DOORS 16:30

BOXING STARTS 16:45

6 x 3 mins Cruiserweight contest
SAM HYDE 14st 10lbs 1oz v JOZEF JURKO 14st 2lbs 8oz
(Manchester) (Slovakia)

4 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight
SAM COX 8st 8lbs v GEORGI GEORGIEV 8st 8lbs 3oz
(Islington) (Bulgaria)

6 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
JOHN HARDING Jr 11st 3lbs 8oz v MIROSLAV JUNA 11st 4lbs
(Brixton) (Czech Rep)

18:20 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

4 x 2 mins Bantamweight contest
SHANNON COURTENAY 8st 6lbs 9oz v ROZ MARI SILYANOVA 8st 7lbs 7oz
(Watford) (Bulgaria)

4 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
NIKITA ABABIY 11st 6lbs 8oz v DMITRI FALTIN 11st 7lbs 1oz
(Brooklyn, NY) (Finland)

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

8 x 3 mins Welterweight contest
CONOR BENN 10st 8lbs 9oz v JOSEF ZAHRADNIK 10st 5lbs 5oz
(Ilford) (Czech Rep)

12 x 3 mins British & Commonwealth Lightweight Championships
JOE CORDINA 9st 8lbs 4oz v ANDY TOWNEND 9st 8lbs 7oz
(Cardiff) (Barnsley)

10 x 3 mins WBA International Welterweight Championship
JOSH KELLY 10st 6lbs 9oz v PRZEMYSLAW RUNOWSKI 10st 6lbs 9oz
(Sunderland) (Poland)

10 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
DEREK CHISORA 18st 7lbs v SENAD GASHI 15st 10lbs 6oz
(Finchley) (Kosovo)

12 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
DAVID ALLEN 17st 6lbs 2oz v LUCAS BROWNE 17st 10lbs 1oz
(Conisborough) (Australia)

Croatian Heavyweight star Filip Hrgovi? (7-0, 5 KOs) will make his American debut against Greg Corbin on Saturday May 25 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

**TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW – CLICK HERE**

The Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist joins a blockbuster bill in Maryland headlined by former undisputed Cruiserweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk, the winner of the inaugural World Boxing Super Series tournament, who makes his Heavyweight bow against Carlos Takam.

Hrgovi? returns following a one-sided points victory over Kevin Johnson in his hometown of Zagreb and is eager to showcase his skills in front of an American audience as he continues his quest for World glory.

The Croatian boxing sensation will take on Dallas-born Heavyweight Greg ‘Bad News’ Corbin (15-1, 9 KOs), whose only previous defeat has come at the hands of former IBF World Champion Charles Martin.

“I am pleased that my promoter Team Sauerland has made an agreement with Matchroom and DAZN that will enable me to fight in America,” said Hrgovi?. “I believe DAZN is the future of boxing and I’m sure they will give their viewers the best match ups in the history of the Heavyweight division.”

“I look forward to making my American debut on May 25 I’m very excited because the entire Heavyweight division is moving to the US and the US is the best place for big fights at the moment.”

“I think American fans will love my style because I’m not a classic distance fighter. I’m constantly trying to fight and throwing many punches. The fans can expect some excellent fights from me.”

“My opponent Greg Corbin is very good, and I think he is an excellent choice for this stage of my career. I will prepare for this fight as if it were for a World title so I’m sure it will be a great match up.”

“It will be a good test for me because he is more experienced than me, we can see that from his record, and I believe he will come in his best possible shape so it will be an exciting match for viewers around world watching on DAZN.”

“I’m currently in training camp in Miami. We always train like it’s a fight for the world title. Pedro Diaz insists on discipline and hard training. He refuses to work with fighters who are not 100% focused. We share the same opinion about that. That is why we are a good team, and I think we can achieve big things together.”

“I am looking forward to getting straight back in there on May 25,” said Corbin. “This is a chance for me to redeem myself after the Martin fight. There were a lot of distractions for me in the build-up to that one, but this time I’m fully focused on Hrgovic.

“There’s a lot of hype around this guy with his amateur background and his start in the pros – let’s see if he can back it up.”

“American fight fans are in for a treat. On May 25 they will witness a future star of the Heavyweight division,” said Hrgovi?’s promoter Nisse Sauerland. “Filip Hrgovi? is on a fast track for Heavyweight gold.”

“Filip Hrgovi? is an incredibly talented fighter and this could be a breakthrough year for the young Croatian,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “His amateur pedigree is outstanding and I share Team Sauerland’s excitement about his future – he’s going to be a real player in the division.”

Tickets are priced at $40, $80, $150 and $250 (plus fees) and are on sale now at this link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15005688E0B851B0

BROOKLYN (April 19, 2019) – WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. will defend his title against former world champion Kiko Martinez in the co-feature to Wilder vs. Breazeale on Saturday, May 18 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™, and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will also feature unbeaten super lightweight contender Juan Heraldez squaring-off against former world champion Argenis Mendez in a 10-round attraction. The event is headlined by WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder as he makes the ninth defense of his title against mandatory challenger Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale.

“Gary Russell Jr. is one of the most skilled fighters in the sport and he’ll look to stake his spot atop the featherweight division on May 18 against the always exciting former champion Kiko Martinez,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The event will also feature a battle between a rising contender in the 140-pound division in Juan Heraldez going up against one of the division’s toughest and most active contenders in Argenis Mendez. This is truly going to be an electric night leading up to heavyweight champion of the world Deontay Wilder in the main event.”

“Preceding the night’s main attraction will be Gary Russell Jr. defending his title against a tough and experienced Kiko Martinez, making for a battle that is sure to bring excitement to the fans, plus Mayweather Promotions’ young prospect Juan Heraldez will open the telecast looking to put on a show, as he continues to elevate his career to new heights,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “I’m confident that he will execute his game plan impressively and showcase his talent against a seasoned and tested Argenis Mendez, who has been in the ring with some of the top guys in the super lightweight division. The fans at Barclays and those tuning in on SHOWTIME will see a night of non-stop action come May 18.”

Tickets for this BombZquad event can be purchased at ticketmaster.com and barclayscenter.com, Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP. The Heraldez vs. Mendez fight is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

The 30-year-old Russell (29-1, 17 KOs), who was born in Washington, D.C. and now lives in Capitol Heights, Maryland, will make the fourth defense of his featherweight world title on May 18 and his second career appearance at Barclays Center. Russell won his title by knocking out Jhonny Gonzalez in 2015. After stopping Patrick Hyland and Oscar Escandon, he most recently defeated previously unbeaten Joseph Diaz Jr. last May. Russell, who is trained by his father, Gary, Sr., is part of a boxing family. Two of his younger brothers, Gary Antonio and Gary Antuanne, are currently unbeaten professionals.

“I expect to send a message to everyone in or near my division that I’m a force to be reckoned with,” said Russell. “I want to unify against Leo Santa Cruz and I’m going to do what I have to do to get there. I’m never going to take any opponent lightly and right now, it’s my job to take care of Kiko Martinez before I worry about anything else. On May 18 you should expect to see excitement, punching power, hand speed, fast combinations and a great level of boxing IQ. I’m the best in boxing today and I prove that every time I get in the ring.”

A native of Comunidad Valenciana, Spain, Martinez (39-8-2, 28 KOs) has faced the best names in and around the featherweight division throughout his career. He won a super bantamweight world title in 2013 by stopping Jhonatan Romero and has faced the likes of Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton, Josh Warrington and Scott Quigg. The 33-year-old is unbeaten in his last four contests, including most recently defeating Marc Vidal for a European featherweight title in October.

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity to win another world title and I’m thankful and excited for May 18,” said Martinez. “Gary Russell Jr is in for a rude awakening. I have a lot of experience and I feel great at featherweight. There will be nothing better than celebrating my 50th fight with a new world title.”

The undefeated Heraldez (16-0, 10 KOs) continued to rise up the rankings in 2019 when he knocked out Eddie Ramirez in their February showdown. The 28-year-old from Las Vegas earned a decision victory over Kevin Watts and a stoppage of Maynard Allison in 2018. That followed up a unanimous decision victory over then unbeaten prospect Jose Miguel Borrego in his first 10-round bout in August 2017 on the Mayweather vs. McGregor undercard.

“I’m one of the best super lightweights in the world and I’m going to show it again on May 18,” said Heraldez. “They keep lining them up and I’ll keep knocking them down. Mendez is good, veteran opposition, but I’m going to show I’m on a different level. This is a great opportunity to once again perform on a big stage and I’m going to take full advantage and steal the show.”

Mendez (25-5-2, 12 KOs) most recently fought to a competitive split-draw against Anthony Peterson in March, running his unbeaten streak up to three fights. The 32-year-old defeated Eddie Ramirez and Ivan Redkach in back-to-back fights after losses to Robert Easter Jr. and Luke Campbell. Originally from San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic and now living in Brooklyn, N.Y, Mendez won the IBF super featherweight title with a knockout victory over Juan Carlos Salgado in 2013.

“This fight is do or die for me to become champion again,” said Mendez. “Anthony Peterson ran from me in our fight in March, so if Heraldez does that on May 18, I will be better prepared. If he stands and fights with me, I feel strongly that I will dominate him and make a statement to everyone that I’m an elite 140-pound fighter.”

# # #

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

ORANGE, Calif. (April 18, 2019) – Featherweight Erick Ituarte (20-1-1, 3 KOs), successfully weighed in on Thursday afternoon for his main event showdown against Jose Estrella (20-15-1, 14 KOs) this Friday, April 19, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Ituarte, who lives in Santa Ana, Calif., weighed in at 125.3 lbs., while Mexico’s Jose Estrella (20-15-1, 14 KOs) weighed 125.7 lbs.

WEIGHTS

Erick Ituarte, 125.3 lbs. vs. Jose Estrella, 125.7 lbs. (10-rounds)
Richard Brewart, 156.7 lbs. vs. Sergio Ramirez, 163.3 lbs. (4-rounds)
Luis Lopez, 145.3 lbs. vs. Daniel Perales, 146.9 lbs. (4-rounds)
Oscar Torrez, 214.4 lbs. vs. Thomas Hawkins, 253.6 lbs. (4-rounds)
Chris Crowley, 134.7 lbs. vs. Davonte McCowen, 131.1 lbs. (4-rounds)

Limited tickets for “Locked n’ Loaded” are available for purchase on the day of the event from the will call booth at the Doubletree Ontario starting at 5:30 p.m. local time (see address below).

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded via our Facebook page, YouTube channel, and ThompsonBoxing.com. Beto Duran will handle blow-by-blow duties, while Doug Fischer provides expert, color commentating.

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

The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at 909-937-0900.

“Locked n’ Loaded” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Everlast.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #LockednLoaded, #TBPresents, and #ThompsonBoxing.

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.

LOS ANGELES (April 18, 2019) – Former two-division champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and welterweight contender Adrian “El Tigre” Granados went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before the square-off this Saturday night in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Also squaring-off Thursday were heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. and Alexander Dimitrenko, who meet in a 10-round bout, and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa and Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo, who meet in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that kicks off the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with DSG Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or at the Dignity Health Sports Park box office from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel Gateway:

DANNY GARCIA

“Motivation is no problem for me because I’ve always loved competing. I love to fight and I love boxing. I want to give my fans around the world a great show. This is all for my legacy right now.

“It’s fight time, it’s on. The talking is done, the hard work has been put in and I’m confident. I’m going to show the world what I’m about on Saturday night. This is nothing new to me, it’s another day at work.

“I’ve been shining for a long time. I’m going to show why I’ve been around on Saturday and leave no doubt about this win.

“This is a big fight for me. I have to go in there and show the world I’m one of the best in the sport. I need to look good.

“We worked harder and worked smarter in training camp. My body is bigger and stronger now. I’ve grown into a true welterweight. I feel great.

“At the end of the day, styles make fights. We’ll see who the better fighter is on Saturday night.”

ADRIAN GRANADOS

“This win would mean a lot to me. It’s a huge fight and a big opportunity. A win against Danny can catapult me to where I belong. That’s what I’m coming to do in this fight.

“It’s going to be an exciting fight. The preparation is done. Camp went great. I’m ready for war on Saturday night.

“I want a dominating and exciting victory. I’m here to show I’m a real player in the welterweight division.

“I think the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry makes it a great fight. Plus, we both come from tough neighborhoods in Chicago and Philadelphia. I’m proud of who I am and where I’m from and we’re both going to represent for we’re from.

“I’m not underestimating Danny because I know we both had to go through a lot to get here. But we made it here through hard circumstances and we’ve turned those circumstances into positives.

“I think Danny is my toughest opponent. He’s accomplished a lot in the sport and he’s taken advantage of the opportunities he’s gotten. This would be the biggest win of my career and I’m looking forward to doing that on Saturday night.”

ANDY RUIZ JR.

“I’m really happy to be here in this position. Everything in my past is behind me and I’m so happy to be in this fight and position for even more after Saturday.

“I’m just hungrier and more motivated than ever now. With Manny Robles training me, I’m taking camp more seriously and I’m more dedicated to accomplishing my dreams. My dream is to be the first Mexican heavyweight champion. I’m going to make history.

“We’ll see how fast he is and who’s faster on Saturday. He has a longer reach but I believe I have the faster movements. He’s trying to take money from my family and I can’t let that happen.

“I just need stick to my game plan and chop him down. The combinations and body shots will be key. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

“I’ve come a long way to get in this shape. I just have to stay disciplined and put in the hard work and I’ll be fighting for a world title soon.”

ALEXANDER DIMITRENKO

“I’m glad to be here and I’m looking to make a war. It was the best training camp that I’ve had. I’m fit and ready to win. I will give not just my best, but everything to win this fight.

“This is nothing new for me. I know have to fight against smaller guys. It’s no problem for me and I’m very comfortable.

“I’m looking forward to fighting here in Southern California and show the fans all over what I’m about.

“I know people say he’s fast but I’m not slow either. I’m ready to prove what I can do on Saturday night.”

BRANDON FIGUEROA

“I’ve been preparing every fight for a big fight. I’m thankful for this opportunity and everyone who is behind me and has supported me. I’m here for a reason and I’m going to prove it on Saturday night.

“The pressure, the inside game, the body shots and my relentlessness will be too much him. I don’t think he can handle it for 12 rounds.

“I think that everything I do well, is going to become a problem for him. I’m prepared for a tough fight but I’m ready to put on a show.

“It feels amazing to be on this stage and fighting at this venue. I’m representing for my hometown, but also for my Mexican culture. On Saturday they’re going to see that I’m another great Mexican fighter.

“This was definitely one of my stronger training camps. We did a lot of work on my legs and strengthening them. It puts a little more pop in my punches. The conditioning was important too because I know this guy isn’t going to go down easy.”

YONFREZ PAREJO

“I’m very happy to be in this fight. We had a great training camp. We know Brandon is a very tough fighter, but he’s not going to get in the way of my dream of being world champion.

“I worked very hard in training camp because I know Figueroa likes to bring pressure. I don’t think he’s faced an opponent like me and I’m going to show everyone what level I’m on.

“I expect a very hard fight, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I’m always prepared for any challenge and this is no different. I have everything it takes to become champion of the world.

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“These fighters had tremendous camps and they’re ready to go. Both of these guys look ready to handle their business. These guys are in their primes and that should make it a great fight.

“I see this fight ending in a knockout. Danny knows what’s at stake and he wants to put on an impressive performance. He has a big stage to do it. Stylistically he’s facing a young hungry guy in Granados who is going to press and come forward. It’s going to mesh very well and it’s a fantastic fight that’s not going the distance.

“There’s nothing easy about this fight. Danny has to go in there and establish respect from the beginning and dictate the pace. Granados is a young, exciting fighter, but Danny has to have the mentality that he’s on a different level than Granados.

“These guys need to stay in the moment and make sure they don’t look towards future fights. I don’t believe they will. Granados has nothing to lose, but Danny has a lot of motivation himself. Both of these guys want even bigger and better things in the near future.”

# # #

ABOUT GARCIA VS. GRANADOS
Garcia vs. Granados will see former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia battling rugged veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 20 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. takes on Alexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round bout in the co-feature and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa battles Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that opens the primetime FOX broadcast that begins 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 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, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

LAS VEGAS (April 18, 2019) – The first-ever women’s main event for RJJ Boxing will stream live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, along with three other bouts, on May 23, from Casino Del Sol’s outdoor AVA Amphitheater in Tucson, Arizona at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

Former World Boxing Council (WBC) International female lightweight champion Ikram Kerwat (9-1, 5 KOs), fighting out of Frankfort, Germany by way of her native Tunisia, will headline against a challenger to be determined in the 10-round main event for the vacant WBC International Female Lightweight Championship.

Promoted by Roy Jones Jr. and his promotion, RJJ Boxing, four bouts will stream live on UFC FIGHT PASS, which is the sixth installment under an agreement the two organizations. FIGHT PASS will exclusively live stream up to 72 professional boxing events through 2021.

Southwest boxing talent will be showcased in two of the fights being streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS. Tucson super featherweight Alfonso Olvera (11-5-2, 4 KOs) meets Carlos “Silk” Villa (14-3-1, 6 KOs), of San Antonio, in the six-round co-featured event. As part of RJJ Boxing’s regular shows, once again two undefeated prospects will go head-to-head, when Tucson middleweights Nicholas Rhoads (5-0, 2 KOs) faces Eduardo Ayala (4-0, 1 KO), of Phoenix, in a four-rounder.

In an eight-round bout, unbeaten bantamweight Max “The Baby Face Assassin” Ornelas (12-0-1, 4 KOs), ranked No. 12 in the world by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the reigning NABA USA bantamweight champion, takes on tough Mexican opponent, Alex “Xhino” Rangel (17-9, 4 KOs).

Cards are subject to change.

Ticket prices range from $105.00 (VIP) to $17.00 (pavilion) and are available for purchase online at www.casinodelsol.com.

Doors open at 6 p.m. PT, first bout at 6:15 p.m. PT.

For more information about the event, please visit:
Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.casinodelsol.com, www.ufc.tv/page/fightpass
Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @CDSResort
Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @artofmusiclv, @rivalboxinggear, @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, /casinodelsolresort
Facebook: /KeithVeltre, /UFCFightPass, /CasinoDelSol

Las Vegas (April 18, 2019) -Mayweather Promotions has confirmed that they will appear and host a fighter meet & greet, and bring fans an exclusive pop-up shop experience featuring the Mayweather Sports and The Money Team (TMT) brands at this year’s 5th Annual Box Fan Expo hosted at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Boxing Expo is scheduled to take place during Cinco de Mayo weekend on Saturday May 4th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mayweather Promotions will make their 4th appearance at this year’s Expo. Last year saw thousands of fans that were greeted by several Mayweather Promotions’ fighters including: Ronald Gavril, Andrew Tabiti, Ava Knight, Sharif Bogere, Lionell Thompson, Angelo Leo, Andres Cortes, Rolando Romero, Cameron Krael, Kevin Newman, Sanjarbek Rakhmahnov, and Lanell Bellows. Fans this year will have a unique and enjoyable experience at the Mayweather Promotions booth.

Mayweather Promotions joins Anthony Dirrell, WBA, Julio Cesar Chavez, Riddick Bowe, Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence Jr., Marco Antonio Barrera, Mia St,John, Juan Manuel Marquez, Vinny Paz, Devin Haney, Earnie Shavers, Al Bernstein, Michael Spinks, WBC, Erik Morales, James Toney and Jessie Vargas as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo, with many more Top Boxing stars to be announced.

About Mayweather Promotions
Appropriately based in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Mayweather Promotions was established in 2007 by 12-time World Champion and undefeated boxing icon Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Mayweather Promotions seamlessly promotes all forms of live entertainment. The evolution of Mayweather Promotions was one of inevitability as Floyd Mayweather garnered unprecedented success in the sport.Shortly after its formation in 2007, the organization built a solid foundation by adding elite fighters and trainers to the company’s roster. With a talented stable of fighters, trainers, and staff, Mayweather Promotions has blazed its own trail to unprecedented financial success and has positioned itself as the past, present, and future of sports & entertainment.

About Box Fan Expo
Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to meet-and-greet boxing superstars of today, current and former world champions, legends of the sport and other boxing celebrities. Fans can expect to experience various interactions such as autograph and photos sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, pictures with the Ring Card Girls, Live DJ Music, chance to win prizes, purchase merchandise and memorabilia from different booths Exhibitors, “ALL UNDER ONE ROOF”. You won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!

Box Fan Expo has been a huge success with fans and boxing industry people. Many boxing stars have attended the last four Expos such as Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Marco Antonio Barrera, Roy Jones Jr., Andre Ward, Mikey Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Errol Spence Jr., Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Vinny Pazienza, Mia St.John, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris , Riddick Bowe , Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Abner Mares, Jorge Linares, Brandon Rios and many more…

Exhibitors include: boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who wish to participate will once again have a chance to showcase their brand to fans and the boxing industry.

Early bird tickets to the Box Fan Expo are currently $30 for a limited time and available online at:
http://bit.ly/BoxFanExpoMP

Throughout the next few weeks leading up to the event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo. And for anyone in the Boxing industry or other Exhibitors (non-industry), who would like to be involved and reserve a Booth, contact Box Fan Expo:

For more information visit: www.boxfanexpo.com or www.mayweatherpromotions.com ,
follow us on Twitter @BoxFanExpo or @MayweatherPromo,
on Instagram : @BoxFanExpo or @MayweatherPromotions,
or become a fan on Facebook at: https://facebook.com/BoxFanExpo or https://facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions

Contact Box Fan Expo:
Telephone number: (514) 572-7222 or (702) 997-1927
Email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

New York, NY (April 18, 2019) DiBella Entertainment has signed world ranked super featherweight contender O’Shaquie Foster (15-2, 9 KOs), of Houston, TX, to a long-term promotional agreement. Foster is managed by Keith Mills and trained by Bobby Benton in his hometown.

The 25-year-old Foster was victorious in all three of his starts in 2018, highlighted by a sensational performance against top undefeated prospect Jon Fernandez on September 21, in his fourth appearance on SHOWTIME’s “ShoBox” series. Earning a 10-round unanimous decision garnered Foster the WBC Silver Super Featherweight Title. He is currently world ranked #10 by the WBC.

Before turning pro in 2012, Foster was an accomplished amateur, compiling a record of 94-12. He was a five-time Ringside National Champion, a two-time National Junior Golden Gloves Champion, a 2011 Houston Golden Gloves Champion, a 2010 PAL National Champion, and a participant in the 2012 Olympic Trials.

“I’ve been impressed with O’Shaquie for a few years, but his victory against Jon Fernandez showed that he has all the attributes of a title contender and a future world champion,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He has a great trainer in Bobby Benton, who also works with Regis Prograis, and I look forward to working with O’Shaquie and his manager Keith Mills and providing them with the biggest opportunities toward a world title shot.”

“I want to thank DiBella Entertainment for giving me this opportunity,” said Foster. “Lou is one of the biggest promoters out there and will definitely put me on the path toward accomplishing my dreams of becoming a world champion.

“Sometimes, on the business side of boxing, promoters and fighters are aligned with different TV networks making it difficult to secure the biggest fights that the fans want to see. What I respect most about DiBella is that he’s willing to make the best fights when available. He also keeps his fighters busy and that’s big for me.

“I want to fight all the top guys and show the fans that I’m the best pure boxer out there. My goal is to unify and win world titles in multiple divisions.”

“We are very excited about signing with DiBella Entertainment, the best promoter for O’Shaquie. When we target ranked fighters signed to other promotions, we know there is a high possibility that those fights will happen,” said Foster’s manager Keith Mills.
“Toward the end of 2017, O’Shaquie moved to Houston to focus on boxing and escape certain elements. He is now under the tutelage of trainer Bobby Benton, who is an extremely talented head coach, mentor, and tactician. Bobby has been a major factor in Foster’s success. We also have Aaron Navarro, who is recognized as one of the best cutmen in boxing, body attack strategist and a great head coach in his own right.
“I’ve always felt that when O’Shaquie is fully focused, he is unstoppable. His focus was very evident these past two years when he came in as the B-side on multiple fight cards and dominated. We had a great year in 2018 and now Foster has the platform to continue that momentum and push his boxing ability to the limit to become a world champion.”

Murat Gassiev has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA, Ural Boxing Promotion and Warriors Boxing – and will move up to Heavyweight in June as he prepares to fight on DAZN.

The 25 year old is moving up from Cruiserweight where he landed the IBF World title in June 2016 after beating Denis Lebedev in Moscow, defending it with a third round KO of Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in New Jersey in December 2017 in the quarter-final of the World Boxing Super Series and then adding the WBA crown with a dramatic final round stoppage of Yunier Dorticos in February 2018.

That victory led Gassiev to a final with Usyk in a grand unification battle in Moscow which the Ukrainian won over the distance, and Gassiev has mirrored moves made by his last opponent, Oleksandr Usyk, in teaming up promotionally with Matchroom Boxing USA and with streaming giant DAZN as his US broadcast platform.

The Heavyweight division is on fire with the World’s best Anthony Joshua heading to New York to defend his World titles against Brooklyn’s Jarrell Miller live on DAZN, and with Matchroom Boxing’s stacked stable of Heavyweight contenders and champions, Gassiev is excited to be teaming up with Eddie Hearn and looking to land big fights straight away, with his June fight to be announced soon.

“I am very happy to announce the beginning of cooperation between my promoters, URAL and Warriors with Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN,” said Gassiev. “I am confident that this cooperation will bring great results. I want to make all my fans around the world happy and realize my full potential in the exciting Heavyweight division.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Murat to the team,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Having unified the division at Cruiserweight, I feel Murat is a very exciting addition to the Heavyweight division and what a fantastic time to join it. We have lots of fights ready made for him and I can’t wait to see him fighting at Heavyweight very soon.”

Senad Gashi has promised to go to war with Derek Chisora when the Heavyweight bad boys collide at The O2 in London this Saturday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Gashi (17-2, 17 KOs) returns to The O2 after he was stopped by Carlos Takam in seven rounds on the Whyte vs. Chisora 2 undercard in December. The heavy-hitting German hopes a win over Chisora will push his name towards title action in 2019.

“I definitely think I can win against Derek Chisora,” said Gashi. “I have visualised this fight in my head many times. I have fought in my head 10 times against Derek Chisora, nine times I won and one time I got disqualified.

“I’m going to make a great fight. I had a great training camp with my team and my coach. I’m going to give my best and the people are going to enjoy it for sure. I’m glad to be back in the UK and this time I’m going to get the win.

“I had just three days notice for my fight with Takam. But I had to grab the chance because it was a great opportunity to box in London against one of the best in the world and I had nothing to lose. I know I’m a warrior and I make every fight a war.”

Chisora vs. Gash is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs), Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring against Czech Republic’s Josef Zahradnik (10-2, 5KOs), Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

Top Rank on ESPN returns to the big house at Madison Square Garden, the historic “Mecca of Boxing,” this Saturday, April 20, as the undefeated pound-for-pound king, three-division world champion and reigning WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, headlines the inaugural Top Rank on ESPN pay-per-view broadcast against former unified super lightweight world champion Amir “King” Khan at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Crawford vs. Khan will be available via all major cable and satellite providers with a suggested retail price of $59.95 (SD) or $69.95 (HD).

In addition to the star-studded main event, three additional co-features round out Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN PPV broadcast with marquee appearances by rising stars Teófimo López (12-0, 10 KOs), the lightweight sensation who is ranked in the top five by all four major sanctioning organizations; Shakur Stevenson (10-0, 6 KOs), the 21-year-old featherweight phenom who captured a silver medal for the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics; and Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo (24-1, 16 KOs), who enters the ring in a 10-round lightweight duel with potential world title implications. Additional undercard bouts will air live on ESPN2 and on the ESPN App (Spanish), beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Calling the action for ESPN will be Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), former two-division world titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. (analyst) and former pound-for-pound two-division world titleholder and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward (analyst). The on-location desk team will feature analysis from Mark Kriegel, Max Kellerman, Bernardo Osuna and Crystina Poncher.

ESPN’s official coverage of fight week kicked off Sunday, April 14, with Countdown to Crawford vs Khan, where fans can follow rivalsCrawford and Khan as they prepare for their blockbuster showdown. Go inside Crawford’s training camp as he prepares at altitude in Colorado Springs, shadow boxes underwater and discusses the challenges and stakes on the line with his trainer/chef Brian “Bomac” McIntyre. See Khan training at the University of California,Berkeley, running the hills above the Golden Gate Bridge and working with famed trainer, Virgil Hunter. The show airs across ESPN2 and ESPNEWS several times throughout fight week.

ESPN+ will exclusively feature:

Fantastic Fights (available now) – Terence Crawford and his trainer look back on Crawford’s first WBO lightweight title defense in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, against former WBA lightweight champion and undefeated Cuban fighter, Yuriorkis Gamboa;
The Prospects (available now) – Follow rising lightweight superstar Teófimo López for 24 hours prior to his biggest win to date against Diego Magdaleno in Frisco, Texas. Lopez and his team allowed all-access coverage leading up to, during and after his crushing knockout win over Magdaleno;
Ring Science (available today) – Undefeated, former pound-for-pound champion Andre Ward breaks down what both Crawford and Khan must accomplish to come out victorious;
The final press conference, live Wednesday, April 17, at 2 p.m. ET;
The weigh-in, live Friday, April 19, at 4 p.m. ET. Also airing live on ESPN2.
News & Information, Digital, SportsCenter, Max on Boxing

Leading up to the event, ESPN will feature previews on studio programming and online, including:

A visit to ESPN’s New York Seaport District Studios Tuesday, April 16, Fighter appearances on SportsCenter, Get Up!, First Take, Max on Boxing and The Stephen A. Smith Show;
Up-to-date on-scene coverage every step of the way from ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael who will be with the fighters multiple days this week;
Max on Boxing live from the Weigh-Friday, April 19, at 5 p.m. ET;
News updates, a fight breakdown and a complete guide to the fight on ESPN.com and the ESPN app from Rafael out Friday, April 19;
ESPN Fantasy game Streak for the Cash fight predictions for the Co-Main and Main Event during the live telecast Saturday, April 20;
ESPN.com coverage includes a feature on Amir Khan from Mark Kriegel, a betting guide for ESPN+ subscribers and expert predictions. , along with video features on Teofimo Lopez, Khan and Terence Crawford offering a look at what drives each of the fighters. Rafael and Steve Kim will be at the fight offering their unique insight, including round-by-round analysis, as the action goes down.
SportsCenter features on Khan, Crawford and López in English and Spanish throughout the week, including;
Khan’s Return (premiered April 15 on ESPN, April 18 on ESPN Deportes) – Going into the Canelo Álvarez fight in 2016, Amir Khan took a risk his trainer had advised him not take. He was overpowered and knocked out, but he was knocked down in more ways than he could have ever imagined. His life quickly spiraled after one bad decision led to another, his personal life becoming the focus of tabloids and culminating in a tweet that would change his life;
Crawford Squad (April 20, ESPN Deportes) – One of the keys to Terence Crawford’s success has been the continuity of the training squad that has been with him since before he became world champion. Even more important for Crawford is that in addition to working day and night with his team, the friendship that has developed between has made them family;
Teófimo López (April 19 on ESPN, ESPN Deportes) – It’s a simple dream that Teófimo López’ father has, to turn the young prospect into a blend between Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson. So far, the lightweight has delivered inside the ring with incredible finishes and display of skills.
ESPN will unveil a series of boxing-style #CrawfordKhan oversized wild postings that will be on display in key locations throughout the New York City.

Top Rank on ESPN (All times Eastern) 2019

Date
Time
Event
Platform
Thu, Apr 18
8:00 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs. Jose Benavidez (re-air)
ESPN2
9:00 p.m.
Countdown to Crawford vs. Khan (re-air)
ESPN2
Fri., Apr 19
4:00 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs Khan Weigh-in (live)
ESPN+, ESPN2
5:00 p.m.
Max on Boxing
ESPN2
7:00 p.m.
Max on Boxing (re-air)
ESPNEWS
7:30 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs Khan Weigh-in (re-air)
ESPNEWS
Sat., Apr 20
1:00 a.m.
Countdown to Crawford vs. Khan (re-air)
ESPN2
2:30 p.m.
Countdown to Crawford vs. Khan (re-air)
ESPNEWS
3:00 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs. Julius Indongo (re-air)
ESPNEWS
4:00 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs. Jose Benavidez (re-air)
ESPNEWS
5:00 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs. Khan Weigh-in (re-air)
ESPNEWS

6:00 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs. Khan Undercards (live)
ESPN2, ESPN App (Spanish)
9:00 p.m.
Top Rank on ESPN: Crawford vs. Khan Main Event (live)
PPV

London, UK (16 April 2019) All round sporting talent Kaan Hawes predicts that his superior athleticism will be the key to him winning Ultimate Boxxer III when eight highly rated middleweight gladiators convene at The Indigo at The O2 on Friday 10th May, exclusively live on BT Sport.

In cricketing whites, the hard-hitting opening batsman/wicketkeeper captained the first XI at Witham Cricket Club during the summer, whilst during winter months, he patrolled the football pitch as a combative central midfielder for Witham Town FC.

‘Though I wasn’t really a lairy kid, I had a few fights on the football pitch cos I was ultra-competitive, ‘win at all costs,’’ says 32 year old Kaan who is undefeated in six pro starts since debuting in July 2017.

‘Olly Murs was a Sunday League team mate and we became close friends because we were both huge Man United fans who’d regularly travel up to Old Trafford in my missus banged out Fiesta. Olly could never fight but he weren’t a bad footballer and he’s really into his boxing and UFC. He’s a regular at all my fights.’

Action man Hawes, a plumber by trade, concedes his induction into the Noble Art came about by accident.

He explains: ‘As a kid, I’d always loved watching boxers like Naseem Hamed and Ricky Hatton on the tele. Then, when I was 25, I had a bad knee injury playing football. Initially, I went to the boxing gym for a bit of extra fitness and just never stopped going. I’d always enjoyed my fitness and the gym, anyway.’

The innate speed, strength and agility that had served him well in other sports brought immediate success inside the prizering.

‘I had six or seven unlicensed and white-collar fights and won them all bar one which didn’t have a decision,’ recalls the Essex boy who was born in Chelmsford but now lives in Witham with his wife and step son.

‘Then I had 16 or 17 amateur bouts out of the Hoddesdon club that produced Billy Joe Saunders. I won about a dozen, boxed in the National Novices, won the BoxCup in Denmark and lost in the final of the Haringey Cup.’

This natural athlete has made rapid progress since shedding his singlet and linking with coach Billy ‘The Bomb’ Long – a former undefeated pro super-middle – at the Box2Burn facility two years ago.

‘I was already 31 but, from the off, Billy and me decided to just take it one step at a time. Our motto is: ‘We’re in it for a good time, not a long time,’ claims Kaan who is yet to meet with defeat in six starts, all at the close to home Brentwood Centre.

‘First goal was to secure a pro licence, now it’s any pro title. I’m certainly not in this for the money. I really love the sport and aim to get everything I can, for as long as I can do this. I want to make my family and fans proud.’

He knows he will be confronted by a stiff field for the winner’s large share of the £50,000 jackpot at The Indigo but refuses to be deterred.

‘All the other boys are very good. They’ve only got a handful of losses between them so they’ll all arrive confident,’ acknowledges the Carl Greaves managed hopeful.

‘We all need a bit of luck on the night to avoid cuts and injuries but I’d not have entered if I didn’t think I could win it, providing I perform at my best.

‘Others question why I’ve put my unbeaten record at risk but I prefer to view it as a great opportunity that, if I’m successful, can increase my profile and lead to TV fights; all the stuff you train so hard for.

And turbo-charged Hawes believes that the high-energy three round format is tailor made for his skill-set.

He concludes: ‘There’s some very good technicians in the tournament and I doubt I’m going to be able to outbox them. But though some of the lads have been involved in far longer fights, I think that might prove detrimental to them. I’m more used to short, fast-paced explosive fights.

‘I’m a come forward pressure fighter who guarantees non-stop action. I’ll bring it all. I’ll be taking a lot of fans because my fights are always exciting. I’ve never been in a dull fight.’

Ultimate Boxxer III features Tey Lynn-Jones, Derrick Osaze, Kieron Conway, Grant Dennis, Sean Phillips, Josh Groombridge, Kaan Hawes and Joe Hurn as they battle it out to become Ultimate Boxxer on Friday 10th May at The Indigo at The O2, exclusively live on BT Sport.

An action packed undercard will see the return of 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.

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

BRITISH boxing great Ricky Hatton has warned Josh Warrington that he faces the fight of his life against Kid Galahad.

Warrington makes the second defence of his IBF world featherweight title against mandatory challenger, Galahad at the First Direct Arena, Leeds on Saturday June 15.

Hatton says Warrington’s huge army of hometown fans face a nerve jangling night when Sheffield’s Galahad gets his long-awaited world title tilt.

“This fight is as tough as they come and hard to call,” says former world super-lightweight and welterweight champion, Hatton.

‘The Hitman’ has seen Galahad from close quarters in the gym when he took boxers to spar with Galahad (26-0) and his gym-mates at the Wincobank gym.

Hatton added: “I used to take Zhanat Zhakiyanov who was WBA bantamweight champion to spar Kid Galahad. I saw then that Galahad can really fight.

“This really is a tough fight, but since Josh became world champion I think he has warmed to it.

“It’s a very good fight and you’ve got to heap all the praise on Josh Warrington.”

Warrington (28-0) caused an upset when he defeated Lee Selby 11 months ago to become world champion, and was the underdog again when he made a successful first defence against Carl Frampton.

Hatton said: “Champions are judged on how good they are by the fighters they faced. Josh has beaten Lee when he was the underdog and Carl, a multiple world champion.

“Now, he is in with another quality fighter, Kid Galahad.

“His confidence has gone up another couple of gears since becoming a world champion. He is coming off the fight against Frampton and you won’t see many better fights in a boxing ring.

“He is on the crest of a wave and while your confidence is up you might has well face these people like Kid Galahad because it needs to be up.”

Although Hatton is full of admiration for Warrington, he believes that Galahad may have more natural talent than the defending champion.

Hatton explained: “Josh has a very high work rate, he doesn’t leave you alone. Look at the Frampton fight, Carl was the better boxer and judge of distance, but Josh took that away from him.

“That is what you do with fighters who have more talent. Take the talent away – bully them, rush them and keep on top.

“I think he will employ similar tactics against Kid Galahad who is very, very talented. Josh has got a very good boxing brain and he is going to need it against Kid Galahad.

“Kid Galahad is very talented, but sometimes people with the most talent don’t win. It is about the right tactics and game plan.

“That is why I pick Josh ever so slightly, but this fight is tough.”

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

Anthony Yigit (22-1-1, 7 KOs) will face Sandro Hernandez (15-7-3, 10 KOs) as the slick southpaw returns to action on May 4 at the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt.

Yigit outpointed Mohamed Khalladi on February 16 at the CGM Arena in Koblenz following a brave attempt at the IBF World Super Lightweight title in his World Boxing Super Series Quarter-Final clash with Ivan Baranchyk.

The 27 year-old, currently based in Gran Canaria, is back in Germany for another eight-round clash against Venezuela’s Sandro Hernandez, who in his last bout went the distance with Yigit’s former opponent Sandor Martin.

“I was satisfied with my performance against Khalladi because we got a good victory against a solid opponent. He knew he had a chance to make a name for himself if he beat me so he came to win and went out fighting with all he got,” says Yigit who wants to keep active as he awaits a return to the World stage.

“Hernandez fought and went the distance with Sandor Martin, who I defended my European title against in 2017, and who I would say is one of the top fighters in Europe, so I expect Hernandez to come and try to make a statement.

“It’s important for me to keep busy because I love fighting. I love the thrill of going in the ring and hearing the crowd cheer after a good fight. I like to entertain, and this is the only way I know how so the more I fight the better. Also it will keep me prepared for when a big fight comes, but I treat every fight the same. I’m always training hard and I’m always giving it 110%.”

Yigit joins a stacked card in Frankfurt topped by the IBF International Lightweight title clash between Leon Bunn and Leon Harth, and featuring super welterweight star Abass Baraou against former World ruler Ali Funeka.

Heavyweight Albon Pervizaj is also in action taking on Gabriel Enguema, while 17 year-old sensation Sophie Alisch returns for her third professional contest, and Danish heavyweight hope Kem Ljungquist meets Dominik Musil.

All the action from the Fraport Arena will be available to watch live on Sport1 in Germany. Tickets are available online via www.eventim.de.

18 April 2019 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT, set for the Impact Arena in Bangkok for Friday, 10 May. Once again, Thailand will play host to another world-class evening of martial arts action. The very best in local and international martial arts talent will showcase their skills on the ONE Championship stage.

In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Thailand will defend his title against Hiroaki Suzuki of Japan. In the co-main event, Muay Thai superstar Petchdam Petchyindee Academy of Thailand takes on Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi of Algeria for the inaugural ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.

Ticket information for ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT is available at www.onefc.com.

A living legend in the world of Muay Thai, multiple-time World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao has captured nearly every major accolade in the sport and is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time.

Born to a family of farmers, Nong-O began his Muay Thai career at the tender age of nine. After a few years of sharpening his skills, he decided to leave home for Bangkok when he was 14 years old to pursue Muay Thai full-time, both living and training at his camp.

Nong-O made his first appearance at the famed Rajadamnern stadium a year later, winning a decision in an undercard bout. This set off an incredible run of success across over 300 bouts, including two Thailand national Muay thai championships, four Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championships in different divisions, and a Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Championship.

Earlier this year, Nong-O captured the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title with a unanimous decision victory over China’s Han Zi Hao at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS. He is now set to make the first defense of his World Title against Japan’s Hiroaki “Kaibutsukun” Suzuki.

Japanese striker Suzuki is one of the most exciting talents in ONE Super Series. He burst onto the scene with a spectacular performance against Deividas Danyla last November, and then followed up the victory with another scintillating showing against Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud last January.

Now, Suzuki enters the biggest bout of his career thus far, as he challenges Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.

In the co-main event of the evening, Thailand’s very own Petchdam “Baby Shark” Petchyindee Academy attempts to make history as the first ever ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion when he takes on opponent Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi.

Petchdam is a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion known for his devastating left kick, which is responsible for the majority of his wins. He trains out of the famed Petchyindee Academy in Bangkok alongside fellow Muay Thai World Champions Petchmorakot and Sorgraw. Over the course of his stellar career, the Thai hero has claimed several prestigious accolades, including Lumpinee Stadium and WBC World Muay Thai Championships, as well as a Toyota Marathon Tournament Title.

Now Petchdam has the opportunity to add the most valuable prize in martial arts to his trophy case — the ONE World Title.

Mahmoudi, on the other hand, is also a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion who has trained in the sport since he was just five years of age. His competitive fire would see him fly to Muay Thai’s home country of Thailand at the age of nine, where he won his first professional bout with a flying knee knockout to earn the nickname of “The Sniper.”

Over the course of his career thus far, Mahmoudi has already compiled an excellent winning record with several knockouts on the way to World Titles in WMF, WPMF, and MTGP. He now looks forward to his first ONE World Title opportunity.

Japanese lightweight standout Kazuki Tokudome is back in action as he faces tough veteran Adrian “The Hunter” Pang of Australia in a three-round lightweight contest.

Tokudome is a former Pancrase Lightweight World Champion who trains out of Paraestra Hachioji in his native Japan, while Pang is a former Legend FC Lightweight Champion known for his extreme toughness and durability. The two warriors will throw down in what should be a clash of highly-aggressive come-forward action stars who bring fans to the edge of their seats.

Muay Thai superstar Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon of Thailand will once again showcase his incredible striking skills, this time against Cambodia’s Sok Thy.

Like many Thai warriors before him, two-time Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang started training at a young age when he was just seven years old. He had his first professional Muay Thai bout at the age of 10.

Rodtang initially trained at a small camp in his hometown of Pattalung, but soon began traveling to the famed Jitmuangnon Camp in Bangkok in pursuit of better training. He would make the move permanent in order to train full-time and pursue his dreams of becoming a World Champion.

Sok Thy, meanwhile, is a Cambodian National Kun Khmer Champion. His father sent Thy and his older brother to a live-in training camp when he was just seven years old. A phenomenally hard worker, Thy already has hundreds of bouts under his belt. He even competed for a Muay Thai title in Thailand’s famed Lumpinee Stadium in 2017, and is the first Cambodian to ever do so.

Japanese mixed martial arts star Kota “Kong” Shimoishi will take on the Netherlands’ Pieter “The Archangel” Bruist. Shimoishi is a former Shooto Welterweight Tournament Champion while Bruist is a WFL World Champion. The two figure in a three round lightweight mixed martial arts contest.

Japanese bantamweight hopeful Shoko Sato is set to make his ONE Championship debut against New Zealand’s Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo in what should be an action-packed matchup.

Sato is a former Shooto Bantamweight Champion and a mixed martial arts veteran who is known for his knockout power. Nearly half of Sato’s overall victories have come by knockout finish. Abelardo, on the other hand, is a winner of the prestigious ONE Warrior Series and is also known for his finishing ability. This clash is guaranteed to produce fireworks as both competitors know not how to back down.

Local hero Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit of Thailand makes his highly-anticipated return to action opposite Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines.

Mitsatit is a Chiang Mai Muay Thai Champion who decided to pick up Muay Thai to learn how to protect himself, as well as help to support his family financially. Through his hard work and talent, he soon ran up an impressive 72-17 record. Mitsatit made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2014, and has rapidly emerged as one of Thailand’s most exciting talents.

Catalan is a Muay Thai World Champion who started training in martial arts in 2006 with hopes of following in the footsteps of his older brother Rene, a multiple-time wushu world champion. He would go on to win numerous tournaments in both wushu and Muay Thai, including the Philippines National Wushu Sanda Championship in 2007 and 2008, and a IFMA Muay Thai World Championship in 2011.

Former CMSL Champion “Wolf of the Grasslands” Hexigetu of China will figure in what is expected to be an intense strawweight showdown with ONE Championship newcomer, Dangal Grappling Champion Ovais “The Enigma” Shah of Pakistan. The two square off in a three-round strawweight contest that features an interesting clash of styles.

Top King Muay Thai World Champion “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong of China will take on two-time Muay Thai World Champion Panicos Yusuf of Cyprus in a ONE Super Series kickboxing contest.

Two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion and superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 of Thailand will return to the ONE Championship stage to face WKA European Champion Rui Botelho of Portugal in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai showdown.

Lumpinee Stadium World Champion and Muay Thai legend Singtongnoi Por Telakun of Thailand will face WMC Muay Thai World Champion Savvas Michael of Cyprus in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Former ONE World Title challenger Janet “JT” Todd of the United States will take on Chinese striker and former WAKO Champion Chin Long Wang in the first bout of the evening to kick off ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT.

After testing positive for a banned substance, the New York Athletic Commission has decided to not to license Jarrell Miller for a June 1st foght against Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“The New York State Athletic Commission has denied Jarrell Miller’s professional boxing license application for a violation relating to the use of a prohibited substance. We have no further comment at this time,” the commission said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I am on the search for a new opponent,” Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn said. “Literally anyone can get it. There are some names that would appeal to our partners — DAZN, Sky Sports and Madison Square Garden — more than others and it’s our job to get the ones that appeal most. I’ve spoken to 16 heavyweights in the last 24 hours, 10 of which are not suitable.”

“I want to thank all of my supporters who have stood by me since day one and especially during this extremely difficult time,” Miller said. “I am absolutely devastated upon hearing the news my boxing license has been revoked in NY State and I will be vigorously appealing this decision. I have NEVER knowingly taken any banned substance and when I found out the news (Tuesday) night I was totally shocked. My team and I stand for integrity, decency & honesty and together we will stand to fight this with everything we have!”

“This was a voluntarily test that I was very happy to do and these results came just one week after another voluntarily test that I had taken which was completely clean,” he said. “I refuse to just lie down and let my dream be taken away from me when I know in my heart that I’ve done nothing wrong. 15 years of hard work. I’m WARRIOR. I don’t need a banned substance.

“Remember don’t believe everything you hear and see. The facts will prevail and I shall be vindicated. I don’t have anything to hide and the truth will make itself known.”
“I spoke to Luis Ortiz’s manager and he felt it was too short notice for the fight,” Hearn said. “Whether that changes in the next couple of days, that’s possible. There is still time. We will take anyone from the top 15.”

Hearn listed a few others that would be acceptable: Michael Hunter, a former U.S. Olympian who Hearn recently signed; Oscar Rivas, who knocked out Bryant Jennings in January; New York-based Polish contender Adam Kownacki; secondary titlist Manuel Charr; and Kubrat Pulev, one of Joshua’s mandatory challengers.

“Whoever wants it can get it,” Hearn said. “The show goes on. We have over 10,000 Brits flying out. We need to put on a good main event and that’s what AJ is training for. This is the Anthony Joshua show, not the Jarrell Miller show.”

ORANGE, Calif. (April 17, 2019) – Featherweight Erick Ituarte (20-1-1, 3 KOs), intent on working himself into world title contention, headlines “Locked n’ Loaded” this Friday, April 19, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Ituarte, who lives in Santa Ana, Calif., faces veteran Jose Estrella (20-15-1, 14 KOs) of Mexico in the 10-round main event.

Ituarte, a former Junior NABF featherweight champion, elaborates on his main event match up, his world title aspirations, and why Friday’s fight is one of the most pivotal of his young career.

Your last win came nearly a year ago against former world title challenger Carlos Carlson. Why the long layoff and do you anticipate any ring rust?

“I had a lower back injury going into the Carlson fight, but I didn’t want to back out because I knew I could beat him. After the fight, I started to feel more pain so I got an MRI and it revealed some problems. Thankfully I didn’t have to have surgery, but I was tied up with rest and physical therapy last year. Basically I had to re-strengthen the muscles in my lower back. I feel great now. I’m completely healthy with no issues. I don’t see ring rust being an issue because I got some pretty good sparring in for this training camp.”

How did your training camp unfold for this fight?

“I feel strong and ready to fight. I sparred twelve rounds for this fight so I know my conditioning is going to hold up. I feel comfortable and just anxious to get in the ring.”

What do you expect to see from Jose Estrella on Friday night?

“We know he’s a tough fighter. He’s shorter than me so I think he’ll want to fight on the inside and try to lock me up. I’ll feel him out the first few rounds and go from there. I like to pick up the pace as soon as possible so fans won’t have to wait too long to see some fireworks.”

Do you feel you’re ready to challenge for a world title?

“I hope this is my year. I’m obviously focused on Estrella because that’s a tough fight, but I feel I’m ready to compete for a world title. Oscar Valdez comes to mind because he’s a guy I have tremendous respect for, but we’ll have to see what develops there. The plan is to let everyone know on Friday that I can challenge for a world title very soon.”

You turned professional in 2011 when you were just 17. Now 24, is there any piece of advice you’d like to pass on to those that are about to turn pro?

“The best piece of advice I can give to those starting out is to be very careful with your body. What you put in and how you train. When you’re young, you feel like you can bounce back from anything, but the reality is how you treat your body in your late teens and early 20s does impact you as you get older. So I would recommend to all the young guys about to turn professional to really focus on creating good habits early on because you are more likely to stick to it if you make it part of your daily routine from an early age.”

Limited tickets for “Locked n’ Loaded” are priced at $40 & $100, and are available for purchase on the day of the event from the will call booth at the Doubletree Ontario (see address below).

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded via our Facebook page, YouTube channel, and ThompsonBoxing.com. Beto Duran will handle blow-by-blow duties, while Doug Fischer provides expert, color commentating.

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

The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at 909-937-0900.

“Locked n’ Loaded” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Everlast.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #LockednLoaded, #TBPresents, and #ThompsonBoxing.

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.

SANTA MONICA, CA. (April 17, 2019) – Former two-division champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and welterweight contender Adrian Granados took part in a media workout Wednesday as they near their main event showdown that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday night from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The workout also featured heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. and Alexander Dimitrenko, who meet in a 10-round bout, and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa, who faces Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that kicks off the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with DSG Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or at the Dignity Health Sports Park box office from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from Churchill Boxing Club in Santa Monica:

DANNY GARCIA

“I fought in this arena when I was 6-0 so it’s exciting to be back. I also won the welterweight title against Robert Guerrero in Los Angeles. L.A. has always been good to me. There’s a great atmosphere and I love fighting here.

“I’m ready for anybody, but I’m also not looking past Granados. At the end of the day, I have to focus on Saturday night. I have to get this victory.

“There’s a lot at stake, so I know Granados will be ready. I trained hard and I think I’m in the best shape of my life. I think I’m in better shape now than my last two fights. I can’t wait to show it on Saturday night.

“You watch Danny Garcia fights you know I’m always swinging trying to knock people out. Expect another can’t-miss fight on Saturday.

“I know what Granados brings to the table, but I believe in my skills and the hard work we put into camp. The plan is of course to get a knockout and look spectacular, but I’m more than ready to go 12 hard rounds.”

ADRIAN GRANADOS

“This is a classic in a making. We’re going to put on a show. I feel great. We’ve closed out camp just right and we’re ready to rock and roll on Saturday.

“There are a lot of challenges in this fight. I have to go out there to dominate and take the fight away from him. Danny is a great fighter and there’s a reason he’s a big name in the sport. This is an opportunity that I’m going to take advantage of.

“I wasn’t surprised that Shawn Porter said I was a tougher fight than Danny Garcia. I watched both fights and you could see at the end that I had Shawn running for survival. He did what he had to do to escape, but for this fight I’m taking it out of anybody else’s hands.

“I don’t think Danny is looking past me, but I know he has bigger plans. I’m here to interrupt those plans. I have my own plans. I’m going to catapult myself to where I belong and where I should have always been.

“My parents worked so hard to put me on the right path. I got involved with sports as a kid and never looked back. I always stayed focus on my sports and studies. The temptations were there in Chicago. I stayed true to myself and now I’m in a place where a lot of people look up to me. If I win on Saturday it can show that anything is possible.”

ANDY RUIZ JR.

“This is going to be my fourth fight at this venue. I’ve gotten a knockout every time, so I think it’s a good luck arena for me. I’ve had setbacks, but I’m ready for my comeback.

“I’ve been training hard for this fight to make a statement. I’m excited to get this win and do it emphatically.

“Dimitrenko is a veteran fighter and I know I can’t take him lightly. We’re going to be ready and may the best man win. I’m ready to take on all challengers.

“I just need to stay loose and let my hands go. I’m going to show the kind of fighter that I am. My speed and the way I use the ring will be a key.

“I’ve watched Dimitrenko’s fights, and I know I just have to do what I have to do. I think it’s harder for him to fight a smaller guy like me, especially one with speed and who throws combinations.”

ALEXANDER DIMITRENKO

“This is an important fight for me and I’m here to win. This is nothing new to me. My job is to come here put on a great performance. I’ve been a pro for a long time and I’m ready for Saturday.

“I have more experience in big fights than Ruiz. I’m going to give my best in this fight. There’s no pressure on me and I’m feeling relaxed and ready for war.

“My last fight against Bryant Jennings ended with a bad stoppage and I’m looking to erase that memory. A win on Saturday is important to me and I’m not looking past it. I have to do my job and we’ll see what happens after that.

“This is my first time in Los Angeles, I’ve gotten to enjoy the weather a little bit but it’s all business. I’m focused on fighting on Saturday, that’s been the goal all camp and we’re leading up to a great show on Saturday.”

BRANDON FIGUEROA

“This is a moment I’ve been waiting for since I was a little kid. The opportunity is here, I’m ready and I can’t wait to take it.

“I had a really good training camp. My body is ready physically and mentally. I know that Parejo is a really good fighter who’s going to try to box me. I feel like once I put the pressure on him, I’m going to be able to dominate him.

“I think Parejo has weaknesses on his inside game, which is something I’m really good at. I feel like for my past few fights I’ve used that to dominate my opponents.

“This is my time to shine. I had a really good training camp and I’m here to take advantage of this opportunity. I’m only 22-years-old and I’ve worked really hard to get where I’m at right now.”

# # #

ABOUT GARCIA VS. GRANADOS
Garcia vs. Granados will see former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia battling rugged veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 20 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. takes on Alexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round bout in the co-feature and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa battles Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that opens the primetime FOX broadcast that begins 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 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, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

NEW YORK CITY (April 17, 2019) – The time for talking is over. Terence “Bud” Crawford is ready for business.

Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) will defend his WBO welterweight title against Amir “King” Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) Saturday night at Madison Square Garden on the inaugural Top Rank on ESPN PPV (9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST).

The PPV undercard will feature undefeated lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez against Edis Tatli in a 12-rounder, Shakur Stevenson versus Christopher Diaz in a 10-round featherweight showdown and Puerto Rican superstar Felix Verdejo taking on former interim world champion Bryan Vasquez.

Three days away from the Garden Party, this is what Crawford, Khan and their trainers had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I don’t believe no fight that I fight is just another fight for me. I believe that all fights that I fight from here on out are for my legacy. That’s why I want the biggest fights out there. Amir Khan’s name came up because he was the next best welterweight in the division. I could’ve easily took {Luis} Collazo. He could’ve took another fight with Kell Brook. I could’ve took Collazo, but that wasn’t the job that I really wanted to take. Amir Khan is a great fighter. I can’t take nothing away from. He’s done a lot in the sport of boxing. He has a big name. He’s undefeated at the welterweight division. So why not take another step up?

On not getting the credit for beating certain opponents

“Sometimes it bothers me, but that just shows how dominant I am. When you got undefeated gold medalists and world champions, where before the fight a lot of writers and fans think that they’re going to steamroll me or they’re too big for me, and this is going to be the toughest fight of my career. After the fight, they say, ‘He wasn’t that good,’ or ‘he was a stand-up fighter,’ or ‘he was slow,’ or ‘we knew you were going to do this, we just had to hype up the fight.’ So they discredit me. When you look at the fighters I’ve fought, most of them haven’t been the same after they’ve fought me.”

“I just want people to respect me for my talent and the skills that I have, and the willingness to go in there and fight any and everybody that’s available.”

Amir Khan

“This {fight} ranks at the top for me because fighting a world champion, Terence is very high in the pound-for-pound rankings, maybe number one or number two. So, it’s just amazing for me to be in this position once again. That itself is a great motivation for me, to know that I’m fighting the best out there once again. And it makes me train harder, work harder and focus on this fight. I know that I can’t make any mistakes in this fight because I could be trouble. Terence, I’ve been watching all the videos of his fights. I see how he breaks down fighters, how he sees openings and stuff, and I can’t make those openings {easy for him}. Maybe my last performance got me this fight. To me, that wasn’t the best performance. That wasn’t the best Amir Khan. I’m now back with my old trainer, Virgil Hunter, where I’m happy and he trained me the best. And he knows me better than any trainer out there. We know we’ve done everything we have to do for this fight, and I’m going to be more than ready.”

“I’ve had some good fights in the welterweight division. We fought {Luis} Collazo. We fought {Devon} Alexander. {Virgil} has brought the best out of me. Even the Canelo fight was going well until I got caught with a shot. So, I mean, whereas this fight I’m fighting someone who is my own weight, which helps. Every fight with Virgil, I’ve learned something from, win or lose, and he’s brought the best out of me. I needed to get back with someone who could bring that respect back for the sport of boxing and also make me work harder.”

“This is a dream come true, and hopefully on Saturday, a dream will come true, where I get my opportunity to fight for another world title and be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. This just drives me, makes me work harder, train harder, stay focused. I know I have someone in front of me who is up there as number one. You can’t deny that. He’s a good fighter. I know he’s training hard because he doesn’t want to lose that unbeaten record, and I don’t want to lose this fight because I want to achieve everything I want in the sport of boxing.”

Bob Arum

“I don’t have to talk about what the public is going to see from Terence Crawford. Anyone who knows anything in boxing knows a Terence Crawford comes along very seldom in a generation. I look at him {and the closest thing I can recall to him} is Sugar Ray Leonard. Terence reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard. I’m not going to get into who would win if they fought each other because that ain’t gonna happen. Terence is really something special, and I’m so delighted that we’ve been able to arrange this fight against Khan, who I’ve always been an admirer of. Tremendous, tremendous fighter. I know Amir remembers the time I spent with his family when he was in Manny Pacquiao’s training camp. So I know what he brings to this party, and I am really looking forward to performances by two great fighters. A generational talent in Terence Crawford, and one of the great fighters I’ve seen in Amir Khan.”

Frank Smith (Matchroom Boxing CEO)

“Amir had other opportunities he could’ve gone down, most notably probably the Kell Brook fight. But this is the fight that Amir wanted, and you have respect that and you have to respect a man who has done what he’s done in the sport, and I believe on Saturday night he’s going to go in there and do a job and become a world champion once again.”

“I think Amir, when he’s in with the best fighters, that’s when he looks the best. I think the test of Terence Crawford, taking on one of the best pound-for-pound fighters, one of the most respected fighters in the world, will bring him on. He has come back from those two fights {victories over Phil Lo Greco and Samuel Vargas}… I think as a welterweight, that’s the strongest weight for him, and I think it’s great having Virgil back in his corner. He had a great time with Joe Goossen, but I think being back with Virgil, who he’s been with for a very long time, is important to him.”

Brian McIntyre (Crawford’s trainer)

“It’s an honor to be across the ring from Virgil Hunter, and I will tell Virgil and everyone in the world that I’ll listen to him, as he {trained} Andre Ward and so many other fighters. As a student of the game, you go back and try to listen to the trainers and see what they tell their fighters in the corner… I’m glad Amir went back with Virgil Hunter because I don’t want him to have no excuses when Terence starts touching him.”

Virgil Hunter (Khan’s trainer)

“It’s been a pleasure having Amir back. It came at the right time and a good time for a fight of this magnitude, to go up against a great fighter like Terence Crawford. As coaches, we live for these opportunities. Whether we win, whether we come up short, we thrive in these settings. It’s a great opportunity, and it’s a pleasure to be involved in this event.”

“He can’t have a mental lapse. He has to be focused every second of every round and be able to read the adjustments that a great fighter like Crawford will make. He’s {excellent} at making adjustments, and we have to be able to read those adjustments and adjust accordingly to stay competitive and try to win this fight.”

ESPN PPV, 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST

Terence Crawford (champion) vs. Amir Khan (challenger), 12 rounds, Crawford’s WBO welterweight world title

Teofimo Lopez vs. Edis Tatli, 12 rounds, Lopez’s NABF lightweight title

Shakur Stevenson vs. Christopher Diaz, 10 rounds, Stevenson’s IBF Intercontinental, and vacant NABO featherweight titles

Felix Verdejo vs. Bryan Vasquez, 10 rounds, lightweight

ESPN2, 6 p.m. EST/3 p.m. PST

Carlos Adames vs. Frank Galarza,10 rounds, Adames’ NABF, and vacant NABO 154-pound titles

Edgar Berlanga vs. Samir Barbosa, 8 rounds, middleweight

Larry Fryers vs. Dakota Polley, 6/4 rounds, super lightweight

Vikas Krishan vs. Noah Kidd, 6 rounds, super welterweight

Lawrence Newton vs. Jonathan Garza, 6 rounds, bantamweight

ABOUT CRAWFORD VS. KHAN
CRAWFORD vs. KHAN is a 12-round fight for the WBO welterweight championship of the world, presented by Top Rank in association with Matchroom Boxing and Khan Promotions. The event is sponsored by Geico. CRAWFORD vs. KHAN will take place Saturday, April 20, beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST at Madison Square Garden, and will be produced by Top Rank and ESPN and distributed live by ESPN Pay-Per-View.

Tickets for this world championship event priced at $606, $406, $306, $206, $106, $81, and $56 (including facility fees) can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

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

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

MONTREAL (April 17, 2019): An unfortunate hand injury has forced David Lemieux (40-4, 34 KOs) to withdraw from his 168-pound debut against London’s
John “The Gorilla” Ryder (27-4, 15 KOs) in what was going to be the scheduled 12-round co-main event of Canelo vs. Jacobs. Lemieux injured his right hand during a sparring session, and his doctor has recommended that he rest for eight weeks before returning to the gym.

Details for the new co-main event will be announced shortly. The Canelo vs. Jacobs will continue as planned on Saturday, May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Lemieux, a 30-year-old native of Montreal, Canada, is disappointed at his injury, but promises to return stronger than ever.

”Training camp was going really great,” said David Lemieux.”I felt in tremendous shape, the strongest I’d ever felt in my entire career. But, I will be back soon. Hopefully, the fans will understand. I promise I will make it up to them once I’m healed.”

“I’m very disappointed since he was in the best shape of his life both in the gym and in the ring,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. “We will take the time to heal his hand and get right back in the chase for a world title.”

“It’s very unfortunate that David Lemieux’s return has been postponed,” said Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy. “But this is boxing, and these things happen. We wish David a speedy recovery and look forward to his return, so he can make big waves at 168 pounds.”

Canelo vs. Jacobs is a 12-round fight for the WBC, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine and IBF Middleweight World Titles presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.”The event will take place Saturday, May 4, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Jacobs are on sale now and are priced at $2,505, $1,505,
$1,205, $805, $605, $405, $305, and not including applicable service charges and taxes. There will be a limit of 10 per person at the $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, and $305 price levels. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

For more information,visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
http://www.matchroomboxing.com, and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @DanielJacobsTKO, @MatchRoomBoxing, and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/MatchroomBoxing
and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @DanielJacobsTKO, @MatchroomBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloJacobs.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/May4DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.

Ray Flores
Thank you very much, Operator. First of all I want to thank the media for joining us all around the world as we get set for PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes this upcoming Saturday from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. What a venue for a tremendous night of boxing.

Our main event, the two division world champion, Danny “Swift” Garcia, goes head to head against the ultra-competitive and always entertaining, Adrian “El Tigre” Granados.

The broadcast begins at 8 o’clock Eastern, 5 Pacific Time. Also on the main card — what a card that we have — as we have heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. going head to head against Alexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round matchup. That is the co-main event.

To open up the broadcast, a young man who is quickly making his way up the ranks, the brother of Omar Figueroa, unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa goes head to head against Venezuela’s own Yonfrez Parejo in a 10-round matchup for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight Championship.

Tickets are going quickly as Saturday night’s event is brought to you by TGB Promotion and Mayweather Promotions in association with DSG Promotions. You can purchase them at axs.com or the Dignity Health Sports Box Office.

The first fight gets rolling at 3 o’clock. So all the fights end in Southern California — get there early — and then we go live with PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes at 8 Eastern, 5 local time.

After the FOX broadcast, we have plenty more action PBC FIGHT NIGHT – EXTRA on FS1 and FOX Deportes at 10:30 Eastern, 7:30 Pacific time.

It’ll feature a matchup between Jeison Rosario and Jorge Cota plus Karlos Balderas, Alfredo Angulo and more. You do not want to miss it as we go wall to wall on FOX, FOX Deportes, and FS1 this upcoming Saturday.

Right now without further ado it gives me great honor and pleasure to introduce the man who no-doubt will be a part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He has promoted events all over the world and he understands how to find talent, takes someone from 0 and 0 to being the World Champion and subsequently a Hall of Famer.

Please welcome my dear friend, the President of TGB Promotion, Mr. Tom Brown.

Tom Brown
Well, thank you, Ray, and thanks everyone for joining us in this conference call for what will be an amazing time presented by Premier Boxing Champions on Saturday nights, and as Ray said the Garcia-Granados fight will be televised live on primetime network television by FOX and FOX Deportes.

The Dignity Health Sports Park has been home to some modern classics in Southern California to replace the famous Olympic Auditorium, and the main event with Danny Garcia vs at Adrian Granados is a sensational fight, incredible matchup, and tough styles, and really one of the best non-World Title fights you can make in the welterweight division.

The late great Hall of Fame matchmaker, Teddy Brenner, said about matchmaking t’s not simply a matter of putting the number one and number two guys in the ring. Anybody could do that. It’s a matter of first determining whether the styles of the two fighters blend and in this fight that’s a hell yes.

Then you have to decide if it’s an important fight. In other words, will the winner move on to a bigger fight, absolutely and, thirdly, he said as a fan is it a fight that I would want to see because the fans want the best fight, and that’s another hell yes.

So I can’t wait for Saturday night. Now I’ll toss this back to Ray. Thank you very much everyone for joining the call.

R. Flores
Thank you very much to Tom Brown and, look, I’ll tell you this, when Tom Brown gets excited for a fight you know it’s something special. And speaking of special, this man I’m getting ready to introduce has been a part of some of the most special and some of the biggest events in combat sports history. Talk about been there done that, he’s promoted the biggest event in the history of the sport of boxing. Please welcome the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Mr. Leonard Ellerbe.

Leonard Ellerbe
Thank you, Ray. I’m really excited about this Saturday night. We have a terrific fight. We got two guys who are really never in a boring fight and their styles really mesh well, so we can really expect a hell of a fight this Saturday night. Both guys come to the fight with something to prove in my opinion.

I think when you look at Danny, Danny wants to really look spectacular because he really wants to show the world he’s still one of the best welterweights in the world and a scintillating performance this Saturday night will do just that.

On the other hand with Adrian Granados, never ever have we seen Adrian in a boring fight. He’ll be looking to get that career defining win that will immediately catapult him in the mix with all the other big money fighters that are out there in the welterweight division.

So both guys will be looking to make a statement come this Saturday night and the fans can expect a great fight. Back to you, Ray.

R. Flores
Thank you very much. Thank you so much Leonard. I really appreciate it.

Right now, as we get set to meet the main event combatants, it gives me a great honor and pleasure to welcome in a guy who has a record of 20 wins, 6 losses, 2 draws, from Chicago, Illinois, been involved as a professional for a decade.

He’s won two straight. He has stepped inside the ring with the likes of Shawn Porter, Adrien Broner, Javier Fortuna. When it comes to classifying this guy, I have to look at him as a throwback fighter because he will fight anybody and everybody and he’s constantly bringing you pressure.

He’s of Mexican descent, and he’ so emblematic of what a Mexican fighter is all about, and no doubt he will be in his best condition and ready to put on the performance of a lifetime. Please welcome Adrian “El Tigre” Granados.

Adrian Granados
Hey, how’s it going everybody. Thank for having me. I’m excited for this Saturday. It’s going to be a good fight. I know me and Danny both got a lot to prove in this fight and I know that our styles mesh well.

I know, you know, Dignity Sports Park is known for giving good fights and I feel like we’re going to give a classic. I’m coming for the win.

It’s going to be a great fight, and may the best man win and in this case I feel like I’m the best man. I’m not going to back down from a fire fight and I’m going to do whatever I got to do to win this fight.

I can guarantee a great fight and may God bless us both and take care of us and yeah, man. Let’s get it on.

R. Flores
Thank you very much, Adrian, greatly appreciate it. And also, it gives me a great honor and pleasure to introduce his opponent.

So we have Adrian Granados who is of Mexican descent, and this man is of Puerto Rican descent. So you have the Mexico against Puerto Rico rivalry that’ll be on display on Saturday night, but this man is a two division World Champion, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 31 years of age from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 11-year Pro. He’s been in the ring with the likes of Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, defeated the likes of Lucas Matthysse, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Paulie Malignaggi, trained by his father Angel. He’s also a throwback fighter, bites down in his mouthpiece, comes forward, and always puts on a sensational show for all the boxing fans around the world.

Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Danny “Swift” Garcia.

Danny Garcia
How you guys doing? Thanks for having me on. I can’t wait. It’s been a long camp. It’s been a long hard camp. I put in a lot of hard work. Now it’s time to go in there this Saturday and handle business and give my fans another great entertaining fight.

Q
Which fight do you think is going to be more entertaining as you guys go head to head with this Crawford-Khan?

D. Garcia
Oh definitely my fight. You know what I bring to the table. I always bring fireworks, speed, power, entertainment, blood, and guts. So I prepare myself for a classic fight. I train hard for 10 weeks straight and I’m ready to go in there and show the world who’s one of the best and why this fight’s a fight to watch.

Q
Adrian, do you have a feeling that basically this is kind of, like, your moment?
A. Granados
Yeah, most definitely. I know that I’m known for putting on great fights and just coming up short. Whether it is over a controversial decision or any other controversy. So yeah, I mentioned it to Leonard Ellerbe, I’m tired of it. So I’m definitely going out there to put on a dominating performance, and I know I have a hard work ahead of me so definitely I’m ready for the task at hand.

Q
How do you feel about the skills of Danny Garcia?

A. Granados
I’m expecting the best Danny Garcia. He’s made it clear. He’s trained very hard for this fight and that he’s not overlooking me, and that’s definitely what I want and that’s how it should be.

I always want to fight the best and I’m never going to back down from the best either. So it’s going to make for a great fight and we’ll be putting on a classic this Saturday.

Q
Adrian, what can you really do to make sure that you don’t come up on the short end of another very close decision?

A. Granados
Well, just plain and simple, I got to take it out of the judge’s hands. If I get Danny hurt then I’m definitely going to step on the gas and try to get them out and if not I’ll just have to put on a dominating performance.

I know it’s going to be hard. I know it’s going to be a tough fight but I’ve also trained very hard and I’m ready to deliver.

Q
Adrian, one of the greatest assets Danny’s shown in his career is his chin. Do you feel you can get him out of there?

A. Granados
Yeah anybody could get anyone out of there. I respect to who’s he’s been in there with and he has showed a great chin but anything’s possible in that ring and anybody can be stopped at any time

Q
Adrian, what did you think of his performance against Shawn Porter and how might you maybe compare how you fought against Shawn Porter?

A. Granados
He fought a tough fight, it was a close fight but I had Porter just out pressuring him and out working him and there’s some things that I guess I could take from that fight but I’m going to win my fight Adrian Granados style.

Q
Danny, what do you think about Adrian saying that he would be able to get you out of there?

D. Garcia
As a fighter, he has to be confident but in reality I faced the biggest punchers in the game, I faced the most – the fastest and strongest, some of the best fighters in the game and I’ve never been down in my career, and that’s just to show you how hard I work in the gym.

I’m always in great – I’m always in tip top shape. I’m a high-level fighter. I’ve faced a lot of adversity in my career and I highly doubt that he can stop me. I got a lot of skills. I’m in great shape so if anybody’s going down this fight, it’s definitely going to be him, not me.

Q
Danny, how much do you feel going into this fight coming off a loss in what was a close fight against Shawn Porter but a loss. How much do you feel people are kind of doubting you at this point?

D. Garcia
I don’t know nothing about that. I feel really good. I think this camp right here was better than my last two camps, the Porter camp, and the Rios camp. I feel like this is one of my best training camps and I am in great physical shape for this fight and I’m going to come and prove that and show that Saturday night.

Q
Danny, why was this training camp better than the last couple of camps in your opinion?

D. Garcia
I was a lot more disciplined. I gave it the extra grit. I worked on new things.

I was more discipline on my diet, I got a new conditioning coach who worked on learning a lot of things. So you know, it just felt new. It felt good.

I got great sparring and I think everything we did – I know everything we did in this camp was perfect and it’s going to show Saturday night.

Q
After your last couple of fights, Danny, did you consciously make that decision that I need to add a nutritionist or whatever you added to your team to help what is the way to go for you for your next fight?

D. Garcia
Yeah, definitely. I felt like I needed to work on things as far as conditioning. My other skills are always there, the stamina is over there and the road work was over there. We just needed to work on different muscles and things to help me improve and make me a stronger fighter, and I felt like we did that this camp.

Q
When you’re fighting a guy whose record isn’t what the other guys you fought is, how challenging is that sometimes or is it just that you know Adrian is such a tough guy that you couldn’t do that?

D. Garcia
No. At the end of the day, I don’t look at it like that because you can’t overlook nobody in this sport. In this sport, if you’re better than him, you got to go in there and just be better than him. I can’t go in there, train easy, and make it harder than making it supposed to be.

So that’s why I train really hard because I’m going to go in there and show the world that I’m simply just better than him.
Q
You’ve been in the ring with Amir Khan. You’ve knocked Amir Khan out. You’re well aware of how good Terence Crawford is. Do you give him any chance in a fight at all?

D. Garcia
Khan is not an easy style to prepare for. He has fast hands and he has quick feet. So it’s definitely going to be an entertaining fight.

Terence Crawford is not a really a pressure fighter. He’ll try to knock you out one punch or try to break you down and take you out of the lead.

I honestly believe it’s a 50/50 fight. I think Terence Crawford has more momentum going into the fight then Khan, but I honestly think it’s a 50/50 fight.

Q
How do you compare the mindset heading into this bounce back fight compared to the fight that you had against Brandon Rios last year?

D. Garcia
I’m a winner. So it’s always tough when a fight doesn’t go your way, but I try not to think about that. I know there’s a great fight and the future is now, so I can’t worry about what happened in the past.

My mind set is just simply winning on Saturday night and everything else it just doesn’t matter to me.

Q
How much do you kind of think about a potential rematch against Keith Thurman or Shawn Porter given how close both of those fights were on the scorecards?

D. Garcia
Yeah, definitely. Those are definitely fights I want to avenge. I want to avenge on those fights because I obviously feel like I did enough to win both of those fights but I can’t worry about that right now.

I feel like those fights will always be there in the future, in the near future. So I just have to make sure I go in there Saturday night and handle business, first.

Q
Adrian do you kind of look at this fight and think to yourself that this is maybe not your last chance but maybe a great chance to sort of prove anybody that may that would win you this fight?

A. Granados
Yeah, most definitely. I’m coming to win this fight. I’m tired of the controversy. I’m tired of them finding any way to not give me the win.

I definitely got to come in and really just take the fight, they’re not going to give me the fight ever. So I’m going to go out there and have to take it.

Q
You’ve got this fight ahead of you this Saturday against Adrian and this one is looking to be fantastic but a lot of buzzing about Manny Pacquiao potentially being in your future. How do you handle that kind of speculation heading into a big fight?

D. Garcia
It’s definitely exciting when a legend like Many Pacquiao says he wants to fight you. It’s always been a dream of mine to fight Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, two World Champ great legends and just him saying my name definitely motivates me to make sure I handle business Saturday night.

So that’s why I took the fight very serious and I know it’s a big fight for me. So I have to go in there and make sure that I win this fight hands down.

Q
What does it feel like right now as boxing continues to get deeper and deeper? What do you think that means for your division?

D. Garcia
Yeah, definitely, I’ve been in there with most of the other top guys and I’ve been in there with Amir Khan already, Porter, Thurman. I’ve been in there were a lot of guys at 140, 147 already so it definitely interesting. There’s a lot of great matchups to makes so whatever fight you make at 147 is going to be interesting, especially with so many styles in Mega fights and I’ve been a part of a lot of mega fights and I love the training so I can go handle business Saturday, because that set me up for those big fights.

A. Granados
Yeah, this is a big fight. This is my big fight and I know that Danny knows that this is a big fight for him too. I could definitely knock him out of all those plans.

I understand that he’s a bigger name than me and they have a lot of things set up for him, you know, but I come out on Saturday and upset him, as they would name it an upset, that throws my name into the hat with all those fights.

I myself would like a fight with Manny Pacquiao. I would fight anybody and boxing knows that and that’s why this Saturday is a huge fight for me. It’s a must win opportunity for me because winning this fight definitely change the landscape for my career.

Win or lose, most definitely, I’m going to put on a hell of a show and I know that but definitely, I’m not trying to leave without a victory.

Q
On Saturday night will you be satisfied to go the distance in other competitive fights, or you determined to come away with the win at all costs and those fights decision didn’t go your way, are you really fighting to get the win this time?

A. Granados
Most definitely coming out with a win. That’s what I’m focused on. That’s what I got my mind set on and that’s what’s going to happen.

I know that it’s going to be a good fight and I know I’m going to put on the show and I’ll be there, the whole fight but I definitely need this one and I’m coming out for it.

Q
Is it exciting to be back on network television again? Are you motivated to get back on to pay per view after this fight?

D. Garcia
I think this is great for boxing. I definitely think just fighting on regular TV is great for boxing. I think that’s what made a lot of great fighters like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, all those guys were on regular TV so I think this gives us a bigger platform, it intertwines boxing with all the other sports that come on that channel. Like football, basketball, baseball, so I think anytime you mix up boxing with all the big sports on a regular TV channel is great for boxing. So I definitely love being on FOX and regular TV.

Q
You think you’ve been unfairly left out of those conversations at welterweight? Is it frustrating for you to see that he might get a fight with Errol Spence next or do you feel like this is just kind of how boxing works, that you need to take this fight with Adrian first?

D. Garcia
No, I mean, I feel like it’s all about timing. One thing I learned about boxing it’s really all about timing because if you look at it like that, you’ll be frustrated. You’ll always question like why am I not the man; wow, how did he get it before me and I’ve been here longer. I’ve been in the game for longer.

So I know how things work. Boxing is all about timing. I have to make sure I handle this business first and then we’ll definitely get some pay per view fight in. Not the end of the year or maybe next year for sure.

Q
Mr. Granados, can you talk to us and share with us what Ed Brown means to you and how much of him will come into the ring with you on Saturday?

A. Granados
Ed Brown means a lot to me, that’s my little bro. Definitely I was raised through the boxing ranks with him. I went to a lot of amateur tournaments together. We used to always represent the Great Lakes in the Midwest.

He’s always there with me. He’s like a guardian angel. I feel like his life came up short because of the gang violence in Chicago, and the gun violence. Yeah, no, I carry him around with me all the time in my heart and I definitely I miss him, and I know he’s looking out for me.

Q
What would a win this weekend over Garcia mean to you, controversy or otherwise?

A. Granados
It would mean a lot. I need it. I’m tired of the controversy, I’m tired of the drama in my career. I had to go out and get a dominating win and a satisfying win it would be.

Q
Why do you believe you’re the best man to win this fight against Garcia?

A. Granados
I think just overall that I’m a better fighter. I think there’s a lot more that I could do in the ring and Saturday night I’m going to show that.

Q
Will you talk about the addition of your new strength coach, and then how do you feel these tactics have made you stronger. Can you feel that strength? And if so, how?

D. Garcia
Yeah, definitely work on new things, a lot of explosions, working on explosiveness and a lot of twitch muscles, working on different things and I definitely feel like there is going to be another show come Saturday night.

Q
What are the goals that you set? Will you share those with us?

D. Garcia
Yeah, definitely, well I’m going to go in there and win this fight. I’m going to go in there and dominate this fight and show the world why I’m one of the best fighters in the world and I trained hard and I’m hundred percent sure that I’m going to go in there and do that.

Q
What does it mean for both of you guys to be the main event at this venue?

D. Garcia
I feel great. It feels great to be in there. I actually fought at the StubHub when it was the Home Depot Center I believe on Oscar De La Hoya versus Stevie Forbes. So I fought there one time already. It was a great atmosphere. So I’m definitely looking forward to going back in there and show out so.

I won the welterweight title in LA too in 2016. So California has always been good to me so it’s definitely a great atmosphere for me, and I can’t wait to go in there and perform.

A. Granados
Yeah, no, I’m excited. I’m excited for the fight. I know it’s going to be a great atmosphere. I’ve watched plenty of good fights there over the years.

I’m excited that it’s in LA. There’s going to be a high Mexican population. So I know they’re going to come out to support and it’s just it’s known for a great atmosphere for fights and I feel like that’s what’s going to happen to Saturday. It’s going to be a great show and definitely going to be a great fight between me and Danny.

Q
Would you guys like to see yourself more active moving forward once the result comes in on Saturday? At least fighting, trying to not make three or four times a year, just to stay sharp.

D. Garcia
Preparing for high level fights is a lot of hard work. I got a daughter now. I have a family so, I’m happy if I can get three times that would be great, but I think two times is great for me, especially at a high level, give my body sometime kind of rest.

This will be my 37th fight of my career come Saturday night, and I definitely take my body to the extreme and push myself to the limit every time I’m in training camp. So I definitely consider two times – I’m happy with two times. If I get three, that’s a blessing but two times is good for me.

A. Granados
Yeah, no, I’m fine with fighting busy or fighting when the fights come to me. Definitely I’d like to stay busier but I got to take whatever God gives me and I’m very appreciative of it.

I’m happy and I live a good life and I’m thankful for everything I get. So yeah, I know it just basically, I’ll take them how I can get one.

Q
What do you expect from Adrian that’s a little bit different from Brandon Rios in terms of the fact that maybe he’s a fresher fighter?

D. Garcia
Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I compare our styles to a couple of people I fought. He’s kind of like a Robert Guerrero type fighter, he’s a durable guy. He likes to come forward. He’s just not southpaw.

They seem like they have same type of speed, same type of power. Definitely more like Brandon Rios where he comes forward, just a little fresher.

So I know what I’m up against and I prepare myself. I spar with guys like this, I fought a guy that gets me answers, and I know what I’m up against, so I’m prepared for this fight and I know what I got to go in there to do to win this fight.

Q
Do you see that as something that you can build off of being the pressure fighter that Rios was?

A. Granados
Yeah every fight is going to be different. So, I’m not going to completely compare myself with Brandon Rios.

It was an exciting fight for as long as it lasted. Definitely, I was surprised with how much success Brandon had against Danny but Danny broke him down and caught him with a good shot but I definitely see myself doing a lot more than what Brandon did and all respects to Brandon Rios who’s a great fighter but I’m Adrian Granados.

R. Flores
Excellent. Well, thank you very much Operator for that and before we let both Danny Garcia and Adrian Granados still want to once again remind the media PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes, we go live from Dignity Health Sports Park, 8 o’clock Eastern, 5 o’clock local time. Tickets still available axs.com. I’m going to open up the floor to Adrian Granados and Danny Garcia with closing comments.

A. Granados
Yeah, no just definitely excited for a great fight. It’s going to be a war and I’m coming with everything and I’m definitely coming for a win.

I’m coming for a dominating win and I’m coming to just turn some heads. You know people are writing me off in this fight and definitely that’s not what’s going to happen, and I plan on delivering Saturday night

D. Garcia
Well, I want to thank the media for taking the time out to ask questions and make the fight the biggest fight.

All the talking is done, all the hard work is done. It’s the final stretch, the last couple days till weigh-in and then fight night. I’ve been here plenty of times, and I can’t wait to go in there and show my fans why I’m one of the best fighters in the world, and I put the work in, and I can’t wait.

All the fans buy your tickets. Make sure you tune in, record it on FOX because it’s going to be a great night of boxing and a legendary night for Danny Garcia.

# # #

ABOUT GARCIA VS. GRANADOS
Garcia vs. Granados will see former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia battling rugged veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, April 20 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.

Heavyweight contender Andy Ruiz Jr. takes on Alexander Dimitrenko in a 10-round bout in the co-feature and unbeaten contender Brandon Figueroa battles Venezuela’s Yonfrez Parejo in a 12-round match for the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight title that opens the primetime FOX broadcast that begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with DSG Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or at the Dignity Health Sports Park box office from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Fans can live stream the fights on the FOX Sports app, available in English or Spanish through the FOX 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, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

New York, NY (April 17, 2019) World ranked middleweight contender Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY, was victorious this past Saturday night, April 13, against former world title challenger Jack Culcay (25-4, 13 KOs), of Davie, FL, at the Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, MN, taking home a 12-round unanimous decision. Scores for the bout, telecast nationally on FoxSports1, were 116-112 twice, and 115-113.

The victory earned Derevyanchenko, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., the status of mandatory challenger for the IBF Middleweight World Title currently held by Brooklyn rival Daniel Jacobs. On October 27, 2018, the former Ukrainian amateur standout lost a hard-fought controversial 12-round decision to Jacobs for the vacant title at Madison Square Garden.

With Jacobs headed to a middleweight unification showdown versus Canelo Alvarez on May 4, Derevyanchenko looks to make a quick return fighting any of the top middleweights.

“I felt very good against Culcay; he was a very tough opponent, but I prevailed by listening to my corner and staying focused,” said Derevyanchenko. “I’m going to take just a short time off and return to the gym. My focus is staying active and fighting the best in the middleweight division. My fight versus Danny Jacobs proved I can compete with anyone. Now it is time to win a world championship.”

“Sergiy defeated a very game Jack Culcay on Saturday and proved that he remains one of the best middleweights in the world,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “With the win, he is now the mandatory challenger for the IBF world title, and we will continue to seek out the biggest and best opportunities for Sergiy to compete against the elite of the middleweight division ASAP.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 17th, 2019) — The champ returns next Friday to face his most experienced opponent yet.

Newly-crowned WBC World Youth Lightweight Champion Jamaine Ortiz (10-0, 5 KOs) of Worcester, Mass., headlines for the second event in a row on Friday, April 26th, 2019 at Twin River Casino Hotel when he faces Brazilian challenger Vitor Jones (15-4, 9 KOs) in an eight-round bout, Ortiz’s first since capturing the title in February.

Jones, a native of Salvador, returns to the United States for the second time this year and the ninth time in his career. The 25-year-old right-hander made his professional debut in 2012 under the guidance of Banner Promotions and won his first 13 fights, including victories over southpaw Guillermo Sanchez and former Brazilian title-challenger Sidney Siqueira.

Ortiz, a decorated amateur who won 100 fights and advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Nevada, comes off his most noteworthy achievement as a professional, a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten California native Ricardo Quiroz for the WBC Youth crown on Feb. 23rd.

Ortiz-Jones headlines another stacked fight card at the Twin River Event Center, which includes the return of New England fan-favorites Ricky Delossantos, Michael Valentin, Lamont Powell, Marqus Bates, Nicholas Briggs and Victor Reynoso.

Unbeaten at 7-0, Delossantos faces durable Mexican featherweight German Meraz (62-54-2, 39 KOs) in an eight-round bout, the toughest test to date for the 29-year-old Pawtucket, R.I., native. Meraz’s long-running career features 62 wins, including 39 by knockout. Next Friday is his fifth fight of the year and 13th since the beginning of 2018, a remarkable stretch highlighted by a three-fight win streak between last April and June.

Meraz has also gone the distance with unbeaten featherweights Tramaine Williams, Irvin Gonzalez, Jason Sanchez, Ruben Villa and Gadwin Rosa, a tall order for Delossantos, who, like Ortiz, is coming off his most impressive win, outworking U.S. Army vet Javar Jones in February.

Tickets are priced at $47, $102, $127 and $152 and are available online at www.cesboxing.com or www.showclix.com or by phone at 401-724-2253. All fights and fighters are subject to change. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first fight begins at 7.

Highlighting the undercard is a long-awaited six-round welterweight showdown between Massachusetts natives Marqus Bates (6-2, 4 KOs) of Taunton and undefeated Wilfredo Pagan (6-0, 3 KOs) of Southbridge. Pagan remained unbeaten with a win over Carlos Galindo in March while Bates won his fourth in a row via knockout in an impressive showing February at Twin River against regional rival Jair Ramos. Next Friday is Pagan’s first fight outside of Massachusetts while Bates returns to Twin River for the eighth time in nine fights.

Reynoso (3-0, 3 KOs), a Providence, R.I., and hard-hitting super welterweight, puts his unbeaten record on the line against Miami’s Yasmani Pedroso (2-5, 1 KO) in a four-round bout. Reynoso faced a tall task in February against John Williams and entered the fourth and final round needing a knockout to pull out the victory. He caught Williams with an overhand right at the 1:31 mark, sending his opponent into the ropes and prompting referee Shada Murdaugh to stop the bout.

Worcester’s Briggs (3-0, 2 KOs) returns in a four-round bout against veteran Latorie Woodberry (2-8-2) of Roanoke, Va. This will be Woodberry’s second appearance and first since February of 2018 when he battled Bates to a four-round unanimous decision. Briggs recently upended the durable Andy Aiello in February, scoring a knockdown en route to a clean sweep on all three scorecards.

Valentin (5-0, 1 KO), the 19-year-old lightweight prospect from Providence, recently returned in February following a year-long layoff due to complications from his lifelong battle with Hirschprung’s disease. Valentin edged Philadelphia’s Christopher Burgos by majority decision to keep his perfect record intact and returns next Friday in a four-round bout. Also undefeated, Providence’s Powell (3-0, 1 KO) steps back into the ring on the 26th in a four-round bout following an impressive win in February over Quebec’s Kenny Chery.

Next Friday’s card also features the long-awaited return of New Bedford, Mass., super lightweight Wilson Mascarenhas (0-1) and the Twin River debut of Rhode Island junior middleweight Anthony Concepcion (2-0, 2 KOs). Fighting for the first time since February of 2018, Mascarenhas faces Joseph Clark (0-0) of Franklin, N.Y., while Concepcion battles Brazil’s Leonardo Ladeira (0-0), both in four-round bouts.

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information or follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING.

Las Vegas – The eighth annual International Fight WeekÔ will feature a stacked card headlined by a pair of thrilling world championship fights streaming exclusively on ESPN+. Light heavyweight champion and No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter Jon Jones defends against dangerous No. 3 ranked contender Thiago Santos. Also, two-division champion and No. 6 pound-for-pound fighter Amanda Nunes puts her bantamweight belt on the line against former titleholder and No. 2 ranked Holly Holm.

UFC® 239: JONES vs. SANTOS takes place Saturday, July 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will stream live nationally on Pay-Per-View exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish. ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the United States as part of an agreement announced last month and continuing through 2025.

Fans will be able to purchase UFC® 239: JONES vs. SANTOS online at ESPNPlus.com/PPV and then will be able to watch it via the web or on the ESPN App on any connected device. ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN app on all major mobile and connected TV devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, X Box One and more.

Preliminary fights will air nationally in English and Spanish on ESPN and ESPN Deportes television networks starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the early prelims simulcast on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT.

Arguably the most dominant champion in UFC light heavyweight history, Jones (24-1 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) will go for his third title fight victory in less than seven months. Over the course of his career, he’s taken out the biggest names in MMA. Jones holds spectacular wins over Daniel Cormier, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida and Alexander Gustafsson (twice). He once again aims to steal the show against one of the division’s toughest strikers.

A vicious KO artist, Santos (21-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) turned heads when he joined the 205-pound weight class less than a year ago. Since the move, he has netted incredible knockout victories against Jan B?achowicz, Jimi Manuwa and Eryk Anders. Santos has also earned an impressive TKO finish over recent title challenger Anthony Smith. The heavy-handed kickboxer now looks to put on another striking clinic and capture his first UFC world championship.

The first woman to hold championships in two UFC divisions, Nunes (17-4, fighting out of Miami, Fla. by way of Pojuca, Brazil) made history by knocking out Cris Cyborg in only 51 seconds to secure the featherweight championship this past December. Considered to be the greatest female fighter in MMA history, she has also finished former champs Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, as well as Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann. Nunes now has her sights set on the bantamweight division’s most decorated striker.

Former champion Holm (12-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) turned the MMA world on its head following a highlight-reel head-kick KO win over previously unbeaten Ronda Rousey in 2015 to capture the title. A multiple time boxing and kickboxing champion, she has also delivered sensational victories against former title challengers Bethe Correia and Raquel Pennington. She is now gunning to reclaim her championship and hand Nunes her first loss in more than four years.

Additional bouts on the card include:

In a battle of heavyweight KO artists, No. 2 ranked contender Francis Ngannou (13-3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Batie, Cameroon) locks horns with former champion and No. 3 Junior Dos Santos (21-5, fighting out of Salvador, Brazil)
Surging welterweight contenders collide as No. 4 ranked Jorge Masvidal (33-13, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) takes on undefeated No. 5 Ben Askren (19-0 1NC, fighting out of Hartland, Wisc.)
No. 6 ranked light heavyweight contender Jan B?achowicz (23-8, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) welcomes No. 2 ranked middleweight Luke Rockhold (16-4, fighting out of Santa Cruz, Calif.) to the 205-pound division
In a clash of The Ultimate Fighter winners, season one champ Diego Sanchez (31-11, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) faces season 15 victor Michael Chiesa (15-4, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.)

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

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Tickets for UFC® 239: JONES vs. SANTOS go on sale Friday, April 19 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, April 17 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 18 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About T-Mobile Arena

T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team. The city’s newest landmark, recently named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine’s 2018 Arena Power List as well as the “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Industry-leading architect Populous designed T-Mobile Arena to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED® Gold Certification. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit T-MobileArena.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About ESPN+

ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN.

ESPN+ offers UFC fans 20 exclusive UFC on ESPN+ Fight Nights per year, as well as an extensive lineup of on-demand UFC programming, original shows (including “Dana White’s Contender Series”), classic fights and more. In addition to live and on-demand UFC content included in the ESPN+ subscription, fight fans will be able to purchase and watch UFC PPV events via ESPN+ and within the ESPN app, for a separate cost.

In addition to UFC, ESPN+ offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is available across nearly all major mobile and connected device platforms and delivers a rich, personalized experience that curates ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

TOMMY LANGFORD BELIEVES his Wembley opponent Lerrone Richards has got it all to prove when the pair collide with the vacant Commonwealth super middleweight title at stake at the SSE Arena on April 27.

Former British middleweight champion Langford is on the rebuild, having moved up in weight after twice being deemed to have come up short on the cards in two epic title battles with Jason Welborn.

His only other setback came when he challenged for the WBO Interim world middleweight title against Avtandil Khurtsidze, who was later imprisoned for organised criminal activity in New York.

The 29-year-old, who took up a day job as an adult trainee electrician when remaining a full-time athlete was no long viable, is now thrilled to be back in the title picture after suspecting he wouldn’t fit the bill as an ideal opponent.

He was wrong on that score and Commonwealth success would near enough restore his previous standing at the higher weight.

“Of course it does and I really didn’t think an opportunity would come this fast for me, having moved up in weight,” he confessed.” I thought I would kind of be kept out in the dark for quite a while because I don’t see that anybody would really pick me as an opponent.

Even in the fights I lost – and I really don’t believe I lost to Jason Welborn, they were fights of the year – he had the fight of his life, while the one that knocked me out was a juiced up little Georgian anyway.

“Obviously I have been thrown this chance and it is an absolutely huge opportunity and I am really grateful to Frank and Francis (Warren) for giving it to me.”
While Langford doesn’t consider himself anyone’s first pick on the matchmaker’s menu, much the same could be said for Richards, for whom very few have been prepared to form an orderly queue to face.

“I seem to keep getting people like this that people don’t really want to fight and I say yes,” pointed out the Tom Chaney-trained Langford. “I don’t know what the crack is with Lerrone, who I have sparred and he is a very slick southpaw, but he has not really fought anybody.

“Is that through not wanting the fights or more that nobody wants to fight him?

“It is a big, big step up for him and we’ll find out what he’s really got,” added the former WBO Intercontinental champion, who does concede that Richards could well be a fully paid up member of the ‘who needs him’ club.

“He is really, isn’t he? He is an awkward southpaw, not a big ticket seller, hasn’t been knocking people out and is not particularly exciting for TV viewers. So who really wants to fight Lerrone?

“You don’t think ‘I’ll pick him’, but he is a very good operator and I wouldn’t be daft and say he isn’t. But there is a difference between the sparring arena and the fight arena and he’s not fought at championship level or remotely near the level I have fought at.”

Daniel Dubois v Richard Lartey tops the bill at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27 on a card that also includes the Commonwealth super middleweight title fight between Lerrone Richards and Tommy Langford, as well as the Southern Area super middleweight title clash between Zak Chelli and Jimmy Smith. WBO European super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards and WBO European super featherweight champion Archie Sharp also feature.

Chorley-boxer Jack Catterall will be in action as he edges ever-closer to a world title challenge. Rangy Super Welterweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz will be back out after his impressive win over Rod Douglas Jnr. Hard hitting middleweight and Peacock gym product Denzel Bentley (9-0) and Belfast amateur middleweight star Caoimhin Agyarko will also return to action. There is a Queensberry debut for Sheffield middleweight Shakiel Thompson (2-0) – with Thompson being tipped by sparring partner Billy Joe Saunders as a star for the future. Ilford Super Middleweight Umar Sadiq (4-1) also returns as he looks to rebuild after his first career loss. Tunde Ajayi trained lightweight Bilal Ali (1-0) will have his second professional fight after making a successful start to his pro career, with Hoddesdon super lightweight Alfie Price set for his fifth.

Tickets will be priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com

Should a positive PED test exclude “Big Baby” Miller from challenging champion
Anthony Joshua on June 1, WBA #15-ranked heavyweight Ivan Dychko says he’s ready and willing to step in.

28-year-old Dychko (7-0, 7 KOs), a two-time Olympic super-heavyweight bronze medallist, has contentious history with the current WBA Champion Joshua. The 6? 9? Kazakhstani lost a controversial decision (13-11) to him in the semi-finals of the 2012 Summer Olympics in Joshua’s homeland of England.

Post-fight reports questioned the scoring openly.

For example: “Joshua defeated Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko by a 13-11 score. The scoring for the fight was very odd with the judges scoring both the 1st and 2nd rounds even despite Dychko clearly getting the better of the slow-moving arm-punching Joshua.”

Dychko’s professional career has been dedicated to getting his revenge.

“He knows he didn’t beat me then and he still can’t beat me,” said a fired-up Dychko. “He got a hometown decision and ended up ‘winning’ my gold medal. Now is his chance to prove he deserved his success instead of it being handed to him. I’m here in great shape and ready to go.”

Dychko, who went 181-18 as an amateur, says he doesn’t need 20 professional fights to be ready for Joshua.

“He’s the same fighter he always was,” said Dychko. “He gets his world rocked in every fight and then his little bit of power bails him out when his opponents get tired. I know exactly how to beat him. I already did.”

Dychko says he’s ready and waiting for his phone to ring.

“No disrespect to Big Baby. If he ends up fighting, I am happy for him, but if Anthony Joshua needs an opponent for June 1, I am the one who deserves this. I’ll be waiting to hear from your people, Anthony.”