VERGIL ORTIZ JR. AND ANTONIO ‘RELENTLESS’ OROZCO LOS ANGELES MEDIA ROUNDTABLE QUOTES

LOS ANGELES (July 2, 2019): Rising knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. (13-0, 13 KOs) and former world title challenger Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (28-1, 17 KOs) hosted a Los Angeles media roundtable at El Cholo Restaurant today to discuss their upcoming fight for the WBA Gold Welterweight Title. The fight will take place on Saturday, Aug. 10 at The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Below is what today’s participants had to say at the roundtable:

VERGIL ORTIZ JR., Welterweight Contender:

“This will be an action-packed fight. There is no way that this fight will be boring. We are two warriors of Mexican descent. It’s going to be an explosive fight. There will never be a dull moment in the ring. My opponent Antonio Orozco has a good record and he’s tough I’ve seen him fight before. He’s definitely a tough guy, a very explosive puncher and very strong. But so am I. It’s going to be a real good fight.”

“If I were to describe myself, it would be that I adjust. I use my head more than my muscles. There’s a lot of fighters who go in just throwing bombs, and it doesn’t look good. If you want to look good, you have to use your brain. You have to place your punches right, and that’s who I am.”

“It means a lot to fight in Grand Prairie. I’ve never fought in my hometown before. I fought in the Cowboys stadium, but that’s not the same as my hometown.”

“I believe that Antonio can handle my power because he’s coming up from 140 to 147, just like I did. We’ve never seen him fight at 147, so he might get bigger. When you’re bigger, you can handle more power than when you were smaller. This guy has been in the ring with some tough opponents, and I don’t see a reason he couldn’t handle my power. I feel like this very well might go the distance, and honestly I hope it does. I really need the experience because I’m getting close to that world title shot. I’m not looking too ahead, but if this title shot happens, then I need all the experience I can get.”

ANTONIO OROZCO, Welterweight Contender:

“It’s exciting. It’s going to give a lot to talk about. It’s going to be a fight that’s going to bring everything to the table. It’s been a great year for boxing, and it’s about to get better. “

“Vergil Ortiz is a tremendous fighter. Obviously he likes to fight. He likes to get in there and make himself known.”

“This fight is very big. This fight can open the door to bigger opportunities, perhaps another world title shot. It’s a very important fight, and I’m looking forward for whatever comes next.”

“I expect him to come. I expect him to come with everything that he has. I’ve seen his fights. That’s the way he likes to come in. He’s a heated fighter and we’re expecting that from Vergil.”

“It is a dangerous fight. Every fight is dangerous, and every fight can be your last one. Let’s not jump to conclusions. Let’s see what happens.”

Ortiz vs. Orozco is a 12-round fight for the WBA Gold Welterweight 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 on Saturday, Aug. 10 at The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Ortiz vs. Orozco are on sale and are priced at $125, $75, $50, and $30, plus applicable taxes, fees, and service charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, AXS.com, by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at The Theatre at Grand Prairie Box Office (Monday -Saturday 11:00 am CT – 3:00 pm CT or 972-854-5076).

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 #OrtizOrozco.

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




DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT SIGNS HEAVYWEIGHT PROSPECT AMRON SANDS

New York, NY (7/2/19) – DiBella Entertainment has added six-foot-six Bahamian Amron “The Sandman” Sands (8-0, 7 KOs), of Orlando, FL, to its roster of heavyweight prospects. Sands is managed by Kevin Dever Sports Management.

In his last bout, on February 16, Sands fought in his first scheduled six-rounder but needed less than one round to stop Hector Hodge at St. Petersburg Coliseum in Florida.

“Amron is a big heavyweight with a lot of power,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The heavyweight division is hot right now and Sands has the kind of style that will entertain the audience. I’m happy to be working again with my friend Kevin Dever and, together, we will make sure that Amron reaches his full potential.”

“I signed with DiBella Entertainment because Lou is one of the most trustworthy promoters in boxing and he has great relationships in the business to get my name out there,” said Sands. “I know that, with his guidance, I can become heavyweight champion of the world. I can box and I can bang and I’m what the heavyweight division needs. I’m very excited about my future and am ready to put in the work.”

“I have always had a great working relationship with Lou DiBella. He genuinely cares about his fighters,” said Kevin Dever. “DiBella Entertainment knows how to build a fighter to become a world champion and I know that Amron is in good hands.”

Born in Nassau, Bahamas, Sands initially aspired to become a professional basketball player. His natural athleticism and talent were recognized at an early age and led him to receiving a scholarship to attend the sports-oriented high school Save Our Youth Leadership Academy in Tulsa, OK. However, during a senior year basketball game, Sands damaged the ACL and MCL in his right knee, which forced him to withdraw from the school and return home to the Bahamas.

Sands’ boxing journey began when he reconnected with Ronn Rodgers, an old basketball coach from his youth who now owned a local boxing gym in Nassau, Bahamas. While Sands was training at Strikers School of Boxing to aid his recovery from the knee injury and get back in shape, Rodgers saw potential and urged him consider competing in boxing.

It wasn’t until he survived what could have been a fatal motorcycle accident, which left third-degree burns all over the right side of his body, that Sands found the motivation to enter the world of pugilism.

“I was 19 years old, riding my motorcycle and going 110 mph, not wearing a helmet or vest, just shorts and a tank top,” said Sands. “The bike skidded on some dirt when I was trying to get around a car and I lost control. The bike flipped over and I went flying, landing on the pavement maybe 100 feet away while the bike hit a tree. It’s a miracle that I didn’t break any bones; I guess I have a pretty good chin.

“Following an experience like that, where I could have died, I wanted to move my life in a positive direction and decided to heed coach Rodgers’ advice to take up boxing.”

After earning silver at the 2014 Independent Cup in the Dominican Republic, Sands moved with his family to Orlando, FL, and started training out of Orlando Boxing Academy with head coach Buck Mitchell. Accumulating an overall amateur record of 40-3, Sands also won first place at the 2015 Florida State PAL Boxing Championships and 2016 Sugar Bert Promotions Title Belt National Qualifier. His Olympic dreams were dashed when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that he did not yet have enough experience to compete in any qualifying tournaments. That decision prompted Sands to turn pro and he debuted on August 5, 2017, dropping Julio Mendoza twice to score a TKO victory in 86 seconds. With Mitchell in his corner, the heavy-handed Sands has thus far won all but one of his bouts by knockout.

Details on Sands’ next contest will be announced shortly.




VIDEOS: UFC 239 Embedded: Vlog Series – EpisodeS 1&2





CALEB PLANT VS. MIKE LEE MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Ray Flores
We greatly appreciate the media joining us from wherever they are around the world and we are very excited for Saturday July 20. We have the Super Middleweight Champion of the World Caleb “Sweethands” Plant putting his title on the line against unbeaten Mike Lee. It is the IBF Super Middleweight Championship of the World on the line from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It is FOX PBC Fight Night live on FOX and FOX Deportes and it all starts at 7 ET/4 PT. Brought to you by TGB Promotions and Sweethands Promotions.

Tickets are available they are going quickly at AXS.com. You can also purchase them over the phone 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resort International box office as FOX PBC Fight Night will proceed the Fox Sports pay-per-view, the PBC paper-view which starts at 9 ET/ 6 PT and that happens also at MGM Grand featuring the Eight Division World Champion Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao taking on the WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman in our main event.

Now Saturday July 20 is going to be a historic night of boxing and we are off to a tremendous start for the summer when it comes to PBC and a catalyst for that has been the promotor and the President of TGB Promotions a man who in my opinion needs to be in the Hall of Fame sooner than later, please welcome my dear friend, the President of TGB Promotions, Mr. Tom Brown.

Tom Brown
Well thank you Ray and thank you for being with us for the Caleb Plant versus Mike Lee IBF Super Middleweight Champion Conference Call. It’s going to be a huge night of boxing in Las Vegas and a spectacular night for the sport of boxing and for FOX on pay-per-view as well.

Caleb Plant will be making the first defense of his title on FOX in primetime as the build-up to the Pacquiao vs. Thurman pay-per-view event. The fans are in for a great night of action.

Caleb Plant put the world on notice with his exciting title winning performance back in January. And now Mike Lee, in his first world title fight has a huge opportunity to prove he belongs with the best as both guys put their undefeated records on the line. So now I’ll throw it back over to Ray to introduce the fighters and get things going. Thank you very much.

R. Flores
Now let’s get an opportunity to meet the challenger who is undefeated, but first I want to acknowledge his terrific team, his trainer Jamal Abdullah also another trainer that he has Julian Chua, Tareq Azim, his strength and conditioning coach.

This man is undefeated. Twenty-one bouts, 21 victories, 11 of those coming by way of knockouts. Thirty-two years of age. He’s been undefeated since turning pro back in 2010. He typically campaigns at 175-pounds but now is going down seven pounds to the super middleweight division. He could not pass up this opportunity having most recently come off of a victory over Jose Hernandez by unanimous decision last year.

Not only is he a terrific fighter but he has accomplished a lot in academics, he’s a graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he earned a degree in Finance from the Mendoza School of Business. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know this young man for the past several years. He comes from a tremendous background and without a doubt, looking to make a statement and achieve his lifelong dream and become a world champion. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the undefeated Mike Lee.

Mike Lee
I’m excited. I’m in California now feeling phenomenal. Training hard and sparring hard. It’s been the best camp I’ve ever had honestly. Weight is going down beautifully and I just feel fast and strong and ready to do this.

Q
Can you talk about what your goals were when you turned pro and how this fight fits into that?

M. Lee
Well the ultimate goal of any fighter or athlete is to compete at the highest level for a world title, a Super Bowl or whatever that may be. So for me this is a dream come true and I’m excited because you work so hard and go through all the days of training camps and injuries and surgeries and all that to get to this moment here. So it’s the pinnacle of the sport and that’s where I belong and I’m excited to show everybody that on July 20.

Q
What lead to the decision to take a fight at Super Middleweight?

M. Lee
My team and I have been talking about super middleweight if there was an opportunity for a big fight for a while so for me it didn’t necessarily come out of left field but when I got the phone call about this specific opportunity, I was all about it. I knew 168 wouldn’t be a problem and I knew I could bring my power and my speed down to this weight class and rehydrate the right way. So when a world title comes, you say “yes” and especially when I know that I can win. I knew 168 was a comfortable weight for me and here we are.

Q
Are you working with your nutritionist or doing anything different in your training?

M. Lee
Yes, I hired a new nutritionist. Normally I didn’t even really need one to make 175 but I think the key was starting to monitor and really, you know, get this stuff down early on and we had a lot of time to prepare so that’s been the key and he’s made me feel better than I’ve ever felt.

Q
2019 has really been the year of the upsets and I would say it’s fair to say you’re probably the underdog in this fight. Do you take some heart at seeing some of the upsets that have occurred this year in boxing and picture yourself being another one on the list?

M. Lee
Yes, I don’t really pay too much attention to it. Yes, people have been saying that a lot but at the end of the day I’ve just got to be the best me. Those fights and what people say and what anybody else says doesn’t dictate the outcome of this fight when the bell rings and so yes, obviously that’s something to know. That’s the beauty of the sport, it only takes one punch, especially when you have power like mine. It only takes one punch to win something so I like the position I’m in.

Q
How is the training, the preparation been for not just taking on Caleb and also losing the weight and still keeping the power that you had at 175 pounds?

M. Lee
Yes, I mean you just got to get scientific with it and that’s where I get smarter people than me around me and just trusting the team. It’s really about trust. Trusting that the weights I’m pulling are where it needs to be and you’re getting the right carbs, the right amount of fats, the right protein, all that stuff. So I have guys around me that have been doing this their entire lives and understand that. So in terms of preparation, everything gets ramped up for the world title fight. The hunger is increased, the training increases, you’re working harder and smarter so I’m just excited. I’m bringing this excited energy to all these training sessions and that’s what I’ve wanted for a long time. I’ve been top 10 in the world for my past three, four fights so this is what I’ve been waiting for.

Q
Has it been easy shaking off the ring rust during camp with the sparring and the training for this fight?

M. Lee
Yes, it really has been. We knew about this fight a long time ago. This wasn’t one of these things where I got a call four weeks before, six weeks before, so I’ve been training, I’ve been busy and we were just waiting for that phone call. That was really it, the right opportunity. And I’m really grateful my team gave me this opportunity here so yes we’ve had a long time to prepare for this.

Q
In your eyes, what do you think you possess that some of Caleb past opponents don’t have that would allow you to win this fight and become world champion?

M. Lee
Well I’m an entirely different fighter, that’s the beauty of the sport. Every single fight is different. And so it doesn’t matter. I don’t really care what his other opponents have done in or out of the ring. It doesn’t matter. On fight night, the bell rings, it’s just me and him. The best man will win so I never really look into that. I’m just telling you what my opponents say. I’ve been in so many press conferences where opponents either talk shit or they’re dismissive or they’re respectful, all across the board. I’ve beat them all. I plan on doing the exact same thing, so what comes out of his mouth doesn’t concern me whatsoever.

Q
In terms of separation training like you were just talking about, is there anything specifically that you’re changing or doing differently in preparation for Caleb Plant?

M. Lee
Not necessarily. I think, if anything, the weather has gotten better so we’ve done some more beach workouts and whether it’s shadow boxing or strength and conditioning — whatever it is on the beach, always helps. We’ve increased sparring. Listen this is my 22nd fight so we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here so in a sense, it’s not like we’ve really added too much.

Q
From your surrounding team and the people in your corner, how important have they been in the weeks that you’ve been training and preparing for this fight?

M. Lee
It’s huge. It’s everything. That team is going to war with you and you’ve got to surround yourself with people that believe in the same mission, believe in the same value in anything in life, that’s all of us. We’re a brotherhood. I’ve had the team for a long time and Jamal and Julian are phenomenal and they see things I can’t see and they help me and push me and motivate me and this is a dream come true for the entire team.

Jamal and Julian have been in corners for world title fights already so it’s nothing new to them. Teamwork is everything and most importantly everyone having the same vision which is exactly what we have.

Q
You’ve worked with Ronnie Shields and now Jamal Abdullah. What are some of the benefits or the greatest takeaways that you can take from all three of them?

M. Lee
I’ve learned so much from them. Ronnie I’m still good friends with. I turned pro with Ronnie in Houston, Texas and I was down there with a bunch of world champions so at a very early part of my pro career I got to get in there with some of the world’s best and just learned. Ronnie is phenomenal. Big on the fundamentals and just a calm, cool, collective guy. He’s been in the ring himself and I love Ronnie to death. He’ll be a friend for life.

Q
Why the 13-month layoff between the Hernandez fight and the Plant fight?

M. Lee
If anything we were looking for the right fight. I wasn’t with a promoter and we were looking to sign and we were talking to a lot of different promoters and certain opportunities came up and then like always in boxing, they say it’s going to happen and it falls through. And you can’t believe anything until you sign the contract so obviously after that fight, I took some time off, got back in the gym and then it was a frustrating few months just kind of waiting for that phone call. But we got it, so we’re here.

Q
I would think that you would look at maybe some things there that previous opponents may have done with Plant that you may have seen to take advantage of?

M. Lee
Yes, of course, you watch film. You definitely watch film and you see what guys did well and didn’t do well all of that kind of stuff. I was just saying you don’t really take it to heart because those guys aren’t me. You take it to heart in terms of what you’re looking at or you’re staring at in terms of film study and what not but it’s the mentality of knowing that, yes, it’s good to have those specifics down and a game plan down and certain combinations and a strategy down but at the end of the day those guys aren’t me so that’s what I meant about that.

Q
Is there anyone you’ve faced whether it be sparring or were actually in the ring with that’s most like Caleb and why?

M. Lee
I don’t know, I haven’t fought him yet. No one specific comes to mind in terms of but I’ve been fighting since I was 8-years old. I’ve been pro for 21 fights. I’ve been in and out of pro camps sparring and I’ve sparred and been in the ring with so many different guys so yes, you see a little bit of everything.

Q
Have you had like a standard eight-week training camp or is it extended beyond that?

M. Lee
Yes, extended beyond that but, we didn’t want to burn out so it wasn’t like we were boxing every single day. We were just getting strength and conditioning. Just getting the timing and the rhythm down. I think that really helps as you ease into it because I think too often fighters come into a training camp and they’re 25 pounds overweight or they’re not in shape yet and we had the luxury of coming into camp in shape. So camp wasn’t about getting in shape necessarily and losing weight as much as it was just fine-tuning things and keeping the rhythm.

Q
How instrumental has Notre Dame been in this fight? What have they done to kind of champion you on and do you expect any Notre Dame Legends to appear at your fight?

M. Lee
Yes, absolutely. I’ve had a lot of Notre Dame guys call in when they had their Notre Dame Day and Media Day and support me whether it’s buddies that I have known through the Notre Dame community, guys that played football like Justin Tuck, Golden Tate or just so many amazing people that I’ve met through that community. Notre Dame has been phenomenal. They got a camera crew coming out next week to spread the message to the alumni network so I’m just super appreciative of that community. It’s taught me a lot. It’s really matured me and it’s taught me a lot about giving back too.

They’ve been involved in pretty much all my fights throughout my career involve in different children’s charities and Notre Dame charities and so it’s been exciting to be a part of that community and alumni network.

Q
Have you had any updates on Tavion or if he was planning on being at this fight?

M. Lee
Unfortunately, I don’t think he’ll be able to fly out to Las Vegas but he just had a birthday party that I sponsored and took care of and made sure people were there and I’m still in contact with him and I plan on seeing him after this fight, so he’ll be watching on TV but yes I got to bring him in the ring and he held my belt. And I mean, it’s a beautiful moment when I’ve been able to really connect with a lot of different kids whether it through Family Reach or different children’s charities and if I get a chance to do what I love which is boxing and also give back, it’s such a win-win. And there’s been many different cases of kids like Tavion that I’ve helped along this way.

And it makes me really grateful for where I am and that I have this platform and position to do it. So I’m still involved in (Tavion’s) life. Unfortunately, he got sick again and will be going through another round of chemotherapy so he won’t be able to make the trip up to Vegas which I was bummed on about but when I fly back to Chicago with the belt, I’m excited to let him hold it.

Q
What do you do differently for recovery and to kind of manage the pain throughout camp and actually fight night because of the auto-immune disease?

M. Lee
Yes, it’s known as ankylosing spondylitis. And yes when I got diagnosed it was after almost two years in and out of hospitals and even the fights that I had some layoffs where things were really tough there was a dark hole in my life and I never dealt with those moments and understand and my immune system just shut down and it really took a long time to really diagnose what was going on. And at the end of the day a lot of it came down to my diet, a lot of it came down to my mindset. I started changing the way I was thinking about things and what I was eating and how I was eating it and even getting off of all the medication that doctors had me on was huge.

There’s still days of pain. I still have to manage it but I’m so far from where I was a few years ago and it’s a beautiful thing. I think ultimately I want to show people that whether it’s doctors, whether it’s anybody, obviously you have to trust what doctors say but at the end of the day I think the human will is the strongest thing and so I think it’s beautiful and I’m grateful that I’m in this position to fight the world title. And doctors told me to my face, I’d never box again and here we are July 20. I get to fight in front of millions of people and win a world title. I’m so grateful and happy. I can’t even imagine how happy I’m going to be the next day with that belt, but regardless it seems like yesterday I was sitting in those hospital beds and so here we are. I’m very excited and grateful.

R. Flores
Mike, final comment, as you prepare for your showdown coming up in a few weeks’ time in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, as you collide against Caleb Plant.

M. Lee
Thank you for everybody’s time. Once again, I’m excited. This is an incredible opportunity and I will make the most of it and I think I’m going to shock a lot of people. I know that this is my moment and as moments get bigger and bigger, I perform better and better. So I’ll see everybody July 20 and thank you again.

R. Flores
Now let’s turn our attention over to the man that Mike Lee is going to be standing across the ring from. First of al,l we’re going to acknowledge when I mention it’s a family affair, it is certainly a family affair with Caleb Plant as well. His father Richie Plant, he’s his co-trainer. His lead trainer is Justin Gamber, who is constantly immersing himself in studying the sport of boxing and learning about the history and working on different methods that will benefit Caleb. Also Larry Wade who is a sensational and a world class strength and conditioning coach.

Eighteen bouts, 18 victories, 10 of those coming by way of knockout. Just 26 years of age, originally from Nashville, Tennessee and now residing and training in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been undefeated since turning professional back in 2014 and after the world title in January where he knocked down Jose Uzcategui twice in round two on his way to a unanimous decision. I have had the very good fortune of getting to know Caleb Plant for the past several years and what I could tell you about Caleb Plant is that in my opinion he is so focused, so determined and the thing about Caleb Plant is when he says something, he follows through and it becomes a reality.

He knew years ago he was going to be a world champion. The determination on Caleb Plant is second to none. So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, please welcome the reigning and defending IBF Super Middleweight Champion of the World, Caleb “Sweethands” Plant. Caleb, if you have opening comments then give us an idea of how training camp has been going. You look terrific in videos that we see but your initial thoughts.

C. Plant
I just want to thank all you guys for hopping on this call with us. Really appreciate all the media. This is how people know how we’re doing and what we’re doing and it gets us to the rest of the world so I really appreciate you guys.

I want to thank my whole team and FOX, a beautiful platform that we’ll be performing on July 20. Camp is sensational. It’s literally the best camp I ever had. I’m sure you guys get on the phone with a lot of fighters and they say that. But this camp, I literally became a new monster and that’s exactly what you guys want to see July 20.

Q
Is being on this type of stage going to add any extra motivation to go out and have the best performance of your career?

C. Plant
I know it’s a bigger stage. There’s going to be a lot of eyeballs on me. But I think they chose me for this event because they know I’m the guy who’s not going to let them down. I think they know I’m the man for the job and that I’m going to put on the show July 20. At the end of the day, get in the ring, the bell rings and we fight so I don’t really feel any added pressure just it’s a little more excited to continue to show the world what I’m capable of.

Q
From your perspective have there been any change of mentality approaching a fight being the champion compared to being the challenger?

C. Plant
Absolutely not. If he thinks that I’m not gunning for him and I was gunning for Jose then he’s sadly mistaken. So the mentality has not changed. I don’t feel like I’m the hunted, I still feel like I’m hunting. I’m not satisfied. The goal was not just to become a world champion, that was just one goal. So in my eyes I’m 18 – 0. I’m only 26, I’m just getting started. I’m gunning for him more than I was gunning for Jose.

Q
With winning the IBF title being a goal, is it safe to assume that the goal is to unify the division and win the other World Titles at 168 pounds?

C. Plant
Absolutely. If I’m not mistaken there’s never been an undisputed super middleweight champion so that’s my goal, to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion of the world. But first things first, handle business July 20. I don’t care about any other fight. I don’t care about any other champions or what they’re doing or what they’ve got going on. The only thing I care about is July 20 and I’m focused on is handling business.

Q
Do you feel validated in a way as a fighter? Has your confidence increased, do you feel stronger as a fighter now knowing that you can beat a fighter at that top level?

C. Plant
I think it’d be hard to not be more confident after winning a world title and not just one that was an easy one to knock out of the park. Jose was considered the bogey man of the division, someone nobody wanted to fight. I came in after a year layoff, broke hand, hand surgery, no tune-up fight and I knew I could get the job done. But I don’t feel validated in a sense of what I’ve accomplished. I’m happy but I’m not content, so as I said, I’m gunning for him July 20. I’m focused, I’m zoned in but at the same time I’m definitely even more confident than I was before.

Q
Can you describe how you rate him in terms of other opponents you’ve faced? How would you compare him to some of the fighters that you have fought as you were coming up as a competitor?

C. Plant
I respect everybody as a man but if somebody wants me to respect their fighting skills then they got to make me do that. Just like my past opponents, they’ve respected me as a man but they didn’t think that I’d be able to get the job done and if I wanted them to respect my fighting skills then I had to do it when the bell rang. I’m not looking for validation from him and I’m sure hoping he is not looking for it from me because he is not going to get it unless he can maybe do it in the ring.

So as far as where I ranked with other fighters, I’m pretty sure we all agree that he’s not, he hasn’t accomplished or done some of the things that some of the other guys I fought have, but at the same time, he’s a different fighter himself, he’s a different guy. So as I’ve said before I’m taking him just as serious as I’ve taken any of these other guys. I’ve worked harder this training camp than I have in any other training camp in my entire life and I’m telling you, July 20 when the bell rings, you guys are going to see a difference. You guys are going to see a new Caleb Plant.

Q
Do you feel any added pressure not inside the ring but outside the ring character-wise upholding the responsibility of that title?

C. Plant
I’ve always tried to carry myself as a champion, talk as a champion and train as a champion. I’m not a grown man, I’m a growing man. So I’m going to continue to become better in the ring. I’m going to continue to become a better man outside the ring, but thus far I think I’ve done a good job of handling that responsibility. I think if I just continue to follow what I’ve done, I think I’ll be on the right path.

Q
Do you feel any animosity towards Lee personally or what are some of your perspectives on him as a person?

C. Plant
I think that Mike Lee is not someone who tells the whole truth. I have the inside scoop on a couple of different things and so I don’t know. But I have the same amount of respect for him as anybody else who I step in the ring with, which is none. If you want me to respect your fighting skills, then you’ve got to make me do that. I’m not just going to give you the respect that you want. July 20, when the bell rings, if he wants me to respect anything in his arsenal, then he’s got to make me do that because he’s not getting it.

To me, boxing is life or death. That’s it. So I don’t care about anybody in his village, I don’t care who lives there, I’m coming to burn it down. So unless he’s looking to do the same thing with me, it’s either going to be a long night or a short night.

On July 20 just tune in and something my father has taught me is the truth belongs to everybody and lies belongs to individuals. I’m going to give you the truth July 20.

Q
What were some of the things discussed from the mics between you two when they weren’t able to pick those comments up?

C. Plant
I don’t know. I honestly couldn’t even remember to tell you. I told him to sit down and he sat down so I turned the cameras and stood there with my belt. So but none of that is really important. What’s important is when we let our hands fly so. That’s all I care about.

Q
Listen, does this guy really know what he’s getting into? The reason why I ask this is one, he’s face off – it’s the first guys face in 13 months. Two, he’s dropping down in weight. Three, he’s fighting a World Champion. Does he really know what he’s getting into?

C. Plant
No, he doesn’t but that’s okay. It’s not my job. It’s none of our jobs to tell him otherwise. I’m going to let these hands do the talking on July 20, but no, he’s delusional. He’s never faced anybody like me. He’s never even come close. He just told you guys that he’s not even getting the sparring of anybody who even looks like me. How many people do you think I can spar that fights like Mike Lee? How many people do you think he can spare that look like me? And he answered it for you. I don’t even have to tell you. So no, he has no idea but that’s okay.

He’s going to learn a lesson July 20 one that he can’t be taught. One that can only be taught by me, so. I don’t like him that much. I don’t like anybody who’s in the ring with me. I don’t want to be friends. I don’t care about what they’ve got going on. To me, boxing is life or death so if I don’t win, I don’t get to go home because I won’t have a home.

Q
I don’t think you’ve ever had a pro fight in Nashville, have you? Would you like to do that at some point and bring professional boxing into Nashville, a big-ticket fight?

C. Plant
That’s something that I have not gotten to do yet but that’s something that we’re really looking forward to and we’re close to getting it done. When they approached me with this opportunity to fight here at MGM Grand, we were talking about a couple different spots one of them being Nashville, but I really loved this opportunity and they knew that I was the man for the job to handle it in fashion. But definitely I want to bring a big fight to Nashville at the big city. I think Jeff Lacy and Jermain Taylor, they fought in Nashville. There have been a couple of other big fights in Nashville but I think that I could be the one to make it a regular thing. So first thing is first, we’ll handle business July 20 and we’ll go from there, but that’s something definitely that we’re looking forward to in the future.

Q
Do you still feel that you represent Nashville as a fighter? Is that still an important part of your identity?

C. Plant
Nashville, that’s who I am. I may reside in Las Vegas, but Tennessee, that’s what made me. Ashland City, Nashville — those are the places that made me. I live in Vegas like I said, but Nashville is always home that’s the only important part of me and it always will be.

Q
How therapeutic has it been to go back in the ring and train and prepare yourself for such a big event here coming down here in a couple of weeks?

C. Plant
Boxing has always been like a sanctuary for me. It’s been a place that I could go and be somebody. I’ve said this in other interviews that as a kid I was somebody that nobody would want to be living in a place coming from a place where nobody would want to be in. So when I got to go to the gym, then I got to be somebody that everybody wanted to be. Even at a young age, grown men looking up to me. “Oohing” and “Ahhing” and I kind of got to be a superstar. And once I got back out of those doors I had to go back to being that kid that nobody wanted to be. And so that just kind of became like addicting. it became like an addiction for me to want to be there, want to be in the gym, not go home and just be a gym rat.

Through everything that came and left in my life, through all the things that I’ve lost, through all the things I’ve been deprived of or haven’t had, boxing has always stood by my side and boxing has always been there for me through thick and thin. Boxing is like a woman. If you treat her right and you do good by her, then she’ll stand by you and she’ll do right by you. But she’s a jealous woman as well and the difference between me and my opponent is I haven’t glanced off of her. I haven’t endeavored into other things. I haven’t. Fear not the man who’s thrown 10,000 kicks once but fear the man who’s thrown one kick 10,000 times. So that’s what I’ve done.

Q
What should they be anticipating when they see you in action here against Mike Lee for your championship? What do you want to showcase that new audience of fans who may not be too familiar with what you do or what you bring to the table?

C. Plant
They can expect fireworks. They can expect an entertaining person, an entertaining fighter and Mike Lee won’t make it out the final bell so either he’ll bail out before the final bell or I’ll bail him out myself but, either the way the white flag is coming out. I’ll wave it for him so it’s going to be one or the other.

R. Flores
Do you have any final words as you prepare to get back into training?

C. Plant
Again, I’m encouraging everyone to tune in. It’s going to be a great night of fighting. It’s going to be a spectacular. I’ll be defending my world title in a spectacular fashion, so this is something you guys aren’t going to want to miss, I can promise you.

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ABOUT PLANT VS. LEE
FOX PBC Fight Night on FOX and FOX Deportes is headlined by undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant making the first defense of his title against unbeaten contender and University of Notre Dame graduate Mike Lee Saturday, July 20 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Televised coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT with rising unbeaten heavyweight sensation Efe Ajagba squaring off against undefeated 2016 Turkish Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen.

Following the action on FOX, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao battles undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

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




WORLD OF BOXING WINS WBA PURSE BID FOR MURODJON AKHMADALIEV VS. DANIEL ROMAN

Los Angeles, CA (July 2, 2019) With a winning bid of $145,000, World of Boxing won the purse bid today for the WBA Super Bantamweight World Championship bout for their fighter, #1 ranked mandatory challenger, Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev, (6-0-0, 5 KOs), against champion Daniel Roman, (27-2-1, 10 KOs). The purse bid took place in Panama City, Panama with World of Boxing being the only bidding party. The fight must take place by September 30, 2019.

Said Vadim Kornilov, “We’re very excited that World of Boxing has won this purse bid and is ready to give ‘MJ’ the opportunity to fight Danny Roman for the WBA Super Bantamweight World Title in September. ‘MJ’ has accomplished a great deal as a professional in just over a year, has fought top opposition from his first fights as a pro, has defended his WBA Intercontinental Title numerous times, and is ready to fight for a world title and become a world champion.”

“’MJ’ is a star in the making and will be ready to unify with other world champions after this fight! Fighters like this excite Mexican and International fans, as they will not step down from any fight, he would rather lose than let down his fans.”

A 2016 Bronze Medalist representing Uzbekistan at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, the 24-year-old Akhmadaliev has very quickly impressed U.S. boxing fans with his remarkable power and world class skills. On November 24, 2018, he was specifically chosen to fight on HBO’s last edition of their iconic World Championship Boxing series, knocking out Isaac Zarate in the ninth round.

Most recently, Akhmadaliev thrilled the Los Angeles fight fans with a stunning third-round knockout of Carlos Carlson at the Forum on April 26, 2019.

Roman has made four successful defenses of the WBA Junior Bantamweight World Title since becoming champion in September 2017 by defeating Shun Kubo in Kyoto, Japan. In his most recent bout he unified titles by defeating IBF Super Bantamweight World Champion TJ Doheny over twelve rounds on April 26, 2019.




Christian Carto returns on Saturday, August 3rd at The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY (JULY 2, 2019)–Wildly popular bantamweight Christian Carto returns to action in a six-round bout on Saturday, August 3rd at The brand new Carousel Room inside the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.

The card, which is promoted by Rising Star Promotions, marks the 2nd card over a 14-day period at The Showboat. The show will come on the heels of the July 20th card, which will be headlined by world-ranked junior middleweight, Thomas LaManna.

Carto of Philadelphia has a record of 17-1 with 11 knockouts. Carto, who graduated from nearby St. Augustine Prep, will be making his much anticipated return after his last outing on February 8th in Philadelphia

The 22 year-old Carto won his 1st 17 bouts, which was highlighted by victories over Alonso Melendez (14-1) and James Smith (12-1).

In a co-feature bout, Yurik Mamedov will be in action in a eight-round welterweight bout.

Mamedov of Brooklyn via Russia, has a record 11-1 with three knockouts.

The 28 year-old Mamedov is making his 2nd start of 2019, and is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Jordan Rosario on March 23rd at The Showboat.

Also seeing action in an eight-round co-feature will be super middleweight contender, Derrick Webster.

Webster (28-2, 14 KOs) of Glassboro, New Jersey, will be making his 6th appearance in Atlantic City.

The 10 year-professional has quality wins over Obodai Sai (23-1), Thomas Awimbono (25-5-1), Frankie Filippone (25-5-1), and Francisco Cordero (38-9)

Appearing in six-round bouts will be

Nahir Albright (7-1, 2 KOs) Sicklerville, NJ in a lightweight contest.

Juan Rodriguez (13-7, 5 KOs) of Union City, NJ fights Anthony Prescott (8-8-3, 2 KOs) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a welterweight fight.

Dan Murray (4-2) of Lanoka Harbor, NJ in a junior welterweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Nafear Charles (1-0) of Philadelphia in a lightweight bout.

Daiyaan Butt (3-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia in a junior welterweight fight.

Ry’Shine Collins (2-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia in a bantamweight match.

Marcos Lugo (0-2) of Milville, NJ in a lightweight appearance.

All opponents will be announced shortly.

Tickets are now on sale for $125, $80 and $55 and can be purchased on www.rspboxing.com

THERE WILL BE A MEDIA WORKOUT ON SATURDAY, JULY 13TH AT TKO FITNESS (1615 KINGS HIGHWAY NORTH IN CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY BEGINNING AT 2:30 PM ET)




Greg Cohen Promotions Signs Undefeated Welterweight Reshard ‘Too Quick’ Hicks to a Promotional Contract

Greg Cohen Promotions proudly announces the signing of Killeen, Texas-based welterweight Reshard “Too Quick” Hicks to a promotional contract.

A naturally talented athlete from Tampa, Fla., Hicks was an All-American cornerback and long jumper at Fordham University before enlisting in the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division as a mechanic and serving in Iraq. A successful recovery from stomach cancer led to Hicks’ retirement from the forces and his entrance into boxing at age 25.

Wasting no time, the gifted Hicks was the Texas Regional Golden Glove Champion and State Champion in 2012 at 165lbs, finishing with a record of 21-6. He turned professional in 2013 and has already held several regional and state championships.

Hicks is trained by Jesse Ravelo, the 1996 Olympic Boxing, All Marine Boxing Team and International Boxing Team Head Coach out of JR Boxing Club in Killeen. He is managed by Michael Cameron of the Cameron Management Team.

“I am extremely excited to become part of the GCP stable and I look forward to displaying my skills on the big stage,” said Hicks. “I’ll be working my way to the top and bringing more straps to the GCP family. I’d like to personally thank Greg Cohen, my promoter, and Mike Cameron, my manager, for believing in me. Let’s gets to work! I will not disappoint.”

“I am very happy to have GCP and my good friend Greg Cohen as Reshard’s promotional company,” said Cameron. “I’m very confident that this is the right move to get him to the top of the 147-lb division. I look forward to a long and successful journey together.”

“We are going to keep Reshard as busy as possible,” said Greg Cohen. “He’s been having trouble getting fights because he’s so talented and yet unknown, so that’s where Mike Cameron and I come in. We are going to get him the exposure he deserves and the fights he can win all the way to the championship.”

About Greg Cohen Promotions

One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen is lauded for his expert guidance of, among many others, current WBA Middleweight Champion Rob Brant from Minnesota, top-rated heavyweight contender Jarrell “ Big Baby” Miller from New York and former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout of New Mexico. All three fighters, under Cohen’s promotional watch, went from unknowns to prospects to national television stars.

In addition, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney, as well as former WBA World Champion Ismael Barroso and former WBO-NABO Super Middleweight Champion “Mean” Joe Greene.

Cohen also has a full stable of up-and-coming future champions, lead by undefeated light heavyweight Cem Kilic, undefeated featherweight prospect Ramiro Hernandez, and undefeated super featherweight prospect Abraham “El Super” Nova.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN, CBS Sports, MSG and FOX Sports Net.




TWO LIGHTWEIGHT BOUTS ROUNDOUT GERVONTA “TANK” DAVIS’ HOMECOMING WORLD TITLE DEFENSE SATURDAY, JULY 27 LIVE ON SHOWTIME® FROM ROYAL FARMS ARENA IN BALTIMORE

BALTIMORE (July 2, 2019) – Former world champions Yuriorkis Gamboa and Roman “Rocky” Martínez will battle in a 10-round lightweight attraction while lightweight contender Ladarius “Memphis” Miller meets former world champion Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales in a 10-round showdown live on SHOWTIME Saturday, July 27 from Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by two-time super featherweight champion and Baltimore native Gervonta “Tank” Davis defending his WBA title in a championship homecoming against mandatory challenger Ricardo “Científico” Núñez.

“Saturday, July 27 is going to be something special for the city of Baltimore,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “While we know what the main event brings, both bouts leading up to it have high stakes written all over them as well. Any time you put former world champions and young hungry prospects in the ring, you know these fighters will be looking to get the win and ultimately put themselves in position for a shot at a title. I’m anticipating non-stop action in these bouts from the first bell to the end.”

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions in association with GTD Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at the Royal Farms Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET.

A former titleholder at 126 and 130 pounds, Gamboa (29-2, 17 KOs) has won his last three fights, including a decision over former world champion Jason Sosa. His last time out, he dropped and defeated Miguel Beltran Jr. by unanimous decision. An Olympic gold medalist for his native Cuba, Gamboa fights out of Miami and will look to get another world title shot with a victory on July 27.

“I’m in a great position in my career and I’m very happy to be back on this big stage again,” said Gamboa. “Rocky Martinez is a very tough and formidable opponent and we will make this a great fight for the fans. I know that I will make it past this challenge and on to more marquee opportunities. I’m looking at facing Gervonta Davis and becoming world champion again.”

Always in exciting and memorable fights, Martinez (30-3-3, 18 KOs) returned to the ring in March by knocking out William Gonzalez. Fighting out of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Martinez is a three-time 130-pound champion who has faced elite fighters such as Mikey Garcia and Vasiliy Lomachenko throughout a career that has also seen him defeat the likes of Orlando Salido and Diego Magdaleno.

“I’m happy for this opportunity and to have this chance to be near a world title fight again,” said Martinez. “I’m training to win against a good fighter in Yuriorkis Gamboa. It’s a fight that will define my future and I am fully prepared to become world champion again, and this time in another weight division.”

The 25-year-old Miller (19-1, 6 KOs) has won 10 fights in a row, including a victory over current world champion Jamel Herring, as he looks to earn a world title fight. Originally from Memphis and now living in Las Vegas, Miller began 2019 with a first-round knockout over Daulis Prescott in February and now has his sights set on earning a world title fight.

“I’m coming to make a statement on July 27,” said Miller. “That’s the mindset I’ve been training for. I’m facing a former world champion and a win can solidify my name in the 135-pound division. I’ve been working hard and I know that Corrales won’t bring anything that I’m not prepared for. I’m excited to have this opportunity, take advantage of it and get one step closer to a world championship.”

Representing his native Panamá, Corrales (23-2, 9 KOs) won a 130-pound world title by knocking out Takashi Uchiyama in Japan in 2016, before defeating him by decision in the rematch. The 27-year-old returned to the ring in April to knock out Onalvi Sierra in two rounds.

“I’m very excited to have this opportunity and grateful that I have another chance to fight at the highest level,” said Corrales. “Miller is a very skillful boxer and I respect his abilities. I’m going to test him and see if he can fight off of his back foot. I’m going to prepare so that I have all the tools to get the victory on July 27.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports, follow on Twitter @Gervontaa, @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions, @PremierBoxing and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOSportsand www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.




HEAVYWEIGHTS FRANKLIN AND FORREST PREDICTING KNOCKOUTS ON SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION FRIDAY, JULY 12 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK – July 1, 2019 – Both Jermaine Franklin and Jerry “Slugger” Forrest are predicting knockouts when the two heavyweights face off in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, July 12.

Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs) from Saginaw, Mich., and Forrest (25-2, 19 KOs), of Newport News, Va., will meet in the 10-round main event live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash. Battle at the Boat 122 is presented by Salita Promotions and Brian Halquist Productions.

In the co-featured bout, undefeated Swedish heavyweight and top-10 ranked contender Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs) will battle former world title challenger BJ Flores (34-4-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round clash. The opening bout of the tripleheader telecast will feature a match-up of undefeated featherweight prospects as Giovanni Mioletti (16-0, 7 KOs) faces off with Luis Porozo (14-0, 7 KOs).

The 25-year-old Franklin, a 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion and widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect, says he’ll be a different fighter against Forrest than the one who made his ShoBox debut with a unanimous decision over former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker last April.

“I learned to have more self-control and patience in that fight,” said Franklin. “Boxing is a tough sport and I think as a boxer, sometimes we try too hard to go for the knockout. I learned to stay patient, be calm, fight my fight and not rush things.”

Against Forrest, Franklin will be facing a more aggressive and less mobile style, which may be more suited to him than Booker’s elusive counterpunching.

“I’ve seen some tape on Forrest and I know he’s left-handed and throws a lot of looping punches,” Franklin said. “He’ll be right in front for me to hit. He seems very flat-footed, so I’ll use angles against him. But I feel like I don’t need a certain opponent to look good against. I took myself out of my last fight. I didn’t show what I can do. I’ll be more focused this time. I’ve developed to another stage since then.”

Franklin says it’s slowly sinking in that he’s graduated to a main event fighter.

“It just hit me two or three days ago that I’m headlining my own card on SHOWTIME,” said Franklin. “For a while it seemed unreal, but I don’t want to get too excited, so I’m trying to stay level-headed right now. I’ve been doing a lot of weight training and resistance training and pushing past the limit. I do a full workout in the gym and then workout on something else for another hour. I’m pushing past the limits of being tired to regain that second wind faster. I’m learning how to work hard without emptying my gas tank.”

According to Franklin, if he uses all his tools the way he’s supposed to, he’ll walk away with another knockout on his record.

“I picture a knockout or TKO,” Franklin said. “I’m not going to rush anything. I’m just going to fight my fight, but I feel I can get the KO if I stay calm. It’ll come. It’s inevitable.

The 31-year-old Forrest has won 18 consecutive fights and says this fight will show the world what he already knows: that he’s a world-class heavyweight who was waiting for his big break.

“Honestly, it’s kind of like the first chance for people to see what I’ve already been doing for years,” Forrest said. “The only difference is the cameras. It’ll still be my fight. Just the world gets to see it. I can’t wait to show on a national scale what I was capable of.”

Surprisingly, Forrest says his ring name of “Slugger” has nothing to do with boxing.

“Slugger is not really a nickname,” Forrest said. “My entire family calls me slugger because I almost passed away when I was born. My mom had blood poisoning and had to have transfusions. They told my parents to go ahead and get a casket prepared for me. My mom told me ‘you got to fight, slugger.’ Shortly after that, I opened my eyes for the first time.”

Forrest says he and trainer Anthony Chase are putting in good work but haven’t done anything different in the gym for this big test.

“I’ve already had four fights this year,” Forrest continued. “I’m in fantastic shape and training is going well. I do two or three workouts a day. I’m working on my recovery time a bit more, but I haven’t changed the way I do things. I don’t change the process if it works. I just do more.”

Power and experience are the reasons why Forrest predicts he’ll stop Franklin.

“I’m going to outbox him until I stop him,” said Forrest. “He can’t outbox me. I don’t think he has the skills, power, stamina, accuracy or boxing IQ to stand with me. It’s not a real planned style of his. I don’t think he thinks much in the ring. If you’re in better shape as a heavyweight, you will win the fight. I’m sure he’s training a bit harder, but he didn’t take his last fight seriously and he got hit with a lot of flush shots.

“I’m a power puncher. I have 19 KOs and a lot of them are in the early rounds. I’m good at seeing punches and being able to avoid them. I’m also very adaptive in the ring and even though he’s taller, his reach is shorter than mine. A lot of guys get thrown up really fast and they’re not ready for it. This is one of those cases. I will stop him.”

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.

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

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 80 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.




August 10: Carl Frampton-Emmanuel Dominguez Featherweight Clash Headlines Philly Fight Night LIVE on ESPN+

PHILADELPHIA (July 2, 2019) — Carl “The Jackal” Frampton is on the hunt for another world title. Frampton, the former two-division world champion from Belfast, Northern Ireland, will make his first stateside appearance in more than two years in a 10-round featherweight bout against the hard-hitting Emmanuel Dominguez on Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Liacouras Center.

Frampton-Dominguez and a co-feature will stream live on ESPN+ — the industry-leading sports streaming service — beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The entire undercard, including South Philadelphia heavyweight sensation Sonny Conto (3-0, 3 KOs), Philadelphia-born featherweight prospect Donald Smith (9-0, 6 KOs) and Puerto Rican middleweight puncher Edgar Berlanga (11-0, 11 KOs), will stream on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Peltz Boxing, tickets, priced at $100, $55 and $35 (not including applicable fees), are on sale now and can be purchased at the Liacouras Center Box Office and www.liacourascenter.com, or by calling Peltz Boxing at 215-765-0922.

“Dominguez is a tall, young, hungry featherweight, so I’ll need to be on my game,” Frampton said. “The premise of an Oscar Valdez fight is dangling in front of me, so I want to go out and show the world that I’ve still got what it takes to be a world champion. Winning is always the most important thing, but I want to do it in style. It’s great to be boxing stateside again. And Philly, in particular, has so much boxing history. I’d like to thank MTK Global and Top Rank for giving me the opportunity. I won’t disappoint.”

“Carl Frampton is already looking ahead to an Oscar Valdez fight, which gives me added motivation,” Dominguez said. “I am not a stepping stone. I am coming to Philadelphia prepared to ruin Carl’s plans.”

Frampton (26-2, 15 KOs), a 10-year pro who compiled more than 100 victories during a standout amateur career, is on the road back to another world title opportunity following his competitive decision loss to IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington last December. Frampton won the IBF junior featherweight world title in 2014 and unified titles against WBA champion Scott Quigg via split decision in February 2016. He upset Leo Santa Cruz to win the WBA super world featherweight title in July 2016 but lost the immediate rematch six months later.

Frampton won three in a row, including an interim world title, before running into Warrington in front of a sold-out Manchester Arena crowd in one of the year’s best fights. With his sights set on Valdez, he must first defeat Dominguez (26-8-2, 18 KOs), a 25-year-old native of Aguascalientes, Mexico, who has won four of his last five, all by knockout.

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

Use the hashtag #FramptonDominguez to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.




Roy Jones, Jr. Boxing Promotions inks undefeated super middleweight prospect Juan Jose Barajas

LAS VEGAS (July 1, 2019) – Roy Jones Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions’ growing stable of gifted fighters has expanded with today’s announcement of its latest addition, undefeated super middleweight prospect Juan Jose “Just Business” Barajas.

The 22-year-old Barajas (10-0, 7 KOs), fighting out of Victorville, California, is scheduled to make his RJJ Boxing debut August 24 at Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, California (outside of San Diego). Barajas’ fight against an opponent to be determined will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS®.

Barajas’ last fight was his most impressive to date as a professional. Last May in Memphis, he took a 10-round majority decision against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. protégé Lanell Bellows (18-4-3, 11 KOs).

“I am excited about fighting for RJJ Boxing Promotions,” Barajas said. “I am happy about the direction I am going and feel confident that RJJ Boxing will put me in the bests position to reach my goals. I am looking forward to fighting the best and showcasing my skills among the top players in the super middleweight division. It’s time to go to work!”

Barajas, who won 27 of 30 amateur matches, is managed and trained by Michael Love.

INFORMATION:
Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com
Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre
Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @artofmusiclv, @rivalboxinggear, @KeithVeltre, @officialjuanbarajas
Facebook: /RJJBoxing, /KeithVeltre, /JuanBarajas & Athlete Page: Juan Barajas @justboxingJBB

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN, beIN Sports and UFC FIGHT PASS in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: former multiple world bantamweight champion Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko (36-5, 26 KOs), 2-time world junior bantamweight title challenger “Mighty” Aston Palicte (25-3-1, 21 KOs), undefeated Irish middleweight prospect Connor “The Kid” Coyle, former world-ranked junior middleweights John “The Phenom” Vera (18-1, 11 KOs), WBA #14-rated junior welterweight Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (16-0, 7 KOs), junior lightweight Randy Moreno (12-2, 10 KOs), WBO #8-rated bantamweights Max “The Baby Faced Assassin” Ornelas (13-0-1, 5 KOs), undefeated featherweight prospects Ray “Valentino” Ximenez (18-2, 4 KOs), Edward Vazquez (6-0, 0 KOs), undefeated super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (10-0, 7 KOs), and former WBC” Youth heavyweight champion Alexander “The Great” Flores (17-2, 15 KOs).




EROS CORREA REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH UNANIMOUS DECISION

SAN JOSE, CA (July 1, 2018) – This past Saturday, Cali Boxing Management’s super bantamweight prospect, Eros Correa (8-0, 6 KOs), remained undefeated with a unanimous decision victory over Javier Miranda. The 6-round bout took place at the Big Punch Arena in Tijuana, Mexico and was promoted by GM3 Boxing and Gonzalez Boxing Promotions.

“This was my first six round bout and I got some good rounds in,” said Eros Correa, who was an alternate on the 2012 Olympic team. “I went the distance with ease and now I’m ready to step up to bigger fights. I want my next fight to be eight rounds our more. I’m in the prime of my career and now it’s time to step it up. I’ll be back in the ring next month.”

“Eros showed he can go past four rounds and now we will see about putting him in an eight rounder in his next bout,” said Andrew Bocanegra, Correa’s co-manager. “He’s starting to build a nice fan base in Mexico and soon enough it will be that way in the States. We’re going to keep him fighting frequently with the hopes of landing a big fight.”

“Eros is looking better and better with each fight,” said Correa’s co-manager Jessie Sanchez. “Fighting in Mexico has been a big help for his career since it’s very difficult getting him fights in the United States. He’s starting to make a name for himself and sooner then later he’ll be in a big fight with a title on the line.”




Keith Hunter Looking for Big Fights After Krael Win

LAS VEGAS, NV (July 1, 2019) – After defeating Cameron Krael and Sanjarbek Rakhmanov in his last two fights, unbeaten super lightweight prospect, Keith “The Bounty” Hunter (11-0, 6 KOs), is ready to face all the top contenders in 140-pound division.

“I feel I’m the next rising star in the super lightweight division,” said Hunter, who is managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing. “I showed I can win tough fights with the odds stacked against me. In my last two fights I took out two TMT fighters on their home turf. I feel I’m ready to face any of the top contenders in the super lightweight division.”

This past Friday, Hunter soundly defeated Cameron Krael (16-14-3, 4 KO’s) over ten rounds, winning a unanimous decision. Scorecards read 93-97, 92-98. Before his fight with Krael, Hunter won a split decision over Sanjarbek Rakhmanov. Both fights took place at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, in Las Vegas, where Mayweather Promotions showcases their fighters.

“I knew if I came out victorious against Krael, who all the insiders know is a tough fight for anyone, I would be knocking on the door of a big fight,” continued Hunter, who is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions. “In addition, I beat Rakhmanov, who is by no means an easy fight. With these two victories behind me, I feel I’m ready for anyone.”

“Hunter is in his prime right now and we know he has all the talent to become a world champion,’ said manager Greg Hannley. “We are going to work closely with Greg Cohen, Hunters promoter, to see what type of step up fights are out there for Keith. Hunter’s fan friendly style is perfect for TV.”




SATURDAY: Oubaali-Villanueva Bantamweight World Title Bout Headlines Landmark Event in Kazakhstan LIVE on ESPN+

July 1, 2019) — Nordine Oubaali is set to make the first defense of his WBC world bantamweight title against tough Filipino contender Arthur Villanueva Saturday at Barys Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, as part of the nation’s celebration of Capital City Day.

Oubaali-Villanueva will be the official co-feature, as a crowd of more than 10,000 fans is expected to watch unbeaten hometown hero Zhankosh Turarov fight Mauro Maximiliano Godoy in the 10-round main event for the vacant WBO Intercontinental junior welterweight title.

Oubaali-Villanueva and Turarov-Godoy will headline the latest edition of #MTKFightNight on ESPN+ — the industry-leading sports streaming service — beginning at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.

Oubaali (15-0, 11 KOs) won the vacant WBC world bantamweight title in January with a clear-cut unanimous decision over former world champion Rau’shee Warren. The bout, which took place in Las Vegas on the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner undercard, was only Oubaali’s second pro bout outside of his native France. Villanueva (32-3-1, 18 KOs) will be making his third attempt at a world title and is unbeaten in two fights since a 2017 TKO loss to Luis Nery.

Turarov (23-0, 16 KOs) turned pro more than a decade ago in Kazakhstan and will be fighting for the second time in as many months since signing with MTK Global. He knocked out Richmond Djarbeng in two rounds last month in Cardiff, Wales, in a fight that streamed on ESPN+. Godoy (31-4-1, 16 KOs), from Argentina, is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision victory March 15 in his home nation. He is a former South American super lightweight champion who has gone 10 or more rounds seven times.

In other action scheduled for the ESPN+ stream:

  • Unbeaten Kazakh prospect Viktor Kotochigov (9-0, 4 KOs) will take on Jairo Lopez (24-10, 16 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC International lightweight title. The 26-year-old Kotochigov has fought in seven different countries in his young pro career and is on the fast track to a potential world title opportunity. Lopez, from Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico, has won two of his last three and will be fighting for only the second time away from his home country.
     
  • David Oliver Joyce (10-0, 8 KOs), a 2016 Olympian for his native Ireland, will fight Venezuelan puncher Breilor Teran (27-17-1, 20 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight bout.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 filmsFans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.




Brandon Adams Proves He Belongs on the World Stage

PHILADELPHIA / LOS ANGELES – July 1, 2019 -This past Saturday night, Brandon Adams announced himself as a top contender as he put on a gutsy performance against undefeated WBC World Middleweight Champion Jermall Charlo in Charlo’s hometown of Houston.

The bout was the main event that and was televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, in which Adams gave a strong account for himself.

Adams took some of the best shots that the power punching Charlo could throw, and not only was Adams never hurt in the fight, in the later rounds, he began to take the fight to the hometown champion.

“I was ready to risk it all. I went into the fight looking to dominate and get the stoppage victory. I knew going into the fight that is what I needed to do going into his hometown,” said Adams.

Adams was not in the least intimidated by stepping into enemy territory, but there were a few things that happened during the fight that he did not expect which hindered his gameplan.

“The referee would not let me get low. As you saw during the fight, I was crouching down to get inside, but the referee gave me a warning for doing that. I had to think of a different way to get in there without revealing myself,” continued Adams.

Although, the television announcers and many on social media seemed surprised at the gutsy effort from Adams, the Watts, California native was very confident of his abilities as he entered the ring on Saturday night.

“I feel good. I knew I was capable of being on that level. I took out of the fight is that there are a few little things that I can work on and that I could have done in there. I did not know the referee would not let me get low or even let us fight in close as much as I wanted. I felt he would break us a little quickly. I also got hit in the back of the head a couple of times. Fighting in his hometown was tough.”

“I know this fight will help me better myself. Coming out of The Contender, my goal was to fight at 154 pounds, but this was a world title opportunity. I proved that I am on that level at 160, and I will now look for the best opportunities at both 154 and 160.”

“We are very proud of Brandon. He fought very hard and put on a great performance,” said Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions. “Brandon proved that he is a world class fighter, and now the world has seen what we already knew, that he is on the elite level. There will be many doors that will be open for him to secure more big fights.”

“I was impressed on how Brandon performed,” said Jeff Wald, Co-Creator and Co-Executive Producer of The Tournament of Contenders. “He has a big career ahead of him at both 154 and 160 pounds.”

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter




Cuevas Preparing for War in ‘Puerto Rico vs. Mexico’ Matchup Against Beltran for WBA Fedelatin Welterweight Belt at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Live on Boxeo Telemundo Friday, July 12, at 7 p.m.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (July 1, 2019) – WBA #13-rated welterweight Derrieck “Pretty Boy” Cuevas is training ferociously in preparation to defend his homeland in a classic “Puerto Rico vs. Mexico” televised 10-round main event on Friday, July 12.

Cuevas (21-0-1, 14 KOs) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, will defend his WBA Fedelatin Welterweight Championship against Los Mochis, Mexico’s Jesus Alberto “Barretero” Beltran (17-2-2, 10 KOs) in the headlining bout of Kris Lawrence and The Heavyweight Factory’s, in association with All Star Boxing, “Championship Fight Series” at Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

Championship Fight Series’ featured bouts will be televised live on the most popular boxing series on Hispanic television Boxeo Telemundo (11:35 p.m. EST).

Tickets for “Championship Fight Series” are on sale now and cost $60, $100, $150, $250 and $500. Tickets are available through ticketmaster.com.

“He’s a tough Mexican, and when Mexico meets Puerto Rico, both guys give a lot more to represent their people back home,” said Cuevas. “If you look at his record, he’s only lost once since his third fight and that was close. He’s also beaten some decent opponents, but I know there’s no way I’m losing this fight. My people would never let me forget if I did. I’ve got too many skills for him. I train harder than him. I have more talent than him, and I have more toughness.”

Cuevas, 24, says he’s learned a lot since signing with The Heavyweight Factory and moving his base of fighting operations to the United States last year— a move that has helped him defeat former top contenders Breidis Prescott, Ed Paredes and Albert Mensah in succession.

“I learned that not every fighter is going to sleep the first time I hit them,” said Cuevas. “It’s difficult to get the stoppage against a fighter who has been a top contender who wants to survive. A lot of these guys have switched to survival mode once they felt my power. With that said, my promoters have been matching me against tougher guys to get me some rounds of experience, and I’ve learned a lot.”

Cuevas says the longstanding boxing rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico has him training at peak intensity back home.

“I’m training in Puerto Rico for this one,” said Cuevas. “There are so many great fighters on my beautiful island and so many different styles to learn from. Training has been amazing. I’m in the best shape of my life. Growing up, these kinds of fights would bring the whole country in front of the TV. You don’t lose when national pride is on the line. I’m not really doing anything differently. I’m just doing a lot more of it. So many people are going to see this fight and watch me defend Puerto Rico. I’m doing more than I’ve ever done to make sure everyone remembers what they see that night.”

Six more exciting bouts are being scheduled. On fight night, the Hard Rock Event Center doors open at 6 p.m., and the action starts at 7 p.m. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is located at 1 Seminole Way in Hollywood, Fla.

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About Hard Rock Event Center
Hard Rock Event Center is the newly constructed 3,600-seat venue located in the northwest corner of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood. As part of the $1.5 billion property expansion, the former Hard Rock Live arena will be razed and replaced with a state-of-the-art 6,500-plus-seat venue in a theater-style configuration, slated to open in 2019. In the interim, a full schedule of concerts, comedy shows and other events will take place in the Hard Rock Event Center. Seminole Hard Rock has hosted some of the hottest musical acts such as John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, George Lopez and the late Robin Williams; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.myhrl.com.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is the flagship casino resort of Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It is a world-renowned entertainment, gaming and hospitality destination that features a AAA Four Diamond-rated, 465 room luxury hotel; expansive gaming offerings including first-in-class slots, high-stakes table games and South Florida’s premier poker room; spa and fitness center; award-winning dining and nightlife; and the popular Hard Rock Event Center which hosts celebrity performances, comedy acts and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated to open October, 2019, will bring 638 new, luxury guestrooms to the first-ever, guitar-shaped Guitar Hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations, including unique swim-up suites, in the adjacent Oasis Tower at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Upon completion, the property will have a combined total of 1,271 rooms. The project will also unveil a lush, “Bora Bora” style lagoon with private cabanas and butler service; a 42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre recreational water experience for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding; 19 dining outlets and 20 bars and lounges; an expansive gaming floor housing 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a 45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention space including a 38,000 square-foot, carpeted exhibition hall; and a 26,000 square-foot retail promenade. The highly anticipated Hard Rock Live entertainment venue with a 7,000 person capacity, will showcase A-list entertainers, comedy acts, Broadway performances, sporting events and live broadcast productions. The integrated resort is located on 87 acres of the Hollywood Seminole Reservation along State Road 7 (U.S. Highway 441), and is 10 minutes from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport. For more information, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, call 800-937-0010 or follow us: Facebook: SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly.




JENNINGS: KEEP YOUR GUARD UP, JOE

BRYANT JENNINGS INSISTS he is more than ready to counter the threat of the high-volume punching Joe Joyce and claims the Englishman needs to tighten his own defences.

The Olympic silver medallist Joyce is renowned for his relentless style of fighting, continually marching forward delivering punches from all angles.

Joyce, set to enter into double figures as a professional heavyweight, takes on the former world title challenger in the chief support of ‘Heavy Duty’ at the o2 Arena on July 13, headlined by the British title showdown between the unbeaten pair of Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman.

Jennings’ 24-3 is unconcerned over the prospect of taking on the Juggernaut, who he believes needs to keep his own guard up on the night.

“He’s gonna have shots coming right back at him and, the last time I checked, his defence is not as good,” said the American. “He can catch every punch – with his jaw!”

While Joyce is relatively new to the professional game with a record of 9-0, Jennings acknowledged that he was familiar with the name, although more through his online activity.

“I was aware of him and I am aware of everyone in my division, at least at a certain level. Once you get to a certain level, I know who you are and I may have seen you. He is somebody I was aware of – and was made aware of – based on the noise he was making on Twitter and stuff like that, rather than in the actual boxing ring.

“He came with the accolades and it kind of matched up, so he was just letting himself be known and that is how I knew about him,” added the 34-year-old, who states that his ambitions have not been diminished by suffering a loss in his last fight to Oscar Rivas in January.

“Personally that was just an obstacle that I understood I had to get over,” he reasoned. “Against it being a failed mission, I didn’t necessarily fail the plan. A lot of these guys had hundreds of amateur fights and they lost plenty of them. That was their way of gaining experience and gaining something from those losses they had.

“So when I lost, it was just a case of putting it behind me. Done deal. Was I going to sit there and cry about it or get up and move on? That is what I chose to do, get up and move on.

“The fight with Rivas does nothing to me mentally but, in the boxing game, it knocks you down and you lose position. Here it is also, people still love me and I am still that guy. I can live with myself, I’m good.”

Meanwhile, Jennings took a little time out to assess the merits of the fight he says has knocked him off top billing between Dubois and Gorman.

“Well I sparred Gorman a couple of times and he is a bright kid who is pretty good. I’ve heard of Daniel but I have never watched him.

“I just think it is a great match-up, those guys have spent a lot of time in the ring together and have sparred a lot – and they are the main event.

“They have to be something if I am on the undercard of them! I just think it will be a good fight.”

Tickets for ‘Heavy Duty’ featuring Daniel Dubois v Nathan Gorman for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, plus Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce v Bryant Jennings are on sale now. The show also features British Middleweight champion Liam Williams who clashes against France’s former European champion Karim Achour for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight crown. Super-flyweight sensation Sunny Edwards meets Mexican Hiram Gallardo for the vacant IBF super-flyweight title. WBO super-featherweight champion Archie Sharp risks his crown against Jordan McCorry. Returning after an impressive debut is Kent bantamweight Dennis McCann. Hamza Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain, Jake Pettitt, Louie Lynn, Mickey Burke Jr and Florian Marku add to an exciting line up and tickets are available via AXS.comEventim and Ticketmaster and are priced as below:

£300 – (Hospitality)
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier/Floor
£75 – Floor/Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier




Keeping Up With The Joneses

NEW YORK (July 1, 2019)–Two members of the Split-T Management stable registered big wins on Saturday night as super featherweight Otha Jones III remained undefeated and cruiserweight, “Mighty” Joe Jones notched his 11th victory.

Otha Jones III notched his 2nd win in seven days over two continents as he won a six-round unanimous decision over Matias Arriagada in a super featherweight bout at The Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

Last Saturday, Jones took out Michael Horabin in the 1st round at York Hall in London.
It was a good action fight that saw Jones land the harder punches against a game Arriagada. Jones, who showed fast hands and good combination work, used a variety of punches that landed which included some solid uppercuts.
Jones, 131.4 lbs of Toledo, Ohio won by shutout tallies of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 3-0, Arriagada, 128.4 lbs of Argentina is 6-5.
“This fight taught me to be composed and adjust,” said Jones III.  “I give myself a B.  I will learn to sit down more on my punches, and placing my shots.
Otha Jones III is promoted by Matchroom Boxing.

Cruiserweight, “Mighty” Joe Jones won a six-round unanimous decision over Twon Smith at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland. 

Joe Jones used his fast hands, and wore down Smith with body shots over the six-rounds.  Jones won by scores of 59-55 twice and 59-54 to raise his mark to an impressive 11-1.




Greg Cohen Promotions Signs Middleweight Louis Rose to a Promotional Contract

Greg Cohen Promotions proudly announces the signing of charismatic middleweight contender Louis Rose to a promotional contract.

Rose (16-3-1, 7 KOs) is a former NABF Middleweight Champion who in October 2015, lost a razor-thin majority decision to current WBA Middleweight Champion Rob Brant for the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title. In his seven-year career, Rose has also taken the undefeated 0’s from Delen Parsley (then 10-0), Gino McClellan (9-0), Fabian Reyes (10-0), Ievgen Khytrov (6-0), Milorad Zizic (11-0), and Jorge Ivan Ibanez (8-0).

The 30-year-old Rose was world-rated and closing in on a title shot when he says he got sidelined by managerial problems for the last two years. With this new deal, he is eager to get back in the 160-lb mix.

“I feel amazing! This is going to resurrect my career and put me back where I was,” said Rose. “After the fight with Rob Brant, I feel that I should have been right there next to him. Most people think I beat him, but right after that fight, everything started going south. I didn’t feel like I could trust the team I was with, so now that I’m with GCP, I’m looking forward to getting the fights I deserve.”

A native of Los Angeles, Rose says he came to boxing after fleeing an unhealthy home life, living with relatives and eventually becoming homeless at age 17.

“Before boxing, I had a tough time on the street. When I was 20, I joined a boxing gym for $20 a month and I was just going to use the shower every day before work because I had no place to live. But then, I thought about it and I said I’m paying this money I might as well hit the bags. I learned I really like it!”

Rose’s story took another unexpected turn recently, as he chased love to Europe and is now living there, awaiting the birth of his first child in Athens, Greece, while training with Stavros Stofylas and Costa Vetimes at The Coliseum Gym. Rose says he and his new family will be returning to LA soon to get back to business.

“With the right fights I should be in line for a title shot by next year. I have a lot better resume than a lot of the guys getting title shots. I’m happy to have signed this deal with Greg Cohen and I’m looking forward to getting everything back to where it should be with this sport I love.”

Promoter Greg Cohen says he’s happy to be adding Rose to his stable of world contenders.

“Louis impressed me against Rob Brant. That was a close fight. When you look at what Rob has gone on to do, it’s not difficult to picture Louis being successful as well. He’s got a lot of personality and he’s a very talented fighter. No one coddled Louis Rose on his way up, he’s already beaten a lot of guys he was probably supposed to lose to. I think with the right guidance, he could be world champion some day soon.”

About Greg Cohen Promotions

One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen is lauded for his expert guidance of, among many others, current WBA Middleweight Champion Rob Brant from Minnesota, top-rated heavyweight contender Jarrell “ Big Baby” Miller from New York and former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout of New Mexico. All three fighters, under Cohen’s promotional watch, went from unknowns to prospects to national television stars.

In addition, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney, as well as former WBA World Champion Ismael Barroso and former WBO-NABO Super Middleweight Champion “Mean” Joe Greene.

Cohen also has a full stable of up-and-coming future champions, lead by undefeated light heavyweight Cem Kilic, undefeated featherweight prospect Ramiro Hernandez, and undefeated super featherweight prospect Abraham “El Super” Nova.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN, CBS Sports, MSG and FOX Sports Net.




HISTORIC 100TH LIVE EVENT ONE: CENTURY ANNOUNCED FOR TOKYO ON 13 OCTOBER

1 July 2019 – Tokyo, Japan: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its return to the iconic Ry?goku Kokugikan in Tokyo for ONE: CENTURY ??, the promotion’s historic 100th live event, scheduled for Sunday, 13 October.

ONE: CENTURY ?? is ONE Championship’s most exciting show to date, featuring three World Championship bouts, and three World Grand Prix Championships, in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix, ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, and the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix.

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Singapore will defend her title against ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China. ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar will defend his title against ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera of the Philippines. And ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil will defend his title against Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines.

Also on the card are four Japan Super Bouts, with four Shooto World Champions going head-to-head with four Pancrase World Champions in a never-before-seen showdown. The winner of each contest walks away with a USD $50,000 prize.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am thrilled to announce that ONE Championship is set to throw the biggest martial arts event in history this October in Tokyo, Japan. ONE Championship has come a long way since 2011 and is ushering in a new era for martial arts across the globe. ONE: CENTURY ?? is our historic 100th live event. Set at the iconic Ry?goku Kokugikan, three World Championship bouts are scheduled to take place alongside three World Grand Prix Championships. In addition, ONE Championship will be holding the inaugural World Martial Arts Week, which kicks off with our very first ONE Martial Arts Fan Fest. The biggest and brightest stars of ONE Championship are ready to shine in Tokyo, and fans will surely not want to miss the festivities.”

Andy Hata, President of ONE Championship Japan, stated: “I am thrilled and honored to be hosting ONE’s historic 100th event in Japan! In addition to World Championship matches, it will be a special moment to see champions from Japan’s leading mixed martial arts organizations, Shooto and Pancrase, battle each other. Further, the inaugural World Martial Arts Week brings not only additional excitement to fans, but an innovative week-long program that can add value to both the martial arts industry and Japan’s sports business industry as a whole. ONE looks forward to celebrating this milestone and continuing to make history in Japan.”

To celebrate ONE Championship’s historic 100th live event, the organization will be holding the inaugural World Martial Arts Week in Tokyo from 5-13 October. It is a week filled with activities and fan engagement, culminating in the blockbuster event, ONE: CENTURY ?? at the Ry?goku Kokugikan.

World Martial Arts Week will kick off with the ONE Martial Arts Fan Fest on 5-6 October at Bellesalle Shibuya Garden, which will feature athlete open workouts and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for fans to meet and greet their favorite ONE Championship superstars such as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson“Unstoppable” Angela LeeBrandon “The Truth” Vera, legends Miesha Tate and Rich Franklin, and more.

The ONE Martial Arts Fan Fest is also the first of its kind, combining the very best of martial arts and esports. A special edition ONE Tekken Tokyo Invitational will be held at the event featuring the best Tekken players in the world. The ONE Martial Arts Fan Fest will be headlined by ONE Warrior Series: Japan vs. the World as Japan’s rising stars take on up-and-coming athletes from all around the world. More details about the ONE Martial Arts Fan Fest and the rest of World Martial Arts Week will be released over the coming months.

In addition, limited edition ONE Championship merchandise will be on sale to commemorate this special occasion.

Tickets for ONE: CENTURY ?? are available via lottery application to Japanese residents on 1 July 6pm JST exclusively on LINE Ticket at https://ticket.line.me/sp/ONEChampionshipONE Martial Arts Fan Festtickets are available for regular sale from the same link.

For non-Japanese residents, tickets are available for purchase on Boardwalk at https://ticket.tickebo.jp/en/ONE-info/ from 3 July 6pm JST for the ONE Martial Arts Fan Fest and from 27 July 10am JST for ONE: CENTURY ??.For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.



LIVE VIDEO: Charlo vs. Adams: Post-Fight Press Conference




LIVE FIGHTS: THOMPSON BOXING-PATH TO GLORY




LIVE FIGHTS: CES BOXING (DAWSON VS RANKIN)




EARLY RESULTS FROM PROVIDENCE (ANDRADE – SULECKI)

Alexis Espino continued his undefeated ways by stopping Kirby St. Juste in round two of their scheduled four round middleweight bout.

In round one, Espino landed a vicious combination that backed St. Juste up to the ropes. Espino followed up with two lefts and a right that sagged St. Juste into the ropes, which was ruled a knockdown. In round two, Espino landed a perfect left hook that sent St. Juste hard to the canvas. Espino then landed a hard right that staggered St. Juste that he followed up with two more shots that sent St. Juste down for a 3rd and final time at 1:49.

Espino, 163.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 3-0 with two knockouts. St. Juste, 158.8 lbs of Trenton, NJ was making his pro debut.

Mark DeLuca won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Brandon Brewer in a middleweight battle.

In round two, Brewer was cut over his left eye. In round four, he was cut over his right eye. DeLuca was cut around his right eye in the 5th round.

DeLuca, 157.8 lbs of Whitman, MA won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 24-1. Brewer, 157.4 lbs of Nackawic, CAN is 23-1-1.

Otha Jones III notched his 2nd win in seven days over two continents as he won a six-round unanimous decision over Matias Arriagada in a super featherweight bout.

It was a good action fight that saw Jones land the harder punches against a game Arriagada. Jones, who showed fast hands and good combination work, used a variety of punches that landed which included some solid uppercuts.

Jones, 131.4 lbs of Toledo, Ohio won by shutout tallies of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 3-0, Arriagada, 128.4 lbs of Argentina is 6-5.




LIVE FIGHTS: ANDRADE – SULECKI UNDERCARD




Split-T Management Cruiserweight Joe Jones in Action Tonight in Maryland

NEW YORK (June 29, 2019) Cruiserweight prospect, “Mighty” Joe Jones will be back in action tonight as he takes on Twon Smith in a six-round bout at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryalnd.

Jones of Leesburg, Virginia, has a record of 10-1 with eight knockouts.
The 24 year-old Jones will be making his 2nd start of 2019, as he is coming off a 1st round stoppage over previously undefeated Montez Brown (8-0) on April 20th in Fort Washington, Maryland.

Jones weighed 197.6 lbs at Friday’s weigh-in while Smith was 199




Pedro Moreno (11-0, 7 KOs) Weighs in; Headlines Hometown Show in Sacramento Saturday

ORANGE, Calif. (June 28, 2019) – Junior welterweight prospect Pedro Moreno (11-0, 7 KOs) weighed 143.3 lbs. for his hometown, main event showdown against Gilberto Espinoza (11-1, 6 KOs), who came in a little lighter at 139.6 lbs.

Moreno, who is from Sacramento, Calif., will fight in his home city for the second time in his young career.

The 8-round showcase originates from Omega Products International in Sacramento, Calif. this Saturday, June 29.

Moreno is a former Silver Gloves Champion and U.S. Junior Olympic team member.

WEIGHTS

Pedro Moreno, 143.3 lbs. vs. Gilberto Espinoza, 139.6 lbs. (8-rounds)
Loui Lopez, 146.5 lbs. vs. Dwain Victorian, 146.9 lbs. (6-rounds)
Manuel James, 131 lbs. vs. Alex Solorio, 128.9 lbs. (6-rounds)
Arnold Dinong, 125.8 lbs. vs. Francisco Camacho, 127.9 lbs. (4-rounds)
Will Villa, 129.4 lbs. vs. George Carranza, 132.4 lbs. (4-rounds)
Sebastian Salinas, 131.6 lbs. vs. Tyler Marshall, 130.4 lbs. (4-rounds)

Tickets for “Path to Glory” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase at Omega Products on the day of the event (Saturday) starting at 6 PM local time.

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Path to Glory via our Facebook page, YouTube channel and ThompsonBoxing.com. Beto Duran will handle blow-by-blow duties, while Hall of Fame broadcaster Rich Marotta provides expert, color commentary.

The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET.

Omega Productions International is located at 8111 Fruitridge Road in Sacramento, CA 95826 and can be reached at 916-635-3335.

“Path to Glory” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Everlast.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.




LIVE BOXING: MAYWEATHER PROMOTIONS-Sin City Showdown




Commey stops Beltran in 9; Retains Lightweight Title

Richard Commey retained the IBF Lightweight championship with an 8th round stoppage of former champion Ray Beltran at the Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula, California

In the opening seconds, Commey dropped Beltran with a hard right hand. Beltran was hurt, and Commey landed a hard flurry that sent Beltran plummeting to the canvas. Beltan seemed done, but was able to land a hard right that momentarily stopped Commey in his tracks. Commey was able to finish the round with a hard right on the ropes. Beltran went down again, as in round five a right hand got through that put Beltran on his knees.

In round seven, Commey had swelling around the right eye. In round nine, Commey landed a booming left that sent Beltran to the canvas. Beltran was able get up, but the fight was waved off at 54 seconds.

Commey, 134.4 lbs of Accra, GHA is now 29-2 with 26 knockouts. Beltran, who missed the weight at Thursdays weigh-in is now 36-9-1.

“Beltran showed why he was a champion. He’s a great fighter who showed it against me tonight,” Commey said. “I was happy to get the job done and defend my title for the first time.

“It looks like Teofimo Lopez is next, but he has a job to do first.”

Carlos Adames won an 10-round unanimous decision over Patrick Day in a junior middleweight bout.

Adames pulled away down the stretch, and rocked Day throughout the final round. Day was hurt and was fortunate that he did not go down.

Adames, 154 lbs of Santiago, DR won by scores of 97-93 twice and 98-91 and is now 18-0. Day, 153.8 lbs of Freeport, NY is 17-3-1.

“Tonight was about getting work in. I listened to my coach, Robert Garcia,” Adames said. “This was my second fight with him, and it was about getting good rounds, and we did that. In the 10th round, he told me he was ready to go. If I had one more minute I think I would’ve finished him, but in the end, I think it was a very good performance on my behalf.”

Raymond Muratalla stopped Agustine Mauras after round one of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Muratalla dropped Mauras with a left hook. Muratalla continued to land heavy shots up until the bell, and the corner of Mauras pulled the plug.

Muratalla, 135.2 lbs of Fontana, CA is 8-0 with six knockouts. Mauras, 137.4 lbs of Lawrence, MA is 6-6-3.

Elvis Rodriguez and Joaquin Chavez battled to a no-contest after a headbutt caused the action to be halted in the 1st round of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round one, the two fighters clashed heads and an ugly cut on the forehead of Chavez forced the fight to be stopped at 2:28

Rodriguez, 139.6 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 2-0. Chavez, 141 lbs of Commerce, CA is 9-18-3.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored an upset victory by stopping previously undefeated Saul Rodriguez in round three of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

Miguel Angel Gonzalez scored an upset victory by stopping previously undefeated Saul Rodriguez in round three of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

Gonzalez knocked Rodriguez down in the opening seconds of the bout from a left hook. In round two, Gonzalez was cut around the left eye from an accidental headbutt. In round three, Gonzalez landed a booming left that sent Rodriguez hard on his back, and the fight was immediately stopped at 1:23.

Gonzalez, 130.4 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is 25-4 with 22 knockouts. Rodriguez, 130.6 lbs of Riverside, CA is 23-1-1.

Christopher Zavala won a six-round unanimous decision over Prisco Marquez in a super featherweight bout.

Zavala, 129.4 lbs of Los Angeles won by 60-54 tallies on all cards and is now 5-0. Marquez, 129.8 lbs of Austin, TX is 4-1-1.

Dmitry Yun made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Jose Antonio Meza in a lightweight bout.

Yun was deducted a point in the final round for hitting behind the head.

Yun, 135.6 lbs of Baku, AZE won by scores of 39-36 on all cards, and is now 1-0. Meza, 135.2 lbs of Gomez Palcio, MEX is now 6-4.

David Kaminsky remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Osbaldo Gonzalez in a middleweight fight.

Kaminsky, 162 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 40-36. Gonzalez, 162.8 lbs of Tulsa, OK is 6-5.

Also featured from the DiBella Entertainment stable, undefeated heavyweight contender Junior Fa(18-0, 10 KOs), of New Zealand, won a 10-round unanimous decision against veteran Dominick Guinn (37-13-1, 26 KOs), of Humble, TX. Fa survived a fourth-round knockdown to win by scores of 98-91 twice, and 97-92. Entering the contest, the 29-year-old Fa was ranked #7 by the WBO.




JERMALL CHARLO vs. BRANDON ADAMS FINAL WEIGHTS, QUOTES, PHOTOS AND COMMISSION OFFICIALS FOR WBC MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOMORROW ON SHOWTIME®

HOUSTON – June 28, 2019 – Unbeaten middleweight champion Jermall Charlo and middleweight contender Brandon Adams both made the 160-pound weight limit a day before they square off Saturday night in the main event live on SHOWTIME from NRG Arena in Houston in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting super welterweight Erickson “Hammer” Lubin taking on French contender Zakaria Attou in a 12-round WBC title elimination bout in the co-main event. Opening the telecast is a WBA featherweight title eliminator between slick Mexican southpaw Eduardo Ramirez and power-punching Dominican Claudio Marrero.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is produced by David Dinkins Jr., executive producer of Showtime Sports, and directed by Bob Dunphy. Arguably the best announcing team in boxing today will once again entertain fans with the fight-night call led by veteran broadcaster and host Brian Custer. Versatile combat sportscaster Mauro Ranallo will call the blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi. Three Hall of Famers rounded out the telecast team – Emmy® award winning reporter Jim Gray, boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial ringside scorer, and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. Alejandro Luna and former world champion Raul Marquez hosted the telecast in Spanish, available via Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Lions Only Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Charlo vs. Adams is promoted in association with Banner Promotions and The Tournament of Contenders.

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

WBC Middleweight World Championship – 12 Rounds
Jermall Charlo – 159 ½ pounds
Brandon Adams – 160 pounds
Referee: Laurence Cole; Judges: Don Griffin (Texas), Steve Morrow (Calif.), David Sutherland (Okla.)

WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds
Erickson Lubin – 153 ¾ pounds
Zakaria Attou – 153 ¾ pounds
Referee: Jon Schorle; Judges: Jesse Reyes (Texas), Mike Ross (Florida), Cory Santos (Nevada)

Featherweight Attraction – 12 Rounds
Eduardo Ramirez – 125 ½ pounds
Claudio Marrero – 125 ½ pounds
Referee: Rafael Ramos; Judges: Ruben Carrion (Texas), Glen Crocker (Texas), James Green (Texas)

FINAL QUOTES

Jermall Charlo
“I’m proud of the people of Houston for coming out and supporting me. I expect this to be a show. I’m going to give it my all. I’m going in there to defend my life.”

Brandon Adams
“I expect Charlo to come out and be his best because I’m bringing the absolute best Brandon ‘The Cannon’ Adams. I’m willing to dig deep. I’ve had a lot of time off to figure out who I am as a person. I had a three-year layoff and everybody thought that was going to be my downfall but it was actually my biggest upcoming. I’m looking forward to this challenge.”

SHOWTIME ANNOUNCERS WEIGH-IN ON THE MAIN-EVENT MATCHUP: CHARLO VS. ADAMS

Mauro Ranallo: “It always adds more energy when a champion gets to defend his title in front of his hometown crowd. Jermall Charlo has some of the most devastating power in the division. Brandon Adams is a guy that is going to give it all he has. We’ve seen his heart and he’s never going to stop coming at you and as an underdog, that’s all we can ask for.”

Paulie Malignaggi: “Jermall Charlo stands out as among the elite in the division and we have a hungry contender in Brandon Adams who is confident coming off a victory in THE CONTENDER. Charlo is a big step-up from anybody he has faced so I am looking forward to seeing whether Adams has what it takes to test Jermall Charlo. Adams has to make Charlo think and put him in situations where he has to work a little bit harder than he expects to in order to have a chance to win.”

Steve Farhood: “Brandon Adams is a short middleweight and has huge legs. Style-wise he has to attack, that could play right into Jermall Charlo hands because Jermall has tremendous power and a very good jab. So style-wise, I give the edge to Charlo. Adams will have to bring it every round and you know what, he deserves this chance. He won on THE CONTENDER and he wasn’t supposed to. He hadn’t fought in three years. It’s a feel-good story.”

# # #

ABOUT CHARLO VS. ADAMS
Charlo vs. Adams will pit unbeaten WBC Middleweight Champion and Houston’s own Jermall Charlo against middleweight contender Brandon Adams in Charlo’s hometown return Saturday, June 29 live on SHOWTIME from NRG Arena in Houston and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting super welterweight Erickson “Hammer” Lubin taking on French contender Zakaria Attou in a 12-round WBC title elimination bout in the co-main event. Opening the telecast is a WBA featherweight title eliminator between slick Mexican southpaw Eduardo Ramirez and power-punching Dominican Claudio Marrero.

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