ELITE WELTERWEIGHT STARS DANNY GARCIA & SHAWN PORTER SET TO BATTLE FOR VACANT 147-POUND WORLD TITLE
BROOKLYN (July 24, 2018) – Welterweight stars and former 147-pound titleholders Danny “Swift” Garcia and “Showtime” Shawn Porter will square off for the vacant WBC Welterweight World Championship live on SHOWTIME Saturday, September 8 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.
The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main event (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will pit two of the division’s biggest names against each other, as the former unified 140-pound champion and former WBC welterweight titleholder Garcia meets the hard-charging fan favorite and former welterweight champion Porter. The consensus top-5 ranked welterweights face off for the WBC belt vacated by Keith Thurman as he rehabs from an elbow surgery.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, in association with DSG Promotions, start at $50 and go on sale Thursday, July 26 at 10 a.m. Tickets 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 starting Friday, July 27 at noon. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.
“I’m excited and motivated to go in there and recapture what’s mine,” said Garcia. “The WBC title belongs to me. Come September 8, I’m going to prove that I’m the best fighter in the world. My loss is behind me and it’s given me a chip on my shoulder to run that extra mile and train even harder. I know that Shawn Porter is not on my level. I’m coming to fight him in the middle of the ring and I’m going to beat him at his game.”
“I’m going to force Danny Garcia to fight me, to be uncomfortable and to do things he’s not used to doing in a fight,” said Porter. “If Danny comes in being defensive and trying to hold, it may last a while. But if he comes and tries to trade with me and prove something to himself, then it will end fast. I think my style will give him problems and not allow him to pace himself. This is going to be an instant classic and I’m going to win and become champion once again.”
Garcia (34-1, 20 KOs) has fought and defeated many of the most formidable opponents at 140 and 147-pounds spanning two generations-Erik Morales, Zab Judah, Kendall Holt, Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Paulie Malignaggi and Lamont Peterson among them. Five of his six opponents in the welterweight division were world champions and 11 of his last 15 opponents were world champions or former world champions.
Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, Garcia has made Brooklyn another home base, drawing big crowds in six fights since the arena opened in 2012 including his triumphs over Morales, Judah, Peterson and Malignaggi and a narrow decision loss to Keith Thurman in a blockbuster world title unification that aired on CBS. The 30-year-old put himself into position to earn back his WBC belt with a highlight-reel knockout of Brandon Rios in a title eliminator February on SHOWTIME.
Porter (28-2-1, 17 KOs) owns victories over four-division champion Adrien Broner and two-division champion Paulie Malignaggi over a career that has seen him develop a reputation as one of the sport’s most reliable all-action attractions. He lost a narrow decision to unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman in a 2016 Fight of the Year candidate in Brooklyn but rebounded with two victories last year at Barclays Center. He scored a TKO victory against former welterweight champion Andre Berto in a welterweight title eliminator and followed it up with a 12-round decision over Adrian Granados.
The 30-year-old Porter, who was born in Akron, Ohio and now lives in Las Vegas, will fight at Barclays Center for the fifth time on September 8, including his title-winning performance against Devon Alexander that earned him the IBF title in 2013.
“Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter will be an action-packed, can’t-miss brawl,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “This hugely important matchup is between two of the best welterweights in the world and pressure fighters with pleasing styles. Both Garcia and Porter have shined in memorable battles at Barclays Center and September 8 will be a tremendous night for boxing.”
“Danny Garcia against Shawn Porter in a welterweight title fight is a throwback to the era when you had Thomas Hearns battling Roberto Duran,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Their styles are tailor-made to create action in the ring. Porter comes forward and throws punches in bunches and Garcia doesn’t back up for anyone. This one will be decided in the center of the ring like all the great welterweight championship matches.”
“In 2018 SHOWTIME has delivered the biggest and most meaningful matchups in boxing, and Garcia vs. Porter is no exception,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “This will be our sixth fight this year featuring consensus top-10 welterweights, an unrivaled offering of elite fighters in boxing’s glamour division. Danny and Shawn have fought a combined 20 times on SHOWTIME and, along the way, have earned reputations as fighters who never back down from a challenge. I know they are both eager to earn another world title and send a statement to the other champions in the welterweight division.”
“I am pleased to welcome both Danny and Shawn back to Barclays Center,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global. “Both fighters have established a great following in Brooklyn, and September will be their biggest moment yet at Barclays Center. We are the number one venue for boxing, and are proud to host another world-class fight.”
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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
FORMER WORLD CHAMPION BRANDON RIOS CONFIRMED FOR FOURTH ANNUAL BOX FAN EXPO, DURING MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE WEEKEND, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15, IN LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas (July 24, 2018) – Former World Champion Brandon Rios has confirmed that he will appear and hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the fourth Annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday September 15, 2018 from 10am to 5pm
, during Mexican Independence weekend. The Boxing Expo will also coincide with the highly anticipated rematch between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin, that will take place later that evening.
Rios will once again appear at this years’ Expo at the Supreme Boxing booth, and will be signing gloves, photos and have merchandise for fans to enjoy. Boxing fans will also have a great opportunity to take pictures with this boxing star also known as “Bam Bam”. For more info on Supreme Boxing go to (http://supremeboxinginc.com).
Brandon Rios is an 11-year pro, and currently a contender at Welterweight Division. He is a former WBA Lightweight World Champion, Latino WBO Champion, WBO International Champion and Lightweight NABF Champion. Nicknamed “Bam Bam”, Ríos is known for his highly aggressive pressure “throwback” style and a warrior’s mentality with formidable punching power and excellent chin, which makes him an exciting boxer to watch. Rios challenged some of the top fighters in his career such as Manny Pacquiao, Tim Bradley, Mike Alvarado and Danny Garcia to name a few.
Rios Joins, David Benavidez, José Benavidez, Badou Jack, Mia St.John, Jessie Vargas,
Erik Morales and Fernando Vargas as an early commitment to this year’s Box Fan Expo
About Box Fan Expo
Box Fan Expo has been a huge success with fans and boxing industry people. Many boxing stars have attended the last three Expos such as Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Marco Antonio Barrera, Roy Jones Jr., Marcos Maidana, Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, James Toney, Vinny Pazienza, Mikey Garcia , Mia St.Johns, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris , Riddick Bowe , Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Abner Mares, Jorge Linares, Brandon Rios and many more…
Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, new equipment’s, energy drinks, alcohol, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies and other companies who wish to participate will once again have a chance to showcase their brand to fans, media and the boxing industry.
Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at:
https://boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com
Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to Meet and Greet Boxing Superstars of today, current and former world champions, Legends of the sport and other boxing Celebrities at their booth. On Site, fans will experience different activities from Autograph Sessions, Photo Sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, as well as a chance to purchase merchandise and memorabilia from their booth, plus so much more… you won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!
Box Fan Expo will also feature top boxing organizations, promoters, ring card girls, famous trainers and commentators as well as boxing gear companies “ALL UNDER ONE ROOF”.
Throughout the next couple of months leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo. And for anyone in the Boxing industry or other Exhibitors (non-industry), who would like to be involved and reserve a Booth, contact Box Fan Expo:
Telephone number: (514) 572-7222 or Las Vegas Number (702) 997-1927
For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com
More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com
You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo
and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo
STAR BOXING SIGNS UNDEFEATED DETROIT WELTERWEIGHT RONNIE “TEFLON RON” AUSTION
NEW YORK, JUNE XX, 2018
JOE DEGUARDIA’S STAR BOXING is pleased to announce the signing of undefeated welterweight and Detroit native, RONNIE “TEFLON RON” AUSTION to a promotional agreement. The 24 year-old Austion currently has an impressive record of 9-0 with six wins coming by way of knockout.
Austion had a terrific amateur career, with an impressive record of 95-20. Along with his record, Austion boasts the titles of Ringside champion, Junior Olympic champion and olympics qualifier.
Austion currently fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and under the Star Boxing banner, will look to continue to defend his undefeated record, while setting his sites on the ultimate goal of earning a world title. Austion fights out of the Mayweather Gym in Vegas but began his tutelage at the world famous Kronx Gym under the watchful eye of trainer Javan “Sugar” Hill and the legendary Emanuel Steward.
“I want to thank both Star Boxing and Fifty One Sports for creating a partnership that will allow me the opportunity to continue my boxing career inside the ring,” said Ronnie Austion. “I am extremely excited to showcase my skills under the Star Boxing promotional banner and to grow from a rising prospect, into a world title contender!”
Juan Plakio of Fifty One Sports & Entertainment had this to say about Ronnie’s signing, “Fifty One Sports would like to thank Joe DeGuardia and his team at Star Boxing for teaming together to bring rising prospect, Ronnie Austion, back to the ring. Ronnie is an extremely talented young fighter and will now showcase his talents for the world to see with Star Boxing backing him in his pursuit of a world title. We look forward to a prosperous and bright future between the “Teflon Ron”, Fifty One Sports and Star Boxing!”
Joe DeGuardia stated that, “We are very excited to have Ronnie Austion fighting under the Star Boxing banner. Ronnie has a great amateur background, and has continued to prove himself as a professional. I look forward to working with Ronnie to provide him the opportunities that we know Ronnie is capable of taking advantage of and helping him reach his goal of becoming a world champion.”
KEVIN BELINGON AND MARTIN NGUYEN FACE-OFF AT ONE: REIGN OF KINGS PRESS CONFERENCE
24 July 2018 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), held the ONE: REIGN OF KINGS Official Kick-Off Press Conference today, 24 July at the City of Dreams Manila.
For photos of the ONE: REIGN OF KINGS Official Kick-Off Press Conference, click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bRqa8GFr8pVUMzgyg7efmnm9AMEf10yj?usp=sharing
ONE Championship, in conjunction with Globe Telecom, the leading provider of telecommunications services in the Philippines, is launched as the exclusive ONE Championship Super App launch sponsor in the Philippines at the ONE: REIGN OF KINGS Official Kick-Off Press Conference.
Gracing the press conference with their presence were ONE Championship Chairman and CEO, Mr. Chatri Sityodtong, as well as a handful of ONE Championship superstars ready to ignite the Mall of Asia Arena with action and excitement.
In attendance are Globe CCO Mr. Albert de Larrazabal, Globe SVP – Content Business Group Mr. Nikko Z. Acosta, City of Dreams Manila SVP and COO Mr. Kevin Benning, Games and Amusements Board Chairman Mr. Abraham Kahlil B. Mitra.
Top bantamweight contender Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon (18-5) of Baguio City, Philippines will go head-to-head with reigning ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen (11-2) of Sydney, Australia in a highly-anticipated showdown for the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship. The two superstars both pack incredible power in each of their fists and will look to put on a show in Manila.
Also on the card are co-main event participants, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki (40-8, 1NC) of Tokyo, Japan and Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai (9-2) of Bangkok, Thailand, who will do battle for lightweight supremacy.
In addition, the legendary Renzo Gracie (13-7-1, 1NC) of Brazil will face Yuki Kondo (60-34-9) of Japan in a historic bout between legends of the cage.
Lastly, hometown hero and former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang (19-6) of Baguio City, Philippines and opponent Aziz Pahrudinov (20-0-1) of Dagestan, Russia were present. Both will compete in a much-anticipated three-round lightweight contest.
Here are some quotes taken from the press conference:
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship:
“ONE Championship is going all-out in the second half of 2018, and we always have something special planned for Manila. In what is perhaps the biggest martial arts spectacle ever held in the Philippines, we have an amazing evening planned for everyone this Friday night. The Mall of Asia Arena will be rocking with action and excitement, delivered by the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent.”
“Kevin Belingon and Martin Nguyen are ready to put on a show. This matchup gives me goosebumps and I know everyone is excited to see how it unfolds. When you put two aggressive and explosive strikers in the cage together, it is sure to produce fireworks. You literally cannot blink when these two guys finally meet at the center of the ONE cage. Given how both are incredible finishers, I don’t expect this bout to go the distance. Bibiano Fernandes is lying in wait, and the winner of this bout goes on to unify the bantamweight world titles!”
“In addition, we have a special treat for all the fans in Manila, as world-famous and legendary martial arts icon Renzo Gracie will be showcasing his talent for the final time in his career against Japanese veteran Yuki Kondo. I have known Renzo for a long time and it is an absolute honor and privilege to give them the stage for which he can perform once again and do what he loves to do in front of the entire world. We are ready to make history once again this Friday night at ONE: REIGN OF KINGS. See you all there!”
Nikko Z. Acosta, SVP – Content Business Group of Globe
“As purveyor of digital lifestyle, we have redefined how Filipinos can enjoy their entertainment whether in music, movies, esports and live shows. We have partnered with global content brands to bring world-class content to every device be it through mobile or at home. Today, we are redefining sports entertainment by partnering with ONE Championship, not only for Filipinos to enjoy professional mixed martial arts, but to also cheer for our Filipino fighters competing for the flag.”
Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon:
“This is without a doubt the biggest bout of my career. Everything that I have worked on to this point, all the countless nights spent in the gym, endless rolls with my teammates at Team Lakay, all the wins and the sacrifices, it all comes down to this. I took this challenge against Martin Nguyen, despite having a guaranteed shot at Bibiano Fernandes already, because I wanted to prove that I never back down from any challenge no matter how big or small. Beating Martin will be huge for my career. He is a two-division world champion at both featherweight and lightweight. If I defeat him, I just beat a two-division world champion. Think about that for a second. I am excited to get into the cage this Friday night and do what I do best.”
Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion:
“Mad respect to Kevin Belingon for accepting this challenge. He didn’t have to, but he did. And that just speaks volume of the kind of warrior this guy is. I have complete and total respect for a martial artist with his values and principles. In a huge way, I see a lot of similarities between us. We are both hungry, and we are both determined for victory. I have worked extremely hard for this matchup and I am set on my goal, which is the ONE Bantamweight World Championship and to become a three-division world champion and make history. Nothing can stop me from achieving that goal. I feel that this is my time.”
Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki:
“I live to compete, it is my life’s passion. Being able to test my skills against the very best in the world, it’s what I was born to do. I can see myself doing this until I am old. Shannon Wiratchai is a good fighter, he has very good striking skills. But I have faced every kind of fighter in my career, and I have seen everything there is to see inside the cage. When I step back in there, I expect to impose my will on my opponent and get the victory that I have trained very hard for.”
Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai:
“Shinya Aoki is a great legend and he is my idol. I have watched and followed his career for the past 15 years. He is the reason I got into mixed martial arts and started to become an athlete in the first place. To be able to share the cage with him is a huge privilege for me. As such, he deserves nothing but my best. I am prepared to give him the greatest performance of my life. I hope one day I can inspire other people with my performance, just as he inspired me. Can’t wait for this Friday night when I am able to live my dream of competing against Shinya.”
Renzo Gracie:
“To be able to come back after all these years and do this again, it seems surreal to me. But I have been preparing a long time for this. I would like to thank Chatri Sityodtong and ONE Championship for the opportunity, for giving me the global stage once again, and for allowing me to satisfy my craving for competition. This one is for the fans.”
Yuki Kondo:
“This bout has been brewing for a long time. All I can say is that I have much respect for Renzo Gracie and what he has brought to martial arts. I am fully prepared to win this bout however, and I am completely focused on giving a great performance this Friday night. Fans can expect an action-packed bout between us two. Thank you for the opportunity, ONE Championship.”
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang:
“The ONE lightweight division is incredibly deep and with lots of talent. Getting to the top is very hard, but once you are there, it’s a great feeling. I am determined to get back to the top. I can face every opponent, whether they are undefeated or not. I am willing to go in there and go to work. I am working very hard on improving all aspects of my game with my teammates at Team Lakay. Every victory brings me closer to the title again. This time is no different. I will defeat Aziz Pahrudinov and make my way back to the top.”
Aziz Pahrudinov:
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be making my ONE Championship debut this Friday night. ONE Championship is the best in Asian martial arts, and I am excited to be a part of it. I am sure this will do wonderful things for my career. Facing a veteran and a former champion in Eduard Folayang in my debut is a tough challenge, but I have prepared very well for this bout and I will leave the arena as the winner.”
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 is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship 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. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.
About Globe Telecom
Globe Telecom is a leading full-service telecommunications company in the Philippines, serving the needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connections, internet and managed services. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and Singtel who are acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region. For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.
COLLINS JR VS WARD – DINNER FOR THE WINNER
STEVEN WARD plans to reward Steve Collins Jr’s dinner treat by feasting on him again.
They clash for the vacant BUI Celtic Light-Heavyweight title on Frank Warren’s huge fight night at Belfast’s Windsor Park on Saturday August 18.
Ward (7-0) has only met Collins Jr once and then the Dubliner splashed the cash and bought him a meal even though they only met for the first time on that day.
“I haven’t see too much of Steve as a boxer, but I know he is a really nice fella,” explained Belfast’s Ward.
‘We were both boxing on a small hall show in Belfast last year and after the weigh-in we went to get some food.
“He came across as a good person when we were talking and he actually paid the bill.
“Steve left five minutes before me, and I when I got up to pay for my food he’s already squared the bill.”
“I can’t pay him back before the fight because I am going to win, but perhaps I will take him out in Belfast after our fight.”
Collins (12-1-1) hasn’t boxed since December and has had two wins since losing on points against Paddy McDonagh in an Irish title fight 13 months ago.
Ward, 28, added: “I did watch the Ward fight and Steve comes forward, is aggressive and will be right in front of me.
“It is a good fight for the stage that I am at in my career and one where a win will kick me on.”
The BT Sport televised card is topped by Carl Frampton who defends his interim WBO featherweight title against Australian Luke Jackson.
Lineal heavyweight king Tyson Fury faces a step up when he tackles two-time world title challenger Francesco Pianeta.
In only his sixth professional fight, Frampton great friend Paddy Barnes challenges WBC flyweight champion Cristofer Rosales.
Also in action are WBO European middleweight champion Luke Keeler, Conrad Cummings KO king Lewis Crocker and Marco McCullough. Sean McComb and Steven Donnelly also make their professional debuts
Limited remaining tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.ie. priced at £80, £100, £120, £150, £250, £400 (includes hospitality). Buying tickets over the phone – 0844 847 2455. To purchase Accessible Seating – 0333 321 9996
Vaughn Alexander Relies on Faith and Focus To Overcome The Odds
(St. Louis, Missouri) – Undefeated professional middleweight boxer Vaughn Alexander lives a life devoted to religious faith and the peace and focus it brings him. He has reached this place at age 32 after experiencing the violence of hard times, including an 11-year prison term.
Alexander’s remarkable rebirth in the boxing ring continues on Saturday, August 4, in Atlantic City, New Jersey when he faces Denis Douglin (20-6, 13 KOs) on the undercard of the Kovalev vs. Alvarez card at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino’s Etess Arena.
After losing 11 years of a promising boxing career, Alexander (12-0, 8 KOs) possesses a sense of urgency and an unmatched work ethic. “It’s all work and no play for me. I’m always in the gym, working my craft. I stay ready. That’s all I do,” said Vaughn.
Slightly disappointed in his last outing, a decision win in March against a last minute opponent, the much bigger Devaun Lee, Vaughn said he’s rededicated himself to strength training in addition to working on his defense and speed. “I’m so strong right now, if I fought (Lee) now, I would have knocked him down. My last fight, I was in top condition. For this fight, I’m strong.”
Alexander, a practicing and devout Muslim, began training for the upcoming fight with Douglin while observing Ramadan from May 15 to June 14, which required him to fast during daylight hours. It gives Alexander a keen perspective. “My focus is to get closer to God, and that’s the most important thing. I’m thankful I was born with the will I have.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to work at two gyms and fast at the same time,” admitted Alexander. “God says, ‘when you feel that hunger, think about the poor person.’ The poor person never knows where he’s getting that next meal. That’s what I think about during the month of Ramadan, when I’m fasting and have those hunger pangs. I know where my next meal is coming from. That’s what carries me.
“It definitely is a special benefit to me, a blessing to me. I feel that any fighter I fight, no matter how skillful they are, there is no fighter at 160 pounds with the mental strength I have,” stressed Alexander.
Alexander also wants people to understand what his faith is about. “A Muslim is not someone that’s a terrorist. A Muslim is on a spiritual walk on an everyday basis. You read the Koran every day. It’s not to hurt anyone, or offend anyone. I am here to please God as much as I possibly can.
“If radical people put a bad taste in people’s mouths that don’t know about Muslims, I apologize on their behalf. That is not us. Islam is a religion of peace, not the radical thing you see on the news. They are not Muslims. This is something they adopted on their own.
“I’m a peaceful guy, a standup guy, a nice guy. I take care of my family. I’m doing this for myself, this is my God-given talent and my family benefits from what I do in the ring. I want people to have an open mind about what a real Muslim is … I hope people will give me a fair shake,” said Vaughn.
Douglin is a hard-hitting veteran from Las Vegas, whose losses came at the hands of top talent including George Groves, David Benavidez, Anthony Dirrell, and Jermell Charlo. This does not intimidate Alexander in the least.
“I’ve got to be on my toes,” said Vaughn. “I’ve seen him. He says if he loses, he’s going to retire. He says he’s not losing no more. I’ll take everything seriously – everything he says, everything he posts. This is the hurt business. I have to be mentally prepared as well as physically prepared.
“At some point in every fight, you’ve got to be a thinking man. That’s what sets me apart. I can adjust to any situation in a fight.” Alexander credits longtime trainer Kevin Cunningham with instilling this ability in him and in his brother, three-time champion Devon Alexander. “That’s why Devon is three times a world champion, and Lord willing why I’m going to be a world champion.
“I’m ready for whatever he’s going to bring,” promises Vaughn. “Anyone he lost to, I can beat. No disrespect … I’ve come to take care of business. I’m putting people on notice – the boxing world, the middleweight and the super middleweight divisions. Everybody gets a turn. It’s about how you choose and what you do with your turn when it comes around. I’m taking full advantage of every opportunity I get.”
About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,100 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment, including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and the Howie Mandel Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock fitness. For more information and to book your stay, please visit hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com.
VIDEO: Michael Dutchover devastating Knockout
Michael Dutchover Delivers Emphatic One Punch Knockout Friday Night
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. / ORANGE, Calif. (July 23, 2018) – Junior lightweight Michael Dutchover (10-0, 7 KOs), captivated a sold-out crowd with an electrifying one-punch knockout of Sergio Ramirez (4-3, 4 KOs) Friday night from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
The closeout punch, a right hand on Ramirez’s chin, occurred at the :43 mark of the second round.
WATCH BELOW
“I timed it just right,” said the 20-year-old Dutchover. “He came at me with a lazy punch, and I just unloaded that right hand, and he dropped like a fly.”
Dutchover barely broke a sweat in his tenth career win. The Texas native, who conducts his training camps in Los Angeles with trainer and manager Danny Zamora, made his 8-round debut, but clearly didn’t need the rounds to score what is likely his most emphatic win to date.
“You go into every fight expecting a tough challenge,” Dutchover said. “I was ready to go the full eight rounds, but I’m glad I was able to end it early and give the fans something to talk about.”
Dutchover is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing
Photos by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing
SHOWTIME SPORTS® TO LIVE STREAM UNDERCARD BOUTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS IN ADVANCE OF MIKEY GARCIA vs. ROBERT EASTER JR. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION
NEW YORK (July 23, 2018) – SHOWTIME Sports will provide live streaming of undercard fights and analysis on the network’s social platforms in advance of this Saturday’s Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr. Lightweight World Championship Unification. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN, the fifth digital presentation of live boxing in 2018, will stream on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT preceding the evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
The social media offering will include a 10-round bout featuring undefeated super lightweight prospect Fabian Maidana, the brother of former champion Marcos Maidana, as well as special guests breaking down the highly anticipated unification fight from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. This is the third consecutive year that SHOWTIME has delivered free live streams of boxing, an industry-leading offering available to all consumers with internet access.
Former three-division champion Abner Mares will join boxing broadcaster Ray Flores and analyst Chris Mannix as they call the fights from ringside in Los Angeles and preview that evening’s three-fight telecast.
Maidana (15-0, 11 KOs), the younger brother of former two-division world champion Marcos Maidana, will face his toughest professional test in former world title challenger Andrey Klimov (20-4, 10 KOs). The 26-year-old Maidana, of Argentina, is looking to continue his rise from prospect to contender. Also on the live stream, 2016 U.S. Olympian and unbeaten prospect Karlos Balderas (5-0, 4 KOs) will appear in a six-round super featherweight bout against an opponent to be announced.
In addition to Garcia vs. Easter, the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast features the return of Cuban heavyweight slugger Luis Ortiz against former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu in a 10-round bout, plus unbeaten super lightweight contender Mario Barrios taking on Jose Roman in a 10-round showdown.
NOTE: SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN will be geo-blocked for U.S. users only.
For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, subscribe to the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.
Hurshidbek Normatov remains perfect with 6th round stoppage over Alexis Gaytan in battle of undefeated fighters
NEW YORK (JULY 24, 2018)–This past Saturday night, junior middleweight Hurshidbek Normatov remained perfect with a 6th round stoppage over previously undefeated Alexis Gaytan at The Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
The bout was exciting from the outset as Normatov came out firing looking for the early stoppage.
Normatov landed a hard left hook in the 3rd stanza that knocked out the mouthpiece of Gaytan.
In the final frame, Normatov landed a perfect right hand counter that knocked Gaytan out cold before he even hit the canvas, and the bout was over at 41 seconds of round six.
Normatov of Uzbekistan is now 7-0 with three knockouts.
Normatov is promoted by DiBella Entertainment.
“Normatov is a manager’s dream because he can fight, and he also wants to fight the best fighters possible. As you can see, he stepped up to the plate, fought another undefeated prospect and came through with flying colors,” said David McWater, CEO of Split-T Management.
Photo Credit: Ed Diller / DiBella Entertainment
ABOUT SPLIT-T MANAGEMENT
Headed by David McWater, Split-T Management has amassed one of the top stables in boxing.
Their impressive roster includes:
World Rated Contenders
IBF Super Lightweight Mandatory Title Challenger Ivan Baranchyk
Welterweight “The New” Ray Robinson
Former Bantamweight Title Challenger Antonio Nieves
2016 Olympians
Lightweight Teofimo Lopez
Junior Middleweight Charles Conwell
Bantamweight Antonio Vargas
Undefeated Prospects
Heavyweights: Stephen Shaw, Marcus Carter, Yegor Plevako
Cruiserweights: Joshua Temple, “Mighty” Joe Jones
Light Heavyweights: Joseph Williams, Bortirali Mamajonov
Super Middleweights: Isiah Steen, DeAndre Ware, Isiah Jones, Anthony Barnes, Tyler Howard
Middleweights: Marquis Moore, Raquel Miller
Junior Middleweights: Ardreal Holmes, Hurshidbek Normatov, Fred Wilson, Jr.
Welterweight’s Janelson Bocachica, Poindexter Knight, Mark Dawson, Boubacar Sylla, Brian Ceballo
Junior Lightweight: Erick De Leon
Kell Brook injured; Cook to face Eggington Saturday in London
With Kell Brook unavailable to fight Brandon Cook this Saturday in London, Cook will now face Sam Eggington on the Dillian Whyte – Joseph Parker card, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing to appeal Hamazaryan – Mattice
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. / ORANGE, Calif. (July 23, 2018) – Artie Pelullo, co-promoter of lightweight Zhora Hamazaryan will be appealing the outcome of last Friday’s Zhora Hamazaryan – Thomas Mattice fight with the Iowa commission.
Pelullo spoke to Iowa Commissioner Joe Walsh right after the fight on Friday, which took place at the WinnaVegas Casino.
The bout was seen by a nationally televised audience as the co-feature of a ShoBox: The New Generation card on SHOWTIME.
In the fight, Hamazaryan scored an explosive 2nd round knockdown; rocked Mattice several more times, and dominated the action. Hamazaryan badly hurt Mattice in round seven. Most people who saw the fight, thought that Hamazayan won 6 rounds to 2, plus the 2nd round knockdown.
Hall of Fame SHOWTIME announcer Steve Farhood called the the decision the one of the worst in the history of the series, while his fellow Hall of Fame broadcaster Barry Tompkins went even farther by calling it the worst decision in 40 years.
Hamazaryan co-promoter, Artie Pelullo said, “I spoke to commissioner Joe Walsh right after the fight. I informed him that we were going to appeal the decision, and he understood our position, and he said that we are within our rights to appeal.”
Hamazaryan is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.
Below are just a sample of the articles and social media reaction from this misjustice.
Thomas Mattice got an absolute gift for Zhora Hamazaryan last night. This was a robbery at the WinneVegas Casino. I guess you can't face GH3 fighters in Sloan, Iowa #boxing
— Steve Kim – #AirCristobal2024 (@SteveKim323) July 21, 2018
Mattice might have one rd 1 and maybe the 5th. And those were close rds. The rest were Hamarayan's and he scored a knockdown and hurt Mattice several other times. This was scandalous… #boxing
— Steve Kim – #AirCristobal2024 (@SteveKim323) July 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/CommishRandyG/status/1020661697932152833 (Gordon was the former New York State Boxing Commissioner)
I turned off #ShoBox after #MatticeHamazaryan fight. The show was fine and I LOVE this series on @ShowtimeBoxing. I don’t love awful judging, inexplicable decisions, incompetence, or institutional bias/corruption. #LoveSims a shaky draw. Mattice didn’t win. C’mon now, #boxing!!!
We get stinkers in boxing and there have been plenty I’ve worked on @boxnationtv but Mattice decision over Hamazaryan tonight the worst of 2018. Even Mattice looked embarrassed. #MatticeHamazaryan#boxing#boxnation
For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing
August 25: Beltran-Pedraza and Dogboe-Otake Headline ESPN World Championship Doubleheader
GLENDALE, Ariz. (July 23, 2018) — Ray Beltran and Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will head to the desert on Aug. 25 for their first title defenses.
In the main event at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Beltran, who resides in nearby Phoenix, will defend the WBO lightweight title against Jose “Sniper” Pedraza, a former junior lightweight world champion looking to bring another world title home to Puerto Rico. And, in the all-action co-feature, Dogboe will defend the WBO junior featherweight title against Hidenori Otake.
Beltran-Pedraza and Dogboe-Otake will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action streaming live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.
Tickets to this world championship doubleheader, priced at $125, $75, $50, and $25, not including applicable fees, go on sale Thursday, July 26 at 10 a.m PST. Tickets can be purchased at the Gila River Arena Box Office, by phone at 800.745.3000, or online at www.gilariverarena.com.
“I’m living the dream. It feels great to be a world champion. I am very motivated to defend my title, and it’s very special to me because I’m fighting in my adopted home,” Beltran said. “Pedraza is a very skillful fighter and is going to bring his best to take the belt from us, but I’m not just fighting for the belt, I’m also fighting to keep it in Phoenix and my birthplace of Los Mochis, Mexico. This belt represents my family’s future, and it’s going nowhere.”
“This is a great opportunity and a great challenge. Beltran is a veteran and is finally a world champion after trying for so long,” Pedraza said. “I think for that reason it’s going to be a great fight because he will not want to lose the title. I’m 100 percent prepared for war.”
“I’m making my first defense against Otake, a Japanese warrior. It’s going to be fireworks,” Dogboe said. “I’m not stepping back. We’re on a quest to make this division exciting and great again. We’re shaking up the division. Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe, you all know I bring lightning and thunder!”
“I would like to express my appreciation to everyone who made this fight possible.
I am truly grateful for this opportunity,” Otake said. “In capturing the world title for my first time on Aug. 25, I’d like to show everyone that age does not matter. Since comments can reveal strategy, I can’t say anymore.”
Beltran (35-7-1, 21 KOs) is a story of perseverance who finally broke through as a world champion five month shy of his 36th birthday. In his last bout, an ESPN-televised contest against Paulus Moses on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nevada, Beltran dug deep to win the vacant WBO lightweight title by unanimous decision. The scores — 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112 — did not reflect the back-and-forth nature of the bout. Once Manny Pacquiao’s chief sparring partner, Beltran had three previous cracks at a world title, most notably a 2013 draw against Ricky Burns that most ringside observers felt should have been a clear Beltran victory. The following year, he lost a wide unanimous decision to pound-for-pound elite Terence Crawford, who had beaten Burns to win the WBO lightweight crown. Beltran, a Phoenix resident who is originally from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, will be fighting in his adopted home state for the first time since 2005.
Pedraza (24-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto, is on a mission to become a two-weight world champion. A former IBF junior lightweight world champion who made two successful defenses of his title, he lost his belt via seventh-round TKO to Gervonta Davis in January 2017. Following a 14-month layoff, he moved up to the lightweight division and signed a promotional contract with Top Rank. Pedraza is 2-0 as a lightweight in 2018, winning an eight-round unanimous decision against Jose Luis Rodriguez on March 17 and a 10-round unanimous decision against Antonio Moran on June 9 as the co-feature to the Terence Crawford-Jeff Horn welterweight title bout in Las Vegas.
Dogboe (19-0, 13 KOs) established himself as one of boxing’s best young champions in 2018 with a pair of signature victories. He knocked out Cesar Juarez in the fifth round on Jan. 6 in his hometown of Accra, Ghana, to win the interim WBO junior featherweight title. On April 28 in Philadelphia, Dogboe won the title in dramatic fashion, surviving a first-round knockdown to stop Jessie Magdaleno in the 11th round in a Fight of the Year contender. A 2012 Olympian, Dogboe had a rapid rise through the pro ranks, winning the WBO Oriental and WBO Africa featherweight titles en route to junior featherweight title contention. Boxing is in the Dogboe lineage as his father/trainer, Paul Dogboe, once served as a boxing coach and a physical instructor in the British Army.
Otake (31-2-3, 14 KOs), from Tokyo, has been a professional for more than 12 years and is riding a nine-bout winning streak dating back to Nov. 22, 2014. On that day, he challenged Scott Quigg for the WBA super bantamweight title, dropping a unanimous decision. He won the vacant Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) title on March 17, 2017 with a unanimous decision against Jelbirt Gomera. Otake defended the OBPF title three times, most recently scoring a 10th-round TKO over Brian Lobetania in Tokyo on March 13.
For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.
Use the hashtags #BeltranPedraza and #DogboeOtake to join the conversation on social media.
To apply for credentials, CLICK HERE.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.
The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).
It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA TOUR golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.
STAR BOXING RETURNS TO THE PARAMOUNT FOR ROCKIN’ FIGHTS 32 ON SEPTEMBER 21ST
New York, July 23, 2018
Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing is proud to announce that boxing will return to Long Island in stellar fashion on September 21ST, at “Rockin’ Fights” 32 live, from The Paramount in Huntington Long Island. The intimate venue makes it feel as if you are in the ring no matter where your seats are located. The “Rockin’ Fights” series has a history of bringing extremely action packed fights to Long Island, and the 32nd edition of the critically acclaimed series will be no different.
As a loyal fan of Star Boxing, and the Rockin’ Fights series, you will have access to tickets before anyone else. Get your tickets, starting July 25th at 10AM until July 26th at 10AM, by using code ‘STAR’ to gain early access before tickets go on sale to the general public on July 27, HERE.
TICKET SCHEDULE:
Pre-Sale: 7/25 10AM -7/26 10AM by using code ‘Star’
Public On-Sale: 7/27 10 AM
ABOUT ROCKIN’ FIGHTS:
Star Boxing’s series at The Paramount has developed some of Long Island and Star Boxing’s biggest stars, like former world champion Chris Algieri, light heavyweight star Joe Smith Jr. and jr. welterweight knockout artist Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.
Star Boxing has also brought in talent from all over the world to the Paramount including two-time world champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (Rhode Island), and former world champion, Joshua Clottey (Ghana, Africa).
Rockin’ Fights at The Paramount has continuously sold out (this is Star Boxing’s 31st show there) with a Long Island crowd that fills the venue with unrivaled energy. The series has even brought out the likes of celebrities such as actor Burt Young, famously known for his role in Rocky and hip-hop artist and actor LL Cool J, amongst many others.
The Rockin’ Fights series at The Paramount offers an affordable and extremely entertaining night out, that is guaranteed to see action packed professional fighting from the opening bout, through the main event.
On September 21st, Star Boxing plans to make the 32nd edition of “Rockin’ Fights” yet another thrilling night of entertainment.
Get your tickets early, before they sell out! This night of fights is something you will not want to miss. Get your tickets HERE.
GET YOUR TICKETS TO ROCKIN’ FIGHTS 32 TODAY!
FIGHT: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2018
$50, $60, $100, $150, $200
BUY TICKETS HERE!
FACTS:
ROCKIN’ FIGHTS 32 is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. “Rockin Fights” is sponsored by Modell’s Sporting Goods, Four Seasons Sunrooms & Windows, The Inn at Fox Hollow, Camelot Limousine, Gossip, and 102.3 WBAB.
*If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email us at TonyPalmieri@StarBoxing.com
TICKETS:
Tickets are on sale now at The Paramount Box Office (631) 673-7300 or Ticketmaster by clicking HERE, or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000 or Star Boxing (718) 823-2000 or www.starboxing.com. Tickets prices are $50, $60, $100, $150, $200.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
For more information visit www.StarBoxing.com, follow along on Facebook at www.facebook.com/starboxing, follow along on Instagram at @StarBoxing, @TheParamountNY, or on Twitter @StarBoxing, or @TheParamountNY.
Junior Welterweight Power Puncher Shoh Ergashev Returns to Action on August 19
Uzbekistan-born junior welterweight sensation Shohjahon “Shoh” Ergashev will return to action on Sunday, August 19, at the Korston Club Hotel Moscow, in Moscow, Russia. The fearsome punching southpaw Ergashev (12-0, 11 KOs) will face Kampala, Uganda’s Juma Waswa (10-2-1, KOs) in the 10-round main event.
In his last fight, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in April, the WBA #7-ranked Ergashev went the 10-round distance for the first time while winning every round and the WBA International title against former World Series of Boxing Champion Zhimin Wang of China.
Ergashev, who spends most of his time training at the Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit, says that even though Wasma has never been stopped or knocked down in his career, he is shunning the boxer’s convention of saying he will go for the KO only if it presents itself.
The fearless Uzbek says he’s only out for one thing in this and every fight.
“I am happy to be fighting in Moscow in front of my fans from Russia and Uzbekistan. My goal is to score exciting knockouts and that’s what I plan on doing August 19.”
“Shoh is one of the hardest punchers in boxing,” said Ergashev’s promoter, Dmitriy Salita. “I believe he has all the ingredients to be a dominant force and one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. On August 19, he will take another step toward his goal of winning a world title in the near future.”
Salita, says the 25-year-old is a bright light, even in his formidable stable of Soviet Bloc fighters that includes undefeated Kazakhstani junior welterweight showman Bakhtiyar Eyubov, world-rated super middleweight Aslambek Idigov, world-rated light heavyweight Umar Salamov, undefeated heavyweight Apti Davtaev, world-rated Ukrainian-born Korean Arnold Khegai, cruiserweight contender Alexey Zubov, undefeated women’s future champion Elena Savelyeva, top-rated bantamweight Nikolai Potapov and undefeated IBF #1 contender Elena Gradinar.
About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.
JACKSON ACCUSES FRAMPTON OF BEING TOO HEAVY
LUKE JACKSON has accused Carl Frampton of being overweight ahead of their big Belfast showdown.
Jackson (16-0) who challenges for Frampton’s interim WBO featherweight championship at Windsor Park on Saturday August 18 says training footage supports his claim.
The Australian star said: “I’ve seen some footage of Carl’s training. He still looks sluggish and bit heavy. It seems he is always on a plane going to places.
“They’re overlooking me, I’m just Luke Jackson from Australia who they are supposed to bowl over.
“I’m here in Sydney working my arse off. I can cause an upset and that is what I plan on doing.”
Jackson, 33, has coming to the end of a six week training camp in Sydney and shortly heads to Dubai with trainer Billy Hussein before fight week in Frampton’s back yard.
It’s the longest camp ever for the 2012 London Olympian, who says: “I am having a full eight weeks with Billy and had two weeks of conditioning in Tasmania before coming up to Sydney.
“Everything is good. My weight is right and everything is ahead of schedule.
“I have been doing 12 round sparring sessions and sometimes we have had to cut to ten because they couldn’t stay with me.
“I always train hard, but when you are fighting a guy of Carl’s stature I have to be better in every area.
“I am pushing hard in the gym and I think it’s gonna show. It’s showing in my training and Billy is very happy with me.
“I never asked for the fight with Carl. They asked for me, I was waiting Oscar Valdez but this fight presented itself and I grabbed it because I think I can win.”
Also on the BT Sport televised bill Lineal heavyweight king Tyson Fury faces a step up when he tackles two-time world title challenger Francesco Pianeta.
In only his sixth professional fight, Frampton’s great friend Paddy Barnes challenges WBC flyweight champion Cristofer Rosales.
The bill also includes a light-heavyweight clash between Belfast’s Steven Ward and Dubliner Steve Collins Jr. Also in action is WBO European middleweight champion Luke Keeler, Conrad Cummings, KO king Lewis Crocker, Marco McCullough, Sean McComb and Steven Donnelly.
Limited remaining tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.ie priced at £80, £100, £120, £150, £250, £400 (includes hospitality). Buying tickets over the phone – 0844 847 2455. To purchase Accessible Seating – 0333 321 9996
Video: Roney Hines vs David Becker July 20, 2018
GH3 Promotions fare well in Sloan, Iowa
Nutley, NJ (July 23, 2018) – GH3 Promotions fighters Thomas Mattice and Roney Hines gained wins this past Friday night in Sloan, Iowa while Kenneth Sims, Jr. fought to a draw in the opening bout of a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader.
In the televised co-feature, Mattice got up from a 2nd round knockdown to eek out an eight-round split decision over Zhora Hamazaryan in a battle of undefeated lightweights.
Mattice of Cleveland, Ohio won by scores of 76-75 twice while Hamazaryan won a card by a 77-74 tally.
Mattice is now 13-0.
In the opening bout of the ShoBox telecast, Kenneth Sims, Jr. was denied a victory in his eight-round junior welterweight bout with Montana Love as the judges saw the fight as a split draw.
Sims controlled the action and seemingly got the better of the fight, but somehow the fighgt was scored a draw.
Each fighter won a card 77-75 and a 3rd card read even at 76-76.
Sims of Chicago is 12-1-1.
In non-televised action, 2018 National Golden Gloves champion Roney Hines needed just 68 seconds to drop David Becker three times to win his pro debut.
Hines of Cleveland, Ohio was making his pro debut.
Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol vs. Isaac Chilemba International Media Conference Call Transcript
KOVALEV VS. SHABRANSKYY OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN Theater Lobby, Madison Square Garden
Kathy Duva, CEO Main Events:
“Thanks so much for joining in on this beautiful summer day. It is terrific to be putting a show back in Atlantic City. Back in the Etess Arena. Back in a place where a lot of us started out working with our good friends Bernie Dillon, Sharon Pearce and all the other nice people from Hard Rock who we know from way back when. It is always comfortable and feels right for me whenever we end up in Atlantic City where we began. Where we had so many terrific fights. Where Sergey has had so many terrific fights, including his double-title-winning battle with Bernard Hopkins. Where all the great Gatti fights took place. It’s been a while. We’ve been away for four years and we’re really happy to see the city coming back on an upswing. That has a lot to do with the good people at Hard Rock who have hit the ground running in the last few weeks with this newly renovated – to the point of you can’t recognize it anymore – property.
“The advent of sports betting in New Jersey is another big hook that is going to make Atlantic City a destination for boxing again and we’re really happy that we can be part of it. Now that we’re back in New Jersey, we have a truly international card and fighters from all over the world, literally fighting for light heavyweight supremacy. Two world title fights. One, of course, Sergey Kovalev versus Eleider Alvarez. Krusher versus the Storm. We also have Dmitry Bivol versus Isaac Chilemba in another terrific light heavyweight title fight. I’ve said all there is to say. It is a really outstanding card from top to bottom, including our undercard fights but today we’re going be talking just about the fighters in the main event and the co-feature.”
Dmitry Bivol, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“First thing I’d like to say is to say thank you. I’m very happy to box again. Not a long time ago I was boxing in New York City and now I get to box again in the tri-state area. I want to thank, certainly, all the people that put the fight together such as the Kathy Duva, of course, World of Boxing Promotion and Main Events promotion. And of course, my opponent’s team for accepting this fight.”
Vadim Kornilov, Manager of Dmitry Bivol:
“Thank you everybody. It’s a pleasure to be here and I appreciate everybody who took part in putting this fight together. The is another great event and we’re looking forward to a great new casino and fighting live on HBO. It is a pleasure to be part of the Kovalev card again. Definitely, we appreciate Kathy Duva and Andrey Ryabinski and World of Boxing and Main Events for having a great partnership together.”
Kathy Duva:
“Thank you so much Vadim for your kind words. We’ve been working with World of Boxing now for a little over a year and it’s been a pleasure and we look forward to having it continue.”
Question:
“Dmitry, there are no shortage of fans and media who believe that right now, you are the best at 175 pounds. I wonder if you believe that, right now, are you the best at 175 pounds?”
Dmitry Bivol:
“I do not think that now I am the best light heavyweight but I am now one of the best. One of four guys but I hope in not far future, we will know who is the best.”
Question:
“Dmitry, are you on a collision course with Sergey Kovalev. You’re not going to look past your foe August 4th but most people expect you to win. Are you on a collision course with Sergey Kovalev?”
Dmitry Bivol:
“Most likely this fight is gonna happen since both Sergey and I are HBO boxers and as long as that’s what the people want, most likely the fight will happen. Me and Sergey will make sure to give this fight to the people. And as far as it goes for winning on the 4th, of course I do believe in my victory on the 4th of August.”
Question:
“Dmitry as one of the best light heavyweights in the world, do you feel that it’s time that you headline your own HBO telecast before you fight Sergey Kovalev?”
Dmitry Bivol:
“It would be great, of course, to be a headliner. It’s a great status thing but honestly, I don’t really think about that. I’m not really worried about being the headliner. What I want to do is show good fights to the fans and make sure that they like my fights.”
Question:
“What do you think about Isaac Chilemba as a fighter? Do you believe that he could pose any difficulties that you haven’t seen yet as a professional?
Dmitry Bivol:
“I respect Isaac Chilemba because he took many fights against the best fighters like Sergey Kovalev. He fought for three belts with Sergey Kovalev and this fight was 12 rounds. I know he has good experience. He can move backward and he can move forward. He can fight all 12 rounds. Of course, he is serious opponent for me. But I believe in my victory because I have a good team and I have a good training camp. I win my belt and want to keep it long. I don’t want to give my belt to someone.”
Question:
“Kathy, how important is it for Main Events to possibly hold all four of the light heavyweight titles at the same time? Is that a goal of Main Events?”
Kathy Duva:
“That’s certainly a goal of Sergey’s and he’s made it very clear to me that that’s what he wants to do. He wants to do unification fights if he is successful with Eleider Alvarez. That’s what he wants to do next; he’s been very clear about that. That’s what he’s wanted to do ever since he won the first title and I don’t think he’s lost his desire to achieve that goal.”
Question:
“Would you rather see it as a unification fight between Dmitry Bivol and Sergey at some time or would you rather see it somebody outside of Main Events?”
Kathy Duva:
“It doesn’t matter. What I have learned in all these years is making fights happen has to do with a whole lot of things that are outside of our control. So, first we have to get through a fantastic card and both guys in very competitive fights on August 4th and then we’ll see what happens when we move on.”
Question:
“Dmitry, after your fantastic performance last time out against a really crafty veteran, have you found you’re getting more attention? Do you feel more pressure going into the Chilemba fight on August 4th?”
Dmitry Bivol:
“Yes, of course. Many more people are asking me questions. Many more people are paying attention to my boxing. I was prepared for that. I wanted to be recognized, but I don’t mind the fact that there’s more attention on me. I still continue to train very hard because mentally I’m a very stable person and I’m a stable fighter. If mentally I’m prepared and I’m physically prepared, then I shouldn’t be worried about any distractions besides concentrating on the fight itself.”
Question:
“Dmitry, is it more important for you to get a stoppage or just a win in this fight against another crafty veteran?”
Dmitry Bivol:
“Most important that people enjoyable fight. Enjoy the fight. That’s most important.”
Jodi Solomon, Manager of Isaac Chilemba:
“I’d just like to say thank you very much to Main Events for giving us this opportunity and as always you’ve been a first-class promotional company and I’m very happy to be working with you again.”
Isaac Chilemba, WBA Light Heavyweight Challenger:
“I would like Dmitry Bivol for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank Main Events and I want to thank my team. I would like to thank my manager, Jodi Solomon, for her good work. I want to thank Roy Jones. I want to thank all the fans, Hard Rock and HBO for this opportunity.”
Question:
“Jodi, I get the sense from a lot of the media and the fans that they really see Isaac as an underdog here. He has had the opportunity to fight for titles before but it hasn’t happened for him. Why do you get the sense that maybe this time will be different? Are we correctly assuming that he is a heavy underdog here?”
Jodi Solomon:
“I think you are correct in assuming he is the heavy underdog. If you look at Isaac’s past and his history, that is when Isaac performs the best. When he has been favored to win, unfortunately, that has been when things seem to go wrong. I am very happy that he is being assumed as the underdog in this fight.”
Question:
“Jodi, what can he do differently? What has he done differently in his preparation so he can get the win here?”
Jodi Solomon:
“As far as I am concerned, I believe Isaac’s speed and agility in the ring, and his experience, will be enough to help him get through the fight. I don’t believe that Dmitry Bivol has faced anyone like Isaac but I do believe that Isaac, in his 32 professional fights, has faced a fighter like Dmitry Bivol.”
Question:
“You have had the opportunity to fight both Alvarez and Kovalev and I was curious, do you have a prediction for how that will go or any comparison about the two of them as opponents?”
Isaac Chilemba:
“They are both tough fighters. One is more of a boxer and one is more of a puncher. The one who will win the fight on August 4 is going to be the one that comes out with their A game. The one that is going to bring their A game will be victorious. I cannot say which one that will be because I don’t know how they are going to be on August 4. But the one that brings their A game will be the winner.”
Question:
“Do you feel pressure in this fight to have a big showing and to put on a big fight because of the importance of this fight for your career and the possibility of fighting the winner of the main event?”
Isaac Chilemba:
“Yes. I am fighting a youngster. He is a hard-hitting young fighter. The only thing I can do is work harder. I want to become a world champion. I rely on my team, Jodi and Roy, to help me bring my A game and this is my chance to showcase my skills. This is my opportunity to show the world what I can do.”
Yvon Michel, Promoter of Eleider Alvarez:
“We are very, very thrilled to be part of this great event. We are thankful to Main Events, HBO and Sergey Kovalev for the opportunity. I want to personally thank Kathy Duva and her team for their great collaboration. Eleider Alvarez was an amateur star in Columbia. He won a gold medal in the Pan-Am games. He turned pro in 2009. He is undefeated with a record of 23-0. He just came back from three weeks training camp in Bogota. He is at the peak of his career. He has his best training camp of his career. He has great talent. He has a great team. He is highly motivated. He is hungry. He has all the ingredients to be the new WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion.”
Eleider Alvarez:
“First of all, thanks to Kathy Duva, Main Events and Sergey Kovalev for accepting this fight. And thank you to Yvon Michel and my manager. I am very thankful for the opportunity. I am very excited for this fight and the opportunity to fight for the WBO Champion of the World.”
Question:
“There was a lot going on. Eleider was supposed to fight Adonis Stevenson and, obviously, that didn’t happen. How easy was this fight to make?”
Kathy Duva:
“From my perspective it was extremely easy. I gave Yvon a call and he asked for one day. He got back to me and accepted the deal. We had a contract signed in a few days.”
Yvon Michel:
“During that day, I called Eleider and his manager and trainer. We had a meeting. I came back from that meeting with the mandate to go forward. It was that easy.”
Kathy Duva:
“When the guys want to fight each other, it is not that hard when you have two fighters who want to get in the ring and fight.”
Question:
“Eleider, what is it like psychologically facing someone who has so much momentum? It is sort of like going up against Tyson in his prime. What is it like going up against Sergey as the underdog? What is it like for you psychologically?”
Eleider Alvarez:
“This is a big challenge for me. This is something very big. Each time I usurp myself. I had a lot of fights that were against opponents that were not the same quality of Kovalev but I always give 100% in the ring. This is no different. I am going to give 100% and I will be at the top. When the challenge is bigger, I always perform better. If this is the biggest challenge of my career then I will be up to the task.”
Question:
“Eleider, your best punch is your jab. You control the distance in the ring in your last several fights with that jab. However, in the last few fights you haven’t faced a devastating puncher like Kovalev, particularly with the right hand. Are you concerned that you might not be as effective with the jab against Kovalev because of his right-hand punching ability?
Eleider Alvarez:
“My jab is my best weapon so I am going to use it against Kovalev.”
Question:
“Eleider, you said nothing has come easy for you. After being the #1 contender, he defended fighters like Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal and still could not get the fight enforced as the WBC mandatory. Does he view this fight, as Kovalev, as a do or die situation for him career-wise based on how difficult it’s been for him to get his first title shot?
Eleider Alvarez:
“Yes, I think this is my biggest opportunity. I waited for three years and a half for my chance. This is my biggest fight. I never let the past decide me. I’m gonna be ready for this. When I fought Isaac Chilemba, it was a do or die fight. When I fought Lucian Bute, it was the same thing. I had the same pressure when I fought Jean Pascal, so I am used to have the kind of fight that it’s a do or die.”
Question:
“What does it mean to you, Eleider, to appear in Atlantic City on this card, to join all the many other great fighters through history who have fought there and who are now bringing boxing back to Atlantic City? What does that mean for your place in history?”
Eleider Alvarez:
“Yes. Simple, it’s one of my dreams to be on that level. It’s one of my dreams to fight on the biggest scenes of boxing, like Las Vegas MGM, Crystal Palace. The big scene. Then this is something super big for me and it’s another challenge and it represents something very, very big for me, for my career and for all my team.”
Egis Klimas, Manager of Sergey Kovalev:
“I am here. I’m traveling, so I’m sorry. I’m now in different time zone, but anyway, we are very glad and looking forward for August 4. I believe Sergey is coming to the new chapter and he wants to prove he’s a still best light heavyweight in that division. We’re looking forward for August 4th in Atlantic City.”
Question:
“Mr. Kovalev. I just wanted to know, you waited a long time and didn’t fight Adonis Stevenson. Now you have a guy from the same promoter. What can you tell us about Alvarez?”
Sergey Kovalev, Two-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“I can say about Alvarez that I’m waiting for very interesting fight and I am sure that it’s gonna be not easy to fight Alvarez, because he is undefeated and he is a number one in WBC. Stevenson awarded him already like it two or three times and he’s the proof that he [Stevenson] is scared. But I’m not scared him and I’m interesting to fight him and get victory over him. Just get attention on August 4 and be ready. I will defend my title.”
Question:
“Would you still wanna fight Adonis? Do you still wanna fight him?”
Sergey Kovalev:
“I’m ready to fight any champion, because my goal is to get all four titles, to be undisputed champion.”
Question:
“Sergey, I am wondering, 35 years old. You’ve had these high-level fights and good paydays and have been a long time in this sport. How much do you still love, or how much do you still like boxing?”
Sergey Kovalev:
“I don’t feel that I am old or something like that. It’s just a number for me, 35. God blessed me and gave me an opportunity as still fighting on this level, like a champion, and I’ll be fighting, I hope, ’til I get all four titles. It’s my goal and when I get this goal I am done. That will be like a goal to retire.”
Question:
“Egis, what do you see outside looking in? How much does your guy still like or love boxing?”
Egis Klimas:
“Well, if I see him every day in the gym, working for two, three hours, sparring with a bigger guy and not saying much about it, I think it’s still in him what he had. He’s not complaining. He’s always ready and every time he sees me he’s always asking about possibilities about who’s gonna be next. I think he’s still interested in this sport and I think he’s still gonna bring something to it.”
Question:
“Sergey, I don’t want to disrespect your foe for this fight. I’m wondering, does it get frustrating for you that we, the media and fans, still ask about people like Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson and guys that are not at the table right now? Is that frustrating for you?”
Sergey Kovalev:
“No, it’s okay, because it already was; this is part of my career, you know, and I understand everything. I got a big experience from Andre Ward, the fight, you know, like and what was around this fight. Also, I’m happy that I’m still fighting, but Andre Ward already retired.”
Question:
“I know you answered earlier about how easy it was to make this fight. Is there now hope that you guys can work together more often and bring us these types of fights, ’cause there was a blockage there for many years. We were not able to get a lot of these fights done because of the way Al Haymon was managing his business. Did you have to get his okay, his approval, in order to get this fight done and do you feel like it’ll be easier from now on?”
Yvon Michel:
“Look, I have a good relationship, I believe, with Kathy. Things are changing very quick in boxing. We are going in a direction where I fit the most to our fighters on short term, but every champion is hoping to become unified champion. There are two champions in the in Main Events stable, there are two champions in ours. Hopefully we will find a ground sometime, somewhere to be able to have this super fight against one another.”
Kathy Duva:
“I certainly feel the same way.”
Question:
“Eleider, you are fighting a guy who has pretty much destroyed everyone he has faced in his career except for Andre Ward. Is there any fear facing a puncher like Kovalev?”
Eleider Alvarez:
“If I was scared then I wouldn’t be boxing. That’s the reason why I picked this sport. Despite the fact that I haven’t faced any world champs in the fight in the past, I have faced guys who were power punchers so it’s not an issue for me.”
Question:
“Sergey, have you fought in Atlantic City before and are you looking forward to fighting there after all the other great names like Lennox Lewis, Ray Mercer and Arturo Gatti? And do how you feel about adding your name to that list appearing there?”
Sergey Kovalev:
“I’m very happy to be in this league of famous boxers in the boxing history. I’m very happy, back to Atlantic City, because I don’t care where to fight, but I am most happy where is famous arenas like Atlantic City, Madison Square Garden. It’s very big motivation to prove that you’re the best and I’m going to show August 4th that I deserve it.”
Question:
“Kathy, how do you feel about bringing the sport back to Atlantic City?”
Kathy Duva:
“The last big, major fight in Atlantic City involved Sergey Kovalev when he fought Bernard Hopkins and so it’s been a while. That was the last time I believe Main Events was there, so we’re really happy to be back. I think I did address it a little bit earlier, but particularly happy to be working with our friends at Hard Rock, Bernie Dillon, Sharon Pearce, and all the other people that we’ve known there for so many years. It’s really nice and comfortable to be back with friends.
“It’s a great show. This is what’s boxing is supposed to be. It’s fun to be a promoter when you get to put on fights like this where the number one fighter in the world is fighting the man in the light heavyweight division. Then you have the best young light heavyweight in the world, another world champion, who’s fighting a real test in Isaac Chilemba. It’s all really … It’s a pleasure and so I look forward to seeing everybody there.”
About Kovalev-Alvarez: In the first boxing event at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against undefeated contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez on Saturday, August 4, 2018. In the co-main event, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against Isaac “Golden Boy’ Chilemba. Tickets range between $50 and $200 and are on sale now through HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com and Ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel and World of Boxing and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
CONRAD CUMMINGS insists he will beat Luke Keeler if he gets the chance of a rematch against his Dublin rival.
The Coalisland middleweight returns at Belfast’s Windsor Park on Saturday August 18, having been outpointed by Keeler in a vacant WBO European title fight in April.
Cummings (13-2-1) believes the chances of a quick return against the Dubliner are slim despite his confidence in reversing the result.
He explained: “I would love the rematch, but I haven’t been calling for it because Luke will say, ‘I beat you the first time, why go again?’ and I would be thinking the same had I won.
“I lost the fight fair and square, but I would love to do it again. I know the result would be different next time.
“I am glad to be back so soon after that defeat. It was a bad night for me. I underperformed massively, but it is what it is and I have to take it on the chin and get back on the horse.
“It was a hard one to get over because there was a belt on the line, I was fighting at home and I was looking forward to getting the momentum going after a stop-start time.
“Good luck to Luke Keeler. He performed well, got the win.”
Cummings, 27, is back in Manchester training under Jamie Moore and living in an apartment with Carl Frampton and Steven Ward.
He believes a long four month training camp was one of the reasons behind the loss, and added: “It is great having people like Carl and Steven around me.
“They take the mickey out of me, but they give me a lift and it is great being in the same environment as them.
“It is not the end of the world and nobody has died here. I will be back to my best.
“It is not a loss if you learn from it. I am my own worst critic and for six weeks I was very down, but that is a good thing. It shows me how much I love this sport.
“My camp was far too long for the fight and I was overcooked.
“I have reassessed and I am just having an eight week camp, I have a strength and conditioning guy on board and I have learned the hard way.”
The BT Sport televised card is topped by Frampton who defends his interim WBO featherweight title against Australian Luke Jackson.
Lineal heavyweight king Tyson Fury faces a step up when he tackles two-time world title challenger Francesco Pianeta.
In only his sixth professional fight, Frampton great friend Paddy Barnes challenges WBC flyweight champion Cristofer Rosales.
Cummings rival Keeler is also on the bill which includes a tremendous light-heavyweight clash between Belfast’s Ward and Dubliner Steve Collins Jr. Also in action are KO king Lewis Crocker and Marco McCullough. Sean McComb and Steven Donnelly also make their professional debuts.
Limited remaining tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.ie. priced at £80, £100, £120, £150, £250, £400 (includes hospitality). Buying tickets over the phone – 0844 847 2455. To purchase Accessible Seating – 0333 321 9996
TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES ON 6 OCTOBER
23 July 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that tickets are now available for the upcoming blockbuster event, ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, set for 6 October at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. In the main event, The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will defend his boxing world title. In addition, Thailand’s biggest and brightest martial arts talents are set to take the stage and showcase their incredible skills.
Ticket information for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion, stated: “I am happy and honored to take part in this historical ONE Championship’s event. I was at ONE Championship’s event in Bangkok earlier this year, and it blew my mind with its world class production, entertainment, and fights. I would also like to thank everyone who made this possible. With ONE Championship opening its doors for athletes like me to showcase our talent on the global stage, it means a lot. This is a new challenge, and I love challenges. I am looking forward to defending my WBC World Title belt in ONE Championship.”
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of Thailand’s most celebrated pugilists in history, winning the prestigious WBC Super Flyweight World Championship on two occasions. Holding a professional record of 45-4-1 with 40 knockouts, Sor Rungvisai is ranked No. 6 on the pound-for-pound best boxers list of The Ring Magazine. After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight World Championship in March 2017 and then successfully defending it twice in the USA, Sor Rungvisai will defend his WBC World Title in ONE Championship’s historical event in Thailand.
Apart from Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, other local and international martial arts stars are ready to climb atop the ONE Championship ring to showcase their amazing skills.
Don’t miss an exciting martial arts spectacle as ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES hits Bangkok’s Impact Arena on 6 October! Tickets are now on sale.
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 is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship 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. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.
MYKQUAN WILLIAMS DOMINATES TOUGH MATT DOHERTY IN MAIN EVENT
Mashantucket, CT (7/22/18) – On Saturday night, DiBella Entertainment returned to the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, CT, with another action-packed installment of its popular Broadway Boxing series, presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steak House, and Gagliardi Insurance.
In the main event, 20-year-old super lightweight prospect “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams, 140, of East Hartford, CT, went the eight-round distance for the first time, impressively outpointing Matt “The Mantis” Doherty, 138, of Salem, MA, to earn a unanimous decision. Following three consecutive first-round knockout wins, Williams proved that he had the endurance to remain in control for the full 24 minutes of the contest. However, Williams almost had his fourth straight first-round victory when he dropped Doherty twice in the opening stanza with left hooks. The cagey Doherty showed heart in surviving the attack and fighting back gamely, searching for openings to counter for the remainder of the bout. Williams demonstrated deft footwork, dominating the action by landing combinations in close then sidestepping out of harm’s way. Scorecards read 80-70 twice, and 78-74, all in favor of Williams. Doherty’s record fell to 8-5-1 (4 KOs).
Now 12-0 (7 KOs), the fast-rising Williams captured the WBC USNBC Silver super lightweight title in May. Promoted by DiBella Entertainment and managed by Jackie Kallen, Williams is trained out of Manchester Ring of Champions Society boxing gym by local legend and community leader Paul Cichon, whom he’s known since he was a child and looks upon as a surrogate father. Williams was a decorated amateur with a 45-13 record, highlighted by three gold-medal performances at the Ringside World Championships, in addition to winning the PAL Tournament and Silver Gloves Championships.
(Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment)
Making her 10th appearance at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent, 126, of Providence, RI, met Tolu, Colombia’s Calista Silgado, 124, in a rematch of their encounter last October. Vincent immediately began bobbing and weaving her way inside, planting jabs to the body and left hooks upstairs. Silgado did her best to keep Vincent at bay with counters. The Colombian also used roughhouse tactics, including elbows, attempting to dissuade Vincent from staying in close. However, that only angered Vincent and motivated her to stay aggressive, throwing straight rights to the chin and quick combinations to the body. Unbothered by her opponent’s power, Vincent didn’t mind getting hit as she closed the distance each round, gifting Silgado some flashy connects, which the judges observed. The final two rounds saw exciting exchanges as Vincent maintained a consistent body attack and Silgado picked her shots well as the New Englander pressed forward. The judges tallied 78-74 twice, and 76-76, awarding Vincent, 23-1 (1 KO), a majority decision victory. Silgado slides to 16-10-3 (11 KOs). Vincent has now won five straight since her only defeat in August 2016 via majority decision in a nationally televised battle to Heather Hardy in what The Ring Magazine hailed as the “Female Fight of the Year.” She was honored by the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame as their “Fighter of the Year” in 2016, becoming the first female recipient of the award. A very intriguing matchup, one that will make boxing fans very happy, could be in Vincent’s immediate future.
What was a very entertaining middleweight contest ended abruptly when southpaw Hurshidbek Normatov, 155, of Brooklyn, NY, handed Alexis Gaytan, 155, of Mission, TX, his first loss by way of devastating knockout. Looking a bit overzealous in focusing on his powershots, Normatov was met with resistance from a determined Gaytan, who countered well. As often happens when a southpaw tangles with an orthodox fighter, a clash of heads resulted in a cut above Gaytan’s right eyelid in the second, though it did not interfere with the exciting action. Spurred on by the blood gushing from Gaytan’s cut, Normatov stunned his adversary with a straight left then unleashed a barrage of power punches to end round two. Keeping the pressure on, a left hook from Normatov knocked out Gaytan’s mouthpiece in the third. Undeterred, Gaytan continued to search for countering opportunities. Gaytan was credited with a knockdown when Normatov, evading shots, bent down at the waist and touched his glove on the canvas in round four. Perhaps now with a sense of urgency, Normatov upped his offensive output, intent on inflicting damage. As Gaytan missed a punch in the sixth, Normatov countered with a thudding right hook that caught his foe clean on the chin and knocked him out cold before he hit the canvas in a heap. No count was needed and the bout ended 41 seconds into round six, increasing Normatov’s record to 7-0 (3 KOs). No longer undefeated, Gaytan ended the night with a 4-1 (2 KOs) ledger. A native of Uzbekistan, the 26-year-old Normatov is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and managed by David McWater’s Split-T Management. He was an experienced amateur, having competed in 324 bouts and winning the 2014 European National championship.
Quickly making a name for himself as one of the best prospects out of the New England area, Adrian Sosa, 141, of Lawrence, MA, earned the most impressive victory of his young career, battering Cleveland’s Darnell Pettis, 137, with blistering power shots throughout the short bout. Pettis was game, but was often caught in exchanges. Near the end of the first, Sosa countered Pettis with a left hook-right uppercut combination that caused Pettis to dip his knees and lose balance, though remaining upright. More cracking straight rights hit their target in round two, wobbling Pettis multiple times. As Pettis leaned forward, he was met with a left hook that staggered him again, resulting in a TKO stoppage 84 seconds into the second stanza. A 2014 New England Golden Gloves champion, Sosa is now 8-0 (6 KOs) as a pro, while Pettis dropped to 3-10. In May, Sosa earned a decision victory against local Massachusetts rival and previously unbeaten Khiry Todd.
Oscar Bonilla, 138, of Bridgeport, CT, needed less than two rounds to secure the first knockout victory on his resume against Philadelphia’s Seifullah Jihad Wise. An aggressive Bonilla burst out of his corner at the outset, trapping Wise, 140, against the ropes and banging the body. The local fighter continued to apply pressure in round two, staying on top of Wise, who was too tentative in throwing back meaningful leather. With Wise absorbing another sustained attack against the ropes, the referee opted to halt the contest at the 1:20 mark of round two. Now 5-3-2 (1 KO) in the paid ranks, Bonilla was a New England Golden Gloves champion, while accumulating a 67-6 record as an amateur. Wise suffered his fifth loss in eight bouts.
Light heavyweight contender Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen, 171, of Brooklyn, NY, shook off the rust from a three-year layoff to stop Willis Lockett, 173, of Takoma, MD, inside three frames. The southpaw Allen began the contest prodding with his jab. A right hook upstairs found the mark and dropped Lockett in the first. The New Yorker then targeted the midsection to break down his foe. A visibly weary Lockett ate a left hook to the body in round three and hit the floor. Discerning that Lockett was unable to continue, the referee immediately waved off the contest without a count, ending matters at the round’s 3:00 mark. Now 21-0-1 (14 KOs), Allen is determined to work his way back into title contention. He is a former WBC CABOFE, New York State and Guyanese champion. Lockett’s record dipped to 16-24-6 (5 KOs).
Video: Jaron Ennis talks about Alvarez knockout win
Video: Armando Alvarez talks about his defeat to Jaron Ennis
DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT’S BROADWAY BOXING EVENT STREAMS LIVE TONIGHT FOR $4.95 FROM FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO, IN MASHANTUCKET, CT
New York, NY (July 21, 2018) Broadway Boxing, promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE), returns tonight and will be streamed live from the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, CT. Fans can catch all the action on DBE’s new streaming home, LIVE.DBE1.COM, beginning at 6:40pm ET, for a cost of $4.95. Headlining the card will be hometown favorite and Foxwoods staple “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (11-0, 7 KOs), of East Hartford, CT. The unbeaten super lightweight prospect faces Matt “The Mantis” Doherty (8-4-1, 4 KOs), of Salem, MA. Broadway Boxing is presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steak House and Gagliardi Insurance.
The exciting card will be broadcast on LIVE.DBE1.COM, part of the SportsLive OTT service as part of a partnership with CBS Sports Digital. Fans can subscribe to the event for a discounted cost of $4.95 by visiting live.dbe1.com.
Tickets for the event, presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steak House and Gagliardi Insurance, are priced at $125, $75 and $45, and can be purchased online at Foxwoods.com, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-200-2882, or visiting the Foxwoods box office. Foxwoods Resort Casino is located at 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, Connecticut 06338. Doors will open to the Fox Theater at 6:30 p.m., with the first fight scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Featured in an eight-round women’s featherweight match, Providence, RI fan favorite Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (22-1, 1 KO) battles hard-hitting Colombian Calista Silgado (16-9-3, 11 KOs), in a rematch of their memorable clash on October 28, 2017, won by Vincent over eight rounds. Vincent has won four straight since her only defeat in August 2016 via majority decision in a nationally televised battle to Heather Hardy in what The Ring Magazine hailed as the “Female Fight of the Year.” She was honored by the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame as their “Fighter of the Year” in 2016, becoming the first female recipient of the award. A win tonight for Vincent will lead to a very big announcement that will make boxing fans happy.
Popular fast-rising welterweight prospect Adrian Sosa (7-0, 5 KOs), of Lawrence, MA, will face upset-minded Darnell Pettis (3-9), of Toledo, OH, in a scheduled six-rounder. The 23-year-old Sosa is coming off his career best victory, a six-round decision against previously undefeated prospect Khiry Todd on May 5, at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Sosa was a 2014 New England Golden Gloves champion and turned pro in July 2016 following an 18-2 amateur career.
Brooklyn, NY’s Hurshidbek Normatov (6-0, 2 KOs) will square off in a six-round junior middleweight fight against fellow unbeaten prospect Alexis Gaytan (4-0, 2 KOs), of Mission, TX. A native of Uzbekistan, the 26-year-old Normatov is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and managed by David McWater’s Split-T Management. He was an experienced amateur, having competed in 324 bouts and winning the 2014 European National championship.
Undefeated super middleweight contender Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen (20-0-1, 13 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY, will make his highly anticipated return to action after a three-year layoff in a scheduled six-rounder against Willis Lockett (16-23-6, 5 KOs), of Takoma Park, MD. Allen is a former WBC CABOFE, New York State and Guyanese champion.
Rounding out the card in a six-round junior welterweight bout, Bridgeport, CT native Oscar Bonilla (4-3-2) faces Seifullah Jihad Wise (3-4, 1 KO), of Philadelphia, PA. As an amateur, Bonilla won the New England Golden Gloves tournament, while compiling a 67-6 record.
Teofimo Lopez undergoes surgery on hand
Lightweight contender Teofimo Lopez underwent surgery on an injured right hand, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
He injured the hand in his July 14th stoppage of William Silva.
“The prognosis is for a positive result from the procedure,” Top Rank’s Carl Moretti said. “Teo will fight once before end of year. Late November or December is the most likely time frame.”
Randy Moreno Returns to Laredo, TX
We are two weeks removed from July 4th but just a week away from “El Matador” Randy Moreno’s (12-1) return to Laredo where there will be no lack of fireworks.
Calling all the action live from Laredo will be Cyrus Fees and Jim Grieshaber live on http://www.beinsportsusa.com starting at 9 p.m. CT
In Randy’s most recent stint, he starched formerly undefeated Jorge Casteneda by way of a 6th round TKO to win his first WBC strap. The performance pushed Moreno to 4-0 in his last 4 including 3 knockouts. However to reach his fifth win in five, he will have to find victory against the resilient Victor Rosas (9-8).
Don’t let Rosas’s record fool you, Victor is undaunted when he faces undefeated opposition. In his last 5 bouts, his opponents have a combined record of 38-0 and out of 17 career bouts Rosas has only failed to reach the final bell once.
Will Randy’s 83% stoppage ratio seal the fate of Rosas? Or will Victors vaunted iron chin give him the chance he needs?
TICKETS:Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and first fight starts at 7:30 p.m.Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster https://www1.ticketmaster.com/summer-brawl-2018-laredo-texas-07-27-2018/event/3A0054CE9A623019?artistid=2516150&tm_link=tm_homeA_header_search) or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
Tickets and Fees may apply
INFORMATION:
About Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions:
Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven to that we conquering the sweet science of the sport.
Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable such as Aston Palicte, John Vera Jr., Alexander Flores, Kendo Castenada, Randy Moreno, Max Ornelas, Edward Vasquez, Shady Ghamour, Skender Halili, Joseph Agbecko.
About SMG
Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 220 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, equestrian facilities and convention, congress and exhibition centers. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 11 million square feet (1.1 million square meters) of exhibition space. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, venue management, sales, marketing, event booking, and programming. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through an in house catering company, Savor, currently servicing more than 100 accounts worldwide. For more information, visit www.smgworld.com.
About beIN Sports:
Launched in 2012, beIN SPORTS is the fastest growing global sports network in the U.S. and is offered on the 10 largest cable/satellite TV providers in the U.S., as well as other systems across the country. beIN SPORTS offers viewers premium sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms including TV channels beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español and live streaming on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. A cornerstone of beIN SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, which includes live matches from La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, NASL, and CONMEBOL/CONCACAF/CAF World Cup Qualifiers, as well as news and in-depth analysis of all the top leagues from around the world. In addition to soccer, beIN SPORTS serves as a haven for fans of motorsports, tennis, rugby, boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) and volleyball, among others. With the recent addition of Conference USA coverage, beIN SPORTS will also broadcast College Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball,Soccer, Baseball, Softball, and Volleyball. Thru beIN SPORTS CONNECT, authenticated subscribers can also enjoy all the exciting action from the two networks and stream live overflow matches offered in HD on your computer, tablet or smart phone.
Pairings set for 2nd season of World Boxing Super Series
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the pairings have been set for the 2nd World Boxing Super Series in the jnior welterweight and bantmweight divisions.
“We are fighting for the Ali trophy, and Ali is a legend. He fought the best of the best, and I want to fight the best of the best,” said junior welterweight top seed Prograis said. “Flanagan is a former world champion, and that’s why I made this decision.”
He will face Terry Flanagan.
“You have to fight the best to win the tournament, and I am here to win the tournament. I am confident in winning this fight,” Flanagan said.
Prograis’ pick of Flanagan left No. 2 seed Josh Taylor (13-0, 11 KOs), 27, of Scotland, to be paired with Ryan Martin (22-0, 12 KOs), 25, of Cleveland, because the other two bouts are mandatory fights.
“I am here to win this tournament, so it doesn’t matter who I face in the first round,” Taylor said. “My boxing brain, speed and power, I believe, will give me the edge over my opponents in this tournament.”
“This is what I have been preparing my whole career for,” Martin said. “Josh is clearly one of the best in the division, so I’m excited.”
World titleholder Kiryl Relikh (22-2, 19 KOs), 28, of Belarus, the No. 3 seed, will make his first defense, a mandatory, against former titlist Eduard Troyanovsky (27-1, 24 KOs), 38, of Russia.
“I am looking forward to the fight. I want to win this tournament,” Relikh said. “The winner will become a superstar in the game.”
“I am very happy to take part in the tournament and I feel confident in beating Kiryl,” he said. “I am ready to take his belt.”
No. 4 Ivan Baranchyk (18-0, 11 KOs), 25, of Russia, will face Anthony Yigit (21-0-1, 7 KOs), 26, of Sweden, for a vacant world title.
“I am ready to fight and I will win this belt,” Baranchyk said. “I show everyone that I am the best in the division.”
Said Yigit: “It’s a great opportunity for me to show everyone what I am going up for. I want to entertain the crowd and I will take this home.”
“He has been an amazing champion and he is a great fighter. I believe Nonito can bring out the best in me,” said bantamweight top seed Ryan Burnett, who will defend his belt for the second time.
“I know that Ryan’s got what it takes, so I am going to be at my best,” Donaire said.
Secondary world titlist Naoya Inoue (16-0, 14 KOs), 25, of Japan, who is a three-division titleholder, secured the No. 2 seed and elected to face former titlist Juan Carlos Payano (20-1, 9 KOs), 34, a southpaw from the Dominican Republic.
“It is an honor to be able to participate, so I am excited. I am very confident that I will win this tournament,” said Inoue, who will be making his first defense.
“I am excited to fight Inoue and I am going for the win,” he said.
World titleholder Zolani Tete (27-3, 21 KOs), a 30-year-old southpaw from South Africa, will make his third defense against Russian prospect Mikhail Aloyan (4-0, 4 KOs), a 29-year-old southpaw.
“I am looking forward to fighting the best fighters, and the best fighters are here,” Tete said.
“I am very proud that I have such an opportunity fight the best fighters in this tournament. I feel very confident that I have what it takes,” he said.
World titleholder Emmanuel Rodriguez (18-0, 12 KOs), 25, of Puerto Rico, received the No. 4 seed and will make his first defense against mandatory challenger Jason Moloney (17-0, 14 KOs), 27, of Australia.
“I am happy for this fight and confident in defending my belt,” Rodriguez said. “I will do my best to win the tournament.”
Said Moloney: “I am very confident that I can beat Emmanuel. He is a very good fighter as everyone in this tournament is. This is my time to shine. I’m ready.”
Zhang Zhilei, Meng Fanlong, Darmani Rock Claim Shine on ShoBox Stage with Decisive Victories
SLOAN, IOWA (July 21, 2018) – Roc Nation boxers Zhang Zhilei, Meng Fanlong and Darmani Rock shined under the bright lights of the ShoBox stage on Friday, each claiming victories at the WinnaVegas Casino & Resort Event Center and polishing their unblemished records.
In his first bout in 10 months, Zhilei (19-0, 5 KOs) showed little sign of rust, delivering a barrage of punches and knocking out Eugen Buchmiller (11-3, 8 KOs) in the first round to successfully defended his WBO Oriental Heavyweight title. It marked the sixth straight bout where Zhilei had recorded a first-round knockout.
Earlier in the evening, Fanlong (13-0, 8 KOs) enjoyed a similar outing in the ring, recording a first-round knockout of Chris Eppley (11-5). The bout was Fanlong’s first fight since October 28, 2017, when he claimed the vacant IBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Title at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in China.
Rock (12-0, 7 KOs) went the distance in a four-round bout against Marquis Valentine (5-3, 2 KOs), claiming a unanimous decision victory (60-54, 60-54, 59-55). The outing resulted in Rock’s third victory over the past seven months.
As a result of Friday’s victory, Zhilei and Fanlong are now world-rated and are focused on getting world championship bouts.
