Deontay Wilder made the first defense of the WBC Heavyweight title with a 9th round stoppage over Eric Molina at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

In round three, Molina rocked Wilder with ahard left hook. In the end of round four, Wilder dropped Molina with a short left hook. In round five, Wilder landed a right hand that made Molina turn his back and then he was deposited on the deck from a left hand. Wilder then chased Molina croess the ring and dropped him again with a clubbing right.

In round nine, Wilder landed a perfect left hook that sent Molina flat on his back and the fight was stopped.

Wilder, 229 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 34-0 with 33 knockouts. Molina, 239 1/4 lbs of Rio Grande Valley, TX is 23-3.

Wilder landed 149 of 303 punches. Molina landed 49 of 188.

Jose Pedraza won the vacant IBF Jr. Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Andrey Klimov

Klimov suffered a mouse under his left eye in round five. Pedraza landed 272 punches of 750. Klimov was just 121 of 556.

Pedraza, 129 3/4 lbs of Cidra, PR won by scores of 119-109 and 120-108 twice and is now 20-0. Klimov, 129 lbs of Klimovar, RUS is 19-2.

Dejan Zalticanin scored a 4th round stoppage over Ivan Redkach in a battle of previously undefeated Lightweights in a bout scheduled for 12-rounds.

In round three, Redkach was cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt. In round four, Zlaticanin droped Radkach with a huge left. Moments later, Zlaticanin landed ahug flurry on the ropes and the bout was stopped with Redkach covering up at 1:24 of round four.

Zlaticanin, 134 1/2 lbs of Popgordia, Montenegro is now 17-0 with 10 knockouts. Redkach, 134 1/2 lbs of Los Angeles, is 18-1-1.

Zlaticanin landed 49-144 punches. Redkach was 48-231.

Julian Williams remained undefeated by scoring a 6th round stoppage over Armen Ovsepyan in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Williams dropped Ovsepyan in round one with a quick right hand. Williams continued to dominate and staggered Ovsepyan several more times in the opening frame.

In round six, Williams opened up on Ovsepyan and unleashed a series of headhsots and the fight was stopped at 2:33 of round six.

Williams, 153 3/4 lbs of Philadelphia is 20-0-1-1 with 12 knockouts. Ovsepyan, 153 1/4 lbs of Glendale, CA is 14-5.

Williams landed 195-372 punches. Ovsepyan was 42-224.

Ahmed Elbiali scored a 1st round stoppage over Donta Woods in a scheduled 8-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Elbiali dropped Woods with a right hand in round one and the fight was stopped at 1:04.

Elbiai, 175 1/2 lbs of Miami is 11-0 with 10 knockouts. Woods, 174 1/2 lbs of Atlanta is 8-5.

NEW YORK–Nicholas Walters won a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Marriaga in a Featherweight bout at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The bout was to be contested for Walters WBA championship but he was stripped of the title on Friday as he checked in one pound over the Featherweight limit at Friday’s weigh in. Marriaga was eligible to win the title.

In round four, Marriaga landed three hard left hooks that got Walters attention. the action started to pick up in round five as Walters opened the frame with a combination. Marriaga fought back with some solid action of his own.

In round eight, Walters landed a chopping right to the head that stunned Marriaga. In round nine, Walters began to up the pace as he swiftly jabbed his way in and threw some good right hands and mixed in lefts to the body. At the end of the round, Walters landed a perfect right hand counter that sent Marriaga to the canvas. Marriaga made one final push in the final stanza as he landed a solid right that drove Walters back but it was too little too late for Marriaga

Walters, 127 lbs of Montego Bay, JAM won by scores of 118-109, 117-110 and 119-108 and is now 26-0. Marriaga, 125.2 lbs of Arjorna, COL is now 20-1.

“”fter two weeks I will decide if I will move up to 130.Whoever is the best is who I want to fight. I want to fight the best.Even though I couldn’t make the 126 I wanted to come here and give them a good show and that’s what I did. I hurt him a few times but it was late in the rounds.Amatuers and the pros are two different thigs. You can’t bring the amateurs to the pros. I am a lot more organized than I was in the amateurs.The crowd is used to people knocking down people. I have not fought in six months. He was a tough guy. I hurt him. I did hurt him. Some guys would go down but he is tough and he stayed up.In the last round I hurt him too, with a body shot. I was trying to get him out but I just couldn’t get him.” said Walters

“I got tired toward the end He is very strong. I felt like i was fighting a welterweight. I tried my best but he was just too good. he has got better since the last time we fought, ” Said Marriaga

Felix Verdejo was impressive as he scored two knockdowns en route to a 10-round unanimous decision over Ivan Najera in a Lightweight bout.

In round two, Najera tried to make the fight but Verdejo opened up with some ripping combinations in the corner. In round three, Verdejo continued to land power shots to the head of Najera. In round four, it was more toe to toe action with the quicker Verdejo landed some perfect shots to the face but Najera not only took them but tried to fight back. Finally in round five, Verdejo was able to put the strong chinned Najera on the canvas with a perfect left hook. Verdejo went in for the finish but Najera was able to withstand a huge barrage of punches on the ropes.

At the end of round seven, Verdejo landed a perfect hook that sent Najera down for a second time. In round ten, Verdejo landed one booming right from the southpaw stance that drew a large reaction from the Pro-Verdejo crowd at the Theater.

Verdejo, 133 lbs of San Juan, PR won by scores of 100-88 twice and 99-89 and is now 18-0. Najera, 131.4 lbs of San Antonio, TX is now 16-1.

Verdejo landed 194-487 punches while Najera was 101-333.

Roy Jones – “Verdejo threw evrey kind of punch you could think of.”

Harold 100 – 88

How does 18-0 sounds?
Great, Im happy with the work we did tonight, I brought happiness to my Country and that its what I wanted to do.

You fought a warrior
Yes we knew he was a tuff opponent , with a lot of experience and we knew it was going to be tuff.

What went to your mind when you knock him and he would come back up?
I was relax, and I was concentrated in the fight, I was trying to hit him to see if it I could end it but , we had to go the long distance, but we did a good job.

How was it to hear you name and Puerto Rico at MSG/
I was awesome , I’m happy with the Puerto Ricans fans , Im proud to be Puerto Rican

You are being compare to Tito Trinidad
Its an honor to be compare with a star like Tito , someone who gave so much happiness to my Country , I will continue to work hard to get new goals

Whats next?
We have to see how my hand its doing , but we will continue to work hard for the future

Hand?
It was not 100 % but it was efficient
Yes that’s part of my job but we are happy with the work with did

Message for fans
Continue to support me, you will have Felix for a long time
Seanie Monaghan scored a 9th round stoppage over Fulgencio Zuniga in a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout.

In round two, they had a furious exchange with Monaghan getting the better of the action. Monaghan controlled the bout as he landed a power shots but Zuniga kept coming forward. Finally in round nine, the activity got to Zuniga wilted and Monaghan landed a punch to the back for good measure as Zuniga fell to the ground. The fight was then halted at 2:09 of round nine.

Monagahan, 175.8 lbs of Long Beach, NY is now 25-0 with 16 knockouts. Zuniga, 174.8 lbs of Padilla, COL is now 27-11-1.

George Arias scored a 2nd round stoppage over Eric Cason in a scheduled 4-round Heavyweight bout.

Arias scored a knockdown in round two and the fight was stopped after a follow up barrage.

Arias, 227.2 lbs of Bronx, NY is now 4-0 with 3 knockouts. Cason, 198.2 lbs of Davenport, IA is now 2-4.

Christopher Diaz win a 6-round unanimous decision over Marcello Gallardo in a Featherweight bout.

Diaz, 127 lbs of Baranquilla, PR won by scores of 59-55 and 58-56 twice and is now 11-0. Gallardo, 126.4 lbs of Renton, WA. is mow 5-3-2.

Jason Sosa scored his 11th consecutive stoppage as he took out Santiago Bustos in round five of a scheduled 8-round Lightweight bout

In round two, Sosa pounded Bustos all over the ring with thudding shots with both hands.

In round five, Sosa landed a hard right that sent Bustos to the ropes. He then landed a blistering left and an uppercut that sent Bustos to a knee. Bustos got to his feet only to eat about five more shots that sent him to the canvas. he got to his feet but the fight was called at 2:20

Sosa, 130.8 of Camden, NJ is now 16-1-3 with 12 knockouts/ Bustos, 129.8 lbs of Palma de Mallorca, SPA is 7-7-1.

In the opening bout, Mike Reed remained undefeated by pounding out an 8-round unanimous decision over Luis Gonzalez in a Super Lightweight bout.

Reed, 140.2 lbs of Waldorf, MD won by shutout scores of 80-73 and 80-72 twice and is now 15-0. Gonzalez, 140.2 lbs of San Juan, PR is now 11-2-1.

ORANGE, Calif. (June 12, 2015) – Rising bantamweight Carlos “Memin” Carlson (17-1, 11 KOs) of Mexico fights for the first time as a world ranked challenger (WBC No.12) this Saturday against fellow countryman Heriberto “Tremendo” Delgado (11-2, 6 KOs).

At Friday’s weigh in, Carlson weighed in at 124.4 lbs. and Delgado checked in at 125 lbs. The 6-round fight is contested at featherweight.

Carlson vs. Delgado (6-rounds) is the televised opener of Top Rank’s Solo Boxeo Tecate on Unimas, and is presented in association with Thompson Boxing Promotions. The event originates from the Florentine Gardens in Hollywood, Calif.

The main event showcases a 10-round lightweight clash between Jose Felix Jr. (29-1-1, 24 KOs) and Yakubu “Black Mamba” Amidu (21-6-2, 19 KOs). Also appearing on the card is 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Oleksandr Gvozdyk (5-0, 4 KOs) and current Top 10 World Ranked Cruiserweight Murat “Iron” Gassiev (22-0, 15 KOs).

Florentine Gardens Hollywood is located at 5955 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, Calif. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the first bout begins at 7:00 p.m.

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.

LINCOLN, R.I. (June 12th, 2015) – Cincinnati’s Dominique Steele captured the CES MMA welterweight title Friday, defeating incumbent champion Chuck O’Neil by unanimous decision in the five-round main event of “CES MMA XXIX” on AXS TV live from Twin River Casino.

Steele (13-5) overwhelmed the East Bridgewater, Mass., native, clinching, grabbing and scoring key takedowns en route to a 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 win on the scorecards. O’Neil (15-7), the promotion’s first welterweight title-holder, tried to engage Steele and trade blows with the 27-year-old challenger, but Steele’s ability to shoot for takedowns, press O’Neil against the cage and drag his opponent to the canvas prevented O’Neil from letting his hands go.

The fight paled in comparison to O’Neil’s last bout, an 11-second knockout win over Emmanuel Walo in January in O’Neil’s first title defense. This time, O’Neil never got going and Steele effectively stool the title, joining lightweight title-holder Julian Lane as the second CES MMA champion from Ohio.

The co-feature ended in stunning fashion with Hartford, Conn., featherweight Matt Bessette (15-6, 4 KOs) knocking Pittsburgh’s Khama Worthy (7-4) cold with a vicious right cross at the 2:42 mark of the second round.

Bessette struggled to close the gap on the tall, rangy Worthy in the opening round, but eventually found his distance and landed the knockout blow midway through the second on a counterpunch after Worthy missed with a right hand of his own.

“We knew his length would be a big deal,” Bessette said. “Not many people have a reach like that. We had to figure out his distance a bit. It took me some time, but we got it right.

“In watching his fights, I knew he loves to counter. He lives and dies by the sword. It worked out for me tonight.”

In one of the most intriguing matchups on the main card, Providence heavyweight Greg Rebello (19-6, 10 KOs) bloodied and battered North Attleboro, Mass., vet Tyler King (9-3) for nearly 15 minutes before finally earning the knockout victory at the 3:10 mark of the third round.

Rebello busted up King early, bloodying his nose with a series of looping left hands in the opening round. King wanted to get his opponent to the canvas, but Rebello’s takedown defense kept the fight in standup mode for the majority of the three rounds. After the pace slowed in Round 2, Rebello let his hands go again in the third, ending the bout with a lethal right, left, left combination that sent King to his knees, putting the finishing touches on a brilliant performance by Rebello.

The 32-year-old Providence native is now 3-1 since coming out of retirement with Friday’s win arguably his most impressive. For King, it was just his third career loss and first since February of 2014. King entered Friday’s bout on the heels of an impressive win over Mike Mucitelli in March, a fight he agreed to take on short notice when Rebello was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Also on the main card, East Providence, R.I., bantamweight Dinis Paiva (7-5) continued his remarkable run, winning his fourth consecutive fight by submitting Brazilian Bruno Marques (7-6) with a rear-naked choke at 4:07 of the opening round.

Paiva has now finished each of his last four opponents in the opening round. After stopping the last two in a combined 59 seconds, he almost scored another early knockout Friday, clipping Marques in the opening seconds and sending the bloodied Brazilian crashing to the canvas.

Paiva emptied the tank in effort to end the fight, but Marques hung in there and eventually got back to his feet. The red-hot Paiva scored two electrifying takedowns and ultimately forced Marques to tap in the final minute of the round.

Unbeaten submission specialist Eric Spicely (7-0) of Olneyville, R.I., kept his perfect record intact in his toughest test to date, forcing New York native and CES MMA vet Harley Beekman (7-3) to submit via armbar at the 4:30 mark of the opening round, Spicely’s fourth submission in seven bouts.

Beekman, making his fifth appearance in the CES cage, found himself on his back early, nearly victimized by the rear-naked choke. Spicely maintained his dominance on the ground and made the entire round uncomfortable for Beekman before locking in the armbar and forcing his opponent to tap before the bell.

Johnston, R.I., featherweight Joe Pingitore (5-1-1) kicked off the main card with a unanimous-decision win over South Boston vet James Grant Murrin (3-3), 30-27 on all three scorecards. Pingitore used his footwork and jab to keep Murrin at bay, controlling the pace by effectively circling the cage and striking Murrin with the cleaner, harder blows, particularly in the third round where he finished with a flurry to close out a hard-fought win.

Lightweight Nate Andrews (7-1, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I., bounced back from his loss in August and ended his 10-month layoff with an impressive knockout win over Northborough, Mass., vet Jay Bakanowski (3-2), stopping his opponent at 2:50 of the opening round.

Bakanowski entered fresh off a critical knockout win over Lewis Corapi in March, but got caught with an overhead right while in the clinch with Andrews on Friday and Lewis followed with a series of unanswered strikes against the cage to force referee Kevin MacDonald to stop the bout.

Milford, Mass., welterweight Toby Oden scored the knockout of the night on the preliminary card, pummeling Meriden, N.H., vet Wayne Ahlquist with a flurry of hammer fists in the opening round of their scheduled three-round bout.

Oden (2-1, 2 KOs) clipped Alhquist (1-2) with a head kick midway through the round, momentarily dazing his opponent. Oden followed with a pair of solid right hands, sending Alhquist to the canvas, and earned the stoppage with a series of unanswered strikes, prompting MacDonald to stop the bout at the 2-minute, 35-second mark.

In the opening bout, Ludlow, Mass., featherweight Ricardo Scalissi (2-1) earned the first win of his pro career, submitting Devin Pilkington (0-3) of North Providence, R.I., at the 2:43 mark of the second round via arm triangle. The two traded takedowns in the opening round, but Scalissi gained the upper hand early in the second, sinking in the arm triangle and eventually forcing Pilkington to tap out despite a valiant effort.

After winning his CES MMA and professional debut in March, Norwood, Mass., bantamweight Jesse Gutierrez (1-1) seemed poised for his second win when he sunk in a guillotine choke in the opening round of his scheduled three-round bout against Kody Nordby (4-3), but the Cumberland, R.I., vet broke free, reversed the hold and submitted Gutierrez with a rear-naked choke at the 4:03 mark. It was Nordby’s first win since February 2013, snapping a three-fight losing streak, and first in three tries with CES MMA.

The fourth and final bout ended in a bloody mess with Worcester, Mass., featherweight Evan Parker (5-3) submitting Pete Rogers Jr. (2-2) of Norwich, Conn., via arm triangle at 1:55 of the opening round. The two came out swinging, each landing early blows and each sustaining cuts. With blood from his cutting dripping onto Rogers, Parker locked in the arm triangle and eventually forced his opponent to tap out.

Erislandy Lara won an easy 12-round unanimous decision over Delvin Rodriguez to retain the WBA Super Welterweight title at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago.

Lara was never in danger and boxed at a measured pace and landing thudding lefts and right hooks throughout the contest. Lara scored a knockdown in round six from a straight left.

Lara, 153 3/4 lbs of Cuba won by shutout scores of 120-107 on all cards and is now 21-2-2. Rodriguez, 153 1/2 lbs of Danbury, CT is now 28-8-4.

Artur Beterbiev scored a 7th round stoppage over Alexander Johnson in a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout and kept his perfect knockout record in tact.

In round five, Beterbiev dropped Johnson with a jab. Beterbiev landed a big right on the ropes that was ruled a knockdown as the ropes held Johnson up. Johnson was bleeding from the nose continued to take a pummeling at the end of the frame.

In round seven, a short right hand put Johnson down for a 3rd time. Seconds later a hard right sent Johnson to the canvas just as referee Mark Nelson was stopping the fight at 1:38.

Beterbiev, 175 lbs of Montreal is now 9-0 with 9 knockouts. Johnson, 174 1/4 lbs is now 16-3.

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Friday, June 12, 2015) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions has welcomed three rising prospects to its stable, announcing today the addition of super middleweights Samuel Clarkson (14-3, 8 KOs), Joel McRae (12-3-1, 6 KOs) and hard-hitting super lightweight Prince Lee Isidore (14-3-1, 14 KOs).

“I’m excited about having all three of these guys as part of the team,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “We are building towards a vision that we created when we started this promotion, and that is to acquire quality guys who just need a breakthrough opportunity. We are here to provide that type of outlet for fighters.”

Samuel Clarkson enters the relationship with Uprising Promotions as a winner in seven of his last eight bouts. His only loss during that timeframe was to undefeated super middleweight contender Jesse Hart, where he became just the third fighter to take Hart the distance. His greatest win as a professional came in February of this year when he defeated once-beaten Cedric Agnew in New York, with Agnew being just one fight removed from a world title bout with Sergey Kovalev.

“With Samuel Clarkson, I have never seen a guy who cares less about the details outside of the ring,” Frank laughed. “All he is interested in is the fight and the opportunity. The last thing he asks is how much he is getting paid. It is exciting to work with a fighter who is so hungry for an opportunity.”

A native of Guyana, Joel McRae is coming off back-to-back first round knockouts and is a winner of four of his last five fights. After starting his professional career with a 1-1-1 record, Trinidadian super lightweight Prince Lee Isidore has now won 13 of his last 15 contests, with all 14 of his victories coming by way of knockout.

“All three of these guys are going to bring it when they step into the ring,” Frank remarked. “This is a big day for Uprising Promotions, and we are very excited for what the future holds.”

The announcement of these three fighters continues what has been a very good June for Uprising Promotions, who saw its super featherweight prospect Angel Luna (11-1-1, 6 KOs) twice floor undefeated prospect Jose Lopez (15-1-1, 11 KOs) last Saturday night on the Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale undercard, rolling to a unanimous decision victory.

“I’m proud of Angel. It was a great win for him,” said Frank, who joined trainer Mateo De La Cruz in the corner of Luna. “I saw so many things that we worked on as a staff, and it was a great team effort. What’s exciting is that I don’t think Angel has tapped into half of his potential yet as a fighter. I’m expecting him to only get better as we go forward and as he proves that he belongs in the ring with these kinds of prospects. Angel is full of heart and physically strong, and now we just have to continue working on his craft. Whoever gets in there with him is going to have a fight, I promise you that.”

Negotiations are currently underway for the next Uprising Promotions card, and that announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC

Follow all the action from the UIC Pavilion as Erslandy Lara defends the WBA Super Welterweight championship against Delvin Rodriguez. The action begins at 9 PM eastern with a Light Heavyweight fight between Artur Beterbiev and Alexander Johnson

12 ROUNDS–WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP–ERISLANDY LARA (20-2-2, 12 KO’S) VS DELVIN RODRIGUEZ (28-7-4, 16 KO’S)

Round 1 Lara drilling Rodriguez with left hands…10-9 Lara

Round 2 Lara lands a left…Jab…20-18 Lara

Round 3 Lara lands a right hook..right..snapping right and left..2 hard lefts..30-27 Lara

Round 4 Lara pounding with both hands...40-36 Lara

Round 5 More Lara domination…50-45 Lara

Round 6 STRAIGHT LEFT HAND AND DOWN GOES RODRIGUEZ…60-53 LARA

ROUND 7 Lara continuing to box well…70-62 Lara

Round 8 Hard left makes Rodriguez stumble…..80-71 Lara

Round 9

10 ROUNDS–LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS–ARTUR BETERBIEV (8-0, 8 KO’S) VS ALEXANDER JOHNSON (16-2, 7 KO’S)

Round 1 Not much…10-10

Round 2 Beterbiev lands 2 left and an uppercut..20-19 Beterbiev

Round 3 Johnson lands a left..29-29

Round 4 Beterbiev lands a hard combination..Good body combination...39-38 Beterbiev

Round 5 Beterbiev lands a left..LEFT AND DOWN GOES JOHNSON…HARD RIGHT ON THE ROPES FOR A 2ND KNOCKDOWN…Big flurry at the end of round...49-45 Beterbiev

Round 6 Beterbiev controlling…59-54 Beterbiev

Round 7 RIGHT AND DOWN GOES JOHNSON…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES JOHNSON AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

ESPN3 will present exclusive live coverage in the U.S. of the 10-round heavyweight bout between undefeated up-and-coming Joseph Parker (13-0, 11 KO’s) and Yakup Saglam (34-3, 31 KOs) Saturday, June 13, at 6:30 a.m. ET. The fight, from Parker’s home country of New Zealand, will also be available for replay on ESPN3 shortly after its conclusion.

Parker, who is highly regarded as one of the top prospects in the heavyweight division, scored a fourth-round knockout win over Jason Pettaway in his last fight. Saglam, of Turkey by way of Germany, enters Saturday’s fight with five consecutive wins including his last, a third-round TKO over Marcel Zeller.

About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The network is currently available to more than 99 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

David Price (19-2, 16 KOs) will travel to Stuttgart, Germany on July 17 to challenge Erkan Teper (14-0, 9 KOs) for the vacant European Heavyweight title. Contracts have been signed and venue and ticketing details will be announced shortly.

Price is currently recovering from a minor neck injury, that left the former British and Commonwealth champion unable to compete in a scheduled ‘homecoming’ fight at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on June 26.

Already back in the gym and set to resume full training next week, the 31 year-old insists he is ready to make history by becoming the first heavyweight from Liverpool to claim the European crown.

‘’This is an absolutely massive fight for me,’’ said Price. ‘’To win the European title, and to become the first heavyweight from Liverpool to do it, would mean the world to me. It’s something no one could ever take away from me and would confirm my credentials as a world title contender.

‘I’ve watched all of Teper’s fights and he is the perfect opponent for me. I’m 100% confident I will win. He is exactly the type of fighter I’ve been looking to fight, so to do it with the European title on the line is an added bonus.

‘’I’ll tell you now; he has never been in the ring with anyone who can punch like me, who can move like me and with my ability. I’m not messing around anymore. I’m coming with bad intentions. In my last couple of fights I’ve been trying out things we’ve been working on in the gym and my opponents may have got off a little lightly, but this time it’s for real, and I’m looking to do some serious damage.

‘’Germany is like a second home for me, so I have no problem going over there to take the title. It may be my first fight as the away fighter, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and I believe I’ll thrive under the pressure. I want to bring the European title home and defend it at the Echo Arena ten years on from when Liverpool became champions in Istanbul!’’

‘’David has successfully worked himself into the position to challenge for the European title with four good wins and now it’s time to bring the belt home,’’ said promoter Kalle Sauerland. ‘’The heavyweight division is thriving at the moment and this is a chance for Pricey to prove that he is not only the best in Europe, but that he’s ready to challenge for world titles. It’s not going to me easy. Teper is a good fighter, who is undefeated for a reason, but he’s never met anyone like David before. On July 17, we hope the British fans get behind their man and travel to Stuttgart to cheer him to victory!’’

This weekend in Canastota N.Y., some of boxing’s best will be cemented in history when they are officially inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF). Among this year’s Hall-of-Fame induction class is ESPN.com boxing columnist and ESPN boxing contributor Nigel Collins. Collins joins ESPN Deportes boxing analysts Joe Cortez and Julio Cesar Chavez as well as former ESPN boxing commentator Al Bernstein as HOF inductees.

Collins, who joined ESPN in 2011, is one of the most respected boxing journalists and historians of all time. Prior to ESPN, he served as editor-in-chief of The Ring Magazine. In addition to his ESPN.com responsibilities, Collins contributed to ESPN’s long-standing Friday Night Fights series, providing social media content, insight and analysis. He will continue in the same role when Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN (PBC on ESPN) debuts on Saturday, July 11 (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

ESPNFrontRow.com caught up with Collins to discuss being inducted into the HOF and more. Read Full Q&A.

ESPN’s Brian Campbell also caught up with Collins to discuss his Hall of Fame career.

LONDON (12 June) – Thrilling featherweight world champion Nicholas ‘Axe Man’ Walters says he doesn’t recall losing to Columbian hard-hitter Miguel Marriaga as an amateur.

The undefeated pair do battle this Saturday night, live and exclusive on BoxNation, with Jamaican sensation Walters putting his WBA crown on the line at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York.

29-year-old Walters burst onto the scene last year with an emphatic sixth round stoppage over 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire, seeing his record go to 25-0 with 21 wins coming from knockout.

However, Walters has tasted defeat as an amateur that coming against the man he faces this weekend, something which he doesn’t remember too well.

“Marriaga may have beaten me in the amateurs but I do not remember it. Besides, those fights are four rounds. On Saturday we will be fighting 12 rounds,” said Walters.

“He may be bringing his ‘A Game’ but I am bringing my ‘A-Plus Game’. I have trained for a knockout victory. I am going to destroy him,” he said. The

Montego Bay banger is also open to taking on any challengers, with a unification bout with WBO champion Lomachenko having been mooted this week, as Walters first looks forward to fighting at the legendary ‘Mecca of Boxing’.

“I am overwhelmed to be fighting at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Boxing, because so many of boxing’s great champions have fought here. It is hallowed ground. It is my honour and I want to give my best performance there.

“To be great – to be known as the best – you have to beat the best and I am ready to take on all champions in my division and beyond,”

Walters said. Big-punching Marriaga, known as ‘The Scorpion’ due to his sting, has amassed an impressive 20 wins and no losses with 18 coming by way of knockout.

He has laughed off Walters suggestion that he has forgot about his loss to him and is convinced he will produce the same result now as a professional.

“Of course Walters doesn’t remember me beating him for a spot on the Olympic team – because he lost! He’s not going to remember this Saturday for the same reason,” said Marriaga.

“I have the strength and the intelligence to beat him and I will use my strength and intelligence. After I beat Walters again on Saturday I look forward to unifying the titles in my next fight,” he said.

This Saturday’s card also sees future superstar Felix Verdejo in action as he takes on undefeated Ivan Najera in a light-welterweight contest.

The bill is guaranteed to produce fireworks, with the four undefeated fighters boasting a perfect combined record of 78-0 (60 KOs), which includes a victory by knockout ratio of 77%.

Puerto Rican hotshot Verdejo, with a record of 17-0 (11 KOs), will be doing battle during the Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend but is aware that 22-year-old Najera represents his hardest test to date.

“It is an honour to be fighting on Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend in boxing’s most historic building, Madison Square Garden. I have dreamed of doing this for so long.

“And then on Sunday I will be riding on a float in the parade. But first I need to prove myself worthy of these honours,” said Verdejo.

“Najera is my toughest test as a professional and I have worked very hard in training camp. I am prepared to go mano a mano on Saturday night. I will be fighting not just for myself but for the pride of Puerto Ricans everywhere,” he said.

Najera, though, is confident of springing the upset and tearing up the script.

“I am ready for my moment – my date with destiny. I am here to do what I always do – to spoil the party. I have sacrificed so much to be ready for Saturday night but I will be dining out on this victory for years to come.

“June 13 will be remembered as Ivan Najera’s ‘Coming Out Party!’,” he said.

Walters vs Marriaga is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

British light heavyweight Deion Jumah (4-0, 2 KOs) is the latest addition to Team Sauerland’s Nordic Fight Night show on June 20. The former two-time ABA Champion will face Karel Horejsek (3-2-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round contest at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen.

‘’I can’t wait to get back in the ring,’’ exclaims Jumah, who returns following a devastating second-round technical knockout victory over Josef Krivka in December 2014. ‘’Six months is a long time but I’ve been in the gym everyday and I feel like I’ve really grown as a fighter.

‘’Just because I’ve not been in the ring doesn’t mean I haven’t been progressing. I may have only had four fights but I’ve been involved in world class training camps and sparring. I’ve been breaking records in the gym and I’m faster and stronger than I’ve ever been!’’

Jumah, who is trained by master tactician Adam Booth, has had a slow start to professional career due to injury and illness, but now fully fit the 25 year-old southpaw believes he is ready to show his true potential.

‘’I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, and while I haven’t had the smoothest start to my pro career, the best is definitely yet to come,’’ said Jumah. ‘’On June 20, fans are going to see the real Deion in the ring.’’

Danish super middleweight Patrick Nielsen (25-1, 12 KOs) headlines the ‘Danish Dynamite’ Nordic Fight Night show on June 20 with the first defence of his WBA International title against Charles Adamu (23-6, 17 KOs), while younger brother Micki (17-0, 12 KOs) takes on the experienced cruiserweight contender Ismail Abdoul (56-34-2, 20 KOs), London 2012 Olympian Dennis Ceylan (14-0-1, 7 KOs) faces Sergio Prado (11-4-1, 4 KOs) and Swedish light welterweight Anthony Yigit (13-0-1, 5 KOs) battles British talent Tony Owen (16-3, 3 KOs). Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk.

ORANGE, Calif. (June 11, 2015) – Rising bantamweight Carlos “Memin” Carlson (17-1, 11 KOs) of Mexico fights for the first time as a world ranked challenger (WBC No.12) this Saturday against fellow countryman Heriberto “Tremendo” Delgado (11-2, 6 KOs).

Carlson vs. Delgado (6-rounds) is the televised opener of Top Rank’s Solo Boxeo Tecate on Unimas, and is presented in association with Thompson Boxing Promotions. The event originates from the Florentine Gardens in Hollywood, Calif.

The 25-year-old Carlson is among the most exciting young boxers in the bantamweight division. After coming up short in his professional debut four years ago, Carlson has since scored sixteen straight wins. He captured the WBC Latino Championship last year and is looking to climb the rankings with a solid performance against Delgado.

“I just have to keep on winning and the rest will fall into place,” said Carlson, who signed with Thompson Boxing two years ago. “I always put in the work during training camp. I feel great and can’t wait to fight on Saturday night.”

The main event showcases a 10-round lightweight clash between Jose Felix Jr. (29-1-1, 24 KOs) and Yakubu “Black Mamba” Amidu (21-6-2, 19 KOs). Also appearing on the card is 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Oleksandr Gvozdyk (5-0, 4 KOs) and current Top 10 World Ranked Cruiserweight Murat “Iron” Gassiev (22-0, 15 KOs).

Florentine Gardens Hollywood is located at 5955 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, Calif. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the first bout begins at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online at HollywoodFightNight.com or by calling
(626) 388-8888. Tickets start at $50 for General Admission and range from $75 to $125 for Reserved and Ringside Front Row seating.

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.

Bethlehem, PA (June 12, 2015)–On Friday night, July 17 undefeated Middleweight Antoine “Action” Dougas will headline a televised quadruple header when he takes on fellow undefeated Istvan Szili in a 10-round bout from the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem and will be televised on Showtime’s acclaimed ShoBox: The New Generation (10 PM ET)

The show is promoted by GH3 Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, Main Events and King’s Promotions.

In the 10-round co-feature, it will be a battle of undefeated Middleweights as Derrick Webster will fight Arif Magomedov.

In an 8-round Super Bantamweight bout, Adam Lopez will take on fellow undefeated Eliecer Aquino.

Opening the television portion of the card will be Super Middleweight Jerry Odom (13-1, 12 KO’s) who will take on Samuel Clarkson in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

Douglas of Burke, Virginia has a record of 17-0-1 with 11 knockouts. He will be making his second consecutive appearance on ShoBox and fourth overall. He is coming off a 6th round stoppage over previously undefeated Thomas LaManna on March 13 in Westbury, New York. Previously he has victories over former world title challenger Luca Messi (37-9-1), Marquis Davis (8-0-2) & Colby Courter (4-0). He is currently ranked number-14 by the WBA. He also has a win over spoiler Don Mouton and a draw with highly regarded former world title challenger Michel Soro. Soro just scored a stirring knockout of Glen Tapia.

Szili (18-0-2, 8 KO’s) of Frenkendorf, Switzerland will be making his American debut. Szili has been a professional for six years and has fough some good opposition in Europe. In his last bout, Szili won the UBF Middleweight title with a 6th round stoppage over Mathias Zemski (13-1) on August 30 in Zurich, Switzerland. Szili also has wins over Jetmir Kuqi (6-0), Dzmitriy Lubachkin (18-2) and Aliaksandr Sushchyts (1-0-1).

Webster of Glassboro, New Jersey has a record of 19-0 with 10 knockouts. He will be making his national television debut. The southpaw is coming off a 5th round stoppage over William Johnson on May 29 in Memphis, Tennessee. Webster has a 22 second knockout over Obodai Sai (23-1).

Magomedov of Chekhov, Russia has a record of 15-0 with 9 knockouts. He is coming off an impressive 1st round stoppage over the upset specialist Darnell Boone on May 22 in Las Vegas. Magomedov won the Russian Middleweight title with a 1st round stoppage over Marat Khuzeev. He added the UBO Intercontinental Middleweight title with a 2nd round stoppage over Thomas Mashali (9-1-1). He continued to win titles as he won the WBA Fedlatin Middleweight Title with a 3rd round stoppage over previously undefeated A;ex Theran (16-0). In his next bout, he won the WBA Intercontinental Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Patrick Mendy. On October 24, 2014, Magomedov added the WBO Youth Middleweight and WBO Asia Pacific Middleweight crowns with a 10-round unanimous decision over Michael Zerafa (15-0). Magomedov is currently ranked number-10 by the WBC and number-6 by the WBO.

Lopez of San Antonio, Texas has a record of 12-0 with 6 knockouts and is making his 2nd ShoBox appearance. In his first appearance, he scored an explosive 1st round stoppage over previously undefeated Pablo Cruz on March 13 in Westbury, New York. Since then, the 24 year-old Lopez has racked up two wins with the latest being a 6-round unanimous decision over Miguel Tamayo on May 22 in Corona, California.

Aquino of Higuey, Dominican Republic has a record of 17-0-1 with 11 knockouts. The 8 year veteran has racked up some titles in his undefeated resume. He won the Dominican Reoublic Super Flyweight championship in just 6th fight. He captured the WBA Fedecaribe Super Flyweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Guzman (18-3). He later won the WBC FECARBOX Super Flyweight title with a 3rd round stoppage over former world title challenger Omar Soto. Aquino is coming off a 3rd round stoppage over previously undefeated Rayci Rosa (5-0) on September 27, 2014 in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Odom of Bowie, Maryland has a record of 13-1 with 12 knockouts. The 22 year-old is making his 2nd consecutive ShoBox appearance and 3rd overall. In his last bout, he avenged his only blemish when he stopped Andrew Hernandez in one round. That fight took place on March 13 in Westbury, New York. The bout was a rematch of their controversial fight that took place on January 9 when Odom was disqualified. In Odom’s previous ShoBox appearance, he scored an exciting 7th round stoppage over Villier Quinonez (8-0) on July 25, 2014 in Verona, New York.

Clarkson of Cedar Hill, Texas has a record of 14-3 with 8 knockouts. He has won four in a row. In his last outing, Clarkson scored a 6th round stoppage over Jay Williams on April 3 in Irving, Texas. Clarkson scored the biggest win of his career on February 20 when he won an 8-round split decision over former world title challenger Cedric Agnew (27-1). The 24 year-old Clarkson has quality wins over Izaac Cardona (9-1). Chad Trahan (7-0), Kenneth McNeil (3-0) and Thomas Falowo (6-0).

“This is a stacked show and when you look at the combined record it is 125-4-4 with 75 knockouts. I want to thank Showtime and especially Gordon Hall for recognizing the talent in our company. I also would like to thank the Sands for hosting this event. We have made tremendous strides in the last year. We at GH3 Promotions will continue to our upward trajectory as we will be working with the bigger companies in the business like Main Events and Greg Cohen Promotions. Working hand and hand with them can only help one another in the future. I am looking to showcase all of my top prospects on this card in putting them in competitive bouts,” said GH3 Promotions Vito Mielnicki.

“I want to thank Dennis Porter and Ronald Sims who have everything in place in camp with our stable in Virginia. They keep our guys hungry and working hard. With GH3 Promotions and Kay Koroma, we are very happy with the way we are moving our fighters strategically. We are looking for bigger and better things.”

A loaded undercard will feature some of the best prospects on the East Coast.

Lavarn Harvell (14-1, 7 KO’s) of Atlantic City will take part in a 6-round Light Heavyweight bout.

In 4-round bouts:

Rickey Nuno (1-0) of Bethlehem, PA will take on Tim Kunkel of Pennsylvania in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Seeing action against opponents to be named will be Super Middleweight Christopher Brooker (3-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia; Lightweight Samuel Teah (5-1, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia and Super Bantamweight Manny Folly (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia.

Ticket Information will be announced shortly.

EL PASO, TEXAS (June 12, 2015) – Undefeated British superstar Carl Frampton (20-0, 14 KOs) makes his U.S. professional debut when he takes on quick-fisted Mexican Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (25-1-2, 15 KOs) on Premier Boxing Champions on CBS, Saturday afternoon, July 18 from the Don Haskins Center at UTEP in El Paso, Texas. Televised coverage on CBS starts at 4 p.m. ET/2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT.

Also featured in televised action is heavyweight star Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4, 31 KOs), who will be returning to the ring for the first time since March.

The event is the first of two at Don Haskins Center on Saturday, July 18 with Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. battling Marcos Reyes and McJoe Arroyo taking on Arthur Villanueva for a vacant world title on SHOWTIME with coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT.

“It’s an honor to be making my U.S. debut on CBS,” said Frampton. “I’ve accomplished a lot in my career and I’m looking forward to even more success starting July 18. It’s going to be a great afternoon for all of the fight fans watching.”

“I’m thrilled to be fighting Carl Frampton in El Paso, Texas and I promise I will leave everything in the ring,” said Gonzalez Jr. “I know there will be lots of Mexican fans there supporting me and my plan is to fight hard and take away Frampton’s perfect record.”

“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and show my skills on CBS,” said Arreola. “I’m about excitement and I know that everyone who comes out in El Paso and everyone watching on television will get an entertaining fight.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing and Cyclone Promotions, are priced at $50 or $25 for general admission and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the University Ticket Center at (915) 747-5234. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com.

An accomplished amateur who won Irish national championships in 2005 and 2009, plus a European Union Juniors silver medal in 2007, the 28-year-old Frampton has had major success leading to his U.S. debut on July 18. From Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Frampton won his world title in Sept. 2014 with a dominant unanimous decision over Kiko Martinez. His most recent fight was a title defense in February of this year in which he blasted Chris Avalos on the way to a fifth round stoppage.

The son of a former world champion, the 22-year-old Gonzalez Jr. is looking to make his mark in this nationally televised fight. The Tijuana, Mexico native was impressive in his previous bout on U.S. soil, knocking Leopoldo Gonzalez down three times on his way to a first round TKO in El Paso. He returns to El Paso looking to build on his three fight win streak which has seen him take down Javier Franco, Alem Robles and Gonzalo Garcia.

The 34-year-old Arreola defeated Curtis Harper in a thrilling heavyweight showdown on March 13 in Ontario, Calif. Born in Escondido, Calif. but fighting out of Los Angeles, Arreola has long been one of the most feared punchers in the heavyweight division. Having challenged the best in the division, Arreola knows what it takes to succeed at this level and looks to entertain the fans on July 18.

Don Haskins Center for the Frampton vs. Gonzalez Jr. card open at 12 p.m. MT.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @SHOSports, @RealCFrampton, @WarriorsBoxingProm, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/.

Nicholas Walters 127.4 – Miguel Marriaga 125.2
Felix Verdejo 133 – Ivan Najera 131.4
Seanie Monaghan 175.8 – Fulgencio Zuniga 174.8
Darren Goodall 167.8 – David Tamaso 166.4
Christopher Diaz 127 – Marcello Gallardo 126.4
Jason Sosa 130.8 – Santiago Bustos 129.8
Mike Reed 140.2 – Luis Joel Gonzalez 140.2
George Arias 227.2 – Eric Cason 198.2

Deontay Wilder 229 – Eric Molina 239 1/4
(WBC Heavyweight Title)
Jose Pedraza 129 3/4 – Andrey Klimov 12
(IBF Jr. Lightweight Title)
(SHO EXTREME)
IVAN REDKACH: 134.4 Pounds
DEJAN ZLATICANIN: 134.6 Pounds

JULIAN WILLIAMS: 153.8 Pounds
ARMEN OVSEPYAN: 153.2 Pounds

(TV SWING BOUT)
AHMED ELBIALI: 175.4 Pounds
DONTA WOODS: 174.4 Pounds

Las Vegas (June 11, 2015) – Former WBO world champion Ruslan Provodnikov has confirmed that he will appear at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday Sept. 12. The Box Fan Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s last fight and Mexican Independence weekend.

Ruslan Provodnikov also known as the “Siberian Rocky,” is a Russian professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division and is a former WBO Light Welterweight Champion. He is a fan favorite because of his fighting style and how he developed a reputation for being an exciting, come-forward, aggressive fighter. His fight with Tim Bradley was named “2013 Fight of the Year” by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Provodnikov joins “Terrible” Terry Norris, Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor and “El Feroz” Fernando Vargas 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 to large, enthusiastic crowds. 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, Sergio Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Shawn Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija, Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, Mia St-John, Erislandy Lara, Peter 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 top trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

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

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

View the official promo video of Box Fan Expo here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/video-2/

View Promo Flyer here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/promo-flyer/

View Photos Gallery 2014 here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/photos/

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

To view Ruslan Provodnikov video press release go to: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/ruslan-siberian-rocky-provodnikov-confirmed-for-second-annual-box-fan-expo-taking-place-saturday-sept-12-in-las-vegas/

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

LOS ANGELES (June 11) – After a standout performance on the May 9 Canelo-Kirkland undercard, former 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph Diaz Jr. returns to the ring on July 11 in a 10-round featherweight on the undercard of Mauricio Herrera vs. Hank Lundy from the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

In the main event of the televised doubleheader Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera of Southern California takes on “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy in a 10-round bout for the vacant NABF Super Lightweight Championship. The co-main event, Michael “The Artist” Perez (22-1-2, 10 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey will take on Las Vegas transplant Sharif “The Lion” Bogere (27-1, 19 KOs) in an exciting 10-round lightweight match-up for the vacant NABO Lightweight Title, televised live on HBO Latino beginning at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Featured in the non-televised undercard, female fighters Melinda Cooper (23-2, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada will fight Carolina Arias of San Jose, Costa Rica in an eight-round bout for the vacant WBO Bantamweight Title. Los Angeles-based fighter, but hailing from Ireland, Jason Quigley (6-0, 6 KOs) is scheduled to fight in a six-round middleweight bout, and Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (10-0, 9 KOs) and Jesus Delgado (5-0-1, 2 KOs) will fight in respective six-round super featherweight matches. Los Angeles fan favorite Nick Arce (3-0, 3 KOs) is set to fight in a four-round fight and making his highly anticipated professional debut, top amateur prospect, Angel Bojado, who recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions, will participate in a four-round super welterweight fight.

Tickets priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, plus applicable taxes and service charges, and are available for purchase at www.lacoliseum.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations and by calling 800-745-3000.

A member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, South El Monte, California’s Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr., is unbeaten as a professional and has earned impressive victories each step of the way. At just 22, the southpaw sensation was 6-0 in 2014, and he got 2015 off to an equally strong start on March 6 with a third-round stoppage of Juan Luis Hernandez and on May 9, he made his third appearance in the Lone Star State in a 10-round featherweight unanimous decision victory against Giovanni Delgado.

A professional boxer since 2002, Melinda “La Maravilla” Cooper has built an impressive career cumulating with the Women’s International Boxing Association World Flyweight title and a shot at the IBF World Female Super Bantamweight title. Now the 30-year old who is now fighting out of Las Vegas, will get another shot at a title when she faces Carolina Arias for the vacant WBO Bantamweight Title on July 11.

A motivated fighter from, Leon, Nicaragua, Carolina “Princesa” Arias from San Jose, Costa Rica is eager to show fight fans that she has what it takes to become the next champion. A relative newcomer, the 27-year-old maintained an undefeated status since her professional debut in 2012 until 2014 when she fought for the WBC Latino Female Bantamweight title. Looking for another shot at stardom, the Nicaraguan native will not come down easy on July 11 when she gets another opportunity at a title.

Hailing from Balleybofey in County Donegal, Ireland, the 22-year-old Jason Quigley had an outstanding amateur career becoming the first Irish fighter to win a Silver medal at the AIBA World Amateur Boxing Championships in 2013. He started his professional career in 2014 and has quickly garnered attention by ending each fight via knockout against Howard Reece, Fernando Najera, and Greg McCoy. Quigley has continued his wins-by-knockout streak by taking down Lanny Dardar, Tolutomi Agunbiade and Joshua Snyder. Now the busy fighter is looking to impress in his fourth fight of 2015.

One of the most exciting prospects in the sport, 19-year-old super featherweight Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez has thrilled fans by winning each of his professional bouts by knockout, seven in the first round. Fresh from a sixth-round stoppage of Julio Sarinana at the inaugural LA FIGHT CLUB at The Belasco Theater on March 6, forced him to rise from the canvas for the first time to win. Most recently, Gonzalez pleased fans in an all action fight in his second appearance at LA FIGHT CLUB winning against Darryl Hayes via unanimous decision.

Jesus Delgado made a stand-out appearance at premiere event of LA FIGHT CLUB on March 6, dominating Rocco Espinozain all four-rounds, releasing relentless powerful punches to win the bout by unanimous decision. Since his professional debut in January 2014, Delgado has stayed local, building up his name and reputation on the Southern California boxing circuit most recently defeating Benjamin Vinson by technical knockout in the third round on May 7. On July 11, Delgado will go to the next level in his career fighting in his first six-round match.

Fighting out of the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, 18-year-old featherweight Nick Arce is a former amateur standout who entered the professional boxing world in style in November of 2014 with a fourth round knockout of Adalbert Valenzuela. Since then the Los Angeles favorite has fought Lyonell Kelly and Marco Alcaraz winning both bouts by second round knockout.

Hailing from Boyle Heights, the 21-year-old began his career in the sport at the young age of four, following in the footsteps of his brother former Mexican Olympian and youth champion Francisco “Panchito” Bojado. Since then, Bojado has been on a path to success competing in numerous amateur tournaments like the Desert Showdowns, Blue and Gold’s, National PAL Championships, National Silver Gloves Championships, the National Junior Olympic and many more, accumulating more than 130 bouts. In his professional debut, Bojado is eager to cement his own legacy in the sport.

Herrera vs. Lundy is a 10-round super lightweight bout for the vacant NABF title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with CES Boxing and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico, Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 4:00 pm PT and the first bell rings at 4:15 p.m. PT. The HBO Latino Boxing telecast begins at 11:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).

Media interested in attending the Mauricio Herrera vs. Hank Lundy event must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are available by clicking HERE. Completed credential applications should be sent to credentials@mercuryllc.com by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.cesboxing.com, and www.lacoliseum.com,follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CESBoxing, @HBOLatino, @elmaestro1, @hammerinhank30, @theartistperez, @sharibogere, @josephdiazjr, @jay_quigley, @strikerdelgado, @nick_arce, and @angelbojado and become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, CES Facebook Page, or www.facebook.com/hbolatino, and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CESBoxing,@mauricioherrera359, and @hammerin_hank_lundy, @michaelperezofficial, @bogereshrif, @jospehdiazjr, @jayquigley1, @elchimpa, @strikerdelgado90, @realnickarce, and @teambojado.

NEW YORK – JUNE 10, 2015 – The highly anticipated return to the ring of WBA Middleweight World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KO’s) against former World Title Challenger Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KO’s) of England on June 20 has been elevated to another level with the announcement that the event will now include a live musical performance by Los Angeles-based rapper Nipsey Hussle immediately before Ward and Smith do battle. Fans will also be able to catch the action and performance live on BET Networks in the United States and globally on TIDAL.com, the newly launched music streaming service that combines the best high fidelity sound quality, high definition music videos and expertly curated editorial.

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $90, $60 and $30, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In an intriguing televised co-featured bout pitting two unbeaten prospects against one another, Cleveland native Antonio Nieves (12-0, 6 KO’s) and Stephon Young (13-0-1, 5 KO’s) of St. Louis will battle it out over eight rounds in a featherweight bout. Cleveland has been known as a hotbed for producing promising boxers, including undefeated prospect Nieves who was a highly touted amateur, winning over 60 fights while becoming a five-time Cleveland Golden Gloves champion, a National Golden Gloves silver medalist and competing in the Olympic Trials. 28-year old Nieves made his professional debut on November 12, 2011 securing a unanimous decision against DeWayne Wisdom at La Villa Banquet in Cleveland, Ohio. Nieves has continued to rack up victories picking up five wins in a busy 2014, including three by knockout. In his last outing, less than two weeks ago on June 6, Nieves earned a first round technical knockout win over Gabor Molnar at Presque Isle Downs Casino in Erie, Pennsylvania. On June 20, fellow undefeated prospect Young will look to end Nieves’ winning streak. Also a decorated amateur who rose as high as a number two national ranking and narrowly missed making the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, Young made his pro debut on August 12, 2011 with a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Lacefield at Ameristar Casino in Saint Charles, Missouri. Young’s undefeated run continued most recently on March 27 against Jesus Gonzalez with a second round technical knockout at The Ambassador in Saint Louis, Missouri.

In addition to the action inside the ring, Roc Nation Sports will bring other major names to the throne boxing experience at Oracle Arena including notable event emcee, radio personality, MTV news correspondent and Oakland-native Sway Calloway, who will serve as the event’s host, and hit master DJ Franzen, resident DJ at Las Vegas’ Hot 97.5. Sway and Franzen will entertain together throughout the night to keep the energy up between bouts.

There will be several notable faces ringside ready to catch all the action on June 20 including WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Miguel Cotto, Michael B. Jordan, Frank Gore (Indianapolis Colts), Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers), E-40, Brice Butler (Oakland Raiders), Marcell Reece (Oakland Raiders), James Jones (Oakland Raiders), Too Short and Ryan Coogler.

In non-televised undercard action, Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s undefeated prospect Luis “Cuba” Arias (10-0, 4 KO’s) will make his second appearance of 2015. Arias began boxing at the age of seven and compiled an amateur record of 140-25, earning U.S.A Boxing’s number one men’s junior ranking in 2006, the number one men’s under-19 ranking in 2008 and the number one men’s ranking in 2010. He captured the U.S.A. Men’s Under-19 National Championship in 2008 and two U.S.A Men’s National Championships in 2009 and 2010. Arias’ professional debut took place on November 10, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles where he defeated Josh Thorpe via a four-round unanimous decision. He began 2013 with three victories, all by knockout, which were followed by a decision win over DonYil Livingston on May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He closed the year with three more victories including a second-round knockout of Cameron Allen in his first scheduled eight-round fight. In his most recent bout on March 14 at Coliseo Roger L. Mendoza in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Arias defeated Zachariah Kelley when Kelley was disqualified in the second round for repeated low blows. On June 20, he’ll look to keep his winning ways going in a six round super middleweight bout against an opponent to be determined.

Local Hayward, California favorite Aaron Coley (9-1-1, 6 KO’s) joins the undercard looking to come back from his first professional loss which came via unanimous decision against the highly touted Ievgen Khytrov at Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York on April 10 in fight that was televised on Showtime’s ShoBox. He will look to get back on a winning track on June 20 when he takes on Yosmani Abreu (4-9-2) of Las Vegas, Nevada in a six round junior middleweight clash.

Hailing from Riverside, California and fighting out of the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, undefeated junior lightweight Daniel “Twitch” Franco (10-0-3, 7 KO’s) began boxing at the age of eight, amassing an amateur record of 67-15, winning the Oxnard PAL Championship in 2006 and the California State Silver Gloves Championship in 2007 along the way. During Franco’s professional debut on December 18, 2010, he defeated Emanuel Machorro at Club 401 in Ontario, California via a third round technical knockout. Despite being enrolled as a full-time student at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Franco impressed early in his career, compiling an undefeated record with two draws in venues throughout California by the end of 2013. One of those draws came against Alejandro Ochoa at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, California on September 20, 2013, but in a rematch three months later, Franco outmatched Ochoa scoring a six-round unanimous decision victory at Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. In his most recent bout on January 17, he scored an impressive first-round knockout win over Sergio Najera at the Oceanview Pavilion in Port Hueneme, California. On June 20, Franco, who recently signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Roc Nation Sports, will see action in an eight round junior lightweight bout against Jonathan Alcantara (7-13-2, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California.

Another product of the Bay Area, Oakland’s Tony Hirsch (18-6-2, 8 KO’s) captured the vacant WBC United States Middleweight Title against then-undefeated Wes Capper by majority decision in his last fight on March 14, 2015 at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hirsch joins the undercard on June 20 looking to continue his winning ways an opponent to be named in a six round middleweight fight.

Meng “Cold Blood” Fanlong (1-0) was the Chinese national light heavyweight champion for seven consecutive years from 2008 to 2013. Hailinging from Chi Feng, Inner Mongolia, the seven-time national Chinese champion also was awarded a gold medal during the Chinese National Games. Fanlong’s list of credits in the amateurs also includes representing China in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, where he won his opening bout before falling to highly touted Brazilian Yamaguchi Falcão in the round of 16; reaching the finals of the Asian Championship in 2011 when his took home the silver medal; winning three bouts at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships in dominant fashion to reach the quarterfinals; and making it to the semifinals of the 2010 Asian Games, from which he brought home a bronze medal. Meng made his professional debut on January 17, 2015 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, scoring a decision victory over Marcellus Yates. He will now look to continue his professional rise when he takes on Albert Avina (0-3) of Stockton, California in a four round cruiserweight bout on June 20.

Rounding out the undercard will be Wang “Jimmy” Zhimin (9-1) of Ning Bo, China who will face Jose Guzman (6-10-1) of The Bronx, New York in a six round junior welterweight bout. In 2010, Zhimin reached the final of the Chinese National Boxing Championships where he received a silver medal. A year later in 2011, Zhimin reached the pinnacle of his amateur career when he won the gold at the World Series of Boxing in his native China. In 2012, he won another silver medal, this time at the Erdos International Boxing Competition. Zhimin made his professional debut on January 17, 2015 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut scoring a unanimous decision victory over Kin Moy (Pro Debut).

Ward vs. Smith, a 12 round bout presented by Roc Nation Sports, takes place Saturday, June 20 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, will be televised live on BET and streamed globally on TIDAL.com at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT and is presented in association with Matchroom Sport. The fight is sponsored by The Waterfront Hotel, Venue Kings , Shoe Palace, Q 102.1, 95.7 the GAME and KBLX 102.9. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the event will feature several notable Roc Nation touches that will further serve spectators with an enhanced fan experience, including Nipsey Hussle taking to the ring for a special performance prior to the main event. The event will be hosted by notable emcee Sway Calloway and will also feature hit master DJ Franzen who will serve alongside Sway throughout the night. Tickets priced at $250, $125, $90, $60 and $30, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000. Doors open at 3:00 PM, the first fight begins at 3:10 PM and the BET telecast and TIDAL.com stream begins at 10:00PM ET/7:00 PM PT.

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

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.??

ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS:
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents world champions Miguel Cotto and Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar and Frances Tiafoe. For more information please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

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

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 11, 2015) – Two days before the first-ever world title fight in the state of Alabama, undefeated heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and challenger Eric Molina participated in a tense final press conference Thursday at Embassy Suites in Birmingham.

The hard-hitting Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala, will be making the first defense of the heavyweight title he won impressively from Bermane Stiverne in January, when he meets Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Lyford, Texas, this Saturday, June 13, in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

In the co-feature on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, undefeated Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), of Cidra, Puerto Rico, will be opposed by Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KOs), of Klimovski, Russia, in a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship.

In the main event on SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME®, undefeated world-ranked contenders Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach and Dejan “El Dinamita” Zlaticanin will square off in a 12-round eliminator. The winner between Redkach (18-0, 1 ND, 14 KOs), of Los Angeles, and Zlaticanin (16-0, 9 KOs), of Montenegro, becomes the mandatory challenger to Jorge Linares, the WBC 135-pound world champion.

Opening the SHO EXTREME telecast, unbeaten top 10-ranked super welterweight Julian “J Rock” Williams (19-0-1, 11 KOS, 1 ND), of Philadelphia, will be opposed by Armenia’s Armen Ovsepyan (14-4, 11 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., in an eight-round bout. Time permitting, hard-hitting light heavyweights Ahmed Elbiali (10-0, 9 KOs, 1-1 WSB), of Miami, Fla, and Donta Woods (8-4, 7 KOs), of Atlanta, will collide in a four/six-round swing match.

Below is what the fighters and Hall of Fame promoter Don King had to say today:

DEONTAY WILDER, Heavyweight World Champion

“I’m thankful to everybody who has put together this great event. This is a dream come true for me. When I made my dream to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, I wanted to do something to change the Alabama sports landscape.

“People wanted me to rush my career, even I did at some points, but I’m a man who believes in timing and that there’s a moment when things should happen. We have to wait for our time.

“This is my destiny. Once I had my precious daughter she changed my life forever and she became my motivation to get here. She’s the reason I go hard in the gym, she’s the reason I carry myself the way I do.

“I worked too hard to get to this position. We’re not planning on this being the end.

“It’s a privilege to make history with the first world title fight in Alabama, in any division. I’ve been about making history my entire career since the amateurs.

“I love to fight, I love this sport. They say you have to eat, sleep and breathe it and I do. I’m never out of shape. This is my life.

“Everybody knows that Deontay Wilder gets the job done. I worked too hard to get here to just give up the belt. I want all the belts, I’m greedy like that.

“We respect Eric Molina and what he’s trying to do. It’s a great opportunity for him. I was once where he was, in my last fight.”

ERIC MOLINA, Heavyweight Contender

“I want to thank all the people of Alabama, who have made me feel right at home this week. My training team has been incredible.

“I’ve had Oliver McCall in my camp for four years, and he’s prepped me for my moment to shock the world, just like he did against Lennox Lewis.

“I’ve dreamed about that moment, I’ve thought about it since even before I got this fight. I was going to knock someone out and become heavyweight champion of the world. It seemed so real to me in my mind, and when we signed the fight it all came together.

“Everybody has written me off. I’ve never been undefeated and I’ve always been the underdog.

“When my dream becomes a reality on Saturday, I’ll come right back here and give Wilder the rematch.”

JOSE PEDRAZA, Undefeated Junior Lightweight Contender

“I’m very happy about this opportunity. I’m not worried about the big stage because I’ve been on the big stage before. I’ve been in the big fights before and I just want to make the most of this opportunity.

“It’s been a long camp this time but other than that there has been nothing different in training. It’s been the same great preparations as all my other fights.

“I have a different level of skills than Klimov. I’m fast and I can do it all. Right and left handed, you’ll see all my skills on Saturday.

“This means a lot to me and to the people of Puerto Rico. They want another champion and I’m going to be next. This is the most important fight of my career and I’m going to give it my all in there.

“Whoever says they don’t get butterflies before a big fight is lying, but I’ve been on this stage before so I know how to control them. One that bell rings I’m going for it.”

ANDREY KLIMOV, Junior Lightweight Contender

“I’ve been fighting in the U.S. for five years. I turned pro a little late but I always knew that I had the chance to be a world champion.

“Coming in as an underdog is nothing new to me. It’s happened over and over. I’m going to be there to fight, I’ll never give up.

“The loss was a learning experience. It was my first time under the real bright lights. I took the fight because I wanted to prove something. I was upset because I knew I could do better.

“People are going to talk about me differently after I win this world title. I’ve worked together great with my team. All the bumps in the road have gotten us to here.

“Pedraza was a great amateur and a very good fighter. Everyone at this level is a good fighter. If you look at who we fought, my level of competition has been much higher.”

JULIAN WILLIAMS, Undefeated Junior Middleweight Contender

“We had a very tough training camp. It seems like Ovsepyan comes forward a lot and throws a lot of punches. I’m going to just keep it simple, use the jab and work punches off of that.

“I haven’t thought about any other opponents besides Ovsepyan for the past three or four weeks because he’s the guy that I’m fighting, he’s the guy that’s gloved up. Nobody else will be in that ring besides him on Saturday night, so he is who I am worried about.

“I definitely tailor my training camp based on the opponent I will be fighting. I get certain guys to come in and spar with me that have similar fighting styles and body types as my opponent. I try to get the closest thing to my opponent in my sparring partners so that I can get a good feel for what the fight will be like.”

ARMEN OVSEPYAN, Junior Middleweight Contender

“I’m feeling prepared, boxed over 60 rounds for this fight and I’m definitely ready to go.

“I’m a fighter; I take hard fights, that’s what real fighters do.

“He’s very well-regarded but we’ll see how he likes it when I put a lot of pressure on him from the start. We both have two hands, I can win this fight.

“It’s going to be the best fight of the night, whether we need to go the distance or if we get the knockout early.”

IVAN REDKACH, Undefeated Lightweight Contender

“I’m excited for this; I’m never scared of the big moment. June 13 is going to be the most important date of my career.

“I’ve been in camp for four months and feel 120 percent that I’m ready to fight.

“My opponent always tries to go forward and is very strong. He’s always trying to throw, sometimes weird punches from bottom to side to top.

“I have harder fights ahead of me but we’ll see after this one if this is my toughest test so far.

“I’m very happy for this chance to fight on SHOWTIME, my teammates have prepared me very well for this and I’m excited.”

DEJAN ZLATICANIN, Lightweight Contender

“I’m not a novice, I’ve been around and I know how to fight. I’m strong and I’m not afraid to come forward. I know Ivan is the same way, so you know it’s going to be a great fight.

“In my mind, I’ve already seen Ivan knocked out. I’ve seen it happen and I’m going to see it again on Saturday.

“I’m going to come to work hard. I come from a small country in Montenegro and I’m not here to give anything away, I’m taking full advantage.”

DON KING, Hall Of Fame Promoter

“We’re going to have a terrific fight here in Alabama on Saturday night.

“Deontay Wilder has proven to be a tremendous fighter and he last proved it on January 17. I’m certain that Wilder doesn’t mean to transfer the belt like Bermane Stiverne did.

“Texans have an out of the box way of thinking, they just take what they want. You’re going to have an unstoppable force against the unmovable object. Only one will win.”

# # #

“WILDER vs. MOLINA,” a 12-round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes place Saturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. In the co-main event co-promoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-round bout for the IBF Junior Lightweight World Title. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

WILDER vs. MOLINA Official Weigh-In will be available for viewing across multiple platforms, including LIVE via satellite feed and the SHO Sports YouTube Page. Friday’s feed from Birmingham City Hall will be hosted by Mauro Ranallo and will be available in High Definition.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Bruno Event Team are on sale now. Tickets start at only $25 with the best seats in the house going for $200. VIP packages are also available. To purchase tickets fans should visit alabamatitlefight.com. Tickets are selling fast and a sellout is anticipated.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @BronzeBomber, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #WilderMolina, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit http://shosportspoundforpound.tumblr.com/

New York, NY (June 11, 2015)–On Saturday night, June 20 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, undefeated Lightweight prospect, Sonny “Pretty Boy” Fredrickson (8-0, 5 KO’s) will make his national television debut when he competes in a 6-round bout that will be part of the nationally televised card featuring Andre Ward taking on Paul Smith on BET.

Sonny Fredrickson stands 6’2″ with power in both hands and the good looks of a GQ model. The “Baby Faced Assassin” is unlike any other Lightweight in the world.

Fredrckson of Toledo, Ohio had a stellar amateur career where he compiled a record of 120-8 with 60 knockouts. He won many accolades such as being a 2013 National PAL Bronze medalist, 2013 National Golden Gloves Final Eight & he was a five-time Toledo Golden Gloves champion.

As an amateur, Sonny also holds a 1st round stoppage win over 152 National champion Jamontay Clark.

“I am just finishing up camp now and everything went well,”said the 20 year-old Fredrickson of his preparation for his June 20 bout. “I have been doing 8-round sessions. I have been doing a lot of running, sprints and yoga.”

Fredrickson, who turned professional in 2014 won his first four bouts with first round stoppages, has an aggressive fan-friendly style and features a killer left hook. He is a good looking kid who models his style after his idol, Oscar De La Hoya.

When told of his first national television exposure, Fredrickson was very excited.

“This is short notice but I am ready to put on a show and showcase my talent in front of the world.”

The 20 year-old is in no rush to get to the top and he knows that with the right fights he will become champion.

“I hope to get in five fights this year. I will continue to move up on the prospect list and by the end of the year, I will be ready to step up.”

This fight will be the second fight for Fredrickson since signing with Roc Nation Sports, and he believes that his alliance with his new promoter will benefit him both in and out of the ring.

“I feel like Roc Nation will be huge. It will grow into a big promotion and will take over boxing. They can do things for us boxers that no other company can do and I look forward to exploring all of those opportunities.”

Fredrickson is managed by boxing attorney Rick Torres of Victory Sports Entertainment.