MIAMI, FL (October 2, 2015) – Undefeated light-heavyweight knockout artist, Ahmed Elbiali (12-0, 11 KOs), makes his way back to the ring against an opponent TBA October 13, 2015 at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington. Premier Boxing Champions “Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays” on Fox Sports will televise the 8-round beginning at 9PM ET / 6PM PT live on Fox Sports 1.

With seven first round knockouts to his credit, Elbiali, who’s been steam rolling through the light-heavyweight division, will be looking to score another spectacular stoppage when he steps in the ring come fight night.

“First off I would like to say I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be fighting on TV once again,” said Miami Florida’s Ahmed Elbiali. “The exposure I’ve been getting has been incredible. On October 13th I’ll be gunning for another knockout. I’ve always said the fans like to see knockouts and that’s my goal every time I step in the ring. I’m in great shape, so if I have to go the distance, I’ll be ready.”

Tickets priced $20, $40, $30, $60 and $100 not including fees, are on sale in person at the Little Creek Casino Resort box office or online HERE. Doors open at 5PM PT, with the first televised fights starting at 6PM PT.

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LONDON (2 OCTOBER) C/O K2 Promotions: IBF/IBO and “The Ring Magazine” World Heavyweight Champion and WBA/WBO Superchampion Wladimir Klitschko will defend his titles against Tyson Fury on November 28 at ESPRIT arena in Düsseldorf.

Tickets keep their validity.

Originally scheduled for October 24, the fight had been postponed due to an injury suffered by Wladimir Klitschko. However, after a comprehensive medical examination, the champion has been given the green light today for the fight to proceed at the end of November.

“My injury will heal quickly enough for me to enter the ring on November 28,” said Klitschko. “I will promptly continue my training camp preparations and, of course, I am very happy to still be fighting this year, especially for my fans who have already bought their tickets.”

Information for journalists: Due to the new fight date, the accreditation process must be restarted. If you have already sent your accreditation form please note that it is no longer valid.

The new accreditation process will open as soon as possible. Please understand that we cannot accept any early requests.

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THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY returns with a new edition WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 (11:00-11:30 pm. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy® winner, who has been the host of 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: Oct. 10 (11:15 a.m.), 13 (2:30 p.m., 10:45 p.m.), 15 (5:05 a.m.), 18 (noon), 21 (7:30 p.m., 12:30 a.m.) and 27 (9:30 a.m., 4:40 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Oct. 8 (9:30 a.m.), 14 (7:30 p.m.), 16 (12:15 p.m., 8:00 p.m.), 20 (2:50 a.m.), 24 (12:15 p.m.) and 31 (5:00 p.m.)

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

On this edition of THE FIGHT GAME, commentators Max Kellerman and Michelle Beadle join Lampley for a comprehensive look at the latest developments in the sport. Other highlights include a preview of the compelling middleweight showdowns between Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux, and Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez, plus an all-new Gatti list and FIGHT GAME pound-for-pound compilation, presented by Lampley.

Immediately following the show’s debut on Oct. 7, fight fans can log on to hbo.com for an exclusive overtime segment hosted by Lampley.

Jason Sosa 130.6 Jorge Pazos 129.7
Victor Vasquez 134 Tyrell Samuel 132.9
Jerome Rodriguez 135.1 Avery Sparrow 134.8
David Gonzales 141.6 Ryan Belasco 140.8
Ismael Garcia 161.1 Fred Jenkins, Jr. 163.6
Edgar Cortes 121.8 Antonio Conigliaro 120.3
Albert Manuykan 137.4 Scott Kelleher 139.4

Venue: 2300 Arena
2300 South Swanson Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
First Bout: 7pm
Tickets available at $50 & $75
Promoter: Peltz Boxing, BAM Boxing, Top Rank, Joe Hand Promotions

CINCINNATI, Ohio — (Oct. 1, 2015) – Two days before Adrien Broner goes for his fourth world title in his home state of Ohio, Broner and his opponent, Russia’s Khabib Allakhverdiev participated in a final press conference Thursday at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Former three-division world champion Broner (30-2, 22 KOs) returns to his hometown against fellow former world champion Allakhverdiev (19-1, 9 KOs) for the WBA Super Lightweight world title this Saturday, Oct. 3 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from U.S. Bank Arena.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose Pedraza (20-0, 12 KOs) will defend his title against former world title challenger Edner Cherry (24-6-2, 19 KOs).

In the main event on SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME®, top undefeated prospect Robert Easter Jr. (15-0, 12 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, and Argentinean veteran Juan Ramon Solis (25-9, 9 KOs) will square off in a 10-round lightweight bout.

Opening the SHO EXTREME telecast (8 p.m. ET/PT), unbeaten U.S. Olympian Jamel Herring (13-0, 8 KOs), of Cincinnati will be opposed by former African champion Yakubu “Black Mamba” Amidu (19-7-2, 19 KOs), in 10-round lightweight fight.

Below is what the fighters had to say today:

ADRIEN BRONER

“I told you I wouldn’t do any interviews or talk. Nothing has changed. I just want to thank everyone for coming. I will be victorious on Saturday night, October 3.”

KHABIB ALLAKHVERDIEV

“I don’t talk too much. I am ready to fight Saturday.

“He [Broner] is nervous. That’s why he’s acting like a clown.

“This is his hometown. It’s his last chance for a world title and he shows up late and makes it look like he’s joking around with everybody and doesn’t care. I’ve seen fighters do this before and it’s because he is scared.

“He knows what will happen on Saturday. He can clown around all he wants, but that won’t help him when we are in the ring.

“I feel great seeing him nervous. For me, this is just another fight and just another win and that’s what it will be. A win for me over this nervous clown. I am going to beat him in front of all his friends.”

JOSE PEDRAZA, IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion

“Everyone says they’re going to come knock me out, good luck to him. It’s not happening.

“He has a lot of experience as a professional, but I have been fighting for a long time as well so I’m not worried about who he’s faced.

“I’m ready for 12 rounds but I want to get him out of there sooner. I’m going to work the body hard to try to get that done.

“I want to face the best. I’d prefer not to face another Puerto Rican but if it’s the best fight out there, I will face anybody.

“I have no prediction for the fight. I have a good strategy for the fight and if it works, I will win by knockout.”

EDNER CHERRY

“I want to thank the fans. Everyone that has supported me. Tune in Saturday night. It will be a great show.”

ROBERT EASTER JR.

“I’m coming out to put on a great show. You know I don’t like to be in the ring too long so you will see a knockout.

“I don’t watch a lot of tape or anything like that. I just work hard in the gym and do the best I can.”

JUAN SOLIS

“My technical abilities are my best qualities in the ring. This is my work and I fight with honor.

“Argentinean boxers are known for giving everything in their fights. I am going to do everything to win Saturday night.”

JAMEL HERRING

“I am honored to be here. Everyone that knows me knows that I come out and I give it my all.

“Expect to see a great fight. Much respect to my opponent for taking this fight, but that’s where it stops. Once we get in the ring its all about business.”

YAKUBU AMIDU

“I have fought some great fighters. I have experience in the boxing game. I am here to give Jamel Herring a good fight. I want you to come and watch a good fight.

“I’m from Ghana. I live in Los Angeles. I have been living there for six years. I started boxing as a pro in Ghana. I went to South Africa. Then I went to England and then I came here. I have a huge advantage in experience.”

MIKE STAFFORD, Adrien Broner’s Trainer

“Adrien is at his weight class this time. We have been fighting at 146 and 147, he’s had the title at 147, but now he is back at his weight. He is mean and lean.

“Adrien knows how important this is. He knows Khabib is a great former champion. We thank you for coming to our city. Not too many people would come into this situation.

“We thank our families and friends and without these guys wouldn’t be up here. These are a great bunch of guys. I am like a stand-in father to all of them and I appreciate you supporting them.”

LEON MARGULES, President of Warriors Boxing

“Everyone knows who Adrien Broner is. Adrien has a promotional company called About Billions Promotions and they have been fun, interesting and I hope we get to work together again.

“Not only do we have a great international card, but we have several fighters, up-and-comers from this area.

“When you look at this card, you have one of the more explosive fights boxing fans will see this year. Reigning IBF Junior Lightweight Champion Jose Pedraza and former title challenger that is fighting at the weight class that he wants – Edner Cherry.

“Cincinnati is a great city. It is also a world class sports town. Bengals, Reds, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and the Cyclones that play in this building. They also have Adrien Broner.

“He is the most talented and naturally gifted fighter in the world today. I believe he can be the next superstar in our sport. He is 26-years-old. His finesse speed and power is unlike any I have seen in a long time. I am proud to be his partner and work with him on this fight.”

RAVONE LITTLEJOHN, President of About Billions Promotions

“Thanks Adrien for showing up. He has brought some great things into this camp.

“Thank Adrien Broner for giving me an opportunity to promote this fight. We are ready to go. Tickets are still available. See you Saturday night.”

VLAD HRUNOV, World of Boxing

“Thank you very much. Why do we still not sell out? If we are in your hometown. Welcome to the best fight of this city in boxing history.”

JAVIER BUSTILLO, President of Universal Promotions

“It is a pleasure and honor to be working with Leon Margules. I have been working in boxing for 20 years and I have never seen anyone like Jose Pedraza. We know we are fighting Edner Cherry – a good boxer.

“We call Jose the ‘Sniper.’ You are going to see a sniper Saturday night. He won’t miss a punch.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @AdrienBroner, @WarriorsBoxProm and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/AdrienTheProblemBroner

New York, NY (10/01/15) – Next Wednesday, DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing returns to NYC’s famed B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in midtown Manhattan for the latest installment of its popular series. Headlining the card will be undefeated prospect Louis Cruz (10-0, 4KO’s) as he makes his much anticipated return facing Ariel Vasquez in an eight-round super lightweight matchup.

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm.

The former NY Golden Gloves champion and National Golden Gloves runner-up Cruz competed at the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials before turning pro in July of that same year. Cruz quickly moved to a perfect 10-0, but upon a follow-up appointment with a hand specialist, it was revealed that Cruz needed surgery on his right hand to repair a nagging injury that had been bothering the young prospect for well over a year. After an extensive rehab, the 24-year-old is now looking to show that he is once again 100-percent healthy and ready to re-embark on his promising professional career.

Also set to make his grand return to the ring following a year-and-a-half layoff while he recovered from dental surgery will be former amateur star Shemuel Pagan (5-0, 2KO’s) as he takes on David Nelson in their four-round super lightweight contest. A 2008 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, Pagan won the NY Golden Gloves five times before turning pro in 2010. After a two-and-a-half year hiatus following his second professional victory in 2011, Pagan signed with DiBella Entertainment and 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions quickly reeling off three consecutive wins. However, he was then forced to the sidelines as he underwent multiple dental surgeries. Now back and healthy, Pagan will be looking to once again show that he is one of the most promising young prospects in all of NYC.

Dominican amateur superstar Carlos Adames (3-0, 2KO’s) will be returning for the second time in two-and-a-half weeks and fourth time in less than three months when he squares off against fellow unbeaten Rudy Lozano (2-0-1) in their four-round welterweight contest. Adames had a superb amateur career that culminated with a trip to the 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships, losing in the third round to eventual gold medalist Merey Akshalov. Now living in Brooklyn and training out of Gleason’s, Adames has been turning heads inside the famed gym. Adames recently sparred with 2014 ‘Fighter of the Year’ Terrance Crawford where an absolute war ensued. Although very young into his professional career, early indications have shown that Adames has what it takes to not only win a championship but also to develop into a superstar.

Seeing action on the card in separate eight-round bouts will be fast-rising and exciting undefeated Ukrainian prospects Ivan Golub (8-0, 6KO’s) and Ivan Baranchyk (8-0, 7KO’s). Golub will take on his toughest opponent to date when he challenges Kendal Mena (20-2, 11KO’s) in their super welterweight showdown, while Baranchyk competes against Gyorgy Mizsei Jr. (20-12, 11KO’s) in their super lightweight matchup. Both Golub and Baranchyk, stablemates to red-hot contenders Sergey Derevyanchenko and Ievgen Khytrov, have absolute dynamite in their fists. Baranchyk has scored six straight knockouts this year alone, all coming in three rounds or less, while Golub has stopped six of his last seven foes.

Brooklyn’s Mikkel LesPierre (10-0-1, 4KO’s) returns for the sixth time this year when he takes on Angel Figueroa (3-3-1) in an eight-round super lightweight matchup. LesPierre had a successful, albeit short amateur career that culminated with a trip to the 2012 Olympic Trials, before turning pro later that year.

Looking to impress in his first fight under the tutelage of world-renowned trainer Ronnie Shields will be former U.K. National Champion Steed Woodall (8-0-1, 5KO’s). Woodall puts his undefeated record on the line against Deferson LeGrand (3-3, 2KO’s) in their six-round super middleweight matchup.

Also appearing on the card will be Bronx’s Peter Dobson (5-0, 4KO’s) in a six-round welterweight matchup and Brooklyn’s Dushane Crooks (6-1, 4KO’s) in a four-round super welterweight matchup. Opponents for Dobson and Crooks will be announced shortly.

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm.

For additional information, you can visit www.dbe1.com, follow us on Twitter @loudibella @DiBellaEnt or like our fan page on facebook/DiBellaEntertainment.

Cincinnati, OH (10/01/15) – This Saturday night, live on Showtime®, undefeated Puerto Rican star Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (20-0, 12KO’s) makes the first defense of his IBF junior lightweight world championship when he defends his crown against dangerous, former world-title challenger and IBF #14-rated Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry (34-6-2, 19KO’s). The championship matchup will be the lead supporting bout to Adrien Broner’s battle against Khabib Allakhverdiev for the vacant WBA world super lightweight title. Showtime will begin live coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The 2008 Olympian Pedraza won the belt in June with a near shutout decision over once-beaten and tough-as-nails contender Andrey Klimov. Pedraza had his way with Klimov from the outset, controlling the action with his superior boxing ability and speed, switching between orthodox and southpaw, and at times stalking Klimov down, showing his willingness to go toe-to-toe. It was a near flawless performance for the 26-year-old, who won by scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109, fulfilling a lifelong dream, and cementing himself as the leading candidate to become the island country of Puerto Rico’s next superstar. Pedraza will be looking to steal the show this Saturday when he takes on the dangerous and longtime contender Cherry.

“We train hard all the time, we are in great shape and we prepare for every fight like the opponent is the champion,” said Pedraza. “Edner Cherry is a very experienced fighter. He is a strong guy and good puncher. I am in great shape and I’m ready to fight 12 rounds. This could very well be the toughest fight of my career. He hasn’t lost in seven years, but we are very prepared, studied the fight well and are ready to go come Saturday. My youth will play a huge part in this fight. I’m much younger than him and, without a doubt, I will win this fight. I can’t wait for the fans to watch this fight and if they can’t be here than I hope they watch on Showtime. It will be a great fight.”

“Jose Pedraza is one of the most exciting young champions in all of boxing and a successor to the great Puerto Rican champions that preceded him. On Saturday, he’ll have a chance to prove himself against very tough contender Edner Cherry in what should be a barnburner,” said co-promoter Lou DiBella.

“Working with Jose and his team has been spectacular since day one and having Al Haymon working with us to further build his career has been a blessing. There is no limit to what Jose can do in this sport. Edner Cherry is a very dangerous competitor who will be bringing it all night long. We are confident in Jose’s ability though and know he will once again put on a spectacular performance come Saturday night,” said co-promoter Javier Bustillo.

“I truly believe that Jose will be a multi-divisional champion and go down as one of the best fighters to ever come out of Puerto Rico,” said co-promoter Gary Shaw.

The 33-year-old Cherry hasn’t lost a bout since 2008, when he dropped a decision to then-WBC super lightweight world champion Timothy Bradley. After the defeat to Bradley, Cherry dropped down in weight and got himself back into title contention, reeling off 10 victories, including seven inside the distance.

The bout between Pedraza and Cherry is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Universal Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions. The event is promoted by Warriors Boxing and About Billions Promotions.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and About Billions Promotions, are priced at $154, $104, $79, $54, and $29 and are on sale NOW. Tickets are available at the U.S. Bank Arena box office, all Ticketmaster outlets including select Kroger stores, call 1-800-745-3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

.New York, October 1, 2015-

Star Boxing’s just-signed Australian sensation Zac Dunn will defend his IBO Super Middleweight World championship and put his unbeaten record on the line against Denis “The Momma’s Boy” Douglin, on Saturday night, October 24, at The Paramount in Huntington, New York, it was announced today by Star Boxing president Joe DeGuardia.

Douglin (19-4, 12 KO’s) is a southpaw fighting out of Marlboro, NJ, and comes off two straight knockout victories, his most recent a sixth round KO of Marcos Primera on July 11. The Momma’s Boy has won five of his last six bouts. Douglin captured the first 12 fights of his pro career, mostly in the New York-New Jersey area as
a product of Rivera Boxing Gym and Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn.

The title tilt is the main event in the next installment of Star Boxing’s Rockin’ Fights series. Dunn, ranked #10 by the WBC, is the “Wonder from Down Under” who has reeled off 18 straight professional victories without defeat, including 15 by way of knockout. Fighting exclusively in Australia as a professional, Dunn will be making his American debut at The Paramount.

“This will be an action fight from the opening bell,” said DeGuardia. “Both fighters are crowd-pleasers with their propensity for the knockout. All but three of Zac’s wins have been by KO, and Douglin has won almost 60 percent of his fights via knockout. It’s a great fight for boxing enthusiasts.”

Dunn is coming off a snazzy 12-round decision over the well-thought-of Max Bursak, the winner of 31 career fights, to take the vacant IBO World title on June 27 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Australia. His previous five triumphs were all scintillating knockouts in seven rounds or less. Two ultra-impressive KOs were second round annihilations of Beibi Berrocal, on March 6, and Kyung-Suk Kwak on March 16, 2014, setting the stage for Zac’s shot at the title. Dunn did not disappoint the Australian faithful.

Dunn turned pro on the heels of a storied amateur career, scoring 152 victories in 170 fights, while showcasing his talents all over the world. The battle-tested Australian has fought in in Baku, Azerbaijan (bronze at the World Cadets Championship 2007), Guadalajara, Mexico (quarterfinalist in the World Youth Championship as Australian captain), Noginsk, Russia (Silver medallist at Junior Memorial), and Anapa, Russia (Bronze medallist twice at Nikolay Pavlyukov Memorial 2008 and 2009), and Guantanamo, Cuba (silver medallist at the international tournament Giraldo Cordova Cardin 2010).

For more information visit official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

LOWELL, Mass. (October 1, 2015) – Forty-two years after he captured his first National Golden Gloves Tournament title at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Hall-of-Famer Sugar Ray Leonard returns Saturday, October 10 to the same historic building as a television analyst for Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN, promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, airing live from Lowell, Massachusetts.

PBC on NBCSN is headlined by a 10-round rematch between Framingham (MA) welterweight Danny “Bhoy” O’Connor (26-2, 10 KOs), who is fighting to avenge his 2011 loss to Brooklyn welterweight Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (23-2, 4 KOs). O’Connor and Leonard are two of only four people to ever win the National Golden Gloves and National Amateur Championship in the same year. O’Connor collected both accolades in 2008.

Leonard captured top honors in the lightweight division (132 pounds) of the 1973 National Golden Gloves Tournament, outpointing Hilmer Kenty in the championship final at Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Leonard won the National Golden Gloves Tournament at light welterweight title the following year, while seven years later Kenty became the first professional world champion from Emanuel Steward’s soon-to-become legendary Kronk Gym in Detroit.

“One of the most precious moments of my career happened in Lowell, Massachusetts,” Leonard recently said about his aforementioned experience. “It was priceless.”

In addition to Leonard and Kenty, five other future world champions – Marvin Hagler, Aaron Pryor, Art Frias, Leon and Michael Spinks – competed in the 1973 National Golden Gloves Tournament. Leonard, Hagler, Pryor and Michael Spinks are International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees.

Leonard has another tie to Lowell, the fourth-largest city in Massachusetts. In 1978, he won a 10-round decision over Dicky Eklund at Hynes Auditorium in Boston. Eklund was the head trainer of his half-brother, “The Pride of Lowell” and three-time “Fight of the Year” participant “Irish” Micky Ward, who celebrates his 50th birthday this coming October 4.

Also featured on the PBC on NBCSN telecast is undefeated super bantamweight rising star Jonathan “Salomon King” Guzman (19-0, 19 KOs), a Dominican Republic native who now lives in nearby Lawrence (MA), takes on upset specialist Danny Aquino (17-2, 10 KOs), of Meriden (CT), in the 10-round co-feature.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will showcase Quincy, Mass. featherweight prospect Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (23-1, 7 KOs) against Brooklyn’s Rafael “Dynamite” Vazquez (16-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

Lowell Memorial Auditorium, which also hosted the 1995 National Golden Gloves Tournament, represents a homecoming for O’Connor and Kielczweski, who both won New England Golden Gloves Tournament titles there.

Tickets are on sale and priced at $125, $85, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Special student, veteran and senior ticket prices also available. For tickets visit www.lowellauditorium.com.

CAMERON HAMMOND is in a hurry to get his hands on the Commonwealth welterweight crown.

The Indigenous Moree hitter, 13-0 (7 KOs), represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games as an amateur before going on to star at the London Olympics in 2012 and wants to become the 53 nation alliance’s champion as a pro.

Hammond won an eliminator for the belt currently held by England’s Sam Eggington when he halted Jese Ravudi in May.

And he warms up for the challenge when he meets Thai southpaw Denkamon Pakdee Gym at Alexandria Basketball Stadium in Perry Park, New South Wales this Saturday night (October 3).

He said: “I travelled all over the world as an amateur and I don’t mind getting my passport stamped again to fight for the Commonwealth belt.

“Eggington’s defending the belt against Frankie Gavin in a few weeks and I’m happy to go to England and fight the winner.

“To be honest, I think whoever wins that match-up will probably vacate, but I’d still love to travel back to Britain to box for it. I liked it over there when I was at the Olympics and it would be great to link-up with my promoter Ricky Hatton in Manchester.”

However, Hammond insists he cannot look beyond Gym this weekend. The Thai has stopped 13 of his 22 victims and will be looking for shatter Cameron’s aspirations.

“I can’t say I’ve seen much of him, but he’s got a solid record and I know he’s coming to try and take me out,” Hammond said.

“He’s the first southpaw I’ve boxed since I turned professional and that will give me a few more things to think about. I know my trainer will have the perfect game plan for me to take my record to 14 wins.”

Hyannis, Massachusetts [October 1, 2015] – Professional boxing will return to Cape Cod for the second time this calendar year on Saturday, November 28, 2015 at Barnstable High School. In the main event, Northeast Heavyweight Champion Jesse Barboza (10-1-1, 6 KO’s) will put his title on the line in an eight-round fight against an opponent to be named at a later date. Tickets are on sale now at www.CapeCodBoxing.com.

Barboza, a 2004 graduate of Barnstable High School and former team football captain, is excited about the opportunity to compete at his alma mater.

“The energy was electric when I fought in Hyannis for the first time over the summer”, said Barboza, who won the Northeast Title with a crushing first-round knockout (KO) of Pennsylvania’s Jesse Oltmanns at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center (HYCC) in August, “I can’t wait to see how it’ll be on Thanksgiving weekend when everyone’s home for the holiday. It’s nice that Cape Cod is starting to develop a pro boxing scene.”

The event will be presented by Boston Boxing Promotions and will feature a full undercard of supporting bouts as well. Harwich light heavyweight Paul Gonsalves will compete in a separate bout as well. Gonsalves (8-7, 4 KO’s) is coming off a first round technical knockout (TKO) over Mexico’s Rafael Valenzuela in August and looks to extend his winning streak.

Boston Boxing Promotions first foray into Cape Cod was a success over the summer. The event featured five professional boxing matches, was attended by a capacity crowd of over 800 spectators and featured two knockout’s that will be in consideration for KO of the year. Full length video of the bouts from that night will soon be available online in anticipation of Boxing’s returning to Cape Cod on November 28th.

The event will be presented by Boston Boxing Promotions. Boston Boxing Promotions is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. To learn more about the promotion, you can follow them on Twitter @BostonProBoxing, join the promotion’s official Facebook page “Boston Boxing Promotions,” and visit the promotion’s website www.BostonBoxingPromotions.com .

Manchester, England (October 1, 2015)–WBO number-five ranked junior middleweight contender & Boxcino 2015 champion, John “Apollo Kidd” Thompson arrived Thursday morning in Manchester, England in advance of his October 10th WBO junior middleweight world title clash with Liam Smith that will take place at the Manchester Arena.

Thompson of Newark, New Jersey, is promoted by GH3 Promotions and Banner Promotions, is excited for the opportunity to become world champion.

“I am glad to be here, but I have a job to do and on October 10. That night I will become world champion.”

BILOXI, Miss. (October 1, 2015) – Light heavyweight contender Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (27-1, 18 KOs) will take on undefeated Michael Seals (19-0, 14 KOs) Friday, Nov. 13 on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike live from MGM Resorts International’s beautiful Beau Rivage Resort & Casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Televised coverage will begin at 9 p.m. ET.

“This is a huge opportunity for me to clearly cement myself as one of the best 175-pounders in all of boxing,” said Rodriguez. “Michael Seals is coming to fight and I know what a win means for him and his career. That being said, this is going to be my night. George Bernard Shaw once said that, ‘life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.’ This victory is a major piece of the puzzle I’ve created for my life. A win on Nov. 13 moves me a major step closer to challenging for a piece of the light heavyweight crown, and there’s nothing and no one that will get in my way of achieving that.”

“I’d like to thank all parties involved for making this fight a reality,” said Seals. “I’ve remained focused mentally and in my training to make sure that I was completely prepared for my opportunity when the time came. I have a strong base and have been blessed with a chance to show the world my talents. I will be ready to go when the bell rings on Nov.13.”

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $62.95, $48.95, $34.95 and $20.95, plus tax and service charges. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

“Edwin Rodriguez is clearly one of the best 175-pounders in the world, and I am glad that he is getting a match-up of this caliber and an opportunity to showcase himself against a truly tough test in the highly regarded and undefeated prospect Michael Seals,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The winner of this bout should be in line for a shot against Adonis Stevenson, or any of the other champions in the light heavyweight division, and we expect a spectacular performance from both guys when they meet November 13.”

“The light heavyweight division has become one of the most compelling division in boxing,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike. “Spike is excited to have two of the rising stars in this weight class, Rodriguez and Seals, battle it out.”

“MGM Resorts International is home to the best boxing events in the world,” said Beau Rivage Executive Director of Entertainment Anthony Gibson. “I’ve watched a lot of boxing in the last 40 years and DiBella Entertainment’s events at Beau Rivage are some of the best I’ve seen. The theatre, the ring, the boxers and atmosphere are always first-class.”

An accomplished amateur who won a 2006 National Golden Gloves gold medal and a 2005 U.S. National Championship gold medal, the 30-year-old Rodriguez enters this fight as the winner of his last three. Born in the Dominican Republic but fighting out of Worcester, Mass., Rodriguez’s lone loss came to undefeated Andre Ward in 2013 and he owns victories over previously undefeated fighters Will Rosinsky, Jason Escalera and Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna. Most recently he stopped previously unbeaten Craig Baker in the third round on a May PBC card.

Undefeated and fighting out of Atlanta, Georgia, Seals looks to make a mark on Nov. 13 when he faces his toughest competition to date. The 33-year-old played college football at the University of Alabama A&M before getting his start in boxing and turning pro in 2008. In 2012 he stopped the experienced Byron Mitchell in round one and has added five victories to his record since then including a March victory over Carlos Reyes.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LaBombaBoxing, @LouDiBella, @SpikeTV and @SpikeSports and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/Spike.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com. Super Middleweight contender Gilberto Ramirez will return to action on November 20 when he takes on Gevorg Khatchikian in Las Vegas on TruTV.

“This is the second time that I have fought in Las Vegas. When I was younger I dreamed of fighting in Las Vegas because it was the boxing capital of the world, where the best events took place,” Ramirez said. “Nov. 20th is a memorable date for Mexico. It is the Revolution Day. I am dedicating this fight to all Mexicans.

“I have been training more than a month because this fight is so important. It is important because my promoter promised me a world championship fight if I win this one, so I am preparing like this is a world championship fight. It is do or die for me and my career to win and to have the opportunity to make history by becoming the first Mexican to win a super middleweight world title.”

“Gilberto gets better and better with each outing,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said. “We expect a great challenge from Gevorg, and Gilberto will have to be at his best to beat him and secure his long-awaited title shot in the early part of 2016.”

“I am going to the USA to be recognized as an elite fighter,” Khatchikian, 27, said. “My opponent, Gilberto Ramirez, is a quality fighter, but I promise I will put on the performance of my life and beat him. On Nov. 20, the world will know who is Gevorg Khatchikian.”

In the scheduled 10-round co-feature, prospect Saul Rodriguez and Ivan Najera will square off in a fight at 132 pounds.

“Najera vs. Rodriguez is one of those can’t-miss matchups,” Moretti said. “We’ve seen what Najera is all about with his battle last June with [Felix] Verdejo. Saul is an excellent puncher but will need more than that competing at the next level, which this showdown truly is.”

“I know I have a very talented fighter in front of me. I am preparing myself like never before,” Rodriguez, 22, said. “I will give all boxing fans a very exciting fight and guarantee those in attendance and those watching on truTV a great performance.”

Said Robert Garcia, Rodriguez’s trainer, “Saul and our team are taking this fight very seriously. I know Najera is a very dedicated fighter with tremendous skills. We want to show the world that Saul Rodriguez is a future world champion.”

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring, especially in Las Vegas, against another undefeated opponent,” Najera, 22, said. “I am ready to take my place back after the loss with Felix Verdejo and I’m very happy it will be on truTV, which gives my family and everyone that can’t make it to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas a chance to watch it.”

LOS ANGELES (September 30, 2015) Just days ahead of his October 3 battle against Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship, Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) hosted a Los Angeles media workout at The Rock Gym in Carson, Calif. on Wednesday, Sept. 30. He was joined by his promoter, the Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya along with co-main event fighter and former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico; and fighters featured on the non-televised undercard including former Lightweight World Title contender Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (28-1-2, 16 KOs) and Los Angeles fan-favorite Nick Arce (4-0, 4 KOs).

In the co-main event on Oct. 3, Soto will take on undefeated contender Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (22-0, 15 KOs) of San Diego, Calif. in a career defining 10-round super lightweight showdown.

Also on Oct. 3, undercard fighter Arce is scheduled to fight in a six-round featherweight bout against Juan “Juanito” Hernandez (3-0) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In addition,Gesta will face three-time world title challenger Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (32-9-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico, in a classic Philippines vs. Mexico 10-round lightweight bout.

Here is what the fighters and their promoter had mmto say about their upcoming fights on Oct. 3 just days before the big event:

Lucas “La Máquina” Matthysse, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion:

“My inspiration is to be a world champion, to fight the best fights. That’s inspiration for me.

“I have wanted to be a world champion since I was a little boy and Saturday night I will have the chance to make this dream come true.

“I am very happy to be fighting in the Los Angeles area for this fight. It is a great honor for me to have the support of the Latin people here in the United States, coming all the way from Argentina.”

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

“Viktor Postol is a lanky, tall fighter with some great knock outs under his belt and is being trained by Freddie Roach, which I know will get him in great shape. Matthysse with have his hands full with Postol.

“After the 3rd, 4th round, I can see it being a brawl. I can see Lucas Matthysse having to chase down Postol and do some damage. When have you ever seen a boring Lucas Matthysse fight? It’s going to be a fun, action-packed fight.”

HUMBERTO “LA ZORRITA” SOTO, Former Three-Division World Champion:

“It’s going to be a good fight, youth against experience. I think the people who see this fight are going to be the real winners.

“Nothing personal against Antonio Orozco, but I do believe experience will beat youth on Saturday.

“This fight will steal the show because when you put two Mexicans in a ring, they come to fight.”

MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, Former World Title Contender:

“Right now, I know I’m in good shape and 100 percent healthy, so expect a really good fight because Martin Honorio pushes hard and has good form. It’s going to be a good fight.

“I’m training hard for Saturday night and am really proud to represent my country of the Philippines.”

NICK ARCE, Top Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m staying focused, staying on my weight, ready for Friday and ultimately give a great show on Saturday at the StubHub Center.

“There’s a lot of great featherweights out there, and we’re just focusing on our careers. Slowly but surely so when we get to the top, we’ll see who’s there and take them out later on. Golden Boy is one of the great promotional businesses out here right now, and I’m honored to be on the team.”

Tickets for Matthysse vs. Postol are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, and 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.

Matthysse vs. Postol is a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions, Top Rank, Inc. and ELITE Boxing Promotion and is sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live it To Believe It!. Doors open at 2:00pm PT and fight times will be announced soon. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.elitboxclub.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.stubhubcenter.com; follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TRBoxing, @HBOBoxing, @StubHubCenter, @MatthysseLucas, @ViktorPostol, @PuroOrozco; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter; and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MatthyssePostol.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — (Sept. 30, 2015) – Adrien Broner (30-2, 22 KOs) and Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-1, 9 KOs) held a media workout at The Punch House in Cincinnati on Wednesday as they prepare for this Saturday’s WBA Super Lightweight World Championship, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from U.S. Bank Arena.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, undefeated IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose Pedraza (20-0, 12 KOs) will defend his title against former world title challenger Edner Cherry (24-6-2, 19 KOs).

SHOWTIME EXTREME fighters and undefeated prospects Robert Easter Jr. and Jamel Herring also participated in Wednesday’s workout. Easter Jr. (15-0, 12 KOs) will take on Juan Ramon Solis (20-9, 9 KOs) while Herring (13-0, 8 KOs) will face Yakubu Amido (19-7-2, 17 KOs) in separate 10-round lightweight bouts this Saturday. NOTE: Solis is a late replacement for the previously announced Miguel Acosta as an opponent for Easter Jr.

While Broner continued his vow of silence with the media, the three-division world champion “let his fists do the talking” in a spirited workout that lasted nearly 90 minutes.

Here’s what the rest of the SHOWTIME fighters had to say on Wednesday:

KHABIB ALLAKHVERDIEV:
“I expect Broner to try to play his game, but we will play our game.

“The experience I gained after losing the title in my last fight [against Jesse Vargas] is that I really understand the opportunity that I am being given going into this fight.

“I am not worried about fighting in Broner’s hometown. I have fought many fighters in their own cities and it doesn’t bother me.

“On Saturday night, I will show the fans a great fight and come out with the victory.”

JOSE PEDRAZA:
“We train hard all the time, we are in great shape and we prepare for every fight like the opponent is the champion.

“Edner Cherry is a very experienced fighter. He is a strong guy and good puncher.

“I am in great shape and I’m ready to fight 12 rounds.

“This could very well be the toughest fight of my career. He hasn’t lost in seven years. But we are very prepared, studied the fight well and are ready to go come Saturday.

“My youth will play a huge part in this fight. I’m much younger than him and, without a doubt, I will win this fight.

“I can’t wait for the fans to watch this fight and if they can’t be here than I hope they watch on SHOWTIME. It will be a great fight.”

EDNER CHERRY:

“This will be a very tough fight. We’ve been training hard and had a great camp.

“I’m not taking anything away from him, he’s a tough fighter. He’s a champion for a reason. But on Saturday night I’m coming for that title, that’s my job.

“We trained for 12 hard rounds, but if the knockout comes, then I will be very excited. All I’m looking for is a very hard 12-round fight.

“Ever since my title loss to Timothy Bradley in 2008, I’ve pushed myself to get back into this position and to give myself the opportunity for a title shot at the right weight class. I’m finally in the right weight class for me.

“Bradley was the much bigger fighter when we fought [in 2008]. That was a mistake on our end. He just was the bigger guy, but I was in the ring with one of the best fighters in the world and I really learned from that fight.

“I tell people that I am so glad that I didn’t win that title against Bradley because, in my mind, I would’ve been fighting at 140, but that wasn’t my weight class. I would’ve been risking my life fighting at 140. I glad I didn’t win it, but I’m also glad I hung in there and got myself back into a big fight.

“I’ve been preparing for this fight for 15 years, and it’s going to show on Saturday.”

ROBERT EASTER JR.

“I have a lot of people coming from Toledo to see me. They’re all excited about it.

“This is my second time fighting on SHOWTIME EXTREME and I’m truly blessed. It’s a good opportunity to showcase my skills on national television.

“I know nothing about my opponent, but I do that on purpose. It’s been the same thing as the rest of my 15 opponents. I didn’t study them at all. Whoever they put in front of me, that’s the test I have to overcome and so far I’ve been doing excellent and passed them all.”

JAMEL HERRING:

“He’s my best opponent yet. He’s a tough guy, very durable. He’s a lot more durable than my last few opponents.

“I take nothing from him, but I’m motivated and looking forward to pushing myself more than anything. It’s going to be a great step up and people are going to see a lot more than they’ve seen from me in the past.

“I’m in great shape. I just had a fight back at the end of August. I took literally three days off instead of a whole week and came right back, so I’ve been in shape for the past three months getting to this date.

“It’s a blessing to be able to showcase my talent on the national scene instead of the local venues or being on the big cards but not getting any kind of TV exposure. Now I’m part of the big show.

“I don’t take anything for granted or let it get to my head. To me it’s another fight and I take every fight seriously. It doesn’t matter who I’m in with, every fight is a stepping stone to a title, so every fight is important.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @AdrienBroner, @WarriorsBoxProm and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports and www.Facebook.com/AdrienTheProblemBroner

Tom Loeffler: We are really excited about this upcoming event. We have gotten a tremendous reaction from both the media and the fans, especially the local media in New York. We are seeing Roman back in the States and it will be his first time fighting at Madison Square Garden. The tickets sales are very strong in anticipation of this event. It’s a large international event and will be telecast on Box Nation in the UK, WOWOW in Japan, in Nicaragua where Roman is from, Sat 1 in Germany, Polsat in Poland and in the Philippines, over 120 countries in total. This is a very strong WBC championship fight in the flyweight division and Roman was just announced as the consensus pound-for-pound fighter and I know a lot of people are looking forward to seeing him back in the ring and when he is fighting a guy like Brian Viloria who is a four-time world champion in two different divisions. We need to thank a lot of people that made this fight happen – Mr. Honda of Teiken Promotions, Viloria’s manager Gary Gittelsohn and Carlos Blandon the manager of Roman Gonzalez.

These are the type of warriors looking to show their skills in the ring.

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: I want to thank God and I want to thank Teiken Promotions, HBO, K2 and everyone else that has made this possible. I am ready for October 17.

Roman, you have been voted by numerous outlets to be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter – your reaction? And does it add pressure?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: I am very happy about being voted the No. 1 pound-for-pound. I would like to thank my team because I believe it is a team effort and all of the work has paid off. It does not bring any pressure – it just brings motivation.

What is it the feeling to be where you are now as the No. 1 fighter in the world compared to where you came from?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: When I go back I would never have imagined that I could be No.1 pound-for-pound fighter or have won three world championships. I have taken care of myself. That is one of the great lessons I have learned. I am looking forward to October 17 to demonstrate my talent and be victorious once again.

Viloria is a tough opponent – how do you feel about fighting someone at this top level – the toughest you have fought in a few fights?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: I know that Brian Viloria is an excellent champion and he is a great fighter. He is a tough opponent and it will be a hard fight. I have my arsenal and he has his arsenal and whoever is in the best physical condition on October 17 is going to win the fight.

Roman, you are the first at your weight to be No. 1 – does that make it even more special?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: It definitely makes it a lot more special and I would like to thank the Bible of Boxing among others for taking me into consideration. I thank God because without him I would not be able to be where I am at today.

Carbajal was the first at that weight to break into the top five, then Ricardo Lopez was in the top 5, and Mark Johnson – does you remember any of those?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: Ricardo Finito Lopez is the one that sticks out for me the most – the way he boxed.

I know Alexis Arguello is your mentor and I don’t think he was ever pound-for-pound, but how does would he feel about this?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: I believe that Alexis Arguello would be the happiest out of all of my team, because he had a lot of trust in me and treated me like his son. He would not only be so happy to see me as the pound-for-pound No. 1 but to also have won three world championships. Out of the whole team he would be the happiest with my accomplishments.

Are there any other fighters out there you are looking to fight and what would be the super fight?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: I would like to have a rematch with Estrada, which I think would be a very good, fight but right now I am focused on Brian Viloria on October 17.

How important is it for you to put on a good show at Madison Square Garden for the fans in the USA?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: I am so happy with MSG and HBO that they are giving me this opportunity to fight where a lot of great champions have fought.

Has Viloria been on your radar in the past couple of years since you have been hovering around the same weight class?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: As a matter of fact, after I fought Estrada, I was told the winner of our fight would fight the winner of Viloria-Tyson Marquez fight, but then Viloria decided to fight Estrada. That was the only time that Viloria’s name was mentioned as an opponent on my radar until this fight on October 17.

How difficult do you think it will be to get other top fighters in the ring with you?

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez: It definitely motivates me to be able to fight at Madison Square Garden and HBO is giving me the opportunity. And I need to perform well so that HBO continues to give me the opportunity to fight the best fighters. But not just me – I hope that other fighters in my weight class can get, from HBO, the same opportunity.

How was the negotiation process for the first Estrada fight and do you think it will be tougher to negotiate the second time around?

Carlos Blandon: The first time that Roman Gonzalez fought Estrada, he was under different management (PRODESA), who had a good relationship with Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions, and at the time Estrada had just avenged his only loss at that time against Sanchez and won the Azteca title, so when they offered him the fight at 108lb. he accepted with ease because it was his first world title shot. Now it’s different because it is going to be a unification of titles and there is a lot more on the line, they both have bigger names and they have more exposure so negotiations will be a little bit harder. Under my management if Zanfer wants a shot at Gonzalez they have to come up with an offer that is worthy of both fighters, which are great champions.

How important is it to have two of the best boxers in the world fighting on the same card?

Tom Loeffler: It’s very important and one of the few and rare occasions when you have the top two fighters in boxing fighting on the same show and that’s why we have seen such a great reaction from the fans and the media. I just want to reiterate – Roman is one of the only fighters that could outshine GGG, like he did at the Forum where his performance was so outstanding and impressive that it got everyone talking about it. We are excited about having him back and it’s a great combination having two world title fights like this,
Gennady defending his titles – unifying with a big puncher like IBF Champion David Lemieux and then Roman defending his title against a proven champion like Brian Viloria, it’s a tremendous event.

Do you think it will do 1 million pay-per-views or more?

Tom Loeffler: I think we are pretty conservative on our end, with ticket sales you can see everyone is very excited about the event. None of the fighters have been on HBO pay-per-view before so this is really us trying to make this event work. We will be happy with the success on pay-per-view and I think it opens a lot of doors for all the fighters featured on the show.

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria joining the call…

Tom Loeffler: Brian Viloria brings additional international flavor to the promotion with a strong Filipino following. He is a four-time world champion and we are very excited about the match-up between Brian Viloria and Roman Gonzalez.

Gary Gittelsohn: As Brian’s manager I would like to say how grateful we are to be part of this event. Having been around boxing for quite a while I know there is no bigger stage than Madison Square Garden and no bigger platform that HBO Pay-Per-View. It’s a rare combination that showcases the little giants of the sport despite my efforts over the years to get recognition for them. I never understood the corporate bias against the smaller weights especially because traditionally the lighter weights are the most talent laden. If you ask any matchmaker, there are no bums occupying the lower weight classes. And any of those guys on any given day can become a champion. But this fight is special – it matches the two most compelling flyweights in the world. I can’t personally remember a match-up of this magnitude since Gonzalez-Carbajal – and that’s really saying something. I’m sure of one thing, after this fight the flyweights will not have to come begging to the premium cable networks to get airtime.

Let me say a few words about Brian Viloria. There is a certain axiom that says ‘never fall in love with a fighter, because he’ll eventually break your heart.’ I’m here to tell you that hasn’t been my experience. I love Brian Viloria and when you get to know him you’ll love him too. He has the soul of a champion. He is strong and skilled, he’s competitive, he’s self-confident, he’s composed and for this fight especially, he is very focused. Brian has been boxing for most of his life and inside the ring is where he is most comfortable. I am delighted to tell you that Brian’s preparation for October 17 has been smooth and there have been no hiccups whatsoever. His sparring has been tremendous. He has had a terrific mix of sparring partners. As a fan I have never been as excited about a co-feature on a Pay-Per-View card as I am about this fight.

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: Good morning everyone and thanks for joining us on this call. I have been preparing myself very, very hard for this fight. I have never been this focused compared to any fight I have had in the past. This training camp is one of my best training camps, only because I know the type of challenge I am going to be facing on October 17. I am facing the No. 1 pound-for pound fighter in the world – the best fighter in the world – and I do not want to leave any stone unturned going into this fight. I want to be in the best shape of my life. I want to be 100% focused mentally and physically for this fight. I think I have a lot to show, that I am still one of the best fighters out there, in the world, and there is no better place to showcase that then on HBO Pay-Per-View. I thank you guys for giving me this opportunity and Tom Loeffler, for having me fight in New York City at Madison Square Garden.

Do you see any weaknesses in his game that you can exploit?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I have been watching tapes endlessly during training camp for this fight. He does a lot of things correctly. I think, not to give too much away in terns of strategy, I just need to come in shape and prepare in the gym, and be able to fight the 12th round like I am fighting the first round, and just let my hands go. I don’t think Chocolatito has ever fought a guy that can hit as hard as me and I’m a bit faster than anyone he has ever fought. I think I possess a little bit of a challenge for Chocolatito in this fight. I have the experience. I’ve been in big battles in fights and I don’t think Chocolatito has ever fought a guy like me and I think all I need to do is come into the fight with a straight head and just let my hands go. I don’t think I could have trained any harder than I have and I am just ready – ready to go.

Tom, does GGG’s camp acknowledge that Chocolatito is No. 1?

Tom Loeffler: Gennady doesn’t get caught up in the ratings, he just wants to prove he’s the best middleweight. We are definitely excited that both Roman and Gennady are at the top of the polls. I think it was a consensus of whether it was going to be Chocolatito or Gennady, and having both of those fighters on the same show and I’m sure Brian has something to say about that. When I was discussing making the fight with Gary, there was no hesitation at all from Brian’s side. Brian is very excited for this challenge and both fights will be electric and non-stop action. So to answer your question, as far as the ratings, I think it is a poll that Gennady would like to be rated No. 1 but he is excited to be where he is right now in the sport.

Do you feel that this is a great time for the flyweight division, where you have been for a long time?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: Yes, it’s been a long time. I remember there were a couple of fights where I thought it was worthy of being on the networks. The Marquez fights were back-to-back battles – a lot of people enjoyed that fight and I still get a lot of comments about that fight from fight fans and people on the street come up to me and say ‘that fight was amazing.’ Finally we are able to showcase what fans that enjoy the lighter weight divisions have been watching. This is a bigger stage and I’m really proud to be able to showcase my talents and I know Roman Gonzalez is really excited. It also takes two to tango. You can’t just have one big name – you need another big name – and in this case Roman is the big fish and everyone wants to see him fight. I’m also going to give him a big challenge. I think for the past couple of years a lot of people have been missing out on some great fights in the lower weight divisions for a long time now and finally thank you to everyone who is giving me this opportunity to fight on HBO and to showcase to the world what they have been missing out on for the past couple of years.

You came out with the big group that had so much promise, from the 2000 Olympics, and here we are, 15 years later and you are the last one going – not only just boxing but fighting at a world championship level.

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I miss those guys – Jeff Lacy had a great run. Jermaine Taylor, Rocky Juarez…some of those guys I look back and they had tremendous talent. That team was stacked and anyone of us could have been a world champion – and some did become world champions and some of us didn’t. A lot of the credit goes to how I live my life outside of the boxing ring. I try to take care of myself not only during training camp but when I have free time I try to keep myself in shape and try to lead a healthy life and that’s what I credit my longevity in this sport to. A lot of my friends are either retired or doing other things. My passion is boxing and I have been born to do this. I feel like I have a lot more to give in this sport, there is a lot left in the tank and I just love doing this and I want to continue doing this until I have to hang up the gloves. Right now I am just trying to take it one fight at a time and I am just going to try and give it as much as I can on October 17 and give it my all and leave everything in the ring just to show everybody who I am and what I do in terms of being an action fighter and being a great fighter.

You lost to Estrada and he beat Estrada – does that have any bearing in your opinion on the way this fight may go?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I think styles make fights. Estrada does have a difficult style and strategy. Each fight is different and I know this fight is going to be hard too but I think I have what it takes to overcome a fighter like Roman Gonzalez. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past I think I fought the wrong fight when I lost to him. I don’t think I was in as great shape as I am now and as mentally focused as I am now for this fight against Gonzalez. This is going to be a totally different fight then what happened in the fight against Estrada.

You have been one of the best fighters in the lower weight class for some time – had some great fights and some setbacks. Do you think a win here will cement you as one of the best fighters of this generation?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I am just going to go into this fight with an open mind. I am going to try and enjoy myself and not only get the win but try to take it in as much as I can. I am having a great training camp. I have never been so ready, in a long time, as I am now looking back to all of my other training camps. I am so focused and so pumped for this fight and I think all of the hard work is going to show on October 17. I know I have what it takes to win and I hope I come out with a W. I have so much confidence in myself for this fight. Whatever happens happens. I am going to go into to this fight and do what I have to do and try and do as much as I can to pull out that win. Cementing my legacy doesn’t matter I just want to come out with the win – just give it my all on October 17.

Have you fought anyone with a similar style to Roman Gonzalez?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I haven’t fought Roman yet so I could only answer that after I fight him then try to compare style-wise. By the looks of it, Roman is a great fighter and has a great style. I don’t know if he has the punching power or the ability to take punches but we will see and after October 17 then we can compare.

To what do you attribute this new attention to the lower weight classes?

Gary Gittelsohn: I think the answer is self-evident. Roman Gonzalez has sort of catapulted onto the scene and captured peoples’ attention. With ascendancy – we all embrace it because a rising tide is great for the sport in general and for the lightweight divisions. People are captivated by heavyweights over time but there has been a dearth of heavyweights with the exception of the Klitschko’s who for many years have fought mostly in Germany and off of HBO. So the sport in general was rudderless after Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. But when you have someone who has become as romanticized as much as Chocolatito who has now become in most peoples’ minds the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and you have someone who has a good a reputation as Brian Viloria, who has been laboring in the trenches for many years begging to get on the networks we finally have the sun, the moon and the stars all aligned. I am hoping and expecting that this fight will not let anyone down. You can never choreograph how a fight goes, but this is one that I will bet my last dollar on will meet all expectations and likely exceed them.

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I can never figure out why our division has never been looked on the same way as the higher weights and the middleweight divisions but I can assure you that come October 17, a lot of people will figure out why they have not paid a lot of attention to it only because we are going to show a great fight. You are going to see two warriors go at it. It is going to epitomize boxing as what it is. It is a great time to be in the lighter weight divisions. They took a leap of faith with us and we are not going to disappoint, I promise.

Did you see the Tyson fight over the weekend?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I did not get a chance to watch it. I am heavily into training and I also have a son that I try to take care of who I spend all of my free time with and I enjoy that a lot. My main focus right now is Roman Gonzalez and training for him and training really hard for him.

What have you done to correct some of the flaws that have led to your losses?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: When I look back at it I don’t think I took some of those fights so seriously as I should have. There were circumstance I got myself into. I didn’t give my all into training camps. There were times I thought I could have done a lot more, pushed myself a little more extra. For this camp I pulled out all the stops. I eat, live and breathe Roman Gonzalez right now and I think I’ve done that for the last couple of fights now compared to the fights that I have lost. Whenever I am faced with the challenge such as October 17, I always push myself extra hard and for the fights that I lost I didn’t give that type of push. I think that’s the difference.

When the fight was offered what made you think this is the right time for this guy?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I think it is my time. My last three fights ended in knockouts. When I lost my fight to Estrada I always want to get back on the horse again and Roman is the type of fighter that will propel me and my legacy to where I want to be. Now that he is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world I think beating him will also cement my legacy. Not is the time to do it. I am getting up in age and I can’t wait any longer, I need to do it now. Al of my fights have been great and now is the prime time to face the challenge of Roman Gonzalez on October 17. It is all about timing and now I have the confidence and the strength and the will and the drive to go up against a fighter like him.

Gonzalez has choirboy looks but killer knockout ratio; but you are the more experienced fighter – how do you plan to win?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: There is no secret – it is just working hard in training camp, getting up extra early, doing my roadwork, doing my strength and conditioning, getting the right sparring and just grinding it out every day and not cutting any corners. I don’t think I have cut any corners for this fight in fact I have gone beyond to get myself prepared for this fight. And doing the little things like eating right and not staying up late to get myself prepared for a fighter like Roman Gonzalez. I haven’t put myself in a position where I am stressing myself out too much. I am in a great place right now, I think I have trained really hard. I went into camp right after my last fight and if the weigh-in was tomorrow I would make weight. That is what a lot of fighters have to worry about – having to drop down in weight so much and I didn’t have to worry about that. This training camp has had no bumps in it and I’ll be ready for October 17 and in a couple weeks I will be ready to get in the ring with Roman and we are going to go. I am going to do my best and let my hands go and give the fans the fight that they want to see.

What do you study when you watch tapes?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: We study tendencies and kinks in the armor and see if you can expose certain flaws that you see in a fighter. You want to see certain tendencies that he has when he throws certain punches and if there are certain things he likes to do in certain situations and try to work your style against that and try to find the weaknesses. Every fight is different and every fighter has a different strategy for each fight – sometimes you have to box and sometimes you have to change it up and slug it out. Try to link the tendencies to the mistakes and use that to neutralize him.

So you have a plan A but need to have secondary plans if that doesn’t work?

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: Most times that is what you try to prepare yourself for and you have to be versatile so you are not stuck trying to figure out what is going on, like what Bruce Lee said “you try to be like water and react.” You need to be able to change it up, if the body shots are not working you have to find a way to get into the weakness. You have to be versatile and not stick to one game plan.

The 1994 Carbajal-Chiquita rematch they earned seven figure purses – a first for flyweights – and that was actually part of the promotion. Has any flyweights earned as much since?

Gary Gittelsohn: No and I have had this conversation with Bob Arum many times. I am a businessman and we all understand the economics of the sport – you don’t put $2M purses up unless you know that the promotion can support those kinds of expenses. That was the last particular time that the flyweights had captured the imagination of the general public. Even thought Brian is one of the few known commodities in this division, Chocolatito’s ascendency has stirred the pot a bit so that in the future you can see purses rising to more meaningful levels and should Brian come out victorious on October 17 and depending on how the fight goes, the rematch might command that. Dance partners are always important and that goes with any division – there is Mayweather-Pacquiao and there is Mayweather-Berto – the economics are very different.

In Closing…

Gary Gittelsohn: Not to repeat myself but there are going to be fireworks and it is going to be great. I urge everyone to tune in to the PPV to see this fight because this is one of those rare times where the co-feature is every bit as good as the main event. What K2 Promotions is offering here – they really should be commended – this is real value for the dollar. I can tell you that Brian Viloria is coming here to win this fight and surprise a lot of people and those are the kind of events and kind of happenings that people talk about for years to come so don’t miss this one.

Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria: I can just say that I have done all the work and I hope everyone is going to tune in on October 17 to see the final product and it is going to be an explosive fight. There are going to be a lot of fireworks going off that night and this is going to be the type of show that everyone is going to want to spend their money on and take their time off to sit down and watch and enjoy the show.

Tom Loeffler: Thanks to the teams for being on the call. We are going to have a full schedule of media events for fight week. We will have a media workout on Tuesday and the main event press conference on Wednesday. This co-feature is so big that we are going to have a separate press conference for that on Thursday and the weigh-in will be on Friday. We have priced the pay-per-view for the fans and when there are two great fights like we have there is great value at $49.95 – Golovkin vs. Lemieux and Chocolatito vs. Viloria. There are two additional fights on the pay-per-view, which include the IBF eliminator between Tureano Johnson vs. Eamonn O’Kane and Luis Ortiz, the big-punching heavyweight from Cuba versus Matias Ariel Vidondo from Argentina.

Tickets at Madison Square Garden are virtually sold out – as of yesterday there were 292 tickets left. So we look forward to everyone showing up at Madison Square Garden The World’s Most Famous Arena and watching it on HBO Pay-Per-View.

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Golovkin vs. Lemieux is presented by K2 Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with GGG Promotions and Eye of the Tiger Management. The event will take place Saturday, October 17 from Madison Square Garden and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. ET and the first fight begins at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Tickets for GOLOVKIN vs. LEMIEUX are on sale now and priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50 and can purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com.

For more information visit, www.k2promos.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.gggboxing.com, www.eottm.com, www.thegarden.com, www.hboboxing.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @TomLoeffler1, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @GGGBoxing, @LemieuxBoxing, @ChocolatitoBox, @BrianViloria and @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/GGGBoxing, www.facebook.com/EyeofTheTigerManagement and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and join the conversation using #GolovkinLemieux.

BROOKLYN (September 30, 2015) – In a highly anticipated showdown between two of Brooklyn’s most exciting and talented fighters, WBA Middleweight World Champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (30-1, 27 KOs) will take on former world champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) on Saturday, December 5 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

“There is no doubt this is going to be one of the biggest fights Brooklyn has ever seen,” said Jacobs. “Peter and I go back a long time, but this is business. I’m the champion and he’s the challenger. I’m going to do everything I can to win on December 5 and show the world that I’m the best Brooklyn has to offer.”

“The fans have waited a long time for this fight and now it’s finally here,” said Quillin. “I was back in the gym on Monday after my fight against [Michael] Zerafa preparing for December 5. I know there is so much at stake for me —a belt and Brooklyn bragging rights. It’s going to be a night to remember for me and for all of Brooklyn.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $50, not including applicable fees, and are on sale Tuesday, October 6 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will also be available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Wednesday, October 7 at 12 p.m., if tickets are still available.

These two powerful fighters have been on a collision course for several years, dating to when Quillin was the WBO Middleweight Champion and Jacobs was working back towards contender status after sitting out over a year due to cancer.

While Quillin relinquished his belt due to the birth of his son and the death of his uncle, Jacobs continued to rise in the rankings and earned his world title with a knockout in August of 2014 over Jarrod Fletcher in Brooklyn. Each fighter has earned knockout victories in the last two months and both boxers will return to the site of their world title-winning performances when they clash at Barclays Center.

“This is a can’t-miss, pick’em fight between two of the best middleweights in the world,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “This is truly the battle of Brooklyn, with both Danny and Peter possessing the power to create fireworks in an explosive night. SHOWTIME will truly be ending 2015 with a bang…or many of them.”

“Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin is a unique matchup of two bona fide middleweight stars, each in the prime of his career,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “It is as evenly matched as you’ll find in the division, and it stands to be the career-defining fight for both men. We expect the action in the ring and the atmosphere at Barclays Center will make for a very memorable night. For boxing fans, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

“This is the ultimate Brooklyn matchup,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center.
“Miracle Man vs. Kid Chocolate is about more than a world title, it’s about Brooklyn bragging rights and glory. The borough is ready for December 5.”

An inspirational figure who will fight at Barclays Center for the fifth time, Brooklyn’s Jacobs completed his road to champion when he defeated Fletcher for the middleweight title. In 2011, while pursuing a championship in the ring, cancer threatened his life and kept him on the sidelines for 19 months. When he returned, he picked up where he left off, and hasn’t lost since. The 28-year-old is coming off of a second round stoppage of former world champion Sergio Mora in August.

Quillin gets back in the ring after having knocked out Michael Zerafa earlier this month to follow up his hard-fought draw against middleweight world champion Andy Lee in April. He won a middleweight belt in 2012 with his highlight-reel, six-knockdown demolition against Hassan N’Dam in the first boxing card hosted at Barclays Center. Born in Chicago, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but residing in Brooklyn, the 31-year-old went on to defend that title against strong contenders Fernando Guerrero, Gabriel Rosado and Lukas Konecny. Now, “Kid Chocolate” looks to become a world champion for the second time.

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @DanielJacobsTKO, @KidChocolate, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter.

KIRYL RELIKH says he’ll prove his potential for the top when he faces experienced Argentinian Christian Ariel Lopez in Monaco this Friday night (October 2).

The explosive Belarusian makes the first defence of his WBA Intercontinental super lightweight crown and he believes it is only a matter of time before he’ll be strapping a world title around his waist.

Relikh, 25, has been trained by former four-time world champion Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton for the past 18 months and believes he now has enough weapons in his arsenal to follow in his idol’s footsteps.

Relikh is already ranked number ten in the world by the WBA thanks to an unbeaten run consisting of 19 fights with 17 knockouts, and could move into the top five with a stellar showing against Lopez.

“It’s every boxer’s dream to win a world title and with every fight I get a step closer,” Relikh said. “I’m already in the top ten and I can’t wait to fight the best in the division.

“Lopez looks like a good boxer and he has not been beaten in nine years, but he’s no match for me and I will not let him come between me and my dream.

“Every day when I go to the gym to train with Ricky, I look at the belts he won mounted on the walls and tell myself that one day I’ll have world titles of my own.

“Ricky was the best junior welterweight in the world and I want to follow in his footsteps. He’s not only my trainer, he’s my hero and I want to do him proud by taking him to the big fights in Las Vegas again.”

Chief support on Friday night sees Kirkham’s unbeaten Adam Little will face experienced Frenchmen Sylvain Chapelle, while Ukrainian prospect Fedir Cherkashyn will take on Victor Garcia over six rounds and Samuel Boulogne locks horns with Aleksandr Kulbinok.

The show will be promoted by ASM Boxe in association with Hatton Promotions, World Sport Promotion Ltd and Neil Marsh.

On Saturday, September 26, Dusty-Hernandez-Harrison earned his 15th knockout against James Wayka (16-14-1, 8 KO’s) of Green Bay Wisconsin at the Masonic Temple in Norfolk, Virginia. Hernandez-Harrison stopped Wayka at 1:18 of the first round with a flurry of body punches that followed a knockdown.

Hailing from Washington, D.C. with an undefeated professional record of 28-0 (15 KO’s), Hernandez-Harrison is the number 15 rated welterweight in the world by the WBC and the reigning WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Champion. At the time of his first pro bout at the age of 17, Hernandez-Harrison had 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 to 2009.

Also, on Saturday, September 26, Dustin “The White Tiger” Fleischer took on Ira Frank (1-0, 1 KO) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a four-round welterweight bout at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Beach Haven, New Jersey. Fleischer secured his fourth knockout in four professional outings, preserving his perfect record at 2:53 of the first round with a viscous right hand to the head.

New Jersey native and Two-Time State Golden Gloves Champion Fleischer is on a quest to become the first grandson of a Holocaust survivor to be crowned world champion. With an amateur record of 112-18, Fleischer is a protégé of 1996 Olympic Head Coach Alfred Mitchell and the youngest graduate of the U.S. Olympic Education Center for boxing at the age of 16. Fleischer made his professional debut on January 9, 2015 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden during Roc Nation Sports’ inaugural throne boxing event, scoring a second round technical knockout victory over Frank Jordan in a fight that was televised live on FOX Sports 1.

LOS ANGELES (September 30, 2015) – Reigning WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) has arrived in Los Angeles to begin training camp at Wild Card Boxing Club with trainer Freddie Roach ahead of his Saturday, Nov. 21 showdown against former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) which will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View from The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Below is what Cotto and Roach had to say about the start of camp:

MIGUEL COTTO: WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion

“I am more than ready to get to work and am fully confident that the plan Freddie Roach has in place for our team is going to ensure that I am prepared to lock in this victory on November 21.”

FREDDIE ROACH: Hall of Fame Trainer, Seven-Time Trainer of the Year Award Winner and Trainer of Miguel Cotto

“The energy at Wild Card is at an all-time high. Miguel is one of the hardest working men I know and he did not waste any time getting into the ring with me. I know that we have the tools we need for a successful training camp that will put Miguel in the best position possible to beat Canelo.”

Remaining tickets can be purchased at the Mandalay Bay box office, ticketmaster.com, mandalaybay.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. Ticket orders are limited to four per person.

Cotto vs. Canelo, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra; Mexico, Live it to Believe it!; O’Reilly Auto Parts, Tequila Cazadores and Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms). The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Follow the conversation using #CottoCanelo.

While preparing for Friday’s Puerto Rican Boxing Classic at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, promoter J Russell Peltz, International Boxing Hall of Fame, class of 2004, recalls his start in boxing 46 years ago.

Today I celebrate-or perhaps observe-the 46th anniversary of my first fight as a boxing promoter. I could have waited another four years to write this story, but that seems like a long time from now and an even longer bet to reach that milestone.

I saw only a few minutes of my first boxing card. It was Sept. 30, 1969, at the Blue Horizon-not yet legendary-and I was busy in the box office with mom, selling tickets to the last of the 1,606 people we squeezed in there that night to watch middleweight Bennie Briscoe destroy Tito Marshall in their rematch. We actually turned people away that night and that’s something I would never do again. What was I thinking?

There was a miscommunication with the union that supplied the ticket sellers so when they failed to show, I hired mom-gratis, of course-and she helped to sell the tickets.

I was 22 years old, 15 months after graduating from Temple University and less than 30 days removed from working full-time on the sports staff at The Evening Bulletin. I had coveted the boxing beat at The Bulletin, but I got impatient when Jack Fried, the boxing writer, got an extension on his mandatory retirement at age 65 and I wasn’t about to hang around waiting for him to retire or, as dad would say, kick the bucket.

So I did what every 22-year-old college grad who was raised on the prestigious Main Line would do-I became a boxing promoter.

I had saved about $5,000 in college since I had worked full-time on what they called the Lobster Shift at The Bulletin, starting the summer after my junior year at Temple. I worked from midnight to 8 am, editing stories, writing captions and headlines and doing re-writes. Then I’d drive from 30th & Market Street to North Broad Street for my senior year at Temple, go to class from 9 am to 1 pm, then drive home to Bala Cynwyd to go to sleep.

It was a post-Olympic year in Philly and there was talent on every street corner. I remember the late summer of 1969, driving up Columbia Avenue-now Cecil B. Moore-and turning right after 22d Street where Columbia turns into Ridge. Two buildings from the corner stood the aptly named Roach’s Café. On top of Roach’s Café, up a steep flight of stairs, was Champs Gym, run by Quenzell McCall, who had made his bones training Percy Bassett and Leotis Martin and Kitten Hayward and Briscoe and many other top Philly fighters.

I met Sam Solomon, a friendly round-faced man who owned a Laundromat in West Philadelphia, and he introduced me to his new fighter, a 17-year-old stud who was looking to turn pro. His name was Eugene Hart. Sam nicknamed him Cyclone.

A year earlier, at a gym in the basement of the Annunciation Church at 12th & Norris, just off Temple’s campus, I had interviewed another young amateur boxer for a story I wrote for The Bulletin. His name was Bobby Watts. They called him Boogaloo.

There had not been a pro fight card in Philly since May and local fans were ready for some action.

I had dreamed of having my boyhood idol, Hall-of-Famer Harold Johnson, in the main event but I could not afford the $2,000 he wanted. I had become friendly with Pat Duffy, having written some stories about amateur boxing while I was at The Bulletin. Duffy controlled the amateurs in the tri-state area and he had his hand in the pros as well. He was involved with Leotis Martin and Sammy Goss and Bennie Briscoe and for a guarantee of $1,000 against a percentage of the gate receipts I got Briscoe to fight a rematch with Marshall, who had beaten Bennie four years earlier.

Duffy also had a heavyweight named Jerry Judge, from the Kensington section of Philly, and I added him to the card in his pro debut. On the poster I identified Judge as the Kensington Heavyweight Champion. Really!

George Hill, who was training at Champs Gym, agreed to make his own pro debut against Judge.

Jimmy Toppi, Jr., owned the Blue Horizon. He had promoted fights at various Philly venues in the 1940s and 1950s and as soon as he heard about my main event, he predicted a sellout. Toppi would close his office every day at 2 pm, so I would drive over to the Blue Horizon from my apartment in the Germantown section of the city, park outside and wait to see if any customers would show up to buy tickets. Whenever I saw someone ring the doorbell at the Blue Horizon, I’d get out of my car, call over to them and sell them tickets out of my trunk.

The card came together, although Watts’ original opponent, North Philly neighbor Lloyd Bad News Nelson, canceled out a couple of weeks before the show and it wasn’t until close to Sept. 30 that I found Ron Nesby, who was training at Gil Clancy’s gym in New York.

Dad was in the plumbing, heating and air-conditioning business and he took 100 ringside tickets and gave them out to his business associates. He paid me for all of them-they were $5 apiece. I guess he was worried I wouldn’t make it in boxing. My uncle Bob came to the fight and he got sick after eating a Blue Horizon hotdog.

I was at the gyms every night, Champs and the 23rd PAL in North Philly, Passyunk and the Juniper Gym in South Philly. There were others but those were the Fab Four.

Malcolm “Flash” Gordon, a long-haired New York boxing junkie who had bought a mimeograph machine with his Bar Mitzvah money years earlier, agreed to sell his now-legendary programs at the fight for 25 cents each.

Tom Cushman, the boxing writer for the Daily News, was a major player. I had met Cushman in Oklahoma City a few years earlier. He had stopped there–on his way East from Denver to start his new job at the Daily News-to cover Temple’s basketball team in a Christmas tournament and I was there as a correspondent for The Bulletin.

Cushman knew that boxing writers from other newspapers in town took money under the table from promoters to write pre-fight stories and he told me if he ever caught me doing that I could kiss our friendship goodbye. Not a chance!

The Inquirer headline the day before my card: Is Peltz Ready To Get Skinned?

We sold out. At the time, the 1,606 fans in attendance represented the largest crowd in the Blue Horizon’s history. The gate was $6,010 with tickets priced at $3 and $5. Briscoe’s percentage came to $1,314.58 and Marshall walked out with $788.75.

Middleweight Oscar Coor beat Clarence Finney in an all-local four-rounder to open the card-on time, naturally, at 8 pm-and Cyclone Hart blew away South Philly’s Sheldon Moore, who didn’t answer the bell for round two. Jerry Judge worked hard and stopped George Hill in the fourth round and Boogaloo Watts out-boxed Ron Nesby in a 6. In the main event, Briscoe had a blast. He nailed Marshall below the belt early and when Tito complained to the ref, Bennie went upstairs and it was all over in 60 seconds. Marshall never boxed again.

Columnist Sandy Grady was there from The Bulletin. His story the next day–Crazy Dream Comes True–told about my prediction in college that one day my friends would be coming to my fight cards. He also wrote that my (first) wife and I were living in an apartment in Germantown and the only things in it were a mattress, a TV set and a cat named Ophelia. With the money we made that night ($1,438.83), Grady wrote that perhaps now we would buy some furniture.

A few months earlier, my wife had asked me what made me think I could be successful in this business. I told her that it would take me about six months to blow my savings but I’d have a great scrapbook one day to show our kids about the time their daddy was a boxing promoter.

HBO Boxing kicks off the fall with an all-action showdown featuring one of the most exciting fighters in the sport when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. VIKTOR POSTOL AND HUMBERTO SOTO VS. ANTONIO OROZCO is seen SATURDAY, OCT. 3 at 10:15 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 4 (9:00 a.m.) and 6 (11:15 p.m.)

The doubleheader will also be available on the HBO NOW and HBO GO platforms.

In the headline event, Lucas Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) of Trelew, Chubut, Argentina and Viktor Postol (27-0, 11 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine, compete for a vacant 140-pound title belt in a 12-round super lightweight fight.

Matthysse, celebrating his 33rd birthday this week, fought the rugged and relentless Ruslan Provodnikov last April, scoring a thrilling triumph in a contest many ringside observers view as the leading candidate for fight of the year honors. The undefeated Postol is a skilled 31-year-old who is embracing the challenge of meeting one of the sport’s most devastating punchers at a venue known for eye-opening outcomes.

Opening the evening is a ten-round super lightweight bout featuring Humberto Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) and Antonio Orozco (22-0, 15 KOs). Soto, 35, of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is a skilled veteran with three division world titles on his resume and more than three times the professional experience of his opponent. Orozco, a 27-year-old Mexican native who currently hails from San Diego, is seeking national recognition in a highly competitive division.

The Oct. 3 doubleheader kicks off an impressive fall lineup on multiple HBO Boxing platforms. HBO Pay-Per-View® will present blockbuster middleweight bouts featuring Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux (Oct. 17) and Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez (Nov. 21), while a “World Championship Boxing®” card will showcase the 2014 BWAA “Fighter of the Year” Terence Crawford in prime time on Oct. 24 vs. Dierry Jean. Welterweights stars Timothy Bradley Jr. and Brandon Rios collide in an intriguing 147-pound showdown two weeks later in Las Vegas (Nov. 7).

Immediately following the live doubleheader from Carson, HBO will premiere “Road To Golovkin/Lemieux,” a special previewing the upcoming middleweight unification bout between Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux that will air live on HBO Pay-Per-View®.

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The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.