WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 11, 2016) – On Wednesday, May 11, Washington, D.C.’s undefeated Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (29-0, 16 KOs) and Bakersfield, California’s Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas Jr. (21-3-1, 10 KOs) participated in the final press conference at The Hamilton Live in Washington, D.C. in advance of their May 13 fight at the DC Armory. Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas Jr. will headline a throne boxing event in a 10-round welterweight bout that will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com. Co-featured fighters including Dorado, Puerto Rico’s Orlando “Orlandito” Del Valle (20-2, 15 KOs) who faces Thomas “KO” Snow (18-2, 12 KOs) of Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia heavyweight prospect Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock (Pro Debut) who takes on the beltway’s own Carlos “DC Diamond Cutter” Black (1-3) were also in attendance at the press conference on Wednesday.

Below is what the fighters, promoter and other dais guests had to say at the press conference:

DUSTY HERNANDEZ-HARRISON:

“I want to thank Mike Dallas Jr. for coming into D.C. He has my respect for coming into my hometown and fighting. I’m really ready for this fight. I may have gotten in the best sparring that any fighter has ever gotten [for a fight]. I went from [sparring with] Canelo and came home to spar with Demetrius Hopkins, Austin Trout and Lamont Peterson. I don’t know if there’s better sparring than that. Camp has been great. I’m definitely ready for the fight. I want to thank FILA and Geico for supporting me. I hope everyone comes out on Friday, May 13 at the DC Armory. I know we will put on a good show.”

MIKE “THE SILENT ASSASSIN” DALLAS JR.:

“I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity and keeping me strong through hard times. I had a good camp. I want to thank BET for having me on. Come Friday, it’s going to be a good fight. I’m mentally and physically there. I dug deep in camp and I’m ready to bring it in this fight. I wish my opponent the best. It’s going to be a tough fight. I’m ready to go in there, give it my all and give you guys a great show. Come and watch the fight on May 13.”

ORLANDO “ORLANDITO” DEL VALLE:

“I would like to thank God, Roc Nation Sports and their entire staff for believing in me and giving me a second shot at my career. I won’t let you guys down. Becoming a world champion will be my only way to thank you guys so after this fight I’m ready for that.

“Thank you BET and TIDAL for allowing us to showcase our skills on national TV and over the internet so that boxing fans around the world can have a glimpse of what the near future holds.

“This fight means a lot to me. It’s the biggest fight of my career. I need to win this fight if I really want to get closer to a title shot. I’m in the greatest condition and shape of my life. On Friday night, expect nothing but fireworks from Orlando Del Valle. I guarantee you that a title shot for Orlando Del Valle will be coming. A champion for Roc Nation Sports is very, very close. So once again, thank you all and don’t miss the action on Friday night.”

DARMANI “ROCK SOLID” ROCK:

“I’m just looking forward to seeing everyone come out on May 13 at the DC Armory when I make my pro debut.”

DAVID ITSKOWITCH, COO Boxing – Roc Nation Sports:

“An action packed undercard of emerging and established talent and exciting entertainment from the boxing hotbed of Washington, D.C. telecast live on BET and streamed live on TIDAL.com…May 13 is an event that no one should miss.

“This event would not have been possible without the support of a number of people and organizations and I would like to take a moment to thank the following…our sponsors: Corona, FILA, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Shoe City, Pepsi, RCN and The DC Lottery. I’d also like to thank Stephen Hill, Connie Orlando and their team at BET as well as Greg O’Dell and the staff of Events DC for helping us bring a throne boxing event to Washington, D.C.

“BET’s vision and commitment for putting together innovative live entertainment is a big reason why we are here today. We are thrilled to be partnered with BET to bring another throne boxing event to fans across the country. We’re also excited about the fact that as a non-traditional boxing network, they have thrown their hat into the ring which we believe has, and will continue to, attract new fans to the sport.

“Events DC works tirelessly to bring high profile events to Washington, D.C. and of late, they have helped to turn the District into a boxing hotbed.

STEPHEN HILL, President of Programming – BET:

“BET Networks is excited to partner with Roc Nation Sports to broadcast the second live throne boxing event on BET. Friday, May 13 will be lucky for us as we get to bring to the world this top-notch sporting event showcase including live entertainment from Roc Nation’s own Justine Skye, DJ Cipha Sounds and BET personality Big Tigger, who will be welcomed back to BET with open arms.

“At BET Networks we’re committed to delivering more variety and original programming and like throne boxing, our content is engaging, emotional and entertaining. We are thrilled to welcome throne boxing back to BET. We know audiences love live sporting events like boxing, so this partnership fits like a glove.

“Last but not least, thank you to Washington D.C., the birthplace of BET Networks, and myself, for hosting us in this great city. We look forward to a great fight on Friday night.”

ERIK MOSES, Senior Vice President and Managing Director – Events DC Sports and Entertainment Division:

“Boxing is back in Washington in a very big way. We have had the pleasure of hosting three championship bouts in the last three months at the DC Armory, which is a great place to watch a fight if you have not been there.

“This fight card in particular has a very special place in my heart, as it should for others from Washington, because it’s about as local as it can be. We’ve got a hometown hero, who, if you have not seen him fight, see him now before you can’t afford to see him. Dusty Hernandez-Harrison is going to be a big star and he represents Washington, D.C. in a way that few do. Check him out now before you’re paying big money in Vegas to see him fight.

“The fight is also being broadcasted by another home-grown institution, and that is BET. It’s great to see sports back on BET, and boxing in particular, coming from the DC Armory as the host venue. Tickets are still available. We look forward to hosting everyone who wants to come out and cheer on all these fighters, but Dusty in particular so we can have another championship fighter in D.C.”

ANDREW HUFF, DC Boxing Commission:

“Roc Nation Sports and Events DC are helping to ensure that the legacy of the District’s boxing history continues. On behalf of Mayor Muriel Bowser, Adam Weers, who is the chairman of the District’s Boxing and Wrestling Commission, Miss Kimberly Lockett, who is another commissioner and myself, welcome to Washington, D.C.”

###

Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas Jr., a 10-round welterweight fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports takes place Friday, May 13, 2016 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. This fight headlines a throne boxing event presented by Corona Extra and will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET and streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com. The event is also sponsored by FILA, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Shoe City, Pepsi, RCN and The DC Lottery. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the May 13 edition of throne boxing on BET will feature several notable Roc Nation Sports touches that offer a unique fan experience including a live musical performance by Justine Skye as well as DJ Cipha Sounds and event host Big Tigger who will keep the energy at a high level throughout the event. Doors open on fight night at 6:30 PM and the first fight begins at 6:45 PM. Follow the conversation using #throneboxing.

Tickets priced at $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (http://bit.ly/may13throneboxing) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation, on Instagram @rocnation/@rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For additional information, visit www.bet.com. Join the conversation on the following social media platforms: on Twitter by using hashtag #BET #throneboxing and follow at @BET; on Facebook by liking the fan page at www.facebook.com/BET; and on Instagram @betnetworks.

For information on the DC Armory, visit www.eventsdc.com and follow on Twitter at @dcsportsent.

NEW YORK – May 11, 2016 – The Raging Babe Brunch continues to forge connections between women of diverse backgrounds, companies and areas of expertise, all sharing in common their connections to the Sweet Science. On June 11th, the heels of Raging Babes from across the East Coast and beyond, hit the pavement in the “Concrete Jungle,” New York, New York for the first New York event in three years.

An intimate, exclusive affair, this spring’s Raging Babe Brunch, dubbed New York, New York will once again bring together boxing’s most influential women to network, and honor the sport’s trailblazers: those women who have broken the glass ceiling and transcended traditional gender roles in business, and in particular, in boxing.

The brunch shares June 11th with a Puerto Rican double-header at New York City boxing mecca, Madison Square Garden, along with the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. “I’m excited for the opportunity to celebrate both my heritage, and our seventh Raging Babe event,” said Raging Babe founder and namesake, Michelle Rosado, who is of Puerto Rican descent.

“These brunches are more than just women chatting and having breakfast during fight week,” said Rosado. “These are friendships, businesses connections and lifelong relationships beginning in a room full of encouraging and powerful women, drawing on and sharing their experiences, challenges and triumphs as women in the boxing industry.”

“I have had so many requests from East Coast Raging Babes to bring the brunch East, and I’m thrilled to finally be able to return to New York,” continued Rosado. “New York City embodies the Raging Babe spirit of opportunity and hard work, and I can’t wait to be inspired once again by the women of boxing on June 11th.”

For information on attending or sponsoring this prestigious event, please contact michelle@ragingbabe.com.

ORANGE, Calif. (May 11, 2016) – Thompson Boxing Promotions celebrates sixteen years in the business with a tremendous fight card featuring NABA Champion Danny Roman (18-2-1, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles defending against hardened veteran Christian Esquivel (28-9, 21 KOs) of Mexico.

The 10-round, “New Blood” main event takes place Friday, May 20, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Since winning the 122-pound title last July, Roman has defended the championship twice, the most recent win coming in knockout fashion against Ramiro Robles in February. The 25-year-old Roman is coming in red hot with a ten-fight winning streak and holding the number fourteen position in the WBA’s super bantamweight division.

He faces a more experienced boxer in Esquivel, who holds a loss against longtime world champion Shinsuke Yamanaka.

“Esquivel is a dangerous opponent, there’s no doubt about that,” Roman said. “But I’ve been extremely focused in the gym, training hard like always. I’m looking forward to defending my title and giving the fans a great show.”

“We are thrilled that Danny Roman has the opportunity to defend his NABA title on our yearly anniversary show,” said Ken Thompson, who launched Thompson Boxing Promotions sixteen years ago this month. “We have a solid history of developing elite level talent. We believe Roman is in that category. Esquivel will give him a tough fight, but we know Roman will step up and earn the win.”

Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $60, & $100 and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com, or by calling 714-935-0900.

In the co-feature, former Ukrainian Olympian Taras Shelestyuk (13-0, 8 KOs) defends his unbeaten mark against an opponent to be named later. The 10-round fight will be contested at the welterweight level. Shelestyuk is co-promoted through Thompson Boxing Promotions and Banner Promotions.

Undefeated welterweight prospect Roberto Arriaza (11-0, 10 KOs) of Nicaragua makes his U.S. debut against Cameron Kreal (8-9-2, 1 KO) of Las Vegas in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds. Thompson Boxing Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions signed Arriaza in early January, just prior to him capturing the vacant WBA Fedecentro welterweight title against Aristides Quintero.

Top junior bantamweight prospect Ricardo Espinoza (6-0, 5 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex. hopes to continue his winning ways against fellow youngster Sam Rodriquez (3-1, 3 KOs) of New York’s Bronx borough. The bout is scheduled for 6-rounds.

In other action, heavyweight Scott Alexander (11-1-1, 6 KOs) of Moreno Valley, Calif. – another recent addition to Thompson Boxing – fights Tracey Johnson (3-2-3) of Boston in a 4-round fight.

Also on the undercard, welterweight Chris Bautista (3-0) of Madera, Calif. brings his tactical style to Omar Reyes (1-2) of Silverton, Ore. in a fight set for 4-rounds.

Opening the “New Blood” anniversary show are bantamweights Rudy Garcia (pro debut) of Los Angeles against Joel Castro (0-2) of Ciudad Obregon, Mex. (4-rounds).

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the first bell rings at 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave. in Ontario, Calif. and can be reached at 909-937-0900.

Thompson Boxing Promotions App

Download the Thompson Boxing Promotions app to stay current on all our events in Southern California, nationwide, and from around the world. Learn about our star-studded stable of boxers, and be the first to get your hands on tickets to our action-packed shows.

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

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

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

MONTREAL (May 11, 2016) — World light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev returns to the ring Saturday night, June 7, to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) International and North American Boxing Association (NABA) title belts against Argentinian champion Ezequiel “El Olympico” Maderna in the 12-round main event at historic Bell Center in Montreal, Canada.

Presented by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), the “Grand Prix” boxing event is part of the prestigious Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) series, which will air live in Canada on pay-per-views starting at 8:00 p.m. ET via Canal Indigo, Bell TV and Shaw TV. The main event and co-feature, commencing at 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT, will be broadcast on ESPN in the United States.

“We will launch the Grand Prix activities, which is the biggest sport week in Montreal, with this card”, said the President of GYM, Yvon Michel. “Artur is the next boxing superstar in Quebec. He injured his shoulder, but the surgery fixed everything and we plan to give him three fights in 2016. We aim at Sergey Kovalev by the end of the year or the beginning of 2017.”

The 31-year-old Beterbiev (9-0, 9 KOs), the adopted son of Montreal, is on a seek-and-destroy mission for his first fight in one year. The two-time Russian Olympian (pictured to the left) hasn’t fought since last June, when he stopped Alexander Johnson in the 7th round, due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Beterbiev is world ranked among the top six in all four major sanctioning organizations: IBF #2, WBO & WBA #4, and WBC #6. The power-punching Betervbiev will be defending his WBO International and NABA titles against Maderna.

During his 3-year professional career, Beterbiev has defeated two former world champions, Gabriel Campillo and Tavoris Cloud.

Maderna (23-2, 15 KOs) is a veteran fighter from Argentina, the same country that has produced numerous championship boxers, from Luis Firpo to Sergio Martinez, as well as well standout contemporaries such as IBF cruiserweight champion Victor Ramirez, along with contenders Lucas Matthysse, Jesus Cuellar, Omar Narvaez and Juan Carlos Reveco. In his most recent action last May, Maderna stopped Rolando Wenceslao Mansilla in the opening round for the Argentina super middleweight championship.

Also airing on ESPN in the co-feature, undefeated American prospects Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella (13-0, 12 KOs), fighting out of Fort Myers, Florida, and David “Day Day” Grayton (14-0, 10 KOs), of Washington D.C., square off in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Unbeaten super welterweight Jamontay “Quiet Assassin” Clark (9-0-0, 6 KOs), from Cincinnati, Ohio, meets an opponent to be determined in a 6-round “TV swing” match.
Montreal’s undefeated heavyweight Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (18-0, 13 KOs), also a 2008 Colombian Olympian, returns in an 8-round bout versus TBA.

Also fighting on the undercard is popular French-Canadian welterweight Sebastian Bouchard (12-1, 4 KOs) who meets an opponent to be determined in an 8-rounder; Montreal super bantamweight Vislan Dalkaev (6-0, 2 KOs) vs. Mexican invader Javier “El Chivero” Franco (25-17-4), Montreal super middleweight Dario Bredicean (8-0, 2 KOs) against TBA and Toronto’s Parnell Fischer (0-1, 0 KOs) vs. Mexican opponent Larami “Sir” Carmona (1-2, 0 KOs) in a 4-round fight.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets are on sale at the Bell Centre box office, on www.evenko.ca, at GYM (514) 383-0666) or at Champion boxing club (514) 376-0980.

INFORMATION:
www.groupeyvonmichel.ca/
www.Facebook.com/GroupeYvonMichel
Twitter: @YvonMichelGYM, @ABeterbiev, @OscarKaboom
Instagram: @YvonMichelGYM, @ArturBeterbiev

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBA Super Middleweight champion Giovanni De Carolis will defend his title against Tyron Zeuge on July 16 in Berlin, Germany.

“Tyron Zeuge is leading the way for a new generation of world-class German boxers, and by beating De Carolis, he can take his place among the best in the world,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Zeuge said. “Whether I’m ready for it, other people will have to judge. But one thing is for certain: On July 16 I will give everything to fulfill my dream of becoming world champion.”

AS VEGAS (May 11, 2016) – A potentially explosive, highly entertaining “Knockout Night at the D” undercard has been announced for Saturday night, May 21, airing (8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET) live on CBS Sports Network from under the neon lights at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC) outdoor venue.

The “Knockout Night at the D” series, presented by the D Las Vegasand DLVEC, is promoted by Roy Jones Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions. The May 21st event is promoted in association with Main Events and Shamo Boxing Promotions.

Undefeated Russian middleweight Arif “The Predator” Magomedov (17-0, 10 KOs) squares off against upset specialist Andrew “Hurricane” Hernandez (11-4-1, 3 KOs), of Phoenix, in the 10-round main event. Magomedov is world ranked among the top 15 160-pounders by the four major sanctioning bodies: WBC #2, WBO #3, WBA #5 and IBF #14.

Unbeaten super welterweight John “The Phenom” Vera (12-0, 8 KOs), of Fort Worth, Texas, defends his NABA-USA title belt against third-generation boxer Joey “Boxer” Ruelas (10-1-1, 4 KOs), of Phoenix, in the 8-round co-feature.

John Vera (courtesy of Lucio Quintero)
Joey Ruelas (courtesy of 8 Count Media

Las Vegas’ 17-year-old boxing prodigy Devin “The Dream” Haney (5-0, 3 KOs) will become the youngest American boxer to box on national television as the 7-time national amateur champion takes on fellow undefeated lightweight prospect Jairo Fernandez (4-0, 3 KOs), of Mexico, in the 6-round television opener.

Former WBC Youth International titlist Tony Lopez (10-1, 3 KOs), of Dallas, meets unbeaten Houston featherweight Jerren “Hardknocks” Cochran (11-0-1, 4 KOs) in an 8-round bout.

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard in 4-round bouts are Las Vegas junior lightweight Randy Moreno (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Texan Chris Turtun (1-2), and Las Vegas welterweight Jeremy “J-Flash” Nichols (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. TBA

Randy Moreno

Jeremy Nichols

(Moreno & Nichols pictures by Tom Donohue / the D Las Vegas)

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $99.99 VIP ringside, $49.99 ringside, $24.99 and $14.99 general admission (seated), are on sale at www.Ticketmaster.com or www.DLVEC.com. Taxes and fees apply to all sold tickets.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT with the opening bout scheduled at 6:00 p.m. PT.

The “Knockout Night at the D” series was developed in partnership with DLVEC and Neon Star Media.

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

TITLE Boxing is the official apparel and gloves partner for the “Knockout Night at the D” series.

INFORMATION:

Websites: www.dlvec.com, www.thed.com, www.royjonesjrboxing.com, www.knockoutnightboxing.com

Twitter: @thedlasvegas, @dlvec, @DerekJStevens, @BoxingatheDLV, @RoyJonesJRFA

Instagram: @dlvec, @thedlasvegas, @RoyJonesJRFA

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/dlvec, www.Facebook.com/thedlasvegas

Follow these fighters on Twitter: @johnverajr, @joey_ruelas, @jerrencochran, @jflashgang (Nichols), @Realdevinhaney @RandyMoreno
For More Information:
“Knockout Night at the D”: Bob Trieger, (978) 590-0470, bobtfcp@hotmail.com, @FightPublicist

On April 23, 2016 in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,353 at The Fabulous Forum and a televised audience of millions worldwide, Golovkin knocked out undefeated mandatory challenger Dominic Wade in the second round.

The knockout was Golovkin’s 22nd consecutive and the 16th straight world title defense of his WBA Middleweight Championship, originally won with a first round knockout of Milton Nunez on August 14, 2010.

Said Golovkin, “This is a great honor for me and I’m very thankful to Gilberto Mendoza Jr. and the WBA for this.”

This past Saturday night, May 7th, Golovkin was ringside in Las Vegas for the WBC Middleweight World Title bout between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan. Holder of the WBC “Interim” Middleweight Title, Golovkin is the mandatory challenger for Alvarez who won by impressive sixth round stoppage.

ABOUT GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN
Sporting a record of 35-0 with 32 knockouts, 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) and Los Angeles (The Fabulous Forum) in consecutive fights in addition to his sponsorships with the JORDAN Brand, Apple, Samsung, and Bijan, Golovkin is one of the most marketable boxers in the world. He is the holder of the WBA, IBF, IBO and WBC “Interim” Middleweight Titles.

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.

Philadelphia, PA—Middleweight standout DeCarlo Perez, in an effort to get back into position on the world boxing scene, has left his job at Atlantic City (NJ) Hospital to concentrate full-time on his June 3 main event contest against Dashon Johnson, of Escondido, CA, at the 2300 Arena.

It makes sense. Johnson is the 42-fight veteran who came within one second in the 10th and final round of stopping unbeaten Jesse Hart in the same ring March 18. Hart was knocked down with 17 seconds to go and barely
beat the count.

Perez, 25, of Atlantic City, has worked for the last six years as a Pharmacy Tech at Atlantic Care Regional Medical Center, putting in 40-50 hour weeks while also training as a professional boxer.
After winning nine out of 10 fights–against solid opposition–to place him on the doorstep of the world ratings, Perez was stopped by unbeaten Rob Brant, of St. Pau, MN, in the fourth round of their Jan. 22 fight in Tucson, AZ, for the vacant NABA middleweight title.
“Right now, I have to devote full-time to my boxing career when I’m still young enough to do it,” said Perez. “The hospital job will always be available to me because I’ve been there for some time and I’ve made a lot of connections there. The people at my job understand where I’m coming from and they completely support my decision.”
Drained by making 160 for the fight with Brant, Perez has decided to put on a few pounds and grow into the super middleweight division. The fight with Johnson will be contested at 164 pounds.
Perez had a troubled childhood, going from one rescue mission to another before moving in with his grandparents when he was 6 years old. He grandfather used to work out with Robert Duran and that piqued Perez’ interest in boxing. When he was 10, Perez began going to the Pleasantville (NJ) Rec Center, where he met his current trainer, Wilberto Alejandro. They now train at the Bullpen Gym in Egg Harbor (NJ) Township.
“Moving in with my grandparents was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Perez said. My grandfather told me there will be ups and downs but if you keep at it you will be a champion.
“Next comes my relationship with Will—it’s like father and son. There isn’t any other person I would want to go into battle with than Will. He’s taught me and he’s groomed me and vice versa. We know what we both are capable of and we truly believe there is no enemy in front of us that can beat us. It’s taken time for me to see that he is right.”
Perez started at Atlantic City High School, then he switched to Egg Harbor HS where he graduated.
As an amateur, Perez says he was 85-15 but without any regional or national titles. He turned pro, he said, after losing what he thought was a bad decision in a Golden Gloves tournament.
A pro since 2010, Perez is 15-4-1, 5 K0s, and he is 3-0 at the 2300 Arena, where he outpointed Jesse Nicklow and scored knockouts over Tyrone Brunson and Tolan Tascoe.
Prior to the Brant fight, Perez had won nine out of 10, including an impressive win on ShoBox last summer against Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, of the Dominican Republic, who was 23-0 at fight time.
“I feel this fight against Dashon Johnson is going to be a great competitive fight,” Perez said. “Johnson has been in there with good fighters but I believe on June 3 he will be facing his toughest challenge. I know he will be ready and I will make sure I am above and beyond prepared.”

ABOUT JUNE 3

The Dashon Johnson-DeCarlo Perez fight headlines a seven-bout card at the 2300 Arena, located at 2300 South Swanson Street in South Philadelphia (between Ritner & Porter, Front and 2d Streets). The June 3 fight is being sponsored by Parx Casino and Coors Light. Doors open at 6 pm; first fight at 7pm. Tickets are $40, $50 and $75 and can be purchased by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.wanatix.com. The June 3 card is promoted by Peltz Boxing, Joe Hand Promotions and BAM Boxing.

HOUSTON (May 11, 2016) – WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara is set to defend his world title and settle his score against Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan when the two meet in the main event of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader featuring the top 154-pound talent in the sport on Saturday, May 21 from The Chelsea, inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Live televised coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unbeaten IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Jermall Charlo taking on former champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout and his twin brother Jermell Charlo battling top challenger John Jackson for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Title.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on-sale now. Ticket prices start at $39, and are available online at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000; www.ticketmaster.com.

Lara and Martirosyan will meet after their 2012 bout ended in a technical draw. See below for the Cuban-born champion’s thoughts on training camp, the rematch and more:

On his rematch with Vanes Martirosyan:

“This is a very important fight for me. Our last fight unfortunately ended in a draw because of a clash of heads so we have some unfinished business to take care of. This time I’m not going to leave any doubt on who the better fighter is. I’m coming to dominate and retain my world championship.”

On training camp:

“I’m taking this fight very seriously. I’ve been pushing my body to get in the best shape possible. My body feels incredible and I couldn’t ask for a better training camp. I’ve been sparring a lot and my timing is getting better with each session. Everything is going as planned.”

On the May 21 card:

“It’s great to be fighting on this card, especially when there is so much on the line while I defend my title. In addition, the Charlo brothers are fighting on the undercard, which makes for a great night of boxing for the super welterweight division. The landscape of the 154-pound division will be laid out after May 21.”

On the state of the super welterweight division:

“Honestly I believe the 154-pound division is one of the strongest in all of boxing. I feel I’m leading the pack and my goal is to unify all the belts. I’m going to take it one fight at a time with the mindset to clean out the division.”

On fighting in Las Vegas:

“Vegas is the boxing capital of the world and fighting there is unbelievable. The fans are very supportive. The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan is very intimate and every seat in the building is a good seat. I anticipate a lively crowd.”

On his relationship with Ronnie Shields:

“Ronnie is a great coach and his game plans are very well thought out. He keeps everything simple. If we have to make adjustments during the fight, he’ll be able to point them out. We both have a great mutual respect for one another.”

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @LaraBoxing, @VanesBoxing, @FutureOfBoxing, @NoDoubtTrout, @TwinCharlo, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions

NEW YORK (May 11, 2016) – SHOWTIME Sports original documentary series “ALL ACCESS” earned a Sports Emmy Award for the third consecutive year on Tuesday night, taking home the honor for “Outstanding Edited Sports Coverage” for “ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Berto Epilogue” at the 37th Annual Sports Emmy Award ceremony in New York City.

“The boxing business and the characters within it present unique challenges to anyone attempting to document it,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “The ability to produce award-winning work in this sport year-after-year is testament to the excellence of this production team. On behalf of everyone that contributes to this great franchise – from the field to the edit facility, working all hours of the day and the night – we are grateful for and inspired by this award.”

This is the second Sports Emmy ALL ACCESS has earned in the “Outstanding Edited Sports Coverage” category. The series, which chronicles the buildup and aftermath of boxing’s biggest prizefights, won its first Sports Emmy Award at the 2014 ceremony for “Outstanding Edited Sports Coverage” with “ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo Epilogue.”

In 2015, the revealing documentary series earned the overarching “Outstanding Sports Documentary Series” Emmy Award for its four separate multi-episode installments of ALL ACCESS. That year, the network documented the first and second showdowns between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana, Canelo Alvarez vs. Alfredo Angulo and Canelo Alvarez vs. Erislandy Lara.

SHOWTIME Sports has earned nine Sports Emmy Awards in the last five years for the premium networks’ programming.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™ and Smithsonian Earth™. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Felix Cash has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing and will make his professional debut at The O2 in London on June 25, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Decorated amateur Cash kicks off at Middleweight in the Greenwich venue and the Wokingham talent believes he’ll be hunting titles next summer as the 23 year old looks to transfer his amateur pedigree into the paid ranks, starting with a pro bow on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s first IBF World Heavyweight title defence.

“I feel that I will settle into the pros quickly and I want to move at pace,” said Cash. “I think this time next year I’ll be in a position to move towards a first title.

“I can’t think of a better night to make my pro debut with Joshua defending his belt and George Groves and Martin Murray in a huge fight. It’s a massive show and I’m really looking forward to being a part of it.

“I learnt so much with Team GB and my time on the squad has improved me hugely, plus all the travelling and competing in different countries means I already know how to adapt to all sorts of different styles and conditions.

“Winning gold in the Golden Belt last summer in Romania was a real highlight for me but just getting into the Team GB setup was a massive achievement. I won a lot of junior titles and was five-time national champion, so I had a lot of success in the amateurs, it’s going to set me up perfectly for the pros.

“Obviously I was disappointed not to make it but Anthony Fowler did brilliantly to make it and I hope he goes on to do well in Rio. I wasn’t going to wait around for four more years to go to the 2020 games. I’m 23 now and I think that this is the perfect time to turn over.”

Cash’s debut is part of a blockbuster night of action at The O2, with Joshua putting his title on the line against unbeaten American Dominic Breazeale.

Groves and Murray meet in a mouth-watering domestic Super-Middleweight blockbuster and WBA World title eliminator bout, John Wayne Hibbert clashes with Andrea Scarpa for the vacant WBC Silver Super-Lightweight title and Conor Benn is in action for the third time in the paid ranks.

BROOKLYN (May 11, 2016) – BROOKLYN BOXING is headed to Russia where world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will promote Barclays Center’s flourishing boxing platform on his Everlast gear during training camp and fight week ahead of his title defense against Russian fighter Alexander Povetkin on May 21 at Megasport Arena in Moscow. Wilder has a long-standing alliance with Everlast.

Wilder established a strong bond with Barclays Center earlier this year when he defended his title in Brooklyn by knocking out Artur Szpilka in the 9th round on January 16, 2016.

“I’m excited to represent BROOKLYN BOXING in Russia as I get ready to retain my world championship belt,” said Wilder, who has a record of 36-0, 35 KO’s. “I had a memorable night at Barclays Center and I already consider it my home away from home.”

“We are thrilled to have world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder bring BROOKLYN BOXING to Moscow,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “The BROOKLYN BOXING brand has quickly resonated in the U.S. and we are excited to extend our reach into Russia and beyond.”

Further diversifying its BROOKLYN BOXING brand, Barclays Center has partnered with Tribune Media’s PIX 11 to produce a 30-minute television special, BROOKLYN BOXING COUNTDOWN, which premiered on April 16 before the arena hosted Errol Spence Jr.’s 5th round TKO against Chris Algieri. Following the success of the broadcast, Barclays Center and PIX 11 will continue to produce the show prior to major boxing events at the venue.

ABOUT BROOKLYN BOXING™
Upon opening in 2012, Barclays Center brought major championship boxing back to Brooklyn after more than 50 years. Over the past four years, the BROOKLYN BOXING franchise has hosted more than 100 bouts and more than 20 world title fights while giving local fighters their own shot in the spotlight. In April 2016, BROOKLYN BOXING extended its brand by creating an active wear and lifestyle apparel line that is available at www.BrooklynBoxingShop.com. BROOKLYN BOXING is proudly presented by AARP.

ABOUT BROOKLYN SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment is the business enterprise that manages and controls Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Islanders business operations. It is currently overseeing the redevelopment of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and will also manage the Coliseum’s future operations upon its opening in December 2016. BSE identifies and creates alliances, strategic partners and other business opportunities to ensure the success of its assets. For more information on Barclays Center, please visit www.barclayscenter.com or follow on Twitter and Instagram @barclayscenter.

Millville, NJ (May 11, 2016) – Welterweight contender Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna is ready for a breakthrough fight at 147 pounds.

The 24 year-old from Millville, New Jersey has won four straight since his only career blemish, which was a nationally televised defeat to Middleweight Contender Antoine “Action” Douglas.

Since that bout, LaManna has moved down two weight divisions and has been around the welterweight limit in his last three bouts. With those four wins, LaManna’s record now reads 20-1 with eight knockouts.

In the last three fights against veterans Ayi Bruce, Ariel Vasquez and Kendal Mena, LaManna has been settling in at the new weight and has looked strong as he has sat down more on his punches.

“I’m looking for a big fight at 147 or if the right opportunity presents itself, I would consider 154. I don’t consider myself an “opponent” in the boxing world, I just need my opportunity to prove so,” said LaManna.

For the meantime, LaManna, who along with his mother Debra, have started their own promotional company, Rising Promotions.

Rising Promotions has staged two successful fight cards at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City and they are preparing for their third event, which will take place on May 27.

“This will be the first event of ours that I won’t be fighting on. I have been doing a lot of the behind the scenes work on the event, helping with all aspects of the show and right now we are on track for another great event in front of our third straight maximum capacity crowd.”

After May 27, LaManna already has his mind set on his next ring appearance.

“My next fight date is July 22nd. I will fight in a 10 round bout at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City. I’m just keeping active with my promotional team Rising Promotions and Gulf Stream Promotions.”

After the fight in July, LaManna has a fighter in mind that he feels that would be a great fight for boxing fans on the east coast.

“I will be keeping a close eye on the Dusty Harrison vs. Mike Dallas Jr fight this weekend. I know Dusty is the favorite in that fight and I wish him nothing but the best but by the end of this year, we got to make a fight happen between him and I. I feel he’ll be 30-0 after Friday and I would love to have that 30-0 record on my resume. A lot of people in the boxing world from New York to Virginia would be excited to see this fight and it will be great for who ever promotes it.”

LaManna also has his eyes on other contenders.

“I see Kermit Cintron has returned, maybe we do a crossroads fight. Two local east coast guys. He has a following, I have a following. I’m sure we can get that done if he wants it.”

“I feel my promoter Vincent Ponte and my father did their part in getting me where I need to be in the boxing world. I’m blessed with the fan base that I have where I can sell out a 700 plus seat venue in Atlantic City where we do our shows at. There’s nothing wrong with staying busy and fighting durable guys but I just feel it’s that time someone gives me a shot.”

LaManna credits a lot of his recent success to not only his team, but fighters that he trains with to help motivate and raise his game to a high level

“Me and my trainers Raul Rivas, Reggie Loyd and Rashiem Jefferson have been working extremely hard in the gym perfecting my craft and looking to make a lot of noise in the boxing world. I am fortunate to train along side world class fighters such as Tevin Farmer and Jason Sosa to name a few and they inspire me to be great. I feel now is my time. I’m still young but I feel I have veteran mentality when I’m in the gym or in the ring.”

Tickets for the May 27 fight card at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City featuring Isiah Seldon vs Eddie Edmond and Chuck Mussachio rematching Willis Lockett plus eight other big fights can be purchased for $125 for Premium; $77 for Ringside stage and $52 reserved are available at www.risingboxingpromotions.com or 609-487-4444

TAMPA (May 10, 2016) – Fighting for his young family, as well as to expand the legacy associated with his last name, the son of 5-time world champion and 1996 U.S. Olympian Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver – unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Antonio Tarver, Jr. – this past weekend continued establishing his own identity in the ring.

After a 9-month absence, the 28-year-old Tarver (4-0, 3 KOs) returned to the ring in Lakeland, Florida, stopping Jose Cortez in the second round. Tarver displayed his improving skills, especially a punishing body attack, during a thoroughly dominating performance. He broke-down Cortez and closed the show in style.

“It took me one round to get rid of ring rust,” he explained. “We had a game-plan to go to the body, then the head, body and head, but it took me a round to do it. God’s really blessed me and I owe all thanks to Him. My father and coach, Jimmy Williams, have always told me not to look for a knockout but that it’ll come. I’m not a one-punch knockout fighter. It’s all about setting up shots and putting them together. I may not connect with every single body shot I throw, but if I get in three of four each round, it’ll eventually cause damage. I’m focusing on my opponent’s liver and ribs, trying to be a body-snatcher.”

Tarver was an athlete, playing basketball and football, who didn’t start boxing until he was 19. He had a very brief amateur career and fully realizes that he’s consistently going to be fighting more experienced boxers.

“In the ring,” Tarver said, “I’m still a baby. My opponents may be much more experienced than me, but I do have a lot of experience around me: my father, coach Williams and Darrell Foreman. My father wouldn’t support me as a fighter until I proved to him that I was worthy (sacrificing and training). I’m worthy now and believe I’m coming into my own as I continue to learn.”

“As a father,” Tarver Sr., noted, “I wanted him to know what he was getting into and have the tools to succeed. He’s as tough as nails. When he realizes how strong he really is…..look out. There’s a difference between hitting an opponent with a punch and punching through him like he’s doing now. I just wish he’d get started quicker. He doesn’t get going until he gets hit and then he turns into a beast. A ferociousness comes out from inside that I never had. He’s improving all of the time. He’s putting punches together better and sitting down on his punches.

“Antonio is going to be a fan-friendly fighter. I know I put him under a lot of pressure, but he’s fighting much more experienced guys. I’ve never been worried about him fighting a tough guy. It’s the guys who think in the ring and have amateur pedigree that can be problems for him.”

Understanding that his opponents get pumped to fight him because of his last name, Antonio Jr. rationalizes that, taking advantage of the situation he is in. “It’s very important for my opponents to beat me and the name,” he admitted. “My father set this stage for me and my name is, Antonio Tarver, Jr., so they’re trying to give us both a loss. I’m fighting for my family and to protect the legacy of my last name. I try and take advantage of being my father’s son and accept everything that goes with that. I don’t try to put pressure on myself but, of course, I want to be the best Antonio Tarver Jr. I can be.

“People are always going to compare me with my father but we fight in different weight classes. Light heavyweights, other than Roy Jones Jr., are slower than junior middleweights, who are much quicker like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. I’m always going to be fighting opponents taller than me, or sometimes the same height, but I’m 5′ 9″ and a lot of my opponents are going to be 6′ 2” or so.

The father has another important lesson he’s teaching his son. “Antonio became a father for the first time last September and he was slow getting back in the gym,” Antonio Sr. added. “He has to learn how to balance fatherhood with his pro boxing career, making sacrifices to become a champion!”

INFORMATION:

www.OfficialAntonioTarver.com

@AntonioTarverJr
@AntonioTarver

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 11, 2016) – On Tuesday, May 10, Washington, D.C.’s undefeated Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (29-0, 16 KOs) and Bakersfield, California’s Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas Jr. (21-3-1, 10 KOs) participated in a media workout at Urban Boxing DC in Washington, D.C. in advance of their May 13 fight at the DC Armory. Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas Jr. will headline a throne boxing event in a 10-round welterweight bout that will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com. Co-featured fighter Thomas “KO” Snow (18-2, 12 KOs) of Washington, D.C., who faces Dorado, Puerto Rico’s Orlando “Orlandito” Del Valle (20-2, 15 KOs), and undercard fighters Mike Balogun (5-0, 4 KOs) of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, who will fight Capitol Heights, Maryland’s Devon Mosley (0-4-1), and Greenbelt, Maryland’s Sam “Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed (2-0, 1 KO) of who takes on Damion Reed (2-13, 1 KO) of Danville Virginia were also in attendance during the media workout on Tuesday.

After shadow boxing around the ring and a few rounds working the bags, all five fighters participated in interviews with invited media members.

Below is what the fighters had to say during the workout:

DUSTY HERNANDEZ-HARRISON:

“I think a lot of people are underestimating Mike Dallas Jr. I think they’re counting him out too early. A lot of times when people come back from a tough loss they train harder, they take it more seriously and erase all the mistakes they made in previous training camps, so that’s what I’m expecting him to do. Luckily Barry Hunter [Hernandez-Harrison’s trainer] knows him well as a fighter, so I’ve been going off of what he says.
“I’ve been getting great sparring in. I came home from sparring Canelo Alvarez and went right into to sparring with Lamont Peterson, Austin Trout, Demetrius Hopkins and other fighters on the card. Just really good sparring.

“I’m excited to fight on BET. It’s pretty cool. I think it’s good to bring boxing to a new audience. Hopefully, I put on a good fight to get them entertained. And we have Justine Skye performing before our bout. She’s got a completely different fan base than I do and I think it’s another good way to add a new audience to our event.

“I took a lot of things out of training with Canelo at his training camp. It was good to get a different perspective of a training camp. Usually it’s all about me, everything is catered to me and everyone is concerned about me, so it was good to take a step back and see how someone like him at the top level prepares for a world title fight. Luckily, I walked away knowing I’ve been doing everything right.

“Fighting in my hometown of Washington, D.C. is better for me. I feel like I have more to fight for. I have more to lose, which for me helps. You’ll never hear me say “no mas” in D.C.

“At my age, my preparation changes with every fight. I remember fighting in Connecticut in April then Miami in August, which seems really close, but Billy Briscoe [Hernandez-Harrison’s assistant trainer] was there and said ‘you’ve gotten so much stronger.’ That’s just the age that I am right now. I’m really maturing and getting that man strength. Every fight I feel a lot stronger.”

MIKE “THE SILENT ASSASSIN” DALLAS JR.:

“I feel very good ahead of this fight…confident and strong. I’m just ready to go out there and perform. There’s more pressure on him than me fighting in his hometown.

“I’ve gotten good training in for this fight. The Bay Area has a lot of good sparring out there right now. I had good training with Ben Bautista [Dallas Jr.’s trainer] and we’ve been pushing it. I had to dig deep in training to get through it and I’m ready to dig deep in the fight.

“I took some time off to let my body rest and heal and to let my mind get together. Now I feel great. I’m ready to come back and get back on top of things. I’m going to go out there and do my thing.

“I know Dusty is a pretty good fighter. I know he can box. I’m just ready to go out there, be smart and execute the game plan. I’m ready for people to know I’m back and there mentally. I’m ready to get back in the game and take care of these people in these bigger fights.”

THOMAS “KO” SNOW:

“I know my opponent [Orlando Del Valle] is a conventional fighter from Puerto Rico. He’s a basic fighter…a basic one-two puncher. He’s the best opponent I’ve faced to date. Both of us have two losses, so I know it’s a crossroads fight for us. We’re going to go in there and do what we came to do.

“I’ve fought in D.C. a lot of times. It’s my home.

“It’s awesome because I’ve known Dusty since he was six years old. We used to run together. We were just talking about that over in the corner. If you watch at any of his amateur fights, you’ll hear me in the background cheering him on. I’ve been in his life for a long time and it’s awesome seeing a young guy get his opportunity and make the sport of boxing grow.

“I know our amateur program in D.C. is awesome so you have to give a shout out to all the amateurs. D.C. is about to be the mecca of boxing once again. We will have six, seven or eight champions in the District of Columbia. It’s rich with boxing.

“I think fighting on BET is a great thing. I think it’s great that boxing is on free TV now and people don’t have to pay for it. For those people who can’t afford those things, I think it’s awesome for them and I think it will make the sport of boxing better.

“I’ve changed a lot over the years. I’m supposed to be dead, locked up or in jail. Having God in your life, your perspective of life and everything changes. I’m calm and comfortable in my situation. I thank God for the opportunity. I thank Roc Nation Sports for the opportunity and I thank everybody who is supporting Thomas “KO” Snow. We’re ready to do it.”

MIKE BALOGUN:

“During my career, when I was playing football, I used boxing as another form of training for cardio. After my career was over, it was natural for me to keep training and now we’re here. Football is a business. I got released and had another opportunity to play in the Canadian Football League as well as the Arena Football League, but football takes a toll on your body and I played the game for a long time. It was just natural for me to transition. I still needed something to stay active, because without activity, I didn’t feel like myself.

“I don’t know a lot about my opponent [Devon Mosley]. I know he’s a southpaw just like me That’s pretty much all I know and all I need to know.

“I’ve prepared for this fight just like any other fight…hard work and dedicating myself to my craft. At the end of the day I’ll reap the fruits of my labor.”

SAM “VANILLA GORILLA” CROSSED:

“I don’t know much about my opponent [Damion Reed]. I know he is a tall left-handed guy. I only watched a little video of him. I’ve been sparring a lot of left handers and then we just happened to get a left-handed guy, so it worked out pretty well.

“I’m still a little disappointed about my last performance in D.C., so I am going to come out and put on a show on Friday, May 13.

“Anyone you get in the ring with poses a threat, but at the same time, I am confident in what I have done to prepare. I’ve been sparring guys with 20 pro fights, so, I think I’m good.

“I played football and baseball growing up. Basically, what got me into boxing was that I got picked on when I was younger and smacked around on the basketball court. I always said when I grow up I want to be able to beat up the dudes that picked on me. What’s funny is that a lot of guys that bullied me are now begging me for tickets to my fights.”
###

Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas Jr., a 10-round welterweight fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports takes place Friday, May 13, 2016 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. This fight headlines a throne boxing event presented by Corona Extra and will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET and streamed live on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL.com. The event is also sponsored by FILA, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Shoe City, Pepsi, RCN and The DC Lottery. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the May 13 edition of throne boxing on BET will feature several notable Roc Nation Sports touches that offer a unique fan experience including a live musical performance by Justine Skye as well as DJ Cipha Sounds and event host Big Tigger who will keep the energy at a high level throughout the event. Doors open on fight night at 6:30 PM and the first fight begins at 6:45 PM. Follow the conversation using #throneboxing.

Tickets priced at $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (http://bit.ly/may13throneboxing) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation, on Instagram @rocnation/@rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For additional information, visit www.bet.com. Join the conversation on the following social media platforms: on Twitter by using hashtag #BET #throneboxing and follow at @BET; on Facebook by liking the fan page at www.facebook.com/BET; and on Instagram @betnetworks.

For information on the DC Armory, visit www.eventsdc.com and follow on Twitter at @dcsportsent.

LONDON (11 May, 2016) – The thrilling light-welterweight unification clash between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol is to be screened exclusively live in the UK on BoxNation on July 23.

The pair collide at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with WBO champion Crawford and WBC title-holder Postol putting their belts on the line to determine the lineal world champion at 140-pounds.

Crawford, (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, is a two-division world champion who has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage, will be making his third title defence.

The 28-year-old is regarded as one of boxing’s rising pound-for-pound stars and will be looking to capitalise on a stunning last couple of years that has seen him crowned ‘Fighter of the Year’ in 2014.

Postol, (28-0, 12 KOs), came to prominence with a spectacular upset over the heavily favoured Argentine banger Lucas Matthysse who he knocked out in 10 rounds.

‘The Iceman’ is under the tutelage of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and will be looking to defy the odds once again when he steps in against the skilled Crawford.

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140,” said Crawford. “July 23 is going to be a great night of boxing. It’s number one against number two in a unification fight. On paper everyone says it’s a 50-50 fight but in my eyes I’m going in there looking to destroy this man. I’m looking forward to putting on a great performance. After July 23 my record will be 29 wins with 21 knockouts!” he said.

“I have been waiting for this fight for a long time and I want to thank my promoters Elite Boxing and Top Rank for making this fight a reality for the fans. With the help of my team I will be ready come July 23 – may the best man win,” said Postol.

“This has Fight of the Year written all over it,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “For the second consecutive time Viktor will be involved in a world title tilt pitting the two best fighters in the division. He’ll be ready.”

“This title unification battle between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol is evenly matched and both undefeated champions are determined to prevail. This is must-see television,” said legendary promoter Bob Arum.

“We are very excited to be showing this excellent match-up exclusively live on BoxNation,” said Jim McMunn, Managing Director at BoxNation. “BoxNation has already shown some world class fights this year and we are delighted to add another pound-for-pound star to our schedule in Terence Crawford who faces an equally formidable foe in Viktor Postol. This has all the makings of a truly special fight,” he said.

BoxNation is set to show a host of top boxing action over the coming months including the eagerly anticipated rematch between unified heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko on July 9.

BoxNation is available on Sky (Ch.437/490HD), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee

Anthony Ogogo (8-0, 4 KOs) will make his long-awaited return to the ring on May 28 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, live on Sky Sports.

Unbeaten Ogogo’s professional career has been stop-start so far due to injury, with the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist set for his first action since July where he moved to 8-0 with a win in Germany over Ruslan Schelev. It was in that fight where he suffered a dislocated shoulder, fighting for the majority of the bout with just one arm, and the Lowestoft man’s outing in Germany was at the time also his return from a sustained period on the sidelines following Achilles problems. But the 27 year old insists his injury woes are behind him and he’s ready to get his career back on track and make a huge impact in the middleweight division.

On his return to the ring, Ogogo said, “I’m incredibly excited to be added to the May 28 card in Glasgow live on Sky Sports and cannot wait to get back in the ring. It’s been a difficult period for me as I’ve worked hard to recover from the shoulder injury I suffered in my last fight but I am now fully fit and raring to go.

“I want to thank Eddie Hearn, Kalle and Nisse Sauerland and Golden Boy Promotions for giving me the opportunity to fight in Glasgow and am looking to make a real statement of intent. I want to keep as busy as I can during 2016 and am determined to make a major impact in the middleweight division – starting on May 28.”

“We are excited to see Anthony back in the ring. With his injuries now behind him, we’re sure he can become a dominant force in the division,” said Promoter Kalle Sauerland, “He’s been training hard and has kept his focus so we’re looking forward to seeing how he performs. There are a lot of big fights out there for him, but first, he must get a good win under his belt on May 28 in Glasgow.”

“The talent pool in the middleweight division is the deepest its been in decades – and now that Anthony Ogogo is healthy, we fully expect him to be a major force in the weight class for years to come,” said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “With an Olympic pedigree and action-packed style, Anthony is sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats.”

Ogogo’s return is part of a huge night of action in Glasgow as Ricky Burns (39-5-1,13 KOs) looks to become a three-division world champion as he takes on Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) for the vacant WBA Super-Lightweight World Championship.

Tyrone Nurse (32-2-1, 6 KOs) heads into the Lion’s den to defend his British Super-Lightweight title against local favourite Willie Limond (39-4, 11 KOs) and Newcastle’s Jon Lewis Dickinson (17-4, 5 KOs) meets Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy (8-0, 5 KOs) in an eliminator for the British Cruiserweight Title.

Conor Benn (1-0, 1 KO) fights for the second time in the paid ranks, Islington Middleweight John Ryder (22-2, 12 KOs) is in action and there’s a host of young Scots on display, including Commonwealth gold medal winner Charlie Flynn (7-0, 1 KO), Joe Ham (7-0, 5 KOs) and Lewis Paulin (5-0).

Tickets for Glasgow are on general sale with those in the £40-£100 bracket available from the SSE Hydro website http://www.thessehydro.com/ and on 0844 395 4000 and 0800 952 0110 (accessible). VIP tickets at £200 are exclusively available at www.matchroomboxing.com

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

LOS ANGELES (May 10, 2016) — A picture may be worth a thousand words but a stamp is Forever. Just ask World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world champion “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL who presented a larger than life commemorative stamp of himself to his opponent World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world titlist TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD at today’s Beverly Hills press conference (photo attached). The undefeated world champions announced their 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140-pound division.

Photo attached: Credit Mikey Williams/Top Rank

The stamp not only featured Postol’s image but also foreshadowed the result of their upcoming fight, with a caption that included Postol’s record after their rumble, complete with projected record and unified titles.

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor Terence Crawford stays this Postol courier from the swift completion of unifying the titles,” said World-Famous Freddie Roach, Postol’s Hall of Fame trainer. “Come July 23, Postol will deliver just like he did against Lucas Matthyse.”.

After viewing the artwork, a bemused Crawford told Team Postol, “There’s only one place for junk mail and that’s the shredder. I’m going to cancel your stamp and your reign as WBC champion on July 23. The new face of boxing isn’t on that stamp, it’s in front of you.”

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association withTecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” the Crawford vs. Postol world championship event will take place on Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets, priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees, went on sale today. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., already a two-division world champion, has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage. The consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will be making his MGM Grand Garden debut in his third title defense of his WBO junior welterweight world championship crown.

Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, put his stamp on the boxing landscape when he scored a 10th-round knockout of the heavily-favored former world champion Lucas Matthysse to capture the vacant WBC super lightweight world title on October 3, 2015. Having won two of his last three fights by knockout, the Freddie Roach-trained Postol will be making his first defense of that title.

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

LAS VEGAS (May 10, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has announced a new main event and second championship rematch between reigning bantamweight (135 pounds) kingpin Marlon Moraes (16-4-1) and streaking challenger Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1), for its stacked Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at XFINITY Arena at Everett on Saturday, July 30, live on NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

The highly-anticipated world featherweight (145 pounds) title fight and second showdown between Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida (18-5) and the man he took the title from – Lance Palmer (10-2) – will now serve as the co-main event of WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II.

“The magnitude of this event has increased dramatically with the addition of a second world title fight and rematch between Marlon Moraes, who has been unstoppable, in the cage, and one of the most formidable and talented contenders in the world in Josh Hill” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

The second meeting between Moraes and Hill comes 17 months after the two superstars went the five-round distance of their championship main event fight at WSOF18 on February 12, 2015, with Moraes successfully defending his coveted title by way of unanimous decision.

The 5-foot-6, 28 year-old Moraes of Howell, N.J. via Nova Friburgo, Brazil is a former Muay Thai champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt whose reign of terror in the 135-pound division has been ongoing since the end of 2011, when he ignited a win streak that has spanned 11 straight fights, including 3 defenses of his World Series of Fighting title.

In his last start and third title defense at WSOF28 on February 20, Moraes, who captured the World Series of Fighting crown with a unanimous decision over Josh Rettinghouse on March 29, 2014, needed just 1 minute and 13 seconds to score a brutal TKO on Joseph Barajas with a series of rapid-fire leg kicks.

Since the first meeting with Moraes, his only loss to date, the 5-foot-6, 29-year-old Hill of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada has rebounded with four straight victories, a streak that Hill started with a third round (2:01) submission (rear-naked choke) of Rettinghouse on May 30, 2015.

Hill is coming off of a unanimous decision win over Bendy Casimir on April 9, in a bout that took place in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.

Priced from $29, tickets for WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II are on sale at XFINITYArenaEverett.com and WSOF.com.

In other action on the live NBCSN telecast, costumed crusader Phoenix Jones (6-1-1) aka Ben Fodor of Seattle, Wash. will look to settle his rivalry with adopted brother Caros “The Future” Fodor (10-5) of Seattle in a 162-pound catchweight affair.

Additional bouts for WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II will be announced soon.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About XFINITY Arena at Everett
The XFINITY Arena at Everett, recipient of the International Association of Venue Manager’s (IAVM) prestigious Venue Excellence Award 2010, was developed by the Everett Public Facilities District. The 10,000-seat venue hosts a myriad of events including concerts, ice skating and family shows and is home to the Everett Silvertips, a Western Hockey League franchise. The venue is managed by Spectra by Comcast Spectacor and embodies all three of its divisions: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality and Ticketing & Fan Engagemen

Quite simply, Flanagan v Crolla has to happen. when has there even been an opportunity to see two world champions from the same city, in fact the same school, attempt to unify their World titles?

Far too often, politics get in the way of making great events, now so more than ever before. During my 35 year career, I have co-promoted countless of events with major promoters in the UK and around the world, including Matchroom so I see no reason why this cannot happen again.

It seems the one stumbling block being flagged up by Matchroom Sport was the issue of the respective fighters rival broadcast platforms, Sky Sports, who televise Anthony Crolla’s fights and BoxNation, who televise Terry Flanagan. To get over this, as Terry’s exclusive Promoter, I am prepared to agree, subject to contract and the commercial terms offered by Sky, that Sky Sports Box Office, can have the exclusive UK broadcast rights to the event to make it happen.

This should ensure that the Sky Sports/BoxNation argument cannot be used as a smokescreen to prevent this fight from happening. I will not make counter offers to secure the event for BoxNation providing Sky Sports Box Office do not offer unreasonable terms.

I will agree to this if the following terms are accurately reflected in a contract:

The Event is staged by Queensberry Promotions Ltd and Matchroom Sport Ltd, on an equal 50:50 basis. All decisions regarding the event, including pricing and costs, must be mutually agreed.

The Event takes place in 2016 at the Manchester Arena.

Manchester Arena’s official ticketing partner, Eventim, receive the sole and exclusive ticketing rights for the event. No secondary ticket agents are permitted to be a sponsor, associate or partner of the event, such as StubHub and the like.

Each co-promoter is responsible for paying the purse of their respective boxers (i.e. Terry Flanagan to be paid by Queensberry Promotions and Anthony Crolla to be paid by Matchroom Sports) with an undercard to be mutually agreed.

This is an opportunity for both Terry and Anthony to earn career high purses, along with delivering a huge British unification clash for the fans. There is no reason why we cannot move forward on what are fair and reasonable terms for all involved and get this fight on, that is of course if they want it to.

Contrary to the opinion of a few people with their own agenda, no other fight for either fighter can deliver them the type of pay day and profile that is possible from this event. It has all the ingredients to be a special night and an historic one for Manchester. Two World Champions from the same City, same school and arguably the number 1 and 2 in the lightweight division putting it all on the line for local bragging rights. Add on top of that that one is a City fan and the other United. What more could you ask for?

Boxing fans have called for Promoters to put aside rivalries, egos and personal agendas and collaborate to deliver the best possible fights for the public. Here is the perfect opportunity to do this and I’m playing my part.

I am making this statement public to show boxing fans how serious I am about making this event happen. Neither the fighters, nor the public deserve to miss out on what will be a memorable night for British boxing.

In simple terms, no barriers, no excuses, let’s get it done!

The ball is now firmly in Team Crolla’s court.

Flanagan is ready and I’m ready and our door is open.

LAS VEGAS (May 10, 2016) – Four young, undefeated cruiserweights from the United States will look to make a name for themselves when they meet in the featured bouts on ShoBox: The New Generation this Friday, May 13, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Sam’s Town Live.

The cruiserweight division has traditionally been dominated by Europeans boxers. Friday’s U.S.-born ShoBox fighters will be seeking to change that perception.

In the main event, talented Mayweather star Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti (12-0, 11 KOs), of Las Vegas, takes on power-puncher Keith “Machine Gun” Tapia (17-0, 11 KOs), of Bronx. N.Y. 2012 U.S. Olympian, Michael Hunter (11-0, 8 KOs), of Las Vegas, faces Isiah Thomas (15-0, 6 KOs), of Detroit, in the co-feature.

Other televised fights of a quadrupleheader: TMT’s Ronald “The Thrill” Gavril (15-1, 11 KOs), of Las Vegas, will meet hard-punching Colombian Juan Camilo “La Boa” Novoa (25-6-1, 23 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight bout and his TMT stablemate Sanjarbek “War” Rakhmanov (4-0, 3 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Uzbekistan, will be opposed by Alfonso Olvera (7-2, 3 KOs), of Tucson, Ariz., is a six-round welterweight bout that will open the telecast. All but Gavril will be making their ShoBox debuts.

Tickets for the event promoted by Mayweather Promotions are priced at $25 and $50, not including applicable fees, and are on sale. Tickets can be purchased online at www.samstownlv.com/entertain, by calling (702) 284-7777, or at any Boyd Gaming box office.

Here’s what the fighters said about their fights Friday, training camp, their respective opponents and more:

ANDREW TABITI

“It’s great that four undefeated cruiserweights are fighting each other. I want us to get the ball back into U.S. territory, since it is a historically European-dominated division. I definitely think the emergence of young cruiserweights like myself is changing that.

“I don’t compare myself to other cruiserweights in the division, I know I’m the best. I’m always looking to win impressively, and I look to put on a great performance for the fans Friday night.

“Everything has been perfect. Training camp has been going great. I started camp in February so I feel strong and comfortable. What’s interesting is that I’m not nervous at all despite this being my first headlining debut. I see it as any other fight where I know what I am coming in to do. I think that lets me know that I am maturing as a fighter and feel a lot more confident in my skills and abilities.

“I’ve been waiting for the right date and this is it. I believe my career moving is great, what I dreamed of. Now it’s time to take the next step.

“Personally I’ve never seen Tapia fight, but I’ve watched videos. He is unbeaten, a solid opponent. Styles make fights and this is a good one for me. I’m looking forward to continuing to step up and give everybody a good performance and get close to a title fight.

“I can’t wait. I’m going in confident. The key is to get the victory, it’s the main thing. Winning is everything.

“I feel blessed to be training out of Floyd’s gym and be able to fight under Mayweather Promotions. He’s someone I look up to so being where I am is a dream coming to reality. I love training at Mayweather Boxing Club. It keeps me focused and hungry.”

KEITH TAPIA

“Fighting Tabiti is a great, real challenge. I like the way he fights. I respect him, but I’m going to be bad weather for him. I’m going to take control right away; it will be a Tapia fight, not a Tabiti fight. That’s a fact.

“Tabiti is a talented boxer. His style is a Mayweather style. I love Floyd Mayweather as a fan, but Tabiti’s not Floyd Mayweather. Me? I come to fight, hands up, moving forward as I go. I want to run over you.

“I’m definitely going to change the perception about me in this fight and the division because I’m a machine. I’m really confident and can’t wait to fight.

“For me, this is the right time. I am here and definitely ready to fight. I feel I’m the best in my weight class except no one has seen me yet. Tabiti may have the fame, but I’m not just going to talk the talk, I’m going to walk the walk.

“I think this is a big step up for me when I beat him. Once the bell rings, that’s when we know what is going to really happen.

“I’m going to become the cruiserweight champion, defend it a couple of times and then move up. I already feel like a champion both mentally and spiritually.

“All of my fights are equally important. I’m really satisfied with the way my career is going. If it wasn’t for boxing I wouldn’t be here right now. God and boxing saved me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be alive.”

MICHAEL HUNTER

“This is a step up as far as competition compared to the past, with him being an undefeated cruiserweight. He’s a good, long-ranging southpaw. We are actually around the same age; we were in the amateurs at the same time, but never fought each other. Friday, I aim to win impressively. I don’t want to say I’m going for the knockout, if it happens it happens, but hopefully we can get it.

“Although I’ve fought on TV quite a few times before, this is going to be a good show with Mayweather Promotions. I’m thankful to be fighting on the undercard of my good friend Andrew Tabiti. That’s an honor, to be honest. It’s going to be great that my family and friends outside of Las Vegas will be able to tune in to watch me, so that’s a blessing.

“I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied with the way my career is going. I can’t complain because I have no losses, I just wish it would go at a little faster pace. I’m a two-time Olympian and in the amateurs we’re used to fighting 4-5 times out of the week, so adjusting to fighting once every few months or so feels a little stagnant to me. I really try not to think too far into the future, I try to live in the moment, but I hope to get a title shot relatively soon.

“I went into training camp right after my last fight, so it’s been about eight weeks. There’s always ups and downs in training, but as long as you keep a positive spirit, everything will end up going perfectly well. So it’s been going good I can’t complain. I usually train out of the Mayweather Boxing Club, but there’s been some construction going on so we have moved it to Fight Capitol and a few other places.

“I have been changing my training just to better myself, not necessarily for my opponent or for this fight.

“You have to be a little more focused in the Mayweather Gym. There’s a lot of stuff that doesn’t really happen in a normal gym simply because he is Floyd so it will bring it out of you or it won’t. Only the strongest survive.”

ISIAH THOMAS

“Friday is a good thing for up-and-coming, American cruiserweights. There are a lot of us in the division looking to make our mark. Not just myself. This is our chance to show that America has good fighters in the cruiserweight division. It’s the perfect showcase.

“I’m very excited about being part of Friday’s card. I am just taking it all in and looking to perform to the top of my ability and showcase my talents.

“Hunter is young and hungry just like me, but I haven’t really seen or watched him. I’ve heard about him and I’m sure he’s going to bring his “A” game.

“I know what I can do, there’s no need for a lot of strategizing. I’m not just showing up.

“I feel my career is going good to this point. I keep rising. I’m on television. I like the pace I’m going but there is only way to really go, and that’s to the top. I don’t consider myself the best cruiserweight, just one of the top comers. Eventually, and in due time, though.

“Friday, I’m just going to do what I do best. Of course, you want to win impressively but the most important thing is to win. I’ve got to get that W.

“I live in Detroit but train in Miami, which is like a second home to me. Training camp has been going for about two months and it has been great. I get great sparring in Miami.”

RONALD GAVRIL

“I’m looking forward to having this big opportunity. Many people don’t know who I am so fighting on SHOWTIME will start giving me the exposure and recognition I need.

“Training camp has been going great, I feel strong and prepared. I’m happy and have no complaints. I feel blessed to be a part of this great card full of fighters with tremendous talent. It’s exciting to be able to share this with my stablemates here in our town.

“I’m looking forward to what this will bring not only for my future but for all of ours.”

JUAN NOVOA

“Training camp has been going great, I have been training for seven weeks now. I’m currently training in Miami, Fla.

“I have seen videos of his fights and can tell he is a strong fighter who is not afraid to mix it up. Considering that I have more professional fights and over 180 amateur fights, it is tough to say whether Gavril is a step up for me, until I step into the ring this Friday.

“I would be more satisfied with my career if I had already won a world title, but unfortunately the circumstances from my last world championship challenge didn’t turn out in my favor. I know that by winning this fight I would immediately launch myself into world title contention and potentially another world title opportunity. I see myself either challenging for, or defending a world title a year from now.”

SANJARBEK RAKHMANOV

“I’ve watched Olvera enough to feel I know him. He’s a taller, Mexican guy. I’m looking forward to fighting him.

“I train at Mayweather Boxing Club with Dewey Cooper; he’s been my coach since I turned pro. I had about 150 amateur fights and I got a lot of international experience.

“I consider myself a puncher. Once the bell rings, I come to fight.

“I’m happy with the way things are going. I train hard every day. I’m coming to take all the titles. This is my weight, around 143 pounds. I don’t plan to go up much or down

“In this fight I want to win and look good and then come right back. I think after about a year I will be ready to take on all the top guys.’’

ALFONSO OLVERA

“Training camp has been great; we’ve been in training for about a month. Road work is good, the sparring is good with different boxers. The weight is not an issue. I train at Scrapyard Boxing Gym in Tucson, Ariz.

“Our opponent is formidable and to be taken serious. We know he is aggressive and expects to win so we have to bring our “A” game to the ring. We also expect to win.

“At this point in my career I am very happy with my progress. This card is definitely for the world to see, and is also a big step forward for us.

“We are welcoming the opportunity and grateful for it. We hope this fight elevates us to more opportunities and gets us closer to someday challenging for a world title.”

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com, follow on Twitter: @FloydMayweather, @MayweatherPromo @SHOSports, @andrewtabiti89, @machine_gun_tapia_, follow on Instagram at: @floydmayweather, @Mayweatherpromotions, @shosports, become a fan on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

RICKY HATTON and Hatton Promotions would like to counter claims made about Zhanat Zhakiyanov by the team of Zolani Tete.

While very initial discussions were held regarding the possibility of Zhakiyanov defending his interim WBA bantamweight title against the South African, they did not progress and no agreement was made.

Online claims that he pulled out of the fight due to weight issues are entirely unfounded.

Zhakiyanov is due to resume training with Ricky Hatton in Manchester in the next few weeks and will be looking to get back in the ring in the near future.

“Zhanat couldn’t have pulled out of facing Tete because the fight wasn’t even made,” Hatton said.

“We held initial conversations with Frank Warren (Tete’s promoter) when we talked about a whole host of things such as Nathan Gorman boxing at the Copper Box and working together in the future, but we never reached the contract and date stage for this fight. Any suggestion we did is just nonsense.

“That said we have a good working relationship with Frank and we will continue to work together in the future. For example, we have Hatton Promotions’ Kiryl Relikh defending his WBA Intercontinental title this Friday on a BoxNation show in Bolton.”

INDIO, Calif. (May 10, 2016) — Former WBO junior welterweight world champion, “The Siberian Rocky”, Ruslan Provodnikov is deep in training in Indio, Calif. with his trainer Joel Diaz for his June 11 main event bout with John Molina Jr. at The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) .

“Knowing exactly the date and the opponent makes me unstoppable and mentally confident in training,”Provodnikov said. “This fight will start a new page in my career. I want to show the people that have already written me off the books what I can do in the ring.

“I will be ready for another war on June 11. I am very happy with the way training camp is going. Joel Diaz is a great trainer and is helping me correct some of the bad habits that I had in previous fights.”

Provodnikov-Molina Jr. will headline a tripleheader live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) that will also feature a WBC Super Welterweight Elimination bout between Demetrius Andrade and Willie Nelson, plus a battle for the vacant WBC Lightweight World Championship that will pit No. 1 Dejan Zlaticanin against No. 2 Emiliano Marsili
.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Banner Promotions, Inc., are priced at $85, $60, $45 and $35 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster,com).

Turning Stone Resort Casino is no stranger to hosting high caliber nationally televised boxing events. Last year, Turning Stone hosted the epic battle between Provodnikov and Matthysee, selected over arenas in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami. When Provodnikov returns to Turning Stone on June 11th, it will mark Turning Stone’s 18th nationally-televised boxing event, cementing the resort as a mecca for knockout fights. Located in Upstate New York, Turning Stone is an award-winning destination resort, offering world-class amenities including four hotels, 21 restaurants and dining options, two luxurious spas, 1,200 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, five beautiful golf courses, and several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and , follow on Twitter @SHOSports, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.
Visit Banner Promotions at www.banner-promotions.com, follow on Twitter at @BannerBoxing, follow on Instagram at @BannerBoxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions, follow on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/banner-promotions-inc-?trk=biz-companies-cym, and watch on Youtube at www.youtube.com/user/bannervideo.
For Turning Stone Resort Casino: www.turningstone.com ; Twitter: @turningstone ; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TurningStoneResort/

LAS VEGAS, NV. (May 10, 2016) — Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL will go mano a mano, in a 12-round world title unification fight, to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140-pound division. The Crawford vs. Postol world championship event will take place on Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” tickets to Crawford vs. Postol, priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees, go on sale Today! Tuesday, May 10, at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140,” said Crawford.

“We are about to show the world that I am indeed a better trainer than Postol’s trainer Freddie Roach,” added Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager.

“I believe this is a GREAT fight and Terence will prove he’s not only the best 140-pound fighter in the world but that he is pound for pound the best fighter in the world,” said Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager.

“I have been waiting for this fight for a long time and I want to thank my promoters Elite Boxing and Top Rank for making this fight a reality for the fans,” said Postol.

“This has Fight of the Year written all over it,” said Hall of Fame Trainer World-Famous Freddie Roach. “For the second consecutive time Viktor will be involved in a world title tilt pitting the two best fighters in the division. He’ll be ready.”

“This is one of those fights where no one knows who will come out victorious,” said Vadim Kornilov, Postol’s manager. “It’s the type of fight fans crave but rarely get to see. There are no opponents in this battle, only champions. Postol and Crawford each have 28-0 records and they have both fought great opposition.”

“This title unification battle between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol is evenly matched and both undefeated champions are determined to prevail. This is must-see television,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum

“We look forward to hosting what very well could be the ‘fight of the year’ this summer at MGM Grand,” said Richard Sturm, president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International. “These two fighters will make their Grand Garden Arena debut and undoubtedly provide an exciting evening for boxing fans worldwide.”

“We are excited to present two accomplished champions in a major unification title showdown at 140 pounds” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “Terence Crawford stands today among boxing’s elite attractions. His opponent Viktor Postol, Crawford’s toughest to date, seeks to seize that star power for himself with an upset under the bright spotlight in Las Vegas.”

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., a two-division world champion who has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage, will be making his MGM Grand Garden debut in his third title defense as World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world champion. The consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will be looking to build on his star-making 2014 which featured three world championship victories as well as Fighter of the Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America and major media alike. Crawford, 28, captured the vacant WBO junior welterweight crown on April 18, 2015, via a devastating sixth-round knockout of once-beaten No. 2 world-rated contender Thomas Dulorme. He has successfully defended the title twice — stopping No.2 world-rated contender Dierry Jean in front of a packed house at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha on October 24, 2015, and knocking out Top-10 contender Hank Lundy in the fifth round last February 27, at a soldout Theater at Madison Square Garden. Crawford began his career-best year on March 1, 2014, just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his professional debut. He captured the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Crawford put the boxing world on notice with his virtuoso performance as he pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns, rocking the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances. He followed that with a dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of undefeated former world champion and Cuban Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28, 2014, in a Fight of the Year nominee. It was one of the most-watched fights of the year with over 1.2 million viewers catching the live, first-time airing of the fight, according to Nielsen Media Research. He concluded 2014 on November 29 with a thorough shellacking of one-time world title challenger and No. 1 contender Ray Beltran, winning 11 of the 12 rounds. Crawford, who is friendly with Warren Buffet, is only the second Nebraska native to be recognized as a boxing world champion. Perry “Kid” Graves, from Rock Bluff, captured the welterweight crown, knocking out Johnny Alberts in Brooklyn, in 1914, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, put his stamp on the boxing landscape when he scored a 10th-round knockout of the heavily-favored former interim world champion Lucas Matthysse to capture the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world title on October 3, 2015. World-rated No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, Postol and Matthysse went toe to toe throwing every weapon in their arsenals at each other until Postol caught Matthysse with a right uppercut and a left hook effectively turning out the lights on one of boxing’s most fearsome punchers. A former sparring partner of eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, Postol’s resume includes victories over top-rated contenders Selcuk Aydin, Jose Lopez, Lundy, and former world champion DeMarcus Corley. Postol, who has been trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach for his last three fights, with two of those ending in knockouts, will be making his first defense as the WBC super lightweight champion.

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

Merseyside maverick Liam Smith makes a hero’s return to Liverpool this summer to make the second defence of his WBO World Super-Welterweight title against Montenegro’s Pedrag Radosevic at the Echo Arena on Saturday 4th June, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Radosevic, who is number 11 with the World Boxing Organisation and holds the body’s European title, is on a red-hot three-fight winning streak since losing his unbeaten record at the hands of WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm in July 2013.

The man from Podgorica in Montenegro holds a top record of 30 wins from 31 fights, 11 coming via knockout, in a career spanning 12 years. 31 year-old Radosevic will be looking to cause an upset on his debut on British soil and is a step-up in class for the undefeated Smith.

Scouse warrior Smith became Liverpool’s first World Champion in 22 years last October when he stopped American John Thompson in the seventh round to claim the vacant WBO Super-Welterweight crown.

His finishing was as emphatic as his game plan. A brutal right-hand, left hook combination finished Thompson just past the halfway point in the seventh.

Following his sensational performance against Thompson, Smith returned to the Manchester Arena two months later to make the first defence of his newly attained title against Mancunian Jimmy Kelly on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ world title showdown with Andy Lee.

In the first Manchester versus Liverpool world title showdown in over 80 years, Smith blasted out his unbeaten rival with another seventh round stoppage. After emphatically announcing himself on the world stage ‘Beefy’ is now looking forward to making a hero’s return to his beloved home city.

Smith said: “I’m looking forward to fighting back at home. I haven’t boxed in Liverpool since I won the world title and I can’t wait to put on a show for my home crowd; there’s nobody better to fight in front of.”

He added: “It’s a great fight for me. I asked for this opponent for my first defence. He’s a good solid European fighter and he’s only lost to Felix Sturm at middleweight so it’s a good voluntary defence. I’m happy with the opponent.”

A mouth-watering night of action sees Ellesmere Port star Paul Butler defend his WBO International Super-Flyweight belt against Petchbarngborn Kokietgym, should he win Butler will be guaranteed mandatory position with the WBO. South African super-puncher Zolani Tete makes his eagerly anticipated return to Liverpool to defend his IBF International Bantamweight title. Ryan Farrag makes the first defence of his EBU European Bantamweight title against Frenchman Karim Guerfi and Jazza Dickens takes on Spain’s Abigail Medina for the Vacant EBU European Super-Bantamweight Championship. A top undercard sees Tom Stalker, Liam Williams, Steven Lewis, Josh Leather and Declan Geraghty all in action.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 are available from:
www.frankwarren.com
TicketMaster
0844 844 0444
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk
Liverpool Echo Arena
0844 8000 400
www.echoarena.com

The bookmakers of Wiltshire can expect a busy afternoon this Friday with local fight fans lobbing heavily on Malmesbury light-welter Joe Hughes ahead of his WBO Inter-Continental challenge that evening, writes Glynn Evans.

Chorley champion Jack Catterall has been installed as a prohibitive 12-1 favourite to retain when he tops the bill for the first time at Bolton’s Macron Stadium. However, West Country chancers will be very eager for a slice of the 8-1 on offer for Smokin’ Joe in a fight that doubles as a final eliminator for the British title.

‘I’ve been fighting a lot longer than Jack Catterall has,’ warns the 25 year old four time national junior champion who has conceded just once – controversially – in 15 paid gigs.

‘Catterall’s three years younger than me, has had less pro fights and boxed (26) less pro rounds. I’ve gone 10 rounds four times as a pro, Jack just once, and he didn’t achieve anything like as much as I did as an amateur.

‘I’ve been fighting all of my life, in gyms from when I was five or six years old. Since birth, I had a problem with my right shoulder called Erb’s palsy, nerve damage.

‘As part of my physio, I was encouraged to do martial arts. I preferred the punching to kicking so gravitated to the Malmesbury amateur boxing club around the age of eight.’

Over the ensuing decade, despite his impediment, Hughes evolved into one of the most decorated amateurs to emerge from the Western Counties.

He recalls: ‘I had the first of my 70 bouts at 11 and won the English schools, junior ABAS plus two national CYP titles as a junior. I also bagged Four Nations and Three Nations gold medals. I beat Tommy Langford and Jamie Kavanagh, went one and one with Ronnie Heffron and lost very close fights to (reigning British champs) Bradley Skeete and Tyrone Nurse.

‘I represented England several times and won the senior ABAs in 2010 whilst still a teenager beating Manchester’s Liam Taylor, a well regarded kiddie, in the final.

‘The England selectors had told us that whoever won the ABAs would go to the Commonwealth Games in India but then Team GB got involved and (world bronze medallist) Bradley Saunders was slipped in ahead of me. Having achieved everything on the domestic scene, I thought it best to go pro.’

Initially signed to Frank Maloney, hitman Hughes conceded his unbeaten tag in his fifth outing when 6-0 Moroccan Joe Elfidh edged him out over six rounds in Sheffield.

‘I really don’t think I lost because I dropped Joe in the opener and felt I won the first four rounds before conceding the last two. Stupidly, I hid a virus from my team because, being a fighter, you just want to fight,’ admits Joe.

‘It was close and all credit to Joe but I still sort of feel unbeaten. The experience taught me to be honest with my team and just motivated me more.’

With upwardly mobile coach Andy O’Kane also assuming the managerial duties, the Malmesbury maelstrom rebounded by racking up 10 successive wins and hoovering up Southern Area, International and English titles en route.

Catterall, unbeaten in 14, is rightly feted as one of the nation’s finest prospects at any weight but one senses Hughes will land as a very lively underdog.

‘Jack’s very good – strong and skilful – and deserves all the credit he’s getting but that just makes me want to fight him more. I want to go as far as I possibly can in the game. I’m looking forward to challenging myself against him,’ says Hughes who has stopped six of 14.

‘Unbeaten fighters don’t frighten me. I’ve faced five before and beaten four of them (Debutant Tony Pace, 9-0 Philip Bowes, 7-0 Anthony Hardy and 11-0 Anthony Upton). Records don’t mean much. It’s who they’ve fought. To be fair, Jack’s beaten some good boys.’

The Wiltshire wonder has no qualms about confronting a Lancastrian in Bolton.

‘Malmesbury is right in the countryside – population roughly 4,000 – about 30 miles from Bristol and 20 from Swindon, the nearest town. It’s the forgotten area. Us West Country lads were definitely overlooked in the amateurs and it’s similar in the pros,’ he claims.

‘I boxed away all the time as an amateur and my early pro fights were dotted all around the country.

‘So boxing on Jack’s patch certainly won’t be a problem. In fact I’m looking forward to it. There’s no pressure with regard to selling tickets like there is fighting at home.

‘I get plenty of support when I box locally but there’ll not be many of mine there Friday. It’s a day off work plus travel and ticket expenses. Some say they can’t get anyone in to milk their cows!’

Fans who’ve yet to see Hughes operate can expect a highly driven, physically powerful pressure fighter who aims to please.

‘I’m most comfortable coming forward and I like to land a lot of shots,’ he says.

‘As a fan myself, I like to deliver action, I like the crowd to be excited. Jack also likes to attack and take his opponents out so I expect it to ‘kick off’ from the start. Our styles should gel nicely. It’s going to be explosive.

‘Because of my shoulder problem, I mostly like to use my left hand, jabbing and hooking. The right arm is three inches shorter and quite a bit weaker. I’m the only pro fighter with a disability but, rather than viewing it as a disadvantage, I’ve turned it on its head. Battling it gives me real ‘attitude’.

The Western gunslinger knows that Friday’s fight presents his opportunity to gatecrash the Big Time and he has prepared accordingly.

‘I’ve had 11-12 weeks’ notice, my weight’s good and all has gone well,’ he insists.

‘I’ve been sparring Frankie Gavin, a very, very skilful welterweight, Danny Butler for strength plus Kane Steward and Ryan Martin, two very useful local amateurs. I’ve never been fitter. I’m raring to get in there.

‘Having won Area, International and English titles, I’d intended progressing to the British, Commonwealth and possibly European. But if I beat Catterall, I’ll take his WBO ranking (four) and be eligible for a world title. I’ll fight any light-welter in the world.’

A deal has been reached for a WBA Interim Heavyweight title bout between champion Luis Ortiz and Alexander Ustinov according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We have a deal in place with Frank Warren,” said Golden Boy Promotions vice-president Eric Gomez, referring to Ustinov’s promoter. “We have an agreement in principle, but nothing is signed. We are going to contract this week, and we will notify the WBA that we have a deal.”

“So we kept negotiating with Frank Warren, and we were able to come to an agreement,” Gomez said. “The fight will be on HBO, and we’re looking at August or September.”

“King Kong is ready, willing and able to fight anybody. He will fight anyone,” Gomez said. “We are looking forward to getting this fight with Ustinov on.”

Ovill McKenzie will challenge Dmytro Kucher for the Vacant European Cruiserweight title at the home of boxing York Hall on June 10th.

It’s a big return for the hard-hitting Derby based Jamaican who just missed out on claiming a world title when he pushed IBF ruler Victor Emilio Ramirez to a controversial draw in Argentina last October.

Kucher, from Kiev, Ukraine, has an explosive record of 17 knockouts from 23 wins with only one points loss and draw and has previously held the WBC International Silver Cruiserweight title. This will be his second shot at the European title after he drew against Bilal Laggoune last October for the vacant title.

McKenzie, 36, has previously won a Commonwealth title at light-heavyweight and Commonwealth and British title at cruiserweight, is excited to challenge for the European crown for the first time and sees it as a significant step back onto the world title stage.

“I’m delighted that Queensberry Promotions won the purse bid today and that I’ll be fighting for the prized European title for the first. This a fantastic fight to return back into after the disappointment in Argentina when I should have been crowned world champion. However, that’s in the past and now I want that beautiful European belt around my waist and then look at the world title again. Kucher looks dangerous, but he doesn’t have the experience I have and that will be crucial in this fight”

The undercard will feature a host of top emerging talent including Mitchell Smith, who looks to bounce back after an unexpected first loss against George Jupp, devastating light-heavyweight prospect Anthony Yarde, and super-welterweight slickster Ahmet Patterson who prepares for a mandated showdown with British and Commonwealth Champion Liam Williams.

English Light-Heavyweight Champion Tom Baker is also action as are prospects Billy Long, Leon Woodstock, Jez Smith, Lucien Reid and Ryan Gardener who makes his pro debut.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.co.uk and Eventim.co.uk at prices £40 and £60.

Ekaterinburg, Russia (May 9, 2016)–This past Friday night, in Ekaterinburg, Russia, undefeated WBO European Super Featherweight champion Evgeny Chuprakov made the second defense of his title, when he stopped previously undefeated Sebastian Tlatlik in the fifth round of their scheduled 10-round bout.

Chuprakov (16-0, 8 KO’s) of Ekaterinburg is currently ranked number-7 by the WBO and number-14 by the IBF.

Chuprakov dominated the action and finally the fight was halted by the referee in the 5th round. This was the third undefeated opponent that Chuprakov has beaten, as he continues to fight top-level competition; He already has a stoppage victory over former world champion Dmitry Kirillov.

“This is a great win for Evgeny. He stopped an undefeated fighter, and now we are looking to bring him back to the United States and put him in a meaningful bout. He has proven that he is a contender at junior lightweight, and we hope to have him back in the ring in August,” said Banner Promotions President, Arthur Pelullo.