HARTFORD, Conn. (March 5th, 2019) — The East Coast’s No. 1 mixed martial arts promotion makes its long-awaited Connecticut debut later this month with a historic fight card featuring the region’s rising stars and familiar fan-favorites.

Launching a new era as the first promotion to host a sanctioned MMA event in the state of Connecticut, CES MMA 55 invades the Connecticut Convention Center live on UFC Fight Pass Friday, March 29 th, 2019 , nine years since breaking ground as the first to promote in the state of Rhode Island.

The event features the highly-anticipated return of Hartford native and UFC flyweight contender Matt Bessette (22-9), heavyweight Parker Porter (8-5, 4 KOs) of nearby New Britain, and Philadelphia’s own Jeremiah Wells (6-1-1, 2 KOs) in the first defense of his CES MMA World Welterweight Title.

“We are extremely honored to be the first promotional company to be licensed by the state of Connecticut,” CES MMA vice president Jimmy Burchfield Jr. said. “There are lots of people to thank for this opportunity. CES MMA looks forward to showcasing an exciting night of action to a national audience live on UFC Fight Pass.”

The main card streams live on UFC Fight Pass with Michael Parente handling play-by-play alongside color commentator and longtime UFC vet “Filthy” Tom Lawlor. Showtime is 7 p.m. ET for the preliminary card. Tickets for the event are priced at $35.00, $50.00, $125.00 and $150.00 (VIP) and are available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com or www.ctconventions.com or by phone at 401-724-2253. All fights and fighters subject to change.

The 34-year-old Bessette, a seven-time CES MMA vet, returns to the promotion for the first time since May of 2017 and fights in his home state for the first time since 2016 when he starred on the main card of Bellator 153 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Bessette is 6-1 lifetime with CES MMA and has won seven of his last nine fights, including a career-best seven-fight win streak from October of 2015 to May of 2017. During that stretch, Bessette captured the then vacant CES MMA World Featherweight Title with a win over Joe Pingitore at CES MMA 37 and later headlined CES MMA 41 with an impressive, third-round knockout win over Kevin Croom.

Porter makes his third appearance with CES MMA. The 33-year-old veteran has the noteworthy distinction of appearing on the promotion’s inaugural event in 2010, where he submitted regional rival Lee Beane in the opening round of their scheduled three-round heavyweight bout, in addition to appearing on its first event in Connecticut later this month. Eight years removed from his victory at CES MMA 1, Porter returned to the promotion to face Keith Bell at CES MMA 53. In between, Porter bounced from Bellator to Reality Fighting and enters his homecoming bout on the 29th having won two of his last three overall.

Wells aims to bring his welterweight world title back to Philadelphia, the site of his championship victory at CES MMA 52 in August. That night, Wells won his third consecutive fight with CES MMA, defeating the durable Jason Norwood by five-round unanimous decision to capture the vacant title. Wells also boasts wins over regional standouts Gary Balletto Jr. and Jon Manley and carries a three-fight win streak into his first title defense.

CES MMA 55 also features the return of Providence, R.I., middleweight Eric Spicely (11-4, 2 KOs) and unbeaten Connecticut light heavyweight William Knight (4-0, 4 KOs) in separate bouts. A six-time UFC and nine-time CES MMA vet, Spicely aims for his second consecutive win following a successful return to the promotion in January in which he earned just his second career win by knockout, stopping Leo Pla at 3:53 of the opening round. Knight also fought in January at CES MMA 54, recording his fourth career win by knockout against veteran Kevin Haley.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/cesmma for more information, or follow CES MMA on Instagram at @CESMMA.

5 March 2019 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held the official ONE: REIGN OF VALOR Open Workout at the Transcend Gym last Tuesday, 5 March, featuring main event competitors Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam of Sweden and Georgiy “Knight” Kichigin of Kazakhstan. Also in attendance were ONE Athletes and hometown heroes Phoe “Bushido” Thaw, “The Dragon Leg” Tial Thang and Bozhena “Toto” Antoniyar.

Ticket information for ONE: REIGN OF VALOR is available at www.onefc.com.

Photos: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YL3zINnA_mXYyh5M-RDRmJusFPsY7hTZ

All athletes are set to compete at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR, which takes place this Friday, 8 March at the iconic Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian Kadestam of Sweden will defend his World Title against Georgiy Kichigin of Kazakhstan in the main event.

In the co-main event, Phoe Thaw of Myanmar returns to action to face “The Iceman” Yohan Mulia Legowo of Indonesia. Tial Thang of Myanmar squares off with Cambodian Kun Khmer practitioner Rin Saroth, while Bozhena Antoniyar, also from Myanmar, is slated to face Malaysia’s Audreylaura “Ice Comet” Boniface.

Zebaztian Kadestam, ONE Welterweight World Champion, stated: “I’m beyond honored and excited to be defending my ONE Welterweight World Championship in Yangon on March 8th. This will be my first World Title defense in ONE, and as the saying goes, you aren’t a champion until you have defended your belt. I am fully focused on proving that I am a true champion and that I deserve to have this prestigious belt around my waist. I know that Georgiy [Kichigin] will be a very tough challenger. He has great momentum now and has beaten some very talented opponents, but I have prepared hard. I have trained well for this title defense. In my mind, this is the biggest fight of my career. I will do everything that I can to remain the ONE Welterweight World Champion.”

Georgiy Kichigin, ONE World Title challenger, stated: “This will be the most important fight of my career. I have defeated many big names in the past, but if I can defeat Zebaztian Kadestam and become the new ONE Welterweight World Champion, then that will definitely be the biggest win ever. I am very excited for this fight because this will be the biggest stage that I have been on. If I can become a world champion in just my first time with ONE Championship, then that will put me in the history books as well. I have trained hard for this opportunity, and I will not let it go to waste. My opponent is a great champion and a big test for me, but I am confident that I can pass this test with flying colors.”

Phoe Thaw, ONE Athlete, stated: “It is always an amazing experience to be able to fight at home in Yangon, and I look forward to doing it again on March 8th. I am coming off the first loss of my career, and you can bet that I am more motivated and more determined than ever to get a win and get back on track. I believe that if I win my next fight, I am one of the top contenders in the featherweight division. I know that I am only a few wins away from earning a World Title shot.”

Tial Thang, ONE Athlete, stated: “I absolutely cannot wait to make that walk to the cage in Yangon. This is a dream come true for me, to be able to make my ONE debut in front of my home country. I am seriously pumped for this. It means a lot to me as a mixed martial artist to be able to showcase my skills and put my hard work on display in front of the great fans of Myanmar. I hope that they enjoy what I show them come March 8th. I promise it’s going to be a treat.”

Bozhena Antoniyar, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am heading into this fight with Audreylaura Boniface with a lot of hunger and a lot of motivation, especially after losing my last fight. Now, I’m coming to show, not just my home country of Myanmar, but also the world that I belong in ONE Championship, and that I can become a top name in my division. I fully intend to establish myself as a contender in 2019, and it will all begin with my upcoming bout on March 8th.”

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.

SAM BOWEN WILL make a first defence of his British super featherweight title against Jordan McCorry at the Morningside Arena in Leicester on March 23, live on BT Sport.

The unbeaten Bowen, 14-0, from Ibstock in Leicestershire, was originally scheduled to defend against Ronnie Clark on a bill that also features a battle for the vacant Midlands Area super welterweight title between local lads CJ Challenger and Kyle Haywood and Sam Maxwell bidding to win the WBO European super lightweight title against the Spaniard Kelvin Dotel.

Clark withdrew from his challenge due to injury and the 26-year-old Bowen faces a new foe in the 17-4-1 Scot McCorry, who last time out made an unsuccessful bid to win the WBF world super featherweight title against Patrick Kinigamazi, losing on points in Geneva.

A former Scottish champion at lightweight, McCorry won the super featherweight belt at the second attempt against Jamie McGuire in July 2017 and recorded six straight wins prior to his WBF title challenge.

Bowen won his British title with victory over Maxi Hughes in April of last year and subsequently claimed the WBO Intercontinental belt with a fourth round stoppage of the rugged Argentinean Horacio Alfredo Cabral in October.

The 26-year-old has now compiled a record of 14-0 with ten victories coming via KO.

“I’ve only seen footage of one fight that Carl (trainer, Greaves) sent me and he looks like a good mover,” commented Bowen on his challenger. “You can’t really tell too much, but I don’t think he looked too big compared to me.

“He boxed an African (Abraham Ndauendapo) in the fight I got sent and he looked alright in it. His style is on the back foot a little bit, but I am thinking I will just be too strong from what I have seen of him.

“I am pleased to have a challenger booked in and hopefully the habit people have of pulling out stops now and the fights happen for me. It will be good to get a defence of the British title under my belt in front of the home fans in Leicester.”

McCorry, for his part, is naturally thrilled to be handed a shot at the British title and believes the opportunity represents a breakthrough for his career prospects.

“I’m buzzing, obviously I was meant to fight twice in an eliminator but they never happened, so when I was offered this fight I jumped at the chance. Everybody wants to fight for the British title and it is a great belt.

“This is my breakout fight, for sure, and if you are ever going to make a name for yourself it would be on BT Sport in the public eye in a big fight for the British title. It is a big event to be on.

“Obviously Sam is a big puncher and a good boy but, at the end of the day, you are not going to win a British title if you are rubbish. When you get into the top ten at this level everybody is going to be good.

“We know he is big for the weight and strong, so it will definitely be a good fight. We know he has got a lot of power, likes to come forward and stuff like that, so I know that at one point in the fight I will just have to bite down on the gum shield and go toe-to-toe.”

Tickets are available from £40 and are on sale NOW via Eventbrite.

LOS ANGELES (March 4, 2019): Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs), WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion, and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs), IBF Middleweight World Champion, completed the final stop of their three-city press tour with a spectacular press event at Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live.The 12-round unification fight will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday May 4 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

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

CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion:

“I know Jacobs is a tough opponent and it’s going to be work, but I’ve always believed to be the best you must beat the best. I love challenges. I want people to experience a good fight when they come watch my fights. I may lose, but my heart is a winning heart and I want to give the fans a spectacular finish and I’m going to put up a good fight.”

DANIEL JACOBS, IBF Middleweight World Champion:

“I have the will and desire to go inside to go in that ring and be victorious and I see myself with my hand raised by the end of night. I know the odds are stacked against me and Canelo’s resume speaks for itself, but he’s never faced a tall, fast and big guy all at once and that’s what I’m going to give him. We’re going to give you what you’re looking for and the fans going to get a great fight come May 4.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“Our objective this year is win all the belts and become the first Mexican to win the all the world championships.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“The moment he set foot in the gym we knew he was something special, the day he debuted he was great, but the day he retires the world will know how great of a fighter he is.”

ANDRE ROZIER, Trainer of Danny Jacobs:

“Jacobs is the best middleweight walking on this planet, his capabilities, skillset and gentleman ship will be what wins the fight on May 4.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“I guarantee this is going to be the fight of the year. You have two fighters who don’t have a quit in their game, this is a fight for the ages. The fact that Jacobs and Canelo both want to be great, there’s no other way than to make this one great for the fans, they will get their money’s worth come May 4.”

FRANK SMITH, CEO of Matchroom Boxing:

“We believe Jacobs will unify all of those belts and he’ll take on Canelo and win that fight.”

JOSEPH MARKOWSKI, Executive Vice President, DAZN North America:

“We’re deeply honored and proud to be exclusively showing this champion versus champion fight in the U.S.”

RICHARD STURM, President of Las Vegas Sports & Entertainment

“We are tremendously excited to bring the Canelo versus Jacobs fight to Las Vegas; it’s going to be a great event.”

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

Tickets for Canelo vs. Jacobs are one sale now and are priced at $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, $305, $205 and $105, not including applicable service charges and taxes. There will be a limit of 10 per person at the $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, and $305 price levels with a limit of two (2) per person at the $205 and $105 price levels. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

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

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

NEW YORK (March 4, 2019)-Three members of the Split-T Management stable scored impressive knockouts on Saturday night as part of the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio.

Heavyweight Stephen Shaw raised his mark to 11-0 and notched his eighth stoppage as he stopped the very capable Donovan Dennis (12-5) in round three of their scheduled eight-round bout.

The win is very impressive for Shaw, as Dennis was a finalist in the highly-competitive Boxcino tournament, as well as pushing future world title-challenger Jarrell Miller in their ShoBox fight,

Shaw registered two knockdowns, with the 2nd resulting from a barrage of punches that had Dennis hit the bottom rope, and the fight was waved off at 2:08.

Middleweight Isaiah Steen of Cleveland, Ohio is now 12-0 with 10 knockouts with an explosive 6th round stoppage over veteran Chris Chatman (15-10-1).

Chatman had an impressive mark as he had defeated four undefeated opponents, and was able to hold world title challenger, Charles Hatley to a draw,

Steen scored two knockdowns, with the finish coming from a right hand at 31 seconds of round six.

WATCH STEEN’S KO

19 year-old junior welterweight Rolando Vargas of Milwaukee drilled Tamarcus Smith (2-2) at 2:41 in the 1st round of their four-round bout. Vargas is now 2-0 with two knockouts.

Vargas landed a huge combination that sent Smith down and out for approximately six-minutes

WATCH VARGAS KO

Shaw and Steen are promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

Queens, N.Y. (March 4, 2019) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions will be returning to Club Amazura this Friday, March 8, presenting another entertaining night of boxing in association with The New Mexican Promotion.

“We are looking forward to hosting our first card of the year on Friday night,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “We have been receiving great support for our shows at Club Amazura, and that enables us to keep providing opportunities for young fighters. This card will showcase a nice group of rising local prospects and action fighters who will definitely make it an entertaining night for the fans in attendance.”

Hard-hitting Brooklyn native Jude Franklin (9-0, 8 KOs) will be seeking his 10th professional win in the main event on Friday night, taking on Aleem Jumakhonov (7-2-1, 4 KOs) of Horog, Tajikistan. Just one of Franklin’s preceding nine opponents have seen the final bell, and he will now look to extend his incredible knockout rate against the durable Jumakhonov.

Unbeaten featherweight Jose Gonzalez (11-0-2, 3 KOs) will also return to action on Friday night. Gonzalez, who is the cousin of former pound-for-pound king and four-division world champion Roman Gonzalez, will be competing on an Uprising Promotions show for the fourth time over his three-year career. He last fought in December, earning a unanimous decision victory over 28-bout veteran Andre Wilson.

Undefeated bantamweight Ariel Lopez (11-0, 7 KOs) makes his ring return on Friday after last stopping Jeno Tonte this past December at Club Amazura. A native of Puebla, Mexico, Lopez will be looking to keep his perfect record intact when he faces 13-bout veteran Jose Chanez of Tijuana, Mexico. This contest also marks the fourth consecutive and fifth overall appearance for Lopez on an Uprising Promotions show.

Also making his return to the Uprising Promotions stage on Friday night will be Brooklyn lightweight Wesley Ferrer (12-1-1, 7 KOs), who will take on Andrew Rodgers of Elkhart, Indiana. Ferrer fought each of his first six professional bouts on an Uprising Promotions card, and he was victorious in his first 12 overall fights. He has since fought back-to-back undefeated opponents, battling to a split decision draw against Will Madera in late 2017 before suffering his lone professional setback against Steven Ortiz in 2018.

Undefeated super lightweight Mathew Gonzalez (7-0, 4 KOs) makes his ring return on Friday night, looking to pick up the eighth consecutive win to start his professional career. The Ridgewood, N.Y. native made his debut in 2017 and last fought this past September when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Jordan Morales.

Rounding out the seven-fight show will be two more action-packed bouts, both of which are slated for six rounds. Titus Williams (7-2, 2 KOs) of Long Island will meet 14-bout veteran Cristian Renteria of Mexico in super featherweight action, while 50-year-old Hawaii native Eileen Olszewski (10-7-3, 1 KO) looks to prove that age is just a number when she competes in a bantamweight attraction.

Club Amazura is located at 91-12 144th Place in Jamaica, Queens. Sponsorship opportunities for this exciting night are still available for any companies or local businesses who are interested in showcasing themselves. To inquire about becoming a sponsor, call (516) 939-7861.

This Uprising Promotions card will continue the initiative to KO Autism, with proceeds from the night getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. For ticket information, call us today at (516) 939-7861.

Keep it locked to UprisingPromotions.com and @UprisingNYC for all of the latest information from Uprising Promotions.

TORONTO, ON—Tickets are now on sale for the Ukrainian-Canadian themed March 29 Lee Baxter Promotions boxing event at Mattamy Athletic Centre.

In addition, after a week of anticipation, the full card has been announced.

In the main event, Stanyslav Skorohod will take on Mexican Super Welterweight champion Jose Luiz Zuniga. Zuniga’s only loss in the past six years has come to blue chip prospect and Commonwealth titleholder Josh Kelly on the road in the UK. Now, he travels to Canada to spoil the return of Skorohod, who proved to be a box office attraction in the Toronto region in 2017. The bout promises to be a tremendous style clash between a hardened Mexican pressure fighter and Skorohod who himself doesn’t like to take a backward step.

Skorohod’s countryman Oleksandr Teslenko will take the most meaningful step up of his career when he battles the United Kingdom’s Ian Lewison. The 37-year old, nicknamed “Lay ‘Em Out,” has developed a reputation as a big puncher, and a litmus test for some of the heavyweight division’s biggest stars, including Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce, whom he has fought in his most recent outings. A win over Lewison would be a tremendous statement for Teslenko, and allow him to align himself with names like Whyte and Joyce.

NABA and NABO middleweight champion Patrice Volny will continue to test himself, as he faces the undefeated Nicolas Holcapfel. Holcapfel is an 18-year old prodigy from Slovakia, who has scored knockouts in nine of his ten professional victories. The Slovakian will be fighting outside of his homeland and Hungary for the very first time in the paid ranks. Volny will look to score a big victory over an undefeated opponent and continue his rise up the middleweight rankings in two different sanctioning bodies.

2012 Olympian Custio Clayton will continue his own march towards a world title, and in doing so, will have to get past a former world champion in DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley. Corley has fought the best of the best in his career, including Floyd Mayweather, Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto. A veteran of two decades of ring wars, Corley is a dangerous task for Clayton as he introduces himself to the Toronto boxing market.

A stacked undercard will include Nick Fantauzzi battling Maximilliano Corso, Ross Mylet taking on Ricardo Rojas Ramirez, and former national women’s champion Amanda Galle making her pro debut against Perla Esmeralda Rojas.

Tickets are available at the Mattamy Athletic Centre website and start at just $45.

Sundsvall, SWEDEN (March 4, 2019) – Salita Promotions has signed undefeated heavyweight contender Otto Wallin of Sweden, as they continue to grow their stable of top fighters.

Wallin is 20-0 with 13 knockouts since turning pro in 2013 and beginning his unbeaten run. The 28-year-old will make his U.S. debut on Saturday, April 13 on the undercard of the Claressa Shields vs. Christina Hammer event in Atlantic City, N.J.

“I’m delighted to join forces with Salita Promotions,” said Wallin. “I´ve had good years fighting in Europe and now it´s time for the second part of my career. After meeting and talking to Dmitriy Salita, I feel comfortable that he’s the right person to develop me and turn me into a world champion, which is my ultimate goal.”

“Salita Promotions is proud to join forces with a high-caliber fighter like Otto Wallin and we’re excited to bring him to the top level of the sport including the heavyweight world championship,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “The heavyweight division is back at the forefront of the sport and with Otto steadily making his way up the rankings, we know that he’s going to announce himself as a top contender here very soon. The U.S. audience is going to love what this heavyweight brings.”

“Otto has exciting years ahead with Salita Promotions and I believe it is a very promising partnership,” said Håkan Norberg, Wallin’s adivsor. “I know Otto is ready for the big fights and I know he is determined to achieve his goals. With his exceptional mental strength, I´m sure he will reach them. After working together with him for seven successful years, this will be a special next step in his career.”

Wallin picked up boxing while growing up in Sweden with his two brothers, originally playing ice hockey, football and other sports before falling in love with the sweet science. He won the first amateur tournament he competed in, finishing first in the Swedish Boxing Championship at sixteen-years-old. He then joined the Swedish National Boxing Team, launching him towards his eventual pro career.

Representing his hometown of Sundsvall, Sweden, Wallin is currently ranked number five by both the WBA and IBF, putting him squarely in position for a showdown with top heavyweight champions and contenders. The southpaw most recently captured the EBU European Union Heavyweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Adrian Granat in April 2018 that was the main event of one of Sweden’s biggest sporting events of last year.

His U.S. debut on April 13 will come after Wallin has spent the last two years conducting training camp in New York with his trainer and former two-division champion Joey Gamache, while being managed by David Berlin and Zachary Levin.

“Cus D’Amato said, ‘It is the mark of a great fighter when he has character plus skill, because a fighter with character and skill will often rise and be a better fighter because of this.’ Otto has character and skill,” said Levin. “He is also exceptionally dedicated to his craft. When you have all of these things on your side, plus the talent he has–watch out!”

Wallin will take the first steps in following in the footsteps of Swedish hero Ingemar Johansson, who won the heavyweight world title in the U.S. by stopping Floyd Patterson in a memorable matchup at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in 1959. Fellow Swede Badou Jack is the most recent from his home country to become a champion stateside, something Wallin seeks to accomplish with the help of Salita Promotions.

“I´m a kid from a small town in Sweden and I´m proud of what I´ve accomplished so far, but this feels like a new beginning and a very exciting one,” said Wallin. “Ingemar Johansson is a big inspiration for me, because when he came to the U.S. and won the title, he was the baddest man on the planet. That’s always been my goal and that’s what I’m going for.”

Dmitry Bivol knows that Joe Smith Jr. is coming to rip his title away from him – and the WBA World Light-Heavyweight king says that will make for a great fight when he defends his belt at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY on Saturday March 9, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

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

Bivol (15-0 11 KOs) puts his strap on the line for the fifth time and it’s been smooth sailing since he destroyed Trent Broadhurst inside a round in his first defense in November 2017.

The Russian has put Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba and Jean Pascal to the sword since that win in Monaco, and now the hard-hitting Russian goes head to head with Smith Jr (24-2 20KOs).

The Long Island man fights for his first World title against Bivol, and the 29 year old has vowed to pour everything out of himself to land the crown – and the defending champ believes that their styles will gel for a great clash.

“He’s a strong guy,” said Bivol. “I saw his fight against Bernard Hopkins, and he’s really strong. He has the same age like me, he’s young. But he has some minus points like many fighters that I will use to my advantage for my win. He moves forward a lot. This is a good challenge for me, to stop him.

“I saw in his eyes when I met him, he wanted my belt. And I’m glad, because only that way it can make a good fight.

“We are both of different styles. When two guys meet in the ring with different styles in boxing, it usually makes a good fight. I think it will be a good fight for boxing fans.

“To be honest, I don’t think about the belt. I just think about who my opponent is, and what he can show me in the ring. All I think about is how I should beat him. In my sight, I feel like I should just beat him. Of course, the belt is good for history, but I only think about my opponent.”

Bivol’s clash with Smith Jr. 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 Bivol’s clash as they battle in a crunch fight in the 175lbs division, 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.

NEW YORK CITY (March 4, 2019) — Vladimir Nikitin and Irish sensation Michael “Mick” Conlan are on a collision course for a rematch of their quarterfinal bout from the 2016 Rio Olympics, won by Nikitin via highly controversial decision. Nikitin will fight Juan Tapia (8-2, 3 KOs) in a six-round featherweight bout on the undercard of Conlan’s 10-round featherweight tilt against Ruben Garcia Hernandez on Sunday, March 17 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Conlan-Hernandez will be the special attraction for this special St. Patrick’s Day card, with the welterweight showdown between Luis Collazo and Samuel Vargas serving as the main event. In the newly announced co-feature, two-time Irish Olympic bronze medalist and former world title challenger Paddy Barnes (5-1, 1 KO) will look to get back in the win column against Oscar Mojica (11-5-1, 1 KO) in a six-rounder at bantamweight. Barnes challenged Cristofer Rosales for the WBC flyweight world title last August and lost via fourth-round knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets priced at $206, $156, $106, $81, $56, and $31 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Conlan-Hernandez, Barnes-Mojica and Collazo-Vargas will stream live and exclusively at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, the direct-to-consumer sports streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN. The entire undercard, including Nikitin-Tapia, will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

“The fight I want after I take care of business on March 17 is Michael Conlan,” Nikitin said. “He wants revenge, and I want to show everyone that I was, and still am, the superior fighter. I respect Michael and his team. While there is no bad blood outside the ring, we have unfinished business inside the ring.”

Said Conlan: “Nikitin is a rival from the 2016 Olympics and clearly someone who I look forward to fighting in the professional ranks. This is the second time we’ve fought on the same card, and I look forward to seeing his progress as a professional.”

Nikitin (2-0, 0 KOs) was a standout amateur for his native Russia who won medals at the European Championships and World Championships. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, his disputed decision over Conlan advanced him to the medal round and made headlines around the globe. Conlan’s double middle-finger salute to the AIBA-appointed judges became the indelible image of the Rio Olympics. As a pro, Nikitin has won a pair of dominant six-round decisions and hopes another victory sets the stage for the long-awaited rematch.

In other undercard action:

Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno (11-0, 10 KOs), the 19-year-old power punching prodigy, will face the durable Victor Rosas (10-8, 4 KOs) in a six-rounder at lightweight. Adorno has seven first-round stoppages on his ledger.

Bronx native Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas (12-1, 8 KOs) will take on Adriano Ramirez (10-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight bout. Vargas has won six in a row since a controversial disqualification loss.

Puerto Rican super lightweight prospect John “El Terrible” Bauza (11-0, 5 KOs) will make his Top Rank debut against Ricardo Maldonado (8-8-1, 1 KO) in a six-rounder.

Lee Reeves (2-0, 2 KOs), a two-time Irish national champion as an amateur, will continue his professional journey against Eduardo Torres (1-1, 0 KOs) in a four-round welterweight fight.

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

Use the hashtags #ConlanHernandez and #TheConlanRevolution to follow the action on social media.

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

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC 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 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.

CARSON, Calif. (March 4, 2019) – Multiple-division world champion Robert Guerrero returns to the ring to battle Colombia’s Hevinson Herrera in a 10-round welterweight bout, while former featherweight world champion Jesus Cuellar duels Colombia’s Carlos Padilla in an eight-round lightweight bout to lead a packed undercard on Saturday, March 9 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The event is headlined by PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes show that will see WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter making his first title defense in primetime against mandatory challenger Yordenis Ugas in the main event of the broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Televised prelims on FS1 feature undefeated bantamweight prospect Damien Vazquez battles former world champion Juan Carlos Payano in an eight or 10-round attraction, while unbeaten welterweight prospect and 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis will face once-beaten Sammy Figueroa in an eight round showdown on the telecast beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

In other undercard action, undefeated lightweight Rolando Romero (7-0, 6 KOs) meets Nicolas A. Velazquez (10-4, 3 KOs) in a four or six-round match that will be the TV swing bout on the FOX telecast and unbeaten featherweight Isaac Avelar (15-0, 10 KOs) clashes with Juan Antonio Lopez (12-5, 4 KOs) in a six or eight-round match that will be the TV swing bout on the FS1 prelims broadcast.

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

The 35-year-old Guerrero (34-6-1, 19 KOs) has a rich career filled with intriguing matches against some of the best boxers of this generation – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia – and has won titles at featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight and welterweight. Fighting out of Gilroy, California, he will be taking on Herrera (24-16-1, 18 KOs) following a knockout victory over Adam Mates in December.

Cuellar (28-3, 21 KOs), who is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, won an interim featherweight title by defeating Claudio Marrero in 2013 that was eventually made the regular title as he made five successful defenses. He dropped the title the next year with a split decision loss to Abner Mares and followed that up with a TKO loss in a junior lightweight championship match against Gervonta Davis last April. The 33-year-old Cuellar is seeking to get back into the world title picture but first will have to get past Padilla (16-9-1, 10 KOs).

In other undercard bouts unbeaten super featherweight Viktor Slavinskyi (7-0-1, 4 KOs) takes on Mexico’s Angel Morrell (11-11-2, 4 KOs) in a six-round match, super featherweight prospect Jose Perez (6-1, 2 KOs) battles Carlos Trevino (6-13-1, 1 KO) in a four-round bout, unbeaten super lightweight prospect Ruben Rodriguez (4-0, 2 KOs) meets Jeremiah De Los Santos of Brownsville, Texas, who will be making his pro debut in the four-round bout.

Rounding out the action is unbeaten super lightweight prospect Justin Cardona dueling Phillip Bounds in a four-round affair, plus a pair of lightweights will be making their pro debuts as David Gomez of Huntington Park, California battles George Carranza in a four-round fight and Gabriel Muratalla of Fontana, California steps in for a four-round lightweight fight against Bryann Perez.

# # #

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.

Los Angeles, CA (March 4, 2019) Two of Boxing’s top undefeated rising stars; super middleweight Ali Akhmedov, (13-0, 10 KOs), and undefeated lightweight Mario ‘El Matador’ Ramos, (7-0, 7 KOs), have been added to the upcoming ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ event on Sunday, March 24, 2019 at the AVALON in Hollywood, CA

A native of Almaty, Kazakhstan, currently training in Big Bear Lake, CA under the watchful eye of the renowned Abel Sanchez and promoted by GGG Promotions, the 23-year-old Akhmedov dropping down from light heavyweight will face Sacramento, CA veteran Mike Guy, (9-3-1, 5 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round battle.

Also featured in the lightweight division, 19-year-old phenom Ramos, (7-0, 7 KOs) of San Diego, CA clashes with Arnulfo ‘Fito’ Becerra, (7-1, 5 KOs), of Mission District, CA in a scheduled six-rounder.

Presented by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions, advance tickets for The VIP Boxing Experience priced at $150 (Limited Ring Mat Seating) $125 (VIP Front Row), $100 (VIP Second Row), $85 (Reserved Floor Seating) and $60 (Balcony) are now on sale online at www.360Promotions.us and through the interactive seating chart by clicking HERE. VIP Booths are also available by inquiring at Info@360Promotions.US. Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. with the first bell at 4:00 p.m.

Fighting twice in Southern California in 2018, the heavy-handed Akhmedov thrilled local boxing fans with two tremendous knockouts. In his ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ debut on August 8, Akhmedov stopped previously once-beaten Jorge Escalante in the fourth round. Following that up on October 11, the ‘Kazak Krusher’ knocked out Jovany Javier Gomez in the first round in Costa Mesa, CA.

A professional since 2009, the battle-tested Guy has faced numerous world rated contenders and undefeated fighters including Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Tyron Zeuge, Justin Thomas and Junior Younan.

Southern California fan favorite Ramos is welcomed back to ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ having stopped Guadalupe Arroyo in the sixth round on June 6, 2018. Following up on that stoppage Ramos stopped Alex Solorio on September 8 in the third round on the undercard of SUPERFLY 3 at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA. Most recently, the busy Ramos knocked out Elliott Brown in the fifth round on December 8 in Carson, CA.

Upset-minded Becerra was riding a seven-bout winning streak before dropping a hard-fought split decision to Brian Rojo Macias on February 24, 2018 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Additional bouts for this ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ event will be announced shortly. The evening is headlined by a sensational eight-round junior middleweight clash between top undefeated knockout artist, Serhii ‘El Flaco’ Bohachuk, (12-0, 12 KOs), of Ukraine, training in Big Bear Lake, CA with Abel Sanchez and long-time contender Cleotis ‘Mookie’ Pendarvis, (21-4-2, 9 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA.

Commentating on the show will be former featherweight world champion, ‘The Flushing Flash’ Kevin Kelley and Ring Magazine Editor-in-Chief Doug Fischer with hosting duties handled by the beautiful Cynthia Conte.

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

Shannon Courtenay is ready to announce herself in the professional ranks after calling time on a stellar amateur career that saw her win gold at the 2015 Haringey Box Cup and pick up the Southern Area Featherweight title in 2016.

The Watford Bantamweight makes her long-awaited pro debut at London’s Copper Box Arena on March 23, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, and believes now is the perfect time to begin life in the paid code as she sets out on her journey to become a World Champion.

“Now is the perfect time to turn pro, 100 per cent,” said Courtenay. “Katie Taylor is leading the way over here at the moment and you’ve got Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer fighting soon. Women’s boxing has completely changed over the past few years and it’s getting bigger and bigger, that’s why I’m turning professional now. It’s only right that I strike while the iron is hot.

“I have a pro style and I’m confident that I’ll adjust to the pro game quickly. I’m ready to put my own name out there, not just in women’s professional boxing but all of professional boxing. I want to make a big name for myself and it all starts at the Copper Box Arena on March 23.

“I’m training with Adam Booth and Charlie Beatt now and they’re both incredible coaches. Adam’s got a fantastic track record of numerous World Champions like David Haye and George Groves. He’s trained the best and hopefully I can follow in their footsteps.

With men’s WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua OBE coming from just around the corner in Watford, Courtenay has seen the levels of support he has received from his hometown fans and hopes they will get behind her in the same way.

“I’ve known Joshua for quite a few years now and it definitely makes you feel like anything’s possible. The great thing about it is you see how much Watford has got behind him. I really hope they can do the same with me. If I can get even half the support he’s got it will only propel me to bigger things.”

Courtenay makes her pro debut on a huge night of boxing at the Copper Box Arena.

Main event sees 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 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.

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.

Joe Hughes is determined to win the British Super-Lightweight title at the second time of asking.

He was left frustrated and angry after 12 battling rounds against former British Champion Tyrone Nurse at the Leicester Arena in 2017 that resulted in a draw. Hughes is still convinced that he won the fight by two rounds and believes his former amateur rival was saved by the judges.

The Malmesbury fighter gets a second shot at the Lord Lonsdale crown when he clashes with current Champion Robbie Davies Jr at The M&S Bank Arena Liverpool on March 30, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Since his first attempt at the British title, Hughes has gone on to claim the European title against Andrea Scarpa in a career-best win on away soil in Italy, but insists the British title has been the belt he has wanted most since turning pro in 2010.

“Winning the British title has always been a goal of mine as a professional boxer,” said Hughes. “Ever since I started boxing it’s been the belt that I wanted. I think it’s the same for all British fighters, it’s the most prestigious belt out there and I’m excited to be going for it again later this month.

“Obviously I’ve won the European title which is a bigger belt in terms of rankings and things like that, but the British belt is special and to win it would be a huge honour. In a way I feel like I’m already a British Champion but it would be nice to finally get my hands on the belt.

“I should already have it. I drew for it last time I challenged for it. I thought I won the fight and most people thought I won the fight. I thought I beat Tyrone by two rounds when we fought back in 2017. He was a 9-1 ON favourite and I think the media couldn’t believe how the fight went.

“I felt I was hitting the cleaner shots and more of them. We wanted the rematch but it never materialised. Now I’ve got another chance to win it and I’m confident of taking it home with me this time. I’m going to win clearly enough so that the judges can’t give it any other way.”

28-year-old Hughes, 17-3-1, has travelled all over the country as an away fighter, winning the Southern Area title against Londoner Phillip Bowes at The O2 and then the English title against Anthony Upton in Walsall, and the Wiltshire man is relishing another away day, this time on Merseyside.

“I’m away from home in his backyard but that doesn’t bother me at all. It’s a huge show for Liverpool and there’s some great Liverpudlian talent on the card. I’m sure the place will be packed to the rafters with scousers and I’m excited by that. I’ve just been to Italy where the place was packed with Italians and I still came away with the win so going to Liverpool doesn’t faze me.

“Liverpool is a great boxing city and I haven’t fought there since I was an amateur so I’m looking forward to going back. Obviously he’s going to have more support in there than me but I’ll be bringing as many as possible with me. I’m not fazed by going away, I’ve done it plenty of times now and it’s nothing new to me.”

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

Main event sees former WBO Super-Welterweight World Champion Liam Smith make his long-awaited Liverpool homecoming against 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.

DANIEL DUBOIS WAS completely unfazed by the prediction of Razvan Cojanu that Friday night’s encounter at the Royal Albert Hall will not end well for him and invited his opponent to back up his words in the ring.

The 31-year-old Romanian, who is a former world title challenger, publicly stated his belief that Dubois’ youth will count against him and that the bludgeoning power carried by the 9-0 Londoner holds no fears for a much more seasoned campaigner.

The 21-year-old heavyweight was typically unruffled by the fighting talk from his latest opponent and the fact that he is back in the ring, after missing out on a December date through illness, is a much higher priority than countering any pre-fight verbal jabs from the red corner.

“It is a good fight for me and I am looking forward to it, I am looking forward to being back in there and seeing if he can do what he says he is going to,” responded Dubois ahead of the BT Sport televised clash. “We will see if he can back up his words and we will see if he is a man of his word.

“I am just looking forward to the fight really,” he added, before addressing a further claim from Cojanu, suggesting that he will be the biggest and strongest Dubois has come up against.

“I am sure it won’t come down to that, it will be about who is the better man on the night. Size really shouldn’t count much, but the bigger they come, the harder they fall, as they say.

“I will just get in there and really show what I can do, which is putting it on him and breaking him down.”

The California-based Cojanu frustrated Nathan Gorman in Manchester back in December and proved an awkward customer. Dubois accepts the onus is on him to unlock the defences and make a fight of it if he wishes to post a statement performance that will make people sit up and take notice.

“Yes I have got to find his jaw and take him out. I will definitely enjoy it like I do every fight and whatever challenge he brings I will embrace it.

“Making a statement is something I am working towards and I am at the point of my career where a big win is important. Every fight is like a world title for me at the moment, where I have to be at my best and put on a big performance.

Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Anthony Yarde defending his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves tops a huge night of boxing at the Royal Albert Hall that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender, while British welterweight champion Johnny Garton makes a first defence of his belt against the Welshman Chris Jenkins. Unbeaten featherweight Lucien Reid takes on his toughest test to date against Birmingham’s Indi Sangha. Unbeaten prospects Hamza Sheeraz, Denzel Bentley, Jake Pettitt, James Branch jr and Harvey Horn also feature on the show.

Tickets are priced from £40 and are available to buy via www.RoyalAlbertHall.com

TICKETS START FROM £40
GRAND TIER: £100
LOGGIA: £100
SECOND TIER: £75

CHRIS JENKINS believes he’ll finally ditch his nearly man tag when he challenges British welterweight champion Johnny Garton.

Swansea’s Jenkins (20-3-2) makes his third British title attempt when he faces Garton at London’s Royal Albert Hall this Friday night, live on BT Sport.

Jenkins drew and lost a close points decision against Tyrone Nurse in super-lightweight title contests back in 2015.

Hard luck came his way last year. Bad cuts saw him lose a technical decision against Akeem Ennis-Brown followed by a technical draw against Darragh Foley in international title battles.

“I just hope that this is my time in a British title fight,” said Jenkins who warmed up for his big fight by outpointing Edvinas Puplauskas in early February.

Jenkins, 30, added: “There are so many fighters, who get so close yet so far.

“I don’t want to be known as the ‘almost man’ or the unluckiest Welsh boxer because of cuts and close decisions going against me.

“The cuts are in the back of my mind, but I have to try and put it away and just box to the instructions my trainer Gary Lockett gives me.

“We will see what happens on the night, but I am confident in my own ability and if I box to instructions from Gary I can beat anybody.

“Hopefully there will be no cuts and I will do what I have to do to become British champion.”

Garton (23-1-1) has been one of the biggest surprises in British boxing in recent years and admits he never expected to get this far.

Jenkins is one of the few who spotted Garton’s potential when they sparred for five rounds.

Chris explained: “A few years ago I went to Johnny’s gym when Liam Williams was sparring with Bradley Skeete and we did a few rounds together.

“It was a good even spar and a nice move around for both of us.

“I thought Gary Corcoran was a tough fight for Johnny because he gave Liam Williams a hard fight, but everything he did was good and he drew Gary into the fight he wanted.

“I am not surprised to see Johnny do well. He trains very hard, is a good fighter, Alan Smith is a good trainer and he trains in a champions gym. Success breeds success.”

The British welterweight title clash between the Pexican, Johnny Garton and Chris Jenkins takes place at the Royal Albert Hall this Friday March 8, live on BT Sport. Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Anthony Yarde defending his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves tops a huge night of boxing that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender. Also on the bill is unbeaten featherweight Lucien Reid, who takes on his toughest test to date against Birmingham’s Indi Sangha, while unbeaten prospects Hamza Sheeraz, Denzel Bentley, Jake Pettitt, James Branch jr and Harvey Horn feature on the show.

Tickets are priced from £40 and are available to buy via www.RoyalAlbertHall.com

‘King’ Kai Robin Havnaa (14-0, 12 KOs) claimed the IBO International Cruiserweight title with a third-round stoppage victory over Rad ‘Thunder’ Rashid (16-5, 13 KOs) last night at the SØR Amfi in Arendal, Norway.

In front of a capacity crowd at his hometown arena, the undefeated Norwegian star recorded his fourteenth professional win and took home his first major title with two crunching body shots sending Germany’s Rashid to the canvas.

Havnaa, the son of former WBO World Champion Magne Havnaa, becomes the first Norwegian boxer to win an international title on home soil for over forty years, and continues his quest to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“It’s a dream to win my first title, which I will place next to my father’s belt,” said Havnaa. “I know it is not as big a title as his, but it’s a good step for my career, and one day, I hope to win my father’s old belt and become World Champion.

“It was amazing to fight in front of my home fans in Arendal again. I would like to thank everybody who came to support me and I would also like to thank my promoter Nisse Sauerland for making all this possible.

“Rashid was a tough boxer and I knew I had to be at my best to beat him. We trained hard and I had a good game plan. I’m very happy with how the fight went. It was absolutely crazy to win my first title at home in Arendal!”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland said: “That was a great night for Kai. The only way is up for him now. The crowd was amazing, which shows he is becoming a real star in Norway. There’s going to be a lot of exciting options for him to explore.”

Former European and WBC International Champion Katharina Thanderz earned a majority decision win over Rachel Ball on the undercard despite breaking her right hand in the fourth round of their eight-round contest.

Deniz Ilbay lost a split decision to Argentina’s Jonathan Jose Eniz for the IBO Intercontinental Welterweight belt, Hadi Srour outpointed Zoltan Szabo for his third paid win, Jamshid Nazari scored a third-round TKO victory over Reyhan Todorov and Kent Erik Badstad beat Istvan Orsos via second-round knockout.

Jordan Gill stopped Emmanuel Dominguez in the 3rd round of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout.

Gill dropped Dominguez in the 3rd stanza with a hard combination to the head. Gill sent Dominguez down for a 2nd time with a hard right hand. Gill finished the fight with a right-left combination that staggered Dominguez, and the bout was stopped at 1:55.

Gill of the UK is 23-0 with seven knockouts. Dominguez, 135.7 lbs of Mexico is 24-8-2.

Anthony Sims Jr. remained undefeated by stopping Matteo Veron in round six of a scheduled ten-round light heavyweight bout.

In round six, Sims dropped Veron with a hard right to the head. Moments later, it was another hard right that sent Veron down face-first. Veron got to to his feet but the fight was waved off at 1:54.

Sims, 169 lbs of Plainfield, IN is now 18-0 with 17 knockouts. Veron, 167 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 28-22.

Jordan Gill stopped Emmanuel Dominguez in round three of a scheduled 12-round featherweight fight,

In round three, Gill dropped Dominguez with a ripping flurry to the head. Seconds later it was a straight right that put Dominguez down. The fight ended with Gill landing a bunch of unanswered punches on the ropes at 1:55.

Gill, 125.4 lbs of the Uk is 23-0 with seven knockouts. Dominguez, 125.4 lbs of Mexico is 24-8-2.

Anthony Sims Jr. stopped Mateo Veron in round six of their scheduled 10-round super middleweight bout.

In round six, Sims landed a big right hand that sent Veron to the canvas. Later in the round, it was a hard combination that dropped Veron and the fight was stopped at 1:54.

Sims, 169.1 lbs of Compton, CA is 18-0 with 17 knockouts. Veron, 167 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 28-22-3.

RED CORNER BLUE CORNER

10 ROUNDS – INTERIM WBO ORIENTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Junior Fa vs. Newfel Ouatah
Otahuhu, New Zealand Lyon, Rhone, France
16-0, 9 KO’s 16-2, 9 KO’s
254.5 lbs. 240 lbs.

8 ROUNDS – HEAVYWEIGHTS
George Arias vs. Robert Simms
Bronx, NY Saginaw, MI
12-0, 7 KO’s 8-2-1, 3 KO’s
238 lbs. 226 lbs.

8 ROUNDS – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Stephan Shaw vs. Donovan Dennis
St. Louis, MO Minneapolis, MN
10-0, 7 KO’s 12-3, 10 KO’s
254 lbs. 220 lbs.

8 ROUNDS – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Hemi Ahio vs. Ed Fountain
Auckland, New Zealand St. Louis, MO
12-0, 8 KO’s 12-4, 5 KO’s
234 lbs. 244 lbs.

8 ROUNDS – SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Isaiah Steen vs. Chris Chatman
Cleveland, OH Chicago, IL
11-0, 9 KO’s 15-9-1, 5 KO’s
160.5 lbs. 164 lbs.

10 ROUNDS – WBA-NABA JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Jamie Walker vs. Dan Karpency
Columbus, OH Adah, PA
9-1-1, 3 KO’s 8-2, 4 KO’s
152 lbs. 153.5 lbs.

4 ROUNDS – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Alante Green vs. Anthony Trotter
Cleveland, OH Lexington, KY
3-0-1, 2 KO’s 3-3
226 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS
Carlos Dixon vs. Jahmal Dyer
Louisville, KY Baltimore, MD
7-0, 5 KO’s 8-1, 5 KO’s
130.5 lbs. 131 lbs.

4 ROUNDS – WELTERWEIGHTS
Alfred Leisure vs. Jessi Hackett
Columbus, OH Lynchburg, VA
2-0, 1 KO 1-1, 1 KO
145.5 lbs.

6 ROUNDS – MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Travis Jerig vs. Ben Schlater
Zanesville, OH Foster, OH
3-3 4-1-2, 1 KO
160 lbs. 161 lbs.

All Bouts Subject to Change

New York, NY (March 1, 2019) DiBella Entertainment presents a SPECIAL EDITION of Broadway Boxing series tomorrow from the Voinovich Center in Columbus, OH. Partnering with entertainment legend and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, the event will be streamed live on LIVE.DBE1.com, as part of DBE’s partnership with CBS Sports Digital and Sportslive, starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Added to the previously announced card in a six-round junior lightweight clash, Carlos Dixon (7-0, 5 KOs), of Louisville, KY, will battle Jahmal Dyer (8-1, 5 KOs), of Baltimore, MD. The 22-year-old Dixon, a former amateur standout, has become one of boxing’s top young prospects in the division, knocking out his last four opponents. Dyer is riding a four-bout winning streak as he seeks to derail the momentum Dixon has built since turning professional in June of 2017.
Middleweight prospects have been added to the event as cross-state rivals Travis Jerig (3-3), of Zanesville, OH, faces off against Ben Schlater (4-1-2, 1KO), of Foster, OH, in a scheduled six-rounder. The 23-year-old Jerig will be looking to bounce back into the win column following a very close six-round decision loss to Jaime Walker on July 28, 2018. Undefeated in his last six fights, Schlater will look to improve on his unbeaten streak following two recent draws against Cory Dulaney in 2018.
In a scheduled four-round heavyweight attraction, Alante Green (3-0-1, 2 KOs), of Cleveland, OH, clashes with Lexington, KY native Anthony Trotter (3-3). Fighting for the first time in 2019, Green returns to action following a four-round decision win versus Sentino Turnbow on July 28, 2018. Trotter enters the ring off of a four-round decision win against Lamar Harris on February 8, 2019.
Rounding out the card, welterweight newcomers will see action as local fan favorite Alfred Leisure (2-0, 1KO), of Columbus, OH, challenges Jessi Hackett (1-1, 1KO), of Lynchburg, VA.
The main event of the evening features WBO #8-rated heavyweight Junior Fa (16-0, 9 KOs), of Otahuhu, New Zealand, making the second defense of the interim WBO Oriental heavyweight title against former French heavyweight champion Newfel Ouatah (16-2, 9 KOs). The scheduled 10-round bout will be the toughest test of Fa’s career.
Fighting out of The Bronx, NY, Dominican Republic native George Arias (12-0, 7 KOs) faces off against Robert Simms (8-2, 3 KOs), of Saginaw, MI, in a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.
From the fighting city of St. Louis, MO, top heavyweight prospect Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw (10-0, 7 KOs) will compete in an eight-round bout against Donovan Dennis (12-3, 10 KOs), of Minneapolis, MN.
Auckland, New Zealand native Hemi “The Heat” Ahio (12-0, 8 KOs), a training partner of Junior Fa, makes his US debut against battled-tested Ed Fountain (12-4, 5 KOs), of St. Louis, MO, in a scheduled eight-rounder.
Top super middleweight prospect Isaiah Steen (11-0, 9 KOs), of Cleveland, OH, will compete in his first eight-rounder against Chicago, IL, native Chris Chatman (15-9-1, 5 KOs).
Columbus, Ohio fan favorite Jamie Walker (9-1-1, 3 KOs) vies for the vacant WBA-NABA super welterweight title in a highly anticipated 10-round battle against Dan Karpency (8-2, 4 KOs), of Adah, PA.
Tickets for the SPECIAL EDITION of Broadway Boxing start at $40 and may be purchased online HERE.
Celebrating its 31st year, the 2019 Arnold Sports Festival is the world’s largest multi-sport festival featuring 80 events from February 28 to March 3, 2019 in Columbus, OH, attracting an estimated 200,000 sports and fitness fans watching more than 22,000 athletes compete at various city venues. The festival features 16 Olympic events with the world’s most talented athletes from around the world competing. For more information please visit their website at www.ArnoldSportsFestival.com.
The Voinovich Center is located on the grounds of the Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:30 p.m. with the first bell at 7:15 p.m. More information on the four-day “Arnold Sports Festival” may be obtained HERE.
Following Broadway Boxing, boxing fans tuned in via CBS Sportslive are encouraged to switch over to SHOWTIME® for a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader. In the main event, former world champion Erislandy Lara challenges unbeaten Argentinean Brian Castano for the WBA Super Welterweight title belt, while Luis “King Kong” Ortiz continues his march toward another world title shot, live from Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, NY.

?–MAIN EVENT–
8 Rounds – Cruiserweights
Brian Howard (14-2, 11 K0s) def. Garrett Wilson (18-16-1, 9 K0s), K0 1 (2:31)

— Semifinal –
6 Rounds – Lightweights
Jerome Conquest (10-3, 1 K0) def. Vinnie Denierio (3-6, 1 K0), UD, 60-54, 59-55,
59-55

— Undercard –

4 Rounds – Junior Welterweights
Tyhler Williams (1-0, 1 K0) def. Nyrome Lynch (0-4), K0 2 (1:45).
**
4 Rounds – Super Middleweights
Omar Kabary Salem (8-0, 4 K0s) def. Jacob Fox (3-8, 2 K0s), K0 1 (2:27)
**
4 Rounds – Junior Welterweights
Daiyann Butt (3-0, 1K0) def. Tyree Arnold (0-1), K0 4 (2:22)
**
4 Rounds – Junior Middleweights
Ismael Villareal (5-0, 2 K0) def. Lashawn Alcocks (1-5), K0 3 (2:36)
**
4 Rounds – Middleweights
Sammy Berman (2-0, 1K0) def. Corey Weekley (0-2), UD 4, 39-37, 40-36

**
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MEXICO CITY (March 1, 2019): Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs), WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion, and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs(35-2, 29 KOs), IBF Middleweight World Champion, completed the second stop of their three-city press tour with a full day of interviews and a press conference at the TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City, Mexico. The 12-round unification fight will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday May 4 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

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

CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion:

“It’s important to fight in May and September on the dates where Mexican fighters have represented the country. I accept the responsibility of participating in big fights like these. It’s an honor to represent my country the way others have.”

“This will not be my last fight at 160 pounds. It’s the weight where I feel best. I will be here for a while. I would still like to have challenges at 168, but I’m fine at 160 pounds.”

“All fighters look for the knockout. It’s always spectacular. I will go out there to look for it. But I will train for 12 rounds. If the opportunity for the knockout presents itself, I will take it.”

DANIEL JACOBS, IBF Middleweight World Champion:

“This means everything to me. I take my hat off to Canelo for accepting this fight. He’s a true champion to me. That said, it’s our duty to make sure you all receive a great fight. I will bring my arsenal to make sure it’s a great fight.”

“Whether it ends by knockout or decision, you will see a great battle. I can speak for Canelo and myself by saying that we will give everything in this fight. I guarantee that I will not only be champion on May 4, but also king.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“This is what we wanted. We wanted big fights to leave a big footprint in the history of boxing. It appeared impossible at first. Based on hard work and discipline, we grew little by little-he as a fighter and we as trainers. Thank you to Saul for your loyalty and of believing in us.

“Now the only thing left is to prepare day by day in boxing. We have a big fight, and I want Canelo to be the first-ever Mexican fighter to unify all the titles in a division. No one has ever done that, but Saul will.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“I can’t help but remember watching him fight here for the first time. But the times have changed. I feel nostalgic seeing so many people and seeing what the presence of Canelo does to the boxing public. There have been many years of working to get where we are. Thank you, Saul. Thank you for believing in us.”

“This May 4, you will see a great fight. They say styles make fights. And that’s what will happen in this fight. We have the two best middleweights in the world. When you have the best fighters in the world fighting each other, you can expect a great fight.”

ANDRE ROZIER, Trainer of Danny Jacobs:

“Danny is a very special individual. He is a dedicated, hardworking family man. He has survived a lot on his life. I affectionately refer to him as my son. We have worked for a long time to get this far. On May 4, when he steps into the ring, I will look forward to him finishing the fight with his hand raised.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“This fight is important because it will feature two world champions who will unify their titles to demonstrate who is the best at 160 pounds. This battle is also significant because it features two of the most resilient fighters in the history of the sport.”

“With Canelo, we have a young man who has fought as a professional since the age of 15. He’s fought the best fighters at 147 and 154, and in December moved up to 168 pounds to become a three-division world champion. With Jacobs, we have a man who defeated a challenge much tougher than a fight: a battle with cancer. He then returned to win two world titles.”

“May 4 will be a great night for Golden Boy and we expect a tremendous performance from our champion, Canelo Alvarez.”

EDDIE HEARN, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport:

“I want to congratulate many people involved in this promotion. We thank Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo for accepting this challenge. We want to thank DAZN, who are really changing the sport in the United States. We want to thank Tecate, the sponsors, and TV Azteca, for hosting this magnificent event.”

“When you have a champion like Canelo who wants to be the best and fights the best, we have what it makes for a great moment. With Danny Jacobs, he will not only face a great champion, but a great man. They told him he may not live again and might not walk again. They also told him that he would definitely never fight again. But here he is. We have a fight that you will forget on May 4.”

JOSEPH MARKOWSKI, Executive Vice President, DAZN North America:

“Boxing is having a bit of a moment. And after much discussion and investment across the industry, this fight – Canelo vs. Jacobs – stands out to me as the most significant matchup on the calendar. This is the fight of the year and I am very, very proud to say that DAZN will be broadcasting it exclusively in the U.S.”

“Simply put, this fight has got everything. Champion vs. champion. A global superstar. An inspiring New Yorker with a story for the history books. And a world-class venue in the world-class fight city. The only thing missing from this blockbuster showdown is the pay-per-view price tag – and that’s because DAZN is different.”

“And so, to the two DAZN fighters on this stage, I wish you tremendous luck in camp over the next two months and I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas for this great fight.”

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

Tickets for Canelo vs. Jacobs are one sale now and are priced at $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, $305, $205 and $105, not including applicable service charges and taxes. There will be a limit of 10 per person at the $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, and $305 price levels with a limit of two (2) per person at the $205 and $105 price levels. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

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

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

Maurice Hooker says he’ll bring the heat early to Mikkel LesPierre and send a big statement to the rest of the division when he defends his WBO World Super-Lightweight title for the second time 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.

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

Hooker (25-0-3 17 KOs) defended his title in thrilling fashion in November, climbing off the canvas in the second round against home town favorite Alex Saucedo to silence the Oklahoma City crowd with a clinical seventh round stoppage.

The Dallas star now hits the road again to meet LesPierre (21-0-1 10KOs) in upstate New York, with the unbeaten Brooklyn man lacing them up in his first World title fight – and Hooker plans to test the challenger’s ambitions from the opening bell, and predicts a spectacular KO on the horizon.

“What do I know about Mikkel? He’s going down on March 9, that’s all I know,” said Hooker. “He’ll be a little nervous and jittery. I’ll pop him with a hard jab early to see where his mind is. I’ll be looking in his eyes when I hit him to see how he reacts like, ‘god damn!’ or ‘OK, bring it’ – that will tell me what he’s going to be like the whole fight, if he’s there to win and be great, or just there to collect the cheque.

“He doesn’t have power but I still have to be wary as he could close his eyes and swing, hit me with the backhand – it’s boxing. But if I see a weakness in him, I’m not going to hesitate – I want to KO him hard and fast, I don’t get paid overtime. I will show real power in both hands, and show I can put any southpaw in the world to sleep.

“I don’t feel any extra pressure as a defending champion – I am getting paid to do my job. As long as I train hard and stay focused, there’s no-one out there that can beat me and I will prepare hard for anyone put in front of me.

“He’s a short southpaw that’s going to sit outside the box, and he’s going to be in the danger-zone. I wish him the best in the build-up, I am sure that he’s trained hard as this is the biggest fight of his life – fighting for a World title at home – but that’s just like Saucedo, he’s going to come, not as aggressive as Saucedo, but he’ll still come.

“After the first round though, he’ll die down as he’ll be thinking ‘man this guy is long, rangy, I can’t get to him – AND he hits hard’. He’ll shell up. But I’ll be explosive. Fighters say they don’t look for the KO – I am looking for a big KO on March 9, I want it bad and I will KO him.”

Hooker’s clash with LesPierre 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 Dmitry Bivol (15-0 11KOs) defending his WBA World Light-Heavyweight title against Long Island’s Joe Smith Jr (24-2-0 20KOs).

Callum Johnson (17-1-0 12KOs) and Sean Monaghan (29-2-0 17KOs) will both have a keen eye on Bivol’s clash as they battle in a crunch fight in the 175lbs division, 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.