Scotty Cardle sent a strong message to British Lightweight challenger Sean Dodd ahead of their rematch on Saturday night – “you are bang average and I’m going to teach you a lesson.”

Cardle and Dodd clash again at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, live on Sky Sports, the same venue for their epic first encounter in November.

Dodd looked set to take the title from the Lytham St Annes man making his first defence of the belt, but Cardle poured on the pressure in the final round and forced the stoppage.

Cardle offered Dodd an immediate rematch after the bell but as the fight creeps closer, he’s warned the Birkenhead challenger that it’s going to be a one-sided affair the second time around.

“The only reason it was a contender for fight of the year was because I underperformed,” said Cardle. “I had a bad day at the office and he had his best night in the paid ranks. I am happy to say I can learn from a win and move on to the next one, and that is why I took the rematch, because I have a demon to exercise. He’s bang average at best, he showed his best performance on that night. He threw the head in a bit but other than that he didn’t do anything, I was poor on the night and he brought me down to his level. It’s a different story this time.

“Last time it was quite a poor performance from myself,” said Cardle. “My game plan was perfect but I didn’t use it on the night. I came out to quite a hostile reception and I was trying to make a point to everybody.

“The game plan went out of the window as soon as I walked into that arena. I just wanted to fight and it was quite daft of me and quite unprofessional. I had never walked out to a reception like that before but now I have experienced it I know what I have to do, and that is to stick to the tactics Joe Gallagher has given me and show the skills that I have.

“I feel I have experienced that now and I am expecting the same hostile welcome from the fans, if not even worse because they know they got to me last time. I know it’s coming on Saturday and I have to soak in the positive energy and take it on the chin, brush it off and get on with the job.

“I did think he would come with the game plan that he did bring. I thought it would be as busy as he was but I didn’t think the fight would end up the way it did, but the only reason for that was because of my performance.

“Saturday will be the one-sided lesson it should have been the first time. No disrespect to Sean, but there are levels and I feel that I am a level above him and I have to show that because I didn’t in the first fight. I have a job to do. The training has gone great, I have felt spectacular in sparring and I have no worries going into this. If I use what I have been using in training, then we will have no complaints whatsoever.”

Cardle’s rematch with Dodd is part of a huge night of action in Merseyside as Callum Smit meets European Super-Middleweight champion Hadillah Mohoumadi in a final eliminator for the WBC World title.

Rocky Fielding aims to bounce back from his loss to Smith with a tough fight against Christopher Rebrasse, there another tasty rematch on the bill as Luke Keeler looks for revenge against Tom Doran with the WBC International Middleweight title up for grabs, two-time World Super-Middleweight title challenger Paul Smith begins his hunt for a third title tilt, there’s action for unbeaten quartet Tom Farrell, Reece Bellotti, Ryan Mulcahy and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Scott Fitzgerald while Gerard Carroll makes his professional debut.

Tickets go on sale now for April 2 from the Echo Arena at www.echoarena.com and on 0844 8000 400 – with priced at £40, £60, £80 and £100. VIP tickets priced at £200 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

Tickets for April 2 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.

01 April 2016 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in partnership with G-Shock, Under Armour, MAH Pte. Ltd., and Marvel´s Captain America: Civil War, has just announced its glorious return to the Lion City with another heart-thumping evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. Nine exciting bouts are scheduled to take place on 6 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the main event, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash will defend his title against challenger Aleksei Butorin. Also, Singapore’s Angela Lee is set to do battle with Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship in the co-main event.
Tickets for ONE: ASCENT TO POWER are available at http://www.sportshubtix.sg.

Check out the official TVC for ONE: ASCENT TO POWER here: https://www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA/videos/vb.173291132694150/1068335273189727/?type=2&theater.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “Finally, we’re home in Singapore, and I know a lot of our fans here have been waiting a long time for our return. As usual, we have a fantastic night of world-class mixed martial arts action planned for all the fans in attendance. Expect to be at the edge of your seats as we bring you two big title fights featuring our top ONE athletes.”

ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-don, Russia, will be making the first defense of his title since winning the belt back in October. Bigdash’s resounding technical knockout victory over former champion Igor Svirid is one of the most action-packed fights under ONE Championship, and he showcased tremendous heart and resolve to overcome a devastating attack by Svirid to score the upset. Now, he takes on his first challenger as champion in Aleksei Butorin.

St. Petersburg, Russia’s middleweight contender Aleksei Butorin debuted successfully in ONE Championship with an exciting knockout over highly-regarded Leandro Ataides last September. Butorin made waves with his frightening knockout power and relentless attack, showing fans why he remains undefeated in his seven-year mixed martial arts career. Now, Butorin receives the opportunity to fight for the title against ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash.

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii, is one of the promotion’s most promising young prospects regardless of division and weight class. Lee, who is of mixed Canadian and Korean descent, has roots in Singapore and trains at Asia’s premiere mixed martial arts gym, Evolve MMA. Lee’s beautiful combination of solid striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success as she remains unbeaten so far in her MMA career. Lee will now challenge Japanese MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

33-year-old Japanese MMA veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi is a female atomweight from Tokyo with a 15-8 professional mixed martial arts record. She is the current Deep Jewels Atomweight Champion and has won her last three bouts, including two by knockout. Yamaguchi’s experience and championship mettle will prove to be a big test for the surging Angela Lee in a battle for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia makes his highly-anticipated return to the ONE cage since losing his title to current titleholder Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in an instant classic last November. Jadambaa and Gafurov went back-and-forth for four gruelling rounds before Gafurov was able to unseat the former champion. Jadambaa is now officially on the comeback trail, but will face tough foe Kotetsu Boku next.

Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese mixed martial arts legend and former ONE Lightweight World Champion. With more than 30 professional fights on his fight resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage. Always a crowd pleaser, Boku gets to showcase his dynamite fists once again as he takes on fellow former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa.

Needing no introduction, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master Roger Gracie of the Gracie fighting family returns to ONE Championship after more than a year away from professional competition. In Gracie’s last bout, he overcame a dangerous James McSweeney to win via third-round technical knockout at ONE: WARRIOR’S WAY in 2014. This time, Gracie takes on unbeaten middleweight contender Michal Pasternak.

32-year-old Michal Pasternak of Pinczow, Poland, is returning to professional mixed martial arts competition after a year-long layoff since his last bout. The undefeated Pasternak was successful in his ONE Championship debut against Rafael Silva, winning by decision to extend his win streak to 11. More than half of his victories have come either by knockout or by submission, but he’ll be put to the test against Roger Gracie in a highly-anticipated three-round middleweight contest.

French mixed martial artist Sylvain Potard is an aggressive and powerful contender who has enjoyed mixed success in the ONE Championship cage. He is a 12-fight veteran who possesses experience and solid technique to match his undoubted power. In his promotional debut, he defeated highly-regarded American wrestler Jake Butler by knockout. Now, he returns to ONE to face Tatsuya Mizuno.

Tatsuya Mizuno is a 34-year-old Japanese mixed martial arts veteran from Tokyo. His extensive professional MMA record of 14 wins and 11 losses has given him knowledge and experience that is a cut above the level of many fighters. Mizuno uses his great all-round striking and grappling skills to subdue his opponents, and he gets another chance for victory inside the ONE Cage against Sylvain Potard.

Christian Lee, younger brother of Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, has impressed in his first few outings in ONE Championship. Lee is riding the momentum of three stoppage wins inside the ONE Cage, two by highlight-reel knockout and the other by crafty submission. Lee looks to continue his early success but will face a stern test when he takes on the Philippines’ Cary Bullos.
32-year-old Filipino featherweight contender Cary “The Prince” Bullos is the URCC Visayas Bantamweight Champion. He has finished all his opponents in his seven wins, making him one of the top mixed martial arts prospects in the Philippines. Bullos fell short of victory in his first two appearances inside the ONE Cage, but he’s determined to get back in the win column by defeating Singapore’s Christian Lee.

Unbeaten young Singaporean Benedict Ang has two wins and no losses inside the ONE Cage. The 19-year-old featherweight from Evolve MMA defeated mixed martial arts veteran Yohan Mulia Legowo in his last bout, stopping the Indonesian after two rounds of hard action. The highly-skilled Ang will showcase his talents once more when he faces Filipino Jimmy Yabo.

The Philippines’ Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo is a former URCC standout with an impressive mixed martial arts record of five wins and two losses. He boasts one of the best knockout percentages in the division, having finished all five of his opponents within the distance, including his last bout when he felled Pakistan’s Bashir Ahmad with one punch. A rededicated Yabo is now looking for victory, but he’ll have to go through tough Singaporean Benedict Ang to get it.

Undefeated 21-year-old Dagistani Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev impressed fans in his first appearance in the ONE Cage last January, winning by technical knockout at just over 30 seconds into the first round against Mishal Alfad. Saygid brought the crowd to the edge of their seats from the opening bell, swarming his opponent with fearless aggression and impressive wrestling technique. Saygid will take on China’s Ma Jia Wen next.

Chinese standout Ma Jia Wen is 2-1 inside the ONE Cage, and a victor in his last bout against compatriot Wang Ya Wei last November at ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS – Beijing II. Ma is part of a quickly rising contingent of rock-solid Chinese mixed martial artists, and will look to put his skills further to the test against aggressive Dagistani standout Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

LONDON (1 April) – Premier Sports will air what is likely to be boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao’s final fight live and exclusive in the UK when he steps in against Timothy Bradley next Saturday night.

The pair clash for the third time on April 9th when they will look to settle an old score with both fighters sharing a win apiece from their previous meetings in 2012 and 2014.

Taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Premier Sports will be the only the place for British fight fans to see the Filipino legend in action before he hangs up his gloves.

Premier Sports is available on a number of platforms including Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk and online for just £9.99 a month, with no-connection fee or minimum term.

The channel was launched in August 2010 and has screened a number of top sporting events from football, rugby league, motorsports, ice hockey, boxing and many others.

The live broadcast of Pacquiao’s megafight with American ace Bradley will see the eight-division world champion back in the ring for the first time since his blockbuster showdown with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather last May.

Five-time world champion Bradley is coming off an impressive ninth-round stoppage over the tough and durable Brandon Rios, and will be looking to avenge his only defeat to date when he takes on Pacquiao.

Both men are in good spirits ahead of the bout and will be looking to make sure they put on a great show come fight night.

“I look forward to my battle with Timothy Bradley and giving boxing fans a fight they will always remember,” said Pacquiao. “This fight has a very special meaning to me and I will pour every ounce of my being — physically, emotionally and spiritually — into preparing for Bradley. “He has my full attention. I dedicate this fight to my fans and to my countrymen throughout the world who have kept me in their prayers. And as always, I fight to bring glory to the Philippines,” he said.

“I have always dedicated myself to who I am on fight night. However, on April 9th I will not only have dedicated myself to that but also delivering the performance that everyone has long awaited,” said Bradley.

Richard Sweeney, General Manager of Premier Sports, added: “We are delighted to be showing Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Timothy Bradley live and exclusive in the UK. This is going to be a fantastic fight between two of boxing’s biggest and best names. Premier Sports offers great sporting content to our subscribers and at just £9.99 represents real value-for-money. This is one fight not to be missed.”

To watch Pacquiao v Bradley 3 live and exclusive on Premier Sports for only £9.99 visit premiersports.com or call 0871 663 9000.

LOS ANGELES (April 1, 2016) – Before Jesus Soto “Renuente” Karass (28-10-3, 18 KOs) and Yoshihiro “Maestrito” Kamegai (26-3-1, 23 KOs) step into the ring for what is expected to be a sure-fire Fight of the Year candidate at LA FIGHT CLUB on April 15, Golden Boy Promotions will present an exciting cruiserweight warm-up to the main event action at downtown Los Angeles’ Belasco Theater.

Los Angles transplant Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chigonsky” Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KOs) will face seasoned fighter Derrick “Superman” Findley (23-18-1, 15 KOs) of Chicago in an eight-round co-main event match-up sure to heat up the night. Opening the Estrella TV broadcast, amateur standout Genaro “El Conde” Gamez of San Diego will make his debut as a professional and as a Golden Boy fighter when he takes on Archie Weah of Norcross, Ga. in a four-round super featherweight event.

Also making their professional debuts during the Ring TV live stream, Niko Valdes of South Beach, Fla. and Jousce Gonzalez of Glendora, Calif. will each participate in respective four-round super middleweight and lightweight fights. Plus, super lightweight prospect Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro (4-0, 3 KOs) will return LA FIGHT CLUB in a scheduled six-round super lightweight battle. Opponents will be announced shortly.

One of the most exciting fighters to emerge from the west coast scene in recent years, Ukrainian-born Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chigonsky” Shabranskyy is thrilling fans in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles. 4-0 in 2015, the last three opponents “Lion Heart-Chigonsky” faced had a combined record of 34-1-1. The 28-year-old Shabranskyy beat them all, most recently defeating 16-1 “El Monstro” Yunieski Gonzalez last December earning himself a spot on the pound-for-pound list in the light heavyweight division.

Derrick “Superman” Findley of Chicago has been in the boxing game since turning professional in 2004. The 31-year-old fighter is a well-known name in his weight class as a boxer who doesn’t go down easily. Former NABF middleweight title holder, Findley trains with some of the biggest names in boxing such as Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, and hopes to bring that same high-energy into the ring come fight night.

East Los Angeles’ Jonathan “Thunder” Navarro has lived up to his nickname thus far, as the 19-year-old has ended three of his four wins by knockout. A regular of the LA FIGHT CLUB series who has fought all of his professional fights at The Belasco Theater, Navarro is the nephew of former Olympian Jose Navarro. “Thunder” hopes to keep up the family tradition of knocking out his opponent this April in his scheduled six-round super lightweight division.

20-year-old Genaro “El Conde” Gamez enters the world of professional boxing after an amateur career that saw him ranked as the number one lightweight in the United States. A 2014 USA Boxing National Champion, San Diego’s Gamez is currently coached by renowned former world champion Robert Garcia. Everyone in the Southern California boxing scene can’t wait to see what this young fighter will bring in the ring to his 4-round super middleweight fight.

Archie Weah of Norcross, Georgia will be back in the action for a televised opening super featherweight bout against professional debut Genaro Gamez. Since turning professional a mere 3 years ago, the Monrovia, Liberia native will be making his second return to the Belasco Theater this year after his brawl with Oscar Duarte in February.

Miami southpaw Niko “Baby Face” Valdes didn’t step into a boxing ring for the first time until he was 18, but he quickly made up for lost time by winning the 2014 National championship as an amateur. By the time his amateur career was over, he was one of the top 178-pounders in the world, and he expects to have even more success as a professional with his debut at LA FIGHT CLUB.

Jousce Gonzalez is part of a fighting family that includes his brothers, undefeated professional Joet Gonzalez, amateur standout JonJairo, and sister 2016 Olympic hopeful, Jajaira, one of the top amateurs in the country. After a stellar amateur career, Glendora’s Gonzalez will enter the professional ring for the first time on April 15 in the four round lightweight opening up the night at LA FIGHT CLUB.

Jesus Soto Karass vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold” and Carmelita Chorizo. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, April 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT and will stream live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

Media interested in attending the April 15 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are available here. The deadline to submit a credential application is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2016. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and become a fanon Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TheBelascoLA, www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @belascola and @EstrellaTV, follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB and #BoxeoEstelar.

LOS ANGELES (March 31, 2016) – WBC Super Featherweight World Champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs) and fellow Mexican warrior and former three-time world champion Orlando “Siri” Salido (43-13-3, 30 KOs, 1 NC) today hosted a Los Angeles press conference to discuss their 12-round battle set for June 4 for Vargas’s title at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, Calif. and to be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®.

Below is what the fighters, their trainers, managers and promoter had to say at today’s press conference:

FRANCISCO VARGAS, WBC Super Featherweight Champion:

“I’m very grateful to HBO, Golden Boy Promotions and my managers for this opportunity.

“I’m very motivated to be fighting a great warrior like Orlando Salido.

“I’m going to be in the best shape in order to give you a war.

“Everybody knows when two great Mexican warriors get in the ring, not one of them will take a step back.”

ORLANDO SALIDO, Mexican Boxing Warrior and Former Three-Time World Champion:

“Thank you to the WBC and Team Vargas for giving me this opportunity.

“I am going to be ready; I am preparing myself for a war. We know it’s going to be a great fight.

“I need to prepare myself for ‘Fight of the Year.'”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“This fight between two Mexican warriors is sure to be a sight to behold in the ring on Saturday, June 4 at the Stub Hub Center in the City of Carson and live on HBO Boxing After Dark.

“The Stub Hub Center in Carson, California has been home to some of the most epic fights of this era and on Saturday, June 4 another chapter will be added to its action-packed history when Francisco ‘El Bandido’ Vargas fresh from his Fight of the Year victory over Takashi Miura in November 2015 on the Cotto-Canelo undercard, will defend his WBC Super Featherweight World Title for the first time against former three-time world champion Orlando ‘Siri’ Salido in a 12-round bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions.

“This fight will surely be a ‘Fight of the Year’candidate, making it a can’t-miss fight. You hear that, Southern California fight fans? You can’t miss this exciting event so be sure to get your tickets now while they last.

“The fans are going to win and Mexico’s going to win.”

RALPH HEREDIA, Manager for Francisco Vargas:

“Thank you to HBO for this great opportunity for this big stage. Francisco is very excited and he knows what is at stake.

“Orlando Salido is a great fighter. He has been a champion and in a few nominations for ‘Fight of the Year.’

“When two Mexican fighters come together, not one of them will take a step back. Most Latinos grew up watching boxing or soccer so this is a great event for us. It’s going to be a tremendous fight.”

MOSES HEREDIA, Co-Manager for Francisco Vargas:

“We have got another ‘Fight of the Year’ coming in 2016 with this for Francisco Vargas.

“Thank you to HBO for the presence and stage for this fight.

“Come June 4 there will be fireworks and explosions and we will make somebody dance and it’s not going to be my fighter. On June 4, we will remain the champion.”

JOSE SANTOS MORENO, Trainer for Orlando Salido:

“The way these guys fight, you’re going to see a lot of action. Thank you to Team Vargas for this opportunity.”

SEAN GIBBONS, Manager for Orlando Salido:

“Thank you for everyone coming out today. We have a great turnout today so I can only imagine what June 4 will look like.

” I would pay to see this fight; I would buy a ticket for it. Hope to see everyone June 4.”

TONY WALKER, Director of HBO Sports:

“Thank you to Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions for putting together such an outstanding card.

“Thank you Francisco and Orlando. When everyone talks about this being a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate and no one disagrees, you know you have a good fight on your hands.

“We promise you a great broadcast on HBO. A second fight will be adding to the broadcast, to be named soon.”

“Who will win? That is everyone’s question. The world deserves these kind of matches: the best against the best.

“May the best fighter win because us, the fans, already have.”

JOSE “PEPE” SULAIMAN JR, CEO of the WBC’s Los Angeles Office:

“The WBC wishes to acknowledge Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions, Zanfer Promotions, HBO and Stub Hub Center, which has hosted some of the most intense wars in boxing.

Brendan Hannan, Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Digital at LA Galaxy and Stub Hub Center:

“We are thrilled to host another premiere boxing event at the premiere boxing venue in California at the Stub Hub Center on June 4. We look forward to seeing you all there.”

Tickets for Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

Vargas vs. Salido is a 12-round battle for the WBC Super Featherweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins live at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.zanfer.mx, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @ZanferBox, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @ElBandido130, and @siri_salido; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/zanferpromotions, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #VargasSalido

Lee Haskins will defend the IBF Bantamweight title against Ivan Morales on May 14th in Cardiff, wales, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Lee Haskins versus Ivan Morales is going to be an all-action contest,” said Cyclone Promotions’ Barry McGuigan, the Hall of Fame former featherweight champion. “Both of these guys can really fight.

“Ivan Morales is from Mexican boxing royalty and Lee cannot afford to take this fight lightly. Morales is a proud Mexican boxer who will be heading to Cardiff intent on ripping that belt from Lee Haskins on May 14. We are all very confident that Lee has the skills required to shine on this big occasion live on Channel 5. It’s all set to be a tremendous contest.”

“I’m delighted to be defending my world title in front of my fans,” Haskins said. “To be defending my belt at home, in the U.K., live on Channel 5, is absolutely brilliant. I can’t wait for May 14. My opponent Ivan Morales is a young and hungry challenger who comes from a family of champions, so I know I will have to be at my best. It’s going to be a cracking fight.”

“I feel grateful to my team and Golden Boy Promotions for the opportunity to fight for the IBF bantamweight world championship,” Morales said. “Fighting for a world title has been my dream and now I am going to show the world who Ivan Morales is as a fighter. I feel very prepared for this opportunity. It is something I have been working for my whole career.

“The fans can expect a great night of boxing from two fighters who will give it their all in the ring. I will give 110 percent of myself, apply the pressure on fight night to earn another world title for my family.”

Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, said, “Ivan is young but hard working and experienced, already having fought 30 professional fights. Ivan is thirsty for another world title so Lee Haskins should be ready for a war in the ring.”

Asked for his thoughts on Ivan Morales, Haskins said, “I might ask for a photo with Erik Morales before the fight, before I beat his brother.”

KRAKOW, Poland (March 31, 2016) — The final press conference for this Saturday’s “The Final Call” pay-per-view event, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT, was held today. Below are fighters’ quotes.

Integrated Sports Media will distribute the card in North America for live viewing on cable, satellite and Internet pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH Network, and Vubiquity in the United States, as well as Rogers TV, Bell TV, Shaw PPV and SaskTel in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. Please contact your local cable or satellite provider for more information. In addition, the fight is available in North America for purchase on-line at www.GFL.tv and www.Eversport.TV (Polish commentary only), and via the FITE.TV app (or go to http://www.fite.tv/v/adamekvsmolina for more information) for both Android and iOS.

Four are scheduled to air live on PPV from Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. Two other fights may be shown, time permitting.

“The Final Call” is promoted in Poland by Polsat, as part of the Polsat Boxing Night series, in addition to Main Events and Don King Productions.

TOMASZ “Goral” ADAMEK: “I’ve had a great camp, great sparring partners and a great team around me. Kuba (Chycki – Adamek’s physical coach), trainer Roger Bloodworth – these guys did a great job in the last two months. As Eric said, ‘We are not about talking what we will do, we are ready to actually do it.’ Molina likes to mix it up, likes to throw punches, and is not afraid. This has to be a great fight just because of that. There’s no what’s after the Molina fight for me. This is the fight which will decide my future. A win means I’m on track for big fights, losing means I cannot do it anymore. What I know is that for this fight I’m much better prepared than I was for both the Glazkov and Szpilka bouts. But, of course, what happens in ring will verify our words.”

ERIC “Drummer Boy” MOLINA: “For the first time in my career I got 70 days to prepare; unprecedented in the heavyweight division. What do I know about Adamek? He’s a warrior and people in Poland expect great things from him because he’s a Polish boxing legend. In me, he will have a chance to fight one of the best heavyweights in the division and we all will know where we stand. I’m very confident, not only that I will win this war on Saturday, but also of being the first Mexican-American heavyweight in the future. People will get their money worth on Saturday. I can guarantee that. Adamek is highly rated by WBC and IBF, the two most active organizations in boxing. Saturday’s winner will be in the driver’s seat for great fights in the future.”

MICHAL CIESLAK: “I also thought that you’re bigger. And I also hope that everything what you’re saying about how good your training camp was is the truth. I can promise you that I will be ready for everything. I’m in the best shape of my life and I will prove that on Saturday. Palacios, be ready to fight! I cannot wait anymore to put on a big show.”

FRANCISCO “The Wizard” PALACIOS: “He wants to treat me like a stepping stone but the problem with that is I’m not a stepping stone for anyone. I’m a rock! You want to beat me, you have to kill me. And by the way, I thought that Cie?lak is bigger. You cannot judge what I can or cannot do just because I’ve got knocked out by Kudryashov in my last fight. It means nothing. First of all, it happens in boxing and the more importantly, it has nothing to do with what I’m ready to do now with my new team and “Chill” Wilson on my side. Just watch: The Wizard Time is coming again.”

Main Event — Vacant IBF Inter-Continental Heavyweight Championship (12)
TOMASZ “Goral” ADAMEK (50-4, 30 KOs), Former 2-Division World Champion, Jersey City, NJ, USA
vs.
ERIC “Drummer Boy” MOLINA (24-3, 18 KOs), World Title Challenger, Raymondville, Texas, USA

Co-Feature — Cruiserweights (10)
MICHAL CIESLAK (11-0, 7 KOs), Radom, Poland
vs.
FRANCISCO “The Wizard” PALACIOS (23-3, 14 KOs), 2-Time World Title Challenger, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Heavyweights (10)
ANDRZEJ WAWRZYK (31-1, 17 KOs), World Title Challenger, Krakow, Poland
vs.
MARCIN REKOWSKI (17-2, 14 KOs), Former Poland Heavyweight Champion, Kaliska Koscierskie, Poland

Cruiserweights (10)
MATEUSZ “Master” MASTERNAK (36-4, 26 KOs), Former European Champion, Wroclaw, Poland
vs.
ERIC “Danger” FIELDS (24-3, 16 KOs), Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA

Welterweights (10)
RAFAEL “Braveheart” JACKIEWICZ (48-14-2, 22 KOs), World Title Challenger, Minsk Mazowiecki, Poland
vs.
MICHAL SYROWATKA (13-1, 4 KOs), Elk, Poland

Female European Boxing Union Lightweight Championship (8)
EWA BRODNICKA (10-0. 2 KOs), Champion, Warsaw, Poland
vs.
ANITA TORTI (9-5, 3 KOs), Challenger, Milan, Italy

PPV ANNOUNCERS: English – Bob Alexander and Glen Johnson, Polish – Andrzej Kostyra/Albert Sosnowski, Mateusz Borek (host & interviews), Przemek Saleta (on-air judge)

March 31, 2016 – Fight fans eager for a revealing inside look at the eagerly anticipated May 7th HBO Pay-Per-View® middleweight championship superfight between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan, should mark their calendars to catch an all-new edition of “Face Off,” starring the two prizefighters. “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo/Khan” debuts Saturday, April 16 at 11:15 p.m. (ET/PT).

Moderated by Max Kellerman, “Face Off” is an insightful and often gripping interview session in which the two fighters square off and answer Kellerman’s questions. This marks Alvarez’s second visit to “Face Off,” and the first-ever appearance for Khan on the series. In addition, the fighters will be joined on the set by their accomplished trainers. Both Eddy Reynoso and Virgil Hunter will participate in the roundtable.

The Canelo/Khan edition of “Face Off” is set to air multiple times on HBO and HBO2. “Face Off” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO NOW, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the program.

HBO air times include: April 17 (9:30 a.m.), 18 (12:25 p.m.), 28 (2:15 p.m.) and May 1 (8:15 a.m.), 2 (4:35 a.m.), 4 (11:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.), 5 (4:15 a.m.), 6 (6:45 p.m.) and 7 (3:15 p.m.).

HBO 2 air times include: April 18 (12:00 a.m.), 21 (7:30 p.m.), 30 (1:55 a.m.) and May 1 (4:45 p.m.), 3 (3:15 p.m.), 5 (10:50 p.m.), 6 (11:15 a.m. & 11:30 p.m.) and 7 (10:30 a.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

“Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo/Khan” is part of the wide-ranging mix of original programming content being produced for the inaugural boxing event to take place at the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It all culminates when Canelo vs. Khan happens Saturday, May 7. The fight card will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Two heavyweight bouts are better than one, and fight fans will have a double dose of the big guys on next Thursday’s April 7th Fight Club OC show in The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center, with the action getting underway at the NEW 2016 STARTING TIME of 7:00pm.

Former college football player and Huntington Beach resident Adam Stewart will face Oceanside’s Matt McKinney in one heavyweight bout, with the 6-7 Stewart making his pro debut against the 1-1 McKinney, a former college water polo player.

In the other heavyweight matchup it will be another former collegiate football player Dakota Walker vs LA’s Cashton Young, with both fighters standing at 1-0.

Santa Ana’s Ricky Frausto will make his pro boxing debut on the April 7th show against Stockton’s 1-1 Cesar Hernandez.

The boxing portion of the hybrid show will also feature undefeated 11-0 (9KO’s) middleweight prospect Nate Gallimore out of Evanston, IL meeting tough Luis Alfredo Lugo with a 14-24-1 (5KO’s) record.

Mixed Martial Arts action on April 7th will be “off the charts” as Huntington Beach’s John Mercurio at 7-7 (4KO’s) meets San Diego’s 11-12-1 (4KO’s) Matt Lagler in what should be a stand up war. Plus, San Pedro’s Gabriel Green one of the top amateur mma fighters in the state will make his pro debut in The Hanger facing Chula Vista’s 2-0 Andrew Lagdaan. Green is destined to be a big time fighter so fans will get to see him start his pro career here in Orange County.

REMEMBER – Happy Hour at Baja Blues starts at 5:30pm and Hangar doors open at 6:30pm with the show starting at 7pm. Tickets available online at www.fightcluboc.com

BoxNation will broadcast exclusively live in the UK Deontay Wilder’s WBC World Heavyweight title defence against Alexander Povetkin from Moscow, Russia, on Saturday 21st May.

The undefeated American superstar puts his title on the line for the fourth time against the Russian mandatory challenger and former WBA World Champion at the Khodynka Ice Palace.

In a real life re-enactment of the iconic Rocky IV movie that saw Rocky Balboa head to Russia and face the indestructible Ivan Drago, Wilder must enter hostile territory after Povetkin’s promoters won the purse bid to stage the fight on home soil.

The dynamite-punching and brash Wilder, 30, has lit up the heavyweight division with his explosive performances that have seen him stop all but one of his 36 opponents with a staggering 28 coming inside three rounds.

Since winning the WBC crown from Berman Stiverne in January last year, the ‘Bronze Bomber’ has made title defences against Eric Molina, Johann Dhaupas and Artur Szpilka and won all by stoppage, but now faces the most difficult challenge of his career.

Povetkin, 36, a former world class amateur winning Gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2003 World Championships, won the WBA World title in 2001 by defeating Ruslan Chagaev in 2011 and made title defences against Cedric Boswell, Marco Huck, Hasim Rahman and Andrzej Wawrzyk – winning three out of four by stoppage.

A unification showdown against then division king Wladimir Klitschko, the IBF, WBO, WBA Super World Champion followed in October 2013 and despite being floored four times in the fight, Povetkin took Klitschko the full distance only to lose on the judges’ scorecards, which remains his sole career defeat. Since then he’s knocked-out his last four opponents to earn his world title shot.

Chief-support on the card sees two-time WBA World Cruiserweight Champion Dennis Lebedev in a unification battle against IBF World Champion Victor Emilio Ramirez.

Further big live world title action coming up on the Channel of Champions in April sees Eduard Troyanovsky and Cesar Rene Cuenca clash in a highly anticipated rematch on Friday 8th April from the Krylia Sovetov in Moscow, Russia.

Russian Troyanovsky beat Argentinean Cuenca last November, halting him in six rounds with many feeling that the fight was stopped too early and now they collide again with the IBF and IBO World Super-Lightweight titles on the line.

On Saturday 16th April live coverage comes from The Barclays Centre, New York, when WBO World Cruiserweight Champion Krzysztof Glowacki makes the opening defence of his title against former two-time IBF World Champion Steve Cunningham.

Glowacki won the title in a thriller in his last fight against Marco Huck last August when he stopped the German based Serbian in the eleventh round, live on BoxNation.

Huck dropped Pole Glowacki in the sixth round and was ahead on the scorecards before Glowacki found a big punch to floor Huck in the eleventh, it could have been stopped by the referee, but he was given a chance to continue and Glowacki steamed in to get the stoppage.

Also on the card fast rising star and 2012 U.S Olympian Errol Spence aims to become the first fighter to stop former world champion Chris Algieri in a 10-round welterweight showdown.

– 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, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

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.

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 for Sky TV customers.

Callum Smith has told George Groves to go and earn a World title shot as he prepares to meet European champion Hadillah Mohoumadi in a final eliminator for the at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Smith is one step from landing a shot at the big one, having seen off Rocky Fielding in spectacular style in November to pick up the Silver in another eliminator bout, the unbeaten 25 year old has ticked every box on his way to the final hurdle this weekend.

Groves told SkySports.com that he believes the pair should meet this summer should Smith have to wait for his shot at champion Badou Jack, who handed one of Groves’ three World title defeats to the Londoner in September, but Smith has told ‘Saint’ George he’ll take him on with a belt around his waist and on his terms.

“If I had a World title and he keeps winning I’m sure there will always be a demand for the Groves fight,” said Smith. “We are both British and regardless of whether his best days are behind him or not, he is still a big night. There will always be the demand for it as long as we both keep winning and I think it will happen.

“For the time being I have got tonight and then hopefully a World title shot, so it doesn’t really come into my plans just yet, but I wouldn’t rule it out next year or in the future.

“I think he believes that because he is George Groves he deserves a shot, although he has had three and lost. He thinks he should just walk straight into another one and if he loses that, thinks he deserves another one again, because of his name. He came back and beat an average fighter and he thinks that should earn him a final eliminator or a shot at the title.

“In my eyes, I think he should go away and earn his way back like I have. I have won an eliminator, I’m fighting a final eliminator, and I will have earnt my shot the right way. I think he thinks because he’s been there and boxed for it before, it should guarantee him another shot but boxing doesn’t work like that.”

Smith’s clash with Mohoumadi is part of a huge night of action as Rocky Fielding aims to bounce back from his loss to Smith with a tough fight against Rebrasse.

There’s a pair of tasty rematches on the bill as Scotty Cardle and Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd clash again for Cardle’s British Lightweight title, while Luke Keeler looks for revenge against Tom Doran with the WBC International Middleweight title up for grabs.

Two-time World Super-Middleweight title challenger Paul Smith begins his hunt for a third title tilt, there’s action for unbeaten quartet Tom Farrell, Reece Bellotti, Ryan Mulcahy and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Scott Fitzgerald while Gerard Carroll makes his professional debut.

Tickets go on sale now for April 2 from the Echo Arena at www.echoarena.com and on 0844 8000 400 – with priced at £40, £60, £80 and £100. VIP tickets priced at £200 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

Tickets for April 2 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.

Los Angeles, CA (March 31, 2016) Boxing Superstar and Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will be in Washington D.C. today where he will be named the Official Ambassador for Kazakhstan’s World EXPO 2017 in a formal ceremony to be attended by President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Golovkin is taking a rare day away from his preparations with longtime trainer Abel Sanchez in
Big Bear Lake, California for his April 23rd world title defense to be present for one of his countries highest honors. Golovkin will be accompanied by Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of
K2 Promotions.

More information on EXPO 2017 can be found on their website below.
EXPO 2017

Golovkin is a native of Kazakhstan and won the Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece as a member of their boxing team.

———————————————————

Boxing Superstar and Undefeated, Unified World Middleweight Champion Gennady, “GGG” Golovkin, 34-0 (31KO’s) will defend his titles (WBA, IBF, IBO and WBC “Interim’) against Undefeated Mandatory Challenger Dominic Wade, 18-0 (12KO’s) on Saturday, April 23 at the Fabulous Forum in the main event at UNDEFEATED.

Co-featured will be Consensus #1 Pound-For-Pound Fighter and WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 44-0 (38KO’s) battling World Ranked Contender McWilliams Arroyo, 16-2 (14KO’s) of Puerto Rico.

Both bouts will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for UNDEFEATED, priced at $400, $300, $200, $100, $60 and $30, are now on sale through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office.

Golovkin vs. Wade is promoted by K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions and in association with TGB Promotions. Gonzalez vs. McWilliams is presented by K2 Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions and PR Best Boxing Promotions.

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

Follow on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin @GGGBoxing, Dominic Wade @_DomoWade,
Roman Gonzalez @chocolatitobox, Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions @TomLoeffler1, TGB Promotions @TGBpromotions, the Forum @theForum and HBO Boxing @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/GGGBoxing, www.facebook.com/TheForum and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Use the hashtags #GolovkinWade and #GonzalezArroyo to join the conversations on social media.

Red-hot Belfast super-flyweight Jamie Conlan will take on South Shields’ Anthony Nelson for the Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Championship on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders first world title defence against Max Bursak at the Copper Box Arena on April 30, exclusively live on BoxNation.

Conlan, 29, is a former WBO European Champion and currently holds the WBO Intercontinental title along with a number five world ranking in the organisation. The Irish hero will be looking to prise the Commonwealth belt from the undefeated Nelson on his quest to become a world champion.

“I grew up watching a local guy from my area called Eamonn Magee become Commonwealth Champion and it’s always been a title that has stood out for me. I’ve always wanted to get it around my waist before moving onto bigger things,” said Conlan.

He added: “The Commonwealth belt seems to propel fighters onto bigger things as we’ve seen with Billy Joe Saunders. It’s a prestigious belt and another step on the road towards a world title. Everything is moving steadily in the right direction. Each fight is another step up the ladder and a box ticked on my journey towards a world title.”

Known as ‘The Mexican’ for his thrilling, all-action, style, Conlan has established himself as a fan favourite and is promising another knockout performance against Commonwealth Champion Nelson.

He said: “Our styles are going to make for a cracking fight. Anthony is a fighter who likes to come forward a lot and everyone knows I’m one of the most exciting fighters in the division so it’s bound to be a belter while it lasts. Fans can expect a war between us but I don’t envisage it going the distance because I’m hitting harder and I’m bigger and stronger than I’ve ever been.”

All-action Conlan is undefeated in 15 fights with 9 knockout wins and is putting in the hours out in Spain ahead of his debut fight at Stratford’s impressive Copper Box Arena.

“We’re out in Marbella at the minute and we’re deep into the training camp. I’m loving everything, the weather is ideal and the training is brilliant. I’m sparring with Charlie Edwards and then hopefully bringing in the European Bantamweight Champion Ryan Farrag. It’s all looking good and we’re pushing pretty hard now as the fight draws closer.”

Knockout merchant Conlan was ringside at the Liverpool Echo Arena earlier this month to witness rival super-flyweight Paul Butler beat Mexico’s Sebastian Sanchez inside nine rounds to claim the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Super-Flyweight Championship. A blockbuster showdown with the Ellesmere Port start is still on the wish list for Conlan.

He said: “It’s a fight that has to happen. We both want it and it’s a fight that makes sense. I’ve always seen myself as the winner; I believe in my ability. He’s a great fighter and you don’t become a world champion for no reason but I 100% believe in everything I do and I believe that I’ll have an answer for everything he brings.

“I see myself winning. I don’t know how it’ll go I just know I’m the better man. Everything he does I can do better and he won’t have an answer for the things I bring.”

WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders makes the first defence of his title against “Mad” Max Bursak and headlines an action-packed card that also features: The Vacant European Cruiserweight title between Ovill McKenzie and Dmytro Kucher; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson; Anthony Nelson defends his Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Championship against Jamie Conlon. On the undercard fast rising undefeated heavyweight sensation Hughie Fury, Erith super-bantamweight Lewis Pettitt; Chingford super-featherweight Boy Jones Jnr; Indian middleweight sensation Vijender Singh; Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy Long, West Ham super-welterweight Sammy McNess; Sidcup super-featherweight D.P Carr; West Ham super-lightweight Ben Smith; Hornchurch super-lightweight Sanjeev Sahota; Nantwich heavyweight Nathan Gorman and Enfield super-middleweight Barney Joe Jones, all feature.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

The Matchroom Boxing Foundation has been named the official partner of the England Boxing Elite National Championships 2016.

The Foundation will be the title sponsor of the England Boxing Elite National Championships Finals which will be held at the Echo Arena Liverpool over the weekend of April 29 to May 1.

The finals weekend is the culmination of the domestic calendar for boxing clubs in England when 10 male and female champions will be crowned after three days of boxing which begins with the quarter-finals on Friday, semis on Saturday and 10 men’s and 10 women’s finals on Sunday May 1.

Eddie Hearn, Managing Director, Matchroom Sport and founder of the Matchroom Boxing Foundation said: “I am delighted that our Foundation is able to support the England Boxing Elite National Championships on April 29-May 1. The Matchroom Boxing Foundation is committed to supporting the vital work that amateur boxing clubs do all over Britain, and these championships are as much a celebration of the hard work and dedication put in by everyone involved in the clubs as well as finding the next big stars for British boxing.”

Paul Porter, Chief Executive, England Boxing, added: “The Matchroom Boxing Foundation has done some excellent work to support boxing clubs and we are delighted that it has come on board as the official partner of the Elite National Championships which is the big event in the boxing calendar for grassroots boxing clubs in England.

“The Finals weekend is always a great showcase of the fantastic talent we have in this country and provides an opportunity for up-and-coming boxers to showcase their skills and progress their careers in a way that may one day see them go on to compete at major International championships and the Olympic Games.”

Hearn launched the Matchroom Boxing Foundation to offer money and support to the amateur clubs, with set ups in Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham all benefiting from the Foundation’s support so far.

Tickets are on sale now for the England Boxing Elite National Championships 2016 and can be purchased in advance by calling the Echo Arena Box Office on 0844 8000 400 or online at http://www.echoarena.com/englandboxing.

Weekend passes for all three days are priced £39 and £28 concessions (including booking fees). Individual day tickets start at £11.50 (£6.50 concs) including booking fees.

A promotional video of this year’s finals can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btxy0jmcwRU&feature=youtu.be

ENDS

For further information please contact:

England Boxing:
· Lee Murgatroyd, Media & Communications Consultant, England Boxing, leemurgatroyd@gmail.com, 07974 161 166
· Hannah McLafferty, Communications Assistant, England Boxing, 0114 223 5643, Hannah.mclafferty@englandboxing.org

Matchroom Boxing Foundation:
· Anthony Leaver, Matchroom Sport, +44 1277 359900, +44 7813 845144, anthony.leaver@matchroom.com

Notes to editors:

England Boxing
England Boxing is the sport’s national governing body in England. It was formed in 1880, as the Amateur Boxing Association, and is responsible for the administration, development and promotion of amateur boxing throughout England. It also represents England as a member of the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) and the European Boxing Council (EUBC).

England Boxing is primarily funded by Sport England and is responsible for the delivery of the Whole Sport Plan 2013-17 for boxing. This aims to grow and sustain participation in the sport and create opportunities and pathways for the most talented athletes to progress to the elite level. England Boxing is a non-profit organisation and oversees a network of more than 900 affiliated boxing clubs and is responsible for the national schools, junior and senior championships.

Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd came close to a dream British title win in November – and says he’s going to get it right in his rematch with Lightweight champion Scotty Cardle at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday night (April 2), live on Sky Sports.

Dodd was ahead on two of the judges’ scorecards heading into the final round of Cardle’s first defence in November, but the Lytham St Annes man piled on the pressure in a desperate attempt to hold onto his title, and a barrage of shots breached the Birkenhead man’s defences sufficiently for the referee to wave the fight off with a minute to go in the pulsating contest.

‘Masher’ came close to completing a fairy tale story last time out having landed the shot at Cardle after replacing him in a clash with Gary Buckland and defeating the Welshman in September, and casting the disappointment of the stoppage to one side, the 31 year old believes he’s learnt enough from their first encounter to get the job done on Saturday.

“The first fight was a great experience,” said Dodd. “I learnt a lot from it and enjoyed the limelight at British level boxing. I had a little taste, it tasted nice and now I have had a good 12-week camp to come in fresh and eat the whole table.

“I have been there, done it and felt it now. So I’m going back to doing the same ring walk, at the same venue, with a big smile on my face and I am looking forward to it. I feel a lot better, a lot fitter, and stronger, I am more experienced, I am fresh and I’m looking forward to it, I cannot wait to get in there.

“I thought that if I had stuck to the boxing then I would’ve taken the win, but excitement overtook me and once that had taken over I couldn’t get myself back out of that.

“When it was waved off it just drained me. When I look back, he waved it off before I had even got up, which I didn’t see at the time – he waved it off and that was it but that took it out of me. There is nothing I can say or do about it, there is no point in moaning about it, the referee did his job.

“Referees are in there to do a job and look after your health. Look at Nick Blackwell, I have nothing against the referee, it was just one of those things.

“I felt like I was able to tag him a lot easier than I had anticipated. I didn’t think I would be able to hit him as easily as I did and when I did I think I got a bit excited from doing that, so I need to be a bit cleverer and use my experience from the last fight to my advantage this time around.”

Dodd’s second crack at Cardle is part of a huge night of action in Merseyside as Callum Smit meets European Super-Middleweight champion Hadillah Mohoumadi in a final eliminator for the WBC World title.

Rocky Fielding aims to bounce back from his loss to Smith with a tough fight against Christopher Rebrasse, there another tasty rematch on the bill as Luke Keeler looks for revenge against Tom Doran with the WBC International Middleweight title up for grabs, two-time World Super-Middleweight title challenger Paul Smith begins his hunt for a third title tilt, there’s action for unbeaten quartet Tom Farrell, Reece Bellotti, Ryan Mulcahy and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Scott Fitzgerald while Gerard Carroll makes his professional debut.

Tickets go on sale now for April 2 from the Echo Arena at www.echoarena.com and on 0844 8000 400 – with priced at £40, £60, £80 and £100. VIP tickets priced at £200 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

Tickets for April 2 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.

Enrico Koelling (20-1, 6 KOs) is back in the title race on April 9 when he faces Oleksandr Cherviak (15-5-1, 5 KOs) for the vacant WBA Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Championship at the MBS Arena in Potsdam, Germany.

The Berlin boxer, who was last year diagnosed with diabetes, is eager to get his promising career back on track by reclaiming the WBA Intercontinental title he lost to Mirco Ricci in February 2015.

‘’That was the worst night of my career,’’ said Koelling, who has since recorded four consecutive victories. ‘’But I have learnt to turn this negative into a positive, and now, I’m ready to take back my title and continue my journey to the top of the light heavyweight division.’’

Koelling’s coach Karsten Roewer believes his boxer is ready to take up the challenge. ‘’Enrico has shown vast improvements since that night in Berlin. It is notable that Ricci lost his last fight to Serhiy Demchenko, a man Enrico beat in December. If Enrico boxes to the best of his ability, I’m confident he can defeat Cherviak and be crowned champion again.’’

‘’I have prepared long and hard for this fight,’’ adds Koelling. ‘’And after studying many hours of Cherviak’s fights, I know his fighting style by heart, and I know what I must do to win!’’

Tickets for the Team Sauerland show on April 9 at the MBS Arena in Potsdam are available online via www.tickethall.de and www.eventim.de or by calling the ticket hotline on (+49) 1806-570044.

Callum Smith has signed a sponsorship deal with elite car sales company AMC Prestige Cars.

AMC Prestige Cars have penned a one-year deal with the Liverpool ace ahead of his WBC World Super-Middleweight title eliminator and European title clash with Hadillah Mohoumadi at the Echo Arena on April 2, live on Sky Sports.

The 25 year old has received a brand new Mercedes GLE and the company are delighted to be associated with ‘Mundo’ ahead of a huge year for the unbeaten star.

“AMC Prestige Cars are proud to announce they will be teaming up with Matchroom boxing Super Middleweight star Callum Smith in a Sponsorship for the Forthcoming year and hopefully beyond,” said Adam Miller, founder and of AMC Prestige Cars

“We are massive boxing fans at AMC and this is an exciting partnership, especially at a time when British boxing is in the best shape it’s ever been!

“We have followed Callum’s career since he first turned pro and are looking forward to supporting his World title charge by providing him with a sponsored vehicle.

“Thank you to Callum for letting us be involved and also to Matchroom Boxing for working with us to create this partnership.”

Tickets go on sale now for April 2 from the Echo Arena at www.echoarena.com and on 0844 8000 400 – with priced at £40, £60, £80 and £100. VIP tickets priced at £200 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

Tickets for April 2 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.

DeVaun Lee won a 10-round split decision over previously undefeated Chris Galeano to win the New York State Middleweight title

Galeano boxed well and took most of the early rounds, but Lee came back and landed the hard shots in the later rounds.

Originally the bout was ruled a draw, but when the scores were retabulated the read 97-93 and 96-94 for Lee and 96-94 for Galeano.

Lee, 157.8 lbs of Queens, NY is now 7-2. Galeano, 159 lbs of New York is 10-1.

Rising Super Featherweight Tevin Farmer won his 14th straight bout by winning a a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Gamaliel Diaz and picking up the NABF title in the process.

In round one, Farmer dumped Diaz with a hard left hand.

Farmer, 130 lbs of Philadelphia won by tallies of 97-90 twice and 95-92. and is now 21-4-1. Diaz, 129.6 lbs is now 29-14-3

Farmer dropped Diaz from a lead left at the end of round six. Farmer registered a third knockdown in round ten from a lead left. Diaz was cut over the right eye from the accumulation of blows

Cindy Serrano pounded out a 6-round unanimous decision over Renata Domsodi in a Lightweight bout.

Serrano dominated the action with effective agggression In round two, Domsodi was cut around her left eye from an accidental headbutt. In round six, she was bleeding from the nose.

Serrano, 131 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 24-5-3. Domsodi, 128.8 lbs of Budapest, HUN is 13-9.

Shemuel Pagan had to get off the floor but he came back to win a 6-round unanimous decision over Ryan Picou in a Jr. Welterweight bout

In round three, Picou dropped Pagan with a left hook. Pagan was more active and consistant throughout.

Pagan, 137 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 58-55 & 57-56 twice to keep his resume perfect at 8-0. Picou, 136.2 lbs of Las Vegas, NV falls to 2-8-1.

Artur Akavov scored a 6th round stoppage over Todd Manuel in a scheduled 8-round Middleweight bout.

In round five, Akavov dropped Manuel with a straight left. Seconds later a body shot deposited Manuel on the canvas. In round six, Akavov landed more punches and Manuel bent over which led to referee Harvey Dock stopping the bout at 37 seconds.

Akavov, 160 lbs of Pskvov, Russia is 16-1 with 7 knockouts. Manuel, 158.6 lbs of Rayne, LA is 11-11-1.

Travis Peterkin won an 8-round unanimous decision over Larry Pryor in a Cruiserweight bout.

Peterkin, 180.8 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 16-0-1. Pryor, 180.4 lbs of Fredrick, MD is now 9-13.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 30, 2016) – Four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner and 140-pound contender Ashley “The Treasure” Theophane went face-to-face Wednesday for the first time since their heated press conference in February as they near their Premier Boxing Champions on Spike world title showdown taking place Friday, April 1 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

Also in attendance Wednesday was unbeaten rising star Robert Easter Jr. and his opponent, former world champion Algenis Mendez, who meet in a 10-round lightweight battle, plus rising undefeated prospect Gervonta “The One” Davis and his opponent, Mexico’s Guillermo Avila, who discussed their 10-round super featherweight battle that opens PBC on Spike coverage at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

Additionally, local lightweight contender Anthony Peterson and 168-pound contender J’Leon Love were on hand ahead of their respective bouts taking place Friday night.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by About Billions Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in association with HeadBangers Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visitwww.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster locations or call (800) 745-3000.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:

ADRIEN BRONER

“Anything is tough when you have a lot of things coming your way. I have tunnel vision. It’s fight time. I’m locked-in until I get the job done.

“Right now I have to focus on this fight. I’m keeping my mind in the right state. I’m not just doing this for me. It’s for my family. It’s bigger than just me.

“There’s no beef between me and Floyd. I do my thing. At the end of the day, I’m just being me. I do this in front of Floyd. Me up there saying ‘Hateweather Promotions,’ I’m just having fun. I hope no one takes it personally. At the end of the day, me and Floyd are close.

“The relationship that me and Floyd have, it is obvious that we wear our feelings on our sleeves, anything we say about each other, we don’t care who hears it. At the end of the day it doesn’t affect anything.

“I will be putting on a show on Friday night. And I’ll go again on Saturday night if you want to get up and do it again.

“Friday night is going to be a big night. I’m going to keep my promise. I will stop Ashley Theophane. I don’t care which round it is, but I will stop this man.

“I love DC. The crowd and the love on Friday night is going to be crazy. I took this camp to the max. I am going to exploit and showcase all of my talent.

“This is a big night for my little brother and protégé, Robert Easter Jr. He doesn things that amaze me. I know what he’s capable of. I’m happy for him to get this chance against a former world champion. It’s going to be a heated matchup. This whole card is stacked from the top to the bottom.

“I stepped up early in my career. I stepped up earlier than others. When I fought (Daniel) Ponce De Leon, I was 19 and I fought in front of a crowd of 12,500 against me.

“I just want to get home to Cincinnati and hold my baby daughter for the first time. I want to hold and hug my kids and be the family guy. Right now I’m at work. I have to do what I have to do, but after pain its pleasure.”

ASHLEY THEOPHANE

“It’s been a journey. But we’re here now. Just two days away. We’ve got two days and then the champ and me are going to go to war.

“I’m here to make this happen. Broner can play games, it’s all good. I’m here on a mission.

“I’m ready. We’re so close and I really just can’t wait to hear that bell.

“Adrien says he’s going to stop me. I don’t think he has the attributes to do that. But it does mean it’s going to be a great fight. I’m looking forward to it.

“The hard work is done. We’ve been training for months. My trainer Nate Jones has helped to get me into great shape. We have a great game plan and we’re ready to go.

“I want this man to live up to his words that he’s going to stop me before round four. Because that means he will be standing and fighting instead of running around the ring.

“A win means everything to me. It changes my life. This is my boyhood dream. This could lead me to all the other big names.

“I’ve trained for 12 hard rounds. We’re going to do this.”

ROBERT EASTER JR.

“Everyone should be ready for a lot of action. I’m going to keep this speech short, just like the fight will be.

“He’s a former world champion and a big test for me. I feel like I’m supposed to be here. He has a big head, so I’m not planning on missing at all. It’s going to be a short fight. I hope he’s prepared to go to sleep.

“I know it’s a big step up. I just hope he’s trained hard for this one. I’m aiming to stop him. Most of my fights are short and that’s what I’m looking for.

“I’m going to use all my skills, my ability and my brains to get this win. I’m not going for the knockout, but it’s going to happen. We trained so hard for this fight.

“I feel like this is where I should be. As the co-main event of a world champion, my big brother Adrien Broner. This is what I was born for. It’s only getting bigger from here.

“My whole team has pushed me so hard for this fight. This is going to be a quick fight. He’s going ‘night night.'”

ALGENIS MENDEZ

“Robert Easter has not faced the same kind of competition that I have. I’m very confident heading into this fight. I was very happy when I got the call about this fight.

“This is going to be the kind of fight that the fans will really enjoy. We wish Easter well and I hope everyone is ready for Friday night.”

GERVONTA DAVIS

“I’m happy to be fighting at home. I know I’ve got a strong opponent. He’s a great fighter who’s going to be ready to fight from the first bell.

“I don’t want to rush in there. That’s how you lose. We’re going to work out jab. Go in and out and execute a game plan.

“It means a lot to fight at the DC Armory because I had my first professional fight there. I’m looking forward to getting in the ring again.

“I’m ready to put on a show April 1. My team is strong and ready to great things in this sport.

“This has been a really good camp. We’ve been working very hard. I started in Washington, D.C. at HeadBangers and finished up at home in Baltimore. It’s another day out here in the lights.

“I know my opponent is strong and will be ready. This is another step on the way to a world title. April 1 will be an epic night.”

GUILLERMO AVILA

“This training camp has been very good and we did the best work that we could. I am a warrior in the ring. I’ve faced very tough fighters and I’m ready for this.

“I’ve been waiting for this fight for a very long time and I’m ready for a war.”

ANTHONY PETERSON

“I have phenomenal genetics. A lot of guys tend to move up in weight, but I’m a natural lightweight. I have big plans for this division.

“I had some injuries that really held me back from doing what I wanted to do. But now I’m completely healed and Friday night I’m going to show everyone that this the best Anthony Peterson ever.”

J’LEON LOVE

“This is a great card and I’m blessed to be on it. I’m looking to put on a good performance and make a splash in this great fight city.

“I feel like the way I’ve been training, my talent will take over and be the difference. I’m hungry to make a statement.

“I’m versatile. I can go forward and I can box. I won’t limit myself to one style. We have a great game plan and we’re focused on doing what we need to do to get the victory.”

# # #

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.mayweatherpromotions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AdrienBroner, @AshleyTheophane, @SpikeTV, @SpikeSports,@MayweatherPromo, and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and
www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

New York, New York (MARCH 30, 2016)–TONIGHT from BB King’s in the heart of Times Square, the popular Broadway Boxing series returns to GFL.TV with two big title bouts.

In the main event, undefeated Chris Galeano when defend the New York State Middleweight title when he battles DeVaun Lee.

In the ten-round co-feature, streaking Tevin Farmer takes on former world champion Gamaliel Diaz for the NABF Super Featherweight title.

The action begins at 7 PM ET and can be seen LIVE for just $14.99 by CLICKING HERE

Galeano of Bronx, New York has a record of 10-0 with one knockout.

The 23 year-old turned professional in 2013 and has racked up some impressive victories over Villi Bello and his last bout when he won the New York State Middleweight title with a ten-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Shawn Cameron (10-0) on November 20, 2015 in Brooklyn, New York.

Lee of Queens, New York has a record of 6-2 with three knockouts is no stranger to fighting and defeating undefeated foes.

He has wins over Josue Valdez (5-0) and his last bout he won a majority decision over Ian Green (8-0) on January 27 at BB King’s.

Galeano will be the fifth undefeated opponent for Lee.

In the co-feature, Farmer of Philadelphia has a record of 20-4-1 with five knockouts.

The 25 year-old has won 13 straight bouts and has risen up the rankings with wins over Camilo Perez (9-0), Noel Echevarria (11-1), Emanauel Gonzalez (14-0), Viktor Chemous (15-1-1), Angel Luna (10-0-1). In his last bout, he put on a terrific performance when he stopped former world title challenger, Daulis Prescott (30-2) in eight rounds on August 8th in Indio, California. In the bout, which was televised live on HBO Latino, Farmer scored three knockdowns.

Diaz of Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico has a record of 39-13-3 with 18 knockouts and is the former WBC Super Featherweight world champion.

Diaz won the WBC Super Featherweight world title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Takahiro Ao on October 27, 2012 in Ao’s home country of Japan.

He holds wins over three-division world champion Robert Guerrero, future world champion Elio Rojas, former world champion Cesar Soto.

In his last bout, Diaz dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Emiliano Marsili on August 1st in Italy.

There are four undercard bouts that will precede the title bouts.

Travis Peterkin (15-0-1, 7 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY takes on Larry Pryor (9-12, 5 KO’s) of Frederick, Maryland in a eight-round Cruiserweight bout.

Artur Akavov (15-1, 6 KO’s) of Pskov, Russia battles Todd Manuel (11-10-1, 1 KO) of Rayne, Louisiana in an right-round middleweight bout.

Shemuel Pegan (7-0, 4 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY battles Ryan Picou (2-7-1) of Las Vegas in a six-round junior middleweight bout.

Cindy Serrano (23-5-3, 10 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY takes on Renata Domsodi (13-8, 6 KO’s) of Budapest, Hungary in a six-round ladies lightweight fight.

NEW YORK, NY (March 30, 2016) – Roc Nation Sports is pleased to announce that undefeated Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (29-0, 16 KOs) of Washington, D.C. will return to the ring on Friday, May 13 when he takes on Bakersfield, California’s Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas Jr. (21-3-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight bout at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The fight will headline a throne boxing event that will be televised live on BET beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Wednesday, March 30 at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/15005069CFC435E1) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

“I am really excited that my 30th fight will take place in Southeast D.C., where I was born and raised,” said Hernandez-Harrison. “It will be great to be back in D.C. where I haven’t fought since 2014, and I can’t wait to put on a show for all the fans in attendance and watching across the nation on BET. Dallas presents an interesting challenge that I am ready to face. I will be getting world class sparring for this bout and will be more than ready for anything he brings to the table on May 13.”

“I’ve heard Dusty is pretty good, but I will be the biggest step up for him by far,” said Dallas Jr. “At 147 pounds, I feel very strong. I’m more mature and more focused. I’m back.”

“All of us at Roc Nation Sports look forward to bringing Dusty Hernandez-Harrison back to fight in front of his hometown fans against Mike Dallas Jr. in the midst of the professional boxing resurgence that is taking place in Washington, D.C.,” said David Itskowitch COO of Boxing for Roc Nation Sports. “Fans in attendance at the DC Armory and those watching across the country on BET have a great night of boxing and entertainment in store for them.”

“BET is excited to once again partner with Roc Nation Sports on our second throne boxing event, positioning BET Networks as a go-to destination for premier live boxing events,” said Stephen G. Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks. “Roc Nation Sports has proven to be an innovator in the entertainment space and as we continue to grow and expand our partnership, BET is thrilled to offer content as diverse as our audience.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Roc Nation Sports and BET to the historic DC Armory” said Erik A. Moses, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Events DC. “It is certainly another capital moment in D.C., considering the rich history of professional boxing. The nation’s capital is still a fight town and to have the opportunity to showcase that again in the DC Armory is a prodigious honor.”

May 13 will also feature the professional debut of highly touted Philadelphia heavyweight prospect Darmani “Rock Solid” Rock against an opponent to be determined.

“I’m thrilled to be making my pro debut on May 13 at the DC Armory,” said Rock. “My team and I have worked hard and it has all been building up to this moment. I’m looking forward to my rise to the top of the heavyweight division which begins on May 13.”

Hailing from Washington, D.C., Dusty Hernandez-Harrison has been touted as the city’s “best boxing prospect since Sugar Ray Leonard” by the Washingtonian Magazine. He began fighting at the age of six at the boxing exhibition at the Ritz Nightclub in Northwest D.C. and became a sanctioned amateur at the age of 8. At the time of his first pro bout at the age of 17, Hernandez-Harrison compiled an amateur record of 167-30, winning several Ringside World Championships, National Silver Gloves Championships and three straight National Golden Gloves Championships from 2007-09. On June 11, 2011, as the youngest licensed professional fighter at the time, Hernandez-Harrison made his pro debut defeating Alphonso Alexander via a unanimous decision at the Desoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. Six months later in his third pro fight, Hernandez-Harrison made his hometown debut on the undercard of the HBO World Championship Boxing broadcast of Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson and dazzled with a first round technical knockout of Terrell Davis. On his way to being crowned WBC Youth Welterweight World Champion in November 2013, Hernandez-Harrison stopped former National Golden Gloves Champion Kelly Wright in the fourth round in February of that year and two weeks later defeated Aaron Anderson via a six-round unanimous decision. In April 2013 at Dover Downs Casino and Resort in Dover, Delaware, he won a unanimous decision against Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Garcia and on May 18 in front of a raucous hometown crowd of 3,000 at the University of the District of Colombia, he knocked out Eddie Soto with a right hand in the fifth round. Hernandez-Harrison proceeded to earn the “2013 Knockout of the Year” for the Soto fight and the “2013 Fighter of the Year” from Go Fight Live (GFL.TV). On November 2, 2013 at Madison Square Garden, Hernandez-Harrison became the WBC Youth World Champion, winning a ten-round, unanimous decision over Josh “Pit Bull” Torres. Two months later, in his first nationally televised fight on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, Hernandez-Harrison outlasted Tim Witherspoon Jr. via an eighth round unanimous decision victory, after which actor and director Mark Wahlberg tweeted that Hernandez-Harrison is “the truth.” Featured again on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on March 7, 2014, Hernandez-Harrison faced southpaw Mike Balasi and came back to drop Balasi to the canvas twice en route to a six-round unanimous decision victory. On January 9, 2015, soon after signing a promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports, Hernandez-Harrison headlined the promoter’s inaugural event at The Theater at Madison Square in a fight televised by Fox Sports 1. In a battle for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Championship against New Yorker Tommy “The Razor” Rainone, Hernandez-Harrison scored a dominant ten-round unanimous decision victory. In his most recent fight on January 29, 2016, Hernandez-Harrison scored a decisive win over Angel Hernandez via a third round technical knockout at The Belvedere in Elk Grove, Illinois. Hernandez-Harrison recently entered into agreements with FILA and GEICO to be a brand ambassador for both companies. He is the only professional boxer to represent each prestigious brand.

Mike Dallas Jr. was born into a boxing family and tabbed by experts during his teen years as a future professional star. At age 29, he’s in the midst of a comeback that lands him in Washington, D.C. against local unbeaten favorite Dusty Hernandez-Harrison that may be the most important fight of his life. As an amateur, Dallas shared a ring with current world champions Terence Crawford (whom Dallas claims he beat three times) and Danny Garcia as well as three-time U.S. Olympian Rau’shee Warren. He won multiple national amateur titles and qualified for the 2004 and 2008 Olympic trials. Dallas turned professional on March 20, 2008 against Alejandro Valladares in San Jose, California and won by unanimous decision. He would go unbeaten in his next 17 fights. When he faced Josesito Lopez for the vacant NABF super lightweight title on January 28, 2011 in his national television debut on ESPN at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, he was shockingly stopped in the seventh round. Five months later, Dallas met fellow rising contender Mauricio Herrera. In an excellent fight, again at Pechanga Resort and Casino, Dallas lost by a razor thin majority decision. Despite the setback, Dallas’ performance showed boxing experts he was back to contender status. In his next two fights, Dallas dominated former Miguel Angel Gonzales on February 17, 2012 and knocked out Javier Castro on June 22, 2012 to capture the WBO Latino light welterweight title. Those wins brought Dallas to his biggest opportunity to date, an WBC super lightweight interim world title fight against Lucas Matthysse, on January 26, 2013 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Just after negotiations for the fight were finalized, Dallas learned that his father, Mike Dallas Sr., who introduced his son to boxing at age six, passed away suddenly at just 45 years of age. Dallas Jr., however, did not pull out of the Matthysee fight. On fight night, Dallas Jr. was all there physically, but mentally a fight of that magnitude was too much under the circumstances and Matthysee, probably the hardest puncher in boxing, imposed his will on Dallas, scoring a first round knockout. He then took the break he should have taken before the Matthysee fight, spending two years away from the ring. When Dallas felt the urge to fight again, he contacted his trainer Ben Bautista and the pair ventured to Tijuana, Mexico, where Dallas picked up two quick wins against Alejandro Alonso on November 20, 2015 and most recently on December 19 against Odillon Rivera. He now returns to fight in the spotlight again on May 13 in a true crossroads fight against Hernandez-Harrison.

At the age of nineteen, Darmani Rock is already drawing comparisons to former heavyweight greats of the past. Rock has received high praise for his powerful jab and ambidexterity. Standing at 6’4”, he moves with an unparalleled lightness and speed for a fighter his size. Rock earned nation-wide accolades following a banner year in 2014 when he took home the USA Boxing Junior and Youth Open, Youth Continental and Youth World super heavyweight titles. During the 2014 Junior and Youth Open in Reno, Nevada, Rock shut out the 2013 National Youth Champion, John Luna, 3-0. This impressive performance was followed by another super heavyweight title at the Youth Continental Championships in March 2014 in Quito, Ecuador where he defeated Argentina’s Kervin Espinola 3-0. Rock then took home the gold medal at the prestigious World Youth Championships in Bulgaria in April 2014 by a 2-1 decision over Germany’s Peter Kadiru. Rock also took home the 2014 World Junior Amateur Championship and capped off 2014 by being named Philadelphia’s Amateur Boxer of the Year at the annual Briscoe Awards. His most noteworthy win, however, came in May 2015 when he beat Cam Awesome, a career amateur who has been called the next Chris Byrd, in Las Vegas for the National Golden Gloves title. Rock also captured the 2015 U.S. National Amateur super heavyweight championship. He ended his amateur career as the number one rated super heavyweight in the United States (and the number five rated super heavyweight in the world) going 19-5 in national tournaments. In February 2016, Rock signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports.

Hernandez-Harrison vs. Dallas, 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/PT.

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 as well as a host and a name DJ to keep the energy at a high level throughout the event.

Follow the conversation using #throneboxing.

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

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

Nutley, NJ (March 30, 2016) – GH3 Promotions is pleased to announce the signing of undefeated junior middleweight Arturo Trujillo to an exclusive promotional contract.

Trujillo of Easton, PA has a record of 8-0 with five knockouts.

After an amateur career which consisted of 100 bouts, Trujillo won the 2011 National Golden Gloves tournament. Trujillo was also a three-time Pennsylvania state champion and a 2010 Ringside champion.

The 24 year-old turned professional on June 14, 2013 with a first round knockout over Anthony Watson. He has wins over three undefeated fighters, Yuri Polischuk, Terrell James and Pablo Sanchez.

In his last bout, Trujillo scored a second-round stoppage over Jeffrey Wright on February 19 in Atlantic City.

“I am excited to be with GH3 Promotions. It will keep my career consistent,”said Trujillo.

“I am hoping to get in six fights this year as I will be fighting April 9th and maybe again on April 19th in Bethlehem and hopefully June as well. With GH3, I am looking to get on ShoBox later this year. The company will give me good visibility and I expect this year to be a coming out year for me.”

“I am very happy to have signed Arturo. He is a fighter that I have been keeping tabs on and I have been very impressed with his development. I see him as a future contender in the junior middleweight division and he adds to our deep stable of young prospects,” said GH3 Promotions, Vito Mielnicki.

Trujillo is managed by Pete Festa (AR3 Management).

“The kid can fight. We are happy to have him with a good promoter,” said Festa. GH3 puts on a lot of shows, which will keep him busy and get him into television fights.”

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Ronald Ellis, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight Champion John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight’s Hector Frometa, Jerrell Harris & Keenan Smith, , Jr. Lightweight O’Shaquie Foster, Bantamweight LeRoy Davilla & Super Middleweight Andrew Hernandez to the GH3 Promotions stable.

LAS VEGAS (March 30, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has finalized the lineup for the WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks, world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) doubleheader event, with the addition of a sixth preliminary card bout – a middleweight (185 pounds) matchup between Clinton Williams (7-3, 1 NC) and Rex “T-Rex” Harris (8-2) – at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 2, live on NBCSN at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT.

Additionally, a broken nose has forced Gil Guardado to withdraw from his scheduled lightweight (155 pounds) matchup with undefeated Steve Kozola (6-0), who will now face Matt “The Sleeper” Church (3-1) in a 160-pound catchweight affair, and Jeff Roman (1-2-1) will square off with Zach Bunnell (0-0) in a welterweight (170 pounds) preliminary card contest.

The 5-foot-11, 32-year-old Williams is looking to rebound from a narrow, split decision defeat at the hands of Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun at WSOF26 on December 18, 2015.

One fight prior to the loss, Williams submitted Jared Hatch with a shoulder choke in the third round (4:10) of their matchup on November 14, 2015.

The 6-foot, 33-year-old Harris of West Pittston, Pa. is riding a four-fight win streak. In his last start, Harris, who has earned 7 of his 8 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission, edged out a split decision over Justin Torrey at WSOF24 on October 17, 2015.

Church of Las Vegas will attempt to notch his fourth consecutive win, after three straight finishes, the last of which came on March 4 when he submitted Pat DeFranco with a leglock in the first round (2:55) of their matchup.

Tickets for WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks are available for purchase online at WSOF.com and AXS.com.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open for the event at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 5 p.m.

In the main event, reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight champion David Branch (17-3), the league’s first-ever, two-division title holder, will put his coveted crown on the line against top contender Clifford Starks (13-2).

In the co-main event, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) will battle recent World Series of Fighting one-night, eight-man tournament runner-up Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino (20-7) with the vacant World Series of Fighting welterweight championship at stake.

Elsewhere on the four-fight, live NBCSN telecast, submission expert Vinny “Pezao” Magalhaes (13-7) will square off with Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun (9-4) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest, while World Series of Fighting newcomer and knockout artist Abu “Gladiator” Azaitar (11-1-1) will lock horns with Danny “Dee1” Davis, Jr. (11-10-1) at welterweight.

MAIN CARD (Live on NBCSN)

World Series of Fighting Middleweight Championship Main Event:
David Branch (Champion) vs. Clifford Starks (Challenger)

World Series of Fighting Vacant Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Jon Fitch (Challenger) vs. Joao Zeferino (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun
Welterweight: Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis, Jr.

PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on WSOF.com)

Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Matt Frincu
Middleweight: Rex Harris vs. Clinton Williams
Catchweight (160 pounds): Steve Kozola vs. Matt Church
Flyweight: Carlos Garcia vs. Jason Pacheco
Bantamweight: Adam Acquaviva vs. Andres Ponce
Welterweight: Jeff Roman vs. Zach Bunnell

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 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport. The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $700 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Carlos Santana, Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses and KISS have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 rooms and suites, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites; the 15-story HRH All-Suite Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 60,000 square feet of casino space featuring Peacock High-Limit gaming and Asian gaming amenities; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $4 million in rare music memorabilia; Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa & Salon; 4.8 acres of tropical pool paradise, which was voted as the No. 1 “Best Hotel Pool” in the 2015 USA Today 10Best Readers Choice contest; the world-famous pool party REHAB Beach Club; live music/entertainment venues The Joint and Vinyl; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants Culinary Dropout, Nobu, The Ainsworth, 35 Steaks + Martinis, Pink Taco, Mr. Lucky’s Café and ?Fú; a fitness center; and trendsetting retailers John Varvatos, Affliction and Rocks The Jewelers. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit hardrockhotel.com. Follow Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

READING, PA (March 30, 2016)–Marshall Kauffman’s King’s Promotions is proud to announce the signing of of undefeated featherweight prospect Marcus Bates to an exclusive promotional contract.

Bates of Washington, D.C. has a record of 3-0-1 with three knockouts and will be back in action this May after a two year layoff.

Bates, started boxing at the age of 15, had a fifteen fight amateur career that saw him compete in Golden Gloves tournaments.

“I feel good about signing with King’s Promotions,” said the 21 year-old.

Bates describes himself as a versatile fighter who can adapt to any style.

“I can do everything. I like to box or bang and even counter-punch when necessary.”

“I am looking to get in four fights this year. I have a good personality and I am focusing on boxing and I feel that I can do great things.”

Said King’s Promotions, Marshall Kuffman. “Marcus is a good prospect. I have seen him in action and he has a lot of ability. He is still very young and I look forward to see him develop over the next few years and I think he has a very high ceiling as a fighter.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 30th, 2016) — It takes a certain characteristic, an inherent, natural ability, to perform at your best when you know the whole world’s watching.

In mixed martial arts, some fighters wilt under the pressure of the sport’s biggest stage. Others excel. In its brief history with AXS TV, CES MMA has developed a rapidly-growing culture of fighters that have peaked when the cameras begin rolling.

Dinis Paiva, Kody Nordby, Luis Felix, Greg Rebello — they’re all part of a short list of regional standouts who’ve gained immeasurable popularity through their exposure on national television. They’ve performed at their best under the most intense scrutiny, similar to a basketball player who drains the game-winning shot or a baseball player who comes up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

Ludlow, Mass., vet Leon Davis (7-3, 1 KO) thinks he has what it takes to earn the label of a clutch performer and hopes to once again succeed on the AXS TV platform Friday night when he faces lightweight Lorawnt-T Nelson (7-4, 5 KOs) of Arvada, Colo., on the main card of “CES MMA 34” at The Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

“Fighting on national television doesn’t really change anything,” Davis insists. “I always go into every fight with the mindset and preparation to give 100 percent.”

Even so, it’s hard to deny Davis’ early appeal to the network television audience. He made his AXS TV debut in August on the main card of “CES MMA XXX,” defeating Andres Jeudi by unanimous decision. With another televised fight on deck this week, a second win could make him an AXS TV favorite, and it’s no secret what that kind of exposure can do.

Ohio welterweight Dominique Steele made only one appearance with CES MMA on the AXS TV format and parlayed his televised win over Chuck O’Neil in June of 2015 into a promotion to the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), where he’s scheduled to fight again in April on the undercard of UFC 197 in Las Vegas.

“The TV platform has brought out the best in me,” Davis said. “I have always fought the toughest opponents that are out there and I’ve always been thankful to [CES MMA vice president] Jimmy Burchfield Jr. and [matchmaker] Pat Sullivan and the rest of the CES MMA staff for letting me make the most of my professional career and for the guidance to get where I ultimately want to be, which is the UFC.”

Davis has fought some of the best competition in the region, including Nate Andrews, Lewis Corapi and Jimmy Davidson, the latter whom he defeated at “CES MMA XXVI” in his most recent appearance with the promotion. Sandwiched in between was his lone appearance with the World Series of Fighting on NBC Sports, a knockout loss to Islam Mamedov, his only loss over the past two and a half years.

Nelson is no pushover either. A two-time Bellator vet, five of his seven wins have come by knockout and he’s only gone the distance twice in 11 pro fights. Only time well whether or not the AXS TV platform is right for Davis, but another win Friday would be a good start toward building some rapport with the network’s loyal fan base.

“I train my fucking ass off and I go out there leaving no regrets,” Davis said. “I always leave everything in the cage.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 34” are priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.foxwoods.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or 800-200-2882, or at the Fox Theater Box Office. All bouts are subject to change. Showtime is 7 p.m. ET.

The five-round main event of “CES MMA 34” features the return of reigning CES MMA Welterweight Champion Chris Curtis (13-4, 5 KOs) of Cincinnati, who defends his title for the first time in a rematch against Philadelphia’s Nah-Shon Burrell (12-6, 8 KOs), one of five televised bouts on the AXS TV Fights main card.

Curtis and Burrell fought one another in October of 2010 with Curtis winning by unanimous decision, Burrell’s first loss in three pro fights. Burrell won his next six, including three in a row with Strikeforce before the promotion was bought out by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).

The main card of “CES MMA 34” also features a middleweight bout between Calvin Kattar (14-2, 6 KOs) of Methuen, Mass., and Cortland, N.Y., vet Kenny Foster (11-10, 1 KO), a seven-time Bellator vet. Kattar last fought in 2013, beating Gabriel Baino for his sixth consecutive win, and is also remembered for defeating Saul Almeida at CES MMA’s “Real Pain” pay per view event in Providence in 2012. The 5-foot-8 Foster boasts win over Lester Caslow and Eric Larkin and also went the distance against 30-fight vet Anthony Morrison at Bellator 108.

Heavyweight Steve Skrzat (8-7, 7 KOs) of Burrillville, R.I., faces Rollinsford, N.H., vet Kevin Haley (4-3, 1 KO). Also on the main card, Johnny Campbell (11-7, 5 KOs) of Boston battles Matt Lozano (5-3, 2 KO) of Red Lion, Pa., in a bantamweight bout.

The “CES MMA 34” preliminaries feature four exciting bouts, including a middleweight showdown between unbeatens Carlos Candelario (2-0) of New Britain, Conn., and Syracuse’s Luay Ashkar (2-0), plus the professional debuts of bantamweight Geoffrey Then and Michael Maldonado, both fighting out of Danbury, Conn. Then battles Merab Dvalishvili (1-2, 1 KO) of Long Island, N.Y., and Maldonado faces Stoughton, Mass., native George Nassar (1-0). The prelims also feature a light heavyweight bout between Cape Cod’s Matt Thompson (19-10, 7 KOs) and Anton Berzin (3-1) of Philadelphia. The 29-fight veteran Thompson appeared for CES MMA in 2014 and defeated Eric Bedard via submission.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES34 to join the conversation.

Conor Benn has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing and will make his professional debut on the undercard of Anthony Joshua MBE’s IBF World Heavyweight title clash with Charles Martin at The O2 in London on April 9, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

The 19 year old son of British boxing legend Nigel kicks off life in the paid ranks at Super-Lightweight under the guidance of trainer Tony Sims, and Conor says his goal is to outdo his iconic Dad’s incredible achievements as a two-weight World champion in the 90s.

“I’m Conor Benn, but I’ll always be known as Nigel’s son,” said Conor Benn. “Until I get inducted into the Hall of Fame, until I win World titles at three weights – not two, because that’s what my Dad did and I need to do more – until I’ve become the youngest World champion or won more belts, I’ll always be Nigel Benn’s son, and achieving more will be very hard.

“I’ve been boxing for about three years now, I didn’t know that fighting was made for me but I do now. I think I’ve progressed really quickly. People say it’s because of my surname – it’s because of that and that I can fight like my last name.

“My Dad didn’t really want me to fight, he thought that I would give it a try and have it as a hobby, but it escalated really quickly. He said there were a million other things to do, why do you need to fight? But I have no choice but to fight because it’s in me, it’s what I want to do, I want to be the best.

“I’m scared about my debut. I’ve come to England by myself and the pressure on my shoulders is intense. But the fans have embraced me already, I feel they are going to be behind me, but I thrive on fear. No-one understands the position I am in, to have a legend as a Dad and then move accross the world at 19, leave my family behind, walk into media pressure straight away. But once a day I have a feeling that no-one can touch me, because if anyone wants to have it with me, I’ll have it with them.

“I feel at home with Tony. I trust him 100 per cent. He looks out for my best interests and in the gym, in the space of three months he’s changed me from fighting like a boy to fighting like a man. I don’t know how, but he’s done it, and that’s why he’s one of the top trainers in boxing, he’s turned me into a fighter and an animal.”

Nigel Benn won World titles at Middleweight and Super-Middleweight in his glittering career that saw ‘The Dark Destroyer’ pack stadiums and arenas and thrill huge TV audiences with his all-action style and brutal power.

The 51 year old will be in London next week for a press conference and will attend Conor’s debut, but says he will allow Conor to forge his own path in the game under the guidance of Hearn and Sims.

“I’m really excited for Conor, he’s incredibly talented,” said Nigel Benn. “If I look at myself at 19 next to Conor, there’s no comparison, he’s so much better than I was. He has all the fighting instincts in him and he’s got so much ability, he’s going to be special and he’s going to go on and be better than me, I really believe that. He’s got the heart of a fighter.

“I’m so happy that he’s teaming up with Eddie and I just hope they can develop the sort of relationship that Barry Hearn did with Chris Eubank, and take Conor all the way as they are the new generation, being with Eddie is going to help him so much with Sky Sports backing him.

“Conor is his own man, he’s not following my footsteps, he’s making his own path and he’s completely different to me and I want him to have his own identity. Conor doesn’t need me, he’ll get to the top without me and surpass everything I achieved – I really believe that.

“I sparred with him recently and I tried to knock him out – seriously. He said ‘yeah?’ And I threw the kitchen sink at him and he threw it back at me. I was 20 kilos heavier than him and he said ‘I’ll have it with you’. He was Super-Lightweight and I’m at Cruiserweight, but I tried to bang him out and he wouldn’t budge. I’ve filmed that and when he becomes World champion I’ll show it to everyone. That’s how good he is.

“Conor works with Eddie and Tony, I’m not going to get involved. I just want Conor to know that if he needs advice, I’m on the other end of the phone whenever he needs me. We’re going to invest the money he makes from the sport so at the end of the day, he’s got a nice life and he’s comfortable when he hangs them up. I’ll be at his debut at The O2 and then afterwards, that’s it, I’ve got my own life to live in Australia, as much as I love my son, he’s going to make the decisions on his career with Eddie and Tony and he knows he can call me if he needs my help.”

Hearn added: “Sometimes you meet a young fighter that just gets you excited. Conor Benn has that look in his eye, that hunger and genes you just cannot buy.

“Watching him progress under Tony over the past few months has been a pleasure to watch, he had a style so similar to his father but is completely his own man. This is going to be a wonderful journey and fight fans need to be very excited about Conor Benn.”

Benn’s debut is part of a huge night of action in Greenwich, topped by Joshua’s World title clash with Martin. Lee Selby defends his IBF World Featherweight title against Eric Hunter, while there’s a key Middleweight battle between former World title challengers Matthew Macklin and Brian Rose, three-time World Super-Middleweight title challenger George Groves meets unbeaten Scotsman David Brophy, Ohara Davies faces Andy Keates for the vacant English Lightweight title, and another fight will be announced in the morning.

WBA Heavyweight champion Lucas Browne expects his B-Sample drug test to come back positive following his March 5 title winning effort over Ruslan Chagaev, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I wish to make it clear that I have at this stage no reason to take issue with the VADA testing of me in and around this fight,” Browne said in a statement. “Given the result of the A sample, I have to believe that the B sample will (not) provide any different results.”

“I was subjected to a randomly timed drug test by VADA. This was a test of blood and urine,” Browne said. “The post-fight test was a urine-only test. I would like to again stress it was myself and my team who requested the bout be subject to VADA testing. I now hold clear and unequivocal evidence that this test was a negative test and shows clearly that I arrived in Chechnya a clean athlete.

“Following that clean test I ate only at the hotel in which we were hosted (and) at the meal following the boxers’ media weigh-in. The water I drank on the night of the fight was sealed bottled water. My team’s investigation will now concentrate on the period of time between the clean test on Feb. 29 and the fight itself on March 5. I maintain that I did not knowingly consume any banned substance, including the Clenbuterol found in my system in that time.

“My team have worked tirelessly in support of me, and I thank them for this and their unwavering faith in me. I thank the public for their understanding and support of the situation I find myself in. I will continue to do all that I can to clear my name.”

“We support Lucas Browne entirely when he states that he did not knowingly place anything within his body containing any banned substance in the period between Feb. 29 and the fight,” Hatton Promotions said in a statement. “We are concentrating our further investigations on this period. Hatton Promotions have been through a great deal with Lucas Browne. Together we overcame many hurdles to get his chance to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world within just four years.

“Lucas himself overcame significant hurdles on the night itself to become victorious. We would remind everyone that the sixth round, Lucas’ most difficult of the fight having been on the floor, was extended by some 36 seconds by the timekeeper in Chechnya to give their champion extra time to try to end the fight. Clearly that was intentional and Lucas overcame it. We will do all that we can to overcome this newest hurdle to ensure justice prevails and Lucas has our complete support in this regard.”

Joseph Parker will meet Carlos Takam in an IBF Heavyweight elimination bout on May 21st in New Zealand, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Parker versus Takam on May 21 will be undoubtedly the most significant boxing event ever staged in New Zealand,” Duco Events promoter Dean Lonergan said. “Over the last seven years, we have staged a number of big boxing events both here and overseas so we have no doubt we can deliver a world-class event, with the eyes of the world watching.”

“To have the fight in South Auckland is very exciting for me,” Parker, who is training in Las Vegas, told ESPN.com. “I’ve grown up there my whole life and it’s a great opportunity for me to showcase my growing skills in front of my supporters, who have been there from the start. I wouldn’t want to have this fight anywhere else. It’s given me the extra motivation to train harder.”

“This is a massive achievement by our promotions team, Duco Events, to secure the IBF world title eliminator for New Zealand,” Kevin Barry, Parker’s trainer said. “We have developed excellent systems that have proved to be successful for Joe over the last three years. It’s great we can keep this winning formula in place for the biggest fight of Joseph Parker’s career.”

Said Christian Cherchi, Takam’s promoter: “It will be the biggest challenge for Parker because he hasn’t fought someone like Takam. I think Carlos Takam can knock Joseph Parker out. We tried to have this fight in Paris, so having this fight in New Zealand is an advantage for Parker. It is a winnable but tough fight.”