Tickets for the blockbuster Heavyweight World title unification clash between Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker go on pre-sale to Matchroom Fight Pass members at midday on Monday January 22 and general sale on Tuesday January 23 ahead of the March 31 event live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Tickets for the event are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300 and £600 – with VIP tickets priced at £2000.

Tickets go on sale for the fight by the official ticketing partner, www.StubHub.co.uk

Fight Pass Members: tickets on sale midday on Monday January 22
General sale: tickets available at midday on Tuesday 23 January

Coach packages also go on sale at midday on Tuesday via www.seetickets.com with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility, ambulant and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality stadium via 02920 822432 – also on sale from midday Tuesday.

Don’t miss out on tickets. Sign up now and add your delivery address and payment details on StubHub here

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk or by calling 0208 9712966

You are strongly advised to plan your travel to Cardiff before purchasing your tickets and will need to allow plenty of time for additional security checks at Principality Stadium.

A calf injury has forced Zolani Tete to postpone his WBO World Bantamweight title defence against Omar Narvaez.

Tete, 29, was due to defend his crown at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday 10th February, but will now make his mandatory defence against the Argentinian at a later date in 2018.

“I’m hugely disappointed to have to postpone my fight with Omar Narvaez.” Said Tete. “Unfortunately I picked up a calf injury that has severely hindered my training and the only option was to postpone the fight.

“I train as hard as I fight so there is always a risk of picking up injuries. World Championship defences are incredibly tough and it is unsafe fighting when you are not fit. Narvaez is a two-weight World Champion so it is vital that I am fully prepared for him.

“I am determined to put on another explosive performance for my UK fans when I face Narvaez. After I beat him the plan is to unify the Bantamweight division against Ryan Burnett. It is a fight that the boxing World wants to see and I am hopeful that it will happen in 2018.”

Frank Warren’s bumper ‘Untouchables’ show still features some of the best British talent around, with Bradley Skeete, Anthony Yarde, Daniel Dubois and Zelfa Barrett all looking to make statements to kick-off a huge 2018.

British Welterweight Champion Bradley ‘Super’ Skeete (27-1, 12 KO’s) faces IBF Inter-Continental Welterweight Champion Laszlo Toth (25-3-1, 17 KO’s) for the Vacant WBC International belt. Skeete is ready to prove his World class credentials and knows that a win on February 10 will take him a step closer to a dream World Title shot.

“This is an opportunity to add another belt to my collection,” said Skeete. “Toth has won the IBF European and Inter-Continental titles and should provide a good test for me. I have strong ratings with the WBO and IBF, winning this title will push me up the WBC rankings as well.

“2018 is the year that I will prove I’m a World class fighter. I know that my style would give anyone trouble, it’s why I’ve been avoided. I’m ready and waiting to prove what I can do against the best!”

Ilford Light-Heavyweight Anthony Yarde (14-0, 13 KO’s) defends his WBO Inter-Continental and European Light-Heavyweight titles against Frenchman Tony Averlant (26-9-2, 5 KO’s). ‘The Beast’ is determined to pick up from where he left off in 2017 after becoming the first man to stop Nikola Sjekloca with a heavy-handed display which last less than four rounds.

“I enjoyed a successful 2017, winning three belts and stopping all five of my opponents,” said Yarde. “2018 is going to be an even bigger year but whatever is meant to happen will happen, I’m not in any rush. My job is to keep my head down, work hard and enjoy the journey.

“I’m hoping that Averlant is a durable opponent, he’s only been stopped twice and one of those stoppages was against former WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Juergen Braeher. I’m looking to gain some crucial extra minutes in the ring.”

Heavyweight sensation Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois (6-0, 6 KO’s) defends his Southern-Area belt against Kent’s DL Jones (8-0-1). The Peacock Gym powerhouse claimed the title after knocking AJ Carter out cold in the opening round with a massive right hand at the Copper Box Arena back in September and is promising to start 2018 with another explosive KO.

“I’m ready to start 2018 with a bang,” said Dubois. “I’m working hard to be the best that I can possibly be and I’m feeling good. Everything is going great, I’m just staying in the gym, staying focused, and staying dedicated to it.

“I’m looking forward to being back at the Copper Box Arena, it’s starting to feel like a home venue for me and I always get a great reception from the fans. I’ll be looking to send them home happy on February 10.”

English Super-Featherweight Champion Zelfa ‘Brown Flash’ Barrett (19-0, 12 KO’s) fights for the first time in the capital when he takes on Spain’s Ivan Ruiz Morote (18-8-1, 7 KO’s) over ten rounds. Manchester’s Barrett is closing in on a salivating showdown with rival Super-Featherweight star Lyon Woodstock.

“I rate him as a person,” said Barrett. “He’s a nice guy. He’s a good fighter. Anybody in my weight division, they all can get it. So I’ll just say he’s a good fighter and I respect him as a person.

“I only do my talking in the ring. There’ll be no fight talk, there’s nothing personal. He’s a cool guy, he wants to do his family proud so you can’t take that away from him. All I’m focused on for now is getting the win in style on February, it’ll be my first so I’ll be putting on a show.”

Hard-hitting Southampton Super-Welterweight Joe Pigford returns to the ring after a brutal KO win over Aaron Morgan in May 2017; all-action Welling Super-Featherweight talent Archie ‘Sharpshooter’ Sharp aims to improve his unbeaten record to 12-0; gifted Southampton Featherweight Ryan ‘The Piranha’ Garner looks to get his career back on track when he fights over four rounds; Ilford Welterweight Hamzah Sheeraz returns to the scene of his impressive TKO debut win over Duane Green; stylish Ilford Super-Middleweight Umar Sadiq and former Team GB Flyweight Harvey Horn both look to go 2-0 while Beckton Lightweight and Anthony Yarde gym mate Mohammed Bilal Ali makes his professional debut.

Tickets priced at £50 (Lower Tier), £70 (Floor), £100 (Floor), £150 (Floor) and VIP/Hospitality £250 are available via See Tickets, Eventim and Ticketmaster.

See Tickets
0871 230 7148
www.seetickets.com

Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk

Ticketmaster
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Jeremy Stephens scored an explosive 2nd round stoppage over Doohoo Choi in a featherweight bout at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Stephens dropped Choi in round two, and then landed three hard shots with Choi on the ground, and the bout was stopped at 2:36.

Stephens, 145.5 lbs of San Diego is 27-14. Choi, 146 lbs of Busan, SK is 15-3.

Jessica Rose Calrk won a unanimous decision over fan favorite Paige CanZant in a flyweight bout.

Clark, 125.5 lbs of Innisfal, AUS won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice, and is now 9-4-1. VanZant, 125.5 lbs of Portland, OR is now 7-4.

Kamaru Usman won a unanimous decision over Emil meek in a welterweight bout.

Usman was bleeding from the right eye from from short elbows in round one. Meek was cut in the back of his head in round two. Later in the round he was cut on the forehead.

Usman dominated as he out-landed Meek 104-69, and had the control advantage by a 12-minute margin.

Usman, 169.5 lbs of Boca Raton, FL won by scores of 30-27 on all cards, and is now 12-1. Meek, 170.5 lbs of Trondheim, NOR is 9-3-1-1.

This was Usman’s 11th straight win.

Darren Elkins submitted Michael Johnson in round two of their featherweight bout.

Elkins won by rear naked choke at 2:22.

Elkins, 145.5 lbs of Portange, IN is 24-5. Johnson, 146 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is 17-13.

Elkins won his 6th consecutive bout.

WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will meet WBO Champion Joseph Parker on March 31st in Cardiff, Wales, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I would like to announce the official news that myself and Joseph Parker will be fighting on March 31 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff,” Joshua said on Sunday. “It is a unification heavyweight championship fight. We all know what happened last time I was in a unification heavyweight championship fight. It was grueling, it was interesting and we both left the ring with masses of respect.”

“Anthony Joshua is in for a huge shock,” Parker said. “A couple of months ago I heard him say, ‘Why should I be worried about this little kid from New Zealand?’ Well, now he’s about to find out. And the world is about to find out whether AJ can really take a punch. My entire existence is now devoted to proving what the boxing world already knows.”

“These fights aren’t easy because there is a lot on the line, so respect to Team Parker for taking the challenge,” Joshua said. “And you know me, I love this game. I am looking forward to it. Training camp is underway and before you know it, March 31 will be upon us.”

“I’m delighted to get this fight made — it’s been a long time coming,” Hearn said. “Champions should fight champions and AJ continues to step up to the challenges. It’s the first time in history that two reigning heavyweight world champions have met in Britain, and it’s a classic matchup between two young, fast, undefeated belt holders and it’s going to be an explosive fight. This is another huge unification fight for Anthony as he continues to make history in the quest to become undisputed world heavyweight champion.”

“Eddie has been great to work with from day one,” Higgins said. “I know we ruffled a few feathers along the way but, as Eddie acknowledged, when you come from a small country and people perceive you as a small player, sometimes you’ve got to make a bit of noise. New Zealand might be a tiny country on the other side of the world, but it has a hugely proud sporting tradition — and a particularly strong tradition when it comes to whipping mother England.

“Joseph Parker is the absolute epitome of the Kiwi sporting battler. It has been said that he is punching above his weight, but he didn’t become WBO heavyweight champion by being lucky. He’s never been stopped, never even been wobbled in the ring. He’s consistently fought fighters in the world’s top 10 and he’s beaten them all easily. It certainly won’t be a shock to me when he beats Anthony Joshua and takes his titles back home to New Zealand.”

Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner Claressa Sheilds retained her IBF/WBC Super Middleweight titles with a ten-round unanimous decision over Tori Nelson at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Shields, 167 lbs of Flint, MI won by scores of 200-90 on all cards, and is now 5-0. Nelson, 164.75 lbs of Ashburn, VA is now 17-1-3.

“I landed every shot that I thought possible to land,” Shields said. “She was tough, she wasn’t a pushover. She put on a good fight.”

“I have to drop down and see how I feel (first),” Shields said. “I think I could make 160 easy, I’m going to be bigger and stronger than any girl.

“Hammer just wants to scope. I think she’s pretty scared to be honest. She is more worried about me than I am about her. I’m going to kick Hammer’s ass. People think Hammer is more skilled than me so I can’t wait to show her that she’s not.”

“It’s a great combination me and her on the same card,” Hammer said. “I can’t wait to show the fans who Christina Hammer is. That will be the best fight ever. It will be the game-changer for female boxing. It’s our time to shine.

“I’m long-time world champion and I have more experience. I have longer reach, I’m tall, I have good footwork and better technique than her. I feel the energy, and I can’t wait to fight against her.”

“I’m not happy because I didn’t win, but other than that I thought I executed pretty well,” said the 41-year-old Nelson. “I gave her a better fight than she was expecting.

“No disrespect to Claressa, she doesn’t have great power. She has great speed and she overwhelms you with a lot of punches. My movement threw her off like I knew it would but knowing she was the champion, I needed to just push a little bit more.”

Jesse Angel Hernandez won a ten-round split decision over Ernesto Garza in an exciting super bantamweight bout.

he end of round two, Garza was credited with a knockdown as Hernandez hit the deck after walking into a left hand.

Hernandez, 122.5 lbs of Fort Worth, TX won two cards by 97-93 and 95-94 tallies, while Garza won Garza took a card 95-93.

Hernandez is 11-1. Garza, 122.5 lbs of Saiginaw, MI is 9-3.he threw 1019.

Hernandez landed 286-719 punches while Garza also landed 286 punches as

“I think it should have been a unanimous decision,” Hernandez said. “I’ve always been a slow starter and I feel like I lost the first two rounds, especially with the knockdown. But I won pretty much every round after that, I maybe lost three rounds.

“I’m not completely happy with my performance. I have to control my distance and my range a little bit better. I need to go back to the gym and work on those things. Before the summer comes I hope to have another fight and I hope it’s on SHOWTIME.

“I give Garza a lot of credit for getting in the ring and knocking me down. He hung in there for 10 rounds even after I caught him with some good shots. He was able to withstand those shots, but all that said, I still think it should have been a unanimous decision.”

“I thought it was a bogus decision,” Garza said. “I don’t understand that last judge’s card. I was happy with everything that I did. I executed well and did everything I needed to do to win the fight.

“I’m really disappointed with the outcome. I felt that I won. To me, I won a majority of the rounds and I knocked him down. I know knocking your opponent down usually leads to you winning the fight.”

In a battle of undefeated junior welterweights, Shohjahon Ergashev stopped Sonny Fredrickson in round three of a scheduled eight-round bout.

Ergashev rocked Fredrickson with a series of hard lefts. Ergashev continued to stagger and wobble for about 30 seconds until the bout was stopped at 1:58.

Ergashev, 140 lbs of Fergana, UZ is 11-0 with 11 knockouts. Fredrickson, 141 lbs of Toledo, OH, is 18-1.

“The ref saved him,” Ergashev said. “If he let him stay on his feet any longer I would have knocked him out. He couldn’t handle my power.

“At this stage of my career, I am in the best shape of my life and the best I have felt. This is my time right now, especially because I am training with Rick (Phillips) and (Javan) Sugar (Hill Steward). That’s what leads to all of my knockout power.

“I’m ready for whatever comes next. I’m ready for more fights in the U.S., and I want to keep getting more exposure to show off my skills. I’m ready to fight anybody in America.”

Several entertaining fights highlighted the untelevised undercard for two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields defense of her WBC and IBF titles against mandatory challenger Tori Nelson at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York tonight.

In the main supporting bout, Detroit via Kurchaloi, Russia, heavyweight Apti Davtaev had a successful United States fighting debut by scoring a six-round unanimous decision over Philadelphia’s Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson.

Wilson didn’t make it easy. Fighting out of a crouch, the heavily muscled, but much shorter Wilson came up with enough wild haymakers to make the entire fight very interesting. Davtaev appears to have a heavy right hand, which he dropped onto the hard head of Wilson often enough to earn the close, but deserved nod. Davtaev warrants credit for going to war whenever one of Wilson’s looping swings connected.

Davtaev (now 14-0-1, 13 KOs) loses his perfect KO percentage, but walks away with a hard-fought victory over a foe who came to win. Wilson is now (18-14-1, 9 KOs).

The scores were 58-56 from all three judges.

An accidental headbutt brought an abbreviated end to the six-round super lightweight return of Aktjubinsk, Kazakhstan’s Bakhtiyar Eyubov.

In against Lynchburg, Virginia’s Maurice Chalmers (14-13-1, 8 KOs), the exciting slugger Eyubov (13-0, 11 KOs) was advancing behind active head movement and a tight shell when his head collided with the retreating Chalmers’. The cut that resulted was ruled too severe and the fight was ruled a No Decision at 1:59 of the opening round.

In a wild women’s light heavyweight brawl featuring fists flying from every direction, wrestling holds and several MMA-style takedowns, Franchon “The Heavy Hitting Diva” Crews-Dezurn won a unanimous six-round decision over Tiffany “The Terminator” Woodard.

Crews-Dezurn, now 3-1, 1 KO, of Baltimore, Maryland, had too many weapons for Wilson, North Carolina’s Woodard (now 4-10-3, 3 KOs), so Woodard tried and succeeded to make things ugly. What followed was a wild punch-out featuring elbows and headlocks and takedowns that left both on the canvas more than once.

Woodard took a lot of hard leather and deserves credit for her toughness. Crews-Dezurn showed class in not taking the bait for most of the fight. She did lose a point in the sixth for a sneaky revenge takedown.

The scores were 59-53, 59-54 and 59-54.

Detroit via Magnitogorsk, Russia’s Alexey Zubov outworked a determined Lamont “Too Smooth” Capers of Hawley, Pennsylvania, on his way to a six-round majority decision.

An entertaining fight between hard-nosed cruiserweights, Zubov was cut over the right eye and took some good punches, but simply outworked the more selective Capers. Zubov showed his often-superior conditioning and worked behind an educated jab, while Capers was content to lay on the ropes and land hard pot shots often enough to keep it interesting.

A score of 57-57 draw was over-ruled by scores 59-56 and 58-56 for the tough Russian. With the victory, Zubov moves his record to 17-1, 9 KOs. Capers falls to 8-11-3.

###

About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the January 12 event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is an award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year level boxing. The January event will mark Turning Stone’s 24th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a leading destination for nationally-televised combat sports. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 signature restaurants and dining options, two spas, an all-new 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000-seat arena, five golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues with live entertainment every weekend.

BROOKLYN (January 12, 2018) – Another blockbuster boxing event will come to Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®, as unbeaten heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder defends his title against unbeaten contender Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz on Saturday, March 3 in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Wilder-Ortiz is a long-awaited matchup of undefeated, consensus top-five fighters facing off in the resurgent heavyweight division and marks Wilder’s third appearance at Barclays Center.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, start at $50 and go on sale Tuesday, January 16 at 10 a.m. To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com, or call 800-745-3000. Tickets for the event can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Wednesday, January 17 at noon.

“We are thrilled to welcome the heavyweight champ back to Barclays Center for his second-consecutive fight after a big first round knockout of Bermane Stiverne in our ring last November,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “Deontay’s long-awaited bout with Ortiz is sure to be one of 2018’s best matchups.”

Wilder returns to Barclays Center after most recently scoring a sensational first round knockout of Bermane Stiverne on November 4, 2017 and previously delivering a highlight reel knockout of Artur Szpilka in January 2016. America’s only reigning heavyweight champion will look to put on another unforgettable performance when he faces his toughest opponent to date in Ortiz.

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,
follow us on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, @BarclaysCenter, @Brooklyn_Boxing and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 12, 2018): Golden Boy Promotions will continue its partnership with ESPN for this exciting new year with an explosive main event featuring 126-pound contender Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (25-0, 13 KOs) defending his NABO Featherweight Title against former world champion Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas (38-4-2, 21 KOs) on the Feb. 22 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino inIndio, Calif.Doors to the Special Events Center open at 5:00 p.m. PT, and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Diaz Jr., a 25-year-old prodigy of South El Monte, Calif., was an exceptional amateur prospect who was part of the 2012 United States Olympic Team. After making his debut with Golden Boy Promotions in December 2012 at the now-defunct LA Sports Arena, Diaz, Jr. climbed the 126-pound rankings defeating one tough opponent after another. Diaz, Jr. had a great 2017 as he participated in two Pay-Per-View events. In the HBO-televised undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr., Diaz, Jr. cruised to a 10-round unanimous decision victory against the previously undefeated Manuel “Tino” Avila. Diaz, Jr. then defeated Rafael “Bing Bang” Rivera via dominant 12-round decision in the co-main event of the historic Canelo vs. Golovkin HBO pay-per-view event. Diaz, Jr. will look to continue his path to a world title with a win on Feb. 22.

“I look forward to making my 2018 debut,” said Diaz, Jr. “And what better way than by facing a tough former world champion in Victor Terrazas! I will remind everyone why I deserve a world title shot by headlining this card exciting fashion.”

Terrazas, a 34-year-old native of Jalisco, Mexico, is a former world champion who defeated Cristian “El Diamante” Mijares to capture the WBC Super Bantamweight Title. Terrazas, a student of the traditional Mexican school of boxing, has fought fighters at a world championship level from different parts of the world, and will bring years of fighting experience into his fight against Diaz, Jr.

“I have faced great fighters in my career,” said Terrazas. “And this fight against Joseph Diaz, Jr. will not be an exception. I think that my experience will be very important, and I have no doubts that I will leave with my hand raised.”

Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs), a super lightweight prospect who has delighted fans with his tremendous knockout power, will return in the eight-round co-main event. After debuting as a professional in 2016, Ortiz, Jr. has never heard the final bell of a bout, and he’s anxious to retain his 100% knockout rate in the year 2018. One must definitely not lose sight of this sensational Mexican American who has his roots in Michoacan, Mexico.

The explosive undercard will be stacked with the best and brightest prospects of the exclusive Golden Boy Promotions stable. Lightweight knockout artist Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (18-1, 15 KOs) will make his highly anticipated ring return over a scheduled eight rounds of action in his Fantasy Springs Resort Casino debut. Gonzalez is a hard-hitting prospect who is coming off two spectacular wins, the last of which was against Gamaliel “El Platano” Diaz.

Manny “Chato” Robles III (14-0, 6 KOs), after making his headlining debut in Sept. of 2017, will square off in an eight-round featherweight fight. Power punching prospect Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio (10-0, 7 KOs) of Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl by way of South Central, Los Angeles, California will start the year off with a bang in an eight-round battle in the 126-pound division.

Hector “El Finito” Tanajara, Jr.(11-0, 4 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas will open the evening of very exciting combats in an eight-round super featherweight fight. In the night’s swing bout, Genaro “El Conde” Gamez (6-0, 4 KOs) will participate in a six-round lightweight fight.

Opponents for these exciting, rising prospects will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, January 12 at 10:00 a.m. PT, and start at $25. Tickets will be available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Media interested in attending Golden Boy Boxing: Diaz, Jr. vs. Terrazas must request credentials by emailing clavoie@fantasysprings.net by 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, February 16.

Diaz, Jr. vs. Terrazas is a 10-round featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors to the Special Events Center open at 5:00 p.m. PT, and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the fights beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT, and stream live on ESPN3 starting at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and
http://www.espn.com/boxing/; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @ESPN, and @ESPNBoxeo; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting link: http://bit.ly/DiazTerrazas into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

BROOKLYN (January 12, 2018) – Unbeaten middleweight contender and IBF No. 1 challenger Sergey Derevyanchenko (11-0, 9 KOs, WSB: 23-1, 7 KOs) will enter the ring for an eight-round bout as part of an exciting undercard on Saturday, January 20 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. taking on two-division champion Lamont Peterson live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT). Lightweight world champion Robert Easter squares up against two-division champion Javier Fortuna. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP telecast will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are priced starting at $50, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center or by calling 800-745-3000. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Additional action inside of the arena will see the brother of Lamont Peterson, once-beaten Anthony Peterson (37-1, 24 KOs), facing Luis Florez (23-7, 19 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight matchup plus once-beaten welterweight Ivan Golub (13-1, 11 KOs) in an eight-round fight against Colombia’s Fidel Monterrosa (38-14-1, 30 KOs).

Undercard fights continue with undefeated 2016 Haitian Olympian Richardson Hitchins (3-0, 1 KO) entering the ring for a four-round welterweight fight against Preston Wilson (4-2-1, 3 KOs), Philadelphia’s Dylan Price (4-0, 4 KOs) competing in a four-round super flyweight bout against Nestor Ramos (7-7, 3 KOs) and welterweight prospect Keyshawn Williams (1-0, 1 KO) taking on Denis Okoth (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round matchup.

Rounding out the night is a four-round showdown between unbeaten Desmond Jarmon and Dallas-native Charles Clark plus New Jersey’s Matthew Gonzalez in a six round middleweight fight against Alexander Serna.

A highly decorated amateur who represented his native Ukraine in the 2008 Olympics, Derevyanchenko now lives and trains in Brooklyn and most recently earned the top spot in the IBF rankings with an impressive 12th round stoppage over Tureano Johnson. The 32-year-old also defeated previously unbeaten Kemahl Russell in 2017 after his 2016 saw him earn a TKO victory over Mike Guy in March before stopping former champion Sam Soliman in the second round of a world title eliminator in July. The unbeaten fighter defeated a slew of experienced contenders in 2015 with wins over Elvin Ayala, Alan Campa, Vladine Biosse and a third-round stoppage of Jessie Nicklow.

Derevyanchenko and Golub make it a pair of Ukrainian sluggers fighting out of Brooklyn who will compete on the undercard looking to put on impressive performances in their adopted hometown.

The Ali Trophy semi-final clash in the super middleweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between Callum Smith (23-0, 17 KOs) and Juergen Braehmer (49-3, 35 KOs) takes place at the Arena Nürnberger Versicherung, Germany on February 24.

“We are very much looking forward to bring the Ali Trophy experience to Nuremberg on February 24,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer

“Smith vs. Braehmer – England vs. Germany – it’s a classic anyway, but this one pits youth vs. experience. Smith is eager to show the world he is the best while Braehmer is entering the last chance saloon. The outcome is unpredictable, it’s going to be a thrilling night in Germany and a fitting event for the last of our semi-final fixtures.“

Both 27-year-old Smith and 39-year-old Braehmer appeared as serious contenders to win the Muhammad Trophy with their quarter-final performances last year.

Britain’s Smith claimed a 116-112, 117-110, 117-111 victory on the judges’ cards and advanced to the semi-final after a thrilling match against Sweden’s Erik Skoglund at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

Germany’s Braehmer proved age is just a number when he beat American hope Rob Brant in dominant fashion at the Kongresshalle in Schwerin with the judges scoring it 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112 in favour of the former light heavyweight world titleholder.

“I believe I will beat Jurgen Braehmer anywhere in the world and it is a nice away trip for my fans,” said 27-year-old Callum Smith before adding: “I am the better man, the younger, fresher man, and I believe I will do what needs to be done to get to the final.”

“I am looking forward to the fight,” said 39-year-old Juergen Braehmer.

“Callum is a good fighter, but I feel confident that I will win this fight. I am in this tournament because I strongly believe I have the ability to win it. Next step towards my goal is a victory in Nuremberg.”

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout Smith vs. Braehmer will go on sale next week. Fans are asked to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to receive the Ticket Link directly to their inbox, and avoid disappointment.

VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 11, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields and undefeated IBF mandatory challenger Tori Nelson made weight on Thursday for their 10-round WBC and IBF Super Middleweight World Championship showdown tomorrow/Friday, January 12 in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

The 22-year-old two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Shields (4-0, 2 KOs) will face her second consecutive undefeated opponent in the former world champion Nelson (17-0-3, 2 KOs).

Undefeated Uzbekistan power-puncher Shohjahon Ergashev (11-0, 11 KOs) will meet fellow unbeaten and top-10 ranked Sonny Fredrickson (18-0, 12 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, in the telecast opener. The 26-year-old Ergashev, a former six-year member of the Uzbek national team, and the current WBA No. 9 ranked Fredrickson will contest an eight-round super lightweight bout.

In the co-feature of the ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader, Jesse Hernandez (10-1, 7 KOs), who is coming off consecutive victories over undefeated opponents, will take on former National Golden Gloves Gold Medalist Ernesto Garza (9-2, 5 KOs; 1-3 WSB) in a 10-round super bantamweight bout between two all-action fighters.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are currently on sale for $75 for the first two rows of ringside, $65 for remaining ringside seats and all others priced at $49 and $37, plus any applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased in person or by calling the Turning Stone Resort Box Office at 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS:

Claressa Shields vs. Tori Nelson – 10-round WBC and IBF Super Middleweight World Title Bout

Shields: 167 pounds

Nelson: 164 ¾ pounds

Jesse Hernandez vs. Ernesto Garza – 10-round Super Bantamweight Bout

Hernandez: 122 ½ pounds

Garza: 122 ½ pounds

Shohjahon Ergashev vs. Sonny Fredrickson – Eight-round Super Lightweight Bout

Ergashev: 140 pounds

Fredrickson: 141 pounds

FINAL QUOTES:

CLARESSA SHIELDS:

“Tori brings a lot more aggression, a lot more fight than a lot of my previous opponents. On paper, she has the best resume of any opponent I’ve faced and can put up a better fight.

“Everybody underestimates me because of my size. My frame looks like I’m a 140 but really I’m a 168. Everyone goes into a fight thinking they can win, but once that right hand lands everything changes. I’m going to go after her in the first round and get her out of there like Nikki Adler.

“I expect my opponent to apply pressure, and to use some dirty tactics. She has more experience, but not that much when you speak of her amateur experience

“She’s confident and she believes in herself. She thinks I haven’t earned my place yet. She doesn’t think I throw hard punches. Speed is power. She doesn’t get that.

“This has been a hard camp, I really pushed myself. I usually do six weeks, this time I did eight weeks. I hadn’t fought since August so I wanted to give myself an extra two weeks so I knew I was in perfect shape.

“There’s no doubt that I start the year with a win, but I see this as a competitive fight. I’m going to have to earn the win but I believe I can KO her by the sixth, seventh round.”

TORI NELSON:

“I know I’m the underdog, but I’ve dropped nine people. She hasn’t scored one knockdown yet as a pro. When Claressa turned pro, I knew I’d have to face her eventually.

“A win is what I came for. I expect nothing different. I hope it would expose female boxing and not only open doors for me, but other female boxers coming up after me.

“I feel it’s more entertaining to watch a female fight. When women get dropped, they get right back up and go after it again. When men get knocked down, they start hiding because they don’t want to get hit again. So I think we should get paid just as much as the men.

“I’m blessed to be here, but I’m not a winner until I complete what I came here to do. And that’s win. The odds are definitely against me, but I’m going to shock the world.

“I want to take her into the deep waters. We don’t think she can beat us in a 10-round fight.

“They’re not going to give me anything. I have to be a dog and go in there and win this fight. I’ve always been aggressive. Why change anything for her?”

JESSE HERNANDEZ

“I’m just trying to get closer to a title fight. Moving up the rankings is the main goal right now, and I’m on the right path. A win here in a 10-round fight would be huge for my career.

“Being an all-around fighter is something I’m working on. But you can’t become a well-rounded fighter until you get the experience and the fights and that’s what I’m working on doing right now. I want to get more rounds in and progress.

“Fighting a southpaw is not a problem for me. I can switch my stance, but it’s not something I think about or plan. It just happens naturally in a fight.

“I’ve always believed in myself, even when I took time off. I believed that I could get back into it and get to a top level. The wins over two undefeated fighters did a lot for my confidence. I knew I could do it, but it showed others I belong and that I can compete at the top level.”

ERNESTO GARZA

“I like to bring the pressure, and he’s a pressure fighter too. We’ll see who backs up once we start throwing punches.

“I like to face fighters who come forward like him so I think everything will work for me. I plan on applying the pressure, getting him tired in the latter rounds, and taking him out.

“He tends to switch, but I think that’s when he gets off-balance. He won’t bring anything I haven’t seen before.

“I’m fighting at my natural weight class this time. My last fight on ShoBox (against undefeated Jon Fernandez) I was fighting a much higher weight.

“I don’t think his height and reach will give me any issues. I’ve been working with a lot of guys in the gym who have similar size and style. We’re ready for anything.

“A win would be a great step for me and my career. All the doors would open up for us.”

SHOHJAHON ERGASHEV:

“I love training here because of the fact that it’s a different atmosphere here in the States. It’s a real professional setup, I feel that my skills and my technique have gotten a lot better training here with Sugar Hill.

“I know that he is an experienced fighter. He’s undefeated and he’s coming to fight. It’s a big opportunity for both of us.

“I’m very honored to be on SHOWTIME and happy to be getting this kind of national exposure. A win would cement me as one of the best junior welterweight prospects in the world.

“I’ve gotten a lot better training at the Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit. Last training camp was an introduction to the American style of boxing and this camp really improved my technique and tactics with the intense sparring.

“I’m 11-0 with 11 knockouts. I’m a puncher and I want to knock him out, but I’ve trained for the distance. I’ve trained to knock somebody out in the first round and the eighth round.

“This is a big step-up in opposition, but I’ve had over 200 amateur fights against some of the best amateur boxers in the world. I’ve beaten Olympic medalists and very accomplished amateur fighters.”

SONNY FREDRICKSON

“I’ve been waiting for this exposure for a long time. I’ve been trying to get on TV for the last two or three years, so this is a huge deal for me. Hopefully a win bumps me up into the top 5 and gives me a title shot at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

“We spar a lot with Robert (Easter). It’s back-and-forth action. We grew up together and learn a lot from each other. I give him some pointers here and there and he does the same for me.

“I don’t know too much about my opponent. I know he’s a lefty and he has a strong punch. He’s a good match for me. He wants to keep coming forward and land big shots so I’ll be able to outbox him pretty easily.

“I don’t think nerves will be factor. I’ve fought on Andre Ward’s card, I’ve been in big fights before.

“I’m going to knock him out after the third round. I’m going to say, hey, get him out of here.

“After this fight, fans will start learning my name. I think they’ll want to see me have a shot at the 140 pound title.”

# # #

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analyst. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 73 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino

Host of the January 12 event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is an award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year level boxing. The January event will mark Turning Stone’s 24th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a leading destination for nationally-televised combat sports. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 signature restaurants and dining options, two spas, an all-new 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, five golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues with live entertainment every weekend.

INDIO, CALIF. (Jan. 11, 2018): Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) hosted a media workout today in Indio, Calif. ahead of his 12-round fight against Tewa Kiram (38-0. 28 KOs) for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship on Jan. 27, 2018 in a special double main event at the “Fabulous” Forum Inglewood, Calif. In the second part of the double main event, Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) will defend his WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight Titles against Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) in a 12-round battle. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

On the non-televised portion of the card, Marcelino “Nino” Lopez (33-2, 18 KOs), who will return in 10-round super lightweight fight against a soon-to-be announced opponent, and Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs), who is preparing for his 2018 comeback on a soon-to-be announced card, also participated in the workout. Featherweight prospect and training partner of the fighters, Javier Martinez (4-0, 3 KOs), also was in attendance as he prepares to open the night of action in a six-round bout.

Here’s what today’s participants had to say at the media workout:

LUCAS MATTHYSSE, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight
Champion:
“Training camp has been excellent. I did a little bit of training in Argentina before coming here. to Indio. Training with Joel Diaz and the entire team has been great. I know that Tewa Kiram is a hard puncher and can fight on the outside, but on Jan. 27 I’ll become world champion. I’ve beaten the best at 140 pounds, and now I’ll beat the best at 147 pounds. A win against Kiram will put me at the top of the division.”

MARCELINO LOPEZ, Super Lightweight Contender:
“Whether I not I know who my opponent is does not make a difference. I will still train hard. When I knocked out Pablo Cesar Cano, it was a great victory for me because he’s a tough former world champion. He’s fought the best and has fought to decisions with them as well. I finished the fight in two rounds, and I know I’ll be having bigger and better fights in the future because of that.”

VERGIL ORTIZ, JR., Super Lightweight Prospect:
“Lucas Matthysse is a great person and a funny guy. Sparring with him was great. You have to watch out because he hits hard and has a lot of tricks. I feel like I’ll do my best under the Joel Diaz training camp. I feel like I won’t slack off with him and do my best. Maybe in 2018 my knockout streak will end as I fight tougher and tougher opponents.”

DANIEL MARTINEZ, Featherweight Prospect:
“Whatever they put in my way in this new year, I’ll do. I’d like to fight more rounds and fight better opponents. I want to move up the rankings this year and be in very tough fights.”

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions:
“This fight with Lucas Matthysse was mandated by the WBA. This is a dangerous fight. He’s an undefeated puncher with a great style, and they’re both big punchers. I know it’s going to be a great fight, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Matthysse vs. Kiram is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box and Galaxy Promotions. Linares vs. Gesta, a 12-round fight for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championships is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop, Never Settle,” and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The non-televised undercard action will be streamed live on RingTV.com beginning at 3:00 p.m. PT/ 6:00 p.m. ET.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow the conversation using #MatthysseKiram.

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Kiram are currently on sale and are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com
or www.ticketmaster.com.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/MatthysseKiram into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 11, 2018) – Two-division world champion Lamont Peterson hosted a media workout in his hometown of Washington, D.C. Thursday as he prepares to take on unbeaten welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. Saturday, January 20 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING® and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features lightweight world champion Robert Easter battling former champion Javier Fortuna.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are priced starting at $50, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center or by calling 800-745-3000. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Also in attendance at the workout was Peterson’s brother, once-beaten contender
Anthony Peterson, who competes in undercard action on the January 20 event.

Here is what the workout participants had to say Thursday:

LAMONT PETERSON

“I feel great. I’m already close to weight. I’m happy and eating up to five times a day. I feel strong and I’m ready for this fight.

“I have to look at this as really just another big fight. When you’re at the top, you try not to make too much of each fight. We know what’s at stake. I know that when I keep it simple, that’s when I perform best.

“Right now my body feels better than ever. I’m comfortable with everything that’s gone on in camp and I think you can see it in my body.

“I’ve always trained hard since the first day I came here as a child. That’s been instilled in me since a young age and it’s carried me throughout my career.

“Everything I do is for D.C. I’m trying to get as much recognition for this area the best way I can. That’s what we all strive for in this gym. This is the biggest one that’s been on the schedule for a while and I’m ready to bring it home.

“It gets easier and easier the more championship fights I’m in. I was in shape for all of them, but I definitely put more pressure on myself when I was young. I’ve improved each time and now I feel like I’m really at the perfect place in my career.”

ANTHONY PETERSON

“I have to make a statement. I never feel comfortable with a decision. I think that’s a good thing because I have to be special under the bright lights.

“Everyone knows I like to go to the body. You know I’m going to make him work so you can look out for me to break my opponent down on the January 20.

“I’ve been sparring with a variety of experienced fighters over the last year and they’ve helped me out even while I haven’t had a fight. Ring rust is all mental. It’s up to you to put the work in.

“I haven’t gotten the fights that I want, but I’ll always stick to my game and stick to my craft. I know if I persevere, things will work out for me.

“I know that I love this sport. I know that eventually I will be a world champion. I believe in my future and I’m looking forward to big fights.

“It’s inspiring to watch Lamont do his thing and succeed. He’s going to beat Errol Spence, even if people don’t believe it. I think he’s going to take care of business.”

BARRY HUNTER, Peterson’s Trainer

“It’s been a long grind in camp for these guys. When I think back on how long we’ve been on this journey, I’m very proud of them. They were 9 and 10 when they first came into the gym.

“We don’t have the weight monster to deal with fighting at welterweight. Lamont is in a great place mentally and physically. I’m looking forward to an explosive fight.

“When you look at the Spence-Brook fight, early on Brook had a lot of success. Down the stretch Errol imposed his will and broke Brook down. I know Errol well and I’ve coached him. He has a strong will. He’s not great in one area, but he’s good in a lot of areas. This is a different kind of guy he’s facing. Heart is something Lamont is nowhere near short on. I think this might start off tactical, and then turn into a war.

“My job is to go in there with part of a plan, but it’s always about adjustments for us. Whatever Errol brings to the table, we’ll figure it out and put everything in motion.

“This last week is a lot of game plan and mental preparation work. A lot of fighters don’t train the mind. You have to train the mind even more so than the body. We have to be ready for every scenario.

“I think if Anthony goes in there and does his job there are a few vacant titles at 140-pounds and that’s a track for us. We want to get a strap around his waist and we’ll face anyone to get it.

“Lamont, along with Anthony, Gary Russell Jr., Jarrett Hurd and Gervonta Davis, have been holding down boxing in this area for a long time. It would be huge to bring this title home. There are a lot of young Lamont Petersons in this area who want to reach this level. It would be a beacon of light shining down and showing these people the way.”

# # #

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

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155399519190756/

New York, NY: Tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 16 at noon for the upcoming showdown between two-time Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KOs) versus Igor Mikhalkin (21-1, 9 KOs) and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs) versus Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs), which takes place on Saturday, March 3 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Tickets for this exciting event are priced from $50 to $300 and will be available through ticketmaster.com and the Madison Square Garden box office. From Monday, January 15 at noon until Tuesday, January 16 at 11:00 am, subscribers to the Main Events email list can purchase tickets in advance using an exclusive presale code at www.ticketmaster.com and www.msg.com.

The event will be promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.

About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and will be available through TicketMaster.com, the Madison Square Garden Box office and the Main Events office by calling 973-200-7050 or emailing boxing@mainevents.com.

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Dillian Whyte will defend his WBC Silver Heavyweight title against Lucas Browne in a crunch clash at The O2 in London on March 24, live on Sky Sports.

Whyte is hunting World honours after he landed the title in his last outing in Cardiff in December against Robert Helenius and the 29 year old puts his number one ranking in the WBC on the line against the Browne.

‘The Body Snatcher’ is gunning for WBC king Deontay Wilder with the ultimate goal to land the title and set up a huge unification rematch with old foe Anthony Joshua, and Whyte knows he must put an end to his bitter online feud with Browne in style in Greenwich.

“I can’t wait, I hate Lucas Browne and I want to hurt him,” said Whyte. “He’s said some nasty things and he’s going to have to pay for them.

“I don’t think he really wanted this fight. A deal was in place before then he started to try and change the terms. He kept delaying things after we gave in to his demands and started saying there was a fight in America he was chasing. We’ve bent over backwards and up till now he’s been more interested in making excuses than taking the fight. It’s been frustrating but we’ve finally got over the hill now so let’s go.

“He’s a big guy with an unbeaten record so you have to rate him a bit. He carries some power. You have to respect Heavyweight power, it only takes one punch.

“I’m not overlooking Browne, I’m focused on going to town on him. If I don’t knock him out, I will not be happy. The plan is to beat Browne and move closer to a World Title shot. Beating him should make me a mandatory challenger for a World Title – I’m highly ranked across the board, I’ll be a more than credible World Title challenger. I’ve been building my way up so we’re set for a big year.”

Browne is a dangerous customer for Whyte to put his World title dreams on the line against, with the unbeaten Australian already tasting victory on the road at the very highest level when he KO’d Ruslan Chagaev in March 2016, climbing off the canvas in Russia to land the WBA title.

‘Big Daddy’ is no stranger to fighting in England as will be looking to claim a fifth KO win in his sixth outing on English soil, and launch himself into World title contention.

“I’m genuinely looking forward to coming over to the UK again and bashing Dillian,” said Browne. “If Helenius and Dereck Chisora hurt him, wait until he feels how I hit. I don’t like anything about him. He’s a loud mouth and I want to take his head off.

“I have absolutely no fears about coming to London and facing Dillian. After you go to Chechnya to fight, nothing else compares. I’ve fought in England five times already and love fighting there. I know if I stop Whyte impressively I’ll be getting another World title shot.”

Browne’s manager Matt Clarke added: “Lucas has an incredible fan base in the UK and Ireland. You’ll never see him turn down an autograph or a photo with fight fans and consequently he gets a lot of support.

“His social media is full of messages begging him to knock Whyte out and that’s exactly what he plans on doing. Knock out Whyte and then challenge for the World title, that’s our plan.”

“This is going to be an electric fight that I’m very happy to finally get over the line,” said Eddie Hearn. “There is no love lost between them and it’s a fight that is very important in the World Heavyweight landscape.

“These two can’t stand each other and I think that’s when you get the best out of Dillian – this is the high profile fight that he has been craving now for some time. He is the number one challenger with the WBC and ranked highly with every other governing body – win this and it’s a World title shot next for Dillian.”

Tickets for the event will go on sale next week with an announcement on prices to be made soon.

Flint, Mich. (January 11, 2018) – Unified Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields spoke to media at a workout session in her hometown of Flint, Mich., before she departed to Verona, N.Y. to defend her 168-pound titles against undefeated IBF mandatory challenger Tori Nelson tomorrow night, Friday, Jan. 12 live on SHOWTIME.

Shields will weigh in this afternoon prior to tomorrow night’s ShoBox: The New Generation telecast from Turning Stone Resort Casino. The telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT and features the battle of two undefeated 140-pound prospects Shohjahon Ergashev and Sonny Fredrickson and Jesse Hernandez making his ShoBox return against Ernesto Garza.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are currently on sale for $75 for the first two rows of ringside, $65 for remaining ringside seats and all others priced at $49 and $37, plus any applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased in person or by calling the Turning Stone Resort Box Office at 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

Here is what the 22-year old Shields had to say from her hometown gym, The Berston Field House:

CLARESSA SHIELDS

“I feel great. I really pushed myself this camp. It was a longer camp than usual so I’ve had ample time to get ready. Tori nelson has been doing a lot of trash talking but I’m going to show her that she may be 17-0, but she’s never fought a girl like me before.

“I may only have 4 professional fights to my name, but I have plenty of amateur experience. I’ve fought girls that are 16-0, I don’t see anywhere on her record where she’s fought an undefeated fighter of that caliber.

“I’ve prepared for this fight the same way that I always do. I haven’t done anything special. I focus on myself, not my opponents.

“In the 6th or 7th round, Nelson goes down.

“Once I beat Nelson, I do want to fight Christina Hammer, but I’m taking it one fight at a time. I’d like to fight at least one time at 154 pounds before taking on Hammer.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 73 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

About Turning Stone Resort Casino

Host of the January 12 event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is an award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year level boxing. The January event will mark Turning Stone’s 24th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a leading destination for nationally-televised combat sports. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 signature restaurants and dining options, two spas, an all-new 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, five golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues with live entertainment every weekend.

Queens, New York (January 11th, 2018) – El Matador Management is proud to announce the signing of super featherweight prospect Joshafat Ortiz to a management contract.

Gonzalez, 22 years old of Reading, Pennsylvania is currently 2-0 with one knockout. He began boxing at the age of 7 years old in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He compiled a record of 42-7 as an amateur, winning the 2014 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Championship, and making it to the semi-finals of the 2015 and 2016 Ringside Nationals. He was also a quarter-finalist in the 2015 Olympic Trials Qualifiers.

“I feel signing with Felipe Gomez is a great move for me and my team” said Ortiz “I’m sure that with his knowledge and experience in the game we will have a lot of success together. I’m excited to be able to showcase my talent here at home, in Pennsylvania. Even better, I will be fighting on Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal Boxing card. I am looking forward to putting on a show and opening some opportunities for myself.”

“Ortiz is an exciting fighter with a lot of boxing skill” said Gomez. “I am excited to add him to my stable of fighters. One of the things I love about Ortiz is that he is a humble fighter and dedicated fighter. Together with his advisor Domingo Gonzalez, we are going to work hard in building him into a champion.”

Joshafat Ortiz is scheduled to fight Friday, January 26th, 2018 at the Sugarhouse Casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

www.elmatadormanagement.com

Undefeated heavyweight KO artist Apti Davtaev will make his long-awaited American debut this Friday night on the untelevised undercard of two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (4-0, 2 KOs) defense of her WBC and IBF titles against undefeated mandatory challenger Tori Nelson (17-0-3, 2 KOs) at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

A recent signing of Salita Promotions, Davtaev (13-0-1, 13 KOs), from Kurchaloi, Russia, will take on Philadelphia-based veteran Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson (18-13-1, 9 KOs) in an eight-round showcase.

Standing an imposing 6 ‘5″ and already having won the WBC Slovenian title in just his tenth pro fight, Davtaev moved from his training base in Grozny to Detroit to work with well-respected Javan SugarHill Steward at the Kronk Gym.

“I loved training in Detroit with SugarHill Steward,” said Davtaev. “I feel my skills are going to a new level and I look forward to showing them off on January 12. I know Wilson is experienced and has fought some very good fighters, but I am in great shape and ready to put on a show!”

Not looking to waste any time, the 28-year-old Davtaev says he’ll be looking for “names” in the big man’s division of boxing after this fight.

“My goals are to stay active and fight the better names in the division this year,” he said. “I look forward to showing the boxing fans my skills and challenging the big names. The fans in New York can expect to see a new contender in the heavyweight division.”

Steward, nephew of the great Emanuel Steward and quickly building a strong reputation of his own, says that Davtaev has what it takes.

“Apti is a strong, coordinated, big heavyweight who will be ready to compete very soon with the other contenders in the division. I am very impressed with his ability to learn and to transfer what he’s learned into sparring. I am excited to see Apti in action January 12 for his American debut. I expect to see an exciting knockout!”

Presented by Salita Promotions, Shields vs. Nelson will serve as the headliner of a televised tripleheader on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT).

Also featured on the January 12 telecast, Uzbekistan power-puncher Shohjahon Ergashev (11-0, 11 KOs) will face fellow undefeated and top-10 ranked Sonny Fredrickson (18-0, 12 KOs) of Toledo, Ohio. In the co-feature, Jesse Hernandez (10-1, 7 KOs) will take on Ernesto Garza (9-2, 5 KOs; 1-3 WSB) in a 10-round super bantamweight bout.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, are currently on sale for $75 for the first two rows of ringside, $65 for remaining ringside seats and all others priced at $49 and $37, plus any applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased in person or by calling the Turning Stone Resort Box Office at 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

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About Turning Stone Resort Casino
Host of the January 12 event, Turning Stone Resort Casino is an award-winning destination resort, which continues to distinguish itself as a premier venue for fight-of-the-year level boxing. The January event will mark Turning Stone’s 24th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a leading destination for nationally-televised combat sports. Turning Stone features world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 signature restaurants and dining options, two spas, an all-new 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000-seat arena, five golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues with live entertainment every weekend.

Professional media requesting credentials for must contact Kelly Abdo, Turning Stone Resort Casino Public Relations Manager at kelly.abdo@turningstone.com.

Tickets are now on sale for the highly-anticipated Featherweight showdown between former two-weight World Champion Carl Frampton MBE and former four-weight World Champion Nonito Donaire.

Belfast hero Frampton (24-1, 14 KO’s) and Filipino icon Donaire (38-4, 24 KO’s) collide at Belfast’s SSE Arena on Saturday 21st April, live on BT Sport and BoxNation.

The blockbuster bout will be one of the biggest fights to take place in Belfast in recent years and a make-or-break fight for both men.

“It’s a brilliant fight – a four-weight World Champion against a two-weight World Champion,” said Frampton.

“Has a bigger ‘away’ fighter ever come to fight in Belfast before? I don’t think there’s been a bigger name than Nonito Donaire and he’s coming to fight a local guy in his hometown.”

“But I think both of us are in the same situation – a slip-up here and one of us might never fight for a World Title again. There’s a lot on the line for both guys.”

Tickets for Frampton vs. Donaire are available to purchase from the SSE Arena Belfast Box Office, www.ssearenabelfast.com and 028 9073 9074.

Tickets range from £40 (Tier) to £400 (Inner Ring Hospitality):

£400 – Inner Ring Hospitality
£250 – Outer Ring Hospitality
£150 – Floor
£120 – Central Tier/Floor
£100 – Floor
£80 – Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

Light Heavyweight Eleider Alvarez will not participate in a purse bid for a potential purse bid with Oleksandr Gvozduk, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“The WBC has received official notification from Alvarez in which he has withdrawn from the fight for the WBC interim title, consequently the purse bid scheduled for this Friday is now cancelled,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman wrote to both camps on Wednesday. “The WBC will now take the matter back to the WBC board to review and make a ruling on the division.”

“Obviously, we’re disappointed that once again a fight disappeared for Gvozdyk after being ordered. We know Gvozdyk is a solid fighter, we just didn’t realize we have the second coming of Bob Foster,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti sarcastically told ESPN, referring to the all-time great former light heavyweight world champion and one of the biggest punchers in boxing history.

“He is the No. 1 WBC contender because he has earned it in the ring and we can see no logical reasons to fight a fourth final title eliminator,” Michel told ESPN, though the Gvozdyk fight would be for an interim title, which, with a win, would guarantee Alvarez a higher percentage of the money in the full title fight if it were to go to a purse bid. “His goal is to fight the champion.”

EL PASO, TX. (January 10, 2018) – Former welterweight world champions “Vicious” Victor Ortiz and Devon Alexander “The Great” went face-to-face for the first time Wednesday at a press conference in El Paso, Texas to discuss their showdown that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes Saturday, Feb. 17 from Don Haskins Center on the UTEP campus in El Paso.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features unbeaten contender Caleb “Sweethands” Plant battling Rogelio “Porky” Medina in a 12-round 168-pound world title eliminator.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $60, $40, $25 and will go on sale Friday. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

Also in attendance at Thursday’s press conference was former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout and women’s featherweight world champion Jennifer Han from El Paso, who will both compete in undercard attractions on Feb. 17.

Here is what the participants had to say Wednesday from the Wyndham El Paso Hotel:

VICTOR ORTIZ

“We’re warriors up here. Devon is not going to like me much come February 17 and I know I won’t like him much. This is business, because I’m here for the victory.

“I’ve been counted out many times in this sport. I’m not going to take any shortcuts in training, I’m just going to keep listening to what my coach wants me to do so I can be at my best.

“Being on this stage is very significant for me. Thankfully I have people who don’t stop believing in me. I’ve seen both sides and been in the middle. At this point, the only place I’m focused on going is up. It’s all in front of me.

“We have mutual respect for each other. He’s a tremendous fighter just like me. Everyone knows it will be two warriors stepping into the ring on February 17. We’re going to go all out. I’m going for a victory just like him.

“I’m going to keep coming forward until my hand is raised in victory. One day I will be the champion again and it starts February 17 in El Paso.”

DEVON ALEXANDER

“Both of us are very good, skillful boxers and that should make for a great matchup. Everyone knows we both come to fight and have been world champions so it’s going to be exciting on fight night.

“This is going to be an excellent fight. I’ve known Victor for a long time, but this is going to be business on February 17. I think I’m the best fighter in the world, and I have to go prove that.

“Boxing is what I love to do. This is what I was born to do. I’m so thankful to my coach, Kevin Cunningham, for sticking by me these last few years and helping get me back to this point.

“I’m excited about this fight and I know Victor is too. The fans in Texas are always fantastic and they should expect an action packed night. It’s an awesome feeling to be able to showcase my talent. This is what I’ve been working hard for.

“I’m an all-around good fighter and I think my speed and quickness will be the difference. No one can hit me when I’m at the top of my game.

“I don’t see this one going the distance. We’re both very hungry. We know that a loss puts us at the back of the line and neither of us can afford that.

“I’m really thankful to El Paso for hosting this fight. It’s going to be a great night and I’m happy to be the main event. Everyone should come out for a great show. It’s going to be lots of fire and fury. Victor and I are really coming to fight.”

AUSTIN TROUT

“I’m looking forward to fighting close to home. Many of you know I was born here in El Paso and grew up right across the road in Las Cruces, New Mexico. To be here again is surreal and it’s even more special being on a great card like this.

“This is where it all started for me. I’m going back to the roots of where I won a championship. It feels good to bring everything full circle. I’m blessed to be a part of this event.

“I’m really proud to be part of this card and this great night of boxing. I can’t wait to fight next to “The El Paso Sweetheart” Jennifer Han. I’ll be the “Las Cruces Tough Guy” on fight night and give everyone a great show.”

JENNIFER HAN

“I’m so excited to be part of this card. There is so much talent and it’s going to be an amazing show. We’re going to make El Paso extremely proud on February 17.

“I’ve been training very hard to fight my mandatory. She’s coming from Argentina to take my title so I need everyone to come out and support me on fight night.

“I’m a professional fighter and I love what I do. This is what I was born to do. I’m so excited to do this in front of my friends and my family and peers. Without the support of the El Paso community, I wouldn’t be here.

“Women’s boxing is growing and growing and I’m proud to be a part of it. Come out and support us and we won’t let you down. It’s going to be a great show.”

JOSEPH JANIK, Ortiz’s Trainer

“I know that there is a great boxing community here in El Paso. Boxing is a part of the culture here and we’re glad to be a part of it.

“One of these fighters is about to take a big step forward in their career, but it doesn’t happen without a win on February 17. We’ve been in camp training hard and Victor will be ready.

“Victor is never in a bad fight and I expect this will be another great one. We have some new things coming and Victor is going to show you something you’ve never seen before. We plan on being victorious on February 17.”

KEVIN CUNNINGHAM, Alexander’s Trainer

“This is definitely a crossroads fight for both guys. We’ve known Victor since he was like nine-years-old, fighting in the same region as him. This is business, because this is a crossroads fight for both guys in their careers and their lives.

“The winner of this fight will go on to bigger and better things and the loser has to get back at the end of the line. That’s not the plan for Devon, and Victor is in the way right now. Devon is going to be well prepared and I expect it will be an action packed fight.”

TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions

“It’s great to be back in El Paso with a big fight like this. It is truly a great fight town. I’m really looking forward to this card and I think the fans here are going to love it.

“Our main event is a true crossroads fight. Victor Ortiz and Devon Alexander are battle-tested in one of the toughest and deepest divisions in boxing. The winner of this fight will be back on the path to a world title.

“Victor Ortiz brings an exciting, aggressive style and he always comes to fight. That’s why he’s one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport today. Devon Alexander has overcome some health issues and is back in the ring with one thing on his mind, to regain a world title.”

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Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FOX or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSportsGO.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are also available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.tgbpromotions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @FOX, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.PBC on FOX & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

OFFICAL: World title challenger Hank Lundy (28-6-1,14 KO’s) of CES Boxing will continue his quest towards his goal of lightweight dominance when he battles former world champion DeMarcus Corley (50-28-1, 28 KO’s) in a eight round lightweight battle. Both fighters are ring veterans that have stated this fight is a must win if they are to continue on their path towards challenging the current champions in their respective divisions.

Hank Lundy of Philadelphia and CES Boxing has won two consecutive fights (including a victory last summer at the 2300 Arena), since his last defeat in early 2016 to current pound for pound king Terence Crawford. Although Lundy fell short in capturing the super lightweight championship, his valiant effort did not go unnoticed since he was fighting on an injured leg. Many believe to this date it is still the toughest test that Crawford has faced. Aside from Crawford, Lundy has also battled the likes of: Raymundo Beltran, John Molina Jr., Viktor Postol, Mauricio Herrera, and David Diaz. Lundy is known for never shying away from a stiff challenge and for always delivering a fan friendly fight regardless of the outcome. This fight with Corley should be no different.

DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley a native of Washington D.C. has been a professional since 1996. His close to eighty fight resume reads as a whose who of the best that the super lightweight and welterweight divisions have to offer. Corley a former super lightweight world champion has faced the past generations best including future Hall of Fame fighters Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto. While Corley came up short in both fights, he more than held his own as he stunned Mayweather on several occasions early and had Cotto severally hurt. Corley has remained active including victories in his last two fights with one coming against Vivian Harris. Corley and Lundy share two common opponents, Viktor Postol and Thomas Dulorme.

Fighters from the growing stable of young talent at Hard Hitting Promotions will also be featured on the card. Branden Pizzaro (8-1, 4 KO’s) looks to rebound from his first professional defeat in December. After losing a competitive fight against another lightweight prospect. February 10th marks the beginning of a new chapter for Pizzaro who vows not to let one loss define his career. Jeremy Cuevas (6-0, 5 KO’s) looks to build off of his impressive 2017. In just six professional fights, Cuevas has had several statement victories and looks to continue that trend.

Super featherweight prospect Thomas “T.J” Velasquez (9-0-1, 5 KO’s) kicks off his 2018 campaign returning to the ring after fighting to a tough draw in his last fight of 2017. The son of former heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman, heavyweight Hasim Rahman Jr. (3-0, 3 KO’s) will be in action as he tries to continue the legacy of the fighting Rahman family from Baltimore, MD.

Hard Hitting Promotions is coming off of a great 2017 campaign. Putting on shows in various venues throughout Philadelphia such as: The SugarHouse Casino, the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University, the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City NJ, and the first promotional company to utilize the brand new Fillmore concert hall. A state of the art venue in the trendy Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. Moving forward Hard Hitting Promotions is pleased to announce that this fight card on February 10th will begin their relationship with the 2300 Arena.

2300 Arena is one of the primer venues in the city of Philadelphia for combat sports action. Throughout any given calendar year many high profile Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and Professional Wrestling events take place at the 2300 Arena. Hard Hitting Promotions is elated that they are able to share in the culture of delivering fan friendly events at this top notch venue.

Tickets for this Event will be available starting Monday, January 8th. In order to purchase tickets and get more information about Hard Hitting Promotions and the 2300 Arena please visit their websites or follow them on social media with the information below.

Social Media:

Twitter: @HardHitpromo

Instagram: @HardHitpromo

Facebook: @HardHitpromo

http://hardhittingpromotions.com/

http://www.2300arena.com/

NEW YORK (January 10, 2018) – The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) has announced its 23-member Class of 2018. The seventh annual NYSBHOF induction dinner will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. ET), April 29, at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

“This day is for all these inductees who worked so hard for our enjoyment,” NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy said, “and for what they did for New York State boxing.”

Living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF include (Spring Valley) IBF Cruiserweight World Champion Al “Ice” Cole (35-16-3, 16 KOs), (Long Island) WBA light heavyweight Lou “Honey Boy” Del Valle (36-6-2, 22 KOs), (Central Islip) IBF Junior Welterweight World Champion Jake Rodriguez (28-8-2, 8 KOs), (Brooklyn) world lightweight title challenger Terrence Alli (52-15-2, 21 KOs), and (Buffalo) undefeated world-class heavyweight “Baby” Joe Mesi (36-0, 29 KOs).

Posthumous participants being inducted are NBA & NYSAC World Featherweight Champion (Manhattan) Kid “Cuban Bon Bon” Chocolate (136-10-6, 51 KOs), (New York City) 20th century heavyweight James J. “Gentleman Jim” Corbett (11-4-3, 5 KOs), (Williamsburg) World Lightweight Champion Jack “The Napoleon of The Prize Ring” McAuliffe, (Kingston) WBC Super Lightweight Champion Billy Costello (40-2, 23 KOs), (Beacon) NYSAC Light Heavyweight World Champion Melio Bettina (83-14-3, 36 KOs), (Brooklyn/Yonkers) world-class middleweight Ralph “Tiger” Jones (52-32-5, 13 KOs) and (Port Washington) heavyweight contender Charley “The Bayonne Bomber” Norkus (33-19, 19 KOs).

Living non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF are (Troy) Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter Dave Anderson, (Brooklyn) trainer/advisor Pete Brodsky, (Rockaway) boxing historian/editor Herb Goldman, (Bronx) matchmaker Bobby Goodman, (Ardsley) NYSAC chairperson/judge Melvina Lathan, and (Brooklyn) NYSAC Chairperson/matchmaker/promoter Ron Scott Stevens.

Posthumous non-participant inductees are (Brooklyn) ring announcer Johnnie Addie, (Brooklyn) matchmaker Johnny Bos, (Bronx) boxing publicist Murray Goodman, (New York City) boxing writer/historian Bert Randolph Sugar and (Lower East Side) radio & television announcer/journalist Sam Taub.

Each attending inductee (or direct descendant of) will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his or her induction into the NYSBHOF.

The 2017 inductees were selected by the NYSBHOF nominating committee members: Jack Hirsch, Bobby Cassidy, Jr., Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Ron McNair, and Neil Terens.

All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must have resided in New York State for a significant portion of their boxing careers or during the prime of their respective career.

NYSBHOF

CLASS of 2012: Carmen Basilio, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto, Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Nat Fleischer, Bill Gallo and Arthur Mercante, Sr.

CLASS of 2013: Jack Dempsey, Johnny Dundee, Sandy Saddler, Maxie Rosenbloom, Joey Archer, Iran Barkley, Mark Breland, Bobby Cassidy, Doug Jones, Junior Jones, James “Buddy” McGirt, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bob Arum, Shelly Finkel, Tony Graziano, Larry Merchant, Teddy Brenner, Mike Jacobs, Tex Rickard and Don Dunphy.

CLASS OF 2014: Floyd Patterson, Tracy Harris Patterson, Billy Backus, Kevin Kelley, Juan LaPorte, Gerry Cooney, Mustafa Hamsho, Howard Davis, Jr., Lou Ambers, Jack Britton, Terry McGovern, Teddy Atlas, Lou DiBella, Steve Farhood, Gene Moore, Angelo Prospero, Whitey Bimstein, Cus D’Amato, William Muldoon and Tom O’Rourke.

CLASS OF 2015: Saoul Mamby, Joey Giamba, Johnny Persol, Harold Weston, Lonnie Bradley, Paul Berlenbach, Billy Graham, Frankie Genaro, Bob Miller, Tommy Ryan, Jimmy Slattery, Bob Duffy, Mike Katz, Tommy Gallagher, Bruce Silverglade, Charley Goldman, Jimmy Johnston, Cedric Kushner, Harry Markson, Damon Runyon and Al Weill.

CLASS OF 2016: Aaron Davis, Charles Murray, Vilomar Fernandez, Edwin Viruet, Hector “Macho” Camacho, Rocky Graziano, Rocky Kansas, Joe Lynch, Joe Miceli, Ed Brophy, Joe DeGuardia, Randy Gordon, Dennis Rappaport, Howie Albert, Freddie Brown, Howard Cosell, Ruby Goldstein and Jimmy Jacobs.

CLASS OF 2017: Gaspar Ortega, Renaldo “Mr.” Snipes, Doug Dewitt, “The Bronx Bomber” Alex Ramos, Dick Tiger, Jose Torres, “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey, Don Majeski, Ron Katz, Stan Hoffman, Bobby Bartels, Hank Kaplan, Al Gavin, Arthur Donovan and Dan Parker.

Tickets are priced at $150.00 per adult and $70.00 for children (under 16), and include a complete brunch and cocktail hour upon entry, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET, as well as dinner (prime rib, fish or poultry) and open bar throughout the day. Tickets are available to purchase by contacting NYSBHOF/Ring 8 president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304 or depcomish@aol.com. Ads for the NYSBHOF program are available, ranging from $80.00 to $200.00, by contacting Duffy. Go on line at www.Ring8ny.com for additional information about the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.
ABOUT RING 8: Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association – hence, RING 8 – and today the organization’s motto remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.

RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $30.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership. Guests of Ring 8 members are welcome at a cost of only $7.00 per person.

SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 10, 2018) – Unbeaten two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy and former title challenger Kiryl Relikh will both look to kick off their new year with a world title victory when they meet in a rematch for a vacant 140-pound title Saturday, Feb. 10 live on SHOWTIME from the Alamodome in San Antonio in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT and will be headlined by three-division world champion Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) taking on unbeaten 140-pound world champion Sergey Lipinets (13-0, 10 KOs).

“Obviously the number one goal for 2018 is to bring home that belt on February 10,” said Barthelemy (26-0, 13 KOs). “Then I want to unify with all the other champions. My New Year’s resolution is to surround myself with good people and win multiple world titles.”

“First I have to win this fight in February,” said Relikh (21-2, 19 KOs). “But then I have hopes of a great year defending my belt against the mandatory and eventually a unification fight. This will be the year I reach a new level in this sport.”

Barthelemy and Relikh will fight for the WBA’s vacant Super Lightweight World Title after their title eliminator bout in May ended in a debatable decision for Barthelemy. This time the fighters will look to leave no doubt with the full title on the line.

“This is my second time fighting for a world title and it will be a second lesson for me,” said Relikh. “This is my time to become champion. I need to do much more during this fight.

“I have to be aggressive right from the start. I’m sure that I need a knockout to get the victory. He can try to run, but he won’t be able to hide from me.”

“Winning this title would be a dream come true for me,” said Barthelemy. “I’d be the first Cuban fighter in history to win a title in three different divisions. The last fight was very close and deserving of a rematch.

“I just need to stick to my game plan and show everyone that I’m the best 140-pound fighter in the world. The key will be to stay disciplined and land hard shots all night.”

Both fighters have sacrificed in training camp on the road to what they hope will be a celebratory moment on February 10, training hard through the holiday season to stay on target for fight night.

“My whole team has done a fantastic job so far in camp,” said Barthelemy. “Ismael Salas and Joel Casamayor are giving me great tips and keeping me focused on my goal. One new thing I’ve added this camp is Bob Santos for nutrition and strength and conditioning. It’s made a big difference over the holidays where I usually eat too much. He’s kept me on a strict diet and training has never been better.”

“These last few weeks through the holidays have been the hardest of my camp, so there was no room for distractions,” said Relikh. “I spent New Year’s with my family and then I was right back into training camp in the morning.”

With two belts in the 140-pound division on the line in the same night, the winner between Barthelemy and Relikh will be in a great position to begin a path toward unification after February 10.

“I will have my eye on the main event for sure,” said Relikh. “I’m focused on Barthelemy now, but I want to unify and if that means fighting Garcia or Lipinets, I will be ready.”

“Garcia vs. Lipinets is going to be a great fight and I definitely want the winner,” said Barthelemy. “Although Lipinets is the underdog going into this fight, I think he’s going to give Garcia all he can handle. But I still think Garcia will come out on top, setting up war between us in a unification bout.”

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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.

DALLAS (January 10, 2018) – Unbeaten welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. hosted a media workout in his hometown of Dallas on Tuesday ahead of his matchup against former two-division world champion Lamont Peterson Saturday, January 20 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®, and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features lightweight world champion Robert Easter battling former champion Javier Fortuna in the co-main event.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are priced starting at $50, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center or by calling 800-745-3000. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what Spence and his trainer, Derrick James, had to say Tuesday from R&R Boxing Club in Dallas:

ERROL SPENCE JR.

“Everyone who has seen me fight before knows it won’t be a boring fight. Even if it’s one-sided, it’s always going to be action packed. January 20 is going to be a tremendous fight and I’m going to put on a great performance. I’m planning to dominate.

“Defending my title in Brooklyn will be special. I have family in New York too so it means a lot that I’ll be able to defend at Barclays Center. New York is a boxing city so they really appreciate champions and know the sport.

“I’m excited to be fighting a guy like Lamont Peterson. I’m not fighting a regular no-name fighter. He’s going to bring the best out of me because he’s a true fighter. It makes the whole experience even better.

“The top spot in the sport is really up for grabs now and I’m coming for it. I don’t care who I have to face or where, I’m going to be the last man standing. That’s why we all get into this sport. I’m extremely confident in myself.

“Lamont and I both have big hearts and I think everyone will be able to see that in the ring. We’re both smart fighters so there might be some feeling out before we get going. But I expect it to be a dogfight.

“This community in Dallas is very important to me. When I was growing up here there were no professional boxers from here that I could look to as a role model. Once you have the resources to give back, it’s important to do it. I love being in the gym and helping the really young guys and giving them something to aspire to.”

DERRICK JAMES, Spence’s Trainer

“Errol looks really good in training. He has great focus. He is very detail oriented and keyed in on being the best version of himself. The determination on his face lets me know that he wants to leave no stone unturned and make sure everything goes his way on fight night. We win the fight in the gym not in the ring.

“Errol has to keep this mentality going into this fight and beyond, and he knows that. Winning one title is not what he wants. He wants to be undisputed welterweight champion. He’s very goal oriented and I believe he’ll reach that goal. He doesn’t take no for an answer. He’s going to push himself to the limit and attain his goals

“Lamont Peterson is very witty and intelligent in the ring. He’s a tough guy too. He brings that mental fortitude that you need to be successful. We have to be coming to this fight 100 percent and be focused the whole time. If we don’t, we may come up short.

“I have to be the best version of myself too. I try to get better and better each fight and each day in the gym. I know I have to be on top of of everything that could happen. Barry Hunter is a tough, intelligent trainer who brings a lot to the table. Lamont has a great team. It’s a pleasure and an honor to face them in the ring.”

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