Danbury, CT (May 19, 2017) – Rising Junior Welterweight Cristobal ‘Bazooka’ Marrero (4-0, 2KO’s, New London, CT) has bolstered his camp by hiring A.J. Galante as his manager.

Galante, of Danbury, CT, has been managing and advising professional boxers for 6 years. In addition to Marrero, Galante currently manages Omar ‘The Beast’ Bordoy (1-0, Danbury, CT) and is an adviser to Frank ‘Notorious’ Galarza (17-2-2, 11KO’s, Brooklyn, NY). He notably managed the career of Delvin Rodriguez (29-4-4, 16KO’s, Danbury, CT) from his fight of the year against Pawel Wolak in 2011, to his HBO Main Event bout against Miguel Cotto in 2013.

Galante thinks with a good plan in place, the sky is the limit for the 22 year old Marrero. “I’m really excited and appreciative to be hired by Cristobal. It’s always humbling when somebody of his talent and caliber seeks you and wants you to be part of their team. He has all the tools, the hunger, amateur experience (82 fights), and personality to be a star. I’ve been brought onboard to monitor and add structure to his camp, and map out the future both for the short and long term. I’m looking forward to working with and building a successful relationship with his promoter, Jimmy Burchfield and CES, one of the most respected names in professional boxing.”

In speaking with Marrero, it’s clear to see he is optimistic on his future. “My Dad and I have followed A.J. and have seen the great things he has been doing with everybody that he handles, as well as his gym and amateur program. When we met with him the first time, we left knowing this was a guy we could trust, and has what it takes to take me to the next level, we knew we had to hire him. He is a man of his word and I’m so excited about some of the ideas he has for my career. It just makes me hungrier!”

His hunger will be on display on Friday June 9 at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island, as ‘Bazooka’ aims to extend his undefeated record to 5-0 against fellow undefeated prospect Miguel Ortiz (2-0, 1KO, Springfield, MA). Tickets are priced at $47, $102, $127 & $152, and are available online at CESBOXING.COM or by Phone at 401-724-2253.

New York, NY (5/19/17) – On Thursday evening, DiBella Entertainment’s popular Broadway Boxing series returned to New York for the first time in almost a year with a special edition, one-time-only event, held at Brooklyn’s historic Paramount Theater at Long Island University.

Brooklyn’s Heather “The Heat” Hardy headlined the card facing Hungarian Edina Kiss in an eight-round featherweight rematch. Before becoming a staple at Barclays Center (where she has fought seven of her last nine bouts), Hardy, now a two-division WBC International champion, was regularly featured on Broadway Boxing, making her pro debut on the series in August 2012.

Hardy’s first bout against Kiss, of Budapest, Hungary, took place on the undercard of the March 4 welterweight unification battle between Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, with the Brooklynite earning a unanimous points win. In the rematch, Hardy, 125.6, applied pressure from the outset and never let up, intent on establishing herself as the more physically imposing fighter. Determined to wear Kiss down, Hardy primarily focused on landing her power shots. In round four, a left hook and straight right rattled Kiss, who tired over the latter half of the bout. At this stage, Kiss’ offense amounted to winging haymakers, which Hardy easily evaded and countered. Scorecards read 80-72 twice, and 79-73, all in favor of Hardy via unanimous decision. With the loss, Kiss’ ledger fell to 14-4 (8 KOs).

At the conclusion of the bout, Hardy, now 20-0 (4 KOs) as a boxer, officially announced that she would be a two-sport athlete, making her MMA debut on the Bellator-promoted event at Madison Square Garden on June 24.

In his New York debut, 2016 American Olympian Charles Conwell, 153.2, of Cleveland, OH, handed Jeff Souffrant, 153.6, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, his first knockout defeat, in the opening stanza. Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Holden Productions, and managed by David McWater’s Split-T Management, the 19-year-old Conwell used his jab to bring up Souffrant’s guard, leaving his midsection an open target. Several well-placed straight rights to the body led to an overhand right to the temple that wobbled Souffrant. Conwell pounced on his adversary, throwing a barrage of shots until the referee jumped in to end the contest at 2:43 of the round. Earning his second straight first-round knockout, Conwell is now 2-0 (2 KOs), while Souffrant’s record fell to 3-2 (1 KO). Building an amateur record of 132-14, Conwell was an 11-time National champion.

Irish Noel Murphy, 145.8, of County Cork, Ireland, but now living in Woodlawn, NY, faced his most experienced opponent yet in Brian Jones, 146.6, of Los Angeles, CA, and outworked him over eight exciting rounds. Murphy showed impressive accuracy, placing sneaky straight rights through Jones’ guard and countering well when the Californian was moving forward. The Irishman employed a sustained body attack in the middle rounds to diminish his foe’s offensive output as well. In round six, with Murphy on the hunt for a stoppage, thrilling exchanges developed to the delight of the crowd. With scores of 80-72, and 79-73 twice, Murphy earned a unanimous decision to improve to 10-0 (2 KOs). Jones’ record is now 14-8 (8 KOs). Entering the bout, Murphy was coming off his first pro victory at home in Ireland to pick up the BUI Celtic welterweight title in February. Murphy was a multi-time National champion as an amateur before relocating to Yonkers, NY, and embarking on his professional career in November 2014.

Fighting for the first time as a professional in his adopted home borough of Brooklyn, Ukrainian Iegor Plevako, 223.4, halted Lamarco Ellis, 313.6, of Wilson, NC, inside one round. Ellis charged at Plevako at the opening bell hoping to overwhelm him, but the Ukrainian found the proper distance and established his stiff jab. Plevako began to follow up his jab with straight rights, which often found his foe’s chin. Ellis kept his hands high attempting to block these shots then would counter with wild hooks. Late in the frame, a barrage of shots hurt Ellis, no longer able to defend himself, prompting the TKO stoppage at the 2:38 mark. Managed by David McWater’s Split-T Management, Plevako is now 3-0 (2 KOs), while Ellis dropped to 2-4 (1 KO). As an amateur, Plevako, born in Kharkov, Ukraine, was a two-time Ukrainian National champion before relocating to the United States and becoming a two-time New York Metro Golden Gloves champion.

Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing® doubleheader telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Opening up the telecast from Madison Square Garden., is a 12-round lightweight attraction between Ray Beltran and Jonathan Maicelo.

The main event of the evening will be a 12-round junior welterweight title contest featuring Terence Crawford defending his title against Felix Diaz.

Official Weights from New York City:

Ray Beltran: 134.6 lbs.
Jonathan Maicelo: 134.8 lbs.

Terence Crawford: 139.2 lbs.
Felix Diaz: 139.4 lbs.

MIAMI, FL (May 19, 2017) – Yesterday, reigning WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs) and USBA Middleweight Champion Luis “Cuba” Arias (17-0, 8 KOs) participated in a media workout at the historic Tropical Park boxing gym in Miami. Both fighters are preparing for championship defenses on the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast of Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” on Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Rigondeaux will face interim WBA title holder Moises “Chucky” Flores (25-0, 17 KOs), while Arias takes on rising prospect Arif “The Predator” Magomedov (18-1, 11 KOs). The championship event, presented by Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

The fighters put on a showcase that included shadow boxing, heavy bag, mitt work and stretching. They were joined by Roc Nation Latin artist Victoria La Mala, who will be the national anthem performer for June 17.

Below is what the fighters and La Mala had to say during the media workout:

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX, WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion:

“Training has been going excellent in Miami, we have been preparing for a great battle with Moises Flores. I respect Chucky, he’s a great fighter and these are the types of big fights that are great for boxing. Nothing better than two undefeated fighters putting their records on the line.

“Flores is going to come prepared for the fight of his life and so am I. We never underestimate anyone and two undefeated warriors will be getting in the ring for an exciting fight on June 17.

“I have been constantly avoided by all the fighters in my division. I am the best in the world at 122 pounds and one of the top pound-for-pound fighters. I can’t wait to show the world that I am still the best. I thank Flores for having the courage to get in the ring with me unlike many top contenders that have avoided the challenge. Tune in June 17 to watch two fighters bring all that they have to the ring. It’s going to be an exciting co-main event on this year’s biggest boxing card.

“I’m happy for the opportunity to be part of such a big Pay-Per-View event, one of the biggest anticipated fights of the year – Ward vs. Kovalev 2. I’m very grateful to fight on such a big platform, and I want to let boxing fans know to expect nothing but an exciting fight. My opponents feel my power and run after the first round. Chucky Flores is a brave undefeated boxer that is coming with all he has, and we’re ready to show why each of us is the best come June 17.

“I’ve had everyone in my division run away from any mentions of me in the ring with them. My team is first focused on the Flores fight, and we’re ready to come and fight the best names in my division so that we can give the fans what they pay big Pay-Per-View money for, big exciting fights.

“I’m grateful to be a part of such a close community here in Miami, FL especially my boxing family at Tropical Park Boxing Gym. Miami is my home and I have all the support with me down here. I’m thankful for all the support that my fans brought during my training camp here in Miami. We have been able to bring boxing back here in Miami and make a great impact on the community, especially all the families that come to the park.”

LUIS ARIAS, USBA Middleweight Champion:

“June 17, I start cementing my name and legacy in this game! I’m ready to steal the show and prove that I stand amongst the best in the division.

“I’ve stepped up all levels of training. I train six days a week with two hours of boxing, one hour of strength and conditioning, and run 3.5 – 5 miles on average. I’m also working with one of the top nutritionists, Chris Alergi. He helps me with what to eat and how to monitor my weight. Can’t wait to show all of my progress on June 17.

“My message to Magomedov is simple…I hope he comes ready. He better be doing ‘em sit-ups. I’m coming!

“When I step in the ring, it’s not just about getting a win anymore. It’s about winning and looking good. I’ve built up my record. Now, I’m looking to put on an A-class performance. That’s what is going to make me stand out.

“My goal for the second half of 2017 is to put myself in top ‘contender’ position for what is probably the most stacked division in professional boxing. GGG, Canelo, Lemieux…bring them on!”

VICTORIA LA MALA:

“It’s an honor to be singing the national anthem at such an anticipated boxing event. Being from a Mexican family, I grew up watching boxing and am a huge fan of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. I can’t wait to cheer on my Roc family–Andre, Rigo and Luis–on June 17.”

Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch,” a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Championships, is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Main Events, Andre Ward Promotions, Krusher Promotions and Corona Extra, sponsored by Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Jetlux, Life10 Water, Zappos and Powered by Monster. The championship event takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” are available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office.

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Philadelphia, PA (May 18, 2017) – Weights for Friday night’s King’s Promotions fight card at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia

Carlos Rosario 130.7 – Joshua Davis 131.5
Antowyan Aikens 172,2 – Amir Shabazz 174.2
Thomas Velasquez 134.4 – Brandon Sanudo 142
Tyrone Crawley, Jr. 143.6 – Juan Rodriguez 139.3
Steven Ortiz 143.7 – Hector Rivera 133.8
Tito Gosalves 136.7 – Gerardo Martinez 136.3
Vincent Floyd 146.8 – Rafael Montalvo 148.0
Antonio Allen 141.3 – Demtris Williams 141.9

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: 2300 Arena
1st Bell: 6:30 PM (doors 6 PM)

Tickets for this great night of boxing can be purchased at www.2300arena.com for $100, $75 and $50

For more information, and media credentials, Contact:

Marc Abrams at 856 287 7611 or phillyboxing@gmail.com

ORANGE, Calif. (May 18, 2017) – Erick Ituarte (16-1-1, 2 KOs) and Isaac Zarate (12-2-2, 2 KOs) successfully weighed in for Friday’s Junior NABF featherweight championship scheduled for eight compelling rounds from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Ituarte (126 lbs.) and Zarate (125.8 lbs.) both hail from Southern California, Santa Ana and San Pedro, respectively. They each are familiar with one another’s style with pre-fight chatter indicating a back-and-forth battle.

Click on the graphic above to view the final “New Blood” promotional video, or access the link here.

Thompson Boxing’s 17 year anniversary show will be live streamed on its website and Facebook Live beginning at 7:45 p.m. PDT this Friday.

WEIGHTS

Erick Ituarte, 126 vs. Isaac Zarate, 125.8 (8-rounds)
Ricardo Espinoza, 115.5 vs. Christian Nieto-Ayala, 115.7 (8-rounds)
Ruben Villa, 130 vs. Anthony de Jesus Ruiz 129.1 (6-rounds)
Mario Hernandez, 117 vs. May Garduño, 116.7 (4-rounds)
Juan Garcia Mendez, 139 vs. Cesar Villarraga, 139.1 (6-rounds)
Brandon Trejo, 135.8 vs. Pablo Capul, 134.6 (4-rounds)

Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase on Friday beginning at 5:30 p.m. local time from the will call booth at the Doubletree Ontario.

Friday’s live stream, titled “TB Presents: New Blood,” will be anchored by blow-by-blow announcer Beto Duran with Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bell at approximately 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.

“New Blood” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with Everlast.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #NewBlood, #ThompsonBoxing, #TBLiveStream.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, find us on YouTube and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

Claressa “T-Rex” Shields had a very special visitor at her gym yesterday, none other than all-time Michigan great Thomas “Hitman” Hearns.

Hearns, from Detroit, is the 1980 and 1984 The Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” and the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.

22-year-old Shields (2-0, 1 KO) of Flint, is currently preparing for her eight-round main event against Mery Rancier (7-8-3, 5 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for the WBC Silver Super Middleweight Championship at Salita Promotions’ “Detroit Brawl” on Friday, June 16, 2017 at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Once again sponsored by the Greektown Casino Hotel, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at VIP $200, Box Seats are $100 and $55, Seating is $40, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com.

“I came out to see her because I want her to do well. I think it’s wonderful that a female fighter is the best from Michigan right now,” said Hearns. “The world is all about change and this is change for the better. I feel good about it. The champions from the past from Michigan are passing the torch to the next great fighter from here and that’s Claressa. The fans in Michigan should come out and help support her because she is the future.”

Shields said she was humbled to have such an all-time great supporting her.

“To have Tommy Hearns come out to my gym means a lot to me, I feel like I’m moving my career in the right direction and getting the right attention. I’m not just some girl putting on some gloves. It means a lot to be the latest big-name fighter to come from Michigan. I’m glad Tommy Hearns chose to come here and it does feel like a passing of the torch. He is very supportive and it feels great to be respected by such a great world champion.”

Shields says her training is going extremely well for her third professional and second championship fight.

“Training so far has been going really good. We’re 29 days out of the fight and I’m in the best shape of my life. I trained hard for my six-rounder and that only went four rounds and I feel like I’m still in shape from that. Now I’m getting ready for eight rounds and I feel great. I’m fighting at 168 pounds and I’m at 168 right now. I haven’t been having weight problems and I’m eating right and running every day.”

Shields promoter, Dmitriy Salita, says Hearns indicated he was very impressed with Shields’ gym work.

“Claressa is the next boxing superstar from the state of Michigan,” he said. “It’s a very special passing of the torch from such a living legend who lives in Detroit as Tommy Hearns. Mr. Hearns, who is a Detroit boxing icon and a great ambassador of the sport, was very impressed with Claressa’s skills and training regimen.”

Salita says he sees Shields’ potential for superstardom and her ability to revive the energy in Michigan boxing.

“Detroit is Americas Greatest Comeback city. We are going to see a revival of world-class boxing, ushered in by a young lady from Flint who despite growing up in very difficult circumstances, is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, the most accomplished boxer every to come out of the USA boxing program. This is only her third pro bout, and she is fighting for the WBC Silver title on June 16. We are witnessing something very special here and it’s very ironic that it’s all taking place close to Detroit, which is fighting back for its own recognition again as one of Americas Greatest cities.”

More fights, opponents and rounds will be announced shortly. On fight night, doors open at 7:00 pm and the fights begin at 8:00 pm.

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For more information on the “Detroit Brawl” or Salita Promotions, visit www.salitapromotions.com. Facebook and Twitter: @DetroitBrawl

About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

NEW YORK (May 18, 2017) — Undefeated World Junior Welterweight Champion and top pound for pound fighter TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (30-0, 21 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., will make his 2017 debut, This Saturday! May 20, at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden. This will also be his debut headlining in the big room — a testament both to his talent and his growing popularity. Crawford will be defending his unified World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) / Ring magazine titles against former Olympic gold medalist and top-rated contender FÉLIX DÍAZ (19-1, 9 KOs), of Brooklyn by way of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in a marquee all-action fight. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Crawford, Díaz, the Pride of Newark and 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist SHAKUR STEVENSON, world-rated lightweight contenders RAY “Sugar” BELTRAN and JONATHAN “The Last Inca” MAICELO hosted a Final Press Conference at Madison Square Garden. Here is what they had to say:

TERENCE CRAWFORD
“I‘m excited to be fighting in The Garden’s main arena and following in the steps of great fighters – legends. I am proud to continue the tradition. I don’t feel any pressure fighting at The Garden. The ring, no matter where it is, always feels like home to me. I just have to keep winning. If I keep winning then the opportunities for even bigger fights will present themselves. But this is a really big fight to me. Diaz is a worthy challenger and you can’t bring just any fight to The Garden. I didn’t get this far without winning. I ‘m ready for any opportunities at 140 or 147 pounds. I want to put a show on for everyone on Saturday night. I WILL make a statement.”

FÉLIX DÍAZ
“I‘m up for this challenge. I really believe this will be a war on Saturday night. I’m going to have massive support from my fellow Dominicans. I have a great chance of winning this fight. I see a lot of weaknesses in his game that I know I can take advantage of. He is one of the best, but I have fought at welterweights and he hasn’t. I believe I have the power to hurt him.”

RAY BELTRAN
“This fight is so important to me. It’s for a shot at world title and for my Green Card. If I win this fight, my next stop is Trump Tower where I can wave my Green Card at the building for everyone in there to see it. I’ve had so many struggles to get here today. My family’s future depends on my winning the fight. Everything is riding on this.”

JONATHAN MAICELO
“The Garden will feel like Peru to me on Saturday night. I have a lot of Peruvian fans coming to the fight to root for me. With a world title shot at stock I’m going to give it everything I’ve got on Saturday night.”

SHAKUR STEVENSON
“I’m excited and ready to put on a show. I want to prove to everyone that I’m the best prospect to come out of the 2016 Olympics. The Olympics was a great experience because I was seen by a lot of people. It was great being in training camp with Terence [Crawford]. I learned a lot from sparring with him. Every punch he threw, even the narrow misses were like, ‘WOW!’ It’s been a long time since I have fought this close to home. Newark will be in The Garden in a big way on Saturday”

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The HBO telecast will open with Beltran (32-7-1, 20 KOs), of Phoenix, AZ by way of Los Mochis, Mexico, and Maicelo (25-2, 12 KOs), of North Bergen, New Jersey by way of Callao, Peru, going mano a mano in a high-stakes battle of world-rated lightweight contenders. Sanctioned by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) as a world lightweight title elimination bout, the winner of the 12-round rumble will also lay claim to the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) International and the NABF and NABO lightweight titles, currently held by Beltran. The world championship event will also feature the Pride of Newark and 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist SHAKUR STEVENSON (1-0) on the non-televised undercard. All the non-HBO televised undercard bouts will be streamed live exclusively via www.toprank.tv.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with DiBella Entertainment, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets to the Crawford vs. Díaz world championship event are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75, $50 and $35. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

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For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo Facebook.com/dibellaentertainment, https://www.facebook.com/felixmanuel.diazguzman, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014790258442 or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, www.twitter.com/LouDiBella, www.twitter.com/felixmldiaz or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordDiaz to join the conversation on Twitter.

Las Vegas, NV (May 18, 2017) – Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions will team with Linacre Media and Facebook to bring the fans from across the globe together with one purpose – the love of boxing – and will give all a ringside seat for “FIGHTNIGHT LIVE” on Facebook.

Record numbers and 5-star reviews are still pouring in following last Thursday’s debut of FIGHTNIGHT LIVE as it received a standing ovation from fans across the globe, and Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions has accepted the invitation to join the future of live FREE streaming. Fans from all around the world can tune-in to Facebook FIGHTNIGHT LIVE on Saturday, July 15 at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) to catch a fan-friendly, interactive, high quality Facebook Live broadcast on every enabled device. Roy Jones Jr. Boxing will “go live” from Wild Horse Pass Casino and Hotel to bring behind-the-scenes interviews, exclusive first-hand looks at the fighters and the raw emotion of each fighter’s win, lose or draw.

Promoted by Roy Jones Jr. and Keith Veltre of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions, this card will give fans back-to-back championship action. The event will showcase a main attraction featuring NABA Super Welterweight Champion John “The Phenom” Vera Jr. (16-0, 10KOs) as he takes on the former WBO Latino Champion Daniel Rosario (11-2, 10KOs) in a 10-round contest at the Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler, AZ. Former WBA Super Bantamweight, Rico Ramos (25-5, 13KOs) will go toe-to-toe for the vacant NABA Super Bantamweight Belt, along with Arizona area heroes. Additional fights and fighters are subject to change.

“Roy and I have always felt that live streaming would take the place of the old platforms of delivering fights,” stated Keith Veltre, CEO & Co-Founder of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions. “To partner up with Linacre Media and showcase our talent live with Facebook is years ahead of anyone else in the industry. This will give us the ability to reach millions of boxing fans around the world and enable us to deliver our sponsors triple the exposure we would normally get from traditional T.V. Mark Fratto, the brains behind this envisioning series, is giving fighters the opportunity to showcase their talent to the world and gain a fan base. We are thrilled that his vision lines exactly where Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions wants to be.”

The July 15th card will be called by world-renowned blow-by-blow announcer Ray Flores of Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime Boxing, HBO Boxing and CBS Sports Networks. Commentating ringside alongside Flores will be boxing analyst Michael Woods of the TalkBox Podcast, NYFights.com and Ring TV. Sports fans will have a fully-interactive ringside experience as commentators respond to and answer questions and comments from the Facebook audience and fight fans from around the globe throughout the entire broadcast.

“I was inundated with complimentary texts, emails and calls almost as soon as the FIGHTNIGHT LIVE pilot started, and it was a lot of fun watching the numbers swell from 27 views at the start of the broadcast to 43,000-plus by now,” said Mark Fratto, Principal of Linacre Media. “Like many others, we believe that the present and future of ‘televised’ boxing, MMA, Muay Thai and really all live sports is digital. Further, by putting these events on Facebook we’re providing an interactive environment for fight fans to not only view the events, but to connect with each other and provide their own real-time commentary during the bouts. We believe in high-quality, cost-efficient production that can give fans free access to hundreds of global, national and regional live fight nights without breaking the bank of the promoter and also without sacrificing what sports fans have come to expect from their viewing experience – multiple camera angles, graphics, replays and behind-the-scenes access and interviews. We don’t want traditional fans, digital customers and cord-cutters to be relegated to trying to watch other spectators’ live feeds off their cell phones.”

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

INFORMATION:
Websites: www.linacremedia.com, www.royjonesjrboxing.com, www.wingilariver.com/WildHorsePass,
Twitter: @FIGHTNIGHTLIVE_, @Royjonesjrfa
Instagram: @faceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE, @Royjonesjrboxing, @LinacreMedia, @KeithVeltre
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FaceFIGHTNIGHTLIVE, www.facebook.com/RoyjonesjrBoxing, www.facebook.com/WildHoresePasscasino

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2017) -Looking to follow up on a stellar knockout victory in March, slick Armenian fighter Azat “Attack” Hovhannisyan (11-2, 10 KOs) is stepping up to take on tougher competition in rugged Tijuana, Mexico warrior Neftali “Lenguas” Campos (12-2, 9 KOs). The two will meet in an eight round super bantamweight main event at the Belasco Theater televised live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar.

In the televised co-main event, someone’s ‘0’ must go, as Santa Ana, CA fighter Alexis Rocha (7-0, 5 KOs) faces Cesar Valenzuela (7-0, 2 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in a guaranteed action-packed welterweight war scheduled to go eight rounds. A rising up and comer on the Golden Boy roster, Rocha earned a fifth round stoppage in his last fight over Marcus Beckford.

Having knocked out every opponent he has faced, LA FIGHT CLUB fan favorite Niko “Baby Face” Valdes (4-0, 4 KOs) is back and ready to take on Ernesto “Gatti” Berrsope (14-11) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a super middleweight bout going six rounds as the televised opener. Known for crowd-pleasing performances, Valdes was last seen knocking out opponent Alejandro Osuna at the end of the fourth round on the March 10 LA FIGHT CLUB undercard.

Participating in a four round super featherweight bout, Tenochtitlan “T-Dog” Nava (5-0, 1 KO) will face an opponent to be named shortly. Each of Nava’s fights has taken place at the Belasco Theater, and he was last seen defeating Thomas Smith via unanimous decision.

Kicking off LA FIGHT CLUB, the pride of Glendora, CA, Jousce “Tito” Gonzalez (4-0, 4 KOs) will take on a soon-to-be announced opponent in a super featherweight fight to go four rounds. With a budding reputation for heavy hands, Gonzalez was last seen in February knocking out Emmanuel Valadez in the first round.

Hovhannisyan vs. Campos is an eight-round super bantamweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate “Born BOLD”, Casa Mexico Tequila, and Adriana’s Insurance. 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 show on July 14.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB are starting at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and Knockout 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 June 2 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Friday, May 26, 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.

LONDON (May 18, 2017) – IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Gervonta Davis, undefeated No. 1 contender Liam Walsh and promoter Floyd Mayweather got into a jarring session during Thursday’s final press conference at Landmark Hotel in London just two days before Saturday’s world title clash on SHOWTIME from Copper Box Arena.

Baltimore’s “Tank” Davis, America’s youngest world champion, will attempt to become the first American to successfully defend his title on British soil in nearly a decade*, while Walsh (21-0, 14 KOs) aims to dethrone the man that Mayweather has christened the “future of boxing.” (*Note: Paulie Malignaggi vs. Lovemore Ndou in 2008)

Davis vs. Walsh is part of a split-site, four-fight SHOWTME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast that begins on Saturday, May 20, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. In the main event, Gary Russell Jr. will make his second featherweight title defense and long-awaited homecoming against mandatory challenger Oscar Escandon live from MGM National Harbor just outside of Washington, D.C.

The 22-year-old Davis, who has won by knockout in 16 of his 17 professional fights, will make the first defense of the IBF belt to won via KO over previously unbeaten Jose Pedraza in January. The 30-year-old Walsh has won by knockout in three of his last four bouts and will be a decided local favorite at an expected sold-out Copper Box Arena.

The pound-for-pound great turned promoter Mayweather and Walsh’s two brothers, fellow professional fighters Michael and Ryan, led the jarring during Thursday’s festivities with Mayweather claiming “I’m 40 years old and I’ll kick all three of your asses in the same night.”

Team Walsh was “not intimidated one little bit” by Mayweather or Tank, while the southpaw Davis promised “On Saturday night you’ll be on your ass. And then your brothers can get in next.”

Below are highlights of what the participants had to say on Thursday:

GERVONTA DAVIS:
“I’m just on a whole different level. I do know they built you good, but you’ve been dropped before. They’ve been protecting you from the power, so I know you have no chin. On Saturday night you’ll be on your ass. And then your brothers can get in next.

“Please don’t run Saturday night.

“I’ve just been trying to stay level-headed. Getting that belt brings me that much closer to what I want to do – to take over the sport of boxing. With the performance I put on Saturday night it will bring me a step closer to being the star of boxing and follow after Floyd Mayweather.

“Having Floyd in my corner gives me a lot of confidence. Floyd has been pretty hands on with me, he’s been getting up and training and running with me. He was my hero in the sport of boxing coming up so to just have him in my corner now is amazing.

“I won the belt and now my focus is to take over the sport.

“Growing up in Baltimore, it has a high crime rate. It’s been tough. Where I’m from the gym is in the hood. If it wasn’t for the gym I’d either be in jail or dead. That’s not what I want to be. Boxing saved my life.”

LIAM WALSH:
“I’m always confident. As I’ve said many times, his performance against Pedraza was very good. I applaud him. Tank is the best fighter I’ve come up against in my career so far, but I’m also the best fighter he’s going to come against in his career so far. So it makes for a great fight.

“He’s physically very good. He’s very fast, very powerful. He’s a good puncher and performed beyond his years against Pedraza. You can’t knock his performance whatsoever, but there’s still a lot of questions that he has to answer.

“The southpaw stance doesn’t affect me too much. I can switch between the two. I’m comfortable in both stances so that doesn’t bother me.

“I don’t think I can put it into words what it would mean to win the title. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little child. The feeling, the emotion, I can’t put it into words. This is the biggest night of my life.

“There are definitely flaws in his game and they’re there for me to exploit. I plan to take advantage of his mistakes. When I was 22, there were definitely mistakes I made that I wouldn’t make now. So maybe it’s the perfect time to fight him.

“I’m not intimidated one little bit. Not by Floyd, not by Tank, not by anyone.

“I predict I will win the fight. I wouldn’t be shocked if I won by knockout, I wouldn’t be shocked if I won on points. You won’t see me celebrating like a mad man if I knock out Tank because I know I’m capable of it.”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER:
“It’s not just one performance. It takes more than just one performance. We truly believe that he can be a great fighter, but he came in his last fight with only 16 fights and beat the champion. We know he’s not going to lay down. This kid has dynamite in both hands. If he keeps going out there beating great fighters he cannot be denied.

“When its lights, camera, action and the bell rings, 17 times he came out victorious and 16 by way of (knockout).

“His team does a remarkable job, but it’s my job as a friend and a father figure to tell him to come to Vegas to get him the best work. We wanted him to have different looks. We want guys that were going to push him, give him different styles.

“This kid, he busts his ass day in and day out. We’re going to continue to go out there and do what we do.

“I already conquered your country once (with Ricky Hatton) and now we’re going to conquer it again on Saturday.

“I don’t miss being in the gym at all. If I can push this fighter to surpass me and break every record, that’s a goal of mine. That’s what we’re here to do. Records are made to be broken.

“I remember when I met Tank on the Canelo (Alvarez) press tour and he asked to take a photo with me. When I took a photo with him I said, ‘there’s something about that kid that looks special.’

“He came to my gym and put in some real good work and I reached out to him and said, ‘whatever it takes to work with you and get you to the next level, let’s make it happen.’ I told him, ‘if you listen to me and continue to work hard I truly believe you can be world champion within 24 months.’ And that’s just one stepping stone. As of right now he’s one of the only fighters in boxing facing back-to-back undefeated fighters.

“Frank Warren, Liam Walsh, we just want to commend you guys for stepping up to the plate and making this fight happen and giving the fans what they want to see. The fans want to see blood, sweat and tears.

“Tank is always in tremendous fights, he’s a big knockout artist. I truly believe in my man, and I want to work with him until the end of his career.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing. To become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

NATIONAL HARBOR (May 18, 2017) – Featherweight world champion Gary Russell Jr. and top challenger Oscar Escandon went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they square-off in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING this Saturday, May 20 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

Also in attendance at Thursday’s press conference and competing in action on SHOWTIME were super middleweight contenders Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui, who battle for the IBF Super Middleweight World Championship, plus two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy and former title challenger Kiryl Relikh, who meet in a 140-pound title eliminator. The telecast begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with Gervonta Davis putting his IBF Jr. Lightweight Title on the line against Liam Walsh from Copper Box Arena in London.

Tickets for the live event at MGM National Harbor, promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50, and are now on sale. To purchase tickets go to http://mgmnationalharbor.com/.

Russell Jr. was joined by his brothers, 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell and unbeaten prospect Gary Antonio Russell, as the trio of brothers look to pick up a hat trick of victories in their hometown Saturday night and on the birthday of their father and trainer, Gary Russell Sr.

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday from MGM National Harbor:

GARY RUSSELL JR.

“I never magnify an event, even though it’s at home. The end objective is still the same. But I think it’s cool that everyone in our neighborhood has the opportunity to be in the arena and see what we do.

“I’m 100 percent physically and mentally ready for the challenge and I’m on top of everything I can be.

“When you get caught up in the hype, it’s a deficiency in yourself. You have to be able to focus on the objective over everything else.

“I believe in my ability but also the ability of my brothers. So I’m not nervous for them. I know what they’ve been taught. They conduct themselves like young men in and out of the ring.

“I want a unification bout after this. I’m ready for any of the other world champions. We can line them all up in the same night if you want. If I can’t get those fights, I’m going to move up in weight and bully around these bigger guys.

“I look at each fighter as their own individual. We don’t prepare the same way for every opponent. He’s a tough fighter who comes forward. He’s very physical and I expect him to be at his best on Saturday. It’s up to me to counteract what he does.

“I love this sport. I love what I do. I love being able to prepare for no one else, but the person across the ring and then dismantling him.

“We worked on versatility most. We believe in the sweet science. A lot of these guys just win because they’re stronger and faster. We want to be more technically sound too.”

OSCAR ESCANDON

“This is a very important fight for my career. This is going to elevate me to where I want to be and give me the platform to do anything in the sport. I’m very well prepared for this.

“I feel strong and healthy at 126-pounds. I’m focused on this fight Saturday night. I’ll fight anyone but right now I have to get past Gary Russell Jr.

“In my last fight I was the underdog. People counted me out. Same thing applies here. I’ve done the work and I’m confident that I’m going to win.

“I didn’t have complete training camps with my past trainers, but now I’m with Ruben Guerrero. I’m learning so much. You can look at me in my previous fights and you’ll see a vast improvement now.

“I want that green (WBC) belt a lot. Green is my favorite color. I want to be the best and to me, winning that title signifies that I am the best. To do that I have to beat the best, and that is Gary Russell Jr.

“I don’t like to talk much but I will say that I’m coming to bring this world title back to Colombia. I respect Gary but my mindset is that I’m taking this title home.”

ANDRE DIRRELL

“It’s been a long hard journey for me. But I’ve always managed to climb back on top. The hard work that I’ve put in will make Saturday night easy work.

“My opponent is a fantastic fighter. If anyone should be in line for a title it’s this guy. He has the the power and he has the skill. I just believe he’s up against a better and tougher opponent.

“I’m going to get in the ring and display all of my abilities. I’m very confident and ready. It’s time for Andre to get on top and stay on top.

“I’ve been out of the ring for a while but most importantly, I’ve stayed in the gym in training the whole time. I’ve kept positive mentally as well. Everything is going upward right now and I’m going to take advantage.

“Uzcategui has everything a world champion needs to get to that title, but he’s facing a more skilled competitor on May 20. He’s deserving of the opportunity and that’s why I trained so hard for this fight.

“The title means the world to me. We fight for the titles first. We’re all coming from the amateurs where we got trophies. My love will always be here with the sport until the day I retire.”

JOSE UZCATEGUI

“You won’t want to miss any of these fights on Saturday night. It’s a great card and I’m planning to steal the show.

“I like when my opponent talks a lot. None of the stuff my opponent says can help him in the ring. It’s just me, him and our fists.

“It’s a lot of responsibility to be the top contender for the belt. I have to make it clear that we deserve this so that I can move on to bigger and better things.

“People are going to get to see my power on display Saturday night, but also my other skills. I can do it all in the ring and I’m going to prove it.

“After this I want to take on James DeGale and Gilberto Ramirez. I’m coming to clean out this whole division and be undisputed. It starts on Saturday.”

RANCES BARTHELEMY

“I’m living a dream right now that I myself never in a million years imagined. Every time I get to speak with my mother in Cuba, I tell her of this dream that I am currently living and how it is still surreal to me. To be able to fight on these big cards in the U.S. after the long journey, after all the setbacks, I could not be any more grateful.

“Being a world champion in two different weight divisions is something still unreal to me after people doubted whether I would even become a world champion one day. But this journey does not stop here for me. I have the urge to keep on going, make history for my people, and fight the big names in boxing.

“Everyone in my team supports and motivates each other because we know we as Cubans have to work twice as hard as everybody else. There is an unfair representation of Cuban boxers among the press and fans here in America. We are misconstrued as being boring fighters therefore we are determined to erase that stigma and prove to everyone that we can brawl and put on a good show just as much as we can box.

“I have been working on some new and different things to add to my arsenal this training camp. My whole team has been incredible and pushed me every day.

“Don’t miss this fight on Saturday night. It’s going to be eventful and exciting. I’m coming to get a spectacular win.”

KIRYL RELIKH

“I’m very happy to be here and be a part of this great show. I will do my best to give a great fight on Saturday.

“Camp was perfect. I have a great team and I’m ready for anything. We worked hard and it’s going to be a great performance.

“I’m ready for any style that that Rances Barthelemy can bring into the ring. We thought that we got the win in Scotland against Ricky Burns, but it is very hard to win on points on the road.

“I always fight in different countries so this is just another one on my list. It’s normal for me. I’m very ready for the challenge and I’m expecting a great fight.

“I hope that people like my style. I’m going to entertain the fans and get a victory over Rances Barthelemy on Saturday night.”

GARY ANTUANNE RUSSELL

“I get to pick up right where I left off after the Olympics. I’m fighting on the same night with my brothers for the first time in so long. It was one of my first amateur fights when we last did it.

“I’m feeling really good. We’re making a statement and we’re making history. What’s not to be excited about?

“Mentally and emotionally the Olympics really helped me for the pros. You have to develop over time. We’re constantly training and sharpening our tools. This is a different stage, that’s all.

“I hope everyone is ready for Saturday night. There were some mishaps at the Olympics. Life is going to throw you bumps to get over, and that’s what I’m going to do. Everyone better keep their eyes open Saturday, because it might be quick.”

GARY ANTONIO RUSSELL

“I’m really excited about this fight and competing alongside my brothers. It feels good to come home and fight. My family and friends will be in the building.

“I can’t wait to get in the ring and show what we’ve been working so hard on. All the hours in the gym with my dad and brothers is going to pay off on fight night.

“I’ve seen some video of my opponent. I know his weaknesses and strengths. We’re going to come exploit it on fight night.”

GARY RUSSELL SR., Father and Trainer of the Russells

“We work hard in the gym. Everybody has a plan until they get hit. We know that he’s going to bring pressure and we’ll be ready for it.

“I’m really happy about this opportunity. We can get it all done in one night and put on a great show for everyone.

“I’m definitely in fight mode. There are no extra nerves at all. I just want to get this done and get it done right.

“I can’t really put Escandon in the same category with the top guys we’ve faced. He’s a short fighter. Most people in these weight classes are taller than Gary. At that size, the only way you can fight is straight forward. He’s not going to out box us.”

RUBEN GUERRERO, Escandon’s Trainer

“We’re ready over here. We’re going to do what it takes. We know what we’re up against. He’s one of the best. We’ll prove who is the best on Saturday. This is going to come down to a war. Gary knows what he’s going against.

“I helped Escandon set up a camp in Las Vegas for this fight because this was a huge opportunity. We were up in the mountains and that’s where I wanted him. He’s going to be great on fight night. He’ll be ready to go. It’s not easy to train in Vegas.

“We’re coming to win. We can’t control the judges but we know they’re fair. We’re expecting a fair shake. We’re going to control what we can.”

# # #

ABOUT RUSSELL JR. vs. ESCANDON

Gary Russell Jr. vs. Oscar Escandon is a featherweight world championship showdown that headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, May 20 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland. Televised coverage begins on SHOWTIME at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and features super middleweight contenders Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui in a matchup for the Interim IBF Super Middleweight World Championship plus two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy in a WBA 140-pound world title eliminator against Kiryl Relikh. In the telecast opener, from Copper Box Arena in London, Gervonta Davis puts his IBF Jr. Lightweight Title on the line against Liam Walsh.

For more information, follow on Twitter @MrGaryRussellJr, @TGBPromotions, @MGMNatlHarbor and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/MGMNationalHarbor. The event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

The Cotto-Roc Nation Sports separation was amicable but came about because they simply could not agree on the money Cotto should be paid for the fight, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Cotto, the source said, wanted way more than Roc Nation Sports was willing to guarantee for such a marginal fight that likely would have lost money.

Team GB stars Lawrence Okolie and Joe Cordina have been added to the packed Kell Brook vs. Errol Spence undercard at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on May 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

The Rio Olympic duo have enjoyed great starts to life in the paid ranks with both men boasting a pair of stoppage wins from the first two fights with Okolie blasting away his first two opponents inside a round and Cordina landing a fourth round KO at Wembley Stadium as he kicked off the Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko card in April.

Okolie was set to appear on that bill but time defeated his chance to fight Russell Henshaw, so they will meet at the home of Sheffield United, and their addition to the card makes it a hat-trick of GB Olympic stars on the bill as Anthony Fowler makes his pro debut.

Brook and Spence top the action in the steel city where George Groves faces Fedor Chudinov for the vacant WBA World Super-Middleweight title.

Jamie Cox meets Lewis Taylor for the WBA Inter-Continental Super-Middleweight title on his Matchroom Boxing debut while Dave Allen takes on with Lenroy Thomas for the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight title.

Tickets for the night are still on general sale priced as follows: tiered seating at £40, £60 and £80 and pitch seats at £80, £100, £150 and £200 –VIP Packages are sold out.

Tickets are on sale from Sheffield United’s Box Office at http://www.sufc.co.uk/tickets/, on 0114 253 7200 and in person from the box office at Bramall Lane – all tickets purchased from Sheffield United are subject to a 10 per cent booking fee.

Face value tickets for May 27 are also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

LONDON (May 18) – Floyd Mayweather protégé Gervonta Davis says he wants to become boxing’s next superstar but must first get past Cromer’s Liam Walsh.

The 22-year-old from the mean streets of Baltimore will make the first defence of his IBF super-featherweight world title when he steps into a British ring for the first time to take on the undefeated Walsh, live this Saturday night on BoxNation.

In his dazzling stoppage win over Jose Pedraza earlier this year to win his world title, ‘Tank’ as Davis is nicknamed, showcased all the tools needed to reach the very pinnacle of the sport and sees Walsh as just another step towards reaching that goal.

“It’s been pretty good since winning the world title. I’m actually staying level headed, staying focused. Getting the world title is a step closer to where I want to be,” said Davis.

“Having a belt is cool, but I’m trying to do more in the sport. I want to be the next star of boxing. I want to do more in the sport. This is just one more step to me,” he said.

Preparing for his fight at the Copper Box Arena this weekend, Davis has been guided in the final part of his training camp by his promoter Mayweather, who has been sharing some words of wisdom with the 130-pounder.

“When I got back to Vegas, Floyd Mayweather was hands on more than usual, working with me in the gym late nights,” he said.

“I’ve been working extra hard. Having him back in the gym gives me that extra push and has my mind on another level.

“Having him in my corner makes me feel like I have that chance. I have one of the best in the business backing me. It means a lot. It makes me work harder,” Davis said.

30-year-old Walsh is no pushover himself and has stacked up 21 wins unbeaten, with 14 of those by knockout.

The Norfolk boxer is adamant that he will keep his unblemished record intact by handing Davis his very first loss.

“He certainly has potential and star quality – that was clear to see when he beat [Jose] Pedraza. But he has to come through me first,” said Walsh

“I don’t see any other way than me winning. If he’s going to be a star in the future, it’s going to have to be with a loss after fighting me,” he said.

Walsh is sceptical about the names on Davis’ record and believes he still has a lot of questions to answer.

“I don’t think he’s completely overrated, but I think there are still a lot of questions to be asked of him. He looked very good and brilliant against Pedraza. The only other reputable fighter on his record is Cristobal Cruz. There are a lot of question marks lingering on,” said Walsh.

“I feel like I’ve been in tougher fights than him. I feel like I’ve been in longer fights. I think I have a better boxing IQ than him. He’s very powerful, very physical and very fast, but we haven’t seen him in a long fight or a dog fight or a gruelling fight though.

“I will certainly ask all these questions. I’ll do it any which way that it has to go. I’m more than confident I’ll get the job done,” he said.

Following Davis v Walsh, BoxNation will then turn its attention across the Atlantic where pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford takes on the slick Felix Diaz, exclusively live from Madison Square Garden.

WBC and WBO super-lightweight world champion Crawford is very much the man to beat at 140-pounds but against the Dominican Republic’s Diaz he will need to be at the very top of his game if he hopes to continue his dominance of the division.

Diaz, a 2008 Olympic gold medallist and with just a solitary loss on his record, has been calling out 29-year-old Crawford for months, with the Nebraska native saying he will be ready for whatever comes his way.

“Come Saturday, I will be ready for whatever Felix Diaz brings to the ring that night,” said Crawford. “It’s going to be a great experience fighting at Madison Square Garden in the big arena where all the greats have fought. I’m looking forward to that night,” he said.

Davis v Walsh will be live from 7.30pm BST on BoxNation, followed by Crawford v Diaz from 2am BST.

Davis v Walsh & Crawford v Diaz is live on BoxNation this Saturday night. Sky customers can get free registration by using the offer code MAYBOXING. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.
Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo.
The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.
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18 May 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced a partnership with GoDaddy, the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. Both companies will work closely together to bring mixed martial arts in Asia to greater heights. GoDaddy branding is set to be featured at ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES which will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 26 May. The main event of the card will feature ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee as she defends her title against Brazil’s Istela Nunes. In the co-main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren takes on rising young star Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Malaysia.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I’m thrilled to be working with GoDaddy as our partnership signifies another monumental moment for the sport of mixed martial arts and for ONE Championship. GoDaddy has a great history of working with other sporting organizations and it is a privilege for ONE Championship to announce this collaboration. Singapore is set to witness the biggest mixed martial arts event in history on 26 May, and we are delighted to have GoDaddy on board with us in delivering world-class MMA action to fans all over the globe.”

Roger Chen, Vice President of Asia, GoDaddy, stated: “GoDaddy is committed to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs get online and grow their ventures. We have a successful track record of partnerships with global sporting bodies and we’re delighted to partner with one of Asia’s largest sports media properties, ONE Championship. ONE Championship provides a great opportunity for GoDaddy to build relationships with people across Asia and bring attention to the importance of having a strong online presence.”

GoDaddy powers the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. With more than 17 million customers worldwide and more than 71 million domain names under management, GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work.

ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES features the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. The card is headlined by a tremendous matchup between ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee and Muay Thai champion Istela Nunes. Lee won the title in 2016 at just 19-years of age, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of mixed martial arts.

Former 2x Olympian and one of the best welterweights in the world pound-for-pound, Ben Askren, will grace the ONE Championship cage in the evening’s co-main event opposite the awe-inspiring Agilan Thani. Thani earned the right to challenge Askren after going unbeaten in his professional career, winning seven bouts in a row by spectacular finish.

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.

For more information about GoDaddy, please visit: sg.godaddy.com/.

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.

About GoDaddy
GoDaddy powers the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. With more than 17 million customers worldwide and more than 71 million domain names under management, GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success. To learn more about the company, visitwww.GoDaddy.com.

© 2017 ONE Championship™. All Rights Reserved.

Fight fans should witness the full extent of Anthony Yarde’s feted potential this weekend when he enters a championship ring for the first time at the Copper Box Arena in Hackney.

The 25 year old ‘Beast’ from Ilford, Essex has required just 16 rounds combined to exterminate his opening 10 opponents since entering the profession as a relative novice two years ago.

However, as a warm up act to Liam Walsh’s world title tilt at Baltimore’s Gervonta Davis this Saturday, rock hard Yarde confronts Southampton champion Chris Hobbs for the Southern Area light-heavyweight strap. BT Sport and BoxNation screen live.

Serving soldier Hobbs is four years his senior, has boxed almost three times as many pro rounds and has already completed the 10 round championship trip whilst collecting the crown from Hemel Hempstead’s previously unbeaten Jordan Joseph at the York Hall in March.

In eight paid gigs, hard man Hobbs has never been dropped and his only reverse came when he was withdrawn with a dislocated left shoulder against Swindon’s very able Kelvin Young (just five losses in 24 at the time) in March 2016.

He represents Yarde’s toughest test by some distance but the Tunde Ajayi coached prospect covets the challenge.

‘I’m now entering the lowest title level, in line with my periodical progress. Others talk about me targeting higher titles but I don’t believe in rushing. I’m developing at the perfect rate,’ says ‘The Beast’ who is yet to venture past round four.

‘I don’t feel any greater pressure. The only pressure is what you put on yourself. It’s just another fight. I’m 100% confident that I win, the pressure is the manner I win, how impressive I look.

‘Chris Hobbs brings this reputation for toughness. But the human body can only tolerate so much punishment and there won’t be much he can do once the right shots land. My prep is totally focussed on using my skills to dissect opponents, rather than to blast through them.

‘I’ve only watched a 10 second clip of him. That’s it. He’s not an opponent I need to unduly worry about. Tunde will do the research and pass on a few little pointers on the day of the fight but if I can’t deal with guys at this level without studying their strengths and weaknesses for hours then I’m not the fighter that I think I am.

‘I focus on what I do best and just work things out on the job. I’d be very surprised if Hobbs is still standing after five or six rounds….very surprised!

‘I win because I’m bigger, stronger, tougher, the better technician and I have a higher boxing IQ and I guarantee I’ll want it more. I’m superior in every department due to all the graft I put in at The Peacock gym.’

Body beautiful Yarde has slaughtered six victims in the opening session and a further three in round two but has no intention of prolonging his championship debut simply to acquire ‘artificial’ experience.

‘Everybody else covets that I get some rounds onto my CV but I don’t. I’m quite happy to continue bashing up every opponent early. I know from gym spars that I can go 12, 15 rounds when the time comes,’ he claims.

‘As I’ve said before, Mike Tyson and Deontay Wilder banged everybody out early but, when they were forced to go late rounds, they did it effortlessly. Wilder hadn’t been beyond round four prior to being taken the (12 round) distance against Bermane Stiverne in his first world title challenge.

‘Eventually, someone will take me late….but I don’t think it’ll be this Saturday!

All floor seating at the Copper Box Arena has now SOLD OUT.

Remaining tickets are available from www.seetickets.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

LOS ANGELES (May 17, 2017) – The white-hot super featherweight division will be on full display Saturday, July 15 when two world title fights come to Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum as part of a stacked tripleheader on HBO Boxing After Dark.

In the main event that has “Fight of the Year” candidate written all over it, newly crowned WBC World Super Featherweight Champion Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) will make his first title defense against former world champion and mandatory challenger Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs).

In the co-main, Panamanian superstar and WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales (21-0, 8 KOs) will look to keep his title and undefeated record, as he makes his stateside debut against a resurgent Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (24-12, 14 KOs), hot off his massive upset victory over two-time world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Opening up the televised card, WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) will return West from Long Island to put his belt on the line against the Miami-based Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs) in a battle of heavy-handed sluggers.

“The super featherweight division is absolutely stacked with skilled, high-action fighters right now, and the four competitors atop this card are competing to see who will be the top dog,” Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said.”Add to that a showdown between two of the top light heavyweights in the world in Smith and Barrera, and you have all the makings of a trio of absolute wars on July 15.”

Riding a 10-consecutive knockout streak culminating in an 11th-round stoppage of Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas in January, Berchelt — fighting out of Merida, Mexico — will look to continue his winning ways in just his second fight on American soil.

“I took on this challenge, because I only want to fight the best,” Berchelt, 25, said. “I know that Miura is a true warrior and always leaves it all in the ring, but I am young and hungry and am confident that I will return to Mexico with the world championship belt still around my waist.”

Miura, one half of the consensus 2015 Fight of the Year with Vargas, returns after a dynamic 12th-round stoppage against Miguel “Mickey” Roman on the same card that Berchelt defeated Vargas for the WBC crown.

“I have wanted to regain my championship belt from the moment I lost it in November of 2015,” Miura said. “I know Berchelt is strong, and I know that we’ll go head to head for this world championship title that will prove to be a great fight.”

The 25-year-old Corrales, a southpaw, earned his title with back-to-back victories over Takashi Uchiyama, who was at the time thought to be the No. 1 fighter in the division.

“I am excited to make my United States debut and defend my world title,” Corrales said. “While people in America might not yet be familiar with me, they will surely know my name after this fight.”

His opponent, Castellanos, has defeated top opponents throughout his career including Ronny Rios and Rocky Juarez, but his shocking TKO victory over Gamboa is what catapulted the 35-year-old Castellanos into title contention.

“This is the biggest fight of my career, and I am not going to let the opportunity slip away,” Castellanos said. “I have the experience and power to take out Corrales and that’s exactly what I’m going to do on July 15.”

In the televised opener, Joe Smith Jr. returns to the site of his greatest victory looking to follow up on his knockout of legendary Bernard Hopkins at the end of 2016.

“I’m thrilled to be back on HBO against another top light heavyweight,Sullivan Barrera,” Smith said. “I’ve already started training and will be more than ready on July 15. There’s a number of great fighters in our division and I’m looking forward to another victory on my way to a world title shot.”

Smith will take on the heavy-handed Sullivan Barrera, who is riding a two-fight knockout streak – including a seventh-round stoppage of previously undefeated Vyacheslav Shabranskyy — after taking his only professional loss against top five pound-for-pound fighter, Andre “S.O.G.” Ward.

“This is a great opportunity for me. I want to thank my entire team for making this happen,” Barrera said. “I respect Joe for taking this fight. He is a great fighter and I have a tough test on July 15. I will work hard to put on a great show for all the fans.”

“This should be a spectacular fight,” said Joe DeGuardia, President and CEO of Star Boxing.”Over the past few months many have refused to fight Joe Smith Jr., so I give credit to Sullivan Barrera, who, like Joe, is a tough fighter willing to fight anyone. Joe’s captivating rise as a humble working-class ‘Common Man’ has resonated with sports fans all over the world and I look forward to being at the Forum on HBO as Joe and Sullivan battle for the future.”

This is a really interesting fight,” said Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “It is a can’t miss fight because Barrera and Smith are both finishers. We are all eager to see how this plays out and I give credit to both men for wanting a challenge.”

Tickets for Berchelt vs. Miura are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person, go on sale Wednesday, May 24 at 10:00 a.m. PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

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 at 9:50 P.M EST/PST.

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.

· WBC Youth World Champion Diego de la Hoya to Headline Event from Casino del Sol in Tucson, Arizona
· Televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PST

Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN continues tomorrow Thursday, May 18 with a 10-round super bantamweight bout set featuring Diego De La Hoya (17-0, 9 KOs) and Erik Ruiz (16-6-1, 6 KOs) – live on ESPN and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes from Casino del Sol in Tucson, Arizona beginning at 10 p.m. EST/ 7 p.m. PST. ESPN International will present live coverage across networks in Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean and parts of Asia. Live coverage will also be available through WatchESPN.

Commentators:
Blow-by-blow commentator Bernardo Osuna will comprise ESPN’s commentary team. Calling the action live ringside for ESPN will be future Hall of Fame middleweight and light heavyweight, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins. Pablo Viruega and professional boxer in the Super Welterweight division Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights on ESPN Deportes, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will co-host the show. Jessica Rosales joins the team as ringside and social media reporter starting this week.

Fighter background:
In his most recent fights, Diego De La Hoya (17-0, 9 KOs), from Mexicali, Mexico, the super bantamweight phenom remained undefeated when he fought Luis Orlando Del Valle on the grand stage of AT&T Stadium September 17, 2016 successfully defending his WBC Youth World super bantamweight title. He remained undefeated in his bout with Mexico City’s Roberto Pucheta as he won by unanimous decision on the Lemieux versus Stevens undercard on March 11, 2017.

In his most recent fights, Erik Ruiz (16-6-1, 6 KOs), from Oxnard, California won the WBA International Super Bantamweight title on September 30, 2016 against highly regarded Hanzel Martinez in a majority decision victory that headlined at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center. Following the fight, he suffered a tough loss against former WBA super bantamweight world champion Rico Ramos on March 11, 2017 at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center

Undercard fights on ESPN3:
Undercard will be available on ESPN3 beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET in both English and Spanish. The following fights will be broadcasted:
· Jonathan Navarro vs. Ricardo Fernandez (6 rounds)
· Eben Vargas vs. Rodolfo Gamez (4 rounds)
· Roberto Manzanarez vs. Erick Martinez (8 rounds)

Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN:
Earlier this year ESPN announced a multiyear agreement with Golden Boy Promotions. In the first year of the deal, ESPN will televise 18 fight cards throughout the U.S., in both English and Spanish, and on its wholly-owned and affiliated networks in Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and parts of Asia.

Boca Raton, FL (May 17, 2017) – WBA number-4 ranked and WBO number-6 ranked junior middleweight Kanat Islam will take on Norberto Gonzalez in a battle for the WBO / NABO and WBA Intercontinental Junior Middleweight championships on Friday night, May 26th at the beautiful Boca Raton Resort & Spa in Boca Raton, Florida.

The international card is promoted by Nelsons Promotions.

The event will be distributed world-wide exclusively by New York-based MultiVision Media, Inc. The Executive Producer is Brian Ricco. The event will be produced and directed by Ira Steven Glass.

The card will feature fighters from no less than six countries.

“This is a very special event with an International feel,” said Nelson Lopez, Sr. of Nelson’s Promotions.

“The Boca Raton Resort & Spa is an incredible facility that every A-List celebrity visits and vacations at. This will be a great night, and we look forward to having a great crowd to see one of the best fighters in the world in Kanat Islam on May 26th.”

Islam of Almaty, Kazakhstan has a record of 23-0 with 19 big knockouts.

The 32 year-old has built up a reputation of being an exciting fighter who is constantly going for the knockout.

Islam turned professional in 2012 after competing in the 2004 and winning a Bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games.

Islam started to gain recognition when he stopped Humberto Toledo (41-8-2) in the 1st round. He then scored impressive stoppage victories over Francisco Cordero (29-2) & Juan De Angel (16-3-1).

On October 29, 2016, Islam returned home to Kazakhstan and won a 12-round unanimous decision over Patrick Allotey (30-2) in front of over 18,000 fans.

In his last bout, Islam was cut badly in the 1st round of his bout with Robson Assis (16-3), yet stopped his Brazilian foe in the first round of their bout on February 17th as part of the Roy Jones, Jr. – Bobby Gunn Pay-Per-View undercard in Wilmington, Delaware.

Gonzalez of Nuevo Leon, Mexico has a record of 23-8 with 13 knockouts.

The 36 year-old is a 10 year-professional who has solid wins over Joel Juarez (22-3-1), Jesus Arras Perea (18-2), Michael Oliveira (20-1), former world title challenger Javier Maciel (30-3) and in his last bout when Gonzalez when an eight-round split decision over Daniel Rosario Cruz (11-1) on November 18, 2016 in Las Vegas,

In the eight round co-feature, Islam stablemate, Zhankosh Turarov will face Gustavo Garibay in a welterweight battle.

Like Islam, Turarov is from Almaty, Kazakhstan and sports a perfect mark of 20-0 with 14 knockouts.

On October 18, 2013, Turarov won the WBA Fedecentro super lightweight title with a 5th round stoppage over Abrahan Peralta (10-1). In Turarov’s last bout, he stopped Isaac Aryee in 4 rounds in Almaty, Kazakhstan on October 29, 2016.

Garibay of Mexico is 13-8-2 with five knockouts.

The 36 year-old Garibay is a nine year professional who has victories over Mario Alberto Lozano (29-6) & Jose Napoles (4-1).

Lozano is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision defeat to Sebastian Bouchard (14-1) on February 24th in Quebec City, Canada.

In eight-round bouts:

Dagoberto Aguero (11-0, 8 KO’s) San Cristobal, Dominican Republic will take on Gustavo Molina (24-10, 9 KO’s) of Mexico in a super bantamweight bout.

Zhilei Zhang (15-0, 11 KO’s) of Zhoukou, China will take on Curtis Harper (12-4, 8 KO’s) of Jacksonville, Florida heavyweight attraction.

Wellington Romero (12-0-1, 9 KO’s) of the Dominican Republic battles Wilfrido Buelvas (18-7, 12 KO’s) of Barranquilla, Colombia in a junior welterweight bout.

In a six-round bout, Mike Bolagun (10-0, 9 KO’s) of Upper Marlboro, Maryland will take on Ytalo Perea (8-2-2, 5 KO’s) of Howard Beach, NY in a heavyweight bout.

Justin Wright will make his pro debut in a bantamweight bout against Christopher Salerno (0-1) of Florida.

For tickets, click:
https://www.showclix.com/event/FIGHTNIGHTBRRC/pre-sale

On paper, it looks like a terrible mismatch: This Friday, unbeaten but untested cruiserweight contender Mario Daser (12-0) takes on former IBO world champion and multiple time world title challenger Ola Afolabi for the IBO International International and WBO European Championship. The 37-year-old Brit who lives in Hollywood, California, has a record of 22 wins with only five defeats and four draws. Afolabi has been in the ring with some of the best fighters of his generation including Marco Huck (four times), Rakhim Chakhkiev, Victor Emilio Ramirez, Valery Brudov and Enzo Maccarinelli while Daser’s best opponent so far was Bosnian journeyman Drazan Janjanin.

„I was already retired but this offer was just too good to be rejected“, says Afolabi. „When I saw the figures on the contract I knew I had to come back. They are paying me a lot of money to beat up a guy who just isn’t my league. I couldn’t study any of his fights because they are not on YouTube. But I saw training videos on his Instagram account. No offense, but man, his shadowboxing looks like shit!“
Daser knows that he is the underdog due to his lack of experience but he feels comfortable with this role. „All my life people told me that I couldn’t do this and couldn’t do that. However, I always did it – and in the end I succeeded.“ Who is this guy who thinks that he can handle Afolabi?
28-year-old Daser was born in Munich, Germany, and is a self-made millionaire. Four years ago he bought a gravel quarry and worked 24/7 to turn his business into a success. He invested the money he made in real estate and made millions. „Everybody warned me to get into the gravel business and said that I would never make money with that. I proved them wrong. Now I want to do the same in boxing. I love it when people say that I don’t have a chance. That’s what brings out the best in me.“
The winner of the fight labeled as „The Big Deal“ may be in line for a world title fight soon. Afolabi is considering to enroll for the World Boxing Super Series after beating Daser. „I heard that they have a 50 million Dollar budget. That could be worth a try“, says Afolabi. „I am sure that there will be lots of young and hungry guys like this dude here who want to participate. If I can take care of him, I can take care of some others, too.“

Daser vs. Afolabi is the main event of a seven-bout card promoter by EC Boxing which also features top rated heavyweight contender Christian Hammer and the IBO World Lightheavyweight Championship between former European Champion Igor Mikhalkin and unbeaten Thomas Oosthuizen from South Africa.

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz proudly announces the signing of three-time women’s world champion Carolina Duer of Buenos Aires to a promotional contract.

Duer (19-3-1, 6 KOs), undefeated since her fifth fight in 2008, is the current interim IBF World Female Bantamweight Champion. She won the WBO Bantamweight Championship in July 2013 and made two successful defenses, as well as the WBO Super Flyweight Championship in 2010 and made six successful defenses.

The Jewish daughter of Syrian immigrants to Argentina, Duer is a celebrity in her homeland, having appeared on the reality TV show Celebrity Splash!, which taught celebrities the art of diving, and now moonlighting as a prominent boxing commentator for Argentine National TV.

As an amateur, Duer won 19 of 20 fights. She is also the first women of Jewish descent to win a WBO title.

Lewkowicz says for his first move as her new promoter, he’ll relocate the South American star to the United States.

“Carolina Duer is one of the best female fighters in boxing,” said Lewkowicz. “In the US, she will get the best training possible. It is only a matter of time before she becomes the star North America that she is back home. I am very happy to be working with her. This is the perfect time for her career, as female boxing has become very popular once again.”
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.

KENSINGTON, MARYLAND – May 17, 2017 – Victory Boxing Promotions is keeping with its promise to keep its top prospects busy, with Jaron “Boots” Ennis (11-0, 9KO) and Carlos “El Tiburon” Sanchez (13-0, 12KO) stepping into the ring in Virginia and Mexico over the weekend.

Ennis’ bout, which was scheduled for six rounds, was the fourth this year for the highly-touted prospect. He faced journeyman Eduardo Flores (25-27-3, 15KO), stopping him in the fourth round. The fight was a learning experience for Ennis, who has faced increasingly more experienced competition in his last three fights. Flores has bouts with Egis Kavaliauskas, Brad Solomon, Kermit Cintron & Thomas LaManna under his belt, and gave boxing fans in attendance at the Masonic Temple in Norfolk, Virginia a good show before having the fight stopped by the referee at 1:57 of the fourth round due to an accumulation of unanswered punches. Ennis wasted no time in returning to the gym, where he trains with his father, “Bozy” Ennis, to prepare for his next bout, June 10th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is the first of four bouts already scheduled into the third quarter of 2017. The welterweight sensation has stayed busy, racking up eleven wins in thirteen months.

“This is what we’ve planned for Victory Boxing’s prospects,” said Victory Boxing Promoter Chris Middendorf. “We want to keep them busy and keep them learning. Boots is a special talent, and we want to get him in the ring and in front of his fans as much as possible.”

Carlos “El Tiburon” Sanchez returned to his hometown of San Felipe, Mexico for the first time since his January 2016 professional debut, facing Ivan “Tigre” Chevelas, a veteran of 33 fights. Scheduled for six rounds, the fight ended in the fourth, with Carlos dropping Chevelas twice en route to landing a barrage of punches, which prompted the referee to wave off the fight. Sanchez has also been busy, racking up thirteen wins in just 19 months.

Victory Boxing Promotions has a busy summer ahead. One of the promotion’s most promising prospects (and 2017 high school graduate), welterweight Brandun Lee (2-0, 2KO) is back in action June 1st in Phoenix, and flyweight Manuel Flores makes his professional debut this Saturday in Palm Springs.

For more information on Victory Boxing’s stable of fighters, please visit www.victoryboxingpromotions.com.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR became the latest boxing superstar to grace the spiritual home of British boxing tonight.

The fight legend made a shock appearance at York Hall, Bethnal Green to check out his fighter Gervonta Davis.

‘The Tank’ who defends his IBF super-featherweight crown against Liam Walsh at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday night performed a public workout.

Mayweather, who retired with a stunning 49-0, was chased by fans when he arrived at the venue in London’s East End before relaxing with the boxer he promotes.

Moments earlier underdog Walsh had performed and is ready to cause an upset after a 16 week training camp.

Walsh said: “The intensity increased slowly. If I had a ten week camp it would have been intense from the off.

“I say I have been training hard for four months, but I train all year round. I was even running the day after Klimov and I’m ready.

“He is getting a lot of media because Mayweather says he is the future of boxing.

“Some people just think it’s true and just at follow along instead of having their own thoughts and believe everything they’re told.

“For me he looks very good and there is no doubt he’s a world class fighter, but there are still a lot of questions to be asked.”

All floor seating at the Copper Box Arena has now SOLD OUT.

Remaining tickets are available from www.seetickets.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Philadelphia, PA (May 17, 2017) – Lightweight Carlos Rosario is ready for his headlining appearance this Friday night when he takes on Josh Davis in a bout scheduled for eight-rounds at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

The show is promoted by King’s Promotions. (1st bout 6:30 PM; Doors 6 PM)

Rosario of Pennsauken, New Jersey, has a record of 7-1 with four knockouts, and has won seven consecutive since dropping his pro debut.

“Everything is going great. I am just winding down, losing the last couple of pounds , and I will be ready on Friday, said Rosario on Tuesday night.

In Davis, he is fighting his toughest opponent, but 26 year-old Rosario is ready for for whatever the Washington, DC native will bring.

“Even though he has an impressive record (10-1, 4 KO’s), I do not know a lot about him. His record is actually better then mine. I am fighting at home but I still feel that I am the underdog. I think this is a fight that could go all eight-rounds, and I am looking forward to that as I have never gone that distance.”

Rosario, who has won seven consecutive fights has been slowly moving up the card and now finds himself in the main event.

“That has not hit me yet that I am the main event fighter. I just continue to fight and my team has done a good job of finding me the right fights. I am gaining more confidence with each fight and my opponents continue to get better.”

Rosario has been in the gym since age 10 but did not start to competing until he was 18. He then embarked on a 28 fight amateur career.

The full-time corrections officer is taking his boxing career one step at a time, but he is seeing improvement in every fight.

“As long as I keep winning, and stay consistent, I can maybe fight for a minor title this year.”

“I hope the fans come out. I have never been in a bad fight. Sometimes it’s not about winning. I want the fans to say that I am one of their favorite fighters to watch.”

In the co-feature, Amir Shabazz (4-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on Antowyan Aikens (10-3-1, 1 KO) of Atlantic City, NJ in a six-round light heavyweight bout.

Also in six-round bouts:

Tyrone Crawley, Jr (6-0) of Philadelphia will take on Juan Rodriguez (7-6, 5 KO’s) of Manasa, Virginia in a lightweight fight.

David Gonzales (8-2, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will look to get back in the win column when he battles Darius Ervin (4-1) of Los Angeles, California in a junior welterweight bout.

Steven Ortiz (5-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia takes on Hector Rivera (3-1, 2 KO’s) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a lightweight bout.

Anthony Burgin (10-3, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on an opponent to be named in a lightweight bout

Thomas Velasquez (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Philadelphia will battle Brandon Sanudo (5-3, 2 KO’s) of Baja California, Mexico in a lightweight bout.

In four-round Bouts:

Vincent Floyd (2-2-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will square off with Rafael Montalvo (3-3, 3 KO’s) of St. Clair, PA.

Antonio Allen (0-5) will take on Demetrius Williams (0-2) in a battle of Philadelphia based junior welterweights looking for their first win.

Lucas Dos Santos (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Miami, Florida will battle an opponent to be named in a welterweight bout.

Rounding out the card will be a four round junior welterweight bout between Titos Gosalves of Philadelphia (0-1) and pro debuting Gerardo Martinez of Phoenixville, PA.

Tickets for this great night of boxing can be purchased at www.2300arena.com for $100, $75 and $50

THE WEIGH IN WILL BE THIS THURSDAY, MAY 18 AT THE STADIUM HOLIDAY INN AT 5:30 PM

The World Series of Fighting MMA brand, through WSOF Global continues to thrive all around the world. This past weekend, fans were thrilled to see the first live Russian fights streaming when WSOF Global co-promoted an awesome event with Modern Fighting Pankration at the sold out arena in Khabarovsk, Russia. Fans of WSOF Global will certainly see more great MMA fights and superior talent with 3 more live events scheduled on May 20, 2017 from Argentina, Japan, and Brazil. A week later, events will also be held in Australia and England. Additionally, WSOF Global will host WSOF Global Championship 5 in South Africa on June 3rd 2017 and then WSOF Global Championship 6 in Australia on July 8th 2017.

“When the news was released about WSOF (USA) planning on changing their business model and promotion name, there was a lot of speculation that took place. There may have been certain reasons behind a name change domestically for the US company and its events, but this is globally branded company. We at WSOF Global want the fans to know we are still promoting more exciting MMA events this year, and offering a platform for everyone in the world to watch these fights.” WSOF Global’s COO, Darren Owen states. “There are a lot of great MMA markets around the world, and many world class promotions and fights are taking place. We are working with dozens of different promotions to improve their product and showcase their fighters and events to millions of fans. Our business model is currently booming and we are adding more and more promotions weekly.”

Shawn Wright, President of WSOF Global added, “As a founding co-owner of the World Series of Fighting, it certainly has been exciting to see the continued evolution of the US company, and we look forward to also promoting the new US brand under the exclusive license agreement. More importantly to me were the accomplishments and accolades of the unique WSOF Global team from around the world. I have never experienced this type of comradery from so many individual promotions to promote pure MMA at a global scale. This isn’t the Hollywood style fights you experience on PPV in the USA, this is just pure sport. Having so many fighters, coaches, teams, and promotions working together has been a phenomenal experience that many said we couldn’t accomplish. Our Global team did it.”

WSOF Global’s platform currently consists of 24 promotions from 21 different countries on 6 continents hosting approximately 100 events in 2017. With WSOF Global’s online subscription of only $9.99/month, fans can watch all of the live events and have access to the full fight library of many promotions worldwide.

World Series of Fighting Global Championship is dedicated to growing the international brand of World Series of Fighting throughout the world by adding affiliate organizations to develop their athletes and provide them with opportunities to compete on larger platforms for the advancement of the sport of MMA. Media inquiries should be sent to Darren Owen, Chief Operations Officer of World Series of Fighting Global Championship, at dowen@themmaworldcup.com Follow them on Twitter and Instagram @wsofglobal

ORANGE, Calif. (May 17, 2017) – Blue chip featherweight prospect Ruben Villa (5-0, 3 KOs) headlines an action-packed “New Blood” undercard when he puts his undefeated record on the line against Anthony de Jesus Ruiz (2-2, 2 KOs) this Friday, May 19, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Thompson Boxing’s 17 year anniversary show will be live streamed on its website and Facebook Live beginning at 7:45 p.m. PDT this Friday.

Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900.

Friday’s bout marks the fourth time Villa will fight in front of an expected sold out crowd at the Doubletree Ontario. It will be his first, however, fighting on a live streamed show.

“I’m definitely excited for it. It’s great exposure for us new guys trying to make a name for ourselves,” said Villa, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “I know a lot of my friends and family will be watching. It also gives an opportunity for boxing fans all over the country to tune in and watch some quality fights.”

Villa, a southpaw, is coming off his East Coast debut in April where we notched his third career knockout win over the previously unbeaten Luis Diaz Torres. Villa stopped the stiff-chinned Torres in the sixth and final round. It was the first, sixth round fight of Villa’s career, one that tough him several impactful lessons.

“It’s important to stick to the plan and listen to my corner,” said the 20-year-old, who hails from Salinas, Calif. “He was somewhat reckless so I needed to show a little more patience with him. I’m used to fighting guys who are a little more technical. Diaz was able to take a shot. He was willing to absorb two or three punches to set up one of his own. I learned not to give him those opportunities.”

For Friday’s six-round bout versus Ruiz, Villa spent most of his training camp sparring at the Robert Garcia Gym in Riverside, widely seen as one of Southern California’s most boxing rich environments. His chief sparring partner was Hector Tanajara, another highly regarded prospect with an undefeated record.

“Training camp went great,” said Villa, who as an amateur won back-to-back National Golden Gloves championships. “I had quality sparring sessions against Hector Tanajara. He fights one division higher than me so it’s always good to learn from guys that are naturally bigger than you.”

While Villa comes from a well-rounded amateur career that saw him bank two wins against fellow high ceiling prospect Shakur Stevenson, the Northern California native is always on the quest to better his skills.

“I’ve been working on using more angles to set up punches,” Villa said. “The goal is to develop better range with my jab so I can be more effective. With Ruiz, I plan to feel him out for the first round and then I’ll start going at his weaknesses. A lot of what I plan to do will come off the jab.”

The live stream, titled “TB Presents: New Blood,” will be anchored by blow-by-blow announcer Beto Duran with Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.

Connect with Ruben Villa on social media: Instagram: RubenV4 , Facebook: Ruben Villa IV , & Twitter: @Ruben_Villa4 .