INDIO, CALIF. (Dec. 8, 2017): Argentine knockout artist and former interim WBC Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse will be the special VIP guest for the Dec. 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. The event will be headlined by the 10-round fight between current NABF and NABO Super Bantamweight Champion Diego De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs) and tough challenger José “Sugar” Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs).

ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will air the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT. Doors to the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center open at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Matthysse, the 35-year-old power puncher who is one of the best 140-pounders of this era, has defeated some of the very best of that division, including former two-division world champion Lamont “Havoc” Peterson, former WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and former three-division titlist Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. The native of Chubut, Argentina recently entered welterweight division when he stopped Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in the fifth round of a bout that was part of the televised undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.

Though he is busily preparing to clash against Thai superstar Tewa Kiram in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Championship on Jan. 27, Matthysse will be in attendance for this event to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center before the ESPN transmission begins. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

Tickets for the event start at $25 and 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.

In the night’s co-main event, Carlos “The Solution” Morales (16-2-3, 6 KOs) will face Kosovo’s Dardan Zenunaj (14-3, 11 KOs) in a ten-round clash for the NABF Super Featherweight Championship that Morales lost to current WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Alberto “Explosivo” Machado earlier this year. In the night’s swing bout, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Marlen Esparza (3-0) of Houston, Texas will take on Mexico’s Karla Valenzuela (3-16-3, 1 KO) in a six-round super flyweight battle.

Joet Gonzalez (17-0, 9 KOs) will take on Isao Carranza (15-10-1, 8 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico over a scheduled 10 rounds of 126-pound action. Ferdinand Kerobyan (6-0, 3 KOs) will fight Tavorus Teague (4-18-2, 3 KOs) in a schedule four-round clash in the welterweight division. Southern California favorite

San Antonio’s Joshua “The Professor” Franco (12-0, 6 KOs) will participate in a scheduled eight rounds of super flyweight fury against Los Angeles’ Carlos Maldonado (9-1, 7 KOs). Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (11-0, 6 KOs) will fight Nicaragua’s Nelson Lara (17-8-5, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight fight.

To close off this exciting boxing evening, two fights will take place after the main event. Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (1-0) will take on Mexico City’s rugged Israel Villela (6-7, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout scheduled for six-rounds, and Ryan Caballero (3-0, 1 KO), the younger brother of Coachella, California’s Randy “El Matador” Caballero, will open the boxing evening at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in a six-round welterweight fight against Franco Gutierrez (1-0) of Sonora, Mexico.

De La Hoya vs. Salgado is a 10-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin & Paco Presents Boxing.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors open and the first fight begins at 4:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 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/DeLaHoyaSalgado into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

Saturday’s HBO Boxing After Dark® telecast begins at 10:20 p.m. ET/PT.

Opening the telecast from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas is Francisco Vargas battling Stephen Smith in a 10-round super featherweight fight.

Leading up to the main event, Tevin Farmer takes on Kenichi Ogawa in a 12-round bout for the junior lightweight world title.

In the main event of the evening, Orlando Salido goes up against Miguel Roman in a 10-round junior lightweight match.

Official Weights from Las Vegas:

Orlando Salido: 131 lbs.
Miguel Roman: 130.5 lbs

Tevin Farmer: 129.5 lbs.
Kenichi Ogawa: 129.5 lbs.

Francisco Vargas: 130 lbs.
Stephen Smith: 130 lbs.

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) go on sale on Monday December 11th at 12.00 (Noon) CET, via bilesuserviss.lv with prices starting at €50.

This biggest Cruiserweight unification fight for several years, takes place at the Arena Riga in Latvia on January 27, 2018.

“Usyk, World Champion and the number one seed in the tournament collides with Briedis, national hero and World Champion. It doesn’t get much bigger than this,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer. “The noise from 10.000 fans when Mairis Briedis faced Mike Perez at the Arena Riga in September was one of the highlights of the quarter-finals in the World Boxing Super Series.”

And Ukrainian Usyk promises another night to remember for boxing fans at the arena and around the world: “Fans at the arena and in front of their TV’s can look forward to a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

Said Briedis: “I am looking forward to fight once again in front of the incredible crowd at the Arena Riga and I will do everything to make them proud with another victory.”

Fans are asked to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to receive the ticket link emailed directly to their inbox and avoid disappointment

FIGHT # 1 – 16:30 HRS
4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Flyweight Contest
HARVEY HORN 8st 2lbs V DENIS BARTOS 8st 7lbs 8oz

FIGHT # 2
6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Welterweight Contest
SANJEEV SAHOTA 10st 2lbs V IVAN GODOR 10st 1lb 10oz

FIGHT # 3
8 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Featherweight Contest
ARCHIE SHARP 9st 7lbs 4oz V RAFAEL CASTILLO 9st 2lbs 12oz

FIGHT # 4
THE VACANT IBF EUROPEAN WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
JOHNNY GARTON 10st 6lbs V MIHAIL ORLOV 10st 6lbs 8oz

FIGHT # 5
THE VACANT IBF EUROPEAN MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
JOE MULLENDER 11st 5lbs 8oz V LEE CHURCHER 11st 4lbs 6oz

FIGHT # 6 (FLOATER # 1)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Middleweight Contest
UMAR SADIQ V YAILTON NEVE

FIGHT # 7
10 X 3 Minute Rounds Heavyweight Contest
DANIEL DUBOIS 17st 1lb V DORIAN DARCH 16st 5lbs

FIGHT # 8 (FLOATER # 2)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Welterweight Contest
HAMZA SHEERAZ V VICTOR EDAGHA

FIGHT # 9
THE WBO INTERCONTINENTAL LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
ANTHONY YARDE 12st 5lb 8oz V NIKOLA SJEKLOCA 12st 6lbs 6oz

FIGHT # 10
THE IBF WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
LEE SELBY 8st 12lbs 12oz V EDUARDO RAMIREZ 9st 2lbs 8oz

FIGHT # 11
THE IBF WORLD SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
JAMES DeGALE MBE 12st V CALEB TRUAX 11st 13lbs

LONDON (8 December) – Vasily Lomachenko believes he will knockout Cuban foe Guillermo Rigondeaux in one of the most anticipated fights in recent years.

Two of boxing’s most decorated amateurs are set to do battle this Saturday night, exclusively live on BoxNation, in a showdown that will see Ukrainian superstar Lomachenko’s WBO super-featherweight world title up for grabs.

Despite the belt being on the line both men are regarded by most observers as the sport’s two most skilled fighters, with 29-year-old Lomachenko aiming to make a quick night of it.

“I am going to walk through him like a tank and knock him out. I am like every single fighter – going into the ring I have in my mind ‘finish the bout before all the rounds are over and to get the victory before that,” said Lomachenko.

“There is a good possibility that the fight will end before the twelfth round. I am not promising to knock him out but I am promising to squash him.

“I have a plan in my head, a picture of what I am going to do but I don’t think it would be too smart to talk about it right now. I think it is better one time to see than 100 times to say,” he said.

It looked unlikely that the pair would ever share the ring but this historic clash will now mark the first time two-time Olympic gold medalists have fought each other professionally at the highest level.

“I agree that it is a historical bout, it is an interesting bout and most importantly it is an interesting bout for me,” said Lomachenko.

“A lot of time was spent to make this bout. For a while it was never happening and finally it happened. It is very, very interesting and all of the boxing fans wanted to see the fight and finally we can deliver it,” he said.

37-year-old Rigondeaux has held multiple world titles at super-bantamweight but will be moving up eight pounds to take on Lomachenko at the 130-pound super-featherweight limit.

However, ‘The Jackal’ is unconcerned at this and believes he will be just as strong at the new weight, as he looks to give fans a fight to remember at the sold-out Madison Square Garden.

“I went up to 130 because it was the only way I could get this fight made. I would rather it have been at a lower weight, but I want to show the world that I can do it by moving up two weight classes,” said Rigondeaux.

“I feel stronger than ever and I am going to do it and do it right. Moving up has had no negative effect whatsoever on my speed or power.

“It is the first time in history that two multiple Olympic champions are going to fight each other and it is going to be a very good fight.

“It’s going to be a great fight for the fans and it’s going to be a great historical fight that fans will forever look back on,” he said.

Prior to the monster clash from New York, BoxNation will also be live from the Copper Box Arena in London in a stacked card that sees IBF super-middleweight world champion James DeGale defend his title against the dangerous American Caleb Traux.

‘Chunky’ DeGale fights in the UK for the first time in three years following his 2014 third round win over Marco Antonio Periban and will headline a card that also sees IBF featherweight world champion Lee Selby back in action.

The Welsh star goes up against Mexico’s Eduardo Ramirez, with rising stars Anthony Yarde and heavyweight Daniel Dubois featuring on the night.

The live action from London starts at 6.35pm this Saturday evening, with Lomachenko v Rigondeaux taking place later that night exclusively live on ‘The Channel of Champions’.

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.
– ENDS –

About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Canelo vs Golovkin.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers

LAS VEGAS (December 7, 2017) – The final press conference was held today for “Warriors Collide”, the outstanding boxing event set for this Saturday, December 9 at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV and telecast live on HBO Boxing After Dark (10:20 p.m. ET/PT) and HBO Boxing Latino beginning at 1:05 a.m. ET/PT (tape delayed).

Among the boxing legends headed to Las Vegas to witness the fights are newly elected International Hall of Fame inductee ERIK MORALES, ‘El Grand Campeon Mexicano’, JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ SR. and Four Division World Champion JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ.

Presented by Zanfer Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Tom Loeffler, tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100 and $30 are now on-sale and can be purchased at AXS.com or in person at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office.

Below are quotes from the ten fighters on the HBO Boxing After Dark and HBO Latino telecasts.

ORLANDO SALIDO

“Thanks to everyone who’s made this possible, all the promoters in charge. I want to thank my trainer Santos Moreno for all his help. We know we’re in a very difficult fight and expect the best of Miguel Roman. There will be a fight in the ring on Saturday night and the fans know to expect that.”

MIGUEL ROMAN

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and want to thank everyone involved. Thanks to HBO for putting this show together and putting me in the main event. My training was great with Rudy Hernandez and we’re prepared for the fight. I have a great deal of respect for Orlando Salido and that’s why I’ve trained so hard.”

TEVIN FARMER

“Thanks to HBO and Peter Nelson for this opportunity. Saturday night is a big night for me. I’ve worked very hard for a long time to become a world champion. I’ve earned my spot and I’m ready to become a world champion. I’ve watch Ogawa’s tapes, I’m sure he’s coming to win but I will be victorious on Saturday night.

KENICHI OGAWA

“Thanks very much to HBO and Teiken Promotions and Tom Loeffler. I’m not here as tourist, I’m here to win and go home a champion.”

FRANCISCO VARGAS

“Thanks very much to HBO, Golden Boy Promotions and my manager, Ralph Heredia for this great opportunity. I’m excited to get back in the ring, I took some time off but I’m ready to go now. I’m also very happy for the training that I’ve had with my new trainer Joel Diaz. I’m ready to give all the fans an action-packed fight and a great fight.”

STEPHEN SMITH

“Thanks very much to my team, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing along with my trainer Joe Gallagher. I’m very excited to be fighting in Las Vegas and against such a formidable foe in Francisco Vargas. Camp in England has been great and I’m ready to put on a show for the fans watching on HBO.”

DENIS SHAFIKOV

“I’m very thankful to Tom Loeffler and HBO for this opportunity, I’m very well prepared for victory.”

RENE ALVARADO

“I’ve prepared very well and I’m ready for a great fight against Denis Shafikov on Saturday night.”

JAIME MUNGIA

“As everyone knows I’m 25-0 and ready to put that perfect record on the line against Paul Valenzuela. I’m looking forward to putting on a show this Saturday night, my first time fighting in the United States.”

PAUL VALENZUELA

“I believe in myself and I’m ready to put on a great show. I’ve trained hard and may the best man win.”

The HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader is headlined by the highly anticipated return of four-time world champion in two weight divisions, ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO (44-13-4, 31 KOs), of Sonora, MX, facing off against fellow Mexican warrior MIGUEL “Mickey” ROMAN (57-12, 44 KOs), of Chihuahua, MX, in a 10-round junior lightweight clash.

Also featured on the card is a bout between TEVIN “American Idol” FARMER (25-4-1, 5 KO’s), of Philadelphia, PA as he squares off against KENICHI OGAWA (22-1-0, 17 KO’s), of Tokyo, Japan for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Title. Farmer vs. Ogawa is presented in association with DiBella Entertainment and Teiken Promotions.

Opening the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast is former WBC World Super Featherweight Champion FRANCISCO “El Bandido” VARGAS (23-1-2, 17 KOs) who will return to the ring once again to make a case for title contention when he takes on former two-time world title challenger STEPHEN “Swifty” SMITH (25-3, 15 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight fight. Vargas vs. Smith is presented in association with Matchroom Boxing.

Headlining the HBO Latino Boxing telecast in a ten-round junior lightweight contest, two-time world title challenger DENIS SHAFIKOV, (38-3-1, 20 KO’s), of Miass, Russia now fighting out of Big Bear Lake, California will face-off against Managua, Nicaragua native RENE ALVARADO, (27-8-0, 19 KO’s).

Co-featured on the HBO Latino Boxing telecast, highly touted and undefeated junior middleweight prospect JAIME MUNGUIA, (25-0-0, 21 KO’s), of Tijuana, Mexico will face off against PAUL VALENZUELA (20-6-0, 14 KO’s) of Santa Rosalia, MX in a scheduled eight rounder.

SOCIAL MEDIA
#SalidoRoman
@Siri_Salido
@TevinFarmer22
@ElBandido130
@SwiftySmith
@ZanferNews
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@MatchroomBoxing
@TheRealDealBox
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https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/videos/725892504271425/

Los Angeles, CA (December 7, 2017) Following the overwhelming success from the first SUPERFLY event this past September, Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions in association with Nakornluong Promotions and Zanfer Promotions is proud to announce the highly anticipated second installment, SUPERFLY 2, set for Saturday, February 24 at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

SUPERFLY 2 will be headlined by WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, defending his title over 12-rounds for the second time against former world champion and #1 ranked mandatory challenger JUAN FRANCISCO “El Gallo” ESTRADA, (36-2, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico.

Advance tickets for SUPERFLY 2, priced at $250, $150, $100, $60 and $30 will go On-Sale Tuesday, December 12 at 12:00 p.m. PT and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office. The Forum is located at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood CA 90305.

“It’s very exciting to announce the main event for the second installment of our SUPERFLY series. With the tremendous response from fans and media from our first event and overwhelming anticipation to our second, we join boxing fans in saying that we ‘can’t wait’ until February 24 at the Forum,” said Loeffler.

“Srisaket Sor Rungvisai had a remarkable year in 2017 upsetting ‘Chocolatito’ by controversial decision on March 18, 2017 at Madison Square Garden for the WBC Super Flyweight Title and decisively defeating him again in his first defense on September 9 at the Stubhub Center at our first SUPERFLY event.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada won a terrific fight against Carlos Cuadras on September 9 at the Stubhub Center and is very anxious to challenge for a world title in the super flyweight division against Sor Rungvisai.”

“The Forum has played host to many nights of memorable battles for more than 40 years and we expect this event to be another chapter in the annals of this iconic venue.”

Said Fernando Beltran, President of Zanfer Promotions, “On February 24 our talented and pride of Mexico, Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada will show that he is the best flyweight in the world by beating the WBC Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in another great night at SUPERFLY 2.”

“HBO has given us a great opportunity to showcase the smaller divisions and the fans will be very happy to see it. If SUPERFLY 1 was a great night of quality boxing and action, I am sure that SUPERFLY 2 will surpass it.”

Mauricio Sulaiman of the World Boxing Council stated, “SUPERFLY 2 must be celebrated as it will bring excitement to boxing fans and it marks the return of real boxing promotion as this concept has found great interest around the world. It is great to see that the smaller weight divisions receive this type of opportunities to shine on the biggest stage of the world for boxing. The WBC fully supports SUPERFLY 2 and looks forward to this spectacular night of boxing.”

Said Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, “The super flyweight division is the deepest division in the world at the moment. I have great respect to Tom Loeffler and HBO for making SUPERFLY so successful, and SUPERFLY 2 will continue to deliver. We have so many great fighters in the super flyweight division, and it is exciting for me because there are many world class opponents that can make terrific fights.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada is definitely among the top-class fighters in our division. When someone is a former unified champion that moved up without losing his titles, you know he is a world class fighter in his prime. However, I am confident that I will be successful in this fight because I will be at my best on fight night again. We will give the fans an incredible fight and I plan on another impressive win.”

“I would like to invite all Thais in the United States, especially those in Los Angeles to attend my fight at the Forum on February 24. Together our Thai hearts will beat and our Thai blood will be pumped with pride and excitement. Let’s show the world our Thai power together on that day!”

Said Estrada, “I am very excited about facing Sor Rungvisai for the WBC Super Flyweight World Title on February 24 at the Forum. He will be a difficult challenge as he defeated Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez twice in a row with a vicious KO in their last fight. Sor Rungvisai is a very tough and skilled boxer so I will have to prepare very well to be ready to challenge him for his belt.”

The 30-year-old Sor Rungvisai made his United States debut on March 18 shocking the boxing world with a 12-round majority decision over then undefeated and consensus #1 pound-for-pound fighter Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden. Dropping Gonzalez in the first stanza, Sor Rungvisai would capture the WBC Super Flyweight World Title in a hotly contested battle that had the massive crowd on their feet throughout.

Rematching Gonzalez on September 9 at The Stubhub Center, Sor Rungvisai would drop the four-division world champion twice in the fourth round, the second resulting in Sor Rungvisai being awarded the knockout stoppage erasing any controversy from the first fight.

Sor Rungvisai also previously held the WBC Super Flyweight World Title defending it once before losing the title to Carlos Cuadras on a technical decision on May 31, 2014. Sor Rungvisai had won the title in his hometown of Si Sa Ket, Thailand on May 3, 2013 by knocking out champion Yota Sato in the eighth round.

Known for his true ‘Mexican Style’ of fighting, Juan Francisco Estrada has remained one of the most popular fighters in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions throughout his nine-year professional career.

The 27-year-old Estrada won the WBC and WBA Flyweight World Titles on April 6, 2013 with a 12-round decision victory over Brian Viloria in Macau, China. Estrada defended both titles six times before moving up to the super flyweight division.

At the inaugural Superfly event on September 9, Estrada fought brilliantly in winning a 12-round unanimous decision over former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Carlos Cuadras at the Stubhub Center.

Estrada has not lost a fight in over six years. On November 17, 2012, he challenged then WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, losing a very close, 12-round decision at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Additional information on this tremendous night of world class professional boxing will be announced shortly.

SOCIAL MEDIA
#SUPERFLY2

Twitter
@Srisaket_ssr
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@TomLoeffler1
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TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a jam-packed weekend of live combat sports, beginning this Friday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET with TKO 41: Champions live from Montreal, Canada’s Bell Centre. The live action continues on Saturday morning, Dec. 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET with ONE Championship: Warriors of the World from Bangkok, Thailand followed immediately by a GLORY kickboxing doubleheader featuring GLORY 49 Rotterdam live at 11:30 a.m. ET and GLORY 49 SuperFight Series live at 1:30 p.m. ET. Finally, on Saturday night, Dec. 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live broadcast of the UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Ortega PRELIMS from Fresno, Calif.

Friday’s live broadcast of TKO 41: Champions from Montreal, Canada kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET and is headlined by an exciting featherweight championship bout pitting Windsor, Ontario’s TJ Laramie (6-2) against undefeated local favorite Charles Jourdain (5-0). In other championship bouts, Marc-Andre Barriault (9-1) collides with Strahinja Gavrilovic (8-4) for the middleweight title, Jesse Ronson (18-8) tangles with Derek Gauthier (8-7) in a rematch for the lightweight crown, Adam Dyczka (6-0) looks to keep his momentum rolling against Bakary Sakho (1-0) in a heavyweight championship clash, plus Jesse Arnett (13-4) squares off with Dimitri Waardenburg (13-7) in what promises to be an all-action affair for the bantamweight title.

Airing live on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. ET, ONE Championship: Warriors of the World emanates from Bangkok, Thailand, headlined by a showdown for the ONE strawweight title, as Japanese titleholder Yoshitaka Naito (12-0) risks his gold and perfect record against Brazil’s Alex Silva (6-1). In other featured bouts, Thailand’s Shannon Wiratchai (8-1) meets Russian Rasul Yakhyaev (10-6) in a lightweight bout, battle-tested Japanese veteran Kotetsu Boku (26-11-2) takes on American Christian Lee (7-1) in featherweight action and former 115-pound kingpin Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke (8-2), of Thailand, returns home for a flyweight encounter with Japan’s Riku Shibuya (7-4).

Fight Network’s live broadcast of GLORY 49 Rotterdam begins on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET, headlined by the final round of a one-night, four-man lightweight contender tournament, as Danish dynamo Niclas “The Destroyer” Larsen (46-9-2, 24 KO) battles Dutch-Moroccan wunderkind Tyjani “The Wonderboy” Beztati (14-1, 5 KO) and Bulgarian bruiser Stoyan “The Sniper” Koprivlenski (7-1, 3 KO) meets returning Brazilian Maykol Yurk (8-5, 6 KO) in opening round matchups. In addition, Angola’s Christian “Bad News” Baya (59-5-1, 34 KO) looks to spoil the debut of Slovenian lightweight Samo Petje (32-6-1), while American Muay Thai stylist Omar Moreno (25-7-1, 9 KO) fights Chinese UFC veteran Anying “Smiley” Wang (10-3).

The card leads directly into GLORY 49 SuperFight Series at 1:30 p.m. ET, headlined by newly crowned GLORY middleweight champion Alex “Po Atan” Pereira (26-6, 16 KO) making his first title defense against 25-year-old Dutch-Tunisian Yousri Belgaroui (23-3, 11 KO). Also on the bill, former welterweight champion Nieky “The Natural” Holzken (90-13, 46 KO) faces 23-year-old Russian up-and-comer Alim “Professor” Nabiyev (47-6, 21 KO), Holland’s Eyevan “Mister Cool” Danenburg (25-6, 13 KO) locks horns with Road to GLORY UK winner Jamie Bates (24-6, 3 KO) and Englishman Bailey “Bad Boy” Sugden (9-1, 2 KO) takes on China’s Chenglong Zhang (41-5, 11 KO) in a clash of 19-year-old featherweight prospects.

The two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS begin on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET with four exciting bouts, as No. 10-ranked bantamweight Alexis Davis (18-7) and No. 11 Liz Carmouche (10-5) move to 125 pounds for a flyweight bout, bantamweight Luke Sanders (11-1) faces Andre Soukhamtath (11-5), Carls John de Tomas (8-1) and “Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series” contract winner Alex Perez (18-4) square off in a flyweight battle, while Frankie Saenz (11-5) and Merab Dvalishvili (7-1) open the telecast with another bantamweight bout.

Ahead of the live PRELIMS, Fight Network will live broadcast the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW at 7:00 p.m. ET, featuring coverage from the industry’s premier mixed martial arts analysts, as Megan Olivi makes her hosting debut on the FOX Sports desk with analysts Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian, while Laura Sanko adds reports and interviews fighters on-site. At the conclusion of Saturday’s live main card on TSN5, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1:00 a.m. ET, recapping all the exciting action.

This weekend’s live slate of combat sports airs exclusively on Fight Network across Canada.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

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Philadelphia, PA (December 6, 2017) – On Monday, December 11th, The Abrams Boxing Hour will debut on Wildfire Radio.

The weekly show will begin at 5:30 PM ET, and will be an innovative look into the world of professional boxing.

The show will feature the biggest names in the sport as well as the latest news inside the sweet science. Fans will be able to participate and have their comments and questions read via multiple social media platforms.

“I am excited to be able to bring a different perspective of boxing to the fans around the world,” said host Marc Abrams.

“I plan to bring thought provoking topics, and have the most interesting guests for unique interviews that will bring not only knowledge but entertainment to the fans that will be listening all around the globe. Wildfire features some terrific hosts such as Dei Lynam, Mike Kern, Kevin Cooney, Ron Burke, Big Daddy Graham, Glen Macnow, Leslie Gudel, Brandon Noble and Hollis Thomas. I am to be thrilled to be added to that lineup.”

The show will be able to be heard live around the world on www.wildfireradio.com

LAS VEGAS, NV (December 6, 2017) – Prince Ranch Boxing’s undefeated featherweight prospect, Victor Pasillas (11-0, 4 KOs), shares his thoughts on sparring with WBO Super-Featherweight Champion Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs), as he prepares for his showdown with WBA Super World Super Bantamweight champion, Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs).

Pasillas, a southpaw from East Los Angeles, marveled at the speed and quickness of Lomachenko, the Ukrainian star who trains in Oxnard, CA.

“Sparring with Lomachenko was a great experience,” said Victor Pasillas, who trains in Northern California with coach Brian Schwartz. “He has extraordinary speed and precise accuracy with his punches. Being in the ring with a fighter like Lomachenko, you learn a lot. Moving forward, I’m going to take this experience and apply what I’ve picked up to better my game. I feel Vasyl will be to big and powerful for the smaller Rigondeaux who is moving up in weight.”

Victor, who has been out of the ring for over two years, will look to get back in the ring in early 2018.

“Unfortunately, I had a few fights fall out,” Pasillas continued. “That happens in boxing sometimes, so I just have to deal with it. I’m looking forward to a fresh new start in 2018. I’m happy to be part of the Prince Ranch Boxing team and I can see myself in some big fights in the upcoming year. I’m just going to keep working hard and and take advantage of my opportunity when it presents itself.”

“Victor Pasillas has a lot of talent and we plan to keep him busy in 2018,” stated Greg Hannely, president of Prince Ranch Boxing. “We will be announcing his next fight shortly. He definitely has a bright future.”

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 6, 2017): Carlos “The Solution” Morales (16-2-3, 6 KOs) hosted a media workout today ahead of his co-main event feature on the Dec. 14 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. The event will be headlined by the 10-round super bantamweight clash between current NABF and NABO Super Bantamweight Champion Diego De La Hoya (20-0, 9 KOs) and tough challenger Jose “Sugar” Salgado (35-4-2, 28 KOs).

Several fighters from the stacked undercard also participated in the workout. Ferdinand Kerobyan (6-0, 3 KOs) will face Tavorus Teague (4-18-2, 3 KOs) in a four-round welterweight bout. San Antonio’s Joshua “El Profesor” Franco (12-0, 6 KOs) will participate in a scheduled eight rounds of super flyweight fury against LA’s Carlos “Mighty” Maldonado (9-1, 7 KOs) and East LA’s Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (11-0, 6 KOs) will engage in eight rounds of super lightweight action against Nicaragua’s Nelson Lara (17-8-5, 9 KOs). Opening up the action at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (1-0) will take on Mexico City’s rugged Israel Villela (6-7, 2 KOs) in a welterweight bout scheduled for six-rounds.

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

CARLOS “THE SOLUTION” MORALES, Super Featherweight Contender:
“The fight against Alberto Machado was a great experience for my career. It did not go the way I wanted, but I learned from it. We learned to start strong from the beginning, especially in foreign territory.

“I’m going to give a great show. Fans can expect a spectacular win and an exciting fight. After that, I want a rematch with WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Alberto Machado. But this time, I want it on US territory.”

FERDINAND KEROBYAN, Welterweight Prospect:
“I have a strong amateur background. I earned national titles and was a contender for the Olympics. My amateur background made me the person I am today. This fight will mark one year since I debuted and will be my seventh fight as a professional. I am hoping to come out with a victory and to see that I have made good changes in that year.”

JOSHUA “THE PROFESSOR” FRANCO, Current WBC Youth Silver Super Flyweight Champion:
“Winning my first youth title was an important step for my career. It was even more special because I fought in front of his backyard. I went in confident, and I knew what I wanted. When I spar, I spar with world champions. I’ve gotten to work with Abner Mares and Carlos Cuadras.”

“I just want to look good and show what I’ve been learning in this next fight. I want to use my jab more, but most of all I need more experience. For 2018, I want to fight for more rounds and grab another title.”

JONATHAN “THUNDER” NAVARRO, Super Lightweight Prospect:
“It feels great to know I’ll be able to eat during Christmas, especially since I missed Thanksgiving. For my last performance, I give myself a 7 out of 10 because there is always room for improvement. We’ve been working on our technical skills, so hopefully in this fight we get to work on that. I’m looking to get more experience, but if the knockout presents itself, I’ll take it.”

RAUL “EL CUGAR” CURIEL, Welterweight Prospect:
“I always try to do my best and give a great performance. Each boxer wants to write his story, and I want to reach the pinnacle of the sport. I’ll make sure to put on a great show at Fantasy Springs.”

De La Hoya vs. Salgado is a 10-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Don Chargin & Paco Presents Boxing.The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING” and Hennessy, “Never Stop, Never Settle.” The fights will take place live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Doors open and the first fight begins at 4:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 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 atwww.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/DeLaHoyaSalgado into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

Tickets for the event start at $25 and are now on sale at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

The bright lights of Las Vegas shine on the junior lightweight division when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: ORLANDO SALIDO VS. MIGUEL ROMAN, TEVIN FARMER VS. KENICHI OGAWA AND FRANCISCO VARGAS VS. STEPHEN SMITH is seen SATURDAY, DEC. 9 at 10:20 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Mandalay Bay Events Center. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

In a night of three 130-pound clashes, the main event features four-time world champion Orlando Salido (44-13-4, 31 KOs) from Ciudad Obregón, Mexico, now living in Phoenix, taking on Miguel Roman (57-12, 44 KOs) of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico in a 10-round bout.

With 130 fights between them, veterans Salido and Roman are known for tenacity and fan-friendly styles. Salido was last seen on HBO in June 2016 when he fought Francisco Vargas in an evenly pitched consensus Fight of the Year, resulting in a majority draw decision. Roman was last seen on HBO in January, suffering a memorable hard-fought loss to Takashi Miura.

The co-main event spotlights Philadelphia’s Tevin Farmer (25-4-1, 5 KOs) and Tokyo’s Kenichi Ogawa (22-1, 17 KOs) in a 12-round world title contest. Farmer was on an 18-bout win streak until he was shot in the hand while attempting to break up an altercation at a party. Now recovered, he seeks to resume his championship quest. Fighting in the U.S. for the first time, Ogawa has won 14 straight bouts following his only loss, in 2012. The fight marks the first shot at a world title for either man.

The night opens with Francisco Vargas (23-1-2, 17 KOs) from Mexico City, Mexico taking on Stephen Smith (25-3, 15 KOs) of Liverpool, UK in a 10-round contest. Vargas looks to get back on a win streak following a majority draw against Orlando Salido and a KO loss to Miguel Berchelt in a brutal fight seen last January on HBO. Smith has knocked out more than half his opponents and is fighting in the U.S. for just the second time.

The action-packed night of boxing action continues on the HBO Latino service starting at 1:05 a.m. ET or immediately following the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast. The HBO Latino Boxing doubleheader (tape-delayed) is headlined by a scheduled 10-round junior lightweight fight between Russia’s Denis Shafikov (38-3-1, 20 KOs) and Nicaragua’s Rene Alvarado (27-8, 19 KOs). The opening bout on HBO Latino Boxing pits undefeated prospect Jaime Mungia (25-0, 21 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, against Paul Valenzuela (20-6, 14 KOs) of Baja, Mexico, in a scheduled eight-round matchup in the junior middleweight division.

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

The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

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

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The Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) hits the Arena Riga, Latvia on January 27, 2018.

“The stand-out atmosphere in the quarter-finals was the noise the fans made in the sold-out Arena Riga,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer.

“We are very excited to bring the Ali Trophy to Latvia on January 27. Usyk is Olympic Champion, World Champion and the number one seed in the tournament but when he collides with national hero and World Champion Briedis he will meet by far his toughest challenge in his career. This is the biggest unification fight in the division since many, many years.”

2012 Olympic Champion, 30-year-old Usyk expressed before the tournament his desire to unify the belts in the cruiserweight division and to take home the Muhammad Ali Trophy. And he kicked off in style:

The Ukrainian went to Berlin in Germany on September 9 in the tournament opener and produced a spectacular display at the Max-Schmeling-Arena to stop former world champion Marco Huck in the 10th round. Now he travels to another opponent’s backyard to face a current champion.

“I do not care where I fight,” said Usyk, the tournament’s number one seed.

“In Riga, there will be 10.000 fans and that’s great. The fans should expect a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

32-year-old Briedis excited an ecstatic hometown crowd at a sold-out Arena Riga on September 30 to score a unanimous decision in his quarter-final over the tough Cuban challenger Mike Perez.

“I had a gut feeling that the World Boxing Super Series might return to Riga because of the incredible crowd at the Arena Riga in the quarter-final bout against Mike Perez,” said Briedis, the tournament’s third seed.

“I’m really happy with how it has turned out. I am thankful to the Latvian fans who made it possible by being so passionate and devoted. Now it’s all about preparing for Usyk and put up a great show when January comes.”

Usyk and Briedis will soon come face-to-face at a kickoff press conference in Riga and tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final between are going on sale next week with the exact time to be announced shortly. Fans are asked due to the huge demand to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to avoid disappointment.

06 December 2017 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently hosted the ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD Official Face-off on Wednesday, 6 December atop the 61st floor of the Vertigo Restaurant in the Banyan Tree Bangkok Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. In attendance was ONE Championship President of Thailand, Mr. Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp and main event competitors Yoshitaka Naito and Alex Silva, as well as co-main event competitors Shannon Wiratchai and Rasul Yakhyaev. The rest of the athletes also faced off.

Visit the official ONE : WARRIORS OF THE WORLD OFFICIAL Face-off photo gallery by clicking here
The press conference was held in lieu of all the action which takes place Saturday, 9 December at the Impact Arena, as the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent take the ONE Championship cage to showcase their skills in front of a global audience at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD.
Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp, ONE Championship President of Thailand, stated: “ONE Championship is back in Bangkok for another evening of world-class martial arts. This is an exciting one for fans, as ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD is set to feature some of the best and most talented Thai martial arts superstars on the biggest stage of global competition. Fans will not want to miss all the action that goes down at the Impact Arena on Saturday night. Get ready as we have an amazing card prepared for you all!”
Yoshitaka Naito, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “Hayato [Suzuki] is known as one of the best wrestlers in Japan, so I was shocked to see him lose against a jiu-jitsu champion. Alex Silva’s grappling is extremely good. Silva’s strength is of course his ground techniques, but his striking is probably not a big threat. Silva has never gone five rounds, so if it goes the distance, it will be my time. I am confident in my abilities and that I will successfully defend my belt.”
Alex Silva, ONE Title Challenger, stated: “It is most important that before you are even a champion, that you have a good personality, and a good character. You need to be humble. That is how I want to inspire people. That is very important to me. I think that is what has brought me to where I am today — being humble and having a good character, whether you are a champion or not. I am grateful for the opportunity to challenge for the title, and will do my best to take home the win on Saturday night.”
Shannon Wiratchai, ONE Athlete, stated: “Competing in front of my hometown fans is always a great pleasure, and huge pressure at the same time. Life is all about changing. In every change there is always an opportunity. Rasul is dangerous everywhere. But I think I can handle him on the feet. Chechen wrestlers are always some of the best in the world, but I have wrestled with many high-level wrestlers. 2017 is a year that I have been working very hard. I hope I win this match, and 2018 will be another year that I keep working hard. Not just for myself, but for Thai martial arts.”
Rasul Yakhyaev, ONE Athlete, stated: “My defeats taught me to take more care of myself — of my health, my diet, and my training schedule. Shannon is a decent athlete with a lot of experience in the cage. I have not watched all of his matches, but I am sure I can win. I have the complete skill set to achieve victory. Shannon is going to be a tough challenge, but I wish him to have a good training camp with no injuries. When the big day comes, one of us must win and one will lose. I will be the one who wins.”
Reigning and defending ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Matsudo, Japan, is unbeaten in his professional career with a perfect 12-0 record. He owns six victories by submission and one by knockout. The 33-year-old, who made a name for himself at Japan’s world famous Korakuen Hall competing for Shooto as its Flyweight Champion, captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship by submitting Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut in 2016. Naito makes the second defense of his strawweight belt against Alex Silva.
Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a second-degree black belt and Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion feared for his relentless pursuit of submission finishes. Silva is riding high on a five-bout winning streak, rapidly climbing ONE Championship’s stacked strawweight ranks. He is a technical grappling specialist with a penchant for securing highlight-reel submissions. With steadily increasing confidence, Silva’s last five victories have all ended in spectacular fashion. In his most recent contest, Silva made quick work of the highly-regarded and previously unbeaten Hayato Suzuki, earning him an opportunity for the ONE Strawweight World Championship.
Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is one of the most thrilling offensive innovators in ONE Championship. The creator of the OneShin Striking System, Wiratchai developed his own style which incorporates various elements from Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Training out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab, Wiratchai emerges as Thailand’s biggest and most exciting martial arts star. In his last bout, Wiratchai made quick work of Rajinder Singh Meena, stopping his foe with a knee to the abdomen in less than 30 seconds into the first round. Wiratchai seeks to continue his winning ways as he faces Rasul Yakhyaev in the co-main event of the evening.
26-year-old Rasul Yakhyaev of Grozny, Russia, is a lightweight who has racked up a solid following over his seven-year professional career. A jiu-jitsu and combat sambo practitioner, he is adept in both striking and mat techniques, and is considered a solid contender with tremendous combat skills. A well-rounded warrior, four of Yakhyaev’s victories have come by submission while three have come by knockout. After establishing a name for himself in Eastern Europe, he made his ONE Championship debut in December of 2015, and now seeks to take his career to the next level against Shannon Wiratchai.
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.
About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

NEW YORK (Dec. 5, 2017) – A Thursday night celebration is in store as FIGHTNIGHT LIVE partners with renowned promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. and CES Boxing one more time in 2017 – as the promotion caps its year-long 25th anniversary campaign and the Facebook combat sports platform looks to reach its one-millionth live view. Fans from across the globe can catch all the action beginning at 8 p.m. ET live from Twin River Casino in Rhode Island on any device wherever Facebook is available, as the series caps 2017 with a tenth show on the seven month-old platform.

“The FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series continues to grow, and has a chance to reach its 1,000,000th view in only eight months and across 10 shows. We may or may not get there on Thursday, but we’ve been extremely pleased with the growth of the series and want to thank fight fans everywhere for their support,” said Mark Fratto, Principal of Linacre Media. “We’d like to congratulate CES and Jimmy Burchfield on their quarter-century of success, and though we just joined the party, we’re happy to celebrate with their outstanding promotion and may have something to celebrate of our own.”

“CES Boxing is once again excited to partner up with FIGHTNIGHT LIVE to showcase some of the best boxing talent around to fight fans from all around the world. The special “Thursday Night Fights” card is stacked with competitive, action packed matchups. We are also proud to be celebrating 25 years of Boxing Excellence. On December 7, the tradition continues,” Said CES President Jimmy Burchfield, Sr.

In the main event on Thursday night, Worcester’s Khiary Gray (14-3, 11 KOs) squares off against Philly’s Greg Jackson (8-4-1, 2 KOs) for the vacant New England Interim Welterweight Title. In his toughest challenge yet, unbeaten area lightweight sensation Jamaine Ortiz (6-0, 4 KOs) battles “Dangerous” Derrick Murray (13-3-1, 5 KOs) in a six-round special attraction, while Providence fan favorite Anthony Marsella Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) puts his perfect record on the line in a six-round lightweight bout, plus much more.

Over the first seven months of programming, the numbers on the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series have showed promise and potential for the new platform with an average of almost 96,749 fight fans tuning in per event. The Sept. 9 “Real Deal Promotions: Empire State” from Resorts World Casino (225,000), the August CES “Super Saturday” from Foxwoods (203,000), the Sept. CES “Twin River Twinbill” from Lincoln, R.I. (157,000), the Sept. Star Boxing “Showdown at the Paramount” from Long Island (92,255), the July Roy Jones Jr. “Desert Showdown” from Phoenix (63,000), the May “Slugfest at the Sun” from Mohegan Sun (45,000), the June “Rosemont Rumble” from Chicago (32,000) and the Sept. DiBella “Friday Night Foxwoods Fights” (32,000) saw a total of more than 15,000 total hours of Facebook video consumed by 870,700-plus users across all devices.

In addition to the raw viewership numbers, the fully-interactive, fan-friendly productions have seen more than 127,000 collective live post engagements (14,204-plus per show), including more than 90,000 “likes” or “loves,” more than 15,000 comments and 4,600-plus shares. FIGHTNIGHT LIVE broadcasts are viewed by 76 percent men, 24 percent women. The top demographic is comprised of males ages 25-34, which encompasses approximately 30.0 percent of the audience, on average.

The Sept. 9 “Real Deal Promotions: Empire State” set a new bar with 224,658 views and the Sept. 15-16 DiBella-CES doubleheader carried the series to three-quarters-of-a-million views in just over four months. The Aug. 26 Foxwoods “Super Saturday” show stands out individually with 3,336 live hours of content viewed, while the Sept. 15 DiBella card saw more than 40,000 viewer interactions including almost 39,000 “likes” or “loves.”

On Thursday night, Dec. 7, live from live from Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I., fans can expect a high-impact, multi-camera streaming experience complete with graphics, animations, replays, interviews and an announce team anchored by blow-by-blow announcer Michael Woods of the TalkBox Podcast, NYFights.com and The Ring and analyst Xavier Porter of BrooklynFights.com, Notorious Boxing and the “Shoot the 5” radio show. To provide spectators with a fully-interactive ringside experience, commentators will ask and respond to questions from the Facebook audience throughout the broadcast.

Created and produced by Linacre Media out of New York City, the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE series features professional announcers, multiple camera angles, television graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. The streamed shows are available globally wherever Facebook is available. The initiative not only enables fans from around the world to tune in, but also gives up-and-coming fighters a global platform to showcase their abilities, gives promoters an accessible “broadcast” solution and gives sponsors the ability to reach a mass audience via branded content.

More FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Winter 2017-18 dates will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

FIGHTNIGHT LIVE is available online at: https://www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE/

Follow all the action via social media at FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Facebook, @FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE on Instagram and @FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_ on Twitter, or by using the hashtag #FIGHTNIGHTLIVE. For the latest Linacre Media events and broadcast schedule, follow @LinacreMedia across all social platforms or use the tags #LinacreMediaEvents or #LinacreMediaOnTV..

CANASTOTA, NY – DECEMBER 5, 2017 – The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced today the members of the Class of 2018. Inductees include three Modern category boxers who all enter the Hall in their first year of eligibility; heavyweight champion “Dr. Ironfist” Vitali Klitschko, four-division world champion Erik “El Terrible” Morales and light middleweight champion Ronald “Winky” Wright. Non-participants and observers to be inducted include German promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl and broadcasters Steve Albert and Jim Gray.

“We’re extremely excited about the Class of 2018 and are very much looking forward to paying tribute to the new inductees in Canastota next June,” said Executive Director Edward Brophy.

The 2018 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend will be held June 7-10th in Canastota, NY. Many events in “Boxing’s Hometown” of Canastota throughout the four-day celebration, including a 5K Race / Fun Run, golf tournament, boxing autograph card show, VIP Cocktail Reception, Parade of Champions and the Official Induction Ceremony on the Hall of Fame Museum Grounds, are scheduled. The Hall of Fame Weekend evening events include Friday night’s Fight Night at Turning Stone and Saturday’s Banquet of Champions. Both events will take place at Turning Stone Resort Casino.

The Hall of Fame also released names of posthumous honorees: Sid Terris in the Old-Timer Category; and ring announcer Johnny Addie and promoter Lorraine Chargin in the Non Participant Category. Inductees were voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians. Biographies on the Class of 2018 can be found on www.ibhof.com

For more information on the events planned for the 2018 International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend, please call the Hall of Fame at (315) 697-7095, visit online at www.ibhof.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InternationalBoxingHallofFame and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BoxingHall.

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COMMENTS UPON RECEIVING INDUCTION NEWS

“It’s a dream of many boxers to be a member of the Hall of Fame family. I’ve thought about the Hall of Fame but I never expected one day that I would be among the legends who were always examples for me such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and so many world famous boxers. It’s a big honor for me.”
– Vitali Klitschko

“It’s an honor to be elected into the Hall of Fame and recognized for my achievements. I’m overwhelmed by the news. It is a dream come true to be part of the Hall of Fame and I can’t wait until next June to be in Canastota.”
– Erik Morales

“Wow! It’s great. It’s an honor. I love my fans and I’m grateful that my accomplishments in boxing are being honored. It feels so great to be in the Hall of Fame.”
– Winky Wright

“Oh great! This news has made my day. I’m just so happy. I’ve been wishing and praying for this. For her to be the only woman besides Aileen Eaton in the Hall, on many fronts it’s a great honor. I’m really at a loss for words. I’ve dreamt of this.”
– Don Chargin, husband of Lorraine Chargin

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh my God. I’m completely surprised. I’m looking forward to coming to Canastota in June for the Hall of Fame Weekend.”
– Klaus-Peter Kohl

“It’s an honor. I didn’t expect this. I heard from some boxing friends that I was on the ballot but having been out of the sport for a few years I didn’t expect it to happen. It is quite an honor and I appreciate the call very much. It’s a little overwhelming. I’ve never been to Canastota and I’ve heard so many great things about that weekend through other friends who have been inducted and I look forward to it. It’s rare for me, but I’m a little speechless right now.”
– Steve Albert

“I got chills. I’m so honored and so grateful to the sport, the fighters and the Hall of Fame. What an amazing feeling to have this unique recognition. It’s just an amazing feeling to have been able to have observed and witnessed the excellence of so many incredible athletes. To have been able to have played a part in being able to interview them and bring it to the public is an incredible feeling.”
– Jim Gray

TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO
OFFICIAL RESORT CASINO OF THE
INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME WEEKEND

In October, Turning Stone Resort Casino and the International Boxing Hall of Fame announced a major five-year partnership. The multifaceted program will spotlight the entire region, garnering national attention and will boost Central New York tourism. The program includes a series of exhilarating nationally-televised boxing events at Turning Stone and will culminate every year in June with an elaborate and bigger-than-ever International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend celebration with several events, promotions, restaurant specials and more. Turning Stone has become internationally-known for legendary fight-of-the-year level boxing matches, rivaling arenas in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami. In fact, one of the very first fights held at the resort was boxing legend Hector “Macho” Camacho defeating Tommy Small in a sixth round knockout. Over the years, several Boxing Hall-of-Famers and boxing legends have fought or promoted fights at Turning Stone, including Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Oscar de la Hoya.

Philadelphia, PA (December 5, 2017) – Last Friday night Tyrone Brunson stopped Manny Woods to win the UBF International Junior Middleweight title after eight-rounds of a scheduled ten-round bout in front of a sold out crowd at the 2300 Arena.

The exciting 12-bout card was promoted by King’s Promotions.

Brunson of Philadelphia systematically broke down woods as he boxed well using a pinpoint jab over the first half of the fight. In round six, Brunson started landing hard power punches and began to stagger Woods. Finally after round eight, the corner of Woods pulled the plug on the bout, and Brunson scored his 3rd straight win.

Brunson is now 26-6-2 with 24 knockouts. Woods of Saint Petersburg, Florida is 16-7-1.

In the co-feature Brandon Robinson scored the biggest win of his career by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Christopher Brooker to win the UBF All Americas super middleweight title.

Robinson got the better of the action as he cut Brooker in 2 places around the left eye. Brooker tried to get back in the fight over the last couple rounds, but it was Robinson’s boxing and power punches that propelled him to the victory by 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74.

Robinson of Philadelphia is 8-1. Brooker of Philadelphia is 12-5.

Brandon Robinson

Jaron Ennis took out George Sosa at 1:09 of round two of a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout.

The top prospect, Ennis scored two knockdowns and the fight was stopped at 1:09 of round two.

Ennis of Philadelphia is now 17-0 with 15 knockouts. Sosa of Reading, PA is 15-11-1.

Omar Douglas made short work of Isais Martin Gonzales by scoring a 1st round stoppage in a scheduled six-round super featherweight bout.

The time of the bout was 1:52 for Douglas of Wilmington, Delaware, who raised his mark to 18-2 with 13 knockouts. Gonzales falls to 22-10.

Kyrone Davis won an eight-round unanimous decision over Jamie Barboza in a middleweight bout.

Davis of Wilmington, Delaware took all cards in shutout fashion (Barboza was deducted points on two occasions) by scores of 80-70, and he is now 13-1. Barboza is 19-13.

Joe Hanks won a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Joel Cauldle in an entertaining heavyweight bout.

Hanks landed the harder shots and was more active against the game Caudle.

Scores were 60-54 twice and 58-56 for Hanks, of Newark, NJ and he is now 22-2. Caudle of Raleigh, North Carolina is 7-1-1.

Marcus Banks boxed very well for five-plus rounds and then finished off Antonio Rodriguez in the 6th and final round of their super bantamweight bout.

A body shot dropped and stopped Rodriguez at 2:37 of round six, and Bates of Washington, DC is now 8-0-1 with seven knockouts. Rodriguez of Mexico is 11-20-1.

Marcus Bates

Colby Madison survived a 1st round knockdown to come back and stop Randy Easton with a body shot at 2:44 of round two of their scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.

Madison of Owings Mills, Maryland is 5-0-1 with 4 knockouts. Easton of Sunbury, PA is 4-10-2.

Colby Madison

Romuel Cruz made a successful pro debut with a 3rd round stoppage over Rondarrius Hunter in a bantamweight bout.

A series of body shot put Hunter down and the bout was stopped at 2:#5.

Cruz of Philadelphia is 1-0 with 1 knockout, Hunter of Atlanta is 1-2.

Romuel Cruz

Rasheed Johnson of Philadelphia won a four-round unanimous decision over Kashon Hutchinson in a welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-36 twice and 39-37 for Johnson, who raised his mark to 3-1. Hutchinosn of Reading, PA is 3-4.

Shamsuddeen Justice stopped late-replacement Jack Grady at 2:07 of round one of their welterweight bout.

The time of the finsh came at 2:07 for Justice of Philadelphia, who is now 2-0 with two knockouts. Gardy of Buffalo, NY is 0-7-1.

Gerardo Martinez won a four-round split decision over Christopher Burgos in a lightweight bout.

Martinez took took cards 39-37 while Burgos won a card 39-37.

Martinez is 2-0. Burgos is 0-2.

Gerardo Martinez

The much-anticipated rematch between Tony Bellew and David Haye will take place on Saturday May 5 at The O2, London, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Haye and Bellew were set to renew hostilities on December 17, however the fight was postponed after David Haye injured his bicep in a freak accident.

Tony Bellew commented “I’m pleased to get a new date in the diary and I look forward to giving boxing fans a great night on May 5. To be honest I was looking forward to a great victory in December and a relaxing family break over Xmas but my mind is still very much on this fight and I will punish him for that.

I now have a very clear plan for 2018 and that is to knock out David Haye and then knock out Tyson ‘Stavros Flatley’ Fury and end both their careers but first things first I need to rid the sport of David Haye on May 5 and I look forward to doing this in what I believe will be an explosive fight.”

David Haye commented: “I’m thrilled to confirm that The Rematch between myself and Tony Bellew will take place on May 5, returning to The O2.

Whilst the first chapter of the Haye Bellew saga didn’t go my way, fans were left on the edge of their seats throughout the thrilling eleven round battle. The Rematch in May will no doubt eclipse this, Tony has boasted that The Rematch gives him the opportunity to force me into retirement. Unquestionably, I step into the ring on May 5 with both my career and legacy on the line.

After my freak accident down a stairwell last month I was heartbroken not to give everyone the ending to 2017 I wanted. Since then I had to accept the cards I had been dealt, remain positive and focus on factors which are within my control; rehabilitation and rescheduling the fight.

Over the past five years, I’ve had a number of challenges to overcome, but learnt often during times of adversity we learn and grow. As a result, come May, Tony will be faced with a more experienced and more determined opponent.

On May 5, whether you are lucky enough to witness the showcase live, or tune in from home on Sky Box Office, you will not be disappointed. I will give fans the ending I have promised.

In 2018 the Hayemaker will be back and I will once again give fans the biggest, most explosive, blockbuster fight nights they deserve”

Tickets for the original December 17 date are still valid for this event. If you require a refund, please contact your point of purchase.

Any returned tickets will be returned on general sale via www.theO2.co.uk on Thursday December 14 at midday

The Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between IBF World Champion Murat Gassiev (25-0, 18 KOs) and WBA World Champion Yunier Dorticos (22-0, 21 KOs) takes place at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi, Russia on February 3, 2018.

“The consistent growth of our tournament concept keeps attracting major sports investors. Comosa is very proud to bring the Ali Trophy semi-final to Sochi,” said Comosa’s CEO, Roberto Dalmiglio.

“This fight is a very special one,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer:

“The level in the Ali Trophy tournament is already of the very highest, but when you have two such decorated boxers with massive KO power then the only guaranteed winner is the fans.

Two World Champions collide in Sochi, this special Olympic City. Russia hold tight for the Ali Trophy experience, the lights and stars are on their way!”

Murat ‘Iron’ Gassiev, the Russian second seed, earned his spot in the semi-final when he blew away Polish Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in New Jersey in October with a powerful performance to produce a third-round KO.

“The location for the semi-final was not important for me, but the fact that it will be in Russia and the beautiful city of Sochi makes me very glad,” said Gassiev.

“This means my family and friends and a lot of people from my home region of Ossetia will be attending. Also, it is always an honour and pleasure to fight in front of my countrymen,” said the 24-year-old and expresses a lot of respect for his upcoming challenge.

“Dorticos is a very good dangerous fighter. It is going to be great to test my skills against an opponent like him. I am confident we will deliver great boxing for fans around the world.”

Cuban Dorticos aka ‘The KO Doctor’, the tournament’s fourth seed, impressed in his quarter-final with a devastating KO victory in the third round over Russian Dmitri Kudryashov in San Antonio in September. And he predicts another jaw-dropping output against another Russian in the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

“I am looking forward to fighting in Sochi. No matter where I fight, I will work hard to take my opponent out,” said 31-year-old Dorticos who is fighting out of Miami, USA.

“I believe I am the best in the world and the future winner of the Muhammad Ali Trophy. I can’t wait to show Gassiev and the fans in Russia and all over the world what ‘The KO Doctor’ is about!”

The cruiserweight final of the World Boxing Super Series will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in May 2018.

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final between Gassiev and Dorticos are going on sale later this month. Fans are asked to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com to avoid disappointment.