Undefeated Indian ring sensation Vijender Singh will make his hotly-anticipated return to New Dehli on December 17 where he will make the first defence of his WBO Asia Pacific Super-Middleweight crown against an opponent to be confirmed at the Thyagaraj Stadium, live and exclusive in the UK on BoxNation.

Fresh from earning his first professional title against Australia’s Kerry Hope back in July, knockout king Singh leapfrogged up the WBO World rankings into tenth place. Singh, 7-0 6 KO’s, outworked and outclassed the experienced Hope over ten rounds and came away winning every round.

India’s first ever Olympic Games boxing medallist was roared on by a sell-out 6,000 strong crowd at the Thyagaraj stadium and was awarded a deserved unanimous decision win with scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 100-90 from the three judges.

Frank Warren’s maiden voyage to India proved a resounding success. The tremendous reaction on social media from the stars of cricket and Bollywood personalities who were in attendance at ringside prove that history was well worth making.

Distinguished attendees of the political sphere along with the glamour of Bollywood and champions of the Indian sports world saw the emergence of a new champion and in Vijender, a new Indian star being born.

The fight will be televised live on Star Sports Network in India.

Commenting on his next fight, Vijender Singh said: “I have been in Manchester, UK for the last two months, training hard for my next fight. My trainer has been giving me high intensity training sessions, which has made my punches more powerful than before. I am ready to fight anybody as suggested by the World Boxing Organisation (WBO). I am confident that I will be able to defend my title with as much pride as I won it. I am looking forward to 17thDecember 2016, and hope to repeat history.”
Francis Warren, Promoter, of Queensberry Promotions said: “Vijender’s career so far has been punch perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for any more commitment and professionalism from him. Now, we move onto the next phase, solidifying his status as a world top ten fighter, and progressing through the rankings. We have eyes on all the top boxers from around the world, including the winners of the Dunn – Cameron fight, Abraham – Krasniqi and Groves – Gutenech. Vijender must stay focused on the next date though, as he is on the cusp of some big fights in 2017. The WBO have supported the journey so far, and I firmly believe that Vijender will challenge for a world title within the next 18 months”

Lee Beard, trainer of Singh, said: “We have been working on Vijender’s strength and power in the gym and he is punching a lot harder. I can already see the benefits of the high intensity training sessions we have been putting him and everyone will see an even better Vijender on December 17th. Of all the fighters I have trained, he is one of the best when it comes to learning, he is an extremely quick learner. He will be prepared and ready to defend his title in style.”

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions, will televise this fight on Sky (SD Ch.437 and HD Ch.490), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon).

Go to www.boxnation.com to see how you can watch this fight and more live!

Malik Scott says that his best years are still to come – and he’ll prove that by handing a first loss to dangerous Heavyweight Luis Ortiz when they clash in Monte-Carlo on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on HBO in the US.

American star Scott recorded impressive back-to-back wins over Alex Leapai and Tony Thompson in his last two outings to get in the frame for a big-time outing, bouncing back from a first round loss to Deontay Wilder back in March 2014.

Ortiz has been dubbed the most avoided Heavyweight on the planet, but Scott insists that this is a fight he’s wanted and the Philadelphian believes that beating Ortiz can be the springboard to him winning World titles, not ‘King Kong’ Ortiz.

“I don’t want people to get the wrong end of the stick – I picked to fight Luis Ortiz,” said Scott. “People have crowned him as the next king of the Heavyweight division, so that’s the kind of guy I want.

“Is he the most feared? Anyone will fight him but for the right amount of money. He’s a 6ft 4in Cuban southpaw – he’s got a hell of a pedigree, he can fight and he’s dangerous – but that makes me want to fight him. I gravitate to risks like this, because the rewards out there are huge.

“I went to Australia and beat Leapai, I came home to beat Thompson who had just beat Odlanier Solis, another guy that had been hyped. People said that Thompson would beat me, I gave him a clinic. Ortiz is dangerous, but a punch at Heavyweight can change everything. He doesn’t know what it’s like to sit on the shelf and wait for a fight, get messed around by opponents. I am just as hungry as he is.”

Scott’s clash with Ortiz is part of a huge night of action in Monte-Carlo as WBA World Bantamweight king Jamie McDonnell defends his crown against Liberio Solis. It’s the fifth defence for the Doncaster ace, who followed his stoppage win over Javier Chacon with a pair of impressive wins over Tomoki Kameda in Texas last year and stopped Fernando Vargas in nine rounds at The O2 in London this April.
Stephen Smith has a second World title crack, challenging WBA Super-Featherweight kingpin Jason Sosa. Smith travelled to Connecticut to meet IBF ruler Jose Pedraza in April in his first outing for a World belt, and recovered from that points loss with a commanding win over Daniel Brizuela in his hometown of Liverpool a month later. Puerto Rican-American Sosa defends his strap for the first time having ripped the crown from Javier Fortuna in Beijing in June.
Martin Murray is targeting World title action in 2017 but faces a stiff test in the shape of former interim WBA Middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov.
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Oakland, NJ (November 8, 2016) – Vinny Scolpino of VMS Management, Inc. is pleased to announce the signing of another amateur boxer from Western Massachusetts super bantamweight Luis “Pancho” Santiago of Springfield, Massachusetts to an exclusive management contract.

Pancho is a well-known 21 year old amateur fighter from Western Massachusetts who fights out of Old School Boxing Gym and has been kept very busy with over 70 amateur fights. He has won the 2011 Silver Gloves and 2011 regionals, he is a 3x Junior Olympics champ from 2009 to 2012 and regional champ from 2009 to 2012. He was also a winner in the 2013 PALs.

Pancho Santiago said, “I’m a solid 122 pounder who is ready to make a statement in my weight class. I’ve accomplished a lot in my amateur days I’m ready to make bigger waves and bigger accomplishments in my pro career”.

Jerry Luis Santiago, his father and trainer said, “I am very proud of Pancho and to be a part of his team. I have been in his corner all his life. This is the moment we have been waiting for”.

Vinny Scolpino said, “I am very pleased to have signed another fighter from the Springfield, Massachusetts area to a long term management deal. I am looking to move Pancho Santiago into the right fights to push him to the top. As of right now we do not have a scheduled fight but are looking at potential fights in the beginning of 2017. His style of fighting is aggressive and explosive. He will give his weight class some great opposition“.

VMS Management, Inc. has well-known stable of fighters including Louis “Cruz Control” Cruz, Shawn “Killa” Cameron, Jobert “Little Pacman” Alverez, Ray “Bazooka” Graceski, Jonathan “Smooth” Figueroa, Emmanuel Lartey, Thomas Awinbomo, Elisa Collaro, Arron Kinch, Ibraham “King” Shabazz, Ignacio Macho Camacho, Apollo Welch, Tyyeb Biel, Isreal Suarez, William Whitt, Albert Mensah, Marvin Mabait, Simon Sayes, John Mosley, Raymond Narh and many more.

VMS Management, Inc facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VMSManagement/?fref=ts

PHILADELPHIA (November 8, 2016) – An exciting night highlighting the best rising talent in the Philadelphia-area comes to Temple University’s Liacouras Center on Saturday, November 12 and will feature middleweight prospect Kyrone Davis (10-1, 4 KOs) facing once-beaten Carlos Gabriel Ozan (12-1, 4 KOs) and unbeaten super lightweight Milton Santiago (15-0, 3 KOs) against Argentina’s Claudio Rosendo Tapia (28-16-4, 13 KOs) in a pair of eight-round showdowns.

The event is headlined by undefeated welterweight world champion and Philadelphia-native Danny “Swift” Garcia taking on Colombia’s Samuel Vargas. Coverage of Premier Boxing Champions on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features undefeated rising star Jarrett Hurd battling former title challenger Jo Jo Dan plus former world champion Javier Fortuna taking on unbeaten Omar Douglas.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DSG Promotions and King’s Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit LiacourasCenter.com/events or call 800-298-4200. Garcia is teaming up with Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, to arrange a regional food drive and raise money throughout the promotion. For more information on how to get involved, visit the event’s webpage HERE.

Additional action will feature a pair of unbeaten Philadelphia prospects as Thomas Velasquez squares-off against Miami’s Raul Chirino in a four-round super featherweight affair while Christian Carto faces Mexico’s Leonardo Reyes in four-rounds of bantamweight action.

Rounding out the night of fights is unbeaten super featherweight Titus Williams taking on once-beaten Philadelphia-native Antonio Dubose in a six-round showdown and unbeaten lightweight Jeffrey Torrestaking on Joseph Serrano in a four-round bout between Philadelphia prospects.

A two-time amateur National Champion fighting out of Wilmington, Delaware, Davis turned pro in 2014 after a stellar amateur career. The 21-year-old delivered wins in his first 10 starts before dropping a competitive contest to then unbeaten Junior Castillo in April. A two-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves champion, Davis fights in Philadelphia for the first time as a pro when he takes on the 28-year-old Ozan from Mendoza, Argentina.

Unbeaten and fighting out of Philadelphia, Santiago looks for his third victory of 2016 when he enters the ring on November 12. A pro since 2014, the 20-year-old Santiago fights in his home city for the sixth time in his short career. Alvarez has won three eight-round bouts in a row and looks to be victorious again when he faces the experienced Tapia out of Mendoza, Argentina.

MANILA (November 8, 2016) — The streak continues! No sooner had boxing superhero Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (59-6-2, 38 KOs) won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world title for a third time — dethroning the younger and taller defending champion Jessie Vargas (27-2, 10 KOs) on Saturday in front of 16,321 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center — boxing’s only eight-division world champion jetted back to Manila in time to attend the first day of the Philippine Senate’s new session. Pacquiao has not missed one day of Senate activity since being sworn in, despite a grueling schedule that incorporated an intense training camp for his challenge of Vargas.

Upon entering the Senate chamber today, as a world champion, carrying his new world title belt, Senator Pacquiao was lauded by his colleagues. The Senate passed a resolution commending Pacquiao’s discipline to effectively serve the citizens of the Philippines while training for his world championship challenge in his ring return against Vargas, both on a fulltime basis.

Pacquiao, the first senator from any country to win a world title, then presented his new world championship belt to Senate President Koko Pimentel as a gift to the citizens of the Philippines.

“To manifest my heartfelt thanksgiving, I would like to donate my WBO welterweight belt to the Senate of the Philippines. The honor does not belong to me alone but to every Filipino,” said Pacquiao. “May it serve as an inspiration for everyone to pursue excellence and to continue fighting for our nation’s sovereignty.”

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES RESOLUTION NO. 217

SENATE CONGRATULATES SENATOR PACMAN: Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and the other senators congratulate their colleague Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao after the Senate approved Senate Resolution No. 217 commending Pacquaio for his recent victory over former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight Champion Jessie Vargas, during Tuesday’s session, November 08, 2016. Apart from Pimentel, Senators Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe, Richard Gordon, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto and Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, along with Senators Loren Legarda, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan were also present to celebrate Pacquaio’s win.

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

Boxing’s only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (59-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, dethroned World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-2, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas. Pacquiao and Vargas went mano a mano and toe-to-toe in a high-stakes welterweight showdown. While Pacquiao became a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas gamely failed to enforce a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Vargas took place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights were produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, and was available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices. No replay is scheduled.

The three additional world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast included: four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE (37-4, 24 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, losing his WBO junior featherweight title to undefeated No. 1 contender JESSIE MAGDALENO (24-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas; and newly-minted WBO featherweight champion and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ (22-0, 19 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, successfully defendIng his title, stopping No. 1 contender HIROSHIGE OSAWA (30-4-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan. The pay-per-view telecast opened with the rematch between top-rated contenders Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING (9-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, and PRASITAK PAPOEM (39-2-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, battling for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. Zou a two-time Olympic gold medalist trained by Freddie Roach, defeated Prasitak, who had entered the fight riding a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout.

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

Dulwhich dancer Ahmet Patterson has promised to outbox British Super-Welterweight Champion Liam Williams when they clash for the famous Lonsdale Belt later this month. The undefeated rivals go head-to-head at the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff on Saturday 26th November, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Patterson (17-0, 7 KOs) is confident of picking up his fourth professional title after impressively dismantling Dudley’s Ryan Aston to win the Vacant IBF International Super-Welterweight Championship at York Hall back in January this year.

“I don’t worry about power,” said Patterson. “At the end of the day you can only hit hard if you can land. If you can’t land anything then you’re just wasting energy. Throwing powerful punches at thin air isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

“My place in the ring is not to get hit. I want to take as few hits in my career as possible. Some fighters like to take shots before they throw them back but I’m smarter than that. Hit and not get hit is the name of the game.”

Trained by Martin Bowers at Canning Town’s famous Peacock Gym, the supremely confident Patterson is relishing heading into the dragons’ den to take on local hero Williams. He defeated Yorkshire’s Chad Gaynor in Sheffield to pick up the English Welterweight strap back in 2014 and is predicting another memorable away day on the 26th.

“It doesn’t matter where we fight. I’m completely unfazed. I don’t care. As long as there’s a ring we could get it on in a pub garden! Nothing that goes on outside of the ring is going to have any affect on the fight. When the bell goes it will be just me and Liam getting it on; nobody else.”

Williams (15-0-1, 10 KOs) stopped bitter rival Gary Corcoran last time out at the Cardiff Ice Arena to retain his British Super-Welterweight title. Patterson’s speed and agility pose new threats to the Boxing Writers’ Young Boxer of the Year.

“If me and Gary faced-off I already know how it would go down. I don’t want to talk about it too much as it’s disrespectful but I know what I did to him in sparring. I would have got Gary out of there earlier than the eleventh round.

“Liam got the win over Gary and fair play to him but he’s facing Ahmet Patterson this time not Gary Corcoran and it’s a totally different fight.”

WBO Lightweight King Terry Flanagan and Orlando Cruz join a sensational five-title fight card that features undefeated Hatfield star Billy Joe Saunders making the maiden defence of his World title against Brooklyn-based Russian Artur Akavov; Welsh hero Liam Williams defending his British Super-Welterweight title against undefeated Londoner Ahmet Patterson; Baggies bomber Tommy Langford clashing with Sheffield’s Sam Sheedy for the Vacant British Middleweight strap and Liverpool’s Tom Stalker making the first defence of his WBO European Lightweight title against arch rival Craig Evans.

An action-packed undercard features some of the very best up-and-coming Welsh talent; undefeated Maerdy Middleweight menace Alex Hughes fights over eight rounds; Swansea Super-Flyweight starlet Jay Harris looks to impress on home soil again over six rounds and highly-rated Barry Lightweight Jason Sillett aims to go 6-0; Ricky Hatton Heavyweight prodigy Nathan Gorman goes in search of another explosive KO win and Market Harborough Super-Welterweight Reuben Arrowsmith looks for his eighth professional win.

Remaining tickets for ‘A Little Less Conversation’ priced at £40, £70, £100 and £150 are available from Motorpoint Arena Cardiff; 029 2022 4488 and www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk, Eventim; 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster; 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions, will televise this fight on Sky (SD Ch.437 and HD Ch.490), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon).

Go to www.boxnation.com to see how you can watch this fight and more live!

Luis Ortiz (25-0, 22 KOs) Quotes:

“I always had faith in my manager and friend, Jay Jimenez, but I never expected this fast turn around and I’m so excited about the future. God has been great to me and my family – I’m ready.

“I’m going to be very busy over the next few months and looking forward to boxing in many countries as we continue my journey to the heavyweight World championship.

“I am a very experienced fighter. I have had the best boxing education with more than 350 fights under my belt. I believe I have the ability to adjust to any fighter and any style. That was evident in my fights with Jennings and Thompson.

“I am very proud of myself. I’m also very proud how I am bringing Cuba back into the minds of all boxing fans. Cuba is one of the most accomplished countries in terms of boxing. The style and speed and all the things we have, they are taught to us at a very young age. This is what makes us great boxers.

“I want to fight the very best and I want to be the heavyweight champion of the world. I’m willing to fight anyone, any champion, any place, any time. I’m ready for anyone: Joshua, Wilder, Klitschko. I know I can beat all of them.

“I feel I have been at my peak for many years now. I have simply been late [arriving] on the US heavyweight boxing scene. I have been fighting since I was in elementary school. Boxing is a very, very deep passion of mine.

“Now, it is a way to give my family a better future, and I tell you, no one will stand in my way of accomplishing this. In my eyes, I am the heavyweight champion of the world and if anyone, any other champion, is willing to challenge me, to face me, I can and will prove it.

“I do have a lot of respect for the heavyweight champions. They have accomplished a lot and have sacrificed a lot to be where they are. They do deserve recognition. I just want the chance to beat them and be [seen by all as] the next true heavyweight champion.

“I think Fury was able to shake up the heavyweight division and because of him, the division is now one of the most exciting divisions to watch! I just want to get the opportunity to face him, or Wilder, to prove I am a champion as well.”

Malik Scott (38-2-1, 13 KOs) Quotes:

“I don’t want people to get the wrong end of the stick – I picked to fight Luis Ortiz. People have crowned him as the next king of the heavyweight division, so that’s the kind of guy I want. If it wasn’t him, I wanted to fight David Haye or Anthony Joshua.

“Is he the most feared? Anyone will fight him but for the right amount of money. He’s a 6’ 4” Cuban southpaw – he’s got a hell of a pedigree, he can fight and he’s dangerous – but that makes me want to fight him. I gravitate to risks like this, because the rewards out there are huge.

“I went to Australia and beat Leapai, I came home to beat Thompson who had just beat Odlanier Solis, another guy that had been hyped. People said that Thompson would beat me, I gave him a clinic. Ortiz is dangerous, but a punch at heavyweight can change everything. He doesn’t know what it’s like to sit on the shelf and wait for a fight, get messed around by opponents. I am just as hungry as he is.

“I can only blame myself for lost opportunities. Inconsistency has cost me. Fans, managers and promoters have to trust your performances in this sport and I haven’t been consistent enough – but that has nothing to do with my ability.

“Leapai and Thompson are top ten guys and now I have Ortiz which is must-win for me. You cannot afford today to put two wins together then lose. People’s attention spans these days are so small. You have to keep winning and show people that you are a winner, that’s what I have to do.

“I have boxed a few southpaws but none of Ortiz’s quality. Luis is the best of all the southpaws but I don’t see perfection. I don’t look at the invincibility that the casual fans see and if I can take advantage of those holes in his game he’s going to taste his first loss.

“Everyone he’s beat has been on a plate for him, but against me, he’s going to have to work to get his shots off, I’m no dummy in the ring, I’m very intelligent, and I believe I will be victorious (Saturday).”

Stephen Smith believes Jason Sosa’s style is perfect for him to become the WBA World Super-Featherweight champion when they clash for the title in Monte-Carlo on Saturday November 12, live on Sky Sports.

Smith challenges for World honours for the second time in 2016 having travelled to Connecticut in April and provided IBF king Jose Pedraza with a stiff test. The Puerto Rican came out on top on points to retain his crown but ‘Swifty’ banked the valuable experience from his first World title fight

Sosa climbed off the canvas in the fifth round to stop Javier Fortuna in the 11th round and claim the title in China in June, and Smith says he can force the champion into mistakes that he will capitalise on to conquer the world at the second attempt.

“This is chalk and cheese to the Pedraza fight,” said Smith. “Jose is a tall, distance fighter who moves a lot and switches, relies on his skills, and it was always going to be a cagey fight and one that I had to take the fight to him as he’s the champion and that’s how it played out.

“Sosa is short, strong, known as a big puncher, so I have got to force him into mistakes and use my skills to get him onto my shots. It’s a good fight and one that’s more suited to me, I prefer a style like Sosa than Pedraza.

“Sosa KO’d Fortuna when he was behind on the cards so you have to have respect for his punch power. I watched his fight with Nicholas Walters and saw a few things and I thought Walters won the fight. He’s got some good results on his CV but the performances aren’t that great.

“I think I hit as hard as anyone in the division, I’m confident in my power and I believe that if I land flush on him I can really hurt him. I have to use my ability and skill first and foremost though, make him miss and make him look stupid at times.

“I’ll stick to the game plan and do what I am told, if I land on him he’ll know he’s been hit and I am confident I can hurt him without looking for it. Sosa might come to look to KO me as Pedraza couldn’t and that might play into my hands too. I hope he thinks he can do that – I’d welcome that.”

Smith’s clash with Sosa is part of a huge night of action in Monte-Carlo as the most feared Heavyweight on the planet, Luis Ortiz, makes his European debut against Malik Scott for the WBA Inter-Continental title.
WBA World Bantamweight king Jamie McDonnell defends his crown against Liberio Solis. It’s the fifth defence for the Doncaster ace, who followed his stoppage win over Javier Chacon with a pair of impressive wins over Tomoki Kameda in Texas last year and stopped Fernando Vargas in nine rounds at The O2 in London this April.
Martin Murray is targeting World title action in 2017 but faces a stiff test in the shape of former interim WBA Middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov.
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About Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer
Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer proposes a unique experience uniting well-being and gastronomy, offering its clients a resort like no other in the world: 4 casinos including the legendary Monte-Carlo Casino, 4 hotels (Hôtel de Paris, Hôtel Hermitage, Monte-Carlo Beach, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort), and 33 restaurants of which 4 on their own together make up 6 stars of the prestigious Michelin Guide. Known for its nightlife, the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group offers an astounding choice of bars and concert halls. The Group, which is a talent scout and committed supporter of artistic creation, programmes musical events with daring artistic choices at the Sporting Summer Festival, the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival, La Rascasse and the Buddha Bar. Its nightclub, Jimmy’z, is one of the most reputable in Europe and has been for the past 40 years.

Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz will meet for the WBO Heavyweight title on December 10 on Auckland, New Zealand, according to Dan Rafael of eson.com.

“This is a huge sporting event, which I expect to unite the country in a similar fashion to the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the 2015 Cricket World Cup,” Duco Events CEO Martin Snedden said. “We are only able to host the event in Auckland because of the tremendous support from our sponsors who grasp just how big an occasion this will be for all New Zealanders.” Duco said the fight will be seen in more than 100 countries with a worldwide television audience of more than 100 million people.

Richard Schaefer’s Ringstar Sports signed 2016 U.S. Olympian Carlos Balderas along with his brother Jose, according to Dan Rafael of eson.com.

“Carlos Balderas was one of the most sought-after Olympians coming out of the 2016 Summer Games, and I am so pleased that he, and his brother Jose agreed to join Ringstar Sports,” Schaefer said. “Carlos, Jose and their entire family are the type of people that we want to do business with at our company. I am going to do whatever it takes to make Carlos the face of boxing, and his brother will be right there with him.

“Both of these young men are exceptional fighters with great skills and even better work ethics. Most importantly, they have a desire to be great, and so does Ringstar. I am looking forward to getting started.”

“These are two clean-cut young men who can fight and talk intelligently. We have two young men who have an opportunity to carry the fight scene here in Los Angeles,” Schaefer said. “For me, this is my No. 1 priority, to help them become superstars of the sport.”

“I’m very, very excited for the future for me and my brother,” Carlos said. “I’m thankful to Mr. Schaefer and excited to get the ball rolling and do big things. I was looking to turn pro even before the Olympics. The Olympics was a good experience, but I am more excited for the pros. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a while now.”

Said Jose: “[Schaefer] is a very smart man and he has a vision for both of us for what we want to be, which is world champions and superstars.”

“These kids have the skills inside the ring and they carry themselves the right way outside of the ring. The family still has a place in Mexico City and they are bilingual, so my plan is to also have them fight sometimes in Mexico. I am already in discussions with [Mexican television network] Televisa about them.”

Carlos was the target of several promoters, including Top Rank, Golden Boy and Japan’s Teiken Promotions, but Schaefer won the recruiting battle. “I was myself. I think what I accomplished speaks for itself,” he said. “Carlos sparred with a lot of fighters, like Leo Santa Cruz and other guys [I worked with at Golden Boy], and when you ask the fighters what they think about me you get positive feedback. I’m very much pro-fighter. I’m there win or lose. That’s one of my strengths, my relationships. He saw that and liked that as well as my track record.”

Carlos said he and his brother decided to sign with Schaefer because they “liked his honesty.”

“He is a very trustworthy guy, a family man,” Carlos said. “He wanted to be with us from the beginning and he has the power and connections in Los Angeles, where my market is.

“I’m looking forward to working with Richard for a long time. My brother and I chose Ringstar because we immediately felt comfortable with Richard. I’m ready to start my career and grow my fan base. I’m looking to do big things in this sport. It’s not just about a paycheck. I want to win world titles and build a legacy.”

“My dad spoke a lot with these other promoters, Top Rank, Oscar, Mr. [Akihiko] Honda [of Teiken],” Carlos said. “I feel like they wanted to sign us just to sign us and not give us what we deserved. I didn’t even want to have a meeting with them. They are very nice people but not the best decision for us to be with them.”

Said Zenon: “Richard is a very smart man who is going to do amazing things for my sons. I know that my sons will be world champions. The question is, how many times? I believe that Richard has the mind to get us where we need to go.”

08 November 2016 – Tokyo, Japan: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced another key addition to its team of senior leaders with the appointment of Japanese executive Yoshiaki Ito as President of ONE Championship (Japan). The promotion looks to expand its reach into the country and other Asian nations in the near future.

Ito is the Founder of X-TANK Consulting, former CEO of Haier Asia Group, and a former Senior Vice President at Sony Pictures Entertainment. During his tenure at Haier, Ito was responsible for US$1.2 billion in revenue and over 6,400 employees. Popularly known in inside circles as a business maverick, Ito’s stringent business acumen and undeniable talent has immensely boosted the performance of every organization he has led.

Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Ito speaks Japanese, Thai, and English. With over 20 years of professional experience, Ito brings with him a plethora of impressive accolades. He has received various awards throughout his career including being named among the Top 100 global leaders/innovators of 2015 by Nikkei Business, the Direct to Top Award and Best Leader Award from Dell Asia Pacific, as well as the Money Ball Award and Global Best Leader Award from Sony Pictures Entertainment, amongst others.

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship stated: “ONE Championship continues to seek out the top executives from various fields to become part of our elite senior management team. Yoshiaki Ito is an excellent asset to have on our team. He, along with our very capable leadership, will be responsible for taking our organization to the next level and beyond. We are excited at the possibilities and welcome Ito-san to the ONE Championship family.”

Yoshiaki Ito, President of ONE Championship (Japan) stated: “I am elated to join ONE Championship, one of the greatest global sports brands. It’s amazing to be a part of the rapid growth of MMA in Asia. I will focus my efforts on developing the budding Japanese market. Japan has always enjoyed sports entertainment and ONE Championship’s unique live event atmosphere is something I am delighted to share with Japanese fans.”

Ito’s appointment as ONE Championship President (Japan) comes in line with the promotion’s plans to expand into the country. Japanese mixed martial arts athletes are an integral part of ONE Championship’s roster, with exciting fighters such as Koji Ando and Kotetsu Boku, as well as reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki and ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka Naito, amongst others.

The move into Japan also remains in line with the company’s aggressive growth and expansion plans. ONE Championship is the first major MMA promotion to hold a live event in mainland China as well as Bangkok, Thailand. Future markets include Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia, to name a few. Events are broadcast to a potential one billion homes in over 118 countries worldwide.

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, Esporte Interativo and more.

LOS ANGELES (November 7, 2016) –
Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (22-0, 13 KOs) will look to defend his NABF Featherweight Championship for the fourth time this year, as the former 2012 U.S. Olympian steps into the ring for a 10-round slugfest againstHoracio “Violento” Garcia (30-1-1, 22 KOs) in the co-main event of Bernard Hopkins’s final fight on December 17 at the Forum in Inglewood, California. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for these action-packed fights are already on sale.

“A world title has always been my goal and December 17, will be an incredible experience as I continue to pursue my dream of a being featherweight champion,” Diaz said. “Garcia is an extremely tough guy, but I am hitting my peak right now, and there’s nothing that’s going to stop me.”

“Joseph Diaz may be undefeated, but he’s never faced anyone like me,” Garcia said. “I am looking forward to coming to Los Angeles December 17, defeating Diaz and continuing my rise up the Featherweight division.”

“I have had a front-row seat to watch Joseph develop from an Olympian to a world-class professional fighter, and he is getting better each and every day,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO and Chairman Oscar De La Hoya. “While JoJo will face one of his toughest challenges his in Garcia, I am confident he comes out victorious and earns a world title shot in 2017.”

Hopkins vs. Smith is a 12-round light heavyweight battle presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Star Boxing. Diaz vs. Garcia is a 10-round NABF featherweight title match up presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will be televised live on Saturday December 17, 2016 from Inglewood California’s “Fabulous” Forum on HBO’s flagship series beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Hopkins vs. Smith are now on sale and are priced at $25, $50, $75, $105 and $205, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00am PST to 7:00pm PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.starboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.fabulousforum.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @starboxing, @HBOBoxing, @therealbhop, @beastsmithjr, @JosephDiazJr, and @TheForum; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, https://www.facebook.com/StarBoxing/, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/TheForum; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #HopkinsSmith.

You out-boxed Bernard Hopkins in a terrific fight. Do you think you’ll need to outbox Andre Ward to win the fight or is your power going to be the difference?

Yes, my fight with Bernard Hopkins was one of the biggest fights in my career. Bernard is great fighter so I trained very hard for his fight, before this nobody knew I could box. I am training very hard to improve my boxing skills even more for this fight with Andre Ward. I believe I can knock anyone out, but I also believe I am good boxer. If I knock him out it would be great because boxing fans would be very happy, and me too, but I am training for 12 round fight with Andre Ward, because anything can happen in boxing. If I cannot knock him out then I must be prepared to go 12 rounds with him. He is very good defensive fighter, and difficult to hit. My last fight was against Chilemba, he was also very good boxer. He was difficult to hit sometimes but I was prepared to go distance and used my boxing skills to win fight. This fight with Andre Ward is definitely biggest, most important fight of my career and I will be prepared for him 100%.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Andre Ward Blog Part 3: Monday, November 7

This is your third fight of 2016 after fighting only three times since 2011. How easy/difficult has it been for you to get back to rhythm? Is the time off good or bad for a fighter?

It varies for every fighter. For me, the rhythm rushes back the moment I step into the ring. My time off didn’t take a toll on me mentally or physically. I don’t poison my body, I don’t drink, smoke or party, so I never worked against myself. Even in my time off, I remained truly dedicated to the sport. I still spent hours upon hours in the gym, even when I didn’t know when I would fight again. That benefited me because when it was time to get back in the ring, there was no rust. I picked up right where I left off.

Look, I’ve been boxing for 20-plus years. That’s a grind. Breaks like that can really benefit a veteran fighter like me because it afforded me the chance to recharge both mentally and physically.

This is my third fight following my return, and I’m at my peak. On November 19, you’ll see an Andre Ward you’ve never seen before.

Road to Kovalev/Ward, HBO Sports special leading up to their pay-per-view light heavyweight title showdown, debuts Saturday, November 12 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Kovalev vs. Ward takes place Saturday, November 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (November 7, 2016) – Last Friday night’s 12 TH annual Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF) Gala Induction Ceremony and Awards Dinner, held in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun, was a major success by all standards. HBO “judge” and International Hall-of-Famer Harold Lederman served as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.

The Class of 2016 inductees are Stamford amateur coach/boxer Orlando Montalvo, Newington former ESPN boxing director Bob Yalen, Wallingford boxer Sean Malone, Jr., New Bedford (MA) boxer “Sucra” Ray Oliveira, Waterbury judge/referee John “Duke” Lawson and Mashantucket Pequot Game & Athletic commissioner Kenny Reels.

The 2016 CBHOF award winners are its first female Boxer of the Year, Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent; Jacob Marrero, Amateur Boxer of the Year; Mike Mazzulli, Professional Boxing Official of the Year; Heather Concepcion, Amateur Boxing Official of the Year; Pete Hary, Contribution to Professional Boxing; and Carlos Nieves, Contribution to Amateur Boxing.

CBHOF president John Laudati announced the imminent opening of the new Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, located in the heart of Mohegan Sun, as well as a scholarship fund to assist young boxers in their pursuit of a higher education as they pursue their boxing dreams.

“Boxing fans will now be able to visit the beautiful Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame when they are in the casino,” Laudati said. “Thank you to the Board of Directors for all of your efforts to make this happen. Special thanks to Maynard Strickland, Don Trella, Mike Mazulli and Kim Baker who spearheaded the effort.

“I would also like to thank my friend, Tom Vaughn, whose father Tom, Sr., left money to donate to a worthy cause. Tom’s dad was a boxing fan and these funds will be earmarked and grown for future scholarships to young boxers.”

Go online to www.ctboxinghof.org for additional information about the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, its 12th annual Gala Inductee Dinner, or past CBHOF inductees.

All pictures courtesy of Emily Harney Photography:

2016 CBHOF inductee Kenny Reels

2016 CBHOF inductee Sean Malone, Jr.

2016 CBHOF inductee John “Duke” Lawson

2016 CBHOF inductee Orlando Montalvo

2016 CBHOF inductee Bob Yalen

2016 CBHOF inductee “Sucra” Ray Oliveira

2016 CBHOF Professional Fighter of the Year Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent

2016 CBHOF Amateur Boxer of the Year Jacob Marrero

Mike Mazzulli, 2016 CBHOF Professional Boxing Official of the Year

Pete Hary, 2016 CBHOF Contribution to Professional Boxing

Heather Concepcion, 2016 CBHOF Amateur Boxing Official of the Year

Carlos Nieves, 2016 CBHOF Contributor to Amateur Boxing
ABOUT CBHOF: The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 to honor and celebrate the careers of outstanding individuals involved in the sport of boxing. Its inaugural Induction Ceremony & Dinner was held in 2005. Connecticut’s rich boxing history could never have flourished if it weren’t for the achievements of those enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

As a non-profit organization, the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame is deeply committed to keeping the fighting spirit of Connecticut thriving throug

LOS ANGELES (November 7, 2016) -Golden Boy Promotions has signed yet another standout Southern California prospect, inking a multi-year deal with 15-time national champion Ryan Garcia.

The 18-year-old, Victorville-born Garcia, who compiled an incredible 215-15 record as an amateur, has already emerged victorious six times since turning pro this June and will make his Golden Boy debut on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins final fight on December 17th at the Fabulous Forum.

“I am so excited to announce that I have signed with Golden Boy Promotions,” Garcia said. “My family and I grew up watching and admiring Oscar De La Hoya and to now be fighting under his promotional banner is a dream come true. I can’t wait to get back in the ring on Dec. 17 and start showing the world what I’m capable of.”

Garcia, who started boxing at the age of seven and has always trained with his father in the family garage, has gotten off to a lightening-fast start in the pros, delivering five knockouts in his first six fights.

“Ryan Garcia is special – simple as that,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “His amateur pedigree is among the best I’ve ever seen; his skill set is far beyond his 18 years of age; and if you want to know how hungry he is – because he couldn’t fight professionally in the US until he turned 18-he fought in Mexico four times before his birthday this year. I expect enormous things from Ryan and am excited to work with him as he embarks on a career that I’m sure will include multiple world championships.”

Garcia’ achievements in the amateur ranks have been nothing short of incredible:

15-time National Gold Medal Champion
Youth Worlds 2016 Gold Medalist and Youth Olympic Team Member for USA Boxing
Junior Worlds National 2014 Silver Medalist
2015 Gold Medalist Bi-National Tournament Mexico Vs. United States
National Junior Olympics 2014 Silver Medalist
National Police Athletic League Champion from 2008-2016
Four-time National Silver Gloves Champion: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
2009 and 2012 Junior Golden Gloves Champion

CORONA, Calif. (Nov. 7, 2016) – Taras “The Real Deal Shelestyuk, Xolisani Ndongeni,and Ruben Villa all remained undefeated this past Friday night at the Omega Events Center in Corona, California.

Shelestyuk (15-0, 9 KOs), the 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist for Ukraine, was victorious by the scores of 96-93 twice and 95-94. Despite a gutsy, gritty performance, Herrera (15-4-1, 8 KOs), of Chicago, IL., had a 3-fight winning streak end. There were no knockdowns.

Southpaw Shelestyuk, who entered the ring ranked No. 9 in the WBO and No. 13 in the WBA, turned back a determined bid by Herrera to win, despite getting docked a point for excessive holding in the fifth round.

“It was a tough fight,” stated Shelestyuk. “He is a tough fighter; he is slow, but he worked well. In the first round, I did well but my legs went on me. I think it was because I did not sleep well.

“After five rounds, I started to find my rhythm. I started boxing him. I made some mistakes in there like pulling straight back. This fight will make me better. Like I said, he was tough but nothing special. When my legs went, I started to work inside. I beat him good in the last round and if there was 30 seconds more, I could have stopped him.

“I am looking forward to being more active in 2017. I will take two or three weeks off and be right back in the gym.”

“The Truth” hurts, and Herrera had more than his fair share of moments in a tight fight. Herrera, a professional since December 2009, figured to be a legitimate test for Shelestyuk, and he was. But Taras was more active, (landing 169 of 689 punches, compared to Herrera’s 130 of 460). Each fighter connected 28 percent of the time.

Herrera, who had defeated undefeated prospects in four of his previous nine fights, was not happy with the verdict. “It was a good fight. There is not much that I can say. I thought it was closer than the scores indicated. I had fun in there, and I give him credit. He was everything I expected. He is a smart fighter.”

“I would love to be a test dummy for all these young prospects. I thought it could have been a draw, but the people who saw it on TV can have their opinion.”

Shelestyuk is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

Opening up the ShoBox broadcast, Vitor Jones Freitas was stopped in the first round by Manuel Mendez. The fight was stopped after Mendez landed a thudding body shot that sent the previously undefeated Brazilian down for the ten count, breaking his rib.

In non-television action, Ndongeni showed why he is considered championship worthy, as he pounded out a ten-round unanimous decision over rugged Juan Garcia Mendez.

Ndongeni controlled the action as he mixed up his punches. He countered beautifully and worked up and down by mixing up his shots to the head and body of Mendez. Ndongeni, 26 years-old, is ranked number-3 by the WBA, and he showed the class of a world championship contender in his American debut.

Ndongeni, nicknamed “Nomeva”, which means The Wasp, stung Mendez throughout the contest, and he showed that not only is he a serious title contender, but he has a fan-friendly style.

Ndongeni is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Golden Gloves Promotions.

Villa, of Salinas, California, was taken the distance for the first time, as he won a 4-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Aaron Lopez.

Villa, who previously scored two consecutive first round knockouts, won every round by showing off his boxing skills in the battle of undefeated fighters.

The 19 year-old Villa pushed the pace throughout the fight and had Lopez in trouble several times. Villa has been very active, as this was his 3rd win since turning professional on July 29th.

“I am very proud of Taras, Xolisani, and Ruben,” said Banner Promotions President Artie Pelullo.

“These are three guys at different stages, but I believe that all three have the talent to become world champions. Taras is closing in on a significant fight, for which a win will lead him to a title. This was our first look at Xolisani, and he was the fighter that was advertised. He has a lot of skills and is a versatile. My partner Rodney Berman and Iwill now look at the many options that we will have with him. I do expect him to fight for a world title sometime in the next year. Ruben had a tremendous learning experience. He fought a guy who was undefeated and very durable. He actually showed us more in this fight than he did in his two first round knockouts. In this fight he won all four round on every judges scorecards (40-36 on all cards). I was very impressed with the different punch selections and the way he set everything up in there. As I have said before, he is a star in the making. As for Vitor, he had the right attitude following the fight. He is not going to let this deter him. He just got caught with the wrong punch at the wrong time. He was winning the round easily before that happened. He will obviously take some time off, and then we will look to bring him back next year.”

Oxnard, California: Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (11-0, 9 KOs) is prepping for his upcoming fight with Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (24-4-2, 10 KOs) for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title on the Kovalev-Ward “Pound For Pound” HBO Pay-Per-View televised undercard, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Photo Credits: Craig Bennett/Main Events

Training for this upcoming bout with Chilemba, Gvozdyk has been in camp with Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and had this to say about his preparation for this mega-fight:

“My training camp is going good. I am almost finished with my conditional part of preparation, where we are working on strength, speed and stamina. Next week I’ll be more focused on developing special skills and tactics. I’m satisfied with all results which I get during the preparation, and will keep following my game plan.”

A Ukrainian Olympic bronze medalist for Ukraine, Oleksandr hails from Kharkov, Ukraine, but moved to Oxnard with his wife and three children to pursue his professional career. “The Nail” misses his hometown and tries to visit as much as possible.

Question: What have you learned sparring with Kovalev this training camp?

Gvozdyk: It is very great experience for me. He is a great fighter. When you train with a strong fighter you getting stronger.

Q: Oddsmakers have this fight 50-50. What do you think about the match-up?

OG: This is fight between intelligence and power. But Sergey is smart as well. Both fighters is tough. Both fighters have proved that they are the best. Now we will figure out who is the best pound for pound.

Q: You have never gone past the sixth round in a professional fight. Chilemba just went the distance against the Krusher. What is your game plan if you can’t stop him early on and the fight has to go the distance?

OG: I always train for the fight to go the full distance. This fight if I can stop him earlier it is ok but if not I will be ready to go whole distance.

Q: After his fight with Kovalev, Sergey said Chilemba was frustrating him because he was difficult to hit. How will you alter your plan if you can’t land the big shots?

OG: I will try to finish him if I can. If I can’t, I will try to box him and get the decision.

Q: Kovalev-Ward is arguably the biggest fight of the year. Is there added pressure fighting on this big stage?

OG: Not really. My only fight is against Chilemba. I am not going to fight against audience; I am going to fight against Chilemba.

Q: You were knocked down in the first round by Karpency. What turned the tide and allowed you to come back and stop him?

OG: I was in the first round and I came in without a game plan. It was just my mistake. I learned from this experience. I hope I will not repeat the same mistakes.

Q: Have you changed anything about your training camp to prepare for Chilemba?

OG: I am not change a lot. I try to prepare for each fight the same but I also try to include something or add something new. This camp was no exception. I added some physical work and some rounds in sparring. Little things.

Q: Chilemba has nearly three times as many professional fights as you. Do you think his experience will give him an edge?

OG: Maybe he has some edge in pro fights but I also have 250 fights in amateurs. So I think it can be even. We will see in the ring.

###

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Jason Sosa believes he’ll ruin the World title dreams of Stephen Smith once again as he defends his WBA World Super-Featherweight title in Monte Carlo on Saturday November 12, live on Sky Sports.

The New Jersey native makes the first defence of the title he ripped from Javier Fortuna in dramatic fashion in China in June, climbing off the canvas in the fifth round to stop the Dominican Republic man in the 11th as he was trailing on the cards.

Prior to defeating Fortuna, Sosa had drawn with rising star Nicholas Walters, and as the 28 year old aims to continue his impressive recent record, he is yearning for another stoppage win to raise his profile and believes he’s proved he can hang with the elite.

“It could come down to a war,” said Sosa. “We’ll see how he comes out and then we will adjust and go from there. We try stay pretty, not just box in your face.

“We want to go for the stoppage, we want to look impressive and sharp. It’s the first defence so we want to look very good.

“I fought Nicholas Walters, a World champion and one of the most feared at 126lbs, then I fought Fortuna who had never been stopped and I ended up knocking him out, so I do believe I have fought better competition than Smith.

“We trained for that kind of fight. We knew what he was bringing to the table, it played out how we thought it was going to happen on the day of the fight. It was the first time I fought in a ring that was soft and as soon as we found that out we knew that was Fortuna’s kryptonite, because he likes to run around the ring. I’m more aggressive. It went just as we planned.”

Sosa’s clash with Smith is part of a huge night of action in Monte-Carlo as the most feared Heavyweight on the planet, Luis Ortiz, makes his European debut against Malik Scott for the WBA Inter-Continental title.
WBA World Bantamweight king Jamie McDonnell defends his crown against Liberio Solis. It’s the fifth defence for the Doncaster ace, who followed his stoppage win over Javier Chacon with a pair of impressive wins over Tomoki Kameda in Texas last year and stopped Fernando Vargas in nine rounds at The O2 in London this April.
Martin Murray is targeting World title action in 2017 but faces a stiff test in the shape of former interim WBA Middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov.
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Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer proposes a unique experience uniting well-being and gastronomy, offering its clients a resort like no other in the world: 4 casinos including the legendary Monte-Carlo Casino, 4 hotels (Hôtel de Paris, Hôtel Hermitage, Monte-Carlo Beach, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort), and 33 restaurants of which 4 on their own together make up 6 stars of the prestigious Michelin Guide. Known for its nightlife, the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group offers an astounding choice of bars and concert halls. The Group, which is a talent scout and committed supporter of artistic creation, programmes musical events with daring artistic choices at the Sporting Summer Festival, the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival, La Rascasse and the Buddha Bar. Its nightclub, Jimmy’z, is one of the most reputable in Europe and has been for the past 40 years.

PHILADELPHIA (November 4, 2016) – Undefeated world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia continued his efforts to give back to his hometown of Philadelphia on Friday, hosting a canned food drive and fan meet and greet in advance of his Premier Boxing Champions on Spike showdown against Colombia’s Samuel Vargas taking place Saturday, November 12 from Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.

Coverage begins on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features undefeated rising star Jarrett Hurd battling former title challenger Jo Jo Dan plus former world champion Javier Fortuna taking on unbeaten Omar Douglas.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DSG Promotions and King’s Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit LiacourasCenter.com/events or call 800-298-4200. Garcia is teaming up with Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, to arrange a regional food drive and raise money throughout the promotion. For more information on how to get involved, visit the event’s webpage HERE.

In addition to the events going on throughout the promotion, Garcia hosted the food drive Friday at the the Xfinity Store on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia. Garcia will continue to raise awareness for the cause leading up to fight night. Fans have been encouraged to drop off canned goods at the Liacouras Center (1776 N Broad St) and the DSG Boxing Gym (3731 Jasper St). Additionally, $10 from each ticket sold has been donated and will provide 20 meals per ticket for people in need.

Diego Sanchez scored a unanimous decision over Marcin Held in a lightweight bout.

Sanchez, 156 lbs of Albuquerque, NM won by scores of 29-28 twice and 29-27 and is now 29-9. Held, 156 lbs of Tychy, POL is 22-5.

Ricardo Lamas scored a 2nd round tapout over Charles Oliveria in a featherweight bout.

Lamas made Oliverira tap with a Guillotine choke at 2:13 of round two.

Lamas, 146 lbs of Chicago is 17-5. Oliverira, 155 lbs of Houston, TX is 21-7-1.

Martin Bravo won the Ultimate Fighter Latin America Lightweight title with a 2nd round stoppage over Claudio Puelles.

Bravo landed a flurry of punches which was capped off with a right to the liver that sent Puellas down and the fight was stopped at 1:55 of round two.

Bravo, 155 lbs of Rosarito, MX is 12-0. Puelles, 156 lbs of Lima, PER is 8-2.

Beneil Dariush won a unanimous decision over Rashid Magomedov in a lightweight bout.

Dariush, 156 lbs of Yorba Linda, CA won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 14-2. Magomedov, 156 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is 19-2.

Alexa Grasso won a unanimous decision over Heather Jo Clark in a strawweight bout.

Clark’s nose was bleeding from the 1st round.

Grasso, 166 lbs of Guadalajara, MX won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 9-0. Clark, 116 lbs of Las Vegas is 7-6.

Erik Perez won a split decision over Felipe Arantes in a bantamweight bout.

Perez, 136 lbs of Monterrey, MX won by scores of 29-28 twice and Arantes took a card 29-28-29. Perez is 17-6. Arantes, 138 lbs of Brazil is 18-8-1-2.

Sam Alvey won a unanimous decision over Alex Nicholson.

Joe Soto scored a 1st round tap out over Marco Beltran in a catchweight bout.

Soto made Beltran tap with a heel hook at 1:37.

Soto, 140 lbs of Portersville, CA is 17-5. Beltran 139 lbs of Mexico City is 8-5.

Max Griffin stopped Eric Montono in the 1st round of their welterweight bout.

Griffin landed a right that stunned Montono, and then he pounced on him and pounded him n the ground with Montono’s back facing Griffin and the bout was stopped at 54 seconds.

Griffin, 171 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 13-3. Montono, 170 lbs of Mexico City is 8-5.

Douglas Silva de Andrade scored a spectacular 3rd round stoppage over Henry Briones in a bantamweight bout.

The fight was a back and forth brawl until Andrade landed a spinning backhanded punch right on the buttin that sent Briones to the deck and the fight was stopped at 2:33

Andrade, 133 lbs of Brazil is 24-1-1. Briones, 136 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 19-6-1.

Follow all the action as Manny Pacquiao tries to regain the WBO Welterweight title from Jessie Vargas.  The action kicks off at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT / 9 AM Sunday in General Santos City, Philippines.  The action kicks off with 3 more world title bouts as Nonito Dnaire takes on Jessie Magdaleno for the WBO Super Bantamweight title; Oscar Valdez battles Hiroshige Osawa for the WBO Featherweight title and Zou Shiming battles Pratisak Phaprom in a rematch for the WBO Flyweight title

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Round 1 Jab, right and jab from Vargas..right…Left from Pacquiao …Short uppercut

Round 2 Straight left from Pacquiao ..Combination..Left from Vargas…HARD STRAIGHT LEFT AND DOWN GOES VARGAS…

Round 3 Body and head from Vargas..Staright left from Pacquiao and and another..Hard jab..straight left..Right from Vargas,,

Round 4 Stleft…raight left..lead left..Counter left..

Round 5 Pacquiao lands to a straight left

Round 6 Staright right from Vargas…Vargas right eye swelling..lead left from Pacquiao…Right

Round 7 Jab from Pacquiao …Nice right from Vargas…Jab from Pacquiao..

Round 8 Jab from Pacquiao..Hard right from Vragas…left hook..Vargas bleeding above his nose..right from Vragas..Jabs from Pacquiao..left…left..

Round 9 Good right from Vargas..Left from Pacquiao

Round 10 Combination from Pacquiao…left…good right hook…Jab..right from Vargas..

Round 11 Pacquiao lands a jab..Straight right from Vargas..Left hook…

Round 12 lead left from Pacquiao..Body shot from Vargas..counter left from Pacquiao..

Vargas landed 147 of 662   Pacquiao landed  147 of 409

114-113; 118-109; 118-109 for MANNY PACQUIAO 

Round 1 Jab from Magdaleno..

Round 2 Body shot from Magdaleno..Left hook from Donaire…Staright left from Magdaleno..Good right from Donaire..

Round 3 Right from Magdaleno..Body shot…head shot..Body shot..Left to body from Donaire..

Round 4 Left from Donaire..Right hook from Magdaleno…Magdaleno bleeding over the left eye…Straight right from Donaire..

Round 5 Left from Donaire…Right..doube jab..Body shot from Magdaleno..

Round 6: 3 jabs and right hook from Mgdaleno..Body shot

Round 7 Hook from Donaire..right from Magdaleno..Good right to body from Donaire..

Round 8 2 lefts to body from Magdaleno..Counter jab from Donaire..Good right hook from Magdaleno..Body shot..Right from Dinaire..right hook from Magdaleno..Body shoot..Uppercut from Donaire..

Round 9 Blood over right eye of Donaire..Big left from Magdaleno…ripping shots on the ropes..

Round 10 Right rocks Magdaleno..Swelling under left eye of Donaire..right from Magdaleno..Good right from Donaire..Left from Magdaleno

Round 11  Counter right from Donaire..Counter right from Magdaleno..Right from Donaire..Hook from Magdaleno..Good body shot..

Round 12 Good body shot and hook from Magdaleno..Good right from Donaire..Right hook from Magdaleno…Hard right from Donaire..right..Left hook from Magdaleno

Magdaleno 154-500  Donaire  132-404–Punches

116-112 twice and 118-110 FOR NEW CHAMPION..JESSIE MAGDALENO

Round 1 Valdez lands a left hook to the body..Good left hook..Jab..

Round 2 Hard right from Valdez

Round 3 Big right and left hook from Valdez..left hook and right..Hard jab

Round 4 BIG LEFT AND DOWN GOES OSAWA…Huge right hands from Valdez…Jab from Osawa…Uppercut from Valdez..Right from Osawa…Hook from Valdez

Round 5 Hook and right from Valdez

Round 6 2 right hooks from Valdez from the southpaw stance

Round 7 HUGE FLURRY ON THE ROPES..VALDEZ RIPPING SHOTS TO THE HEAD AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Combination from Shiming..Hard combination…Right from Phaprom…Body from Shiming..

ROUND 2 HARD RIGHT AND DOWN GOES PHAPROM

Round 3 Good right from Shiming..Nice right and left hook..

Round 4:  Right from Phaprom..Hard right…Right..Body shot from Shiming…Jab..

Round 5: 3 punch combo from Shiming…Uppercut..Body from Phapron..Left hook from Shiming….Left hook

Round 6 Shiming lands a body shot..Right …Hard 1-2…Flush right..Phapron saying come on…

Round 7 Shiming lands a right…Crisp right

Round 8 Blood over left eye of Phapron..Jab from Shiming..Good exchange with Shiming landing hard head shots…Big left hook from Phapron…left hook..

Round 9 Good right from Shiming…Shiming shuffling and lands a combination..

Round 10 Phapron lands a right to the body…1-2 from Shimimg

Round 11 Body combination from Shiming

Round 12  

PUNCH STATS  107-503 for Phapron…Shiming was   347-778

120-107  twice and 119-108 for ZOU SHIMING

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, U.S.A. – The World Boxing Association (WBA) ruling, which recently ordered a new purse bid for the Demetrius Andrade-Jack Culcay bout, showed that there is more to the story than the Sauerland Promotion version of events which caused their WBA Junior Middleweight World Title fight to be cancelled.

Ed Farris of A-Team Promotions (Andrade’s co-promoter) said, “The original Sauerland contract was never even given to Andrade because it had ridiculous clauses in it, allowing Sauerland to change the date of the event with virtually no notice, which is against purse bid rules. There were additional clauses in there as well, which would have penalized Andrade $100,000 (virtually Andrade’s entire purse) for missing a single press conference half way around the world, with very little notice! It was clear to us that Culcay’s side was trying everything they could to force us to pull out. What wasn’t reported was that Demetrius signed a binding bout contract as soon as it was sent to him, almost an entire month prior to the fight. Not to mention the fact that the purse bid contract is binding in itself! When the WBA intervened on October 24 and issued their own standard contract requiring compliance within seven days, Demetrius signed his within 24 hours of receiving it.” (Per the WBA purse bid rule D.11, which allows the WBA to force the execution of its own contract for disputes between the two parties when the WBA recognized that the 31-page Sauerland agreement made it all but impossible for Andrade to sign.)

Ed Farris continued, “Demetrius wanted to get back in the ring ASAP, so we tried like hell to make this work. Needless to say, I’m disappointed about the thought of having to go thru the purse bid process all over again. The purse bid agreement was a binding legal contract, yet Demetrius just spent the last two months training for nothing! It was Culcay’s side that didn’t sign the simple four page WBA bout contract within the seven day imposed deadline, not our side, and I have the signed contracts to prove it. Culcay’s side stated the fight was cancelled four weeks ago, which was absurd, because they were still negotiating with our side just a week prior regarding a minor issue with the gloves. We have emails to prove that as well. Why would they be continuing to negotiate with us if they had already cancelled the bout four weeks earlier? The truth is that they have tried everything they possibly could to avoid putting Culcay in the ring with Andrade, including filing petitions with the WBA just hours before the purse bid was to take place in an attempt to stop the bid. They never expected to win the bid in the first place, but gambled that our side was going to bid much higher. I have no idea when Demetrius is going to step in the ring again, but I can tell you these failed negotiations sure as hell had nothing to do with him or his team. The reason that this fight didn’t happen lies solely on Sauerland Promotions and that is a fact.”

Demetrius Andrade was clearly disappointed to hear the bout would no longer be happening. He said, “I signed everything that was put in front of me as soon as I received it, so it was a surprise to hear that our team was being blamed for the fight being cancelled. I put in countless hours of training and sparring in preparation for this fight. Jack Culcay and I both had plenty of time to get ready. This wasn’t a fight on short notice. It’s been a crazy last few weeks, and as of Sunday, I didn’t even know whether I needed to fly to Germany or not! Right now, I just want to move forward with my career and give the fans the fights that they deserve. I am ready to get in the ring with anyone in my division to prove that I’m the best 154 lb fighter in the world.”

Follow Demetrius Andrade on Instagram: @boobooandrade or https://instagram.com/boobooandrade
Follow Demetrius Andrade on Twitter: @BooBooAndrade or https://twitter.com/BooBooAndrade
Hashtags: #BooBooAndrade #TheATeam #AndradeCulcay
Demetrius Andrade’s website: https://ateampromotions.com/

Mykal Fox 140.6 – Juan Rodriguez 139.6
Luther Smith 197.4 – Mike Marshall 199.6
Jordan White 122.6 – Jose Elizondo 121.6
Kent Cruz 139.2 – Darius Ervin 139.8
Greg Outlaw Jr. 139.2 – Lamont White 141
Justin Hurd 153.2 – Hector Mercado 153
Marcus Bates 121.6 – Francisco Muro 121.6
Patrick Rivera 163.8 – Hakeem Atkinson 165.6

Photo Credit–King’s Promotions

1st bout 7:00 PM—Doors open at 6 PM

Tickets are now on sale for $75, $60 & $40 by calling 301-899-2430 or by logging onto www.kpboxing.com

Los Angeles – Nov. 4, 2016 – Just 41 seconds into the main event of AXS TV FIGHTS: CES MMA 39, Wilfredo Santiago Jr. (7-3) landed a right hand to knock out Chuck O’Neil (17-9). AXS TV FIGHTS commentators Pat Miletich and “The Voice” Michael Schiavello break down the night’s action from the Plymouth Memorial Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts: http://bit.ly/CES39_Highlights

Additional highlights include:

Peter Barrett (7-0) landed a liver kick to put away Jeremy Davis (3-1) in the second round.

Kevin Haley (6-3) injured Mike Rodgriguez’s (5-2) ankle after catching him in a toe hold early in the first round to win by submission.

Micah Terrill (9-6) landed a barrage of punches to knock out Bobby Flynn (6-4) a minute into round one.

Official results for CES MMA 39 are as follows:

Televised Main Card

Main Event – Middleweight Fight – Wilfredo Santiago Jr. (7-3) defeated Chuck O’Neil (17-9) by knockout (punch) at 0:41 in round one.

Co-Main Event – Featherweight Fight – Manny Bermudez (8-0) defeated Saul Almeida (18-8) by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

Catchweight Fight (150 pounds) – Peter Barrett (7-0) defeated Jeremy Davis (3-1) via TKO (Liver Kick) at 1:55 in round two.

Light Heavyweight Fight – Kevin Haley (6-3) defeated Mike Rodriguez (5-2) via submission (toe hold) at 1:08 in round one.

Welterweight Fight – Micah Terrill (9-6) defeated Bobby Flynn (6-4) via TKO (punches) at 1:10 in round one.

Catchweight Fight (140 pounds) – Dan Dubuque (4-1) defeated Max Barrett (3-1) via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28).

Flyweight Fight – Josh Ricci (3-0) defeated Remo Cardarelli (6-5) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).

ABOUT AXS TV FIGHTS

AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts and kickboxing events than any other television network with 45 scheduled LIVE world-class fight cards in 2017. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich call all the action as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 10pE/7pP. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Sling TV, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite, telco and streaming providers. The network is also carried in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Featherweight prospect Ruben Villa remained perfect, but went the distance for the first time as he scored a four round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Aaron Lopez.

Villa, 125.9 lbs of Salinas, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 3-0. Lopez, 125 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is 4-1.

WBA number-two lightweight contender Xolisani Ndongeni made a successful American debut with a ten round unanimous decision over Juan Garcia Mendez.

Ndongeni, 136 lbs of East Cape, South Africa won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 98-93 and is now 22-0. Mendez, 136.5 lbs of Mexicali, MX is 19-2-1.

In a back and forth bloody slugfest, Saul Sanchez won a six-round unanimous decision over Danny Andujo in a battle of undefeated super flyweights.

Andujo was bleeding from his nose from the fourth round on.

Sanchez, 125 lbs of Indio, CA won by scores of 59-55 twice and 58-56 and is now 2-0. Andujo, 115.4.8 lbs of Temecula, CA is 2-1.

Jerry Larios made a successful pro debut with a 4-round unanimous decision over Jose Gonzalez in a welterweight bout.

Larios, 143.8 lbs of Victorville, CA won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 and is now 1-0. Gonzalez, 142.9 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 1-2.

Manny Pacquiao 144.8 – Jessie Vargas 146.5
(WBO Welterweight title)
Oscar Valdez 125.3 – Hiroshige Osawa 125.3
(WBO World featherweight title)
Nonito Donaire 121.8 – Jessie Magdaleno 121.25
(WBO Jr. Featherweight title)
Zou Shiming 111 – Prasitsak Phaprom 111.5
(WBO Flyweight title)
Robson Conceicao 129.6 – Clay Burns 129
Teofimo Lopez 133 – Ishwar Siqueiros 133.75
Alexander Besputin 149.75 – Azael Cosio 150
Que Xu 125.5 – Fernando Fuentes 124.5