JASON QUIGLEY HOSTS MEDIA WORKOUT IN LOS ANGELES AT IRON BOXING & GYM AHEAD OF MAIN EVENT AGAINST GLEN “JERSEY BOY” TAPIA ON MARCH 23

LOS ANGELES (March 15, 2017) – Ahead of his anticipated clash, Jason “El Animal” Quigley (12-0, 10 KOs) hosted a media workout in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 15 to discuss his upcoming bout against Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-3, 15 KOs) for the vacant NABF Middleweight title on Thursday, March 23rd at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, CA. The main event bout will jump start the highly anticipated inaugural edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN series, and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Below is what “El Animal” had to say at his media work out:

“I’m training at 110%, and I am focused on March 23rd. I feel honored and humbled that Golden Boy has chosen me to lead the ESPN series, and be able to show the world what kind of talent I have, and what type of shows Golden Boy can put together. I have a lot of fans from back home who are coming to the US to support me, and I am honestly so humbled by that. I hope that one day I can give back, and go home to Ireleand to give my hometown fans a special treat.”

“I never focus on what my opponent brings to the table – whether they’re a good fighter, a bad fighter, whether they are talented or not – I am only focused on what I bring to the table that night. I only concentrate on myself, and the fights before me.”

“I love my Mexican fans. In fact, my love of boxing comes from Mexican fighters, especially Marco Antonio Barrera. When I watched him fight for the first time, and saw him transform in the ring I was just hooked on the sport and I knew that I needed to become a boxer.”

“My team and I have done our homework and we have put together a plan A, B, C and D so that come fight night we are prepared for any fighter we might face. Glen Tapia needs to be prepared for what Jason Quigley is bringing to the ring. I’m not going home empty. ”

Quigley vs. Tapia is a 10-round battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight title presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate “Born BOLD,” and Hennessey “Never Stop. Never Settle.” Doors open at 4:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 4:00 p.m. PT. The ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes transmission begins live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

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

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #GBPonESPN.
Tickets priced starting at $25 are available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.FantasySprings.com.




ANGELA LEE TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST ISTELA NUNES IN SINGAPORE

16 March 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the blockbuster main event for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES which takes place 26 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, fresh off a successful first title defense in her last bout, will put her title on the line once again when she returns to Singapore to take on Istela Nunes of Parana, Brazil.

Tickets for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES are set to go on sale on Friday, 17 March and will be available at www.onefc.com

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “Angela Lee is proving to be an awesome champion and a true competitor. On the heels of an absolutely magnificent performance over Jenny Huang in Bangkok, she just can’t wait to get back inside the ONE Championship cage to put on another show. Istela Nunes is a worthy challenger for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship and Singapore has a tremendous fight on their hands. Fans will not want to miss it.”

20-year-old Angela Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii, 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.

Angela Lee, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion, stated: “I said at the beginning of the year that I will make 2017 one to remember. I will keep my promise of being as active as I possibly can and I can’t wait to get right back in there. After my last fight, I showed everybody just how much I have improved over the last couple of months. I’m ready to do it again. Istela Nunes had better be ready to go to battle, because this time I’m defending the title on my turf.”

Unbeaten female atomweight Istela Nunes of Brazil is a two-time Muay Thai world champion with an unblemished 5-0 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.

Istela Nunes, ONE world title challenger, stated: “When I joined ONE Championship, I had my eyes set on the world title. It’s my goal to someday become a world champion in mixed martial arts, and Angela Lee is one of the best fighters in the world. I cannot wait to test myself against a fighter of her caliber. I am preparing myself well and will make sure that I come ready for the best Angela Lee possible. On 26 May, I will accomplish what so many others failed to do. I will beat Angela Lee and become champion.”

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.




“2 Days: Vasyl Lomachenko” Premieres Saturday, March 25 on HBO®


March 15, 2017 – HBO Sports® debuts an all-new installment of “2 Days” when the acclaimed feature segment returns Saturday, March 25 at 12:10 a.m. (ET/PT) with a behind-the-scenes look at the two-division world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko.

“2 Days” is a revealing and intimate look at a 48-hour span in the life of a boxer in the lead-up to one of his fights and the next edition will focus on Ukrainian native Vasyl Lomachenko. HBO cameras followed the junior lightweight sensation and amateur standout last November when he faced off against Nicholas Walters at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The win was not only a total domination but a boxing masterpiece painted on the canvas by one of the most skilled fighters of his era or any era, Vasyl Lomachenko.

Lomachenko will make his 2017 ring debut on April 8 when he headlines HBO World Championship Boxing® from The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Lomachenko will defend his title against Jason Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KOs). The telecast will begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“2 Days” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO NOW®, HBO GO®, affiliate portals and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.




Fight Network Presents UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Manuwa vs. Anderson Live Main Card this Saturday, March 18


TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, today announced the live main card broadcast for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MANUWA vs. ANDERSON from the 02 Arena in London, England on Saturday, March 18 at 5 p.m. ET. Airing live across Canada, the event is headlined by a light heavyweight clash between top 10 contenders Jimi Manuwa (16-2) and Corey Anderson (10-2).

Saturday’s main card will repeat in its entirety on Sunday, March 19 at 1 a.m. ET, 3 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET.

In addition to the Manuwa vs. Anderson main event, Saturday’s star-studded four-bout card features a welterweight showdown pitting Icelandic submission ace Gunnar Nelson (15-2-1) against dynamic American striker Alan Jouban (15-4), British bantamweight knockout artist and crowd favorite Brad Pickett (26-13) enters the Octagon one last time against Ecuador’s Marlon Vera (8-3-1) and Englishman Arnold Allen (11-1) looks to extend his winning mark to five straight when he tangles with charismatic Finnish star Makwan Amirkhani (13-2)

In addition to live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV, WEC and PRIDE events.

New programming this weekend includes:
UFC Main Event: Bisping vs. Henderson 2 – Sat, March 18 at 8 p.m. ET
Best of PRIDE – Sat, March 18 at 9 p.m. ET / Sun, March 19 at 6 p.m. ET
UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields – Sun, March 19 at 9 p.m. ET
Best of WEC – Sun, March 19 at Midnight ET
UFC 201: Lawler vs. Woodley – Mon, March 20 at 1 a.m. ET

Fight Network’s extensive slate of UFC programming this week is bolstered by a pair of live events, beginning on Friday, March 17 at 11 p.m. ET, as Hard Knocks Fighting 54 emanates from Calgary, Canada, headlined by a featherweight championship bout between Jesse Arnett (11-4) and Maged Hammo (8-4-1). In other action, Alexi Argyriou (5-0), Peter Grajcar (3-0), Menad Abella (4-0) and Terrence Chan (3-0) all look to extend their perfect records when they face off against Hamilton Ash (5-2), Vyron Phillips (6-3), John Michael Sheil (8-1) and Keegan Oliver (4-5), respectively.

In the same timeslot on Saturday, March 18 at 11 p.m. ET, World Series of Fighting returns with a stacked line-up for WSOF 35: Ivanov vs. Jordan from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York, headlined by a duel for the heavyweight title pitting Blagoi Ivanov (14-1) against Shawn Jordan (19-7). In other championship bouts, Lance Palmer (11-2) faces undefeated prospect Andre Harrison (15-0) for the featherweight crown, while Bekbulat Magomedov (17-1) and Donavon Frelow (5-1) throw down for the vacant bantamweight title. Rounding out the main card, Abubakar Nurmagomedov (13-1) looks to continue his meteoric rise when he faces Matt Secor (8-3) in a welterweight bout.

The live broadcast of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MANUWA vs. ANDERSON will be televised across Canada, while Hard Knocks Fighting 54 and WSOF 35: Ivanov vs. Jordan will be televised in Canada and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

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.

For More Information Contact:
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp.
Ariel Shnerer
Director, Programming & Communications
ashnerer@anthemse.com

About Fight Network
Fight Network (www.fightnetwork.com) is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available on over eight of the top 20 video providers in the U.S., all major carriers in Canada, Roku and Apple TV devices across North America, over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East and on TSN Radio in Canada via its program “Live Audio Wrestling.” Fight Network is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., a leading global sports media company. Fight Network also operates Dare to Defend, a non-profit organization aimed at addressing the issue of domestic violence and gender inequality, empowering women in the process.

About Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. is a global sports media company and a leader in operating targeted specialty video channels on linear, digital and mobile platforms with offices and studios in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles. Anthem’s portfolio includes Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel now broadcasting in the U.S., Canada and over 30 other countries, Fantasy Sports Network (FNTSY), the world’s first and only channel dedicated to fantasy sports, GameTV, a Canadian channel specializing in game-related programming such as game shows, reality series, movies and sports available in over 9 million homes, IMPACT Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion specializing in television properties, events, products, merchandise, music, as well as the management and promotion of professional wrestlers, RotoExperts.com, a leader in fantasy sports news and analysis, DailyRoto.com, the most comprehensive and far-reaching daily fantasy sports website and Edge Sport, an extreme and action sports network recently launched in Canada in partnership with IMG. Anthem also has a significant ownership interest in Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S. available in over 40 million homes, and it owns SportsGrid.com, a leader in general sports entertainment commentary.




YAFAI DEFENDS WORLD CROWN AGAINST MURANAKA

Kal Yafai will defend his WBA World Super-Flyweight title against Suguru Muranaka at the Barclaycard Arena on May 13, live on Sky Sports – where Sam Eggington also challenges Cerefino Rodriguez for the European Welterweight title on a stacked bill.

Yafai became Birmingham’s first World champion when he landed the crown with a clinical showing against Luis Concepcion in Manchester in December.

The unbeaten 27 year old will defend on home soil against Japan’s Muranaka, the 32 year old former Japanese Flyweight champion who boxes outside of Tokyo for the first time in his 13 year career.

Yafai extended his unbeaten record in the pro game to 21-0 when he landed the title – but now believes he’s starting a new career as a World champion, with a target on his back from his first defence as he targets unification bouts down the line.

“It’s a tough first defence and that’s what I need,” said Yafai. “I want hard fights that are going to help me when I face unification fights.

“This is what I started boxing for. I wanted massive nights in Birmingham and it doesn’t get better for me. It’s been amazing since winning the title. Every time I’m walking around the city I get stopped for photos and for autographs – but I know that it’s harder to keep a title than it is to win it, so the real work is only just beginning.”

Chief support comes from Eggington’s European title crack at Rodriguez, the Spaniard that landed the vacant title in December. Eggington is full of confidence heading into the bout having stopped former two-weight World champion Paulie Malignaggi at The O2, and the hard-hitting 23 year old wants to build on his wins over Malignaggi and Frankie Gavin with another prize scalp.

“I have real hunger back after losing to Bradley Skeete and this is massive for me as I never thought I’d reach this level,” said Eggington.

“I had to learn a lot after Skeete. I have grown up and come back strong with wins over Frankie and Paulie. If I can add a win over Rodriguez to those two names and then defend the title well, people will start talking about World titles and I think that I’ve earned the right to be in the conversation for them.”

Gavin returns to action following his fight of the year battle with Eggington and ‘Funtime’ is taking the first steps to move down to fight at Super-Lightweight by taking on Derby’s Dave Ryan in a crunch clash made at 145lbs, while Yafai’s younger brother Gamal takes on WBC International Super-Bantamweight champion Sean Davis.

Unbeaten talents Ryan Kelly and Adam Harper clash for the Midlands Area Middleweight title and there’s more local interest with Lennox Clarke, Jordan Clayton, Charlie Williams and Cori Gibbs in action.

Tickets are priced £40, £60 and £100 with VIP tickets priced £200. Tickets are on sale now to Matchroom Fight Pass members via this link: https://www.stubhub.co.uk/event/9848335/?gcid=chPRT-_-geoUK-_-genOthSpt-_-dt170314-_-cmpYafaiFP-_-partMatchroom

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Thursday March 16 from the Barclaycard Arena with tickets priced at £40, £60 and £100 available from www.barclaycardarena.co.uk. VIP tickets priced at £200 are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com

Face value tickets for May 13 are also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.




HALL OF FAME BROADCASTER AL BERNSTEIN CONFIRMED FOR THIRD EDITION OF BOX FAN EXPO TAKING PLACE ON CINCO DE MAYO WEEKEND, SATURDAY MAY 6, IN LAS VEGAS


Las Vegas (March 15, 2017) – Hall of Fame Broadcaster Al Bernstein has confirmed that he will appear and have a booth 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.

Bernstein returns once again at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos and merchandise. Fans will have an opportunity to take pictures with the Famous “Showtime Championship Boxing” Broadcaster at the Media Center booth. He will also take part on the main stage to interview some of the boxing stars at the Expo.

Al Bernstein is best known to a national audience as the voice of boxing, first for ESPN, and now as the analyst for Showtime Championship Boxing. This Hall of Fame broadcaster is considered by many as the most recognizable and respected boxing commentator.

He also hosts an online show, Al Bernstein’s Boxing Hangouts, giving Al a chance to talk boxing and provide programming for fans around the globe. Al currently serves as host of a daily national radio show “Bernstein by the Book,” on SiriusXM Radio for the Vegas Stats and Information Network.

Bernstein joins 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 at: 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 seven 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




SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT PROSPECT IVAN “STRIKER” DELGADO TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE IN COMBAT WITH RUGGED CHARLES HUERTA

LOS ANGELES (March 15, 2017) – After an impressive knockout victory on the undercard of Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins’ final fight, South Central’s Ivan “Striker” Delgado (11-0-1, 4 KOs) has upped the ante in taking on a bigger challenge in the always rugged Charles Huerta (18-5, 11 KOs) of Paramount, CA for an eight round super featherweight main event Friday, April 14 live from the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles and on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar. Huerta will be coming to make war, as his last appearance on the same card of Hopkins-Smith, Jr. was a slugfest against Carlos Morales where he lost via split decision for the WBA-NABA super featherweight title.
Making his second LA FIGHT CLUB appearance of 2017, undefeated San Diego, CA native Genaro “El Conde” Gamez (4-0, 3 KOs) will take on a soon to be announced opponent in the televised six round super lightweight co-main event. For the first time in his career, Gamez went the distance in his previous fight with a unanimous decision victory defeat over Alejandro Ochoa in February.
Opening up the Boxeo Estelar telecast and making his LA FIGHT CLUB debut, Manny “Chato” Robles, Jr. (11-0, 4 KOs) will be combating a soon to be announced opponent for a six round featherweight match. The featherweight prospect will be presenting his inherited skill, and is trained by one of boxing’s highly respected trainers who doubles as his father – Manny Robles. He will be returning to the ring after winning via unanimous decision against Argentine veteran Claudio Rosendo Tapia last year July.
Fan favorite and LA FIGHT CLUB regular Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr. (8-0, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles will open up the night in a six round super bantamweight bout against an opponent to be announced shortly. Fighting for the first time this year, Rubio, Jr. was last seen in November winning by way of unanimous decision over Francisco “Panchito” Dominguez.
Delgado vs. Huerta is an eight-round super featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate “Born BOLD”, Casa Mexico Tequila, and Adriana’s Insurance. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 6:00 p.m. PT. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card will also stream live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via LBI Media, Inc.’s Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 6:00 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m. Mark your calendars and buy your tickets for the upcoming shows on June 2 and July 14.

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

Media interested in attending the April 14 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are due Friday, April 7, 2017 at 5 p.m., and can be found here. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval for a credential. You cannot transfer your credentials to someone else. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

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




Ceylan and Lowe continue war of words at final press conference

Dennis Ceylan (18-0-1, 8 KOs) and Isaac Lowe (13-0-1, 5 KOs) continued their war of words today at the final press conference ahead of their European Featherweight title fight on Saturday night at the Ceres Arena in Aarhus, Denmark.

Ceylan, who will be making the first defence of his EBU belt, said he has been motivated by Lowe’s behavior in the build up to the fight, and that he intends to punish the British boxer when they meet in the ring.

‘’For me, this fight is personal. I’ve not felt this way about an opponent before. Trash talk is ok, but he crossed the line when he pushed me,’’ said Ceylan, referring to an incident which occurred during a promo shoot last month.

‘’This has given me more motivation than ever, and I look forward to knocking some sense into him on Saturday. It’s a big fight for me and it’s a big fight for Denmark. I promise to make the whole country happy by silencing Lowe.’’

Lowe says he is confident of dethroning Ceylan, and has promised to take the Danish champion into deep waters and beat him in his own backyard.

‘’Dennis is not going to know what to do when he faces me in the ring,’’ he said. ‘’If he thinks it’s personal, we can make it personal. I’m going to take him to places he’s never been before, and I’m going to beat him up. I’m not here for a holiday; I’m here for his belt. He’s going to need every man in Denmark to beat me.’’

Coaches Frank Holm and Jimmy Harrington were also in attendance, with both men backing their fighters to get the job done.

“Lowe has a good jab and moves well, but he’s not on the same level as Dennis. He hasn’t got the same timing, vision or class,” said Holm. “He is a good fighter, I’ll give him that, I just can’t see him giving Dennis any problems on Saturday.’’

‘’I’m not going to give away our game plan, but we’ve looked at Dennis’ previous fights, we’ve looked at his strengths and his weaknesses, and we’re very confident Isaac is going to bring the belt home,’’ said Harrington.

Tickets for the European Featherweight Championship clash between Dennis Ceylan and Isaac Lowe are available online via www.billetlugen.dk or by calling (+45) 70 263 267. All the action will be shown live and exclusive in Scandinavia on Viaplay Fighting. For more information please visit www.viaplay.dk/fighting




QUOTES GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN – DANIEL JACOBS FINAL NEW YORK CITY PRESS CONFERENCE

GOLOVKIN- BROOK WEIGH IN
INDIGO 2,LONDON
PIC;LAWRENCE LUSTIG
WBC,IBF AND IBO MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
GENNADY GOLOVKIN V KELL BROOK
WEIGH IN FOR THEIR FIGHT AT LONDONS 02 ARENA ON SATURDAY(9 SEPT)

New York City (March 15, 2017) In front of huge turnout of media at The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden, Unified Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, (36-0, 33 KO’s) and WBA Middleweight World Champion and Mandatory Challenger, DANIEL “THE MIRACLE MAN” JACOBS, (32-1, 29 KO’s) along with teams held the Final Press Conference leading up to their highly anticipated divisional clash this Saturday, March 18 at the famed venue in New York City.

The Championship Event presented by K2 Promotions will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN
“I’m very excited, everybody on my team is ready, just a couple days before another amazing drama show. I hope Daniel is ready, I hope he’s had his best training camp, I have a great deal of respect for his team.”

“Thanks to my team, thanks to my Coach Abel Sanchez, he opened my eyes for boxing, for new life. Thanks to HBO Pay-Per-View, this is the biggest chance for me and Daniel to show world class boxing.”

“Daniel said he’s come back home, I feel the same way, Madison Square Garden is like my second home, I love fighting here.”

“Thanks very much to my new sponsor Hublot and for their gift.”

DANIEL JACOBS
“Good to see everyone, glad to be back in NYC. Feeling a lot of love in my city, where it all started.”

“I was 15 years old when I first came to Madison Square Garden to watch the Golden Gloves, so to have an opportunity like this and fight at the Mecca of Boxing again for the biggest opportunity that I could possibly have—I feel very grateful.”

“Thanks to my family, my lovely lady Natalie, my son Nathaniel, my Mom, everyone who has just been in my corner.”

‘Thanks to my team, Andre Rozier and Chris Algieri, a pure joy to have him in camp, great nutritionist and great conversations. He really understands being at this level.”

“Also want to thank Virgil Hunter for allowing us to train at his facility in Oakland, a great place to have a camp. Also want to thank HBO for this opportunity, also to Showtime for the 60 Minutes piece they did which was stellar.”

“This is a great opportunity for me, I would never have thought five years ago through a whole bunch of craziness that I went through that I would be fighting for the unified middleweight championship.”

“I wouldn’t want to have it any other way, the biggest challenge on the biggest stage. I’m so focused, I’m so ready.”

“I have the utmost respect for Gennady and his team, we’re two ambassadors for the sport, and I’m honored to share the ring with him.”

ABEL SANCHEZ, Trainer of Golovkin
“Finally were five days away, looking forward to challenging that preparation that Danny had in Oakland. Andre and I both understand how serious this is, we had a great camp. I’d like to thank all of our sparring partners and Max Golovkin for his help in camp.”

“Most of all I’d like to thank Gennady for giving us this opportunity to nurture and show everyone the kind of fighter he is on Saturday night, the best middleweight in the world and probably one of the best middleweights ever.”

“I hope everyone comes out and witnesses a superstar in the making.”

ANDRE ROZIER, Trainer of Jacobs
“We had a fantastic camp in California, I can honestly say this was the best camp we’ve ever had.”

“Daniel worked hard, the team did a wonderful job. The entire team worked really hard.”

I’m never anxious about a fight but I’m excited for this one. We have some stiff competition, it’s all about what’s happening on Saturday, the two best middleweights in the world coming together to show you who is number 1. Needless to say Danny is #1”

TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 Promotions
“We’re finally here, it’s finally fight week — seems like yesterday that we were here to announce this fight.”

“The two best middleweights in the world, fighting at Madison Square Garden, it’s truly a classic fight, one that the fans and media have very strongly have reacted to.”

“We kicked off fight week with both Michael and Danny along with Michael Buffer at the New York Stock Exchange this morning.”

“Thanks to Madison Square Garden, HBO, Keith Connolly and Al Haymon also Oleg Hermann on behalf of Gennady in putting this fight together.”

KEITH CONNOLLY, Team Jacobs
“Saturday night we’re going to settle who’s the best middleweight in the world. It’s going to be a tremendous fight, one of the biggest of the year and I know Danny is ready. He is laser focused after this camp in San Francisco. He’s never trained harder, never been more into the moment.”

“I expect Danny to come out on Saturday and shine, he has just as much power as Gennady.”

‘This is Danny’s coming out part, Danny’s ready and we hope Gennady is ready. Come Saturday night we don’t want any excuses that Gennady overlooked him or was thinking about another fight. Danny wants to beat the best Gennady and I think that’s going to happen on Saturday night.”

GOLOVKIN vs. JACOBS is presented by K2 Promotions. Tickets priced at $1000, $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com

SOCIAL MEDIA — #GGGJACOBS

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin
@GGGBoxing – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Daniel Jacobs
@DanielJacobsTKO – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

HBO
@HBO, @HBOBoxing – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Madison Square Garden
@TheGarden – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Tom Loeffler (K2 Promotions)
@TomLoeffler1 — Twitter




Derevyanchenko Stops Russell in Five


Middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko (10-0, 8 KOs) remained unbeaten Tuesday night as he delivered a blistering fifth-round stoppage of previously undefeated Kemahl Russell (10-1, 8 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 & BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes from the Fitz Tunica Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi.

“I was so happy to be back in the ring,” said Derevyanchenko. “I felt very good in there. Once I got going and sped it up, he couldn’t keep up with me. I’m ready to take on anyone.”

The unbeaten Russian, who fights out of Brooklyn, was at a major height disadvantage against the six-foot Russell, who attempted to control the fight with his jab from a distance. This led to a slow-paced fight early, which seemed to favor the taller boxer.

Derevyanchenko would eventually find the distance as he used double left hooks and feints to work inside Russell’s jab. Round four saw the two men begin to exchange in more flurries dangerous on the inside, with Russell taking the brunt of the damage.

Now fully settled into the fight, Derevyanchenko began to unload in round five and connected on a huge straight right hand that rocked Russell’s head back and put his opponent in immediate peril. Derevyanchenko pounced on the opportunity and began landing big shots in succession until referee Bill Clancy jumped-in to stop the fight 1:06 into the fifth-round.

Ahmed Elbiali stopped Jackson Junior in the 1st round of their scheduled 8-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Elbiali landed a right hand that sent Junior to the canvas. Junior got to his feet, but was called off at 1:33.

Elbiali, 176.8 lbs of Cairo, EGY is 15-0 with 12 knockouts. Junior, 177 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 20-8.

Jamontay Clark remained perfect by stopping Gaki Takahashi and the end of round seven in a sxheduled eight round lightweight bout.

Clark landed some hard shots throughout the bout, and the corner of Takahashi had seen enough and called off the bout after round 7.

Clark, 140.8 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 11-0 with 7 knockouts. Takahashi, 140.6 of Yokahama, JAP is 15-7-1.




Bantamweight Mario Hernandez Signs Deal with Thompson Boxing Promotions

ORANGE, Calif. (March 14, 2016) – Bantamweight Mario Hernandez signed an exclusive promotional contract with Thompson Boxing Promotions, the Southern California based promoter announced today.

Hernandez, 26, comes from a brief, yet successful amateur background that saw him net 30 victories against only one loss. He is based in Santa Ana, Calif. and trains out of TKO Boxing Club with manager and trainer Hector Lopez.

“Signing this contract is a surreal moment for me,” said Hernandez, who will likely make his professional debut in the next month or two. “Thompson Boxing has given me a tremendous opportunity and it’s up to me to make the most of it.”

Hernandez has been boxing in an unofficial manner for most of his life. His father, along with other members of his family, are huge fans of the sport. Hernandez credits their influence in getting him started at an early age.

“My first memory of boxing came when I was four years old,” Hernandez said. “My dad had given me a pair of boxing gloves and I was instantly hooked. As we got older, my cousins and I would box all the time in our backyard. We were just kids having fun.”

These backyard scraps would continue through high school until Hernandez stepped inside the TKO Boxing Club in Santa Ana for formal lessons.

“I might have been 19 when I first started with boxing lessons,” Hernandez said. “I was a fast learner and before I knew it I was beating more experienced boxers in the amateurs. At that point, I knew I could turn professional and make this into a career.”

For inspiration, Hernandez dives into the past and present, citing Mike Tyson and Vasyl Lomachenko as key influencers.

“I was fascinated watching YouTube videos of Mike Tyson,” Hernandez said. “His ferociousness is something that I want to emulate. And Vasyl Lomachenko is so versatile that he can win in a variety of ways.”

“One of the things that we like about Mario is his willingness to attack,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker and general manager at Thompson Boxing. “We like his potential.”

Thompson Boxing Promotions returns to the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. on Friday, April 14. Fight card details will be announced soon.

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.




Undefeated featherweight Tramaine Williams Added to “KO Night Boxing” TV card co-feature

MULVANE, Kansas (March 14, 2017) – Undefeated featherweight prospect Tramaine “The Mighty Midget” Williams has been added to the televised portion of the March 25th “KO Night Boxing: History Begins” card, featuring the professional debut of 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez.

“KO Night Boxing: History Begins” will air live (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT) on CBS Sports Network from Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas.

Wichita native Hernandez will meet upset-minded Las Vegas (NV) flyweight Patrick Gutierrez (0-2) in the six-round main event.
“KO Night Boxing: History Begins” is presented by KO Night Boxing LLC, in association with Kansas Star Casino, and sponsored by Miller Lite, Mel Hambelton FORD and TITLE Boxing.

In the eight-round co-feature, the 24-year-old Williams (9-0, 3 KOs) faces tough Texan Eduardo Garza (6-1, 2 KOs) in Williams’ Roc Nation Sports promotional debut. The most notable victory to date for the slick southpaw from New Haven (CT) is a six-round “shutout” decision over previously undefeated Isaac Zarate (5-0) in Oklahoma.

Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Neeco “Rooster” Macias (14-0, 8 KOs), of Palm Desert, California, battles Mexican veteran Cesar Soriano (26-34-1, 16 KOs) in the eight-round televised opener.

Former Kansas St. light heavyweight champion Jeff Page, Jr. (17-3, 11 KOs), fighting out of Andover (KS), takes on former USA Midwest champion Steve “The Spoiler” Walker (26-33, 18 K0s), from Hannibal (MO), in an eight-round cruiserweight match.

Also fighting on the undercard, in separate four-round bouts, are Kansas St. junior middleweight champion Efrain Morales (4-0, 1 KO), from Garden City (KS), vs. Wichita’s Robert Alexander Sevam (2-5, 2 KOs), Garden City featherweight Eric Vargas (1-0, 1 KO) vs. New Mexico’s pro-debuting Kevin “Indio” Garcia, and Winfield (KS) cruiserweight Juan Hollingsworth will make his pro debut vs. Raymond Gray, of Columbia, Missouri.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Ticket prices are $115.00 (ringside, rows 1 & 2), $75.00 (floor seats, rows 3-5), $60.00 (floor seats, floor rows after 1-5), $35.00 (lower bowl) and $25.00 (upper bowl). Suites seating up to 22 people are available to purchase for $2,500 (includes non-alcohol beverages and food).

Tickets are available to purchase at www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena or www.ticketmaster.com. All ages show.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. CT with the opening bout scheduled at 6:00 p.m. CT.

TITLE Boxing is the official apparel and gloves partner for Knockout Night Boxing.




Travis Kauffman training camp notes


READING, PA (March 14, 2017) -Heavyweight Travis “My Time” Kauffman (31-1, 23 KOs) has been training hard for his showdown with Amir “Hardcore” Mansour (22-2-1, 16 KOs) that will headline Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce Friday, March 17 from Santander Arena in Reading, PA.

Televised coverage on Bounce begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Kauffman trained in Houston, Texas with famed trainer Naazim Richardson, and is ready for the hard punching Mansour.

“Evertything is great. I was in Houston starting on December 20th and I came home on March 5th,” said Kauffman.

“I have been motivated knowing that I have a killer in front of me. Amir wants what I want, and that is a shot at the Heavyweight title.”

Kauffman has sacrificed a whole lot for this fight, as he missed important family moments in order to give himself the best opportunity to put his family in the best situation in the long run.

“I missed the holidays with my family. I also missed my sons birthday. I have never done that before. This has motivated me, and gives me such a mental edge and a bigger purpose for this fight.”

Being that Kauffman and Mansour (who has trained a majority of his career in Philadelphia) are only geographically separated by an hour, Kauffman knew this fight was bound to happen, and always visualized a fight with Mansour.

“I have always been confident that I could beat him. I was down in Texas working hard, and now I am in better shape, but I know when I win it will get me to the next level.”

That next level would be a shot at one of the heavyweight champions, and just on February 25th, WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder took out Gerald Washington in 5 rounds, for which many thought the champion showed some flaws, which Kauffman thinks he could exploit more should that match up occur.

“I watched the Wilder fight. I did expect Washington to present some problems for him, But Washington doesn’t have the experience. Deontay can punch, but Gerald showed that Deontay can be beat. He showed that Deontay is the most amateurish Heavyweight champion ever, but you have to give the man credit, he is 38-0 with 37 knockouts. He can punch and has a beautiful jab.”

But before a fight with Wilder or one of the other beltholders, Kauffman knows he has a tough task in front of him in Mansour.

“This fight will put me in the top-five. I just want to win this and fight one of the champions. I don’t care who I fight. I been working so hard in this fight so expect a better Travis Kauffman.”

TRAVIS KAUFFMAN vs. AMIR MANSOUR FIGHT WEEK MEDIA SCHEDULE
*All Times Are Eastern*

Wednesday, March 15

4:00 p.m. FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading – Amphitheater
701 Penn St.; Reading, PA 19601
3:30 p.m. – Media Arrival
4:00 p.m. – Press Conference Begins

Thursday, March 16

5:00 p.m. OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading – Amphitheater
701 Penn St.; Reading, PA 19601
4:30 p.m. – Media Arrival
5:00 p.m. – Fighters to scales

Friday, March 17

6:00 p.m. SANTANDER ARENA DOORS OPEN
Location: 700 Penn Street; Reading, PA 19601

6:30 p.m. FIRST FIGHT BEGINS

9:00 p.m. BOUNCE BROADCAST BEGINS

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up from the box office beginning at 5:30 p.m. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, start at $20 and are on sale now. Tickets are available at the VF Outlet Box Office at the Santander Arena, by phone at 800-745-3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @, @BounceTV, and @Swanson_Comm and follow the conversation using #PBConBounce, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Bounce is the fastest-growing African-American (AA) network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Bounce has grown to be available in more than 94 million homes across the United States and 93% of all African American television homes, including all of the top AA television markets. Among the founders of Bounce are iconic American figures Martin Luther King, III and Ambassador Andrew Young.




World amateur champion Mohammad Rabii Wins pro debut & becomes first-time father within hours

CASABLANCA, Morocco (March 14, 2017) – Last Saturday night in the Czech Republic, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Mohammad Rabii experienced a rare “double” as he successfully turned pro and a few hours later became a father for the first time.

The 23-year-old Rabii, fighting out of Morocco, turned in a sensational professional debut, stopping Lazlow Kovacs II (11-6) at the 2:35 mark of the opening round at Sportovni Hala Kralovka in Prague.

Rabii entered the ring knowing his wife, Imane Imari, was in labor. “On the way to the arena,” Rabii explained, “I received a call that my wife was in labor and my son was coming soon. The fight couldn’t come quick enough for me. I was very excited but I had to concentrate on my first fight as a pro because it was such a big moment for me. The news later that my son had arrived was reason for a double celebration.

“Every time I connected on Kovacs, I could see that it was affecting him. I knew it was all over because I hit him with a big punch that me and my coach, Donald Leary, had worked on in training camp. I cannot wait for my next fight in April.”

Rabii’s son (unnamed at this writing) tipped the scale at 10 pounds, 3 ounces. He and his mother are both in good health.

Rabii was one of the leading pro prospects coming of the Olympic Games in Brazil. He had dropped a highly-disputed decision (0-3) in the semifinals to Uzbekistan boxer Shakhram Giyasov, the eventual silver medalist. Rabii captured a coveted gold medal at the 2015 AIBA World Amateur Championships, ironically, defeating 2016 Olympic gold medalist Daniyar Yeleussinov in the welterweight division championship final.

Rabbi had planned to make his pro debut prior to the arrival of his baby, who was due February 18, training in Cork, Ireland for his originally scheduled pro debut February 28 in Casablanca. However, due to reasons beyond the event organizers’ control, that show was unfortunately cancelled.

“I had to reschedule his pro debut for March 11th against the same opponent, Kovacs,” said Rabii’s manager Gary Hyde, president of Nowwhere2Hyde Management. “Kovacs fights between 154 and 168 pounds, which is much heavier than the 147-pound welterweight division in which Rabii fights.

“Mohammad learned during his warm-up for the fight that his wife was in labor and close to delivering his first child. He had other things to take care of before concentrating on his family affairs, wasting no time as he annihilated Kovacs until dropping his Hungarian opponent hard near the end of the opening round. Czech spectators gasped as Rabii’s thunderous punches connected. Kovacs somehow got to his feet to beat the count but he was visibly shaken and the referee wisely stopped the fight. Rabii had no time to celebrate, though, as he rushed to contact his family back in Morocco, happily learning his wife had given birth to the couple’s baby boy at 7 a.m. Sunday morning.”

INFORMATION:

Twitter: @nowhere2hyde
Facebook: www.facebook.com/garyhyde, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001023624090&fref=ts (Rabii)




Curtis title defense highlights stacked CES MMA 42 lineup

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 14th, 2017) — “The Action Man” returns to Twin River Casino later this month to defend his world title against a heavy-handed underdog capable of stealing the belt and, perhaps, the nickname.

Ohio’s Chris Curtis (14-5, 5 KOs), the reigning CES MMA World Welterweight Champion, faces the one-punch knockout power of Lawrence, Mass., vet Wilfredo Santiago (7-3, 6 KOs) on Friday, March 31st, 2017 in the five-round main event of “CES MMA 42” live from Twin River on AXS TV Fights, one of seven televised bouts on the main card.

“CES MMA 42” kicks off a busy three-week stretch for the most prolific combat sports promotion in the northeast. The schedule continues April 7th in Rhode Island with CES Boxing’s second fight card of the year, followed by CES MMA’s long-awaited return to Beverly, Mass., with “CES MMA 43” at the North Shore Music Theatre.

“CES MMA 42” airs live on AXS TV’s AXS TV Fights beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Doors open at 6 and the preliminary card begins at 7.

Tickets for “CES MMA 42” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.cagetix.com/ces by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Curtis makes his second title defense since capturing the belt in January of 2016 with a win over Gil de Freitas while Santiago hopes to build off his devastating 41-second knockout against Chuck O’Neil at “CES MMA 39” in Plymouth, Santiago’s fourth consecutive victory over a span of two and a half years, three of which have come by knockout.

“CES MMA 42” also features the return of fan-favorite Luis Felix (14-9, 5 KOs) of Providence, R.I., who faces Hot Springs, Ark., vet Dawond Pickney (10-6, 7 KOs) in his first fight since suffering a knee injury against Ryan Sanders that forced him to verbally tap at “CES MMA 32.”

The two were supposed to fight a second time at “CES MMA 36” with Felix’s lightweight title on the line, but the Providence native suffered another setback, delaying his long-awaited return to the cage. His 14-month layoff finally ends on March 31st against the upset-minded Pickney, who recently faced seven-time Bellator vet Treston Thomison at Bellator 166.

The show-stopper of the evening might come in the lightweight division when Fall River, Mass., native Josh LaBerge (11-5, 5 KOs) steps up to face longtime CES MMA vet Saul Almeida (18-8, 1 KO) of Framingham, Mass.

A three-time CES MMA vet, LaBerge returned to the promotion at “CES MMA 35” in Beverly, defeating Ran Weathers by unanimous decision. He’s won his last two since suffering a loss to reigning CES MMA World Featherweight Champion Matt Bessette and nine of 10 overall.

The polarizing Almeida makes his 10th appearance at CES MMA, a run that began seven years ago at the promotion’s inaugural event in 2010. He ended a two-year hiatus at “CES MMA 39” in a controversial split-decision loss to undefeated prospect Manny Bermudez, one of 18 bouts in his 26-fight career that have gone the distance.

Also starring on the televised main card, Woonsocket, R.I., flyweight Kody Nordby (8-4) aims for his third consecutive win in his ninth appearance with CES MMA when he faces Bellingham, Mass., native David Baxter (4-1, 1 KO), who recently earned his second win in a row by submitting Dan Cormier at “CES MMA 41” in January.

Johnston, R.I., featherweight Joe Pingitore (7-3, 2 KOs) also returns to the CES MMA cage in a featured bout against Cortland, N.Y., vet Kenny Foster (11-11, 1 KO). A former CES MMA world-title challenger, Pingitore made quick work of Spencer Higa at “CES MMA 40,” submitting his opponent at 4:54 of the opening round via guillotine. Foster last fought at “CES MMA 34” in a narrow, split-decision loss to Calvin Kattar.

Stoughton, Mass., cruiserweight and former Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) vet Pat Walsh (10-2, 4 KOs) makes his sixth appearance with CES MMA in a showdown against Brazilian Dirlei Broenstrup (14-4, 5 KOs), a winner in eight of his last nine bouts. Walsh has won his last five, including back-to-back victories with CES MMA, most recently in January via submission against Kevin Haley.

Rounding out the main card, Milford, Mass., bantamweight Kris Moutinho (3-0, 1 KO) makes his network television debut in just his fourth fight with CES MMA when he battles Ontario’s Lloyd Reyes (4-3, 2 KOs). Moutinho fights for the fourth time since September, a run that includes his first knockout win at “CES MMA 41” via head kick against Jason Rine. The red-hot Reyes has won four of his last five – three by stoppage – after suffering losses in his first two professional bouts.

The return of Cranston, R.I., welterweight prospect Gary Balletto Jr. (2-1, 1 KO) and unbeaten Providence bantamweight Marquis Brewster (2-0) highlights the preliminary card. Balletto Jr. aims for his third consecutive win against Syracuse native Chris Torres (0-0) while Brewster battles newcomer Cody Hier of Philadelphia.

Fresh off her debut win at “CES MMA 41” female flyweight Maria Rivera (1-0) of Framingham, Mass., battles Hot Springs newcomer Jessica Sotack and unbeaten bantamweight Richie Santiago (3-0) battles Winchendon, Mass., native Chad Kelly (3-3, 1 KO). Santiago is undefeated under the guidance of CES MMA with all three wins by submission.

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




ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ/CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT


BERNIE BAHRMASEL: Good afternoon and Good Morning to the international press and thanks very much for joining us on this Media Conference Call promoting the highly anticipated World Middleweight Championship between Unified Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, (36-0, 33 KO’s) and WBA Middleweight World Champion and Mandatory Challenger DANIEL “The Miracle Man” JACOBS, (32-1, 29 KO’s) set for Saturday, March 18 from THE Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Championship Event presented by K2 Promotions will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View starting at 9pm ET, 6pm PT. Tickets for the live event which are moving fast, may be purchased online through Ticketmaster and TheGarden.com

Joining us first on the call today is the Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World from his training camp in Costa Rica, ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ. Sporting a record of 46-0 with 38 knockouts, Roman is joined on the call by his longtime manager CARLOS BLANDON to discuss his WBC Super Flyweight World Championship defense against Mandatory Challenger SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (41-4-1, 38 KO’s), in the co-main event on March 18th.

Later in the call, we will joined by former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS and his trainer RUDY HERNANDEZ who are wrapping up camp in Los Angeles, California.

In a special attraction 10-round super flyweight bout on the HBO Pay-Per-View, Cuadras will battle Mexico City cross-town arch rival DAVID “SEVERO” CARMONA.

This past September 10 at the Fabulous Forum and telecast, “Chocolatito”and Cuadras clashed in one of the best fights of 2016, as Roman Gonzalez won his fourth division world title.

TOM LOEFFLER: We couldn’t be more excited to have ‘Chocolatito’ back on the show with Gennady and it is a great match-up. On any other show it would clearly be the main event. ‘Chocolatito’ headlined the show last September at the Fabulous Forum and had a tremendous victory over Carlos Cuadras winning a world title in his fourth weight division and is universally considered the No. 1 pound for pound fighter in the world. We are excited for this match-up. It is a tough match-up that’s mandated by the WBC against Rungvisai from Thailand who is a very big puncher and I know many boxing fans are really looking forward to this fight. With that I would like to introduce Carlos Blandon to say a few words. He has been with Roman in training camp.

CARLOS BLANDON: I would like to thank everyone that is making this possible – HBO, Teiken Promotions and K2 Promotions and Madison Square Garden for hosting us once again on March 18. Roman and the whole ‘Chocolatito’ team is very excited and happy once again to be showcasing Roman’s talents at Madison Square Garden, The Mecca of Boxing, and we think it is going to be an excellent night of boxing on fight night. And thanks to Gennady, who we admire and we are very happy to be fighting under his name once again. At the same time having Carlos Cuadras with Rudy Hernandez being able to fight before us makes for a full program of action.

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: First of all I want to say that we are ready for next Saturday. I want to thank God and I want to thank HBO and K2 Promotions and Madison Square Garden. Everything has gone great during this camp and once again it is an honor to be on a card featuring Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs.

How was it to be a headliner on your last show?

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: It was a great opportunity in Los Angeles that HBO gave me to fight Carlos Cuadras in the feature fight. It was a great fight with an amazing atmosphere. The fans from Mexico and Nicaragua came out. I think it showed that I have the power that I can fill a big arena like the Forum. I was very happy and to be the co-feature with Golovkin is another great opportunity and I realize that there are going to be a lot of fans of Nicaraguan descent that will descend upon Madison Square Garden and I want to give them a very positive result.

How was it fighting at the heavier weight? You got touched up a little in the Cuadras fight. Do you feel you can dominate at the heavier weight?

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: I have always had respect for my opponent and it was a very tough fight at 115. Never did I think it was going to be easy campaigning in this division at 115 – it takes time to get used to and I think that’s what is happening at the moment but I think I will be fine.

What was the reception like when you returned home after not only winning another world title but passing the legend of Arguello by winning a fourth world title?

That day was very memorable when I returned home. People were lined up in the streets and they were greeting me all over and to be honest, being home, they gave me their love. The people of Nicaragua gave me their love and without question it makes me so happy to represent the country of Nicaragua, that now after winning this world title I have to hold onto it.

Do you feel a need move to move to higher weight divisions or do you feel you are fighting for the guys in the lower weight classes?

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: From a legacy standpoint I have already accomplished a lot and now my goal is to hold onto my fourth world title in order to gain higher purses and more money and I want to continue to show that I am a quality fighter and I am a great fighter and I want to move forward and I think a second fight with Cuadras will certainly do that. But I am fixed on holding on to this world title moving forward.

What do you want to accomplish next?

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: A fourth world title was something that was an absolute blessing. I want to thank God and it meant so much to me. No, aside from holding onto my world title, I could possibly go for a fifth world championship – in a different weight division – but first I understand that I need to hold onto to this title at the moment.

How many tickets are left for the fight at Madison Square Garden?

TOM LOEFFLER: The tickets are selling very well. The last show where Gennady and ‘Chocolatito’ had fought together at the Garden in October 2015, we were completely sold out and right now the tickets are ahead of that. So we expect a sold out arena and the fans have reacted to the combination again of Gennady and ‘Chocolatito’ on the same show.

How does this opponent compare to Cuadras and what type of challenges do you expect?

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: I always know it’s going to be a different rival and challenge. Against Carlos Cuadras it was a great fight and I certainly learned a lot in that match-up and especially in my training camp. On this one coming up on the 18th of March, I expect a great fight and I want to put on a great fight for the fans and I realize what I have to do because at the end of the day I want to have my had raised in victory.

Do you want to fight Cuadras again? How did that fight compare to the toughest you have had?

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: As I look at a fight coming up against Carlos Cuadras again I realize I have to train harder. Every opponent presents different challenges. I do believe that the second fight, the rematch, will be better. But heading into the rematch, assuming all goes according to plan, I will be confident and I know he will be a little bit more because of the time we shared in the ring. I do believe I can go out there and get the knockout in the rematch.

Do you feel better training in Costa Rica than in California?

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: Every camp is very good. Every camp runs very well when it comes to training in Costa Rica. I like it because I almost feel at home as if in Nicaragua. There are mountains here and water and I just feel so comfortable in Costa Rica.

You have a tough fight coming up on the 18th and Cuadras says that you didn’t want the rematch immediately…

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: It doesn’t really matter what he says. If he wants to go ahead and get into a verbal match with me, that’s not what I am going to focus on. I am the champion right now. I realize that the rematch is down the line. I have a lot of respect for him. I am fighting for the lower weight classes and a rematch will be in the cards if it does transpire. That will happen down the line and I am all about fighting for the lower weight classes to make them prominent in boxing.

This is a tough time in the United States for Hispanics and Latinos . . .

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: My fight is for the public. I am always very happy for the adulation. These days I want to move forward and make people happy by my performance.

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ: Thank you very much to all of the public, God bless you and we will see you Saturday on March 18.

CARLOS BLANDON: We are so appreciative of everything and getting ready for March 18 – Roman is training his heart out. You are going to see a faster and stronger Roman and wee are putting everything in God’s hands. Thanks again to HBO Teiken and K2 and The Garden for making this possible.

__________________________________

RUDY HERNANDEZ: We are ready and we are just wishing the fight was tomorrow.

CARLOS CUADRAS: I am very well trained and I am excited for this fight. My goal is to come out and win against Carmona on March 18

When you fought Chocolatito, did you feel as if you were fighting for the smaller weight classes?

CARLOS CUADRAS: We are obviously fighting for higher purses and we are representing the lighter weight classes. We are going to give a show and demonstrate our high quality action. But we do realize when we fight inside that ring that we can provide action and put on a show as good as if not better than the higher weight classes and that will lead to more lucrative purses and higher paydays down the line.

Chocolatito has talked about fighting at 118. Would you accept a rematch at 118?

CARLOS CUADRAS: I will do it at whatever weight he wants to do it at. If he wants to fight and do the rematch at 118, no problem. We can even do the rematch in the heavyweight division. It will be a great fight. I am going to bring the fight to him. I have the medicine in my hands and the power to get after and to dispel of ‘Chocolatito’.

You always seem happy and smiling in such a brutal sport…

CARLOS CUADRAS: I love boxing and boxing is my life. If someone has a passion for something in anything that they do it shows and with me I love boxing. It is absolutely my life and I enjoy being in the gym competing against great fighters, partaking in the sport of boxing and it is something that I really love.

Do you think that helps lighten the pressure?

CARLOS CUADRAS: I enjoy the moment. I don’t let the pressure get to me. I don’t pay attention to that. I get to fight in these massive arenas. Every day when I step in the ring my focus is squarely on the opponent across from me. Thank you very much and say hello to all of those in Mexico!

Juan Francisco Estrada has called you out – so what do you think about him or ‘Chocolatito’?

CARLOS CUADRAS: Juan Francisco Estrada is a great fighter and it is almost a guarantee since we are both of Mexican descent that we will collide at some point down the line. But it is true that I want to fight Chocolatito in the rematch. That is what I want. He has the world title and that is what I want. But down the line we will have a match with Estrada.

What do you think about the Canelo-Chavez Jr. fight?

CARLOS CUADRAS: Julio Cesar Chavez should win the fight. He is bigger and he is stronger and if he comes in condition and ready to perform at the highest level I think he should get the victory.

How do the Mexican fans respond to you?

CARLOS CUADRAS: As to the response of the Mexican boxing fans they absolutely embrace me following my fight with Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez.

Do you feel that, since you did not get an immediate rematch, that it may not happen at all?

I do believe that he is running from me. He has fear of me. Look, if he wants to fight me at 118, no problem. I will go up to 118 pounds. Whatever weight he is, if he will give me the fight, I will be there and I will fight him in the rematch.

How much of a chance do you give Rungvisai against Chocolatito?

Rungvisai is a very strong opponent and hits hard. If Chocolatito allows him to have his distance, he could knock him out so he has to be wary. He is a very tough and dangerous opponent, as I can attest to.

RUDY HERNANDEZ: Carlos is looking to shine on March 18 and hopes to steal the show and hopes HBO gives him the opportunity to fight again.

CARLOS CUADRAS: I have watched Carmona fight. He is from Mexico City and we are fellow countrymen. I think he is a very tough fighter. I watched his last fight when he lost by unanimous decision. But I am going to go out there and I will be looking for the knockout.

TOM LOEFFLER: We are excited to have both Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and Carlos Cuadras on the card. This is a tremendous show that we have put together. They had a war in September of last year and Carlos lost a close decision and we wanted to feature him because he was a crowd favorite. Now with Roman defending his title against the mandatory and GGG versus Jacobs we are very excited for next week.

____________________________________

Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ, (46-0, 38 KO’s) will make the first defense of his fourth divisional world title against Thailand’s SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (41-4-1, 38 KO’s) on Saturday, March 18 at The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden.

In a special attraction 10-round clash, former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS, (35-1-1, 27 KO’s) battles cross-town rival DAVID “SEVERO” CARMONA, (20-3-5, 8 KO’s) of Mexico City.

The Championship Event presented by K2 Promotions will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

On September 10, 2016, Gonzalez and Cuadras battled in an epic “Fight of the Year” candidate at The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles. After twelve outstandin rounds of action, Gonzalez was declared the victor. The fight was telecast live on HBO.

Headlining the HBO Pay-Per-View event from on Saturday, March 18, Unified Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, (36-0, 33 KO’s) will defend his titles (WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO) against WBA Middleweight World Champion and Mandatory Challenger DANIEL “THE MIRACLE MAN” JACOBS, (32-1, 29 KO’s) in a highly anticipated divisional showdown.

Golovkin and Jacobs have an extraordinary, combined 35 consecutive knockouts heading into this highly anticipated batt

GOLOVKIN vs. JACOBS is presented by K2 Promotions. Tickets priced at $1000, $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com

SOCIAL MEDIA — #GGGJACOBS

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin
@GGGBoxing – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Daniel Jacobs
@DanielJacobsTKO – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez
@ChocolatitoBox – Twitter
@ChocolatitoOfficial – Facebook
@Chocolatito87 – Instagram

Carlos Cuadras
@CuadrasOficial – Twitter
@CarlosCuadras – Facebook
@CuadrasOficial — Instagram

HBO
@HBO, @HBOBoxing – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Madison Square Garden
@TheGarden – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Tom Loeffler (K2 Promotions)
@TomLoeffler1 — Twitter




Video: HBO Boxing News: 1-on-1 with Daniel Jacobs




Video: HBO Boxing News: 1-on-1 with Gennady Golovkin




RTS BOXING OF HOUSTON PRESENTS The RUMBLE IN HUMBLE on March 24th

Humble, TX (March 14, 2017) On Friday night March 24, 2017 at the Humble Civic Center,
RTS Boxing Will present a great night of boxing.

In the main event former WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight Champion Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez (25-3, 20 KO’s)

The 34 Year-old Lopez of Cut and Shoot, Texas will take part in a six-round bout against an opponent to be named.

Lopez is a 10 year-professional, who was undefeated his first 21 bouts.

He has wins over former world title challenger Rubin Williams and Romaro Johnson (11-2-1)

In his highest profile bout, Lopez came up just short as he dropped a majority decision to former middleweight champion on May 7, 2011 in Las Vegas,

Lopez’s wife a nutritionist and personal trainer looks forward to seeing her husband in the ring and says he will be fighting this fight at 175 and will gradually come down to contend at the super middleweight division.

Lopez has won three straight bout, which includes his last outing when he stopped Lester Gonzalez in two rounds on May 9, 2015 in Houston.

The undercard will showcase Houston’s own sensational amateur fighter Luis Acosta, who will be making his pro debut as well as undefeated middleweight brothers Jonathan (9-0) and super featherweight Cristobal Morales (5-0).

Also appearing on the card will be middleweight Cameron Burroughs (2-1, 2 KOs) and pro debuting Robert Edmonds.

RTS BOXING is owned by Courtney Glaspie, who has served as a manager and fitness trainer for fighters. “Boxing has been a long love for me and I am looking forward to this challenge of continuing to make HOUSTON a big stage for BOXING,” said Glaspie.

The show will feature a loaded fight card with fun filled action and entertainment. The show is produced by RoRo Productions and matchmaker Lynn Collins

Tickets are priced $20 General admission, $35.00 reserved $50 VIP,100 and 150.00 table and ringside VIP




RAHMAN JR. READY TO BEGIN HIS OWN HEAVYWEIGHT LEGACY AT SKYLANDS ECC ON THURSDAY, MARCH 23

Having grown up the son of a former undisputed and two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Hasim Rahman Jr., doesn’t mind that the world will be watching from the beginning of his professional boxing career.

“This isn’t new,” explained Rahman. “I’m so used to being who I am and having eyes on me that it would be awkward to not have them. It hasn’t mattered who I was my whole life, or what I did. The world was watching because of who my father is.”

Rahman Jr., whose father, Hasim “The Rock” Rahman famously knocked out Lennox Lewis in April 2001 to win the WBC and IBF Heavyweight Championships, will make his professional debut against Kansas City’s Brian Imes (1-4, 1 KO) on Thursday, March 23, 2017, at Greg Cohen Promotions’ SUPER BRAWL® III, boxing event at the Skylands Event & Conference Center (ECC) in Randolph, New Jersey.

Presented in association with Rising Promotions and GH3 Promotions (sponsored by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions), SUPER BRAWL® III will also feature the Bronx, New York’s Halili brothers: power-punching super-welterweight action hero Skender Halili (13-1, 13 KOs) taking on Ecuadorian veteran Eduardo “El Cheíto” Flores (25-25-3, 15 KOs) in the eight-round main event, and undefeated Enver Halili (8-0, 2 KOs) facing Nicaragua’s Ariel Vasquez (13-16-2, 9 KOs) in the six-round welterweight co-main.

Tickets for SUPER BRAWL® III are priced at Golden Ringside $150, Ringside $100 and General Admission $50 and can be purchased by calling the GCP office: 212.851.6425 or online at gcpboxing.com.

“My dad is like an advisor,” he continued. “My dad is the only person I know that truly has my best interests at heart. Anybody else I ever dealt with, it always came down to money at the end of the day. My dad never asks me for anything. I know he knows the game and I know that with him on my team, the sky is the limit.”

25-year-old Rahman is getting a later-than-expected start at his highly-anticipated boxing career. Coming off his successful 100-fight run as an amateur, the buzz was all around the 6′ 3″ 250-lb. fighter, but a fatal car accident in 2012 saw him serving a 2- to 5-year sentence with the Department of Corrections.

Recently released and now ready to go on with life, Rahman says the entire experience changed him for the good. “It was an eye-opener for me. Going through that really changed my career and how I felt as a person, and a son, a father, and a husband. It changed me. I am grateful god blessed me to be in this position today.”

Rahman says he doesn’t know much about first opponent Imes, but he and trainer Kenny Ellis are hard at work at Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore.

“I feel great. I’m really anxious, but the nervousness hasn’t kicked in. It will around fight time. My team says it’s a good fight for me. Being off for two and a half years, I’m looking to get in some rounds.”

Despite the delayed start, Team Rahman has no plan on rushing things.

“I just want to stay busy as I can and learn as much as I can and fight for a world title when I’m ready. I’m not going to rush. There’s no rush. It’s not like I’m going to wait forever. I will fight for the title when I’m ready and I know if it put in the work, I’ll be ready in a about two years. That’s the goal for me. If it takes three or four years, it does. Whatever the case may be. I’ll keep racking up the knockouts until it happens.”

For Rahman, the decision to follow in his famous father’s footsteps was a rational one.

“I’ve always been taught to plan ahead. When I was in middle school, I was really into football. I played tight end, running back and wide receiver. I had dreams. But it dawned on me how many people have the same dream that I do. For instance, there are a million young African American men wanting to go to the NBA every year. 400,000 of them will play high school basketball. 4000 of those will play college. 35 will be drafted. Out of the that 35, only 7 will start. That means there are a million people trying to get 7 jobs. And the average career in the NBA is four years. That’s a problem. People have to look at their odds. I did. So, I said ‘know what? Instead of being in this giant pool of people trying to be the next Ray Lewis. I rarely run across someone who wants to be heavyweight champion of the world,’ so that’s what I decided to do. No father and son duo have ever become heavyweight champions. It’s never been done. For me to be in the position to cement our family name in heavyweight championship history is very motivating and I’m ready to take full advantage of it.”

Signing with Greg Cohen Promotions was an easy decision, according to Rahman, who has known the Jersey-based promoter for most of his life.

“I really want to thank Greg Cohen for the chance he’s given me,” he said. “I’ve known Greg since I was a kid and he has always believed in me. He has always supported me and kept in contact and followed me. He has a real genuine interest in me. Greg already knows he has the best new heavyweight in the world. I’m really dedicated to making him and my father and the City of Baltimore proud.”

SUPER BRAWL® III will be broadcast, tape-delayed, on Sportsnet New York (SNY). On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 pm. The Skylands ECC is located at 792 Route 10 West in Randolph, NJ. Phone: 973.328.8600.

More information: www.gcpboxing.com, www.risingboxingpromotions.com, www.skylandsecc.com.

Twitter @Skylandsecc @gcpboxing
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

Cohen currently promotes Undefeated WBO NABO Heavyweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, Undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Robert Brant, WBO NABO Lightweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Mason Menard, former WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Ismael Barroso, top 10 world-rated contender Rico Mueller, undefeated WBA International Bantamweight Champion and world-rated contender Mzuvukile Magwaca, WBO Oriental Super Welterweight Champion and world-rated contender Dennis Hogan, IBO World Featherweight Champion Lusanda Komanisi, former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion Kendall Holt, as well as current top 10 world-rated contenders cruiserweight Olanrewaju Durodola, Filipino Jr. Lightweight star Harmonito Dela Torre, Filipino Super Lightweight Czar Amonsot, and top 15 world-rated contenders featherweight world title challenger Eric Hunter and Guyanese bantamweight Elton Dharry.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.




OKOLIE MAKES PRO DEBUT IN MANCHESTER

Lawrence Okolie will make his pro debut against Russell Henshaw at the Manchester Arena on March 25, live on Sky Sports.

Okolie was the first of the 2016 Team GB Olympians to turn professional and becomes the first to taste action in the paid ranks on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s blockbuster World Lightweight unification rematch with Jorge Linares.

The 24 year old Cruiserweight talent faces a stiff test on his first night under the bright lights in the form of Derbyshire’s Henshaw, but Okolie is happy to dive into the deep end in his first pro outing as he looks to back up his claims that he can become Britain’s best ever Cruiserweight.

“Everyone is excited to see how I do – and I am too,” said Okolie. “I believe that I can do the business but I am stepping into the unknown, it’s really exciting. It’s a great bill to start on and Russell is a really good test for my debut.

“I’m really happy that there’s so much interest in me and my Olympic teammates. We handled a lot of pressure in Rio and to qualify for it – you know that if you lose in the qualifiers you aren’t going to get to go to the games and then when you are there, you know that millions of people are watching you. So I’ve learnt how to deal with handling the weight of expectation and still performing to the best of my abilities, and that’s going to stand me in good stead in the pros.

“I want to dominate the division. I’m not afraid to let the other Cruiserweights know that I’m here and I am coming for them. I have all the physical and mental attributes to achieve it, I just have to get the experience and the real belief – not self-belief because I have that – but real belief from getting out there and getting in with someone that has trained to beat you, they’re hitting you with 10oz gloves, that’s when I’ll learn a lot about myself and get that real belief that I can go on to do great things.”

Okolie’s debut is part of a huge night of action in Manchester, topped by Linares and Crolla going toe-to-toe for the second time.

There’s a crossroads battle of Blackpool as Middleweights Brian Rose and Jack Arnfield lock horns and Martin J. Ward defends his British Super-Featherweight title against Maxi Hughes in their third clash in the paid ranks.

Irish sensation Katie Taylor fights for the fourth time in the paid ranks, Marcus Morrison defends his WBC International Middleweight strap against Jason Welborn, while his Joe Gallagher gym-mate Hosea Burton looks to bounce back into title contention from his epic battle with Frank Buglioni, while there’s also action for Tomi Tatham, Ben Sheedy, Nathan Wheatley and Sean McGoldrick.

Tickets are on sale priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 and available from www.manchesterarena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

Face value tickets for March 25 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.




Anthony “Juice” Young decisions Samuel Amoako in main event at The Claridge in Atlantic City

Atlantic City, NJ (March 13, 2017)–This past Saturday night, welterweight Anthony “Juice” Young registered his 5th consecutive victory as he won an 8-round unanimous decision that highlighted a 7- bout card at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

The card was promoted by Rising promotions, which staged it’s 7th consecutive card in front of a capacity crowd at The Claridge.

“It’s bitter sweet knowing this was my last event. This show was a great way to end the #ACFightNight series. Awesome crowd, great fights and dramatic endings. It’s now time for me to focus on my fighting career and continue my path to become a world champion,” said Thomas LaManna of Rising Promotions.

Young controlled action against the tough veteran, and Young was able to win in shutout fashion by scores of 80-72 on all cards.

Young of Atlantic City raised his mark to 16-2. Amoako of Silver Spring, Maryland via Accra, Ghana is now 21-14.

In the co-feature, Gabriel Pham scored his 2nd consecutive stoppage, as he took out Chauncey Fields at 1:29 of round four of their scheduled 6-round super middleweight bout.

With the win, Pham of Atlantic City improves to 8-1 with 4 knockouts. Fields of Lynchburg, Virginia falls to 4-2.

Heavyweight Brendan Barrett remained undefeated as he stopped Philly tough guy Brian Donahue at 2:33 of round two of their scheduled 4-round bout.

Barrett hurt Donahue on the ropes and stopped him after a hard flurry. Barrett is now 5-0-2 with all his wins coming via the stoppage variety.

Donahue is now 3-14-3.

In another heavyweight tussle, Dan Pasciolla won a 6-round split decision over LeMarcus Tucker.

It was a close fight with the each man having moments throughout the contest.

Pasciolla of Brick, NJ won two cards via 58-56 scores, while Tucker took a card 58-56.

Pasciolla is now 9-2-1. Tucker of Forest City, Arkansas is 4-2.

Adrian Wilson of Atlantic City got his first professional win by winning a 4-round unanimous decision over Henry Tyrone Paige,

Wilson won on all cards 40-36 is now 1-3. Paige of Batesville, Arkansas is 0-4.

Thomas Romain of Brooklyn, New York won a 4-round unanimous decision over Sidell Blocker.

Romain won all cards by 40-36 scores and is now 2-1. Blocker of Pleasantville, NJ is 1-7-1.

In a battle of pro debuters, Cesar Francis defeated Steve Moore by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37.




Watch the HBO Sports Special – 2 Days: Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez




World Ranked Middleweight Antoine Douglas returns with a 5th round stoppage over Pablo Munguia in Charenton, Louisiana


Nutley, NJ (March 14, 2017) – World ranked middleweight Antoine Douglas returned to action after a year layoff by stopping Pablo Munguia in the 5th round in a scheduled six-round bout in Charenton, Louisiana.

Douglas of Washington, D.C. was making his first start since March 5, 2016 got back in the win column.

The 24 year-old raised his mark to 20-1-1 with 14 knockouts, and is ranked number-12 by the WBC,

Douglas is promoted by GH3 Promotions.

“This was a good way to comeback for Antoine,” said GH3 Promotions promoter Vito Mielnicki.

“We wanted to bring him back in March. Antoine has been fighting regularly since he was 11 years-old, so the layoff was needed and good. We moved him fast as he fought 21 times in 4 years. It was the first time that he was able to take a step back. Despite what happened in his fight with Khurtzsidze, we still believe is a future world champion. The fight with Khurtsidze was a learning experience for all of us, from he fighter to the trainers to me the promoter. This whole thing should be about Antoine Douglas and no one else. He is still just 24 years old and his best boxing is ahead of him. We will have him in a few more of these learning fights, and then look for him to be back knocking on a big fight by August.”

“We have a good team around him with his trainers Dennis Porter, Kevin Smalls and Kay Koroma. We just added Joseph Karoma as the strength and conditioning coach.”

“I want to thank Greg Cohen for help getting us on the card in Louisiana.”

Douglas will be back in on action on March 27th, in the Dominican Republic, when he takes on Eduardo Mercedes (32-16, 27 KO’s) for the WBC Fecarbox title.




Yohan Vasquez positioning himself for world featherweight title shot

NEW YORK CITY (March 13, 2017) – World-class featherweight Yohan “La Fiera” Vasquez (18-1, 16 KOs) will put his world ratings on the line, March 27 at home in an eight-round bout against undefeated Venezuelan prospect Maikol “La Perla” Maikin” Beaumont (12-0-1, 7 KOs), at New Monte Bar in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

The 22-year-old Vasquez is a former Interim World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion. A dangerous puncher who also boxes effectively, he is currently world rated by the World Boxing Association (WBA) at No. 13, as well as No. 15 by the WBC.

In his most recent fight, Vasquez knocked out former world champion Richard Carrillo (24-6) in the second-round, last November in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican knockout artist is riding a 13-fight win streak, dating back to 2014, into his risky confrontation with Beaumont later this month.

Beaumont, 22, is the reigning Venezuelan featherweight champion who will be fighting outside of his native country for the first time against Vasquez.

“Yohan is like a Tazmanian Devil,” Havoc Boxing CEO Rob Diaz said. “He just goes into the ring and starts attacking his opponent. We’ve told him to take his time but he likes to crack. He’s a young fighter on the rise but still green. He has the skill, heart and determination to make it to the top.

“Our plan is to keep him banging out opponents, rising in the rankings, and eventually proving to all the fighters in his division that he belongs with the best. We’re taking it one fight at a time, though. Havoc Boxing will keep pushing Yohan until he gets in position for a world title shot. We’re very excited about his potential and development.”

Havoc Boxing Promotions is a division of Havoc Boxing, which is known throughout boxing for its flashy, totally unique looking boxing “uniforms” – trunks and jackets – and other clothing merchandise and accessories.

In addition to Vasquez, Havoc also promotes Nicaraguan lightweight Oliver “Trombita” Flores (27-3-2, 17 KOs), the former world title challenger, in addition to a pair of Colombian fighters, super bantamweight Wilner Soto (16-1, 8 KOs) and former world cruiserweight title challenger Santander “Cha Cha” Silgado (27-4, 21 KOs).

INFORMATION:

Website: www.TeamHavocUSA.com
Twitter: @HavocBoxingNYC
Instagram: @havoc_ceo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HavocBoxingNYC
ABOUT HAVOC BOXING: Based in Brooklyn, New York, Havoc Boxing has quickly become the world’s most trusted source for boxing trunks and uniforms. What started a decade ago as a personal mission for creator Andre Rozier to design and sell custom boxing gear has come full circle with the assistance of CEO Rob Diaz and CFO Randall Ramirez. Havoc Boxing has earned a reputation for its stylish, high-quality ring attire supported by amateurs, Professionals and world champions everywhere, Havoc has started a clothing line and accessories with exceptional performance to meet the needs of an ever-increasing number of athletes and fans around the world.

Havoc Boxing is proud to be supported by professionals, champions and former world champions such as Danny “Swift” Garcia, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs, Sadam Ali, Badau Jack, Adrian Bronner, Marcus Browne, Gabriel Rosado and Demetrius Andrade, to name a few of the more notables. Havoc Boxing is a brand for the sports world and maintains the highest standards of quality and integrity in all its products. “Champions Wear Havoc!”




New WBA Junior Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade shows championship work rate in title winning effort against Jack Culcay


Philadelphia, PA/Bronx, NY/Providence, RI (March 13, 2017)–Newly crowned WBA Junior Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade threw a staggering 953 punches according to Compubox, in his title win over Jack Culcay this past Saturday in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Andrade, who many regard as the most talented fighter in the 154 pound division, showed his versatility as divvied up his punch output nicely between jabs and power punches by throwing 519 power punches and 434 jabs.

The junior middleweight average is 684 punches per 12 rounds.

Andrade saved his best work for the home stretch when he threw 91 and 92 punches respectively in the Championship (11th and 12th) rounds. In round 11, he connected on a fight best 40 punches. Andrade outlanded Culcay in 11 of the 12 rounds.

Andrade of Providence, Rhode Island became a two-time champion with a split decision over Culcay be scores of 116-112 twice and 115-114 for Culcay.

“Demetrius showed what a true world champion is supposed to do. He traveled to Germany and took the title from the champion. Now we will look towards the future, and there are many desirable fights out there. There are the champions like Erislandy Lara, Jarrett Hurd and the Charlo /Hatley winner. Of course the big names in the room are Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. Those are fights that we would love to make and Demetrius wants them as well. Demetrius will defend his title with pride, and we will look to get him in the most meaningful fights,” said Banner Promotions President, Artie Pelullo.




Manuel Mendez Earns Third Round KO Win Saturday Night

ORANGE, Calif. (March 13, 2017) – Manuel “La Tormenta” Mendez (14-1-2, 10 KOs) body punched his way to another knockout victory during the “Night of Champions” main event on Saturday night.

Mendez’s latest victim, Costa Rica’s Bergman Aguilar (14-3-1, 4 KOs), crumpled to the ground in the third round after sustaining a thunderous left hook to the ribs.

“Body shots are my bread and butter,” said Mendez, who is trained by Joel Diaz. “In the third, I was able to get inside and really do some damage.”

In the first round, Aguilar was the busier of the two, but the tide turned in rounds two and three when Mendez began forcing his way into the pocket and connecting on numerous body shots.

For a fighter with a host of knockouts on his resume, Mendez actually exercises excellent patience in wearing down opponents and striking at the most opportune time. He never looks rushed and always appears to know how the fight will develop.

“I like to take my time in the first few rounds to see what I’m working with,” said Mendez. “By the third, I already knew how to attack.”

In the co-feature, Juan Reyes (14-3-3, 2 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. applied his routine, constant pressure to thwart veteran Miguel Angel Mendoza (23-11-2) of Mexico.

Reyes, who recently made the jump to junior lightweight from featherweight, found his rhythm early with strong body shots and counter left hooks.

Mendoza was more than willing to return throughout their eight round fight, but Reyes found pay dirt on a more consistent basis. The judges awarded Reyes a unanimous decision victory with scores 78-74 twice, 79-73.

“After a few rounds, I could tell he was getting tired,” Reyes said. “I knew if I was first to the punch I would have a great shot at winning. I just kept the pressure and got the win.”

The second fight of the night featured a heavyweight rematch between Jonathan Rice (6-2-1, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles and Mario Heredia (14-7, 12 KOs) of Mexico. Rice got the better of Heredia in their first encounter in November. Rice knocked down Heredia three times on his way to a fifth round knockout victory.

The sequel would not end any different for Heredia. Rice downed Heredia once in the second and twice in the third. The second drop in the third round was the final shot Heredia would absorb. The referee waived the fight off at the 2:02 mark.

In the “Night of Champions” 4-round opener, Jose Salinas (1-0, 1 KO) of Indio, Calif. was victorious in his professional debut over Johnny Black (3-5, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nev.

The junior lightweight dropped Black early in the first round with a left hook. Salinas, a southpaw, continued his attack by punching Black into a corner. From there, he let his hands go, connecting on a handful of punches before the referee stopped the barrage at the 2:37 mark of the opening round.

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Promoter Yvon Michel sets record straight about Cancelled Beterbiev-Barrera IBF title eliminator

MONTREAL (March 13, 2017 – Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) president Yvon Michel has responded accordingly to unfounded allegations recently made in the media by Sullivan Barrera about GYM and its undefeated world light heavyweight contender, Artur Beterbiev, to set the record straight regarding the recently announced cancelled Beterbiev-Barrera International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight title eliminator.

“Despite Barrera’s claims,” Michel insisted, “he didn’t sign a contract because he never intended for fight Artur. In Team Barrera’s letter, he lied and showed his ignorance trying to distract from the facts.

“For the conclusion of this unfortunate saga, the IBF has informed me that it has ruled to ban Barrera from its world rankings, or from participating in one of its sanctioned fights, for the next six months. I’ve also been informed that, if nobody in the IBF top 10 is available and agrees to fight Artur, the IBF will declare him as its No. 1 mandatory challenger for the winner of the Ward-Kovalev rematch. Artur will be back in the ring in late April, early May. The mandatory defense for the Ward-Kovalev II winner, or Ward if that fight doesn’t happen, is due in September.”

IBF Light Heavyweight Ratings: Champion – Andre Ward, 1. Unrated, 2. Artur Beterbiev, 3. Sergey Kovalev, 4. Erik Skoglund, 5. Enrico Kolling, 6. SUSPENDED, 7. Oleksandr Gvozdyk, 8. Dominic Bosel , 9. Robert Stieglitz, 10. Trent Broadhurst.
Below, Michel sets the record straight, point-by-point, in terms of the open letter Team Barrera sent to the media.

Michel didn’t negotiate with Barrera’s promoter, Kathy Duva, and asked for it to go to an immediate purse bid.

“Kathy Duva (CEO/Main Events) came to my office the day before the deadline set for Barrera’s acceptance to participate in the IBF title eliminator to speak about the situation. Our hope was to fight Barrera but because he is prohibited from traveling to Canada, I confirmed our intention with Ms. Duva to accommodate Barrera and leave Canada and make the fight in the United States. We were in the same position a year ago, when Barrera pulled out of the same title eliminator because he couldn’t get a visa to fight in Canada. Artur was then supposed to fight Karo Murat, but he suffered an injury and was unable to fight. Barrera later defeated Murat to move into the IBF mandatory position in which he then lost to Andre Ward.

“Kathy told me the number she had in mind to make the fight. I said that I would see if there were enough resources for that amount and promised to call her the following day. I did and explained that there weren’t enough resources to meet that purse structure. Nevertheless, not long after I received confirmation Barrera was officially taking the challenge, I then decided to move forward and immediately requested a purse bid date, which is the prerogative of any promoter, knowing what was Main Events’ expectation in terms of their fighter’s purse. In this business, everybody knows the best way to determine the true market value of a fight is a purse bid, where promoters are evaluating their resources and making their bid accordingly. We still had still seven days to make an offer, one and other, and make a deal up to five minutes before the bid was due. Main Events never made us an offer and neither did we.”

GYM’s winning purse bid was $251,000, substantially more than Main Events’ bid of $182,000, of which Beterbiev would receive 75-percent of the winning bid. Barrera would have received $62,750, compared to $45,500 he would have earned if his own promoter had won the bid.

Beterbiev reported on social media that his fight versus Barrera would be held March 4th in Brooklyn, New York and Michel reported that the fight would be held in late March, early April, in New York. Barrera had trained for those dates but didn’t receive a contract.

“GYM won the purse and pursuant to IBF rules and regulations, the fight had to be held within 30 to 90 days,” Michel continued. “We deposited $50,000, per IBF rules, and received a confirmation letter from the IBF all was conform. As per IBF regulations, within 15 days after the purse bid, we filed contracts for the two fighters. Artur signed his five minutes after he received the contract and it was then sent to the IBF. We executed Barrera’s contract, sending it to Main Events for Barrera with a copy sent to the IBF. Soon after I received notice from the IBF that everything was in order and that we had complied with the IBF requirements.”

Michel sent an improper agreement to Main Event listing various dates.

“We knew we had a PBC date, either April 14, 21 or 29. It’s very common for fight dates written in the initial fighter contract to vary one week before or after the date listed. I contacted IBF president Daryl Peoples and said April 21st was the most likely date but that it could end up being a week earlier or after. He recommended to be transparent and to write all three potential dates into the contract. We did and then sent it to Main Events for Barrera to sign. Main Events noted that IBF rules said only one date and site could be written in the contract. Daryl complied with the objection so we then officially confirmed April 21st would be the date of the fight and Florida the site. We then sent a GYM executed corrected IBF bout agreement back to Main Events to be signed by Barrera and filed with the IBF on February 16th.

“Meanwhile, GYM received a request, from Main Event to produce a Provision of Service agreement for Barrera’s participation. GYM was not obliged to positively fulfill that request but, as a display of good faith, we did so in belief the contract that Barrera would sign and Main Events would file it at the IBF office, on that date, as per its rules. Soon after, GYM received a letter from IBF championship chairman, Mr. Lindsey Tucker, that all requirements had been fulfilled to officially sanction the bout.”

The Florida location for the fight had been selected by GYM for three reasons. 1. Beating Barrera in his own backyard would send strong message for Beterbiev within the division; 2. GYM had received an offer from Miami-based SMY Sports and Entertainment’s president M. Eric Senecal, who wanted the buy the rights to produce the event; 3. GYM’S longtime and very close relationship with Florida-based Warriors Promotions, Mr. Leon Margules.

On behalf of GYM, Margules had reserved the April 21st date with the Florida Athletic Commission. SMY Sports & Entertainments made a deal with GYM that had a deadline to deposit the agreed upon money guarantee. They had reserved the Seminole Hard Rock arena in Fort Lauderdale. If SMY was not able to deliver money and site, GYM had a backup plan, proposed by Margules, who had a deal and a site on hold, Hialeah Racetrack in nearby Hollywood (FL). No matter what would transpire, the fight was guaranteed at a site in Florida, April 21st for a PBC event to be televised on FS1.

Barrera’s manager was contacted by one of the promoters to help pay Yvon Michel and finance the bout.

“This is a tortuous claim and a terrible lie,” Michel said. “Nobody representing GYM ever made that kind of request. The truth is a local promoter, M. Michael Luzbet, whom I’d never met and never made any deals of any sorts with in the past, wanted to be a partner with SMY Sports and Entertainments. He tried to raise his share of money to participate but SMY rapidly disassociated themselves from Michael Luzbet.

“How the group (SMY) was raising money wasn’t really my concern, but they had found sponsors and were counting on the important Quebec community residing in Florida at that time of the year, as well as the important Cuban population and their contacts with the Russian community, to sell VIP tables and tickets. It wanted the rights to put the show on in Florida but they were concerned because they had heard a rumor that Barrera hadn’t signed a contract and he was going to pull out of the fight.

They then requested a guarantee that Barrera (who lives in Miami) was going to fight before confirming their money deposit. I was in Quebec City at that time for the Alvarez-Bute fight. Mr. Lindsey Tucker was there representing the IBF and I spoke to him. He said he believed the IBF had received a signed contract from Barrera. I contacted SYM to say everything was fine and that I had requested a copy (of the Barrera-signed contract) from Lindsey. Daryl People then informed me that there was a misunderstanding and they did not have a signed contract from Barrera. It is only then I realized Main Events had pressured Barrera to sign the agreement without success. We asked the IBF president to pressure Main Events to have Barrera sign the contract because, without it, we were jammed in the promotion of the event. This is exactly what happened.”

Team Barrera implied that Yvon Michel couldn’t promote a show of this magnitude in the U.S.

“I’ve promoted more than 200 shows, never defaulting or cancelling a single show, including involvement in more than 50 world championship fights and many multi-million dollars events, much bigger than this title eliminator. This statement just shows his ignorance about what we’re all about and who we are and was just smoke screen to his behavior. I’ve promoted shows with the majority of the major promoters in the world; DiBella Entertainment, Warriors Promotions, Don King Promotions, Golden Boy, Main Events… just about everybody. It was unbelievable for them to write such an impertinent line.”

Team Barrera unjustly belittled the quality of Beterbiev’s last two opponents, calling them cow farmers from Argentina.

“This is terrible to be so insolent to fellow world contenders. Both fighters were world ranked in the top 15 at that time. (Ezequiel Osvaldo) Maderna (23-2, 16 KOs) had never been knocked out and (Isidro) Prieto (26-1-3, 22 KOs) had suffered only one loss, a decision to the WBC #1 contender Eleider Alvarez. Beterbiev knocked them both out (Maderna in the fourth round, Prieto in the first), so downgrading the quality of Artur’s 2016 opponents was totally unwarranted. If Barrera ever actually got into the ring with Beterbiev, he would have fallen into the same category as Maderna and Prieto, who were both fierce competitors but not in the same league of Beterbiev.”

Michel firmly believes Barrera never intended to fight Beterbiev for his share of the purse bid and, to cover up, he tried to place the blame on others. His promoter spent time and money for the bid at the request of its fighter, Barrera, believing he had a legitimate chance of winning the fight. It is obvious that sentiment was not shared by Barrera, even if the fight was to be held in his own backyard in Florida.

“The truth of this matter is that Barrera lied to distract media attention from the fact he didn’t sign a contract and clearly wanted no part of Beterbiev,” Michel concluded. “We don’t disrespect any contender who prefers not to challenge Artur Beterbiev for the mandatory position. We also believed that Main Events did everything in its power to convince their fighter to keep his words and to go forward with the fight. Main Events is not at blame. We also have respect for Barrera’s fighting abilities but we have no respect for the person Barrera is with his despicable, unprofessional, shameful and disgraceful attitude in handling the present situation.

“On a personal note, I have never met Sullivan Barrera. I never had to directly communicate with him, I never had to do business with him, everything went through his promoter, Main Events, and I really don’t envy them! Soon, GYM will have two light heavyweight world champions and I can guarantee Barrera will never be in their plans.
“We’ve moved on from Sullivan Barrera to find an opponent who has the desire to step into the ring to fight Artur Beterbiev. While Barrera will still be suspended by the IBF, Beterbiev will be World Champion!”

Beterbiev, a two-time Russian Olympian, holds two amateur victories over his fellow countryman, Kovalev, the former world light heavyweight champion. Whether it’s Kovalev or Ward, Artur Beterbiev will be more than ready for the challenge to fight for the world light heavyweight championship this September.

INFORMATION:
www.groupeyvonmichel.ca
www.Facebook.com/groupeyvonmichel
Twitter: @yvonmichelgym, @ABeterbiev
Instagram: @YvonMichelGYM, @Groupeyvonmichel, @ArturBetebiev
ABOUT GROUPE YVON MICHEL (GYM): Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) was founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel and his associates. The organization’s mission is the development of high-level boxers through coaching support and especially by competitive management. To achieve its objectives, GYM actively recruits talent and organizes events and it is associated with the popular series, “Premier Boxing Champions (PBC),” and has developed major Videotron partnerships with Loto Quebec, TVA Sports, Centre Videotron, Casino de Montreal and Lac Leamy, Tonik GroupImage and Lapointe Dental Centre, in addition to collaborating closely with Rixa.




Ahmed Elbiali Pre-Fight Quotes

TUNICA, MS (March 13, 2017) – Unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Ahmed Elbiali is prepared for another opportunity to keep his perfect record intact as he faces Brazil’s Jackson Junior in an eight-round fight featured on Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 & BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes Tuesday, March 14.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from the Fitz Tunica Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi and is headlined by rising middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko battling unbeaten Kemahl Russell in a 10-round bout.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, start at $20, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Fitz Gift Shop, at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.

Here is what Elbiali had to say ahead of the showdown:

On fighting on FS1…
“It’s a great situation to be fighting on national television, especially FS1. TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS has been great for all boxers who are fortunate enough to be showcased. I’m just grateful for the opportunity and everyone tuning in will see me throwing a lot of big shots.”

On his current training camp …
“It’s been a real smooth camp going into this fight. I’m back training in Miami with my coach Carlos Albuerae. When I moved to Las Vegas, we had temporally split up, but now we are back together, stronger than ever.”

On facing opponent Jackson Junior…
“Jackson Junior is a big puncher, as am I, so expect to see some hard blows being traded. Although he’s had more fights then me, I feel I’m on another level. I know he’s coming to knock me out, but I have other plans. He will not be taken lightly.”

On continuing his run to a world title…
“If I want to continue marching up the rankings, coming out victorious against Junior is crucial. The ultimate goal is to win a world title, and I’m going to do everything in my power to get there. This fight is the next step toward achieving that goal. I’m not leaving any stone unturned.”

On bouncing back from an injured hand…
“It was a difficult time for me being out of the ring for over a year with my hand injury. The good news is I’m 100% healthy and my hand feels great. I had a lot of time to reflect on what I need to improve on so that’s what I focused on while I was out. I stayed in great shape the whole time. I just want to get in the ring and shake off the rust.”

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Fans can live stream the fights on FOX Sports GO, available in English or Spanish through the FS1 or FOX Deportes feeds. The fights are available on desktop at FOXSportsGO.com and through the app store, or connected devices including Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Xbox One and Roku. In addition, all programs are also available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.




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