Charlie Duffield and Dan Azeez will meet in an all-London clash for the Southern Area Light-Heavyweight title on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s Heavyweight showdown with unbeaten Colombian Oscar Rivas at The O2 in London on July 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Canning Town’s Duffield (7-1, 6 KOs) bounced back from a first career defeat in 2016 with four straight victories and the heavy-handed Mark Tibbs fighter is delighted to be fighting for his first professional title as he looks to climb the domestic ladder at 175lbs.

Lewisham’s Azeez (8-0, 5 KOs) has earned his first title shot with eight straight wins since turning over in 2017 and the former amateur standout is promising to deliver a memorable performance in his first opportunity on the big stage.

“I’m really looking forward to this one,” said Duffield. “It’s a really big platform on Sky Sports Box Office and a great opportunity for me to showcase what I’m really about. It’s going to be a cracking fight on July 20, I’m preparing for a war. Mark Tibbs has got the best out of me and he’s pushed me to my limits – that’s what I need in a trainer. I’ve got to say a massive thank you to Dillian Whyte for helping me get this opportunity, he’s been like a big brother to me.

“This is massive for me. I’ve always told people that these four rounders are no good for me because I only start warming up in the second and third rounds. I’m a pretty slow starter and I come on strong in the later rounds. I haven’t been able to showcase that yet but this is a championship fight and I’m going to get my head down and train hard. Under the guidance of Mark I think I can go all the way.

“I’ve seen lots of Azeez and he’s very good. He’s kept really busy which should stand him in good stead for our fight. I never underestimate my opponents but I’m going to let my hands do the talking. When I catch people cleanly with those 10oz gloves they don’t get up. Nobody has seen the best of my yet but they will on July 20.”

“I’m happy to get my first title shot,” said Azeez. “It’s a pleasure to have it on a huge Matchroom Boxing show. I’ve got to thank MTK Global for sorting it out for me. I’ve worked hard to get into this position with some good performances and I’ve stayed very active. The fashion of my wins has made a lot of noise and put me in this position to be mandatory for the Southern Area title.

“Charlie Duffield is a big opponent. He’s very strong and he’s a big puncher. He’s won the majority of his fights by TKO so I know he’s dangerous. My current trainer used to train Charlie as an amateur, so he’ll know a lot about him. I’m expecting the best Charlie Duffield to turn up on July 20 so I’ve got to train hard and just keep on doing what I’m doing. I’m sure that will be enough to get my hand raised on the night.”

Duffield and Azeez clash on a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Main event sees Dillian Whyte (25-1, 8 KOs) take on Oscar Rivas (26-0, 18 KOs) for the number one Heavyweight spot in the WBC; Dave Allen (17-4-2, 14 KOs) and David Price (24-6, 19 KOs) collide in a huge domestic Heavyweight showdown and undefeated Cruiserweights Richard Riakporhe (9-0, 8 KOs) and Chris Billam-Smith (8-0, 7 KOs) face each other for the WBA Inter-Continental title, with more exciting undercard additions to be announced soon.
Tickets for Whyte vs. Rivas are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300, £500 and £800 VIP.

General Sale tickets are available to purchase NOW from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS will bid to win the hearts of the Hertfordshire public when he fights for the first time in the county as a professional, seeking to become a two-weight world champion by claiming the vacant WBO world super middleweight title against the Albanian Shefat Isufi.

What Saunders hopes will be his crowning glory will take place in the middle of the pitch at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC, and performing on home soil carries considerable appeal for the unbeaten – 27-0 – former WBO world middleweight champion.

“Most definitely and I think it has been a long time coming,” said the 29-year-old. “You see I have mostly boxed in London and been at home, but I’ve never boxed here and it is interesting because I believe I am going to get a very big following.

“I am very excited to be honest with you, excited and nervous, because it is no good fighting at a venue like this and performing like a pillock! I’ve got to put on a good performance, so I am looking to repeat the David Lemieux performance and get the win to make myself the No.1.”

To do that, the southpaw stylist will have to overcome the 27-3-2 Isufi, who is unbeaten at super middleweight after previously campaigning at cruiser and light heavy. Saunders insists he is not a threat to be taken lightly.

“Listen, a lot of people are looking at him and underestimating him a little bit. I am looking at him and I can, from studying him, see that what he does he does really well. He is not appealing on the eye, but he is better than he actually looks.

“He is obviously No.1 in the world for something and he has got to be taken care of professionally. I have been working hard and I am going to get the job done.

“He is unbeaten at the weight and he has cemented his No.1 spot for a reason. I’ve got to take him seriously but, at the same time, it is hard not to look past him because I lost my world title without getting beat and I want to be world champion as quickly as I can.”

Saunders, indeed, could have opted to remain at middleweight and was nominated as mandatory challenger for his old title after Demetrius Andrade assumed his former status following their aborted collision last year.

The Hatfield resident declined the mandatory invitation in order to challenge for two-weight honours and believes the champions and contenders at super middle are far more willing to engage than at 160lbs.

“For one the financial gain was silly, silly change. Then there was nothing going my way and I would have been going to his back yard again, where I didn’t get fairly treated the first time. I know that and I know deep down what went on, but for good fighters it is not about sitting around watching it is about how you come back.

“I have to come back stronger.

“It is open with some good names and some good fights to be made. People might say I am not a big super middleweight, but they will find I will be big enough for it. My style has never been big and bullying, that is not me, my style is being clever and smart.

“I have got unfinished business at middleweight, but I am putting myself in a position at super middle to give myself different options.

“The thing is with the super middleweights is that everyone is willing to fight everyone. There is nobody sitting back hanging out for the last pound and that is what I like about it. I’ve been at the top of the middleweights and the stars at the top want all of the pie and everything their own way.

“It is all on their terms, but I am just in it to win it and prove I am the best. I will put myself in a position at super middleweight where they have got to fight me.

“It is just about timing.”

Billy Joe Saunders v Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC, with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce in the chief supporting contest against Alexander Ustinov.

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

Vasyl Loamachenko and Luke Campbell have been ordered to fight for the WBC Lightweight title, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Loma’s goal is to be undisputed lightweight champion and this is another step in that direction, hopefully,” Top Rank’s Carl Moretti told ESPN. “We’d love to do the fight in England. Let’s see where it goes”

Typically, sanctioning bodies do not allow fighters who hold belts from other organizations to fight for their vacant titles, but the WBC does allow it from time to time in the case of elite champions, a category Lomachenko falls into.

Egis Klimas, Lomachenko’s manager, said Lomachenko was thrilled by the WBC’s decision.

“They just do it sometimes for the top guys so that’s why the WBC made the decision and I strongly believe it’s very good news for Team Lomachenko,” Klimas said. “This is Loma’s dream since Day 1, that he wanted to unify all the titles and this is another step. It’s a great opportunity but it won’t be easy because Luke Campbell is a tough fighter and the fight will probably end up in the U.K.”

“I think this kind of a fight will make much more sense to do in the U.K. because Loma is popular in the U.K. and it’s where he won a gold medal,” Klimas said. “We went there recently and all the fans in London were going crazy for him so it makes a lot of sense to do the fight in the U.K.”

“I don’t agree with the WBC ruling at all,” Hearn told ESPN. “I don’t see how another champion should be slotted in to fight for a vacant title when other guys have been working their way up the rankings. If it wasn’t Lomachenko, and it was some low-profile champion, I don’t think it would be considered, so I am disappointed.

“I’d have liked to see Luke box for a vacant title against the highest-rated contender and then fight Lomachenko in a unification fight, but it is what it is. It’s definitely not a fight Luke is going to avoid. I just spoke to him and he’s excited and 100 percent doing the fight. He didn’t do a final eliminator to avoid a shot at the title. So I have already spoken to Carl Moretti about it. They want us to come up with a proposal to do the fight in the U.K.”

In addition to ordering Lomachenko-Campbell, the WBC also announced it was ordering a four-man box-off to determine the mandatory challenger for the winner. Although the fighters have not necessarily committed to the box-off, the WBC called for Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (11-0, 7 KOs) to fight Las Vegas’ Devin Haney (21-0, 13 KOs) and for Teofimo Lopez Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs) to fight former junior lightweight titlist Javier Fortuna (34-2-1, 23 KOs) of the Dominican Republic. The winners would then fight each other for the No. 1 spot, although Lopez, for example, is unlikely to participate because he is already scheduled for an elimination bout for another organization on July 19.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is out of his heavyweight debut on May 25th against Carlos Takam on May 25th.

With Usyk out, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN that he hopes to still go forward with the show but might try to move it to Las Vegas, the hometown of 20-year-old blue-chip lightweight prospect Devin Haney (21-0, 13 KOs). Haney recently signed with Hearn and was scheduled to fight Antonio Moran (24-3, 17 KOs), 26, of Mexico, on the Usyk-Takam undercard.

“We’re still working on what will happen with the show but we still want Devin Haney and the rest of the fighters on the card to fight,” Hearn said.

“It’s been two months of hard work and preparation for this fight every day,” Usyk manager Egis Klimas said. “We had two more weeks to the fight, but he suffered the injury. Of course, everybody is very disappointed, especially Usyk.

“He will probably be out for one month. The doctor told him he can’t do anything with the arm for one month. Then maybe another month or two of recovery and hopefully he can come back to fight sometime in September.”

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (May 7, 2019)– Undefeated Cuban welterweight Livan “Machine Gun Kid” Navarro says he’s becoming an animal before his fight and is ready to add long-time gatekeeper Breidis Prescott to his list of conquests.

Miami via Havana’s Navarro (10-0, 7 KOs) and Miami via Barranquilla, Colombia’s Prescott (31-16, 22 KOs) will meet in the 10-round co-main event of the fifth installment of the popular Rumble at the Rock series “Night of the Undefeated” on Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m. at Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

In the 10-round main event, streaking undefeated, WBA No. 7-rated featherweight contender Hairon “El Maja” Socarras (21-0-3, 13 KOs) of Miami via Marianao, Cuba, will be looking for his second victory this year by taking on hardened veteran Glenn Porras (32-8, 20 KOs) of M’lang, Cotabato, Philippines.

Tickets for “Rumble at the Rock V” cost $60, $100, $150 and $250 and are available for purchase through ticketmaster.com.

“I’m just an animal when it gets close to fight time,” said Navarro. “I hate losing in anything I do. I become this beast that can never lose, so I’ll never know what defeat feels like.”

A former heavily decorated amateur who finished at 306-20 against strong Cuban and international competition, Navarro is working hard at Caicedo Sports Training Center with trainer Herman Caicedo. The 28-year-old known as “Machine Gun Kid” has stopped seven of his last eight professional opponents.

“Herman makes sure I’m always ready to step up and win at all costs,” said Navarro. “We work harder than anybody else so that no one can last. I bring too much aggression and throw too many punches. My opponents wear down eventually.”

“He is a former world champion with power in both hands,” said Navarro of Prescott, “I’m as well prepared for him as I am for everyone I fight. I just hope he’s prepared for me, otherwise it’ll be a short fight.”
Navarro says he trusts his team of Caicedo, manager Jay Jimenez and promoter Kris Lawrence of The Heavyweight Factory that they will get him the fights he needs to develop and climb to the top of the 147-lb division.

“They guide me because they know the business side of boxing,” said Navarro. “I’m the fighter, they’re the thinkers. I’m in their hands. I know I will eventually have the chances I need to showcase my skills and prove I can fight with the best out there. I will make my whole team proud one day.”

Also in action, undefeated 20-year-old Hawaiian Logan “The Korican Kid” Yoon (15-0, 12 KOs) will face Denver’s Robert Frankel (37-20-1, 8 KOs) in a super lightweight eight-rounder. Before suffering an injury last year, Yoon had already attained a world ranking. This will be his first fight this year.

In a “can’t miss” crowd pleaser, Cuban super middleweight Irosvani Duvergel (5-0, 3 KOs) will face power puncher Lorawnt T Nelson (5-2, 4 KOs) of Colorado.

Making his second cruiserweight battle, fan favorite “Bad” Blake Davis (1-0) from Cooper City, Fla., will look to thrill fans when he faces Quintell Thompson (2-7-1, 2 KOs) of Columbia, Mo., over four rounds.

Rumble at the Rock V is presented by Kris Lawrence and The Heavyweight Factory. 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.

# # #

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 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 A-list entertainers, comedy and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated to open in fall 2019 will bring 638 luxury guestrooms to a first-ever, iconic, guitar-shaped hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations in an adjacent hotel tower overlooking a lush, “Bora Bora” style, private cabana environment; a 42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre recreational water-focused experience for sunbathing, swimming, kayaking, sailing and paddle boarding; 21 distinctive restaurants, bars and lounges; an expanded gaming floor featuring 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a 45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention space; and 26,000 square feet of new retail space. The highly anticipated 6,500 seat Hard Rock Live theater-style concert venue will feature headline performances and live broadcast capabilities. The resort is located on 87 acres of the Hollywood Seminole Reservation along State Road 7, (U.S. Highway 441). The resort 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

Los Angeles, CA (May 7, 2019) ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ returns to the famed AVALON on Sunday, May 19 with the highly anticipated return of Super Welterweight Knockout Artist, Serhii “El Flaco’ Bohachuk, (13-0-0, 13 KOs) of Los Angeles, CA.

Presented by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions, remaining tickets for The VIP Boxing Experience priced at $150, $125 and $80 are now on sale with additional tickets priced at $100 and $85 going on-sale this Monday, May 13 at www.360Promotions.us and through the interactive seating chart by clicking HERE. VIP Booths are also available by inquiring at Info@360Promotions.US. Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. with the first bell at 4:00 p.m. for the exciting card.

“We’re very excited to present our seventh ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ event at the AVALON on Sunday, May 19,” said Loeffler. “With the tremendous support of the fans over the last year this series has become the most popular in Southern California with each event selling out faster than the previous one.”

“With the return of Serhii Bohachuk along with many future stars including Adrian Corona, Alem Begic, George Navarro, Christian Robles and Humberto Rubalcava the fans are promised another sensational evening of excitement at The VIP Boxing Experience.”

In an eight-round super welterweight clash, the 24-year-old, undefeated fan favorite Bohachuk formerly of Vinitza, Ukraine will face his toughest test against former world title challenger Freddie ‘El Riel’ Hernandez, (34-10-0, 22 KOs), of Mexico City, Mexico.

Thrilling crowds in Southern California since his professional debut in February 2017, Bohachuk will be fighting for the fifth time at ‘Hollywood Fight Nights.’ On March 24, 2019, he continued his knockout streak, stopping perennial contender Cleotis Pendarvis in the third stanza. Bohachuk is trained by the renowned Abel Sanchez in Big Bear Lake, CA.

Hernandez has fought a wealth of world champions and top-rated contenders including Erislandy Lara, Demetrius Andrade, Andre Berto, Julian Williams, Luis Collazo, and Alfredo Angulo. Most recently Hernandez battled undefeated prospect Jason Quigley on October 18, 2018, losing a very hard-fought ten-round battle.

Also returning to ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ for the fourth time, Adrian ‘Bam Bam’ Corona, (4-0), of Rialto, CA clashes with Canton Miller, (3-2-1, 1KO), of San Diego, CA in a six-round super featherweight bout. Son of longtime California based referee Ray Corona, 19-year-old Adrian has won all four professional bouts by four-round decision, the most recent being a victory on March 24, 2019 over Guadalupe Arroyo. The upset-minded Miller returns to action following a close and controversially scored six-round majority decision loss on January 19, 2019 to Desmond Jarmon in Las Vegas, NV.

Fighting for the WBO Inter-Continental Super Middleweight Title, Germany’s Alem Begic, (22-0-0, 19 KOs), will make his highly anticipated United States debut. A native of Munich, the heavy handed Begic has stopped his last five opponents while thrilling boxing fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. His opponent at ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ will be announced shortly.

Fighting out of Apple Valley, CA, George ‘El Phantasma’ Navarro, (5-0-1, 2 KOs), returns to ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ for the third time against Cesar Sustaita, (3-4-0, 3 KOs), of Juarez, Mexico in a four-round bout. In an outstanding performance on March 24, 2019, the 20-year-old Navarro won a crowd-pleasing four round decision over Joseph Cuellar at the AVALON.

Super-flyweights will see action as all-action fighter Christian Robles, (2-0, 1 KO), faces off against May Garduno, (0-3), of San Bernardino, CA in a scheduled four-rounder. Fighting for the third time at ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’, the 22-year-old Robles of San Diego, CA impressed the sold-out crowd at the AVALON on March 24, 2019 with a sensational performance in a four-round decision over Jesus Godinez. Looking for his first victory, Garduno has faced three unbeaten fighters, going the distance twice since turning professional in 2017.

Rounding out the card, in the super-bantamweight division, Orange, CA prospect Humberto ‘Filly’ Rubalcava, (9-1-0, 6 KOs), clashes with Daniel Constantino, (3-2-2, 1KO), of Compton, CA. A winner of his first nine bouts as a professional, the 24-year-old Rubalcava will look to head back into the win column returning from a closely scored six-round decision loss to Jonathan Arturo Torres. The 22-year-old Constantino looks to stay in win column following a six-round decision over Dilan Miranda on January 31, 2019 in Alpine, CA.

Commentating on the international live stream will be former featherweight world champion, ‘The Flushing Flash’ Kevin Kelley and Ring Magazine Editor-in-Chief Doug Fischer with hosting duties handled by ‘The Real Fight Girl’ Cynthia Conte. The stream can be watched on all 360 Promotions’ social media pages in addition to their website and YouTube channel.

————————————————–

The historic AVALON is located at 1735 Vine Street in Hollywood, CA adjacent to the iconic intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. For more details on the AVALON, please visit their website, www.AvalonHollywood.com

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Sheffield amateur standout Dalton Smith is dreaming of becoming the next boxing great to come out of the Steel City as he prepares to make his highly-anticipated professional debut at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Friday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Sheffield has long been a city that produces world-class boxers and Smith, the city’s most successful ever amateur, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of former World Champions such as Herol Graham, Johnny Nelson and Kell Brook.

Fighting out of Sheffield’s Steel City gym, 22-year-old Smith, who is trained by his father Grant Smith alongside WBC Flyweight Champion of the World Charlie Edwards, is excited to begin his journey towards a World title in the professional ranks.

“The ultimate goal is to one day become a World Champion and bring a title back to Sheffield,” said Smith. “It’s about building a legacy. I’ll be setting small goals and then working towards them and then setting bigger goals. But early on, I just want to stay active and gain as much experience as I can. As long as I’m learning all the time then I believe I will get there eventually. I want to have a successful pro career and have some fun along the way.

“Growing up I was massively inspired by Prince Naseem Hamed. Fighters all around the World idolised him, not just here in Sheffield. He was one of the greatest. I want to put my name up in the spotlight alongside the likes of Johnny Nelson, Prince Naz and Ryan Rhodes. Sheffield’s always been a good fighting city and it’s growing again now. I feel if I work hard enough and am guided in the right way, then I feel I can get there.

“I want to stay active up until Christmas, get as many fights in as I can and just learn and push on for next year. I don’t need to rush things as I’m still only 22. The professional game is a new environment for me but having the World Series of Boxing experience behind me is going to put me in good stead. It’s not going to be anything too new to me, I’ve been there before and I think I’ll cope well with the small changes.”

Smith makes his professional debut on a huge night of boxing in Nottingham.

At the top of the bill Chatteris talent Jordan Gill (23-0, 7 KOs) defends his WBA International Featherweight title against Mexico’s Enrique Tinoco (17-5-4, 12 KOs) and Nottingham favourite Leigh Wood (21-1, 11 KOs) makes the first defence of his Commonwealth Featherweight crown against former champion Ryan Doyle (17-3-1, 9 KOs).

Rising Ipswich star Fabio Wardley (6-0, 5 KOs) continues his march up the Heavyweight ladder, exciting New Jersey Super-Featherweight prospect Raymond Ford (1-0) fights in the UK for the first time as a professional, Denaby Lightweight Terri Harper (6-0, 3 KOs) gets another opportunity on the big stage after winning the WBC International Female Lightweight title in her last fight, Bournemouth Cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith (8-0, 7 KOs) keeps busy ahead of his July showdown with WBA Inter-Continental Champion Richard Riakporhe, Liverpool’s Stephen Smith (25-4, 15 KOs) fights for the first time since 2017 and Crowthorne Featherweight Charles Frankham makes his professional debut.

Remaining tickets priced £40, £60 and £120 (VIP) are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), Motorpoint Arena Nottingham (www.motorpointarenanottingham.com) (Box Office tel: 0843 373 3000) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

FAIRFAX, VA. (May 7, 2019) – Fight week is here for the world title showdown between unified 154-pound world champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd and top contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams as they headline Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday from EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia live in primetime beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.z

Both fighters have shown that they are ready and poised heading into this weekend’s fight, as displayed on last week’s international media conference call when they went back and forth ahead of this highly anticipated super welterweight match.

“My confidence level is sky high,” said Hurd, a Maryland-native who will be defending his title in his home region for the first time since becoming a world champion. “I want to make it one-sided all the way through. I have a different game plan for each fight. You never know what style I’ll bring out.”

“My confidence doesn’t come from his vulnerability,” said Philadelphia’s Williams. “My confidence comes from my own ability and what I know I can do in a boxing ring. He’s been able to overcome any vulnerabilities he has, but he hasn’t faced me yet and hasn’t overcome what I bring to the table.”

Hurd has been embraced by his DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) home, partnering with the Washington Redskins and appearing at events all over the area including the National Cherry Blossom Festival parade, the Broccoli City Festival and an MLS game for the D.C. United.

“When I first heard it was official I’d be fighting at home, it meant everything to me,” said Hurd. “Winning the world title was always a dream of mine and I accomplished that two times. Now I just want to defend it in front of my people. It’s the perfect time to come home and it’s going to be a special night.”

For Williams, he looks at the positive spin of fighting on his opponent’s home turf, “I see it as a good opportunity,” he said. “I don’t really think too much about how difficult it would be to fight him in his hometown. I just need an arena and some gloves. Just ring the bell, that’s all I’m thinking about.”

The 29-year-old Williams is riding a four-fight winning streak since losing his first shot at the 154-pound title in 2016 against Jermall Charlo. With strong wins over Ishe Smith and Nathaniel Gallimore included in that streak, Williams can culminate his climb back to the top on May 11.

“I knew 100% that I would get another shot,” said Williams. “I know that I’m a top 154-pound fighter. I just had to get back in there and keep fighting. You can’t stay down too long. You just get back up on the horse. I knew this time would be coming.

“I think that all of my fights have prepared me for this opportunity, not just the Charlo fight. I learned from the 21 fights I had before that too. The Charlo fight gave me a chance to go back to the drawing board and work on a bunch of things. I have championship experience and that’s invaluable.”

In April 2018, Hurd unified 154-pound titles by defeating WBA titlist Erislandy Lara in a thrilling contest that saw Hurd drop Lara in the final round to edge the decision on the scorecards. It was the consensus 2018 Fight of the Year, including recognition from the BWAA, ESPN, Sporting News and more.

“For me to be in a Fight of the Year against a fighter with Erislandy Lara’s style, I must be an exciting fighter,” said Hurd. “When fans tune-in to watch me, they know the fight is usually action-packed. I go out there and leave it all in the ring and give it my all every time.”

Both fighters appear geared and ready for an exciting and dramatic contest for 154-pound supremacy live in primetime this Saturday night.

“A lot of fighters say they had a good training camp, but this has really been the best camp of my life,” said Williams. “I did some different things and I added some difference pieces. We’re prepared for a really good fight and we’re prepared to win.”

“I don’t want this fight to be close,” said Hurd. “I’m trying to get the recognition that I work hard for. I think I have a better resume than guys at the top of the pound-for-pound list. I’m going to come out and prove it Saturday night and make a statement on FOX.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com).

# # #

ABOUT HURD VS. WILLIAMS
Hurd vs. Williams pits IBF and WBA 154-pound world champion Jarrett Hurd against top contender Julian Williams in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, May 11 from EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.

Unbeaten super lightweight contender Mario “El Azteca” Barrios battles Argentina’s Juan “The Pitbull” Jose Velasco in a 10-round fight and middleweight contender Matt Korobov clashes with Immanuwel Aleem in a 10-round bout as part of televised action beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at
FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

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 and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS has dared Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to face him at either middleweight or super-middleweight.

Saunders was boosted over the weekend when it was confirmed that his showdown against German based Albanian Shefat Isufi at Stevenage FC’s Lamex Stadium on Saturday May 18 will be for the vacant WBO world super-middleweight championship, live on BT Sport.

Gilberto Ramirez has relinquished the title and decided to box at light-heavyweight giving Saunders the opportunity to become a two-weight world champion next week.

The former WBO world middleweight champion said: “I would love the Canelo fight, but does he want to fight me? I don’t think so.

“If they do want to fight me, ring me up. I am not asking for millions. Just be fair with me and we can get the show on the road.

“Canelo has cemented his name, made good money and is a superstar in the sport. I wouldn’t say he is avoiding me, but there are plenty of people he can pick apart from Billy Joe Saunders.

“That is a fact. Who wants to fight a slick southpaw who is hard to hit?

“It could be middleweight or super-middleweight. I want the big fights and that is a reason I am moving up to super-middleweight. I cannot get the big fights at middleweight.”

‘Canelo’ outpointed Daniel Jacobs in a world middleweight title clash on Saturday, but stipulated that the American could weigh no more than 170lb on fight morning.

Jacobs was 3.6lb over which reportedly cost him around $750,000 in penalties and although Saunders will not be greedy with demands, he insisted: “I wouldn’t be restricted for any weight clauses at all.

“Daniel Jacobs was clearly struggling to come in the next day only three pounds over the agreed weight. If he wanted to balloon up he would have been eight or nine pounds above what he was at the weigh-in.

“That has cost him a lot of money and I believe that took a bit of performance away from Jacobs.”

If Saunders adds the WBO 168lb title to his collection, another juicy clash would be a ‘Battle of Britain’ against Liverpool’s WBA Super champion, Callum Smith.

Hatfield traveller Saunders added: “Callum is a good fighter and big, but I think people go on about size in this sport too much.

“We saw David Haye beating Nikolai Valuev. Size doesn’t matter in this sport.

“If you’re good enough, you’re good enough, end of and I believe I am good enough to beat Callum Smith. That is a fight I would entertain.”

The vacant WBO super-middleweight title clash between Billy Joe Saunders and Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at Stevenage football ground with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce facing former world title challenger Alexander Ustinov in the chief supporting contest.

British super-bantamweight champion Brad Foster faces Commonwealth title holder , Ashley Lane with both belts on the line.

Chingford prospect Boy Jones Jr fights for the vacant WBO Youth World Lightweight title

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality

£150 – Pitch

£100 – Pitch

£75 – Pitch

£50 – Stand

£40 – Stand

Frederik Hede Jensen (4-1, 2 KOs) has signed a contract extension with Team Sauerland and will return to the ring on June 22 at the Forum Horsens.

“It really means a lot to me to be a part of Team Sauerland,” said the Danish featherweight. “I feel very happy and proud, and I look forward to continuing to work with them. Together, I am sure we will be able to achieve great things.

“I want to keep up my development of becoming a world-class boxer and hopefully get some good fights in the book. One of my major goals is to get a title fight with one of the bigger boxing federations, and I am sure Team Sauerland will come up with a master plan to bring me closer to this dream.”

The 22 year-old from Grindsted will be back in action on June 22 on the undercard of Dina Thorslund’s WBO Female World Super Bantamweight title fight against April Adams at the Forum Horsens.

“The fight in Horsens will be my sixth as a professional,” he says. “Horsens is a great city with a good location central in Jutland. I hope to see a lot of people there, coming to support me and the team. I always look forward to stepping into the ring. I have been training harder since my last fight and will keep pushing myself in training. The fans can expect an excited fighter who will deliver a good fight and take the supporters on a fantastic journey on the June 22.”

With a new contract in place, Hede Jensen is hoping a victory in Horsens can lead to a hometown title fight, having got a taste of boxing in front of his local fans with a third-round TKO win over Ilia Beruashvili in his last bout in March.

“I really liked the atmosphere and would be very honored to once again come back to where it all started,” he said. “I feel very grateful for the local community and the support from all around. I would be even more excited to bring a bigger event ‘back home’, and if I am lucky it could be for a youth title.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland says: “Frederik is one of Danish boxing’s brightest prospects. We look forward to working with him over the coming years and helping him reach his potential. He will be a great addition to our card on June 22 in Horsens, and we believe he has a big future ahead of him.”

An opponent for Hede Jensen will be confirmed shortly. He joins Danish heavyweight hope Kem Ljungquist and Horsens-boxers Amer Rasinlic and Michael Nielsen on the undercard of Dina Thorslund’s World title defence.

Tickets for Thunder From Down Under: Dina Thorslund vs. April Adams for the WBO Female World Super Bantamweight Championship are available online via www.ticketmaster.dk or by calling (+45) 70 15 65 65.

Leigh Wood is eager to emulate fellow Nottingham fighter Carl Froch by becoming a regular headline attraction in his home city as he prepares to make the first defence of his Commonwealth Featherweight crown against Ryan Doyle at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham this Friday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Wood, who went to the same school as former Super-Middleweight World Champion Froch, claimed the Commonwealth belt by halting Abraham Osei Bonsu in two rounds in Peterborough and is promising to deliver another explosive performance as he looks to take over from Froch as the flagbearer for boxing in Nottingham.

“It’s not just about defending my belt successfully,” said Wood. “It’s all about putting in a performance worthy of headlining a show in my own city. It’s vital that I impress everyone attending the arena and watching at home if I want to boost my profile. Nottingham hasn’t had a show like this in nearly seven years so this is a huge chance to revitalise boxing in the city and I’m sure myself and the other fighters on the card won’t disappoint.

“Doyle is big for the weight, he’s got the height and range to cause problems. I think he brings the same thing every time but it’s definitely going to be a hard fight and a good test for me. He’s a former champion so it’s another step up from my previous opponent who I beat fairly comfortably. There’s a bit of pressure on him because if he loses against me it’ll be two on the bounce and he’ll have to drop down a level. If I’m at my best, which I will be, he won’t get anywhere near me let alone beat me.”

Nottingham boxing legend Froch announced his retirement from the sport in 2015 after a hugely successful career that saw him crowned World Champion four times. ‘The Cobra’ championed his home city throughout his career and will be remembered as one of its greatest sportsmen; Wood is determined to make Nottingham a regular fixture for Matchroom Boxing once more.

“He was a role model when I was coming through. He was a real inspiration and he still is. Carl achieved massive things for this city and he’s always been someone that I’ve looked up to throughout my own career. We went to the same amateur club, when I was a kid I remember watching him in the gym and he was a machine. He’s from the same little village as me so we’ve got a lot in common. When it comes to our boxing we’re not very similar, we’ve got different styles, but I definitely draw inspiration from him.

“When Froch retired a lot of fight fans had nobody to follow and they’ve been craving someone to support and get behind for a while now. There’s a big opportunity for me to take over as the flagbearer for boxing in my city so a big performance on Friday is vital for me. I love boxing in Nottingham and I would have every fight here if I could! My ticket sales for this fight have been great, they’ve been flying and it’ll be the biggest fanbase I’ve had yet. I need a performance to reflect that.”

The City Ground, home of EFL Championship side Nottingham Forest FC, will host tomorrow’s final press conference ahead of Friday night’s action and ‘Leigh-thal’, a huge Forest fan, would love to go one better by fighting at the home of his beloved club one day.

“I’ve been down Forest since I was a kid and they’ve always backed me heavily. I’ve been on the pitch a few times but to show off my new Commonwealth belt in March was special and I’m grateful for all of their support. I was taken back by the reception I received, there was plenty of chanting and applause.

“I would love to fight at The City Ground but it would have to be a big fight. It could happen, I’ve just got to keep winning, keep looking good and keep on improving. The only thing in my career that I’ve been missing for the past few years is momentum and now I’ve got the momentum I just want to push on.”

Remaining tickets priced £40, £60 and £120 (VIP) are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), Motorpoint Arena Nottingham (www.motorpointarenanottingham.com) (Box Office tel: 0843 373 3000) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

KID GALAHAD enters his world title challenge against Josh Warrington knowing it will be his one and only shot at becoming one of boxing’s elite, according to trainer Dominic Ingle.

The Sheffield slickster challenges for Yorkshire rival Warrington’s IBF featherweight championship at First Direct Arena Leeds on Saturday June 15.

Warrington (28-0, 6 KOs) will be making the second defence of his crown. He won his treasured belt against Lee Selby last May and then came through a war against Carl Frampton.

Galahad (26-0, 15 KOs) has struggled to get big fights and had to become mandatory contender for Warrington’s title to get his crack at the big prize.

Ingle knows his man is avoided and says: “Kid Galahad is never gonna get another chance. He has got to capitalise. It is a do or death situation for Kid Galahad.

“He is never going to get the breaks, he has never had a promoter behind him and still managed to get into the mandatory position.

“That says something about his ability and focus, determination and relentlessness. He has got the same mental make-up as Johnny Nelson.

“He has never had it easy and got in this position himself. Others we had in the gym have fallen by the wayside but he has learnt from them.

“We have had fighters who shone for a period of time like Naseem Hamed, Ryan Rhodes and to a lesser degree Junior Witter.

“They have got into the position of being a world champion, but it’s whether you can maintain it once you’re there.

“The thing with Galahad is that he has no responsibilities – he isn’t married, no children and no safety net.

“If he loses he has nowhere to go on the Sunday morning after the fight. Josh can go home have a cuddle from his wife, see his kids and think; ‘I’ve had a good run and got a few quid’. He can console himself with that.

“There will be no consolation for Kid Galahad. The only consolation for him will be waking up on Sunday morning with the belt. That is where the determination comes in.

“Everything to him is boxing he has nothing else. It is his life.”

Josh Warrington tops the bill at First Direct Arena, Leeds when he defends his IBF featherweight championship against Kid Galahad on Saturday June 15.

Jason Welborn and JJ Metcalf meet for the vacant Commonwealth super-welterweight championship.

Other fighters confirmed in action on the bill so far include Lyndon Arthur, Zelfa Barrett, Alex Dickinson, Tommy Fury, Mark Heffron, Jack McGann and Troy Williamson.

Tickets for Warrington v Galahad are available via Ticketmaster and are priced as below:

£450 – Hospitality

£300 – Floor

£200 – Floor

£150 – Floor

£100 – Floor/Tier

£75 – Tier

£50 – Tier

£40 – Tier

BILOXI, MS. (May 6, 2019) – Light heavyweight contender Ahmed Elbiali will battle Marlos Simões in a 10-round showdown as part of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes action Saturday, May 25 from Beau Rivage Resort Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Elbiali will replace the previously scheduled bout featuring Eimantas Stanionis, as Stanionis was forced to withdraw because of a hand injury suffered in training.

PBC on FS1 and FOX Deportes begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by former super welterweight champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout returning to the ring to take on former title challenger Terrell Gausha in a 10-round super welterweight battle.

PBC Prelims on FS2 and FOX Deportes will begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and be headlined by Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron taking on Daniel Martz in an eight or 10-round heavyweight match and top prospect Amon Rashidi competing in a four or six-round welterweight attraction. Prelims will also feature in the opening bout hard hitting cruiserweights as undefeated Efe Apochi steps in against Earl Newman for an eight round matchup.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office and through Ticketmaster.

The 28-year-old Elbiali (18-1, 15 KOs) is coming off an exciting third round knockout victory over Allan Green on Jan. 13 on FS1. Elbiali, an Egyptian-American who lives in Miami, Florida, knocked down Green in all three rounds before scoring the victory. It was his second straight victory by knockout – the other coming against Zoltan Sera last June 10 – since losing the first fight of his career against former world champion Jean Pascal in 2017. Simões (13-1-2, 5 KOs) is coming a stoppage victory over Jefferson Luis De Sousa in December. The 30-year-old of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil suffered the only loss of his career against Manuel Ceballos last June.

After representing his native Puerto Rico at the 2008 Olympics, Negron (20-2, 16 KOs) was unbeaten in his first 13 pro fights. Now residing in Miami, the 32-year-old carried a seven-fight winning streak before losing to Dominic Breazeale in December on FOX. He will look to bounce back in his 2019 debut on May 25. Negron will face Clarksburg, West Virginia’s Martz (18-6-1, 15 KOs), who enters this contest the winner of his last two and three of his last four outings. The 28-year-old lost to Luis Ortiz in December 2017 on FS1.

Rashidi (6-0, 4 KOs), who was born in Dallas, Texas and now lives in Desoto, is coming off an exciting TKO victory over Gabriel Gutierrez at AT&T Stadium on March 16. The 26-year-old is unbeaten since turning pro in 2015 and has scored knockouts in three of his last four fights.

An accomplished amateur from Nigeria, Apochi (7-0, 7 KOs) turned pro in the U.S. in 2017 and has racked up knockouts in each fight since. The 31-year-old trains in Houston and scored more four knockouts in 2018 before making his 2019 debut in February and stopping Raymond Ochieng.

A former New York Golden Gloves Champion, Newman (10-1-1, 7 KOs) will look to rebound from a decision loss to Lionell Thompson that came after fighting Paul Parker to a draw on FS1 in 2017. The 27-year-old from Brooklyn was unbeaten in his first 10 pro fights after turning pro in 2014.

In non-televised action Ghanaian super middleweight Habib Ahmed (26-1-1, 18 KOs) meets Colombia’s Juan De Angel (21-10-1, 19 KOs) in an eight round bout, Orlando’s Antonio Tarver, Jr. (5-0, 4 KOs) battles Milwaukee’s Thomas Hill (8-2, 1 KO) in an eight round middleweight match and Burlington, North Carolina welterweight Willie Jones (7-1, 4 KOs) takes on Garden Grove, California’s Lucas Santa Maria (9-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round attraction.

Also in action are undefeated Atlanta light heavyweight Brandon Glanton (8-0, 7 KOs) in a six round match and Chicago’s Shawn Simpson (9-0, 3 KOs) looking to keep his unbeaten streak alive in a six or eight round bantamweight bout. A duo of undefeated Dallas, Texas boxers battle in separate bouts as Burley Brooks (2-0, 2 KOs) fights in a four-round super middleweight match and Fernando Garcia (12-0, 7 KOs) fights in an eight-round featherweight bout.

# # #

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX, FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSports.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku.

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.

VANCOUVER, BC—With boxing returning to Vancouver for the first time in over seven years on May 11, it’s only fitting that the card be a celebration of B.C.’s flourishing fighting talent.

In addition to the main event featuring Victoria’s heavyweight contender Adam Braidwood, three of the Vancouver region’s top prospects will light up the undercard of RELOADED, live professional boxing presented by Lee Baxter Promotions at the Vogue Theatre.

In light heavyweight action, Surrey’s Buneet Bisla will make his pro debut, as he takes on Francisco Lagunes of Mexico. Bisla was B.C.’s provincial light heavyweight champion as an amateur, and comes from a family of fighters–in fact, his family runs Bisla Martial Arts in Surrey.

“The Bisla family is a big part of the boxing community in British Columbia, and they are pillars of the Indian-Canadian community as well. We expect a great amount of support from the Indian community locally,” said promoter Lee Baxter.

The night will also feature lightweight Lev Jackson, who will be making his pro debut as well. Jackson was an amateur standout, picking up an amateur WBC Canadian title. When he’s not fighting in the ring, he is fighting a bigger battle: Crohn’s Disease. In addition to boxing, he is also a respected boxing writer, having covered the sport for major newspapers and industry websites.

But the night will feature talent from across Canada as well. The night will also feature undefeated super bantamweight Ross Mylet, who will be boxing for the first time outside of Ontario. In terms of fighting outside of his home province however, Mylet is no stranger. The 28-year old is a former North American kickboxing champion, representing Canada for many years. Mylet remains closely connecting with the kickboxing and combat sports community across the country, and is eager to show his skills in British Columbia once again.

In addition, Canadian national amateur champion Amanda Galle will be making her second professional appearance after thrilling a Toronto crowd in her debut with a dominant win over Perla Rojas.

“Both Ross and Amanda have had a ton of international experience, they’ve won tournaments all over the world. We can’t wait to show their skills as professionals to a new Canadian audience this weekend,” said Baxter. “When it comes to Amanda, the women’s boxing scene is hitting heights we’ve never seen before. We truly believe it won’t be long before she’s contending for a world title.”

Tickets are still available, and start at just $48.50. Doors will open at 7 PM, with the first bell sounding at 8 PM.

LAS VEGAS and BOSTON – UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, today announced a new multi-year partnership with popular Boston-based promotion Murphys Boxing. The promotion will make its FIGHT PASS debut on Friday, May 10th, from Springfield, Massachusetts at the MGM Springfield at 9:30 p.m. E.T. / 6:30 p.m. P.T. and will feature a ten-round main event, headlined by undefeated NABA Super Featherweight Champion Abraham Nova vs. Mario Ezequiel Sayal Lozano.

“Murphys Boxing is one of the top promotions in New England, and I am excited to have them on FIGHT PASS,” UFC President Dana White said. “In just five years, Ken Casey has done incredible things with this promotion. I am looking forward to showcasing these exciting fighters to our subscribers.”

“We’re incredibly excited to join forces with FIGHT PASS,” said Ken Casey, founder of Murphys Boxing. “UFC is providing a platform for us to highlight New England’s thriving boxing scene to combat sports fans. We will introduce the world to our incredible roster that includes future champions, such as Nova.”

Recently entering the WBA’s Top 10 Rankings, undefeated Abraham Nova (14-0, 10 KOs) will make his highly anticipated 2019 debut under the Murphys Boxing banner. Nova’s opponent is Argentinian prospect Mario Ezequiel Sayal Lozano (18-2-1, 9 KOs), marking Nova’s 12th fight in the past two years.

Entering the ring for the second time this year, Junior NABF Super Featherweight Champion William Foster III (9-0, 6 KOs) will face off against Ramon Esperanza (22-15-1, 11 KOs) in an eight-round bout. Foster’s rare ability to combine both power and speed has led him to become one of New England’s most talked about prospects.

In an eight-round middleweight bout, power punching prospect Carlos Gongora (15-0, 12 KOs) will take on Argentina’s Damien Ezequiel Bonelli (23-6, 20 KOs). Gongora, a former Olympian from Ecuador, won the WBC South American Middleweight Title this past February after defeating Jesus Aviles.

Luis Arcon Diaz (6-0, 6 KOs), an undefeated Olympian from Venezuela, and a recent signing, will return to action against Argentina’s Jose Aubel (8-3, 7 KOs).

Representing the Boston area, James Perella (2-0, 2 KOs) will look for his third consecutive knockout in a four-round welterweight bout. His opponent will be named in the coming days.

Ray Jay Bermudez (6-0, 4 KOs) will make a quick return to the ring after a KO victory last month when he takes on an opponent to be named in a six-round welterweight contest.

Rounding out the card will be two of Springfield’s own – power punching welterweight Anthony Velazquez (5-0, 5 KOs), who will take on an opponent to be named, and welterweight DJ Whitley (4-1-1), who will take on the always dangerous Bryan Goldsby (5-10) in separate four-round contests.

The first four undercard bouts will stream live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dropkickmurphys. The main card will stream live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS. To start your 7-day free trial, please visit: https://www.ufc.tv/page/fightpass.

Tickets are on sale now at: https://www.murphysboxing.com/ and https://www.mgmspringfield.com/entertainment.

NEW YORK (May 6, 2019) –Hot welterweight prospect Janelson Figueroa Bocachica remained perfect by stopping veteran Gabor Gorbics after three rounds of their scheduled eight-round welterweight bout in a fight that took place this past Friday night at The Sands Bethlehem Event Center.

Bocachica boxed very nicely in the opening frame. Towards the end of round two, Bocachca landed a hard left on the face that had the nose of Gorbics leaking from his nostrils.

Bocachica continued to land hard shots to the face of Gorbics that further facilitated blood from the nose of Gorbics, and the fight was stopped in between rounds three and four.

With the win, the 20 year-old Bocachica raises his mark to 14-0 with 10 knockouts.

The Detroit native is managed by Split-T Management and is promoted by King’s Promotions and Fist of Legends.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (May 6, 2019) The matches are taking shape for the fifth installment of the popular Rumble at the Rock series entitled “Night of the Undefeated” on Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m. at Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The event is presented by Kris Lawrence and The Heavyweight Factory.

In the 10-round main event, streaking undefeated, WBA No. 7-rated featherweight contender Hairon “El Maja” Socarras (21-0-3, 13 KOs) of Miami via Marianao, Cuba, will be looking for his second victory this year by taking on hardened veteran Glenn Porras (32-8, 20 KOs) of M’lang, Cotabato, Philippines.

In the night’s co-main event, Miami via Havana’s undefeated Livan “The Machine Gun Kid” Navarro (10-0, 7 KOs) will step up to face long-time gatekeeper Breidis Prescott (31-16, 22 KOs) of Miami via Barranquilla, Colombia in a welterweight 10-rounder. Navarro has scored KOs in seven of his last eight fights.

Tickets for “Rumble at the Rock V” cost $60, $100, $150 and $250 and are available for purchase through ticketmaster.com.

Also in action, undefeated 20-year-old Hawaiian Logan “The Korican Kid” Yoon (15-0, 12 KOs) will face Denver’s Robert Frankel (37-20-1, 8 KOs) in a super lightweight eight-rounder. Before suffering an injury last year, Yoon had already attained a world ranking. This will be his first fight this year.

In a “can’t miss” crowd pleaser, Cuban super middleweight Irosvani Duvergel (5-0, 3 KOs) will face power puncher Lorawnt T Nelson (5-2, 4 KOs) of Colorado.

Making his second cruiserweight battle, fan favorite “Bad” Blake Davis (1-0) from Cooper City, Fla., will look to thrill fans when he faces Quintell Thompson (2-7-1, 2 KOs) of Columbia, Mo., over four rounds.

More fights will be announced shortly. 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.

# # #

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 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 A-list entertainers, comedy and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated to open in fall 2019 will bring 638 luxury guestrooms to a first-ever, iconic, guitar-shaped hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations in an adjacent hotel tower overlooking a lush, “Bora Bora” style, private cabana environment; a 42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre recreational water-focused experience for sunbathing, swimming, kayaking, sailing and paddle boarding; 21 distinctive restaurants, bars and lounges; an expanded gaming floor featuring 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a 45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention space; and 26,000 square feet of new retail space. The highly anticipated 6,500 seat Hard Rock Live theater-style concert venue will feature headline performances and live broadcast capabilities. The resort is located on 87 acres of the Hollywood Seminole Reservation along State Road 7, (U.S. Highway 441). The resort 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

Bethlehem, PA (May 6, 2019)–Frank De Alba got back in the win column by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Ruben Dario Lopez in a super featherweight bout in front of a sold-out crowd at The Sands Bethlehem Event Center.

The action was promoted by King’s Promotions and Titans Boxing Promotions.

De Alba had to overcome a hard-charging Lopez, as the visitor form Argentina came out swinging wildly in the first 30 seconds of the fight. De Alba was able to fend that off, and get into a nice rhythm of boxing.

De Alba was keeping a solid distance, and work behind the jab, and befuddled Lopez throughout the rest of the contest, and won by shut out scores of 80-72 on all cards.

De Alba, who was on a two-fight losing streak, got back in the win column which upped the Reading, PA native’s record of 23-4-2. Lopez of Rosario, Argentina is 12-14-4.

In the co-feature, Erik Spring took an exciting eight-round unanimous decision over Nicholas Hernandez to win the USBF Silver Junior Middleweight Championship.

Hernandez has success early as he pressed the action and rocked Spring several times. With the crowd in a frenzy, as they cheered on the two Pennsylvania based fighters, Spring was able to turn the tide in the middle rounds as both he and Hernandez engaged in several toe-toe exchanges.

The bout was close heading into the home stretch, and Spring needed them bad as his work over the final six-minutes was the difference of the fight as he took all three cards by 77-75 scores.

Spring of Reading, PA is 13-2-1. Hernandez of Lebanon, PA is 9-4-1.

Jonathan Torres of Bethlehem, PA won a four-round unanimous decision over Jerrod Miner in a bantamweight fight.

Scores were 40-36 twice for Torres, and is now 3-0. Miner of Philadelphia falls to 1-5-2.

Martino Jules won a six-round unanimous decision over Danny Flores to win the ABO Junior Featherweight title.

Jules of Allentown, PA won by shutout tallies of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 6-0. Flores of Mexico City is 15-16.

Rasheed Johnson stopped Ricky Nuno at the end of round four of their scheduled six-round welterweight fight.

Johnson set everything up off of his jab, and he was able to pretty much do what he wanted until the corner of Nuno had enough and pulled the plug on the fight at the end of the 4th frame.

Johnson of Philadelphia is 6-2 with two knockouts. Nuno of Bethlehem is 2-3.

In a wild bantamweight fight, Yeuri Andujar had to get off the deck twice to eek out a six-round majority decision over Edgar Cortes.

Andujar was decked in round two, and each guy traded knockdowns in round three. Each fighter took control of the fight at different stages of the bout, that produced several furious exchanges.

The sell out crowd voiced their disapproval with the outcome which read 57-56 for Andujar on two cards, and 56-56.

Andujar of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic is now 4-1. Cortes of Vineland, New Jersey is 6-5-1.

Recent King’s Promotions signee Janelson Figueroa Bocachica stopped Gabor Gorbics a the end of round three of their scheduled eight-round welterweight fight.

Bocachica bloodied the nose of Gorbics in round two, and continued the onslaught for another round, until the ringside doctor stopped the bout before the 4th frame.

Bocachica of Detroit is 14-0 with 10 knockouts. Gorbics of Budapest, Hungary is 26-17.

Radzhab Butaev won a six-round unanimous decision over Silverio Ortiz in a welterweight fight.

Butaev of Brooklyn, New York won by scores of 59-54 and 58-55 twice, and is now 12-0. Ortiz of Merida, Mexico is 37-25.

Khainell Wheeler made a successful pro debut by stopping George Sheppard at 2:47 of the 1st round of their super middleweight bout.

Wheeler of Bethlehem is 1-0 with one knockout. Sheppard of Norfolk, Virginia is 1-8-1.

KING’S PROMOTIONS WILL BE BACK AT THIS FRIDAY AT THE 2300 ARENA IN PHILADELPHIA AS KALVIN HENDERSON MEETS ANTOWYAN AIKENS IN THE MAIN EVENT OF A STACKED CARD.

London, UK (6 May 2019) Northampton’s neat boxing Kieron Conway may be the early bookies’ favourite to lift the Ultimate Boxxer III trophy when eight top middleweight hopefuls convene at The Indigo at The O2 on Friday 10th May, but the cobbler hopeful endured his toughest battle simply to get started in the sport!

‘I’d been a big fan since getting up in the middle of the night to watch the big Ricky Hatton fights from America. But though my friend at primary school boxed, me dad, who’d boxed amateur, never allowed me to join him, said I ‘was too soft to be a boxer!’ disclosed ‘Too Class’ who, at 22, is the youngest entrant.

‘At school, I was a popular kid, never a scrapper but good at other sports. One day, dad’s old coach visited to buy some dogs and somehow convinced the old man to let me have a go.

‘I had the first of my 84 amateur bouts (69 wins) for the Kings Heath club, aged 12. It helped that I’d done a bit of karate (black belt by 11) because I did a lot of press-ups and there were transferable explosive movements.

‘I was a little skinny kid, there really wasn’t too much to me, and I’d win one, lose one. But after the age of 16, only Carl Fail in the Senior ABAs beat me, over a period spanning three years. I won eight Midland titles, two Haringey Cup gold medals and also boxed for England a handful of times.’

Since slinging his singlet in December 2017, the MTK Global starlet has steamed to 10 consecutive wins – predominantly adown at super-welter – conquering the useful Chris Monaghan (one loss in 8), Gino Kanters (one loss in 5) and 26-14 Gabor Gorbics along the way.

‘Today, I don’t work. I put everything into my boxing. The thought of losing makes me feel ill so I train morning, noon and night. I aim to be a superstar!’ claims Conway who, rather ironically, is now coached by Dad James (in tandem with Arthur Daly) at the KH gym.

‘Technically I’m pretty good and my strength is deceiving. I’m sharp and adaptable. I’ve two very different styles and can bring either out at any point of any round.’

Despite his apparent ability and application, classy Kieron has struggled for recognition, based in the boxing backwater of Northampton that also saw another local, Drew Brown, win the inaugural Ultimate Boxxer tournament last year.

‘They enjoy their combat sports here – we’ve one of Europe’s biggest MMA gyms – so it’s strange that more from the town haven’t made it as pros because, trust me, there’s plenty who enjoy a scrap!’ he quips.

‘But I believe that’s about to change, just with the fighters from our gym. Ethan James and Ben Vaughan both represented England at the recent Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas and Ethan won gold. There’s a few others here around national title level. Watch out for us!’

The young gun warns his seven UB competitors to expect an eggy face if they dismiss him lightly.

‘No doubt, the others will underestimate me because of my youth, where I come from, and that I usually box a weight beneath but that would be unwise!’ says the 5ft 11 ½ in stylist.

‘The bookies have got me favourite. I’ve boxed more rounds and I’ve been on bigger stages than the others. I’ve previously experienced boxing on Amir Khan and Kal Yafai undercards in Birmingham, plus a Jordan Gill undercard in Peterborough.

‘Though I’ve acclimatised to eight rounders in the pros, I’m the one with the amateur pedigree. And I’ve been sparring with the England amateur squad for this; everything sharp and pacy.

‘I’ve not seen a lot of the other entrants but I know I’ve boxed at a higher level, beaten guys with winning records and I’ve already been punched back. I’m not sure many of the others have. I’m ready for titles right now but can’t get opportunities. This can push me on.

‘Hopefully, the venue will be packed and plenty of armchair fans will tune in too. In my mindset, I can’t see how any of the others can beat me. I see all three of mine, ending by stoppage wins.’

But irrespective of what transpires between the strands at The Indigo, Conway, eldest of seven, has already converted his earliest critic.

He concludes: ‘Now, when he gets drunk, me dad confesses he’s very proud of me!’

Ultimate Boxxer III is on Friday 10th May at The Indigo at The O2 and starts off with the exciting showdowns:

Quarter-Final 1: Kaan Hawes v Kieron Conway
Quarter-Final 2: Tey Lynn Jones v Derrick Osaze
Quarter-Final 3: Sean Philips v Josh Groombridge
Quarter-Final 4: Joe Hurn v Grant Dennis

For Ultimate Boxxer III MansionBet odds CLICK HERE

An action packed undercard will see the return of the highly-rated and undefeated Light-Heavyweight talent and UB II winner Shakan Pitters and unbeaten super-middleweight prospect Idris Virgo who is out to prove to critics he is more than just a reality star.

Remaining tickets are available from ticketmaster.co.uk AXS.com and ultimateboxxer.com priced at:

£30 Balcony Standing (General Admission)
£35 Floor Standing (General Admission)
£55 Upper Balcony Seats
£70 Outer Ringside
£100 Inner Ringside
£200 Kings Row (Padded Balcony seats, separate bar, VIP entrance)

For all VIP & Corporate Packages please contact www.sportandmusic.co.uk

German light heavyweight Leon Bunn (14-0, 8 KOs) claimed the IBF International title by defeating countryman Leon Harth (18-4, 12 KOs) via technical knockout last night at the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt.

Bunn was stronger, quicker and more skilful as he dominated his more experienced opponent until the referee waved off the fight in the ninth round. Having captured his first professional title in front of a capacity crowd in his hometown arena, the 26 year-old moves closer to a World title challenge.

“To achieve such a victory here in Frankfurt in front of my home crowd is outstanding,” said Bunn. “I’m incredibly pleased to win my first tittle and want to thank everyone who has accompanied me on this journey so far. I am now looking forward to the bigger the challenges that lie ahead.”

Bunn’s performance earned him the praise of his coach Ulli Wegner, who was delighted with his student’s performance. “Congratulations Leo, as I always call him,” said Wegner “Everyone knows that I’m rarely completely satisfied, but that was great. I’m very impressed with what Leo showed today!”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland shared in Wegner’s delight. “We at Team Sauerland are incredibly proud of Leon Bunn,” said Sauerland. “He has shown that he has great potential, and now the bigger fights can come.”

Abass Baraou (6-0, 3 KOs) secured his sixth professional victory and has now beaten two former World Champion in his last two fights. The classy German dominated his South African opponent Ali Funeka (40-11-3, 32 KOs), before finishing him with a flurry of punches in the fifth round.

Sophie Alisch (3-0, 1 KO) continued her journey to stardom as she comfortably overcame Bojana Libiszewska (5-35, 1 KO) to win every round on the judges’ scorecards, while Anthony Yigit (23-1-1, 8 KOs) claimed a fifth-round TKO win over Sandro Hernandez (15-8-3, 10 KOs) and Kem Ljungquist (8-0, 5 KOs) recorded a unanimous points victory over Dominik Musil (3-2, 2 KOs).

Billy Joe Saunders, Tyson Fury and their trainer, Ben Davison arrived at Stevenage in style when they attended their public workout which took place in front of hundreds of local supporters outside Stevenage FCs’ Lamex Stadium- the location for Billy Joe Saunders vs Shefat Isufi on May 18.

Local Hertfordshire boxer, Saunders, will attempt to become a two-weight world champion when he faces the Munich-based Albanian, Isufi.

The WBO World Super Middleweight title will be on the line on May 18th, and Billy Joe Saunders arrived workout-ready after his helicopter journey.

Tyson, however, opted to arrive in a more fashionable outfit- wearing a white tee and blazer, along with a pair of pink shorts.

Fury is now just six weeks away from his Las Vegas fight night at the MGM Grand, where he faces undefeated German Tom Schwarz.

Billy Joe Saunders and Tyson Fury entertained the hundreds in attendance which saw Ben Davison put both of his fighters through their paces on the pads, whilst they also took turns on the microphone to entertain the crowd.

“I’m feeling good, it’s good having Tyson in camp, both training hard and we’re both pushing each other on for our upcoming fights.” said Billy Joe Saunders on the Lamex Stadium pitch before the local football team’s crucial match against Cheltenham Town.

“It’s a fantastic stadium, a good venue for my fight- it’s my homecoming and I am very excited to be fighting at Stevenage football club.

When asked about his opponent, Shefat Isufi; “I know that my opponent is getting his face punched in on May 18th and that’s all you need to know about him!

“But seriously, he’s a strong lad, but he won’t bring anything I haven’t seen before.”

Tyson Fury joined his stablemate onto the pitch holding a Stevenage FC scarf above his head, which was received with a massive cheer by the local supporters inside the Lamex Stadium.

Tyson added; “He’s been fantastic in the gym and he is really looking forward to the event, only two weeks to go and I’m looking forward to being here on the night myself- and hopefully the weather will be fantastic for everybody!”

Billy Joe Saunders v Shefat Isufi headlines the bill at the Lamex Stadium, home of Stevenage FC, with unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce in the chief supporting contest against Alexander Ustinov.

Tickets can be purchased via borotickets.co.uk and are priced as below:

£250 – Hospitality
£150 – Pitch
£100 – Pitch
£75 – Pitch
£50 – Stand
£40 – Stand

Follow all the action as Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs meet in a middleweight unification bout.  The action starts at 9 PM ET from the T-Mobile Arena with Lamont Roach Jr. taking on Jonathan Oquendo; Joseph Diaz Jr. battling Freddy Fonseca; Vergil Ortiz Jr. fights Mauricio Herrera.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1: Canelo has a sleeve on his left knee..Hard right by Canelo..Jab from Jacobs to the body..

Round 2 Good jab from Canelo..Jab to the body..Jab..Hook to the body..Jacobs lands a body shot..Body by Canelo..

Round 3 Right to body from Canelo..Combination from Jacobs…Body work..

Round 4 Both warned for hitting back of the head..Hard jab from Canelo..Counter right

Round 5 Counter hook to body from Canelo…Double jab..Canelo outlanding Jacobs 60-43

Round 6  Jab from Canelo..Good right..

Round 7 Canelo trying to up his punch rate..Combination from Jacobs..Hook to body from Alvarez…Hook from Jacobs

Round 8  Uppercut and body shot from JacobsBody..Combination to body..Right from Alvarez..Straight right..Body shot..Good body shot from Jacobs

Round 9 Body shot from Canelo…Body..3 punch combination..Big left from Jacobs..

Round 10 Left from Jacobs..Hard right from Canelo..Left hook..Good right from Jacobs..Right to body and head…Canelo fighting off the ropes..Good body shots from Jacobs..

Round 11 Right from Canelo…Body work from Jacobs..Body shot and right from Alvarez..

Round 12 Jacobs falls after missing a left hook…Good uppercut from Jacobs..Hook and 3 punch combo from Canelo..3 more from Jacobs..Left from Canelo..Uppercut..Body..

Canelo landed 188-466    Jacobs was 131 – 649

115-113 twice and 116-112 for CANELO ALVAREZ

Round 1 Herrera trying to jab

Round 2 Right from Ortiz..Jab..Counter right..Hard right rocks Herrera,,,Hes hurt..RIGHT AND DOWN GOES HERRERA AT THE BELL

Round 3 Wicked left hook from Herrera…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES HERRERA…FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Good left from Diaz.  Jab..2 Body shots..Straight left

Round 2 Left from Diaz…

Round 3 Left to body from Diaz…Combination and uppercut..2 lefts..Right hook to body..

Round 4 Diaz boxing well

Round 5 Left from Diaz…Right and left..Right hook

Round 6 Hard 3 punch combination…Hard body shot…Uppercut..Left…..COMBINATION AND DOWN GOES FONSECA

Round 7 Jab from Fonseca…Diaz POUNDING AWAY AND FONSECA’S CORNER THROWS IN THE TOWEL

Round 1 Roach lands a left hook..Body work…Right from Oquendo…Hard Hook..Blood from nose of Roach

Round 2  Oquendo lands a right..Lead right from Roach..Combination..Right..

Round 3 Right from Oquendo…Body shot..Right from Roach..Right..Good body shot..

Round 4 Good body shot hurts Roach..Right from Roach

Round 5 Left to body from Oquendo..Body shot from Roach..Left..Blood from nose of Roach

Round 6

Round 7 Right from Oquendo..Right from Roach..uppercut

Round 8 OQUENDO DOCKED A POINT FOR A HEADBUTT…Good jab from Oquendo..Hook from Roach..Exchanging body shots..Hooks from Roach

Round 9 Counter right from Roach…Another..Hard hook shook Oquendo..Right..

Round 10 Oquendo lands a body shot..Good right..Left and right from Roach…Good right from Oquendo

97-92 TWICE AND 96-93 FOR LAMONT ROACH JR.

• Artur Beterbiev 174.4 lbs vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic 173 lbs
(Beterbiev’s IBF Light Heavyweight world title – 12 Rounds)

• Gabriel Flores Jr. 132.8 lbs vs. Eduardo Pereira Reis 130.8 lbs
(Lightweight – 6 Rounds)

• Jerwin Ancajas 114.2 lbs vs. Ryuichi Funai 114.4 lbs
(Ancajas’ IBF Junior Bantamweight world title- 12 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET)

• Felix Valera 175 lbs vs. Mario Aguilar 175.2 lbs
(Light Heavyweight – 10 Rounds)

• Brian Mendoza 149.4 lbs vs. Carlos Rodriguez 151 lbs
(Welterweight – 8 Rounds)

• Vislan Dalkhaev 123.4 lbs vs. Vincent Jennings 123.6 lbs
(Super Bantamweight – 6 Rounds)

• Blake McKernan 194.6 lbs vs. Joey Montoya 197.2 lbs
(Cruiserweight – 8 Rounds)

• Marco Arroyo 110.2 lbs vs. Jesus Godinez 111.4 lbs
(Flyweight – 4 Rounds)

Swing Bout
• Quilisto Madera 160 lbs vs. Osbaldo Gonzalez 160.8 lbs
(Middleweight – 6/4 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, remaining tickets priced at $175, $100, $65, $40, and $25 are on sale now and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster.com or at the Stockton Arena Ticket Office Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and beginning three hours prior to event time on event days.

Richard Riakporhe will make the second defence of his WBA Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title against Chris Billam-Smith on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s crunch Heavyweight clash with Oscar Rivas at The O2 in London on July 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Riakporhe (9-0, 8KOs) displayed destructive punch power as he halted Belfast’s highly-touted Tommy McCarthy in four rounds last time out at the East of England Arena in Peterborough in March and the Londoner knows that a win over unbeaten Billam-Smith will keep him in contention for a clash with current British Champion Lawrence Okolie.

Billam-Smith (8-0, 7KOs) also holds a perfect record since turning professional in 2017 and the Bournemouth fighter keeps busy on next Friday’s JD NXTGEN show at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham before turning his attention to Riakporhe.

Known as ‘The Gentleman’, Billam-Smith has honed his skills under trainer Shane McGuigan and the 28-year-old is determined to announce himself on the big stage by taking out Riakporhe in style on his first ever PPV event.

“I’m so excited,” said Riakporhe. “I just can’t wait to get in there and get to work. I’ve got tons of potential and fight after fight I’m learning new things. I’ve taken on these big tests, I came into all these fights as the underdog, and my resume is looking quite impressive so far. This is pretty much the beginning and it’s just a matter of time before people realise that I’m the truth.

“I think Chris Billam-Smith is a good fighter, it’s just that there’s levels and I just feel that I’m on another level. He brings good boxing skill, he’s got a good coach in his corner, but once that bell rings he’s going to understand that there’s different levels of fighting. I don’t think he has been up against an opponent like me.

“All my fights and history shows that I have abnormal power and that’s likely to bring issue when we fight for sure, but we’re not only going to rely on that. We’re going to outbox him and beat him in every single department.

“I bring a lot of power and the fans love to see the knockouts. I bring those knockouts as you can see from my last eight fights and I’m going to continue to bring excitement to the fans. I think Lawrence will be watching closely and I believe once I carry on getting the wins, our paths are very likely to cross. It’s going to be a hell of a fight in the future.”

“I believe it’s going to be an exciting fight for the fans,” said Billam-Smith. “You only have to look at our records to see that we both carry knockout power and the ability to end fights at any time. Isaac Chamberlain didn’t want to know so we moved on swiftly and secured a better fight with Riakporhe, I’m not letting anyone stall my career.

“I think I’ll outbox him early on and I believe I’ll take him out when I get the chance – I don’t expect this to go the full ten rounds. I believe that I’ll take him out anywhere between four and six rounds. He’s a good scalp for me at this stage of my career as his record looks great on paper and he can obviously punch a bit. There’s definitely weaknesses there which I plan to exploit.

“This will be the first title that I’ve boxed for as a professional and it’s important to get it under my belt in order to progress. I want to pick up as many belts as I can and move up the rankings quickly. It’s the perfect platform for me with it being on Sky Sports Box Office and at such a great arena that I’ve been to many times as a fan over the years. I’m excited to bring a big fanbase with me and start the show with a bang.”

“Richard is on a good run now and he’s got a lot of confidence behind him,” said Dillian Whyte, manager of Riakporhe. “The people he’s fighting and beating, I believe his resume is a lot better than Lawrence Okolie’s so far. If he defeats Billam-Smith in good fashion, which I believe he will do, then he should be looking to fight the likes of Lawrence Okolie by the end of the year.

“Billam-Smith is a good boxer, he’s undefeated, he’ll be confident, but Richard carries a lot of power, he’s on a roll and I think he can stop Billam-Smith in six or seven rounds. With Richard, it’s all about the people he has around him, and the mindset that those people give him. He’s ready to defeat most of these guys in the Cruiserweight division worldwide.”

“It’s a great fight and these type of fights don’t happen very often,” said Barry McGuigan MBE, manager of Billam-Smith. “Most of the guys that are coming up through the ranks are always conscious of the guys that are on a similar level to them with similar records but invariably they avoid each other, certainly in the early stages of their career. It’s great to see these two young guys meeting on July 20.

“Riakporhe is definitely known for his punching power and I know that his manager Dillian Whyte thinks Riakporhe can take Billam-Smith out but I disagree with that completely. Of all of the guys that we’ve had through the gym, I don’t think anyone had made the improvements that Billam-Smith has made. He’s got great boxing skills and he can bang. He places his shots really well. It’s not an easy fight, there’s no question about it, but I think he will have too much for Riakporhe – he’s too versatile. It’s as simple as that.”

Tickets for Whyte vs. Rivas are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300, £500 and £800 VIP.

General Sale tickets are available to purchase NOW from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

German rivals Leon Bunn (13-0, 7 KOs) and Leon Harth (18-3, 12 KOs) took to the scales today in Frankfurt ahead of their IBF International Light Heavyweight title clash tomorrow night at the Fraport Arena.

Bunn is looking to take the next steps in his promising career by claiming his first professional title, while Harth, a seasoned cruiserweight campaigner, is enjoying a fine run of form having moved down to light heavyweight, and will be hoping to further his World title claim with a victory in Frankfurt.

IBF International Light Heavyweight Championship:
Len Bunn: 79.0 kg
Leon Harth: 79.1 kg

On the undercard, super welterweight star Abass Baraou returns against former World Champion Ali Funeka, Sarah Bormann defends her WIBF crown versus Anne Sophie Da Costa, and Sophie Alisch is back for her third professional bout alongside top Scandinavian talent Anthony Yigit and Kem Ljungquist.

Super Welterweight – 10 Rounds:
Abass Baraou: 69.7 kg
Ali Funeka: 67.4 kg

WIBF Female World Light Flyweight Championship:
Sarah Bormann: 48.7 kg
Anne Sophie Da Costa: 48.7 kg

Featherweight – 6 Rounds:
Sophie Alisch: 56.7 kg
Bojana Libszewska: 57.1 kg

Super Middleweight – 4 Rounds:
Enis Agushi: 75.5 kg
Pavol Garaj: 74.7 kg

Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds:
Anthony Yigit: 64.5 kg
Sandro Hernandez: 62.9 kg

Heavyweight – 8 Rounds:
Kem Ljungquist: 106.7 kg
Dominik Musil: 117.0 kg

Lightweight – 4 Rounds:
Ahmet Cicek: 62.2 kg
Andreas Maier: 62.9 kg

Super Welterweight – 4 Rounds:
Tobias Nixdorf: 70.7 kg
Kamil Kroslak: 71.1 kg

Tickets for the IBF International Light Heavyweight title clash between Leon Bunn and Leon Harth at the Fraport Arena are available via www.eventim.de.

CANELO VS JACOBS – FREE VIEW BROADCAST

Saturday May 4th, 2019 – 6:00 PM EST

Available for broadcast. LIVE from Las Vegas during the undercards of Canelo vs Jacobs.

4 LIVE Fights

Opener

Super Middleweights

Alexis Espino vs Billy Wagner

1-0 (1KO)? 9-0-1 (3 KOs)

WBC International Silver Featherweight Title

Aram Avagyan vs Francisco Esparza

8-0-1 (4KOs) 9-0-1 (3 KOs)

Interim WBA Super Middleweight Title

John Ryder vs Bilal Akkawy

27-4 (15 KOs) 20-1-1 (16 KOs)

WSNBC Silver Welterweight Title

Sadam Ali vs Anthony Young

27-2 (14 KOs) 20-2 (7 KOs)

Plus, Interviews and other highlights from Canelo vs Jacobs fight week with the fighters, celebrities, and others LIVE from Las Vegas