David Murray stopped Maurice Amaro in the first round of their scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout featuring Philadelphia based fighters.

Murray dropped Amaro once and he finished him off with a flurry at 2:35.

Murray is 5-1. Amaro is 2-10.

Ricky Lopez won a six-round unanimous decision over Josue Bendana in a featherweight fight.

Lopez of Denver is now 17-4. Bendana of Nicaragua is 10-7.

Angel Pizarro won a four-round unanimous decision over Marquise Pierce in a bantamweight bout.

Pizarro, who was making his professional debut won by scores of 40-36 on all cards. Pierce is now 1-10.

John Joe Nevin remained perfect by winning a six-round unanimous decision over Jesus Lule in a super featherweight bout.

Scores were 60-54 on all cards for Nevin, who is now 8-0. Lule is 8-19.

Edgar Cortes won a four-round unanimous decision over Alex Barbosa in a featherweight bout.

Cortes won on all cards by a 40-36 tally and is now 3-3. Barbosa is 5-3.

Laurie Schiavo won a four-round split decision over Mary O’Leary in a battle of pro debuting flyweights.

Schiavo won two cards 40-36 and 39-37 while O’Leary took a card 39-37.

Lamont Capers won a six-round unanimous decision over Pedro Martinez in a heavyweight bout.

Capers won by scores of 59-55 on all cards and is now 7-8. Martinez of Philadelphia is 7-10.

Having had a week to consider his controversial decision loss to Kazakhstan’s Bakhtiyar Eyubov (11-0, 10 KOs), San Francisco welterweight Karim Mayfield says he’s not happy.

Fighting in the opening fight on ShoBox: The New Generation® last Friday, August 19, at Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, New York, Mayfield (19-4-1, 11 KOs) appeared to outpunch and outwork his unbeaten foe, especially in the last four rounds. Despite having the statistical advantage – and winning in the eyes of the Showtime commentators, most of the ringside media, the fans in attendance and a worldwide outcry – Mayfield found himself on the wrong side of a 10-round split decision (95-94 twice for Eyubov and 95-94 for Mayfield) at the end of their exciting battle.

“I’m pretty upset about it,” said Mayfield. “I trained hard for that fight. I was finally able to get a normal eight-week camp to train and train for a specific fighter. I haven’t had that in a long time. It felt great to be that focused, but to get it stolen from me is not a good feeling. A lot of time fighters lose and think they won, but this isn’t like that. The public agrees I won. The commentators say I won. I was robbed. I’m not just thinking this. It’s true I was robbed.”

Showing toughness, power and a high level of conditioning, Mayfield came on stronger and stronger as the grueling fight wore on. Despite the loss, it was a very impressive and career-rejuvenating performance against a foe who had knocked out all his previous opponents before the end of three rounds.

“I do feel proud of my performance. I showed I belong on the world-class level. I’ve always been a good fighter. But I feel it is imperative I be given a rematch against Eyubov. I feel like this is unfinished business. I didn’t lose because of a lack of skill. I had this stolen from me.”

Mayfield says if Eyubov won’t give him a rematch (he was non-committal post-fight), Showtime should have him back in a high-profile match-up.

“I deserve to be brought back. I’ve beaten some good guys. Eyubov is just one. I beat Mauricio Herrera. I beat Francisco Santana. I beat them and they got big opportunities. Give me a fair shake! I’ll fight anybody if the paper is right.”
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

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

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

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

Cohen currently promotes WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion Ismael Barroso, Undefeated WBA NABA Heavyweight Champion and world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and world-rated contender Robert Brant, former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as current world-rated contenders including long-time elite middleweight “Mean” Joe Greene, top super featherweight Arash Usmanee, Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis; WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Australian lightweight prospect Josh King.

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

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

Ricky Burns will defend his WBA World Super-Lightweight title against Kiryl Relikh at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Friday October 7, live on Sky Sports.

Burns landed the belt to become at three-weight World champion at the venue in May with a dominant eighth round stoppage win over Michele Di Rocco, adding the Super-Lightweight crown to his World titles at Super-Featherweight and Lightweight.

The Coatbridge star meets the dangerous unbeaten Belarussian who boasts a daunting record of 19 KOs from 21 fights, and Burns expects a serious test as he looks to line up a super-fight once he’s dealt with the 26 year old.

“My face at the end of the fight said everything – it meant so much to me that win and prove I still have so much to give,” said Burns. “It was great to be back in Glasgow and I said before I had to win to get those nights back again, not just for me but for the future of Scottish boxing.

“We have some talented kids coming through in Scotland and it’s important they get the chance to show what they can do live on Sky Sports.

“I put more pressure on myself in that fight than any other. I took plenty of stick before that as I was apparently finished and on the slide, everyone had written me off and it felt good to prove them wrong.

“I can’t thank my trainer Tony Sims enough for what he’s done, we’ve really worked hard together and when I was offered the Di Rocco fight – I grabbed it with both hands as I knew I could win.

“Relikh is a very tough fight as a first defence. He’s got a high KO ratio so he will be very dangerous throughout. Trust me he has my undivided attention and I will have to be at my best to get through this.

“There are some massive fights out there in the future against some huge names in the 140lbs division – but we’re taking it one step at a time, and that starts on October 7 at the Hydro.”

Relikh served notice of his World title credentials in his last three fights, landing the vacant Inter-Continental title in May with a second round stoppage over Lazaro Santos de Jesus in Bulgaria, defending it in October with a fifth round stoppage against Christian Ariel Lopez in Monaco and forcing Joaquim Carneiro to retire after four rounds in their clash for the belt in Bolton in May. The Ricky Hatton trained and promoted man has won his last 12 fights inside the distance, and Hatton believes Relikh will usurp Burns at the first hurdle.

“Kiryl is one of those cool, unflinching boxers – nothing fazes him,” said Hatton. “This is a big opportunity for him and he’s not bothered about being the underdog.

“Kiryl’s been training and boxing away from home for years so he’ll have no problem going to Scotland for the fight. I think having the crowd against him will bring the best out of him.

“Ricky Burns is a top class fighter. You don’t win three world titles by being anything less than world class, but there always has to be a changing of the guard and I think this could be Kiryl’s time.

“He’s been working with me in the gym for a while now and every day he’s been getting better and better so I believe people with be a little bit surprised with what they see when gets it on with Burns.”

A stacked undercard will support Burns’ clash with Relikh, with Scotty Cardle defending his British Lightweight title against Kevin Hooper, Commonwealth Games gold medal favourite Charlie Flynn tackling Manchester’s Kofi Yates, outings for Flynn’s Commonwealth Games teammate Joe Ham and Brixton’s Heavyweight star Dillian Whyte, plus more to be added.

An announcement on ticket details will be made next week.

ANAHEIM, CALIF. (August 25, 2016) – Former multiple division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Argentine slugger David Emanuel “El Pirata” Peralta went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they enter the ring Saturday night in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on Spike from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features a pair of exciting contests as exciting puncher Alfredo Angulo faces veteran Freddy Hernandez while unbeaten 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha battles the Bronx’s Steve Martinez.

The Premier Boxing Champions fighters were joined by Bellator MMA fighters participating in Friday night’s Bellator fight that is part of back-to-back nights of combat sport action on Spike as at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Tickets for the August 27 event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $31, $58, $108 and $203, plus applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster retail locations or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Honda Center Box Office.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

ROBERT GUERRERO

“I got a chance to size him up today. I saw how tall he is. Picking my spots – seeing where I have to go. After looking at him, I know he’s coming to fight. I’m expecting a war.

“Like all Argentine fighters, I know he’s got that hunger to prove he’s worthy of this big opportunity and make the most of it.

“The weigh-in is tomorrow and I’m just ready to fight. I’m focused and the fans can expect to see me leave everything in the ring like always.

“I’ve seen some tape on him. He’s one of those guys that is durable. A durable tall, lanky guy. His height is going to help him.

“I am expecting a tough fight for sure. This is like a world title shot for him. I don’t know what he is going to bring to the table and that is exciting for me.”

DAVID EMANUEL PERALTA

“This is the biggest fight of my career. It is very important. I have to go out there and put on a great show.

“I want to go down the same path as Marcos Maidana and Lucas Matthysse. They were given great opportunities in their careers and took advantage of them. I am going to take advantage of this opportunity.

“This is an opportunity to learn. Every fight and fighter is different. I have watched Guerrero fight, but every fighter is different. I have a gameplan to beat him.

“I am well prepared. I came here to fight. I am prepared to go the distance. I am going to throw a lot of punches, move around and be ready to get the decision.”

ALFREDO ANGULO

“I’m very excited to fight on Saturday night against Freddy Hernandez.

“With two Mexican warriors in the ring, the fans will be the true winners.

“I was off for a while but with my new trainer, Ramon Quirote, I feel much stronger and will fight like ‘El Perro’ of old with the same passion.

“The fans have always been great to me and I can’t wait to put on a performance for them.

“Right now I’m only focused on Freddy Hernandez then we will see who I can fight next.

FREDDY HERNANDEZ

“I’m anticipating a really great fight. I’m prepared, he’s prepared. It’s going to be a battle.

“Fans can expect someone that will step into the ring with attitude and bravery. I’m a guy that doesn’t hold back and Angulo better be ready.

“What’s my secret weapon? Chocolate cake.

“I’m just ready for this fight. I worked hard and any time two Mexicans get into the ring, it’s fireworks.”

TERRELL GAUSHA

“I had a different experience with the Olympics. I missed the trials. I was taking time off from boxing. I lost the passion for it a little bit and I took some time off, but I was able to fight for a spot on the team, and I wont every fight I was in leading into the Olympics.

“I am excited for this fight. I trained really hard. Sometimes you have to take chances. I am ready to be aggressive and I am ready to change up my style in order to counter him.

“I know this is going to be a tough fight. It is going to be my toughest fight to date. It is important for me to take a step up and show the world what I can do.

“I appreciate my fans for sticking with me. Without fans, there would be no boxing. I appreciate my fans and I want to go out there on Saturday night and give them a great show.

STEVE MARTINEZ

“Our fight is going to steal the show. I think its really competitive and exciting. We’re hungry. We came here to execute the game plan and win. It is going to be explosive.

“We trained hard. This is a big opportunity. This is a change-up fight for me and my team. We are focused – its tunnel vision until Saturday. On Spike you’re going to see that after our fight, he won’t be undefeated anymore.

“This is definitely the biggest fight of my career. It is going to open up big doors for me.

“My parents are big boxing fans. I watched boxing all my life. The minute I walked into the boxing gym, I never looked back.

“I don’t put any pressure on myself. We are going to execute the gameplan, win and represent the Bronx.”

# # #

FIGHT INFORMATION:
Tickets for the August 27 event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $31, $58, $108 and $203, plus applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster retail locations or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Honda Center Box Office.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @GhostBoxing @@SpikeTV, @SpikeSports @TGBPromotions, @HondaCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions.

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 25, 2016) – Buena Park, California’s rising knockout artist Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (14-0, 12 KOs), South Central Los Angeles, Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio (7-0, 4 KOs) and Tenochtitlan “T-Dog” Nava (2-0) today hosted a media workout at Azteca Boxing Club ahead of their fights on the September 2 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB. Gonzalez will be featured in the co-main event against Phoenix, Arizona’s Jonathan “Johnny” Corrales (8-3-2, 3 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout while Valerio and Nava will battle opponents in six-round featherweight and four-round lightweight bouts, respectively.

The Sept. 2 LA FIGHT CLUB cardwill kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month with an exciting Mexico vs. Puerto Rico main event betweenTijuana, Baja California, Mexico native Antonio “La Joya” Gutierrez (20-2-1, 9 KOs) and Manati, Puerto Rico’s Jorge “Destroyer” Melendez (28-6-1, 26 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight main event live from Downtown Los Angeles’ Belasco Theater.

Opening up the televised broadcast, rising lightweight star, Oscar Duarte (6-0-1, 3 KOs) of Parral, Mexico will participate in a scheduled six-round fight. Also, part of the undercard, and part of the RingTVLive.com stream beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, Lamont Roach, Jr. (11-0, 3 KOs), of Washington D.C. will represent the East Coast in a scheduled eight-round super featherweight battle against veteran fighter Mario Macias (28-19, 14 KOs) of Mexico City.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s media workout at Azteca Boxing Club:

CHRISTIAN “CHIMPA” GONZALEZ, Rising Lightweight Prospect:

“I know that my opponent on September 2 is a southpaw and this will be the first time in professional career that I’ve fought a southpaw. I only had about 18 amateur fights and only one time, I think, I fought a southpaw. It was awkward at first. We brought in different sparring partners and I got the hang of it towards the end. At first our feet would always crash, but I got more used to it like keeping my feet on the outside.

“I know my opponent will come prepared. I believe he is coming from a six-win streak. I don’t focus much on the record; I just come prepared to fight.

“It’s motivational to fight in Los Angeles at the Belasco Theater and see my fans showing support with my family there. It gives me the extra push sometimes when I’m at the gym and getting tired.

“I’m still young and learning but next year I’ll be fighting 10-rounds and getting more experience. Hopefully good things show up next year and maybe in two or three years I’ll be on to the next step.

“Usually throughout training camp I do six-rounds, eight-rounds and then two times during the camp I do a full 10-rounds of sparring. I’m always well prepared.

“I’m always looking for the knockout but my mindset is to be ready to go the distance. Don’t miss my fight September 2 – it’ll be a great fight.”

EDGAR “KID NEZA” VALERIO, Rising Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m mentally ready for this fight and I can’t wait to fight on September 2 at the Belasco Theater.

“I don’t know anything about my opponent but it really doesn’t matter. I will be ready for whatever they bring to the table.

“I’m excited about the fight. In order to stay in shape, I make sure to focus on conditioning and eating clean. It takes a lot of discipline to be ready to get into the ring. I really believe that boxing is a lifestyle; it takes a lot of commitment and determination to be at a top level and that is what I strive for. Stay fit, stay honest – to make sure I am ready to face anyone in the ring.”

TENOCHTITLAN “T-DOG” NAVA, Rising Lightweight Prospect:

“This is my third fight. It happened very quickly, and I’m happy with the pace of my career and where it is going. You have to keep getting more fights in.

“I learned a lot from my last fight to make sure I work in the inside with more uppercuts.

“We have been in the gym working hard and making sure to be very strict with my diet this time around. I feel very comfortable about how I feel physically for this fight.

“One thing I know is that this time around we will fight more intelligently.”

LA FIGHT CLUB: Gutierrez vs. Melendez, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD,” Casa Mexico Tequila and Carmelita Coconut Water. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, September 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT and will stream live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via LBI Media, Inc.’s multiplatform digital network Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB starting at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and Knockout Experience upgrade are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957 or by emailing LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com. Mark your calendars and purchase tickets in advance before they sell out for the remaining dates taking place September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2.

Media interested in attending the September 2 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are available here. The deadline to submit a credential application is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

New York (August 25,2016) -Split-T Management is pleased to announce the signing of amateur standout Mark Dawson to an exclusive managerial contract.

Dawson, 19 years-old of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will make his professional debut on Saturday night when he takes on Roque Zapeda (1-1-2) of Virginia in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Dawson had a distinguished amateur career that culminated in participating in the Olympic trials. Dawson never lost in the trials and was unlucky to suffer a cut after winning his first contest.

Dawson competed in 75 amateur fights and won the 2015 Youth National Championship, 2013 National Junior Olympics championship, 2013 Nation Silver Gloves championship, 2012 Junior National Silver Gloves championship & 2012 Junior National PAL championship. Dawson has competed in several major international tournaments.

“I feel good to finally sign professional and to be part of Split-T Managements stable of fighters,” said Dawson. “This is the next big chapter of my life and the beginning of my boxing legacy. I look forward to a shut out performance and showcasing my talent in the state of PA.”

Said Split-T Management CEO David McWater, “I’m incredibly excited about signing Mark Dawson. I’ve been watching him for the last couple of years and felt he was one of the very elite amateurs in the USA”.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (August 25, 2016) – The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF) has announced its six-member Class of 2016 to be inducted during the 12TH annual CBHOF Gala Induction Dinner on Friday night, November 4, in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun.

The new CBHOF 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 John “Duke” Lawson and Mashantucket Pequot Game & Athletic commissioner Kenny Reels.

“The Board of Directors of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame is very excited to announce this incredible class of inductees for 2016,” CBHOF president John Laudati said. “We anticipate a great crowd for our honorees at the induction ceremony on November 4th at Mohegan Sun. As always, our dinner is a wonderful coming together of the boxing community, friends and family.”

Montalvo and his wife, Sandra, moved to Stamford in 1980, training amateur fighters for the first 20 years in parks and in their backyard until relocating at the Union Memorial Church for seven years. Orlando was an amateur and professional boxer in his native Puerto Rico, traveling around the world to compete. He won 110 of 125 amateur matches and 22 of 29 as a professional with 18 knockouts, reaching a No. 10 rating in the junior middleweight division.

Yalen is best known, perhaps, as boxing director for ESPN and its popular Friday Night Fights series. He has also been a consultant for ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and Showtime. A recipient of the Boxing Writers Association of America’s Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, Yalen was associate editor of the Ring Record Book and FightFax. He was also Director of Sports & Entertainment at Mohegan Sun while one of the original CBHOF board members, contributing much to the success of its inaugural awards dinner.

Malone is the son of CBHOF inductee Sean Malone, Sr., who was inducted in 2011. He had a 23-6 (21 KOs) record. In 1992, he had one of his most notable victories against Greg Cadiz for the Nevada State light welterweight title. He also defeated Pat Ireland in 1993 for the New England welterweight crown.

Oliveira was an all-action fighter who set a record in a fight with Zack Padilla, in which they threw more than 1,000 combined punches. During his outstanding 15-year professional career, Oliveira defeated the likes of Vince Phillips, Vivian Harris, Tracy Spann and Charles Murray twice. Completing his career with a 47-11-2, Ray had a great chin and he wasn’t stopped prior to his loss to WBU light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton in 2004.

Involved in boxing for 60 years, Lawson was one of only 10 referees and judges selected by Willie Pep and Chico Vejar to work sanctioned bouts when boxing returned to Connecticut in the 1970s. Lawson was a judge for a world heavyweight title fight in Germany between Wladimir Klitschko and Francesco Pianetta. He was also involved in fights featuring world champions such as Roy Jones, Jr., “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler, Joe Calzaghe, Chad Dawson, Antonio Tarver and Zab Judah. Lawson served 20 years with the Waterbury police department.

Reels was appointed by the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming & Athletic Commission in 2009 to oversee boxing and MMA at Foxwoods. Known for his caring about the health and safety of boxers, Reels followed CBHOF inductee Peter Timothy. Reels has received countless awards and honors for his humanitarian work and commitment to human values, interests and concerns.

Tickets for the CBHOF 12th annual Gala Induction Dinner, reasonably priced at $90.00, will soon go on sale and be available to purchase by calling Kim Baker at Mohegan Sun (1.860.862.7377) or Sherman Cain at the Manchester Journal Inquirer (1.800.237.3606 X321). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET, cocktails from 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET (cash bar), followed by a full sit-down dinner.

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

Bayonne, New Jersey (August 25, 2016)-A full nine-bout card is set for LGM Promotions exciting show this Saturday night at the BCB Pavillion in Bayonne, New Jersey

In the main event, it will be a battle of New Jersey based welterweights as Alex Perez (18-2, 10 KOs) will take on Juan “The Beast” Rodriguez (12-4, 5 KOs) in a bout scheduled for eight rounds and will be contested for the IBU World Welterweight title.

This will be Newark native Perez’ return to the ring after an eighteen-month layoff.

Perez, 34 years-old turned professional in 2004 and won his first 16 bouts. He has solid wins over Edy Chavez (1-0), Josh Sosa (10-1) and Francisco Figueroa (20-3). On March 14, 2009 Perez captured the WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation Welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Laureano Laracuente at the Coliseo Luis Aymat in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico.

Perez was last seen in the ring, losing to Brandon Adams in the acclaimed Boxcino tournament on February 13, 2015 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The 29 year-old Rodriguez, hailing from Union City, New Jersey turned professional in 2009 and won his first 11 bouts.

All four of Rodriguez’ defeats have come to undefeated fighters.

In his last bout, he was stopped by Ivan Golub on January 16 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

In six-round bouts:

Tyrell Wright (8-0-1, 6 KOs) of Jersey City, NJ will rematch Nicholas Thompson (5-1, 5 KOs) of Burlington, NC in a heavyweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Darren Goodall (3-0, 2 KO’s) of New Milford, NJ battles Jhaquis Davis (0-3) of Missouri City, Texas in a middleweight fight

Magdiel Cotto (4-0, 4 KO’s) of Comerio, Puerto Rico fights pro debuting Jermaine Corley of Concord, NC in a middleweight affair.

Egomir Plevako (2-2, 1 KO) of Kharkik, Ukraine will take on Kenny Cruz (0-1-1) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico in a heavyweight fight.

Caleb Hernandez (2-0, 1 KO) of Paterson, New Jersey battles Lamont White (0-2) of Washington, DC in a welterweight bout.

Leon Johnson (1-0, 1 KO) of Newark, New Jersey will fight Alando Pugh (1-8-1) in a heavyweight tussle.

John Bauza (2-0, 2 KO’s) of North Bergen, New Jersey will square off with Jose Carmona (1-5, 1 KO) of Puerto Rico in a lightweight affair.

Luis Perozo (2-0, 1 KO) will fight Alexander Foster (0-1) of Alexandria, VA in a lightweight bout.

Special guests in attendance will be for two-time cruiserweight world champion Steve ” USS” Cunningham, Chuck Wepner, Bryant “By By” Jennings, current WBA Super Featherweight world champion Jason Sosa and other boxing personalities

Tickets prices are $125 for VIP Table; $65 for Ringside; $55 for General ringside and $40 for General Admission and can be purchased by visiting: www.lgmpromo.eventbrite.com

Doors open at 6 PM ET, with the first being starting at 6:30 PM.

The BCB Pavillion is located at 301 Chosin Few Way in Bayonne, New Jersey

Philadelphia, PA (August 25, 2016)–Undefeated super lightweight prosepct Milton Santiago Jr.will see a lot of familiar faces when he takes on Ken Alvarez at the SugarHouse Casino this Friday night in Philadelphia.

Santiago, still just nineteen years-old, will headline for the first time since his professional debut 30 months ago as he has established himself as a big ticket seller in the Philadelphia.

According to his handlers at Battlestrong Boxing, this is by far the most tickets that young Santiago has sold in what will be his 15th outing.

“The demand has been off the charts, ” said Santiago’s co-manager Moz Gonzalez. Gonzalez, along with his partner Eddie Woods are scrambling around looking for more tickets for Santiago’s many fans.

“It is a great problem to have. We sold out our allotment of tickets very quickly and we are looking for tickets as we keep taking calls from people who want to come on Friday.”

“Everything is good. I am on weight, and now I am getting ready for the fun part and that is to fight,” said Santiago.

In Alvarez, he is fighting a capable opponent who has a record of 7-4-2 with three knockouts. Alvarez was undefeated in his first eight bouts that included big wins over undefeated Kevin Nieves (6-0) and Israel Arellano (7-1).

“I know he is from the Dominican Republic. He is tough, In-shape and comes to fight, so I have to be prepared for anything.”

Santiago is excited to once again have top-billing. He cites many reason’s for the extreme interest in this bout.

“It feels awesome to be the headliner. Everyone is coming to watch you, and it’s a blessing and I know have to show the people what I got. It’s terrific to be the first headliner at the SugarHouse. I feel that Philly fans come to support their own. My record is continuing to grow and be built and I am back with my father training me, so I think there are plenty of good reasons for the great support I will have on Friday.”

Santiago expects to fight a couple more times this year and with a big win on Friday, he sees the competition to be stepped and bigger rewards on the way.

“I am hoping to fight for a small title by the end of the year. Then next year, I am looking to get ranked and fighting ten round bouts. All that will help my name get out more. I just want to thank everyone for their support and I am looking to impress everybody.

WBA Super Middleweight champion Giovanni De Carolis will rematch Tyron Zeuge on November 5 in Potsdam, Germany, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Their first bout ended in a draw.

“The first fight was a great advert for boxing,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “Tyron deserves a lot of credit for finishing the fight the way he did with an injury. He may have missed out on the belt, but that night, he proved to me that he has what it takes to win a world title. On Nov. 5, I believe we will have a new world champion.”

“I’m very happy that my promoter Team Sauerland has delivered me this rematch,” the 24-year-old Zeuge said. “It was a pity that I injured myself in first fight, and I believe this cost me the world title. However, this time, I will prove that injury free I am the better boxer, and I will be crowned world champion in Potsdam.”

“As a champion you must be ready for any challenge,” De Carolis, 32, said. “The first fight was close, but I felt I did enough to win. Initially, I had some problems with his speed and agility, but little by little, I was able to adjust and ended the fight in full control. On Nov. 5, I will continue where I left off and defend my world title.”

Frank Warren yesterday announced a blockbuster double main event bill for Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday October 22nd, featuring the mandated British Title showdowns between Chris Eubank Jr and Tommy Langford; and Liam Williams and Ahmet Patterson.

The purse bid for the Eubank and Langford’s British Middleweight title bout was won by Frank Warren earlier this month and will mark a huge opportunity for ‘The Baggies Bomber’ Langford who has sparred Eubank Jr in the past.

The WBO #2 ranked Langford said: “We’ve sparred in the recent past and, though you can’t take too much into that, I know what he does well and what he doesn’t do well and believe my style exploits his. Sure, Chris Jr is dangerous but Billy Joe Saunders exposed his limitations with his quality and movement. I know I’ve got the tools to beat him.

“I’m delighted that he’s stepped up to face me after fears he could vacate.”

British Super-Welterweight Champion and local hero Liam Williams will be looking to continue his scintillating form after dispatching another unbeaten domestic rival in Gary Corcoran with a late KO in July.

The Welshman sold close to 2000 tickets personally for that event and is building a sizeable following in his homeland.

Patterson, the reigning IBF Intercontinental Champion is set to provide the toughest test of Williams’s career to date, and both men will see this for an opportunity to put themselves in line for a World Title Challenge next year.

Also featured on the bumper card will be Bradley Skeete’s British Welterweight Title defence against Mandatory challenger Shayne Singleton.

Whilst Tom Stalker and Craig Evans will get it on again for a third time after two hugely entertaining drawn contests in Liverpool , as Stalker puts his WBO European Title up for grabs.

Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster.co.uk and Eventim.co.uk from £40.

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions, will televise this fight live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415, Freeview 255 and also on smart connected devices via multiple platforms. Go to www.boxnation.com to see how you can watch this fight and more live!

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:
Thank you very much. Thank you to all the media. [SPEAKING IN SPANISH]. We are here for the Canelo Alvarez-Liam Smith conference call.

First of all, we want to thank you and welcome the two-time world champion Canelo Alvarez who has a record of 47-1, and won with 33 knockouts.

On September 17th over Mexican Independence weekend, Canelo Alvarez will make his long-anticipated return to Texas to fight Liam Smith who has a record of 23-0 with 13 knockouts, and that will be for the WBO Junior Middleweight Junior championship title at the famed AT&T Stadium, home of America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys.

Texas has been a natural choice for us, and for all Texas fans who love Canelo Alvarez, and the fan base are some of the most loyal for every fight. The fans have shown up in huge crowds wearing red and green, cheering Canelo and chanting his name.

Texas is Canelo’s home away from home, and Canelo versus Smith will be a homecoming celebration for Canelo. We have witnessed some of Canelo’s most epic fights in Texas, from his match with Austin Trout at the Alamo Dome where he filled up 45,000 seats, and obviously when he fought James Kirkland, which was named Knockout Of The Year, at the Minute Maid Park in front of 31,000 screaming fans.

So Cowboys Stadium is a stadium created for larger-than-life fighters, just like Canelo. And the two other fights that have been fought there were headlined by legendary Manny Pacquiao.

We’re excited to announce that ticket sales are going extremely, extremely well. It’s outpacing Manny Pacquiao’s last two fights, which we’re extremely excited about knowing that we will have a full house at the Cowboys Stadium. Tickets are still available, priced from $750 all the way down to $40.

I would like to thank our sponsors, Tecate Cerveza Born Bold and Casa Mexico Tequila. Thank you for your continued support.

And obviously if you can’t be with us live in Dallas, this fight will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View, which is our exclusive and proud partner for this event.

We’re extremely proud and excited to have Canelo Alvarez headline Mexican Independence Day weekend, and this is only the beginning for Canelo Alvarez headlining special weekends for many years to come. So it’s a perfect fit that we stage this fight in Texas to be shown across the globe.

At this time, I would like to introduce to you one of the team members who makes everything happen, who gets Canelo in shape, who has the strategy, who has been doing a wonderful job with his premier. I would like to introduce to you a man they call “Chepo,” and that is Jose “Chepo” Reynoso. Chepo?

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager and Trainer to Canelo Alvarez (Via Translator):

We’re very excited. We’re very relaxed right now, but we’re very excited in anticipating with a lot of enthusiasm September 17 so that all the fans can celebrate and say “viva Mexico,” “viva Canelo.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you. And next I would like to introduce to you the man who trains him, the man who gets on the mitts with him, strategizes. If you look at Canelo’s last fights, he’s been growing, he’s been improving. He’s only getting better. And Canelo is a fighter who wants to be the very best, and he will stop at nothing to get to that goal of his.

So next up I would like to introduce to you the trainer, Eddy Reynoso. Eddy?

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer to Canelo Alvarez (Via Translator):

Good afternoon, everybody, and what can I say? We’re three weeks out from the fight. We’re very happy. Canelo’s been working very, very hard. He’s looking great, and we can’t wait for September 17th.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Without further ado, I’d like to now introduce to you the former two-time world champion. Since the age of 15, when he turned pro, he’s accumulated a record that is bar none, like no other in boxing today.

At the tender age of 26, he’s already fought the very best fighters out there there is to fight, and the best is yet to come. Fighters like “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather, fighters like Alfredo Angulo, Miguel Cotto, fighters like Erislandy Lara, fighters like Austin Trout.

I believe there is no fighter today at the age of 26 who has fought so many ex-world champions and current world champions.

So he hails out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, with a record of 47-1 and 33 knockouts. It’s my pleasure to you to introduce Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

CANELO ALVAREZ, Former Two-Division World Champion (Via Translator):

Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you, all, for being on the call. Thank you for the support for this fight, for supporting me. This is going to be a great event, and you don’t want to miss it. Thank you all for participating on this call.

Q. Canelo, I just wanted to ask you how much have you studied Liam Smith? And from your perspective, why is this the right fight for you at this time?

CANELO ALVAREZ: Yes, I have looked at him, and the style more than anything is what we like. He’s a good fighter, he’s a champion. He’s very strong. He’s got a Mexican style, you know, a guy that stands there and likes to exchange punches, so that’s one of the things that attracted us to the fight.

And, you know, part of the reason for choosing him is he’s a world champion. I want to win another world title in my weight class, 154. Then after that we’ll see what’s available.

Q. When you look at him, he does seem like he’s very aggressive. Do you think that aggression will exist knowing that he’s fighting you?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): No, I don’t think he’s going to change his style. I think he’s going to do what he does best — be aggressive, throw combination, keep coming forward. That’s what he does best. But, obviously, for me, I’m always ready for any style. I prepare myself for any style and I’ll be ready for anything.

Q. It’s been a long time since a Mexican fighter has been the A side of the equation promoting a promotion on Mexican Independence. How do you feel, and was that your goal? And now that you’ve reached your goal, are you happy?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): His answer was yes, I’m very excited. Very excited. I’m happy. It’s an honor for me to represent my country. This is what I wanted. These are the dates that are important for our country, for Mexicans, and I’m here and I’m going to take every advantage of it.

Q. First of all, did you see the Olympics, and what do you think about the critics? There are a lot of critics in Mexico that criticized a lot of the athletes for their performances. Do you think it’s something that’s right or do you think it’s changed?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): Yes, it’s unfortunate, but that happens a lot in Mexico. They criticize the athletes. The athletes are the ones that pretty much put Mexico on the map internationally, and it’s a shame that some things they get criticized so harshly. It’s something that should change, and I think if we were all supporting each other, we’d be in a better place.

Q. Canelo, I wonder what your thoughts are about fighting in Texas again.

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): I feel very happy. For me, I’ve always been treated very, very well, a warm reception each time I fight in Texas. For me, the most important thing is to give them a good fight and that’s what I want to do. I want to give them a good fight. They’ve always treated me well in Texas, and I love being in Texas.

Q. Have you seen AT&T Stadium yet? What are your impressions of it?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): It’s very impressive, very, very impressive how big it is. And the big screen, and it’s very, very beautiful. It’s impressive and it motivates me. It motivates me just imagining how it’s going to be on September 17th. It’s something that gets me really excited, and I can’t wait. I can’t wait to get out there and fight.

Q. Eric, you were just talking about the fans. Basically they’re tough on their own people over there in Mexico. So that’s kind of what I’ve always thought. Can you ask him when the decision was made for him to not fight Golovkin until September of next year, can you ask if he was concerned about how his fans might react, and has he received any negative feedback for not fighting Golovkin sooner?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): Yeah, you know, there’s always going to be critics. They’re always there, and it’s something that’s part of it. It’s part of the business. Obviously there’s good critics sometimes and there’s bad critics. But the most important thing is it doesn’t faze me. It doesn’t faze me. That’s fine, I’m used to it now, and I’ve got to do what’s best for my career.

Q. Oscar, I think most people will figure that the decision to wait until next year for Golovkin was probably yours. How tough was it to make that decision knowing that — because we all know how people are, whether it’s fair or it’s not, with social media today, right away you’re going to have people saying, oh, he’s ducking Golovkin, blah, blah, blah. How tough was it to make the decision to wait another year?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, it’s basically the team’s decision, you know? I mean, Canelo knows his body. His trainers know his body, and the bottom line is Canelo is a 154-pound fighter. The fact that he fought at 155, people expect him to go up and fight at middleweight, and that’s not the case. He’s a 54-pounder, and he’s going to go up to 160 when his body feels ready.

People will always talk and will always want the very best when you are on top of the world, and that’s what Canelo is right now. He’s on top. He is the star fighter in boxing, and people want him to fight the very best. And he has always fought the very best. And fighting a Golovkin is going to be no exception. He’s going to fight him, but when he’s ready to move up to 160.

Q. This is Liam Smith’s first fight abroad. Does it give you an advantage that you’re used to fighting in front of the big crowds in America?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): I really don’t think about that. It’s something that really doesn’t cross my mind. I’m preparing for the best possible Liam Smith there is. I don’t think about the crowd. I don’t think about people cheering. I just go up there, and my focus is to get the job done.

Q. Do you think that for Liam Smith it benefits him to stand toe to toe and fight you toe to toe, knowing that you’re a very big puncher yourself, very powerful? Do you think it’s something that will be an advantage, or do you think he should maybe change his game plan?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): No, that’s his style. That’s what he’s going to do. He’s a guy that’s very strong as well. He’s a strong puncher and throws combination and he’s aggressive. So I’m preparing for the best possible Liam Smith there is. I’m going to go with my game plan. He can go with his game plan, and may the better man win.

Q. What do you think about the story about the bronze medalist out of Mexico? He won the bronze medal in boxing. He told a story about having to raise money for himself to go to Brazil and there wasn’t really too much support from the government.

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): It’s very sad, it’s very sad, but it’s common in Mexico. The support for boxing itself is not very good, and boxing has given Mexico many world champions. It’s got a great history, but it’s sad. It’s unfortunate. It happened to me when I was an amateur. That’s part of the reason I became a pro because the support wasn’t really there. So it’s very, very sad and hopefully it can change.

Q. There’s always a tendency to criticize your opponents. It doesn’t matter who you fight. They’re always criticizing, whether the guy’s too big, he’s too small, he’s not at your level. They’re always criticizing him. Do you get tired of that?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): No, look, it’s always going to be there. I’m used to it. All I can do is worry about winning the fight and studying my opponent so there are no surprises, and that’s what I worry about.

Q. Obviously you’re fighting this fight with Liam Smith, if you win the fight, are you planning on defending the title or will you start making your move to 160 and start preparing for Golovkin?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): I can’t keep fighting this fight thinking about Golovkin. I’m preparing for Liam Smith. That’s what’s important to me. My train of thought is not to see what’s down the line. I’ve got to get ready for the fight. This is a real fight. I’m not the one that has to prepare for Golovkin. He better prepare for me.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Yes, that’s correct. This is a tough fight with Liam Smith. It’s not a walk-over fight. It’s a tough fight. And first things first, we’ve got to get past him and then we’ll deal with future fights. But as of right now, everything is geared to fighting against Liam Smith and being successful.

Q. Oscar, if you could clarify what the building is scaled for, what AT&T Stadium is scaled for? Is it going to be full capacity? Is it scaled back a little bit? Do you know the exact number?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: I don’t know the exact number. I do know that the building can be scaled for as many as over 80,000 people. So, like I said, ticket sales are going incredibly well. We’re outpacing the last two Manny Pacquiao fights that were held at AT&T Stadium. So Jerry Jones is extremely happy. The fans are happy. We’re happy. And I’m sure that Canelo and Liam Smith are going to be really happy when they see the turnout at the arena.

Q. Oscar, if you do a number better than the Pacquiao fights, which would be a very big number, how encouraging would that be for you to go back maybe immediately to Cowboys Stadium for the next fight?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, I mean, look, it would be very impressive. But at this point nothing surprises me with Canelo. Like I said, he’s only getting better. He has a tremendous fan base, and ticket sales show it. He has millions and millions of fans around the world, and ticket sales are proving that.

So I believe that it’s not if he outsells the Pacquiao fights at the AT&T arena. I think the question is going to be when he outsells the Pacquiao ticket sales at the arena. I strongly believe that at the age of 26 years old, Canelo is a bigger star and a better fighter compared to any fighter out there today.

Q. Oscar, would you say if Canelo sells out AT&T, would that be kind of a passing of the torch basically from you to him as the certified Mexican star?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, the passing of the torch has already taken place. With Mayweather being retired and Pacquiao being retired, Canelo is the face of boxing now. He’s proven it with ticket sales. He’s proven it with Pay-Per-Views, and he’s going to prove it once again by outselling Manny Pacquiao at the AT&T arena.

So I believe this is just the beginning for Canelo, and he has a long future ahead for himself. We can’t wait to be part of it.

Q. What is it about Texas that does good business for y’all? Because I’ve been going to fights since the Trout one before he even fought Mayweather, and he sold that out. So I’m looking for the 85,000. What is that connection? Can you talk about the connection that Canelo has with the Texas people?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, Texas loves Canelo. Texas loves boxing. I mean, just like any other part of the world, people love Canelo and they want to see Canelo because he brings excitement to the sport. He brings exciting fights.

And this fight here with Liam Smith is going to be a toe-to-toe, “right in the center of the ring” type of action fight. That’s why people love Canelo. He works hard, he’s a serious fighter, and he brings a lot of action to the table.

Q. Canelo, do you feel super comfortable when you fight in Texas? Because it seems like your best performances, couple of your best performances I’ve been here, with the Trout fight and the Kirkland fight, and it seems you don’t mind getting into the toe-to-toe war and giving us what we want, a spectacular knockout. Is that your mindset heading into this fight with Smith September 17th?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): I feel happy. I feel very happy and comfortable fighting there. Yes, I’ve had some very good performances. September 17th is not going to be an exception. I’m looking for another great performance. I just feel very happy with the reception I get in Texas. It feels very good being there.

Q. Oscar, I know that there have been some recent Pay-Per-Views that have struggled, talking about Crawford-Postol, and even going back to Mayweather-Berto, didn’t really do that well. What do you expect for this show in terms of Pay-Per-View numbers? Do you think it will exceed Canelo’s fight against Amir Khan, which did about I think like 600,000 Pay-Per-Views?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, we can’t really tell how many.

ERIC GOMEZ, Senior Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions: Well, first of all, that number’s wrong, Mitchy. It wasn’t that much for the Kahn fight. But go ahead, Oscar.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: We really can’t say how many Pay-Per-Views he’s going to sell, but we’re expecting a big number as always. We strongly feel that Canelo’s star power is only growing. And as we get closer to the fights, we’ll have a better indication.

But we always gauge our numbers by how many tickets we’re selling in the arena. And as you know, we’re outpacing Manny Pacquiao in ticket sales at the AT&T Arena. So we expect a really strong number come September 17.

Q. Liam Smith, a lot of people stateside don’t know him or haven’t heard of him, so he doesn’t really have a big name, though we know he’s a champion and undefeated. Are you preparing differently for this fight knowing that you’re fighting a guy like that?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): Look, whether people consider if he has a name or not, he’s still a very good fighter. He’s a champion and he’s undefeated for the right reasons. So I’m preparing like I always do, 100%. I’m getting ready for this fight. I’ll be prepared for everything. I just don’t want any surprises, but this is going to be a tough fight.

Q. What are the plans right now, if there are any, involving Billy Joe Saunders?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, there are no plans right now. The only plan that we have is to stage an exciting event September 17th. Like I said before, if everything goes well, then September 18th we’ll start getting to work once again to see what’s next for Canelo.

Q. I understand that the focus is always on the fight right in front of you. But Gomez had said that the hope was still to go forward with Billy Joe Saunders for a future fight. So, again, I ask you, is that still the plan after this fight, to go forward with Billy Joe Saunders as the next fight?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: There is a possibility, but right now the focus 100% is on Liam Smith.

Q. Okay. What in your mind is the difference between Canelo, who you said is a 154-pounder right now, and being physically ready to fight Billy Joe Saunders next, and not Gennady Golovkin?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Well, like I said, our focus and Canelo’s focus is fighting at 154, and after this fight his team and ourselves will sit down and discuss future opponents.

Q. Oscar, we talked a little bit about the Pay-Per-View, and Golden Boy always has this standard for great undercards with their shows. With a lot of the struggles with Luis Ortiz and Billy Joe Saunders, do you guys feel this undercard will give the fans more than they can expect with fights like Gabriel Rosado and Willie Monroe being put together? Do you feel this undercard will be able to hold up to the standard of regular Golden Boy undercards?

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Absolutely. We at Golden Boy pride ourselves in giving the fans the most exciting and the best fights possible, and that’s exactly what we’ve put together. See, the fight fans in Dallas, Texas, or across the globe want to see action, and that’s what Canelo brings to the table. Canelo brings action, excitement, and our undercards are obviously no exception. Our undercards are always full of excitement and great fights.

Q. Canelo, fighting in Texas has been a lot of great Mexican fighters, Oscar himself, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez. You yourself are the next great Mexican fighter up. Is there any added pressure for you, not just fighting in Texas, but living up to the Mexican tradition and performing well and delivering a great fight in Texas?

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): I don’t feel any pressure whatsoever. The only pressure I have for any of my fights is just to prepare 100%. That’s it. That’s been my mindset, to be ready and prepare 100%. That’s where I get my confidence. But none of that stuff really pressures me. I want to do my best and give a great performance.

As far as being the next great from Mexico, no, I don’t really think about that. It’s no pressure whatsoever, as long as I’m doing my job.

THE MODERATOR: We are ready for closing comments.

CANELO ALVAREZ (Via Translator): I just want to thank everybody for participating on this call. Thank you for the support as always, and I’ll see you guys September 17th. We’ll see each other really soon.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: Thank you very much. We will see you all the week of September 17th, and we’re looking forward to an exciting event. Like I said, tickets are still available. They are going fast, and, again, outpacing the Manny Pacquiao fights. And Jerry Jones is excited, I’m excited, and we can’t wait. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Canelo vs. Smith, a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Frank Warren and Canelo Promotions. Gabriel Rosado vs. Willie Monroe, Jr. is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Banner Promotions and Diego De La Hoya vs. Luis Orlando Del Valle is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Roc Nation Sports. The event is sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD,” O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, September 17 at AT&T Stadium, doors open at 2:30 p.m. CT. and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, $85, $50 and $40, not including applicable service charges with a total ticket limit of 8 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Additionally, walk up purchases are available at the AT&T Stadium Box Office (Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. CT to 5:00 p.m. CT).

B-roll and images of the fighters are available for use and download HERE or by copying and pasting:bit.ly/CaneloSmith. Video and photo credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions.

LOS ANGELES (August 24, 2016) Boxing’s Two Best Pound-For-Pound Fighters and two of the sport’s biggest stars, Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, (35-0, 32KO’s) and WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, (45-0, 38 KO’s), hosted Joint Media Workouts yesterday from their training camps at the The Summit High Altitude Training Facility in Big Bear Lake, California.

Joining them was Golovkin’s trainer, 2015 Trainer of the Year, Abel Sanchez, Gonzalez’s manager Carlos Blandon along with K2 Promotions’ Managing Director Tom Loeffler.

Golokvin is preparing for a highly anticipated showdown with Undefeated IBF Welterweight World Champion, “The Special One” Kell Brook, (36-0, 25 KO’s), on September 10 at The 02 in London, England.

Gonzalez is training for an extraordinary fourth divisional world title challenge as he moves up to the super flyweight division to challenge WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Carlos “Principe” Cuadras, (35-0-1, 27 KO’s) also on Saturday, September 10 at The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles.

The four undefeated world champions, boasting a combined record of 151-0-1 with 122 knockouts provide a spectacular telecast for HBO of undefeated, world-class talent. The London fight will be telecast live on HBO World Championship Boxing from the O2 at 5:30 p.m. ET/PT and the doubleheader from the Forum in Inglewood starts at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The primetime presentation will also feature a replay of Golovkin vs. Brook from earlier in the day.

Photos Courtesy/Michael Sterling Eaton, Neo Nostalgia

Below are quotes from the participants;

GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN
“Right now my focus is on Kell Brook, he signed the contract and that’s who I’m ready to fight, I have a great deal of respect for him.”

“This is my first fight in England and I’m very excited to fight in a new country.”

“Yes I want to unify the middleweight division titles but I don’t know if WBO Champion Billy Jo Saunders will fight me.”

“Move up to 168 for what, who is going to fight me there, which champion at that weight
will agree to fight me for a big fight.”

“Right now I make 160 easily so I’m comfortable here, look at me I’m regular size middleweight.”

“Just too much talking about fighting me, Canelo, Eubank, Saunders, Froch they are acting like clowns with no respect for the sport. I’m here now, sign the contract and fight me, any of them, doesn’t matter which one.”

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ
“I love it up here in Big Bear, training at the home base of Gennady Golovkin. I would like to train here for all my future fights.”

“It’s a blessing to be up here, running with Gennady in the morning, he’s a great person.”

“My weight is not a problem, moving up to super flyweight, the extra three pounds helps me.”

“Yes, Cuadras talks a lot, but I don’t take it personally, if that’s what he has to do to pump himself up, it’s no problem for me. I’ll be ready to fight on September 10th.”

“Just this fight is my focus, I’m not thinking about any other fights in the future, Cuadras is an
undefeated world champion who I respect greatly. It’s a very tough fight for me.”

“Thanks to God for allowing me to fight on HBO and to be named the #1 Pound-For-Pound Fighter, I never dreamed this would happen.”

“I dedicate this fight to my mentor Alexis Arguello, I know how badly he wanted a fourth divisional championship and I want to do this for him.”

“I love fighting at The Forum, I feel very comfortable there knowing that Alexis had success there.”

ABEL SANCHEZ, Trainer of Golovkin
“For Gennady, he just wants to fight. Doesn’t matter where the ring is, it will be the same size
as it is here.”

“Kell Brook stepped up instead of talking about it. He’s never lost and those are the toughest fighters.”

“Our training camp has been great, our three sparring partners, Darnell Boone, Dashon Johnson and Kenny McNeil have done an excellent job preparing Gennady for Kell Brook and Gennady and I have to give them a great deal of credit.”

CARLOS BLANDON, Manager of Gonzalez
“It’s an honor and a blessing from God to train here in Big Bear at Gennady’s gym.”

“We are just focused on this fight and will make a decision afterwards for future fights.”

“Thanks to HBO, K2 Promotions, Teiken Promotions we are very happy with all the great things happening for Roman.”

TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 Promotions
“Thank you all for coming to the Big Bear Media Day for the two best fighters in the world, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.”

“On September 10th we have four undefeated world champions with a combined record of 151-0-1 with 122 knockouts, live on HBO, not PPV in the United States.”

“Golovkin vs. Brook will be telecast live on HBO from The O2 in London, which sold out with 18,000 tickets in one day, at 2:30 p.m. PT and will be shown on the Terrace at The Fabulous Forum before the doors open at 4:30 p.m. PT. The tailgate party at the venue will start at 2:00 p.m. PT and we encourage fight fans to come early and enjoy the festive atmosphere which our events have become known for at The Fabulous Forum.”

“The event at The Fabulous Forum features a sensational undercard including undefeated female prospect Seniesa Estrada. HBO will kick off their telecast at 7:00 p.m. PT with the rematch of Yoshihiro Kamegai vs Jesus Soto Karass from their first Fight of the Year candidate in April of this year in Los Angeles.”

“After the outstanding main event between “Chocolatito” and Cuadras, HBO will re-air the Golovkin vs. Brook fight. It’s really an outstanding tripleheader and the biggest day of international boxing this year.”

“Tickets starting at $25 for The Fabulous Forum event can be purchased through Ticketmaster.”

SOCIAL MEDIA: For more information, visit www.MatchroomBoxing.com www.K2Promos.com, www.HBO.com/boxing, www.SkySports.com, and www.theo2.co.uk

Follow on Twitter for Gennady “GGG” Golovkin @GGGBoxing, Kell Brook at @SpecialKBrook, Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions @TomLoeffler1, Eddie Hearn @EddieHearn and Matchroom Boxing @MatchroomBoxing in addition to HBO Boxing @HBOBoxing and Sky Sports Boxing @SkySportsBoxing.

Use the hashtag #GGGBrook to join the conversation on social media.

Also follow on Twitter for Roman Gonzalez @ChocolatitoBox, Carlos Cuadras @CuadrasOficial,
@ Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions @TomLoeffler1, the Forum @theForum and HBO Boxing @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/ChocolatitoOfficial, www.facebook/CarlosCuadras, www.facebook.com/TheForum and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Use the hashtag #ChocolatitoCuadras to join the conversation on social media.

Mashantucket, CT (8/24/16) – Looking to add to its ever growing stable of young, up-and-coming talent, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) has announced the signing of undefeated Spanish prospect Jon Fernandez (L in photo) and Puerto Rican amateur standout Jose Roman to exclusive long-term promotional contracts. Both Fernandez and Roman will be making their DBE debuts on the upcoming special edition Broadway Boxing card in the Premier Ballroom at the beautiful Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT, next Thursday, September 1. Broadway Boxing is proudly sponsored by Nissan of Queens, OPTYX, Azad Watches, and Christos Steakhouse.

“I am happy to be coming back to Foxwoods with another great card, and to have the opportunity to showcase these two new additions to the DBE roster,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Promoting Sergio Martinez was one of the highlights of my career and I am proud to say that he and I have forged a lifelong friendship. Sergio told me that Jon is one of the best young fighters he has seen in a very long time, and I look forward to helping build the career of Jon Fernandez here in the States with my friend and great champion Maravilla.”

Regarding Roman, DiBella continued, “Jose Roman was a terrific amateur, and gained invaluable experience fighting on the Puerto Rican national team. He was one of the most sought out amateurs on the island and we are thrilled for him to call DBE his home. We are looking forward to featuring him in the US, as well as in Puerto Rico, and building him in front of the huge Puerto Rican fan base here on the East Coast.”

At just 20 years of age, the junior lightweight Fernandez (8-0, 6KO’s) is one of the most promising young prospects to come out of Spain in years. Standing at 5’11”, Fernandez is extremely tall for the 130lb. division and has devastating power in both hands. Fernandez caught the eye of former middleweight kingpin and future Hall-of-Famer Sergio Martinez when he was still fighting as an amateur. Martinez immediately saw star potential and signed Fernandez to his promotional company, MaravillaBox Promotions, in 2015 and soon after began courting the young Fernandez to his own former promoter Lou DiBella. DiBella and Martinez made things official in June, signing Fernandez to a co-promotional deal at this year’s Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) awards dinner, where DiBella received the James A. Farley award for honesty and integrity in boxing.

“This is a dream come true. I still cannot believe it,” said Fernandez. “I am very grateful to Lou DiBella, one of the most important and prestigious promoters in the United States, for the trust and belief that he has placed in me and to Sergio (Martinez) for the potential he saw in me as a boxer. Boxing is my life and I want to be the best. Following in the footsteps of Sergio and becoming a world champion like him is my lifelong dream.”

“I have been watching Jon fight since his amateur days and truly believe that the sky is the limit for him,” said Maravilla Martinez. “With each passing fight, he continues to show vast improvement and I believe that he has the ability to become not only a future champion but a future star in this sport. Jon has to stay focused and continue to work, to learn and to give everything he has to this sport. For Jon to have the opportunity to sign with Lou at just 20 years old, an opportunity that I did not have until I was already 32, is amazing and he has to take full advantage of it. Jon has to destroy everything that is put in his path and with time, patience and hard work, he will achieve greatness in this sport.”

A native of the boxing rich city of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Roman began boxing at 13 years of age amassing a stellar 124-17 record along the way. Roman joined the Puerto Rican national team in 2012, winning three consecutive national championships from 2013-2015.

“I couldn’t be more excited to get my career underway behind such a great promoter as Lou. DiBella has done tremendous work with so many great fighters over the years, and I am looking forward to growing and shining under the DiBella Entertainment banner. It is every fighter’s dream to fight in the US, and now I have the opportunity to make my pro debut here, and for that I want to thank my manager Ricardo Figueroa and my trainer Emilio Lozado for getting me this amazing opportunity,” said Roman.

Fernandez is set to make his DBE and US debut against the very tough Mexican Naciff Castillo (17-8-2, 5KO’s) in an eight-round junior lightweight matchup, while Roman is set to square off against Khaaliq Core (0-1) in a four-round welterweight matchup.

The Broadway Boxing card is headlined by fellow once-beaten prospects prospects Amos “2 Smooth” Cowart (11-1-1, 9 KOs) and “Nice” Nick DeLomba (10-1, 2 KOs) squaring off in an eight-round super lightweight match-up.

Additional fights on the card will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the Sept. 1st card are on sale and priced at $125, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com and www.foxwoods.com or by visiting the Foxwoods’ Box Office. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Broadway Boxing is proudly sponsored by Nissan of Queens, OPTYX, Azad Watches and Christos Steak House.

For more information, visit www.DBE1.com and www.Foxwoods.com,

On Saturday, October 1, 2016, at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Warriors Boxing Promotions will resurrect the legendary “Windy City Fight Nights” series of boxing shows with an event featuring a pair of unbeaten locals in separate co-main-events.

Headlining the first Windy City Fight Night in four years will be super lightweight Ramiro “El Lobito” Carrillo (11-0, 7 KOs) and super welterweight Achour Esho (11-0, 7 KOs) in eight-round (Carrillo) and six-round (Esho) bouts against opponents to be announced.

“I’m very happy and excited to be fighting in the co-main event. I’ve fought in several Windy City Fight Nights and had some great fights. I’m eager to get that rush back that I felt going to war in Chicago in front of my hometown family and friends. This is why I came back to boxing. I want to have big, exciting fights,” said Achour Esho.

“I’ve been working very hard for a long time and I’m happy it’s finally coming true. I’ve been dreaming about fighting in a main event in my hometown and it’s finally here. It’s my time to shine. I have a lot of family friends and fans coming out to watch me,” said Ramiro Carrillo.

Also appearing in four-round bouts will be thus-far perfect super featherweight Josh Hernandez (3-0, 3 KOs) of Chicago; lightweight Jose Romero (1-2) of Whiting, Indiana; super middleweight Ruben Schobitz 1-0, 1 KO of Miami via Spain; Chicago lightweight Jessica McCaskill (1-1, 1 KO) and Chicago’s Yousif Saleh will make his professional debut.

Tickets for Windy City Fight Night are priced at $101, $76, $51 and $36 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com; by calling 1-800-745-3000, or the Warriors Offices: 312-226-5800 or the UIC Pavilion Box Office: 312-413-5740 or the UIC Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM) or can be Purchased the night of the event.

Windy City Fight Nights were conceived and presented by Warriors Boxing Vice President Dominic Pesoli to introduce and develop local boxing talent. Windy City Fight Nights featured a number of up-and-coming fighters, including nearly all of professional boxing’s current champions and top contenders from the Chicago area including top-rated local talent as Andrzej Fonfara and Adrian Granados, as well as international imports such as current light heavyweight champion Sergei Kovalev.

“We are happy to be bringing this important series back to the Chicago boxing scene,” said Warriors Boxing President Leon Margules. “So many of the city’s top fighters of today came up through the ranks on these shows and we think it’s important they continue.”

“Chicago has so much fighting talent, and Windy City Fight Nights are perfect for their development into the stars of tomorrow,” said Dominic Pesoli. “I’m excited to be able to bring back these popular shows.”

Windy City Fight Night is proudly sponsored by Estrella Jalisco and Bud Light, Unanimous Boxing Gym, Star Auto Body and Repair, and Volver Mexican Cantina & Grill. On fight night, the action starts at 7:30 pm. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine Avenue in Chicago. The entire bout card is subject to change.

About Warriors Boxing

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

LAS VEGAS (August 24, 2016) – World Series of Fighting (www.WSOF.com) announced today that it has signed seasoned, heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) star and former NCAA Division I wrestling sensation Jared “The Big Show” Rosholt (14-3) to an exclusive, multi-fight promotional agreement.

The world championship MMA league also announced that it has inked streaking heavyweight standout Ashley “Gio” Gooch (10-4) to an exclusive, multi-fight deal. Each athlete’s promotional debut will be announced soon.

“We are excited to welcome one of the sport’s top, free-agent heavyweight stars in Jared Rosholt, as well as veteran Ashley Gooch, who has been on fire of late, to the World Series of Fighting roster and look forward to seeing how each is able to contend in the decagon cage where we have a growing number of exciting and fast-rising stars vying for our coveted championship that is held by Blagoy Ivanov,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

A 2010 NCAA Division I national wrestling championship runner-up and three-time All-American for Oklahoma State University, the 30-year-old, 6-foot-2, 245-pound Rosholt of Arlington, Texas arrives at World Series of Fighting following an eight-fight stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he posted a strong, overall record of 6-2.

During his stretch with the UFC, Rosholt, the younger brother of fellow MMA standout Jake Rosholt, notched a unanimous decision over the league’s tallest fighter, seven-foot giant Stefan Struve, on November 15, 2015.

The hard-hitting, 6-foot-3, 265-pound Gooch of Glendale, Ariz. will enter the decagon cage riding an eight-fight win streak that dates back to September 28, 2013 when the 41-year-old decimated Allan Sullivan with a one-punch KO in the first round (1:30) of battle.

To date, Gooch has earned 7 of his 10 career victories by way of (T)KO and 2 wins via submission. Five of his eight consecutive victories have come inside of one round.

Gooch is coming off a third round (1:10) TKO (punches) of Greg Rebello in Lincoln, R.I. on August 12.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN on Saturday, Oct. 7, with an unprecedented, three-hour telecast, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m., from Kansas City Memorial Auditorium in Kansas City, Kan.

In the main event of WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubgov, reigning, undefeated world lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (16-0) of Safford, Ariz. will risk his title against number one contender Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2) of Ridgewood, N.J.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier, professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion partnered with NBC, NBCSN and international media distribution giant, IMG. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Las Vegas with satellite offices in New York City and Boston, the company is dedicated to delivering an incredible experience for sports fans by producing action-packed, live fights between elite athletes from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

Coming off another impressive SHOWTIME-televised knockout last Friday, Louisiana-based lightweight contender “Rock Hard Mighty” Mason Menard is setting his sights on WBO Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan.

“I would be more than happy to fight Terry Flanagan,” said Menard. “It would be a great fight. He’s a skillful southpaw, but he is touchable. With my power, that makes for a cat and mouse-type fight. I think sooner or later I would catch up with him.”

Menard (32-1, 24 KOs) of Rayne, Louisiana, was last seen taking out the capable Bahodir Mamadjonov in nine rounds in the co-main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation broadcast from Rochester, New York last Friday night. Before that, the 27-year-old scored a “Knockout of the Year” candidate over then undefeated Eudy Bernardo.

“He’s a star in the making with all the momentum in the world behind him,” said Menard’s promoter, Greg Cohen. “Mason is now the WBO NABO Champion and climbing up their ratings. Now that Felix Verdejo (whom Flanagan was supposed to fight) has been injured, I think Menard stepping in would make for a great match-up.”

However, Menard says he has his doubts that Manchester’s Flanagan will take the bait.

“Let’s just be real, after what I did to the last skillful southpaw (Mamadjonov) with only two weeks’ notice, I doubt he wants these problems.”
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

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

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

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

Cohen currently promotes WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion Ismael Barroso, Undefeated WBA NABA Heavyweight Champion and world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and world-rated contender Robert Brant, former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as current world-rated contenders including long-time elite middleweight “Mean” Joe Greene, top super featherweight Arash Usmanee, Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis; WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Australian lightweight prospect Josh King.

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

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

NICE, CALIF. (August 23, 2016) – Undefeated super lightweight prospects are set to square off as Chicago’s Eddie Ramirez (13-0, 9 KOs) takes on Los Angeles-native Kevin Watts (11-0, 4 KOs) in the eight-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes Tuesday, September 13 from Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino in Nice, California.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will feature exciting undercard bouts that will be announced shortly.

“It feels good to be fighting in my first main event,” said Ramirez. “I look at it as more motivation to keep working hard. I’m going to go in there and feel my opponent out and just push him every round. I go into every fight ready for a battle and I expect that on September 27.”

“I’m ready for another chance to show that I’m a world class fighter,” said Watts. “Eddie Ramirez is a solid prospect who hasn’t lost yet, but I’m going to be well prepared for victory on September 13.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, start at $20 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets call the players club at (707) 262-4000.

A Chicago Golden Gloves champion, Ramirez knocked out seven of his first nine professional opponents and picked up five victories in 2015 including a decision over former world champion Cristobal Cruz. The 23-year-old debuted in 2016 with a second round stoppage of Osumanu Akaba in April.

Born in Lancaster, California but fighting out of Los Angeles, Watts turned pro in 2013 and has been unblemished since. The 24-year-old defeated previously unbeaten Maximilliano Becerra in April 2015 and in his last two outings he took down once-beaten fighters Michal Chudecki and Manuel Damairias Lopez.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage, www.foxdeportes.com and www.TGBPromotions.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions @FS1, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. PBC on FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

WBA king Crolla is hunting a third KO win in World title fights at his hometown fortress having landed brutal body shots to first rip the title from Darleys Perez in their November rematch and then destroy the avoided Ismael Barroso in his first defence in May.

‘Million Dollar’ believes the winner of his clash with three-weight World king Linares will prove they are the best Lightweight in the world, and the 29 year old says that he only wants to fight the best after achieving his World title dream.

“This is a legacy fight for me,” said Crolla. “Every young kid wants to become a World Champion and I’ve done that now. I don’t want people to think I’ve settled with that, I’m hungrier than ever and I like the huge nights way too much to let it go now – I’m happy to win the belts and go to Vegas for the rematch though!

“Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see myself at how I’ve got here. Everyone in the gym are fans of Jorge Linares – Callum Smith isn’t sure who to cheer for on the night! I think he’s a great fighter, but on the night that respect goes out the window and we’re fighting for one of the great prizes in the sport.

“The Arena is going to be rocking and that’s my house, and I want to keep those three belts in Manchester. We’re working so, so hard in the gym because Jorge Linares is a phenomenal fighter, and I’m honoured to be fighting him in my house.

“I’ve done that ring walk so many times in front of a huge crowd and you can’t beat that feeling, the energy the crowd will give me is going to help me produce the career-best performance I will need to beat Jorge Linares.”

Venezuelan star Linares is no stranger to English soil having beaten Kevin Mitchell in London in an epic battle for his WBC strap last May, and the 31 year old is delighted to be back in the UK and looking to add more hardware to his impressive collection.

“It’s another big fight and big event that I’m grateful to God to be a part of,” said Linares. “Anthony and I have similar styles, there’s lots of respect between us and we’re working very hard because I know it’s going to be a tough fight but I want to win those belts.”

A packed undercard in support of Crolla’s meeting with Linares includes John Ryder defending his WBA International Middleweight title against Jack Arnfield, Isaac Lowe defends his Commonwealth Featherweight title against Tshifhiwa Munyai and Conor Benn tastes his fifth night of action in the paid ranks with an appearance first at The O2 in London on September 10.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 and available from the Manchester Arena at www.manchester-arena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

Face value tickets for September 24 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

Now that the dust has settled, promoter Dmitriy Salita wishes to thank everyone involved in the outstanding ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader he and Greg Cohen Promotions put on last Friday at Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, New York.

Two of Salita’s top fighters were victorious that night, including hard-punching Brooklynite heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller and junior welterweight assassin Bakhtiyar Eyubov.

Miller (18-0-1, 16 KOs) retired the normally durable Fred Kassi on his stool between the third and fourth rounds, citing a hand injury. Meanwhile, the also undefeated Eyubov of Brooklyn via Kazakhstan passed a strong test by going past the third round for the first time in his career to win a close 10-round split decision over skilled veteran Karim Mayfield of San Francisco. The scores were 95-94 twice for Eyubov and 95-94 for Mayfield.

“Jarrell Miller talked the talk and walked the walk, which very few boxers and athletes can do,” said Salita. “I am very impressed with the maturity and ring IQ Jarrell showed in the Kassi fight. He fought a very smart and used all his strengths to his advantage.”

Salita says that Miller isn’t far from fighting for the heavyweight title he’s been screaming for since the beginning of his career. “I feel Jarrell is the best heavyweight prospect in the world and am very happy that the boxing world is seeing and hearing what he can bring to the division. Jarell has come a long way in the few years and is a fight or two away from fighting for the heavyweight title. He has graduated as a fighter to the next level and I congratulate him for a great performance and the hard work he put in to get this level. I feel he has the skills to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world from Brooklyn, NY.”

Regarding Eyubov (now 11-0, 10 KOs), Salita says he’s happy with the slugger’s performance, even if his impressive KO streak came to an end against Mayfield.

“Bakha I felt did a sensational job in his performance against Karim Mayfield. Less than a year ago, Mayfield was in the running to fight Floyd Mayweather, one of the best of all time. Bakhtiyar in only his 11th fight, and first scheduled 10 rounder, showed the heart, desire, strength and skill to step up and overcome this very significant challenge in early stages of his pro career. I was very impressed with the pace and intensity that Bakha showed especially in the second half of the fight. Bakhtiyar is one of the best junior welterweights in the world and I feel he will bring much excitement to the division.”

Salita wishes to thank his promotional partner on the show, Greg Cohen, and his team for their assistance, as well as the Showtime crew and the people at Rhinos Stadium.

“I also want to congratulate all my fighters on the show for their performances and I hope the people of Rochester enjoyed their night of world-class boxing. It was an honor to bring it them.”

# # #

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

Betting giants Betfred are the title sponsors of the blockbuster World Lightweight unification blockbuster between Anthony Crolla and Jorge Linares at the Manchester Arena on September 24, live on Sky Sports.

Manchester hero Crolla puts his WBA strap on the line as he seeks to continue his fairy-tale rise at the scene of his outstanding World title wins over Darleys Perez and Ismael Barroso, and now faces yet another huge night on his home patch against the three-weight World champion from Venezuela.

Linares puts his WBC Diamond belt on the line having defended it three times inside the distance, including his epic battle in London with Kevin “Mighty” Mitchell last May, climbing off the canvas to stop the hometown favourite in the tenth round of an epic contest that received acclaim as a 2015 Fight of the Year candidate.

The vacant Ring Magazine belt is also on the line in the mouth-watering contest where “Million Dollar” Crolla can become the first Englishman to win the Lightweight version on what promises to be another night of gripping drama in Manchester.

Betfred Chief Executive John Haddock said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring such a high profile night of boxing including what looks to be a cracking unification between two of the most exciting boxers around.”

Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn said: “I am delighted that Betfred are backing this massive night of boxing in Manchester. This is a real 50-50 clash to determine who is the best Lightweight in the World and the fans are in for a real treat on September 24.”

A packed undercard in support of Crolla’s meeting with Linares includes John Ryder defending his WBA International Middleweight title against Jack Arnfield, Isaac Lowe defends his Commonwealth Featherweight title against Tshifhiwa Munyai and Conor Benn tastes his fifth night of action in the paid ranks with an appearance first at The O2 in London on September 10.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 and available from the Manchester Arena at www.manchester-arena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

Face value tickets for September 24 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (August 23, 2016) – Undefeated Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant (14-0, 10 KOs) dropped and dominated Colombia’s Juan De Angel (18-5-1, 17 KOs) on his way to a unanimous decision victory Tuesday night in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pa.
The Nashville-native was able to keep his perfect record intact and was in control from start to finish of his first 10-round bout. Plant was patient in the early rounds, looking to find the distance against his power-punching opponent.

Plant’s offense began to break through in round three and in round four he caught De Angel lingering in the pocket and dropped him with a left hook. De Angel got to his feet but was never able to get his own offense going and spent much of the night trying to tie up the more aggressive Plant.

In the ninth round, a clash of heads caused a temporary halt in the action and saw Plant emerge with a cut on his head. Plant was able to battle through and and kept his momentum going throughout the remainder of the fight.

Plant was twice as accurate as De Angel and landed 30 percent of his punches compared to 15 percent from De Angel. The judges saw the bout the same and all scored it 100-89 after 10-rounds of super middleweight action.

The co-main event of the night saw a pair of Washington, D.C. welterweights do battle as David Grayton (15-1, 11 KOs) earned a victory over previously unbeaten Kareem Martin (8-1-1, 3 KOs) via a stoppage in the eighth and final round.

The southpaw Grayton pressed forward early and often, looking to disrupt Martin and keep him uncomfortable. Martin was sharp early on, especially with right hand counters. He was the more accurate fighter over the first three rounds, but the experience of Grayton began to take over.

As the fight went on, Grayton’s attack gained effectiveness and Martin appeared to wear down from the constant pace. Grayton out threw Martin 537 to 308 and landed 172 punches to Martin’s 106.

Grayton took control of the fight in the sixth round, hurting Martin early with a blistering body attack and rocked him late in the round with crisp uppercuts. By round eight, Martin had faded and Grayton sensed his moment. A left hand to the body dropped Martin early, and while he beat the count, Grayton quickly pounced and delivered a flurry that caused referee Benjy Esteves Jr. to stop the fight 41 seconds into the round.

Two-time Ecuadorian Olympian Carlos Gongora (6-0, 5 KOs) started the telecast off with an impressive first round stoppage of previously unbeaten Ronald Mixon (7-1, 6 KOs) in their light heavyweight clash.

Gongora wasted little time, feinting a right hook and following with a thudding overhand left that put Mixon on the mat immediately. The knockdown prompted referee Gary Rosato to wave off the count and stop the bout 1:16 into the first round.

Here is what the fighters had to say Tuesday:

CALEB PLANT

“It’s another win in the bag. I had bounce in my legs for all 10 rounds. I was taking my time in there and I feel like I’m getting better each fight.

“I’ll fight whoever my team has lined up for me. It feels great to win as a headliner. We’re going to get right back in the gym and get ready for another fight.”

JUAN DE ANGEL

“I felt the size difference in the ring. I trained for a southpaw and he came out righty. That caught me off guard. He was better tonight.”

DAVID GRAYTON

“I was very motivated to perform well coming off of my loss. I wanted it more tonight and I wanted to make a statement to get back to where I belong.

“I knew I had him hurt late in the fight and I kept hitting him with left hands. I stepped it up and got him out of there.

“I’m going to go back to the gym and train hard and wait for my next fight.”

KAREEM MARTIN

“I lost a little focus and he caught me with a good shot that led to the stoppage.

“It was a good back and forth fight. We were both getting a lot of shots in. I just need to come back with more focus next time.”

CARLOS GONGORA

“I was prepared and I analyzed his style and how he would fight. I knew I just had to connect with the right punch.

“I want to dedicate this victory to my family and my whole country. It was a pleasure to do it on FS1 and FOX Deportes.

“I am going straight to the top and I appreciate this opportunity to show the world who I am.”

# # #

In off-television action:

Wesley Triplett stopped Eric Newell in round three of their Heavyweight bout.

Triplett laned a right hand that apparently broke the jaw of Newell and the fight was stopped.

Triplett, 213.2 lbs of Youngstown, OH is 4-1 with 2 knockouts. Newell, 251 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is 8-4-3.

Carlos Rosario scored a 6th round stoppage in the final round of his lightweight battle with Cesar Garcia.

Rosario dropped Garcia just as the fight was ending with a right hand. Garcia was counted out at 3:08.

Rosario, 133.4 lbs of Pennsauken, NJ is now 5-1 with 3 knockouts. Garcia, 134.5 lbs pf Baja California, MX is 11-21-1.

Daquan Johnson scored a 2nd round stoppage over Stephan Bass in a scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

Johnson ended things in round two with a hard left uppercut to the body. Bass got to his feet, but he could not continue and the bout was stopped at 1:35.

Johnson, 152.4 lbs of Cherry Hill, NJ is 2-0 with two knockouts. Bass, 151 lbs of Atlanta, GA is 1-3.

Yurik Mamedov won a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Allen in a welterweight bout.

Allen was cut over his right eye in the second frame. In round three, Mamedov was cut on his forehead by a headbutt.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards.

Mamedov. 145.7 lbs of New York is 2-0. Allen, 147.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 0-3.

PBC on FS1 and FOX Deportes was promoted by King’s Promotions.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.sandseventcenter.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FS1, @TheSBEC, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxdeportes and www.Facebook.com/the SBEC. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

ORANGE, Calif. (Aug. 23, 2016) – LaRon Mitchell (13-0, 13 KOs), one of the more active heavyweight prospects, fights for the fourth time this year on the co-feature of Thompson Boxing Promotions’ “New Blood” event this Friday, Aug. 26, from the Omega Products Events Center in Corona, Calif.

The San Francisco-based Mitchell takes on Mexico’s Mario Heredia (14-4, 12 KOs) in a fight scheduled for 8-rounds.

“I’m ready to rock and roll,” Mitchell said. “I was ready to fight three weeks ago.”

Thompson Boxing asked the heavyweight knockout artist a series of questions ahead of Friday’s showdown against Heredia. Below is a transcript.

What do you know about your opponent, Mario Heredia?

“He’s a hell of a fighter. He’s a natural boxer, which means he can adapt and make changes on the fly. He probably would have been more competitive against Andrey Fedosov had he maintained his weight a bit better. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s got real talent. I’m expecting a tough fight from him.”

Your full-time job takes you to St. Elizabeth’s Elementary in Oakland where you teach physical education. What kind of support do you get from the students, teachers, and staff at St. Elizabeth’s?

“They love it when I have a fight coming up. Nothing will make me happier than to win a world title and bring that belt to the school and my gym. It will show the kids that you can go against all the odds and still accomplish what you want. You’re not given anything in the sport of boxing; you have to earn it. That message can be applied to any industry or career. You want something bad enough; you have to be willing to work for it.”

What do you make of your KO winning streak, which has swelled to thirteen?

“I never look passed the fight that I have. You never know what can happen. The heavyweight division in boxing is not fair. You can dominate the majority of a fight, but if you get caught, your night is over. Every fight gets tougher and this one follows that pattern. I prepare the same for every opponent. We plan on going the full eight rounds. We don’t say to ourselves that we’re going to win by knockout.”

Last year you fought at the Omega Products Events Center. What’s your take on the outdoor venue?

“I love it. The fans are incredible. They respect the fighters. It doesn’t matter if you’re the first fight on the undercard, or if you’re the main event. As long as you give it your all, the fans will show you a tremendous amount of love.”

In the main event, NABA Champion Danny Roman (19-2-1, 7 KOs) defends his 122-pound title for the fourth time against Mexico’s Enrique Quevedo (16-7-1, 10 KOs) (10-rounds).

Tickets for “New Blood” are available for purchase on the day of the event starting at 5:30 p.m.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. local time with the first bell at approximately 7:45 p.m. The Omega Products Events Center is located at 1681 California Ave., Corona, CA 92881 and can be reached at 951-737-7447.

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

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

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

Wesley Triplett stopped Eric Newell in round three of their Heavyweight bout.

Triplett laned a right hand that apparently broke the jaw of Newell and the fight was stopped.

Triplett, 213.2 lbs of Youngstown, OH is 4-1 with 2 knockouts. Newell, 251 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is 8-4-3.

Carlos Rosario scored a 6th round stoppage in the final round of his battle with Cesar Garcia in a lightweight bout.

Rosario dropped Garcia just as the fight was ending with a right hand. Garcia was counted out at 3:08.

Rosario,, 133.4 lbs of Pennsauken, NJ is now 5-1 with 3 knockouts. Garcia, 134.5 lbs pf Baja California, MX is 11-21-1.

Daquan Johnson scored a 2nd round stoppage over Stephan Bass in a scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

Johnson ended things in round two with a hard left uppercut to the body. Bass got to his feet, but he could not continue and the bout was stopped at 1:35.

Johnson, 152.4 lbs of Cherry Hill, NJ is 2-0 with two knockouts. Bass, 151 lbs of Atlanta, GA is 1-3.

Yurik Mamedov won a four-round unanimous decision over Antonio Allen in a welterweight bout.

Allen was cut over his right eye in the second frame. In round three, Mamedov was cut from his forehead by a headbutt.

Mamedov. 145.7 lbs of New York is 2-0. Allen, 147.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 0-3.

BETHLEHEM, PA (AUGUST 23, 2016)–Carlos Rosario, Eric Newell and Daquan Johnson will headline the off-television undercard at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center tonight.

In the televised main event, that will be televised live on FS1 & Fox Deportes, undefeated middleweight, Caleb Plant (13-0, 10 KO’s) of Ashland, Tennessee battles Juan De Angel (18-4-1, 17 KO’s) of Barranquilla, Colombia. In the co-feature, Kareem Martin (8-0-1, 3 KO’s) takes on David Grayton (14-1, 10 KO’s) in a battle of Washington, D.C. based welterweights. Kicking off the broadcast, it will be a pair of undefeated light heavyweight’s doing battle as Carlos Gongora (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Brooklyn, New York fights Ronald Mixon (7-0, 6 KO’s) of Los Angeles, California.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $108, $83 and $58, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Rosario (4-1, 2 KO’s) of Pennsauken, New Jersey will square off with veteran Cesar Garcia (11-20-1, 5 KO’s) of Baja, California, Mexico in a lightweight bout scheduled for six-rounds.

After dropping his pro debut, the 25 year-old Rosario has won four in a row which includes his split decision victory over Victor Vasquez (4-1) on February 9th at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center.

The 27 year-old Garcia is a nine year professional who has been in the ring with ten undefeated prospects, which includes two bouts with Alejandro Luna and a fight with Saul Rodriguez. Garcia last saw action on January 29, when he dropped a six-round decision to Francisco De Vaca (13-0) in Montebello, California.

Newell of Bethlehem, PA has a record of 8-3-3 with five knockouts, will fight Wesley Triplett (3-1, 1 KO) of Youngstown, Ohio in a heavyweight bout scheduled for six-rounds.

The 33 year-old Newell is a six-year pro and is coming off a four-round draw with Randy Easton on June 28 at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center.

Triplett has been a professional for nearly two-years and will be looking to get back in the win column after being stopped in six-rounds to undefeated Jermaine Franklin (5-0) on March 26 in Youngstown, Ohio.

Johnson of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, won his only fight by stopping Adrian Wilson in four rounds on May 27 in Atlantic City. He will take on Stephen Bass (1-2) of Atlanta, Georgia in a four-round welterweight bout.

Opening up the night will see Yurik Mamedov of Brooklyn, New York make his professional debut against Antonio Allen (0-2) of Philadelphia in a welterweight bout scheduled for four-rounds.

Tuesday, August 23

6:00 p.m. SANDS BETHLEHEM EVENTS CENTER DOORS OPEN
Location: 77 Sands Blvd.; Bethlehem, PA 18015

6:30 p.m. FIRST BOUT

9:00 p.m. FS1 & FOX DEPORTES BROADCAST BEGINS

# # #

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION

Fight night credentials can be picked up on Tuesday, August 23, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Backstage Entrance. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.sandseventcenter.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FS1, @TheSBEC, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxdeportes and www.Facebook.com/the SBEC. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LAS VEGAS (August 23, 2016) – Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr.’s sensational sixth-round knockout of Leonard Bundu delivered over +6 million viewers during his Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC fight this Sunday, according to Nielsen. Following the broadcast of the 2016 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team’s gold medal-winning performance, Spence Jr.’s fight posted a peak audience of 6.34 million viewers and averaged 4.8 million viewers for the entire hour. This fight is the highest-rated PBC fight to-date.

Spence-Bundu drew the largest television audience for boxing in 18 years (August 21, 2016 vs. March 23, 1998).

“I knew this would be the most important fight of my career and the goal was to not just win, but to put on a spectacular one-sided performance,” said Spence Jr. “It felt good to go out there and give everyone watching a great show and to do it in front of such a large television audience makes it even better. Thanks to everyone who tuned in and I promise you’ll be seeing more of me soon. My time is now and this is just the beginning.”

The Dallas boxer’s sixth-round knockout victory over Bundu ensures that he will fight for the world title currently held by British welterweight Kell Brook.

With his power, pinpoint accuracy and desire to close the show, Spence Jr. is squarely in the mix as a top welterweight in the most talent-laden division in boxing. As a young, hungry contender circling champions like Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and Brook, Spence’s presence adds to the tantalizing possibility of super fights in the welterweight division harkening to the days of Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran.

About Premier Boxing Champions
Premier Boxing Champions is a live boxing series created for TV and cable by Haymon Boxing. The series features the greatest array of international boxing talent in all weight divisions, with fighters representing over 10 countries including the United States and Mexico. From former Olympians to Champions of all nationalities, the series can be seen on over ten networks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the U.K., and heard on Sirius/XM satellite radio as well.

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 23, 2016) – Golden Boy Promotions has issued the following statement:

“Today, Golden Boy Promotions and Luis Ortiz amicably parted ways,” said Stefan Friedman, spokesperson for Golden Boy Promotions. “We are proud of the work that Golden Boy and Luis accomplished together culminating in his WBA Heavyweight Interim Championship victory and subsequent title defenses. We wish Luis and his team all the best in the future.”

Luke Campbell MBE will defend his WBC Silver Lightweight title against Derry Mathews at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on October 15, live on Sky Sports.

Campbell landed the belt against Argenis Mendez in his last outing in Leeds in July, and the Hull star will be looking to cement his position as a World title contender with a win over Mathews. The 2012 Olympic gold medal hero is looking for a third win on the bounce as he targets World honours in 2017, and the 28 year old is excited by the prospect of facing a hostile crowd in Merseyside.

“This is exactly the kind of fight I have been looking for and doing it in his back yard is even more exciting,” said Campbell. “I feel like I am starting to reach the peak of my professional career and Derry has some great wins on his record, I’m expecting it to be my toughest fight yet.

“This fight will engage the British public and that’s what I want, to entertain the fans and give them the big domestic title fights that can be made. My camp is underway in Miami and I can’t wait for a huge night on October 15 in Liverpool.”

‘Dirty’ Derry is looking to get back onto the World title trail having challenged Terry Flanagan for the WBO crown at the Merseyside venue in March, and the former British and Commonwealth champion will be looking to add another Hull victim to his impressive CV having KO’d Tommy Coyle on the undercard of Campbell’s pro debut in 2013.

“I don’t back out of fights, especially in my home city, it’s a great fight for me and one I can’t wait for,” said Mathews. “I’ll take anyone on, and it’s an opportunity to fight in my home city against a World-class fighter, I think this has come too early for him.

“When I win this fight it’s going to open doors for bigger and better things, the Lightweight scene is thriving at the moment and there’s plenty of life in this old dog, believe me.

“Luke has had it all his own way in the pros so far, he’s been beaten by a guy he was expected to beat and he’s never been in with a puncher like me and someone that’s going to take him into deep waters. He was a fantastic amateur but the pro game is different and I don’t think that he’s settled in as a pro as he wanted to.

“Luke will experience things he’s never faced before and I believe I can beat him otherwise I wouldn’t have taken the fight. People might look at my age and the number of fights I’ve had, but I still feel fresh and I live the right life, and I’m prepared to dig deep and do what I need to get the win.

“I don’t know what it is with Eddie and his fighters, for some reason he wants to get me beaten up but it never works! I always get the win. I’m always the underdog against the Matchroom fighters but I come out on top and that’s going to continue, I think Eddie’s put Luke in too deep here and I’ll beat another one of his guys. I want to thank my management team at MGM for making this fight with Eddie.”

Campbell’s clash Mathews comes on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s first defence of his WBC World Cruiserweight title against colourful Californian BJ Flores, with Belfast star Ryan Burnett defending his British Bantamweight title against Liverpool’s Ryan Farrag, popular Birkenhead man Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd defending his WBC International Lightweight title against Gary Sykes and Liverpool favourites David Price and Rocky Fielding set for action.

Tickets go on sale at midday today (Tuesday August 16) to Matchroom Fight Pass members via the following link: http://www.stubhub.co.uk/event/9635558/?gcid=chPrt-_-geoUK-_-genboxing-_-cpgbellewoctfightpass-_-partmatchroom Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150 and £250 VIP

Tickets will go on general sale at midday on Wednesday August 17 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