PHILADELPHIA, Penn. / ORANGE Calif.(March 9, 2019) – Unbeaten welterweight standout Taras Shelestyuk (16-0, 10 KOs) returns to action TONIGHT when he takes on Martin Angel Rodriguez (18-16-1, 11 KOs)in an eight-round welterweight bout in Orange, California in the main event of the Thompson Boxing annual private show “Night of Champions”

Shelestyuk, who was a 2012 Olympic Bronze Medal winner for Ukraine, checked in at a ready 145.4 lbs. Rodriguez was 146.8 lbs at Friday’s weigh-in.

While tickets are not available for purchase, the promoter will livestream the entire fight card on TB Presents: Night of Champions starting at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET.

Boxing fans can stream the fights on Banner Promotions Facebook page. Blow-by-blow announcer Beto Duran and veteran boxing analyst Doug Fischer will call the action live from ringside.

Shelestyuk is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

Photos by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing.

Former middleweight champion Gennady Goloving has signed a multi-fight deal with DAZN, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The deal is for three-years and six-fights and the first fight of the agreement will take place on either June 8 or 15 against an opponent and at a site to be determined, but it sets up the probability of a third fight with rival Canelo Alvarez in September if Alvarez wins his middleweight unification fight with Daniel Jacobs on May 4.

Golovkin will fight twice per year under the deal, which also includes provisions for GGG Promotions to promote two cards per year that Golovkin does not fight in 2020 and 2021 as he seeks to develop his own stable of fighters.

“DAZN has quickly become the new home of boxing by making the biggest events easily available to the fans,” Golovkin said. “When deciding on where I wanted to continue my career, DAZN’s global vision perfectly matched my goals — not just for my career but the opportunity to showcase talented Eastern European fighters to the world. Thank you to my fans for all of the loyal support and I look forward to you joining me on DAZN.”

“Gennady Golovkin is a generational talent with international appeal,” DAZN Group executive chairman John Skipper said in announcing the deal he spent months negotiating. “We’re confident he will bring his passionate fans to the platform as we produce tentpole events with his team over the next several years.”

6.30pm 4 x 3 mins Middleweight Contest
Nikita Ababiy 162lbs v Cory Dulaney 160lbs
Brooklyn, New York Whitehall, Ohio

DAZN START 7:00 PM

6 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight Contest
Otha Jones III 132 1/2lbs v Giorgi Gelashvili 134 1/4lbs
Toledo, Ohio Brooklyn, New York

7.45pm 10 x 3 mins WBA Inter-Continental Super-Welterweight Championship
Israil Madrimov 151 1/2lbs v Frank Rojas 152 1/2lbs
Indio, California Caracas, Venezuela

8.30pm 10 x 3 mins WBA Inter-Continental Heavyweight Championship
Sergiy Kuzmin 248 1/2lbs v Joey Dawejko 250lbs
St. Petersburg, Russia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WORLD FEED 9:00 PM

10 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight Contest
Callum Johnson 173lbs v Sean Monaghan 174lbs
Boston, England Long Beach, New York

10pm 12 x 3 mins WBO World Super-Lightweight Championship
Maurice Hooker 140lbs* v Mikkel LesPierre 138 3/4lbs
Dallas, Texas New York, New York
*Hooker initially weighed 140 1/2lbs

11pm 12 x 3 mins WBA World Light-Heavyweight Championship
Dmitry Bivol 173 1/2lbs v Joe Smith Jr. 173lbs
Saint Petersburg, Russia Long Island, New York

FLOAT 8 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight Contest
Junior Younan 171.5lbs v Derrek Findley 172lbs
Brooklyn, New York Merrillville, Indiana

NEW YORK (March 8, 2019)-21-time National Champion, Otha Jones III will make his much anticipated pro debut when he takes on Giorgi Gelashvili in a four-round super lightweight contest on Saturday night.

The bout will take place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, and will be streamed live on DAZN beginning at 7 PM ET.

In Gelashvili, Jones is jumping right into the fire as Gelashvili has a record of 5-1 with three knockouts, with the only loss coming via split-decision.

The 18 year old Toledo native was among the top talents in the United States, as he compiled a staggering 283-13 amateur record highlighted by representing Team USA in several international tournaments including winning a Gold Medal at the International Youth Continental Americas Tournament and Silver Medal at the Emil Jechev Memorial Tournament as well as winning several national tournaments such as the winning gold medals in United States National Championships (Twice) and the World Championship Qualifier.

Jones was also a four-time State Wrestling Champion.

“I’m the next cash cow and I want all the smoke. I picked my opponent. I picked the best one out of the three opponents that I was offered. I believe with my team. no one can come close to beating me,” said Jones.

“This will be a great fight against super tough opponent that he and his father wanted. Everyone is very excited to witness Otha’s pro debut,” said David McWater of Split-T Management.

Jones checked in at 132 1/2 lbs. at Friday’s weigh in while Gelashvili weighed 134 1/4 lbs

Jones is promoted by Matchroom Boxing.

INDIO, CALIF. (March 8, 2019): Mexican Hall of Famer Carlos Palomino will be the special VIP guest for the explosive boxing event headlined by the 10-round lightweight clash between rising star Ryan Garcia (17-0, 14 KOs) and Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez (20-3-1, 14 KOs). The fight will take place on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live on DAZN .

Palomino is a native of Sonora, Mexico who became a world champion in the welterweight division. After a short amateur career during his time in the U.S. Army, he debuted as a professional in 1972, fighting at the historic Olympic Auditorium many times as he developed into a solid contender. In 1976, Palomino flew to the United Kingdom to defeat John H. Stacey in his own backyard to become the WBC Welterweight World Champion. He defended the belt several times before losing the crown to another legend in Wilfred “The Radar” Benitez. Palomino then fought Roberto “Hand of Stone” Duran in a legendary battle that he lost by unanimous decision in 1979. He then returned in 1997 for a string of five comeback fights before hanging up the gloves for good.

Palomino will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

In the co-main event, hard-hitting Angel “Tito” Acosta (19-1, 19 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will defend his WBO Light Flyweight Title against Ganigan “El Maravilla” Lopez (35-8, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in a 12-round battle. Acosta, who is part of a co-promotion with Miguel Cotto Promotions, is coming off a sensational first-round knockout win over Abraham “Choko”Rodriguez in October 2018.

Rising super featherweight Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez (27-0, 24 KOs) will make his debut in the United States when he takes on Ibrahim Class (22-5, 10 KOs) of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in a 10-round clash.

NABO Featherweight Champion Joet Gonzalez (21-0, 12 KOs) will defend his regional strap in a 10-round fight against former world champion Rodrigo “Gatito” Guerrero (26-7-2, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico.

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (27-1, 17 KOs) will return to the ring after his first world title opportunity in a 10-round super lightweight fight against Jose Rodriguez (25-12-1, 13 KOs) of Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Danielito Zorrilla (10-0, 8 KOs) of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico will participate in an eight-round super lightweight battle.

Neeco “The Rooster” Macias (17-1, 10 KOs) will look to bounce back from his first loss in an eight-round super lightweight fight against Jeremy Ramos (10-6, 4 KOs) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Herbert “Ace” Acevedo (15-2, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. will fight in an eight-round 140-pound battle against Alfonso Olvera (11-5-1, 4 KOs) of Tucson, Arizona.

Aaron “Silencer” McKenna (6-0, 4 KOS) of Monaghan, Ireland will return in a six-round welterweight fight against Loretto Olivas (3-0, 1 KO) of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Rommel Caballero (5-0, 4 KOs) of Coachella, Calif. will participate in a six-round super featherweight bout against Luis Lizarraga Jr. (6-12-1, 2 KOs) of Merida, Mexico.

Garcia vs. Lopez is a 10-round lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for the event are on sale and are priced at $35, $45 and $55. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/March30DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.

Richard Schaefer
Thank you, and welcome to all the media members for being on today’s call. They say everything is bigger in Texas and well, we had to bring a very big card to Dallas, and that’s exactly what we did. One week to go for the best card, top to bottom of the year taking place March 16 from the legendary AT&T Stadium, in the first PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View.

The card, when I say top to bottom, the best I can remember, combined records of the four televised fighters, 207 wins, 155 by knockout, I’ve never seen that, and only nine losses. I’ve never seen anything like that.

I want to thank as well FOX for an unreal promotion by FOX. You watch FOX. You see commercial after commercial. It’s really refreshing to see how excited they are about the sport and how they put all their resources behind it.

The different shoulder programs on FOX such as PBC Fight Camp and Inside PBC Boxing, are generating huge ratings. In fact, the ratings are so big that they exceed in fact most boxing telecast on other networks and platforms by far, and you’re just talking about background shoulder programming providing better ratings than actual fights on other networks.

We anticipate therefore a huge pay-per-view audience and a huge live audience in Dallas, and I can’t wait. We have one week to go. But today we have David Benavidez and Errol Spence on the call. But before we’re going to turn over to them, I just want to spend a couple of minutes on the other two televised bouts.

Chris Arreola versus the undefeated Jean Pierre Augustin is an amazing fight, amazing showdown as well. I saw Arreola this week at the media workout with Mikey Garcia. He’s in unbelievable shape. I’ve never seen Chris like that. He’s mentally, physically ready to go and he knows that he’s going to have a tough task ahead of him with Jean Pierre Augustin.

Then Luis Nery versus McJoe Arroyo, believe me when I say that Luis Nery is the best bantamweight in the world and absolutely must see TV. He’s so exciting. I think there are tremendous fights for him, and this one here with McJoe Arroyo is his first one under the PBC banner.

With Arreola, Nery, Benavidez and Mikey Garcia, we have four of the top five Hispanic fighters on this card, and all of them are in dangerous and meaningful fights. The man who is largely responsible to bring us these mouthwatering matchups week after week, is our co-promoter Tom Brown of TGB. And I want to thank Tom Brown for the excellent job he is doing.

Now, let’s move on to David Benavidez versus J’Leon Love, clearly one of the best matchups and most exciting matchups that can be made in the Super Middleweight Division. It’s a pleasure for me now to introduce to you the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe, to say a few words about J’Leon Love.

Leonard Ellerbe
Thank you, Richard. J’Leon Love vs. David Benavidez is going to be a very, very exciting fight. In my eyes, it’s a terrific match up. It’s a match up that J’Leon has wanted. He’s had an eye on Benavidez for quite some time. I think that with J’Leon coming in as being the underdog, he’s going to lay it all on the line.

He’s highly motivated and I think it’s a terrific opportunity for him to make a great statement fighting the very brave, talented David Benavidez. Everyone knows what Benavidez brings to the table. He’s a very, very exciting young fighter who had a tremendous amount of success at a young age, and he’ll be looking to establish himself by showcasing his skills out there to the world as he’s the best super middleweight out there. And again, this J’Leon vs. Benavidez fight is going to be a very, very exciting fight and I think the fans will love this fight.

R. Schaefer
Excellent. Thank you very much, Leonard. I want to now introduce to you David Benavidez and I want to acknowledge as well his promoter, my good friend Sampson Lewkowicz. He has a tremendous eye for talent. We all know that.

With David Benavidez, we have clearly pound-for-pound, one of the most exciting fighters in the world, and he’s here to reclaim the throne as the best super middleweight in the world. He’s determined to steal the night on March 16 in Dallas.

And it’s a pleasure now for me to introduce to you the former WBC Super Middleweight World Champion, El Bandera Roja, David Benavidez. David?

David Benavidez
Hello Richard. Thank you for introducing me and I just want to thank you guys for this opportunity. I’ve been in training camp three months in preparation for this fight. This is also a fight I wanted for some time now. And it couldn’t be in a better venue than in AT&T Stadium.

I’m just very blessed to have this opportunity, and I’m not going to let it go to waste. And I’m going to get a spectacular knockout come March 16. It’s really going to be amazing.

Q
David, do you still see yourself as the definitive WBC Super Middleweight Champion?

D. Benavidez
I definitely see myself as the WBC champion. Nobody beat me. They’ve got to come get me, and they’ve got to come beat me to crown themselves champion. I definitely still see myself as WBC champion.

Q
If you win this fight against J’Leon Love, after this fight, is that the plan to go after Anthony Dirrell to win back the title that you’ve never technically lost?

D. Benavidez
Yes, that’s definitely the plan, but for right now, my mind is 100% on J’Leon Love. He’s still a veteran. He’s still a dangerous fighter. So I can’t overlook him at all. First things first, I’ve got to take care of business next week on March 16, and then we’ll think about what’s going to happen after.

Q
Leonard, J’Leon Love’s last fight against Peter Quillin was judged by unanimous decision. And from what has J’Leon Love taken from that loss that he feels could help him in this fight against David Benavidez?

L. Ellerbe
Yes. Not to make any excuses, he had a lot going on in his life, a lot on his mind. And a lot of times what happens is, when a fighter is not focused, they come into a fight and they’re not fully prepared. But again not taking anything from Peter Quillin, outstanding fighter, but that was then.

Thankfully he got this opportunity to fight a great young fighter, David Benavidez. And J’Leon is focused. He’s an expecting father. He’s highly motivated. He’s laying it on the line. He had a terrific camp and I’m just very excited to see him get this opportunity to go on there, and we know it’s going to be a tough fight because we know what Benavidez brings to the table. But I’m very confident that J’Leon will win this fight.

Q
David is this a fight about regaining confidence as a fighter after such a long layoff? Or is this a fight to make a big statement on a big platform on this pay-per-view?

D. Benavidez
Obviously the confidence never went away on my part. I feel like this is a big stage and a big venue, so it’s making a statement. I feel like if I get a spectacular knockout on pay-per-view, my stock is going to go all the way up. Obviously I haven’t been in the ring for a while. It’s just going in there, seeing where I’m at the first few rounds. Then going back right where I left off as being comfortable in the ring, getting a few rounds in, and then obviously going to the knockout.

Q
How would you rank yourself at 168?

D. Benavidez
Obviously I see myself as the best super middleweight in the division, but I have to prove myself. I do see myself at least in the top five. And I think when I get the opportunity to prove myself, I’ll show only to myself and to the world that I am the best, once the opportunities come up.

Q
If given the opportunity, how many times would you like to fight this year?

D. Benavidez
If I had the opportunity to fight three times this year, that would be perfect for me. I feel like that’s the route I want to take. If I get two or three fights, that would be perfect.

Q
How do you prepare to fight in a venue like AT&T stadium? Are there any difficulties that come with being in that kind of environment?

D. Benavidez
There’s no real way to prepare yourself to fight in a venue that big. You just kind of have to go by how it feels. The last time I fought at the Mandalay Bay, there was a lot of people there, but once the fighting gets to going, you really don’t really feel the crowd or see the people. You kind of just focus on what’s in front of you.

Q
Being around Errol, in the buildup to this fight, what’s your impression of him been throughout the whole process?

D. Benavidez
He’s a very nice guy. He handles himself in a really professional way and every time I see him, I shake his hand. He’s a really nice guy. I really look up to him in that sense. He’s a great champion and I want the best for him.

Q
How excited are you about this opportunity to fight in Dallas in front of the fans and just the magnitude of this event and where you think this will catapult you in terms of getting into the bigger fights?

D. Benavidez
I feel very confident I’m going to put on a great performance. I just want to thank everybody for keeping me in mind and putting me on this card on pay-per-view. It’s basically like a dream come true. So I’m confident that I’m going to get a spectacular victory. If I do that, there’s going to be so many people watching that.

Once I get a spectacular victory, I’m in line for something big. If things go the way I think they’re going to go, people are going to want to see me, no matter what. And I think that’s going to set me in line for the big fights coming up.

I just want to go back to where I was, having my belt back, fighting the best of the best. And I feel like PBC and my promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, they’ll take care of all that. I’ve just got to do my job and look spectacular and everything will take care of itself.

Q
Any thoughts on maybe going up to 175 soon? How are you feeling about getting yourself at 168?

D. Benavidez
I’m very comfortable at 168 right now, but 175 is definitely an option. If there’s an opportunity to fight for a title or an opportunity for a big fight, we’re definitely going to go up. But as of right now, my thought is to stay at 168 and capture all the titles.

Q
I want to go back again to when you got stripped of the title and what was that moment like? What was that experience like of having getting something you worked so hard for, get taken away from you?

D. Benavidez
It wasn’t a good feeling to have everything you worked for taken away from you in an instant. But it happened and it just made me hungrier and more motivated to keep working harder and to get back what’s rightfully mine.

Being on the sidelines, seeing my belt won by another person I know I could destroy, kind of did it for me. We’re not going to take any more steps back. We’re working hard and we’re going to reclaim what’s ours and we’re going to put on spectacular performances and that’s how it’s going to be.

Q
What is the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself in these last 13 months?

D. Benavidez
Just the hunger. Just being hungrier, being more dedicated now, being closer to my family. And I just owe it to the people who’ve been supporting me since the beginning. I just want to be a better person and a better fighter for them, so they could have that fighter that they could be proud of.

Q
Do you feel this fight coming up is a redemption fight?

D. Benavidez
Yes, definitely. This is a fight for the fans, just so they could see that, I don’t want nobody to lose faith in me because I know I’m the best I’ve ever been right now. I just turned 22 years old. I feel stronger than ever and I feel this training camp has been amazing. So this fight is definitely going to be for them, so they don’t lose faith in me.

Q
Who do you think wins that main event and why?

D. Benavidez
It’s going to be a great fight. Both fighters are world class fighters. Errol Spence is a monster. He has a lot of power. Mikey Garcia is more of a technician. He has a lot of tricks underneath his sleeves. And I think this is going to be the fight that defines them.

So we really don’t know what Mikey Garcia is going to bring to the table. I’m pretty sure he’s working on so much stuff. Errol Spence is too. I just expect it to be a great fight. I know both guys. They’re really cool guys, but I just feel like the people are really going to be the ones that are really going to win with a great fight. It’s going to be a great venue, the crowd is going to be electric and I just can’t wait for the fight.

Q
Were you surprised that the reaction to you owning up to the drug test and that it was met with such a favorable reaction?

D. Benavidez
I definitely owned up to it because it’s something that a world champion shouldn’t be doing. It was just something I shouldn’t have been doing. Now I’m smarter. My father, me and my team, we’re just not going to be around stuff like that. We’re just going to stay dedicated to our sport.

Q
I know you’re looking at J’Leon Love, but with a win next Saturday, it’s like any fight that you want is right within your reach without having to worry about boxing politics. Does that kind of put your mind at ease going into each fight?

D. Benavidez
Yes. It actually makes you more motivated too because this fight’s going to be made in an instant after my fight. So I’m very excited and very motivated for the fights and opportunities that are sitting on the table for me. Both Caleb Plant and Anthony Dirrell are great fighters. They’re world title holders. So it’s going to be amazing just seeing what’s next for the future for me.

Q
From Mayweather Promotions standpoint, what do you think of David as a fighter, and what it is about him that you see something beatable that you keep sending new guys after him?

L. Ellerbe
I’m not sending guys after him. David Benavidez is one of the most exciting dynamic fighters in the entire sport, not just in the super middleweight division. He’s a guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for. I’ve had a very upfront and close look at him for a couple of fights.

I’ve actually followed his career up until and before he fought Ronald Gavril. He’s a terrific fighter, but just like any fighter, fighters make mistakes and they have flaws. And J’Leon saw some things in the fight that he’ll be able to take advantage of. He’s a young veteran and he’s excited and motivated for this fight and it’s going to be a terrific fight.

And I’ve got respect for Benavidez, but J’Leon is coming to win the fight and he’s confident that he’s going to get it done.

Q
Davis, with the stuff that has happened, is it almost as if you look at that and really wish it hadn’t happened and you could just go back in time and do it all over again? Or actually no, do you feel like you learned from it and it’s kind of a situation where you have that which does not kill us makes us stronger?

D. Benavidez
It’s a little bit of both. Obviously those things that happened to me, I wish they wouldn’t happen, but in reality, it did happen. So I learned a lot about myself, me and my team. It just made us stronger.

I’m not happy, but the way things played out, it just made us stronger. We’ve got good opportunities on the table and we’re just willing to take advantage of what we have in front of us. March 16 is going to be one of the biggest fights I’ve ever been in, probably that I’ll ever be in.

I’m just truly blessed to be here. We’re taking the negatives and turning them into a positive. I’m just extremely ready for my fight next week.

Q
Who are some of the guys that you’re looking at and kind of licking your chops and saying, I definitely want that fight?

D. Benavidez
Right now we’re going to take care of J’Leon Love, but obviously I do have some fights in mind. First I want to get Anthony Dirrell. And then if everything looks good, maybe I can unify with Caleb Plant in the near future. Each one of those guys has the belt. So that’s what I’m going to be interested in right now.

Q
Did you pay close attention to social media and what fans and other fighters had to say about your situation? And if so, what were your thoughts as far as what you read?

D. Benavidez
I really don’t pay attention to social media too much because at the end of the day, I feel like that’s not real life. When I wake up, I train, I get my running in. That’s what really matters in the day. I’m not going to sit here and kill myself about what people say on the internet. Because in reality, that really doesn’t matter.

Of course a lot of people have a lot of things to say and they’re entitled to their own opinion. I can’t control what somebody says. I’m not going to get angry about it either.

Q
Could you tell us a little bit more about what your training has been like and perhaps who you’ve been sparring with over the past few months?

D. Benavidez
Yes. My training has been really good. I’ve been getting a lot of good strength and conditioning training. I’ve been getting a lot of running. When I was in California, I was sparring Dmitry Bivol. I sparred him for about a month, and I sparred a lot of other good fighters in California. And then I’ve been in Texas right now for about three weeks and getting some good work with some guys out here.

So I could say, this training camp has really been one of the best training camps I’ve been a part of. I’ve been eager to get back in the gym and I’ve just been eager to show the people what I have, what I’ve been working on. I’m looking to get a spectacular victory on March 16.

R. Schaefer
Thank you very much, David. Thank you very much, Leonard. I’d like to ask Leonard and David maybe to make a few closing statements, and then we are going to move on to Errol Spence and Mikey Garcia.

L. Ellerbe
Thank you, Richard. I want to thank everyone for joining the call today. There’s going to be fireworks come next week and I’m very excited. It’s going to be a great fight.

D. Benavidez
I also want to thank everybody for giving me the opportunity, just to have me on this conference call as well. I want to also thank the guys the main event. It’s going to be a great fight. It’s going to be a great night of boxing. There’s definitely going to be fireworks come March 16. Thank you so much.

R. Schaefer
Thank you guys. Now we are ready to move on to Errol Spence Jr. Saturday March 16. I call it the coronation in Dallas. Boxing fans, sports fans, and thanks to FOX, the general public will witness who will be crowned as boxing’s new pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

As we all know, there are two sayings in boxing. The first one is, a great big man always beats a great smaller man. If that holds true, Errol Spence Jr. will be crowned in Dallas. But there is another saying, made famous by none other than Floyd Mayweather, that skills pay the bills. And if that holds true, Mikey Garcia will be crowned.

When the fight was announced, I would say that 98% of the boxing media, boxing experts and fight fans, picked Errol Spence to win the fight. Last week I made some calls and was checking around a bit, and it seems now we are getting close to a 50-50 fight. This is evident as well in how the odds have changed and dropped in Las Vegas.

It’s pretty simple. This is the fight to see. How often do we see two undefeated world champions, two world champions in their prime, two world champions universally recognized among the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world?

In almost 20 years promoting the biggest events, I do not remember a single one event which delivered an undefeated in their prime and top five pound-for-pound fighter. It’s a fascinating match up. And that’s why I think, as I mentioned before, with all the support from FOX and the excitement building, we will have an unbelievable pay-per-view come March 16.

Both of these young men are an asset to our sport. They are great ambassadors for boxing, and all of us involved in the sport of boxing, can be proud that we as an extension of it, are involved in a sport which has two such amazing young men.

Errol Spence is clearly the man at 147 pounds. He’s undefeated. He’s the king of his division, and he is today without any question, pound for pound, one of the best fighters in the world. It’s an honor to introduce now the undefeated IBF world champion, Errol Spence Jr. Errol?

Errol Spence Jr.
Hi. How is it going? Happy to be on this conference call. It’s been a great training camp and I’ve been 100% focused and hungry and can’t wait to put on a great show March 16.

Q
Errol, I am curious if you have noted, like Richard Schaefer said, that more and more pundits are seeing that it’s possible that Garcia beats you. Have you noted that? Have you heard people, more people saying, no, I give Mikey a good chance to beat Errol? And if yes, why do you suppose that is?

E. Spence
That’s not something I pay attention to, it’s tight enough from what I’ve seen. I can’t worry about that. I’ll just worry about what my camp thinks and how our preparation is going and my focus is 100%. I’m just ready to put on a great show. So I don’t care if that changed in his favor for all I care. It just means he’s going to get in the ring and fight.

Q
You’re up in DeSoto, right, not actually Dallas?

E. Spence
Yes, but I grew up in Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and I grew up in Dallas. So I went first kindergarten all the way to fourth grade in Dallas, and then I went to Cedar Hill and then I went to DeSoto for ninth grade all the way to 12th.

Q
You said you went to two high schools. Could you list those two high schools for me?

E. Spence
Cedar Hill High School and DeSoto High School.

Q
I know when you and Derrick first met, I know you guys talked about how you kind of were in the ring against each other. Do you remember the name of that gym and the city where located?

E. Spence
Vivero Boxing Gym. It’s the same gym that Vergil Ortiz started at too.

You and Derrick often talk about your big sparring partners, sparring middleweight, sparring heavyweight, things like that, just wondering if you guys took a different approach to this fight, if you aimed for smaller, faster sparring partners, and if there are any you can name specifically?

E. Spence
We have added some lighter spars, 140 pounders and guys that fight at my weight. One of them is Amon Rashidi, and he’s fighting out on the undercard and he’s 5-0. He’s pretty much the same height as Mikey Garcia. But we’ve been still adding in bigger guys, just for the physical approach and just getting good work out of those guys.

Q
When Mikey first started talking about fighting you, what was your inclination about wanting to fight him?

E. Spence
At first I didn’t really care too much for fighting him, it got to a point where he started talking a lot more and a lot of other welterweights. I was pretty much busy, like Shawn Porter, like Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, they all had their dates. Manny Pacquiao too. They were the obvious options for me. Then when I found that I could be fighting at AT&T Stadium, then it just made sense.

Q
If this fight wasn’t proposed to be at AT&T Stadium, would you have taken the fight still or would you have wanted to go in a different direction?

E. Spence
I don’t know. Everything happen for a reason. So it’s at AT&T Stadium. I don’t know what I would have decided if it wouldn’t have been at AT&T Stadium.

Q
If you do win, if you get by Mikey, that you are the best fighter in the world?

E. Spence
Like I always say, it’s not just about winning. It’s about your performance and it’s how you win. So if I have a spectacular performance, then I do rate myself as pound-for-pound just the best fighter in the world too.

Q
Do you subscribe to the theory that has been running out there since this fight that Mikey doesn’t have a chance? He’s the little guy. You’re the bigger guy. Do you subscribe to that David and Goliath theory? Or do you feel Mikey is a great fighter, he brings more to the table than people really think?

E. Spence
I think he definitely brings a lot to the table and I don’t – I mean people who say that he doesn’t stand a chance I feel like don’t really know anything about boxing or don’t know the history of boxing, just to say he doesn’t have a chance. He does have a title at 140.

That’s just one weight up from 147. So he does have experience fighting at 140. So I mean everybody has a chance. He does have a chance. He does have a lot of skills and he is fundamentally sound. He comes from that boxing pedigree. So he definitely has a chance.

Q
Is this the biggest fight of your life? Bigger than the Kell Brook fight?

E. Spence
It’s kind of hard to say because without that win and especially going overseas and fighting someone considered one of the best welterweight in the world and beating the man in his hometown, that added to a lot of experience in different things that have led me to this point and led me to the victory I’m going to get next Saturday.

I think this is the biggest one, just where it’s at and it’s on pay-per-view and it’s been hyped up to be really big. I think this might be the biggest win of my career right now.

Q
What are some of the flaws you’ve seen in Mikey’s game between now and start of training camp?

E. Spence
Mikey is tough and I like that. It shows that he’s really coming to fight and it’s going to be a great fight. They can feel however they feel. So I definitely have a game plan to exploit my strengths. And me and my camp, we’re working hard.

My coach has been watching him and we have a game plan ourselves. In the ring we’ll find out if my reach and my size is going to be an advantage or not, or maybe I just have really good ability. So we’ll see.

Q
Fighting at AT&T Stadium, does that put any added pressure on it, or is it another day at the office for you?

E. Spence
Well, me personally, it’s another day at the office, but it’s definitely a huge fight just exposure wise and becoming the superstar that I want to be. So I mean this is a huge fight. But for me, that’s another day in the office. I don’t really think about that till after the fight and the magnitude of it till after the fight. So I don’t get caught up in the moment but it is a huge fight, especially for my career.

Q
Do you really expect Mikey Garcia to be able to go 12 rounds with you?

E. Spence
If he goes 12 he goes 12, but with me, my mentality is, I train hard for a hard 12 round fight, because I don’t want to not expect something and then something else happens. I always tell myself that to make sure that I’m fully prepared, not just physically but mentally for a grueling 12 round fight.

So even if I do get the knockout, all through camp we’re focused on training hard for a 12 round fight. If I get the knockout, then good, but it’s something in my mind that, I want to be prepared if I have to go 12 rounds.

Q
Do you admire Mikey Garcia for wanting to step up and fight you, taking on this challenge?

E. Spence
I respect him. I really respect Mikey Garcia and his skills and his talent. It’s apparent. But other than that, I’ll respect him after the fight depending on this whole game plan and things like that. I definitely respect him for taking the fight and now that he’s rising to the challenge, he challenged me.

I don’t know who I would be fighting or where I would be fighting at if he didn’t call me out. So this is a great fight and the magnitude of the fight is great too.

So I’m just grateful to have this big fight of this type of magnitude on FOX pay-per-view. So I’m happy to be at the here right now.

Q
Are you just as excited to be in this fight as we are to see this fight?

E. Spence
I’m definitely excited. I was excited as soon as I found out where it was going to be at and basically it was just an easy fight to make. I wanted to fight, and it made sense for it to happen here. I’m excited to be fighting at home again and especially because we’re fighting at AT&T Stadium.

Q
What concerns you in your game plan about Mikey Garcia the most?

E. Spence
Nothing really. I feel like I’ve seen every style there is to see. Especially a guy like Mikey Garcia who’s very traditional and has a good full body of work. But at the end of the day, he’s very traditional. I’m very familiar with his style and what he does, things like that. I’ll be prepared for anything that he brings to the table.

Cameron Buford: Thank for answering the questions. And man, you mentioned those names before. Are those some of the names or some of the guys you would be looking at fighting after you fight Garcia next weekend?

R. Schaefer
Okay. I’m just going to have Errol make some closing comments. But I just want to add something. Errol Spence is one of those throwback fighters, a fighter who we all know is going to fight anybody and everyone.

Being as good as he is, being pound-for-pound one of the best, being undefeated, there are not too many other guys calling him out. So for Errol Spence Jr. to be headlining, to have his opportunity to headline his first pay-per-view event, to headline a pay-per-view event from the AT&T Stadium.

He’s also headlining the first PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View, the first time that a free over the air network, television network is entering the pay-per-view space, and Errol Spence is there and they’re doing it with him. And then to have the opportunity to fight an undefeated fighter, one of the best fighters in the world as well, a fellow top five pound-for-pound fighter with Mikey Garcia.

You look at all of these opportunities, Errol Spence Jr. is perfectly situated to really become the face of the sport and be the face of the sport. He has the skills, he has the talent and he has an opportunity, and he knows all of that. So I can’t wait to see you next week, Errol, it’s going to be a big week, and it’s going to be an exciting week. Let’s start the journey to make history here. I’d like to turn it over to you again, Errol, to make some closing comments.

E. Spence
I thank everybody for coming on the conference call. This is a real boxing event, a real boxing match between two great fighters, two top 10 pound-for-pound fighters who are undefeated. So that’s rare to have in today’s time, especially in boxing. So I hope everybody tunes in. You can get your tickets on SeatGeek.com.

It’s going to be an amazing event. And I can’t wait to put on another amazing performance. I’m 100% ready. I’m in tip-top shape. I’ve been training hard. I’m on crazy focus and I’ve basically got tunnel vision, straight to Mikey Garcia March 16. So make sure you are tuned in. It’s going to be an amazing event. Thank you.

# # #

ABOUT SPENCE VS. GARCIA
Spence vs. Garcia is a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event that is headlined by unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol Spence Jr. defending his title against four-division world champion Mikey Garcia on Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View undercard begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature undefeated former super middleweight champion David Benavidezbattling veteran contender J’Leon Love, unbeaten former bantamweight champion Luis Nery taking on former champion McJoe Arroyo and fan-favorite Chris Arreola facing unbeaten Jean Pierre Augustin.

Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT featuring former heavyweight world champion Charles Martin squaring off against unbeaten Dallas-native Gregory Corbin.

Tickets for this showdown, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Ringstar Sports, are on sale now, and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.

Spence vs. Garcia will be shown on big screens across the nation through FathomEvents. Tickets can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.

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

About AT&T Stadium:
AT&T Stadium is one of the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venues in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year round. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 50 pieces from an international array of curated artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the Home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches, and other special events. For more information, go to www.attstadium.com.

Anthony Yarde stopped Travis Reeves in round five of their scheduled 12-round light heavyweight bout at Royal Albert Hall in London.

In round five, Yarde landed several heavy and flush right hands that wobbled Reeves, and referee Marcus McDonnell stopped the bout at 48 seconds.

Yarde is now 18-0 with 17 knockouts. Reeves is 17-4-2.

Liam Williams obliterated Joe Mullender in round two of their scheduled 12 round middleweight fight.

Williams dropped Mullender in the 2nd frame with a crushing uppercut that sent Mullender down face-first. Mullender got to his feet, only to eat a booming right that knocked him down and out and the fight was immediately waved off at 1:09.

Williams is 20-2-1 with 15 knockouts. Mullender is 11-3.

Daniel DuBois remained undefeated by stopping Razvan Cojanu in round two of their scheduled ten-round heavyweight bout.

DuBois landed a hard left-right that dropped Cojanu in the 2nd frame. Cojanu could not get to his feet before then ten-count at 2:48.

DuBois is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Cojanu is 16-6.

Hamzah Sheeraz destroyed Rod Douglas Jr inside of a round of their scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout.

Sheeraz dropped the overmatched Douglas three times before the fight was stopped when the towel was thrown in at 1:10.

Sheeraz is 7-0 with three knockouts. Douglas is 2-2.

New York, NY (March 8, 2019) – Brooklyn, New York’s lightweight contender Melissa “Little Miss Tyson” St. Vil (11-3-4, 1 KO) will challenge Belgian Delfine Persoon (42-1, 17 KOs) for the WBC World Female Lightweight Championship, tomorrow at the XPO XXL in Kortrijk, West Vlaanderen, Belgium. Persoon, who hasn’t lost since 2010, will be making her ninth title defense.

The Haitian-American St. Vil debuted in 2007 and quickly showed promise, defeating Jennifer Han, who currently holds the IBF featherweight title, in her third pro bout. She has been a road warrior for her entire career, always willing to travel to her opponent’s backyard, while fighting abroad in New Zealand, China, Haiti and Finland. It was in Auckland, New Zealand, where St. Vil captured the WBC Silver Female Super Featherweight Title in April 2016, defeating Baby Nansen, then traveling to Chengdu, China, to defend that belt against Katy Wilson Castillo three month later.

Facing Finland’s 21-0 Eva Wahlstrom in Helsinki in April 2018, for the WBC World Female Super Featherweight title, St. Vil suffered a controversial defeat in her first world title challenge. Despite outworking the hometown favorite over 10 rounds, St. Vil lost a close, majority decision on scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-95. In round seven, a left hook-straight right combination clearly floored the champion, however, the referee ruled the knockdown as a slip.

St. Vil has fought on enemy turf so often that it was only in her last fight that she made her hometown debut, winning a shutout eight-round decision against previously unbeaten Mayra Hernandez, on September 29, 2018, at Brooklyn’s Kings Theater, as part of a DiBella Entertainment Broadway Boxing event.

“Melissa St. Vil is a tremendous fighter who should already be a world champion and deserved the victory in Finland,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “She is never hesitant to travel to an opponent’s hometown and will be doing so again tomorrow in Belgium. Persoon is a long-reigning champion, but I anticipate Mel’s relentless pressure and aggression making it a very difficult fight for Delfine.”

“I’ve been in this position before. The difference now is that I have a solid team behind me,” said St. Vil. “I have Lou DiBella as my promoter, my manager Brian Cohen, and Rafael Vazquez and Jenaro Díaz as my trainers. I would like to thank my teammate Kali Reis for making the trip to Belgium to support me. I’ve always been a very hard worker and, on Saturday night, my hard work is going to pay off. To all of the up-and-coming women boxers out there, follow your dreams no matter how bumpy the road gets. Keep fighting to achieve your dream and eventually you will succeed.”

“I’m very proud of Melissa. She always puts one-thousand percent into everything she does and takes no shortcuts,” said St. Vil’s manager Brian Cohen. “Unlike other boxers that never fight out of their hometown, Mel goes into the lion’s den. She is the true definition of a boxer. Mel has more testicular fortitude than some male boxers. I know we are the underdogs in this fight and that talks have started for Persoon to face Katie Taylor. As long as the judges and referee give Mel a fair shake, I believe she will be victorious on Saturday night.”

Verona, New York:On Saturday night, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (15-0, 11 KOs), the young and crafty Russian, looks to keep momentum alive as he battles the big power-puncher Joe Smith, Jr. (24-2, 20 KOs) in Smith’s backyard at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY and streaming live on DAZN. The scouting report for this exciting match-up is below:

Category
Dmitry Bivol
Joe Smith Jr.
Age
28
29
Record
15-0-0 (11 KOs)
24-2-0 (20 KOs)
Strength
Dmitry is incredibly elusive in the ring, he has a granite chin and solid power in his shots. He gained a vast amount of experience in his recent title defense over former champion Jean Pascal.
Joe Smith has incredible heart and an iron chin. He has knockout power in both hands and has earned stoppage wins over former champions Bernard Hopkins and Andrzej Fonfara.
Weakness
Bivol is coming into this match lacking the professional experience that his opponent possesses.
Smith has been inactive as of late, only competing twice in the previous two years.
Experience
Although he lacks the professional experience in comparison to his opponent, he is establishing himself as a force in the light heavyweight division.
Smith has been fighting at the professional level for about 10 years, while also earning notable wins along the way.
Power
Bivol has a powerful jab and vicious right hand. He is guilty in handing the always-durable Sullivan Barrera his first stoppage loss just one year ago.
His power may be his biggest strength, he has heavy hands and throws with bad intentions. He handed the future hall-of-famer Bernard Hopkins his only career stoppage loss in 2016 when he knocked Hopkins out of the ring.
Speed
The champion possesses possibly the fastest hands at 175-pounds. He’s quick with the jab and even quicker with his combinations.
The challenger maintains a steady pace throughout the fight. He saves his energy for the finish in which he does a good job of turning it up a notch.
Endurance
He proved in his last two outings that he can handle going a full 12-rounds: defeating the always-crafty Isaac Chilemba and former champion Jean Pascal.
Although he has never been pushed for 12-rounds, he proved his toughness and grit when he went 10-rounds with Sullivan Barrera despite a broken jaw.
Accuracy
Dmitry has a pinpoint accurate jab that he follows-up with rigorous combinations to the head and body.
Smith’s accuracy isn’t on par with his opponent. However, if he lands one clean shot then the night can come to an early end.
Defense
Bivol is very elusive in the ring, which causes major problems for his opponents in getting off effective shots.
Smith is an offensive-minded fighter; there is no feeling out process in the ring with him. He presses the action from start to finish in overwhelming fashion.
Chin
It is safe to say that the champion’s chin is more than durable. He took some big shots in his previous bout with Jean Pascal but was able to execute his game plan in a hard-fought win.
Although he was stopped once in 2010, Smith has since flipped the script completely on any doubt regarding his chin. He put on a courageous effort with Sullivan Barrera in 2017 after suffering a broken jaw in the second round.
Style
Dmitry is a very busy and aggressive fighter in the ring. He’s constantly throwing his opponents off balance with his movements and continuously unleashes combinations throughout the fight.
Joe fights with confidence and believes he can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the division. He likes to press the action as soon as the bell rings because he can end the fight with just one shot.
Intangibles
Credit to the champion who will be competing for the 8th time in just two years. He is very active and has fully embraced the role as a young titleholder in a very talent-stacked division. In his most recent title-defense, he was able to withstand the physical and aggressive pressure that Jean Pascal is famous for. Similar to Pascal, Joe Smith delivers the same power and aggressiveness only with more torque in his shots. Any lingering questions regarding the champion’s chin will be answered in this bout.
Joe Smith put himself on the map back in 2016 when he embraced the underdog role against former title challenger Andrzej Fonfara; a fight in which he won via a first round TKO. Nearly three years down the road, he finds himself embracing the underdog role again, this time in his backyard and with the WBA Light Heavyweight title at stake. Joe is no stranger to spoiling parties, he spoiled the retirement party of future hall-of-famer Bernard Hopkins just two years ago and plans on doing the same against a fighter who many refer to as the future of the division.
Crowd Support
Although he earned the biggest win of his young career in his last outing with former champion Jean Pascal, it may not be enough to earn him the significant crowd support considering he is fighting in Smith’s home state.
Smith is a finisher and is also a native of New York, most of the crowd will be in his corner.
The Match-up
1. Will Joe Smith’s inactivity show in this fight?
2. Will Dmitry be able to handle Joe Smith’s power?
3. Will Joe Smith be able to handle the pressure and speed of Dmitry?
4. Will Dmitry be able to stay away from Joe Smith power, while fighting his fight at the same time?

According Main Events’ Matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, “This match-up is a great one! Joe Smith gained national attention with his upset against a legend in Bernard Hopkins, the future Hall-of-Famer. Opponents are not lining up to face Dmitry Bivol but the champion is willing to fight anyone at any time. Despite the buzz around Bivol, Smith is ready to step up and take on the young champion and prove he ranks among the top contenders in the stacked light heavyweight division.”

8 March 2019 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), put on a tremendous show at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon. ONE: REIGN OF VALOR played host to a world-class display of martial arts action. Once again, the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent took to the ONE Championship cage to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, Zebaztian Kadestam retained his ONE Welterweight World Title with a stunning stoppage victory over Georgiy Kichigin.

Visit the official ONE: REIGN OF VALOR photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event, Sweden’s Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam showed championship heart by defeating Kazakhstan’s Georgiy “Knight” Kichigin via technical knockout to retain the ONE Welterweight World Championship. For the better part of the first two rounds, Kadestam was on the wrong end of a grappling clinic from Kichigin, as he was getting taken down and controlled on the ground. In the dying minutes of the second round however, Kadestam landed a thunderous elbow in the clinch that had the challenger dazed at the end of the round. Visibly still hurt from the elbow, Kichigin was unable to answer the third round bell and the victory was awarded to Kadestam.

Myanmar’s own Phoe “Bushido” Thaw overcame a troublesome start to score an exciting technical knockout win over Indonesia’s Yohan “The Ice Man” Mulia Legowo. Phoe Thaw found himself in some precarious situations early, but managed to escape from mount and a number of submission attempts. Momentum shifted in favor of the hometown favorite, as Phoe Thaw gained dominant position and punished Legowo with thunderous punches to earn the stoppage win late in the opening round.

Former ONE World Title challenger Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli of Italy made quick work of opponent Alain “The Panther” Ngalani of Hong Kong to win via first-round technical knockout. At the sound of the opening bell, the two warriors met each other head-on at the center of the ONE cage. Cerilli quickly secured underhooks against the fence and then executed an overhead slam, sapping the energy from Ngalani. From the reverse headlock position, Cerilli then delivered a symphony of knees to force the referee to call a halt to the contest.

Filipino flyweight contender Rene “D’Challenger” Catalan smashed his way to a convincing first-round technical knockout win over former ONE Flyweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Japan. Catalan nullified Naito’s grappling as he stuffed the former World Champion’s relentless takedown attempts. After securing dominant position, Catalan unloaded a barrage of strikes to overwhelm Naito for the dominant stoppage victory.

Top-ranked Indian mixed martial arts star Gurdarshan “Saint Lion” Mangat made a statement in his ONE Championship debut, defeating former ONE World Title challenger Toni “Dynamite” Tauru of Finland by knockout. Mangat and Tauru went strike-for-strike in the first two rounds, making for an exciting back-and-forth contest. In the final round, Mangat went for the finish, as he dropped Tauru with a swift left hook before finishing things off with a jumping knee and some ground-and-pound.

Muay Thai legend Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy of Thailand turned in a spectacular performance, dominating opponent Kenta Yamada of Japan in a ONE Super Series Kickboxing bout. For three full rounds, Petchmorakot unloaded a bevy of powerful striking combinations, which featured a torrent of left high kicks and straight punches. Yamada played defense for the majority of the contest. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Petchmorakot to win by unanimous decision.

Four-time Chin State Wrestling Champion Tial “The Dragon Leg” Thang of Myanmar was dominant in his mixed martial arts debut as he outpointed Rin Saroth of Cambodia to score a unanimous decision victory. Tial Thang put on a show in front of his home country as he dictated the pace in the striking department and showed off his elite-level grappling with a number of masterful takedowns. After three exciting rounds, Tial Thang was declared the winner in front of a raucous crowd in Yangon.

Striking superstars Liam Nolan of England and Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl of Germany made their ONE Super Series debuts in a fiery Kickboxing contest. The two martial artists traded their best strikes for the majority of the bout right at the center of the ONE cage. In the second round, Kehl connected on a thudding body shot to force Nolan to take a knee. After action resumed, Kehl put the finishing touches with a fierce combination against the cage. Nolan failed to beat the 10 count and Kehl was awarded the knockout victory.

In an exciting ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest, light heavyweight behemoths Andrei Stoica of Romania and Tarik Khbabez of Morocco went back and forth, trading powerful striking combinations from the sound of the opening bell. For three full rounds, both Stoica and Khbabez stood right in the pocket, exchanging their biggest shots, but it was Khbabez who landed with more power and frequency. In the end, all three judges scored in favor of Khbabez to win by unanimous decision.

“MMA Sister” Lin Heqin of China was spectacular in her ONE Championship debut as she submitted Filipina star Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres in the first round. The rangey Lin imposed her will in striking early but found herself getting taken down late in the first round. The takedown proved to be detrimental for Torres however, as Lin locked in a deep triangle choke that left the Filipina with no alternative but to tap out.

“The Ghost” Chen Rui of China remained undefeated in his professional mixed martial arts career after defeating Guam’s Roman “Boom” Alvarez via technical knockout in just two rounds. Chen and Alvarez put on a striking battle in the first round as the two traded combinations in the exciting first five minutes of action. Chen dropped Alvarez with a well-placed uppercut to the head midway through the second round and followed up with a storm of punches to claim the stoppage victory.

Female atomweight competitors Bozhena “Toto” Antoniyar of Myanmar and Audreylaura “Ice Comet” Boniface of Malaysia figured in a thrilling two-round encounter. Hometown hero Antoniyar put together an electric performance to the delight of the packed Thuwunna Indoor Stadium crowd, lighting up Boniface with a plethora of dynamic striking combinations. In the second round, Boniface succumbed to the constant pressure as Antoniyar claimed the technical knockout victory due to strikes.

Flyweight competitors Rui Botelho of Portugal and Yuta Watanabe of Japan figured in a spirited ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest. Watanabe utilized his length to keep Botelho constantly out of range in the early going. Botelho battled back late, scoring big on a pair of knockdowns in the third round. In the end, all three judges scored in favor of Botelho to win by unanimous decision.

Kicking off the action at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR was a ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest between Kohei “Momotaro” Kodera of Japan and Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse of Australia. Kodera, a karate black belt, was the sharper of the two athletes and was constantly a step ahead of his opponent for three full rounds. At the end of the contest, all three judges scored in favor of Kodera to win by unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: REIGN OF VALOR
ONE Welterweight World Championship bout: Zebaztian Kadestam defeats Georgiy Kichigin by TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 5:00 minutes of round 2
Featherweight bout: Phoe Thaw defeats Yohan Mulia Legowo by TKO (Strikes) at 4:56 minutes of round 1
Heavyweight bout: Mauro Cerilli defeats Alain Ngalani by TKO (Strikes) at 1:41 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Rene Catalan defeats Yoshitaka Naito by TKO (Strikes) at 4:32 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Gurdarshan Mangat defeats Toni Tauru by Knockout (KO) at 1:23 minutes of round 3
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Featherweight bout: Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy defeats Kenta Yamada by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Catch Weight (68.0 KG) bout: Tial Thang defeats Rin Saroth by Unanimous Decision (UD) at after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Featherweight bout: Enriko Kehl defeats Liam Nolan by Knockout (KO) at 2:12 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Light Heavyweight bout: Tarik Khbabez defeats Andrei Stoica by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Women’s Atomweight bout: Lin Heqin defeats Jomary Torres by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 4:12 minutes of round 1
Catch Weight (67.0 KG) bout: Chen Rui defeats Roman Alvarez by TKO (Strikes) at 2:48 minutes of round 2
Women’s Atomweight bout: Bozhena Antoniyar defeats Audreylaura Boniface by TKO (Strikes) at 1:31 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Flyweight bout: Rui Botelho defeats Yuta Watanabe by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Flyweight bout: Kohei Kodera defeats Kenny Tse by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, and more.

Sean McGoldrick says he is feeling revitalised after teaming up with BBBofC 2018 Trainer of the Year Jamie Moore at the V.I.P Gym in Astley, Wigan.

The 2010 Commonwealth gold medallist fights for the first time under his new trainer in a six round Super-Bantamweight contest against Liverpool’s Sean Cairns at the Copper Box Arena on March 23, and the 7-0 Newport talent believes a good showing in London will strengthen his title credentials.

“I felt like I needed a change,” said McGoldrick. “I went to see Jamie and clicked with him straight away. Everything in the gym has been going really well. We’re gelling on the pads and he’s already taught me lots of little things that have improved my game. Hopefully I can display everything that I’ve learnt when I face Sean Cairns on March 23.

“Both Jamie and Nigel Travis are fantastic coaches and I’m confident they can help me achieve what I want to achieve in boxing. The gym standard is high and it makes me want to raise and improve my performances. I like to sit back and watch the other guys in the gym spar. I’m always picking up on the little things they do differently. I feel like I’m learning off all of them too.

“I definitely have a new lease of life. I’m excited to go to the gym and I’m always looking forward to the next session with all of the boys. Everyone trains really hard and pushes each other on. It’s a happy place to train and I feel like I’m in a great place.

“I have to earn the right to fight for titles. Hopefully I can put on a solid performance at the Copper Box and that will push my name up there for title opportunities. I want to be pushing towards titles but I understand that I’ve got to earn these opportunities, I can’t just expect them. That being said, I’ve got a great team behind me and a title shot at the back end of the year isn’t unrealistic.”

McGoldrick vs. Cairns is part of a huge night of boxing at the Copper Box Arena.

Main event sees Croydon’s Charlie Edwards make the first defence of his WBC Flyweight World title against Spain’s Angel Moreno.

Rising Light-Heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi takes on former English Champion Liam Conroy for the vacant British title in his tenth fight.

London Cruiserweight rivals Lawrence Okolie and Wadi Camacho collide with the British and Cruiserweight titles on the line.

Watford Bantamweight talent Shannon Courtenay makes her highly-anticipated professional debut.

Lewis Ritson makes his eagerly-anticipated return to the ring after suffering a first career loss to Francesco Patera last October and Newport Bantamweight talent Sean McGoldrick fights for the first time under new trainer Jamie Moore.

Leon Bunn (13-0, 7 KOs) will face Leon Harth (18-3, 12 KOs) for the IBF International Light Heavyweight title on May 4 at the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt.

Bunn tops the bill in his hometown as Team Sauerland return to the Fraport Arena for the first time in seven years following a memorable cruiserweight showdown between Yoan Pablo Hernandez and Steve Cunningham in 2012.

The 26-year-old from Frankfurt is back in action after a unanimous points win over Viktor Polyakov on February 16 in Koblenz, and will have the chance to claim his first professional title as he goes toe-to-toe with countryman Harth.

“I would like to thank my promoter Team Sauerland for the opportunity and the confidence they’ve shown in me,” said the highly rated light heavyweight.

“To fight for my first title in my hometown is amazing! I’m looking forward to a great evening with a great atmosphere. Everyone knows that my fans support me everywhere I am boxing, but here in Frankfurt, it’s going to be even better!

“It’s time to step up. I want to climb the rankings and box for the big titles, and to do that I have to beat Leon Harth, even though I know he’s very strong.”

Having campaigned at cruiserweight, Harth has returned to light heavyweight, where he remains undefeated, and has captured the IBO Continental and WBC Asia 175lb titles in his last two contests.

The only blemishes on the Detmold-boxer’s resume come from defeats to former World Champions Murat Gassiev and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, and World title challenger Artur Mann, who meets Kevin Lerena for the IBO crown on March 16.

“It’s great that my promoter Petko’s Box Promotion with Team Sauerland has been able to agree this fight,” said Harth. “Leon Bunn is a good boxer with a good amateur pedigree, but I have fought at a higher level. My switch from cruiserweight down to light heavyweight has also served me well. Here, I can play to my strengths much better, as Leon Bunn will find out on May 4.”

Harth’s promoter Alexander Petkovic adds: “We worked very well with Team Sauerland at last June’s Petko’s Fight Night, and the negotiations for this fight were just as simple, within 24 hours we were in agreement. This is exactly the type of fight we have to deliver for the German audience. We know that Leon Bunn is a strong boxer and his fans will support him in many ways, but our Leon will fight bravely and produce a big fight for all boxing fans, I promise!”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland says: “Leon Harth will provide a tough test for Leon Bunn, but if he wants to step up, he must be prepared to face tougher opponents, and Harth is a tough opponent. I am very happy that Harth and Petko’s Boxing Promotions have accepted this fight. We look forward to returning to Frankfurt for an action-packed evening of boxing, and we will be announcing some great fights for the undercard in the coming weeks!”

Tickets for the Team Sauerland event on May 4 at the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt are on sale now and available online via www.eventim.de.

Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions will be returning to Club Amazura on Friday, March 8, presenting another entertaining night of boxing in association with The New Mexican Promotion and Fists of Legends.
6 Rounds: Titus Williams (125.6 lbs) vs. Cristian Renteria (124.2 lbs)
6 Rounds: Ariel Lopez (117 lbs) vs. Jose Chanez (116.4 lbs)
6 Rounds: Jude Franklin (124.8 lbs) vs. Aleem Jumakhonov (124.2 lbs)
6 Rounds: Mathew Gonzalez (143.2 lbs) vs. Gabor Kovacs (139.6 lbs)
6 Rounds: Jose Gonzalez (126.2 lbs) vs. David Berna (126.8 lbs)
6 Rounds: Wesley Ferrer (140.8 lbs) vs. Andrew Rodgers (141.8 lbs)
6 Rounds: Eileen Olszewski (108.2 lbs) vs. Judit Hackbold (109.6 lbs)

Club Amazura is located at 91-12 144th Place in Jamaica, Queens. The first bell on Friday night will ring at 7:30 PM.

CARSON, CALIF. (March 7, 2019) – WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter and top welterweight contender Yordenis Ugas went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they battle in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday night from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Also squaring-off at Thursday’s press conference and competing in PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes action Saturday were hard-hitting welterweights Abel Ramos and Francisco “Chia” Santana, who meet in a 10-round attraction, and unbeaten heavyweight Efe Ajagba and veteran Amir Mansour, who battle in an eight-round attraction to kick off the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from the Marriott Los Angeles Airport:

SHAWN PORTER

“This is special. I feel great and I’m ready to go. I’ve done everything that I need to do so that I’m ready for this point right now.

“I’m sure Ugas has looked at what I do in the ring and sees how tough and rough it is to fight me. He thinks he’s the better boxer and has more technical skills, which is fine with me. He can say what he wants, but the talking is done after today.

“We wanted something different for this fight and we had worked with Barry Hunter from a distance for a while. I think my dad (Kenny Porter) would agree that going out to their gym in Washington, D.C. was one of the best moves we’ve made in boxing.

“Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr. or Manny Pacquiao. Those are all big fights that people want to see. If this fight goes the way we want it to go, those guys are the goal for the next fight.

“I think he’s going to try to clinch with me and also try to catch me coming in. But I’ve been down that road before and I’m going to show you something different on Saturday. I’m more than comfortable that we’ll be ready to make all the necessary adjustments.

“People want to see knockouts. That’s the best way to solidify a win. We’ve seen things not go my way before on close scorecards. We’ve worked on adding some more power and we’ll see on Saturday if it all comes to fruition.

“I’m looking forward to this fight going differently than last time I fought at this venue, against Kell Brook. I’m going to make sure it goes my way this time, but there’s no added pressure because of it. It’s total focus on getting this job done the best way that I can.”

YORDENIS UGAS

“I’m full of pride to be here today in this great fight. This is the opportunity I’ve wanted and I’m going to take full advantage.

“I am 100 percent better technically than Shawn Porter. It’s going to make this a great fight on Saturday and we’re going to give the fans an incredible night.

“Shawn and I sparred a couple years ago but I’m a way different fighter than I was then. You’re going to see an elite fighter on Saturday.

“I am taller than Shawn, but in the ring, there isn’t a big difference. If he prefers to fight taller fighters, I actually think that will be to my advantage. I’ll show you why on Saturday.

“This is a very evenly-matched fight. I’ve come a long way and now people are giving me the credit that I deserve and that I worked so hard for.

“Being in this position is very motivating for me. Especially because of this big platform in the main event on FOX. I’m going to do what I do best and what I love to do the most.”

ABEL RAMOS

“I’m feeling really good. Training camp has gone well. I’m excited to be on this big event and I’m ready to put on a show for all of the fans.

“It’s going to be hard to avoid staying in the pocket and brawling. Whatever comes up in the fight, we’re going to be ready to execute. I believe I have the better boxing skills. My advantages come on the outside. That’s what we’ve seen from the videos.

“We both have fought a lot of tough guys, early in our careers as well. We’ve been in against top guys again and again. We’re pretty even from that standpoint.

“Whenever they offer me a name, we always say yes. I look at some tape first, but I’m always going to accept any challenge in front of me.”

FRANCISCO SANTANA

“At the end of the day, it’s a fight. We all know how this sport is. It’s a sport of surprised and it can end in the blink of an eye. I have to be prepared physically and mentally. Expect fireworks

“This is going to be an action packed fight. We have similar styles and similar records. Abel and I are both considered fighters who just need one more extra push to get the recognition that we deserve. We both get a great chance to display ourselves on Saturday. This is our chance to be seen.

“You have to adjust during a fight. That’s what makes a fighter special. On Saturday night I’m going to have to make the proper adjustments to make this my own fight and come out with a victory.

“I was a self-made fighter until I started working with my trainer Joseph Janik. We’ve been working together for 10 years now. When he first met me, people said I couldn’t crack a bag of peanuts. All it took were some minor adjustments to get going on this career I’ve had. I’m still learning and I can’t wait until Saturday.

EFE AJAGBA

“People keep telling me this will be my first step up, but I consider every fight a step up. I’m looking forward to giving people a great show. I’m ready to knock him out in any round.

“This opportunity to fight on this card against Amir Mansour is a big one for me. I’ve got work to do on Saturday and I’m prepared to get the win.

“I used to play a lot of soccer when I grew up in Nigeria, but anyone can play football, not everyone can box.

“Every time I step into the ring I know it’s going to be my biggest challenge so far. Ronnie Shields and our team have gotten me into great shape to be at my best Saturday night.”

AMIR MANSOUR

“I’ve had an opportunity to train and prepare for this fight and I feel great right now. I’m not a fighter to make excuses but I wasn’t as prepared as I needed to be for my last fight.

“I’ve never fought the tomato cans. Ajagba is going to have a tough night. He’s going to have to perform at his highest level and I’m just going to do what I normally do.

“I’ve always fought the best and taken on any challenge. Ajagba better be taking me seriously because I’m going to bring something he’s never seen in the pros. I’m here to win, not lay down.”

# # #

ABOUT PORTER VS. UGAS
Shawn Porter vs. Yordenis Ugas is a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes event that will see WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter defending his title for the first time against top-ranked contender Yordenis Ugas Saturday, March 9 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features a duel between two hard-hitting brawlers as Abel Ramos and Francisco Santana meet in a 10-round welterweight match in the co-feature, while heavy-handed slugger Efe Ajagba steps up to face experienced veteran Amir Mansour in an eight-round heavyweight attraction in the televised opener.

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

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW PRICED FROM $49 VIA TICKETMASTER.COM

Bivol (15-0 11 KOs) puts his crown on the line for the fifth time against Long Island’s Smith Jr (24-2 20KOs), who fights in his first World title bout. The champion has long stated his desire to unify the 175lbs division, but the unbeaten Russian has cast his eyes on the Super-Middleweight division and is excited by the prospect of potentially becoming a two-weight World champion.

“I’m not a big guy for Light-Heavyweight, and I can make Super-Middleweight, and I said many times that I want the big fights,” said Bivol. By that I mean that I want to fight for belts. If someone has a belt in Super-Middleweight or Light-Heavyweight division, I would be glad to fight them.

“I know Callum Smith has a belt, and I would like to fight him if he wants to, and if our promoters can make this fight. I am open for every fight for the belt now. There are many names who have belts. To the top ten from Light-Heavyweight and Super-Middleweight: I’m ready to fight.

“Boxing is a different sport to something like running. In running, you just have good speed. In boxing, you could have good speed, but this doesn’t mean you can win. I’m not the hardest puncher, I’m not the quickest fighter, but I have something that helps me to be a winner. I have enough speed, I think many speed from Light-Heavyweight have enough speed, the same power as me, maybe more power. I love this sport, because you don’t need to be the quickest or the strongest, I don’t know. I’m just one of the best. I have the best team, I have the best coach, maybe it’s because I believe in my skills.”

Smith Jr’s clash with Bivol is part of a huge night of action at Turning Stone Resort Casino with a second mouthwatering World title fight on the bill in the shape of Maurice Hooker (25-0-3 17 KOs) defending his WBO World Super-Lightweight title against Brooklyn’s Mikkel LesPierre (21-0-1 10KOs).

Callum Johnson (17-1-0 12KOs) and Sean Monaghan (29-2-0 17KOs) will both have a keen eye on the Bivol-Smith Jr. clash as they battle in a crunch fight in the 175lbs division, Uzbek amateur star Israil Madrimov (1-0 1KO) defends his WBA Inter-Continental Super Welterweight title against Frank Rojas (24-2-0 23 KOs), World-ranked heavyweight contender Sergey Kuzmin, (14-0 11 KOs), of St. Petersburg, Russia will battle Philadelphia based veteran Joey Dawejko, (19-6-4 11 KOs) and Otha Jones III makes his pro debut on the card.

EDMONTON, ON— Being the Canadian welterweight champion means defending your title coast to coast, and that’s exactly what Kane Heron is planning on doing.

Toronto’s Heron has touched down in Edmonton, AB, where he will defend his NABA Canadian Welterweight Title against Flavio Michel this Friday at the Shaw Conference Centre.

Heron’s title reign thus far has been memorable, including a thrilling title-winning performance over Dwayne Durel in 2017, and another show-stealer against Jeff Tabrizi in 2018. Since then, Heron has bolstered his resume against international opponents in non-title affairs.

All of but one of those fights occurred in Toronto, where Heron has a significant fanbase. But after showing his skills in front of the Montreal audience, Heron is eager to take his talents out West.

“Edmonton has been an important boxing market in Canada for a long time, and they deserve to get a look at the man who rules the welterweight division in this country,” said promoter Lee Baxter. “Kane is not just a local fighter—he’s a Canadian champion, a true prospect, and someone who is going to be taking a step onto the world stage in the very near future.”

His opponent, Michel, is a native of Montreal, QC, but has fought his entire career in Alberta. Last time out, he traveled to Calgary and was stopped by Devin Reti in an exciting bout that only served to boost the profile of both fighters on the national scene. However, Michel has never lost on home turf in Edmonton, and will hold onto that advantage heading into this fight.

“We know Flavio is going to bring the fight, and that’s what we want. Kane is at the point in his career when he needs to make statements. He’s shown he’s not afraid to go to war, and he has another opponent in front of him who wants to do the same,” said Baxter. “We’re coming to knock Michel out, period.”

Israil Madrimov has signed a co-promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA.

The talented Uzbek amateur sensation fights in Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York on Saturday night live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Madrimov defends the WBA Inter-Continental Super Welterweight title that he won on his pro debut in November in Atlantic City, stopping Vladimir Hernandez in the sixth round of their clash.

The 24 year old puts the title on the line against Frank Rojas (24-2-0 23 KOs) on a stacked card topped by stablemate Dmitry Bivol defending his WBA World Light-Heavyweight title against Joe Smith Jr. – and the two-time Asian Games gold medal man is thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing USA along with promoters World of Boxing to weave his path to World title honors.

“I’m very happy that Matchroom Boxing will be part of my team in addition to my promoter World of Boxing,” said Madrimov. “I know that they both have my best interests and will work for me to fight for a World title in the near future.

“I’m very excited to get back in the ring this Saturday and grateful to Matchroom Boxing USA, World of Boxing and my team for this opportunity. I can’t wait to put on a show for the fans.”

“We have a very good working relationship with Matchroom Boxing particularly with Dmitry Bivol and look forward to building a stronger partnership including our combined efforts for Israil Madrimov to become a World champion,” said Andrei Ryabinsky, head of World of Boxing.

“We’ve worked on a number of fights and of course with Dmitry Bivol with Matchroom Boxing and feel very comfortable working with them to further the career of future star Israil Madrimov,” said Vadim Kornilov, Madrimov’s manager. “He has all the skills to become a World champion and together we will work to provide him this opportunity very soon.”

“Israil is a very exciting fighter, he is a star in the making, and I am glad that our entire team has a common understanding and plans for him.”

“I’m delighted to welcome the fearsome Israil Madrimov to the Matchroom Boxing team,” said Eddie Hearn. “Madrimov has already secured a top 15 World ranking after his first fight when he defeated Vladimir Hernandez over 10 rounds in November.

“World of Boxing have expressed their desire to move him at a rapid pace to the World championship and I look forward to seeing him in major fights in 2019 and beyond. Fans are going to love his style, he is aggressive and a huge puncher – he is going to light up the division.”

The following are the weights and the running order for the The Royal Albert Hall on Friday night. The show is live on BT Sport 1 from 7:30pm.

(Subject to change. Timings approximate)

Fight # 1 – 18:30 hrs
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Bantamweight Contest
JAKE PETTITT 9st 5lbs 9oz V 8st 13lbs 4oz STEFAN SLAVCHEV

Fight # 2
4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Middleweight Contest
DENZEL BENTLEY 11st 8lb 7oz V ADAM GRABIEC

Fight # 3
8 X 3 Minute Rounds International Featherweight Contest
LUCIEN REID 8st 11lbs 12oz V 8st 12lbs 4oz INDI SANGHA

BT SPORTS BROADCAST COMMENCES @ 19:30 HRS

Fight # 4 – 19:35 hrs
THE BRITISH WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
JOHNNY GARTON 10st 6lbs 1oz V 10st 6lbs 4oz CHRIS JENKINS

Fight # 5
6 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Welterweight Contest
HAMZA SHEERAZ 11st 1lb 12oz V 1st 1lb 14oz ROD DOUGLAS JNR

Fight # 6
THE VACANT WBO EUROPEAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
DANIEL DUBOIS 17st 2lbs 7oz V 18st 13lbs RAZVAN COJANU

Fight # 7
THE BRITISH MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
LIAM WILLIAMS 11st 4lbs 12oz V 11st 5lbs 4oz JOE MULLENDER

Fight # 8
THE WBO INTERCONTINENTAL LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
ANTHONY YARDE 12st 6lbs 4oz V 12st 6lbs 8oz TRAVIS REEVES

Fight # 9 – Floater
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Cruiserweight Contest
JAMES BRANCH JNR 14st 5lbs 12oz V 14st 5lbs 2oz KIEIRAN PITMAN

Fight # 10 – Floater
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Flyweight Contest
HARVEY HORN V PATRIK BARTOS

Callum Johnson says his clash with Sean Monaghan on Saturday at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York on Saturday March 9, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK, is a bigger fight than his World title challenge – as victory can lead to another World title shot, but defeat sends him to the wilderness.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW PRICED FROM $49 VIA TICKETMASTER.COM

Johnson (17-1-0 12KOs) challenged Artur Beterbiev for the IBF World Light-Heavyweight title in the first ever live show on American soil on DAZN, and the pair put on a hell-raising shootout, with Johnson climbing off the canvas in the opening round to send Beterbiev to the deck in the second session.

The Russian champion rose from the floor to stop the Brit challenger in the fourth round to hold onto his belt and unbeaten status – but Johnson certainly made fight fans stand up and take notice of his ferocious power.

Johnson is back in the US for a crunch showdown with Monaghan (29-2-0 17KOs), with both men having one eye on the headliner Dmitry Bivol, who defends his WBA World Light-Heavyweight title against Joe Smith Jr.

A fight with the winner of that bout could be on the cards for the victor in the Johnson-Monaghan clash, but the Commonwealth Games gold medal man knows that defeat could be the end of the road at the top level for the loser.

“It’s a great opportunity to be straight back out in America and I think that there’s a good chance that if I win this fight, I’ll get another World title shot,” said Johnson. “There’s a lot on the line, probably more so than the Beterbiev fight because if I lose, where do I go? Victory leads to massive things – so it’s all on the line and I can’t wait.

“I did myself some favors in a way against Beterbiev but knowing myself and what I can do, I maybe underperformed in the end, I let occasion get to me and maybe his reputation got to me. I did myself proud and I think that the fans and DAZN saw what I can do which is why I am back here again.

“I showed glimpses of what I am about so now I want to be active and keep fighting regularly, because I went into the Beterbiev fight on the back of just 90 seconds of action in two years. No excuses, those are the cards I’ve been dealt, but getting this fight, get through it and I’ll be more active and show people what I can really do.

“I’m still disappointed to be honest. Everyone was telling me how well I did and what a great fight it was, we both went down and threw a lot of leather. No one gave me a chance against him so I shocked a lot of people but I still kick myself as I think I could have done better and when I put him down in the second, I felt I froze a bit. I learnt a lot from that mentally though.

“Winning puts me back out there and in the mix. People are talking about me at World title level now, not at British, European or Commonwealth level. I’m in that World title mix so only good things can come for me now.

“I have a young family at home so I want to buy a house and secure my kids future – that’s my number one goal. I want the biggest fights possible for the most money – it’s pretty simple.

“That British scene is great, but it’s not for me to say what the likes of Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde are doing. Buatsi is only heading one way, and that’s to World level so that’s a fight that could come around – but it needs to be worth it both money-wise and for what would be on the line.

“There are big names at Super-Middleweight too that excite me if those fights could get made, I feel I could make 168lbs if the fight made sense. I keep my options open for the biggest fights with the most money, I’ve spoken to Joe Gallagher a few times about Super-Middle over the last couple of years, it hasn’t gone further than a chat, but I think it’s an option if the right fight is there.”

Johnson and Monaghan clash on a huge night of action at Turning Stone Resort Casino topped by two big World title fights, with Bivol meeting Smith Jr and Maurice Hooker (25-0-3 17 KOs) defending his WBO World Super-Lightweight title against Brooklyn’s Mikkel LesPierre (21-0-1 10KOs).

Kazakh amateur star Israil Madrimov (1-0 1KO) defends his WBA Inter-Continental Super Welterweight title against Frank Rojas (24-2-0 23 KOs), world-ranked heavyweight contender Sergey Kuzmin, (14-0 11 KOs), of St. Petersburg, Russia will battle Philadelphia based veteran Joey Dawejko, (19-6-4 11 KOs) and Otha Jones III makes his pro debut on the card.

PHILADELPHIA (March 7, 2019) – Former two-division world champion boxer and boxing commentator Paulie Malignaggi has signed an exclusive deal to compete for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Malignaggi is expected to make his BKFC debut in June 2019 at a location yet to be determined.

“This is great signing for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship,” said BKFC Founder and President David Feldman. “At this time in our company’s growth, we needed to add a legitimate and well-established world champion boxer to our roster, and I believe with Paulie’s ability and personality we’ve done just that. Paulie is the perfect fit for us.”

“BKFC is the new wave in combat sports. They’re doing great things and I’m very excited to be a part of this organization,” said Malignaggi. “I’ve accomplished some big things in boxing career, and I look forward to what this next phase brings. After a long boxing career, it’s easy to miss the limelight and the rush that combat brings. I look forward to getting back in action and the new challenge of fighting for BKFC.”

Malignaggi, a 38-year-old native of Brooklyn, NY, battled some of the top names in the super lightweight and welterweight divisions as a professional boxer. In June 2007, Malignaggi defeated Lovemore N’dou by unanimous decision to capture the IBF Super Lightweight Title. Malignaggi defended that title twice before losing the belt to Ricky Hatton in November 2008. In April 2012, Malignaggi won his second world title, defeating Vyacheslav Senchenko by technical knockout to secure the WBA Welterweight Title. He successfully defended the WBA title once before suffering a split decision loss to Adrien Broner in June 2013.

During his professional boxing career, Malignaggi amassed an impressive record of 36 – 8, with seven of his victories coming by way of knockout. A winner of three out of his last four boxing contests, Malignaggi last fought professionally in March 2017 in a loss to Sam Eggington. In mid-2017, Malignaggi worked briefly as a sparring partner for Conor McGregor as McGregor prepared to face undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather later that year.

# # #

About Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
On June 2, 2018, Philadelphia-based Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) made combat sports history when it promoted the first legal, sanctioned and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889. “BKFC 1: The Beginning” took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming and featured 10 professional bouts, all under the auspices and control of the Wyoming Combative Sports Commission. BKFC uses only established fighters who have previously competed professionally in boxing, MMA, kickboxing and/or Muay Thai. All BKFC bouts are sanctioned and regulated by ABC member athletic commissions. For more information visit www.bareknuckle.tv or follow on Twitter at @BareKnuckleFC, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/bareknucklefc and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bareknucklefc.

(March 7, 2019) — Two of the biggest punchers in British boxing — light heavyweight Anthony Yarde and heavyweight Daniel Dubois — are ready to put on a Friday afternoon show for American fight fans.

In the main event, Yarde will defend his WBO Intercontinental belt in a 10-rounder against Baltimore native Travis “Seveer” Reeves at the historic Royal Albert Hall in London. In one of the co-features, Dubois will battle former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBO Global belt.

Yarde-Reeves will headline a live five-fight stream beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Yarde (17-0, 16 KOs) has knocked out 15 opponents in a row, a streak that dates back to his second professional bout in June 2015. He is the WBO No. 2 contender for the belt currently held by Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. Before a potential world title shot, he must get past Reeves (17-3-2, 7 KOs), a 38-year-old Baltimore native who has won two bouts in a row. In his last ring outing, Jan. 17 in Las Vegas, he knocked down Lanell Bellows (18-3-2 at the time) twice en route to a well-earned unanimous decision win.

Dubois (9-0, 8 KOs) is the latest in the long line of fearsome British heavyweight punchers, a London native who has turned heads since turning pro in April 2017. His only decision victory came in his last bout, a dominant performance over veteran Kevin Johnson that streamed on ESPN+. Dubois was originally supposed to face Cojanu in December, but he contracted the flu during fight week and had to pull out. Cojanu (16-5, 9 KOs) challenged Joseph Parker for the WBO heavyweight title in May 2017, losing a unanimous decision in a game effort. In his most recent bout, he pushed unbeaten prospect Nathan Gorman the 12-round distance in a losing effort.

In other action live on ESPN+:

Liam “The Machine” Williams (19-2-1, 14 KOs) will make the first defense of his British middleweight title against “Smokin” Joe Mullender (11-2, 5 KOs). Williams won the title on Dec. 22 with a thrilling 10th-round TKO over Mark Heffron.

British welterweight champion Johnny “The Pexican” Garton (23-1-1, 10 KOs) will make the first defense of his title against Chris Jenkins (20-3-2, 8 KOs).

Hamzah Sheeraz (6-0, 2 KOs) will take on Rod Douglas Jr. (2-1, 0 KOs) in a super welterweight tilt scheduled for six rounds.

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit www.espnplus.com.

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

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

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

Las Vegas (March 7, 2019) – Five Time World Champion Vinny Paz has confirmed that he will appear, have a booth and hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 5th Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday May 4, 2019 from 10a.m to 5pm, during Cinco De Mayo weekend. The Boxing Expo will also coincide with the highly anticipated fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Danny Jacobs, that will take place later that evening at the T-Mobile Arena.

Paz will make his 2nd appearance at this years’ Expo, and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. Paz will also have merchandise to sell for fans to enjoy. Boxing Fans will also have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing legend also known as “Pazman”.

Paz joins 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.

About Vinny Paz
Paz had his name legally changed in 2001 but fought in the 1990s as Vinny Pazienza. “The Pazmanian Devil”. In 1991, he defeated the WBA world junior middleweight champion Gilbert Delé with a 12th-round TKO in Providence, becoming the second fighter in boxing history to win both the lightweight and junior middleweight world championships. Pazienza was forced to relinquish the title due to a serious car accident in which his neck was broken. Doctors informed him he might never walk again and would certainly never fight again. Paz tenacity and determination proved them wrong and made a miracle comeback just 13 months after the accident, by defeating future WBC world junior middleweight champion Luis Santana by a 10-round decision. His incredible life story about his resilience to overcome adversity was inspired and played out in the 2016 released Movie “Bleed for This”. Paz retired in 2004 with a remarkable record of 50-10, with 30 wins by knockout. Some of his most notable fights came against Roberto Duran, Roy Jones, Jr., Roger Mayweather and Hector “Macho” Camacho.

About Box Fan 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, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Roy Jones Jr., Marcos Maidana, Andre Ward, Errol Spence Jr., Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, James Toney, Vinny Pazienza, Mikey Garcia , Mia St.John, Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares Maricela Cornejo, Badou Jack, Terry Norris , Riddick Bowe , Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Jorge Linares, Brandon Rios and many more…

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, new equipment’s, energy drinks, alcohol, 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, media and the boxing industry.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at:
https://boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

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 at their booth. On Site, fans will experience different activities from Autograph Sessions, Photo Sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, as well as a chance to purchase merchandise and memorabilia from their booth, plus so much more… you won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!

Box Fan Expo will also feature top boxing organizations, promoters, ring card girls, famous trainers and commentators as well as boxing gear companies “ALL UNDER ONE ROOF”.

Throughout the next couple of months 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:

Telephone number: (514) 572-7222 or Las Vegas Number (702) 997-1927

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

For More information on Box Fan Expo visit: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

Follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter and Instagram: @BoxFanExpo

Follow Box Fan Expo on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

New York, March 7, 2019

STAR BOXING is excited to announce the signing and Star Boxing debut of 24-year-old, Georgian native, GIROGI “GOGA” GELASHVILI (Kutaisi, Georgia, 5-1 3KO’S). Gelashvili began boxing at the age of 14 and had an impressive amateur career of 120 amateur fights, with 110 victories. He is an only child, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Gelashvili came to New York in pursuit of taking the next step in his professional career.

On March 9, at Turning Stone Resort & Casino on the undercard of the DIMTRY BIVOL vs JOE SMITH JR. WBA World Light Heavyweight Title Fight, Gelashvili will be facing heralded prospect, 18-year-old OTHA JONES III (Pro-Debut). Jones, a native of Toledo, had a remarkable amateur pedigree of 283-13, having won many amateur titles while representing Team USA, including gold at the United States National Championships (2x) and the World Championship Qualifier.

Gelashvili is ready for the challenge in facing Jones under the bright lights DAZN. “My opponent is good but not better than me. I am faster and stronger than he is. He grew up like a baby with everyone taking care of him” Gelashvili continued, “I grew up lonely in the street, fending for myself and I began this career lonely, so you see I have always been a fighter. Fighting to survive and now fighting to win. I thank God for giving me this opportunity to fight in the United States. I thank Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and DAZN for giving me the opportunity to showcase my fighting spirit. Finally, I thank my team at Guzman Boxing Academy and Universal Boxing Management. Now it’s my time!”

MOISES ROMAN, advisor to Gelashvili, had this to say about the upcoming bout, “Before this fight came about, I signed Giorgi Gelashvili to an advisory contract and started negotiating with Joe DeGuardia, for a chance to have him compete on Star Boxing promoted cards, [but] when this fight was offered by Joe, we jumped right on it. It’s a large venue, and a big platform to showcase Giorgi’s talents” said Roman. “We are well aware of Otha’s talents and many national titles at the amateur level in the US. Just like Otha, Giorgi has also competed in, and won, many national titles back in his home land and has competed in over 100 amateur fights. With that, I want to thank Joe DeGuardia for signing him to an exclusive promotional contract and also Matchroom for the opportunity to compete on DAZN.”

Star Boxing head, JOE DEGUARDIA, had this to say about both the signing of Giorgi Gelashvili, and his great opportunity on March 9, “We think highly of Giorgi and he has been impressive in the gym. Most importantly, I respect that he was up for this challenge against one of the top prospects that is turning pro. Both Giorgi and Otha ought to be commended for fighting each other and I expect a very good fight.”

INFO:
Smith Jr (24-2 20KOs) fights for a first time for the World title and will be full of confidence going into the bout, with his last four wins coming by impressive KO’s, including a first round demolition of Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara in Chicago and sending modern-great Bernard Hopkins into retirement.

Bivol (15-0 11 KOs) defends his title for the fifth time against the Long Island man and is hoping Smith Jr comes for a war – and the 29 year old challenger promises to bring everything he’s got to a night he’s been waiting for his entire life.

CARSON, CALIF. (March 7, 2019) – Former two-division world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia will battle hard-hitting veteran Adrian Granados in a 12-round welterweight bout that will headline the live prime time event presented by Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes on 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.

“Danny Garcia is one of the preeminent boxers of this generation,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “He’s a champion through and through. His resume is a veritable ‘Who’s Who?’ of the best at 140 and 147 pounds over the last 10 years. He’s hungry to get his title back and he’s willing to go through anyone to do that. Adrian Granados is a tough competitor looking to join the championship ranks and Danny represents the most direct route. It’s the kind of clash that makes for entertaining matches. The fans at Dignity Health Sports Park and watching on FOX and FOX Deportes on April 20 are in for a treat.”

“Danny Garcia knows that he¹s going to have to be on his A-game, as a victory over Adrian Granados puts him back in position to regain his welterweight championship,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Adrian Granados is a fighter thatalways comes to put on exciting fights and holds nothing back against his opponents. The action leading up to the main event is sure to be crowd pleasers. I expect the fans in attendance to bring the energy to Dignity Health Sports Park and those tuning in on FOX and FOX Deportes will be fully entertained as well.”

Garcia (34-2, 20 KOs) has fought and defeated many of the most formidable opponents at 140 and 147-pounds spanning two generations-Erik Morales, Zab Judah, Kendall Holt, Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Paulie Malignaggi and Lamont Peterson among them. Six of his seven opponents in the welterweight division were former or current world champions and 12 of his last 16 opponents overall carried the same distinction. Included in that run was a headlining performance live on FOX in January 2016, when he defeated Robert Guerrero to capture his welterweight title in Los Angeles. Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, the 30-year-old most recently lost an exciting and narrow decision to Shawn Porter in their September title fight.

“I cannot wait to get back in the ring and put on the Danny Garcia show once again,” said Garcia. “Granados was talking a big game when we first announced the fight and I plan on proving him wrong on April 20. The Southern California fans have always treated me right and I’m excited to give them a great fight.”

Fighting out of Cicero, Ilinois, Granados (20-6-2, 14 KOs) has made a name for himself by delivering tough, action-packed fights against top fighters in the sport, including Shawn Porter and Adrien Broner. The 29-year-old burst onto the scene by shocking then unbeaten Amir Imam via a stoppage victory in their 2015 clash. After a fight last June against Javier Fortuna that ended in a no contest, Granados picked up two-straight knockout wins heading into this matchup.

“This is a huge fight for me and definitely one of the most important in my career,” said Granados. “I’m looking to dominate, look impressive and control the fight. I’ve fought in Southern California before and I’m looking to take advantage of the great Mexican crowd. This is Mexico versus Puerto Rico and Chicago vs. Philadelphia. It’s territorial on a lot of levels and you can expect us to leave it all in the ring.”

Fighting out of Imperial, California, Ruiz (31-1, 20 KOs) was a two-time Mexican national champion at super heavyweight as an amateur, before embarking on a pro career that saw him win his first 29 fights. The 29-year-old lost a close majority decision against Joseph Parker in their 2016 world title fight and rebounded with victories over Kevin Johnson and Devin Vargas last year.

The 36-year-old Dimitrenko (41-4, 26 KOs) is a longtime heavyweight contender who has challenged top fighters throughout his career. Born in Russia but fighting out of Hamburg, Germany, he most recently lost to Bryant Jennings in a back and forth fight in August and owns wins over Derric Rossy, Adrian Granat and Miljan Rovcanin.

The 22-year-old Figueroa (18-0, 13 KOs) most recently delivered a dominant performance in knocking out Moises Flores in the third-round of their January fight on FS1. Representing Weslaco, Texas, the younger brother of former world champion Omar has a five-fight knockout streak that he brings into the ring on April 20.

A former interim champion and title challenger at bantamweight, Parejo (22-3-1, 11 KOs) will look to make his mark at 122-pounds when he battles Figueroa on April 20. The 32-year-old from Venezuela lost a bantamweight world title fight to Ryan Burnett last March, but rebounded to most recently defeat Benjamin Mendoza in February. He won an interim title by stopping Luis Hinojosa in 2014 before losing a split-decision the following year to former champion Zhanat Zhakiyanov.

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.

SAN JOSE, CA (March 6, 2019) – Undefeated super bantamweight prospect, Eros Correa (6-0, 6 KOs), who is managed by Cali Boxing Management, makes his Bay Area, California, debut March 23, 2019, at the San Mateo Event Center in the 2,000 seat Fiesta Hall. Correa will battle former kick-boxer Zakaria Miri (0-1), who hails from Brussels, Belgium. The 4-round co-main event bout is being promoted by Ambition Empire Promotions. Headlining the 6-bout card will be San Francisco’s top prospect, Willie “The Thrill” Shaw Jr. (9-0, 6 KOs) vs. Jose Marrufo (11-8-2, 1 KO) in an 8-round super lightweight contest.

“I’ve waited a long time to get a fight in the Bay Area and now its finally here,” said Eros Correa, who resides in San Jose, CA. “I’ve been very busy this year having fought twice already, so I’m in great shape and I’ll be at my best when I step in the ring on the 23rd. I can’t wait to give my hometown fans a great night of boxing.”

Correa, who has knocked out every opponent he’s faced since turning professional in 2017, will look to continue his knockout streak when he faces Miri.

“As always, I’ll be looking to end the fight early,” continued Correa. “Miri is someone who has a lot of experience being that he comes from a kick boxing background, so I know it’s going to be a tough fight. I’m prepared to go the distance if I have to, but I’ll be gunning for the KO.”

“Eros is very popular here in the Bay Area and we are expecting a lot of his fans to be in attendance,” said Andrew Bocanegra, of Cali Boxing Management. “His crowd-pleasing style will be on display and everyone watching will see why we are so excited about his future.”

“Eros is ready to go,” said Jessie Sanchez, of Cali Boxing Management. “He’s been fighting every month since December and the fans in attendance will see what all the hype is about.”

The undercard will feature Richmond’s Jasper McCargo (3-1, 2 KOs) vs. Merced’s Nathan Sharp (3-0, 3 KOs) in a 4-round light-heavyweight bout. Cruiserweight’s Andres Salas (3-0, 3 KOs) from Stockton and Vallejo’s Fernando Caro (3-1) will square off in a 4-round heavyweight bout. San Jose’s Ali Ahmed (1-1) vs. Matt Garvers (0-3) will serve as a 4-round lightweight bout. Iris Contreras (2-0) vs. Rebecca Light (1-2) will open the card in a super flyweight female bout.

Tickets for the event titled “The Willie Shaw Show”, priced at $35, $50, $70, and $150, are available by ordering online at www.eventbrite.com.

The San Mateo Event Center is located at 2495 South Delaware Street, San Mateo, CA 94403. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bell rings at 6:00 p.m. For more information on Ambition Empire Promotions please visit www.ambitionempirepromotions.com.

NEW YORK – March 7, 2019 – Two undefeated heavyweight prospects will put their unblemished records on the line when they fight in separate bouts on Saturday, April 13 live on SHOWTIME from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J on the undercard of the Claressa Shields-Christina Hammer groundbreaking event. Top American heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin will take on former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker in the 10-round co-featured bout while undefeated Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin will battle highly decorated amateur Nick Kisner in a 10-round clash that will open the SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

In the main event, undefeated middleweight world champions Shields and Hammer will meet to crown the women’s undisputed 160-pound world champion in what is arguably the most significant women’s boxing event in history.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are priced at $150, $100, $55 and $35 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and at boardwalkhall.com.

“The heavyweight division is as talented and exciting as ever,and we are thrilled to add two undefeated warriorsto the April 13 telecast,” said promoter Dmitriy Salita. “We have the best American heavyweight prospect in Jermaine Franklin and one of the best European heavyweight contenders in Otto Wallin. These fights will be tremendous lead-ins to the historic Shields vs. Hammer main event and will create a night to remember for boxing fans worldwide.”

The 25-year-old Franklin (17-0, 13 KOs), from Saginaw, Mich., is a former amateur standout and a 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion. A likely candidate to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympic Games, Franklin turned down the opportunity to compete for a spot on the team and instead chose to begin his professional career in 2015. Widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect, Franklin has built his undefeated record with relative ease since turning pro, knocking out nine of his first 10 professional opponents. Coming off a lopsided 10-round decision over Craig Lewis in July, Franklin aims to continue moving up the ranks of the resurgent heavyweight division in 2019 and position himself for a title shot.

“I can’t wait – I am ready to show that I am the new man in the heavyweight division,” said Franklin. “Rydell is a good fighter but he is in the way of my goal of winning the heavyweight world title. April 13 will be my coming out party and I am very honored to have this opportunity on SHOWTIME.”

Booker (25-1, 12 KOs), from Detroit, Mich., is a former No.1-ranked U.S. amateur who was once a rising heavyweight prospect with a 22-0 record. He suffered his lone defeat to former three-division world champion James Toney, who was coming off wins over Vassiliy Jirov and Evander Holyfield, in 2004. After serving a 12-year prison sentence, Booker has returned to the ring looking to get his life back on track and live up to his once promising expectations, registering three unanimous decision victories in 2018 under the tutelage of former world champion Jimmy Paul.

“It means a lot to have this opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME,” said the 38-year-old Booker, who sparred with heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in preparation for his September 2018 bout with Alexander Povetkin. “I’m ready to show my talents on a national stage so everyone will know who Rydell Booker is once again. I think Jermaine Franklin is a pretty good fighter but he has never fought anybody with my experience, knowledge in the ring or my ring savvy. I am going to teach him some new lessons on April 13. I have a bag full of goodies and tricks at my disposal that I will teach this young whipper snapper.”

Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs), who will be making his U.S. debut, turned pro in 2013 and has gradually risen in the rankings by recording 20 consecutive wins. The 28-year-old southpaw, who originally played ice hockey and soccer in his native Sweden before finding the sweet science, won the Swedish Boxing Championship at 16-years-old, fought against Joshua twice as an amateur and was a member of the Swedish National Boxing Team. Currently ranked No. 5 by both the WBA and IBF, Wallin most recently won a 12-round unanimous decision over Adrian Granat in April 2018 and now has his sights set on becoming his country’s first Heavyweight Champion since Ingemar Johansson in 1960.

“I’m very excited about making my U.S. debut on SHOWTIME,” said Wallin, who has spent the last two years conducting training camp in New York with his trainer and former two-division champion Joey Gamache. “To be fighting on such a big card is very inspiring. I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I first started boxing at the age of 15. I will put on a good performance on April 13 and introduce myself to the American fans. I will be one step closer towards my goal of winning the heavyweight world title. Like I’ve said before, I’m a kid from a small town in Sweden and I’m proud of where I’m from and what I’ve achieved so far, but I feel like this is when all the fun starts.”

The 28-year-old Kisner (21-4-1, 6 KOs) has competed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight since turning professional in 2010 after a successful amateur career. Among Kisner’s numerous amateur recognitions, the Baltimore, Md. native was a three-time National Silver Gloves Champion, two-time Junior National Golden Gloves Champion and Ringside World Champion. He holds the distinction of being the youngest boxer in American history ever to win a Men’s National Title in the heavyweight division at 17 years old. As a pro, three of Kisner’s four losses have come against opponents who boasted an undefeated record on fight night. In his last bout, Kisner defended his WBA U.S. cruiserweight title with a majority decision win over Scott Sigmon.

“I’ve dreamt my whole life of one day fighting on national television and now that the time is here, I’m going to make the most of it,” said Kisner. “Wallin is very good but I’m going to prove I’m one of the best heavyweights on the planet. I have proven my ability to beat the best in the world at both the amateur and professional level and I will do it again on April 13.”

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

# # #

ABOUT SHIELDS vs. HAMMER
Shields vs. Hammer will pit undefeated middleweight world champions Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer against each other in a battle to crown the undisputed 160-pound world champion, in what is arguably the most significant women’s boxing event in history. The co-feature will pit Jermaine Franklin taking on Rydell Booker in a thrilling 10-round heavyweight bout and in the telecast opener, heavyweights Otto Wallin and Nick Kisner will battle in 10-round clash. The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader will air live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

Robbie Davies Jr has described his Super-Lightweight showdown with Joe Hughes at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool as a “must-win” fight as he looks to explode onto the World scene at 140lbs.

The pair clash on March 30, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, with the British and European titles on the line, and Davies Jr believes a win on home soil will propel his name towards potential fights with the likes of WBO ruler and Matchroom stablemate Maurice Hooker.

“I knew that I wanted the winner of Joe Hughes vs. Andrea Scarpa straight away,” said Davies Jr. “I didn’t mention any other names. When I watched the fight, I knew I wouldn’t be the only Light-Welterweight in the country after the winner so I made sure I put my name out there as soon as I could. Eddie has delivered this opportunity for me on a plate and it’s exactly what I wanted.

“I thought Scarpa was looking for one big shot all night and when he landed it it didn’t effect Joe anyway. I felt that Joe was more compact and the much better boxer. He jabbed the Italian’s head off throughout the fight and deserved to pick up the belt. It was a good away performance so he won’t be fazed coming to Liverpool.

“There won’t be any bad blood, it’s just business. He’s got that European belt and that’s what I need to push on to World level. I’ve never sparred him or anything like that but he was always considered one of the top kids during our amateur days. He’s a nice lad and everyone gets on with him but I’ve got a job to do.

“Every fight is a must-win at this stage of my career. They offered me one fight to get the British and Commonwealth and now they’ve offered me another one for the European. I felt like a couple of years ago my career kind of stagnated and froze a little bit. These are the fights that I need to push on and progress to the next level.”

Davies Jr got the better of Sunderland’s Glenn Foot after a bruising and bloody battle for the British and Commonwealth titles in Newcastle last time out in October, but the popular Scouser was unhappy with his performance after an early cut scuppered his plans to take the fight to Foot.

“The cut has healed really well. We’ve got no concerns about it heading into the fight with Joe. Our tactics for the Foot fight completely changed because the cut happened so early on. There was blood everywhere and a heavy blow could have opened it up and forced the stoppage so we had to be careful. I had to get on my bike for pretty much the whole fight when we were planning on coming on strong in the later rounds.

“It was a massive platform to showcase my skills on but I don’t think I performed anywhere near my best. It was a blood bath so I did what I needed to do to get the win. I’ve got plenty more gears to go through and levels to rise to. Joe has proved that he’s European level at least and I think he’ll bring the best out in me on March 30.”

Hughes vs. Davies Jr tops a huge night of action in Liverpool.

Main event sees former WBO Super-Welterweight World Champion Liam Smith take on all-action Brummie Sam Eggington.

Former Great Britain teammates Anthony Fowler and Scott Fitzgerald look to settle their longstanding feud in a dynamite Super-Welterweight clash.

Popular Heavyweight David Price takes on the unbeaten Kash Ali in his first fight in Liverpool for nearly there years as he looks to make a fresh charge on the Heavyweight division following his win over Tom Little at The O2.

Liverpool’s Tom Farrell challenges Leytonstone’s Philip Bowes for the Commonwealth Super-Lightweight crown.

There’s also action for rising Liverpool Cruiserweight talent Craig Glover, ‘Miss GB’ Natasha Jonas and undefeated Super-Lightweight Ged ‘G-Man’ Carroll.