Tony Bellew will make his first defence of his WBC World Cruiserweight title against B.J Flores at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday October 15, live on Sky Sports.

Bellew landed the title with a fairy tale KO win over Ilunga Makabu at the Goodison Park home of his beloved Everton FC in May and will pack out the Echo Arena in his first fight as a World champion.

Colourful Californian Flores is gunning for the title in his second World bout having taken Beibut Shumenov the distance for the interim WBA strap last July, and ‘El Peligroso’ will look to go one better against the ‘Bomber’ in what promises to be a spicy build-up between the two outspoken big hitters.

Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the first fight on a packed undercard in support of Bellew’s World title clash, with popular Birkenhead man Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd defending his WBC International Lightweight title against Dewsbury’s Gary Sykes, with Liverpool favourites David Price and Rocky Fielding set to feature with more fights to be announced soon.
“I am going to smash BJ Flores to bits and be the first man stop him,” said Bellew. “All he keeps saying is that I am a Light-Heavyweight, I am this, I am that, so we will soon find out.

“He’s been mouthing off and following me around for a couple of years and I’m just a little bit fed up with him now. That’s the best way to look at it.

“I believe he will be training with Shane McGuigan and the David Haye camp, and the one thing about fighting Flores is we could well have fireworks before the fight even begins.
“He needs to tone it down and realise that I am giving him this opportunity and he is giving me nothing. He can do what he does and say what he wants, we’ll see. Come fight night he is going to be in for a rude awakening.”

“I am looking forward to this massive opportunity to become WBC champion of the world,” said Flores. “I will completely dedicate the next 63 days of my life to making sure I am 100 per cent ready on fight night. Tony is a good fighter and has earned his title. Many UK fans are not familiar with my style and will be in for a real treat on October 15.

“I greatly respect the sport of boxing and I take this very seriously. I have been rated in the top 15 in the world since July of 2007. All of that means nothing unless I am able to finish with a world championship belt around my waist. I am not coming to be part of an event. There will not be one corner cut or one day without maximum effort.

“I am coming to win and after multiple camps and preparations I finally understand exactly what I need to do to win in October 15.”

“May 29 at Goodison Park was a night that will go down in British boxing history but the job is not done,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Tony has done the city proud and I’m delighted to bring World championship boxing back to Liverpool, we are planning a huge card for October 15. There is no love lost between Tony and Flores and fans can expect fireworks in and out of the ring.”

Tickets go on sale at midday tomorrow (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

Red-hot New Malden Super-Middleweight Lerrone Richards is delighted to have signed a long-term promotional agreement with Queensberry Promotions. Undefeated Richards, 4-0 1 KO, will make his eagerly-anticipated debut under the Queensberry Promotions banner in a six round contest at the Nordoff Robins Charity Dinner Show on Monday 24th October.

Richards, 24, enjoyed a glittering amateur career, winning the renowned Amateur Boxing Association Golden Gloves Championships at the age of 14 before winning the Golden Belt at the ABA National Novice Championships shortly after.

The 5’11” sharpshooter furthered his craft at the well-respected east London Repton ABC and was hotly-tipped to make the 2012 Great Britain Olympic boxing team before narrowly losing out in the quarter-finals qualifying stage.

“I had a lot of energy when I was a kid so I started boxing at the age of six. I started to enjoy it and quickly realised I had a talent for it,” said Richards. “Me and my Dad would watch a lot of boxing together, we enjoyed watching the likes of Pernell Whitaker, Mike McCallum and Naseem Hamed.

“Boxing is all about skill and discipline; it was the perfect tonic for an energetic kid. As an amateur I had 91 fights and lost 9 of those. I was a nine-time National Champion and represented GB and England at international level, as well as Ghana.

“As an international fighter I got to the 2012 Olympic qualifiers. I reached the quarter-finals stage where I lost to the World number three. I was unlucky, I thought I won but it was a close fight. My Olympic dream was over at that point so then I went into the ABA’s and reached the semi-finals; again losing out on a controversial decision.”

Slick southpaw Richards decided to turn professional in 2013 and has made a solid start to life in the paid ranks, winning all four of his fights. Trained by Alan Smith at the iBox Gym in Bromley alongside the likes of British and Commonwealth Welterweight Champion Bradley Skeete, Richards is confident he possesses the tools to take himself to the very top of the fight game.

“I’ve always had a style suited to the paid code. Even when I was an amateur everyone told me that I had a professional style. BoxNation viewers can expect to see an old school boxer. I’m explosive, slick and hold a bag of tricks!

“I’m realistic but I’m very confident in my abilities. If I work hard and push myself I believe I can go all the way; I already have the talent.”

Richards has already sparred with some of the very best fighters on these shores, including WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders and former World title challenger George Groves.

“Sparring guys at that level shows you how far you can go. I was Billy’s only sparring partner during his entire Andy Lee training camp. It was a great experience sparring with Billy, I learnt a lot off him and sparring me was clearly the right decision as he went on to win the World title!”

Now under the guidance of Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren, Richards is looking forward to taking his career to the next level.

“They say a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter, but I was dangerous when I was unhappy. Now I’m happy people better watch out!”

Following his motorcycle accident last week, lightweight contender Felix Verdejo was released from a hospital in Puerto Rico, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I have definitely learned a big lesson,” Verdejo said. “I’m not perfect. I’ll keep growing as a person and today I’m more committed than ever (to) my people and my career. I want to thank Puerto Rico and all the boxing fans for all the messages of support during this difficult time for worrying about me and for putting me in your prayers. Thanks to God, I’m ready to keep on fighting — with scars that will make me remember this learning experience.

“I feel more mature, focused and anxious to bring to my island the happiness of a world title.”

“A painful and costly accident that will hopefully provide Felix and all young athletes life-long lasting lessons,” said Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, which promotes Verdejo. “We sincerely appreciate the support and love he has received from his island and the boxing community.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders will not be part of the Canelo Alvarez – Liam Smith card, due to turning down various opponents.

“I was working hard with Frank to make this deal, and it was going well, but Saunders is not going to be on the card now,” said Golden Boy Promotions Eric Gomez.. “We tried to make it happen. We offered him reasonable opponents, and he said no. We thought it would have been great to have Saunders and Canelo on the same card before a possible fight between them. But now we are moving on.

“Even though Saunders won’t be on the Sept. 17 card, we have not closed the door to still trying to make the fight for December. I’m not sure what else Saunders wants to do, but this was a great opportunity, and Frank knew it. Anyway, the fight with Canelo could still happen at some point.”

One of the opponents that Saunders turned down was Gabriel Rosado

“I signed my contract a week ago,” Rosado said. “From what I hear, Saunders wanted an easier fight. They didn’t want to fight me. The WBO champ [is] acting like a coward.”

Saunders’ response to heavy criticism for rejecting the various opponents came on social media.

“Don’t believe everything you’re told,” he said. “I’ll be in the ring very soon.”

VERONA, NY (August 13, 2016) – Undefeated rising contender Miguel Flores (21-0, 9 KOs) defeated exciting featherweight contender Ryan Kielczweski (25-2, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision (97-93, 96-94, 96-94) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

In an action-packed fight during which both fighters threw over 750 punches, the Houston native Flores was slightly more fluid and able to do enough work on the inside to keep his unblemished record intact.

Flores said, “I thought I would hurt him with body shots, so we did a lot of work down there tonight. I think my movement was the difference. Ryan said I couldn’t move, but I showed him and everyone else that I can.”

As Flores appeared to be stealing the early rounds, Kielczweski stepped on the gas at the midway point, throwing punches in bunches and landing regularly throughout the second half of the bout.

Kielczweski said, “I thought we fought a great fight tonight for the fans. I started a little slow, but I really picked it up in the fifth round.”

The increased activity was a little too belated to salvage the fight for the Quincy, MA native.

Kielczweski added, “I was gaining steam in the second half of the fight. I can’t say that I won, but I thought it could have been a draw. It was a good fight though, and I will be back.”

An excited Flores said, “It felt great to get this win tonight. I boxed and banged it out with (Kielczweski). He had some pop, and in the last round he got me with a good body shot, but we are used to tough fights like this. I like it like that. This is fun to me. We will watch the video and correct what I know were a lot of mistakes, but I believe I’m ready for the next level. I’m ready for the top contenders.”

Televised coverage kicked off with Olympic bronze medalist Yordenis Ugas (16-3, 7 KOs) defeating contender Jamal James (20-1, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 96-94) in a technical 10-round welterweight showdown.

Three days ago, James stepped in to replace undefeated welterweight Bryant Perrella, who was forced to withdraw from tonight’s bout because of an injury to his left thumb. James was coming off just 27 of days rest following his July 16 split decision victory over Wale Omotoso.

Ugas fought last 825 days ago when he lost his second consecutive bout, the third defeat of his career. However, Ugas showed no sign of ring rust on Friday night as he casually controlled the action against James.

Ugas, a five-time Cuban National Champion, used his tremendous experience and was able to neutralize James’ height advantage.

“We focused on the body because (James) was tall,” said Ugas. “So we planned on chopping him down, and that’s what I did.”

Although Ugas had initially been preparing for his long-awaited comeback against the left handed Perrella, he had no difficulty with the orthodox James.

Ugas added, “I followed my corner’s instructions and won round by round. I felt very consistent in there tonight.”

Knowing that he’d come up short, James said, “I thought it was a good fight. (Ugas) brought it tonight. I was fighting his fight unfortunately. I started to outpoint him late, so I should have started earlier with my combinations and countering. I was trying to knock him out and I should have just boxed.”

James added, “I have no excuses though, I am a grown man and could have said ‘no’ to taking this fight. But fighting is what I do. Other fighters are not doing what I did tonight. Sure, if I had more time to prepare I might have done better, but I am a fighter.”

On his prospects moving forward, Ugas said, “After the long layoff, this is a new beginning for me, and now I am looking for a big opportunity in my next fight. It felt good to get back to fighting.”

A resilient James summed things up adding, “A fight like tonight makes me hungrier to get back in the gym and get myself ready to come back again better than ever.”

In off-televison bouts:

Josue Vargas (6-0, 4 KO’s) scored a first round stoppage over Ira Terry (26-15) in a junior welterweight bout.

Darnell Pierce remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Louis King in a cruiserweight bout.

Pierce bloodied King’s nose in round two and won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 5-0. King is now 3-3.

Roger Robidoux made successful pro debut with a first round stoppage over Greg Thomas in a scheduled four round super middleweight bout.

Robidoux scored two knockdowns and the bout was stopped at 1:46. Robidoux, 166 lbs of Rochester, NY is 1-0 with one knockout. Thomas, 168 lbs of Philadelphia is 1-9.

Larry Gleeson won a four-round unanimous decision over Simon Sayes in a battle of debuting junior middleweights.

Gleeson, 149 lbs of Clones, IRL won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 1-0. Sayes, 152.5 lbs of Newark, NJ is 0-1.

Daniel Castro scored a fourth round stoppage over Michael Pryor in the final scheduled round of their junior middleweight bout.

Pryor rocked Castro several times until he started to run out of gas in the third round. Pryor was hit flush throughout the second half of round three. Pryor was spent, and he was cut from his forehead as he went into round four. Castro jumped on Pryor and rocked his head back until the bout was stopped 34 seconds into the frame.

Castro, 156 lbs of New York is 1-1 with 1 knockout. Pryor, 155 lbs of Greenwich, NY is 1-2-2.

Jonathan Perez took out Bradiel Smith in the first round of a scheduled four-round bout of debuting featherweights.

Perez jumped all over Smith and all he could do is cover up. Referee Charlie Fitch stopped the bout at 1:48.

Perez, 127.75 lbs of Quincy, MA is 1-0 with one knockout. Smith, 127.5 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is 0-1.

The card was promoted by King’s Promotions.

13 August 2016 – Macao, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), treated fans in Macao to a thrilling evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. The Venetian Macao’s glitzy Cotai Arena played host to ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD, which featured the absolute best in local and international MMA talent. In the main event, Adriano Moraes was crowned the interim ONE Flyweight World Champion with a submission victory over Tilek Batyrov.

Visit the official ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD photo gallery by clicking:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/h8ehqrhlhdad0aq/AADe8r0Ua-dWv4FmAHM8mAo4a?dl=0

In the main event of the evening, Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes of Brazil defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Tilek Batyrov by submission to capture the interim ONE Flyweight World Championship. Batyrov owned a slight advantage in the striking battle for the majority of the bout, but on the ground it was all Moraes as the Brazilian spun a web of crafty grappling to dominate Batyrov. In the second round, Moraes was finally able to lock in a deep rear naked choke to force the tap.

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines braved through an extremely durable Adrian “The Hunter” Pang, putting together one of his best performances to date. Folayang attacked his opponent with a variety of spinning back fists, wushu side kicks and sharp elbows to stop Pang in his tracks on multiple occasions. As Pang continued to stalk forward, Folayang willingly poured on various combinations. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in favor of the Filipino MMA stalwart.

Filipino mixed martial arts veteran Honorio “The Rock” Banario gave the performance of a lifetime with a thorough decision victory over Evolve MMA lightweight standout Eddie “The Magician” Ng. For three rounds Banario fought intelligently, tagging Ng with lightning quick strikes from his world-class wushu stance. Banario also once again put his improved grappling on display in a tight ground war with Ng. Ng started the bout off fast in his usual aggressiveness, but Banario kept his composure and was able to come away with the comprehensive win.

Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia shocked the Asian MMA world with an impeccable submission victory over 18-year old Christian “The Warrior” Lee. Nguyen owned the advantage in the striking department, landing a handful of well-time overhand punches. A left hand counter dropped Lee before Nguyen grabbed a hold of his neck in a guillotine choke. Nguyen dragged Lee to the canvas where he put his younger foe to sleep with Lee refusing to tap out.

Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Alain “The Panther” Ngalani of Hong Kong brought the crowd up to their feet with an action-packed clash of colossal heavyweights. Machado was rocked by a Ngalani combination in round one, but was able to recover when the fight went to the ground. In the second round, an exhausted Ngalani struggled to find the strength to continue, tapping to a volley of strikes from top position by Machado.

In a tremendous battle of will, undefeated female atomweight Istela Nunes of Brazil impressed in a successful ONE Championship debut with a victory over former world title challenger Mei Yamaguchi. Nunes overcame Yamaguchi’s power and aggression by smothering the Japanese fighter in close range. The fight was close for three whole rounds as Nunes earned a razor-thin split decision.

Ma Jia Wen proved to be a complete offensive force, showcasing his wrestling and striking skills in a comprehensive technical knockout victory over the Philippines’ Jimmy Yabo. Yabo was a live challenger for the first two rounds but faded late in the bout, succumbing to Ma’s constant pressure. After taking Yabo down in the third, Ma finished off the Filipino with ground-and-pound.

Chinese bantamweight Ma Hao Bin overcame a spirited effort from Cambodia’s Chan Rothana, winning by three-round unanimous decision. Rothana owned a striking edge throughout the contest, but Ma was able to earn the judges’ nod in a very close fight by utilizing his world-class wrestling. All three judges saw the bout in favor of Ma Hao Bin.

Team Lakay’s strawweight prospect Joshua Pacio opened up ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD with an impressive display of grappling skill by defeating Thai fighter Kritsada Kongsrichai in the first round by rear naked choke. Kongsrichai dominated the striking exchanges in the early going but as soon as Pacio got the takedown, he worked straight into a submission and forced the tap.

Official results for ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD
Interim ONE Flyweight World Championship bout: Adriano Moraes defeats Tilek Batyrov by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:49 minutes of round 2
Lightweight bout: Eduard Folayang defeats Adrian Pang by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Lightweight bout: Honorio Banario defeats Eddie Ng by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Featherweight bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Christian Lee by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:30 minutes of round 1
Heavyweight bout: Alexandre Machado defeats Alain Ngalani by TKO (Tapout) at 0:21 minutes of round 2
Female Atomweight bout: Istela Nunes defeats Mei Yamaguchi by Split Decision (SD) after three rounds
Featherweight bout: Ma Jia Wen defeats Jimmy Yabo by TKO (Strikes) at 2:31 minutes of round 3
Bantamweight bout: Ma Hao Bin defeats Chan Rothana by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Strawweight bout: Joshua Pacio defeats Kritsada Kongsrichai by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:37 minutes of round 1

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

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

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New York, August 12- The weigh-in for tomorrow’s Rockin’ Fights 25 junior welterweight main event featuring Anthony “Showtime” Karperis (12-2, 4 KOs, Hicksville, NY) vs. Ariel Duran (9-8-1, 5 KOs, Queens, NY) for Karperis’ New York State belt, and accompanying undercard, were held today (Thursday) at Modell’s Sporting Goods in Huntington Station. Promoter Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing presents another stellar card at The Paramount in Huntington, New York, tomorrow night (Saturday, August 13).

10 ROUNDS
New York State Junior Welterweight Championship
Anthony “Showtime” Karperis v. Ariel Duran

139.2 lbs 140 lbs
12-2, 4KO’s 8-8-1, 5KO’s

8 ROUNDS
Johnny “Hitman” Hernandez v. Seifulla Wise

135.2 lbs 136 lbs
7-1, 1KO’s 3-2, 1KO’s

4 ROUNDS
Juan Mancilla v. Phillip Legrand

154.6 lbs 156.6 lbs
Pro debut 1-3, 1KO’s

4 ROUNDS
Dan Cion v. Vincenzo D’Angelo

167.6 lbs 166.2 lbs
Pro debut 1-0, 1KO

There are very few tickets remaining to this exciting event. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000.

ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT:
Since Opening in September 2011, The Paramount has become a top live entertainment venue. Located in Huntington, Long Island, New York; The Paramount – in concert with TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank® – hosts a variety of concerts, comedy, boxing and other special events. Booked by Live Nation and utilizing Ticketmaster ticketing; The Paramount hosts an average of 200 events per year. In less than 5 years since opening, The Paramount has quickly established itself as the premier live venue on Long Island – the 20th largest U.S. media market (*2.5M HH-Arbitron: Nassau/Suffolk MSA). Pollstar Magazine ranked The Paramount as the #11 club venue worldwide (*Att. Q3 ’15). With almost 70k+ Facebook fans & 10k+ Twitter followers, the venue was also ranked by Billboard Magazine as the “23rd Hottest Club” in 2014.

ABOUT MODELL’S SPORTING GOODS
Founded in 1889, Modell’s Sporting Goods is the local family sporting goods destination that provides a convenient and compelling shopping experience for the athlete and fan in all of us. Modell’s offers customers an assortment of top brands in sporting goods equipment, footwear and active apparel for every level of play year round. The retailer operates 153 stores located in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. In addition towww.Modells.com, which services customers all over the country.

ABOUT THE FOX HOLLOW:
Nestled upon 8 private acres of Long Island’s north shore is the Fox Hollow, which features a state of the art event venue, fine dining restaurant and an all-suite luxury boutique hotel. Owned & operated by the Scotto Brothers, their Above & Beyond philosophy in providing each & every guest with superior services and amenities is paramount. Visit the Fox Hollow online atwww.TheFoxHollow.com & www.TheInnAtFoxHollow.com

ABOUT CAMELOT LIMOUSINE:
Official Sponsor of the Paramount Boxing Series, Camelot Limos is a family owned and operated business located in Nassau County, with over 25 years of professional experience; serving satisfied clientele since 1984. The owners of Camelot Specialty Limos are very active in the business and play a major role in the company’s day-to-day operations. Camelot Specialty Limos, Inc. is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau. www.camelotlimo.com

ABOUT WBAB 102.3:
WBAB 102.3 is the home of Long Island’s Classic Rock anchored by their Long Island Rock ‘N’ Roll Morning Show with Roger and JP. For more information or to listen online, visit their website at
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Darnell Pierce remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Louis King in a cruiserweight bout.

Pierce blooded King;s nose in round two and won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 5-0. King is now 3-3.

Roger Robidoux made successful pro debut with a first round stoppage over Greg Thomas in a scheduled four round super middleweight bout.

Robidoux scored two knockdowns and the bout was stopped at 1:46. Robidoux, 166 lbs of Rochester, NY is 1-0 with one knockout. Thomas, 168 lbs of Philadelphia is 1-9.

Larry Gleeson won a four-round unanimous decision over Simon Sayes in a battle of debuting junior middleweights.

Gleeson, 149 lbs of Clones, IRL won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 1-0. Sayes, 152.5 lbs of Newark, NJ is 0-1.

Daniel Castro scored a fourth round stoppage over Michael Pryor in the final scheduled round of their junior middleweight bout.

Pryor rocked Castro several times until he started to run out of gas in the third round where he was hit flush throughout the second half of round three. Pryor was spent and cut from his forehead as he went into round fout. Castro jumped on Pryor and rocked his head back until the bout was stopped 34 seconds into the frame.

Castro, 156 lbs of New York is 1-1 with 1 knockout. Pryor, 155 lbs of Greenwich, NY is 1-2-2.

Jonathan Perez took out Bradiel Smith in the first round of a scheduled four-round bout of debuting featherweights.

Perez jumped all over Smith and all he could so is cover up. Referee Charlie Fitch stopped the bout at 1:48.

Perez, 127.75 lbs of Quincy, MA is 1-0 with one knockout. Smithm 127.5 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is 0-1.

New York, NY (8/12/16) – On Sunday, August 21, undefeated rising star Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (20-0, 17 KOs) is set to take on once-beaten contender Leonard “The Lion” Bundu (33-1-2, 12 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight world title eliminator that headlines Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC Sunday, August 21 from Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn.

The action on NBC begins at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT following coverage of the Olympic Men’s Basketball Gold Medal game. While much of the focus and buildup to the event has been on the 2012 US Olympian Spence Jr., there is another fight on the card that has the boxing world buzzing with anticipation and that is the WBC International Women’s featherweight championship between Brooklyn’s Heather “The Heat” Hardy and her longtime rival Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent, of Providence, RI.

If you are a fan of women’s boxing, there is no bigger fight that can be made in the sport right now. Hardy (17-0) and Vincent (18-0), both world-rated and undefeated, have been baiting and verbally accosting each other for years. There is a legitimate hatred between the two that will surely not subside after they share the ring on August 21st.

Vincent began appearing at Hardy’s fights at Roseland Ballroom, which has since closed down, calling out the former amateur national and New York Golden Gloves champion, dating back to 2012, and the two have been combative ever since.

A longtime supporter of women’s boxing, and promoter of Hardy since her pro debut, Lou DiBella knew how big this fight could be not just for women’s boxing but for boxing in general. Hardy is one of the biggest draws in all of New York, while Vincent has an extensive fan base throughout the New England area. So when DiBella signed Vincent at the beginning of this year, potential for the bout to finally happen picked up major steam.

The two nearly came to blows at Vincent’s DBE debut in January at BB King Blues Club and Grill in NYC, and would have agreed to fight anywhere, any time, if it were up to them. DiBella, though, knew they deserved more. Their fight deserved the proper platform, and the proper stage to showcase this long talked about, and eagerly anticipated fight.

“This fight needed to be on TV, given everything these girls have been through, for how hard they have worked to get to this point, and for how long the buildup to this fight has been. My job as their promoter was to make sure that the fight was televised,” said DiBella.

Enter PBC and NBCSN. Since its inception in March of last year, Premier Boxing Champions has brought boxing back to the forefront, accessible to mainstream sports fans, providing coverage of some of boxing’s biggest fights, televised live, for free and in primetime on major cable networks CBS, NBC, and FOX. Now, on August 21st, the ladies will finally have their shot. The Hardy-Vincent bout, which will serve as the co-main event on the NBCSN telecast, will air in primetime starting at 9 p.m. ET.

“I was given the opportunity by PBC to put this bout on NBCSN and I think that’s a big thing for women’s boxing to have a fight like this on television. Hopefully, this is going to open the door for more females to have these types of opportunities because they deserve it. They deserve to have the opportunity and the ability to continue to grow in a sport that, for centuries, has been dominated by males. This is a major step in that direction,” continued DiBella.

DiBella held a media luncheon for Hardy and Vincent last week to officially announce the bout, and while the two women were respectful and civil for the most part, there was a definite tension in the air. Now, with just a little over a week to go until fight night, both Hardy and Vincent are more than ready to put on a show.

“This fight is a long time coming,” said Hardy. “Shelly has been very vocal about how I’m not good enough, I’m not strong enough, and I’m not smart enough. I stayed quiet though, minding my own business and going about my career, because my mother taught me never to wrestle with a pig. She said that if you wrestle with a pig, you’ll both get dirty and that’s what the pig wants. Come fight night, she will be forced to eat every word she has ever said about me. It’ll just be me and her alone in that ring, and she has nowhere to run, no mask to hide behind and nothing more to say. We will see who the real champion is on August 21.”

Hardy continued, “I am very thankful to PBC and especially to Lou for everything that he’s done to make this fight happen. I know it wasn’t easy and he put up a hell of a fight to get this bout televised. In 2016, it’s not acceptable for doors to still be closed to women. It’s my responsibility, as the parent of a young girl, to fight for her and for every little girl banging away at a punching bag in the boxing gym with dreams of fighting on the biggest stages throughout the world. We deserve the chance to showcase ourselves, and on August 21, we finally have our moment.”

“I have wanted this fight for so long, it’s all I have thought about. I wanted this as bad as I have wanted to bring my mother back to life,” said Vincent. “The hype, the attitude, all the talk is almost over. This is going to be a great fight. Everyone says Lou signed me to use me as an opponent for her, but I know that’s not the case. She wants to be called ‘The Heat’, well I am telling you right now, she’s about to walk through hell. I know how hard that is, because I have been there before in life. I have been fighting my entire life. When I get in the ring, that’s fun for me. Heather has improved in the last couple of years because she has been training for me. She knows that she has to be her absolute best to beat me, and I know that she will be. Unfortunately for her, it still won’t matter. I want to thank PBC and NBCSN and of course Lou for giving us a chance and an opportunity that we have been fighting to achieve for years. This fight is huge for women’s boxing as a whole. This is an opportunity of hope. Hope for all those young girls out there in the world training day in and day out, dreaming of making it big. This fight is history, and I am happy to be a part of it.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and presented by BROOKLYN BOXING™, start at $35. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com and fordamphitheaterconeyisland.com.

PBC on NBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina. For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @ErrolSpenceJr, @HeatherHardyBox, @ShelitosWay, @LouDiBella, @NBCSports, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (August 12, 2016)- Kazakhstan dominated the recent second annual World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) Asian Championships, capturing top honors in five of seven weight classes, at the Hwasoon Culture and Sports Center in the Republic of South Korea.

Individual Kazak winners were bantamweight Azama Markabayev, featherweight Ismail Geroyev, welterweight Goyti Dazaev, light heavyweight Eerkinbek Injel and heavyweight Mohmad Sulimanov. The other 2016 individual champions are Kyrgyzstan lightweight Ilias Chyngyzbek Uulu and Uzbekistan middleweight Nursulton Ruziboev.

Individual team competition was held in accordance with the “Official Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Competition, subject to WMMAA approval. Including revisions, additions and clarifications of certain clauses. Matches were held in accordance with the Olympic system including two third-places in each of the seven weight divisions.

Following Kazakhstan in the final team standings were, in order, South Korea and Kyrgyzstan. See below:

Final Team Standings

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Total
Kazakhstan 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 66
South Korea 0 1 7 0 2 0 0 0 58
Kyrgyzstan 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 49
Uzbekistan 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 32
Tajikistan 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 21
China 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 19

Team scoring was awarded by the maximum amount of points scored by individual team members on the following basis: 1st – 10, 2nd – 8, 3rd – 6, 4th – 5, 5th – 4, 6th – 3, 7th – 2, 8th – 1

2016 WMMAA ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP OFFICIAL RESULTS

Click here to view the action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAYR04B4Dvc

BANTAMWEIGHTS (134 ½ LBS. / -61.2 KG):
1. Azama Markabayev (Kazakhstan)
2. Alimarden Abdykaarov (Kyrgyzstan)
3. Lee Jongkwan (South Korea)
3. Rustam Magdiev (Uzbekistan)

FEATHERWEIGHTS (145 LBS. / -65.8 KG):
1. Ismail Geroyev (Kazakhstan)
2. Alisher Garibshoev (Tajikistan)
3. Kim Jongkwan (South Korea)
3. Yang Jihwan (South Korea)

LIGHTWEIGHTS (154 ½ LBS. / -70.3 KG):
1. Ilisas Chyngyzbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)
2. Neimat Asadov (Kazakhstan)
3. Alihon Khasanov (Uzbekistan)
3. Jang Ikhwan (South Korea)

WELTERWEIGHTS (169 ½ LBS. / -77.1 KG):
1. Goyti Dazaev (Kazakhstan)
2. Mavlonzhon Balataev (Kyrgyzstan)
3. Im Jin Yong (South Korea)
3. Jiang Tao (China)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (185 LBS. / -84.0 KG):
1. Nursulton Ruziboev (Uzbekistan)
2. Baurzhan Kuanyshbayev (Kazakhstan)
3. Tologon Rakhmanberdi Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)
3. Kim Yi Sak (South Korea)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (205 LBS. / -93.0 KG):
1. Erkinbek Injel (Kazakhstan)
2. Kwak Yun Sub (South Korea)
3. Dilovar Nasyrov (Tajikistan)
3. Daniiar Zarylbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

HEAVYWEIGHTS (+205 LBS. / +93.0 KG):
1. Mohmad Sulimanov (Kazakhstan)
2. Maksat Musabaev (Kyrgyzstan)
3. Amin Ergashev (Uzbekistan)
4. Kim Changhee (South Korea)

All individual first-place winners were awarded special championship belts and medals, second and third-place finishers received a medal and certificate. Teams that finished among the top three in the final standings were awarded cups and certificates.

Schedule of Major 2016 MMA Events
http://wmmaa.org/events/

Sept. 14-16 – European MMA Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia
http://wmmaa.org/events/31/

Oct. 7-9 – Inaugural Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile
http://wmmaa.org/news/design-chosen-for-the-2016-pan-american-championship-950/

Oct. 20-21 – MMM Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia

INFORMATION:

www.WMMAA.org
www.facebook.com/WMMAA-665064310170463/
www.youtube.com/user/TheWMMAA
Twitter: @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
ABOUT WMMAA: The goal of the World MMA Association is to provide unbiased structure and guardrail the growth of MMA as the official world governing body for Mixed Martial Arts. A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary. More than 50 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.

MONTRÉAL (August 12, 2016) – Former world champion Lucian Bute learned late yesterday afternoon that the test of his “B” sample was positive, as was his “A” sample, which was no surprise and these findings were welcomed by Lucian and his team.

When the initial announcement of the positive result revealed Ostarine, Lucian didn’t understand what could have happened, hence his disbelief of the situation yet hope regarding test results of his sample “B”. At that time it was announced extensive research would be conducted to find out what really happened. Today, more than ever, Lucian says he never knowingly used illegal products during his illustrious career in professional boxing.

To assist in his search for truth, Lucian retained the services of a Los Angles-based lawyer, Howard Jacobs, who requested all nutritious supplement products used by Bute during in his training camp for the fight against Badou Jack.

KorvalLabs, an accredited laboratory in California specializing in sport, was mandated to carry out all of the analyzes, and results were obtained Monday.
However, analysis of a product named Dynamita recovery, made by Pharmagenic laboratory in San Diego, California, contained traces of contamination, Ostarine.

The supplement formula prescribed by physical trainer Angel Heredia (see photos) had to be perfectly free of all illegal substances in its composition, meaning, unfortunately, it had been contaminated during preparation of this supplement at the Pharmagenic laboratory.

Responsibility for the detection of Ostarine in Bute’s tests was totally up to Pharmagenic laboratory in San Diego. Bute and his lawyer intend to pursue legal proceedings against the laboratory that has caused irreparable harm to the integrity and reputation of the former IBF super middleweight champion.

Details of the investigation were forwarded to the athletic commission in Washington DC, which will therefore be inviting Bute to enable representations and explanations of what happened before it takes a decision.

Meanwhile, Lucian Bute is in training at the gym of the Grant brothers regularly, does not put his career in question and is determined to take all means to become world champion in his division once the details of this case are fully set.
ABOUT GROUPE YVON MICHEL (GYM): Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) was founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel and his associates. The organization’s mission is the development of high-level boxers through coaching support and especially by competitive management. To achieve its objectives, GYM actively recruits talent and organizes events. GYM is associated with the popular series, “Premier Boxing Champions (PBC),” and has developed major Videotron partnerships with Loto Quebec, TVA Sports, Centre Videotron, Casino de Montreal and Lac Leamy, Tonik GroupImage and Lapointe Dental Centre, in addition to collaborating closely with Rixa Promotions.

Miguel Flores 127 – Ryan Kielczweski 126.25

Jamal James 146 – Yordenis Ugas 146.75

Josue Vargas 140.25 – Ira Terry 133.25
Darnell Pierce 191 – Louis King 184
Ronnie Robidoux 166 – Greg Thomas 168
Larry Gleeson 149 – Simon Sayes 152.5
Michael Pryor 155 – Daniel Castro 156
Jonathan Perez 127.75 – Bradaiel Smith 127.5

Photos by Hosanna Rull / King’s Promotions

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $60 for ringside, $35 and $25, and are on sale now (may be subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, by calling 877-833-SHOW or by visiting the Turning Stone Box Office.

MIGUEL FLORES VS. RYAN KIELCZWESKI MEDIA SCHEDULE
*All Times Are Eastern*

Friday, August 12

6:00 p.m . TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO DOORS OPEN
Location: 5218 Patrick Rd.; Verona, NY 13478

6:45 p.m. FIRST BOUT

9:00 p.m. ESPN & ESPN DEPORTES BROADCAST BEGINS

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up at Cypress C from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up at Cypress C from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

# # #

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $60 for ringside, $35 and $25, and are on sale now (may be subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, by calling 877-833-SHOW or by visiting the Turning Stone Box Office.

For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

ANAHEIM, CALIF. (August 11, 2016) – Exciting brawler Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo and undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha hosted a media workout in Los Angeles Thursday as they prepare for their Premier Boxing Champions on Spike showdowns Saturday, August 27 from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and is headlined by former multiple division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero taking on Argentine slugger David Emanuel “El Pirata” Peralta in welterweight action.

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.

Angulo will take on Mexican veteran Freddy Hernandez in a middleweight tilt while Gausha is opposed by the Bronx’s Steve Martinez in super welterweight action. PBC on Spike is part of back-to-back nights of combat sports on the network as Bellator takes the stage Friday night in Anaheim.

The fighters spoke to media at Ten Goose Boxing as they prepare for a night of action in front of the lively Southern California boxing fans. Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

ALFREDO ANGULO

“I’ve been training hard since the beginning of the year. I’m ready to get back in the ring and put on a show for the fans.

“I love entertaining the fans. I want to keep going out there and fighting for the fans. I want to be in big fights that fans remember.

“I know that this will be a very entertaining fight. My opponent and I both have a lot of pride. We fight like true Mexican warriors and will leave it all in the ring. I don’t expect this to go the decision but I am ready to battle for every round.

“Fans don’t question fights between two Mexican fighters. Everyone loves those kinds of matchups, like Morales-Barrera. Those fights are must watch. The Mexican style is to go head-to-head and toe-to-toe.

“Fighting a guy like this is always dangerous. I don’t like to beat up my countrymen but this is a business and I want to have the crowd chant my name, just like he does.

“I feel better when I have rest in between fights. I feel stronger. The rest has helped my body and I’m going to be stronger and sharper when I get back in the ring.

“I’m very comfortable with my style and my team. I’ve known Romulo Quirarte for many many years and we’ve worked very well together.

“I got married and we have a child on the way so I have a lot of emotions that I put into this training camp. It’s hard for me to explain in words, but I hope that I can show everyone when I get into the ring on August 27.”

TERRELL GAUSHA

“Each fight I feel like I’ve been growing. I’ve been learning and taking something from every experience in the ring. I’m a student of the game. I’m always training and I feel like I’m getting sharper and better.

“I know my opponent is an aggressive fighter. He’ll come forward and he comes to win. I know him from the amateurs where he has a great background like myself. I’m looking to pick him apart and prove myself.

“It’s hard for me to describe my style, but I make adjustments to opponents. I fight differently depending on my opponent. I’m a thinking fighter. He’s an aggressive fighter and I think it will bring the best out of me. I’m going to exploit his weaknesses and use his aggression against him.

“I just have to be myself. Angulo and Robert Guerrero have a lot of heart, just like I do. My style is my own. I’m smart and I’m sharp. I like to hit and not get hit.

“I’ve been watching the Olympics games and catching as much boxing as I can. We already have a medal guaranteed. I love watching all of the Olympics sports.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.mayweatherpromotions.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/SHOSports

Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN (PBC on ESPN) presented by Corona Extra continues live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes this Friday, August 12 at 9 p.m. ET when undefeated featherweight fighter Miguel Flores (20-0, 9 KOs) faces once-beaten featherweight contender Ryan Kielczweski (25-1, 7 KOs) in the 10-round main event, from the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Televised coverage features a welterweight showdown between unbeaten welterweight contender Jamal James (20-0, 9 KOs) and Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs) in 10-rounds of action. James stepped in to replace undefeated welterweight Bryant Perrella, who was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury to his left thumb.

Highlighting undercard action is undefeated rising prospect Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas (5-0, 3 KOs) battling veteran brawler Ira Terry (26-14, 16 KOs) in a six-round welterweight attraction.

Host Marysol Castro, blow-by-blow commentators Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore, and reporter Todd Grisham comprise ESPN’s on-air team. In addition, Hall of Fame boxing writer and ESPN boxing contributor Nigel Collins will provide social media content, insight and analysis on facebook.com/ESPN/ and @espn.

Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes.

Additional Highlights:
· Live coverage on WatchESPN will be available on computers, smartphones and tablets.

· ESPN3 will live stream the event on espn.go.com/boxing.

· ESPN.com: Dan Rafael will provide a preview feature; post-fight coverage will include highlights and analysis from Atlas and Tessitore

Fighter backgrounds:
· Miguel Flores: The 23-year-old Mexican fighter has not lost since turning pro in 2009. He started 2016 with a headlining win over Mario Briones in January and dominated Ruben Tamayo over 10 rounds in May. Now he will face the toughest test of his career in his east coast debut.

· Ryan Kielczweski: A runner-up in the 2008 National Golden Glove tournament, the 26-year-old from Quincy, MA. fights for his fourth-straight victory on August 12. After his first defeat, he delivered a first round knockout over Anthony Napunyi in May 2015, followed by a win over veteran contender Rafael Vazquez in October. Most recently, he dominated Mario Macias in an April bout.

· Jamal James: A tall welterweight at 6’ 2”, James is undefeated as a pro and has beating tough contenders Javier Molina and Wale Omotoso this year. The 28-year-old out of Minneapolis also owns victories over Michael Balasi and Daniel Sostre. Las year culminated with a hard fought decision over once-beaten Juan Carlos Abreu.

· Yordenis Ugas: A sensational Cuban amateur, Ugas holds a Bronze medal from the 2008 Olympics, and Gold medals from the 2005 World Amateur Championships and 2007 Pan American Games. The 29-year-old owns victories over Cosme Rivera, Kenny Abril and Adan Hernandez.

· Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas: The 18-year-old Vargas recently signed with Floyd Mayweather’s Mayweather Promotions and dominated Ryan Picou in his U.S. debut in June on the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter undercard in Brooklyn. Vargas picked up the first four victories of his pro career fighting in Mexico.

· Ira Terry: The 29-year-old from Memphis has shared the ring with former champion Jorge Linares and top contenders Claudio Marrero, Haskell Rhodes and main event participant Kielczweski.

MONTRÉAL (August 10, 2016) – Groupe Yvon Michel’s (GYM) world-ranked boxers have enrolled in the new VADA/WBC Clean Boxing Program (CBP), created by Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) and the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Adonis Stevenson, Lucian Bute, Eleider Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev will now participate in a serious new protocol in which they may be blood and/or urine tested anytime, 365 days per year. They must be available at all times for an unexpected test.

All of the WBC champions and WBC top 15-ranked fighters have until September 9 to conform to the new protocol or they will be removed from the WBC rankings and suspended from any activity in the WBC.

”This is a step in the right direction but what will really be important in the next few years is for this structure to always keep improving in order to properly regulate professional boxing,” trainer Marc Ramsay said.

”Fortunately, boxing is rarely the target of doping cases, but tightening the rules can only be beneficial to prevent tempted athletes to follow the wrong path,” added GYM vice-president, operations and recruitment, Bernard Barré.

”I am fully in favor of these new measures so all of us in the program will be playing on the same plain field,” remarked Stevenson, the WBC world light heavyweight champion.

“The WBC is proud to see the exemplary dedication of GYM for the welfare of the sport and we are grateful for their support to enroll Champion Adonis Stevenson and all of their WBC top 15-ranked fighters in the WBC – VADA Clean Boxing Program,” WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman commented. “The CBP is the first ever attempt in our sport to have a safety platform for our athletes and, more importantly, to share the much needed information on PED´s and illegal procedures which could harm our heroes of the ring.”

To learn more about ‘the ‘WBC Clean Boxing Program” watch the Webinar via this link: http://wbcboxing.com/WBCVADA/webinar/story_html5.html
ABOUT GROUPE YVON MICHEL (GYM): Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) was founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel and his associates. The organization’s mission is the development of high-level boxers through coaching support and especially by competitive management. To achieve its objectives, GYM actively recruits talent and organizes events. GYM is associated with the popular series, “Premier Boxing Champions (PBC),” and has developed major Videotron partnerships with Loto Quebec, TVA Sports, Centre Videotron, Casino de Montreal and Lac Leamy, Tonik GroupImage and Lapointe Dental Centre, in addition to collaborating closely with Rixa Promotions.

NEW YORK (Aug. 11, 2016) – If the team behind Bakhtiyar Eyubov think his next fight will be another easy showcase for their unbeaten welterweight, his opponent, Karim Mayfield has a message.

“He’s a very strong guy, but I’m more experienced than he is for sure,” said Mayfield. “He comes out looking for the first-round knockout by swinging with everything he’s got and he’s going to find it doesn’t work on me.”

Mayfield (19-3-1, 11 KOs), of San Francisco, will take on Kazakhstan’s Eyubov (10-0, 10 KOs) in the 10-round opening fight on ShoBox: The New Generation® on Friday, Aug. 19, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.

In the 10-round main event, power-punching Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (17-0-1, 15 KOs) will take on smooth veteran Fred Kassi (18-5-1, 10 KOs) for the NABO Heavyweight Title. In the 10-round co-featured bout, top prospect Mason Menard (31-1, 23 KOs) will face tough Bahodir Mamadjonov (19-2, 11 KOs) in a 10-round battle for the NABO Lightweight Title. Also featured is WBO NABO Bantamweight Champion Antonio Nieves (16-0-1, 8 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio, defending his title against Alejandro “Peque” Santiago (11-2-1, 3 KOs), of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Tickets for the event, presented by Salita Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions, are available at www.rhinossoccer.com/ and http://www.etix.com.

Mayfield, who has held and defended the NABO Super Lightweight Championship, beaten “uncrowned” world champion Mauricio Herrera by unanimous decision, as well as former world champion Steve Forbes and taken the “0” of then red-hot prospect Raymond Serrano, correctly points out Eyubov’s lack of experience. Eyubov has only boxed a total of 16 rounds as a professional over four and a half years. Take his victory over Jarred Robinson off the list and the combined record of his other nine opponents is 20-87-10 and they have been knocked out 48 times.

“He doesn’t show too much footwork either, so he’s going to have trouble,” Mayfield said. “I expect to bring it to him and for him to not be able to last the whole 10 rounds with me.”

Mayfield’s promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions, says another KO by Eyubov is far from a foregone conclusion.

“There is no doubt that Eyubov is very strong and a tremendous puncher, but his lack of experience and quality of opposition leaves glaring question marks that will definitely be answered when he fights Karim,” said Cohen. “Mayfield has fought at the highest level of the sport. Just take a snapshot of his last four opponents and their combined record of 73-14 with 44 KO’s.”

Cohen says that if Eyubov can steamroll his fighter like he has his previous ones, he’ll be the first to congratulate him.

“This is the classic matchup of a young stud vs. the established veteran. If Eyubov can knock out Karim like he has the opposition he has faced to date, I will be the first to take my hat off to him and would instantly consider him one of the top new contenders to burst onto the scene. On the flipside, if Karim beats Eyubov, this win should catapult him back to the top of the contender list and would immediately make him eligible for a world title bout or title eliminator. Truly a crossroads fight for both guys and one in which I really like Karim’s chances.”

“I’m training hard and getting prepared and sparring guys who come forward,” Mayfield said. “You haven’t seen a 100 percent Karim Mayfield. I’ve shown glimpses of it, but the past three fights, my training hasn’t been on point. I was training like a boxer. I’m not the boxer type. I bring it to you and I’m back to my original style. That wasn’t a good look for me. I was burning more energy moving around. I’m excited about this opportunity. After this win, I’ll be back in the top-tier fights. I’m excited I have a great opportunity and proper time to get prepared. I’m working hard and getting ready and I look forward to a sensational victory.”

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

# # #

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

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.

MASHANTUCKET, CT (August 11, 2016) – Broadway Boxing, presented by DiBella Entertainment, returns Thursday night, September 1, to the Premier Ballroom at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Lightweight prospects Amos “2 Smooth” Cowart (11-1-1, 9 KOs) and “Nice” Nick DeLomba (10-1, 2 KOs) will throw-down in the eight-round main event.

“Foxwoods has become a terrific venue for Broadway Boxing and I am thrilled to deliver this lightweight crossroads battle between two once-beaten prospects as the main event,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Cowart fought well in his ShoBox appearance last year, but he will be returning to his natural weight class on September 1. Moving past his hometown confines for only the second time as a pro, we will see if DeLomba is ready to elevate his career to the world stage.”

A native Floridian from Groveland, Cowart (pictured above) is coming off his first loss as a professional, suffered just over one year ago in Atlantic City. The bout, televised live as part of Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation series, saw the hard-hitting Cowart move up in weight to challenge fellow undefeated prospect Regis Prograis. Cowart went on to lose a very entertaining eight-round decision to the still undefeated contender Prograis, who was chosen as one of this year’s ESPN.com’s “Prospects to Watch”. Following the loss, Cowart was forced to sit on the sidelines as he nursed an injury suffered in the bout. Now back and fully healthy, Cowart is dropping down in weight and looking to make some noise in the 135lb. division.

“The bout with Prograis was a good learning experience, but I am not a 140-pounder,” said Cowart. “I took the fight because it was an opportunity to perform on national TV, and I believe I gave a good showing of what I am capable of doing. I am back now at my comfortable weight and know that I have what it takes to compete against the best up-and-coming guys in this division. DeLomba is the hometown boy. I know that he is going to have the crowd behind him, but once that bell rings, it’s just him and me in that ring, and I plan on putting on a spectacular performance as I get my career back underway and moving toward the top.”

DeLomba, the reigning New England super lightweight champion, has been favorably compared at this stage of his young career to another Italian fighter from the same Rhode Island city of Cranston, in two-division world champion Vinny Paz. DeLomba is expected to have a partisan hometown crowd behind him and will be looking to make a statement against the once-beaten Cowart.

“This is a huge fight for me at this stage of my career,” said DeLomba. “Cowart’s only loss is to Prograis and he is considered one of the best young 140-pounders in all of boxing. If I can beat Cowart more convincingly, that is a major statement. I am not only going to be the bigger guy in the ring on fight night, but I am the better boxer. He is coming off a year layoff, and I know that he is eager to get back in that ring, but this is the biggest fight of my career, and I plan on putting on a show come September 1.”

Belgium super featherweight Dardan Zenunaj (12-1, 9 KOs), a former World Boxing Association (WBA) International champion, and undefeated Cuban amateur standout Luis “The Lion” Garcia (14-0, 11 KOs), fighting out of Peekskill, New York, are also scheduled to be in action on the Sept. 1 Broadway Boxing card in separate eight-round bouts.

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, follow on Twitter @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt, @FoxwoodsCT, @DardanZenunaj, and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.facebook.com/foxwoods/

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (August 11, 2016) – In nearly 20 years since its founding, M-1 Global has promoted 215 events, including more than 2,000 matches, in 17 different countries on three continents.

M-1 Global’s homeland of Russia has hosted, of course, the most events with 128. Followed by Yuri Fuuta-led Belarus, which in only five years (2010 to 2014) has presented 29 competitions, and Ukraine, led by Dmitry Khristyuk, with 20.

While the three leading hosts of M-1 events are former Soviet Union-bloc nations, the fourth leading host in the MMA World is the United States with 10: 8 independent, M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Breakthrough, which showcased a rising star at that time, “King” Mo Lawal, versus Mark Kerr in the main event, as well as two super shows in partnership with Affliction, in which Fedor Emelianenko crushed former UFC champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski.

In the 2009-2010 era of team World Cup and M-1 Challenge, the most widely traveled around the world, included events held in the Netherlands (5 Teams), Japan (4 Teams), Finland (2 events), along with one-time events in Brazil, England, Spain, Bulgaria and Germany. Representing their country’s national teams in these competitions were the likes of UFC and Bellator fighters such as Gegard Mousasi, Stefan Struve, Jake Ellenberger, Karl Amossou, Gu Hyun Lim, Christian M`Pumbu, Mikhail Zayats, Dave Jansen, Hakran Diaz, Daniel Weichel and Niko Puhakka, the future winner of Grand Prix KSW.

M-1 Global’s recent history in Georgia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan added to its collection of diverse location events, plus an unprecedented event in China for any MMA organization, the inaugural show, “Battle in Heaven,” was held in Beijing, followed by the Chhendu stage of the tournament, “Road to M-1”. Also, the “Road to M-1” project was a trial for M-1 Global’s move into Germany.

Seventeen countries have hosted M-1 Global events as the Russia-based organization continues to expand its borders. Future M-1 Global plans include hosting events in the UAE, Indonesia and Monaco.

INFORMATION:

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

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

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

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

Birmingham’s undefeated Tommy Langford (17-0; 6KO’s) will challenge Chris Eubank Jr (23-1; 18KO’s) for the British Middleweight Championship after promoter Frank Warren today won the purse bid to stage the fight.

Langford, who holds the Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight belts, will take on Eubank Jr at a venue and date to be confirmed.

Fresh from earning a hard-fought points decision over Lewis Taylor on the undercard of Terry Flanagan and Derry Mathews’ World title showdown back in March, Langford leapfrogged up the WBO World rankings.

The ‘Baggies Bomber’ found himself sitting pretty in second place in the WBO’s order of merit at 160lbs before successfully making the fourth defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Finland’s Timo Laine at the Cardiff Ice Arena in July.

Now the Devon-born middleweight star has his sights firmly fixed on Eubank Jr’s pride and joy.

“I’m delighted Frank Warren has won the purse bid and that I’ll be fighting for the famous Lonsdale Belt,” said Langford. “I need a scalp of his magnitude to project my profile and Eubank is one of the biggest names on the scene at the moment.

“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 hope he doesn’t do his usual when it comes to a big threat and vacate the title.”

Big Bear Lake, California/Fuerteventura, Spain (August 10, 2016) Boxing Superstar and Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, (35-0, 32 KO’s) and Undefeated British Boxing Star and Welterweight World Champion “The Special One” Kell Brook, (36-0, 25KO’s) have both weighed in within the World Boxing Council’s (‘WBC’) required 30-day limits heading into their highly anticipated international showdown at The O2 on Saturday, September 10 in London, England.

From his training camp in Big Bear Lake, California, Golovkin, holder of the WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO Middleweight World Titles weighed in at 165lbs. while IBF Welterweight World Champion Brook tipped the scales at 176lbs. from his training camp in Fuerteventura, Spain.

For middleweight world title fights, the WBC mandates that fighters must be no more than 10% over the middleweight limit or 176lbs. thirty days prior to the fight.

Presented by Matchroom Boxing and K2 Promotions, the middleweight world title clash will be televised on Sky Sports Box Office in the United Kingdom and Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/PT in the United States.

Golovkin Photo/Courtesy K2 Promotions
Brook Photo/Courtesy Matchroom Boxing
————————

Golovkin is known as “The Most Exciting, Hardest-Hitting, Most Feared Fighter in the World.” From recently selling out arenas in New York City (Madison Square Garden), Los Angeles (The Fabulous Forum), Carson, California (StubHub Center) and now The O2 (London) to his sponsorships with the JORDAN Brand, Apple, Samsung, and Bijan, Tsesna Bank, BI Group and EXPO 2017, Golovkin is one of the most marketable athletes in the world.

Golovkin’s record includes 22 straight knockouts in addition to 16 consecutive world title defenses. His 91.4% knockout ratio is the highest in boxing’s middleweight division history. Britain’s pound-for-pound number one fighter, Kell Brook, is out to shock the world when he steps up two weight divisions to take on the fearsome Gennady Golovkin.

The unbeaten Sheffield star achieved his childhood dream in August 2014 when he travelled to California to rip the IBF World Welterweight title from Ohio’s highly-rated and then-unbeaten Shawn Porter. He has since defended the title on three occasions, defeating Jo Jo Dan, Frankie Gavin and Kevin Bizier, all by stoppage.

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.

LOS ANGELES (August 10, 2016) Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, (45-0-0, 38KO’s) and undefeated WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Carlos “Principe” Cuadras (35-0-1, 27KO’s) both weighed in within the World Boxing Council (‘WBC”) required 30-day limits ahead of their greatly anticipated battle on Saturday, September 10 at the Fabulous Forum and telecast live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Both fighters are in excellent shape and weighed in at almost identical weights. From his training camp in Big Bear Lake, California, Gonzalez weighed in at 124.2lbs. while Cuadras today in Los Angeles tipped the scales at 124lbs. (Photos/Courtesy K2 Promotions)

For super flyweight world title fights, the WBC mandates that fighters must be no more than 10% over the super flyweight limit or 126.5lbs. thirty days prior to the fight

Co-featured on September 10 and also telecast live on HBO World Championship Boxing along with Gonzalez vs. Cuadras is a 10-round junior middleweight rematch of the epic 2016 “Fight of the Year” candidate between Yoshihiro Kamegai, (26-3-2, (23KO’s), and Jesus “Renuente” Soto-Karass, (28-10-4, 18KO’s). The first bout scored a draw, took place on April 15 in downtown Los Angeles.

Tickets for this outstanding evening of professional boxing priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25 are now on sale through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office.

Gonzalez vs. Cuadras is presented by K2 Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions. Kamegai vs. Soto-Karass 2 is presented by K2 Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.

SOCIAL MEDIA: For more information, visit www.K2Promos.com, www.GoldenBoyPromotions.com www.FabulousForum.com and www.HBO.com/boxing.

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

Use the hashtags #GonzalezCuadras and #KamegaiSotoKarass, #KSK2 to join the conversation on social media.

Manny Pacquiao has agreed to fight Jessie Vargas on November 5th,at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Yes, the fight is on. I have agreed to a Nov. 5 fight with reigning WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas,” Pacquiao said. “Boxing is my passion. I miss what I’d been doing inside the gym and atop the ring.”

“I miss my boxing routine of training, the things I do for my sport every day, but I assure my people my fight and training will not affect my work as a senator,” Pacquiao said. “My training — no problem. We will start early in the morning for my runs and gym training. There are no sessions or hearings in the senate at 6 or 7 a.m. They usually start earliest at 10 a.m., so I will be able to manage my schedule.

“My whole training camp with [trainer] Freddie [Roach] will be in Manila until the senate goes on break, and then we go to America.”

“Boxing is my main source of income. I can’t rely on my salary as a public official,” Pacquiao said. “I’m helping the family of my wife and my own family, as well. Many people also come to me to ask for help, and I just couldn’t ignore them.”

“I am happy to be scheduled to fight Pacquiao. He is a fighter that the fans respect and admire,” Vargas told ESPN.com. “That’s exactly what I want, and beating him will put me in that position. To prove that I am the best I have to beat the best and I plan on showing off my talent and ability inside that ring Nov. 5. It will be my coming out party. I hope that the fans really enjoy our fight.”

Sergey Kovalev Q&A Part 1 #KovalevWard

Sergey Kovalev Q&A Part 2 #KovalevWard

KATHY DUVA: We are here mostly for you to get a chance to talk to Sergey Kovalev and to get a better sense of where his head is right now leading into the fight we all want to see. Knowing from experience, the most fun anyone in my position could have is to be in the position to announce that the biggest fight of the year that everyone wants to see, between two of the top five pound-for-pound fighters that everyone wants to see, with undefeated records – usually it’s a lot of fun. I do hope that at some point during this promotion it will become fun. I am here to tell you that we are planning to have the fight on November 19 and we expect that the fight will be taking place somewhere, and where that is we will let you know. I will hand the mic over to Michael and we will proceed.

Michael Buffer
Photo Credits: Craig Bennett/Main Events

MICHAEL BUFFER: Ladies and Gentlemen, we have here the fighter that is universally recognized by most as the true, undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world. That is with no disrespect to Adonis Stephenson – the man the fans and most pundits would agree is definitely the most universally recognized light heavyweight champion of the world is Sergey Kovalev, so let me turn the mic over him and we will take questions.

SERGEY KOVALEV: Thank you everyone for coming. I am really happy about the fight that is coming up against Andre Ward on November 19th and I am really excited. I am really excited because the two best boxers in the light heavyweight division will fight. It is three months before the fight and I will just take my time and it will happen. I will answer any questions you have.

We don’t see two five pound-for-pound fighters fight each other that often – what makes this fight worth the risk for you?

SERGEY KOVALEV: This fight for me is dangerous. Any fight is dangerous but this fight is really important for my career and for the boxing world because it is a really high level for both of us. When I was a child I was just dream to be on this level so this fight for me really means a lot. For me this fight means everything in my boxing career and after this fight we will find out who is the best pound-for-pound.

Are you disappointed Andre is not here? Was he supposed to be here and why is he not here?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I am not disappointed that he is not here – it will be much better if he was here but if he is here it is no problem. We can speak without him. The most important thing is that he will be in the ring on the 19th.

KATHY DUVA: He felt that it was too close to his fight to have to travel.

What is going on with the site? Apparently it was supposed to take place at T-Mobile and now there is some talk of it going to Barclay’s in New York or MSG?

KATHY DUVA: We have an agreement with the T-Mobile as far as I am concerned.

Do you think you can outbox Andre Ward?

SERGEY KOVALEV: It is my goal. I like to have goals in my life and this makes my goal, yes.

Could you imagine yourself as being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? Is this something you dreamed of when you were a kid?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I never dreamed about it because I never knew about this word “pound-for-pound,” so I never thought about being the best pound-for-pound. I always wanted to be the best in the light heavyweight division. But now that Andre said this is the fight for the best pound-for-pound, yes it is now my goal.

Sergey has proven him self on the road, he is kind of a road warrior – does it even matter to you where the fight is?

Jackson, Klimas & Kovalev
Photo Credits:
Craig Bennett/Main Events

EGIS KLIMAS: We just didn’t want to get to the point where we say it doesn’t belong there. To Andre Ward it belongs there. Right now he is a top level guy in the light heavyweight division – there is no doubt about it. We never wanted to fight guys that we didn’t know about. They are going to step in the ring and the winner will be the pound-for-pound guy. Sergey Kovalev deserves to fight for the pound-for-pound.

This will be only the third time since the inception of The Ring pound-for-pound that two of the top 5 pound-for-pound were undefeated and fought each other. The first one was in 1990, a Main Events fight, Chavez-Taylor, with Don King; and in 1999 when Trinidad and De La Hoya fought and set all kinds of box office records. Leading up to that, we have Kovalev’s trainer two-time world champion John David Jackson – so J.D., why don’t we see fights like this more often?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: One of the problems making these types of fights is the promoters can’t get along. The fighters for the most part will fight each other. Sometimes it is not within their powers to make the fights and that’s why sometimes you don’t see these big fights. Sometimes one TV network has one fighter and another TV network has another fighter. There are a lot of reasons the fights are not made but I am glad this fight is made for the fans – they get to see a world class fight between two world class fighters on a world class level.

Does your current status being in the top-pound-for-pound, have status, or is it appreciated in Russia?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I don’t know because I don’t hear any opinions about that from Russian fans. After a while people are thinking that I am the best, yes, and in my hometown for sure.

MICHAEL BUFFER: I can vouch for that. We had a fight in Russia a few weeks ago in Ekaterinburg, Russia and Sergey literally could not go anywhere. He was attracting hordes of people. He is so admired in Russia. There are so many great fighters coming out of Russia. They don’t think of him as the light heavyweight champion or a pound-for-pound champion, they think he can walk on water in the world of boxing. He is definitely a fan favorite.

John David Jackson and Sergey Kovalev
Photo Credits: Craig Bennett/Main Events

Do you plan on changing any part of your training regimen for this fight?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I don’t think that that we are going to change anything but we can add something.

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: Yes. Exactly what Sergey said. There is not much to change but we can add certain things. And we will try to capitalize on the mistakes that Andre makes. Camp is going to go according to plan and we are going to get the work in that needs to be done.

How do you rate Andre Ward as an opponent? Do you expect a hero’s welcome in your home country if you are victorious?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I cannot rate Andre Ward because I have not fought him yet. After the fight I can make some points about that. All of my Russian fans and all of my family – I will dedicate this fight to all of them. I want to bring my belts and victory to Russia.

Were you happy with your fight in Russia and your performance?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I was happy with the victory over Chilemba. This guy was not a punching bag. He was very uncomfortable for me. The show was great and thank you very much to the Russian Copper Company that helped promote the show in Russia – they made it similar to a show in the USA. I was happy with my last fight and it was good preparation for my next fight for November 19.

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: I was happy with the victory. Could he have done some things differently? Yes and he realizes he will be more prepared for the Ward fight. You cannot take any fighter lightly. There is always room for learning and with each passing fight you learn more. And now it’s time to move on and be better prepared for that fight.

Where can I get the shirt you were wearing in the ring Saturday night doing the post-fight interview?

SERGEY KOVALEV: (laughing) I got the shirt in Las Vegas.

How do you think the negotiations will end?

KATHY DUVA: There is always a sticking point. There will be a sticking point until they get in the ring. Then I will be able to sit back and watch how these months of hard work and in this glorious moment, that I have been looking forward to more than anything in the world, because at that point Roc Nation isn’t going to be able to do anything for Andre Ward any more.

Do you think Andre Ward has more power as a light heavyweight to hurt you and do you think you can knock Andre Ward out?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I think so, yes. He was power – he will be a lot heavier and has been in his last two fights. He has been fighting twelve rounds to get enough experience for November 19. We saw the power when he fought in the super middleweight division. Sure, I will try to knock him out because I am Krusher and I try to live up to my nick-name. Let’s do it.

Do you look forward to the challenge that Andre Ward brings to your fighter?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: Yes, of course. He is an intelligent, very smart fighter. Anyone that has gone undefeated as an amateur and then undefeated as a pro, that is something you’ve got to respect. Having said that, he does like a challenge. He is difficult and he is good at what he does. We have to break him down systematically and beat him at Sergey’s game. He may do some things that he gets away with, but we will break him down and the fight will go our way. It is a dangerous fight because he is a boxer – he is not a puncher – he has a tendency to be more crafty. So it is a great challenge for me and I welcome the challenge – to prove that I am one of the better trainers in boxing, one of the better teachers in boxing. That’s why I love the challenge of an Andre Ward fight.

Would watching Saturday’s Ward fight help or because his style is so different than Sergey’s is it something you can throw out the window?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: I couldn’t watch the fight. There was a bad thunder storm and knocked the cable out. But I’ll watch it. Brand is a different fighter than Sergey, way different, and he represents a different challenge for Ward. Ward couldn’t even look good in that fight and he didn’t. Come November 19, it will be a different mind-set for Sergey and for Ward.

Ward said he is a combination of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins…

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: No, he is far from Roy, and Floyd and he has a little bit of Bernard in him. Listen, Ward is good at what Ward does. His style is different from everybody else’s and he has mastered that. It is not the most exciting style in the world and it’s not fan favorite, but it works for him and it got him to be as good as he is today and you can’t take him lightly. So it works for him and whatever shortcomings he has we have to expose that in this fight. So for him to say he like Roy, no. Floyd? No. A little like Bernard? Yes. But he is not them. He is Ward and that works for him. He should be happy with what he’s done and not compare himself to those fighters. He should be happy with what he’s done but he can’t do what they did.

You have been at ringside for a Ward fight. Do you see a weakness in Ward?

SERGEY KOVALEV: What I would like to say, that in my case and I will use what I learned in my training camp.

Who was your toughest opponent? How does Ward compare?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I have some fights when I fought really hard. The hardest was I think the first fight against Darnell Boone from who I got the knockdown and also Andre Ward got a knockdown – it really was a tough fight for me. I didn’t have enough experience for him at that point. I won’t know how tough Ward is until I fight him.

How were you treated in Oakland?

SERGEY KOVALEV: This was my second time in Oakland. My first time in Oakland was when Andre Ward fought Barrera. The first time was really good – it was nice. But this time it was “Booo” and I understand why – it is Ward’s home. But it is OK – it is supposed to be like that.

Now you are focused on November 19. If you win do you think you will fight Adonis Stephenson, or do you think he will run away again?

SERGEY KOVALEV: If you understand that I am focused on this fight, why would you ask that question? It would be up to him. I am ready for him but it is not my decision to fight against Stephenson, I am fighting Ward and he is Chickenson.

You seem like a nice guy always smiling. Andre Ward seems like a nice guy, always smiling. Can two guys fight without any trash talking?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I can fight without trash talk. I have huge respect for Andre Ward. Yes I am ready to fight without any trash talking but if my opponent is going to start saying stuff then I will answer but never start trash talking myself.

Should you win this fight, will you fight Adonis Stephenson?

SERGEY KOVALEV: Yes

John, how would you fight Ward?

JOHN DAVID JACKSON: Since I am not the puncher Sergey is, it would be a boring fight. It would be a masterful type of fight and not the type of fight you would want to see.

How excited are you to have your first pay per view event?

SERGEY KOVALEV: I am very excited and I understood a long time ago I give a lot of thanks to Egis, and Main Events and Kathy Duva personally. Dreams come true in America.

Follow the conversation using #KovalevWard.

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VERONA, NY (August 10, 2016) – Unbeaten welterweight contender Jamal James (20-0, 9 KOs) is set to take on Olympic bronze medalist Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs) in a 10-round showdown featured on Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes this Friday, August 12 from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

James replaces undefeated welterweight Bryant Perrella, who was forced to withdraw from the bout because of an injury to his left thumb.

PBC on ESPN and ESPN Deportes coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by undefeated rising contender Miguel Flores taking on exciting once-beaten contender Ryan Kielczweski in featherweight action.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $60 for ringside, $35 and $25, and are on sale now (may be subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, by calling 877-833-SHOW or by visiting the Turning Stone Box Office.

Highlighting undercard action is undefeated rising prospect Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas (5-0, 3 KOs) battling veteran brawler Ira Terry (26-14, 16 KOs) in a six-round welterweight attraction.

A tall welterweight at 6′ 2″, James is undefeated as a pro and has had a big 2016, beating tough contenders Javier Molina and Wale Omotoso this year. The 28-year-old out of Minneapolis picked up where he left off after a 2015 campaign that began with victories over Michael Balasi and Daniel Sostre and culminated with a hard fought decision over once-beaten Juan Carlos Abreu in September.

A sensational Cuban amateur, Ugas picked up a Bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and also owns Gold medals from the 2005 World Amateur Championships and 2007 Pan American Games. Now fighting out of Miami, the 30-year-old owns victories over Cosme Rivera, Kenny Abril and Adan Hernandez.

The 18-year-old Vargas recently signed with Floyd Mayweather’s Mayweather Promotions and dominated Ryan Picou in his U.S. debut in June on the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter undercard in Brooklyn. Now fighting out of the Bronx, Vargas picked up the first four victories of his pro career fighting in Mexico. He takes on the 29-year-old Terry out of Memphis who has shared the ring with former champion Jorge Linares and top contenders Claudio Marrero, Haskell Rhodes and main event participant Kielczweski.

MIGUEL FLORES VS. RYAN KIELCZWESKI MEDIA SCHEDULE
*All Times Are Eastern*

Thursday, August 11

4:30 p.m. OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN
Location: Turning Stone Resort Casino – The Oneida Room
5218 Patrick Rd.; Verona, NY 13478
4:30 p.m. – Media Arrival
5:00 p.m. – Fighters to Scales

Friday, August 12

6:00 p.m . TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO DOORS OPEN
Location: 5218 Patrick Rd.; Verona, NY 13478

6:45 p.m. FIRST BOUT

9:00 p.m. ESPN & ESPN DEPORTES BROADCAST BEGINS

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up at Cypress C from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION
Fight night credentials can be picked up at Cypress C from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

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Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $60 for ringside, $35 and $25, and are on sale now (may be subject to additional fees). Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, by calling 877-833-SHOW or by visiting the Turning Stone Box Office.

For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.