LAS VEGAS, NV (January 28, 2019) – This past Saturday in Tijuana, MX, cruiserweight Muhsin “The Spartan” Cason (4-0, 2 KOs), and heavyweight Jonnie Rice (10-3, 6 KOs), both who are managed by Prince Ranch Boxing’s Greg Hannley, scored knockout victories in their scheduled 4-round bouts.

Cason, the younger brother of former two-time heavyweight world champion, Hasim Rahman, controlled the action from the opening bell by using his jab. He ended his bout with a straight left to the body.

“This was my first time fighting in Mexico and I got the knockout,” said Muhsin Cason, a former D-1 athlete who played wide receiver at Maryland. “I’m looking to get right back in the ring, hopefully in February. I want to stay busy this year and climb up the rankings.

Rice, who is trained by former world champion, Wayne McCullough, landed a powerful right cross to the head of his opponent, stopping him in the middle of the 2nd round. Rice dictated the pace the entire bout.

“This was my 3rd fight with Wayne and I can see the difference in my performances,” said Rice. “My goal is to keep improving and getting better. I’m confident I can march up these rankings and land a big fight. I’ll be back in the gym this week.”

“Cason and Rice are both making strides to becoming better fighters,” said Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing. “With more experience under their belt, they can become a force in their respected divisions. I have plans to keep them both busy this year.”

PORTLAND, OR – (January 27, 2019) WBAN is proud to announce the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF), Class of 2019.

This sixth annual induction represents a record breaking number of honorees in the history of this signal institution which has recognized and honored those individuals who have, over the history of the sport of Women’s Boxing, contributed to, advocated for and brought esteem and distinction to the sport in and out of the ring.

Included in this year’s class are seven former boxers: Terri Cruz, Melissa Fiorentino, Lisa Holewyne, Carina Moreno, Bridgett Riley, Wendy Rodriquez and Martha Salazar. The Non-Boxer category includes David Avila, Stephen Blea and Blanca Gutierrez. Pat Emerick and Patricia [Sandy] Martinez-Pino are recipients in the Pioneer Female Boxer and the Posthumous categories, respectively.

FORMER BOXERS

Terri Cruz compiled a 17-7-2 record, over a nine-year career (1999-2008), highlighted by winning the IFBA bantamweight crown over highly regarded Heather Percival in 2005. Cruz’s love of and dedication to the sport brought her out of retirement in 2009 to challenge top ranked Alesia Graf for WIBA Flyweight title, losing a close decision and again in 2011 for another bout with unbeaten Susie Ramadan.

Melissa Fiorentino, a 5’1″ dynamo, imbued with the appropriate sobriquet “Fury”, put up a sterling 17-2 record over a seven-year (2001-08) career during which she stepped in with the top ranked fighters in the featherweight class, including wins over Belinda Laracuente, Esther Schouten, Jaime Clampitt and Cindy Serrano. She capped her career, in January, 2008, winning the IWBF super featherweight title.

Lisa Holewyne fought to a 25-17-2 record over almost eight years (1998-2006) as a professional boxer. A common boxing dictum states, “you are what your record is” and Holewyne is exactly that. Coming to the ring after a four year stint as a pentathlete at the University of Texas, Holewyne quickly established herself as an “anyone/anywhere” lightweight boxer, fighting Sumya Anani twice (when very few ranked fighters would come within a couple of time zones of that matchup), unbeaten Mary Jo Sanders twice, splitting two fights with the formidable Sunshine Fettkether to mention only some of the top opposition Holewyne sought out during a career that should serve as a signpost for any boxer seeking to do the sport the right way.

Carina Moreno was a standout in the flyweight ranks, fighting, over her ten year career (2003-13), 203 rounds while compiling glittering 23-6 record against the best boxers in this competitive weight class. In addition to wins over Eileen Olszewski, Yessica Bopp and Holly Dunaway, she held the WBC and WIBA minimumweight titles for several years. She finished her career still competing against the best in her class, winning the WBA flyweight title against Susi Kentikian in Germany in December ’12, before losing a close decision to Kentikian seven months later in the same country.

Bridgett Riley fought in the ring, for nine years (1994-03), compiling a 15-3 record, exactly how she lived life, in perpetual motion. “Busy fighter” might be an understatement, since from the opening bell, Riley had one gear, full speed ahead. She held the IFBA bantamweight title beating Yvonne Trevino over ten rounds in February ’98 and, in possibly her most remembered bout, Riley KO’d Englishwoman, Alicia Lahsen, in June ’98, after surviving an early knockdown. It was her first defense of the IFBA title. Among Riley’s other pursuits in her active life range from martial arts champion to movie stunt person.

Wendy Rodriguez is another of the West Coast fighters who brought the female bantamweight division to the attention of the boxing public. Along with her co-2019 IWBHF inductee, Carina Moreno, Rodriquez set a standard of competitive excellence in the ring that raised the public perception and appreciation of the division. Rodriquez, in her seven year (1999-08) career put up an exemplary 19-4-3. Early on, (Oct. 2000) she fought an 8 round draw with Margaret Sidoroff and in her penultimate bout, she stepped in with Regina Halmich, (Regina was inducted into the Inaugural Class of the IWBHF in 2014) . Rodriquez finished her career on a high note, revenging an earlier loss to Holly Dunaway in the process of winning the vacant IBA minimum weight crown.

Martha Salazar
competed as a professional boxer for 15 (2001-16) years, fighting 18 times and winning 13 of those bouts. It is an unfortunate reflection of the dearth of competition at the female heavyweight level. But for those athletes who posses persistence, combined with a don’t quit attitude, along with, most importantly, ring talent, the top rung of this division is attainable. Martha Salazar has those qualities in world class supply. Salazar won the WIBF heavyweight title via TKO over Pamela London in November ’04 and finished her career winning the WBC crown in a November ’14 by decision over Tanzee Daniel, before relinquishing the title via a close decision to Alejandra Jimenez in the final bout of her career in March of 2018.

NON-BOXERS

David Avila is a prominent and widely followed West Coast boxing writer. His linage to the sport comes from his father who fought a number of times at the Olympic Auditorium in the 1950s. Avila began his journalism career as a writer for the LA Times in the 1990s and is currently working for the Riverside (CA) Press Enterprise and La Prensa newspapers. But, unquestionably, it is Avila’s longtime support for and advocacy of the sport of Women’s boxing and it’s athletes that has earned him this well deserved IWBHF honor.

Stephen Blea, Blea’s reputation as a boxing official has been well documented and has led him to be ranked among the finest in the sport. But it is his myriad additional contributions to the benefit to the sport and it’s athletes that makes Blea singular in the sport. He has been a coach at USA Boxing along with providing his referring and judging skill to that organization. He has coached boxing at the Denver Police department. He has managed WBC Cares for the state of Colorado and overlaid those efforts with a long time, full throated support of the sport of Women’s boxing whenever the opportunity arises.

Blanca Gutierrez
is proof positive that the promotion of the sport of boxing begins with whole hearted empathy, and few promoters in the sport of Women’s boxing can match the personal connection and caring that Gutierrez brings to the sport and it’s athletes. Her father, Javier, was a professional boxer in Mexico and and Gutierrez’s interest and love for the sport came early and fervent. She is the driving force behind Beautiful Brawlers, a West Coast promotional powerhouse, that continues as a prime force behind the recent resurgence in the sport of female boxing.

David Avila and Stephen Blea are the second and third males to be inducted into the IWBHF.

PIONEER FEMALE BOXER

Pat Emerick
reduces her outlook on the sport of boxing to it’s most basic, “put one foot in front of the other and be prepared.” If only getting a chance to climb through the ropes was that easy for a female in the middle of the previous century. It wasn’t. Emerick’s opportunities were essentially limited to her hometown, South Bend, IN, where, at 5’4″, 123lbs, after losing her first bout, she reeled off 18 straight wins, highlighted by a TKO win over Jo Ann Hagan in November ’54 before 4,000 fans in Council Bluffs, IA., winning the Ladies World Boxing Association Championship. Emerick becomes the second oldest living IWBHF Pioneer Boxer inductee, born five months after Year 1 honoree Barbara Buttrick.

POSTHUMOUS 2019 INDUCTEE

Patricia “Sandy” Martinez-Pino, who passed away in September of last year, was a longtime leading advocate for the sport of Women’s boxing in this country. She worked tirelessly within the sport, with the AIBA to open up opportunities for females as referees and judges and served with U S Boxing as President (Hispanic), as well as terms as Vice President and Secretary. Her untiring efforts in support of and improving conditions and opportunities for women in the sport will be well remembered and sorely missed and are best described by her co-inductee, Stephen Blea, “Sandy broke down barriers and achieved accolades no woman had achieved in this sport.”

As previously noted, the 2019 IWBHF Class of Inductees is the largest, and quite possibly, the most diverse, in the six year history of the Hall, conceived and formulated in 2014 by Sue Fox, founder and publisher of Women’s Boxing Archive Network (WBAN). Fox envisioned the Hall as a needed addition to the boxing community, a way of honoring those, in and out of the ring, upon whose athleticism, support and advocacy for the sport of Women’s Boxing continues to stand on and progress.

An induction ceremony for the 2019 inductee class is being discussed and details will be announced forthcoming.

28 January 2019 – Tokyo, Japan: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced an additional match for ONE: A NEW ERA, which takes place Sunday, 31 March at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. Reigning and undisputed ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines is set to defend his World Title against former titleholder Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil in a trilogy bout.

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.

Belingon and Fernandes 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 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. In the end, two of the three judges agreed that Belingon had done just enough to win the contest.

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

In the main event of ONE: A NEW ERA, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines is set to defend his World Title against Japanese mixed martial arts legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.

In addition, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China will defend her belt against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Singapore. ONE Middleweight World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang of Myanmar will also defend his World Title against Ken Hasegawa of Japan.

Also seeing action on the card is Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, who takes on Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in a quarter-final bout of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, while Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez faces dangerous Russian adversary Timofey Nastyukhin in a quarter-final of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.

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.

London (28 January 2019) talkSPORT has won exclusive rights to the highly anticipated grudge match between James DeGale v Chris Eubank Jr.

The Super-Middleweight Championship contest takes place at the O2 arena on February 23, with on air coverage starting live on talkSPORT from 7pm.

talkSPORT will also offer fight fans extensive coverage in the build-up including interviews with both boxers over the coming weeks.

James DeGale said: “This is the biggest all-British fight in years and echoes the golden era of super-middleweights with Benn, Eubank and Collins. I’m thrilled that talkSPORT listeners will get to listen to all the action up close and with expert commentary.”

Chris Eubank Jr said: “Nothing grips the nation like a massive grudge fight between two big rivals and the fans are in for a truly great fight that will be complemented with talkSPORT’s excellent coverage in the build up and on fight night.”

talkSPORT’s National Controller Liam Fisher said: “This mouthwatering contest is set to attract a legion of fight fans and reaffirms talkSPORT’s commitment to boxing. We can’t wait to cover this latest all-British battle and bring listeners an unbeatable experience, in a weekend of sport that also includes exclusive cricket coverage from the West Indies, the League Cup Final and Man United v Liverpool.”

Over the past year talkSPORT has covered the biggest clashes in boxing including Tony Bellew v David Haye, three Anthony Joshua fights and Amir Khan v Samuel Vargas.

You can catch all of the coverage on talkSPORT 1089 or 1053 AM, DAB, online or via the talkSPORT app from 7pm.

Notes to Editors

Please see a picture of both fighters attached. Photo credit Lawrence Lustig.

About talkSPORT

talkSPORT is the world’s biggest sports radio station and is the global audio partner of the Premier League. The station is an official broadcaster of the Premier League, England football internationals and the EFL Cup. It was also the only broadcaster to cover every game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The station also has exclusive coverage of England Cricket’s major overseas tours until 2021 and extensive boxing rights. talkSPORT’s international arm broadcasts across the world in five different languages – English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic and now Swahili.

talkSPORT 2 is the sister station of the world’s biggest sports radio station and is currently broadcasting England’s cricket tour of the West Indies.

Tickets available from www.AXS.com and Inner Ringside/VIP Hospitality from www.sportandmusic.co.uk

This fight will be shown exclusively on ITV Box Office. For further information and updates, please go to www.itvboxoffice.com

For further event information, please visit www.poxonsports.uk and www.premierboxingchampions.com or follow on Twitter and Instagram at @PoxonSports, @PremierBoxing, @ITVBoxOffice, @ITVBoxing and join the conversation with #DeGaleEubankJr

Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PoxonSports/, www.facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/ITVBoxing/

London (28 January 2019) The ring in James DeGale’s gym is a constant reminder to him of a victory over Chris Eubank Jr. in an infamous sparring session that sparked the bitter feud that has led to their British blockbuster showdown on Saturday 23rd February at The O2.

DeGale and Eubank clash in the most eagerly awaited domestic tear-up in recent years and headlines a packed show, promoted by Poxon Sports and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), supported with the Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Joe Joyce defending his title against the Former World Champion Bermane Stiverne, plus the return of Former IBF World Featherweight Champion Lee Selby, exclusively LIVE on ITV Box Office.

The notorious sparring session between DeGale and Eubank Jr. happened in 2011 at his then gym in Debden, Essex, when DeGale was preparing to challenge for the European Super-Middleweight title and young prospect Eubank had only had a handful of fights.

It was agreed between both camps that they would spar eight rounds, but after six rounds in which DeGale said he had got the better of, Eubank Jr. left the ring for no particular reason with two rounds remaining. When DeGale and his trainer Jim McDonnell then started a pad session, Eubank Jr. did his trademark rope-vault back into the ring and started shadow boxing in between them which infuriated DeGale and he threw the brash Brighton visitor out of the gym for being disrespectful.

The Harlesden man was later enraged when Eubank Jr. and his father broke the unwritten boxing rule of sparring by ‘keeping it in the gym’ when he came out the next day on social media stating that he had ‘schooled’ DeGale.

That was the starting point of their bad blood and the pair have clashed over the years as the animosity and rivalry has built up to boiling point and now they will finally settle it once and for all in one of the most highly anticipated fights in recent years.

DeGale personally owns the boxing ring that the spar took place in and had it installed at the famous Stonebridge gym where he trained for many years before the gym recently moved to a new location in Wembley and the ring came back into focus last week when ITV cameras filmed with DeGale.

DeGale stormed, “I’m a proud man and to hear Eubank Jr. spout off at the time and at every opportunity he’s had since to tell to people that he ‘schooled me’ after that sparring session has stuck with me. It may have been eight years ago now, but I knew there would come a time when I would make him eat his words and I can’t wait to finally make him pay for it on February 23 at The O2,”

“He used that sparring session to come down and make a name for himself and say that he beat me, people who weren’t there and all his followers on social media who don’t know what happened, of course, are going to believe what he said, but the whole nation will now get to see for real what I will do to him and it won’t be behind closed door and from gossip,”

“I know what happened in that ring and training in the same ring every day reminds that I made him quit and I can make him do it again. I’m already one up against him, but sparring with a headguard and big gloves is completely different to doing it in the ring for real. I just can’t wait to be wearing the little 8oz gloves and doing it for real.”

DeGale’s trainer Jim McDonnell, Former European Featherweight Champion, who was in his corner for the sparring session, did not hold back and was more vocal about the incident. He said, “I think it was a get up from the start and there was a hidden agenda for a publicity stunt. Eubank didn’t want to do the last two rounds with James. He just got out of the ring. I compare it to a fighter stopping after ten rounds of a 12 twelve round fight and pulling out and then doing shadow boxing for the last two rounds,”

“I don’t know if Eubank Jr. thought that the last two rounds of shadow boxing made up the eight rounds? Do you really believe a fighter who had not won any amateur titles and only had a few fights took James, who won everything as an amateur culminating in the Olympic Gold, the British title and was challenging for the European title, to school? Please!”

“To be honest, I had forgotten about it because we had gone on to fight and win the European title and then on to World honours, but James has never forgotten about it. I can see now for Eubank Jr. it was a major coup to spar with James and he milked it for everything he could. It got his name in the papers and he did a great job of it,”

“He’s talked himself into the fight and got what he wanted and I’ve got to give Eubank Jr. credit for stepping up and taking the fight, whatever you say about him, he’s a tough man. I look at Eubank Jr’s record, though, and I see it ending up a very one sided fight for James. Who has he beaten as an amateur or pro? The only two times he stepped up against Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves he’s got beat.”

Tickets available from www.AXS.com and Inner Ringside/VIP Hospitality from www.sportandmusic.co.uk

This fight will be shown exclusively on ITV Box Office. For further information and updates, please go to www.itvboxoffice.com

For further event information, please visit www.poxonsports.uk and www.premierboxingchampions.com or follow on Twitter and Instagram at @PoxonSports, @PremierBoxing, @ITVBoxOffice, @ITVBoxing and join the conversation with #DeGaleEubankJr

Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PoxonSports/, www.facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/ITVBoxing/

28 January 2019 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), held the ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS Open Workout last Monday, 28 January at the P.K. Saenchai Muay Thai Gym in Bangkok. In attendance were ONE Athletes Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Superlek Kiatmoo9, Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai, Kongsak P.K.Saenchaimuaythaigym, Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai, and Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige.

Ticket information for ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS is available at www.onefc.com.

Photo: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JDvdd0cXdaF1Mr3ldYq0SyjMU_3xeCze

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am very excited to be competing for the ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight World Title. I am thankful that ONE Championship has given me this opportunity, and getting the chance to do it in front of my Thai fans is amazing. ONE Championship is a global event, so I am proud to represent Thailand and show the world the beautiful art of Muay Thai. I am going to bring my all, and I expect Han Zi Hao to do the same so it will be a very entertaining bout for the fans for sure!”

Superlek Kiatmoo9, ONE Athlete, stated: “I’m so excited because this is my first time in ONE Championship. It’s a new and bigger stage, new rules — everything is new. I have never seen anything like this before. I started training with smaller 4oz. grappling gloves and now I’m getting used to it. Joining ONE Championship makes me proud and happy because this is the world stage. It’s definitely the biggest organization I’ve ever competed in my life. I have to do my best to go as far as I can, as my goal is to become a ONE World Champion.”

Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am so happy that ONE Championship is coming to Thailand and that I will be competing on this event. The Impact Arena is very big and can fit a large number of people. I would love for the Thai people to come to see me perform. This is my second to perform in ONE Championship. I feel more relaxed now than the first time when everything was so new to me. I have high expectations for this fight because it will bring me to a higher level and I want to be ONE World Champion one day.”

Kongsak P.K.Saenchaimuaythaigym, ONE Athlete, stated: “This is the first time I will be competing for ONE Championship. It’s a new challenge for me to get onto the world stage, and to compete among so many good opponents. It’s a good challenge and I welcome all challenges. I have to prepare and show my style and class as well. I want to start building my confidence in my next fight and for the future.”

Shannon Wiratchai, ONE Athlete, stated: “My career in ONE Championship has taken me all across the region, performing in front of huge crowds in iconic arenas in Asia. But performing in front of my hometown fans in Bangkok will always be special to me. I would like to thank ONE Championship for the opportunity to compete here in Bangkok and to showcase my skills as a world-class martial artist to fans all over the globe. I vow to put forth my best effort in my next match, and to prove to everyone that I still belong at the top of my division.”

Rika Ishige, ONE Athlete, stated: “I have learned a lot of lessons over the past year, about myself and about my abilities as a martial artist. I can say that I am a much more improved, more focused Rika Ishige this time around. I am looking to capitalize on my most recent victory, and in my next match, I will showcase all of my improvements. The ONE Women’s Atomweight division is very deep and there are a lot of exciting young talents including myself. I plan to climb up the ladder this year and defeat whoever is in front of me to bring me closer to the World Title.”

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.

Uncasville, CT, January 27, 2019

A great night of fights took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT last night (Saturday), as JOE DEGUARDIA’S STAR BOXING presented another exciting SLUGFEST AT THE SUN. The undercard had a distinct New England flavor as the crowd came out early and loud, cheering on their local New England talent.

In the main event, New England fans were treated to feared knockout artist CLETUS “THE HEBREW HAMMER” SELDIN (now 23-1 19KO’s) as the Hammer-Head fans traveled from Seldin’s Long Island hometown to Mohegan Sun. Taking on Hungarian puncher, ADAM MATE (now 28-14 21 KO’s), Seldin, as usual, came streaming across the ring from the opening bell. Throwing precise haymakers, and clearly looking for the knockout, Seldin stalked Mate and just twenty seconds into the first round, landed a devastating right hand that sent Mate crumbling to the floor. To Mate’s credit, he rose off the canvas attempting to stabilize himself, defeating the referee’s ten count. However, Seldin pounced yet again, trapping Mate in the corner, dropping him once again for the final time with precise bombs. Joe DeGuardia promised boxing fans to not blink during this scheduled ten round main event and the Mike Tyson-like Seldin blitzkrieg lived up to the promise, with the Knockout coming at the official time of 0:48 seconds of the first round.

Cletus Seldin said this about his devastating KO victory:
“I am happy to be back. I have now had 2 fights since coming back from the Tommy John surgery I had last year and i feel like it’s back to normal. I can’t wait to get back in the ring again and want to thank Joe DeGuardia [Star Boxing] for keeping me busy and all of the “Hammer-Heads” who came out to support me. I am ready for the top guys in my division.”

“ACTION” ANTHONY LAUREANO (now 10-0 3KO’s) and RONALD RIVAS (5-9-2 3KO’s) put on a show for every minute of their 8 round co-feature bout, entertaining the crowd who cheered with an ever-increasing excitement and intensity throughout the bout. Both fighters earned the respect of the fans for their effort, but it was Laureano who showed his superior skills, using an effective jab, left hook, damaging body punching, and unmatched determination, which led him to a unanimous decision victory by scores of, 80-71, 79-72 (x 2).

The fighters engaged each other from the opening bell and by the second round Rivas was cut and bleeding. In the third, Laureano banged the game Rivas on the ropes and across the ring. Laureano’s ceaseless attack overwhelmed Rivas in the 5th round sending him to the canvas with a left hook to the body. The slugging continued for the remainder of the fight to the delight of the cheering crowd at Mohegan Sun, concluding with Laureano throwing punches in bunches from all angles. Be sure to tune in for the replay of this one as the hometown hero, Anthony Laureano put on a show for his local fans.

Laureano on returning to Mohegan Sun, and his performance on Saturday night:
“I felt good in there and just love to fight in there. Rivas was a tough and determined fighter and I have much respect for him. Thank you Star Boxing for keeping me busy and moving me and thank you Mohegan Sun, NESN and all my fans – I appreciate the support.”

In a battle for the Jr. NABF Super Featherweight title, ANGEL “EL GALLO” SUAREZ (now 8-3 3KO’s) challenged champion WILLIAM “THE SILENT ASSASIN” FOSTER (9-0 6KO’s). Foster got it started early, boxing swiftly, landing by using his quick hands. However, Suarez would not be denied, finding openings in the second round, as blood began to come from the nose of Foster. The two waged war against each other, for the entirety of the 8-round title fight in a fantastic tactical battle reminiscent of yesteryear. Having gone the distance, the judges scored the bout 79-73 (x3) in favor of William Foster, who retained his Jr. NABF Super Featherweight title in an exciting bout.

JACOB “LEFTY” MARRERO (now 2-0 1KO) seemingly had all of Bridgeport behind him in his second professional bout, as he took on Hungarian ZSOLT KARVAJ (now 3-3 3KO’s) in a scheduled 4-rounder. Marrero wasted no time sending Karvaj to the canvas two times in the opening round. Finally, a straight right hand by Marrero scored purely on the chin of Karvaj, causing referee Danny Schiavone to halt the action with 1:07 expired in the first round.

In a thriller, fan favorite NATHAN MARTINEZ (now 2-0) had his second professional bout against a tough Philadelphian, JERROD MINER (now 1-3-2 1KO). The opening round saw great back and forth action, as Miner scored with two hard rights, while Martinez found a home for his right hand as well. It was a very close first round but the second saw Martinez go on an impressive body attack, landing sharp, devastating shots to the midsection of the Miner. After 4-rounds of great action, the judges saw it, 40-36 (x2), and 39-37, in favor of Nathan Martinez, who improved to 2-0.

In a 6-round welterweight bout between RONNIE “TEFLON RON” AUSTION (now 10-1 7KO’s) and Waco, Texas native, MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE (now 6-9 1KO) both fighters began slow, in a feeling out first round. Austion looking to counter, while Hawthorne pressed, seemed to be the theme throughout the fight. Finally, in the fourth round, the action began to pick up, as Hawthorne was both throwing and landing in high volume. After losing a point for holding in the fifth round, Austion was unable to close the deficit, as Marquis Hawthorne, in a big upset, defeated the previously undefeated and heralded Austion by scores of 57-56, 58-55, 59-54.

DAVID PAPOT (22-0 3KO’s) of Saint-Nazaire France was scheduled to make his USA debut agains the tough COURTNEY PENNINGTON (12-3-2 5KO’s) on Saturday night, however two days before fight night, Pennington had to pull out of the bout due to back spasms. Star Boxing then brought in RONALD MONTES (18-11 16KO’s) of Columbia, on short notice, to take on the tough Frenchmen. Unfortunately Montes failed his physical due to a high pulse rate and the bout was not sanctioned by the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Commission, causing it to be pulled from the card.

Former super middleweight titlist, George Groves has announced his retirement, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“After taking a little time to reflect on the recent events in my career, I have decided that it is time for me to retire as a professional fighter,” Groves said in a statement.

“In 2017, I boxed in front of a home crowd in Sheffield and became the WBA super middleweight world champion,” Groves said. “After four attempts I had finally fulfilled my childhood dream, and the experience was as great as I had always imagined it would be. It was without doubt the best moment of my career.

“Some of you may think it’s odd that I’m choosing this time to retire. I’m still young, still fit and healthy, and there are still some big fights out there for me. But it’s for these reasons that I am choosing to retire now. I have a young family at home; it’s time to spend some of my better days with them. I don’t want there to be a time where I’m ‘too old’ to box on, or where an injury retires me in or out of the ring. Over the years I have seen and sadly known the dangers of the sport, and I want to respectfully bow out while I’m at the top of my game.

“I’ve learned that doesn’t always mean coming off the back of a win. I’ve boxed at the highest level, all over the world, I’ve been a champion and I’ll be leaving the sport (relatively!) intact.”

“Boxing has been good to me and I believe I have been good for boxing,” Groves said. “I hope I have entertained you all; I have always strived to be the best fighter I can be. Although we step through the ropes on our own, of course every fighter is backed by a team, and not just the ones in the corner. There are many, many people that have helped me on the way to fulfilling my boxing dreams and I would like to take this opportunity to thank as many people as I can.”

NEW YORK (JANUARY 27, 2019)-Tonight, undefeated welterweight prospect, Brian Ceballo will make his 2019 debut when he takes on Randy Fuentes in a scheduled six-round bout at The Avalon in Hollywood, California.

Ceballo weighed 146.6 lbs while Fuentes was 147 lbs at Saturday’s weigh-in

Ceballo, 6-0 with three knockouts is coming off a rookie campaign which saw him fight six times in a nine-month span, which included a 1st round stoppage over Luis Alberto Lopez Longoria in his pro debut. In his last outing, Ceballo scored a unanimous decision over veteran Daniel Calzada on the December 8th Vasyl Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza card in Ceballo’s hometown of New York at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Ceballo is managed by Split-T Management and is promoted by 360 Promotions. Ceballo was a five-time New York Golden Gloves champion and took home a staggering 17 National titles.

The fight can be seen live at 7:30 PM ET at www.360promotions.us

Jaime Munguia won a 12-round unanimous decision over unheralded, but tough as nails challenger Takeshi Inoue to retain the WBO Junior Middleweight championship at The Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

In round three, Inoue was cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt.  That did not dissuade the challenger as he put his head down and came forward to throw and land some hard overhand rights.  That style proved to be exciting but not an effective way to evade crunching body shots from Maunguia,  as the champion pounded away at the flanks of the incoming challenger.

There were several instances of Munguia looking like he would have Inoue in trouble with vicious combination, but Japanese visitor was able to land flush right hands on the exposed face of Munguia.

Munguia, 153.2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 32-0.  Inoue, 153.6 lbs of Tokyo is 13-1-1.

Munguia seized control in  the late rounds as he took over the 2nd half of the fight and won by (too) wide margins of 120-108 twice and 119-109.

Xu Can wrestled the WBA Featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jesus Rojas.

The two traded a close-quarters for the entire fight, with Can landing hard combinations.  Rojas would continuously fire back by landing ripping combination that would snap the head back of the challenger.  The fight was non-stop punching and landing, and it was a close fight.  Definitely closer then the 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112 tallies that the three ringside officials voted on.

Can, 125.6 lbs of Kumming, CHN is 16-2-2.  Rojas, 126 lbs of Caguas, PR is 26-3-2.

Vergil Ortiz, Jr. kept his perfect stoppage streak alive by stopping Jesus Valdez after five rounds due to cuts.

Valdez suffered a cut over his right eye, and the bout was stopped.

Ortiz, 142 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 12-0 12 knockouts.  Valdez, 143.6 lbs of Huatabampo, MEX is 23-5-1.

Alex Rincon won a six-round unanimous decision over Jeremy Ramos in a junior middleweight bout.

In round six, Ramos started bleeding from his nose.

Rincon, 153.3 lbs of Dallas, TX won by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56, and is now 6-0.  Ramos, 152.8 lbs of Bayamon, PR is 10-6.

Alberto Melin stopped Edgar Ortega in the final scheduled round of their ten-round super bantamweight bout.

Melian dropped Ortego in the final frame with a perfect left hook.  Melian jumped on Ortega, and landed a huge assault of punches on the ropes, and the bout was stopped at 1:33.

Melian, 121.4 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 4-0 with three knockouts.  Ortega, 122 lbs of Mexicali, MEX is 10-2-2.

George Rincon stopped Emmanuel Valadez in round one of their scheduled six-round super lightweight bout.

In round one, Rincon dropped Valadez to the canvas.   Rincon was all over Valadez, and the fight was stopped after a huge barrage of punches from Rincon at 1:36.

Rincon, 139.6 lbs of Dallas is 6-0 with three knockouts.  Valdez, 139.6 lbs of Agua Prieta, MEX is 5-7.

Follow all the action as Jaime Munguia defends the WBO Junior Middleweight title against Takeshi Inoue.  The action starts at 7 PM ET / 6 PM CT and will include the WBA Featherweight Title bout between Jesus Rojas and Xu Can.  

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Round 1: Big right from Inoue..Munguia lands to the body..Jab

Round 2 Counter right from Inoue..Hook to body from Munguia

Round 3 Hard right from Munguia..Hard body shot from Munguia..Inoue cut over left eye (Accidental Headbutt)

Round 4  Hard body shot from Munguia…Uppercut…Right from Inoue..Right..body..Hard right

Round 5 Hard right from Munguia..Good body shot and 2 hooks to the head..Hook to the head..Left hook

Round 6 Right from Inoue…Hard body shot and right from Munguia…wicked left hook..Big right from Inoue..Great left hook to body from Munguia..Munguia has his mouth open

Round 7 Body shots from Munguia starting to to effect…Good right from Inoue…3 body shots from Munguia..Inoue lands a booming right at the bell

Round 8 Right from Inoue...Hard left hook from Munguia…Inoue just walks through them..Right from Inoue..left hook..

Round 9 Body shot from Munguia…2 rights from Inoue on the ropes..and another..Yet another…Munguia cant get out of the way of eight hands..Munguia lands a hard body shots…Right from Inoue..Left to body from Munguia..Left hook to head..

Round 10 Munguia landing big shots in close..Hard right..Right to the body..Inoue lands an uppercut…Straight right from Munguia..Body..over hand right..Wicked right and left..Right from Inoue..Turning into a war..Left from Munguia..Right from Inoue…Wickec combination…Inoue staggering and he is very hurt at the bell

Round 11 Right from Munguia..Rights from distance to the head–Hook to the body..Hard left hook..

Round 12 Inoue trying to press the action..Hard rights from Munguia.Good body shot from Munguia..Counter right from Inoue..Ripping left hook from Munguia and a body shot…

311-133 punches in favor of Munguia

120-108 TWICE AND 119-109 FOR MUNGUIA

Round 1 Jab from Can..Uppercut off the jab..Right from Rojas..Right to the body from Can..1-2

Round 2 Hard right from Can…Hard right to body..Body shot from Rojas..Right..Great action at end of round

Round 3 Can lands a body shot..Left hook to body..Hard right from Rojas..Uppercut..Combination from Can..Hard right from Rojas..Rojas working..Right from Can..4 punch combination..Rojas lands 3 of his own..Left hook to the body..Can lands a flurry..Rojas coming back..

Round 4 Trading power shots..Combination from Can…Uppercut from Rojas..Good body shot

Round 5  Can lands a hook..Rojas just coming forward..Combo from Can..

Round 6 Rojas lands a combination..Hard right from Can..Can lands a body shot..Body and head from Rojas..Combination from Can..Right from Rojas..Big uppercut from Rojas (Snaps Can head back)

Round 7 Body shot and jab from Can..3 punch combination (Hard right punctuates it)..Hard right from Rojas

Round 8 Combination from Rojas..

Round 9  Right from Rojas

Round 10 Rojas landing thudding shots..Head shots from Can..Combination..Combination from Rojas

Round 11 Can trying to jab his way in…Good right..Hard exchanges..

Round 12 Combination from Can…Rojas lands a jab..Right and 7 punch combination..Combination from Can…3 punches on the ropes..Right

118-110; 117-111; 116-112 FOR XU CAN

Round 1 Nice straight left from Rincon..1-2..Jab..Good left..

Round 2  Good left from Rincon…Ramos trying to come forward..Nice 1-2..counter..good body

Round 3   Good Combination…Right hand from Ramos..Rincon Backing up..Body from Rincon…Right from Ramos

Round 4  Good body shot from Rincon..Good right..Good left..Hard right

Round 5 Ramos landing a combination..Body shot from Rincon..Good left to head,..Good counter…Good combination

Round 6 Straight left from Rincon..Blood from Nose of Ramos…Right from Ramos..Left..

60-54; 59-55; 58-56 for Rincon

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT, January 25, 2019

The entire card for Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing’s, “SLUGFEST at the SUN” weighed in today outside of the box office at Mohegan Sun Arena, in Uncasville, Connecticut. All fourteen fighters looked fit and ready to go, ahead of tomorrow’s stellar night of fights at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Tickets can still be purchased HERE. Doors open at 6:30PM, and the first bout is set for 7:30PM.

Weigh-In Results:

10-ROUND SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
CLETUS “THE HEBREW HAMMER” SELDIN: 145.5 lbs
ADAM MATE: 147 lbs

8-ROUND SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
“ACTION” ANTHONY LAUREANO: 140.5
RONALD RIVAS: 139 lbs.

8-ROUND JR. NABF SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT
ANGEL “EL GALLO” SUAREZ: 128 lbs
WILLIAM FOSTER:129 lbs.

4-ROUND LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
JACOB “LEFTY” MARRERO: 131 lbs.
ZSOLT KARVAJ: 130.5 lbs.

8-ROUND MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
DAVID PAPOT: 153 lbs.
RONALD MONTES: 163 lbs.

4-ROUNDS SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT
NATHAN MARTINEZ: 122.5 lbs.
JERROD MINOR: 124 lbs.

6-ROUND JR. WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
RONNIE “TEFLON RON” AUSTION: 143 lbs.
MARQUIS “THE HAWK” HAWTHORNE: 142.5 lbs.

Tomorrow night, January 26th, Star Boxing returns to Mohegan Sun for another exciting, action packed night of professional fights as knockout artist CLETUS “The Hebrew Hammer” SELDIN fights Hungarian banger ADAM MATE in an all out brawl. Other exciting bouts include Undefeated New England sensation “Action” ANTHONY LAUREANO. Also on the undercard are New England prospects, undefeated New Haven product WILLIAM FOSTER III, Hard Hittin’ New Britain’s own, NATHAN MARTINEZ and Bridgeport’s own, JACOB MARRERO.

25 January 2019 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), sent the Mall of Asia Arena crowd into a frenzy last Friday night in Manila, with another thrilling evening of authentic martial arts action. The absolute best in local and international martial arts talent took to the ONE Championship cage at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, Adriano Moraes of Brazil was crowned the new ONE Flyweight World Champion with a unanimous decision victory over Geje Eustaquio of the Philippines.

Visit the official ONE: HERO’S ASCENT photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

Brazil’s Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes put together a comprehensive grappling performance, upsetting hometown hero and now former titleholder Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio to win by unanimous decision, capturing the ONE Flyweight World Championship. Although Eustaquio connected on the cleaner, stronger punches throughout the five-round title tiff, it was Moraes who dominated the grappling exchanges. At one point, Moraes caught Eustaquio in a dangerous leglock that almost finished the bout, but the Filipino refused to tap. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Moraes.

The undefeated Lowen Tynanes retained his perfect record with a first-round finish of former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario in a ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final matchup. After a brief exchange on the feet, Tynanes drove Banario to the mat with a single leg. On the ground, the American quickly took the mounted crucifix position and pounded Banario with sharp punches and elbows to earn the technical knockout victory.

In a spirited clash between two top flyweight contenders, former ONE World Title challenger Danny “The King” Kingad of the Philippines turned in a well-rounded performance, defeating Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada of Japan by unanimous decision. For three full rounds, it was Kingad who got the better of the standup exchanges. When the action hit the mat, Kingad also displayed superior grappling skills. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Kingad who earned a spot in the highly-anticipated ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix with the win.

Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon of Thailand remained impressive in his ONE Super Series campaign, running through newcomer Fahdi Khaled of Tunisia to win via unanimous decision. The multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion gave the Filipino fans a show as he pushed the action with an unending flurry of strikes that kept the Tunisian newcomer at bay. Khaled had no answer for Rodtang as the Thai star cruised to a clear decision win.

Dutch grappler Reinier De Ridder made quick work of China’s Fan Rong, winning via submission in the first round. The undefeated European mixed martial arts World Champion wasted little time in bringing the action to the ground as he took Fan down with ease. On the mat, De Ridder showed off his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pedigree as he locked in a deep D’Arce Choke to put Fan to sleep in just under two minutes, announcing his arrival in ONE Championship’s stacked middleweight division.

Japanese striker Hiroki Akimoto overcame a knockdown in the first round to defeat Australian Josh “Timebomb” Tonna via unanimous decision in his ONE Super Series debut. The WFKO Karate Champion put on a striking clinic, picking Tonna apart with an array of thunderous kicks and powerful punches. A pair of knockdowns in the final round secured the win for Akimoto, who was dominant in his first ONE Championship appearance.

Thailand’s Bangpleenoi Petchyindee Academy was impressive in his ONE Super Series debut as he overwhelmed Brown Pinas of the Netherlands en route to a unanimous decision victory. The two-division WMC Muay Thai World Champion controlled the pace of the match as he punished Pinas with a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. Bangpleenoi scored a knockdown midway through the third round to seal the deal and earn his first win on the ONE Championship stage.

Algeria’s Elias Mahmoudi outstruck Japan’s Yukinori Ogasawara over the course of three rounds. Mahmoudi was on point in the opening frame, unloading a storm of thunderous kicks and pinpoint-accurate elbows on his opponent. Mahmoudi proved to be the faster and stronger man and was constantly a step ahead of his opponent in the succeeding rounds. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Mahmoudi.

Tang Kai of China left a lasting impression in his promotional debut, pulling off a statement victory over South Korea’s Sung Jong Lee. Living up to his reputation as a knockout artist, Tang got the job done in the second round, shutting the lights off on Lee with a thunderous high kick.

Japan’s Hiroaki Suzuki claimed his second-straight victory on the ONE Super Series stage, stopping Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud in the final seconds of the third round. Suzuki utilized his speed and power to connect on a handful of thudding strikes on Mahmoud, who responded with solid hooks and knees to the body. In the closing moments of the final frame, Suzuki stunned Mahmoud with a combination, earning him a technical knockout victory.

Setting the tone for an action-packed evening was a strawweight encounter between India’s Himanshu Kaushik and Indonesia’s Egi Rozten. Driven to claim his first victory in ONE Championship, Kaushik made quick work of Rozten, knocking out the Indonesian warrior with a barrage of punches in the first round.

Official results for ONE: HERO’S ASCENT
ONE Flyweight World Championship bout: Adriano Moraes defeats Geje Eustaquio by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds
ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout: Lowen Tynanes defeats Honorio Banario by TKO (Strikes) at 4:46 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Danny Kingad defeats Tatsumitsu Wada by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Rodtang Jitmuangnon defeats Fahdi Khaled by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Middleweight bout: Reinier De Ridder defeats Fan Rong by Submission (D’arce Choke) at 1:51 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Flyweight bout: Hiroki Akimoto defeats Josh Tonna by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Muay Thai Featherweight bout: Bangpleenoi Petchyindee Academy defeats Brown Pinas by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Elias Mahmoudi defeats Yukinori Ogasawara by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Featherweight bout: Tang Kai defeats Sung Jong Lee by Knockout (KO) at 1:14 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight bout: Hiroaki Suzuki defeats Mohammed Bin Mahmoud by TKO at 2:53 minutes of round 3
Strawweight bout: Himanshu Kaushik defeats Egi Rozten by Knockout (KO) at 3:33 minutes of round 1

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.

London (25 January 2019) Andre Sterling and Ricky Summers will meet in a British Light-Heavyweight Title Eliminator on the stacked O2 show on Saturday 23rd February.

Sterling versus Summers adds to an action-packed evening, promoted by Poxon Sports for Premier Boxing Champion (PBC), headlined with the long-awaited clash between bitter rivals James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr., the explosive showdown between Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Joe Joyce and Former World Champion Bermane Stiverne, the return of Former IBF World Featherweight Champion Lee Selby and the UK debut of Marsellos Wilder, exclusively LIVE on ITV Box Office.

28-year-old Andre Sterling’s career has been going places fast. In his last fight out in November 2018, the New Cross fighter was crowned Southern Area Light-Heavyweight Champion after outpointing the tough Kirk Garvey at The York Hall, Bethnal Green.

That career best win put Sterling forward for his British Title Eliminator opportunity and he knows a victory could land him a dream shot at the prized Lonsdale belt.

The former Fitzroy Lodge amateur is now unbeaten in nine fights with four finishing inside the distance since turning pro in April 2017.

This will be the first time Sterling steps out onto the biggest of stages at The O2, but he’s in a bullish mood and is ready to grasp his golden chance.

Sterling said, “This opportunity is massive for me and I’m grateful. I’m feeling good, happy with my close-knit team, and I’m having a superb training camp. My sparring sessions have been great, and my weight is just where I want it to be. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for and I’m ready. It’s going to elevate me to a new level. My future is very bright and there will be big fights ahead for the British public to savour.”

He added, “Ricky is a good fighter, there’s no doubt about it, but I’ll have too much for him. There’s no way he’ll keep up. I’ll show no mercy and you can tell Ricky that much. I hope he’s ready because I’ll be bringing huge fire power to the fight. That isn’t to say I won’t be vigilant about when I unleash the lion from the cage; you’ll see my boxing skill and pedigree on show. Just watch out.”

For 31-year-old Ricky Summers, who hails from Tipton in the West Midlands, he has already come within touching distance of the British title after challenging for the title against then Champion Frank Buglioni in July 2017 at The O2.

He gave Buglioni a hard first title defence and took the Londoner into the trenches before losing on the scorecards in an action-packed fight. It certainly enhanced Summers’ reputation and he’ll now look to capitalise on that experience against Sterling.

He rebounded strongly after that night, displaying an array of skills, a combination of fast hands and powerful shots, to out box Gonzalo Romero and Tayar Mehmed to take his record to 15 wins from 16 fights.

Not only does Summers feel ready to get back into title contention, but he feels he is even better placed to do so than when he fought Buglioni.

Summers said, “I bounced back in the right way after the Buglioni fight. I lost that night because of experience. Frank wasn’t a better fighter, but he had already boxed on the big stage. Now I have that experience of having already fought at The O2 to take into the ring with me this time. That’s going to be invaluable. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity to get back in the spotlight, and I’m going to take my chance this time. There’s a lot on the line: the loser has nowhere to go, while the winner has bigger things to plan for.”

He added, “I think Andre Sterling is a good fighter and I respect him. He’s accumulated a good record since turning pro. He’s a skilful boxer, but he’s heavy handed. It will be a good clash of styles. I’ll have far too much for him though. I’ve improved tremendously as a fighter. I think the size difference between us will be a factor too.”

Both men have a great opportunity to step up in front of a huge crowd at The O2 and will put everything on the line to secure a victory that with will open doors and propel their careers to new heights.

Tickets available from www.AXS.com and Inner Ringside/VIP Hospitality from www.sportandmusic.co.uk

This fight will be shown exclusively on ITV Box Office. For further information and updates, please go to www.itvboxoffice.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: Please clearly credit ITV Box Office in any published material

Late last year, ITV announced a ground-breaking new deal with Haymon Sports and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) to bring exclusive coverage of exciting PBC world-class boxing events to ITV viewers and fight fans in the UK.

The unique collaboration is the first time that Haymon Sports and PBC has partnered with a UK broadcaster to stage boxing events regularly in the UK. The exclusive three-year deal will guarantee a minimum of 15 televised events each year, drawing from PBC’s unrivalled group of over 160 of the best boxers in the world, which includes more than 60 current and former world champions in matches staged both in the UK and the US. PBC, the sports’ pre-eminent boxing brand, is broadcast over cable and network television in the United States.

The world-class action from events for the next three years will include free-to-air broadcasts on ITV’s channels, including ITV main channel and ITV4 and ITV Hub, and will also include pay per views on ITV’s PPV channel, ITV Box Office.

This new deal for boxing adds to ITV Sport’s portfolio of first class events, which includes exclusive free to air coverage of the England football team’s qualifiers for both the European Championship and World Cup, the 6 Nations and exclusive coverage of the Rugby World Cup, UK horse racing, the Tour de France and the French Open.

Star Boxing’s “SLUGFEST at the SUN” featuring feared knockout artist, CLETUS “THE HEBREW HAMMER” SELDIN and Hungarian banger, ADAM MATE, is set to cause fireworks at Mohegan Sun Arena, tomorrow night (1/26). Star Boxing is pleased to announce that if you are unable to make it the stellar night of fights, we have you covered. Watch SLUGFEST at the SUN live on PPV through FITE.TV. FITE, the world leader in the digital distribution of combat sports will stream the event live on the www.FITE.TV website, FITE mobile apps for iOS, Android, and the FITE channels of Amazon Fire, Android, Apple TV, and Roku on a PPV basis. The FITE PPV will be available for just $14.99. Check availability in your area by going to the FITE.tv website. The FITE.TV PPV will be blacked out in the New England area.

To accommodate the French audience, David Papot vs Courtney Pennington will be the 3rd fight on the show and will go on at approximately 8:30 PM/ET (2:30 AM, January 27th in France) to accommodate the live audience in France.

LAS VEGAS (January 24, 2019) – Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions has put together a solid card to support the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior bantamweight world title eliminator between “Mighty” Aston Palicte (24-2-1, 20 KOs) and Jose “Chiquiro” Martinez (20-0-2, 13 KOs) on January 31 at Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, California.

Promoted by RJJ Boxing Promotions in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions, Palicte vs. Martinez will headline a card that will stream live on UFC FIGHT PASS®, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, in the inaugural event of a new agreement between Palicte’s promoter, RJJ Boxing, and FIGHT PASS, to live stream up to 72 professional boxing events over the next three years.

The event will be held on the Thursday night of Super Bowl week, in the Oak Ballroom at Viejas Casino & Resort, which is located 35 miles outside of San Diego.

The winner of the Palicte vs. Martinez 12-round main event will become the mandatory challenger for new WBO junior bantamweight and four-division world champion, Donnie Nietes (42-1-5, 24 KO). WBO No. 2 rated Palicte is promoted by Roy Jones Jr. Boxing, WBO No. 4 ranked Martinez by Miguel Cotto Promotions.

Last September, Palicte (WBO No. 2) fought a 12-round split draw with his fellow Filipino, Nietes, for the then vacant WBO Junior bantamweight championship.

GO HERE TO WATCH PALICTE-MARTINEZ PROMO VIDEO:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rgtp4a9rl8hqbmp/%22Are%20you%20ready%3F%27%27%20RJJ%20.mov?dl=0

The co-featured event is a rare six-round match-up of two undefeated prospects, Texas featherweight Edward “Kid” Vasquez (5-0) and San Diego’s Brandon “2 Smooth” Cruz (6-0, 4 KOs). Styles make fights and consummate boxer Vasquez vs. slugger Cruz has all the ingredients for a highly entertaining, competitive fight.

The FIGHT PASS opener pits local favorite Dilan “El Rey” Miranda (4-1, 3 KOs) versus Daniel Constantino (2-2-1, 1 KO), who is straight out of Compton (CA), in a scheduled six-round, junior featherweight bout.

Fighting on the off-streamed card in four-round fights are San Diego featherweight Jessica Juarez (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Kailyn Hansen (1-2), of Whittier, CA; Redlands, CA welterweight vs. David Morales (2-1-1), of Los Angeles; Los Angeles heavyweight Oscar Torres (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Ignacio Zambrano (2-4), of Torrance, CA.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $65.00, $55.00 and $45.00 and available to purchase by going online at www.viejas.com.

Doors open at 5 p.m. PT, first bout 5:30 p.m., FIGHT PASS starts at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET)

INFORMATION:

Websites: www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, www.Vieja.com
Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @CottoPromotions, @RealMiguelCotto, @viejascasino, @AstonPalicte, @elreymiranda, @UFCFightPass
Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @RoyJonesJrOfficial, @artofmusiclv, @rivalboxinggear, @CottoPromotions, @RealMiguelCotto, @Viejascasinoresort, @astonmightypalicte
Facebook: /RJJBoxing, /ViejasCasinoAndResort, /MiguelCottoPromotions, RealMiguelCotto,

HOUSTON (Jan. 29, 2019): Mexican warrior Jaime Munguia (31-0, 26 KOs) and Japanese contender Takeshi Inoue (13-0-1, 7 KOs) hosted the final press conference ahead of their 12-round battle for Munguia’s WBO Junior Middleweight World Title. The action will take place on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN – which is just $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial. Fans in Houston can purchase tickets starting at just $25 at ToyotaCenter.com.

Undercard fighters from the event also participated in the press conference. Below is what today’s participants had to say at today’s presser:

JAIME MUNGUIA, WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion

“We’re very happy to be here in Texas. It’s my first time in Texas and I feel at home here. They’ve received me very well. I want to tell people that we came here well-prepared and we’re in good condition. I want to tell Inoue that the title will not go to Japan, it will stay in Mexico and I will be champion for a while. Expect a big fight Saturday night.”

TAKESHI INOUE, Junior Middleweight Contender

“I want to thank everyone who made this fight possible. I think Munguia is a great champion, and I look forward to a great fight on Saturday. I have come here to bring the WBO belt back to Japan.”

JESUS ROJAS, WBA Featherweight World Champion

“I’m greatly happy to be here and I’m anxious for the fight we have this Saturday. We’re a day from making weight and I’m anxious and I’m excited. It’s my first time here. I hope Xu Can comes prepared to fight so we can give a great show, a real spectacle, to the fans of Texas.”

XU CAN, Featherweight Contender

“I’m very happy to be here in Houston. This is my second time fighting in the USA. It’s going to be my first time challenging the world title and I have confidence I can bring the world title back to China. I’m very excited for Saturday night.”

VERGIL ORTIZ JR., Super Lightweight Contender

“I’m really excited to be fighting here. I haven’t fought in Texas in a little over a year, and I kind of missed it. I’m really grateful to be in this position. I’m looking forward to fulfilling my dad’s and Oscar’s expectations and getting a world title this year. At this moment right now I’m ready for this world title. There’s no one at 140 who can beat me right now. I’m really confident in myself and my ability to get this world title.”

“I’m looking forward to eating Whataburger right after this fight.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CEO AND CHAIRMAN OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS

“The primary reason why I’m really excited to promote this event here in Houston is because it brings back big-time boxing to Houston. That’s exactly what our motive is for the year and for the years to come: to bring boxing back to the masses and bring boxing back to the fans.”

“I remember many years ago we promoted many great world title fights in Houston here at the Toyota Center with the likes of Juan Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez against Katsidis. Houston has a rich history and fans have shown tremendous support to the sport of boxing. We at Golden Boy Promotions look forward to cultivating and growing and soon making local world champions here from Houston.”

“This event is very important because not only does it mark a great relationship with one of the – if not thebest promoter in Mexico – in Zanfer Promotions, Fernando Beltran, but it’s also important because it’s the first of many events that we will be streaming live on the new digital platform DAZN. I strongly feel that DAZN has really changed the game in many ways. There are many people who love watching boxing throughout the United States but sometimes it’s a little too expensive to watch a pay-per-view fight. We’re extremely fortunate to have a partner like DAZN who can come in and stream the fights for a relatively inexpensive price of $9.99 per month. For $9.99 a month, and the first month is free, you can watch this amazing card Saturday night, with two world titles on the line, but you can also watch the highly-anticipated fight between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs on Cinco de Mayo weekend, which is the biggest boxing event of the year.”

FERNANDO BELTRAN, CEO OF ZANFER PROMOTIONS

“When Jaime Munguia won the title and surprised the world, of course we needed to do a strategic partnership with somebody, because the division is so hot between the super welterweights and middleweights. The best division is middleweights and DAZN has got the two best middleweights in the world – without a doubt Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs. That’s the way DAZN does boxing. Of course, we believe we are at that level with Jaime Munguia, and close to being in that mix, and we’re with the right people and the right platform and we feel very happy about it.”

Munguia vs. Inoue is a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Rojas vs. Can is a 12-round fight for the WBA Featherweight World Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Universal Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” and Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

CREDENTIALS: Fight night credentials may be picked up from the Media Check-In doors located next to the Administration Entrance to Toyota Center on LaBranch Street and Clay Street beginning at 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Proper personal Photo ID (driver’s license or passport) must be shown to claim your credential.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Inoue are on sale now and are priced at $150, $100, $60, $40 and $25 plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased online at
www.ToyotaCenter.com and by phone at 1-866-4-HOU-TIX. Tickets will also be available at the Toyota Center Box Office.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying
and pasting the link http://bit.ly/January26DAZN into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy Promotions for any photo and/or video usage.

About DAZN:
Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service’s sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and now the U.S. at just $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial – where it is becoming a must-have service for sports fans, with a daily show featuring live look-ins to Major League Baseball games beginning in 2019 and more than 100 fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series, Combate Americas and the recently announced Golden Boy Promotions.

About Toyota Center:
Since opening in October 2003, Toyota Center has set a new standard for sports and
entertainment, becoming one of the premier live entertainment venues in the nation. Laid
over the span of six city blocks, Toyota Center is home to the NBA’s Houston Rockets. Toyota Center also plays host to the nation’s top concerts and touring shows. The arena’s playing surface is set nearly 32-feet below street level giving Toyota Center the largest lower level of any arena in the nation. Coupled with the exclusive Lexus Lounge, trendy Golden Nugget Club, Red and White Bistro’s superior food and service, Toyota Center offers something for everyone making it the hottest spot for sports and entertainment in Houston. For more information, visit
www.houstontoyotacenter.com.

New York, NY (January 24, 2019) DiBella Entertainment has announced the signing of 2016 Colombian Olympian Juan Carlos Carrillo to an exclusive promotional contract.

The 26-year-old Carrillo advanced to the second round at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He was among Colombia’s most decorated amateurs, with over 400 bouts experience, and winning gold at the 2012 Colombian National Games, 2012 Pacific Cup Tournament, 2011 Colombian National Championships, 2010 Colombian Youth National Championships, and silver at the 2014 Central American & Caribbean Games. Carrillo comes from a boxing family and, at age nine, followed his father and older brother into the sport. His brother, Leonard Carrillo, is an active junior middleweight. Now living in Queens, NY, Carrillo is trained by Martin Gonzalez and Juan Carlos Gonzalez out of Brooklyn’s Gleason’s Gym and will compete in the light heavyweight division as a professional.

“The light heavyweight division just got a little more crowded,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Colombia’s Juan Carlos Carrillo was a spectacular amateur with a record of 388-23 and will have the tools and maturity to progress through the pro ranks at a quick pace. I am happy to work with his manager Felipe Gomez and look forward to providing Carrillo with the opportunities necessary for him to achieve his dream of becoming a world champion.”

“I’ve always dreamed fighting in the United States and I thank God for making my dream come true,” said Carrillo. “I want to thank Lou DiBella for signing me and giving me this opportunity and my manager Felipe Gomez for helping to make this happen. I am very grateful and happy with the direction that my career will be heading now that I am with one of the best promoters in boxing and have a good manager by my side.”

“I am extremely happy to be part of Carrillo’s team,” said Carrillo’s manager Felipe Gomez. “He is a fighter that had a huge amateur background and will be bringing that experience into the pro ranks. I have big plans for him and I will work relentlessly with Lou DiBella to help Carrillo become a World Champion.”

Details on Carrillo’s professional debut will be announced shortly.

BROOKLYN (January 24, 2019) – One day before they weigh-in for their primetime showdown, welterweight world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman and veteran contender Josesito Lopez went face-to-face at the final press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes event from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Thursday’s press conference also saw stare downs from rising Polish heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki and former title challenger Gerald Washington, who meet in a 10-round attraction, and hard-hitting featherweights Claudio Marrero and Tugstsogt Nyambayar, who meet in a 12-round showdown that opens the telecast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment, begin at $50 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what the fighters had to say at Thursday’s press conference from the Barclays Center GEICO Atrium that aired live on FS2 and can be re-watched on the FOX Sports App:

KEITH THURMAN

“It’s a tremendous feeling to be back in this position. It’s an honor to be working with FOX and I’m excited for this new platform. I’ve got new health and I’m just ready for Saturday night.

“I’ve been to several fights in my time off and it’s felt like a lifetime. Saturday night, the champ is back. Brooklyn, we’re here.

“There’s always a little level of nerves for a fight, but it’s mostly anticipation. This is the world class level. I’m proud to be champion and I always want to be champion. The nerves are very natural, but they are not overpowering. I like to carry some nerves with me for each fight.

“Josesito has a lot of confidence. He has been training hard and I know that’s where his confidence comes from, because that’s where I get it from. When I’m on the battlefield, I go to war.

“It’s always my job to do my best. Win, lose or draw, people will have something to say about it. I’m fighting to stay at the top. We want to showcase our skills and remind people that I am ‘One Time’ and I am a big puncher. I’m going to have fun in there.

“I can find so many avenues to win. Josesito Lopez is a good fighter, but he’s like swiss cheese, he’s got holes throughout. It’s only a matter of me exposing them round-by-round.

“There shouldn’t be any hesitation in my game. We took this fight because we’re prepared. If anything was to occur, like if I were to feel some bumps and bruises in the fight, people have seen me fight through hematoma and some hard shots. I’m a tough egg to crack. No matter what shape I’m in, when it’s time to go to war, we fight.

JOSESITO LOPEZ

“I’m always in tough battles because I don’t shy away from them. I’m in a tough fight this weekend but I’m more than ready for it.

“Like any boxer, my confidence comes from my preparation. I feel like I’m at the championship level. I prepared well and I’ll have no excuses at the end of the night, no matter the result.

“In preparation for a fight like this, you have to look at bad habits and mistakes your opponent has made. You can’t find a losing fight with Keith, but he’s been in fights that have shown some flaws that he has in his game.

“I don’t know if Keith is overlooking me, but whatever the situation is, it will show in the ring. I’ve prepared for the best Keith Thurman and I’m prepared for Saturday night.

“In training camp we train in a family atmosphere. Robert Garcia has a family engagement this weekend, but I have the guru ‘Big G’, Eduardo Garcia, in my corner. We might even have a little surprised this weekend with Robert Garcia virtually checking in.”

ADAM KOWNACKI

“I was born in a small city in Poland and came here when I was seven. Every fight keeps getting bigger and bigger. I was an amateur when Barclays Center first started and now I’m the co-main event. I hope the next time here I’m the main event, that’s the goal.

“I think like all my fights, I’m going to go in and dictate the pace of the fight. Unless he can do something new, I think it’s going to go the way my past fights have gone. I’m going to bring the pressure and try to make my opponent fold.

“Washington is a big guy, but I have tactics to work through it. I have to go to the body, work the double jab and get inside to do my work.

“Hearing the Polish fans in my corner is great. But once the bell rings, you go to that focused mode. You know they’re cheering with you, but you’re totally focused on the fight and what your opponent is trying to do.”

GERALD WASHINGTON

“I’ve had great learning opportunities in my losses. I started my career late and I’ve been learning on the job. Every time I step into the ring, it’s a learning opportunity, win lose or draw, I have to take something from it.

“My fight against Deontay Wilder gave me confidence that I belong at the top. I didn’t have all the tools at that moment, but I’d never turn down an opportunity to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.

“I learn something from all of my fights. The wins and the losses. I’ve taken things and added it to my arsenal because you can’t ever stop learning in this game. The focus that is necessary at every moment was something I really learned from the Wilder fight.

“This is do or die, sink or swim. We have to look at every opportunity like that. I’ve done everything in my power to prepare for this fight. I did all my homework, did all the sparring and conditioning, I mentally prepared and I’m ready for Saturday night.”

CLAUDIO MARRERO

“I have to win explosively like I always have. I have to earn that right to fight the top featherweights like Leo Santa Cruz and Gary Russell.

“I respect my opponent, but I don’t believe he’s fought tough enough opponents to be ready for what I bring to the ring. Having said that, we left no stone unturned and I’ve trained 100 percent for this.

“I’m here to give the fans a great fight and earn the opportunity to get to the world title again. This is a fight that could definitely steal the show.”

TUGSTSOGT NYAMBAYAR

“This is my toughest fight to date and I’ve trained with a lot of southpaws who have prepared me for this opportunity. I’ve gained a lot of experience since I turned pro and I’m going to show it Saturday.

“I’ve trained very hard and I’ve focused on what I need to do Saturday. My team and I have a great plan and if I listen to my coach and make adjustments I know that I will be victorious.

“I hope that this leads me to a world title shot. That’s why we started this journey in the pros and after Saturday night, no one will be able to deny me that opportunity.”

# # #

ABOUT PBC ON FOX & FOX DEPORTES: THURMAN VS. LOPEZ
Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes is headlined by the return of WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman defending his title against veteran contender Josesito López on Saturday, January 26 live from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™ and the East Coast home of PBC. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features rising unbeaten Polish heavyweight Adam Kownacki taking on former title challenger Gerald Washington, plus a 12-round featherweight showdown between Claudio Marrero and Tugstsogt Nyambayar.

PBC Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and will feature junior lightweight prospect Chris Colbert taking on once-beaten Josh Hernandez in an eight-round bout, plus 2016 U.S. Olympian Antuanne Russell facing Roberto Almazán in a six/eight round super lightweight attraction, and super welterweight prospect Chordale Booker meeting Juan De Ángel for eight-rounds of action.

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

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

Tevin Farmer will defend his IBF World Super-Featherweight title against Jono Carroll at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Friday March 15, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE NEXT TUESDAY (JANUARY 29)

Farmer (28-4-1 6KOs) makes the third defense of his crown in his first fight on home turf as a World champion, following a wide points win over Francisco Fonseca in New York in December, a win that followed a dominant fifth round stoppage over Northern Irishman James Tennyson in his first defense in Boston in October.

The 28 year old returns to the Temple University venue having boxed there in April 2017 against Arturo Reyes – the fight before his first World title showdown with Kenichi Ogawa in Las Vegas in December, where his controversial split decision loss was turned into a no-contest after the Japanese failed a drug test. Farmer would claim the vacant IBF title in August in Australia with a comprehensive points win over seasoned Aussie Billy Dib.

Unbeaten Dubliner Carroll (16-0-1 3KOs) fights for his first World title on St Patrick’s weekend against Farmer, with his shot at the title following a closely fought split draw in a final eliminator with Guillaume Frenois in Sheffield, England in December.

Farmer and Carroll have been involved in bitter social media spats and will finally come face-to-face for the first time at a press conference to launch the fight in Philly next Tuesday, and both fighters believe the fight will be as fiery as the build-up.

“He’s got a World title shot on St Patrick’s weekend, he should be thanking me,” said Farmer. “He’s trying to get under my skin but it’s impossible to get under my skin. He’s making himself look bad and he’s stepping up to a whole different level with me. I’m A-level and he’s going to pay.

“He says we both come from tough backgrounds, the hood, that boy hasn’t come from any struggle, no hood. I’m going to show him when he comes to Philly, he’s going to eat his words. He’s trying to get his buzz up but there’s certain things that you don’t say. He’s made this personal and you don’t want to get personal with a Philly guy like me.

“This is big for me, fighting as a World champion in Philly. When does Philly hold big World championship shows? This is big – it’s a boxing town but this is as big a show as there’s been here for a long time. I have to thank Eddie, Lou and DAZN for making this a reality, because often World champions don’t always get the chance to fight in their home city. It doesn’t happen, but it’s happening for me and that shows the level of respect that Eddie, Lou and I have for each other. It’s going to be a great night.

“I don’t care about these other champions. You never know what is going to happen with politics and people making excuses, but I’m here, I defended the title twice in three months last year and I’m headlining at home. If people really want to fight, it’s simple to do – sign the contract and turn up and fight.

“The only thing I care about is my career, keep lining them up and I’m going to keep smoking them and keep getting paid. With or without them, my career will be the best of all those guys. I’m on a high right now. Everything is good right now, I’m doing everything I’ve dreamed of.”

“It is only fitting that Tevin Farmer’s remarkable journey in boxing and in life comes back to his home city, Philadelphia,” said DiBella. “In 2018, from Australia to Madison Square Garden, Tevin established himself as one of the brightest and most active stars in boxing.

“This is the homecoming Tevin deserves, and if Jono Carroll fights with the same fervor that he talks, it will also be a fight befitting of a city that has long been synonymous with all action wars.”

“I’ll do what I want with Tevin, he’s a tiny little child and I’m not afraid of him,” said Carroll. “When we meet, if he’s respectful of me, I’ll be respectful back as that’s how I’ve been brought up – but if comes talking rubbish then I’ll put him in his place.

“I see a fakeness in him when I see him interviewed, I see a fake person. My thoughts on him are that he wants to be liked, but he’s not. I reckon he’s arrogant, that’s the man I think he is and I know he’s that sort of flashy person saying stupid things on Twitter.

“Tevin is a man that wants to be liked but he plays like he’s Floyd Mayweather, but he’s not half as good as him. He has serious holes in his armory, and I am going to poke every single one of them, I’ll break him up and stop him.

“He’s never met a man like me in his life. He came from a rough background yes, but so did I. We’re both from crazy places but we’re in the limelight now, so we have to be grown-up and responsible as we’re going to have cameras around us.”

Irish sensation Katie Taylor can take a giant step towards her goal of becoming the undisputed World Lightweight champion when she aims to unify her WBA and IBF titles against WBO ruler Rose Volante.

Taylor (12-0 5KOs) added the IBF strap to her WBA title in April against Victoria Bustos in Brooklyn, New York, and has since defended the titles three times, stopping Kimberly Connor in three rounds in London in July before shutouts against Cindy Serrano in Boston in October and ending a stunning 2018 by beating Eva Wahlstrom in New York in December.

Volante (14-0 8KOs) has defended her WBO crown twice since winning the vacant title in December 2017 and the Argentine won both her defenses in Brazil 2018 by the halfway point, with Lourdes Borbua retiring after five rounds in April and Yolis Marrugo Franco stopped in three in September.

The champions put titles and unbeaten records on the line in Philadelphia, and the winner will target Belgian WBC ruler Delfine Persoon for all the belts later in the year.

“Ever since I won my first World title as a pro my goal has been to unify the Lightweight titles so this is obviously a massive step towards that,” said Taylor. “Volante is unbeaten so I’m expecting a tough fight but that’s exactly the kind of challenge I want. I think the better the opponent and the bigger the challenge the better I will perform.

“It’s a great card to be on especially with so many Irish fighters on the bill on St. Patrick’s weekend in Philadelphia so I’m sure it will be a special occasion.

“For now my focus is on Volante but of course after that fight I would love to have all the belts as soon as possible. Hopefully the Persoon fight can finally be made for the summer and then there are some other huge fights out there as well for the rest of the year.”

A stacked card in support of the two World title blockbusters is led by a crunch Middleweight clash between Philadelphia’s Gabriel Rosado and Pole Maciej Sulecki and an all-Philadelphia Lightweight clash between Hank Lundy and Avery Sparrow.

Rosado (24-11-1 14KOs) is back in action after a controversial all-action fight in Kansas with Luis Arias in November, the former World title challenger drawing with the Milwaukee man. The 33 year old will be desperate to get his name back into contention for major honors with the 160lbs division red hot right now, but Sulecki (27-1 11KOs) will have the same designs on those title shots having bounced back from a loss against Daniel Jacobs in April with a second round KO win in Poland in November.

“I’m excited to start the year back home in Philly,” said Rosado. “This is the second half of my career and the goal is to win a World title. It’s only right that it starts here in Philly.”

Prospect Sparrow (9-1 3KOs) will be gunning to add a major scalp to his CV in the shape of former World title challenger Lundy (29-7-1 14KOs). Sparrow faces the second ten round clash of his career as he looks to step up his progress early in 2019.

“It’s been a long time since I last fought but that’s on me and I’ve learned from it,” said Sparrow. “Fighting someone like Hank Lundy is the kind of challenge I look forward to. It’s a big fight on a big stage.”

“Once again we have a great Philly vs. Philly fight and that is always good for boxing in Philly,” said Lundy. “It’s a hard fight but we’re both looking down the road because we know what winning this fight will do for our careers.”

Kazakhstan’s Olympic gold medal star Daniyar Yeleussinov (5-0 3KOs) fights for the sixth time in the paid ranks ahead of what promises to be a break out year for the 27 year old, the same of which can be said for two-time Olympian and 2012 silver medalist John Joe Nevin (11-0 4KOs) who joins fellow Irish fighters on the St. Patrick’s weekend bill.

“I can’t wait for March 15 at the Liacouras Center,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “It’s our first ever event in Philadelphia and it’s an honor to promote in this great city on St Patrick’s weekend.

“Tevin Farmer is one of the great boxing underdog stories of our generation and I’m so happy he is getting the chance to bring that World championship home against a feisty and talented Jono Carroll.

“The biggest star in World boxing, Ireland’s Katie Taylor, looks to unify the division against WBO champ Rose Volante. Philly favorite Gabe Rosado takes on Poland’s Maciej Sulecki in a thrilling Middleweight match up and Olympic stars Daniyar Yeleussinov and John Joe Nevin. It’s stacked from top to bottom and it’s going to be an electric night of boxing in Philadelphia.”

CARSON, Calif. (January 24, 2019) – WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter will make his first title defense in primetime as he battles mandatory challenger Yordenis Ugas Saturday, March 9 in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes live from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will see Porter defend his title after defeating Danny Garcia in an exciting September clash to capture the WBC belt. He will face Cuba’s Ugas, who has worked his way to this position with an impressive string of eight-straight victories leading up to March 9.

The action also features a duel between two hard-hitting brawlers as Andrzej Fonfara and Edwin Rodriguez meet in a 10-round cruiserweight match in the co-feature, while heavy-handed slugger Efe Ajagba steps up to face experienced veteran Amir Mansour in an eight-round heavyweight attraction in the televised opener.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale Monday, January 28 at 12 p.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com

“Shawn Porter is one of the most charismatic and exciting fighters in the sport and he’s sure to light up the screen on March 9 on FOX and FOX Deportes,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “After winning a hard-fought close decision over Danny Garcia in September to capture the title, he will again have his hands full, this time with Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas, who has taken the division by storm, defeating top contenders and prospects to put himself in this mandatory position for his first world title. It’s a matchup of styles that is sure to generate a memorable night.

“In addition, Andrzej Fonfara and Edwin Rodriguez are heavy-hitters known for being in electric matchups and I expect both to leave it all on the line in this showdown to see who moves back closer to the championship ranks. With sensational prospect Efe Ajagba rising up the heavyweight division, he will look to secure another knockout on this March 9 card that is set to deliver from top to bottom.”

Porter will defend his title just over a month after Keith Thurman and Manny Pacquiao defend their 147-pound championships in separate clashes, and one week before Errol Spence Jr. puts his welterweight belt on the line against Mikey Garcia on FOX Sports PBC PPV, as we near finding out who will rise to the top of boxing’s deepest and most-exciting division.

The 31-year-old Porter earned the Garcia fight with a dominant stoppage of former world champion Andre Berto, which he followed up by defeating tough contender Adrian Granados. This followed Porter’s memorable title clash against Keith Thurman in 2016, which drew Fight of the Year praise and was narrowly won by Thurman.

Originally from Akron, Ohio but now living and training in Las Vegas, Porter became a welterweight champion for the first time in 2014 when he defeated Devon Alexander. Although he lost the belt to Kell Brook, Porter rebounded two fights later with a high-profile win against four-division champion Adrien Broner.

“We’ve already been in training camp for a few weeks working on conditioning and building up the fundamentals,” said Porter. “Ugas is a strong, aggressive fighter who’s responsible with his defense. He’s a Cuban fighter and I know he won’t waiver from that. It’s going to be up to me to get him to drop his hands, take some risks and then land my shots. It should make for a very entertaining fight and I can’t wait to get back in the ring and do what I do best.”

March 9 concludes a long road traveled by Ugas (23-3,11 KOs) from Cuban amateur star, to nearly out of the sport, and now on the cusp of a world championship. The 32-year-old won Bronze at the 2008 Olympic games and was 15-1 as a pro before suffering back-to-back losses in 2014. A 28-month layoff followed, with Ugas eventually deciding to return to the ring for a battle against then unbeaten prospect Jamal James.

Ugas not only defeated James in August 2016, but he followed up the win by stopping another unbeaten prospect in Bryant Perrella just over a month later. Now living in Miami and training in Las Vegas, Ugas triumphed in title eliminators against Ray Robinson last February and Cesar Barrionuevo in September on the undercard of the Garcia vs. Porter fight.

“This is a huge opportunity to make my dreams come true of becoming a world champion on FOX,” said Ugas. “Shawn Porter is a great champion and someone I respect. On March 9 when the bell rings, I’m willing to leave it all on the line, so the fans shouldn’t miss this one. It will be a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender. I can guarantee that and you will hear the words ‘and the new!”’

Fonfara (30-5, 18 KOs) established himself as a rugged contender in the light heavyweight division with some solid victories, including his most notable triumph over Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. He fought Adonis Stevenson twice for the light heavyweight world championship, losing the first time by decision in 2014 and losing by TKO in 2017. In his last fight on Feb. 17, the 31-year-old Fonfara of Radom, Poland, who now lives in Chicago, scored a TKO victory over Ismayl Sillah.

“I’m excited because I’ve trained a long time to get a fight and now we have a date and a great opponent,” said Fonfara. “I know Rodriguez is a strong fighter. He moved up to the cruiserweight division like me, so I think this is a 50-50 fight. It’s a good fight because me and him are tough fighters. We like to go to war. I know Edwin from Houston because I trained there a couple of times. He and I are good friends with Artur Szpilka. There’s no animosity and once we fight and I beat him, we can go out have a beer and talk.”

Rodriguez (30-2, 20 KOs) has demonstrated the ability to end a fight with a single punch, which adds intrigue every time he steps into the ring. The 33-year-old Rodriguez was born in Moca, Dominican Republic before moving to Worcester, Massachusetts. In his last fight he scored a unanimous decision over Lionell Thompson on Feb. 17, 2018.

“I feel great and I feel confident heading into this fight,” said Rodriguez. “Fonfara is a great fighter and so am I. It’s going to be very entertaining for the fans. I bring it and he brings it. I’ll adapt as the fight goes on and I’ll be ready for the best Fonfara.”

Nigeria’s Ajagba (8-0, 7 KOs) gained notoriety last August 24 at the Armory and on FS1 when his opponent, Curtis Harper, walked out of the ring after touching gloves to start the first round. The 24-year-old won the fight without throwing a punch as Harper was disqualified. In his last fight Ajagba, who lives in Stafford, Texas and trains with Ronnie Shields, knocked out Santino Turnbow on December 22.

Mansour (23-3-1, 16 KOs) is a tough veteran who has battled some of the top contenders in the sport, including Dominic Breazeale, Gerald Washington and former cruiserweight world champion Steve Cunningham. The 46-year-old southpaw from Wilmington, Delaware is looking to rebound from a loss to unbeaten Filip Hrgovic in his last fight on September 8.

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

PLEASE find below quotes from today’s press conference for Frank Warren’s big card at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on Saturday February 23, live on BT Sport.

British super-featherweight champion Sam Bowen (14-0) heads the card against an opponent to be announced after Ronnie Clark pulled out.

Anthony Yarde (17-0) defends his WBO intercontinental light-heavyweight title against Mehdi Amar (35-6-2).

Super-featherweight Lyon Woodstock (11-1) and super-lightweight Sam Maxwell (10-0) are also in action, while there is a Leicester derby between CJ Challenger (9-0) and Kyle Haywood (8-0) with the Midlands Area super-welterweight title on the line.

FRANK WARREN
“Yet again Clark pulled out. It is ridiculous and I don’t know why he wanted the fight in the first place. We want Sam Bowen to defend his British title if anyone has the balls to step up, but he will be fighting. Sam is talented, does the job in style, dedicated and the chances will come.
If Lyon can get on track we could make him against Sam Bowen later this year. If Anthony can stop Amar that will be a statement. This year is about making it happen. These are the sort of fights he wants. I could have made him a world title fight last year, but it is not about fighting for it but winning and defending it. He is getting there. Sam Maxwell has been patient and this year is going to be his year. If he hasn’t got a meaningful title around his waist by the end of the year I’ll be very surprised. A fight against Ohara Davies shouldn’t be hard to make.”

SAM BOWEN
“It was disappointing when we found on Wednesday that Ronnie was out because our styles made a great fight, but potentially we have bigger and better opportunities. When I won the British title I was buzzing, and it allows me to have big, big fights. I am in the sport to provide for my family and getting big fights will let me do that. “

ANTHONY YARDE
“It is a line you hear, but whoever you put in front of me I have a job and that is to win the best way I can and that is a knockout. I am not world champion yet, and I try not to focus on the competition. I focus on where I am mentally and physically. I try not to get caught up in the hype because hype doesn’t last.”

LYON WOODSTOCK
“People assumed the loss to Archie Sharp would hit me. To me what I learnt and took away was massive. I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself and I wanted to know what was next. I am doing okay and in under two years made steps some haven’t. I will do what is needed to become a world champion. I won’t be defined by the Sharp loss. There is not one person who is in my sights and whoever it takes to bowl over to get there I will. I wont fixate on one person. I’m targeting no one but if he (Sam Bowen) is in the way so be it.”

SAM MAXWELL
“I have had ten fights and Frank had told me to be patient, but now I am being stepped up. I just want to challenge people like Ohara Davies. I have been ready to step up for a while.”

KYLE HAYWOOD
“What a fight this will be. It is a fight that has always been on the cards and it’s not who is the best in Leicester, but in the Midlands. We have boxed on same cards as amateur and supported each other, but we knew we have been on the same path. I’m so excited. This is everything. There is no animosity, but we both think we can win.”

CJ CHALLENGER
“It is a great fight, Two undefeated boxers putting it on the line and all the Leicester boxing community should be excited. Too many boxers are frightened by losing their 0. Kyle is a good operator, but on the night I will pull it out of the bag.”

Headlining the show at the Morningside Arena is British super featherweight champion Sam Bowen and is joined by light heavyweight Anthony Yarde as he takes on former European champion Mehdi Amar in the evening’s co-headline fight.

Local fighters CJ Challenger and Kyle Haywood do battle for the vacant Midlands Area super welterweight title. Nathan Gorman, Sam Maxwell, Lyon Woodstock, Willy Hutchinson, Ryan Garner, Tommy Fury, Ryan Hatton and Mark Chamberlain also feature on the card.

Tickets priced at £40, £60, £100 & £150 are available and on sale NOW via Eventbrite.

LOS ANGELES (January 24, 2019) – Featherweight challenger Miguel Flores suffered an ankle injury in training and was forced to drop out of his match against WBA Featherweight World Champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, February 16 from Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

Stepping up to replace Flores is Rafael “Big Bang” Rivera, a 24-year-old contender from Tijuana, Mexico.

The televised undercard will also feature a battle of unbeaten super welterweight prospects as sensational Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fondura takes on Donnie Marshall in an eight-round match that will kick off the television coverage at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The co-feature is an exciting 12-round junior welterweight clash between unbeaten former champion Omar Figueroa and hard-hitting John Molina Jr.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Ringstar Sports, are on sale now, and can be purchased at AXS.com.

Rivera (26-2-2, 17 KOs) is no stranger to stepping into tough challenges on short notice. One of his losses came when he stepped in as a late replacement to take on Joseph “JoJo” Diaz in September 2017 and lost by decision. In his next fight he lost a split decision to unbeaten Joet Gonzalez on July 13. He rebounded with a knockout victory over Jose Ramos in his last fight on October 19 and will now step up to face the toughest challenge of his career on February 16.

At 6-foot-6, the unbeaten Fundora (11-0, 7 KOs) has made a name for himself with his stature and skills inside the ring. The 21-year-old southpaw from Coachella, California blazed through 2018 by stopping all three of his opponents by knockout, including previously unbeaten Ve Shawn Owens in April and most recently Jeremiah Wiggins in November.

The 30-year-old Marshall (10-0, 6 KOs) is from Raleigh, North Carolina and also had a busy 2018, fighting four times and scoring two stoppage wins. He earned unanimous decision over Javier Frazier in his last fight on November 30.

# # #

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

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

Tom Brown
Thanks everybody for joining us today for this call to kick off the 2019 season of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes live on primetime on Saturday, January 26 at the Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

After a string of injuries sidelined him for nearly two years, WBA welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman returns to the ring to defend his title against the “Riverside Rocky” Josesito Lopez in one of the hottest divisions in boxing today.

Television coverage for the event begins at 8:00 pm Eastern Time, 5:00 pm Pacific Time. We also have an outstanding co-feature featuring fast-rising, unbeaten Polish heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki taking on former world title challenger Gerald Washington in a 10-round heavyweight bout.

It’s great to be back at Barclays Center, one of the best boxing venues in the country. BROOKLYN BOXING™ is now a very well-known brand because of the dedication to boxing and the support of Brett Yormark, the CEO of BSE Global.

So now it’s my pleasure to introduce the hard-hitting challenger from Riverside, California — the Riverside Rocky — Josesito Lopez. Jose?

Josesito Lopez
Yes. Thank you for having me. I’m exciting to be showcasing my talents and skills here in Brooklyn, and I thank TGB Promotions, FOX and FOX Deportes for having me. And you won’t be disappointed Saturday night.

Q
Do you feel like coming into this fight that you’re kind of getting him at the opportune time?

J. Lopez
You know what? I’m not expecting that or counting on that. I prepared for the best Keith Thurman that I’ve seen. I think it’s not easy coming back from a layoff.

I know that myself, because I was myself in a two-year layoff about two and a half years ago. So I know the feeling. I know the obstacles that you have to go through physically and mentally. So I can’t assume it will be easy.

But either way — no matter what — he chose the wrong opponent to come back to. And I’m going to prove that.

Q
Does that sort of discussion about being a comeback fight irritate you, offend you or just make you more motivated to go do what you have to do? What’s your point of view on that?

J. Lopez
Yes, I wouldn’t say it offends me. There’s a lot of casuals that don’t understand the ins and outs and then don’t realize what I bring to the table. So no. It’s not bothersome, but to a lot of people — to those people that are thinking that way — it’s going to come as a surprise.

But for the people that really know boxing and really know the inside of my camp and my training, it won’t be a surprise when I pull off the victory.

Q
What is it that you have to do and excel at on Saturday to be able to turn back Keith Thurman, who you expect to be the best Keith Thurman that you’ve been seeing over the years?

J. Lopez
You know what? Like I’ve mentioned before, I think overall in the fight, my skill, my power and my will will outshine all these obstacles that I have to get through to get a victory against a champion like Keith Thurman. So I’m just going to plain simply win.

Q
Can you tell us about your mental preparation for the fight?

J. Lopez
I’ve had a great preparation. I’ve been training in the training camp, actually the same training camp that Mikey Garcia trains in for his fights. Everything has gone great, went perfect, so I can’t complain about training camp.

The road here hasn’t been just this training camp. It’s really been a three-fight training camp where I’ve been casually just working my way up into a championship level with the help of Robert Garcia. He’s helped me get into the best shape and best skills possible for a fight at this level.

So I’m definitely championship-level. And I’m going to prove that I’m championship material.
Q
Does the top competition you’ve faced give you confidence going into this Thurman fight?

J. Lopez
Well I wouldn’t say necessarily it gives me confidence. I would say this is not a place where I haven’t been before. My back’s against the wall, per se. I’m going in against a champion and I’m going against a tough opponent, a world champion.

So it’s all somewhere where I’ve been before and doesn’t – I’m not new to the game. I’m not -, this is not a new feeling. I’m going in. I know exactly what I have to do. And I’ve just got to go out there and execute.

Q
What are some of your favorite two fights that you’ve had that people would know about? What two fights do you like to talk about or remember in particular?

J. Lopez
You know what? I’ve had several great battles against some warriors, some very good champions. You know, I would say most recently would probably be versus Canelo Alvarez and Marcos Maidana. Those were great battles.

I had a big disadvantage against Canelo weight-wise. But I showed my true grit and my will.

And Maidana was a very tough opponent, caught me with a good punch, and I was stopped early. But I think what I bring to the table now is adding a little more intelligence and skill to that will that I’ve showed in previous past fights.

Q
And you’re training now with Robert Garcia in Riverside. Who are some of the guys that you’re sparring with up there?

J. Lopez
Oh, I’ve sparred absolutely everybody in the camp. I’m sparring guys as heavy as fighting at middleweight. I really can’t name them all, absolutely everyone from 140 to 160 that Robert Garcia has in Riverside Training Camp. I sparred them all. They’ve all helped me.

For this training camp — I’ve pretty much sparred every undefeated fighter that we have. I’m definitely prepared. I put in the work and now it’s time to execute.

Q
What’s it like where everybody’s going to be fighting almost at the same time?

J. Lopez
Well I think when it comes down to the work in training camp, , we’re all focused and mentally prepared for this moment. I know we all have different obstacles and are going to different places in the world to fight. But we all want the same outcome for each one of us.

So we’re all prepared. It’s great being amongst other champions and other great undefeated fighters training for the same goal that we all have. So it’s definitely motivating. And we’ve all prepared well. And we’re all ready to get a W.

Q
When a fighter has those sorts of injuries Keith had and has to come back from that, you know, does that put a little seed of doubt in his mind?

J. Lopez
Yes. Like I mentioned before, I’m not counting on that. I know that I’ve gone through the same thing and it’s not quite the same the first fight back or maybe even the second fight back. But he’s a champion, and he’s obviously ready to come back, he feels like. So he must feel well with recovery.

I’m definitely counting on seeing a good Keith Thurman, a refreshed Keith Thurman from a two-year layoff. And just like it can be a bad thing, it can also be a good thing. So that’s something we can’t know, really, until we’re up in the ring.

Q
In those first initial rounds, do you believe that those are the best time to take advantage of Keith Thurman, while he’s still trying to shake off the ring rust?

J. Lopez
No. I wouldn’t necessarily say that. I’m going in there with a smart game plan to win round by round. But we’ve worked on every aspect of our game. So we’re prepared mentally and physically to just going in there and then doing our thing.

It’s not necessarily going in there to try to jump on him early. But I’m prepared to go as many rounds as it might take.

Q
Do you feel like people are kind of overlooking you for this fight? And if so, do you believe that has that added any motivation into the training camp?

J. Lopez
I don’t feel like people are overlooking me. People are overlooking me. It’s shown. I don’t mind it. Does it bother me? Not at all, really. It motivates me. It has motivated me. I’m definitely ready. And to whoever it may be a surprise to — I’m taking the championship belt this Saturday.

Q
Have you kind of taken anything from those past big fights?

J. Lopez
Yes. For those that haven’t seen since some of those big fights that I had in previous years, you’re definitely going to see an improved fighter, overall, in my aspect of boxing.

I had some good tough battles against some good champions. But if you look back and look at my fights, you could say I was one step behind them, in whatever it might have been.

When other opponents face those same fighters those champions that I’ve fought really displayed a lot more and were able to look a lot better against other opponents. But I’m definitely prepared. I’m ready to go. I’m anxious and I can’t wait to get this done.

Q
What most concerns you about Thurman going into the fight this weekend?

J. Lopez
You know what? I’m aware of everything. I wouldn’t say I’m just concerned of one thing. But, I know he’s obviously an undefeated champion for a reason. So he brings a lot to the table.

He’s skilled. He’s strong. He has good movement. So I’ve just prepared for that. So I’m aware of everything that he brings to the table. I’ve just got to go out there and execute my own plan.

Q
What would you like boxing fans to know about you coming out of this fight on Saturday?

J. Lopez
That you can’t really judge a fighter by his wins and losses. I’ve had some tough defeats and some close defeats. But wins and losses aren’t everything.

I’m a better fighter than I’ve ever been. And I’m at my best. So it doesn’t matter how many bumps on the road I might have had throughout my career. I’m still going to be a world champion.

J. Lopez
I’d like to let everyone know that come Saturday night, you’re going to see a great, great fight, a fight that you won’t forget. And make sure you don’t miss it and be there if you can.

T. Brown
Now I’d like to introduce the undefeated WBA welterweight champion of the world from Clearwater Florida — he’s got a record of 28 and 0, and it’s great to have him back — Keith Thurman.

Keith Thurman
Hi, guys. How are you guys doing today? It’s just great to be back. I’m looking forward to this fight back in Brooklyn, 22 months in the making. It’s real exciting for me, for my team. I know a lot of fans miss me. And it’s going to be a great show. I’m happy. I’m happy to be here.

Q
Could you just sort of explain if there were injury frustrations and what they were like for you?

K. Thurman
Definitely. The elbow surgery, I kept like pressing my doctor to give me like a turnaround date. Like, “How long, Doc? How long, Doc?” And I wasn’t under – I didn’t understand why he kept really beating around the bush. He was very clever with his wording.

He pretty much never answered the question, no matter how many words he used. And I didn’t understand. So probably about six months after the surgery when I realized like this is a long recovery because it’s not healed yet, and I know I still need more time.

So it was more of a 10-month to a full 12-month recovery, which would have been okay. It’s not the longest layoff. That was frustrating in itself.

But luckily for me, I spent a lot of time with my wife. And I was surrounded by her family and just a lot of new life experiences. And I was able to cope with that.

When I was trying to get back in the ring and I had another injury due to my left hand, that’s when I just was like, “Man, this is not – this is not fun at all. I just want to get back into the sport. I wish somebody could tell me what day I’m going to be back in the ring.”

It just was very frustrating for me. I really just wanted to have a fight date. I wanted to be able to get back into the ring. The doctors were telling me “You’re not going to be out forever” — this and that — and I’m like, “It just feels like forever.”

It just felt like a long time. So I’m just truly happy to be back with this fight date against a truly game fighter. I think this is a great comeback fight for myself.

Josesito Lopez has been moving up. He’s been catching some momentum. He’s got a new trainer, new set of confidence. He wants to showcase his skills and talent. I want to remind the world who Keith Thurman truly is.

Q
How are they now? Are you as healthy as you’ve been going into a fight coming off his layoff? Or are you still having any issues with anything?

K. Thurman
Well the doctor told me the hand may need monitoring throughout my whole career, which fighters have gone through that many times. Some have to get surgeries and things like that. I’m hoping to avoid such things. But we’ll see what happens in the future.

Q
Did it never get to that point where you thought you wouldn’t be able to box again? And if it did, how did you deal with that?

K. Thurman
No. The worst part is, I’ve been out of the ring for two years. I was 28 years old the last time I fought. I’m 30 now. It’s just a little disappointing, missing some of those years of my youth.

But luckily I still am in my prime. And just being in shape now motivates me for my future. Watching Manny Pacquiao win a fight at 40 years old also motivates me.

So there were moments where I had some morbid thinking and negative thoughts. But at the end of the day, we’re back in action. And we’re really excited. And we’re looking forward to the future.

Q
Does that Pacquiao fight interest you for down the road?

K. Thurman
It does interest me. I just know he’s interested in fighting Mayweather again. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand how much money they’re going to generate, even if they were to generate half the income that they did last time.

Some people believe that people don’t want to see it. But I tend to find out people watch what’s on TV. So it’s interesting. I would love an opportunity to fight a legend such as Manny Pacquiao.

I’ve never had the opportunity to negotiate any fights against Floyd Mayweather. So if I was ever given such an opportunity, it would be an honor. And I would definitely take it.

Q
Are you looking at this fight as not just a simple title defense but an opportunity to reestablish yourself as the best fighter 147 pounds and kind of show people why you were the unified champion two years ago?

K. Thurman
Well definitely. We’re back on the stage. So we’re going to perform. We’re going to give you guys a great performance. You guys are the critics.

You get to say what Keith Thurman looks like and who looks like they’re about to be the top guy and x, y, and z and all that stuff. But like I stated when we first were on FOX — I’ve always been the original problem. I am the truth and I’m swift.

It’s showtime at FOX. I belong here. I belong here. I’ve been telling people that Keith Thurman was ranked number one. Two years out, do I hold my position? Some people say yes. Some people say no.

Let’s say I don’t hold my position. Where do you put Keith Thurman? “Oh, he’s not number one. Maybe he’s number two. Oh, wait, but you also have that Crawford guy there. Well then he’s number three.”

Look, man. I worked my whole life to be at the top of the game, and if you’re ranked number one, two or three, you’re at the top. So I don’t stress that stuff. I don’t look at anything negative. I constantly focus on the positive.

And I’m stepping back in the ring against Josesito Lopez to remind the world who Keith Thurman is, what it looks like when he’s fighting, how entertaining I can be and that I’m an elite fighter at 147.

Q
Could you sort of put dates or at least time frames to your first surgery on your elbow, when you thought it was going to be good, and then when you injured your left hand so we have a pretty good time reference on that?

K. Thurman
Well the doctor wouldn’t give me a turnaround date, which sucked, which frustrated me a little bit. I just had to go based off of feel, and it felt – it really did feel good after a year. We started to get into a camp, and then we reinjured ourselves, and it just really – it just prolonged the whole process. I kind of started that camp where I got re-injured about a year ago from now, actually.

Q
Is this the perfect time for you to reestablish yourself?

K. Thurman
It’s a beautiful moment in the sport of boxing. And I’m truly blessed to be at the top. That’s how I feel. I’ve always known that we were going to be here one day but — luckily for me — the day is today.

For it to be my first appearance on FOX – FOX is highly dedicated to what they’re doing in the sport.

For the sport of boxing and for a lot of the top fighters and top contenders — this is just a great moment to be a part of a beautiful sport which is boxing.

I’m happy to be here. I’m looking forward to my return — this performance Saturday night — and I’m going to give you guys a good show.

Q
Do you think that Floyd is going to come back and fight Manny? Or what is your gut feeling on that?

K. Thurman
90%. Floyd said everything when he said absolutely nothing. A lot of people don’t know how to read body language the way I do.

When the question was asked and Floyd said absolutely nothing, he actually almost looked in the other direction. He actually started to like look away from the camera instead of towards the camera.

And really, it’s not like he flinched. He didn’t do a lot of movement. It was very subtle. But by sometimes not saying something, that does mean that you’re saying a lot.

And pretty much what he said is, “Why are you asking me a question? I don’t answer questions. You need to give me a statement. You need to tell me that you’re going to give me 150 million up front and that you’re going to give me my kickback on the pay-per-view, and then we can start to actually negotiate. And you’ll get some answers but not from asking questions.”

You see what I’m saying? That’s the way Floyd Mayweather thinks. He’s a very smart and brilliant businessman, tremendous fighter. They’re both past their prime. Floyd beat him once.

Floyd’s silent talk is really him saying, “Show me – give me a statement, not a question, of $150 million up front, whatever the numbers may be. It just needs to be pleasing to the ears” before Floyd will consider it.

But it’s really hard for any human being to not take $100 million or greater for a 36-minute performance. I believe if Floyd was to make half of what he did against Pacquiao the first time, it’s still worth it. It’s still worth it, man.

They’re both past their prime. Floyd is just a very slick boxer even though he does throw one punch at a time, similar to what Adrien Broner did. He just does it way more effectively. He has better defense, better movement throughout the ring with the ring awareness.

And he beat him once. I think he would beat him twice and I think Manny Pacquiao would be able to retire happily after such a paycheck. So that’s why I say the likelihood in my opinion is 90%.

Of course I would love to be wrong. I would love to be wrong because that would open up doors for me. Hopefully, hopefully it would open up doors for me to negotiate against the legend Manny Pacquiao, but we’ll see. There’s tons of opportunities at 147, so regardless, I still have a beautiful job.

Q
Do you think he would beat Pacquiao in similar fashion to last time or worse?

K. Thurman
I think probably similar. It could end up being worse. All it takes is the right connection at the right time. But it should be similar. Floyd is just very cautious. He potshots and he’s just very accurate when he does so.

Throughout his whole career, he was snapping heads back, hitting them with that jab to the body, doing little curve ball change-ups — slow, fast — doing his best to be very unpredictable. And yes, I think he would just craftily coast his way to victory once again.

Q
So what has it been like to deal with that backlash of being out of the ring for you?

K. Thurman
I can care less what people say and what they think about Keith Thurman and, “Oh, he’s ducking guys. He’s getting injured to avoid people.” I’m a seven-figure fighter, there’s a lot of money out there to be made.

And I’ve worked really hard my whole life since the age of seven. I’m 30 now. There’s just a lot of people that really don’t understand what it means to be a world-class fighter.

So a lot of opinions just really don’t get to me. If anything, some of them were humorous and my favorite, you know – I’m Keith “One-Time” Thurman. I’m Keith “Run-Time” Thurman, Keith “Sometime” Thurman, Keith “Once-Upon-a-Time” Thurman. That was pretty amusing.

Q
How painful was it when you incurred this hand injury? And how much concern do you have that this could be a chronic type thing that you have to deal with over and over again?

K. Thurman
Well, when it occurred, it was painful enough to where it hurt to land a jab on my sparring partner with 16-ounce gloves. So that’s when I knew, if I can’t punch my sparring partner with a jab, I’m not going to have a fight date.

In the back of my head, yes, we’re a little worried about things going into the future, but we’re also doing our best to stay positive because we feel great. We’re ready for this fight. And I just want my health to hold up because I just want to be an active fighter at the top of the welterweight division once again.

And no matter what happens, I believe that I will be able to do that, even if I do have to monitor things. Maybe I do have to make adjustments in my fight style or things of that nature. I’ll do whatever it takes to continuously showcase the skills and talents that I have.

I’ve always been versatile. And there’s many ways to get to the finish line when it comes to a 12-round championship bout. I didn’t knock out Shawn. I didn’t knock out Danny. I’m hard to beat even if I’m not trying to knock you out. So at the end of the day, I have confidence.

Q
What did you learn about yourself in this 22-month layoff?

K. Thurman
The longest layoff prior to this was a 14-month layoff. So I’ve had layoffs in my career. I didn’t learn anything new from that aspect.

But what I did learn is a little bit about getting back in shape, because some people would think, “Was he still training? Was he doing this and that?” And not being able to punch – first, my elbow was hurt. I couldn’t punch with my right hand. So I don’t want to be hitting the bag with only my left.

And then I hurt my left and now my right’s good. I don’t want to just really hit the bag with just my right. So it was a little depressing. So I ended up not doing a lot.

And once when I felt good and I knew we were going to create a fight date, I had to tell myself, “Hey, man. You’ve got to wake up. You’ve got to get moving. And you’ve got to be a champion again.” And I knew I could do it. But I learned a lot in the process of doing it.

I also believe that I learned that even though I can do it, I should not. There’s many things in life that you could do that are things that you should not do. So yes, I can get back in shape in ten weeks’ time and I can be ready to perform a 12-round fight.

I did start moving around before – a little bit before prior just ten weeks, but real camp was about a ten-week camp. So at the end of the day I would love to stay healthy and stay active. And even if I’m not healthy, I think I’m ready to stay active.

Take a Tom Brady approach to the sport of boxing. Take a Bernard Hopkins approach to the sport of boxing. What I learned is actually I’m still learning it. And I want to carry this into the coming years, especially this year and the further years down the line. So that’s pretty much what I’ve gotten from this experience.

Q
Are you saying that you want to fight over 40 years old?

K. thurman
No. It’s always been my lifelong dream to retire young and successful. I just keep debating what young age that is, especially with some career setbacks. But I would like to have an option to retire, but maybe not necessarily need to retire.

In reference to Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, and Tom Brady, even Floyd Mayweather — really when I look at these individuals, it’s really just inspiring for a man in my situation. It’s very inspiring.

It really keeps me in a positive light, even witnessing Pacquiao win the other weekend. After he won, I pulled a Floyd Mayweather and I ended up running three miles in the rain at 2:30 in the morning.

It’s just something about seeing a 40-year-old man being victorious just said, “You’ve got this. It doesn’t matter what God throws at you, what obstacles. You’re here for a reason and you’ve got this.”

Not every individual is an individual. Some people have greater success than others. I’m not here to go tit for tat with any champion of the world. I’m here for my own story. I’m here for my own legacy.

Q
What concerns you most about Lopez this weekend, going into the fight this weekend?

K. Thurman
His confidence. He shouldn’t have any. What’s up with that?

But in all seriousness, I’m interested in seeing where this confidence comes from. There’s got to be a logical reason. Where’s it coming from.

I know he knows he’s a little smarter. He’s maybe he’s a little stronger. Maybe he just feels faster. I don’t know. He’s going to have to show me where this confidence comes from.

He’s fully aware of my boxing style and that I do bring a lot into the ring, speed, power, movement. Yet he’s still confident. So I want to see what that’s all about Saturday night.

He’s had tough fights. He’s a real dog. He doesn’t mind mixing it up. And I’m prepared for that. But I just feel like maybe he is a new Josesito Lopez. But what is new? I’ll find out in a few days.

Q
Can you promise an explosive performance on Saturday night? Or is this fight more about making sure your body is 100%? What can fans look forward to?

K. Thurman
Really, I just want to have fun. I want to have fun. I want to move around the ring. I want to see how much I can mix it up. It’s been so long since I’ve been punched by eight-ounce gloves. So there’s just a lot to look forward to for myself, for the fans.

I’ve been very accurate in camp. I do feel sharp. And I just want to know how this sharpness is going to play out against another man that’s prepared for this 12-round performance.

Am I going to be able to land my counters the moment that I want to land them? Is everything really going to go my way? Is it going to be smooth? Is it going to be rough? Is it going to be tough? But the fans should expect to see a world-class performance from world-class fighters, especially from myself.

I’m going to do what I always do. I’m going to be looking to land some big punches and I’m going to be looking to win the rounds. Because if you’re not getting the knockout, you still want to win the fight.

So we’ll see what happens. And like I said, at the end of the day, it’s going to be fun. 22 months and Keith One-Time Thurman is back.

Q
What are the toughest aspects of returning after the layoff? Is it physical or mental or timing or stamina or what exactly for you?

K. Thurman
Well, for me, probably the biggest one — which I still feel confident about — is the timing. Like I said, my timings were sharp against the sparring partners, but I’m not fighting my sparring partners. And neither is he fighting his sparring partners.

So at the end of the day, I just hope that I can do what Ben Getty used to always say. “If you do your homework, you pass the test.” I just hope that in the gym, when two plus two equals four Saturday night, two plus two equals four, that really there shouldn’t be a new equation.

This is boxing. I know how to handle myself in the ring. I know how to scope out my opponent, look for the openings, and piece my punches together at the right moments. And that’s what I’m looking forward to Saturday night.

Q
Do you have to do anything differently than you did earlier in your career aside from coming back from the layoff?

K. Thurman
The only thing differently that I really made sure that I did because of the layoff is I just guarantee myself ten weeks of a real training camp over the allotted eight weeks that I normally do. And I might need to continue that at this stage and at this age just to guarantee that I stay sharp and that I can’t say to myself, “You didn’t give yourself enough time to prepare for the fight.”

# # #

ABOUT PBC ON FOX & FOX DEPORTES: THURMAN VS. LOPEZ
Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes is headlined by the return of WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman defending his title against veteran contender Josesito López on Saturday, January 26 live from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™ and the East Coast home of PBC. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features rising unbeaten Polish heavyweight Adam Kownacki taking on former title challenger Gerald Washington, plus a 12-round featherweight showdown between Claudio Marrero and Tugstsogt Nyambayar.

PBC Prelims on FS1 and FOX Deportes begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and will feature junior lightweight prospect Chris Colbert taking on once-beaten Josh Hernandez in an eight-round bout, plus 2016 U.S. Olympian Antuanne Russell facing Roberto Almazán in a six/eight round super lightweight attraction, and super welterweight prospect Chordale Booker meeting Juan De Ángel for eight-rounds of action.

Tickets for the show begin at $50 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

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

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