PHILADELPHIA (October 13, 2016) – Undefeated welterweight world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (32-0, 18 KOs) will make his first appearance in his native Philadelphia since 2010 as he takes on Colombia’s Samuel Vargas (25-2-1, 13 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on Spike Saturday, November 12 from Temple University’s Liacouras Center. The bout will be Garcia’s final hurdle before a planned massive showdown with unbeaten champion Keith “One Time” Thurman scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.

In keeping with his desire to give back to the community, Garcia is teaming up with Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, to arrange a regional food drive, collecting most-needed items, such as tuna and vegetables. Fans are being 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 will be donated and provide 20 meals per ticket for people in need. More information on these efforts and how you can get involved will be announced shortly.

Garcia, a two-division world champion, will battle Vargas in a 10-round non-title bout in his first fight since his exciting win over Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in January. Garcia insisted on staging the fight in his hometown and using the event as a vehicle to raise awareness and money for the less fortunate in the area.

“My dad and I wanted to get one more fight in before the end of the year and there was no doubt in my mind it had to be in Philadelphia,” said Garcia. “My team got it done and it’s a great feeling to fight at home over the holidays. I’m excited to use this opportunity to give back to the community and put on a show on November 12. This city means everything to me. I hope everyone comes out, but shows up with cans of food too. I’m gearing up for a big fight with Keith Thurman next year that’s going to be a can’t miss event. First, I’m going to fight for my city on November 12.”

“Things happen when you work hard and I’m so excited about this opportunity,” said Vargas. “Garcia is a great fighter and he cleaned out the 140-pound division and now he is champion at 147. A win would change my life and everyone around me. This is my time. I can’t fail. This is going to be a Rocky story in Rocky’s town.”

Televised coverage on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features undefeated rising star Jarrett Hurd (18-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round bout against once-beaten super welterweight contender Jorge Cota (25-1, 22 KOs) and former world champion Javier Fortuna (30-1-1, 22 KOs) battling undefeated Omar Douglas (17-0, 12 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout.

“This win will put me one step closer towards winning a world title,” said Hurd. “The win over Oscar Molina was a big opportunity that has opened a lot of doors and was a great experience. Cota is a tough veteran with a high knockout rate. He is a little wild and I have to look out for that. I’m going to go out there to land nice shots and stick to my game plan.”

“I’m looking forward to this opportunity to fight a good undefeated fighter,” said Cota. “I know that I have the power and skills to beat anybody out there. I’m going to leave it all in the ring and get the victory on November 12.”

“I’m only thinking about winning heading into this fight,” said Fortuna. “Douglas is a good fighter who moves very well. I’m looking forward to this challenge on November 12. I will be a world champion once again.”

“This is the type of fight that I need if I am going to be a champion,” said Douglas. “I plan on putting on a crowd pleasing performance. Fortuna is a decent fighter and I’m going to have to break him down. He is good for four or five rounds but then he slows down. I’m going to set him up to take him out in the later rounds.”

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 www.LiacourasCenter.com/events or call 800-298-4200.

Garcia returns to headline in his hometown as a two-division world champion who has picked up major victories over top fighters including Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah on his way to 31 professional victories. The 28-year-old earned a vacant welterweight world title in his last bout when he won a toe-to-toe battle with former world champion Guerrero in Los Angeles taking his professional record to 32-0.

The 27-year-old Vargas enters this bout on a five-fight win streak including three stoppage victories including his most recent outing, a 10-round decision over Juan Armando Garcia in May. Born in Columbia, his family left to find a better life when he was 15 years old and after a brief stay in New York City, they moved to the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. Vargas enrolled at a boxing gym early on and learned discipline while adapting to his surroundings. He turned pro in 2010 after just 12 amateur bouts and was undefeated in his first 16 fights while fighting out of Canada.

Hurd fights out of Accokeek, Md., just south of Washington, D.C. and is perfect since entering the pro ranks in 2012. The 26-year-old has faced three straight undefeated fighters including a sixth-round stoppage of Frank Galarza in 2015 and a 10th round TKO over Oscar Molina in the co-main event of the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter card in June. The exciting boxer puncher will look to continue his climb to a world title on November 12.

A powerful puncher sporting an 88 percent knockout rate, Cota made his U.S. debut in August of 2015 and upset Cuban Olympic silver medalist Yudel Jhonson while knocking him down twice over the 10 round bout. The fighter out of Sinaloa, Mexico is entering this fight with nine straight wins, including six by way of knockout. The 27-year-old will be making his first ring appearance of 2016.

An amateur standout that participated in the first Pan American Junior Championships in 2003, the 27-year-old Fortuna owns victories over Abner Cotto, Carlos Ivan Velasquez, Miguel Zamudio and Patrick Hyland. He took down the highly regarded Bryan Vasquez to earn a super featherweight world title in May of last year. Representing La Romana, Dominican Republic, Fortuna bounced back from a defeat to Jason Sosa to stop previously unbeaten Marlyn Cabrera in September.

An undefeated fighter out of Wilmington, Delaware, Douglas impressed in his last two outings when he defeated contender Frank De Alba in a step up fight last December and followed it up with a seventh round knockout of Alexei Collado in June. The 25-year-old has picked up four victories since the beginning of 2015 and will face his toughest competition to date when he battles Fortuna.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @SpikeTV, @SpikeSports @KingsBoxing_ and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions. Follow the conversation using #fight4philly. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

About Philabundance
Philabundance is the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, serving more than 90,000 people each week in nine counties in PA and Southern NJ. Of those served, thirty percent are children, sixteen percent are seniors, and adults served include students, the working poor and single parents. In 2015, Philabundance rescued more than 10 million pounds of food and distributed 28 million pounds through its own distribution programs, and a network of 350 agencies. A one dollar donation provides two meals – Give now or learn more at Philabundance.org.

Los Angeles – Oct. 13, 2016 – Legacy Fighting Championship held their weigh-in event today ahead of tomorrow night’s live broadcast of AXS TV FIGHTS: LEGACY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 61. Official weigh-in results are below with the fighter’s records and weight listed in parenthesis. Please note, Jos Eichelberger will weigh in later this evening after agreeing to his fight on short notice. Eichelberger fought last Friday, Oct. 7 at Legacy FC 60.

Televised Main Card:

Main Event – Bantamweight Title Fight – Steven Peterson (14-4, 135) vs. Mark DeLaRosa (7-0, 135)

Co-Main Event – Featherweight Fight – Damon Jackson (9-1-1, 1 NC, 145) vs. Levi Mowles (4-1, 1 NC, 145)

Strawweight Fight – Mackenzie Dern (1-0, 118.75) vs. Montana Stewart (5-2, 115.5)

Catchweight Fight – Abdul Razak Alhassan (5-0, 179.75) vs. Jos Eichelberger (18-10, 179.25)

NEW YORK (Oct. 13, 2016) – Undefeated 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (14-0, 9 KOs) will face upset-minded Jaime Herrera in the 10-round welterweight main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader on Friday, Nov. 4, live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from Omega Products International Event Center in Corona, Calif.

Shelestyuk (14-0, 9 KOs), of Los Angeles by way of the Ukraine, was a member of a 2012 Ukrainian Olympic team that included featherweight gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko and heavyweight gold medalist Oleksandr Usyk. Jaime Herrera (15-3-1, 8 KOs), of Chicago, Ill., has defeated unbeaten prospects in four of last nine fights and is 8-1-1 overall since July 2012.

In the co-feature, undefeated cruiserweights Constantin Bejenaru (11-0, 4 KOs, 0-1-1 in World Series of Boxing), of Catskill, N.Y. by way of Moldova, and Stivens “Superman” Bujaj (16-0-1, 11 KOs), of New York, will collide in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBC International and WBC Continental Americas titles.

In the opening bout of the telecast, undefeated lightweight Vitor Jones Freitas (12-0, 1 ND, 6 KOs), of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, will be opposed by local fan favorite Manuel Mendez (12-1-2, 8 KOs), of Indio, Calif., in an eight-round bout. The 23-year-old Freitas is the nephew of popular former two-time lightweight world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas.

Four of the six fighters on the distinctly international tripleheader will risk their unbeaten records against what likely will be their toughest assignments to date. Shelestyuk and Bejanaru will be making their second ShoBox starts. It’s also the second time ShoBox has aired from Omega. The first took place Oct. 5, 2007, and featured victories by Yonnhy Perez and Mickey Bey Jr., who would both go on to become world champions, two of the 67 boxers on ShoBox to do so.

Tickets for the event promoted by Banner Promotions are priced at $100 (ringside), $70 (reserved) and $50 (general admission) and can be purchased by calling (714) 935-0900.

Taras Shelestyuk VS. Jaime Herrera – 10-Round Welterweight Main Event
Taras Shelestyuk (pronounced “TARE-as SHELL-es-took) averaged 85 punches per round in his ShoBox debut last November, winning an impressive 10-round unanimous decision over Aslanbek Kozaev. In his most recent start and lone outing this year last May 20, the 5-foot-10, 30-year-old Shelestyuk knocked out Erick Martinez in the third round at Ontario, Calif.

“My training is going great, I am more powerful and my speed is better,” said the former international standout. “Herrera is a rough fighter, but it doesn’t matter to me because I am looking to step up and get into championship level fights.”

Shelestyuk, who is trained by Eric Brown at Wild Card West, possesses solid skills, movement and punching power. Since turning pro in March 2013 he has exclusively campaigned in the United States. Many from the outstanding 2012 Ukrainian Olympic team became immediate prospects as professionals, including Lomachenko, who won a featherweight world championship in just his third fight on SHOWTIME. Now, it’s Shelestyuk’s turn to step up to the plate.

“I follow the 2012 Ukrainian Olympic team, and all the guys are doing very well and I’m happy for them,” said Shelestyuk, who went 300-15 in the amateurs. “But I do not compare my results with anybody else because I have my own career and my own path to a championship belt, and I am enjoying this journey.”

Herrera, a pro since December 2009, seems to be a legitimate test for Shelestyuk. Herrera has won three straight, defeated undefeated prospects in four of last nine fights, and is 8-1-1 overall since dropping a decision to Adrian Granados in 2012. One of those wins was an upset knockout of one-time highly ranked welterweight and world title challenger Mike “Machine Gun” Jones on Aug. 23, 2014.

“Taras is a great fighter and I know I’m the underdog, but I’ve surprised some fighters before and I’m confident and ready to give it my best and win again,” said Herrera. “I’m coming into this fight with the same mentality I had in those fights against the other unbeaten guys. The way I see it, Taras has everything to lose and I fight as I have nothing to lose.”

“I’ve been training very seriously and I’m excited to be able to showcase my skills on television. I grew up watching ShoBox. There will be more eyes on me and they will see my ability to fight. Getting a win will increase my ranking and open up more doors for my career.”

Constantin Bejenaru vs. Stivens Bujaj – 10-Round Cruiserweight Bout
Bejenaru (pronounced “bay-zhin-nah-ROO”) was an accomplished amateur. The southpaw boxed on the Romanian national team for 10 years and was a nine-time national champion.

In his ShoBox premiere last April 15, the active and athletic native of Ungheni, Moldova, scored a unanimous eight-round decision over previously unbeaten Alexey Zubov (10-0), a former Russian amateur champion and seven-time European amateur champion.

Bejenaru is anxious to return to ShoBox and continue his winning ways. “Bujaj is a great boxer, we are both undefeated but there can only be one victor, and I do not plan on losing this fight,” he said. “I entered this fight with the intention of winning. That is what I train to do, that is what I am going to do.

“As a man who has been boxing for over 22 years, I feel extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity. In my previous ShoBox fight, I was labeled as the underdog. Those who doubted me quickly changed their opinions once they saw me fight, and even more so once the referee raised my hand in victory.”

Bujaj (pronounced “Boo-ha”) was born in Kelmend, Albania, but relocated to the Bronx, New York at an early age. The unbeaten prospect was a two-time New York Golden Gloves Champion at heavyweight who’s made for good fights every time out and mostly made it look easy. This is Bujaj’s third scheduled 10-round start, while Bejenaru will be making his 10-round debut.

The 26-year-old has won his last four in a row, including his last two by knockout, since boxing a split 10-round draw in a slugfest with then-undefeated three-time Chicago Golden Gloves champion Junior Wright (10-0) in May 2014.

“I’m getting prepared,” said Bujah who’s coming off a first-round TKO over previously undefeated beaten Sergio Ramirez (11-0) on June 11. “I’m training like this is a world title fight, and I’m totally ready to win. I know my opponent is undefeated and I can’t overlook him. The way I feel, I’m on my ‘A’ Game. I was training in Las Vegas and now I am back in New York with Sharif Younan and I am ready to do everything I can to win this fight.

“This is the exposure and opportunity I’ve been waiting for. I just want to pick up these WBC titles that we are fighting for and be bumped up the rankings. Once I pick up these belts, I will be in the top 10 and anything is possible.”

Vitor Jones Freitas vs. Manuel Mendez – Eight-Round Lightweight Bout
The nephew of popular former two-time lightweight world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas has been victorious in 12 consecutive bouts since fighting a No-Contest in his pro debut in July 2012. He’s coming off a fifth-round TKO over Rodolfo Franz last May 21.

Two outings ago, Freitas captured the Brazilian lightweight crown with a 10-round decision over Sidney Siquiera. This will Freitas’ sixth U.S. start; his last five fights were in Brazil.

“My uncle had many great fights on SHOWTIME and on Nov. 4, I am looking to carry on his legacy,” Freitas said. “This will be another step in following in his footsteps to become a world champion.”

Mendez, who is trained by the respected Joel Diaz, is coming off a fourth-round knockout over Erick Martinez this past Sept. 23 in Ontario. Mendez used a strong, bruising style in which he mixed his punches well to punish Martinez. The 5-foot-8, 26-year-old Mendez has gone 12-0-2 since getting stopped in his pro debut in October 2010.

“I am excited about this opportunity to fight on ShoBox,” said Mendez who is a sparring partner for Ruslan Provodnikov and Timothy Bradley. “I know with a win, my career will escalate to a new level. I am looking to knock out Vitor.”

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

# # #

About ShoBox: The New GenerationSince its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 67 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

Light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera (17-1 12 KOs) is not a happy camper. When he signed up to go into the lion’s den and face Andre Ward on his home turf this past March, not in his wildest dreams did he expect to still be on the shelf seven months later.

It isn’t like the 34-year-old has turned down fights either. He has accepted fights against a Who’s Who list of the top light heavyweights, only for all of the fights to fall apart one by one for reasons that Barrera can’t comprehend.

“We were offered the fight against (Artur) Beterbiev and we said yes and obtained permission to travel to Canada. Unfortunately Canada denied our entry so to save the fight we said that we would take half the purse to have the fight in the United States and they turned our offer down,” Barrera stated.

“We also were offered Oleksandr Gvodsyk and then 2 days later (Isaac) Chilemba ended up getting the fight. We were offered (Bernard) Hopkins but nothing ever materialized and then most recently we were offered (Slava) Shabranskyy and again nothing is happening.”

With nothing on the table, Barrera and his team have elected to take a stay busy fight at home in Miami on November 11th on a local card. The bout will be his first under the guidance of his new trainer Derik Santos, who he has been working with the past several months. Barrera is practically fighting for free with his manager paying his opponent’s purse.

The former Cuban amateur standout is a gym rat and stays in shape year round. Prior to the loss to Ward, he had stopped his previous six opponents. With his fan friendly style and high ranking (#4 by the WBA, #8 by the IBF and #12 by the WBC), Barrera is shocked that his promoter Main Events hasn’t been able to secure a meaningful fight and that his manager has to keep him busy.

“I’m frustrated because as a boxer it’s tough to stay afloat. I’ve been training since two weeks after my last fight in March and I thought that I gave Ward some trouble but I admit that he was superior and I must learn from that but overall I would have thought more opportunities would have opened up from that fight. Right now I have absolutely no offers. My promoter claims to be working on something but nothing ever materializes so I am not sure what is going on,” lamented Barrera.

“I’m disappointed. I feel like my talent is being wasted. My promoter Main Events has repeatedly stated they are working on something meaningful but so far nothing is happening. I am thankful though that my manager was able to come up with a fight to help keep me busy.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (October 13, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced a super showdown between M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev and knockout artist Anatoly Tokov to headline the December 9th M-1 Challenge 73: Battle of Narts in Ingushetia, Russia.

M-1 Challenge 73 will be streamed live from Ingushetia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

“The fight between Ramazan Emeev and Anatoly Tokov is the most anticipated fight in Russian MMA, “M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “Both Tokov and Emeev are fighters of the elite level, not only in Russia, but in the world. This fight is being held to achieve our main goal: to make the most spectacular match-ups between the strongest MMA fighters of our time.”

Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0), who was the M-1 Global 2015 Fighter of the Year, returns to action after suffering a torn ligament in his elbow, which forced the Azerbaijan native to withdraw from his scheduled M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship fight with Alexander Shlemenko.

The 29-year-old Emeev, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia, first captured the vacant M-1 Challenge middleweight title in 2012, taking a 5-round unanimous decision from Mario Miranda at M-1 Challenge 35, and he successfully won the rematch five months later at M-1 Challenge 38, stopping Miranda via strikes in the third round.

In 2014, Emeev lost his title belt to Vyacheslav Vasilevsky by way of a fourth-round knockout (punches) at M-1 Challenge 51 in 2014. The resilient Emeev, however, bounced back to regain his throne as M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, using a choke hold to submit Vasilevsky in the opening round at
M-1 Challenge 56.

Emeev has successfully defended his title against Luigi Fioravanti, who was unable to continue after four rounds at M-1 Challenge 63, and this past April Emeev defeated Brazilian Maiquel Falcao (see picture above) at M-1 Challenge 65 in the first round by submission (choke).

Tokov (24-2-0, M-1: 9-1-0), 26, is a former ABC champion who fights out of Stary Oskol, Russia. He is riding a 17-fight win streak, including knockouts of Enoc Solves Torres at M-1 Challenge 54 and Albert Duraev at M-1 Challenge 46.

A feared striker with tremendous power, Tokov has stopped 14 of his 24 victims to date, resulting in him developing into one of MMA’s most spectacular fighters and a true rising MMA star throughout Russia and Europe.

Tokov can give and take

Information

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

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ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 160 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2016 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

Queensberry Promotions received news today that WBO World Middleweight Champion, Billy Joe Saunders had suffered a muscle injury and would be unable to defend against Artur Akavov on 22nd October at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena. Unfortunately, on the same day British Super-Welterweight Champion, Liam Williams also suffered an injury in sparring that prevents him from defending his British title against Ahmet Patterson on the same bill.

Consequently, postponement was the only option to maintain the strength of the card, and as such the event will now take place on Saturday 26th November at the same venue.

Promoter Frank Warren said: “We have obviously not had a lot of luck with this event, first of all being let down by Chris Eubank Jnr and now the two main fights on a card falling out on the same day. We have no choice but to postpone the card to a month later so everyone is given time to recover.

“I apologise to the fans for any inconvenience this may cause. It is extremely frustrating as the event is already essentially sold out and we were all geared up for a cracking night of boxing on the 22nd October in Cardiff. I am particularly gutted for Tommy Langford who has sold around 2,000 tickets for his British Middleweight title challenge against Sam Sheedy, but I’m sure his support will no doubt still be out in force on the 26th November.”

BoxNation will still have live action from the UK on Saturday 22nd October when The Channel of Champions will switch their attention to Bolton’s Premier Suite with Jamie Cox, Matty Askin and Paul Butler co-headlining a card promoted by Steve Wood.

Tickets purchased for the 22nd October event will still be valid for the new date of 26th November at the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

Luke Campbell MBE says beating Derry Mathews is a must if he wants to prove he’s ready for world titles in 2017 as they clash at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Campbell defends his WBC Silver Lightweight title against the experienced Liverpool favourite, whose last fight – his 50th – was here for the WBO World title against Terry Flanagan.

The Olympic gold medal hero landed the title in July outpointing Argenis Mendis in Leeds, and the Hull star says Mathews is the type of examination he needs to pass with flying colours to land a World title shot.

“This will definitely be my toughest test to date but that is what we look for,” said Campbell. “Every fight we progress with now is a tougher test and Derry is that. He is a tough warrior who likes a war and he is very experienced.

“I have been a fan of Derry for a long time. I used to watch him years ago. He is a great guy in and out of the ring and this fight is happening simply because the British fans have been dying to see it. As soon as it was announced people went crazy for it and that is why it is happening.

“Being involved in a fight the fans want to see is very important and it creates interest and everyone is buzzing about it. That’s what you want when you are fighting; for people to be buzzing about it.

“You don’t know what the key will be until you get in there. People’s game-plans can change once they start getting hit.

“Beating Derry would open doors because he is an experienced fighter who boxed for a World title in his last fight. I am climbing up the ladder and I want to keep climbing.

“I want to keep moving through the gears and I feel that this year that is exactly what I have done. This is my third fight this year and it will be my toughest opponent of the year.”

“This is Derry’s hometown but it doesn’t might the slightest bit of difference to me – I have had some great nights and have some great memories at the Echo Arena. I won the European Championships here, the GB Championships here, so the Echo Arena has been a good place for me and I am excited to be back here in front of the Liverpool fans. It is a great place to box, I love boxing in Liverpool.”

Campbell’s clash with Mathews is part of a huge night of action in Liverpool as Tony Bellew defends his WBC World Cruiserweight title against B.J. Flores.

Belfast star Ryan Burnett defending his British Bantamweight title against Liverpool’s Ryan Farrag, Sean Masher Dodd defends his WBC International Lightweight title against Francesco Patera, Tom Farrell faces Farid Hakimi for the WBA International Super-Lightweight title and Liverpool favourite Rocky Fielding is set for action.

Tickets are on sale now via www.echoarena.com or by calling 0844 8000 400 priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150. VIP tickets will be available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com

Face value tickets for Bellew vs. Flores 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.

Los Angeles, CA (October 12, 2016) Sherman Oaks, California based TGB Promotions has signed heavyweight contender IAGO KILADZE, (24-1-0, 16 KO’s) to an exclusive promotional contract, it was announced today by TOM BROWN, the company’s president.

A native of Ukraine, Kiladze has been living in the Los Angeles area and training with the renowned JOE GOOSSEN at the world famous Ten Goose Boxing Gym in Van Nuys, California for most of 2016.

“We’re excited to start working with Iago, he’s a very hard working fighter who is looking to make his mark in the heavyweight division.” said Brown. “He’s been training with Joe and they’ve really formed a great fighter/trainer relationship.”

“Joe has been great to work with, I’ve learned so much this year and now that I’m working with TGB Promotions I look forward to the next chapter of my career in the heavyweight division,” said the 30-year-old Kiladze.

Kiladze has won his last four in a row after suffering his only defeat in November 2012 to Youri Kalenga in Berlin, Germany. Among the four victories includes a fourth round knockout of Rayford Johnson on the undercard of the World Heavyweight Championship between Wladimir Klitschko and Bryant Jennings at Madison Square Garden in April 2015.

“Iago’s a great learner and fighting as a heavyweight we’re going to see a much better fighter,” said Goossen. “Working with Tom is going to provide him with the opportunities he needs to maximize his potential.”

ABOUT TGB PROMOTIONS
In March of 2015, following the loss of Dan Goossen, Brown started his own promotional company, TGB Promotions. TGB Promotions helped launch the Premier Boxing Champions franchise on NBC with the network’s first major primetime fight in over 30 years. The debut of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC was the most-watched professional boxing broadcast since 1998.

As the matchmaker for Goossen Promotions, Tom Brown deftly guided the careers of many world champions including U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists, David Reid (1996) and Andre Ward (2004) in addition to working with World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.

Brown’s work has received a wealth of accolades from industry insiders and media worldwide. The NABF has lauded his work many times, bestowing their matchmaker of the year award upon him six times. The IBF also presented TGB Promotions its award for Most Active Promoter for the year of 2015.

Most recently the work of Brown has brought to prominence; former world champions Paul Williams and Rico Ramos in addition to highly ranked contenders Chris Arreola, Vanes Martirosyan, John Molina Jr., and Josesito Lopez along with numerous top young prospects including Olympians and twin brothers, Javier and Oscar Molina.

Los Angeles, CA (October 12, 2016) World ranked heavyweight contender MALIK SCOTT,
(38-2-1, 13 KO’s), is headed to the world’s foremost tourist destination, Monte Carlo, on Saturday, November 12 to face feared, undefeated and #1 ranked “King Kong” LUIS ORTIZ,
(25-0, 22 KO’s) at the Salle des Etoiles for the vacant World Boxing Association Inter-Continental Heavyweight Title.

“This is the fight I wanted, I picked him, “said Scott. “I told my promoter Tom Brown one of the three, either Anthony Joshua, David Haye or Luis Ortiz.”

“After Ortiz beat Bryant Jennings the media starting talking about his invincibility and that he was the most feared heavyweight and I immediately wanted to fight him. There’s no such thing as unbeatable and I welcome the challenge to prove it.”

“If I’m on my game on November 12, I’ll shut him out. He’s going to gas out early and I’ll put on a boxing clinic,” continued Scott. “Ortiz is my pathway towards a world title opportunity, this is my time to shine and slay ‘King Kong’.”

“Because of his rep this fight will get a lot of international attention and I’ll be looking for full credit when I beat him, no excuses.”

A native of Philadelphia, now residing in Los Angeles, Scott fights under the Sherman Oaks’ based TGB Promotions’ banner.

“Malik has wanted another big fight and this opportunity to face Ortiz comes at the right time,” said TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions. “Malik is fearless and isn’t at all intimidated by Ortiz’s rep, he’s fought or sparred every notable heavyweight over the last fifteen years.”

Known as a true road warrior of the sport, last October Scott traveled to Orlando, Florida winning a dominant ten round decision over former world title challenger Tony Thompson. The previous October, Scott defeated Alex Leapai, also a former world title challenger in Australia.

The heavy-handed Ortiz has stopped his last four opponents, most recently the aforementioned Tony Thompson in the sixth round on March 5, 2016. Prior to that Ortiz brutally stopped former world title challenger Bryant Jennings in the seventh round on December 19, 2015.

Scott vs. Ortiz is presented by Matchroom Boxing in association with TGB Promotions and will be telecast LIVE in the UK on Sky Sports.

ABOUT TGB PROMOTIONS
In March of 2015, following the loss of Dan Goossen, Brown started his own promotional company, TGB Promotions. TGB Promotions helped launch the Premier Boxing Champions franchise on NBC with the network’s first major primetime fight in over 30 years. The debut of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC was the most-watched professional boxing broadcast since 1998.

As the matchmaker for Goossen Promotions, Tom Brown deftly guided the careers of many world champions including U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists, David Reid (1996) and Andre Ward (2004) in addition to working with World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.

Brown’s work has received a wealth of accolades from industry insiders and media worldwide. The NABF has lauded his work many times, bestowing their matchmaker of the year award upon him six times. The IBF also presented TGB Promotions its award for Most Active Promoter for the year of 2015.

Most recently the work of Brown has brought to prominence; former world champions Paul Williams and Rico Ramos in addition to highly ranked contenders Chris Arreola, Vanes Martirosyan, John Molina Jr., and Josesito Lopez along with numerous top young prospects including Olympians and twin brothers, Javier and Oscar Molina.

Ryan Farrag says all the pressure is on British Bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett when they clash at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday night (October 15) live on Sky Sports.

Farrag has held the European and English titles and now wants to bag the Lord Lonsdale belt that Burnett defends for the first time since beating veteran Jason Booth – and Farrag believes he has the beating of the unbeaten Belfast man as he enters the Lion’s den in Liverpool.

“All of the pressure is on Ryan because he is the champion,” said Farrag. “He is coming into my backyard and I will just be going in relaxed and going to enjoy it, whereas he is the one with the belt to lose.

“I expect Ryan to be cagey but if he comes out and tries to fight, then I will be there I will meet him in the middle. I expect Ryan to be on his toes quite a lot and I’ll be looking to make the ring as small as possible.

“I think this fight is a big step up for him. He is a good fighter, he has quick hands and I’m sure he will give me a few problems but it won’t be anything I haven’t dealt with before. I am 100 per cent confident and I will be excited to be in there with somebody with such a reputation because when you beat those fellas you get the rewards.

“It doesn’t matter where I am fighting and who the crowd is behind but I don’t know how Ryan is going to react to it. Maybe he will feel a bit of pressure and that might affect his boxing but at the end of the day there is only me and Ryan in the ring so I am the only person he has to worry about.”

Farrag’s clash with Burnett is part of a huge night of action in Liverpool as Tony Bellew defends his WBC World Cruiserweight title against B.J. Flores.

Luke Campbell MBE defends his WBC Silver Lightweight title against Derry Mathews, star Ryan Burnett defending his British Bantamweight title against Liverpool’s Ryan Farrag, Sean Masher Dodd defends his WBC International Lightweight title against Francesco Patera, Tom Farrell faces Farid Hakimi for the WBA International Super-Lightweight title and Liverpool favourite Rocky Fielding is set for action.

Tickets are on sale now via www.echoarena.com or by calling 0844 8000 400 priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150. VIP tickets will be available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com

Face value tickets for Bellew vs. Flores 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.

CANCUN, Mexico (October 12, 2016) – The replay of the August 24th “Cancun Boxing” card, presented by Pepe Gomez Boxing in association with Neon Star Media, will air tonight (Wednesday, Oct. 12), starting at 10 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. ET, on CBS Sports Network. Encore presentations will be Friday, Oct. 21 (7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET) and Friday, Oct. 28 (1 a.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET).

The event is the third installment of the “Cancun Boxing” series that will air on CBS Sports Network in 2016. Grand Oasis Cancun the Hotel Complex, Cancun`s ONLY Ultimate All-Inclusive Entertainment Resort, will play host to all events in this ongoing series.

Hall-of-Fame announcer Al Bernstein and Sean Wheelock called the action live from ringside in Cancun, Mexico.

Future Hall of Fame candidate Jhonny Gonzalez (61-10, 51 KOs) defended his World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver super featherweight title for the fourth time, against Japanese invader Hiroysugi Yamamoto (19-12-2, 3 KOs), in the scheduled 10-round main event.

In the 10-round co-feature,Diego “Demoledor” Cruz (16-3-1, 13 KOs) faced welterweightIvan “Macanon” Cano (23-7-2, 15 KOs), and flyweight Lourdes “Le Pequena Lulu” Juarez (17-2 2 KOs) met Yesenia Gomez (13-4, 8 KOs), in the 8-round TV opener.

CBS Sports Network is available across the United States through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com

INFORMATION

Twitter: @pepegomezcancun, @cancun_boxing, @Neonstarmedia

Instagram: @pepegomez1

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/pepigomezquiqui, www.facebook.com/Neon-Star-Media-378687919005532

About Pepe Gomez: The first promoter in Mexico to bring together 100 world champions of all time in a night of stars called,NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS, on March 8, 2008, conducted in partnership with Don King’s first heavyweight fight in Mexico, where champions Oleg Maskaev, of Russia, faced Sam Peter, representing Nigeria, resulting in the Peter winning the WBC heavyweight title. He later defended and lost his title in Berlin to Vitali Klitschko. In his career as a promoter, Pepe Gomez has organized more than 1,000 boxing matches and other disciplines in contact sports, including MMA and Luca Libre. One of Pepe’s most important gratifying achievements is to have participated with Jose Sulaiman former president of the WBC at the 50th WBC convention where Muhammad Ali was given the honorary crown and green belt as all-time King of the Boxing World. Pepe Gomez has made many of these important and historical events possible from the wonderful vacation territory of Cancun, Mexico.

About Neon Star Media LLC: Neon Star Media is a marketing and content company that creates highly effective brand-integration experiences for our clients, executed through a unique “story-telling” approach that empowers client’s product messaging to soar while delivering results. At Neon Star Media, we maximize client media spends by leveraging our relationships with various sporting events, cable channels, digital platforms and other social media outlets. We work with our clients to engage, endorse and advance their message with audiences on all platforms 24/7.

About Grand Oasis Cancún: Grand Oasis Cancun is a beachfront, all-inclusive resort and spa with an on-site 9-hole golf course that is perfect for the entire family! The Grand Oasis Cancun is only 25 minutes from the airport and 20 minutes from downtown Cancun. Grand Oasis Cancun is Cancun`s ONLY Ultimate All-Inclusive Entertainment Resort. Grand Oasis Cancun is distinguished by the grand pyramid structure as the center point of the property with 613-rooms in the center pyramid, and two additional buildings. Under an impressive crystal cupola the lobby of the hotel is characterized by its hanging plants and exotic gardens.

Derry Mathews believes he has the power to break the heart of Luke Campbell MBE and KO him when they clash for Campbell’s WBC Silver Lightweight title at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Mathews comes into the fight on the back of a crack at WBO champion Terry Flanagan here in March in his 50th pro outing, and the Liverpool favourite believes his power and experience, coupled with the vulnerabilities he’s seen with the Olympic gold medal man hitting the canvas in recent fights, will see him destroy Campbell’s World title dreams and set himself up for another shot.

“Everyone knows Luke was a great amateur but there are flaws in him,” said Mathews. “Anyone who knows boxing can see that. I know I’m going to go in there and break his heart. I can and I will beat him tonight. He’s never been in with anyone like me before and he will get exposed.

“I punch much harder than any of the Lightweights out there. He’s been dropped in two out of his last three fights by guys who hit nowhere near as hard as I do. When I clip him with 8oz gloves on, he’s in big trouble and he’ll go down. I believe I’ll tag him badly, hurt him, then it will be all over.

“Luke has boxed all over the world and he’s an Olympic gold medallist so I’d be surprised if the crowd gets to him. But he is coming to my backyard and I can’t wait to see all the mad Scousers screaming on Saturday for me. It will be a new experience for him so let’s see how he gets on.

“Luke has changed trainers recently and everyone is going on about how fast and quick he looks on the pads with Jorge Rubio – but it doesn’t impress me; pads don’t hit back like I do.

“He can have all the speed in the world but he is going to get tagged by me at some stage in the fight and he will be in serious trouble. I can’t wait for Saturday to go out there, get that ‘W’, win the WBC Silver and be knocking on the door for another World title shot.”

Mathews’ clash with Campbell is part of a huge night of action in Liverpool as Tony Bellew defends his WBC World Cruiserweight title against B.J. Flores.

Belfast star Ryan Burnett defending his British Bantamweight title against Liverpool’s Ryan Farrag, Sean Masher Dodd defends his WBC International Lightweight title against Francesco Patera, Tom Farrell faces Farid Hakimi for the WBA International Super-Lightweight title and Liverpool favourite Rocky Fielding is set for action.

Tickets are on sale now via www.echoarena.com or by calling 0844 8000 400 priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150. VIP tickets will be available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com

Face value tickets for Bellew vs. Flores 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.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the September 17th Canelo Alvarez – Liam Smith Pay-Per-View card generated close to 300,000 buys.

“We’re going to wind up doing close to 300,000 homes, which is great when you combine that with almost 52,000 fans we had in the crowd,” Oscar De La Hoya said. “We’re very happy, extremely happy with the numbers.”

“Obviously, nobody had ever heard of Liam Smith, and when you have to try and sell a pay-per-view fight with somebody that nobody has ever heard of, you have a tough job ahead of you,” De La Hoya said. “We were able to attract the fans who love boxing, and they were treated to a special fight. When it was all said and done it was a terrific fight, a lot of action.”

“I’m sure when Canelo decides to fight at 160 next year there will be plenty of name fighters and opponents who will bring excitement and great fights and the fans will acknowledge that and, once again, he will do even bigger pay-per-view numbers,” De La Hoya said.

Tyson Fury has this evening announced that he has voluntarily vacated his WBO, WBA and IBO World Heavyweight titles with immediate effect to fully focus on his medical treatment and recovery.

Tyson defeated the then linear world champion Wladimir Klitschko in Germany last November in one of the biggest ever upsets in sporting history to claim the unified world titles. However, due to a serious medical condition, Tyson was forced to withdraw from defending his titles against Klitschko in the rematch scheduled for October 29th in Manchester.

Tyson values the rich and treasured history of the heavyweight division which has had countless legendary champions and believes that the titles should be kept active. Therefore out of respect for the governing bodies, the sport of boxing and the heavyweight division, Tyson has made the difficult decision to vacate the belts. This will also allow him the time and space to fully recover from his present condition without any undue pressure and with the expert medical attention he requires and his close family support.

“I feel that it is only fair and right and for the good of boxing to keep the titles active and allow the other contenders to fight for the vacant belts that I proudly won and held as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world when I defeated the long-standing champion Wladimir Klitschko,” said Tyson.

He added, “I won the titles in the ring and I believe that they should be lost in the ring, but I’m unable to defend at this time and I have taken the hard and emotional decision to now officially vacate my treasured World titles and wish the next in-line contenders all the very best as I now enter another big challenge in my life which I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer.”

Mick Hennessy, Tyson’s promoter from the start of his professional career, said, “Tyson will still be the linear World Heavyweight Champion in everyones’ eyes. He beat the most dominant champion in the modern era of boxing on an amazing night in Germany to earn that accolade and that will never change. Whilst it’s heartbreaking to see Tyson vacate the world titles that he worked so long and hard for all his life, what’s paramount now is that he receives the medical treatment along with the love of his family and friends and the support of the boxing world to make a full recovery.”

Peter Fury, Tyson’s uncle and trainer, said, “Tyson will be back stronger from this and I will make sure, no matter what we have to deal with, Tyson not only comes back but will reclaim what’s rightfully his. I’m very proud of my nephew’s achievements.”

NEW YORK, October 11 – Combate Americas, the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today announced that it has named multiple-time professional world wrestling champion and former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) star Alberto “El Presidente” Rodriguez, formerly known as Alberto Del Rio and Alberto El Patr?n, as its president.

A former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Rodriguez, the son of Lucha Libre legend Dos Caras, Sr., also competed in 14 professional MMA bouts – 2 of them under the promotion of former Japanese juggernaut PRIDE Fighting Championships – between 2001 and 2010, as Alberto “Dos Caras, Jr.” Rodriguez. He compiled an overall record of 9-5 in the sport, with 7 of his victories coming by way of submission.

In his new executive role with Combate Americas, “El Presidente” will be actively involved in all aspects of athlete relations and development, from recruitment to enhancing their showmanship skills.

“A storied fighter, with a following throughout Mexico and the U.S., Alberto brings a tremendous amount of knowledge of what it means to be in competition, coupled with an ability to communicate his passion for the sport, to his new role,” said Campbell McLaren, Combate Americas founder and CEO. “From working with Alberto in the past, we have gotten to know him very well, and are thrilled to have him on our team in an executive capacity.”

“I am excited to enter a new chapter in my career in combat sports, and to have the opportunity to spearhead the Combate Americas mission of delivering to fight fans everywhere, an authentic and first-rate Hispanic MMA product,” said Rodriguez.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Rodriguez made his professional wrestling debut in 2000, eventually signing with the WWE where he took on the “Del Rio” name and became the league’s only competitor in history to win both the “Royal Rumble” and the “Money in the Bank” ladder match in the same calendar year – 2011.

Over the course of two tenures with the WWE, Rodriguez faced and defeated a collection of top rival champions and other superstars in the sport, including fellow Mexican hero Rey Mysterio, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler and Randy Orton.

As a member of the Mexican National Greco-Roman wrestling team in the late ‘90s, Rodriguez won the Central American and Caribbean Games in his weight division three times.

Rodriguez will make his public debut as “El Presidente” this week, during the first-ever Combate Americas live event in New York on Friday, Oct. 14 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona.

The seven-bout, “Combate Americas: Empire Rising” card will be headlined by the league’s first world championship showdown in history – a bantamweight (135 pounds) title fight between ferocious rising stars John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (11-2) of Mankato, Minn. and Gustavo Lopez (6-1) of Las Vegas, Nev. via Yakima, Wash.

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. Founded by UFC co-creator McLaren and co-owned by Creative Artist Agency (CAA), Bunim/Murray Productions, Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) and Andurand Capital, Combate Americas’ roster includes over 40 fighters

The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.”

Combate Americas live events currently air in English via UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service which gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s largest fight library.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (October 11, 2016): As WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and former Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) prepare for their epic “Pound For Pound” showdown scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, fans, media, experts and odds-makers around the world are split on who will be the favorite to win this virtually even-money battle.

And with good reason. Both Kovalev and Ward are undefeated and in their prime, making for a rare and exciting boxing match-up and a testament to the moxie of the boxers and the promoters.

Jay Rood, Vice President of Race & Sports for MGM Resorts International, provides his expert analysis of this exciting match-up:

“I really believe this could end up being a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate. Usually fighters in good form don’t meet up.”

Because of that, this fight opened close, has remained so and, most likely, will close so.

“It’s not very often that a fight in Las Vegas that’s this significant is this close in terms of odds,” says Rood. “Ward opened at -145 and he now is at -150. I don’t believe it will change much from here.”

The fact that Ward is the slight favorite is because, in part, the public, especially those bettors who consider themselves as experts or ‘sharps,’ tend to go with the boxer over the puncher.

But while Ward is considered the boxer and Kovalev the puncher, both are versatile, in keeping with the tremendous skill each possess. In other words, Ward, the perceived boxer, has power, and Kovalev, the perceived puncher, can box.

“The public is perceiving this fight, right or wrong, as ‘Boxer vs. Puncher,'” added Rood. “Usually the boxer draws the ‘sharp’ action. Most of the ‘sharp’ money will be on the boxer.”

However, the general betting public appears to be trending toward Kovalev.

According to Rood, “Kovalev will draw good action, otherwise this number would need to be closer to -200 to balance the fight (betting action). I don’t think it will be that one-sided. I think the crowd going to the fight will be 60 percent on Kovalev.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Titles, takes place Saturday, Nov. 19, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. “Pound for Pound” is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Rosneft and Corona Extra.

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José A. Acevedo of Free Agent Boxing Management proudly announces the signing of former world champion Jose Alfredo “Torito” Rodriguez to a managerial agreement.

27-year-old Rodriguez (31-4-0, 19 KOs) of Sinaloa, Mexico, won the Interim WBA World Light Flyweight Championship on November 19, 2011, by upsetting then 27-1 Nethra Sasiprapa of Thailand. He also won the WBC Youth Intercontinental Light Flyweight Championship in 2009 and made four successful defenses. He is also a former sparring partner of Nicaraguan four-division and current WBC World Super Flyweight Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

Currently looking for the third fight of his comeback after nearly two years off, 27-year-old Rodriguez plans to compete in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions.

“I am happy to sign with Free Agent Boxing,” said Rodriguez. “My career was on hold for a while, but I am back now and eager for my team to find me big fights. Taking some time off did me good. I have never felt this strong and healthy. I’m looking forward to getting a few more wins and then winning back my championship.”

Acevedo who has previously done well for his brother, former super middleweight contender Roberto, and middleweight puncher Jorge Melendez in advisory roles, says he’s beginning to work with Rodriguez at the perfect time.

“The flyweight and super flyweight divisions are red hot right now,” he said. “I am working to get Torito a ranking by the IBF and WBC. He said he wants to fight the best, so we are working to find him the fights that will get him to a title shot. One guy he really wants is (IBF Champion Jerwin Ancajas from the Philippines). We’re hoping to get him in the ring soon.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Oct. 11th, 2016) — The camp went well and the weight came off almost effortlessly.

New Bedford, Mass., junior welterweight Ray Oliveira Jr. was in the best shape of his life in July when he stepped back into the ring for the first time in nearly eight months, but there was still a small hint of worry in the back of his mind knowing there’d be one missing piece in his corner on fight night.

Oliveira Jr.’s father, the legendary “Sucra” Ray Oliveira, took some much-needed time away from the sport shortly before his son broke camp, so he did not work his corner for the first time in Oliveira Jr.’s brief professional career.

“‘Was I going to make the right decisions in the ring and listen to my guys?'” Oliveira Jr. asked himself.

“Having my dad’s voice in my head for so long, I wanted to know that I could go in there and do it on my own and show people that I’m my own fighter also. I am my dad’s son, but I am me.”

Oliviera Jr. (5-0, 1 KO) won that night, defeating the previously unbeaten Andy Gonzalez by majority decision in the toughest fight of his career. One week from Friday, he steps back into the ring — again, without his father in his corner — to face another tough test against unbeaten Gerald Schifone of Brockton as he continues to carve his own legacy out from under his legendary father’s shadow.

The six-round bout against Schifone (3-0-1, 1 KO) — the first six-round fight of Oliveira Jr.’s career — is the co-feature of CES Boxing’s 2016 Twin River Casino Fight Series season finale, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 21st, 2016. Oliveira Jr. is dedicating the fight to his father, who he credits for getting him started in the sport of boxing at a young age and helping him develop into the fighter he is today.

“That first fight back, that was for me. I needed that for many reasons that I didn’t even know of until it was done,” Oliveira Jr. said.

“Now it’s time to do one for him. He’s the one who put me in this and he’s the one who got me to where I’m at. I put in the work, I spent the time in the gym, I made a lot of sacrifices in life, but he was right there with me through this when it came to being in the gym and the fight and everything. He was the guy training me from the amateurs.”

In some symbolic way, Oct. 21st could be a passing of the torch, a transition where Oliveira Jr. goes from being known primarily as the son of a beloved champion to a legitimate contender in the junior middleweight division building his own legacy.

“As a fighter, I’m starting to make some real changes with fighting. I’m progressing right now,” Oliveira Jr. said. “I feel like a shift in my boxing career. Before I make that real transition as a fighter, I want to make sure I give thanks to the one who got me started.”

The elder Oliveira has taken on more of an advisory role these days, helping his son promote his upcoming fights and offering support. Surprisingly, Oliveira Jr. says he rarely picks his father’s brain when it comes to advice or technique, again focusing on doing what he does best instead of trying to emulate someone else’s style.

“My thing is I don’t really like to ask for too much advice and watch too many videos. I like to just go to the gym, practice what my trainers are telling me to do and try to apply it to the fight,” he said. “If I don’t follow the game plan or I went elsewhere for the game plan, it’s going to contradict what they’re telling me.

“I really don’t like to make a plan because you don’t know what’s going to happen when you get in there. I like to let them analyze and do their job and then I do my job. I have one job and that’s to show up. I show up to the gym and I show up to the fight. That’s my job.”

Since turning pro in 2014, Oliveira Jr. has gotten the job done each time he’s stepped into the ring. The fight against Gonzalez, a close, back-and-forth war with both fighters exchanging flurries through four rounds, was the toughest of his career and a major departure from his previous fights, which were fought primarily against opponents who didn’t press the action the way Gonzalez does.

The taller, stronger Gonzalez, a Worcester, Mass., native, was considered the favorite in some circles, but Oliveira Jr. proved he could stand toe-to-toe with a slugger, not just out-box an opponent.

“Whenever I approach a fight, I always feel like the underdog,” Oliveira Jr. said. “I look at it like, ‘I’ve got to go beat this dude,’ especially with the way I fight because I’m not always going in there knocking dudes out and stuff. I always look at myself like the challenger.

“I understood that he was taller and he had the higher knockout percentage, so I knew he was coming to fight and I was going to have to prove to people that I could get in there with someone who is coming to bang.”

The best part now is this current camp, according to Oliveira Jr., might be even better than the last one, which, at the time, he said was the best of his young career.

“I’m already on weight and we have two weeks,” he said. “This may beat out last camp.

“I’ve added more miles to my normal running mileage to compensate for the rounds. Anyone who really knows me as a fighter knows I always come out to fight from the first bell, but I get better as the rounds go. I start to warm up, I start to get more comfortable. Even though I try to take these guys’ heads off and put some real ping behind each punch, I still calculate in my fight. I pay attention. As the rounds go, I pick up on things and I get more comfortable. The biggest thing is I warm up. My power starts coming through the muscle. Everything just kind of packs in and I start hitting harder as the rounds go on.

“My dad wanted me to take it slow and work my way up and I understand that, but I’ve been waiting to do more rounds. I want to drag them out into the deep end and see if they can still swim.”

Schifone, who is fighting for the first time in two years, will press Oliveira Jr. the same way Gonzalez did, which should lead to another entertaining, back-and-forth battle on a card loaded with evenly-matched bouts. It’s truly sink or swim for the younger Oliveira as he continues to build his own resume in the city of New Bedford.

“He definitely comes forward and he comes to hurt,” Oliveira Jr. said of Schifone. “He’s not in there to make it through the rounds or float around.”

Tickets for Oct. 21st are priced at $47.00, $67.00, $102.00 and $152.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Headlining the Oct. 21st fight card is the eight-round Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) Junior Middleweight International and Northeast title bout between champion Khiary Gray (13-1, 10 KOs) of Worcester, Mass., and challenger Chris Chatman (14-5-1, 5 KOs) of Chicago, Ill.

Worcester middleweight Kendrick Ball Jr. (3-0-1, 3 KOs) aims for his fourth win in his fifth pro fight in a four-round bout against Oregon’s Rafael Valencia (3-4-1, 2 KOs) and Irvin Gonzalez Jr. (3-0, 3 KOs) returns to face Providence, R.I., native Cido Hoff (1-0-1) in a four-round featherweight bout. Also from Worcester, super middleweight Ben Peak makes his professional debut in a four-round bout against Jose Rivera (1-0, 1 KO) of Hartford, Conn.

Former amateur standout Anthony Marsella Jr. (1-0) of Providence makes his Rhode Island debut against Philadelphia’s Bardraiel Smith (0-1) in a four-round junior welterweight bout and Worcester’s Jamaine Ortiz (2-0, 2 KOs) puts his unbeaten record on the line against veteran Isaiah Robinson (3-3, 2 KOs) of Durham, N.C.

New London, Conn., junior welterweight Cristobal Marrero (1-0, 1 KO) takes on Woburn, Mass., vet Bruno Dias (0-1) and junior welterweight Jonathan Figueroa (1-0, 1 KO) of Hartford, Conn., faces Florida’s Irvin Veloz, both in four-round bouts.

Visit www.cesboxing.com, www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.facebook.com/cesboxing for more information, follow CES Boxing on Instagram at @CESBOXING and use the hashtag #ChatmanGray to join the conversation.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Top Rank has signed Honduran Olympian Teofimo Lopez.

Lopez will make his professional debut in a four-round bout against an opponent to be determined on the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas undercard on Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

“He’s one of my homies,” Arum joked, because they are both originally from Brooklyn. “I think this kid is a real talent. The [matchmakers] are really high on him. He’s a real strong kid and has a really big future as a professional. He can fight. He’s a good fighter. If he wasn’t we wouldn’t have signed him, but it’s a shame he wasn’t part of the U.S. Olympic team. There’s amateur boxing politics.”

“I’ve sparred with a lot of pros,” Lopez said. “Sometimes they would invite me to go to their training camps, sometimes they were here in my area [in Florida]. I’ve been in training camp with Shawn Porter at the time he was fighting Keith Thurman, and Brad Solomon, helping them get ready for their fights, and they were both 20 pounds bigger than me.

“I also sparred with Guillermo Rigondeaux and Luke Campbell, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist. I’ve sparred with many, many, many professionals since I was 13 years old. I’m an entertainer — got to entertain! My style — I’m technical, very technical. I’m very smart when I’m in the ring, like Albert Einstein. I’m like a Sugar Ray [Leonard], Floyd Mayweather. I’m a boxer, but if the knockout comes, it comes.”

Arum said he might not be done yet signing 2016 Olympians.

“We may do a deal with one or two others but we’re not actively looking,” Arum said.

LOS ANGELES (October, 2016) – World rated by two of the big four boxing organizations, at #3 WBO and #5 by the IBF, Los Mochis, Sinaloa’s own Jose Felix Jr. makes his third outing this year against Alan Herrera (34-8, 22 KO’s) this Friday night at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City, California.

Coming off, a stoppage over the tough-as-nails Robert Frankel last August, Felix Jr. knows the importance of staying busy, specially knowing that a potential second shot at a world title looms in the near feature.

”He’s ready for a title fight as soon as possible. As soon as Top Rank offered this fight, Jose Agreed to it without even knowing who the opponent was” said Jasmine Alcorta who advises Felix Jr.

” He has the old school mentality where he’s ready to fight anyone at anytime. He’s already made it known that he is not only willing but wants to go to England to fight Terry Flanagan.” Added Alcorta.

”He’s coming back from his TKO on August 27th so is fighting twice in less than two months. ”

”All great fighters hone their skills and stay on top of everything by fighting often.” concluded Alcorta.

In Herrera, Felix Jr. faces a tough cookie, who record does not reflect the toughness of the fighter.

Felix Jr. vs. Herrera is Scheduled for ten heats of action in the Lightweight ranks.

The Mean Machine In Action

Fan-favorite, Egis “The Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas(14-0, 12 KO’s) co-features the card which will be televised through UNIMAS.
Russia’s, Maxim Dadashev (3-0, 3 KO’s) and Ukraine’sOleg Zubenko (2-0, 1KO) round out the Eastern block trio of fighters on the card.

In other action, Fresno’s Eric Altamirano (8-0, 6KOs), Coachella’s Alberto Fundora (8-0, 4KOs), and Victorville’s Ryan Garcia (5-0, 4KOs) will see action as well.

Valley Fight Night is presented by Top Rank in association with Bash Boxing and takes place this Friday, October 14th at the World Famous Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City, California.

Tickets starting at $50 can be purchased online at www.valleyfightnight.com or by calling (626) 388-8888.
Doors Open at 6:00pm; First Bout at 6:15pm. All bouts are subject to change.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undefeated Jose Ramrez will battle Gabriel Bracero on December 2nd on Unimas in Fresno, California.

“As Jose moves up the ladder to a world championship fight, his opponents will be getting better and the fights will be more difficult,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “But Top Rank believes Jose Ramirez will win a world title and bring it home to the Central Valley. To do that, he first has to get past Gabriel Bracero.”

“Gabe’s a much better fighter than a lot of people give him credit for,” said Lou DiBella, his promoter. “He has failed when he’s stepped up but he had his moments against Diaz and Malignaggi. He’s a tough guy. Ramirez is a good fighter but he’s untested. This is a test for the kid. It’s going to be a good scrap. It’s a good opportunity for Gabe and for the kid to test himself against a real opponent.”

“I’m happy that Bob and I were able to do things together,” DiBella said. “Bob and I talk regularly again and I think it’s good we can do some smaller stuff together, and I hope it’s a precursor to doing some bigger stuff together.”

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Oct. 10, 2016) – Undefeated Uprising Promotions middleweight Kemahl Russell (9-0, 7 KOs) is set for an Oct. 23rd ring return, facing Martez Jackson (3-1-2, 2 KOs) at the Shrine Temple in Macon, Ga.

“I want to thank Uprising Promotions and K’NRG Management for all of the hard work that they have been doing behind the scenes to help me advance my career,” Russell stated. “I plan on making them proud by getting the job done on October 23rd before moving onto my first title shot on December 3rd in front of my hometown of Kingston, Jamaica. I need all of my fans, countrymen and countrywomen to come out and support me on December 3rd. This is a huge opportunity for not only me but for all of Jamaica to showcase our national pride in front of an international audience on CBS Sports. I promise you all that I am going to make you proud when I win this title.”

Russell won the Jamaican edition of the Contender Boxing Series in 2015 when he stopped Richard Holmes in the fourth round of those finals. He earned his way into the Contender Finale with stoppage wins over Kevin Placide and Kevin Hylton before a unanimous decision victory over Devon Moncrieffe in the semifinals. Currently on a three-bout knockout streak, Russell has since stopped Hector Nava in Mexico before earning a TKO victory over 28-fight veteran Denny Dalton this past July in Jamaica.

“Everything has started to fall into place with Kemahl having some stability in his career,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “He has a reliable trainer now and is completely healthy, which are two of the most important factors for a fighter. We have a lot of things lined up for him as we remain focused on his future. Martez is tough and physical guy, so we know this fight will be a good test for Kemahl. However, we expect him to win convincingly and continue to move forward towards bigger and better things. After this fight, our entire focus shifts to him getting his first junior title in Jamaica on December 3rd.”

With Russell returning to the ring on Oct. 23rd before finishing off the year with a junior title opportunity in December, Uprising Promotions already has major 2017 plans for the young Jamaican middleweight that have begun to materialize as well.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC