NATIONAL HARBOR, MD (April 17, 2017) – An exciting night of action will feature 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 on Saturday, May 20 from the recently opened MGM National Harbor in Maryland and live on SHOWTIME.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast is headlined by WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. making the second defense of his title when he faces top challenger Oscar Escandon.

Top 168-pound contenders Dirrell (25-2, 16 KOs) and Uzcategui (26-1, 22 KOs) are set to meet in a 12-round matchup with the winner in line to face IBF champion James DeGale, who is currently recovering from injuries sustained in his draw against Badou Jack in January on SHOWTIME.

“This fight is a massive step towards my journey to success in 2017,” said Dirrell. “To me, this is my championship fight leading up to the rematch with the current champion, James DeGale. Jose has all of the tools of a champion, so he’s fierce competition for me. But I will show the world that I’m up for the task. This is my year!”

“I’m very excited to be facing a fighter the quality of Andre Dirrell,” said Uzcategui. “These are the types of fights that I’ve wanted and I look forward to coming out victorious. This fight will be another step on the way to my dream of becoming a world champion.”

A world champion at 130 and 135-pounds, Barthelemy (25-0, 13 KOs) and the former world title challenger Relikh (21-1, 19 KOs) will battle in 12 rounds of action for the right to be the mandatory challenger for current WBA Super Lightweight Championship held by unified champion Julius Indongo.

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring, especially on SHOWTIME against a top-ranked contender in Kiryl Relikh,” said Barthelemy. “This victory will get me one step closer to fulfilling my dream of becoming the first Cuban to win world titles in three different weight classes. I’m very motivated and I will not be denied on May 20.”

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity in a world title eliminator,” said Relikh. “Rances Barthelemy is a good fighter, but my experience at this weight will help me get the victory. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get this win and eventually wear that world title belt around my waist.”

Tickets for the live event, 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/.

Representing his hometown of Flint, Michigan, Dirrell looks to take one step closer to a rematch with DeGale after dropping a narrow decision to the current IBF champion in May 2015. The 33-year-old bounced back from the defeat in his last outing by earning a wide unanimous decision over Blake Caparello last April. After a decorated amateur career that saw him win two U.S. Amateur World Championships in addition to an Olympic bronze medal, Dirrell was unbeaten in his first 18 pro fights before losing a split decision to Carl Frosh in 2009.

Born in Venezuela, Uzcategui now fights out of Baja California, Mexico, where he won two fights last year by knockout. The 26-year-old shot up the rankings in 2015 when he stopped previously unbeaten Julius Jackson in the second round after knocking his opponent down four times. Uzcategui was undefeated in his first 22 pro fights and enters this bout on a four-fight win streak.

A Cuban amateur national champion, 30-year-old Barthelemy has yet to taste defeat since turning pro in 2009. Born in Cuba but now fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. he won a super featherweight world title in July 2014 by defeating Argenis Mendez in impressive fashion, and followed that up with a second round TKO victory over Angino Perez. After dominating former champion Antonio DeMarco in June, he won a world title in a second division when he impressively defeated Denis Shafikov in December. Most recently, Barthelemy made the lone defense of his lightweight belt with a decision over former champion Mickey Bey last June.

Fighting out of Minsk, Belarus, Relikh returns to the ring after challenging the former champion Burns for the WBA title in October 2016. The 27-year-old was undefeated after turning pro in 2011 leading up to his world title shot. Relikh owns wins over veteran contenders Christian Ariel Lope, Joaquim Carneiro and Lazaro Santos de Jesus.

Las Vegas (April 17, 2017) – 7-Time World Champion Marco Antonio Barrera has confirmed that he will appear to Meet & Greet his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 3rd edition of Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday May 6, 2017 during Cinco De Mayo weekend. The Boxing Expo will also coincide with the mega fight between Canelo Alvarez vs Julio Cesar Chavez jr, that will take place later that evening.

Barrera will appear for the first time at this years’ Expo at the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame booth and will be joined by other top fighters, legends and boxing celebrities that will be signing gloves, photos and merchandise.

Barrera is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the WBO super bantamweight title three times from 1995 to 2001; the WBC super featherweight title from 2004 to 2007; and the IBF super featherweight title from 2005 to 2006. Additionally, he held the IBO featherweight title in 2001; the lineal featherweight title from 2001 to 2003; and the Ring magazine featherweight title from 2002 to 2003.

Barrera is well known for his trilogy with fellow Mexican legend Erik Morales, as well as his duology with Manny Pacquiao, and rivalry with Juan Manuel Marquez. ESPN ranked Barrera as number 43 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time.

Barrera joins, NVBHOF, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Al Bernstein, Thomas Hearns, Kronk Boxing, WBC, Christy Martin, Mia St.John, Fernando Vargas and Joel Casamayor among early commitments to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

Box Fan Expo has been a huge success with fans and boxing industry people. Many boxing stars have attended the last two Expo’s such as Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr., Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah, James Toney, Vinny Pazienza, Mikey Garcia , Mia St.Johns, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris , Riddick Bowe , Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks and many more…

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, new equipments, energy drinks, alcohol, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies and other companies who wish to participate will once again have a chance to showcase their brand to fans, media and the boxing industry.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online
http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to Meet and Greet Boxing Superstars of today, current and former world champions, Legends of the sport and other boxing Celebrities at their booth. On Site, fans will experience different activities from Autograph Sessions, Photo Sessions, FaceOff with your favorite boxers, as well as a chance to purchase merchandise and memorabilia from their booth, plus so much more… you won’t want to miss this must-attend Expo!

Box Fan Expo will also feature top boxing organizations, promoters, ring card girls, famous trainers and commentators as well as boxing gear companies “ALL UNDER ONE ROOF”.

Throughout the next 6 weeks leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo. And for anyone in the Boxing industry or other Exhibitors (non-industry), who would like more information on sponsorships opportunities or reserve a Booth, contact Box Fan Expo:

Telephone number: (514) 572-7222 or Las Vegas Number (702) 997-1927

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo\

and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, New Jersey will give female bouts the option to participate in fights that will have 3 minute rounds.

“It was tradition. We were in lockstep with everyone else,” Larry Hazzard, commissioner of the NJSACB, told ESPN. “Everyone has done two-minute rounds, but the important consideration here is that we don’t know of any definitive reasons why women should be limited to two-minute rounds and men fight three minutes. There is nothing we’ve seen that showed us that the extra minute is any different.”

“Upon consultation with our medical staff, review of our past MMA, kickboxing and Muay Thai matches involving females, and consultation with female contestants, we feel that it is time to provide this option,” Hazzard said of the three-minute rounds for women.

“This agency has not required shorter round times for females in the sport of MMA, kickboxing or Muay Thai, and now the sport of professional boxing will be treated just the same as these other combat sports,” Hazzard said. “We do not feel that there is conclusive medical evidence to show that females must compete at a shorter round length time than their male counterparts. There are females in all of the previously listed combat sports that are very talented, well trained and extremely skilled.

“The use of two-minute rounds will continue to be an allowable option for female contestants, in bouts where the contestants and/or promoter still desire this limitation.”

“With decisions like this we — the administrative staff — don’t make these decisions without consultation with our ringside physicians that we rely upon for this type of advice,” he said. “And they are in concert with us.”

OAKLAND, CA. (April 17, 2017) – Former two-time welterweight world champion Andre Berto will look to put himself in a position for another 147-pound title when he faces former world champion Shawn Porter in a world title eliminator that headlines a Premier Boxing Champions event Saturday, April 22 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn and live on SHOWTIME.

Televised coverage of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT and features unbeaten super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo defending against top contender Charles Hatley.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

As Berto wraps up training camp in Oakland with renowned coach Virgil Hunter, he shares some thoughts on camp, his matchup with Porter and more:

ANDRE BERTO

How has training camp gone? Do you feel like you’re still learning and growing with Virgil Hunter?

“We’ve had a tremendous training camp out here in the Bay. I’m focused and I’m in great shape. Training with Virgil is like stepping in to a classroom. I’m always learning and growing as a fighter when I’m in the gym with him. We’ve been pushing to the limit every day and I’m just ready to go to work.”

What would you say are Shawn’s strengths in the ring? What do you have to prepare for?

“Shawn’s a great fighter but we are fully focused on what we need to do in the ring. My boxing IQ has grown so much and now everything we’re doing has a purpose. I’ve had tremendous sparring this camp and everyone I’ve been there with has been trying to push me to a whole other level so I will be ready for anything come fight night.

“We are going to be ready for whatever Shawn brings on April 22. We’ve seen him brawl and try to press guys out but he might try do something different in this fight and we’ll be ready for it. I’m known for my speed, my power, my explosiveness and I’m in fantastic shape so this is definitely going to be a can’t miss fight.”

What does it mean to you to be in camp with the other great fighter’s in Hunter’s stable including Andre Ward, Amir Khan, Andrzej Fonfara and Peter Quillin, amongst others?

“We have a tremendous atmosphere out here and we all feed off of each other. Training with all these great fighters and world champions pushes you to another level. We all support each other and it definitely adds another level of motivation during training camp for each of our fights.”

What does it mean to you to be in a position to become a three-time world champion?

“Becoming a three-time world champion is great motivation. The WBC belt was the first belt that I won and I want it back. I avenged my loss to Victor Ortiz last year but getting the green belt back would bring everything full circle. At this point in my career, every fight is big and a potentially career defining fight so I’m taking everything one step at a time and preparing like I need to.”

# # #

ABOUT BERTO vs. PORTER
Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter is a WBC welterweight world title eliminator between former 147-pound world champions. The 12-round bout headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, Saturday April 22 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™. In the co-main event, undefeated super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo battles top rated challenger Charles Hatley, with televised coverage beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @AndreBerto, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

ORANGE, Calif. (April 17, 2017) – Lightweight Manuel Mendez (15-1-2, 11 KOs) needed five rounds to record his fourth straight win by knockout over Luis Arceo (28-16-5, 18 KOs) Friday night from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

The main event, which was scheduled for 8-rounds, featured plenty of activity from both boxers. Arceo, who traveled from Tijuana, Mex. to face “La Tormenta,” started fast early in an effort to neutralize the power-punching Mendez, who is trained by Joel Diaz.

Mendez, 26, decided to feel out the challenger in the first few rounds before going on the offensive. Throughout the fight, Arceo threw a great deal of punches, but none connected accurately and had little effect, if any, on the much stronger Mendez.

For his part, Mendez picked his spots and landed crisp power punches in every round. The repetitive onslaught finally caught up with Arceo, as he refused to come out for the sixth round.

“He didn’t hurt me with anything,” said Mendez, who is from Indio, Calif. by way of Oregon. “He was awkward in that he would throw a bunch of punches, but they didn’t have anything behind it. I think I did a good job of side stepping his attack to set up my own.”

In the co-feature, junior welterweight Jessie Roman (21-3, 10 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. knocked out Puerto Rico’s Luis Joel Gonzalez (11-5-1, 6 KOs) in the fifth round (1:50) of their scheduled 8-rounder.

Roman came out aggressive and by the fourth round he managed to score two knockdowns, which would later set the stage for his knockout win.

In the fifth, Roman attacked the body with left hooks. He landed back-to-back body shots with the second one ending Gonzalez’s night.

“I just kept attacking and never let him relax,” said Jessie Roman. “After the fourth round, I knew I would be able to knock him out.”

Featherweight Alimkhan Jumakhonov (6-1-1, 3 KOs) overcame a third round knockdown to win by split decision over Alberto Mora (5-6, 1 KO) in what was an entertaining 4-round scrap.

Mexico’s Mora tagged Jumakhonov in the third round with a counter right. Jumakhonov, who is based in the Los Angeles suburb of Reseda, quickly shook it off and returned fire immediately. The pair would go back and forth for the remainder of the fight. Two judges scored the bout for Jumakhonov (38-37, 38-36), while the third judge had it for Mora (38-37).

In the third fight of the night, Mario Hernandez (1-0), who recently signed a contract with Thompson Boxing, was successful in his professional debut against the aggressive Manuel Manzo (0-5), who remains winless.

Hernandez, who describes himself as a pressure fighter, backed up Manzo with a steady diet of jabs and power punches. The one-sided scores read: 40-36, 39-37 twice.

In a fight that looked like a potential barnburner between two bantamweights making their professional debuts, the action, unfortunately was cut short due to low blows.

Daniel Guzman (0-1) of Los Angeles was disqualified after three rounds due to a low blow that landed against Xavier Pena (1-0) of Tijuana, Mexico. Prior to that, both fighters engaged in a furious return that saw Pena knock down Guzman in the opening round with a nasty right cross. Officially, Pena wins by disqualification after three complete rounds.

In the “Locked n’ Loaded” show opener, the Joel Diaz trained Alfredo Escarcega (1-0) of Indio, Calif. hit pay dirt in his professional debut versus Mario Aguirre (2-8, 2 KOs) of Chula Vista, Calif. He recorded a unanimous decision win by applying steady pressure and being first to the punch.

Showing his inexperience, Escarcega was deducted one point in round three for an intentional head butt. Despite the point deduction, Escarcega managed a commanding win, 39-36 all around.

Connect with Manuel “La Tormenta” Mendez on social media: Instagram: @manuelmendez90 & Facebook: Manuel La Tormenta Mendez

“Locked n’ Loaded” was presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with Everlast.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com.

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

NEW YORK (April 17, 2017) – SHOWTIME Sports has unveiled the network’s complete spring 2017 boxing schedule following today’s earlier announcement that the heavyweight boxing event of the year will be televised live on SHOWTIME. The stacked lineup includes seven world championship fights across eight live boxing telecasts over an eight-week span.

On Saturday, April 29, Anthony Joshua will face Wladimir Klitschko in the most significant heavyweight world championship fight in more than a decade. The event will air live on SHOWTIME at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT from a sold-out Wembley Stadium, where a record crowd of more than 90,000 spectators is expected.

Also announced today, SHOWTIME and Premier Boxing Champions will present the rematch between WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson and Andrzej Fonfara on Saturday, June 3. This bout is an encore of a 2014 action-packed fight in which Stevenson edged Fonfara to defend his 175-pound crown.

The SHOWTIME boxing lineup also includes two significant welterweight bouts with world title implications: Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter (April 22) and Kell Brook vs. Errol Spence Jr. (May 27). Both events are presented in association with Premier Boxing Champions. The April 22 Berto vs. Porter event will feature an anticipated 154-pound world title fight between Jermell Charlo and Charles Hatley as well as world champion Amanda Serrano attempting to become the first woman—and first fighter of Puerto Rican decent—to win a world title in five different weight classes.

On Saturday, May 20, SHOWTIME will present a unique twin-bill of world championship fights. First, boxing’s hottest young star, newly minted world champion Gervonta Davis, will make his first world title defense against Liam Walsh from London. Later that evening, featherweight world champion Gary Russell Jr. and former world champion Andre Dirrell will be featured in separate bouts. Start times for both live telecasts are to be determined.

In all, SHOWTIME Sports will present one live SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast, one live ShoBox: The New Generation telecast, and five SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, all free to network subscribers. Plus, SHOWTIME is in the early stages of planning for the return of four-division world champion Adrien Broner and undefeated star Mikey Garcia in separate events this summer.

The spring lineup complements the network’s robust 2017 boxing schedule. In the first 10 weeks of the year, SHOWTIME Sports presented eight world championship fights, including two world title unification bouts (Jack vs. DeGale and Thurman vs. Garcia, SHOWTIME Boxing on CBS), two world title rematches (Frampton vs. Santa Cruz II and Linares vs. Crolla II), the live-stream of the first-ever boxing event on Twitter (Broner vs. Granados), the resurgence of women’s boxing (Serrano vs. Rivas) and the first women’s boxing main event in premium television history (Shields vs. Szabados).

“SHOWTIME continues its unrivaled commitment to the sport. There simply is no other network in boxing delivering world-class events on a consistent basis,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.

“Our 2017 schedule already includes some 17 live boxing telecasts, 15 world championship fights, with the top-rated fighters squaring off in boxing’s deepest weight divisions. We continue to break the glass ceiling on women’s boxing, deliver the biggest bouts from overseas and see champions take on champions to unify divisions. We are proud to be re-shaping the boxing landscape both in and out of the ring.”

See below for the SHOWTIME boxing spring calendar. This is the network’s third major boxing schedule announcement of the past 13 months.

Saturday, April 22 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Presented by Premier Boxing Champions
Main Event: Andre Berto (31-4, 24 KOs) vs. Shawn Porter (26-2, 16 KOs) – WBC Welterweight World Title Eliminator

Co-Feature: Jermell Charlo (28-0, 13 KOs) vs. Charles Hatley (26-1-1, 18 KOs) – WBC Super Welterweight World Championship

SHOX: Amanda Serrano (31-1-1, 23 KOs) vs. Dahiana Santana (35-8, 14 KO’s) – 10-Rd. WBO Bantamweight World Championship

Start Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (SHO Boxing on SHO EXTREME, 7:30p ET/PT)
Venue: Brooklyn’s Barclays Center
Notes: · The winner of Berto-Porter becomes the WBC mandatory challenger to Unified World Champion Keith Thurman.
· Berto-Porter is the fourth welterweight world title/title eliminator fight televised on SHOWTIME/CBS in the last 10 months.
· Charlo-Hatley is the eighth world title/title eliminator in the 154-pound division on SHOWTIME/CBS in the last 13 months
· Serrano attempts to become the first woman to win world titles in five different weight classes

Saturday, April 29 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Main Event: Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) vs. Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) – IBF and vacant (Super) WBA Heavyweight World Championship

Start Time: 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT, live on SHOWTIME
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Notes: · Most significant heavyweight world title fight in 15 years—since Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in June, 2002
· Officially sold out more than 90,000 tickets; set to smash the attendance record at Wembley and join the ranks of the biggest events in boxing history

Saturday, May 20 – SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL
Main Event: Gervonta Davis (17-0, 16 KOs) vs. Liam Walsh (21-0, 14 KOs) – IBF Super Featherweight World Championship

Start Time: TBD, live from London
Venue: Copper Box Arena in London, England
Notes: · Matchup of undefeated fighters. Champion vs. No. 1-ranked contender
· Davis is the youngest reigning American titlist and second youngest in the world (Kosei Tanaka)

Saturday, May 20 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Main Event: Gary Russell Jr. (21-1, 16 KOs) vs. Oscar Escandon (25-2, 17 KOs) – WBC Featherweight World Championship

Co-Features: Andre Dirrell (25-2, 16 KOs) vs. José Uzcátegui (26-1, 22 KOs) – IBF Super Middleweight Interim World Championship

Rances Barthelemy (25-0, 13 KOs) vs. Kiryl Relikh (21-1, 19 KOs) – WBA Super Lightweight Eliminator

Start Time: TBD

Venue: MGM National Harbor in Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area

Notes: · Sixth featherweight title fight on SHOWTIME since Feb. 2016, and second this year.

· The winner of Dirrell-Uzcátegui becomes the mandatory for IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James DeGale

· The winner of Barthelemy-Relikh becomes the mandatory challenger to WBA Super Lightweight Champion Ricky Burns

Saturday, May 27 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Main Event: Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) vs. Errol Spence Jr. (21-0, 19 KOs) – IBF Welterweight World Championship

Start Time: TBD, live from England
Venue: Bramall Lane Football Ground in Sheffield, England
Notes: · World Champion vs. IBF No. 1-ranked contender
· No. 3-ranked vs. No. 5-ranked welterweights (via Transnational Boxing Rankings)

· Six of the consensus top-10 welterweights in the world featured on SHOWTIME/CBS events in the first half of 2017

Saturday, June 3 – SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Presented by Premier Boxing Champions
Main Event: Adonis Stevenson (28-1, 23 KOs) vs. Andrzej Fonfara (29-4, 17 KOs) II – WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship

Co-Main: Eleider Alvarez (22-0, 11 KOs) vs. Jean Pascal (31-4-1, 18 KOs) – WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Title

Start Time: TBD

Notes: · Stevenson-Fonfara II is a rematch of 2014 all-action championship bout in which both fighters scored knock downs

Friday, June 9 – ShoBox: The New Generation (Hall of Fame Induction Weekend)
Main Event: Joel Diaz Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) vs. Abel Ramos (17-2-2, 12 KOs) – 10 Round Super Lightweight Bout

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET/PT

Venue: Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Notes: · International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend
· The lead announce team for ShoBox, legendary sportscaster Barry Tompkins and boxing historian Steve Farhood, to be inducted to the Hall in nearby Canastota, NY.

Expected This Summer
Four-division world champion Adrien Broner and WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia in separate events live on SHOWTIME.

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

Matchroom Sport, Klitschko Management Group (KMG) and K2 Promotions have reached agreement with U.S. premium television giants Showtime and HBO to televise the most significant heavyweight world championship match in more than a decade. On Saturday, April 29, IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua will face former unified world champion Wladimir Klitschko from a sold-out Wembley Stadium Connected by EE in London.

Showtime is the exclusive U.S. television partner of Joshua, while HBO has an exclusive agreement with Klitschko in the States. Each premium network will produce its own separate telecast of the main event match for the U.S. audience. SHOWTIME will televise its SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING presentation live at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT, while HBO will televise its WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING production at approximately 10:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) and Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) will meet for Joshua’s IBF World Championship and the vacant IBO and WBA World Championships. The British sensation Joshua has knocked out all 18 of his professional opponents in a meteoric rise to stardom, while the long-reigning world champion from Ukraine, Klitschko, aims to win back titles he previously held in his 11-year rule as heavyweight world champion. Joshua vs. Klitschko is promoted by Matchroom Boxing, KMG and K2 Promotions and has officially sold out Wembley Stadium with a record-setting 90,000 tickets sold.

“I’m extremely happy and thankful that our respective U.S. TV partners Showtime and HBO reached an agreement,” said Bernd Boente, Managing Director of Klitschko Management Group. “This happened before in the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and the Lewis vs. Tyson fights and shows you the magnitude of our event at Wembley Stadium on April 29.”

“I’m delighted to announce this historic deal that will see Britain’s biggest ever fight shown on both HBO and SHOWTIME in the U.S.,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport. “It takes a special fight to break down barriers and boundaries but also networks and executives who believe in working with the best interest of fight fans in mind. With the obstacles in place it would have been any easy resolution to not air the fight in the States but I want to thank HBO and Showtime for their perseverance and allowing America to see one hell of a fight at our national stadium in front on 90,000 passionate fans. Joshua vs. Klitschko is a fight for the ages and we look forward to the show!”

“We are thrilled to be delivering Joshua vs. Klitschko to the U.S. audience live on SHOWTIME,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “On the afternoon of April 29, U.S. sports fans will be able to tune in to SHOWTIME to join a record-breaking crowd of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium and a worldwide television audience in witnessing an event that represents not only the contesting of the heavyweight world championship, but potentially the changing of the guard in the most influential division in boxing. We are proud to be Anthony Joshua’s exclusive U.S. television partner as he attempts to establish his legacy against the legendary Wladimir Klitschko, live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, as Showtime continues its unrivaled commitment to the sport.”

Said Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports: “Both promoters and both networks have found a solution that enables boxing fans in the U.S. to watch the world heavyweight championship. This agreement ensures that our subscribers have access to same-day primetime coverage of the fight. It will mark Wladimir Klitschko’s 22nd appearance on HBO and the first for Anthony Joshua.”

The 27-year-old Joshua has been perfect since turning professional shortly after winning Gold at the 2012 Olympics for Great Britain. Joshua, of Watford, England, won the IBF Heavyweight World Championship with a second-round knockout of defending champion Charles Martin in April 2016, earning a heavyweight belt in the fewest number of fights in more than 20 years. He has since successfully defended the title twice—against Dominic Breazeale in June and Eric Molina in December.

Joshua is just the sixth Olympic Gold Medalist at super heavyweight to go on to win a professional heavyweight world title, joining Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Alexander Povetkin and his rival on April 29, Wladimir Klitschko.

HBO has been the long-time home of Klitschko’s professional boxing career in the States. The 41-year-old has been a kingpin in the heavyweight division since winning Gold at the 1996 Olympic Games. He turned pro shortly after the Atlanta games and ran an undefeated campaign for 24 fights before suffering his first defeat to experienced veteran Ross Puritty. Klitschko quickly rebounded by winning 10 in a row and captured his first world title (WBO) with a unanimous decision victory over Chris Byrd in 2000, a win which avenged a loss by his brother, Vitali, earlier that year.

Klitschko’s most recent reign at heavyweight began in 2006 when he captured the IBF and IBO belts via knockout in a rematch against Chris Byrd. He went on to make 17 consecutive defenses of the IBF and IBO crowns, 13 consecutive defenses of the WBO belt, and eight consecutive defenses of the WBA title. Along the way, he amassed victories over Sultan Ibragimov, Hasim Rahman, Ruslan Chagaev, David Haye, Samuel Peter, Alexander Povetkin, Kubrat Pulev and more. In total he has fought in 28 total world title fights – a unique record in the history of the heavyweight division – compared to just 18 total professional fights for Anthony Joshua. He was the longest reigning world champion (2006-2015) after Joe Louis.

This will be Klitschko’s first outing since losing the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO titles to Tyson Fury in 2015, his first defeat in 11 years.

17 April 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced its return to the Singapore Indoor Stadium with a spectacular card scheduled for Friday, 26 May. ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES is set to play host to the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent as ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Singapore defends her title against top contender Istela Nunes of Brazil in the main event. In the co-main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren will return to the ONE Championship cage to defend his title against rising young Malaysian star Agilan “Alligator” Thani.

Ticket information for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “We have an absolutely stacked card from top to bottom planned for Singapore, and it will be a night fans will not want to miss. Angela Lee, ever the true champion and warrior, just came off a thrilling performance a little over a month ago and she is already raring to get back inside the ONE Championship to perform for her hometown crowd. On the other side of the cage, Istela Nunes is ready to give Lee a stiff challenge as the division’s top contender. Also, welterweight superstar Ben Askren is back and he’s ready to welcome the young Agilan Thani to the upper echelon of the division.”

20-year-old Angela Lee of Singapore is one of the promotion’s most outstanding athletes regardless of gender or weight class. She captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with an awe-inspiring victory over Mei Yamaguchi in 2016, and has since then defended the title successfully. Lee’s beautiful combination of elite striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success, as she has remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage. In her last bout, Lee dominated top contender Jenny Huang with a masterful display of striking. She now returns to Singapore to defend her title against Istela Nunes.

Unbeaten female atomweight Istela Nunes of Brazil is a two-time Muay Thai world champion with an unblemished 6-0 professional mixed martial arts record. Her exciting style and knack for delivering powerful strikes makes for exciting fights and is one of the biggest components of her game. In her last bout, Nunes took on top-rated female atomweight Mei Yamaguchi, winning a closely-contested split decision. At her best, Nunes is a well-rounded fighter with a solid striking and grappling skill set. She now takes on the biggest challenge of her young career when she goes head-to-head with ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee in Singapore.

A former NCAA Division I All-American, Ben Askren is a collegiate wrestling legend and one of the finest mixed martial artists in the world today. In just a few fights in ONE, Askren was able to seize the ONE Welterweight World Championship with a resounding technical knockout victory over Nobutatsu Suzuki. The highly-skilled Askren is widely considered to be the absolute best in his division and one of the best fighters in the world pound-for-pound. Next for Askren is a title defense against Malaysian welterweight Agilan Thani.

The undefeated Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be making his return to the ONE Championship cage, following a spectacular submission victory over veteran welterweight Jeff Huang. The 21-year old prospect is a perfect 7-0 as a professional, with five of his seven victories ending in the first round. All of Thani’s victories have come by exciting finish. The young Malaysian has shown steady improvement in each outing, and has earned a shot at ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren.

Lightweight veteran Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Shizuoka, Japan, is one of the world’s most decorated mixed martial artists. He is the DREAM Lightweight Champion, former Shooto Welterweight Champion, and the former ONE Lightweight World Champion. The 33-year-old Aoki is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Yuki Nakai and has won multiple grappling tournaments across the globe. He also holds a black belt in judo. A veteran in both MMA and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu scene, Aoki’s reputation as a grappling specialist is unrivaled. He will take on Garry Tonon in a Grappling Super-Match.

Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Tom deBlass and Ricardo Almeida. He is a No Gi specialist who has clinched multiple world titles at the IBJJF World and Pan American Championships. At age 14, Tonon fell in love with wrestling and grappling and has developed into a bonafide grappling superstar over the course of his career. He is a prominent fixture in submission-only format competitions such as Metamoris, Polaris, and the Eddie Bravo Invitational. Tonon is set to appear in ONE Championship opposite Shinya Aoki in a Grappling Super-Match.

22-year-old Singaporean prospect Amir Khan is a professional mixed martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s stacked lightweight division. He is considered one of the most promising young talents to represent Singapore on the international stage of MMA. Khan is currently riding a three-fight win streak with his victories coming by way of exciting finish. In his last bout, Khan scored a third-round submission over Filipino Vaughn Donayre in a tough matchup. He will once again perform for his hometown crowd as he takes on Rajinder Singh Meena.

Rajinder “Knockout” Singh Meena of India is a professional mixed martial artist competing in the ONE Championship lightweight division. A fast starter, Singh Meena likes to blitz opponents with an intent to finish fights early. He owns a record of eight wins and five losses, with all eight of his victories coming by way of stoppage. Possessing a solid grappling skill set, Meena owns five impressive wins by submission. In his next bout, Singh Meena will lock horns with young lightweight prospect Amir Khan.

Luis “Sapo” Santos is a mixed martial arts veteran from Brazil with over 70 fights on his record, and over half of his wins ending by either TKO or KO. With a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a penchant for spectacular finishes, Santos has emerged as one of the promotion’s most overwhelming physical specimens – a fighter capable of finishing a bout in a variety of ways at any given moment. Known for his aggressiveness and brute strength, Santos looks to continue his dominance inside the ONE Championship cage in his next bout against Vuyisile Colossa.

34-year-old Vuyisile “The Cheetah” Colossa is a mixed martial arts veteran with an 8-5 professional record. He has competed for some of Asia’s top MMA promotions, including ONE Championship, where he has faced opponents the likes of Lowen Tynanes, Kotetsu Boku, and Caros Fodor. After spending three years away from competition, Colossa returned in 2016 to appear in the cage twice. He now makes his way back to ONE to take on tough Brazilian foe, Luis Santos.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion who has a 6-2 record as a professional mixed martial artist. He is known as a technical striker with quick hands and lightning-fast feet, employing some of the most unique and creative striking combinations in MMA today. As a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience, Dejdamrong is set to face Indonesian contender Adrian Matheis.

23-year-old Adrian Matheis of Jakarta, Indonesia, is a mixed martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s stacked strawweight division. In the ONE: TITLES & TITANS strawweight tournament in August 2016, Matheis defeated both Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho via scintillating knockouts in one night to be crowned tournament champion. In his next bout, Matheis crosses paths with former champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke.

Tiffany “Soul Crusher” Teo is a female mixed martial artist who competes in ONE Championship’s women’s flyweight division. She holds an unblemished professional record of five wins and no losses, including two submissions and two knockouts. Born in Brunei and raised in Singapore, Teo began training in taekwondo before moving on to compete in boxing and Muay Thai, eventually transitioning to MMA. In her last bout, Teo impressed with a comprehensive decision victory over Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol. Teo is set to make her third appearance inside the ONE Championship cage against Rebecca Heintzman.

Rebecca Heintzman of Binghamton, New York, is a 30-year old female mixed martial artist making her return to the ONE Championship cage. In her last bout with the promotion, Heintzman took on then-rising star Angela Lee, going two solid rounds with the future champion. With great all-around skills, Heintzman had a decorated amateur career, transitioning well into professional MMA. Heintzman’s full arsenal should be on display once again as she faces one of the promotion’s most promising young fighters in Tiffany Teo.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 28-year-old female atomweight from Bangkok, Thailand. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age nine with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, eventually taking up mixed martial arts. In her last bout, Ishige made a successful ONE Championship debut, impressing fans with her solid grappling skills to defeat Malaysian fighter Audreylaura Boniface. Next up, Ishige takes on the Philippines’ Jomary Torres.

Jomary Torres is a female atomweight contender from the Philippines with a 1-0 professional mixed martial arts record. In her last bout, Torres dominated opponent Krisna Lindaga to win by unanimous decision after three rounds. Torres is set to make her ONE Championship debut against Thai fighter Rika Ishige.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

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

Salido will take on Amphon Suriyo in a scheduled 10-round bout at a contract weight of 132 pounds in Bacum, Mexico, just a few minutes from Salido’s hometown of Cuidad Obregon, Sean Gibbons, Salido’s manager told ESPN on Sunday. The fight will be televised on beIN Sports Español in the United States.

“The idea is to shake the rust off against Suriyo and if all goes well to fight Vasyl Lomachenko later in the year and settle things once and for all with that fight,” Gibbons said.

“Salido needs to do something before he can fight Lomachenko again. He needs to fight,” Gibbons said. “Orlando hasn’t had a homecoming fight in a few years so the timing was right to have a fight at home.”

“We believe the time is correct to make the Lomachenko fight,” Gibbons said. “Our goal is to fight May 27, have Orlando shake off the rust and have a deal in place with Top Rank for a Lomachenko fight. I don’t want to overlook this fight or call this a tune-up, but Orlando really wants the Lomachenko rematch. He wants it financially and he also wants it for pride. He’s tired of hearing about low blows, the weight, the referee. Enough with the excuses.

Trainer Don Charles says Dereck Chisora (26-7, 18 KOs) is leaving nothing to chance when he meets Robert Helenius (24-1, 15 KOs) in a hotly anticipated rematch at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland on May 27.

Helenius holds a controversial split decision win over Chisora from their all action showdown in December 2011, which many, including Charles, believed the British boxer did enough to win.

“Even Stevie Wonder could have judged the correct winner in that fight,” he says.

“I used to take these bad results personally, but not anymore. It happens all the time at all levels of boxing, whether that’s in the amateurs or professionals.

“You should be able to overturn results in boxing. Boxing seems to be the only sport at the moment where you can’t go back and change outcomes. Football, Cricket, Tennis, American sports, etc. all have technology and video replays in order to correct bad decisions. Why not do the same in boxing?”

Chisora and Helenius will be contesting for the WBC Sliver Heavyweight title, but Charles claims that the biggest incentive is for Chisora to avenge his 2011 defeat.

“Every fighter needs an incentive, and the incentive here is to correct the original decision,’’ says Charles. ‘’Dereck has to be the referee, judge and the jury. We are not leaving anything to chance.

“I hate giving fighters instructions to go out looking for the KO, but for this fight, Dereck is under strict instruction to go out there and knock this guy out.

“Robert is a good fighter. But without a doubt he has not been the same man since he first fought Dereck. Dereck knocked every last inch of confidence out of him. I am very confident that Dereck will knock him out!”

Tickets for the WBC Silver World Heavyweight Championship rematch between Robert Helenius and Dereck Chisora are available online via www.ticketmaster.fi or by calling the ticket hotline on (+358) 0600 10 800.

Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz injured his hand which will force the postponement of his bout with Derric Rossy scheduled for Saturday night in Brooklyn, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“We were told he hurt his hand, that he banged it up pretty good and is out of the fight,” said Lou DiBella, who is not Ortiz’s promoter. “It would have been nice to see him on the show. He’s one of the best heavyweights out there. Obviously people would have liked to see him fight, but he got hurt. What can you do?

LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2017) Charles Huerta (19-5, 12 KOs) obtained the knock out victory in LA FIGHT CLUB’s sold out event going head to head with South Central’s Ivan “Striker” Delgado (11-1-1, 4 KOs) in the main event at the Belasco Theater that was televised live nationally on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar. The action was hot, both fighters feeling the urgency to get the win. Delgado went down at the beginning of the third round after being on the receiving end of a powerful shot to the body, and attempted to carry on. Huerta came forward even stronger, and the referee ultimately stopped the match giving him the victory at the 3:36 mark of the third round.

“He was a tough fighter, but I knew I had to stick to the jab,” said Huerta. “As the fight went on, I was seeing everything he was giving me and after the second round when I went back to my corner, I told my dad, ‘I got him.’ Coming into this fight I knew my experience was key, and that is what I was able to show.”

In the crowd at the sold out Belasco Theater, guests included NBA star Metta World Peace, NABF Middleweight Champion Jason “El Animal” Quigley, NABA Middleweight Champion Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez, NABA Super Featherweight Champion Carlos “The Solution” Morales, Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete, Luis Coria, former Mexican Olympian Raul “Cugar” Curiel, Joshua Franco, Hector “Finito” Tanajara, Jr., and Ryan Garcia.

In the Boxeo Estelar co-main event, Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (9-0, 6 KOs) defeated Chula Vista’s Joan Valenzuela (4-8-1, 4 KOs) in round five of the scheduled six round super welterweight bout. Valenzuela went down with a powerful body shot during the fifth round, and by the 2:21 mark, the referee stopped the fight awarding Navarro the technical knockout victory.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a knock out, so it feels great to end on that note,” said Navarro. “Valenzuela kept taunting me during the first two rounds, but I adjusted myself to his style by the third round and was able to start landing my shots to the body. I’m really proud of my performance, and I can’t wait to get back into the ring.”

Making his debut as an official Golden Boy fighter, Manny “Chato” Robles, Jr. (12-0, 4 KOs) opened up the Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar telecast against Durango, Mex.’s Antonio “Chore” Martinez (6-9, 5 KOs) in a six round featherweight fight. In a fight that went the distance, Martinez received a cut over his right eye during the third round. The judges scored the fight 60-54, 60-54 and 59-55, awarding the unanimous decision victory to Robles, Jr.

“I’m happy to be back at a Golden Boy event, and I’m glad I got this first fight with them out of the way,” said Robles, Jr. “The plan was to go to the body, and try to hurt him there. I still have a lot to work on, and when I go back to the gym I’ll be working on everything.”

As part of the live stream tonight, LA FIGHT CLUB regular Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr. (9-0, 3 KOs) went the distance against Mexico City’s Angel “Maikol” Aguilar (8-12, 1 KO) in a six round super featherweight fight. Aguilar landed a number of power shots throughout the bout, nabbing Rubio, Jr. at the body. However, “The Shark” responded to Aguilar pressing forward by landing his jab and power combinations. All three judges scored the bout unanimously at 59-55, allowing Rubio, Jr. to maintain his undefeated status.

“Every time I would try to press forward and land my combinations, he would just run away,” said Rubio, Jr. “He brought in a lot of ring experience, and he caught me off guard with some of his punches. My dad and I came in with a game plan to win, and that’s what helped us secure the victory.”

Adding another knock out win to his clean record, the undefeated Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio (10-0, 6 KOs) faced up against Juarez, Mex.’s Francisco “Panchito” Dominguez (8-12, 2 KOs). During the first round, the referee had to call time out due to a low blow to the mid-section landed by Dominguez. Angered by the punch, “Kid Neza” entered the second round with a vengeance, .ultimately knocking out Dominguez with a left hook to the temple in the last seconds of the round.

“My dad and I plan for everything, it’s just a matter of timing,” said Edgar Valerio. “I feel good about the win, but like how all fighters say, I’m just ready for the next win.”

Delgado vs. Huerta was an eight-round super featherweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD,” Casa Mexico Tequila, and Adriana’s Insurance. Mark your calendars and buy your tickets for the upcoming shows on June 2, and July 14.

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

Los Angeles – April 14, 2017 – Colombian flyweight contender Sabina Mazo (3-0) stamped an exclamation point on her Legacy Fighting Alliance debut tonight, knocking her opponent Jamie Thorton (4-3) out cold with a head kick in the first round on AXS TV FIGHTS: LFA 9.

Said Mazo after the fight, “This is just the beginning of this journey. I will keep training to get better!”

Video of the highlight is available to embed via YouTube here: http://bit.ly/LFA9_MazoVideo

Photos from Mazo’s fight are available for media use here (credit Mike Jackson/Legacy Fighting Alliance): http://bit.ly/LFA9_MazoPhotos

Additional highlights from tonight’s LFA 9 broadcast are available via YouTube, including headliner Myron Dennis’ hard-fought battle vs. Danilo Marques and Don’Tale Mayes’ victory over Demoreo Dennis in the co-main event: http://bit.ly/LFA9_Highlights

Photos from LFA 9 are available for media use via dropbox here. Please photo credit Mike Jackson/Legacy Fighting Alliance: http://bit.ly/LFA9_Photos

Official Results for LFA 9 are as follows:

Televised Main Card
Main Event – Light Heavyweight Fight – Myron Dennis (14-6, 204) out-fought Danilo Marques (7-2) to win by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28).
Co-Main Event – Heavyweight Fight – Don’Tale Mayes (3-1) defeated Demoreo Dennis (6-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Flyweight Fight – Sabina Mazo (3-0) kocked out Jamie Thorton (4-3) with a head kick at 4:50 in round one.
Lightweight Fight – Kyle Driscoll (4-3) scored a unanimous decision over Jose Martinez (5-2) (29-28, 29-28, 29-27).
Bantamweight Fight – Travis Quintero (6-0) defeated Nathan Trepagnier (2-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Featherweight Fight – Eddie Brown (2-1) defeated Malcolm Hill (1-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Featherweight Fight – J.R. Coughran (4-0) outlasted Daniel Carey (3-1) to win by majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28).
ABOUT AXS TV FIGHTS

AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts and kickboxing events than any other television network with 45 scheduled LIVE world-class fight cards in 2017. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich call all the action and Ron Kruck reports from cageside as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 9pE/6pP. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Sling TV, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite, telco and streaming providers. The network is also carried in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Sullivan Barrera Paul “Pay Per View” Parker
Guantanamo, Cuba Toledo, Ohio
18-1, 13 KOs 8-1, 4 KOs
Weight: 178, Trunks: Red/Blue Weight: 177, Trunks: BLK/SLV

Vaughn Alexander Andres Calixto
St. Louis, Missouri Delicias, Mexico
7-0, 5 KOs 14-3, 9 KOs
Weight: 162, Trunks: BLK Weight: 160.5, Trunks: WHT/BLK

Juan Goode Cassius Chaney
Detroit, Michigan New London, Connecticut
8-4, 6 KOs 9-0, 5 KOs
Weight: 256, Trunks: BLK Weight: 245, Trunks: Green/GLD

Madiyar Ashkeyev Shawn Cameron
Kazakhstan Brooklyn, New York
7-0, 3 KOs 10-2, 5 KOs
Weight: 154, Trunks: Baby Blue Weight: 153, Trunks: Green Camo

Enriko Gogokhia Bryan Goldsby
Georgia Macon, Georgia
3-0, 1 KO 4-2
Weight: 148.5, Trunks: BLK/Red Weight: 147.5, Trunks: SLV/BLK

Meiirim Nursultanov Javier Olvera
Kazakhstan Agua Prieta, Mexico
1-0 1-0, 1 KO
Weight: 160, Trunks: WHT/Red Weight: 159.5, Trunks: Blue/WHT

Sullivan Barrera vs. Paul Parker is a 10-round light heavyweight bout presented by Main Events and Mohegan Sun as part of the Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars Boxing Series. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. ET. The HBO Latino Boxing telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) with the ten-round middleweight match-up between Vaughn Alexander and Andres Calixto Rey. Tickets, which are priced at $50 and $75, are available now through Ticketmaster, the Mohegan Sun box office or the Main Events’ office. The card is presented by Main Events and sponsored by Corona Extra.

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Lou DiBella
We’re going to start with “Showtime” Shawn Porter, out of Las Vegas right now. Former IBF World Champion. Everyone knows he’s trained by his dad, Ken, and he was a tremendous amateur. He has been a tremendous pro. And I know he’s ready for this important matchup on April 22nd. Shawn?

Shawn Porter
What’s up, everybody? Yes, we’re just at the latter part of camp now, winding down, and we’re still working out hard, and everything is coming together just the way we want it. So, at this point, the excitement is building up and I can’t wait to get out there and see everybody, and be a part of what’s going on with this fight.

L. DiBella
Have you done anything special to prepare for Berto? I mean, anything different in terms of sparring partners or anything in your usual routine?

S. Porter
I personally have been going 15 rounds up at an altitude of about 8,500 feet yesterday. I think that’s pretty special. We sparred 10 rounds with three different guys, and we pushed ourselves a few more rounds in the ring, and then also sprint some on the road as well. So, we’re working hard. We swim every chance we have and try to work every chance. We have an oxygen chamber in our training facility for our performance center.

So, everything we’re doing is just always to try to do it bigger and better each fight.

L. DiBella
Andre can you tell us a little bit about your training camp and how you feel about the fight as fight week is less than a week away.

Andre Berto
Training camp has been tremendous. We’ve stepped everything up this camp. Tremendous sparring. I just can’t say enough about how this camp went. I’m in great shape. I’m focused. We have been pushing ourselves to the limit each and every day. I’m more than excited coming into this fight. I’m ready to get it.

Stephen Espinoza
We are thrilled to be back at Barclays Center and thrilled to be working with DiBella once again. At SHOWTIME, our spring schedule is starting to take shape. This April 22nd event is the start of a very aggressive lineup of fights over an eight-week span. There’s more to come on that in the very near future.

In terms of our televised fights, we’ve got compelling matchups that provide a little bit of everything for all sorts of boxing fans.

This main event is part of a series of ongoing welterweight fights that will determine – possibly by the end of the year, maybe early next year – who is the top dog, so to speak, in boxing’s glamour division.

We’ve had a series of phenomenal welterweight fights, including Shawn’s fight last summer on CBS.

Both Andre Berto and Shawn Porter, really gained national exposure early in their careers on SHOWTIME via ShoBox – no surprise there. Andre was on ShoBox in 2006; Shawn Porter in 2009. And they have progressed in very significant stages of their career on SHOWTIME – Andre four times on SHOWTIME, and Shawn five times on SHOWTIME and once on CBS.

These are two guys that everybody knows. They’re likeable, charismatic, and articulate. They’re guys who respect the sport and represent it well. Perhaps more importantly, they are all action fighters, and there’s no way that this fight is going to disappoint. So, top to bottom, a lot to offer on this April 22nd card, and we’re very much looking forward to it.

Q
Do you think that a victory against Shawn would represent maybe the best win of your career?

A. Berto
Yes. I believe so. Looking down at my career, I’ve gone through a lot of physical things and now just coming back from that and just being healthy and a lot stronger, I’m a lot more focused.

Everything is just starting to show like it needs to be, and I believe that this fight right here definitely could be one of the biggest ones in my career, for sure.

I fought a lot of great guys coming up. I’ve fought with Steve Forbes, I’ve fought David Estrada and all those guys, they were big names at their time.

The most satisfying one for me right now, was my last one against Victor Ortiz just because there was so much emotion that went into that fight. So much of a storyline that went into that fight and how much it meant to me.

Emotionally all around the board, I think probably there’s no more satisfying win right now at this point. I fought Carlos Quintana, Steve Forbes, and all these guys that were very great fighters of their time, and they were at the top of their division at their time.

Q
Do you think a win against Shawn would surpass that as the most satisfying because you’re a little older, you’ve been off a while and it’s going to put you back into position to fight another world title if you win?

A. Berto
I’m not sure, man. Like I said, that last fight just had a lot connected to it. And a lot connected to it. This fight here is a big fight as well. Every fight right now at this point in my career is a big fight and a very big, defining fight. So, I’m just taking each of them, and one step at a time, and just preparing like I need to. I need to just get through them one at a time.

Q
Shawn were you surprised that coming off of a loss that you were able to get a fight that would be a title eliminator to be in a position right back in a world title fight?

S. Porter
You know what? Honestly, that’s kind of the business side that I don’t really think about as much. I didn’t think about how many fights it would take for me to get back to a championship fight.

After that fight, my team went back to the drawing board figuring out what fight we can take to position ourselves to either get a rematch with Thurman or get another title, and that was it. That was how this fight with Andre Berto came to be.

This was the guy that I was told will be the one to position me to get back to a World Championship fight, and then, boom, we’re at the press conference announcing the fight, and they tell us that it’s for an eliminator.

I couldn’t have been more surprised. I don’t think there was anything in my life that I’ve ever been more pleased with or surprised other than that.

When DiBella came up and said it would be for a title eliminator for the WBC title, I mean, my heart just – it just glowed with happiness. So, I’m looking forward to this fight. I been looking forward to this moment for a long time and I hope to just win.

We agreed to the fight with the understanding that, this will lead to something better, but again I didn’t know how long it would be. And then the man comes on the stage and says it’s for an eliminator, and I’m like, wow.

Q
If you could wave the magic wand, which guy of Thurman and Brook would you rather have a rematch against, and why?

S. Porter
Thurman. I think he’s the better fighter. I think finally being able to beat him, I think would be something on my resume, in my legacy, that would be remembered for a very long time. He’s a very good fighter; a very good defender of his belt/belts, and I’m looking forward to fighting him in a rematch.

Q
Shawn, I saw some comments you made recently discussing Berto’s fight against Mayweather and how you seemed to suggest that you were going to follow Floyd’s blueprint for his boxing Berto, and staying on the outside, and you seemed to kind of say that you were going to follow the same strategy. Is that true?

S. Porter
Well, watching the fight, I definitely admired, as any fight that Floyd Mayweather’s in, his boxing ability, but that was something that was very effective against Andre Berto. So, we’ll definitely pick our spots where we want to box; where we want to use the ring. But at any rate, through the entire fight, we will control the action as well as the ring.

Q
Do you plan on showcasing more of your boxing ability in this fight against Berto?

S. Porter
Well, it depends on the fight. Like you just said, my boxing ability may be a little underrated. I’d say, there are moments in the ring, sometimes you make it more of boxing, sometimes you make it more of the pressure and the aggression.

So, we’ll build this fight accordingly. We’ll take a look at what’s going on. We’ll make our adjustments during the fight in the corner as well, and we’ll see. You might see more boxing; you might see more pressure. We’ll see how it plays out.

Q
You mentioned before that you felt that Keith Thurman was a better fighter than Kell Brook. Can you just explain why you feel that way?

S. Porter
I just think overall. His boxing ability, ring IQ, speed, quickness, power, all of it. My personal opinion is it could be a biased opinion, but I feel like Keith Thurman is the better boxer/fighter than Kell Brook.

Q
Andre, what do you think about Shawn saying that he might use Floyd Mayweather’s template against you in your fight? What’s your reaction to hearing that?

A. Berto
That’s fine. I mean, that’s his business. He can us any game plan however he wants to. Whichever way he wants to maneuver, whatever the situation is, that’s on him.

We’re just preparing for every look. We’re just preparing for every look. What we need to prepare whether he’s boxing brawling.

We’re focused on what we need to do. We don’t really focus on the way he’s trying to beat us. We’re trying to make sure that we’re going to be all right, and we’re going to be focused.

Shawn, he’s shown in the past he can brawl. He can press the guys out. He might try to use something new in this fight. I’m not sure. I’m just focusing on what I got to do. Like I said, we’re in tremendous shape all around the board. We can box; we can bang; we can do whatever we want to do as well. So it doesn’t matter. We’re going to see what it is. We’re getting a start on that.

Q
Shawn do you think Andre can handle your pace?

S. Porter
That’s my mindset, my team says every time we get in the ring is that our opponent won’t be able to keep up with the pace that I perform at. I do everything that I can, leading up to the fight, to be ready for a fight like that.

I never go into the ring with the thought that I’m going to throw 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 punches a round. It’s just kind of how the fight flows and how it goes. So, yes, I’m always prepared to fight at the faster pace – I think at a faster rate than most of the guys that I box.

I think that there is going to be an advantage for myself getting in the ring with Andre Berto, I think that I’ll be able to dictate the pace, and push his heart, and make him work harder.

The skills as well as the power should make this a very good fight. This is why this fight is very anticipated, because you know what I can do and what Andre can do.

But I think I’ve shown out there that there’s nothing that you can doubt when I’m getting into the ring, it’s down to I’m going to perform the way I’ve always performed and the fight will take care of itself.

Q
Besides Mayweather, do you think you’re the most superior opponent that he’s faced, and if so, why?

S. Porter
Yes, yes, yes. I would say I am. He’s fought some very good boxers. Some punchers and guys that were aggressive. Some counterpunchers. He’s fought them all. I think the thing that separates me from those guys is that I can do all of it. Very rarely do you have that in another fighter than can do it all in the ring.

Q
Andre, what are your thoughts on what Shawn brings to the ring, and do you agree that with him, that maybe besides Mayweather, that he’s your most difficult opponent?

A. Berto
I can’t really say until I get in there with him. Like I said, I been there with a lot of guys, and I’ve been with a lot of different type of guys from my first 12 or 13 fights.

I’ve been in there with a few world champions. I have to go in there and see. Mayweather, like I said, you’re bringing up Mayweather. Mayweather is Mayweather.

He’s going to go in there and move around, box, he’s going to play, real slippery. I believe that he is definitely one-of-a-kind and showed it throughout the years.

When it comes to Shawn, he does a lot of things wrong and he does a lot of things right. So I can’t say that Shawn’s going to be my most difficult fight, because I haven’t been in there with him yet. We’ll say that he is definitely a great fighter.

Q
Do you feel that at the time of some of your earlier wins, that you were getting credit, and do you think that you have ever really gotten credit for being a better fighter?

A. Berto
Everybody knows the boxing game, you’re as good as our last performance. Just as they can raise you up high in the next great thing, going through defeat or going through some tough times, they’ll write you off quick.

They’ll write you off quick in this game. And that’s just how the game goes. I can’t sit there and just be upset at it. I knew what I was getting into.

With all of the buzz surrounding me, coming into the pro game, and me being a world champion myself, I can give myself accolades, but if things don’t go your way, they’ll definitely discredit you.

You have to see it for what it’s worth, man, and end-of-the-day, just know who you are. You can’t let this fight game ultimately define you.

It won’t give you the credit that you feel that you deserve at the end of the day, and that’s what, and I believe. Them retiring. I don’t know too many fighters that have retired satisfied.

They’re satisfied with this fight game, or satisfied with the notoriety of things they’ve got, from the writers, from the critics or the fans. I don’t know too many at all. You just got to go in there and do what you got to do. Like, just know who you are, and go and make yourself happy.

Q
Andre, just piggybacking on what you said earlier, do you feel that you’ve been written off, going into this fight?

A. Berto
Well, from my first loss moving forward, I’ve been written off. Like I said. going into it, it’s just where the fight game is. It’s just where the fight game is. From my first loss on, it’s been this and this, this and that. I’ve been through my hard times. I’ve been through everything in this fight game and have been in front of that TV screen.

That’s what you need to understand. I’ve got a chance to fight all over. I was with Lou DiBella and HBO. Everything that I’ve done has been in the eyes of the public. My rise, my fall, going through my defeats.

Coming back from shoulder surgery, coming back trying to continue to make a statement, make people know I’m still here. I love it, because I love that roller coaster ride. I’ve never seen my career coming into the game as being perfect. Never. Never.

I’ve always wanted to feel everything that this game had to offer. But it’s just like Muhammad Ali said a long time ago, he was able to feel everything this game had to offer. He got knocked down. He got stopped. He wasn’t tired. He was the best alive. This and that. He had to experience it all.

When I’m done, I’ll be able to read my story and see that and explains everything this game had to offer.

Q
Andre, he’s obviously he’s the younger fighter and he’s a pretty big favorite in the fight. How much motivation has that given you in this camp?

A. Berto
It’s a tremendous motivation for me. I believe they’ve been able to see a whole different type of determination and motivation in me. And they do see it in these fights as well. So it’s not going to stop. It’s not going to stop me. They can think of that some other type of way, but everybody right now, at this point, it looks like they’re in the way right now for what I want. That’s it. That’s it. That’s all they’re getting out of my way.

Q
How difficult has it been for you to not be more active since the Broner fight?

S. Porter
That’s a tough one to call. I think more than anything it’s been a little tougher mentally, outside of that, we still work hard and I’m on SHOWTIME for a reason.

I’m a Showtime fighter, so I’m never worried, about any amount of time that I stay out of the ring in the actual fight because we have tons of those before the actual match. So, I’m just excited about this fight coming in, and I’m looking forward to it.

Q
Do you think maybe for your next fight if you’re able to beat Andre, do you feel like a Thurman rematch because, especially, this is an elimination match for his title that that is a realistic opportunity for you in your next fight?

S. Porter
I’m hoping so. I know that he has two different belts. He will have two different mandatories, so I understand all that, but I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring with Keith Thurman in a rematch as soon as we can after this fight with Andre Berto.

Q
Andre, you’re going into this fight with roughly a one-year layoff since your last fight with the second fight with Ortiz. Can you tell us about that layoff and how you think it might affect your performance in this fight?

A. Berto
The layoff is the layoff. That’s something you got to ask the promoter, the managers on that. But anybody that follows me, they know I’ve been staying busy anyways. within this year I’ve been staying working out and I’ve been staying in shape.

I’d say we’ve had a nice lengthy camp to make sure to knock off all the rust. And we’re sharp, man. We’re sharp. And all ready to go. So I don’t think it’s going to play too much of a big part in this as well.

Q
How does that affect you being off for that period of time, because as soon as the bell rings, it may get very heated very quickly.

A. Berto
It’s not going to affect me too much at all. Everybody knows me. When it comes to me, I’ve been scrappy that way my whole career. And plus we’ve been having tremendous sparring. We been having tremendous, tremendous sparring here at the gym.

So far everybody is trying to push me to a whole other level. I’m here putting real money on my own head to make sure these guys come from the first round. Always trying to see if they can knock me out.

So all the sparring has been top notch, and it’s definitely been highly, highly competitive. We’re going to be ready to go.

Q
As the more veteran fighter, are there going to be changes in your approach?

A. Berto
Yes, it’s crazy to say; I’m an old vet now. My boxing IQ has changed so much when it comes to everything in general.

We’re doing things for a reason. Not just out there throwing punches because we can. Not just always just being fast because we can, or being strong because we can. Everything is for a purpose and we’ve just been fine-tuning everything. And everything has been falling in place pretty amazingly.

Q
Shawn, do you think there are going to be any ring rust problems, or how are you going to deal with that?

S. Porter
No, no ring rust at all, man. I’m just looking forward to this fight. I know it’s been a while since you guys have seen me, but I’m always working, and my team is always on me, making sure I’m in shape, getting in shape, staying in shape. And that I’m controlling my weight, my eating, all that kind of stuff. So, right now, there’s no problem for Shawn Porter.

# # #

ABOUT BERTO vs. PORTER
Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter is a WBC Welterweight World Title eliminator between former 147-pound world champions. The 12-round bout headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, Saturday April 22 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™. In the co-main event, undefeated super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo battles top rated challenger Charles Hatley, with televised coverage beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @AndreBerto, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – Ricky Burns is gunning for the ultimate birthday present this weekend as he aims to add Julius Indongo’s IBF and IBO World titles to his own WBA Super-Lightweight title in their unification clash at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Saturday live on AWE-A Wealth of Entertainment and www.klowdtv.com

The fight card will begin at 2:30 PM ET / 11:30 AM PT. AWE is now on Directv channel 387

Burns turned 34 on Thursday and came face-to-face with the Namibian at their pre-fight press conference in Glasgow.

The Rickster welcomes the unbeaten Southpaw to the venue of his moment of history in May when he became Scotland’s first three-weight World champion with an eighth round stoppage win over Michele Di Rocco.

Burns defended his crown for the first time with a dogged display against impressive mandatory challenger Kiryl Relikh in October. Indongo is the third man to test Burns in the Hydro cauldron, and Burns is in no mood to let slip another chance to create a piece of history as he aims to continue his remarkable career at the very top.

“When I first started out you always think about winning belts and being in massive fights, but I never set myself any targets,” said Burns. “I just worked hard and when I got the chances, I took them and it paid off. I’ve had a few bad nights and it took me a while to move down to Essex and get used to training with Tony, but it’s clicked now.

“I got the Di Rocco fight and I jumped at it. People noticed there that I still had something to give, I knew it was still there, but there were people that doubted that.

“I don’t think about what I’ve done so far and I won’t until I hang them up. In my eyes, a fight is a fight. It’s always great to go into big fights like this one, but the pressure is big enough in World title fights that I keep stuff like legacies and so on away and just focus on what’s in front of me, that’s the way I’ve always been.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved and people always say that I’m a three-weight World champion and only one of three ever in Britain, but I’ve not really thought about it and it’s not sunk in.

“I just love fighting. People ask me all the time how long do I think I can keep going and my answer is always as long as I am not taking punishment, still want to do it and enjoy it, then I’ll keep going – and I think that there’s years left in me.

“I’m taking it one fight at a time. This is a big, big night, the biggest I’ve had. We spoke about unification fights at Super-Featherweight and Lightweight and now it’s here – I just can’t wait. There were easier fights out there and maybe even more lucrative fights, but this is the fight I wanted and I’m confident that things will go well.”

Burns clash with Indongo is part of a huge night of action in Glasgow with two cracking British title fights leading the supporting cast as Scotty Cardle looks to land the Lightweight belt outright when he faces Robbie Barrett and Charlie Edwards and Iain Butcher clash for the vacant Super-Flyweight title.

Rio Olympian Josh Kelly makes his pro debut, his Team GB teammate Lawrence Okolie boxes for the second time in the pros, Charlie Flynn fights for his first pro title as he faces Ryan Collins for the Celtic Lightweight title and Joe Ham takes on Scott McCormack for the Scottish Super-Bantamweight title.

Photos by Steve Welsh

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has featured over 50 world title fights.

AWE has brought boxing fans some of the most exciting and controversial bouts, including the matchup of Ricky Burns against Ray Beltran for the world title. AWE featured live and exclusively the crowning of American Terence Crawford over Ricky Burns. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.

In 2017, AWE was the exclusive United States television provider of the historic matchup between legendary British heavyweight David Haye and Tony Bellew.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is available on over a hundred cable systems, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. and Directv, ch 387. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

Uncasville, CT: This Saturday night fans at the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut and those watching live on HBO Latino will be treated to an action-packed showdown of power vs. power when Cuban Sullivan Barrera (18-1, 13 KOs) and Ohio native Paul Parker square off in an 10-round light heavyweight fight. The fight will be main event on the HBO Latino Boxing telecast which begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Category
Sullivan Barrera
Paul “Pay Per View” Parker
Age
35
32
Record
18-1 (13 KOs)
8-1 (4 KOs)
Strength
Barrera is a strong and hungry fighter with solid endurance and a granite chin. He has a strong jab that he uses well. Look for him to put it to good use in this bout.
Parker is a crafty and gutsy fighter; he is a favorable counter-puncher with a solid jab and a game-changer of a right hand.
Weakness
Sullivan tends to get sloppy at times. He must keep his composure and stay sharp in this one as Parker has put his last four opponents on the canvas.
With only nine pro bouts under his belt, Parker lacks the experience of Barrera. Also, he has not competed in over a year so ring rust may be a factor.
Experience
Barrera has had more professional bouts and he has been in with some of the division’s best: Andre Ward, Vyacheslav Shabranskyy and Karo Murat.
Although Paul has faced some notable names in his previous two bouts, he has yet to be tested.
Power
His previous seven wins were all stoppage victories, including his most recent over previously undefeated and ranked contender Vyacheslav Shabranskyy.
Although he may be at a slight disadvantage, his power is nothing to take lightly. He has a vicious right hand that has put numerous opponents on their backs and sealed the deal in his last bout when he earned the decision over Lionell Thompson.
Speed
Sullivan may be at a slight disadvantage; his speed may not be on display until he smells blood and goes for the finish.
Paul has some quick hands and quick feet. When combined with his size and range, he can be extremely difficult to track down.
Endurance
Barrera proved endurance is not a problem when he hung in for 12 rounds just one year ago against current light heavyweight champ Andre Ward.
Parker has only gone eight rounds once (in his most recent bout), so his endurance is still in question.
Accuracy
Sullivan’s accuracy is on point when he gets his jab going and puts his punches together behind it.
He has an accurate jab and a very dangerous overhand right that can be pivotal if landed clean.
Defense
Barrera has a very strong jab that can make it difficult for any fighter to get anything going offensively if he commits to it.
Paul is a lanky and rangy fighter with a solid jab and good movement, which makes him very difficult to hit.
Chin
He has been down before, but has recovered well and has never been knocked out.
Parker was stopped one time against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, but Parker also had Shabranskyy down as well.
Style
Sullivan is a good technical fighter that likes to stick his jab and set up his shots. He tends to turn brawler which has worked in his favor in the past.
Pay Per View is a rangy fighter who likes to use his jab and movement to keep his opponents off-balance. Like his opponent, he has no problem turning a fight into a brawl if he must.
Intangibles
He has been very vocal about his desire to stay active and continue to fight the best in the world. With Parker coming off a big win, Barrera understands the momentum the young prospect will have coming into this bout. However, Sullivan must take out anyone in his way, including the young guns trying to take his spot in the rankings.
Parker started competing against notable light heavyweight contenders very early into his professional career. After a minor setback in a loss with Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, Paul got right back at it with a win over veteran Lionell Thompson. With just nine pro bouts, he is determined to continue to compete against the best in the division and be taken seriously in the stacked light heavyweight division.
Crowd Support
Barrera is the bigger name coming into this bout; he has fought in front of a live audience on multiple occasions. He is coming off a barn-burner win over Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, which was also aired on HBO Latino.
Parker may have earned himself a decent fan base with his recent outings. His style is intriguing and fan-friendly, so he may leave the building with some more credibility amongst boxing fans.
The Match-Up
Will Barrera be able take Parker’s power?
Will Parker be able to take Barrera’s power?
Will Barrera’s experience make it an easy night for him?
Will Parker’s hunger and will to win make it an easy night for him?

According to Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year Jolene Mizzone, “In my opinion, any fight these days at light heavyweight is always interesting. Many feel that Paul Parker lacks experience but he is the one light heavyweight to step up to the plate and take the fight. That says a lot about a fighter. Parker didn’t think twice about taking the opportunity. Sullivan Barrera also could have sat out and waited for a bigger fight, like most do, instead he wants to keep busy and knows he is going in against a fighter that has nothing to lose.”

Sullivan Barrera vs. Paul Parker is a 10-round light heavyweight bout presented by Main Events and Mohegan Sun as part of the Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars Boxing Series. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. ET. The HBO Latino Boxing telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) with the ten-round middleweight match-up between Vaughn Alexander and Andres Calixto Rey. Tickets, which are priced at $50 and $75, are available now through Ticketmaster, the Mohegan Sun box office or the Main Events’ office. The card is presented by Main Events and sponsored by Corona Extra.

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New York (April 14, 2017)-Boxing manager Felipe Gomez is proud to announce the signing of former world champion Elio Rojas to a managerial contract.

Elio Rojas who hails from San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic has a record of 24-3, with 14 wins coming by way of knockout.

Rojas won the WBC World Featherweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Takahiro Ao (17-1-1) in Ao’s hometown in Tokyo, Japan. Rojas then defended his title against Mexican veteran Gutty Espadas Jr. (45-7) in Yucatan, Mexico with a 12-round unanimous decision. In his most recent bout, Rojas lost by TKO in the 5th round to hard hitting Mikey Garcia, 36-0, 30 knockouts.

Rojas, who had been living in Florida, recently moved to New York with the hopes of getting his career back on track.

“I know Felipe Gomez for many years and I know he can help me jumpstart my career,” said Rojas.

“Elio fought some big names in his career and is coming off a tough loss in a fight he accepted above his weight class. If he can get back down to his natural weight which is 126-130 pounds, I know he can beat a lot of good fighters,” said Gomez. “I am excited to be part of his career because I know he still has a lot of fight in him and he can become a world champion again.”

Elios Rojas is training at the famous Gleason Gym in Brooklyn, New York with former world champion Joan Guzman.

Felipe Gomez, formerly of New Legend Boxing, has given up his promoter’s license to become a boxing manager. His recent signings include: Middleweight veteran Giovanni Lorenzo, Middleweight DeVaun Lee, Welterweight Cesar Francis and several other up and coming prospects residing in the Dominican Republic.

BEVERLY, Mass. (April 14th, 2017) — He got the win — unanimously, to be exact — but wasn’t overly impressed with his performance. Connor Barry wanted to put on more of a show for the fans.

“Personally, I thought it was kind of boring,” Barry said with a laugh.

Such is the mindset of a perfectionist like Barry, the young, up-and-coming lightweight from Holbrook, Mass., who returns to the cage Saturday, April 15th, 2017 at the North Shore Music Theatre on the main card of “CES MMA 43.”

Now 3-0 following his aforementioned win over Travis Foster at “CES MMA 41,” Barry hopes to not only defeat 18-fight vet Andrew Osborne (7-10-1, 3 KOs) of North Carolina on Saturday, but to do so in impressive fashion while steadily improving on his previous performance.

“I think with every fight, I should learn something from it. If I don’t, then I really didn’t benefit from it,” he said. “I always look through my fights and try to pick out one or two things I can improve on.”

The last few months have been a whirlwind for Barry, who fights for the third time since November when he goes toe-to-toe with Osborne, but it wasn’t always this easy finding fights. Seven scheduled bouts fell through during an arduous year-and-a-half stretch between 2014 and 2016, including one at “CES MMA 37” when his opponent, Devin Carrier, tragically passed away a week before the event, but Barry managed to channel his frustration by adhering to the most common adage in combat sports.

“There’s a lot of stuff you can’t control as an individual,” he said, “but you can control your own training and preparation.

Barry stayed ready, even when fights fell through, and quickly realized MMA could be more than just a hobby if he applied himself. Said the former amateur boxer, who won a Silver Mittens title in Massachusetts at the age of 16: “Originally, I used MMA as a crutch, then one day it hit me, ‘Oh, shit, I have to start working my ass off!’ so I began training everyday.”

Soon, the fights started coming one by one. Now Barry is making noise among regional lightweights with the potential to reappear on a number of upcoming CES MMA events during a busy summer for the No. 1 promotion in the northeast.

“I’ve been working my ass off day in, day out. Everything I do is geared toward this sport,” Barry said. “I love it. I think I have a future, but it’s a big sacrifice, a lot of hard work.”

As for Saturday, Barry says his philosophy is to “overestimate” every opponent so he’s not caught off guard when the bell rings, a sound strategy against a cagey veteran like Osborne.

“He’s a good striker, so this will be an exciting fight for the fans,” he said. “I’m very comfortable with standing in front of people. I like throwing bombs, big shots. I just like punching people.”

Saturday is Barry’s third fight with CES MMA since his pro debut in 2015. He’s thankful for the opportunities and ready to claim his spot among the best in the region at 155 pounds.

“CES has been awesome to me. They’ve helped me a lot with promotion and have given me a great opportunity,” Barry said. “I’m excited to put on another show for them.

“I’ve hit a couple of road blocks along the way, but I was ready for all of those fights. Now I’m just training everyday to bang them out one after another. I want as many as I can to stay active.”

The main event of “CES MMA 43” features the return of Gloucester, Mass., featherweight Pedro Gonzalez (11-5), who faces Brazilian Bruno Dias (19-9) of Woburn, Mass., in a battle of submission specialists. Gonzalez (10) and Dias (14) have combined for 24 wins via tap-out. Saturday is Gonzalez’s first fight since last April, nearly one year to the date of “CES MMA 35,” the promotion’s first even at the NSMT.

Tickets for “CES MMA 43” are priced at $45.00, $55.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and are available online at www.cesmma.com, www.nsmt.org, or www.cagetix.com/ces or by phone at 978-232-7200 or 401-724-2253/2254. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first bout begins at 7. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The event features five professional bouts and six amateur fights on the preliminary portion of the card and airs live online on FloCombat. Users can also stream the event on television using Roku or Apple TV 4.

Also returning April 15th, Somerville, Mass., bantamweight Rico DiSciullo (6-1, 2 KOs) looks to rebound from his first career loss at “CES MMA 38” against David Garcia when he faces former Bellator and CES MMA vet Matt Lozano (8-4, 1 KO) of Lancaster, Pa., on Saturday in an important fight for both sides. Lozano debuted with the promotion at “CES MMA 34,” earning an impressive unanimous decision win over Johnny Campbell.

Quincy, Mass., light heavyweight Mike Rodriguez (6-2, 4 KOs) returns following his record-setting 7-second knockout win over Hector Sanchez at “CES MMA 41” to face New York’s James Dysard (0-1) and Myrtle Beach middleweight Justin Sumter (2-1), now training in Milford, Conn., makes his CES MMA debut in a separate three-round bout against Pawtucket, R.I., vet Abe Pitrowski (6-2, 1 KO).

Similar to its North Shore debut in 2016, CES MMA will feature six amateur bouts on the preliminary card, a tremendous opportunity for the region’s up-and-coming future stars. Unbeaten bantamweight Marquis Brewster earned a promotional contract with CES MMA by winning his amateur finale a year ago at “CES MMA 35” and is now 2-0 since June.

On Saturday, featherweight Billy Keenan (6-2, 2 KOs) of Salem, Mass., faces Schenectady, N.Y., native Cody Dickershaid (7-7, 4 KOs) in the featured amateur bout while bantamweight Yarty Kim (1-0, 1 KO) of Boston battles Mike Kimbel (2-2, 1 KO) of Waterbury, Conn.

Also on the preliminary amateur card, lightweight Jurrell Laronal (1-1, 1 KO) of Dorchester, Mass., takes on Waterbury’s Jordan Riley (1-1), heavyweight Larry Perna (2-1, 2 KOs) from Bronx, N.Y., faces Ron Marshall (1-2) of Hampton, N.H., and Boston light heavyweight Zeal McGrew (2-1) faces Glen Falls, N.Y., vet Harold Ricketts (1-2). Rob Rios (0-4) of Cromwell, Conn., and Dylan Youngblood (0-2) of Pittsburgh, Pa., aim for their first amateur win when they face one another in a bantamweight bout.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/cesmma for more information, or follow CES MMA on Instagram at @CESMMA.

Las Vegas, NV: (April 14, 2017) – Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” go on sale to the public today at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets priced at $1,255, $755, $505, $355, $255 and $105 not including applicable service charges will be available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office.

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, and is sponsored by Monster Products and Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. 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.

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ORANGE, Calif. (April 13, 2017) – Lightweight Manuel Mendez (14-1-2, 10 KOs) reached weight at 138 lbs. for his “Locked n’ Loaded” 8-round main event showdown versus veteran Luis Arceo (28-15-5, 18 KOs) this Friday from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. Arceo came in at an identical 138 lbs.

“Everyone knows I don’t back down from a fight,” Mendez said after the weigh in. “I know I’m going to bring it so Arceo should do the same, otherwise it’s going to be a short fight for him.”

Mendez has won three straight by stoppage and ten out of his last twelve. Friday’s fight marks his second start of the year. Mendez is coming off a third round knockout win over Bergman Aguilar in March.

WEIGHTS

Manuel Mendez, 138 vs. Luis Arceo, 138 (8-rounds)
Jessie Roman, 142 vs. Luis Joel Gonzalez, 143 (8-rounds)
Alimkhan Jumakhonov, 126 vs. Alberto Mora, 126.5 (4-rounds)
Mario Hernandez, 119.1 vs. Manuel Manzo, 119.7 (4-rounds)
Daniel Guzman, 120.6 vs. Xavier Pena, 118.8 (4-rounds)
Alfredo Escarcega, 138.3 vs. Mario Aguirre, 139.8 (4-rounds)

Tickets for “Locked n’ Loaded” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase Friday starting at 5:30 p.m. local time from the will call booth at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

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

Connect with Manuel “La Tormenta” Mendez on social media: Instagram: @manuelmendez90 & Facebook: Manuel La Tormenta Mendez

“Locked n’ Loaded” 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 #LockednLoaded and #ThompsonBoxing.

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

TGB Promotions won the purse bid to promote the IBF Featherweight title bout between Lee Selby and Jonathan Barros, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We’re happy to win the bid and look forward to the fight,” Tpm Brown said.

OXON HILL, MD. (April 13, 2017) – Undefeated WBA Interim Light Heavyweight Titlist Dmitry Bivol and streaking challenger Samuel Clarkson made weight on Thursday for their 12-round main event tomorrow/Friday on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (10p.m. ET/PT) from MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

The fast-rising Bivol (9-0, 7 KOs) earned his interim belt in just his seventh professional fight while Clarkson (19-3, 12 KO’s) enters Friday’s main event on a nine fight winning streak.

Undefeated welterweight prospects Malik Hawkins (10-0, 7 KOs) and Carlos Soto (13-0-2, 7 KOs) meet in the eight-round co-feature. Hawkins, a Baltimore native trained by Calvin Ford, is a stablemate of IBF Junior Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis.

In the opening bout of the telecast, Baltimore native Glenn Dezurn (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on former amateur standout Leroy Davila (5-0, 3 KOs), of New Brunswick, N.J., in an eight-round matchup of undefeated super bantamweights.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Banner Promotions in association with World of Boxing and Uprising Promotions, are priced at $103, $73 and $48 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800.745.3000.

FINAL QUOTES:

DMITRY BIVOL:
“The plan was to become world champion in my first 10 fights. We’re almost there.

“Clarkson is a big light heavyweight, but I have fought bigger guys. This is a tough fight, but we were willing to take a risk for this opportunity to fight on TV.

“I did have a transition from amateur to pros. The WSB helped that transition and gave me experience. I’ve been able to learn from fight to fight, and I’ve gained experience in each fight.

“I’ve been trying to be more aggressive and control the pace of the fight. I’m comfortable going forward and backward.

“We’ll feel out the power and timing in the beginning. I know what people expect of me – they want the KO – and if the opportunity comes I’ll try to finish him.

“Working at Wild Card has been a big difference. Training in the U.S. is completely different. In Russia it’s mostly amateurs, so you get used to the wrong style. Most of what I’ve learned has been from sparring with pros here in the U.S.

“Clarkson usually comes forward. He seems uncomfortable moving back. We think we can use our advantages to cap on his mistakes and get him out of his comfort zone.”

SAMUEL CLARKSON:
“I’m not an underdog. I’ve fought my way up here to this position and the winning streak. I feel like I’ve proven myself to be here. My losses have helped me get to where I am. I know I belong here.

“I’ve never been one to get knocked down and stay down. I’m ready for whatever comes. The pressure isn’t on me. I just need to do my thing.

“I’ve been in some wars. I know what it’s like to get knocked down. He hasn’t been there before. I need to stand my ground. I’m not backing up.

“I want to see what the hype is about. His whole career is my winning streak.

“I’ve been sparring with top quality guys. I’m ready for this fight. It’s a big opportunity and I don’t feel any pressure.

“He hasn’t been in wars like we have. It’s hard when you face a guy like me that isn’t afraid of you. He’s one dimensional. We want to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

“We’re coming to take his belt. He’s going to have to stop us from taking it. He’s never faced anyone like me – a really fast fighter with a lot of power.”

CARLOS SOTO:
“I’ll do whatever it takes. If I have to come forward, I’ll come forward. If I have to box, I’ll box.

“Hawkins a smart fighter, fast, tall. He likes to fight at a distance. I need to pressure him to win the fight.

“I’ve faced fighters as tall as him before. This isn’t new for me.

“I’ve only been in the U.S. once before, and I’ve never fought here. I need to take advantage of this experience.

“My goal is to go for it. I want to be the best in my weight class. Everything starts now for me.”

MALIK HAWKINS:
“I grew up with Gervonta (Davis). I saw him win the title, I’ve seen his success, and now it’s my turn. It’s been great motivation for me. For him to become a champion motivated me even more.

“We’ve sparred 1,000’s of rounds with Gervonta. We’ve been in there with the champ and know it’s our time.

“We’re here to prove we’re ready. We don’t want to take any shortcuts. We’re taking this one fight at a time. We’re building and building.

“I’m tall, but I have an inside game. I fight inside better than a short fighter.

“People don’t want to take the chance to fight me. Credit to Soto for taking the fight, but he’s going to learn the hard way why no one wants to fight me.”

LEROY DAVILA

“We knew this was coming some day and now it’s here. We know all about Dezurn. He’s the perfect opponent for us. We know can break him down.

“When I didn’t make the Olympic team, I got right over it. But I wasn’t sure I was going to turn pro. I have a family to take care of and I can’t let anything distract me from being a father. But now I’m 5-0 and fighting on national TV. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.

“Dezurn is an aggressive and has a lot of heart, but I’m not worried about him. I need to focus on myself.

“A win puts me in the conversation with the other up-and-coming fighters. A win could really change my career.”

GLENN DEZURN:

“Sparring with my wife helps me. She hits like a dude. She’s taught me a lot – she taught me discipline. We push each other in the gym; we make each other better fighters.

“If you can make an adjustment with a sharp female woman, there’s no reason you can’t do it with a man.

“I like to break down my opponents. I become aggressive when I see a weakness.

“I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to get in there. I worked hard and now it’s time to have fun.

“I sparred with Rau’Shee (Warren) for this fight. He has tremendous talent. He’s an inspiration for me. We also sparred with Vasyl Lomachenko for this fight. You have to be physically and mentally in shape to fight him.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, and @GCPBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing/ and www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions/.

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 68 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

About MGM National Harbor
The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) portfolio, MGM National Harbor has an unrivaled setting offering stunning panoramic views of the eastern shore of the Potomac River in Maryland. The $1.4 billion LEED® Gold Certified resort, which opened December 8, 2016, sits a short distance from Washington, D.C. to the north and historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate across the river in Virginia. The 24-story, 308-room resort features premier amenities and experiences for locals as well as visitors from around the world including a dynamic casino with over 125,000 square feet of space that includes slots, table games and poker; a world-class spa and salon; an entertainment theater with flexible seating for up to 3,000; high-end branded retail; 50,000 square feet of meeting space; and restaurants from renowned local, national and international chefs. For more information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.

LOS ANGELES (April 13, 2017) — Let the intrigue begin! Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) world champions ÓSCAR VALDEZ, the ESPN Deportes Mexican Fighter of the Year, GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ, the Premios Univision Deportes Fighter of the Year, and JESSIE MAGDALENO, hosted a packed Los Angeles area Media Workout today at Manifico Gym. The three gladiators are in deep training for their respective title defenses which will take place Next Saturday! April 22, live on pay-per-view, from StubHub Center. Magdaleno, who is making the first defense of the title he won off the legendary Nonito “Fili[pino Flash” Donaire revealed that his team has spied Donaire in the gym working with Adeilson Dos Santos, Magdaleno’s opponent. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but it’s one Magdaleno intends to serve up to the Dos Santos/Donaire team using two red-hot leather utensils!

ÓSCAR VALDEZ

“This is the biggest, most difficult fight of my life. I want to be aggressive and take control but I need to be intelligent while doing it. I am a world champion but I am still hungry. I know how special this fight is and I know a win over Marriaga will make me a better champion. I’ve never worked harder for a fight. Marriaga is the real deal and we know it.”

GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMÍREZ

“I’m ready to get back in the ring and defend my title for the first time. I know there are a lot of fighters looking to fight me and challenge for my title, but right now I’m focused on my fight against Max Bursak. Let’s see what happens after that. I’ll fight anyone. I want the best. It’s an honor to fight at StubHub Center where there have been so many great fights. I know there will be a lot of fans supporting me.”

JESSIE MAGDALENO

“When you are a world champion you have a target on your back. Every challenger in my division wants a piece of me, including Dos Santos. I know he has been training in Las Vegas and I heard Nonito Donaire has been in the gym with him. That will not make any difference for Dos Santos. It’s hard to mimic my style. I am keeping the belt.”

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

Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, will be making the second defense of his WBO featherweight title against NABO champion and No. 1 contender Miguel Marriaga (25-1, 21 KOs), from Arjona, Colombia; Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs), from Mazatlan, Mexico, will be making his first defense of the WBO super middleweight title against Top-10 contender Max Bursak (33-4-1, 15 KOs), of Kiev, Ukraine; Magdaleno (24-0, 17 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nev., will be making the first defense of his WBO junior featherweight title against WBO Latino champion Adeilson Dos Santos (18-2, 14 KOs), of São Paulo, Brasil.

The six world championship warriors have a combined record of 156-7-1 for a winning percentage of 95% with a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

The pay-per-view telecast will also feature the pro debut of U.S. Olympic silver medalist SHAKUR STEVENSON

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, All Star Boxing, Zapari Boxing Promotions and Antonio Leonard Productions, remaining tickets to this world championship tripleheader are priced at $128.50, $77.50, $52.00 and $36.70. They may be purchased online at AXS.com, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office. The world championship event will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, or facebook.com/trboxeo,and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, or twitter.com/trboxeo, Use the hashtags #ValdezMarriaga, #ZurdoBursak, #MagdalenoDosSantos to join the conversation on Twitter.

Sullivan Barrera
“I want to thank everyone for coming out today. I want to thank my promoter Main Events. Thank you very much to HBO Latino for having us back on the network. Thank you to Mr. Paul Parker for accepting the fight. As usual we had a good training camp and we are going to put on a good show. Thank you so much.”

Paul “Pay Per View” Parker
“I wanted to thank Main Events for this opportunity. This is big for me to be here with no manager and no promoter. I did this the hard way. I believe in myself more than anything else in the world. I came to get what’s mine; what I’ve earned. He’s put in front of me so he has to go. I am Paul “Pay Per View” Parker. I want to thank Main Events and everyone who put this show together. I want to thank God for being in my life.”

Vaughn Alexander
“Like my brother said I want to thank God. I definitely want to thank Main Events for giving me this opportunity, for giving me a platform to build on. I started this a long time ago and had some mishaps years ago. I put the work in to display my talents and get to this place. I am just one step closer to taking over this middleweight division. I am ready to fight whoever, wherever. I am ready to go to war. I am going to put on a display. Without them giving me this platform I don’t know where I would. I want to thank everyone that supported me in my second coming. Jolene [Mizzone] and Kathy Duva have helped me so much. It was a touchy situation for me. I am going to do what I do. I brutalize people. I want to thank everyone for coming. I look forward to showcasing my talent Saturday night.”

Cassius Chaney
“I want to thank Main Events and everybody that is coming out to support me in Connecticut. I am excited to watch Sullivan and Vaughn showcase their talents. I love to learn and put on a show at the same time. I am excited to get back in the ring soon. I had a great training camp and I am excited to fight on Saturday night.”

Nicole Duva – Main Events’ COO
“Welcome everyone to the beautiful Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. We are here to discuss some fantastic fights that will air Saturday night on HBO Latino presented by Corona Extra. In the main event, we have light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera vs. light heavyweight prospect Paul “Pay Per View” Parker.

“In the co-feature we had a last minute change. Arif Magomedov had to pull out due to illness so Vaughn Alexander has stepped up and will be fighting in the co-feature. Doors at the Uncas Ballroom will open at 7 PM and the first fight will be at 8 PM. To start the evening, we have amateur standout Meiirim Nursultanov from Kazakhstan against Javier Olvera of Mexico. Both fighters are undefeated and this should be an exciting six-round middleweight fight. Enriko Gogokhia is a former professional kickboxer from Georgia who is making the conversion to boxing. He will take on Bryan Goldsby of Macon, Georgia. Featherweight Kevin Asmat will be returning to Rising Stars and he brings with him a huge crowd from New Jersey. Madiyar Ashekeyev from Kazakhstan will be fighting Shawn Cameron of Brooklyn. Both are returning to Rising Stars. In the final fight before the HBO Latino telecast we have Cassius Chaney of New London, Connecticut. Cassius was a basketball star at the University of New Haven and built up a successful following of fans in Connecticut. He is fighting Juan Goode of Detroit.

“Our co-feature is a ten-round middleweight fight. This will be Vaughn’s first 10-round professional fight. It was originally scheduled for eight rounds but when we needed to move the fight to television, Vaughn didn’t think twice about the additional rounds. I think it is great to see a fighter step into that role. He is a brother of Devon Alexander. When he fought on the last Rising Stars card, no one knew who he was. I have never seen a fighter connect with the crowd so quickly. By the end of the fight, we had a room full of Vaughn Alexander fans.

“In our main event, we have Sullivan Barrera vs. Paul Parker. Jolene Mizzone, our matchmaker, had a hard time finding an opponent willing to fight Sullivan. Parker has half the professional fights of Sullivan but he demanded the fight. We want hungry fighters. We love fighters like that.

“Sullivan Barrera is a Cuban fighter who breaks the mold of a Cuban fighter. He is aggressive and he makes it interesting. He has one loss and that was to number one Pound for Pound fighter Andre Ward. He took Ward 12 rounds and made the fight exciting. It was one of two exciting fights that Andre Ward has been in, in a decade.
“I want to thank everyone – the media and the staff at Mohegan Sun for their support, lead by Tom Cantone and Mike Mazzuli. I want to thank our staff at Main Events. Thank you to HBO Latino for all of their support and to our sponsor Corona Extra.”

Derik Santos – Barrera’s Trainer
“Thank you for being here. I want thank the staff at Main Events. I hold them near and dear to my heart. Sullivan’s manager, Luis Molina, who is the best manager in the world to work with. I would like to thank HBO for having us back. I would like to thank Mohegan Sun for hosting this event. This is a great venue. Thank you to Mr. Parker and his team for stepping up to the plate and agreeing to fight us. Hopefully everyone comes out healthy. I hope everyone has a great time. The is a lot of great young talent like Cassius [Chaney] and Vaughn [Alexander] here. We are going to put on a show.”

Lamar Alexander – Alexander’s Trainer
“First I want thank God because without him we are nothing. I want to thank Kathy and Main Events for taking a chance on Vaughn and letting him live out his dream. He has definitely done the work. Personally, I have been around a lot of fighters. I was Devon’s [former world champion Devon Alexander] assistant trainer for a long time. We won world titles. But I have never seen a fighter dedicated like Vaughn. It is an unbelievable thing to see. His dedication is second to none. I am so happy for him. We both say we don’t believe in luck. It is hard work and preparation. When preparation meets opportunity, this is what happens. I can get emotional just talking about him. His comeback story is just amazing. He is just going to show you guys Saturday night.”

Roderick Colbert – Head Coach Paul Parker
“When Paul called, and asked me what I thought about this fight. I told him to take it. He is a hard worker. He has a lot of dedication. He has a good skill set. I wish we had a little more time to prepare but he is on the right track to come out victorious. You look for fighters like Paul because he never talks back and he accepts what I say. I believe he will prove himself to be worthy of this shot on Saturday night.”

Sullivan Barrera vs. Paul Parker is a 10-round light heavyweight bout presented by Main Events and Mohegan Sun as part of the Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars Boxing Series. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. ET. The HBO Latino Boxing telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) with the ten-round middleweight match-up between Vaughn Alexander and Andres Calixto Rey. Tickets, which are priced at $50 and $75, are available now through Ticketmaster, the Mohegan Sun box office or the Main Events’ office. The card is presented by Main Events and sponsored by Corona Extra.

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SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – Julius Indongo has told Ricky Burns that the hometown fans won’t help him when they clash in a World Super-Lightweight unification showdown at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Saturday (April 15) live on AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment and www.klowdtv.com

The broadcast begins at 2:30 PM ET and it will be the first AWE boxing event on Directv (channel 387)

Indongo is looking to add Burns’ WBA strap to the IBF and IBO belts he won in spectacular fashion in December when he travelled to Russia in his first fight outside of his homeland of Namibia and delivered a devastating one-punch KO win over champion Eduard Troyanovsky.

That was a third straight win inside the distance for the 34 year old who carries raw power and is a nightmare on paper as a tall, rangy Southpaw.

Indongo feels that his win in Russia has been dismissed as a fluke though, and he is coming to Scotland to prove that he’s the real deal.

“We’re focused and ready,” said Indongo. “I’ve polished the tools and technique for the fight. He’s picked us which is fine with me. It’s not easy to fight someone in their backyard but you need to make sure that you are totally prepared for the task.
“We don’t have any doubts in this team. The aim is to keep winning. I’ve heard what they’ve been saying. They said it was a lucky punch that floored Troyanovsky. It’s always easy to talk. Bring Burns in front of me and we will see who is the best.”

Indongo says he’s always known that he would need to travel to secure major fights having boxed at home for the first 20 bouts in the paid ranks. The Glasgow crowd are sure to give the visitor a hostile reception as he walks to the ring, but he has a warning for both the fans and Burns – that nothing will distract him from his task.

“Fighting away from home has never been a problem,” said Indongo. “I know that we cannot host such a huge event in South Africa so I am always prepared to travel. There’s only Ricky and me in the ring, the fans will have no effect on me.

“The KO will be a bonus but we’re training for hard rounds, I am undefeated and have no doubts that I will stay that way.

“We are not that well recognised in the world of boxing but I warn you – do not underestimate us, because that’s what happened in Moscow.”

Indongo follows in the footsteps of fellow countryman Paulus Moses who challenged Burns for his WBO Lightweight crown in March 2012, and the ‘Blue Machine’ believes that Moses was short-changed by the judges that night, as was Kiryl Relikh, who was edged out on points by Burns in his first defence of the WBA in October.

“I thought Paulus won the fight but maybe he didn’t win because it was in Scotland,” said Indongo. “I don’t think he beat Relikh either, but you cannot look at that, he must not take me lightly or make mistakes.

“The sky is the limit for me. I will fight anybody, but the dream is to fight in Las Vegas, I want someone to make me a bigger offer to fight there and defend all the titles, including the WBA belt I will win.”

Indongo’s clash with Burns is part of a huge night of action in Glasgow, and the undercard is led by a pair of British title fights as Scotty Cardle looks to land the Lightweight title outright when he faces Robbie Barrett and Charlie Edwards and Iain Butcher clash for the vacant Super-Flyweight title.

Rio Olympian Josh Kelly makes his pro debut, his Team GB teammate Lawrence Okolie boxes for the second time in the pros, Charlie Flynn fights for his first pro title as he faces Ryan Collins for the Celtic Lightweight title and Joe Ham takes on Scott McCormack for the Scottish Super-Bantamweight title.

Photos by Steve Welsh

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has featured over 50 world title fights.

AWE has brought boxing fans some of the most exciting and controversial bouts, including the matchup of Ricky Burns against Ray Beltran for the world title. AWE featured live and exclusively the crowning of American Terence Crawford over Ricky Burns. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.

In 2017, AWE was the exclusive United States television provider of the historic matchup between legendary British heavyweight David Haye and Tony Bellew.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

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TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents live mixed martial arts action this Friday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET, as LFA 9: Dennis vs. Marques emanates from FireLake Casino in Shawnee, Okla.

The main event of Legacy Fighting Alliance’s ninth installment features a light heavyweight showdown between former Legacy FC light heavyweight champion Myron Dennis (12-6) and once-beaten Brazilian finisher Danilo Marques (7-1). The co-main event will feature Dennis’ older brother “Super” Demoreo Dennis (6-3) against massive 6-foot, 6-inch, 265-pound Don’Tale “Kong” Mayes (2-1).

The full fight card includes:

Main Event | Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)
– Myron Dennis vs. Danilo Marques

Co-Main Event | Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)
– Demoreo Dennis vs. Don’Tale Mayes

Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lbs)
– Sabina Mazo vs. Jamie Thorton

Lightweight Bout (155 lbs)
– Kyle Driscoll vs. Jose Martinez

Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)
– Travis Quintero vs. Nathan Trepagnier

Featherweight Bout (145 lbs)
– Eddie Brown vs. Malcolm Hill

Featherweight Bout (145 lbs)
– J.R. Coughran vs. Daniel Carey

LFA 9: Dennis vs. Marques will be televised live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The domestic U.S. broadcast airs on AXS TV.

Fight Network will also deliver extensive coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Johnson vs. Reis across Canada on Saturday, April 15, starting at 5 p.m. ET with the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Johnson vs. Reis PRE-FIGHT SHOW leading into live prelims on TSN5. The show will feature UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and current No. 1-ranekd bantamweight and 2016 MMA Analyst of the Year Dominick Cruz working as desk analysts with hosts Curt Menefee and Todd Grisham, along with reporter Megan Olivi conducting on-site fighter interviews.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s main card, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Johnson vs. Reis POST-FIGHT SHOW on Fight Network features highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

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