Reading, PA (March 4, 2022)–Due to an injury to Devar Ferhadi, Ryan Adams has answered the call to face Khainell Wheeler in the eight-round super middleweight main event that will take place next Friday night, March 11th at The Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Adams of Saint Louis, Missouri, has a record of 8-4-1 with six knockouts. The 27 year-old is a five year veteran who has wins over Bobby Taylor (4-1), Demario Moore (1-0), Akil Frederick (11-2) and Kozimbek Mardonov (2-0). Adams is coming off a loss to undefeated Elvis Figueroa on January 7th in Orlando, Florida.

Wheeler, 28 years-old of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has a record of 6-1 with five knockouts. The three-year pro is coming off his career best win as he took a six-round split decision over previously undefeated Frederick Julan (12-0) on December 2, 2021 in New York City.

In the eight-round co-feature, Kenny Robles battles Naim Nelson in a junior welterweight contest.

Robles, 30 years-old of Staten Island, New York, has a record of 8-1 with three knockouts. The five-year pro has a win over previously undefeated Shawn West (3-0), and his last outing when he won a six-round unanimous decision over Isaac Luna on March 19, 2021 in Tampa, Florida.

Nelson, 31 years-old, of Philadelphia is 14-5 with one knockout. The 11 year-professional has wins over Korey Sloane (1-0), Esteban Rodriguez (5-1-1) and Jerome Rodriguez (6-0-3). Nelson is coming off a 4th round stoppage defeated to undefeated Jesus Ramos on December 26, 2020 in Los Angeles.

In a six-round bout, undefeated James Bernadin (5-0, 3 KOs) of Lancaster, PA takes on tough Kevin Asmat (6-2, 5 KOs) of North Bergen, NJ

The 29 year-old Bernadin has been on a roll as in his last two fights, he has wins over Osvaldo Morales (4-0) and a first-round stoppage of Edgar Torres (8-2-1).

Asmat, 27 years-old, has a win over Ernesto Ornelas (1-0). He is on a three-fight win streak, with his latest win being a third-round stoppage over Weusi Johnson on June 22, 2019 in Philadelphia,

In six-round bouts:

Jonathan Rodriguez (9-0, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Jose Flores Chavez (9-13, 5 KOs) of Baja, Mexico in a bantamweight contest.

Julian Gonzalez (5-0, 5 KOs) of Reading, PA takes on an opponent to be named in a junior lightweight fight.

Quadir Albright (4-0, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Antonio Wattell (3-8-3, 2 KOs) of Houston, Texas in a junior welterweight affair.

In four-round bouts:

LeAnna Cruz (1-0) of Bethlehem, PA will square off with Anyela Lopez (2-1-1, 1 KO) of Tucson, AZ in a bantamweight bout.

Thanjae Teasley of Bethlehem, PA and Daniel Jiles of Philadelphia o in a welterweight fight of pro debuter’s.

Xavien Ramirez of Reading, PA will make his pro debut against Devon Lira (0-3) of Davie, Florida in a lightweight bout.

Tickets for this great evening are priced at $75, $100 and $150 and can be purchased at

Los Angeles, CA (March 4, 2022)–Shapiro Sports and Entertainment has announced the signing of undefeated super featherweight Ramiro Cesena.

Cesena, 22 years-old from Baja, California, has a record of 14-0-1 with 11 knockouts.

Cesena is managed by Legacy Sports Management.

“I couldn’t be more excited about signing with Shapiro Sports & Legacy,” said Ramiro Cesena. “They have a great team that will get me the bigger fights that I have been missing. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my country of Mexico, climb the rankings and prove I am here to stay. Hopefully I can fight Robson Conceicao, Jamel Herring or any of the top names in my weight class”

“I am excited to bring Ramiro Cesena into the family. At only 22 years of age, Ramiro has some great wins on his resume and he always shows the hallmarks of the classic Mexican fighters that we all love to watch – grit, determination, heart and the appetite for a war. I am ready to deliver him the life changing opportunities here in the USA that all Mexican fighters seem to be built for,” said promoter Shane Shapiro, President of Shapiro Sports & Entertainment

Cesena is a four-year professional and turned professional on February 9, 2018 with a first-round knockout over Benjamin Urias He has since racked up wins over Carlos Alberto Gonzalez Urena (4-1-2), Jesus Amparan (16-2), Jesus Arvelo (27-5-1) and his last bout when he won a decision over previously undefeated and top-10 ranked Bekman Soylybaev (12-0) on August 13, 2021 in Dubai.

“I am delighted to welcome Ramiro to the team. We’ve had the pleasure of having Ramiro on one of our previous shows in Dubai and he showed me he has the potential to become World Champion with our guidance. We look forward to his journey continuing in 2022 and beyond, and Ramiro rising to all challenges we put in front of him,” said Karim Akkar, CEO of Legacy Sports Management

Cesena will be back fighting in Dubai on March 26th when he takes on Adam Kipenga in an eight-round bout.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a hard-hitting light heavyweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 5 ranked Thiago Santos battle No. 6 Magomed Ankalaev. In the co-main event, No 10 ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes aims to stop the momentum of No. 14 Song Yadong.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: SANTOS vs. ANKALAEV will take place Saturday, March 12 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish), with the main card beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Santos (22-9, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is hoping to build off the momentum from his recent win over Johnny Walker in October. A powerful KO artist, he has earned thrilling stoppages against Jan Blachowicz, Jimi Manuwa and Anthony Smith. Santos now looks to turn back one of the division’s toughest rising contenders with another vintage performance.

Ankalaev (16-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) quickly entered the division’s Top 10 on the heels of an impressive seven-fight win streak. During this run, he secured notable victories over Volkan Oezdemir, Nikita Krylov and Ion Cutelaba (twice). Ankalaev now hopes to stake his claim for a title shot by stopping Santos in emphatic fashion.

Moraes (23-9-1, fighting out of Parkland, Fla. by way of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to turn heads with another highlight-reel KO. Throughout his UFC stint, he has delivered memorable finishes over Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera and current champion Aljamain Sterling. Moraes now has his sights set on stopping Song to hold his spot in the bantamweight top 10.

Song (18-5-1 1NC, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) continues his quest to become the first Chinese-born male fighter to challenge for a UFC title. Since joining the UFC roster in 2017, he has netted exciting wins against Julio Arce, Casey Kenney and Marlon Vera. Song now seeks to add his first former UFC title challenger to his resume with a show-stealing performance.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 12 featherweight contender Sodiq Yusuff (11-2, fighting out of Bladensburg, Md. by way of Lagos, Nigeria) intends to defend his spot in the rankings against rising No. 15 Alex Caceres (19-12 1NC, fighting out of Miami, Fla.)
• Khalil Rountree Jr. (10-5 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) locks horns with Karl Roberson (9-4, fighting out of Neptune, N.J.) at light heavyweight
• Exciting middleweight strikers clash when Alex Pereira (4-1, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) takes on Bruno Silva (22-6, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil)
• Matthew Semelsberger (9-3, fighting out of Frederick, Md.) hopes to spoil the debut of Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner AJ Fletcher (9-0, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) in a welterweight bout
• JJ Aldrich (10-4, fighting out of Aurora, Colo.) goes for her third consecutive win when she faces exciting finisher Gillian Robertson (10-6, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Canada) at flyweight
• Trevin Jones (13-7 1NC, fighting out of Maite, Guam) takes on Dana White’s Contender Series signee Javid Basharat (11-0, fighting out of London, England) in a bantamweight bout
• Damon Jackson (19-4-1 1NC, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) faces Kamuela Kirk (12-4, fighting out of Peoria, Ariz.) in a battle of rising featherweights
• Sabina Mazo (9-3, fighting out of Redondo Beach, Calif. by way of Medellin, Colombia) squares off with Miranda Maverick (11-4, fighting out of Norfolk, Va.) at flyweight        
• Dalcha Lungiambula (11-3, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa) takes on Cody Brundage (6-2, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.) in a middleweight matchup
• Kris Moutinho (9-5, fighting out of Milford, Mass.) returns against Guido Cannetti (8-7, fighting out of San Antonio de Padua, Buenos Aires, Argentina) at bantamweight
• Tafon Nchukwi (6-1, fighting out of Temple Hills, Md. by way of Bamenda, Cameroon) meets Azamat Murzakanov (10-0, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J. by way of Nalchik, Russia) in a clash of light heavyweight prospects

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 188 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Fightstars.tv, one of the fastest-emerging boxing-media companies in the world, proudly announces the appointment of well-known trainer/advisor/manager Rick Ramos as their Director of Female Boxing Operations.

The outspoken owner and operator of Body Shot Boxing Club in his native Chicago for the past 16 years, Ramos is perhaps best known for his expert handling of two-weight female world champion Jessica McCaskill and his passionate advocacy for opportunities for all his fighters, often by way of amusing but effective callouts on social media. Ramos was also named 2019 and 2021 “Coach/Manager of the Year” for females by The Ring Magazine.

“I had an idea to work with females only and create a league like the UFC, but in female boxing, so I pitched it to Patrick Oakes (CEO of FightStars.tv) and he fully supports the idea,” explained Ramos.

Ramos says he decided to switch from an amateur boxer to gym owner when he saw the need for proper training and true guidance of fighters in The Windy City. A successful broker on the Chicago Board of Options floor at the time, the now a retired 45-year-old Ramos says after working informally for several male fighters in the area, he spotted a raw talent one day at the gym.

“My male fighters were distracted and started slipping,” recalled Ramos. “But meanwhile Jessica (McCaskill) was dominating the amateurs. I said ‘Hey, Jess… do you want to turn pro?’ and she said ‘Yeah!’ Nobody believed in female boxing at the time. Even (McCaskill’s former promoter Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing) Leon didn’t want to do it, so I called (Warriors Vice President and long-time Chicago associate) Dominic Pesoli. I said ‘Dom give me a shot. I believe Jessica is for real.’”

Eventually Margules relented and McCaskill has been on an upward trajectory ever since. With Ramos at the helm of her training and management, the “CasKILLA” McCaskill has gone on to become a two-weight world champion. McCaskill held the WBC & WBA Super Lightweight titles at 140lbs and is currently Undisputed at Welterweight (147lbs). More than half of McCaskill’s professional fights have been with a world title at stake.

It was Ramos’ expert handling of McCaskill that Oakes says made him the perfect candidate to head up their ambitious new women’s boxing division.

“We wanted to create a productive training environment for the right team of female boxers, said Patrick Oakes. “So we’ve hired one of the best, Rick Ramos, who has tremendous credibility as a trainer and manager of female boxers, as our Director and Talent Scout. If you have a male boxer, there ‘s a known path to championships and big fights on TV. With women it’s far more disjointed and varying path to that kind of success. We want to smooth that out by developing resources geared exclusively toward female boxing. We want to create a team of female boxers and give them more opportunities. A lot of the women have to find their way into the boxing world without any support at all.”

Ramos and Oakes says they’re already signed two Chicago-based female fighters, undefeated welterweight Summer Lynn (6-0, 3 KOs) and once-beaten middleweight Olivia Curry (4-1, 2 KOs) to Fightstars.tv contracts and are currently looking for more talent.

“We’re looking to scout the best talent and bring them onto the team,” explained Ramos. “We plan to have a fight camp in San Diego this summer and assess each fighter’s talent level and marketability and form a team of female fighting stars.”

Oakes reports that Fightstars.tv will be opening additional training facilities in Florida, New York and Chicago to match their existing spaces in San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Talented female fighters with established amateur boxing backgrounds and a desire to reach their full potential should contact Rick Ramos at: RickRamosBoxing50@gmail.com.

RICK RAMOS SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter: @RickRamosBoxing
Facebook: @officialrickramosboxing
Instagram: @rickramosboxing
YouTube: Rick Ramos Boxing

For more information on Fightstars.tv, please visit their OFFICIAL SITE.

Mairis Briedis (28-1, 20 KOs) will defend his IBF and Ring Magazine World Cruiserweight Titles against undefeated mandatory challenger Jai Opetaia (21-0, 17 KOs) on Wednesday May 11 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.

Briedis captured the IBF and Ring Magazine World Titles when defeating Yuniel Dorticos in the final of the World Boxing Super Series in September 2020, becoming a three-time World Champion, and cementing his position as a pound-for-pound star and the number one Cruiserweight on the planet.

Following a successful defence of his belts against German challenger Artur Mann in Riga in October 2021, the 37-year-old will now travel down under to face fast-rising Australian star Opetaia on his home turf. The fight was originally scheduled for April 6 but was pushed back after Briedis contracted Covid.

“I look forward to coming to Australia to defend my World Titles,” said Briedis. “I know my opponent is a good boxer. He is a southpaw who is undefeated and who has had a very decent amateur career. As always, I will give my all in training camp and I will come to Australia to show my best boxing. I hope me and Jai can put on a great boxing spectacle for the fans.”

Sydney-born southpaw Optetai is a decorated amateur, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Youth World Championships and represented Australia at the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games. Following his amateur success, the 26-year-old made his professional debut in 2015 and has earned his shot at Briedis’ Cruiserweight crown with an impressive run of 21 victories.

“It’s a dream come true to get a shot at the World Title and on top of that it’s happening right here on the Gold Coast which is brilliant,” said Opetaia. “I’m a resident in Surfers Paradise so you can’t get any more Gold Coast than that. This is my chance to announce myself to the world. I want to bring home another World Title to Queensland just like Jeff Horn did.”

The fight, which will be promoted by Dean Lonergan for D and L Events in association with Wasserman Boxing, will be the first World Title bout to be held in Australia since Jeff Horn defended his crown against Gary Corcoran just over five years ago in Brisbane.

“This will be a fantastic occasion and I applaud Tourism Events Queensland, Major Events Gold Coast and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate for throwing their support behind what will be a very special event,” said Lonergan.

“We remember that fight (Horn-Corcoran) and also that incredible day when ‘The Hornet’ defeated Manny Pacquiao to win the World Title at Suncorp Stadium in 2017. 

“Now we are getting right behind Jai to achieve his dream and bring home another World Title to Queensland and on his own turf on the Gold Coast.”

Despite his Australian counterpart’s optimism, Briedis’ promoter Kalle Sauerland is confident the champion will be returning to Latvia with the belts. 

“Mairis Briedis is a three-time World Champion who has consistently fought the best boxers out there,” said Sauerland. “He’s coming to Australia as World Champion and will be leaving as World Champion. His knockout power is sensational but also his technique, his prowess and his finishing abilities. It’s time for Mairis to show once again why he is the number one Cruiserweight on the planet.”

This event is supported by the Queensland Government via Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! In Queensland events calendar.

   •  Jose Ramirez 139.8 vs. Jose Pedraza 140
(Vacant WBO International Junior Welterweight Title— 12 Rounds)

•   Richard Torrez Jr. 228.2 lbs vs. Allen Melson 201.8 lbs 
(Heavyweight— 6 Rounds)

   •    Joet Gonzalez 125.8 lbs vs. Jeo Santisima 125.2 lbs
 (Vacant WBO International Featherweight Title— 10 Rounds)

   •    Gabriel Flores Jr. 131.6 lbs vs. Abraham Montoya 131.8 lbs
 (Junior Lightweight— 10 Rounds)

   •     Hector Tanajara 135 lbs vs. Miguel Contreras 134.2 lbs
 (Lightweight — 8 Rounds)

   •     Karlos Balderas 134.2 lbs vs. Aelio Mesquita 131.2 lbs
 (Lightweight — 6 Rounds)

   •     Javier Martinez 161.8 lbs vs. Donte Stubbs 163 lbs
 (Middleweight — 6 Rounds)

   •      Charlie Sheehy 134.2 lbs vs. Johnny Bernal 135 lbs
 (Lightweight — 4 Rounds)

   •     Antonio Mireles 259.4 lbs vs. Brandon Hughes 282.4 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 4 Rounds)

LAS VEGAS (March 3, 2022) – RJJ Boxing will be on Cruz Control for its March 24th show at Palenque de la Feriz in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.

All the action will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. To sign-up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

The show will be presented by Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions (RJJ Boxing) in association with De La O Promotions, World Cup Boxing Series (WCBS) and Team Cruz Promotions.

The RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS event is part of the 40th Nayarit Festival which is celebrated between March 10 and 27. The festival displays the cultural identity of Nayarit, like the indigenous community, and also provides entertainment by offering regional artists at national and international events. It attracts between 20,000 and 30,000 people each day of the festival.

“”We always enjoy going to Mexico,” RJJ Boxing president Lisa Veltre said. “We’ve been able to explore and showcase towns throughout Mexico, thanks to our partnerships with De La O Promotions and WCBS. The RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS series was revitalized thanks to Emanuel Romo, his promotional company, and WCBS. I’m looking forward to promoting a show in a new town, Tepic, for the first time.”

The main event pits hometown favorite Salvatore “Chango” Tapia (12-3-1, 10 KOs) and Emiliano “Letal” Cruz (13-3, 12 KOs) in an 8-round bout between super lightweight Mexican knockout artists.

A former WBC FECOMBOX Super Lightweight Champion, Tapia has won three in a row, five of his last six. The 24-year-old Tapia captured the FECOMBOX title in October of 2020, when he stopped Flavio Ramos Zamora in the fifth round, while Cruz, 27, has won six of his last eight fights.

This match doesn’t figure to go the distance as the two Mexican fighters have registered a combined 22 knockouts in their 25 victories for a whopping 88-percent win percentage.

Red-hot lightweight prospect Jorge “Jorgito” Lugo Cota (7-0, 5 KOs) will be showcased once again on RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS in a 6-round bout versus Ricardo Rodriguez (7-2, 1 KO). The 19-year-old Cota, the youngest member of the famed Mexican fightin’ Montiel family, is coming off a KO of the Night performance in the most recent RJJ Boxing event.

In a battle of super flyweight prospects, undefeated Israel-native David Alaverdian (5-0, 4 KOs) takes on hometown favorite Josue “El Penas” Ramirez (5-1, 4 KOs) on the undercard.

Also slated to fight is WBO Latino Super Middleweight Champion Lester Martinez (10-0, 9 KOs). Ranked No. 14 by the WBO, Martinez fights out of Guatemala City, Guatemala. In his pro debut in 2019, the Guatemalan knockout specialist stopped former world champion Ricardo Mayorga in the opening round, and he also has notable knockouts of Michi Munoz and Uriel Gonzalez.

Additional matches and missing opponents will soon be announced.

Card subject to change.

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com

Facebook: : /WorldCupBoxingSeries

Twitter: @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial

Instagram: @RoyJonesJrBoxing, @World_Cup_Boxing_Series

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Founded in 2013, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country and also in Mexico, Russia, and Japan. RJJ Boxing has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to exclusive, live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features, in-depth interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 17,000 bouts from dozens of combat sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit https://www.ufc.tv/page/fightpass.

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NEW YORK – March 3, 2022 – Undefeated super welterweight prospect Ardreal Holmes will now face once-beaten Vernon Brown in the 10-round main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, March 11 live on SHOWTIME at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT from Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel in Deadwood, S.D.

Mekhrubon Sanginov, who was originally slated to take on Holmes (11-0, 5 KOs) in the main event, was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering an injury in training camp. Brown (13-1-1, 9 KOs), who was previously set to fight the undefeated Hurshidbek Normatov in the co-main event, steps in to face Holmes. Normatov also suffered an injury in training camp and is unable to fight on March 11.

The previously-announced eight-round lightweight matchup between undefeated prospect Luis Acosta (12-0, 11 KOs) and the power-punching Edwin De Los Santos (13-1, 12 KOs) serves as the co-main event and 2021 National Golden Gloves Champion Giovanni Márquez, the son of former world champion and ShoBox commentator Raul Márquez, makes his professional debut against Dominican Nelson Morales (2-0) in a four-round super lightweight bout that opens the three-fight telecast. Raul Márquez will occupy dual roles during the broadcast, first as his son’s trainer and cornerman and then later as an expert analyst alongside his colleagues ringside.

He will be joined by Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calling the action with veteran combat sports reporter Brian Campbell also serving as an expert analyst, and Hall of Famer Steve Farhood remotely performing unofficial scoring duties. The executive producer of ShoBox: The New Generation is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

The event is promoted by Holden Productions.

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For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 86 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

Los Angeles, CA (March 3, 2022)–This past Thursday junior welterweight Fradimil Macayo won a tough eight-round unanimous decision over Armando Ramirez Almanza in Ciudad, Mexico.

The scores were 79-73 and 78-74 twice. The fight was streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.

The 29 year-old Macayo is from Carupano, Venezuela, who is promoted by Shapiro Sports and Entertainment.

With the win, Macayo improved to 16-1 with 13 knockouts, and will look to enter the top-15 in the major sanctioning body.

“Macayo showed why so many people were high on him after the Olympic games. This was the perfect fight for him to showcase his abilities to over 3 million of his countrymen who were watching the fight in Venezuela. He showed heart, grit, and the will to win at all costs. I am very excited about his future, and the plans we have for him should result in even more success.” – Shane Shapiro, President, Shapiro Sports & Entertainment

“First I want to thank God for this victory. He has seen first hand all the suffering I have been through with the poverty in my country. Going from sleeping on the streets in Venezuela to fighting on television for my entire country, I am so thankful. Thank you to my promoter Shane Shapiro, who has believed in me, and given me the opportunities to change my life. I am forever grateful. Also a big thank you to my Coach James Gogue, who has been helping me endlessly to transition my craft to the next level. I am ready for whatever comes next.” said an elated Fradimil Macayo

 NEW YORK (March 2, 2022) — The fight is back on!  Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, boxing’s most dominant middleweight of his era, is bringing the Big Drama Show and his IBF and IBO world title belts to his opponent’s backyard, Japan, where he will rumble with two-time WBA middleweight kingpin Ry?ta Murata (16-2, 13 KOs), in a long-awaited title unification fight.  Promoted by Teiken Promotions Inc., in association with GGG Promotions, Golovkin vs. Murata takes place Saturday, April 9 (it had been originally scheduled for December 29 before being postponed because of the Omicron outbreak), and will be streamed live from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, which border’s Murata’s hometown of Tokyo, to over 200 countries and territories, including the U.S., exclusively on DAZN (excluding Japan and Kazakhstan).  In a battle of two-time world champions and Olympic medalists, Golovkin and Murata will be looking to put their stamp on, arguably, boxing’s most storied weight class. They boast a combined record of 57-3-1, 49 KOs — a winning percentage of over 93% — with 86% of their victories coming by way of  knockout. 

            “I am glad that the date has finally been set.  I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers from Japan for their hard work and full support of the upcoming unification fight,” said Golovkin.  “Ry?ta Murata is an outstanding champion.  I believe that boxing fans from this beautiful country and around the world will see an exciting event.  I look forward to getting back in the ring and bringing the Big Drama Show to Japan.”

            “It is an honor to share the ring with the great champion Gennadiy Golovkin,” said Murata.  “I am extremely pleased to be part of this historic middleweight title unification fight here in Japan.  On April 9th, victory will be mine and Japan will have a unified World Middleweight Champion.”   

            “We cannot wait to have Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin back on DAZN, facing off against Ry?ta Murata for the WBA, IBF, and IBO Middleweight World Titles,” said Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN.  “Murata takes a big step up against the middleweight king GGG, who looks to continue his reign in the division after dismantling Szeremeta last time out.  This is set to be a brilliant fight, and we’re thrilled to have it live on DAZN on April 9^th.”

            Golovkin, who has worn a world championship belt every year since 2010, will be looking to build on his division-record of successful title defenses, which currently stands at 21.  He returns to the ring in the midst of his second reign as a middleweight world champion.  Golovkin regained the IBF and IBO middleweight titles in 2019 with a unanimous decision victory over top-rated contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko, a three-time world title challenger.  It was a hellacious toe-to-toe slugfest that had the frenzied crowd at Madison Square Garden on its feet for the entire 12 rounds.  Many considered it the Fight of the Year.  In his last fight, on December 18, 2020, Golovkin scored four knockdowns against undefeated mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta, en route to a seventh-round stoppage and a record 21st successful middleweight title defense.  Golovkin’s Big Drama Show has packed iconic arenas around the world, selling out Madison Square Garden, The O2 in London, the Fabulous Forum and StubHub Center in Los Angeles, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.  This will be his first time fighting in Japan.  His 11-year rampage on the middleweight division has also attracted millions of viewers who have watched him on premium cable, pay-per-view, and DAZN.  He earned an Olympic silver medal as a middleweight in the 2004 summer games in Athens.       

            Murata’s two world title reigns have begun with stoppage victories in immediate  rematches that avenged losses.  After losing a split decision to Hassan N’Dam on May 20, 2017, for the vacant WBA middleweight title, he dethroned N’Dam in the seventh round five months later, on October 22, 2017.  After a successful title defense — an eighth-round TKO of Emanuele Blandamura on April 15, 2018 — Murata lost his title to Rob Brant via a unanimous decision on October 20, 2018.  Nine months later, on July 12, 2019, Murata stopped Brant in the second round to reclaim the WBA middleweight title.  In his last fight, before the pandemic, Murata successfully defended his title with a fifth-round TKO of once-beaten Steven Butler.  The six-foot Murata, one of Japan’s most popular athletes, first came to the world’s attention when he captured the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2012 Olympics held in London.  It was the first gold medal won by a Japanese boxer since Takao Sakurai in 1964, and also Japan’s first-ever boxing medal in a weight class other than bantamweight or flyweight.  Murata also became the 100th gold medalist in Japanese Olympic history.  Murata’s last eight victories have come by way of stoppage.

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 2, 2022) – Orange County’s rising star, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA will take on Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) as the co-main event to Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael McKinson on Saturday, March 19. The duo will face off in a West Coast vs. East Coast, career-defining, 10-round welterweight battle at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live, worldwide, on DAZN.

“I know what is expected of me at this stage of my career; I’m expected to knock people out,” said Alexis Rocha. “I own and embrace that expectation. I know Blair and have watched him develop. He’s a good fighter, but I am confident I will win in explosive fashion. He’s a southpaw and I’ve sparred with the best southpaws in the world, from Pacquiao to Josh Taylor. I’m ready for this fight.”

“This is my moment to prove that I am a fighter to be feared in the welterweight division,” said Blair Cobbs. “I am ready for this challenge and can assure all my West Coast and East Coast fans that I am here to win and make a name for myself.”

“Both Alexis and Blair are shining stars in the Golden Boy stable,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “They have grown up here, we have developed their careers, and now they are ready for the next big challenge in their boxing careers. I am excited to see what they will both do in the ring and feel that on March 19th we will see a new star emerge.”

After a strong performance and knockout victory over Jeovanis Barraza on the undercard of Munguia vs. Rosado at the Honda Center in November 2021; Alexis “Lex” Rocha is ready to continue his winning streak. A victory over Blair Cobbs could be the career-defining opportunity Rocha has been waiting for to prove he has what it takes to climb the elite ranks of the welterweight division. This wouldn’t be the first challenge the Southern California native has faced. He has successfully defeated tough competitors, including James Bacon, Berlin Abreu, Roberto Valenzuela Jr., and Brad Solomon.

One of the most popular fighters to come out of Freddie Roach’s stable at Westside Boxing Club, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs, was last seen in a spectacular fifth-round TKO victory over the seasoned Brad Solomon in El Paso, TX, in June 2021. Undefeated in his career, except for a draw early on in 2018, Cobbs is no stranger to adversity as he has taken on and defeated tough opposition like Ferdinand Kerovyan, Estevan Villalobos, and Samuel Kotey Neequaye. Now, the undefeated welterweight is ready for the next stage of his career as he faces the fan-favorite Alexis Rocha on March 19.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

LAS VEGAS (March 2, 2022) — Former junior lightweight world champion Miguel “El Alacrán” Berchelt, the fighting pride of Cancun, Mexico, has his sights squarely on the lightweight division’s top names. Berchelt will battle Namibian contender Jeremiah Nakathila in the 10-round main event Saturday, March 26 at the Resorts World Events Center located at Resorts World Las Vegas.

Berchelt-Nakathila marks the debut sporting event at Resorts World Las Vegas, which opened June 2021 as the first integrated resort to be built on The Strip in over a decade.

In the 10-round co-feature, top featherweight contenders Jose Enrique “El Ejecutor” Vivas and Enrique “El Gemelo” Baez will meet in a guaranteed all-action clash with potential world title implications. Berchelt-Nakathila and Vivas-Baez will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, tickets starting at $25 go on sale Thursday, March 3 at noon PST, and can be purchased at www.rwlasvegas.com/experiences/top-rank.

“Miguel Berchelt is motivated to become a two-weight world champion, and he has a formidable test in his lightweight debut against Jeremiah Nakathila,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It is a great honor to promote the first boxing event at Resorts World Las Vegas, a fantastic new property we hope will host many fight nights in the coming years.”

“As we developed Resorts World Las Vegas, entertainment was always an integral piece of our business strategy, and as part of that, we envisioned having major sporting events take place on our property,” said Scott Sibella, President of Resorts World Las Vegas. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with an industry leader like Top Rank to host this event and look forward to welcoming fans to the first-ever Resorts World Las Vegas fight night experience.”   

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) won the WBC world title in January 2017 and defended that belt six times, becoming one of boxing’s longest-reigning world champions. Five of his title defenses came by knockout, including a ninth-round triumph over Miguel Roman and a fourth-round blitzing of former world champion Jason Sosa. Berchelt’s momentum was halted in February 2021, when he lost his world title in a dramatic showdown against Oscar Valdez. Berchelt was knocked out in the 10^th round by Valdez and soon looked to regain his championship form in another division.

“I am ready to turn the page and show the fans I have what it takes to become a two-division world champion,” Berchelt said. “The Valdez fight is in the past, and my focus is on Nakathila and a lightweight world title in 2022. ‘El Alacran’ is back, and I can’t wait to come to Resorts World Las Vegas to put on a show.”

Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs) is a former WBO Africa and WBO Global junior lightweight titlist who is one of Namibia’s most decorated fighters. He went undefeated for more than four years, and last June, he made his Las Vegas debut against Shakur Stevenson for the WBO interim junior lightweight world title. Nakathila lost a clear points verdict to the unbeaten phenom, but he returned in fine form last October with a second-round stoppage over Ndodana Ncube. The 32-year-old Nakathila hopes to score the upset and a spot among the lightweight elites.

Nakathila said, “It’s an amazing opportunity to fight Berchelt. Given our styles, it will make for a highly entertaining fight. This is my lightweight debut, and I’m looking forward to my first win against a highly rated former champion.”

Vivas (21-1, 11 KOs), from Texcoco, Mexico, has won four straight fights and emerged as a contender to watch during the “Bubble” in 2020 with standout performances against Carlos Jackson and John Vincent Moralde. Last May, in one of the year’s best toe-to-toe affairs, he recovered from a pair of third-round knockdowns to edge Louie Coria by unanimous decision. Baez (20-2-2, 7 KOs), from Mexicali, Mexico, is a former Mexican junior featherweight champion who is now testing the featherweight waters. Last March, he notched a one-sided decision over the previously undefeated Abimael Ortiz, which came a little more than three months after a near-shutout verdict over Narek Abgaryan. Baez saw his 12-bout unbeaten streak snapped with a razor-thin majority decision loss to Ra’eese Aleem. 

ARLINGTON, TX. – March 2, 2022 – WBC and IBF world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBA world champion Yordenis Ugas will square off in a welterweight title unification clash that headlines a SHOWTIME PPV on Saturday, April 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in a Premier Boxing Champions event. Spence vs. Ugas is just the 12^th unification fight in the rich history of the welterweight division, joining other classic matchups such as “Sugar” Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns I and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. 

One of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, Spence looks to add a third welterweight championship belt to his resume when he returns to fight at AT&T Stadium in front of his hometown fans for the third time. Cuba’s Ugas has torn through the welterweight division since 2016, winning 12 of his last 13 fights, including most recently securing his WBA championship with a unanimous decision victory over legendary eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao in August.

“Errol Spence vs. Yordenis Ugas is a fight that will once again show the world how passionate boxing fans are in North Texas,” said Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones. “AT&T Stadium was built to host big time events like this one, and we’re grateful to join with SHOWTIME, TGB Promotions, Man Down Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions for this incredible showdown on April 16.“

“SHOWTIME Sports^® is proud to present one of the biggest events of 2022 and stylistically a can’t-miss matchup,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “The history of the welterweight division is chock-full of legendary fights but precious few title unifications. Much credit should be given to Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas for embracing this challenge and putting their titles on the line. But it’s not surprising. Spence is the best welterweight in boxing. There’s no debate when you consider his performances over the past several years. That being said, Yordenis Ugas is coming off the biggest win of his career. His confidence is sky high and he has the skills to back it up. If you had to pick a winner, it would be the fans.”     

“The star-studded welterweight division will add yet another chapter to its dramatic history of memorable matchups when Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas go toe-to-toe for a highly-anticipated unification showdown on Saturday, April 16,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Spence has proven himself as one of the sport’s elite fighters and will have another opportunity to make history in front of his hometown fans, who have come out in droves for his last two fights at AT&T Stadium. This could be the toughest test of his career, as Yordenis Ugas enters this bout highly-confident in his ability after he stepped in to defeat Manny Pacquiao last summer.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Man Down Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.

Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) returns to the ring after he was forced to pull out of a summer showdown against Pacquiao due to an eye injury that he has since recovered from. The 31-year-old was launched into stardom when he first captured a welterweight crown by traveling to the U.K. to stop Kell Brook in front of Brook’s hometown fans in 2017 on SHOWTIME. Following triumphs over Lamont Peterson and Carlos Ocampo, Spence added the WBC 147-pound belt to his collection by dropping Shawn Porter on his way to a unanimous decision victory in one of 2019’s best matchups.

Fighting out of his native Desoto, Texas, Spence has twice competed at AT&T Stadium, the home of his beloved Dallas Cowboys. He has earned unanimous decision victories at the venue in March 2019 over four-division champion Mikey Garcia, and in December 2020 against two-division champion Danny Garcia. Spence represented the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics before turning pro later that year and scoring knockouts in 10 of his first 12 fights, showing the promise that he would eventually fulfill on the biggest stages of the sport.

“There’s nothing better than fighting in front of my hometown fans at AT&T Stadium,” said Spence. “This is the perfect stage for me to fight for a third welterweight world title and unify the championships. I’m healthy and ready to go. Yordenis Ugas has proven to be a tough champion and I know he will bring his very best. It’s a high-stakes fight on a big stage and that always brings out the best in me. The fans should expect fireworks at AT&T Stadium and on SHOWTIME PPV on April 16.’’

Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) has established himself as an elite welterweight since returning from a layoff in 2016 and elevating himself to world champion in January 2021 after winning a WBA belt by defeating Abel Ramos in September 2020. He solidified his world-championship status last August, when he stepped in for an injured Spence to defeat Pacquiao by unanimous decision.

Hailing from Santiago, Cuba and now living in Miami, Florida, Ugas was on an eight-fight winning streak before losing a narrow split-decision to Shawn Porter in his first world title fight in March 2019, having been edged out on the scorecards after what appeared to be a 12^th-round knockdown in his favor was ruled a slip by the referee. The Olympic bronze medalist trains in Las Vegas with renowned coach Ismael Salas and owns victories over then undefeated fighters Jamal James, Omar Figueroa Jr. and Bryant Perrella, plus veteran contenders Thomas Dulorme and Ray Robinson.

“It’s a tremendous blessing to be in another big pay-per-view fight, especially against a great champion and top pound-for-pound fighter like Errol Spence Jr.,” said Ugas. “These are the types of fights that fans deserve. We both have plenty of time to prepare for each other, which means we are primed and ready to give the fans a show. I have a great trainer in Ismael Salas, who will have me prepared for battle. On fight night everyone will see a man at his best both physically and mentally. I’m pleased to have a hard-working team behind me and I’m thankful for this opportunity. On April 16 the energy in AT&T Stadium will be amazing.”

#          #          #

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

About AT&T Stadium:

AT&T Stadium is one of the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venues in the world.  Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world.  Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year round.  The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 50 pieces from an international array of curated artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue.  In addition to being the Home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches, and other special events.  For more information, go to www.attstadium.com.

PLANT CITY, FL (March 1, 2022) – Rising prospects, cruiserweight Najee Lopez (3-0, 3 KOs) and welterweight Tommy Wu (1-0), both scored victories this past Friday on a card promoted by Garry Jonas of Pro Box Promotions. The bouts took place at the Whitesands Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

Lopez, who hails from Ellwood, GA, was impressive as he defeated veteran journeyman Alex Theran (23-7, 15 KOs) with a second-round TKO. Lopez dropped Theran in the opening round, then finished him off in round two. After the short night, Lopez is ready to get right back to business.

“It felt fantastic to score another knockout this early in my career,” said Lopez. “I have a lot of confidence and I know I can defeat many of the top guys in the division right now. I’m going to take it one fight at a time, but I’m definitely ready to keep stepping up my competition. I’ll be right back in the gym ready to go for March 25th.

Tommy Wu, who was making his pro debut, won a unanimous decision against Anthony Curtiss (3-14, 2 KOs). Wu used his superior boxing skills and lateral movement to secure a nice win. Scorecards read 40-36 twice and 39-36.

“It was a great experience to get my pro debut out of the way,” said Wu, who has a tremendous following on social media. “I’m still learning and getting my first win as a professional is a big weight off my back. I know with more fights, I’ll be getting better and better.”

“I was really impressed with Lopez who beat a very experienced fighter in Theran,” said manager Tim VanNewhouse. “My plan is to move him a little more quickly than most at his level of experience. If Najee develops the way his team and I believe, I can see him being ranked before his tenth pro fight. As for Wu, he has all the tools to become something special, with some more professional coaching I will get him into a great position. I want to keep these guys busy and fighting at least five times a year.”

POMONA, CA. (March 1, 2022) – Rising unbeaten prospect Ashton “H2O” Sylve scored an impressive one-punch knockout victory this past Saturday night as he defeated Aldimar Silva in the second round in front of a sold out crowd in Pomona, California.

“It was a great night,” said Sylve post fight. “A sold out crowd turned out to watch me take on a veteran opponent with a great track record. I worked really hard in training camp and it paid off. I wanted to give the fans an exciting fight. We came with a game plan, stuck to that plan and put on a great performance.”

“It was a spectacular night,” said Ivan Sylve, Ashton’s father and trainer. “I’ve always known and said that Ashton is special, and now the world gets to see his unmatched talents.”

The 18-year-old Sylve improved his pro record to 6-0, with six knockouts, as he delivered a bruising left hook to finish off Silva 32 seconds into round two, thrilling a star-studded crowd that included former NFL star Willie McGinest, YouTuber Fousey, MMA Champion A.J. McKee, pro boxer Raquel Miller, and rappers Manny Montana, P Nice, DW Flames, TayF3rd and Allen Maldonado. WATCH THE K.O. VIDEO HERE

“It was very special to have my U.S. debut in front of my hometown crowd,” said Sylve. “I felt the energy of my family, friends and fans and I wanted to give them a great night to remember.”

A former amateur standout who turned pro in October 2020, Sylve stepped up in competition against the Brazilian Silva on Saturday night. Silva had not been stopped since 2018, and has faced former world champions including Jorge Arce and Juan Manuel Lopez during his pro career.

“Before the fight, people were asking me why we are taking on such a tough opponent at this early stage in Ashton’s career,” said Ivan Sylve. “I think we answered that question tonight.”

Now, Sylve and his father will look forward to building on the success from Saturday night and look to carry that momentum into Ashton’s next fight.

“Ashton works harder than anyone and his skills speak for themselves,” said Ivan Sylve. “The journey continues and I’m so happy with where we are.”

“This is just the beginning,” said Sylve. “I’ll be back in the gym on Monday training and working hard for my next fight in March.”

Sylve will return to the ring on March 26 in Orlando, Florida. Additional details will be announced shortly.

QUINCY, Mass. (March 1, 2022) – Granite Chin Promotions returns to the Granite State on March 19th with another professional boxing card, “Slugfest,” at New England Sports Center in Derry, New Hampshire.

“Slugfest” will be the second Granite Chin event promoted three weeks having presented “Showcase” this past Saturday night in Framingham, Massachusetts.

“After an exciting show in Framingham last weekend,” Granite State president Chris Traietti said, “I am excited to get back to Derry, New Hampshire, where we have had a ton of success during the last two years.”

Undefeated lightweight prospect Nicholas “Saint Nick” Molina (7-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Lowell, Massachusetts, will headline “Slugfest” in an 8-round bout against “Outlaw” Ryan Venable (2-10, 6 KOs).

In the co-featured event, Woburn (MA) middleweight Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste (3-1, 2 KOs) faces Brian Urday (1-0), of Whitman (MA), in an 8-round match.

Other fighters scheduled to be fighting on “Slugfest” include former New England Heavyweight Champion Justin “Crazy Train” Rolfe (6-3-1, 4 KOs), New Bedford (MA) Edet Mkpanam (5-0, 4 KOs), Providence’s pro-debuting welterweight Michael Vongsavath, Jr., Swansea (MA) super welterweight Anthony Andreozzi (1-2, 1 KO), Metheun (MA) heavyweight Viktor “The Siberian Express” Lobov, and Pittsfield (MA) brothers, super middleweight Steve Sumpter (4-0, 4 KOs) and heavyweight Quinton Sumpter (2-0, 2 KOs).

“There are a lot of fights in this card that will be well worth the price of admission,” Traietti added. “We are happy to have Nick Molina on a Granite Chin card for the first time, as well as debuting Viktor Lobov. Fans will also get a good dose of notoriously exciting fighters such as Julien Baptiste, Jason Rolfe, Anthony Andreozzi, and the return of Edet Mkpanam.”

Card subject to change.

Tickets are available for purchase at www.TicketRiver.com (Search: SLUGFEST). Ticket prices are $35.00 (Bleacher Seating), $45.00 (Floor Seating, and $260.00 for a table of 4.

Doors open at 6:30 pm. ET with the first bout at 7:00 p.m. ET.

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/GraniteChin

Twitter: @Granite_Chin

OBREGON, Sonora, Mexico (February 28, 2022) – Last Thursday night, Luis “Koreano” Torres (15-0, 10 KOs) and Irving “Poderoso” Castillo (10-2, 6 KOs) were semifinal winners of the World Cup Boxing Series (WCBS) “4-Man Lightweight Tournament” on the first 2022 installment of RJJ Boxing Promotions on UFC FIGHT PASS®, at Palenque de la Expo in Obregón, Sonora, Mexico.

The two tournament fights and three other bouts were streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. To sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com

Torres, the former WBC Youth Silver Lightweight Champion, and Castillo advanced to this spring’s “WCBS Lightweight Tournament” at a date and site to be determined.

In the main event, Torres knocked out Rodolfo “Rudy” Flores (14-6, 6 KOs) in round four, after dropping him in the second and third rounds. The pre-tournament favorite, 20-year-old Torres headlined the card in his hometown of Obregon.

Torres semis.jpg
Luis “Koreano” Torres

In the co-featured event, decorated United States amateur Quinton Randall (8-0-1, 2 KOs) and Ivan “Ivan “Zurdo” Alvarez (31-13-2, 21 KOs) fought for the vacant WBC USNBC Silver Welterweight Championship. An unintentional headbutt caused a severe cut over Alvarez’ right end, leading to a second-round technical draw.

Castillo took an 8-round majority decision over Isai “Gaga” Hernandez (11-3-1, 7 KOs) to set-up his showdown against Torres in the “WCBS Lightweight Tournament” championship final.

In two other lightweight fights on UFC FIGHT PASS, Venezuelan Fradimil Macayo (16-1, 13 KOs) went the distance for only the third time in his career, winning an 8-round unanimous decision versus previously unbeaten Armando Ramirez Almanza (5-1-1, 2 KOs), of Mexico; undefeated 19-year-old prospect Jorge “Jorgito” Cota (7-0, 5 KOs) – the youngest in the famed Mexican fightin’ Montiel family – stopped his Guatemalan opponent Rene “Kampana” de Leon Mazariegos (7-4, 4 KOs) in the third round.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN EVENT – WCBS 4-MAN LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS

Luis Torres (15-0, 10 KOs), Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

WTKO4 (0:49)

Rodolfo Flores (14-6, 6 KOs), Los Mochis, Nuevo Leon, México.

(Torres advances to WCBS Lightweight Tournament Championship final)

CO-FEATURE – VACANT WBC USNBC SILVER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Quinton Randall (8-0-1, 2 KOs), Houston, Texas, USA

TD2

Ivan Alvarez (31-13-2, 21 KOs), Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, México.

WCBS 4-MAN LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS

Irving Castillo (10-2, 6 KOs), Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, México

WDEC8 (77-74, 76-75, 76-75)

Isai Hernandez (11-3-1, 7 KOs), La Paz, Baja California, México

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Fradimil Macayo (16-1, 13 KOs), Carúpano, Venezuela.

WDEC8 (77-74, 76-75, 76-75)

Armando Ramirez Almanza (5-1-1, 2 KOs), Celaya, Guanajuato, México.

Jorge Lugo Cota (7-0, 5 KOs), Los Mochis, Sinaloa, México

WKO3 (2:59)

Rene de Leon Mazariegos (7-4, 4 KOs), Celaya, Guanajuato, México

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com

Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /WorldCupBoxingSeries

Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial

Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @WorldCup_Boxing_Series, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combat sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

Reading, PA (February 28, 2022)–King’s Promotions has announced the signing of 2021 Olympian Euri Cedeño Martinez to a promotional contract.

Euri had qualified for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and had to put his professional career on hold. At the Tokyo Olympics, Cedeño Martinez reached the quarterfinals after a 67 second knockout against Eldric Sella from Venezuela in the opening round of the tournament. In the second round he outpointed Francisco Daniel Veron from Argentina, before losing a split decision in a very competitive fight against the heavily favorite Oleksandr Khyzhniak from Ukraine.

Euri Cedeño Martinez started boxing at age five, as he was inspired by his father who was a boxing trainer in the Dominican Republic. Throughout his amateur career, he amassed numerous national titles, and represented his nation at every major international tournament. His most recent achievement was winning the Independent Cup International Tournament where he stopped all of his opponents on his way to the gold medal.

“Winning the Independent Cup was a good way to finish my amateur career. I’m very excited to start my journey in the professional ranks,” said Cedeño Martinez.

The 22-year-old takes the next step toward that goal after signing with advisor Trifon Petrov. For Cedeño Martinez the decision came down to trusting Petrov’s deal making abilities and his character.

“Trifon Petrov has been around the game and has a very solid stable of young fighters. I’m very excited to be a part of his team. He is a very genuine person and I saw qualities in him that I did not see in other managers who wanted to sign me, it was an easy decision to trust him with my career,” said Euri Cedeño Martinez.

For Petrov, it was a combination of his boxing abilities and character that made him pursue the Dominican prospect.

“With over 400 amateur fights and countless achievements in the amateurs, Euri is a true blue chip prospect. Above all, he is a great human being and I think he’ll be a great role model for the upcoming generation of young athletes,” said Trifon Petrov.

After linking with Petrov, Euri Cedeño Martinez signed with very well respected promoter in Marshall Kauffman and Andrew Foy of Kings Boxing.

The Pennsylvania based company has proved they can build a fighter from the ground up over and over again. Marshall Kauffman has promoted well over 130 events across all big media platforms such as Showtime and Fox.

“I wanted to sign with Marshall Kauffman as I heard great things from my advisor and my brother who has known Mr. Kauffman for a couple of years. I have seen the work Marshall and Andrew have done with all the fighters under Kings Boxing, the work they were able to do with WBA interim World Champion Ra’eese Aleem and the WBC/IBO unified World Champion Alycia Baumgardner speaks for itself. I’m very excited to work with Kings Boxing,” said Cedeño Martinez.

Marshall Kauffman, who was recently inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame can’t wait to see his new prodigy in action.

“It’s such a rarity to see a fighter who is a complete package at such a young age. At only 22 years old Cedeño Martinez has all the physical gifts, mental toughness and ring savvy to achieve greatness in the sport of boxing,” said Kauffman.

Euri Cedeño Martinez will be training in Reading, Pennsylvania under the tutelage of Denny Rivera known as “Sensei”. Rivera is well known from his work with World Champions such as Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Elio Rojas and Cesar Seda.

Martinez decided to follow his older brother Hendri’s footsteps and turn professional. Hendri Cedeño Martinez amassed a record of 4-0 in his first year as a professional fighter. While both brothers wanted to turn professional together, Euri’s debut was on hold due to competing in the Olympics.

NEW YORK (February 28, 2022) – It was a perfect weekend for Split-T Management fighters as six members of the top management stable posted wins in as many outings.

On Thursday, Sonny Conto remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Mike Marshall in front of a capacity crowd at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia.

Conto dominated the fight as he was able to land hard shots to the head and body. He was very effective with his jab that eventually set up some nice straight rights and left hooks to the body. Marshall showed a good chin, but was never able to get any consistent offense of his own on-track.

Conto, 226.1 lbs of Philadelphia won by shutout margins of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 9-0. Marshall, 248.8 lbs of Danbury, CT is 6-3-1.

Conto is promoted by Top Rank.

On Friday night, Marques and Dominic Valle scored impressive stoppage victories in Plant City, Florida.

Marques Valle needed just 89 seconds to dispose of Robbie Rose in their scheduled six-round welterweight contest.

Valle of Wesley Chapel, Florida is now 4-0 with four knockouts. Rose of Richburg, South Carolina is 1-2.

Dominick Valle stopped Nelson Colon Torres in round three of a scheduled four-round super featherweight contest.

Valle raises his perfect record to 3-0 with three knockouts. Torres of Vayey, Puerto Rico is 4-7.

The Valle brothers are promoted by ProBox Promotions.

On Saturday night in Philadelphia, Ray Robinson shook off a two-and-a-half year layoff by stopping veteran Silverio Ortiz after round three of a scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout in front of a big crowd at the 2300 Arena.

The eight-bout card was promoted by RDR Promotions.

Robinson was very sharp with his punches as he continuously banged shots off the head of Ortiz. Robinson had a big round three as he had Ortiz in trouble several times. The corner of Ortiz had seen enough and bowed their charge out of the fight.

Robinson of Philadelphia is 25-3-2 with 13 knockouts. Ortiz of Mexico is 37-29.

In Atlanta, super middleweight, Money Powell IV stopped veteran Fidel Monterrosa Munoz in round two of their scheduled eight-round bout.

Powell dropped Munoz three-times in the opening round from body shots. Munoz also had a point deducted for spitting out his mouthpiece.

With the win, Powell is now 13-1 with eight knockouts. Munoz is 39-28-1.

In the Dominican Republic, Yan Santana moved to 3-0 with a 2nd round knockout over Juan Ysabel.

LAS VEGAS, NV (February 28, 2022) – Super bantamweight prospect,
Darren “The Gift” Cunningham (15-1, 8 KOs), continued to impress in his comeback campaign with a first-round knockout against Ernesto Guerrero (33-33, 19 KOs). Cunningham vs. Guerrero was an 8-round bout that took place this past Friday at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona, on a card promoted by Ironboy Combat Sports.

In the opening minuets of round one, Cunningham set the tone by landing a powerful overhand right to the head of Guerrero, forcing him to fight on his back foot. In the latter half of the round, Cunningham connected with a damaging left hook to the body that send Guerrero to the canvas. After failing to get up, the referee stopped the bout and the fight was over.”

With the win, Cunningham is now back on a winning streak having won his last two fights since suffering his first defeat as a professional. The plan is to have him back in the ring by late March.

“I knew I hade to make an impressive statement in this fight because every bout from here on out is crucial to me climbing up the rankings.” said Cunningham, a St. Louis native who trains in Las Vegas. “I took no punishment against Guerrero so I’m hoping to get right back in the ring in March. I have big plans for 2022 and I won’t stop until I get in a position to fight for some kind of title, a regional belt with one of the sanctioning organizations.”

POMONA, CALIF. (February 27, 2022): Australian heavyweight Trent Rawlins (13-2-1, 10 KOs) scored a six-round majority decision win over Santander Sildago (30-11, 24 KOs) of Arboletes, Colombia in the main event of a MarvNation Promotions card Saturday evening in Pomona, Calif.

Rawlins won with scores of 58-54, 58-54 and 56-56. The event, which was billed as BoxFest 2, took place at The Derby Room and was streamed in its entirety on MarvNation’s official YouTube channel.

“I felt great,” said Trent Rawlins. “My opponent was a veteran. He was a tough guy with 30 wins. It was a tough fight and all praise be to God for giving me the victory tonight. I’m going to keep building in order to one day fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.”

In the co-main event, Ashton Sylve (7-0, 7KOs) of Long Beach, Calif. stopped Aldimar Silva (22-19, 14 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Brazil in the second round of a scheduled six-round featherweight fight. Sylve won with a time of 0:32 of the aforementioned round.

Mylik Birdsong (13-0-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. defeated Daniel Perales (12-22, 6 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico via unanimous decision in a six-round welterweight fight. Birdsong won with three scores of 58-55.

Raul Solomon (9-1, 8 KOs) of Long Beach, Calif. beat Jeremy Ramos (11-12, 4 KOs) of Colorado Springs, Colorado via unanimous decision in a six-round super middleweight bout. Solomon won with two scores of 59-55 and one score of 60-54.

Ruben Islas (4-0, 3 KOs) of Rialto, Calif defeated Alen Dudo (0-1) of Sarajevo, Bosnia via unanimous decision in a four-round super featherweight fight. Islas won with three scores 40-36.

Saul Bustos (15-0-1, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. beat Martin Angel (21-20-1,14 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico via unanimous decision in an eight-round 147-pound battle. Bustos won with three scores 80-79.

Alan Garcia (5-0, 4KOs) of Ulysses, Kansas knocked out Luis Norambuena (4-9-1) of Talca, Chile via knockout in the second round of a scheduled four-rounder in the 135-pound division. Garcia won with a time of 0:38 seconds of the round just mentioned.

Lawrence King (11-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. defeated Abel Nicolas Adriel (25-23-3, 5 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina via unanimous decision in a six-round super middleweight fight. King won with three scores of 60-54.

Juan Sanchez (2-0, 2KO) of Buena Park, Calif. knocked out Chilean prospect Javier Lara (2-1) in the first round of a scheduled six-round welterweight fight. Sanchez won with a time of 2:51.

Sincere Brooks (2-0) of Long Beach, Calif. won against Andres Abarca (2-8) of Normandy Park, Washington via four-round unanimous decision in a super lightweight bout. Brooks won with two scores of 40-36 and one score of 39-37.

William King (2-0) of Perris, Calif. beat Michaels Mendez (0-3) of Las Vegas, Nevada. via unanimous decision in a four-round super lightweight bout. King won with two scores of 40-36 and one score of 39-37.

Rawlins vs. Silgado was a six-round heavyweight fight presented by MarvNation Promotions. The event took place on Saturday, Feb. 26 at The Derby Room in Pomona Calif. The entire card was streamed live on MarvNation’s official YouTube channel.

For more information, follow MarvNation on Instagram and Twitter @MarvNation_.

About MarvNation
MarvNation Promotions was founded in 2014 by Marvin Rodriguez and was created with a vision to not only create concerts or boxing events, but to also create experiences for the fans. In 2018, after noticing a lack of support for many young and hungry prospects without an extensive Olympic and amateur background, MarvNation involved itself in the sport of boxing with a mission to make a way for these young prospects and develop them into top contenders and champions in the sport. Established both on a national and international level, MarvNation is here to bring you the best of boxing and live entertainment.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (February 27, 2022) – Granite Chin Promotions successfully kicked-off its 2022 campaign last night with “Showcase,” featuring many of New England’s best and most popular professional boxers, at Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Only the second pro boxing event ever held in Framingham, “Showcase” was streamed live on bxngtv.com. Granite Chin Promotions’ next event will be March 19 in Derry, New Hampshire.

“This was the club show of all club shows,” promoter Chris Traietti said. “We had three fighters get their first pro wins. Then, we saw the cream rise. We asked Denzel (Whitley) and Carlos (Castillo) to step up and they did their jobs. The difference between Denzel and his father (Derrick) and uncle (Darren) is that Denzel has somebody to look out for him. (Denzel’s father and uncle are his coaches and both former pro fighters.) They (father and uncle) had people who exploited their toughness. I’m going to capitalize on his talent. He will be in his first scheduled 8-rounder in his next fight this June.”

In the main event, Puerto Rico-native Jeffrey Torres (10-1, 6 KOs) used his height, length and skill advantages against his Mexican opponent, Israel “Filipino” Rojas (14-26, 5 KOs), who was unable to withstand Torres’ assault right from the opening bell. Rojas was dropped early by an overhand right, and he immediately got on his bicycle, but the change in strategy didn’t work. Rojas went down again, this time from a right cross, and the fight ended when the referee didn’t like the way Rojas responded after he beat the count.

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Jeffrey Torres (R) was too much for Israel Rojas to handle

Rising welterweight prospect Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (8-0, 6 KOs) stopped converted MMA fighter Alfred “Keenan” Raymond (1-1, 0 KOs) in the third round. Whitley started putting his punches together in round two and in the third, he dropped Raymond with an overhand right and the fight was stopped because Raymond injured his right shoulder when he landed awkwardly, and he was unable to continue.

“I give myself a C+ because I should have started faster,” Whitley harshly graded himself. “He was a good opponent who brought it to me and that’s what I needed. I’m still undefeated! I’m working my way up to eight rounds and fighting better competition. I’m going to push it to the limit.”

CF.jpg
Denzel Whitley (L) improved to 8-0

Rising welterweight prospect Josniel “TG” Castro 8-0-1, 6 KOs) suffered a cut over his left eye from an unintentional clash of heads versus Jesus Rivera Garces (18-27-1, 12 KOs), the former WBC Youth World Super Lightweight Champion from Mexico. The fight was stopped in round three on the advice of the ring doctor and declared a no contest.

In a fight that could have been held in the proverbial phone booth, light heavyweight Stephen “Clubber” Langlais (4-1, 3 KOs) out-slugged Scott “Scotty Bombs” Lampert (2-4, 2 KOs), who lived up to his nickname early in the fight. Langlais went downstairs in the second round, in which Lampert took a knee, and a straight right to the stomach dropped Lampert, leading to the referee stopping the fight.

Super middleweight Laurent Humes (4-0, 4 KOs) knocked down a game Juan Celin Zapata (6-21-2, 4 KOs) four times in the opening round en route to a first-round technical knockout. Humes used a left hook to the head for the first two knockdowns, then went downstairs with a left hook to the body for Zapata’s third trip to the canvas, followed by another left hook to the body that ended the show with two seconds remaining in round one.

Young junior middleweight Carlos Castillo (5-0, 3 KOs) needed rounds and he got six from Antonio Chaves Fernandez (9-42-4, 3 KOs) to win a 6-round majority decision. Castillo, 23, fought in his first scheduled six-round and was taken the distance by the always difficult Fernandez.

Undefeated southpaw prospect Steve Sumpter (4-0, 4 KOs) needed only 1:03 to dismiss super middleweight David Rohn (0-12-1). Sumpter dropped Rohn on the seat of his trunks with a straight right and soon after he closed the show with a left hook that led the referee to stop the fight.

Brazilian junior middleweight Maycon Oller (1-3, 1 KO) upset Jamer Jones (2-1, 2 KOs) in the second round. Jones used his jab as a range seeker, moved inside, and battered Oller throughout the opening round. But Oller came back strong in the second, catching Jones with a couple of head-snapping punches. One sent Jones flying onto the ropes that was ruled a knockdown, but he was hurt and when Oller connected on a few more solid shots and he was out on his feet, when the referee wisely halted the action.

Framingham rivals Saul “The Spider” Almeida (1-14-4, 1 KO) and Kevin “Lucky” Lewis were in a grudge match. Lewis’ pro debut was anything but lucky for him as he was unable to continue after three rounds against cruiserweight Almeida, a Brazilian MMA fighter of note in New England. The two were supposed to fight each other last October, but Almeida came in overweight and their fight was scrapped. Almeida recorded his first pro boxing win in his 19th fight.

In a battle of previously winless junior middleweights, Anthony “Gentle Savage” Andreozzi (1-2, 1 KO) and Robert Bricks (0-9) came out throwing bombs. The action didn’t slow as Andreozzi landed much more often, mostly with powerhouse exchanges in an all-out brawl. The end came in the second round, when Andreozzi closed the show with a right uppercut from which Bricks never recovered for a second-round technical knockout victory.

Highly decorated amateur Felix Parrilla (4-0, 4 KOs), fighting out of New Haven (CT), completely outclassed his opponent, Ecuadorian junior lightweight Ronny Arana (0-5), who was unable to beat the referee’s count after getting hammered and dropped with a vicious left hook to the body in the opening round. Parrilla was a 4-time New England Golden Gloves Champion, as well as a silver medalist at the 2018 National Golden Gloves Tournament.

Florida junior middleweight prospect Eric Tudor (2-0, 2 KOs) unleashed his fury on Rynell Griffin (8-51-2, 2 KOs), unloading a dozen unanswered punches on Griffin, who was trapped in a neutral corner, until the referee waved off the fight midway through round two.

Journeymen Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (13-50-4, 9 KOs) and Manny “Shake Em’ Up” Woods (17-16-1, 6 KOs) opened the nighty in a competitive fight between veteran middleweights. Smith was the aggressor from the opening round, cutting off the ring and throwing combinations, while Wood relied too often on one big punch, The fight was stopped on the advice of the ring doctor in the ninth round because of cut over Woods’ left eye and awarded a technical knockout to Smith.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN EVENT – JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS

Jeffrey Torres (10-1, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT

WTKO1 (2:59)

Israel Rojas (14-26, 5 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico

CO-FEATURE – WELTERWEIGHTS

Denzel Whitley (8-0, 6 KOs), Holyoke, MA

WTKO3 (2:35)

Alfred Raymond (1-1, 0 KOs) Warwick, RI

CRUISERWEIGHTS

Saul Almeida (1-14-4, 1 KO), Framingham, MA

WTKO3 (3:00)

Kevin Lewis (0-1), Framingham, MA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Stephen Langlais (3-1, 2 KOs), Acushnet, MA

WTKO2 (2:37)

Scott Lampert (2-3, 2 KOs), Dover, NY

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Laurent Humes (4-0, 4 KOs), Enfield, CT

WTKO1 (2:58)

Juan Celin Zapata (6-21-2, 4 KOs), Bronx, NY

Steve Sumpter (4-0, 4 KOs), Pittsfield, MA

WTKO1 (1:03)

David Rohn (0-12-1), Moline, IL

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Larry Smith (13-50-4 (9 KOs), Dallas, TX

WTKO9 (1:59)

Manny Woods (17-16-1, 6 KOs), Saint Petersburg, FL

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Carlos Castillo (5-0, 3 KOs), Holyoke, MA

WDEC6 (59-55, 59-55, 57-57)

Antonio Chaves Fernandez (9-42-4, 3 KOs), Brockton, MA

Maycon Oller (1-3,1 KO), Concord, NH

WKO2 (2:42)

Jamer Jones (2-1, 2 KOs), Pittsfield, MA

Anthony Andreozzi (1-2, 1 KO), Swansea, MA

WTKO2 (1:52)

Robert Bricks (0-9), New York, NY

Eric Tudor (2-0, 2 KOs), Fort Lauderdale, FL

WTKO2 (1:15)

Rynell Griffen (8-51-2, 2 KOs), Las Vegas, NV

WELTERWEIGHTS

Josniel Castro (8-0 1 NC, 6 KOs), Boca Raton, FL

No Contest 3 (2:39)

Juan Jesus Rivera Garces (18-27, 1 NC, 12 KOs), Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS

Felix Parrilla (4-0, 4 KOs), New Haven, CT

WKO1 (2:17)

Ronny Arana (0-5), New York, NY

Lawrence Okolie made the 2nd defense of the WBO Cruiserweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Michal Cieslak at the 02 Arena in London, England.

In round five, Okolie dropped Cieslak with an overhand right to the head.

Okolie landed 125 of 466 punches; Cieslak was 55 of 313.

Okolie, 199.3 lbs of Hackney, ENG won by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 and is now 18-0. Cieslak, 199.5 lbs of Radom, POL is 21-2.

Yafai stops Bautista in 5

2021 Olympic Gold Medal winner Galal Yafai made a successful pro debut with a 5th round stoppage over Carlos Vado Bautista in a scheduled 10-round flyweight bout.

Yafai beat up Bautista over the course of the fight. In round five, Yafai landed a straight left that sent Bautista down, and the fight was stopped.

Yafai, 111.5 lbs of Birmingham, ENG is 1-0 with one knockout. Bautista, 109 1/2 lbs of Mexico City is 10-5-1.

Gill stops Guerfi in 9

Jordan Gill stopped Karim Karim Guerfi in round nine of their featherweight bout

It seemed liked it would be Guerfi’s night as in round seven, Guerfi sent Gill to the canvas with a starlight right hand. In round nine, Gill landed a big right that sent Guerfi crashing down on his back and he was out at 2:59.

Gill, 126 lbs of Chatteris, ENG is 27-1-1 with eight knockouts. Guerfi, 125.3 lbs of Manosque, FRA is 30-6.

Fowler Decisions Maciej

Anthony Fowler won a 10-round unanimous decision over Lukasz Maciej in a middleweight fight.

Fowler, 163.5 lbs of Liverpool, ENG won by scores of 99-91, 99-92 and 99-93 and is now 16-2. Maciej, 163.6 lbs of Lublin, POL is 27-4-1,

Wardley Stops Martz in 2

Fabio Wardley remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Daniel Martz in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

In round two, Wardley dropped Martz with an overhand left-right combination. Wardley scored a 2nd knockdown when he landed a left to the side of the head, and the fight was stopped at 30 seconds.

Wardley, 234.5 lbs of Ipswitch, ENG is 13-0 with 12 knockouts. Martz, 266.2 lbs of Clarksburg, WV is 20-10-1.

Hatton Stops Ducker in 6

Campbell Hatton remained undefeated with a 6th and final round stoppage over Joe Ducker in a lightweight bout.

Hatton dominated the action until the bout was stopped at 2:23.

Hatton, 136.2 of Manchester, ENG is 6-0 with two knockouts. Ducker, 136.7 lbs of Loughbrough, ENG is 9-9-2.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – In what has to be considered the early front runner for upset of the year, previously unheralded Hector Luis Garcia launched himself onto the world stage with a one-sided twelve-round unanimous decision win over former interim champion Chris Colbert on Saturday night at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. With the win, Garcia claims the WBA #1 ranking and sets up a showdown with WBA super featherweight champion Roger Gutierrez. 

Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) of Broolyn, New York got off to a solid start and through three rounds, his speed appeared to be too much for Garcia to handle. Garcia came to life in fourth, but Colbert was up to the challenge, thwarting most rallies with his speed and elusiveness.

In the sixth, Garcia (15-0, 10 KOs) of San Juan de la Maguana, San Juan, Dominican Republic landed some of his more telling blows up to that point in the fight. In the seventh, Garcia, 129.6, landed a picture perfect counter left that rocked Colbert’s world and dropped the Brooklyn native to the shock of the crowd on hand. With only seconds remaining, Colbert, 128.8, evaded enough to last to the eighth. 

Garcia continued to pressure Colbert as the bell to begin the eighth was done sounding. Colbert returned fire as the round came to a close, but it was too late to take the stanza on the cards. Colbert rebounded to great effect in the ninth, landing the more telling blows in the round. However, Garcia came back and dominated much of the action in the tenth. The intensity turned up in the eleventh as fights waged in the crowd, Garcia showed Colbert up in the middle of the ring for moving and retreating. When the fight resumed, Garcia continued his consistent attack with little regard for any return fire. In the twelfth, Colbert lost the support of some of the crowd as he avoided Garcia at nearly all costs, when the situation called for a complete sell-out to attempt to salvage the victory. 

When the fight came to its merciful end for Colbert, Garcia had upset the applecart with scores of 119-109 and 118-109 twice. For Colbert it is back to the drawing board and perhaps some second guessing of his decision to fight rather than wait for the title opportunity he had already secured. Now that title opportunity goes to Garcia, who with how he handled Colbert, has to be considered a real threat to Gutierrez’ hold on the WBA belt. 

Gary Antuanne Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) of Capitol Heights, Maryland scored the biggest knockout and win of his emerging career, halting former champion Viktor Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) of Marina Del Rey, California by way of Velyka Dymerka, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine in the tenth.

By midway through the fight both fighters had their moments, with neither distancing themselves from the other in any meaningful way. In the seventh round Russell, 139.4, started out more aggressively, as Postol, 140.6,  slowed his output. As the fight went to the ninth, Russell’s face looked the worse for wear as Postol picked his spots and landed clean. 

Russell came out inspired in the tenth, pressuring Postol around the ring and landing with hard blows. In what looked to be a premature stoppage, based on the conditions of the fight and considering the fighter in question, referee Michael Ortega stepped in at 2:31 of the tenth with Postol taking combinations on the ropes. 

With the win, Russell claimed the vacant WBA Continental Americas light welterweight title and may find himself one win away from a world title opportunity. 

Previously largely unknown Fernando Daniel Martinez (14-0, 8 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina ended the longest active title reign in boxing by outwilling a great champion in Jerwin Ancajas (33-2-2, 22 KOs) of Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines over twelve action-packed rounds en route to a unanimous decision to claim the IBF super flyweight title.

After a tactical first round, Ancajas, 114.6, came with a dedicated body attack that began to slow Martinez’ aggression in the second. However, Martinez, 114.6, rebounded to exchange on mostly even terms in the third until Ancajas uncorked a combination that staggered the Argentinian near the end of the round.

The fourth and fifth featured excellent two-way action and even though Martinez’ face sprung a small leak, it was the Argentinian that came on strongest with a series of left hands.

Ancajas struggled to keep up with Martinez’ output as the fight wore on through the middle rounds. Martinez continually loaded up with his left while Ancajas looked for openings. The Filipino champion closed out the eighth well, placing stiff blows between Martinez’ guard.

Undeterred, Martinez came on strong in the eighth and ninth, loading up on head shots as Ancajas struggled to fend off the onslaught. The younger Martinez refused to let off the gas pedal through the end of the bout, but the veteran Ancajas showed the resiliency that aided his long title reign. After great two-way action to close the bout, it was Martinez that was crowned champion by scores of 117-111 and 118-110 twice.

Claudio Marrero (26-5, 18 KOs) of Santo Domingo, Districto National, Dominican Republic won a hard-fought eight-round majority decision over previously unbeaten Viktor Slavinskyi (13-1-1, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles, California by way of Mykolaiv, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine.

Marrero, 130.8, got out to a hot start, keeping Slavinskyi, 129, at bay with his hard jab and stringing his combinations together in support. Midway through the fight Slavinskyi found more success landing clean, but it was ultimately Marrero’s early lead and strong workrate that carried the fight. One judge had the fight even at 76-76, but was overruled by the scores of 78-74 and 77-75. With the win, Marrero keeps himself alive as a potential opponent for a name adversary after having previously fought just one stay-busy bout since a decision defeat in a title eliminator against Xavier Martinez in 2020. 

Powerfully built lightweight prospect Justin Cardona (7-0, 4 KOs) of Salinas, California beat down a game, but overmatched Joshua Draughter (4-2-1, 1 KO) of New Orleans, Louisiana before scoring a third-round stoppage. 

Early in the first, a quick right hand scored a flash knockdown for Cardona, 132.6, when one of Draughter’s gloves touched the canvas as a result of the punch. Draughter, 130, seemed bothered every time he was touched by a lead left hand. Cardona continually found a home for his right hand as well, as evidenced by the swelling that quickly came to be near Draughter’s left eye. 

After another punishing second round, Cardona tried to end matters with just about every punch he threw in the third. Without much coming in return from Draughter, the referee called a halt to the bout at 1:31 of the round, despite mild protest from the Louisiana native. 

Local favorite Angel Barrientes (8-1, 6 KOs) of Las Vegas continued his rise back to prominence as a top prospect with a third-round technical knockout over Brian Cannady (10-3, 6 KOs) of Fort Myers, Florida. 

Barrientes, 121.6, came out placing some well-timed shots as Cannady, 119.8, was willing to throw in the early part of the opening round. As the round progressed, Cannady shifted to a defense first approach, covering up behind a high guard. Barrientes turned down the output and looked to pick his shots. Early in the second, Barrientes backed up Cannady and landed two overhand right to drop the Floridian along the ropes. Looking to regain his legs, Cannady looked to hold on the inside, but Barrientes did well to keep space for the most part. 

Early in the third, a couple well-timed body shots backed Cannady into the ropes again. As Cannady struggled to stay up right and fell, he tackled Barrientes on his way down. Referee Michael Ortega, noticing the trend of the fight, chose this moment to call a halt to the bout at 1:31of the third round. Barrientes has now won five straight after suffering his lone pro defeat. For Cannady it was his third straight defeat after beginning his career 10-0. 

In the opening bout of the evening, 19-year-old light middleweight prospect Micky Scala (5-0, 3 KOs) of Mesa, Arizona fired up a large gathering of his fans in an action-packed two-round stoppage of sturdy Jose Gomez Jr. (3-2, 3 KOs) of Concord, California.

Scala, 153.6, and Gomez, 150.8, came out ready to trade in a back-and-forth opening stanza. Gomez seemed to get a few more hard left hands in during the first half round of trading on the inside. Scala, who had a large cheering section from Arizona, was the first to hold on the inside, rather than throw punch-for-punch. Both fighters returned to their corner red-faced from the onslaught each brought. 

Maybe something his corner said after the first fired up Scala, because he came out guns blazing from the opening ding. Finally a right hand on the inside dropped Gomez. The game combatant from Concord rose, but a series of unanswered punches caused a halt to the action in a neutral corner at 1:18 of the round. 

Photos by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @MarioG280

PHILADELPHIA–Ray Robinson shook off a two-and-a-half year layoff by stopping veteran Silverio Ortiz after round three of a scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout in front of a big crowd at the 2300 Arena.

Robinson was very sharp with his punches as he continuously banged shots off the head of Ortiz. Ortiz was able to get in a some flush punches of his own. Robinson had a big round three as he had Ortiz in trouble several times. The corner of Ortiz had seen enough and bowed their charge out of the fight.

Robinson of Philadelphia is 25-3-2 with 13 knockouts. Ortiz of Mexico is 37-29.

Muhsin Cason remained undefeated with a 5th round stoppage over Steven Lyons in a scheduled six-round cruiserweight fight.

Cason got off to a slow start, but started to turn the fight around in the fourth frame. In round five, Cason landed a left-right and another hard left that put Lyons down for the count at 2:58.

Cason of Philadelphia via Las Vegas is 10-0 with seven knockouts. Lyons is 5-8-2.

Oscar Barajas won a six-round majority decision over Jerome Conquest in a lightweight fight.

Barajas of Mexico won by scores of 58-56 twice and 57-57 to raise his record to 17-8-1. Conquest of Philadelphia is 11-7.

Dominque Mayfield won a four-round unanimous decision over Darryl Clark in a heavyweight bout.

Mayfield scored a knockdown in round two and won by scores of 40-35 on all cards.

Mayfield of Philadelphia is 1-1. Clark of Houston is 1-2.

Joel Caudle stopped previously undefeated Robert Sabbagh after round four of their heavyweight fight.

Caudle was aggressive and was landing some hard shots until Sabbagh pulled the plug on the fight at the end of round four.

Caudle is 9-6-2 with six knockouts. Sabbagh of Brooklyn, NY is 3-1.

Good looking prospect Isaiah Johnson destroyed Dieumerci Nzau in 72 seconds of their junior welterweight fight.

Johnson viciously dropped Nzau with a hard left cross. He finished off Nzau with a hard combination that forced a stoppage.

Johnson is now 4-0 with four knockouts. Nzau is 11-16.

Edwin Cortes made it two straight over Jerrod Miner in a four-round bantamweight contest.

Cortes, 115.5 lbs of Millville, NJ won by 40-36 scores on all cards to go to 2-0. Miner, 119.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 2-14-2.

Jabril Noble stopped Joseph Santana in round one of a scheduled four-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Noble hurt Santana several times before dropping Santana with a left hook, and the fight was stopped at 2:01.

Noble, 134.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 3-0 with three knockouts. Santana, 139 lbs of Providence, RI is 0-5.