24 March 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), held a historic evening in Bangkok as the capacity crowd at the Impact Arena witnessed an amazing display of heart-pounding martial arts action. ONE: IRON WILL sent shockwaves of excitement throughout the state-of-the-art stadium as the card featured a series of compelling bouts, punctuated by an unforgettable championship clash. In the main event, Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil remained the undisputed king of ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, defeating two-division world champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia.

Visit the official ONE: IRON WILL photo gallery by clicking: http://bit.ly/onephotos

In a gruelling five-round title tiff, reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil turned in a gutsy performance, overcoming a spirited effort from ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia to win via razor-thin split decision. The action was electric all throughout the bout, with both men having their moments. Although Nguyen landed the harder, more telling blows, Fernandes was the busier ma and performed slightly better overall with his takedowns and accurate combinations. In the final frame, Fernandes pulled away just slightly, outworking Nguyen over the last five minutes of the contest. In the end, the Brazilian did just enough to retain his title in front of a packed Impact Arena crowd. The victory cemented Fernandes’ claim as the best in the world at bantamweight, earning him a record eight title defenses to remain the most dominant ONE world champion in history.

Bibiano Fernandes, ONE Bantamweight World Champion, stated: “I said I would win, and I did. I really live for these challenges. I’m the champion, and I’m here to stay. I’m the best bantamweight in the world. I’ve proven it many times. Bangkok, Thailand — thank you for having me.”

In the co-main event of the evening, Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado of the Philippines overcame insurmountable odds, knocking out former world champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in the first round. In a wild exchange of punches, Miado clipped Amnuaysirichoke with a thunderous right cross, sending the Thai hometown hero crashing to the canvas as the referee waved off the contest immediately.

Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand authored one of the most dominant performances of the night, reinserting his name into the winner’s column with a quick knockout victory over Singapore-based Indian martial artist Rahul Raju. Wiratchai only needed 21 seconds to shut the lights out on Raju, landing a hard right hook to clinch the scintillating knockout. With his impressive conquest of Raju, Wiratchai earned the GoDaddy Knockout of the Night.

In a clash of talented female atomweights, Angelie Sabanal of the Philippines captured a hard-earned victory, routing Thai rising star Rika Ishige via unanimous decision in her ONE Championship debut. Sabanal and Ishige kept the action focused primarily at the center of the ONE Championship cage for the majority of the bout. The Filipina newcomer showcased her pinpoint accurate striking early on, peppering Ishige with stinging kicks and stiff punches. Although Ishige boldly traded strikes with the Filipina kickboxer from bell to bell, the latter pulled away in the final round, landing the more telling blows. In the end, Sabanal earned the undivided nod from the three judges at cageside.

23-year-old Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev reignited his meteoric rise through the ranks, defeating seasoned Japanese veteran Tetsuya Yamada by submission. Both men started out aggressively, but it was Arslanaliev who showed a more capable set of both striking and grappling skills throughout the three-round lightweight match. As Yamada avoided trading strikes in the stand-up, Arslanaliev spun a web of crafty grappling on the ground to overwhelm the Japanese veteran. Driven to score a finish, Arslanaliev was able to get the submission in the third round, making Yamada tap from a wrenching belly-down armbar.

Pakistani martial artist Waqar Umar made an astounding statement in his return to the ONE Championship cage after nearly two years of absence, submitting Chinese prospect Zhao Zhi Kang in the first round of their featherweight clash. With a game plan to take matters to the ground, Umar got the job done by fastening a rear-naked choke to force the tap from Zhao.

American submission wizard Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon impressed in his highly-anticipated ONE Championship debut, toppling Filipino lightweight Richard Corminal in his maiden assignment wearing four-ounce gloves on the premier martial arts stage. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstar put forth a dominant striking performance, unveiling a new dimension to his evolving skill set by putting together dynamic combinations. In an offensive clinic against his Filipino counterpart, Tonon overwhelmed Corminal with punishing strikes from the get-go, blasting his opponent with rocking right hands and cracking kicks. In the second round, Tonon took matters to the ground and quickly got mount, finishing Corminal with a pair of elbows.

Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai made quick work of the Philippines’ Robin Catalan to continue his winning ways inside the ONE Championship cage. Opening up the contest by taking the action right to Catalan, Kongsrichai pounced on his Filipino opponent with a series of powerful strikes, including solid knees from the clinch. As he pushed Catalan constantly back up against the cage, Kongsrichai wrapped his arms around his foe’s midsection and took him for a ride with a belly-to-back suplex. Catalan was deemed unable to continue when he landed on the mat, forcing the referee to wave it off and declare Kongsrichai as the victor by way of stoppage.

Multiple-time kickboxing world champion Alain “The Panther” Ngalani placed himself back on the winning track by edging out promotional newcomer Ariunbold Tur-Ochir of Mongolia via split decision. Both men gave fans a spirited effort over three rounds, which featured a healthy stream of action from both corners. After a gruelling contest, it was Ngalani who walked out with his hand raised in triumph.

Gilberto Galvao of Brazil spoiled the much-awaited return of Jake Butler to competition, defeating the decorated American wrestler by technical knockout in the second round. Galvao finished the job in the opening sequence of the contest’s second frame, checking a low kick from Butler with a hard knee. As Butler dropped to the canvas, he held onto his leg and hit the ground writhing in pain, the referee stepped in and called a halt to the bout, awarding the victory to Galvao.

A three-round bantamweight encounter served as the curtain-raiser for ONE: IRON WILL as “The Terminator” Sunoto battled it out with Malaysian standout Hisyam Samsudin. Leaning on his impeccable grappling, Sunoto burned out his opponent, consistently bringing Samsudin to the canvas and controlling the action with crisp ground strikes. With a dominant top game, Sunoto notched his second consecutive victory in 2018, defeating Samsudin as all three judges saw the bout in favor of the Indonesian to win by unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: IRON WILL

ONE Bantamweight World Championship bout: Bibiano Fernandes defeats Martin Nguyen by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Jeremy Miado defeats Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke by Knockout (KO) at 1:29 minutes of round 1

Lightweight bout: Shannon Wiratchai defeats Rahul Raju by Knockout (KO) at 0:21 minutes of round 1

Women’s atomweight bout: Angelie Sabanal defeats Rika Ishige by Unanimous Decision (UD)

Lightweight bout: Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev defeats Tetsuya Yamada by Submission (Armbar) at 2:51 minutes of round 3

Featherweight bout: Waqar Umar defeats Zhao Zhi Kang by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:21 minutes of round 1

Lightweight bout: Garry Tonon defeats Richard Corminal by TKO (Strikes) at 3:40 minutes of round 2

Strawweight bout: Kritsada Kongsrichai defeats Robin Catalan by TKO (Slam) at 1:40 minutes of round 1

Light Heavyweight bout: Alain Ngalani defeats Ariunbold Tur-Ochir by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds

Middleweight bout: Gilberto Galvao defeats Jake Butler by TKO (Strikes) at 0:07 minutes of round 2

Bantamweight bout: Sunoto defeats Hisyam Samsudin by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

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.

Philadelphia, Penn. (March 24, 2018)–King’s Promotions kicks off a busy Spring season with the promotional outfit’s presence at Sunday’s Briscoe Awards.

King’s Promotions fighters captured the two most coveted awards as Tyrone Brunson will take home the 2017 Fighter of the Year, while Brunson’s memorable battle with Kermit Cintron will be honored as the 2017 Fight of the Year.

The awards are just a prelude to April 6th. That is when rising super middleweight Brandon Robinson takes on Oscar Riojas in the main event of a stacked night of boxing at the 2300 Arena.

Just a week later, on April 13th, Frank De Alba battles O’Shaquie Foster in the main event of a loaded card at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center.

“I am very proud of Tyrone for winning the Fighter of the Year. Also his bout with Kermit is a classic fight, and I am thrilled that King’s Promotions played a part in the two biggest awards on Sunday,” said King’s Promotions CEO Marshall Kauffman. “This is just the beginning of a terrific three week stretch for us as we have two excellent cards in April with competitive and entertaining bouts from top to bottom.”

Leonard Ellerbe
Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining our call today. We’re very excited. What a great card we have come April the 7th from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. In the main event, we have Erislandy Lara versus Jarrett Hurd in an outstanding unification fight which will determine supremacy at the 154-weight class.

In the co-main event, we have a great rematch of a fight that saw Caleb Truax wrestle the IBF Super Middleweight Championship away from James DeGale. That’s going to be a terrific fight also.

In the opening bout, we have Julian Williams taking on Nathaniel Gallimore in what will be a very, very entertaining fight as an IBF Junior Middleweight Elimination Bout.

Our card is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions. Tickets are still on sale at AXS.com and it starts as cheap as $50. Again, this will be a terrific card led by none other than – I’m going to introduce the man who’s totally responsible for putting all this together, none other than Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza
Thanks, Leonard. Well, the hits keep coming here at SHOWTIME, coming off of a huge March schedule highlighted by the two big time heavyweight title fights. April on SHOWTIME will feature two stellar cards from Mayweather Promotions.

The first on April 7 is a high-quality tripleheader, three competitively matched fights with world title implications and our main event, Lara versus Hurd, a unification fight, featuring two of the top three consensus in the world at 154 pounds. Sort of the natural evolution of what has been an unofficial super welterweight tournament over the last year, year and a half on SHOWTIME.

In 2017, SHOWTIME televised eight matchups featuring all of the top five ranked super welterweight champions and challengers in that unofficial tournament. Now we get the natural results of that, a unification fight which happens to be only the sixth unification fight in the history of the 154-pound division.

Erislandy Lara, he’s the WBA champ, the longest reigning champion at 154 pounds. He won the WBA title on SHOWTIME in 2014 and he’s now making his sixth defense. With a record of 25-2-2, he could easily make the case that he could be undefeated certainly. The loss to Paul Williams was very controversial and a very close split decision loss to Canelo. So we very well could have an undefeated fighter.

Jarrett Hurd is the IBF champion. He made the first defense of his title on SHOWTIME in October. He has scored seven consecutive KOs as his level of bout position has dramatically increased and, in fact, he really has burst on the scene lately. His first televised fight was on SHOBOX in 2015, a KO of Frank Galarza, and he’s been on a roll ever since.

This fight, this main event, Lara versus Hurd, is one of five matchups of top five contenders, top five ranked fighters, on the SHOWTIME schedule just in the first half of this year. So we look forward to a great fight, a great card on April 7th.

L. Ellerbe
Thank you, Stephen. I would like to introduce the IBF world champion. What an outstanding young fighter. He’s from my hometown. He lives and trains out of Accokeek, Maryland. Always in exciting fights and we expect nothing different come April the 7th. He’s undefeated with a record of 21-0, with 15 KOs. He’s coming off of career-defining TKO victory over Austin Trout. Ladies and gentlemen, the IBF Junior Middleweight Champion, “Swift” Jarrett Hurd.

Jarrett Hurd
Training is going well. We’re getting prepared. This is a fight that I wanted just as bad as any and I’m glad we can make it happen. I just can’t wait to put on a show.

L. Ellerbe
Great. Okay. Next up, we have Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara with a record of 25 and 2 with 14 KOs. And again, as Stephen mentioned earlier, Lara is the longest reigning champion at 154. A tremendous boxer, real slick, real smooth. He’s been in there with all the top guys in the weight class and again, he’ll be looking to put on another great performance come April the 7th. So, ladies and gentlemen, Erislandy Lara.

Erislandy Lara
First I want to thank everyone on the call. Most importantly, I’d like to thank SHOWTIME for putting on a great fight, thank Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions and my whole team. Come April 7, I’ll be ready to fight and ready to put on a show.

Q
For Stephen, I’m just wondering if you could give your thought process as to what made you decide to make a matchup between Erislandy Lara and Hurd as opposed to either of those guys against Charlo.

S. Espinoza
I think it was really the style matchup. When we sat down and looked at them, they’re three exciting fighters, three great champions, but the matchup that was really intriguing because of the styles was Lara versus Hurd.

Erislandy has never shied away from any challenge. Jarrett was very vocal about wanting to unify. And the combination of their styles, where they are in their careers, it seemed like an intriguing matchup.

Q
Do you believe that the winner of the fight would then look to fight Charlo?

S. Espinoza
Absolutely. And Jermell is game. He’s on board. He’s on board for it. He was recently on SHOWTIME and he indicated he wants the winner. He wants the winner next.

Q
Jarrett, what was it about this matchup that made you want it more?

J. Hurd
Well, I knew both fights will eventually happen. But I feel like the fight with Erislandy Lara will give me more credibility and will put me in position at number one. I wanted to be top guy in my division and now I feel like I am the top guy in my division.

This fight, I want it over the fight with Jermell Charlo, even though the fight with Jermell Charlo is more anticipated and people want – maybe because of our styles, but I wanted this fight because I feel like it will put me to better position in the 154 division.

Q
Do you feel like at 27 years old you’re now in your prime and that basically whether it’s Erislandy Lara, or anybody else in the weight class that Jarrett Hurd’s punching power can take care of them?

J. Hurd
I feel like my power – I have the power that’s deceptive and it doesn’t look as hard on TV or while you’re in there until you feel it. It’s a total different story.

I feel like my power can stop anyone, put anyone down. But on April 7th, the knockout streak, I’ll stop another guy and I plan on continuing to keep doing.

Q
Are you ready for a much different kind of style in an experienced fighter like Lara? How do you deal with that kind of skill?

J. Hurd
Lara, he’s been the longest reigning champion at 154. I’ve been fighting at 154 all my life, so we’ve been watching him since I turned professional and the style Lara presents we’ve been training for this long before this training camp. He’s a great champion but Lara has always been on top and we always study and the game plan we got is perfect and this is why we wanted the fight. It’s no secret how badly I wanted this fight.

Of course, I’m not going to stay in there and try to box with Lara because Lara is an expert on what he does. Lara is not going to stand there toe-to-toe with me because of my size, inside game and my power. So it’s going to be a cat and mouse game and I just can’t wait to show you guys that outcome.

Q
I wonder if Lara could give me his perspective on where he thinks Jarrett Hurd falls in the weight class and whether or not he feels like he is going to have to outbox him or maybe he can mix it up with him a bit.

E. Lara
I’m ready to go for April 7th. Jarrett Hurd, as everyone knows, he’s a big, strong fighter, but pretty basic. He can try to fight, kind of like a Mexican strong style and those are styles that I’d like to fight.

So come April 7th, we hope he’s prepared. I’m prepared and want to put on a great fight for the fans and for the writers and for everyone else.

Q
Was this a fight that Erislandy wanted or would he have preferred a Charlo unification?

E. Lara
As everyone knows, I was the one who wanted this fight. He won his title in February, I wanted to fight him in October and his team said he wasn’t ready to fight me in October. They wanted him to be prepared to fight another southpaw and prepare for me.

So, as the pressure mounted, Jarrett Hurd decided just to fight. So I’m happy he stepped up to the plate but as everyone knows, I want his belt and I want the other belts in this division as well.

Q
Jarrett, how do you feel Erislandy compares to Trout in the sense of how much better he might be and how much of a step-up in competition it is for you?

J. Hurd
I feel like Lara has a little bit better foot movement than Trout. And one thing about Trout, he took chances in my fight. He stayed there with me. I don’t think Lara is going to take that many chances. He’s a very disciplined fighter.

So whatever works for him, he’s going to stick to exactly what he’s working for. He’s never going to change it no matter how hot on the scorecard he is or not, he’s going to stick to his game plan and I think he’s much more disciplined and a little sharper than Trout.

Q
How much do you feel that it helped you to fight Trout to get ready for this fight?

J. Hurd
It definitely helped me, not only to fight Trout, but just going to two training camps with southpaws. I only fought three southpaws in my career before Trout. So now I have a lot of experience with them. So going into this fight I wanted to kind of go into two or three camps before I face Lara and I think it helped me.

Q
Erislandy said that you fight like a Mexican. How much of a compliment do you take that as?

J. Hurd
Mexicans are fighters, man. I take it as a compliment. When you describe a Mexican fighter, you stay toe-to-toe and that’s what the fans like to see. Of course, that’s not my only style. Everyone sees I can switch it up with my fight with Frank Galarza back in Las Vegas and it all depends on what I have to bring out that night. I can do it all.

Q
Erislandy, what do you think of how Hurd fought in the Trout fight?

E. Lara
I watched the Trout fight in the locker room and as I was preparing for my fight, so I couldn’t watch that carefully but from what I saw in the fight, I thought Trout was winning the fight and as the fight wore on, obviously, Trout’s legs weren’t there and he hadn’t fought in 17 months and he’s also a fighter who’s on the back-end of his career, and had lost already several times.

But I thought Trout was actually doing a good job in the fight and, like I said, Hurd is a guy who likes to take it up a notch after six, seven rounds and I like to take it up a notch or two after six, seven rounds. So, this is going to be a great fight. And come April 7, I’m just ready to rumble.

Q
Based on what you just said, do you feel that maybe too much has been made of the Trout win?

E. Lara
People are going to have their take on the Trout fight but, there is no fighter at 154 or 160 or anywhere around this weight division that has my style and my boxing ability and my smarts, and that’s the reason I’ve made it this far.

Trout was out 17 months. He is an older guy. He’s been defeated several times and he is a former world champ but he’s also had a loser mentality.

It’s a lot different when you’re fighting a winner and you’re fighting the guy who also dominated Trout and put him on the deck and let him off the hook in the 12th. It’s an exciting fight and we’re excited to put on a great fight.

Q
How important is it for you, if you’re able to beat Jarrett Hurd, that you go and fight Jermell Charlo and you in effect clean out the 154-pound division?

E. Lara
I said it before and I’m going to say it again. I’m going to clean out the division and that has been my plan from the beginning and I’m going to stick to my plan. I don’t care who the champions are. I don’t care what their names are or where they’re from. I’m going to clean up the division and it starts April 7.

Q
Do you view Hurd as a tougher fight than Charlo or vice versa?

E. Lara
I don’t look at them any different. They’re both to me kind of the same fighter. They both come up to the ring with a purpose and they’re trying to win. But at the end of the day, I’m the best fighter in this division. It’s been proven over years. So whether it was Hurd first, Charlo first, it didn’t matter. I’m just ready to rumble.

L. Ellerbe
I would also like to touch on that. With all due respect to Trout, Jarrett Hurd ain’t Austin Trout. I mean, this kid is the real deal. I try to look back in the history of this particular division and I can’t think of a fighter who was as big and physical and applies the kind of pressure — especially mental pressure — that he puts on guys in a very, very long time. This is going to be a tremendous fight, an excellent matchup, contrasting styles and I’m really, really excited to see this bout.

Q
You said before in the past that you start off slow in your fights on purpose even to the point of taking a blow or two from your opponent. What’s your thinking behind strategy like that?

J. Hurd
I’m just feeling my opponent out. You don’t want to go out there and not know what he’s capable of. So you just don’t want to go out there and take that many chances without seeing what the guy’s got. So, I just use the first round to see what he has and take it from there, make the adjustments.

Q
Do you think people recognize your size and your power? Do they underestimate your ability to fight inside?

J. Hurd
A hundred percent. I don’t think now, but I think they did before. Me being a taller, longer, rangier guy they expect me to be on the outside and I know I surprised a lot of people when I start to fight inside, that close. I watched a lot of James Toney. So that’s where I kind of get it from.

Q
Stephen, you said this fight was chosen and put together based on the styles of these fighters. Is it that you recognized the last four opponents that Hurd’s faced were two orthodox fighters and also two southpaw fighters that he put on a great performance against?

S. Espinoza
Well, it was more looking for an entertaining fight. It’s sort of the classic matador-and-bull type of fight. You’ve got a really aggressive hard-punching, young, strong champion and you’ve got, another champion who’s known as one of the most skilled fighters in any division. So it’s sort of the unstoppable force immovable object coming together; which style is going to win out?

So it really wasn’t as much looking at past opponents as it was, what might be the most exciting fight. And not to say that Jermell isn’t an exciting fighter, too, because, that is definitely something that’s very, very possible in the near future.

So it was just, which one could come first, which one would come next, and I think the clash of styles is what attracted us to this matchup first.

L. Ellerbe
Sometimes when people referred to Lara, they just mostly speak about his boxing skill. But Lara can also crack, too. So those out there who sleep on Lara’s power are sadly mistaken. I’ve sat ringside, first row a couple of his fights and especially the Canelo fight and I’ve seen firsthand what his power looks like. And if anybody’s sleeping on his power, they are sadly mistaken.

Q
Jarrett do you think those recent fights are the fights that prepared you going into this fight against Lara?

J. Hurd
Yes, I feel more though that my career period has prepared me for this fight. I didn’t come up the easy route. So I didn’t have a big amateur career. A lot of people didn’t want to give me a chance. I had to go out there and take them. My performances I put on when I got the opportunity each and every time on TV, I went out there and did what I was supposed to.

So, I feel like just my career, period, and all I’ve been through prepared me for this fight, not just those fights on TV, but those little fights.

Q
You say that you want to go ahead and walk opponents down and try to get rid of them, put the more pressure on. Is that the case?

Jarrett Hurd:
It depends. Like during the Austin Trout fight. He did lack a little power, so I was willing to take some to get some in. I was willing to take some chances but, it all depends on, like you said, if they all lack a little power. Are you willing to take those chances?

Like my fight with Oscar Molina, he can crack a little more than Tony Harrison, so I was kind of a little more head movement and little less willing to go into there without being cautious.

It all depends. But like I said man it’s crazy because people define me by my last two fights as that’s my style. I was the guy that always was the kind of puncher and fought from his back foot until guys started to compare me and look at my size. I didn’t even realize I was that big of a fighter until I got on the stage with some of these guys. So my last two fights are the only fights that I have fought that way in my career, coming forward and then pressure, because I knew eventually I would have to come into a fight with a guy like Lara. We’ve been working on it, but I could switch it up. I can do whatever. It all depends on my opponent that night and y’all just going to have to wait and see.

Q
Erislandy, are there any concerns about him getting stronger as the fight goes on and also how he’s able to take punches from people and actually take their power?

E. Lara
I keep seeing people refer to his height or how big he is, but Williams was taller and bigger than him. Canelo was and is stronger than him, and they couldn’t deal with me.

So I’m not worried about what he has to bring today. I’m worried about what I have to do in that ring. I’m focused. I’m ready, and there’s no question in my mind I know I can knock him out. If he gets reckless, he’s going to get knocked down. And if not, then he’s going to get beat up.

He’s going to have to make that decision on April 7 whether he’s willing to go through the fire or if he’s just willing just to lose a decision. It’s up to him. He’s going to have to decide that on April 7.

Q
Do you think that those past fights have given you any kind of preparation or anything for this fight coming? Or do you feel that you’re totally different from when you fought Paul Williams and when you fought Canelo, physically?

E. Lara
I don’t look for one specific fight. I don’t look at last fight or the last four fights because my whole life, I’ve been preparing for this, since Cuba.

I didn’t have shoes until I was 5 years old. I was preparing for this. I was born to be a fighter. It was during my whole amateur career, 350 plus amateur fights, several world championships across the amateurs. Now my whole pro-career, I fought the top guys, I’ve beat the top guys, and that’s what’s prepared me for this fight and prepared me to fight whoever is available in the division.

So I’m ready to go and I’m ready to fight.

Q
Leonard, with Mayweather Promotions, are you guys planning to put more and more fights together, not just with your own fighters but working with SHOWTIME to put on just top-quality fights, period?

L. Ellerbe
We’re very excited to promote all these big events, working along with SHOWTIME and expect to see more of it in the next couple of months.

We’ve outlined our next few big events that we have and expect more of that in the fall of this year. All we’re looking to do is put on the biggest and best events and make them for the fans.

Q
What is Erislandy’s take on sometimes people not appreciating the sweet science and his boxing ability?

E. Lara
This is a sport. Boxing is hit and don’t get hit. That’s the way it was taught from the beginning of time. It’s a sweet science and all fights are different. Styles are different. Styles obviously make fights.

Some guys are willing to take more risk than others and that sometimes dictates the action in a fight. My main focus is to win every fight and win clearly. That’s my job.

Q
Erislandy are you the only fighter in the division that could put Jermell Charlo in his place?

E. Lara
One hundred percent yes. And from my experiences of hundreds of rounds of sparring, Jermell Charlo won’t fight Erislandy Lara next when we get done with Hurd. Only time will tell.

Q
Jarrett, do you see any weakness in Erislandy Lara?

J. Hurd
Well you all will have to see that on fight night. Not to give away too much of the game plan, but, like I said, Lara’s toughest fights are when guys put pressure on him. And that’s what we’re going to do.

Q
Leonard, you talked about Jarrett’s versatility and how you’ve done some research on this weight class and his size. But in your time, have you seen a guy with his relative inexperience to someone like Lara expressing the confidence that he has done and also just rising so quickly against quality opposition like this?

L. Ellerbe
No, I think it’s a tremendous asset. Confidence is everything in this sport. He has a strong belief in his skill set and his ability to go out there and get it done.

Obviously, this is the biggest and toughest challenge to date with Lara being a great champion who has fought on the big stage and has fought a number of great fighters. But again, those contrasting styles and Jarrett having the ability and the confidence to bring that to the table I think is going to make a big, big difference.

Because it’s one thing with sitting on the outside and watching guys fight on TV, but it’s a whole different ballgame when you got a light heavyweight walking you down and putting that kind of mental pressure on you. But Lara’s built for this kind of thing because he’s seen any and every kind of style out there.

So these are the reasons why I think it’s a great, great matchup because again, I think that Jarrett is going to bring out the best in Lara and I think vice-versa, Lara is going to bring the best out in Jarrett. Period.

When it comes to Lara, we’ve seen him on the big stage before. He’s a tremendous boxer. He’s actually, in my eyes, the best boxer that’s out there. Tremendous foot movement, head movement, coming from that great Cuban school of boxing, he’s a real deal.

But again, you got this young, tough, hungry lion that had the mindset that he doesn’t care what Lara has done in the past because Lara has never fought nobody like Jarrett Hurd, and vice-versa.

That’s what makes this an intriguing matchup. Come April 7, I expect this fight probably might end in a knockout.

Q
What is your assessment of Jarrett Hurd compared to the guys you faced in your career?

E. Lara
I don’t compare fighters. I look at him as a young, hungry kid who’s got desire. He wants to be great. He’s going to come forward and he’s going to come ready to fight. If he doesn’t come forward, then I’ll be ready to fight, too, however it plays out. But I’m ready for everything he brings to the table.

Q
When was the last time, Erislandy, that someone outright predicted that they were going to knock you out as he has done?

E. Lara
Every fighter wants to knock you out when you get in that ring. Paul Williams wanted to knock me out. Canelo, Vanes, plus he keeps mentioning how it’s going to be Angulo and this and that.

Well, Angulo connected on me twice, but don’t forget how that fight finished. I ended Angulo’s career. I ruined his career and I put him out of the top level of boxing.

If Jarrett Hurd thinks he’s going to come like that, I’m going to end his career too, at 27 years old. So come April 7, I’m hoping he puts that pressure so I could ruin his career for all the talking that he’s been doing.

Q
Jarrett? What did you think of what he just said?

J. Hurd
I mean, here’s the thing, we all know that Lara has the experience. He’s seen every style from right-handed to the southpaw. Anything you give him, he’s seen it all. But he has not experienced what I’m about to give him.

It’s not about the styles that you’ve seen; it’s about what you’re about to experience. So this is a whole different ballgame. You get in there to fight with Jarrett Hurd and you’ll see how that all ends.

I speak from the heart and I say what I feel. I’m not just out here talking just to talk. I’m putting in the work. Where my chance is going and where I see this fight playing out, there’s no way that Lara is going to come out of top.

Q
What makes you different from Angulo? And also, does it give you a little bit of an edge that he is a little bit older now than he was then?

J. Hurd
No, we never play that old card. You’ve seen Lara’s performances. He’s still in great shape. Age is not factor. I hate guys saying the same thing with Austin Trout. They say age is starting to show.

We’re not going to play the age card. We see that Lara is still a great fighter. He’s the longest reigning champion for a reason and age shouldn’t play a part.

As far as the past Angulo thing, nothing to take away from Angulo. He’s a great fighter, he’s done great things, but I’m much faster than Angulo, much sharp than Angulo, hit harder than Angulo and I’m a much bigger guy.

So physically, when I’m in there, on him in the ring, he’s going to feel it. He couldn’t take the pressure and the style from Angulo. He’s going to be in long night when he fights me.

L. Ellerbe
Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve heard from both fighters. Again, we have a tremendous lineup, great tripleheader live on SHOWTIME, April the 7th, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Lara versus Hurd, Truax versus DeGale, Julian Williams versus Nathaniel Gallimore. What a tremendous tripleheader, live on SHOWTIME.

We want to thank everyone for joining us on the call. Have a wonderful day.

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Dillian Whyte has got to the top of the bill the hard way – and he has no intention of letting Lucas Browne derail his path to World title glory as they clash at The O2 tomorrow night, live on Sky Sports.

Whyte defends the WBC Silver Heavyweight title he won against a defensive Robert Helenius in Cardiff in October, landing the number one spot in the WBC into the bargain.

The ‘Body Snatcher’s’ admits boxing saved his life from a life of crime and gave him a second chance, but that was taken from him for two years 2012 following a failed drugs test. Whyte has battled to get back on track and now only Browne stands in his way to punching his ticket to the top table.

“It means a lot to headline The O2,” said Whyte, who scaled 18st 2lbs 2oz, nine pounds lighter than the challenger. “Topping the bills as a star is what I’ve been working for. Nothing good comes easy. Boxing is a hard sport to make a living from and it gets even harder to stay at the top when you get there. I am well aware of that, but I’m a tough man and I don’t give up easily.

“I’ve done it the hard way, built myself up and battled to get to where I am through a lot of setbacks. My rage and anger got me to a certain point in the sport and then I had the accident. I’m a realist and an analyst, I took myself away and I realised I had to become more professional and get good people around me and I made the transition, that’s what is here now and there’s still more to come, but I am getting there.

“You have to be yourself, if you are and you believe in yourself and what you say, you aren’t going to do wrong things, you just have to be honest and real, that’s all a man can do.

“Sky Sports and Matchroom are now right behind me so this is my time to shine. I should be mandatory challenger in maybe two or three governing bodies because I’m highly ranked in all of them and Lucas is a good name to have a win over.”

Whyte’s meeting with Browne tops a huge night at The O2 with a pair of great British title clashes as Frank Buglioni defends his Light-Heavyweight title against Commonwealth champion Callum Johnson and Lewis Ritson puts his Lightweight title up for grabs against former champion Scotty Cardle.

Tickets for Whyte vs. Browne at The O2 in London are on sale now priced £40, £60 and £100 from www.theO2.co.uk. VIP tickets priced £200 are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com

Face value tickets for March 24 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

RUNNING ORDER AND WEIGHTS

Doors Open – 17:00

4 x 3 mins Featherweight contest

LOUIE LYNN 9st 6oz v MICHAEL HOROBIN 9st 6oz

(London) (London)

4 x 3 mins Cruiserweight contest

RICHARD RIAKPORHE 14st 1lb 3oz v ADAM WILLIAMS 14st 3lbs 2oz

(Walworth) (Manchester)

6 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight contest

CRAIG RICHARDS 12st 7lbs 7oz v IVAN STUPALO 12st 5lbs 6oz

(Crystal Palace). (Croatia)

6 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest

JAMIE COX 12st 4lbs 5oz v HARRY MATTHEWS 12st 5lbs 6oz

(Swindon) (York)

LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FROM 7PM

8 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest

DERECK CHISORA 17st 12lbs 5oz v ZAKARIA AZZOUZI 17st 7lbs 2oz

(Finchley) (France)

Followed by

6 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest @ 11st 2lbs

ANTHONY FOWLER v KALILOU DEMBELE

(Liverpool) (France)

Followed by

12 x 3 mins British Lightweight Championship

LEWIS RITSON 9st 9lbs v SCOTT CARDLE 9st 7lbs 9oz

(Forest Hall) (Lytham)

Followed by

12 x 3 mins British and Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight Championship

FRANK BUGLIONI 12st 6lbs 3oz v CALLUM JOHNSON 12st 6lbs 7oz

(Winchmore Hill) (Boston)

Followed by

12 x 3 mins WBC Silver Heavyweight Championship

DILLIAN WHYTE 18st 2lbs 2oz v LUCAS BROWNE 18st 11lbs 2oz

(Brixton) (Australia)

LIVE FLOAT

6 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

CHRIS KONGO 10st 8lbs 9oz v SERGE AMBOMO 10st 6lbs 2oz

(Bermondsey) (Sheffield)

Billy Joe Saunders has insisted that despite his eagerness to unify with Gennady Golovkin, he will not be treated as a back-up plan.

On May 5th, Canelo Alvarez and Golovkin are scheduled to face each other in a rematch of their first meeting that ended in a controversial draw.

Canelo recently tested positive for the banned drug clenbuterol in drug tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

If the highly-anticipated rematch does not go ahead, Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez has hinted that Golovkin would “go a different way” and target a fight with undefeated WBO Champion Saunders.

Despite Sanchez claiming that Saunders would be “chomping at the bit” to face Golovkin as a ‘plan B’, the Hatfield man has reiterated that if the Middleweight foes meet in the ring, it will be on his terms.

“First of all me and Frank signed a contract to fight Golovkin before and they were the ones that pulled out, not me,” said Saunders. “I’m no back-up plan or plan B to anyone, I’m a World Champion and I believe that I’m the best in the division.

“If anything, Golovkin is my back-up plan. He is only saying this now because he is worried about getting beat by Canelo. He thinks that if he loses he’s going to fight again straight away for my belt.

“If he gets beat and comes to me without his belts then obviously I’m the A side and he’s the B side. If he comes to me with his belts then most definitely I’ll look forward to fighting him but he’s got Canelo to worry about first.

“Him and his trainer can talk as much crap as they want but when it comes down to it I’m ready to do the walking as well as the talking – and I’ve proved that before. For now all of my focus is on beating Martin Murray on Saturday 23rd June.”

Tickets for Saunders v Murray priced from £40 (Tier) to £300 (Hospitality) are available to purchase via www.axs.com.

New York City (March 23, 2018) Evander Holyfield’s The Real Deal Boxing has announced an outstanding card for their return to the historic Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday April 21, 2018.

Advance tickets for ‘Real Deal, Showcase Series III’, presented in association with World of Boxing and Uprising Promotions, priced at $150, $125, $75 and $50 are now on sale online through the Kings Theatre website, www.KingsTheatre.com.

“We’re thrilled to return to Kings Theatre so quickly after our successful opening night on March 10,” said Holyfield. “It’s a beautiful venue and we’re very excited to return and showcase our fighters in Brooklyn on April 21.”

Stated Andrey Ryabinsky of World of Boxing, “We are happy with the way that our cooperation is progressing with The Real Deal Boxing and Mr. Evander Holyfield. We had a great first event that we put together on March 10th and look forward to taking the next step with another event at King’s Theater on April 21st.”

Headlining the event, Josue ‘The Prodigy’ Vargas, (10-1-0, 6 KO’s), of Bronx via Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, makes a quick return to battle following his sensational fifth-round stoppage of Zach Ramsey on March 10 at the Kings Theatre.

The 19-year-old Vargas, now on a four-bout winning streak (his only loss was by a controversial disqualification), will face off against Yonkers, NY native Victor Vazquez, (10-3-0, 4 KO’s) in an eight round junior welterweight bout.

Vazquez will be looking to add to his three-bout winning streak as the 22-year-old impressively knocked out David Gonzales in the first round on March 2, 2018, in Philadelphia, PA. Vazquez is signed to Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotions.

Co-featured is the triumphant return of undefeated Bronx welterweight Peter Dobson, (9-0-0, 5 KO’s), in an eight-round clash with Brooklyn’s Martin Wright, (11-2-2, 5 KO’s).

Making his first start of 2018, Dobson returns to battle following the most impressive win of his three-plus years as a professional. On June 24, 2017, Dobson scored an eight-round decision over then undefeated Jeremy Nichols in Louisville, KY.

The battle-tested and upset minded Wright looks to return to the win column following a hotly contested eight round decision loss to undefeated David Grayton on October 17, 2015 in Fairfax, Virginia. Prior to the loss Wright was riding a three-bout winning streak in New York City area-based fights.

In a special attraction eight round bantamweight clash, undefeated Duke ‘The Baby-Faced Terminator’ Micah, (21-0-0, 18 KO’s), of Accra, Ghana, will battle veteran Frenchman Yoan Boyeaux, (41-5-0, 26 KO’s).

Making his long awaited United States debut, the 26-year-old Micah looked outstanding in a 10-round decision victory over Jose Santos Gonzalez on November 18, 2017 in Queens, NY. The victory was the first defense of his newly earned WBC International Bantamweight Title.

Fighting all over the world, Boyeaux was undefeated over a six-year span prior to his most recent fight, a loss to WBO Super Flyweight World Champion Naoya Inoue on December 30, 2017 in Yokohama, Japan. This will be the first time Boyeaux has fought in the United States.

Also on the card will be local favorites and The Real Deal Boxing prospects Justin Biggs (3-0-0, 3 KO’s) and Mathew Gonzalez (4-0-0, 3 KO’s), as well as Mexican-American phenom Oscar Moreno (5-0-0, 5 KO’s).

Special-feature bouts will include the return of 2016 Olympians from Uzbekistan, Shakhram Giyasov (1-0-0, 1 KO) and Murodjon Akhmadaliev (1-0-0, 1 KO) as well as Batyr Ahmedov (3-0-0, 2 KO’s), all signed to manager Vadim Kornilov and promoted by World of Boxing.

“We’ve also signed a number of Puerto Rican fighters from the local area and are planning a tremendous event on Saturday, June 9 to host National Puerto Rican Day,” said an elated Holyfield.

Further details on the National Puerto Rican Day event on June 9 will be also be announced in the coming weeks, but it is expected to feature the highly anticipated return of super middleweight knockout artist Edgar ‘The Chosen One’ Berlanga (7-0-0, 7 KO’s) and The Real Deal Boxing debut of newly-signed, hard-hitting undefeated featherweight Carlos ‘Pote’ Vidal, (11-0-0, 10 KO’s) plus much more.

Real Deal Sports & Entertainment is proud to partner with Medical Arts Radiology (www.medicalartsradiology.com) and Venum (www.venum.com).

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: @TheRealDealPromotions, @KingsTheatreBklyn

Twitter: @TheRealDealBox, @Holyfield, @KingsBklyn

Instagram: @TheRealDealBoxing, @EvanderRDHolyfield, @KingsBklyn

Website: www.TheRealDealBoxing.com, www.KingsTheatre.com

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155572401015756/

Saturday’s HBO Boxing After Dark® telecast begins at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT with a same-day replay at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Live from the O2 in London is a 12-round heavyweight showdown matching Britain’s Dillian Whyte against Lucas Browne of Australia.

Official Weights from London:

Dillian Whyte: 254.2 lbs.

Lucas Browne: 264.5 lbs.

PHILADELPHIA – Everything is set for the 11th Annual Briscoe Awards, to be held this Sunday afternoon, March 25, 2018, 1-4 PM, at the VBA Clubhouse in Philadelphia. The event celebrates the biggest and best achievements of the Philadelphia-area boxing scene, and is normally attended by boxers – both past and present, other boxing personalities, and fight fans.

“2017 was a memorable year for our local boxing scene, and it will be great to bring everyone together to celebrate it,” said John DiSanto, founder of the Briscoe Awards. “Our event is really just a party – food, drinks, and a coming together of everyone who loves this sport. It’s always great to see the mix of people that come to the Briscoe Awards. The highlight however, is throwing the spotlight on the fighters who worked so hard to entertain all of us fans. It’s always a good day and a fun time.”

Attending the Briscoe Awards this year will be big winner TYRONE BRUNSON, who will receive three awards – for “Fighter”, “Fight”, and “Performance of the Year”, AVERY SPARROW, both the “Prospect of the Year” and the “Breakout Fighter of 2017”, JARON ENNIS, named “The One to Watch”, DYLAN PRICE, the “Rookie of the Year”, MARCEL RIVERS, who scored the “Knockout of the Year”, RAYMOND FORD, the “Amateur of the Year”, and JEROME CONQUEST, who will receive the “Everett Brothers Award”.
The “Photo of the Year” will also be chosen by those in attendance. Former boxing stars, current fighters, fans, and other members of the fight fraternity round out the typical Briscoe Awards crowd.

A limited number of tickets for the March 25, 2018 Briscoe Awards will be available at the door for $20. That ticket price includes admission, food, draft beer, wine, and soft drinks. The Briscoe Awards will be held between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM, at the VBA Clubhouse, 2733 E. Clearfield Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19134.

The Briscoe Awards are presented by Philly Boxing History Inc., a 501c3 Non-Profit organization dedicated to preserving and honoring the great legacy boxing in and around the city of Philadelphia. For more information, call John DiSanto at 609-377-6413.

PHILADEPHIA (March 22, 2018) — There will be no Brotherly Love when JESSIE MAGDALENO defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight title against No. 1 contender ISAAC DOGBOE on Saturday, April 28, at The Liacouras Center.

The Magdaleno-Dogboe fight will headline a card with plenty of local flavor, as Philadelphia heavyweights BRYANT “BY-BY” JENNINGS and JOEY DAWEJKO rekindle an old rivalry, and Philadelphia native JESSE “Hollywood” HART continues his drive back to a world title challenge when he faces DEMOND NICHOLSON in a super middleweight bout.

Appearing on the undercard will be 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson (5-0, 2 KOs) of Newark, N.J., in an eight-round featherweight bout against Roxberg Riley (12-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Ga.

Magdaleno-Dogboe, Jennings-Dawejkoand Hart-Nicholson will be televised LIVE on ESPN and stream in English and Spanish on the ESPN App at 7 p.m. ET. Undercard bouts will stream on the ESPN App beginning at 4 p.m. ET. ESPN Deportes will air the fight at 10 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Peltz Boxing, tickets, priced at $100 (ringside), $65 and $35, are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased at The Liacouras Center Box Office and www.liacourascenter.com, or by calling Peltz Boxing at 215-765-0922.

Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs), a southpaw from Las Vegas, won the world title with a unanimous decision over four-weight world champion Nonito Donaire on Nov. 5, 2016. Last April, he made quick work of Adeilson Dos Santos, stopping the Brazilian contender in the second round. He was scheduled to fight on Nov. 11, but an injury kept him out of action. Magdaleno rested and recovered, looks forward to defending his title.

Magdaleno and Dogboe, however, are not strangers. The two sparred years ago in Las Vegas, with each man claiming to have gotten the better of the sessions.

“I feel like this going to be a very exciting fight. I’m excited to be defending my title for the second time,” Magdaleno said. “All the fans are going to see a great fight from Jessie Magdaleno. I’m going to do things the fans have never seen from me. I have a great undefeated opponent in front of me. Someone’s ‘0’ has got to go, but mine isn’t going anywhere.”

Dogboe (18-0, 12 KOs), a 2012 Olympian from Accra, Ghana, won the interim WBO junior featherweight title on Jan. 6 in Accra, thrilling the hometown fans with a fifth-round TKO of former world title challenger Cesar Juarez. A sweeping left hook knocked Juarez down, and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight. Dogboe has won four of his last five fights by knockout.

Jennings and Dawejko will battle it out in classic neighborhood battle, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Philadelphia in decades.

“In my opinion, Dawejko vs. Jennings is the biggest Philly vs. Philly fight in 36 years,” said Hall of Fame promoter J Russell Peltz, president of Peltz Boxing. “I have to go all the way back to 1982 when Jeff Chandler defended his WBA world bantamweight title against former high school classmate Johnny Carter in a nationally televised fight from Pennsylvania Hall at the Civic Center. There have been other outstanding all-Philly fights since then, but they pale in comparison to Dawejko vs. Jennings. Plus, Dawejko beat Jennings in the amateurs, and that’s just one of several subplots in this matchup.”

“I’m very excited for this all-Philly battle, to get the opportunity to put on for my city,” Jennings said. “Hopefully, when this is a success, we’ll be able to bring boxing to the city on an even bigger scale. After I beat Joey Dawejko, I hope to one day fight for, and defend, the heavyweight title in Philadelphia.”

The rivals have come a long way since their amateur days when Dawejko defeated Jennings in Jennings’ third amateur fight.

“The judges said he won, but I really won,” Jennings said.

As for Dawejko, he remembers things differently.

“It was the last fight of my amateur career, and I know he felt he won,” Dawejko said. “I already knew I was turning pro. I didn’t care about the fight, and it was an easy win. If he feels he got hosed in our amateur fight, I’m gonna down that motherfu**er in our pro fight.”

Jennings (22-2, 13 KOs), born in North Philadelphia, didn’t start boxing until December 2008, when he was 24 years old. His amateur career spanned only 17 fights, but he found success rather quickly as a pro. He won his first 19 bouts before challenging heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko on April 25, 2015, at Madison Square Garden. Jennings gave Klitschko one of the toughest tests of his championship reign, ultimately dropping a unanimous decision. Following a seventh-round TKO loss to Luis Ortiz on Dec. 19, 2015, Jennings took a 20-month sabbatical from the ring. He signed with Top Rank and has won two fights in a row. In his last bout, on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nev., Jennings knocked down Akhror Muralimov five times en route to a third-round stoppage.

Dawejko (19-4-4, 11 KOs) is riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak dating back to May 8, 2015, when he lost a unanimous decision to Amir Mansour. He is no stranger to Philadelphia crowds, having fought there 10 times as a pro. In his last bout, on Dec. 1, he beat the previously undefeated Kelvin Nunez via eight-round decision to win the vacant WBC FECARBOX belt.

Hart (23-1, 19 KOs) is a former amateur standout, winning the 2011 National Golden Gloves and U.S. National championships at 165 pounds. A 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate, Hart turned pro in 2012 and won his first 22 bouts prior to challenging Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO super middleweight title on Sept. 22, 2017. He fought valiantly that night, ultimately dropping a close unanimous decision. Hart last fought on the Ramirez-Habib Ahmed undercard on Feb. 3, knocking out Thomas Awimbono in the opening round. Against Nicholson (18-2, 17 KOs), he is facing one of the division’s most fearsome punchers.

Hart is trained by his father, Philadelphia boxing legend Eugene ‘Cyclone’ Hart.

“I’m very excited to fight in front of my hometown people,” Hart said. “My dad will definitely be there, and even more exciting is my daughter, Halo, will be there. She hasn’t been to a fight since 2014, so this night will be extra special.”

Nicholson, a native of Laurel, Md., turned pro in 2013 after going 110-15 in the amateur ranks. Two fights ago, on June 9, 2017, he dropped a hotly contested eight-round split decision to the undefeated Steve Rolls but rebounded with a second-round stoppage of Josue Obando on Aug. 25. Nicholson has 10 first-round knockouts on his ledger and hopes to bring that power to the ring against Hart, the WBO’s top contender.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing, Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo @ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtags #MagdalenoDogboe, #HartNicholson and #JenningsDawejko and to join the conversation on social media.

LAS VEGAS (March 22, 2018) — Unbeaten bantamweight prospect “The Baby-Faced Assassin” Max Ornelas (10-0-1, 4 KOs) goes from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas classroom into an on-campus ring at Cox Pavilion on April 20th to take on his Roy Jones Jr, (RJJ) Boxing Promotions stablemate, Dallas challenger Tony Lopez (12-3, 4 KOs), in the 10-round main event for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) North American Boxing Association (NABA) bantamweight title.

Ornelas vs. Lopez, presented RJJ Boxing Promotions, will air live on beIN Sports, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

“I’ve watched Max come up in the rankings and as his confidence and power have grown,” co-promoter Roy Jones, Jr. said. “The way he has represented his hometown and my stable is remarkable. Now, to witness him fight in front of his fellow UNLV student body, I know he will exude humbleness for RJJ, UNLV and Las Vegas.”

The Las Vegas-born Ornelas was 38-5 as an amateur, highlighted by a bronze-medal winning performance at the National PAL Championships, ranked as high as No 2 in the United States in the 123-pound division.

RJJ Boxing Promotions immediately put Ornelas on the fast track from the start. He was late for the official weigh in of his June 10, 2016 pro debut because of his high school graduation, turned 18 the day after his first fight, and later signed an exclusive promotional contract with RJJ on the following Monday.

The lone blemish on his otherwise perfect pro record is a two-round technical draw against 6-0 Leopoldo Martinez, which Ornelas avenged three months later in a rematch, stopping Martinez in the fifth round. In his most recent fight last November, Ornelas was in his fist 10-round bout, headlining on beIN Sports from Sloan, Iowa, in which Ornelas won a 10-round unanimous decision over veteran Nick Otieno (31-11).

“I love what RJJ Boxing Promotions has done for me,” WBA N0. 14-rated Ornelas spoke about his accelerated pace. “I’m only 19 but they’ve shown that they trust me. They gave me seven fights in six months, making it much quicker for a world title fight. The rest is up to me.”

Ornelas (pictured to left) is familiar with Mexico-born Lopez, who was a 2012 Ft. Worth Golden Gloves champion, having fought on the same card twice in Las Vegas and Arizona. “He’s a southpaw with a cocky style that’s hard to defend,” Ornelas remarked, “but my speed and smarts in the ring will beat him. I think we’ll box a few rounds, like a chess match to open the fight, but I’ll open-up in the middle rounds and take him out in the sixth, seventh or eighth round.

“This will be my toughest fight yet. He’s more experienced. This is going to be a good fight with a title on the line. An impressive win is going to open up more doors for me.”

Ornelas’ parents insisted that Max would have to attend college if he turned pro. He balances his life as a UNLV sophomore, majoring in criminal justice, with that of a prize fighter. Fighting at home, on the UNLV campus in front of family, friends and fellow students, pumps up the affable Ornelas.

“When I’m not training, I’m in school or studying,” Ornelas explained. “I’ve handled things well. I’m disciplined and like to stay busy. I’ll stay in school and keep fighting until I graduate. I’ll probably cut back my workload, though, when I’m training for a world title fight.

“I’m really excited about fighting at home. I’ll have a lot of people there supporting me. I like pressure and my adrenalin will be pumping. Because of my weight class, I realize that I will need to travel to other countries to fight for titles, but it’s always exciting for me to fight at home in Las Vegas (this will be his sixth pro fight in Las Vegas).”

Former WBA junior featherweight Rico “Suavacito” Ramos (28-5, 13 KOs) squares off against Mexican featherweight Daniel “El Chato” Noreiga (30-11, 15 KOs), a former WBA Fedecentro super flyweight titlist, in the eight-round, co-featured event on beIN Sports.

Opening the televised portion of this loaded card is the much-anticipated professional debut of Uzbekistan-native Elnur Abduraimov, now fighting out of Las Vegas, who was a bronze medalist at the 2015 World Amateur Championships, as well as a 2015 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships winner. The gifted Uzbek will be in a six-round bout versus an opponent to soon be determined.

In a pair of eight-round fights, Australian junior middleweight and past world title challenger, Tommy “The Titan” Browne (35-7-2, 13 KOs), meets Carlos Hernandez (15-17, 12 KOs), of Puerto Rico, while unbeaten World Boxing Council (WBC) United States welterweight champion Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (14-0-1, 5 KOs) faces TBA. Williams is a former college football player from New Haven, Connecticut.

Fighting on the undercard in six-rounders are Las Vegas welterweights Kevin Johnson (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. TBA, and undefeated Roy Jones protégé Shady Gamhour (6-0, 5 KOs), a Swedish middleweight now living in Jones’ hometown of Pensacola, Florida.

In four-round action are Russian middleweight Pete Khamukov (1-0, 1 KO) vs. TBA, Russian light heavyweight Vyacheslav Barsukov (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. TBA and pro-debuting Las Vegas junior lightweight Jaime Gomez vs. Ivan Ortiz (1-0-1, 1 KO), of Los Angeles.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

“With Ornelas vs Lopez,” co-promoter Keith Veltre added, “fans are going to watch a great battle in every sense of the word. They’re two aggressive fighters who will surely entertain fans on April 20th.

“This card is filled with heavy hitters, power punchers and body shot artists. People are going to walk away feeling the pain of each loss and ready to celebrate all of the victories.”

Tickets are priced at $100.00 Ringside, $40.00 Reserved Seating & $25.00 General Admission, and available to purchase online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/eventInfo/spe/687/ornelas-vs-lopez/Taxes and fees apply to all sold tickets.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT with the opening bout scheduled at 6:00 p.m. PT.

INFORMATION:
Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com,http://www.beinsports.com/us
Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @beINSPORTS ,
Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @beINSportsusa, @artofmusiclv, @cervezatecate, @rivalboxinggear, use #RoyJonesJr, #RJJ, #MaxLopez
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RJJBoxing
http://www.facebook.com/beinsportsusa

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada (March 22, 2018) – Irish eyes were smilin’ last Saturday in Canada, when undefeated International Boxing Association (IBA) lightweight champion Josh “Dubs” O’Reilly made his first title defense, taking a 10-round unanimous decision over his Mexican challenger, Juan “El Tornado” Bedolla Orozco,

The special St. Patrick’s Day card, presented by United Promotions, was held at Hersey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

The 27-year-old O’Reilly (11-0, 4 KOs), an Irish-Canadian fighting out of Hamilton (Canada), defeated Orozco by scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91.

“I’m very happy with my performance, especially against such a tough opponent,” O’Reilly said. “I’m glad I got 10 rounds in and, overall, I think it was a good performance.

“I’m looking forward to staying busy and getting back in the ring May 12th. I’m looking for another victory and a great show.”

Team O’Reilly celebrates its recent victory

“Josh O’Reilly is the hottest prospect in Toronto right now and we’re looking to keep him busy,” promoter Tyler Buxton commented. “His next fight will be May 12th as the co-feature with Brandon ‘Bad Boy’ Cook in the main event.”

Former International Boxing Federation (IBF heavyweight champion Frankie Rill (15-2, 11 KOs), stopped Argentinian knockout-artist Sebastian “El Grandote” Ignacio Ceballos (34-10-2, 26 KOs) in the opening round of the co-featured event.

Canadian light heavyweight champion Tim Cronin (11-1-1, 2 KOs) won a six-round majority decision over previously unbeaten Argentinian Juan Cruz Correa (4-1-1),

Canadian light heavyweights Jason Alexander (2-3, 2 KOs) and Darren Fletcher (1-4-2) battled to a six-round majority draw.

Indian middleweight prospect Sukhdeep “Chakria” Singh, a 2012 Senior National Boxing Championship and 2011 Boxing Super Cup gold medalist as an amateur, had an impressive pro debut, knocking out Alejandro Garcia (2-2, 1 KO), of Mexico, in the fourth round.

Undefeated Armenia-native Andranik Grigoryan (3-0), now fighting oit of Montreal, won a six-round unanimous decision versus previously undefeated Mexican featherweight Sergio “El Duende” Palafox (7-1, 2 KOs). Grigoryan gained invaluable experience as a key member of the Russian Boxing Team in the World Series of Boxing.

Mexican super welterweight Mario Bedolla Orozzo (1-1-1) won a four-round split decision over pro-debuting, local favorite Karl “The Razor” Hess.

“Last Saturday night’s St. Patrick’s Day event was a great success,” Buxton concluded. “We had a little bit of everything: close fights, split decisions, majority draws, upsets, and knockouts. And Josh O’Reilly won a one-sided fight versus a very tough Mexican opponent, Juan Bedolla Orozco, who made Josh work. Overall, it was a great event.”

INFORMATION:

Website: www.UnitedPromotions.CA

Facebook: /UnitedBoxingPromotions

Twitter: @UnitedBoxingPromotions, @TylerBuxton

Instagram: @UnitedPromotions

Ryan Garcia viciously stopped Fernando Vargas in the 1st round of their scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout at The Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

Garcia landed a right hand that was followed by a left hand that sent Vargas plummeting on his back, and the bout was stopped at 2:55.

Garcia, 129.6 lbs of Victorville, CA is 14-0 with 13 knocmouts. Vargas, 129.2 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 33-16-3.

Eddie Gomez scored a 2nd round stoppage over KeAndre Gibson in a sched 10-round welterweight bout.

Gomez landed a perfect counter right to the jaw that sent Gibson down. Gibson got up but wobbled toward the referee and the bout was stopped at 54 seconds.

Gomez, 147 lbs of Bronx, NY is now 21-3 with 12 knockouts. Gibson, 146.2 lbs of St. Louis, MO is 18-2-1.

Aaron McKenna stopped Jose Palacios in the 1st round of their scheduled four-round super welterweight bout.

McKenna dropped Palacios with a left to the liver. McKenna continues to land hard shots until Palacios pointed to his head and the bout was stopped at 2:46

McKenna, 149.6 lbs of County Monaghan, IRE is 2-0 with one knockout. Palacios, Chihuahua, MX is 1-2.

Question: How have your preparations gone and what are your thoughts in anticipation for the big fight?

Anthony Joshua: “Preparations have gone really well. We’re still in preparation now but so far, so good. I do believe a happy fighter makes a good fighter. For the experience over my last few fights in 11 months have gone 11 rounds, 10 rounds, have been a blessing. I’ve learned about training camp and I’ve learned about myself. It’s the first time I’ve kind of voiced up to my coach man-to-man. I’ve said, ‘Look, this is what I’ve thought was working and this is what I feel isn’t working. Can I have your input and can we make some changes?’ Not in a sense of how he’s training me. Just in terms of schedule and it’s been really good. I’ve had some cruiserweights come in sparring for speed, some big heavy hitters who throw big right hands and left hooks and wait for me to make a mistake. We’ve been sparring 15 rounds. And honestly, I’ve been doing this for 10 years now if I rack up my amateur career and my pro career. And you know the 10,000-hour rule. I’m starting to get confident. I’ve had the ability but I think I’m matched up with my mindset now and I’m feeling really good and confident ahead of March 31.

Q: People in the U.S. are excited about your fight with Parker but there are so many American fans excited about the prospect of a fight between yourself and Wilder. What are your thoughts on that and are you able to tune that out ahead of your fight with Parker on the 31st?

Joshua: “You’ve got to remember that a lot of that talk about me and Wilder started in 2017 after he beat Bermane Stiverne but I haven’t spoken much about it. I’ve got great people in my corner that handle the business while I focus on the handling of my boxing technique. We reached out to Deontay Wilder’s team before the fight with Joseph Parker was made. And once that fight didn’t happen, I put Wilder aside and focused solely on Parker. I’m not the one overlooking Joseph Parker and I’m not the one hooting and hollering about what’s happening next. I’m really focused on Parker because as you know, if I don’t get past Parker, it slows down the train and derails everything we’re trying to achieve in terms of becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”

Q: Do you allow yourself to think about the prospect of that fight in the event that you win the fight on the 31st?

Joshua: “One-hundred 10 percent. There’s no doubt in my mind that fight will happen. And there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll beat Wilder as well. This is where we’re heading. Fight after fight, my view on it is this…When Wladimir Klitschko was active and his brother relinquished the WBC belt, Wilder won it. If he was so interested in becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, why didn’t he offer to fight Klitschko and say ‘Listen, I’ve got that belt that your brother has had for the last 10 years. Let’s me and you fight now.’ There’s a lot of pressure from fans in America, media and the papers for Wilder to step up and fight. And now we’re here and I’m that champion and I’m definitely looking forward to it. That’s why back-to-back, I’ve been racking up these belts one by one and taking fights. SHOWTIME has been riding with me for six fights, a quarter of my career. And we’re headed towards the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.”

Q: There was a report in the Telegraph (UK) that there’s possibly going to be a meeting between yourself and the people at UFC who are now going to be getting involved in boxing. Can you give me your perspective on you joining their organization and about what they wrote today?

Joshua: “I’m riding with Eddie. He’s backed me from the get-go. And the second thing, I’m a boxer. I’m not into the UFC so I don’t know what their plans are. But every time I’ve been asked about UFC and if I would make that crossover like McGregor did with Mayweather, I’ve said yes.

Q: It wasn’t about Anthony Joshua becoming a mixed martial artist, their intentions are to promote boxing events. Dana White and the UFC view you as someone that any promotional company could build around given your star power.

Joshua: “Oh yeah, a hundred percent. I’m interested because we can all work together. Mine and Eddie’s relationship is a really good working relationship. I’m sure Eddie has an interest in working with Dana White. If it’s good business, it makes sense. I’m not into business. I’m sure Eddie’s not going to say, ‘Dana White, we’re not interested in working with you’ when we don’t know what’s on the table. We’ll listen and a hundred percent, if it makes sense, we’re all in. I’m happy that Dana White is coming into the game and hopefully he can add some excitement, progress forward, make some good money and make some good fights.”

Q: Eddie, do you have any thoughts about the story in the paper today?

Eddie Hearn: “No, I saw it and Gareth [Davies] spoke to me about it today. If Dana White wants to speak to us, obviously Anthony’s with us. We’re willing to talk to anybody and we do great business with everyone. We work with anyone, if the business is right. In the meantime, I’ll sign Conor McGregor and it’ll be fair.”

Q: You weighed 254 pounds for your last fight and there’s been some talk in the media that you’re looking to slim down for this fight. Can you tell us what weight you’re looking to check in at for this fight?

Joshua: “Let’s say 17.5, 17.4 (stone). You’ve got to remember with this weight nonsense, no fighter should go into training camp focusing on their weight. This isn’t Weight Watchers and nobody should focus on their weight as such. But I do feel that your weight has to adapt to the style of fighter you’re facing. With Carlos Takam, he was a shorter fighter. He came in on the inside and ended up head-butting me so I knew I had to kind of be able to lean on Takam and tire him out. I knew he was going to move a lot. This wasn’t going to be a Kubrat Pulev type of fight where I’m going to be jabbing or counter punching. I was going to be sitting on top of Takam and working into the body so the weight played a good role. But now, I’m fighting someone like Parker who’s a lot quicker and moves a lot more. I have to make sure I’m lighter on my feet so I’ve adjusted to the style of fighter I’m fighting. I haven’t adjusted my weight for any other reason than the type of fighter I’m going to be facing.”

Q: Is there any truth to the idea of you being lighter and not carrying around as much muscle could help you in the long run?

Joshua: “I’m 20-0, I’m unified champ, muscle or not, I’m still handling business. I feel like people try to find anything to steer your mind from what’s working. I’m winning, racking up wins and it’s been going well. I wouldn’t focus on anything else than what’s working.”

Q: Do you look at Joseph Parker as the most dangerous challenge in your career thus far?”

Joshua: “No. Wladimir Klitschko.”

Q: How different of a matchup is this to Wladimir?

Joshua: “Wladimir was a phenomenal champion. I just feel people didn’t give him the credit. He doesn’t have a name that a lot of the Western fans can resonate with. It’s not like an Adam Clark. His first language wasn’t English. People didn’t really buy into it. He was dominating. He was a great champion. Ten years on top. Phenomenal. 69 fights and 64 wins. That’s phenomenal. I’m fighting someone that’s 24-0. Everything I learned from that fight was a blessing and it’s led me to being confident ahead of the fight with Joseph Parker. So I’m dealing with a different beast. Parker still poses a threat but doesn’t’ have half the experience that Wladimir had.”

Q: Do you think Parker is the most technical fighter you’ve faced up to this point and if so, why do you think that?

Joshua: “I think it’s because he’s had an extensive amateur career. I do believe the Lomachenkos, Rigondeauxs, Andre Wards have all had great amateur careers which led them on to be phenomenal professionals and Joseph Parker’s had that. I have to give credit where credit is due. But then, so have I and I was always told to leave the amateur’s in the background because the pros are a different game. And now we’re facing each other as professionals. I just think he has that amateur background behind him and he knows how to fight. He’s traveled the world so coming to England is nothing new to him. He’s got that in his locker, which has gotten him this far.”

Q: Looking at your 21st fight, what do you feel at this stage in the game that you need to improve on?

Joshua: “When I look at boxing now, everybody talks about what I need to do to be a great champion and it seems to me that it’s a right hand and a good chin. We might as well go to the night clubs around England and America and just find the biggest and ugliest looking guy and he’ll become heavyweight champion. What I need to do to become a great champion is just work on my all-around game. The fundamentals. We’re talking about balance, footwork and understanding the distance between being in range and out of range. Perfecting your jab. Use your jab 50 times before you throw your right hand. Let’s make sure your right hand is in the right position to defend a left hook in case you get countered. Everything. That’s why I say when I fought Wladimir Klitschko, he had enough time to make mistakes and come back and reign supreme as a champion. So over time, in these types of fights I’ve had early on in my career, I’ve learned what will play massive roles later on when I become one of the dominant fighters in the heavyweight division.”

Q: How do you stay dialed in and not worry about all of the outside noise regarding your career?

Joshua: “Because I know about the history of the sport. I know how easy it is to be forgotten about. I just realize that this is my time and I have to capitalize and maximize and do what’s right for me. This isn’t about being the fan favorite. I’m not here to be pat on the back. I’m here to handle my business in the best way possible and when it’s all said and done be content with the decisions I’ve made.”

Q: How would you assess your performance against Carlos Takam?

Joshua: “I won every round. I got head-butted. I couldn’t breathe through my nose. I realize that Takam was a late step in so I was preparing for someone completely different. So, what I decided to do with Carlos is just go through the motions because I realize 2018 was a massive year in terms of unifying with Joseph Parker and then potentially facing Deontay Wilder providing I win to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. So, my game plan with Takam was don’t be too explosive and don’t take too many risks. Make sure I dominate Takam and I win every round and that’s kind of how things panned out.”

Q: How do you think Joseph looked in his last fight against Hughie Fury?

Joshua: “You’ve got to look at Parker when he boxes on the front and the back foot. There’s two significant changes. When he boxes on the front foot, I think he finds it difficult to land combinations because I just think he struggled a bit against Fury when he was dancing on the edge of the ring. But when he fights people like Takam on his back foot, he’s better. I just think he really struggled with Fury when he was coming forward. I do think he won. I do think Joseph Parker won. We’re both in a position to show how great we are and why we’re real contenders in the division. That’s all it’s about now. March 31.”

Q: Do you feel you’ve gotten the credit that you deserve for fighting Klitschko because of his age?

Joshua: Is Mayweather too old to still fight you think?

Q: They’re the same age, right?

Joshua: Exactly. People still say Mayweather is still young and that he can still compete. The difference is, lighter weights struggle to maintain their finesse because they have to stay on a diet. They starve their body of nutrition. Heavyweights mature later. When Klitschko lost, everyone who knows boxing knew he wasn’t in the right mind frame. When he came to fight me, I just knew. He didn’t say he’s in great shape. He didn’t say he was feeling strong, but he said he’s obsessed. When your mind is right, the body will follow. That win against Klitschko was tough, I didn’t take him to points. I didn’t go there to steal the belt. I took it with both hands and it was a great fight for the history books. I’m not looking for credit, I know what that fight was and what it meant to me.”

Q: [To Hearn] What are your thoughts about Anthony’s focus on Parker with all the talk of Wilder?

Hearn: “We never have to worry about Anthony’s focus. He’s probably the most focused and driven individual you can meet. He knows the challenges and risks in front of him against Joseph Parker. One thing about Anthony is that he’s not real big on hype. We’re not really into storming the ring after fighting. When we got Klitschko in the ring after the fight, we signed a contract a few hours before that was in existence if Anthony won against [Eric] Molina that night. Until that fight is signed, Anthony won’t really get excited about that fight. He’s not really interested in talking about it or hyping it. It’s the biggest fight in world boxing. It’s a fight that’s completely irrelevant if he’s not victorious next Saturday. I don’t think that it’s Deontay Wilder, it’s the other stone that needs to be turned to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. This is Anthony’s 21st fight and effectively his second unification fight. Deontay has had 40 fights. We’re well ahead of schedule. All of these fights will happen and the reality is the one that put pens to paper and that are actually happening.”

Q: How important is it to you to maintain your one-hundred percent KO ratio?

Joshua: “It’s great for the record and promotion. It’s not as important to fulfilling your game plan. Some fighters will be tough and some fighters may not be there to be knocked out. I have to have it in my locker also to be able to go the distance. In terms of promotion and saying I have a hundred percent KO ratio is great. I don’t think there’s any heavyweight in the history of his career that’s been able to have purely knockouts on his record so I don’t expect to be the first one.”

Q: When you saw Wilder fight Ortiz, did you see anything that you didn’t know about him already? Did he impress you or let you down?

Joshua: After 10 years as a professional and 40 fights in, Wilder’s done what he’s supposed to do. He’s supposed to win. He’s supposed to beat someone like Luiz Ortiz. After 10 years of any craft. Let’s say you’re working in sales and you can’t sell a person that Mercedes-Benz or whatever car it is, you’ve got big issues. Wilder’s had that experience to be able to dominate that division. He just did what routinely is supposed to happen and get the win. He struggled a bit, but he got there in the end. That’s all that matters. That’s what shows up in the history books, a W. So, I’m happy for him.”

Q: Can you elaborate on what makes you think Parker is a weird character?

Joshua: “I can’t put my finger on it.”

Hearn: “I think the weird thing was alluding to the fact that he was boding Anthony with criticism and then when we had the press conference he was nice as pie. We expected him to bring that fire to the press conference and maybe he’ll bring it next week. He was kind of one person prior to the fight and then another when we came face-to-face. But we’ll see what happens next week.”

Q: [To Hearn] Is there a rematch clause for this fight and what are the circumstances with that?

Hearn: “The details of the contract are always confidential. When there’s a great fight and the appetite to see it again, generally you’ll get it.”

Hearn (Opening Comments): “It’s a huge event. This is our sixth fight with Anthony Joshua and SHOWTIME. It’s incredible, really that we’ve had that amount of fights. It seems like the Charles Martin fight was just like yesterday. It’s incredible that in 11 months, Anthony Joshua has had three stadium fights. Of course, Wladimir Klitschko, Carlos Takam and now Joseph Parker. There have been 240,000 fans and over 2.5 million UK pay-per-view buys. It’s been an incredible run and an incredible 11 months. And a great March of course for SHOWTIME with a brilliant fight between Wilder and Ortiz and I think this fight has all of the ingredients to be even better than that. It’s a great fight. Two undefeated young heavyweights. Fearless, fast, big punching, great footwork, 24-0 against 20-0. I think it’s the kind of fight that we need in the world of boxing and it’s the first-ever unification fight in Britain between two reigning heavyweight world champions. And the first time in the history of the sport that two heavyweights have fought a unification fight with perfect records. It’s going to be a huge week. We have a huge press conference at SKY next Tuesday, we have a public workout on Wednesday, the weigh-in is a national holiday on a Friday, it’s going to be huge. Seventy-eight thousand people crammed in to Millennium Stadium for this huge unification fight. This is just the beginning for Anthony Joshua. Just another stepping stone to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and we can’t wait. It’s a great fight and we thank SHOWTIME for all their support as ever.”

PARKER CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS:

STEPHEN ESPINOZA (Opening Comments):

“Through the first six months of this year we will be delivering 11 marquee events, which includes matchups of five top-ranked fighters, of which this is one, and two unifications, of course which this is one. In this month of March all four heavyweight world title belts are at stake on SHOWTIME.

“This fight, Joshua vs. Parker, will be the 12th heavyweight fight on SHOWTIME within the last three years. We’re proud to be doing our part to help propel the reinvigoration of the heavyweight division. During those last three years the U.S. audience has gotten to know a little bit about Anthony Joshua and we are very happy to be able to further introduce them to Joseph Parker, the consensus top three heavyweight in the world and WBO Champion making his third defense and his first appearance on SHOWTIME.

“We are thrilled to have this fight; it’s right in our wheelhouse, a highly competitive, highly anticipated matchup of top fighters.”

Joseph Parker: “It’s been a great training camp that we’ve had in Las Vegas and now we’re here in London. We have about a week and a half before the fight and like Kevin mentioned, we hit the ground running. We got some good sessions in. I’m looking forward to fighting an undefeated fighter like Anthony Joshua, who I respect. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to unify the division and unify the belts and the opportunity to put on a great display and make my mark on SHOWTIME. I can’t wait for it. Our team is excited to be here and it’s going to be a great opportunity for us.”

Q: When you watch the struggles Joshua had against Klitschko, what do you take away from that fight?

Parker: “I think being active has worked well for us. I watched that fight. He did really well in terms of coming back and showed a lot of heart to get back up off the canvas and finish off the fight and getting the win. Coming into this fight, we’re young, we’re hungry and I think if we did get him in trouble there’s no waiting for us. We know how to finish off a fight. We know how to put on the pressure and get him out of there. He has strengths and weaknesses like every other fighter has and we’ll come up with a good game plan which I believe in and if I execute, I think we’ll get the victory.”

Kevin Barry: “As we know, there’s no secret about it, this is the biggest test that Joe’s had in front of him. But I also believe that this is the biggest test that Anthony Joshua’s had in front of him. We are expecting a much better Anthony Joshua than the one that fought Klitschko. I think there’s a lot of improvement in him just as there’s a lot of improvement in Joe. We’re anticipating that the styles of both these guys are going to make for a real fan-friendly fight and a very exciting fight.”

Q: There’s so much attention paid to an Anthony Joshua-Deontay Wilder fight, as if it’s an assumption that he’s going to beat you. Does that bother you?

Parker: “It doesn’t really bother me. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion and the fight they want to see. I think what’s important for us is that we focus on what’s in front of us and that’s Anthony Joshua. Our focus is on Anthony Joshua and being in great shape and being healthy. It gives us motivation in training and we know what our focus is. Our focus is Anthony Joshua and putting on the best performance of our lives March 31.”

Q: As a fan of boxing, how good is a match like this for the sport?

Parker: “A match like this is a very big deal. As a fan of boxing and as a fighter, we love to watch the big fights and be involved in the big fights. So we’re pretty happy to be involved in the fight. I think it’s the best time for us to be involved in a big fight like this. Back a few years ago, Kevin said he’s always wanted to fight Anthony Joshua and he said to me, when we do fight this guy, it has to mean something. And it does really mean something this time. We’re both undefeated, we both have titles, we’re both world champions and we both want to unify the division so it’s going to mean a lot and it’s a big occasion.”

Q: A lot of fans don’t know you in the United States, explain to them what you will bring to the table on March 31.

Parker: “The fans haven’t really seen the best Joseph Parker there is. Going into this fight, we’ve worked on a lot of things. Like I said, I trust in my whole team. I trust in my coach and the game plan. I’m going to bring a lot of movement, speed and power and a lot of angles. I promise that this is a fight that I’m going to make very exciting.”

Q: What was the reason behind losing weight heading into this fight?

Barry: “Joe’s still a very young heavyweight. We’ve been together for five years and we’re still a long way away from a finished product. Last year, we bumped Joe up quite a bit. We put a bunch of muscle on him. We put an extra 10 pounds of weight on him and it actually doesn’t really work out for us. So we sat down, Joe and I, and we said that we felt he was a busier fighter, a more mobile fighter, his feet and hands were faster, when he was lighter. So for a fight like this against a big, strong, powerful guy like Joshua it was important that we went back to a mobile, lighter fighter.”

Q: Do you think Joshua and Eddie Hearn saw something the rest of the world didn’t see in your fight against Hughie Fury, which wasn’t your best performance?

Parker: “Last year wasn’t our best year and I wasn’t close to what we can actually do in the ring. They probably saw a lot of things that they could work on to get to us but we’re a totally different fighter now from where we were last year. We’ve improved on a lot of things and we’re going to show everyone what we’ve been working so hard on in Vegas.”

Q: What would it mean to you to become the unified heavyweight champion?

Parker: “It would mean a lot. It would mean the world, not only for myself but for our team. There’s a lot of people that’s involved in getting me to this stage and there’s a lot of people that want me to go out there and put on my best performance. It’s going to mean a lot for myself, my team, my coach and my countries of New Zealand and Samoa.”

Q: Are you concerned that if the fight goes to the scorecards you won’t get a fair shake because of Joshua’s popularity in Great Britain?

Parker: “I’m not concerned and the reason I say that is because we have good officials. My team has done a great job to get neutral officials and my focus is on the fight. I want to go out there and do my best. Whatever happens, happens. But I trust that the officials will do the right thing and give the right decision.”

Barry: ”It was very important for us when we were formulating this contract that we had independent, neutral officials. We have three judges – one from the United States, one from the UK and one from New Zealand. And we have an Italian referee so we’re very happy with the names that have been put forward that there will be no disputing the decision. We believe that we have fair, very experienced officials who will do a good job come Saturday the 31st.”

Q: Do you think Joshua is underestimating you based on what they saw in that fight against Fury?

Parker: “I think on that performance, they are underestimating us and I think a lot of people are already writing us off because of that performance. But, like I said, we’ve worked on a lot of things and we had a great camp and it’s going to be a different fight as you guys will see March 31. If they’re judging us off that fight, then they’ve got it totally wrong. That could definitely work in our favor.”

Barry: “I think the same will go for both camps. If they’re looking at the Fury fight, we know that Joseph is a much better fighter than that. Fury was a very awkward opponent, an opponent that we wouldn’t have even been in the ring with if it wasn’t for a mandatory. Looking at Joshua’s last fight with Carlos Takam, he really didn’t light the world on fire in that fight and he left a lot of question marks about his performance. We’re expecting a much better Joshua than the one that fought Carlos Takam. So the same can be said both ways.”

Q: What did you think of Joshua’s performance against Takam?

Parker: “It wasn’t his best effort but he did what he had to do to get the victory. Maybe training with someone who was a lot taller and then fighting somebody shorter changed the way that he approached the fight but I think the main thing is that he got the victory and he kept the belts and that’s why we can make this big fight happen.”

Q: What do you think your advantages are over Joshua?

Parker: “I’ve been 12 rounds five times so I’m durable. With this training camp that we’ve had, we’ve worked a lot on different angles and speed. What we’ve been seeing in the gym and in sparring, we’re going to put on display come fight night. I think I have advantages in speed and power. If we execute it well on fight night then he won’t be able to catch us and he won’t be able to land that big shot that he throws.”

Barry: “Speed is the key. We’ve always believed that Joe’s the fastest heavyweight in the world. I also believe that out of all the heavyweight champions, I think Joe has the better skill. I think he does things better than Joshua does. I think he’s more complete than Joshua. Is he as big as Joshua? No. Is his reach as long as Joshua’s? No. Joshua’s got a 100 percent knockout record but I believe Joseph Parker is a better skilled fighter than Antony Joshua and I think when we put the movement, the hand speed and the skill together, it’s going to be a very good combination and a successful combination on March 31.”

Q: Do you want to make a prediction for the fight?

Parker: “I’m going to be victorious. It’s going to be a great fight. We’re both hungry, we’re both undefeated and we’ve both been training hard but I believe in myself. I believe in my team and what we’ve been working on. I believe I’m going to be victorious March 31.”

Q: Do you think that Joshua’s chin is a big weakness for him?

Barry: “I think he has a pretty good chin. I know that we used the glass door as part of our marketing strategy in putting this fight together, but we believe as a team that Joshua has a good chin. He’s fought some big guys. He’s been hit on the chin before. Sure, he got dropped against Klitschko and there were stories of him getting dropped multiple times in the amateurs and that he was dropped in the gym in sparring, but all in all he’s a big, strong, powerful guy and I think his chin is not too bad.”

Barry (Opening Comments): “We’ve been in the gym running each morning at 6:30, 7:00 and in the boxing gym at 2:30. We’ve been doing between 16 and 18 rounds of boxing each day. Today we sparred and Joe is looking very sharp, very confident and the little bit of jet lag that we had is getting less and less by the day and we anticipate by this weekend we’ll have both feet firmly planted on the ground ready for a big week next week.”

LAKE BALBOA, CA.(March 22, 2018) – Former world champion James DeGale arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday to finish training camp at the Team Watson Boxing Club as he prepares for his world title rematch against IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Truax Saturday, April 7 live on SHOWTIME from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by Erislandy Lara, the longest reigning world champion at 154-pounds, clashing with undefeated champion Jarrett Hurd in a highly anticipated 154-pound world title unification bout. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features Julian Williams and Nathaniel Gallimore meeting in a 154-pound world title eliminator.

DeGale is looking to bounce back from a majority decision loss to Truax last December in London, a fight he believes he rushed into after suffering a serious shoulder injury that included a 180-degree tear and damage to his rotator cuff and AC joint.

“When the doctor told me that some athletes recover from that injury in six months, I had it set in my mind that I would box again in December,” said DeGale. “No one was going to tell me otherwise. I rushed my injury and I wasn’t at my full fitness. I can only blame myself.”

Already the first fighter from the U.K. to win an Olympic gold medal and a professional world title, DeGale challenged Badou Jack in a 168-pound unification fight that turned into a back and forth war, a “Fight of the Year” candidate and eventually, a majority draw. DeGale believed that Truax would not have enough to challenge him in his first fight back from injury.

“My mindset at the time was that I can beat Truax with no hands,” said DeGale. “It was the wrong way to think. I’m an elite fighter and this is a dangerous sport. I’ve only got myself to blame.

“This time, I’m going to make it right. My training is like night and day compared to last camp. On my best day, no one in this division can beat me. No disrespect to Caleb Truax, but I’m a much better fighter. Now I’m training how I should have trained for the last fight.”

Some of DeGale’s finest moments in boxing have come in the U.S., including his title-winning fight against Andre Dirrell in May 2015 in Boston. He also defended his title against Rogelio Medina in April 2016 in Washington, D.C. before his unification showdown. Now DeGale will look to become a two-time champion in the boxing hotbed of Las Vegas.

“The U.S. is really my second home now,” said DeGale. “In the past when I’ve fought on the East Coast I’ve gone down to Miami to train heading into the fight. This time California seemed like the perfect place to go before Las Vegas.

“This is my first time training in California, but so far I’ve been really comfortable at the Team Watson Boxing Club. I’ve got some great sparring lined up, including working with Gabriel Rosado. Most importantly my body is super fit and injury free. Everything is geared to getting my title back on April 7 and leaving no doubt in the ring.”

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now and available by visiting AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Fast-rising Hawaiian welterweight prospect Logan “Korican Kid” Yoon (10-0, 10 KOs) says he’s expecting a big 2018.

The 19-year-old phenom from Honolulu will face Mexican former two-time world champion Juan Carlos Salgado (27-7-1, 16 KOs) in a 10-round battle for the IBF Youth Welterweight World Championship in one of the supporting bouts of this Friday’s “Rumble at the Rock” event at Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

In the night’s 12-round main event, St. Louis’ Stephon “Showstopper” Young (17-0-3, 7 KOs) will face Reymart “GenSan Assassin” Gaballo (18-0, 16 KOs) from General Santos City, Philippines for the WBA Interim World Bantamweight Championship. In the 10-round co-main event, former WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Juan Carlos Payano (19-1, 9 KOs) will fight against undefeated Philippine “Magic” Mike Plania (14-0, 7 KOs).

“Rumble at the Rock” is presented by Kris Lawrence and The Heavyweight Factory. Tickets are priced at $255, $130, $80 and $55. All seats are reserved and available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.myhrl.com, www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Additional fees may apply.

The young knockout artist Yoon, trained by his father George, was an eight-time Hawaii State champion, an Adidas national and Ringside national champion and a junior Olympic bronze medalist.

“Training went awesome,” he said. “We had no problems. Right now, we’re putting on finishing touches – last pound or two.”

Yoon got his unique nickname from a family member as a child.

“Korican Kid is a nickname my aunt gave me. There’s a Korean part of me and a Puerto Rican part. My dad is 100-percent Korean and my mom is Portuguese and Puerto Rican.”

While he doesn’t know much about upcoming foe Salgado, Yoon says he’s confident he’ll be notching his eleventh pro victory.

“I know he is a former champ and has some experience against top guys. He’s right-handed. He’s a pretty busy fighter, but I’ll be able to keep up with him. I just don’t see how he can do anything to me with my age and physicality advantages. I won’t look for my 11th straight KO, but if it comes, I’ll take it.”

Yoon says he realized his natural power early on in his boxing life. “After my second amateur fight, I realized that when I hit people, they react and start backing up. I can see it in them: the fear.”

The father and son duo still live in Hawaii, but travel to train at their promoter’s Heavyweight Factory Gym in Miami.

“It’s awesome. It’s almost like a dream,” he said. “I have Riddick Bowe in the gym every day mentoring me and, once in a while, we have Evander Holyfield when he’s not busy on trips. My manager and promoters are the best and treat me like someone. I love them. I love the atmosphere.”

A young KO artist making a name for himself quickly with a strong promotional team behind him. Yoon, a deeply religious man, says he’s looking forward to a big year.

“I’m ready to make some big moves. I know my manager, Henry Rivalta, is going to put me into fights with better opponents. I just have to make sure we train hard and put in the work, and I will come out on top.”

About Hard Rock Event Center
Hard Rock Event Center is the newly constructed 3,500-seat venue located in the northwest corner of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood. As part of the $1.5 billion property expansion, the former Hard Rock Live arena will be razed and replaced with a state-of-the-art 6,500-plus-seat venue in a theater-style configuration, slated to open in 2019. In the interim, a full schedule of concerts, comedy shows and other events will take place in the Hard Rock Event Center. Seminole Hard Rock has hosted some of the hottest musical acts such as John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony, Billy Joel, Andrea Bocelli, Tim McGraw and Carlos Santana; top comedians including Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, George Lopez and the late Robin Williams; as well as major sporting events and events of major sports stars, from UFC matches to charity galas for Jason Taylor, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and more. For additional information, please visit www.myhrl.com.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is South Florida’s iconic entertainment destination located minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beach. The AAA Four Diamond-rated resort features 469 luxury guest rooms and suites, award-winning restaurants, a lagoon-style pool and Beach Club Bar & Grill, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, premium meeting and convention space and a 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. The casino offers 120 table games, 2,000 of the newest and most popular slots and a 37-table poker room. Fine dining options include Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, the resort’s signature steakhouse, and Kuro, a luxe and socially vibrant restaurant offering new-style Japanese cuisine. In the heart of the hotel is L Bar, a sophisticated, contemporary lounge showcasing handcrafted classic cocktails with a twist. Contemporary and casual eateries, include Blue Plate, the hotel’s 24-hour diner-inspired restaurant; Constant Grind, a gourmet coffee and pastry shop; and the ever-famous Hard Rock Cafe – Hollywood, part of Hard Rock’s 180 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.

For more information, call 800-937-0010, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, or follow us on Facebook: @SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly

The WBO Interim Featherweight World Title will be on the line when Carl Frampton MBE and Nonito Donaire clash in a blockbuster bout at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Saturday 21st April, live on BT Sport and BoxNation.

With a much-anticipated summer fight date at Belfast’s Windsor Park in the works for ‘The Jackal’, 31-year-old Frampton knows that his mouth-watering showdown with four-weight World Champion Donaire is truly a make-or-break fight.

Both men were previously recognised as Fighter of the Year by the Ring magazine, ESPN and the Boxing Writers’ Association of America, and both will be determined to secure a shot at becoming a World Champion once again by claiming the Interim WBO crown next month.

“A huge night of boxing in Belfast just got even bigger,” said Frampton. “This is great news and it adds a whole lot more razzmatazz to the event – not that it needed it. I was sure that the winner of this fight was going to go on to fight for a World Title in their next fight and having an interim World Title on the line on April 21st all but confirms that.

“Oscar Valdez must face the Interim Champion when he is ready and that’s a big incentive for myself and Donaire. The Valdez fight is very appealing to me and obviously the winner of Selby v Warrington is also equally as appealing. I think the Valdez fight would get a lot more attention on both sides of the globe rather than just in the UK.

“The winner of Selby v Warrington would be a big fight in the UK but a fight with Valdez would be a huge fight Worldwide. Obviously he has an injury that he needs to recover from but there’s a lot of options for me now and it’s always good to have options in this game. Having an Interim belt on the line brings something a little more special to the whole event.”

With a month to go, Frampton believes he may have to produce a career-best performance to overcome 42-fight veteran Donaire and is confident that a sell-out SSE Arena crowd will drive him over the line.

“With so much riding on this fight I need to make sure that I’m going to put in the performance of my career, which it might take to win this fight,” added Frampton.

“I love fighting at home, there’s something about fighting in Belfast that brings out the best in me. I love the whole fight week in Belfast and I love the atmosphere in the SSE Arena. I’ll need to be better than I was in my last fight. With the way things are going in training so far it’s going to be a big performance.”

“I’m delighted that the WBO Interim Featherweight World Title will now be up for grabs on April 21,” said Promoter Frank Warren. “This is a guaranteed barn burner between two elite Featherweights and having an Interim belt on the line gives the fight an extra bit of spice.”

A massive evening of boxing features WBO Bantamweight Champion of the World Zolani Tete (26-3-0, 21 KO’S) making the second defence of his title against Omar Andres Narvaez (48-2-2, 25 KO’s) after his Word recording-breaking KO win at the SSE Arena in November.

Three tasty all-Irish fights also feature on an action-packed undercard as Dubliner Jono Carroll (15-0, 2 KO’s) clashes with Belfast’s Marco McCullough (18-4, 11 KO’s) for the IBF European Super-Featherweight title, Tyrone McKenna (15-0-1, 6 KO’s) meets Light-Welterweight rival Anthony Upton (17-1, 6 KOs’), while WBO European Champion Conrad Cummings (12-1-1) and Irish champion Luke Keeler (13-2, 5 KO’s) will do battle at Middleweight.

Undefeated prospects Lewis Crocker, David Oliver Joyce, Steven Ward, Tyrone McCullagh, Sam Maxwell, Troy Williamson, Ryan Hatton and Alex Dickinson complete an unmissable card.

A very limited number of tickets for Frampton v Donaire are available to purchase from the SSE Arena Belfast Box Office, www.ssearenabelfast.com and 0044(0)28 9073 9074. Prices range from £40 (tier) to £400 (inner-ring hospitality).

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155569781840756/

Rumors abound the UFC could be pursuing Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to sign a boxing contract, according to reports from Gareth Davies of the Morning Telegraph.

Dana White is making a bid to sign Joshua to a multi-fight deal that could be worth upward of $500 million, according to a report Wednesday in the United Kingdom’s Daily Telegraph.

“Listen, I’m riding with Eddie (Hearn). I’ve been riding with Eddie. He got me from the get-go,” Joshua said. “I’m not into the UFC, so I don’t know what their plans are. … I’m interested because we can all work together. Remember, mine and Eddie’s relationship is a really good working relationship. And I’m sure Eddie has an interest in working with Dana White. If it’s good business, it makes sense.

“We’ll listen and 100 percent, if it makes sense we’re all ears, man. I’m happy that Dana is coming into the game. Hopefully, he can add some excitement and we can progress forward and make some good money and make some good fights.”

“If Dana White wants to speak to us, obviously Anthony is with us, we’re willing to talk to anybody,” Hearn said on Wednesday night’s media call. “We do great business with everyone — Bernd Boente, Duco Events. I work with Top Rank, Golden Boy, Al Haymon. We work with anyone if the business is right.”

Then Hearn drew a big laugh when he added, “In the meantime, I’ll sign [UFC top draw] Conor McGregor and it will all be fair.”

Los Angeles, CA (March 21, 2018) Top undefeated lightweight prospect RYAN MARTIN, (20-0-0, 11 KO’s), of Cleveland, OH by way of Chattanooga, TN will battle hard-hitting Colombian veteran LUIS EDUARDO FLOREZ, (23-8-0, 19 KO’s), in the ten-round main event in the debut of ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ at the AVALON on Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

Presented by Tom Loffler’s 360 Boxing Promotions, advance tickets priced at $125 for VIP Ringside, $100 and $60 may be purchased by calling 800-283-8699 or online at www.360Promotions.us through the interactive seating chart by clicking HERE.

The AVALON is located at 1735 Vine Street in Hollywood, CA adjacent to the iconic intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. on the night of the event with the first bell at 6:00 p.m. For parking information and more details on the AVALON, please visit their website, www.AvalonHollywood.com

Sporting an unblemished record of 20-0 with 11 knockouts and training in Big Bear Lake, CA with the renowned ABEL SANCHEZ, the 25-year-old Martin returns to action following his most impressive victory on the sports’ biggest stage. On September 16, 2017, Martin won a 10-round decision over Francisco Rojo at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast of the Canelo Alvarez – Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin World Middleweight Championship.

A professional for seven years Florez has fought a wealth of world champions, top contenders and prospects including Miguel Berchelt, Regis Prograis, Jamal Herring and Sharif Bogere.

Most recently the 31-year-old Florez battled Anthony Peterson over ten rounds on January 20, 2018 in Brooklyn, NY in a hotly contested bout which was later changed to a ‘no contest’ when Peterson failed a post-fight drug test.

Co-featured at ‘Hollywood Fight Nights’ will be the highly anticipated professional debut of New York City’s BRIAN CEBALLO in a six-round welterweight clash again LUIES ALBERTO LONGORIA, (0-1) of Sonora, MX.

The 23-year-old Ceballo, a native of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, now residing in Brooklyn, NY, will be making his professional debut on March 27. The charismatic middleweight had an outstanding amateur career finishing with a record of 206-13 which included winning the New York City Golden Gloves five times and participating in the 2016 US Olympic Trials.

In the junior middleweight division, Ukrainian knockout artist SERGII BOHACHUK, (6-0-0, 6 KO’s), will face LUCIOUS JOHNSON, (4-2-1, 3 KO’s), of Compton, CA.

Originally from Ukraine and now residing in Los Angeles, the 22-year-old Bohachuk has quickly and impressively compiled a record of 6-0 all by knockout since turning professional in February 2017. Also scoring a knockout victory in Las Vegas on September 16, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena over Joan Jose Valenzuela, the welterweight most recently knocked out Kevin Ottley in the fifth round on December 7, 2017 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Bohachuk also trains with Abel Sanchez at The Summit High Altitude Training Facility in Big Bear Lake, CA.

The 26-year-old Johnson will be looking to get back on the winning track following to very hotly contested six round decision losses in his last two bouts.

Featherweights will be featured in a six-round clash as Riverside’s ANTHONY CHAVEZ, (4-0, 1 KO), faces Sonora, Mexico’s CARLOS APODACA, (1-7-2). The 21-year-old Chavez will be making his first start of 2018, following four dominant victories last year. In his last outing, Chavez won a four-round unanimous decision over then undefeated Sergio Quiroz on December 7, 2017 in Costa Mesa, CA. Chavez is guided by popular Southern California trainer HENRY RAMIREZ.

The 20-year-old Apodaca will be looking to stay in the win column following his first win as a professional, a four-round decision over Cesar Partida on February 17, 2018 in Los Algodones, Mexico.

In a four-round bantamweight bout, Maywood, CA’s JOSE CASILLAS will make his professional debut against MAY GORDUNA, (0-1), of San Bernardino, CA.

LUIS ROSALES, (2-0), of South El Monte, CA will look to stay undefeated in a scheduled six round featherweight clash against GUADALUPE ARROYO, (3-9-0) of Huntington, Beach, CA. Rosales is trained by the legendary BEN LIRA.

Rounding out the inaugural card, ALFREDO HERNANDEZ, (3-1-0, 2 KO’s) faces MIKE MELIKYAN, (1-2-1) of Hollywood, CA in a four-round junior welterweight bout.

Tom Loeffler was recognized by ESPN in 2017 as being involved in the promotion of the three biggest events of the year including the Anthony Joshua/Wladimir Klitschko World Heavyweight Championship at Wembley Stadium in London. Additionally, in the United States, Loeffler promoted the Gennady Golovkin/Daniel Jacobs World Middleweight Championship at Madison Square Garden and the massive Canelo Alvarez/Gennady Golovkin event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

These three events totaled over 130,000 tickets sold in addition to their extraordinary numbers in pay-per-view sales and network viewership worldwide.

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London, UK (21 March 2018) Hughie Fury kicked his training up a gear as he heads towards his showdown with British Champion Sam Sexton when he trained with the Bolton Wanderers FC squad today.

Fury challenges Sexton for his prized Lonsdale belt on Saturday 12th May at the Macron Stadium, Premier Suite, exclusively live on Channel 5, and in preparation for the big night, he joined first team players Will Buckley, Zach Clough, Andrew Taylor and Craig Noone at their Lostock training ground.

The 23-year-old was put through his paces alongside the players – who are hot off a 1-0 win over Aston Villa at the weekend – under coach Kristian Aldred as he worked on speed and footwork drills.

It was then Fury’s turn to take the players on the hand pads and he put each player through a simple but effective exercise of punching up to ten and back down which got the players’ blood pumping.

He said, “I’m always looking for ways to improve or make my training different and interesting and when Bolton Wanderers offered some training with the team I said yes straightaway,”

“It’s great to get my legs going and I love to use my footwork in the ring so learning the new training drill today could improve my movement in the ring,”

“Boxing training is great for all round fitness and I’m sure the guys will benefit from a bit of extra hand pad training in their daily regime,”

“My training for Sexton will really kick in now. I’ve been working hard for the last few weeks’ already and it’s ready to move up a gear now.”

“I’m know Sexton is training hard down in Norwich and wants to keep hold of his British title so he’ll not let it go without a fight, but I’m taking that belt and moving forward.

Winger Noone added, “It’s been really enjoyable to meet Hughie today and put him through his paces a little bit. I’m a big boxing fan and I think it’s a great thing for Bolton Wanderers and Bolton Whites Hotel to be hosting such an exciting fight.

“It was fun to test our boxing abilities too and you can see just how much hard work Hughie puts into his preparation for his fights.

“We’ll all be right behind him come May though when he takes on Sam Sexton and wish him the best of luck!”

To download some video from today please CLICK HERE (available for seven days).

Tickets for Sexton V Fury are priced at £40, £60 and £80 are available from https://www.eticketing.co.uk/bwfc VIP and Hospitality packages priced at £159 are available from 01204 673 619 and mgraham@boltonwhiteshotel.co.uk

Atlantic City, N.J. – March 21, 2018 – The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) teams up with 4-time Heavyweight World Champion and 2018 ACBHOF Honoree, Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield and his company Real Deal Sports & Entertainment, in association with Mis Downing Promotions, for a Fight Night affair at the historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Adrian Phillips Theater for a Live Pro Boxing event that will take place on Saturday, June 2nd, from 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM.

According to Ray McCline, President of ACBHOF “This newly formed relationship with 4-time World Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield and his promotion company “Real Deal Sports & Entertainment” will have groundbreaking influence in effecting elevated exposure to the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame 2nd Annual Induction Weekend.”

“Spectra Venue Management is excited to see this Boxing event here at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. We appreciate the efforts of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame who got us together with the folks from Real Deal Sports and Entertainment. Everyone expressed a desire to try to grow something that could start inside Adrian Phillips Theater and grow into an Arena sized event down the road. Our partners at the CRDA are supportive and encourage our efforts to work with new promoters and cultivate opportunities for bringing new events and people to Atlantic City. There is a rich history of Boxing here which is celebrated by the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame, and this is a great opportunity to rebuild on some of that history during their induction weekend.” – Jim Wynkoop General Manager Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall and Spectra Venue Management

During the 2nd Annual Induction Weekend, the multi-tiered event is slated to be unparalleled and reflective of the rich boxing history in Atlantic City. The ACBHOF is looking to celebrate the magnificent careers of legends in boxing throughout the induction weekend. Rodrick L. Green Vice President of Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame said, “The partnership is a “win-win” for the City of Atlantic City, Boardwalk Hall, Real Deal Sports & Entertainment and Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame and for tourism in the southern New Jersey region.”

The three-day event will kick-off with an Opening Bell VIP Meet & Greet Reception, then segue into the highly coveted Fight Fan Experience and conclude with the 2nd Annual Induction Ceremony. More details on Induction Weekend and the schedule of events can be found by visiting www.acbhof.com

“An exciting boxing event will be an intricate part of this year’s Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Aside from being one of this year’s inductees, the great champion Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, will be promoting his first boxing event in the State of New Jersey with his company Real Deal Sports & Entertainment on June 2nd, at the Boardwalk Hall. It is our hope that this event will be just one of many that this outstanding champion will present in our state as we continue our quest to revive the sport of boxing in our great state and specifically in Atlantic City,” Commissioner Larry Hazzard, NJ Athletic Control Board said in a statement.

Hotel packages can be purchased by visiting www.claridge.com. Promo code “ACBHOF” can be used for a room discount.

“I’m honored to be promoting my first card in Atlantic City on Saturday, June 2nd. My second professional fight was in Atlantic City and it was the location where I made the first defense of my world heavyweight title against ‘Big” George Foreman in 1991,” said Evander Holyfield. “Having great memories throughout my career of Atlantic City, I’m very inspired for The Real Deal Boxing to promote a true fan-friendly event on June 2, 2018 as well as working with the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame featuring many of the top prospects in boxing fighting in competitive and entertaining bouts.”

About
Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame: (http://www.acbhof.com)
The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame mission, vision and purpose are to offer fans and visitors alike, a highly interactive Sports & Entertainment Boxing Curation Experience. We are committed to preserving the rich boxing history of Atlantic City, through live historical curation, exhibits, legendary boxing stars, and personal appearances. We will also conduct our annual year-round events, well paired with multicultural entertainment.

Real Deal Promotions: (http://therealdealboxing.com)
In 2017, four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield partnered with long-time boxing promoter Sal Musumeci to form Real Deal Sports & Entertainment. Real Deal Sports & Entertainment is the parent company to a promotional entity (The Real Deal Boxing), a broadcast series (Real Deal Championship Boxing), and much more soon. The company will promote world-class and entertaining boxing events and will strive to be a company that does what is best for the sport and the fighters.

Boardwalk Hall: (http://www.boardwalkhall.com)
Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center are owned and funded by the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA). Spectra by Comcast Spectacor provides both Venue Management and Food Services & Hospitality to Boardwalk Hall and the AC Convention Center.Historic Boardwalk Hall has played host to a sparkling list of dazzling entertainers and knockout sporting events throughout its 87-year history. A premier entertainment spot for visitors and residents alike, this unique seaside arena has helped to uphold the city’s new slogan “Do AC” by bringing exciting events into Atlantic City in addition to their already stellar variety of offerings.

About the CRDA: ( www.njcrda.com)
The only agency of its kind nationwide, the CRDA has used Atlantic City casino reinvestments as a catalyst for meaningful, positive improvement in the lives of New Jersey residents since 1984. Under the 2011 Tourism District Act, the Authority’s mission evolved from statewide projects to becoming the state’s key economic development agency for Atlantic City. CRDA’s expanded responsibilities now include land use regulation, tourism marketing and clean and safe initiatives. The CRDA also oversees Historic Boardwalk Hall (the leading entertainment venue of its size in the country) and the Atlantic City Convention Center. In total, CRDA has invested nearly $2 billion in more than 400 projects statewide, of which $1.8 billion has been invested in Atlantic City, spurring business investments and expansions, and creating permanent jobs in the process. For more information about CRDA and our projects, visit www.njcrda.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/njcrda.

For destination photos and videos media may visit www.doatlanticcity.com/mediaonline where dozens of assets are available for download. For complete Atlantic City tourism information, visit www.doatlanticcity.com. Also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DoAtlanticCity and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VisitAC hashtag #DOAC.

Mis Downing Promotions:
Mis Downing Promotions LLC, a New Jersey-based company was established in 2017 by Mis Downing, one of few African-American women to head a boxing company in the Tri-State Region. Mis Downing affectionately referred to as the “Princess of Boxing” has shown a drive, focus, and dedication unmatched by many in the business of boxing. Mis Downing’s mission is to promote quality events where amateur and professional boxers are given a platform and opportunity to display their skills and talents in a High Energy Environments that fuse Music & Entertainment, Fashion, and Fun with the great sport of boxing.

HBO Boxing jets across the Atlantic to familiar territory – the boxing hotbed of London, England for an important heavyweight matchup as HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: DILLIAN WHYTE VS. LUCAS BROWNE is presented SATURDAY, MAR. 24 at 6:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) with a same-day replay at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) from the landmark O2 venue in London. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The 12-round heavyweight tilt matches Britain’s Dillian Whyte (22-1, 16 KOs) in a major showdown against Lucas Browne (25-0, 22 KOs) of Australia. The two fighters are looking to move up the suddenly crowded and formidable heavyweight ladder. A win for either fighter puts them in prime position for a bigger showdown later in the year.

While Whyte has the home crowd advantage fighting in front of a partisan audience, Browne has shown a willingness to travel and will be making his sixth ring appearance on British soil. Though they have only met at press conferences, the two fighters have sparked a hot rivalry and both are heading into the late March showdown determined to register a convincing victory.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Las Vegas (March 21, 2018) – Current WBC Super middleweight champion David Benavidez and former WBA lightweight Champion José Benavidez have confirmed that they will appear, have a booth, and hold a Meet & Greet with their fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 4th edition of Box Fan Expo that will take place
Saturday May 5, 2018 from 10am to 5pm, during Cinco De Mayo fight weekend.

Team Benavidez, David and José will appear for the first time at this year’s Expo, where they will be signing gloves, photos and have merchandise for fans to enjoy. Boxing fans will also have a great opportunity to take pictures with these two brothers and rising boxing stars. Fans will also have an opportunity to meet their father and one of the best trainers in boxing, José Benavidez sr.

About David Benavidez
David Benavidez is a Mexican-American professional boxer. He has held the WBC Super middleweight title since September 8, 2017 by defeating Ronald Gavril in Las Vegas. David also became the youngest champion in Super middleweight history at the age of 20. He is trained by his Father José Benavidez sr., and he’s also the brother of former world lightweight WBA champion and current top welterweight champion José Benavidez.
About José Benavidez

About José Benavidez
José Luis Benavidez is a Mexican-American professional boxer and the former WBA lightweight champion. He is currently undefeated with a record of 25 wins and presently competing at the welterweight division. He is the son of boxing trainer José Benavidez Sr. of Arcelia, Guerrero, Mexico, and the Brother of current WBC Super Middleweight Champion David Benavidez. In the late summer of 2016, José was shot in the leg by an unknown assailant while walking his dog in Arizona. The severity of the injuries sustained to his leg left doubt on his professional career. But José was determined to come back stronger than ever. After a rigorous 2 years of rehabilitation of hard work at the gym, José is back and presently a top contender in the Welterweight division.

David and José will join, Zab Judah, Shannon Briggs, Badou Jack, Kelly Pavlik, Erik Morales and Fernando Vargas among early commitments to this year’s 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 equipments, energy drinks, alcohol, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies and other companies who wish to participate will once again have a chance to showcase their brand to fans, media and the boxing industry.

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

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to Meet and Greet Boxing Superstars of today, current and former world champions, Legends of the sport and other boxing Celebrities at their booth. On Site, fans will experience different activities from Autograph Sessions, Photo Sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, as well as a chance to purchase merchandise and memorabilia from their booth, plus so much more… you won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!

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

Throughout the next several weeks 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

New York City (March 21, 2018) Following their highly successful event (a co-promotion with Uprising Promotions) this past Friday night in Kingston, Jamaica, Evander Holyfield’s The Real Deal Boxing is looking ahead to the international stage towards promoting future events.

“We just returned from Kingston, Jamaica where one of our top prospects Kemahl ‘The Hitman’ Russell defended his Junior NABF Middleweight Title; not only do we have plans to continue promoting in Jamaica, but The Real Deal Boxing will be bringing our brand to other parts of the world as well,” said The Real Deal Boxing CEO Sal Musumeci.

Russell stopped Michi Munoz in the second round on Friday night, March 16, headlining in front of a passionate home crowd at the National Arena in Kingston.

“The atmosphere in the venue was tremendous on Friday night and we received a tremendous amount of support from the fans and media throughout the promotion.”

Working under his previous company, Final Forum Inc., Musumeci was the first to promote at the beautiful Venetian Casino in Macao, China on January 28, 2008. The event was headlined by a 12-round heavyweight title bout between Derric Rossey and Ray Mercer.

Continued Musumeci, “Boxing is such a worldwide sport, now more than ever with the internet and with the rising stars we have on our roster we will definitely look to increase our exposure globally this year.”

The Real Deal Boxing will return to the legendary Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, April 21, 2018 for the third installment of their ‘Showcase Series’ acclaimed events.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: @TheRealDealPromotions

Twitter: @TheRealDealBox, @Holyfield

Instagram: @TheRealDealBoxing

Website: www.TheRealDealBoxing.com