Former cruiserweight titlist, Ola Afolabi has announced his retirement, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Around 16 years ago, I was hungry and partially homeless when I stumbled into a boxing gym in Hollywood, out of all places,” Afolabi wrote. “With no prior training or experience in boxing, I decided to give it a go. At the ancient age of 20, I worked hard every day. I would deejay in a shady club on some days, and on other days, I’d work as an overnight receptionist at a student hostel in exchange for a bunk bed in a shared room of six foreign students.

“I would then hit the gym with barely enough sleep to spar with world champions like James Tony, Francois Botha, Julio Gonzales and other experienced up and comers. I did this for two years before getting discovered in 2002 by my managers, Victor Martinez and Pedro Rosado. These two amazing men fed me and housed me, and for that, I will be forever thankful. R.I.P. to Pedro who recently passed away. I wish he was still around so we could all sit down at dinner and reminisce, and laugh about my career.”

“This means I missed my prime as a boxer,” Afolabi wrote of the layoff. “The years I was supposed to do my best work and feel my strongest were lost.”

“About a week before the fight, I was having my last sparring session with a little-known heavyweight at that time named Tyson Fury. During that last session, I suffered a detached retina in my left eye,” Afolabi wrote. “Two days before the biggest fight of my career, I was in an emergency room having surgery on my eye. The surgery was successful but I wasn’t to have physical contact for at least two weeks.

“Two days after the surgery, I was fighting a guy (Maccarinelli) with a 29-1 record with 23 coming by way of KO. I knocked him out in the ninth round and became the interim world champion.”

“For the first time and almost at the end of my prime, I’d have someone looking out for me, and I’ll be fighting more often,” Afolabi wrote. “The fights didn’t get easier or harder but they kept me active.”

“When you get old, the first things you lose are timing and reflexes. Although I tried my very best and worked really hard, I lost the fight,” he wrote, referring to his fourth meeting with Huck.

“This is why I have to wrap it up. I have always been a realist,” he wrote. “Boxing has been painful, but it has also brought me so many positives that outweigh the negatives. I see my idols like James Toney and Roy Jones with damages like slurred speech and balance problems still fighting in their 40’s for $100,000 or less. These are guys with talents and status I could only dream of. If it can happen to them it will definitely happen to me. I will not let it happen to me.”

“I accomplished more with no experience, help or protection than most fighters with all the advantages in the world did,” he wrote. “So after two retina surgeries, double vision and a bad shoulder, I must say goodbye to boxing. I have enough money to live on, so I’ll get out while I can and still live a healthy life and be smart with money. Thank you so much to everyone that helped and supported me on this long hard road.

“Life gave me lemons and I turned them into a f—— chocolate milkshake!”

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 15, 2016)–This Saturday night at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, Long Island based welterweight Tommy Rainone makes his debut on the boardwalk when he battles Maurice Chalmers in a eight round bout in a featured undercard bout of a 11-bout card promoted by Rising Promotions and Vincent M.Ponte’s Gulfstream Promotions.

In the main event, Thomas LaManna takes on Kendal Mena in a eight round welterweight bout.

Rainone has a record of 24-7-1 with with five knockouts has long been a fan favorite in the Empire state, and the fight with Chalmers will fulfill a venue that has been on the 36 year-old’s bucket list.

“I have fought in Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, The Legendary Blue Horizon and Las Vegas. I have been wanting to fight in Atlantic City for a long time and Saturday it finally happens,” said Rainone.

What makes Rainone’s career even more fascinating is that he works a full-time job overnight working for Hilton Hotels in the accounting the department.

That makes for long days, working until the early morning, getting just a few hours of sleep and then going to the gym before his overnight shift.

“I have not had a day off in seven weeks, but I will be ready to go on Saturday night. I have had pretty good training and sparring. Now I am just maintaining my weight ”

In Chalmers, he is facing a veteran who has a record of 14-12-1 with eight knockouts. Chalmers has knocked off three undefeated fighters, but Rainone is confident that his skills and preparation will be enough to get his hand raised.

“I have seen him once in person. He defeated an undefeated guy and he was very aggressive that night. I have seen other fight’s where he sits back and is a counter puncher. I prepare for anything.”

Since turning professional in 2006, Rainone has been an instant fan favorite, and he feels he owes a lot of support to the many supporters who have stuck by him through his whole career.

“Without a fan base, you don’t get fights. I will have 100 or so fans down in Atlantic City. I owe everything to them.”

Rainone believes his popularity is due large in part to him being just an “everyday guy” and his fans can relate to him.

“I always put on a good fight, but I am relate able. After the fights, I hang out with everybody. I am humble and I show the fans how much I appreciate him.”

In his last bout, Rainone took one of the step up fights that could have set him up for a major opportunity when he took on former junior middleweight champion Ishe Smith.

Rainone came up just short in that fight, but Rainone wanted to test himself against the former world champion.

“That fight was a tall order. Ishe is the bigger man and a former world champion. I am not a junior middleweight. I tried very hard and I knew if I had won that fought, I would have been ranked in the top-ten.”

Rainone is only planning to fight another couple of years and he still has the goals of every fighter, but he is taking his career fight by fight.

“The goal is one fight at a time. I am excited to fight in Atlantic City. I want to fight at Barclays Center and again in Madison Square Square Garden as well fighting for a title back in Atlantic City.”

“I have done this the hard way throughout my career. I do not know who has done it the way I have. I have done this on my own without any alliance or any promoter and I am very proud what I have accomplished and I still have more to do.”

Tickets for the March 19th fight card are $50 GA, $75 Stage (very few remaining) & $125 VIP (SOLD OUT) (Booths of 5 available for $500—SOLD OUT) and are available at RisingBoxingPromotions.com or 609-487-4444.

The Claridge Hotel is located at 123 S. Indiana Ave. Atlantic City NJ

Facebook.com/risingstarboxing
Instagram: @risingpromo

NEW YORK (March 15, 2016) – Former two-time world champion Paul Williams, who’s pro career came to a sudden and tragic end when he was paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident in May 2012, is back in boxing as a trainer.

The popular Williams will work the corner of once-beaten Justin DeLoach (13-1, 7 KOs) when DeLoach faces undefeated super welterweight and local favorite Dillon Cook (16-0, 6 KOs) in the opening eight-round bout of what is now a ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader on Friday, March 25, live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

DeLoach is the first boxer to be trained by Williams, the former 154-pound southpaw who has been confined to a wheelchair since the accident.

“I guess I was being selfish at first,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to deal with the fight game. I wanted to be the one fighting. But that changed.”

Williams was reluctant to train fighters for a long time. It was George Peterson, who managed and trained Williams from the time the boxer was a skinny kid with little amateur experience until his career ended, that helped persuade “The Punisher” to return to the ring. Williams trains his pupil at a private gym in his hometown of Aiken, S.C.

“You know me, I really didn’t want to do this,’’ Williams said. “But finally after three or four years of George practically begging me to try and do it, this opportunity came along and I decided to give it a shot.

“Everything is about timing. I started thinking about it, George kept asking me and messing with me about it, one thing led to another, and I finally said I’d take a stab at it.

Williams, who is enjoying his new job description, admits there are some pre-fight jitters.

“I’m scared all over again, like this is my first fight. Now, I have to think about everything that Mr. Pete was thinking about when I was fighting. I have to try and teach Justin what I knew how to do.

“George and I accomplished a lot. He made me a world champion; before that, no one knew who he or I was. We were just a couple of guys from Aiken, S.C. We gave fans fights to remember.

“I was the fighter the press labeled as ‘Most feared in boxing.’ But that’s over for me now. I’m jumping into a whole new thing. It’s been an adjustment but I’m glad I’m doing it.’’

In his role as a trainer, Williams’ mindset has changed drastically from his fighting days. “Look, I always feel good,’’ he said. “What’s happened has happened. It is what it is. This is my first time stepping back into the world. I love boxing.

“What I don’t want to see is a fighter getting hurt. This is a hard sport. I know when I was in there I was always going for broke. But I want Justin, all fighters actually, to come out of the ring the same way they came in. Win or lose, I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.’’

On DeLoach, Williams said, “He’s a good fighter and now he’s in the spotlight. I want to do my best in the training world to get him at his peak. I hope he does his best. I’d love to one-up George with Justin.’’

Becoming the best takes strenuous work on a daily basis, and Williams was no stranger to putting in the hours.

“I never took a shortcut,’’ he said. “You take shortcuts, you know what’ll happen. I took the long road home when I was fighting and fans, fighters, everybody knew what to expect when I stepped in the ring.

“Justin isn’t like this, but one thing I know is that fighters think they’re slick. Well, you can’t pull anything over me. I’ve been there, seen it all.’’

And, as always, he’ll have George Peterson by his side.

“I’m just helping Paul,’’ said Peterson, who will serve as Williams’ assistant trainer. “So far, he’s doing great.”

It will be the ShoBox and 2016 debuts — and toughest fight to date — for both DeLoach and Cook.

DeLoach was a top amateur, competing in the USA Boxing National Championships in 2012. He won a National Silver Golden Gloves title when he was 13.

The 22-year-old DeLoach, of Augusta, Ga., has won three in a row since suffering his lone loss to Cesar Villa on Feb. 6, 2015. That was before he started training with Williams.

“This has been a total blessing, and I say that every day,” DeLoach said. “Thank God. He’s the one who brought the two of us together, that’s the main thing. Paul loves it, just to be back. I think he was scared at first, his reputation was at stake and so was mine.

“But he’s been so helpful – just in the mental side of things. I was already a good boxer but he’s taken me to another level mentally. He’s been pushing me, criticizing me, giving me instructions and picking my brain.”

DeLoach and Williams grew up just 30 minutes down the road from each other.

“Me and Paul, we’ve known each other our whole lives,’’ DeLoach said. “I’m from Augusta, Ga., and he was right across in Aiken. We knew each other when I was coming up as an amateur. He came to my last pro fight that was in San Antonio. When I saw him, I got so excited. We started to talk and I said something like, ‘Hey, Paul, wouldn’t it be cool if we got together?’

“Once I came home, we started working together and he’s been training me since. I think we’re going on about three months now. It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to work with one of my favorite fighters.”

In his last outing, DeLoach won a shutout four-round decision over Santos Benavides last Dec. 12. DeLoach, a pro since March 2013, fought six times that year and four times each in 2014 and 2015.

“I’m really looking forward to fighting for the first time for him,” DeLoach said. “I’ve gone crazy waiting for my break and an opportunity like this to fight on SHOWTIME. I know it’s not easy fighting in your opponent’s backyard, but with Paul, George Peterson and me and my skills, we are confident it will be a good fight.’’

Cook, 25, is from Seneca, Mo., which is located about 20 minutes from Buffalo Run Casino where he has fought six times. A top amateur, he won six Golden Gloves titles, a Junior Golden Gloves National title, a Heartland title and four regional Silver Gloves titles. He is popular at Buffalo Run and will be making his premium network television debut against easily his most dangerous assignment as a pro. Cook’s brother, Jesse, a welterweight with a record of 15-1-1, will box on the non-televised portion of the event.

Dillon Cook turned pro in August 2012, fought twice that year, seven times in 2013, four times in 2014 and three times last year. Five of his last seven took place at Buffalo Run, including two out of three in 2015. He’s coming off a lopsided eight-round decision over Rahman Yusubov last Nov. 14.

“I couldn’t be more excited about making my ShoBox debut, right at home, at the Buffalo Run Casino,” Cook said. “This is a huge opportunity for me, and I plan on putting on a spectacular showing, for all my fans there that night and everyone watching on TV.”

In the ShoBox main event, unbeaten super lightweight knockout artist and emerging rising star, Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (16-0, 13 KOs), Houston by way of New Orleans, will meet experienced Aaron “The Jewel” Herrera (29-4-1, 18 KOs), of Valladolid, Mexico, in a 10-round match.

Four undefeated fighters will clash in the two other eight-rounders on the telecast: Hard-hitting Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk (9-0, 8 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., faces Nicholas “King Beamen” Givhan (16-0-1, 10 KOs), of Kalamazoo, Mich., in a super lightweight scrap and Ukrainian Ivan “The Volk” Golub (10-0, 8 KOs, 5-0 in World Series of Boxing), of Brooklyn, N.Y., meets Marlon Aguas (9-0, 6 KOs), of Quito, Ecuador, in a welterweight match.

Tickets for the event promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Tony Holden Productions are priced at $45, $55 and $75 and are available for purchase at buffalorun.com and at stubwire.com.

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

# # #

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 65 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 15, 2016 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced the official launch of EA SPORTS™ UFC® 2, available in retail stores and as a digital download on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game features the largest roster ever for an official UFC® game, boasting more than 250 athletes, including cover stars, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor and former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, as well as all-time fighting legends like Mike Tyson, UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Bruce Lee – all unlockable by making it to the UFC Hall of Fame in Career Mode. EA SPORTS UFC 2 also introduces a Knockout Physics System that, when paired with thousands of new animations and updated character likenesses, makes knockouts more dynamic and realistic than ever.

“By listening to fans, sharpening our fundamentals, focusing on areas of innovation in gameplay, and adding massive depth to modes, we believe we’ve taken the franchise and MMA games to the next level with this one,” said EA SPORTS UFC 2 Creative Director, Brian Hayes. “We’re excited that it’s finally time to ask fans to stare back at their opponent, bite down on their mouth piece, come out swinging and finish the fight.”

EA SPORTS UFC 2 delivers a mode for every fight fan, including the series introduction of Custom Event Creator, UFC Ultimate Team™, and Live Events which allow players to gain in-game rewards for playing out real-world fight cards before they happen. The game also features the brand-new Knockout Mode, which does away with clinches, grappling and submissions in favor of pure heart-pounding, stand-up fighting action. However, when fights do go to the ground, EA SPORTS UFC 2 gives fighters the tools to master mixed martial arts (MMA), including Grapple Assist, a new graphic overlay that helps fans dominate the clinch and find their next move on the ground.

“This game is an authentic representation of the UFC brand experience, bringing the excitement of the Octagon to life for all fight fans,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products, Tracey Bleczinski said. “From the walkout, incorporating the new UFC Fight Kit, to the intensity of being face-to-face with the top combat sports athletes in the world, this game has it all.”

Assets for EA SPORTS UFC 2 can be found here and game trailers can be watched here.

EA SPORTS UFC 2 is developed by EA Vancouver, and is available now in North America and will be available March 17 worldwide on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. EA Access* members can try the full game for a limited time and get 10% off the digital version of the game on Xbox One. Fans should keep an eye on the website, as well as the EA SPORTS UFC Facebook and Twitter pages to make sure they’re always up-to-date on the latest and greatest news.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

*CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world. In fiscal year 2015, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA SPORTS, Ultimate Team, SSX, The Sims, Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Octagon Girls®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, Octagon® and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and affiliated entities in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners. Any use of the preceding copyrighted program, trademarks, trade dress, or other intellectual property owned by Zuffa, LLC is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Zuffa. All rights are hereby expressly reserved. John Madden, NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA TOUR and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. Xbox is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

The “biggest little boxing show” in Ventura County will make its triumphant return to the Oceanview Pavilion in Port Hueneme, California as Top Rank in association with Bash Boxing brings another installment of Boxing By The Beach on Saturday April 2, 2016.

Located adjacent to boxing rich Oxnard, the Oceanview Pavilion has been home to the area’s most notable boxing and wrestling events over the past decade. As with previous Boxing By The Beach shows, local fight fans will be treated to a combination of world class talent, former amateur standouts, and local prospects…all in one show.

Santa Barbara’s Francisco “Chia” Santana (23-4-1, 12KOs) will headline the televised portion of Top Rank’s Solo Boxeo Tecate on Unimas series in a 10 round welterweight bout against Ed “The Lion” Paredes (36-5-1, 24KOs).

Santana, a former sparring partner of Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan and a Knuckleheadz Boxing Gym stable mate of Victor Ortiz, has won 11 of his last 12 bouts including victories over World Champion Joachim Alcine, former world title challenger Freddy Hernandez, and an upset of undefeated prospect Eddie Gomez. Santana has fought 10 times in Ventura County and will look to make his 2016 homecoming a successful one.

Paredes comes into his crossroads bout with Santana a winner of 14 of his last 16 boxing bouts including victories over former World Champion Vivian Harris, former world title challenger Antonio Pitalua, and unbeaten prospect Joey Hernandez. Paredes also met former world title challenger Jesus Soto Karass last year in Las Vegas.

Boxing By The Beach will also feature Orange County Lightweight Luis Ramos Jr. (25-2, 10KOs) making his Top Rank promotional debut. Ramos Jr. started his professional career winning his first 23 bouts including victories over fellow Top Rank fighter and multiple world title challenger Ray Beltran and Oxnard’s David Rodela. After taking two years off following back-to-back losses, Ramos is in the midst of a comeback and riding a two-bout winning streak.

As usual, boxers from the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard will be on display during Boxing By The Beach, topped off by two former amateur standouts now plying their trade as Top Rank blue-chip prospects, Alexander Besputin (4-0) and Maxim Dadashev. Fellow Russian uber-prospect and 2012 London Olympics Gold Medalist Egor Mekhonstev (11-0, 7KOs) will also be featured in an 8 round Light Heavyweight bout.

One of the next generation of notable boxers coming out of Ventura County will begin to pave his professional road as Santa Maria’s Oscar Mendoza makes his professional debut at Boxing on The Beach on April 2nd in Port Hueneme. Filling out the undercard will be Oxnard’s Julian “JuJu” Bautista (2-1), undefeated prospect from Woodland Hills Jessy Martinez (3-0), and Abraham Lopez (2-1) from Freddie Roach’s Wildcard West Boxing Club.

BOXING BY THE BEACH takes place on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at the Oceanview Pavilion, located at 575 E. Surfside Drive in Port Hueneme, California.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.boxingbythebeach.com
or by calling (805) 889-8162.

Tickets start at $40 for Theatre Seating and $80 for Ringside/Stage Seating.

Doors Open at 5:30pm; First Bout at 6:00pm. All bouts are subject to change.

Irish hero Jamie Conlan has signed a promotional agreement with top promoter Frank Warren as he embarks on the next stage of his career towards a world title.

The red-hot Belfast super-flyweight is undefeated in 15 fights with 9 knockouts and is a former WBO European Champion. Currently he holds the WBO Intercontinental title and a number five world ranking in the organisation.

Know as ‘The Mexican’ for his thrilling, all-action, style, Conlan has established himself as fan favourite and brings excitement every time he fights.

Conlan is in a ultra-competitive division that contains British rival Paul Butler, plus the classy, big-hitting, WBO World Champion from Japan Nagoya Inoue.

The 29-year-old will be managed by MGM and is thrilled to sign with Warren who he believes will take him to his dream of a world title.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have signed a promotional deal with Frank Warren who I believe is the best promoter out there and will get me where I want to be and that’s a world champion. I’m pushing onto world level now and Frank’s expertise is second to none so I know that I’m in great hands. With Frank and MGM in my corner I can realise my dream.” Said Conlan.

Warren added, “Jamie’s a cracking talent and I’m delighted to welcome him to the team. He’s got a tremendous following in Ireland that will only get bigger and bigger as he continues to build towards the world title. The 115 pound division is certainly livening up again and there are some great fights ahead of him and I look forward to giving him the opportunities to achieve his ambitions.”

Ricky Burns can become a three-weight World champion when he takes on Michele Di Rocco for the vacant WBA World Super-Lightweight title at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on May 28, live on Sky Sports.

Burns can add World title glory at 140lbs to his reigns as WBO king at Super-Featherweight and Lightweight, with the 32 year old set to be roared on by his hometown faithful as he returns to Scotland in his first fight there in nearly two years.

Italian Di Rocco stands in the ‘Rickster’s’ way and the 33 year old long-reigning European king will be looking to spoil Burns’ shot at history in his first World title fight.

The Scotsman spent a spell at Super-Lightweight when he met Alexandre Lepelley over eight rounds in Leeds in October 2014 before a spirited display against Omar Figueroa Jr in Texas in May put him firmly on the route to this World title shot, and Burns is determined to grab his chance to make history with both hands.

“This is a huge fight and a massive opportunity for me to make history,” said Burns. “It feels like a long time coming returning to Glasgow and I feel this is the perfect opportunity for me to grab another world title in front of my loyal supporters.

“It’s been a frustrating few years but I felt showed against Figueroa last summer that I can still mix it with the very best at world level.

“Di Rocco is a tough guy and he will bring the best out of me – but it’s a fight I’m so confident I will win and give my fans a great show.

“There are massive fights for me at Lightweight and Super-Lightweight – I’ve spoken to my trainer Tony Sims and we feel I can compete competitively at either weight class and this fight will lead on to great things for me.”

“I am delighted to deliver this opportunity for Ricky to make history and become a three-weight World champion,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “It will be the first night of boxing ever at the magnificent SSE Hydro and I know the fans will raise the roof. Di Rocco is unbeaten in nearly nine years but I truly believe Ricky will make history on May 28.

“The card will be stacked with Matchroom and Scottish talent; Tyrone Nurse will defend his British Super-Lightweight crown against Glasgow’s Willie Limond, while new star Ryan Burnett will continue his march to World titles. Commonwealth games hero Charlie Flynn will be in his first title action and undefeated young stars Joe Ham and Lewis Paulin get the chance to shine. After nearly two years away from Scotland, it’s great to be back with a huge show!”

Tickets go on sale on Saturday March 19 at midday to Matchroom Fight Pass members from the Fight Pass area at www.matchroomboxing.com, with tickets priced at £40, £60 and £100, with VIP tickets priced at £200.

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Monday March 21, with tickets in the £40-£100 bracket available from the SSE Hydro website http://www.thessehydro.com/ and on 0844 395 4000 and 0800 952 0110 (accessible). VIP tickets at £200 are exclusively available at www.matchroomboxing.com

LONDON (15 MARCH) Chris Eubank Jr. believes British champion Nick Blackwell is merely keeping the throne warm and that on March 26 he will be relieved of his duties and a superior division ruler will be crowned.

Blackwell and Eubank Jr. collide at The SSE Arena, Wembley, live on Channel 5, and the challenger, a former WBA interim world middleweight champion in his own right, is adamant it’s high time for a changing of the guard.

“I don’t care about Nick Blackwell,” he said. “I only care about the British title he possesses. That’s the only reason I’m fighting him.

“He doesn’t impress me as a fighter and he doesn’t excite me as an opponent. I think he’s a very bland character. He’s someone who is not really doing British boxing or the British title any justice whatsoever. It’s not good for boxing if he’s the British champion. They need someone who is really going to fly the flag and inspire and excite people. That’s not him. I’m going to take the belts from him and make the British public proud.”

Some have suggested Eubank Jr.’s desire to win a British title is motivated in part by the fact his father, Chris Sr., never picked one up during his own accomplished career. The 26-year-old, however, is quick to shoot down that assumption.

“It has nothing to do with my father,” he said. “No, he didn’t win the British title, but he achieved great things in his career. I respect everything he achieved. I’m just blessed to have the opportunity to challenge for this title.

“Ultimately, I am patriotic. I am British. I have grown up here. I love England. It would make me very proud to say I have accomplished this goal. It’s something I have always wanted to achieve from day one. That’s why I’m going full steam ahead to achieve this milestone in my career. It will be a great addition to my legacy.”

Eubank Jr. came face-to-face with Blackwell earlier this month at a London press conference and claims he saw nothing to suggest the champion stands a chance of holding on to his title on March 26.

“I saw no confidence at all,” said Eubank Jr. “I saw a guy putting on a front for the media. I saw through everything he was saying and trying to do. He’s a pretender. He’s trying to be somebody he’s not because he knows he’s in too deep and is going to lose.

“But it’s never personal. It’s always business. I’m fighting him not because I don’t like him but because he has a title I want. I’m sure he’s a great guy. But he’s got something I want. It doesn’t matter whether he likes me or hates me. And that goes for everyone who is watching the fight as well. You can love me or loathe me, but so long as you’re watching, I’m happy.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

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San Diego, CA – March 14, 2016 – On March 5th in Grozny, Russia Lucas Browne captured the WBA Heavyweight championship with a stunning tenth round stoppage over reigning champion Ruslan Chagaev.

It was a stunning finish to a great fight that saw the WBA Heavyweight change hands.

The bout was seen live and exclusively in the United States on AWE-A Wealth of Entertainment.

The fight was just the latest in great & significant fights that have been broadcasted live on AWE.

AWE has successfully brought boxing fans some of the best and brightest championship bouts from around the globe and with more terrific bouts on the horizon, the network is in the process of securing a plethora of world title and meaningful bouts for 2016.

“Browne and Chagaev was a great Heavyweight championship brawl,” said AWE President Charles Herring. “The division has not had a championship fight like that in a long time and we are very happy that the viewers of AWE were able to watch it. Browne now becomes a serious player in the Heavyweight division. These are the important fights that we at AWE are looking to bring to the great boxing fans in the United States and we will have some announcements real soon about some more championship bouts that we will be televising.”

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson. In 2014, AWE televised the crowning of lightweight champion Terence Crawford with his win over Burns as well as the exciting rematches between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez along with Tony Bellew defeating Nathan Cleverly. In 2015, AWE brought boxing fans on of the most anticipated rematches of the year, Darleys Perez v. Anthony Crolla II for the WBA Lightweight World Title.

In 2016, AWE was the exclusive American boradcaster of Lucas Browne’s stunning knockout over Ruslan Chagaev to win the WBA Heavyweight title.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment
A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is featured on over a hundred cable providers, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD and Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

ORANGE, Calif. (March 12, 2016) – Heavyweight LaRon Mitchell (12-0, 12 KOs) punched his way to yet another knockout win, pushing his unbeaten streak to twelve and sending Kenyan Raymond Ochieng (8-18, 6 KOs) back home with an embarrassing defeat.

The “Night of Champions” main event was scheduled for six rounds, but the San Francisco-based Mitchell needed only one. Halfway through the opening stanza, Mitchell sent Ochieng to the floor with a counter left hook. Moments later, Mitchell crushed the Kenyan with a counter right, which was enough for Mitchell to bag his twelve straight win by knockout.

“He had a very awkward style,” Mitchell said. “I had to be careful because he was throwing punches from strange angles. I was patient though. I didn’t rush anything. I just needed a few openings to do my damage.”

In the co-feature, lightweight Manuel Mendez (9-1-1, 5 KOs) of Indio, Calif. showed off his power and hard-nosed boxing style by knocking out Jesus Manuel Angulo (8-10, 6 KOs) of Nuevo Laredo, Mex. in the second round.

Mendez, trained by Joel Diaz, advanced on Angulo from the start. In the first, he consistently backed up Angulo with powerful hooks to the head and body. The second round followed a similar script. Mendez fired away at will, prompting referee Raul Caiz to stop the fight.

Recently signed heavyweight Scott Alexander (11-1-1, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles boxed his way to a unanimous decision win over Sylvester Barron (9-8, 3 KOs) of Tacoma, Wash. Alexander’s quick hands and nifty defense were on display throughout the four-round fight.

“After the first round, I knew I could get through his defense,” said Alexander, who swept the three scorecards, 40-36. “I was able to land my jab whenever I wanted.”

Opening the “Night of Champions” event were all-action junior bantamweights Isaiah Najera (3-2, 2 KOs) of Pasco, Wash. and Ricardo Espinoza (7-0, 6 KOs) of Tijuana, Mex.

Najera and Espinoza burst out of the gates with non-stop, back and forth exchanges. In the opening moments of the second round, Najera dropped his guard long enough for Espinoza to launch a vicious combination that floored the Washington-native. Najera could not beat the count, and Espnizoa registered another knockout win.

The event took place on Saturday, March 12 from the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, Calif.

Thompson Boxing Promotions returns on Friday, April 22 from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com.

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

Las Vegas – UFC® and GuardLab® today announced a global licensing agreement to provide UFC athletes with custom mouthguards. GuardLab, a custom mouthguard company, will also offer UFC branded mouthguards for fight fans to purchase through GuardLab.com and certified GuardLab dentist locations.

“With the ever-changing landscape in professional sports, we’re always looking for the next cutting-edge technology and innovation to aid athletes that compete in the UFC,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski said. “We are excited to partner with GuardLab as they continue to develop products that help improve the overall performance and wellness of professional athletes.”

“UFC is an exciting world-class organization, and we are thrilled about our partnership to equip and offer their athletes with what we believe to be a transformative piece of sports technology,” GuardLab CEO Aidan Butler said. “We are committed to creating an engaging brand experience and delivering a superior product for athletes everywhere.”

UFC and GuardLab will work in conjunction to consistently educate athletes on general awareness and the overall benefits of wearing protective guards. A complimentary mouthguard will be made available to all UFC athletes beginning immediately at athlete summits and all events. All UFC athletes have the option of wearing this mouthguard during training and while competing at UFC events.

GuardLab is a custom mouthguard company using 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies, engineered with a proprietary Alignment Repositioning Cushion (ARC™). For more information about GuardLab, please visit http://www.guardlab.com/.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About GuardLab®
GuardLab, Inc. is a revolutionary custom mouthguard company headquartered in New York City with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on Long Island, New York. GuardLab is a custom mouthguard company using 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies, engineered with a proprietary Alignment Repositioning Cushion (ARC™). The neuromuscular mouthguards are designed to reduce the risk of injury from impact and enhance athletic performance through improved body alignment and increased airflow. Pioneered with two world-class dentists, GuardLab optimizes the bite of the individual athlete and captures the information digitally to create a bespoke neuromuscular mouthguard at a cost, quality and speed that truly disrupts the industry. GuardLab offers upper protection mouthguards for contact and combat sports, lower performance mouthguards for training and endurance sports and recovery guards for light clenching and grinding for sleep and post-training. GuardLab mouthguards are designed to benefit every type of athlete, from active individuals, high school and college players, as well as elite professionals. GuardLab mouthguards are available to consumers through events and a growing nationwide network of dentists found on Guardlab.com. For more information visit Guardlab.com and follow GuardLab on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

NEW YORK, NY (March 14, 2016) – A slate of six non-televised undercard bouts will serve as support when Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) faces undefeated and number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round IBF number one position and mandatory position eliminator at Oracle Arena in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, California on March 26. Opening the HBO® telecast will be Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Jayson Velez in a 10-round fight NABF Featherweight title fight.

In addition to the exciting televised lineup, some of boxing’s hottest rising stars will be featured on the non-televised undercard including Roc Nation Sports standouts Maurice Hooker, Daniel Franco, Rudy Puga Jr. and Junior Younan along with 2008 Olympic Super Heavyweight Silver Medalist Zhang Zhilei and local favorite Aaron Coley who will all see action on March 26.

Roc Nation Sports will bring names from the entertainment world to the event as well, including notable event emcee, SiriusXM/Shade 45 morning show host of Sway in the Morning, Executive Producer and talent for VH1 & MTV and Oakland-native Sway Calloway, who will serve as the event’s host, and hit master DJ Franzen, resident DJ at Las Vegas’ Hot 97.5 and Drais Nightclub. Sway and Franzen will entertain together throughout the night to keep fans entertained between bouts at Oracle Arena.

Tickets priced at $300, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (bit.ly/WardBarreraTix) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

On March 26, NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (19-0-2, 14 KOs) risks his unbeaten record against Wilfrido “La Roca” Buelvas (17-5, 11 KOs) of Barranquilla, Colombia in a ten-round junior welterweight bout. Hooker, rated number seven by the WBO, is coming off of a career-best win on October 17, 2015 against his toughest opponent to date in Ghislain Maduma (17-2, 11 KOs) at Madison Square Garden. Hooker successfully defended his NABO title with the 10-round decision win over Maduma on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux in a fight that was featured on the event’s “freeview” in the United States and streamed online around the world. Buelvas, a former WBA Fedebol champion, has won two of his last three bouts by knockout and fought Humberto Soto for the WBC Silver International Super Lightweight title in 2014, going the 12-round distance before losing a decision to the former World Champion.

Born and raised in Oak Cliff, Texas, a rough suburb of Dallas, Hooker found a boxing home at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym by way of an outreach program for at-risk youths. His natural talent was soon noticed resulting in him competing as an amateur, during which time he participated in over 100 fights, compiling a record of 97 wins and only 7 losses, with 67 victories coming by way of knockout. Hooker turned professional on April 29, 2011, taking on the vastly more experienced Tyrone Chatman (7-1, 5 KO’s) at the Orpheum Theater in St. Louis. After four rounds, the judges saw the fight 40-36, 37-39 and 38-38, making the fight a split draw. Undeterred, in his next fight on June 24, 2014, Hooker scored his first professional win, knocking out Wilbert Mitchell in the first round at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas. Eleven wins (eight by knockout) later, he took on undefeated Abel Ramos (8-0, 4 KO’s) on January 17, 2014 in a bout that was featured on ShoBox from the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. After eight close, hard-fought rounds, the judges saw the fight a draw. Hooker followed the draw with a six-round unanimous decision win over Adrian Rodriguez Garza (8-2, 6 KO’s) on April 26 at Fitzgerald’s Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi. Four consecutive knockout victories would follow before he took on fellow undefeated prospect Eduardo Galindo (10-0-1, 7 KO’s) on June 26, 2015 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas for the vacant NABO Junior Welterweight Championship. “Mighty Mo” did not disappoint his legion of hometown fans who saw him capture the title with a sixth round technical knockout victory.

Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California and fighting out of the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, undefeated Daniel “Twitch” Franco (12-0-3, 7 KO’s) meets Mexican veteran German “Panteonero” Meraz (52-37-1, 30 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout on March 26. Featured for the second time on a Ward undercard, the sharp-boxing Franco will look to improve on his undefeated record against an opponent with literally six times his pro boxing experience. Meraz is only 29 years old but has already logged an amazing 90 professional bouts and has won four of his last six fights by knockout. He has fought current World Champion Juan Carlos Payano, Three-Time U.S. Olympian Rau’shee Warren and highly-touted prospect Gervonta Davis, going the distance with all three.

Franco began boxing at the age of eight, amassing an amateur record of 67-15, winning the Oxnard PAL Championship in 2006 and the California State Silver Gloves Championship in 2007 along the way. During Franco’s professional debut on December 18, 2010, he defeated Emanuel Machorro at Club 401 in Ontario, California via a third round technical knockout. Despite being enrolled as a full-time student at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Franco impressed early in his career, compiling an undefeated record with two draws in venues throughout California by the end of 2013. One of those draws came against Alejandro Ochoa at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, California on September 20, 2013, but in a rematch three months later, Franco outmatched Ochoa scoring a six-round unanimous decision victory at Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. On June 20, 2015, during Ward’s return to the ring at Oracle Arena, Franco saw action in an eight-round junior lightweight bout against Jonathan Alcantara and won by unanimous decision. A hand injury suffered in that bout kept Franco out of action until December 21 when he scored a decision victory over Hector Garcia in Tijuana, Mexico.

A promising unbeaten prospect from Salinas, California, Rudy “The Revelation” Puja. Jr. (7-0, 6 KOs) looks to extend his undefeated streak against Carlos “Kalimba” Lozano (7-5, 4 KOs) of Ensenada, Mexico in a six-round middleweight bout. Puga turned in a career-best performance in his last match-up on February 12 in knocking out Alejandro Osuna (4-2, 2 KO’s) in two rounds at the Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, California. Now, just a little over a month later, “The Revelation” will step into the ring against a tough opponent in Lozanao, a southpaw who has never been stopped and already has a ten-round decision victory under his belt.

Having compiled an exceptional amateur record of 99-8, Puga made his professional debut on September 2, 2011, scoring a fourth round technical knockout victory over Raul Talamontes at the Sports Complex in his hometown. Back in the ring less than two months later, Puga Jr. raised his record to 2-0 with a first round technical knockout of Jose Jesus Hurtado at the Sherwood Inn in Salinas. In June 2012, he sent Thomas Turner to the mat four times in scoring a second round technical knockout win at the Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. After a little more than a year away from the ring, he rededicated himself to the “sweet science” with a vengeance and on February 17, 2014, Puga Jr. made his comeback stopping Charon Spain in the third round with an overpowering body shot at the Salinas Storm House in his native Salinas. Promotional issues kept Puga Jr. out of the ring for the next year and injuries led to a slow 2015, but Puga Jr. scored a a fourth round technical knockout win over of Katrell Straus on April 24 and a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Rojas on November 21, both fights taking place at the Double Tree Hotel in Ontario, California.

Brooklyn’s 20-year-old, undefeated Junior “The Young God” Younan (7-0, 6 KO’s) returns to the ring on March 26 after a nine-month layoff to take on Cristian Solorzano (4-7, 3 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico in a four-round super middleweight fight. Younan has battled multiple nagging injuries since scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Mike Sawyer on the Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale undercard on June 6, 2015 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Now 100 percent healthy, Younan looks to make Solozano his third straight knockout victim. Solorzano, a naturally bigger fighter, has campaigned in the light heavyweight division and is coming off of a knockout win.

Younan, trained by his father Sherif, a former professional boxer himself, began fighting competitively at age eight and only two years later was called a “boxing prodigy” by the New York Times. He compiled an amateur record of 90-5, racking up an impressive series of titles along the way including nine Junior Olympic championships, nine Junior Metro championships, eight New York State Silver Gloves championships and five Regional Silver Gloves championships. In 2011, he was crowned National Junior Golden Gloves champion and was U.S.A. Boxing’s number one rated junior boxer in his weight class. Less than a month after his 18th birthday, Younan made his professional debut on November 9, 2013, at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, New York, stopping Kenneth Schmitz in the first round. Younan would go on to knockout his next three opponents before going the distance for the first time against Azamat Umarzoda on July 2, 2014 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. He followed that fight with a first round knockout of Marlon Farr on August 13 the BB King Blues Club and Grill in New York on August 13.

Chinese heavyweight Zhang “Big Bang” Zhilei (7-0, 4 KOs) joins the undercard on March 26 in a four-round bout against an opponent yet to be determined. The Silver Medalist from the 2008 Beijing Olympics continues to infuse excitement into the heavyweight division and is coming off of a first round technical knockout win over David Koswara on February 20 at the Lanzhou Sports Arena in Lanzhou, China.

Born on May 2, 1983 in Henan, Zhang began his amateur career in 2003, participating in the World Championships. A breakthrough came in 2007 at the World Championships where Zhang defeated the trio of Nurpais Torobekov, Rustam Rygebayev and Daniel Beahan en route to the semifinals where he lost to Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov. By capturing a bronze medal and finishing the competition in third place, he qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The Chinese powerhouse nearly reached the zenith of amateur success in the summer of 2008, entering the super heavyweight finals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing against Italy’s Roberto Cammarelle. It was not to be as Zhang suffered his first defeat of that Olympiad, losing to Cammarelle, but proudly adding to the host country’s medal total with a Silver. In 2009, Zhang captured a gold medal at the China National Games, an event of equal prestige to the Olympics in China. 2013 saw yet another gold medal winning performance in the China National Games, setting the stage for “Big Bang” to embark on a professional career while basing himself in the United States. On August 8, 2014, Zhang made his professional debut by scoring a first-round knockout win over Curtis Lee Tate in Fallon, Nevada in a fight that was televised live on ESPN2. On March 14, 2015, Zhang beat Eric George via a four-round unanimous decision at the Armory in Jersey City, New Jersey. He followed that with another four-round unanimous decision win, this time over Glenn Thomas on the highly anticipated Cotto-Geale undercard at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 6. Next came a sixth round technical knockout win over Dennis Benson at The Playground in Atlantic City on August 15. To end the year, Zhang was featured on the undercard of the November 21 Cotto vs. Canelo mega-fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, where scored a four-round unanimous decision victory over Juan Goode.

Local Hayward, California favorite Aaron Coley (12-1-1, 6 KO’s) faces a very stern test in a six-round junior middleweight bout against Urmat Ryskeldiev (11-3-2, 7 KOs) of West Hollywood, California, a Kyrgyzstan native who is undefeated in his last seven fights.

On March 26, Coley will look follow his most recent victory, a unanimous decision over Jeremy Ramos on January 23 at the Marriott on Broadway in Oakland, with another win in front of his hometown fans. Prior to his January win he scored two unanimous decision triumphs, including his June 20, 2015 performance against Yusmani Abreu (who Ryskeldiev defeated by technical knockout in September) on the undercard of Ward’s last fight. Considered a promising prospect in boxing circles, Coley’s lone loss came via decision to one of boxing’s hottest prospects in Ievgen Khytrov in a bout that was televised live on Showtime’s ShoBox on April 10, 2015 from The Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York.

Ward vs. Barrera, a 12-round fight which is presented by Roc Nation Sports in association with Main Events, takes place Saturday, March 26, 2016 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Ticketmaster, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Lyft, Zappos, BodyArmor, SAN Nutrition, Shoe Palace and The Waterfront Hotel. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. Opening the HBO telecast will be Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Jayson Velez in a 10-round fight for the NABF Featherweight title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com, www.mainevents.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation, @main_events, @goldenboyboxing, @cottopromotions and @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation, www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation on Twitter by using #WardBarrera.

###

ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto and Two-Time World Champion Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jerome Boateng, Miguel Sano, CJ Prosise and Ronnie Stanley.

ABOUT ORACLE ARENA & O.co COLISEUM:
Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, managed by AEG Facilities, are the premiere sports and entertainment complexes in Northern California. These venues are the home of the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and MLB’s Oakland Athletics as well as host to concerts, family shows and special events. Additional information on Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, including a complete schedule of events can be found online at www.coliseum.com. Follow Oracle Arena on Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat @OracleArena and on Facebook www.faecbook.com/OracleArenaO.coColiseum.

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (March 14, 2016)- World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) President Vadim Finkelchtein, who founded the sanctioning organization in 2012, continues to lead WMMAA and the sport into a very bright future.

In four short years, WMMAA has already developed into the strongest sanctioning body in the MMA world, hosting some of the sport’s most prestigious championships, as well as creating a highly respected culture in throughout sports worldwide.

Finkelchtein answered some pertinent questions below about WMMAA, its past and future, in addition to addressing the growth of mixed martial arts:

Can you tell us about you and your experience in Martial Arts?
VF: “I practiced judo when I was a kid. Back then there was no MMA whatsoever.”

How did you first enter the world of MMA?
VF: “In 1995, I was offered an opportunity to sponsor an MMA event. That’s when I learned about and fell in love with no holds barred, or free-fight, as it was called then. In 1997, I organized my own event in Russia. The rest is history.”

When did you first hear of MMA and what was your first impression? Did
you expect this sport to grow as much as it has today?
VF: “When I saw my first MMA event in 1995, I was amazed by its scale and how many people came to watch. People were genuinely interested. It was a whole other level and approach to a sports event. And I had seen a lot so I could compare empirically. I have always believed in MMA and expected it would eventually become the number one sport in the world, although back then no one would acknowledge MMA as a sport. Our
athletes and fight teams had a hard time. They were not even welcome in sambo gyms to train there. It was a long and a hard way to change MMA’s image that was deemed as human cock fighting or closely related to organized crime. Thanks to the fact I have never had any relations to crime, when this sport landed in my hands in late 90’s, it
helped greatly as we were able to turn the tide and after all these years to help governments to officially recognize MMA.”

What is your function and main activities within WMMAA?
VF: “I founded the World MMA Association in 2012 because I felt the time had come. MMA is the fastest growing sport and it’s time to start developing it at another level, giving it a new but essential dimension. Due to its popularity, thousands of fans of all ages started practicing in Mixed Martial Arts. At that moment, I had accumulated a vast network in multiple countries. I knew countless numbers of activists across the globe, so the start was destined to happen. From the get-go over 20 countries joined the WMMAA family. At this moment there are over 60 countries and counting.”

How would you assess WMMAA’s progress during its three year existence?
VF: “WMMAA is still in its infancy. Yes, we lack experience and financing, and MMA is a new kind of sport in many regions. But I have to say that we’re growing and the last World Championship in Czech Republic proved it. Over 40 national teams flew to Prague with over 200 athletes. The level of competition evolved so much. The organizational level was also high and we are thankful to our Czech MMA Federation for its great work. This World Championship proved there is demand for MMA around the world.”

What are the main goals of WMMAA and what are the main obstacles facing
the association?
VF: “The goals are to encourage as many countries as possible to join the WMMAA
family, to facilitate them in their struggle to get MMA recognized in their respective countries, helping them develop amateur MMA. There are countless obstacles but I firmly believe we’ll prevail.”

Were there any countries that stood out or surprised you?
VF: “China surprised me a lot. They joined WMMAA recently but since then they’ve shown solid results. Also, I enjoyed the performance of Latin American teams. It was their debut but one Colombian kid (Andrey Roa Ruiz Dumar) won a bronze medal and that was great.

Once again, Russia won the majority of the medals due to amateur MMA there developing with extremely rapid strides ever since early 2012. Fedor Emelianenko is the main locomotive and driving force in Russia. The selection process there is just unbelievable. You can’t imagine how many steps one needs to make in order to become the champion of the Russian Federation. The City Championship, Oblast Championship, regional and national championship. Each of these events consists of at least three fights, which means that a Russian champion will probably have had at least won 15 fights under his belt by the time of the European or World Championships. Only truly the best get to the top. Imagine this: around 7,000 athletes participated in the aforementioned events in 2015.”

What are the 2016 mid-term goals for WMMAA?
VF: “The normal routine is to hold the Asian Championship, Pan-American Championship, multiple referee and judge seminars and certifications, then prepare for the European and, consequently, the World Championship that will coincide with the annual Congress.”

Can you describe what 2015 was like for WMMAA?
VF: “I was amazed with the Asian Championship in Tajikistan with thousands and thousands of fans at the stacked football stadium. I enjoyed watching how many people turned their eyes to an amateur MMA event.”

What words of wisdom would you like to share with the members of WMMAA family?
VF: “I’d ask all WMMAA members to adhere to the agreements and decisions we reached collectively. It pertains to the set of rules, judging process, equipment, unified rules, and youth sports development.”

WMMAA keeps expanding, however, there are still multiple countries that are not yet WMMAA members. Why should any local Federation apply for WMMAA membership?
VF: “WMMAA is the strongest MMA organization there is. We plan to continuously hold regional and world championships and keep developing and evolving. Athletes’ ethical upbringing is also our target. We believe this sport can give so much to the world in various ways and we put a lot of effort into its development. We’ll gladly accept strong and worthy partners into our ranks.”

“We are truly an amateur association, although others may think we are not. The thing is it’s rather hard to verify the real records of MMA athletes. There is no official and ubiquitous database or instance that would provide 100-percentreliable and accurate information pertaining to the amount of fights under someone’s belt. Some amateur fights might be recorded as professional and professional fights as amateur, which was the reason for us canceling the previous rule of pro fight limitation for the time being, in order to develop a new system of fighters’ eligibility evaluation. We are working on that as we speak.”

People keep asking: why should we use SportID and SportData. Can you
explain why it is so essential?
VF: “We are an official and credible sport. Our association ought to be transparent. These databases show the data on athletes, their statistics and numbers. They show the quantitative as well as qualitative growth of mixed martial artists. They facilitate in overseeing the championships registered in SportData, helping to broadcast them. Furthermore, they contain so many functions that it would take me forever to discuss it. Just think of rankings, both individual and national, fighters’ profiles and so on. I need to remind everyone that, based on the Congress decision, the use of and
registration in these databases are mandatory for all our members.”

Information

www.WMMAA.org
www.facebook.com/World.MMA.Association
www.youtube.com/user/TheWMMAA

THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY returns with the season premiere of year five WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO®. Hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy® winner, who has hosted HBO Boxing since joining the network in 1988, the show is a provocative, engaging and informative experience that delves into intriguing storylines, newsmakers and issues that are top-of-mind in boxing.

Other HBO playdates: March 21 (1:40 p.m., 5:15 a.m.), 22 (11:00 p.m.), 24 (4:30 p.m.), 26 (1:30 a.m.), 27 (11:45 a.m.) and 30 (9:50 a.m., 6:00 p.m.), and April 2 (1:10 p.m.) and 7 (10:05 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: March 17 (8:00 p.m.), 23 (2:00 p.m., 12:45 a.m.) and 28 (10:05 a.m., 10:00 p.m.), and April 1 (5:30 p.m., 2:15 a.m.), 3 (3:20 p.m.) and 9 (11:15 a.m.)

The show will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO® and HBO On Demand®.

On this edition of THE FIGHT GAME, Lampley looks at the current state of the very fluid heavyweight division; Max Kellerman and Bernard Hopkins join Lampley to discuss the latest boxing headlines and issues; an all-new THE FIGHT GAME pound-for-pound compilation; and veteran journalist Melissa Stark, the program’s new correspondent, travels to northern New Jersey to profile the women of Main Events, the boxing promotional company comprised almost entirely of females led by CEO Kathy Duva.

Immediately following the show’s debut on March 16, fight fans can log on to hbo.com for an exclusive overtime segment hosted by Lampley.

LONDON (14 MARCH) Explosive super-featherweight prospect Yusuf ‘Yut’ Safa returns to the ring on March 26 at The SSE Arena, Wembley eager to make his way towards title opportunities and represent Afghanistan and Britain on the biggest stage.

The 22-year-old from Bexleyheath was born in Kabul, Afghanistan before moving to England with his parents at five years of age, and now flies the flag for both.

“I’m proud to be from Afghanistan but I’m also proud to call myself English and to live here,” he said. “I do it for both countries. I’ve got Afghan blood, but I’ve been raised more in England than I was in Afghanistan, so England also means an awful lot to me.

“When I came to England at five, I didn’t really know what was going on. I was only young. That helped in terms of adjusting to the culture. I just went straight to primary school and got on with it.

“Our culture is a bit different. Parents are more strict with their kids and my parents were no different. They were strict with me. I always had to behave and do as I was told. That was just the way of life for me. I followed their rules and got on with it.”

A fan of ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed and Manny Pacquiao, Safa found Eltham Amateur Boxing Club at eleven years of age and quickly impressed coaches with his fast hands, fast feet and one-punch power. Then, after a brief but successful amateur career (24-3 record), he turned professional in May 2014 and has since won five fights on the spin.

“I’m very excited to box again on March 26 because it’s a big show with big-name boxers on it,” he said. “The bigger the show, the more enthusiastic I feel and the more energised I feel. I just can’t wait to get out there and show what I can do.

“I want at least five or six fights this year. I want to stay busy. By the end of this year, maybe even around autumn time, I want to be fighting for titles – Area, English, Commonwealth, any of them. I’m more than confident of winning those belts this year.”

Last time out Safa drilled Jiri Jaros to defeat in four rounds – punishing the man from the Czech Republic with body shots throughout – but, in doing so, suffered the first knockdown of his career in round two.

“He was a tricky guy,” conceded Yusuf, 5-0 (3 KOs). “He was much taller than me. I had to work to get inside. Once I got inside, though, after the second or third round, I got comfortable and knew what I was doing.

“He knocked me down in round two but it wasn’t due to a punch. It was due to a head-butt. He caught me on the way in and I went down. The referee didn’t see it, though, so he ruled it a punch.

“That aside, it was an easy fight for me once I found my range and warmed up.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

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LUCAS BROWNE has fired back at rivals keen to gain publicity off the back of his stunning WBA heavyweight title victory over Ruslan Chagaev.

The heavy-handed Sydney man wrote his name into the history books when he KOed the tough Uzbek to become Australia’s first ever world champion in the heavyweight division last weekend.

And while most in the boxing fraternity are happy for him, it appears that some heavyweights have become embittered and jealous.

In the past week, New Zealander Joseph Parker, former Rugby League star Solomon Haumono, and American veteran Shannon Briggs have all attempted to play down Lucas’s achievement while at the same time suggesting they should be given a shot at his crown.

“I’ve hardly slept a wink since winning the title as my media commitments have been nothing short of incredible. It’s beginning to sink in that I’ve created Aussie sporting history and I’m still buzzing,” Lucas said.

“I’ve been reading all the call outs but it’s simple, I’m the WBA heavyweight champion of the world and I’m involved in the WBA tournament. My next fight will be Fres Oquendo. Let’s hope it is in Australia! I’ll leave all that to my manager Matt Clark and promoter Ricky Hatton.

“Everyone else needs to concentrate on earning a shot like I did. I had to travel all around the world to get an opportunity to make history and these ‘boxers’ think they can jump the queue by throwing out insults.”

Matt Clark clarified: “Prior to the fight with Chagaev we signed an undertaking that our next fight and first defence of the title will be against Fres Oquendo.

“The call outs from Briggs, Parker’s team and Solomon Haumono are absolutely pointless. Realistically they’re just trying to get some media on the back of Lucas’s historic accomplishment.

“We will honour our contractual agreement and we look forward to having Lucas win the WBA tournament and continuing to make history”.

Kell Brook says he’s going to take his frustrations out on Kevin Bizier when he defends his IBF World Welterweight title at the Sheffield Arena on March 26, live on Sky Sports.

Brook makes the third defence of the crown he landed in August 2014, and the second against a Canadian mandatory challenge, as Bizier follows Jo Jo Dan in trying to wrestle the title from the unbeaten Sheffield star, who returns to action for the first time in ten months after injury ruled him out of a winter clash with Diego Chaves.

The 29 year old champion realised his World title dreams after forcing himself into the mandatory position and ripping the belt from Porter in California, and Brook says while the visitor has his full respect, he’s preparing to put on a boxing clinic in his hometown fortress as he targets summer blockbusters against the star names in the 147lb mix.

“You cannot take your eye of the ball,” said Brook. “Kevin is the mandatory challenger, he’s worked hard to get that shot and he deserves it. If I had looked past him and cut corners, you get found out. This is my belt, no-one is taking it from me and I have to be at my best. It’s all well and good saying that I want the big names but without putting on an explosive masterclass against Bizier I won’t get those fights. This is my hometown, my arena and my fans – no-one packs an Arena like I do here with those great fans, and I am going to make sure that my return to this place is going to be stylish. He’s getting in with the best and he’s got his work cut-out.

“The IBF don’t mess about, you have to take on your mandatory challengers and rightly so – that’s how I won this belt. I got injured with the leg in the knife attack so I had to fight Jo Jo Dan then I boxed Frankie Gavin at The O2 in a voluntary. He’d wanted the fight for a while so we got it on in a great night in London. Chaves was meant to be next and that would’ve been a tough fight but the injury means another mandatory. So opponent-wise, it’s been hard, but I want a unification fight next or something similarly huge to get people into a stadium watching me fight.

“The big names in the Welterweight division excite me and I think they excite the fans. I don’t do boring fights and I’m more than willing to go to America and knock the best out, or lay them out at Bramall Lane.

“I’m going to get business done in style on March 26 and then I want to unify the division this year. It’s basically been 10 months of training for this fight and I’m desperate to get in there and put on a show.”

Brook’s clash with Bizier is part of a huge night of action in the Steel City as Hull’s Olympic gold medal star Luke Campbell MBE returns to action in a Yorkshire derby with Dewsbury’s Gary Sykes for the vacant Commonwealth Lightweight title.

Adam Etches is straight back into title action on the card, Sheffield Heavyweights Dave Allen and Richard Towers clash in a British title eliminator and Andy Townend meets Craig Poxton for the English Super-Featherweight title.

Tickets priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 are on sale now from the Sheffield Arena on 0114 2565656 and at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk. VIP tickets priced at £250 are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com.

Tickets for March 26 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing.

Miguel Berchelt won the WBO Interim Jr. Lightweight title with a 6th round stoppage over George Jupp in Merida, Mexico.

Berchelt dropped Jupp in round four with a three-punch combination to the head. In round five, it was an uppercut on the ropes. Berchelt finished off Jupp with a double left that put the Englishman down for a third and final time at 1:56.

Berchelt, 129 lbs of Merida, MX is now 29-1 with 26 knockouts. Jupp, 130 lbs of Greenwich, UK is 13-3.

Junior Granados won a 10-round split decision over Aston Palicte in a Super Flyweight bout.

Granados, 116 lbs of Merida, MX won by scores of 97-93 & 97-94 while Palicte took a card 97-94.

Granados is 15-4-1. Palicte, 116 lbs of Cebu, PHL is 20-2.

Casey Ramos won an technical unanimous decision after 8-rounds of their 10-round Jr. Lightweight bout at The Mariott Convention Center in Burbank, California.

Ramos was cut over the right eye from an accidental headbutt.

Ramos, 132 1/4 lbs of Austin, TX won by scores of 80-71 on all cards and is now 22-0. Perez, 132 1/4 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 35-14.

Arnold Barboza won a 6-round unanimous decision over Maximilliano Becerra in a Junior Welterweight bout.

Scores were 60-54 twice and 59-55 for Barboza, 142 1/2 lbs of South El Monte, CA and is now 11-0. Becerra, 141 1/2 lbs of Vacaville, CA is 8-2-2.

In a battle of undefeated Super Welterweights, Steven Butler stopped Saldjan Janjanian in round three.

In round two, Butler scored a knockdown with a right to the head of Janjanin. Later in the round, Butler scored a second knockdown with right hand. In round three, Butler continued to pound away at Janjanin and the fight was stopped at 2:13.

Butler, 153.6 lbs is now 15-0-1 with 12 knockouts. Janjanian, 152.4 lbs of Bosnia is now 13-1.

Schiller Hyppolite won a 10-round unanimous decision over veteran Darnell Boone in a Super Middleweight bout.

In round five, each guy landed a hard shot and both Boone & Hyppolite went down simultaneously but Hyppolite was hurt more and was ruled a knockdown in Boone’s favor. In the very next round, Boone scored a knockdown with he landed a left that drove Hyppolite across the ring and into the ropes.

Hyppolite, 169.8 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 96-93 twice and 95-93 and is now 20-1. Boone, 170.2 lbs of Youngstown, OH is 23-23-4.

Mian Hussein won a 6-round unanimous decision over Tobia Giussepe Loriga.

Scores were 60-52, 60-51 and 60-50 for Hussein who is now 15-0. Loriga is now 28-7-2.