KLITSCHKO VS. FURY, SATURDAY OCTOBER 24, LIVE ON HBO!!!

wklitschko
Dusseldorf, Germany (July 24) A press conference was held this past Tuesday at the ESPRIT Arena to formally announce the highly anticipated World Heavyweight Championship between undisputed and long reigning champion Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko and #1 ranked mandatory challenger Tyson Fury set for Saturday, October 24. The event will be televised in the U.S. live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Sporting a record of 64-3-0 (54KO’s) and holder of the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO and “Ring Magazine” heavyweight titles, Klitschko will be making his 19th championship defense. He returns to battle following a dominant 12-round decision victory over Bryant Jennings on April 25 in front of a crowd of over 17,000 at Madison Square Garden.

A native of the United Kingdom, Fury brings an unblemished record into battle of 24-0-0 (18KO’s). Most recently he stopped Christian Hammer in the 8th round on February 28 in London, United Kingdom.

“After all these years, all the guys I have fought have been a challenge for me to motivate myself,” said Klitschko. I believe Tyson Fury really means what he says. He is coming to win the fight. “

“I have done my homework, he is very entertaining, he sings, he dances, people either like him or hate him. He’s not coming to be present on the canvas, he’s coming to win the championship.”

Stated Fury, “It’s a pleasure to be here in Dusseldorf, the time has arrived. Wladimir Kltischko is a great champion and has been for 11 years taking on all comers but I believe he has never faced a challenge like me. There’s never been someone like me.”

“I’m a very dangerous fighter, but I have to give credit to the older champion to face a fighter like myself.”
“The world heavyweight championship fight on October 24 is an energizing event for the division as well as the sport,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “This is an intriguing, fascinating matchup that should captivate the boxing world. We know both Wladimir and Tyson will be ready. We are delighted to present the fight live on HBO in the United States.”

With the win over Jennings, Klitschko continued his path towards heavyweight division history with his 18 consecutive title defenses behind only Larry Holmes (20) and Joe Louis (25, the record for any weight class). A crowd in excess of 65,000 is expected at the ESPRIT Arena where Klitschko has fought twice previously.

The title defense will also be Klitschko’s 28th world title fight, a new record in the heavyweight division, surpassing Joe Louis (27), Larry Holmes (26) and Muhammad Ali (25)!

Known as much for his brash words as his firepower in the ring, the 6’9” towering Fury has been the talk of the United Kingdom’s heavyweight division since bursting onto the scene in 2008. The 26 year-old has proven his mettle with two dominant victories over former world title challenger and rival countryman Dereck Chisora in 2011 and 2014.




Video: HBO Boxing News: Nadjib Mohammedi




VIDEO: HBO Boxing News: Sergey Kovalev




VIDEO: Locked ‘N Loaded July 23, 2015 Weigh In




Ring of Fire: Weigh-In Results

MAIN EVENT – Featherweights – 8 Rounds
Yenifel Vicente (26-3-2, 18) 124.6 lbs. vs. Manuel Herrera (21-15-1, 16) 123.8 lbs.

CO-MAIN EVENT – Junior Welterweights – 6 Rounds
Scott Burrell (8-2, 5) 137 lbs vs. Moris Rodriguez (5-6-1, 3) 138 lbs.

Julian Sosa (1-0-1) 141.4 lbs. vs. Jose Sanchez (0-1-0) 141.6 lbs.
Joseph Williams (6-0, 5) 184.4 lbs. vs. Michael Wilmer (5-7-1, 4) 177.6 lbs.
Matthew Armstrong (PD) 150.2 lbs. vs. Anton Williamson (1-3) 153.2 lbs.
Carlos Adams (PD) 146.6 lbs. vs. Jeff Souffrant (1-0) 146.2 lbs.
Nikita Miroshinchenko (PD) 161.8 lbs. vs.Sean Nurse (0-1) 162.4 lbs.
Villi Bello (2-1) 158.4 lbs. vs. Francisco Cruz (0-2) 158.8 lbs.
Alvin Varmall, Jr. (6-0, 6) 196 lbs. vs. Lamont Capers (5-7) 199.4 lbs.

Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions returns to action on Friday, July 24th, bringing another loaded fight card to the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. With many local prospects and rising stars, Ring of Fire will most certainly continue the tradition of Uprising Promotions to bring competitive and entertaining fights to boxing fans.

The Brooklyn Masonic Temple is located at 317 Clermont Ave #4 in Brooklyn. The intimate setting ensures that there is not a bad seat in the house, and tickets are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. There is also a table option with dinner, beer/wine and seating with a celebrity fighter. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.

This show, titled Ring of Fire, will continue the initiative of Uprising Promotions to KO Autism, with proceeds from the night getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. This card is being sponsored by Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City, Sleep Inn, Ronson Frank Fitness and Resolution Sports. Doors open at 6:30 PM with the first bout taking place at 7:00 PM.




Video: UFC Fight Night Chicago Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 4




Magdaleno hurts hand; out of Aug 1 UniMas main event

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undefeated Jr. Featherweight prospect Jessie Magdaleno injured his hand and is out of his August 1 UniMas Headlining fight with Rey Perez.

“He hurt his hand really bad sparring,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.com. “They were going to get X-rays but he definitely can’t fight on Aug. 1.”




QUOTES FROM YOUTH BOXING CLINIC HOSTED BY GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS FIGHTERS AT CITY OF ANGELS GYM

LOS ANGELES (July 23) – Fighters featured on the Aug. 6 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB and Aug. 8 Perez vs. Mikhaylenko cards hosted a free youth boxing clinic at the City of Angeles Boxing Gym in downtown Los Angeles, working with the All Peoples Community Center summer youth camp. Main event fighter and undefeated featherweight standout Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (18-0-1, 13 KOs), and new Golden Boy Promotions fighters set to make their professional debut Hector “El Finito” Tanajara, Jonathan Navarro, and Joshua Franco led children ages 7 to 13 in various boxing techniques, with a focus on building confidence and encouraging fitness among the youth. Joet Gonzalez (11-0, 4 KOs) who is featured on the undercard of Johan Perez vs. Dmitry Mikhaylenko was also in attendance to lead the youth in boxing techniques.

Below are the fighters’ thoughts about their upcoming bouts on Aug. 6 and Aug. 8 as well as the day they spent working with kids from the All Peoples Community Center summer youth camp at the City of Angels Boxing Gym:

ABRAHAM “CHAMACO” LOPEZ, Featherweight Prospect:

“I’ve trained hard and feel very strong for my fight. I’m really confident with my new strength and conditioning program, so I feel excited to get back to it.

“Today, as I work with these kids, it motivates me that I can be in a position to serve as a role model. I remember being a young fighter and it feels great to give back. It would be great to be able to push them towards boxing. With the kids, one thing I wanted to stress was be the importance of defense and one of my favorite punches: the left hook to the body.”

HECTOR “EL FINITO” TANAJARA, Super Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m extremely excited. I’ve been working to fight as a professional boxer my whole life and to finally be in this position feels great.

“My team and I have been preparing for this fight and I feel strong and ready. Today it was great to see these kids and teach them some basics. It keeps me humble and motivates me.”

JONATHAN NAVARRO, Lightweight Prospect:

“I’m excited. I live around the neighborhood, so it’s interesting to be a part of this project. I also have a job with the city to work with kids and teach them boxing. It’s surreal being in this position because I used to be in their shoes.”

JOSHUA FRANCO, Super Flyweight Prospect:

“I just feel excited to be working with the kids and teaching them the basics of fighting. Training as well has made me feel stronger, faster. It’s going good; it’s going real good.

I feel excited about my upcoming fight. I just can’t wait for my professional debut. Granted, I’m just a little bit nervous, but my family and friends aren’t worried. I know I’ll come out a victor.”

JOET GONZALEZ, Featherweight Prospect:

“Right now I’m just trying to give back. Today we’re showing the kids hard work and discipline. I remember the first time I started boxing, I already knew I wanted to do this. I knew I wanted to be a champion.

“I know that the fight’s easy if I train hard, and I’ve trained 2-3 times a day to prepare. That’s why I’m ready. I can’t wait to fight. I’m 150% ready to go.”

LA FIGHT CLUB: Lopez vs. Diaz is a 10-round featherweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Deportes broadcast will air live, Thursday, August 6 at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.

Johan Perez vs. Dmitry Mikhaylenko is a 12-round welterweight title bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico, Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bell rings at 5:30 p.m. The HBO Latino telecast airs live at 10:30 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

All Peoples Community Center has become a comprehensive community center based in South Los Angeles, delivering a myriad of social and educational services and activities. Their services and activities are driven by the purpose of: helping children succeed at each stage in their development, strengthening and supporting individuals and families and building community, preventing violence and crime, in the community and in the home, addressing the root causes of gang involvement, providing job training and creating job opportunities, helping seniors stay active and engaged. All Peoples Community Center provides a broad spectrum of social services to all, regardless of faith or race, and to empower the community to meet its needs by promoting equality, unity, respect and self-determination among all who participate in its programs.

City of Angels Boxing Gym is a full service boxing gym featuring group and private classes for all people of all ages and conditions. Home to the LAPD Boxing Team and rated “Best Boxing Gym in Los Angeles” by LA WEEKLY, the gym has helped thousands of people with conditioning for other sports (amateur and professional athletes), weight loss and to find fun in fitness. The gym has been featured by several networks including ESPN, TELEMUNDO, FOX LATINO, UNIVISION and Fox Sports Network. The gym is dedicated to continue to share the love of boxing by enhancing the health and lives of members.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB start at $20 are on sale now and are available for purchase online at www.goldenboypromotions.comor by visiting the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page. For ticket information, email us at LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com.

Tickets for the August 8 event are on sale now, are priced at $25, $35 and $45 and can be purchased at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.




ONE CHAMPIONSHIP SET TO ELECTRIFY SHANGHAI ON 1 SEPTEMBER

24 JULY 2015 – SINGAPORE: Asia’s largest and the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization, ONE Championship™ (ONE) has announced its second event in China this year which takes place in the vibrant city of Shanghai. The stage is set for another blockbuster night of world-class mixed martial arts action on 1 September 2015 as the Mercedes-Benz Arena is set to play host to ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (SHANGHAI). ONE Middleweight World Champion Igor “Lionheart” Svirid will headline the spectacular fight card as he defends his title against Vitaly Bigdash.

For ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (SHANGHAI) ticketing enquiries and reservation, email rsvp@onefc.com.

CEO of ONE Championship™, Victor Cui, stated, “Shanghai will be ONE Championship’s next destination and we are excited to bring our world-class brand of MMA action to the colorful city of Shanghai! Shanghai is the largest city in China by population and as such, it serves as the perfect setting for our second event in the country.”

“We want our events to resonate with fight fans and give them the best experience, one that they can truly enjoy. ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (SHANGHAI) is shaping up to be another intense fight night. Fans in Shanghai will finally get their wish and experience our live show for the first time ever this 1 September. Brace yourselves for a night of explosive, adrenaline-pumping action as the arena will be packed to the rafters!”

Igor Svirid is the top Middleweight star from Kazakhstan who took care of fan favorite Leandro Ataides in just 17 seconds to win the inaugural ONE Middleweight Championship in Singapore’s ONE: BATTLE OF LIONS show last year. Known for his fierce striking, Svirid hasn’t been beaten since losing his first bout as a professional mixed martial artist four years ago. The towering middleweight has since improved his record and is riding a 10-fight win streak, seven of which ended within the distance. Svirid is ready to defend his belt against tough Russian prospect, Vitaly Bigdash.

Making his ONE Championship debut, Vitaly Bigdash fights out of Rostov-on-Don, Russia and is currently undefeated after seven professional fights. None of his bouts have reached a decision, winning all contests either via submission or by knockout. Bigdash is in for a true test however, as he challenges Igor Svirid in a colossal clash between two world-class middleweights for the chance to capture the ONE Middleweight World Championship.

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

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




7-25 PBC on NBCSN Final press conference quotes

LAS VEGAS (July 23, 2015) – Fighters competing in a pair of exciting cruiserweight matchups on Saturday’sPremier Boxing Champions on NBCSN event held a final press conference Thursday in advance of their July 25 bouts at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by former world champion Beibut Shumenov (15-2, 10 KOs) taking on B.J. Flores (31-1-1, 20 KOs) in a 12-round showdown. A 10-round battle between undefeated fighters Jordan Shimmell (19-0, 16 KOs) and Isiah Thomas (14-0, 6 KOs) will also be featured on the telecast.

Rounding out the televised action is a 10-round featherweight battle between former world champion Rico Ramos (24-4, 12 KOs) and Claudio Marrero (18-1, 13 KOs) plus eight-round of cruiserweight action featuring undefeated knockout artist Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti (10-0, 10 KOs) taking on Roberto Santos (12-1, 5 KOs).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are priced at $100.50, $75.50, $50.50, and $20.50, plus applicable fees and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the Pearl Box Office at 702-994-3200 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Here is what the participants had to say Thursday:

BEIBUT SHUMENOV

“I’m very happy to be part of PBC. My training camp was excellent, my best because I wasn’t stressed about losing weight. I’m blessed to have a great coach, Ismael Salas, and assistant coaches Jeff Grmoja and Rodney Crisler.

“All the work has been done for Saturday night. I want to fight the best to prove that I’m the best cruiserweight in the world.

“I’m really happy for this opportunity. I feel reborn since I met my new trainer. I’ve changed and I feel like it’s a new beginning. I want to fight the best fighters in the world.

“Every day we work hard on fundamentals to improve my skills and conditioning. Each day I learn.

“I feel much better as a cruiserweight without stress on my body like I did when I had to make 175 pounds. Now, I just focus on getting better instead of making weight.

“Flores has been a cruiserweight for a long time. Fighting an opponent like him is a good opportunity for me.

“If I pass the test, I want to unify the titles.”

B.J. FLORES

“I want to thank everyone on my team for having faith in me and believing me. This is a great opportunity for my career.

“I’m very excited about this night and this whole event. We have a great night of cruiserweight boxing. I’ve kept an eye on all of these guys because you never know who you’ll fight and now we’re all up here on the dais.

“As I look back in my career there are a lot of things I would have changed and things I would have done differently. I’ve had different promoters and switched things around a lot. I feel like this Saturday, I have the chance to erase all the wrongs from my career.

“Something that is very motivating for me is my one loss, when I traveled over to Australia to fight Danny Green.

“At 200-pounds I’ve never lost and I’m not going to lose on Saturday night.

“I have a lot of confidence and a lot of motivation coming into this fight. Beibut is a good fighter and I’ve taken this challenge more seriously than any other fight in my entire life.

“I know the dangers that this man possesses and I’ll be ready for them on Saturday. I’m going to lay it all out on the line and cement my entire career on Saturday night.

“I’m looking forward to stepping into the ring with Beibut. He’s a very good fighter. They don’t give light heavyweight world titles for free or because they’re easy. He earned it. Everything he’s gotten in his career he’s earned and I’m looking to get mine on Saturday night.”

JORDAN SHIMMELL

“I feel ready. I’m prepared. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for quite a while now. I trained hard and feel healthy. I just have to perform well and show everything I have on Saturday.

“From a young age it was always a dream of mine to be on this stage. Making it here now, I just want to further my career and perform well so I can do that.

“Anytime you get to fight in Vegas it’s an exciting thing. This is the boxing headquarters of the world. Being on the main stage on television is very exciting.

“I know Isiah is a quick guy, so we’ve been working a lot of speed, quickness and movement. I pride myself on not getting hit often. I want to continue that and make it an easier fight on Saturday.

“Fighting on this PBC card is definitely a big motivation because it’s where I’ve wanted to be. I want to get another opportunity to fight on television and if I perform well I think that will do it.

“I’m a good well-rounded fighter that can do a bit of everything. That’s what makes my fights easier, because I’m able to switch up styles.

“I represent the whole state of Michigan in this fight. I want to rep the state and eventually the whole country.

“Quite possibly one of those guys who was up on stage with me could a future opponent. Those are the top guys in the division and they’re all great fighters so I would look forward to any fight my team puts together.”

ISIAH THOMAS

“I’m very excited, it’s great to be fighting in Las Vegas for the first time. I’ve said it before though, it doesn’t matter where I fight, my emotions are always in check and I’m just ready to go to work.

“Training camp was excellent. I was five weeks into training camp when I got this fight so everything is 100 percent.

“I’ve worked on staying busy, throwing a lot of punches and using angles. I’ll outwork him or outland him. I’m going to use my speed and my boxing skills.

“I’m a puncher-boxer with great ring generalship. I’m an all-around fighter. I want to get in the ring and look spectacular.

“I’m just going to work every night, if the knockout comes I’ll go for it. But it’s more about just looking impressive.

“To be a part of the PBC movement means a lot. They’re bringing back the history of boxing and to be a part of the movement is really important to me.”

ANDREW TABITI

“I’m ready to fight. I’ve worked hard to prepare myself to fight. Come Saturday it’s just going to be a regular day in the ring.

“Everything I do is setup, it’s like chess. I try to be smart and not take too much punishment. I want to catch guys when they make mistakes.

“I’m prepared for my opponent and the Mexican-style he’ll bring into the ring. I plan on him ending up like the rest of them.

“Being in the Mayweather gym is great because there’s so many different kinds of fighters in there. It feels like a fight every day. It gets your mind ready for the stage like this. There’s all kinds of people looking at you and it helps you get ready mentally.

“I’d like to fight any of the guys on the stage today. I want to make good fights and bring the cruiserweight division back.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.nbcsports.com/boxing, www.mayweatherpromotions.com and www.TGBPromotions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @Beibut_Shumenov, @BJFloresBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions, @NBCSports, and @PearlAtPalms and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports




Kovalev-Mohammedi Press Conference Quotes

Sergey Kovalev
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“Thank you to WBO. This was my first belt and mean a lot to me. Thank you for this ring.”

“Thank you for everybody that came here today. Thank you Kathy Duva my promoter, Egis Klimas my manager and Nadjib Mohammedi. I want to show this Saturday who I am. I would like to still be champion as long time as possible. I did not get all my goals in my career yet. My amateur career I didn’t give me a lot of opportunities. I was hurt in amateur career and I had to try not to closed doors. Some of my dreams in the boxing and my goals not finished. For my dreams, my goals this Saturday is the next step in my career.”

“Welcome to Mandalay Bay and thanks HBO. I want to give you good show. We will know who is the best. Thank you HBO who built my career. I love boxing and boxing in America and HBO is the best.”

“I cannot say who is the best. I try to be better with everyday, fight and build my career as I would like.”

Nadjib Mohammedi
Photo Credits:
David Spagnolo/Main Events

Nadjib “IronDjib” Mohammedi – IBF Number One Contender

“I am very excited and happy. Thank you Sergey Kovalev, Main Events and HBO. I have hard work in my training camp for this fight. I am very happy. I promise Saturday a good fight. I am ready. Thank you very much.”

Kathy Duva
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva – CEO of Main Events

“Welcome to the beautiful Mandalay Bay. This Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing event will feature the light heavyweight champion of the world against Nadjib Mohammedi, the IBF mandatory challenger.”

“There has been a lot of discussion lately about where the best fighters fight. The place that has developed every major fighter in the last 30 years is HBO and that is why Sergey Kovalev is an HBO Fighter.”

“This event is going to be promoted with a group of great promoters. Krusher Promotions, Sergey’s promotional company, will be our new partner going forward. Our sponsor is Myagkov Vodka. It is so nice to be back here at Mandalay Bay. We have had a long relationship with Mandalay Bay going back to Fernando Vargas. It is in my view my favorite place in Las Vegas to come. It is associated with the great people at MGM International and my good friend Richard Sturm.”

“Our first time in Nevada was in 1981 when Sugar Ray Leonard fought Thomas Hearns. This is my first time working with the current commission here in Nevada. We are forging a good relationship with them. I want to thank Cisco Aguilar and Bob Bennett.”

Kovalev and Mohammedi
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

“The first time Sergey Kovalev fought in Las Vegas it was on an undercard. Those fighters work just as hard as everyone else. We have a great undercard for this Saturday’s event and it is always fun to watch the undercard fighters because you never know if one of them could be the next Sergey Kovalev.”

“The opening bout on HBO World Championship Boxing telecast will feature Jean Pascal, the former light heavyweight champion of the world, against the undefeated Cuban Yuniesky Gonzalez. Pascal is truly a warrior in the best sense of the word. His promoter is InterBox and he also has his own promotional company, Jean Pascal Promotions.”

“Sergey Kovalev has quickly gone from unknown to superstar in a short period of time but you never forget your first. We have a little surprise for Sergey. Paco from the WBO is here and he has a little surprise for Sergey.”

“We got to know Nadjib Mohammedi a year ago when he fought Anatoliy Dudchenko on one of our shows. He came in as the under dog and came away as the mandatory challenger.”

“I thank God every day for the day I met Egis Klimas and he brought me Sergey Kovalev. He has a great team around him. Sergey Kovalev’s trainer is a former world champion. I have known John David Jackson for a long time and he is one of the best trainers in the world.”

“Bernard Hopkins said to me that Sergey is getting better with every fight. He is powerfully fast and shockingly dominating. He is the kind of guy that people want to see. Hopkins warned Sergey not to get complacent. I think a mark of a great fighter is no matter what you do you are never satisfied and that is the best way to describe Sergey.”

Peter Nelson
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Peter Nelson – Vice President of Programming, HBO Sports

“Thank you. I want to thank all the media for coming out today this is a great turnout. I want to thank Main Events for putting together a tremendous event. They always make the best events. I want to thank Mandalay Bay and Richard Sturm for hosting us. Sergey Kovalev is one of the marquee fighters of our generation. He has a tough challenge ahead of him with Nadjib Mohammedi. I want to thank Joe DiGuardia for helping to make the fight with Jean Pascal and Yuniesky Gonzalez. We had a fight earlier this year with Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev and it was a big success. We are happy to have Pascal back on HBO. The telecast time is 10:00 PM ET/PT.”

Bob Bennett – Nevada Athletic Commission

“On behalf of the Nevada Athletic Commission, we are pleased and privileged to bring you this fight. We would like to thank Main Events, HBO, Richard Sturm and Mandalay Bay and last, but not least, we really want to thank the fighters because without them none of us would be here.”

Richard Sturm – President of Entertainment and Sports for MGM Resorts International

“Welcome everyone. I want to thank the media, the fighters and the fans for being here today. We are excited to partner with Kathy Duva and Main Events for a championship fight on HBO. Fighting for only the second time in Las Vegas Sergey Kovalev will make his Mandalay Bay debut against Nadjib Mohammedi, the IBF #1 contender. The event will be an international one and the world will get to see these two great fighters represent their home countries. Thank you Main Events, Bob Bennett, HBO and thank you all for being here. We look forward to seeing you all Saturday night.”

Kovalev Receives His Championship Ring from Valcarcel of the WBO
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Paco Valcarcel – World Boxing Organization

“Sergey Kovalev was a sensation. Sergey, we have something for you. He is a great human being. He is a great fighter, outstanding. You going to have a lot of excitement in this fight. We have a real diamond ring for him. This is something we give to our champions.”

John David Jackson and Egis Klimas
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Egis Klimas – Sergey Kovalev’s Manager

“Good afternoon. First I want to thank Don Turner who gave me my first steps in boxing. He is the man who introduced me to this sport. He noticed Sergey and told me I had to sign him. Coming back to Vegas brings back a lot of good memories because this is where Sergey won his first belt. He won the NABA Light Heavyweight Title. We were celebrating here and he grabbed his belt, put a shirt over it and brought it downstairs. He said he wanted to give it to me. He gave it to me and said it was our title together. I still have it at my house, he never took it back.”

“I want to thank HBO and Nadjib Mohammedi for taking this fight, Mandalay Bay and media for coming for this good event. We are looking for one of the best fights in the light heavyweight division. When Sergey came to United States in 2009 the light heavyweight division was dead and nobody was talking about it. I strongly believe the division is burning today and that is because of Sergey. There is not a match in this division that happens without mentioning his name.”

John David Jackson – Sergey Kovalev’s Trainer

“I am not going to talk too much. I am going to let Sergey do the talking in the ring Saturday night. But I was a WBO champion during my career and where is my ring, Paco? (laughing)”

“Enjoy the fight Saturday. It is will be a good fight.”

“I think Sergey Kovalev is in the top five fighters pound-for-pound and he can become #1.”

Vince Caruso
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Vince Caruso – Nadjib Mohammedi’s Co-Manager

“I want to thank everyone here. I want to thank Mandalay Bay. It is a great place for a fight. I want to thank Peter Nelson from HBO; he is a good guy. I support everything he is doing at HBO. I want to thank Main Events and Krusher Promotions. I think you are the best. Sergey thank you for this opportunity.”

“Nadjib Mohammedi, a lot of people didn’t know who we were not too long ago. After Saturday he will be known everywhere. I can make two guarantees: He will weigh 175 pounds tomorrow on the scale and he will have the best game plan possible. That is because of Abel Sanchez, who I believe he is the best trainer in the business. When Nadjib’s trainer couldn’t make it into the country back in November, I had the chance to call Abel to step in. It is like putting sugar in the Duncan Hines.”

“I have been around a lot of fighters and I know heart when I see heart, and determination when I see determination. I know all the intangibles fall on Sergey Kovalev’s side of the table but I am going to ride this guy [Nadjib] all the way to the championship. We love the IBF and thank them for this opportunity. Nadjib Mohammedi is Saturday’s challenger but he will be Sunday’s champion.”

“I would also like to thank all the media here today. I didn’t hear one negative word spoken about Nadjib. Not one media person in this building did that and I thank you.”

Nadjib Mohammedi, Abel Sanchez and Jon Ali
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Jon Ali – Nadjib Mohammedi’s Co-Manager

“I am glad to be here with my brother, Nadjib Mohammedi. I am very proud of him. Back in France he came a long way to get here. Saturday night will change his life forever.”

Abel Sanchez – Nadjib Mohammedi’s Trainer

“I want to thank Mandalay Bay, Peter with HBO, Sergey Kovalev and Egis Klimas for this opportunity. Nadjib earned this right by moving up the ladder to become the #1 contender. I believe we are fighting the best light heavyweight in the world. We know we are fighting a very tough guy. I hope everyone enjoys the fight.”

Jean Pascal
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Jean Pascal – Former Light Heavyweight Champion

“Hi everybody. There is no place like home. I have been fighting at home my whole career. I am glad to be in Vegas, it is my first time fighting here. Every fighter on my level wants to fight at least one time in Vegas. This is my chance to make a statement on Saturday night. I know am still among the best in the world and best in my division. I know Yuniesky Gonzalez is hungry and he wants to make a statement. I want to give you guys a great show on Saturday night.”

“My philosophy is the best must fight the best. I believe I am still among the best in the world. I am the best light heavyweight in the world but I had a bad night on March 14.”

Yuniesky Gonzalez

“Good afternoon. Thank you to Jean Pascal team, HBO and Joe DiGuardia and Kathy Duva of Main Events for this opportunity. Gracias. We are going to see high quality boxing from Yuniesky Gonzalez Saturday night.”

Pascal and Gonzalez
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Pierre Duc – InterBox Promotions

“Good afternoon. InterBox has been one of the lead promoters in Canada for a long time but this is our first time in Vegas, so this is a great thrill for us. Thank you to HBO, Kathy Duva and Main Events for having us here. Following Jean Pascal’s fight with Sergey Kovalev one of Pascal’s requests was to step back into the ring as soon as possible. We are so happy to make this happen for him. You are going to see a very exciting fight on HBO. Jean Pascal is a former light heavyweight champion. Kathy Duva described him as a warrior. This is going to be a long and very difficult fight for both fighters.”

Greg Leon – Jean Pascal Promotions

“Good afternoon I want to thank HBO, Peter Nelson, Main Events and Interbox for being such great people to work with. For Jean Pascal this fight is about him making a statement in his Las Vegas debut. He is going to let his fists doing the talking on Saturday night.”

Marc Ramsay – Jean Pascal’s Trainer

“Thank you for being with us today. After the fight with Sergey Kovalev, Jean Pascal requested a fight right away on HBO with the best opponent available. With the style of both fighters we are going to have a great fight. We had a great training camp and it should be a great fight Saturday night.”

Joe DiGuardia – Star Boxing, Gonzalez’s Promoter

“Thank you. It is great to be back here at Mandalay Bay where I have also had some great fights and my best success stories. I want to thank Kathy Duva and Main Events from having us, Peter Nelson and HBO for giving this opportunity to Yuniesky Gonzalez. Jean Pascal is a great champion. Sergey Kovalev is one of the greatest of our time. Yuniesky Gonzalez is pleased to have this opportunity. Yuniesky Gonzalez is an exciting fighter. I guarantee you will see an exciting fight with Yuniesky Gonzalez and Jean Pascal. Yuniesky Gonzalez has been clawing his way to get this opportunity and he will take advantage of it.”

About Kovalev vs. Mohammedi

WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) will compete in his first mandatory title defense against Nadjib “Irondjib” Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) on Saturday, July 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The co-feature will include a ten-round light heavyweight match-up between Jean Pascal (29-3-1, 17 KOs) and Yuniesky Gonzalez (16-0, 12 KOs). Tickets are on sale now and start at $25. Tickets can be purchased through TicketMaster and all MGM Resorts Properties Ticket Offices. The HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Sergey Kovalev’s Greatest Hits
Sergey Kovalev’s Greatest Hits

Hey Harold!: Kovalev vs. Mohammedi
Hey Harold!: Kovalev vs. Mohammedi

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WEIGHTS from Thompson Boxing Promotions’ “Locked n’ Loaded”

ORANGE, Calif. (July 23, 2015) – Rising talent Danny Roman (15-2-1, 5 KOs) stars in Thompson Boxing Promotions’ “Locked n’ Loaded” 10-round main event against veteran Daniel Ortega (27-9-1, 15 KOs) this Friday, July 24, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Roman, who is from the Los Angeles suburb of Garden Grove, will try to get his hands on the vacant NABA Super Bantamweight Title.

Tickets priced at $40, $60, & $100 are available by calling 714-935-0900.

Danny Roman, 122 vs. Daniel Noriega, 122 NABA Super Bantamweight 10 Rounds
Isaac Zarate, 122 vs. Jesus Serrano, 121.4 8 Rounds
Jose Haro, 124.6 vs. Miguel Tamayo, 124.7 6 Rounds
Erick Ituarte, 130.7 vs. Pedro Lopez, 130.8 6 Rounds
Scott Alexander, 233.2 vs. Daniel Biddle, 228.6 4 Rounds

In the co-feature, Isaac Zarate (11-1-1, 1 KO), another talented super bantamweight from Los Angeles, plans to extends his winning streak to five against Jesus Serrano (7-2-2, 5 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the first bout starts at 7:45 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N. Vineyard Ave. Ontario, CA 91764, and can be reached at 909-937-0900.

“Locked n’ Loaded” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions, and sponsored by Lucas Oil in association with LATV Networks.

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

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




ANTONIO TARVER AND STEVE CUNNINGHAM EXCHANGE WORDS ON MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL AHEAD OF THEIR PBC ON SPIKE BOUT AUGUST 14

antonio_tarver1
“You’re overlooking me…I wouldn’t break camp, but you’re breaking camp for me. Good luck August 14. You’re crazy. You’re out of your mind.” – Tarver to Cunningham

“A few years ago, you were calling me a ‘nobody.’ Let’s keep it real. You’re a professional mouth-runner. I’m a professional fighter…period.” – Cunningham to Tarver

New York (July 23, 2015) – Former world champions Antonio Tarver and Steve Cunningham exchanged heated words today on a routine media conference call that escalated into a back-and-forth dialogue about mutual respect and ring generalship.

Both Tarver and Cunningham joined the call at minute 20:51 (MP3 linked above) following a much friendlier media Q&A featuring the televised undercard fighters Marco Huck and Krzysztof Glowacki.

The call became escalated between the two main event stars with the first media question and continued for nearly 20 minutes.One thing is for sure, there will be fireworks at the Prudential Center on August 14 live on PBC on Spike.

Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (31-6, 22 KOs) and Steve “U.S.S.” Cunningham (28-7, 13 KOs) headline the event with their 12-round heavyweight battle. Televised coverage on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT when Marco Huck (38-2-1, 26 KO) defends his cruiserweight world title against Krzysztof Glowacki (24-0, 15 KOs).

Undercard action begins at 6:00 p.m. ET with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Warriors Boxing and Huck Sports Promotion are priced at $150, $100, $70 and $45, not including applicable service charges and are on sale now viaTicketmaster.com, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchased at Prudential Center’s box office.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.dbe1.com, www.PruCenter.com andwww.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AntonioTarver, @USSCunningham, @Szpilka_Artur, @LouDiBella, @PruCenter, @SpikeTV and @SpikeSports and become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/PruCenter and www.Facebook.com/Spike.




Klitschko signs five fight extension with RTL

wklitschko
World Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko signed a 5 fight extension with German television network according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The first fight under the new deal starts with his October 24 defense with Tyson Fury.

“My previous contract expired after [the] Jennings fight, so now I have another five-fight deal with RTL. I never thought about the exact time of my retirement, but for some reason people are trying to retire me sooner than later,” Klitschko told ESPN.com.

“I don’t feel my age [and am not] tired of boxing,” he said. “I really mean it.”




SEDAT TASCI: “HAMMOND IS JUST A BOY”

SEDAT TASCI has sent a warning to WBA Oceania welterweight champion Cameron Hammond ahead of their clash in Narrabri, New South Wales on Saturday night.

The Sydney-based Turk is has lost only once in 13 professional fights and says young Hammond will pay the price if he underestimates him.

Both boxers are former Olympic representatives so it promises to be a high quality affair, with the winner set to go on to bigger and better titles.

“He (Hammond) is a good young boxer who went to Olympics in London, but he is still a boy!” Tasci, 30, stated.

“He has only had easy fights as a professional and as an amateur he qualified for Olympic Games through the Oceania Region. I was a silver medallist at European Championships and lost a close decision to bronze medal winner at 2004 Olympics.

“I won World Championships as a Cadet in Hungary, I have won many championships in Turkey, Europe and all over the world. He has never faced anyone like me!

“He has done well against boys but he’s not playing with boys against me. Now he faces a man and he will not be able to handle me.”

Saturday’s card takes place at the Crossing Theatre and features five professional fights. Tickets can be purchased from the venue on (02) 6792 4654 or BOXOFFICE@CROSSINGTHEATRE.COM.AU.




Fight Network Presents Battlefield Fight League 37 LIVE Saturday, July 25 at 11 p.m. ET

TORONTO (July 23, 2015) – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of Battlefield Fight League 37: Gladiator this Saturday, July 25 at 11 p.m. ET, emanating from the Hardrock Casino in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.

Fight Network’s live broadcast of BFL 37 will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Suddenlink Communications, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In the main event, the BFL middleweight title is on the line as Ryan Janes (7-1) battles Brendan Kornberger (5-1). In other featured bouts, Dejan Kajic (6-4-2) meets David Perron (7-4) in a 175-pound catch-weight affair, once-beaten Super Fight League standout Gary Mangat (7-1) returns to the BFL cage opposite American Damon Wood (5-4) in a 128-pound matchup, Shawn Albrecht (11-6) takes on Tristan Connelly (4-4) in a lightweight duel, plus Curtis Harriott (0-0) makes his BFL debut against Ryan Ballingall (4-9) in 180-pound action.

In addition to the live BFL 37 broadcast, Fight Network presents a pre-show for UFC Fight Night Chicago: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.




VIDEO: Kovalev – Mohammedi final press conference 4 pm et




WORLD BOXING COUNCIL “WBC” CONFIRMED FOR SECOND ANNUAL BOX FAN EXPO TAKING PLACE SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 IN LAS VEGAS

WBC BFE
Las Vegas (July 23, 2015) – The World Boxing Council (“WBC”) has confirmed that it will have a booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday Sept. 12, 2015. The Boxing Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s last fight and Mexican Independence weekend.

The World Boxing Council is an elite boxing sanctioning body and has as its maximum priority to work and protect for the athlete’s safety and health inside and outside of the boxing ring. The WBC was founded in 1963 and led by José Sulaiman, who was unanimously elected on December 1975 as president and served in that capacity until the time of his death on Jan. 16, 2014.. His son, Mauricio Sulaiman, succeeded him and became the organization’s president. The WBC is now composed of 165 countries from around the world and has sanctioned approximately 1,836 title fights on five continents. Some of its greatest champions are Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar de La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao among others.

The organization joins James “Lights Out” Toney, Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, “Showtime” Shawn Porter, Mia St. John, “Terrible” Terry Norris, Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor, “El Feroz” Fernando Vargas, Ruslan “Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin among early commitments to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

This unique fan experience event, which allowed fans to meet and greet boxing legends, past and current champions and other celebrities of the sport, debuted last September. This year the Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and once again, allow fans a chance to collect autographs, take photos and purchase merchandise and memorabilia.

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, broadcasting media and other brand companies who wish to participate will have a chance to showcase their products to fans and the whole boxing industry.

Last year’s inaugural Box Fan Expo featured some of the most popular fighters and boxing celebrities in recent history. Fans were treated to visits with Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia,Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija ,Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, St-John, Erislandy Lara, Quillin, Jean Pascal and Austin Trout. Also appearing were current WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, the charismatic Vinny Pazienza, Paul Williams, noted commentator Al Bernstein and trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

The roster of attendees for this year’s Box Fan Expo will be announced throughout the next several weeks leading up to the event.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at: http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

For anyone in the boxing industry or brand companies who wish to be involved and reserve a booth as an exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Box Fan Expo at:

U.S.A telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo




“WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Adds Five-Bout Preliminary Card Featuring Jake Heun vs. Davin Clark

LAS VEGAS (July 23, 2015) – World Series of Fighting’s blockbuster “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event will feature five preliminary contests that will stream live on WSOF.com prior to the live NBCSN telecast of the much-anticipated world championship doubleheader on Saturday, August 1.

Featuring a pair of highly anticipated world title fights with reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) vs. top-ranked challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7) as well as WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) vs. undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0), the mega-card will take place at The AXIS inside Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

The new preliminary contests include light heavyweights (205 pounds) Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun (7-4) vs. Davin “Relentless” Clark (5-2-2), flyweights (125 pounds) Donavon Frelow (4-0) vs. Carlos Garcia (0-0), a 140-pound catchweight contest with Jimmy “Rabbit” Jones (4-3) vs. Marco Simmons (0-0), light heavyweights Cory Hendricks (2-0) vs. Julio Hinojosa (3-1) and lightweights (155 pounds) Gil Guardado (3-1) vs. Pete Martin (5-3)

Fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla., the 27-year-old Heun is a two-time veteran of WSOF action who is sporting an overall record of 1-1 in the promotion. Four of his seven career victories have come by way of (T)KO and one by way of submission. He is looking to rebound from a second round (4:11) submission (arm-triangle choke) defeat at the hands of Clifford Starks.

Heun faces Clark, a 33-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product from San Jose, Calif., who has been competing professionally since 2007. While he suffered an October loss to fellow veteran Joe Vedepo, Clark’s previous two appearances saw him earn a pair of first-round finishes.

Las Vegas’ Frelow was originally expected to compete on the evening’s main card for the inaugural World Series of Fighting flyweight title. However, fellow undefeated contender Magomed Bibulatov suffered an injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the contest. Frelow elected to stay busy rather than wait on a title fight and now meets fellow Las Vegas resident Garcia, an Xtreme Couture fighter making his professional debut.

Additional preliminary bouts see some of Las Vegas’ top prospects enter the WSOF cage, as Xtreme Couture’s Jones meets Wand Fight Team’s Simmons, and Xtreme Couture’s Guardado faces Wand Fight Teams’ Martin.

Meanwhile, Syndicate MMA’s Hendricks welcomes Hinojosa, of El Paso, Texas, to the World Series of Fighting decagon.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

The live NBCSN telecast of the main card begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

MAIN CARD

WSOF World Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Rousimar Palhares (Champion) vs. Jake Shields (Challenger)

WSOF World Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Sheymon Moraes (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Thiago Silva vs. Mike Kyle
Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Jorge Moreno
Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

PRELIMINARY CARD

Light Heavyweight: Jake Heun vs. Davin Clark
Flyweight: Donavon Frelow vs. Carlos Garcia
Catchweight (140 pounds): Jimmy Jones vs. Marco Simmons
Light Heavyweight: Cory Hendricks vs. Julio Hinojosa
Lightweight: Gil Guardado vs. Pete Martin

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

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

Contact:
Mike Afromowitz, Witz End Communications, Inc.; (917) 566-8754, mikea@yourwitzend.com




HAT TRICK!!! NEVADA BOXING HALL OF FAME ONCE AGAIN SELECTS SUPERSTAR FLOYD MAYWEATHER AS NEVADA FIGHTER OF THE YEAR!

Pacquiao_Mayweather_150502_003a
LAS VEGAS, NV (July 23, 2015) — Unbeaten pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. made it three in a row when he was chosen as the Nevada Fighter of the Year once again by the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. Mayweather also won the award in 2013 and 2014. The annual Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame induction gala will be held Saturday, August 8, at Caesars Palace. This year’s event will have special meaning to Mayweather, whose uncle, Roger, is being inducted into the Hall for his brilliant boxing career.

A number of the greatest stars in boxing history will attend the popular induction ceremony on Aug. 8 at Caesars Palace. Among the big names who have confirmed they will be in attendance are Lennox Lewis, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Felix Trinidad, Marco Antonio Barrera, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad and Roger Mayweather.

The boxer known as “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, is also among the inductees.

Remaining Tickets for the August 8 induction ceremony are $300, $175 and $75 and are fully tax deductible as the NVBHOF is an IRS 501 (c)3 charity. They can be purchased online at the Hall’s website, nvbhof.com. Donations are also accepted at http://nvbhof.com.

The Nevada Fighter of the Year announcement was made by NVBHOF Founder and CEO Rich Marotta, who recognized Mayweather for wins over Manny Pacquiao and Marcos Maidana. Mayweather scored a convincing win over Maidana in a Sept. 13, 2014, rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He followed that with a brilliant performance in a wide win over Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2015, in a bout that set all sorts of financial records.

“I appreciate the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame for selecting me as Fighter of the Year once again,” Floyd Mayweather said. “My uncle Roger is also being inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. He was a great fighter and is a fantastic trainer who doesn’t always receive the credit he deserves. It’s nice for him to be recognized by the NVBHOF for his role in boxing for so many years.”

Mayweather’s bout with Pacquiao was billed as “The Fight of the Century,” and smashed all financial records. Mayweather earned more than $200 million in purse money after setting a record by selling 4.4 million pay-per-views.

It also smashed the record for the largest paid gate, at $72.2 million. Mayweather’s 2013 bout in Las Vegas was the previous mark, at $20 million.
Mayweather, who has been involved in the three top-selling pay-per-view in boxing history, has the three largest gates in Nevada history as well as five of the top six.

He is 48-0 and heading into the final bout of his career on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas.

Marotta also announced that the NVBHOF will honor Layla McCarter as its women’s Fighter of the Year and Jarred Santos of the University of Nevada, Reno, as its amateur Fighter of the Year.

It will present its President’s Award to Mike Martino and its Humanitarian Award to Yank Barry.

The Hall was founded by Marotta, a noted boxing broadcaster. Its chief operating officer is Michelle Corrales-Lewis, whose late husband, Diego Corrales, was an inaugural inductee into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.

For more information, phone 702-3-NVBHOF, or 702-368-2463.




Barrera Highlights Kovalev-Mohammedi International Undercard July 25 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV: Saturday’s fight between WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) of Chelyabinsk, Russia and IBF Mandatory Challenger Nadjib “IronDjib” Mohammedi (38-3-0, 23 KOs) of Aix-en-Provence, France is just one of top-notch fights scheduled to take place at Mandalay Bay.

In addition to the Kovalev-Mohammedi fight, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast will feature a light heavyweight battle between former light heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal (29-3-1, 17 KOs) of Laval, Quebec, Canada and undefeated Cuban sensation Yuniesky Gonzalez (16-0, 12 KOs). Pascal suffered his first career knockout at the hands of Kovalev in front of his home crowd in Montreal back in March and he is eager for a rematch. However, first he will have to get past Gonzalez and his dangerous 75% knockout-to-win percentage.

Barrera and Lacy
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Highlighting the non-televised undercard will be another undefeated Cuban sensation, Sullivan Barrera (15-0, 10 KOs). Barrera was originally scheduled to face Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin but Lepikhin suffered an injury during training camp so Hakim Zoulikha (21-7, 10 KOs) of Villeurbanne, France has stepped into his place at the last minute. Sullivan is slowly making a name for himself as a force in the division. His knockout-to-win ratio is 67% and he knocked out veteran Jeff Lacy in the fourth round in his last fight back in January. However, he will have no easy task with Zoulikha. The veteran from France has over 25 career professional fights.

Undefeated super featherweight Joel Diaz (18-0, 14 KOs) of Palmdale, California will face Alejandro Rodriguez (24-17-1, 14 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico for six rounds. Diaz has knocked out his last two opponents and has a stellar 78% (14 of 18) knockout-to-win ratio. Rodriguez has already fought in five bouts in 2015 (3-2, 2 KOs).

Cassius Chaney
Photo Credits:
Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

Heavyweights Cassius Chaney of (2-0, 1 KO) New London, Connecticut and Edward Ramirez (1-2, 1 KO) of Yuma, Arizona are scheduled for four rounds of action. This will be Chaney’s first professional appearance outside of his home state of Connecticut and his third professional fight in just four short months. Ramirez is looking to redeem himself after suffering two straight losses, both knockouts, in 2014. The California native will also make his Las Vegas debut on Saturday night.

Middleweights Daniel Henry (2-4-3) of Austin, Texas and Jas Phipps (5-5-2, 2 KOs) of Kileen, Texas will face each other for four rounds. Henry has suffered three straight losses and the Texas native is looking to make up for the first round TKO he suffered at the hands of Caleb Plant earlier this year in his last appearance in Las Vegas. Phipps won his first five fights of his professional career. In his last fight he battled Steed Woodall to a majority draw.

Finally, Rodney Hernandez (7-2-1, 1 KO) of Modesto, California will face Brice Ritani-Coe of San Pedro, California (4-3-1, 3 KOs) for six rounds of heavyweight action. Hernandez is making his first appearance in Las Vegas since 2012 and is currently riding a two fight win streak. Ritani-Coe snapped a three-fight losing streak in his last outing in June of 2014. This will be his second fight in Nevada but his first in boxing’s mecca.

About Kovalev vs. Mohammedi

WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) will compete in his first mandatory title defense against Nadjib “Irondjib” Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) on Saturday, July 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The co-feature will include a ten-round light heavyweight match-up between Jean Pascal (29-3-1, 17 KOs) and Yuniesky Gonzalez (16-0, 12 KOs). Tickets are on sale now and start at $25. Tickets can be purchased through TicketMaster and all MGM Resorts Properties Ticket Offices. The HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Sergey Kovalev’s Greatest Hits
Sergey Kovalev’s Greatest Hits

Hey Harold!: Kovalev vs. Mohammedi
Hey Harold!: Kovalev vs. Mohammedi

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Official Hashtag: #KrusherMohammedi




Blackwell says Jones needs more than the confidence of youth on Saturday night

LONDON (23 JULY) Reigning British middleweight champion Nick Blackwell remembers what it’s like to be a young underdog heading into a title fight, but insists his first challenger, Damon Jones, will need a lot more than just ambition and the confidence of youth when the pair clash at Derby Arena on Saturday (July 25).

Twenty-four-year-old Blackwell won his British title in May – stopping John Ryder in seven rounds – and he won it at the third time of asking, having come up short in previous title shots against Billy Joe Saunders and Martin Murray. Too young, too inexperienced and too raw at the time, he believes Jones will feel a similar sensation this weekend.

“Jones sounds confident, but he’s going to, isn’t he?” said Blackwell. “He’s going to be confident. He’s unbeaten, he’s had a good amateur background and he feels like he can outbox me. It would be weird if he came out and said he was just going to give it a go and didn’t have much hope. If he’s confident, he shouldn’t be involved in boxing and he definitely shouldn’t be fighting me on Saturday night.

“The thing is, it’s all well and good having confidence but that can all change when you get punched in the face. Then it tends to all go out the window.

“I felt invincible before my first two British title fights. I thought I could take on the world. But then reality hits home and you get in there with top opposition and realise the importance of experience. You can’t buy experience. It takes time to collect. I thought it wasn’t important at the time; I thought I’d just get in there and be too good for them. But I found out the hard way. I fought two men in Murray and Saunders who were more experienced than me and I didn’t quite know enough to beat them at the time.”

Now on top, Blackwell isn’t about to leave any stone unturned. That’s why the champion has worked harder than ever in training, and that’s why he’s adamant his belt will be heading back to Trowbridge with him.

“I’ve been sparring three different sparring partners and doing 12, 15 and 16 rounds with no difficulty at all,” he said. “I’ve been finishing those sessions and not even feeling tired. But the people I’ve been sparring have been the ones getting out the ring feeling knackered.

“The weight is good, the training has been spot on, and this is the best I’ve felt in my career. I feel a lot better than I did before the John Ryder fight in May.”

Blackwell expects Jones to give him a sterner test than Ryder, too, and says that for a few rounds his tall, rangy southpaw style and unshakeable self-belief may prove to be a factor in the contest. But then the champion believes he will start to take over and, ultimately, dominate.

“I’m expecting him to come flying out and not let me do anything,” he said. “He’ll bring a lot of nervous energy and he’ll be busy and he’ll try to stop me working. But I’ve got a different plan. I’ll show him the importance of experience.”

*** Tickets for Blackwell vs. Jones can be purchased from the Derby Arena Box Office on 01332 255800 or by visiting www.derbylive.co.uk ***

*** Blackwell vs. Jones will be televised live on Channel 5 on July 25 (10pm), while the supporting undercard will be televised live earlier in the evening (8pm) on Spike ***

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Lewkowicz Signs Ceferino Rodriguez to a Co-Promotional Contract

Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing proudly announces the signing of welterweight Ceferino “Ferino V” Rodriguez (19-1, 10 KOs) to a co-promotional agreement, along with former champion Sergio Martinez’s Maravilla Box Promotions.

26-year-old Rodriguez, from Las Palmas, Islas Canarias, Spain, will be trained by well-known Madrid-based trainer, Gabriel Sarmiento. The five-year pro has already won the Spanish Welterweight, European Union Welterweight, and WBC Latino Welterweight Championships.

Lewkowicz, who has previously worked with Spanish champions Kiko Martinez, Gabriel Campillo and Javier Castillejo, says Rodriguez will make a fine addition to his stable.

“Ceferino Rodriguez has the talent to become another great champion from Spain and I am happy he chose to let Sergio Martinez and I help guide his career,” said Sampson Lewkowicz. “He will be training with one of the best in the sport in Gabriel Sarmiento, so everything is now in place for his career to explode.”

Rodriguez hasn’t ventured out of his homeland to fight often, a fact Lewkowicz says is about to change.

“He is at the international level as a fighter and I will be looking to make moves with him on the world stage,” said Lewkowicz of Rodriguez. “Sergio and I believe he has what it takes to become a champion.”

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.




Sides exploring Golovkin – Lemieux fight

Gennady Golovkin
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Middeweight belthoders Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux are talking about a possible unification bout this fall.

Now it seems, however, that the prospect of a Golovkin-Lemieux unification fight — a very fan-friendly fight and one HBO would love to put on (and one that will cost the network a pretty penny) — has a chance of happening. Both sides acknowledge that they are at least talking about a deal. The target is Oct. 17, which is on hold at New York’s Madison Square Garden for the fight.

“We’re exploring options for David Lemieux and discussing things with Tom Loeffler [Golovkin’s promoter from K2 Promotions],” De La Hoya told ESPN.com this week. “We’ll see if we can make it. I’ll sit down with [Golden Boy vice president] Eric Gomez and see if it’s even possible. But my mind is always open to giving fans the best fights and this is one of the best fights.”

“Everyone is asking when are we going to see David versus Golovkin? Well when the financials are right we will do it,” he said. “No doubt in my mind it would be one crazy fight. Obviously, fans want to see. We would not go in there if we didn’t believe that David could hurt Golovkin. David is that throwback fighter that people love and in his last performances he showed that he could box, showed an excellent jab, showed that he has the endurance to be firing bombs from round 1 through 12, and those bombs hurt people.

“We can literally say that David is in the hurt business. Believe me, we think David will hurt Golovkin. Golovkin is certainly a great fighter, but without wanting to divulge our strategy we feel very good about our chances. People want to see Golovkin tested and we are willing if it makes business sense. We are talking and the door is open. Having said that, we are well aware that David is only 26 and is getting better day by day where Golovkin is now 33. So time is on our side. We’re not in a rush.”

“It has always been GGG’s priority to unify all the titles in the middleweight division,” Loeffler said. “If we can make a fight with Lemieux, he would be one step closer to his goal.”




Video: UniMas: Viloria vs. Marquez – Full Fight




YUNIESKY GONZALEZ READY TO TAKE ON JEAN PASCAL SATURDAY JULY 25th ON HBO FROM MANDALAY BAY LAS VEGAS

Star Boxing’s undefeated Cuban Light Heavyweight Yuniesky Gonzalez (16-0 12 KO) is ready to burst onto the scene when he takes on former WBC Light Heavyweight champ Jean Pascal (29-3-1 17KO), Saturday, July 25th, at The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV in a 10 round Light Heavyweight matchup. The bout will be telecast live on HBO and serve as the opener to the Sergei Kovalev-Nadjib Mohammedi Light Heavyweight unification bout. Gonzalez, currently rated #13 by the WBC has been in intensive training for this bout under the watchful eye of veteran trainer Orlando Cuellar in Miami, FL. Gonzalez was a decorated amateur in his homeland of Cuba amassing close to 400 amateur fights and was a member of the Cuban national team. Like many other Cuban refugees, Gonzalez defected on a small boat in 2009 and eventually found his way to Miami where he was signed by manager Michael Luzbet and turned pro in December of 2010.

Gonzalez is a versatile fighter not only known for his tremendous punching power but also his ability to box and adapt to his opponents. He is more than ready for the Pascal fight having put in over 6 weeks of hard training for the biggest fight of his career.

Star Boxing head Joe DeGuardia had this to say about the fight: “We are looking forward to showing the boxing world an exciting fighter and hope a new star will be born on July 25th on HBO. I am excited for this fight and I know that Gonzalez has tremendous confidence and that he expects to be successful when he steps into the ring with Jean Pascal”.

The bout is being promoted by Main Events in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Interbox
For more information visit official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook.com/StarBoxing.




LORENZO HOOD SET FOR PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST RAPHAEL BUTLER DURING MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR: GUILLARD VS. GIRTZ’ ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 AT PECHANGA RESORT & CASINO

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 22, 2015) – The highly anticipated promotional debut of Lorenzo “The Samoan Silverback” Hood (9-2) will come on the main card of “Bellator MMA: Guillard vs. Girtz” against Raphael “The Silencer” Butler (9-1-1) on Friday, Aug. 28 at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

The contest will serve as the opening main card bout of “Bellator MMA: Guillard vs. Girtz,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, with preliminary bouts streaming on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event, which start at just $50, are on sale now at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office. Doors for the event open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour later.

In the evening’s main event, Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (32-14-2, 2 NC) will face Brandon “Cold Roll” Girtz (11-4). The co-headliner will feature lightweight action when Saad Awad (18-6) takes Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (13-6).

One of the most sought-after heavyweight prospects in MMA, the 6-foot-3 Hood has been competing professionally since 2009 and has never allowed a fight to go past the first round. Of his nine career victories, each and every one has come by knockout. Hood has fought throughout the U.S. while competing on the regional circuit, earning himself the distinction of being one of the top heavyweight prospects in the sport.

“The Silencer” started his combat sports career as a professional boxer, where he racked up 28 knockouts in his 35 total victories, and still trains with high caliber strikers including Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder. Butler now makes his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, his first since finishing Josh Diekmann at “Bellator MMA: British Invasion” this past February. Much like Hood, the Minnesota native has never allowed a match-up to reach the judges’ scorecards, accruing six knockouts and three submissions along the way.
With all the hype surrounding the debut of Hood, Butler will look to play the role of spoiler when he enters the Bellator MMA cage for second time in 2015.

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.




HBO PRESENTS A SIZZLING DOUBLEHEADER OF INTERNATIONAL TALENT WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: SERGEY KOVALEV VS. NADJIB MOHAMMEDI AND JEAN PASCAL VS. YUNIESKY GONZALEZ IS SEEN SATURDAY, JULY 25 FROM LAS VEGAS

Sergey Kovalev
Light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev, who has been on the fast track collecting title belts the past two years, makes his Las Vegas debut when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: SERGEY KOVALEV VS. NADJIB MOHAMMEDI AND JEAN PASCAL VS. YUNIESKY GONZALEZ is seen SATURDAY, JULY 25 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, Bernard Hopkins and Harold Lederman will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: July 26 (9:15 a.m.) and 27 (midnight)

HBO2 playdates: July 26 (4:30 p.m.) and 28 (11:30 p.m.)

In the main event, undefeated Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) of Kopeysk, Russia, now living and training in Los Angeles, defends his crown against intriguing mandatory challenger Nadjib Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) from France in a 12-round bout. The fast-rising, hard-hitting Kovalev has taken the 175-pound division by storm with a sizzling knockout ratio and a willingness to battle top-tier fighters, even when his opponent has a decided home crowd advantage. In the past two years, he’s decisively beaten Nathan Cleverly, Cedric Agnew, ring legend Bernard Hopkins and Canadian superstar Jean Pascal. One of the sport’s top attractions, thanks to his fan-friendly style, Kovalev enjoyed a banner year in 2014, earning Fighter of the Year honors from a host of boxing news organizations. This bout marks his seventh HBO appearance.

In his U.S. debut last November, Mohammedi scored a stunning first-round knockout of Demetrius Walker on the undercard of Kovalev-Hopkins. He will train for his HBO debut against Kovalev at Big Bear Lake in California.

The opening bout features former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (29-3-1, 17 KOs) of Quebec, Canada, and undefeated Cuban-born Yuniesky Gonzalez (16-0, 12 KOs) from Miami, Florida in a 175-pound contest scheduled for ten rounds. Pascal, who previously lost by TKO to Kovalev, wants another shot at the light heavyweight title, and defeating Gonzalez should bring him that opportunity. This fight marks Pascal’s first bout outside his home country since 2008 and his fifth HBO appearance.

Gonzalez, who had a successful amateur career in Cuba, aims to disrupt Pascal’s plans with his knockout power, which has stopped his last three opponents before the end of the third round. He’ll be making his HBO debut.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.




AUGUST 1 RISING STAR PROMOTIONS CARD AT VANDETTA BOXING IN VINELAND, NJ–POSTPONED!!!!

Vineland, NJ (July 22, 2015)–The August 1st Rising Star Promotions fight card at the Vandetta Boxing Club in Vineland, New Jersey has been postponed.

Rising Star Promotions is already hard at work on a Fall date to be announced shortly.

All tickets may be refunded at the point of purchase.




PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS PHILADELPHIA MEDIA WORKOUT: DANNY GARCIA & STEVE CUNNINGHAM QUOTES

Danny Garcia
PHILADELPHIA (July 22, 2015) – Two of Philadelphia’s top fighters held a media workout Tuesday as Danny “Swift” Garcia (30-0, 17 KOs)and Steve “U.S.S.” Cunningham (28-7, 13 KOs) prepared for their respective Premier Boxing Champions headlining events in August.

Garcia, who was joined by his father and trainer Angel, will be looking for his record fifth main event victory at Barclays Center on Saturday, August 1 when he takes on former world champion, Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight battle on Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET/6 :00 p.m. PT.

Cunningham, a two-time world champion trained by Naazim Richardson, is set for a 12-round heavyweight showdown with former light heavyweight world champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (31-6, 22 KOs) on Premier Boxing Champions on Spike taking place Friday, August 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Prudential Center in Newark.

Tickets for the August 1 event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Swift Promotions, are priced at $250, $150, $120, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 855-GROUP-BK.

Tickets for the August 14 event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are $150, $100, $70 and $45, not including applicable service charges and facility fee and are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchased at Prudential Center’s box office.

Here is what the fighters and their trainers had to say Wednesday:

DANNY GARCIA

“There’s no reason to go back in my career. The sky is the limit. It’s 147 for me now. I definitely feel a lot stronger.

“I’m able to work on things now later in camp. Before I would just be coming in to lose weight. Now I’ve had great nutrition throughout camp. My legs are there and I’m faster. It’s all going to fall into place on August 1.

“I’m not really concerned about Paulie, at this point in my career if I’m 110% percent ready, I feel like I can adapt to anything and find a way to win.

“I couldn’t cut the ring off the way I wanted to at 140. Now I have more agility and I can really corner people, use the jab and control the fight.

“My weight is great. I’ve been really disciplined with what I eat. I’m staying sharp and building muscle. I believe I could have been a welterweight two years ago.

“He’s from Brooklyn, I’m from Philly. The fight makes perfect sense. All the Italian fans, the Puerto Rican fans will be coming in to see a great fight. He’s a former 147-pound champion, it’s going to be a great fight.

“There’s no pressure on me. I just want to go in there and be Danny Garcia, a smart Danny Garcia.

“I feel like my style matches up great with anybody at 147. I’m ready for Paulie Malignaggi. I know he’s coming into his hometown. It’s a big fight for him so I just have to be completely ready.

“I moved up to 147 to fight the best fighters. Whatever the best fights are, that’s what I want.

STEVE CUNNINGHAM

“When we were offered this fight, we took it right away. Not that I think It’s going to be easy, because no fight is easy until you go in there and make it look easy.

“I’m going to do what I do. I put in the work in the gym and then I do work in the ring. The fans are going to enjoy what they see and we’re going to come out victorious.

“All I know is my situation. My back is against the wall. I want to be the heavyweight world champion and I want to be great in the sport. Fighting guys like this and beating them is what makes me great. Even as a two-time champion, my back has always been against the wall.

“There’s so much talent in Philadelphia, there has been for generations. You come to the city and see the stars. Philly is a rough city, it’s a tough hardcore city and you need to be cut from a special cloth to come out of the city and be successful.

“People came together for a cause to try and help my family. The boxing community got us to Pittsburgh in time for my daughter Kennedy to get her heart transplant. Indebted doesn’t event match how we feel, I owe the boxing community everything and I wish I could pay them back double. What I can do is continue to stay in shape and prepare right and give everyone the fights that they want to see.
[On his 9-year-old daughter Kennedy’s heart transplant which took place seven months ago in Pittsburgh]

“We’re going to take everything we’ve done in past camps and fine-tune it for this fight. Naazim has the plan and we’re going to execute it. It’s not just going to be outworking him, I’m a veteran too. I’ve been in the lion’s den and won.

“I don’t underestimate anybody. I just prepare and we’re prepared for the best Antonio Tarver we’ve ever seen.”

ANGEL GARCIA, Danny Garcia’s Father & Trainer

“Danny’s going to be ready on August 1 to show the world that he’s ready. The power is there. He’s coming like a lion in the night. He’s going to eat everybody up at 147.

“At the end of the day, you gotta fight. He’s not going to win running around. We’re coming to smash you.”

NAAZIM RICHARDSON, Cunningham’s Trainer

“With Steve you have to gauge the camp differently. He comes into camp in such good shape; he lives it because he’s in this shape year round.

“He’s in such good shape, he throws your timing off. There are things that you want to do, but you don’t have to because he’s there. He’s already looking very good in camp.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.barclayscenter.com, www.PruCenter.com, www.dbe1.comand www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @PaulMalignaggi, @AntonioTarver, @USSCunningham, @LouDiBella, @ESPNBoxing, @BarclaysCente,@PruCenter, @SpikeTV and @SpikeSport and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/fanpagedannyswiftgarcia, www.facebook.com/PaulMalignaggi, www.facebook.com/barclayscenter,www.facebook.com/ESPN , www.Facebook.com/PruCenterand www.Facebook.com/Spike.
Follow the conversation using #PBConESPN and #BrooklynBoxing.