve had a twelve-week camp, so I’ve prepared for everything. Whatever Maria brings I’m more than confident I’ve got the answer for.

“I think it’s every boxers dream of being the Undisputed Champion and I do believe that is the biggest fight in female boxing, but I can’t look past Maria at the moment.” 

Maria Lindberg – Malmo, Sweden – 19-6-2, 10 KOs – challenging Savannah Marshall for her WBO Middleweight World Title:

“Unfortunately, this was so sudden, and I didn’t have much time but I’m more or less always in training. I’m prepared, this is a new experience for me as I’ve never taken a fight like this with such short notice. There’s a first time for everything, I’m excited and looking forward to Saturday.

“I’m more experienced as a professional, I think I have three times more fights than Savannah and many Title fights. I’ve fought some really good fights, so the experience is definitely on my side. I have my style and I know how I’m fighting, that’s the way I’m going to make it hard for her on Saturday.”

Shannon Courtenay – Watford, England – 6-1, 3 KOs – fighting Ebanie Bridges for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“This is more than just a fight, this is an opportunity for me to change my entire life, my family’s life. This is the reason I got into boxing and I’m excited to achieve my dream Saturday night.

“We have very different opinions when it comes to fighting. She talks more about the weigh-in, all I care about is the fight – I’m a fight fan. This to me is a World Title, why are we not talking about the fact this is a world title fight. This is a fantastic fight.

“She’s an exciting fighter, she’s aggressive and comes forward, I’m aggressive and I come forward. Our styles are going to mix, so let’s talk about the fight, there’s nothing else to discuss.

“I’m just excited to fight. I can understand why she’s saying she wants to get more eyes on the sport, but I want to get more viewers for the correct reasons. Katie Taylor didn’t work her backside off to pave the way for women like Ebanie and I to talk about underwear.

“I’ve got a 14-year-old sister, my coaches have daughters, my god-daughter, I want to be a good role model and show them hard work and motivation gets you here. Not flaunting your body.

“I’ve got a cool, calm and collected head. We’ve had a game plan since day one of this fight, I’ve got the best team behind me keeping me nice and calm. My game plan is my game plan, we’ve stuck to it in sparring, and it’s worked beautifully – it’ll work even better on Saturday.

“This fight isn’t my Everest; this is just the start for me. Win the World Title, join the likes of Savannah Marshall, Katie Taylor, Terri Harper and another British woman to hold a World Title. I want to bring another World Title to Britain; we saw it with Lawrence Okolie a few weeks ago and I want to be the next one.” 

Ebanie Bridges – New South Wales, Australia – 6-0, 2 KOs – fighting Shannon Courtenay for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“This same way I’ve got noticed is the same way I’m getting this fight noticed. I feel like women’s boxing needs more eyes on the sport, we need to do whatever we can. I truly believe that the reason this fight has got so much talk about it is because of me, because of the different approach. I think that’s what’s helping getting eyes on the sport, getting talk on the sport and building it.

“What does matter is what happens in the ring, that’s all that matters. If we can get as many people as possible to watch the fight, then Shannon and I can show to more diverse number of viewers that women can fight. That’s my goal, get the views and once the people are watching Shannon and I are going to put on a show.

“I’ve been fighting and into martial arts since I was five, I haven’t been a boxing fan for just five or six years, I was boxing fan well before I started in the sport. For me, the boxing part is very important to me, but I feel like we need to get more views on women’s boxing and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get that.

“I think me winning this World Title will show people you don’t have to be like everybody else to achieve these goals. That’s what I’m going for.

“I’m savage, I want to go in there and f**k this shit up. I’m not here to play around, I’m here to get the job done. I don’t play around in boxing, when I fight, I’m there to hurt you. I might look the way I look, but I can’t wait to get in the ring and show people how I fight. The more people I can get to tune in to watch the Bomber, I couldn’t have asked for a better platform, I’m going to do whatever I can.

“We both have the power to knock people out, so a knockout or stoppage is very possible. It’ll come down to our conditioning and heart to see if it goes the ten rounds. If it does go the ten rounds, it’ll be a very exciting ten rounds.

“I truly believe if I win this fight on Saturday night, I’ll become a superstar. If Shannon wins it she’s still Shannon, she still has to beat Rachel Ball. She’s a World Champion but I just think it’s different. I’m very excited to be that person and to be a new face and character in women’s boxing.” 

Alexander Espinoza – Managua, Nicaragua – 20-2-2, 8 KOs– defending his WBC International Silver Bantamweight Title against Kash Farooq:

“We know there are some great champions from Nicaragua, and you’ll see another one Saturday night.

“I believe very much in myself and I’m looking forward to retaining my International crown. I believe I can beat anyone at world level and go on to win a World Title myself.” 

Kash Farooq – Glasgow, Scotland – 14-1, 6 KOs – challenging Alexander Espinoza for his WBC International Silver Bantamweight Title:

“I’m been preparing for this fight; I know what to expect on the night and I’m really confident I’ll put in a good performance and get the win. He’s going to bring it.

“I was pleased but there’s always room for improvement. I went back, took a couple of days off and went right back to the gym. I trained right through Christmas, New Year and my birthday. It was a good performance, but I want to improve every fight, I want to get better, and this is another fight where I’m going to showcase my skills and look good.

“I think he [Alexander] will be there all night, but that’s going to make me look even better. It’s going to give me opportunities I didn’t get last fight. Expect a good performance off me but never say never he may surprise me.”  

John Hedges – Takeley, England – 1-0 – fighting Stanko Jermelic in a four-round International Light-Heavyweight contest:

“It was a hard debut but looking back on it now and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. It’s prepared me for what’s to come in the future. Taking a southpaw one a couple days’ notice was probably something I shouldn’t have done, but I’m glad I did, we got the win, and we push on now for my second fight and I’m looking to shine.

“I’ve trained hard, I’ve had some class sparring and sparred some great names – British Champions all at Light-Heavyweight. I’ve trained hard, been around some good boys and putting everything in, Mark’s been away but I had a few weeks with him.

“Me, Steven Andrews, Mark Tibbs, Jimmy Tibbs and Ian have all been down there doing the job, putting the work in and making sure I can have a good performance this time.

“It’s a proper Essex gym, we’re having it down there – it’s lively. I can’t knock it, it’s a proper gym and I’m enjoying it down there. I’m enjoying being in good company and training hard.

“I’m trying to take the pressure off myself, I don’t want to swallow on it. I’m ready to go, I’ve put the work in, and this is the fun part. I want to prove to people what I know I can be and what I’ve done before – I’m ready to go now.

Stanko Jermelic – Split, Croatia – 0-5 – fighting John Hedges in a four-round International Light-Heavyweight contest:

“I’ve had good training camp; I feel like I’m ready to face John. I’ve watched John’s previous fight and I’m ready to fight on Saturday.” 

Nick Campbell – Glasgow, Scotland – Professional Debut – fighting Petr Frohlich in a six-round International Heavyweight contest:

“I suppose you do need to be mad to get into boxing, but I love it. I’ve loved the sport since a young age, so it just felt like the right thing for me to do at the time – give up rugby and go to boxing.

“Here we are, no better stage to make your debut and I’m buzzing for it I can’t wait.

“Scotland is famous for their lighter weights; we’ve got Josh Taylor and Kash Farooq who is fighting with me on this card at the weekend but there’s never really been a good Heavyweight. There’s a void there, one that I want to fill.

“My rugby background is going to help me with this, with the pressure. I’m taking it in my stride, using the pressure to perform, put on a show Saturday night and show that I’m here to make a statement.

“I got into this four years ago, I went through the amateur set up and been down Sheffield sparring guys in the GB squad. I’ve been over the world the Scotland, always testing myself and see how I went.

“As far as I’m concerned, the only way is up and anybody who doubts me is just more fuel to my fire.

Petr Frohlich – Most, Czech Republic – 2-30-1, 1 KO – fighting Nick Campbell in a six-round International Heavyweight contest:

“I’m so pleased and grateful for this opportunity to fight here in London, particularly given the current climate. I’m going to give my best and show what a quality boxer I am.” 

TULSA, OK (April 8, 2021) — Joe Smith Jr., the small business owner and former union construction worker from Long Island, just wants to fight. Smith, who operates Team Smith Tree Service with his father, hopes to chop down Maxim Vlasov and win the vacant WBO light heavyweight world title Saturday evening at Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma (ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN, 10 p.m. ET).

Smith and Vlasov were scheduled for a pre-fight press conference once before, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. Vlasov tested positive for COVID-19 that day, and their scheduled Feb. 13 fight was temporarily derailed. Vlasov recovered, went home to Russia, and then finished training camp in Las Vegas.

Smith got married, but he delayed his honeymoon to focus on the task at hand. Instead of the bright lights of Las Vegas, they will do battle in the Sooner State in front of a sold-out crowd.

Before fight night, this is what both fighters had to say.

Joe Smith Jr. 

“I was 100 percent ready to go back in February, but it’s OK. I had time to enjoy my wedding day and now I’m just ready to go once again.”

“I know what I’m going up against. He is a busy and aggressive guy with a lot of experience, but I have prepared well and I’m going to give 100 percent of myself to come out victorious.”

“Becoming world champion and hearing the words, ‘and new!’ it’s going to be an amazing feeling. This is everything I have been working for since I was 15 years old.”

Maxim Vlasov

“I’m sure that you will see no ring rust at all this time. I’ve been preparing well. I’ve been sharpening my skills, and I’m ready to give it my all, 100 percent.”

“I feel the same as a younger boxer who is less experienced because this is a great chance for me. This is a great responsibility, a great risk. I am very excited and motivated for this fight.”

“I have taken preparation seriously, watched many of his fights, and learned some things. I don’t like to talk about his weakest or strongest points or divulge any strategies or plans related to the fight.”

SATURDAY, April 10, 2021

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Maxim Vlasov, 12 rounds, Vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title

Efe Ajagba vs. Brian Howard, 10 rounds, heavyweight

ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT

Jared Anderson vs. Jeremiah Karpency, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Albert Bell vs. Manuel Rey Rojas, 8 rounds, junior lightweight

Trey Lippe Morrison vs. Jason Bergman, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Duke Ragan vs. Charles Clark, 6 rounds, featherweight

Jeremiah Milton vs. Jayvone Dafney, 4 rounds, heavyweight