YARDE ‘LOOKING TO DESTROY THE WINNER’ OF BETERBIEV VS SMITH JR

ANTHONY YARDE SAID he is looking to destroy the winner out of the unification battle between Joe Smith jr and Artur Beterbiev in June in a week where he celebrates clocking up seven years as a professional boxer.

The two light heavyweight champions put their WBO, WBC and IBF belts on the line on June 18 in New York and Yarde is planning travelling over to Madison Square Garden to size up the opposition for his challenge that should come around later this year.

“I am going to keep a close eye on it when they fight each other and I will be looking to destroy the winner,” stated Yarde, who feels his previous world title shot will stand him in good stead.

“I definitely feel in a better place. The reason I feel in a better place is because I have gained more experience and I have been at that level before.

“I would say there is not as much pressure, but there is always going to be pressure. I’ve got the experience and, with that being said, I feel like I know what I need to do.”

Yarde reasoned that he has no regrets when sitting down with Dev Sahni on the Unibet Lowdown to look back on his seven years as a professional boxer.

Back in May 2015, Yarde took on Mitch Mitchell at Wembley Arena and, 15 seconds into round two, the fight was stopped by referee Terry O’Connor and the first page of the Anthony Yarde Story was written.

Remarkably, just over four years later, Yarde was heading out to the Russian backwater of Chelyabinsk to take on the formidable force of Sergey Kovalev in his hometown with the WBO world title at stake.

Despite an eighth round when Kovalev was on the brink of being blasted out, Yarde took a first career loss and the following year his life circumstances took a big turn for the worse when the pandemic struck and he suffered family bereavements.

His personal losses came in the run-up to the huge domestic clash with Lyndon Arthur and, he says if he could change one thing, he would not have made his pain public knowledge.

“I would never have said it has been seven years already because, when you are involved in it, it goes so quick,” reacted the 30-year-old to his boxing anniversary. “Because we had covid as well, it put more of a spanner in the works and it does feel like it is a shorter time.

“Seven years seems like madness!

“The highs included in my first four years fighting for a world title and that was when it was like one thing after another and rolling very quickly. Then I was coming back and getting everything sorted out before fighting Lyndon Arthur after the covid thing with all the deaths in my family.

“I ended up not getting the decision and had to reassess everything. Again I now feel back on track and feel like my mind is back where it was before.

“I have no regrets and I am happy with the way my career has gone so far. Of course, everyone wants that big hurrah of being undefeated and being invincible, but there is a feeling that you get from bouncing back.

“Even in the last fight there was a lot that I went through mentally and to get the victory felt 10 times better.”

While what doesn’t break you, indeed, makes you stronger, Yarde confirms that his trials have bolstered his mental toughness and it is his job to simply get on with the job.

“Facts. Even before I turned professional I had to come to terms with having to be a performer, an entertainer and nobody cares about your personal life. Although it might be a story and tragedy gives people something to talk about, I had to get it into my mind that no-one cares what you are going through. So get on with it.

“Sometimes it is hard going through things in private, but my one was in public and that is something I have learned. If I do have one regret, when I went through what I did with my family, I should have kept it to myself. I wish I did keep it to myself.

“I feel like it made it harder everyone knowing about it and people posting about it. I got thousands of messages, which was okay in the beginning, but when it got to six or seven months, I was getting reminded when I was trying to heal and it made it harder.

“It has all made me stronger now. When you are a boxer people expect you to have this armour around you to deal with anything. The show must go on and you go and fight. Everyone is different and I feel like I handled it well and have become a stronger person.”

A resounding defeat of Arthur in their December rematch, for Yarde, represented the opening of a fresh chapter in his story and cleared his mind of any lingering gremlins.

“That is definitely fair to say. I made sure I put a stamp on it and, even in the build up, I said it isn’t happening again. That was not happening again.

“My mind was back where it needed to be, I knew what I needed to do.”

As he will in the next chapter of his story, which will be the winner of the big unification battle between Smith jr and Beterbiev on June 18.




Late Rapper King Von To Be Honored at Summertime Brawl on Saturday, June 11th at Center Stage Theater in Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA (May 16, 2022)–On Saturday night, June 11th a special performance dedicated to fallen star, rapper King Von will be part of a big night of boxing at The Center Stage Theater in Atlanta.

The late 26 Year-old rapper, born Dayvon Daquan Bennett, lost his life to gun violence back in November of 2020. As part of the June 11th event, Prestige Boxing Advisory Group will be honoring The People’s Champion, King Von. Von went out Fighting, and even though his life was taken too early, the champ is still here spiritually. This tribute will consist of the late rapper’s posthumous album being played and celebrated. The album will be played along with his previous catalogs, This will be a star studded Event as Hip-Hop and boxing royalty will be present Remembering King Von– Gloves Up and Guns down.

The show is promoted by Prestige Boxing Advisory Group in association with BFC The Last Round Promotions.

Former world champion, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo (26-8, 21 KOs) takes on Fidel Monterrosa Munoz (40-29-1, 32 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight bout.

Undefeated popular welterweight, Peter Dobson (15-0, 9 KOs) of Bronx, NY will fight Rodrigo Damian Coria (10-3, 2 KOs) of Cordoba, Argentina in a welterweight bout.

In an eight-round bout, undefeated heavyweight knockout artist, Raphael Akepejiori (13-0, 13 KOs) of Miami will take part against an opponent to be named,

Recent world title challenger Steve Geffrard (18-3, 12 KOs) takes on Alex Theran (23-7, 15 KOs) of Lynn, Massachusetts in an eight-round light heavyweight bout.

In a six-round bout, Former star of The Contender and Atlanta’s Quatavious Cash (14-3, 8 KOs) takes on Jayson Minda (14-7-1, 8 KOs) of Salem, Massachusetts.

Also in a special attraction, super bantamweight and world renowned model and undefeated Avril Mathie of Miami via Australia will risk her record that reads 7-0-1 with three knockouts in an eight-round bout.

Also seeing action in six-round bouts will be featherweight Jose Nieves (2-0, 1 KO) of Woodbridge, New Jersey taking on Richard Bernard (1-9-1) of Waianae, Hawaii.

In a junior welterweight Patrick Harris (19-0, 9 KOs) of Upper Marlboro, Maryland takes on Gustavo David Vittori (25-11-1, 12 KOs) of Argentina.

June 11th will see the pro debut of highly regarded and two-time National Golden Gloves champion light heavyweight Abel Gonzalez will fight Daniel Augare (2-2, 2 KOs) of Browning, Montana

In four-round bouts, local heavyweight Dante Williams (1-0, 1 KO) of Hawkinsville, Georgia takes on Jerrell Omar Young (0-2) of Las Vegas.

Tickets are $100, $250 and $500 and can be purchased on www.ticketmaster.com

The show will be streamed live on www.bxngtv.com




May 21: U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson Added to Alimkhanuly-Dignum ESPN Telecast at Resorts World Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (May 16, 2022) — Tiger Johnson has been ready for prime time ever since representing the U.S. at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics. The welterweight standout will get a chance to put his skills on display in prime time as he fights an opponent to be named in a six-round special feature Saturday, May 21, at the Resorts World Event Center at Resorts World Las Vegas. Johnson’s bout will open the ESPN telecast of the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Danny Dignum WBO Interim middleweight world title bout.

Alimkhanuly-Dignum, a 10-round lightweight co-feature between Jamel Herring and Jamaine Ortiz, and Johnson’s return will air live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Following his Olympic run, Johnson (3-0, 2 KOs) made an impressive pro debut by stopping Antonius Grable in the fourth round last November on the Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter undercard. The 23-year-old followed up that performance with a decision win over Xavier Madrid and a fourth-round TKO over Sebastian Gabriel Chaves.

The following undercard bouts are scheduled to stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT.

  • Southern California standout Adam “Blunose” Lopez (15-3, 6 KOs) will face Dominican puncher William Encarnacion (19-2, 15 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout. Lopez became a fan favorite after a breakout performance against Oscar Valdez in November 2019. Despite losing that fight, Lopez demonstrated the poise and composure that would eventually lead him to wins over Louie Coria, Jason Sanchez, and a razor-thin majority decision loss to former world champion Isaac Dogboe. The 26-year-old faces yet another tough challenge in Encarnacion, who is coming off a loss against top contender Abraham Nova.
     
  • 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas (12-1, 11 KOs) will take on Colombian Ruben Cervera (13-2, 11 KOs) in a junior lightweight clash scheduled for eight or six rounds. Balderas is coming off three consecutive stoppage victories since signing with Top Rank last year.
     
  • Former world champion Jessie Magdaleno (28-1, 18 KOs) returns from a nearly two-year layoff to fight Mexico’s Edy Valencia Mercado (19-6-6, 7 KOs) in an eight-rounder at featherweight. Magdaleno has won three in a row since losing the WBO junior featherweight crown to Isaac Dogboe in April 2018.
     
  • U.S. Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (5-0, 1 KO), from Cincinnati, Ohio, will put his unbeaten record on the line against Victorino Gonzalez (5-2, 2 KOs) in a featherweight bout scheduled for six or four rounds.
     
  • Steven “So Cold” Nelson (17-0, 14 KOs), from Omaha, Nebraska, returns from an extended layoff to take on Louis Rose (17-3-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round light heavyweight battle. Nelson, who knocked out DeAndre Ware in September 2020, suffered a torn Achilles shortly after that bout.

The undercard will also feature three swing bouts:

  • Undefeated lightweight contender Giovanni “El Cabron” Cabrera (19-0, 7 KOs), a Chicago native who signed with Top Rank earlier this year, will face Argentinean veteran Elias Araujo (21-4, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
     
  • Lightweight prospect Charlie Sheehy (2-0, 2 KOs), a former Team USA amateur standout from Brisbane, California, returns in a four-rounder against New Orleans native Burnell Jenkins (2-1, 1 KO).
     
  • Rising junior welterweight Kasir “Mazzi” Goldston (4-0, 1 KO) will fight Cuban spoiler Yaniel Alvarez (2-1, 1 KO) in a bout scheduled for six or four rounds.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $25 are on sale now and can be purchased at Etix.com.
 # # #
About Resorts World Las Vegas
Resorts World Las Vegas was developed by Genting Berhad, a publicly traded Malaysian corporation registered with the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company has affiliated operations in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas. In partnership with Hilton, Resorts World Las Vegas integrates three of Hilton’s premium brands into its resort campus, including Las Vegas Hilton, the resort’s full-service brand; Conrad Las Vegas, Hilton’s lifestyle luxury brand; and LXR, Hilton’s network of independent luxury properties, which operates as Crockfords Las Vegas, Genting’s internationally renowned ultra-luxury brand. Resorts World Las Vegas features 3,506 guest rooms and suites, an innovative, next-generation gaming floor, world-class food and beverage options, a 5,000-capacity theatre, distinct nightlife venues, a curated retail collection of designer and boutique shops and more. The integrated resort weaves time-honored traditions of the international Resorts World brand into the fabric of Las Vegas, introducing a bold, fresh take on hospitality to the city with stunning design, progressive technology and world-class guest service. Resorts World Las Vegas is?Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™?with?Forbes Travel Guide,?a verification that ensures the resort has appropriate health safety procedures in place.?For?more information, visit?rwlasvegas.com?or find us on?Facebook,?LinkedIn,?Twitter?and?Instagram.

About Genting Group
Genting Group comprises Genting Berhad (KLSE: GENTING), the holding company, and its listed companies Genting Malaysia Berhad (KLSE: GENM), Genting Plantations Berhad (KLSE: GENP) and Genting Singapore Limited (SGX: G13). Genting Group is involved in leisure and hospitality, power generation, oil and gas, property development, life sciences and biotechnology activities, with operations spanning across the globe, including in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, China, the United States of America, Bahamas and the United Kingdom. Genting Group is a leader in the global gaming and hospitality industry. Founded in 1965, Genting Group has more than 50 years of experience in developing and operating destination resorts in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas, offering an unparalleled resort experience and iconic entertainment attractions to over 50 million visitors a year. For more information, visit?www.genting.com




SUNNY EDWARDS SENDS ‘ONE BILLION PER CENT’ NEXT FIGHT MESSAGE TO WORLD CHAMPION PAUL BUTLER 

LONDON, MAY 16 – Sunny Edwards is “one billion per cent” serious about challenging new world bantamweight champion Paul Butler.

But Edwards, the unbeaten flyweight title holder, doesn’t believe Butler would accept the fight even though ‘Showtime’ would be moving up two weight divisions to make it happen.

Edwards said: “IfI was Paul Butler, I would stay every possible mile in this world away from me”.

Butler has been elevated to full WBO world bantamweight champion after John Riel Casimero was stripped of the belt having contravened weigh-making rules in the build-up to Probellum Liverpool.

Jonas Sultan stepped in as the replacement but found Butler in the form of his career as the Ellesmere Port fighter won convincingly on points to take the interim title.

In a post on social media last week, Edwards threw his hat in the ring to be the opponent for Butler’s first defence of his WBO crown and the 26-year-old has doubled down on his challenge to the new champion.

Yet the IBF king at 112lbs is not convinced Butler, and his team, would be prepared to risk the title in a fight with him.

“I am one billion per cent serious about fighting Paul Butler,” said Edwards.

“I don’t say things that don’t mean. Not in boxing, not in my private life.

WATCH PAUL BUTLER OUTCLASS JONAS SULTAN
EDWARDS VS MARTINEZ ‘AGREED’ LIVE ON AIR

“It’s a fight I’d be 100% confident with, it would be an inter-Probellum fight, it would be an all-British world title fight, but I couldn’t really see it happening, if I’m honest, because if I was Paul Butler, I would stay every possible mile in this world away from me and I think that will be the response.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH SUNNY EDWARDS HERE

“I think Paul’s coach, Joe Gallagher, is probably much smarter than that, as well. But it’s a fight that I would like, it was never really on my radar until a few months ago when I got dragged into a back and forth on Twitter with his dad. But Paul’s a good fighter, don’t get confused.”

Edwards has described Butler’s victory over Sultan last month, as a “good win” but believes he would be too much for the bantamweight title holder.

“For me, there are levels to boxing,” Edwards said.

It’s a fight that would allow me to prove the mindset that I’m willing to go up and down in weights to where the fights make sense.”

To keep up to date with the latest news on Edwards and Butler, as well as the other fighters in Probellum’s roster, sign up to our newsletter?or follow Probellum on?Instagram,?Twitter?and?Facebook

You can also follow our official news, results and information account, Probellum News, on Twitter.

NEXT FIGHTS FOR FOSTER AND GEVOR AFTER WBC UPDATE
WATCH FIGHT OF THE YEAR CONTENDER WITH KO FINISH




Grand Slam Weekend of Knockouts for Split-T Management Fighters

New York, NY (May 13, 2022)-Four Split-T Management fighters registered explosive knockout victories over the weekend.

On Friday, Sonny Conto remained undefeated with a third-round stoppage over Justin Rolfe in a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout in front of a packed crowd at Parx casino in Bensalem, PA.

After two rounds of beating up Rolfe with hard power shots. Conto decked Rolfe with a big left hook in round three. Seconds later, it was another hard left jook from close quarters that sent Rolfe folding towards the canvas and the fight was stopped by referee Eric Dali at 1:38.

Conto, 228.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 10-0 with eight knockouts. Rolfe, 254.1 lbs of Portland, ME is 7-4-1.

Conto is promoted by Top Rank.

Also, Friday night in Sacramento, junior lightweight Kevin Montano stopped veteran Corben Page in the opening round of their scheduled four-round bout.

Montano is now 3-0 with two knockouts.

Montano, 24, started boxing at the age of eight under coach Gary Sullenger. Sullenger has remained with Montano through his amateur and now into his professional career.

During Montano’s amateur career, Montano was a three-time California State Champion, the 2017 National Golden Gloves runner-up, 2017 Eastern qualifier runner-up, 2019 Western qualifier runner-up and he placed third in the 2021 Nationals. He had risen to the number-two ranked fighter in the country as an amateur.

Montano, who is fluent in both English and Spanish is a graduate of Sacramento State, with a degree in Kinesiology.

Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey, Brian Ceballo remained undefeated with a sixth round stoppage over Gerald Sherrell.

Ceballo, who was making his 2022 debut took apart Sherrell, who appeared on the latest edition of The Contender and finished him off at 2:!0 in round six of their scheduled eight-round bout.

With the win, the New York native raises his mark to 13-0 with seven knockouts.

Ceballo is promoted by 360 Promotions.

On the same card at the Robert Treat Hotel, welterweight Kahshad Elliott scored his second consecutive knockout when he took out Tray Martin in round one.

Elliott battered Martin until the bout was stopped at 2:53. The Plainfield, New Jersey native is now 2-0 with two knockouts.

Elliott had an outstanding amateur career that saw him win 117 of 140 fights, and was a 10-time National champion in the 165-pound division.




BUATSI: WHEN I FIGHT, IT’S STRAIGHT VIOLENCE 

Joshua Buatsi wants to leave no doubt that he’s the leading Light-Heavyweight in the country when he faces South London rival Craig Richards in a huge clash at The O2 this Saturday May 21, shown live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).

Buatsi (15-0, 13 KOs) finally gets his hands on one of his fellow high-flying domestic rivals at 175lbs, with Richards hunting down a second World title shot after rising to the occasion in a tight loss to Dmitry Bivol last May in Manchester. 

Richards’ performance against the WBA champion looks more impressive after Bivol produced a masterclass to defeat Mexican pound for pound king Canelo Alvarez earlier in the month, and the Crystal Palace man has been bullish in the build-up, saying that he is Buatsi’s first real test in the paid ranks.

The Olympic bronze medal man has adopted the mantra ‘Just Business’ in and out of the ring for the clinical way he goes about his work, and while there’s local bragging rights up for grabs against Richards, Buatsi knows that victory would lay the foundation to both claim the number one spot in the country and underline the need for a World title shot to be next.

“I am the best in the country,” said Buatsi. “The truth is though; we haven’t fought each other. Spider is the first Light-Heavyweight in Britain that I am boxing, so from there I can make a point of it. Everyone can say they are the best, but until someone gets a World title to separate themselves, then everyone has a point to make, and we are the first to really fight. 

“He is saying I haven’t proved myself, but I don’t think that’s true. We were both amateurs, he fought, I fought, we entered the same tournaments, and I went on and did what I did. So, he cannot say that I’ve had an easier route, just because I went to the Olympics and did well. I killed myself for that medal, gave everything for it, so the narrative people have said and that he’s said too, I don’t think it’s true. 

“I think I had that 50-50 fight against Ricards Bolotniks. A few of the governing bodies had him in their top five. I didn’t rank him, they ranked him. He was a very good opponent and I stopped him. His management team said that they rated me for taking the fight, because all the other Light-Heavyweights in the country didn’t want to fight him. We didn’t think twice. 

“Craig had a good scrap with Bivol, but people have forgotten about it. I beat Bolotniks and people have forgotten about that too, that’s just what happens, but we’re here now. There wasn’t a lot of options out there, it was a fight that was being pushed and I said, ‘cool let’s take it’. It’s a good fight, he’s a good opponent, it’s in London. I have the same mindset and I’ll handle business as usual.

“I’m unbeaten but that means nothing to me. I haven’t got time to listen to the masses. He’s in front of me and that’s all that matters, not who is one or two, just the fight that’s happening and that’s what is in front of me. We’re not talking, we’re not making assumptions, we’re not predicting – we know that May 21 this is the guy I have got.

“I am better than him 100 per cent. Come on. I’ve looked at him in the eyes and he knows who I am. You don’t need to explain. I don’t need to talk smack and I don’t need the media. I love my private life. I’ve got opinions, but I don’t care about social media or any of that. Forget the image, when I fight, it’s straight violence. I carry myself in a certain way, but when I get in the ring, it’s straight violence. In professional boxing we’re all carrying ourselves in a certain way, but the brakes are off when I’m in the ring. The talking doesn’t do it, the fighting does.

“The reality is we’re going to fight. I have a self-belief, not everyone thinks I’m good or the next big thing, and that’s ok, I don’t care what the masses say. Whatever I must do, I will do and in that ring, I know in myself that I will find a way to win and do what I have to do. Winning by any formula.  I’ve looked at him, I’ve seen him, I know what is going to happen to him and he knows too.”

Remaining tickets for Buatsi vs. Richards are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk).




ELLIS ZORRO WINS BOXXER SERIES TOURNAMENT, DEDICATES PRIZE MONEY TO DAUGHTER

Manchester, England – (May 14, 2022) – The Mexican folklore hero Zorro was a master swordsman but also famous for his cunning (zorro is the Spanish word for fox), which he used to confound his adversaries before taking their wealth and distributing it to those in need. 

His British namesake Ellis Zorro (14-0, 6 KO’s) brought the myth to life in Manchester, England on Saturday night, artfully fencing his way through three consecutive battles and laying claim to a £40,000 grand prize which he immediately committed towards funding speech therapy for his young daughter.

“I’ve got an autistic daughter at home who needs speech therapy so I’m probably going to use most of [the money] on that,” he said post-fight when asked what his intentions for the prize money were.

And with a new BOXXER multi-fight contract to his name, Zorro also knows what he’s aiming for next in the ring.

“I want to start fighting for titles, English or British, I know Deion Jumah and Mikael Lawal are meant to be fighting for British, I’ll take the winner. But I’m just happy to be on Sky and this platform going forward,” he said.

Zorro’s path to the final saw him draw on his ring experience to out-box the powerful Jamie Smith in a commanding performance in which he landed his jab consistently while dictating the tempo of the fight from start to finish.

He had extended his professional record to 12-0 in the opening quarter-final of the night as he out-boxed Liverpudlian Jay Farrell to set the tone early having been called out regularly by his rivals earlier in the week.

Boxxer Series winner Ellis Zorro says the fight against Ricky Reeves was the toughest of the night, however, no one was able to match his level.

Reeves, who is head of Year 10 at Parkwood Academy in Sheffield, produced one of the surprise moments and most impressive comebacks of the night when he exploded into life to knock out Sheldon McDonald in the third round of their semi-final having seemingly been behind on the judge’s cards.

He had been forced to dig deep earlier in the tournament when he edged a war with law graduate Anees Taj via majority decision after downing his man with a vicious uppercut in the final second of the first round. Taj recovered admirably in the final two rounds but could not land enough to overturn the knockdown.

“I feel like I’ve won. It’s mixed emotions,” said beaten finalist Reeves, who admitted he had to be back at work on Monday morning.

“I’d have loved to have won it, but this is a good fighter, it was a tough fight. I’ve had four amateur fights, two professional fights, I’ve come here against some good guys, I’ve got a knockdown, a knockout.

“To win some good money for my family and be on a big platform were my goals, I feel like I’ve crossed them off so I’m super proud of myself.”

Promises of a high-octane night had come to fruition in the second quarter-final when favourite Smith survived a first-round onslaught from Fay to make his power count and secure the stoppage.

McDonald then defied his limited experience with a commanding performance to advance to the semis with a unanimous decision win over Ryan Cotterell, knocking down the 22-year-old within 45 seconds of the first bell before nailing his distance and showing impressive boxing IQ to control the remainder of the contest.

BOXXER Series Manchester: Cruiserweights – Results

Ellis Zorro def. Ricky Reeves – Unanimous Decision, R3 (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Ricky Reeves def. Sheldo McDonald – TKO R3, 2:05
Elliz Zorro def. Jamie Smith – Unanimous Decision R3 (30-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ricky Reeves def. Anees Taj – Majority Decision, R3 (29-27, 29-28, 28-28)
Sheldon McDonald def. Ryan Cotterell – Unanimous Decision, (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
Jamie Smith def. Jack Fay – TKO, R2
Ellis Zorro def. Jay Farrell – Unanimous Decision, (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)




SHOWTIME SPORTS® TO CHRONICLE GERVONTA DAVIS VS. ROLANDO ROMERO WITH EMMY® AWARD-WINNING SERIES ALL ACCESS

NEW YORK – May 13, 2022 – SHOWTIME SPORTS will chronicle the buildup to the SHOWTIME PPV® battle between five-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and unbeaten No. 1-ranked contender and mandatory challenger Rolando “Rolly” Romero with a new installment of the Emmy Award-winning series ALL ACCESS. The two-part series premieres Saturday, May 21 at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME immediately preceding the David Benavidez vs. David Lemieux SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast with the epilogue premiering Saturday, June 4.

ALL ACCESS: DAVIS VS. ROMERO peels back the curtain to reveal how the two fighters prepare to settle their longtime score on Saturday, May 28 live on SHOWTIME PPV in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Davis and Romero have been on a months-long, grudge-fueled collision course filled with verbal sparring and social media taunting and now, as the time nears for them to step into the ring and bring big-time boxing back to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., ALL ACCESS sees them at their most candid. Boxing’s hottest attraction, Davis, details his new-found focus and motivation following his decisive victory over Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz last December, while the normally brash and flashy Romero shows an introspective side as he details his upbringing in a dangerous Las Vegas, reflecting on what brought him to this moment.

Filming is underway as Baltimore native Davis prepares with longtime trainer Calvin Ford in Miami, Fla., and proud Cuban American Romero trains in Las Vegas under the tutelage of Bullet Cromwell.

ALL ACCESS: DAVIS VS. ROMERO EPILOGUE will premiere Saturday, June 4 immediately following the conclusion of Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Danny Roman SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.

Davis vs. Romero is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions.




360 PROMOTIONS / HOLLYWOOD FIGHT NIGHTS RESULTS

Los Angeles, CA (May 13, 2022) Thursday night in Los Angeles, fast rising star ‘King’ Callum Walsh, (3-0, 3 KOs), continued the torrid start to his professional career with a first-round knockout of Luis Garcia, (3-1, 1 KO) in the scheduled six round super welterweight main event at the Quiet Cannon – Montebello Country Club. The world class boxing card was promoted by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions and broadcast live internationally on UFC Fight Pass.

The 21-year-old Walsh, a native of Cork, Ireland, dropped Garcia twice in the opening stanza from a barrage of powerful right hands before the fight was stopped at the 1:48 mark. The stoppage took place in front of a packed house of boxing fans which included UFC’s Dana White and Mario Lopez cheering on Walsh from ringside. Now residing in Los Angeles, Walsh is guided by Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Gym.

Heralded super lightweight Tito Mercado, (6-0, 6 KOs), stayed perfect in his short career as the 20-year-old Pomona, CA resident stopped Jose Zaragoza, (8-5-1, 2 KOs) in the second round (1:07).

In a featherweight clash, Omar Trinidad, (8-0-1 6 KOs), stopped Andrew Strode, (6-2, 1 KO)  at 1:10 of the third round.

Cruiserweight Marco Deckmann, (9-1, 7 KOs), won a six-round unanimous decision over Jasper McCargo, (4-3-2, 2 KOs). Scores from all three judges were 59-53.

In an outstanding six-round women’s junior lightweight clash, Chelsey Anderson, (5-0-1) stopped Jessica Juarez, (3-2, 1 KO) in the final stanza. Juarez started very strong but Anderson was able to turn the tide and land big punches as the fight went on. In the final round the ring doctor stopped the fight due to a cut on Juarez’s badly swollen eye.

Manny Pacquiao Jr. won his second amateur bout, aggressively battering Johnathan Barajas to earn the three-round decision.

In the super lightweight division, David Romero, (2-0, 1 KO), won a four round unanimous decision over debuting Fernando Gaytan.  

Rounding out the card off-TV, Dariilal Kuchmenov, (4-0, 2 KOs), won a four-round decision over Bacillo Monterros in a featherweight bout and in the lightweight division 19-year-old Ruben Islas, (5-0, 3 KO’s) defeated Charles Clark over four rounds.

                                                            ——————————–

About UFC FIGHT PASS®:

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

About 360 Promotions:

During 2017, Tom Loeffler founded 360 Promotions to provide an additional platform for boxers to showcase their talents. 360 Promotions produced the acclaimed ‘Superfly’ series giving exposure to tremendous talents in the lighter divisions including world champions. In 2018, 360 Promotions launched the Hollywood Fight Nights series at the Avalon Nightclub in Hollywood, CA. Hollywood Fight Nights is billed as the VIP boxing experience which provides a platform for rising boxers to develop their talents as future champions.

About Tom Loeffler

Tom has been in the boxing industry for over 30 years. He started by successfully managing fighters and in 2003 he founded K2 Promotions with Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, enabling them to take control of their careers. K2 holds the record for having promoted the most heavyweight world title fights this century while promoting all the championship fights of the Klitschko brothers. Tom brought the Spotlight to the Flyweight division launching the Superfly Series on HBO that highlighted stars including Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Kazuto Ioka, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras. The Superfly series changed the economics for those fighters and the entire division. Loeffler is best known for his work with Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, securing his HBO debut in 2012 and then strategically building him into an international superstar, selling out arenas such as Madison Square Garden in NYC, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, The Forum in Los Angeles, and O2 in London. He secured sponsorship deals with global brands such as Jordan Brand, Hublot, Tecate, Chivas, and Bijan. Tom has also worked with Hall of Fame fighters Shane Mosley, James Toney and Kevin Kelley, Laila Ali, Cecilia Braekhus as well as hosting the US debut of Naoya Inoue. 

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Two State Titles Headline Hitz Boxing on Saturday, June 18th at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois

Chicago, IL (May 11, 2022)–On Saturday night, June 18th, Hitz Boxing will present a night of championship boxing at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois.

The card will be headlined by two Illinois State Title matches.

In the eight-round lightweight title bout, the always exciting Daniel Buenaventura will take on Angel Barrera.

The fight is a rematch of the July 17, 2021 bout that saw Barrera squeak out a majority decision in a back and forth brawl that many Chicago boxing insiders called one of the best fights of the past 25 years,

Buenaventura of Chicago, has a record of 4-3, but that does not tell the story. The 20 year-old has been on the wrong end of debatable decisions, and is now riding a two-fight winning streak, with the latest being a third-round stoppage over Yamin Muhammad on April 1st.

Barrera of Chicago is 3-0 and is coming off a unanimous decision over Isaiah Varnell on November 24th in Rosemont.

In the eight-round super middleweight super middleweight State title bout, popular Jimmy Quiter takes on Simon Edward Buettner.

Quiter of Oak Park, Illinois is 4-1-1 with four knockouts. The 26 year-old Quiter won his first four bouts and will be looking to get back in the win column following his first loss that took place on April 21st to Mirady Zola.

Buettner of Carpentersville, Illinois is 8-1 with four knockouts. Buettner has wins over Sam Horowitz (2-0) and his last bout when he defeated James Ballard (10-2) on July 17, 2021 in Rosemont.

“I am very honored to be bringing back the state titles. It gives fighters, especially young fighters, opportunities to fight for a title that they can represent that state of Illinois. The belt will not only give fighters bragging rights, but it will plant the seeds for many matchups that the local fans will come out to see,” said Bobby Hitz, CEO of Hitz Boxing.

More Bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets Begin at $50 and can be purchased at the following:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hitz-boxing-presents-the-rosemont-rumble-2-state-titles-on-the-line-tickets-327403130577




Sonny Conto, Kevin Montano, Brian Ceballo and Kahshad Elliott Look To Stay Undefeated This Weekend

New York, NY (May 13, 2022)-Four young prospects from the Split-T Management stable will be in action looking to stay undefeated this weekend.

Friday night in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, heavyweight Sonny Conto will headline a card at Parx Casino when he takes on Justin Rolfe in a bout scheduled for six-rounds.

Conto of Philadelphia has a record of 9-0 with seven knockouts. The 26 year-old. The popular Conto will be looking to once again thrill his hometown fans as he is coming off a six-round unanimous decision win over Mike Marshall on February 24th in Philadelphia.

Rolfe of Fairfield, Maine is 7-3-1 with five knockouts. The 30 year-old is a four-year-pro, and is coming off a second-round stoppage over Fabian Valdez on March 19th.

At Thursday’s weigh-in, Conto weighed in at 228.1 lbs. Rolfe was 254.1.

Conto is promoted by Top Rank.

Photo by Mario Ortega Jr.

Friday night at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento, California, undefeated junior lightweight Kevin Montano takes on Corben Page in a four-round bout,

Montano, 24, of Concord, California is 2-0 with one knockout. Montano is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Jose Delgado on October 8, 2021 in the same venue.

Montano started boxing at the age of eight under coach Gary Sullenger. Sullenger has remained with Montano through his amateur and now into his professional career.

During Montano’s amateur career, Montano was a three-time California State Champion, the 2017 National Golden Gloves runner-up, 2017 Eastern qualifier runner-up, 2019 Western qualifier runner-up and he placed third in the 2021 Nationals. He had had risen to the number-two ranked fighter in the country as an amateur.

Montano, who is fluent in both English and Spanish is a graduate of Sacramento State, with a degree in Kinesiology.

Page of Redding, California is 6-20-1 with one knockout. The 33 year-old Has a win over previously undefeated Ricardo Garcia and is coming off a second round stoppage win over Guillermo Osorio Zarate on May 1, 2021 in Sonora, Mexico. Page has faced 12 undefeated opponents including former world champions Jose Pedraza and Oscar Valdez.

Both Montano and Page weighed in at 130 lbs.

Saturday night at The Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey undefeated welterweight Brian Ceballo will be in action when he takes on Gerald Sherrell in a bout scheduled eight-round bout.

Ceballo of New York is 12-0 with six knockouts. The 28 year-old has wins over Luis Alberto Lopez Longoria (1-0), Bakhtiya Eyubov (14-0-1), Ramal Amanov (16-0), and his last bout when he took a 10-round unanimous decision over Larry Gomez (10-1) on December 3rd, 2020 in Los Angeles.

Sherrell of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is 10-2 with five knockouts. He has wins over undefeated Shakeem Hodge (5-0. He then joined the cast of The Contender and defeated undefeated Quatavious Cash (10-0). He also defeated Morgan Fitch (18-2-1). Sherrell is coming off a defeat to Clay Collard September 21, 2019 in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Ceballo is promoted by 360 Promotions.

On the same card in Newark, Khashad Elliott will make his second start as he takes on Tray Martin in a four-round welterweight bout.

Elliott, 21 of Plainfield, New Jersey is 1-0 with one knockout.

Elliott turned pro on October 9, 2020 with a First-round stoppage over Akeem Jackson in Las Vegas.

Elliott had an outstanding amateur career that saw him win 117 of 140 fights, and was a 10-time National champion in the 165-pound division.

Martin of Moberly, Missouri is 3-5 with two knockouts. The 22 year-old has won two consecutive fights and is coming off a four-round majority decision over Vincent Montgomery on April 16th in Arnold, Missouri




Yamaguchi Falcao: Fighters are supposed to fight!

Tampa, FL (May 13, 2022) – Following an entertaining victory on Bally Sports Network March 26 where he captured the NABA Gold Championship, super middleweight Yamaguchi Falcao reiterated his eagerness to face the division’s best as soon as possible.

Falcao, a bronze medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games, called out the supremely talented Demetrius Andrade. Andrade was scheduled to face fellow unbeaten Zach Parker May 21 for the WBO championship. If victorious, Falcao hoped to be Andrade’s foe in his first title defense but Andrade withdrew due to an injury suffered in training.

Still, that didn’t deter Falcao.

“I was ready to face Parker in his home country on less than three weeks notice,” said Falcao, who has an outstanding 21-1-1 record with 9 KO’s. “If the fight did come together, I would’ve happily faced Andrade in my first title defense.”

Ultimately, the card was postponed and Andrade-Parker will be rescheduled in the near future.

Falcao’s promoter, Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, recently reached out to the promotional teams of Erik Bazinyan (WBA #5, WBO #8 WBC #15), Christian Mbilli (WBC #5, Ring Magazine #7), Carlos Gongora (IBF #13, WBC #14) and Lester Martinez (WBO #14). Caliguire also spoke with Golden Boy Promotions about a matchup with Shane Mosley Jr., who is coming off the biggest win of his career against Gabriel Rosado.

None of those talks lead to a potential fight.

“We’ve been extremely clear the last few years of our willingness to face the best available challengers anywhere in the world because we believe Yama can beat them all,” said Caliguire. “We reached out to a number of different promoters inquiring about matching their fighter against Yama only to be turned down. I’ve never seen anything like this!”

Falcao echoes Caliguire’s sentiment.

“I will fight any rated super middleweight, just give me a shot. I’ve won two WBC regional belts and am the current WBA-NABA Gold champion at 168 pounds. The goal with winning those belts was to get a fight against a world champion or top rated contender but they’re all refusing to face me. All I want is an opportunity so the world can see the true talent that I have!”




Charles Conwell explains why Jermell Charlo will beat Brian Castano in rematch

LOS ANGELES, MAY 13 – ‘Bad News’ Charles Conwell is picking Jermell Charlo to emerge as the undisputed super welterweight champion after his rematch with Brian Castano.

Conwell, one of the most talented contenders in the 154lbs division, believes Charlo will have too much variety for Argentina’s Castano in Carson on Saturday night.

The fight – which sees the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts on the line – is a rematch of their clash from July which ended in a split draw.

Former US Olympian Conwell, who returns to the ring on June 2, says as soon as the final bell sounded, he predicted the judges would be unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

But the unbeaten 24-year-old expects Charlo to be victorious this time, saying: “After the first fight, is it so difficult to choose a side but I feel like Charlo is more athletic, more able to come with a different style whereas Castano, I feel, has one style for size and his height.

CHARLES CONWELL SIGNS CO-PRO DEAL WITH PROBELLUM
MEET TROY WILLIAMSON – BRITAIN’S SUPER WELTWEIGHT STAR

“So, I feel like Charlo can be more unpredictable than Castano who is more predictable. You know how he’s coming out to fight.”

Conwell fights in Montreal next month against Abraham Juarez Ramirez on a co-promotion event between Probellum and GYM.

The American wants to use the fight as a springboard for an active second half of the year, which will end with him knocking on the door of a world title, potentially, with the winner of Saturday’s undisputed clash.

“The first fight was a really good fight and I thought it could have gone either way, either to Castano or Charlo, and so at the end of the 12 rounds I felt like it was going to be a draw.

For the rematchI want to say, Charlo. I’ve been going with Charlo, this whole time and I think Charlo will win, but I would not be surprised if Castano does it, given how close it was last time.”

To keep up to date with the latest news on Conwell’s rise through the 154lbs rankings, as well as the other fighters in Probellum’s roster, sign up to our newsletter?or follow Probellum on?Instagram,?Twitter?and?Facebook?? 




WEIGHTS FROM TRILLERVERZ 5

RED CORNER BLUE CORNER

                                                       MAIN EVENT – CRUISERWEIGHTS – 10 ROUNDS

Sergey Kovalev (196.5) vs. Tervel Pulev, (197.5)

Fort Lauderdale, FL Sofia, Bulgaria

34-4-1, 29 KOs 16-0-0, 13 KOs

                                                                  CO-MAIN – HEAVYWEIGHTS – 10 ROUNDS

Kubrat Pulev (248.5) vs. Jerry Forrest (233)

Sofia, Bulgaria Newport News, VA

22-2-0, 14 KOs 26-4-2, 20 KOs

                                                               CO-FEATURE – LIGHTWEIGHTS – 4 ROUNDS

Emiliano Vargas (133.5) vs. Mark Salgado (133.5)

Las Vegas, NV San Jose, CA

Pro Debut 1-1, 1 KO

                                                                          WELTERWEIGHTS – 6 ROUNDS

Evan Holyfield (153) vs. Jurmain McDonald (153.5)

Atlanta, GA Jefferson City, MO

9-0-0, 6 KOs 6-5-0, 2 KOs

                                                                     SUPER WELTERWEIGHTS – 6 ROUNDS

Fernando Vargas Jr. (151.5) vs. Terrance Jarmon (148)

Las Vegas, NV Toledo, OH

5-0-0, 5 KOs 3-0-0, 1 KO

                                                                       JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS – 4 ROUNDS

Amado Vargas (130.5) vs. Anel Dudo (128.5)

Las Vegas, NV Aurora, CO

3-0-0, 2 KOs 1-3-0, 1 KO




BENTLEY BEATS UDOFIA IN BRITISH MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASSIC

Wasserman Boxing’s launch on Channel 5 produced some moments to live long in the memory, but it is a night to remember for Denzel BentleyLinus Udofia walked away empty handed on the night, but will be guaranteed to have raised his stock after a closely contested split decision loss.

Elsewhere, Harlem Eubank dispatched Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd in two rounds to continue to stick his name in the headlines. Brad Pauls kept his unbeaten record after an unbelievable fight against Ryan Kelly.

Please see full fight card results and images below

British Middleweight Title Fight – Udofia vs Bentley (12 Rounds)

Denzel Bentley wins British Middleweight Title via split decision
(116-112 / 114-115 / 115-113)

Josh Kelly vs Xhuljo Vrenozi – Super Welterweight (10 Rounds)

LATE CANCELLATION BY VRENOZI

Harlem Eubank vs Sean Dodd – Super Lightweight (10 Rounds)

Harlem Eubank wins by stoppage in Round 2

Brad Pauls vs Ryan Kelly – British Middleweight Title Eliminator (10 Rounds)

Brad Pauls wins via split decision
(96-94 / 96-94 / 93-97)

Constantin Ursu vs Boria Lopez – Welterweight (4 Rounds)

Constantin Ursu wins via points, 40-34

Razor Ali vs Khvicha Gigolashvili – Featherweight (6 Rounds)

Razor Ali wins via points, 60-54

Harvey Horn vs Alejandro Torres – Flyweight (10 Rounds)

Harvey Horn wins via points,  60-54

Katharina Thanderz vs Tereza Dvorakova – Super Lightweight (6 Rounds)

Katarina Thanderz earns a win via points, 58-56

Dan Morley vs Ivan Njegac – Welterweight (6 Rounds)

Dan Morley wins by stoppage in Round 4




CHARLO VS. CASTAÑO II OFFICIAL WEIGHTS, PHOTOS AND COMMISSION OFFICIALS

Undisputed IBF, WBA, WBC & WBO Super Welterweight Championship– 12 Rounds

Jermell Charlo – 152 ¾ lbs.

Brian Castaño – 153 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Jerry Cantu; Judges: Glenn Feldman (Conn.), David Sutherland (Okla.), Zachary Young (Calif.)

IBF Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

Jaron Ennis – 146 ¼ lbs.

Custio Clayton – 146 ½ lbs.

Referee: Ray Corona; Judges: Max DeLuca (Calif.), Alejandro Rochin (Mexico), Fernando Villarreal (Calif.)

Super Bantamweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Kevin Gonzalez – 121 lbs.

Emanuel Rivera – 121 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Gerard White; Judges: Rudy Barragan (Calif.), Carla Caiz (Calif.), Tiffany Clinton (Calif.)

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer will host the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo will handle blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three more Hall of Famers are part of the most decorated telecast team in all of boxing: Emmy-Award winning event announcer Jim Gray as ringside reporter, boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer. and world-renowned Jimmy Lennon Jr., as the ring announcer. The executive producer is four-time Emmy® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The director is Bob Dunphy, son of legendary Hall of Famer Don Dunphy. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna serve as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP). 

# # #

ABOUT CHARLO VS. CASTAÑO II 

Charlo vs. Castaño II will see unified WBC, WBA and IBF World Champion Jermell Charloand WBO World Champion Brian Castañoin a rematch of one of 2021’s most significant fights as they again seek to become the first ever undisputed 154-pound champion in the four-belt era on Saturday, May 14 live on SHOWTIME from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature rising welterweight star and pound-for-pound talent Jaron “Boots” Ennis dueling unbeaten Canadian Olympian Custio Clayton in an IBF Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Kicking off the telecast, Mexican contender Kevin González puts his unbeaten record on the line against Puerto Rico’s Emanuel Rivera in a 10-round super bantamweight attraction.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #CharloCastano2, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.




QUICKFIRE CAIN LONGS FOR THE LONG GAME

BLASTING OUT AN opponent in the first 10 seconds of a fight would normally be considered a great source of satisfaction for a fighter on the up. For Andrew Cain it resulted in a 12-round fight with the heavy bag.

The new WBC International Silver super bantamweight champion poleaxed the usually durable Pablo Ariel Gomez with pretty much his first shot of the fight in Telford last time out and subsequently carried the appearance of an agitated prizefighter who had too much left in the tank.

Gomez, it should be noted, was last stopped back in 2014 in two six-rounders early on in his career in his native Argentina, so being clubbed to the canvas was not a familiar experience for him.

This time it was all over in an official time of 19 seconds when you take into account the count and referee John Latham’s assessment of his ability to continue.

The Scouse firebrand Cain was in no mood to celebrate his early night.

“You know what, I went into the gym on the Monday and just had a fight on the bag, basically! I did 12 rounds, imagined it never happened, and just took it out on the bag.

“I took myself back to the occasion because it is easy to let it all pass you by when it happens like that and you don’t really learn nothing from it. So before the occasion passed me by I got in the gym and took myself back to the fight so I could learn a few things from it, rather than being a blow-out.

“To be honest, I knew it was a nice shot, but I thought the ref was going to let me go. I was just going to put him down again anyway so the ref probably did a good job.

“It would have been nice to get a few more in so no-one had anything to say, but the refs know what they are doing,” added the 26-year-old, who does acknowledge that the outcome was typical of him, given that he has bludgeoned eight of his nine opponents to date into an early submission.

“It is my life, as I say, and it is serious, isn’t it?”

Cain knows that his profile is increasing as people catch on to his explosive performances and powderkeg attitude to the fight game. There will never be a dull moment while he is going about his business and the public are starting to take notice.

“I don’t pay too much attention to all that but I suppose they must be,” he conceded. “You can’t really be denied if you do what I am doing, so it is gonna happen sooner or later.

“It definitely feels like it has picked up a bit, so I need to keep getting these fights and keep winning them. You can’t deny me then.”

Next up is Luis Moreno, 10-2 (6 KOs), in a defence of his title at York Hall on Friday May 20. Cain admits that carrying out due diligence on the threat in front of him is not really his thing.

“I have a look a couple of days out or when I get to the hotel because, you know what it is like sometimes, they fall off and they fall on all the time. I just leave it and when I get to the hotel I only end up watching 30 seconds anyway.

“It is just so you’ve got a picture of their face in your mind because you never know what they are going to do. They could fly at you, they could run, so you have got to be prepared for everything.”

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, 20 May are on sale now, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or alternatively call: 01992 505 550 (office hours only).

Brad Foster v Ionut Baluta for the vacant WBC International super bantamweight title takes place at York Hall on Friday May 20.

Also in championship action on the night will be Liverpool super bantamweight Andrew Cain, making a first defence of his WBC International Silver title against durable Mexican Luis Moreno.

Two first cousins feature on the card on another special night for the Frankham fighting family. Super featherweight Charles (5-0, 2 KOs) and welterweight Josh (5-0, 2 KOs) will continue their progression in the professional ranks in six round fights.

Future super bantamweight star Adan Mohamed (4-0, 1 KO) from Buckhurst Hill will have his fifth professional assignment on the card over four rounds, alongside Bexley welterweight Micky Burke jr (5-0, 2 KOs) over six and Beckton lightweight Mohammad Bilal Ali (4-1, 1 KO) in a four rounder.

Recent Frank Warren signing Raven Chapman (2-0, 1 KO) will have her first fight under the Queensberry promotional banner when she takes on the unbeaten Italian Nadia Flalhi (3-0, 1 KO) over six rounds at featherweight.

Sean Noakes will make his professional debut at the famous East London venue with the Maidstone man – older brother of lightweight Sam – fighting at welterweight over four rounds.

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, 20 May are on sale now, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or alternatively call: 01992 505 550 (office hours only).




HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE AS GORMAN VS. SALEK HEADLINES HUGE NIGHT OF BOXING ON JUNE 17 IN LIVERPOOL LIVE AND FREE ON CHANNEL 5

Nathan Gorman (18-1, 12 KOs) returns under the bright lights to headline an action-packed night of free-to-air boxing on June 17 at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, promoted by Wasserman Boxing live on Channel 5 in association with William HillNuman and Infinitum Entertainment.

The hard-hitting heavyweight will face off against a confident Czech, Tomas Salek (17-3, 13 KOs), fresh from defending his national Heavyweight Title and looking to get into a firefight in this guaranteed earth shaker.

It has been over a year since Gorman last graced the ring, and the British power-puncher will be looking to pick up where he left off with a third straight win since his first career loss in 2019. A tremendous response since then, he will be looking to come back with a bang having missed a previous card due to illness.

“I’m coming there to throw the kitchen sink at him and put on a really good display,” said Gorman.

“I was due to fight on the Savannah Marshall show, but unfortunately, I came down with a bad illness. I believe things happen for a reason, and now I’m in a position to put on a good show with Channel 5. I’m just really looking forward to it.”

Standing in the way of a dream return for him will be 23-year-old Salek, who is coming to flex his greater knockout record on Gorman’s home turf. It will be an opportunity for Salek to right the wrongs from his previous appearance in the United Kingdom, and he’ll be insisting he puts on a spectacle to prove he has progressed.

“It is a big opportunity for me,” he said. “This will be my second fight in the United Kingdom, and I truly want to show that I am now much stronger physically, but mostly, much stronger mentally. I want to come back to the Czech Republic with Gorman’s scalp!”

Fans can also look forward to an electric British Super Flyweight Title Eliminator between two physically imposing fighters when ‘The Chosen One’ Marcel Braithwaite (12-3) will be aiming to get his fellow Liverpool faithful on side as he looks to get the better of the experienced former WBA Continental Bantemweight Champion Thomas Essomba (11-7-1, 4 KOs).

The M&S Bank Arena will be rocking when Braithwaite, the newly crowned WBC International Silver Super Flyweight champion, arrives to seize the spotlight and move towards ticking off more on his boxing bucket list.

“It’s a good fight. It’s perfect fight for where I’m at in my career and it feels like the stepping stone I need for me to get to the British title. That title is one of my ambitions, so I just need to put everything into my preparations to make sure I get there, which I will,” said Braithwaite.

“I’m really excited to have the chance to perform in front of my home crowd at such a great venue. I’ve always wanted to fight there, and that will be reflected in my performance. Everyone has Channel 5 too, I’ll be on two massive stages. It’s my time, and I’ll show that June 17.”

A rejuvenated Essomba comes to crash the Liverpool party off the back of necessary changes to his preparations. Singing all the right notes in the gym, he will be looking to control this fight as the older statesmen and kick on to a British Title.

“I’ve never had the training I have now. It’s the perfect time for me to show all the UK fans that I am a great fighter, and a great boxer. I have good people around me now and I believe in the work I’m putting in. People will see that Thomas Essomba deserves to be a British Champion, and maybe even more than that. For now, I’m only focused on the British Title. I know Marcel is a good fighter, and I respect him, but I am better.”

The card will also feature former Team GB fighter Chloe Watson, alongside the undefeated Paddy LaceyMason ‘Nutty’ Cartwright and heavyweight giant ‘Magic’Matty Harris. All live on Channel 5, as Wasserman Boxing presents yet another lively night of world-class boxing.

“The free-to-air revolution continues on June 17 as we head to the fantastic fight city of Liverpool for another outstanding night of boxing live on Channel 5,” said Wasserman Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland. “This time we have the big boys in action. Nathan Gorman is from fighting stock. He is an exceptional talent who we believe can go all the way. He faces a tough test in what should be a fan friendly affair against the big punching Tomas Salek. Alongside this exciting heavyweight attraction we will have an abundance of local talent showcasing their skills in front of the what I expect will be a lively audience at M&S Bank Arena.”

For more information and to sign up for exclusive pre-sale tickets, pleaseclick here.




BOXXER SIGNS DYLAN CHEEMA TO LONG-TERM PROMOTIONAL CONTRACT

London, England – (May 13, 2022) – BOXXER today announced the signing of the undefeated young prospect Dylan Cheema (5-0, 1 KO), who stormed his way to victory in last month’s BOXXER Series tournament in his home city of Coventry.

The tournament run, which saw him win three fights in one night live on Sky Sports, earned Cheema a new army of British boxing fans as he progressed from major underdog to grand final winner over the course of the event. 

A proud Coventry man, it was Cheema’s first ever time competing in the city in which he was born and raised. Cheema had transitioned to professional boxing following a highly accomplished run as a professional kickboxer, but Birmingham was the closest he had ever fought to home in either discipline.

A high achiever in other areas of his life – Cheema was a world champion in kickboxing and holds a university degree – he now turns his attention to climbing the professional boxing ranks and winning equally impressive plaudits. 

Cheema’s new army of fans are joining his existing battalion, one which features a huge number of his fellow Sikhs. Drawing his ancestry from Punjab – a region of India with a long and storied warrior tradition – Cheema’s pride in his heritage is reflected in the strength of support he draws from the wider community across the UK.

At 25 years old and with his professional record now including a win over the highly-regarded Rylan Charlton, runner-up in the tournament, Cheema looks set to secure big opportunities as he joins the BOXXER ranks on a long-term exclusive promotional contract.

Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO, said “The Boxxer Series is all about giving UK boxers the chance to showcase themselves and secure big future opportunities. Dylan Cheema did exactly that in Coventry – he put on an incredible performance, going from underdog to tournament champion, and we’re very excited about his future potential.”

Cheema said, “This is just the beginning. I’m ready for the big fights – BOXXER and Sky Sports are the ones to make those big fights happen. I’m delighted to sign with BOXXER. I’ve got a good manager and a good team, and they’re going to guide me along this next stage of my journey.” 




WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT BATTLE BETWEEN (#2) HOLLY HOLM AND (#5) KETLEN VIEIRA  HEADLINES AT UFC® APEX

Las Vegas – UFC® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with a must-watch women’s bantamweight contenders’ bout featuring former champion and No. 2 ranked contender Holly Holm vs. No. 5 Ketlen Vieira. Also on the card, a welterweight matchup will see No. 14 ranked Santiago Ponzinibbio take on Michel Pereira.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. VIEIRA will take place Saturday, May 21 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream exclusively on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT and the main card at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT.

Just weeks before she gets inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, former three-division boxing champion Holm (14-5, fighting out of Albuquerque, NM) has been showing off her striking prowess since joining the UFC in 2015. Since then, she’s made a name for herself by securing numerous highlight-reel knockouts, such as her victories over Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia. Now, Holm attempts to extend her two-fight win streak and reinsert herself into the title conversation.

Vieira (11-2, fighting out of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) looks to add another statement victory over a former champion to her resume. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, she holds impressive wins over Miesha Tate, Sara McMann and Cat Zingano. Vieira now intends to snatch Holm’s spot in the rankings in her second consecutive UFC main event.

The Ultimate Fighter Brazil alumnus Ponzinibbio (29-4, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) aims to work his way up the welterweight rankings with a showstopping performance. A skilled striker with 14 first-round knockouts, he has earned notable wins over Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson and Court McGee. Ponzinibbio now aims to defend his spot in the Top 15 against the surging Pereira. 

Pereira (26-11, fighting out of Las Vegas, NV.) plans to deliver another impressive performance against the toughest opponent of his career. The owner of 12 first-round finishes, Pereira has entertained fans with his victories over Danny Roberts, Niko Price and Andre Fialho. Now, Pereira hopes to further cement his welterweight run and break into the rankings for the first time.

Additional bouts on the card include:

  • A clash of Dana White’s Contender Seriesalums sees Chidi Njokuani (21-7, 1 NC, fighting out of Saginaw, Texas) take on Dusko Todorovic (11-2, fighting out of Belgrade, Serbia)
  • Jailton Almeida (15-2, fighting out of Salvador-Bahia, Brazil) makes his UFC heavyweight debut against Parker Porter (13-6, fighting out of West Hartford, Conn.)
  • Eryk Anders (14-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.) battles Junyong Park (13-5, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) in a middleweight bout
  • Middleweights Joseph Holmes (7-2, fighting out of Garland, Texas) and Alen Amedovski (8-2, fighting out of Rome, Italy) lock horns
  • Polyana Viana (12-4, fighting out of State of Para, Brazil) meets Tabatha Ricci (6-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) in an exciting strawweight bout
  • Lightweight strikers Omar Morales (11-2, fighting out of Miami, Fla. by way of Caracas, Venezuela) and Uros Medic (7-1, fighting out of Santa Ana, Calif. by way of Novi Sad, Serbia) square off
  • Thrilling bantamweights Jonathan Martinez (15-4, fighting out of Plainview, Texas) and Vince Morales (11-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) look to steal the show
  • An intriguing featherweight bout sees Chase Hooper (10-2-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.) return to action against Felipe Colares (10-3, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  • Elise Reed (5-1, fighting out of Hillsborough, N.J.) matches up with Sam Hughes (6-4, fighting out of Everett, Wash.) at strawweight

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

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About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.3 million subscribers. 

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.comESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost. 

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.




JERMELL CHARLO VS. BRIAN CASTAÑO II FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

LOS ANGELES – May 12, 2022 – Unified WBC, WBA, and IBF 154-pound world champion Jermell Charlo and WBO 154-pound world  champion Brian Castañreceived enthusiastic and fervent support from their respective fanbasesat a heated and boisterous final press conference on Thursday before they meet in a highly-anticipated rematch for undisputed status at 154 pounds this Saturday, May 14 live on SHOWTIME from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The press conference also featured unbeaten welterweight rising star Jaron “Boots” Ennis and undefeated Canadian Olympian Custio Clayton, who meet in an IBF Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event, plus Puerto Rico’s Emanuel Rivera, who squares off against Mexican contender Kevin González in the super bantamweight telecast opener of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Lions Only Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through AXS.com.

Both fighters made clear their intention to leave no doubt in their rematch of one of 2021’s most significant fights, which was fought to a split-draw in July on SHOWTIME. On Saturday night they again will seek to become the first male undisputed super welterweight champion of the four-belt era.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from The Westin LAX:

JERMELL CHARLO

“I just have to be dominant. I have to be the best Jermell Charlo, that y’all are yet to see. I’m going to dominate this fight way differently than I did the last fight.

“Castaño is the same fighter as he’s been in every fight. He’s going to come and keep coming back up. I’m going to use everything I learned from that fight, on Saturday night. I’m going to take advantage of the things that I have that he doesn’t have. I’m going to use the skills I’m blessed with.

“I’m going to be stronger, faster and smarter than I’ve ever been before. Thank you Castaño, for giving me more time to prepare myself.

“I’m grateful for my opportunities. This is my time and I’m focused. He’s my target and I’m going to pop him. I know what I possess in the ring. I know who I am and I know where I come from.

“I’ve worked very hard since last July. I know with the dedication that me and Derrick James, along with my whole team, including Joan Guzman, put in, that we’re ready. All I have to do is go in there and put it all on the line.

“Knocking people out is what the f*** I do. That’s what I’m known for. I’m known for the power and I’m known for the speed. That’s what I’m doing.

“I didn’t finish him so I think that was the only mistake I made. I’m usually a closer. I have that on the back of my mind. One he’s hurt again, and hopefully it’s earlier than later, it’s over.

“There’s nothing he’s going to be able to do when we drop these bombs on him Saturday.”

BRIAN CASTAÑO

“I prepare myself very seriously for each and every opponent I have in front of me. This time, it’s Charlo, and I promise you that I’m going to be more than ready to give the fans a show on Saturday night.

“I thought fighting in his home state was a factor with the judges last time. I still think I’m the visitor here, but it has more of a ‘neutral’ feel to it than San Antonio did. My lesson I learned is to always have my guard up and be ready for whatever comes my way.

“It is going to be special to show everyone what I’m capable of, especially in front of the Latin fans here. This is the culmination of years of work. I’m anxious to go out there and prove that I’m the champion and give the Latin fans the show that they deserve.

“He can say whatever he wants. I could care less if he wants to knock me out. Let’s go out there and see if he can withstand my punishment for 12 rounds.

The lack of respect he has for a fellow athlete bothered me. He said a lot of things that I thought were out of line. I don’t know why he’s all edgy and screaming and nervous. I’d rather him show that energy in the ring.

“There isn’t one specific weapon I have that’s better than him, because I tailor my style to my opponent. Charlo is going to see what I have in store for him. I’m more than ready to show that what I’ve prepared is more than enough to get the win.

“Charlo is a top-tier fighter. That’s definitely true. But at this level, everyone has power. Only one opponent has sent me to the mat, and it wasn’t Charlo. He’s strong, but there’s nothing about his power that truly stands out to me compared to other fighters I’ve faced.

“Saturday is going to be electric. The way that we’ve been spicing this up, we’re guaranteeing a spectacle. You’re not going to want to miss it.

“The first fight motivated me because I thought that I won. I learned that I can’t leave this fight in the hands of the judges. I need to leave no doubt that I’m the superior fighter.”

JARON ENNIS

“On paper, I don’t know if he’s my toughest challenge. We won’t know until fight night. We’ll see when we get into the ring.

“I don’t watch tape on guys that I fight unless I’ve seen them before. We had a great camp and we’re going to do what we do. Everyone is going to see me shine and make a big statement.

“Most definitely I’m extending my knockout streak Saturday. We’re not looking for it. We’re going to let it come, 19 in a row is definitely coming.

“We’re not looking past Clayton. We’re coming to do damage on Saturday and look good during it. I can talk about the future afterward, but right now I’m locked in on Clayton.

I know we have a banger of a main event, but I’m coming to steal the show. You know what my motto is, I’m in and out like a lottery.

“People are going to see me go in there and be seamless. This is just another day in the office for me. Another day, another dollar.”

CUSTIO CLAYTON

“This would mean everything to me. I took a fight that most people wouldn’t have taken. This is the type of fight that I needed in my career right now. That’s why I’m extremely prepared for this.

“I’m coming to fight. At the end of the day, we can’t say what’s going to happen, but I’m here to fight.

“Of course he’s confident he’s going to get a knockout, but I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“I haven’t been able to get the fights that I’ve needed. So we decided to take this one, even though it’s a fight that not a lot of people would have taken. This is the fight that I need to prove myself.

“It’s hard to say what his flaws are because I don’t watch a lot of footage. I don’t go by what someone did in their last fight. No one performs the same as they did in their last fight. I have to be prepared on Saturday to do what I’m capable of doing, which is stopping him from getting the win.

“I’m a very smart fighter with a great ring IQ. I haven’t been able to show everything yet, but I think that this fight will bring it out of me. This win would show everyone that I belong on his level.”

EMANUEL RIVERA

“I promise that I’m going to be 100% on Saturday night and give the best of myself. You’re going to see Puerto Rico come out on top again and I’m going to put on a show for everyone.

“This is going to open up a lot of doors and open up a better future for my family. That’s why I’m really coming in there as the best version of myself. This is going to be a tremendous fight.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President, SHOWTIME Sports

“When we announced our schedule back in March, it was clear that the 154-pound division was going to play a big role in our plans. But we had no idea the results would be this spectacular. In a seven week span we’ve had every single one of the top six super welterweights fight on SHOWTIME. The goal, is to definitively answer the question without doubt, who is the best 154-pound fighter?

“Now we have the most important and meaningful fight in the 154-pound division on Saturday night. SHOWTIME Sports is proud to announce this second chance at history. This is a PPV quality card without the PPV.

“No other platform has this level quality and quantity for combat sports. May 14 is another Fight of the Year quality fight. No one else is consistently giving fans these types of matchups week after week. That’s what we do at SHOWTIME. We have the best fighting the best week after week.

“If you’re not watching this card, then you can’t call yourself a boxing fan. Last July in San Antonio there were 12 grueling rounds between two fighters trying to make history as the first undisputed male 154-pound champion in the four-belt era. If ever a matchup begged for a rematch, this is it.”

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ABOUT CHARLO VS. CASTAÑO II 

Charlo vs. Castaño II will see unified WBC, WBA and IBF World Champion Jermell Charloand WBO World Champion Brian Castañoin a rematch of one of 2021’s most significant fights as they again seek to become the first ever undisputed 154-pound champion in the four-belt era on Saturday, May 14 live on SHOWTIME from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature rising welterweight star and pound-for-pound talent Jaron “Boots” Ennis dueling unbeaten Canadian Olympian Custio Clayton in an IBF Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Kicking off the telecast, Mexican contender Kevin González puts his unbeaten record on the line against Puerto Rico’s Emanuel Rivera in a 10-round super bantamweight attraction.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sportswww.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #CharloCastano2, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.




TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW FOR RODRIGUEZ AND RUNGVISAI WORLD TITLE QUADRUPLE HEADER

Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will defend his WBC World Super-Flyweight title against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday June 25 at the Tech Port Center + Arena in San Antonio, live worldwide on DAZN and leading a stacked quadruple header of World title action.

Tickets starting at $35 (plus fees) go on sale at 10am CDT tomorrow (Friday May 13) – click here for more details
 Rodriguez (15-0 10 KOs) makes the first defense of the belt he won in stunning fashion in February, flooring former World ruler Carlos Cuadras en-route to becoming the youngest current World champion in just his 15th pro-outing. ‘Bam’ will get a hero’s welcome on his home turf when he steps through the ropes in San Antonio for the first time as king of the world and only the third time in his career, boxing on his doorstep in his third and fifth fights in June 2017 and March 2018 respectively. 

The 22 year old could hardly face a stiffer test when putting his belt on the line for the first time, coming up against former two-time Super-Fly kingpin Rungvisai (50-5-1 43 KOs). The Thai star was set to face Cuadras in a long-awaited rematch for the title in San Diego, only for Rungvisai to fall ill and be replaced at late notice by the new young champion. The 35 year old has a chance to get his hands on the coveted green and gold strap for a third time, having first held the belt in 2013 and then reclaiming it against Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez three years later.

“Fighting a guy like Rungvisai is going to bring me to a whole new level,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a great fighter but this is my time now. You have to take risks in this sport, that’s what special fighters do. They said it was a risk me challenging for a World title fight on short notice and now they say it’s a risk taking on a fighter like Rungvisai but this is what I want. These are the types of fights you need so you can be remembered by the fans long after your career is done.

“I’ve always said that me and my brother are going to bring the big fights back to San Antonio and this is just the start of it. We are so proud to be from this city and we get that love back from the people there so this will be a special night.”

“Jesse might be the youngest current World champion, but this is a fight where he can prove he already belongs with the very best in boxing,” said trainer Robert Garcia. “We have a lot of respect for Rungvisai, we know what he is capable of, and he is a great, great fighter but I also know what Jesse is capable. I have so much belief in him, and I know he is ready for this.”

“I am very excited for this opportunity to fight for the WBC World title,” said Rungvisai. “I will be at my best to win the WBC World title and become the first three times WBC World champion in the history of Thailand. Thank you so much to Matchroom, DAZN, and the WBC for this opportunity.”

Rodriguez and Rungvisai lead a stellar night of action with three more World title fights on the bill, with Julio Cesar Martinez and McWilliams Arroyo picking up where they left off from their curtailed firefight for Martinez’s WBC World Flyweight title, where both men hit the canvas in the opening round and Arroyo touched down again in the second, before the action in New Hampshire in November had to be halted after Arroyo suffered a nasty cut from an accidental headclash.

Arroyo (21-4 16 KOs) has been out of action since that night, while Martinez (18-2 14 KOs) bravely rolled the dice to take on modern great Chocolatito as the headline act on the night Rodriguez won his belt.

World title clash number three on the bumper card will see IBF and WBA World Super-Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev defend his titles against Ronny Rios. The pair were set to meet in New Hampshire in November, but COVID ruled Rios out and he was replaced by game late challenger Jose Velasquez. Akhmadaliev (10-0 7 KOs) retained his belts with a near-shutout on the cards, going the distance for just the third time in his 10th pro bout, and second as a World champion. Rios (33-3 16 KOs), the mandatory challenger for the WBA crown, goes for glory for the second time in his 36-fight career after challenging Rey Vargas for the WBC strap at 122lbs in August 2016.

The fourth bout on the card has the most belts on the line, as undisputed Welterweight ruler Jessica McCaskill makes the third defense of all her marbles at 147lbs. McCaskill (11-2 4 KOs) ripped the straps from long-standing ruler Cecilia Braekhus on the streets of Downtown Tulsa in August 2020 and saw off the Norwegian in a rematch for her first defense in March 2021. The Chicagoan recorded the fourth stoppage win of her career in the second defense of the belts in December, ending Kandi Wyatt’s challenge in the seventh, and will face the tough test of Alma Ibarra. Ibarra (10-1, 4 KOs) also then beat Wyatt in an eight-round decision in an eliminator for the WBA strap, dubbed the ‘Thrilla for Caskilla’, landing Ibarra the shot at McCaskill’s WBA, WBO, WBC, IBF and Ring Magazine World titles.

“Everyone is coming for the throne and it’s my job to protect it,” said McCaskill

“This is a good fight. This fight will confirm why Jessica is the queen of the Welterweight division,” added McCaskill’s trainer and manager Rick Ramos.

“I’ve won fights, I’ve lost fights, I’ve been in the big stage, I’ve fought for a world title, I’m a single mom, I’ve been kidnapped, there’s not one thing that she can bring to the fight that I haven’t seen and surpassed,” said Ibarra. “She’s just holding what’s mine, I’m here to take them!!”




TRIAD COMBAT RETURNS! SATURDAY, JUNE 11, AT THE HANGAR IN COSTA MESA, CA AND LIVE ON FITE

Los Angeles, CA (May 12, 2022) Triller Fight Club presents the highly anticipated return of TRIAD COMBAT on Saturday, June 11, at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, CA, and broadcast globally on FITE.

Tickets for TRIAD COMBAT starting at $80 are now on sale through this Direct Link. The Hangar, combat sports’ most fan-friendly venue, is located at the OC Fair and Events Center, 1011-1165 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The intimate club setting location has limited, ‘close to the action’ seating for 1,200 patrons with full drink and food service, a cigar lounge available throughout the evening and onsite parking adjacent to the venue. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 p.m. PST with the first bell at 7:00 p.m. PST. More information on The Hangar can be found at www.SocaFights.com.

Utilizing two-minute rounds and a hybrid of boxing and MMA rules in addition to fighting in a triangular ring, the worldwide launch of TRIAD COMBAT was held on Saturday, November 27, 2021, in front of a sold-out crowd at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX with featured musical guests Metallica performing throughout the extraordinary evening. The event, broadcast internationally, thrilled the combat sports world of fans and media with its heightened and aggressive fast, paced style.

In the seven-round main event on Saturday, June 11, competing in the featherweight division, Andre ‘Mr. Highlight’ Ewell, (17-9) of Riverside, CA, battles Francisco ‘Cisco’ Rivera, (14-8), of Buena Park, CA. 

Co-featured over five scheduled rounds in the middleweight division, Sidiah ‘Rolling Thunder’ Parker (19-8), of Blanding, UT, clashes with San Bernardino, CA native ‘Curtious’ Curtis Millender (18-9).

Fighting in the light heavyweight division, undefeated Billy Elekana (4-0), of Las Vegas, NV, faces off against Moses “Motown’ Murrietta, (9-6), of Fontana, CA, in a scheduled five rounder.

Heavyweights will see action over five rounds as Jason Walraven (8-8) of California battles with Jack ‘The Outlaw’ May (11-8) of Whittier, CA. 

Competing at the 150lb. limit in a five-round tilt, Demarcus ‘Bang Em Up’ Brown, (6-9), of Murrieta, CA, hits the ring against Mike Segura, (10-7), of Lake Forest, CA.

In the bantamweight division, Vincent Colonel (1-2) of Arkansas faces off against Steve Mora (1-1) of Anaheim, CA.

Fighting in an amateur lightweight bout over three rounds, Alexander Vargas of La Habra, CA, battles Los Angeles’ Gabriel Hernandez.

Also, in the amateur ranks of the light heavyweight division, California native Troy Rallings fights an opponent to be announced over three rounds.

Rounding out the card, Andy Simental will battle an opponent to be named over three amateur rounds in the middleweight division.

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Launched less than two years ago, Triller Fight Club has already sold over 3,000,000 Pay-Per-Views in the past year, making it one of the top-selling combat sports/entertainment platforms. TrillerVerz’s widely acclaimed monthly series, including world-class professional boxing and musical Verzuz battles, has consistently been at the top of watched broadcasts averaging over 6,000,000 views. 

Triller entered into a definitive merger agreement with SeaChange International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC), in a transaction that would result in the combined company being named TrillerVerz Corp., and its common stock will be listed on Nasdaq, subject to completion of the conditions listed in the S4, which was filed recently by SeaChange (NASD: SEAC).

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Follow Triller Fight Club on social media: 

Instagram: @Triller, @TrillerFightClub
Twitter: @Triller, @TrillerFight

Facebook: @TrillerFightClub




Weights from Bensalem, PA

PHILADELPHIA (May 12, 2022)–Weights for Friday Night’s Fight card at Parx Casino

Sonny Conto 228.2 – Justin Rolfe 254.1

Shinard Bunch 144.2 – Marklin Bailey 141.4

Jordon Murphy 127 – Antonio Dunton El 128.9

Carlos Ramos 129.5 – Jesus Arturo Guzman 128.6

Christopher Burgos 140.4 – Phillip Davis 143.1

Gerardo Martinez 139.4 – Michael Crain 140.4

Karly Wylie 139.3 – Tyree Arnold 143

Quadeer Jenkins 160.5 – Andre Hammon 161

Promoter: Joe Hand Promotions

Venue: Parx Casino

1st Bell: 7 PM ET

Tickets at $50, $75, and $125 are on sale at https://tickets.parxcasino.com/tickets/390007, Hold My Ticket Call Center at (1-877-466-3404) or by calling 215-364-9000. Must be 21 or older to attend.




TRILLERVERZ 5 / QUOTES FROM FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE

Los Angeles, CA (May 12, 2022) The final press conference for TrillerVerz 5 was held today in Los Angeles just two days ahead of the sensational event emanating from the Kia Forum. The Trillerverz 5 ‘Lineage of Greatness’  includes legendary boxing families and a once-in-a-lifetime VERZUZ battle between Cypress Hill and Onyx.

Tickets starting at $31.00 are now on-sale through TrillerFightClub.com, TheKiaForum.com, and Ticketmaster.com at http://www.ticketmaster.com/trillerverz5. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. PT on Saturday with the first bell at 4:00 p.m. PT. The Kia Forum is located at 3900 Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90305.

The two-hour FREE preview broadcast on FITE starts at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT with the Pay-Per-View portion starting at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT also on FITE.

The entire event is produced by Superstar Nigel Lythgoe, the Triller Fight Club visionary and producer of “So You Think You Can Dance” and “American Idol” who has brought a brilliant new look and feel of combat sports to the forefront. 

Below are quotes from the participants at the final press conference which was moderated by Rocsi Diaz and Ray Flores along with Hall of Fame announcer Michael Buffer.

Sergey Kovalev

“I’m ready for anybody and anywhere. My promoter said Tervel Pulev, I’m ready always. I just want to make a great comeback and make all my fans proud of me.”

Tervel Pulev

“Thanks very much to Triller Fight Club for making this fight happen. I’m very excited to be facing clearly the toughest opponent of my career in Sergey Kovalev. My prediction is I’m going to remain undefeated.”

Kubrat Pulev

“Texas for Triad Combat was a great event and I hope that Saturday is the same for Triller Fight Club. I’m ready for this fight and I hope my opponent is also ready. I respect him, he is a good fighter, he had a good fight against Michael Hunter. But I’m different and on a higher level than his past opponents. This fight is very difficult for him, I have everything and he is going to find that out on Saturday night, I’m like a very intelligent, wild animal.”   

Jerry Forrest

“It’s a blessing and a pleasure to fight on this tremendous card. This is another chance to show what I can do. I feel like this is where I belong and everything has led up to this. I’m always in the gym so I’m in great shape and I’m ready. My approach for every fight never changes; I’m going to outbox everybody.”

Fernando Vargas Sr.

“I thought Triller Fight Club was the best plan for my boys. They love boxing. We’re excited about it and we’ve been working hard in preparation. My boys are going to show what their DNA is made of. They wanted to do what their father did and I’m here to support them 100%. I wouldn’t be here if they weren’t ready.”

Fernando Vargas Jr.

‘It’s definitely a privilege and responsibility to carry the last name, ‘Vargas’. I’m excited as the oldest to see my youngest brothers’ debut. Thanks very much to David and Egis and the whole Triller team for making it possible to have the three of us fight on the same card.”

Amado Vargas

“I can’t wait to watch my younger brother Emiliano make his pro debut. May 14 you’ll find out what the Vargas boys are about. We can all really fight.”

Emiliano Vargas

“The pressure can either fold you or embolden you. My two beautiful parents support me in anything I do. This is something, fighting on the same card, we’ve been talking about for a long time and I’m ready for Saturday night. I’ve had a good amateur career and I’m ready to go pro. I’m blessed to have Triller Fight Club behind me.”

Evan Holyfield

“It’s blessing to fight on such a big card this Saturday night and apply everything I’ve worked on in training. I’m just taking my career one fight at a time, with each and every performance I’m able to show more of my skills. I’m sure Jurmain will bring the best out of me and I’ll bring the best out of him.”

“Yes, Mike Tyson of all people gave me advice before one of my first amateur bouts. ‘Don’t get too emotional, just stick to your skills and what you’ve worked on in training and you’ll be fine.’”

Jurmain McDonald

“I’m used to being the underdog and I’m comfortable in that role. I’m hungry and I’m definitely going to take advantage of the opportunity. I feel like it’s going to be an upset, just like Bivol.”

David Tetreault / President, Triller Fight Club

“A lot of the inspiration comes from Ryan Kavanaugh, he kicked off the whole Triller Fight Club experience with Tyson vs. Jones. Once we had Sergey at the top of the card, then I started working with the Vargas brothers and we had the opportunity to sign them. Then after bringing aboard the Pulev brothers, I wanted to find out what were the chances we could add the son of Evander Holyfield and Kathy said yes, immediately. We wanted to make this a novel or movie and came up with ‘Lineage of Greatness.”

Kathy Duva / President, Main Events

“Sergey looks so different as a cruiserweight, he looks big and strong. I’m used to seeing him all emaciated and drawn, it’s a totally different look for him. He is very goal driven and believes he is going to be a cruiserweight world champion and he’s always achieved every goal he’s made.”

Full Fight Card

Sergey Kovalev ,(34-4-1, 29 KOs) vs. Tervel Pulev, (16-0, 13 KOs) cruiserweights, ten rounds

Kubrat Pulev, (28-2, 14 KOs) vs. Jerry Forrest, (26-4-2, 20 KOs) heavyweights, ten rounds

Evan Holyfield, (9-0, 6 KOs) vs. Jurmain McDonald, (6-5, 2 KOs), welterweights, six rounds

Fernando Vargas Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs), vs. Terrance Jarmon, (3-0, 1 KO), super welterweights, six rounds

Amado Vargas, (3-0, 2 KO’s) vs. Anel Dudo, (1-3, 1 KO), featherweights, four rounds

Emiliano Vargas, (Pro Debut) vs. Mark Salgado, (1-1, 1 KO) lightweights, four rounds

                                                            ————————

Launched less than two years ago, Triller Fight Club has already sold over 3,000,000 Pay-Per-Views in the past year, making it one of the top-selling combat sports/entertainment platforms. TrillerVerz’s widely acclaimed monthly series, including world-class professional boxing and musical Verzuz battles, has consistently been at the top of watched broadcasts averaging over 6,000,000 views. 

Triller entered into a definitive merger agreement with SeaChange International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC), in a transaction that would result in the combined company being named TrillerVerz Corp., and its common stock will be listed on Nasdaq, subject to completion of the conditions listed in the S4, which was filed recently by SeaChange (NASD: SEAC).

                                                   —————————-

Follow Triller Fight Club on social media: 

Instagram: @Triller, @TrillerFightClub
Twitter: @Triller, @TrillerFight

Facebook: @TrillerFightClub




HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER JERRY FORREST BATTLES KUBRAT PULEVLIVE ON TRILLERVERZ 5

New York, NY (May 12, 2022) – On Saturday, May 14, heavyweight contender Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (26-4-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA, collides with two-time world title challenger Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs), of Sofia, Bulgaria, in a 10-round contest. The exciting bout will serve as the co-feature to Triller Fight Club’s “TrillerVerz 5: Lineage of Greatness” pay-per-view event, live from the Forum in Inglewood, CA, on FITE.TV and TrillerFightClub.com, priced at $29.99.

“Training camp went great. I never really stopped training following my last fight. I stayed sharp, working on technique and fundamentals. I’m coming into this fight knowing I deserved victories in my last two fights. Against Zhang, I got off the canvas three times and came back to dominate and nearly stop him. I made some mistakes, but it was a learning experience. Against Hunter, I beat a world-rated guy who gave Oleksandr Usyk a tough fight, and I proved that I belong with the top contenders. I controlled the tempo and landed the bigger shots. When you’re the B-side and you get a draw, that usually means you won. I left it in the hands of the judges when I should have knocked him out,” said Forrest. “I’m looking forward to this fight against Pulev. He is a very skilled fighter who has shared the ring with Joshua, Klitschko, and so many others, but I am faster and stronger than he is. He won’t be able to withstand what I bring for 10 rounds.”

“Jerry Forrest should be a top-ten world-ranked contender. In his last few fights, he has proven himself against touted, undefeated contenders, but was unjustly denied victories against Jermaine Franklin, Zhilei Zhang and in his rematch against Michael Hunter,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Facing an experienced fighter like Kubrat Pulev, who has only lost to the very best, Forrest has another opportunity to show the world that he belongs among the top echelon of the heavyweight division.”

Forrest is coming off of back-to-back slugfests that ended in controversial draws last year. On February 27, in Miami, FL, Forrest battled undefeated six-foot-six Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang, rising from three early knockdowns to control the remainder of their bout and nearly stop his adversary. In his last fight, on December 2, 2021, headlining TrillerVerz 4, at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom, Forrest fought a rematch against Michael Hunter and was the aggressor throughout their bout, tagging him often with his straight left and wearing him down. Most observers felt that Forrest deserved to win both bouts.

Forrest, whose father is a master chief petty officer in the US Navy aboard the USS Nimitz, was employed as a nuclear electrician for 10 years, working on submarines and aircraft carriers at the outset of his boxing career.




GROVES: “CHANNEL 5 SHOULD SEE THERE’S NO CEILING TO THEIR AMBITION AND THAT THEY CAN TAKE ON THE WORLD”

The former WBA Super-Middleweight World champion George Groves will stand ringside on Friday night, swapping gloves for the microphone, as Wasserman Boxing welcomes in a new era of Channel 5 boxing.

Casting his keen eye over all of the action, the former British Super-Middleweight champion is excited to see who comes out on top in the main event. A tremendously even and exciting bout for the British Middleweight Title between Linus Udofia and Denzel Bentley, that is guaranteed to get hearts racing.

“I think this is a really great domestic fight, one of them that people can get behind and really enjoy. They’re both long, loose punchers. They’ve both shown that their styles can leave them a little bit open defensively as they’re so committed with trying to attack, so it could end up being a case of who catches who.

“They’ve got exciting styles, and they punch with spite and venom, and they’ll probably be looking to take the other guy out,” said Groves.

Twice a former ABA Middleweight king, the opportunity to win a domestic title is an experience ‘Saint George’ can relate with. Amongst all the accolades available to boxers, the main event will offer the fighters an all-important chance at cementing their legacy in British boxing folklore.

“It’s one of them ones you really want in the locker to look back on. Even if you’ve got ambitions to go on and unify at world title level, you still want to pick up the British Title and have it as part of your history. Bentley had it before and lost it, but both men will be in there to win it.

“It’s a magnificent belt, and it still carries its weight in terms of its presence and its appeal. When two fighters come for the British belt, you always feel like you get a little bit more out of them, a little more entertainment. Both of them will be desperate to win it.”

Josh ‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly has kept the boxing world in suspense, and looks refreshed and excited ahead of his return fight live on Channel 5. Kelly suffered his first career loss against David Avanesyan last time out, but such a moment can make a fighter.

Groves has experienced the feeling of a high-profile loss in his career, but it never stopped him achieving his ultimate goal of becoming a champion of the world. He is eager to see positive changes in Kelly, expecting the time out the ring has been used to add to his world class talent.

“It’ll be tough, and he’ll have to show some mental resilience. Boxing is a tough game, and there’s some brutal decisions. I hope that’s what he’s been working on for the last year and a bit, filling in the gaps between his skillset and his explosive one-punch stuff, tightening up his defense, and just being comfortable with the pressure,” said Groves.

“It has been the ideal time for him to rebuild. I want to see something a little different from him on the night as well. He’s a tremendously talented fighter, and he’s still a work in progress. I am excited to see him back as he can still be one of Britain’s stars, if he can just make them adjustments.”

Harlem Eubank will be looking to leave Friday night with his hand raised and another win to add to his unbeaten record. The Adam Booth trained fighter will be looking to lean on his coach to continue progressing him through the ranks with a solid performance. Groves knows very well of ex-mentor Booth, and the gym in which so many champions have been moulded. Booth, a solid figure and an intelligent mind to have in your corner, can offer the home for Eubank to continue thriving.

There will be no guarantees of a walkover come Friday evening though, as Birkenhead’s experienced Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd will come to give viewers their money’s worth, live on Channel 5.

“Eubank will have been getting great work in with the guys at the gym, I’m sure. It’s a very talented gym he is a part of, and he seems like someone who is always in great spirits too. He talks well, always confident, thirteen wins and no losses – he’s moving along nicely.

“He’s in there with Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd, someone who is vastly experienced but does have a few losses on the record now. It should be a really good fight, one that Eubank will be expecting to win. Dodd will certainly make things difficult for him as the experienced professional he is.”

A fight card with massive potential, and all available for the terrestrial audience. Groves beat Eduard Gutknecht on Channel 5 in 2016, and has welcomed the return of the sport to the channel under Wasserman Boxing.

“These viewers may not all be sports subscribers, they may not be sports driven, but they’ll tune in to the boxing at the weekend. They’ll see a name, note a performance, and want to follow them from there.

“It’s another channel who are committed to boxing; Channel 5 have shown boxing for years now and they’ve had plenty of the elite fighting on there. They’ve shown it’s a good place to develop serious talent and cement yourself as a big name in British boxing. If you think about your (Josh) Kelly’s, your (Josh) Taylor’s, your Chris Eubank Jr’s – they’ve all been here before. Channel 5 should see there’s no ceiling to their ambition, and that they can take on the world.”

As for the involvement of George Groves, could standing that close to a boxing ring again rekindle the fire in his belly?

“I do enjoy standing on the safe side of the ropes now. It’s nice to be on the mic, throwing my two-cents in; I never knew I could talk so much,” said Groves.

“I’m thankful that Channel 5 have wanted me to come and dip my toe into the boxing world from a safe distance. I live it, breathe it, and study it; so now I have the chance to give my account of what we’ll see. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The hotly anticipated British Middleweight Title clash between Linus Udofia (17-0, 9 KOs) and Denzel Bentley (15-1-1, 13 KOs), the return of Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) against Xhuljo Vrenozi (18-4,3 KOs) and Harlem Eubank (13-0, 5 KOs) versus Sean Dodd (17-6-1, 3 KOs) will top a stacked card in the capital as Wasserman Boxing launch their first free-to-air event live on Channel 5 on Friday May 13 at the Indigo at the O2, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Limited tickets are still available via www.wassermanboxing.com




BATTLE LINES DRAWN: BOXXER SERIES TOURNAMENT FIGHTERS DRAW THEIR OPENING ROUND MATCHES

Manchester, England – (May 12, 2022) – The eight boxers taking part in Saturday night’s BOXXER Series Manchester: Cruiserweights tournament convened in Manchester today for a live random draw to determine the four quarter-final matches which will open the event.

Olympic heavyweight hero Frazer Clarke was on hand to undertake the draw, which was streamed live by Sky Sports, ipping his heavy hands into the sea of names eight times until every boxer was matched.

The resulting four quarter-final matches are below. The tournament airs live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm this Saturday evening, with the largest pot of tournament prize money in British boxing history on the line.

QF1 – Ellis Zorro (11-0, 6 KO’s) vs Jay Farrell (9-2, 5 KO’s)

The two most experienced fighters in the tournament face off in the very first round! Ellis Zorro walks into this tournament undefeated in 11 fights, while Jay Farrell can boast the same number of professional fights, but has suffered losses, albeit at a higher level than Zorro has fought at in the case of his Central Area title fight. 

Both fighters will have been hoping to use their professional experience to come through this first round in a pool of competitors where over half the competitors have three fights or fewer, but now neither will have the edge in that regard.

Farrell is known as the harder hitter, and often turns his fights into brutal battles of grit where he thrives, where Zorro is a slicker, slightly more evasive boxer. Which of the two can impose their will on the fight, and create the kind of fight they thrive in, should be a huge part of who can walk out the winner.

QF2 – Jamie Smith (3-0, 2 KO’s) vs Jack Fay (1-0-1)

The hugely successful amateur and rapidly rising professional Jamie Smith has emerged as a potential favourite to take victory in this edition of the BOXXER Series. 

Smith is a disciplined, come-forward fighter, wisely able to put pressure on an opponent while also not overly exposing himself to potential counter attack. He has a strong jab but can also do efficient work at closer ranges, having found stoppages with medium-range hooks already in his professional career.

Jack Fay comes into this tournament having already had to fight homelessness in the last two years, as well as the two opponents he’s faced as a professional in that time. He’s an aggressive power-puncher who doesn’t mind trading blows with his opponent. 

This provides a serious challenge for Smith, who might have to fight his urges and try to keep Fay at a distance in order to take victory.

QF3 – Ricky Reeves (2-0, 1 KO) vs Anees Taj (5-1, 4 KO’s)

A match-up between a former sprinter, and now teacher, and someone who holds all the necessary qualifications to be a lawyer holds intrigue from before the first bell has rung. Ricky Reeves is a solid all round boxer, who has already shown the ability to fight at long and close range in his professional career that has currently only lasted two bouts. 

Anees Taj has managed to notch up six contests in his professional career, following on from serious success as an amateur that almost took him to the Olympics to represent Pakistan. 

He’s a high-speed, high workrate fighter that could potentially thrive under the three round format of the fights in the BOXXER Series, where sheer output can have a huge impact on who takes the victory in these shorter fights.

QF4 – Sheldon McDonald (3-0, 1 KO) vs Ryan Cotterell (1-0)

Sheldon McDonald turned professional in boxing because former Cruiserweight World Champion Johnny Nelson saw him training and told him he was good enough. 

That kind of support should give him all the self-belief needed on Saturday night, and has given him the self-belief to take victory in all three of his professional fights. McDonald has a piston-like jab and follows it smartly with thudding right hands that have damaged all the opponents he’s faced so far. 

Ryan Cotterell comes into this tournament with the least professional experience, having only had a single professional fight in his career so far, which only lasted a single round. Cotterell is also the youngest in the tournament. 

However, he has been boxing for over 16 years, and has had the same trainer – who guided him multiple amateur championships before turning professional – for around 10 years. Cotterell has a pressuring style, and isn’t afraid to work the body as well as the head. He might be looking to bring this fight to a slightly closer range than McDonald might want it.




Linus Udofia Vs Denzel Bentley: WEIGH INS

Tomorrow night marks a monumental beginning for Wasserman Boxing as Title action returns to terrestrial television, live on Channel 5.

The wait is over, as the British Middleweight title is on the line in an eagerly anticipated clash between Linus Udofia (17-0, 9 KOs) and Denzel Bentley (15-1-1, 13 KOs) on Friday May 13.

The card also features the returning Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) coming in search of a statement win, as well as Harlem Eubank (13-0, 5 KOs) taking on two-time British Title challenger Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd (17-6-1, 3 KOs) over ten rounds.

Please see below for fighter weights and images.

British Middleweight Title Fight – Udofia vs Bentley (12 Rounds)

Linus Udofia – 159lb

Denzel Bentley – 159.2lb

Josh Kelly vs Xhuljo Vrenozi – Super Welterweight (10 Rounds)

Josh Kelly – 156.6lb

Xhuljo Vrenozi – 159.8lb

Harlem Eubank vs Sean Dodd – Super Lightweight (10 Rounds)

Harlem Eubank – 139lb

Sean Dodd – 139.3lb

Brad Pauls vs Ryan Kelly – British Middleweight Title Eliminator (10 Rounds)

Brad Pauls – 159lb

Ryan Kelly – 159.3lb

Harvey Horn vs Alejandro Torres – Flyweight (10 Rounds)

Harvey Horn – 114.4lb

Alejandro Torres – 110lb

Constantin Ursu vs Boria Lopez – Welterweight (4 Rounds)

Constantin Ursu – 147.2lb

Boria Lopez – TBA

Razor Ali vs Khvicha Gigolashvili – Featherweight (6 Rounds)

Razor Ali – 126.7lb

Khvicha Gigolashvili – 126.2lb

Katharina Thanderz vs Tereza Dvorakova – Super Lightweight (8 Rounds)

Katharina Thanderz – 139.3lb

Tereza Dvorakova – 138.3lb

Dan Morley vs Ivan Njegac – Welterweight (6 Rounds)

Dan Morley – 149.3lb

Ivan Njegac – 150.9lb

The hotly anticipated British Middleweight Title clash between Linus Udofia (17-0, 9 KOs) and Denzel Bentley (15-1-1, 13 KOs), the return of Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) against Xhuljo Vrenozi (18-4,3 KOs) and Harlem Eubank (13-0, 5 KOs) versus Sean Dodd (17-6-1, 3 KOs) will top a stacked card in the capital as Wasserman Boxing launch their first free-to-air event live on Channel 5 on Friday May 13 at the Indigo at the O2, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Limited tickets are still available via www.wassermanboxing.com




Everything You Need to Know for Mayweather vs. Moore Fight Week

Dubai, UAE (May 11, 2022) – It’s time to get ready for the incredible Mayweather vs. Moore fight that headlines The Global Titans Fight Series on a helipad 59 floors up in Dubai – available as a PPV event on FITE in major global territories including the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany and more. The event features legendary undefeated champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather returning to the ring to face unbeaten “Dangerous” Don Moore.

Here’s what you need to do to get ready:

? Watch FITE in Focus, with fight experts Dan Rafael, Andreas Hale, and Curran Bhatia – hosted by The Schmo. Available on FITE starting Wednesday May 11th at 6 PM ET. Watch for free HERE

? Watch the incredible promo video from Dubai to see the ring on the helipad.

? Check your local viewing times for Global Titans!
7 PM BST / 2 PM ET / 1 PM CT / 11 AM PT

? Pre-Order now to save time on the day of the fight!

The event will also showcase a fantastic card of world-famous combatants such as UFC legend Anderson Silva facing fellow Brazilian fighting star Bruno Machado in an exhibition bout, as well as a sanctioned bout between beloved former two-division world champion Badou Jack (25-3-3, 15 KOs) and Hany “Egyptian Hurricane” Atiyo (16-4, 12 KOs) from Dubai via Egypt. The card also includes a title fight between Belgian brawler Delfine Persoon and France’s Elhem Mekhaled

The event is presented by co-owners FrontRowTMT and Global Titans, in association with Mayweather Promotions. Global Titans Fight Series is the first in a series of six special boxing and MMA events which will be staged at iconic locations across four continents. Each main event is broadcast globally, featuring champion fighters and NFT tickets. Fans can collect and trade their prestigious NFT from all future Global Titans Fight Series events. Tickets, NFTs and further Global Titans Event Series info can be found at www.Global-Titans.com.

Order Global Titans Fight Series: Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs Don “Dangerous” Moore on Saturday, May 14th now on FITE.

About FITE
FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 6MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIN and Facebook.

About Mayweather Promotions:
Based in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Mayweather Promotions was established in 2007 by 15-time World Champion and undefeated boxing icon, Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Mayweather Promotions seamlessly promotes all forms of live entertainment. We are the past, present & future of sports & entertainment.

About Frontrow:
The Frontrow Entertainment team has more than 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Founder Keane Anis has been organizing all kinds of events, sporting events, concerts, beach parties and activations for celebrity tours, meet and greets and appearances with names such as Floyd Mayweather, N.E.R.D and Pharrell Williams, Usher, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Kelly Rowland, Shaquille, TGT, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, Ty Dolla Sign, Tyga, Redman and Method Man, Ja Rule and Ashanti and P Square are few celebrities that are past and present Frontrow clients. Frontrow is proud to be a presenting sponsor of The Global Titans Event Series.