After a brief flirtation with retirement last year, smouldering south London Super-Middleweight Darryll Williams resumes his career at London’s O2 Arena on April 14th with an English title defence against unbeaten Brummie Lennox Clarke in a scheduled 10 rounder that reeks of raw violence.

Though undefeated in 16, the menacing, muscle ripped firebrand grew despondent with a perceived lack of opportunities following back-to-back English title wins over Leicester’s Jahmaine Smyle and, lacking the fiscal resources required to continue his adventure training beneath former two-weight World Champion Ricky Hatton in Manchester, ‘’Ferocious’ from Forest Hill declared himself an ex-fighter.

‘There were a number of personal things going on in my life,’ says the deceptively soft spoken 28 year old.

‘My grandmother died, I had a few problems with my partner and there wasn’t any talk of future fights, despite my two exciting wins over Jahmaine.

‘I became very disillusioned, lost my drive and desire. I even began a course as an electrician. But (manager) Mickey Helliett wouldn’t leave me alone, kept telling me I was on the cusp of big things. He set up a meeting with Frank Warren who apologised for how things had gone and insisted he wanted to put me on the big shows. It’s thanks to him that I’m coming back.’

All-action Williams stormed to national attention last April when, hindered by chasms to both eyes, he steamrolled ‘Smasher’ Smyle over 10 epic rounds, in the latter’s home city of Leicester, in a 2017 Fight of the Year contender.

Williams then repeated the trick three months after, registering a majority decision over the same duration at The Copper Box Arena in Hackney.

‘To be honest, I didn’t really like my performance in the Smyle rematch. No one’s fault but mine. I was only at Ricky Hatton’s (gym) for about six weeks and I was really surprised with how technical the training was. There was too much to take in, in such a short time,’ disclosed Darryll.

‘Still, I thought I deserved the decision. Jahmaine just didn’t do enough. This is professional boxing. You can’t just jab and run away. He didn’t actually FIGHT at any time.’

Latterly, Williams has re-located to Swansea to renew acquaintance with coach David John, a native Welshman who first initiated the then 18 year old street thug in the nuances of the Noble Art at the Double Jab ABC in New Cross.

‘Dave understands what makes me tick better than anybody and he’s set up a sponsorship deal for me. I’m happy again,’ says Williams who has been dormant for nine months as he enters the stiffest test of his six year pro career.

‘I doubt the inactivity will be much of an issue. I was out for almost 11 months before the first scrap with Jahmaine yet delivered one of the Fights of the Year.

‘And I’ve had some quality sparring with James DeGale and a decent Light-Heavyweight from Chris Sanigar’s gym. I’m already doing 10 rounders, very early in my camp. I’m also trying to sort something with (Current British Light-Heavy king) Frank Buglioni. For this fight, I need to work with strong, heavier guys.’

Protagonist Clarke, 26, is yet to lose in 17 (one draw), brimming with ambition and goads that the champ is simply keeping the belt warm for him. However, warmonger Williams, never one to back down when verbal slingshots are thrown, claims the Midlander is nothing more than a doormat to be trodden on as he charges to the more meaningful titles.

‘After I’ve busted up Clarke, I’ll fight whoever’s out there,’ warns Williams who has a young daughter to support.

‘DeGale, (George) Groves and Callum Smith are at World level but then you’ve got Eubank Jr, Rocky Fielding, John Ryder, Jamie Cox and Zack Parker and I would never back down from a fight with any of them.

‘I sparred Eubank Jr a long time ago when I’d had just a handful of fights and didn’t rate him then. He struggled with my aggression, didn’t want to spar. Quite a few are starting to mention (Swadlincote’s 15-0, 11 early endings) Zack Parker and me. He’s a strong guy but when they feel my pressure, they realise it’s not that simple to repel me.

‘Hopefully I can fight continually and excel from here. After I’ve come through Lennox, I don’t want to fight for the English again. It’s time to move ahead. A British title fight this year would be amazing, as would any Inter-Continental shot. I just need to know that all the hard work is paying off.’

Williams v Clarke lands on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ WBO Middleweight World Title defence against domestic rival Martin Murray and Terry Flanagan’s challenge for the vacant WBO Super-Lightweight World Title against undefeated American Maurice Hooker.

An unmissable card also features rising Light-Heavyweight star Anthony ‘The Beast’ Yarde and Heavyweight sensation ‘Dynamite’ Daniel Dubois with Hackney Super-Lightweight talent Ohara Davies making his highly-anticipated comeback.

Peckham’s IBF European Welterweight Champion Johnny Garton takes on John Wayne Hibbert over eight while Southampton Featherweight Ryan Garner, Chigwell Flyweight Harvey Horn and Erith Flyweight Jake Pettitt complete a stacked card with the professional debuts of Bolton Welterweight Khaleel Majid and Hainult Cruiserweight James Branch.

General sale tickets for April 14th priced from £40 (Tier) to £300 (Hospitality) are available to purchase via www.axs.com.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Lightweight champion Robert Easter, Jr. has been ordered to rematch Richard Commey.

“Your mandatory defense is due on or before March 30, 2018,” the IBF wrote. “The leading available contender is No. 1 Richard Commey. … Negotiations should start immediately and be concluded by April 12, 2018. If you are unable to reach an agreement by April 12, 2018, the IBF will call for a purse bid to determine who will promote the bout, when and where.”

Commey knocked Luna down twice in the sixth round before referee David Fields waved it off at 1 minute, 54 seconds.

“He was exactly what I expected and if I had connected on more of my punches in the beginning I think the fight would have been over earlier,” Commey said. “I was really trying to work on what we had been focusing on in camp but I just wasn’t performing well at the start of the fight.

“It is the greatest feeling to get the win on my 31st birthday. I am looking forward to fighting for the 135-pound world title and becoming champion.”

13 March 2018 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that self-made billionaire entrepreneur Saurabh Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Mission Holdings, has joined ONE Championship and has been appointed the role of Vice Chairman and will be responsible for some of the most important strategic initiatives at ONE.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am thrilled that Saurabh Mittal has joined ONE Championship as Vice Chairman. Our mission is to unleash superheroes across Asia to ignite inspiration, hope, strength, and dreams across all segments of society. I am confident that Saurabh’s vast expertise and experience will contribute significantly to ONE Championship’s success.”

Mittal is an experienced entrepreneur and investor. He has previously served as a Partner at Farallon Capital Partners LP. Mittal also co-founded Indiabulls Group, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate in India. Mittal was also previously a senior partner at Noonday, an affiliate of Farallon Capital Partners LP. Born in India, Mittal is a recipient of the prestigious Director’s Gold Medal from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar.

Saurabh Mittal, Vice Chairman of ONE Championship, stated: “In just a short span, ONE Championship has become the largest global sports media property in Asian history. I am proud to have seen the phenomenal growth from the very beginning. I am excited to help ONE Championship become Asia’s first multi-billion dollar global sports media property in the very near future.”

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.

POMPANO BEACH, FLA., March 12, 4:15 pm ET – Amir Imam (21-1, 18 KOs) is in Pompano Beach, Florida, under the auspices of head trainer Stacy McKinley, in final preparations for his March 17 showdown against Jose Ramirez (21-0, 16 KOs) from Avenal, California for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight belt Saturday, March 17, at the The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Imam, 27, rated No. 1 by the WBC, boasts a victory by knockout ratio of 86%, including his last three and five of his last seven. Ramirez, 25, WBC No. 3 ranked super lightweight, has stopped 76% of the opponents he has faced, including four consecutive and eight in his last 10 bouts

“Amir Imam is coming to Madison Square Garden, The Mecca of Boxing, in New York City, to take down not only Jose Ramirez but Bob Arum too!” boasted Imam’s promoter Don King. “I can hardly wait for Saturday night. Start the clock. Tick-tock, tick-tock.” T-minus 124 hours 45 minutes till Ramirez-Imam enter the ring, Saturday night . . .

“Yes sir, March 17 is a big day for me and the stakes are real high for both me and him. It’s the first time I get to fight in the Garden and that’s exciting, knowing that greatness has fought there. It’s the first time I am fighting in a main event and first time fighting for a world title,” said Imam. “It’s what I have been working for my whole life and it’s finally here and I’ve got to take advantage of it.

“He’s kind of tall and long just like me, so it’s like seeing each other in the mirror so it is going to be real interesting and it’s going to be an electrifying fight.”

“Ramirez is a tough fighter – a real tough fighter and we know what we’ve got to do to win this fight. If a knockout comes I will take advantage of it but I am not going in there looking for a straight knockout. I have to fight real hard and get the rounds under my belt just in case. He’s been aggressive but he may not come out aggressive – you never know. I just have to be smart in the ring and adjust to things he will be doing.”

“I can definitely match his power, I can box when I have to, and I can fight. I can do a lot of things. I can do whatever it takes to get the W. A lot of fighters these days can’t do that – they are one-dimensional fighters. If I have to box or if I have to slug I can do it. I think I am the toughest guy in the 140-pund division.

“I can just hear them saying “The New.”

Ramírez vs. Imam will headline a spectacular St. Patrick’s Day boxing extravaganza, The Ramírez – Imam world championship fight will be televised live and exclusively at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN and stream live on the ESPN App at 6 p.m. EDT. It will mark the first time Arum and King have battled each other promotionally on the same card since Miguel Cotto defended his World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight world title on March 12, 2011.

Promoted by Top Rank®, and Don King Productions, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets to the Ramírez – Imam world championship event are priced at $206, $156, $106, $81, $56 and $31, and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.msg.com

For more information visit: www.toprank.com,www.espn.com/boxing;
Facebook facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo,
Twitter twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo
Use the hashtags #RamirezImam to join the conversation on Twitter.

Atlantic City, New Jersey (March 12, 2018)–Chazz Witherspoon raised his winning streak to eight in a row as he went the eight-round distance by won a unanimous decision over Lamont Capers that headlined a seven-bout card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

The show, which took place this past Saturday, was promoted by Mis Downing Promotions and Silverspoon Promotions.

Witherspoon was able to outpoint the crafty Capers. Capers was very competitive, but it was Witherspoon’s size and harder punches that proved to be the difference as he captured the via 78-74, 78-74 and 77-75 scores.

Witherspoon of Paulsboro, NJ is now 37-3. Capers, who was fighting for the 2nd time in seven days is 9-12-4.

Willis Lockett took a six-round majority decision over Prince Badi Ajamu in a cruiserweight bout.

Lockett of Takoma Park, MD won by scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 57-57, and is now 16-22-6. Ajamu of Camden, NJ is 28-4-1.

Super Lightweight John Bauza remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over David Morales.

Bauza of North Bergen, NJ won on all cards by scores of 60-54, and is now 9-0. Morales of Managua, Nicaragua is 13-9.

Mike Hilton won a three-round technical unanimous decision over Hector Perez.

The fight was a terrific back and forth brawl when Perez suffered a cut over his right eye in the third frame.

Perez almost made a quick night for himself as he dropped Hilton in the 1st round. Hilton stormed back to register his own knockdown’s in round two and three.

The scores were 28-26 on all cards at the time of he stoppage.

Hilton of Trenton, NJ is 10-0. Perez of Pleasantville, NJ is 3-2

Edgar Cortes won a four-round unanimous decision over Kevin Asmat in a featherweight bout.

Scores were 38-37 twice and 39-36 for Cortes, of Vineland, NJ, who is now 6-4. Asmat of North Bergen. NJ is 3-2.

Alejandro Jimenez made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Derrick Pitts in a bantamweight bout.

The time of the finish was 3:00. Pitts is 0-2.

Dan Murray and Latorrie Woodberry fought to a no-contest when Woodberry hurt his shoulder in the 1st round of their scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

“I am ecstatic about Saturday night’s card,” said Mis Downing of Mis Downing Promotions. “The fights were terrific and very competitive. I want to thank the Claridge Hotel and a special thanks to The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame. I also want to thank Mayor Frank Gilliam for supporting our event. We are excited about what is to come in the future, and we will have a very big announcement shortly about our next event, which will be a very special night of boxing.”

Mis Downing Promotions would like to thank their sponsors which includes The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame, The Claridge Hotel, Fantasea Resorts, AEI Insurance, Urgent Response, HairX, Buy Smart Motors & New Vision Property Management.

Beverly Hills, Calif. (March. 12, 2018) – Middleweight Cem Kilic remained perfect with a 2nd round stoppage over veteran Taronze Washington in Hinckley, Minnesota this past Frday.

The native of Los Angles via Frankfurt, Germany put Washington down with a hard body shot, and the bout was stopped to raise Kilic’s mark to 10-0 with six knockouts.

“I am 10-0 now, and I cant ell you how excited I am to get the early knockout in front of my adopted American fans,” said Kilic. “Taronze was a tough opponent, but I trained too hard for this fight not to get the early knockout. 2018 is my year, and I am putting the middleweight division on notice. I trust my manager to get the opportunity to showcase my talent to the entire world.”

Kilic is managed by No Limit Mindset LLC, and CEO Shane Shapiro is extremely confident in the direct that his fighter is heading.

“Friday was a big step for Cem Kilic. He demonstrated that at age 23 against a very tought opponent, who had fought three world champions (Andre Berto, Alfredo Angulo and Austin Trout) as well as a plethora of big name contenders, that Cem was able to take him out in 2 rounds. I am very pleased and excited to announce a MAJOR mover very shortly.”

Kilic is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions.

PHILADELPHIA – PA State junior middleweight champion Tyrone Brunson will be honored with three Briscoe Awards for the eventful year he had in 2017. During the year, Brunson’s efforts won him three bouts, two belts, and kept his career on track for a big fight in 2018. For these accomplishments, Brunson will take home three Briscoe Awards on March 25th – “Philly Fighter of the Year”, “Philly Fight of the Year”, and “Performance of the Year”. This will be the first time a fighter has won three Briscoes in a single year.

“Danny Garcia, Steve Cunningham, Bryant Jennings and Tevin Farmer have all won two before, but Brunson will be the first guy to get three on the same day,” said John DiSanto, founder of the Briscoe Awards. “Tyrone had a great year in 2017, so I’m happy for him. The voters got it right.”

In addition to the “Fighter of the Year” award, Brunson’s give-and-take battle with former world champion Kermit Cintron was named the “2017 Philly Fight of the Year”. In the fight, Brunson came off the floor twice to stop Cintron in round five. For that win, Brunson also earned the Briscoe Award for the “Performance of the Year”. Along with Brunson, Cintron will receive the Briscoe Award for his participation in the “Fight of the Year”.

A number of other fighters will also be honored in various categories like: “Amateur of the Year, “Prospect of the Year”, “Knockout of the Year”, Rookie of the Year”, etc.
Advance tickets for the March 25, 2018 Briscoe Awards cost $20 and are currently available for sale at BriscoeAwards.com, or by calling 609-377-6413. Tickets will not be sold at the door. The $20 admission includes food, draft beer, wine, soft drinks, and a souvenir program and ticket. The Briscoe Awards will be held at the VBA Clubhouse, 2733 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 of boxing in and around the city of Philadelphia. For more information, call John DiSanto at 609-377-6413.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada (March 12, 2018) – Undefeated International Boxing Association (IBA) lightweight champion Josh “Dubs” O’Reilly will make his first title defense on a special St. Patrick’s Day card, presented United Boxing Promotions, this Saturday night (Mar. 17), at Hersey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Irish-Canadian sensation O’Reilly (10-0, 4 KOs), fighting out of Hamilton (Canada), will take on Mexican invader Juan Bedolla Orozco (19-7-2, 14 KOs) in the 10-round main event. The 27-year-old O’Reilly (pictured to right) captured his IBA Intercontinental title last October, when he stopped Oscar Arjona (13-6) at Hersey Centre.

“I’m excited to headline because I’ve always felt it would be cool to fight on St. Paddy’s Day, in the main event, close to home and defending my title” O’Reilly said without a hint of an Irish brogue. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to putting on a very good performance for everyone.

“My goals for 2018 are to keep improving, I’d like to be in some domestic fights and then set myself up on the international scene early next year.

“Josh had a breakout year in 2017,” O’Reilly’s promoter Tyler Buxton commented. “He came into the year with only one knockout in seven fights. In 2017, after moving up in weight and competition, he stopped all three opponents. Josh proved he’s one of the top lightweights in Canada and, in 2018, we’re looking to prove he’s the best in the country.”

Former International Boxing Federation (IBF heavyweight champion Frankie Rill (14-2, 10 KOs), faces Argentinian knockout-artist Sebastian “El Grandote” Ignacio Ceballos (34-9-2, 26 KOs) in the eight-round co-featured event.

In a pair of six-round matches, Canadian light heavyweight champion Tim Cronin (10-1-1, 2 KOs) meets Juan Cruz Correa (4-0-1), of Argentina, while Jason Alexander (2-2-0, 2 KOs) squares off with Darren Fletcher (1-4-1,) in a battle of Canadian light heavyweights.

Indian middleweight prospect Sukhdeep “Chakria” Singh, a 2012 Senior National Boxing Championship and 2011 Boxing Super Cup gold medalist as an amateur, will make his professional debut in a four-round bout versus Alejandro Garcia (2-1, 1 KO), of Mexico.

Also fighting in four-round fights on the undercard are aptly named Canadian welterweight Cody Kelly (2-0) vs. Waldo “Chino” Rojas (4-2-1, 1 KO), of Mexico, unbeaten Armenia native and Montreal resident Andranik Grigoryan (2-0) vs. undefeated Mexican featherweight Sergio “El Duende” Palafox (7-0, 2 KOs), and pro-debuting Canadian super welterweight Karl “The Razor” Hess vs. Mexican Mario Bedolla Orozzo (0-1-1). Grigoryan gained invaluable experience as a key member of the Russian Boxing Team in the World Series of Boxing.

“Our St. Patrick’s Day event is going to be a great night of fights with Irish Josh ‘Dubs’ O’Reilly as the headliner, defending his IBA International title,” Buxton added. “Also, Irish boxers Tim Cronin and Cody Kelly will be in action, so it’s safe to say the boys in green will be out March 17th at Hershey Centre. The undercard is packed with the likes of former IBF International Heavyweight Champion Franz Rill, pro debuts of the gold medalist and 2017 Best Boxer of the India’s Super Pro Boxing League, Sukhdeep, and hard-hitting native Canadian Karl “The Razor” Hess. To top off a stacked card, World Series of Boxing Russian Team member Andranik Grigoryan will be making his first visit to Ontario.”

Tickets, ranging between $150.00 and $20.00, are available at the Hershey Centre box office or online at www.ticketmaster.ca.

INFORMATION:

Website: www.UnitedPromotions.CA

Facebook: /UnitedBoxingPromotions

Twitter: @UnitedBoxingPromotions, @TylerBuxton

Instagram: @UnitedPromotions

New York City (March 11, 2018) In front of a loud and passionate Brooklyn boxing crowd on Saturday night, Evander Holyfield’s The Real Deal Boxing took their first bow on opening night at the historic Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. The event was presented in association with World of Boxing.

In the scheduled main event of the evening, undefeated welterweight Julian Sosa thrilled the hometown crowd with a third round (0:59) stoppage of Wilmer Rodriguez. Dominant from the opening bell behind a battering jab and excellent body work, Sosa finished the action with a textbook left hook to the body as referee Shada Murdaugh counted out Rodriguez.

With the victory, the 22-year-old Sosa improved to 11-0-1, 4 KO’s, while the valiant Rodriguez moved to 9-2-0, 7 KO’s).

In the night’s eight round scheduled welterweight co-feature, Josue ‘The Prodigy’ Perez of Bronx, NY stopped Springfield, Massachusetts native Zach Ramsey in the fifth round. Working away throughout the first four stanzas with his full artillery, the southpaw Perez dropped Ramsey in the fifth as referee Steve Willis stopped the bout at the 2:55 mark from an unanswered barrage of power shots.

A native of Puerto Rico, Perez is now 10-1-0, 6 KO’s, while Ramsey falls to 8-3-0, 4 KO’s.

Fighting in the women’s junior flyweight division, New Rochelle, New York’s Natalie Gonzalez stayed undefeated, (4-0-0, 1 KO), with an entertaining six round decision over Judit Hachbold, (4-4-0, 1 KO), of Kiskoros, Hungary. Scores were 60-53 on all three judge’s scorecards.

In the welterweight division, popular fan favorite Cesar Francis, (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY stayed undefeated with a third-round stoppage of Demetrius Wilson, (2-6-0,) of Florissant, MO.

Standout former amateur star Justin ‘The Brooklyn Torch’ Biggs stayed perfect and continued to impress with three knockouts in his first three fights with a third-round knockout of pro debuting Joseph Elmore of Atlanta, GA. Time of the stoppage was 2:44.

Two very notable pro debuts took place on the card as both 2016 Uzbekistan Olympians were victorious. Welterweight Shakhram Giyasov, a bronze medalist at the Olympics scored a first round knockout of Nicolas Atilio Velazquez, (10-3-0, 3 KO’s), of Argentina with a battering ram left hook to the body. Giyasov was a Silver Medalist in Rio de Janiero.

In the featherweight division, Murodjon Akhmadaliev stopped David Paz, (4-5-1) of Buenos Aires, Argentina at the

1:08 mark of the opening stanza.

Rounding out the card, Mathew Gonzalez (4-0-0, 3 KO’s), of Ridgewood, NY stopped Elliot Brown, (1-4), who did not come out for the third round.

The Real Deal Boxing’s next event at the Kings Theatre in association with World of Boxing will take place on

Saturday, April 21, 2018. Details on this exciting event will be announced shortly.

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, @KingsBklyn

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

Last night’s Top Rank on ESPN saw Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) retain his WBO featherweight title against Scott Quigg while fighting under a canopy at the rainy StubHub Center, the famed outdoor boxing venue in Carson, Calif. south of downtown Los Angeles. The telecast includes two of 2018’s top five highest-rated fights on cable television in 2018, according to preliminary audience results from Nielsen. The Valdez vs. Quigg world championship fight aired live and exclusively on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and streamed live on the ESPN App.

Top Things to Know

Last night’s telecast was the highest-rated of the three Top Rank on ESPN telecasts in 2018
Last night’s Top Rank on ESPN featured two of the five highest-rated fights on cable television in 2018
The main event featuring Valdez vs. Quigg averaged a 0.7 metered market rating, while the co-main event featuring undefeated junior lightweights Andy Vences vs. Erick De Leon averaged a 0.8 metered market rating
Top Boxing Overnight Ratings on Cable Television 2018 (By Fight)

Rank

Date

Network

Fight

Metered Market Rating

1

03/10/2018

ESPN

VENCES vs. DE LEON

0.8

1

03/03/2018

SHOWTIME

WILDER vs. ORTIZ

0.8

3

03/10/2018

ESPN

VALDEZ vs. QUIGG

0.7

3

01/27/2018

HBO

MATTHYSSE vs. KIRAM

0.7

3

03/03/2018

HBO

KOVALEV vs. MIKHALKIN

0.7

The next Top Rank on ESPN is this Saturday, March 17 and features top-rated contenders José Ramírez and Amir “Young Man” Imam fighting for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world title. Ramirez vs. Imam will headline a St. Patrick’s Day at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The event also features Irish Olympian Michael Conlan (5-0, 4 KO’s), from Belfast, who begins his sophomore professional year exactly where he started his freshman year — at The Garden. The Ramirez vs. Imam world championship event will live and exclusively at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and stream live on the ESPN App at 6 p.m. ET.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (March 10, 2018) – Last night at the Mi Mercado Event Center in San Antonio, TX, TMB & PRB Entertainment, sponsored by Mikey Garcia Promotions, presented “Friday Night Fights”. Special guests Mikey Garcia, Abner Mares and Bones Adams were all in attendance.

In the main event, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (5-0, 3 KOs), fighting out of the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, defeated Jose “El Cuate” Casiano (0-2) by way of first round knockout. A right hook to the head put Casiano down for the count at the 1:33 mark of round one.

In the co-main event, Angel Alejandro (2-0, 1KO) went the distance with Jose Elizondo (2-6-1), winning a unanimous decision. Scorecards read 40-35 and 39-36 twice, all in favor of Alejandro. Alejandro dropped Elizando in round one before cruising to victory.

Undercard Results

(4-round super-middleweight bout)
Patrick Clarke(1-0, 1 KO) defeated Taylor Saucedo (0-4). A left hook to the head ended the bout at the 2:59 mark of round one.

(4-round Middleweight bout)
Steven Ramos (2-0, 2 KOs) defeated Jacob Landin (0-2). Aright hook by Ramos dropped Landin in the early part of round two, then a straight left followed, ending the bout.

(4-round jr bantamweight bout)
Aaron Morales (1-0, 1 KO)defeated Jorge De Leon (0-2)by way of first round knockout. A left hook to the body put De Leon down, ending the bout at the 1:42 mark.

(4-round heavyweight bout)
Brandon Glanton defeated Tyrrel Herndon. Herndon was disqualified for holding and quit. The bout was stopped at the 1:02 mark of round three.

(4-round Featherweight bout)
Vincente Loredo (1-0, 1 KO) defeated Ben Guerrero (0-2). A flurry of punches by Loredo ended the bout at the 1:23 mark of round three, giving Loredo the TKO victory.

Junior Lightweights: Avery Sparrow (10-1, 4 K0s) def. Jesus Serrano (17-6-2, 12 K0s), K0 2 (2:17)

Lightweights: John Joe Nevin (10-0, 4 K0s) def. Alex Torres Rynn (6-1, 3 K0s), UD 8 79-73, 80-72, 80-72

Junior Middleweights: Anthony Prescott (8-8-2, 2 K0s) def. Isaiah Wise (6-2, 3 K0s), SD 8 57-56, 59-56, 56-57

Welterweights: Marcel Rivers (4-0, 3 K0s) def. Rafael DeJesus, K0 2 (3:00)

Lightweights: Vinnie Denierio (3-4, 1 K0) def. Gerardo Martinez (2-2, 1 K0), SD 4 39-37, 39-37, 37-39

Junior Welterweights: Nahir Albright (3-1, 1 K0) def. Sidney Maccow (3-8, 2 K0s), UD 4 40-34, 40-34, 39-5

Lightweights: Tyrone Luckey (9-8-2, 7 K0s) def. Jerome Conquest (9-3, 1 K0), K0 1 (2:43)

Regis Prograis won the WBC Interim Super Lightweight title with a spectacular 2nd round stoppage over former world champion Julius Indongo at The Deadwood Mountain Grand in Deadwood, North Dakota.

Prograis dropped Indong at the end of the first round from a jab. Prograis dropped Indongo three more times in the next round with hard left hands, and referee Ian-John Lewis stopped the bout at 2:54.

Prograis, 140 lbs of Houston, TX is 21-0 with 18 knockouts. Indongo, 139.6 lbs of Omaha, NE is 22-2.

“I had to put on a show for SHOWTIME, for Deadwood, and for all my fans in Houston and New Orleans and just the whole division,” said Prograis. “I had to put on a show for everybody. I am now the man at 140.”

“I want the real title now, and I don’t think those two dudes will fight me after tonight,” said Prograis. “Indongo only had one loss to Terrence Crawford, the pound for pound best, and I stopped him a round before Crawford did. I don’t see anybody trying to fight me right now.”

Junior Fa remianed undefeated with an eight-round majority decision over Craig Lewis in a heavyweight bout.

Fa, 256.6 lbs of Papakura, NZ won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 76-76, and is now 14-0. Lewis, 247.8 lbs of Detroit, MI is 14-2-1.

“I’m happy I was able to get the decision, but I wasn’t happy with my performance at all,” said Fa. “If I had to give myself a grade, it would be an F. I fought with too much emotion the first few rounds and that threw me off a little bit.

“I was pretty surprised with the one judge who saw it even. I saw him getting tired but I was just flat tonight. I can learn a lot from this fight and where I went wrong and what not to do in my next fight.”

“I needed a little more time to train as my conditioning fell off a bit towards the end,” said the former National Golden Gloves gold medalist Lewis. “But overall, I was happy with my performance, I thought it was probably a draw.”

Ivan Baranchyk stopped former two-time world title challenger Petr Petrov in round eight of their scheduled 12-round IBF Junior Welterweight Elimination bout.

Baranchyk dropped Petrov with the 1st punch of the fight, which was a jab. Baranchyk dropped Petrov in round two from a combination, and at the end of round six with a big right. Baranchyk landed power punches throughout the fight, and the biut was stopped by referee Mark Nelson at 1:18 of round eight.

Baranchyk, 140 lbs of Brooklyn is now 17-0 with 11 knockouts. Petrov, 138.5 lbs of Madrid, Spaid is 39-6-2.

“I thought I fought a more controlled than in the past and something my new coach has been helping me with,” said Baranchyk, who is currently ranked No. 4 in the IBF 140-pound division. “I knew I had to keep punching to the body, punching to the body. And I did that well tonight.

“I was surprised they stopped the fight when they did. I felt like I won every round and controlled the fight. I knew I won the fight. It was a good fight for me.”

Atlantic City, New Jersey (March 9, 2018)–Weights for Saturday night’s card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

Chazz Witherspoon 236.5 – Lamont Capers 207.5
Mike Hilton 196 – Hector Perez 197
John Bauza 140 – David Morales 140
Prince Badi Ajamu 200 – Willis Lockett 191.5
Dan Murray 142.5 – Latorrie Woodberry TBA**
Alejandro Jimenez 118 – Derrick Pitts 118
Kevin Asmat 125.5 – Edgar Cortes 125.5

**Woodberry will weigh in on Saturday morning

Promoter: Mis Downing Promotions
Venue: The Claridge Hotel
1st Bell:7 PM ET

Ticket prices are : $150 for VIP Ringside; $120 for stage seating; $85 for premium and $60 for General Admission, and can be purchased by calling Michelle at 609-712-3854 or mrgeglus12@aol.com

Julian Sosa, 141.2 vs. Wilmer Rodriguez, 145, 8 rounds
Josue Vargas, 141.2 vs. Zack Ramsey, 141.6, 8 rounds
Mathew Gonzalez, 143.2 vs. Elliott Brown, 137, 4 rounds
Shakhram Gyasov, 149.4 vs. Nicolas Atilio Velazquez, 147, 6 rounds,
Murodjon Akhmadaliev, 128.6 vs. David Paz, 129, 6 rounds
Justin Biggs, 160 vs. Joseph Elmore, 163.2, 4 rounds
Cesar Francis, 143.2 vs. Demetrius Wilson, 142.2, 4 rounds
Natalie Gonzalez, 107.4 vs. Judit Hachbold, 107.4

Las Vegas, NV (March 9, 2018) – Roy Jones Jr. Boxing signs Alexander “The Great” Flores

Clearly inactivity hasn’t plagued Alexander “The Great” Flores (16-1-1, 14KO) from keeping his dreams alive. Signed, sealed and delivered, Alexander, his manager & trainer Michael Love and Keith Veltre came to terms last week and Alexander was officially added to the RJJ stable.

“My team and I have watched RJJ over the past two years and like what we see. They have moved their fighters in position to challenge for world titles,” stated Michael Love, Manager/ Trainer. “Seeing the work they have done with beIN SPORTS and the direction they have gone in regards to televised boxing is something to be excited about. Guy Taylor and I have stayed in contact since the beginning of Alex’s career and I believe Keith Veltre has the business model that will help excel RJJ.”

Flores 1st stepped into a boxing gym weighing in at over 300lbs at the age of 14yrs. Suffering from being overweight, being bullied and being unhealthy, Flores realized once he stepped into that boxing gym, he had found his utopia and he never left. Reaching his goal weight, and his potential skills, Flores decided that boxing was the legacy he wanted capitalize on, so he has.

Flores is described as having a middle weight mentality in a heavyweight body, add in the incredible head motion and you have yourself a very active full work fighter.

“I was honored when my team told me that RJJ was interested in adding me their stable,” said Alexander Flores. “They are taking the boxing world by storm and I am ready to ride it with them and honored to be a part of it.” I know they have great things in store for me and I can not wait to fight under the RJJ banner and show the world why RJJ made the right choice”

Flores’s only loss came to former IBF Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin (25-1-1, 23KOs) back on April 16, 2014 in Santa Monica, CA. Since then, inactivity plagued the once top California contender in recent years, having only fought four times in four years. Flores last bout was on February 23, 2017, with a KO1 over former Mexican Heavyweight Champion, Jorge Leal (14-8-1, 13Kos) in Tijuana, MX.

“First look at Alex’s tapes I knew he would enhance our stable immensely,” stated Keith Veltre, CEO & Co-Founder of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing “The movement, passion and dedication to his career was no brainer to Roy and I. We were honored that he signed with us, and I know he will not disappoint.”

The 27yr old trains at Elite Boxing located in Victorville, CA and is trained / managed by Michael Love.

About Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven to that we conquering the sweet science of the sport.
Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable such as, Super Bantamweight Joseph Agbeko, Super Flyweight Aston Francis Palicite, Lightweight Demond Brock, Super Lightweight Emmanuel Robles, Super Welterweight John Vera & Daniel Rosario Cruz, Super Featherweight Randy Moreno, Bantamweight Max Ornelas & Tony Lopez, Cruiserweight Adrain Taylor and Middleweight Shady Gamhour, Featherweight Edward Vazquez, Super lightweight Kendo Castaneda & Heavyweight Alexander Flores.

Queens, New York (March 9, 2018) – Undefeated welterweight Julian Sosa will be featured in his 1st main event tomorrow night when he takes on once-beaten Wilmer Rodriguez at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.

The eight-round bout will headline a Evander Holyfield Real Deal Boxing event.

Sosa is managed by El Matador Management.

Sosa, who will be fighting in front of his hometown fans in Brooklyn is very enthusiastic to be on the top of the bill.

“Learning that I was the main event gave me some extra motivation as I would down my camp,” said Sosa, who has a record of 10-0-1 with 3 knockouts.

“Being that this is my 1st fight this year, It means more that I am headlining.”

“This has been my longest camp. I have been working very hard for seven weeks, and I am more than ready for Saturday.”

Sosa is just starting to round into professional career, and he feels the best is yet to come.

“It has been quite a journey . It took me a few fights to transition from amateurs to the professionals. I had never fought without headgear. It took me about four fights to get used that and some of the other little things that are different. I am now very comfortable and settled in as a professional.”

In Rodriguez, he is facing a tough veteran, who has a record of 9-1, with his only loss coming to world champion Abner Mares.

“I have seen a few videos of him. He is a counter puncher with a “Philly Shell” defense. He stands in place, and he looks to counter.”

Sosa is looking to put on a show for his fans that he has not performed in front of since winning a four-round unanimous decision over Erick Martinez on October 14th at Barclays Center.

“I am sorry that it has been five months since my last fight. I need a break, I have been fighting a lot. I am back and I am ready to roll. This is my first eight-round bout, and I am the main event. This is a clean start of the year, and I am ready to open eyes.”

www.elmatadormanagement.com

Follow El Matador Management :

Twitter: @BoxingAdvisor
Facebook: @ElMatadorManagement
Instagram: @ElMatadorManagement
SnapChat: @ElMatadorMngmt
YouTube: @NewLegendPromotions

LAS VEGAS (March 9, 2018) – Erislandy Lara, the longest reigning world champion at 154-pounds, will clash with IBF champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd in a highly-anticipated super welterweight title unification live on SHOWTIME (10 pm ET/7 pm PT) as part of an exciting card presented by Premier Boxing Champions Saturday, April 7 from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

In the co-main event, Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb Truax will make the first defense of his IBF title against James DeGale in a rematch of one of the biggest upsets of 2017 that saw Truax wrestle the belt from DeGale on his home turf in London last December.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, will go on sale Friday, March 16 and be available by visiting AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.

“This is an action-packed card from top to bottom. The televised card features boxers who all have something significant to gain with a victory,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The winner of Lara-Hurd will be one step closer to becoming the undisputed 154-pound world champion. In a rematch, Truax gets to re-affirm his position as champion and DeGale has a chance to regain his world championship status. This is the kind of show that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.”

“We take pride in promoting quality events that our audiences always want to see,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “This card is going to be another line-up that the fans won’t want to miss. With Lara and Hurd looking to unify their titles and guys going head-to-head in rematches on the undercard, this is sure to be a night of non-stop action.

Lara vs. Hurd is a classic contrast in styles that could force each fighter to raise their game to another level. Lara is a crafty southpaw who relies on his superior boxing skills to confound opponents, while Hurd is a pure pressure boxer-puncher that stalks his opponents and isn’t easily frustrated.

Lara, a Cuban whose nickname is “The American Dream”, is coming off a unanimous decision victory on SHOWTIME over Terrell Gausha in October. Hurd was on the same card and defeated former champion Austin Trout when Trout’s corner stopped the fight in the 10th round. That paved the way for this unification showdown.

The 34-year-old Lara (25-2-2, 14 KOs), who lives and trains in Houston, Texas, won his world title with a TKO victory over Alfredo Angulo in 2013 and has successfully defended it seven times, which includes wins over Trout, Ishe Smith and Vanes Martirosyan.

“I’m very excited and motivated for this fight and to once again be headlining on the best network in boxing on SHOWTIME, is truly a pleasure,” said Lara. “I look forward to adding another belt to my collection on April 7 and to proving that I’m the best 154-pound fighter out there. Everyone tune-in because you don’t want to miss this unification. It’s going to be a legendary night and one for the history books.”

The undefeated Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs) is coming off a career-defining TKO victory over the former champion Trout in his last fight on Oct. 14. It was the first defense of the title for the 27-year Hurd of Accokeek, Maryland, who won the championship with a TKO victory over Tony Harrison on Feb. 25, 2017.

“I plan on being the aggressor for the entire fight, so I’ve been doing some exercises and working on techniques to improve my foot work so that I can stay on top of Erislandy Lara,” said Hurd. “We are not trying to go to the scorecards, so hopefully, I can be the first man to stop him, which I hope to do in the later rounds.

“I called him out, and now, it has come to pass that I get to become a unified champion against the man everyone considers to be the best and most feared in the division, and that’s Erislandy Lara.”

They call 34-year-old Truax “Golden”, and he punched his ticket to world title gold while on a trip to London in December, when he defeated DeGale by majority decision. Truax (29-3-2, 18 KOs) of Osseo, Minnesota was on a two-fight win streak heading into the match against DeGale. Before that his only losses came against former champions Anthony Dirrell, Daniel Jacobs and Jermain Taylor.

“They made the right call on the decision in England, and I expect to be even more dominant this time around,” Truax said. “I am planning to really just beat up James Gale and get the job done in more efficient fashion this time.’

“Fighting in Las Vegas for the first time will be a very cool experience and I expect it to be friendlier than it was in London. There is a lot of pride on the line for me, being that I’m the first boxing world champion from Minnesota in a long time. So there is a lot on the line for me and I plan to keep that going, especially as a means for supporting my family.”

The 32-year-old DeGale (23-2-1, 14 KOs) was the first British boxer to win a Gold Medal in the Olympics (2008 Beijing Games) and a world championship as a professional. He won his world title with a unanimous decision over Andre Dirrell in 2015 and made two successful defenses before fighting to a draw against Badou Jack on Jan. 14, 2017. It was a brutal standoff between two world champions, but neither man had his hand raised in victory. DeGale, who was coming off of an injury, had his home town crowd behind him but couldn’t deliver a win as Truax scored a stunning upset with the majority decision victory.

‘I’m happy to have the opportunity to rematch Truax and regain my IBF title,” said DeGale. “I am not going to make excuses for my poor performance, actions speak louder than words. I am excited to be boxing in Vegas and on SHOWTIME again. The real JD will be back on fight night!”

# # #

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.

IBF Junior Welterweight World Championship

Mikey Garcia – 139 ½ pounds

Sergey Lipinets – 139 ¾ pounds

Referee: Laurence Cole; Judges: Mark Calo-Oy (Texas), Julie Lederman (N.Y.), Nelson Vazquez (P.R.)

Vacant WBA Super Lightweight World Championship

Rances Barthelemy – 139 ½ pounds

Kiryl Relikh – 140 pounds

Referee: Luis Pabon; Judges: Alfredo Polanco (MEX), Cesar Ramos (Texas), Rafael Ramos (Texas)

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @Ringstar @TGBPromotions, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/RingstarSports. PBC is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Las Vegas (March 9, 2018) – Former Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik has confirmed that he and “The Punch Line” Podcast team will appear at the “Ring Life” booth to Meet & Greet his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the fourth edition of Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday May 5, 2018 from 10a.m to 5pm, during Cinco De Mayo weekend. The Boxing Expo will also coincide with the mega fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, that will take place later that evening.

Pavlik will appear for the first time at this years’ Expo. Kelly and “The Punch Line” team will have merchandise to sell to his fans, as well as photos and memorabilia. They will also promote their New Show from the Boxing Expo.

Kelly Pavlik Known as “The Ghost”, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2000 to 2012. Pavlik grew up on the south side of Youngstown, Ohio. He won the unified WBC, WBO, Ring magazine and lineal middleweight titles by defeating Jermain Taylor in 2007, which was also named Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Pavlik made three successful defenses before losing them to Sergio Martínez in 2010. On January 19, 2013 Kelly Pavlik announced his retirement from boxing.

Today Pavlik is the host of the Podcast Boxing show “The Punch Line” http://punchline.live/ with his co-host James Dominguez.

Box Fan Expo has been a huge success with fans and boxing industry people. Many boxing stars have attended the last two Expo’s such as Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr., 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:
http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

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

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

Throughout the next couple of months leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo. And for anyone in the Boxing industry or other Exhibitors (non-industry), who would like to be involved and reserve a Booth, contact Box Fan Expo:

Telephone number: (514) 572-7222 or Las Vegas Number (702) 997-1927

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo

and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

Dina Thorslund (10-0, 6 KOs) and her opponent Alicia Ashley (24-11-1, 4 KOs) both made weight today ahead of their WBC Female World Super Bantamweight Championship contest tomorrow night at the Struer Energi Park in Denmark.

Thorslund can become Denmark’s first World Champion since Mikkel Kessler and the country’s second ever female World Champion if she is able to overcome the experienced New York-based Jamaican in front of her home fans in Struer.

WBC Female World Super Bantamweight Championship
Dina Thorslund: 55.2 kg
Alicia Ashley: 54.5 kg

An action-packed undercard sees the return of Dennis Ceylan who faces Jesus Sanchez following his World title eliminator defeat to Josh Warrington plus rising Danish stars Kem Ljungquist, Mikkel Nielsen, Frederik Hede Jensen, Adam Bashanov, Haris Dzindo and German middleweight Araik Marutjan.

Featherweight – 8 Rounds:
Dennis Ceylan: 57.6 kg
Jesus Sanchez: 57.5 kg

Heavyweight – 6 Rounds:
Kem Ljungquist: 107.5 kg
Frantisek Kohout: 101.5 kg

Middleweight – 4 Rounds:
Araik Marutjan: 73 kg
Nikoloz Gvajava: TBC*

Super Welterweight – 6 Round:
Mikkel Nielsen: 69.4 kg
Jemel Shalamberidze: TBC*

Super Featherweight – 4 Rounds:
Frederik Hede Jensen: 57 kg
Brian Pelaez: 58 kg

Super Middleweight – 4 Rounds:
Haris Dzindo: 75 kg
Karoly Lakatos: 72 kg

Super Middleweight – 6 Rounds:
Adam Bashanov:
Nick Hannig: 77.5 kg

*Nikoloz Gvajava and Jemel Shalamberidze will be weighed in later.

With current champion Fatuma Zarika injured, Thorslund and Ashley will contest the ‘interim’ WBC title. Upon her return, Zarika will fight the winner of Thorslund and Ashley to determine the WBC’s ‘undisputed’ 122lbs champion.

Limited tickets for the Nordic Fight Night in Struer are available via www.ticketmaster.dk. Dina Thorslund vs. Alicia Ashley and Dennis Ceylan vs. Jesus Sanchez will be broadcast live on TV3+ in Denmark from 20.30 with the full undercard shown on Viaplay Fighting

PHILADELPHIA – Boxing fans certainly love a knockout, and 2017 was full of them in Philly. Of the many big KOs last year, the best of them all was by Marcel Rivers, at the 2300 Arena last September. Rivers, in his third professional fight, scored a picture-perfect-one punch-knockout of Osnel Charles in the fourth round. For this perfect punch, Rivers will receive a Briscoe Award for the “2017 Knockout of the Year”, on March 25, 2018, at the 11th Annual Briscoe Awards.

“It is exactly why boxing fans come out to the fights,” said John DiSanto, founder of the Briscoe Awards. “Big knockouts always steal the show, and Marcel’s was the biggest.”

The Briscoe Awards commemorate the best accomplishments of the Philly-area boxing scene. A total of eleven prizes will be given out in a variety of categories, including “Philly Fighter of the Year”, “Philly Fight of the Year”, “Amateur of the Year”, “Rookie of the Year”, “Prospect of the Year”, and others.

Advance tickets for the March 25, 2018 Briscoe Awards cost $20 and are currently available for sale at BriscoeAwards.com, or by calling 609-377-6413. Tickets will not be sold at the door. The $20 admission includes food, draft beer, wine, soft drinks, and a souvenir program and ticket. The Briscoe Awards will be held at the VBA Clubhouse, 2733 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 of boxing in and around the city of Philadelphia. For more information, call John DiSanto at 609-377-6413.

Former World-rated Super-Bantam Lewis Pettitt insists it could be curtains for his ring career at just 27, if he fails to repel unbeaten Brummie hotshot Raza Hamza in their quality Featherweight eight rounder at The O2 on April 14th.

‘I’m putting massive pressure on myself,’ claims the one-time Southern Area, WBA Inter-Continental and WBO European 122lb Champion who has triumphed in 20 of his 22 pro gigs.

‘Though I’m successful outside of boxing, I really love this sport. Raza is young enough to come again but if I don’t beat him I can’t see a way back. I won’t box again and that would break my heart.’

A veteran of six title fights (Hamza is yet to venture past round six), former England international Pettitt is two years senior and has engaged in 12 more fights and 89 more rounds than his feisty Brummie foe.

However, the suffocating pressure fighter from Erith in Kent has contested just a dozen rounds since conceding to Lincoln’s Bobby Jenkinson in a gruelling Commonwealth super-bantam clash in September 2015 and is acutely aware that this is no ‘gimme’.

‘By the time of the fight, I’ll have been out for 10 months so it’ll be tough,’ concedes the 5ft 4 ½ in former London amateur champ.

‘I’ve been training in the gym constantly since I lost to Jenkinson but, without fights, my weight can balloon above 11 stone. When I get annoyed, I eat! I got to around 9st last December, only for the show to get pulled. To be fair, Raza hasn’t boxed for a while either.’

The 5ft 10 in Hamza is a big Featherweight with a big talent. Half a foot taller, the five time national junior Champion enters unbeaten in 10 (one draw) and his slate lists five first round stoppage wins with three of his four points victories by shut out.

But Pettitt knows he is an altogether stiffer proposition than anything the Midlander has encountered previously.

‘I’ve fought taller fellas my whole career and cut them down,’ he warns.

‘The secret is good head movement and fast feet, in and out. Raza is threatening to come at me. I doubt he will but I really hope he does. Look, I can’t run away. If I let a taller guy control from the outside, I’m in for a hard night.

‘Raza has the size but fighting down south is a massive advantage for me. I’ve always been a huge ticket seller. My younger brother Jake is also on the bill and, between us, we sold roughly £18,000 worth of tickets for a show at Brentwood.

‘After a couple of rounds, reality will dawn for Hamza that he’s facing his first opponent who’s actually coming to win and there’s 400 people ringside baying for his blood. I just hope we get a good slot on the bill and there’s plenty of neutrals in the Arena to generate a real buzz. That will help me.

‘I doubt Raza has even boxed on an Arena bill whereas I’ve had half a dozen 10 or 12 round title fights. My experience is a big plus.

‘I’ve not seen much of Raza and I’ve no plans to watch him much before we fight. I prefer to respond to what happens when we’re in there.

‘I was ringside when he fought at Leicester last April but, no disrespect, wasn’t paying too much attention. That night, he came forward and walked down some import. I just remember he didn’t make best use of his (physical) attributes. Still, fair play to him for stepping up.’

Nevertheless, West Ham fan Lewis warns Hamza to expect a hammering.

‘I think Raza will try to establish himself early on but, once he realises I hurt, he’ll jump onto the back foot and run,’ predicts Pettitt who has halted nine opponents himself, in far more taxing company.

‘Shifting those last four pounds really drained me down at Super-Bantam. Almost all my stoppage wins have come up at 9st. I guarantee he’ll not come at me for eight rounds. He’ll find I hit far too hard.’

Pettitt v Hamza is part of a huge night of boxing at The O2 topped by Billy Joe Saunders’ fourth defence of his WBO Middleweight World Title against Martin Murray and Terry Flanagan’s challenge for the vacant WBO Super-Lightweight World Title against undefeated American Maurice Hooker.

An unmissable card also features rising Light-Heavyweight star Anthony ‘The Beast’ Yarde and Heavyweight sensation ‘Dynamite’ Daniel Dubois, plus Darryll Williams defending his English Super-Middleweight title against Lennox Clarke while Hackney Super-Lightweight talent Ohara Davies makes his highly-anticipated comeback;

Peckham Welterweight Johnny Garton, Southampton Featherweight Ryan Garner, Chigwell Flyweight Harvey Horn and Erith Flyweight Jake Pettitt complete a stacked card with the professional debuts of Bolton Welterweight Khaleel Majid and Hainult Cruiserweight James Branch.

Tickets for April 14th priced from £40 (Tier) to £300 (Hospitality) are available to purchase via www.axs.com.

When five time national junior Champion Raza Hamza entered the World of professional prizefighting as a painfully shy 21 year old in February 2015, it was felt that the biggest harness to him realising his enormous potential might be a lack of self-belief. No longer!

Three years down the line, the sleek 5ft 10 in Brummie Featherweight is unbeaten in 10 and, with half of his opponents extinguished before the first round was complete, the Asian ‘Prince’s’ confidence is in danger of spiralling off the scale.

‘I wasn’t born to be average, I was born to do big things, to stand out, to shine on the biggest shows. I know I’m blessed and the only person who can mess this up is myself,’ insists the 25 year old Haroon Headley coached starlet who clashes with former World-rated Super Bantam Lewis Pettitt in a high class eight rounder on Frank Warren’s double world title bill at London’s O2 Arena next month.

‘I’ve been working very hard for a long time and on April 14th the UK fans will finally realise how good I am. It’s my destiny to win. You can’t change that!

‘This is a huge World Championship bill yet already my fight with Lewis is kicking up a storm on social media and big side bets are being made. I’m loving the interest. I’m not remotely nervous.

‘I was a very popular amateur and the Asian community are craving a new (boxing) star. After 14th April, I intend to have people talking about me.

‘Right now, the city has some very good fighters. After Kal (Yafai, the WBA Super-Flyweight king), everyone is striving to be the city’s second world champion. There’s Tommy Langford, Gamal (Yafai), Sam Eggington. We’re all destined for big things.’

Thus far, raging Raza’s explosive exploits have largely been hidden away on provincial small hall shows but no he believes it’s finally time to announce himself.

‘Lewis is the perfect opponent for me to break out,’ says Hamza who is still to meet an opponent with a winning record and is yet to venture past round six.

‘After this, everything will change. I’d love a belt around my waist this year. Beating Lewis Pettitt in style will bring me a big following. After that, I’ll only be facing fighters with winning records who are coming to win. I’ll be on my way!’

To secure this opportunity the classy yet combustible Midland has been required to concede home court to confront a former WBA Inter-Continental and WBO European Champion who has triumphed in 20 of 22 starts. No issue, insists Hamza.

‘I’ll be bringing a lot to ringside myself but I hope the Arena is full of Lewis Pettitt fans. I’ll have to prove my character. It’ll give me a chance to show how good I am. I love being the outsider, love being booed!

‘Lewis has achieved good things. He was a champion, rated four in the world. I take nothing from him. He’ll prepare right and will be coming to win. From experience, I know that one shot can change everything. He’s coming to beat me so I definitely need to bring my A Game.

‘But Lewis has had his day. It’s true he’s been involved in longer fights but who has he faced? I’m faster, stronger, younger, hungrier and he’ll find I hit much, much harder than anyone he’s fought before. If he’s careless, this could be over in a round. I hit extremely hard. I promise he will touch the floor in this fight!

‘But I’m not looking for a knockout. I’m gonna show classy boxing. This is exactly the type of fight to make fans take notice.’

Pettitt v Hamza is part of a huge night of boxing at The O2 topped by Billy Joe Saunders’ fourth defence of his WBO Middleweight World Title against Martin Murray and Terry Flanagan’s challenge for the vacant WBO Super-Lightweight World Title against undefeated American Maurice Hooker.

An unmissable card also features rising Light-Heavyweight star Anthony ‘The Beast’ Yarde and Heavyweight sensation ‘Dynamite’ Daniel Dubois, plus Darryll Williams defending his English Super-Middleweight title against Lennox Clarke while Hackney Super-Lightweight talent Ohara Davies makes his highly-anticipated comeback;

Peckham Welterweight Johnny Garton, Southampton Featherweight Ryan Garner, Chigwell Flyweight Harvey Horn and Erith Flyweight Jake Pettitt complete a stacked card with the professional debuts of Bolton Welterweight Khaleel Majid and Hainult Cruiserweight James Branch.

Tickets for April 14th priced from £40 (Tier) to £300 (Hospitality) are available to purchase via www.axs.com.