Former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla ended his career with a 10-round majority decision over Frank Urquiaga at the Manchester Arena in Crolla’s hometown of Manchester, England.

Crolla, 136.75 lbs won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 95-95 to finish his career with a record of 35-7-3. Urquiaga of Spain is 13-2-1.

Speaking after his fight Crolla said: “Getting the win was the main thing but now I know my time’s up. I wasn’t nervous coming into the arena but it did get to me a bit when I came out here – knowing it was for the last time.

“Hopefully I’ve left a bit of a legacy. And I’ll be back in the gym training the youngsters and hopefully some of the champions of the future.”

Taylor decisions Linardatou; Wins Super Lightweight Title

Katie Taylor won the WBO Super Lightweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Christina Linardatou.

Taylor of Ireland won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94 and is now 15-0. Linardatou of Greece is 12-2.

“I’m making history again,” said an emotional Taylor after her fight. “I’m breaking boundaries again and I’m a two-weight World Champion – and there’s still more to come. I thought I boxed beautifully on the outside and I didn’t get sucked into a fight.”

Cash stops Cullen in eight

Felix Cash remained undefeated with an eighth-round stoppage over Jack Cullen in a scheduled 12-round middleweight bout.

In round one, Cash dropped Cullen with a hard overhand right to the side of the head.

In round seven, Cash sent Cullen to the canvas with a body shot. In round eight, Cash jumped on Cullen and landed a big barrage of punches and the bout was stopped at 1:14.

Cash, 159 lbs of England is 12-0 with eight knockouts. Cullen, 159.6 lbs of England is 17-2.

Harper decisions Obenauf

Terri Harper remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Viviane Obenauf in a junior lightweight bout.

Harper, 129.75 lbs of England won by scores of 99-91, 99-92 and 97-93 and is now 10-0. Obenauf, 129 lbs of Switzerland is 14-6.

Bakole Stops Hernandez in 2

Martin Bakole stopped Rodney Hernandez in round two of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

Bakole hurt Hernandez throughout the 2nd frame, and then floored him with right hand, and the fight was stopped at 2:50.

Bakole, 263 lbs from The Congo is 15-1 with 12 knockouts. Hernandez, 262 lbs of California is 13-9-2.

“To stop two American guys in a few weeks is amazing for me,” the Congo Heavyweight told Sky Sports afterwards. “My corner told me this guy will give me a hard time, but I knew he would not be able to take my power. I’m looking forward to next year.”

INDIO, CALIF. (Nov. 1, 2019): Former heavyweight world champion James “Buster” Douglas will be the special VIP guest for the highly anticipated rematch between champion Andrew “El Chango” Cancio (21-4-2, 16 KOs) and Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (31-8, 20 KOs) in a 12-round fight for the WBA Super Featherweight World Title. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Douglas is best known for his electrifying upset against an undefeated “Iron” Mike Tyson to become the undisputed champion in the heavyweight division. In a career that lasted from 1981 to 1999, Douglas went in the ring with the likes of Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, Terver Berbick and Oliver “The Atomic Bull” McCall. Douglas will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

In the co-main event, Xu Can (17-2, 3 KOs), China’s third world champion, will defend his WBA Featherweight World Title against rising contender Manny Robles III (18-0, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles in a 12-round fight that is guaranteed to produce fireworks.

Golden Boy is also proud to announce that a special 10-round attraction between super featherweight prospects Avery ‘A-Plus’ Sparrow (10-1, 3 KOs) and James ‘Crunch Time’ Wilkins (8-1, 6 KOs) has been added to the card. This will be a clash between two highly regarded talents from the East Coast.

Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (21-0, 14 KOs) of Boston will fight Eddie “Eboy” Gomez (23-3, 13 KOs) of the Bronx, N.Y. in a 10-round rematch for the vacant WBA Continental Americas Welterweight Title. Ellis is very close to a world title opportunity, while Gomez is eager to avenge his stunning first-round knockout loss to him in 2016.

Victor Morales Jr. (12-0, 7 KOs) of Vancouver, Wash. will return in an eight-round super featherweight bout. This will be Morales’ first fight on a Golden Boy card after signing with the company.

Alex Rincon (7-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas will return in a six-round super welterweight fight.

Alberto “Impacto” Melian (5-1, 3 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina will participate in an eight-round super bantamweight fight.

There will also be two addition non-streamed fights. This includes the return of Argentine puncher Marcelino “Nino” Lopez (36-2-1, 21 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight fight.

Also, Chinese contender Baishanbo Nasiyiwula (15-3-1, 6 KOs) will participate in a eight-round 140-pound clash against Saul Corral (30-14, 20 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico.

Opponents for Rincon and Lopez will be announced shortly.

Cancio vs. Alvarado II is a 12-round fight for the WBA Super Featherweight World Title presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN. The title defense is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CancioAlvarado2.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CancioAlvarado2 into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.

Xavier Martinez scored a spectacular 21 second knockout over Jessie Cris Rosales in a scheduled 10-round junior lightweight fight at Sams Town Casino in Las Vegas.

Martinez landed a thudding left that was followed by a right that sent Rosales down and out.

Martinez, 130 3/4 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 15-0 with 11 knockouts. Rosales of Cebu City, PHL is 22-4-1.

“I wanted to steal the show,” said Martinez. “[Rolando Romero] did his thing and I knew I had to capitalize on that. I did it in half the time (45 seconds). Everyone did great tonight. Hitchins and Kevin [Newman] both did their thing and I had to follow.

“I’m going to get back in the gym and continue grinding. I want to be the best. I have the best team in boxing right now. As long as they keep lining them up, I’m going to keep knocking them down.”

2016 Haitian Olympian, Richardson Hitchins won a 10-round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson in a welterweight fight.

Hitchins, 144 lbs of New York, NY won by scores of 96-94 and 97-93 twice, and is now 10-0. Johnson, 143 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas is 7-2.

Hitchins outlanded Johnson 116-86.

“Johnson was a solid fighter,” said Hitchins. “I haven’t been in the ring since April, but I think I did great. It was the fight that I needed. I wanted the win and I got the unanimous decision. I don’t like to rate my performance without going back and re-watching the fight. I could have closed the gaps a little better. I should have capitalized on certain moments a little better.

“I’m going to run the tape back and work with my coach so we can tighten up and come out the best I can possibly be. I’m excited to see what’s next and what my team has planned for me. They’ve guided me in a great direction and I just got to do what I got to do and that’s getting these guys out one at a time until I get that title shot.”

Johnson, who performed admirably, was gracious in defeat despite disagreeing with the judges’ scorecards.

“He had a good jab,” Johnson said. “It was easy to download him. I put the pressure on him and kept listening to my corner, and moved to the right and kept landing. He’s a tough fighter. I’ll give him that, he definitely came to fight. We both had moments throughout the fight. He did a good job of holding as the ref called, he knew how to hold when he was getting hurt.  I think I was the better fighter. He never hurt me. I give him props as a fighter.

“I really want the rematch, but I doubt that will happen. I know I won. I was the better fighter at the end of the day.”

Kevin Newman II avenged his only loss and won an eight-round unanimous decision over Marcos Hernandez in a super middleweight bout.

Newman, 165 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice, and is 11-1-1. Hernandez, 165 lbs is 14-3-1.

Newman outlanded Hernandez 152-97

The revenge felt so great,” said Las Vegas’ Newman, who dropped a unanimous decision to Hernandez on the undercard of Mayweather vs. McGregor in August 2017. “Overall, I dominated. I went to the body every chance I saw an opportunity. A lot of people have never seen me box like that so it’s great to show that side of me. I was a lot more offensive and I kept the attacks to the body.

“I’d rate my performance a B-, I think I could have been busier. I’m going to continue to developing and staying busy in the ring. I don’t think he expected me to come in like I did. We gave the fans a great performance that was TV worthy and I look forward to doing it again.”

Rolando Romero stopped Juan Carlos Cordones in the opening frame of their scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Romero landed a flurry of punches that sent Cordones to the canvas in the opening frame. Moments later, Romero sent Cordones down for the 10-count with a right hand at 2:14.

Romero, 138 lbs of Las Vegas is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Cordones, 141 1/2 lbs of La Romana, DR is 14-2.

“There’s not much to say. I promised a knockout and I saw the opportunity so I went for it,” said the exuberant Romero, who has previously stated he is the hardest puncher in the world under 147 pounds. “I made him pay for coming in overweight yesterday. Looking ahead, I just plan on dominating whoever they put in front of me.

“I’m growing as a fighter and all I want to do is continue to put on a great performance for my fans and get to that next step in my career. I want anyone whoever wants next!”

IN NON-TELEVISED ACTION

Ava Knight won an eight-round unanimous decision over Luna del mar Torroba in a flyweight bout.

Knight won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice, and is now 19-2-5. Torroba is 12-10-3.

Malik Warren scored a 2nd round knockout over Shauncy Perry in a scheduled four-round junior lightweight bout.

Warren dropped Perry twice in round one with left’s to the body and head respectively. He finished the fight with another left hand in round two at 59 seconds.

Warren is 2-0 with two knockouts. Perry was making his pro debut.

Dylan Price stopped Elias Joaquino in round six of a scheduled eight-round super flyweight bout.

In round three, Price dropped Joaquino with a body shot. In round four, iy was a left that sent Joaquino to the canvas.

In round six, Price landed a blistering combination on the ropes, and the bout was stopped at 1:48.

Price is now 10-0 with seven knockouts. Joaquino is 12-5-2.

Cris Reyes remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Recky Dulay in a scheduled eight-round lightweight bout

In round three, Reyes dropped Dulay with a right hand to the body. In round four, Reyes landed a left to the body that doubled over Dulay, and referee Tony Weeks stopped the bout at 1:55.

Reyes of Seattle, WA is 9-0 with eight knockouts. Dulay of the Philippines is 11-7.

Miguel Berchelt 129.8 lbs vs. Jason Sosa 128.2 lbs
(Berchelt’s WBC Super Featherweight world title – 12 Rounds)

   Javier Molina 141 lbs vs. Hiroki Okada 140.8 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 10 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET)

          Gor Yeritsyan 147.8 lbs vs. Shoki Sakai 146 lbs
(Welterweight – 8 Rounds)

   Alex Saucedo 139.6 lbs vs. Rod Salka 140.4 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Raymond Muratalla 135 lbs vs. Arnulfo Becerra 133.8 lbs
(Lightweight – 6 Rounds)

Daniel Lewis 155.6 lbs vs. Alexis Gaytan 157 lbs
(Super Welterweight – 8/6 Rounds)

   Ruben Rodriguez 141.8 lbs vs. Abram Martinez 142 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 6 Rounds)

        Elvis Rodriguez 140.4 lbs vs. Luis Norambuena 137.4 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 6 Rounds) Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions and Peltz Boxing, tickets for this world championship event are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $30 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and in person at the Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). 

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #BercheltSosa and #MolinaOkada to join the conversation on social media.

Las Vegas, NV: Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the biggest fight of the year is finally happening: Three-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion and current WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) will defend his title against WBC Franchise, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs). These two warriors will square off in front of a packed house at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and live on DAZN for millions of viewers. Below is the scouting report for this explosive match-up:

 According Main Events’ matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, “This is a true throwback fight! I wish more people in this business would put the politics aside and fight each other. Fighters make fights! Kudos to both Kovalev and Canelo!”Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.   Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

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

Leon Bunn (14-0, 8 KOs) and Enrico Kölling (26-3, 8 KOs) both made weight ahead of Saturday’s IBF International Light Heavyweight domestic dust-up at the CGM Arena in Koblenz, Germany.

Bunn won the title with a ninth round stoppage in his last bout against Leon Harth in May 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany and hopes to improve his World ranking with a victory against World title challenger Enrico Kölling. 

Kölling made weight at the second attempt, having been 100 grams over the limit the first time he stepped on the scales and also didn’t report to the press conference that took place before the weigh-in. 

Undefeated 27-year-old Bunn says he is ignoring Kölling’s mind games and is confident his first-class camp will see him be rewarded with a victory on Saturday night. 

IBF International Light Heavyweight Championship – 12 Rounds
Leon Bunn: 79kg
Enrico Kölling: 79.3kg 

Official undercard weights:

Middleweight – 10 Rounds
Slawa Spomer: 73.2kg
Pavel Semjonov: 73kg

Featherweight – 8 Rounds
Sophie Alisch: 57.1kg
Irma Adler: 56.2kg

Heavyweight – 8 Rounds
Albon Pervizaj: 107.2kg
Dusan Veletic: 101.5kg 

Light Heavyweight – 6 Rounds
Yasin Altunkaya: 78.2kg
Yosko Stoychev: 78.6kg

Super Middleweight – 6 Rounds
Enis Agushi: 75.5kg
Giorgi Jintcharadze: 75.7kg

Super Lightweight – 6 Rounds
Verena Kaiser: 61.5kg
Myriam Dellal: 61.7kg 

Cruiserweight – 6 Rounds
Hizni Altunkaya: 96.2kg
Cemal Gulsen: TBCkg

Middleweight – 4 Rounds
Eduard Janzen: 68.7kg
Stas Kindsvater: 70.4kg 

Leon Bunn (14-0, 8 KOs) and Enrico Koelling (26-3, 8 KOs) headline the huge event titled Fighting For Future. Also in action is Team Sauerland’s rising stars Sophie Alisch and Albon Pervizaj. Completing the undercard are local stars Slawa Spomer (8-0, 5 KOs), Hizni Altunkaya (31-3, 18 KOs) and Yasin Altunkaya (14-0, 11 KOs) and more.

‘Fighting For Future’ on November 2nd is a special event that will see ticket revenue and money raised from the evening donated to three charities: Laughing Hearts, a charity that provides support and opportunities to children affected by poverty, Parents’ Initiative for Children with Cancer Koblenz, who provide support to the parents of children suffering from cancer in Koblenz and Education Unlimited, an education charity who encourage diversity and training across Europe.

All the action from the CGM Arena is available to watch live on Sport1 in Germany. Tickets are available online via www.eventim.de, www.adticket.de and www.westticket.de.Bun

Reading, PA (November 1, 2019)– King’s Promotions has announced the signing of super featherweight Alycia Baumgardner to an exclusive promotional contract.

Baumgardner, 25 years-old of Fremont, Ohio has a record of 7-1 with five knockouts.

Baumgardner will be in action on Saturday night when she takes on Annette Pabello at The Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida.

“It’s a great step in my career, and I am excited about this opportunity,” said Baumgardner. “I will get consistent fights, and people can see me and what I am capable of, and that is being a world championship caliber fighter. King’s Promotions will give me that platform.”

“We are very excited to add Alycia to our roster. She is one of the top fighters in the world, and she will be in many meaningful and world championship fights. She will be a world champion. It’s not if she will be, but when she will be, and that will be very soon,” said King’s Promotions CEO, Marshall Kauffman.

“This signing was spearheaded by Andrew Foy. Andrew has joined forces with King’s Promotions and like me, he believes in Alycia’s ability to become a star in boxing.

Foy, who was a successful promoter in the Harrisburg area with his Titans Promotions, has joined the King’s Promotions team and has high aspirations for the company’s new signing.

“Alycia’s talent as a boxer and as an athlete is top-notch but even more importantly, she has personal attributes that I believe will make her a star in the sport and beyond,” said Foy.

Baumgardner started boxing at the age of eight. She was a wrestler at age five, and was introduced to boxing by her father.

She had an 165 fight amateur career where she was a National PAL champion and a Ringside World Champion.

She turned professional on March 4, 2017 with a 1st round stoppage over Britain Hart. After winning her first six-bouts, she lost a controversial split decision to Christina Linardatou. (Linardatou will face Katie Taylor for WBO Super Lightweight title on Saturday).

Baumgardner, who describes her style as being a boxer-puncher, is coming off a 1st round stoppage over Gabriella Mezei on May 10th in Philadelphia.

In her downtime, Baumgardner writes a motivational and lifestyle blog for her hometown newspaper. She is signed to Adidas Boxing and is part of their women’s campaign. Baumgardner has spoken at a lot of schools and school boards.

She is managed by Nelson Lopez Jr.

16:30 DOORS AND FIRST BELL

6 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest 
GAMAL YAFAI 9st 11oz v LEE CLAYTON 8st 9lbs 9oz
(Birmingham)                    (Heyward)

4 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
NATHAN FARRELL 10st 2lbs 6oz v IVICA GOGOSEVIC 10st 7lbs 12oz
(Heywood)                                          (Croatia)

6 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
DALTON SMITH 10st 2lbs 12oz v MICHAEL ISAAC CARRERO 10st 3lbs 4oz
(Sheffield)                                       (Nicaragua)

18:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Continental Super-Bantamweight Title
QAIS ASHFAQ 8st 9lbs 11oz v JOE HAM 8st 9lbs 12oz
(Leeds)                                       (Gorbals)

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS 

10 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
MARTIN BAKOLE 18st 11lbs v RODNEY HERNANDEZ 18st 10lbs
(Congo)                                       (California, USA)

10 x 2 mins IBO Super-Featherweight World Title
TERRI HARPER 9st 3lbs 10oz v VIVIANE OBENAUF 9st 2lbs 14oz
(Denaby)                                        (Switzerland)

12 x 3 mins Commonwealth Middleweight Title
FELIX CASH 11st 5lbs 4oz v JACK CULLEN 11st 5lbs 6oz
(Wokingham)                          (Little Lever)

10 x 2 mins WBO Super-Lightweight World Title 
KATIE TAYLOR 9st 13lbs 9oz v CHRISTINA LINARDATOU 9st 12lbs 8oz
(Ireland)                                       (Greece)

10 x 3 mins Lightweight contest
ANTHONY CROLLA9st 10lbs 11oz v FRANK URQUIAGA 9st 8lbs 2oz
(Manchester)                                        (Spain)

FLOAT

4 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest
HOPEY PRICE 8st 12lbs 4oz v JOEL SANCHEZ 8st 11lbs 6oz
(Leeds)                                        (Nicaragua)

SHABAZ MASOUD IS looking to illuminate Arena, Birmingham when he makes his second appearance under the Frank Warren promotional banner on November 30.

It would be fair to say the flamboyant 23-year-old lit up the FD Arena in Leeds earlier this month when he moved to 6-0 with a comprehensive points victory over the tough Nicaraguan Yesner Talavera.

The fight was a feast of snappy hand speed and flashy footwork as the young man from Stoke, known as ‘The Maverick’ introduced himself to BT Sport viewers in his first televised action.

Commentators and fans liked what they saw and, given his showman-like style, comparisons were naturally made with a certain Mr Naseem Hamed, who just happens to be Masoud’s boxing hero.

It would not be over-egging the pugilistic pudding to say that Masoud was more than satisfied with his night’s work.

“You know what, it was a buzz,” reflected the super bantamweight. “I enjoyed every minute and I was buzzing with the performance as well.

“All I wanted was the exposure and I got that as well as shining under the big lights,” he continued, adding that the experience was over and above what he hoped for and anticipated.

“It was even better! I have always visualised things from a young age and it was picture perfect for me.

“It was just walking to the venue, seeing everything, seeing everyone and the big lights. When I saw Mr Frank Warren sitting down to watch me I thought ‘Yo, I’m going to perform tonight’.

“I wanted to put a little show on for everyone so I did my job.

“Everything is about fun for me. When I get in there, as long as I am having fun I will do a good job. There was a little bit of nerves, not like I am scared, but the type of nerves I get are just over whether I will perform to my full potential – and I did.”

It was a case of great expectations going into the Leeds fight because the prospect of seeing Masoud in the flesh had been given the big build-up by those around him who had witnessed a sneak preview. In the days before fight night there was even something of a mini online campaign pressing for the new boy to be awarded a television slot.

So the young prospect had a lot to lose and much to live up to.

“As you know, diamonds are formed under pressure and the more pressure there is going to be in fights eventually the more I am going to shine,” he explained. “That is how I look at it.

“I’d give myself a strong seven out of 10. I could have gone through the gears more and taken him out, but he was a lot heavier and I think if he was my weight I would have stopped him.

“The thing is, I don’t want to force it and just want to box. As long as I am boxing in there the stoppage will come if it comes. I would enjoy beating someone up for 12 rounds!”

He is, however, aware that the occasional show-stopping finish thrown in for good measure always goes down well with a wider audience.

“It is true, but if I was landing my shots on an actual super bantam he wouldn’t be standing there. Plus when I get into later rounds I feel I get stronger and stronger. When I get up to 12 rounds that is when I will get more and more stoppages.

“Over time I will put a bit more muscle on and I am still growing and still a baby in boxing terms. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”

Onwards and upwards to Arena, Birmingham and Masoud predicts something of a Stoke takeover on the night of his seventh professional fight.

“I was buzzing when I found out I was on again and it is Birmingham as well! It is only like half an hour from my house and me and my friends and family actually live in Birmingham too some of the time.

“The tickets are gonna go mad.

“We are going to have a huge Maverick Army and probably the biggest turn-out you will see.”

Shabaz Masoud features on a stacked night of title action at Arena, Birmingham on November 30. WBO world bantamweight champion Zolani Tete defends his title against mandatory challenger John Riel Casimero, British super featherweight champion Sam Bowen defends his belt against Anthony Cacace and British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Chris Jenkins makes a defence against Liam Taylor. Lerrone Richards also takes on Lennox Clarke for the Commonwealth and vacant British super middleweight belt.

Sam Maxwell defends his WBO European super lightweight title against the also unbeaten Connor Parker from Derbyshire, while Hamzah Sheeraz will fight for his first major title at super welterweight.

Thrilling prospects Dennis McCann, Shabaz Masoud, Eithan James and George Davey also feature on the bill, along with talents from the local region in Nathan Heaney and River Wilson-Bent.

Tickets are available now from £40 via TheTicketFactory and Ticketmaster

Ticket Prices:
£250 – Inner Ring Hospitality
£150 – Floor
£100 – Floor
£75 – Floor
£50 – Lower Tier
£40 – Upper Tier

SAM MAXWELL HAS put the leading super lightweights on notice that he is targeting the big domestic dust-ups in 2020.

The 31-year-old from Liverpool was thrust into the spotlight back in March when he won his first major title in dramatic circumstances with a final round stoppage of Sabri Sediri.

The previously unbeaten Frenchman sent Maxwell south to the canvas in both the first two rounds and rocked the former Team GB star in round ten before choosing to showboat rather than execute a finish.

Maxwell recovered and made the flashy French-based Tunisian pay for playing to the Leicester crowd when a huge right hand laid him spark out and referee Steve Gray ended the spectacular proceedings.

The 12-0 Maxwell was duly crowned WBO European champion and he makes a first defence against the also 12-0 Connor Parker at Arena, Birmingham on November 30.

He would very much like the fight to be the first of many on the domestic front in what is a hugely competitive weight class.

“There will be less drama this time,” insisted Maxwell when reminded of the final round footage that went viral and was seen by millions. “I have promised my missus and myself as well, but it is still going to be entertaining and I will go for the knockout and big shots.

“I wouldn’t change a thing about it though because if I had gone in and just got the win I thought I was going to, I wouldn’t have got the exposure that I did and it was mad. My name is out there now and people know me.

“Now it is Connor Parker, who is a good tidy boxer who has not lost a round, but on November 30 he is going to lose some rounds and get knocked out, definitely.

“At this level everyone can box and move but not many have the power that can change a fight. I’ve got that from the first to last round and I am going to show that on fight night. Again.”

Maxwell was an interested television viewer a couple of weeks ago when Lewis Ritson and Robbie Davies jr squared up in Newcastle, with Ritson prevailing after an entertaining and closely fought scrap.

He hopes to be mixing in such company himself in the not too distant future.

“They were fighting in a world title eliminator and are at near the pinnacle of my weight. It was a great fight, but one where I could see myself getting in with either of them and getting the win.

“Getting past Connor Parker is my main goal at the moment and next year I will be in a position to fight Ritson and Davies and I am confident I can beat them.”

Sam Maxwell defending his WBO European super lightweight title against the also unbeaten Connor Parker from Derbyshire features on a stacked night of title action at Arena, Birmingham on November 30. WBO world bantamweight champion Zolani Tete defends his title against mandatory challenger John Riel Casimero and British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Chris Jenkins makes a defence against Liam Taylor. Lerrone Richards also takes on Lennox Clarke for the Commonwealth and vacant British super middleweight belt, while East Midlands favourite Sam Bowen makes a second defence of his British super featherweight title against mandatory challenger Anthony Cacace.

Hamzah Sheeraz will fight for his first major title at super welterweight, with thrilling prospects Dennis McCann, Shabaz Masoud, Eithan James and George Davey also featuring on the bill, along with talents from the local region in Nathan Heaney and River Wilson-Bent.

Tickets are available now from £40 via TheTicketFactory and Ticketmaster

Ticket Prices:
£250 – Inner Ring Hospitality
£150 – Floor
£100 – Floor
£75 – Floor
£50 – Lower Tier
£40 – Upper Tier

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr missed a drug test which put a proposed December 20 bout against Daniel Jacobs in Jeopardy.

Bob Bennett, the executive director of the Nevada commission, told ESPN on Friday that Chavez has been temporarily suspended and would be required to appear before the commission at a hearing scheduled for Nov. 20.

“I have nothing to hide. I’m ready for any test,” Chavez told ESPN Deportes about turning down the test. “The anti-doping guy came here (to the gym) angry. He did not show any credentials as they are supposed to do. Any day I can do the test if they guarantee me it’s the same way for Jacobs. I don’t understand because I have nothing official for the fight.”

CARSON, Calif. (Oct. 31, 2019) — IBF junior bantamweight world champion Jerwin Ancajas’ title defense against Jonathan Rodriguez has been canceled due to a visa issue with Rodriguez. The main event Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park, Miguel Berchelt’s WBC super featherweight title defense against former world champion Jason Sosa, will go on as planned.

The new co-feature will be a 10-round super lightweight tilt between 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina and Japanese veteran Hiroki Okada.

Berchelt-Sosa and Molina-Okada will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The entire undercard, including the return of super lightweight contender Alex Saucedo against Rod Salka, will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT

Miguel Berchelt vs. Jason Sosa, 12 rounds, Berchelt’s WBC super featherweight world title

Javier Molina vs. Hiroki Okada, 10 rounds, super lightweight

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT

Alex Saucedo vs. Rod Salka, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Daniel Lewis vs. Alexis Gaytan, 8/6 rounds, super welterweight

Gor Yeritsyan vs. Shoki Sakai, 8 rounds, welterweight

Raymond Muratalla vs. Arnulfo Becerra, 6 rounds, lightweight

Ruben Rodriguez vs. Abram Martinez, 6 rounds, super lightweight

Elvis Rodriguez vs. Luis Norambuena, 6 rounds, super lightweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions and Peltz Boxing, tickets for this world championship event are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $30 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and in person at the Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). 

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #BercheltSosa and #MolinaOkada to join the conversation on social media.

LAS VEGAS – October 31, 2019 – Four of Mayweather Promotions’ top prospects and their opponents all weighed in on Thursday ahead of Friday night’s ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT) from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

Undefeated super featherweight prospect Xavier Martinez (14-0, 10 KOs) returns for his second consecutive test on the developmental series, this time against Filipino Jessie Cris Rosales (22-3-1, 10 KOs) in the 10-round main event, while 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins (9-0, 5 KOs) takes on Kevin Johnson (7-4, 4 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight co-featured attraction.

Super middleweight prospect Kevin Newman II (10-1-1, 6 KOs) looks to avenge the only loss of his career against Marcos Hernandez (14-2-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round rematch, and in the telecast opener, rising prospect and knockout artist Rolando Romero (9-0, 8 KOs) faces Juan Carlos Cordones (14-1, 9 KOs) in a six-round super lightweight bout.

Tickets for the Mayweather Promotions’ Sin City Showdown start at $25 and can be purchased at: https://mayweatherpromotions.com/events/.

Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

FINAL WEIGHTS, REFEREES AND JUDGES

Super Featherweight 10-Round Bout

Xavier Martinez – 130 ¾ lbs.

Jessie Cris Rosales – 132 ½ lbs.

Referee: Vic Drakulich (Las Vegas); Judges: Tim Cheatham (Las Vegas), Lisa Giampa (Las Vegas), Max De Luca (Calif.)

Welterweight 10-Round Bout

Richardson Hitchins – 144 lbs.

Kevin Johnson – 143 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Jay Nady (Las Vegas); Judges: Adalaide Byrd (Las Vegas), Patricia Morse Jarman (Las Vegas), Dave Moretti (Las Vegas)

Super Middleweight 8-Round Bout

Kevin Newman II – 165 lbs.

Marcos Hernandez – 165 lbs.

Referee: Tony Weeks (Las Vegas); Judges: Kermit Bayless (Las Vegas), Glenn Trowbridge (Las Vegas), Max De Luca (Calif.)

Super Lightweight 6-Round Bout

Rolando Romero – 138 lbs.

Juan Carlos Cordones – 141 ½ lbs.

Referee: Robert Byrd (Las Vegas); Judges: Patricia Morse Jarman (Las Vegas), Dave Moretti (Las Vegas), Ricardo Ocasio (Las Vegas)

FINAL QUOTES:

XAVIER MARTINEZ

“It’s a blessing to be headlining my first show. This is an opportunity I can’t let go. I have to grab this opportunity and make the most of it. I can’t let myself down. I stole the show my first time on ShoBox and now I have to keep it going.

“I like the pace that I’m moving at. In boxing, you have to take it step-by-step. I’m following my team’s plan and I know it won’t be before long that I’m facing top-level opponents.

“My goal is not to play around with my opponent. I would like to get some more rounds in, but I’m not going to force the rounds. If I have an opportunity, I’m going to get him out of there. I think this fighter is a little more aggressive than my last opponent and that will be an advantage for me.

“As long as I listen to my coach and get the win, that’s all that matters. If Rosales comes out strong, the main thing is that I have to use the jab. I have to stay relaxed, stay calm, block shots and look for openings.

“I learned a lot from the Oscar Bravo fight. I was hitting him with everything. Every type of punch. And he just kept coming. I learned right there, that not everybody will just go down. I just kept hitting him, I didn’t get flustered and it eventually paid off. The ref stopped it. I’ve never really been rocked. But I know one day, it will happen. This is boxing. I have a plan for a scenario for the day that it happens. If I get hurt, I can’t panic.

“I’ve grown tremendously as a fighter. I’m mentally stronger. I train better. I watch more film. I’m more disciplined and I’m diligent about honing my craft. I want to get better and I love this sport. It’s my career and I’m treating it that way. I want to be a world champion and I can’t let anything stop me.”

JESSIE CRIS ROSALES

“This is a really special opportunity for me. I know that I need to be aggressive in this fight. I need to put pressure on. I will do my best to hit Xavier as much as possible. I didn’t come all this way to lose.

“I feel that I won my last fight against Tyler McCreary, but I was missing my usual aggressiveness. This time, I can’t leave it to the judges.

“I’ve watched Xavier a lot. He fought a friend of mine, Moralde, in his last fight. We saw the fight, and we know how tough of an opponent he is. I see him as a really good fighter, but I’ve been in tough fights before. I will be ready for him. I am hungry for a win.”

RICHARDSON HITCHINS

“I want to be great. Of course, the money is important and it motivates me. But I want to fight against the top guys that can push me and get me to the top level. I want to move fast but I have to be patient. I trust the process but certain fighters don’t need to be slowed down. Look at Devin Haney and Jaron Ennis. I feel like my skill set is right up there with them.”

“I feel like I’ve only been tested once in my career. People overlook the Tre’Sean Wiggins fight. He’s a good fighter and he’s had some really good results. I was only five fights into my career, and I beat him easily in a unanimous decision. But I don’t feel like I’ve ever been in jeopardy of losing or really faced much adversity in the ring.

“I don’t know much about my opponent. I hear he’s a great sparring fighter in Vegas. He’s a great gym fighter, but who is he fighting? I spar world champions in training.

“Tank Davis and I have a great relationship. We train together and we watch boxing together and study film. He’ll come to the gym sometimes and just watch me and give me advice. I sparred with him when he was preparing for his last fight against Nunez. He’s a world champion so he’s a great person to learn from.

“The process to get to the Olympics was a great experience and it was great for my career. Every fight was a challenge and I fought so many different styles and so many different guys from around the world. Each and every day, fighting some of the top guys in the world was a challenge but it made me a better fighter. It helped my boxing IQ and in the gym I saw things that not a lot of boxers get to see every day. I picked up so many things that I use now. I’m a student of the game. I have so many tricks up my sleeve and I have so much to my game because of that process.

“Fighting Gary Russell in the Olympics was an incredible experience. There was a lot of anticipation and a lot of eyes on that fight. It’s fights like this that will prepare you for the world title fights that I know will come one day.”

KEVIN JOHNSON

“Hitchins is a good fighter. I like his style, he’s a basic come-forward type of fighter. But I feel that there are some holes in his game that I can exploit. I think it’s a good matchup for me.

“I check out my opponents a little bit, but not too much. I don’t want overthink it, I trust my team to put together a solid game plan.

“My last fight against Larry Gomez was a brawl, but I had a lot of fun. When I watched it back, I didn’t think I fought my best fight. I can brawl if I need to, but I would say that I’m a boxer-counterpuncher. I change my styles by the season, that’s why they call me Thunderstorm.

“I feel great. I feel ready. I can’t wait. I love to fight and I love to train. I’m always in the gym. I took a week off after my last fight but I’ve been in the gym ever since then.

“I started boxing at age 17 and had about 55 amateur fights, but I don’t feel like I’ve been playing catchup. I have more experience than my number of fights shows.”

KEVIN NEWMAN II

“I was nowhere near 100 percent in our first fight. I knew it was a huge stage and a huge card, and I didn’t want to pass up that kind of opportunity. I chose to fight through my illness and I fought to just get through the fight, not to win the fight.

“Hernandez fought the fight that he was supposed to fight. He did what he needed to do. I started off well, and my energy level was good. But I started to fade and my energy wasn’t there as the fight went on.

“I need to be smart. Be relaxed. Be me. I need to go in with a dominating mindset and be the aggressor. I’m an offensive fighter and I need to fight that way.

“This fight is personal. They talked a lot of trash after the fight. Every interview after the fight, I gave him credit and said he won the fight. He chose to take it to the level that makes this rematch personal for me. There’s nothing wrong with trash talk. I’m a trash talker myself, but you just have to back it up. This has been bubbling over for a long time. There was a long list of guys I could have fought, but this was the one I wanted.

“There’s a sense of urgency. There’s a plan for me. We want to be fighting for a world championship before the age of 30. Tomorrow is just another fight, but it’s a step for me to keep building and make my way up the ranks to get to that goal.

“I’m a reserved, relaxed, focused guy. I won’t be too emotional for this fight. I will be under control and the bright light won’t affect me. I will listen to my team and implement the game plan that we practiced in camp.

“I’m a competitor. If a guy beats you, you want a shot to beat him back. This fight is going to be totally different than the first fight. I truly believe that, and that’s the way I trained. I want to dominate and leaving this fight, I want there to be no need for a third fight. I want to beat him that convincingly that there will be no reason for a grudge match.”

MARCOS HERNANDEZ

“Newman made excuses after the first fight. Whether it’s true or not, it’s not my business. It doesn’t really matter. If anybody should have an excuse, it was me. I was fighting my first fight with my trainer, Henry Ramirez. I went from 154 pounds to fight him at 164 pounds. I wanted to fight an eight-round fight, it ended up being a six-round fight. So we really didn’t get anything that we wanted for the fight but I took it anyways and I beat him. And then he made excuses.

“I don’t need this fight again; I’ve already shown I’m the better fighter. I’m doing it because there weren’t a whole lot of options out there and I’m confident I can beat him again.

“Size is his only advantage. He’s bigger than me but he doesn’t have anything else. I hope he’s more aggressive this time. We’ll see what he brings in the first round. We’ll find out what kind of fight he wants this to be, but either way, I’m ready.

“Newman is just another opponent to me. I understand him being upset. I’m the only person he’s lost to. I want to rematch the guys I’ve lost to. I haven’t gotten that yet. I’ve fought much better competition than he has. I’m the only real test of his career, and he didn’t pass it.

“There’s nothing personal about this fight for me. I just want to put another win on my record. The main objective is to get another win. That’s all I’m focused on. The more wins I have, the better I look as a fighter and the better the opportunities I will get.

“The ‘Second Coming’ is going to come in second again.”

ROLANDO ROMERO

“I’m a very unorthodox fighter. I’m very unpredictable. I don’t really get hit and I punch everybody. There’s always room for improvement, but if I know a shot is going to land, I’m going to throw it 100 percent.

“I don’t know much about my opponent. He’s not that much taller than me. I don’t really care about his size. I’ve sparred with guys twice as tall as me.

“I haven’t really been tested yet in my career. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve lost a round. I don’t think I’ll be challenged until I fight for a world title.

“Every show I’m on, I steal it. There’s no doubt about that.

“Boxing helped me become more confident. I’m a lot more confident now than I was as a kid, and I think that’s because of boxing.

“I was very successful in the sport of judo and I didn’t start boxing until I was 17. Both sports are very difficult but they’re different. Judo helps me a little bit, I’m definitely stronger in clenches. I’m used to combat sports, and having the experience of taking care of my body and staying on weight helps me.

“I’m not playing catchup with the late start in boxing. I’ve already excelled and exceeded the fighters I was supposed to catch up to. I feel like they’re playing catchup to me.

“I think my last fight was knockout of the year. I have power in both hands. I think the power just comes from genetics, and with training and repetition and technique. At the end of the day, you can’t teach people how to punch hard. You can amplify it but you either are born with it or not.”

JUAN CARLOS CORDONES

“I got this fight on two weeks’ notice. I was already training in Puerto Rico, but I wasn’t training for a specific fight. I feel good. I feel ready. Losing the weight wasn’t an issue. I feel comfortable at this weight and I feel strong.

“I’m a tall guy. I have a long reach. I like to box and move. I don’t know much about Rolando because I have only known about the fight for two weeks but I know he is a good fighter.

“My last fight in Puerto Rico was not an indication of my skill level. I had a tough time with the weight and I felt very dehydrated. I was not myself during that fight.”

#

Fans can live stream the Sin City Showdown undercard fights on Mayweather Promotions’ Facebook beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET. Bring a minimum of 5 food items to receive a complimentary general admission ticket (limit 1 ticket per person while they last). List of accepted items include mac & cheese, corn bread, green beans, cake mix, cake icing, and mashed potatoes. Tickets for the live event start at $25 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets to the live event, visit: www.mayweatherpromotions.com/events. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 81 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

For more information: visit www.sho.com/sports, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @mayweathersports, #SinCityShowdown and #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.

CARSON, Calif. (Oct. 31, 2019) – Three days before they launch punches at Dignity Health Sports Park, WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt and challenger Jason Sosa joined forces Wednesday afternoon for a WBC Cares event at The Rock Boxing Gym along with super lightweight contender Alex Saucedo.

A group of local children were in attendance, as the fighters showed them basic boxing techniques, signed autographs, and gave them each a ticket to Saturday’s event.

After the boxing exhibition, the fighters and the children participated in a special Día de Los Muertos celebration, where they each wrote the name of a loved one they wanted to memorialize on a giant boxing glove.

“I feel very happy,” Berchelt said. “It’s very nice for me to teach the kids how to be disciplined so they can go far in this sport.”

“It’s a great feeling to spend time with the kids and show them what we do,” Sosa said.

Said Saucedo: “A lot of them already knew how to fight, how to box. It’s awesome to come and work with them.”

Berchelt-Sosa will headline a world championship doubleheader (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), as Jerwin Ancajas will defend his IBF junior bantamweight world title against Jonathan Rodriguez in the co-feature. Saucedo will take on Rod Salka in an eight-rounder (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET) in his first bout since being knocked out by Maurice Hooker in a bid for the WBO 140-pound world title last November.

As the fighters prepare for Saturday’s outdoor fistic extravaganza, this is what they had to say.

Miguel Berchelt

“This will be the next classic in the Mexico versus Puerto Rico rivalry. We are two fighters who always bring excitement to the ring, and this Saturday will be no different. There are many great fights for me in the future, but I know I need 100 percent focus to beat a great former world champion like Sosa.”

“The fans who watch this fight will be the winners. When you have two warriors in the ring, great things happen. I refuse to disappoint the fans. I fight for them.”

“I had a great training camp inHermosillo, Mexico, with my trainer, Alfredo Caballero. We prepared to fight the very best version of Jason Sosa. After the fight, we can discuss the future.”

“It is no secret that Oscar Valdez is a fight I want. He is at 130 pounds now, and if we both win our next fights, let’s make it happen. There is no hesitation on my end. Lomachenko is another fight I’d gladly accept. I’m a fighter, and I want to fight the very best.”

Jason Sosa

“It is a great honor to fight for the WBC world title, and I hope to bring the belt back to Puerto Rico.”

“This fight can’t help but be a classic. I want the fans to tune in because this is boxing at its best. Berchelt and I are pure fighters, and when you have two fighters like that in the ring, special things happen.”

“You can’t help but respect a man like Berchelt who has defended his title five times. Once the bell rings, though, we will go to war.”

“I have to fight my fight. I’m a different fighter since the Lomachenko and Gamboa fights. This is a Mexico versus Puerto Rico fight, and I have to make my country proud.”

“Nobody knows what will happen until we get in the ring. It could be a Fight of the Year.”

Jerwin Ancajas

“I have been the IBF world champion for a long time, but I would like to unify the division because there are other great champions at 115 pounds. Juan Francisco Estrada, Kal Yafai and Kazuto Ioka have the other belts, so if the opportunity comes, I would love to unify.”

“I know Rodriguez is a tough fighter who won’t be intimidated. He had a great win over Felipe Orucuta in his last fight and earned a shot at the title with that performance.”

“Rodriguez has a lot of heart, and he has proven to be dangerous. Like always, I prepared for the best version of my opponent.”

Alex Saucedo

“I knew it was time to make a change after my loss to Maurice Hooker, and I spent some time with Pedro Neme in Los Angeles. It was obvious early on that he was the right person to be my new trainer. I can’t wait to show everyone the new and improved Alex Saucedo. We’ve worked on defense and head movement, but the fans will see a fighter who comes forward and gives it his all.”

“There is a great main event in Berchelt-Sosa, but my goal is to steal the show. I am not taking Rod Salka lightly, and I want the fans to go home happy. My goal is to win a world title, and my last fight was only a temporary setback.”

“There are a lot of great fights still out there for me. I took some time off, stayed in great shape and now it’s time to show everyone what I’m about.”

“Despite not fighting yet, I have had a great 2019. I had my second child, a son, and I became a United States citizen.”

ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT

Miguel Berchelt vs. Jason Sosa, 12 rounds, Berchelt’s WBC super featherweight world title

Jerwin Ancajas vs. Jonathan Rodriguez, 12 rounds, Ancajas’ IBF junior bantamweight world title 

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT

Javier Molina vs. Hiroki Okada, 10 rounds, super lightweight

Alex Saucedo vs. Rod Salka, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Daniel Lewis vs. Alexis Gaytan, 8/6 rounds, super welterweight

Gor Yeritsyan vs. Shoki Sakai, 8 rounds, welterweight

Raymond Muratalla vs. Arnulfo Becerra, 6 rounds, lightweight

Ruben Rodriguez vs. Abram Martinez, 6 rounds, super lightweight

Elvis Rodriguez vs. Luis Norambuena, 6 rounds, super lightweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions and Peltz Boxing, tickets for this world championship event are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $30 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased by visiting AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and in person at the Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). 

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #BercheltSosa and #AncajasRodriguez to join the conversation on social media.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31, 2019): The undercard of the Canelo vs. Kovalev card hosted a press conference featuring Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs), “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs), Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (17-0, 7 KOs), Marlen Esparza (7-0, 1 KO), Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (12-0-1, 8 KOs), and Carlos Ortiz (11-4, 11 KOs). The event will take place Saturday Nov. 2, 2019 at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s press conference:

Ryan Garcia, Lightweight Contender:

“This fight is a big fight, a big moment, there’s a lot of hype around it. A lot of things have been said about me not taking the fight in September but look, I’m taking it now. It’s a big moment on a big stage, and it had to happen here. You have two hungry fighters and Romero, he’s a big puncher and he’s going to come and try to knock me out. It’s a very dangerous fight. I took a younger fighter who’s up and coming so he’s hungry. Not some old guy, I took a young, hungry, hard-hitting fighter. I want to prove everybody wrong and I probably won’t get the respect end of the day but it’s okay as long as I put on the best show that I can.”

“I just got a lot of haters and they want to see me lose, even if I knock him out and I put on a beautiful boxing performance, they’re not going to respect me but I’m okay with that. I’m okay with just being confident in myself. I have a lot of respect for Romero Duno. Sometimes it confuses me when he wears t-shirts that ‘Ryan Garcia is running,’ so I’m a little confused, but I respect him.”

“I feel like my skills are better. I just feel like I’m going to win fairly easy. I don’t see it going all ten rounds.”

KO? “Ya.”

Romero Duno, NABO Lightweight Champion:

“I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions for giving me a chance to fight this event, a very big event for me. I would like to thank Ryan Garcia for accepting the match. I wanted to give the fans what they want. They say they want me to fight King Ryan. I was ready [in September], I was always ready. I was born ready.”

“I didn’t imagine that I could be here right now, fighting on a big card like this one. It’s a very big opportunity for me to show the world that not only Manny Pacquiao can make history in boxing in the Philippines. There’s a lot of Filipino fighters that can do that.”

Seniesa Estrada, WBC Silver Light Flyweight Champion:

“I’ve been dealing with a lot of talk from Marlen the last two years, mostly on social media of course, but I do my talking in the ring. Saturday night, she’s going to have a lot to deal with. I love that she’s underestimating me and thinks she’s gonna walk right through me. Saturday night, she’s in for a big surprise.”

“You’re a bad rep to women’s boxing period, you start beef with everybody. There’s little girls watching you too, and you disrespect me all the time. She has a bad ego, bad attitude, she’s disrespectful, she’s just a nasty person with a nasty attitude. Marlen Esparza is delusional.”

“I’m going to be the bully Saturday night, that’s for sure.”

Marlen Esparza, NABO Flyweight Champion:

“I just want to say that I’m extremely happy to be here. It’s such a huge platform for women’s boxing. I’m looking forward to settling this once and for all. There’s been so much said, so much done. Seniesa decided to shove me and disrespect me and disrespect women’s boxing. There’s little girls watching all over the world and I want to show them how we should represent women’s boxing. The entire situation is disrespectful. There’s a time to make contact and that’s on Saturday night. You need to hold yourself in a professional manner.”

“I’m excited to put on a show and I’m excited for the three-minute rounds – it’s huge for us in women’s boxing. I’m excited to do this not just for me but for all the Latinas everywhere.”

“She’s a compulsive liar. She tries to play victim all the time. You’re not the victim here, and then you want to shove me? Which are you, are you the victim or the bully? You need to pick a side.”

Blair Cobbs, Junior NABF Welterweight Champion:

“I’m going out there to impress and show the world – millions around the world – what Blair ‘The Flair’ is all about baby. Woo!”

“I am the most exciting man in boxing today, because it doesn’t matter who you put me in there with – you’re going to see an exciting fight. Knockouts, drag-out wars, you’re going to see blood, action, tears. You’re going to see somebody that’s going to hate me, and the people that hate me are going to rise up and give a great applause.”

Carlos Ortiz, Welterweight Contender:

“I’m very grateful to be participating on such a card with great boxers. There’s a reason why we’re here and I look forward to giving a great fight.”

Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy:

“As in any big event, you have the undercard and we have all these rising stars that are going to contribute in making this a special event on Saturday night. In the co-feature, Ryan Garcia wants to prove that he can be the next big star in boxing but he’s facing a tough customer in Romero Duno – who knows that with a victory, he’s right in line to challenge for a world title. And, we have two girls who are undefeated and are going to take their fight off of social media and into the ring.”

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events:

“A spot on the undercard is where it starts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked through our archive and looked at a particular fight and been astonished at who was fighting underneath.”

Bernard Hopkins, Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Business Partner:

“To my left, the future stars, this is your moment. Even though you’re not the headliner of the card, you have the chance to steal the show. You have the chance to be your own main event and be successful. To my right, the same goes to you – especially Blair and everybody that’s putting themselves into a position to one day be a main event. I love this sport, I love boxing, and when you get an undercard that has substance and meaning, it makes me feel even more grateful that I’ve left my DNA heavy in the history of boxing. Pay attention to the undercard very closely because one day soon, you’ll be rooting for them and you’ll be covering them.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title
presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. Garcia vs. Duno is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver & NABO Lightweight Titles presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,”
Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254,
$854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez,
https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

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

HOUSTON, TX–Roberson Sports Management is proud to announce the signing of it’s first fighter, undefeated lightweight Fernando Bunch.

Roberson Sports Management is owned by LaTavia Roberson who is best known as an original member of the R&B group Destiny’s Child, one of the world’s
best-selling groups of all time.

Nine-Time World Champion Roy Jones Jr. is training Fernando Bunch. LaTavia wanted to get a fighter signed, and her team started looking. Since LaTavia owns Slugfest Magazine, and had done a cover story with Roy earlier in the year. Her partner Alfred Adams, Vice President of Roberson Sports Management, asked Roy if he knew of any up and coming prospects. Roy said he had someone LaTavia should look at. Adams immediately took notice of Bunch’s speed and strength.

Fernando Bunch was born Fernando Parks, but in 2010 he and his father decided he should take his father’s last name, and he changed it. Fernando was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and is 27 years old. He stands 5’11 and campaigns at 130lbs.-135lbs. He is the youngest of 5 brothers. He has about 120 amateur bouts under his belt. Both of his parents are God fearing and was raised in the Mount Calvary Baptist Church. Fernando graduated from
Hephzibah High School in 2009 at the top of his class. As of now, he works as a Tech Support specialist at T-Mobile for the last 5 years. He has 2 daughters, a 7-year-old daughter named Mya Armani and an 8-month-old daughter name Miliana Pelea. They are both his pride & joy and his reason why he strives so hard to be successful in his boxing career and in life.

Fernando started boxing in 2001, in which was a transition from Taekwondo due to disqualifications for obsessive use of punches. Basically, he quit because he was more interested in punching than kicking. Throughout his early years of boxing he won State and Regional Junior Olympics, Silver Gloves, Golden Gloves, and competed in the National Golden Gloves, Augusta National Ringside Classics, Title National Paul Murphy, and USA
Championships. He also fought in the 2015 Olympic Trials in Colorado Springs, as well in Philadelphia. In the midst of all those tournaments, his coach left for 2 & 1/2 tours in Iraq. Consequently, his trainer’s absence caused him to miss a lot of opportunities to take part in many national tournaments. Fernando received experience within his amateur boxing career by training with world champions such as the Erislandy Lara and the Charlo Brothers, but he also learned from greats such as Ronnie Shields, Paul Williams and now with his head coach the Great Roy Jones Jr.

Fernando has the potential to have a tremendous professional boxing career. He is always willing to learn, and strongly believes in the saying “The day you stop learning, is the day you stop getting better.” As of right now, Fernando is 9-0 as a professional with 5 Knockouts and trains with Roy Jones Jr in Pensacola, FL.

Fernando’s future goal is to be able to bring a nonprofit boxing gym and program for the youth in his side of town (South side) in Augusta, GA. In addition, he wants to start a consistent foundation that supplies school and hygiene supplies for the youth before each semester of school. He is also interested in starting a program for young men on how to apply for jobs, conduct themselves in interviews, how to make mature decisions and
manifest goals.

Filip Hrgovi? (9-0, 7 KOs) steps up to face former World Title challenger Eric Molina (27-5, 19 KOs) as part of a colossal night of boxing at the Diriyah Arena in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday December 7 featuring the Unified Heavyweight World Title rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

The Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, who will be defending his WBC International Title, has made a blistering start to his professional career, racing to nine wins from nine fights – with seven of those wins coming by knockout – since making his pro debut at the Arena Riga in September 2017.

Ranked in the top ten in the world with the WBC, WBA and IBF, the 27-year-old already finds himself being propositioned for a World Title shot having been matched aggressively from the very start of this career, landing the WBC ranking title with a sensational knockout win over Amir Mansour.

Molina, a two-time World Title challenger from Texas USA, has mixed it at the top of the Heavyweight division throughout his twelve-year career as a pro. His first World Title attempt came against WBC king Deontay Wilder in 2015 when he took ‘The Bronze Bomber’ nine rounds before succumbing to a stoppage loss.

A year later he travelled to the UK to face IBF ruler Joshua at Manchester Arena and was stopped in three rounds in what was ‘AJ’s’ maiden World Title defence. Fights against Terrell Jamal Woods and Dominic Breazeale followed in 2017 before Molina made his return in February earlier this year, outpointing Nick Guivas in Brownsville.

“I’m very honoured to be a part of this great event,” said Hrgovi?. “It is a big step up for me in terms of the level of opponent and also the size of the event. 

“The whole world will be watching and this is a big opportunity for me to showcase my skills. I would like to thank my team Team Sauerland, Zeljko Karajica and Eddie Hearn for making this possible.

“I’m expecting a hard fight. Eric Molina has fought two times for the World title. He rocked Deontay Wilder in their fight and almost knocked him down. He is a very dangerous fighter with a lot of experience. This will be a big step up in competition and I am expecting the hardest fight of my career.

“From the beginning, we have started with very strong competition. I have told my promoter Team Sauerland that I am ready for anyone in the world and I have always wanted to fight the best so I’m excited for the challenge.

“Everything is perfect in training. I am getting stronger and better with every camp. Pedro Diaz is a great coach and I think we are a very good team. With every camp I see more and more of his knowledge and experience. I am very happy to be here training with him and I think he is bringing out the best in me.”

“I am beyond excited to be a part of this amazing boxing event in Saudi Arabia,” said Molina. “I am grateful to finally be back in the ring and I know exactly what this fight means. Eddie Hearn has given me more than enough time to be physically, mentally and spiritually ready for Hrgovi?.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland said: “Filip is the fastest rising star of the heavyweight division so it is fitting that he play a part in this massive night for heavyweight boxing. This is a huge opportunity with the whole world watching and a chance for him to further his World title claim with a win over Molina.”

Russian powerhouse Alexander Povetkin (35-2, 24 KOs) is also confirmed for the undercard as he returns from his August triumph over Hughie Fury to take on USA’s Heavyweight talent Michael Hunter (18-1, 12 KOs) in an Eliminator for the WBA World Title.

“The world will stop on December 7 to watch Ruiz vs. Joshua 2 and now they have more mouth-watering action to whet the appetite,” said Eddie Hearn. “Povetkin vs. Hunter is a brilliant match up with both men looking for a crack at the World Heavyweight Title in 2020 and unbeaten Hrgovi? makes his first step up against World Title challenger Eric Molina.” 

LAS VEGAS (October 31, 2019) – It was a “King Kong Monster Smash” in Las Vegas on Halloween Thursday, as top heavyweight contender Luis “King Kong” Ortiz treated the media to some of the tricks he has in store for WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder before they rematch in the main event of a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View taking place Saturday, November 23 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The media workout also featured former champion Julio Ceja, who is preparing to face WBA Super Bantamweight Champion Brandon Figueroa in pay-per-view action that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by BombZquad Promotions, TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at www.mgmgrand.com or www.axs.com.

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday from the Las Vegas Fight Club:

LUIS ORTIZ

“My main goal has always been to become heavyweight champion and that goal has not veered at all. I haven’t lost any of that hunger. You don’t go through the torture of a training camp like this to just show up.

“I don’t know if Deontay will be improved for this fight, but I will definitely be an even better version of myself on November 23. If I get that opportunity like I got in the last fight, I’m not going to stop punching until it’s over. I’m going to seek and destroy.

“Our mantra is, he quits, they quit for him, you make him quit, or you knock him out. Any of those four is us winning.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this fight is going to end in a knockout. Either I’m knocking him out, or he’s knocking me out…but he’s not knocking me out.

“When you watch videos online from Wilder, there are definitely things he does better now. But he still doesn’t have the experience of taking that from training into the fight. He’s got to have a plan B and C, and if he doesn’t, it will be a mistake. I have a plan for everything.

“I’m very proud to be Cuban and I’ve been around some of the great Cuban fighters of all time. It’s going to be very exciting to become the first Cuban heavyweight champion.

“I wouldn’t be here in Las Vegas if I wasn’t serious about being all-in for this fight. I would have stayed home in Miami. I haven’t seen my family in months and that’s worse than any Deontay Wilder punch.

“This fight isn’t personal against Wilder, but it’s personal because I want to erase the loss and that thorn in my side. My motivation is for this fight and this fight only. I’m not thinking about any other heavyweights.

“If anything is going to change in this fight, it’s going to be Wilder making adjustments, if he can. I’m in 15 round shape and he’s going to have to deal with me for every round. We added Larry Wade as strength and conditioning coach and I’m happy and I’m blessed that I’ve had this great training camp.”

JULIO CEJA

“This is a big fight for me. I’m very excited to put on an amazing show on the undercard for this great main event between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz. I’m going to steal the show and walk away with the world title.

“Brandon Figueroa is a young fighter coming up, but he hasn’t faced anybody like me. I’ve faced the elites in the division, and we don’t know if Figueroa is there yet. We’re on our way to a collision in the ring and I know that I’m going to end up on top.

“We’re going to be smart in the ring, but we’re working hard for the knockout. If the opportunity comes, I’m going to take it.

“The fans should expect an explosive fight on November 23. It’s going to be a great night for Mexico, for me and for my whole team. I’m working hard every day to hear my name as the new champion of the world.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“Luis Ortiz has the opportunity to mess up everybody’s plans. He’s not focused on anything else but Deontay Wilder on November 23.

“Ortiz knows he just needs to focus for 12 rounds and find a way to get a huge win. He’ll put himself in a great position. What better position than to be in than ‘the man’ in the heavyweight division?

“Deontay Wilder has improved with each and every fight. He doesn’t only have the right hand, but he’s learned some other tricky things that he does. Both of these fighters took this fight because they saw that they could make improvements heading into this fight.

“Ortiz’s conditioning will be important for this fight. He’s going to be able to fight all night long, and we already know he has a great skill set. It’s going to make this a really great fight.”

#

ABOUT WILDER VS. ORTIZ II
Wilder vs. Ortiz II will see boxing’s longest reigning heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder defending his WBC title in a rematch against once-beaten Cuban slugger Luis “King Kong” Ortiz Saturday, November 23 in FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View action live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Three-division champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz seeks a title in another division when he takes on Miguel “El Michoacan” Flores for the WBA Super Featherweight Championship in the co-main event.

Pay-per-view action begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and also features undefeated rising star Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa making the first defense of his WBA Super Bantamweight Title against former champion Julio Ceja while undefeated Mexican power-puncher Luis Nery battles Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Rodríguez in a matchup of former bantamweight champions

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

Eddie Hearn: 

“This is a big night for many reasons, Michael Buffer just touched there on it being the final fight of Anthony Crolla. I think that after the press conference we are going to forget the niceties of the career and memories and concentrate on a very important fight for him on Saturday. 

“The career of Anthony Crolla is without doubt one of the great success stories of British boxing and he is genuinely one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He has been an unbelievable ambassador for this city and the sport of boxing.

“This is a must win fight for him and I know that he wants to finish his career with another victory. 

“The main fight this weekend is a groundbreaking fight for Katie Taylor who moves up to 140lbs to take on the WBO World Champion Christina Linardatou in a very tough fight after becoming the Undisputed World Champion at Madison Square Garden in June. 

“We have a brilliant domestic Middleweight clash between Felix Cash and Jack Cullen as well and all the other fights here that we will be talking about shortly.

Adam Smith:

“What a wonderful turnout which it always seems to be in Manchester which is a fantastic fight city. We have been coming here for 25 years on Sky and have seen some wonderful events in the Arena. 

“When you walk around there is a special buzz in the air before a big event and there will be one or two tears in the eye when Anthony Crolla bids farewell to the sport on Saturday night. 

“What a phenomenal career he has had, he always has the tag as being the nicest man in boxing and he really has been. He’s fought long and hard and battled through many things and us at Sky will be looking forward to his swansong in a fight that he needs to win.

“Katie Taylor is a wonderful ambassador for the sport who has a real tough ask moving up in weight to face Christina who will definitively want to hold on to that title. 

“What a selection of talent we have on display, the roadshow goes on in one of the most powerful schedules we have had and we cannot wait for Saturday.”

Katie Taylor:

“I have the chance to become a two-weight World Champion and I am very prepared for this fight. I have had a long training camp, the longest one I have had for a professional fight so I am feeling strong. 

“These are the kind of challenges that I relish and I’m expecting a very tough fight, she is the Champion and I am the challenger but I am ready.

“I am in there with bigger and stronger girls now but I have put in hundreds of rounds of sparring these last few years and I am prepared for this kind of challenge.

“I have put in a lot of strength and conditioning work and I can’t wait to get in there now. There is a lot of big fights out there for me but I am only focused on Christina at the moment and I have to get past her first.”

Christina Linardatou:

“I am always ready and I am not getting out of the gym because I am preparing myself. This is what I love and I am ready for any challenge! 

“I can handle everything and will do everything I need to do on Saturday to get the win.”

Anthony Crolla:

“Saturday night is so important to me, it means absolutely everything for me to go out there and finish my career in style. I have a lot of respect for Frank and I think our styles are going to gel for a great fight. 

“Everyone keeps asking me about emotions and I keep saying the same thing, I am just trying to not think of this as my last fight because otherwise you start fighting with emotions. 

“Boxing is a sport where you can’t do that because it very rarely works out well so I am just going to treat it like any other fight. I have had a fantastic camp and I can’t wait for Saturday night.

“There is a lot of things that I will miss about boxing, it has been a huge part of my life and it always will be, this is just the last time I will walk to the ring as a fighter. 

“He has go everything to gain and that for me is motivation on it’s own. I want to finish my career on a high and go out in style. I will always have that hunger and that hunger never really leaves you but I feel that you have got to feed it in other ways. 

“I will be coaching the kids, I will be spending more time focusing on that and maybe in time, take a stable of fighters on. Everyone on this table loves boxing in one way or another and boxing has been so good for me.

“I am so grateful for what boxing has done for me but now the time is right.”

Frank Urquiaga:

“I am so excited to fight here in Manchester, a city with a lot of boxing fans. For me it is an honour to fight against a warrior like Anthony Crolla and I am ready for the fight.

“Anthony Crolla is a good boxer with a lot of rhythm and the fight will be a good fight for the fans. I will give this my best and let’s hope it goes right for me on the night.”

Joe Gallagher: 

“His training camp for this fight has been what it always it, meticulous. He puts 100% into everything and we can’t take our eyes off the ball. 

“Frank is a good fighter, he fought for the European title as the away fighter and lost by two points on two judges scorecards. Frank has an awful lot to gain upsetting the party this week. 

“The right time to go out is when you are relevant, you don’t want to be a stepping stone for the young fighters coming through. He is going out on his own accord and not because boxing has forced him too. Anthony is getting out at the right time and from a personal perspective it’s a pleasure to be able to finish Anthony’s career with him. 

“When fighters become World Champions there is usually splits, people get in their ears, but one word for Anthony Crolla is loyal. He still is going round dropping his tickets off to his fans! To be able to do this last dance together makes me so proud and I think it would be fitting to have Anthony acknowledged in the Queen’s Honours List at the end of this year.”

Felix Cash:

“I am really looking forward to this fight, it’s a big show and a big event and a lot of people will be watching as I showcase my skills and what I am about. 

“He has had one good win against a mediocre opponent and I don’t know where he is getting all this from, he thinks he’s a World Champion!

“He is going to see on fight night that he is in with a whole different animal and he’s in for the shock of his life. He’s going to be there to be hit, he’s not a massive puncher and I am just a whole different level from him and you’re going to see it on Saturday night.”

Jack Cullen:

“This is a big opportunity and I’m going to take it with both hands and I’m just glad that he is here this time! It’s going to be a great fight and I have trained for more than 12 rounds and Felix Cash is going to get smashed!

“He is a good opponent who is probably the best opponent that I’ve fought but he hasn’t found anybody either. We are both hungry for this fight and the best man will win, I am coming home with that belt inside the distance!”

Terri Harper:

“I have been on Sky shows before in Sheffield and Nottingham but this time it is officially as a Matchroom boxer. I have got a tough test on Saturday night but I have trained hard and I am prepared for a tough ten rounds with Viviane. 

“This is the test that I need to take me to the next level for the other World title belts and I have got to beat Viviane on Saturday!”

Viviane Obenauf:

“I am really happy to be here having been un well for six months and I am super prepared, even more so than for the Natasha Jonas fight. It’s going to be a game of cat and mouse.”

Martin Bakole:

“I always say that I am ready for anybody, I am waiting on Saturday to see what this man can bring to the table. I am coming to fight and so is he so we will see what will happen, the best man will win on Saturday night!”

Qais Ashfaq:

“I’m not underestimating Joe, I boxed him four times in the amateurs and I know what he’s about. I believe I know what he is going to bring but even if he does decide to change tactics I feel that I have the tools to deal with what he brings and get a good result on Saturday night.

“When they come at me it just makes It easier for me in my opinion and I believe that he is going to come to fight. He is probably hoping he is going to tire me out but it’s not going to happen because I am in the best shape of my life.”

Joe Ham:

“I’ve been training hard and I am looking forward to taking this opportunity with both hands. 

“We have boxed a few times in the amateurs, the last being in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but that was five years ago! There is a big jump between the amateurs and the pro’s and I am confident that the pro style suits me better and I can get the win on Saturday night.”

Nathan Farrell:

“I am just blessed to be on this show surrounded by so many great fighters. It’s great to be on this card with Katie Taylor who will go down as a boxing legend. 

“I just want to congratulate Anthony Crolla on a great career and I am buzzing to get back in the ring at the right time to fight on the undercard of both Anthony Crolla and Katie Taylor.”

Dalton Smith:

“I picked up another win in Italy and now I’m straight back out here three weeks later. I am staying active, getting plenty of fights and looking forward to putting on another performance on Saturday.

“The plan was to stay active up until Christmas and I’ve got a few good fights between now and the end of the year. I look forward to next year and securing bigger fights and picking some titles up.”

Hopey Price:

“I’ve just turned professional and signed with Matchroom two weeks ago. I am really happy to be on this show and I am happy to perform on such a big stage on Saturday night.

“Being in the gym with Jordan Gill and Anthony Fowler has been great and they have all helped me. I feel like I am ready for the pro ranks and showing what I’m all about on Saturday night.”

Follow all the action as Tyson Fury wrestles against Braun Strowman Live in Saudi Arabia.

No Browser Refresh Needed.

Strowman Enters the ring. Fury comes into “It’s Your Thing” wearing Saudi clothing. The two tie up. Fury lands two body shots. Fury gets Strowman. Strowman drives Fury into the apron. Right Hand from Strowman. Nig Kick from Fury. Fury gets a 2 count.. Strowman drives Fury into the corner. Big right to the chest. Fury is down. Big kick to the head. Strowman tries ram Fury in the corner. Kick from Fury…Powerslam by Strowman..Big shoulder outside the ring. And another.. Big right by Fury…THE REF COUNTS 10…FURY WINS BY COUNTOUT

Strowman powerslams Fury after the bell

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2019): Rising lightweight star Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) and NABO Lightweight Champion “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) faced off in a special pre-fight feature on Facebook Watch to discuss their highly anticipated 10-round fight in the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev.The night of boxing action will take place this Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Social media star Logan Paul moderated the face-off, which highlights the importance of this upcoming bout along with the controversy that surrounded the way it was finalized. As an added bonus, Garcia concluded the feature by turning the tables on Paul and interviewing the YouTube star to discuss his upcoming rematch against KSI on Nov. 9 at Staples Center and live on DAZN. To watch the entire show, click here.

“I took this fight because no prospects want to do this,” said Ryan Garcia. “I want to do it. I don’t want to fight old veterans. I don’t want to fight ex-champions that are already washed up. I want to show everyone what I’m made of, and this is the perfect fight to do this. We’re two young fighters. What other young fighter is doing this?”

“A win over Ryan Garcia would mean a lot to me,” said Romero Duno. “I know that Ryan is very famous, and there are a lot of people who think I can’t beat him. I need to show them that I can fight against a fast boxer like him. It’s going to be a tough fight.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title
presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254,
$854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez,
https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

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SAM BOWEN INSISTS he is now back firing on all cylinders after being marked absent through injury and has recently removed the toil of manual labour from his daily routine.

The British super featherweight champion famously combined his boxing career with tough shifts at the Caterpillar plant in Leicester, which he now accepts left him drained and vulnerable to illness and injury.

A back injury initially delayed the mandatory defence of his Lonsdale belt against Anthony Cacace that will now go ahead at Arena, Birmingham on November 30 on a show featuring five other major title collisions.

Being gainfully unemployed has rejuvenated the unbeaten 27-year-old who reports a clean bill of health after being on the missing list since his successful defence against Jordan McCorry in March.

“I’m fine now, finally, and ready for it now,” said the 15-0 Ibstock man. “It was sciatica, which I had years ago and then I injured myself again so my back was bad and my sciatica horrendous. I couldn’t even train.

“I was off sick from work because I couldn’t do that either, but I am back to normal now and back at it, although I am not working now.

“The injury done it for me because I thought if I am getting injured and can’t train then I’ve got to pick one. I picked boxing and I have finally done it now so hopefully training should go well for this one.

“I only left a couple of weeks ago because I had to get better first before making the decision,” he added, also explaining that hanging up his tool kit and making such a big lifestyle change will enable him to devote so much more of his energy reserves into preparing for fights.

“It should make a big difference and hopefully I should feel a bit fresher in myself. Hopefully I also get the win otherwise I will be going back sooner than I think!

“I get more time with the little one and missus, but I am training full-time so I am still pretty busy.

“The way things were going I was just tired, getting injured a lot and being ill. It was because my body was being pushed through it and it was time to make a decision.

“I can get a job any time, but hopefully things go well for me in the boxing and I needed to put my 100 per cent into something.”

Sam Bowen v Anthony Cacace for the British super featherweight championship features on a stacked night of title action at Arena, Birmingham on November 30. WBO world bantamweight champion Zolani Tete defends his title against mandatory challenger John Riel Casimero and British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Chris Jenkins makes a defence against Liam Taylor. Lerrone Richards also takes on Lennox Clarke for the Commonwealth and vacant British super middleweight belt.

Sam Maxwell defends his WBO European super lightweight title against the also unbeaten Connor Parker from Derbyshire, while Hamzah Sheeraz will fight for his first major title at super welterweight.

Thrilling prospects Dennis McCann, Shabaz Masoud, Eithan James and George Davey also feature on the bill, along with talents from the local region in Nathan Heaney and River Wilson-Bent.

Tickets are available now from £40 via TheTicketFactory and Ticketmaster

Ticket Prices:
£250 – Inner Ring Hospitality
£150 – Floor
£100 – Floor
£75 – Floor
£50 – Lower Tier
£40 – Upper Tier