LAS VEGAS (June 24, 2021) — Former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko is ready for the next chapter. Eight months after losing an undisputed lightweight title match to Teofimo Lopez, “Loma” returns Saturday night in a 12-round lightweight bout against Japanese contender Masayoshi Nakatani at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

In the 10-round middleweight co-feature, undefeated sensation Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly will fight former world champion Rob “Bravo” Brant. 

Both fights will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with undercard bouts set to begin on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT.

At the final press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I can’t wait to be back in the ring. I’m very excited and I want to show my best skills. I want to prove to myself, my family, my friends, my team, who I am in the ring.” 

“He is a tough guy. He has the height and the reach. I think he is a very good boxer. That’s why he was my choice as an opponent.” 

“It’s great to have fans {in the crowd}. They push us in the ring. They give us energy.” 

“I have a fight this Saturday, and after that, we can talk about a rematch. I want it!” 

Masayoshi Nakatani

“A fellow Japanese fighter {Inoue last week} having a great performance is very motivating for me.” 

“This is a fight that I have to win and that I want to win.” 

“When this fight came up, I felt that it is the biggest fight of my career. But getting the fight doesn’t mean anything. I must win for this fight to mean something. I’m going to win!” 

Rob Brant

“I’m feeling amazing. It’s never a surprise being the underdog. I’m looking forward to it. You have to take the risks. I have no problem with being the underdog.” 

“I learned a lot of patience and guidance from my trainer, {Brian} ‘BoMac’ McIntyre. I have always been known as a high-volume boxer, but with BoMac I have learned and developed a lot of the patience.” 

“This is Top Rank. Everyone wants to be at the highest level, and I want to prove that I belong here. My focus is 100 percent on beating Janibek on Saturday.” 

Janibek Alimkhanuly

“This fight is very important for me. I’m 100 percent ready, and Saturday night I’m going to show what ‘Qazaq Style’ is all about. Very soon I’ll be fighting as the main event.” 

“Three years ago, I started training with Buddy McGirt. I like him a lot. He is looking to add more tools to the style that I already have. We are already looking to win a world title together.” 

SATURDAY, June 26, 2021

ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Masayoshi Nakatani, 12 rounds, lightweight

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Rob Brant, 10 rounds, Alimkhanuly’s WBO Global and WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Titles

ESPN+, 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT

Giovani Santillan vs. Cecil McCalla, 10/8 rounds, welterweight

Robert Rodriguez vs. Luis Fernando Saavedra, 6 rounds, bantamweight

Guido Vianello vs. Marlon Williams, 4 rounds, heavyweight

Floyd Diaz vs. Jaime Jasso, 4 rounds, bantamweight

Subaru Murata vs. Keven Monroy, 4 rounds, junior featherweight

DeMichael Harris vs. Jonatan Hernan Godoy, 4 rounds, lightweight

New York, New York (June 24, 2021)

There is just something about heavyweight boxing! On July 24, at the SSE Arena in Wembley, United Kingdom, CARLOS TAKAM (39-5-1 28KO’S) is set to fight JOE “THE JUGGERNAUT” JOYCE (12-0 11KO’S) with high stakes in the heavyweight division on the line.

While the fists will fly on July 24th in Wembley, the jabs have already begun on social media. Earlier this week, BT Sports, who will be airing the heavyweight bout, tweeted a video of Joe Joyce sparring, in which manager Sam Jones, warns Takam – “if [Takam] hits Joe clean in the early rounds it’s the worst thing that could happen because it will make Joe more mad and he will go to work.”

Boxing on BT Sport ? on Twitter: “? @mrsamjones88 has…

? @mrsamjones88 has warned @carlos_takam, if he gets @JoeJoyceBoxing mad, The Juggernaut will go to work ? #JoyceTakam pic.twitter.com/qYjmA7KpVC

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Takam did not take kindly to Jones words of advice, responding via his twitter @Carlos_Takam, “I am ready to work even before I am hit, this is the difference here. #TeamTakam”

Carlos Takam on Twitter: “I am ready to work even before …

I am ready to work even before I am hit, this is the difference here #TeamTakam https://t.co/XyKp8fnvm6

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Takam respects Joyce as a fighter, but knows that a world title shot could be in the cards with a big time victory on July 24th. Jones was not afraid to counterpunch the Cameroon born heavyweight’s rebuttal, “He didn’t turn up to spar Joe [in] vegas, let’s hope he turns up July 24.”

Sam Jones on Twitter: “He didn’t turn up to spar Joe on…

He didn’t turn up to spar Joe on vegas let’s hope he turns up July 24 ? https://t.co/RG8bsyolWI

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As things are heating up ahead of this highly anticipated heavyweight battle on social media, one thing is for certain, words are words, but only time will tell which man will rise to the occasion and take what he believes is rightfully his.

Joyce-Takam is promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

LAS VEGAS, NV (June 24, 2021) – Thompson Boxing Promotions’ undefeated super welterweight contender, Giovani Santillan (26-0, 15 KOs), returns to the ring this Saturday, June 26, 2021, against Cecil McCalla (23-4, 10 KOs). The 10-round bout, promoted by Top Rank, takes place in Las Vegas on the undercard of Vasily Lomachenko vs. Masayoshi Nakatani. Santillan-McCalla will be among the undercard bouts streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT.

Santillan, who will be making his 2021 debut, feels confident going into this bout after having a great training camp.

“I put in a lot of hard work with my team and took my strength and conditioning to new levels,” said Santillan. “I’m feeling extremely confident that I’ll be able to perform at a very high level in every round because I made all the needed sacrifices to be in the best shape of my life. I want to leave no doubt in the judge’s minds with an electrifying performance, and my mind will be on stopping McCalla before the final bell rings. I’m looking to steal the show.”

“Giovanni is really focused for this fight,” stated promoter Ken Thompson. “He’s on the verge of landing a big fight and a victory will solidify him as a top contender, one who will be eligible to fight for a world title soon. We are proud of his accomplishments and want to see him shine this Saturday.”

Julio Cesar Martinez says he’s eager to make up for lost time as he prepares to defend his WBC World Flyweight title against Joel Cordova in the headline fight of the opening event of Matchroom and DAZN’s new series of fight nights in Mexico with Canelo Promotions and Clase y Talento on Saturday night at the Dome Alcalde – CODE Jalisco in Guadalajara, live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FROM M$150

Martinez’s (17-1 13 KOs) reign as champion has been blighted by injury since landing the green and gold strap in December 2019, ruling him out of two defenses against McWilliams Arroyo in Tulsa, Oklahoma last summer and in Miami, Florida in February.

When the 26 year old does put his belt on the line, he does so in exciting fashion, with impressive wins over Cristofer Rosales, Jay Harris and Moises Calleros Garcia to date, but having been unable to face Arroyo and move onto the unification fights he desires, ‘El Rey’ feels that Saturday night’s all-Mexican clash is an important moment to show that he’s the top dog at 112lbs.

“I am happy and excited to be back in the ring and have the chance to make up for lost time,” said Martinez. “It’s already been more than four months without a fight. I am so disappointed that two fights fell through but here’s hoping to return as I’ve always said, with everything except fear, and to always leave everything on the ring.

“It was the hand thing. I was boxing with super tough guys and in one clash, all good clashes by the way, I hit a guy in the head and my metacarpal swelled. I was going to move forward, but Mr. Eddy Reynoso and Mr. Mauricio Sulaimán saw the lesion and thought it was too swollen, so they opted to take care of me and not let me fight.

“Now I am happy but at the same time sad as I had great opportunities and because there you can see the support and thank God, I was given all the support by Mr. Sulaimán, Mr. Eddie Hearn, and Mr. Reynoso.

“We know Cordova and he knows it. It’s going to be a very good fight. I have boxed with him before. At one time, we sparred with him. We did a collaboration for el Gallito, sparring as part of an exhibition. The guy has a lot of heart, he also likes to go forward and I feel that a fight with a lot of action is going to be very good. And as always, let the best man win.

“As always, to do what I know, what I have trained for with my coach Mauricio Aceves. Attack, not get too crazy, take care of myself and move forward, throw out my combinations. We are ready for the twelve rounds or, God willing, the fight reaches a knockout.”

Martinez’s clash with Cordova is is part of a stacked card in Guadalajara, with Cuba’s Daniel Matellon (11-0-2 6 KOs) making the first defends of his interim WBA World Light-Flyweight title against Jose Argumedo (24-4-1 15 KOs).

There is a 12th pro-outing for rising Mexican-American starlet Diego Pacheco (11-0 8 KOs), Gabriel Valenzuela (23-2-1 13 KOs) looks to build on his impressive win in London, England over Robbie Davies Jr in February against Juan Ocura (14-14-1 6 KOs), Christian Alan Gomez Duran (20-2-1 18 KOs) features on the card having recorded stoppage wins on two Canelo cards in December and May against unbeaten Jorge Sanchez (13-0 5 KOs).

LAS VEGAS (June 24, 2021) — The Ali legend lives on. 
 
Nico Ali Walsh, the 20-year-old grandson of the “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, has signed a multi-fight promotional pact with Top Rank and will turn pro in a four-round middleweight bout Saturday, Aug. 14 live on ESPN.
 
Ali Walsh is the son of retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Robert Walsh and Rasheda Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali’s daughter and a noted public speaker who uses her platform to raise money for Parkinson’s research.  
 
“I’m doing what I love,” Ali Walsh said. “Signing with Top Rank is a dream come true. I’m going to have fun on Aug. 14 and the next time I fight. Top Rank will give me the name, date and location, and I’ll have a great time. I am honored to continue the fighting legacy that my grandfather started. It is a responsibility I don’t take lightly.”
 
Ali Walsh, who was born on Chicago’s South Side and now resides in Las Vegas, had roughly 30 amateur fights. As a young child in Chicago, he made his amateur debut at a benefit for St. Baldrick’s Foundation and broke out the Ali Shuffle. Ali Walsh graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in 2018 and is currently a full-time student at UNLV, where he is on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business next spring. 
 
He’ll be juggling classes and fighting as he embarks on his pro career under the guidance of Bob Arum, who promoted 27 of his grandfather’s fights, including the epic “Thrilla in Manila” bout against Joe Frazier and the rubber match against Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium. Ali Walsh’s uncle, Mike Joyce, brokered the deal with Top Rank and will serve as his nephew’s manager, agent and attorney.
 
“Family history and legacy was a big factor in Nico signing with Top Rank,” Joyce said. “I’ve signed many fighters to Top Rank, and Bob has always treated them fairly. Nico was a little bit in awe of Bob, and it cemented his belief that he was with the right promoter. He thinks this is going to be a historic journey.” 
 
“Nico’s grandfather was a pretty good fighter,” Arum quipped. “Hopefully, Nico will emulate his success. He’s a young man of great character, which one would expect from Muhammad Ali’s grandson.”
 
Ali Walsh has enlisted a pair of Kronk Gym’s most notable figures for his in-ring development. SugarHill Steward, nephew of the late Emanuel Steward and the head trainer of WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, will be his chief second. Richard T. Slone, who held numerous positions at Kronk and is now a world-renowned artist, will be in Ali Walsh’s corner as a trainer and cut man. During a recent training camp in Las Vegas, he sparred former world champion Julian Williams and unbeaten junior welterweight contender Shohjahon Ergashev.
 
Some of Ali Walsh’s earliest gym memories are with his grandfather by his side. Ali remains a symbol of sport and humanity to countless people, but to Ali Walsh, he’s the beloved grandpa he calls “Poppy.” 
 
Ali Walsh said, “To me, I was hanging out in the gym with my grandfather. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he’s everyone’s idol.”

SHOWTIME Sports continues to unveil its busiest and most comprehensive combat sports schedule yet with boxing, BELLATOR MMA and extensive behind-the-scenes coverage across all events. Following is a glance at what fight fans can expect to see over the next seven weeks on SHOWTIME.

*Plus, the BELLATOR 261 weigh-in is LIVE now, and the Davis-Barrios press conference will be live at 1 p.m. ET.

FRIDAY, JUNE 25 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE IN BELLATOR MMA:

• On Friday night, No. 1 ranked heavyweight Tim Johnson and No. 3 ranked heavyweight Valentin Moldavsky will vie for the interim title in the main event of BELLATOR MMA 261. The talented and versatile Sean Grande, voice of the Boston Celtics, will act as play-by-play announcer. Grande fills in for SHOWTIME Sports’ lead play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo, who will be ringside for boxing the following night in Atlanta.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT– GERVONTA “TANK” DAVIS RETURNS TO SHOWTIME PPV:

• One of boxing’s biggest attractions returns to the ring as Gervonta “Tank” Davis jumps up two weight classes to the 140-pound division to take on undefeated Mario “El Azteca” Barrios, the WBA Super Lightweight World Champion. It is the second SHOWTIME PPV main event for Baltimore’s Davis, who seeks to conquer a third weight division against San Antonio’s Barrios. The last time boxing fans saw Davis, he scored one of the most sensational knockouts of 2020 against decorated champion Leo Santa Cruz on Halloween. Davis closed out 2019 with a spectacular performance against Yuriorkis Gamboa in front of a sold-out State Farm Arena crowd where he will return on Saturday night.

• SHOWTIME PPV OVERVIEW: Saturday’spay-per-view co-feature pits two top 154-pound contenders as Erickson “Hammer” Lubin faces former unified champion Jeison Rosario in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator. Plus, super welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on Mexico’s Alexis Salazar in a 10-round showdown and hard-hitting Olympian Batyr Akhmedov steps in against former world champion Argenis Mendez in a 12-round WBA Super Lightweight Title Eliminator to kick off the telecast.

• Viewers can purchase the telecast at SHO.com/PPV and watch live on any SHOTWIME supported device.  The event is also available via all traditional cable and satellite providers and via PlayStation store and Sling TV. Davis vs. Barrios is also available at select closed-circuit locations and movie theatres.

SATURDAY, JULY 3 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – SHOWTIME RETURNS TO THE WAR GROUNDS:

• Expect nothing but fireworks on Independence Day weekend as undefeated Interim WBA Super Featherweight Champion Chris “Primetime” Colbert continues his rise to stardom in one of boxing’s elite divisions. Colbert will face hard-hitting 130-pound contender Tugstsogt “King Tug” Nyambayar on Saturday, July 3, headlining the live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The SHOWTIME telecast will feature unbeaten rising star Michel Rivera battling lightweight contender Jon Fernández in a 135-pound WBA title eliminator in the co-main event as well as highlights of undefeated super lightweight contender Richardson Hitchins squaring off against Darwin Price in a 10-round duel.

SATURDAY, JULY 3 – ALL ACCESS: DAVIS VS. BARRIOS EPILOGUE:

• The Emmy® Award-winning series ALL ACCESS is on hand in Atlanta to reveal never-before-seen moments from fight week, intimate scenes from the locker rooms before and after the fight and inside the ropes on Saturday night. ALL ACCESS: Epilogue premieres immediately following next week’s live telecast of Colbert vs. Nyambayar. Catch up on ALL ACCESS: DAVIS vs. BARRIOS Episode One and Episode Two before Saturday’s PPV telecast.

FRIDAY, JULY 16 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – BELLATOR 262:

• The main event features undefeated 125-pound world champion Juliana Velasquez (11-0) making the first defense of her title against BELLATOR Kickboxing’s Flyweight World Champion and No. 4 ranked Denise Kielholtz (6-2).

SATURDAY, JULY 17 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – UNDISPUTED STATUS ON THE LINE IN HISTORIC BOUT:

• In less than one month, Houston’s Jermell Charlo will look to make boxing history when he defends his WBC, WBA and IBF belts against WBO champion Brian Castaño in one of the most anticipated and important fights of the year. Both fighters aim to achieve something that has never been done before by becoming the first undisputed champ at 154 pounds in the four-belt era. Despite being a pay-per-view caliber scrap, fight fans can witness boxing history on SHOWTIME. “If he’s saying he’s going to make me risk my life, what do you think I’m going to make him do with his?” said Jermell at last week’s kickoff press conference. “Charlo is strong and a good boxer but he has never suffered in the ring before. He will on July 17,” said Castaño.

FRIDAY, JULY 23 – SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION TURNS 20-YEARS-OLD:

• ShoBox: The New Generation celebrates its 20-year anniversary with a four-fight card Friday, July 23. The popular series debuted in Atlantic City on July 21, 2001 and has produced 84 fighters who later went on to win a world title. Just as it has for the past 20 years, the upcoming quadruple-header will feature prospects matched tough.

SATURDAY, JULY 31: THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FIGHT IN BELLATOR MMA HISTORY:

• The greatest BELLATOR fighter of all-time, Patricio Pitbull, meets the greatest homegrown BELLATOR talent of all-time, AJ McKee, in the finals of the BELLATOR Featherweight World Grand Prix. What began with 16 featherweight athletes vying for a one-million-dollar grand prize has come down to Pitbull, the BELLATOR MMA No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, and the 17-0 knockout artist McKee, in what will be the most significant BELLATOR fight in history.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 – BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE UNIFICATION FIGHT SET:

• Another significant world championship unification fight will take place on SHOWTIME on Saturday, August 14 as the WBC Bantamweight World Champion Nonito Donaire will face WBO Bantamweight World Champion John Riel Casimero in a 118-pound bout with Filipino bragging rights also at stake.

FEATHERWEIGHT hope Muhammad Ali is already thinking of greatness after just two professional fights.

He might share his name with ‘The Greatest,’ but the Bradford boxer believes he is also heading to the top.

Ali, 25, hopes to make it a hat-trick of professional wins when he faces Lee Glover (11-4, 3 KOs) at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Saturday July 10, live on BT Sport.

The 2016 Olympian is already talking of moving up in class and conquering the best with the ultimate target American ace Shakur Stevenson.

First he fancies challenging Queensberry stablemates Louie Lynn, the WBC International Silver Featherweight champion, and WBO World ranked number four Super-Featherweight, Archie Sharp.

Sharp is also in action on the impressive Royal Albert Hall bill on July 10th, when he faces Marcio Soza for the WBO Global belt.

“I wanna go all the way. I have dedicated my life to this sport,” insisted Ali (2-0).

“I have got no animosity towards Archie. I just want to fight him. It will be entertaining.

“We sparred when we were on Team GB when I was a Flyweight and he was a bit heavier but we’re almost the same weight now.

“Louie Lynn is also very good. He has a similar style to myself  – is busy and throws a lot of punches.

“I beat him quite easily in the Senior ABAs but that was five or six years ago. Time moves on and anything could happen.”

Stevenson is tipped to become an all-time great, and Ali who is trained in Manchester by Anthony Farnell accepts that dream match is some way off still.

He added: “If I keep doing well and get up to that level I would love to fight him. Hopefully we can that fight on down the line.

“If I keep winning and move up to that weight, I would love that down the line.

“I am a big Featherweight and it will be natural for me to move up. I don’t think I will have to try too hard.”

Ali turned professional in February 2020 with a disqualification win against Stefan Sashev, and followed that up in December by outpointing Jamie Quinn.

He hopes former English title challenger Glover will be more ambitious than his previous professional opponents.

Ali said: “For my last opponents I might as well have stayed in the gym and punched a bag. Hopefully this guy throws something back.”

Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur (18-0, 12 KOs) headlines the Royal Albert Hall bill on July 10th. He makes the first defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Italian Davide Faraci (15-0, 7 KOs).

The Mancunian’s bitter rival Anthony Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) faces unbeaten German Emin Atra (17-0, 12 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.

 Also on the bill WBO ranked number one Super-Middleweight Zach Parker (20-0, 14 KOs) will defend his WBO International belt against Uzbek Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10 KOs).

WBO ranked number four Super-Featherweight, Archie Sharp (19-0, 9 KOs) meets Nicaragua’s Marcio Soza (21-6-2, 12 KOs) with the vacant WBO Global championship on the line.

Prodigious bantamweight talent Dennis McCann (9-0, 5 KOs) faces Tanzanian John Chuwa (20-4, 10 KOs).

Elsewhere on the card, 2016 Olympian Muhammad Ali (2-0) will have his third professional assignment against Lee Glover (11-4, 3 KOs), with Lightweight KO-artist Sam Noakes (5-0, 5 KOs) and Light-Heavyweight former Olympic Youth champion Karol Itauma (2-0, 1 KO) also featuring.

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 23, 2021) – Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (41-0, 27 KOs), Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (31-1-1, 15 KOs) and Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (20-0, 8 KOs) hosted a media workout today at Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood, California ahead of their respective bouts. All three will return on July 9 live on DAZN from Banc of California Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles.

Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy, also attended the workout.

Below is what today’s participants had to say.

GILBERTO RAMIREZ, Light Heavyweight Contender:
“I feel grateful and happy to be fighting on July 9. It will be an amazing night. There will be a lot of Latinos and a lot of Mexican people supporting. It has given me an additional motivation. It’s going to be a great night, along with Joseph Diaz Jr. and Seniesa Estrada.”

“I expect an explosive fight. We both will come forward. People like seeing explosive fights, and that’s what we are going to deliver. I am doing everything I can in camp to make sure that I win.”

“I’m happy to be with Golden Boy. I joined them because Oscar De La Hoya is my idol. I have been watching him since I was a kid. Also, he is a legend, and that’s what I want to be as well. Together we can make that happen.”

JOSEPH DIAZ JR., Former IBF Super Featherweight Champion:
“I’m ready to defeat this boogeyman that everyone is scared to fight. I’m not afraid or worried about anything he’s going to bring inside that ring. I’ve seen it all already. I’ve covered all of my bases in training camp, and I’m ready to perform on July 9.”

“I’m ready to brawl with him, but I don’t think he’ll want to exchange once he feels my power. He’s going to try to be elusive and try to box. That’s the fight I am expecting. But I can also work with other styles too. If he wants to brawl, we can do that too.”

“I want to deliver a spectacular performance. I’m going there to try to hurt Javier Fortuna. I’m really focused. I’ve just had one of the best training camps of my entire career, and I’m ready.”

SENIESA ESTRADA, WBA Minimumweight World Champion:
“I just fought for a world title in March. Then, I took a couple weeks off training and went right back into the gym. I’m happy to be fighting for another world title. I feel comfortable at all these weight classes, and I see myself fighting and defending titles at 105, 112 and 115 pounds.”

“Tenkai Tsunami is a tough fighter. She has fought in different weight classes, and she has even gone as high as bantamweight. Although she has some losses, they’ve been against legit champions. She has never been stopped either. That shows that she always goes in there to win and to fight.”

“By fighting smart and sticking to my game plan, I will be successful. I think that if all goes as planned, I could even stop her.”

#

Zurdo vs. Barrera is a 12-round special attraction in the light heavyweight division presented by Golden Boy in association with Zurdo Promotions. Diaz Jr. vs. Fortuna is a 12-round battle for the vacant WBC Interim Lightweight Championship presented by Golden Boy in association with Sampson Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Friday, July 9 at Banc of California Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Tickets for Zurdo vs. Barrera are on sale and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges. In an effort to promote social distancing, tickets will initially be sold in pods/groupings of 2, 3, 4 and 6 people only, subject to change with local and state guidelines. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.bancofcaliforniastadium.com or www.ticketmaster.com. The Banc of California Stadium is located in historic Exposition Park, 3939 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90037.

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 #ZurdoBarrera

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

Diego Pacheco believes he’s the hottest young fighter in Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable, and he plans to prove it in style as he takes his spot on the opening event of Matchroom and DAZN’s new series of fight nights in Mexico with Canelo Promotions and Clase y Talento on Saturday night at the Dome Alcalde – CODE Jalisco in Guadalajara, live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FROM M$150

Pacheco moved to 11-0 in February with a points win over eight rounds on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’s win over Avni Yildirim at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, only the third time the 20 year old has gone the distance.

Pacheco fights over eight rounds for the second time in the ranks on Saturday, taking on the unbeaten Jesus Moroyoqui Palomares (7-0-1 4 KOs), and Pacheco believes he has the chance to feature heavily on the new shows and prove that he is the next star to breakthrough at Matchroom.

“I have fought on Canelo cards and Anthony Joshua cards, and I was the smallest guy on the card,” said Pacheco. “I feel that this sort of show that gives me the chance to take over the night and show everyone that I am next.

“I think that I am the best young fighter at Matchroom, but in my next two or three fights, for those that don’t believe it yet, I will prove that I am the best prospect at Matchroom, and the next big star in boxing.

“I always knew that I had what it takes to compete with anybody in the pro game. I’ve been going through the process slowly and I think that people are now recognizing that I am a talent and things like that, it’s pushing me to keep going because I know that I have a lot to learn and achieve in the sport, I’m so hungry and I want to show that I am going to be a World champion, and I want to fight for a World title when I am 22.

“I am not where I want to be but I happy with where I am going, I’m trusting the process and I know that nothing just happens overnight. I just have to stay dedicated; I have big dreams and a lot of other prospects that I get compared to are 24 or 25, people forget that I am only 20, I have a lot to learn, and I am not into my man strength yet.

“I think that at 21-22, people will see my full potential. I’m excited to be fighting on DAZN with the new Matchroom deal. It’s all over the world and I am going to get new fans watching me, so I want to put on a show.

“It was one of my toughest fights yet last time out, going through that has helped me in camp for this fight, I see things a little differently now. I’ve been sparring with Zurdo Ramirez in this camp, he’s got a fight soon, and here in LA you just meet at a gym at a certain time, and you all just work, so I am never worried about getting good sparring.”

Pacheco is part of a stacked card in Guadalajara, topped by all-action Mexican Julio Cesar Martinez (17-1 13 KOs) defending his WBC World Flyweight title against Joel Cordova (12-4-2 3 KOs).

There’s more World title action on the night with Cuba’s Daniel Matellon (11-0-2 6 KOs) making the first defends of his WBA World Light-Flyweight title against Jose Argumedo (24-4-1 15 KOs) with Matellon being elevated to full champion after landing the interim title in February 2020.

Gabriel Valenzuela (23-2-1 13 KOs) looks to build on his impressive win in London, England over Robbie Davies Jr in February by defending the IBF Intercontinental Super-Lightweight title he won that night against Juan Ocura (14-14-1 6 KOs), Christian Alan Gomez Duran (20-2-1 18 KOs) features on the card having recorded stoppage wins on two Canelo cards in December and May against unbeaten Jorge Sanchez (13-0 5 KOs).

ATLANTA (June 23, 2021) – Four-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and undefeated WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios took part in a media workout to kick off fight week at the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday ahead of this Saturday’s blockbuster SHOWTIME PPV® event.

Tickets for the live event presented by Premier Boxing Champions are on sale now and available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

Here is what Davis, Barrios and the rest of the fighters in attendance had to say on Wednesday:

GERVONTA DAVIS

“I’m excited to be in this position to be able to give the fans what they want to see, which is an exciting fight. Atlanta showed me love the last time I came, so why not come back?

“This is one of my toughest fights on paper. I’ll be ready and hopefully he’ll be ready, and we’ll give the fans what they want to see.

“Las Vegas is definitely a boxing town. My team is there at Mayweather Promotions and I brought my personal team out there as well. We’re all a family. We train together, get along, and help each other.

“There is no pressure on me, I am just going out there to do my job. It’s just another day at the job for me. Hopefully he’s ready because I’m definitely ready and we can give the fans what they want to see, which is a knockout.

“[Barrios] is a young champion. I’m going up two weight classes to face him. If they don’t give me the respect after this, I don’t know what I have to do. It’s pretty cool. This is actually the first time I’m fighting at this weight class. Whatever opportunities they give me at 135, or 140, I’ll take them.”

MARIO BARRIOS

“This is all brand new, but I’m taking it all in and excited to be in Atlanta. I’m just excited to go out there on Saturday and give everybody a great fight.

“No doubt about it, Tank is by far the toughest test for another title defense and I’m going to do whatever it takes to be successful on Saturday. There’s going to be fireworks on Saturday.

“This is a huge opportunity and I’m very excited for this chance. This is a very winnable fight for me, regardless of what everyone has been saying. I’m just excited to be back in the ring and in Atlanta.

“I think it’s not going to be until we both get in the ring that people realize how much size I really have for 140 pounds. Somehow, he’s still the favorite although he’s the challenger in this fight. I just take that as more motivation for me.

“Height-wise, reach. Those are the major advantages. I’m just as dangerous as he is. And just as explosive and just as fast. And I will show that on fight night.

“When they came to me, I said let’s do it but I was like, ‘I’m not going down to 135,’ and they said, ‘Nah, he’s going to come up.’ And I said, ‘Even better.’

“I’ve seen him fight plenty of times. He’s a great fighter and he’s been very successful at the lower weight divisions against the smaller opponents. But this is a different fight for him.

“I didn’t take too much from the Leo Santa Cruz fight. I felt [Gervonta] fought him the way he did because he didn’t respect Santa Cruz’s power. But with our fight he’s going to have no choice and he’s not going to fight me the way he fought Santa Cruz. Whatever he does fight night, I’m going to have to adapt.

“I’ve been boxing just as long as he has and I have an excellent boxing IQ, just as he has. It only takes one punch to change a fight, and he definitely has that one punch. But I’ll find out if that power carries over to 140 pounds.”

ERICKSON LUBIN

“We always work hard. Every camp is hard. It’s just that this time we added a little longer. We’ve been working since my last fight and I’m just so excited to go out there and display my talents.

“Me and Jeison Rosario, we’re both hungry. I just think I want it more and my preparation is going to speak for itself and the fans can only expect fireworks and the best of me.

“It’s not just one thing we’re working on; we’re working on everything to be our best. Everything is clicking on all cylinders right now. I feel I’m ready to fight. I’ve been ready to fight weeks ago. Everything is going to show on Saturday night.

“I’ve seen him fight against Charlo and others – I’ve seen enough. I know what I have to do to get him out of there. I’m a competitor and want to give the fans the best show.

“My loss affected me and motivated me big time. I know my abilities and I know what I’m capable of, so I just went back to the drawing board and took it all in. I understood how serious this sport is, and how unforgiving this sport is. So I knew I had to go out there and do things different to take my career to another level. That’s what I did.”

CARLOS ADAMES

“I felt great when I got the call to be on this card. I was very happy to get this opportunity.

“There are four corners in the ring, I am going to catch him eventually. Outside of the ring he may be able to run from me, but inside the ring he won’t be able to.

“It’s about a sense of responsibility. I’m always ready to fight regardless of how long I have to prepare. My responsibility is to always be ready whenever I am called upon to put on a good show for the fans.

“It’s a great opportunity and I’m very thankful to PBC and SHOWTIME for having me in consideration. I want to show what I am worth on Saturday.

“I know that my opponent is an aggressive fighter who throws a lot of punches with his right hand. I will be ready for anything. I have the capacity to adapt to whatever he wants to do, so I don’t care what he comes with because I am going to be ready.

“Being with PBC makes me feel closer to the belts. Now all I have to do is go in the ring and show what I am capable of to earn those belts as soon as possible.”

ALEXIS SALAZAR

“I had a lot of emotions when I learned I would be fighting on this card. More than anything, it was a dream come true because I have worked my entire life for this. I thank God for this opportunity and I’m going to take advantage of it.

“I can’t stay in front of my opponent for too long, I need to box against him. It’s what I know how to do and it’s what I’ve been preparing to do.

“I feel great and I feel really ready for this fight. This is my first time fighting in Atlanta, it’s a really nice city.

“It’s a great motivation for me to be moved up to the pay-per-view card. I feel more motivated to do what I know how to do. I train and work hard every day, so nothing’s new.

“I want to prove how ready I am and to reach new heights. I want to show people wherever you are from, it’s possible to reach your dreams. I train every day, and work hard every day and there is no better motivation for me than to work this hard and to fight on this stage.

“I’ve been getting great sparring and I’ve been training at Wild Card in Hollywood, and those guys are warriors. All my sparring partners are hungry and this past week they all showed it.

BATYR AKHMEDOV

“It is my first time being in Atlanta and it’s an honor for me to fight here on such a great card in front of such great people.

“Thank you so much for all of your support. I fought Mario in a World Title fight and went through a war, and now we work on the mistakes. I am ready to put on another performance, and I’ll do my best for the fans to enjoy an exciting fight.

“Under my coaches, Joel and Antonio Diaz, I have the best team in the world. It is a learning process every time whether it’s a win, lose, or draw. You have to make adjustments to your performances and that is what we did.

“I will do my best to bring the action and make the fans remember this fight. I already like the city of Atlanta. You can see right away that people like boxing here. It’s going to be a good card with good fights.

“I am very happy with the experience I have gotten in my previous fights and I expect it to help me in the future.”

ARGENIS MENDEZ

“I feel great, I’m very happy and very excited. I’m very happy to be here today and excited to leave with a victory.

“The most important thing is coming away with the victory. I am very focused on the fight this Saturday.

“The main event is really none of my business because in the end, I am focused on my fight. After Saturday night, I will care about whichever one of the two in the main event wins their fight because then they will be my next opponent.

“I think this will be an interesting fight because boxing has changed. Akhmedov is an Olympian, and despite the fact that he has fewer fights, he lost a controversial decision to Mario Barrios. I think this fight will present a lot of different challenges and it will be an interesting fight for everyone to see on Saturday night.

“My training was a bit peculiar in Manchester, England, which was a different setting for me. I loved every second of it. My coach couldn’t be here because of COVID-19 circumstances, but I am still supported by my team right here which is great. I’m really excited to show what I have been working on this Saturday night.”

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ABOUT DAVIS VS. BARRIOS

Davis vs. Barrios will see four-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis set his sights on capturing a title in a third weight class when he faces undefeated WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios in a SHOWTIME PPV main event Saturday, June 26 at the award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature a battle of two top 154-pound contenders as Erickson “Hammer” Lubin faces former unified champion Jeison Rosario in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Super welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on Mexico’s Alexis Salazar in a 10-round showdown and hard-hitting Olympian Batyr Akhmedov steps in against former world champion Argenis Mendez in a 12-round WBA Super Lightweight Title Eliminator to kick off the pay-per-view telecast.

The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions. The Akhmedov vs. Mendez fight is promoted in association with World of Boxing.

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

NEWARK, N.J. (June 23, 2021) – Rising unbeaten heavyweight Michael Coffie will square off against former world title challenger Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington in the 12-round main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, July 31 from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Welterweight prospect and New Jersey-native Vito Mielnicki Jr. will battle James Martin in an eight-round rematch in the co-main event, as Mielnicki looks to avenge the first loss of his career. Kicking off the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer takes on Dan Karpency in an eight-round battle.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale tomorrow, Thursday, June 24 at 12 p.m. ET and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

“Michael Coffie has risen up the heavyweight rankings quickly and will look to take another big step when he faces the always dangerous Gerald Washington live on FOX on Saturday, July 31,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “In the co-main event, the fans at Prudential Center will be in for a treat as New Jersey’s Vito Mielnicki Jr. steps right back into the ring seeking revenge against James Martin, after Martin spoiled his perfect record in April. Adding in the return of powerful prospect Joey Spencer, and this card is full of intriguing fights from top to bottom.”

A Marine Corps veteran who picked up boxing after returning from overseas, Coffie (12-0, 9 KOs) quickly impressed in amateur tournaments enough to earn sparring assignments with Deontay Wilder and Adam Kownacki. The 35-year-old was born in the Bronx, but now fights out of Brooklyn. Coffie broke through in 2020 by stopping previously unbeaten Luis Pena in the fifth round of their August matchup before earning a TKO over Joey Abell in November. Coffie added a highlight-reel knockout over previously unbeaten Darmani Rock in January of this year.

“This is going to be a really good fight,” said Coffie. “It’s a fight I need to get me moving in the right direction. I’ve been wanting to fight Washington for a while now. He’s only been beat by top level guys, and this is a way to prove that I belong in that class. It’s amazing to be headlining on FOX. This is a ‘no guts, no glory’ kind of fight. I have to take advantage of this opportunity in a step-up fight.”

Washington (20-4-1, 13 KOs) is a six-foot-six heavyweight contender who was a former college football standout at the University of Southern California and a U.S. Navy veteran. Born in San Jose, California, Washington most recently lost a contest against former heavyweight champion Charles Martin in February 2020. Prior to that fight, Washington had delivered a knockout of veteran contender Robert Helenius in July 2019. Washington was unbeaten in his first 19 pro fights before dropping his world title challenge to Deontay Wilder in February 2017.

“I’m real excited to be back in the ring and back on FOX,” said Washington. “This is another major opportunity for me and I’m going to do everything in my power to fully capitalize on it. Michael Coffie is a good fighter. I like what I’ve seen from him so far. Not to mention, we’re both veterans. I’m looking forward to this fight and I expect fireworks. I believe my experience will carry me to victory. “

Representing Roseland, New Jersey, Mielnicki (8-1, 5 KOs) will look to bounce back after losing by decision to Martin in April on FOX. The 19-year-old began turning heads during an exceptional amateur career where he compiled a 147-22 record and was named the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2011 Junior National Golden Gloves amongst many accolades before turning pro. Mielnicki was able to add four victories to his ledger in 2020 and he kicked off his 2021 campaign with a knockout of Noe Lopez in February on FOX.

“I believe everything happens for a reason and everyone has their own path,” said Mielnicki. “James Martin was the better man that night in our first fight, and I know what to expect from him come July 31. You won’t see a young prospect doing what I’m doing, making a rematch only four months after my first career loss, in my hometown and in front of my family and friends. Expect nothing but fireworks on July 31. I can’t wait to show the world why I’m different! Tune in and get your tickets now.”

The 24-year-old Martin (7-2) scored a career-best victory in upsetting the previously unbeaten Mielnicki in April. Martin first turned pro in 2017 and won his first four fights to begin his career. Fighting out of Philadelphia, Martin has won three of his last four showdowns dating back to late 2019, including dropping a decision to unbeaten prospect Xander Zayas in February.

“I am going for the knockout this time,” said Martin. “You will see me fight better. I feel I have the advantage, because I gave him his first loss, and he will always have that in the back of his head. I don’t think that he can bring anything different in the rematch.”

The 21-year-old Spencer (12-0, 9 KOs) turned pro in February 2017 and immediately caught the eye of fans and pundits with his combination of speed, power and athleticism. Following an impressive 2020 campaign which included a KO victory over Shawn West in August, the Linden, Michigan native kicked off 2021 with a first-round TKO over Isiah Seldon in January on FOX. Spencer will continue his march toward world title contention against Adah, Pennsylvania’s Karpency (9-3-1, 4 KOs).

“I can’t wait to get in the ring on July 31,” said Spencer. “I’m training hard to become the first person to knock out Karpency. I’m going to bring the fight for the fans like I always do and give everyone watching a great show.”

“I’m excited to fight one of boxing’s top prospects in Joey Spencer and I’m having a great training camp leading up to fight night,” said Karpency. “He’s an excellent fighter, but make no mistake, I’m coming to win on July 31. I’m a boxer-puncher and I can rely on either style. We’re going to adjust to what we see in the ring and take it from there. I’m grateful for this opportunity and I’m planning to make the most of it.”

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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 and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Fans of international boxing can wake up to boxing for brunch this Sunday, June 27, at 9:00 am ET (6:00 am PT), as Salita Promotions proudly presents another marathon 14-fight matinee of Russian boxing on their popular YOUTUBE CHANNEL, free of charge from the Soviet Wings Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia. The event, entitled “Fight and Win” and presented by Shamo Boxing in association with Salita Promotions, will feature a rugged eight-round battle between WBO #3 and IBF #7 bantamweight Nikolai Potapov (22-2-1, 11 KOs), of Podolsk, Russia, now residing Brooklyn, and Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania’s Oscar Richard (7-3-1, 2 KOs).

And in the 10-round co-main event, Beshariq, Uzbekistan’s Bakhromjon “B.F.” Fozilov (3-1-3, 3 KOs) will face 18-fight veteran Andrey Tomashchuk of Chelyabinsk, Russia for the WPBF International Middleweight Championship.

30-year-old Potapov has bounced back nicely from his highly controversial “loss” to fellow contender Josh Greer by scoring two big victories, including his last outing, a shutout unanimous decision over Ukraine’s then 16-2 Oleksandr Hryshchuk in December 2020 in Moscow. In his 11-year career, Potapov has already held the WBA Asia and WBO NABO Bantamweight Championships.

“I look forward to returning to the ring and putting on an exciting performance for my fans in Moscow and worldwide,” said Potapov, who has steadily moved back into contention for another big fight, whether a rematch against Greer or a challenge of one of the division’s champions.

Also scheduled for battle in featured fights are Saint Petersburg, Russia’s Zurab Kvitsiani (7-1, 2 KOs) taking on Khimki, Russia’s David Nikolaev (9-7-1, 5 KOs) in a middleweight eight-rounder; Grozny, Russia’s (via Almaty, Kazakhstan) undefeated super lightweight Shamil Malsagov (3-0, 1 KO) up against Ufa, Russia’s Rustem Fatkhullin (8-8, 3 KOs) over eight rounds; and once-beaten Tikhon Netesov of Irkutsk, Russia (5-1, 2 KOs) facing Khimki, Russia’s (via Vanadzor, Armenia) Arkadi Harutyunyan (4-17, 1 KO) in a six-round super lightweight battle.

The event’s complete bout sheet can be found HERE.

I am thrilled to bring a Sunday show from Moscow to boxing fans in the US via our YOUTUBE CHANNEL, said Dmitriy Salita. “Nikolai is one of the best bantamweights in the world. Coming off this weekend with Inoue’s incredible performance, I believe Nikolai will show that he is elite and ready to challenge ‘The Monster.’”
Calling the action in English will be Canada’s Corey Erdman, a commentary veteran for ESPN, NBC, CBS, SpikeTV, BoxNation, DAZN and SNY, as well as UFC Fight Pass’ recurring series Broadway Boxing. Erdman is also a lead columnist for Boxing Scene, and a regular combat sports contributor to VICE.

The livestream is part of Salita Promotions’ ever-expanding YOUTUBE CHANNEL, that already offers thousands of hours of past fights from many of the biggest names in boxing, free of charge, and attracts more than 5 million monthly views with 196,000 subscribers and hundreds of thousands of daily viewers. Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.

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

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

(June 23, 2021) —Welsh flyweight contender Jay Harris needs one more victory to receive a second crack at world title glory. Harris will take on Ricardo Sandoval in a 12-round IBF world title eliminator this Friday, June 25 from Bolton, England.
 
The co-feature will see former bantamweight world champion Paul Butler fight Mexican veteran Willibaldo Garcia in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBO International bantamweight title.
 
Harris-Sandoval and Butler-Garcia will headline a scheduled five-fight stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
 
Harris (18-1, 9 KOs) was one half of one of 2020’s best fights when he dropped a unanimous decision to Julio Cesar Martinez for the WBC flyweight world title. He returned in fine form last October, topping Marcel Braithwaite via unanimous decision to move up the rankings and into this title eliminator. Sandoval (18-1, 13 KOs), from Montclair, California, has won 14 consecutive bouts, including five straight by stoppage. He last fought in February 2020 and knocked out Filipino veteran Raymond Tabugon in seven rounds.
 
WBO No. 2 bantamweight contender Butler (32-2, 15 KOs) won the IBF bantamweight world title in 2014, then vacated the belt to challenge Zolani Tete for the IBF junior bantamweight world title. He fell to Tete via eighth-round stoppage but is 15-1 in the six-plus years since, winning regional titles at both junior bantamweight and bantamweight. Garcia (12-4-1, 6 KOs) is 11-1-1 since a 1-3 start to his career, with his only defeat in that stretch coming via majority decision to former world title challenger Alejandro Santiago Barrios. This will be his first fight outside of Mexico.
 
In other streaming action on ESPN+:

• Dublin-born junior welterweight prospect Pierce O’Leary (6-0, 2 KOs) will make his second appearance of 2021 against Czech veteran Jan Marsalek (8-3, 7 KOs) in a six-rounder. Marsalek last fought on the Canelo Alvarez-Billy Joe Saunders undercard in May and knocked down unbeaten prospect Kelvin Davis, ultimately losing a four-round unanimous decision.
   
• Undefeated lightweight contender Gary Cully (12-0, 6 KOs), who is coming off a March stoppage victory over Viktor Kotochigov, will fight Viorel Simion (22-5, 9 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Simion is a 15-year pro who has fought the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Lee Selby and Scott Quigg.
   
• In a 10-round eliminator for the British light heavyweight title, Hosea Burton (25-2, 11 KOs) will face Liam Conroy (18-6-1, 9 KOs), who has participated in a number of notable all-action brawls over the years. Burton and Conroy are each looking to bounce back from defeats suffered in MTK Global’s Golden Contract tournament. 

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 $12.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $18.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). 
 

MINNEAPOLIS (June 23, 2021) – Unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. will look to make the most of his first headlining appearance in his adopted hometown when he takes on unbeaten Mario Cazares this Sunday, June 27 in FOX PBC Fight Night action and on FOX Deportes from The Armory in Minneapolis.

“I’m coming in there to give my people in Minnesota what they want,” said Morrell. “I have a job to do. I had my professional debut at The Armory, but now that I’m the headliner in the main event, I’m even more excited to represent this city in front of my hometown crowd.

“I’m very grateful for everyone who’s coming out to support me. I’ve gotten a lot of messages from people that live here that want to come out and see me fight. My fans should expect nothing but the best out of me on Sunday. I’m going to put on a great show. Don’t blink because I’m coming out with everything I have. I won’t let anybody down. ”

The 23-year-old from Cuba has trained out of the Circle of Discipline Gym in Minneapolis since coming stateside to start his career, working alongside top welterweight Jamal James, amongst others. As he heads towards Sunday’s showdown, he’s confident that the work put into training camp will lead to even more improvement against Cazares.

“I’m already on weight and things are going really well,” said Morrell. “I’m ready to give the public what they want. This training camp I went from great to greater. It wasn’t necessarily about doing any one special thing this camp. It was more about working on everything. I train for all types of fighters and styles, and because of that, I’m ready for anything Cazares brings.”

In Cazares, Morrell will be facing an opponent entering this fight off of a career-best victory over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Although Cazares enters the matchup with three times as many pro fights as his foe, Morrell is not worried about Cazares bringing anything he’s not prepared for.

“Cazares has some good qualities as a boxer, but nothing that I haven’t seen before,” said Morrell. “I’ve seen some videos from when he fought Chavez Jr. I respect Cazares as a fighter and I wish him well. He’s a good boxer and I expect him to fight hard.”

After 2020 saw him win a 12-round decision over Lennox Allen and knockout Mike Gavronski in a pair of bouts on FOX, Morrell is eager to show off the talent that has him already nearing the top of the super middleweight division.

“I have to show everyone the work that I’ve put in,” said Morrell. “In this fight, everyone is going to see more speed and more combinations. People have different opinions of what a top fighter should be. I believe that I’m just different because of my unique style of boxing that I’m going to display on Sunday.”

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.

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ABOUT MORRELL VS. CAZARES
Morrell vs. Cazares will see Cuban sensation and unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. defend his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cázares in a 12-round duel that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features cruiserweight knockout artist Efetobor Apochi taking on fellow unbeaten Brandon Glanton in the 10-round co-main event, and rising super lightweight contender Omar “El Relámpago” Juárez battling All Rivera in a 10-round attraction to kick off the telecast.

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.

DENNIS MCCANN IS promising to turn up the heat when he takes on John Chuwa after applying the slow cooker across two tough eight-round encounters.

McCann, 20, after becoming only the second man in over 80 to stop Brett Fidoe last August, was thrust into an altogether more forbidding arena against Pedro Matos and latterly Luis Moreno, with 16 solid rounds subsequently deposited into the bank.

The slick, skillful and spiteful McCann knows full well that rounds banked is experience and knowledge gained, but he would still like to revert to his spectacular self when he next takes to the ring, after a short break, on July 10 at the Royal Albert Hall.

He took himself out of consideration for recent shows with a view to recharging his batteries but, ultimately, only stayed out of the Queensberry iBox Gym for a matter of four days.

“I overcooked myself a little bit, to be honest with you,” admitted the quick-witted southpaw. “That is the problem with me, I over-train, but I am ready to fight now and I can’t wait to get in the ring.”

This time, in his 10th fight as a professional, McCann would prefer not to still be trading when the final bell tolls.

“Listen, it is all about getting the wins, that is most important because you can’t always entertain people. He (Moreno) was also a bit of a puncher and you don’t punch with a puncher. I felt like I could have got him out of there, but I listened to the instructions from the corner and Al (Smith) was trying to hold me back a bit.

“He wouldn’t let me off the leash!

“I was fighting to orders and I’ve got to listen to my coach because he has got me to where I am today.”

With McCann we had come to expect the unexpected with shots of spontaneous brilliance raining in from all angles. Against Moreno, in particular, he was textbook, although he insists his unpredictable nature remains and he joked that he would be “cocking a deaf ‘un” to any notes of caution.

“No it hasn’t gone and you just have to adapt to your opponent. You’d be a fool to punch with a puncher – who does that? – and you don’t want to get caught because it only takes one shot and it could be game over. You can take out the kids who ain’t punchers, but when you are fighting a puncher you don’t want to swing with him.

“So I got the job done knowing I could have stopped him, but Al wouldn’t let me. In this next fight, trust me, I am coming for the big knockout.

“The fun stuff hasn’t gone, you know me, Dennis the Menace and I am coming for the big knockout next time.

“I got the rounds in though and bashed him up every round, dropping him once, so you can’t ask for much more.”

McCann, as he attracts more and more attention, is beginning to catch the eye of domestic rivals and both Andrew Cain and Liam Davies have mentioned his name in passing over recent weeks.

McCann gives short shrift to such small talk.

“You get people calling you out here and there, so it makes no difference to me. They want my name, all these prospects want my name, it is common sense. They probably look at my social media and everything else, see me getting the limelight, so they all want a piece of me.

“But do they really want a piece of me?

“They’ll all name me but won’t fight me. If they are my weight they can get it, but don’t just say you are coming to my weight. I could say I am coming down to flyweight, but I am not coming down to flyweight, am I?

“So if they are at my weight and on my path I am happy to bash any of them up.”

Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur (18-0, 12 KOs) headlines the July 10th Royal Albert Hall bill and makes the first defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Italian Davide Faraci (15-0, 7 KOs).

The Mancunian’s bitter rival Anthony Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) faces unbeaten German Emin Atra (17-0, 12 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.

Also on the bill WBO ranked number one Super-Middleweight Zach Parker (20-0, 14 KOs) will defend his WBO International belt against Uzbek Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10 KOs).

WBO ranked number four Super-Featherweight, Archie Sharp (19-0, 9 KOs) meets Nicaragua’s Marcio Soza (21-6-2, 12 KOs) with the vacant WBO Global championship on the line.

Prodigious bantamweight talent Dennis McCann (9-0, 5 KOs) faces Tanzanian John Chuwa (20-4, 10 KOs).

Elsewhere on the card, 2016 Olympian Muhammad Ali (2-0) will have his third professional assignment against Lee Glover (11-4, 3 KOs), with Lightweight KO-artist Sam Noakes (5-0, 5 KOs) and Light-Heavyweight former Olympic Youth champion Karol Itauma (2-0, 1 KO) also featuring.

WHAT: “Breakout” Pro-Am amateur & pro day-night doubleheader boxing event

BOUT SHEET:

NIGHT CARD

MAIN EVENT — VACANT NABA UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)

Steve “The Gentle Giant” Vukosa (13-1, 5 KOs), Quincy, MA

vs.

“Fly” Mike Marshall (5-1, 4 KOs), N.E. Champion, Danbury, CT

CO-FEATURE – VACANT ABF ATLANTIC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)

Jose Humberto “Olimpico” Corral (20-26, 12 KOs) Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico

vs.

Justin “Crazy Train” Rolfe (5-2-1, 4 KOs), Fairfield, ME

NEW ENGLAND WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)

Mike “Bad Man”O’Han, Jr. (12-1, 6 KOs), Champion, Holbrook, MA

vs.

Tyrone “Hands of Stone” Luckey (13-4-4, 9 KOs), Manahawkin, NJ

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)

Kevin Rodriguez (0-1), Lawrence, MA

vs.

Ryan Venable (2-5), Roanoke, VA

WELTERWEIGHTS (6)

Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (4-0, 3 KOs), Holyoke, MA

vs.

TBA

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Rodrigo Almeida (2-10, 2 KOs), Woburn, MA

vs.

Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste (2-0, 2 KOs), Woburn, MA

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Aquilando Brando (0-3), Woburn, MA

vs.

Eric “Gladiator” Goff (1-0, 1 KO), Weymouth, MA

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Carlos Abel Castillo (1-0, 1 KO), Holyoke, MA

vs.

Jay Gregory (0-3, 2 KOs), Auburn, NY

HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)

Dennis Ventura (1-0, 1 KO), Salem, MA

vs.

Marco Nasciemento (0-1), Woburn, MA

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)

Brandon Idrogo (2-0, 2 KOs), Ellenville, NT

vs.

TBA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)

Saul “Spider” Almeida (0-13-4), Framingham, MA

vs.

Steve Sumpler (pro debut), Albany, NY

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Jalene Garcia (7-0, 6 KOs), Lynn, MA by way of Puerto Rico

vs.

Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (12-47-2, 8 KOs), Dallas, TX

MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Jader Alves (0-8), Woburn, MA

vs.

Josniel Castro (2-0, 1 KO), Worcester, MA by way of Puerto Rico

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Nelson “Chino” Perez (2-0, 2 KOs), Marlboro, MA

vs.

TBA

CRUISERWEIGHTS (4)

Demeck “Hightower” Edmonds (1-0, 1 KO), Worcester, MA

vs.

Wallace Nass Silva (pro debut), Boston, MA

DAY CARD

MAIN EVENT – ABF ATLANTIC CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)

Yan “Wild Thing” Pallerin (11-1, 5 KOs), Champion, Granby, Quebec, Canada

vs.

Cristiano Pedro (2-3-1, 1 KO), Challenger, Lewiston, ME by way of Angola

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)

Andy Aiello (1-4-1), Bridgewater, MA

vs.

Ian “Dinamite” Garcia (0-0-1), Springfield, MA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)

Andrew Perez (1-0), Methuen, MA

vs.

Jesus Cintron (1-18-2), Springfield, MA

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)

Yhago Goncalves (0-3), Portsmouth, ME by way of Brazil

vs.

Scott Lambert (1-2, 1 KO), Dover Plains, NY

HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)

Alexis Barriere (1-0, 1 KO), Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieux, Quebec, Canada

vs.

Andrew Nolan (pro début), Franklin, NY

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Laurent Humes (pro début), Springfield, MA

vs.

Philipe Martins (pro début), Marlborough, MA

AMATEURS

GRANITE CHIN INVITATIONAL MIDDLEWEIGHT SEMIFINAL (3 X 3)

Mike Fontanez, Nashua PAL vs. James Maner, Big Six

GRANITE CHIN INVITATIONAL WELTERWEIGHT SEMIFINAL (3 X 3)

Apostolus Lolos, Nashua PAL vs. Will Guilmette, Hard Knocks

GRANITE CHIN INVITATIONAL LIGHT WELTERWEIGHT SEMIFINAL (3 X 3)

Jaydell Pazmino, Thrive Boxing vs. Dimas Colon, Intenze 978

SENIOR NOVICE SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS (3 X 2)

Jordan Lindsay, Portland Boxing Club vs. David Marshall, On Point Boxing

SENIOR NOVICE HEAVYWEIGHTS (3 X 2)

Tyler Boston, Seacoast Boxing vs. Kevin Albino, On Point Boxing

Liam Harrison, Seacoast Boxing vs. Haiden Scott, EBF

Dylan Goulart, On Point Boxing vs. Theo Beuvelet, Private Jewels

SENIOR NOTICE WELTERWEIGHTS (3 x2)

Sam Williams, Seacoast Boxing vs. Joe Provenzano, Fenton Boxing Club

SENIOR NOVICE FEATHERWEIGHTS (3 X 2)

Shyne Conce, Intenze 978 vs. Thomas Lee, Broadway Boxing Club

(card subject to change)

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WHERE: New England Sports Center in Derry, New Hampshire

WHEN: Saturday, June 26, 2021

PROMOTER: Granite Chin Promotions

RING ANNOUNCER: John Vena

TICKETS: Tickets are on sale and are priced at $25.00 (Day Show) / $40.00 (Night Show) for general seating (unassigned). Unassigned ringside seating will be available at $35.00 per seat during the day show. The night show will offer ringside tables (assigned and seats 4) for $300.00 and are available to purchase online at www.ticketriver.com (Search: Granite Chin Invitational for the day show, Breakout for night show).

OTHER: Doors open at 12:15 p.m. ET and 7:15 p.m. ET (night) with the first bouts, respectively, at 12:30 p.m. ET and 7:30 p.m. ET

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/GraniteChin

Twitter: @Granite_Chin

CARSON, CALIF. (June 22, 2021) – Undefeated Interim WBA Super Featherweight Champion Chris “Primetime” Colbert will face hard-hitting contender Tugstsogt “King Tug” Nyambayar on Saturday, July 3, headlining the live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Nyambayar replaces Yuriorkis Gamboa, who was originally scheduled to face Colbert before suffering an injury during training camp.

The SHOWTIME telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature unbeaten rising star Michel Rivera battling lightweight contender Jon Fernández in a 135-pound WBA title eliminator in the co-main event.

The telecast will also feature highlights of undefeated super lightweight contender Richardson Hitchins squaring off against Darwin Price in a 10-round duel.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Hitchins vs. Price is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

“This lineup on July 3 features highly-touted rising stars in tough matchups against opponents looking to make statements of their own,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Chris Colbert has been impressive fight after fight, and he will have a big test against the always-tough Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Also facing perhaps the toughest test of his career, Michel Rivera will enter the ring in an exciting matchup against contender Jon Fernández. This is a card that is lined up to deliver drama all night long.”

Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (15-0, 6 KOs) has quickly shot up the 130-pound rankings, taking on high-level competition in his first 15 pro fights. Already established as a fighter with dazzling boxing skills, Colbert showcased his ability to fight toe-to-toe in his last outing, as he stopped hard-hitting Jaime Arboleda in round 11 of their December 2020 clash. The 24-year-old turned pro in 2015 and beat three unbeaten fighters in his first eight contests. Prior to the Arboleda fight, Colbert scored a highlight-reel first round knockout against Miguel Beltran Jr. in September 2019 and a dominant 12-round decision victory over former champion Jezreel Corrales in January 2020.

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring on July 4 weekend,” said Colbert. “I get to set off my fireworks on SHOWTIME the night before. We’re taking this one to Dignity Health Sports Park in California, but I know I’ll have my New York family behind me. This is just another day, another dollar. I have a job to do, and that’s to get the win by any means necessary, but I’m looking to dominate. I expect Nyambayar to bring his A-game though because he knows he’ll be in there with a monster. I may not be the biggest puncher in the world, but I know how to finish a guy and get him out of there, and on July 3 that’s exactly what I’ll be looking to do.”

The 28-year-old Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KOs) won a silver medal representing his native Mongolia in the 2012 Olympics and now lives in Southern California, where he’s trained by John Pullman. Nyambayar ascended the featherweight rankings after his extensive amateur career with victories over then unbeaten Harmonito Dela Torre and former interim champion Oscar Escandon. He earned his first world title shot when he defeated former champion Claudio Marrero in January 2019, before dropping his championship bout against long-reigning WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Russell Jr. in February 2020. Ahead of his super featherweight debut on July 3, the WBC’s second-ranked featherweight Nyambayar most recently handed Cobia Breedy his first loss by scoring two knockdowns and eventually earning the decision in September 2020.

“When I got the call about this fight, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Nyambayar. “I can’t wait to compete. I was born for fights like this. I’m going to leave it all in the ring and give the fans a great show on July 3.”

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and now fighting out of Miami, Rivera (20-0, 13 KOs) burst onto the scene in 2019 making his U.S. debut with a victory over Juan Rene Tellez. The 23-year-old continued his ascent in 2020, adding a stoppage win against Fidel Maldonado Jr. and a unanimous decision triumph against lightweight contender LaDarius Miller. Most recently, Rivera stepped back into the ring to knock out Anthony Mercado in February of this year.

“I can’t wait to be showcasing my skills once again on July 3,” said Rivera. “Fernández will be bringing his A-game and that’s exactly what I want. My coach Herman Caicedo and I have been zeroing in on the best approach to this fight and I’m excited to execute it. Jon is a rough and tough fighter and probably the best fighter I’ve faced to this point and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I know that I will be fighting for a world title soon, so I’m just staying focused and disciplined until that time comes.”

The 25-year-old Fernández (21-1, 18 KOs) enters this bout on a five-fight winning streak following his only career blemish, a decision loss to O’Shaquie Foster in 2018 on ShoBox: The New Generation. A native of Bilbao, Spain, Fernández will fight in the U.S. for the fourth time on July 3. Fernández has been mentored by boxing great Sergio Martinez and will look to put himself back in position for a world title against Rivera. In his last fight, Fernández knocked out Aristides Perez in the first-round of their February 2020 clash.

“The fans are going to enjoy this fight with Rivera very much,” said Fernández. “Both of us are going to give our all in the ring for the opportunity to become a champion. This is the kind of fight that boxing is all about. Our division is full of great fighters, so you need to fight the best to be the best. My training is going very well and I believe that at this moment, I am in the prime of my career.”

A native of Brooklyn, Hitchins (12-0, 5 KOs) turned pro in 2017 after representing Haiti at the 2016 Olympics. The 23-year-old has flashed impressive skills as he’s amassed an unbeaten record in the pro ranks, which is the product of an extensive amateur career. In his last outing, Hitchins scored a career-best victory, as he earned a decision over former world champion Argenis Mendez. Hitchins has increased his competition in winning 10-round decisions in his last three fights.

“After my last fight in December, I got right back in the ring and have been training and tweaking things to help me really get to that star level,” said Hitchins. “I’ve always had the tools, but people are just now recognizing my talents. Each opponent has brought something different out of me, and I plan to keep rising to the occasion and putting on a show for the fans.”

Price (17-1, 10 KOs) returned to the ring in April to knock out Saul Corral in the fifth round. His previous outing had come in December 2019 when he suffered a knee injury that forced him to take a TKO loss against Malik Hawkins in a fight Price led on the scorecards. Originally from St. Louis and now fighting out of Houston, Price was a standout track and field runner at Grambling State University before turning pro and winning his first 16 fights.

“Every dream has a process and a price tag,” said Price. “Those who embrace the process and pay the price, live the dream. Those who don’t, just dream. I can’t wait to get back in the ring on July 3 and put on a great performance.”

#

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.

HAYWARD, CA. (June 22, 2021) – Rising unbeaten super lightweight Omar “El Relámpago” Juárez shared insights into his training camp as he prepares to take on All Rivera in a 10-round attraction that kicks off FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes this Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

FOX PBC Fight night begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by Cuban sensation and unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. defending his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cázares.

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.

The 21-year-old Juarez (11-0, 5 KOs) spent this training camp in California’s Bay Area, as he trained together with WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario Barrios at Virgil Hunter’s gym. Here is what Juarez had to say about that experience and more:

On his recent training camp:

“For most of this training camp, my trainer Rick Nunez and I spent our days up in the Bay Area working out alongside Mario Barrios and Virgil Hunter. It was quite different from training in San Antonio like we usually do because the weather is so different. Training in a colder climate took some getting used to, but we had a great camp and got some good southpaw sparring. Training alongside Barrios was also inspiring as I got to see what a world class training camp looks like. My weight is good and I’ll be ready to go on fight night.”

On his upcoming matchup with All Rivera:

“This will be my third fight in a row where my opponent has twice as many fights as me, so I know how dangerous this fight is. I’ve never wanted easy fights and I’m expecting Rivera to be at his best. These are the types of fights that will push me and make me a better fighter. I know he has a lot of power and that his experience will be a challenge. I have faith that I’ll be able to make the proper adjustments once I get in the ring with him. This is going to be another great step up fight for me and I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been working on.”

On fighting on FOX on Sunday:

“The exposure I’ve been getting while fighting on FOX has been unbelievable. Every young fighter always dreams of fighting on the big stage, and I’ve been blessed to be a staple on FOX or FS1 for most of my career. I’m very grateful to my management team for this opportunity and that all my fans back home in Brownsville, Texas will be able to tune in. This is primetime on Sunday so you know I’ll be coming out with my fists flying.”

#

ABOUT MORRELL VS. CAZARES
Morrell vs. Cazares will see Cuban sensation and unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. defend his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cázares in a 12-round duel that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features cruiserweight knockout artist Efetobor Apochi taking on fellow unbeaten Brandon Glanton in the 10-round co-main event, and rising super lightweight contender Omar “El Relámpago” Juárez battling All Rivera in a 10-round attraction to kick off the telecast.

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.

LAS VEGAS (June 22, 2021) — After a close call in his last fight, Giovani Santillan is set to add to his name to the ranks of the top welterweight contenders. Santillan will return from a yearlong layoff to fight seasoned pro Cecil McCalla in a crossroads battle scheduled for eight or 10 rounds this Saturday, June 26 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
 
Santillan-McCalla will be among the undercard bouts streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT.
 
The return of former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko in a 12-round lightweight bout against Masayoshi Nakatani, and a 10-round middleweight contest between unbeaten sensation Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Rob “Bravo” Brant will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $75 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Etix.com.
 
The San Diego-born Santillan (26-0, 15 KOs) developed his craft on the Southern California club show circuit, and the 29-year-old is now a welterweight contender closing in on a world title opportunity. He last fought on June 16, 2020, escaping via majority decision over former lightweight world champion Antonio DeMarco in a pitched two-way battle. It represented the closest call of the southpaw’s career, and he hopes to put forth a more dominating effort against McCalla (23-4, 10 KOs), a 13-year pro who has never been stopped in the paid ranks. McCalla, from Maryland, has won two straight bouts since a decision defeat to Madiyar Ashkeyev.
 
In other undercard action on ESPN+:

• Heavyweight knockout artist Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello (7-0-1, 7 KOs), a 2016 Italian Olympian, makes his return against Marlon Williams (6-1, 3 KOs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Vianello hopes to bounce back from last October’s draw to Bubble fan-favorite Kingsley Ibeh.
   
• Bantamweight puncher Robert “Biggie” Rodriguez (9-0-1, 5 KOs), who shined with a pair of devastating knockouts last year inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, will fight Mexican veteran Luis Fernando Saavedra (8-6, 3 KOs) in a six-rounder. Saavedra last fought in February 2019, when he bested the previously undefeated Mario Hernandez over eight rounds.
   
• One of Japan’s most promising young fighters, Subaru Murata, will make his professional debut in a four-round junior featherweight tilt against Keven Monroy (1-1, 1 KO). Murata had a reported 68-12 amateur record and defeated the likes of undefeated bantamweight contender Lee McGregor.
   
• Flashy bantamweight prospect Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz (1-0), who turned pro in February, returns against fellow unbeaten Jaime Jasso (2-0) in a four-rounder. Diaz, from Las Vegas, was mentored by Floyd Mayweather Jr. as an amateur and is managed by James Prince.

About Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a reimagined and re-conceptualized casino resort. The property is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. The integrated resort intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture and features three hotel towers totaling over 1,500 Chambers and suites; the 60,000 sq. ft. Mohegan Sun Casino, operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment; a five-acre desert pool oasis including a multi-functional event lawn; live music and entertainment theater with 4,500 capacity; 24 Oxford showroom accommodating 650 guests; an exclusive portfolio of twelve food and beverage venues including Todd English’s Olives, Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market, the legendary Nobu, Michael and David Morton’s One Steakhouse, Kassi Beach House from restauranteur Nick Mathers, Casa Calavera by global hospitality company Hakkasan Group, the sports entertainment, daylife and nightlife venue Money, Baby! from Justin Massei and Mikis Troyan of Clive Collective, famous Afters Ice Cream, Pizza Forte by the Ferraro Family and signature Virgin Hotels restaurants and bars including The Kitchen at Commons Club, The Bar at Commons Club, The Shag Room and Funny Library Coffee Shop. The property is owned by JC Hospitality, LLC, in partnership with Juniper Capital Partners, Virgin Group, LiUNA, Fengate Asset Management, Dream and Orlando Development. The off-Strip playground is located at 4455 Paradise Road. For more information, visit www.virginhotelslv.com.
 
About Virgin Hotels
Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value, and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson’s global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Virgin Hotels Chicago – named the “#1 Hotel in the United States” in 2016 and “#1 Hotel in Chicago” in 2016, 2017, and 2020 by the Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards – Virgin Hotels Dallas – named the “#16 Hotel in Texas” – Virgin Hotels Nashville and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are now open. Locations in New York, New Orleans, Miami, Edinburgh and Glasgow to follow. Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel and office conversions and ground-up development in Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and London.
 
About Curio Collection by Hilton
Curio Collection by Hilton is a global portfolio of nearly 100 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts. Curio Collection properties offer travelers authentic, curated experiences through distinctly local offerings and elevated amenities, while providing the benefits of Hilton and its award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors. Read the latest brand and hotel stories at newsroom.hilton.com/curio, and connect with Curio Collection on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
 
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 $12.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $18.99/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 Hears

ATLANTA (June 22, 2021) – Super welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on Mexico’s Alexis Salazar in a 10-round showdown on the SHOWTIME PPV undercard this Saturday, June 26 from the award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Adames vs. Salazar replaces the previously scheduled Julian Williams vs. Brian Mendoza fight, after Williams was forced to withdraw because of an elbow injury.

The event is headlined by four-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis as he seeks a title in a third weight class against unbeaten WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios in the main event of a SHOWTIME PPV telecast that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event at State Farm Arena, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at https://www.ticketmaster.com.

A native of Comendador, Dominican Republic, Adames (19-1, 15 KOs) fights out of New York City as he seeks to earn a second shot at a world championship. The 27-year-old defeated a slew of contenders on his way to a 2019 title shot that he lost by narrow decision to Patrick Teixeira. Adames defeated former champion Carlos Molina, and contenders Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley and Alejandro Barrera to earn that opportunity at a title.

The 25-year-old Salazar (23-3, 9 KOs) rides a 15-fight winning streak into this matchup. Most recently, Salazar earned a unanimous decision over Ruben Barajas in their December 2020 clash. Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and now fighting out of Norwalk, Calif., Salazar will fight in the U.S. for the sixth time Saturday night. His previous stateside outing saw him dominate Abraham Cordero to earn a unanimous decision in May 2019.

The non-televised undercard will feature Cuban contender Leduan Barthelemy (16-1-1, 8 KOs) meeting unbeaten Viktor Slavinsky (12-0-1, 6 KOs)in an eight-round super featherweight fight, former title challenger Andres Gutierrez (38-2-1, 25 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight attraction, unbeaten prospect Dalton Brodie (1-0, 1 KO) competing in a four-round super middleweight duel against fellow-unbeaten Trever Bradshaw (1-0) and undefeated Washington, D.C. born prospect Stacey Selby (2-0, 2 KOs) entering the ring in a four-round super lightweight bout.

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ABOUT DAVIS VS. BARRIOS

Davis vs. Barrios will see four-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis set his sights on capturing a title in a third weight class when he faces undefeated WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios in a SHOWTIME PPV main event Saturday, June 26 at the award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature a battle of two top 154-pound contenders as Erickson “Hammer” Lubin faces former unified champion Jeison Rosario in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Super welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on Mexico’s Alexis Salazarin a 10-round showdown and hard-hitting Olympian Batyr Akhmedov steps in against former world champion Argenis Mendez in a 12-round WBA Super Lightweight Title Eliminator to kick off the pay-per-view telecast.

The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions. The Akhmedov vs. Mendez fight is promoted in association with World of Boxing.

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

EKOW ESSUMAN has declared he is “gunning for” domestic rivals Conor Benn and Michael MicKinson.

Essuman has been frustrated after an injury to double champion Chris Jenkins delayed their fight especially after seeing rivals Benn and McKinson win recently.

The Nottingham boxer explained “When I saw the competition winning it got me itching to show people what I have been working on and how much I’ve improved.

“While I’ve been waiting for the fight to be rescheduled Conor Benn and Michael McKinson have had good wins.

“After I take the  British and Commonwealth title from Jenkins there are a lot of tasty fights out there.

“They are the fights I have to aim for, but as soon as I win those titles they will be coming for the jugular.

“Conor’s matchmaker has been spectacular. They have picked the right opponents to help him build his confidence in what he does.

“No disrespect to his opponents, but a lot of the things they did complimented what Conor does as opposed to putting him in there with a good mover.

“Take Benn v McKinson. Despite Benn’s strengths McKinson would win all day. He is awkward and wouldn’t play up to Conor’s strengths

“I will meet them both. I am gunning for them. It’s just when and where.”

Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) believes that he will finally face Swansea’s Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) on a Queensberry card next month.

Normally mild mannered Essuman is even doubting whether Jenkins suffered a perforated ear drum before their scheduled clash in March.

“I have had perforated ear drums before and they clear up in two weeks. When I heard he needed longer I asked myself, ‘Is this guy playing games?’, he added

“I did a lot of rounds with David Avanesyan before he fought Josh Kelly and I remember sitting down with him. I asked him how he coped mentally with the all the postponements over two years.

“He said that it had been a long time, but he was able to work on things that he needed to. That sat with me.

“I have taken that on board and I just have longer to cement the things I need to do against Jenkins.

“By the time I get to fight Jenkins things will be instilled in me and I will do them without even thinking.

“I see myself winning in good fashion. I don’t want to give too much away, but it won’t reach the final bell.”

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 21, 2021) – Undefeated welterweight, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs), wants a big fight after his TKO victory over Brad Solomon (29-3, 9 KOs), a 10-round bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions that took place this past Saturday on DAZN at the University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center.

Cobbs, who is managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing, stopped Soloman by way of fifth round TKO, and feels his victory over the crafty veteran garners a big fight with a meaningful name.

“I believe I showed that I deserve a big fight against a named opponent after my stoppage of Solomon,” said Cobbs. “There’s a lot of big fights out there for me and I just want an opportunity. I’m ready to fight all the big names in the welterweight division. Anyone who is ranked in the top ten, I’m coming for you.”

Training out of the Wild Card Boxing gym in Los Angeles with Freddie Roach was something new for Cobbs going into this fight, and he believes he has the right team intact to make a championship run.

“First I want to say that Freddie Roach has been a tremendous help in my development over the past year during the pandemic,” Cobbs continued. “All of the Wild Card fighters came out on top this past weekend and the vibe we share in the gym is unbelievable. When your around great fighters at Wild Card, it gives you a confidence like you wouldn’t believe because you know you’re training at the best boxing gym in the world, with the best trainer. When I land that big fight, everyone will see that I belong with the elite in boxing.”

MINNEAPOLIS (June 21, 2021) – Unbeaten super welterweight prospect Leon Lawson will battle hard-hitting Nathaniel Gallimore in a 10-round showdown that headlines FS1 PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

FS1 PBC Fight Night begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and will feature unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Atif Oberlton taking on Jasper McCargo in an eight-round bout, and undefeated super welterweight prospect Travon Marshall in a four-round contest against Ruben Torres.

The FS1 telecast will precede FOX PBC Fight Night which begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is headlined by unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. taking on undefeated contender Mario Cazares.

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.

A towering six-foot, five-inch super welterweight, Lawson (14-0, 7 KOs) will face the toughest test of his young career against Gallimore. The 21-year-old most recently knocked out Ramal Amanov in the fourth-round of their February showdown, making it three-straight knockout victories for Lawson. A native of Flint, Michigan, Lawson is the cousin of two-time champion Anthony Dirrell and longtime contender Andre Dirrell. He will be making his third career appearance at The Armory in Minneapolis, after scoring victories there in 2018 and 2019.

Gallimore (21-5-1, 17 KOs) has made a name for himself challenging the best fighters at 154-pounds and using his power and skill to present stiff competition. The 33-year-old owns a stoppage victory over former unified champion Jeison Rosario, and has also faced former unified champion Julian Williams, former champion Patrick Teixeira, and top contenders Erickson Lubin and Sebastian Fundora. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Gallimore has fought out of Chicago as a pro.

Oberlton (1-0, 1 KO) made his pro debut in January as the 22-year-old stopped Nathan Sharp in the third round, before most recently knocking out Larry Pryor in May. Representing the fighter-rich city of Philadelphia, Oberlton won the 2018 and 2016 National Golden Gloves tournaments and reached the finals of the 2018 U.S. National Championships prior to turning pro. He will be taking on the Monterey, California native McCargo (4-1-2, 2 KOs), who most recently fought to a majority draw against Josh Hernandez in February of 2020. The 34-year-old turned pro in 2016 and was unbeaten in his first four bouts.

The 20-year-old Marshall (1-0, 1 KO) turned pro on April 20 after an impressive amateur career, and delivered a quick first-round knockout of Christian Marron on FS1. Marshall was born in Landover, Maryland and now resides in Capitol Heights, Maryland as he prepares to take on the 30-year-old Torres (4-1, 1 KO). A native of Sacramento, California, Torres won a unanimous decision over Donnis Reed in February 2020 in his last outing.

In non-televised undercard attractions, a pair of Twin Cities natives will step into the ring in separate showdowns as Minneapolis fan-favorite VeShawn Owens (11-2, 10 KOs) fights at The Armory for the fourth-time in a six-round super lightweight contest, while St. Paul’s Joe James (8-0, 5 KOs) puts his undefeated record on the line in a six-round welterweight attraction. Plus, 19-year-old prospect Angel Chavez (3-0, 3 KOs) will make his U.S. debut in a four-round non-televised attraction.

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ABOUT MORRELL VS. CAZARES
Morrell vs. Cazares will see Cuban sensation and unbeaten WBA Super Middleweight Champion David O. Morrell Jr. defend his title against undefeated challenger Mario Cázares in a 12-round duel that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Sunday, June 27 from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features cruiserweight knockout artist Efetobor Apochi taking on fellow unbeaten Brandon Glanton in the 10-round co-main event, and rising super lightweight contender Omar “El Relámpago” Juárez battling All Rivera in a 10-round attraction to kick off the telecast.

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.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (June 21, 2021) – San Antonio’s featherweight prospect,
Ricky “El Castigo” Medina (10-0, 6 KOs) remained undefeated with a dominate unanimous decision victory against a game Omar Castillo (6-3, 3 KOs), an eight-round bout that took place this past Saturday, June 19th, on the undercard of Jermall Charlo vs Juan Macias Montiel, from the Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas.

Medina, who is managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing, and promoted by Rick Morones of TMB Promotions, faced adversity for the first time in his career as he had to get up off the deck from a flash knockdown in round two. Medina, who was a decorated amateur, dominated round one, and made the proper adjustments needed to take over the rest of the fight.

“In boxing you must stay calm when adversity presents itself,” said Medina. “I got caught with a right hand, but wasn’t hurt, and hit the canvass off balance. I knew I had to dig deep to overcome the knockdown and dominated the rest of the fight. I’m surprised Castillo was able to handle the punishment I was giving him in the final rounds. He showed great heart and I’m a better fighter after fighting him.”

“A true champion will always get back up and find a way to win,” Greg Hannley said. “Other then the flash knockdown, it was a dominant performance. I’m happy with Medina’s performance and I’m looking to get him right back in the ring, hopefully next month or August.”

“I’m very happy with Medina and how he held his composure in this fight,” stated Rick Morones. “He showed all the great qualities of a veteran fighter, event though he’s only in his tenth pro fight. I’m very thankful to everyone at the PBC for putting us on. We have big plans for him. He’s on his way to some big fights.”

HOUSTON (June 21, 2021) – Unified WBC, WBA and IBF World Champion Jermell Charlo and his trainer Derrick James spoke with the press on Saturday at the kickoff press conference for Charlo’s battle against WBO World Champion Brian Castaño for undisputed status at super welterweight. All four 154-pound belts hang in the balance for the first time in history on Saturday, July 17 live on SHOWTIME from AT&T Center in San Antonio in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will also feature unbeaten Interim WBA Lightweight Champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero taking on Austin Dulay in the co-main event, plus unbeaten middleweight Amilcar Vidal matching up against veteran contender Immanuwel Aleem in a 10-round bout that opens the telecast.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Lions Only Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through www.attcenter.com. Romero vs. Dulay is co-promoted with Mayweather Promotions.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Saturday. Quotes from Castaño, who was unable to attend in person due to travel issues, are also below:

JERMELL CHARLO

“Once you lose a fight, that’s the hardest thing. I lost before and it separates me from my twin brother. He’s never lost. He’s an undefeated champion right now. I was an undefeated champion that lost and I had to figure the ropes out. That loss made a big difference for me.

“After I avenged my loss, I came back to fight Jeison Rosario who was supposedly the new guy. We really trained differently for him because he was a bigger guy. But we stayed strong and we got it done.

“I’m excited to be fighting in San Antonio. We’re going to get on the road for three-and-a-half hours, listen to some good R&B music on the way and we’re going to take care of business and have a good time in San Antonio.

“He’s shorter than me. I’m expecting him to try to throw a lot of body shots. Have you ever seen somebody get slept by me? If he runs into the wrong punch, we have a great game plan. We will make the adjustments. We don’t stop. We will continue to do what we do. I’m not afraid of any man. There’s nothing that can stop me right now. I’m all the way up.

“If he’s saying he’s going to make me risk my life, what do you think I’m going to make him do with his? If you make me risk my life, you better be willing to put your life on the line. I’m not the one to play with. I’m not just devastating with my punches. I’m devastating with my mental. There’s nothing he can do to me that I haven’t seen already. I’ve been in boxing way longer than he can even imagine.

“Tonight, on Juneteenth, my brother will show what I’m worth because that’s my twin. Everything he can do, I can do. We are going to do this together. On July 17, when it comes to my fight, I’m working twice as hard as you can even imagine. I’m going to be different. I’m going to be amazing. I will move. I will box. Whatever he wants, I’m with it. Whatever he does, I will take him out of his game plan. That’s my job.

“Brian Castaño is a great fighter. He comes to fight. He doesn’t stop. He does a lot of things that are impressive to the rest of the crowd and I feel that he will fight. He will bang. He will box. He will move back. He will move forward. Lateral movement. Derrick and I have been working hard to prepare for everything. It takes a lot to jump in the ring and become an undisputed champion and with that being said, I’m going to do everything I can in my willpower to win this fight.

“When I win on July 17 and I unify the belts and become undisputed, that’s just another trophy for me. I want to keep it going. I want to win another world title in the same weight class as my brother. We won them at 154. I want to win them at 160. We’re not done.”

BRIAN CASTAÑO

“I feel great, I’m having a great training camp and looking forward to stepping into the ring. This is the fight of my life and I feel so good about it.

“This fight is such an honor and a privilege. To have the chance to unify the four belts is such a unique opportunity. It’s about making history. Only a few fighters have been able to achieve it and write a golden page in the history books of boxing. I plan to be the first Latino to do so.

“Fighting in San Antonio is quite big and everybody knows that Manu Ginobili is such a hero there. We all admire and love Manu, who is one of Argentina’s best-ever in any sport. If you go to San Antonio and you were born in Argentina like myself, you better be ready to give it your all to keep his legacy.

“It’s going to be a tough fight between two great champions. Charlo is strong and a good boxer but he never suffered in the ring before. He will on July 17.

“My prediction is that I am going to win and he will suffer.”

DERRICK JAMES, Jermell Charlo’s Trainer

“Everything about success is about overcoming adversity. The adversities of training. The adversity of preparing for fights. The heat in Texas is insane, and for him to just continue to push through all of that is impressive.

“We know the type of fighter that Brian Castaño is and we’re preparing for the best version of that. He’s a good fighter. A good boxer. Good technically. Jermell is going to show what we’ve been working on and how he’s progressed from his last fight until now. You will see his greatness.

“Castaño is a good fighter and you have to respect his abilities. But at the same time, Jermell is more athletic. He’s faster. His athleticism and his intellect will be the difference. Our goal is to be at our best and take away all of Castaño’s attributes. With everything that he does well, my job is to make sure that we don’t get a chance to see how good he is.”

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

“This will be Jermell’s 14th appearance on SHOWTIME. He started on ShoBox through SHOWTIME Extreme, through Championship and all the way through pay-per-view. This is an important fight for the history of the sport. It’s an important fight for getting the momentum back after the pandemic for the sport and Jermell graciously agreed to put this on SHOWTIME and make this available to the biggest audience possible.

“We will be supporting this fight with an All-Access special we are filming now, where Jermell will be his usual entertaining self. But more than All-Access and more than all of that, this is the consensus No. 1 fighter in the division versus consensus No. 2. People say nowadays the best aren’t fighting the best. I’m here to tell you it happens. It’s been happening and right here is a great example of that. An undisputed title is at stake in the 154-pound division. It does not get bigger than this. A good solid event on the undercard, this is really the event of the summer. Looking forward to it and glad to have Jermell back on SHOWTIME.”

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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.

ANTHONY YARDE is delighted that arch rival Lyndon Arthur is number one in the WBO Light-Heavyweight ratings, but will still demand their rematch takes place after their respective fights next month.

Arthur won a narrow split decision when they fought last December taking Yarde’s Commonwealth title and capturing the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title.

Both are in action on Queensberry’s big show at London’s splendid Royal Albert Hall on Saturday July 10, live on BT Sport.

‘King’ Arthur (18-0, 12 KOs) headlines the bill in the first defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Italian champion Davide Faraci (15-0, 7 KOs).

Manchester’s Arthur is now ranked number one for the WBO World crown worn by American Joe Smith.

“I am actually happy that Lyndon has reached number one,” said 29-year-old Yarde.

“I like to see progress and elevation. It’s the sport of boxing so when someone is doing well I am not a person to hate, but I do want the rematch.”

Yarde previously held top spot with the WBO and earned a crack against Sergey Kovalev when he was World champion in August 2019. He performed superbly before losing in the 11th round.

He added: “I wanted the rematch immediately, but will search for that straight after this fight.

“As far as I know there is a contract for the rematch, but we know how boxing works.

“Hopefully we can get the rematch on and I can get back my number one spot.”

Yarde’s who is still in the WBC, IBF and WBO rankings has fought twice behind closed doors during the pandemic –  against Dec Spelman who he beat in six rounds and Arthur.

When he faces Atra it will be his first contest in front of British fans since a fifth round stoppage of American Travis Reeves in March 2019, which also took place at the Royal Albert Hall.

Yarde says: “I can’t wait to blow away the cobwebs and get back into action, but for me the main thing will be having fans at the Royal Albert Hall.

“I am looking forward to getting back to normal, thriving off the crowd and the atmosphere that brings. It will make me feel like I am in a competitive boxing match.

“Against Spelman it was weird because there was no audience. In the Arthur fight, he had about 50 people making noise, but it was different. I just bought my sister and niece.

“With the crowd back I will feel like life is getting back to normal.”

Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur (18-0, 12 KOs) headlines the July 10th Royal Albert Hall bill and makes the first defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Italian Davide Faraci (15-0, 7 KOs).

The Mancunian’s bitter rival Anthony Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) faces unbeaten German Emin Atra (17-0, 12 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.

Also on the bill WBO ranked number one Super-Middleweight Zach Parker (20-0, 14 KOs) will defend his WBO International belt against Uzbek Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10 KOs).

 WBO ranked number four Super-Featherweight, Archie Sharp (19-0, 9 KOs) meets Nicaragua’s Marcio Soza (21-6-2, 12 KOs) with the vacant WBO Global championship on the line.

Prodigious bantamweight talent Dennis McCann (9-0, 5 KOs) faces Tanzanian John Chuwa (20-4, 10 KOs).

Elsewhere on the card, 2016 Olympian Muhammad Ali (2-0) will have his third professional assignment against Lee Glover (11-4, 3 KOs), with Lightweight KO-artist Sam Noakes (5-0, 5 KOs) and Light-Heavyweight former Olympic Youth champion Karol Itauma (2-0, 1 KO) also featuring.

WBO #1 Ranked Super-Middleweight tank Zach Parker has sized up his Queensberry Light Heavyweight stablemates and confidently declared: “They ain’t much bigger than me, I’d love to fight any of them!”
 
Parker had chance to stand alongside Britain’s best 175lb’ers when he attended last week’s press conference for the July 10th show at the Royal Albert Hall.
 
Headlining that show will be ‘King’ Lyndon Arthur, who is battling Italy’s Davide Faraci, but also in attendance at the media event was ‘The Beast from the East’ Anthony Yarde and ‘The One’ Callum Johnson.
 
Parker said of the potential for joining them in a fatal fourway knockout competition: “I’m a massive super-middleweight, so if the opportunity comes up I’d definitely go up and fight any of them.”
 
Title hungry Parker even had a suggestion for how Hall-Of-Fame Promoter Frank Warren could brand such a tournament, telling Dev Sahni it should be called “The four kings.”
 
Super-Middleweights adding 7lb’s of muscle and joining the Light-Heavy ranks is a hot topic at the minute, with suggestions in the press that John Ryder is being lined up for a shot at Dmitry Bivol.
 
Parker couldn’t hide his disappointment at a potential fight with Ryder being taken off the table for himself – saying he was “pissed off” – and even poured cold water on the Islington man’s chances against Bivol: “I’m big enough for the Light Heavies, Ryder ain’t”, he said.
 
He did say, however, that he hoped his fellow Brit could pull off the upset.
 
Before he can think of any potential move up in weight, though, Parker must deal with the immediate threat in front of him.
 
That challenge falls on July 10th when he squares up against battle-hardened Uzbekistani bruiser Sherzod Khusanov – a bout the Derby ace insists he is not taking lightly.
 
“He’s coming to win and he wants my WBO #1 spot. It’s a tough opponent, I’ve seen a little bit of him. He’s won 22, lost 2 and he’s a former Olympian. He’s a former silver medallist at the world championships, too, but at my A game no one beats me.”
 
Parker’s confidence stems in part from a professional record of 20-0, with 14 KO’s. Most recently, he impressed on his Queensberry debut when he dominated Vaughn Alexander and blasted the previously unfinished man out in just two rounds.
 
Zach is aware of the importance of such showings, especially now he has the support of a platform the size of BT.
 
“I want to get everyone excited about me, even more than after the Vaughn Alexander fight” said Parker, adding ominously: “I’m planning another knockout.”
 
“Every performance I want to be my best and with these sort of opponents I’ll perform better. The better the opponent, the better I’ll perform.”
 
“I know my own ability; I know what I can do in the ring. I just need to show everyone now.
 
“I’m with BT and Frank Warren, it’s my time now and I can’t wait.”

To watch the full interview with Zach Parker on the official Queensberry YouTube page, click here

Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur (18-0, 12 KOs) headlines the July 10th Royal Albert Hall bill and makes the first defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Italian Davide Faraci (15-0, 7 KOs).

 The Mancunian’s bitter rival Anthony Yarde (20-2, 19 KOs) faces unbeaten German Emin Atra (17-0, 12 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.

 Also on the bill WBO ranked number one Super-Middleweight Zach Parker (20-0, 14 KOs) will defend his WBO International belt against Uzbek Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10 KOs).

 WBO ranked number four Super-Featherweight, Archie Sharp (19-0, 9 KOs) meets Nicaragua’s Marcio Soza (21-6-2, 12 KOs) with the vacant WBO Global championship on the line.

 Prodigious bantamweight talent Dennis McCann (9-0, 5 KOs) faces Tanzanian John Chuwa (20-4, 10 KOs).

 Elsewhere on the card, 2016 Olympian Muhammad Ali (2-0) will have his third professional assignment against Lee Glover (11-4, 3 KOs), with Lightweight KO-artist Sam Noakes (5-0, 5 KOs) and Light-Heavyweight former Olympic Youth champion Karol Itauma (2-0, 1 KO) also featuring.

KSI has joined forces with Wasserman Boxing and his management team, Proper Loud, to form a new groundbreaking boxing promotion company to stage the world’s biggest and best celebrity and crossover boxing events.    Having conquered the entertainment world, KSI, who has over 34 million combined subscribers across his social media channels and more than 8.2 billion views, plans to make his mark on the boxing business as a promoter as well as a fighter, having already proved his massive box-office appeal with victories over YouTube rivals Joe Weller and Logan Paul.    The arena selling, chart-topping rapper, who was the biggest-selling UK breakthrough of 2020, will be able to draw on the expertise of Wasserman Boxing, one of the world’s leading boxing promoters, and his management team at Proper Loud, as they look to set a new industry standard for boxing events.    KSI, whose second album All Over The Place is due 16 July, said: “Since beating Logan Paul, I’ve been plotting my next move in boxing. Whenever I make a move, it’s always big. I’m excited to announce that I have partnered with the Sauerland brothers, Wasserman Boxing and Proper Loud to create my own boxing promotion. Get ready for some incredible events featuring the biggest names from the world of sport and entertainment.”   Mams Taylor, owner of Proper Loud, said: “It’s with great pleasure that we announce this link up between KSI, Proper Loud and Wasserman Boxing. The Sauerland brothers have great experience in creating big fight nights and together we’re going to set a new standard for events, reaching bigger audiences, and guaranteeing excitement and entertainment.”    Nisse Sauerland, Director of Boxing at Wasserman, said: “We’re delighted to partner with KSI and Proper Loud on this exciting new venture. We will bring decades of experience and expertise to deliver a new generation of fight fans with the highest production values and greatest match-ups in the world of celebrity and crossover boxing.”    Kalle Sauerland, Head of Global Boxing at Wasserman, said: “This is a major move for the boxing and entertainment industries. KSI is a mega-star with huge crossover appeal. He knows how to market himself and he knows how to sell events. He will bring a new audience to the sport of boxing.”     A launch date and opening party will be announced in the coming days to toast this exciting new venture.

About KSI   KSI is the UK’s most well known YouTuber boasting over 34 million combined subscribers across his social media channels and more than 8.2 billion views. He has broken records with his boxing matches and has millions of streams under his belt as a music artist. His debut studio album, Dissimulation, reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. All Over The Place, the new album from KSI via BMG UK / RBC Records, out 16 July is available to pre-order now. Follow KSI on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube.    About Proper Loud    Proper Loud is a trailblazing multimedia management company founded by well-known entertainment industry professional Mams Taylor. Starting out representing emerging talent, Proper Loud’s roster grew to include Grammy award winning and nominated producers, writers and artists, Rico Love, S- X, Diego Ave and more. Taylor expanded his company and broadened its range of talent on their roster to include well-known YouTubers, influencers, photographers and other areas of the entertainment industry. In 2019, Taylor signed YouTube sensation, KSI. Taylor executive produced KSI’s debut album released in May 2020 under RBC/BMG. Taylor and Proper Loud have made additional moves within the music industry with the launch of the record label, ‘The Online Takeover’ in partnership with KSI and in live events with MBA Live. Follow Proper Loud on Twitter and Instagram.    About Wasserman Boxing   Wasserman is a partner to the world’s most iconic brands, properties and talent in their endeavors across sports, entertainment and culture. Our purpose is to transform the businesses and careers of clients. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Wasserman operates globally in more than 20 cities, including London, New York, Toronto, Raleigh, Carlsbad, The Hague, Portland and Shanghai. In 2021, Wasserman acquired Team Sauerland, one of the world’s leading boxing promoters, to form Wasserman Boxing, a new global force in the world of boxing. Learn more at TeamWass.com. Follow Wasserman Boxing on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

NEW YORK (June 20, 2021)-Split-T Management is proud to announce the signing of amateur standout Dante Benjamin Jr. to a managerial contract.

Benjamin, 19 years-old of Cleveland, Ohio amassed over 100 wins as an amateur, and was a seven-time national champion as he was a 2016 and 2017 Junior National Champion, 2017 Eastern Regional Champion, and a 2018 Youth National champion. He also took first place in the Emil Jechev International tournament in Botevgrad, Bulgaria.

In 2017, he named the Under Armour Fighter of the Year.

As an amateur, Benjamin competed in the 176-pound division, but he will begin his professional career fighting the super middleweight division.

“Dante has great potential and we see big things from him,” said David McWater of Split-T Management. We see him as a future champion and look forward to getting him started towards all of his goals.”

“I signed with Split-T Management as I feel they can do the most for me and my career goals, which includes winning world titles,” said Benjamin.

I wanted to make this announcement specifically on Father’s Day as my father passed a way a couple of months ago, and I feel this is a gift to him to announce that I am going pro on this day.”

In 2010, at the age of eight, Benjamin’s father steered him towards boxing as he used to fight a lot in the playground.

Benjamin describes his style as being a boxer-puncher, who can do everything in the ring.

“I can’t wait to get started. I am looking to get my first fight sometime in August or September.

Benjamin is trained by famed trainer Renard Safo.

“Dante has all of the skills to become a world champion. I am happy to have Dante signed with Split-T Management. I have known David McWater a long time, and I know he will have Dante’s best interest,” said Safo.

NEW YORK (June 20 2021)-Lightweight Eric Puente and junior welterweight Omar Rosario remained perfect by scoring big wins at The Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The duo are managed by Split-T Management.

Puente had to shake off an opening round knockdown to win a unanimous decision over Jose Antonio Meza in a lightweight bout.

In round one, Puente was sent to the canvas from a left hook. Puente showed a tremendous heart and determination as he fought himself back into the contest. By round three, Puente seized control of the bout, and won by scores of 58-55 twice to raise his perfect mark to 6-0. Meza falls to 7-6.

Rosario was very impressive by stopping previously undefeated JJ Mariano in the fourth and final round.

In the opening round, Rosario buckled Mariano. In round two, Rosario registered a knockdown, and later in the round he landed a hard hook that had Mariano staggering back yo his corner.

Rosario hurt Mariano several times in round three, and finished off Mariano with a left that sent Mariano down again, and the fight was stopped at 2:13.

Rosario of Caguas, PR is now 4-0 with two knockouts. Mariano is now 3-1.

Rosario said, “We took full advantage of the opportunity and put on a good performance on a great card. We got the job done against an opponent who was undefeated and who came to put up a great fight.”

Puente and Rosario are promoted by Top Rank.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams (Top Rank via Getty Images)