IBA CONTINENTAL AMERICA’S TITLE
10 ROUNDS MAIN EVENT
Joe Smith Jr. vs. Cory Cummings
174.2 175
Mastic, NY Baltimore, MD
17-1 14KO 18-8-1 13KO

4 ROUNDS
Ian Green vs. Marlon Farr
165 165.8
Newark, NJ Zephyrhills, FL
2-0 2KO 4-8

4 ROUNDS
Dave Meloni vs. Michael Gargouri
131 132.6
Westbury, NY Quebec, Canada
2-1 1KO 0-4-1

4 ROUNDS
Johnny Hernandez vs. Derrick Bivins
126.6 126.4
Huntington, NY Philadelphia, PA
3-0 1KO 1-2-2

6 ROUNDS
Constantin Bejenaru vs. Dave Valykeo
199 197
Brooklyn, NY Neptune, NJ
8-0 2KO 4-4

8 ROUNDS
Anthony Karperis vs. Bayan Jargal
135.2 135.4
Hicksville, NY Arlington, VA
9-1 3KO 17-6-3 11Ko

For ticket information you can call Star Boxing, (718) 823-2000 or The Paramount box office, (631) 673-7300, or Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000. Some tickets are still available so call now.

ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT:
Opened September 30, 2011 this 1,555-capacity live entertainment venue, located in downtown Huntington, Long Island, New York, features; concerts, comedy, boxing, community and other special events in a club/theater setting. With over 30,000 Facebook fans, The Paramount was recently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as the #24 highest attended club-venue worldwide (January-June 2013). A Ticketmaster venue, booked by Live Nation, TheParamount hosts nearly 200 events per year and in less than two years since its inception, has quickly established itself as the premier music venue onLong Island, NY. Some artists who have recently taken the Paramount stage include; Billy Joel, Pitbull, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, ZZ Top, Counting Crows, Primus, Matchbox 20, The Blues Brothers, Limp Bizkit, & many, many, more.

ABOUT MODELL’S SPORTING GOODS

Founded in 1889, Modell’s Sporting Goods is the local family sporting goods destination that provides a convenient and compelling shopping experience for the athlete and fan in all of us. Modell’s offers customers an assortment of top brands in sporting goods equipment, footwear and active apparel for every level of play year round. The retailer operates 153 stores located in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. In addition towww.Modells.com, which services customers all over the country.

ABOUT THE FOX HOLLOW:
Nestled upon 8 private acres of Long Island’s north shore is the Fox Hollow, which features a state of the art event venue, fine dining restaurant and an all-suite luxury boutique hotel. Owned & operated by the Scotto Brothers, their Above & Beyond philosophy in providing each & every guest with superior services and amenities is paramount. Visit the Fox Hollow online at www.TheFoxHollow.com & www.TheInnAtFoxHollow.com

ABOUT CAMELOT LIMOUSINE:
Official Sponsor of the Paramount Boxing Series, Camelot Limos is a family owned and operated business located in Nassau County, with over 25 years of professional experience; serving satisfied clientele since 1984. The owners of Camelot Specialty Limos are very active in the business and play a major role in the company’s day-to-day operations. Camelot Specialty Limos, Inc. is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau. www.camelotlimo.com

ABOUT WBAB 102.3:
WBAB 102.3 is the home of Long Island’s Classic Rock anchored by their Long Island Rock ‘N’ Roll Morning Show with Roger and JP. For more information or to listen online, visit their website at
www.wbab.com and follow them on Facebook.com/1023wbab
and on Twitter @1023wbab.

NDIO, CA (April 17) – Golden Boy Promotions announced today an updated card for an exciting night of fights on the Golden Boy Live! series featuring some of boxing’s fiercest rising stars set for Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. on April 30 and airing live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes. Puerto Rican rising star Jeffrey Fontanez (14-1, 11 KOs) will take on former WBC Youth World Super Featherweight Champion Jose “El Loco” Hernandez (15-9-1, 7 KOs) of Fort Worth, Texas in an eight-round lightweight brawl. Also on the card, fan-favorite and Irish power puncher Jason Quigley (5-0, 5 KOs) is set to take on a yet-to-be-announced opponent in a six-round televised middleweight bout.

As a special treat to fans, former Three-Time World Champion Fernando “Ferocious” Vargas will also be in attendance to host a meet and greet at the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center prior to the bouts on April 30 at 6:00 p.m.

In the previously announced main event, former lightweight world title challenger Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (28-1-1, 16 KOs) of San Diego will face Los Angeles area standout Carlos Molina (17-2-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout.

Also, fighting for airtime, undefeated featherweight Emilio Sanchez (5-0, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles will look to continue his winning streak against an opponent yet-to-be-named in a six-round super bantamweight television swing bout. Coming off of a recent hard-hitting victory at LA Fight Club earlier this month, Brazilian Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao (5-0, 2 KOs) will face a tough competitor in Houston’s Gerardo Ibarra (14-2, 8 KOs) in an eight-round non-televised middleweight match-up.

Palm Desert native and local favorite Neeco “The Rooster” Macias (8-0, 4 KOs) will work to keep his undefeated status in front of a hometown crowd in a six-round super welterweight bout, while Los Angeles’ Rafael Gramajo (2-1-1, 1 KO) will be making his second appearance at Fantasy Springs and looking to follow up on his recent March 20 victory, in a four-round super bantamweight brawl and super lightweight Ruslan Madiyev (3-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles will be featured in a four round fight. Opponents will be announced shortly.

Making his professional debut in 2013, Los Angeles undefeated featherweight Emilio Sanchez can do it all in the ring. Sanchez won his first three bouts via first-round knockouts and has continued to impress with 2014 victories over Jonathan Ramos and Juan Alvarado. The young but experienced fighter most recently triumphed over Luis Cosme at the March 6 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB at The Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

A rising star from the boxing-rich island of Puerto Rico, Caguas’ Jeffrey Fontanez continues to grow into a top-flight boxer in front of the world. The 22-year-old boasts wins over Adrian Verdugo and Orlando Vazquez in 2014 and will make his 2015 debut at Fantasy Springs this month.

Hailing from Balleybofey in County Donegal, Ireland, the 23-year-old Jason Quigley had an outstanding amateur career becoming the first Irish fighter to win a Silver medal at the AIBA World Amateur Boxing Championships in 2013. He started his professional career in 2014 and quickly garnered attention by ending each fight via knockout against Howard Reece, Fernando Najera, and Greg McCoy. Quigley continued his wins-by-knockout streak by taking down Lanny Dardar less than two minutes into the first round at the March 6 debut of LA FIGHT CLUB and knocking out Tolutomi Agunbiade on March 20 at Fantasy Springs Casino Resort.

A 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist and one of the most promising boxers to come from the country of Brazil, Yamaguchi Falcao is now on his quest for professional gold in the middleweight division. Since his professional debut in January 2014, Falcao has put together three consecutive victories over Fernando Najera, Martin Fidel Rios and Jesus Cruz. In his first fight of 2015, Falcao stopped undefeated newcomer “Sugar” Raymond Terry of Philadelphia in the first round of their scheduled six-round middleweight fight on March 12 and quickly followed up with another impressive victory over Deartie Tucker at LA FIGHT CLUB on April 2.

Palm Desert’s Neeco Macias is an action fighter who loves to scrap when the bell rings. Following up on a successful 2014, the 23-year-old won his eighth consecutive bout on February 27, 2015 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino leaving him undefeated as he heads back into the ring on April 30.

Hailing from the Westside Boxing Club, Rafael Gramajo will have the fifth professional fight of his career on April 30. Gramajo, a Garden City, Kansas native who now makes his home in Los Angeles, will return to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino after making his debut at the venue last month.

Undefeated 22-year-old Ruslan Madiyev, originally from Karaganda, Kazakhastan, made his professional debut successfully beating Oscar Rojas in October 2014 at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA and touts a victory over Cesar Martinez in his first fight from 2015 at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, CA. His upcoming appearance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino will mark his third professional fight in the U.S.

Gesta vs. Molina is a 10-round super lightweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the ?rst bell rings at 5:15 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.

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

Durban, South Africa: Main Events, in conjunction with Ludonga Promotions, will be hosting the WBC World Title Eliminator in Thabiso “The Rock “Mchunu’s native Durban, South Africa, at the ICC Centre, against a very worthy opponent in who many say is Africa’s finest cruiserweight “Junior” Makabu on May 16.

The two have been on a collision course ever since Mchunu won the Super 8 in devastating fashion destroying anyone in his way. That performance earned him a shot at the No. 1 ranked American Eddie Chambers whom he beat convincingly in his American TV debut. He has gone on to be the first African cruiserweight to win the NABF Title and has his eyes firmly set on the WBC World Title later in the year in Russia. This fight has been the talk of many a debate with both camps believing both Mchunu and Makabu could walk through current WBC Champion Grigory Drozd.

Makabu hails from the Congo with a tough upbringing and an even tougher left hook but is sure to have his hands full with Mchunu who many describe as “Floyd Mayweather in a 200 pound frame.”

On the undercard, commonwealth medalist and amateur star welterweight Thulani Benge makes his debut under Sean Smith with many suggesting he could be the next SA superstar! At 6 foot tall and the body of a middleweight, Marvin Hagler comes to mind. Mchunu’s younger brother will also be on the bill titled “There can only be ONE” as well as former South African champion Fikile Nyalunga- so in essence, a night of the big hitters in one of Africa’s most beautiful cities- However, there can only be one…

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (April 17, 2015) – Fighter of the Decade, eight-division world champion and boxing superhero CONGRESSMAN MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO will make yet another guest shot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! This Wednesday! April 22, on ABC, beginning at 11:35 P.M. ET / 10:35 P.M. CT. This will mark the ninth time Pacquiao has appeared on Kimmel’s popular late-night talk show — more than any other active fighter — in their series of entertaining appearances together dating back to November 3, 2009 (the week before Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto). It was on that night that Pacquiao unveiled his singing chops, belting out a rendition of the Dan Hill-penned hit ballad “Sometimes When We Touch.” Manny and Hill collaborated on a remake which also became a hit. Subsequent appearances featured Pacquiao singing duets with Kimmel and Will Ferrell, and an uproarious send-up of HBO Sports’ “24/7” reality franchise, starring Pacquiao and Kimmel sidekick Guillermo. (This link will take you to Manny’s surprise appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! following the March 11 Los Angeles press conference that announced the “Fight of the Century” between Manny and Floyd Mayweather Jr. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ft5j-zZzw&feature=youtu.be.)

That 2009 appearance also marked Manny’s U.S. network TV debut, which has since led to a multitude of network television, radio and magazine features for the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion, including, CBS’ 60 Minutes, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, ABC’s Nightline, FOX News Channel’s On The Record With Greta Van Susteren, CNN’s America Morning, NPR’s Morning Edition and Weekend Edition, Rollingstone, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Playboy, Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine and cover stories in TIME and Newsweek.

Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative of the Sarangani province in the Philippines, is in deep training for the eagerly-anticipated May 2 welterweight world championship unification battle against undefeated FLOYD “Money” MAYWEATHER JR. (47-0, 26 KOs), at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., the Mayweather-Pacquiao live pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

# # #

For more information visit: www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.SHO.com/Sports, and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao, @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @HBOboxing, @SHOSports, and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

Valley Forge, PA (April 17, 2015)–Tomorrow night, April 18, at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, King’s Promotions will present an outstanding night of boxing that will be headlined by an intriguing 8-round super middleweight bout between Phillip Jackson Benson and Darnell Boone.

But one of the featured attractions will see the continued growth of 18 year-old jr. lightweight Milton Santiago jr (9-0, 3 KO’s)

Santiago of Warminster, PA will take on Ray Velez (3-6-1, 1 KO) in a bout scheduled for six-rounds.

“My training went well. I trained hard and I sparred with undefeated 130-pounder Jason Sosa, welterweight contender Ray Robinson and undefeated lightweight Angel Ocasio,” said Santiago.

As most 18 year-olds, Santiago is a student. The senior at William Tennant High School is also a student of his craft and did some research on his opponent.

“I know he is from New York. He is a rough fighter and he looks to be my toughest opponent to date. I know I have to be smart and fight my heart out.”

As most kids his age, Santiago knows that the most important aspect of his career that while he stays undefeated he has to continue his growth as a fighter.

“I have improved on sitting on my shots. The thing I been working on most is defense and changing it to offense. Slipping shots and setting up for counters.”

With each, Santiago, who is managed by Moz Gonzalez and Eddie Woods, gets closer to a goal of being a world champion.

“I think in the next 12 months, I want to be fighting for some regional titles and hopefully they will lead to the biggest opportunities. I am looking for another seven fights in 2015.”

“I have always had a high confidence level. I still get nerves here and there but that is common in all fighters. But I always have a lot of confidence. I just want to thank everyone who has supported me and I know I will have continued success.”

In the eight-round co-feature, undefeated welterweight
Jamal James (15-0, 8 KO’s) of Minneapolis, Minnesota will see action against Daniel Sostre (13-10-1, 5 KO’s) of Highland, New York

In eight-round bouts:

Immanuwel Aleem (11-0, 7 KO;s) of Richmond, VA. will take on Emmnauel Sanchez (6-2, 1 KO) of Laredo, Texas in a middleweight bout.

David Grayton (10-0, 8 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. will fight Grayson Blake (6-3, 2 Ko’s) of State College, PA. in a welterweight bout.

Jarrett Hurd (14-0, 8 KO’s) of Accokeek, MD. will battle tough veteran Eric Mitchell (23-11-2, 11 KO’s) of Philadelphia in a middleweight bout.

In six-round bouts:

Milton Santiago (9-0, 3 Ko’s) of Philadelphia will take on Ray Velez (3-6-1, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY. in a jr. welterweight bout.

Ivan Golub (6-0, 4 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will box Thomas Allen (4-7, 4 KO’s) of St. Joseph, MO. in a middleweight bout.

Dauren Yeleussinov (1-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY. will fight Julio Garcia (6-8, 3 KO;s) of Rinocn, PR. in a super middleweight bout.

Dennis Galarza (7-1, 4 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY battles Jesus Lule (7-11, 1 KO) of Fort Myers, FL. in a lightweight fight.

In four-round bouts:

Kevin Garcia (0-1) of Philadelphia will take on Eric Hall (0-3) of Philadelphia in a lightweight bout.

Tickets for this great night of boxing are $100 for VIP (Includes 2 drinks and food), $75 for ringside and $50 for General Admission and be purchased by clicking www.vfboxing.eventbrite.com or calling King’s Promotions at 610-587-5950

Noel Gevor (16-0, 9 KOs) will face a new challenge when he enters the ring on April 25. Stjepan Vugdelija has withdrawn from a scheduled bout with German cruiserweight, to be replaced by Mohamed Azzaoui (26-3, 8 KOs).

Gevor is currently in Warsaw training alongside Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, as the Pole prepares for his world championship rematch with Grigory Drozd. On hearing the news of his change of opponent the 24 year-old said: ‘’Azzaoui is a tough opponent who has shared the ring with many talented fighters, including IBF World Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez. So now, I’m even more motivated for this fight. I look forward to showing the fans in Berlin what I can do on April 25’’

Gevor joins an action-packed show at the Columbia Hall in Berlin. Tyron Zeuge (16-0, 10 KOs) tops the bill with an IBF International Super Middleweight Championship defence against former world title challenger Nikola Sjekloca (28-3, 8 KOs), while German stars Enrico Koelling (16-1, 6 KOs), Karo Murat (26-2-1, 16 KOs) and Burak Sahin (6-0, 6 KOs) return alongside Polish cruiserweight Mateusz Masternak (34-2, 24 KOs). Tickets are available via tickethall.de.

The whole boxing world was shocked by the sudden death of Fritz Sdunek late last year. One of the people affected most by the passing of the legendary trainer was regular WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev who was working out with Sdunek only days before the coach passed away. “Fritz was one of the best human beings I ever met and also probably the best boxing trainer in the world”, states Chagaev. “He can never be fully replaced but I am happy that we found another coach who is working and thinking as professional and analytic as Fritz.”

Former Cuban national coach Pedro Diaz is currently preparing Chagaev for the first defense of the WBA title he had won last July in Grozny, Russia. Diaz is known as “boxing professor” who has made himself a big name in the pro ranks after leaving Cuba in 2000. Amongst others Diaz has worked with Odlanier Solis, Miguel Cotto and Guillermo Rigondeaux. “We are very happy that we could secure the services of a great coach like Pedro Diaz. This was only possible with the help and support of President Ramzan Kadyrov and we are very grateful for that”, says promoter Timur Dugazaev. “We are sure that Pedro Diaz will continue the excellent work that was started by Fritz Sdunek.”

The place and date of Chagaev’s first defense of his second title run as WBA champion hasn’t been announced yet. But there are talks about a voluntary defense in Germany end of June before taking on mandatory challenger Lucas Browne.

Last week, the team of Chagaev’s last opponent Fres Oquendo released a statement that Oquendo had been granted a rematch by a New York Court Order. Says Dugazaev, “I don’t know how Oquendo can sue me in New York and how a US court can even rule on that. As everybody knows the fight between Chagaev and Oquendo took place in Grozny. According to the bout agreement the jurisdiction regarding this fight is in Moscow. In addition to that Oquendo received the full agreed purse of 225,000.- US$ although he tested positive for banned substances after the fight. Actually, I sue him in Moscow for returning the purse as stated in the contract. There will be no rematch between Chagaev and Oquendo – unless Oquendo earns his spot as mandatory challenger fair and square in the ring. He had his chance and he lost even though he used unfair tactics. Now he still tries to blackmail me. People like this have no place in boxing and should be banned.”

LONDON (April 17) – BoxNation will air a stunning triple-fight card live and exclusive this Saturday night with knockout artists Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov facing off, Derry Matthews taking on Tony Luis for the interim WBA world lightweight title and Terence Crawford up against Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBO light-welterweight crown.

The action will get underway from 7pm BST as Liverpool’s Matthews fights in front of his home crowd at the Echo Arena, taking on 27-year-old speedster Luis, with the promise of knocking out his Canadian foe.

“I can’t’ wait to go,” said Matthews. “I’m fighting for my fans on Saturday night who have stuck with me. It’s not been an easy few weeks with the changes in opponents but I’m delighted to still be fighting for a world title and in front of my home crowd.

“That can only spur me on and help me. I’m going for the knockout on Saturday and anyone who follows boxing knows that I’m always in the fight and make sure people get their money’s worth. Against Luis that will be no different – it’s going to be explosive,” he said.

Talented Liam Smith will also be on the Queensberry Promotions bill as he looks to keep his undefeated record by capturing the vacant WBO Intercontinental light-middleweight title against Buenos Aires born boxer David Ezequiel Romero.

Another Merseyside marvel in Joe Selkirk will also be on the show in a matchup against Spaniard Yuri Pompilio, as he looks to catch the eye and record the 13th win of his career.

‘The Channel of Champions’ will then head Stateside as it brings two blockbuster fight cards starting with the mouth-watering war between two of boxing’s most exciting fighters in Argentine Matthysse and Siberian sledgehammer Provodnikov.

Both men are noted for their hard-hitting with Matthysse having knocked out 34 opponents in his 40 fights, with the no-nonsense Provodnikov scoring 17 stoppages in his 24 wins.

“Ruslan is a great fighter, he comes prepared for a war. My strategy against him will be to make sure to box and keep moving, that is why sparring has been really important in my training,” said Matthysse.

“Fans can expect one of the greatest fights in the division. I know I am ready to win this fight and fans should expect a victory,” he said.

31-year-old Provodnikov, a former light-welterweight champion, is going to let his fists do the talking for him.

“I am glad Lucas and his team are so sure of themselves because I am positive that once I am in the ring my actions will speak for themselves. I am here to win and I will do everything to win this fight,” said Provodnikov.

“No one can stop my will, my will, will not be broken. I fight for an idea, for myself, for the people and to make history. I am fighting one of the best fighters, and I feel like this will make history. I don’t do it for the fame or the money.

“This is going to make a great fight, the fans have waited long, and let the best man win,” he said.

Following the live action from Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York, BoxNation will head south to Arlington, Texas where the 2014 ‘Fighter of the Year’ Crawford will look to continue his momentum against big-hitting Puerto Rican Dulorme.

Crawford is regarded by many experts as the upcoming pound-for-pound king of boxing but knows he will need to be at his best as he moves up to light-welterweight in the hope of becoming a two-weight world champion.

“I feel like I need to use my career momentum to my advantage and I feel like I’ve got the momentum right now. I don’t want to take any steps backwards – I want to keep moving up,” said Crawford.

“I think Dulorme is a good boxer. He’s got a sharp, nice jab, he’s got a nice right hand. He likes to throw the little right hook. He moves well. He switches like me. I don’t have anything bad to say about him.

“Come Saturday I feel like I’m going to make my adjustments in the ring and do what I’ve got to do to get the job done,” he said.

Crawford is adamant the move up in-weight against the naturally bigger Dulorme won’t be an issue either.

“I see myself doing great things in this weight class. I feel like I am going to be stronger. I feel like I am going to be faster. I am getting the experience that I need to be smarter and wiser,” he said.

“I don’t go in the ring looking for any particular fighter, like ‘I want to fight him or I want to fight him.’ I just want to fight the best. My manager, my promoter, if they feel it is the best fight for me, then they will come to me and say this is the fight we want and I will believe in them like they believe in me and we will go forward with the fight,” said Crawford.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford’s star has risen quickly following a highly-successful 2014 campaign, capturing the WBO lightweight title from Ricky Burns before successfully defending it against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Raymundo Beltran.

Those victories saw him win the Boxing Writers Association of America ‘Fighter of the Year’ award for 2014, with Crawford insisting he has always wanted to push himself and fight the very best around.

“I feel like I had a great year. Going over there to Scotland, where nobody wanted to go, then coming back and fighting Gamboa – tough, tough fight, tough fighter – undefeated and a lot of experience and a lot of backing. Then taking on Ray Beltran – I felt great about my performance and my year,” said Crawford.

“I’ve been telling my manager, Cameron Dunkin, for years I wanted to be pushed. ‘Cameron throw me in there. Throw me in there.’ I just bought my time, waited for the moment, and look at me now,” he said.

BoxNation is stacked with live fight action during April and May, with Ukrainian legend Wladimir Klitschko defending his heavyweight titles against Bryant Jennings next weekend, with Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr back out in action on May 9th, the same night Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez faces fearsome puncher James Kirkland.

That’s followed by the thrilling Gennady Golovkin, who has captured the imagination of the boxing public, as he faces Willie Monroe Jr live from California on May 16th.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

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

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

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

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the much anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will have the fans be charged $10 to get into the weigh-in. The money will go to charity.

“All of the money that is generated from the weigh-in, every dollar, is going to charity,” Brad Jacobs, the executive event producer for Top Rank, Pacquiao’s promoter, told ESPN.com on Thursday.

“What we wanted to do was avoid the craziness you’ve seen at the Mayweather and Pacquiao weigh-ins where you have people sleeping out in front of the arena the night before and basically camping out,” Jacobs said. “We want to avoid that. We want some orderly fashion to it so people needed to have a ticket like they need to a concert or a fight, so there’s no reason for a big crowd to get there the night before.

“They will all be reserved seats. You have your ticket. There’s no craziness waiting in line trying to get into the arena.”

Jacobs said the full MGM Grand Garden Arena will be open for the weigh-in, as has been the case for the past few Mayweather weigh-ins, as opposed to only a portion of the arena typically being open for other fights. Jacobs said Top Rank and Pacquiao will donate their share of the proceeds to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which has a branch in Las Vegas and has done extensive studies on the brain health of boxers.

Jacobs said Mayweather has designated his share of the ticket sales to go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, a breast cancer charity the fighter has supported through the years.

“We’re still working everything out, but they will be sold through the regular MGM ticket outlets and we’ll be distributing the information on how and when people can get tickets,” Jacobs said.

“I suggested it a few weeks ago. I said we should sell tickets to the weigh-in as long as the money goes to charity,” Arum said. “It’s a good idea because nobody is going to profit and the charge will be reasonable. If [it] goes to charity, that’s a good thing, right?

“Charging money for the weigh-in and putting the money in the pockets of the hotel or the fighters or the promoters would be wrong. I also think the promotion should make a sizable donation to charity on top of this.”

“The weigh-in became one of the topics, and this became the process we thought was best,” Jacobs said. “I think we all agreed on it in about 30 seconds.”

San Antonio, Texas (April 17, 2015)– Tonight at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez will be back in action when he takes on Phillip Adyaka in a bout scheduled for six-rounds on a card the will be televised by CBS Sports Network

The 24 year-old Lopez is promoted by GH3 Promotions and is coming off an impressive national television debut when he scored a 2nd round stoppage over previously undefeated Pablo Cruz that was televised on Sho Box: The New Generation on March 13 in Westbury, NY.

“Training has been really good, I am confident because of my last fight. For this I have had great strength and conditioning as well as sparring.”

Adyaka (4-4, 2 KO’s) was a good amateur in his native Uganda and now resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“I watched a little tape of him. I know he was on the national team and then he defected. He has won his last three bouts but he has only fought once in the last year.”

Because of the exposure of his last bout, Lopez has picked up a ton of fans who have contacted him via social media.

“A lot of people loved my knockout. I gained a lot of fans and I think the liked me because the liked the power I displayed in the fight.”

Lopez believes that he has the right team behind him since signing with Vito Mielnicki’s GH3 Promotions.

“Vito is guiding me and he has a gameplan for me.”

“It is going to be a great fight. I will do my thing and make him have a terrible night.”

Said GH3 Promotions Vito Milenicki, “Adam showed that he not has the talent be he has charisma that will take him a long way in boxing. We have a ton of confidence that he can be come a star in the years to come.”

Lopez, who is scheduled to be back in the action on May 22 in Corona, CA weighed in at 124 pounds at Thursday’s weigh in.

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, undefeated lightweight Oscar Bonilla and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

As anticipation builds for the most anticipated fight of this era – the blockbuster May 2 welterweight unification title showdown between superstars Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao – HBO Boxing commentators Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman will host an exclusive HBO special that lends historical perspective and offers a spirited roundtable discussion featuring an elite group of prizefighters who have gone toe-to-toe with both Mayweather and Pacquiao.
MAYWEATHER/PACQUIAO: THE LEGENDS SPEAK debuts SATURDAY, APRIL 25 (12:15 a.m. ET/PT), immediately following “HBO World Championship Boxing®: Wladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings” from Madison Square Garden in New York.

Other HBO playdates: April 26 (12:15 p.m.), 27 (10:45 p.m.), 28 (1:45 a.m.) and 29 (noon, 5:30 p.m.).
HBO2 playdates: April 26 (2:30 p.m.), 27 (2:15 a.m.), 28 (3:45 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) and 30 (11:35 a.m.).

The half-hour special will open with Lampley and Kellerman setting the stage for the mega-fight, which is expected to set all relevant box-office records. Then Lampley sits down with Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley, who faced both Mayweather and Pacquiao, to talk about how they trained and fought them and what they think each fighter will need to do to win the upcoming showdown. HBO also captured interviews with middleweight title-holder Miguel Cotto and former British boxing sensation Ricky Hatton, both of whom fought Pacquiao and Mayweather in the Las Vegas spotlight.

The closing segment will be hosted by Kellerman, who will anchor a roundtable discussion with three
Hall of Fame fighters who know what it is like to train and excel for a super fight that captures the world’s attention. Panelists include former heavyweight champs George Foreman and Lennox Lewis and former middleweight and light heavyweight champ Bernard Hopkins. Both Foreman and Lewis are enshrined in the Hall of Fame and Hopkins is a sure-fire selection. All three flourished in the intense spotlight of a mega-fight.
The 147-pound unification championship showdown takes place at a capacity filled MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 2. The live pay-per-view telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT and will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and Showtime PPV®.
For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter at @HBOBoxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and visit us on Instagram @HBOboxing, Follow the conversation using #MayPac.

Ivana Habazin has tipped Klara Svenson (15-0, 5 KOs) to defeat Erica Anabella Farias (21-1, 10 KOs) and claim the WBC Female World Light Welterweight title on May 2 at the Frederiksberg-Hallerne in Copenhagen.

The former IBF World Champion has travelled to the Danish capital to help Svensson prepare for her world championship challenge and since joining her in training camp, the Croatian welterweight has been impressed with what she has seen from the Swedish star.

‘’Klara is without a doubt one of the best boxers I’ve ever trained with,’’ said Habazin. ‘’She is, in my opinion, on the same level as Cecilia Brækhus.’’

The 25 year-old is talking from experience having faced the pound-for-pound number one Brækhus in a historic unification fight last year. Now, having seen Svensson in action, Habazin is backing the Malmo-boxer to dethrone the current light welterweight queen, Farias.

‘’Farias is a very good boxer, but I feel sure Klara will win the fight. Believe me, Klara is an exceptionally strong fighter. She hits hard and has a brave heart. If she’s caught with a shot she bounces back right away.

‘’I think this fight will bring Klara to the very top of female boxing scene and I’m sure she will have a great future ahead of her,” said Habazin, who harbours hope of reclaiming her own world title. “I love to box, and I still feel that people haven’t seen the best of me yet, so let’s see what happens.”

Team Sauerland in association with Betsafe presents the ‘Nordic Fight Night – Going For Gold’ on May 2 at the Frederiksberg-Hallerne in Copenhagen. The event will be broadcast live in Sweden on TV10 and Viaplay.se. Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk. Visit betsafe.com for the latest betting odds.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.: 171 ½ Pounds

ANDRZEJ FONFARA: 171 ½ Pounds

AMIR IMAM: 140 Pounds

WALTER CASTILLO: 138 Pounds

SHOWTIME BOXING ON SHO EXTREME:

OSCAR ESCANDON: 121 ¾ Pounds

MOISES FLORES: 121 ¼ Pounds

OMAR CHAVEZ: 159 Pounds

RICHARD GUTIERREZ: 158 ½ Pounds

(SHOWTIME EXTREME Swing Bout)

FABIAN MAIDANA: 146 ¼ Pounds

CORY VOM BAUR: 145 ½ pounds

# # #

“Chavez Jr. vs. Fonfara”, a 12-round light heavyweight bout co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Chavez Promotions that takes place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). In the co-main event, Amir Imam faces Walter Castillo in a 10-round jr. welterweight showdown. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets for the event are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, are available for purchase online at AXS.com.

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jcchavezjr1, @andrzej_fonfara, @StubHubCenter and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #ChavezFonfara, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 17, 2015) – Bellator MMA is pleased to announce the signing of featherweight, Justin “The American Kid” Lawrence (7-2), to an exclusive, multi-fight deal.

Born and raised in Missouri, Justin has been engrossed in combat sports from a young age, training in kickboxing as early as six-years-old. Lawrence ultimately parlayed this into over 150 wins on the amateur kickboxing circuit and also earned the distinction of being a two-time St. Louis’ Golden Gloves boxing tournament champion.

Lawrence made his professional MMA debut in 2010 for Strikeforce and also went on to win under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner, a spectacular 19-second head kick knockout of John Cofer.

Most recently, the 24-year-old has impressed in Resurrection Fighting Alliance, winning three consecutive bouts, including an April 10th first-round technical knockout victory over Sam Toomer that earned him the promotion’s 145-pound title.

A member of Alliance MMA in San Diego, Calif., where he trains alongside Bellator stars like Phil Davis and Michael Chandler, “The American Kid” joins the promotion’s featherweight division, which is currently upheld by champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.

“Its been a big week for Bellator, with Gleristone Santos, Phil Davis and now Justin Lawrence joining the ranks,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “We remain committed to not just signing proven stars, but also recruiting top prospects from regional promotions, evidenced by our recent signing of RFA featherweight champion and top young up and coming fighter Justin Lawrence. I said it before and I will continue to say it, we will build them from ground up and hit it from the top down.

Bellator’s featherweight division is packed with stars like Champion Patricio “Pitbull,” Georgi Karakhanyan, Daniel Straus, Pat Curran, Goiti Yamauchi and Julio Cesar Neves.

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.

Saturday’s HBO Boxing After Dark split-site doubleheader telecast begins at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

The HBO telecast kicks off live from Arlington, Texas, when 2014’s Fighter of the Year, Terence Crawford, makes his junior welterweight debut against Thomas Dulorme in a scheduled 12-round title bout.

Official Weights from Arlington:

Terence Crawford: 139.8 lbs.
Thomas Dulorme: 139.2 lbs.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #CrawfordDulorme

Then in a sure-fire Fight of the Year candidate, Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov, two of boxing’s hardest punchers, battle in a 12-round junior welterweight showdown from Verona, NY.

Official Weights from Verona:

Lucas Matthysse: 139.0 lbs.
Ruslan Provodnikov: 139.5 lbs.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #MatthysseProvodnikov

VERONA, NEW YORK (April 16) – Members of the media and fans got a preview of what to expect in the ring on Saturday with former World Champions Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse and “The Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov during today’s final press conference for Matthysse vs. Provodnikov at the Oneida Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

In what is sure to be an all-action fight to remember and a treat all fight fans are excited for, Argentina’s Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) will fight Ruslan Provodnikov “The Siberian Rocky” (24-3, 17 KOs), in what will be the ultimate test for both fighters. Due to unprecedented demand, tickets are now sold-out but fans can catch all the action live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Below is what the fighters, promoters and trainers had to say today at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV, Former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion:
“I want thank everyone for being here and supporting this event, and I want to thank all who made this fight happen, Golden Boy Promotions, Banner Promotions and HBO.

“I am glad Lucas and team are so sure of themselves because I am positive that once I am in the ring my actions will speak for themselves. I am here to win and I will do everything to win this fight.

“I am positive that once I am in the ring, I am only there to win.

“I know I am only there to win the fight. I will win the fight at any cost.

“No one can stop my will, my will, will not be broken.

“I fight for an idea, for myself, for the people and to make history. I am fighting one of the best fighters, and I feel like this will make history. I don’t do it for the fame or the money.

“I met Bernard a long time ago and he told me: ‘make your own history,’ and I feel like I have been doing that.

“This is going to make a great fight, the fans have waited long for, and let the best man win.”

LUCAS MATTHYSSE, Former Interim WBC Super Lightweight World Champion:

“I want to thank Oscar and Mario for making this fight happen. I want to thank Ruslan for accepting the fight. I am very happy.

“We did a great job in training camp, and I am prepared and ready for Ruslan. I am going to give a great performance on Saturday.”

ARTIE PELULO, President of Banner Promotions:

“This is going to be the best fight of the year.

“I have had the good fortune to co-promote Corrales-Castillo I and this could be that.

“It is great that two fighters in the prime of their career to be in the ring.

“I have to thank my partners at Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya and Eric Gomez. It’s very rare and great that two fighters in their prime have decided to face each other in the ring.

“I want to thank Turning Stone Resort Casino, they are a first class operation.
“Both these fighters have gotten here fighting tough, top fighters. They want to fight the best just like Oscar and Bernard who are here today. Ruslan and Lucas believe that they are the best, they are fighting each other in their prime, something that is very rare in the sport.”

“Both of these men have gotten here by fighting very good guys.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions:

“It’s a pleasure to be working side by side with Banner Promotions and HBO, making this great fight, the fight that the fans want to watch.

“When I was here at Turning Stone Resort Casino last year for the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction, I stood up and preached on how we should put aside our egos to make fights for the fans. This is the perfect example of what boxing can be when you have two great fighters face each other in the ring. Putting on the great fight is what Banner Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions is all about.

“HBO is one of the best partners in the business, they are committed to putting on the best fights on television. When you watch HBO, you know it’s the best.

“Mario is the top promoter in Argentina, a partner who understands our philosophy, and he trusts us. They have been instrumental to put on the best boxing in the last 10 years. We have to thank partners like him for our success.

“Lucas is one of the best fighters to come out of Argentina. He has a great fighting spirit. He has the best combination of being a brawler and can also box and move when he wants to. This great combination makes him a boxer-puncher, which makes him fun to watch.

“Lucas’ record speaks for himself, with one of the best percentages of knockouts in the sport.”

VADIM KORNILOV, Manager for Ruslan Provodnilkov:

“I want to thank the whole team for making this fight happen.

“Ruslan is ready for this fight, this is something he has been waiting for to show that be is the best in his weight class.

” Oscar De La Hoya for saying that the winner of Matthysse – Provodnikov should fight the winner of Mayweather -Pacaquio, Oscar that fighter will be Ruslan.”

ANDREI NAPOLSKIKH, Co-manager for Ruslan Provodnikov:

“This is one of the fights Ruslan has been waiting for,. That has caused a lot of motivation on our side and we are looking forward to a good fight on Saturday, April 18.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Partner:

“We are here to make the best fights. The kinds of fights the fans want to see.

“I want to address the media: you all get a chance to write about good fights, you follow them and you know who the fighters need to fight to be on the highest level. To be able to continue to put on the best fights, we need you to put pressure on us to continue to do strive to put on the fights the fans want to see.

“Here, you have two great warriors in Lucas and Ruslan. The fight was talked about and then it was done, and that is what boxing is all about. We want to start a good vibe in the boxing world.

“Write something good about us.”

MARIO ARANO, Manager to Lucas Matthysse:

“We are very happy and thankful to be here. I want to thank HBO, Golden Boy Promotions and Banner Promotions for making this fight happen. I want to personally thank Artie Pelullo and Ruslan for accepting the fight.

“Team Matthysse has done a great job in getting Lucas in the best shape for this fight. Lucas has worked really hard and is prepared to bring the best possible fight against Ruslan on Saturday.

“Lucas belongs in the major leagues, and on Saturday he will show the world why.”

MARVIN SOMODIO, Trainer of Ruslan Provodnikov:

“I would like to thank Oscar, Golden Boy Promotions and Banner Promotions for the opportunity. For me it is an honor to be part of this.I also want to thank Freddie Roach for having us be part of his team. This is a big responsibility.

“This is my third time at Turning Stone Resort Casino. The first two times we were 1st round knockouts and Saturday night, I am looking for out 3rd first-round knockout.

LUIS “CUTY” BARRERA, Trainer to Lucas Matthysse:

“On Saturday, Lucas will prove he belongs with all the greats in the sport.”

RAY HALBRITTER, Oneida Nation Representative and Nation Enterprises CEO:

“We are honored to be hosting these two great fighters, and we are happy they chose Turning Stone Resort Casino.

“This is Turning Stone’s 50th nationally broadcasted fight in two years.

“The build up for this fight is warranted, and we look forward to an exciting night on Saturday, April 18.”

Photos by Banner Promotions

Due to the unprecedented demand to see this surefire “Fight of the Year,” tickets are completely sold out.

Doors on Saturday, April 18 open at 7:00 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.
Matthysse vs. Provodnikov is a 12-round junior welterweight bout presented by Banner Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico, Live it To Believe It! and Khortytsa Vodka. Doors are currently scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 6:50 p.m. ET and the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast will being at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Apr. 16, 2015) – Another exciting match has been announced for the May 2nd M-1 Challenge 57: Battle in the Heart of the Continent, in Orenburg, Russia as veteran heavyweight Maro “Mean Machine” Perak drops down one weight class to fight Russian light heavyweight Rashid Yusupov.

The historic M-1 Challenge 57: Battle in the Heart of the Continent will be headlined by a special five-round, heavyweight Super Fight between unbeaten M-1 Challenge heavyweight titlist Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (12-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB; M-1: 6-0-0) and M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan “T-800” Puetz (12-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 4 SUB; M-1: 3-0-0).

Undefeated M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Maxim Divnich (11-0-0 (6 KO/TKO, 1 SUB; M-1: 5-0-0) makes his first title defense against the former BAMMA champion, Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui (11-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 7 SUB; M-1: 1-1-0).

M-1 Challenge 57 will be streamed live in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Perak (23-5-1, 12 KO/TKO, 8 SUB; M-1: 0-3-0), fighting out of Croatia, has fought his entire pro career as a heavyweight, however, the 6′ 1″ was at a physical disadvantage in his last two fights against M-1 Selection heavyweight titlist Denis Smoldarev (6′ 5″/267 lbs.) and Tybura (6′ 3″/248 lbs.).

Considered one of the best heavyweights in Europe, Perak gave Smoldarev and Tybura all they could handle, losing this past February to the former by way of an opening-round submission by arm-lock at M-1 Challenge 55, extending the latter to the final round before being stopped by punches a year ago at M-1 Challenge 47. Perak’s most notable career victories have been against Bob Sapp and Travis Wiuff.

Rashid Yusopov (L) is an International Master of Sports

Yusupov (4-0-1, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB; M-1: 1-1-0) was an outstanding amateur mixed-martial-arts fighter, capturing top honors in 2013 at the World, Europe and Russian champion. The highlight of his amateur career was becoming the first World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) light heavyweight champion in 2013.

The 22-year-old Russian also holds the title of International Master of Sports in MMA. At M-1 Challenge 45 (Feb. 29, 2014), Yusupov won a unanimous decision over Charles Andrade.

All fights and fighters are subject to change. Additional fights to soon be announced.

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 57 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

INFORMATION

www.mixfight.ru

www.wmmaa.org

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1Global
@VFinkelchtein
@M1GlobalNews

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M1GlobalNews
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 160 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2015 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription.
Your world of action. Anytime!

Dennis Hogan 153.5 vs. Tyrone Brunson 153
Ismael Barroso 135 vs. Ira Terry 130.5
Rob Brant 161.5 vs. Dionisio Miranda 165
Jarrell Miller 283.5 vs. Raymond Ochieng 244
Adam Lopez 124 vs. Philip Adyaka 119.5
Joey Abell 239.5 vs. Travis Fulton NA
Van Goodman 299.5 vs. Brett Murphy 316.5

Promoters: Greg Cohen Promotions in association with Adam Wilcock’s Fight Card Promotions and produced by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions

Venue: Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota

TV: CBS Sports Network (10 pm EST)

Tickets for “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” start at $35 and can be purchased at the Grand Casino Hinckley Box Office from 8 am to 10 pm (1-800-GRAND21) or at all Ticketmaster outlets, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

LOS ANGELES (April 16, 2015) – Popular Mexican superstar and former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and dangerous brawler Andrzej Fonfara participated in the final the final press conference Thursday at Crowne Plaza Hotel LAX, just two days before Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader.
Chavez (48-1-1, 32 KOs) of Culiacan, Mexico, and Fonfara (26-3, 15 KOs) of Chicago by way of Radon, Poland, will meet in the 12-round light heavyweight main event live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Chavez will make his eagerly awaited return to the ring and first start for new trainer Joe Goossen.

Also participating in today’s press conference was undefeated top 10-ranked super lightweight Amir Imam (16-0, 14 KOs), of Davie, Fla., by way of Albany, N.Y. who will put his unblemished record on the line against fellow power-puncher Walter Castillo (25-2, 18 KOs) (25-2, 18 KOs), of Managua, Nicaragua, in the 10-round co-feature on SHOWTIME.
On SHOWTIME EXTREME® (8 p.m. ET/PT) this Saturday, WBA Interim Super Bantamweight World Champion Oscar Escandon (24-1, 16 KOs), of Tolima, Colombia, will make the first defense of his 122-pound title when he faces undefeated Moises “El Chucky” Flores (22-0, 1 NC, 16 KOs), of Guadalajara, Mexico.
In the SHOWTIME EXTREME co-feature, Omar “El Businessman” Chavez (32-3-1, 22 KOs), of Culiacan, the younger brother of Chavez, Jr. and son of legendary Julio Cesar Sr., will face Richard Gutierrez (28-15-1, 17 KOs), of Arjona, Colombia, in an eight-round middleweight fight. Also featured on the telecast, time permitting, will be a six-round match between unbeaten Argentine welterweight Fabian “TNT” Maidana, of Santa Fe, Argentina, the brother of former world champion Marcos Maidana, who’ll be opposed by Cory Vom Baur (2-2, 0 KOs), of Vancouver, Wash.
Tickets for the event co-promoted by Goossen Promotions and Chavez Promotions are priced at $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges, and are on sale online at AXS.com.
What the fighters, trainers and executives said Thursday:
JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR., Former World Champion
“I had a great training camp. I feel better than ever. I am ready for the fight.

“I know that this is a new weight class for me. I realize that Fonfara is very tough and bigger than me, but I am up for the challenge.

“I have worked on my boxing during my one year off, and I am very excited and motivated to get back in the ring.

“I have worked so hard for this fight because I am fighting in a new weight class. I must punch harder, so I have focused on getting stronger during this training camp.

“I have a great chin, I know how to take punches and my conditioning is great. A lot of fighters can take a punch, but I can take multiple punches and not be hurt.

“I think that Andrzej Fonfara is one of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division. Inside of boxing, everyone knows who Fonfara is. He knocked down one of the best boxers in the world in Adonis Stevenson.

“Fonfara is disciplined in the ring, but he doesn’t vary his punches.

“I understand that my dad didn’t want me to take this fight. I had bigger names I could’ve fought, but I think that Fonfara is a great challenge for me and I like the challenge.

“I would like to thank SHOWTIME for making this fight happen.”

ANDRZEJ FONFARA, World Title Challenger
“I’m prepared very well and I’m ready for this fight. It’s been a great camp like always. I train hard for each fight. I’m a tough boxer who is feeling great. The weight is good and everything is perfect.

“I must put everything into Saturday night and I will win the fight.

“I must look even better than I did against Stevenson. Everyone said I looked good, but I lost the fight. I didn’t want congratulations because I did not win the fight. But this time I will win the fight. I’m ready for a decision or for a knockout.

“I’m ready with a couple of plans. I don’t want to run around the ring, I want to fight tough. I’m going to use my jab and my right hand, which is my best punch.

“I’m not worried about what his father said about not fighting me. Chavez Jr. wants to fight and I will show him that his father was right.

“It doesn’t matter how I win, I want to win this fight and get my rematch with Adonis Stevenson.

“Chavez Jr. is a great fighter. He uses a lot of combinations and has a powerful punch that I must be ready for. I want to show the whole world how good I am when I win this fight on Saturday.

“If I get the chance, I’m going to knock him out. It’s boxing so you never know what will happen. I want to box round-by-round and win this fight.

“I lost the fight with Stevenson but I showed that I was a good boxer. I’m a much smarter fighter now because of that experience. That was a fight at the top championship level.

“It doesn’t matter what Chavez Jr. says at a press conference, we’ll be in the ring Saturday and everything will happen there.

“Fan’s can expect heavy punches, knockdowns and a great fight.”

AMIR IMAM, Undefeated Super Lightweight Contender
“I’m confident going into this fight because of how I train. I have put my heart and soul into this sport since I moved to Florida three years ago. I left everything behind to better myself.

“I’m going to stay smart and composed in there and do everything I can to get the win.

“I don’t feel like I need the knockout to come away with a successful fight. But, you better believe that if there is an opportunity to knock him out, then I will take advantage of it.

“In 2015, I want to become a world champion. This is my breakout year. A lot of people have been buzzing about me. I want to become the WBC world champion, that’s what I’m heading for.

“I know he’s [Castillo] a good opponent, he’s got a great resume, and he’s coming to fight. He has a great record, so that alone shows what he’s capable of. Come Saturday night may the better man win.

“I’ve boxed styles like [his] plenty of times, but you never know, he could come out different Saturday night.

“I’m ready to put on a great show for the SHOWTIME audience.”

WALTER CASTILLO, Super Lightweight Contender
“I’m coming here to fight. I can tell you one thing, Amir Imam made a big mistake by taking this fight.

“I’ve fought a lot of tough fighters; my two losses were by decisions where I feel I was robbed. I’ve fought better fighters than Amir has.

“Come Saturday, I’m going to announce to the whole world that Walter Castillo is here to stay and he’s going to be a world champion.”

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ SR.
“Being in Los Angeles is like being in Mexico for me; I have had many great memories. I became the world champion for this first time here and my son also became the world champion for the first time here, too.

“Julio definitely has a very difficult fight ahead of him.

“If I was Julio’s manager, I wouldn’t have taken this fight. Fonfara is a difficult and tough fighter.

“My son wants to fight fighters of quality and wants credibility in boxing.

“Julio has worked and trained very hard for this fight .He has the capability to win and we expect that it will go very well.”

JOE GOOSSEN, Chavez’ Trainer
“Julio has a window here the next five, six, seven years that he can capitalize on.

“I think he’s left the childish stuff behind, and we’re all guilty of being childish.

“I think that Julio has surprised his father with his determination heading into this fight.
He’s got a left hook to the liver that just sends a shock through your body.

“He’s not soft. He’s a real fighter. I have been around enough fighters to know that he’s a real fighter. Number one, he has the never-say- die attitude in there.

“We’re up against a very well-schooled, blue collar, workmanlike fighter in Fonfara.

“He is an athletic, improvisational fighter, in that you don’t know where everything’s coming from.

“I’ve watched a lot of Fonfara tape, and he pretty much repeats what he does, but he repeats it well.

“This is going to be a battle. You’ve got two contrasting styles and personalities.

“Julio has 51 fights under his belt. He’s no rookie and he comes from a great bloodline. (In the short time I’ve been with him, it has been) more of an association than a dictatorial effort between the two of us.

“Based on former camps, he’s never really extracted himself from comfortable surroundings and put himself in a position where he is completely isolated like he was in Lake Tahoe.”

SAM COLONNA, Fonfara’s Trainer
“Fonfara could turn it up whenever. He could be down on the scorecards and one punch he throws could change someone’s world. He’s proven in the past that he has power in both hands.

“The styles in this fight are perfect for each other. When people ask about the fight I say it could go either way, it depends on who catches the other first.

“I’m looking for Fonfara to dominate, but Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a warrior, he comes to fight, he knows how to go to the body like his father used to, so we’ve been working on all of these strategies.

“A knockout win would be a dream come true to me. That’s what I’ve been looking for all these years. Winning this huge fight would change everything for Fonfara and myself.

“This camp that Andrzej had was the best we’ve ever had. He worked hard, he had time to train and there’s no excuses.

“We’re coming to fight a war. Don’t forget that wars are won by strategy.

“People say to listen to your father. His father told him not to take this fight, but he took it anyway and that was a mistake.

“I see this fight not going past 10 rounds, with us getting the knockout.”

STACY MCKINLEY, Imam’s Trainer
“Amir has always trained very hard, but I did see a change in him in this training camp after the last fight. He has stepped up his training by two levels.

“He learned a lot about his fight against [Fidel Maldonado] under the bright SHOWTIME lights at the MGM Grand.

“Amir is always confident going into each fight, but he made a mistake in the Maldonado fight. He rolled his right hand and forgot about the left hand and was knocked down. He had to pay for his mistakes but it’s all a learning experience, he still has only 16 professional fights under his belt.

“Castillo has a great jab and good combinations. A guy like that throws a lot of punches, but there is a technique to breaking down a fighter like that.

“We can’t spend a lot of time on the ropes, and we must go after his body because his body is weak. Castillo is going to get knocked out on Saturday.

“I think that Amir is going to open up a lot of eyes on Saturday.”

# # #

“Chavez Jr. vs. Fonfara” is a 12-round bout that takes place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and will air on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information visit www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @jcchavezjr1, @andrzej_fonfara, @StubHubCenter and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #ChavezFonfara, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 16, 2015) — The official weight-in was held today for tomorrow night’s ESPN Friday Night Fights Triple-Header, presented by DiBella Entertainment, in Mohegan Sun Arena.

Live coverage of tomorrow’s ESPN Friday Night Fights tripleheader from Mohegan Sun Arena begins at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider. ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates will also carry the three fights live on broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+.
The telecast opens with Teven “American Idol” Farmer taking on Angel “El Gato” Luna in a scheduled 8-round contest in the junior lightweight division.

Farmer vs. Luna will be followed by an 8-round featherweight showdown matching undefeated Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski against Danny Aquino.

The main event pits undefeated junior middleweight prospect Tony Harrison against Pablo “Supurlturero” Munguia in a 10-round title bout.

Below find fighter weights and pictures by Ed Diller / DiBella Entertainment.

(L-R) Tony Harrison & Pablo Munguia

Main Event – Junior Middleweights (10) – ESPN2
TONY HARRISON (20-0, 17 KOs), Detroit, MI 154 ½ LBS.
PABLO “Supurlturero” MUNGUIA (20-6, 11 KOs), Distrito Federal, Mexico 153 LBS.

(L-R) Ryan Kielczweski & Danny Aquino

Co-Feature – Featherweights (8) – ESPN2
RYAN “The Polish Prince” KIELCZWESKI (22-0, 6 KOs), Quincy, MA 123 ½ LBS.
DANNY AQUINO (16-2, 10 KOs), Meriden, CT 123 ½ LBS.

(L-R) Tevin Farmer & Angel Luna

Junior Lightweights (8) – ESPN2
TEVIN “American Idol” FARMER (18-4-1, 4 KOs), Philadelphia, PA 130 LBS.
ANGEL “El Gato” LUNA (10-0-1, 6 KOs), Brooklyn, NY 128 ¼ LBS.

Light Heavyweights (8)
LENNOX “2 Sharpe” ALLEN (18-0-1, 11 KOs), New York, NY 169 LBS.
PAUL GONSALVES (7-6-1, 3 KOs). Harwich, MA 170 LBS.

Middleweights (8)
ALANTEZ “SlyAza” FOX (14-0-1, 4 KOs) Forestville, MD 158 ¼ LBS.
FRANKLIN GONZALEZ (16-13, 10 KOs), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 161 ¼ LBS.

Welterweights (6)
REGIS PROGRAIS (13-0, 11 KOs), Houston, TX 143 ½ LBS.
ABRAHAM “The Swift” ALVAREZ (19-7-1, 9 KOs), Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico 142 LBS.

Lightweights (6)
AMOS “2 Smooth” COWART (10-0-1, 8 KOs), Groveland, FL 134 ½ LBS.
ANTHONY BURGIN (8-1, 1 KO), Philadelphia, PA 134 LBS.

Heavyweights (4)
CASSIUS CHANEY (pro debut), Philadelphia, PA 245 ¼ LBS.
PERRY FILKINS (0-1), Hooksett, NH (weigh in tomorrow)

WHEN: Friday, April 17, 2015

WHERE: Mohegan Sun Arena

PROMOTER: DiBella Entertainment in association with New Legend Boxing

TELEVISION: ESPN2 starting at 10:00 p.m. ET

TICKETS: $100.00, $70.00 and $30.00 (subject to additional fees) on sale and available to purchase at the Mohegan Sun Box Office, by visiting www.mohegansun.com, or calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000

INFORMATION: www.dbe1.com, www.espn.com/boxing, or www.mohegansun.com

DOORS OPEN: 6:30 p.m. ET, FIRST BOUT: 7:30 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (April 16, 2015) – Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions are pleased to announce the next highly anticipated battle for Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KO’s), the reigning WBC Middleweight and Ring Magazine World Champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes. On June 6, 2015, Cotto will defend his titles against former Two-Time World Champion Daniel Geale (31-3, 16 KO’s) of Australia in a fight that will be televised live on HBO from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Tickets are priced at $500, $350, $250, $200, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and go on sale Wednesday, April 22 at 10:00 AM ET. Tickets will be available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Thursday, April 23 at 12:00 PM ET. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

“I am happy and excited to be back in New York and fighting at Barclays Center,” said Cotto. “This is another chapter in my career and I’m committed to train as hard as always and bring a big victory. I’m looking forward to seeing all the Puerto Rican fans on June 6 and to being part of another exciting boxing night in Brooklyn.”

“I would like to thank HBO for their continued support, Gary Shaw of GSP, Bill Treacy of Grange Old School Boxing and Dino Duva at Roc Nation Sports for their collective professionalism in making this fight happen,” said Geale. “Last but not least, thanks to Miguel Cotto for the opportunity to become a world champion once again. I have total respect for Miguel and his achievements, but I can win this fight and that is exactly what I intend to do come June 6 in Brooklyn at Barclays Center.”

“We’re excited and proud to bring Miguel Cotto back to New York along with Miguel Cotto Promotions, now as a part of the Roc Nation Sports family,” said David Itskowitch, COO Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. “Brooklyn and boxing have a long history, and Puerto Rican heritage is closely integrated with both. What a way for New York to kick off the week of the Puerto Rican Day Parade festivities…with Miguel Cotto’s long-awaited return to the ring. The night of June 6 will be one to remember for fans in attendance at Barclays Center and those watching at home on HBO.”

“We are excited to have Miguel Cotto back in New York and at Barclays Center for the first time,” said Hector Soto, Miguel Cotto Promotions. “This is a Puerto Rican tradition – Miguel Cotto is New York and New York is boxing. We can’t wait until the night of June 6 to present a great and entertaining boxing show together with our partners at Roc Nation Sports.”

“Daniel Geale is a true warrior and will leave everything in the ring against Miguel Cotto like he always does,” said Gary Shaw, Gary Shaw Productions. “He’s never in a dull fight and the fans will get their money’s worth as both fighters like to let their hands go. I want to thank Grange Old School Boxing for having confidence in me. This will be a tough fight for Geale, however I’m convinced that he will beat Cotto and I’m hopeful that Miguel didn’t make any other plans for September other than a rematch with Daniel.”

“We are delighted that Miguel Cotto has chosen Barclays Center and Brooklyn to continue his storied career in New York City,” said Brett Yormark, Barclays Center CEO. “Cotto’s Puerto Rican heritage combined with Australia’s own Daniel Geale is going to create a tremendous global audience for this June 6 fight. This announcement further cements Barclays Center as the leading boxing venue in this country.”

“Last June, Miguel Cotto became a middleweight champion, joining a select handful of elite fighters to have won major titles in four weight classes or more, and becoming the first Puerto Rican champion to do so ,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “For Cotto’s first title defense, he faces former two-time world champion Daniel Geale at Barclays Center, the iconic Brooklyn landmark whose mystique elevates every event fortunate enough to call it home. As Cotto continues the next phase of his historic career, we are thrilled to present this middleweight championship fight live on HBO.”

Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KO’s) is the reigning WBC and Ring Magazine middleweight world champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes. He is the former WBO junior welterweight world champion, the former WBA welterweight world champion, the former WBO welterweight world champion and the former WBA super welterweight world champion. He also represented Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Cotto has had 22 world championship fights, compiling a record of 18-4 with 15 knockouts in those bouts. In Puerto Rico, he is hailed as a national hero and the successor of Felix Trinidad as the island’s most revered boxer. Cotto is one of the biggest gate attractions in boxing and one of the largest pay-per-view draws among active fighters. Most recently, in June 2014, Cotto made history in his first fight as a middleweight by dominating Argentine southpaw and defending WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO’s). He is trained by legendary Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and has fought some of the biggest names in the sport including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Cotto owns his own boxing promotional company in Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto Promotions, and presides over his charity La Fundación El Ángel de Miguel Cotto, a non-profit organization dedicated to combatting childhood obesity. In March 2015, Cotto and Roc Nation Sports announced that they had entered into a partnership that includes a co-promotional agreement with Miguel Cotto Promotions to promote Cotto’s fights.

Daniel Geale (31-3, 16 KO’s) is the former IBF and WBA middleweight world champion and the current holder of the PABA and WBO Interim Asia Pacific middleweight titles. A boxing hero in his native Australia and hailed as Tasmania’s 2012 Athlete of the Year, Geale is Ring Magazine’s fourth rated middleweight in the world and the WBC’s number six rated contender. As an amateur, he competed for Australia in the 2000 Olympic Games and was a gold medalist at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Geale made his professional debut in Australia in 2004, eventually compiling twenty-one consecutive victories and winning the IBO middleweight title in 2007 against previously undefeated Daniel Dawson (29-0, 20 KO’s). In May 2009, Geale suffered his first defeat, losing his title to Anthony Mundine (35-3, 23 KO’s) in a hotly-contested battle. The Australian rebounded in May 2011 to win the IBF middleweight title with a split decision victory over Sebastian Sylvester (34-3, 16 KO’s) in Germany. After two successful title defenses, including a unanimous-decision victory over Ghanaian Osumanu Adama (20-2, 15 KO’s), Geale stunned Germany’s Felix Sturm (37-2-2, 16 KO’s) to win the WBA middleweight title, unifying the titles in 2012. A year later on August 17, 2013, Geale lost his IBF middleweight title to Darren Barker (25-1, 16 KO’s) via a split-decision in Atlantic City. He bounced back six months later with a sixth round technical knockout victory over Garth Wood (12-3-1, 8 KO’s). On July 26, 2014, in an event televised by HBO World Championship Boxing, Geale faced off against undefeated WBA Middleweight World Champion Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’) in New York City, but came up short in trying to reclaim his former title. In his most recent fight, Geale captured the vacant PABA and WBO Interim Asia Pacific middleweight titles, winning a twelve-round unanimous decision victory over fellow Australian Jarrod Fletcher (18-2, 10 KO’s).

Cotto vs. Geale, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, June 6 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and will be televised live on HBO. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions in association Gary Shaw Productions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate.

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

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

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

About Miguel Cotto Promotions
Miguel Cotto Promotions is the leading promotional company in Puerto Rico founded by the five-time and four-division world champion Miguel Cotto and entrepreneur Hector Soto in 2005. Miguel Cotto Promotions has the vision of developing the best talent in Puerto Rico and Latin America, while searching for the best partnerships in the business to present the best quality shows in the industry. In 2015, Miguel Cotto Promotions launched their most recent project named “Boxeo Al Maximo” in partnership with Univision Puerto Rico network, capturing great ratings results on the new Saturday night fights’ platform.

About Gary Shaw Productions
Based out of New Jersey, Gary Shaw Productions was founded in 2002 by President and Chief Executive Officer, Gary Shaw, a former NJ regulator. Having promoted boxing shows in China, Australia, Mexico and the U.K., GSP is known as an international enterprise, whose main objective is to bring excitement to boxing with competitive fights. Partaking in some of the biggest events in boxing history, which include Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas, Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko, Winky Wright vs. Felix Trinidad, Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo, Shane Mosley vs. Winky Wright and Marquez vs Vasquez I, II & III, GSP has solidified its self as one of the top promotional companies in the sport.

About Barclays Center
Barclays Center opened on September 28, 2012, and is a major sports and entertainment venue in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. One of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multi-purpose arena, Barclays Center offers 17,732 seats for basketball, 15,795 for hockey, and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and has 101 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, four clubs, and 40/40 CLUB & Restaurant by American Express.

Barclays Center hosts an extensive variety of events, including premier concerts, major professional boxing cards, top college basketball, family shows, the Brooklyn Nets and soon the New York Islanders.
Barclays Center has redefined the arena customer service and culinary experience. Its more than 2,000 employees are trained by Disney Institute, the business advisory arm of The Walt Disney Company, and its BrooklynTaste™ food program features selections from 55 well-known restaurants and vendors in the borough.

Barclays Center engages the customer with state-of-the-art technology to enhance the fan experience. As the first arena in the world to utilize Cisco StadiumVision mobile multicast streaming technology, Barclays Center allows fans to watch live video and instant replays from their mobile phones while connected to the arena’s free Wi-Fi.
Located atop one of the largest transportation hubs in New York City, Barclays Center is accessible by 11 subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and 11 bus lines.

For more information on Barclays Center, please visit www.barclayscenter.com

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of Global Fighting Championship 3 from Dubai, United Arab Emirates this Friday, April 17 at 11 a.m. ET, headlined by an explosive kickboxing showdown pitting Dutch-Turkish legend Gokhan Saki against Romanian veteran Sebastian Ciobanu.

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

In addition to the Saki vs. Ciobanu clash, Global Fighting Championship 3 will feature a one-night, single-elimination heavyweight tournament. In opening round semifinal pairings, Scottish star Steve McKinnon battles Georgian standout Zabit Samedov, while Iran’s Jafar Ahmadi meets Congolese-German sensation Danyo Ilunga. The two winners will collide for the top prize later that evening.

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

The finalized undercard has been announced for Friday’s (April 17) “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” event being held at the Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota, and presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with Adam Wilcock’s Fight Card Promotions and produced by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions.

Topping the night’s untelevised action will be one of the most exciting American heavyweight prospects on the horizon, hard-punching Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (11-0-1, 9 KOs) from Brooklyn taking on always dangerous veteran Raymond Ochieng (26-18-3, 21 KOs) from Kenya in a six-rounder.

Miller vs. Ochieng will serve as the main supporting bout before the CBS Sports Network-televised portion of the event, featuring a 10-round main event between Ireland’s WBA #12- and IBF #11-rated “Hurricane” Dennis Hogan and Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson for the World Boxing Association’s NABA-US Super Welterweight Championship.

In the 10-round televised co-feature, Venezuelan KO artist Ismael Barroso (17-0-2, 16 KOs) will face Memphis, Tennessee, veteran Ira Terry (26-13, 16 KOs) in an eight-round showcase. And in the eight-round televised opener, undefeated Saint Paul, Minnesota, middleweight Rob “Bravo” Brant (14-0, 8 KOs) will face Miami via Colombia’s Dionisio “Mister Nocaut” Miranda (22-10-2, 19 KOs).

Tickets for “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” start at $35 and can be purchased at the Grand Casino Hinckley Box Office from 8 am to 10 pm (1-800-GRAND21) or at all Ticketmaster outlets, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Also featured on the undercard will be the return of popular local heavyweight “Minnesota Ice” Joseph Abell (29-8, 28 KO’s) of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, taking on tough trialhorse Travis Fulton (22-38-1, 21 KO’s) of Cedar Falls, Iowa, in a six-rounder.

Also featured will be super bantamweight Philip Adyaka (4-4, 2 KOs) of Minneapolis taking on promising undefeated prospect Adam Lopez (10-0, 5 KOs) of Texas in a six-rounder; and an all-Minneapolis four-round heavyweight brawl between Van Goodman (3-5-2, 2 KO’s) and Brett Murphy (1-0, 1 KO).

###

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, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

RUSSELLVILLE, AR (April 16, 2015) – Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and wife Casey joined Arkansas Tech and BeTheMatch.org for an incredible bone marrow drive yesterday on the University’s campus. The event kicked off on Tuesday night at 9:00 pm and continued for a 24-hour period, as the group attempted to break the world record for bone marrow registries.

In the first hour, Arkansas Tech, along with their student body and staff, were able to stamp their name into the Guinness Book of Records, as they registered 250 people into the bone marrow registry, breaking the record for registries a 60 minute time frame. In addition, the event totaled 1696 registries, making it one of the most successful bone marrow drives in recent history.

“The Be The Match bone marrow drive at Arkansas Tech University was one of the most memorable and gratifying events I’ve ever been involved with.” said Robert Guerrero. “To see all the students and staff working endlessly to help save lives was truly amazing. My wife and I were greeted with open arms and together we were able to shed light on what it takes to be a caregiver, as well as being patient. In addition, we shared our story with many students, educating everyone on how easy it is to become a donor. The fact that the event registered close to 1,700 new donors was unbelievable. I want to thank Dr. Jason Warnick and Dr. Julie Mikles-Schlutermanand , their colleagues, as well as the students at ATU, for making this event a huge success. Many lives will be saved and that’s what life is all about, helping others.”

“There are no words for how proud I am of the volunteers and registrants who made our Be The Match drive a success,” said Dr Jason Warnick. “The outpouring of support for this initiative both on and off campus was overwhelming, and the opportunity to host Robert and Casey Guerrero at Arkansas Tech took the entire experience over the top. Their passion for this cause inspired our students, faculty and staff. I think the lasting lesson from our drive is how powerful a community can be when it unites in support of a common goal.”

Be The Match registry drives focus on individuals age 18-44 due to medical research that indicates that age group is most likely to provide a successful bone marrow transplant. Be The Match registration is free for individuals age 18-44.

Individuals age 45-60 may register with Be The Match at www.bethematch.org with a donation of $100.

About Be The Match
For the thousands of people diagnosed every year with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, a cure exists. Over the past 25 years Be The Match®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), has managed the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world. We work every day to save lives through transplant.

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Pennsauken, NJ (April 16, 2015)–On Saturday night, April 18 at the GPG Event Center (Formerly the Woodbine Inn) in Pennsauken, New Jersey, undefeated featherweight Vidal Rivera will look for his 2nd consecutive win when he takes on Tyron Stewart in a bout sched for four rounds.

In the main event, heavyweight contender Chazz Witherpsoon will be in action when he takes on Galen Brown in a bout scheduled for 10-rounds.

The show is promoted by Witherspoon’s Silver Spoon Promotions.

Rivera of Camden, New Jersey made a sensation pro debut on January 24 when he took out Jose Garcia in one-round. He registered three knockdowns in the bout which thrilled his large cheering section that came from nearby Camden.

“Everything has been going great,” said Rivera. “I am just sweating out the last few pounds but I am right where I want to be.”

Rivera said he is less nervous then he was in his maiden voyage to the ring but as a fighter but he is ready for his next challenge.

“There will always be butterflies but this time it is a piece of cake.”

In Stewart, Rivera fights a guy who only has one fight under his belt as well. That was a 2nd round stoppage defeat to undefeated Edwin Reyes last October 11.

“I know nothing about him other than he is from North Carolina. I always train like he is the best opponent that I will face.”

Rivera works as a crime analyst in Camden. In that line of work he looks at video cameras that are located all over the city and he can see what is going on. He can correlate that to his young professional career.

“It helps me with being focused and discipline. It gives me a mindset and it puts me in forefront of things and like boxing it all comes back to me.”

“I expect big things from me. I believe I have it on me to be something special,” finished Rivera.

Appearing on the undercard in 4-round bouts will be:

.

Obafemi Bakari (2-0) of Staten Island, NY will fight pro debuting Andrew Osborne in a jr. middleweight fight.

Matthew Gonzalez (2-0) of Vineland,NJ will take on Joseph McDonald (0-1) of Concord, NC in a jr. middleweight fight.

Erick Kitt (5-0, 2 KO’s) of Pensacola, FL will see action in a jr. middleweight bout against Rick Graham (2-5-2, 1 KO) of Detroit, MI.

Malik Hawkins (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD will take part in a jr. welterweight bout against pro debuting Darius Jackson.

Andrew Puerifoy (0-1) of Sicklerville, NJ will fight in a cruiserweight against Antuwan Taylor (0-2) of Cincinnati, OH.

Tickets for the great evening of championship boxing $80 for Ringside, $60 for select and $40 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling 856 472 0443 or 609 938 1755 or by email at info@silverspoonpromotions.com

There will be an after party at the GPG Event Center.

The GPG Event Center is located at 1443 Route 73 in Pennsauken.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (April 16, 2015) – It was Manny Media Mania at Wednesday’s media workout for Fighter of the Decade, eight-division world champion and boxing superhero Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO. Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), who represents the Sarangani province in the Philippines, hosted a Hollywood Media Workout with his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and Hall of Promoter Bob Arum.

Over 300 media from around the globe flocked to Wild Card Boxing Club to ask the trio about Pacquiao’s May 2 welterweight world championship unification battle against undefeated FLOYD “Money” MAYWEATHER JR. (47-0, 26 KOs), at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., the live pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

What Pacquiao, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach said Wednesday:

MANNY PACQUIAO, Eight-Division World Champion

“I feel very excited for the fight.

“I have a lot of sparring partners that are similar to Floyd’s fighting style, we have done well. We know what to expect.

“I have watched tape on Floyd to make sure that our strategy and technique in training camp is correct.

“My entire career defines my legacy; I have already accomplished great achievements in my career while excelling in different weight divisions. This fight is an additional achievement in my career; it’s the biggest fight in boxing history.

“I can say that beating Floyd would be the biggest victory of my career.

“More people are interested and informed about this fight now than they would’ve been five years ago.

“Style wise, I am the same fighter I was five years ago. My determination, inspiration and killer instinct is the exact same as it was five or six years ago.

“For me, boxing is my passion. I enjoy boxing and giving honor to my country of the Philippines. My concern is to bring an exciting fight to my fans. My first concern going into every fight is how will be to be able to entertain my fans, give them enjoyment and make them happy.

“The reason I am so loved by fans is because of my reckless style of fighting. People like exciting fights with actual punches being thrown.”

BOB ARUM, Top Rank CEO

“Manny is motivated, he’s ready for the fight. I expect a great performance from him.

“It’s a very interesting fight because Floyd is a defensive specialist who has a good right hand and picks off his opponents. He’s an extraordinarily good fighter.

“Pacquiao’s strength is speed, particularly his foot speed and the fact that he throws so many punches and attacks from low angles. He really hits harder than Floyd does, so that’s really what it’s going to be about.

“Floyd has a different defense than Juan Manuel Marquez. His defense is primarily his shoulder roll. A lot of his defense is geared against a right handed fighter. With that said, I think Manny is going to surprise a lot of people with how he is going to be able to reach Floyd.

“I would say Manny is more motivated for this fight than any other fight I’ve seen him prepare for.

“I’m looking forward to May 2. I love Manny’s chances of winning, that’s the main thing. He looks great, he’s motivated, no nonsense, and I think he’s going to put on a performance for the ages. It’s going to be hard for him to top his performance against Oscar De La Hoya, but I think he will in this fight.”

FREDDIE ROACH, Pacquiao’s Hall of Fame Trainer

“We have a great idea of when and where we are going to attack Mayweather.

“This fight was five years in the making. Promoters should realize that these types of fights are what’s best for boxing and we should have more fights like this. I’m not surprised by the hype surrounding the fight.

“Manny has really raised the bar in this training camp. He’s a different Manny Pacquiao than I have seen him going into previous training camps. He is punching so much harder in training for this camp.

“Manny is better than ever, his attitude is different and I’ve never seen him work this hard. His speed is faster, his punches are harder. I’m really happy where he’s at. His legs look great; he’s on his toes all the time.

“Mayweather is a good counter-puncher, but Manny has faster hands and his combinations are better than Floyd’s.

“Both fighters have great experience, so I don’t believe that will be a factor in the fight. The biggest thing is that each fighter comes in with a different style. Floyd is a counter-puncher but Manny must be the one to enforce the fight.

“I believe that Manny being a southpaw will be a factor in this fight. Manny showed me tape of Floyd fighting a southpaw and told me that that is exactly what we are going to do in this fight.

“I can tell how much this fight means to Manny because he has watched tape on Floyd. Manny has never watched tape on any fighter before.

“Since Manny moved to 147 he hasn’t knocked many guys out, so getting the knockout in this fight isn’t a concern for me. If Manny fights at 140, then he does knock guys out, but at this weight he is fighting guys who are bigger than him.

“Floyd may be a bigger guy, but we will still win the fight.

“This fight is much bigger than when Manny fought Oscar De La Hoya. Manny is a different person going into this fight. He hit me so hard the other day that I believe it’s the hardest I’ve ever been hit by a fighter who I’m training.

“I don’t believe that Floyd ever wanted this fight, he was forced to take it by the public and the media. I wouldn’t be surprised if Floyd pulled out now.”

# # #

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 16, 2015) – A thrilling 13-bout lineup for May’s “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” is now complete with the addition of women’s featherweights A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe (5-4), bantamweights Shawn “Bunch the Great” Bunch (3-1) vs. Rolando Perez (7-4) and John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert “The Warrior” Morales (1-0) to the evening’s preliminary card.

The three new additions finalize a nine-fight preliminary card scheduled in support of “Bellator MMA: Halsey vs. Grove” four main card contests.

The night’s featured matchups include undefeated Bellator MMA World Middleweight Champion Brandon “Bull” Halsey (8-0) against towering Hawaiian scrapper Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-14), former Bellator MMA World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike “The Marine” Richman (18-5), welterweights Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (23-13) vs. “Curtious” Curtis Millander (7-1) and bantamweights Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-4).

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” takes place on Friday, May 15, at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time), while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

Tickets for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove,” which start at just $50, are currently on sale at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office.

Doors for “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place 45 minutes later.

Jenkins, of Oceanside, Calif., is one of the most experienced competitors in women’s MMA. Fighting professionally since 2004, Jenkins now makes her Bellator MMA debut. The 33-year-old boasts past tussles with MMA notables Shayna Baszler, Tonya Evinger, Jan Finney, Kelly Kobold and Sarah Schneider, among others.

An Australian native, Blencowe is a world-class athlete and former Women’s International Boxing Association World light welterweight champion. After turning her attention to MMA in 2013, Blencowe initially garnered only mixed results as she adjusted to life in the sport. However, she has racked up three-consecutive stoppage wins as of late, and that run earned her a call from Bellator MMA.

Bunch is one of MMA’s most elite-level wrestlers as a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and two-time U.S. Olympic Team alternate. He now trains with the famed American Kickboxing Academy banner and has spent his entire professional MMA career under the Bellator MMA banner.

Meanwhile, Alliance MMA product Perez is a 10-year veteran of the sport who made his Bellator MMA in November and fought to a rarely-seen split draw. Still, Perez is unbeaten in his past four contests and now looks to get his first win in the promotion.

Yoo, of Irvine, Calif., makes his professional debut. He meets Morales, of Carson, Calif., who picked up a submission victory in the Bellator cage in his first professional contest.

“Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” – Friday, May 15, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Title Fight: Champ Brandon Halsey (8-0) vs. Kendall Grove (21-14)
Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Featured Welterweight Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) vs. Curtis Millender (7-1)
Bellator Featured Bantamweight Fight: Darrion Caldwell (6-0) vs. Rafael Silva (22-4)

Preliminary Card (7:45 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: A.J. Matthews (7-3) vs. Ben Reiter (14-0)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (12-4)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Joe Taimanglo (20-6-1) vs. Antonio Duarte (18-5)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Jordan Parsons (10-1) vs. Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-0)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Jesse Juarez (22-9) vs. Ricky Rainey (10-3)

Dark Fights (approx. 11 p.m. ET)

Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: John Yoo (0-0) vs. Albert Morales (1-0)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Shawn Bunch (3-1) vs. Rolando Perez (7-4)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: Steve Kozola (5-0) vs. Ian Butler (1-1)
Bellator Lightweight Dark Prelim: A.J. Jenkins (17-5) vs. Arlene Blencowe (5-4)

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 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 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.

Mateusz Masternak (34-2, 24 KOs) has vowed to make ‘The Man of Stone’ Ruben Angel Mino (26-2, 26 KOs) crumble when the cruiserweights clash on April 25 at the Columbia Hall in Berlin.

Following an impressive points victory over former cruiserweight king Jean-Marc Mormeck, Masternak looks well on his way to a world title challenge. However first, the Polish-puncher must overcome tough opposition from the Argentinian knockout artist Mino, a man who has never heard the final bell, with his twenty-six victories and two defeats all ending in stoppages.

‘’This is not an easy task for Mateusz,’’ reflects the 27 year-old’s coach Ulli Wegner. ‘’He will need to be on guard and showcase his counter-punching ability to defeat a wild bull like Mino.’’

‘The Master’ knows he must follow Wegner’s instructions and has placed his confidence in the legendary German coach. ‘’Mr. Wegner is a master tactician, under his tutelage I’m able to play to my strengths more and more,’’ said the former European champion, before offering a final prediction on the outcome of his upcoming fight. ‘’On April 25, I will make ‘The Man Of Stone’ crumble in the ring.’’

Masternak joins a stacked card in the German capital. Tyron Zeuge (16-0, 10 KOs) tops the bill with an IBF International Super Middleweight Championship defence against former world title challenger Nikola Sjekloca (28-3, 8 KOs), while German stars Enrico Koelling (16-1, 6 KOs), Karo Murat (26-2-1, 16 KOs) and Burak Sahin (6-0, 6 KOs) all return to action. Tickets are available via tickethall.de.