TRAVIS REEVES will be motivated by his trainer Hasim Rahman’s shock win against Lennox Lewis when he faces Anthony Yarde.

Rahman caused one of boxing’s biggest ever upsets when he became IBF and WBC champion back in April 2000, knocking out Lewis in five rounds.

Reeves (17-3-2) will attempt to cause his own stunner when he challenges Yarde (17-0) for the Ilford man’s WBO intercontinental light-heavyweight title at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8, live on BT Sport.

He believes Rahman’s stunning win and his tough Baltimore boxing roots will play their part when he faces Yarde in only the second professional boxing show at the famous venue in more than 20 years.

Reeves said: “Look at Hasim Rahman when he beat Lennox Lewis. Like him, I am coming to win.

“You look at the fighter who have come out of Baltimore like Gervonta Davis, Jarrett Hurd, Vincent Pettway and Hasim Rahman.

“We are just a different breed and we do not come to lay down. Win, lose or draw you are going to know we’re there.

“I can’t give you too much, but wait and see what I have got. It is definitely going to be an exciting fight.

“I am not coming over the start a circus when I meet Anthony at a press conference. I am coming over there to fight, and win.”

Besides having Rahman in his corner, Reeves is also trained by Vernon Mason who ironically fought John H Stracey at the Royal Albert Hall in 1974.

Reeves added: “I follow boxing and London has played a big part in the history of the sport. I can’t wait to put on a show for fans there.

“Let us see what Anthony Yarde has got on March 8.”

Yarde’s WBO intercontinental light-heavyweight title defence against Reeves takes place at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8, live on BT Sport. Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Johnny Garton defends his British welterweight title against Chris Jenkins on a huge night of boxing that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender. Also on the bills 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

TICKETS START FROM £40

GRAND TIER: £100

LOGGIA: £100

SECOND TIER: £75

27 February 2019 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: REIGN OF VALOR, set for the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium on Friday, 8 March. In the main event, reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam of Sweden will make the first defense of his ONE World Title against Georgiy “Knight” Kichigin of Kazakhstan.

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

Kadestam captured the vacant ONE Welterweight World Championship with a stunning fifth-round knockout of previously unbeaten American Tyler McGuire last November. “The Bandit” took the welterweight throne by showcasing his dynamic striking skills, and now he looks to make his first ONE World Title defense against the veteran Kichigin.

Kichigin is a grappling specialist and a Fight Nights Global Welterweight Champion who hails from Almaty, Kazakhstan. He has amassed a stellar 20-5 professional mixed martial arts record, of which 16 victories have come by submission. “Knight” is currently riding an impressive 14-bout win streak, having not lost a match since November 2014. Now, he makes his way to ONE Championship to challenge Kadestam for the ONE Welterweight World Title.

In the co-main event, rising star Phoe “Bushido” Thaw of Myanmar returns to action to face veteran “The Iceman” Yohan Mulia Legowo of Indonesia.

Phoe Thaw, a Lethwei practitioner, burst onto the scene in 2015 in impressive fashion. He won his first six mixed martial arts contests, five of which by knockout in the first round. Last October, he suffered the first setback of his career and now, he is looking to get back on track with a win over a veteran martial artist.

Legowo, on the other hand, is a pioneer of Indonesia’s mixed martial arts scene, having competed extensively in a local promotion before making his way to the global stage of ONE Championship. “The Iceman” aims to prove that his veteran experience will reign supreme against one of Myanmar’s favorite athletes.

In a battle of hard-hitting heavyweights, former Muay Thai and kickboxing World Champion Alain “The Panther” Ngalani of Cameroon faces former ONE World Title challenger Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli of Italy.

Ngalani, a Cameroon-born martial artist who trains out of Impakt MMA in his home of Hong Kong, boasts of a terrifying combination of power and speed, and is always looking to end matches early. Ngalani is a four-time Muay Thai and kickboxing heavyweight World Champion. After a short stint in ONE Super Series, Ngalani makes his return to mixed martial arts to take on Mauro Cerilli.

Cerilli is a Cage Warriors Heavyweight Champion and a certified finisher known for his knockout power and submission skills. Prior to his ONE debut, Cerilli was on an impressive five-bout win streak, with four of those wins ending with emphatic knockouts. Cerilli looks to capture his first win under the ONE banner when he meets Ngalani.

In an exciting strawweight contest, former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Japan takes on surging Filipino contender Rene “The Challenger” Catalan.

Naito is one of the most successful martial artists to ever emerge from Japan, with a remarkable run as the Shooto Flyweight Champion. Since making his ONE Championship debut in 2016, Naito has captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship on two occasions, defeating former titleholders Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and Alex Silva. Now, the former two-time World Champion looks to climb back up the ladder as he faces Catalan.

Catalan is one of the most decorated wushu practitioners ever to make the transition to mixed martial arts, with podium finishes in the Wushu World Championships, the Wushu World Cup, the Asian Games, and SEA Games. The veteran is currently riding an impressive five-bout win streak, two of which have ended in exciting finishes. The Filipino looks to notch the biggest win of his career when he faces former ONE World Champion Naito.

Former ONE World Title challenger Toni “Dynamite” Tauru is making his return to the ONE cage, following a short break from competition. The Finnish athlete, who is the former Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion, has been competing in ONE Championship since July 2015. Eight of Tauru’s 11 career victories have come by submission, proving his craftiness on the mat.

Tauru is set to face Gurdarshan “Saint Lion” Mangat of Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada who is making his promotional debut after having competed in regional promotions. Mangat is a well-rounded striker and grappler, and is a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu product. He is widely-considered the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist from India. A winner of his last three bouts, Mangat steps into the ONE cage and looks to extend his win streak against Tauru on the global stage of martial arts.

In a ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest, Japanese star Kenta Yamada faces Muay Thai icon Petchmorrakot Petchyindee Academy. Yamada is a former WBC Muay Thai Japan Champion who hails from Tokyo. Petchmorrakot is one of the top Muay Thai practitioners from Thailand.

Making his professional mixed martial arts debut is four-time Chin State Wrestling Champion Tial Thang, who squares off with Cambodian Kun Khmer practitioner Rin Saroth, a former KWC 3 Featherweight Tournament Finalist with a 110-22 record in Kun Khmer. Saroth made his ONE Championship debut in 2015 and has since posted victories over Mission Ali and Mario Satya Wirawan. Tial Thang and Saroth will face each other in a 68-kilogram catch weight bout.

Also sharing the cage in a ONE Super Series Kickboxing bout will be English Muay Thai star Liam Nolan and German former K-1 World Max Tournament Champion Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl. Nolan is a Roar Combat League World Champion, while Kehl is a K-1 World Champion. The two veteran strikers look to light up the highlight reel at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR with their fan-friendly styles.

The heavyweights will also be throwing leather, as Romanian SUPERKOMBAT Super Cruiserweight World Champion Andrei “Mister KO” Stoica makes his ONE Super Series Kickboxing debut against Moroccan striker Tarik Khbabez. Khbabez is also a two-time SUPERKOMBAT Heavyweight World Champion. The matchup between the two colossal punchers promises to bring the excitement from beginning to end.

The Philippines’ Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres is looking to get 2019 off to a hot start when she faces promotional newcomer Lin “Fighting Sister” Heqin.

After kicking off her ONE Championship career with three straight victories, Torres stumbled in 2018, dropping her last two contests. “The Zamboanginian Fighter,” who trains under head coach and veteran mixed martial artist Rene Catalan at Catalan Fighting System, seeks to return to her winning ways this year. But in order to do that, she will have to get past Heqin.

Heqin is a 25-year-old Chinese martial arts star who is currently on a five-bout win streak. She possesses incredible power in her strikes and has registered multiple knockouts in her mixed martial arts career. “Fighting Sister” aims to make a statement in her ONE Championship debut by taking out the highly-regarded Torres.

In a bantamweight bout, Chinese standout Chen “The Ghost” Rui battles former Trench Warz Featherweight Champion Roman “Sonic Boom” Alvarez.

Rui is the ONE Jakarta Tournament Champion, and is undefeated in his professional mixed martial arts career. Alvarez, who hails from Saipan in Northern Mariana Islands, is a promising athlete with solid striking and grappling skills. The two aim to make a lasting impression in a battle of tough young prospects.

Bozhena Antoniyar grew up in Loikaw, the capital city of Myanmar’s Kayah State. She began training in martial arts at the age of 16, and ultimately became a two-time National Boxing Champion. In February 2018, she made her ONE Championship debut and set a record for the fastest finish in ONE women’s history with a 24-second technical knockout victory over Shwe Sin.

Stepping up to face Bozhena Antoniyar is Malaysia’s Audreylaura “Ice Comet” Boniface. Boniface trains out of Sabah’s renowned Borneo Tribal Squad under veteran coach AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor. A Taekwondo black belt, Boniface seeks her first victory in the ONE cage against Bozhena Antoniyar.

Kicking things off on the preliminary card will be a pair of ONE Super Series Flyweight Kickboxing contests, with Japan’s Yuta Watanabe taking on Portugal’s Rui Botelho and Japanese star Kohei “Momotaro” Kodera facing Chinese kickboxer Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse.

Cruiserweights Yunier Dorticos and Andrew Tabiti will fight on June 15th in a semifinal in the World Boxing Super Series, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“It’s an honor and I’m extremely excited to fight in Riga. It’s a beautiful country with amazing people and culture,” Dorticos said. “My game plan will be simple: Tabiti will learn why I’m called the ‘KO Doctor.’ A doctor can operate at any level. It can be a quick procedure or a prolonged procedure. Regardless, it will be very painfully for Tabiti.

“I can’t wait for the bell to ring, because he’s an obstacle into the final and I will run him over like a train. I will win the semifinals at all cost.”

“I’m looking forward to this fight in Riga,” Tabiti said. “I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to prove I’m one of the best out there in my division since the beginning of my career. I believe this is the fight where I’ll show the world that I’m world champion material. My discipline and patience along with my boxing IQ make me confident that I will get the victory over Dorticos.”

The fight in Latvia will be paired with the other semifinal bout between Mairis Briedis and Krzysztof Glowacki, and will be streamed on DAZN.

Los Angeles, CA (February 27, 2019) Undefeated and world ranked heavyweight contender Sergey Kuzmin, (14-0, 11 KO’s), of St. Petersburg, Russia will battle Philadelphia based veteran Joey Dawejko, (19-6-4, 11 KO’s) in a scheduled ten-round bout on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York and live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Kuzmin vs. Dawejko, presented by Matchroom Boxing USA in association with World of Boxing and Greg Cohen Promotions tops the undercard to the World Title Double-Header between WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol, (15-0, 11 KOs), and challenger Joe Smith Jr., (24-2, 20 KOs) in addition to the WBO Super Lightweight World Title clash between Champion Maurice Hooker, (25-0-3, 17 KOs), and challenger Mikkel LesPierre, (21-0-1, 10 KOs).

About this return to the ring, Kuzmin said, “My fight with Joey Dawejko is another step on my road to a world championship. Watch my fight and I will demonstrate my boxing skills and the great training camp we had for this fight!”

Said Dawejko about the matchup, “I think Sergey Kuzmin is a good fighter, and we were already supposed to fight before. But it gave me more time to prepare for him and show him that he’s not on my level. He’s never fought anyone like me. And on March 9th I will prove that he doesn’t belong in the ring with me!”

“The Heavyweight division is on fire right now – and Sergey Kuzmin is one of those guys that can make a massive impact this year,” stated Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing USA. “Sergey has both the skills and that big punch that can catapult him into major fights, and an impressive showing at Turning Stone against Joey Dawejko will see Sergey knocking on the door for big fights in the coming months.”

“We’re very happy to have Sergey added to this card and against such a tough opponent as Joey Dawejko,” said Andrei Ryabinskiy of World of Boxing. “Sergey is one of the top contenders in the heavyweight division and we look forward to him proving that again on March 9.”

Said Vadim Kornilov, manager of Kuzmin, “Sergey Kuzmin is a top Russian heavyweight contender waiting for his chance to face one of the stars of the heavyweight division. Joey Dawejko is a tough opponent who will test Sergey’s will and power with the persistence and aggressiveness that he is known for, should be a great match up on March 9th!”

Stated Greg Cohen, promoter of Dawejko, “I have been speaking with both Vadim Kornilov and Matchroom Boxing regarding this fight for well over a year. I’m glad we were able to get it done and I look forward to Joey delivering a knockout victory which will propel him into the top echelon of heavyweight contenders!”

Standing 6’4”, the heavy-handed Kuzmin scored three stoppages in 2018, most recently knocking out the highly regarded LaRon Mitchell in stunning fashion during the sixth stanza on November 24, 2018 in Atlantic City, NJ. Just two months earlier the 31-year-old scored the biggest win of his four years as a professional stopping David Price in the fourth round at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

Kuzmin is currently world ranked #8 by the WBA, #11 by the IBF and #15 by the WBC.

The 28-year-old Dawejko has faced numerous top heavyweights including Jarrell Miller, Charles Martin, Bryant Jennings, Amir Mansour, Derric Rossy and Demetrius Banks over the course of his ten-year professional career. In his last start, Dawejko challenged Andrey Fedesov, losing a hard-fought ten-round decision in Ekaterinburg, Russia on October 13, 2018.

Accreditation applications are open for the event – please click here to apply, reading the instructions carefully – accreditation closes at 5pm on Friday March 1.

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2019) — Heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev, ranked No. 1 by the IBF, will put his rating on the line against Bogdan Dinu in a 10-round showdown on Saturday, March 23 at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, Calif.

In the co-feature, former world champions Jessie Magdaleno and Rico Ramos will clash in a 10-round featherweight bout with potential world title implications.

Pulev-Dinu and Magdaleno-Ramos will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The entire undercard, including the return of top junior welterweight contender Maxim “Mad Max” Dadashev against Ricky Sismundo, will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets priced at $75 and $60 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.socafights.com.

“I’m excited to be fighting at The Hangar and on ESPN as I continue my quest to become the heavyweight champion of the world,” Pulev said. “I have a great team behind me, and I am focused and ready to take care of business on March 23.”

“I know this is a big opportunity for me to get to the top of the heavyweight division,” Dinu said. “I am happy to be fighting in the United States against a really top heavyweight in Pulev. When I win, I will be considered a top contender.”

“I haven’t fought in a long time, but I am ready to show the fans that I am the same guy who won the title not too long ago,” Magdaleno said. “I feel comfortable in my new weight class, and now that I’m back, the goal is to become a two-weight world champion.”

“I’m thrilled to be fighting on ESPN,” Ramos said. “I would like to thank Top Rank for the opportunity to showcase my skills on boxing’s biggest stage. I’m preparing my best to give the fans a great show. This fight will get me one step closer to becoming a two-time world champion.”

Pulev (26-1, 13 KOs) is closing in on a second world title shot, the first coming in 2014 when he put up a valiant effort before being stopped by longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko in the fifth round. He has won six straight since the Klitschko loss, most recently defeating fellow contender Hughie Fury via unanimous decision in front of his hometown fans at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria. Dinu (18-1, 14 KOs), a one-time top amateur in his native Romania, will be making his second ring appearance in America. He is looking to bounce back from a fourth-round stoppage loss to Jarrell Miller.

Magdaleno (25-1, 18 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since Isaac Dogboe snatched the WBO junior featherweight world title from him last April in a Fight of the Year contender. Dogboe bounced back from a first-round knockdown to stop Magdaleno in the 11th round. Magdaleno, who had difficulty making the 122-pound limit, hopes a win over Ramos propels him toward a featherweight world title shot.

Ramos (30-5, 14 KOs) captured the WBA super bantamweight title on July 9, 2011 in Atlantic City with a stunning one-punch knockout of Akifumi Shimoda. He lost the title the following January to Guillermo Rigondeaux via sixth-round knockout. Ramos has been on a hot streak since a 2015 knockout loss to Claudio Marrero, winning six in a row while campaigning at both super bantamweight and featherweight. He won a pair of fights in 2018, including an eight-round unanimous decision over Daniel Olea last September that streamed on ESPN+.

In other undercard action:

Javier Molina (18-2, 8 KOs), who represented the United States at the 2008 Olympics, will face knockout artist Abdiel Ramirez (24-3-1, 22 KOs) in a super lightweight bout scheduled for 10 or eight rounds. Ramirez is coming off a stunning knockout victory over Michael Perez on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard Dec. 8 in New York City.

Detroit product and surging 130-pound contender Erick De Leon (18-0-1, 10 KOs) will fight Jose Luis Gallegos (16-5, 12 KOs) in a dual set for 10 or eight rounds. De Leon hasn’t fought since July 14 when he suffered a shoulder injury in a decision win versus Adrian Young.

Longtime welterweight contender Chris “The Heat” van Heerden (26-2-1, 12 KOs) will fight battle-tested veteran Mahonry Montes (35-8-1, 24 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 10 or eight rounds.

Top featherweight prospect Tyler McCreary (15-0, 7 KOs) will make his Top Rank debut against Roberto Castaneda (23-11-1, 16 KOs) in a contest scheduled for eight or six rounds.

David Kaminsky (3-0, 2 KOs), the 18-year-old former amateur standout, will fight Estevan Payan (1-6-1, 1 KO) in a four-round middleweight bout. Payan has also fought 30 times as a professional mixed martial artist.

Bobirzhan Mominov (9-0, 8 KOs) will aim for his fifth consecutive knockout against Jonathan Steele (9-2-1, 6 KOs) in a welterweight battle scheduled for six or eight rounds.

Lightweight prospect Eric Puente (1-0) will return in a four-rounder against Alejandro Lopez (1-3, 0 KOs).

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

Use the hashtag #PulevDinu to follow the action on social media.

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27 February 2019 – Tokyo, Japan: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: A NEW ERA, which is set for Sunday, 31 March at the iconic Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

Ticket information for ONE: A NEW ERA is available at www.onefc.com and on LINE Ticket at https://ticket.line.me/sp/ONEChampionship, as well as Kyodo Tokyo, Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, and E-plus.

In the main event of ONE: A NEW ERA, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines is set to face Japanese martial arts legend and former World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in a long-awaited rematch.

In November 2016, Folayang captured the ONE Lightweight World Title from Aoki via third-round TKO, but surrendered the belt to Martin Nguyen a year later. This past November, Nguyen vacated the title and the Filipino reclaimed the crown with a dominant five-round unanimous decision over Singaporean knockout artist Amir Khan.

Meanwhile, Aoki is riding a three-bout win streak, having finished Rasul Yakhyaev and Ev Ting by submission, and stopping Shannon Wiratchai by TKO. These three wins have elevated the Japanese icon to another shot at the ONE Lightweight World Title, as well as a chance to defeat his former conqueror.

Also, there will be a trio of co-main events.

In the first co-main event, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan will defend her belt against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.

The two martial artists sit at the top of their weight classes, and each has dominated their respective divisions. However, with Lee moving up in weight to challenge Xiong for the strawweight crown, the Singaporean has the chance to become the first two-division women’s World Champion in ONE Championship history. It certainly will not be easy, as “The Panda” represents the toughest challenge in Lee’s career.

In the night’s second co-main event, reigning ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang will defend the middleweight crown against Japan’s Ken Hasegawa.

Aung La N Sang’s first encounter with Hasegawa in June 2018 was a five-round thriller of epic proportions, one which the Myanmar sports icon won in the final moments of the heated battle. The match is considered the “Greatest Bout In ONE Championship History” and was also awarded “Bout Of The Year” honors at the 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards for its nonstop action and dramatic finish. Aung La N Sang and Hasegawa will meet once again in a highly-anticipated rematch that is sure to produce fireworks.

In the last co-main event of the evening, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines will defend his championship against former titleholder Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil in a trilogy match.

The two competitors first met in January 2016, when the Brazilian made quick work of the Filipino, whom he finished via first-round submission. Belingon was unable to showcase much of his striking, as it was easily nullified by Fernandes’ vaunted grappling.

From there, Fernandes continued to establish himself as the most dominant ONE World Champion in history with eight successful World Title defenses. Belingon, on the other hand, worked his way back up to contention, winning six straight bouts in exciting fashion to earn another shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Title.

Belingon captured the ONE Bantamweight World Championship with a scintillating split decision victory over Fernandes last November at ONE: HEART OF THE LION in Singapore. It was a close match-up, one that saw Belingon’s elite striking take center stage as he overcame Fernandes’ world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Now, “The Silencer” and “The Flash” will meet in the ONE cage for the third time to finally settle the score.

In addition to the aforementioned bouts, multiple-time World Champions Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez are scheduled to make their first appearances inside the ONE Championship cage.

Alvarez joined ONE Championship in October, taking his stellar career back to Asia where he first made a name for himself. A multiple-time Lightweight World Champion, Alvarez seeks to become a ONE World Champion, but will have to go through a bevy of top lightweight contenders in order to achieve his goal. In his first outing for the promotion, Alvarez will face top contender Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia in a quarter-final bout of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.

Johnson, meanwhile, is widely-considered the pound-for-pound best mixed martial artist in the history of the sport. He joined ONE Championship in late October and, alongside Alvarez, appeared in Singapore the following week for the Global Martial Arts Summit, Global Martial Arts Awards, and ONE: HEART OF THE LION. Johnson’s opponent for his first ONE Championship bout will be Japan’s Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu. It is a quarter-final bout of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

The rest of the quarter-final bouts of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix will be held at ONE: A NEW ERA.

Danny “The King” Kingad of the Philippines is set to take on fellow former ONE World Title challenger Andrew Leone in a quarter-final bout of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

In another tournament matchup, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov of Kazakhstan will lock horns with former ONE World Title challenger Reece “Lightning” McLaren of Australia.

Also in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada of Japan will share the cage with undefeated Brazilian standout Ivanildo Delfino.

There will also be an exciting ONE Super Series showdown on the card, as Muay Thai legend Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex squares off against Dutch World Champion kickboxer Andy Souwer.

Yodsanklai is coming off a stunning performance in Kuala Lumpur at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS. The martial arts veteran finished opponent Luis Regis with three rapid-fire uppercuts that drew a chorus of cheers from the crowd.

Souwer, on the other hand, is one of the most internationally-renowned striking superstars ever to emerge from the Netherlands and is a two-time K1 World MAX World Champion and It’s Showtime 70MAX World Champion.

A tough test awaits Japanese veteran and former ONE World Title challenger Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi in her homecoming bout as she is slated to face submission specialist and debutante Kseniya “White Tiger” Lachkova of Russia.

Lachkova has won four of her last five outings by finish, making her a formidable foe for Yamaguchi, who looks to re-establish herself as a top contender for the coveted ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

Based out of Jakarta, Indonesia, Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen of the Netherlands aims to place himself back on the winning track against multiple-time BJJ World Champion Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States.

Tonon is one of the world’s most decorated grapplers, having won multiple tournaments across the globe. He is a former IBJJF World Champion, two-time IBJJF World No-Gi Champion, and four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational Champion. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2018, winning his first three assignments in impressive fashion. Tonon now makes his way back to square off with Engelen in his fourth ONE Championship bout.

On the other hand, Engelen made a successful return to the ONE Championship stage in 2018, finishing both Meas Meul and Jimmy Yabo in the first round. “The Archangel” looks to regain his momentum at the expense of Tonon after falling short in his first match this year.

Rodtang “Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is one of the most recognizable names in the world of Muay Thai, capturing the Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai World Championship on two occasions. Known for his exciting Muay Mat style, which specializes in devastating strikes and always looks to charge forward to instantly inflict damage, Rodtang has beaten some of Thailand’s biggest Muay Thai superstars.

Following his two impressive performances on the ONE Super Series stage, Rodtang eyes to inch himself closer to a possible ONE World Title shot by testing his mettle against two-time Muay Thai World Champion Hakim Hamech. Hamech made quite an impression in his ONE Super Series debut in September 2018, scoring an emphatic first-round knockout victory over Japan’s Yukinori Ogasawara.

In another ONE Super Series contest, two-time Muay Thai World Champion Panicos Yusuf of Cyprus is booked to lock horns with Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud of Malaysia.

After his sensational debut against Australian Josh “Timebomb” Tonna this past January, Japanese striker Hiroki Akimoto looks to establish his first win streak in ONE Super Series. He takes on former WBC Muay Thai World Champion Joseph Lasiri of Italy.

Tasked to set the tone for the evening is a three-round lightweight encounter between South Korea’s Yoon Chang Min and India’s Bala Shetty.

Tommy McCarthy says he has nothing to worry about ahead of his crunch Cruiserweight showdown with unbeaten Richard Riakporhe at the East of England Arena in Peterborough this Saturday.

Belfast’s McCarthy takes on the Dillian Whyte-mentored Londoner for his WBA Inter-Continental title in the latest instalment of the JD NXTGEN series, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, and insists he is unimpressed by his opponent’s record.

“I haven’t seen anything I’m worried about,” said McCarthy. “I think he’s limited, he’s like a big novice boxer if you watch him. He has seven knockouts but he hasn’t fought anybody. That last knockout against Sam Hyde wasn’t a knockout because Sam had to be pulled out by his corner because he had a bad injury.

“In his mind and in the media’s he is this big, devastating puncher – he has seven stoppage wins and I have six and I have fought better opposition than him. There’s not much difference in our punch power, I’m a big puncher myself and everybody knows that. I always have been since the amateurs.

“I’m super-confident. He has been doing a lot of talking in the media but I haven’t said much because I don’t really need to say much. Anything he says has been pretty much nonsense. I know what I can do and it’s just a matter of me going over there to perform.”

Former Commonwealth Games silver medallist McCarthy is looking to impress in his first live television appearance since 2016, and the 13-1 talent believes a win over the well known Riakporhe would fire him straight in to the World title mix.

“It’s a big big opportunity for me. It’s a fight that I believe I can win. A win here gets me in the top ten in the World with the WBA , it’s really exciting. It’s an opportunity that I’m going to take with both hands.

“If you get into the top ten that’s make you eligible for a World title shot. The talk is that Oleksandr Usyk is going to move up to Heavyweight and vacate his World titles. We’re looking at the possibility of wining this and maybe by the end of the year being in World title contention. It’s all up for grabs, it could be anyone.

“I’m not looking at anyone in particular but this is a brilliant pathway into getting a World title shot. I’m loving it. I feel like this has been manifesting for the past ten years. I expected this year to be very good to me but this all just happened so fast so it did come rather unexpectedly but I’m prepared for it.”

Riakporhe vs. McCarthy is part of a huge night in Peterborough.

Jordan Gill takes on Mexico’s Emmanual Dominguez for the WBA International Featherweight crown in the main event.

Unbeaten Indiana Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr fights for the second time in the UK after an explosive debut in Cardiff last summer.

Nottingham’s Leigh Wood clashes with Ghana’s Abraham Osei Bonsu for the vacant Commonwealth Featherweight crown.

Heavy-handed Super-Middleweight prospect John Docherty looks to make if four knockouts from four fights after impressing again on the Garcia vs. Cheeseman undercard at The O2 and Leeds Super-Bantamweight and former Team GB amateur standout Qais Ashfaq aims to go 5-0, and there’s also action on the undercard for Northampton Super-Welterweight Kieron Conway, Wisbech Super-Welterweight Joe Steed and St Ives Super-Lightweight Bradley Smith.

Jordan Gill is determined to break into the World rankings with a win over Emmanuel Dominguez on Saturday.

‘The Thrill’ takes on Mexico’s Dominguez for the WBA International Featherweight crown at the East of England Arena in Peterborough, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, and is expecting a tough nights work.

“He’s been around, he’s seen a lot of things in the ring, and I don’t think he’s going to be too bothered about coming over to England and facing me,” said Gill. “He’s experienced. He’s only been stopped once and that’s by a current World Champion as well, who just beat Isaac Dogboe for the WBO title.

“Mexican’s are notoriously hard as nails so I’m prepared to go into the trenches with him. He’s coming for a war and we’re going to meet head on. I’ll do anything to get the win and move on towards more big fights. It’s going to be a fun fight, and the fans are in for a treat I think.”

The unbeaten 24-year-old can propel himself among the WBA’s top contenders by taking out Dominguez, and he is eager to push on with his career after claiming the Commonwealth title with a punch-perfect win over Ryan Doyle in his last fight.

“That’s what it’s all about. I didn’t get into boxing to become a Commonwealth Champion, even though I’m over the moon to be a Commonwealth Champion, it’s not the end goal.

“I want to move on to World level, and this fight puts me in the mix, in the top 15 with the WBA, and we can pick a route towards a World title.

“As a fighter, you want big fights. You want to be involved in all the fights that people are talking about. Not many people are talking about divisions other than the Featherweight division, because it’s probably the best division in boxing at the moment.”

“I can reach the top, I’m one hundred per cent confident of that. I’m confident that I will be there, and be there quicker than people imagine. I’m taking one step at a time. I’m fighting one fight at a time, beating one man at a time.

“Whatever happens, happens, but I know with the team I’ve got around me, and the way that I’m improving in the gym, that these sort of fights and these sort of accolades aren’t out of the question at all.”

Gill vs. Dominguez tops a huge night of action in Peterborough.

Richard Riakporhe makes the first defence of his WBA Inter-Continental title against Belfast’s 12-1 Tommy McCarthy.

Unbeaten Indiana Super-Middleweight contender Anthony Sims Jr fights for the second time in the UK after an explosive debut in Cardiff last summer.

Nottingham’s Leigh Wood clashes with Ghana’s Abraham Osei Bonsu for the vacant Commonwealth Featherweight crown.

Heavy-handed Super-Middleweight prospect John Docherty looks to make if four knockouts from four fights after impressing again on the Garcia vs. Cheeseman undercard at The O2 and Leeds Super-Bantamweight and former Team GB amateur standout Qais Ashfaq aims to go 5-0, and there’s also action on the undercard for Northampton Super-Welterweight Kieron Conway, Wisbech Super-Welterweight Joe Steed and St Ives Super-Lightweight Bradley Smith.

DANIEL DUBOIS is set to fly to America after his next fight to spar with Anthony Joshua’s next opponent Jarrell Miller.

‘Big Baby’ Milller challenges IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua in June and has gone British in his quest for help in winning the fight.

Miller has been greatly impressed by Dubois (9-0) who faces Razvan Cojanu (16-5) at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8, live on BT Sport and wants him in camp.

Dubois, 21, has won the WBC Youth, Southern Area and English titles since making his debut in April 2017 and being part of Miller’s camp will give him even more valuable experience.

Dubois’s trainer Martin Bowers said: “We have been chatting with Miller’s team for about three weeks and we’re trying to finalise everything right now.

“They would like Daniel in camp for about a month, but it may only be a couple of weeks because of Daniel’s commitments to BT Sport, his sponsors and perhaps a fight date.

“Daniel has already gone to Russia and sparred Alexander Povetkin. This will be another fantastic experience. We would go anywhere for top sparring.”

Miller is looking for taller boxers than himself who are close to Joshua’s 6ft 6in and the big Londoner immediately caught his attention

“I found a couple of guys that’s a little taller than me,” Miller told talkSPORT.

“I wanna say one name, I heard the kid’s a badass – Daniel Dubois.

“I like the kid, I like him a lot, I like his energy and I heard he’s thumped AJ a couple times down in the gym as well, too.

“So I’m a fan of his. Me and his team are talking. I’m gonna see what he brings to the table and bring him to camp.”

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

Jamal James stopped Janer Gonzalez at the end of round six of a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

James of Minneapolis, MN is 25-1.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Tyson Fury will pass on an immediate rematch with WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

The WBC, which sanctions the belt held by Wilder, set a Wednesday night deadline to hear from the camps on how they planned to proceed with the rematch it had ordered.

On Tuesday, the answer came: Fury decided not to fight Wilder next and will instead fight an opponent to be determined in May or June on ESPN+. Fury still hopes to face Wilder again before the end of the year.

“We’ve spoken to Tyson and he has made the decision to go forward with another fight and to address a Wilder rematch after that,” Top Ranks’s Todd duBoef wrote in the email, which was copied to Fury and obtained by ESPN. “We all appreciate the WBC and the tremendous role it has played in Tyson’s career and hope the WBC will remain involved.”

“The WBC has received the official position from both sides regarding the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury rematch,” Sulaiman wrote in the email, which was also obtained by ESPN. “While Deontay Wilder confirmed that his only interest was to honor the WBC mandate for a rematch against Tyson Fury, Tyson Fury has confirmed that he would take a fight against a different opponent in his immediate future, hoping that after such, a rematch with Wilder can be considered. Consequently, the WBC is hereby cancelling the Wilder vs. Fury rematch mandate and process. We wish the best of luck to both fighters.”

“It’s obvious that Fury doesn’t want to fight us next,” Wilder manager, Shelly Finkel said. “Hopefully, we will get the next fight after that. So, in the meantime, we will do our own fight. We wanted to fight Fury next. We had no interest in another fight first. The proposal Top Rank sent was for a fight first and there’s no reason we can’t do our own fight if we’re not fighting Fury next.

Everything that we heard from Tyson Fury was that he wanted to fight Deontay next and we were willing to do that. Fury wasn’t.”

Finkel said Wilder’s next fight will be figured out in the coming days.

“He will fight in May and we will announce it shortly,” he said. “May 18 is our preference. We will know Friday or Monday and then we will announce his next plan.”

NEW YORK (February 26, 2019) – Two undefeated middleweight champions went face-to-face Tuesday as Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer met in New York at a press conference ahead of their battle for the undisputed women’s middleweight championship Saturday, April 13 live on SHOWTIME from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will feature a long-awaited unification in what is arguably the most significant event in women’s boxing history. In addition to world titles from all four sanctioning bodies, this fight will be for the Ring Magazine Women’s Middleweight Championship, the first time a Ring divisional title has been at stake in a women’s boxing match.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are priced at $150, $100, $55 and $35 and are on sale Friday, March 1 at 11 a.m. ET. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and at boardwalkhall.com. Pre-sale tickets are available now at the link HERE by using the code BOXING.

Also on Tuesday, SHOWTIME Sports announced that it will chronicle the buildup to Shields vs. Hammer with a two-part digital installment of the Sports Emmy® Award winning programing ALL ACCESS. ALL ACCESS: SHIELDS vs. HAMMER will premiere on March 29 with the second installment on April 5 on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page. Cameras will be embedded with Shields at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and with Hammer in the town of Seefeld in the Austrian Alps as the undefeated rivals prepare for the most significant fight of their careers.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Tuesday from Dream Hotel Downtown in Manhattan:

Download the Shields vs. Hammer Press Kit at bit.ly/ShieldsvsHammerPressKit

CLARESSA SHIELDS

“This has been long overdue. I’m just glad that Hammer is here and the fight is set. She’s been at my fights before but I can’t wait to get inside the ring and show her I’m the real champion.

“I’ve traveled to many different countries and dethroned champions around the world. At the end of the day, I’m coming to fight and I recognize that she’s a great champion. To be a champion for all those years shows that she’s a good fighter. But I also look at resumes, and her resume is not as good as mine.

“I’m not someone coming to lay down. I’m not afraid of her. You don’t win belts by talking. You have to fight. I said two years ago I want to fight Christina Hammer in my seventh fight. It would have been if it weren’t for her medical issue. But now we’re here and ready for April 13.

“April 13 you’re going to see someone fold. I promise you, it will not be me. Make sure you all tune-in.

“I think for women’s boxing this is a true super fight that we’ve never gotten before. We’ve never had a fight like this in women’s boxing. It’s great to make this happen and us being from two parts of the world makes this fight even better.

“She’s not the tallest girl I’ve ever fought. I’m stronger than her and I know it. I got up from a knockdown and won. She can’t do that. I don’t believe she knows how to fight on the inside, but she better learn.

“I want to make her quit. I don’t want her to just know I’m a good fighter, I want her to know I’m great. I wish we could go 12 rounds, but I’ll be prepared for all 10 rounds.”

CHRISTINA HAMMER

“I’m very glad to be here and make this fight happen. I’m looking forward to April 13. I want to show the world who I am.

“This is a big risk to come from Germany to the U.S., but I believe the best should fight the best and I did what I had to so that this could happen. This fight can be a game changer for our sport.

“I will give everything to step out of the ring as a winner. I know Claressa Shields is also a great champion. She’s undefeated like me and that’s why people want to see the fight and that’s why we made it happen.

“I want to thank everyone who made this fight a reality and brought us to this stage. It’s huge for me to be here in New York and I am looking to win on April 13.

“This fight is the real deal. This is going to be a game changer for women’s boxing. I think we’re going to inspire a lot of female athletes who want to live their dream. It’s motivation for everyone.

“I’ve had the title for a long time. I always push myself. This is the fight I wanted to show everyone who is the best. I will be the undisputed champion.

“Shields is beatable. Hanna Gabriels caught her in the first round of their fight and I am taller and stronger than Gabriels. I want to finish the job if I get the chance.

“Anything can happen in boxing. I’m prepared to go the distance. Knockout is the goal but most importantly, I want to win.”

DMITRIY SALITA, President of Salita Promotions

“I’m honored to bring to the fans the first super fight in women’s boxing history. A lot of questions surround this fight. Will this be a classic like Leonard vs. Hearns, where the gold medalist handles the experienced pro, or like Mosley vs. De La Hoya, where the boxing pro took the gold medalist down. This fight is going to be for all of the belts and this recognizes the true value and impact of this fight.

“Christina Hammer has been a world champion for over nine years and has won titles in two divisions. She’s charismatic and a superstar in Germany and Europe. As a champion that she is, she’s traveling to the other side of the world to prove that she’s the best.

“Claressa made the Olympic team when she was 17 years old, winning our only boxing medal at the 2012 Olympic games. She’s the only boxer in U.S. history to win two Olympic gold medals in boxing. She’s had a very impressive pro career, beating world champions and top contenders in all her fights. She’s on her journey to be the best and this fight is a big step toward cementing herself as the GWOAT (greatest woman of all time).

“This is going to be a historic night of boxing. If you watch this fight live and in-person, you will want to hold onto your ticket as a memento.”

MARK TAFFET, Claressa Shields’ Manager

“The media support for this fight is outstanding. This is a very special time. This fight is one of the most significant fights I’ve worked on in my career, because of the place it will hold in history.

“Two years ago I met Claressa Shields and we discussed her turning pro. We made a list of dreams and I promised Claressa I would do everything in my power to fulfill every one of them. We’ve had a wonderful journey together. One of those dreams was to make this undisputed championship fight happen. We’re going to keep making dreams happen.”

TOM LOEFFLER, Christina Hammer’s Advisor

“Without the fighters wanting this fight, events like this wouldn’t happen. Christina Hammer wants this challenge and she wants to prove she’s the best middleweight champion out there.

“These two fighters can be an example for a lot of male boxers. These are two undefeated fighters in their prime putting it all on the line to show who is the best. You don’t see that very often these days.

“This is going to be a fun promotion. This is a fight that’s a real 50-50 fight. Claressa will be coming forward with her style and tenacity, going up against Christina’s experience. It’s for all the marbles”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

“Let’s get one thing straight here. This isn’t just an important women’s fight. This isn’t just a high-quality women’s boxing match. This is a high-quality boxing match. This is an important fight. So certainly we have two very skilled women, we’re not going to ignore that fact. But this is one of the best fights that can be made in this sport. Two pound-for-pound boxers, the best fighting the best. If you are not interested in this fight, then candidly, you are not a boxing fan. This is as good as this sport gets.

“We at SHOWTIME have a long history showcasing the best in women’s boxing and MMA. Names like Laila Ali, Christy Martin, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Gina Carano, Cris Cyborg.; those are all fighters who made their debuts and that became stars on SHOWTIME. This has been a long-time commitment.

“The first nationally televised women’s MMA event was on SHOWTIME. The first domestic televised MMA women’s main event was on SHOWTIME. The first women’s boxing match that was nationally televised was on SHOWTIME. The first women’s main event boxing bout was also on SHOWTIME, and that obviously was Claressa just a couple of years ago.

“So here on this stage you’ve got two of the most elite athletes in the sport. Not two of the elite women’s fighters in the sport, but two of the elite athletes within this sport. Two-time gold medalist, the only American to do that consecutively, and a two-belt world champion versus a longtime middleweight champion who has dominated this division for nearly a decade.

“This is one of the best fights that can be made in the entire sport. We have two of the elite athletes in boxing and they are deserving of having everything that comes with a marquee event on SHOWTIME, including our Emmy Award-winning All Access series.”

JIM WYNKOOP, General Manager, Boardwalk Hall

“We are so excited to have this great fight coming to Boardwalk Hall. It will be our first championship fight in several years and we can’t wait.

“There is a huge history of boxing at Boardwalk hall in Atlantic City and we look forward to writing another chapter on April 13.”

# # #

ABOUT SHIELDS vs. HAMMER

Shields vs. Hammer is a SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION that 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.

Promoted by Salita Promotions, the event takes place Saturday, April 13 from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. with coverage beginning on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

NEW YORK (Feb. 26, 2019) – Back in Philadelphia and partnering with King’s Promotions once again on Friday, March 1, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast heads to the vaunted 2300 Arena with a lofty but clear goal – to reach its five millionth view. Beginning at 8 p.m. E.T. live from The City of Brotherly Love, the interactive Facebook platform will feature eight outstanding bouts, including an electric main event between two battle-tested, area warriors.

“Time flies and it’s hard to believe that this will be our 30th show. We’d like to thank FIGHTNIGHT LIVE fans for their support of our new venture – five million views will be a major accomplishment and we’re so grateful to the viewers, fighters and promoters who have made a home on our platform,” said Mark Fratto, Principal and Director of Business Development, Linacre Media. “It’s always great to be with Philly fight fans – three of our last four shows will have been with three different Philly promoters, and all were well-attended, excellent events with great fights. We’re in Philly, at home in New York and then headed to Boston as part of our March 2019 tour.”

The free, interactive series – which has entertained more than 4.8 million fight fans since its platform premiere in May of 2017 – heads to Philadelphia again this Friday to open its March schedule. The three-show March is part of a 2019 first quarter that showcases an outstanding six-card lineup featuring six different promotions and spanning four cities, which began with three February shows that combined for more than 520,000 views.

“Fans should definitely tune in for Ty Brunson vs. Jamaal Davis. This fight will be the fight of the year!” said Marshall Kauffmanof King’s Promotions. “We are extremely excited to be working with FIGHTNIGHT LIVE and their team of professionals once again to showcase our fights and fighters.”

On Friday, a classic All-Philadelphia matchup will take place as veterans Tyrone Brunson (27-7-2, 24 KOs) and Jamaal Davis(18-13-1, 7 KOs) meet in a 10-round main event for the Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight Championship. Joseph George (8-0, 6 KOs) of Houston, Texas, battles Oscar Riojas (17-11-1, 6 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico, in an eight-round super middleweight co-feature. Undefeated local prospects James Martin (3-0, 1 KO), Yueri Andujar (3-0, 3 KOs) and Rasheen Brown (2-0) are among others who will showcase their skills on Facebook.

Now in its second season, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Powered by Everlast is the fan-friendly Facebook platform that – among other aspects – prides itself on the real-time conversations held between fight commentators and the viewing audience. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE has showcased more than 485 fighters and 16 promotions during 29 live event broadcasts from 18 different cities since May 2017, and in doing so, the interactive platform has generated the loyal interest of fight fans from across the United States and around the globe, including significant audiences in Mexico, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, and even fans in South America, Asia and Australia.

Since May 2017, the numbers on the 29-show FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of 167,229 views per event and more than 4.8 million total views for the franchise. Since Sept. 2018,Season II shows have averaged more than 285,000 views.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” (594,447) from the Sands in Bethlehem, the Dec. 2018 “Queens and Kings of Queens Card” (379,758) in New York, the Nov. 2018 “Hard Hitting Showtime Collaboration” (372,662), the Dec. 2018 “Roy Jones Jr. Texas Throwdown” (318,886), the Oct. 2018 “Hard Hitting Philly Special” (297,545), the Oct. 2018 hour-long Bareknuckle “Freeview” (292,253), the Nov. 2018 “Titans In The Capital” (256,871), the Sept. 2017 “Real Deal Promotions: Empire State” from Resorts World Casino (225,000), the Feb. 2019 “Raging Babe Philly Special” (203,000) and the August 2017 CES “Super Saturday” from Foxwoods (203,000) all logged 200,000 or more views, and collectively the 29-show series has seen a total of more than 4,849,640 views across all devices.

In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen more than 408,000 collective live post engagements (more than 14,000 per show), including more than 315,000 “likes” or “loves,” more than 52,000 comments and almost 18,000 shares.

The Sept. 2018 “Kings Boxing Tuesday Night Fights” from the Sands in Bethlehem set a new bar with 594,447 views and the Sept. 2017 DiBella-CES doubleheader carried the series to three-quarters-of-a-million views in just over four months. The Sept. 2017 DiBella card saw more than 40,000 viewer interactions including almost 39,000 “likes” or “loves” and the March 17, 2018, Murphy’s “St. Patrick’s Day Clash” set a new high-water mark for shares with 2,182.

The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE page on Facebook has more than 86,000 fans and more than 94,000 followers.

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features professional announcers, multiple camera angles, television graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Spring 2019 dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is available online at: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

Follow all the action via social media at FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Facebook, @FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Instagram and@FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_ on Twitter, or by using the hashtag #FIGHTNIGHTLIVE. For the latest Linacre Media events and broadcast schedule, follow @LinacreMedia across all social platforms or use the tags #LinacreMediaEvents or #LinacreMediaOnTV.

About Everlast Worldwide Inc.
The preeminent brand in boxing since 1910, Everlast is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer and licensor of boxing, MMA and fitness equipment. From legendary champions Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to current superstars Deontay Wilder and Dustin Poirier, Everlast is the brand of choice for generations of world champion professional athletes. Built on a brand heritage of strength, dedication, individuality and authenticity, Everlast is a necessary part of the lives of countless champions. Based in Manhattan, Everlast’s products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. For more information, visitwww.everlast.com.

Avni Yidirim is looking for an immediate rematch with newly crowned WBC Super Middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“My dream of becoming the first world champion from Turkey was finished but not with a clear ending,” Yildirim said in a statement. “I accept the result. I don’t ask to change the result of the fight. I please ask for WBC to support a direct rematch. I respect Dirrell and I know he wants to fight me again to show in the ring who is the best with a final and clear ending.”

“I fought my best fight of life,” Yildirim said. “I go always forward and fight with heart, honor and pride. I respect WBC and the judges and referee. I am sorry that accidental head-butts happened and finished the fight before the fight was complete. I was coming on very strong and decisively won round 8 and 9 and then fight was stopped in the middle of round 10. The fight did not finish. Round 10 did not finish and I lost on the scorecards of two judges because round 10 was scored for Dirrell, but round was not finished. If I win round 10 then fight was a draw.”

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada will meet in a rematch for the WBC and Ring magazine Super-Flyweight titles and WBA and IBF Super-Bantamweight World Champions Daniel Roman and TJ Doheny clash in a unification battle on a blockbuster night of action at The Forum, Los Angeles on Friday April 26, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.

Rungvisai (47-4-1 41KOs) and Estrada (38-3 26KOs) clashed at the LA venue in February 2018 and delivered a memorable all-action affair that saw Rungvisai defeat Estrada by Majority Decision to retain his WBC Super-Flyweight title.

Pound for pound Thai star Rungvisai, who recently penned a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA, successfully defended his title for the third time in October on home turf against Iran Diaz, while Mexican ace Estrada enters the bout on the back of wins over Felipe Orucata at The Forum in September and Victor Mendez in Carson, California in December.

“I am extremely excited and honored to be back fighting in the US again,” said Rungvisai. “Estrada is a great fighter, and we had an amazing fight last year. Our round 12 was awarded Round of the Year by WBC. That is an evidence of how entertaining the previous fight was.

“I believe that this fight on April 26 will be even more entertaining. I am training extremely hard in Thailand. And I am confident I will be the winner on April 26th.

“Thank you to Matchroom Boxing and DAZN for this amazing opportunity, it’s such a great honor to be fighting for them. I also would like to thank WBC, NKL Team, and 360 Promotions for making this possible. I can’t wait to give a great fight to all the fans on April 26th!”

Roman (26-2-1 10KOs) and Doheny (21-0 15KOs) clash in a unification bout that is certain to entertain. Roman was one of the standout fighters of 2018, winning a wide points decision in the first defense of his WBA crown in Japan over Ryo Matsumoto in February and followed that with another authoritative points triumph over Moises Flores in Frisco, Dallas in June.

The LA man then punctuated his year’s work by stopping Brit challenger Gavin McDonnell in the tenth round of their clash on the first American boxing bill live on DAZN in October, and now looks to make a flying start to 2019 against IBF king Doheny.

Doheny’s path has echoes of his opponents as like Roman, the Australian-based Irishman travelled to Japan to land his first World title when he took the strap from Ryosuke Iwasa in Tokyo in August.

The unbeaten 32 year old signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA in January and swiftly made his first defense in New York against Ryohei Takahashi, stopping the Japanese in the 11th round at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, with Roman watching in the crowd.

“This is the biggest and most important fight of my career,” Roman said. “I haven’t been shy about wanting to unifying the division. This is the fight that I’ve been asking for since I became a World Champion. I need to deliver on my goal of becoming the best and a win against another World Champion puts me in that conversation.

“It will be a new experience for me because I’m not fighting a challenger, I’m fighting another belt holder. It’s exciting in a lot of ways. I’ll be at my best because I’m planning to add another title on April 26.

“It feels pretty damn good to fight in front of my hometown fans. My last five fights have been away from home, but I don’t feel any added pressure in this homecoming of sorts. I know I have a job to do. Nothing is easy at this point. It’s going to be a heck of a fight. Two World Champions fighting for control of the division. What more could you want?”

“Danny is one of those rare boxers that is motivated and committed to fighting the very best,” said Ken Thompson, President, Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He understands the risks that he is taking, but that’s what drives him. Against Doheny, he gets to show the world what he’s made of. It will be a tough fight, but one that Danny is more than capable of winning. We expect him to fight his fight and come out with another win and another World title.”

“This was my ideal scenario,” said Doheny. “Get the voluntary defence out of the way, then go straight into the unification, so great work from my team, and Eddie Hearn with Matchroom Boxing USA for getting this fight on. It’s unbelievable, it would mean the World to me. It’s just another boxed ticked, after I won the World title, the next goal was to become a unified Champion. I’m looking forward to achieving that.

“We met in the ring after the fight in New York, and there was a lot of respect for each other. That’s the way it should be. We’re two World class fighters, two World Champions in the division. A fight like this doesn’t need any false hype, I think that when you’ve got two World class fighters like this that’s enough of a selling point for a high-calibre fight like this

“Danny’s a great fighter, he adds a lot of pressure, he’s a great puncher, great punch selection, he’s got it all really. It’s going to be a great fight between us, and I won’t be surprised if the fans get to see a bit of a war. Fighting Danny in his home city, that doesn’t bother me. I’ve been fighting on the road my whole career, so it will be no different to me. It’s me and him in the ring, and it’s going to be all action.”

A stacked card in support of the huge World title double-header is led by Jessie Vargas’ move to 154lbs. The Las Vegas-based LA man (28-2-2 10KOs) headlined the aforementioned Chicago show in an entertaining clash with Thomas Dulorme, a draw the outcome after 12 pulsating rounds for the WBC Silver Welterweight title, where a last round knockdown cost Vargas the win.

The 29 year old will start the journey on becoming a three-weight World Champion on April 26 and will have a new but familiar face in his corner with the bout marking his first fight under hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Roach will be a busy man on the night, with former Super-Bantamweight World Champion Scott Quigg returning to action. The English star (35-2-2 26KOs) returned to winning ways in Boston in October with a spiteful second round stoppage of Mario Briones, and will be on familiar ground in LA where he trains with Roach and shared a bruising fast-paced battle with WBO Featherweight ruler Oscar Valdez last March.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr is set for a breakout year and will fight for his first title on the bill. Sims (17-0 16 KOs), who is in action in Peterborough, England on Saturday night live on DAZN and Sky Sports, clocked three stoppage wins in the second half of 2018, and will look to convert that momentum in style in first the UK and then in LA.

Shakhram Giyasov (7-0 6KOs) and Diego Pacheco (2-0 1KO) landed wins in Tijuana, Mexico this weekend and will fight on the bill, while Eddie Hearn’s latest addition to his blossoming stable of young USA talents, Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, will make his pro debut on the card.

“I’m proud to announce this huge card for our first show in LA,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Rungvisai vs. Estrada was one of the fights of the year in 2018 and fans can expect another war on April 26 for the WBC and Ring Magazine World titles.

“LA’s Danny Roman attempts to unify the division against IBF champ TJ Doheny and two division World Champion Jessie Vargas returns under his new trainer Freddie Roach as he begins his quest to win World titles in three different weight classes.

“Former World champ Scott Quigg returns to LA after his war with Oscar Valdez and unbeaten Super Middleweight star Anthony Sims Jr challenges for his first title. This is one of the cards of 2019 to date and fight fans can expect a wonderful show at the Forum and live on DAZN and Sky Sports.”

An announcement on ticket details will be made at the launch press conference in LA next Tuesday.

LAS VEGAS (February 26, 2019) – Texas prospect Ray “Valentino” Ximenez, Jr. will make his Roy Jones Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions debut this Thursday night, headlining a card live-streamed on UFC FIGHT PASS®, from the Event Center at Legends Casino Hotel in Toppenish, Washington.

The 26-year-old Ximenez, fighting out of Dallas, takes on dangerous Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez (16-1, 8 KOs), in the 10-round main event for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International Featherweight Championship.

Ximenez vs. Lopez will headline a card to be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The show is the third under a new agreement between RJJ Boxing, and FIGHT PASS, to live stream up to 72 professional boxing events over the next three years.

Ximenez (18-1, 4 KOs), who has won his last five fights in a row, was a decorated amateur boxer with a sterling 120-9 career record.

A former Texas State featherweight champion, Ximenez won a 10-round unanimous decision in his most recent fight, last June against 111-fight veteran German Meraz.

“It feels great fighting for RJJ Boxing and for a title,” Ximenez said. “I feel like I’m finally getting what I deserve in my career. Winning this fight will set me up for bigger and better things to where my family won’t have to worry about anything. It will mean all the time and hard work I put in and out of the gym will be paying off.”

Riding a four-fight win streak, including a 10-round unanimous decision last October over 10-1 Christian Bielma, Lopez will fight outside of his native Mexico for the first time during his 3-1/2-year pro career.

“I know he (Lopez) he leaves himself open a lot,” Ximenez added. “I will be able to control the fight the way I want it to go.”

Also scheduled to fight on the card, all in four-round matches, are OR light heavyweight John Peak (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Tacoma, WA’s Juan Jackson (1-0), Kent, WA junior welterweight Shae Green (3-0-1, 1 KO) vs. Medford, OR’s Gerardo Esquivel (0-1), Fairbanks, AK light heavyweight Taylor Shirley (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Vancouver, WA”s Luis Iniguez (1-1-1), Roman Avetisyan (7-0. 5 KOs) vs. Antonio Neal (4-0, 3 KOs), of Granger, CA, in a battle of unbeaten prospects, and Bonney Lake, and Pasco, WA light heavyweight Roman Avetisyan (0-1) vs. Moldova-native Alex Cazac (0-2), fighting out of Portland, OR,

Tickets are reasonably priced at $45.00, $35.00, $25.00 and $15.00 and available to purchase on site at the Legends Gift Shop, or by going online https://www1.ticketmaster.com/roy-jones-jr-boxing-presents-ray-ximenez-vs-luis-alberto-lopez/event/0F005637D24443DA?dma_id=235.

Doors open at 5 p.m. PT, first fight at 6 p.m. PT, and FIGHT PASS starts at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT).

INFORMATION:

Websites: www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.legendscasino.com
Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @YNLegendsCasino
Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @artofmusiclv, @rivalboxinggear, @legendscasino
Facebook: /RJJBoxing, /LegendsCasinoHotel

Las Vegas (February 26, 2018) – “WBC” World Boxing Council has confirmed that they will appear, have a booth and hold a Meet & Greet with their 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.

WBC will have merchandise, Fan pictures taken at their special photo booth with the green Belt, interactive games, meet & greet with Top Fighters and boxing celebrities.
WBC joins Al Bernstein, Michael Spinks, Erik Morales, James Toney and Jessie Vargas as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

About WBC
The World Boxing Council is a Boxing elite sanctioning body and has as its maximum priority to work and protect for athlete’s safety and health inside and outside of the boxing ring. The WBC was founded in 1963 and lead by José Sulaiman who was unanimously elected on December 1975 as president and served in that capacity until the time of his death on January 16th, 2014.His son Mauricio Sulaiman has succeeded to the presidency since then. The WBC is now composed by 165 countries from around the world. Don José Some of their greatest champions are Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Julio Ceasar Chavez, Oscar de La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather,and Manny Pacquiao among others.

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 several 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 (February 25, 2019)-This past weekend, three coveted prospects under the Split-T Management banner picked up quality victories.

Antonio Vargas/ Photo by Damon Gonzalez.

On Friday night, 2016 U.S. Olympian Antonio Vargas (10-0, 4 KOs) stopped 56-fight veteran Lucas Rafael Baezat 2:08 of the 2nd round of their bantamweight bout in his hometown of Kissimmee, Florida.

Ernesto Garza III

On Saturday, Ernesto Garza III (10-3, 6 KOs) of Saiginaw, Michigan stopped Jeno Tonte at 2:39 of the 1st round of their super bantamweight bout in Deerborn, Michigan.

Diego Pacheco / Photo by Cynthia Saldana.

Also on Saturday, 17 year-old, eight-time National Champion, Diego Pacheco (2-0, 1 KO)) of Los Angeles was impressive in shutting out Alberto Aguilar in a middleweight bout in Tijuana, Mexico. Scores were 40-36 on all scorecards.

Pacheco’s fight with Aguilar was seen live on DAZN.

Former Team USA member and #1 ranked 165lber Williams is the latest amateur talent to pen promotional terms with promoter Eddie Hearn, and the 22 year old Houston talent brings a formidable body of work into the paid ranks.

‘Ammo’ landed a plethora of titles in just 47 fights as an amateur and enters the pro game as a two-time USA Boxing Western Regional Champion, two-time Houston Golden Gloves Champion, two-time Houston Open Ring National Champion and 2017 Gulf Association Most Outstanding Boxer amongst his honors.
Williams’ will campaign at Middleweight with an eye on dropping to Super-Welterweight and his debut will be announced shortly, with fighter, promoter and manager excited to start the journey.

“My goal is to be the greatest, most influential fighter of all time!” said Williams. “Eddie Hearn noticed my talent and provided me the platform needed to make this a reality – for that I am forever thankful and I cannot wait to strut my stuff live on DAZN.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams to the Matchroom Boxing USA team,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Ammo is one of the most exciting young amateur fighters I have seen and in just 47 amateur fights has established himself at #1 in his weight class.

“He is a huge puncher and has all the attributes to be a star in the sport. We look forward to keeping him nice and busy why he learns his trade all around the world.

“We are assembling the strongest young team of fighters in America and I’m excited to watch them all grow live on DAZN at home and in the UK on Sky Sports.”

“Austin Williams possesses all the qualities you want in a fighter” said Sam Katkovski from Churchill Management. “Beyond his viciousness in the ring, he will amaze fans with his personality and quickly become must see tv. We at Churchill are excited to partner with Matchroom Boxing USA to begin his career journey.”

RAZVAN COJANU RECKONS the decision-makers behind the burgeoning career of explosive young heavyweight Daniel Dubois have made an error of judgement in their matchmaking for March 8.

The two huge heavyweights collide at the Royal Albert Hall in what will be a tenth professional fight for Dubois. The 21-year-old has already won the WBC Youth, Southern Area and English titles since making his debut in April 2017.

The California-based Cojanu has, indeed, operated at a higher level in his 21 fights to date, what with challenging for a world title against Joseph Parker and stepping in with the vastly experienced Luis Ortiz in the fight after the Cuban had Deontay Wilder teetering on the brink of defeat in Brooklyn.

Too much, too soon is the message from the 31-year-old Romanian.

“I think his people have made a big mistake by fighting me now so early in his career,” he stated. “He’s got a lot to learn and this is a step too far.”

Cojanu, who was beaten on points last time out against Dubois’ domestic rival Nathan Gorman added that size does matter and he will prove as much on the night.

“I don’t think Daniel has fought anyone bigger and stronger than him yet. When he gets in with me he will realise how hard the mountain is to climb.”

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

CONFIDENT American Travis Reeves has hammered Anthony Yarde telling the British hope: You’ve fought nobody.

Reeves (17-3-2) challenges Yarde for the Ilford man’s WBO intercontinental light-heavyweight title at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8, live on BT Sport.

Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Boxing Podcast’, available to download on Wednesday, Baltimore’s Reeves affirms his belief he is levels above Yarde’s previous opponents and insists: “I am not worried about Yarde.

“From a fans perspective, everyone has got caught up in the hype, but most of those guys he fought, they were nobodies.

“Why wouldn’t I be the man to beat Anthony? I have got the skills and faced people like him already, but feel he hasn’t faced anyone like me.

“I feel that every fighter Anthony has beaten I would have knocked out.

“That is why I am not overly concerned or worried about him. I would have done the same thing to the guys he fought.

“I understand the hype that they have to present when they are building up a guy. Yarde just happens to be with the right people at the right time.

“If you’re not at the fight, tune in. I am not coming to lay down. He is in for a fight.”

There is talk of Yarde (17-0) challenging WBO champion Sergey Kovalev later this year, but Reeves warned: “He is out of place stepping up to Kovalev right now and he definitely doesn’t need to overlook me.”

Reeves says that twice previously he had accepted an offer to fight Yarde, but claims his rival’s manager and trainer Tunde Ajayi had refused the fight.

He explained: “All I know about Anthony is that we were scheduled to fight two times before, but the fight never took place for some reason.

“Frank wanted this fight to happen before, but I guess his trainer and manager didn’t feel the fight was appropriate at the time. His trainer knows that Anthony is in for a fight.

“Being a fighter I am not going to criticise Anthony because we are fighters who come to fight whoever is put in front of you.”

Yarde’s WBO intercontinental light-heavyweight title defence against Reeves takes place at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8, live on BT Sport. Daniel Dubois v Razvan Cojanu and Johnny Garton defends his British welterweight title against Chris Jenkins on a huge night of boxing that also includes the British middleweight title clash between Liam Williams and Joe Mullender. Also on the bills 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 RoyalAlbertHall.com

TICKETS START FROM £40

GRAND TIER: £100

LOGGIA: £100

SECOND TIER: £75

LIAM WILLIAMS has ripped into big fight rival Joe Mullender telling him: “You can’t punch and you’ve got no skills.”

Williams makes the first defence of his British Middleweight crown against the Essex man at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday March 8.

Mullender has earned a reputation as one of boxing’s tough men, but the Welshman who beat Mark Heffron in December to become British champion roared: “That’s not enough.

“He has fought no one, he can’t punch, he has got no skill. He is just very fit and tough.

”I am going to beat him. It’s not going to be pretty. He is going to come for a rough and tough fight. I don’t think it is going to work well for him.”

Mullender believes aggression that has served him well in his career will be a shock to the system for Williams, and the key to causing a big upset in the BT Sport televised fight.

Williams added: “Joe is a pressure fighter, but I don’t think he will be so keen on that once I start landing.

“Maybe he is as tough as he says and can keep going forward. Boxing isn’t just about going forward and taking three shots to land one.

“If he was a massive puncher, then yeah you can try that, but he isn’t a big puncher.

He isn’t going to see the final bell.

“He is daring me to try and stop him. He can say what he wants, but he is kidding himself.

“I am just going to keep putting pressure on him and break him down. He is trying to convince himself.”

Williams is now settled at his Sheffield training base under Dominic Ingle where he trains alongside Nicola Adams, Willy Hutchinson, Billy Joe Saunders and Kid Galahad who is soon to challenge IBF Featherweight champion Josh Warrington on a Frank Warren bill.

He is close to all his gym-mates, particularly Hutchinson who he shares a flat with in the Steel City.

Williams says: “I spend a bit of time with Billy Joe and Kid Galahad. Recently Willy moved into a flat with me.

“Willy is a bit messy and leaves plates so I have to tidy up, but he is only 20.

“I am like the Dad of the house. I’m usually the child when I’m back home because my Mum does everything for me, but it is me running round after Willy here.

“Life is really good. I’m just plugging away, working hard and making sure I am bang on. I’m just counting down the days to the fight.”

Elsewhere on the show, Anthony Yarde will defend his WBO Intercontinental title against Baltimore’s Travis Reeves. Daniel Dubois follows in the footsteps of British heavyweight greats to fight at the historic venue and takes on Razvan Cojanu in his tenth fight. Johnny Garton makes the first defence of his British Welterweight title against Chris Jenkins. Lucien Reid will fight Indi Sangha in what will be his toughest test to date, while Flyweight Harvey Horn, Middleweight puncher Denzel Bentley and Cruiserweight talent James Branch feature.

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

TICKETS START FROM £40

GRAND TIER: £100

LOGGIA: £100

SECOND TIER: £75

Los Angeles, CA (February 26, 2019) This past Saturday night, February 23 in Tijuana, Mexico, top welterweight prospect Shakhram Giyasov improved to 7-0 with a dominant performance and fifth round knockout of hometown favorite Edgar Puerta, (25-12-1, 19 KO’s), at the Municipal Auditorium.

The 25-year-old Giyasov, trained by the renowned Joel Diaz, displayed his full arsenal of power shots and world class skills before Puerta’s corner called a halt to the bout in the fifth stanza.

Fighting under the World of Boxing banner and guided by Vadim Kornilov, Giyasov, (7-0, 6 KOs) has stayed busy since turning professional in March 2018 following an outstanding amateur career which was capped by winning the Silver Medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil for his native Uzbekistan.

The victory took place on a Matchroom Boxing promoted event as World of Boxing are currently in discussions about a possible promotional partnership for Giyasov.

Said Andrei Ryabinskiy of World of Boxing, “Shakhram Giyasov looked very good against a tough opponent fighting this past Saturday in Mexico. Giyasov is on his way to becoming a world champion, we hope to give him this opportunity very soon!”

Stated Vadim Kornilov, “We’re very pleased with Shakhram’s performance tonight against a battle-tested professional in Edgar Puerta. He fought six times in 2018 and we expect him to stay busy and keep improving this year as we step up the competition that we feel is appropriate for him. Boxing fans are going to love watching him fight the more they see of him.”

Photo Credit/Tom Hogan, Matchroom Boxing

Website

www.VsenaBox.Ru

Social Media

Twitter: @WorldofBox, @Ryabinsky, @VadimKTeam

Facebook: @Vsenabox

Instagram: @WorldofBoxingPromotions

26 February 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that it has signed women’s wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat of India to a multiple-bout contract.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “At ONE Championship, we are constantly on the lookout for the world’s greatest martial arts talents, especially in Asia. Women’s wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat embodies the true values of martial arts and is a great fit for our organization. I would like to personally welcome Ritu to the ONE Championship family. I’m excited to share Ritu’s story with the world and to showcase Indian martial arts at the highest level, on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition in ONE Championship.”

Ritu Phogat, ONE Athlete, stated: “It is both an honor and a privilege to join ONE Championship, the best and biggest martial arts organization in the world. Wrestling will always be my first love, but I feel that it is time to expand my horizons. I am excited to compete against the best mixed martial artists in the world and to bring glory and pride to my home country. I also look to prove that Indian martial arts is truly world-class. Thank you, ONE Championship, for the opportunity to share my talent on the global stage.”

24-year-old Ritu Phogat is a champion wrestler and top women’s mixed martial arts prospect who hails from India. She comes from a family of martial artists and began training in wrestling at the age of eight under the guidance of her father Mahavir Singh Phogat. Ritu is a Commonwealth Wrestling Championships Gold Medalist, World U23 Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist, Asian Wrestling Championships Bronze Medalist, and multiple-time Indian National Wrestling Champion.

Hailing from Haryana, Ritu is widely-regarded as one of India’s top sports superstars and one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. Her sisters Geeta, Babita Kumari, and Sangeeta, as well as cousin Vinesh, are also wrestling champions.

In 2016, Ritu bagged a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship held in Singapore. In 2017, she took home India’s first silver medal at the prestigious World U23 Wrestling Championships held in Poland. In 2018, she placed 5th at the Wrestling World Championships despite only being 24-years-old. Ritu now joins ONE Championship and looks to embark on a promising professional career in women’s mixed martial arts.

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.

TORONTO, ON—Top 140-pound prospect Mazlum Akdeniz added to his undefeated record over the weekend with a thrilling stoppage victory over Mexican veteran Alberto Bautista in Cornwall, Ontario.

Bautista, a veteran of 17 professional fights, attempted to apply pressure on Akdeniz throughout the fight, but was simply overmatched by the 21-year old’s handspeed and accuracy. Akdeniz repeatedly ran him into counter left hands, before turning the tides and walking him down behind laser sharp lead lefts and right hooks.

In the sixth round, Akdeniz trapped Bautista along the ropes, uncorking almost 30 unanswered punches before the referee stepped in to stop the bout.

“We already knew Mazlum was as technically sound as any fighter in Canada, but what we’re starting to see now is his killer instinct,” said promoter Lee Baxter. “It would be easy for him to simply outbox guys, especially a veteran like Bautista who knows how to survive, but he’s going out and stopping these guys. That should tell everyone that we have something special on our hands.”

Akdeniz’s amateur credentials showed signs that he would indeed be special. In addition to winning the 2015 Ringside Championships, Akdeniz also scored a win over Jorge Moiran Vinent, becoming the first Quebec-based boxer to defeat a Cuban fighter since the legendary Jean Pascal in 2005.

Now as a professional, he seeks to follow in Pascal’s footsteps in becoming a world champion.

Akdeniz (8-0, 4 knockouts) paid his respects to Quebec boxing legends on Saturday, as well. He wore a t-shirt with the name of Adonis “Superman” Stevenson, former light heavyweight champion who tragically suffered traumatic injuries in a bout last December, and is battling back valiantly to this day. Akdeniz also walked to the ring with Arturo Gatti Jr., the son of the late Hall of Famer Arturo Gatti.

“We believe Mazlum can have his name alongside the great Canadian fighters of all-time one day. We’re going to take it one step at a time, but those steps can come more and more frequently—we want to keep him as active as possible, and want to start taking steps up in competition right away,” said Baxter.

Akdeniz is expected to be back in action before the end of April.