August 26: Oleksandr Usyk-Daniel Dubois Unified Heavyweight Title Clash to Stream LIVE and Exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+

(July 18, 2023) – Ukraine’s unified WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk will defend his titles against WBA mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois on Saturday, August 26 at Tarczy?ski Arena Wroc?aw in Wroclaw, Poland.
 
Usyk, a 36-year-old southpaw who hopes to become the undisputed king in a second weight class, will spend Ukrainian Independence Day weekend putting his belts on the line against London’s hard-hitting Dubois.
 
Promoted by K2 Promotions, in association with Queensberry, Usyk-Dubois and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.  
 
Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs), a two-time Olympian and 2012 gold medalist, ended his amateur career with a record of 335-15. He turned pro in 2013 and secured the WBO cruiserweight world title in September 2016 by defeating Krzysztof Glowacki. In 2018, he became the undisputed cruiserweight champion in the World Boxing Super Series, claiming the WBC title against Mairis Breidis in January and the WBA and IBF belts from Murat Gassiev in July. He defended his crown with an eighth-round TKO against Tony Bellew in November before moving up to heavyweight with a seventh-round stoppage victory against Chazz Witherspoon in October 2019. After a decision win over Derek Chisora in October 2020, Usyk defeated unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua to become unified champion the following September. Usyk returns after defeating Joshua in their August 2022 rematch. 
 
Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) started his career in the paid ranks in April 2017 with a first-round TKO against Marcus Kelly. He went 15-0 with 14 knockouts in his first three years as a pro before suffering his first setback, a 10th-round stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in November 2020. Since then, he’s won four straight, including a fourth-round knockout against unbeaten American contender Trevor Bryan. The 25-year-old slugger is coming off a third-round TKO win against Kevin Lerena last December. 
 

# # #

 
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 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).  




SALITA PROMOTIONS TRIO OF JOSEPH HICKS, JOSHUA PAGAN & JERMAINE FRANKLIN SCORE BIG WEEKEND WINS

DETROIT – July 18, 2023 – Salita Promotions promoted fighters Joseph Hicks, Joshua Pagan and Jermaine Franklin, made it a successful hat-trick this past Saturday as all three were victorious in their respective showdowns that took place at Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Hicks (8-0, 5 KOs) continued to show the elite boxing skill that once had him set to captain the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2020 summer games, before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the proceedings, in dispatching veteran Ramses Agaton via a six-round unanimous decision (60-54 three times). The 29-year-old owns four victories in 2023 and hopes to continue his uptick in competition.

“I love that I’m staying busy,” said Hicks. “These are the kind of fights that help me grow and develop into a world champion. I felt really comfortable in the ring and was able to take my work from the gym and implement it into the fight. I’m coming to make big noise in the middleweight division.”

Also picking up his fourth victory of 2023 was Pagan (8-0, 4 KOs), who made quick work of Gabriel Smith, stopping him in round one. The 23-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan has now delivered back-to-back knockouts after his last outing saw him earn a career-best victory via a third-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Ronnell Burnett.

“It felt great being back in the ring, especially after being a part of Jake Paul’s camp and learning so much,” said Pagan. “I wish I had more rounds to show more, but it was a great experience nonetheless. I’m very excited to bring my experience and what I learned to the ring into my next fight.”

The 29-year-old heavyweight Franklin (22-2, 14 KOs) got back into the win column with a dominant unanimous decision (100-90 twice, 99-91) over the previously unbeaten Isaac Munoz Gutierrez after 10 rounds of action. A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Franklin had come off of close decision losses to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and top contender Dillian Whyte in his last two outings, and will now look to catapult right back into challenge the heavyweight cream of the crop.

Expect to see these Michigan-based fighters continue their upward trajectories in the near future as Salita Promotions stays on its course to help the state’s best talents reach the highest levels of the sport.

“Three of the best American prospects and contenders had an impressive showing and showed why they all have world title aspirations,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “Big time boxing is back in Detroit and it’s a matter of time before boxing fans in the U.S. and around the world see Pagan, Hicks and once again, top American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin, in significant fights.”

#         #         #

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 




FORMER CHAMPION EMMANUEL RODRIGUEZ BATTLES STREAKING CONTENDER MELVIN LOPEZ FOR VACANT BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP LIVE ON SHOWTIME® SATURDAY, AUGUST 12 IN PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS EVENT FROM MGM NATIONAL HARBOR IN MARYLAND

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. – July 17, 2023 – Former world champion Emmanuel Rodriguez will take on streaking contender Melvin Lopez for the vacant IBF Bantamweight World Championship headlining action live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, August 12 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland.  

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will see undefeated rising star and Capitol Heights, Maryland-native Gary Antuanne Russell taking on fellow unbeaten Kent Cruz in the 10-round super lightweight co-main event, plus sensational top prospect and Landover, Maryland-native Travon Marshall duels unbeaten two-time Olympian Gabriel Maestre in the 10-round welterweight telecast opener.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through www.mgmnationalharbor.com/.

“This show on August 12 is jam-packed with action for boxing fans as they will get an exciting world title clash in addition to some of the area’s top rising talent in tough contests live on SHOWTIME,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Emmanuel Rodriguez is hungry to make a second run as world champion at bantamweight and will be given all he can handle by the red-hot Melvin Lopez. With two of Maryland’s top rising stars in Gary Antuanne Russell and Travon Marshall stepping in for separate bouts before that showdown, this lines up to be a can’t-miss card at MGM National Harbor.”

Fighting out of Manati, Puerto Rico, Rodríguez (21-2, 13 KOs) defeated the previously unbeaten Gary Antonio Russell last October by technical decision to put himself back into position to fight for the world title. The 30-year-old originally won the IBF Bantamweight World Title with a unanimous decision victory over Paul Butler in 2018 and successfully defended it against the then-unbeaten Jason Moloney. Rodríguez went on to lose the title to former undisputed champion Naoya Inoue in their May 2019 title bout.

“I’m happy to have this chance to become a world champion again,” said Rodriguez. “We’re gonna go out there to win in spectacular fashion and my goal is to show that I’m the best fighter in the world at 118-pounds. My goal is to become undisputed at bantamweight, however I’m not overlooking Melvin Lopez, because he’s a good fighter and will come to give it his all on August 12.”

The 25-year-old Lopez (29-1, 19 KOs) has won eight-straight fights since suffering his only career loss in October 2019. Originally from Nicaragua and now fighting out of Miami, Lopez has fought professionally since 2015 and began competing stateside in 2018. Lopez scored three victories in 2022, starting the year with knockouts of Juan Gabriel Medina and Victor Ruiz, before most recently defeating Jobert Alvarez last December. Out of his last 10 victories, Lopez has ended nine of those inside of the distance.

“I’m very excited that the time is almost here to fight for a world title,” said Lopez. “We’ve had a great training camp and everyone has sacrificed and worked hard so that we’re at our best on August 12. I’m going to show everyone why I earned this opportunity and repay my team for all of their efforts. I have a lot of respect for Emmanuel, but the best man will have his hand raised when we share the ring.”

Fighting out of his native Capitol Heights, Md., Russell (16-0, 16 KOs) will carry on the legacy left by his late father Gary Sr. A member of one of the sport’s preeminent fighting families, Russell trains alongside his older brothers, former WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Jr. and bantamweight contender Gary Antonio. The 26-year-old has yet to allow an opponent to make it to the final bell since turning pro in 2017 following his run representing the U.S. at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Russell defeated his most accomplished foes to date in 2022, stopping former champion Viktor Postol in February before a TKO win against former two-division champion Rances Barthelemy in July.

“When you’re a student of the game like me, you have to consider that each step we take is about more than self-gratification. We’re doing this for keeps,” said Russell. “Kent Cruz has to catch up to me, but there’s no need for me to look back. The only direction I’m going is forward and that means putting on a spectacular performance on August 12, and proving I’m the next world champion in this division.”

The 30-year-old Cruz (16-0-3, 10 KOs) steps back into the ring after a pair of draws against fellow unbeaten Enriko Gogokhia in February and then November 2022. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Cruz defeated veterans Erik Humberto Castillo and Travis Hartman following a draw against Carlos Mohamed Rodriguez in April 2018. Cruz will pick up his past ring history with the Russell family on August 12, looking to avenge an amateur loss to Gary Allan Russell, Gary Antuanne’s older brother.

“I’m very excited for this fight on August 12,” said Cruz. “I’ve been waiting for a fight like this my whole career, so we didn’t hesitate when offered this one. I’m coming in as the underdog and that’s what’s fueling me. I’ve been an underdog my whole life and on August 12 I’m gonna shock the world. When I win this fight, I’ll be in contention to fight for a world title and have my chance to achieve my childhood dream.”

At just 22-years-old, Marshall (8-0, 7 KOs) has quickly shown the skill, power and poise to become a highly regarded prospect in just eight fights. Born in Landover, Md., and now fighting out of Capitol Heights, Md., Marshall is trained by former contender Andrew Council and has already scored two stoppages in 2023. Most recently he dominated veteran contender Justin DeLoach via third-round knockout in March, his most impressive victory to date.

“I’m really excited to be fighting at home in front of my family, friends and fans on August 12,” said Marshall. “I’m working hard every day in the gym so that when fight night comes I’m 100% and ready to put on a great performance for everyone watching. My goal is to show everyone that I belong on the big stage, and that starts with a victory over Gabriel Maestre.”

A two-time Olympian for his home country of Venezuela, Maestre (5-0-1, 4 KOs) had an extensive amateur run that included victories over Brian Castano, Carlos Adames, Alexander Besputin, Oscar Molina and Brian Ceballo. The 36-year-old made his U.S. debut with a controversial decision victory over Mykal Fox in August 2021 before fighting fellow unbeaten Taras Shelestyuk to a draw last March. Most recently, Maestre defeated former two-division champion Devon Alexander after three rounds in April.

“I’m very ready for this fight against Travon Marshall,” said Maestre. “We are focused on the work that we need to put in so that we are victorious on August 12. I’m focused on having my hand raised and putting on a good show. We want to leave a good impression with the fans and move on to fight the big names in the welterweight division.”

#         #         #

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




BRITISH TITLE FIGHT ADDED TO LYNDON ARTHUR WORLD TITLE CARD 

Samuel Antwi and Mason Cartwright collide in a mouth-watering battle for the vacant British super welterweight title on September 1, live and free-to-air on Channel 5. 

The pair meet at the University of Bolton Stadium, on the undercard of Lyndon Arthur’s IBO world light heavyweight title showdown with the big-punching Braian Suarez. 

Wasserman Boxing, in association with Ladbrokes, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment, return with another hard-hitting show in Bolton, following the success of its event there in March. 

Antwi, who has signed a promotional deal with Wasserman Boxing, is a former British welterweight title challenger and warmed up for this latest title shot by halting Ruben Angulo in less than three rounds, in Newcastle on Saturday night. 

Cartwright challenged then-champion Troy Williamson for the Lonsdale Belt last year, and despite flooring the title holder in a thriller, he was on the wrong end of a highly controversial points decision. 

Josh Kelly, who ripped the title from Williamson with a masterclass performance before Christmas, confirmed his decision to relinquish the title last week, which has opened the door for Antwi and Cartwright to scrap it out for the vacant belt.

Samuel Antwi said: “This is the third of the domestic trio for me.  I’ve been the Southern Area champion and the English champion, and now it’s time to add the British to the collection. 

“I have been given a great opportunity and though it’s above the weight I have been fighting at, I jumped at the chance.  I know I can handle myself as a super welterweight and I plan on making a statement on September 1.” 

Mason Cartwright said: “I believe I did enough to win the British super welterweight title last year, and so did a lot of the people who watched on the night.  For some reason, the ringside judges thought otherwise, but on September 1 I will deliver a performance that removes any doubt. 

“This time, I’m not returning to Ellesmere Port without the Lonsdale Belt in my possession.” 

Kalle Sauerland, Global Head of Boxing at Wasserman Boxing, said: “British title fights always deliver, and Antwi against Cartwright has excitement plastered all over it. 

“We saw at the Wasserman Boxing show at the weekend, just what battling out for the Lonsdale Belt means to fighters.

“And so the fans in Bolton, or those watching live and free-to-air on Channel 5, are in for a real treat.  This is a brilliant addition to our world title card on September 1.” 




Frank Martin Wins Close Decision over Artem Harutyunyan

In a battle of undefeated lightweights. Frank Martin needed a late rally and 12th round knockdown to eek 12-round unanimous decision over Artem Harutyunyan at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

It was a close fight early with Harutyunyan landing some sneaky combinations. It took Martin a few rounds to get going.

In round six, Martin picked up the pace and landed a barrage of punches that opened up a cut on the forehead of Harutyunyan.

In round 12, Martin was applying serious pressure and Harutyunyan had to take a knee. It turns out that Martin won the last four rounds on the judges cards and won by scores of 115-112 twice and 114-113.

Martin landed 167 of 539 punches. Harutyunyan was 117 of 442.

Martin, 135 lbs of Indianapolis is now 18-0. Harutyunyan, 134.6 lbs of Hamburg, GER is 12-1.

“I just knew I wasn’t active enough as I normally am,” said Martin, who won his second fight at The Chelsea in eight months. “I just think my reaction time just wasn’t on point tonight. He definitely was a tough opponent. I wouldn’t say that it was too difficult, it was just my reaction time wasn’t working like it normally does for me. I couldn’t tell you know, just my timing seemed a little off tonight. He was definitely tough. I hit him with some big shots. He stood up, he bounced around in the ring like a ping pong, but he stood tall. I take my hat off to him because he took some big shots.

“I don’t agree,” Harutyunyan said of the decision. “If it’s possible I will fight him again, but if it’s not, not a problem. He’s just a fighter. He’s not Errol Spence. I’m a big fan of Errol Spence. My plan is to be become a world champion, or at least fight for the world title, maybe against Devin Haney or Gervonta Davis. I can go up one weight class, it’s not a problem for me. But I’m so happy to be here and I want to come back.”

On Harutyunyan taking the knee, Martin said, “No, I wasn’t surprised. You know after a while, after I’ve landed so many body shots, I can get to wearing guys down. I didn’t land as many body shots as I normally do, so, you know, he stood in there.”

“He’s a good fighter. But I saw every punch on him,” Harutyunyan said. “The last one my eye got hurt very bad, so that was the point where I had to take a few seconds to recover [on the knockdown]. I think this round was the only round that decided it and gave it to him.”

Elvis Rordiguez Stops Victor Postal in 7

Elvis Rodriguez stopped former world champion Viktor Postal in round seven of their 10-round super lightweight fight.

In round six, Postal began to bleed from his nose. Late in the round, Rodriguez landed a vicious right hook to the head that sent Postal to a knee. Postal was hurt to begin round seven, and Rodriguez sensed it and landed another right hook that sent Postal wobbling to the ropes and the fight was waved off by Celestino Ruiz at 23 seconds.

Rodriguez, 141.8 lbs of Las Angeles is 15-1-1 with 13 knockouts. Postal, 141.6 lbs of Marina del Rey, CA is 31-5.

“For every fight we always have a plan,” Rodriguez said. “Today, maybe it helped a little bit that Freddie trained Postol, but it’s always a plan for a different fighter. This all started in the fifth round. When I hit him, I thought I fractured his nose, then I gave him a nice look in the fifth. So, in the sixth I was going for the kill. I felt I had him from the beginning in the seventh round. I gave him a hook and I saw that he was in trouble. And then the referee stopped the fight. So we knew we had won. I’m ready. I’m ready for a world title. I’ve worked too hard so far. Thank you.”

Freudis Rojas Jr. Stops Diego Sanchez in 7

Freudis Rojas Jr. remained undefeated by stopping Diego Sanchez in round seven of their 10-round welterweight bout.

Rojas dominated the fight and the corner of Sanchez ended the fight at 58 seconds of round seven.

Rojas, 146 lbs of Las Vegas is 11-0 with 11 knockouts. Sanchez, 146.6 lbs of San Diego is 19-3.

“You know this guy was a tough guy. We knew that he was gonna keep putting pressure on,” said Rojas, who was extended past the fourth round for the first time. “I’m glad I got the rounds in because that’s what we need in the pros. The more rounds the better, and I know the fans like that. This was the biggest blessing. Like I said at the press conference, when I found that the news [I would fight on the telecast] I was jumping around like a little girl like with some pom poms, man ‘cause it’s such a blessing. I think this is gonna open a lot more doors for me.”




Alycia Baumgardner Gets Even; Retains Undisputed 130 lb. Title with Decision over Linardatou

Alycia Baumgardner avenged her only professional blemish and retained the Undisputed Super Featherweight Title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Christina Linardatou at The Masonic Temple in Detroit.

It was a fight that had solid action as Baumgardner landed some hard shots. Linardatou tried to punch with Baumgardner, but the reigning champion was faster and landed the more impactful blows.

Baumgardner, 129.4 lbs of Detroit won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice and is now 15-1. Linardatou, 129.8 lbs of Athens, GRE is 14-3.

Andy Cruz Decisions Former World Title Challenger Burgos in Pro Debut

Andy Cruz made a successful pro debut with a 10-rond unanimous decision over former three-time world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a lightweight bout.

Cruz, 134.6 lbs of Matanzas, CUB won by scores of 100-90 twice and 98-92 and is 1-0. Burgos, 134.2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 35-8-3,

Jermaine Franklin Decisions Isaac Munoz

Jermaine Franklin won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Isaac Munoz in a heavyweight bout.

Franklin, 241.2 lbs of Saginaw, MI won by scores of 100-90 twice and is 99-91 and is now 22-2. Munoz, 257.4 lbs of Mexico City is 17-1-1.

Jar’Rico O’Quinn Decisions Carlos Mujica

Ja’Rico O’Quinn won a 10-round unanimous decision over Carlos Mujica in a super-bantamweight contest.

In round five, Mujica was cut around his left eye.

It was a close fight yet a judge did not think so by giving O’Quinn a 100-90 victory. Two other judges saw the fight 97-93 and 96-94.

O’Quinn of Detroit is 16-1-1. Mujica, 122.6 lbs of Caracas, VEN is 8-3.




Christina Linardatou Looks to make it Two-for-Two as she Challenges Alycia Baumgardner in Detroit

NEW YORK (July 15, 2023) – TONIGHT at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Christina Linardatou will attempt to become undisputed junior lightweight champion when she tries to defeat reigning champion Alycia Baumgardner for a second time.

Linardatou, who is managed by Brian Cohen, handed Baumgardner her only loss when they squared off on July 28, 2018.

Linardatou of Athens, Greece is 14-2 with six knockouts. The 35 year-old is a former two-time super lightweight world champion who won the title on March 24, 2019 with a sixth round stoppage over Kandi Wyatt in Athens. She made one defense over undefeated Deanha Hobbs (8-0). Linardatou won the WBO title for a second time with a 10-round unanimous decision over Prisca Vicot on February 8, 2020 in Gary, Indiana. Linardatou also has wins over Sam Smith (5-0) and Lela Terashvili (5-0-1).

Baumgardner of Detroit is 14-1 with seven knockouts. Baumgardner won the WBC title with a fourth round stoppage over Terry Harper on November 13, 2021 in Sheffield, England. The 29 year-old added the WBO and IBF titles on October 15, 2022 with a 10-round split decision over Mikaela Mayer in London. Baumgardner became undisputed with a 10-round unanimous decision over Elhem Mekhaled on February 4th in New York.

Linardatou, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, weighed 129.8 lbs. Baumgardner was 129.4 lbs.

The bout will be streamed Live on DAZN beginning at 8 PM ET.

Earlier on the card, Split-T Management fighter Joseph Hicks Jr. will take on Ramses Agaton in a six-round super middleweight bout.

Hicks of Grand Rapids, Michigan is 7-0 with five knockouts. The 29 year-old has a win over undefeated Bilal Quintyne (4-0) and is coming off a eight-round unanimous decision over Antonio Todd on June 3rd in Detroit.

Agaton of Mexico is 22-14-3 with 12 knockouts. The 33 year-old is a 13 year professional. Agaton has wins over Hector Mercado (1-0), Oscar leonard Ventura (4-0-1), Alvaro Roble (17-2), Alejandro Barrera (23-1) and Ronald Montes (16-0).

Hicks, who is promoted by Salita Promotions, weighed 167.4 lbs. Agaton was 169.8.

Photos By Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing.




MARTIN VS. HARUTYUNYAN OFFICIAL WEIGHTS, AND COMMISSION OFFICIALS

Lightweight WBC Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

Frank Martin – 135 lbs.

Artem Harutyunyan – 134.6 lbs.

Referee: Thomas Taylor; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Max de Luca (N.Y.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

Super Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Elvis Rodriguez – 141.8 lbs.

Viktor Postol – 141.6 lbs.

Note: Contracted weight is 142

Referee: Celestino Ruiz; Judges: Eric Cheek (Nev.), Patricia Morse Jarman (Nev.), David Sutherland (Okla.)

Welterweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Freudis Rojas – 146 lbs.

Diego Sanchez – 146.6 lbs.

Referee: Tony Weeks; Judges: John McKaie (N.Y.), Dave Morretti (Nev.), Don Trella (Conn.)

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer will host the telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo will handle the blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Hall of Famers round out the telecast team – Emmy®-winning reporter Jim Gray, world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., and boxing historian Steve Farhood, who will serve as unofficial scorer. The executive producer is four-time Emmy Award winner David Dinkins, Jr., with Ray Smaltz III producing and Chuck McKean directing. Sportscaster Alejandro Luna will call the action in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) with former world champion and SHOBOX: The New Generation® commentator Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez serving alongside him as the expert analyst. 

# # #

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




RISING MIDDLEWEIGHT JOSEPH HICKS JR. RETURNS TO THE RING THIS SATURDAY NIGHT IN DETROIT

NEW YORK – July 14, 2023 – Unbeaten rising middleweight Joseph Hicks Jr. will return to the ring in a six-round showdown against Ramses Agaton this Saturday, July 15 from the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

The 29-year-old Hicks (4-0, 4 KOs) fights out of the growing Salita Promotions stable and step in for his fourth fight of the year, having most recently won an eight-round decision over Antonio todd in June. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, he’ll meet the 33-year-old Agaton (22-14-3, 12 KOs), who has faced numerous top contenders throughout his career.

It feels good to be fighting again and displaying my skills for boxing fans,” said Hicks. “I want to stay busy and continue to learn and grow as a fighter. I’m on my route to being a world champion and that means treating every fight like the most important of my career.

A standout amateur before entering the pro ranks, Hicks was set to captain the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2020 summer games, before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the proceedings. By the time the games were back on, the IOC’s formula for picking fighters in his weight class left him on the outside looking in. Undeterred, Hicks has shined as a pro thus far and will look to cement his contender status with a big year ahead.

“Hicks had a stellar amateur career and has all the tools to quickly develop into a contender and champion,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “ In his last fight he had an impressive step up against the very experienced and skilled Antonio Todd. He is an American-born, Michigan-made middleweight who will be one of the key fighters in rejuvenating boxing in Detroit.”

#         #         #

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 




WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER FOR BAUMGARDNER VS. LINARDATOU

First bell at 5.30pm ET
 
6 x 3 mins Welterweight contest
Joshua James Pagan (146.2lbs) vs.    Gabriel Smith (147.4lbs)
Grand Rapids, Michigan                       Houston, Texas
 
Followed by
 
6 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest
Joseph Hicks (167.6lbs) vs.         Ramses Agaton (169.8lbs)
Grand Rapids, Michigan              Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
6 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest
Cameron Pankey (123.6lbs)       vs.    Misael Reyes (123.6lbs)
Pontiac, Michigan                                  Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
6 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
Jemarco Holloway (141.8lbs)    vs.    Angelo Snow (143.6lbs)
Detroit, Michigan                                   Toledo, Ohio
 
Live on DAZN from 8pm ET
 
10 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest
Ja’Rico O’Quinn (121.2lbs)         vs.    Carlos Mujica (122.6lbs)
Detroit, Michigan                         Caracas, Venezuela
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
Jermaine Franklin (241.2lbs)     vs.    Issac Munoz (257.4lbs)
Saginaw, Michigan                                 Mexico City, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins IBF International Lightweight title
Andy Cruz (134.6lbs) vs.    Juan Carlos Burgos (134.2lbs)
Matanzas, Cuba                            Tijuana, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
10 x 2 mins Undisputed Super-Featherweight title
Alycia Baumgardner (129.4lbs) vs. Christina Linardatou (129.8lbs)
Detroit, Michigan                         Athens, Greece




Philly Favorites Tahmir Smalls and Daiyann Butt In Action on Saturday, July 22 at The 2300 Arena in Philadelphia

Philadelphia (July 14, 2023)–- On Saturday night, July 13th R and B Promotions will be back at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with a big night of boxing.

In a six-round bout, Daiyann Butt (14-2, 7 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Michael Crain (5-6-2, 1 KO) in a junior welterweight fight.

In four-round bouts, Tahmir Smalls (9-0, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Andres Viera (11-5, 8 KOs) of Montevideo, Uruguay in a welterweight clash.

Oluwafemi Oyeleye (12-0, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles takes on former world title challenger Javier Maciel (34-20, 23 KOs) of Buenos Aries, Argentina in a junior middleweight fight.

Ezri Turner of Wilmington, DE will make his pro debut against Milton Volter (0-1) of Bronx, NY in a super middleweight fight.

Allen Otto (1-0, 1 KO) of Pennsauken, NJ fights Timothy Tyler (1-3, 1 KO) Camden, NJ in a junior middleweight bout.

Joshua Jones (6-0-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Carlos Rocha (3-0, 2 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Brazil in a lightweight fight.

Anthony Dill (2-1, 2 KOs) of North Philadelphia fights debuting Ghandi Roman of Union City, New Jersey in a welterweight contest.

Juan Marrero (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia fights Jose Luis Fracica Baron (0-4) of El Vigla, Venezuela in a lightweight fight.

Daniel Bean (2-0, 2 KOs) of Old Bridge, NJ fights Rob Perez of Worcester, MA in a heavyweight bout.

In a bout of undefeated welterweights, Deyshawn Williams (3-0, 2 KOs) of Queens, NY fights Felix Manzueta (3-0, 2 KOs) of Dover, DE.

Devin Gantt (3-0, 3 KOs) of Sicklerville, NJ fights debuting Jahron Williams of Bronx, NY in a featherweight fight.

Tickets are $75, $100 and $175 and can be purchased by CLICKING HERE




UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHTS HRGOVIC AND MCKEAN COLLIDE ON SOLD-OUT JOSHUA VS. WHYTE 2 CARD

IBF Mandatory World Title challenger Filip Hrgovic will clash with Australia’s undefeated contender Demsey McKean on a huge sold-out night of boxing at The O2 in London on Saturday August 12, shown exclusively live on DAZN around the world and on DAZN PPV in the UK and Ireland.
 
The 12-round Heavyweight clash in association with Wasserman Boxing lands on the undercard of the eagerly-anticipated rematch between former two-time World Champion Anthony Joshua and World Title challenger Dillian Whyte, who reignite their bitter rivalry nearly eight years on from their first meeting in Greenwich.
 
Croatian star Hrgovic (15-0, 12 KOs), a Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze medallist, scored the biggest win of his professional career to date when he outpointed China’s Zhilei Zhang over twelve gruelling rounds on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 in Saudi Arabia last August.
 
That win, which was a Final Eliminator for the IBF Heavyweight World Title, has aged gracefully after 2008 Olympic Silver medallist Zhang upset Joe Joyce via a punishing sixth-round stoppage at London’s Copper Box Arena in April to win the WBO Heavyweight Interim Title.
 
Queensland’s McKean (22-0, 14 KO), who is trained by Tony Sims at the Matchroom Elite Boxing Gym in Essex, stopped Germany’s Patrick Korte in three rounds to claim the vacant IBF Intercontinental Title last time out at the South Bank Piazza in South Brisbane in what was Matchroom’s first event Down Under.  
 
Romford Heavyweight sensation Johnny Fisher (9-0, 8 KOs) has looked unstoppable so far on his professional journey, and the 24-year-old prospect has the opportunity to land his first belt when he faces off with Torquay’s Harry Armstrong (5-1-1) for the vacant Southern Area Title, with more undercard additions to be announced soon. 
 
“The Heavyweight Champions cannot avoid me any longer and once I have defeated Demsey McKean on August 12, they will have no other option but to face me. I have waited patiently and bided my time but the game is up, ‘El Animal’ is coming for you and is ready to take the belts back to Croatia.

“McKean will be a tough and strong opponent, but he has never faced anyone as powerful and skilful as me.
“August 12, at The O2 in London, is the night the Heavyweight division starts to change.”
 
“This is what it’s all about, the big fights,” said McKean. “I’ve been grinding a big portion of my life for a fight like this. I’m one win away from fighting Usyk for four World Titles. This is my World Title fight.”

“We have a monstrous night of Heavyweight boxing in store for fight fans arounds the world on Saturday August 12 live from the sold-out O2 in London,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Old foes Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte meet again in a must-win clash at the top of the bill and I’m excited to confirm the first two undercard additions of what will be a stacked card.

“The IBF’s number one ranked Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic returns a year on from his Final Eliminator win over Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia. ‘El Animal’ fights in the UK for the first time as a professional against Australia’s unbeaten Demsey McKean who secures the biggest fight of his career.

“‘The Romford Bull’ Johnny Fisher begins his assault on the domestic Heavyweight scene when he takes on Harry Armstrong for the vacant Southern Area Title, and there’s much more to be announced soon. Catch all of the action exclusively live on DAZN around the world and on DAZN PPV in the UK and Ireland.”

Kalle Sauerland, Global Head of Boxing at Wasserman Boxing, said: “August 12 is going to be a massive Heavyweight night and Filip Hrgovic will have to overcome a very tough, and top ranked Australian, to fulfil his dream of fighting for the World Championship later this year.

“One thing is clear, only Demsey McKean stands between Hrgovic and fighting for the World Title because the winner of Usyk-Dubois is mandated to fight the winner.”




JOSH KELLY CLASHES WITH GABRIEL CORZO AT FIERY WEIGH-IN  

Josh Kelly told Gabriel Corzo that he will stop him inside two rounds, when the rivals clashed at a heated weigh-in today. 

The super welterweight enemies meet in a high-stakes contest at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle tomorrow night, live on DAZN. 

Kelly, the world No2, defends his WBO International title against the unbeaten and confident Argentinian and knows victory will open the door to blockbuster fights. 

But the Sunderland AFC fan must deal with Corzo first and they had to be pulled apart at a tense weigh-in, where Kelly told his opponent – and his fans – that tomorrow night’s headlining fight will only last two rounds. 

Weigh-In Results and Running Order

Doors 16:30.  First Bout 16:45

4×3 Super Middleweight Contest 

Oliver Zaren 168lbs 

Jay Byrne 168.10lbs 

4×3 Super Lightweight Contest 

Owen Rees 142.1lbs 

Marius Istrate 139.5lbs 

4×3 Super Featherweight Contest 

Kai Richmond 134lbs 

Karl Sampson 133.14lbs 

4×3 Super Welterweight Contest 

Tom Summerbell (weighing in tomorrow) 

Dimitri Protkanus (weighing in tomorrow) 

6×3 Super Welterweight Contest 

Samuel Antwi 153.4lbs 

Ruben Angulo 155.3lbs 

6×3 Super Welterweight Contest 

Troy Williamson 160.3lbs 

Ramiro Blanco 161.13lbs 

8×2 Flyweight Contest 

Chloe Watson 113.9lbs 

Belen Valdebenito 113.14lbs 

6×3 Super Lightweight  

Ben Marksby 143.8lbs 

Ricardo Fernandez 140.4lbs 

Vacant British Super Featherweight title contest 

Qais Ashfaq 129.12lbs 

Liam Dillon 129.6lbs 

4×3 Featherweight Contest  

Codie Smith 126.6lbs 

Francisco Rodriguez 125lbs 

8×3 Heavyweight Contest 

Steven Robinson 244.2lbs 

Franklin Ignatius 241lbs 

WBO International Super Welterweight title 

Josh Kelly 154lbs 

Gabriel Corzo 152.12lbs 




BOSTON BOXING PROMOTIONS PRESENTS THE 2ND ANNUAL GREAT AMERICAN BOXING BASH LIVE ON COMBATSPORTSNOW.COM

Boston, MA (July 14, 2023) Boston Boxing Promotions presents the 2nd annual Great American Boxing Bash tonight at the Castleton in Windham, New Hampshire. Headlining what’s become New England’s must see boxing event of the summer will be a high stakes welterweight showdown between the massively popular, Brandon Higgins (10-3, 5 KOs) and undefeated power puncher, Kenny Larson (6-0, 5 KOs).

Higgins who hails from near by Chelmsford, Massachusetts is coming off the biggest win of his career this past April when he dominated 30 fight veteran Brandon Berry in a 10 round fight scoring a shutout victory on all three cards.

Meanwhile Larson, who fights out of Salem, Massachusetts has created a buzz on the regional scene with 5 out of his first 6 fights coming by way of devastating knockout.

It’s a classic Boston Boxing Promotions main event with two streaking local prospects going toe to toe with the winner in line for an opportunity on the national stage.

The night will also feature a who’s who of undefeated and popular prospects from the area including Nick Molina, Hegley Mosquedo, Michael Bulger and women’s bantamweight prospect, Leesh Pike.

Handling the night’s PPV commentating duties will be the voice of Boston Boxing, BoxRec’s Grey Johnson and musician/fighter, Chris Jay as well as two of New England’s most popular trainers Sean Farley and Aaron Bernardo.

Full Line Up

Brandon Higgins vs. Kenny Larson

(Chelmsford, MA) (Salem, MA)

8 Rounds – Welterweights

Hegly Mosqueda vs. Ernesto Guerrero

(Londonderry, NH) (Sonora, Mexico)

8 Rounds – Welterweights

Andrii Novytskyi vs. Mariano Jose Riva

(Los Angeles/Ukraine) (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

6 Rounds – Heavyweights

Nick Molina vs. Aldimar Silva

(Lowell, MA) (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

6 Rounds – Lightweights

Dennis Ventura vs. Jon Gruber

(Lynn, MA) (Fall River, MA)

4 Rounds – Heavyweights

Steven Dunn vs. Aquila Prote

(Hollywood, CA) (Boston, MA)

4 Rounds – Heavyweights

Leesh Pike vs. Shawna Ornsby

(Salisbury Beach, MA) (Orlando, FL)

4 Rounds – Bantamweights

Michael Bulger vs. Johnny Kim

(Medford, MA) (Johnston, RI)

4 Rounds – Middleweights

Mario Ramirez vs. Igor Pessoa

(Simi Valley, CA ) (Boston, MA)

4 Rounds – Super Middleweights

Higgins vs. Larson takes place tonight Friday, July 14 at The Castleton in Windham, New Hampshire. Limited tickets will be available at the door and fans can watch at www.CombatSportsNow.com

ABOUT BOSTON BOXING PROMOTIONS

Boston Boxing Promotions was founded in 2013 and is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. Since that time, it has presented professional boxing events in places like Boston, Cape Cod, New Bedford and New Hampshire. In 2020, Boston Boxing Promotions was the first independent boxing promoter on the east coast to hold an event during the pandemic. The event led to a popular series of empty venue shows broadcast live and for free on YouTube watched by tens of thousands of fans around the world. Boston Boxing Promotions returned to live audiences with The Great American Boxing Bash in the summer of 2021 which featured 3 consecutive sold out weekends at the The Castleton

?in Windham, New Hampshire. Their annual Thanksgiving Eve Boxing Spectacular has become a tradition for hardcore boxing fans with 5 consecutive sellouts including the 2022 edition which received extensive news coverage on television and in print. 2023 marks Boston Boxing Promotions’ 10th Anniversary and the company, run by Peter Czymbor and Nick DiSalvo has become one of the most popular and well respected club boxing promoters in the country.

Follow Boston Boxing Promotions on Social Media!

Facebook Twitter Instagram




LESTER MARTINEZ STOPS LUCAS DE ABREU MARTINS IN THE FOURTH

Plant City, FL (July 13, 2023) – Guatemalan super middleweight LESTER MARTINEZ (now 16-0 14KO’s) proved to be too powerful for the always game LUCAS DE ABREU MARTINS (now 14-4 11KO’s) in their scheduled ten round super middleweight bout last night at the ProBox Event Center in Plant City, FL.

Martinez successfully utilized a stalking aggression against De Abreu, who, while finding range with this jab and combos at a distance, didn’t have the pop to keep Martinez off of him. Martinez began to tag De Abreu in the second with solid combinations.

In the third round, a right cross clipped De Abreu in the temple, sending him to a delayed knee. De Abreu got up and tried to stay in the pocket, attempting to trade with Martinez, but Martinez’ punches were more effective. An uppercut had De Abreu down again in the third round, but the durable De Abreu rose again, ready to continue.

De Abreu made it into the fourth round, but another barrage of combinations capped by a stiff left hook sent De Abreu down once more, as referee Emil Lombardi stepped in to stop to the fight 33 seconds into the 4th round.

De Abreu had this to say about the fight, “We’re fine. In boxing it’s like that sometimes. You fall and you just have to stand back up. I congratulate my opponent; he was the stronger man tonight.”




 ‘KING’ CALLUM WALSH VS. LIVAN NAVARRO HEADLINES THE COMMERCE CASINO AND UFC FIGHT PASS ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 TICKETS NOW ON-SALE

Los Angeles, CA (July 13, 2023) The Fastest Rising Star in Boxing, ‘King’ Callum Walsh, (7-0, 6 KOs), of Cork, Ireland will make the first defense of his WBC US Silver Super Welterweight Title against Livan ‘Machine Gun Kid’ Navarro, (13-1, 7 KOs), of Miami, FL in the scheduled ten-round main event on Saturday, August 26 at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, CA and broadcast globally on UFC FIGHT PASS.

Presented by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions as part of their acclaimed Hollywood Fight Nights events, tickets priced at $200, $150, $100, $80 and $60 are Now On-Sale and can be purchased online through the 360 Promotions website. The Commerce Casino, ‘The World’s Largest Card Room and Site of the LA Poker Classic’, is located at 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040. For more information and directions visit their website.

“Callum continues to be one of the most talked about fighters in international boxing,” said Tom Loeffler. “His fights garner the highest historical ratings for boxing on UFC Fight Pass with his exciting victories being broadcast all over the world. Dana White and his Team at UFC are the perfect partners for the escalation of Callum’s career.”

“Livan Navarro has everything to gain against Callum and presents another tough challenge that he faces early in his career.”

Trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA, the 22-year-old southpaw, a native of Cork, Ireland, Walsh earned the WBC US Silver Super Welterweight Title with a dominant performance and fourth round stoppage of world title challenger Carson Jones in front of a sold-out Commerce Casino crowd on June 9, 2023.

The Cuban born Navarro hits the ring against Walsh following a unanimous decision over Antonio Sanchez on October 21, 2022. He also holds victories over top contenders Breidis Prescott, Silverio Oritz, Armando Alvarez and Julio Cesar Reynoso.

                                                ————————————————–

Social Media

#HollywoodFightNights

#UFCFightPass

Instagram

@callum_walsh1

@ufcfightpass

@360BoxingPromotions

@TomLoeffler1

@360BoxingPromotions

@howlerheadehiskey

Twitter

@KingCallumWalsh

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@TomLoeffler1

 @howlerhead

Facebook

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@howlerheadwhiskey

Website

www.360Promotions.us




Jared Anderson-Andriy Rudenko Heavyweight Showdown Set for August 26 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa LIVE on ESPN

TULSA, OK (July 13, 2023) —There is no rest for the sport’s hottest young heavyweight.  Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson, the fighting pride of Toledo, Ohio, is set to go for his Sweet 16.

Anderson (15-0, 14 KOs) will take on Ukrainian contender Andriy Rudenko in the 10-round main event on Saturday, August 26 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. The 23-year-old slugger will make his third 2023 appearance less than two months after defeating former world champion Charles Martin in front of 7,234 hometown fans in Toledo.

Anderson-Rudenko and additional fight action will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Holden Productions, tickets starting at $49.50 are on sale now at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.

“This is another great test for Jared. When you watch him fight, you are seeing a future heavyweight champion of the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Rudenko is a crafty veteran who has been in there with some top guys. The fans at Hard Rock Tulsa are in for a real treat.”

Anderson debuted as a pro in 2019 and has developed into a top contender. He ended his first 14 fights in six rounds or less. His knockout victims included Jerry Forrest and previously unbeaten standouts George Arias and Vladimir Tereshkin. On July 1, he fought for the first time as a pro in his hometown, debuting as a headlining attraction with a 10-round unanimous decision win over Martin. Ranked 7th in the world by the WBO and 9th by the WBC, Anderson is on track to challenge the division’s top dogs.

Anderson said, “I want to stay active and make my case that I am the present and future of the heavyweight division. Rudenko is a tough, durable veteran. I respect what he’s accomplished in the game, but on August 26 at Hard Rock Tulsa, he’s going to regret accepting this challenge.”

Rudenko (35-6, 21 KOs) is a 39-year-old with more than 16 years of pro experience. He was 24-0 before losses to then-undefeated contenders Lucas Browne and Hughie Fury. Rudenko then tallied seven consecutive wins, earning his first regional title in the process. In recent years, he has provided stern tests to some of the sport’s top big men, losing via decision to former world champion Alexander Povetkin, reigning European champion Agit Kabayel, and top contender Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang.

Rudenko said, “This is a tremendous opportunity, and I am coming to Tulsa to score the big upset. I dedicate this fight to the people of Ukraine, and I can’t wait to show everyone that I still have what it takes to perform at the highest level.”




Integrity Fighter Management Presents Huge Night of Action on Saturday, July 22 at The Hollywood Casino at Meadows in Washington, PA

Pittsburgh, PA (July 13, 2023) – On Saturday night, July 22nd Integrity Fighter Management and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing will collaborate for a big night of boxing that will take place at Hollywood Casino at Meadows in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Featured bouts on the card will highlight some of the best talent in a fertile Pittsburgh fight scene.

In an eight-round cruiserweight fight, Lyubomyr Pinchuk (14-4-1, 8 KOs) of Pittsburgh via Lviv, Ukraine takes on Anthony Holloway (5-4-2, 4 KOs) of Peoria, Illinois.

Pinchuk, who is promoted by Joe DeGuardoa’s Star Boxing, has quality wins over Johnnie Langston (7-0) and Jose Mario Flores (8-2-2).

In a four-round cruiserweight grudge match, Joseph Turk (3-0-1, 1 KO) of Pittsburgh battles Michael Manna (6-4, 4 KOs) also of Pittsburgh. This is a fight that has been brewing for several years, and on July 22nd the score will be settled.

Undefeated female super middleweights, Mary Casamassa (2-0, 1 KO of Pittsburgh fights “the Mad Hatter” Christianne “The Celtic Tiger” Fahey (2-0, 2 KOs) from Glenrothes, Scotland. The winner of this should advance in the world hot super middleweight rankings. Casamassa is managed by Derek Gionta. This will be a six rounder. The hard hitting Scotswoman has stopped both of her opponents within 2 rounds. The heavily avoided southpaw Casamassa is coming off a July 2022 TKO over Leann O’Malley.

Former UFC standout turned pro boxer Khama “The Deathstar” Worthy (2-0) of Pittsburgh takes on Martin Bills III (0-2) of Las Vegas Nevada in four round middleweight action. 

Undefeated Paul Palombo (4-0, 1 KO) of Aliquippa, PA takes on Jesse Addison (5-5-1, 2 KOs) of Indianapolis IN in a four round middleweight bout.

Steve “Tugboat” Cunningham Jr. (1-0, 1 KO) of Pittsburgh via Philadelphia takes on debuting Tyrone Albert Adams in a super welterweight contest.

Cunningham is the son of former two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham.

The fights will be streamed live on BXNGTV.com and Starboxing.tv

Tickets are available at bit.ly/SummerSlugfest for more info call 412-728-3409




EXCITING YOUNG PROSPECT JOSHUA PAGAN CONTINUES BUSY 2023 CAMPAIGN SATURDAY NIGHT IN DETROIT

NEW YORK -– July 13, 2023 – Super lightweight Joshua Pagan, a rising prospect who fights out of the Salita Promotions stable, will enter the ring this Saturday, April 15 in a six-round matchup Gabriel Smith from the Masonic Temple in Detroit. Pagan most recently earned a career-best win by stopping the previously unbeaten Ronnell Burnett in three rounds on June 3.  

I am blessed to have another opportunity to display my talents to my fans and family, and I’m looking forward to putting on another great performance for them,” said Pagan. “I have goals that I want to achieve in this sport, and I am looking forward to achieving them. It’s time to take another step this Saturday!”

Pagan (7-0, 3 KOs) won the 2021 U.S. Amateur Welterweight National Championship with a unanimous decision over Keon Davis. The 23-year-old followed that up by turning pro in January 2022 and earning four victories that year. Pagan has stayed busy in 2023 as he continues his journey from prospect to contender. He will enter the ring for the fourth time this year on Saturday night when he faces the 33-year-old Houston-native Smith (11-9-1, 4 KOs).

“I’m very excited about the growth and progress that Joshua has shown,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “He’s improving with each fight and each training camp. Activity is one of the most important keys to world level success and Joshua is en route to becoming division’s best with each performance.”

#         #         #

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 




Umara-Flores headlines “Night of Champions IV”

Orlando, FL (July 13, 2023) — Lightweight standout Idalberto Umara looks to continue his winning streak when he meets Wilfredo Flores in the main event of “Night of Champions IV” Friday, July 28 at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL.

Originally from Cuba, the 22-year-old Umara fights out of Miami, FL and has an excellent 10-1 record with 7 wins by knockout. After losing a controversial decision in Mexico during his pro debut, Umara’s won ten straight fights. He has victories over Genaro Mendez (14-3-1), Guillermo Crocco (20-1-1) and Braulio Rodriguez (20-5).

Flores, 10-1-1 (5 KO’s), resides in Dunkirk, NY by way of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Known by his moniker “El Bravo Vega,” Flores won the WBA Fedecentro title in May 2022 by defeating Victor Betancourt Jr. In his last bout, Flores was defeated by highly regarded Gary Cully in England.

Umara-Flores is scheduled for ten rounds and is for the WBA Fedelatin 135-pound championship.

The co-featured bout of the evening is an intriguing eight round junior middleweight matchup where somebody’s 0 must go when Jeovanny Estela challenges Chris “Crunchtime” Thompson. The popular Estela, an Orlando native originally from Puerto Rico, is 11-0 with 3 KO’s and fought eight of his bouts at the Caribe Royale. Thompson, 9-0 (6 KO’s), fights out of Kansas City, MO and was a two-time Golden Gloves champion as an amateur.

Heavyweight up and comer Herich Ruiz meets Dionardo Minor in an eight-round affair. A bronze medalist at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships, Ruiz’ impressive amateur career includes two wins over current heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez. Living and training in Las Vegas, NV, Ruiz is 3-0 with 3 KO’s as a professional. On April 1, the 6’3” 240-pound southpaw stopped 52 fight veteran Jose Humberto Corral in three rounds.

A native of Uhland, TX, Minor’s 6-1-2 with 2 wins by stoppage. He’s beat three previously undefeated fighters, most recently traveling to Baltimore, MD in April to knockout hometown favorite Malik Titus (8-0) in seven rounds.

“Night of Champions IV” is promoted by Boxlab Promotions in association with Warriors Boxing. The Umara-Flores, Estela-Thompson and Ruiz-Minor bouts will air via one hour tape delay on CBS Sports Network beginning at 10 PM ET.

Doors open at 6 pm and the first fight begins at 7.

Tickets from $40 are on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/night-of-champions-iv-orlando-florida-07-28-2023/event/22005EDB9900BAEC and discounted rooms at the Caribe Royale are available by clicking on this link https://book.passkey.com/go/NOCIV.

Light heavyweight standout Junior “TYG” Younan, 18-0-1 (11 KO’s), returns to the ring in an eight round contest against an opponent to be named. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Younan defeated Alan Campa at the Caribe Royale in May.

“We are pleased to bring another “Night of Champions” card to the Caribe Royale Resort,” said Amaury Piedra of Boxlab Promotions. “Fans both locally and those watching on CBSSN will be in for a night of action. Our main event is a battle not only for the WBA Fedelatin title but for a world top 15 ranking! In addition, we will have two undefeated prospects going head-to-head plus a heavyweight bout, and everyone loves heavyweight action! Our undercard is stacked with top fighters such as Junior Younan, and a long list of local standouts. We are proud to bring this top card to Orlando and Caribe Royale, the home of boxing in Central Florida.”

Super middleweight Angel Chavez, middleweight Jamar Pemberton, junior welterweight Julio Rosa, junior welterweight Jonathan Cortes, featherweight Giovanni Luis, bantamweight Kevin Nunez, middleweight Christopher Rodriguez, heavyweight Gustavo Trujillo and junior lightweight Roberto Rivera Gomez will appear in separate undercard bouts.




AMATEUR SENSATION DAN TOWARD JOINS WASSERMAN BOXING  

Wasserman Boxing is delighted to announce the promotional signing of amateur sensation Dan Toward.

A product of the famous Birtley ABC, Toward is turning professional having won an incredible 10 national titles and been part of the Great Britain squad.

Toward is one of the hottest properties in British boxing and has chosen Wasserman Boxing to guide his career in the pro ranks, signing a multi-year deal with the global promoter.

The 21-year-old, from Newcastle, plans to box in the red-hot super welterweight division and details of his highly-anticipated professional debut will be confirmed in due course. 

Dan Toward said: “I had 84 amateur contests and 72 victories, winning 10 national titles along the way, but the dream has always been to get to the top in the pro ranks.

“Joining Wasserman Boxing was a no-brainer and I know they will get me the right opportunities at the right time, in order to get me to the top.

“For people who haven’t seen me box yet, I will bring something original so make sure you tune-in and follow my journey!”

Kalle Sauerland, Global Head of Boxing at Wasserman Boxing, said: “Everyone at Wasserman Boxing is thrilled that Dan has decided to join our brilliant stable of fighters.

“Dan’s amateur record, and the number of titles he has won, tells you everything you need to know about how talented he is and why he was one of the most sought after young fighters in the country.

“We are incredibly excited about Dan’s journey and privileged that he has chosen Wasserman Boxing to guide his career as a professional.”

Sam Jones, Toward’s manager, said: “This is the first time I’ve worked with Kalle and Nisse, with one of my fighters, and it’s been a long time coming.

“They have been in boxing a long, long time and have a proven track record of successfully building great champions.

“My prediction is that Dan Toward will be their greatest ever signing.”




Weights from Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas (July 12, 2023)–Weights for Thursday Night’s King’s Promotions card at the El Corral West Night Club in Fort Worth, Texas

Emmanuel Moreno 118 – Manuel Chavez Garcia TBA

Jose Gomez 145.8 – Raul Garcia 145.4

Malik Calhoun 164.4 – Austin Dulworth TBA

Alexis Mones 117 – Macy Breaux 117.8

Jordan Najar 122 – Raymond Goodine 121.4

Fernando Solis 125.6 – Waldo Zamudio 127,2

Jaycob Ramos 133.4 – Xazvier Jackson 138.6

Promoter: King’s Promotions

Venue: El Corral West Night Club

1st Bell: 7 PM CT

Stream: DFTV

Tickets are $200, $100, $60 and $40 and can be purchased at

CLICK FOR TICKETS




HARD-HITTING WELTERWEIGHT PROSPECT FREUDIS ROJAS TAKES ON MEXICO’S DIEGO SANCHEZ IN SHOWTIME® TELECAST OPENER THIS SATURDAY, JULY 15 IN PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS EVENT FROM THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS – July 12, 2023 – Hard-hitting welterweight prospect Freudis Rojas will take on Mexico’s Diego Sanchez in the 10-round telecast opener live on SHOWTIME this Saturday, July 15 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The previously announced Nonito Donaire vs. Alexandro Santiago bout will now take place on July 29.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and is headlined by undefeated top contender Frank “The Ghost” Martin battling undefeated Olympic bronze medalist Artem Harutyunyan in a WBC Lightweight Title Eliminator. In the co-main event, top super lightweight contender Elvis Rodriguez meets former world champion Viktor Postol in a 10-round showdown.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

The 24-year-old Rojas (10-0, 10 KOs), who was already set to face Sanchez in an undercard fight prior to being moved to the telecast, has yet to let an opponent see the final bell since turning pro in January 2021. Rojas’ stellar amateur career included a bronze medal at the 2017 World Amateur Championships and since hitting the pro ranks has not gone past round four. The Las Vegas-native most recently blasted out Gilbert Venegas in the first round of their February clash.

Originally from Tijuana, Mexico and now residing in San Diego, California, Sanchez (19-2, 16 KOs) will compete for the second time stateside on Saturday night when he faces Rojas. The 23-year-old’s only losses have come against then unbeaten fighters Luis Hernandez Ramos in 2019 and Jesus Madueno Angulo in 2021. Sanchez returned to the win column in his last fight, knocking out Daniel Armando Valenzuela in December 2021.

The non-televised undercard will see super lightweight Justin Cardona (8-1, 4 KOs) face Angel Barrera (4-1) in an eight-round bout, lightweight prospect Anthony Cuba (5-0-2, 3 KOs) battle Angel Rebollar (6-2, 3 KOs) in a six-round attraction, undefeated welterweight Quinton Randall (12-0-1, 3 KOs) duel Willie Jones (9-2, 6 KOs) in a fight scheduled for eight rounds, and the pro debut of Dallas-native Alex Holley in a four-round welterweight contest against Michael De La Cruz (1-2-2).

# # #

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




FUTURE HALL OF FAMER NONITO DONAIRE AND MEXICO’S ALEXANDRO SANTIAGO TO MEET FOR VACANT WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ON SPENCE VS. CRAWFORD SHOWTIME PPV® UNDERCARD SATURDAY, JULY 29

LAS VEGAS – July 12, 2023 – Future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire will battle Mexican contender Alexandro Santiago for the vacant WBC Bantamweight World Championship on the SHOWTIME PPV undercard for Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford on Saturday, July 29 in a Premier Boxing Champions events from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

In the telecast opener, top prospect Yoenis Tellez, who is guided by renowned trainer Ronnie Shields will take on Spanish contender Sergio Garcia in a 10-round super welterweight attraction. Garcia was originally scheduled to face Jesus Ramos Jr. However Ramos was forced to withdraw due to a hand injury.

The Donaire vs. Santiago fight, which was originally scheduled to take place July 15, will be the second fight of the pay-per-view. The previously announced Gurgen Hovhannisyan vs. Viktor Faust bout was removed after Faust was forced to withdraw because of a back injury.

The pay-per-view begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and also features hard-hitting contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz facing unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera in a 12-round WBC and WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TBC Promotions and TGB Promotions, are available through AXS.com.

One of the sport’s most accomplished active fighters, Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs) has captured titles at flyweight, bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight. He will look to make another run at bantamweight after capturing the title with a May 2021 knockout of Nordine Oubaali and eventually a defeat to Naoya Inoue in their June 2022 rematch. Representing his native Talibon, Bohol, Philippines, Donaire’s previous campaign at bantamweight began in 2018 by upsetting then unbeaten champion Ryan Burnett in his hometown to capture a title once again, before eventually dropping the belt in the 2019 Fight of the Year in his first matchup against Inoue.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to become a world champion once again on an already historic night for boxing,” said Donaire. “I’m thankful to my team for this opportunity and I’m going to do everything I can to make the most of it. We’re working really hard on defense and being as fast as possible. It’s been an amazing camp and I can’t wait to get in the ring.”

A native of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, Santiago (27-3-5, 14 KOs) will compete for a bantamweight crown for the first time in his career on July 15, as he enters this fight on a three-bout winning streak since a majority decision loss to Gary Antonio Russell in November 2021. The 27-year-old had previously fought for a 115-pound championship in September 2018, battling Jerwin Ancajas to a split-draw. Santiago most recently avenged one of the draws on his record, as he stopped Antonio Nieves in seven rounds last October.

“I have been waiting five years to get another world title opportunity, so another two weeks is nothing,” said Santiago. “I’m still focused and working hard. The objective and target is still the same. I’m very fortunate and would like to thank my team for this great opportunity to be part of such an amazing event on July 29.”

The 23-year-old Tellez (5-0, 4 KOs) is the latest young standout from boxing-rich Cuba looking to make a splash early in the pro ranks. A native of Santiago de Cuba, Tellez now trains in Stafford, Texas with Shields and first turned pro in June 2020. Tellez has already scored two victories in 2023, including most recently earning a shutout unanimous decision over Cameron Krael in May.

“I’m super excited to be a part of this huge event,” said Tellez. “Spence vs. Crawford is the best fight in boxing and it is a blessing to be part of this big night and facing a legit top-10 contender in Sergio Garcia. I look forward to boxing fans seeing a new star of the super welterweight division. I can’t wait to shine under the bright lights!”

Garcia (34-2, 14 KOs) returned to the ring in April to defeat Ricardo Sebastian Cabana before he steps into the ring for his third stateside bout on July 29. His only career defeats have come via decision as he dropped a December 2021 bout against top contender Sebastian Fundora and an April 2022 clash against former world champion Tony Harrison. Fighting out of Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain, the 30-year-old has competed professionally since 2012. He ascended the rankings by traveling to the U.K. to defeat then unbeaten Ted Cheeseman on his home soil in 2019 and followed that up with a triumph over veteran contender Sergey Rabchenko.

“I’m very thankful to my team for keeping me on this exceptional card,” said Garcia. “I’m very happy to be able to show my boxing skills to the whole world. It is very unfortunate what happened to Rams, but these things happen in boxing. Now I’m facing Tellez, who is at a much higher level than his record shows. He’s a great fighter and I’m going to give it my all to beat him. I know that a good performance on a big card in the U.S. will put me right on the doorstep of a world title.”

#         #         #

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




“ROCKIN’ FIGHTS” 45 PRESALE TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE – USE CODE “STAR”

Long Island, NY (July 12, 2023) — “Rockin’ Fights” 45 is scheduled for October 28, 2023 at the Pollstar #1 World Rated venue and Star Boxing’s home away from home, The Paramount, in Huntington, NY.

Tickets for “Rockin’ Fights” are officially available via presale to Star Boxing’s loyal social media and mailing list followers. Get access to tickets before anyone else when using the code word, “STAR” to unlock tickets.

Stay tuned to Star Boxing socials for fight card information and announcements coming soon!




NESTOR BRAVO AND WILL MADERA FACEOFF FOR WBA FEDELATIN TITLE IN MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS’ SECOND INSTALLMENT OF MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS

NEW YORK, NY – July 12, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced their main event for its second Most Valuable Prospects event on Friday, August 18 in Orlando, Florida. The WBA Fedelatin title bout will feature super-lightweight Puerto Rican-American talent Nestor “El Mas Bravo” Bravo (21-0, 15 KOs)and Will “Ill Will” Madera (17-2-3, 10 KOs). The 10-round bout is contested at 140 lbs and will be taking place at the Caribe Royale Resort.

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed by DAZN. The second event in the series continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2023 and will be hosted by the series’ official title sponsor, Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. DAZN will air the series across its platforms as a part of its subscription package which will include the entire main card lineup and prelims. Tickets are now on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005EEADB50BF76

Bravo, the undefeated fighter out of Orlando, FL, by way of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, is ranked seventh in the world by the World Boxing Association as a super lightweight. The cross-weight talent also holds the WBO-NABO junior welterweight title, which he won in October 2022 by stopping Adrian Yung in seven rounds and becoming the second fighter ever to do so. Bravo hopes to return to his winning streak after facing a disappointing no-contest against WBC Latino Champion Jair Valtierra in February 2023 when Valtierra clashed heads with Bravo in the fourth round. He is trained by Bob Santos, who was named Ring Magazine’s 2022 Trainer of the Year.

Madera, the Puerto Rican super lightweight out of Albany, NY, comes to the ring following a series of high-octane matchups. The orthodox fighter handed Brandun Lee the first knockdown of his career via a vicious overhand right in August 2022, ending in a narrow loss after Lee got up at the 11th second and won the bout. Previously, Madera stopped Jamshidbek Najmitdinov (20-1) in the 5th round of their faceoff at the Barclays Arena in October 2021 and defeated Thomas “Gunna Man” Mattice (13-0-1) by a unanimous decision in February 2019. Madera, a father to six, is trained by Ty Goldston.

“Our first Most Valuable Prospects event was incredibly successful and we are thrilled to announce the lineup for Most Valuable Prospects II,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Our commitment to cultivating the next generation of great boxers is evident in the work that we do, and we want to thank each of our partners for sharing that same mission. The matchups on this card will serve our audiences with nothing less than an exciting night as we all witness these young athletes work towards becoming tomorrow’s must-watch names in boxing. We appreciate Caribe Royale Resort’s hospitality and partnership and want to thank our distribution partner, DAZN for their dedication to bringing the action to global audiences at home.”

Viewers can expect to see nine total fights on the 18th, with some of the world’s most promising prospects in boxing. The full undercard and broadcast team will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We are excited to be working with the team of Most Valuable Promotions on our second Most Valuable Prospects event. The main event is a great one for the fans in attendance and those watching on DAZN. Two top talents will be vying for the WBA Fedelatin Title in what will be an action packed bout,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “In addition the list of up and coming prospects on the co-main and remainder of the card is exceptional. We will feature some of the top rising stars in boxing from around the world. Caribe Royale and Boxlab Promotions are proud to be a part of bringing this event to Orlando. This is part of Caribe Royale’s strategy of being the top All Suite hotel in Orlando for both locals and visitors alike.”

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @Boxlab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando




BOXING SUPERSTAR CLARESSA SHIELDS WINS “BEST BOXER” AWARD AT 2023 ESPYS; BECOMES FIRST WOMAN TO EVER TAKE HOME THE HONOR

LOS ANGELES – July 12, 2023 – Boxing superstar Claressa “G.W.O.A.T.” Shields continued to make history this week, as the world’s top pound-for-pound women’s boxer was awarded the 2023 ESPY Award for “Best Boxer” prior to Wednesday’s award ceremony. Shields became the first ever female boxer to win the award that has been given out since 1993.

“First I want to thank God. I am truly humbled to become the first woman ever to win the ‘Best Boxer’ of the year award for the ESPYS,” said Shields. “This award may have my name on it but it is for every female boxer who has stepped into the ring and hopefully will inspire generations of young women in the future to pursue their dreams with no boundaries. I want to thank ESPN and all my fans who voted for me all over the world! To win this award against the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney is an incredible honor. What a feeling to be the GWOAT amongst men!”

Shields beat out men’s boxing stars Davis, Haney and Stevenson to win the fan voting for the award. The Flint, Michigan-native was already one of just three women since 2008 to be recognized in the category, having earned a nomination for the 2021 ESPYS, and is the only woman to receive multiple nominations in that time span.

Shields’ recent run has included her two victories in 2022, capped by an action-packed victory last October over Savannah Marshall that saw Shields become the undisputed middleweight world champion for the second time. Already boxing’s only champion to become undisputed in two divisions, Shields defended her four belts successfully this June in front of a huge crowd at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit as she shut out Maricela Cornejo on her way to a unanimous decision.

“This is an incredible honor for a generational great, the ‘G.W.O.A.T.’ Claressa Shields,” said Dmitriy Salita, Shields’ promoter and President of Salita Promotions. “It is yet another first for women’s boxing and most importantly more fuel for women’s empowerment all over the world. Claressa Shields is building the bridge to equality with the bricks of her unmatched, unparalleled accomplishments inside and outside of the ring.”

Mark Taffet, Shields’s manager and President of Mark Taffet Media, added: “Claressa continues to shatter every glass ceiling and accomplish what, prior to her, was considered unachievable. The only two-time US Olympic boxing gold medal winner, fastest man or woman to win world championships in three weight divisions, only man or woman to hold undisputed world titles in two weight divisions simultaneously, and only woman in the past twenty five years to win Sportswoman Of The Year twice is now the first woman to win the Best Boxer ESPY award!”

# # #

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 




GALAL YAFAI HEADLINES BIRMINGHAM NXTGEN CARD AGAINST TOMMY FRANK ON AUGUST 19 

Galal Yafai will headline Matchroom Boxing’s latest NXTGEN card at the Utilita Arena Birmingham on Saturday August 19 when he puts his WBC International Flyweight Title on the line against Tommy Frank, shown live worldwide on DAZN. 

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion Yafai (4-0, 3 KOs) fights in his home city for the first time as a professional after racking up four wins from four fights since joining the paid code with a long-term promotional deal back in January 2022. 

Amateur sensation Yafai picked up the WBC International crown on his professional debut at The O2 in London before making defences at the world-famous Madison Square Garden In New York, the stunning Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and The O2 once more last time out in April.

Sheffield’s Frank (15-3-1, 3 KOs) conceded his British Flyweight Title to Wales’ World Title contender Jay Harris last time out in Rotherham, succumbing to a tenth-round stoppage after an entertaining back and forth barnstormer.

The former Central Area, Commonwealth, WBC International Silver and IBO Intercontinental Flyweight Champion is out to cause a big upset and claim the biggest scalp of his career, a win that would propel himself to the front of the queue for massive fights in the Flyweight division. 

Alnwick’s rising Welterweight star Cyrus Pattinson (6-0, 4 KOs) broke down and stopped former British Champion Chris Jenkins last time out in March in his first headline fight at the Utilita Arena Newcastle to pick up the WBA International Title.

The 29-year-old former Team GB standout puts his Title on the line against Wolverhampton’s former Midlands Area Welterweight Champion Conah Walker (11-2-1, 3 KOs) as he continues to climb the 147lbs ladder towards further title shots later this year.

Warley Heavyweight hope Solomon Dacres (6-0, 2 KOs) looks to build on his two-round demolition of Robert Ismay earlier this year while Oxford’s Jordan Flynn (9-0, 1 KOs) and Birmingham’s Kane Baker (19-10-1, 3 KOs) rematch in an eliminator for the English Super-Featherweight Title following their April clash.

There’s also action on the card for Bolton Super-Lightweight Khaleel Majid (10-0, 3 KOs), Coventry Middleweight Aaron Bowen (2-0, 1 KO) and Leicester Bantamweight prospect Muhammad Ali (2-0), plus professional debuts for Birmingham duo Sahil Khan and Ibraheem Sulaimaan. 

“I’m excited to be fighting in my home city for the first time as a professional and to be headlining the show makes it even sweeter,” said Yafai. “I haven’t fought in Birmingham in around ten years so it’s going to be special fighting in front of my friends and family for the first time since capturing Olympic Gold and starting my pro career with Matchroom. 

“Tommy Frank is in the opposite corner and he’ll be fully motivated to get the upset but this is my city and I’ll be getting the win with a big performance on home soil. My career is progressing nicely and this is another step on my journey towards fighting for and winning World Titles. See you on August 19 Birmingham.”

“Although my last fight against Jay Harris was a defeat I learnt a lot from it and I have more belief in myself than ever before,” said Frank. “I wasn’t expecting this opportunity but I believe that things happen for a reason and I’ll be ready to make my mark on the big stage on August 19.

“Yafai is a quality fighter with a great pedigree and I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I’m grateful for the opportunity and to be showcased on such a big platform. I will no doubt be underestimated but that’s fine with me, I believe I have a lot more to achieve in boxing and with a rejuvenated confidence in myself I believe this opportunity has come at the perfect time.”

“I’m excited to be returning to Birmingham for our first show in the city for almost five years,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Olympic gold hero Galal Yafai gets the opportunity to headline his first show and it’s a WBC International Title defence against Sheffield’s former British Champion Tommy Frank. Galal has looked sensational so far on his professional journey and he’ll be determined to impress on home soil as he continues to work towards World Titles in the Flyweight division and beyond.

“There’s plenty of emerging Midlands talent on display with Solomon Dacres taking his next step in the Heavyweight division and destructive Coventry Middleweight Aaron Bowen returning for his third fight in the pros. North East Welterweight star Cyrus Pattinson looks to build on his sensational scrap with Chris Jenkins and there’s plenty more on offer for our second NXTGEN helping of the year. Catch it all live around the world on DAZN.”

Tickets for Yafai vs. Frank are priced £40, £60, £120 and £200 (VIP).

General Sale tickets can be purchased via Stage Front and The Ticket Factory from midday on Thursday July 13.




JAI OPETAIA AND TASMAN FIGHTERS AGREE CO-PROMOTIONAL GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH MATCHROOM

Tasman Fighters and Jai Opetaia have agreed to work with Matchroom as part of a global promotional partnership.
 
Opetaia (22-0 17 KOs) wrestled the IBF and Ring Magazine World Cruiserweight titles away from Mairis Briedis on home turf with an outstanding display in Queensland, Australia in July 2022, outboxing the Latvian with a show of skill mixed with guts after breaking his jaw in both the second and final rounds.
 
The 28 year old extended his unbeaten slate to 22 fights in the paid ranks on that famous night, landing World title honors at the first attempt in a professional career that began in August 2015 after the imposing southpaw said goodbye to a glittering amateur stint that yielded gold in the World Junior Championships in 2011 and saw him become the youngest ever Australian Olympian fighter when he represented his country in at the 2012 Games in London.
 
Opetaia is determined to make more history with the goal of unifying the Cruiserweight division, and the IBF and Ring king is itching to get back into the ring and turn those dreams into reality with Matchroom.
 
“This is something that Tasman Fighters and myself have always worked towards and now I just want to start taking these big fights and unify all the titles,” said Opetaia.
 
Penning a deal with Opetaia sees another Australian star added to Hearn’s blossoming stable Down Under, with the world’s leading Cruiserweight joining the likes of Liam Paro, Stevie Spark, Ebanie Bridges and Skye Nicolson, and Hearn is excited to be able to plot big events in Australia following a successful first outing in Queensland in October – and with Matchroom joining forces with Tasman Fighters on Opetaia, fighters and fight fans alike in Australia are the big winners in the deal, with huge nights on the horizon.
 
“I am thrilled to welcome Jai to the Matchroom Boxing Team and delighted to be working closely once again with Tasman Fighters,” said Hearn. “Jai’s win over Briedis was an historic moment for Australian boxing and solidified him as the number one in the Cruiserweight division. There is no doubt that he can collect all the belts to become undisputed ruler and not just become a superstar at home, but all over the world.
 
“Australian boxing continues to rise and Matchroom want to be a major part of that growth, and with Jai joining our other Aussie stars, we look to returning there soon.”
 
“The deal Tasman Fighters has struck with Matchroom is a massive opportunity for Jai Opetaia to move forward in his career on a global scale, it also opens the door for all of our contracted fighters and Australian boxing in general,” said Mick Francis, Company Director of Tasman Fighters. “Pathways for our athletes is something we consider is the key to developing boxing in this part of the world and with Matchroom it is finally a reality. We are looking forward to the future.”
 




WBA calls for a Romero-Davies bidding

The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has called for a Purse bid to grant the promotional rights of super lightweight world title fight between champion Rolando Romero and challenger Ohara Davies on July 24, in Panama City, Panama.