LOS ANGELES (July 15, 2021) – Undefeated Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez’ stock recently rose even higher after his sensational fourth-round stoppage of world title challenger Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs), positioning the gifted Mexican boxer for a world title shot in the light heavyweight division, and putting the three world champions on notice.

After notching his 42nd pro victory without a loss, “Zurdo” drew rave reviews for his impressive performance and all-around style, which showcased a punishing body attack, decking Barrera three different times. It’s important to note that Barrera went the distance with Hall of Famer Andre Ward and WBA Super World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol didn’t finish off the Cuban until the 12th round.

The 30-year Ramirez, who made his debut under the Golden Boy banner, issued a loud statement to the three reigning world light heavyweight champions: Bivol, Artur Beterbiev (WBC/IBF) and Joe Smith, Jr. (WBO).

“I knew I had to come out strong and make a statement,” Ramirez spoke about the Barrera fight. “Barrera is a tough, strong opponent who has fought the best. I had visioned all this in training camp and wanted to showcase my skills. Golden Boy did a great job promoting the show and I wanted to make sure I did my best job in the ring.

“I’ve always loved going to the body early. My team and I have worked on several areas including the improvement of my body shots that was evident during the fight. I’m at my best today! I’m comfortable at this weight and believe the combination of my new and improved power and ring experience makes me a dangerous fighter.”

Prior to Ramirez’ fight versus Barrera, Bivol (18-0 11 KOs) posted the following on social media: “@zurdoramirez, I’ve never avoided a challenge. Good luck to you in the fight against Barrera and after that let’s make it happen.”

“Zurdo” has a better shot at fighting Bivol this year than the other two world champions who are tentatively scheduled to face each other in a unification fight. Ramirez and Bivol want this fight, as do their respective camps, along with boxing fans worldwide. They’ve both also fought on DAZN as well.

“Bivol is definitely one of my main targets,” Ramirez explained. “Both our teams have explored the fight and they know where to find me. After calling me out on the internet, I’ll be surprised if he retracts from his comments; it’s boxing and you can never be too confident until contracts are signed. He called me out on social media and his side knows I’m available. If it doesn’t happen, I’m sure he would have a good reason why, but, at the end of the day, I’m 100-percent for this fight and his team is fully aware of it.”

Ramirez couldn’t have been happier with his Golden Boy debut.

“It was exactly how I had envisioned,” Ramirez concluded. “Oscar (de la Hoya) and his entire staff were great and really made us feel comfortable throughout the process. It was a great show and I really enjoyed working our first of many shows together.”

Will Bivol accept the challenge and fight “Zurdo”? Stay tuned, the clock’s ticking.

INFORMATION:

Website: www.ZurdoPromotions.com

Instagram: @zurdoramirez, @zurdopromotions

Twitter: @ZurdoPromotions, @GilbertoZurdoRamirez

Wasserman Boxing is delighted to confirm the signing of three of Britain’s most exciting boxing prospects with Harvey Horn, Chloe Watson and Matty Harris penning long-term promotional deals.

Harvey Horn (8-0, 2 KOs) has big plans for the future having signed with Wasserman Boxing. The 25-year-old from London claimed silver at the European Championships in 2015 before turning over in 2017. As a professional, Horn is unbeaten in eight, capturing the WBO European Flyweight Title in his last outing with a unanimous points win over Ijaz Ahmed.

“I’m looking at World titles,” said the slick southpaw. “The heights I’ve been to as an amateur, I’d be selling myself short if I went for anything less. I’ve chosen to sign with Wasserman Boxing to help see that goal through. Within two to three fights, I see myself ready to challenge the top names in the division.”

Former GB boxer Chloe Watson is set to take the female Flyweight division by storm as she joins the professional ranks with Wasserman Boxing. The talented 21-year-old from Birkenhead is a two-time national amateur champion and Youth Commonwealth Games gold medallist. 

“This is a dream deal for me,” said Watson, who is trained by British boxing legend Ricky Hatton. “I live and breathe the sport of boxing, and I’m always hungry for more. My team are first class, with Ricky Hatton coaching me, Mick Carney managing me, and now the Sauerland brothers and Wasserman Boxing promoting me, I couldn’t be more excited. This is day one of a new chapter!”

“She’s the complete package,” said Hatton. “Her style has served her really well in the amateurs and she’ll put a lot of it into practice as a professional. It’s exciting for a coach when he can see what a talent he has to work with, but more importantly knowing there’s still so much more we can add.”

Highly sought-after 6ft 8in Heavyweight prospect Matty Harris also begins his professional journey with Wasserman Boxing. Hailing from Leamington, the 21-year-old has already built a reputation as a fearsome puncher, and with the backing of Wasserman can now go from supermarket worker to superstar. 

“I’m really excited to sign with Wasserman Boxing,” said Harris. “Being part of the Wasserman team is being part of the most exciting venture currently in boxing. The moves they’re making, working with the Sauerland brothers and their amazing in house set up – I couldn’t ask to be in a better place. It’s amazing to think in the last six months, I’ve gone from working in Asda to being in the same stable as Filip Hrgovic and Mairis Briedis. I can’t wait to get going!”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland is thrilled to announce the latest trio of signings as Wasserman Boxing continue to target Britain’s most exciting young talent. 

“On behalf of everyone at Wasserman Boxing, I’m delighted to welcome Harvey, Chloe and Matty to the team,” said Sauerland. “We’ve set out to sign the best upcoming fighters out there. Harvey is on his way to becoming a star in the Flyweight division, while Chloe and Matty are exciting new additions to the professional game. We look forward to seeing them all in action very soon.

GEORGE FOX believes an “life-changing” education from Tyson Fury will put him top of the class in Britain next year.

The WBC World Heavyweight champion was impressed by Queensberry’s latest big hope when they spent two camps together.

Fox (3-0), who is trained by his Father, Don Charles has his first fight for Frank Warren at SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday July 24, live on BT Sport.

The Mill Hill Heavyweight hope has mixed with plenty of world class fighters besides Fury. He has also sparred Dereck Chisora, Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce and Dillian Whyte.

Because of the pandemic, 6ft 7in Fox hasn’t boxed since November 2019, but says: “It’s actually been the most useful time I have had to knuckle down. I have never trained so hard this consistently.

“I have had top sparring and did two camps with Tyson Fury – one in Las Vegas and one in Morecambe.

“It was life-changing with Tyson. I became very close with him, very friendly with him.

“Because of my style, I am not a traditional banger. I am more of a technical Heavyweight trying to pick people apart.

“Having said that the last year or so we have done strength work and put on power, no doubt.

“Tyson has been instrumental in teaching me certain fundamentals that suit me because I am 6ft 7in and a bit — tall and rangy.

“He has just helped me push on with my craft and given me some inside secrets.

“All of the guys  I sparred have helped in their own way. When you’re sparring with guys at that level there are always tricks to be taken, lessons to be learned.

“We have used the time away to develop, to build, to grow and I’m looking forward to all that hard work coming to fruition on fight night.”

Fox, 29, believes his gym experiences can be a fast pass to the British title next year, and he has big targets.

He added: “This time next year it is realistic to hope I will be 10-0 and in British title contention.

“We are going to move as quickly as possible. I feel I have the experience without having too many fights.

“I have been in boxing a long time. I am always watching boxing, always observing and had top level sparring . It’s now about making sure I’m active.

“It all depends how things progress, but you have a handful of guys like Fabio Wardley, Nick Webb, Nathan Gorman, my good friend David Adeleye and Dave Allen is back.

“Things can change, but they are all relevant in the division and others will emerge. Whoever it is, we just have to make sure I am prepared when the chance comes.”

“I’ve known Frank and Francis Warren since I was a young kid so this is close to home. There is a long standing relationship, a lot of trust and belief where we’re heading together.

“I am looking forward to the partnership and what we can manifest in the next few years together.”

 Joe Joyce v Carlos Takam for the WBC Silver and WBO International titles takes place at the SSE Arena, Wembley on July 24.

Hamzah Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) makes the third defence of his WBO European title against Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria (15-1, 3 KOs).
 
Swansea’s Chris Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) will finally defend his British and Commonwealth welterweight titles against Nottingham’s Ekow Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) after recovering from injury.
 
In a well matched fourth title fight, Peacock gym ace Chris Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) defends his WBC International super-bantamweight title against Bloxwich’s James Beech Jnr (12-1, 2 KOs).
 
There is also heavyweight action featuring David Adeleye (6-0, 5 KOs), while Mill Hill’s George Fox (3-0) will make his Queensberry debut. Reading super-featherweight hope Charles Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) has also been added to the stacked bill., along with ‘The Gent’ Micky Burke Jr (4-0, 1 KO) who also returns after his first stoppage victory in November last year.
 
Tickets are available NOW from AXS.com. Click here to buy tickets.

£50 Tier
£70 Floor/Tier
£100 Floor
£150 Floor

New York City (July 14, 2021) Triller Fight Club today announced the lineup of the first of the  ‘TrillerVerz’ events. Held on the first Tuesday of every month, this will be an unprecedented series of spectacular combat sports and music kicking off Tuesday, August 3 at Madison Square Garden pairing world class professional boxing and an iconic, live Verzuz Rap Battle between DIPSET and THE LOX.  

The ‘TrillerVerz’ events will take place the first Tuesday of each month in the legendary venue and will be broadcast live internationally on FITE.TV and TRILLER.co. The live event will start at 6:00 p.m. ET with the Verzuz Rap Battle commencing at 9:00 p.m. ET after a 30-minute intermission.

Formed in Harlem by childhood friends Cam’ron and Jim Jones and adding Juelz Santana in 1999, DIPSET have been one of the leaders in the international hip-hop community for over two decades. Formed in 1994, from Yonkers, NY, THE LOX burst onto the hip-hop scene with their stylistic and unique sound created by original members Sheek Louch, Styles P and Jadakiss.

This will be the first-ever Verzuz Rap Battle with a live audience. Founded during the pandemic, the Verzuz Rap Battle’s became a social phenomenon with millions of viewers watching from all over the world.

The debut boxing event is headlined by an outstanding ten-round WBA Heavyweight World Title Eliminator between Las Vegas, NV native Michael ‘The Bounty’ Hunter II, (19-1-1, 3 KOs), and Michael ‘White Delight’ Wilson, (21-1, 10 KOs), of Medford, OR. Hunter is currently ranked #7 by Ring Magazine and #10 by ESPN.

Co-featured, ‘The Fighting Pride of Huntington, Long Island,’ former world champion Chris Algieri, (24-3-0, 9 KOs’), battles cross-town rival Mikkel ‘Slikk Mikk’ LesPierre, (22-2-1, 10 KOs) of Brooklyn, NY in a scheduled ten-round welterweight clash.

Promoted by DiBella Entertainment, tickets for the full evening of entertainment will go On-Sale Tomorrow, Thursday, July 15 at 12:00 p.m. ET and may be purchased at MSG.com. Doors will open on the night of the event at 5:30 p.m. ET with the first bell at 6:00 p.m. ET. Entrance to the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is at Seventh Avenue between 31st and 33rd Street. VIP packages are also available to the event through MSG.com.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be involved in bringing back such an important and culturally relevant piece of history, boxing on Tuesday nights at Madison Square Garden,” said Triller’s Ryan Kavanaugh. “To be pairing it with such an important and relevant movement today such as ‘Verzuz’ is exciting and we believe sets the tone for the future of entertainment. These two world’s colliding introduce a younger and older culture of different interests and bring together Triller’s culture graph into one room underneath the ‘TrillerVerz’ umbrella.

In a special attraction ten-round clash for the vacant IBF-USBA welterweight title, Eric ‘The Baby-Faced Assassin’ Walker, (20-3, 9 KOs), of Plaquemine, LA faces local fan favorite southpaw Ivan ‘The Volk’ Golub, (22-2-1, 10 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY.

Among the other fan favorites fighting on the stacked undercard include former Irish amateur standout, Joe Ward, (3-1, 2 KOs), of Moate, Ireland, seven-time USA National Champion, pro debuting flyweight Christina Cruz of New York City, heralded junior welterweight prospect Aaron ‘The Alien King’ Aponte, (3-0, 1 KO), of Hialeah Gardens, FL and undefeated light-heavyweight Matthew Tinker, (6-0, 5 KO’s) of New York City.  

Also featured is heavyweight newcomer Robert Sabbagh, (2-0, 2 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY,  junior middleweight Nikoloz Sekhniashvili, (7-0, 5 KOs), of Gori, Georgia and pro debuting lightweight Harley Mederos of Brooklyn ,NY.

More information on this exciting event will be announced shortly.

Guests will need to be fully vaccinated for the TrillerVerz event in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden and must provide proof upon entry to the event of having received their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine no later than 14 days before the event date.  Exceptions will be made for children under the age of 16, who may provide proof of a negative antigen or PCR COVID-19 test, or full vaccination, and who may only attend with a fully vaccinated adult. For more information, please visit msg.com/faqs.

JOE JOYCE VISITED the scene of Sunday’s Italian Job on Wednesday and stated his intention to land the knockout finish the gallant England team failed to apply when he takes on Carlos Takam in a heavyweight shootout on July 24.

Joyce will be performing at the adjacent SSE Arena and he spent the day sampling the Wembley surrounds ahead of his date with the formidable Frenchman, who will be seeking to put a first dent in the perfect 12-0 professional record of the 2016 Olympic silver medallist.

“I’ll be going for the knockout finish and that is what I am planning to do,” insisted Joyce, who has stopped 11 of his 12 opponents via KO.

Joyce knows the route to heavyweight glory that has been plotted for him. Take out Takam and he will be made mandatory challenger for the WBO world title soon to be contested between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk. So the stakes are mighty high for the 35-year-old known as ‘The Juggernaut’.

“I will happily take on whoever wins, but I would love the opportunity to fight Joshua. I think he will want to fight (Tyson) Fury so we will have to see what happens there, but I am on the WBO track and looking to be made mandatory.

“I think Usyk could be a tricky fight for Joshua, but he should knock him out sooner or later you would think. It is heavyweight boxing, so you never know, but Usyk is no joke. He is an Olympic gold medallist, a very skilled southpaw, so he will probably pose Joshua problems with his good footwork and ringcraft.

“I do think Joshua will get to him, sooner or later,” added the Putney native who, given the delays involving the other leading heavies, will be bidding to put an early marker down in the division with an impressive and eye-catching display against Takam.

“Yeah and that is why I chose Takam as a good move for me. It is all about getting the right fights and I think this is one to get people talking. It will keep me ready too for when I get my turn to fight for the world title.

“He is a respected opponent who has been in with the best, like Joshua and also Chisora, who has been mentioned to fight me but I don’t think he wants it. It is going to be a great fight,” he added, pointing out that both versions of The Juggernaut could be required – the one who ploughs forward and the more nimble and skilful one we witness against Daniel Dubois.

“Maybe you will see a bit of both, depending on which Takam turns up, although I think I know what kind of style he will have. Whatever works to get me the win is what you will see. It is going to be a tough test and a real hard fight, also good stylistically to watch. So tune in!”

Pt. 2 of Joe’s trip to Wembley, featuring a visit to BOXPARK and Meetspace VR, to follow tomorrow…

Joe Joyce v Carlos Takam for the WBC Silver and WBO International titles takes place at the SSE Arena, Wembley on July 24.

Hamzah Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) makes the third defence of his WBO European title against Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria (15-1, 3 KOs).
 
Swansea’s Chris Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) will finally defend his British and Commonwealth welterweight titles against Nottingham’s Ekow Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) after recovering from injury.
 
In a well matched fourth title fight, Peacock gym ace Chris Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) defends his WBC International super-bantamweight title against Bloxwich’s James Beech Jnr (12-1, 2 KOs).
 
There is also heavyweight action featuring David Adeleye (6-0, 5 KOs), while Mill Hill’s George Fox (3-0) will make his Queensberry debut. Reading super-featherweight hope Charles Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) has also been added to the stacked bill., along with ‘The Gent’ Micky Burke Jr (4-0, 1 KO) who also returns after his first stoppage victory in November last year.

Tickets are available NOW from AXS.com. Click here to buy tickets.

£50 Tier
£70 Floor/Tier
£100 Floor
£150 Floor

MINNEAPOLIS (July 14, 2021) – Unbeaten welterweights go toe-to-toe as Canada’s Cody Crowley meets two-time Venezuelan Olympian Gabriel Maestre for the Interim WBA Welterweight World Championship headlining FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, August 7 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

FOX PBC Fight Night begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting rising welterweight contender Eimantas Stanionis in a 10-round duel against former world champion Luis Collazo. Kicking off the broadcast, former-two division world champion Devon Alexander “The Great” will return to action for a 10-round welterweight showdown against Luke Santamaría.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

“Saturday, August 7 will feature a jam-packed night of welterweight fights on FOX as boxing’s glamor division takes center stage with three intriguing matchups,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The main event will see two unbeaten fighters in Cody Crowley and Gabriel Maestre look to announce their presence in the division with a statement win in a toss-up fight. In the two opening fights, rising welterweights Eimantas Stanionis will strive for a big victory against established former champion Luis Collazo and former champion Devon Alexander will look to get back to his winning ways against Luke Santamaría. The Armory in Minneapolis is set to be home to another night of high stakes action from start to finish.”

Representing his native Ontario, Canada, Crowley (19-0, 9 KOs) returns to the ring after a September 2020 triumph over Josh Torres. Crowley’s 2019 run saw him win a Canadian super welterweight title with a 12-round decision over Stuart McLellan in February, before successfully defending that title with a dominant decision over Mian Hussain in October. The 28-year-old returned to fight in the U.S. for the first time since 2016 in his triumph over Torres, after seven of his first eight pro fights came in the U.S.

“On August 7, the world will discover a new welterweight force in the division in Cody Crowley,” said Crowley. “I know that they call Gabriel Maestre the ‘Venezuelan Lomachenko’, but after I beat him for the crown, he will return to Venezuela known as the man who put me in position for my first world championship. I want to thank my team for giving me this huge opportunity. And, most importantly, I want to thank my fans in Canada, the United States and the world who have stuck by me as I’ve awaited this chance to shine in front of a worldwide audience on FOX.”

A two-time Olympian for his home country of Venezuela, Maestre (3-0, 3 KOs) had an extensive amateur run that included victories over Brian Castano, Carlos Adames, Alexander Besputin, Oscar Molina and Brian Ceballo. The 34-year-old turned pro in 2019 with a pair of impressive triumphs, stopping previously unbeaten Jeovanis Barraza before earning a TKO over veteran contender Diego Chaves. August 7 will mark Maestre’s U.S. debut professionally.

“I am very happy to make my U.S. debut on August 7,” said Maestre. “This is a wonderful opportunity for me. I have the chance to show the whole world what class I’m in and that I’m a great boxer. I’m excited to begin this journey in the U.S. on my way to becoming a world champion.”

Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) has earned a series of eye-catching victories as he has climbed up the ranks from prospect to contender, most recently earning a career-best 12-round decision over Thomas Dulorme in April. The 26-year-old from Lithuania, who now lives and trains in California, looked impressive as he picked up three solid wins in 2019, beating Samuel Figueroa via unanimous decision and scoring early stoppages against Julio Cesar Sanchez and Evincii Dixon. The undefeated welterweight continued to put the division on notice with back-to-back dominating main event performances in November and December 2020, when he notched ninth-round knockouts over Justin DeLoach and Janer Gonzalez respectively.

“I want to prove that I’m going to be the next great welterweight champion, so I know that I have to look impressive and come out victorious against Luis Collazo on August 7,” said Stanionis. “Collazo has faced the best of the best, so this will be a great chance for me to show where I stack up. I always like to bring an exciting fight for the fans, and this fight on FOX is going to be no different.”

An experienced veteran in the welterweight division, Collazo (39-8, 20 KOs) has proven a stiff test over the years for top welterweights such as Keith Thurman, Shane Mosley, Amir Khan, Andre Berto and Ricky Hatton, to name a few. The Brooklyn, New York-native was a world champion in 2005 and has sprung upsets on rising contenders with memorable knockouts of Victor Ortiz and Sammy Vasquez. After triumphing over Bryant Perrella in 2018, Collazo defeated Samuel Vargas in March 2019 and most recently lost a technical decision to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in October 2019.

“I’m eager and excited to be back fighting on FOX,” said Collazo. “As a fighter, we wait for that call letting you know when you’re fighting and I can’t wait for this one. I believe this will be my last outing, so I am going to bring everything I’ve got come August 7.”

Alexander (27-6-1, 14 KOs) makes his return after a June 2019 defeat to Ivan Redkach stunted a previous comeback attempt that saw Alexander go 1-1-1 in fights over a 10-month stretch. Before that stretch, a period of inactivity saw him seek treatment for an addiction to painkillers and eventually prove an inspiration in returning to deliver exciting fights against Andre Berto, Victor Ortiz and Walter Castillo. The St. Louis, Missouri native had an impressive run at super lightweight and unified titles in that division before scoring victories over Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse and eventually Randall Bailey to capture a welterweight championship.

“I’m very excited and anxious to get back in there after some time off,” said Alexander. “This fight means everything to me, so I’m going into this fight with my back against the wall. I’m treating this like a world title fight. I have a chip on my shoulder because I know for a fact a lot of people are writing me off. They are about to be in for a big surprise. I can’t wait to regain my footing back in boxing as one of the best in the division. It’s been way too long. Plus, August 7 is my mom’s birthday, so that gives me even extra motivation to get her a win on her birthday.”

The 32-year-old Santamaría (11-2-1, 7 KOs) steps into the ring to make his FOX debut after dropping a decision to top welterweight prospect Paul Kroll last October. Santamaria had previously scored an August triumph over veteran contender Mykal Fox that saw him drop Fox in round one of their battle on FS1. The Garden Grove, California native also owns a decision over Willie Jones and a split draw against Marquis Taylor in his 2019 contests. Santamaría was unbeaten in 10 fights since his first loss before facing Kroll, with his only other defeat coming via a four-round decision in his third pro bout in 2015.

“I’m very thankful to my whole team for this great opportunity to compete on FOX,” said Santamaría. “People may say I’m lucky to get this shot, but I believe that luck is just when opportunity meets preparation. We’re never going to stop working and we’re going to keep climbing in this sport, continuing on August 7.”

#

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions @WarriorsBoxingProm, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (July 14, 2021) — From August 20 through August 22, the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame will host the 5th Annual Induction Weekend, which will provide boxing enthusiasts with the experience of a lifetime. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this action-packed weekend hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, along with FantaSea Resorts and Claridge – A Radisson Hotel.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20TH

Happy Hour and Mingle
Friday, August 20 from 5 pm to 6:30 pm at Sixty’s Lounge – Flagship Hotel (60 North Maine Avenue)

No entry fee. There is a cash bar.

“Opening Bell” Cocktail Reception & Celebration Party
Friday, August 20 from 7 pm to midnight at Bourre (201 South New York Avenue)

Tickets: $20 per person Online and $25 at Door

Join us for an evening of fun, food, drinks, and live music, as well as an auction raffle of boxing memorabilia and art. Plus, you will enjoy mingling amongst a host of boxing legends.

Entry fee: $20 per person Online and $25 at Door

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21ST

Interactive Fan Experience & Boxing Exhibits
Saturday, August 21 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Claridge Hotel – Art Gallery
Guests will enjoy live interactive exhibits, legendary and current boxing stars, autograph signings, photo ops, unique vendors, and much more!

Free admission.

New Jersey USA Boxing in association with ACBHOF/SHWV Live Amateur Boxing
New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream – Non-Profit and New Jersey USA Boxing in association with CareSparc Consulting and The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend, join forces on Saturday, August 21 from 1 pm to 6 pm at the Oscar McClinton Waterfront Park (201 North N. Hampshire Ave.). Together they will bring an all-inclusive Sustainable Health & Wellness and Fitness Village, “Going the Distance to a Healthier Atlantic City.” The village will offer screenings, seminars, pop-up vendors, healthy food choices, music, fitness, and a live amateur boxing show. Boxing fans can enjoy a front-row seat to watch the AC Invitational with Elite boxers both far and near featuring National Youth Champion Sierra Martinez, who is a seven-time National champion from the United States vs. Tayshka “La Rusa” Gonzalez, who is a two-time National Champion from Puerto Rico and 15 additional exciting bouts.

Free admission.

Happy Hour and Mingle
Saturday, August 21 from 5 pm to 6 pm at Sixth’s Lounge – Flagship Hotel
No entry fee. There is a cash bar.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22ND

Brunch with Legends
Sunday, August 22 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall (133 South Tennessee Avenue)

Mingle with legendary fighters while viewing one-of-a-kind boxing memorabilia. Plus, take advantage of autograph signing and photo ops, enjoy sumptuous food, cool beverages, and so much more!

No entry fees. There is a cash bar.

Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame 5th Annual Induction Awards Ceremony
Sunday, August 22 from 4 pm to 8 pm at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Sound Waves Theater

The culmination of this memorable weekend is the Induction Ceremony. The red-carpet formal celebration will honor and enshrine many great boxers and notable contributors who made Atlantic City the worldwide boxing mecca. Guests will enjoy a pre-cocktail reception from 4 pm to 5:30 pm with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Then transaction into an award show atmosphere with live music, tribute dance performance, and an

unforgettable Induction ceremony that lifelong boxing fans have on their ‘bucket list’ to attend. Tickets: $95, $125 & $155 per person.

2020 Inductees
Roy Jones Jr., Riddick Bowe, Pernell Whitaker, Al Cole, Ernest Bing, Tony Thornton, Sr., Calvin Grove, Percy Richardson, Tommy Parks, Earl Morton, Steve Weisfeld, Ron Katz, Murad Muhammad, Marc Abrams, Al Bernstein, and Ms. Laoma Byrd.

2021 Inductees
Felix Trinidad, Kelly Pavlik, Simon Brown, Ivan Robinson, Aaron Snowell, Joey Eye, Frank Cappuccino, Ed Keenan, and Nino Delbuno.

And there is more; from August 20 through August 22, from 10 am to 5 pm each day, boxing enthusiasts can stroll through the free Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame exhibits located in the Claridge Hotel – Art Gallery. The distinctive works include The Jack Johnson Exhibit, James O’Neal Wood Sculptures, Patrick Killian Paintings, Historic Blue Horizon Exhibit, Chris Guzman – The Glove Artist, and memorabilia Icons of Boxing and much more.

There is no better way to attend these exceptional programs and events than to spend a summer weekend in Atlantic City. Our partner hotels are offering discount accommodations, so plan to book early.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (Booking Website)
https://book.passkey.com/event/50188308/owner/49899473/home

Flagship Hotel (www.fantasearesorts.com)
Must call the Flagship at 800.609.0009 and use promo code HOF21.
Studio Units
Friday, August 20 – $159 plus taxes
Saturday, August 21 – $299 plus taxes
Sunday, August 22 – $129 plus taxes
For a one-bedroom unit, please include an additional $30 per night.
Parking $7.50 per night, and a $100 Security Deposit required when booking.

Claridge Hotel (www.claridge.com)
Friday, August 20 – $189 plus taxes
Saturday, August 21 – $249 plus taxes
Sunday, August 22 – $109 plus taxes
Use Promo Code for Discount Room Rate: 0819BOXING
Self-Parking – $12 per night and Valet Parking – $15 per night
Reservation Deadline: Monday, July 19

To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com. For more program information, visit Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame at www.acbhof.com or call (609) 829-8711.

BOSTON (July 14, 2021) – Fighter Locker’s 2-time Olympian boxer Leonel de los Santos, representing the Dominican Republic, will be fighting for his boxing future in Tokyo at the Olympic Summer Games.

Only two Dominican boxers have ever captured Olympic medals in boxing: gold in 2008 by Manuel Felix Diaz and Pedro Nolasco, who took bronze in 1984.

The 26-year-old Santos, who already turned pro and has a 3-0 record with three first-round knockouts, was eliminated in the field of 32 at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil by Yoel Finol (Argentina), the eventual Olympic silver medalist in the flyweight division.

Now, Santos has one more shot at becoming the third Dominican boxer to medal at the Olympics.

“My amateur career has taken me to different national and international stages, in which I’ve proudly represented my country, the Dominican Republic,” Santos announced.

Currently rated No. 3 in the World in the lightweight division, Santos was a silver medalist at the prestigious Pan-American Games in 2019, where he lost to Cuba’s 3-time Pan-Am gold medalist Lazaro Alvarez, the 3-time World amateur champion and 2-time Olympic bronze medalist.

Alvarez and Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov (Uzbekistan) appear to be the lightweights to beat heading into the Olympics. Mirzakhalolov captured gold at the 2019 World Championships by defeating Alvarez in the championship final.

Santos is competing in a loaded lightweight division. In addition to Mizakhailov and Alvarez, two other leading contenders for an Olympic medal include Peter McGrail (Great Britain), the 2017 European champion who won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships, losing to Alvarez in the semifinals, and American Duke Ragan, the silver medalist at the 2017 World Championships and 2019 Pan American Games.

“It is a very special feeling having Leonel compete in Tokyo,” Fighter Locker president and Santos’ manager Ryan Roach said. “We’re talking about the best of the best, and he is favored to medal. He has been training very hard. He’s been waiting for this moment for the last year, since the Olympics were postponed last summer, and I I know he is very excited to represent his country again. Leonel is already known internationally but, if he can bring home a medal, it would bring a lot more attention to him because he’s competing in such a talented weight class. I’m excited to watch him compete in Tokyo. I couldn’t be prouder because he is such a great young man.”

Team Dominca.jpg
TEAM DOMINICA: Santos is in fourth in from the right

INFORMATION:

WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com

FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker

TWITTER: @RoachRyan

INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

Salita Promotions, along with their European partners, Universum Box-Promotion, have secured the necessary visas and will soon be bringing 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and new WBA International Lightweight Champion Artem “The Original” Harutyunyan to live and train in the United States as he seeks out fights against the world’s best lightweights.

Harutyunyan (10-0, 6 KOs) is currently rated WBA #13 at lightweight and has also previously held the BDB German International Super Lightweight Championship in his short 10-fight pro career. He was last seen in April of this year, fighting in the 12-round main event at the Universum Gym in Hamburg, Germany, where he scored a 12-round decision over tricky 13-4 Ukrainian veteran Vladyslav Melnyk and picked up the WBA International Lightweight Championship in the process.

Currently residing in Hamburg, Germany, where he emigrated to from Yerevan, Armenia, as a toddler in 1991, Harutyunyan says travelling to the US will dramatically improve his profile in North America. “Putting together the right team is critical and I have excellent representation on both sides of the ocean who have worked hard to arrange my travel,” said a happy Harutyunyan, “this allows me to fight in the United States and chase my dream of a world title shot.”

In addition to winning bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the first Olympic medal for Germany in boxing in 12 years and the first medal for Hamburg in 40, the popular Harutyunyan was also a five-time German National Champion, an APB World Champion, a 2013 European Championships bronze medalist and was awarded by the City of Hamburg for loyal work in the service of the people.

A true champion of his people and especially refugees, in his personal life Harutyunyan organizes training units for socially disadvantaged adolescents and young adults along with his brother Robert. Because his father worked as a karate trainer in the Soviet Army, Harutyunyan started Taekwondo at age six, earned a 2nd Dan Black Belt and was a multi-time national Champion, World and European Cup winner and Vice European Champion at that sport as well.

“Artem Harutyunyan is going to make an immediate splash in the lightweight division,” said Dmitriy Salita, Founder and President of Salita Promotions. “With his ability and charisma, he has the potential to be an extremely popular world champion here in the United States. I thank my partners, Universum Box-Promotion, and look forward to working with them to help guide this young man to boxing stardom and the first of his many world championships.”

“We can hardly wait for Artem to fight in the USA and show that there are still top German boxers,” said Flavio Oleaga Mirabal, Matchmaker for Universum Box-Promotion. “Artem has the potential to become world champion. With Salita Promotion we have a strong partner by our side.”

#

For more information on Universum Box-Promotion, visit their website.
Instagram: universum_boxpromotion or Twitter: @UniversumBoxPro

About Salita Promotions

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

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

LOS ANGELES (July 14, 2021) –Professional boxer and renowned content creator Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley went face-to-face during a press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday as they previewed their professional boxing showdown that will headline a SHOWTIME PPV on Sunday, August 29 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

During the press conference, Paul and Woodley agreed to a bet where the loser of their fight will have to get their opponent’s name tattooed on them. Watch them discuss the terms HERE.

Tuesday’s press conference also featured Puerto Rican star and WBC/WBO Featherweight World Champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano and super bantamweight world champion Yamileth Mercado, who will square off in an undercard bout on the telecast.

All the action from yesterday’s media event was streamed live on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Jake Paul’s YouTube channel.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Tuesday from The Novo at L.A. Live:

JAKE PAUL

“I saw fear in his eyes. I saw a man who accepted a fight for a paycheck. He doesn’t really have any fight left in him. He’s been defeated multiple times now and he will be sent into retirement by a Disney/YouTube/professional boxer in myself.

“You’ve never been in a fight like this. You know the whole MMA community is counting on you to knock me out. You’ve never been in a fight of this scale. What happens when you lose to Jake Paul? You’re going to be the laughingstock of the internet.

“This is my toughest fight by far and that’s exactly what I want. I want to increase the skill level of my opposition and challenge myself. He was a legitimate knockout artist. But on August 29, in my hometown, you will see a boxing clinic. He’s not going more than three rounds.

“I think the secret is out of the bag. I’m sparring some of the best fighters in the world. When I knock out Tyron, people are going to say that I’m the ‘Real Deal’ like Amanda Serrano. I’m going to take Tyron into deep waters and drown him.

“This is my make or break fight. The MMA community is counting on Tyron. They want to see me fall, but he’s not going to be able to get the job done.

“People know what they get when they tune in to a Jake Paul event. That’s why I’m the most impactful 3-0 fighter in history. I’m knocking this guy out. That’s what people want to see.

“I haven’t been hit in three fights. That’s a fact. I just want to add some experience to my belt. I want to fight Canelo Alvarez in three years. I want to be a world champion. Tyron is the perfect person to maybe get me to the third round.”

TYRON WOODLEY

“Everything you’ve scripted and wrote down for right now, you’re shaking while saying it. This is a fight. This isn’t for play. This is for real.

“Look at my resume. Look at all the up and coming fighters who they gassed up and what happened to them. None of them landed a punch. So many people come up to me on a daily basis and say you have to knock this guy out.

“It was a good opportunity working out with Floyd Mayweather. He showed me some of the things it takes to be a world class boxer. In MMA sometimes we waste energy and use movement without purpose. Everything I do and everything I throw is going to hurt him. My feints are going to hurt him. It’s going to make his body shake.

“I’m from the ‘Show Me’ state and you have to show me. I’ve been on the big stage. I was the fight of the night at the biggest UFC fight at MSG in history. This is nothing new to me.

“You just talk about money and talk about clout. Because when we talk about fighting, you shouldn’t even be in the same sentence as me.

“He’s talking about Disney because it’s an excuse for when I wax him in the ring. This is going to look like a fight. I’m not just going to go out there and swing two punches. I’m training like I’m fighting Mike Tyson. 

“I didn’t get into this for a quick payday. This is my entry into boxing for sure. It’s a steppingstone. When I look at him, I see a kid who has nothing to lose. I’m not going to act like he doesn’t have power, but everyone I’ve faced who had power, made me train even harder.”

AMANDA SERRANO

“I want to thank Yamileth for taking the fight. She’s a real Mexican champion. Not too many people want to fight me. It’s going to be a great fight. It’s never a boring night when it’s Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. It’s guaranteed to be a night of fireworks.

“I’m the best fighter that I can be and it’s an honor to be anywhere in the top three as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. To my team and to my country, I’m number one.

“August 29 is going to be nothing but fireworks. I always bring a great show and look great doing it. I think Paul and Woodley are going to have competition for best fight of the night.

“I wasn’t surprised the other featherweight champions didn’t want to fight me. We’ve been going after them for a while now. My goal is still to become undisputed and I hope we get those fights soon.”

YAMILETH MERCADO

“I’m very excited for this fight and thankful for this opportunity. I’m a new generation of fighter and I’m very blessed to be in this fight with Amanda. I wanted to compete at featherweight. I feel strong and I’m ready for this.

“I started my career in this weight class before going down, so I’m very happy to be back at this weight. I have no concerns about it.

“This is going to be a war. It’s going to be a fun night. We’re going to leave it all in the ring and the ladies are going to be stealing the show.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

“For over 35 years, SHOWTIME has been the network for high-quality, big-time combat sports events. From the most promising young prospects to boxing’s most accomplished champions, to quite literally the biggest pay-per-views in sports history, to the highest quality, most exciting MMA, we bring it all to you. Our current schedule is great proof of that. This Saturday, Jermell Charlo goes to make history by becoming the first undisputed four-belt champion in the super welterweight division against a very tough Brian Castaño. Next week, the 20^th anniversary of ShoBox, the only series in boxing that identifies and develops young champions year after year. July 31, right here in LA at The Forum, BELLATOR’s biggest fight ever in Patricio Pitbull vs. AJ McKee for the Featherweight World Grand Prix Championship and the one-million-dollar bonus. That’s all in just the next three weeks.

“In just three fights, Jake Paul has become the talk of boxing and of combat sports. People ask me repeatedly, why did we become involved in this? The reality is, what Jake has done in his first three fights is unprecedented in combat sports. Nobody has generated this kind of attention in three fights. The commitment that Jake has made is that he respects the sport.  He takes it seriously and he is committed to fighting tougher opponents with each fight. And you see that. He is progressing with each fight and I promise you that will continue to happen going forward.

“We know exactly what to expect from Tyron Woodley. A Strikeforce fighter who appeared nine times on SHOWTIME. He’s a UFC Champion. Fourteen of his 19 wins were by TKO or submission. He is an elite combat sports athlete. This is an intriguing matchup. A true 50-50. If anybody tells you they know how this fight is going to go, they’re lying. This is the epitome of a 50-50 fight.

“We are going to surround the main event with high quality boxing matches. SHOWTIME is proud of its history in women’s combat sports, both boxing and MMA. We’ve had Amanda Serrano on SHOWTIME before and we’re proud to welcome her back to the network. She is without question one of the best pound-for-pound female fighters on the planet and possibly the best. She has her work cut out for her with Yamileth Mercado, a champion in her own right. She brings her own belt into this, and it’s another installment of the classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.

“This is not a novelty. This is not an exhibition. This is real boxing. This is a competitive sporting event and it is something that you should not miss.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @TWooodley and @ShowtimeBoxing, on Instagram via @JakePaul, @Twooodley and @ShowtimeBoxing, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Mauricio Lara and Josh Warrington will rematchin an epic showdownat Emerald Headingley Stadium on Saturday September 4, live worldwide on DAZN. The co-main event will also feature undisputed Lightweight World Champion Katie Taylor, who puts all her belts on the line against IBF Mandatory Challenger Jennifer Han. ‘The Leeds Warrior’ (30-1, 7 KOs) was floored and ruthlessly finished by Mexico’s Lara (22-2, 15 KOs) in a sensational knockout loss at The SSE Arena, Wembley in February that put a massive dent in the former IBF Featherweight World Champion’s unification plans. 

Warrington endured a stunning upset defeat as he was dropped and nearly stopped in the fourth round before ‘Bronco’ sent him crashing to the canvas again in the ninth to end the 30-year-old’s unbeaten record. 

The upset-of-the-year contender sent shockwaves through the 126lbs division and now Warrington will look to exact revenge in front of a capacity crowd at the home of the Leeds Rhinos in the biggest fight of his career. 

Undisputed Lightweight rulerTaylor (18-0, 6 KOs) defends her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine crowns against her latest Mandatory ChallengerHan (18-3-1, 1 KOs) in the co-main event, another huge stage for the best in women’s boxing.

The Irish star was forced to dig deep as she retained her World Titles via a unanimous decision victory after another memorable meeting with Natasha Jonas last time out at Manchester Arena in May – nine years on from their London 2012 Olympic Games bout.

Han, a six-time national amateur champion fighting out of El Paso, Texas, won the vacant IBF Featherweight World Title against Helen Joseph in September 2015 and went on to make four defences of her Title – most recently against Lizbeth Crespo in February 2018. “I’ve never been much of a talker, I’d rather do my talking in the ring,” said Lara. “I’m going for a repeat performance on September 4. Hit once, hit twice. Warrington should know that I am coming for him. This is all about pride. This is for Mexico!”

“It’s been an up and down period, time for reflection and to reassess myself, said Warrington. “I’ve watched the first fight a dozen times, I’m mentally and physically prepared for Mauricio. It won’t be the same result, I want revenge. It’s going to be a huge event in Leeds, I can’t wait to get back in there and rewrite the script. It’s nothing personal, just business. September 4th we get back on track to the top.”

“I’m really excited to defend my Titles in front of a live crowd again and especially in Leeds,” said Taylor. “I grew up as a Leeds United fan so it’s fantastic to see them back in the Premier League and doing so well again. 

“My last few fights have effectively been behind closed door and it’s definitely a strange experience so I think to have crowds back again and outdoors in Leeds will make for a very special atmosphere. I’m back in the US in training camp, working hard and focused on putting in another big performance against a tough and experienced opponent on September 4.”

“I want to thank Katie for this opportunity,” said Han. “Enjoy your belts while you still have them. I will see you in September.”

Fresh from his devastating first round demolition job on James Tennyson, Mexico’s Jovanni Straffon (24-3-1, 17 KOs) will make the first defence of his IBO Lightweight World Title against the in-form Maxi Hughes (23-5-2, 5 KOs).

‘Impacto’ dropped and stopped Belfast’s Tennyson in a powerful performance at Manchester Arena in May to become the latest Mexican to spring an upset against British opposition in the UK. 

‘Maximus’ is relishing his new lease of life after picking up incredible wins over former World Title challenger Jono Carroll, previously undefeated Kazakh talent Viktor Kotochigov and Paul Hyland Jr to earn the British Lightweight Title in March. 

The full supporting undercard will be announced shortly.

“What better way to celebrate the return to normality for boxing than 20,000 passionate Leeds fans at Headingley Stadium. This is the biggest fight of Josh Warrington’s career and this time he has his city behind him in a must win fight that can only be a thriller,” said Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman. “The greatest female fighter of all time Katie Taylor faces Mandatory Challenger Jennifer Han in another great fight. Katie is a lifelong Leeds United fan and I know how excited she is to fight in the city. Another Mexican upsetter Jovanni Straffon tries to derail the fairy tale story of Yorkshire’s Maxi Hughes who looks to take a giant leap in the World Lightweight landscape. There’s plenty more additions to be announced shortly in what will be a huge night of boxing live on DAZN.”

“Our game-changing global partnership with Matchroom has kicked off with an epic line-up, starting with Fight Camp – an unmissable summer of boxing based at the stunning Matchroom HQ in Brentwood, and leading into this huge double-header event. With many surprises still to come for the months ahead, this cements DAZN as the global home of boxing,” said Joseph Markowski, EVP at DAZN Group.

Tickets are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150 and £300 VIP and are available via StubHub to Fight Pass members on Thursday July 15 and on General Sale on Friday July 16 (both at Midday)

JIMMY BEECH JR has been going without wages for ten weeks to make sure he is ready for big punching Chris Bourke.

Walsall’s Beech (12-1, 2 KOs) gets a big opportunity when he challenge’s for the Londoner’s WBC International Super-Bantamweight title at SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday July 24, live on BT.

The former British title challenger works as a painter and decorator, but knows upsetting Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) will bring him a step closer to packing away his brushes for good.

“I have taken unpaid leave for this fight,” explained Beech who had his first amateur fight at the age of 11.

“If I win, it will open big doors. I will be in a good place with Frank Warren and Queensberry to get a deal, earn decent money and have bigger fights.

“I have been off work for eight weeks already because we thought the fight might have been taking place in late June, so I stopped working in May.

“When the date was moved, I decided to stay in full-time training until after the fight.

“It is a big sacrifice. Had I stayed at work and not had the fight I might have made more money, but this is about progression.

“I beat Chris then bigger chances will come and you never know what might happen.

“One of the our local fighters Jason Welborn won a British title and suddenly got a World title fight against Jarrett Hurd out of nowhere. Anything like that could happen.”

Beech Jr, 24, hasn’t boxed for 12 months when he pushed Brad Foster all the way in a British and Commonwealth title challenge before losing on points.

Since Jimmy suffered his Foster setback, Bourke has outpointed Rahmez Mahmood and in December won his title with a stunning two round demolition of fancied Michael Ramabeletsa.

Beech Jr added: “I don’t think Chris punches as hard as his record suggests and I am confident I can take his power.

“I don’t want to put down his win against Ramabeletsa, but I believe it was right fight, right time.

“I would have beaten Ramabeletsa. I might not have knocked him out, but would have won comfortably.

“I took a lot of confidence out of the Brad Foster fight. I took the fight at pretty short notice, and I didn’t have any fitness at all.

“There is no vendetta against Brad because he beat me, but I want to fight for the British title again so while he has that I want him.

“That is a dream for me, and beating Bourke means I am not too far away at all.

“It is good to be on a big stage. It is what you work for and this is a big opportunity that I have to take. I have to enjoy these nights while they’re there.

“It promises to be a top, top fight. We’re both there to be hit. Chris hasn’t exactly got the best head movement and he won’t have to go looking for me.”

Joe Joyce v Carlos Takam will headline for the WBC Silver and WBO International titles at the SSE Arena, Wembley on July 24.

Hamzah Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) makes the third defence of his WBO European title against Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria (15-1, 3 KOs).
 
Swansea’s Chris Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) will finally defend his British and Commonwealth welterweight titles against Nottingham’s Ekow Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) after recovering from injury.
 
In a well matched fourth title fight, Peacock gym ace Chris Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) defends his WBC International super-bantamweight title against Bloxwich’s James Beech Jnr (12-1, 2 KOs).
 
There is also heavyweight action featuring David Adeleye (6-0, 5 KOs), while Mill Hill’s George Fox (3-0) will make his Queensberry debut. Reading super-featherweight hope Charles Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) has also been added to the stacked bill., along with ‘The Gent’ Micky Burke Jr (4-0, 1 KO) who also returns after his first stoppage victory in November last year.

Tickets are available NOW from AXS.com. Click here to buy tickets.

£50 Tier
£70 Floor/Tier
£100 Floor
£150 Floor
£300 VIP Hospitality

PHOENIX (July 13, 2021) – Unbeaten two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez will enter the ring for a homecoming fight in his native Phoenix when he takes on former champion Jose Uzcategui in a WBC 168-pound title eliminator live on SHOWTIME Saturday, August 28 from Phoenix Suns Arena headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, go on sale Thursday, July 15 at 12 p.m. PT and will be available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

#

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

CARLOS TAKAM is gunning for Anthony Joshua once he has sorted out Joe Joyce at SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday July 24, live on BT Sport.

The French powerhouse stepped in at just over one week’s notice to challenge AJ for his WBA and IBF World Heavyweight titles in October 2017.

He went down fighting in Cardiff, losing in ten rounds to the defending champion with many fans insisting that the stoppage was premature.

And there wont just be Joyce’s WBO International, WBC Silver and Commonwealth titles on the line at Wembley.

KO King Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) is ranked number two by the WBO and will be elevated into the mandatory position after Joshua has defended that title against current top contender Oleksandr Usyk.

“The story between Joshua and me is not finished,” roared Las Vegas based Takam (39-5-1, 28 KOs) who is confident of snatching Joyce’s ranking and booking a Joshua rematch.

Speaking on a digital Press Conference hosted by Dev Sahni, Takam added: “There is unfinished business with Joshua. That fight still hurts me.

“I took that fight at ten days’ notice. The referee stopped the fight and I don’t know why. Nobody ever told me.

“I was also meant to fight Usyk twice, but it never happened and he didn’t want me.”

Putney’s Joyce could have looked at easier options especially as he’s assured of a WBO World title challenge next year providing he remains unbeaten.

But the man who is also rated in the top ten by the WBC and IBF says: “I have had tough tests throughout my career so why stop?

“This is a great fight. Takam brings an all-action fight and it is going to be a good one. I want to give the fans what they want to see.

“This will lead on to some better fights, but I am not overlooking him.”Three further title clashes will take place on the undercard of Joe Joyce v Carlos Takam for the WBC Silver and WBO International titles at the SSE Arena, Wembley on July 24.

Hamzah Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) makes the third defence of his WBO European title against Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria (15-1, 3 KOs).
 
Swansea’s Chris Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) will finally defend his British and Commonwealth welterweight titles against Nottingham’s Ekow Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) after recovering from injury.
 
In a well matched fourth title fight, Peacock gym ace Chris Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) defends his WBC International super-bantamweight title against Bloxwich’s James Beech Jnr (12-1, 2 KOs).
 
There is also heavyweight action featuring David Adeleye (6-0, 5 KOs), while Mill Hill’s George Fox (3-0) will make his Queensberry debut. Reading super-featherweight hope Charles Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) has also been added to the stacked bill., along with ‘The Gent’ Micky Burke Jr (4-0, 1 KO) who also returns after his first stoppage victory in November last year.

Tickets are available NOW from AXS.com. Click here to buy tickets.

£50 Tier
£70 Floor/Tier
£100 Floor
£150 Floor

To watch Dev Sahni’s full interview click here

LAS VEGAS (July 13, 2021) — Bonjour, “The Fresh Prince of Monaco.”
 
Hugo Micallef, who notched more than 100 amateur victories while representing his homeland of the Principality of Monaco in tournaments worldwide, has signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank. Micallef, from Monte Carlo, will make his pro debut Friday, Sept. 10 in Paris on the undercard of heavyweight contender Tony Yoka’s homecoming bout against fellow unbeaten Petar Milas (streaming live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+).
 
Micallef will turn pro as a junior welterweight with head trainer Carlos Formento, who has worked with former welterweight world champion Kell Brook and junior welterweight contender Anthony Yigit.
 
“Hugo has everything it takes to be a superstar in the sport,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “His amateur pedigree is extensive, and I believe he’ll usher in a generation of pro boxing in the Principality of Monaco.”
 
Micallef said, “It’s a tremendous honor to be signed by the best promotional company in the business. I have dreamed of this moment. I’m ready for the start of my professional journey, and I hope to one day bring a world title back home to Monaco.”
 
Added Micallef’s manager, Karim Bouzidi of Versus Sports Management: “We at Versus Sports Management are delighted to support Hugo in his choice to sign with Top Rank, and we believe he will one day join Top Rank’s long and illustrious list of world champions.”
 
Micallef, who had aspirations of becoming the first Olympic boxer from the Principality of Monaco, now sets his sights on becoming the first boxer from his country to win a professional world title. He helped break the glass ceiling for Monegasque boxing at the world amateur level and counts Albert II, Prince of Monaco among his supporters.
 
Micallef turned heads last fall at the Boxam Elite International Boxing Tournament in Spain, toppling U.S. amateur star Delante Johnson en route to a silver medal. He last fought at the European Olympic Boxing qualifiers in Paris, falling in the Round of 16 to British superstar — and eventual tournament gold medalist — Pat McCormack, who will fight in his second Olympic Games in Tokyo.

WORCESTER, Mass. (July 13, 2021) – Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE) pro boxing returns August 14th for the first time in three years, presenting the seventh installment of the popular New England Future series, at the famed Worcester Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

“New England’s Future VII,” presented by Rivera Promotions Entertainment, in association with Shearns Boxing Promotions, will feature three title fights and showcase many of the region’s top fighters and most promising prospects in action.

Undefeated Hartford (CT) cruiserweight Richie “Popeye The Sailor” Rivera (19-0, 14 KOs) will fight for vacant NBA Cruiserweight Championship versus an opponent to be finalized in the 8-round main event. The powerful, charismatic Rivera, who made his pro debut on an RPE event at the Worcester Palladium on January 19, 2017, hasn’t fought in New England since December 13, 2019.

Another undefeated fighter from Connecticut, heavyweight Cassius “C.O.G.” Chaney (20-0, 14 KOs), promoted by Main Events, will fight an opponent to be determined in the 8-round co-featured event. A former WBC United States heavyweight champion, Chaney was a star basketball player at the University of New Haven.

“I am excited to bring our New England’s Future series back to Worcester,” said RPE president Jose Antonio Rivera, the 3-time, 2-divison world champion. “We have a lot of talent on this boxing show and three title fights as well. I am also excited to have four Worcester boxings on the card to showcase their skills in front of their hometown fans.”

ABF USA Cruiserweight Champion Vincenzo “American Nightmare” Carita (22-1-1, 21 KOs), fighting out of Pembroke (MA), is slated to be in action in an 8-round bout.

2012 Puerto Rico Olympian Enrique Collazo (15-1-1, 10 KOs) will fight in an 8-rounder for the vacant NBA Super Middleweight Championship against TBA.

Wilfredo “Sucra” Pagan (6-1, 3 KOs), of Southbridge (MA), meets always dangerous “Rentless” Augustine Mauras (7-12-3, 3 KOs) in a 6-round fight for the vacant New England junior welterweight title.

Also scheduled to fight in 4-round bouts vs. opponents to be determined include Worcester heavyweight Bryan Daniels (5-1, 3 KOs), a 2-time New England Golden Gloves champion; Worcester cruiserweight Demek “Hightower” Edmonds (2-0, 2 KOs), 3-time N.E. Golden Gloves titlist; Florida bantamweight Angel “Set It Off” Gonzalez (4-0, 3 KOs), Worcester junior middleweight Eslih Owuso (4-0, 2 KOs), Lynn (MA) super middleweight Jelame Garcia (8-0, 6 KOs), Florida junior middleweight Jonsiel “TG” Castro (3-0, 2 KOs), and Worcester super middleweight Bobby “BH3” Harris III (2-0-1), a former 2-time national amateur champion and World Games silver medalist.

Card subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $70.00 (ringside), $55.00 (mezzanine) and $35.00 (general admission), are on

sale and available to purchase at www.ThePalladium.net, the Palladium box office, or by

contacting Jose Rivera (elgallojar@gmail.com/508.864.6954), AJ Rivera

(anthoneerivera@gmail.com/774.272.2269) or any of the fighters.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bout 7 p.m. ET.

INFORMATION:

Twitter: @RiveraPromoEnt, @JoseRiveraChamp, @KingRivera_, @ShearnsBoxing

CHRIS JENKINS believes he gets little love for his achievements and is avoided by the supposed very best.

Among those showing little interest in proving themselves is Conor Benn who turned down a big offer from Queensberry to face the Swansea terror last year.

Queensberry stablemate Ekow Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) isn’t ducking and challenges Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) for his British and Commonwealth Welterweight titles at SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday July 24, live on BT.

“I am the boogeyman,” insists Jenkins who will be having his ninth professional title fight when he takes on mandatory challenger Essuman later this month.

It will be the Welshman’s third defence of the British title he took from Johnny Garton in March 2019 and the second occasion Jenkins has risked the Commonwealth belt he won against Paddy Gallagher five months later when it was vacant.

Both fights were on the road, and the dad-of-three added: “I don’t think I get the respect I deserve, but I come through the fights.

“I wasn’t meant to beat Johnny Garton or Paddy Gallagher, but managed both.

“I don’t know why I don’t get respect because I have been fighting at the top end of domestic level since the first fight against Tyrone Nurse six years ago.

“I have had several major championship contests and I’m never in a dull fight even when I was in the ‘Who needs me club,’ and took fights at two or three weeks’ notice.

“Maybe it is because I get cut, don’t bother with social media or perhaps my face doesn’t fit. I am happy in life though and it doesn’t get to me. I have got a thick skin.

“I think there are fighters who have done a lot less than me and get more respect, but nobody is going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

“Hopefully, the respect will come after I beat Essuman, but if not I will still sleep well in my bed at night because life is good.”

Jenkins hasn’t boxed since a technical draw against Liam Taylor in November 2019 when he sustained a badly cut left eye that ended the bout in round three.

He had been due to face Nottingham’s Essuman in March but was ruled out because of a perforated ear drum.

Essuman questioned the injury, but Jenkins hit back: “He can say what he wants about my injury.

“I was examined by a British Board of Control doctor. I wanted to fight on, but  the Board is rightly safety first so I couldn’t be passed fit.

“I’ve got a family to care for. Does he think I want to pull out injured?’

“The ambition is to beat Essuman, shut him up and move on.”

Chris Jenkins vs Ekow Essuman is on a bill headlined by Joe Joyce v Carlos Takam for the WBC Silver and WBO International titles at the SSE Arena, Wembley on July 24.

Hamzah Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) makes the third defence of his WBO European title against Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria (15-1, 3 KOs).
 
In a well matched fourth title fight, Peacock gym ace Chris Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) defends his WBC International super-bantamweight title against Bloxwich’s James Beech Jnr (12-1, 2 KOs).
 
There is also heavyweight action featuring David Adeleye (6-0, 5 KOs), while Mill Hill’s George Fox (3-0) will make his Queensberry debut. Reading super-featherweight hope Charles Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) has also been added to the stacked bill., along with ‘The Gent’ Micky Burke Jr (4-0, 1 KO) who also returns after his first stoppage victory in November last year.
 
Tickets are available NOW from AXS.com. Click here to buy tickets.

£50 Tier
£70 Floor/Tier
£100 Floor
£150 Floor
£300 VIP Hospitality

FRISCO, TEXAS (July 13, 2021): Welterweight knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. (17-0, 17 KOs) will return against Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas (22-1-1, 18 KOs) in a 12-round defense of his WBO International Welterweight Title. The bout will take place on Saturday, Aug. 14 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Undercard information will be announced shortly.

“Vergil Ortiz Jr. is developing the most impressive resume for any boxer his age,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Though the welterweight division is perhaps the most competitive weight class in the sport, Ortiz Jr. has been able to maintain a knockout ratio of 100% in his big tests against Antonio Orozco, Brad Solomon and Maurice Hooker. On August 14, Ortiz Jr. will look better than ever and remind everyone why he is the biggest threat at 147 pounds.”

Since debuting as a professional in 2016, Ortiz Jr. has knocked out every single challenge put in front of him. The native of Grand Prairie, Texas, who has roots in Michoacan, Mexico, has scored stoppage wins against the likes of Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Brad “King” Solomon and Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker. The 23-year-old contender is anxious to fight for a world title and knows that “Mean Machine” stands in his way.

“I always said I’m here to take on the toughest challenges to prove myself,” said Vergil Ortiz Jr. “Egis is a very game, strong opponent, and a win over him would leave no doubts that I’m ready for a world title fight immediately. It won’t be easy, but that’s the point. The fans are going to enjoy this one.”

Kavaliauskas is a Lithuanian contender who has defeated the likes of David Avanesyan and Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu. He has also faced tough tests against “The New” Ray Robinson and Terence “Bud” Crawford, the latter of whom handed the “Mean Machine” his sole defeat. The 32-year-old will return after stopping Mikael Zweski in September 2020.

“Fans been asking for this fight, and we’re going to give it to them,” said Egidijus Kavaliauskas. “So, mark your calendar and have your popcorn ready. A war is coming.”

#

Ortiz Jr. vs. Kavaliauskas is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, Aug. 14 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Ortiz Jr vs. Kavaliauskas will go on sale Friday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m, CDT and are priced at $250, $150, $100, $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.seatgeek.com.

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

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link: https://bit.ly/OrtizKavaliauskas into a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy for any photo and/or video usage.

About The Star
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco, Frisco ISD and the Dallas Cowboys, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games, concerts and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL; the Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; Twelve Cowboys Way, a 17-story, luxury residential tower in partnership between Pro Football Hall-of-Fame Quarterback #12 Roger Staubach, and Dallas-based developer and former Dallas Cowboys center, Robert Shaw; Formation, a dynamic coworking experience offering a collaborative work environment of open workspace, dedicated desks and private offices; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options throughout The Star District. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com.

LOS ANGELES – A main card contest scheduled for this Friday’s BELLATOR MMA 262: Velasquez vs. Kielholtz event between Linton Vassell (20-8, 1 NC) and Marcelo Golm (8-3) has been cancelled due to injury. As a result, a bantamweight fight between Team Pitbull Brothers-product Matheus Mattos (12-2-1) and Cee Jay Hamilton (15-8) has been promoted to the main card.

The event will air LIVE on SHOWTIME this Friday, July 16 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from the Mohegan Sun Arena and is headlined by a thrilling BELLATOR Flyweight World Championship matchup, as undefeated Juliana Velasquez (11-0) defends her prestigious MMA belt against No. 3 ranked Denise “Miss Dynamite” Kielholtz (6-2). Kielholtz, who currently holds BELLATOR Kickboxing’s Flyweight World Title will have the opportunity to make history with a victory by becoming the first fighter to hold both BELLATOR MMA and BELLATOR Kickboxing world championships simultaneously.

Additionally, a lightweight preliminary matchup between Longo and Weidman product Charlie Campbell (3-1) and Connecticut’s Nick Giulietti (2-1) has been added to the card as well.

All prelims will stream live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. Full bout listings are below:

A limited number of tickets starting at $60 remain and can be purchased at Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

# # #

BELLATOR MMA 262: Velasquez vs. Kielholtz Main Card:

Friday, July 16 – Live onSHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Flyweight World Title Main Event: C-Juliana Velasquez (11-0) vs. #3-Denise Kielholtz (6-2)

Heavyweight Bout: #5–Tyrell Fortune (10-1, 1 NC) vs. #7-Matt Mitrione (13-8, 1 NC)

Bantamweight Bout: Matheus Mattos (12-2-1) vs. Cee Jay Hamilton (15-8)

Featherweight Bout: #2–Arlene Blencowe (13-8) vs. Dayana Silva (9-6)

Middleweight Bout: #5-Johnny Eblen (8-0) vs. Travis Davis (10-4)

Preliminary Card: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Heavyweight Bout: Ronny Markes (19-8) vs. Said Sowma (6-2)

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (3-0) vs. Theodore Macuka (1-0)

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (5-0) vs. John Ramirez (5-5)

Flyweight Bout: Diana Avsaragova (3-0) vs. Gabriella Gulfin (2-2)

Featherweight Bout: Johnny Soto (4-1) vs. Adil Benjilany (5-3, 1 NC)

Lightweight Bout: Charlie Campbell (3-1) vs. Nicholas Giulietti (2-1)

*Card subject to change.

For more information on upcoming BELLATOR MMA events, visit BELLATOR.com. 

****

About BELLATOR MMA:
BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity, and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND^®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME^®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple^®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku^®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation^®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

THE HUGELY POPULAR heavyweight Carlos Takam has sounded a warning to Joe Joyce ahead of their collision at the SSE Arena, Wembley on July 24.

The Las Vegas-based Frenchman, 39-5-1, landed on Friday ahead of his fourth assignment on British soil against the unbeaten 12-0, 2016 Olympic silver medallist who is on the cusp of being put forward as mandatory challenger by the WBO for the world title held by Anthony Joshua – and soon likely to be defended against Oleksandr Usyk.

The upbeat Joyce, 35, known as the Juggernaut, has promised to ‘run over’ the two-time world title challenger in the sequel to his memorable derailing of Daniel Dubois at the end of November. Takam responded by questioning if Joyce possesses the experience to be making such bold predictions.

Takam was greeted at Heathrow Airport by interviewer Dev Sahni, who got the experienced Takam’s thoughts about his upcoming bout.

“He said he is going to run me over?” said the 40-year-old with a hearty chuckle. “I say good luck and I will see you on 24th July! I don’t think he is experienced enough to take out someone like me and this is going to be a big fight for him.

“I don’t want to say it is a small fight or an easy fight because every fight I treat the same. I am here because I am prepared and ready for this fight and I am coming to win. Everybody says he is a tough guy so I am here and ready for that.”

Takam was also bemused, rather than concerned, over claims from Joyce’s manager Sam Jones that he has been keeping tabs on his sparring sessions in Las Vegas.

“Really! He said that? So he’s been seeing my sparring – what the hell! That is good but, for me, I am not going to speak about what they say. I don’t care what a manager says about me because I am just focused for the fight.

“The only thing I want to say is ‘let’s do the job on 24th July. I am ready for then. Joe Joyce, I am coming’.

“I don’t want to say they have made a mistake picking me. This is a good opportunity for Joe Joyce and a good opportunity for me to fight in the UK, where they have made a good thing out of boxing.

“Joe Joyce, I am ready for you and I am a problem.”

Three further title clashes will take place on the undercard of Joe Joyce v Carlos Takam for the WBC Silver and WBO International titles at the SSE Arena, Wembley on July 24.

Hamzah Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) makes the third defence of his WBO European title against Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria (15-1, 3 KOs).
 
Swansea’s Chris Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) will finally defend his British and Commonwealth welterweight titles against Nottingham’s Ekow Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) after recovering from injury.
 
In a well matched fourth title fight, Peacock gym ace Chris Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) defends his WBC International super-bantamweight title against Bloxwich’s James Beech Jnr (12-1, 2 KOs).
 
There is also heavyweight action featuring David Adeleye (6-0, 5 KOs), while Mill Hill’s George Fox (3-0) will make his Queensberry debut. Reading super-featherweight hope Charles Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) has also been added to the stacked bill., along with ‘The Gent’ Micky Burke Jr (4-0, 1 KO) who also returns after his first stoppage victory in November last year.

Tickets are available NOW from AXS.com. Click here to buy tickets.

£50 Tier
£70 Floor/Tier
£100 Floor
£150 Floor
£300 VIP Hospitality

To watch the full interview with Carlos Takam, click here

LOS ANGELES (July 12, 2021) – Global superstar and professional boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will take on the toughest test of his burgeoning boxing career when he squares off against former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley in the main event of a professional boxing event on Sunday, August 29 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME PPV.

After dominating the first three opponents of his professional boxing career, Paul continues to step-up the caliber of his competition against Woodley, a decorated mixed martial arts champion and striking specialist who held the UFC title from 2016 to 2019. On Sunday, August 29, Paul will look to thrill his legions of fans and silence his critics in front of his hometown Cleveland crowd in the eight-round cruiserweight main event, which will be contested at a 190-pound catchweight.

Paul and Woodley will go face-to-face at a press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday to preview their highly anticipated showdown. The press conference will stream live on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Jake Paul’s YouTube channel.

The special Sunday night event is produced and presented by Most Valuable Promotions and SHOWTIME PPV. The pay-per-view telecast, which begins live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT is produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. It will feature an undercard complete with high-stakes, professional boxing showdowns including Puerto Rican star and WBC/WBO Featherweight World Champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano defending her titles against super bantamweight world champion Yamileth Mercado.

Barstool Sportsbook is The Official Sports Betting Partner for the event, in a unique, fully integrated partnership.

Tickets for the live event will be available for purchase on Friday, July 22, at RocketMortgageFieldHouse.com.

The 24-year-old Paul (3-0, 3 KOs) is a world-renowned content creator. He began his professional boxing journey in January 2020 and has proven to be an influential participant in the sport’s landscape with his outsized personality and quickly developing skill set. The Cleveland-native is fighting out of Puerto Rico under the eye of former pro boxing contender B.J. Flores, who has been training Jake from his first professional fight. After knocking out YouTube star AnEsonGib and former NBA star Nate Robinson in his first two outings, Paul made quick work of former MMA champion Ben Askren in April with a first-round knockout. With the win over Askren, Paul notched his first victory over a seasoned professional fighter and now takes on an even bigger challenge in Woodley.

“I grew up going to Cavs, Browns and Indians games on the weekends, dreaming as a little kid of one day being in a position to put on a show for my hometown like they did,” said Paul. “On August 29, that dream comes true. My biggest challenge to date, in front of the city that made me, on pay per view for the world to see me knockout a UFC champion. I’m also thrilled to have Amanda Serrano on this card. She stands out as the most prolific KO artist in women’s boxing. What a night this is going to be!”

Fighting out of St. Louis, Missouri, Woodley (19-7-1 MMA record) has a storied career in combat sports. He became UFC champion in July 2016, defeating Robbie Lawler in the first round, and went on to defend his title successfully four times. Before competing in the UFC, Woodley fought in the Strikeforce MMA promotion on SHOWTIME and compiled an 8-1 record from 2009 through 2012. Widely considered one of the most dangerous punchers in UFC history, Woodley earned 14 of his 19 wins by way of TKO or submission.

“I’m a grown ass man,” said Woodley. “I don’t play games with kids. They brought me in to take the trash out. You’re welcome!”

Serrano is the most decorated fighter in women’s boxing history with a professional record of 40-1-1 with 30 knockouts. She was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where she trains alongside her sister, former featherweight champion Cindy Serrano. The 32-year-old has won titles in every division between 115 and 140 pounds, earning belts in those two divisions just four months apart with fights in September 2018 and January 2019. Serrano won her WBC and WBO featherweight world championship belts in a high-profile showdown against Heather Hardy in 2019 and most recently she defended her titles with a knockout win over three-division world champion Daniela Bermudez in March. 

Chihuaha, Mexico’s Mercado (18-2, 5 KOs) has held the super bantamweight title since November 2019 and will look to become a two-division champion on August 29 when she challenges Serrano. The 23-year-old won the title via unanimous decision over Fatuma Zarika, avenging a previous defeat to Zarika in Mercado’s first attempt at the championship. Mercado rides a six-fight winning streak into this showdown, including victories over Julissa Guzman and previously unbeaten Angelica Rascon in 2021.

This is the first live sporting event co-produced by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian will be Executive Producers of the event.

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @TWooodley and @ShowtimeBoxing, on Instagram via @JakePaul, @Twooodley and @ShowtimeBoxing, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA (July 12, 2021) — Would you buy a used car from the World Boxing Association (WBA)?

In a period of 12 months, from July 15, 2018 – July 20, 2019, eight-division world champion and boxer laureate Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao lit up the welterweight division by knocking out WBA regular welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse, successfully defending that title against former four-division world champion Adrien Broner (world-rated No. 6 by the WBA when they fought 2018-december.pdf (wbaboxing.com), and solidifying his hold on the division by tagging then undefeated WBA welterweight Super Champion Keith Thurman with his first loss while becoming the oldest fighter, at age 40, to win a welterweight title.  A few months later, the world shut down as it battled the Covid-19 pandemic.

Manny (62-7-2, 39 KOs), who had been training in his native Philippines for six weeks, recently moved his training camp to world-famous Freddie Roach’s Hollywood-based Wild Card Boxing Club as he prepares for his August 21 mega battle with unified WBC/IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol Spence, Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs), from Desoto, Texas.Logic would dictate that Manny would be entering the ring at T-Mobile Arena to face Spence as the WBA Welterweight Super Champion. 

SORPRESA!          

On January 29, 2021, without any advance notice or warning, the WBA announced that it had designated Manny a “Champion in Recess” while promoting Regular Champion Yordenis Ugas to welterweight Super Champion — the title Manny won inside the ring — without even fighting for that title.  WBA designates Manny Pacquiao as Champion in Recess – World Boxing Association (wbaboxing.com).  Ugas hasn’t fought since winning the WBA Regular welterweight title on September 6, 2020.  It begs the question, what did Manny receive for the hundreds of thousands of dollars he paid in sanctioning fees to the WBA to sanction his last three title fight victories?        “I can tell you what Manny didn’t receive – DUE PROCESS AND RESPECT,” said Sean Gibbons, president of MP Promotions.  “It took two years to get the world title belt he earned inside the ring by beating the undefeated Super Champion Keith Thurman.  Hell, Manny only received that belt on Saturday.  The WBA never inquired about Manny’s title defense plans.  The WBA never warned us Manny’s Super Champion status could be in jeopardy.  The WBA never informed us that Manny had been designated its Champion in Recess.  We had to read the WBA’s press release on that on the internet.  And speaking of Keith Thurman, the WBA had no concern about his lack of activity when he went over 22 months between title defenses (Danny Garcia on March 4, 2017, and Josesito Lopez on January 26, 2019).  Recess is over.  The two best fighters in the welterweight division are facing each other.  It should be celebrated and properly recognized.  The Ring is even blessing the winner as its welterweight champion.  This is not a sanctioning group.  It is a used car lot.  Take my advice.  Before paying the WBA a sanctioning fee, kick the tires and read the warranty.  Perhaps their new slogan should be Caveat Emptor.”
 ******************

The Pacquiao-Spence world championship event, which headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View, Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, is promoted by TGB Promotions, MP Promotions and Man Down Promotions.  The pay-per-view will begin at 9 p.m. RT / 6 p.m. PT.  Remaining tickets can be purchased through t-mobilearena.com and axs.com.

         #         #          #

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Photo credit : Chris Farina – ChrisFarina.com / ChrisFarinaPhoto copyright 2021

LOS ANGELES (July 12, 2021) – Eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao went face to face with unified WBC and IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. at press conference in Los Angeles Sunday as they previewed their blockbuster championship showdown that headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The pay-per-view will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT as Spence will look to earn a legacy-defining victory, while Pacquiao seeks one more monumental win to add to his first ballot Hall of Fame resume.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, MP Promotions and Man Down Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through t-mobilearena.com and axs.com.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Sunday:

MANNY PACQUIAO

“There were a lot of opportunities for me to pick an easier fight than this. But I picked Errol Spence Jr. because I want a real fight and a great fight for the fans. I’m a fighter and boxing is my passion.

“Errol Spence Jr. is aggressive, young and undefeated. He’s dedicated to his career. This is definitely not an easy opponent. This is the kind of opponent you can never underestimate.

“It’s been a long time since I fought a southpaw opponent. We had to change some of our strategy compared to previous fights and we’ll throw some different combinations.

“I don’t think Errol needs advice from Floyd Mayweather. I believe that Errol is a better fighter than Mayweather. Errol can teach Floyd how to fight toe-to-toe.

“I don’t want to be overconfident, because Errol is too good of an opponent. His determination and passion for the sport is always there. When I say I’m going to do something, it’s real and from the heart, it’s not to impress anybody.

“I had started training in the last week of May in the Philippines. So when I got here to Los Angeles, I was just continuing what I was doing. It’s good for me to have the rest that I’ve had the last two years. I’ve been boxing since I was 12 years old until now. When I went back to training, I was still hungry and dedicated.

“I won’t predict another first round knockdown like I had against Thurman. I’m focusing my mind, body and spirit on winning the fight. That’s the only goal.
“This is one of the biggest challenges in my career. I can’t say it’s the biggest, because I’ve been fighting the best fighters in the world for years. But he’s right up there with anyone I’ve faced.

“I’ve been boxing for more than 25 careers as a pro. I think that I’ve seen every kind of style that’s out there.

“This is a one of a kind and prodigious fight. There’s going to be a lot of action in the ring. I’m so thankful for everyone who supports me and I’m happy to be in this position again fighting one of the best fighters in the world.”

ERROL SPENCE JR.

“This is a great opportunity. Coming off of my accident I went right to fighting Danny Garcia and now Pacquiao. A lot of people were in the Pacquiao sweepstakes. When I got the call about this fight, I agreed right away and didn’t give it a second thought.

“There aren’t that many southpaws in boxing, so you don’t usually spar that many. We’ve got a lot of guys in camp now who can fight that left-handed style. Obviously I can’t find someone who fights exactly like Manny, but you can find guys who can mimic the tempo and pace. So that’s who we’ve been working with.

“You can see that Manny is still an explosive fighter with great speed. We’ve been putting together a game plan and we’ve been working on implementing it. Come August 21, you’ll see it in the ring.

“Manny can lull you to sleep giving you compliments. But once the bell rings, he’s going to jump all over you.

“My chin since the accident has been tested in sparring and in the Danny Garcia fight. I imagine Manny is going to try to come in and test it as well.

“Just because he’s 42-years-old I don’t think it’s going to hurt him in training. He’s not blowing up in weight between fights and he’s not distracted. That’s why he’s been the same Manny Pacquiao for decades. I’m looking forward to the same Pacquiao who fought Keith Thurman and before that.

“Manny has a lot of tendencies, of course you’re going to see some things over the span of his whole career. When it’s time to buckle down, you know he’s the guy who’s going to fight. It can be a pro or a con, but he’s going to make it a fan-friendly fight.

“I don’t see myself ever getting knocked out. I just don’t see it. We’re going to be mindful that he has power. He knocked down Thurman and hurt him with a body shot. We’ll keep that in mind. But I’m not thinking about if he can knock me out.

“I have the ability to finish Pacquiao. For me though, I’m focused on winning the fight. If you rush and go for the knockout, you either look sloppy or something goes wrong. I have to fight my fight and at my pace. If the knockout comes, I’ll go for it.

“This is going to be a great fight. Pacquiao is going to bring it like he always does, but I’m definitely going to come through with the victory.”

#

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of events at UFC APEX with a pivotal bout in the stacked lightweight division as No. 9 ranked contender Islam Makhachevintends to prove that he is worthy of title contention when he takes on fellow rising star No. 14 Thiago Moises. In the co-main event, women’s bantamweight veteran and No. 12 ranked Marion Reneau looks to spoil the return of former UFC champion Miesha Tate.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MAKHACHEV vs MOISES will take place Saturday, July 17 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will be available on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes beginning with the prelims at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT and followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.

Khabib Nurmagomedov protégé Makhachev (19-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) aims to leave no doubt that he is destined to challenge for the UFC lightweight championship in the near future. Among the most dominant forces in MMA today, Makhachev holds the record for the least strikes absorbed per minute in UFC history, a distinction he earned with intimidating performances over Drew Dober, Davi Ramos and Gleison Tibau. He now intends to extend his impressive win streak and become the first fighter to finish Moises.

Moises (15-4, fighting out of Indaiatuba, Brazil) has his sights set on keeping his current momentum going and securing the biggest win of his young career. A signee from Dana White’s Contender Series, the 26-year-old Moises recently found his footing in the talent-rich lightweight division when he rattled off three straight exciting victories against Michael Johnson, Bobby Green and Alexander Hernandez. Moises now plans to shock the world by upsetting Makhachev and beginning his own run towards UFC gold.

Reneau (9-7-1, fighting out of Visalia, Calif.) looks to deliver another stellar performance and show why she is one of the elite in women’s MMA. Reneau showed off her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt skills in her debut with a Performance of the Night submission win over former UFC champion Jessica Andrade and then followed up this performance with equally notable finishes over Milana Dudieva, Talita Bernardo and Sara McMann. She now seeks to make another statement against Tate.

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Tate (18-7, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) steps back into the Octagon for the first time in almost five years, looking to remind everyone of the skills that earned her UFC gold. Among the most popular athletes in MMA, Tate secured her first shot at the belt with victories over former title challengers Liz Carmouche, Sara McMann and Jessica Eye before defeating Holly Holm for the title. She now intends to get right back in the mix by becoming the first person to finish Reneau.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Jeremy Stephens (28-18, 1 NC, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) locks horns with Mateusz Gamrot (18-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Lubon, Poland) in a lightweight bout guaranteed to deliver action
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom Rodolfo Vieira (7-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) takes on fellow grappling specialist Dustin Stoltzfus (13-2, fighting out of Germersheim, Germany) at middleweight
• An exciting featherweight bout sees Gabriel Benitez (22-9, fig8hting out of Tijuana, Mexico) face off with The Ultimate Fighter and Dana White’s Contender Series alum Billy Quarantillo (15-3, fighting out of Tampa, Fla.)
• Welterweights Daniel Rodriguez(14-2, fighting out of San Gabriel, Calif.) looks to spoil the UFC debut of newcomer Preston Parsons (9-2, fighting out of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) who replaces Abubakar Nurmagomedov on short notice
• No. 14 ranked women’s strawweight Amanda Lemos (9-1-1, fighting out of Para, Brazil) aims to defend her spot in the rankings against Montserrat Conejo (10-1, fighting out of Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico)
• Khalid Taha (13-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany) intends to stop Sergey Morozov (16-4, fighting out of Aktau, Kazakhstan) from earning his first UFC victory in a bantamweight bout
• Dana White’s Contender Series signee Miles Johns (11-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) looks to make it two finishes in a row when he takes on Anderson dos Santos (21-8, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) at bantamweight
• Francisco Figueiredo (12-3-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Condor, Para, Brazil) has his sights set on continuing to build his own legacy at flyweight when he battles Malcolm Gordon (12-5, fighting out of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada)
• Alan Baudot (8-2, fighting out of Paris, France) seeks to secure his first emphatic UFC finish against Dana White’s Contender Series veteran Rodrigo Nascimento (8-1, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Brazil)

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

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 155 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 approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC 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 13.8 million subscribers.  

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features nine 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.

PHILADELPHIA (July 7, 2021)–After a successful Philadelphia promotional debut in April, that saw two-sold out shows featuring action packed fights of a day-night doubleheader, Jeter Promotions will be back at the 2300 Arena on Saturday night, August 7th.

In the main event Michael Lee will take on Romain Tomas in a scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

Lee of Orange, New Jersey, has a record of 8-1 with six knockouts. The 25 year-old is a three-year pro, who is coming off a third-round stoppage over Roy McGill on April 24th at the 2300 Arena.

Tomas of Brooklyn, New York, has a record of 8-3 with one knockout. Tomas is a five-year professional, and has a win over previously undefeated Omar Bodoy (7-0). Tomas is coming off a decision loss to highly regarded Victor Padilla on October 4, 2019 at the 2300 Arena.

In a four-round light heavyweight bout, Charles Brewer Jr. (1-0, 1 KO) of Pennsauken, NJ takes on Carl Murphy (2-3, 2 KOs) of Harrisburg, PA.

Also seeing action in four-round bouts will be featherweight Brandon Chambers (4-0-1, 2 KOs) of Gwynn Oak, Md; lightweight Naheem Parker (2-0, 1 KO) of Camden, NJ; super lightweight Tyhler Williams (4-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia; super welterweight Victor Williams (1-0, 1 KO) of Washington, DC; bantamweight John Leonardo (2-0-1, 2 KOs) of Englishtown, NJ; super middleweight and Penn State graduate AJ Williams (3-1, 2 KOs) of Cockeysville, MD; super featherweight Blaze Fidler Hernandez (1-0-1 of Arnold, MD); super bantamweight Jaqeem Hutcherson (1-0) of Forestville, MD; pro debuting super welterweight Matthew Castro of Glendale, NY; lightweight Raymond Cuadrado (1-0, 1 KO) of Ridgewood, NJ and lightweight Evan Harker (0-1) of Baltimore, MD

Tickets can be purchased at the 2300 Arena and can be purchased for $100.

 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA (July 9, 2021) – Four days removed from flying around the world to Los Angeles, eight-division world champion and boxer laureate Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, had the head gear on and sparred four rounds with two taller and younger southpaws at world-famous Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday.  The small audience that observed the session included two people assigned by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) to collect a blood sample following his workout – the second time VADA has tested Manny this week.  Manny has powered his way through jet lag to train two to three hours daily at Wild Card every afternoon while starting most mornings with runs at either Pan Pacific Park or running straight up the hills of Griffith Park to the iconic Hollywood Sign, followed by a series of 1,000 sit-ups.  It is an extraordinary feat for any athlete, but for the 42-year-old amazin’ Manny, it is just a walk in the park.

Manny takes on undefeated unified WBC and IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs), from Desoto, Texas, in a blockbuster championship showdown that headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.  The pay-per-view will begin at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

           “Manny lives for the challenge and the competition.  Manny loves hearing that the Las Vegas odds and the media favor Errol Spence,” said Freddie.  “Manny knows it’s a tough fight – probably his toughest – but that’s why he began his conditioning so early in the Philippines.  Usually, jet lag keeps him out of the gym for one day the first week he arrives in Los Angeles.  Not this time.  He has been here every day, training two and half to three hours each afternoon.  I usually hold off sparring the first week, but Manny insisted on sparring yesterday, so we brought in Maurice Lee (5’11) and Alexis Rocha (5’10), who went two rounds each with Manny.  Manny has achieved so much in his boxing career and in his life.  But everyone in camp can sense this fight has a special meaning.  It is not just about beating a top pound-for-pound fighter or winning more titles.  This time it’s all about boxing immortality for Manny Pacquiao.  I am a Red Sox fan, and I can tell he wants to go out like Ted Williams did, hitting a home run in his last at bat.  By the way, Ted Williams was also 42 when he did that.”

           “What a great experience,” said Lee, 29, who boasts a professional record of 12-1-2, 5 KOs.  “I thought since he had just flown in from the Philippines, he would be a little tired and I could catch him with a few shots.  But he was sharp, elusive, and unpredictable.  Video tape does not prepare you for his speed and the angles he fights from.  His punches were coming from everywhere!  Calling him elite would be an understatement.”

           “Sparring with Manny was definitely a learning experience,” said Rocha, 24, who scored a second-round knockout victory over James Bacon in June to improve his record to 17-1, 11 KOs.  “Manny has a very awkward style to fight because his punches come from all directions.  He has fast and heavy hands and he throws punches in bunches.      

**************************

Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence will kick off the promotional campaign side by side this Sunday, July 11, when they will appear for a live televised press conference on FOX (and the FOX Sports app) beginning at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.  The hour-long program will feature commentary from former opponents Keith “One Time” Thurman and “Showtime” Shawn Porter, who will offer their analysis before Pacquiao and Spence return to their training camps.

Remaining tickets for the Pacquiao-Spence world championship event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, MP Promotions and Man Down Promotions, can be purchased through t-mobilearena.com and axs.com.

         #         #          #

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

TULSA, OK (July 9, 2021) — Nine months after boxing’s most controversial conclusion of 2020, WBA super flyweight world champion Joshua “El Profesor” Franco and Australia’s former world champion Andrew “The Monster” Moloney will settle the score in the third chapter of their rivalry Saturday, Aug. 14 at Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
 
In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated WBO International junior welterweight champion Arnold Barboza Jr. will take on Antonio “Tono” Moran. 
 
The four-round middleweight special attraction will see the highly anticipated professional debut of Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, against an opponent to be named.
 
This titanic Tulsa tripleheader will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Andrew’s twin brother, bantamweight contender Jason “Mayhem” Moloney, will fight Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. in a 10-rounder that will be among the undercard fights streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ before the televised tripleheader. Tulsa fan-favorite Trey Lippe Morrison (17-0, 17 KOs) and emerging junior lightweight prospect Karlos Balderas (9-1, 8 KOs) will fight on the undercard in six-round bouts, while Tulsa-born heavyweight prospect Jeremiah Milton (3-0, 3 KOs) will see action in a four-rounder.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Tony Holden Productions and Golden Boy Promotions, tickets starting at $49.50 go on sale Tuesday, July 13 at 10 a.m. CST and can be purchased at tickets.hardrockcasinotulsa.com and at the Box Office at 918-384-ROCK (7625).
 
“The Hard Rock and the fight fans of Tulsa are in for a treat with a grudge match between Franco and Moloney, an all-action fight between Barboza and Moran, and the professional debut of a special young man in Nico Ali Walsh,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.
 
Franco (17-1-2, 8 KOs), from San Antonio, Texas, upset Moloney (21-1, 14 KOs) via unanimous decision last June to win the world title. In their November 2020 rematch, Moloney dominated Franco over the first two rounds before swelling under Franco’s right eye prompted the fight to be stopped. Many ringside observers believed a punch caused the damage, which would’ve resulted in a TKO victory for Moloney. The referee in Nevada determined the swelling came from a headbutt, and following a nearly 30-minute replay review, a no contest meant Franco retained his title. The controversy did not subside, and less than one month after the disputed conclusion, the WBA mandated a third fight.
 
“I’m very excited for this third fight with Moloney. I’ve been preparing very well for this fight, and I’m feeling stronger than ever,” Franco said. “I hope everybody tunes in come fight night because it’s going to be one to remember. I will remind Moloney why I’m the champ. And still!”
 
Moloney said, “I’ve had to wait nine months to once again fight for what should have been mine back in November. There is no way I’ll be leaving that ring without my world title this time. I’m sure when he looks at himself in the mirror, he knows deep down he’s not the real champion. He knows there was no head clash. I’ve stayed in the gym and used this time to improve as a fighter. He is up against an even better fighter than he was the last time around. He’s in trouble.”
 
Barboza (25-0, 10 KOs), from South El Monte, California, is the WBO No. 3 contender, a 29-year-old who has steadily risen the ranks since turning pro more than eight years ago. After a 3-0 2019 campaign that saw him knock out former world champion Mike Alvarado, he notched a pair of significant wins in 2020 with decisions over Tony Luis and Alex Saucedo. Barboza now readies for Moran (26-4-1, 19 KOs), a native of Mexico City who is 2-0-1 since a 2019 defeat to Devin Haney.
 
Barboza said, “I’ve been in the gym since the Saucedo fight, and I’m looking forward to this one. He’s a tough, experienced fighter, and we’re looking to put on a good show. I don’t pay too much attention to the rankings. I always train like it’s a world title fight, and I expect Moran to give a great effort.”
 
Jason Moloney (21-2, 18 KOs) is a two-time bantamweight world title challenger who attempted to take down pound-for-pound great Naoya “Monster” Inoue last October. Inoue prevailed by seventh-round knockout, but Moloney returns to action intent on etching his name among the division’s top contenders. Chicago native Greer (22-2-2, 12 KOs), who climbed the world rankings following a string of dramatic knockouts, is 0-1-1 in his last two bouts and eager to recapture the form that saw him knock out seven straight foes from 2017-2019.
 
Jason Moloney said, “I’m excited to finally be back after what will be nearly 10 months out of the ring. After the disappointment with Inoue, I went straight back into the gym, and I’ve been working extremely hard. I learned a lot from that fight, and it has pushed me and motivated me to improve and reach another level. This is a must-win fight for both myself and Greer, but this is my road back to a world title, and no one will stop me from achieving my dream of becoming champion of the world.”
 
Greer said, “I’m dialed in and having a great camp in Las Vegas. My trainer, Kay Koroma, has added a lot to my game. No stone will be left unturned. Jason Moloney is another top contender, and at this level, you need other good fighters to bring the best out of you. I’m ready to mix it up with him on August 14. I’m thankful to Top Rank, James Prince and Antonio Leonard for this opportunity.”

10 Rnds WBO Intercontinental Light-heavyweight Title
LYNDON ARTHUR – 12st 6lbs 10oz
v
DAVIDE FARACI – 12st 6lbs 12oz

10 Rnds WBO International Super-middleweight Title
ZACHARY PARKER – 11st 13lbs 7oz
v
SHERZOD KHUSANOV – 11st 13lbs 12oz

10 Rnds Vacant WBO Global Super-featherweight Title 
ARCHIE SHARP – 9st 3lbs 4oz
v 
DIEGO ANDRADE – 9st 3lbs 11oz

8 Rnds Bantamweights
DENNIS McCANN – 8st 8lbs 4oz
v
JOHN CHUWA – 8st 8lbs 9oz

6 Rnds Lightweights
SAM NOAKES – 9st 12lbs 9oz
v
LEE CONNELLY – 9st 12lbs 1oz

6 Rnds Featherweights
MUHAMMAD ALI – 9st 6lbs 1oz
v
LEE GLOVER  – 9st 5lbs 7oz

4 Rnds Light-heavyweights
KAROL ITAUMA – 12st 6lbs 10oz
v
TIM VENTRELLA – 12st 7lbs 6oz

London, UK (9 July 2020) British cruiserweight contender Isaac Chamberlain spoke exclusively with Ali Drew for Hennessy Sports’ YouTube channel about his career saving shoulder surgery as he gears up for his long awaited return to the ring.

Chamberlain has been out of action so far this year as he underwent major surgery for his right shoulder following a severe injury suffered in sparring in early November last year ahead of a title fight on a show planned for later that month and a win would have seen Chamberlain back into the world top ten rankings and world title contention.

The problem first started when the Brixton boy dislocated his shoulder in the third round of his Southern Area Cruiserweight title fight against Wadi Camacho in September 2016 and after incredibly ‘popping’ it back in, he bravely fought on and won by four rounds on the score cards in one of the fights of the year.

IC then went into a number of fights carrying the injury, including his big showdown with rival Lawrence Okolie in February 2018, unable to punch with his right hand properly and just getting through with his talent and heart.

Following his points over Luke Watkins in October 2018, Chamberlain was sidelined as he saw out a managerial contract, but was then signed by promoter Mick Hennessy and made his return in August last year with quick stoppage wins against Antony Wollery and Matt Sen just two weeks’ apart.

After succumbing to the injury in training again earlier this year, Chamberlain saw a specialist and it was advised that he have surgery to repair the shoulder to continue his career. A successful operation conducted by a world leading surgeon has since seen Chamberlain undergo intense rehabilitation and is raring to get back in the ring.

Chamberlain said, “Whilst I was preparing for a title fight that was going to get me into the top ten in the world, I was sparring and I had a massive…I basically tore my rotator cuff [right shoulder], all the muscles in my rotator cuff and obviously that was very painful, so I had to have surgery and it’s been very, very difficult but I just have to trust the process,”

“I’ve been doing my rehab for a while now, we really tried to rush it and get back on May 22nd, I’ve been seeing all my friends fighting and obviously I couldn’t. So I was kind of thinking of doing that, but Mick was like be really, really careful. I would have had to start sparring 5 weeks before that and my shoulder was nowhere near as close to being prepared for strenuous exercise, so we had to delay and wait to fight on the next show,”

“The shoulder has been healing up very, very well, it’s getting a lot stronger. There’s a lot of promise in getting the right hand back and in all of my fights before, I kind of never really used it since 2016 with the fight with Wadi Camacho. So it feels great, like a massive breath of fresh air that I can use my right hand in full confidence in my arsenal as it wasn’t really there before so I had to sacrifice and use different types of techniques. That’s why I was always knocking guys out with a body shot or a left, never a right hand I never really felt a one-two or a double jab-right hand, so I had to really change the way I fight and it worked to a certain extent, but if you really want to fight the best in the world and really be with the elites you need to not be at a disadvantage,”

“I’ve always wanted to be among the best, I always wanted to get in there and show…forgetting how my body actually feels. As boxers you’re so so tough and you’re just thinking ‘I can get through whatever, I just need to fight, I can get through whatever,’ and you forget the things that are being detrimental in the long run and that’s a result of what happened with me,”

“But it’s okay, everything is sorted out and it’s full steam ahead and I really believe it’s not going to be anymore setbacks,”

“Everything I do and everything that happens to me I find a way to use it as motivation, I always try to find a way to use it as motivation, this has happened how can I deal with the situation that happened to me.”

Further details will be released shortly about Chamberlain’s return fight date.

For any interview opportunities with Chamberlain, please email: richard@maynardcomms.com

For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports