LONDON, ENGLAND – (April 13, 2023) – A new queen will be crowned as an astonishing 114-year wait finally comes to an end on Saturday, May 6th when Lauren Price MBE and Kirstie Bavington become the first female professional boxers in history to compete for the inaugural British Women’s Championship and a coveted Lonsdale Belt.

Introduced in 1909 and named in honour of Lord Lonsdale, the great patron of British boxing, the British championship belt was created as a prize to be awarded to the domestic champions across the various weight classes. 

When the British Board of Boxing Control was formed in 1929 it took over governance of the British championship and Lonsdale belt, which remained available only to male boxers – until now.

Equality for women’s sport will rightfully shine through in what is a huge, landmark moment in just three weeks time when Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold Medallist Lauren Price MBE (3-0, 1 KO) meets former EBU European Welterweight champion Kirstie Bavington (7-3-2, 2 KOs), live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK & Republic of Ireland.

The newest addition to the Lonsdale Belt pantheon will keep the same traditional format – including the iconic portrait of Lord Lonsdale – but will have a different ribbon colour. 

Price will be keen to get her hands on it first. The Welsh wonder was the first sportswoman to receive her MBE honour from King Charles III following his accession to the throne last November and she is arguably the most decorated amateur to hail from these shores. 

Since turning professional in 2022, the former Wales international footballer has been victorious in three contests, including February’s impressive victory in Paris, France, over Naomi Mannes – who Bavington defeated for the European title in November 2022.

Price made history last October too at the momentous all-female BOXXER card in London when she stopped Timea Belik in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,000 fans at The O2 and a live television audience of over two million viewers – a record audience for a live women’s sporting event on Sky Sports. 

Fittingly, her historic bout with Bavington will take place in Birmingham, England on the day King Charles III is officially crowned – the first British championship belts were made in the Birmingham workshops of 250-year-old jeweller Mapin & Webb, which is also responsible for the Crown Jewels that will be used in King Charles III’s coronation ceremony.

BOXXER Founder and CEO, Ben Shalom, said: “We are incredibly proud to be history makers once again for women’s boxing with Lauren Price fighting for the first-ever British women’s title against Kirstie Bavington. We are hugely grateful to the British Boxing Board of Control for their phenomenal support and help in the progression for women’s boxing.”

Lauren Price MBE said: “It’s a complete honour. It’s another thing to add to my list to go and make history. I can’t believe it really. It’s a very proud moment for me. I was looking forward to boxing on May 6 anyway. But this is the icing on the cake. To fight in my fourth professional fight for such a prestigious title is the direction I want to go in. It’s absolute honour.”

Robert Smith, General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control said: “We are very pleased to approve the first female British Championship, contested by two very good challengers, an Olympic Gold medalist and a former European champion. Women’s boxing has come on tremendously and now we have a British Championship. The winner will indeed be a worthy champion of this historic bout.”

Helen Falkus, Director of Multi Sports at Sky Sports, added: “We’re proud that we are able to say that we will be part of history being made on this momentous night of boxing. The fact that a women’s title fight has been sanctioned for the first time shows the immense growth that women’s boxing is continuing to experience. After historic nights like Shields v Marshall, we look forward to showcasing more of the best fighters in the world.”

BOXXER: Birmingham at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham is headlined by the newly-signed Joshua Buatsi, himself a former British champion, who kicks off his world title campaign in a clash with undefeated Polish powerhouse Pawel Stepien.

Team GB hero and light-heavyweight sensation Ben Whittaker returns to action on home soil in his beloved Midlands for his third professional bout when he takes on Jordan Grant. Plus, English middleweight champion Tyler Denny faces Manchester’s Macaulay McGowan and Kaisee Benjamin collides with Sean McComb.

To see the full card for May 6 and for the latest ticket news, head to BOXXER.com

This event will be presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) 7th Annual Awards & Induction Weekend to be held Friday September 29^th, Saturday September 30^th, and Sunday October 1^st, 2023 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. 

The ACBHOF induction weekend commences at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Friday September 29^th with the “Opening Bell” VIP Cocktail Reception 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, $50.00 admission fee online and at the door, and Saturday September 30^th, Fight Fan Experience & Boxing Exhibits 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, free admission

The Highlight of the weekend is Saturday September 30^th, red-carpet formal Induction Ceremony which takes place in an award show atmosphere. Join us as we honor all who helped make Atlantic City a worldwide boxing Mecca.  Attendees will enjoy the opportunity to mix and mingle with boxing royalty and special VIP guests.  

Tickets for Awards & Induction Ceremony can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster | ticket prices are: $125.00 & $60.00

Please visit our website for all: event tickets, room reservations, itinerary and scheduled events, by visiting us at: www.acbhof.com  

“We are excited to host the 7th annual Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Awards and Induction Weekend,” said Mike Woodside, Vice President of Entertainment and Marketing Services at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. “This impressive group of inductees has strong ties to Atlantic City, including George Foreman who fought his last professional fight here at Etess Arena against fellow inductee Shannon Briggs.”

“So many historic fights were in Atlantic City. I’m very proud to be inducted into the A. C. Boxing Hall of Fame.” – George Foreman

“Atlantic City is where I started my humble boxing career. Atlantic City showed me love and will always have a place in my heart. I’m honored to be inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame 2023 Class.” – David Tua

“I’m really excited about being inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame. It shows dreams really do come true. ‘Let’s Go Champ” – Shannon Briggs

The 2023 class members include: 

George Foreman, David Tua, Shannon Briggs, Pinklon Thomas, Tracy Harris Patterson, Doug Dewitt, Darroll Wilson, Shamone Alvarez, Jamillia Lawrence, Joe Hand Sr., Matt Howard, Rudy Battle, Benjy Esteves Jr., Arnold Robbins, Joseph Santoliquito, Lee Samuels and posthumously & pioneers: Buster Drayton, Marty Feldman, Rocky Castellani, Frankie Polo, Joe Miller, Horace M. Leeds, “KO” Becky O’Neill and Willie O’Neill  

“The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame family is super excited to celebrate the newest members of the Hall of Fame. We can’t wait to have boxing enthusiasts both far and near relieve some of their greatest memories of Atlantic City’s legendary fights and fighters. And there’s no better place to celebrate this year’s class than right here at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, a global entertainment brand.” – Ray McCline, ACBHOF President

For more information, visit the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame website at: www.acbhof.com 

A special thanks to our sponsors and supporters: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Boardwalk Resorts – Flagship Hotel, Mayor Marty Small Sr., City of Atlantic City, SparBar LTD, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, Expressions Graphic Designs, Patrick Killian Arts, Guzman Gloves, Adams Boxing, WBC, IBF, and Fight Night Apparel

BEVERLY HILLS – April 12, 2023 – Hard-hitting undefeated sensation “King” Ryan Garcia showed off his vaunted power and hand speed during a media workout from a ring overlooking the picturesque San Fernando Valley in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, vowing to “destroy” Gervonta “Tank” Davis ahead of their clash on Saturday, April 22 headlining live on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Davis vs. Garcia is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and the telecast is produced by SHOWTIME PPV.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and are available through www.axs.com. 

Garcia has headlined fights across Los Angeles, Dallas and San Antonio, with fans packing the rafters to watch his meteoric rise. He now steps into the biggest fight of his career and a rare matchup of unbeaten superstars in the prime of their careers. The 24-year-old looked at home on Tuesday as he hit the pads in the ring assembled in the backyard of a mansion owned by reality TV personality and businesswoman Adrienne Maloof.

Here is what Garcia, along with his trainer, the renowned Joe Goossen, and legendary promoter Oscar De La Hoya had to say Tuesday:

Ryan Garcia

“This fight means a lot to me. It means everything. It’s a moment that I’ve been envisioning for so long now. It’s the only thing I’ve wanted for so long, to defeat Gervonta Davis and to destroy him. To end everything that he’s ever worked for, because I know he’s trying to do that for me. I’m going to take him out. He’s done. It’s nap time for Gervonta.

“I’m just going to be focused in the ring, no matter if it’s the first round, second round, third round. Any of the rounds, he can go to sleep. He’s going to have to be careful. That’s what I have to tell him. Be careful. I don’t think he is, and he’s going to walk into one. Or I’m just going to go get him. Either way, I’m going to beat him.

“I’m excited for fight week and I’m going to be even more excited when I’m there. But right now, my thoughts are just, ‘stay focused and do my best during the media workout.’ When I get there, I’m going to love it. Everybody is going to be there. Everybody wanted this fight so I’m expecting good energy and for everybody to be pumped up. Some people are going to think he’s going to win, some people are going to think I’m going to win. I’m just going to win.

“Nobody really trains at these media workouts, so I just thought to make it as cool and as fun as it can be. I know that I’m going to be training at 7 o’clock tonight, so I might as well make a show out of this. Everybody is getting some good food, I’m going to treat the media well and give them the best answers as I can, and that’s it. Make everybody happy.

“This is a huge fight for boxing. It can really change the trajectory of the sport and inspire young fighters to get it on right now. People are going to love you. They’re going to see that you went out there and you fought the best and you gave it your all. Even if you win or even if you lose, you showed them what a champion is in life. You just get right back up and you don’t let negative people that won’t even dare to do anything keep you down because you know where you’re going in life. To me, this is important to everybody that it takes courage to go after something that nobody believed you could do. That’s why I’m standing here today. To make everybody realize that if you’re in there and chase your dream like you’ve never chased anything before, and you’ll see something special happen.

“This is a fight to show everybody that I’m great. I’m not daring to be great. I know I’m great. I know when I step in the ring, he’s going to feel something he’s never felt before. I’m going to conquer him. Everything he tries to do I’ll have an answer for him. Gervonta Davis is not going to beat me. I promise you.

“He’s going to nap time. Nap time can be with either the right or the left. It doesn’t matter. I think he’s just terrified of the left hook. Once he hears that in his dreams, he just starts shaking in his boots. That’s a trigger word for him. Left hook. He just gets terrified of that.

“I feel like people have lost touch with what boxing truly is about. People used to realize that you see how a champion reacts after he gets hit. That’s how you determine what a champion is. People have lost touch with that. It used to be a proud moment where you showed that you can still stay focused in the fight. You can still get back to controlling it and you can still knock somebody out after you get dropped. That should have been the testimony of how much of a champion I truly am in my heart.

“But we live in a world where people expect you to be perfect and they don’t understand that this is real life. We’re really fighting here. But you respond by getting up and going and doing your thing. You show everybody that you’re great. You don’t let those things tear you down and you keep moving forward. I have to show people that I’m destined for this.

“This is going to be my third fight with Joe Goossen and having a guy with so much experience and understanding of the game, I just love being around him. He’s a very intelligent man. I love being around a person that you can just talk to about life in different ways and come to better understandings of both life and boxing. It’s great to have a person like that around me.

“Gervonta says he’s going to take me into deep waters. Guess what, I know how to swim. It’s nothing special. He needs to come up with something better than that. Think a little harder.

“I hope Gervonta has been getting good sleep. If not, he’ll get some good sleep April 22.”

Oscar De La Hoya

“This is the fight to save boxing. Literally. Every decade has its fight to save boxing. This is the fight to save boxing. The reason why it is, is because you have two young guys, two undefeated guys, who are the best of the best, willing to fight each other. You can see and feel the anticipation. The ticket sales is a great indication that the pay-per-view is going to be huge. This is the fight of the year.

“With a win, Ryan doesn’t become this generation’s Oscar De La Hoya. He becomes this generation’s Ryan Garcia. Even before he was a superstar, I’ve always said that Ryan Garcia can become even bigger than Canelo. Even bigger than Oscar De La Hoya. Bigger than whoever. Because we’re living in a time where media is everything. Media has brought the world together. The world is going to be watching on April 22. It’s going to shatter pay-per-view records and numbers. It’s going to do a huge amount of buys. We’re living in a time where social media is bringing the world together. The word is spreading so fast on this fight. It’s catching fire. Come April 22, it’s going to be fireworks and the biggest event in sports.

“I’ve given little tips to Ryan here and there on how to deal with an event of this magnitude. Being involved in events like these inside the ring myself, I can share with Ryan what he’s going to feel come fight week. What he’s going to feel after he weighs in. What he’s going to feel as he’s walking down the tunnel into the ring. It’s no secret that I’ve been there. He’s always open to listening and taking the advice. It can only help. Having a promoter like myself and Bernard Hopkins, another legendary fighter, is obviously a plus for any fighter.

“If Ryan only has a left hook, then he does. We’re going to see with Ryan on April 22. We don’t know. It’s going to be something special. If they are relying on Ryan’s left hook, then so be it. I don’t know exactly what he’s going to do, but it’s going to be special.

“I told Ryan the other day, ‘I can see it in your eyes. There’s something in your eyes that tells me you’re going to do something special.’ There’s fighters in each generation that are chosen, and Ryan is the chosen one for this generation.

“I love ‘Tank.’ I love the way he carries himself. I love the way he works hard. I love the way he comes out and fights and knocks his opponents out. I love his demeanor and his work ethic. There’s nothing bad that I can say about Gervonta. I have to respect him. But he’s going up against my guy, so obviously I have Ryan.”

Joe Goossen

“Ryan may have carved out one of the top spots of fighters I’ve trained in my career. He’s a very unique individual to start with. Like I always say there’s a certain amount of boxes you check for each fighter. They are all checked for him – from the bottom to the top. He’s got the speed, he’s got the power, he’s got the reach, he’s got the height. What a work ethic. He’s so self-driven and self-motivated. You wonder, ‘Could this really be true?’

“He looks like a star. He carries himself like a star. I just think Ryan is one of the top three of my all-time favorite fighters ever. But I think after this fight on the 22^nd he’ll occupy the No. 1 spot.

“What can fans expect? They can expect the unexpected. Ryan is one of the best out there. Tank is one of the best out there. This is what makes great fights – the unknown. And people are on one side or the other. They both have great qualities. We’ve really trained to do one thing and that’s to win this fight. We’re not going to go to Las Vegas with any other thought in our head than to win the fight and I’m sure the other side has the same ideas.”

#         #         #

ABOUT DAVIS VS. GARCIA

Davis vs. Garcia will see undefeated five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a long awaited clash against hard-hitting sensation “King” Ryan Garcia taking place Saturday, April 22 headlining live on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features Cuban star and WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. battling Ghana’s Sena Agbeko in the co-main event. The action will also see an eagerly anticipated rematch between super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev in a 10-round showdown. Kicking off the telecast will be hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia facing rugged Kevin Salgado of Mexico in a 10-round showdown.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com and goldenboypromotions.com, follow #DavisGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @GoldenBoyBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotionss and @GoldenBoy or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing, www.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/ and www.Facebook.com/goldenboy/

Tickets for Mauricio Lara’s WBA Featherweight World Title rematch with Leigh Wood at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday May 27, shown live worldwide on DAZN, will go on sale this week.

Mexico’s Lara (26-2-1, 19 KOs) captured the WBA World Title by knocking Wood (26-2, 16 KOs) down in the seventh round with a stunning left hook at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham. The former champion rose to his feet but Ben Davison threw in the towel to save his fighter from further damage. 

‘Leigh-thal’, who was ahead on all three judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage, gets an immediate shot at redemption against ‘Bronco’ – one of the most feared punchers in world boxing – at the top of a stacked card that features former World Title challenger Jack Catterall (26-1, 13 KOs) making his Matchroom debut against Darragh Foley (22-4-1, 10 KOs) and Danny Ball (12-1-1, 5 KOs) taking on Anthony Tomlinson (15-1, 7 KOs) for the vacant English Welterweight Title, with more fights to be announced soon. 

Tickets for Lara vs. Wood 2 are priced £40, £60, £100, £150 and £350 (VIP).

Tickets are available via the AO Arena venue presale from midday on Wednesday April 12.

Matchroom Fight Pass members will be able to purchase tickets from midday on Thursday April 13. Priority ticket info will be emailed directly to eligible members ahead of the on-sale time. 

General Sale tickets can be purchase via Stage Front and ao-arena.com from midday on Friday April 14.

New York, NY, April 12, 2023 – BoxingInsider returns for its fourth promotion in six months with Broadway Boxing, a card full of local and international talent to be streamed globally on DAZN. 

BoxingInsider is thrilled to once again work with Hall of Fame promoter Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment to promote the latest installment of Broadway Boxing. Brooklyn’s Brian Ceballo (13-1, 7 KOs), a five-time New York Golden Gloves champion, will headline against Dominican Edward Ulloa Diaz in an eight-round super welterweight contest. In December 2020, Ceballo captured the WBO Inter-Continental welterweight belt. Ceballo will be looking to rebound from his lone defeat in his last fight on October 26, 2022.

The stacked undercard will feature Mongolian Olympian Tsendbaatar “Chinggis Khaan” Erdenebat, former women’s world champion Miyo Yoshida facing Indeya Smith, local boxers Sydney Maccow, Christian Otero, Ireland’s Larry Fryers, and David Lopez. They will all lace ‘em up on Thursday, April 27, at Sony Hall, in the heart of Times Square, Manhattan.

The April 27 event is promoted by BoxingInsider Promotions and DiBella Entertainment.

“In the fall, we will celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the famed Broadway Boxing brand in New York City,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “I’m thrilled that the April 27 Broadway Boxing event will stream live on DAZN, a subscription service that has proven its international commitment to the sport of boxing. I’m happy to be co-promoting again with BoxingInsider; Larry Goldberg shares a commitment to grassroots boxing that is worthy of Broadway Boxing.”

“It’s crazy to think that this is our fourth show since October 2022 in Manhattan,” said BoxingInsider’s Larry Goldberg. “My goal from day one has been simple – to put on the best fights with local and international talent and to expose those to the largest possible audience; I’m thrilled that the DAZN subscribers will get to watch this terrific show.”

Two-time Mongolian Olympian and 2018 Asian Games gold medalist Tsendbaatar “Chinggis Khaan” Erdenebat (5-0, 3 KOs) will compete in an eight-round super featherweight bout against Edy Valencia Mercado (20-9-6, 7 KOs). Tsendbaatar returns to Sony Hall following a third-round TKO win at the venue on February 23.

Former WBO Super Flyweight World Champion Miyo “Miyo Musashi” Yoshida (15-3) was born in Kagoshima, Japan, and now resides in New York, NY. Prior to becoming world champion in 2019, Miyo won the Japan Boxing Commission and Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation bantamweight titles. As world champion, Miyo made one successful defense, then lost the title by technical decision (stoppage due to gash over eye). She regained the belt in a rematch six months later. In her last fight, she lost the WBO title via split decision. 

Indeya Smith (6-6, 1 KO), from Dallas, TX, via New Orleans, LA, made her BoxingInsider Promotions debut on December 21, 2022, with an upset win versus Sulem Urbina, dominating the bout from the opening bell.

Sydney “The Jackal” Maccow (8-8, 3 KOs), born in Sint Maarten, Netherlands, now residing in Brooklyn, NY, is coming off of a five-fight streak of four wins sandwiched around a no contest. 

Christian “Veneno” Otero (4-3, 2 KOs), from New York, NY, made his pro debut on October 31, 2020, and his career began with four straight victories.

In one of the most exciting matches a club show could make, this bout features a real-life New York City grudge match between Church St. Boxing Gym trainer and boxer Maccow and fellow New Yorker Otero. The dislike here is real and born in the gym, as these two went to war in sparring. Edited footage showing a Maccow beatdown soon hit social media, which started a dispute that must be resolved in the professional prize ring.

Joshua David “Pretty Boy” Rivera (8-2, 3 KOs), from La Mesa, CA, made his pro debut in 2018 and his first nine fights took place in Tijuana. His last bout, at Madison Square Garden on the Amanda Serrano-Erika Cruz undercard on February 4, was a unanimous decision loss against an undefeated Aaron Aponte.

Larry “Lethal” Fryers (11-6, 4 KOs) was born in Clones, Ireland, and now resides in Yonkers, NY. Fryers won 11 of his first 12 fights after making his pro debut in 2016. As an amateur, he was an Ireland Nationals U21 finalist and a U23 semi-finalist. “Lethal” has a large Irish following and is eyeing another chance at glory.

“Dynamite” David Lopez (2-0, 2 KOs), the 19-year-old super lightweight phenom from Las Vegas, NV, will compete in a four-rounder. In his last fight, Lopez needed just 87 seconds to stop Paul Walters Jr. on February 17 in Topeka, KS. Coming from a family of fighters, Lopez, who is of Black and Filipino heritage, is trained by his father and former boxer Kris Lopez.

ABOUT BOXING INSIDER

Established in 1997 as a premier boxing news and information destination, Boxing Insider has recently transitioned into the promotional business.  This will be Boxing Insider’s fourth professional boxing promotion.  It has promoted one amateur boxing event and three professional events, on October 13, December 21, and February 22, all at Sony Hall, Times Square, New York, NY.

ABOUT DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT

In May of 2000, Lou DiBella launched DiBella Entertainment (DBE), a full-service sports and entertainment company, which has become one of the most successful promotional entities in boxing. Serving as matchmaker, television distributor, marketing advisor, and promoter, DiBella has developed an exciting stable of championship caliber, world-class fighters, such as Sergio Martinez, Bernard Hopkins, Jermaine Taylor, Micky Ward, Deontay Wilder, and George Kambosos, among others. DBE clearly established itself as an industry leader with the successful launch of its monthly-televised “Broadway Boxing” series in November 2003. Prior to becoming a promoter, DiBella held an 11-year tenure as the Senior Vice President of HBO Sports. While at HBO, DiBella created and established the highly successful “Boxing After Dark” series, which featured some of the sport’s greatest fights. He is also a well-known fixture in the film industry, having worked as an Executive Producer for the film “Love Ranch”, as an Associate Producer on “The Fighter”, and making his acting debut in “Rocky Balboa”. He also produced or executive produced numerous documentaries, such as Viva Baseball!, Magic Man, Maravilla, Larry Flynt for President, and Tapia. The President and Managing General Partner for the Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team, DiBella proudly wears his 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series rings, as his team is the class AA affiliate to the San Francisco Giants. In 2017, DiBella also became the CEO and Managing Owner of the Montgomery Biscuits baseball team, the AA-affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. DiBella was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 and inducted in June 2022, as well as the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.

About DAZN Group: 

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK. Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F. DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans. 

DAZN is re-imagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialise, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com. 

Philadelphia (April 12, 2023)–- THIS Friday night, April 14th, R and B Promotions will make it’s Philadelphia debut when they present an 11-bout card at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Taking part in the six-round main event will be undefeated Feargal McCrory taking on Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis in a lightweight fight.

McCrory of Coalisland, Northern Ireland is 13-0 with six knockouts. The 30 year-old is a eight-year professional who has wins over Jay Carmey (5-1-2)Callum Busutil (2-0) and Brayan Mairena (10-2-1). McCrory stopped Aelio Mesquita in one-round on February 11th in Atlantic City.

Dos Reis of Brazil is 24-11 with 19 knockouts. The 33 year-old is a 15 year-pro with wins over Thiago Cristino Bento (1-0), Daniel Lima Santos (4-1).

In four-round bouts:

Gian Garrido (9-0, 7 KOs) of Flushing, New York takes on Pablo Jesus Rojas (4-5) of Buenos Aires, Argentina

James White (1-0, 1 KO) of Warwick, PA fights debuting Wilfiried Aby of Philadelphia in a light heavyweight bout.

Juan Davila (2-0, 1 KO) of Franklin, New Jersey fights Tony Johnson (0-1) of Tucson, Arizona in a lightweight clash.

In a battle of pro debuting junior middleweights, Jamar Lynch of Philadelphia faces Allen Otto of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Daniel Bean of Old Bridge, New Jersey makes his pro debut against Donald Hoskins II (0-0-1) of Kalamazoo, Michigan in a heavyweight bout.

Leonidas Soprandis (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Greece takes on Nathan Harp (0-1) of Kalamazoo, Michigan in a junior welterweight contest.

Tickets are $60, $75, $100 and $175 and can be purchased by clicking the following link.

https://2300arena.showare.com/orderticketsvenue.asp?p=448

LONDON (April 12, 2023) – Top Rank on ESPN+ returns to London this Saturday with an action-packed doubleheader at the Copper Box Arena.

In the main event, undefeated British knockout artist Joe Joyce defends his WBO interim heavyweight title against Chinese contender Zhilei Zhang.

The co-feature will see former unified junior lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer making her lightweight debut against former two-time junior welterweight world champion Christina “Medusa” Linardatou in a 10-rounder for the WBC interim lightweight championship.

Promoted by Queensberry Promotions, Joyce-Zhang, Mayer-Linardatou and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.

Queensberry Promotions hosted a media workout TODAY in London. CLICK HERE for courtesy photos.

Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) captured a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and debuted as a pro following year. The 37-year-old has notched wins over former world champs Bermane Stiverne and Joseph Parker and against title challengers Carlos Takam and Bryant Jennings. In his last fight, Joyce stopped Parker in the 11^th round to capture the interim WBO title. The undefeated knockout artist is on the path towards a potential showdown with heavyweight king Tyson Fury, but he’ll need to defend his strap against a fellow silver medalist.

Zhang (24-1-1, 19 KOs), a 2008 Chinese Olympian, started his career in the paid ranks in 2014. He went 22-0 and captured various regional titles before fighting to a draw against Jerry Forrest in 2021. The 39-year-old then scored stoppage wins over Craig Lewis and Scott Alexander before suffering his first pro loss against undefeated Olympic bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic. In terms of height and reach, Zhang and Joyce are identical as both are 6’6” tall with 80-inch reaches.

Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian, signed with Top Rank in 2017 and captured the WBO junior lightweight championship with a unanimous decision victory against Ewa Brodnicka in October 2020. The following year, the Los Angeles native unified the WBO and IBF titles against Maiva Hamadouche. In her last fight, Mayer suffered the first defeat of her career, a razor-thin split decision setback to Alycia Baumgardner at London’s O2 Arena. Mayer wants to reverse her lone defeat, but she’ll first step up to lightweight to face Linardatou, the only woman to defeat Baumgardner in the paid ranks.

In 2016, Linardatou (14-2, 6 KOs) unsuccessfully challenged Delfine Persoon for the WBC lightweight world title. She then bounced back with four straight wins, including a victory over Baumgardner and a win against Kandi Wyatt to capture the vacant WBO junior welterweight championship. Linardatou lost the belt to Katie Taylor in 2019 but regained it with a unanimous decision over Prisca Vicot in February 2020. Linardatou returned from a 29-month layoff last July with a six-round points victory against Aleksandra Vujovic.

In other ESPN+ streaming action from London: 

• Undefeated heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma (2-0, 2 KOs) makes his third 2023 appearance in a scheduled six-rounder against Ukraine’s Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko (9-12-1, 6 KOs). Itauma made his professional debut in January with a scintillating first-round knockout against Marcel Bode, a performance he replicated against Ramon Ibarra in March.
   
• In a battle of undefeated lightweights, England’s Sam Noakes (10-0, 10 KOs) will put his regional titles on the line in a 12-round fight against Indian standout Karthik Sathish Kumar (10-0, 4 KOs). Noakes is coming off a fourth-round TKO over then-unbeaten Calvin McCord last November, while Kumar notched a second-round TKO win over Meechaiya Kaiwiset in March. 

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About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).

Los Angeles, CA (April 12, 2023) Former Unified Super Bantamweight World Champion Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev has re-watched his fight against mandatory challenger Marlon Tapales from this past Saturday night and is incredulous at the scoring which resulted in him losing his world titles (WBA, IBF). Scores for the split decision was 118-110 for Akhmadaliev, scored by Texas Hall of Fame judge Javier Alvarez, and 115-113 twice for Tapales by Sergio Caiz from California and Jose Roberto Torres from Puerto Rico.

Broadcast internationally from San Antonio, TX on DAZN, the fight was fought in close quarters which found the 28-year-old Uzbek southpaw consistently beating his Filipino opponent to the punch.

“I came into the dressing room and I felt like I was dead, my body was still moving, but I knew my life was over, everything I worked for my entire life was now over” said Akhmadaliev, (11-1-0, 8 KOs). “I would never have any excuses, I knew that if my hand was not raised, then I lost my titles and the most important fight of my life. But then my team walked in, and my manager and trainers told me, stop crying, take your belts and go home as a Champion, ‘you did not lose this fight Champ!’

“I did take a couple of big shots in the first couple of rounds, but I felt like I recovered well and was taking the fight to him from round four on. After watching the fight at home now, I am seeing why my team was so supportive, I do not believe that he did enough to win this fight and take my hard-earned titles away from me!”

“I’ve worked hard my entire life to get to this point of being a world champion and on the way to an undisputed world title fight; it’s just very hard to fathom that everything was taken from me in one night, and they didn’t deserve it.”

Akhmadaliev had an extensive amateur career compiling a record of 300-15 in addition to a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Said manager Vadim Kornilov, “This is just not something that is acceptable.  Murodjon has dedicated his entire life to the sport, he’s built a very successful career in the United States as a professional boxer, far away from his homeland, he became a unified world champion and has made three defenses of his titles with two of them being mandatory challengers ordered by the WBA and the IBF. We cannot let things like this happen in the sport and just act like it’s ok, or that this is mere incompetence or someone’s subjective view of the fight.  Some people will argue that there are no grounds for complaints as it was a pretty close fight, but let this be on their consciousness.  We have asked numerous reputable representatives of this great sport to score this fight and their scores have Murodjon unanimously winning this fight and leading on the scorecards at least by a couple of rounds, which is enough to keep your titles and get your hard earned victory. We are currently collecting all the necessary information to take action on this and protest the decision with both the WBA and the IBF, as well as the Texas Boxing Commission. 

“We believe that there should be an immediate rematch ordered, and if Tapales won this fight by split decision the first time, now being the champion he and his team will only have more confidence and all the Champion Perks on their side to get a unanimous decision in the rematch!”

Dmitry Bivol, the WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion, is a teammate and a close, long-time friend of Murodjon who was also appalled with the decision. “Frankly, it’s a disgrace and very harmful to the sport of boxing. I had ‘MJ’ winning a clear decision and was stunned when the scorecards were read.”

LAS VEGAS – April 12, 2023 – Undefeated WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Alberto “La Avispa” Puello will make the first defense of his world title when he takes on hard-hitting contender Rolando “Rolly” Romero on Saturday, May 13 live on SHOWTIME from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features two additional super lightweight bouts with former two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy dueling the all-action Omar “El Relámpago” Juarez in the 10-round super lightweight co-main event, plus top super lightweight contenders Batyr Akhmedov and SHOBOX^® alum Kenneth Sims, Jr., meet in a 12-round WBA Super Lightweight World Title Eliminator opening up the telecast.  

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now and available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

“Saturday, May 13 in Las Vegas lines up to be a fantastic three-fight card with intriguing matchups in the stacked super lightweight division, topped by WBA 140-pound world champion Alberto Puello defending his belt against the always-exciting ‘Rolly’ Romero,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The former two-division champ Rances Barthelemy and young action fighter Omar Juarez will meet in an intriguing crossroads co-main event clash, while two of the 140-pound division’s toughest contenders, Batyr Akhmedov and Kenneth Sims, Jr., look to put themselves in position to fight for a world title opening the telecast.”

“This is a big opportunity for ‘Rolly’ and there’s no doubt that he’s going to make the most of it,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “He’s focused on preparing to get back in the ring and I know that he’s looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans on May 13.”

A native of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, Puello (21-0, 10 KOs) now fights out of Las Vegas under the tutelage of renowned trainer Bob Santos, who also trains Puello’s childhood friend, former WBA 130-Pound World Champion Hector Luis Garcia. The 28-year-old captured his world championship in his most recent fight, earning a hard-fought decision victory over Akhmedov last August on SHOWTIME. Puello leapt up the rankings in July 2019, handing Jonathan Alonso his first career defeat with a unanimous decision victory that earned him an interim title. He was also successful in his U.S. debut in December 2021, as he scored a unanimous decision victory over Veshawn Owens in Owens’ hometown.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity I have to defend my world title on SHOWTIME,” said Puello. “’Rolly’ has fought at the elite level, so I’m looking forward to testing myself and showing why I am the champion. I’m confident in my skills and I’m coming with everything I’ve got. This is going to be one of the best fights of the year, so make sure you tune in.”

Part of the Mayweather Promotions stable, Romero (14-1, 12 KOs) is known for his brash talk that he backs up with power in both hands as well as an exciting, unique style that makes him must-see whenever he steps between the ropes. Romero returns to the ring for the first time since a May 2022 defeat against three-division champion Gervonta Davis. Prior to the Davis fight, Romero won an interim title in August 2020 by earning a close but unanimous decision over then unbeaten Jackson Marinez. The 27-year-old followed that victory up with a pair of impressive knockout triumphs, dominating slick contender Avery Sparrow with a seventh-round stoppage in January 2021 before dropping former title challenger Anthony Yigit three times on his way to another seventh-round stoppage in July 2021.

“I’m excited to become a world champion on May 13,” said Romero. “Everyone knows what I bring to the ring. It’s gonna be an entertaining show. I hope Puello comes in 100%, because I ready to show that I’m an elite fighter in this division.”

A native of Havana, Cuba now fighting out of Las Vegas, Barthelemy (29-2-1, 15 KOs) returns after a defeat to Gary Antuanne Russell last July in which many believed the referee waived off the fight prematurely. A world champion at 130 and 135 pounds, Barthelemy owns notable victories over Argenis Mendez, Antonio DeMarco, Mickey Bey and Denis Shafikov. His only other professional loss came in a 2018 140-pound championship rematch against Kiryl Relikh. Barthelemy comes from a fighting family, as he is the middle brother between the younger Leduan and the older Yan, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.

“I’m looking forward to putting on a good show against a young, hungry fighter like Omar Juarez,” said Barthelemy. “I want to thank everyone who put me in this position and made this fight happen. At this stage in my career, it’s about building my legacy, and that means getting a knockout on May 13. My hands will be flying when that bell rings.”

The 23-year-old Juarez (14-1, 5 KOs) enters the ring propelled by momentum gained from his efforts inside and outside the ring. He enters the fight on a three-bout winning streak following a June 2021 defeat to All Rivera, including 2022 victories over Ryan Karl in February and Austin Dulay in December. A native of Brownsville, Texas, Juarez has achieved recognition in his community by uplifting the state’s youth through motivational speaking, receiving commendations from the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives for his altruism.

“This is the biggest fight of my life and I’m grateful to my team for making it happen,” said Juarez. “Rances brings a tremendous amount of experience to the ring, so I know that I have to make the proper adjustments as this fight goes on. I know if I win this fight, big doors will continue to open for me. So believe me when I say that I’m coming to win and win impressively.”

Born in Uzbekistan and now fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif., Akhmedov (9-2, 8 KOs) represented Turkey at the 2016 Olympic Games. The 32-year-old turned pro in 2017 and won his first seven pro fights, with six coming by knockout. Most recently, Akhmedov lost a narrow split-decision to Puello in a vacant 140-pound title fight last August on SHOWTIME, with his only other blemish coming in a 2019 action-fight against Mario Barrios.

“I’m looking forward to my return to the ring this May,” said Akhmedov. “My goal has always been to win a world championship and I have faith in myself. The fans know that I’m always in exciting fights, and this matchup is going to be more of the same.”

The 29-year-old Sims (19-2-1, 7 KOs) is one of the hottest fighters in the 140-pound division and can move one step closer to a world title with a victory on May 13. Representing his native Chicago, Ill., Sims has won six-straight outings dating back to May 2018 including triumphs over then-unbeaten fighters Elvis Rodriguez and Keeshawn Williams in 2021. Most recently, Sims dispatched Rock Myrthil in the fifth-round of their December 2022 showdown.

“I’m really excited about this fight,” said Sims. “This is what I’ve been asking for and will bring the best out in me. I believe that Akhmedov won his last fight and should be champion right now. This is not gonna be an easy task, but I will prove that I belong with the big names in the 140-pound division.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #PuelloRomero, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @MayweatherPromo, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotionss and @MayweatherPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

NEW YORK.- April 12, 2023 – Super lightweight Joshua Pagan, a rising prospect who fights out of the Salita Promotions stable, will enter the ring this Friday, April 14 in a four-round matchup against fellow unbeaten prospect Wesley Rivers from the Motor City Casino in Detroit.

“Training has been going great heading into this Friday,” said Pagan. “I’m working on correcting mistakes from my last fight and putting things together for this upcoming fight. I’m going to show everyone my improvement and prove my dedication to this sport. I’m going to keep getting better and better and create big opportunities for my future with Salita Promotions.”

Pagan (5-0, 2 KOs) won the 2021 U.S. Amateur Welterweight National Championship with a unanimous decision over Keon Davis. The 23-year-old followed that up by turning pro in January 2022 and earning four victories that year. Most recently, Pagan won a dominant unanimous decision over Istvan Bela Orban in February, also at the Motor City Casino. He takes on Detroit’s Rivers (1-0), who made a successful pro debut last October with a decision triumph against Samuel Browning.

“Joshua is another hot prospect from the talent rich state of Michigan,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “He is a future standout that through his in ring performances will bring championship fights to the city of Detroit. He is getting better with each fight and it’s just a matter of time before he splashes on to the world boxing scene with significant fights and notable performances.”

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ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 

NEW YORK – April 12, 2023 – Unbeaten rising middleweight Joseph Hicks Jr. will look to score his second victory of 2023 when he returns to the ring to face Noah Kidd in a six-round showdown this Friday, April 14 from the Motor City Casino in Detroit.

The 29-year-old Hicks (5-0, 4 KOs) competes out of the Salita Promotions stable and can continue to establish himself as a contender to keep an eye on as he looks to build off of his last performance, a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Bilal Quintyne in February. This will be the second consecutive outing at the Motor City Casino for Hicks, who only turned pro in 2022.

He will be opposed by Kansas City, Missouri’s Kidd (6-7-2, 5 KOs), a 27-year-old who most recently dropped a December bout against former world champion Sergio Martinez. Kidd has also faced top prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. and contender Daniyar Yeleussinov in a career that dates back to 2016.

“In my last fight I showed that I’m a dog and that I can box my way to a decision,” said Hicks. “In this fight I’ve trained really hard to put on a performance that shows that I’m on a different level.”

“Joseph has the experience as an elite amateur to quickly climb up the pro ranks,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Staying busy is one of the important factors in him getting his championship opportunity. He is ready willing and able to challenge all comers as we saw in his last performance. We’re really looking forward to his progress and a big 2023”

A standout amateur before entering the pro ranks, Hicks was set to captain the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2020 summer games, before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the proceedings. By the time the games were back on, the IOC’s formula for picking fighters in his weight class left him on the outside looking in. Undeterred, Hicks has shined as a pro thus far and will look to cement his contender status with a big year ahead.

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ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 

NEW YORK, NY – April 12, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Real Fight Inc. (Real Fight), announced that they are partnering to create the most highly anticipated boxing match of the year. On August 5^th , 2023, international superstar Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and combat sports icon Nate Diaz will finally settle their growing feud over eight rounds at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. Paul v. Diaz will be contested at 185 lbs. with 10-ounce gloves, and will be distributed and co-produced globally by DAZN PPV and made available on all devices, platforms, cable, and satellite PPV providers around the world.

Fans can sign up for early access to tickets at: https://www.americanairlinescenter.com/events/paul-v-diaz/

Over the last 18 months, Paul and Diaz have traded scathing public jabs about a potential fight, and now the world will finally see the duo go head-to-head to settle the score. Paul (6-1, 4KO’s) will be out for revenge as he prepares for his first fight since his split-decision defeat against Tommy Fury. Hungrier than ever to show the world his boxing prowess, the Cleveland native is pulling out all the stops to prepare for his fight against Diaz and is promising to silence the critics with a spectacular KO against the combat sport icon.

Paul’s attempt at redemption will come at a steep price as he takes on the world-renowned MMA superstar and heart of the 209, Nate Diaz, who makes his highly anticipated boxing debut after being the most sought after free agent in combat sports history. Boxing has been a staple throughout his 17-years as a professional, which has included being a regular training and sparring partner of undefeated boxing legend, Andre Ward. A proven fighter willing to take on the biggest name in his sport, Diaz headlined his last show for the UFC and capped it off by being the first person to ever submit Tony Ferguson. He has won 22-fights as a pro, including devastating Conor McGregor with a 1-2 that lead to the Irishman’s first loss in the UFC.

“My last fight didn’t end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations. Now, the world thinks I am vulnerable, when all I am is more focused than ever. My team wanted me to take an easy fight like KSI next, but that’s not how I am built. Nate Diaz is considered one of the most bad-ass fighters of all time, but he and his team have been running their mouths for too long,” said Paul. “People tell me Nate has been training with Andre Ward for years. That he has insane stamina. That he refuses to back down. Good for fucking Nate. I haven’t

forgotten about the slap backstage in Arizona, and on August 5^th, a Problem Child is going to piece up and knock out the Stockton G.”

“Besides Canelo he’s the biggest thang in boxing. I’m here to conquer that. I’m the King of combat sports and then I’m headed back to get my UFC belts,” said Diaz. “I fucked up Conor for acting out and now here I am again, like a Super Hero of the Real Fight game, the King of the Real Fight game.”

Most Valuable Promotions, founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, and Real Fight, Inc., founded by Diaz, are partnering to bring Paul v. Diaz to global audiences. The strategic partnership will combine the star power and international reach of both fighters to promote the year’s biggest fight.

“Jake’s star power and popularity continue to command massive audiences worldwide. His most recent bout, Paul vs. Fury, surpassed more than 800,000 pay-per-view purchases and was a commercial success for all our partners. Jake remains one of the most avidly followed fighters in the sport and all eyes are on him, wondering what’s next,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “Well, what’s next is one of the most vicious men ever in the cage. I couldn’t be more excited to bring this fight to fruition with two of the most polarizing figures in the game, who have both shown the heart to fight through adversity. We are incredibly proud to work with Nate Diaz, Real Fight, DAZN, and American Airlines Center to showcase this thrilling matchup and have no doubt that Paul vs Diaz will be the hottest ticket in Dallas this summer.”

“Nate’s departure from the UFC made him the most sought-after free agent in combat sports history with all eyes looking to see what his next move would be,” said Real Fight Inc. President, Zach Rosenfield. “In choosing to make his boxing debut against Jake Paul, Nate found an opponent wherethere is an organic, non-scripted backstory that motivates him and will clearly capture the excitement of audiences throughout the world. Together with MVP, we look forward to producing an event worthy of the names of the marquee.”

“We are incredibly excited to have this mega fight on DAZN around the world,” said Joe Markowski, CEO of DAZN North America. “One of the biggest names in boxing meeting one of the biggest names inMMA makes for a truly unique matchup on a global scale. Watch it live globally on DAZN PPV.”

“We are thrilled to host the highly anticipated Paul vs. Diaz fight at American Airlines Center on August 5th” says Dave Brown, Chief Operating Officer & General Manager of American Airlines Center. “Dallas provides the perfect location to reach a massive audience and showcase the most exciting boxing match scheduled for this summer.”

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @NateDiaz209, @MostVPromotions, @RealFightINC and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @NateDiaz209, @MostValuablePromotions, @realfightinc and @DAZNBoxing.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic

athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About Real Fight, Inc.

Founded by mixed martial arts legend Nate Diaz, in 2022, Real Fight Inc. promotes exactly what the name suggests — the fights people want to see, featuring the realest fighters from all over the world. Since his departure from the UFC, Diaz is extending his business empire with a true all-around combat experience that will focus on boxing, MMA, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The inaugural event under the Real Fight, Inc. banner is set to take place on August 5, 2023, when Diaz makes his long-awaited professional boxing debut against Jake Paul at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

About Jake Paul

Paul (6-1, 4KO’s) will enter Paul v. Diaz having already collected an impressive amount of wins, including defeating one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time in Anderson Silva, where Paul won ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year by dropping Silva in the 8th round. Paul began his pro career in January 2020 with a TKO win against British YouTube star AnEsonGib and followed it up with a stunning knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson in November 2020. “The Problem Child” then shocked the industry with a first-round KO of former MMA champion and Freddie Roach-trained Ben Askren in April 2021, followed by two wins over MMA legend Tyron Woodley, including a vicious sixth-round knockout which won him ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of The Year. After a split-decision defeat against Fury, Paul is eager to get back in the ring and come out victorious with a seventh professional win against Diaz.

About Nate Diaz:

Throughout a career that spanned 16 years, no single fighter has captured the imagination of combat sports quite like Stockton, California’s finest Nate Diaz, nor has anybody embodied the spirit of what it means to be a fighter in the broader world. Diaz defines a generation with a raw blend of attitude, perseverance, conviction, and pure skill. His rivalry with Conor McGregor remains the biggest in MMA history, shattering box office and pay-per-view records across the board, while his fights with Anthony Pettis, Leon Edwards, and Jorge Masvidal transcended the cage. Nate scored 16 victories over the course of his career in the UFC, ending with a poetic finish of Tony Ferguson in his final fight in the promotion.

About DAZN:

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top -flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.?

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

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DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

About American Airlines Center:

Designed by architectural wizard David M. Schwarz and Dallas based HKS, Inc., American Airlines Center is considered one of the nation’s top arenas. Since opening its doors in 2001, the Center has been setting the precedent for sporting and live entertainment events. Bringing in a wide variety of big name shows as well as being home of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center consistently displays its unique versatility. Billboard Magazine named American Airlines Center the 6th busiest arena in the world in 2022.

Essington, PA (April 14, 2023)–RDR Promotions returns to the Clarion Hotel in Essington, PA THIS Friday, April 14th as heavyweights Junior Wright and Brian Howard will slug it out in the six-round main event.

Fresh off an explosive knockout of Colby Madison, Wright of Delaware County is 19-4-1 with 16 knockouts. The 36 year-old Wright has victories over Nick Reader (3-0-1), Nick Kisner (12-0-1). On May 21, 2016, Wright challenged Beibut Shumenov for the WBA Cruiserweight title. Wright was stopped in 10 -rounds in a fight that took place in Las Vegas. Wright is coming off that vicious third-round stoppage over Colby Madison on October 1, 2022 in Philadelphia.

Howard of Loganville, Georgia has a record of 15-5 with 12 knockouts. The 42 year-old Howard has wins over Yuwshua Zadok (1-0), Chris Stallworth (9-2), Alex Guerrero (12-0-1), Shawndell Winters (8-0), Carlos Negron (20-2). Howard is coming off la oss to Efe Ajagba on April 10, 2021 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In an six–round co-feature, welterweight Mark Dawson Jr. will be in action against Jose Mayoral

Dawson of Philadelphia, promoted by RDR Promotions is 10-1-1 with four knockouts. The 25 year-old Dawson has been a pro for seven years, and has a win over previously undefeated Ivan Pandzic (13-0-1). Dawson is coming off a fourth round stoppage over Vincent Floyd on September 23, 2022 in Essington, PA

Mayoral of New Orleans, Louisiana is 5-2-1 with one knockout. Mayoral has wins over Jose Belloso and the touted Boubacar Sylla (12-0). Mayoral is coming off a draw with Ibrahim Robinson (4-0) on January 21 in Tampa, Florida.

In six-round bouts:

Rasheen Brown (11-1, 7 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Eric Manriquez (7-15-1, 3 KOs) of Houston in a featherweight contest.

In Four-Round Bouts:

Seeing action against opponents to be named will be RDR Promotions fighter: junior welterweight Marvelous Corbin (2-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia fights Ryan Picou (3-15-1) of Las Vegas

Bantamweight Edwin Cortes (3-0 of Millville, NJ and welterweight Nimal Farmer (3-0, 3 KOs) of Lindenwold, NJ will take on opponents to be announced.

The Clarion Hotel is located at 76 Industrial Highway in Essington, PA

Tickets are $100, $75 and $55 and can be purchased at the Following Link

CLICK FOR TICKETS

NEW YORK (April 12, 2023) —Junior middleweight phenom Xander Zayas is set to shine on the eve of Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.

Zayas will return in a 10-round re-scheduled battle against Ronald “Diablo” Cruz Saturday, June 10 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Zayas-Cruz will serve as the co-feature to the junior welterweight showdown between WBO and Ring Magazine champion Josh Taylor and former unified and lineal lightweight king Teofimo Lopez.

Taylor-Lopez and Zayas-Cruz will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Zayas (15-0, 10 KOs), from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is on the fast track to super stardom. He signed with Top Rank at 16 and has maintained an unblemished record. He is coming off an impressive 2022 that included eight-round decision wins over Quincy LaVallais and Alexis Salazar, along with a fifth-round TKO against Elias Espadas. The 20-year-old was originally scheduled to face Cruz in the April 1 co-feature to the Robeisy Ramirez-Isaac Dogboe main event, but a training injury forced him to withdraw. Zayas is ready to settle unfinished business on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade atop an undercard that will feature several of his countrymen.

“I cannot wait to fight at Madison Square Garden in front of my people on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. This is a dream come true,” Zayas said. “Ronald Cruz is a tough, durable fighter, and I expect the best version of him on June 10.”

Cruz (18-2-1, 12, KOs) is a Los Angeles native who has never been stopped as a pro. After suffering his first loss in 2015, he went 16-0 before drawing against Kevin Ottley in 2021. In his last fight, the eight-year pro went 10 competitive rounds in a unanimous decision loss to Damian Sosa.

“I’m beyond excited to be fighting Xander Zayas,” Cruz said. “My whole life I’ve been waiting for this opportunity to test myself against top opposition on the biggest of stages. I look forward to starting a new rivalry, El Salvador against Puerto Rico. June 10, you will have two hungry lions battling it out. I can’t wait.”

The undercard, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+, features two all-Puerto Rico battles.

Henry “Moncho” Lebron (17-0, 10 KOs) takes on Christian Tapia (15-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight tilt. Lebron is coming off wide decision wins over Andy Vences and Luis Lebron, while Tapia looks to rebound from a competitive decision defeat to Cleveland standout Thomas Mattice.

Promising prospect Omar Rosario (10-0, 3 KOs) squares off against Jan Carlos Rivera (8-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight bout. Rivera has won four straight fights since a decision loss inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

The loaded undercard action also features pair of rising stars in eight-rounders, both of whom fought on the Shakur Stevenson-Shuichiro Yoshino bill in Newark, New Jersey. Brooklyn featherweight prodigy Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (7-0, 4 KOs), who knocked out Brandon Chambers in the second round, makes his third appearance at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Polish heavyweight dynamo Damian Knyba (11-0, 7 KOs), who stopped Curtis Harper in the eighth round, will fight an opponent to be named.

(April 11, 2023) —Puerto Rican junior flyweight Rene “Chulo” Santiago will defend his WBO Latino title in a 10-round main event this Friday, April 14 against hometown hero Carlos “Arañita” Ortega at Coliseo de Combates in Panama City, Panama.
 
Santiago-Ortega and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
 
Santiago (10-3, 7 KOs) is a 31-year-old contender who debuted as a pro in 2014. He captured his first regional title in January 2020 with a decision win over countryman Israel Vazquez. Following a near two-year layoff, he defeated Jose Calderon via second-round TKO and suffered his third pro loss via unanimous decision against Yudel Reyes in April 2022. Santiago is coming off a controversial DQ win over undefeated contender Gerardo Zapata last December. Ortega (15-6-3, 6 KOs), whose nickname means “Little Spider,” is a 14-year pro. He stopped Victor Berrio in the second-round of their May 2022 matchup. 
 

In other streaming action from Panama City:

• Derrieck Cuevas (24-1-1, 16 KOs), the fighting pride of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, will defend his WBA Fedecentro junior middleweight title in a 10-round battle against Cuba’s Damian Rodriguez (13-1, 7 KOs). The 28-year-old Cuevas is coming off a second-round TKO against Esneiker Correa last December, while Rodriguez returns from a three-plus-year layoff.
   
• In a battle of Central American light heavyweights, Panama’s Yunior “Bronco Man” Menendez (6-0, 5 KOs) and Costa Rica’s Juan Carlos Chavarria (6-1, 6 KOs) collide in an eight-rounder for the vacant WBC Fecarbox title.
   
• Puerto Rican super middleweight knockout artist Luis J Rodriguez Fernandez (11-0, 11 KOs) looks to make hit 12 for 12 versus Ecuador’s Roger Guerrero (17-3-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-rounder.

# # #

 
About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). 
 

Uncasville, CT – The stakes have never been higher as two of boxing’s brightest stars go for gold at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Championship Jackpot, presented by CES Boxing, features two prestigious title bouts as both the WBC Silver bantamweight and super welterweight belts are up for grabs Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Super bantamweight Tramaine Williams of New Haven, CT, faces Oklahoma City’s Elijah Pierce in the 10-round main event for the vacant 122-pound strap while Stamford, CT, super welterweight Chordale Booker battles Daniel Aduku of Accra, Ghana, in the eight-round co-main event for the vacant 154-pound title.

Tickets for Championship Jackpot are available online at CESFights.com or MoheganSun.com or at the Mohegan Sun box office. First bell is 6 pm ET.

The event also features the highly-anticipated return of several Connecticut standouts, including female welterweight Stevie Jane Coleman of Columbia, featherweight Nathan Martinez of New Britain, electrifying super lightweight Mike Kimbel of Waterbury, East Hartford welterweight Jeff Gonzalez, and pro debut cruiserweight Slawomir Bohdziewicz, a two-time New England Golden Gloves champion.

Nicknamed “The Mighty Midget,” the 5-foot-4 southpaw Williams (20-1, 6 KOs) steps back into the ring for the first time since August with the opportunity to add another title to his trophy case. In 2019, he captured the USBA and NABO super bantamweight titles in a win over Yenifel Vicente, which led to a 2020 world championship showdown against undefeated Angelo Leo, also at Mohegan Sun.

Williams last appeared for CES in June of 2019, defeated Neil John Tabanao by unanimous decision, and faces a tall order April 22 against the dangerous Pierce (16-2, 14 KOs), a hard-hitting 5-foot-8 southpaw best known for wins over unbeaten prospects Irvin Gonzalez and Jesse Garcia. Pierce last fought in November in his hometown of Oklahoma City and stopped Juan Carlos Pena in the second round of a scheduled six-round bout, capping a wildly-successful in which he won all five of his bouts to extend his win streak to seven in a row.

Booker steps back into the ring April 22 hoping to collect his first piece of championship hardware – the same belt once held by pound-for-pound great Canelo Alvarez in 2020 – following a win over tough veteran Angel Hernandez at CES’ Winter Brawl event at Mohegan on January 21. Having successfully rebounded from his first career loss in April of 2022, Booker faces the 33-year-old hard-hitting Aduku (15-2-1, 11 KOs), who will make his United States debut less than a month after his most recent win in his home city of Accra.

Managed by Paul Guarino of PG Sports, the 31-year-old Booker is confident he’s entering his prime years despite getting a late start on his professional career; he started boxing at the age of 19 and turned pro five years later at 24. The unwavering support of his fans has been a major source of motivation. Booker fought in his home state of Connecticut for the first time in 2021 and has since been a fixture under CES with April 22 marking his third appearance with the promotion in his last four fights.

On the Championship Jackpot undercard, unbeaten super welterweight Anthony Velazquez (12-0, 11 KOs) of Springfield, MA, battles California’s Rashid Stevens (6-1-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout and Port Chester, NY, super bantamweight Carlos Vanegas Nunez – one of the newest members of the CES stable – makes his promotional debut in a six-round bout against Irving, TX, native Dominique Griffin (4-3-2, 2 KOs).

With both a professional boxing and a professional mixed martial arts bout under his belt in 2023, the fast-rising Kimbel (1-0, 1 KO) returns to the squared circle April 22 in a four-round bout against Pawtucket, RI, super lightweight Dahvon Shelton (1-1), who steps back into the ring for the first time since 2018. Coleman (4-1, 1 KO) puts her four-fight win streak on the line in a six-round bout against 14-fight veteran Josefina Vega (9-5, 4 KOs) of Ecuador.

Fresh off a win on March 25, Gonzalez (2-0) returns to his home state to battle Providence’s Yeison Berdugo, an experienced Muay Thai fighter for Lion Fight Promotions who is now making his professional boxing debut. Martinez (7-2, 2 KOs), a dynamic featherweight prospect, returns for the first time since November of 2021 when he faced Puerto Rico’s Jayron Santiago Lopez, while Ofacio Falcon (9-0, 6 KOs), an undefeated super featherweight from the Bronx, makes his promotional debut April 22.

A Western New England Golden Gloves and New England Golden Gloves champion in 2022, Bohdziewicz faces Max Weslei Da Silva of Woburn, MA, in a four-round bout.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

Mohegan Sun Arena is one of the busiest Arenas in the United States and is ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and VenuesNow. Mohegan Sun Arena finished 2021 with its first “#1 Indoor Arena” ranking for its capacity in the world according to Pollstar and VenuesNow, ranked among the top 10 venues in the United States regardless of size based on ticket sales, and was named “2021 Innovator of the Year” by Celebrity Access for its ViacomCBS residency.  In recent years, the award-winning venue has also been the “#1 Casino Venue in the World,” “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” and a seven-time national award winner for “Casino of the Year – Arena” by the Academy of Country Music. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit MoheganSun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711.

DETROIT – April 11, 2023 – Undisputed Middleweight World Champion and Michigan’s own Claressa “GWOAT” Shields will make a homecoming return as she headlines the first boxing event in the history of Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, June 3 taking on four-division champion Hanna Gabriels in a rematch that will stream live on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada.

Shields and Gabriels will go face-to-face to preview the exciting event at a press conference being planned for Tuesday, April 18 in Detroit. Additional press conference details will be announced.

Tickets for the live event go on sale Tuesday, April 18 and can be purchased through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.

The only two-division undisputed champion in boxing history, Shields will continue to make history as she brings big-time boxing to the home of the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings. The Flint, Michigan-native first faced Gabriels in Shields’ sixth pro fight back in 2018, with Gabriels putting Shields on the canvas in round one with a vicious right uppercut-left hook combination. It remains the only time Shields has ever been knocked down as a professional or amateur and although she recovered to win an exciting unanimous decision, she will look for an emphatic ending to their rivalry on June 3.

“The ‘GWOAT’ is bringing championship boxing back to Detroit!” said Shields. “After my historic victory over Savannah Marshall in the U.K., I wanted a true homecoming fight in the U.S. I’m really excited to headline the first fight ever at Little Caesars Arena. Hanna Gabriels knocked me down in round one in our first fight and I’ve wanted the rematch ever since to settle that score. She’s a four-time world champ but she’s fighting the GWOAT, who’s a thirteen-time world champion and three-time undisputed champion. This is a big, important fight for me and will be another great fight for women’s boxing. I’m ready to defend my titles and win in dramatic fashion in Detroit!” 

“I know that Claressa is looking for the right adversary to put on a Fight of the Year-type fight that Taylor vs. Serrano was, so I’ve done my homework since our last encounter five years ago and I’m a much more improved and dangerous fighter now,” said Gabriels. “Claressa and boxing fans can expect to see the best version of Hanna Gabriels come fight night. I knocked Claressa down in our first fight and I intend to do the same in our rematch. Only this time, she’ll stay down.”

“Claressa Shields is making history again by opening up professional boxing at the brand new world class Little Caesars Arena in the heart of Detroit,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “This is going to be a ‘HERstoric’ event in resurrecting the tradition of big-time championship events in Detroit, in an electric rematch against current light heavyweight and heavyweight world champion Hanna Gabriels. Tommy Hearns won his first world title at Joe Louis Arena in 1980 and now in 2023 Claressa will electrify fans watching the fight at the arena and live on DAZN in USA and Canada.”

“As Detroit’s premier live entertainment company, 313 Presents is excited to bring boxing to Little Caesars Arena in partnership with Salita Promotions,” said Howard Handler, President of 313 Presents. “Detroit’s boxing scene has a rich history that has produced and embraced numerous champions, from Joe Louis to Sugar Ray Robinson to Tommy Hearns to Hilmer Kenty and now Claressa Shields. June 3 will be a historic night for us and we’re thrilled to provide an action-packed night of boxing back in Detroit.”

“We are thrilled to have Claressa back on DAZN,” said Joe Markowski, CEO North America DAZN. “This homecoming fight for Claressa is highly anticipated by DAZN subscribers in the US and Canada. We can’t wait to have another massive women’s fight on the platform after making history with Taylor vs. Serrano last year. Tune in live to DAZN June 3rd for this very special event.”

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

Representing her native Alajuela, Costa Rica, and promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Gabriels (21-2-1, 12 KOs) first became a world champion at welterweight in 2009, before capturing the super welterweight championship in 2010. She would go on to unify  154-pound titles with a TKO over Katia Alvarino in 2016 and followed up her 2018 loss to Shields with two successful 154-pound title defenses in 2019. Most recently, Gabriels captured both the WBA Light Heavyweight and WBC Heavyweight world championships with a second-round stoppage of Martha Lara Gaytan in April 2021.

#         #         #

About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 

About 313 Presents

313 Presents is Detroit’s premier live entertainment company. Inspired by the soul of Detroit, 313 Presents promotes and produces concerts, theatrical productions, sporting events and family shows at six world-class venues across southeast Michigan including Little Caesars Arena, the historic Fox Theatre featuring Proud Partner Comerica Bank, Comerica Park, Pine Knob Music Theatre Presented by Proud Partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre and Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre. Headquartered in The District Detroit, 313 Presents is a joint venture between Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and Pistons Sports & Entertainment. For additional information, visit 313Presents.com.

About DAZN Group 

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans. 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialise, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com. 

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – (April 11, 2023) – A European championship clash, a revenge rematch and the return to the ring of one of British boxing’s all-time hottest talents were among the bouts confirmed today for the BOXXER: BIRMINGHAM undercard taking place at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham on Saturday, May 6th and airing live on Sky Sports. 

BOXXER also revealed today that a major landmark match will be announced for the card later this week, ensuring the event’s immediate prominent placement in the boxing history books on the same day King Charles III is crowned.

Generational prodigy Ben Whittaker (2-0, 1 KO’s) returns to the ring following an enforced injury layoff which has seen him sidelined since August last year. 

The brilliant 2020 Olympics silver medallist has already captured fans’ hearts and imaginations with his stunning skills, entertaining showboating style and inhuman reflexes – now the Midlands man is aiming to return to the ring with a bang in Birmingham.

For his third outing as a professional light-heavyweight, he faces Jordan ‘The Game’ Grant (6-3, 1 KO) who brings triple Whittaker’s professional experience to the ring and has a well-deserved reputation for unbelievable toughness thanks to such feats as going the distance and winning a unanimous decision despite breaking his right hand in the first minute of a fight. 

“I’m back in the ring. My camp is going the way it should and I’m ticking all the boxes. Now it’s time to get some momentum going and that starts on May 6 against Jordan Grant in my home city of Birmingham,” said Whittaker.

European gold is on the line for Birmingham’s own Kaisee Benjamin (16-2-1, 6 KO’s) as he heads a veritable battalion of Birmingham’s top boxing talent confirmed for the May 6th card. 

Having won fans across the country in his thrilling November super-lightweight title tilt against Dalton Smith, Benjamin will take a crack at the WBO European super-lightweight championship held by Ireland’s Sean McComb (15-1, 5 KO’s) in what will undoubtedly be an all-action encounter from bell to bell.

And Birmingham’s Cori Gibbs (17-1, 3 KO’s) is out for revenge when he faces Jimmy First in an immediate rematch of their December encounter. 

That fight ended with the previously-undefeated lightweight Gibbs losing a decision due to having three points deducted across the course of the bout as a faulty new gumshield kept falling from his mouth.

On home soil – and with a properly-fitted mouthguard clamped firmly between his teeth – Gibbs is out to set the record straight in show-stopping style and put the freak technical loss behind him as he continues his climb up the rankings.

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said, “This will be BOXXER’s first event in Birmingham and we wanted to stack the card for our first visit to Britain’s second city, so we’re delighted with this line-up. 

“Ben Whittaker has been tipped for greatness by every boxing insider I’ve spoken to and we’re delighted to see him return to action and start rebuilding the momentum last year’s injury cost him. 

“Kaisee Benjamin is taking a big step up in his crack at the European title and you can only imagine how heated Cori Gibbs will be as he heads into the ring to avenge that freak loss he suffered in December.

“On top of that we’ve got Joshua Buatsi making his BOXXER debut as he kicks off his world title campaign and we’ve got something extra special to announce later this week which I’m very proud for BOXXER to be part of and which will literally change the sport in this country.”

Former British light-heavyweight champion Shakan Pitters (17-2, 6 KO’s) faces former English champion Joel McIntyre (20-6, 5 KO’s), with both fighters looking for a win to return themselves to the contender conversation. 

And current British middleweight champion Tyler Denny (16-2-3), competing in his native Birmingham for the first time since 2019 in a non-title match against Natasha Jonas stablemate Macauley McGowan (17-3-2, 3 KO’s), who came away with a controversial draw decision in Paris last month after seemingly clearly bested the home fighter over eight rounds. 

BOXXER’s blockbuster Birmingham card is headlined by recent signing Joshua Buatsi (16-0, 13 KO’s) making his eagerly-anticipated BOXXER debut. 

Ranked #1 in the WBA contender rankings, Buatsi is preparing to go on a world title run in 2023. He faces Pawel Stepien (18-0-1, 12 KO’s) in the headline bout and looks to end his Polish rival’s undefeated record in emphatic fashion as he kicks off his conquest for a world title.

For further details on tickets and event news, head to BOXXER.com

This event will be presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

Lester Martinez remained undefeated by stopping Isaiah Steen in round eight of their 10-round super middleweight bout at The Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas.

In round three, Martinez dropped Steen with a left hook.

Martinez continued to dominate the action, and in round eight, Martinez landed some hard right hands on the ropes that forced a referee stoppage at 1:15.

Martinez of Guatemala City, Guatemala is 15-0 with 13 knockouts. Steen of Toledo, Ohio is 16-2.

Britton Norwood stopped Nicolas Masseroni in the opening round of their eight-round cruiserweight bout.

Norwood dropped Masseroni hard on his back with a straight left and the fight was over at 1:20.

Norwood of Las Vegas is 13-4-1 with 10 knockouts. Mssseroni of Buenos Aries, ARG is 20-2.

David Alaverdian won a six-round majority decision over Ernesto Irias in a super flyweight bout.

Alaverdian of Las Vegas via Israel won by scores of 59-55 twice and 57-57 is now 8-0-1. Irias of Baton Rouge, LA is 15-7-1.

Henry Rivera stopped Tyre Rivera in round three of their four-round junior middleweight bout.

The bout was stopped at 1:29 of round three for Henry Rivera of Las Vegas who is now 2-0 with one knockout. Tyre Rivera is 0-2.

PHILADELPHIA (April 11, 2023)–James Martin scored a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Roudly Lolo in a junior middleweight bout that highlighted a five-bout card at the 2300 Arena.

The card was promoted by King’s Promotions.

The fight was tactical, but had some solid pockets of action where Martin used experience and boxing ability to keep Lolo at bay.

Martin of Philadelphia won by a score of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 10-3-1. Lolo of Harrisburg, PA is 5-1-2.

Kamil Bednarek remained undefeated by scoring three knockdowns en-route to a first round stoppage over Gonzalo Andreasen in a super middleweight contest.

The time of the stoppage was 2:54 for Bednarek of Dzierzoniel, Poland is now 12-0 with seven knockouts. Andreasen of Buenos Aries, Argentina is 10-11.

Quadir Albright rebounded nicely from his first defeat by stopping tough David Thomas in the sixth and final round of their welterweight bout.

Albright of Philadelphia got the stoppage at 1:34 and raised his record to 7-1 with seven knockouts, Thomas of Orange, Texas falls to 6-6-1.

21 year-old Ibrahim Robinson made his King’s Promotions debut a memorable one as he stopped Jahqwon Humbert in the opening round of their four-round welterweight bout.

Robinson dropped Humbert twice before the fight was stopped.

Robinson of Baltimore is 5-0-1 with five knockouts. Humbert of Raleigh, North Carolina is 2-1.

Ali Ellis needed just twenty seconds and one left hook to take out Khalid Betha in their four-round heavyweight bout.

Ellis of Philadelphia is 2-0 with two knockouts. Betha of Jersey City, New Jersey is 0-3.

King’s Promotions will be back on April 27th in Fort Worth, Texas and May 2nd at Live! Casino Hotel in Philadelphia. Both events will be officially announced this week.

Photos by Darryl Cobb Jr.

LAS VEGAS (April 10, 2023) — A world title fight and the grandson of “The Greatest” take center stage on Saturday, May 20 as part of the ESPN-televised prelims to the PPV main event headlined by undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney’s title defense against former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
 
The two-fight telecast is headlined by the vacant WBO junior bantamweight world title showdown between Australia’s former world champion Andrew Moloney and Japan’s undefeated former WBO flyweight titlist Junto Nakatani.
 
Opening the broadcast will be undefeated middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, in a scheduled eight-rounder against a to-be-determined foe.
 
Moloney-Nakatani and Ali Walsh’s return will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
 
The Haney vs. Lomachenko main card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, the event’s exclusive digital distributor in the United States, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Additionally, it will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers and is priced at $59.99 across all distributors.
 
The PPV undercard features a 10-round junior lightweight co-feature between two-division world champion Oscar Valdez and Adam “BluNose” Lopez in a rematch of their 2019 battle.
 
In the PPV opener, rising lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla will take on big-punching Namibian contender Jeremia Nakathila in a 10-round clash. 
 
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Devin Haney Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, tickets starting at $104, plus applicable service charges, are on sale now at axs.com.
 
Moloney (25-2, 16 KOs) hopes to become a two-time world champion in the city where Joshua Franco upset him by unanimous decision back in June 2020. The two fought twice more, with a controversial no contest and second Franco decision victory closing the chapter on their trilogy. Following the third Franco fight in August 2021, Moloney regrouped in December 2021 with a clear points victory over Froilan Saludar. In 2022, he fought three times, including a pair of homecoming appearances on the Devin Haney-George Kambosos Jr. cards in Melbourne, Australia. Moloney, ranked No. 2 by the WBO at 115 pounds, earned the title shot with a 10-round decision over Norbelto Jimenez last October for the WBO International strap.
 
WBO No. 1 junior bantamweight contender Nakatani (24-0, 18 KOs), a 25-year-old southpaw from Inabe-gun, Mie, Japan, ranks among the hardest lighter-weight punchers in boxing. An eight-year pro, Nakatani captured the vacant WBO flyweight world title in November 2020 with an eighth-round knockout over Giemel Magramo. Nakatani defended his flyweight crown twice, bloodying and stopping Angel Acosta in four rounds and knocking out Ryota Yamauchi in eight. He vacated his title to move up to junior bantamweight and scored a one-sided decision over former unified world champion Francisco Rodriguez Jr. last November. 
 
Ali Walsh (8-0, 5 KOs) moves up to his first scheduled eight-rounder nearly two years removed from his pro debut. He made his Las Vegas debut last April at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, obliterating Alejandro Ibarra with a left-right combination in the first round. Ali Walsh righted the only blemish on his record last August, stopping Reyes Sanchez in the second round of their rematch with a body shot. Sanchez lost a majority decision to Ali Walsh in December 2021. He made his 2023 debut in February, outlasting the rugged Eduardo Ayala en route to a convincing six-round unanimous decision.
 

NEW YORK (April 10, 2023)-Light Heavyweight prospect Khalil “Big Steppa” Coe was impressive in taking out James Quiter in round three of their six-round bout at The Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas.

Coe was dominant early as he put Quiter down with a left hook in the opening frame. Coe showed the skills that propelled him to become a National Golden Gloves Champion and finally closed the show in style as he put Quiter down for a second time, and the bout was stopped at 1:31 of third stanza.

With the win, Coe of Flemington, New Jersey raises his mark to 5-0-1. Quiter of Chicago is 6-2-1.

Coe is managed by Split-T Management and Keith Connolly, and is promoted by Matchroom Boxing.

Las Vegas ­– UFC^® today announced that the classic 2015 fight between welterweights Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Fight Wing’ as a part of the class of 2023. The 2023 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, will take place on Thursday, July 6, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be streamed live an exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS^®.

“The fight between Robbie Lawler and Rory McDonald at UFC 189 was one of the most exciting fights in UFC history,” UFC President Dana White said. “This was an absolute war and a complete display of heart, grit, determination, and the will to win from both athletes. This five-round classic will always be remembered as one of the best and I can’t wait to induct this fight into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

As the co-main event of UFC^® 189: MENDES vs. McGREGOR, which took place on July 11, 2015, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, both Lawler and MacDonald entered the event on three-fight winning streaks.

Lawler entered the Octagon as UFC welterweight champion with a 25-10 (1 NC) record that included wins over UFC Hall of Famer Frank Trigg, former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, former WEC lightweight champion Scott Smith, and a previous victory over MacDonald in 2013.

Rory came into his rematch against Robbie as the top ranked welterweight contender with an 18-2 record and previous wins over UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine, former WEC and Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and Demian Maia.

Both athletes quickly advanced to the center of the Octagon at the opening bell to establish their positions, with MacDonald striking first with a barrage of jabs. Lawler, normally a fast starter, patiently measured Rory during the first round, cautiously matching leg kicks and responding to MacDonald’s jabs and straight right punches. Rory attempted one takedown during the first, with Robbie defending his attempt and countering with a right knee. The first round ended with both fighters exchanging punches.

Lawler took control of the pace early in round two, striking first and checking MacDonald’s leg kicks as the pair circled the center of the Octagon. Rory, connecting on more significant strikes, used his arm reach and leg kicks to stay on the outside of Robbie’s range. Both fighters began to open with multiple combinations midway through the round, opening and pushing forward with each exchange. With one minute left in the round, an exchange from Lawler broke MacDonald’s nose, causing a noticeable flow of blood over his chest. The round ended with one final combination from Robbie, evening the match with one round for each fighter.

Lawler, uncharacteristically patient to this point of the match, continued his strategic approach against Rory in the third, throwing measured strikes, blocking MacDonald’s counters, and throwing periodic leg kicks. Robbie defended Rory’s second takedown attempt in the third, answering with a three-punch combination that opened two additional cuts on MacDonald’s face to accompany his broken nose. With 35 seconds left in the round, MacDonald connected on a right head kick, stunning Lawler, and driving him back to the fence. Rory would take advantage by administering a series of punches, head kicks and a flying knee in his attempt to finish the fight with less than 10 seconds left, but Robbie would survive the round, although the momentum had clearly swung in MacDonald’s favor as he won the frame.

Rory opened the fourth in control as Lawler was not fully recovered from the end of the third. MacDonald connected on another right head kick and straight left punch combination 15 seconds into the round, forcing Robbie to backpedal to the fence as Rory unleashed several punches and two flying knees as Lawler raised his guard to minimize the damage. Robbie repeatedly assured referee John McCarthy that he was fine as MacDonald pushed forward with his attack of punches, head kicks and standing elbows. Lawler, still dazed and not fully recovered, would continue to counter Rory’s advances, with neither fighter, although both heavily bloodied willing to back down as they continue to exchange combinations through the end of a round that was punctuated by a stare down in the middle the of the Octagon. 

As both athletes stood for the fifth and final round, the sold-out crowd gave them a standing ovation. Lawler took control of the pace from the bell, connecting with a left hook and right jab to MacDonald’s nose 56 seconds into the round, which sent Rory to the canvas. Robbie would take advantage of the opening and connect with two more punches before McCarthy stopped the fight one minute into the fifth.

The slugfest would leave both athletes bloodied, with Lawler’s lip visibly split in two pieces and MacDonald’s face battered, as well. The fight won the Fight of the Night performance award and would be acknowledged by the Fighters Only World MMA Awards, Sherdog.com, MMA Fighting, Bleacher Report and Wrestling Observer as the “2015 Fight of the Year.”

Lawler won two of his next three fights following this event. Although he lost his title to Woodley in the main event of UFC 201 in July of 2016, he has continued to fight top contenders in the welterweight and middleweight divisions, earning a victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 266 in 2021. MacDonald would lose his next fight to Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in June 2016 before leaving UFC shortly afterwards. He would continue to compete in Bellator and PFL before retiring in 2022.

To view the fight on UFC FIGHT PASS for free, please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/video/39984

To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFC.com/HOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

Jesse Rodriguez became a two-division world champion with a 12-round unanimous decision over Cristian Gonzalez to capture WBO Flyweight title in San Antonio, Texas.

Rodriguez, 111.4 lbs of San Antonio, Texas won by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112 and is now 18-0. Gonzalez, 112 lbs of Tultitlan, MEX is 15-2.

Marlon Tapales wrestled the IBF/WBA Super Bantamweight titles with a 12-round split decision over now-dethroned champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev,

Tapales, 121.8 lbs of Lanao del Norte, PHL won two cards 115-113 and Akhmadaliev took a card by a too-wide 118-110.

Tapales is 37-3. Akhmadaliev, 121.6 lbs of Chust, UZB is 11-1.

Raymond Ford scored a 12-round unanimous decision over former world champion Jessie Magdaleno in a featherweight bout.

In round four, Ford dropped Magdaleno with a hook behind the head.

In round 11, Ford dropped Magdaleno with a right hook to the body that was followed up by a straight left to the head.

Ford, 126 lbs of Camden, NJ is 14-0-1. Magdaleno, 126 lbs of Las Vegas is 29-2.

Thomas Mattice scored a come from behind 10th round stoppage over Ramiro Cesena in the final round of their super featherweight bout.

In round eight, Mattice was deducted a point after his mouthpiece came out.

Mattice landed a right that drove Cesena back. Mattice landed a hard flurry for which most of the punches seemed to hit the gloves of Cesena and the fight was stopped at 1:35.

Mattice, 129 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 21-3-1 with 16 knockouts. Cesena, 130 lbs of Baja California, MEX is 16-1-1.

Israil Madrimov won a 10-round unanimous decision over Raphael Igbokwe in a super welterweight contest.

Madrimov, 158.8 lbs of Chiva, UZB won by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 twice and is now 9-0-1. Igbokwe, 160 lbs of Houston, TX is 16-4.

Marc Castro remained undefeated by stopping Ricardo Lopez in a eight-round lightweight fight.

In round seven, Castro hurt Lopez with a hard right that drove Lopez to the ropes that started big flurry, and the fight was stopped at

Castro, 133 lbs of Fresno, CA is 10-0 with seven knockouts. Lopez, 133.6 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 16-7-3.

Khalil Coe remained undefeated with a third round stoppage over James Quiter in scheduled six-round light heavyweight fight.

In round one, Coe dropped Quiter with a hard left hand. In round three, Coe dropped Quiter with a right hand. Seconds later, Coe finished the fight by landing a bug right uppercut that put Quiter down again, and the fight was stopped at 1:51.

Coe, 175.8 lbs of Jersey City, NJ is 5-0-1 with three knockouts. Quiter, 174.8 lbs of Oak Park, IL is 6-2-1.

Jesus Martinez and Jose Lopez battled to a four-round draw in a bantamweight contest.

Each fighter won a scorecard 39-37 and a third card was 38-38.

Martinez, 119.4 lbs of DelRio, TX is 3-0-1. Lopez, 118.4 lbs of Rodgewood, NY 4-2-2.

TACOMA, Wash. (April 8, 2023) – Colombian Brandon Valdes captured the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedebol featherweight title and fan favorite super welterweight Neeco “Rooster” Macias had a masterful win in his comeback fight last night  at the famed Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.

Toro Promotions Inc., in association with Whitfield Haydon, promoted its first event at Emerald Queen Casino’s state-of-the-art EQC Event Center.

Valdes (15-3, 7 KOs) defeated his Mexican opponent, Angel Antonio “Cochorro” Contreras (15-6-2, 7 KOs), in the main event by way of 10-round unanimous decision that was much more competitive than the final scoring (99-94, 98-92, 98-92) may indicate.

Valdes vs. Contreras was a spirited, back-and-forth match in which Valdes connected on more effective punches, although both fighters enjoyed moments of dominance. Valdes took early control, but Contreras picked up the pace and had Valdes on his bike in the third and fourth rounds. Valdes regained control in the fifth, surviving Contreras’ onslaughts to earn his WBA Fedebol title belt.

Macias (18-2, 11 KOs), fighting out Tehachapi, California, owned the co-featured event and showed no rust after his four-year retirement from the ring versus dangerous Ramon “Nino de Oro” Ayala (25-8-1, 13 KOs).

Rooster” was crowing early because of his patented non-stop action, slamming an overmatched Ayala, a former World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth super lightweight champion, from pillar to post. Like the “Energizer Bunny,” Macias threw nearly 150 punches per round, and Ayala was unable to answer the bell for the sixth round.

A new and improved Macias was on full display again, only the wear and tear his body had suffered in the past due to his aggressive attack mode was absent this fight. Four-years off has revitalized “Rooster,” who simply broke down his Mexican opponent to the point that he could no longer continue fighting after five rounds against the energized Macias.

Washington’s sharp-shooting super welterweight Jon Bryant (7-0, 2 KOs) kept his undefeated record intact with a near shutout of a game Timothy Parks (5-4-1, 4 KOs), taking a one-sided, six-round unanimous decision in convincing style. Bryant landed so many more crisp, counter punches from a wide variety of angles than Parks, who did have his moments during the entertaining bout.

Arizona heavyweight Dante Stone (12-1, 9 KOs) pitched a six-round shutout, winning every round on each of the three judges’ scorecards against previously undefeated Detrailous Webster (5-1, 2 KOs). Stone closed the show strong with a flurry of punches in an unsuccessful attempt to stop Webster.

California super lightweight Josue Cadena had an auspicious professional debut, physically punished Jayden Salway (0-2-1) early and often. Cadena dropped Salway twice in the second round and when a vicious body shot sent Salway to the canvas, referee Louis Jackvony halted the fight at the 30-second mark of the third round.

In an all-out war, Michael Portales (3-1-1, 1 KO) withstood a furious  late rally for a hard earned four-round unanimous decision victory over Magarito Hernandez (3-6-1).

Mexican super middleweight Dario Guerrero-Meneses (2-5-1) won a four-round unanimous decisión over Alejandro Avalos (0-2).

Complete results below:

____________________________________________________

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN EVENT – VACANT WBA FEDEBOL FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Brandon Valdes (15-3, 7 KOs), Barranquilla, Colombia

WDEC10 (99-91, 98-92, 98-92)

Angel Antonio Contreras (15-6-2, 7 KOs), Monterrey Nueva León, México

(Valdes won WBA Fedebol featherweight title)

CO-FEATURE — SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS

Neeco Macias (18-2, 11 KOs), Tehachapi, CA

WTKO4 (3:00)

Ramon Ayala (25-8-1, 13 KOs), San Francisco, Actualita, México

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Dante Stone (12-1, 9 KOs), Chandler, AZ

WDEC4 (40-46, 40-36, 40-36)

Detrailous Webster (5-1, 2 KOs), Courtland, MS

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Dario Guerrero-Meneses (2-5-1, 0 KOs), Long Beach, CA by way of Mexico

WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 39-37)

Alejandro Avalos (0-2), San Antonio, TX

SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS

Jon Bryant (7-0, 2 KOs), Bremerton, WA

WDEC6 (60-54, 60-54, 59-55)

Timothy Parks (5-4-1, 4 KOs), Loganville, GA

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS

Josue Cadena (1-0, 1 KO), Auburn, CA

WTKO3 (0:30)

Jayden Salway (0-2-1), Browning, MT

Michael Portales (3-1-1, 1 KO), Haywood, CA

WDEC4 (40-36, 40-36, 40-25)

Magarito Hernandez (3-6-1, 0 KOs), Wapato, WA