PENNS GROVE, NJ – Pennsylvania state heavyweight champion Amir Mansour will be honored by his hometown of Penns Grove, NJ, on Saturday, June 13 while serving as the grand marshal for the borough’s annual Safe City Summer Fest parade.

Mansour, the former USBA heavyweight champion and current IBF North American and WBF Intercontinental champion, earned the state title with a unanimous-decision win over Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko in a 10-round slugfest on May 8, which was seen by a national TV audience during ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” telecast.

“I really appreciate the honor,” said Mansour, who was born and raised in Penns Grove and now resides in Wilmington, DE. “I hope my hard work, passion for boxing and my goal to become heavyweight champ of the world stands as a good example for the kids in the community. I want them to know you should always fight for your dreams.”

Mansour, who joins a list of past grand marshals that includes actor Bruce Willis and prominent TV personality Sally Starr, attended Penns Grove High School and wrestled for the Penns Grove Junior Grapplers, where he was offered a four-year wrestling scholarship to Coppin State.

In 2014, Sports Illustrated confirmed Mansour as one of the hardest hitting heavyweights by awarding him their “2014 Knockout of the Year” after Mansour’s devastating seventh-round KO of Fred Kassi (18-3). Mansour trains at Philadelphia’s Joe Hand Boxing Gym and is managed by Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Joe Hand, Sr.

On Saturday, the Penns Grove parade gets underway at noon on West Main Street, down to South Broad and over to East Maple before stopping in front of the Penns Grove Middle School. Mansour will be the boxer on the float with a proud smile thanking his hometown for their support.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 11, 2015) – While Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock are prepared to take care their “Unfinished Business” on June 19, Bobby Lashley and James Thompson’s score will need to be settled somewhere down the line.

Thompson has been forced off the main card due to an undisclosed injury suffered during training and as a result, Dan Charles (9-2) has agreed to fill-in on short notice against “The Dominator.” The fight will still take place on the main portion of the Spike-televised card.

Charles, will be making his fourth appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion, last competing in the main event of 2014’s “Monster Energy Cup.” After dropping two fights, “The Man” has bounced back to with two straight wins to earn a shot against a heavyweight title contender the likes of Lashley. The 29-year-old Phoenix, Ariz. Native has ended seven of his nine victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

A 6-foot-3 wrestling standout, Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley (12-2) started training in the grappling arts at age 12 and would go on to win several titles including three National Championships at Missouri Valley College, an NAIA National Championship, a CISM World Championship Silver Medal and two Armed Forces Wrestling Championships during his time in the U.S. Army. In addition to a professional wrestling career with stints in the WWE, ECW and TNA, Lashley began his MMA career in 2008, and he’s built an impressive career mark that includes Bellator MMA submission wins over Karl Etherington and Josh Burns.

“Bellator: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)
Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)
Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. Dan Charles (9-2)
Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (22-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)
Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Justin Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean Wilson (34-25)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Rashard Lovelace (debut) vs. Demagio Smith (1-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Adam Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-3)

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 TV, 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.

About Scottrade Center:
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary this season, Scottrade Center is a contemporary, 12-story glass and concrete structure located in the heart of downtown St. Louis. The home of the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, Scottrade Center also features a full range of arena programming, including concerts, ice shows, family shows and other sporting events. Scottrade Center is consistently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as one of the top grossing arenas in the country.

THE BOXERS WEIGHED IN TODAY FOR THE FRIDAY NIGHT, JUNE 12 BOUT

Delvin Rodriguez
153.4 lb

Erislandy Lara
153.6 lb

Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs) will square off against WBA World Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) in a 12-round title affair at UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday night, June 12. SPIKE TV will televise on its Premiere Boxing Champions series at 9:00 PM.

During a 39-fight career, Rodriguez has faced off against such champions as Miguel Cotto and Austin Trout, while notching victories against top-caliber fighters like Mike Arnaoutis, Shamone Alvarez and Pawel Wolak.

Lara has wins over Freddy Hernandez, Alfredo Angulo and Austin Trout. The 32-year-old Cuban champion has recently won his 20th match, defeating former world champion Ishe Smith.

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

Rio de Janeiro – Named the most dominant athlete on the planet, undefeated UFC® women’s bantamweight champion and former U.S. Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey goes head-to-head with surging contender No. 7 Bethe Correia on Saturday, August 1 when the Octagon® returns to the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Fresh off of a 14 second highlight reel finish over top contender Cat Zingano at UFC® 184 in February, Rousey (11-0, fighting out of Venice, Calif.) looks to cement her legacy as one of the most revered champions in mixed martial arts, as she goes for a sixth straight title defense against rival Correia on the challenger’s home turf in Brazil.

Bad blood ensued after Correia (9-0, fighting out of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil) defeated two members of ‘The Four Horsewomen’, Rousey’s closest friends and training partners, as part of her campaign for the UFC women’s bantamweight title. “The Pitbull” intends to shock the world and cross another name off her list by dethroning the champion and bringing another world title back to Brazil.

After their legendary PRIDE bout in 2005, The Ultimate Fighter® Brazil coaches “Shogun” Rua (22-10, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) and Rogerio Nogueira (21-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) co-headline UFC® 190 in a rematch over a decade in the making.

Plus, fan favorite Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira (34-9, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), a 4th-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, returns in front of a hometown crowd to face 14th-ranked Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (29-7, fighting out of Beverwijk, Netherlands) in a pivotal heavyweight showdown.

Additional bouts include:

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (12-5-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) collides with former two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Patrick Cummins (7-2, fighting out of Dana Point, Calif.) in a light heavyweight battle.
Brazilian-born Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (18-7-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) welcomes heavy-hitting Soa Palelei (22-4, fighting out of Perth, Australia), who has 19 knockout victories to his credit.
Sixth-ranked welterweight Demian Maia (20-6, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) hopes to make it three victories in a row when he meets12th-ranked Neil Magny (15-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.), a winner of seven straight.
Plus, The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Season 3 winner Warlley Alves (9-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) puts his spotless record on the line against The Ultimate Fighter: Nations alumnus Nordine Taleb (11-2, fighting out of Montreal, Canada) in a 170-pound bout.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Tickets for UFC® 190: ROUSEY vs. CORREIA on sale now.

UFC® 190: ROUSEY vs. CORREIA will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Vubiquity, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, Rogers and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High-Definition.

About UFC

UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

LINCOLN, R.I. (June 11th, 2015) – Listed below are the final weights for all of the participants from “CES MMA XXIX,” scheduled for Friday, June 12th, 2015, live from Twin River Casino on AXS TV.

Doors open at 6 p.m. EST. The first preliminary bout begins at 7 and the televised main card begins at 9.

CHUCK O’NEIL
East Bridgewater, Mass.
15-6, 5 KOs
170

DOMINIQUE STEELE
Cincinnati, Ohio
12-5, 3 KOs
169 ½

MATT BESSETTE
Hartford, Conn.
14-6, 3 KOs
145 ½

KHAMA WORTHY
Pittsburgh, Pa.
7-3, 5 KOs
145

ERIC SPICELY
Olneyville, R.I.
6-0, 2 KOs
185

HARLEY BEEKMAN
Amsterdam, N.Y.
7-2, 4 KOs
183

DINIS PAIVA JR.
East Providence, R.I.
6-5, 4 KOs
136 ½

BRUNO MARQUES
Ludlow, Mass. (San Paulo, Brazil)
7-5, 5 KOs
136 ½

GREG REBELLO
Providence, R.I.
18-6, 9 KOs
224

TYLER KING
North Attleboro, Mass.
9-2, 3 KOs
224

NATE ANDREWS
East Providence, R.I.
6-1, 3 KOs
156

JAY BAKANOWSKI
Northborough, Mass.
3-1, 2 KOs
156

JOE PINGITORE
Johnston, R.I.
4-1-1, 1 KO
141

JAMES GRANT MURRIN
South Boston, Mass.
3-2, 2 KOs
140

PETE ROGERS JR.
Norwich, Conn.
2-1, 1 KO
145

EVAN PARKER
Worcester, Mass.
4-3, 1 KO
146

WAYNE AHLQUIST
Meriden, N.H.
1-1, 1 KO
170

TOBY ODEN
Milford, Mass.
1-1, 1 KO
170

KODY NORDBY
Cumberland, R.I.
3-3
130 ½

JESSE GUTIERREZ
Norwood, Mass.
1-0
128

DEVIN PILKINGTON
North Providence, R.I.
0-2
141

RICARDO SCALISSI
Ludlow, Mass. (San Paulo, Brazil)
0-1
141

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Danny Garcia relinquished his WBC Super Lightweight championship.

“Danny’s weight situation forced his decision to fight at welterweight,” the WBC said.

The vacancy will set up a fight between Viktor Postol and Lucas Matthysse.

“We like the fight,” said Eric Gomez, vice president of Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Matthysse. “We’ve contemplated this happening. Matthysse is all-in.”

Said Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, Postol’s co-promoter, “Obviously we’re not shocked by what happened with Garcia. We knew Danny Garcia was never going to defend his title again. We look forward to making the fight with Matthysse. It’s a great fight stylistically and we’ll get a deal done as soon as possible. It’s a really interesting fight.”

Undefeated southpaw Derrick “Take It to The Bank” Webster is not your typical fighter. He’s not your typical anything, really. But with his enormous size, fast, powerful hands and wealth of athletic ability, he just might be something special.

Actor, model, business owner, singer, basketball player, college graduate and a 6′ 4″ natural at the sweet science, Glassboro, New Jersey’s Webster (19-0, 10KOs) now finds himself on the verge of possibly career-defining opportunity, as he will face also undefeated and highly touted Arif “Mayhem” Magomedov (15-0, 9 KOs) in a ShoBox quadrupleheader, scheduled for July 17 at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

“It’s just another day at the office for me,” said a confident Webster of facing Magomedov. “I’m used to the bright lights. He (Magomedov) is just a straight forward fighter with no defense. If you stand in front of him, or any fighter really, it can be a dangerous night, but the one important thing I know about him is that he’s about to take a loss because he’s fighting Derrick “Take It To The Bank” Webster, the best southpaw around.”

Webster came late to boxing, not starting until age 24 when a gym opened up across the street from his house. He only had 40 amateur fights (38-2) and says the decision to forego a lengthy unpaid career and turn pro immediately came from an unlikely source.

“It was (former heavyweight champion and all-time great) Larry Holmes that sat me down and told me I already had the goods to make a name for myself and not to wait to turn pro. He was commentating a tournament I was fighting in, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where I had four fights in the tournament and had four first-round knockouts. He told me a lot of guys ruin their careers and waste a lot time waiting for the Olympics, so I turned pro.”

Gifted athletically and intellectually, Webster was a quarterback in high school and played power forward for two seasons for the University of Maryland in basketball while earning a bachelor’s degree Juvenile Criminal Justice. Outside the ring he now owns home-remodeling and construction businesses, among his many business ventures.

While he may not have had much of an amateur background, Webster credits a couple factors for his ring success. First, he’s spent considerable time in training camps, serving as a sparring partner to many of boxing’s elite for the last six years including Roy Jones, Jr., Andre Ward, Jean Pascal, Bernard Hopkins, Amir Khan, Andre Dirrell and on and on. And second, the fact that his size and left-handed stance have made him a nightmare for opponents to face.

“I learned by sparring with the best in the business instead of in the amateur ring and now I’m unpredictable. I even surprise myself. I’m a hell of a boxer, and most guys my height can’t move like I can. My speed is amazing and I have power. I look at like this: I’ve been pro since 2009 and I’ve seldom known who I ‘m fighting because nobody wants to fight a 6’ 4″ southpaw. Most of my career I’ve gone in not knowing who I’m fighting until I got to the ring. That forced me to prepare for boxers and unorthodox guys and pressure guys and heavy-handed guys at the same time and made me an all-around fighter. I won’t say I’m the next Floyd Mayweather, but I want people someday to say they’re the next Derrick Webster. I want to be the best southpaw of this generation.”

Webster’s co-promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions (along with Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions), says many of the questions about Webster’s potential will be answered against Magomedov.

“Derrick Webster could be a star in the making. He certainly has all the talent and the tools he needs to compete on the world stage,” explained Cohen. “There comes a time in every prospect’s career where he faces an opponent who brings out his best. This may be that fight for Derrick Webster and we’re confident after he gets the victory, he’ll be on everyone’s lips as an emerging fighter to watch.”

Webster vs. Magomedov will be staged by GH3 Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions. The ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader telecast will also feature GCP/GH3 fighters Antoine Douglas (17-0-1, 11 KOs) vs. Istvan Szili (18-0-2, 8 KOs), as well as Jerry Odom (13-1, 12 KOs) and Adam Lopez (12-0, 6 KOs) against opponents that are TBA currently.

###

About Greg Cohen Promotions

One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen made headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KOs); and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney (74-7-3, 45 KOs).

Current world-rated contenders in the GCP roster include Arash Usmanee, universally recognized as a top-10 super featherweight; former WBA International Middleweight Champion and world-rated middleweight contender Jarrod Fletcher; top-rated featherweight Joel Brunker; cruiserweight Lateef Kayode; Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis, and WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Rising Welterweight sensation Cecil McCalla.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing.

LONDON (11 JUNE) Hennessy Sports are pleased to announce that the Haskins-Iwasa undercard on June 13 will be televised live and exclusively on Spike (Sky Channel 160) in the United Kingdom.

Saturday’s IBF Interim World Bantamweight Title clash between Bristol’s Lee Haskins and Japan’s Ryosuke Iwasa will be screened live on Channel 5, while the Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight Title contest between Bob Ajisafe and Daniel Wanyonyi, as well as the pick of the undercard, will find a home on Spike from 7.30pm.

This means fight fans will get the chance to watch the likes of Ajisafe, Darren Hamilton and Young Fury in action before Haskins and Iwasa lock horns in the main event.

“This is a bit of a game-changer for us,” said promoter Mick Hennessy, “as it gives us the opportunity to televise more fights and showcase more of our fighters.

“It gives those fighters on the undercard a platform to express themselves and really impress. It also offers fight fans the chance to enjoy a full night’s boxing, rather than just tuning in for the main event.

“We’re thankful to Channel 5 and Spike for giving us this extended slot and hope to deliver some great fights on June 13.”

Spike is a British digital television channel owned by the Channel 5 division of Viacom International Media Networks Europe. It launched in the UK on April 15, 2015 – a replacement for Viva on Freeview – and primarily airs entertainment programming geared towards a male audience. In addition to their commitment to boxing, Spike also show Bellator mixed martial arts events.

Sky customers can find Spike on channel 160, while Freeview customers can get it on channel 31.

*** LIVE ON SPIKE FROM 7.30PM: Bob Ajisafe faces Daniel Wanyonyi for the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title, Darren Hamilton fights Mikheil Avakyan over eight rounds and Young Fury fights Jindrich Valecky over four ***

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxNutrition, Sanigar Events and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com
www.westcountryboxing.com

Micki Nielsen (17-0, 12 KOs) is relishing the chance to test his punching power against experienced cruiserweight contender Ismail Abdoul (56-34-2, 20 KOs).

The 22 year-old southpaw aims to send shockwaves through the division by becoming only the second man to stop the 38 year-old Belgian when they clash on June 20 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen.

In a career spanning thirteen years, Abdoul has fought a ‘who’s who’ of cruiserweight greats including former undisputed champion David Haye, IBF World Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez and WBO titlist Marco Huck.

Despite his opponents’ pedigree, the 92-fight-veteran has only been stopped once. In just his third professional contest, Abdoul suffered a twelfth-round technical knockout defeat to former WBC and IBF World Champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk.

‘’I’m looking forward to fighting such an experienced and durable opponent,’’ said Nielsen. ‘’I don’t just want to beat him. I want to make a statement and stop him. He has fought some of the biggest and best names in the cruiserweight division and now it’s my turn. On June 20, we will see if he can stand up to my power!’’

Nielsen’s confidence is high following hugely successful 18 months, which has seen the undefeated southpaw named ‘Fighter of the Year’ by the Danish Professional Boxing Federation and claim the WBC International Cruiserweight title with an impressive points victory over Julio Cesar Dos Santos.

In spite of his recent success, Nielsen, who trains in Copenhagen under the guidance of former two-time world champion Joey Gamache, believes fans are only just beginning to see the best of him.

‘’I’m working hard everyday in the gym and everything is going to plan,’’ said the cruiserweight talent. ‘’There is still a long way to go, but I can feel myself improving with every fight. For now, I must continue to take it one fight at a time, but I know I have the right team around me to take me all the way to the top!’’

‘’This will be another tough test for Micki,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’Abdoul looks next to unstoppable, and this fight will provide a good indication of how far away Micki is from world level. It’s another great addition to our last Nordic Fight Night event before the summer and we are going out in style!’’

Micki Nielsen’s older brother Patrick (25-1, 12 KOs) headlines the ‘Danish Dynamite’ Nordic Fight Night show with a first defence of his WBA International Super Middleweight title against Charles Adamu (23-6, 17 KOs), while featherweight talent Dennis Ceylan (14-0-1, 7 KOs) takes on Sergio Prado (11-4-1, 4 KOs), Rashid Kassem (8-0, 5 KOs) battles Reynaldo Mora (7-1-1, 4 KOs), and following the withdrawal of Andreas Lynggaard, Landry Kore (3-0, 1 KO) faces Laszlo Molnar (0-5). Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 10, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder, heavyweight challenger Eric Molina, along with co-headliners Puerto Rican junior lightweight Jose Pedraza and Russian amateur standout Andrey Klimov, kicked off fight week working out for the press at Round 1 Gym in Birmingham, Ala. in advance of their SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® bouts this Saturday, June 13, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

Also in attendance Wednesday were, undefeated world-ranked contenders Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach and Dejan “El Dinamita” Zlaticanin, who will square off in a 12-round eliminator earlier that night in the main event of SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME® (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:

Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder

“This week has been fun. It’s been exciting. Even to see the people and faces. I’m looking forward to Saturday. It’s always the hard part when you have to wait. Especially when you’ve been training hard and it’s real intense. Everything has been great so far, and I’m glad it’s finally here. I’m looking forward to making history being that this is the first title fight in the state of Alabama. And I’m gonna put my name on it first.

“Training camp has been just like any other camp. When I’m at camp, I’m always giving my all, 110 percent. Because when it’s time to go battle, I gotta give 110 percent. I have to perform better than I did the last time. But this is what I do. I love it and enjoy every moment it.

“Molina’s height is something to watch out for. Everybody likes two tall guys in the ring. I’m definitely going to find out if his bark is as big as his bite. Right now his bark is loud. But we’ll see if his bite is as loud as his bark.

“I don’t watch video or study my opponents because the way you may see them fight someone else is not the same way that they’re going to fight you. I let my people do that and break them down. I trust in believe in them, and I like the challenge as well. That’s another reason I don’t look at film. We’ll find out what he’s about on Saturday.”

Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina

“Deontay is a very strong fighter,a big puncher and a big presence. But just as many strengths as he has, he also has weaknesses. We’re just trying to key in on those weaknesses.

“I know this is a big fight for Alabama. I respect that and it’s an honor, but I’m also trying to make history. I plan on being the first Mexican-American Heavyweight World Champion.

“My mental focus is on the heavyweight world title. When you expect to fight for the world title, you have to come into someone’s backyard and do what you have to put up with pressure. I can handle pressure.

“I’ve accepted my role as the underdog. The whole world has written me off. I’ve embraced the role. I’m used to motivating myself. I’ve never been stronger, more focused. I’ve never been more physically, mentally, spiritually strong. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to fight.

“This is two big guys in the ring, and I can punch just like he can punch. It’s going to be a very exciting fight.”

Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza

“This was a long, hard training camp. We began training for this shot in December. We have worked extremely hard and are ready to show the world on Saturday night.

“We have seen video of Klimov and know what to expect on Saturday night. We will take it round by round and break him down.

“We can box, or we can bang. Whatever Klimov brings to the table we will be ready for. I plan on using my boxing technique to control the pace, but if he wants to stand there toe-to-toe, we are fine with that as well.

“It is important for me to look better than Crawford did in his victory over Klimov. I want to show the world that I am one of the best fighters in the entire sport.”

Regarding the comparisons to fellow Puerto Rican Star Felix Verdejo – “Verdejo is a good fighter and a good guy, but Jose Pedraza will be the next world champion to represent the great country of Puerto Rico.”

Andrey Klimov

“This was a great camp. We worked very hard, and trained with a lot of different champions. I came out 100 percent mentally and physically ready to go.

“I feel that the fight with Crawford actually worked to my advantage more than my disadvantage. I learned a lot in that fight and I will use that on Saturday night against Pedraza. What Pedraza brings to the table on Saturday night I will be ready for it. There will be no surprises on Saturday night, I am ready.

“I am very confident going into this fight. Pedraza is a tough opponent but I don’t think he is ready for what I am going to bring.

“It is an honor to be here and fighting at this level. On Saturday night you will see a spectacular performance.”

Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach

“This was the hardest training camp I have ever had. I have been training four hard months for this fight and I am in the best shape of my career.

“Dejan is a very tough opponent. He comes forward and is very aggressive, but he is not as good as me. The world will see that come Saturday night. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be victorious.

“This fight brings me one step closer to a world title shot, something I have been dreaming about my entire life, and there is no way he is going to stop me from achieving that. The fans are not going to want to miss this fight on Saturday night, because it’s going to be a war.”

Dejan Zlaticanin

“We had great sparring for this camp and it has helped us become the absolute best possible fighter we can be going into Saturday night.

“I have no doubt and no fear. I am the better, more superior fighter.

“This fight will not go to the final bell. I am going to knock Ivan Redkach out. There is no doubt in my mind.

“The winner of this fight earns the shot to fight Jorge Linares for the world title, and that is exactly the fight I want. On Saturday night I will stop Redkach and earn the right to challenge for the world title.”

“It is very important for me to bring this victory back to Montenegro to all my fans and countrymen who are cheering me on.”

# # #

“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/

otowa, NJ: As Main Events continues its search across the globe for top prospects, the New Jersey-based promotional company added another undefeated Russian to their lineup. Middleweight, Arif “Mayhem” Magomedov (15-0, 9 KOs), is the fifth international fighter, on an already stacked roster, that Main Events co-promotes with an overseas promoter. Main Events has always strived to find the best and brightest prospects in the industry and continues to work with promoters from around the world to expose new fighters to US audiences. This time they have joined forces with Gevorg Tatevosyan of the Russia-based Shamo Boxing Promotions to co-promote “Mayhem.”

Born in Kizlyar, Russia, “Mayhem” Magomedov, is only 22 years old, yet he has 15 professional fights since his pro debut just two years ago. He is undefeated as a pro with a 60% knockout-to-win ratio including his most recent bout, a first round TKO over veteran Darnell Boone on May 22 in Las Vegas. In April, he defeated another veteran, Derrick Findley, in eight rounds in Costa Mesa, California.

When asked about this new opportunity Arif said, “I am very excited to work with Main Events. This gives me opportunity to fight in United States and help me to become star here.”

His co-promoter, Gevorg Tatevosyan, of Shamo Boxing Promotions said, “We are looking forward to working with Main Events. We are very excited for this new opportunity for Arif to fight in United States.”

Shamir Petrosyan, Arif’s manager, also said, “This is the next big step for Arif towards becoming a superstar. He is ready and excited to show US fans his talents. We are looking forward to working with Kathy Duva and Main Events on this top-notch Russian prospect.”

Main Events CEO, Kathy Duva, said, “‘Mayhem’ is a fighter in a very hot division and we expect him to make his mark in it very soon. At just 22 years old, he has a long and bright future ahead of him that we are so happy to play a part in.”

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Hyannis, Massachusetts [June 10, 2015] – Boston Boxing Promotions is bringing back professional boxing to Cape Cod for the first time in nine years on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center (HYCC) with a fight card featuring the Northeast Heavyweight Title fight between Hyannis’ own Jesse Barboza (9-1-1, 5 KO’s) and Pennsylvania’s Jesse Oltmanns (10-5, 7 KO’s). The card will also feature an exciting eight-round light-heavyweight fight between Harwich’s Paul Gonsalves (7-7-1, 3 KO’s) and rugged Mexican Rafael Valenzuela (8-5, 1 KO).

While this is the first time pro boxing has been featured on the Cape in nearly a decade, the region is ripe with a rich boxing history, upsets and familiar names. Here are some facts about Cape Cod’s history in professional boxing. Some may surprise even the most avid sports fan.

– The earliest professional boxing card on record to take place in Hyannis was held July 26, 1929 at the now-defunct Mill Hill Club. In the main event that night, Boston’s Al Delgado won a ten-round unanimous decision over Brockton’s Jimmy Fruzetti.

– Prior to defending his middleweight championship in many megafights of the 1980’s, Hall of famer “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler used to set up training camp in Provincetown. He would regularly run up and down the Provincetown dunes in a sweat suit and work boots in order to acclimate himself to being uncomfortable so that he would feel at comfort and in control in his boxing trunks & boxing shoes while fighting legends like Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran and “Sugar” Ray Leonard. Hagler used to refer to his training camps as “jail” as he would isolate himself from friends & family for weeks in order to focus on the fight at hand.

– Hyannis resident Kip Digs fought as a welterweight boxer from 1992 – 1999. He finished his career with a record of 30-5, with 22 KO’s and won the NABF Welterweight title during the course of his exciting career. He was regularly featured on early editions of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights”.

– In 1999, two future world champions would fight on the same card in Hyannis, MA. Future Junior Welterweight & Welterweight Champion Zab Judah would defeat David Sample via 1st round TKO & future Welterweight & Junior Middleweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera beat Cape Cod native Kip Diggs via fifth round TKO.

– Two former world cruiserweight champions have ties to Cape Cod. Former two-time cruiserweight champ Steve Cunningham’s wife/manager Livvy is from Martha’s Vineyard. She calls Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts her hometown. Cunningham is currently rated the number-six heavyweight in the world by the IBF. Also, former cruiserweight champ Kelvin Davis, after losing a cruiserweight number-one contenders match to the aforementioned Cunningham in 2005, returned as a heavyweight in 2006 in Hyannis fighting to a draw with journeyman Charles Shufford.

– Longtime heavyweight contender and two-time former heavyweight title challenger Tony Thompson suffered his first career defeat in the year 2000 in Hyannis to a fighter named Eric Kirkland who retired with a record of 18-2. After losing to Kirkland via four-round unanimous decision, Thompson would win his next 27 fights in a row before losing to Wladimir Klitschko in a fight for the Heavyweight Championship of the world in 2008. Thompson is currently rated the number-thirteen heavyweight in the world by the WBC.

The August 8, 2015 event will be presented by Boston Boxing Promotions. It will be the first professional boxing event held in Hyannis since 2006. General admission tickets are $40 and are on sale now at www.CapeCodBoxing.com. Fans are urged to purchase tickets early due to limited availability. Additional bouts to be announced in the weeks to come.

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

CORK, Ireland (June 10, 2015) – Gary Hyde, manager of International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 1-ranked, mandatory middleweight contender Hassan N’Dam (31-1, 18 KOs), has objected to two officials named to work the June 20th IBF world middleweight title fight between N’Dam and David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Cameroon-native N’Dam, promoted by King Sports, is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 160-pound division world champion. The IBF No. 4-ranked Lemieux was born and lives in Montreal, Quebec.

“On June 2nd,” Hyde explained, “I learned who the officials were for the June 20th fight at the Bell Centre. I contacted the IBF and objected to two officials who are from Montreal, Quebec, the same city Lemieux is from. Referee Marlon Wright has refereed five of Lemieux’ fights and the judge in question, Benoit Roussel, has worked no fewer than 12 of Lemieux’ fights.

“I also objected to the Quebec Commission on the appointment of the two Canadian officials. The selection of two officials from the same city as one of the fighters in an international world championship bout indicates a flawed and unfair procedure and undermines the appearance of fairness and impartiality. In my experience in world championship bouts the officials must always be neutral.

“We are hopeful that the Quebec Boxing Commission will replace both Canadian officials with a pair of neutral officials, so that we can concentrate solely on the job at hand, to beat Lemieux.

New York, June 10—Star Boxing ’s undefeated powerhouse Cletus Seldin puts an unblemished record on the line on his Long Island home turf when “The Hebrew Hammer” squares off against battle-tested Ranee Ganoy (38-12-2, 32 KO’s) in a 10-round light welterweight clash at The Paramount in Huntington on Friday night, June 19.

Fighting out of Shirley, Long Island, Seldin has been ultra-impressive with a record of 16-0. Thirteen of those victories have come by way of thunderous knockouts, while fighting under the guidance of promoter Joe DeGuardia.

“Cletus is for real, and is poised to emerge in the light welterweight division,” says DeGuardia. “He’s very strong, and has knockout power in each hand. An outstanding athlete who’s always in outstanding shape, Cletus comes ready with aggressive body punching to match his crowd-pleasing style.”

Seldin has showcased his considerable talents almost exclusively at The Paramount, where he has scored 12 of his victories, including eight straight. The path is similar to that of Star Boxing’s Chris Algieri, who used The Paramount as a launching pad for his success before graduating to Barclays Center and Macao.

The Hebrew Hammer is about to complete training camp in West Palm Beach, FL, after prepping at his home base at the Westbury Boxing Club. Seldin had this to say about Ganoy, the knockout specialist from Albuquerque, NM: “He has a nice solid, tight, fighting stance. He’s a tough guy, a tough opponent, and with 32 KOs, he will probably come in for the knockout. If he does that, you know what happens, you get the hammer! Having a victory over him will boost me to the top 15.”

The undercard is stocked with a quartet of six-round bouts featuring a burst of up-and comers: New Hyde Park’s Rich Neves (8-2-2, 4 KOs) will face Alex Mancera (8-6-1, 5 KOs) of Queens/junior middleweights; Woodhaven’s Daniel Gonzales (8-0-1, 3 KOs) steps into the ring against Carl McNickles (8-8, 6 KOs) of Chicago/junior welterweights; Westbury’s Dave Meloni (3-1, 1 KO) squares off against Rigoberto Miranda of the Bronx/junior lightweights; and unbeaten Johnny Hernandez (4-0, 1 KO) of Huntington is matched against San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Angel Suarez (2-2)/featherweights.

Doors open at 7:00 PM; first bout at 7:30 PM.

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

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 10, 2015) – Less than 10 days ahead of Bellator MMA: “Unfinished Business,” Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock and Bellator President Scott Coker took part in a media conference call to discuss the June 19th event.

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” takes place Friday, June 19 at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center and airs live on Spike. Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business,” which start at just $30, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

On October 4, 2008, a freak accident robbed the MMA world of one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport. On Friday, June 19, Bellator MMA will right that wrong. Street fighting legend and YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice and “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” Ken Shamrock, have agreed to renew their rivalry and will now meet in the main event of “Bellator: Unfinished Business.”

Below are quotes from today’s call:

Bellator President Scott Coker:

“This is a fight that should have happened many years ago. I know that it’s a fight that’s been under everybody’s skin for several years. At the news that Kimbo had signed on, I called and asked [Ken] if he was interested and he said ‘hell yeah.’ Both sides jumped in to fight each other without hesitation.”

“At the direction of Mr. Tim Lueckenhoff, our main event fighters were subject to pre-fight drug testing and we were informed that both fighters passed their tests. We’re less than ten days away from finally watching Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock settling the score at ‘Unfinished Business,’ which goes down at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.”

Ken Shamrock:

“Mentally I’m strong, I always push myself to the highest level. I’ve been at this for six months now and it’s been the hardest and the most humbling thing I’ve ever had to do. I am a different human being. I am more appreciative of the opportunities I have and for the people that train with me.”

“Now that I’m back where I want to be and where I can hold my own at 51, I’m able to push people to where they can’t go with me. This all comes through hard work and humbling myself and bringing myself back to my grass roots. Come June 19th, people are going to get to see the results of that and I promise you that everything that I am, my career on the line, you will not be disappointed.”

“I really understand what it’s like to be the underdog, it’s been a humbling experience but at the same time it’s really built me as a human being and it’s really put me in a different place when it comes to conditioning and when it comes to my motivation and my strength in this fight.”

“I enjoy preparing, I enjoy game planning, setting strategies, and working with a group of people to accomplish a goal. In the end when you accomplish that goal, there’s no better feeling in the world than to have a group of people who set out on a journey and they accomplish the goal they set out on together with all the plans working out the way you wanted to. You’re standing there at the end getting your hand raised and everyone is in the zone, endorphins are running, it’s a great feeling. I don’t know what to compare it to but it’s a feeling you never want to lose but you know it’s going to have to go away. I’m going to live this thing as long as I can live it. I’m going to enjoy this thing as long as I’m allowed to enjoy it and I wish that people would enjoy it with me.

I don’t think it’s a secret that Kimbo Slice brings the fight. Everything I know about him and respect about him, is that when he gets in the ring, he brings it. I don’t think there’s any question about what kind of fight this is going to be. There’s a strategy on the mind of both men in a fight and they come in to see which one will work best. Right now there is no tomorrow, I’m focused on Kimbo and that’s it.”

Kimbo Slice:

“I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to fight this guy again if the opportunity ever presented itself.”

“I tip my hat to Ken Shamrock who’s still fighting at 51 — even though I’m a stud and I’m going to knock his punk ass out. I tip my hat off to Bernard Hopkins who’s still fighting in his fifties. That’s really not even that old and I’m right around the corner from there.”

“I relate to my fans and they relate to me. I just say it’s the beard and the gold the teeth and me being genuine with people. I don’t walk around with a chip on my shoulder.”

“This is not a one time deal with me. We’re going to see how long we can go with it. I’m in it for the long haul.”

“I’ve always had love for MMA. I was tempted to throw a few kicks and takedowns in boxing. Now that this opportunity came, I have the love for the training and the passion to fight. I’m a well rounded martial artist now in the cage, I’m no longer one dimensional.”

“Bellator MMA: Unfinished Business” – Friday, June 19, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (4-2) vs. Ken Shamrock (28-15-2)
Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (23-2) vs. Daniel Weichel (35-8)
Bellator Featured Heavyweight Fight: Bobby Lashley (12-2) vs. Dan Charles (9-2)
Bellator Featured Featherweight Fight: Daniel Straus (22-6) vs. Henry Corrales (12-0)
Bellator Featured Lightweight Fight: Michael Chandler (12-3) vs. Derek Campos (15-4)

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

Bellator Strawweight Prelim Fight: Dan O’Connor (5-4) vs. Miles McDonald (0-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Justin Lawrence (7-2) vs. Sean Wilson (34-25)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Eric Irvin (9-3) vs. Hugh Pulley (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Rashard Lovelace (debut) vs. Demagio Smith (1-1)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Kain Royer (1-1) vs. Enrique Watson (1-0)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Siscoe (0-1) vs. Garrett Mueller (1-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Adam Cella (6-3) vs. Kyle Kurtz (3-0)
Bellator Welterweight Dark Prelim: Steve Mann (10-1) vs. Justin Guthrie (17-8)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Garrett Gross (6-3) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-3)

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.

About Scottrade Center:
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary this season, Scottrade Center is a contemporary, 12-story glass and concrete structure located in the heart of downtown St. Louis. The home of the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, Scottrade Center also features a full range of arena programming, including concerts, ice shows, family shows and other sporting events. Scottrade Center is consistently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as one of the top grossing arenas in the country.

An injury to Beibut Shumenov has forced a postponement of his WBA Interim Cruiserweight title fight that was slated to take place next Saturday in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Flores was disappointed but said he will remain in training camp in Phoenix and be ready for the new date. He has been sparring with heavyweight contenders Steve Cunningham and Bryant Jennings for the past two weeks in preparation.

“I had over 40 rounds sparring with those two guys and another 25 rounds [with others] before that,” Flores told ESPN.com on Tuesday. “I’ve been working crazy hard. I was more than ready for June 20. I was very ready. Steve and Jennings are great tools to get ready for big fights. They are both much better than Beibut. Great camp so far.”

HBO Boxing’s hit late-night franchise presents an all-action doubleheader featuring four undefeated fighters when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: NICHOLAS WALTERS VS. MIGUEL MARRIAGA AND FELIX VERDEJO VS. IVAN NAJERA is seen SATURDAY, JUNE 13 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for both bouts, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: June 14 (9:45 a.m.) and 15 (11:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: June 16 (midnight)

In the main event, featherweight titlist Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) defends his world championship against Miguel Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs) in a 12-round fight. Walters, 29, captured his first world title in 2012 when he knocked out Daulis Prescott in his home country of Jamaica and has successfully defended his belt three times by knockout. In his HBO debut last October, Walters grabbed the attention of the boxing world with a sensational knockout of former five-division world champ Nonito Donaire. Making his own HBO debut, Colombia’s Marriaga, 28, will be seeking a world title for the first time.

On the eve of New York’s Puerto Rican Day parade, the co-main event features boxing’s fastest-rising prospect, Felix Verdejo (17-0, 13 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, taking on Ivan Najera (16-0, 8 KOs) of San Antonio, Tex., in a ten-round lightweight contest. During his rise in the division, Verdejo has remained exceptionally active, fighting seven times in 2014 and eight times in 2013. Both undefeated 22-year-olds will be making their HBO debuts as they rekindle boxing’s longstanding Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry, and both will be appearing in just their second ten-round fight. For Verdejo, this fight will be his third at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, a fight venue that launched rewarding ring careers for fighters like Arturo Gatti, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin.

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

It’s a special weekend for HBO Boxing. On Sunday, June 14, Jim Lampley, who has been broadcasting fights on the network since 1988 and has been ringside for many of the sport’s signature moments the past 27 years, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

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

NEW YORK (June 10, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion NICHOLAS “Axe Man” WALTERS of Jamaica, and the boxing gem of Puerto Rico, undefeated No. 3 world-rated lightweight contender FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO and their opponents, Top-10 contender MIGUEL “The Scorpion” MARRIAGA and IVÁN “Bam Bam” NAJERA, respectively, hosted a media workout in Manhattan today.

The four undefeated fighters headline, in separate bouts, a world championship card in New York during Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend. With 60 knockout victories between them, fireworks are all but assured for this event which will take place This Saturday! June 13, in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Walters (25-0, 21 KOs), from Montego Bay, Jamaica, who is in the third year of his championship reign, will defend his world title against Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs), of Arjona, Colombia. Verdejo (17-0, 13 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in his live HBO debut, will make the first defense of his newly-won World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino lightweight title against Najera(16-0, 8 KOs), of San Antonio, TX. Both fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The four gladiators boast a perfect combined record of 78-0 (60 KOs), which includes a victory by knockout ratio of 77%.

NICHOLAS WALTERS
“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. 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.

“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 honor 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.”

MIGUEL MARRIAGA
“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 Saturday, June 13 for the same reason!

“I have the strength and the intelligence to beat him. I will use my strength and intelligence to beat him.

“After I beat Walters again on Saturday I look forward to unifying the titles in my next fight.”

FELIX VERDEJO
“It is an honor 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 honors. 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!”

IVÁN NAJERA
“I am ready for my moment – my date with destiny. I know this is supposed to be Verdejo’s big debut on HBO. But 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 Iván Najera’s Coming Out Party!”

***************************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with All Star Boxing, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets to the Walters vs. Marriaga / Verdejo vs. Najera world championship boxing event, priced at $205, $105 and $55, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #WaltersMarriaga or #VerdejoNajera to join the conversation on Twitter.

Former four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. (61-8) will continue his quest towards a world title in a fifth weight class on August 15th. Jones, who has reeled off 7 victories in a row, will headline Knockout Season 2’s live fight card at the Foxwoods Hotel and Casino and will be broadcast live on Fuse/NuvoTV. Jones also served as the host of Knockout’s second season.

The 46-hear-old Jones, who has captured world titles as a middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight, is working his way towards a title shot at cruiserweight to complete the quinfecta. He is also scheduled to fight on August 29th and said that he loves keeping a busy schedule.

“I am going to fight on Knockout on the 15th and then again on the 29th. I did two (fights) in March and I am liking how it feels so I am going to do two again in August and see how that feels. If I like how it feels then I will do it again maybe two or three weeks apart,” said Jones.

The Pensacola, Fla. native said that he wants to bring back the old school when like fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta faced each other twice in a three week span. A lot of today’s fighters struggle to get in two fights in a year, let alone in a month.

“See, they are getting away from the old school stuff. I want to take it back to old school boxing where they used to fight every three weeks. Those were guys that were true fighters. I like that. I want to see how it feels,” said Jones. “You can’t do that now because of technology and the rules but I want to prove that I am the only old school OG around, you feel me?

“Fighting two or three weeks apart if I can. If I can do it, I want to do it because I want to keep on going as long as I can. Can’t nobody tell Roy Jones when to start and nobody can tell Roy Jones when he should stop. Roy Jones is going to do what he wants to do and I enjoying myself in the ring and I am going to get back where I want to be,” stated Jones.

Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. will headline Knockout Season 2 that will also feature the winner’s of Knockout Season 2. This season features the featherweight, lightweight, and cruiserweight divisions and will be broadcast from the beautiful Foxwoods Hotel and Casino on Fuse/NuvoTV.

KITCHENER, Ontario, Canada (June 10, 2015) — Marcelo Sanchez, of leading Nicaraguan-based promoter Pinolero Boxing, and Canadian lawyer Michael J. Schmidt, on behalf of public relations and marketing firm Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée, today jointly announced a strategic alliance to expand the Pinolero brand on an International basis.

“Both companies have short and long term goals that perfectly fit together,” Schmidt said. “Pinolero Boxing Promotion’s in the business of developing regional, national and World Champions. Both companies will be looking at various means to move Pinolero boxers into a further International framework. Pinolero has a proven track record of developing a strong brand of champions and all efforts are being made to further maximize the Pinolero talent. Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée will provide additional public relations and marketing expertise.”

“Obviously,” Schmidt added, “there will only ever be one Alex Arguello, as well as only one Roman “El Chocolatito” Gonzalez – I believe he should have serious consideration as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today – but Pinolero Boxing has a tremendous depth of talented individuals ready to blossom into their own legendary status.”

“We are well aware of Mr. Schmidt and Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée through his steady and professional work in Panama, and work he has done for boxing media personalities throughout the world,” Sanchez, speaking on behalf of Pinolero Boxing, commented. “We both agree that there is a tremendous talent which should make for exciting marketing. Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée and Pinolero share the same joy in developing these young men, not only towards National Championships, but also a World Championship vision, focusing on efforts to brand our company and boxers in the ring, and in terms of their image and ability to earn income outside of the ring”.

Promising prospects such as 20-year-old Junior Ramirez (12-0, 9 KOs), the World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Silver super lightweight champion, knockout artist Roberto Arriaza (10-0, 9 KOs), the Nicaraguan welterweight champion, and minimum-weight Byron Rojas (15-2), are all perfect examples of Pinolero Boxing’s stable of rising talent.

Schmidt is particularly excited by Nicaraguan fighters such as Cristofer Rosales Gonzalez, a 20-year-old with a record of 13-2, who, Schmidt notes, “hasn’t been afraid to step up and take on undefeated International competition.”

Pinolero Boxing will shortly celebrate its 100th promotional show by hosting a major boxing event in Nicaragua. “We will input a full set of resources and expertise, through the direction of Marcelo Sanchez at Pinolero Boxing,” Schmidt remarked. “We are excited to work with a promotional company that, under the direction of Marcelo Sanchez, has such exceptional talent. Hopefully, within the next year or two, the nature of this relationship will show in the form of more boxing champions being crowned under the Pinolero banner, but also in young men who conduct themselves with class and skill, inside and outside of the ring, which is so inherent in the nature of some of the legendary Nicaraguan fighters.”

“We look forward to Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée working for and on behalf of Pinolero Boxing in helping to provide add-on services in the development of opportunities and marketing channels appropriate to our boxers,” Sanchez concluded. “Our July show will be a special event for Nicaragua and we welcome having Schmidt and Jensen Strauss Agency Limitée on board.”

Las Vegas (June 9, 2015) – 3 Time world champion Fernando Vargas has confirmed that he and the Feroz Fight Factory will appear and have a booth to Meet & Greet his fans at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday September 12, 2015. The Boxing Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather jr. last fight and Mexican independence weekend.

Fernando Vargas, is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent and 3 Time world champion, who won a bronze medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. His nicknames include “Ferocious”, “The Aztec Warrior” and “El Feroz”. Vargas was the youngest fighter to become world light middleweight champion at 21 years old in the history of boxing.

Some of Fernando’s notable wins include victories over former world champions Raúl Márquez, Yori Boy Campas, Ike Quartey, and over Winky Wright. His losses to Oscar De La Hoya, Félix Trinidad, Shane Mosley, and Ricardo Mayorga remain his only career defeats and he is a favorite of American cable TV giant HBO.

Vargas and the Feroz Fight Factory will have merchandise to sell to his fans, as well as photos and memorabilia.

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

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

CHICAGO (June 9, 2015) – A full slate of exciting fights round out a stacked undercard coming to UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday, June 12 as heavyweight bruiser and fan favorite Artur Szpilka (18-1, 13 KOs) takes on Manuel Quezada (29-9, 18 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight attraction.

The full night of undercard action supports the Premier Boxing Champions on Spike doubleheader that features Cuban boxing sensation Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) taking on veteran Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs) and Russian knockout artist Artur Beterbiev (8-0, 8 KOs) facing Alexander Johnson (16-2, 7 KOs). This edition of PBC on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors at UIC Pavilion open at 5 p.m. CT with the first fight set for 5:15 p.m. CT.

Also competing in undercard action is the explosive Anthony Peterson (34-1, 22 KOs) who battles Ammeth Diaz (32-11, 23 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout and undefeated rising contender Eleider Alvarez (16-0, 9 KOs), who battles Anatoliy Dudchenko (16-0, 9 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight duel.

Ronald Hearns, the son of the legendary Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, returns to the ring to(27-5, 21 KOs) face David Thomas (10-4-2, 8 KOs) in a six-round super welterweight contest while undefeated prospect Domonique Dolton (16-0, 8 KOs) faces Victor Fonseca (9-4-1, 7 KOs)in eight rounds of super welterweight action.

The card also features a slew of Illinois’ top prospects including 24-year-old Ramiro Carillo (8-0, 5 KOs) out of Chicago battling 31-year-old Dedrick Bell (12-23-1, 7 KOs) out of Memphis in a six-round welterweight contest and Chicago’s Josh Hernandez will make his pro debut as he faces 23-year-old Joe Estrada (0-3)from Kearney, Missouri in a four-round welterweight battle.

Rounding out the local flavor is 20-year-old Jose Quezada (6-0, 5 KOs) from Alsip, Ill., taking on 26-year-old Jeffrey Ramos (4-3, 2 KOs)from Puerto Rico in a six-round lightweight bout and 22-year-old undefeated prospect Eddie Ramirez (8-0, 6 KOs) out of Aurora, Ill., battling 35-year-old Gerardo Cuevas (17-14, 15 KOs) from Mexico City in an eight-round junior welterweight attraction.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing in association with Group Yvon Michel (GYM) and Star Boxing, are priced at $151, $101, $51, and $31, not including applicable service charges, and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or UIC Pavilion Box Office at (312) 413-5740. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UIC Pavilion Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

With only one loss to the undefeated Bryant Jennings on his record, the 26-year-old Szpilka will look to build on his most recent victories, a unanimous decision in Nov. 2014 over heavyweight star Tomas Adamek and a second round TKO over Ty Cobb in April. Born in Wieliczka, Poland, he has made a name for himself in Chicago having fought there three times before and picking up knockout victories each time. He faces the 38-year-old Quezada out of Wasco, California by way of Mexico.

The brother of former world champion Lamont Peterson, the 30-year-old Peterson hopes to soon make a name for himself on the big stage. Owner of wins over Daniel Attah, Dominic Salcido and Marcos Leonardo Jimenez, the Washington, D.C. product is looking to win his fifth consecutive fight on June 12. He will be opposed by the 32-year-old former world title challenger Diaz who fights out of Panama.

A 2008 Colombian Olympian, the 31-year-old Alvarez has risen to contender status in the light heavyweight division as he remained undefeated with three big wins in 2014. Fighting out of Montreal by way of Columbia, his 2015 debut will also be his U.S. debut when he takes on the 36-year-old Dudchenko who fights out of Los Angeles by way of Ukraine.

Son of the legendary Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, the 36-year-old Hearns looks to build on his last win, a fifth round knockout over Roberto Ventura in Dec. 2014. The Southfield, Michigan native is an exceptional athlete who played Division 1 basketball at American University while getting his degree in Criminal Justice. He faces the 32-year-old Thomas out of Evansville, Indiana.

Undefeated since turning pro in 2008, the 25-year-old Dolton got off to a strong start in 2015 as he dominated Juan Carlos Rojas in February. The Detroit-native looks to keep his momentum going when he meets the 22-year-old Mexican Fonseca on June 12.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LaraBoxing, @DRodriguez1980, @WarriorsBoxProm, @yvonmichelgym, @starboxing and @SpikeTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromo and www.Facebook.com/Spike.

CHICAGO (June 9, 2015) – Cuban boxing star, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs), has arrived in Chicago for his upcoming bout with Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs) as Premier Boxing Champions returns to Spike this Friday June 12, 2015.

This edition of PBC on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors at UIC Pavilion open at 5 p.m. CT with the first fight set for 5:30 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing in association with Group Yvon Michel (GYM) and Star Boxing, are priced at $151, $101, $51, and $31, not including applicable service charges, and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or UIC Pavilion Box Office at (312) 413-5740. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UIC Pavilion Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @LaraBoxing, @DRodriguez1980, @WarriorsBoxProm and @SpikeTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/WarriorsBoxingPromoand www.Facebook.com/Spike.

Legendaty referee Frank Cappuccino passed away on Monday at age 86 in Pennsylvania, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“When he was in his prime, there is no doubt he was one of the top five referees in the world,” said Greg Sirb, the executive director of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, who knew Cappuccino well and assigned him to the fights he worked in the state since 1989.

“When he was reffing, he was poetry in motion,” Sirb said. “He had as much respect from the fighters as any referee there is. I just think they liked his style. He was straightforward. When you got Frank Cappuccino assigned to your bout, you knew you made it.”

“When you had Cappuccino, it was one less thing I had to worry about,” Sirb said. “Of all the times I assigned him to a fight, I never once had a single person call me to say they didn’t want him assigned to their bout. It never happened.”

“That was Frank, Philly-style,” Sirb said. “He was a die-hard Philly guy. He loved boxing. I’d ask Frank to do the little shows — make that three- or four-hour drive to the places like Allentown or Scranton for shows. He was there. He did all the club shows as well as the world title fights.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 9th, 2015) — Every so often, Chuck O’Neil wishes he could go back in time and teach his former self a thing or two.

“When I look at some of the old videos, I looked like a friggin’ bum,” said O’Neil, who returns to the cage Friday, June 12th, 2015 in the five-round main event of “CES MMA XXIX” at Twin River Casino.

“I would go back and kill the old me.”

Since his well-publicized stint on The Ultimate Fighter series four years ago, O’Neil has done what most TUF alumni have failed to do — carve a niche beyond reality TV.

“I think they get caught up in the hype train,” he said. “They’re just happy with the fact they got there.

“You can’t be satisfied or you’ll be stagnant. The celebrity status, the glitz and glamour, that’s not why I do this. I do it because it’s fun and I’m truly passionate about it. I work hard every day to be the best, not just be a part of it.”

Under the promotional guidance of CES MMA, O’Neil has taken full advantage of the opportunity to showcase his abilities — along with his affable, off-camera personality — in front of a new audience, the AXS TV fan base.

The Bridgewater, Mass., native has won six of seven fights in the CES cage, including his AXS TV debut in January when he knocked out Emmanuel Walo in just 11 seconds to defend the promotion’s welterweight title.

With a relentless, fan-friendly fight style and his deep-rooted passion for childhood wrestling nostalgia, O’Neil is loving life in the spotlight, hamming it up for the cameras outside of the cage while making sure to flip the switch to business mode once the bell rings.

On Friday, he faces another tough test against Cincinnati’s Dominique Steele (12-5, 3 KOs), a former Strikeforce and Bellator vet who promises to “whoop ass” and leave Rhode Island’s with O’Neil’s title.

“I’m going to put him on his back and punish the hell out of him,” Steele said.

“He’s a tough, gritty guy,” O’Neil countered, “but I know exactly what’s going to happen. He will try to grind me against the cage and get me to the ground. We’ll see what happens. Best wishes. Love, Chuck.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXIX” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The trash talk from the other side of the cage might’ve unnerved the old O’Neil, a self-proclaimed “former punk” who admits his logic entering fights never really extended beyond trying to punch the other guy in the face. While the 2015 O’Neil couldn’t care less about engaging in a war of words, the defending champ promises “hard times” for Steele, an ode to pro wrestling legend “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

“I don’t need someone talking shit to get me hyped up,” O’Neil said. “At the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and finish the fight.”

Though the dream of getting another crack at competing for the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) is still on O’Neil’s “to-do” list, he admits his experience on Season 13 of the popular reality series is part of his past. The current task at hand is defending the CES MMA crown while continuing to improve with each fight.

“It’ll always be a part of me,” he said, “but I want to grow past it. It’s very rare to see guys from that show get their shit together and get better.

“I just went right to the drawing board, surrounded myself with good teammates and recreated myself. Between my jiu-jitsu work and the addition of [boxing coach] Dave [Keefe] and getting in there with college wrestlers, everything’s coming together.

“I’m a lot more mature as a fighter and a person. I’m working to get better every day.”

Also on the main card of “CES MMA XXIX,” East Providence, R.I., middleweight Nate Andrews (6-1, 3 KOs) returns to face Jay Bakanowski (3-1, 2 KOs) of Northborough, Mass.; Hartford, Conn., featherweight Matt Bessette (14-6, 3 KOs) battles Pittsburgh’s Khama Worthy (7-3, 5 KOs); bantamweight Dinis Paiva Jr. (6-5, 4 KOs) of East Providence battles Brazilian Bruno Marques (7-5-1, 5KOs); Providence heavyweight Greg Rebello (17-6, 9 KOs) battles Tyler King (9-2, 3 KOs) of Norwood, Mass.; and unbeaten Providence welterweight Eric Spicely (6-0, 2 KOs) faces New York’s Harley Beekman (7-2, 4 KOs).

The preliminary card includes a three-round welterweight bout Abe Pitrowski (6-2, 1 KO) of Pawtucket, R.I., and Mike Rodriguez (2-0) of Boston and a hard-hitting featherweight battle between Joe Pingitore (4-2, 1 KO) of Johnston, R.I., and James Murrin (3-2, 2 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass. Featherweight Evan Parker (4-3, 1 KO) of Worcester, Mass., faces Pete Rogers Jr. (2-1, 2 KOs) of Norwich, Conn.; welterweight Toby Oden (1-1) of Milford, Mass.; battles Wayne Alhquist (1-1, 1 KO) of Meredith, N.H.; Woonsocket, R.I., bantamweight Kody Nordby (3-3) faces Jesse Gutierrez (1-0) of Norwood; and Ludlow, Mass., featherweight Ricardo Scalissi (0-1)battles Devin Pilkington (0-2) of Smithfield, R.I.

For more information on “CES MMA XXIX” visit www.cesmma.com, follow @CESMMA on Twitter and Instagram and “like” the official CES MMA Facebook fan page.

NEW YORK (June 9, 2015) – Unbeaten Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., risks his perfect record and title against Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Raymondville, Texas, this Saturday, June 13, in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

To kickoff fight week events, below are 10 fast facts you should know about Deontay Wilder (with his comments):

1. He has spent more than 1,000 hours getting tattoos covering his body, including one of the WBC heavyweight championship belt on his left thigh …

“It’s probably been more than 1,000 hours. Tattoos are a hobby for me. I enjoy putting my life story on my body.”

2. Has sparred over 50 rounds with Wladimir Klitschko, who holds the WBO, IBF, and WBA titles and is a potential future opponent …

“It was a great experience. I learned a lot of things from him. Overall it was a great camp. One of the best camps I’ve ever been in. He was preparing for Mariusz Wach (November 2012).’’

3. He worked at IHOP, Red Lobster and Budweiser after dropping out of college to help pay his daughter’s medical expenses …

“I went from IHOP, to AI-Three Company (Mercedes company), Red Lobster and Budweiser. The most interesting job was a delivery driver for Budweiser. I was still an amateur boxer. I had to get up at 4:30-5 a.m. every morning and I had to lift multiple amounts of beer. They probably put 1,000 cases of beer on my truck. I considered that a morning workout.”

4. He wrote a children’s book about winning the heavyweight championship …

“It’s more of an inspirational book to let kids know that you have to work hard for whatever you want and can’t give up. Don’t let peer pressure stop you from accomplishing your goals. I probably will write another children’s book, because I love kids and I love being a father.”

5. He financially supports the Coffeyville (Alabama) gym for kids. It’s located in one of the schools that the town closed. He also helps teach the kids boxing …

“We saw an opportunity to help Coffeyville out. It started when they closed the Coffeyville High School. A lot of kids had to wake up earlier than they would normally to travel miles and miles to school. The city was getting a bad rap. We did it to bring positivity to a small city. We wanted to bring something to do to the town. We did it to get the kids off the street and give them something to do. We got with the city and made the high school a gym. We enjoy working with the kids. They were never introduced to boxing. It does our hearts good to see the kids involved in a physical activity and being happy. Who knows? They might become champions one day.’’

6. He was one of the athletes chosen to be a model for Ralph Lauren’s line of clothing at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing …

“They let me model the clothes. I was one of the most handsome 2008 Olympic guys (he laughs). My coach met me one day and told me they wanted me to represent the clothes. I said yes, like I was getting married. It was a great proposal. I didn’t get to keep any of the clothes. I took modeling for granted. Getting into it, I thought it would easy. I understand what those guys go through. I respect models. I doubt you’ll see me on the runway. That was the beginning and the end of my modeling career.’’

7. Wilder is often/always mistaken for NBA superstar LeBron James when he goes out in public …

“All the time. I just smile. When they say I look like him, I politely disagree. The only similarities is our big smiles. I politely exit from that situation.’’

8. He won the WBC heavyweight title on the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Muhammad Ali (who turned 73 that day) …

“That was definitely a special moment for me to do that. Ali is my all-time favorite fighter. I have tapes of him when he was going up in the Olympics. I respect what he’s done in the sport. That was such a happy moment for me. With Martin Luther King, Jr. being one of our great civil right leaders, that did my heart good. It was a historical moment for me. How could I have lost that fight? It was once in a lifetime to get a fight on two special people’s birthdays. I’m still amazed now.’’

9. His grandmother would not allow anyone to spank him because she said he was special and would grow up to do great things …

“She always said I was anointed by God and destined to be great and do great things in the world. She’s not alive now to see what I’ve accomplished. I missed those homemade biscuits, peppermint tea and homemade chicken and dumplings that she used to make.’’

10. He punched Bermane Stiverne so hard in the world championship fight that he bent the metal rods in his surgically repaired right hand …

“That is true. Somewhere in the third or the fourth round. I realized it because my hand started going numb. I knew what it was, because I had it happen before. The first time I did it I knocked him out and I didn’t have to go through the entire fight. With this one it felt OK during the fight. It just let me know that through adversity anything is possible if you have the will and the mind to accomplish your goal. That’s what champions are made of. When you go to battle you’re going to do everything you have to do to win. That wasn’t the only injury. I had one eye going into the fight. I was handicapped the whole fight. The night before the fight I was stretching with a band. It came off my feet and hit me in the eye. When I woke up the next day I couldn’t see anything. Good thing I had my private doctor there. He treated the eye. I was seeing black and white before the fight, but I was already there and I was going to go through with the fight.’’

# # #

“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-romoted by DiBella in association with Universal Promotions, Jose Pedraza will face Andrey Klimov in a 12-Round bout for the IBF Jr. 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).

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.dbe1.com follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @WilderVSMolina, @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/

WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before tomorrow (Wednesday, June 10) night’s Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros game at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Cuban boxing sensation Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) is making the publicity rounds of the Windy City in advance of his Premier Boxing Champions fight, televised live on Spike TV, this Friday (June 12) against Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs).

Wednesday’s Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros game will be broadcast live on WPWR-TV, channel 50 (UHF digital channel 51) and on the radio on WSCR 670 and WRTO 1200 in Spanish.

32-year-old Lara has notched victories over Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout and Freddy Hernandez throughout his career. As an amateur, Lara won numerous titles including a national championship at welterweight and also participated in the 2007 Pan-Am games. Originally from Guantanamo, Cuba, but fighting out of Houston, Lara most recently defeated former world champion Ishe Smith on his way to his 20th professional victory.

Also scheduled for televised action on Friday night is Russian knockout artist Artur Beterbiev (8-0, 8 KOs), who is set to square off against Maryland’s Alexander Johnson (16-2, 7 KOs).

This edition of PBC on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors at UIC Pavilion open at 5 p.m. CT with the first fight set for 5:30 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Group Yvon Michel (GYM), are priced at $151, $101, $51, and $31, not including applicable service charges, and are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or UIC Pavilion Box Office at (312) 413-5740. Tickets are also available at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the UIC Pavilion Box Office (Thursday or Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

CONTACTS:
Swanson Communications: (202) 783-5500
Andre Courtemanche, Warriors Boxing: (954) 302-2462
Mario Serrano, Team Lara: 408-607-5756
David Schwarz, Spike TV: (212) 767-8639
UIC Pavilion: (312) 413-5700
Media Credentials: www.magnamedia.com

# # #

About Warriors Boxing

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

On Saturday night, a highly contentious judging decision cost Mateusz Masternak (35-3, 25 KOs) his thirty-sixth professional victory against Johnny Muller (19-4-2, 13 KOs) at the Emperors Palace in Gauteng, South Africa. The result has led to an international outcry and both Masternak’s promoter Team Sauerland and Muller’s promoter Golden Gloves contacting Boxing South Africa to demand the decision is overturned.

Masternak dominated an entertaining ten round contest, flooring the South African in rounds five and seven, and looking well ahead as the final bell rang, Unfortunately, this was not reflected in the result, with the judges scoring the fight 95-93, 95-93 and 93-95 to gift Muller a split decision victory.

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’What we saw on Saturday night was one of the worst decisions ever made in a non-title bout in the sport of boxing. As such, both Team Sauerland and Golden Gloves have contacted Boxing South Africa’s president Archie Nyingwa to demand that the decision is reversed.

‘’How two of the judges could honestly believe that the fight should be scored 95-93 in Muller’s favour is beyond me. Not even the most impartial observer could fathom such scoring. We have had the fight analysed and the results are unbelievable. For every one scoring punch landed by Muller, Mateusz connected with four. Not to mention, the two knockdowns in rounds five and seven.

‘’We do not wish to take anything away from Johnny Muller, who more than played his part in an entertaining ten rounds of boxing, although I’m sure even he would admit, as has his promoter Rodney Berman, that the decision was extremely fortuitous.

‘’Boxing as a whole needs to eradicate these types of ‘home town decisions’. After his win over Jean Marc Mormeck in Paris, Mateusz was well on his way to another word title shot. We simply cannot allow two incompetent judges to rob one man of his destiny. We’re thankful that Rodney has stood with us and lodged his own complaint. We trust that Boxing South Africa will make the right choice and immediately reverse the decision.

Masternak has joined his promoter pleas, imploring Boxing South Africa to review the fight. ‘’I would like to ask Boxing South Africa to watch the fight once again,’’ said the 28 year-old. ‘’They should think about the result and the effect it is having on my career, my livelihood and the future of my family.

‘’In the ring I felt that I was the much better boxer and was in complete control of the fight. The result was a huge shock for me. I feel like they have taken away everything that I’ve worked so hard to achieve. Without fair and impartial judging, all the blood, sweat and tears are for nothing.

‘’The decision is not only damaging for me but also for the reputation of boxing in South Africa. These judges are professionals and should adjudicate the bouts objectively. I won this fight and the federation should use this opportunity to reverse the unfair decision and remove this black mark from my record. All I’m asking for is justice.’’