NEW YORK – February 14, 2023 – Unbeaten rising middleweight Joseph Hicks Jr. will make his 2023 debut as he faces fellow unbeaten Bilal Quintyne in a six-round showdown on Saturday, February 25 from the Motor City Casino in Detroit.

The 29-year-old Hicks (4-0, 4 KOs) fights out of the growing Salita Promotions stable and will return to the ring after turning pro in January 2022 with a TKO of Montrel James. Hicks followed up the impressive pro debut by adding KO’s in May, August and October to round out his year. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, he’ll meet the 29-year-old Quintyne (4-0, 1 KO), who fights out of Marietta, Georgia, for each fighter’s fifth pro bout.

“In 2022, I was excited to get started with my professional career,” said Hicks. “I’ve been working with some of Michigan’s best boxers and they’ve all helped keep me on my toes. This year I’m looking to take the next step as a pro.”

“Joseph Hicks Jr. is one of the best blue-chip prospects in the U.S.,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “His elite amateur pedigree has helped him to seamlessly adjust to the pro ranks. Joe has the experience and the skills to be on the fast track to a world title. He’s another hidden, and soon to be seen, gem from the talent-rich state of Michigan.”

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

“When I face Quintyne, I plan to box, establish my jab and let the fight come to me,” added Hicks. “I’m training to fight six hard rounds and be the best me possible inside the ring on the 25^th.”

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ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS

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

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

London, 14 February 2023: Disrupt Promotions is a newly formed sports promotion company, focusing primarily within boxing and with ambitions to expand into other combat sports on a global basis. The company intends to be disruptive by revolutionising and modernising sports in order to enhance entertainment value and stakeholder worth.
 
Many popular spectator sports which have become stale or tangled up in politics and bureaucracy have successfully been re-engineered and commercialised to enhance entertainment value and engagement for spectators, while also attracting new audiences and creating additional value for stakeholders through sustainable income streams and brands.
 
The current and upcoming generations have an unsatisfiable thirst for media content and, in particular, a desire to be interactive with heightened engagement.  These are particular areas of focus in both the medium and long term for Disrupt Promotions while rolling up many of the traditional businesses in the sector and creating a brand that fighters, sponsors and media outlets want to be associated with.
 
The company has been formed by a group of prominent business leaders from the UK and South Africa who share the vision of disrupting, consolidating and modernising the boxing sector. The intention is to move the company into the public capital markets in the near future, once the first stage of consolidation of numerous key assets has been achieved. 
 
Disrupt Promotions is in advanced discussions with numerous acquisition targets, fighters, media outlets, strategically aligned businesses and sponsors in order to enable it to move at a rapid pace with its expansion plans.
 
The company will also have a long term strategy of developing fighters from grassroots level in under-developed regions such as Africa and Eastern Europe where the opportunities for fighters to grow and progress has traditionally been very limited, while also providing a platform from which athletes globally are able to develop and flourish. From this, we intend to cultivate a world class stable of fighters to contend for world titles in 2023, 2024 and beyond.
 
Disrupt Promotions Chairman, Nicolas Link, commented: “Coming from an international business and sporting background, I’m very excited to be part of building a world class team and a business that intends to revolutionise and professionalise one of the world’s most popular sports.
 
“It’s time for change in almost every aspect of boxing, which is more than just a sport to so many people. Boxing is entertainment at a time when the world craves content more than ever before. 
 
“Disrupt Promotions has huge aspirations and we look forward to working with some of the industry’s key figures in the near future as we set out to achieve our objectives.”
 
The company will be making a series of announcements over the coming months and year as the contracts with fighters, media, sponsors, key management and venues crystalise.
 
For further information on the company’s latest news, please visit disruptpromotions.com or follow us on social media via the following ways:
 
Facebook: @DisruptBoxing
Twitter: @DisruptBoxing
Instagram: @DisruptBoxing
Snapchat: @DisruptBoxing
TikTok: @DisruptBoxing

Leigh Wood has promised to meet Mauricio Lara “in the middle of the ring” and has boldly predicted that their highly anticipated WBA Featherweight World Title clash at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham this Saturday, shown live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Australia and New Zealand), won’t reach the halfway point.

Nottingham’s ‘Leigh-thal’ (26-2, 16 KOs) returns to the scene of his stunning 12^th round knockout win over Ireland’s Michael Conlan last March to put his WBA crown on the line for the second time against a man few have opted to face – Mexico City’s dangerous knockout artist Lara (25-2-1, 18 KOs).

‘Bronco’ arrives on these shores for the third time with a fearsome reputation, having famously wiped-out former IBF Featherweight World Champion Josh Warrington in nine rounds in a sensational upset behind closed doors in February 2021, ending the Leeds fighter’s unbeaten record.

Wood, who picked up multiple Fight of the Year awards for his sensational scrap with Conlan, has accused Lara of making things personal between them following his injury jibes, and the 34-year-old believes he can expose his opponent’s weaknesses on the biggest stage of all. 

“From the outside looking in he looks very dangerous,” admitted Wood. “He got that devastating win over Josh Warrington. There’s a lot of things he does well and he is dangerous, but in the same hand there’s a lot of things that he does very poorly. You can’t get away with that at this level with the right fighter.

“He doesn’t have to come looking for me, I’m going to be right in front of him. I’ll meet him in the middle of the ring. When he walks into the ring he’s going to be met with a very hostile crowd. No one is going to walk into Nottingham and walk through me – it’s not going to happen. I can’t see it reaching the halfway point, and I will win by knockout.

“There was never going to be another fight. It was always going to be Mauricio Lara next. He’s said a few things which made it quite personal. He said that I faked my injury and he said that all the English are running away scared.”

Victory on Saturday potentially sets up a dream World Title defence for Gedling’s Wood at the City Ground – home to his beloved Nottingham Forest Football Club. The chance to become the first ever fighter to headline at the famous old stadium gives Wood all of the extra motivation he needs.

“Over the years things change, you don’t always want what you wanted when you started. Some things do stay the same. It was winning the British Title, boxing for and hopefully winning a World Title and the third thing is to fight at the City Ground. Now I’ve just got one more thing to do – win this fight and I believe it’s done.

“The people down at the ground have really got behind me my past few fights. It’s going to be a special atmosphere this fight. It’s going to be even better. Last time it was split with the Nottingham lot and the Irish – this time it’s predominantly going to be the Nottingham fans. They’ll be singing and making lots of noise – it’s going to be lifting.”

Wood vs. Lara headlines Matchroom’s first show of the year in the UK, Sheffield star Dalton Smith (13-0, 10 KOs) makes the second defence of his British Super-Lightweight Title against Billy Allington (10-1-4), Irish Lightweight hope Gary Cully (15-0, 9 KOs) takes on the USA’s Wilfredo Flores (10-0-1, 5 KOs) for the vacant WBA Intercontinental Title, Gravesend Cruiserweight Cheavon Clarke (4-0, 4 KOs) fights late replacement Israel Duffus (20-8, 17 KOs), former European Super-Bantamweight Champion Gamal Yafai (19-2, 11 KOs) begins 2023 with a ten-rounder against Argentina’s Diego Alberto Ruiz (23-6-1, 12 KOs), Northampton’s Kieron Conway (18-3-1, 4 KOs) meets Portugal’s Jorge Silva (21-7, 12 KOs) over eight rounds at Super-Middleweight, Rotherham Super-Welterweight talent Junaid Bostan (4-0, 4 KOs) fights for the third time under the Matchroom banner, popular Mansfield Super-Bantamweight Nico Leivars (3-0-1) squares off against Spain’s Alberto Motos (2-0) over six rounds, Commonwealth Super-Lightweight Champion Sam Maxwell (16-1, 11 KOs) faces Shaun Cooper (13-4) over six rounds and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Aaron Bowen makes his professional debut at Middleweight against Mathieu Gomes (5-4, 5 KOs).

Limited remaining tickets for Wood vs. Lara can be purchased via Stage Front.

HANOVER, MARYLAND (February 14, 2022)–On Saturday night, February 18th, Jeter Promotions returns to the Hall at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland with a huge night of boxing that will be headlined by an eight-round bout featuring popular junior welterweight Greg Outlaw taking on Willie Shaw.

It is expected that Jeter Promotions will have their 10th consecutive capacity crowd at The Hall at Live!.

Outlaw of Bowie, Maryland is 11-1 with six knockouts. The 29 year-old Outlaw is a seven year professional who has defeated Kashon Hutchinson (2-0), Mack Allison IV (8-1), Edgar Torres (8-1), and Jonathan Montrel (12-0). Outlaw is coming off an explosive first-round stoppage over Wilfrido Buelvas on November 19th in Washington, D.C.

Shaw of Vallejo, California is 14-4 with 10 knockouts. The 30 year-old Shaw is a six-year veteran who has victories over Leonard Davis (1-0-2), Giovannie Gonzalez (4-1) and Antonio Flores (8-2). Shaw is coming off a loss to Andrew Rodgers on September 17, 2022 in Murraysville, PA.

Seeing action in a six-round bout, will be rising junior welterweight Joseph Veazey taking on Danny Murray for the ABF Mid-Atlantic Title.

Veazey, who has started to establish himself as one of the best prospects in the 140-lb. division, has a record of 8-0 with five knockouts. The 24 year-old from Baltimore is coming off an impressive outing as he took out Rashad Kilpatrick (5-1) in two rounds on October 15th at Live! Casino.

Murray of Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey is 6-6. The 31 year-old has wins over undefeated fighters Kenny Robles (2-0) and Valerio Nocera (3-0-1).. Murray is coming off a unanimous decision win over Michael Gibbons on August 28, 2022 in Camden, New Jersey.

A massive undercard featuring some of the best talent in the beltway has been assembled.

In Six-Round Bouts:

Jaqeem Hutcherson (6-1-1) of Capitol Heights, Maryland take on Prentice Canada (4-8-1, 2 KO) of Saint Louis, Missouri in a trilogy fight that will be contested for the ABF Atlantic featherweight title.

AJ Williams (6-2, 2 KOs) of Baltimore will fight Derrick Vann (3-6) of Philadelphia in a super middleweight fight.

Colby Madison (10-4-2, 6 KOs) of Baltimore fights Darryl Clark (2-2, 1 KO) of Houston, TX in a heavyweight battle.

Vitali Gubkin (5-3-1,4 KOs) of Alexandria, Virginia battles Christopher Brooker (16-12, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia in a super middleweight clash.

In Four-Round Bouts:

Vincent Mosca (1-0) of Nottingham, Maryland will take on Albert Talley of Gouverneur, New York in a light heavyweight contest.

Francis Oran (1-0, 1 KO) of Bethlehem, PA takes on Charles Johnson (2-6, 1 KO) 0f Upper Marlboro, Maryland in a heavyweight bout.

Jeffrey Yu (1-0, 1 KO) of Vienna, Virginia takes on debuting Cary Caprio in a super featherweight affair.

Francis Scarboto Jr. (3-0, 2 KOs) of Cheverly, Maryland will square off with debuting Jorge Osvaldo Bargallo Perez of Cape Coral, Florida in a super featherweight bout.

Ahmad Jones (3-0, 2 KOs) of Baltimore takes on Michael Crain (4-5-2, 1 KO) of Smyrna, Delaware in a super lightweight fight.

Michah Terrill of Landover, Maryland makes his pro debut against Kenyan Williams (0-3) of Winchester, Virginia in a light heavyweight bout.

Ervin Fuller of Fort Washington, Maryland will take on Alejandro Leon of Deerfield, Florida in a battle pro debuting super bantamweights/

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $65-$250 and can be purchased HERE

The HALL at LIVE! is a 75,000-square-foot, three-story multi-use concert and event venue that features some of the nation’s best touring acts, comedians, championship boxing and other show-stopping entertainment. With a capacity of up to 4,800 persons, the state-of-the-art performance venue features three levels of seating: a main orchestra level, intimate loge-level boxes and a plush VIP Level with private bar, lounge and balcony. Each of these options afford spectacular views and immerse audiences in audio visual systems unparalleled in the region.

The $10 million state-of-the-art audio and visual system provides absolute acoustic perfection combined with stunning visual displays. The built-in performance stage, surrounded by massive, high resolution LED screens, is 60 feet wide by 40 feet deep and, from a technological standpoint, rivals the largest and most advanced performance venues anywhere. The HALL is the largest theater in any casino in the state of Maryland, as well as in Anne Arundel County. The HALL at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland is located at 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, Maryland 21076.

POMONA, CA (February 14, 2023): The undercard for Nery vs. Hovhannisyan has been finalized to support a main event matchup with potential “fight of the year” contender status written all over it. Former two-division world champion Luis “Pantera” Nery (33-1, 25 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico and Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (21-3, 17 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Yerevan, Armenia will fight in a 12-round WBC Super Bantamweight Title Eliminator match to get one step closer to a coveted opportunity to fight for a world championship. The event, presented in association with Zanfer Boxing, is scheduled to take place at Fox Theater Pomona and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST/ 8:00 p.m. EST. 

In the co-main event, Shane Mosley, Jr. (18-4, 10 KOs) will return to the ring after successfully defeating Gabe Rosado via majority decision last April 2022. Mosley, Jr. will fight in a 10-round super middleweight fight against Chihuahua, Mexico’s Mario “Aguila” Lozano (33-10, 24 KOs). Lozano is coming off of a long layoff after a valiant effort against Liam “Beefy” Smith in August 2019. 

Tickets for Nery vs. Hovhannisyan are on sale and are priced at $125, $75 and $50 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at GoldenBoyPromotions.com or FoxPomona.com. 

Also on the DAZN card, Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (20-2, 15 KOs) of Rialto will participate in a 10-round flyweight bout against Jerson Ortiz (17-6, 8 KOs) of Managua, Nicaragua. Sandoval will be attempting to avenge his loss against David Jimenez last July 2022. Opening up the DAZN broadcast, Rowdy “Legend” Montgomery (8-4-1, 6 KOs) of Victorville will face Christian “Ruso” Olivas (22-8, 19 KOs) of San Ysidro in an eight-round super middleweight match. 

For the Nery vs. Hovhannisyan preliminary bouts, Asa “Ace” Stevens (3-0, 1 KO) of Waianae, Hawaii will fight Cesar Sustaita (3-6, 3 KOs) of Chihuahua, Mexico in a four-round super bantamweight match. His Hawaiian counterpart, Dalis Kaleiopu (3-0, 3 KOs), also of Waianae will face Erick Garcia (4-3, 1 KO) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a four-round lightweight fight. Opening up the night, Odessa, Ukraine’s Andrii Novytski will make his pro-debut against Gabriel Costa (1-3) of Woburn, Missouri in a four-round heavyweight scrap.

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Nery vs. Hovhannisyan is a 12-round WBC Super Bantamweight Eliminator Fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Boxing. The fight night will take place on Saturday, February 18, live from Fox Theater Pomona and will be broadcast on DAZN worldwide.

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

LOS ANGELES, CA. (February 14, 2023) – One of boxing most highly decorated amateurs, 21-year-old Iyana Verduzco, known as “Right Hook Roxy”, will be making her professional boxing debut live on BLK Prime PPV from The Gateway Center @ College Park, GA. Verduzco will be campaigning at featherweight and will square off against Jessica Emerick (1-0-1, 1 KO) in a scheduled 4-round bout.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, with prices ranging from $40 to $400. This event is promoted by Christy Martin Promotions and BLK Prime. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET with the first fight starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Broner vs. Williams Jr. will broadcast worldwide via digital Pay-Per-View on BLKPrime.com and PPV.com for $39.99. In addition, the PPV event will be distributed by Integrated Sports Media and be available throughout North America via cable and satellite PPV on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH, SHAW, and ROGERS. The PPV telecast will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. A live PPV preshow starts at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT.

Iyana, who was a 21-time national champion, stands at 5’3” and fights out of the southpaw stance. Her amateur record was an astonishing 101 wins with only 6 defeats. She was a 3-time International Gold Medalist. She has been honing her skills for years, training tirelessly to make her dream of becoming a professional boxer a reality. And now, the moment she has worked so hard for has finally arrived.

“I’m excited to finally be making my professional debut after many years in the amateurs,” said Verduzco, who is trained by her mom Gloria. “I have big dreams to become the face of women’s boxing and I know with hard work, that dream can become a reality. I’m thankful to BLK Prime for giving me this opportunity and I promise to bring an explosive fight for the fans.

Her opponent, Jessica Emerick, may have an undefeated record, but Iyana is ready to show what she’s made of. She is confident in her abilities and has been preparing tirelessly for this moment. With lightning-fast reflexes, technical prowess, and a heart of a champion, Iyana is poised to make a lasting impression on the world of boxing.

“Emerick is going to be a tough fight because I know she’s been training hard for this moment as well.” continued Verduzco. “I’m expecting this fight to be a war and I want all the fans watching to know we women can bring excitement to the ring as well. My goal is to make a statement in this fight by scoring a knockout.”

This is just the beginning for Iyana Verduzco. Her debut on February 25 will be the first step in what promises to be a long and illustrious career. She is an inspiration to young women everywhere, proving that with hard work and determination, anything is possible.

Don’t miss your chance to see “Right Hook Roxy” in action and be a part of the unforgettable moment when a young woman makes her mark on the sport of boxing.

ARLINGTON, TX (February 13, 2023): Undefeated knockout sensation Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs) of Grand Prairie, Texas has kicked opened the door to challenge for a world title as he is set to fight undefeated World Champion Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) of Kaunas, Lithuania for Stanionis’s WBA Regular Welterweight Title. The 12-round championship showdown is set to take place on Saturday, April 29 at College Park Center at The University of Texas at Arlington campus. The exclusive fight night will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN. 

“I am beyond happy, knowing that we’re finally here, fighting for a world title,” said Vergil Ortiz, Jr. “The work that we’ve done inside and outside of the ring and the obstacles we’ve overcome has led to this moment. Stanionis is a great fighter with massive power and I know we are going to put on a good show for everyone. I want to thank my promoter, Golden Boy, the WBA, and my manager, Rick Mirigian for getting this across the finish line.” 

“Vergil asked for this fight, so here we are,” said Eimantas Stanionis. “I feel like this is going to be a special fight. We have mutual respect as competitors but make no mistake it’s going to be an absolute war.” 

“There will be war inside the ring on April 29 as these two dangerous fighters clash to be at the top of the welterweight division,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya. “Ortiz and Stanionis are elite level fighters who will be unafraid to unleash treacherous power and pressure to be crowned World Champion.” 

“2023 is already developing into one of our best ever schedules with Ortiz and Zurdo all set to fight in the first four months of the year,” said Joseph Markowski, CEO North America, DAZN Group. “Vergil is a future World Champion and this will be his toughest test to date versus a very tough opponent in Stanionis. Watch this brilliant fight live and exclusive on DAZN.”

With a 100 percent knockout ratio, Vergil Ortiz, Jr. sits near the top of the stacked welterweight division. His most recent fight in August of 2022 was an entertaining scramble in front of a hometown Texan crowd against Michael McKinson that added rounds to his boxing portfolio and a seventh-round KO. The 24-year-old has had an exciting career since his 2016 debut, knocking out contenders like Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Brad “King” Solomon, and Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker. Ortiz is currently ranked No. 1 by the WBA and WBO, No.2 by the WBA, and No. 3 by the IBF. This will be the first time he will be fighting for a world championship. 

Currently the WBA Regular Welterweight World Champion, Eimantas Stanionis secured his title belt with a split-decision victory against Radzhab Butaev in a toe-to-toe match-up last April 2022. The 28-year-old former Lithuanian Olympian turned pro in 2017 after an impressive amateur career that amassed a number of accolades, including representing his country at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Since turning pro, the undefeated fighter quickly went from prospect to contender after beating the likes of Justin DeLoach, Janer Gonzalez, and Thomas Dulorme. 

Information on tickets and the undercard will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Media interested in applying for a credential can apply at https://emcevents.com/ortizjr_stanionis.html. Media credential applications are due by EOD April 17. 

Stanionis vs. Ortiz, Jr. is a 12-round fight for the WBA Regular Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, April 29 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

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

ORANGE, CA. (February 13, 2023) – It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Thompson Boxing Promotions CEO, Ken Thompson, a beloved boxing promoter who dedicated 23 years of his life to promoting the sport in Southern California. Throughout his career, Kenny was known for his passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the sport of boxing, and his fighters.

Born in Lubbock, Texas, Kenny had a love for boxing from an early age. He started his boxing promotion career in the early 2000’s and quickly established himself as a leading figure in the industry. His ability to spot young talent and give them a platform to showcase their skills made him one of the most respected individuals in the sport. Ken was a true advocate for the boxers and always worked tirelessly to ensure that their careers were as successful as possible.

Kenny’s passion for boxing was contagious, and he inspired countless people to become involved in the sport, both as boxers and fans. He was known for his energetic and enthusiastic approach to promoting boxing events, and his shows always had a special energy that was palpable from the moment the first bell rang.

Throughout his career, Kenny was dedicated to giving back to the community. He was a strong supporter of local charities and was always looking for ways to help those in need. He will be remembered for his kindness, his generosity, and his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place.

Kenny’s impact on the sport of boxing in Southern California will never be forgotten. He will always be remembered as a champion of the sport, a true promoter of the art of boxing, and a shining example of what it means to be a true visionary. His legacy will live on, inspiring future generations of boxing enthusiasts to pursue their passions and make a difference in the world.

Rest in peace, Kenny Thompson, and thank you for all that you did to make the world of boxing a better place. Your memory will live on, and you will always be remembered as a true champion of the sport.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made in Kenny’s honor to the Wounded Warrior Project. https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Forthcoming information about a celebration of life event in memory of Kenny will be announced soon. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Kenny’s family during this difficult time.

Las Vegas – UFC^® today announced that former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver will be inducted into the 2023 Class of the UFC Hall of Fame as a Pioneer. The 2023 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, will take place during the 11^th Annual UFC International Fight Week^Ô this summer in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS^®.

“Jens Pulver is a pioneer of the sport who was not only the first lightweight champion in UFC history, but someone who delivered some of the sport’s most memorable moments,” said UFC President Dana White. “No one will ever forget his knockout of John Lewis or his win over BJ Penn in their first fight, and his fight against Urijah Faber in 2008 was the biggest fight in WEC history at the time. Jens could do it all in the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

Pulver will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 18^th member of the Pioneer Era Wing. The Pioneers Era category includes athletes who turned professional before November 17, 2000 (when the unified rules of mixed martial arts were adopted), are a minimum age of 35, or who have been retired for one year or more.

A veteran of 47 fights during his 14-year professional MMA career, Pulver registered a record of 27-19-1 Draw (11-9-1, – UFC / PRIDE / Shooto / WEC), securing victories over UFC Hall of Famers BJ Penn and Cub Swanson, former Shooto lightweight champion Caol Uno, The Ultimate Fighter^® Season 2 tournament winner Joe Stevenson, and former WEC^® featherweight champion Cole Escovedo. 

Pulver made his professional MMA debut by competing as part of two Bas Rutten Invitationals on April 24 and June 1, 1999. Produced by UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, the invitational was an MMA tournament, where Pulver recorded a 3-1 record over two events before joining UFC.

Jens made his UFC debut as part of UFC^® 22: ONLY ONE CAN BE CHAMPION, which took place on September 24, 1999, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Pulver faced Alfonso Alcarez, fighting to a draw. After his UFC debut, he would bounce back from his fight against Alcarez, winning five of his next six fights, which included a 2-0 record inside UFC.

Jens returned to the Octagon for his fourth UFC bout against John Lewis at UFC^® 28: HIGH STAKES, which took place on November 17, 2000. Pulver defeated Lewis via knockout 15 seconds into the first round and earned his first title shot at UFC 30. His quick knockout of Lewis ranks as the fifth fastest in the history of the lightweight division.

UFC^® 30: BATTLE ON THE BOARDWALK took place on February 23, 2001, in Atlantic City, New Jersey and served as the first UFC event under the Zuffa banner.

Jens faced Caol Uno in the co-main event with the inaugural UFC 155-pound (then called bantamweight) title on the line. Pulver would earn a unanimous decision victory over Uno and become the organization’s first bantamweight champion. After the event, the division was renamed to lightweight, making Jens UFC’s first lightweight champion. 

Pulver returned to the Octagon on September 28, 2001, in the co-main event of UFC^® 33: VICTORY IN VEGAS. This event would serve as the first UFC event sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Jens would defeat Dennis Hallman via unanimous decision and become the first UFC lightweight champion to defend their title.

His next title defense would take place on January 11, 2002, against future UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn in the main event of UFC^® 35: THROWDOWN. Still regarded as one of the most exciting fights in UFC history, Jens defeated Penn via majority decision in an event that would also make history as the first UFC event headlined by athletes competing in the lightweight division.

Pulver would vacate his title and leave UFC after this event. During his first tenure inside the Octagon (1999 – 2002), he set lightweight division records for total (482) and significant (222) strikes landed.

Jens would compete 13 times across a number of MMA promotions over the next four years, most notably PRIDE and Shooto, before returning to UFC to face Joe Lauzon at UFC^® 63: HUGHES vs. PENN 2. Pulver would lose his return bout against Lauzon and his next fight, a rematch against Penn as the main event of The Ultimate Fighter^® Season 5 Finale. He would leave UFC for a second and final time following this event.

During the final six years of his career, Pulver would continue to face the best of the best across numerous MMA promotions, such as WEC and Titan FC, before retiring on November 23, 2013.

A native of Sunnyside, Washington, Pulver joined a youth wrestling program in the sixth grade and competed through high school, earning two state titles as a member of Tahoma Senior High School in Maple Valley. He also began boxing during his time in high school.

Jens began his collegiate wrestling career at Highline Community College in Des Moines, Washington, where he became an NJCAA All-American. He then transferred to Boise State University, where he competed before an injury ended his collegiate wrestling career. Pulver would continue his education at Boise State and earn his degree in criminal justice.

Following his graduation, Jens transitioned from wrestling to mixed martial arts, training with various camps before joining UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich at the Miletich Fighting Systems Academy. He currently resides in Iowa with his wife and two kids.

Jens is also the full-time host of UFC’s official Twitch channel, where he streams live with fans three times per week, as well as joining Watch Alongs for every UFC event.

To view Pulver’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/13234/jens-pulver-ufc-hall-of-fame.

To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFC.com/HOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

It will be announced on tonight’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast that Tim Tszyu, son of boxing legend Kostya Tszyu and an undefeated action fighter, will return to his birth place of Sydney, Australia to face former world champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison for the vacant Interim WBO 154-pound title in the main event of a SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast live on Saturday, March 11 (Sunday, March 12 in Australia) on SHOWTIME^®.

Tonight’s SHOWTIME tripleheader kicks off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features undefeated two-division champion Rey Vargas meeting top contender O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC Super Featherweight World Championship in the main event from the Alamodome in San Antonio in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The winner of Tszyu-Harrison is in line for a prized shot at undisputed super welterweight king Jermell Charlo. Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) elected to face the veteran Harrison, a highly skilled, crafty fighter after Tszyu’s scheduled match with Charlo on January 28 was scratched when Charlo broke his hand in training. Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) outboxed and edged Charlo in 2018 to capture a world title before he dropped their rematch a year later. In his last fight, Tszyu rose from a first-round knockdown to dominate former title challenger Terrell Gausha last March in his U.S. and SHOWTIME debut. Now Tszyu, 28, will face another prideful veteran as he tries to revisit his match with Charlo, while Detroit’s Harrison, 32, hopes to spoil Tszyu’s homeland return and gain a third fight with Charlo in a matchup that will be announced tonight.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ–Emmanuel Rodriguez remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Sharone Carter that headlined a six-bout card at The Showboat Hotel Carousel Room.

Rodriguez of Newark, NJ won by scores of 78-74 twice and 77-75 and is now 13-0. Carter of Saint Louis, MO is 13-6.

Feargal McCrory remained undefeated with a 95 second knockout over Aeilo Mesquita in a scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

McCrory dropped Mesquita with a right hand that sent him to the canvas for the 10-count.

McCrory of Northern Ireland is 13-0 with six knockouts. Mesquita of Brazil is 21-10-1.

Justin Figueroa remained undefeated by stopping Rahiem Davis Cooke at the end of round three of a scheduled four-round junior middleweight bout.

In round three, Figueroa dropped Cooke with a big combination that put Cooke on the canvas. Cooke’s corner stopped the fight after the round.

Figueroa of Atlantic City is 3-0 with three knockouts. Cooke of Philadelphia is 1-4.

Cali Box made a successful pro debut with a first-round stoppage over Davon Hall in a scheduled four-round cruiserweight bout.

Box hurt Hall several times with over hand rights during the round. Box landed a hard right that was followed by a left hook the ropes that forced a stoppage at 2:19.

Box, 184 1/2 lbs of Brick, NJ is 1-0 with one knockout. Hall 183.5 lbs of Wilmington, DE is 0-5.

In a spirited battle of pro debuting lightweights. Miguel Garcia won a four-round unanimous decision over Cristian Castro.

Garcia of Atlantic City won by scores 40-36 and 39-37 twice and is 1-0. Castro of Red Bank is 0-1.

John Vallejo remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Angelo Thompson in a junior middleweight bout.

In round three, Vallejo dropped Thompson with an overhand left.

Vallejo of Newark, NJ won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 2-0. Thompson of Irvington, NJ is now 0-6.

O’Shaquie Foster won the WBC Super Featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Rey Vargas at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

In round three, Vargas was bleeding over his left eye from a punch.

Foster, 129.4 lbs of Orange, TX won by scores of 119-109, 117-111 and 116-112 and is now 20-2. Vargas, 129.2 lbs of Mexico City is 36-1.

Mario Barrios stopped Jovanie Santiago in round eight of a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

In round eight, Barrios put Santiago on the canvas with a left hook to the body. Barrios continued to land heavy shots until the bout was stopped at 1:42.

Barrios, 146.8 lbs of San Antonio is 27-2 with 18 knockouts. Santiago, 145.8 lbs of Bayamon, PR is 14-3-1.

Lemier Pero stopped Viktor Faust in round eight of their 10-round heavyweight bout.

In round eight, Pero landed a body shot that had Faust turned his back in resignation. Pero landed four shots and the fight was stopped at 2:28.

Pero, 242.8 lbs of Miami is 9-0 with six knockouts. Faust, 234 lbs of Las Vegas is 11-1.

Claudio Marrero scored a fifth round stoppage over Gonzalo Fuenzalida in a lightweight fight.

Marrero, 135 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 27-5 with 19 knockouts. Fuenzalida, 134.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 12-2.

Dainier Pero won a four-round unanimous decision over Daniel Zavala in a heavyweight bout.

Pero, 244.2 lbs of Miami won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 3-0. Zavala, 257.4 lbs of Del Rio, TX is 2-2-2.

David Whitmire stopped Keith Foreman in the opening round of a four-round super welterweight bout of debutants.

In round one, Whitmire dropped Foreman with a left hook. Another left hook dropped Foreman and the fight was stopped at 2:10

Whitmire, 148.8 lbs of Washington, DC is 1-0 with one knockout. Foreman, 149 lbs of Harlington, TX is 0-1.

London, England – 11th February 2023 –Adam Azim, the most exciting young prospect in world boxing today, dominated an experienced undefeated opponent in Santos Reyes to take a unanimous decision victory over 10 rounds.

Azim gave a mature, intelligent performance to move to 8-0 as a professional, controlling the entire fight and almost never giving Reyes the opportunity to land a single clean shot on him. Azim jabbed and moved throughout, not taking a single risk before he landed a knockdown in the second round, where he then did increase his offensive output.

The jab was the shot that everything was built on from Azim, consistently using it to hit Reyes without Reyes having a chance to respond, and building from it into his more powerful shots, with the lead left hook having notable success. 

Azim also targeted the body throughout the fight, finding and exploiting any gap in Reyes’s defense to perfection en route to a clear victory.

All three judges scored the contest 100-89, the shutout victory underlining how Azim looks utterly unstoppable at only 20 years old and destined for greatness in the coming years.

Adam Azim said to Sky Sports after the fight: “This was a tough fight, he was a really tough opponent. I thought he was finished in the second round, but those Latin Americans are tough fighters and he stuck it out.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO & Founder, stated: “For a 20-year-old to display that kind of maturity and intelligence in his first fight headlining a major British arena perfectly illustrates why Adam Azim is the brightest prospect in British boxing today and why he’s tipped for future greatness by so many insiders.”

Televised Card Results:

Adam Azim def. Santos Reyes – UD (100-89, 100-89, 100-89)

Zak Chelli def. Anthony Sims Jr – UD (98-92, 98-92, 99-92)

Viddal Riley def. Anees Taj – TKO Rd 4 (0:04)

Tyler Denny def. Brad Pauls – UD (97-93, 97-93, 98-93)

Caroline Dubois def. Feriche Mashaury – TKO Rd 3 (0:47)

Full Undercard Results

Zak Chelli def. Anthony Sims Jr – UD (98-92, 98-92, 99-92)

Former English Super Middleweight Champion Zak Chelli put on one of the best performances of his career to beat a highly regarded opponent in Anthony Sims Jr who many thought would be too much for Chelli. 

Chelli got the best of the opening rounds of the fight, although all were highly competitive. Chelli used his jab to great success to both the body and the head and timed closing the distance expertly, allowing him to land shots without taking many in return.

Sims Jr remained competitive throughout, and made Chelli miss on many occasions, but certain shots from Chelli found their mark on multiple occasions, those being a winging overhand right and a disciplined right uppercut, which both were crucial weapons for Chelli’s success.

The eighth round was a Sims Jr’s best of the fight, as Chelli started to slow down and Sims jr dominated the exchanges, forcing Chelli to back up and defend. However, Chelli showed great spirit to come back out for the ninth and confidently trade punches and win exchanges, stopping Sims Jr from building any late fight momentum and seeing out the last round to take a unanimous decision victory.

Zak Chelli said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I outboxed the boxer. A lot of people doubted me, but I never doubted myself, so I knew I could win here.I want bigger, better fights now.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO & Founder, said: “This was a really good performance. Zak Chelli stepped up another level. The belief he has, he will fight anyone, and we can go right to the top now.”

Viddal Riley def. Anees Taj – TKO Rd 4 (0:04)

Highly touted Cruiserweight Viddal Riley moved to 8-0 as a professional in a strong performance that proved the excitement around him is justified. Viddal handled a high-pressure, aggressive opponent in Anees Taj who came to fight, using strong boxing skills and deploying his power at the right moments to force the fight to be stopped from a cut.

Viddal established a cannon-like jab from the start of the fight, using it to land stiff shots on Taj in the first round without giving him a chance to respond. Taj adapted to this well in the second round, and gave Viddal a few problems as the fight went on, but Viddal did the greater damage, opening up a cut next to Taj’s eye in the third round which bled significantly and was deemed too severe to continue the fight at the start of the next round.

The sky seems to be the limit for the popular, talented Viddal, and he looks set to keep on rising for a long time.

Viddal Riley said to Sky Sports after the fight:“I want to be a dominant champion, so I need to be tested, I need to be challenged. So I’m glad to have fights like that.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO & Founder, said: “Viddal needs those fights. His skillset is seriously underestimated, he’s going to go all the way and we’re looking at fighting for titles by the end of the year.”

Tyler Denny def. Brad Pauls – UD (97-93, 97-93, 98-93)

Tyler Denny and Brad Pauls went to war for 10 rounds for the English Middleweight Championship, with Denny showing immaculate boxing skill to claim victory and retain his title against a game opponent in Brad Pauls who did everything he could to win the fight. Denny has now fought six undefeated opponents in succession and has earned the right to call himself a Champion.

The fight started tensely, with both fighters keeping discipline in the opening rounds. Pauls started to push forward more as the fight came out of the opening rounds, while Denny was counter-boxing and picking his shots highly successfully, broadly nullifying Pauls’s offense and landing some nicely timed counter-shots. 

Denny started to get the better of exchanges, and found greater confidence and success as the fight went on, despite every round being razor close. This pattern continued as the fight progressed, with Denny opening up and throwing more punches as he began to take control of the fight.

The English Middleweight Champion even came close to stopping the fight at times, clattering Pauls with hooks from both hands throughout the eighth rounds to devastating effect, but Pauls showed heart to respond to this onslaught with renewed offense of his own, seeing out the final two rounds with determination and undoubtedly gaining a lot of new fans despite the defeat.

Caroline Dubois def. Feriche Mashaury – TKO Rd 3 (0:47)

Former Tokyo 2020 Olympian Caroline Dubois showed once again why she is the most exciting prospect in women’s boxing with another stoppage victory in the sixth fight of her professional career. Dubois controlled the fight from the start, managing the distance and the pace of the fight, pushing Feriche Mashaury into the corner of the ring and peppering her with shots to the head and body.

Mashaury was a wiley opponent, using skill to survive the first two rounds, but was eventually overwhelmed by Dubois’s boxing ability and savage knockout power. 

Dubois stamped her presence in women’s boxing in 2022, waking people up to how talented she is, and 2023 looks set to be a continuation of her rapid ascent through the ranks. Nothing has slowed Caroline Dubois down yet in her quest for World Championships, and it doesn’t look like anything will soon.

Caroline Dubois said to Sky Sports after the fight: “She didn’t come to fight. It’s hard to stop someone who didn’t come in there to fight, but hopefully we can step up in future and start challenging for titles.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO & Founder, said: “Caroline is a phenomenal talent and she showed that again tonight. We’re looking to move her through the ranks fast and want her to fight five times in 2023.”

Jeamie TKV def. Harry Armstrong – PTS (77-75)

Heavyweight prospect Jeamie TKV showed grit, determination and power as he took a dominant points victory in the fourth fight of his professional career. Harry Armstrong came into this fight undefeated and didn’t give an inch, winning multiple rounds on the referee’s scorecard, but was outworked and outfought by a serious talent in Jeamie TKV. 

TKV consistently got the better of this barbaric slugging match, finding the opportunities to land clubbing hooks to Armstrong’s head and body in the clinch. This was a true heavyweight battle – the combined weight of both fighters being a staggering 519 lbs – and neither man looked interested in having the fight last the whole eight rounds. 

Neither man would give up either though, so the fight went the distance, with action from the first to the final bell as both men left everything in the ring. Jeamie TKV is yet to be in a dull fight in his career, and looks set to keep moving through the ranks, scoring knockouts and winning fans in future.

Jeamie TKV said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I’m glad I took another victory tonight but I feel I could have got a stoppage there if I’d fought smarter. I fight to get knockouts and I had him in trouble a couple of times in the fight, but we move on and keep improving.”

Jordan Reynolds def. Mohamed Benchadi – TKO Rd 6 (0:58)

Luton’s own Jordan Reynolds outclassed an experienced opponent in Mohamed Benchadi in front of a rapturous section of his fans and in only his fifth professional bout, scoring a knockdown in the second round and remorselessly wearing down Benchadi on the way to ending the fight in the sixth and final round.

Reynolds rode roughshod over his opponent, but didn’t take a single unnecessary risk on his way to the second stoppage victory of his professional career, and his greatest so far. 

Reynolds used his jab to perfection, finding his range and damaging Benchadi without letting him land anything in return. Benchadi used strong evasion to recover from his second round knockdown but was eventually overwhelmed by the skill and power of Reynolds.

Jordan Reynolds said to Sky Sports after the fight: “This is my year now, I’ve had setback after setback but now it’s my time. I put him under pressure, educated pressure, to force the end of the fight. I got complacent in the fifth round, so I had to be smart to end the fight.”

Stephen McKenna def. Brendon Denes – TKO Rd 5 (0:22)

Stephen McKenna took the 12th stoppage victory of his 13 fight professional career with a measured performance to stop a determined opponent in Brendon Denes. McKenna showed a world-class engine to box at a frenetic pace for four whole rounds that left his opponent battered and unwilling to contest the fifth round, ending the fight.

The Monaghan native used sharp footwork to manoeuvre his opponent into the corner of the ring multiple times across the fight, allowing him to unload volleys of offense that couldn’t be avoided, building damage until the end of the fight. McKenna is one of the most notable welterweight prospects in world boxing and looks set to be in huge fights in the near future.

McKenna said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I felt his power early in the fight and was confident I could end up the last man standing when we went to war. I could have boxed in that fight perfectly but I wanted to make a statement and get the stoppage victory, which I did successfully. I’m moving up in my career now and hungry to keep winning.”

Hassan Azim def. Abdallah Luanja – TKO Rd 2 (2:43)

Heavy handed older brother of one half of tonight’s main event, Hassan Azim, produced a consummate performance to dominate and destroy a veteran opponent in Abdallah Luanja. Azim pummelled his opponent from the first bell, working smartly off his jab to close the distance and fire off powerful left hooks to the head and body. 

Azim looked close to forcing the stoppage at almost every moment of the fight, but Luanja stayed standing after shots that would have knocked out lesser fighters before the referee ended the fight late in the second round.

Azim said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I just put the pressure on him because I knew if I put the pressure on him he wouldn’t last the distance. I’ve been fighting 10 or 12 rounds in the gym so I knew I could get him out of there if I wanted to.

“I want to keep progressing from here and keep fighting better opponents in future.”

Razor Ali def. Hector Lozano – TKO Rd 3 (1:26)

Undefeated young prospect Razor Ali made a serious statement on the biggest stage of his professional career so far by taking his first-ever stoppage victory against a tough opponent in Hector Lozano. 

Ali kept the pressure up from the first bell, constantly moving towards Lozano and finding gaps in his defence, and came close to stopping the fight in the very first round. Lozano held on against Ali’s barrage until half way through the third round when the referee was forced to step in.

Ali said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I was very happy to get the first stoppage of my career. I had the opportunity to show what I can do in front of my people, my supporters, and I think I did that well tonight.”

Full Card Results:

Adam Azim def. Santos Reyes – UD (100-89, 100-89, 100-89)

Zak Chelli def. Anthony Sims Jr – UD (98-92, 98-92, 99-92)

Viddal Riley def. Anees Taj – TKO Rd 4 (0:04)

Tyler Denny def. Brad Pauls – UD (97-93, 97-93, 98-93)

Caroline Dubois def. Feriche Mashaury – TKO Rd 3 (0:47)

Jeamie TKV def. Harry Armstrong – PTS (77-75)

Jordan Reynolds def. Mohamed Benchadi – TKO Rd 6 (0:58)

Stephen McKenna def. Brenden Denes – TKO Rd 5 (0:22)

Hassan Azim def. Abdallah Luanja – TKO Rd 2 (2:43)

Razor Ali def. Hector Lozano – TKO Rd 3 (1:26)

Atlantic City, New Jersey (February 11, 2023)–Weights for Saturday night’s fight card at The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.

Emmnauel Rodriguez 119.6 – Sharone Carter 117.5

Feargal McCrory 135.9 – Ariel Mesquita 138.5

Justin Figueroa 152.2 – Rahiem Davis Cooke 153.6

Francisco Rodriguez 128.5 – Kyle Massoth 128.4

Cali Box 184.5 – Tyler Jacques TBA

Miguel Garcia 135.5 – Christian Castro 141.1

John Vallejo 154.3 – Angelo Thompson 150.6

Daniel Bean 246.1 – Terrick Maven TBA

Sir Robert Lee Ellenburg 139.3 – Jose Luis Fracica Bean 137.7

Promoter: R and B Promotions

Venue: The Showboat Hotel Carousel Room

1st Bell: 7:05 PM ET / Doors open at 5:30

Stream: BXNGTV.COM

Tickets are $200, $155, $80 and $60 and can be purchased at the following link:

https://randbpromo.ticketleap.com/acfn2/dates/Feb-11-2023_at_0530PM

WBC Super Featherweight World Championship (vacant) – 12-Rounds

Rey Vargas – 129.4 lbs.

O’Shaquie Foster – 129.4 lbs.

Referee: Jon Schorle; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Alejandro Rochin (Mexico), David Sutherland (Okla.).

Welterweight Bout – 10-Rounds

Mario Barrios – 146.8 lbs.

Jovanie Santiago – 145.8 lbs.

Referee: Mark Calo-Oy; Judges: Ellis Johnson (Texas), Ursulo Perez (Texas), David Sutherland (Okla.).

Heavyweight Bout – 10-Rounds

Lenier Peró – 242.8 lbs.

Viktor Faust – 234 lbs.

Referee: Rafael Ramos; Judges: Ruben Carrion (Texas), Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Alejandro Rochin (Mexico).

SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN

Stream Live at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT

on the SHOWTIME SPORTS^® YouTube Channel and the

SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook Page

Lightweight Bout – Eight-Rounds

Claudio Marrero – 135 lbs.

Gonzalo Fuenzalida – 134.4 lbs.

Referee: Jon Schorle; Judges: Ruben Carrion (Texas), Ellis Johnson (Texas), Ursulo Perez (Texas).

Middleweight Bout – Eight-Rounds

Eumir Marcial – 161.4 lbs.

Ricardo Villalba – 162 lbs.

Referee: Mark Calo-Oy; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Matthew Reyna (Texas), David Sutherland (Okla.).

Contracted weight: 163 lbs.

Heavyweight Bout – Four-Rounds

Dainier Peró – 244.2 lbs.

Daniel Zavala – 237.4 lbs.

Referee: Rafael Ramos; Judges: Ruben Carrion (Texas)), Ellis Johnson (Texas), Ursulo Perez (Texas).

Super Welterweight Bout – Four-Rounds

David Whitmire – 148.8 lbs.

Keith Foreman – 149 lbs.

Referee: Mark Calo-Oy; Judges: Ursulo Perez (Texas), Matthew Reyna (Texas), Alejandro Rochin (Mexico).

Veteran sportscaster and THE LAST STAND podcaster Brian Custer will host the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo will call the blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and former three-division world champion Abner Mares. SHOBOX: The New Generation^® analyst Brian Campbell will serve as in-ring reporter. Two Hall of Famers round out the most decorated team in boxing, world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., and boxing historian Steve Farhood,servingas unofficial scorer. Former junior middleweight world champion and SHOBOX^® analyst Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez will call the fights in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) with accomplished sportscaster Alejandro Luna. Four-time Emmy^® Award winner David Dinkins, Jr., will serve as executive producer with Ray Smaltz III producing and Chuck McKean directing.

Award-winning MORNING KOMBAT digital talk-show co-host Luke Thomas will call the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN livestreaming show.

#          #          #

ABOUT VARGAS VS. FOSTER

Vargas vs. Foster will see undefeated two-division world champion Rey Vargas battle top 130-pound contender O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC Super Featherweight World Championship in a showdown that headlines action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, February 11 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas topping a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and also features former champion and all-action San Antonio-native Mario “El Azteca” Barrios returning to the ring in a 10-round welterweight duel against Jovanie Santiago that serves as the co-main event. Kicking off the action, hard-hitting unbeaten heavyweights go toe-to-toe as Cuba’s Lenier Peró takes on Ukraine’s Viktor Faust in a 10-round attraction.

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

(Feb. 10, 2023) – Emanuel “El Vaquero” Navarrete is staying at 130 pounds.
 
The newly crowned three-division world champion has vacated his WBO featherweight title in order to continue his campaign at junior lightweight. Navarrete captured the WBO 130-pound crown by defeating Liam Wilson via ninth-round technical knockout last week at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. 
 
Navarrete said, “After closely analyzing the situation with my team, we have decided to keep the WBO junior lightweight title. I feel very happy with the three title defenses that I made at featherweight, but I am also convinced that my future is now at junior lightweight. We are going after the big fights at 130.”
 
“I’m grateful for the support that I have always received from my promoter, Top Rank, and the WBO. I will now proudly carry and defend my junior lightweight belt.”
 
The April 1 showdown between Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez and Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe, initially for the interim title at 126 pounds, will now fill the vacancy left by Navarrete atop an ESPN+-streamed card at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, faces his toughest test to date in his first world title opportunity, while the always rugged Dogboe will attempt to earn a belt in a second weight class. 

NEWARK, N.J. (Feb. 10, 2023) — Tickets are on sale now for the April 8 WBC lightweight title eliminator between hometown hero Shakur Stevenson and Japanese puncher Shuichiro Yoshino at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

In the co-feature, Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson looks to score another knockout victory in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight fight against an opponent to be named, and U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis opens the telecast in a 10-round lightweight bout against a to-be-determined foe.

Stevenson-Yoshino and the returns of Anderson and Davis will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $55 are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.

The ESPN+-streamed undercard features Polish heavyweight prospect Damian Knyba in an eight-round fight and featherweight phenom Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington in a six-rounder. 

Kelvin Davis, the older brother of Keyshawn, joins the undercard action in a six-round junior welterweight bout. Undefeated U.S. Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan will make his 2023 debut in an eight-round featherweight clash, and Ragan’s Olympic teammate, Troy Isley, will see action in a middleweight tilt. 

Davis (7-0, 5 KOs) made his pro debut with a second-round stoppage over Michael Honesto in December 2020. The 26-year-old southpaw is coming off a fourth-round knockout win over the previously undefeated Jalen Hill last December. 

Ragan (8-0, 1 KO) signed with Top Rank in August 2020 and fought four times as a pro before capturing a silver medal at the Olympics in Tokyo. He then continued his career in the paid ranks in 2022 by scoring four additional victories. Ragan, from Cincinnati, Ohio, turned away a stiff challenge from Puerto Rican veteran Luis Lebron last October at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Isley (8-0, 4 KOs) joined the Top Rank stable in January 2021 and initiated his pro career with a decision win against Bryan Costello. In 2022, Isley stayed even busier and went 5-0 with two knockouts. He dominated Quincy LaVallais over eight rounds last October on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jamaine Ortiz undercard.

ABOUT PRUDENTIAL CENTER
Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, and more than 175 concerts, family shows and special events each year. The arena is also home to the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center, which opened its doors to the public in October 2017. The 8,200-square-foot experience marks the first GRAMMY Museum outpost on the East Coast and features a dynamic combination of educational programming and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a spotlight on legendary GRAMMY winners from New Jersey. Ranked in the Top 8 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit PruCenter.com and follow the arena on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property.

“Don’t blink!”

That’s the message from young lightweight sensation Adam ‘The Assassin’ Azim one day out from his championship showdown with the undefeated Santos Reyes in the main event of Saturday’s BOXXER Fight Night, airing live on Sky Sports Arena from 8pm.

Effortlessly making weight, the electrifying 20-year-old has a steadily growing army of fans thanks to last year’s string of stunning performances as he kicked off his professional career in style.

Azim was declared the Young Fighter of the Year 2022 by BBC Sport and now is a day away from headlining a major British arena for the first time. Reyes – undefeated and hailing from the storied boxing nation of Nicaragua – will provide his toughest test to date, but Azim has no concerns.

A war of words developed between Zak Chelli and American opponent Anthony Sims at Wednesday’s press conference and Chelli’s dislike for his Californian antagonist has only deepened in the intervening days.

“I am done talking, I just want to hurt this man. His arrogance, his persona, I just hate him,,” said Chelli after making weight.

Sims, standing close by, retorted with indignation. “Arrogance? The nerve! I guarantee you he’s going to hit the canvas. The Magician is back and I am going to make a statement baby!” 

A similarly heated note has saturated every interaction between Viddal Riley and Anees Taj in the run-up to this fight, largely stemming from Taj.

Irked by suggestions that he’s overmatched, Taj has made strong statements of intent to finish Riley inside the distance. Today though, he wore headphones to the weigh-ins and was in no mood to talk.

“Talking is done, time to work,” said Taj, only briefly uncovering one ear to respond to Sky Sports presenter Andy Scott’s request for final comments. 

When the mic passed to Riley, he voiced agreement. “Yeah he’s right, we’ve done enough talking. Tomorrow night we get to put hands on him, get him out of there and move on.”

The full card and weigh-in results are as follows:

Adam Azim (Slough) (10st 0 lbs) vs. Santos Reyes (Nicaragua) (10st 0 lbs) 

WBA International Super-Lightweight Contest @ 10st (10 x 3 Mins) 

Zak Chelli (Fulham) (11st 13 lbs) vs. Anthony Sims (USA) (11st 13 lbs)

WBA International Super-Middleweight Contest @ 12st (10 x 3 Mins)

Tyler Denny (Birmingham)  (11st 6 lbs) vs. Brad Pauls (Harlow)  (11st 5 lbs)

English Middleweight Championship @ 11st 6 lbs (10 x 3 Mins)

Viddal Riley (Tottenham) (14st 2 lbs) vs. Annes Taj (Watford) (14st 2 lbs 5oz)

8 x 3 Mins Cruiserweight Contest @ 14st 4lbs

Caroline Dubois (Romford) (9st 11 lbs) vs.Feriche Mashaury (Tanzania) (9st 12 lbs)

8 x 3 Mins Lightweight Contest @ 9st 12lbs

Jeamie TKV (Tottenham) (18st 8 lbs) vs. Harry Armstrong (Torquay) (18st 7 lbs 5 oz)

8 x 3 Mins  Heavyweight Contest 

Hassan Azim (Slough) (10st 9 lbs 5 oz) vs. Abdallah Luanja (10st 4 lbs) (Tanzania)

6 x 3 Mins  Welterweight Contest @ 10st 10lbs

Stephen McKenna (Ireland) (10st 13 lbs) vs. Brendon Denes  (10st 11 lbs) (Zimbabwe)

8 x 3 Mins  Welterweight Contest @ 10st 10lbs

Jordan Reynolds (Luton) (12st 3 lbs 5 oz) vs. Mohamed Cherif (France)  (12st 5 lbs)

6 x 3 Mins  Super-Middleweight Contest @ 12st 2lbs

Razor Ali (Maida Vale) (8st 12 lbs) vs. Hector Lozano (Mexico)  (8st 13 lbs 5 oz)

4/6 x 3 Mins  Featherweight Contest @ 9st

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – February 10, 2023 —On Friday night, March 10th, King’s Promotions will be back at The Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with a huge night of boxing that will be headlined by a terrific eight-round welterweight bout between Julian “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez and Kashon Hutchinson.

Rodriguez of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey has a record of 21-1 with 14 knockouts. The 28 year-old Rodriguez is a 10-year professional was a former amateur standout who has wins over Neyeine Muang (1-0-2), Angel Figueroa (3-0-1), King Daluz (12-2-2), Darlo Feman (14-2), Anthony Laureano (13-0) and Jose Lopez (29-7-2). In his last bout, Rodriguez suffered his only defeat when he lost to two-division world champion Jose Pedraza on June 12, 2021 in Las Vegas.

Hutchinson of Reading, PA is 10-5 with two knockouts. The record does not tell the story with Hutchinson as he has won seven bouts in a row. The 29 year-old Hutchinson is a seven year pro who has wins over James Martin (4-0), Edgar Torres (8-0-1), and his last bout when he took a six-round unanimous decision over Rasheed Johnson on October 1, 2022 in Philadelphia.

In the eight-round co-feature, surging lightweight, James Bernadin looks to stay undefeated when he takes on once-beaten Jesus Vasquez.

Bernadin of Lancaster, PA is 10-0-1 with six knockouts. The 30 year-old Bernadin is a five year professional who has defeated Sheldon Deverteuil (1-0-1), Osvaldo Morales (4-0-1), Edgar Torres (8-2-1), Kenny Robles (9-1) and his last bout when he took a six-round unanimous decision from Clay Burns on January 20th at The Wind Creek Event Center.

Vasquez of Englewood, Colorado is 10-1 with two knockouts. The 31 Year-Old Vasquez is also a five-year pro, and has a win over Nathan Trepagnier (1-0). Vasquez has won four-straight fights. In his last fight, Vasquez won a six-round unanimous decision over Juan Lopez Esparza on April 1, 2022 in Jalisco, Mexico.

A massive undercard is being assembled and already tabbed for March 10th will be:

In an eight-round bout, Mikenna Tansley (5-2, 2 KOs) of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada battles Moni Trejo (3-3-1, 1 KO) in a bantamweight fight.

Six-Round Bouts:

Jonathan Rodriguez (13-1-1, 5 KOs) of Bethlehem, PA takes on an opponent to be named in a bantamweight fight.

Thanjhae Teasley (5-0, 2 KOs) of Bethlehem, PA takes on Demarcus Layton (8-4-1, 3 KOs) of Little Rock, Arkansas in a welterweight contest.

Johnny Spell (7-0, 4 KOs) of Pittsburgh fights an opponent to be named in a lightweight contest.

In Four-Round Bouts:

Dwyke Flemmings Jr. (3-0, 3 KOs) of Paterson, NJ takes on an opponent to be named in a junior middleweight fight.

Francis Oran (1-0, 1 KO) of Bethlehem, PA fights John Carmona (0-2) of Fargo, ND in a heavyweight contest. Oran is co-promoted with Jeter Promotions.

Devon Young (2-0, 1 KO) of Aiken, SC fights Lamir Riley (2-0, 1 KO) of New Cumberland, PA in a heavyweight battle.

Jesse Oltmanns Jr. (0-1) of East Stroudsburg, PA (1-1) takes on Marlon Haywood (0-4) of Kankakee, IL in a heavyweight fight.

Tickets are on Sale now for $150, $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased by CLICKING HERE

George Acosta 131.2 vs Marlin Sims 131.5

Nelson Oliva 157.7 vs. Wayne Boudreaux 156.5

Elias Diaz 146.5 vs. David Thomas 146.1

Juan Sanchez 146.2 vs. Xavier Madrid 145.7

Anthony Saldivar 161.1 vs. Cory Cook 163

Oscar Torrez 233.9 vs. Amulfo Cazares 250.4

“New Blood” will take place at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA on Friday, February 10, 2023. Doors open at 6:30 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 Doug Fischer. Cynthia Conte will serve as the onsite ringside reporter.

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.

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a matchup of top flyweights as No. 1 ranked contender Taila Santos returns against No. 10 Erin Blanchfield. In the co-main event, exciting light heavyweight collide as Jordan Wright faces Zac Pauga.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: SANTOS vs. BLANCHFIELD will take place Saturday, February 18 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 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

Former UFC flyweight title challenger Santos (19-2, fighting out of Balneário Camboriú, SC, Brazil) returns to action looking to impress in her first UFC main event. A knockout artist with 11 first-round finishes, Santos earned her UFC stripes with victories over Molly McCann, Roxanne Modafferi and Joanne Wood. She now seeks to halt the momentum of Blanchfield and earn another crack at the championship.

Blanchfield (10-1, fighting out of Elmwood Park, N.J.) is considered one of the top prospects in MMA. Still only 23 years old, Blanchfield is undefeated in the UFC with notable wins over Miranda Maverick, JJ Aldrich and Molly McCann. She now aims to earn the biggest victory of her career and soar to the top of the flyweight ranks.

Wright (12-4 1NC, fighting out of Lake Sherwood, Calif.) enters the Octagon with his sights set on delivering another spectacular finish. The owner of an impressive 100 percent finishing rate, he holds first-round knockout wins over Jamie Pickett and Ike Villanueva. Wright now seeks to start 2023 off with another addition to his highlight reel.

The Ultimate Fighter season 30 heavyweight finalist Pauga (6-1, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) drops down in weight with the intention of putting the light heavyweight division on notice. A former NFL player, Pauga climbed his way to The Ultimate Fighter finale with victories over Nyle Bartling and Jordan Heiderman. He now plans to earn his first UFC win in dominant fashion.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• A heavyweight bout sees Josh Parisian (15-5, fighting out of Howell, Mich.) lock horns with Dana White’s Contender Seriessignee Jamal Pogues (9-3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
• William Knight (11-4, fighting out of Vernon, Conn.) seeks to start 2023 off on a high note when he faces Marcin Prachnio (15-6, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) at light heavyweight
• UFC legend Jim Miller (35-16 1 NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) returns to the Octagon to add more records to his name when he matches up with Alexander Hernandez (13-6, fighting out of San Antonio, Texas)
• No. 12 ranked women’s bantamweight Lina Lansberg (10-7, fighting out of Malmo, Sweden) meets No. 14 ranked Mayra Bueno Silva (9-2-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) in an all-action bout
• Jamall Emmers (18-6, fighting out of Mentone, Calif.) plans to spoil the UFC debut of undefeated newcomer Khusein Askhabov (23-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Chechnya, Russia) at featherweight
• Light heavyweight veteran Ovince Saint Preux (26-16, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) looks to secure another signature finish against Philipe Lins (15-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)
• Dana White’s Contender Seriessignee Nazim Sadykhov (7-1, fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y.) intends to make a statement against Evan Elder (7-1, fighting out of Hillsboro, Mo.) at lightweight
• AJ Fletcher (9-2, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) battles Themba Gorimbo (10-3, fighting out of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa) in a welterweight clash
• Dana White’s Contender Seriessignee Clayton Carpenter (6-0, fighting out of Gilbert, Ariz.) has his sights set on making a statement against Juancamilo Ronderos (4-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in a flyweight scrap

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for media credentials to the event.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 207 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 24.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).  

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.

Craig Richards will face Ricards Bolotniks for the WBA Intercontinental Light-Heavyweight Title and EBU European Middleweight Champion Matteo Signani will defend his belt against Felix Cash at The O2 in London on Saturday April 1, live worldwide on DAZN.

Richards (17-3-1, 10 KOs) was originally scheduled to face Bolotnik’s (19-6-1, 8 KOs) on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s close points win over Jermaine Franklin at the OVO Arena in Wembley last November but the Crystal Palace man was forced to withdraw after falling ill during fight week.

‘Spider’ returns to the scene of his spirited points loss to South London rival Joshua Buatsi last May while Bolotniks, who holds wins over Hosea Burton and Steven Ward, was last in action in April 2022 – decisioning Hrvoje Sep over eight rounds in Barcelona, Spain.

Italy’s European Middleweight ruler Signani (32-6-3, 12 KOs) landed the title for the first time against Gevorg Khatchikian in Trento back in October 2019 before making successful defences against Maxime Beaussire in 2020 and Ruben Diaz in May 2021. ‘Il Giaguaro’ lost the belt to Anderson Prestot on a technical decision in June last year but avenged that loss in November.

Wokingham’s former British and Commonwealth Champion Cash (16-0, 10 KOs) is looking to add the EBU crown to his collection after enduring a frustrating 2022 in which he picked up two wins. Cash is on a collision course with American rival Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams and hopes to face the unbeaten contender later this year after going face-to-face with him in a fiery ringside encounter in Leeds.

“I’m expecting a great fight with Bolotniks,” said Richards. “He is a good fighter and a lot of people know that which will allow me to showcase how good of a fighter I am. I’m excited to be on this card, it’s ironic it’s the return of Joshua because I feel like it’s my return too. A win against Bolotniks puts me heavily in the mix with the big boys and looking to push on to big things.”

“2022 was a tough one for me personally but I’m determined to make this my year,” said Cash. “In 2023 I’m coming for all the belts and want the biggest fights possible, starting with the European Title at The O2. The work I’ve been putting in the gym with Tony Sims has been fantastic and I’ve never felt better, come April 1 everyone is going to see that I’m the real deal.”

Tickets for Joshua vs. Franklin are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300, £400 and £800 (VIP).

General Sale tickets can be purchased via Stage Front and AXS from midday on Thursday February 9.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev will defend his WBA and IBF World Super-Bantamweight titles against Marlon Tapales at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday April 8, as the co-main event to Jesse Rodriguez’s quest to become a two-weight World champion when he faces Cristian Gonzalez for the vacant WBO Flyweight crown, exclusively live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS GO ON PRESALE AT 12NOON (CT) TOMORROW (FEBRUARY 9) AND ON GENERAL SALE AT 12NOON CT ON FRIDAY (FEBRUARY 10) WITH TICKETS STARTING AT $35 (PLUS FEES) VIA ETIX.COM

Rodriguez (17-0 11 KOs) drops down to 112lbs in his quest to land World title honors at a second weight after an incredible year in 2022. ‘Bam’ become boxing’s youngest World champion when he stepped in late to dominate former World ruler Carlos Cuadras to land the vacant WBC Super-Flyweight strap in Phoenix in February and then came home to San Antonio for his first defense where he put on a stunning display at the venue that he goes for two-weight glory in, when he stopped Thai star Srisaket Sor Rungvisai inside eight rounds in June.
 
Those wins saw Rodriguez named as the Fighter of the Year in ESPN’s midyear awards, and in September, he successfully defended the green and gold belt once again, this time in Las Vegas as the co-main event on the Canelo-GGG trilogy night against Israel Gonzalez.
 
It’s same surname, different challenge for Rodriguez as Mexican Gonzalez (15-1 5 KOs) looks to upset the odds in his first World title fight. The 23 year old is the #2 ranked fighter in the division, one spot behind top dog Rodriguez, boxes in the States for the first time in his five year career having exclusively boxed on home turf to this point.
 
“I’m more than excited to be returning home for another World title fight,” said Rodriguez. “My last fight here was a very special night and I can promise this one will be even better. 
 
“I’m ready to make history in San Antonio when I become a two-division champion. I’m here to start 2023 with a bang and nothing less. Thank you to Matchroom and Teiken for yet another opportunity to reach greatness.”
 
“We are working hard for this next great challenge of fighting for the WBO World title,” said Gonzalez. “I want to thank Matchroom, All Star Boxing Inc and Teiken for the opportunity. Our clash of styles will turn this fight into a Mexican war that won’t make it to the scorecards.”
 
Akhmadaliev (11-0 8 KOs) makes the fourth defense of the WBA and IBF belts he landed against Daniel Roman in Miami in January 2020, and he’s seen off Ryosuke Iwasa (TKO 5, April 2021), Jose Velazquez (UD, November 2021) and Ronny Rios (TKO 12, June 2022) in his three defenses to date, with his win over Rios happening at the same venue he returns to in April. ‘MJ’ is hunting an undisputed battle with Stephen Fulton, but Filipino Tapales (36-3 19 KOs) will be looking to throw a spanner in the works, and the former World Bantamweight ruler enters his 40^th pro fight on the back of three straight second round KO wins.
 
“I’m happy to be back in the ring,” said Akhmadaliev. “It’s been a while, but finally we’re here for an exciting match against a great fighter in Tapales. He’s a former champion, we have similar styles, so I am preparing for tough action-packed fight on April 8. Thanks to Matchroom, World of Boxing, my team and all the support from boxing fans.”
 
“I am very excited again for this opportunity to fight for not one but two World titles,” said Tapales. “This is my dream to become World Champion again. I would like to thank my Team at Sanman Boxing, Knucklehead Boxing, Shapiro Sports, Viva Promotions and TGB Promotions for getting me this opportunity. I will bring pride and glory to the Philippines when I win both the IBF and WBA belts.”
 
Raymond Ford’s rise continues at pace, and the WBA #3 rated Featherweight will defend his WBA Continental Americas title against former World champion Jessie Magdaleno. Like Akhmadaliev, Ford (13-0-1 7 KOs) returns to the San Antonio arena that he defended the title in June and does so on the back of a KO worthy of his nickname in Cleveland in November, where a ‘Savage’ right hand ended the challenge of African dangerman Sakaria Lukas. 
 
Ford will be banging on the door for World title action with a win, and that’s a level that’s familiar to Magdaleno (29-1 18 KOs) with the Las Vegas man having ripped the WBO Bantamweight title from Nonito Donaire in November 2016. The 31 year old defended it successfully against Adeilson Dos Santos before losing out to Isaac Dogboe in April 2018 – but he’s been undefeated since 
 
“People are talking about this being a step up for me but I’m the step up for Magdaleno,” said Ford. “He’s never fought anyone with a skill set like mine and never been hit by a sharpshooter like me.
 
“I’m ready for anyone at 126 and once I get past Magdaleno then it’s time for me to get my shot at a World title.”
 
“Everyone loves a comeback story, and everyone loves the underdog as well,” said Magdaleno. “I kind of feel like I’ve been the underdog before, and I’ve come out on top. Here we are again. This is my time to shine. A win in this fight puts me right back to where I need to be. I can’t let Ray Ford take that from me. Hopefully that inspires people to not give up on their dreams.”
 
Mattice (20-3-1 15 KOs) recorded the biggest win of his career to date in his hometown of Cleveland in November, picking up the WBA Continental Americas Super-Featherweight title on points against Christian Tapia. That performance landed him a contract with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, and the first fight under that deal sees the ‘Gunna Man’ defend that belt against Ramiro Cesena. Undefeated Mexican Cesena (16-0-1) brings a fearsome knockout ratio to the table in his first fight on American soil, and the 23 year old dubbed ‘Demon’ has devilish plans to derail Mattice’s Matchroom debut.
 
“April 8 we are back,” said Mattice. “Another undefeated fighter and another big step for my career. This is my first fight since signing with Matchroom and I plan on putting on another spectacular performance to show the world why they signed me. 
 
“At this stage of my career it’s only big fights from here on out. I want the top guys at 130 and on April 8, I plan on making a statement to show I’m here and I’m coming for those belts.”
 
“I am very excited to make my United States debut live on DAZN on April 8 against a very strong opponent in Mattice,” said Cesena. “I am going to be well prepared to bring a war to my Mexican people in San Antonio come fight night. I want to thank my promoters Shane Shapiro and Karim Akkar for giving me this opportunity to showcase my talent in the US.”
 
“What a night we have in store in San Antonio,” said Hearn. “Jesse is on the fast track to becoming a superstar in the sport and performing regularly on his home patch is a key element of turning this young talent into a household name in Texas and beyond.
 
“MJ always brings entertainment and with an undisputed fight in his sights, it’s vital he shines against Tapales. Ray is really building a lot of momentum and with Leigh Wood defending the WBA title next weekend that ‘Savage’ has his eyes on, Jessie Magdelano is the perfect test of Ray’s World title credentials. Thomas is a great addition to the Matchroom team and a real dark horse in the 130lbs division, but he needs to be at his best to see of the dangerous Cesena if he’s to send a message to the champions. 
 
“There’s much more to be added and I can’t wait to be back in San Antonio for this night, where I believe ‘Bam’ will become a two-weight World champion and take the first step on another stellar year.”

TULSA, OK (Feb. 8, 2023) — Two of Top Rank’s brightest young talents—lightweight prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas and undefeated Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco—are set to return on Saturday, April 1, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Vargas, who is coming off a unanimous decision win against Francisco Duque last week, will face an opponent to be named in a four-round lightweight clash. Polanco, who was originally scheduled to fight in January, will make his Top Rank debut in a six-round junior welterweight fight against an opponent to be determined. The two join an already stacked card headlined by the interim WBO featherweight title bout between Robeisy Ramirez and Issac Dogboe and the eight-round co-feature between undefeated Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas and Ronald “Diablo” Cruz.

Ramirez-Dogboe, Zayas-Cruz, and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. Tickets starting at $49.50 are on sale now at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.

Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs) was a seven-time national amateur champion before turning pro in May 2022 with a first-round stoppage over Mark Salgado. In October, “El General” signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank and made his debut with the company with a highlight-reel knockout over Julio Martinez. Under the guidance of his father and trainer, Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas, the 18-year-old set his sights on becoming Prospect of the Year in 2023. 

Check out Vargas’ latest interview on our new podcast series, Top Rank: Unbox’d.

Polanco (8-0, 5 KOs) turned pro before the Tokyo Olympics, earning wins in Mexico and in the Dominican Republic. After losing by split decision to Uzbekistan’s Bobo-Usmon Baturov in his opening bout, Polanco continued his professional career with a third-round knockout win over Gabriel Fernando Punalef Calfin. “El Rayo” ended 2021 with a decision win over Jonathan Jose Eniz before going 2-0 in 2022. The 24-year-old was initially scheduled to return on the Efe Ajagba-Stephan Shaw undercard in January, but an injury sidelined his opponent.

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

SAN ANTONIO – February 8, 2023 – A lineup of talented fighters, including a former titleholder, Olympic bronze medalist, Pan American gold medalist and a highly touted prospect in his pro debut, will highlight a four-bout streaming presentation on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page this Saturday, February 11 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN show, which will be hosted by Luke Thomas, one-half of the award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show, starts at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT and is topped by former titleholder Claudio Marrero battling Las Vegas’ Gonzalo Fuenzalida in an eight-round lightweight bout. Unbeaten Filipino Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial will take on veteran Ricardo Villalba in an eight-round middleweight scrap.

Additionally, the heavy-handed heavyweight Dainier Peró, younger brother of unbeaten Lenier Peró, will clash with Daniel Zavala over four rounds, while blue-chip prospect David Whitmire makes his pro debut against Texan Keith Foreman in a four-round super welterweight duel.

The live streaming fights will precede the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT headlined by two-division world champion Rey Vargas battling top contender O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC Super Featherweight World Championship.

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

A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Marrero (26-5, 18 KOs) enters the fight having won back-to-back contests, including most recently earning a decision victory over the then-unbeaten Viktor Slavinskyi in February 2022. The 33-year-old owns impressive first-round knockouts of previously unbeaten contenders Carlos Zambrano and Jorge Lara and also a stoppage of former champion Rico Ramos in three rounds. His win over Zambrano earned him the Interim WBA Featherweight Title. He will be opposed by the 26-year-old Fuenzalida (12-1, 3 KOs) who is originally from Chile but now fights out of Las Vegas. Fuenzalida has won seven-straight bouts heading into Saturday night, including a successful U.S. debut in September of last year that saw him defeat Joseph Francisco.

Marcial (3-0, 1 KO) won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics representing his native Philippines and has had all three of his pro fights take place stateside. The 27-year-old showed his power in an April clash against Isiah Hart, rising off the canvas to stop his opponent in round four. Most recently, Marcial went six rounds for the first time as a pro, earning a unanimous decision over Steven Pichardo last October. He duels Argentina’s Villalba (20-7-1, 8 KOs), who dropped his U.S. debut in December via decision against the unbeaten prospect Micky Scala.

The younger brother of fellow Cuban standout Lenier, Pero (2-0, 2 KOs) now resides in Miami, Fla., and turned pro in December 2022 with a first-round KO of Deane Williams. The 23-year-old followed that up with another first-round stoppage, as he blasted out Benjerman Baker on January 14. He takes on the Del Rio, Texas-native Zavala (2-1-2), who fought five times in 2022 after turning pro in February. The 32-year-old most recently dropped a majority decision to the unbeaten Rudy Silvas in December.

A 17-year-old phenom set to turn pro after a strong amateur career, Whitmire is trained by former veteran title contender Andrew Council. The Washington, D.C. native earned the “Bodysnatcher” moniker during his amateur run and will look to impress in his first pro fight. He’ll battle the Waco, Texas born Foreman (0-0, 1 NC) who turned pro last September in a fight that was later ruled a no-decision.

The non-televised undercard will also include unbeaten prospect Fabian Diaz (3-0, 1 KO) in a four-round lightweight duel against Eleazar Mendietta (0-1), plus the four-round pro debuts of two light heavyweight San Antonio-natives as Manuel Sifuentes takes on Mexico’s Jesus Aguilar (0-1) while James Wohlschlegel faces Daniel Heinen (0-1).

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ABOUT VARGAS VS. FOSTER

Vargas vs. Foster will see undefeated two-division world champion Rey Vargas battle top 130-pound contender O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC Super Featherweight World Championship in a showdown that headlines action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, February 11 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas topping a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and also features former champion and all-action San Antonio-native Mario “El Azteca” Barrios returning to the ring in a 10-round welterweight duel against Jovanie Santiago that serves as the co-main event. Kicking off the action, hard-hitting unbeaten heavyweights go toe-to-toe as Cuba’s Lenier Peró takes on Ukraine’s Viktor Faust in a 10-round attraction.

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

MANCHESTER, Wednesday, February 8 – Lawrence ‘The Sauce’ Okolie has delivered a confident prediction ahead of his WBO world cruiserweight title defence against David Light on Saturday, March 25th at the AO Arena.

The date and venue has officially been switched from what was previously advertised as Liverpool and now confirmed in Manchester as part of a blockbuster BOXXER fight night which will see Jack Catterall, Frazer Clarke and Karriss Artingstall all in action.

After BOXXER successfully agreed the purse bid, Okolie will make his long-anticipated return having last fought 12 months ago.

And the undefeated Brit believes he will extend his perfect 18-0 (14 KOs) professional record when he defends his WBO championship against unbeaten New Zealand rival Light (20-0, 12 KOs).

“I’ll make ‘light’ work of him,” said Okolie, who returns to fighting live and exclusively in the UK & Republic of Ireland on Sky Sports.

Okolie’s first professional victory was in Manchester, in May 2017 – less than a year after he competed for Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympics – when he sensationally stopped Geoffrey Cave in just 20 seconds.

Whilst confident he will retain his world title in what will be his third defence since he captured the belt back in March 2021 following a scintillating sixth round stoppage over Krzysztof Glowacki, Okolie knows he needs to deliver the goods against his Kiwi nemesis.

Speaking to Boxxer.com, Okolie added, “I know that Sky and BOXXER are going to deliver as long as I deliver in the ring. I’ve got to make sure I beat David Light and then beat whoever is next.

“It’s good to be back and I’m looking forward to the first step in the journey towards unifications and more world titles.”

BOXXER CEO & Founder, Ben Shalom, said: “We’re heading back to our spiritual home of Manchester and we’re bringing The Sauce.

“Lawrence Okolie’s wait to get back inside a ring has been well documented. But I’m delighted to see a proper British elite fighter defending his world title on home soil.

“The cruiserweight division is arguably the most exciting weight class in the sport right now and it is full of domestic stars who are clamouring to be crowned king. Lawrence sits at the top of that mountain – and he’s planning on keeping it that way when he takes on a very dangerous challenger in David Light, who impressively best Brandon Glanton last time out.”

The North-West’s own Jack Catterall (26-1-0, 13 KOs) will be keen to remind the world that he should be an undisputed champion himself.

Controversially denied a victory against Josh Taylor last February, the Chorley fighter had hoped to avenge that night in Glasgow in a rematch with the WBO and Ring Magazine super-lightweight champion.

But with the Scot sidelined through injury, Catterall must instead turn his attention to a new opponent who will be named in due course.

Shalom said: “It was a travesty what happened to Jack a year ago. He should be fighting now as a world champion. I believe his time will come – but for now, he needs to remind us all what he can do and get out there and fight again.”

‘The People’s Champion’ Frazer Clarke (5-0, 4 KOs) will return to what has been a very happy hunting ground in Manchester when he takes on experienced American heavyweight, Rydell Booker.

Towering 6ft 6in Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medal hero Clarke has won back-to-back fights at the AO Arena and will be looking to make it a hat-trick when he returns next month.

But in Michigan native Booker (27-7-1, 14 KOs), Clarke faces the former No.1 ranked American heavyweight, who has stood toe-to-toe with the likes of Jermaine Franklin, Kubrat Pulev, Filip Hrgovic and Otto Wallin.

Booker knocked out Norman Neely last December and will hope to continue his renaissance against the highly-rated ‘Big Fraze’.

And Clarke’s fellow 2020 bronze medalist Karriss Artingstall (2-0) is back too.

The 28-year-old southpaw has made an impeccable start to life as a professional with two wins from two – including her impressive points victory against Marina Sakharov on what was a historic all-female night of Boxing at The O2 in London last October.

An opponent for the featherweight prospect will be announced in due course, along with a host of other cracking fights for what promises to be an epic night in the North-West on March 25.

To pre-register your interest for tickets, visit boxxer.com

New BOXXER signing Martin Bakole has his sights set on huge heavyweight nights after he put pen to paper on a new long-term fight deal.

Ranked at the top by the World Boxing Association (WBA), the 29-year-old heavyweight (18-1-0, 13 KOs)- who resides in Scotland – will fight exclusively for BOXXER on Sky Sports.

His next fight will be announced in due course but Bakole – who now hails as “The Next King of Scotland” – believes he is destined for huge success. 

“I’m absolutely thrilled to join BOXXER and perform on the biggest platform in Sky Sports,” said Bakole, speaking to BOXXER.com.

“I will build on my last performance in Paris against Tony Yoka and soon become the new world heavyweight champion.”

BOXXER CEO & Founder, Ben Shalom, said: “This is a huge heavyweight signing. Martin is at the top of the WBA rankings and he is destined to deliver great things.

“We’re delighted to add him to our world class roster. He loves his life in Scotland and is training hard alongside Billy Nelson, whom we are very grateful for all his support.

“Martin comfortably defeated Olympic champion Tony Yoka away from home in his last outing. He is arguably the most avoided fighter in the entire division.

“They can all run but they can’t hide for too long, especially now he has the backing of BOXXER and Sky.”

Bakole stands at a menacing 6ft 6in and hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he was born a prince to the son of the ruler of the Kananga province. Bakole is also the younger brother of the reigning and defending WBC world cruiserweight champion, Ilunga Makabu.

His record is as impressive as his stature, having won 18 professional fights including his last in May 2022 when he celebrated a majority decision victory over Tony Yoka in the Rio 2016 Olympic champion’s homeland in Paris, France.

Bakole’s only defeat was in 2018 to American heavyweight Michael Hunter. But he has responded with seven successive wins since – five of which were knockouts, including triumphs against Kevin Johnson and Mariusz Wach.

Bakole, who is now based in Airdrie, Scotland, will discover news of his next opponent very soon.

February 3, 2023, Mexico City, Mexico  – –  International Boxing Hall of Fame members Juan Manuel Marquez, nine-time world champion in four weight classes, and four time world champion Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez, are co-promoting a Boxing event on Wednesday, February 8 at the Auditorio Blackberry in Mexico City.  The event will be streamed live on ProBox TV and the ProBox app, beginning at 8 pm ET / 5 pm CT.

Watch FREE on ProBox YouTube and ProBox Facebook, or no ads on ProBoxTV.com or the ProBox App.

Time:               8 PM/EST Live Stream

Promoters:      JMM (Juan Manuel Marquez) Promotions, 

                        (Humberto) Chiquita Gonzalez Promotions, 

Main Event – 10 Rounds Super Bantamweight

Brayan “Azteca” Rivera, 118.6 lbs., 11-3 9 KO’s, Ecatepec, Mexico                 vs.

Alejandro “Conejo” Gonzalez, 118.6 lbs., 12-5-2 7 KO’s, Mexico City, Mexico

Brayan Rivera: “I’ve been in the gym training for four months and I got the call for this fight about a month ago. I did take a couple days off for Christmas – some celebration with restrictions.  In the couple losses prior to my last fight (a unanimous decision October 29 win) I learned that I have to be a little smarter and more mature when I face tougher opponents. Gonzalez is an experienced fighter with a very good amateur record.  He has power.  I don’t want to give any more details because he is sitting right next to me.”

Alejandro Gonzalez: “I got the call about six weeks ago for this fight. I had been training in Mexico City where there is a lot of talent for sparring. We know each other very well going back to the amateirs.  Rivera is smart and also a knockout artist and has championship boxing experience. My style is not about one-punch power but it’s about combinations and being smart. I hurt my opponents with the combinations.”

Co-Feature – 8 Rounds Flyweights

Francisco Araujo, 108.5 lbs., 10-1, 7 KO’s Merida, Mexico      vs

Ivan Garcia, 107.4 lbs., 8-2-1 5 KO’s, Mexico City, Mexico

Francisco Araujo: “Garcia is very tall. But I am ready to take the challenge. I got the call 3 weeks ago but was already trading long before that. I am always ready for a fight. I was training in high altitude. I usually fight at 50 kilos and I usually walk around close to that.I want to bring heavy volume into the fight and bring pressure.close distance .  My style and the way that I hit I do not expect the fight to go the distance.  I took the fight in 3 weeks because I wanted this opp.

Ivan “El Magnifico” Garcia: “I got the call 2 weeks ago, I had been preparing for another fight that we were negotiating so I was ready for this.  I am always ready.  When I got the call I had been working on another fight that I thought was going to happen. I looked at this opponent (Araujo) and he looks like a warrior.  He looks strong and I see the fight developing at midrange.”

6 Rounds Light Welterweights

Alexis De La Cruz Martinez, 140 lbs., 6-1-1 3 KO’s, Mexico City, Mexico        vs

Ismael Aviles Valencia, 133.4 lbs.,

6 Rounds Super Welterweights 

Jesus Mauricio Estrada, 140.4 lbs., 7-0 4 KOs, Mexico, Mexico

Leyver Lopez Razgado, 140.4 lbs., 3-3-1, 1 KO, Oaxaca, Mexico

6 Rounds flyweights

Emiliano Toscano Diaz, 109.4 lbs., 7-0, 3 KOs, Mexico City, Mexico         vs.       

Sergio Manzo Rebolledo, 108 lbs., 3-2, 1 KOs Mexico, 

4 Rounds Super Featherweights

Jose Guillermo Keb Canul, 127.2 lbs., 1-0, Cancun, Mexico         vs

Brayan Sanchez Santiago, 124.4 lbs.,

4 Rounds Super Welterweights

Jaime Osuna, 153 lbs., 1-0, Baja California Sur, Mexico     vs

Israel Resendiz Avila, 151.7 lbs.,

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