“I WANT WILDER, WHYTE OR DUBOIS!”  BAKOLE CALLS FOR BIG NAME BATTLES AFTER HAMMERING HULK IN POLAND

RZESZOW, POLAND  (Saturday, April 22) – After hammering ‘The Hulk’ in less than two rounds and handing the previously-undefeated Ukrainian heavyweight his first stoppage loss, Martin Bakole (19-1, 14 KO’s)  called out some of the division’s biggest names to face him in the ring next.

Making his official BOXXER debut, Bakole stopped the previously undefeated ‘Ukrainian Hulk’ Ihor Shevadzutsky (10-1, 8 KO’s) at 0:45 of the second round, demonstrating exactly why he is the most avoided heavyweight on the planet.

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bakole is a son of the hereditary ruler of the Kananga province and brother of former WBC world cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu, who is next in line for throne. 

For the last four years he has been based in Ayrshire, where he trains under the stewardship of Billy Nelson, hence his nickname ‘The Next King of Scotland’. In keeping with his royal heritage, Bakole has his eyes on the heavyweight crown and wants a huge heavyweight showdown to be his next step towards that. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, Bakole said: “I want Dillian Whyte, Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk. Why not? I call people out because I know I can stop them! I made a big statement tonight. I was the first guy to stop [Hulk]. This guy has never been stopped before, I was the first to stop him.” 

BOXXER Founder and CEO, Ben Shalom added: “Everyone in boxing knows how good this guy is and now we need to make sure he gets to mandatory so that people can’t keep avoiding him. He’s ready for the big fights and for me Deontay Wilder is the fight he should be getting next. 

“If Usyk is facing Dubois next then the thing that makes sense according to the WBA rankings I think would be Bakole against Deontay Wilder. and we’re also interested in Dillian Whyte or Daniel Dubois.”

There was another impressive heavyweight performance in the shape of rising star Jeamie TKV (5-0, 3 KO’s).

Making light work of Polish native Michal Boloz (now 5-5, 2 KO’s), the London fighter scored the third knockout win of his young professional career to take his record to five wins from five fights, with three of those wins by knockout. 

Body shots were the key to victory, a rare sight in the professional heavyweight ranks, with TKV digging for gold repeatedly in Boloz’s midriff before finally folding him in half and sending him through the ring ropes during the fight-ending sequence.

“I started a bit slow, he had weight behind his punches so I needed to be smart. I knew if I caught him in the body nicely, he was going to go,” TKV told Sky Sports reporter Andy Scott at ringside post-fight.

“I’ve got more to show, more to come. I want more fights, more experience. I hope the guys at home enjoyed that knockout.”

In the main event, presented in association with Knockout Promotions, hometown hero Lukasz Rozanski (15-0, 14 KO’s) made short work of Croatian wildman Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (11-1, 10 KO’s) to claim the inaugural WBC World Bridgerweight Championship in front of a partisan crowd in the sold-out G2A Arena.

This was never going to go the distance – both fighters are gunslingers who favour all-out aggression and eschew defence – but the first-round finish was still surprising in its ferocity. 

Rozanski found his mark first and Babic never fully recovered, being put on the back foot almost instantly and suffering a storm of heavy leather which did not relent until the referee waved the fight off at 2.10 of the second round.

Earlier in the evening, Birmingham’s Steed Woodall (18-1-1-, 11 KO’s) survived a brief wobble late in the fight to take a unanimous decision over Boris Crighton (11-3, 7 KO’s) in a bout which was closely fought for all of its eight rounds. 

This event was presented in association with official partners Everlast and Wow Hydrate.

For more reaction and for all the latest news and updates, go to BOXXER.com and follow @BOXXER on social media.




Gervonta Davis Stops Ryan Garcia in 7

Gervonta Davis stopped Ryan Garcia in round seven of their 12-round catchweight bout before a capacity crowd of 20, 842 fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Garcia hurt Davis with an overhand right. Garcia continued touching Davis until a perfect counter left from Davis landed squarly on the jaw of Garcia that sent him to the deck.

In round seven, Davis landed a left hand to the ribs which made Garcia take two steps back and sink to a knee for the 10-count at 1:34.

Davis, 135.3 lbs of Baltimore is 29-0 with 27 knockouts, Garcia, 135.5 lbs of Los Angeles is 23-1.

Gervonta Davis

“Everything about this was exciting. I was excited to be a part of this event. I remember coming up in the Golden Gloves and seeing Floyd fight at the MGM. It was crazy. I actually just saw Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl, and I thought that’s going to be me one day. And we’re here.

“The reality definitely matches the dream. But the job is never done until I retire so I’m going to keep my head down, stay humble and continue to work.

“Me predicting the 7th round KO was me just trying to get in his head. I really don’t know until I actually get in there with my opponent, but once I got in there with him I felt like skill-wise, it all matched.

“The first knockdown was just him not knowing his placement and I knew that I was the smaller guy, and my coach was telling me in camp that he’s going to come up with his head up, so just shoot over the top.

“I didn’t think that body shot would end it, but I saw his facial expression and that’s what made me take it to him. It was a good shot, for sure. I thought he was going to get up but I like to play mind games, so when he was looking at me, I was looking at him trying to tell him, ‘Get up!’. And he just shook his head, no.

“I’m definitely the face of boxing. Absolutely!”

Ryan Garcia

“I’m good. ‘Tank’ is a great fighter. I take my hat off to him. I know we talked a lot of trash leading into the fight, but he knows what it is. It’s all love at the end of the day. I was honored to be in the ring with a great fighter and I respect him a lot. You know how the business goes. But I want to say to Tank, you’re a good man.

“He just caught me with a good shot. I don’t want to make any excuses in here. He caught me with a good shot and I just couldn’t recover and that’s it. He caught me with a good body shot, snuck under me and caught me good.

“I couldn’t breathe. I was going to get back up, but I just couldn’t get up.

“I think I should have pressured him a little harder near the ropes. I was giving him a little bit too much respect and I think that was my downfall. I think I gave him a little too much respect in the ring.”

Morrell Destroys Falcao in 1; Retains WBA Super Middleweight Title

David Morrell Jr. retained the WBA Super Middleweight title with a first round destruction of Yamaguchi Falcao.

Morrell came out blistering as he could not miss with his right hooks and uppercuts. Morrell sent Falcao down with a hard uppercut. Morrell finished off Falcao with a devastating right hook that plummeted him face-first and he was out for several minutes before he could get to his feet. The time was 2:22.

Morrell, 167.8 lbs of Santa Clara, Cuba is 9-0 with eight knockouts. Falcao, 166.4 lbs of Espirito Santo, BRA is 24-2-1.

David Morrell, Jr.

“I’m so excited. This was a big moment and a big night for me, so a knockout in the first round is incredible. But this is boxing. First round, second round, I’m not worried when the knockout comes but I got it in the first round.

“I think this is the best moment of my career tonight. It was a big event and a big name. I want to fight the best in the division.

“Much respect to Yamaguchi. I’m glad he’s okay. He’s a good guy and a good boxer.

“David Benavidez is next. Where is he? I want to fight Benavidez, man. He’s next, 100 percent. I don’t want any other guys at 168 pounds. Just Benavidez. I respect Benavidez and his team, but inside the ring, I don’t respect nothing.”

Melikuziev Gets Even With Rosado; Wins Unanimous Decision

Bektemir Melikuziev evened the score with Gabriel Rosado and took a 10-round unanimous decision in a super middleweight contest.

Melikuziev laded 153 of 354 punches. Rosado was just 55 of 332.

Melikuziev, 167.3 lbs of Uzbekistan won by scores of 99-91 on all cards and is 12-1. Rosado, 167.3 lbs of Los Angeles via Philadelphia is 26-17-1

Bektemir Melikuziev

“This was the fight that I wanted. This is the fight that I felt like I made a mistake in the first one, and I had this opportunity for revenge on such a big card. It’s a pleasure for me.

“In the first fight against Rosado, I underestimated my opponent. This time, we put the work in during camp. We went through everything. This time, the goal was to showcase my skills, box and punish him as much as possible too.”

Gabriel Rosado

“I tried, but I was a step behind. Father Time, eighteen years as a pro, but I was game. I walked to him, I boxed him, I tried everything but I was a step too slow.

“I was a split-second behind. He’s fresh, he’s young and I’m happy for him. I knocked him out bad in the first fight and he made adjustments.

“I don’t make any excuses. I was ready. Now it’s time to wrap it up and give my knowledge to younger fighters with management and training. I want to share my experience with them, and maybe do some more commentating.”

Elijah Garcia Decisions Kevin Salgado

19 year-old Elijah Garcia remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Kevin Salgado in a welterweight bout.

In round seven, Salgado was deducted a point for a low blow.

Garcia landed 194 of 621 punches. Salgado was 178 of 551.

Garcia, 159.2 lbs of Phoenix, AZ won by scores of 97-92 twice and 95-94 and is now 15-0. Salgado, 159.2 lbs of Mexico City is 15-2-1.

Elijah Garcia

“I was standing a little too still trying to fight on the inside. Salgado is a tough opponent. He was real tough, real strong and I just had to move and box a little bit. Other than that, it was a good, hard 10 rounds. I give my opponent 100 percent props.

“I stayed in shape one hundred percent after my last fight. Back-to-back camps, and not only that, but I made boxing a lifestyle. I’m always in the gym, eating good and doing the best I can to stay healthy.

“I just have to continue getting better in the gym every single day. That’s what it’s about. I learned a lot today. It was my first time going past six rounds and I got the full 10. The fights like this will get me closer to a world title.

“It feels great to get this win on a big stage. I feel like I’m getting better with each fight. I know I have a long way to go, but I like where I’m at. I’m hoping to get right back in the ring soon.”

Kevin Salgado

“I felt like I won. By a small margin, but I should have won.

“I feel really sad because I felt like this was a really good fight. The referee kept getting in my way. I got a point deducted from me but he didn’t say anything when Garcia hit me in the back of the head. It’s all just very sad.

“It felt like swimming against the current. Mexicans always come to fight against everyone and everything: The judges, the opponent, the refs, the home fans. None of that got in my way to keep moving toward.

“I wish I had had more time to prepare. The three weeks’ notice I got didn’t allow me to be as sharp as I wanted or needed to be.

“I’m still here and I will be a world champion someday. I can promise you that.”

Czerkaszyn Stops Espadas in 9

Fiodor Czerkaszyan stopped Elias Espadas in round nine of a 10-round middleweight bout.

Czerkasyn beat up Esoadas throughout and even turned it up in rounds eight and nine, and the bout was stopped at 2:07.

Czerkasyn, 159.1 lbs of Warsaw, POL is 22-0 with 14 knockouts. Espadas, 158.9 lbs of Merida, MEX is 22-6.

Mielnicki Jr. Destroys Charles in 4

Vito Mielnicki Jr. took out Jose Sanchez Charles in round four of their 10-round super welterweight bout.

At the end of round three, Mielnicki dropped Charles with a long right to the head. Seconds later, it was a short, quick right that put Charles down for a second time. In round three, Mielnicki cracked Charles with a counter right to the jaw that sent him sprawlimg down to the canvas and the bout was stopped at 33 seconds.

Mielnicki, 153.1 lbs of Roseland, NJ is 15-1 with 10 knockouts. Charles, 153.6 lbs of Reynosa, MEX is 20-4-1.

Lorenzo Simpson remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Pachino Hill in a middleweight bout.

In round six, Hill began to bleed from the nose.

Simpson, 161.6 lbs of Baltimore won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is 13-0. Hill, 163.3 lbs of Davenport, IA is 8-2-1.

Good looking Floyd Schofield remained undefeated with a second round destruction of Valentin Leon Jr. in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Schofield put Leon on the canvas with a straight left. In round two, Schofield dropped Leon face-first wit a perfect left at 1:51.

Schofield. 134.7 lbs of Austin, TX is 14-0 with 11 knockouts. Leon, 134 lbs of Culican, MEX is 23-2-2.

Jalil Hackett remained undefeated with a third round stoppage over Jason Phillips in a scheduled four-round super welterweight bout.

In round three, Hackett dropped Phillips with a perfect left hook to the body. Seconds later, it was another left hook that ended Phillips afternoon at 2:20.

Hackett, 153.9 lbs of Washington, DC is now 6-0 with five knockouts. Phillips, 153.5 lbs of Davenport, IA is 3-4-2.

Cuttino Oliver stopped Roberto Cantu Pena in round two of a scheduled four-round bantamweight fight.

In round one, Oliver dropped Pena Twice and the fight was stopped 1:07 into round two.

Oliver, 115.6 lbs of Baltimore is now 3-0 with two knockouts. Pena of Mexico is 3-3.




RAKHIMOV VS. CORDINA WEIGHTS, IMAGES AND RUNNING ORDER

4 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
MILES GORDAN-DARBY 240.2 lbs v PHIL WILLIAMS 262 lbs
(Kingston, England)                           (Swindon, England)

followed by

6 x 3 mins International Light-Heavyweight contest
SAMMY LEE 193 lbsv JURIS ZUNDOVSKIS 179.5 lbs
(Swansea, Wales)         (Liepaja, Latvia)

followed by

4 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
NATHAN HOWELLS 132 lbs v JAHFIEUS FAURE 130 lbs
(Newport, Wales)                       (Oldbury, England)

followed by

4 x 3 mins International Super-Featherweight
BRANDON SCOTT 129 lbs v REYNALDO CAJINA 133.11 lbs
(Swansea, Wales)                   (Managua, Nicragua)

followed by

8 x 2 mins International Featherweight
SKYE NICOLSON 127.15 lbs v LINDA LAURA LECCA 125.3 lbs
(Queensland, Australia)            (Lima, Peru)

19:00 LIVE ON DAZN

followed by

10 x 3 mins IBF European Cruiserweight Title 
JORDAN THOMPSON 199 lbs v LUKE WATKINS 198 lbs
(Manchester, England)                 (Swindon, England)

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA Continental Super-Featherweight Title
ZELFA BARRETT 129.1 lbs v JASON SANCHEZ 128.10 lbs
(Manchester, England)            (Albuquerque, USA)  

followed by

12 x 3 mins British Lightweight Title
GAVIN GWYNNE 134.2 lbs v CRAIG WOODRUFF 133.15 lbs
(Treharris, Wales)                   (Newport, Wales)  

followed by

10 x 2 mins vacant WBO Welterweight World Title
SANDY RYAN 146.6 lbs v MARIE PIER HOULE 145.9 lbs
(Derby, England)              (Terrebonne, Canada)

followed by

12 x 3 mins IBF Super-Featherweight World Title
SHAVKATZDHON RAKHIMOV 129.7 lbs v JOE CORDINA 129.12 lbs
(Bokhtar, Tajikistan)                                      (Cardiff, Wales)




Joe Cordina Decisions Rakhimov To Win IBF Super Featherweight Title

Joe Cordina re-claimed the IBF Super Featherweight Title with a 12-round split decision over Shavkatzhon Rakhimov in Cardiff, Wales.

In round two, Cordina dropped Rakhimov with a left hook In round six, Rakhimov began to bleed from around his left eye.

Cordina, 129.12 lbs of Cardiff, WAL won by scores of 115-112 and 114-113, while a third card had Rakhimov ahead by a 116-111 tally.

Cordina is 16-0. Rakhimov, 129.7 lbs of Bokhtar, TAJ is 17-1-1.

Sandy Ryan won the vacant WBO Welterweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Marie Pier Houle

Ryan, 146.6 lbs of Darby, ENG won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 6-1. Houle, 145.9 lbs of Terrabonne, CAN is 8-1-1.

Gavin Gwynne stopped Craig Woodruff in round five of their 12-round lightweight bout.

In round, Gwynne landed head and body shots that backed Woodruff on the ropes until the fight was stopped at 2:02.

Gwynne, 134.2 lbs of Treharris, WAL is 16-2-1 with for knockouts. Woodruff, 133.15 lbs of Newport, WAL is 12-7-1.

Zelfa Barrett won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jason Sanchez in a super featherweight bout.

In round five, Barrett landed a hard right that put Sanchez on the canvas.

Barrett, 129.1 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by scores 119-108, 118-110 and 116-111 and is now 29-2. Sanchez, 128.10 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 16-4.

Jordan Thompson stopped Luke Watkins in round six of their 10-round cruiserweight bout.

Thompson dropped Watkins twice in round six.

Thompson, 199 lbs of Manchester, ENG is 15-0 with 12 knockouts. Watkins, 198 lbs of Swindon, ENG is 16-3,

Sammy Lee stopped Juris Zundovskis after the opening round of their six-round light heavyweight bout.

Lee, 193 lbs of Swansea, WAL is 2-0 with one stoppage. Zundovskis, 179.5 lbs of Latvia is 6-6.

Miles Gordan-Darby won a four-round decision over Phil Williams in a heavyweight fight.

Fordan-Darby, 240.2 lbs of Kingston, ENG won by a 39-37 score and is 4-0.




DAVIS VS. GARCIA OFFICIAL WEIGHTS AND COMMISSION OFFICIALS

Lightweight Bout (136-Pounds) – 12 Rounds

Gervonta Davis – 135.1 lbs.

Ryan Garcia – 135.5 lbs.

Referee: Thomas Taylor; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Dave Moretti (Nev.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

WBA Super Middleweight Title – 12 Rounds

David Morrell Jr. – 167.8 lbs.

Yamaguchi Falcao – 166.4 lbs.

Referee: Celestino Ruiz; Judges: Max DeLuca (N.Y.), Patricia Morse Jarman (Nev.), David Sutherland (Okla.)

Super Middleweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Gabriel Rosado – 167.3 lbs.

Bektemir Melikuziev – 167.3 lbs.

Referee: Tony Weeks; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Chris Migliore (Nev.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

Middleweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Elijah Garcia – 159.2 lbs.

Kevin Salgado – 159.3 lbs.

Referee: Robert Hoyle; Judges: Max DeLuca (N.Y.), Patricia Morse Jarman (Nev.), David Sutherland (Okla.)

SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN

Stream Live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

on the SHOWTIME SPORTS® YouTube Channel and the

SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook Page

Middleweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Fiodor Czerkaszyn – 159.1 lbs.

Elías Espadas – 158.9 lbs.

Super Welterweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Vito Mielnicki Jr. – 153.1 lbs.

José Charles – 153.6 lbs.

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer will host the SHOWTIME PPV telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo will handle 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® award winning reporter Jim Gray, world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., and boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer. The executive producer is four-time Emmy award winner David Dinkins, Jr. with Bob Dunphy 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 as the expert analyst. 

The SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN show is hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show co-host Brian Campbell, who also serves as an analyst alongside Marquez on SHOBOX, renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani and accomplished sports broadcaster Kate Abdo.

#         #         #

ABOUT DAVIS VS. GARCIA

Davis vs. Garcia will see undefeated five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a long-awaited clash against hard-hitting sensation “King” Ryan Garcia taking place Saturday, April 22 headlining live on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features Cuban star and WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. battling Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao in the co-main event. The action will also see an eagerly anticipated rematch between super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev in a 10-round showdown. Kicking off the telecast will be hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia facing rugged Kevin Salgado of Mexico in a 10-round showdown.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com and goldenboypromotions.com, follow #DavisGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @GoldenBoyBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotionss and @GoldenBoy or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxingwww.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/ and www.Facebook.com/goldenboy/




Weights From Ontario, CA ACOSTA vs. VILLARRAGA

George Acosta 129.6 vs Cesar Villarraga 129.9

Rigoberto Hermosillo 127.8 vs Ezequiel Caro 127

Anthony Chavez 134.6 vs Dihul Olguin 130.4

Arnulfo Cazares 245.9 vs Bryan Hall 242.1

Kevin Sagado 141.9 vs Steven Walker 140.2

“New Blood” will take place at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA on Friday, April 21, 2023. Doors open at 6:45 pm PT with the first fight starting at 8:00 pm PT. Tickets priced $50, $75, $100, and $125 and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900 or online at www.thompsonboxing.com. Fight fans will be able to watch all Thompson Boxing fights, weigh-ins, and behind-the-scenes content, via their new mobile app downloadable on Apple 

?and Google.

Beto Duran will operate as the blow-by-blow commentator with expert commentary by Rich Marotta.

This event is sponsored by HUSTLER Casino, LA’s only luxury casino; 

Thompson Building Materials, Transforming spaces into beautiful places; Omega Products International, The leading stucco manufacturer in the United States; Belgard, Paves the way; and Makita, Rule the outdoors.

For more information, regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. You can also follow the conversation on social media, please use #ThompsonBoxing.

Please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson

Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.




SHOWTIME® SPORTS DOCUMENTARY FILM S.O.G.: THE BOOK OF WARD, PRODUCED BY UNINTERRUPTED,TO PREMIERE FRIDAY, JUNE 2 ON SHOWTIME

NEW YORK – April 21, 2023 – SHOWTIME Sports Documentary Films, in association with UNINTERRUPTED, announced today that S.O.G.: The Book of Ward, an intimate portrayal of the improbable rise of boxing great Andre Ward will premiere Friday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and on SHOWTIME streaming and on demand platforms that same day. The official trailer for S.O.G.: The Book of Ward has also been released on the eve of the blockbuster telecast headlined by Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia Saturday, April 22 in a SHOWTIME PPV Production (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

To watch and share the official trailer, go to: https://youtu.be/cYLYDouXxso

In the film, produced by the athlete empowerment brand UNINTERRUPTED founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, the undefeated, five-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist reveals in personal terms his journey from a turbulent childhood in Oakland, Calif., through the pressures of world championship expectations and ultimately to his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021. 

“I always knew that one day I would tell my story in my own words. I’ve been waiting for the right moment and platform to do it, and the time is now,” said Ward. “I’m excited to be partnering with SHOWTIME and UNINTERRUPTED to bring this to life. Many people know what I accomplished, but they don’t know what I overcame to get to this point. I pull back the curtain on my parents’ struggles with addiction, the lure of the street life following my father’s death, and my battles with the sport of boxing itself. This film will detail how I rose above it all through my faith, determination and desire to leave my own unique legacy no matter the cost.”  

In September 2017 at the age of 33, with his status as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport secured, the undefeated Ward shocked the sporting world when he announced his retirement from boxing. Now 39 and a father of five, Ward reflects on his life with newfound clarity and appreciation for his unconventional rise to greatness. Featuring interviews with longtime trainer and godfather Virgil Hunter, Andre’s wife Tiffiney Ward, as well as key figures from the sports and entertainment world, S.O.G.: The Book of Ward will examine a side of Ward few have ever seen.

S.O.G.: The Book of Ward was directed and executive produced by Rachel Neubeck and co-director, Diaunte Thompson. For UNINTERRUPTED, James, Carter, Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron served as executive producers, alongside Co-Executive Producer Matt Rissmiller.  

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.




FULLY LOADED: HEAVY HITTERS BAKOLE AND BABIC ON WEIGHT FOR SATURDAY SHOWDOWNS IN POLAND, LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

RZESZÓW, POLAND – (April 21, 2023) – A procession of power-punchers hit the scales in Poland today to officially make weight for tomorrow night’s bouts on the BOXXER Fight Night event taking place in at the G2A Arena in the historic city of Rzeszów, live on Sky Sports and presented in association with local partners Knockout Promotions.

In the main event, crowd-pleasing Croatian Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (11-0, 10 KO’s) competes for the inaugural WBC Bridgerweight Championship against hometown hero ?ukasz Roza?ski (14-0, 13 KO’s).

The chief support slot sees heavyweight contender Martin Bakole (18-1 13 KO’s) make his BOXXER debut. He faces Ukrainian standout Igor ‘Hulk’ Shevadzutskiy (10-0 8 KO’s) and will be going in search of his opponent’s countryman Oleksandr Usyk if victorious tomorrow night.

Also on the card from the BOXXER heavyweight stable is Jeamie TKV (4-0 2 KO’s), who faces Poland’s Micha? Bo?oz (5-4-2 5 KO’s), joined by light-heavyweights Steed Woodall (17-1-1 11 KO’s) vs Boris Crighton (10-2 7 KO’s)

Today’s official weigh-in results are below. Watch live this Saturday night on Sky Sports.

WBC Bridgerweight World Title Fight 

?ukasz Roza?ski (100.8kg // 15st 12 lbs 3oz) vs Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (95.6kg // 5st 13oz) 

Heavyweight Bout (10 Rounds)

Martin Bakole (127.3kg // 20st 10oz)  vs Igor Hulk Shevadzutskiy (125.6kg-19st 10 lbs 14 oz) 

Heavyweight Bout (8 Rounds)

Jeamie TKV (117.7kg // 18st 7lbs 8oz) vs Micha? Bo?oz (101.2kg // 15st 13lbs 2oz) 

Light-Heavyweight Bout (8 Rounds)

Steed Woodall (78.4kg // 12st 4lbs 13oz) vs Boris Crighton (77.3kg // 12st 2lbs 6oz) 




LONDON CALLING: AZIM HEADLINES AT ICONIC YORK HALL IN WBA CONTINENTAL TITLE FIGHT AS RISING SUPERSTAR SIMPSON IS ADDED TO JUNE 10 EVENT

LONDON, ENGLAND – (April 21, 2023) – Rising star Callum Simpson will take a step to greatness when he returns to the ring on June 10 at London’s iconic York Hall – as Adam Azim headlines in a WBA Continental Super-Lightweight Championship bout with Aram Fanyan.

Barnsley super-middleweight Simpson (11-0, 9 KOs) sensationally ripped up his reputation as the ‘best kept secret in British boxing’ when he emphatically stopped Celso Neves last month in Manchester on his BOXXER debut.

And the prodigal 26-year-old will be intent on creating more headlines when he ventures to the capital for the first time in his career this summer – live, in the UK & Republic of Ireland, on Sky Sports.

Unbeaten prospects Aaron ‘The Silencer’ McKenna (16-0, 8 KOs) and Shakiel ‘Dr Steel’ Thompson (10-0, 6 KOs) meet in a mouth-watering middleweight contest for the vacant WBC International Middleweight Championship.

The road to title contention also leads Frazer ‘Big Fraze’ Clarke (6-0, 5 KO’s) to York Hall for what will also be his first appearance at the fabled British boxing venue. 

Having last week received news that he will be the next mandatory challenger for British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley, the 2020 Olympic medallist will sharpen his tools in the ring on June 10th ahead of his summer title showdown.

Cruiserweight prospect Viddal Riley (8-0, 5 KO’s) and his antagonist Anees Taj (7-3, 5 KO’s) have some unfinished business to attend to following their February war ending unsatisfactorily in a fourth-round doctor’s stoppage due to a cut above Taj’s eyebrow.

Elsewhere on the card, brother of headliner Adam, welterweight Hassan Azim (6-0, 3 KOs) looks to extend his unbeaten start to life as a professional.

English champion Sam Gilley (15-1, 7 KOs) will be out to light up his native East End after impressing last time out at Ally Pally last November.

The ‘Magic Man’ dropped Sean Robinson in the sixth en route to a unanimous points victory to successfully defend his title

Rhys Edwards (14-0, 4 KOs) produced a breathtaking performance in his win over Brian Phillips in Manchester last month – and the undefeated Welsh super-bantamweight will be back in action on June 10. As will Iranian featherweight Razor Ali (7-0, 1 KO), who wowed at Wembley back in February with his third round stoppage of Hector Avila Lozano.

And the series 8 winner of popular TV series ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’ Joshua Gustave will be on display too. The Ilford middleweight is 4-0 as a professional with all four victories coming from fights at York Hall. 

This event is presented in association with official partners Everlast and Wow Hydrate.

Tickets are now on sale at BOXXER.com and are expected to sell out fast.




WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TRILOGY BOUT HEADLINES UFC® RETURN TO CANADA

Vancouver – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion, confirmed today its return to Canada for the first time in almost four years when it hosts UFC® 289: NUNES vs. PEÑA 3 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on Saturday, June 10.

The event will be headlined by a highly anticipated rubber match that will see women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes defend her 135-pound belt against former titleholder and No. 1 contender Julianna Peña. Stay tuned for future bout announcements soon.

“I’m so pumped to return to Canada,” UFC President Dana White said. “Some of the greatest events in my life were up in Canada. The fans are awesome and I love every city up in Canada. I can’t wait to deliver an awesome Pay-Per-View in Vancouver. We’re back!”

UFC® 289: NUNES vs. PEÑA 3 tickets will go on sale Friday, April 21 at 12 p.m. PT and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.ca. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 20 starting at 12 p.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC® 289: NUNES vs. PEÑA 3 main card will air live on Pay-Per-View starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Televised prelims will broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TSN and RDS channels, with the night’s early prelims kicking off exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Media members wishing to apply for fight week credentials may sign up here.

The greatest female fighter of all time, Nunes (22-5, fighting out of Coral Springs, Fla. by way of Bahia, Brazil) looks to set a new record for combined UFC women’s title defenses. A future UFC Hall of Fame inductee, she holds legendary KO wins over former champions Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm and Cris Cyborg. Nunes now aims to get the last laugh by stopping Pena in emphatic fashion.

Peña (12-5, fighting out of Chicago, Ill. by way of Spokane, Wash.) intends to once again stun the MMA world by finishing Nunes. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 18, she has also earned impressive victories against Sara McMann, Cat Zingano and Jessica Eye. Peña now has her sights set on reclaiming her spot atop the bantamweight division with a show-stealing performance.

Announced bouts on the card include:

  • Ranked middleweight contenders collide when No. 12 Nassourdine Imavov (12-4, fighting out of Paris, France) meets No. 15 Chris Curtis (30-10, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA)
  • No. 13 ranked featherweight contender Dan Ige (16-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Haleiwa, Hawaii) looks to halt the momentum of rising Nate Landwehr (17-4, fighting out of Clarksville, Tenn.)
  • No. 13 ranked light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree Jr. (12-5 1NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., USA) aims to spoil the 205-pound debut of No. 13 heavyweight Chris Daukaus (12-6, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn., USA)
  • Kyle Nelson (13-5-1, fighting out of Stoney Creek, Ont.) battles unbeaten Blake Bilder (8-0-1, fighting out of Costa Mesa, Calif., USA) in a featherweight tilt
  • Marc-Andre Barriault (15-6 1NC, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., USA by way of Gatineau, Que.) locks horns with Eryk Anders (15-7 1NC, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz., USA by way of Birmingham, Ala., USA) in a hard-hitting middleweight bout
  • No. 8 ranked flyweight contender Matt Schnell (16-7, fighting out of Shreveport, La., USA) takes on No. 10 David Dvorak (20-5, fighting out of Horice, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic)
  • Hakeem Dawodu (13-3-1, fighting out of Calgary, Alta.) returns to action against Lucas Almeida (14-1, fighting out of Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil) in an entertaining featherweight bout
  • Miranda Maverick (13-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo., USA by way of Buffalo, Mo., USA) faces Jasmine Jasudavicius (8-2, fighting out of Niagara, Ont.) at flyweight
  • Aiemann Zahabi (9-2, fighting out of Montreal, Que.) goes for his third consecutive win when he meets Aoriqileng (24-9, fighting out of Shanghai, China) in a bantamweight matchup
  • Diana Belbita (14-7, fighting out of Stoney Creek, Ont.) meets Maria Oliveira (13-6, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at strawweight

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

###

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 233 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 over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s active fighter 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 sports and entertainment 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.

Canucks Sports & Entertainment

Canucks Sports & Entertainment is Western Canada’s sports & entertainment leader providing world class entertainment in multiple venues in British Columbia. CSE owns and operates the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League, the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League, the Vancouver Warriors of the National Lacrosse League, the Vancouver Titans of the Overwatch League, the Seattle Surge of the Call of Duty League and Rogers Arena. From watching one’s first NHL game to singing along with a favourite artist, Canucks Sports & Entertainment strives to create unforgettable moments that inspire, excite and unite us all.  Regardless of the score, the event or the night, our goal is to provide a world class experience for you and your guests from the moment you arrive, to the end of the event.




Split-T Management Signs Undefeated Joshafat Ortiz

NEW YORK (April 20, 2023)–Split-T Management is proud to announce the signing of undefeated fighter Joshafat Ortiz.

Ortiz of Reading, Pennsylvania is 11-0 with five knockouts.

The 27 year-old Ortiz is looking forward to signing with the top management company in the sport.

“I am excited for this chapter. This is the perfect time in my career to sign with Split-T. I see all the success they have had and have all of the best fighters in the world. It shows what they think of me. I am moving down to featherweight.  This is the perfect team to guide me through the rankings,” said Ortiz

“I feel like that I am the best kept secret and with this team, I will be able to showcase my skills.”

Born in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, Ortiz moved to the US at age four with his mother and was raised in Reading, PA. Ortiz began boxing at the age of 14, which spawned an amateur career that saw him go 42-7, Ortiz became a three-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Champion. Ortiz made his pro debut in May 20, 2017 with a first round stoppage over Daron Hester in Raleigh, North Carolina

Ortiz has quality wins over Joshua Orta (6-0), Erickson Vargas Rudecindo (4-1) and is coming off a unanimous decision over Mario Ezequiel Sayal Lozano on September 16, 2022.

Ortiz, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, will be back in action on April 29th in Philadelphia.

He is trained by Rashiem Jefferson out of Philadelphia and signed with Split-T Management under Brian Cohen.




BIG HITTERS IN SEARCH OF BIG OPPORTUNITIES AT BOXXER POLAND THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

RZESZÓW, POLAND – (April 20, 2023) – Some of the biggest hitters in the BOXXER stable were on deck in Poland today for open workouts ahead of this Saturday night’s event at the G2A Arena in the historic city of Rzeszów, live on Sky Sports.

Big opportunities await the winners, with Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois on the radar for Bakole and Richard Riakporhe on the radar for Babic.

<CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS>Credit to Boxxer / Lawrence Lustig

With a history of strategic importance stretching back to the mediaeval era and beyond, Rzeszów has witnessed many a major battle during its long history and at the weekend will witness several more as BOXXER makes its first visit to Poland in association with regional partners Knockout Promotions.

The WBC World Bridgerweight Championship is on the line in the main event when Croatian wildman Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (11-0, 10 KO’s) steps up to face Polish counterpart ?ukasz Ró?a?ski (14-0, 13 KO’s) in what is sure to be an incredible firefight – for as long as it lasts.

With a combined record of 23 knockouts from 25 wins, both fighters have a deserved reputation for finishing fights early and throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of a crowd-pleasing conclusion.

The winner will become the inaugural WBC Bridgerweight Champion and reign over a newly-created division named in honour of American schoolboy Bridger Walker, who survived severe damage while protecting his 4-year-old sister from a wild dog attack.

Created by the WBC to “bridge” the gap between cruiserweight and heavyweight, the holder of the division’s championship will open himself up to opportunities in both of those weight classes. 

BOXXER CEO Ben Shalom sees potential opportunities for Babic against the likes of Richard Riakporhe, Frazer Clarke and even Lawrence Okolie – if he wins on Saturday night.

“It’s a tough fight for Babic against a home fighter but he’s a huge fan favourite that brings numbers, so if he can win this belt then that’s going to open up big opportunities for him. Holding a WBC belt opens doors for you and I think he’ll have cruiserweights and heavyweights looking for him,” he says.

“Richard Riakporhe is interested in him. Frazer Clarke, Fabio Wardley and even Lawrence Okolie could all be possible. So let’s see what happens Saturday. Whichever way it goes, it’s going to be a war and someone is getting knocked out without a doubt. I expect it to be crazy.”

Saturday night also marks the BOXXER debut of newly-signed heavyweight contender Martin Bakole (18-1 13 KO’s), who has been in the headlines recently after being linked with potential marquee showdowns against Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. 

First though he must face Ukrainian slugger Igor ‘Hulk’ Shevadzutskiy (10-0 8 KO’s), who is fighting just a few miles from the Ukrainian border and looking to take out a big name and open up opportunities of his own.

“If [Dubois’] fight against Usyk is not happening, after Saturday’s fight the only person I will call out is Daniel Dubois because he’s got the belt. I want to be No 1 for Usyk or anybody,” says Bakole.

“He’s No 1 regular in the WBA and I’m No 2 ranking so that is an easy fight to make so we don’t need to talk too much.

“People are avoiding me now, I have been calling them out, mentioning everybody and nobody has mentioned me or responded. I’ll work hard to be No 1 challenger, so no more avoiding.”

Shalom said, “He’s got to make a statement Saturday night, put him away in six rounds or less then look to see what happens with Usyk, Dubois, Joyce or Zhang. He also wants the Dillian Whyte fight, he wants the Anthony Joshua fight… he’s ready to go!”

Also competing from the BOXXER stable on Saturday night are rising heavyweight prospect Jeamie TKV (4-0, 2 KO’s), who faces Poland’s Micha? Bo?oz (5-4-2 5 KO’s), and an all-British showdown between Steed Woodall (17-1-1 11 KO’s) and Boris Crighton (10-2 7 KO’s)

Watch live on Sky Sports this Saturday, April 22nd:

WBC Bridgerweight World Title Fight 

?ukasz Ró?a?ski (14-0, 13 KO’s) vs Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic (11-0, 10 KO’s) 

Heavyweight Bout (10 Rounds)

Martin Bakole (18-1 13 KO’s)  vs Igor Hulk Shevadzutskiy (10-0 8 KO’s) 

Heavyweight Bout (8 Rounds)

Jeamie TKV (4-0 2 KO’s) vs Micha? Bo?oz (5-4-2 5 KO’s) Polska 

Light-Heavyweight Bout (8 Rounds)

Steed Woodall (17-1-1 11 KO’s) vs Boris Crighton (10-2 7 KO’s) 




Wall-to-wall boxing invades Mohegan Sun this weekend highlighted by CES Boxing’s Championship Jackpot event featuring two highly-anticipated WBC title bouts

Uncasville, CT – Fight fans are in for a royal treat this weekend with wall-to-boxing courtesy of the region’s hottest promotion.

CES Boxing makes its long-awaited return to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, April 22 with Championship Jackpot featuring two title bouts for the vacant WBC Silver bantamweight and super bantamweight championships. Fans who stick around after the final bell can also watch Saturday’s pay-per-view lightweight showdown between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia live from Las Vegas at various casino locations, including the Bow & Arrow Sports Bar, MJ23 Sports Bar and Grill, Tom’s Watch Bar, and others.

The fun begins tomorrow at 1 pm with the official Championship Jackpot final weigh-in and press conference from the Mohegan Sun FanDuel SportsbookThis event is open to the public.

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN AND PRESS CONFERENCE*
Friday, April 21, 1 pm
Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook
1 Mohegan Sun Blvd, Montville, CT 06382
*Open to the public

First bell is Saturday at 6 pm for Championship Jackpot, which features three preliminary bouts and seven bouts streaming live on Spectation Sports beginning at 7 play-by-play from Michael Parente alongside color commentator and New England boxing icon “Sucra” Ray Oliveira.

Super bantamweight Tramaine Williams of New Haven, CT, faces Oklahoma City’s Elijah Pierce in the 10-round main event of Championship Jackpot for the vacant 122-pound strap while Stamford, CT, super welterweight Chordale Booker battles Daniel Aduku of Accra, Ghana, in the eight-round co-main event for the vacant 154-pound title.

Tickets are available online at CESFights.com or MoheganSun.com or at the Mohegan Sun box office. First bell is 6 pm ET.

The event also features the highly-anticipated return of several Connecticut standouts, including female welterweight Stevie Jane Coleman of Columbia, featherweight Nathan Martinez of New Britain, electrifying super lightweight Mike Kimbel of Waterbury, East Hartford welterweight Jeff Gonzalez, and pro debut cruiserweight Slawomir Bohdziewicz, a two-time New England Golden Gloves champion.

On the Championship Jackpot main card, unbeaten super welterweight Anthony Velazquez (12-0, 11 KOs) of Springfield, MA, battles California’s Rashid Stevens (6-1-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout and Port Chester, NY, super bantamweight Carlos Vanegas Nunez – one of the newest members of the CES stable – makes his promotional debut in a six-round bout against Irving, TX, native Dominique Griffin (4-3-2, 2 KOs).

With both a professional boxing and a professional mixed martial arts bout under his belt in 2023, the fast-rising Kimbel (1-0, 1 KO) returns to the squared circle April 22 in a four-round bout against Pawtucket, RI, super lightweight Dahvon Shelton (1-1), who steps back into the ring for the first time since 2018. Coleman (4-1, 1 KO) puts her four-fight win streak on the line in a six-round bout against Orlando’s Josefina Vega (1-3-1), also a regional MMA standout and sturdy veteran who has competed for CES MMA, Bellator, and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. A Western New England Golden Gloves and New England Golden Gloves champion in 2022, Bohdziewicz opens the live stream in a four-round bout against Max Weslei Da Silva of Woburn, MA.

On the preliminary card, Gonzalez (2-0) returns to his home state to battle Providence’s Yeison Berdugo, an experienced Muay Thai fighter for Lion Fight Promotions who is now making his professional boxing debut. Martinez (7-2, 2 KOs), a dynamic featherweight prospect, returns for the first time since November of 2021 in a six-round bout against Argentinian and 35-fight veteran Daniel Alberto Coronel. Waltham, MA, heavyweight Harold Roy makes his debut in a four-round bout against Gabriel Aguilar Costa (1-4).

For more information, follow CES Boxing on FacebookInstagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

Mohegan Sun Arena is one of the busiest Arenas in the United States and is ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard MagazinePollstar and VenuesNow. Mohegan Sun Arena finished 2021 with its first “#1 Indoor Arena” ranking for its capacity in the world according to Pollstar and VenuesNow, ranked among the top 10 venues in the United States regardless of size based on ticket sales, and was named “2021 Innovator of the Year” by Celebrity Access for its ViacomCBS residency.  In recent years, the award-winning venue has also been the “#1 Casino Venue in the World,” “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” and a seven-time national award winner for “Casino of the Year – Arena” by the Academy of Country Music. For more information on concerts and other great events, visit MoheganSun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Speci




DALTON SMITH AND SAM MAXWELL CLASH FOR BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH
SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT TITLES ON JULY 1

Dalton Smith and Sam Maxwell will clash for the British and Commonwealth Super-Lightweight Titles at the Utilita Arena Sheffield on Saturday July 1, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Australia and New Zealand).

Sheffield’s Smith (14-0, 10 KOs), who will be headlining his second fight night in his home city, is aiming to win the prestigious Lord Lonsdale Challenge belt outright after claiming the vacant title by stopping local rival Sam O’Maison last August and then making successful defences against Kaisee Benjamin in November and Billy Allington in February. 

One of the hottest properties in world boxing, ‘Thunder’ will be aiming to add Maxwell’s Commonwealth Title to his growing collection that boasts the WBA Intercontinental Title, WBC International Silver Title and British Title, as he continues to work towards a dream World Title shot at Hillsborough, home to his beloved Sheffield Wednesday, in summer 2024.

Liverpool’s Maxwell (17-1, 11 KOs), a former WBO European and British Champion at 140lbs, will be looking to reclaim the British Title after outpointing Akeem Ennis-Brown to win the famous old belt, along with the Commonwealth crown, in Birmingham back in August 2021. The former Team GB standout bounced back from his stoppage loss to Alejandro Meneses with a comfortable decision over Shaun Cooper in February. 

“It will be an honour to win the Lonsdale belt outright on July 1 in my home city and write my name into the history books, as well as picking up the Commonwealth Title,” said Smith. “Every British fighter dreams of winning the Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt when they start out, so to win it for keeps will be a massive box ticked for me as I then kick on. Sam is a great fighter who can really punch. He will be giving it his all to get the British Title back and keep his Commonwealth Title, but I’m very confident I will have too much for him on the night and it will be another special atmosphere in the arena in front of my home support.”

“It is every boxer’s dream to headline a massive show, so to get the opportunity to do so on a Matchroom Boxing card shown live around the world on DAZN is amazing,” said Maxwell. “My Commonwealth belt is on the line but I’m looking forward to hearing, ‘AND THE NEW’ when I regain the British Title. I believe no one in the world can beat me when I am at my best. I can’t wait for fight night. The atmosphere is going to be unreal and my fans will definitely be heard.”

“I can’t wait to see Sheffield’s very own Dalton Smith back at the Utilita Arena on Saturday July 1 as he looks to create more history by winning the British Title outright against Liverpool’s Sam Maxwell in front of an electric crowd,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “The arena was bouncing last summer when he claimed the vacant belt against local rival Sam O’Maison and I’m anticipating it to be even louder in there as ‘Thunder’ looks to pick up the Commonwealth Title in front of his growing support. He faces his toughest test to date in the shape of former British Champion Maxwell, who will be looking to claim the scalp of one of the brightest talents in world boxing and put his name firmly back in the mix at 140lbs. We’ve got another stacked card in store for fight fans that we will be announcing soon. Catch it all live around the world exclusively on DAZN.”

Tickets for Smith vs. Maxwell are priced £40, £60, £100 and £200 (VIP).

Matchroom Fight Pass members will be able to purchase tickets from midday on Monday April 24. Priority ticket info will be emailed directly to eligible members ahead of the on-sale time. 
 
General Sale tickets can be purchase via Stage Front and utilitaarenasheffield.co.uk from midday on Tuesday April 25.




Macho Camacho Way To Air This June on Bally Sports

LAS VEGAS (April 18, 2023)–This June, a “Macho Camacho Way”, a 60-minute documentary chronicling the naming of a street in honor of former world champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer Hector “Macho” Camacho in Camacho’s hometown in Spanish Harlem, New York City.

The documentary will air on Bally Sports.

The film is Executive Produced by Entrobox CEO Ronald Johnson, Hector Camacho Jr, Antonio Ward , Arthur Bonner , Hiru Corporation and The Ground Up LLC and James Wilent

Producers on the project are Manuel Hernandez, Jeremy Woodruff.George Harrell of Harrell Media Inc, and Terry Artis Jr .

It will focus on the days leading up to, the street naming ceremony and the celebration that took place after that celebrated the life of the charismatic Camacho. There will be exclusive interviews with those who were closest to the former world champion.

“Fighters are Born Everyday. Special Fighters like Hector “Macho” Camacho aren’t born everyday. Macho Camacho is once in a lifetime … it’s Still Machotime!,” said Hector Camacho Jr. “This is the true meaning of the American Dream. Saw my father come from nothing to visiting the White House to meet President Reagan. From the Bottom to the Top”! I appreciate Ron Johnson putting this together with me.”

“It’s an honor and pleasure to be able to partner up with Hector Camacho Jr and create this special on his late father who was an inspiration to so many! There’s only one macho man and it will forever be Macho Time!,” said co-Executive Producer, Ron Johnson




FORMER WORLD CHAMPION LUIS COLLAZO RETURNS AND FOUR UNDEFEATED BOXERS FACE OFF IN TWO ADDITIONAL BOUTS ON APRIL 19, IN PLANT CITY FLORIDA LIVE ON PROBOX

Plant City, Florida, April 14, 2023 – Former world champion Luis Collazo faces off against Angel Ruiz in the main event in a ten-round junior middleweight bout on Wednesday, April 19 at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

10  Rounds Jr. Middleweights TV# 3 Main

Luis Collazo________________vs_________________Angel Ruiz

Brooklyn, New York__________________________Culiacan, Mexico

39-8-20 KO’s_________________________________17-2-1-12 KO’s

152.6 lbs._________________________________________154 lbs.

6 Rounds Welterweights TV# 2

Vadim Musaev______________vs_______________Martin Alvarez

Miami, Florida____________________________Los Mochis, Mexico

5-0-4 KOs______________________________________7-0, 6 KOs

147.2 lbs._______________________________________150.8 lbs.

10  Rounds Jr. Featherweights TV# 1

Prince Dzanie__________________________________Jose Salas

Accra, Ghana________________________________Tijuana, Mexico

23-0-19 KOs____________________________________11-0-9 KOs

121.8 lbs._______________________________________121.8 lbs.

Collazo (39-8, 20 KOs) was born in Brooklyn and now resides in Riverview, Florida. He is a former WBA World Welterweight Champion. Following that reign he later fought for the WBC world welterweight title twice and also the WBC Silver title and has fought many boxing champions such as Amir Khan, Keith Thurman, Andre Berto, Shane Mosley, and Ricky Hatton. Angel “Relampago” Ruiz (17-2-1, 12 KOs) began his career with five straight knockout wins.

Vadim Musaev (5-0, 4 KOs), was the Silver Medal winner at the 2021 World Championships.

Prince “Octopus” Dzani (23-0, 19 KOs) represented Ghana in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is three-time Ghanian Champion, is on a three-fight knockout streak and will be fighting in the USA for the second time. He has three children. Salas (11-0, 9 KOs) will be fighting outside of Mexico for the first time and his opponents have failed to go the distance against him in his last eight bouts. He’ll be looking to wear down Dzani.

Follow ProBox TV at https://twitter.com/ProBox_TV and https://www.youtube.com/c/ProBoxTV

For more ProBox TV info click here https://proboxtv.com/what-is-probox-tv/en




Breaking: Young prodigy Azim faces Ukrainian champion June 10th, London

LONDON, ENGLAND – (Tuesday, April 18th) – Adam Azim (8-0, 6 KO’s), British boxing’s brightest prospect, steps up another level for his next outing when he faces IBO International champion Aram Fanyan (22-1, 4 KOs) at the historic York Hall, London on Saturday June 10th.

The bout headlines the BOXXER fight night event, which airs live and exclusively in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports.

Azim’s astounding amateur career included ten national championships and had him marked from an early age as a potential future great. He has lived up to that expectation thus far, scoring 5 KO wins from 5 fights in his first year as a professional then starting 2023 with a win over the previously-undefeated South American slugger Santos Reyes. 

Having fractured the scaphoid bone in his right wrist en route to the unanimous decision win over Reyes – possibly when he dropped the Nicaraguan in the second round – Azim has elected to take another huge challenge now that he is fully recovered and returning to the fray.

Fanyan has lost just once in 23 professional outings, dropping a decision during a 2019 challenge for the WBC Youth Silver Super Lightweight Championship. Since then, Fanyan has gone on a nine-fight win streak and has begun collecting the kind of titles needed to build a base for eventual world title contention.

In his last outing, Fanyan beat Timo Schwarzkopf to win the IBO International Super Lightweight championship and prior to that he captured the WBO Oriental Super Lightweight championship – a win over the heralded Azim in London would make headlines across the boxing world and would open up bigger title opportunities for him in 2023.

For Azim, this high-risk fight brings the possibility of high rewards, with victory moving him up the WBA rankings from his current #14 spot and also potentially levering him into European title contention.

The road to title contention also leads Frazer ‘Big Fraze’ Clarke (6-0, 5 KO’s) to York Hall for what will also be his first appearance in the iconic British boxing venue. 

Having last week received news that he will be the next mandatory challenger for British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley, the 2020 Olympic medallist will sharpen his tools in the ring on June 10th ahead of his summer title showdown.

Cruiserweight prospect Viddal Riley (8-0, 5 KO’s) and his antagonist Anees Taj (7-3, 5 KO’s) have some unfinished business to attend to following their February war ending unsatisfactorily in a fourth-round doctor’s stoppage due to a cut above Taj’s eyebrow.

The four rounds they fought in February were a firefight, Taj having raised the temperature with relentless pre-fight verbal barraging of his better-known rival. Having arrived in the ring determined to steal the show – and Riley’s shine – Taj won himself a legion of new fans with his spirited performance and will have new levels of support behind him going into this highly-anticipated rematch.

In another bad-blood encounter confirmed for the card, a war of words which began in Manchester last month will be settled in London in June when unbeaten prospects in Aaron ‘The Silencer’ McKenna (16-0, 8 KOs) and Shakiel ‘Dr Steel’ Thompson (10-0, 6 KOs) meet in a mouth-watering middleweight contest for the WBC International Middleweight Championship.

The two were on the same card last month and exchanged words at the pre-fight press conference, instantly sparking interest in an encounter among Britain’s boxing fanbase. The surely-heated clash takes place next month and is a high-stakes encounter – one will leave the ring as champion, the other with the first loss of his professional career. 

“Numerous British boxing greats have passed through the iconic York Hall on their way to the top and on June 10th it’s Adam Azim’s turn to take his next step to greatness at this storied venue. He’s a risk-taker who takes big steps up with every fight and I think in future we will look back at this fight as a pivotal moment in his career,” said Ben Shalom, BOXXER Founder and CEO

“On top of that, I’m excited to see Frazer Clarke make his final preparations ahead of his British title shot later this year and I’m really looking forward to Viddal Riley against Anees Taj and Aaron McKenna against Shakiel Thompson – those are two seriously heated matches which are going to be guaranteed crowd-pleasers.”

Several more HUGE fights will be confirmed later this week with tickets on sale on Friday at BOXXER.com

Pre-register for tickets now at BOXXER.com

This event will be presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.




TOP FIVE RANKED BANTAMWEIGHTS (#2) RAQUEL PENNINGTON AND (#5) IRENE ALDANA CLASH IN REMATCH AT UFC® APEX

Las Vegas – UFC® returns to UFC APEX with a high-stakes rematch in the women’s bantamweight division, as No. 2 ranked contender Raquel Pennington takes on No. 5 Irene Aldana. In addition, will see exciting middleweights Edmen Shahbazyan and Anthony Hernandez lock horns.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: PENNINGTON vs. ALDANA will take place Saturday, May 20 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will be available on ESPN+ in English and Spanish, with the main card starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

Bantamweight veteran Pennington (15-8, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.) sets out to collect her sixth consecutive win. The Colorado native has secured dominant victories against former UFC champions Miesha Tate and Jéssica Andrade, as well as Ketlen Vieira. Pennington is determined to lock down a second win over Aldana and leave no doubt that she’s next in line for a shot at the title.

Aldana (14-6, fighting out of Guadalajara, Mexico) looks to even the score and deliver an impressive win over Pennington. Always game to keep it standing, Aldana has delivered impressive knockout finishes over Macy Chiasson, Yana Santos, and Ketlen Vieira. The Mexican-born striker now looks to deliver a statement victory by adding Pennington to her highlight reel.

Shotokan Karateblack belt Shahbazyan (12-3, fighting out of Glendale, Calif.) looks to capture the first win of his 2023 season. Shahbazyan’s elite striking has led him to knockouts against the likes of Dalcha Lungiambula, Brad Tavares, and Jack Marshman. He now plans to repeat that same success against Hernandez.

Hernandez (10-2, fighting out of Eldorado, Calif.) returns to the Octagon to put the middleweight division on notice. A submission specialist, he’s delivered impressive wins over formidable opponents such as Marc-André Barriault, Josh Fremd and Brendan Allen. Hernandez sets out with the intention of finishing Shahbazyan and climbing his way closer to challenging the Top 15.

Additional bouts on the card include:

  • UFC veteranIlir Latifi (17-8, fighting out of Malmo, Sweden) and Rodrigo Nascimento (9-1, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Brazil) are set to deliver fireworks in the heavyweight division
  • Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Orion Cosce (8-1, fighting out of Arcata, Calif.)faces Gilbert Urbina (6-2, fighting out of The Rio Grande Valley, Texas) at welterweight
  • An intriguing matchup in the welterweight division pits Andre Fialho (16-6 1 NC, fighting out of Cascais, Portugual)against Joaquin Buckley (15-6, fighting out of St. Louis, Miss.)
  • Lightweights Diego Ferreira (17-5, fighting out of Pharr, Texas) and The Ultimate Fighter season 12 finalistMichael Johnson (22-18, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) go toe-to-toe at 155 pounds
  • China’s Maheshate (9-2, fighting out of Sichaun, China) meets Dana White’s Contender Series alum Viacheslav Borshchev (6-3, fighting out of Volgograd, Russia) in an exciting lightweight tilt
  • Dana White’s Contender Series signee Chase Hooper (11-3-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.)and Nick Fiore (6-1, fighting out of Derry, N.H.)square off at lightweight
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz (14-7, fighting out of Lodz, Poland) and Vanessa Demopoulos (9-4, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) clash in a thrilling battle of strawweights
  • Flyweights Natalia Silva (14-5-1, fighting out of Pingo D’agua, Brazil) and Victoria Leonardo (9-5, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) start the night’s action

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click here to apply for the event.

###

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 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 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.comESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).

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.




CLOSED CIRCUIT TICKETS GO ON SALE TODAY FOR GERVONTA DAVIS VS. RYAN GARCIA SHOWDOWN ON SATURDAY, APRIL 22 IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS – April 17, 2023 – Closed circuit tickets for the highly anticipated showdown between undefeated rivals Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia will go on sale today at 10 a.m. PT ahead of their matchup on Saturday, April 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the closed circuit telecast at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be available beginning TODAY at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased through AXS.com at: https://www.axs.com/events/480286/davis-vs-garcia-closed-circuit-telecast-tickets?skin=grandgarden

Doors at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the exclusive CCTV location for fans to watch Davis vs. Garcia on the Las Vegas Strip, will open at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 22, with the pay-per-view telecast beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT.

#         #         #

ABOUT DAVIS VS. GARCIA

Davis vs. Garcia will see undefeated five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a long awaited clash against hard-hitting sensation “King” Ryan Garcia taking place Saturday, April 22 headlining live on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features Cuban star and WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. battling Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao in the co-main event. The action will also see an eagerly anticipated rematch between super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev in a 10-round showdown. Kicking off the telecast will be hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia facing rugged Kevin Salgado of Mexico in a 10-round showdown.

The event is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and the telecast is produced by SHOWTIME PPV.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com and goldenboypromotions.com, follow #DavisGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @GoldenBoyBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotionss and @GoldenBoy or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxingwww.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/ and www.Facebook.com/goldenboy/




Junior Wright Scores Vicious 1st Round KO over Brian Howard in Essington, PA

Essington, PA (April 17, 2023)–Junior Wright scored a devastating first round stoppage over Brian Howard that headlined an entertaining three-bout card at the Clarion Hotel in Essington, Pennsylvania.

The card was promoted by RDR Promotions.

Both fighters set a fast pace by throwing hard power shots from the opening bell. Wright then uncorked a hard left hook that landed squarely on the chin that put Howard flat on his back and knocked out cold. The fight was waved off immediately by referee Eric Dali at 2:!7.

With the win, Wright of Philadelphia by way of Evanston, Illinois scored his second consecutive highlight-reel knockout, and raises his mark to 20-4-1 with 17 knockouts. Howard of Philadelphia is 15-6.

Mark Dawson Jr, won a six-round unanimous decision over gritty upset-specialist Javier Mayoral in a welterweight contest.

Dawson of Philadelphia won by scores of 60-54, 60-53 and 59-55 to raise his record to 11-1-1. Mayoral of New Orleans is 5-3-1.

Rasheen Brown shook off a 15-month layoff with a six-round unanimous decision over Eric Manriquez in a featherweight bout.

Brown of Philadelphia won by shutout scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 12-1. Manriquez of Houston is 7-16-1.

Photos by Darryl Cobb Jr.




LIMITED TICKETS OPENED UP FOR SATURDAY’S LONG AWAITED GERVONTA DAVIS VS. RYAN GARCIA CLASH AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS – April 17, 2023 – A limited number of tickets have been opened up for boxing’s biggest event of the year taking place this Saturday, April 22 as undefeated superstar rivals Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia battle at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a SHOWTIME PPV® production in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The newly available tickets can be purchased at AXS.com for the highly-anticipated event headlined by two fighters looking to stamp their place as the future face of boxing.

The event is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.

#         #         #

ABOUT DAVIS VS. GARCIA

Davis vs. Garcia will see undefeated five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a long-awaited clash against hard-hitting sensation “King” Ryan Garcia taking place Saturday, April 22 headlining live on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features Cuban star and WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. battling Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao in the co-main event. The action will also see an eagerly anticipated rematch between super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev in a 10-round showdown. Kicking off the telecast will be hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia facing rugged Kevin Salgado of Mexico in a 10-round showdown.

The event is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and the telecast is produced by SHOWTIME PPV.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com and goldenboypromotions.com, follow #DavisGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @GoldenBoyBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotionss and @GoldenBoy or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxingwww.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/ and www.Facebook.com/goldenboy/




DAVID MORRELL JR. TRAINING CAMP QUOTES

LAS VEGAS – April 17, 2023 – Undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. has no concerns about a late change in opponent as he prepares to face Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao this Saturday, April 22 in the co-main event of the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia SHOWTIME PPV® production taking place from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT is headlined by undefeated rivals Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia in a 12-round showdown.

The event is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.

A Cuban-native who came to Minneapolis to begin his pro career in 2019, Morrell (8-0, 7 KOs) has quickly shown off the talents that made him a standout in Cuba’s storied amateur scene. The 25-year-old captured an interim title by dominating then-unbeaten Lennox Allen in August 2020 in just his third pro fight before being elevated to champion.

Morell, who trains in Texas with renowned coach Ronnie Shields, was originally scheduled to face Sena Agbeko, who was forced to withdraw after not being licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Despite the late change in opponent, Morrell has no concerns about facing an accomplished veteran Falcao. Here is what he had to say about that matchup and more:

On his matchup with Yamaguchi Falcao:

“For most fighters it might be difficult to adjust to a new opponent, especially being that Falcao is a southpaw, but I’ve seen so many styles that I feel confident with anyone that’s across the ring from me. Falcao is on a nice winning streak and I’m sure his confidence is at an all-time high. He knows that winning this fight could change his life dramatically, so I know he’s coming to fight. I have plans to take him out and send another message to the entire super middleweight division. Falcao is a good fighter, but I’m better in all aspects.”

On his recent training camp:

“I’ve been training with a purpose since I got the word that I’ll be fighting on one of the biggest cards of the last ten years. Ronnie Shields and I have been working endlessly to get everything fine-tuned. With all the intense training I’ve been doing, I’m going to be in the best shape of my career. I’m right on weight and I’m feeling great. I had a great training camp.”

On fighting in Las Vegas in his first PPV event:

“As a kid, I would always dream about what it would be like to fight in Las Vegas, and here we are. It’s a tremendous blessing. I’ve worked hard to get to this point in my career and I’m ready to become a star. I want to thank my team for getting me this fight. Davis vs. Garcia is going to be one of the most watched PPV events in modern day history. My goal is to shine on the big stage and steal the show.”

On what a win will do for his career:

“With all the big fights in the super middleweight, winning this fight means everything. If I’m going to fight David Benavidez, Canelo Alvarez, Jermall Charlo or any of the other big names in boxing, I must win this fight. So, everything is on the line on April 22. A win will get me to the biggest fights in the sport.”

#         #         #

ABOUT DAVIS VS. GARCIA

Davis vs. Garcia will see undefeated five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a long-awaited clash against hard-hitting sensation “King” Ryan Garcia taking place Saturday, April 22 headlining live on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features Cuban star and WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. battling Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao in the co-main event. The action will also see an eagerly anticipated rematch between super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev in a 10-round showdown. Kicking off the telecast will be hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia facing rugged Kevin Salgado of Mexico in a 10-round showdown.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com and goldenboypromotions.com, follow #DavisGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @GoldenBoyBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotionss and @GoldenBoy or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxingwww.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/ and www.Facebook.com/goldenboy/




Split-T Management’s Joseph Hicks Jr. Remains Undefeated with Second Round in Detroit

NEW YORK (April 17, 2023)-Super middleweight prospect Joseph Hicks Jr. remained perfect by stopping Noah Kidd at the end of round two of their six-round fight at The Motor City Casino in Detroit.

The 29 year-old Hicks beat up Kidd to the point where Kidd did not want to come out for round three.

Hicks of Grand Rapids, Michigan is 6-0 with five knockouts.

Hicks is managed by Split-T Management and promoted by Salita Promotions.




Feargal McCrory Remains Undefeated With 3rd Round Stoppage over Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis In Philly

Philadelphia (April 17, 2023)–- Irish lightweight Feargal McCrory remained undefeated with a third-round stoppage over Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis that highlighted a six-bout card at the 230 Arena.

After three successful fight cards in New Jersey, the event was the first promotion by R and B Promotions in Pennsylvania.

The time of the finish was 2:04 for McCrory of Coalisland, Northern Ireland is now 14-0 with seven knockouts. Dos Reis of Santa Cartina, Brazil is 24-12.

Gian Garrido remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Pablo Jesus Rojas in a middleweight bout.

Garrido of Queens, New York is 10-0. Rojas of Buenos Aires, Argentina is 4-6.

Juan Davila scored an explosive fourth round stoppage over Tony Johnson in the final round of their lightweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 57 seconds for Davila of Franklinville, New Jersey and he is now 3-0 with two knockouts. Johnson of Tucson, Arizona is 0-2.

Leonidas Soprandis won a four-round unanimous decision over Ryan Schwartzberg in a junior welterweight bout.

Soprandis of Kilkris, Greece is 2-1-1. Schwartzberg of Dania, Florida is 2-11-2..

In a battle of debuting middleweights, Alan Otto of Cherry Hill, New Jersey stopped Jamar Leach of Philadelphia in the opening round.

Daniel Bean made a spectacular pro debut with a 27 second knockout over Michael Cook.

Bean of Old Bridge, New Jersey is 1-0 with one knockout. Cook of Kansas is 0-3.

R and B Promotions will be back at The Showboat Hotel on Saturday, May 20th.




OMAR TRINIDAD DEFEATS ADAN OCHOA AT COMMERCE CASINO

Los Angeles, CA (April 14, 2023) Friday night in front of a sold-out boxing crowd at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions presented another edition of Hollywood Fights Night‘The Most Entertaining Boxing Show in the United States’, broadcast internationally on UFC FIGHT PASS.

With Fast Rising Irish Star Callum Walsh along with WBC #3 Ranked and WBC Super Welterweight Continental Americas Champion Serhii Bohachuk sitting ringside, the can’t miss main event harkened back to the legacy of Los Angeles’ cross-town rivalries. Omar Trinidad, (12-0-1, 9 KOs) of Boyle Heights kept his winning ways moving forward with an eight-round unanimous decision over Adan Ochoa, (12-3, 5 KO’s), of Downey, CA. Scores were 80-72 twice and 78-74.

With huge crowds of passionate supporters for both fighters cheering on their feet throughout the heated clash, Trinidad used his effective aggressiveness to score over the first two rounds. Ochoa turned the tables and found success in the third round, however it was short lived as Trinidad would control the action as the fourth round commenced. Using his superior skills, Trinidad would continue to seize the battle in the second half over the valiant Ochoa.

In a special attraction four-round middleweight bout, Gabriel Silva, (1-0), son of UFC Legend Anderson Silva, impressively won his pro debut defeating southpaw Angelo Thompson. Scores were 39-36 twice and 38-37. With his father looking on closely, Silva controlled the fight throughout with sharp combinations and a tight defense.

Newly signed to 360 Promotions, Cain Sandoval of Sacramento, CA stayed perfect, (9-0, 9 KOs), with a fifth-round (2:34) knockout of Jose Angulo, (14-6, 7 KOs). Dropping Angulo in the second round, Sandoval kept the pressure on and scored another knockdown in the fifth stanza before the fight was waived off.

Light heavyweight standout Umar Dzambekov, (4-0, 3 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA continued the torrid start to his professional career with a third-round knockout of Nathan Sharp, (4-5, 2 KOs), of Merced, CA The southpaw dropped Sharp in the opening stanza and continued with combinations to the head and body prior to the stoppage.

Welterweights were also in action as Oswaldo Lopez, (4-0-1, 4 KOs), of Maywood, CA and Juan Manuel Gomez, (4-2-1, 4 KOs), of Livermore, CA fought to a spirited six-round split decision draw. Scores were 58-56 for each and 57-57 on the third judge’s card.

In a women’s flyweight battle, popular Gloria Munguilla, (3-0), of Los Angeles, CA stayed undefeated with a four-round majority decision over pro debuting Nikkia Williams, (0-1), also of Los Angeles, CA.

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

Social Media

#HollywoodFightNights

#UFCFightPass

Instagram

@ufcfightpass

@360BoxingPromotions

@TomLoeffler1

@howlerheadwhiskey

Twitter

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@TomLoeffler1

 @howlerhead

Facebook

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@howlerheadwhiskey

Website

www.360Promotions.us




Zhang Shocks, Stops Joyce in 6

Zhielei Zhang won the WBO Interim Heavyweight title with a sixth round stoppage over previously undefeated Joe Joyce at The Copper Box Arena in London.

Zhang landed some heavy blows in rounds one and two. In round two, Zhang landed a hard straight left that buckled Joyce and bloodied his nose. In round three, the right eye of Joyce began to shut. By round five, the eye was shut. In round five, Zhang began to bleed from the nose. Zhang continued to land hard shots that worsened to the point that made the referee at 1:34 of round six.

Zhang, 278 lbs of China is 25-1-1 with 20 knockouts. Joyce, 256 lbs of London is 14-1.

Zhang said, “Today belongs to me. It belongs to everyone who showed up. It belongs to every Chinese person who showed up today.

“I’m 39 years old. But I’m disciplined. I train hard. The next step is for me to fight for a world title.”

Joyce said, “I’m just disappointed with my performance. The [left] hand kept hitting me, and I couldn’t get out of the way. So, respect to Zhilei Zhang. It was a good fight, but I think I could have done better.

“I haven’t fought a southpaw for so long. Credit to him because he’s a good fighter. I gave it my all, and I think I can do better. It’s just disappointing. I expected to win like I normally do.”

Mikaela Mayer moved up in weight and took a 10-round unanimous decision over very last minute replacement Lucy Wildheart to win the WBC Interim Lightweight Title.

In the final round, Wildheart was bleeding from her nose.

Mayer landed 296 of 592 punches. Wildheart was 131 of 462.

Mayer, 134.5 lbs of Colorado Springs, CO won by scores of 100-90, 98-92 and 98-91 and is now 18-1. Wildheart, 134 lbs of Brentoowd, ENG took the fight 24 hours ago after Christina Linatradou had a medical issue. Wildheart is 10-2

Mayer said, “She stepped in at the last minute, so that was really gutsy of her. It’s definitely a big fight for her to just jump in at 24 hours’ notice. But she was tough and durable. I see why she had the confidence to do that, so props to her.
 
“I like to fight on the inside, so once I knew that she couldn’t outbox me, I decided to take it to her a little bit and try to break her down to the body.
 
“I do believe that Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are supposed to go for their rematch, so assuming that still happens, I will challenge the winner of that. So, it’s definitely really exciting for me. This is where I belong. I belong in big fights. I belong in world title fights. I’m in my prime. I feel great, and I want the toughest challenges possible, and right now at 135, that’s Katie Taylor.”

Moses Itauma went the distance for the first time in his life won a six-round decision over Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko .

The score was60-5 for Itauma, 247 lbs of Chatham, ENG is 3-0. Dovbyschenko of Ukraine is 9-13-1.

Heavy-handed Sam Noakes remained completely perfect by stopping Karthik Shartish Kumar 12-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Noakes dropped Kumar with a flush right to the head, Noakes continued with hard shots, and another right made Kumar’s glove touch the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 1:17.

Noakes, 134 1/2 lbs of Kent, ENG is 11-0 with 11 knockouts. Kumar, 134 1/2 lbs of India is 10-1.




MATI AND KOWNACKI STAR ON BERLANGA CARD

Hometown heroes Reshat Mati and Adam Kownacki return to action in the Big Apple as they star on the undercard of undefeated Super-Middleweight sensation Edgar Berlanga’s clash with Jason Quigley at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday June 24, live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS GO ON PRE-SALE ON MONDAY APRIL 17 AT 12NOON ET AND ON GENERAL SALE ON TUESDAY APRIL 18 AT 12NOON – TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM TICKETMASTER.COM

Mati (13-0 7 KOs) will taste his first action of 2023 and does so in an all-New York clash with Brooklyn’s Wesley Ferrer. Mati picked up his first pro title in Mexico in October, outpointing Eduardo Rodriguez in Mexico City to land the WBC Youth Super-Lightweight strap. The Staten Island starlet will box over the ten round distance for the second time against Ferrer (17-1-1 8 KOs) who crosses the East River in a bid to ruin Mati’s unbeaten record in the biggest fight of his career to date, and first over ten.

“I can’t wait to be back in the ring after my latest layoff,” said Mati. “I’m looking forward to going out there and winning in style and win over the entire crowd at MSG.

“I will have huge support from my Albanian fan base on June 24 and I’ll definitely look to make a statement that night in the 140lb division.”

“This is a great opportunity from Matchroom to fight an undefeated guy like Reshat,” said Ferrer. “He will bring all his Albanian fans to the Garden, and that will only add more fuel to this match-up, because I know my fans will be there to make it a hell of a night for every fan in attendance. Move over, there’s a new sheriff in town.”

Kownacki (20-3 15 KOs) is eager to get back to winning ways, and the popular Brooklyn-based Pole does so in ten round action against Joe Cusumano. Kownacki has history with the famous New York venue as an amateur and a pro, and after a pair of defeats at the hands of Robert Helenius and a reversal in Brooklyn against Ali Demirezen in July. The 34 year old wants to get back to his lofty position he held prior to those defeats, and is targeting a spectacular win over Cusumano (21-4 19 KOs), to get himself back in the Heavyweight mix.

“I am excited to be back at Madison Square Garden,” said Kownacki. “MSG is where I had my first success as a boxer winning the NY Golden Gloves, and my fifth pro fight where I came out victorious and started my run to become a top five Heavyweight. MSG is will once again be the starting point of something special for me, as I resurrect my career.”

“We’re are excited for this opportunity to fight In the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden,” said Cusumano. “Adam is a tough fighter but I’m preparing for war on June 24.”
Mati and Kownacki’s bouts will lead into a main event that sees Berlanga (20-0 16 KOs) fight for the first time under the Matchroom banner after penning a multi-fight deal with Eddie Hearn in February. The Brooklyn-based Puerto Rican ranked #4 with the WBO and IBF, and #6 with the WBA, fights in the Theater for the third bout in a row following wins over Steve Rolls and Roamer Angulo in March and June respectively, and there will be echoes of the spectacular April 2022 showdown between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano with the fans are treated to another Puerto Rico vs. Ireland clash as Ballybofey’s Quigley (20-2 KOs) looks to steal the show.

“I’m excited to be back in my hometown and to perform at the mecca of boxing once again,” said Berlanga. “I want this night to be a historic for my fans and for all the people of Puerto Rico and to witness greatness. 

“I feel like I’m reborn again in the sport signing with Matchroom and getting back to where it all started with my old coach Marc Farrait. I promise it’ll be something big on June 24.

“On June 24, I step into the ring at Madison Square Garden with the confidence that only comes from years of hard work and experience,” said Quigley. “I’m ready to give it my all. The bright lights, the roar of the crowd, there’s no better stage to showcase my skills. 

“I’ve been here before, I’ve fought at the highest levels, and nothing will faze me. My spirit and my intuition will guide me, and I know by putting on my best performance I will come out on top.”

“We’re back in the Big Apple and it’s going to be another great night at the mecca of boxing,” said Hearn. “The Theater always creates a special atmosphere, and it will be a sea of colors and a wall of noise when the Puerto Rican and Brooklyn backers of Edgar mix with the green and gold army of Irish fans roaring on Jason. 

“It’s a big night for Edgar making his Matchroom debut, and he will be looking to put on an explosive display as he sets his stall out to put his name front and center for a clash with Canelo Alvarez; and that’s all the motivation that Jason will need to put on the performance of his life and hand a first defeat to ‘The Chosen One’.

“Many of the prospects that we started out with in the States are now knocking on the door for the biggest fights in the game, and that’s where Reshat wants to be – victory in style would move him to the next level and set up a big second half of 2023. 

“The Heavyweight landscape is always changing, and a run of wins can move you up the rankings and into the spotlight. Adam knows that, and with his incredible support and all-action style, ‘Babyface’ can kickstart another run to the top on June 24.”




Mikaela Mayer to Fight Lucy Wildheart TOMORROW at London’s Copper Box Arena as Joe Joyce-Zhilei Zhang Co-Feature LIVE on ESPN+

LONDON (April 14, 2023) ­– Former unified junior lightweight world champion 

Mikaela Mayer has a new opponent for her lightweight debut. Mayer will battle Swedish contender 

Lucy Wildheart in a 10-rounder for the WBC interim world title tomorrow at London’s Copper Box Arena after her original opponent, Christina Linardatou, was forced to withdraw after not meeting British Boxing Board of Control requirements. Mayer-Wildheart will be the co-feature to the heavyweight main event between WBO interim champion 

Joe Joyce and 

Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang

Promoted by Queensberry Promotions, Joyce-Zhang, Mayer-Wildheart and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.
 Wildheart (10-1, 4 KOs), a 30-year-old boxer-puncher, enters this late-notice assignment riding a five-bout winning streak since a 10-round decision defeat to French standout Estelle Mossely. In 2021, she knocked out former Mayer foe Edina Kiss in the third round. Wildheart went 2-0 in 2022, winning a pair of six-round decisions on British soil.

# # #

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




RISING CONTENDER FIODOR CZERKASZYN AND SENSATIONAL PROSPECT VITO MIELNICKI JR. HIGHLIGHT DAVIS VS. GARCIA SHOWTIME PPV® COUNTDOWN SHOW IN SEPARATE BOUTS ON SATURDAY, APRIL 22

LAS VEGAS – April 14, 2023 – Rising contender Fiodor Czerkaszyn and sensational prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. will compete in separate bouts that highlight the SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN SHOW on Saturday, April 22 leading up to the much-anticipated Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia pay-per-view event taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The unbeaten middleweight Czerkaszyn will take on Mexico’s Elias Espadas in a 10-round showdown, while the impressive super welterweight prospect Mielnicki, Jr., faces Mexico’s Jose Charles in a 10-round bout streamed live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing® Facebook page beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

The show will be hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show co-host Brian Campbell, who will be accompanied by a pair of special guests. Sports broadcaster Kate Abdo, who covers UEFA Champions League for CBS Sports and is a former PBC studio host, and Ariel Helwani, renowned combat sports journalist and SHOWTIME Basketball podcast host, will both join Campbell in what should be a memorable night of streaming.  

These fights lead into a four-fight pay-per-view telecast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT headlined by undefeated rivals Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia in a 12-round showdown.

The event is promoted by GTD Promotions, TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and the telecast is produced by SHOWTIME PPV.

The 27-year-old Czerkaszyn (21-0, 13 KOs) made a successful stateside debut in August 2022, stopping Gilbert Venegas, Jr., in the fourth-round. He followed that up in his most recent outing, as he won a dominant 10-round unanimous decision over veteran power-puncher Nathaniel Gallimore last November on SHOWTIME. Originally from Ukraine and a citizen of Warsaw, Poland, Czerkaszyn turned pro in 2015 and now owns four 10-round unanimous decisions on his record, hardly losing a round throughout the contests. The 32-year-old Espadas (22-5, 15 KOs) had a five-fight winning streak snapped in his last fight, as he dropped an August 2022 contest to unbeaten prospect Xander Zayas. A native of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, Espadas has fought professionally since 2012 and has also challenged Olympic® Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao.

Representing Roseland, N.J., Mielnicki (14-1, 9 KOs) returns to the ring for the second time this year after stopping Omar Rosales in four rounds in January. The 20-year-old picked up three wins in 2022, earning unanimous decisions over Dan Karpency and Limberth Ponce, plus a stoppage of Jimmy Williams. Mielnicki first turned heads during his exceptional amateur career where he compiled a 147-22 record and was named the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2011 Junior National Golden Gloves, amongst many accolades before turning pro. Fighting out of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Charles (20-3-1, 12 KOs) will look to start a new winning streak after his four-bout run was halted by former world champion Austin Trout in December 2022. The 29-year-old will be fighting in the U.S. for the third consecutive outing when he steps into the ring on April 22.

The non-televised undercard lineup will feature unbeaten lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield (13-0, 10 KOs) dueling Mexico’s Valentin Leon Jr. (23-1-2, 19 KOs) in a fight scheduled for 10-rounds, plus heavyweight prospect Tristan Kalkreuth (9-1, 7 KOs) in a six-round matchup.

Rounding out the card is middleweight prospect Lorenzo Simpson (12-0, 7 KOs) in a six-round bout against Iowa’s Pachino Hill (8-1-1, 6 KOs), super welterweight prospect Jalil “Major” Hackett (5-0, 4 KOs) battling Jason Phillips (3-3-2) in a four-round fight and bantamweight prospect Cuttino Oliver (2-0, 1 KO) in a four-round attraction facing Mexico’s Roberto Cantu Pena (3-2, 3 KOs).

#         #         #

ABOUT DAVIS VS. GARCIA

Davis vs. Garcia will see undefeated five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a long-awaited clash against hard-hitting sensation “King” Ryan Garcia taking place Saturday, April 22 headlining live on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features Cuban star and WBA Super Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. battling Ghana’s Sena Agbeko in the co-main event. The action will also see an eagerly anticipated rematch between super middleweight sluggers Gabriel Rosado and Bektemir Melikuziev in a 10-round showdown. Kicking off the telecast will be hard-hitting 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia facing rugged Kevin Salgado of Mexico in a 10-round showdown.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com and goldenboypromotions.com, follow #DavisGarcia, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions and @GoldenBoyBoxing, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotionss and @GoldenBoy or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxingwww.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/ and www.Facebook.com/goldenboy/




FORMER WORLD CHAMPION LUIS COLLAZO RETURNS AND FOUR UNDEFEATED BOXERS FACE OFF IN TWO ADDITIONAL BOUTS ON APRIL 19, IN PLANT CITY FLORIDA LIVE ON PROBOX

Plant City, Florida, April 14, 2023 – Former world champion Luis Collazo faces off against Angel Ruiz in the main event in a ten-round junior middleweight bout on Wednesday, April 19 at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

Collazo (39-8, 20 KOs) was born in Brooklyn and now resides in Riverview, Florida. He won the World Boxing Association World Welterweight title and had one successful defense. Following that reign he later fought for the WBC world welterweight title twice and also the WBC Silver title.  Collazo has fought many of boxing’s greats, including Amir Khan, Keith Thurman, Andre Berto, Shane Mosley, and Ricky Hatton. 

“Ruiz is a tough fighter – he’s tall with a wide frame and likes to fight,” said Collazo. “So that in itself is going to make a fan friendly event. Boxing fans are going to be in for an entertaining night. I just got to be smart and use my ring generalship, and fight when I want to and need to fight.”

Angel “Relampago” Ruiz (17-2-1, 12 KOs) was born in Ciliacan, Mexico and now resides in Los Angeles. He began his career with five straight knockout wins. This will be Ruiz’ second attempt at a ten-round bout.

Also featured on the card is a battle of undefeated boxers. Vadim Musaev (5-0, 4 KOs), who lives and trains in Hollywood, Florida, was the Silver Medal winner at the 2021 World Championships. He faces off against Mexican Martin Alvarez (7-0, 6 KOs) in a six round welterweight bout.

The opening bout features undefeated junior featherweights in a ten-round bout. Prince “Octopus” Dzani (23-0, 19 KOs) from Accra Ghana, who represented Ghana in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, turned pro in 2012 and is a former Ghana Boxing Authority champion. Dzani is on a three-fight knockout streak and will be fighting in the USA for the second time. Salas (11-0, 9 KOs) from Tijuana, Mexico will be fighting outside of Mexico for the first time and his opponents have failed to go the distance against him in his last eight bouts.

Follow ProBox TV at https://twitter.com/ProBox_TV and https://www.youtube.com/c/ProBoxTV

For more ProBox TV info click here https://proboxtv.com/what-is-probox-tv/en