Dallas, Texas – May 30, 2023 – Fighters First Management Chief Executive Officer Adrian Clark announced today it has signed a management agreement with unified WBC/WBA/IBF World Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.

Spence and Clark, both Texas natives, have a personal friendship that dates to 2012 while Spence was preparing for the Olympics games. Prior to Fighters First Management, Clark independently negotiated deals for the hard-hitting southpaw with equipment and apparel giant, Everlast Worldwide.

“It is an honor to have Errol join the Fighters First family,” said Clark. “If you know Errol, you know how meticulous and calculated he is in business. In 11 years, he has only aligned himself with two companies (PBC and Everlast).

“For Fighters First to be the third company to represent Errol Spence Jr says a lot about who we are as a company,” noted Clark.

“I met with Fighters First months ago and I believe in their vision, not just for me but for the fighters,” said Spence Jr. “AC has been a part of my team for a while. He put Everlast and me together. I trust him to continue to put things together for me,” added Spence Jr.

Spence Jr. A Pound-For-Pound Fixture in Boxing

Errol Spence Jr. is a fixture on every significant pound-for-pound list and it is one of boxing’s top draws and biggest stars, making quick work of most of his opponents in his rise to becoming a unified 147-pound world champion. A U.S. Olympian in 2012, the unbeaten southpaw began boxing at age 15 under his father’s guidance in Dallas.

Spence Jr. packs plenty of power, inflicting early damage and then pouncing His record currently stands at 28-0, 22 KOs (78.57% knockout ratio). Among his notable victories: Yordenis Ugas, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia, Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, and Chris Algieri.

The upcoming July 29 unification bout against WBO World Welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford is the single most anticipated and desirable fight in boxing today.

Biggest Fight in Boxing Ahead on July 29

The upcoming July 29 unification bout against WBO World Welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford is the single most anticipated and desirable fight in boxing today. 

 “I told everyone that I was going to get the third belt from Ugas, then I was coming to take Terence’s belt,” said Spence Jr., adding that “it was always my objective to get this fight with Crawford done.”

“Our fight will be the most anticipated and action-packed fight that boxing has seen in the past 30-40 years. This is definitely a legacy fight,” added Spence Jr.

?Read more about Errol Spence Jr.’s boxing career in his full biography.

Clark Marries Business Acumen With Boxing Industry Insight

With 12 years of experience in sports and entertainment, Clark created “Protect Yourself at All Times,” an educational initiative designed to educate amateur and professional boxers about the business of boxing and how to protect their financial well-being while pursuing athletic accomplishments. Clark witnessed firsthand as a boxing manager and Founder/CEO of AC Sports Management the dangers posed when athletes began earning significant money with little training on how to secure their assets from those who would prey on them. AC Sports Management was acquired by Ballengee Group in 2019.

About Fighters First Management

Automotive engineer David Basha created Fighters First Management in March 2023. His motivation stemmed from Basha reading Adrian Clark’s best-selling book, “Protect Yourself at All Times: A Guide for Professional Boxers.” Basha recruited Clark to build the company from the ground up. As CEO of Fighters First, Clark’s first move was hiring former Main Events matchmaker Jolene Mizzone as president. Since then, Clark has signed six athletes to Fighters First Management: Giovani Cabrera, Justin Figueroa, Sharahya-Taina-Moreu, Shawn McCalman, Brian Norman Jr., and Justin Pauldo.

QUINCY, Mass. (May 30, 2023) – Unbeaten Lynn super middleweight prospect James “Pitbull” Perkins (11-0-1, 8 KOs) is a powerful fighter who has developed his upper body strength in an unusual manner as a gravedigger.

The 30-year-old Perkins faces Texas veteran Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (13-53-2. 9 KOs) Saturday night, June 10^th, in a six-round bout on the “Fight Night at the Vets Club” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions’ (GCP), at the Veterans Club in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Perkins, who has worked the past three years at Lynn’s St. Joseph’s Cemetery, agrees that his job has indeed helped him as a prizefighter.

“It definitely works for sure,” Perkins said. “It’s not all digging like it was in the past in cemeteries. We use a backhoe now, but there are places it can’t be used, so we still dig a lot.”

A hockey player at St. Mary’s High School in Lynn, Perkins turned to boxing when he graduated in 2011 when he didn’t receive a hockey scholarship from any college he was interested in playing for.

“I got into another intensive labor job working on a lobster boat,” he explained. “But I needed to get back into a sport. When I was 19, Stu Randall – he now works my corner – brought me to a gym in Saugus. I met Joe Ricciardi and he became my head trainer. I was 5-1 as an amateur and figured I’d go pro.”

Lynn is experiencing a boxing rebirth, of sorts. Danny Avery was a gifted Lynn fighter back in the early 1980s who trained under the famed Petronelli brothers in Brockton (they trained Marvelous Marvin Hagler), but the Ellis family presently rules Lynn boxing today with top 10 ranked welterweight “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis (24-1, 15 KOs), Ronald “Akeem” Ellis (18-3-2, 12 KOs) and their sister, Rashida, a 2020 U.S. Olympian boxer. Perkins represents the latest wave of promising boxers from the city located north of Boston. 

“There’s also a 16-year-old from Lynn, Malik Johnson, who trains where I do at Broadway Boxing Club in Everett,” Perkins added. “He’s going to be a good fighter. I know about the Ellis family, and I do feel a little pressure coming from Lynn. But I’m up to the task!

“I’m lucky to have the support I have, mostly from Lynn,” Perkins concluded. “They’ve traveled all over to my fights and I suspect they’ll travel to Bridgewater as well,”

From a hockey rink to a lobster boat, Perkins is now digging his way to the top of the New England Boxing rankings.

“James is a great guy, and he always makes for an exciting fight,” GSP president Chris Traietti commented. “”We are honored to have him on another one of our cards. He is stepping in with an experienced guy on June 10^th who I anticipate will test him a bit. On top of being an exciting fighter watch, he brings a passionate fan-base that will be loud and proud in Bridgewater.”

Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste (4-2, 2 KOs), of Woburn (MA), takes on New Hampshire’s Ryan Thomas Clark (2-3. 1 KO) in the six-round main event for the vacant United States Boxing Federation (USBF) middleweight title.

Also slated to fight on the “Fight Night at the Vets Club” are former New England Welterweight Champion Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (17-2, 9 KOs), of Holbrook (MA), vs. William Parra Smith (4-14-1, 3 KOs) in an eight-round bout; Boston lightweight Arika Skoog (1-0-1, 1 KO), the 2020 USA Boxing Elite National and multiple New England Golden Gloves champion, vs. Sarah “Switch Kick” Click (1-4-1 in a six-rounder), and Scituate heavyweight Kevin Nagle (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Reinaldo Souza (0-1) in a four-round match.

Card subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $60.00 (floor seats), $40.00 (standing room only), and $400.00 for ringside tables of 4 are available for purchase at https://granite-chin-promotions.ticketleap.com.

?

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, first bout at 7 p.m. ET.

Bournemouth, England – 27th May 2023 – Chris Billam-Smith took a majority decision victory (112-112, 116-107, 115-108) over Lawrence Okolie to become the WBO Cruiserweight World Champion in front of 15,000 hometown fans at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth and live on Sky Sports.

A sold-out Vitality Stadium were totally behind Chris Billam-Smith and provided an unparalleled atmosphere for all 36 minutes of the fight. With three knockdowns, a new world champion, and an electric atmosphere, this was a night of breathtaking boxing action that will never be forgotten.

Okolie looked confident from the first bell, despite the seriously hostile Bournemouth crowd, catching Billam-Smith with a solid right hand in the first round that stunned Billam-Smith a little bit and forced him to be more cautious.

The fight continued on a similar path, with Okolie throwing big rights and holding when necessary until Billam-Smith through a perfect looping counter-left hook to knock Okolie down in the 4th round, and unloading for the rest of the round hunting for a stoppage but failing to find it.

Points off in the 5th and 7th, and another knockdown by Billam-Smith in the 10th, meant Okolie went into the final two rounds hunting for a stoppage.

Okolie gave everything in the last two rounds to find that stoppage, opening himself up to another knockdown in the 11th. Billam-Smith then held on for those last three minutes of the 12th and final round to take the victory.

Billam-Smith said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I don’t know what just happened. My whole lifes come to this moment. It’s just perfect. In front of these fans, against a great champion in Lawrence Okolie, it doesn’t get better than this.”

Okolie said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I accept the decision. He did great work in there. He got a knockdown that changed the momentum of the fight and he did enough to win it. I can adapt to a loss and I’ll be back again.”

Televised Card Results:

Chris Billam-Smith def. Lawrence Okolie – MD (112-112, 116-107, 115-108)

Sam Eggington def. Joe Pigford – TKO, R5 (3:00)

Karriss Artingstall def. Jade Taylor – PTS (79-73)

Lee Cutler def. Stanley Stannard – PTS (97-95)

Michael McKinson def. Lebin Morales – TKO, R7 (1:25)

Full Undercard Results

Sam Eggington def. Joe Pigford – TKO, R5 (3:00)

Savage Sam Eggington showed his level of talent by totally dominating a 20-0 puncher that many people expected to knock Eggington out in Joe Pigford. Eggington outworked Pigford from the first bell, moving more and throwing a lot more punches with much greater speed.

Pigford did throw some shots with his trademark power, but Eggington looked on a higher level of boxing ability, and Pigford didn’t seem to have any answers to deal with Eggington’s speed and movement.

Eggington rocked Pigford in the final seconds of the fifth round with a lightning fast right hand, and followed it up with an inch-perfect left hook that sent Pigford reeling back into the ropes. Eggington took this opportunity to pounce on Pigford, unleashing a barbaric flurry of hooks that forced the referee to stop the fight in the rival final seconds of the round as Pigford’s corner also through the towel in.

Sam Eggington said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I think I had experience in the build up to the fight. I think the build up got him nervous, and that showed in the ring. I was just totally calm, whereas he had that jitteryness. I know I’ve been in the sport a long time, but I’m in my prime right now. I’m doing the best work of my career and I’m here to win belts.”

Karriss Artingstall def. Jade Taylor – PTS 79-73

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Bronze Medalist Karriss Artingstall commanded the ring for 8 rounds to take the 4th victory of her young professional career against an undefeated, highly-touted opponent in Jade Taylor. Artingstall outmanoeuvred Taylor from the southpaw position throughout the fight, using her long reach to fire off big straight left hands right through the centre of Taylor’s guard.

Taylor did find some success in the middle rounds of the fight, leaning away from Artingstall’s potentially devastating left hands and then throwing well-timed countershots, but Artingstall adapted to this intelligently, forcing Taylor back into the ropes with intelligent pressure so Taylor had no way to avoid Artingstall’s offense.

Karriss Artingstall is flying in the professional ranks, climbing at great speed and looks set to fight for World Championship glory in the fast-moving world of Women’s boxing very soon.

Karriss Artingstall said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I’m stepping up in quality every fight but my performance there was terrible, I was falling on my backhand a bit, I should have focused on my jab a bit more. I’ll have to watch it back, I know I was falling short, I’m a bit disappointed but I got the win.”

Lee Cutler def. Stanley Stannard – PTS (97-95)

Bournemouth’s own Lee Cutler put on a career-best performance in front of his hometown fans to take a comfortable points victory and move to 13-1 in his professional career against an undefeated opponent in Stanley Stannard, who came into the fight a slight favourite with the bookies, reflecting the magnitude of Cutler’s victory.

Cutler controlled the fight from the first round, managing the distance and the exchanges to perfection, going into the final rounds of the fight knowing he would comfortably take victory. The first few rounds had a relatively slow pace, as both men found their range and settled into the fight, but Cutler looked more confident by the second. The middle rounds were all Cutler as he consistently was able to win the exchanges with Stannard, despite picking up a few cuts.

Stannard did find more success later in the fight, and closed up the referee’s scorecard as a result, but without a stoppage it was clear that would not be enough. This was arguably the best win of Cutler’s career and he looks set to challenge some of the top names in the domestic scene at 154lbs very soon.

Lee Cutler said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I thought I won that fight easily, he didn’t really land a shot on me at all to be honest. This is no-one’s night but Chris Billam-Smith’s, I’m just fortunate to be able to fight on it.”

Michael McKinson def. Lebin Morales – TKO, R7 (1:25)

Top British Welterweight Michael McKinson made a huge statement with only the 4th stoppage victory of his 26 fight professional career. McKinson rode roughshot over Lebin Morales, knocking him down in the very first round, before ruthlessly breaking him down over the next 6.

Mckinson backed his opponent against the ropes across the fight, and this started the sequence in the 7th where he found the stoppage, pinning Morales against the side of the ring and launching off a flurry of savage hooks. Morales doggedly attempted to fire back, and pushed forward as he did so, but Mckinson smartly avoided that offense while brutalising Morales with more hooks of his own.

This assault left the referee with no choice but to end the fight, and gave McKinson a formiddable victory that sets him up for huge fights against other top Welterweights very soon.

Michael McKinson said to Sky Sports after the fight: “He was trying to catch me up, but as the rounds went on I was able to catch him more and the ref had to jump in. I believe I’m a lot better than the level I’ve been fighting at, I didn’t look out of place in Texas against Ortiz, I believe I belong at that level.”

Lewis Edmundson Def. Petar Nosic – TD (50-45)

Despite the fight ending a round earlier than scheduled due to a clash of heads, Lewis Edmundson showed serious talent to move to 7-0 as a professional against an opponent in Petar Nosic who had only tasted defeat once before in his 9 fight professional career.

Edmundson dominated every exchange and controlled the fight intelligently, winning every single round before the fight’s sudden ending.

Tommy Welch Def. Amine Boucetta – PTS (59-55)

Hard-hitting Heavyweight prospect Tommy Welch took a convincing points victory over an experienced opponent in Amine Boucetta on the biggest stage of his career so far.

Welch used all his attributes to control the fight at every distance, from trading jabs at range to dominating the clinch. With the referee scoring only a single round for Boucetta, Welch will be able to return down the coast to Brighton with a seriously increased profile.

Razor Ali Def. Jonatas Oliveira – PTS (58-55)

Popular young prospect Razor Ali showed Championship-level determination to overcome being knocked down in the 2nd round to take a points victory over 6 rounds against a game opponent in Jonatas Oliveira, winning every round other than the one he was knocked down in. Ali deployed impressive punch speed and smart footwork to totally outclass Oliveira.

Full Card Results: 

Chris Billam-Smith def. Lawrence Okolie – MD (112-112, 115-108, 116-107)

Sam Eggington def. Joe Pigford, TKO, R5 (3:00)

Karriss Artingstall def. Jade Taylor, PTS (79-73)

Lee Cutler def. Stanley Stannard, PTS (97-95)

Michael McKinson def. Lebin Morales, TKO R7 (1:25)

Lewis Edmundson Def. Peter Nosic, TD (50-45)

Razor Ali Def. Jonatas Oliveira, PTS (58-55)

Tommy Welsh Def. Amine Boucetta, PTS (59-55)

WBO number-one ranked welterweight Alexis Rocha stopped Anthony Young in round five of a scheduled 12-round bout at The Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

In round five, Rocha dropped Young with a left. Young got to his feet, but was wobbly and the fight was stopped at 2:15.

Rocha, 146.6 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is 23-1 with 15 knockouts. Young, 146.4 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is 24-3.

“I knew he was going to come in with the same energy he did when he fought Sadam Ali, and I was ready for that,” said Alexis Rocha. “I want the winner of the Spence-Crawford fight, and I am confident with the help of my amazing promoter, Golden Boy and Oscar De La Hoya, we’ll make it happen.”

Oscar Duarte stopped D’Angelo Keyes after round seven of their 10-round lightweight bout.

In round three, Duarte put Keyes down with a right hand along the ropes.

In round seven, Duarte scored another knockdown with a left hand to the forehead. Keyes showed toughness, but he took a lot of punches and the doctor stopped the bout after round seven.

Duarte, 135 lbs of Parral, MEX is now 26-1-1 with 21 knockouts. Keyes, 134.3 lbs of Houston, TX is 17-3.

“This was an amazing fight, with a great rival who was incredibly tough and very prepared,” said Oscar Duarte. “From the beginning, our plan was to break him down little by little. As I said in previous interviews, I wasn’t going to go looking for the knockout, I just knew it was going to happen naturally just based on how well I had prepared and how I have matured physically and mentally. I would love a fight against William Zepeda.”

Oscar Collazo won the WBO Minimumweight world title with a stoppage of Melvin Jerusalem after round seven.

Jerusalem started well, but Collazo came on and dropped Jerusalem with body shots in round seven. The fight was stopped in the corner following the round.

Collazo, 105 lbs of Villalba, PR is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Jerusalem, 104.6 lbs of Santos City, PHL is 20-3.

“We knew we had a solid challenge ahead of us, but thanks to my corner, they helped me stay calm throughout the fight,” said Oscar Collazo. “I knew I had to establish the pace with my jab, and by the fourth or fifth round we started to hit the body and he didn’t like it. We chopped the tree and we made history for Villalba. I will see you all in Puerto Rico in August, where I will make my first title defense.”

World ranked super flyweight John Ramirez had to eek out a 10-round split decision over Fernando Diaz.

Ramirez, 114.5 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won two cards 96-94, while Diaz took a card 96-94 and sis now 12-0.

Diaz, 114.8 lbs of Riverside, CA is 12-4-1.

Eric Priest remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Ricardo Villalba in a middleweight bout.

Priest, 159.8 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 10-0. Villalba, 160 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 20-9-1.

In round five, Villaalba started to bleed from the bridge of his nose.

Johnny Canas made a successful pro debut with four-round unanimous decision over Jose Alvarado in a super lightweight bout.

Canas, 136.4 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 twice and is now 1-0. Alvarado, 138 lbs of Puebla, MEX is 1-8.

Leonardo Sanchez stopped Uhlices Reyes in round two of their four-round super featherweight fight featuring undefeated boxers.

In round one, Sanchez dropped Reyes with a left to the body. In round two, Sanchez put Reyes down with a straight left hand. Sanchez landed a big left that sent Reyes backing up across the ring. He followed up with a flurry that sent Reyes down again and the fight was stopped at 1:01.

Sanchez, 130 lbs of Cathedral City, CA is 5-0 with four knockouts. Reyes, 129 lbs of Omaha, NEB is 1-1.

BELFAST (May 27, 2023) – He came. He saw. He conquered.

Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) defended his IBF featherweight world title with a fifth-round TKO over Michael “Mick” Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs) Saturday evening at The SSE Arena in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast.

Lopez made the first defense of his crown after beating Josh Warrington in enemy territory in Leeds, England. Once again, the 29-year-old native of Mexicali, Mexico, thrived on away soil.

Conlan, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist making his second attempt at a world title, initiated the contest as expected, jabbing from a southpaw stance to establish distance. However, Lopez landed explosive left hooks and right hands to the body with surprising ease. Conlan ended the round with a series of left hands, but Lopez did not let the round end without landing some of his own.

In the following round, both men exchanged punches to the body. Lopez backed Conlan toward the ropes, but the 31-year-old Irishman returned the favor.

In the third stanza, Conlan relied more on head movement to avoid Lopez’s punches, dipping his head on the inside to avoid wild hooks. That backfired, as Lopez timed an uppercut that hurt Conlan and sent him reeling towards the ropes.

Conlan tried to regroup in the fourth, but by then, the damage had been done. In the fifth round, as Conlan ducked to avoid a wild hook, he ran into a right uppercut that immediately floored him, forcing his corner to throw in the towel.

Lopez said, “I hope all the world champions at the featherweight division are ready for ‘Venado’ Lopez. I’m coming for all of them. I want all their belts. One by one, I’m taking all their belts with me to Mexico.

“It was an excellent atmosphere to fight in. The energy was amazing. The boxing fans from Ireland have treated me very well, so I’m glad Mick and I could give them a great fight. I wish the best of luck to Conlan moving forward, and I hope he recovers and comes back very soon.”

Conlan said, “Lopez had my respect before the fight and still has my respect after the fight. He hits very hard. He just beat me. He travels well and is a great champion”

Featherweights: English contender Nick Ball (18-0, 11 KOs) defended his WBC Silver title with a 12th-round TKO win over South Africa’s Ludumo Lamati (21-1-1, 11 KOs). Lamati’s six-inch height advantage posed issues for Ball in the first two rounds of the fight, but by the third and fourth, Ball began closing the distance with ease. Once inside, the 26-year-old landed vicious combinations, and Lamati’s corner stopped the bout in the latter stages of the final round.

Junior Lightweights: Anthony Cacace (21-1, 7 KOs) scored a 12-round unanimous decision win against Polish contender Damian Wrzesinski (26-3-2, 7 KOs). Despite Wrzesinski’s aggression,Cacace’s reach and height advantages allowed him to land harder and more consistently from his southpaw stance. Cacace is now 6-0 since suffering his first loss in 2017 against Martin J Ward. Scores: 118-111, 117-111 and 116-112.

Junior Welterweights: Irish standout Pierce O’Leary (12-0, 7 KOs) defended his WBC International belt with a first-round stoppage over Florin Ciorceri (17-4, 7 KOs). O’Leary dropped Ciorceri with a left hook, then finished things up with a savage follow-up attack. Time of stoppage: 1:11.
# # #  

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Leigh Wood reclaimed the WBA Featherweight World Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Mauricio Lara at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

Lara, who was the champion, lot the belt on the scales in Friday as 3.8 lbs of over the featherweight limit. This was a rematch of a fight that took place on February 18th when Lara knocked out Wood in the seventh round.

In round two, Wood put Lara on the canvas with a right uppercut. Wood suffered a cut over his left eye in round four.

Wood landed 150 of 429 punches; Lara was 76 of 314.

Wood, 125.9 lbs of Nottingham, ENG won by scores of 118-109 twice and 116-111 and is now 27-3. Lara, 129.8 lbs of Mexico City is 26-3-1.

Former world title challenger Jack Catterall won a 10-round unanimous decision over Darragh Foley in a junior welterweight contest.

In round seven, Catterall dropped Foley with a hard right hook. Early in round nine, it was another right that put Foley on the deck.

Catterall landed 170 of 374 punches; Foley was 81 of 414.

Catterall, 139.9 lbs of Chorley, IRE won by scores of 99-88, 98-89 and 97-90 and is now 27-1. Foley, 22-4-1 of Bondi, AUT is 22-5-1.

Terri Harper defended her WBA Super Welterweight World Title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Ivana Habazin.

Harper landed 75 of 209 punches; Habazin was 70 of 363.

Harper, 150.3 lbs of Denaby Main, ENG won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice and is now 14-1-1. Habazin, 152.4 lbs of Zlatar, CRO is 21-5.

Aqib Fiaz barely remained undefeated with a eight-round decision over Costin Ion in a super featherweight bout.

In round six, Ion dropped Fiaz with a hard left hand.

Fiaz landed 92 of 260 punches; Ion was was 86 of 313.

Fiaz, 132.1 lbs of Oldham, ENG won by a 76-75 score and is now 12-0. Ion, Marvella, SPA is 10-4-2.

Dany Ball stopped Jami Robinson at the end of round eight of their scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

In round two, Ball dropped Robinson with a short right on the inside. Ball jumped on Robinson and hit him with a barrage of punches that caused a bloody nose.

The bout was stopped in Robinson’s corner following the eighth round.

Ball, 146.1 lbs of Kingswinford, ENG is now 13-1-1 with six knockouts. Robinson, 146.8 lbs of Bolsaver, ENG is 15-6-2.

William Crolla made a successful pro debut with a four-round decision over Joe Hardy in a super welterweight bout.

In round three, Hardy landed a right hand that put Crolla on the canvas. In round four, Hardy’s nose was bloodied.

Crolla, 156.6 lbs of Manchester, ENG is the brother of former lightweight champion Anthony Crolla and is now 1-0. Hardy, 158.3 lbs of Leeds, ENG is 2-10.

Campbell Hatton remained undefeated with a fifth round stoppage over Michal Bulik in a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

In round five, Hatton landed a hard right that was followed by a left that wobbled Bulik across the ring, and the bout was stopped at 38 seconds.

Hatton, 141.3 lbs of Hyde, ENG is 12-0 with five knockouts. Bulik, 138.6 lbs of Oplae, POL is 6-3.

Aaron Bowen took a six-round decision from Aljaz Venko in a middleweight bout.

Bowen, 163.6 lbs of Coventry, ENG won by a 60-55 score and is now 2-0. Venko, 161.1 lbs of Slovenska Bistrica, SLO is 5-4-1.

6 x 3 mins International Middleweight contest
AARON BOWEN 163.6 lbs v ALJAZ VENKO 161.1 lbs
(Coventry, England)               (Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenia)

followed by

8 x 3 mins International Super-Lightweight contest
CAMPBELL HATTON 141.9 lbs v MICHAL BULIK 138.6 lbs
(Hyde, England)                             (Opale, Poland)

followed by

4 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest
WILLIAM CROLLA156.6 lbsv JOE HARDY 158.3 lbs
(Manchester, England)              (Leeds, England)

19:00 LIVE ON DAZN

followed by

10 x 3 mins vacant English Welterweight Title
DANNY BALL 146.1 lbs v JAMIE ROBINSON 146.8 lbs
(Kingswinford, England)  (Bolsover, England)

followed by

8 x 3 mins International Super-Featherweight contest
AQIB FIAZ 132.1 lbsv COSTIN ION 132.2 lbs
(Oldham, England)      (Marbella, Spain)

followed by

10 x 2 mins WBA Super-Welterweight World Title
TERRI HARPER150.3 lbsv IVANA HABAZIN 152.4 lbs
(Denaby Main, England)      (Zlatar, Croatia)

followed by

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Intercontinental Super-Lightweight Title
JACK CATTERALL139.9 lbsv DARRAGH FOLEY 139.5 lbs
(Chorley, Ireland)                       (Bondi, Australia)  

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA Featherweight World Title
MAURICIO LARA 129.8 lbsv LEIGH WOOD 125.9 lbs
(Mexico City, Mexico)             (Nottingham, England)  

Newtown, PA (May 26, 2023)-Weights for Saturday night’s Pro-Am at he Newtown Sports and Event Center in Newtown, PA.

Photo By Marc Abrams / RDR Promotions

Paul Kroll 153.6 – Eduardo Rafael Reyes 157.9

Samuel Teah 138.9 – Andrew Rodgers 137.9

Isaiah Johnson 143.5 – Marquis Hawthorne 143.1

Erron Peterson 160.9 – Nissan Anderson 159.8

Nimal Farmer 154.4 – Rah’Quand McDaniel 160.7

Tariq Green 164.7 – Courtney Williams 163.3

David Calabro 119.6 – Michael Turner 123.5

Promoter: RDR Promotions

Venue: Newtown Sports and Events Center

1st Bell: 7:15 PM —Amateur will start at 3 PM

Stream: BXNGTV.com

Diego Pacheco has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom – and the Super-Middleweight sensation headlines Matchroom’s latest fight night in Mexico, defending his WBO International and USWBC titles against Manuel Gallegos on Friday July 7 in Monterrey, live worldwide on DAZN – with co-main action provided by Matchroom’s latest signing, Super-Featherweight star Rocky Hernandez, who takes on unbeaten Venezuelan Joniker Tovar.
 
Pacheco (18-0 KOs 15 KOs) turned pro with Hearn in December 2018 and the rangy Super-Middleweight has grown into one of the hottest properties in the sport, closing in on the big-guns at 168lbs and doing so with his trademark fearsome power.
 
The 22 year old stepped through the ropes for the first time in the UK in his last outing, stopping Jack Cullen in four rounds in Liverpool – a 15^th win inside the distance in his 18 fights in the paid ranks to date.
 
The LA talent steps through the ropes for the seventh time as a pro, and does so over ten rounds against Gallegos (19-1-1 16 KOs) the #2 ranked 168lber in Mexico behind Canelo Alvarez, who is ranked #11 in the WBO. The Mexican will be the latest to try to halt Pacheco’s rise, and the LA native is thrilled to be continuing his journey with the global leader in boxing and expects that ride to take him to World title action soon.
 
“I am very happy and excited to be extending me deal with Matchroom,” said Pacheco. “We have bene on the path to the top for nearly five years and I couldn’t be in a better place to achieve my goals – to become World champion, to be unified and undisputed, and to be a role model for young kids in LA and Mexico to chase their dreams.
 
“I’m so happy to be headlining in Mexico on July 7. It will be a good fight against the #2 ranked Super-Middleweight in Mexico – and when I win, I’ll be one step closer to getting to that World title shot.”
 
“I hope Pacheco is prepared to fight for his life on July 7, because I’m coming to take everything he’s got,” said Gallegos.
 
Pacheco’s deal comes hot on the heels of the signature of Super-Featherweight star Hernandez, and the WBC #1 ranked KO artist faces Tovar over ten rounds in Monterrey. 
 
Hernandez (33-1 30 KOs) inked a long-term deal with Eddie Hearn today and will look to cement his status as the leading contender for the World champions at 130lbs – but unbeaten Venezuelan Tovar (21-0-1 16 KOs) says Hernandez’s bow with Matchroom will end in tears, reminding the Mexican that fellow countryman Roger Gutierrez stunned him in a round in July 2019 – the sole blemish on Hernandez’s record.
 
“I’m fighting another undefeated fighter to show that I’m the number one Super-Featherweight in the world and to show my promoter they made the right choice,” said Hernandez. “I’m here for 10 rounds but if he goes before then he goes!”
 
““We all saw what happened the last time Rocky fought a Venezuelan,” said Tovar. “This fight will be the exact same result. I have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase my talents on a big stage, and now it presents itself. I want to thank my promoter Mr. Shane Shapiro of Shapiro Sports & Ent., Mr. Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, and DAZN for giving me this massive moment.”
 
“What a great day for Matchroom and DAZN in America and Mexico – securing two of the best young fighters out there and putting them together on a card in Monterrey,” said Hearn.
 
“Diego is the best young talent in the game – and we are delighted to have extended his deal with us. From the day he first put pen to paper with us in October 2018, there’s been no doubt in my mind that he would get to the very top.
 
“We’ve watched Diego blossom in and out of the ring; a powerful puncher with venom and a humble young man with his community and family in his heart – Diego can become a massive star in America and Mexico, and we are with him every step of the way.
 
“Rocky can almost reach out and touch that World title shot. This one is slated for ten rounds, but when you look at their respective records, both guys will be looking for an early night. Joniker is dangerous and confident, but with the champions at 130lb tuned in, Rocky will want to shine, and I expect him to do just that.”
 
The venue in Monterrey and ticket details will be released next week.

Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez has signed a long-term promotional deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.
 
Hernandez (33-1 30 KOs) is ranked #1 in the WBC rankings at 130lbs and the Mexican banger is closing in on a World title shot. The 25 year old KO artist had an explosive 2022, starting with a thunderous to record a stunning first round stoppage win over Jorge Castaneda in June and then in Hermosillo in September he stopped Jorge Cuellar in five rounds.
 
Hernandez’s first fight under the Matchroom banner will take place in July and will be announced shortly, and Hernandez will look to display his credentials to land that coveted title shot. 
 
“I’m really happy and excited,” said Hernandez. “I feel blessed for getting this opportunity, they brought me in as a B-side and seen that I’m capable of great things, it’s an honor for me and my team to be part of Matchroom.
 
“I’m one step away from fulfilling my dream of becoming a World champion. It’s all I have in my head, the World title, and I know Matchroom will make it happen.”
 
“I’m delighted to welcome Rocky to the team,” said Hearn. “Rocky is such a dangerman for the 130 pound division and he’s right on the edge of landing a World title fight. That’s what we are looking to deliver for him, and once he gets that shot, Rocky could reign at the top level for a long time and carry that power up the weights.”

  •  Luis Alberto Lopez 125.5 lbs. vs. Michael Conlan 125.9 lbs
(Lopez’s IBF Featherweight World Title — 12 Rounds)

   •   Nick Ball 125.9 lbs vs. Ludumo Lamatii 125.5 lbs
(Ball’s WBC Silver Featherweight Title — 12 Rounds)

   •  Anthony Cacace 129.9 lbs vs.  Damian Wrzesinski 129.4 lbs
(Junior Lightweight — 12 Rounds)

   •   Pierce O’Leary 139.3 lbs vs. Alin Florin Ciorcerii 140 lbs
(O’Leary’s WBC International Junior Welterweight Title — 10 Rounds)

ONTARIO, CA (May 26, 2023): Returning the ring for the second time in 2023, Shane Mosley, Jr. (19-4, 10 KOs) will face a tough dance partner from Temple Hills, Massachusetts, D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (21-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight scrap. The fight is set as the co-main event for the highly anticipated Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko card scheduled for Saturday, June 10. The fight night, presented in association with Zanfer Boxing, will take place at Toyota Arena in Ontario. Doors to the Toyota Arena open at 3:00 p.m. PT and the DAZN broadcast begins at 5:00 p.m. PT/ 8:00 p.m. ET.

Mosley, Jr. has had back-to-back victories, including a tough fight with “King” Gabriel Rosado in April 2022 and an unanimous decision win against Mario Alberto Lozano in February 2023. Ballard is looking for a strong comeback into the ring after a TKO defeat against Munguia in February 2022.

Also on the DAZN card, Mexico City’s Mariana “Barby” Juarez (55-12-4, 19 KOs) will battle her compatriot also of Mexico City, Mayeli Flores (9-1-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight fight. Juarez is a former two-division world champion who held the WBC female flyweight title and the WBC female bantamweight title. Juarez was last seen in the ring fighting Yamileth Mercado for the WBC World Super Bantamweight title in October 2022. Flores is a former world title contender and will be looking to move up in the rankings if successful against Juarez.

Opening the DAZN broadcast, Rialto’s Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (21-2, 16 KOs) will participate in a 10-round flyweight fight against Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (22-1, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles. Sandoval is coming off of an impressive second-round win against Jerson Ortiz on the Nery vs. Hovhannisyan card. Santomauro is a dangerous fighter whose only blemish is a seventh-round TKO loss against Diego De La Hoya in 2016.

On the preliminary card, fan-favorite from San Diego, Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez (6-0, 5 KOs) will fight in a six-round super featherweight fight against Christian “El Niño” Lorenzo (3-4, 1 KO) of Los Angeles. Opening the Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko fight night with a four-round super welterweight fight, Anthony Saldivar (3-0, 1 KOs) of Ontario, California will face Jerome Clayton (2-1-1, 2 KOs) of Metairie, Louisiana.

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Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko is a 10-round super middleweight fight that is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Boxing. The event is sponsored by “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and AutoZone, “Get in the zone, Autozone.” The fight will take place on Saturday, June 10 from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

Tickets for Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko are on sale and are priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $30 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboypromotions.com or the Toyota Arena box office Monday through Friday from 12pm-4pm.

Media interested in covering the fight can apply for a credential by clicking HERE. Media credential applications are due by Monday, June 5.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaDerevyanchenko

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – (May 26th, 2023) – Tomorrow night’s world cruiserweight championship bout in Bournemouth is official as hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith made weight alongside WBO cruiserweight champion – and former training partner – Lawrence Okolie on the waterfront today.

Airing live and exclusively on Sky Sports, the event is the biggest boxing event in South Coast history and pits two former teammates against each other in a domestic world title showdown which has sold out the Vitality Stadium, home of Premiership football team AFC Bournemouth.

The televised card begins at 7pm, preceded by a live stream beginning at 5pm on the Sky Sports Boxing official YouTube page.

Final quotes from the main event fighters and televised card participants are below, along with today’s official weigh-in results.

LAWRENCE OKOLIE, WBO World Cruiserweight Champion 

“I’m just going to enjoy myself. It’s all good, it’s all fine. It’ll be business and I’lll do what I always do and get the ‘W’. I’m always going to go for an early stoppage.”

CHRIS BILLAM SMITH, Challenger

“A huge thank you to all for coming out, the weight’s made, the job’s to do tomorrow night. Now it’s very much focusing on the job at hand. I’m zoned in. I’ve prepared for Lawrence. I’ve prepared for Lawrence very well.”

Lawrence Okolie: 14st 3 lbs 

Chris Billam-Smith: 14st 3 lbs

Sam Eggington: 10st 13 lbs

Joe Pigford: 10st 13 lbs

Kariss Artingstall: 8st 13 lbs

Jade Taylor: 9st 2 lbs 

Lee Cutler: 10st 13 lbs

Stanley Stannard: 10st 13 lbs

Michael McKinson: 10st 8lbs

Lebin Morales: 10st 6lbs

Isaac Chamberlain: 14 st 3 lbs

Daniel Bocianksi: 14st

Mace Ruegg:  9st 10 lbs 

Dean Dodge: 9st 10 lbs

Lewis Edmonson: 12st 13 lbs 

Petar Nosic: 12st 13 lbs

Tommy Welch: 15st 12 lbs

Amine Boucetta: 16 st

Alireza Ghadiri: 9st 1 lb 

Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira: 9st 4 lbs

Mauricio Lara lost the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight belt after failing to make weight on Friday. However, the Mexican will step into the ring to face Leigh Wood this Saturday but only the Brit will have the option to win the crown.

As the WBA rules dictate in their section “rules about the official weigh-in”, number 6 “If the champion does not make the limit weight of the division after the two (2) additional hours granted, he/she will lose the title. If the challenger makes the weight and wins the bout, he shall be declared champion. If the champion who did not make the weight is the winner of the bout, the title will be declared vacant.”

In this case, Lara weighed in at 129.8 lbs on the scales, considerably above the 126 weight regulations. Wood weighed in at 125.9 lbs and will be the only one with the option to fight for the championship. 

Lara and Wood fought in February of this year and the bout ended with a great knockout by the former. Now they will step into the ring for a rematch that promises to be full of excitement.

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“Welcome to Manchester ahead of a huge night of World Championship boxing this Saturday at Manchester Arena, live and exclusive in DAZN. The rematch for the WBA Featherweight Championship of the World between the champion Mauricio Lara and now the challenger Leigh Wood. We saw a tremendous fight earlier this year in Nottingham full on drama. Leigh Wood winning that fight, to then get stopped and to see Mauricio Lara become World Champion. We sat in the office and we talked about what was next – we talked about maybe waiting. There was no waiting from Leigh Wood. He believed he can win this fight. He wanted the immediate rematch and he’s got it, this time in Manchester with his fans travelling from Nottingham.”

Mauricio Lara:

“First and foremost I want to say hi to everyone. As you say, last time was a calm performance but I’m really confident in my training camp and what we have done and I want to almost back-up and cement that victory, and I want to do it in quicker fashion. I’ll be looking for that knockout from the very first round. Big things are to come but first I have to, as I have said, cement that victory. Leigh Wood isn’t just any boxer, it will be a difficult fight but it is about continuing and cementing that victory and making history in this sport.”

Alejandro Brito:

“First and foremost, we have to thank you for the opportunity. This is Mauricio’s fourth time in this country. On his third time he managed to win that World Title on a fantastic night. It was a dream that he had for a long time. I said it the first time we had the opportunity, that we would give the opportunity back to Leigh Wood if we managed to win, and it’s great that we can go on to have another great fight here. The last one was a war but we are totally focused and believing in Mauricio’s possibility in creating a legacy in the sport.”

Leigh Wood:

“There was never even a thought in my mind that anything different was going to happen. I know you tried to persuade me otherwise. It was just so frustrating how the fight finished. Like you say, it is a fast turnaround, but it is one that benefits me. If you said to me when I won the World Title, ‘right, in 13 weeks’ time you’re back out, you need to get back in the gym’, I’d have been like, ‘woah Eddie come on, let me celebrate’. That’s why I believe it is one that favours me. I was straight back in training, I had a little time with my kids. I’m ready to get this belt back and look good doing it. No doubts at all, that’s not me saying it’s going to be an easy fight, because it could be far from an easy fight, but I’m prepared for anything that he brings. The first time round was hard because we didn’t have his style against my style to look at, now we’ve got that information and we know what he does when I do certain things. I’ve been preparing for him for nearly a year in September. I know him inside out, I’m just going to go out there and prove that I’m the better fighter. It’s a must-win fight; there’s a lot of pressure. I love it, I thrive on it. Whatever is takes on Saturday night I’m coming away with a win. This is what gets me up for it, I can’t lose. I can’t afford to lose. That could be the end of the road for me. It’s a long road to come back from. That’s why I’m not thinking about losing, I’ve done everything I can do to win. I’m confident in winning. I know what I need to do to win. I know what I can’t afford to do.”

Ben Davison, trainer of Wood:

“It was a scenario and a situation where there was no guarantees to the outcome. I can’t sit here and say that the fight wouldn’t have carried on going and Leigh wouldn’t have been victorious, and I can’t say vice-versa. It was a decision that I made in the moment, but with the understanding that we have this opportunity here. Leigh had this rematch clause. He’s got the opportunity to get his title back and I believe that he will do so. Leigh is forever in the gym, looks after himself, he doesn’t balloon up in between fights, he’s very disciplined in his life and his approach. It’s a career for him and a full-time job for him. He’s so disciplined when it comes to approaching fights and going into game plans that to actually take him away from a certain style match-up, to then bring him back to it would have actually been more difficult than it will be to go into a quick turnaround. I think he (Lara) was actually more respectful of Leigh’s power than we anticipated. He was a lot less reckless in the fight than we had anticipated being honest. I think the fact that he did eventually get the shot that he was looking for, the fight might play out a little bit more like the way we anticipated the first one to. Some adjustments, and I’m sure Mauricio and his team will have some adjustments. Leigh knows what he has to do and we are confident in the execution of that game plan.”

Alfie Sharman, Vice President Marketing – DAZN:

“I found myself on Sunday morning thinking, ‘how can you better Katie Taylor’s homecoming in Dublin in an amazing fight?’. Congratulations Chantelle. The answer was quick, it is back here in Manchester, an amazing fight city with two absolute warriors ready to put it on the line. We’ve had an incredible few weeks on DAZN with top tier fighters on both sides of the Atlantic fighting on our platform, and it doesn’t stop there. We’ve got plenty of headline fights coming up – Claressa Shields, Jaime Munguia, Vergil Ortiz Jr, Dalton Smith, Regis Prograis and Edgar Berlanga to name a few. It’s a really great time for us. Looking to Saturday, everyone in here saw the first fight. In my opinion predictions go out of the window for this one on Saturday. It’s a completely new fight, a new beast. Both men are in great shape and are ready to go. Leigh is very much looking to get that belt back and Mauricio looks like he’s not willing to let it go. We wish them both the best of luck and make sure you tune in on Saturday live on DAZN.”

INDIO, CA (May 25, 2023) In the lead up to his NABO Welterweight Title defense, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs) and his opponent Anthony “Juice” Young (24-2, 8 KOs) hosted a press conference at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino ahead of their scheduled 12-round fight on Saturday, May 27. Fighters from the DAZN undercard and the Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Young Prelims, which are streamed live on YouTube, also participated.

In addition, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation made a $30K donation to the Lee Espinoza Coachella Valley Boxing Club. The donation was accepted by club owner and legendary trainer Librado “Lee” Espinoza who has been recognized not only by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. for his work with boxers in the valley but has been inducted into the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame and the California Boxing Hall of Fame.

Doors to the Special Events Center will open at 4:00 p.m., the Golden Boy YouTube Channel stream begins at 4:00 p.m. PT/ 7:00 p.m. ET, and the DAZN broadcast begins at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET.

Here is what today’s participants had to say:
ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA – NABO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION:
?”I am not much of a trash talker either. My respects to him. Whatever his thoughts are, that’s good for him. I am confident in my ability. I am confident in myself. You’ll find out about who I am on Saturday night. I hope he brings this same kind of energy into the ring on Saturday.”

ANTHONY “JUICE” YOUNG – WELTERWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”I looked at the odds again, and they’re kind of disrespectful – they got me 8-1 underdog. The last time they did that, we shocked the world. I plan to do that again. I didn’t come here to lose; I am not with the script. They built him up good: 22 wins, a couple of tough fights, one step-up fight didn’t go too well. I am going to win on Saturday.”

MELVIN “GRINGO” JERUSALEM, WBO MINIMUMWEIGHT CHAMPION:
?”Good afternoon everyone. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for this fight. I am excited to see my opponent today. We will see you all on Saturday night.”
OSCAR “EL PUPILO” COLLAZO, MINIMUMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE CONTENDER:
?”Thank you everyone for coming. Thank you to Oscar, Golden Boy Promotions, and Miguel Cotto Promotions for making this fight happen. Thank you for this opportunity to make history, history for Puerto Rico, the opportunity to become one of the fastest to become a world champion. We’re feeling very good about this. I earned this, and you’re going to see it this Saturday.”

OSCAR DUARTE, LIGHTWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”I am very happy, I am very excited for this fight, for this opportunity. I am ready for this Saturday. I will win. Thank you, everybody.”

JOHN “SCRAPPY” RAMIREZ, SUPER FLYWEIGHT FIGHTER:
?”You already know, get your popcorn ready. I am not here to take part, I am here to take over. Some people feel some type of way by the way I move but I am just a man on a mission. Saturday Night I am going to make a statement, mark my words.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“I have known Lee for many years; his son, Ruben Espinoza, would beat me up all the time in the amateurs. On behalf of the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation, I would like to present this $30,000 check to the Coachella Valley Boxing Club. To the young fighters here from his gym, the fighters who sit at the dais started their love for the sport of boxing through the local gym like the one Lee has given his life to.”

“It is an honor and pleasure to be here at Fantasy Springs. We’ve had a lot of successful fights here, and we thank you for your hospitality.”

“I firmly believe that this Saturday’s fight card will leave a mark in boxing. From top to bottom, we have historic world championship matchups, world title contenders and newly signed Golden Boy Prospects that I believe are going to shake up their respective divisions.”
LIBRADO “LEE” ESPINOZA, FOUNDER OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY BOXING CLUB:
Thank you, Oscar and Thank you to your organization for the support. Thanks to Golden Boy for supporting Coachella Valley boxing.

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Rocha vs. Young is a 12-round NABO Welterweight Fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Hard Hitting Promotions. The fight is sponsored by Betonline, “BetOnline, Your Online Sportsbook Experts,” and Autozone, “Get in the Zone, AutoZone.” The fight night will take place on Saturday, May 27, live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

Tickets for Rocha vs. Young are on-sale now and are priced at $95, $75, $55, $45 and $35 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at FantasySpringsResort.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #RochaYoung

About The Oscar De La Hoya Foundation
Founded in 1995, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation annually hosts a golf tournament, a boxing gym equipment donation, Thanksgiving dinner giveaway and holiday toy giveaway in addition to supporting the Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo Charter High School, the Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center and the Oscar De La Hoya Labor and Delivery Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (both located at White Memorial Hospital in East Los Angeles). Today, with the help of many partners, the foundation serves thousands of people annually.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a marquee matchup in the middleweight division, as No. 3 ranked contender Marvin Vettori collides with No. 4 Jared Cannonier. Also on the card, No. 8 ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan battles Brazilian finisher Joaquim Silva.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: VETTORI vs. CANNONIER will take place Saturday, June 17 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (English and Spanish) starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The prelims will be available on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Vettori (19-6-1, fighting out of Mezzocorona, Italy) looks to build another win streak and earn his way back into the title conversation. Among the toughest matchups at middleweight, he holds victories over Paulo Costa, Roman Dolidze and Jack Hermansson. Vettori now aims to defend his spot in the rankings by becoming the first middleweight to stop Cannonier.

Former heavyweight and light heavyweight Cannonier (16-6, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska) plans to start his 2023 campaign with another statement performance. Known for his knockout power, Cannonier climbed to the Top 5 with notable finishes of Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson and Jack Hermansson. He now seeks to cement his place in line for the belt by taking out Vettori in dominant fashion.

Tsarukyan (19-3, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) returns to action determined to prove why he is considered a top contender in the lightweight division. After bursting onto the UFC scene with an impressive performance against Islam Makhachev, Tsarukyan earned wins over Damir Ismagulov, Joel Alvarez and Christos Giagos. He now intends to earn a quick victory over Silva and turn his attention to the top of the division.

Silva (12-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) has his sights set on making the most of the biggest opportunity of his MMA career. A well-rounded finisher, he has delivered highlight reel stoppages against Jared Gordon, Jesse Ronson and Andrew Holbrook. Silva now looks to shock the world and break into the rankings for the first time.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• An exciting middleweight bout sees Armen Petrosyan (8-2, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) match up against Christian Leroy Duncan (8-0, fighting out of Gloucester, England)
• Raoni Barcelos (17-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets Miles Johns (13-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in an intriguing bantamweight bout
• Manuel Torres (13-2, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) battles Nikolas Motta (13-4, fighting out of Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil ) at lightweight
• Pat Sabatini (17-4, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) looks to secure another signature submission against Lucas Almeida (14-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazl) at featherweight
• The Ultimate Fighter season 30 finalist Zac Pauga (7-1, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) and Modestas Bukauskas (14-5, fighting out of London, England by way of Klaipeda, Lithuania) compete in a light heavyweight tilt
• Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-8, fighting out of Aktobe, Kazakhstan) aims to spoil the UFC debut of Felipe Bunes (13-6, fighting out of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)
• Flyweights Jimmy Flick (16-6, fighting out of Tulsa, Ok.) and Alessandro Costa (12-3, fighting out of Puebla, Mexico) plan to steal the show
• Welterweight strikers collide as Nicolas Dalby (21-4-1 2NC, fighting out of Copenhagen, Denmark) faces Muslim Salikhov (19-3, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia)
• Carlos Hernandez (8-2, fighting out of Cicero, Ill.) locks horns with Denys Bondar (16-4, fighting out of Kharkiv, Ukraine) at flyweight
• A tough bantamweight contest sees Dan Argueta (9-1, fighting out of Orland Park, Ill.) take on Ronnie Lawrence (8-2, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
• Kyung Ho Kang (18-9 1NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea) and Cristian Quinonez (18-3, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) meet at bantamweight
• Tereza Bleda (6-1, fighting out of Prague, Czech Republic) and Gabriella Fernandes (8-2, fighting out of Natal, Brazil) vie for their first UFC wins at flyweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for media credentials to the event.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 233 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s active fighter roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).   

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Top Rank on ESPN: Lopez vs. Conlan will be live this Saturday, May 27 at 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. The event takes place at SSE Arena Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.

Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez (27-2, 15 KOs) will make the first defense of his IBF featherweight world title against Belfast’s own Michael “Mick” Conlan (18-1, 9 KOs).

Lopez, from Mexicali, Mexico, thrilled American fight fans with his July 2020 split decision victory over Andy Vences inside the MGM Grand Bubble. Fourteen months later, he dominated then-unbeaten junior lightweight prospect Gabriel Flores Jr. Lopez then moved down to featherweight and stopped another undefeated foe, Isaac Lowe, in seven rounds at London’s York Hall. After two stay-busy wins, Lopez received his shot at the title, defeating Josh Warrington in enemy territory in Leeds, England. He now intends to defend it in Belfast.

Conlan turned pro in 2017 after a decorated Irish amateur career that included an Olympic bronze medal, and gold medals at the World Championships, European Championships, and Commonwealth Games. Last March, he nearly captured the WBA featherweight crown from Leigh Wood in Wood’s hometown of Nottingham, England. Conlan, ahead on all three scorecards, was knocked out in the 12th round of ESPN’s Fight of the Year. The Wood disappointment did not linger as Conlan came back later that year with victories over Miguel Marriaga and Karim Guerfi at the SSE Arena, the same venue where he intends to seize his championship moment.

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Thursday: Michael Conlan won’t let a knockout loss deter his goal of becoming a world champion by Nick Parkinson.

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About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst. 

About ESPN+  

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).   

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Miami, FL – May 25, 2023 – A slew of Hall of Famers and former World Champions, and a former All-American and Al-Pro gridiron star, comprise the broadcast team that will call the action when four-division world champion Adrian “The Problem” Broner returns to the ring on Friday, June 9. Upset minded Bill Hutchinson, who has not lost a fight in seven years, will challenge Broner in a 10-round welterweight bout in the main event of Don King’s “RETURN TO GLORY” pay-per-view extravaganza from The Casino Miami in Miami, Florida. 

Calling the blow-by-blow will be Florida Boxing Hall of Famer Bob Alexander. He will be joined at ringside by former Unified Lightweight World Champion and Florida Boxing Hall of Famer Nate Campbell and former lightweight world champion, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.

Alexander, the Vice President of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame, is a longtime Ring Announcer and fight announcer. Campbell became the Unified Lightweight World Champion after he defeated Juan Diaz on March 8^th, 2008, winning the IBF, WBA and WBO titles. Mancini was one of boxing’s most popular fighters in the 80’s and won the WBA Lightweight World title by knocking out Art Frias in the first round on May 8, 1982. Mancini went on to make four title defenses.

Heading the broadcast from the host panel position will be former NFL All-Pro Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth and longtime boxing analyst Marc Abrams. Several boxing dignitaries will join them throughout.

Abrams is enshrined in the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame as he has a 21-year career working inside the world of boxing and is the owner of the acclaimed and award-winning website www.15rounds.com.

After an All-American career at The University of Tennessee, Haynesworth was selected in the first round (15^th overall) by The Tennessee Titans in the 2002 NFL Draft. Haynesworth was one of the most feared Defensive Tackles in the NFL as he was a First Team All Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2007 and 2008. A lifelong fight fan, Haynesworth recently has worked as an analyst for the very successful CountryBox: Where Music Meets Boxing monthly series in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Pay-Per-View Broadcast, priced at $24.99, will be available on Fite.tv, DonKing.com and Itube247.com

The Friday, June 9, show will begin at 6:50 pm ET / 3:50 pm PT and the first fight walks at 7:03 pm ET / 4:03 pm PT.

Tickets, priced from $50, are on sale and can be purchased at www.playcasinomiami.com. Ringside tables are $3500. next level tables $2500, ringside seats $750 and side seats are $200 and $150. General Admission tickets at $50.

“Return to Glory” will take place at the legendary Casino Miami Jai Alai Fronton and is brought you exclusively by Don King Productions, Inc. 

Former teammates turned world title rivals Lawrence Okolie and Chris Billam-Smith faced off in Bournemouth today ahead of this Saturday’s WBO World Cruiserweight Championship showdown at the Vitality Stadium, home of Bournemouth boy Billam-Smith’s beloved AFC Bournemouth.

A crowd of 15,000 fans – the largest-ever attendance for a non-football event at the Vitality Stadium – is expected on Saturday night when the two face off for Okolie’s belt, live and exclusively on Sky Sports, as BOXXER’s promoter Ben Shalom brings the biggest boxing event in South Coast history to Bournemouth.

<CLICK HERE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD PHOTOS> 

Credit to BOXXER / Lawrence Lustig

Below are some final comments from the main event fighters.

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LAWRENCE OKOLIE, WBO World Cruiserweight Champion

“I’m coming to make an extremely big statement. I’m my own man on my own journey and there’s stuff that I want and need and I’m ready to fight for it.”

“I’ve shown time and time again I’m ready to take the risk and do what needs to be done. I can say I’m in amazing shape and I’m coming to do a job.”

“The way Chris fights, he’s always all action. He comes to throw a lot of punches, put a lot of pressure on where he’s the home fighter, he’s going to have 15,000 people screaming for him, hoping that he can dethrone me. So I’m going to have to be devastating and he’s going to make it very easy for me.”

CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH, Challenger

“Lawrence is obviously a very big one-punch puncher, but if you look at my last fight it shows that I can punch.

“He might think this is just me saying it. But he’s also not used to getting hit so it’s almost like a double effect. Once you get hit and you know how to deal with that, panic doesn’t set in. I think for him panic will set in on Saturday night.

“Any fight against Lawrence is dangerous because he can punch and he’s got long levers so you have to take educated risks and you’ve got to really work hard to get the shots off you need to do. That’s what we’ve been doing the whole time.”

“I don’t expect him to stand there and trade with me. He knows he can’t do that. I imagine he’s going to be trying to keep it long and move his feet. The hard thing with Lawrence is getting in position. So we know what we’ve got to do.”

“I’ve got to stay concentrated. It’s not just going in there, just going hell for leather. That’s not how this game works at the top level. It’s got to be concentration the whole time and focus. That’s how the job will get done.”

“It’s got all the ingredients to be a really special night. Everything from it being two Brits for a world title, for me being in the stadium. But also being old gym-mates, old trainer etc. There’s a real story to it for me and I just thrive off of that and let that fuel me,” he said.

May 25, 2023, Deerfield Beach, FL – Adrien “The Problem” Broner, Four-time World Champion in four weight divisions, and one of the most riveting boxers of his era, returns to the ring against William “Hutch” Hutchinson in a ten-round welterweight bout in the main event on Friday, June 9 at Casino Miami.

The event, promoted by Hall of Fame Promoter Don “Only in America” King, will be available live on pay per view, for $24.99. The live stream will be available on Fite.tv, DonKing.com and itube247.com. The show will begin at 6:50 pm ET and the first bell will be at 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT.

Tickets, priced from $50, are on sale and can be purchased at www.playcasinomiami.com. Ringside tables are $3500. next level tables $2500, ringside seats $750 and side seats are $200 and $150. General Admission tickets at $50.

“This is a great card from top to bottom, headlined by “The Problem” fighter Adrien Broner,” said King. “I am the promoter of the people, for the people and we are giving the people what they want, and that is great fights.”

In the co-featured bout, headlining the stacked undercard, will be a light heavyweight title fight for the World Boxing Association NABA and World Boxing Council NABF Light Heavyweight belts between NABA champion Ahmed ElBali and Rodolfo Gomez. 

Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (21-3, 14 KOs) from Cuba, now residing in Miami, will fight in a ten-round bantamweight bout against former WBO Latino and Argentinean Super Bantamweight Champion Julian Evaristo Aristule (35-17-1, 18 KOs). Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and two-division world champion, had become one of the most avoided boxers in the world and eventually had to move up multiple weight classes to get big fights made.

Neslan “Pitbull” Machado (19-0, 8 KOs) from Miami via Cuba, is a former WBC Latino Bantamweight Champion, will fight in a ten-round featherweight bout.

Someone’s ‘0’ will have to go in an eight-round super featherweight battle of undefeateds Raynel Maderos and Antonio Perez. The twenty-six-year-old Maderos (8-0, 2 KOs) made his pro debut at 22 years old, was born in Cuba and lives in Miami. The twenty-one-year-old Perez (7-0, 5 KOs), from Harrisburg, PA, is less than two years into his professional career.

In a ten-round bout for the WBA Fecarbox lightweight title, local undefeated boxer, Antonio “Bang” Williams (15-0-1, 6 KOs), from Fort Lauderdale, FL, will battle Dominican Braulio Rodriguez (20-6, 17 KOs). This will not only be William’s first ten round fight, but Rodriguez will be his toughest opponent to date.

Dorian Bostic (13-0, 12 KOs) from Dundalk, Maryland, will fight in a six-round lightweight bout against David Boria. This will be Dorian’s first fight in the USA in over two years as five of his last six fights were staged in Colombia. His last fight, in August, was his first that went the distance, breaking his twelve-fight knockout win streak. It was a shutout however.

Opening the show will be undefeated southpaw welterweight Adlay Rodriguez (4-0, 4 KOs). Adlay made his pro debut last June and is from Cuba now living in Miami. Also, twenty-seven-year-old Cubano Alex Espnda, who made his successful pro debut in January with a first round knockout, will fight in a ten-round super welterweight bout.

Adrien “The Problem” Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs), born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, made his pro debut 2008 at nineteen years old. In 2011, Broner won WBC, WBO and WBC regional titles in back-to-back-to-back fights. Immediately following, on November 26, 2011, he won his first world title, becoming WBO World Super Featherweight Champion. He defended that title three times then oved up in weight and won the WBC World Lightweight title on November 17, 2012. Broner defended that title once then fought for and became the WBA World Welterweight Champion by beating Paul Malignaggi. He won his fourth world title in a fourth weight division, becoming WBA Super Lightweight World Champion in 2015.

Bill “Hutch” Hutchinson (20-2-4, 9 KOs) was born, raised and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Hutch” and has not lost a fight in seven years. The thirty-four-year-old began boxing at thirteen. After a few quick wins by knockout, it was difficult to find opponents, so he was in and out of the gym through his teen years, focusing on football. Because of his limited amateur career, he had a rough start to his pro career, losing his debut at 22 and drawing twice in his first six fights. He then strung wins, while gaining a huge following in his region, calling comparisons to Arturo Gatti for his style and states he has never been in a boring fight I his life. Quite the intellect, Hutch began taking college courses at fifteen, has his law degree and has law offices in both Pittsburgh and Naples, Florida. “For those that don’t know me, they will after I beat Broner.”

WBA NABA Light Heavyweight Champion Ahmed “The American Pharaoh” Elbiali (22-1, 18 KOs) was born in Cairo, Egyp and now resides in Miami, Florida. He won the title in his most recent bout, on June 11 at Casino Miami. Prior to that bout, he had one five fights in a row via knockout. As an amateur, Elbial was two-time Florida State Golden Gloves Champion. He also holds the unique experience of sparring against both Jake Paul and Tommy Fury. 

Rodolfo “Cobrita” Gomez (14-6-3, 10 KOs) was born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and now lives in Laredo, Texas. In 2021, Gomez recently went 10 tough rounds and lost decision versus KO artist and undefeated Diego Pacheco and in 2018 knocked out former world champion Ricardo Mayorga.

DETROIT – May 25, 2023 – Boxing superstar and two-division undisputed world champion Claressa Shields has raised the stakes substantially and will now face no. 1 ranked middleweight contender Maricela “La Diva” Cornejo in the main event of action on Saturday, June 3 from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and streamed live on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada. Hanna Gabriels was originally slated to rematch Shields. However, based on the results of a May 2, 2023 VADA test done as part of the WBC Clean Boxer Program, promoter Salita Promotions made the change.

Boxing’s G.W.O.A.T. and Michigan’s own Shields will live up to her promise to bring big-time boxing back to Detroit by stepping up to face the WBC, WBO and IBF no. 1 ranked contender Cornejo in the first-ever boxing event at Little Caesars Arena. The two highly-competitive combatants had strong statements about their June 3 showdown.

“I told my team to get me the best,’ said Undisputed Middleweight Champion Claressa Shields. “Cornejo is a tall, tough Mexican full of pride who’s in great shape and wants to beat me. She’s ranked number one. That’s exactly what I want for my Detroit homecoming and for my fans around the world. I’m looking forward to a great performance on June 3.” 

“When Shields faced a Mexican in the cage, she lost. Now she will lose to a Mexican in the boxing ring,” said Cornejo. “I just finished an amazing fight camp and am in the best, strongest physical and mental shape of my life. My team in Vegas has sharpened me like a knife for this moment. On June 3, I will become Undisputed Champion!” 

A two-time Olympic gold medalist throughout her storied amateur career, the 28-year-old Shields (13-0, 2 KOs) avenged her only amateur defeat last October when she traveled to the U.K. to win the WBO Middleweight Title from Savannah Marshall via unanimous decision. The Flint-native’s last fight in her home state of Michigan came in March 2021 as she bested Marie Eve Dicaire to become undisputed super welterweight world champion, her second undisputed distinction after originally unifying all the middleweight titles with a 2019 victory over then unbeaten Christina Hammer.

A native of Washington who now trains in Las Vegas under the tutelage of renowned trainer Ismael Salas, Cornejo (16-5, 6 KOs) enters this fight having won three-straight contests. She most recently fought in March as she stopped Sheila Cunha in the first round. The 36-year-old has previously challenged for world titles at middleweight and super middleweight, including a pair of close decision losses to undisputed super middleweight champion Franchon Crews Dezurn in 2018 and 2019. Cornejo’s first world title opportunity came in just her sixth professional outing, as she dropped a razor thin split-decision to Kali Reis in April 2016.

“Claressa’s goal has always been to fight the best, and we left no stone unturned in making sure we deliver the highest available contender in the undisputed multi organization no. 1 world-rated middleweight Marcelo Cornejo,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Fans watching the fight live on DAZN and those present for the comeback of big-time boxing in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena will witness the highest level of professional boxing between two hungry fighters fighting for the Undisputed Middleweight World Crown.”

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.