Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren paid a special visit to The Boxing Academy in Hackney yesterday along with rising British stars Anthony Yarde and Daniel Dubois ahead of their fights at London’s Copper Box Arena next Saturday.

The Boxing Academy offers an alternative education pathway for students who are at risk of exclusion, or who have already been excluded, from mainstream education. Their mission is to offer high quality alternative education to even the most hard-to-reach young people, realised through the discipline, ethos and culture of boxing.

Warren, Yarde and Dubois were joined by The Boxing Academy’s Principal Anna Cain to give a talk on the benefits of boxing to the media and students in attendance before both fighters laced up their gloves and put on a knockout training session.

“We thought it would be appropriate to come down here today with two of our young stars Anthony Yarde and Daniel Dubois,” said Warren. “Boxing is a catalyst to help educate youngsters and give them some direction in their lives. The work that Anna and her staff do here is absolutely fantastic and it’s a real pleasure to be here today to meet you all.

“It’s nice to give something back to the community and I can’t wait to welcome you all to our show next week. I feel that boxing doesn’t always get the respect that it deserves and it is places like this that highlight the positive impact boxing can have on people’s lives. Boxing can give youngsters much needed self esteem and respect that can help them moving forward in life.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Frank, Anthony and Daniel to The Boxing Academy,” said Principal Cain. “It is no surprise that people in boxing get the point of this school, you don’t have to be a boxer for the sport to have a positive effect on your life. Boxing is a force for good. It’s incredibly positive. From our point of view, we love the fact that we can be a proper school with the ethos of a boxing gym.

“The results and the student’s achievements at the school and after they leave us are testament to the quality of the teachers, boxers and staff. They all do a brilliant job and we couldn’t do it without them. It is brilliant that Frank has invited our pupils, staff and their families along to his event at the Copper Box Arena next Saturday and we are all looking forward to a great evening of boxing!”

“I was born in Hackney and I grew up in Stratford so I can relate to a lot of you,” said Yarde. “The streets are tough but sport, and boxing especially, has put me on the right path in my life. If I could give any advice to the kids in attendance today it would be to make yourself a leader. Make something of yourself, it’s never too late to change your life around. Work hard towards something and you’ve got a better chance, trust me.”

“Sport has always been a part of what I’ve done day to day,” said Dubois. “I’ve always been around a gym – I was very energetic as a kid and that needed to be controlled in a positive way. I was five when I started boxing as a little nipper. As you go on you get more addicted to it and you want to go further and further.

“It is brilliant to see how the discipline of boxing is being used to help the students here at The Boxing Academy and it’s a pleasure to be here today to share my story with them.”

To find out more about The Boxing Academy and the work they do visit www.theboxingacademy.co.uk.

On December 9th Light-Heavyweight ‘Beast’ Anthony Yarde (13-0, 12 KOs) defends his WBO Intercontinental and European belts against Nikola Sjekloca (32-4-1, 11 KOs) while Heavyweight sensation Daniel Dubois (5-0, 5 KOs) aims to continue his KO streak when he faces former Anthony Joshua opponent Dorian Darch (12-5-1, 1 KO) in his sixth contest.

Remaining tickets for The Boys Are Back In Town priced at £40 (Upper Tier), £50 (Lower Tier), £70 (Floor), £100 (Floor), £150 (Floor) and VIP/Hospitality £250 are now on sale 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

01 December 2017 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the addition of three new leaders to its senior management team. Hua Fung Teh is named Chief Financial Officer, Mahesh Subramanian is named Chief Technology Officer, and Souvik Dutta is named Vice President of Engineering. The senior leaders have joined ONE Championship to help lead the organization in critical areas for 2018 and beyond.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am pleased to announce the addition of three new leaders for ONE Championship in Hua Fung Teh, Mahesh Subramanian, and Souvik Dutta. These senior executives will add significant leadership strength to ONE Championship, and will allow us to continue to scale across Asia.”

With global domain expertise in finance and sports, Hua Fung Teh will join as Chief Financial Officer of ONE Championship in January 2018. Teh is currently a Principal at leading global private equity firm TPG Capital, where he is a senior member of the Southeast Asia investment team based in Singapore. In his six years at TPG he has also served on the China and US teams. Prior to TPG, Teh held various leadership positions in the Republic of Singapore Air Force and Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry. Teh was a key member of the team that brought Formula One to Singapore, organizing the first night race in Formula One history in a groundbreaking initiative by the Singapore Government. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Business School, Hua Fung serves on the Board of Commissioners of BUMA in Indonesia. He also sits on the Steering Committee of the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle (Asia), and is a member of The Forum of Young Global Leaders at the World Economic Forum. As CFO, Teh will be responsible for all areas of finance, accounting, HR and corporate development, including oversight of key strategic projects and partnerships.

Mahesh Subramanian joins as Chief Technology Officer of ONE Championship. Subramanian brings over 20 years of experience in the technology industry with Intel, Siemens, Marvell, and Lucent Technologies to Asia’s largest global sports media property. Subramanian has over 10 years of mobile video streaming experience, including with startups such as StrmEasy and Touchfone Technology in the micro social and mobile content delivery space. Subramanian will oversee all aspects of ONE Championship’s technology and infrastructure, including mobile, OTT, data and technology asset management, network architecture, support, and more.

With a passion for technology and a deep interest in new products, Souvik Dutta is named Vice President of Engineering of ONE Championship. With a decade of experience in the role of VP of Engineering with fast-paced startups, Touchfone Technology and Scoopwhoop, in the micro social and mobile content delivery space, Dutta will be responsible for driving the execution of ONE Championship’s mobile and digital technology solutions. Dutta is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

ONE Championship announced earlier this year its 2018 calendar, promising to deliver a record-high 24 events across the major iconic cities of Asia. Additionally, 2018 will also give birth to the first weekly reality TV series by ONE Championship.

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.

https://www.facebook.com/363509125042/videos/10159576515345043/

Tyrone Brunson 155 – Manny Woods 153.5
(UBF International Super Welterweight Title)

Brandon Robinson 166 – Christopher Brooker 165.5
(UBF All Americas Super Middleweight Title)

Jaron Ennis 148.5 – George Sosa 148.5
Omar Douglas 131 – Isaias Martin Gonzalez 131
Shamsuddeen Justice 141 – Latorie Woodberry TBA
Rashheed Johnson 145.5 – Kashon Hutchinson 144
Kyrone Davis 158 – Jaime Barboza 157
Joe Hanks 251 – Joel Caudle 255.5
Colby Madison 240.5 – Randy Easton 232
Romuel Cruz 121 – Rondarrius Hunter 115
Christopher Burgos 136.5 – Gerado Tiburcio 134.5
Marcus Bates 122.5 – Antonio Rodriguez 121

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: 2300 Arena
1st Bell: 6:45 PM ET
TV: Eleven Sports –9:30 PM ET

Photo Credit / King’s Promotions

VIP TICKETHOLDERS WILL HAVE A SPECIAL MEET AND GREET AT 5 PM ON FIGHT NIGHT. THAT WILL INCLUDE SPECIAL DRINK SPECIALS ($3 DRAFT BEER, $5 CITYWIDE SPECIALS WHICH INCLUDES A SHOT OF WHISKEY AND DRAT BEER AS WELL AS $4 MARGARITAS OR GLASS OF WINE FOR LADIES)

We are ten days away from arguably the most historic fight we have seen in many a year. Two 2-time Olympic Gold Medalists facing off for the first time professionally, at the highest level, in a world championship fight. It will be Saturday, December 9 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, which has been sold out for nearly two months. It and it will be televised live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. There will be a four-bout telecast that will end up with the grand finale of a great night of boxing, Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux. The entire card will stream live on the ESPN App., beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

TEAM RIGONDEAUX

MICHAEL YORMARK (President & Chief of Branding & Strategy, Roc Nation): Thank you and good afternoon everybody. We are equally excited about this incredible night of boxing. On behalf of Guillermo as well as Roc Nation, we want to thank Top Rank; we want to thank ESPN; and all of the organizations that have been involved in making this event what it will be on December 9. I’m joined today by Dino Duva who heads up Roc Nation Boxing and would like for him to talk about the bout.

DINO DUVA (Head of Boxing, Roc Nation): Thank you and just to echo what Michael said we are just extremely proud and excited to be part of this great historic fight. It’s a pleasure doing business with Bob and Top Rank and everyone on their team and obviously ESPN who is the leader in sports around the world to be a part of this historic event as a boxing fan I can’t wait to see this fight. We are very excited for Rigo, amongst everything. Rigo has had a historic legendary career as an Olympic fighter and now as a professional and this is a fight that he’s been waiting for his entire career, to bring him not just to the top of the pound-for-pound list, where he has always been, to bring him the exposure and the accolades as one of the most popular fighters in the world that he’s so deserving of. But he’s never had the chance to get there. This is the fight that’s going to bring him over that hump. We congratulate Lomachenko – he’s a great fighter – we think he’s stepped up a little too much in this fight, but it’s going to be a great match. We are just really proud to be a part of this historic event.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I’m very happy that everything has been put in place. I started on ESPN so I am very happy that this fight is taking place there and I would like to thank Roc Nation and Top Rank for putting it together. I have been anticipating this fight for a long time and now everything is concrete and the fight is on its way.

Lomachenko said yesterday that if Rigondeaux wants to win he will have to come straight at me. What do you think of that?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Let him think what he wants. We are going to do what we need to do. We have our game plan.

What was the thought process to move up two divisions to make this fight happen? Did you think about staying at 122?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: 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.

There are not many fighters in history that have been on par with Guillermo’s amateur career – does you view Lomachenko as an equal?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: He is a great boxer and he has a lot of qualities and he is also an Olympic Champion, multiple times, so he’s got a lot of talent, yes.

How do you feel about that fact that most people are looking at mostly your amateur backgrounds when talking about the fight? After all, it is the first time that two-time Olympic Gold Medal winners are going to fight each other.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Yes, it is the first time in history that two multiple Olympic champions are going to fight each other, face each other off, 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.

Since fighting Drian Francisco in 2015, you have only had two fights that lasted a total of three rounds. Are you concerned about any kind of rust because of the way you fight it is so much about his timing and quickness?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: No, not at all. I can assure you 100% that I am at 100% and I am going to show the world what I have been preparing for.

Do you think that eight pounds is too much to give up?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: No, not at all. If this is what it takes to fight the big fights then you guys are going to see on December 9 if I am ready or not.

What other champions would you like to face ideally?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I am tired of saying, ‘don’t talk to me about Santa Cruz, don’t talk to me about Frampton’ – I have already said I want to fight these guys. Ask them if they want to fight – anybody, any time, but I am tired of saying that. Ask them who they want too fight because they don’t want to fight me.

Considering you are jumping two weight classes how will you rate your power?

GUILLERMO 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.

What about the WBA and the 122 lb. title – do you have any comments on that?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Not right now. At this time we are concentrating on this fight and we can worry about that when it’s over.

DINO DUVA: Just so everyone knows, we are actually still working with the WBA to reconsider their resolution and position on this. I am hopeful and confident they will do the right thing and allow Rigo to make his decision after the fight. It is not a closed subject yet.

Do you expect this fight to go the distance and do you worry that some of the subtle moves that you do will go unnoticed by the judges?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: It is going to be a massacre. People should anticipate a massacre. Absolutely – not at all, I am not worried at all. I will just go in there and do my job.

Is there added pressure to make this fight exciting?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: The one that has to worry is Lomachenko. I am fine and I will do what I need to do when I get in the ring. I don’t worry too much what people think. I have my power every time I step in the ring.

Do you think you will knock him out?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I don’t look for a knockout. It just happens. It’s unpredictable.

You beat Donaire, The Ring Fighter of the Year, and never really received the proper respect for that and here you are five years later. How do you feel about that?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I don’t spend too much time thinking about that. I do my job and I do it well. I leave all that other stuff to the people that handle that. I’ve gone through a lot of adversity in my life as it is. I just take care of what I need to do in the ring.

Do you feel motivated to beat a Top Rank fighter after leaving Top Rank?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Even if it is the Son of God, I don’t care. I fight whoever I need to fight.

Are you worried about getting a fair shake from the judges?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Absolutely not – forget about that – I don’t think about that. I just do what I think I need to do.

What is the key to this fight?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I’ve got to do my job and I have to win convincingly so they can’t rob me.

This is the second time they have tried to strip you. Does it make you look at belts differently?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I leave the sanctioning negotiations and all the tough negotiating to Dino. He’s the one that handles that. I don’t let that affect my fighting or my training for the fight. Give the belt to anyone. Dino will then find a way for me to get it back in the ring.

How long have you wanted to fight Lomachenko?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I wanted to fight him when he was at 126. And we tried and we tried and we tried and he wouldn’t step in the ring with me. Now he is at 130 and wants to step in the ring with me because he believes now he has the advantage over me.

Most pundits have you as an underdog in this fight. If you win would you regard it as your greatest victory?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: There are a lot of things that are more important to me in my professional career, however, this would be a big feat and let the world see who is the best pound-for-pound boxer.

What would the other greater things in career be?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: It is my way of thinking that there will be a lot of greater things that will come my way after this fight – yes a lot of things. This win will be a great thing for my career but I have had a lot of great victories in the past and this will be one more to add to my great victories, but there will be better tings to come once I get past him.

Do you think this fight will go 12 rounds?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: It could finish before or it could finish after.

So do you think you will stop him?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Lomachenko and forty more like him.

Who are the other fighters that you think could be bigger wins than Lomachenko?

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: I will need two more fights in my career to retire. I will fight Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. I will go into heavyweight. I am willing to fight anyone in the world.

Lomachenko said the only reason you are taking this fight is because you are older now and want to get a big payday and retire.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: That’s fine – let him think that way.

Does it make you mad?

ALEX BORNOTE (Rigondeaux Manager): I’ll answer that for him. Yes, of course it makes him mad. All he’s ever done, if anyone asks him who he wants to fight? He’ll fight anyone and he’ll fight everybody. The only reason he doesn’t fight more is because no one wants to fight him for whatever reason that may be. He wants to fight a lot more people before his career is over.

Lomachenko also feels that you both are the same size, except he may be a little taller.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Yes more or less we are almost right there.

In Closing…

MICHAEL YORMARK: Once again I would like to thank all of the media and ESPN and everybody on the call here today and especially Top Rank for giving us this opportunity. Obviously it’s an exciting fight it’s going to be a great night of boxing. We look forward to seeing everybody in New York City next Saturday night.

DINO DUVA: The only think I would like to say in closing, to all the media, thank you for joining us. When Rigo beats Lomachenko all I ask is that you give him the credit he deserves. He’s been knocked around a lot and a lot of it has been undeserving. When he beats Lomachenko, please, give him the credit he deserves, because he is one of the all time greats. When he performs on December 9, give him what he deserves. That’s all I ask.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: Thank you for putting this event together – all the promoters and ESPN and all of the fans, so stay tuned and wait to see what you’re going to see on December 9.

ALEX BORNOTE: This is the fight the fans want to see and he has to go up two weight classes to do it. It’s the only way the fight was going to happen and it’s great for boxing, and see you there next week.

TEAM LOMACHENKO

EGIS KLIMAS (Lomachenko Manager): Yes we have been on the line for ten minutes listening to that bull shit.

BOB ARUM: I had to watch my blood pressure so I didn’t listen.

Bob, this is your 30th promotion at The Garden, dating back to Muhammad Ali vs. Oscar Bonavena (December 7, 1970), and it’s a big one…

BOB ARUM: This is a conference call with the greatest fighter since Muhammad Ali. A guy that I can’t wait to see in a historic fight that has never happened before – in each corner a fighter having two Gold Medals. This is an historic battle and it’s going to be one of many historic battles for Vasyl Lomachenko who I have said from the beginning he is the best fighter I have seen since the early Muhammad Ali.

VASYL LOMACHENKO: I would like to thank everyone who is participating in this call. This is the first time I am going to be talking in two months about the fight. Yesterday was my media workout day and I am very happy to talk to the media about this bout.

You said yesterday that if Rigondeaux wants to win he will have to come straight at me. Do you think Rigondeaux is going to do that?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: No, I don’t think he’s going to be doing that. He has never done that in his whole career. When he goes forward he falls down in the ring. I don’t think he’s going to be doing that.

Can you respond to Rigondeaux’s comment saying you wouldn’t fight him at featherweight?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: We all can’t believe in that nonsense. There is a video of one of the reporters asking him ‘would you like to fight Vasyl Lomachenko?’ when he was at 126. He said to the reporter “wait a second, what weight am I fighting?’ and the reporter said 122 and he said ‘well what kind of questions do we have? I am at 122.’ It is on video on YouTube – anybody can find it. It’s not the truth.

How do you feel about the two greatest amateurs in the history of the sport fighting against each other?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: Yes, I agree that it is a historical bout, it is an interesting bout and most importantly it is an interesting bout for me. A lot of time was spent to make this bout. For awhile it was never happening and finally it happened. It is very, very interesting and all of the boxing fans wanted to see the bout and finally we can deliver it.

Rigondeaux is known for his defense – how do you break through it?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: Yes of course 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.

Are you worried that Rigondeaux may go in there and stink it out?

BOB ARUM: Let me give you my expert opinion because I’ve been around the sport for a lot of years. What you are looking at here are two different schools of boxing. The Cuban and the Eastern European. The Eastern European, let me start with Vasyl Lomachenko – he is very technically proficient and very good and when he is fighting he is very defensive minded, looks for an opening, but always with the goal in mind, not only to win a points victory but also to hurt, or knockout or make his opponent quit. Watch every one of his fights – it’s always designed, very crowd pleasing because it gives the crowd – the crowd gets into it – because he is looking to destroy his opponent. That’s pretty much the Eastern European style. The Cuban style is different, they pile up points then they stink you out till the end of the fight because all they care about is winning the fight on points. So in this fight, Vasyl will not allow Rigondeaux to pile up points, so Rigondeaux, to win the fight, will have to be more aggressive than he wants to be. When you watch Rigondeaux fight you will see a fantastic fighter who is aggressive, piles up points and then stinks you out by just coasting to victory. That’s the Cuban style – just win, brother. Win by the points — a different style form the Easter European. I think this is going to be a very, very good fight, a very interesting fight because Rigondeaux is not going to be able to gut out a big lead on points on Vasyl, therefore he will have to fight the entire fight as long as it goes to win a victory.

BOB ARUM: Rigondeaux is a very, very good fighter. He is one of the best fighters that I have seen. He is a terrific fighter. You can’t let him pile up points because then he will coast and stink you out. Vasyl is no only a great fighter – he is the best fighter since the young Muhammad Ali. He will not seed the ground early, therefore Rigondeaux will have to fight the entire fight in order to win and therefore I see a very, very exciting fight and you are going to see the best of these guys.

When Bob Arum calls you the best fighter since the young Muhammad Ali does that put added pressure on you?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: I am hearing from Mr. Arum saying these things about me for almost two years. It doesn’t put pressure on my any more – it used to but no more.

How long did you know this fight would be next and how did that factor into your Twitter war?

EGIS KLIMAS: We were fooling around with Twitter – the people that run Rigondeaux’s twitter, they were very aggressive abut the fight. To tell you the truth, I never believed the fight was going to happen until I got the phone call from Bob telling me “the deal is done, I have a signed contract, so let’s get ready for the fight.” That was the only time I knew the fight was going to happen.

Orlando Salido is also fighting December 9. Should you both be successful, do you think a revenge fight with him would be next?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: Yes, sure but I don’t think he’s going to fight me because he already found, to him, a good excuse. He’s been saying, “I don’t need this bout. Lomachenko needs this bout. So because Lomachenko needs this bout you need to pay me good money.” That is just his excuse and Salido is nobody now.

Do you have any plans to fight above 130 pounds?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: I already said that I am ready to fight at 130 or 135, but that is not my job. Whoever is going to be put in front of me I will fight. It is not my job to organize the bouts. It is not my job to choose opponents. My promoters organize the bouts and whoever they put in front of me I am ready to fight at 130 or 135. I never passed on any of the bouts and I never passed on any of the opponents.

You recently said, “I am going to squash him.“ Will you be satisfied with anything other than a knockout?

VASYL LOMACHENKO: I said I am going to walk through him like a tank. They are two different things. I am going to walk through him like a tank and knock him out. They are two different impressions. 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. 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.

In Closing…

BOB ARUM: I just can’t wait for December 9th. We had a fastest sellout in the history of Madison Square Garden. Everybody who is anybody is going to be at the fight. We expect a tremendous rating on ESPN. This will be Loma’s second fight on ESPN. He is one of the tent poles in the ESPN-Top Rank boxing program. As far as this fight, it should be a tremendously interesting fight. Whether he’ll go up to 135 after this fight we’ll see. I know we have a tremendous offer for Loma to fight in Australia against Paul Fleming who will be fighting on December 13 and of course ultimately some time next year you’ll see Loma fighting for the lightweight championship of the world.

VASYL LOMACHENKO: Thank you very much for your attention and we’ll see you in New York!

******************************

Top-rated pound-for-pound fighters and Olympic legends VASILY “Hi-Tech” LOMACHENKO.and GUILLERMO “El Chacal” RIGONDEAUX will go mano a mano in a collision of world champions, Next Saturday, December 9, at the The Theater at Madison Square Garden. This historic battle will mark the first time two-time Olympic gold medalists have fought each other professionally at the highest level. Lomachenko will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight world title against the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight champion Rigondeaux. The fight, which will headline a spectacular all-action card that will be will be televised live and exclusively at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and stream live on the ESPN App, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Roc Nation Sports and Madison Square Garden, tickets to the Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux world championship event sold out two months in advance! It is Lomachenko’s second advance sellout in his past three fights. His April 8 title defense against former world champion Jason Sosa sold out the MGM National Harbor one month in prior to the event.

********************

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

ORANGE, Calif. (Nov. 30, 2017) – Unbeaten welterweight prospect Francisco Armenta (4-0, 1 KO), signed by Thompson Boxing Promotions last year, headlines the first show of his young career in his native Mexico this Saturday, Dec. 2.

The 6-round fight, the first for Armenta as a professional, comes against a seasoned boxer in Miguel Lopez from the Hernando de Villafañe in Lopez’s hometown of Guasave, Sinaloa.

Armenta, who is trained by Cuban Juan Quezada, hails from Guamuchil, a town about 45 minutes east of Guasave.

“Lopez is a dangerous opponent so I expect a tough fight,” said Armenta, who will be fighting for the fifth time this year. “He’s not someone that you can easily knock out. We’re prepared to give a great fight and if we follow our game plan, the knockout will present itself.”

Armenta, 23, is unfazed by the experience gap between himself and Lopez. As an amateur, he tallied about 250 fights and won numerous regional and national tournaments in Mexico.

“I saw a lot of different styles in the amateurs,” Armenta said. “I’ll be ready for whatever Lopez brings on Saturday night. I’ll have a lot of support behind me. My hometown isn’t very far from where I’ll be fighting. My fans are going to see a great fight.”

In the six-round co-feature, lightweight Miguel Madueño (5-0, 4 KOs) of Guasave, Sinaloa will test his unblemished mark against Carlos Bacasegua. Madueño signed with Thompson Boxing last year.

Madueño, like Armenta, is a graduate of one of Mexico’s most renowned boxing academies – Centro de Alto Rendimieto de Boxeo. The academy, which prepares its students for careers in boxing, also consists of an academic and civic component that strives to develop solid citizens out of its alumni.

Madueño, 19, will be making his sixth start of the year.

“When we signed Armenta and Madueño the goal was to keep them active right from the start,” said Alex Camponovo, longtime matchmaker and general manager for Thompson Boxing. “We’ve been able to get them plenty of fights in Mexico with the understanding that they’ll soon be fighting in the United States as early as next year.”

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (November 30, 2017) – Rounding out an outstanding double-header on HBO Latino Boxing on Saturday, December 9 from the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, an action packed eight rounder has been announced between highly touted and undefeated junior middleweight prospect JAIME MUNGIA, (25-0-0, 21 KO’s) of Tijuana, Mexico and fellow Mexican PAUL ‘CHICO’ VALENZUELA JR., (20-6-0, 14 KO’s) of Baja, Mexico. Mungia vs. Valenzuela will open the HBO Latino telecast.

HBO Latino Boxing will air on tape-delay starting at 1:05 a.m. ET or immediately following the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast (10:20 p.m. ET).

Presented by Zanfer Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Tom Loeffler, tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100 and $50 are now on-sale and can be purchased at AXS.com or in person at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office.

“We’re excited to add another great fight on HBO Latino Boxing to this tremendous evening on December 9,” said Loeffler. “Boxing fans in Las Vegas or traveling from the United States and Mexico will enjoy a memorable evening of excitement at one of the country’s premier venues for entertainment.”

Stated Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions, “We’re thrilled that boxing fans in the United States can see what we’ve known for a couple of years, that Jamie Mungia is the next world champion and boxing superstar to come from Mexico.”

Headlining the HBO Latino Boxing telecast in a previously announced 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).

Making his highly anticipated United States debut, the 21-year-old Mungia will be fighting for the seventh time in 2017 with five of his six victories coming by way of stoppage. Most recently the heavy-handed prospect knocked out Uriel Gonzalez in the second round on September 2, 2017 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The 31-year-old Valenzuela has also stayed busy in 2017, fighting four previous times. Among the top prospects that Valenzuela has provided the toughest tests to include Tony Harrison, Wilky Campfort, Alantez Fox and Esquiva Falcao.

The previously announced HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader is headlined by the long-awaited 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 12-round 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 junior lightweight fight. Vargas vs. Smith is presented in association with Matchroom Boxing.

SOCIAL MEDIA
#SalidoRoma
@Siri_Salido
@TevinFarmer22
@ElBandido130
@SwiftySmith
@Aarroonn15
@ZanferBox
@GoldenBoyBoxing
@TomLoeffler1
@DiBella Entertainment
@MatchroomBoxing
@TheRealDealBox
@HBOBoxing
@MandalayBay

MAIN EVENT – VACANT WBC USNBC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10) – CBSSN
Toka Kahn-Clary (23-1, 15 KOs), Providence, RI by way of Liberia 125 lbs.
John Vincent Moralde (19-0, 10 KOs), General Santos, Philippines 125 lbs.

CO-FEATURE – CRUISERWEIGHTS (8) – CBSSN
Fabio Turchi (12-0, 9 KOs), Florence, Italy 200 lbs.
Demetrius Banks (9-3, 4 KOs), Detroit, MI 201 lbs.

FEATHERWEIGHTS (6) – CBSSN
Irvin Gonzalez (7-0, 6 KOs), Worcester, MA 126 lbs.
Marlon Olea (13-1, 12 KOs), Barranquilla, Colombia 126 lbs.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (8)
Nick DeLomba (11-2, 2 KOs), Cranston, RI 140 lbs.
Louis Cruz (12-3, 6 KOs), Bronx, NY 140 lbs.

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)
Timmy Ramos (4-0-1, 4 KOs), Framingham, MA 126 lbs.
Phil Davis (1-1), Worcester, MA 128 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)
Poindexter Knight (pro debut), Philadelphia, PA 147 lbs.
Samuel Forjoe (0-1), Bronx, NY `148 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (6)
Jeremy Nichols (7-1-1, 2 KOs), Las Vegas, NV 148 lbs.
Daniel Sostre (13-15-1, 5 KOs), Vega Maja, Puerto Rico 146 lbs.

WHAT: “Real Deal Championship Boxing 5”

WHEN: Friday, December 1, 2017

WHERE: The Strand Ballroom and Theatre in Providence, RI

PROMOTER: The Real Deal Boxing

TELEVISION: Live on CBS Sports Network (live-streamed undercard starting at 7 p.m. ET online at www.TheRealDealBoxing.com)

DOORS OPEN: 6:00 p.m. ET

FIRST BOUT: 7:00 p.m. ET

FIRST TV BOUT: 9:00 p.m. ET

TICKETS: Starting at $45 and may be purchased through www.TheRealDealBoxing.com and www.thestrandri.comand at The Stand Ballroom and Theatre box office.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: @TheRealDealPromotions
Twitter: @TheRealDealBox, @Holyfield
Instagram: @TheRealDealBoxing

NEW YORK CITY (NOV. 30, 2017) Four division world champion Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs) and current WBA International Welterweight Champion Sadam “World Kid” Ali (25-1, 14 KOs) today hosted the final press conference for their WBO World Junior Middleweight Championship fight, which takes place Saturday, Dec. 2 at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Joining Cotto and Ali at the final press conference were undercard fighters including WBC World Super Bantamweight Champion Rey Vargas (30-0, 22 KOs) and NABF Bantamweight Champion Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (17-0, 7 KOs), who will fight for Vargas’s belt in the HBO-televised co-main event. They were also joined by featherweight contender Ronny Rios (28-2, 13 KOs), super lightweight contender Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (17-1, 7 KOs), junior flyweight contender Angel “Tito” Acosta (16-1, 16 KOs), and Aaron “Silencer” McKenna, Ireland’s no. 1 ranked amateur fighter who will make his professional debut under the Golden Boy Promotions banner on Saturday.

Here are what the fighters, their teams, and promoters had to say at today’s final press conference at Madison Square Garden:

MIGUEL COTTO, FOUR DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION:
“It’s been a pleasure for me to try to entertain you guys for 17 years. I have done my best at every opportunity for the benefit of my family. They mean everything to me and I am so proud of them and they are so proud of me.

“On Saturday, I will be the same Miguel you have watched for the last 16 years. I am going to be a warrior and do my best for the benefit of my family, as always.”

SADAM “WORLD KID” ALI, Current WBA International Welterweight Champion:
“Thank you to Team Cotto for this opportunity. I’ve been training almost my whole life, since I was eight years old. Everyone wants an opportunity like this for a world title against a legend. If you’re not ready for a legend like Miguel Cotto then you’re going to be in trouble. On Saturday night you are going to see an amazing fight.”

FREDDIE ROACH, Trainer to Miguel Cotto:
“It’s a sad moment to say this is our last training camp because I’m going to miss Miguel a lot. Yesterday in the gym was the best I’ve ever seen Miguel. No one talked about retirement in camp. He’s in great shape and didn’t take anything lightly in camp. He’s going to go out on top and you’re going to see the best Miguel yet.”

ANDRE ROZIER, Trainer to Sadam “World Kid” Ali:
“Here we are – the work has been done. It’s been a strong, hard and diligent camp. He showed me that he wants to be that fighter that contends against a legend like Miguel Cotto, someone who is one of my favorite fighters. We are coming to entertain a crowd and come out victorious on Saturday.”

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions:
“We are extremely excited for Saturday’s historic event at the ‘Mecca of Boxing,’ Madison Square Garden, and very happy with the response and ticket sales. The tickets are going fast, it’s going to be a big push these last final days for tickets.

“Miguel has fought at The Garden many times. This place is like a second home to him. He’s definitely going to be a hall of famer once it’s all said and done but he will have a tough test come Saturday night.

“Sadam deserves credit and recognition for doing something far too many boxers shy away from – taking on a legend in daring to be great. That is how you make a real name for yourself in boxing. You’ll never know what’s possible if you don’t try it. Greatness happens when you pursue tough challenges, win or lose.

“I’ve never seen Sadam in better shape so I know he worked hard. You cannot underestimate the power of a dream. Sadam has always dreamed at being at this stage in his career. I’ve done boxing for many years and these are the types that can be dangerous fights – anything can happen when you have a young, hungry fighter like Sadam Ali.

“This is the second fight for Golden Boy to work with Miguel Cotto. The conversation with Miguel and his team for this fight was ‘Is Golovkin available? If not, I’ll fight anybody. Just tell me the date and the weight and I’ll be there.’ That is so refreshing to hear as a promoter and that is how Miguel has been throughout his career. It goes to show that when you believe in yourself, you’ll fight anyone. Saturday will be a great celebration and it will be a special night.”

REY VARGAS, Current WBC World Super Bantamweight Champion:
“I’m happy and motivated to be part of this great fight. Miguel Cotto is a great fighter, and I’m happy to be part of this card. I’m enthusiastic for this fight because Oscar Negrete is a great fighter, and he is coming for my title.

“You will see on Saturday why I am number one and why I would like to be number one forever. I am a champion, and I will do what Cotto did in his career – I want to be number one for the people. I’m ready for Saturday, and I’m going to give it my everything.”

OSCAR “EL JAGUAR” NEGRETE, Current NABF Bantamweight Champion:
“I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for the opportunity to fight for this title. In order to become a champion you have to take these types of fighters on. I know that Rey is a great champion, but I am at a great moment in my career, and I am here to win the title..”

CESAR GARCIA, Manager to Oscar Negrete:
“I realized early in his career that Oscar would be fighter that is able to fight for a title. I never thought it would happen as a co-main event on a great card like this one at The Garden. We are here to win and fully intend to do so.”

IGNACIO “NACHO” BERISTAIN, Trainer to Rey Vargas:
“Fighting Oscar Negrete will be a great fight. This is Rey Vargas’ second title defense and it is a great honor to be the co-main event for the card that is Miguel Cotto’s retirement fight.”

PETER NELSON, Executive Vice President of HBO Sports:
“Saturday will be Miguel’s 24th appearance on HBO. Its privilege to have Miguel on HBO for the final fight of his career. It’s been a great honor for HBO to be associated with Miguel’s career. He is a terrific ambassador for the sport.

“We wanted the best fight possible for the final fight of his career. Miguel has never walked away from a tough challenge, and Saturday night will be no different. Miguel wants to cement his legacy against a young and hungry fighter like Ali who also wants to cement his place in the sport.”

JOEL FISHER, Executive Vice President of Marquee Events:
“Saturday will be a bittersweet day for us at The Garden. We’ve have a great relationship with Miguel that dates back to 2005.

“When we first started with Miguel, his kids were little but now they are grown. He has sold more than 150,000 tickets at The Garden. Saturday will be the tenth time Miguel has fought at The Garden. Miguel is what makes The Garden what it is as the ‘Mecca of Boxing.’ It makes us happy that Miguel is going out on his own terms.”

HECTOR SOTO, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions:
“This Saturday is going to be an emotional but great event. We want to thank Golden Boy Promotions their work with us to help promote Puerto Rican boxing. Thank you Miguel for giving me the opportunity to do this work. Thank you to Sadam Ali and his team for accepting this challenge. On Saturday, we will celebrate the end of a great career.”

FRANCISCO “PACO” VALCARCEL, President of the WBO:
“Thank you to HBO and Golden Boy Promotions for supporting this show. Thank you to Sadam Ali for agreeing to fight the legend Miguel Cotto. Boxing will miss Miguel Cotto but we will celebrate him on Saturday. Good luck to both fighters.”

ANGEL “TITO” ACOSTA, Junior Flyweight Contender:
“Thank you Paco Valcarcel for this opportunity to fight for a title. I know I have a tough opponent and that he is hungry and wants a world title as well. Thank you DirectTV for showing my title fight in Puerto Rico so that all my friends and family can watch it.”

RONNY RIOS, Featherweight Contender:
“This is the second chapter of my career. I’m looking to going out there on Saturday to show that I am not boring, that I am a great fighter and put on a performance for everyone.”

ZACHARY OCHOA, Super Lightweight Contender:
“Thank you to my trainer and manager for their support. It’s been a rocky year for me but that’s what life is about. On Saturday I am going to put on a great performance.”

AARON MCKENNA, Welterweight Prospect Making his Professional Debut:
“I’m really looking forward to my fight on Saturday. It’s an honor to fight and make my professional debut on such a big card.”

Cotto vs. Ali, a 12-round fight for the Cotto’s WBO World Junior Middleweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Vargas vs. Negrete is a 12-round fight for Vargas’ WBC World Super Bantamweight Title and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions in association with Promociones del Pueblo. 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, Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The RingTV.com livestream will begin at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Cotto vs. Ali are priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50 and are on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com, www.goldenboytickets.com or www.MSG.com.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, and www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, and www.hbo.com/boxing. Follow on Twitter at @cottopromotions, @GoldenBoyBoxing, and @hboboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/realmiguelacotto. Visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @realmiguelacotto and follow the conversation using #CottoAli.
Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/CottoAli into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

MIAMI (November 30, 2017) – Unbeaten light heavyweight Ahmed Elbiali will look to stamp his contender status when he faces former champion Jean Pascal in the 10-round main event of a special Friday night edition of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes, December 8 from Hialeah Park in Miami, Florida. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing, begin at $30 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at www.TicketForce.com or calling (877) 840-0457, and are also available at the casino cage.

Here is what Elbiali had to say about training camp and more as he prepares for his toughest opponent to date:

On fighting in the main event on FS1 and FOX Deportes:
“It’s a dream come true to be headlining my first main event, especially on FS1 and FOX Deportes, where the world will be watching. I’ve worked very hard to get to this point in my career and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m looking to bring excitement to the audience. Those tuning in will get to see a hungry undefeated fighter who will be looking to end the fight early.”

On his current training camp:
“For the first time during a training camp, I’ve really secluded myself from society. I’m living at my trainer Carlos Albuerne’s house. It’s like I’m in prison. I don’t see any of my close friends or family. It’s hard, but I know it’s a necessary sacrifice if I want to get to the top. I’m working on all aspects of my game, especially using my jab to set up my power shots. My body is healthy and I’m in the best shape I’ve been in years. All the hard work is paying off. I feel great going into this fight.”

On facing former world champion Jean Pascal:
“Pascal is a very experienced fighter who knows what it’s like to win a world title. He’s a former world champion who’s fought at the elite level. He’s a dangerous puncher with a lot of skill. I’m taking this fight seriously and I feel this will be a defining fight in my career. I’m happy to have this opportunity and may the best man win.”

On fighting in his hometown of Miami:
“Fighting in my hometown is always a great experience. This is my big coming out party and I’m pleased that all my family and friends will be there to watch me fight. I’m hoping to be the first big star boxer to come out of the ‘305.’ Miami has many boxing fans and the time is now to put Miami boxers on the map.”

On what a win will do for his career:
“A victory against Pascal will catapult my career to heights I’ve never seen. A win will lead to a higher ranking and one step closer to a world title shot. Everything is riding on this fight. Victory is a must!

# # #

Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FS1 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 http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FS1, @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 FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Joey Dawejko 242 vs. Kelvin Nunez 260.4

Christian Carto 118.6 vs. Luis Saavedra 118.3

Branden Pizarro 135.6 vs. Christian Rivera 135.4

Sammy Teah 139.6 vs. Maynard Allison 139.3

Darmani Rock 252.5 vs. Carlos Cotto 248.8

Jeremy Cuevas 136.2 vs. Jose M. Castro 136.7

Promoter: Hard Hitting Promotions

Venue Sugar House Casino

Kai Robin Havnaa (11-0, 9 KOs) will headline his hometown arena on February 3 when the Nordic Fight Night hits the SØR Amfi in Arendal, Norway.

The rising Norwegian star, who is so far undefeated in his eleven professional contests, will face his toughest career test in a hotly anticipated homecoming fight against the big punching Croatian Marino Goles (22-8, 20 KOs).

Despite the challenge that lies ahead, Havnaa, the son Norway’s only ever male World Champion Magne Havnaa, says he is excited to get the opportunity to fight at home and is eager to give the fans in Arendal a night to remember.

“I’ve never been so excited about a fight,” said the 28 year-old. “It’s a dream come true to headline a show at home in Arendal. I’ve been looking forward to this moment since I first turned professional.

“I’m expecting a very tough fight. The toughest of my career so far. My opponent Marino Goles is a very strong boxer with a big KO ratio. He has fought at heavyweight for most of his career and will be bringing the strength and power of a heavyweight down to cruiserweight with him.

“I will have to be at my best to beat him, but I’m confident that my defence is good enough to stay away from his big punches and that I’m the better boxer.

“I hope a big crowd from Arendal and the surrounding areas including Risor where I grew up will come to support me. I will train as hard as I can for this fight to make sure I can give the people the best performance possible and a great night of boxing in my hometown.

“It’s really exciting that Team Sauerland, one of the biggest boxing promoters in the world, is coming to my town to organise a big international show. I think it’s something that people are really going to appreciate.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland says he is delighted to be staging his first show in Norway and is promising a spectacular event on February 3 in Arendal.

“We’ve been looking forward to staging our first event in Norway for a long time, and where better to start than with Kai Robin Havnaa in Arendal,” said Sauerland. “Kai is a star in the making with huge potential and this is a perfect platform for him to showcase his skills in front of his home crowd.

“He will need to be on the top of his game to overcome a tough opponent. Goles is a very experienced fighter with devastating punching power. One mistake and it can be lights out.

“As always we will endeavor to deliver fans a great evening of boxing. We have a high standard to maintain and this show will not disappoint. We will be announcing more details in the coming days and we plan to stage a total of seven professional fights featuring some of the biggest names in Norwegian boxing.”

Tickets for The Homecoming: Kai Robin Havnaa vs. Marino Goles on February 3 at the SØR Amfi in Arendal go on sale tomorrow (Friday, December 1) at 9.00 (CET) and are available online via www.ticketmaster.no or by calling (+47) 22 82 81 97.

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155301380340756/?notif_id=1511989122647850&notif_t=live_video

A superstar enters the ring for the final time when HBO Sports presents WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: MIGUEL COTTO VS. SADAM ALI AND REY VARGAS VS. OSCAR NEGRETE on SATURDAY, DEC. 2 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Madison Square Garden in New York City, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will call 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.

Fighting for the 24th time on HBO, ring legend and certain Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, will take on one last challenger in a 12-round junior middleweight championship showdown before hanging up his gloves after 17 years. The 37-year-old has fought nine times at the Garden before a combined crowd of 140,000 fans, registering an 8-1 record. A four-division, six-time world champion, Cotto has held titles in the super lightweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight divisions.

Brooklyn-born Sadam Ali (25-1, 14 KOs), 29, looks to spoil Cotto’s retirement celebration and take his 154-pound title. Starting to box at age eight, he’s a two-time New York Golden Gloves winner (2006, 2007) and represented the U.S. in the 2008 Olympic Games before turning pro, going on to win his first 22 fights. Following his only ring loss, in 2016, Ali is on three-bout win streak; defeating Cotto would establish him as a central player in the talented junior middleweight division.

The opening bout is a battle of undefeated boxers, as Rey Vargas (30-0, 22 KOs) from Mexico City takes on Oscar Negrete (17-0, 7 KOs), originally of Tierra Alta, Colombia, in a scheduled 12-round super bantamweight contest. Vargas, 26, who will defend his title for the second time, was last seen on HBO in August with a dominant victory over Ronny Rios. Negrete, 30, who turned pro in 2013, has been on a fast track to a title shot and will be moving up in weight to take on Vargas.

HBO revisits Cotto’s celebrated career with a half-hour retrospective that is available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO ON DEMAND and affiliate portals. Click Here to watch Full Show

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

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

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

NEW YORK – November 29, 2017 – SHOWTIME Sports will live stream a world-class boxing event – including two world championship bouts – free to the U.S. audience on social media platforms Saturday, December 9 to close out the network’s industry-leading 2017 boxing schedule. The digital-only offering will be exclusive in the U.S. on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and the SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page.

IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale (23-1-1, 14 KOs) will headline as he defends his title against former world title challenger Caleb Truax (28-3-2, 18 KOs) in DeGale’s first fight since a thrilling bout with Badou Jack in a 168-pound world championship unification match last January on SHOWTIME.

In the streaming co-feature, IBF Featherweight World Champion Lee Selby (20-1, 9 KOs) will take on undefeated contender Eduardo Ramirez (20-0-3, 7 KOs), while undefeated light heavyweight Anthony Yarde (13-0, 12 KOs) will face former world title challenger Nikola Sjekloca (32-4-1, 11 KOs). The opening fight of the live stream will feature the U.S. introduction to 20-year-old undefeated heavyweight Daniel Dubois (5-0, 5 KOs) as he takes on former Anthony Joshua foe Dorian Darch (12-5-1, 1 KOs).

Live coverage, provided by BoxNation and BT Sport, will begin at approximately 2:50 p.m. ET/11:50 a.m. PT with U.K. sportscasters John Rawling and Richie Woodhall calling all the action.

SHOWTIME is the only network to offer live streaming coverage of boxing on social media platforms in the U.S., having first done so in 2016 with the presentation of two heavyweight world championship bouts live on YouTube.

In 2017, SHOWTIME was the first network to offer live boxing on Twitter with Adrien Broner vs. Adrian Granados (February 18). SHOWTIME also live streamed two other boxing events in 2017: super middleweights George Groves vs. Fedor Chudinov on May 27 and heavyweights Jarrell Miller vs. Gerald Washington on July 29.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google, Xbox One and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Sony PlayStation™ Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/videos/10155299594965756/

Anthony Yigit (20-0-1, 7 KOs) has signed a contract extension with Team Sauerland. The 26 year-old has committed his future to the power promoter ahead of his European Super Lightweight title defence against Joe Hughes on Saturday at the Leicester Arena.

“I’m very happy to have signed a contract extension with Team Sauerland,” said the Stockholm southpaw. “I started my career with them and together I believe we can go all the way. They are very professional, they’ve always been good to me and they’ve always looked after me so there was never any question about signing with anyone else.

“I have a very good relationship with my promoter Nisse Sauerland, both professionally and personally. He has been with me from the beginning. I know he is looking out for me and he wants what is best for me.

“We got the European title together and we brought it back to Sweden for the first time in over fifty years together so we are already making history. I believe we can now go all the way to winning a World Championship – that is my goal!”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland shares his fighter’s ambition and predicts that by this time next year the Swedish star will have achieved his goal.

“We’re delighted Anthony has signed a contract extension and we look forward to continuing our long and successful relationship,” said Sauerland. “Anthony is a very special talent and an important part of our future plans. We believe he can go all the way to the top and this time next year he will be a World Champion!”

Before setting his sights on World glory, Yigit must succesfully navigate his second European title defence when he travels to the Leicester Arena on Saturday night to face the all-action former English Champion and British title challenger Joe Hughes.

“I cannot overlook Hughes. He’s a very tough opponent. All British boxers are,” said Yigit. “I’ve got nothing but respect for him and I’ve got nothing but respect for all British fighters. I know I’ve got to really be on my A game, but I’m fully focused and confident I will win.”

Josh Kelly and Conor Benn will aim to end a stellar year on a high as they taste action at a sold-out York Hall, Bethnal Green on Wednesday December 13, live on Sky Sports.

Kelly will look to end his first eight months in the paid ranks in style in his first four fights and ends 2017 with a real step-up in his first ten round action against experienced Frenchman Jean Michel Hamilcaro.

“Adam Booth and Eddie Hearn tell me what to do – I just keep working hard,” said Kelly. “I don’t call people out I just do my job in the ring and graft in the gym. I’ve been alongside Ryan Burnett in the gym and I’ve seen what needs to be done to reach the top and I’m ready to put that work in.

“People are talking about European and World titles for me and I’m only 4-0 and just 23 years old, there’s plenty of time but I’m excited about where we’re going.

“My fitness is there, I’m starting to turn into a man, so I want big fights and I am confident that when I land them I’ll win them.”

Benn made a splash Stateside in his last outing earlier in the month, securing an eighth win inside the distance on his US debut in New York, moving to 10-0 in the process.

“I felt ready to go again right after the win in NYC so it’s great to be on another bill before Christmas,” said Benn. “America was a great experience and a new experience, and one that’s going to stand me in good stead for the future.

“I’m right handed but I’ve been putting people away with the left hand and that shows that I’m developing good power and that I’m learning in the gym with Tony every day.

“I suffered a bad injury and was out for seven months, but in hindsight it’s been the best thing for me. I used that time to work on my skills and learn my craft, and I’ve won all my fights since that lay off by KO and that’s down to my hard work.

“I didn’t have any amateur background but I’m being compared to the GB boys as an equal or even more exciting. I’ve only been a pro for 18 months and for eight of those months I was on the sidelines injured, so it’s scary to think how far I can go if I keep working hard, and I am going to stay dedicated to the sport.”

Benn and Kelly star on a huge night of action in east London, topped by Katie Taylor’s first defence of her WBA World Lightweight title against American Jessica McCaskill.

Martin J. Ward can add European glory to his recent British and Commonwealth triumphs when he faces Juli Giner for the vacant Super-Featherweight strap while Jake Ball and Miles Shinkwin clash for the WBA Continental Light-Heavyweight title.

Team GB Rio Olympians Joe Cordina and Lawrence Okolie look to end their first term in the paid ranks on a high and Birmingham’s Gamal Yafai and young Essex talents Felix Cash and Ted Cheeseman also taste action.

Tickets are sold out.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the test results of the HIV-Positive fighter that competed in Arkansas on November 11th were falsified.

“Since ADH sent [ESPN] a statement [on Monday about the incident], we have learned that the HIV test results submitted to the Arkansas Athletic Commission were falsified,” Meg Mirivel, the public information officer for the ADH, told ESPN.

“The investigation into this issue is ongoing,” Mirivel said. “The ADH is beginning to contact and provide follow-up testing to anyone in contact with the fighter. In addition, we will be working with the Arkansas Athletic Commission to change regulations to require bloodwork for every fighter in Arkansas going forward.”

The fighter had been scheduled to box on a July card in Florida, the matchmaker who made the fight told ESPN, requesting that his name not be used to protect his business interests. As part of the licensing process, the matchmaker sent the fighter for a blood test as is required in Florida. He said it came back HIV positive.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I went ahead and retested him again to make sure that the test wasn’t a false positive,” the matchmaker said. “And the test came back positive the second time. The kid was in denial, and he had made a statement that he would fight in Arkansas because of their lax medical requirements. Because of the fighter’s statement, I felt what he was going to attempt to do, with knowledge, [was] a criminal act. Therefore, I notified Frank Gentile with the Florida commission about the fighter’s lab results.

“The kid has been taking medications since then, so it is plausible that if he got tested [in Arkansas] the result could come back negative due to him taking the medication, which suppresses the virus.”

Mirivel said that after ESPN’s story ran Monday afternoon, the ADH reviewed the test results given to the commission. She said it was apparent upon review that the test results were fashioned from two different results — an older negative test result on the same paper with a more recent date, “and they made it look like a current [negative] result.” She added, “We were informed [by Mazzulli] that there might be a potentially HIV-positive fighter on the card, so we asked for test results from all the boxers. It’s not something in the commission rules and regulations. They provided us with their own results. We’re trying to make sure that doesn’t happen again. We are definitely looking into how to prevent that.”

According to attorney Patrick English, who has decades of experience in boxing and has dealt with falsified test results, if the fighter “forged the test, which is possible, then he is chargeable with forgery, and in Arkansas that is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.”

“If he had somebody else take the test for him, then that wouldn’t apply, but it would be obstruction of governmental functions, which is also a punishable by up to 10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine,” English said.

Providence, Rhode Island (November 29, 2017) This Friday night, December 1, top cruiserweight prospect FABIO “Stone Crusher” TURCHI, (12-0, 9 KO’s), of Florence, Italy makes his highly anticipated U.S. debut against Detroit, MI veteran DEMETRIUS BANKS, (9-3, 4 KO’s) from The Strand Ballroom and Theatre in Providence, Rhode Island and telecast live on CBS Sports Network (9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT).

Turchi vs. Banks, scheduled for eight rounds, is part of an eight-bout action packed card presented by Boxing Legend Evander Holyfield’s The Real Deal Boxing.

Tickets for ‘Real Deal Championship Boxing V’ starting at $45 are can be purchased through www.TheRealDealBoxing.com and www.thestrandri.com.

The Strand Ballroom and Theatre is located at 79 Washington Street, Providence, RI, 02903. Doors will open on the evening of the event at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first bell at 7:00 p.m. ET.

“I’m thrilled to be fighting in the United States,” said the 24-year-old Turchi. “Since I turned professional two years ago I’ve wanted to come here and fight.”

“When I arrived here on Sunday night for the first time I felt very good right away. I’ve met a lot of Italian-Americans here in Providence and they’ve been very cordial to me which is galvanizing me to a great performance on Friday night.

“I consider myself an intelligent fighter with power. I can box to a decision but if the opportunity comes along during the fight for a knockout I’ll take advantage of it,” continued Turchi known in Italy for his show-stopping knockouts.

“I don’t know much about Demetrius Banks but I’m very well prepared for anything in the ring.

“Since I was a kid, being Italian, my favorite fighter was Rocky Marciano. It’s an honor to be fighting so close to his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts on Friday night.”
“Evander was a great world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. I will do my best to make him proud of me on Friday night.”

Said Holyfield, “Just being around Fabio these last few days you can see how serious he takes his career. I’m excited for boxing fans in Providence and those watching on CBS Sports Network to have the opportunity to see him fight.”

In the televised main event on Friday night, TOKA KAHN-CLARY, (23-1, 16 KO’s), of Providence, Rhode Island defends his WBC-USNBC Featherweight Title against undefeated Philippines’ based contender JOHN VINCENT MORALDE, (19-0, 10 KO’s) in the 10-

Opening the telecast in a six-round featherweight clash, popular, undefeated Worcester, MA native IRVIN GONZALEZ, (7-0-0, 6 KO’s) battles MARLON OLEA, (13-1-0, 12 KO’s), of Barranquilla, Colombia.

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

SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: @TheRealDealPromotions
Twitter: @TheRealDealBox, @Holyfield
Instagram: @TheRealDealBoxing
Website: www.TheRealDealBoxing.com

BROOKLYN (November 29, 2017) – Unbeaten welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. and former champion Lamont Peterson went face-to-face for the first time Wednesday at a press conference in Brooklyn to discuss their world title showdown headlining action on Saturday, January 20 live on SHOWTIME. The event is presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING coverage begins live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature undercard attractions that will be announced in the near future.

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 or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Wednesday:

ERROL SPENCE JR.

“You’re going to see the same Errol Spence that you’re used to. I can’t look ahead because I know how dangerous Lamont Peterson is. I’ve been in training camps with him and I know what he can do.

“I’ve seen too many fighters look down the road and get beat before they get to the big fight. I have to be 100 percent focused and hungry. I’m fully dedicated to this fight.

“Lamont can push me to even greater levels. I feel like he is a better fighter than Kell Brook and has even more heart than Kell Brook and he can bring out the best in me.

“I think it’s going to start out as a boxing match, but as we go on, it’s going to be a dog fight. We both have big hearts. I’ve never known Lamont to turn down any fight. Not a lot of people wanted to fight me. The big names shied away from me but Lamont stood up and said he’d fight me. This is going to be a hard fight.

“I used to watch Lamont and his brother Anthony Peterson before I ever met them. I like their styles, the way they throw body punches and the fundamentals that they learned from Barry Hunter.

“I think I can be known as the best pound-for-pound in the sport, but I have to take it one fight at a time. I want to be the undisputed welterweight champion. That should be everyone’s ultimate goal – to be the best fighter in the sport. But first I have a big test ahead of me January 20.

“This is the business of the sport. I was a young guy when Lamont was giving me advice. Now we’ve gotten to this point. It really shows his longevity in the sport and how I’ve reached the ranks of being a top pro fighter.

“Sparring with Lamont Peterson was really great work. It was a learning experience. I was an amateur so I was going at a fast pace and Lamont was being patient, blocking and countering and picking his shots. He was fighting at a pro pace and I didn’t really understand it until I got farther into my career.

“You’ve seen me and Lamont fight. We’re not in boring fights. We have fan-friendly styles and you’re going to get a really good fight. We have the mentality to really go after it and give it our all to get this win.

“I want the best in this division to all fight each other. It’s time for everyone else to stand up and proclaim that they want to be great. That’s how we get this division to the peak. I don’t feel like waiting to fight the best. I want to prove myself.”

LAMONT PETERSON

“This is a world title fight and I’m thankful for that. I try not to make too much out of each fight. I just want to take it one fight at a time. I’ve done this for 13 years as a professional. All fights are the same. I’m going to go in there and take care of business.

“As a top fighter, you’re obligated to take what comes on the table. Regardless of who it is. It’s boxing. It’s a sport and we’re competitors. We want to go in there and compete to see who’s the best. We’re going to treat it like business like we always do.

“You already know when I fight, it’s a feeling out process to start, but in my head, I’m ready to go. It’s going to get rough in the trenches and we’ll see who wants it more.

“I knew six years ago when Errol was in my camp that we’d get to this point. I knew he would be a champion. For the most part, I’ve seen him improve and progress throughout the pro ranks and I believe he’s going to keep getting better.

“I don’t pay any attention to the outside noise. I respect everyone’s opinion. I just go out and train to do what I love to do. I do this because I love to box. I’m not here to get on a list. I truly love this sport.

“I can’t worry about people thinking that Errol is the next star in this sport. I believe that, but I can’t worry about it. It is up to me and my team to come up with the right type of strategy and execute it.

“I’m not too worried about figuring out his southpaw stance. I’ve been around long enough and encountered enough southpaws. I’m confident I’ll be able to handle it.

“The size may seem like an advantage for Errol, but it’s up to me and my team to figure out the best way to negate it. I know who I am. I’m a competitive person. Regardless of everything, I’m going to come to win.”

DERRICK JAMES, Spence’s Trainer

“We have a game plan in place. We’ll try to perfect everything leading up to this one. We’re working on making Errol a more complete fighter every time out. He’ll be better than he was when you saw him against Brook.

“We’re looking for the perfect fight. It takes a great fighter to bring out the greatness in another great fighter. These guys are high caliber fighters and it’s about as good a matchup as you can have in the division.

“These are two guys with the mentality to go after it. But they also have technical skill. This is going to be an old school fight between guys with real skills.

“It’s one thing to do it, but it’s another to teach. I’ve really understood this sport since I became a trainer. Fighters are developed, not born. I’m going to keep working with these guys on the fundamentals so we can bring up the whole sport.”

BARRY HUNTER, Peterson’s Trainer

“When I look at Errol Spence, I instantly fell in love with him because he reminded me of Lamont so much. They both have that dog mentality. I’ve always known he was a special fighter.

“Lamont told me when he worked with Errol that he really liked the kid. He knew he would be a world champion. I had to remind myself that this is business. We have to fight our friends.

“These are the two guys who are ready to fight anybody. The fight on January 20 is going to be one to remember. It’s a fan-friendly fight.

“Errol Spence is the best fighter in the welterweight division. You have athletes that can fight and athletes who are fighters. Errol and Lamont are both. They have the skills and they have the ability to fight.

“To be the best in the world, you have to fight the best in the world. All the greats have done it. In order to get back to the glory days, we need to put the best against the best. I have confidence in Lamont Peterson against anybody.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

“There are very few fights you could make that are better in the welterweight division than this fight. It’s going to take place at the home of big-time boxing, here at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME.

“Errol Spence is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport. Some think he could be the best fighter in the world. He’s consistently said he only wants to fight the best and on January 20 he will be fighting another champion and another great welterweight. Lamont Peterson never backs down from a challenge and we know he’ll be ready for this fight on January 20.

“This is a great event that continues the run of significant meaningful matchups on SHOWTIME. It’s been great quality programming. The fight cards have all been incredibly easy to promote because the fights have been so strong. You have to make fights with great fighters battling other great fighters. That’s what we need to energize our fans and our sport.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“As we come to the end of 2017 we look back on what has been a really strong year. 25 nights of live boxing, 80 live boxing matches and 27 world title fights. Not just title fights, but world title fights featuring top ranked challengers against top ranked champions.

“We’ve brought you the most watched fight of the year in Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia right here at Barclays Center on CBS. It was also the most watched primetime boxing match in nearly 20 years. But we will not be resting on our laurels.

“We’ll kick off next year with an incredibly strong card. Errol Spence has grown up on SHOWTIME and we’re proud of that. He made his debut on ShoBox and won his world title on SHOWTIME. He has knocked out nine straight opponents and in his last five fights his opponents have an impressive record of 141-7-3.

“Not a lot of fighters are rushing to fight Errol Spence. Lamont Peterson not only stepped up to the challenge, but he relinquished his welterweight title to take this fight. That’s the kind of fighter he is. He has one of the strongest resumes in the division and he’s fought the best guys in the sport.

“We’re thrilled to kick off the year with this matchup. It’s another great fight in the welterweight division, a division we’ve been paying a lot of attention to for years. We’ll see you on January 20.”

BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment

“We’re coming off of an incredible 2017 for BROOKLYN BOXING. It far exceeded my expectations. We’re very committed to boxing, not just now, but in the future. This fight kicks off what I think will be a great 2018 for BROOKLYN BOXING.

“Lamont was on the first ever PBC card at Barclays Center in 2015 and Brooklyn is happy to have you back. Errol was here in the spring of 2016 and we’ve had him as a fan several times, but we far prefer having you here in the ring.

“Barclays Center is known for hosting 50-50 fights and this is no different. We’re thrilled to be holding this event here in Brooklyn. We look forward to seeing you on January 20.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www.premierboxingchampions.com,
follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, @BarclaysCenter 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.

Philadelphia, PA (November 29, 2017) – They fought as amateurs, and are both considered among the best super middleweights in the city.

This Friday night, Brandon Robinson and Christopher Brooker meet as professionals in what could shape up to be an explosive co-feature bout of a 12 fight card at the
2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

The eight-round bout is for the UBF All-Americas title.

The loaded show is promoted my King’s Promotions.

The main event will pit Tyrone Brunson (25-6-2, 23 KOs) against Manny Woods (16-6-1, 6 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, Florida in a junior middleweight bout scheduled for ten rounds.

“Training has been great. This has been the best camp that I have had since turning professional hands down,” said Robinson.

Although this could be a breakthrough fight for 29 year-old Robinson, He has been looking at Brooker no different than any previous foe.

“I look at every fight as a big fight. I see each fight as if I am fighting Canelo or Golovkin, so I get my self in the best shape I can be.”

Being that they are in the same city, there is the aforementioned history between the two fighters.

“We fought as amateurs, and I won that fight. Since the, we have sparred a couple times, and that has given me a great scouting report on him, and let’s just say I feel very comfortable going into this fight.”

Fighting against another Philly fighter is nothing new for Robinson as he already has a victory over Lamont McLaughlin.

“I have been through this, and these kind of fights bring out the best of me, and with a win on Friday, this will open up many doors for me that I never expected to be opened. I am looking for a complete performance, The fans will see power in both hands, craftiness, ring generalship and a huge heart. I just want to thank King’s Promotions, and I am looking to take home the UBF All-Americas Super Middleweight title.”

For the 26 year-old Brooker, he has been here before but he wants to get back in the win column after losing to undefeated Light Heavyweight Ahmed Elbiali in a fight that he took on short notice on July 18th.

“I got right back in the gym after that fight. I been working for 12 weeks. I have a new personal trainer Jermaine Clark and my new trainer Octavio Pineda,” said Brooker.

Brooker does not believe that the amateur loss to Robinson means anything going into Friday night.

“Yea, it does not mean anything. It was my 3rd amateur fight. The sparring sessions were good. I treated them like I wanted to get some revenge for losing to him, and I am very confident after those sessions. This fight for me is about getting this belt . People will see me outwork him and outclass him.”

Brooker has made his name throughout the boxing circles with his willing to fight and defeat anybody at anytime. That is evidenced by his wins over Leo Hall, John Magda, Antowyan Aikens and Gabriel Pham. Brooker also stepped up to face Elbiali, Ronald Gavril and Ronald Ellis, and he became a favorite on national television because of his tough as nails style.

“Robinson is just another guy in front of me. I been in and defeated much more experienced fighters then him. He has not have anything that I have not seen in the ring. I am not looking past him, I am looking through him. I was beating Gavril before the fight was unjustly stopped. He went on to barely lose in a bid for a world title and now he is getting a rematch with him, so that just shows what level I am on. I want that rematch or (WBC Champion) David Benevidez.”

“I appreciate King’s Boxing and I am honored to fight for another belt. I appreciate Brandon for signing the contract. Friday night is a big fight for me, my family and all of my supporters.

Jaron Ennis (16-0, 14 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on George Sosa (15-10-1, 15 KOs) of Reading, PA in a eight round welterweight bout.

Omar Douglas (17-2, 12 KOs) of Wilmington, DE battles Martin Cardona (22-9, 14 KOs) of Guadalajara, MEX in a eight-round super featherweight bout.

Kyrone Davis (12-1, 5 KOs) of Wilmington. DE fights Jaime Barbosa (19-12, 9 KOs) of San Jose, Costa Rica in a eight-round middleweight bout.

Joe Hanks (21-2, 15 KOs) of Newark, NJ fights undefeated Joel Caudle (7-0-1, 5 KOs) of Raleigh, NC in a heavyweight tussle.

In a six-round super bantamweight affair, Marcus Bates (7-0-1, 6 KOs) of Washington, DC fights Antonio Rodriguez (11-19-1, 5 KOs) of Durango, MX.

In four-round bouts:

Shamsuddeen Justice (1-0) of Philadelphia will fight Latorie Woodberry (1-5-1) of Roanoke, VA in a junior welterweight bout.

Rasheed Johnson (2-1,1 KO) of Philadelphia, PA squares of with Kashon Hutchinson (3-3-1, 2 Kos) of Reading, PA in a welterweight contest.

Undefeated heavyweight Colby Madison (4-0-1, 3 KOs) of Owings Mills, MD fights Randy Easton (4-9-2, 4 KOs) of Sunbury, PA.

Romuel Cruz of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Rondarrius Hunter (1-1, 1 KO) of Atlanta, GA in a super bantamweight bout.

Christopher Burgos (0-1) of Philadelphia battles Gerardo Tiburcio (1-0, 1 KO) of Coatesville, PA in a lightweight fight.

VIP TICKETHOLDERS WILL HAVE A SPECIAL MEET AND GREET AT 5 PM ON FIGHT NIGHT. THAT WILL INCLUDE SPECIAL DRINK SPECIALS ($3 DRAFT BEER, $5 CITYWIDE SPECIALS WHICH INCLUDES A SHOT OF WHISKEY AND DRAT BEER AS WELL AS $4 MARGARITAS OR GLASS OF WINE FOR LADIES)

THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH AT THE 2300 ARENA.

THE WEIGH IN WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH AT 4 PM AT THE 2300 ARENA

New York, NY: On Saturday at Madison Square Garden, World of Boxing hosted a media roundtable withWBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs). Bivol, the 26-year old from St. Petersburg, Russia by way of Kyrgystan, Moldova and Korea, charmed the media who came out to see him, many of whom met the young champ for the first time.

The wide-ranging conversation touched on Dmitry’s childhood in Kyrgystan, his Korean heritage, how we got into boxing, and the current state of the light heavyweight division.

On the light heavyweight division and his place in it, Bivol said, “number one is vacant. I’m not sure who exactly is the best. Maybe we’ll have a chance to figure it out.” He later continued, “I’m very happy for Andre Ward because I’m very happy for all the athletes that finish their careers on a successful note. But, of course, I’m upset that my division lost a really important opponent for me. Judging by the last couple fights of Andre Ward, he could definitely have stayed for a couple more and showed more fun battles for his fans.”

Bivol was asked how he would approach fighting on HBO and when he might fight two-time light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. He replied, “It’s a hard question. It depends on my opponents just as much as it depends on me. If I keep showing very good fighting against all the different opponents, then hopefully the American people would be just as happy to see me as they are to see Kovalev.”

When asked if it’s true that he prefers knocking out his opponents, Bivol said, “I don’t necessarily like knockouts, but the crowd likes knockouts. They buy tickets, they come to see boxing because they like knockouts. They like to see blood, they like to see war. So, I like to fight so people are satisfied with buying my tickets and seeing my fights.”

Unlike many fighters, Dmitry did not get into boxing as a way of getting out of street fighting. He explained, “I was a huge fan of Jackie Chan growing up, so I kind of got into boxing because I wanted to do the same kind of stuff as Jackie Chan.”

The New York reporters were eager to know if Bivol had dreamed of one day fighting at “The Mecca of Boxing.” Dmitry said that, as an amateur, “it was my coach’s dream that his student would be fighting in the biggest boxing arena in the world, specifically Madison Square Garden, and I’m hoping that this will happen.”

It was also announced that World of Boxing will partner with Main Events on Bivol’s next fight, which will take place in the United States. World of Boxing is working with HBO Executive Vice President Peter Nelson to pick a date for the world champion’s second title defense. Andrey Ryabinsky of World of Boxing said, “In the first quarter of next year, we plan to organize a fight for Dmitry Bivol in the USA. We hope that we will be able to negotiate a deal with one of the top opponents in the division. Dmitry is ready to fight the best and has been asking for a top-rated opponent.” Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, added, “We are very excited with the way Dmitry’s career has progressed and are looking forward to his next appearance in the US, possibly in the legendary Madison Square Garden arena!” When asked about working with a US promoter, Bivol stated, “World of Boxing is partnering with Main Events. I’m happy with that.” Main Events CEO Kathy Duva adds, “Dmitry has the potential to be a big star here in America and on HBO. I look forward to showing World of Boxing, Dmitry, and Vadim what we can do!”

As it was Dmitry’s first time at Madison Square Garden, after the media roundtable he received a VIP tour of the facility, then sat ringside for the Kovalev-Shabranskyy event, promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Shuan Boxing Promotions.

Bivol with his manager, Vadim Kornilov

In the main event, two-time light heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev defeated Vyacheslav Shabranskyy to reclaim the WBO Light Heavyweight Title. In the co-feature, Sullivan Barrera topped Felix Valera in a contest to determine Bivol’s mandatory challenger.

After the event, Bivol tweeted that he would like to meet Sullivan Barrera in the ring:

“I have not changed my mind about Barrera – he’s a technical fighter with a hard punch. I would very much like to go out against him in the ring. For me it will be a serious experience, a serious challenge, a good chance to see a spectacular fight for boxing fans #BarreraValera”

Austin, TX (November 29, 2017) – Roy Jones Jr Boxing Promotions, along with Underwood Promotions are set to partner up on December 8th, 2017. The highly anticipated event will air live Friday night (Dec. 8th) on beIN SPORTS (8 p.m. CT / 9 p.m ET),) from inside the beautiful Round Rock Sports Center located in the beautiful scenic town of Austin, TX.

“Roy Jones Jr. Promotions loves coming to Texas and the fight fans always welcome us with open arms,” says Keith Veltre CEO & Co-Founder of Roy Jones. Jr. Boxing Promotions. “The hospitality that we are greeted with lets us know that we are doing a great job showcasing talent. Working with Underwood Promotions has been incredible and we are excited to see what the future holds.”

Seasons Beatings is promoted by Roy Jones Jr. Promotions (Las Vegas based) and Underwood Promotions (Austin based) and will be hosted by the Round Rock Arena. the event is sponsored by Acura, Tecate, Art of Music, El Panama Hotel and Casino.

“This event promises to give Austin fight fans a quality night out. We are excited to give the fans an intense night of boxing that is a success and not one sided toss up matches. We are creating an environment so that fight fans do not feel ripped off. We know our fans spend lots of money on the experience and that what we want to give them,” stated Keith Underwood, CEO of Underwood Promotions.

Calling the action live from ringside will be the dynamic duo Jim Greishner and Sean Wheelock and your Master of Ceremonies will Mark Fratto.

The new face of the Philippines, Super Flyweight Champion, Aston Palicte (23-2) has climbed to #2 in the world and has no plans on looking down the ladder. Palicte has plastered 82% of his opponents into a comatose state and the 115 pound wrecking machine has shown no signs of stopping.
Standing at 5’9 and with a 70’ reach, Palicte is the biggest ranked Super-Flyweight in the world today. Aston currently trains with former WBC Champion Rodel Mayol in the famous Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, CA.

“I am very happy and excited for the fight and with regards to my conditioning the extra time spent training in the states has allowed me the get to my 100%,” stated Aston Palcite. “I’m always excited to fight in a city where I’ve never been and I’m sure Austin will be happy with the fight that I will be showing them. As for my opponent , all I can is GOOD LUCK to him.”

However a 12-time title challenger, former WBA World Champion Jose Alfredo Rodriguez (32-6) will be looking to make Palicte plummet from the rankings. Jose has never been a stranger to a challenge, having almost 40 fights under his belt before his 30th birthday is a feat in itself. Can Jose hoist the Super-flyweight Title from Aston’s waist on December 8th?

Then claiming the Co-Main event slot is Austin’s very own Kenton Sippio-Cook (10-3). Cook had the pleasure of ending two undefeated streaks in his last two fights. Kenton served up loss column tally-marks to Daniel Baiz (10-1) via Unanimous Decision and Devonte Williams (12-1) via 7th round TKO.

“This fight is good opportunity to show our versatilty against the exeperiance and age. Another stop in ascension to my dream to become a world champion and one day undisputed,” stated Kenton Sipio-Cook.

Cook will clash with the savvy 20 year sweet science veteran and pride of Mexico, Rocky Montoya (32-2). Montoya has won 3 straight and would love nothing more than to take the hometown favorite out in his 7th trip to the United States.

Opening the televised portion of the night will be the Kazakhstan Killer Ali Akhmedov (9-0) who is riding a 3-fight knockout streak. In his last outing Ali outlasted Louisiana star Justin Thomas (18-2) by way of 8th round TKO. On December 8th he will face fellow undefeated Deshone Webster (9-0) who is fresh off a lopsided Championship Decision Win over Kevin Engel in (20-14) from September.
All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Kicking off right before the 1st TV bout will be Reshard Hicks (9-0) against Jonathan Steele (7-1). Also fighting on the under card is a trio of Texas locals in a six round match ups are Former #1 Contender Bryan Vera (26-12) to face Jas Phipps (9-6), Raymond Guzman (3-1) against Edward Ortiz (5-0) and David Alfaro (1-0) against Kazakhstan Iskander Kharsan (2-0).

Austin Light Heavy Weight Giovani Loya (2-0) will face off against Stetson Horne (debut) while Manny Mondragon (2-0) meets Antonio Castillo ( 2-2).

ALL FIGHTS AND FIGHTERS SCHEDULED TO CHANGE

Tickets, prices at $150.00 table (includes open bar and catering, $100.00 Ringside,$100 Ring Side, $75.00 , $50.00, $30.00 general admission, are on sale now at http://seasonsbeatings2017.brownpapertickets.com
Taxes and fees apply to all sold tickets.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. CT with the opening bout scheduled at 7:00 p.m. CT with the 1st TV bout at 8 p.m. CT.

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com http://www.beinsports.com/us http://www.rrsportscenter.com

Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa, @beINSPORTS @rrsportscenter

Instagram: @RoyJonesJRboxing, @beINSportsusa @underwoodpromotions @aston_palicte @sips_a_trip @rrsportscenter
Please use hashtags: #AstonvsJose #MightyAston #RJJ #UnderwoodPromotions

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RJJBoxing http://www.facebook.com/beinsportsusa http://www.facebook.com/RoundRockSportsCenter

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

About beIN Sports: Launched in 2012, beIN SPORTS is the fastest growing global sports network in the U.S. and is offered on the 10 largest cable/satellite TV providers in the U.S., as well as other systems across the country. beIN SPORTS offers viewers premium sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms including TV channels beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español and live streaming on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. A cornerstone of beIN SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, which includes live matches from La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, NASL, and CONMEBOL/CONCACAF/CAF World Cup Qualifiers, as well as news and in-depth analysis of all the top leagues from around the world. In addition to soccer, beIN SPORTS serves as a haven for fans of motorsports, tennis, rugby, boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) and volleyball, among others. With the recent addition of Conference USA coverage, beIN SPORTS will also broadcast College Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball,Soccer, Baseball, Softball, and Volleyball. Thru beIN SPORTS CONNECT, authenticated subscribers can also enjoy all the exciting action from the two networks and stream live overflow matches offered in HD on your computer, tablet or smart phone.

About Underwood Promotions: Founded in 2016 by CEO Keith Underwood, he had felt that his passion and vision for the sport would be best served in the Central Texas. Underwood wanted to create an environment that not only helped fighters to flourish in the sport, but that also gave the fans a first class experience at his boxing events. A veteran to the ring, Underwood knows 1st hand how compelling the sound of a crowds roar is when a fighter steps into that ring and that is why Underwood is determined to have his stable deliver competitive fights. Under the direction of Underwood, Jr. Middleweight,
Kenton Sippio-Cook, Light Featherweight Manny Mondragon, Super Middleweight Giovanni Loya, and Bantamweight David Alfaro have all thrived in their careers while signed with Underwood Promotions.

https://www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment/videos/10159833581140085/