NEW YORK (July 11, 2017) – This Friday night two members of the GH3 Promotions stable are looking to get back in the win column in highly anticipated bouts as part of a quadrupleheader on ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, July 14 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

Adam Lopez (16-1-1, 10 KO’s) of San Antonio, Texas will take on undefeated Glenn Dezurn (9-0, 6 KOs) of Baltimore in a super bantamweight bout. Leroy Davila (5-1, 3 KOs) of New Brunswick, N.J., will take on Joshua Greer (13-1-1, 5 KOs) of Chicago in a bantamweight bout scheduled for eight rounds.

The ShoBox telecast features eight returning fighters with a combined record of 94 wins against just four losses.

In the main event, dangerous southpaw Keenan “Killa” Smith, (11-0, 5 KOs), of Philadelphia will make his second appearance on the series as he takes on Ivan Baranchyk, (14-0, 10 KOs), a native of Minsk, Belarus, fighting out of Miami, Okla., who is making his fifth appearance on the ShoBox series.

In the co-feature, undefeated junior welterweight Kenneth Sims, Jr. (12-0, 4 KO’s) of Chicago will take on Rolando Chinea (14-1-1, 6 KOs) of Lancaster, Pa. in a bout scheduled for eight rounds.

Tickets for the event promoted by GH3 Promotions and Tony Holden Productions are priced at $35, $55, $65 and $75 and are available for purchase now at buffalorun.com.
Sims, a 2013 U.S. National Amateur Champion and a 2012 Olympic Trials semifinalist, continues to step up in level of opposition as he meets one of the most dangerous opponents of his career in his second ShoBox appearance.

Lopez of San Antonio, Texas will be making his sixth appearance on ShoBox. The 26-year-old was on the cusp of title shot before being stopped by Daniel Roman on Jan. 20th in Atlantic City. Lopez has not lost confidence as he is approaching this big fight against the undefeated Dezurn. Lopez also has a new focus as he moved his training camp from Texas to New Jersey.

“This was a tremendous camp in New Jersey. I learned a lot of new stuff, and now I am ready for the fight,” said Lopez.

“I needed a change of scenery, and needed to get out of Texas.”

He knows he is in with a solid fighter in Dezurn, and is prepared for a hard fight.

“Dezurn is a good fighter. He throws a lot of punches, and I am ready for whatever he brings.”

Lopez cites many factors on why he believes his hand will be raised in victory.

“My experience speaks for itself. I am a real 122 pound fighter, and a win should be get me close to knocking of a door of a title shot.”

Davila, 29 years-old will be making his second ShoBox appearance in just his seventh professional fight.

He is coming off a tough eight-round unanimous decision defeat to Dezurn on April 14 in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

The 2016 U.S. Olympic Alternate is ready for the streaking Greer.

“I had a full camp, and it went great. I am just waiting for the last few days, and I am ready for whatever he will bring.”

Despite Greer being on a ten-fight winning streak, Davila is not fazed by Greer.

“Greer is coming to win just like anyone else that I fight. The fact that I have already gone through this once, being on ShoBox, I am much more comfortable and I will have a great performance on Friday.”

Said GH3 Promotions, Vito Mielnicki, “Adam and Leroy are very hungry. After their last bouts I think they learned a lot. I have seen the great camps that they have had in New Jersey, and I expect them to have great performances on Friday night.”

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

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

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 69 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and more.

LOS ANGELES (July 11, 2017) – Unbeaten boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather and UFC star “The Notorious” Conor McGregor went face-to-face for the first time on Tuesday, in a highly anticipated press conference in front of over 11,000 fans at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles as the two global stars discussed their Saturday, August 26 showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event that will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV.

The fighters posed for the first face-off of the unprecedented event that has captured the imagination of sports fans around the world. Mayweather and McGregor will meet in a super welterweight contest that serves as the first time champions from boxing and MMA will meet in a sanctioned boxing match.

The Mayweather vs. McGregor world tour will continue on to Toronto, New York City and London as the superstars deliver all the spectacle of the summer’s biggest event directly to the fans who demanded it.

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

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

“Everyone knows I’ve never backed down from anybody. You line them up, and I knock them down like bowling pins. On August 26, I’m knocking Conor out.

“I am guaranteeing you this. You are going out on your face or on your back. So which way do you want to go?

“Twenty one is the number. They ask me why is that the number? Because that’s how long I’ve been kicking ass. I don’t care about a ring or an octagon. Put me in there and I’m going to kick ass.

“It takes two warriors to bring an event like this together. The two biggest forces in combat sports made this happen.

“This was something that the fans wanted to see. I spoke to my team and said that the Mayweather-McGregor fight can be the biggest fight in history. That’s what we’re here to turn into reality.

“McGregor is a professional, stand-up fighter. The only loss he took was when he was on the ground. He’s a tough competitor and I’m taking him very seriously.

“Everyone knows I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve been here before. He’s a tough guy though and a warrior. The best must fight the best. The fans wanted this fight, me and McGregor wanted the fight. It’s going to be blood, sweat and tears on August 26.

“Training camp has been rough. I know deep in my heart that this is the last one. I’m taking care of my body and giving myself time off to allow my body to rejuvenate.

“Conor really wants to win. Extremely badly. Other fighters it usually plays out two ways. Some guys play it safe and then some like Marcos Maidana go for the kill. I think he’s the Maidana-type. He’s a heavy-hitter so I have to be cautious. It’s going to basically be a toe-to-toe battle.”

CONOR MCGREGOR

“My mind is blown. I’m absolutely honored to be here in front of you fans for this great spectacle. Somebody’s 0 has got to go.

“He’s got little legs and little hands. I’m going to knock him out inside of four rounds. Mark my words.

“I’m a young, confident, happy man. I’ve worked extremely hard for this. I’m going to embrace everything. No one can do anything to me. I’m going to have a good time.

“Floyd will be unconscious inside of four rounds. The power and ferociousness that I have, he’s never experienced it before. I don’t fear him.

“Even if he catches one of my punches with his glove, it will still hurt him. I’m like nothing he’s ever seen before.

“Twelve, three minute rounds is going to be a breeze for me. Not to take anything away from this sport, but I have no worries about going twelve rounds with Floyd.

“Floyd is the perfect motivation for me to go in and conquer the supposedly unconquerable. What more motivation could you need? This pushes me on to do these record-breaking events.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“This is a great fight that the fans have demanded. That’s exactly what we’re going to give them on August 26.

“Floyd Mayweather is the undefeated, pound-for-pound king and The Best Ever. He’s here to give the fans what they wanted and that’s his huge event a memorable fight on August 26.

“Mayweather Promotions is all about giving the fans exactly what they want, and this battle between Floyd and Conor is going to deliver all of that and much more.

“This is the can’t-miss event of the summer and this crowd at STAPLES Center proves just how big it’s going to be. This whole week we’ll be bringing all the excitement of a fight week to sold out venues throughout the world.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“Over the last several years, SHOWTIME has teamed up with MGM and Mayweather Promotions to give fans the biggest and most exciting events in sports. Record-breaking event after record breaking event. We also have a long history of MMA in SHOWTIME and are glad to be in business with UFC and Conor McGregor.

“We will be working to deliver this event to the fans in unprecedented ways. We will give you new ways to experience the preparation leading up to the fight and then fight night, like never before. We’ll bring you behind the scenes and up close and personal with the “All Access” series. Your backstage pass to this fight premieres on July 28 on SHOWTIME.

“They said this fight could never be made, they said this fight would never happen, but this fight is no surprise. 10 years ago Floyd decided to leave his promoter and become his own boss. He became his own boss and broke PPV record after PPV record. Here we are, 49-0, he’s fought 24 world champions, and never lost. Floyd Mayweather has generated 20 million PPV buys and 1.3 billion dollars in PPVs. He is by far the number one attraction in sports and entertainment. There is no one else who is even close.

“Am I surprised that this fight is happening? Especially against someone younger, bigger and stronger than he is. Not at all. This is Floyd’s plan. To put on the most exciting and spectacular events that the sports world has ever seen. That’s what August 26 will be. That’s been the plan all along. ”

DANA WHITE, President of UFC

“This is the biggest fight any of us have ever been a part of. People have just rallied behind this fight. Don’t judge a fight until the fight is over. You never know what’s going to happen, especially with a guy like Conor who hits like a truck. When he hurts someone, he puts them away.

“This is a completely full event today, not a seat left. We had to move to a bigger venue in Toronto. Barclays Center sold out and then today tickets sold out at Wembley in 10 minutes. There’s never been anything like this.

“Floyd is almost 41 years old. Conor is a young southpaw who hits hard. We’ll see how it plays out. It’s crazy to think that Conor won’t connect with him.

“Conor McGregor believes in himself like nobody I’ve ever seen before. What he thinks about, he manifests into reality. The boxing media will get to know Conor on this tour and see the mental warfare that he engages in. Then on fight night, Conor is going to try to knock Floyd out.”

RICHARD STURM, President of Sports and Entertainment, MGM Resorts International

“Thank you to all the great fight fans around the globe watching this event. We’re thrilled that this event will be held at T-Mobile Arena, the home of the biggest events in the sports and entertainment industry. In only 15 months the T-Mobile Arena has become an industry leader and home to many of the greatest entertainers and athletes in the world.

“Las Vegas and the T-Mobile Arena will be the center of the sports universe for this great spectacle when two great champions bring these two sports together for the first time. It’s going to be an absolutely electric weekend. We look forward to delivering an unforgettable experience to all the fans who travel from around the world to this great event.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter @FloydMayweather, @TheNotoriousMMA, @MayweatherPromo, @UFC, @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.Facebook.com/SHOSports andwww.Facebook.com/UFC

LAS VEGAS (July 11, 2017) – A worldwide audience will witness a one-of-a-kind sporting event when legendary boxer and pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather returns to the ring to battle all-time MMA great and UFC champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor in a 12-round boxing match. The fight announcement on June 14 captured the world’s attention as fans across the globe anticipate the outcome of this once-in-a-lifetime showdown taking place Saturday, Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and promoted by Mayweather Promotions.

A 12-time world champion in five weight classes, the 40-year-old Mayweather retired undefeated in September 2015 as one of the greatest to ever step in the ring, buoyed by box office success that saw him shatter nearly all of the revenue records in the sport’s history. Now, he returns to challenge the bold, powerful and popular McGregor, whose elite striking skills put him in the record books as the first athlete to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, all while soaring to the mantle of the sport’s No. 1 PPV attraction at only 28 years old.

Mayweather and McGregor will meet in a super welterweight contest (154-pound limit), serving as the first time champions from boxing and MMA will meet in a sanctioned boxing match.

“There was only one name that could bring me out of retirement and that’s Conor McGregor,” said Mayweather. “I’m excited to give the fans what they’ve all been asking for. I always want to do something different and groundbreaking and this fight with Conor is that perfect opportunity. He’s a young, skilled and powerful guy who I’m not going to take for granted. I expect to come out victorious, but anything can happen in the ring. This is a must-see event live or on pay-per-view on August 26. The whole world will be watching Mayweather vs. McGregor.”

“This is a historic fight and will be the greatest spectacle in combat sports history,” said McGregor. “I am about to change the entire approach to fighting as it stands today. On August 26 I will shock the world. Again.”

The SHOWTIME PPV on-air team will call the action on the telecast beginning live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The telecast also will be available in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said, “Floyd has been a trailblazer his whole career and this event proves that he is still the marquee name in the fight game. This is the kind of event that Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions are known for and we’re proud to bring this exciting night of action right to the fans. We know that Conor McGregor is a dangerous fighter who believes 100 percent that he is going to win this fight. I’m expecting to see as sharp a Floyd as always and I anticipate him doing what he always does, going in there and winning. You will not want to miss this once-in-a-generation showdown on August 26 in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME PPV.”

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports, said, “We are proud to reunite with Floyd Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions and the MGM Grand to deliver this unprecedented global event. Never before, in the vast experience of SHOWTIME PPV which includes worldwide events featuring record-setting events with Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Floyd Mayweather, have we experienced a reaction like we have to Mayweather vs. McGregor. Both Floyd and Conor are trend-setting personalities who have transcended their respective sports. They carry unmatched reputations for spectacle and athleticism, and together they create a truly can’t-miss event.”

Dana White, President of UFC said, “My goal has always been to put on the greatest fights the world has ever seen, whether they take place inside an Octagon or a boxing ring. Floyd Mayweather is one of the best fighters of all-time but he has never faced someone like Conor McGregor. Throughout his UFC career, Conor has proven that he should never be underestimated and I believe this will be no different. On August 26th, we will see the biggest fight in history. The world will be watching to see if Conor can follow through on another promise and make history once more. No matter the outcome, this will be a historic night in sports and we are honored to give the fans what they have been asking for.”

Richard Sturm, president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International, said, “It is an honor to have the opportunity to host the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight at T-Mobile Arena, our industry’s leading venue for major sports and entertainment. Las Vegas is known for its summer heat but nothing will be hotter than this championship event on August 26.”

One of the most decorated fighters in the history of the sport, Mayweather, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and fighting out of Las Vegas, used his trademark speed, defensive prowess and ring generalship on his way to 24 triumphs over world champions during his illustrious career. Among those 24 victories are the biggest names in the sport, past and present, including Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Zab Judah and Arturo Gatti.

In addition to his in-ring accomplishments, Forbes, Fortune and Sports Illustrated have all named Mayweather the world’s highest paid athlete multiple times. His events amass record-breaking numbers; he has headlined four of the six highest-grossing pay-per-view events of all-time and holds the all-time record in gross pay-per-view receipts. His 2015 showdown with Pacquaio shattered the all-time pay-per-view television record with 4.6 million buys while the event grossed a staggering total of more than $600 million.

Mayweather, the only fighter to have headlined three events that each generated more than 2 million pay-per-view buys, has garnered numerous “Fighter of the Year” awards over his storied career, including five ESPY Awards and two Boxing Writers Association of America awards.

Representing his hometown of Dublin, Ireland, McGregor’s larger than life personality and devastating power have helped him become his sport’s No. 1 attraction. He became the first MMA fighter to crack Forbes highest-paid athlete list in 2016 and was even higher on the list in 2017.

He became the undisputed UFC featherweight world champion by delivering pinpoint left handed shots that quickly ended the nights of top fighters Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. McGregor then moved up in weight for a pair of blockbuster matchups with Nate Diaz that saw him set a new mark for UFC pay-per-view buys when he defeated Diaz in the rematch last August.

After dispatching Diaz, McGregor set his sights on history as he headlined at Madison Square Garden against lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. McGregor put on a striking clinic against Alvarez knocking him down five times before getting the second round knockout and adding the lightweight title to his featherweight world title, becoming the first UFC fighter to ever hold two belts concurrently.

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About Mayweather Promotions
Appropriately based in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Mayweather Promotions was established in 2007 by former 12-time world champion and undefeated boxing icon, Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Mayweather Promotions seamlessly promotes all forms of live entertainment and has blazed its own trail to unprecedented financial success; netting in excess of $350 million while generating over $1 billion in Pay-Per-View revenues.

A well-respected organization in sports & entertainment, the company has successfully garnered attention through producing some of the largest boxing events that the sport has witnessed over the past decade. What started with one fighter has grown to 30 plus active professional boxers that include current and former world champions, Olympians, and top up and coming prospects.

Coming off the success of four consecutive sellout shows with much more to come, 2017 has proven to be a cutting-edge year for Mayweather Promotions. Mayweather Promotions seeks to maintain their global platform as they embark upon new endeavors for fans all over the world. For more information, visit Mayweatherpromotions.com and follow Mayweather Promotions on Facebook at: facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, Twitter & Snapchat: @MayweatherPromo and Instagram: @MayweatherPromotions.

About Showtime Networks Inc.
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 and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, 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

About T-Mobile Arena
T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between New York-New York and Monte Carlo, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. This fall T-Mobile Arena will welcome the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team. The city’s newest landmark, recently named “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Industry-leading architect Populous designed T-Mobile Arena to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED® Gold Certification. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit the T-Mobile Arena website at www.t-mobilearena.com.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter @FloydMayweather, @TheNotoriousMMA, @MayweatherPromo, @UFC, @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.Facebook.com/SHOSports andwww.Facebook.com/UFC

Frustration? Amir Mansour never knew the true meaning of the word until he tried to tried to capitalize on his March 17 victory over heavyweight hopeful Travis Kauffman.

Mansour’s unanimous 12-round decision victory in Kauffman’s Reading, PA, backyard was nationally televised (Bounce TV) but it did little to create future opportunities for the left-hander from Salem, NJ.

“You’d think I have the plague, the way the other so-called heavyweight contenders are avoiding me,” Mansour said. “Is it my breath or is it my ability? These guys call themselves fighters but when my name comes up in conversation, they act like they have a hearing problem. Why would anyone be afraid of a 44-year-old man?

Originally from Salem, NJ, Mansour now resides in Wilmington, DE. His victory over Kauffman, a fight in which he rallied down the stretch, boosted his record to 23-2-1, 16 K0s, and earned him a No. 15 slot with both the WBO and WBC. Without a fight since, the WBC lowered him to No. 21.

“Who else gets dropped six spaces that quickly,” he asked.

Regarding the win over Kauffman: “It’s a very frustrating and disappointing reality when a fight is made and the winner is said to fight the world (WBC) champion,” Mansour said. “When I fought Travis Kauffman, Deontay Wilder was willing to fight Kauffman. They were sure Kauffman would win but he didn’t. I won that fight but now Wilder doesn’t want to fight me. His last fight was against Gerald Washington, a fighter that 98 percent of the viewers thought I beat (in 2015). The fight was scored a draw. Washington went on to fight Deontay for the title.”

Masnour also talked about his 2014 one-punch knockout of iron-chinned Fred Kassi at the Sands Bethlehem.

“I received the Knockout of the Year mention against Fred Kassi, but he went on to fight Chris Arreola and walked away with a draw. Chris also had a No Contest against Kauffman, a fight in which he was floored. Chris went on to fight Deontay as well. It’s blatant cowardice (on Wilder’s part) if you ask me.”

Promoter J Russell Peltz got a call about a possible July 1 fight in Russia between Mansour and Alexander Povetkin with the stipulation that Mansour get ranked.

“When Mansour landed in the No. 15 slot in both the WBC and the WBO, Povetkin’s people stopped answering the phone,” Peltz said.

Povetkin boxed Andriy Rudenko instead.

“Another no-name,” Mansour said, referring to Rudenko. “Then we tried to get a match in August with Dillian Whyte on the Terence Crawford card in Omaha. That went nowhere. Top Rank told us that Whyte wanted to fight a tall, right-handed guy. What a joke! I also was willing to step in on one week’s notice to fight Fres Oquendo for the WBA title in June when Shannon Briggs failed his test. The promoters canceled the show instead.”

In 26 pro fights, Mansour has lost only to Steve Cunningham, who was on the floor twice, and to Dominic Breazeale, who was on the floor once but won when Mansour suffered a fractured jaw and sliced tongue.

“I am willing to fight any Top 10 heavyweight in the world,” Mansour said, “but it just seems as if all the top heavyweights are fighting bums and no-name fighters.”

NEW YORK – July 11, 2017 – Combate Americas and Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures, today announced five new marquee bouts to its upcoming “Combate Clásico” professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event in Miami, Fla., on Thursday, July 27.

Making his return to the Combate Americas cage La Jaula is top-ranked bantamweight (135 pounds) star Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (8-1), who will move up to the featherweight (145 pounds) division for the second time in his Combate Americas career to face his toughest test to date – two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran and Nate Diaz protégé, Chris Avila (5-4) of Stockton, Calif.

“This is shaping up to be our most stellar fight card, from top to bottom, to date. With the matchup between Ricky Palacios and Chris Avila, we are destined for another memorable night of electrifying action in La Jaula,” Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren said.

Fresh off his triumphant victory over another former UFC star Roman “El Gallito” Salazar at Combate 13 on April 20, the hard-hitting 30-year-old Palacios of Mission, Texas, also an unbeaten professional boxer, looks to extend his five-fight winning streak.

The 24-year-old Avila of the famed Cesar Gracie Fight Team makes his debut in La Jaula following a pair of hard-fought decisions under the UFC.

In bantamweight action, the red-hot Marcelo “Pitbull” Rojo (11-4) aims for his fourth consecutive win and second straight inside La Jaula following his blistering, technical knockout win over Ivan Hernandez “Brasil” Flores at Combate 12 last March in Tijuana, Mexico.

The 29-year-old Argentinian will be paired off against Puerto Rican sensation Billy Molina (5-3), 30, making his Combate Americas debut after last month’s return to action in Bayamon.

Joining the featherweight (145 pounds) division for “Combate Clásico” is undefeated Venezuelan finisher Alberto Montes (3-0). Fighting out of the MMA Masters gym in Miami, the 23-year-old prospect locks horns with 30-year-old Combate Americas veteran Jonathan Quiroz (2-2) of Long Beach, Calif.

Grizzled veteran Irvin “The Beast” Rivera (5-3), best known for his thrilling, back-and-forth wars with Jose “Ghost” Ceja, looks to get back to his winning ways at the expense of prolific bantamweight wrestler Chino Duran (8-9), who makes his return to Combate Americas after a torrid run on the Florida MMA circuit.

Rounding out the newest additions to “Combate Clásico” is 24-year-old Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (4-1), coming off consecutive wins in La Jaula and ready to make a run at the top of the bantamweight division by tangling with Florida’s own Vinney “The Instigator” Pantaleon (1-1).

Tickets for “Combate Clásico” are on sale online at Ticketon.com. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming days.

The “Combate Clásico” live MMA event will join a nearly week-long extravaganza that begins with a match between marquee soccer clubs Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain at Hard Rock Stadium on July 26 as well as concerts, parties and other interactive events prior to El Clásico Miami on July 29.

For more information on El Clásico Miami fans can visit elclasicomiami.com and internationalchampionscup.com.

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ABOUT Combate Americas
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

About Relevent Sports
Relevent Sports provides an innovative approach to building a soccer presence in the United States and around the globe. Relevent Sports showcases the best match-ups and tournaments in soccer featuring the top clubs, international teams and players. Since 2013, Relevent Sports has organized the International Champions Cup; the premier preseason tournament featuring the top European clubs with matches in North America, Europe and Asia. Utilizing brand development, grassroots planning, corporate sponsors and international touring, Relevent Sports promotes and grows the love of soccer worldwide.

About the International Champions Cup
The International Champions Cup is the world’s premier summer soccer tournament organized by Relevent Sports, featuring the best clubs from around the world. A staple property of Relevent Sports and RSE Ventures, the International Champions Cup works with leading sponsors such as Heineken, Nike, Orlando and Ally, among others, to bring the best in soccer to iconic sports venues across North America, Europe and China.

The International Champions Cup has hosted some of the most iconic matchups in the world, including the two most attended soccer matches in U.S. history. First came when Real Madrid C.F. and Manchester United F.C. drew 109,318 fans to Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan. Real Madrid C.F. returned to the “Big House” to take on Chelsea F.C. in front of 105,826 fans, second all-time, as part of the 2016 tournament. The International Champions Cup also has hosted the most attended soccer matches in Minnesota (64,101 at U.S. Bank Stadium) and Ohio (86,641 at Ohio Stadium) state history. In its four-year history, Real Madrid C.F., Manchester United F.C., Juventus F.C. and Paris Saint-Germain F.C. have all won installments of the tournament.

Miami, FL: It has been more than eight years since Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs) defected from Cuba and left his friends and family behind to pursue his dream of becoming a professional boxer in the United States. On Saturday, July 15 he takes on Long Island, New York native Joe Smith Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) for the WBA International Light Heavyweight Title and, for the first time in Sullivan’s life, his father, Rafael Barrera, will be watching him from ringside.

After an eight-year separation, father and son were reunited on Thursday when the elder Barrera was finally able to visit from Cuba. In Cuba, it is difficult for Sullivan’s father to watch him fight. On some rare occasions, Rafael is able to travel to one of Cuba’s larger hotel chains to watch his son fight live on television. Usually, though, Sullivan has to ship videos of his fights to Cuba for his father to see them.

The 35-year old from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is elated to finally have his father here in the United States for his fight with Smith. When asked about the reunion, Sullivan said, “It has been eight years since I have seen my father. It is very important for me that he is here for this fight, for my mind and for everything. I want to get for him the victory. I am very excited.”

Understandably, the anticipation of his father’s visit has been a bit of a distraction for Sullivan. According to his trainer, Derik Santos, “I think it is just human nature. Sullivan always says he is out there to do his job, but there has to be an added layer of anxiety with his father being there the first time. You would have to expect that. He hasn’t seen his father in eight plus years. We trained this morning and we spoke about it. There was a kid-like giddiness about him. He can’t stop smiling about it. He is very excited, but it is my job to keep those emotions in check on fight night.”

Despite the added anxiety and anticipation of his father’s arrival, Barrera and Santos agree that they will be ready for Smith on July 15. They are fueled by Barrera being the underdog in this matchup. “I like the status of being the underdog. It motivates me to continue to prove to people that I belong at the top,” said Sullivan. “This is going to be a very interesting fight and it is a great fight for my career. When I come out victorious, it should either give me a shot at the title or get me one step closer to fighting for a title. Smith beat a legend in Bernard Hopkins, but Hopkins had been out of the ring for a long time before their fight. July 15, I am going to come out victorious.”

Berchelt vs. Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Corrales vs. Castellanos is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Smith vs. Barerra is presented by Star Boxing in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:50 P.M EDT/PDT.

Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PDT to 7:00 p.m. PDT) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

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

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

LOS ANGELES (July 10, 2017) The all-action fighters participating on the stacked tripleheader this Saturday, July 15 have wrapped up camp and begun their journey to Los Angeles for their championship bouts at The “Fabulous” Forum. The night will feature the rugged Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) defending his hard-earned WBC Super Featherweight belt against Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round main event championship bout. Serving as chief support in the co-main event, Panamanian super-star and newly signed Golden Boy Promotions fighter Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales (21-1, 8 KOs) will make his U.S. debut against Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (24-12, 14 KOs) in a 12-round super featherweight bout for Corrales’s WBA Super World title. Opening up the HBO telecast, current WBC International light heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) will put his belt on the line in a 12-round fight against Miami’s Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs). The action will be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:50 p.m. ET/PT.

Hear what the teams had to say about their upcoming bouts:

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“We saw what Miguel Berchelt is capable from his slugfest earlier this year against the rugged Francisco Vargas, and that level of action is what fans should expect to see on July 15 when he takes on former world champion Takashi Miura. With Jezreel Corrales facing Robinson Castellanos, who had an impressive upset over Yuriorkis Gamboa in May, plus Joe Smith, Jr. taking on the heavy-handed Sullivan Barrera, this triple header on HBO Boxing After Dark will surely deliver the type of non-stop action fans crave from boxing.”

MIGUEL “EL ALACRAN” BERCHELT, Current WBC Super Featherweight World Champion:
“I am ready to defend my title and very excited to fight in a big city like Los Angeles with the support of all my countrymen. We have prepared a great deal and next Saturday you will see the best Miguel Berchelt.”

“This by no means will be an easy fight – Miura has gone to war many times in his career and I am expecting nothing less in this fight. I want to prove that winning this belt was no fluke, and defending it against a warrior like Miura is the perfect opportunity to do that.”

TAKASHI MIURA, Former WBC Super Featherweight World Champion:
“I have had a great training camp for this fight. The training is going well. I am preparing myself for a tough fight.”

“This will be my third fight in the United States, and I feel comfortable in getting myself acclimated to the time difference. I am looking forward to being on HBO again and putting on an exciting fight for the boxing fans.”

“If I am able to get the belt back Saturday, and the opportunity is there, I would want to unify the belts in the super featherweight division.”

JEZREEL “EL INVISIBLE” CORRALES, Current WBA Super World Super Featherweight Champion:
“I’m going up against a boxer who doesn’t like to waste his punches. I know that he has also watched my fights and that he has studied me well. I know that he will come forward to attack me, and to look for opportunities to get his lost chance back in the sport.”

“He will try to overwhelm me, and he will try to throw punches to knock me out, but, that’s why they call me ‘El Invisible’ (The Invisible). I won’t let him catch me. Like we say here in Panama, he will be left unsatisfied and wanting more after meeting me in the ring.”

ROBINSON “ROBIN HOOD” CASTELLANOS, Super Featherweight Contender:
“I’ve enjoyed this preparation; however, the work has been intense. There is a motivating environment in the team, and I am very encouraged.”

“We have been working with several left-handed sparring players to fine-tune the strategy. I know that Jezreel is surely doing his part to win, and I hope it turns out an attractive fight for fans and HBO for both him and me. This fight opens doors for me to take part in huge cards like this one.”

JOE SMITH, JR., Current WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion:

“It feels great to be fighting on HBO. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m in great shape and ready to put on a tremendous performance against Sullivan Barrera. It’s not like fighting at home but I’m looking forward to fighting at the Forum again, I was treated very well there and it’s a tremendous and legendary venue. I like Los Angeles; the fans were very good to me as well.”

“I saw Sullivan Barrera’s fight with Andre Ward, and I’ve seen a few of his other fights. This fight is a huge challenge to me as he’s got a lot of experience but I’ll be ready on July 15.”

“I’d still like to fight Adonis Stevenson. I was ready this year, and I’ll be ready at any time but now my focus is solely on this fight. Joe DeGuardia has done a great job of getting me these opportunities, particularly with Fonfara and Hopkins and now with Barrera, it’s my job to take care of business in the ring.”

SULLIVAN BARRERA, Former USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion
“This is going to be a very interesting fight, and it is a great fight for my career. When I come out victorious, it should either give me a shot at the title or get me one step closer to fighting for a title. Smith beat a legend in Bernard Hopkins, but [Hopkins] had been out of the ring for a long time before their fight.”

“Down the road, I would like to fight for a title next. But if I cannot fight for a title in my next fight, I would like to fight Eleider Alvarez or Nathan Cleverly.”

“July 15, I am going to come out victorious. I want to let all the fans know that they should tune-in to HBO. With the help of God, on July 15 I will be coming back home with the WBC International light heavyweight belt.”

Berchelt vs. Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Corrales vs. Castellanos is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Smith vs. Barerra is presented by Star Boxing in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:50 P.M ET/PT. The livestream portion will begin at approximately 6:50 p.m. ET/3:50 p.m. PT through 9:50 p.m. ET/ 6:50 p.m. PT on RingTV.com.

Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PT to 7:00 p.m. PT) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

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

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

New York, NY – July 10, 2017 – Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal Sports & Entertainment is bringing its Real Deal Championship Boxing series to New York City. The first installment is set to take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom, on Friday, August 11th, leading into the city’s Dominican Day weekend, as part of a multi-fight agreement with the Manhattan Center Studios, Inc.

The televised portion of the event will be live on CBS Sports Network, and looks to carry on the momentum of the series’ inaugural event by pitting some of the sport’s rising contenders against one another in highly competitive and evenly matched bouts. The undercard, which will be live-streamed in its entirety on www.therealdealboxing.com, is expected to feature young, local talent who have been yearning for the opportunity to fight in their hometown since the state passed outrageous insurance regulations, essentially placing an insurmountable barrier on grassroots boxing in New York. This will be the first professional boxing event to take place in a Manhattan venue other than a Madison Square Garden property in almost 18 months.

“The main reason I got into promoting was to provide opportunities for today’s young fighters. Being able to bring our Real Deal Championship Boxing series to one of the greatest cities in the world shows the fighters and the fans that our company is the Real Deal,” said four-time world heavyweight champion and recent International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Evander Holyfield. “Our company is dedicated to building back the New York boxing scene and giving our fighters a chance to perform in front of their friends and families.”

“We are very grateful to our partners at the Manhattan Center who have worked diligently with us to structure a multi-fight deal with their properties. August 11 will be a great night of boxing and we hope the fans come out to show their support. It’s no secret that New York has become a very difficult place to run a successful promotion given the state’s new regulations to improve health and safety,” said Eric Bentley, Chief Operating Officer of Real Deal Sports & Entertainment and the former Director of Boxing at the New York State Athletic Commission.

“It should be noted that difficult does not mean impossible,” Bentley continued. “We are also taking the health and safety initiative into our own hands by assembling an in-house medical team to observe our fighters and provide them with consistent medical oversight throughout their careers. Most of these athletes risk their lives without proper health coverage, fighting in different states, each with their own medical standards and requirements, that often have inconsistent philosophies on what is or isn’t contraindicative to boxing. We are looking to change that and set a new standard in the sport. This is just the first step in how we will bring boxing back to New York and how Real Deal Sports & Entertainment will make its mark in the industry.”

VENUM and BEAUTY N THE BOX are proud sponsors of Real Deal Sports & Entertainment.

Additional information on the bout card and how to purchase tickets will be released throughout the week. For more information, please visit www.therealdealboxing.com and visit us at Facebook.com/TheRealDealBoxing, on Instagram @therealdealboxing and on Twitter @therealdealbox.

For more information, please visit www.therealdealboxing.com and visit us at Facebook.com/TheRealDealBoxing, on Instagram @therealdealboxing and on Twitter @therealdealbox.

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 10, 2017) Advance tickets for “SUPERFLY”, the outstanding boxing tripleheader set for Saturday, September 9 at The StubHub Center in Carson, California, are moving very fast according to TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 PROMOTIONS, promoter of the event.

“The combination of the three world class fights in the super flyweight division with the country’s premier outdoor boxing venue that has played host to numerous legendary nights of boxing, has made this a must-see event for boxing fans, “said Loeffler.

“We’ve only been on sale a few days and our floor seats and $30 tickets are already very low and we’re on the same pace from the record-setting sellout of our Gennady Golovkin/Marco Antonio Rubio fight in October 2014.”

“I strongly encourage fans to purchase their tickets as soon as possible if they haven’t already. Over 50% of the event tickets are $60 and under, we look forward to another memorable evening at The StubHub Center.”

Remaining tickets for “SUPERFLY” can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425. Doors will open on the night of the event at 3:30 p.m. PT with the first bell at 4:00 p.m. PT.

Televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT, “SUPERFLY” is headlined by the WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (42-4-1, 38 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, defending his title against former champion “ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ (46-1-0, 38 KO’s), of Managua, Nicaragua, in a rematch of their epic battle this past March.

Co-featured on the outstanding “SUPERFLY” card is the highly anticipated United States debut of NAOYA “THE MONSTER” INOUE, (13-0-0, 11 KO’s) of Yokohama, Japan defending his WBO Super Flyweight Title against top contender ANTONIO “CARITA” NIEVES, (17-1-2, 9 KO’s) of Cleveland, Ohio.

Opening the telecast, former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS, (36-1-1, 27 KO’s)) of Mexico City will battle fellow rival countrymen and former flyweight world champion JUAN FRANCISCO “EL GALLO” ESTRADA, (35-2-0, 25 KO’s) of Sonora, Mexico in a 12-round WBC Super Flyweight Title Eliminator.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson CA, 90746 on the campus of California State University – Dominguez Hills. For directions and further information please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com

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Sampson boxing proudly announces the signing of undefeated featherweight Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, to an exclusive long-term promotional contract.

Ramirez (20-0-2, 7 KOs) is a 24-year-old, highly skilled southpaw with fast hands and super defense. He is managed and trained by Manuel Montiel Jr., brother of the five-time world champion Fernando Montiel.

“I am shocked and honored to be chosen to join the stable of Sampson Lewkowicz,” said Ramirez. “My dream of a world title shot will come true now that he is helping me and that was my goal all along. All I have to do is keep wining and my team will do the rest.”

Montiel, who also manages and trains Sampson Boxing super welterweight contender Jorge Cota, was also happy with the deal.

“I am grateful to Sampson for giving us this opportunity with another of my fighters. We have made him a commitment to work hard to always bring Eduardo into the ring in the best shape possible to go all the way to the world championship.”

For Lewkowicz, the addition of Ramirez and partnership with Montiel are another avenue to bring Mexican boxing talent to the forefront. The well-known promoter already works with such names as Jorge “Pilon” Lara and Hugo “Cuatito” Ruiz to name a few.

“I am working hard to bring more Mexican champions to the world,” he explained. “I’m very proud to sign Eduardo and bring him and his team the opportunities they have worked so hard to reach.”
About Sampson Boxing
After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

NEW YORK (July 10, 2017) – Undefeated super lightweight Kenneth Sims, Jr. (12-0, 4 KO’s) is looking for a complete performance when he takes on Rolando Chinea (14-1-1, 6 KO’s) of Lancaster, Pa., as the two prepare to meet in an eight-round bout on ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, July 14 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

The ShoBox telecast features eight returning fighters with a combined record of 94 wins against just four losses.

Dangerous southpaw Keenan “Killa” Smith, (11-0, 5 KOs), of Philadelphia will make his second appearance on the series as he takes on Ivan Baranchyk, (14-0, 10 KOs), a native of Minsk, Byelorussia fighting out of Miami, Okla., who is making his fifth appearance on the ShoBox series.

Plus, undefeated Glenn Dezurn (9-0, 6 KOs) will take on Adam Lopez (16-1-1, KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight clash. In the telecast opener, Joshua Greer (13-1-1, 5 KOs) will battle Leroy Davila (5-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout.

Tickets for the event promoted by GH3 Promotions and Tony Holden Productions are priced at $35, $55, $65 and $75 and are available for purchase now at buffalorun.com.
Sims, a 2013 U.S. National Amateur Champion and a 2012 Olympic Trials semifinalist, continues to step up in level of opposition as he meets one of the most dangerous opponents of his career in his second ShoBox appearance.

The Chicago native has stayed active as a pro; he fought four times in 2016 and this will be his third start of 2017. In his last outing, he stopped Israel Villela with a third-round TKO.

The 23-year-old Sims was a sparring partner for Floyd Mayweather (when he was getting prepared for Andre Berto) and Manny Pacquiao (as he was getting ready for Mayweather). He is known for his boxing skills and ability to work the body.

“My camp has been great,” Sims said. “I feel like I am a lot mentally stronger going into this bout then I was for my last ShoBox fight. I was going through a lot and that was documented. ”

Sims was mourning the loss of close friend and undefeated welterweight, Ed Brown.

“This fight on Friday will be a case of me just going out there and doing what I need to do. I am just going to go out there to box and use my physical attributes, and make this fight easy.”

Sims will be looking to improve on his ShoBox performance when he took a unanimous decision from Emmanuel Robles on Jan 20.

“I think that fight helped me a lot going into this fight. It taught me that I can go eight hard rounds. I want to stay ready, and I plan on getting started earlier in the fight. I am going out there to have fun. That is when I am at my best.

“I will show everyone a big difference on Friday night. I have been working very hard, and I will be in better shape, and overall the fans will see a better Kenneth Sims.”

Said Sims promoter, Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions, “Kenneth has all of the talent in the world, and on Friday I feel he will show it. He has a clear head going into this fight and is extremely focused. Chinea is a very solid opponent, and I feel that will bring the best out of Kenneth on Friday night.”

# # #

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

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

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 69 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and more.

Philadelphia, Penn. (July 10, 2017)–Undefeated super middleweight Devar Ferhadi will take on his toughest test when he takes on battle tested Antowyan Aikens in the eight-round main event of a great night of boxing on Friday, August 11th at The SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.

The card is promoted by King’s Promotions.

Ferhadi of Frederick, Maryland was born in Iraq, and has amassed a perfect mark of 7-0 with six knockouts.

Ferhadi has one of the unique stories in the sport as he spends about eight months out of the year as a medical student in Kurdastad, Iraq.

The 22 year-old began fighting at age 14 and went 10-2 as an amateur. He lost in an Olympic qualifying tournament.

He started coming to the United States, and his whole family still resides in Iraq.

This will be Ferhadi’s first fight in almost a year when he stopped Christopher Petty in three rounds on August 19m 2016 in Crystal City, Virginia.

Aikens of Atlantic City, New Jersey has a record of 11-3-1 with one knockout.

Aikens, who turned professional in 2011, won his first ten fights, which was highlighted by a win over then0undefeated Sherman Artis.

Aikens went through a stretch where he went 0-3-1 against fighters who had a combined record of 29-2-2. On May 19, Aikens got back in the win column in a big way when he took a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Amir Shabazz (4-0) in Philadelphia.

Appearing in the six-round co-feature, will be exciting bantamweight knockout artist Christian Carto (10-0, 10 KO’s).

Carto’s opponent will be named shortly.

Also in six-round bouts:

Erik Spring (9-1-2, 1 KO) of Reading, PA will take on an opponent to be named in a junior middleweight bout.

David Gonzales (8-2-2, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on Darius Earvin (4-1) of Los Angeles in a super lightweight bout.

Marquis Taylor (6-1) of Houston will fight Vincent Floyd (3-2-1, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia in a welterweight contest.

Antonio DuBose (8-2-1, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia battles Josh Crespo (7-4-3, 3 KO’s) of New Haven, CT in a super featherweight bout.

Brandon Robinson (4-1, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on an opponent to be named in a super middleweight bout.

In four-round fights:

Demetrius Williams (1-2) of Philadelphia will take on Kashon Hutchinson (2-3, 1 KO) of Reading, PA in a super lightweight affair.

Jerrod Taylor of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Steven Lopez (0-1) of Philadelphia in a bantamweight fight.

Tickets are on sale for $100, $75, $50, and can be purchased at SugarHouseBoxing.eventbrite.com

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LINCOLN, NEBRASKA (July 10, 2017) — Undefeated 140 pound world champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and JULIUS INDONGO, will collide in a world title unification battle, Saturday, August 19, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The rumble between Crawford, the two-division world champion and the holder of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), World Boxing Council (WBC) and The Ring magazine world titles and Indongo, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Association (WBA) world champion, making his U.S. debut, will be televised live and exclusively at 10 p.m. EDT on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and stream live on the ESPN app.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Matchroom Boxing, tickets to the Crawford vs. Indongo world championship event go on sale This Saturday, July 15, at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT. Priced at $128, $78, $53, and $28, tickets can be purchased online via www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at the Pinnacle Bank Arena main ticket office, located in the south lobby, Monday -Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. CT.

“On any other day Lincoln is known for being the capital of Nebraska, but on August 19, it will be the capital of the boxing world,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Thanks to ESPN, all eyes will be on the Crawford-Indongo fight which will not only determine the king of the division but will serve as a coronation for boxing’s best pound for pound fighter.”

“Julius Indongo is a champion with a lot of confidence right now being that he went over to Russia and took the title from Eduard Troyanovsky and then went to Scotland and took Ricky Burns’ title,” said Crawford. “Now he’s coming to the U.S. to challenge me. He’s a bigger threat now than at any other time because he has all the confidence in the world. A lot of people are going to see me fight on ESPN and I’m excited to perform for them.”

“I’m ready for Terence to solidify his name into boxing history and for me to show the world what I can do as his head trainer,” said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s co-manager and trainer.

“Me and my team went to New York City – a trip of 20 hours from Namibia –
to watch Terence Crawford against Felix Diaz. I will tell you this – Crawford is a real champion. He had a big impressive win over Diaz. Crawford showed me real character in that fight.,” said Indongo. “On August 19, Crawford’s skill and power will bring out the best of me. I am ready and prepared to face him.”

“I’m delighted to get this fight over the line and help create one champion in the 140 lb division,” said Eddie Hearn, Indongo’s promoter. “There were plenty of offers for Julius but this was always the fight he wanted …the chance to become the undisputed champion. He has had back to back hugely impressive wins on the road and although he faces one of the P4P top fighters in world boxing, Julius is full of confidence ahead of this important fight for the sport”

Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., is a two-division world champion who has won six of his last eight bouts by stoppage. In his 2017 debut which took place on May 20 in the main arena at Madison Square Garden, Crawford successfully defended his titles via a 10th-reund stoppage of former Olympic gold medalist and top-rated contender Félix Díaz. It is premium cable’s most-watched fight for 2017. Crawford unified the 140-pound titles in a battle between consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighters on July 23, 2016, successfully defending his WBO junior welterweight title for the third time by winning a unanimous decision over previously undefeated WBC super lightweight champion Viktor Postol. That victory also garnered him The Ring title, designating him the lineal champion. He made his first defense of his unified titles on December 10, 2016, stopping No. 1 contender and one-time world title challenger John Molina Jr. in front of a record crowd at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha. The consensus Top-Five pound-for-pound fighter continues to build on his star-making 2014 which featured three world championship victories as well as Fighter of the Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America and major media alike. Crawford, 29, captured the vacant WBO junior welterweight crown on April 18, 2015, via a devastating sixth-round knockout of once-beaten No. 2 world-rated contender Thomas Dulorme. His title defenses include stopping No. 2 world-rated contender Dierry Jean in front of a packed house at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha on October 24, 2015, knocking out Top-10 contender Hank Lundy in the fifth round on February 27, 2016, at a sold-out Theater at Madison Square Garden, and headlining his first pay-per-view on July 23, where he totally dominated Postol. Crawford began his world championship era on March 1, 2014. He captured his first world title, the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Crawford put the boxing world on notice with his virtuoso performance as he pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns, rocking the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances. He followed that with a dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of undefeated former world champion and Cuban Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28, 2014, in a Fight of the Year nominee. It was one of the most-watched fights of the year with over 1.2 million viewers catching the live, first-time airing of the fight, according to Nielsen Media Research. He concluded 2014 on November 29 with a thorough shellacking of one-time world title challenger and No. 1 contender Ray Beltran, winning 11 of the 12 rounds. Crawford, who is friendly with Warren Buffet, is only the second Nebraska native to be recognized as a boxing world champion. Perry “Kid” Graves, from Rock Bluff, captured the welterweight crown, knocking out Johnny Alberts in Brooklyn, in 1914, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Indongo (22-0, 12 KOs), from Windhoek, Nambia, has become a unified world champion in true road warrior fashion. The 5’11 southpaw captured the IBF junior welterweight title on December 3, 2016, via a spectacular first-round one-punch knockout of previously undefeated defending champion Eduard Troyanovsky. In his next fight, on April 15, he unified the titles by shellacking defending WBA world champion Ricky Burns via a dominant 12-round unanimous decision. Both victories took place in Russia and Scotland, the home countries of Troyanovsky and Burns, respectively. Three of his last four victories have been by stoppage. An amateur standout, Indongo, 34, represented Nambia in the 2008 Olympics.

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@ESPNDeportes

10 July 2017 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced another blockbuster evening of authentic martial arts action. ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS is set to return to the iconic Stadium Negara on 18 August for another spectacular showcase of Asia’s top martial arts talent. In the main event, undefeated ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Russia puts his world title on the line against top contender Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia.

Ticket information for ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS is available at www.onefc.com

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “It is always an exciting time in Kuala Lumpur whenever our world-class athletes climb atop Asia’s biggest and grandest martial arts stage. Our warriors are eager to put on a show for fans in Kuala Lumpur, and it is our honor to have them perform in this marvelous city. Marat Gafurov and Martin Nguyen are two of the promotion’s finest featherweights. They have met before, with Gafurov taking victory via submission in their first encounter. This time, however, a better-prepared and refocused Nguyen vows to finally bring the title back to Sydney.”

Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Dagestan, Russia, is the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion. An undefeated martial artist with 15 wins and no losses, Gafurov is a high-level grappler with 11 of his wins coming by impressive submission over top-caliber opponents. Rarely challenged and always dominant, Gafurov captured the featherweight title in 2015 with a gutsy victory over former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa in an epic battle. In his last bout, Gafurov defeated Jadambaa once again in a rematch a year later to cement his claim as the undisputed ONE Featherweight World Champion. He will defend his title next against Australia’s Martin Nguyen.

28-yea old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a former featherweight title challenger with a 8-1 professional record. His only loss came at the hands of reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov, when he stepped up to accept their first showdown on just a few days’ notice. None of Nguyen’s victories have gone to a decision, giving him five solid knockout wins as well as three victories by submission. In his last bout, Nguyen defeated Japanese veteran warrior Kazunori Yokota via first-round knockout. Nguyen’s all-around skill set allows him to compete at the highest level as a professional. In a highly-anticipated rematch, Nguyen once again receives a shot at the ONE Featherweight World Championship when he takes on Marat Gafurov for the second time.

Ev “E.T.” Ting is a professional martial artist with deep roots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Living and training out of Auckland, New Zealand, Ting owns a stellar 13-4 professional record, including four wins by submission and four exciting knockouts. A winner of four of his last five bouts over top-caliber opponents, Ting is one of the most talented competitors to come out of Malaysia. In his most recent bout, Ting challenged ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang, falling by unanimous decision in a gruelling five-round matchup. Ting now returns to Kuala Lumpur to face another challenge in Nobutatsu Suzuki.

A 39-year old Japanese veteran from Tokyo, Nobutatsu Suzuki is the former ONE Welterweight World Champion. With a professional record of 11-2-2, Suzuki is adept in both striking and grappling, also possessing well-rounded wrestling ability. He first captured the inaugural title with a victory over veteran competitor Brock Larson, only to succumb to now-reigning champion Ben Askren in the bout following. After a break from competition, Suzuki now returns as a lightweight to face Ev Ting.

Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be making his return to the ONE Championship cage following his first shot at a world title opposite reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren. Although Thani fell short of victory against the American, he gained a great amount of experience as a result and has emerged as a more seasoned combatant. The 21-year old is 7-1 as a professional, with five of his seven victories ending in the first round. All of Thani’s victories have come by exciting finish. The young Malaysian has shown steady improvement in each outing. He is now set to take on Sherif Mohamed.

Sherif “The Shark” Mohamed is a professional martial artist from Cairo, Egypt, with a 8-3 record. The Evolution Light Heavyweight Champion, Sherif is a well-versed kickboxer and wrestler with all eight of his wins coming by finish. Of his total victories, Sherif owns four submissions and four knockouts, proving his versatility and well-rounded game. In his last bout, the Egyptian Top Team standout made his ONE Championship debut opposite Igor Subora. This time, Sherif takes on top welterweight Agilan Thani.

Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the famed Team Lakay in Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the country’s most talented martial artists. With a professional record of 15-5, Belingon is known as a fierce competitor with the ability to finish opponents in a variety of methods. The 29-year old wushu stalwart owns six big knockouts on his resume, and is one of the most feared strikers in the bantamweight division. In his last bout, Belingon stopped Finnish grappling sensation Toni “Dynamite” Tauru with a volley of devastating strikes. He now takes on another tough task ahead in Reece McLaren.

25-year old Reece “Lightning” McLaren is a Filipino-Australian professional martial artist from Toowoomba, Australia. He made his ONE Championship debut in 2015 with a spectacular submission victory over top bantamweight contender Mark Striegl, and then followed up that win with a unanimous decision over highly-regarded prospect Muin Gafurov. In his last bout, McLaren challenged Bibiano Fernandes for the ONE Bantamweight World Championship, falling just short of victory by way of split decision. Next up, he takes on Filipino striker Kevin Belingon.

Malaysia’s Gianni Subba is a 24-year old flyweight prospect from Kuala Lumpur. He spends time carefully honing his craft with talented teammates, including brother Keanu, at Bali MMA in Indonesia. A winner of five of his last six bouts, Subba is a seasoned athlete with a stellar 8-2 clip in his young career. Five of his seven wins have come either by submission or by crowd-pleasing technical knockout. In his next assignment, the crafty Riku Shibuya poses a stern challenge.

Japanese martial arts sensation Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya won the hearts of fans with his exciting, unorthodox style and powerful combinations. With a professional martial arts record of 13-3-2, Shibuya has figured in a series of exciting battles throughout his career. A former ONE Flyweight World Championship title contender, Shibuya is a veteran and easily one of the most enjoyable competitors to watch. In his last bout, the 32-year old took on Roy Doliguez in January 2016 to win a unanimous decision. After a recuperative break, Shibuya returns to take on Gianni Subba in what should be an intense matchup.

31-year old Ann “Athena” Osman of Kota Kinabalu is Malaysia’s premier women’s combat sports star. Training out of the coastal locale of Sabah, the female warrior hones her craft at Borneo Tribal Squad, advancing her skills in various disciplines such as wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai. A well-rounded martial artist, Osman likes to use her strength to overpower opponents and is extremely aggressive, always looking for the finish. Osman will take on Singapore’s May Ooi in her return to the ONE Championship cage.

Singaporean female strawweight prospect May Ooi is a professional martial artist and a ONE Championship newcomer. With a 2-2 professional record, Ooi is a hard-working competitor possessing well-rounded striking and grappling skills. A former swimmer, Ooi represented Singapore in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. Today, she is one of the country’s most talented martial artists. Ooi is set to make her ONE Championship debut opposite Malaysia’s Ann Osman.

26-year old Robin Catalan of Iloilo City, Philippines, is a member of the Catalan fighting family and a professional martial artist competing in the ONE Championship strawweight division. He currently owns a record of six wins and two losses, which includes two wins by submission and two by knockout. In his last bout, Catalan went head-to-head with fellow Filipino warrior Jeremy Miado to nab the win via split decision. Now, Catalan is set to face former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion who has a 7-2 record as a professional martial artist. He is known as a technical striker with quick hands and lightning feet, employing some of the most unique and creative combinations. As a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience, Dejdamrong is a seasoned veteran. In his last bout, Dejdamrong took on Indonesia’s Adrian Matheis to bag a first-round knockout victory. Next, the Thai warrior goes up against Robin Catalan.

22-year old Keanu Subba of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is one of the most promising young talents in ONE Championship’s featherweight ranks. He is 5-2 as a professional after making a name for himself as a MIMMA featherweight champion. In his most recent bout, Subba trumped fellow top prospect Ahmed Mujtaba of Pakistan, winning impressively by first-round submission. Subba’s experience inside the ONE Championship cage as a young fighter has taught him great lessons that he says has helped him improve his overall game. He is set to face Christian Lee in a highly-anticipated clash of young stars.

19-year old Christian “The Warrior” Lee, younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, began his professional martial arts career on an absolute tear, railing off five straight victories by thrilling finish. He has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents. In his last bout, Lee toppled Chinese prospect Wan Jianping via first-round technical knockout to improve his record to 6-1. Known as an unpredictable striker with unorthodox grappling technique, Lee is now set to face rival Keanu Subba of Malaysia.

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly is a 33-year old Filipino martial arts talent and one of the brightest featherweight prospects to emerge from the Philippines. A professional martial artist with a complete striking and grappling skill set, Kelly brings Team Lakay’s world-renowned wushu to centerstage as he looks to showcase his expertise inside the ONE Championship cage. Kelly has won his last three outings by spectacular finish. In his last bout, Kelly scored a third-round technical knockout of veteran competitor Sunoto of Indonesia. Kelly seeks to continue his amazing run, this time against Emilio Urrutia.

Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia is an American martial artist from Miami, Florida. The 30-year old made his professional debut in 2013, and has since produced a solid 9-4 record. A skilled grappler, four of Urrutia’s nine total victories have come by submission. Training out of the renowned Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand and Juggernaut Fight Club in Singapore, Urrutia is set to make his ONE Championship debut as a featherweight. He will take on Filipino sensation Edward Kelly.

38-year old Rene “The Challenger” Catalan of Manila, Philippines, is a 2006 Asian Games gold medalist in wushu. He made his ONE Championship debut in 2013 against Brazil’s Alex Silva, and has since amassed a 2-2, 1 No Contest professional record. In September of 2016, Catalan notched his first victory in the promotion with a unanimous decision over Zhang You Liang. In his most recent bout, Catalan submitted Adrian Matheis by armbar in the second round. Now Catalan is looking for his third straight victory, this time against Bu Huo You Ga.

24-year old martial artist Bu Huo You Ga of China is a ONE Championship prospect with a professional record of four wins and two losses. He made his promotional debut in January of 2016 in the ONE Changsha Bantamweight Tournament, winning against Cai Chang Bo in his first bout, but losing to Ma Haobin shortly after. Months later, Bu Huo You Ga returned to competition as a flyweight to win the 2016 ONE Hefei Flyweight Tournament. Early in his professional career, Bu Huo You Ga has shown an incredible fighting spirit with solid striking and grappling offensive skills. Now ready to take his career to the next level, Bu Huo You Ga takes on Filipino wushu specialist Rene Catalan.

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

The drama in Monaco unfolded when the super-middleweights were called onto the stage. As the top seed, WBA Super Champion George Groves had four opponents to choose from. He picked British rival Jamie Cox for a “domestic dust-up.” Second-seeded Callum Smith then selected Swedish sensation Erik Skoglund, with the WBC Diamond Championship on the line due to Smith´s status as the WBC´s top-ranked challenger. The third seed was given to the winner of next week´s showdown between Chris Eubank Jr. and Arthur Abraham. With both fighters in training, this pairing was represented by Chris Eubank Senior, who chose “The Dentist” Avni Yildirim. This set the stage for the fourth quarter-final between fourth-seed Juergen Braehmer and undefeated US challenger Rob Brant.

The cruiserweight line-up featured all four reigning champions, two former champions, a KO king and a rising challenger. Second-seed Murat Gassiev, the IBF Champion, did not get to pick an opponent because he has to face mandatory challenger Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. This left Olympic gold medal winner Oleksandr Usyk, the first seed, with Marco Huck, Dmitry Kudryashov and Perez as potential opponents. Usyk selected Huck, with third-seed Briedis then picking Perez. This also set up the clash between fourth-seeded Dorticos and “The Russian Hammer” Kudryashov.

“There could not have been a more exciting start to the World Boxing Super Series,” said Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa`s Head of Management Board. “This tournament will change the face of boxing because it pits the best against the best in a fan-friendly way. The fans will get to see a lot of exciting fights in a very short time. Something like this has never been done before. We promised the best fighters out there and today we brought them all together live on stage in the stunning setting of the Grimaldi Forum.”

Said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa`s Chief Boxing Officer: “The last couple of days have been filled with intriguing discussions and speculations about the picks. The waiting is finally over and we are proud to present eight amazing fights. The inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series will feature nine undefeated fighters, seven belts, five world champions and three former champions. To see all those stars on one stage was incredible and it will be even more exciting to see all of them in the ring in September and October. There will not be a dull moment in the Muhammad Ali Trophy.”

Said Richard Schaefer, Comosa`s Chairman of the Americas. “I was fortunate to be promoting many fights of Floyd Mayweather, Oscar de la Hoya and so many others but I have to tell you this beats them all. I really believe this has an opportunity to become the brand in the sport of boxing, the kind of tournament fighters really want to participate in because it will elevate their exposure and it will elevate their careers.”

The quarter-finals will be held in September and October, the semi-finals in January and February and the finals in May in top venues around the globe

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Groves vs Cox:

George Groves:

Me and Jamie are old buddies. We’ve known each other a long time now. I quite fancied a bit of a domestic dust up. I wanted to pick my countryman. I know he wanted to fight me. I’ve provided him a great opportunity. He’s fighting for a World title. It’s also a strategic move. It’s a long tournament so I picked the easy guy first.

Jamie Cox:

I was looking forward to getting a UK dust up. George picked me and that makes for a great fight. It’s time to bury a seed!

Smith vs. Skoglund:

Callum Smith:

There were four really good fighters to pick from, three left for me. I just think stylistically Erik is the best fight for me.

Erik Skoglund:

To kick off the quarterfinals against an undefeated top guy for the WBC Diamond belt is massive. I couldn’t be happier with the choice.

Winner of Eubank / Abraham vs. Yildirim:

Chris Eubank:

Avni is a come forward fighter. I don’t think he knows how to go back. He brings war, and that will make for a spectacular fight. Once my son gets past Arthur Abraham, he will do the same to Avni. Chris Eubank Jr is an upgraded version of me.

Avni Yildirim:

I am very happy to be here. Good luck to the winner of Eubank and Abraham because it is my time now.

Braehmer vs. Brant:
Juergen Braehmer:

Since I could not pick any opponent any more, I got the strongest guy. The others apparently avoided him. I look forward to the start of the tournament and I am curious to find out when and where the fight will take place.

Rob Brant:

There’s not an easy fight in this tournament. Whether it was the first person to pick or the last person they are all champions. I’m ready to do my best.

CRUISERWEIGHTS

Gassiev vs. Wlodarczyk:

Murat Gassiev

I want to say thank you for everyone who made this tournament. I’m very happy to be here. I’m fighting Krzysztof because he is my number one contender. He is a tough opponent and I’m sure we give boxing fans a great fight.

Krzysztof Wlodarczyk

I’m very happy because Gassiev is a good fighter and a tough guy. We will give people a good fight.

Oleksandr Usyk

I picked him for my fans.

Marco Huck

This is my wish opponent. People say he is really good – an Olympic and World Champion – but we will see when he gets in the ring with me.

Mairis Briedis

He is a great fighter from Cuba. He comes from heavyweight division and will give me a tough fight.

Mike Perez

It’s a great challenge. He’s a champion so I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be my first belt. I’m looking forward to the fight.

Yunier Dorticos

It’s going to be a great fight and something really interesting for the fans.

Dmitry Kudryashov

I’m happy with this opponent. It will be a good fight.

WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES AT A GLANCE
Participants confirmed: 16 of 16
Number of belts: 7
Number of world champions: 5
Number of former world champions: 3
Number of undefeated fighters: 9
Combined Record of participants: 398 wins, 16 losses, 275 KOs (not counting Eubank/Abraham)
Confirmed Cruiserweights (8 of 8)
Oleksandr Usyk (12-0, 10 KOs), WBO World Champion
Yunier Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs), WBA World Champion
Murat Gassiev (24-0, 17 KOs), IBF World Champion
Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 KOs), WBC World Champion
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (53-3-1, 37 KOs), former IBF / WBC World Champion & IBF top-ranked challenger
Marco Huck (40-4-1, 27 KOs), former WBO World Champion
Dmitry Kudryashov (21-1, 21 KOs)
Mike Perez (22-2-1, 14 KOs)
Confirmed Super-Middleweights (8 of 8)
George Groves (26-3, 19 KOs), WBA Super Champion
Juergen Braehmer (48-3, 35 KOs), former WBA & WBO Champion
Erik Skoglund (26-0, 12 KOs)
Jamie Cox (23-0, 13 KOs)
Callum Smith (22-0, 17 KOs)
Rob Brant (22-0, 15 KOs)
Avni Yildirim (16-0, 10 KOs)
Winner of Eubank (24-1, 19 KOs) vs. Abraham (46-5, 30 KOs)

ABOUT THE WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES
Organised by Comosa AG, the World Boxing Super Series will kick off in September 2017, featuring the Cruiserweight and Super Middleweight divisions. In each weight class, eight elite boxers will battle it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament, with four quarter-finals (fall 2017), two semi-finals (early 2018) and one final (May 2018). This makes for seven top fights per weight class, and a total of 14 fights in Season One to be staged in premier venues around the globe. The winners of the World Boxing Super Series will rightfully receive The Greatest Prize in Boxing, the Muhammad Ali Trophy. Please visit our website www.WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com for more information or follow @WBSuperSeries on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Number-14 ranked Heavyweight Aleksei Oleinik made number-9 ranked Travis Browne tap in the 2nd round of their heavyweoght bout.

With cuts over both eye, Oleinik got behind Browne and made him tap from a rear-naked choke at 3:44.

Oleinik is now 52-10-1. Browne drops to 18-7-1.

Chad Laprise stopped Brian Camozzi in the 3rd round of their welterweight bout.

Laprise landed a hard body blow that sent Camozzi to the canvas. Referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 1:27 after several hard punches on the ground.

Laprise is 12-2. Camozzi is 7-4.

Thiago Santos stopped Gerlad Meerschaert in the 2nd round of their middleweight bout.

In round one, Meerschaert was poked in the eye. Santos was cut around the right side of his forehead and Meerschaert was bleeding from the nose in the opening frame. In round two, Santos pounded Meershcaert with four hard shots on the ground and the bout was stopped at 2:04.

Santos, 186 lbs of Rio De Jenairo, BRA is 15-5. Meerschaert, 184.5 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is 26-9.

Belal Muhammad won a unanimous decision over Jordan Mein in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Mein was cut over his left eye.

Muhammad won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 and is now 12-2. Mein is 29-12.

Philadelphia, PA (July 8,, 2017) – The scintillating Pennsylvania Junior Middleweight championship bout that took place on June 24th between former two-time world champion Kermit Cintron and knockout artist Tyrone Brunson will air TONIGHT!!, July 8th on The Comcast Network in Philadelphia at 8 PM ET.

The bout, which was won by Brunson via 5th round stoppage had five knockdowns, and saw Brunson come back from almost-certain defeat and take out Cintron in what ringside observers are calling a sure-fire Fight of the Year candidate.The match is added to the list of classic fights in the long storied history of Philadelphia boxing.

“For the fans that were inside the 2300 Arena, they can witness this great fight again, and for those who only heard about it, they are in for a treat,” said King’s Promotions CEO, Marshall Kauffman.

“I am glad that the fight will be shown in the Philadelphia region.”

Photo by Darryl Cobb Jr.

LONG ISLAND, NY (July 7, 2017) – When boxing returns to NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, on Saturday, July 15, for the first time in 31 years, popular Long Island fighter Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon (7-1, 5 KOs) will make history participating in the venue’s first ever female boxing match, as part of the evening’s stacked undercard. Facing the experienced Mary McGee (23-3, 12 KOs), of Gary, IN, in a 10-round contest, Napoleon will challenge for her first world title, with the vacant IBF junior middleweight world championship at stake. The historic bout will not be televised, so boxing fans will need to be in the arena to witness the action.

Headlining the Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes event will be an exciting clash between former world champions Omar “El Panterita” Figueroa (26-0-1, 18 KOs) and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (33-5-1, 18 KOs). The televised tripleheader also includes a battle of the Islands, as Staten Island’s “Sir” Marcus Browne (19-0, 14 KOs) takes on Long Island native and fan favorite “Irish” Seanie Monaghan (28-0, 17 KOs) in a light heavyweight showdown, as well as an all-Polish heavyweight grudge match between Artur Szpilka (20-2, 15 KOs) and Adam Kownacki (15-0, 12 KOs). Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

“On the July 15 undercard, Alicia Napoleon, a local Long Island woman from Lindenhurst, will be going for her first world title, making history for both her and women’s boxing,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “This will not only be the first women’s world title fight at Nassau Coliseum, now the newly renovated NYCB Live, but it will be the very first women’s boxing match held at the renowned venue. This historic bout adds to an already tremendous card that fans will not want to miss.”

The Italian Napoleon, of Lindenhurst, is a powerful pressure fighter who, despite her exceptional technical ability, has a propensity to brawl to the delight of her passionate fan base. She trains out of Overthrow Boxing Club in Manhattan, a gym she co-owns and helped found in 2015. Napoleon grew up in Manorville, Suffolk County, Long Island, as an athletic youth, participating in every sport she could, before turning to boxing while a senior in high school. Amassing a 22-5 amateur record, Napoleon won two New York Golden Gloves titles, a National Golden Gloves title, two National bronze medals, three Metro belts, as well as winning the Empire State Games, Platinum Gloves and NYABC tournament. She turned pro in August 2014, and appeared on DiBella Entertainment’s longstanding local boxing series “Broadway Boxing” three times on her way up the rankings. Competing in her first scheduled 10-round bout on January 29, 2016, Napoleon defeated Hungarian Szilvia Szabados via unanimous decision to capture the WBC Silver super welterweight belt. Now, with her first world title opportunity and fighting in NYCB Live’s inaugural female boxing match, Napoleon is helping to bring well deserved recognition to women’s boxing.

“To fight for a world title at NYCB Live and to make history doing it is going to be an amazing experience,” said Napoleon. “My opponent is a tough fighter, a volume puncher who comes forward, but I’ll be prepared. I’ve been training like a beast since January.

“When I was born, my grandfather actually told my mom that I would be a boxer because I had big hands. I feel it was my destiny. I’ve always loved the mental and physical challenges of boxing. I love feeling empowered, pushing my limits, embracing pain and working through it. I love to channel fear and turn it into something positive. Nothing good comes easy.

“Given the magnitude of this event, the level of opposition, fighting for a world title in the venue’s first boxing card in over three decades, being a Long Island girl and making history, the pressure is on and I am going to shine bright like a light that night.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.nycblive.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Ticketmaster Box Office at NYCB LIVE. Group discounts are available by calling 516-231-4848.

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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.

PBC on FOX & FOX Deportes
Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes is headlined by a matchup between exciting former world champions Omar “Panterita” Figueroa and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Saturday, July 15, in the first boxing event at the newly-renovated NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. July 15 will also be the first boxing event at the Coliseum since Mike Tyson headlined in 1986.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.nycblive.com, or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Ticketmaster Box Office at NYCB LIVE Group discounts are available by calling 516-231-4848.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage, www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FS1, @FOXDeportes @LouDiBella, @NYCBLive and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions,
www.Facebook.com/foxsports and www.Facebook.com/foxdeportes, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/NYCBLive. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. BROOKLYN BOXING on Long Island is an extension of BSE’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ brand. For more information, visit brooklynboxingshop.com.

LOS ANGELES (July 7, 2017) Fans were stunned when Charles Huerta (19-5, 12 KOs) scored a massive upset in a third round knockout over Ivan Delgado on the April 14th edition of LA FIGHT CLUB.Now, the proud Paramount, CA native will look to draw even more masses as he steps up to take on a soon to-be-announced opponent on August 10 in an eight-round super featherweight fight from the Belasco Theater televised live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar.

In the co-main event, Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (16-1, 14) representing Buena Park, CA will take on rugged Monterey, Mexico fighter Daniel Perales (10-10-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. Fighting in his eighth professional bout at the Belasco Theater, “Chimpa” is returning to the ring following a loss to Romero Duno on March 10 at LA FIGHT CLUB.

Kicking off the televised opener on Estrella TV, Francisco Esparza (6-0, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas will face Hemet, CA’s Fernando “Chukito” Fuentes (12-7, 4 KOs) in a six-round featherweight fight. Esparza makes his first return to the ring following a unanimous decision victory over Emmanuel Castro at LA FIGHT CLUB last March.

Opening up the evening’s LA FIGHT CLUB, Los Angeles local and Westside Boxing Club’s Rafael Gramajo (8-1-1, 2 KOs) will fight in a six-round bantamweight battle against Jair “El Nino” Quintero (7-5-2, 1 KO) of Hermosillo, Mexico. Gramajo was last seen defeating Harold Reyes by way of unanimous decision at the Belasco Theater more than a year ago.

Huerta vs. TBA is an eight-round super featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate “Born BOLD” and Casa Mexico Tequila. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 5:30 p.m. PT. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card will also stream live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via LBI Media, Inc.’s Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m. Mark your calendars and buy your tickets for the upcoming shows on July 14, August 10, September 1, October 6, November 3 and December 1.

Videos and images are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: http://bit.ly/Aug10LAFIGHTCLUB. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for any photos/video.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB are starting at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and BOLD Experience upgrade are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957.

Media interested in attending the August 10 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Friday, August 4, 2017 at 5 p.m., and can be found here. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval for a credential. You cannot transfer your credentials to someone else. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TheBelascoLA, www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @belascola and @EstrellaTV, follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB and #BoxeoEstelar.

LOS ANGELES (July 7, 2017) Golden Boy Promotions today announced it has re-signed super featherweight contender Charles Huerta (19-5, 12 KOs) to a multi-fight promotional contract. Fighting out of Paramount, CA, Huerta, 30, was last seen scoring a sensational third round knockout over Ivan “Striker” Delgado (11-1-1, 4 KOs) to the shock of the sold-out Belasco Theater on the April 14 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB televised live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar. Huerta will make his next appearance as the main event for an eight-round super featherweight fight on the upcoming Friday, August 10th LA FIGHT CLUB show from the Belasco Theater and airing live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar.

“I am very thankful to be re-signing with Golden Boy Promotions. Growing up, I idolized Oscar De La Hoya and watched all of his fights, so it’s a dream come true to fight under his banner,” said Huerta. “There is nothing like boxing in SoCal, and I look forward to seeing all of the local fight fans come out to see me in more shows.”

“After witnessing Huerta’s last fight, it’s clear he is a crowd-pleasing fighter in the ring,” said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Huerta brings out the hardcore South LA boxing fans, and we can’t wait to watch him in more action-packed, turf war showdowns.”

Making his professional debut at 21, Huerta has been a long-time fight veteran to the Southern California boxing scene, having fought 22 professional local bouts in his nearly decade-long career. Known for taking on SoCal prospects and contenders, Huerta has squared off with the likes of fan favorites Christopher “S.D. Kid” Martin, Carlos “The Solution” Morales and Ivan “Striker” Delgado in some of his most memorable showdowns.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing.

NEW YORK (July 7, 2017) – Undefeated super lightweight Keenan Smith is ready and confident for his upcoming bout with Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk as the two prepare to meet in an eight-round main event on ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, July 14 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

The ShoBox telecast features eight returning fighters with a combined record of 94 wins against just four losses.

Dangerous southpaw “Killa” Smith, (11-0, 5 KOs), of Philadelphia will make his second appearance on the series as he takes on Baranchyk, (14-0, 10 KOs), a native of Minsk, Byelorussia fighting out of Miami, Okla., who is making his fifth appearance on the ShoBox series.

In the co-feature, former national amateur champion Kenneth Sims Jr. (12-0, 4 KOs) will look to keep his record unblemished as he meets Rolando Chinea (14-1-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight scrap. Plus, undefeated Glenn Dezurn (9-0, 6 KOs) will take on Adam Lopez (16-1-1, KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight clash. In the telecast opener, Joshua Greer (13-1-1, 5 KOs) will battle Leroy Davila (5-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout.

Tickets for the event promoted by GH3 Promotions and Tony Holden Productions are priced at $35, $55, $65 and $75 and are available for purchase now at buffalorun.com.

Smith, the 2008 National Golden Gloves Champion and 2007 Junior Olympic National Champion, debuted on ShoBox in November of 2015, scoring a hard-fought unanimous decision over Benjamin Whitaker. The 5-foot-7, 26-year-old, will make his third start of the year after taking 2016 off to recover from and ACL injury and the loss of both of his parents within six months of each other. Smith has knocked out both of his opponents this year, Marquis Hawthorne and Edgar Gabejan.

Smith set up training camp in Southern Jersey, and has prepared for this bout with complete focus, and is ready to become a player in the junior welterweight division.

“Camp has been good, and I had a lot of top-notch sparring,” said Smith. “I have been doing a lot of strength and conditioning. This has been a wonderful camp, and on July 14th, the fans will see the best Keenan Smith.”

He continued: “My confidence is at 100%. I will beat him, and I am looking to kill The Beast.”

With a win over Baranchyk, Smith feels he can become an immediate contender at junior welterweight.

“The fight will open doors for me and get me bigger and better opportunities.”

Smith’s promoter Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions is fully behind his fighter and believes a breakout performance is in store for July 14.

“This will be Keenan’s chance to show what we already know: That he is a vastly talented fighter who has the goods to go a long way in this sport,” Mielnicki said. “He has the pedigree and now this is the stage where he becomes a real commodity in boxing. We are looking for a shining performance on July 14.”

Smith is trained by his brother Lemar Smith, and is managed by Doc Nowicki and David Price.

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

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

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 69 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and more.

Humble, Texas (July 7, 2017) – Highly decorated amateur, Christian Montano (1-0, 1 KO) has signed with NOW Promotions

Montano of The Woodlands, Texas was a three-time national champion, and had a 43-2 amateur record, The 18 year-old Montano is managed by James Cooper and NFL All-Pro offensive Tackle, Trent Williams of the Washington Redskins.

“Everything is good. I get great sparring, and I have been focusing on my footwork as well as the little things,” said Montano.

Montano, who is set to finish High School, was juggling school and training as he turned professional.

“It was hard to do that. I missed some school, but finishing is important to me. I have been taken a couple Summer classes, and I will have my diploma in the next month.”

“I would love to fight twice a month and get to 10-0 by the end of the year. That way I can also be active and in front of crowds to build my fan base.”

Being with a management team that includes Williams, a five-time pro bowl selection, has been a positive influence on the 18 year-old.

“Trent sees me as being on a path to success that he has achieved. He guides me, and we have a great friendship. He has shown me how to be a professional and we have talks about hard work and getting to the top of our profession.”

Montano’s describes his style as diverse, and the eighteen year-old is looking to take care of business in the light heavyweight division, and he feels that he will grow into boxing’s glamour division.

“I am a boxer-puncher that has an aggressive and vicious streak that throws every punch with bad intentions. I am looking to be a major player at light heavyweight and I feel I will grow into a heavyweight. I want to change boxing, and bring excitement and entertainment back to the sport, and have people remember as the Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson of my time.”

Said NOW Promotions Joseph Dunkin, “Christian is a terrific talent, and I am thrilled to have him in the fold. He combines his ability with charisma, and he could be a big star in the sport for years to come. We will keep him busy, and develop him into a big-time fighter.”